posted on June 21, 2007 07:18:10 PM new
I'd like to know if you can buy a compatable digital box that your cable company uses on eBay & have it work on your TV.
Seems I read somewhere that when you sign up for digital you rent your box from your cable company & it's programed to your TV set & will only work on your set. If this is true then that would mean any you buy on eBay would not work.
posted on June 21, 2007 07:36:46 PM new
McJane - I believe the cable company programs these boxes after they install them in your home. They do it remotely. I think you need to contact your individual cable company to find out if you can use one of these. Just make sure it's not a box that someone "forgot" to return to their cable company. We left cable a long time ago and went with Dish Network with a DVR. I love it!
posted on June 21, 2007 08:20:28 PM new
Cheryl, the Dish man was here yesterday to install & he said, couldn't be done. Probably are a couple of hundred trees in the way. The only clearing I have is directly above the house & the signal comes from the side.
I did a lot of research & Dish was by far the best deal.
Comcast does not need to install a dish at your house so I'm stuck with them & it costs a lot more for a lot less than Dish was giving me.
I need 3 digital boxes, 4 would be better, but can do with 3. Comcast includes the first one with the service, but the other two would be 8.90 each a month. Ridiculous.
I asked to buy the boxes & they don't sell them, but told me Motorola does. I emailed Motorola & they sell the DCT700 only to Comcast. You would think the reps at Comcast would know this & I got that info from a supervisor!
So I looked on eBay, but then saw somewhere each box is programmed to only one account & any I buy will not work. I never thought about money being owed by the previous owner & of course I would be stuck with the bill if I tried to activate it. Thank you for that information.
This reminds me of the days when if you wanted another phone, called an extension, you had to pay extra each month because Ma Bell owned them all. No such thing back then as buying a phone at a store.
I'm just trying to find a way around paying Comcast 17.80 for two extra boxes, which is way too much.
Now I'm wondering if a box I buy can be reprogramed to my TV set.
Edited to add:
Comcast does not install the boxes, they mail them to you. If you get them to install you have to pay them. Also a big rip off.
I hate Comcast & I'm stuck with them because I don't know of any other cable companies around here that don't have to put a dish on your house.
I'm in PA 19342 if anyone knows of one I would love to know who they are.
[ edited by mcjane on Jun 21, 2007 08:25 PM ]
posted on June 21, 2007 10:22:30 PM new
I, too, hate their high fees, but love their commercials. Their Save Big Bucks, Slowskis, and You're a tiger ads crack me up.
I'm sorry that Dish wouldn't work for you. We used to live in Exton (just up the road from you) and the apartment complex wouldn't allow any permanent attachments to their buildings.
Well, when we first signed up for Dish Network in 1998, we rigged up a 5-gal. bucket - filled with cement and used an aluminum pole in the center - and we attached the dish to it.
Since we couldn't make a hole in the wall to run the cable in, we found a glass mount connection (based on the early car phone technology where 2 elements are aligned on each side and the signal is passed through the glass in the stationary door of a sliding glass door) -- That cable wasn't connected to the TV either.
We had a whiz bang cool transmitter thingy that was on the counter next to the sliding glass door and the cable was fed to it. It then transmitted across the room to the TV where we had wonderful reception - and have loved Dish ever since.
The oddest thing - as if you don't thing the set-up is odd already - most guests could not believe that the dish was pointed at a hill about 15 feet behind the apartment and there were apartment buildings behind that. There was absolutely no line of site that saw sky ANYWHERE it was pointed.
I say all this because I'm very surprised that they coulding get a signal where you are. You really must live in the forest - or you ran into a lazy installation contractor. We've had them, too. When we moved 20 miles north and purchased a home, the first install crew did it in the snow and screwed things up royally. They ran cable around the house rather than come down on the proper side, etc. That was corrected and we haven't been happier.
We have an HD DVR system and couldn't live without the ability to pause, rewind, fast forward, etc. that we've been doing for nearly 10 years now.
We considered the Verizon FiOS and explored the cost vs. benefit of what we have now - which is DSL (can't bring myself to get cable from Comcast). It would be as expensive or more without any significant improvement in service.
One site you might explore is: http://www.satelliteguys.us. There is a fantastic forum there of people who know their stuff when it comes to cable and satellite services available. It's not the easiest site to navigate, but you won't find a better place on the technology and staying current on what's coming.
Hope you figure out a solution soon.
Wayne
Never explain -- Your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.
~ Elbert Hubbard
I share your feelings about Comcast. I'm on Verizon's list; our neighborhood is fibered and I'm ready when they call.
Your boxes are actually less expensive than the ones in NJ, unless you're speaking of only a STB without a DVR. I try not to make categorical statements, but I consider a DVR ESSENTIAL if you're going to watch TV. We've had 3 of them for years, and I simply could not return to TV without them. I can't stand commercials, and I can't stand the thought that I have to be at the TV when a program is on.
We couldn't get satellite either. I tried with 2 companies; NFW. We have old trees around us.
