Selling Replay; does it require digital converter box to use with Cable?

The Replay does not have a digital tuner.

Most cable companies still provide analog service.

Some cable companies are "digital only", and those would need a cable box to use with a Replay.

Since you see 2,3,5 not 2-1, 3-2, etc, your friend probably can get analog cable.

Robert

AFAIK, *MOST* of the Comcast systems across the US have finally switched to ALL DIGITAL, except for the OTA channels (usually below 20) that they're forced to provide in ANALOG.


No (HD input to the ReplayTV).

Without a STB, the ReplayTV can *ONLY* receive NTSC / Analog channels. That's not HD (1080p/1080i/720p) or SD (480p/480i) - it's just "old-fashioned" analog. With a SD STB (or DTA), feeding the LINE IN (or RF) of a ReplayTV, you can get SD 480i IN and record a VERY nice picture. You *DO* have to control the STB and/or DTA with the IR Blaster though.

As for "...channels show up as 2, 15, 27, etc..." on Comcast WITHOUT a STB and/or DTA, I'd say that that's a *VERY* 'time-limited' situation, *VERY* soon to change.

On the other hand, AFAIK, *ALL* Comcast (over BASIC) subscribers are entitled to:

• 1 SD STB (capable of receiving ALL SD channels plus On-Demand)
• 2 SD DTAs (capable of receiving ALL SD channels, but no On-Demand)

So, tell your friend to pickup his three *FREE* boxes and then you can help him set up his IR Blaster.

Well, since he says that they're using Comcast WITHOUT a cable box, then it's obviously working just fine and they don't need any STBs and the ReplayTV should work just fine. There are certainly plenty of locations where Comcast is still broadcasting analog cable and not requiring a set top box. I not sure how many it takes to be "most", but they're certainly not requiring set top boxes in Texas, for example...

Henry

As the replies indicate, it depends on the cable provider feeding into the Replay.

So if you're looking for general feedback to aid in a product description on eBay, you would want to stress that the Replay's built-in tuners are analog, and so requires connection of a digital converter box to record digital channels, and that the buyer should research compatibility prior to committing to purchase. (unless you want to deal w/ returns)

And to confirm CTL and Henry's comments, your mileage with any given cable provider will vary based on both geographic location and the cable package to which you subscribe. For example, my parents are Comcast locals-only ("Limited Basic") subscribers in a downstate Illinois town and are using their Replays, sans set-top boxes, to record the basic channels that they receive, all analog. Whereas I'm a Comcast "Expanded Basic" subscriber outside Chicago and returned home recently to find all my Replay recordings had failed for channels over 34, as Comcast had switched all of these to digital as part of their digital migration. (34 and below were still being broadcast as analog, so the Replays were catching *some* shows) edit+: Additionally, Comcast indicates that some areas may get *all* channels flipped to digital, even the locals.

Specific to Comcast, see here.

I've been happy with the Motorola DTA-100 DTA's that Comcast gave me. The tech even configured the ReplayTV to transmit the right IR codes. If I had left an IR-blaster for him, it would have been finished - I had to add it later. I recommend the DTA-100 over the Pace DTA's which require some ReplayTV hacking to load a new RID file. Tell Comcast you want the Motorola DTA-100 DTA.