Comcast Digital Adapters?

[alkemyst]

What's the differences between all of them?

I am paying the $1.99 for one in a kid's room and I am ready to add two more to the household.

IMHO these little boxes aren't even worth $30. Which is about a year rental.

Anyone know the options?

 

[GTaudiophile]

I just got a cable card and put it in my HD HomeRunPrime.

 

[alkemyst]

Not looking for cablecard stuff. I want TV Guide and other stuff than streaming.

 

[John Connor]

Are you referring to the little basic black box? They're fucking crap! Sometimes it won't even get a signal and this happens at my mom's work in a nursing home too!

 

[ViRGE]

What's the differences between all of them?

I am paying the $1.99 for one in a kid's room and I am ready to add two more to the household.

IMHO these little boxes aren't even worth $30. Which is about a year rental.

Anyone know the options?

The DTAs are minimalistic TV tuners. Your options are those or the more expensive (more features) boxes.

The only devices you can buy use CableCARD. And while the CableCARD is cheap, all of said devices are high-end DVRs that are overkill to replace a DTA. (Edit: actually I forgot about the Samsung GX-SM530CF, which is a $129 CableCARD tuner-only STB)

 

[Thump553]

You don't get any TV guide on those little boxes. There is a TV Guide channel but it is basically infomercials and soap operas-and absolutely no channel information.

I use them on two TVs. Are reliable enough-only had one fail in the last couple of years. Comcast being Comcast, these were initially provided for free (because of the digital switchover) but they now charge a couple of bucks (maybe as high as $5) each per month.

Question for those that know TV-is there anything I can buy to replace these boxes for ancient CRT TVs (no HDMI).

 

[jpiniero]

There are HDMI to component converters out there. It may not make economical sense however.

 

[ViRGE]

Question for those that know TV-is there anything I can buy to replace these boxes for ancient CRT TVs (no HDMI).

The closest thing is the Samsung GX-SM530CF. But that's HDMI only.

 

[Ichinisan]

My employer gives out Cisco DTAs for $2 /month to use with older TVs.

We do linear digital (as opposed to switched digital). We don't encrypt most cable channels, so the whole Expanded lineup is available to any TV with a digital QAM tuner. During our digital transition, we started broadcasting PSIP data so these channels would have viewer-friendly virtual channel numbers. Since the Cisco DTA has HDMI output too, it makes sense to use this when some HD TVs don't properly handle the PSIP data.

In our case, the DTA is a bit more than just an external ClearQAM tuner. It can also handle encrypted subscription content like the Digital Plus package and premium movie channels. It doesn't have an on-screen guide or VOD / PPV capability though.

 

[bearxor]

My employer gives out Cisco DTAs for $2 /month to use with older TVs.

We do linear digital (as opposed to switched digital). We don't encrypt most cable channels, so the whole Expanded lineup is available to any TV with a digital QAM tuner. During our digital transition, we started broadcasting PSIP data so these channels would have viewer-friendly virtual channel numbers. Since the Cisco DTA has HDMI output too, it makes sense to use this when some HD TVs don't properly handle the PSIP data.

In our case, the DTA is a bit more than just an external ClearQAM tuner. It can also handle encrypted subscription content like the Digital Plus package and premium movie channels. It doesn't have an on-screen guide or VOD / PPV capability though.

I like your company. Pretty close to my local cable co, but last I checked they didn't provide PSIP for channel mapping but maybe that's changed.

What I would LOVE is for the company to be able to program my fiber gateway to pass every channel I subscribe to in clearQAM while blocking those that I dont. So if I subscribe to HBO and all the premiums, I wouldn't need a cable cars to decrypt these, they would be broadcast in the clear on my line past the gateway.

Maybe it's completely possible but licensing and piracy concerns prevent them from doing it since anyone would be able to plug in and grab the channels. And it's not such a huge deal anymore now that the canlecard ecosystem is a lot healthier. But back when I was rocking six QAM tuners and only one ATI DCT because they were $300 for a single tuner it sure was annoying.

 

[Engineer]

Yea for the FCC gutting the 'no pay for each tv outlet in your home' rules from years past. Of course, the FCC mandated a low price of $0.99 to $1.99 for these shitty little boxes but even that run out in a few years allow the cable companies to charge what they will if you want TV on each TV in your home.

Best government that corporations (and big lobby) can buy...not to mention the fact that the new FCC chairman is a former lobbyist for the cable industry.

:barf:

 

[alkemyst]

AFAIK, my one kid that has the only non-DVR box in the house said there is a TV channel line up. I will have to check.

I am just looking to put basic cable tv in a few of the kids rooms and only have the DVR in the main room. I used to have DVR in all rooms, but it was never used and at $5.99 x 5 ridiculous to keep paying.

Are there any differences between the comcast digital transport adapters as they call them?

 

[Mixolydian]

$5.99 x 5 ridiculous to keep paying.

Dude that's fucking cheap. Here they're like $12/month each.

 

[Ichinisan]

Dude that's fucking cheap. Here they're like $12/month each.

$14/month for DVR here.

 

[alkemyst]

Well it's two tier, it works on about $14-15 in total, but one price is for the box and the other for the DVR service.

 

[Ichinisan]

If they still sell media center extenders, you could set up a Windows Media Center PC with a CableCARD tuner and out extenders on each TV.

I know the XBOX 360 worked as a WMC extender, but that would probably be pretty expensive.

 

[DCal430]

If they still sell media center extenders, you could set up a Windows Media Center PC with a CableCARD tuner and out extenders on each TV.

I know the XBOX 360 worked as a WMC extender, but that would probably be pretty expensive.

Comcrap charges $10 a month for a CableCard, the same as a regular digital box, and if your device needs two cable cards they charge you 11.50 for two of them. Since Comcrap encrypts all channels, they claim they aren't charging for the devices, they are charging a right to access the channels.

 

[Engineer]

Dude that's fucking cheap. Here they're like $12/month each.

You're not talking about the digital adapters now required to watch TV in your house. You're talking about a full digital box (with on demand, cable guide, etc). The digital adapters that TWC provide (in Lexington) only allow the channels 2-99. No premiums. Just channel. They are coax or composite out boxes and are shitty. Why should we be required to have such boxes and pay continuously for them when most TV's today have a digital tuner built in? They cost $0.99 each per month. You can't even turn them off....they stay on 24/7.

Hell, at least get rid of the tuners in the TV's, since we don't need them, and lower the cost and energy usage of the TV.

It's just another perpetual revenue stream for big cable, brought to you by the lobbying firms that they spend millions (if not billions) on.

 

[DCal430]

You're not talking about the digital adapters now required to watch TV in your house. You're talking about a full digital box (with on demand, cable guide, etc). The digital adapters that TWC provide (in Lexington) only allow the channels 2-99. No premiums. Just channel. They are coax or composite out boxes and are shitty. Why should we be required to have such boxes and pay continuously for them when most TV's today have a digital tuner built in? They cost $0.99 each per month. You can't even turn them off....they stay on 24/7.

Hell, at least get rid of the tuners in the TV's, since we don't need them, and lower the cost and energy usage of the TV.

It's just another perpetual revenue stream for big cable, brought to you by the lobbying firms that they spend millions (if not billions) on.

After Comcrap buys TWC that will change, comcrap encrypts all channels on its system, if local network channels. You must rent a box from comcrap to get service.

 

[alkemyst]

Comcrap charges $10 a month for a CableCard, the same as a regular digital box, and if your device needs two cable cards they charge you 11.50 for two of them. Since Comcrap encrypts all channels, they claim they aren't charging for the devices, they are charging a right to access the channels.

This is my argument with them now. Out of the box, you cannot get any of comcast's channels now at any tier of service unless you also lease one of their boxes and/or pay a fee to access.

To me that is BS. They are still the best game in town though. I tried Dish and it's just not realistic here in S. Florida.

I rarely watch TV, but when I do chances are it a totally crappy day out. With Dish on those days my TV didn't work well.

 

[Mixolydian]

You're not talking about the digital adapters now required to watch TV in your house. You're talking about a full digital box (with on demand, cable guide, etc).

Yes I know. When did I say I wasn't?

Why should we be required to have such boxes and pay continuously for them when most TV's today have a digital tuner built in?

Because the big corporations need more $$$$.

 

[Ichinisan]

Comcrap charges $10 a month for a CableCard, the same as a regular digital box, and if your device needs two cable cards they charge you 11.50 for two of them. Since Comcrap encrypts all channels, they claim they aren't charging for the devices, they are charging a right to access the channels.

Charter charges $2 for a CableCARD. I thought it was crazy that my cableco charges something like $6-$7 for one.

 

[DCal430]

Is there is a good reason why they don't sell cable cards, so consumers can buy our own?

 

[Engineer]

After Comcrap buys TWC that will change, comcrap encrypts all channels on its system, if local network channels. You must rent a box from comcrap to get service.

The full box or digital adapters? The FCC ruling allowed them to go all digital but they must rent the digital adapters (small boxes will little function) to allow you to watch TV (no premiums, etc). These small boxes can't cost more than $1.99 per month (TWC currently charges $0.99 per month).

 

[Engineer]

Yes I know. When did I say I wasn't?

When you said $12, I assumed you meant the digital adapter boxes. If not, I apologize.