Do you guys use your own modem and HD box for time warner?

[Semidevil]

I'm planning to start service on Time Warner for internet and cable and I have a question about using my own HD box and modem.

Going with TWC's 2 year contract, a modem rental will cost 6.00/month, and an HD box rental will cost 12/month. Comparing with the prices on Amazon if I buy my own modem, it seems that I will be overpaying if I 'rent' the equipment from TWC.

Do you guys use your own equipment? If not, is there any benefits to using TWC's equipment?

Also, what about HD box? I've never owned one so I don't know anything about them. TWC's is 12/month. Am I required to rent from them, and if not, what other boxes can I use?

 

[DesiPower]

Negotiate or find agent on CL, those fees should be waved for the first year atleast.

you can go cable card/HTPC route, lot of work but exiting!

 

[NutBucket]

I don't know of any HD box you can buy. The best you could do is a TIVO with a cable card (still have to pay a monthly fee for the TIVO) or a PC-based cable card tuner.

I don't have cable TV but I do have my own modem as do my parents and mother in law. Pays for itself in under a year.

 

[Anubis]

i use TWCs equipment and have 3 different HD boxes

Newest one is a Motorola - its not bad, fast and it works correctly
A samsung one that isnt bad, works well but not as fast as the moto
a scientific Atlantic (old) and its a total POS, aolw and crappy

if you go with their stuff DEMAND the moto or samsung box


these are non DVR boxes, i dont own a DVR

but your own cable internet modem
this one
http://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-Motorol...4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1409267791&sr=1-4

 

[exar333]

Just joined TWC myself. As the poster above linked, I also got the SB 6121 modem. Works great. Bought a WRT1900AC wireless router and they work awesome. I got a Cisco DVR, which worked, but was incompatible with my Xbone. Traded it for a Samsung, and that works great.

Came form DTV, and TWC is definitely a step down. Picture is never better than 720P, and it's not great HD either...didn't have a choice though, and just temporary. Service seems good though, and customer support was efficient at activating my modem too.

 

[DesiPower]

I used to have TWC, I am cable free for little over one year now. I remember during football games I would switch from cable to OTA and the difference was noticeable...

 

[mindless1]

I own a Motorola SB5101 modem and it works fine on TWC, and you can get those dirt cheap used, but buying new today and/or if you want a plan faster than 20Mb, I'd get a SB6121 or SB6141.

I know of only one HD box you can buy for direct TV connection and I have one setup on TWC. Samsung GX-SM530CF. It's a 3-in-one device with 1080p HD over HDMI, cablecard tuner, smart media player/TV functionality, and wifi/ethernet both. It's not the same Samsung box others are talking about which was the rental $12/mo. standard STB.

The cablecard costs around $2/mo. rental. In TWC areas where switched digital channels are used, they will also send you a DTA, digital tuner adapter *free* with the cable card. It just plugs in between the wall and the cable box.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-GX-SM5.../dp/B00EYO241Q

To clarify no HTPC is needed and it is not a network tuner, it won't stream video to other devices, though other devices can stream to it over lan. There are a few downsides to that box. No DVR functionality, not even with a USB HDD plugging into one of the two ports, but it can use a USB HDD or flash drive for media playback, and "probably" direct USB (UMS mode) connection to a camera.

No view on demand, pay per view, etc. unless you call them instead of doing it with the box. No interactive features at all for CATV, though of course the "smart" features give you other options for pay per view over the internet through other providers, and a browser, youtube/netflix/etc. It also does DLNA media playback over your lan but I haven't had the time to set that up yet.