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Charter HDTV - Page 108

post #3211 of 3294
3/21/13 at 4:34pm
We are talking rack rates here. The thing is, after being a customer for a while the specials go away and being a CableCARD user my rate is already lower than I can get with any of Charter's competitors so it is tough to negotiate a better price.
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post #3212 of 3294
3/21/13 at 8:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by baja7475 View Post

You can get a standard digital box here in central cal for free for a year.

I would be interested in what is being offered in Texas in the Fort Worth system for the free digital boxes to help the transition? I am thinking two free HD boxes or SD boxes free for two years due to them planning on encrypting the entire channel lineup including the limited basic tier. I read the website for the digital transition and it seems that charter is going to use DLNA HD digital adapters for the IP clear QAM devices to continue viewing the channels in the limited basic tier and maybe higher tiers as well smile.gif so devices such as the silicondust HD homerun will still get their channels smile.gif
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post #3213 of 3294
3/21/13 at 8:45pm
Can you elaborate on that and do you have a link maybe?
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post #3214 of 3294
3/22/13 at 5:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sammy2 View Post

Can you elaborate on that and do you have a link maybe?

https://connect.charter.com/digitalnow/

under FAQs:

"How will Charter support my third party IP-enabled device?

Upon request, Charter will provide you equipment with a DLNA-enabled Ethernet connector that can provide IP-enabled clear QAM devices access to basic service tier channels. You should check with the manufacturer of your device to confirm whether it supports the DLNA protocol".


I believe that they are giving out HD boxes to customers is as they are getting rid of clear QAM so they are required (thanks to the new FCC rules on limited basic encryption) to offer free boxes and cable cards for two years in addition to an adapter for IP QAM devices that support DLNA.

Also Charter is already uplinking some of the new HD channels:

83-736 KAZD HD
86-835 IFC HD
114-810 WE TV HD

in the fort worth system those I have caught on the Silicondust lineup server and 114-810 has since gone encrypted so there may be more HD channels already uplinked on the system that are encrypted.
Edited by kevin120 - 3/22/13 at 7:04am
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post #3215 of 3294
3/22/13 at 7:11am
Okay. So that still would not include a guide or PVR with just the HDHR Prime and one of their DLNA enabled devices then.

It seems that this is for IP distribution within the customer's home and not from the head end. If Charter were to go to IPTV then using a cable card tuner would be out of the question which would be no ideal for me and many on avs that do this to save $$ on CableCo fees.
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post #3216 of 3294
3/25/13 at 3:00am
Not too tech savvy and wondering if I get a dvd recorder whether I can dump Charter's dvr (x2 @ $30/mo) and be able to record whatever I want on basic and extended basic programming. I don't get premium channels so that's not an issue but I remember from when the whole digital transition went into effect that even VHS couldn't record regular programming due to scrambled channels ...

I guess I would downgrade to the standard STB to use with the recorder?

Any advice would be appreciated. Charter's new pricing structure is killing me frown.gif
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post #3217 of 3294
3/25/13 at 5:38am
Sure you can. But it's more complicated and expensive than a PC solution. You'll still need a cable box or two. Then for every recording you'll need to set a manual timer in the cable box so it will switch to the right channel. Then you'll also have to set manual timers on your DVD recorder for each program. Also you can't watch a different channel while you're recording. And you'll lose HD. With a PC solution, it would work the same as your current DVR, except you no longer have to have a cable box of any kind, you can watch anything you want, have no storage limitations and no manual timers to deal with. I used a DVD recorder for years, and it was a huge pain. Check out the DVD recorder forum and the HTPC forum.
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post #3218 of 3294
3/25/13 at 6:12am
I would follow Dave's advice but don't waste your time with the DVD Recorder Forum on avs. Instead, march on over to the HTPC forum and take a look at the HDHomerun Prime and InfiniTV4 CableCARD tuners. The CableCARD costs $2/month; I use the $28/month saved to up my package with the two digi-tiers and still keep $8/month. As I probably wouldn't get these otherwise due to how much they cost and the good discount I got for 6 months when I ditched Uverse, I figure this solution has already paid for itself.
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post #3219 of 3294
3/25/13 at 8:52am
Thank you Dave and Sammy. I'll admit I have no idea what an HTPC is eek.gif ... but I will take your advice and look into it. In my next life, I'm gonna be a techie instead of a Trekkie (or at least marry one)! biggrin.gif
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post #3220 of 3294
3/25/13 at 9:06am
Home Theater Personal Computer.

Think TiVo on Steroids!
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post #3221 of 3294
3/25/13 at 10:02am
Wellll ... ok then. I took a very quick look at the HTPC stuff and I have no idea what they're talking about lol.
So much for that solution but thanks anyway.
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post #3222 of 3294
3/25/13 at 10:31am
It's still worth it, even if you have to get a tech friend to help you. Honestly, hooking up a recorder correctly, managing manual timers on 2 boxes and being stuck with SD is far worse than setting up an HTPC. Many in the forum make it sound way more complicated than it really is because they do a lot more than just watch and record TV. All you really have to do is install some free software and plug in a few things. It's not much more complicated than setting up a new printer. It does require a phone call to the cable company to get the tuner set up with a cable card.

But I totally understand your trepidation. If HTPC is too far out of reach, then I recommend getting satellite before resorting to a DVD recorder. The first 2 years you bill will likely be about half what you're paying for cable. Then you can switch to the other satellite service for 2 years, then back to cable for 2 years, then back to sat, and so on. Satellite is very simple to set up and use because the installer handles all the technical stuff. And once installed, the DVR works just like cable.

Best of luck to you.
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post #3223 of 3294
3/25/13 at 11:37am
Thanks Dave ... I'm sure you're absolutely right. My problem, specifically, seems to be the fact that I run Win XP Pro (no Media Center). As far as I understood it, Media Center is a requirement for HTPC. Ergo, I need a new OS to even hope that I can figure out the logistics of going HTPC. Additionally, I am retired and my friends are as technophobe as I ... mayhaps even more so as they often come to me with their questions!

In any event, it's the $$ thing rather than the quality of the recording. I'm not trying to pirate HD movies or anything ... just standard daytime programming so that I can go do my errands without scheduling them around certain shows I want to watch. I think $30/month for a dvr is very nearly criminal, but then again, I'm one of those who refuses to pay for a cell phone when a simple answering machine will do. tongue.gif

I was specifically looking at Magnavox MDR533H/F7 which seems to do exactly what I want it to do (i.e., a 21st century VCR). I am just unclear as to whether it will actually record anything viewable due to channel scrambling.
Edited by SJesMe - 3/25/13 at 11:51am
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post #3224 of 3294
3/25/13 at 11:50am
duplicate post deleted (sorry)
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post #3225 of 3294
3/25/13 at 12:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SJesMe View Post

Thanks Dave ... I'm sure you're absolutely right. My problem, specifically, seems to be the fact that I run Win XP Pro (no Media Center). As far as I understood it, Media Center is a requirement for HTPC. Ergo, I need a new OS to even hope that I can figure out the logistics of going HTPC. Additionally, I am retired and my friends are as technophobe as I ... mayhaps even more so as they often come to me with their questions!

In any event, it's the $$ thing rather than the quality of the recording. I'm not trying to pirate HD movies or anything ... just standard daytime programming so that I can go do my errands without scheduling them around certain shows I want to watch. I think $30/month for a dvr is very nearly criminal, but then again, I'm one of those who refuses to pay for a cell phone when a simple answering machine will do. tongue.gif

I was specifically looking at Magnavox MDR533H/F7 which seems to do exactly what I want it to do (i.e., a 21st century VCR). I am just unclear as to whether it will actually record anything viewable due to channel scrambling.

I'm a little rusty on that unit, however .. if you get a concurrent analog feed (channels that can be accessed by the tuner in a VCR) then this unit will work .. the quality of the recording will be pretty low .. and, most all CATV providers are phasing out the analog feed, if they have not done so already .. you may want to check with your CATV provider on that ..

In most cases, if my memory is correct, you'll need to still route any digital signal thru the CATV company set top box and have this unit set to record only the channel you wish to record that is tuned on the set top box .. IOW, you can't set the Magnavox to record a channel that the set top box is not already tuned to ..
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post #3226 of 3294
3/25/13 at 1:17pm
The MDR537 is the latest model and available from Walmart. If you still get analog, or at least clear QAM, it is a good basic choice if you basically want a VCR replacement. It is not HD but the clear QAM resolution is excellent. I have two of the previous models. All you need to know about it can be found at http://www.avsforum.com/t/940657/magnavox-537-535-533-515-513-2160a-2160-2080-philips-3576-3575/23190
Quote:
Originally Posted by SJesMe View Post

Thanks Dave ... I'm sure you're absolutely right. My problem, specifically, seems to be the fact that I run Win XP Pro (no Media Center). As far as I understood it, Media Center is a requirement for HTPC. Ergo, I need a new OS to even hope that I can figure out the logistics of going HTPC. Additionally, I am retired and my friends are as technophobe as I ... mayhaps even more so as they often come to me with their questions!

In any event, it's the $$ thing rather than the quality of the recording. I'm not trying to pirate HD movies or anything ... just standard daytime programming so that I can go do my errands without scheduling them around certain shows I want to watch. I think $30/month for a dvr is very nearly criminal, but then again, I'm one of those who refuses to pay for a cell phone when a simple answering machine will do. tongue.gif

I was specifically looking at Magnavox MDR533H/F7 which seems to do exactly what I want it to do (i.e., a 21st century VCR). I am just unclear as to whether it will actually record anything viewable due to channel scrambling.
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post #3227 of 3294
3/25/13 at 2:46pm
Clear QAM is what you receive "free" via an antenna, right? Well, I'm not set up for that, so I was planning to downgrade from Charter's DVR to their STB (saving me $25/mo) and feed the (coax) cable signal into the Magnavox, then the Magnavox out to a standard STB, and the STB via HDMI to the TV. If I understand the process, this will allow me to stand-alone record whatever channel, and/or watch a different channel on TV while recording another. I'm really not sure if the tuner is necessary since I have no clear QAM atm but I figure I may soon be unable to afford cable at all in which case I will need the tuner to at least get free OTA channels ...

?
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post #3228 of 3294
3/25/13 at 3:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SJesMe View Post

Clear QAM is what you receive "free" via an antenna, right? Well, I'm not set up for that, so I was planning to downgrade from Charter's DVR to their STB (saving me $25/mo) and feed the (coax) cable signal into the Magnavox, then the Magnavox out to a standard STB, and the STB via HDMI to the TV. If I understand the process, this will allow me to stand-alone record whatever channel, and/or watch a different channel on TV while recording another. I'm really not sure if the tuner is necessary since I have no clear QAM atm but I figure I may soon be unable to afford cable at all in which case I will need the tuner to at least get free OTA channels ...

?

OTA is NTSC, not QAM but the end result is the same.. Most current tuners will tune both.

I don't know about the Magnavox but I would venture to guess that it doesn't have a tuner in it so you would need a tuner. If you are okay with the analog channels via CableTV then that is okay with me but you might as well go OTA and get a tuner that will feed the Magnavox.
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post #3229 of 3294
3/25/13 at 6:51pm
The Magnavox has a tuner (single, not dual) and a 320 gb hard drive. They make a dual tuner with a 500 gb h/d as well.

"Record media in high resolution with the Magnavox 320GB HDD and DVD Recorder. This HDD and DVD Recorder with Digital Tuner lets you watch, forward, rewind or freeze live TV while recording. With a hard drive capacity of 320 GB, you can put an end to disorganized drawers of VHS tapes by selecting media to watch in-menu. Featuring 1080p up-conversion, the Magnavox HDD DVD Recorder provides faithfully high definition recording of your favorite shows or movies. Unlike TiVo, there is no monthly subscription fee and it functions much like a VCR. With 4-way dubbing and Dolby Digital stream out, the Magnavox 320GB HDD and DVD Recorder with Digital Tuner will become an indispensible part of your TV-watching regimen. A DV-input allows you to connect the device to other electronics for storage so that you can keep recording your favorite shows. If you're looking for a smart digital recording solution, consider buying the Magnavox 320GB HDD and DVD Recorder."

Edited by SJesMe - 3/25/13 at 6:57pm
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post #3230 of 3294
3/25/13 at 7:19pm
I believe that you'll only be able to record the same channels that you would get without the box, if the magnavox is in front of it. You'd have to rung the cable to the box and then the magnavox. Let us know what does actually work though.
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post #3231 of 3294
3/25/13 at 8:16pm
Back in the day, my biggest inconvenience was getting off the couch to change channels. I love how life has gotten so much "simpler" with all this technology. biggrin.gif

I am muddling through as best I can and, as I understand it, if I put a bi-directional splitter on the incoming line with one coax feed to the Magnavox, and the other to the cable box, I will be able to see/record any channel the cable box receives (recording one, while watching another). Without a splitter, and assuming all channels are scrambled by Charter (pretty sure they are), the incoming line would have to go to the cable box first and I would only be able to record whatever channel the cable box is tuned to (whether or not I'm watching it at the time). Without the cable box (and using only an antenna), I would only be able to see/record OTA channels (recording one while watching another).

The Magnavox has been ordered and I am looking forward to receiving it on 4/1. I fully expect to lose an entire day of my life trying to get all this hooked up and running properly (lol) but I will get back here with my results. Mayhaps my trials and tribulations will help someone else.

In the meantime, if anyone meandering through these posts is more tech savvy than I and can offer some insight, I would welcome it.
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post #3232 of 3294
3/25/13 at 9:01pm
The older versions of the magmavox I have tune analog (NTSC),, OTA (ATSC) and Clear QAM from CATV. If you have cable and they still pass Clear QAM, you can set it up to tune the Clear QAm channels (usually local broadcast channels) without a cable box using coax cable. The only problem here is that the cable companies some time change the location of the clear qam channels and you have to check and rescan channels on a regular basis. If you are reasonably close to the OTA broadcast channels and have an antenna, that might be your best bet if your cable company is not passing QAM channels. Here in Northern Nevada, charter still has analog channels and is passing Clear QAM. My Mags can tune in all of those channels with a split coax input., If you have a cable box, you can also record from it by using the video/audio outputs from the cable box to the line in inputs of the Mag.


Quote:
Originally Posted by SJesMe View Post

Back in the day, my biggest inconvenience was getting off the couch to change channels. I love how life has gotten so much "simpler" with all this technology. biggrin.gif

I am muddling through as best I can and, as I understand it, if I put a bi-directional splitter on the incoming line with one coax feed to the Magnavox, and the other to the cable box, I will be able to see/record any channel the cable box receives (recording one, while watching another). Without a splitter, and assuming all channels are scrambled by Charter (pretty sure they are), the incoming line would have to go to the cable box first and I would only be able to record whatever channel the cable box is tuned to (whether or not I'm watching it at the time). Without the cable box (and using only an antenna), I would only be able to see/record OTA channels (recording one while watching another).

The Magnavox has been ordered and I am looking forward to receiving it on 4/1. I fully expect to lose an entire day of my life trying to get all this hooked up and running properly (lol) but I will get back here with my results. Mayhaps my trials and tribulations will help someone else.

In the meantime, if anyone meandering through these posts is more tech savvy than I and can offer some insight, I would welcome it.
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post #3233 of 3294
3/25/13 at 9:07pm
Actually, assuming there is Clear QAM and/or analog, it is best to run the COAX to the mag first, and then use the Mag output to feed the cable box since the Mag output is a simple pass thru of the catv signal. You have to connect the mag to the TV via the hdmi output or the video component or composite connections.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sheshechic View Post

I believe that you'll only be able to record the same channels that you would get without the box, if the magnavox is in front of it. You'd have to rung the cable to the box and then the magnavox. Let us know what does actually work though.
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post #3234 of 3294
3/25/13 at 9:15pm
I'm going to build a htpc. $2 for a cable card is much better.

BTW, here in Suffolk VA we get 90+ channels without a box. We'll never be all digital. We'll never have 100 HD channels.
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post #3235 of 3294
3/26/13 at 11:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sheshechic View Post

I'm going to build a htpc. $2 for a cable card is much better.

BTW, here in Suffolk VA we get 90+ channels without a box. We'll never be all digital. We'll never have 100 HD channels.

Building an HTPC to get Cable will run in the neighborhood of $300 to $400 with Win7 OS and the CableCARD tuner. It will take you about 15 to 20 months to recover at the $23/month savings by going from an STB with DVR service to the CableCARD {[($5 + $19.99) - $2] = $22.99}.
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post #3236 of 3294
3/26/13 at 12:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sammy2 View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by sheshechic View Post

I'm going to build a htpc. $2 for a cable card is much better.

BTW, here in Suffolk VA we get 90+ channels without a box. We'll never be all digital. We'll never have 100 HD channels.

Building an HTPC to get Cable will run in the neighborhood of $300 to $400 with Win7 OS and the CableCARD tuner. It will take you about 15 to 20 months to recover at the $23/month savings by going from an STB with DVR service to the CableCARD {[($5 + $19.99) - $2] = $22.99}.

My Charter costs are actually less than that since I only need one hd box in my current system. My ultimate desire is to have whole home dvr with more than 2 tuners or at least a system that no longer presents with recording conflicts and allows me to channels. We currently have 2 TIVO Premiere XL lifetimes. If charter would just upgrade our system to digital a TIVO XL4 would be the easiest solution, albeit costly at about $900.

In building my first htpc, I plan to take my time buying components to keep costs down. I have some stuff l might be able to cannibalize from an old system, ie hard drive, psu. I also have a lot of electronics that I need to sell to help finance first htpc. After that, if I can build/buy media servers/micro htpc to incorporate into the system, for less than what I could sell a tivo for, then I'll sell those too. The tv tuner card is what is most perplexing for me right now.

Since you're experienced, do you think that buying builder's OEM Win 7 is a good or bad idea. Is it true that it get's tied to the hardware?
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post #3237 of 3294
3/26/13 at 12:51pm
I've only ever used OEM versions of Windows with exception of my laptop. OEM Windows is not tied to hardware until activation but a call to MicroSoft lets you move it to a new machine if you need to do that. Assassin HTPC is selling Win7 Pro Licenses for $60 and all you need to do is d/w the installation and put it on a USB thumbdrive.

A whole home solution will require a robust home network and the use of Xboxes or ceton echos as extenders.

I'd suggest visiting the HTPC forum and get your feet wet.
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post #3238 of 3294
3/26/13 at 1:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sammy2 View Post

I've only ever used OEM versions of Windows with exception of my laptop. OEM Windows is not tied to hardware until activation but a call to MicroSoft lets you move it to a new machine if you need to do that. Assassin HTPC is selling Win7 Pro Licenses for $60 and all you need to do is d/w the installation and put it on a USB thumbdrive.

A whole home solution will require a robust home network and the use of Xboxes or ceton echos as extenders.

I'd suggest visiting the HTPC forum and get your feet wet.

I've been watching a few videos on how-to, checking out prices on Amazon and New Egg which all helps me wrap my head around what it is that I'll need etc. I've just started checking the htpc forums. I know how loaded this place can be for someone who doesn't even have a clue and/or doesn't know what they want. I know that tiny isn't what I want. lol I have two cases picked out now. Tiny will be later for the next build.

Thank you Sammy for all this really valuable information, which takes a bit of the load off my mind. wink.gif
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post #3239 of 3294
3/26/13 at 1:24pm
You may want to post a new thread over there. You'll have a lot of great answers in short order. Just say what you want to accomplish and you will almost have the whole thing done for you.. If you don't want to hassle with it there are a few builders there too that will put it together and ship it to you.
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post #3240 of 3294
3/27/13 at 8:10am
Glad I'm not the only one that sees the HTPC as costly and complex. For me it involves much more than a $2 cable card. frown.gif I suppose I would be more open to it if I had a tech-savvy friend and a newer computer/OS. I wonder also if this HTPC shouldn't be dedicated? I imagine the wiring would be a nightmare ... ?

Thanks TahoeJoe for your input.
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