Need advice on cable box installation [SOLVED]

[usually_quiet]

I'm going to be installing 2 SD cable boxes for 2 TVs at a relative's home sometime in the next few days. I want to install 1-to-2 coax splitters for each TV so that one coaxial connection goes to the STB, and one goes to a VCR, as it does now.

Their cable provider is gradually eliminating analog cable, but will have local channels available in analog for a while yet. Splitting the signal should allow them to continue to use their VCRs to record a local analog channel while watching a cable-only channel or vice-versa. This should also allow them to view the available local HD channels on their 720p TV.

My question is this: If the signal strength is too weak after splitting, would getting a signal amplifier, like the $38 CE Labs Bidirectional Signal Amplifier 6001, be likely to solve the problem, or is there another solution that would be better? They don't have a lot of money to spend on this project, so the solution has to be fairly inexpensive.

I'm assuming the best spot for the amplifier to go is before any splits to the signal.

[minidv2dvd]

don't skimp on the cable runs. get good quality 6u or 60u with appropriate indoor or outdoor ends and splitter. you shouldn't need an amplifier at all in a single family residence.

[joecass]

It certainly wouldn't hurt to install a signal amplifier after the main cable line coming into the house..... I would install simple splitters first, 5- 1000Mhz and see what happens before investing in the amplifier. It also depends on what kind of signal you're referring to, is there also a digital cable feed on the line ? If so, that's completely different than
standard analog-only cable. In my system, I have two cable lines coming into the house that are split from the outside cable line. With analog cable, nothing had to be amplified, but for analog/digital cable reception, I had to install two amplifiers to get decent HDTV. You have to anticipate what will happen in the future as far as what type of cable reception they will be getting.

[stiltman]

Go with RG6 triple or quad shielded if possible

[edDV]

If the signal is too weak for a simple 2x split, call the cable company to up the signal level on the pole outside. Amps introduce other issues especially for "digital cable" MPeg2 sub channels that use the higher QAM channels.

I'd also connect a composite (Yellow-White_Red) coax set from the cable box to the TV for higher quality VCR playback over the "aux" TV input.

[usually_quiet]

Here's additional information to clarify the situation.

They going to have the lowest level of digital service available from their provider. They are switching from their current extended analog plan because several analog channels that they enjoy are moving to that level of service at the end of the month. That is why they need STBs installed now.

Here's a description of what splits off from their service now: Line 1 is a relatively short run to a bedroom. That one isn't currently being used. It's only been needed when one of the residents was recuperating after a hospital stay. Line 2 is another relatively short run that goes to their family room, where they do most of their TV watching. Lines 1 and 2 were originally installed by the cable company, 20 years ago and I don't know what kind of cable was used.

About 7 years ago I replaced the original 2-way splitter for lines 1 and 2 with a 4-way splitter to add Line 3 for a TV in the living room. It is a long run, about 50 feet. It is actually about 15 feet longer than needed, because the store had nothing closer to the length of cable that was required. Not knowing any better at the time, I didn't use the best coax cable. I will talk to them about replacing it.

Lines 2 and 3 will each be split again to install the STBs.

The cable boxes I'll be installing have both s-video out, and composite out, which I'll be using in preference to coax where possible.

I'll try calling the cable company first, if the signal is too weak. I have a hunch they will tell me to take out the splitter and install an A/B switch again. They already advised me to do that when I talked to them about the setup. I wanted to make sure my relatives were not loosing the local analog and digital QAM channels included with basic cable. Unfortunately an A/B switch won't do what I need.

[LordXander]

First of all I'd like to point out that this is a very good question to ask, as many people doing their own cable running don't know a lot about it.

I'd also like to point out that calling the cable company to have them "up the signal at the pole" is something that any Line Tech will laugh at. Take it from me as I'm an ex-cable guy myself. When they get the work order with that on it they're going to look at and think WTF? Instead, ask them to make sure that any amps and "LE's" (Line Extenders) are balanced. They periodically do it anyway but they can only work in so many areas at a time. Have them come check the signal levels out of the Tap that feeds to the house which should be between +15 and +20db. When it reaches the house they should have about +10db before the splitter. And for any STB there should be +3db feeding it.

Next, any line going to a STB NEEDS to be RG6. You can run it on RG59 but its not healthy. Any drop (line from pole to house) NEEDS to be RG6 as well. If you insist on doing the cable runs yourself, you need to replace your splitter again if you are going to only have the 3 outlets listed in your last post. The splitter should be labeled with negative (-) db markings. A 3-way will have 2x -7db and one -3db, that's what you need is a 3-way. Put the longest run outlet on the -3db leg. MAKE SURE TO GROUND THE SPLITTER!!! I can't stress how important that is.

Finally, if the STB's are provided by the Cable Company then they are quite likely Motorola's. If that's the case they will have what is called an analog pass-through. It's a little metal box that screws on the back of the STB and does an internal split without as much of signal loss as a regular splitter. And you will only need the one input to each box. They should provide it with no charge if they provided the STB's.

A few more bits of free advice: GROUND YOUR SPLITTER!!! Make sure that if and when you put on coax fittings that none of the braided shielding does NOT get wrapped around the center conductor (Stinger), it will ground the signal and mess everything up. Make your connections tight, really tight at the splitter. Finger tight is fine at the STB's and TV's. But take a 7/16" wrench and snug up those outside connectors. Mount the splitter with the legs going horizontal. And if you can make some drip loops out of the coax. You don't want water in those connections! Oh, and in-case I didn't mention it, GROUND YOUR SPLITTER!!!

If you have more questions, let me know. I check this site every night after 9pm CDT.

[usually_quiet]

MAKE SURE TO GROUND THE SPLITTER!!! I can't stress how important that is.

How do you suggest I ground the splitter?

I inspected the line outside the home and it looks pretty old. If there is a problem that I can't resolve maybe Comcast will have to be called in to do some work outside.

I bought digital splitters today. There were no 3-way digital splitters, so I had to buy a 4-way. I'm going to try using the existing inside cable lines and see how that works first before replacing them. If there is a problem, I will do it, but I'm not anxious to. Without the right tools it is more difficult, but those tools are not cheap, and I am trying to do this as inexpensively as I can. I saw twist-on connectors while I was out buying digital CATV splitters today, but I don't know how well those hold. Surely they are not as secure as the crimp-on type.

There is a reason I'm doing the inside installation instead of the cableco. If subscribers want to watch one channel and record another using their own equipment, cablecos don't appear to be interested in helping them to do it. Their customer wiring diagrams sent with the boxes don't even include any instructions for what I am planning to do. Instead, the cable company wants everything to connect to the STB, so that the customer can only record and watch the same channel. Their preferred solution for watching one channel while recording another is to rent one of their DVRs to the subscriber for more $. That is not going to happen.

My relatives are elderly and are already unhappy about paying $8 more per month just to have the channels they would otherwise loose.

[LordXander]

To ground the splitter outside there should be a ground screw on one of the sides, run a piece of preferably 12 or 14 gauge copper wire from that to the ground wire coming out of your electrical box. It should already come together near it anyway. Just make sure the ground wire is shorter than your shortest outlet. If there is no ground screw on the splitter then you need to track one down. My suggestion is either Radio Shack or the Cableco itself. A 3-way would be best for your setup, unless each outlet is less than 50 feet each, each one being RG6. RG6 has a signal loss of only about -3db@100 feet. RG59 is closer to -6db.

Stay AWAY from the twist on connectors. The crimp on ones are better, but not much. If you can, ask the cableco for some compression connectors. They will be a little difficult to put on, but the best way I figured out is to slide on the little plastic piece first, after stripping the coax and folding back the shielding, then on goes the connector. Slide the plastic piece up and into the connector by hand until snug. Then take coax end with connector and set it on something hard, with all pieces going vertical. Use a pair of small pliers and make like you are going to squeeze the cable just before the little plastic piece. Have the pliers resting on the little plastic piece, now take some other tool, like a small wrench, and gently but firmly tap the side of the pliers, thereby forcing the little plastic piece into the connector. Sounds complicated, but after the first, the rest get a lot easier.

Since your relatives don't want to spend more $ for DVR's, I don't blame them, then splitters behind the STB's are the only way to go. Any splitter that is labeled as "digital" does not mean squat. You can get by with a standard splitter if you simply check the little plastic parts in the ends of each leg. They need to be either white or blue. Most likely white. The colors reference which frequencies the splitter can handle, red being the highest then blue white and clear in that order. Clear only handles up to 500Mhz, which is fine for analog signal. You need White! It would be best to have the Cableco supply your splitters and connectors if at all possible. If not, really sturdy crimp ons and splitters with white legs, you can get by on the RG59 but only if less than 40-50 feet. And a 4-way splitter is going to kill a lot of signal to your farthest outlet.

If I knew you were close to where I live, I'd come and show you everything you need, but I doubt you live near Kilgore, TX.

Always available for advice, its free, after 9pm CDT and on the weekends.

Oh, and GROUND YOUR SPLITTER!!!! Just kidding... No really, ground your splitter.

[usually_quiet]

OK I will ground the splitter. There's a copper ground wire running from their electrical service box to the main water line for the house. It is close to the cable service line so I should be able to use it.

I tried to install the 4-way splitter earlier this evening. I say tried because when I opened the package I expected to find screws but there were none. I also tested it with the longest run and splitting 4 ways provides a decent signal, but adding a 2-way splitter on one of the four lines weakens the signal too much.

I will try a 2-way splitter instead. They only have 2 TV's, so I will just disconnect the unused line. If it's needed in the future, I will switch it with one of the other ones. Chances are they will never have a third TV connected to cable. The best splitters I found were the ones labeled "Digital", rated at a maximum of 2300 MHz. The others I found were either 900 MHz or 1000 MHz. I had no luck finding anything other than 2-way or 4-way splitters.

I won't be asking the cableco for help with any parts. Here's why: When I opened up the boxes containing the SD STBs, one had S-video and the other didn't although they were the same model. I called customer service on Thursday and was told I could exchange the one without S-Video for one that had it, and a box would be waiting for me at the local office. This morning I drove 45 minutes across town and stood in line, to be told that they didn't have a box for me, and only HD boxes had S-Video. When I explained that the other one which was the same model number did have it, I was told the General Instruments model I had was not one that Comcast location was currently using, so a 3rd party had sent it to me. I had the paperwork for the STB order with me, on Comcast's letterhead. Then they say "If a box with s-video comes in we'll call you." Yeah, I'll bet that's going to happen.

I'll try my alternate plan for splitting the line tomorrow and I'll be back if I need more assistance. Thanks for the advice everyone.

[Edit] The 50 foot run is RG6, but I am sure it is not quad shielded. I couldn't tell what the others are. I did a little Googling and found out the digital splitters I bought are really intended for satellite service. It is still not the worst thing to install because my relatives said they may go that route if digital cable costs continue to rise or they loose the option to have even basic analog service to run their VCRs.

[LordXander]

Well, if you can't get a 3-way at 1000Mhz, then do two 2-ways out side. Just use a real short piece of coax from one leg of the first splitter to the second. Then put the longest outlet on the other leg of the first splitter. That's the exact same as negative db as a 3-way. You only have to ground the first splitter. And the line of copper is the exact place I want you to ground it to. Make sure its a good connection to the ground wire. Don't just wrap it around the ground and be done with it. You need a good solid ground clamp that you should be able to pick up at your hardware store for less than a buck. The best ones are made of brass.

It would be just fine to get the splitters and connectors from the cableco, considering that they have to guarantee their work, so they choose decent parts to use. The problems with the STB's is fairly typical of Comcast, although I never had service or worked for them. I only worked with STB's made by Motorola, and the HD DVR's were the only boxes to have S-Video. And Customer Service won't know jack about TV and Video hardware. You're better of talking to an installer or technician. And the whatever improvement you might get with S-Video over Composite would be negligible as the 2 sets of chroma info is still carried along one pair of wires. Most STB's are going to be able to handle any crosstalk between layers of video and not display any errors on the TV. Bear in mind I said most not all. You get what you pay for after all.

You do not need Quad-Shielded RG6 for any of your outlets. You'd mostly be throwing money away, unless you live in an area with a lot of interference. Regular single shield cable and a really good ground is enough for a lot of SD, HD, and Internet. That's all the company I worked for ever needed. You'd think that HD and Internet would be messed up a lot by interference, but it's really not. Not if it was installed right. I developed a saying while working with the cableco: Do it right the first time and there won't be a second time. As long as I installed everything right, I never had to go back unless they were upgrading their package.

You are right about the splitters frequency rating being for satellite and I should have mentioned it. The reason you only need 1000Mhz is because the cableco only uses up to that band. Internet down signal is at 555Mhz, which is near channel 70 on analog. Digital QAM signals start just above that and if I remember right, you can squeeze multiple QAM's in a single channel.

Oh, and before I forget, as I just remembered, make sure you do not have any filters on your cable. If you can look up at the pole where you see your cable line comes out and check for any short round metal cylinders attached to your line. If your relatives ever decide to use pay-per-view it won't work with those filters there. And they are good for dropping your signal levels -.5 to -1db. Have the cableco remove them. Don't go up the pole yourself!!! No matter what you think you might know about cable, electricity, and safety, I don't want you risking yourself. Whether you fall and get hurt or get arrested for some FCC violation, it's pointless to take the risk.

Other than that I really have little more to offer you except for specific questions and to tell you to GROUND YOUR SPLITTER!!! Ha-ha!!! Seriously, I've gotten some awful butt-chewings for not having it grounded properly!

[usually_quiet]

Well, if you can't get a 3-way at 1000Mhz, then do two 2-ways out side. Just use a real short piece of coax from one leg of the first splitter to the second. Then put the longest outlet on the other leg of the first splitter. That's the exact same as negative db as a 3-way. You only have to ground the first splitter. And the line of copper is the exact place I want you to ground it to. Make sure its a good connection to the ground wire. Don't just wrap it around the ground and be done with it. You need a good solid ground clamp that you should be able to pick up at your hardware store for less than a buck. The best ones are made of brass.

It would be just fine to get the splitters and connectors from the cableco, considering that they have to guarantee their work, so they choose decent parts to use. The problems with the STB's is fairly typical of Comcast, although I never had service or worked for them. I only worked with STB's made by Motorola, and the HD DVR's were the only boxes to have S-Video. And Customer Service won't know jack about TV and Video hardware. You're better of talking to an installer or technician. And the whatever improvement you might get with S-Video over Composite would be negligible as the 2 sets of chroma info is still carried along one pair of wires. Most STB's are going to be able to handle any crosstalk between layers of video and not display any errors on the TV. Bear in mind I said most not all. You get what you pay for after all.

You do not need Quad-Shielded RG6 for any of your outlets. You'd mostly be throwing money away, unless you live in an area with a lot of interference. Regular single shield cable and a really good ground is enough for a lot of SD, HD, and Internet. That's all the company I worked for ever needed. You'd think that HD and Internet would be messed up a lot by interference, but it's really not. Not if it was installed right. I developed a saying while working with the cableco: Do it right the first time and there won't be a second time. As long as I installed everything right, I never had to go back unless they were upgrading their package.

You are right about the splitters frequency rating being for satellite and I should have mentioned it. The reason you only need 1000Mhz is because the cableco only uses up to that band. Internet down signal is at 555Mhz, which is near channel 70 on analog. Digital QAM signals start just above that and if I remember right, you can squeeze multiple QAM's in a single channel.

Oh, and before I forget, as I just remembered, make sure you do not have any filters on your cable. If you can look up at the pole where you see your cable line comes out and check for any short round metal cylinders attached to your line. If your relatives ever decide to use pay-per-view it won't work with those filters there. And they are good for dropping your signal levels -.5 to -1db. Have the cableco remove them. Don't go up the pole yourself!!! No matter what you think you might know about cable, electricity, and safety, I don't want you risking yourself. Whether you fall and get hurt or get arrested for some FCC violation, it's pointless to take the risk.

Other than that I really have little more to offer you except for specific questions and to tell you to GROUND YOUR SPLITTER!!! Ha-ha!!! Seriously, I've gotten some awful butt-chewings for not having it grounded properly!

Don't worry grounding is covered. I went to the hardware store today to buy the wire and asked the salesperson what is the best way to secure it. I came home with a package containing 2 copper ground clamps. It took me some tiem to figure out how the ground connection on the splitter works. There are actually two of them. Instead of wrapping the wire around a screw, it goes through a hole, and the screw holds it in place. Of course while figuring this out, I dropped the screw I needed to use. It took quite a while to find it. I will finish tomorrow.

My relatives are OK with just a 2-way splitter. The satellite/digital cable splitters seem beter made than the ordinary ones, and they aren't all that much more. In the interest of saving a little time, I don't think I'll bother returning them.

Don't worry, I know I am unqualified as well as way too old, and out-of-shape to climb up any poles. I will look for the filters, and will mention this to my sister because she just converted to digital cable a few weeks ago and can't get on-demand to work. She also installed her boxes herself, but her home was re-wired by the cableco in the recent past when they ordered broadband Internet service.

It turns out Motorola got into the STB business by buying General Instruments, so these STBs are old Motorola boxes. I read Motorola's on-line documentation and they are indeed SD, but the ones with S-Video are a special home-theater version. If they work well enough, I don't really care that they are not the latest and greatest. My relatives have one 720p LCD TV and I'm using the box with an S-Video connection for that one. The other is a 20-inch digital SD CRT TV, so it doesn't matter so much there. It just would have been nice for recording.

[LordXander]

Just wanted to point something out about the last paragraph in your last post about which TV gets which box and how you're going to hook them up. The S-video specification only has resolution up to 480i or 576i, depending on your country. If the 720p LCD is going to get that kind of connection it wont display any HD channels correctly. I'm not sure if it will just look bad or simply not display. I do know that a simple RG6 cable from the STB right to the TV will display the HD channels. I know this because even though the light and chroma are not separated, it still can carry far more bandwidth and information than S-video. That and it will display progressive content. In fact, unless you wanted to go to component hook ups, than coax would be the way to go on both TVs. Especially the "SD digital CRT" 20 inch. That particular TV should be 480p. In my opinion you lose just a tiny bit of quality, and Film Feel when you display something interlaced.

About your sister getting her home rewired when she got broadband internet, I doubt that they did a whole home rewire. The way my company did an upgrade to internet, we just took a 2-way and put it before their original splitter and ran the modem from that. Which is the way it is supposed to be-the modem on the first splitter. Otherwise it picks up too much interference from the other TVs in the house and kills the transmit signal. There should not have been any filters for her home to begin with as the only filter the modem can work with is a video trap, which blocks out all of the TV channels but leaves the internet alone. Though any filter can go bad and cause interference. Oddly enough I have seen both Internet and On-Demand work through filters designed to block them and none of the filters being broken.

One thing I will tell anyone who might be upgrading cable package or getting any new service, even satellite: Go ahead and watch over the guys who come out to do your work. Ask them questions about what they are doing. I didn't mind too much when I came across a customer with some really tough and smart questions. I really did like explaining what each step I took did for their service. It never hurt to educate someone. It always helped to refresh and even further my own knowledge in my profession. Never be afraid to be curious. There are no stupid questions. Only stupid people who think their questions are stupid and don't ask.

Enough of my mini-rant there. Sorry. Oh, and to the rest of the DIY'ers out there: GROUND YOUR SPLITTERS!!! :D

[usually_quiet]

Just wanted to point something out about the last paragraph in your last post about which TV gets which box and how you're going to hook them up. The S-video specification only has resolution up to 480i or 576i, depending on your country. If the 720p LCD is going to get that kind of connection it wont display any HD channels correctly. I'm not sure if it will just look bad or simply not display. I do know that a simple RG6 cable from the STB right to the TV will display the HD channels. I know this because even though the light and chroma are not separated, it still can carry far more bandwidth and information than S-video. That and it will display progressive content. In fact, unless you wanted to go to component hook ups, than coax would be the way to go on both TVs. Especially the "SD digital CRT" 20 inch. That particular TV should be 480p. In my opinion you lose just a tiny bit of quality, and Film Feel when you display something interlaced.

About your sister getting her home rewired when she got broadband internet, I doubt that they did a whole home rewire. The way my company did an upgrade to internet, we just took a 2-way and put it before their original splitter and ran the modem from that. Which is the way it is supposed to be-the modem on the first splitter. Otherwise it picks up too much interference from the other TVs in the house and kills the transmit signal. There should not have been any filters for her home to begin with as the only filter the modem can work with is a video trap, which blocks out all of the TV channels but leaves the internet alone. Though any filter can go bad and cause interference. Oddly enough I have seen both Internet and On-Demand work through filters designed to block them and none of the filters being broken.

One thing I will tell anyone who might be upgrading cable package or getting any new service, even satellite: Go ahead and watch over the guys who come out to do your work. Ask them questions about what they are doing. I didn't mind too much when I came across a customer with some really tough and smart questions. I really did like explaining what each step I took did for their service. It never hurt to educate someone. It always helped to refresh and even further my own knowledge in my profession. Never be afraid to be curious. There are no stupid questions. Only stupid people who think their questions are stupid and don't ask.

Enough of my mini-rant there. Sorry. Oh, and to the rest of the DIY'ers out there: GROUND YOUR SPLITTERS!!! :D

Thanks for the advice, but I put a lot of thought into this and know how to set up AV equipment correctly for my relatives needs. What you suggested will not do that.

To review what I did, there is a 2-way splitter in the basement. The VCR for each TV is connected to one leg of another 2-way split at the TV end. The other leg of that split goes into the cable box.

The coax connection on their TVs is being used for the pass-through cable signal, plus channel 3 from the VCR. The pass-through provides their HD locals for the 720p TV, which are the only HD channels they can watch without renting an HD cable box for more $. Their SD cable box won't pass any HD content regardless of the connection I use. The S-Video connection from the cable box is being used for the 720p TV simply because it will provide a better SD picture than composite, the other option the STB provides for which the TV has a connection avaliable.

My relatives have age-related hearing loss and use line-21/analog closed captioning at times. Analog closed captions controlled by the TV are still available to them, even for most of their digital channels, as long as the cable box output is interlaced. I am not going to ask them to learn to use the cable box for CCs to have progressive output from the STB. They are going to have enough to learn just to use the cable box's most basic functions.

The cableco did a significant amount of inside work ar my sister's home 3 years ago. I don't know what they did outside. Not only did they add the cable modem, they added 2 more lines for TVs that were not previously connected. They also re-routed one of the 2 original lines so that the TV could be repositioned. Granted it's not a total rewire, but they worked on 4 out of 5 inside lines, and replaced a loose connector on the 5th.

I already told her about filters being a possible cause for her problem yesterday. She just replied that she will call the cableco about fixing on-demand when she has time, but it isn't a priority for her. In her opinion, they already watch too much TV without it.

[Edit] I was finally able to get the cable boxes activated tonight. I had tried to have them activated yesterday, but there was some problem on the cableco's end that had to be fixed first. Things seem to be working fine now. Splitting the line to add the STB was a good idea. My relatives can still watch TV as usual until they can learn to use the cablebox. That may take some time.

[LordXander]

I really don't think that even with your specific requirements for your setup, you shouldn't need a splitter behind the TVs themselves. You should have been provided an Analog RF Bypass. It's a little silver box that attaches to where the cable goes into the STB and provides a single out to TV/VCR. If you do have one already and it's not working for you, you could take it off. Question though: Is the model of your STB's DCT2500? Should be listed on the underside of the STB. I've got one sitting in my lap at the moment and without the RF Bypass there are 4 Coax connector ports. If that is your set up we should be able to figure the best set up without having to add another splitter. Just want to give your relatives the best possible service.

Oh, and every once in a while check to make sure your SPLITTER IS GROUNDED!!!

I don't think I'll ever stop saying that, so everybody can just get used to it!!!

[usually_quiet]

The STB's model number is DCT2000. Based on a post I found dating back to 2003, I'm guessing it was released at least 6 or 7 years ago. From what I gather, the cableco is phasing out that model, so I can't understand why they sent it for a new installation. When I placed the order for my relatives, I only asked for 2 SD cable boxes to be shipped to them, and if I needed to buy any cables for it, nothing more.

Other than the normal cable-in and out-to-TV/VCR, the only other RF ports present are for the RF return. They are connected by a small loop of coax cable, and from what I can decipher from Motorolla's installation instructions, are used by the STB for 2-way communications.

The RF pass-through feature is only listed as an available option in Motorola's installation manual for the STB. The cableco's self-installation manual sent with the STBs doesn't show them. They are probably not included because most people would not use them. Plus, the cableco wouldn't be interested in having a feature available that might lead to fewer customers renting a DVR or an HD STB.

Assuming RF pass-through modules are available for these STBs, which seems unlikely, I would have to drive 45 minutes to the customer service center and 45 minutes back to get them. I don't intend to make that trip again except to return the STBs presently installed when they are not wanted anymore, or to exchange them if they stop working correctly.

@LordXander I did thank everyone before, but it bears repeating. Thanks again. ...and yes the splitter in their basement is still GROUNDED

[Haggleboz]

A quick question about installing a STB: I have Comcast Digital service and I'd like to swap out my current HD DVR box for one I'll purchase separately (don't worry, it won't be a hacked box - just one with a larger HDD and better quality components/options). Will I have a problem with activating the box? I plan to get a box that Comcast is already currently using for other users (just not me) and I'm hoping it could then be a matter of plug & play. Is there a possibility that boxes can be "locked" or that there's some a digital rights protection that would require some sort of super-secret-sleight-of-hand setup to "tune" the new box to my service?

I'm sorry about the lack of correct jargon, but I'm in new territory here. I just see all of this equipment for sale out there and start thinking about ways to upgrade.

Thanks in advance!

[jman98]

Haggleboz - Welcome to the forums, but you have done what we consider a "no-no" around here. You have hijacked a thread. This thread was specific to one guys questions and not really related to yours. You should have started a new thread. When in doubt, just start a new thread. The title of this thread says "Solved" so people who might be able to help you may not look at it. We also don't like cross posting so my suggestion would be to wait until Monday and if nobody has answered your question, just start a new thread with your question. Note that weekends are slow times around here and many threads started on weekends don't get prompt answers.

[edDV]

Thanks for the practical info LordXander.

[usually_quiet]

Besides activation, the HD PVR will need to have Comcast CableCards installed to work within their system. As I understand it, they must install them, so you will need to set up a service call for that as well. You will also have to turn in your old DVR if it is rented from Comcast.

If you purchased your new DVR from a third party with Comcast's CableCards already installed that's a no-no. Even if the box was never rented from Comcast, the CableCards belong to them, and they could try to charge you back rent on them. If the DVR came from them, they may try to charge you back rent on the DVR too. ...plus the DVR/CableCards may even be considered stolen property, if they were originally rented.

[Haggleboz]

Sorry, I didn't mean to barge in, I just found this thread in a search. I'll re-post in a new thread. usually_quiet, thanks for the tip.

[LordXander]

Haggleboz

Short Answer: Not Plug-n-play capable.

Longer Answer: STB's with any kind of digital programming are just like modems, in that they are addressed. That means that every piece of equipment that is not registered in the cableco's system won't work. I'm not overly familiar with Comcast's service in any way as I worked for a small town cableco. However, I suspect that in some instances, if all equipment is legal and whatnot, then if the hardware supports those little service programming cards, then it might work. Might being the operative word. Like I said I'm not sure. Doing what you're asking may be a violation of their TOS and get your service cancelled. Or like usually_quiet said you may need to have them come out to do it. I know as an Installer myself, I preferred having customers that knew what they were doing, so I didn't have to come out at all. But it was what I got paid to do. And usually_quiet is also right about them wanting back rent on any illicitly obtained hardware. It is actually a crime to purchase equipment that belongs to another company without that company's consent.

edDV-Thanks for the Thanks.

jman98-Sorry for continuing the OT conversation, just easier for me to answer the question now then to look for the new thread later.

Everyone Else-CHECK THAT YOUR SPLITTERS ARE GROUNDED!!! You only have to have the very first splitter grounded, and the ground shorter than the shortest outlet. Did you know: That if your Cable Company did the cable work and did not ground the splitter, then THEY ARE LIABLE for any damage done to your property should lightning strike or an electrical surge occurs? Not many people know that.

[usually_quiet]

What I wrote about HD PVR installation for Comcast cable definitely pertains to TiVos or MOXIEs, which I looked into for my relatves earlier in the year when it became clear they'd have to switch to digital cable in the near future. Those are perfectly legal to use. I'm not sure what other DVRs/PVRs are legally available for purchase in the USA, but they'd have to be able to use cableCARDs. Otherwise I'm not sure how Comcast could make them work. Plus, as I understand it, even if they could make them work, they don't have to permit them.

Cablecos are legally required to provide CableCARDs for any customer-owned device that can accept them, for a small monthly rental fee, but they can insist on installing them. Also, I don't believe the cableCARDs currently available support the on-demand functions that the cableco's own boxes allow. That's something they were still working on the last time I looked into it.

In the US we can't ordinarily buy equipment from the cableco. We have to rent. As I understand it, Canadians can buy rather than rent their equipment, but I don't know what their service agreement requires them to do if they stop using it. I'm not sure if purchased equipment could simply be resold, or if its legal for them to resell it here. I would guess that, at the very least, they have to turn in something to the cableco first.

There are people out there selling equipment that rightfully belongs to a cableco. Those definitely need to be avoided.