Buying a Cable Box off Ebay

[spacejamz]

anyone know if cable companies (Time Warner for me) allow you to use equipment not rented from them?

for example, this cable box costs about $10 a month from Time Warner...

the only advantage to renting is that if it breaks, the cable company replaces it free of charge...

Would it work automatically after connecting it or would the cable company need to authorize it?

 

[wiredspider]

yea anyone know, i would love to buy one and be able to record instead of paying those comcast bastages every month.

 

[miri]

Not sure, i would like to get a sci atlantis one

i cant stand these motorola dvrs!!

 

[keeleysam]

Well, that listing is for a box that is the property of Comcast, with Comcast's firmware. It will not work for Time Warner, and Comcast will most likely not transfer it, and if they did, you'd still be charged, as it is Comcast property.

 

[Phokus]

go with dish network, comcast blows.

 

[keeleysam]

Originally posted by: Phokus
go with dish network, comcast blows.

HDTV looks fabulous on Dish and DirecTV. :roll:

 

[spacejamz]

Originally posted by: keeleysam
Well, that listing is for a box that is the property of Comcast, with Comcast's firmware. It will not work for Time Warner, and Comcast will most likely not transfer it, and if they did, you'd still be charged, as it is Comcast property.

Time Warner took over the Comcast service that I had for several years last fall. Both of my High Def cable boxes still have the Comcast logo on them....

So is this seller selling the box legally then?

 

[BuckNaked]

I can't speak for Time Warner, but the company I work for generally doesn't allow the equipment to be purchased. Most of what you see is unreturned equipment or stolen. Again, I can only speak from experience from one particular company, but we use the Serial Number much like a MAC address on a cable modem, and is tracked with each account. Lost or stolen equipment is usually blacklisted. I have seen a few select areas that allow for personally owned DCT's, but its quite infrequent...

YMMV, but I feel you would at best be throwing money away, and potentially could be responsible for what may be stolen equipment.

How can I get the DCT6208/6412?
The DCT6208 and DCT6412 are not for sale in retail stores but are available from Digital Cable service providers. These products are networked devices reliant on a cable provider's network. The Interactive Program Guide that allows you to operate all the functions is a software program that receives information from the cable operator's network. You can check with your local cable system's office to find out if the DCT6208 or DCT6412 will be available where you are. Click here for links to major service providers using Motorola Digital Cable equipment.

 

[cubby1223]

Yeah, the line that reads:
"PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL CABLE PROVIDER FOR COMPATIBILITIES BEFORE YOU BID. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR INCOMPATIBILITIES."

says straight up, you're getting screwed.

These cable boxes transmit data back and forth with the cable company, the cable company has to register the box's serial number or whatever in their systems before they become functional, and they are not going to accept a box bought off eBay.

While I can't say for certain, I'd give odds of 99.9% of your cable company not allowing you to use this box.

 

[spacejamz]

rental fees from the cable companies or mirror fees for satellite...

guess you can't win for losing...

 

[911paramedic]

They said they purchased it, if so, ask them for a serial #. If they give it to you call comcast and see if it's really been purchased or not returned/stolen.

If the buyer refuses, forget it.

 

[SludgeFactory]

You can buy it, but the cable company won't authorize the box, whether it's stolen or not. You'll have a doorstop.

 

[Viperoni]

Originally posted by: SludgeFactory
You can buy it, but the cable company won't authorize the box, whether it's stolen or not. You'll have a doorstop.

In Ontario anyhow, you can buy a Scientific Atlanta (or possibly other, I dont know) cable box from BB or FS, and use that instead of paying the monthly rental fee.

$150 for the box or $10/month... pays off after a little more than a year.
So far I've been having poor luck with them though; crackling audio comes from the box and is proportional to the volume setting on the box.

 

[alkemyst]

I was able to get a PVR-508 for my dish given to me for free. Activating it was easy. The 508 is the last PVR for dish that doesn't require a PVR monthly charge. While the newer ones have 120GB drives, I can upgrade my harddrive to that size as well.

Craigslist and garage sales are good sources for boxes. Dish/DirectTV boxes are commonly found when people move into a community that includes free cable at their move in garage sale.