[MonsterMaxx]

The tech who hooks up digital cable tells me to go ahead and buy a DVR and he'll hook it up for me.


So I do. I get a great deal on a Motorola DCT6416 III.


Then Charter says they refuse to hook it up for me, the id# is not in their system. The tech says 'oops'.


'oops' my azz


Is there any way to reprogram the id inside the machine so it'll be recognized on the network like my cable box does?


I have a valid subscription, not trying to steal anything or anything like that. I just want to be able to use this hardware. Surely there must be a way to reprogram it to work on Charter's network since I have a valid box (dumb motorola box) that's tied to my account and can read the ##s in it.


Any help would be appriciated.

 

[bfdtv]



Quote:
Is there any way to reprogram the id inside the machine so it'll be recognized on the network like my cable box does

No.

Quote:
have a valid subscription, not trying to steal anything or anything like that. I just want to be able to use this hardware. Surely there must be a way to reprogram it to work on Charter's network since I have a valid box (dumb motorola box) that's tied to my account and can read the ##s in it.

Motorola and SA DVRs are sold exclusively to cable companies in the United States, so unless you bought it while on a trip to Canada, it is stolen. Cable companies do not activate stolen DVRs.


In Canada, some service providers require you to buy the Motorola DCT6416 HDTV DVR if you want one. Sound great? It might, until you see that they cost ~$750 (US$583). U.S. cable companies purchase them by the tens of thousands and still pay >$400/ea.

 

[Dave Harper]

This should change in July as the FCC has required that the Cable Co's allow customers to purchase their own cable boxes......FINALLY

 

[jhuehne]

Did you ever get this working? I have Charter coming out this week to hopefully install 6416 dvr. If it works well and the firewire isn't disabled, I plan on trying to buy one myself to avoid the high monthly rental fees.


Anyone done this on Charter. I want an hd receiver, preferrably a pvr that has working firewire ports.

 

[MonsterMaxx]

No I never got it working. Will try again after this FCC in July thing.


I did call the cable company who's name was on it (COX) and asked if it were stolen. Nope.

 

[MikeSM]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MonsterMaxx /forum/post/0


No I never got it working. Will try again after this FCC in July thing.


I did call the cable company who's name was on it (COX) and asked if it were stolen. Nope.

Of course it's stolen. If it's a Cox box, and Cox never sells them to customers, how could it not be stolen?


Thanks,

mike

 

[MonsterMaxx]

Beats me, but I would assume they billed the customer for it in full for it.


I called them, gave them the serial numbers and told them I'd turn it into the police if it were stolen.

I'd think that if it was stolen they'd have said so.

 

[bfdtv]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MonsterMaxx /forum/post/0


No I never got it working. Will try again after this FCC in July thing.


I did call the cable company who's name was on it (COX) and asked if it were stolen. Nope.

The boxes coming after July are CableCard models. They will never activate the box you have now.


If you want to buy your own box, you need to look for those that advertise CableCard.

 

[Dave Harper]

What would be the point of that then??? You can already buy boxes/TVs (TiVo S3, etc.) w/ cablecard that can be activated now

I think after July 1st the Cable Co's are required to activate any customer owned compatible eqpt, as long as it's not stolen of course

 

[MikeSM]



Quote:
Originally Posted by bfdtv /forum/post/0


The boxes coming after July are CableCard models. They will never activate the box you have now.


If you want to buy your own box, you need to look for those that advertise CableCard.

this isnt the case. the MSO is required to activate uer owned equipment, if it's not stolen and compatible with their systems. The cablecard requirement doesn't change the MSO's responsibility on customer owned gear. It's the just the MSO is not allowed to ship integrated boxes to users that it is leasing to users.


Thanks,

mike

 

[bfdtv]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeSM /forum/post/0


this isnt the case. the MSO is required to activate uer owned equipment, if it's not stolen and compatible with their systems. The cablecard requirement doesn't change the MSO's responsibility on customer owned gear. It's the just the MSO is not allowed to ship integrated boxes to users that it is leasing to users.

No.


As part of the FCC's "integration ban" mandate, cable providers are prohibited from taking actions that would prevent STBs and DVRs without integrated CAS from being made available from retailers and manufacturers. They are required to activate any box without integrated CAS purchased by the customer. However, they are not prohibited from limiting sale or use of devices from third parties with integrated CAS (i.e. current boxes).


Customers will not be able activate existing "integrated" boxes because they are stolen. As I noted above, those "integrated" boxes are sold exclusively to the cable companies and not third parties, as per the agreements between Motorola / SA and U.S. MSOs. That does not change after July 1.


What does change after July 1 is the availability of new CableCard STBs and DVRs that are not subject to the same exclusivity agreements, since the FCC has ruled that cable companies cannot do anything to restrict the availability and sale of CableCard (boxes w/o integrated CAS) boxes by third parties. Those CableCard STBs and DVRs will be the first bidirectional products available for legal purchase to consumers in the United States. Cable companies will be using these same CableCard STBs and DVRs after July 1.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Harper /forum/post/0


What would be the point of that then??? You can already buy boxes/TVs (TiVo S3, etc.) w/ cablecard that can be activated now

The CableCard STBs from Motorola and SA feature bidirectional receivers that will support all cable services, including guide information, PPV, and VOD. Current unidirectional CableCard DVRs do not.


Cable companies are required to use these new CableCard boxes after July 1, so for the first time, you can buy and activate the same box the cable company offers. Note, however, that buying your own box doesn't necessarily eliminate the fees, and you may still need to rent the CableCard and/or pay for the right to use the cable company's DVR software.