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jwblue17's avatar
jwblue17
New Contributor
11 years ago

HDTVs and cable card slots

I know that I would give up Pay Per View and channel guide.

 Would I be able to access all the same channels as if I had a cable box?

 Would I be forced to use a coaxial cable instead of HDMI cable or is there some type of adapterI could use?

 Cox is telling me that I need a TIVO box in order to use the cable card.?  Is that true?  Which one do I need?  Could I use the box just to put the cable card in and not have TIVO service?

 How do I know if the HDTV has a cable card slot?  I am looking at the specifications for some high end Samsung HDTVs and there is not any mention of a cable card slot.

 Is there any cable box I can buy instead of rent every month from Cox?

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  • bryaninphx's avatar
    bryaninphx
    Valued Contributor
    11 years ago

    HDTVs are no longer made with a CableCARD slot, If you purchased an old one that did have a CableCARD slot, it would not work anyway because Cox uses SDV (Switched Digital Video), and HDTVs never supported SDV Tuning Adapters.

    A TiVo will NOT work without service.  You could purchase a used one that already has Lifetime Service for about $300-$400, maybe even cheaper on ebay.  The Roamio is the current model, a Premiere would be the last model, and a TiVoHD is the prior model. (only the Premiere and Roamio support the Contour HD Channels which are MPEG4/H.264)

    For a simple one tuner HD CableCARD Set-top-box there is the Samsung GX-SM530CF Cable Box it does support SDV.
    http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-GX-SM530CF-Streaming-Player-Built-In/dp/B00EYO241Q/

    You could also get an SiliconDust HDHomeRun PRIME connected to your network and Win7 PC and then get an XBox or Ceton Echo for the HDTV Set-top-box.
    http://www.amazon.com/SiliconDust-HDHomeRun-CableCard-3-Tuner-HDHR3-CC/dp/B004HKIB6E/

    http://www.amazon.com/Ceton-Echo-Windows-Center-Extender/dp/B008TZJ126/

    The SD HomeRun PRIME is also DLNA Certified and the Samsung SmartTVs have an App to Stream directly from the tuners without a Set-top-box.  It is not very elegant but it works.
    http://www.samsung.com/us/appstore/app.do?appId=G00010110215

    The Tune N’ View app for Google TV supports direct streaming from HDHomeRun devices on compatible Google TV devices.
    http://www.silicondust.com/products/hdhomerun/prime/


    CableCARD and Retail Devices - Support

    CableCARD FAQs - Support

  • jwblue17's avatar
    jwblue17
    New Contributor
    11 years ago

    On the Samsung box would I be able to still get MyPrimetime  ( Channel 1 DVR with shows recorded by Cox)?

    What about with the other two?

  • bryaninphx's avatar
    bryaninphx
    Valued Contributor
    11 years ago

    jwblue said:

    On the Samsung box would I be able to still get MyPrimetime  ( Channel 1 DVR with shows recorded by Cox)?

    What about with the other two?

    No,  all retail CableCARD devices do not have access to any Cox OnDemand content.

    Most if not all of the Cox OnDemand MyPrimetime (plus a lot more) is available on HuluPlus which both the TiVo and the Samsung Smart Media Cable Box support, HuluPlus is an additional $8/mo subscription.

    EDIT: It looks like the Samsung Smart Media Cable Box Does Not have HuluPlus.
    Strange since even the entry level Samsung Smart TVs have HuluPlus and even HBOGo

  • bryaninphx's avatar
    bryaninphx
    Valued Contributor
    11 years ago

    TiVo Community member selling a 2 Tuner Tivo Premiere w/2TB Upgrade and Lifetime Service - $300
    http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=514578