Newby Question about Comcast Cable Box

[MetaTLF]

Hello everyone here, I got kind of a newby question and here it goes.

If I were to have Comcast DVR and HD service to my house already with one box and wanted to purchase another box right out instead of "renting" it from comcast can I, and since the signal is coming to my house will it work the same? The reason I am questioning this is because when it was installed the service guy said if I were to ever expand it to another room all I would need is another box....he gave no other info so to me it sounded like a box is all i need.

Any help would be vey much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[MDS]

You'll have to rent another box. Whether you have an installer bring you a new box or you bring it home yourself, it won't work until it is registered on the network and authorized. The installer will do that when he brings you a new box or you can call and do it, but either way it must be a box from the cable company - they rarely authorize a box you purchased yourself.

 

[MetaTLF]

So if I do bring it myself, I would have to call the company and just ask to have it authorized. Just out of curiousity, if I can split the cable to all my rooms and get basic cable why desnt the signal that the first cable box picks up travel through with everything else?

Thanks again.

 

[billy p]

Each cable box registered sends the signal to that tv in which it's connected too. The regular(basic) cable single will travel to each outlet in the house. For you to view hd from a hd box you purchase or rent, it must still be registered with your cable source. Incoming signal for hd is a high bandwith that the hd box picks up for the intended display only. They have most all angles covered.

 

[Nick250]

In my area, Boston MA, I need the Comcast box for a digital and HD content. I can have basic/analog service though, anywhere in the house, with as many TV's as I like as long as they are tapped in to the incoming cable feed at no additional cost and I do not need a addtional cable box for that. The feed goes directly to the TV.

Nick

 

[MetaTLF]

Ok I am kind of getting it now. I jst thought that the HD signal was coming in from the street and would feed every HD ready box. I knew that the boxes needed to pick up the signal to send to the tv. That sucks that they have that angle covered. Because I could get one on ebay right now for a little over 100 instead of renting it from them. Thanks.

 

[MDS]

Ok I am kind of getting it now. I jst thought that the HD signal was coming in from the street and would feed every HD ready box. I knew that the boxes needed to pick up the signal to send to the tv.

Just to clarify things a bit:
If you subscribe to digital cable and/or HD, the signal will be available at every outlet in the house BUT you need a separate box at each location where you will actually connect a TV.

The reason is simple - the tuner in a TV cannot tune the digital/HD channels because the frequency is beyond the range of the tuner AND digital/HD channels must be decoded (they are in MPEG2 format). The basic cable channels are analog and can be tuned by any cable ready TV (ie every tv made in the last decade). Additionally, premium channels (HBO, Cinemax, etc) are encrypted and the set top box also has the logic to decrypt them so you can see them.

Newer TVs that have ATSC tuners can decode the digital channels but cannot decrypt any that are encrypted so if you subscribe to premium channels you still need a set top box. The set top box also provides the interactive guide and the ability to purchase On Demand movies.

You can't really do without a set top box and the cable companies have us over a barrell. They charge for each additional box and if you've ever noticed when cable rates go up, they almost always raise the rental fee as well. Still, the cost of renting the box (unless you have half a dozen of them) is still cheaper than buying one, even if they would let you purchase your own (which they don't), because it would take years for the rental fees to add up to the cost of a new box and by that time there will be newer boxes with more features and your purchased box is obsolete.

 

[MetaTLF]

Just to clarify things a bit:
If you subscribe to digital cable and/or HD, the signal will be available at every outlet in the house BUT you need a separate box at each location where you will actually connect a TV.

The reason is simple - the tuner in a TV cannot tune the digital/HD channels because the frequency is beyond the range of the tuner AND digital/HD channels must be decoded (they are in MPEG2 format). The basic cable channels are analog and can be tuned by any cable ready TV (ie every tv made in the last decade). Additionally, premium channels (HBO, Cinemax, etc) are encrypted and the set top box also has the logic to decrypt them so you can see them.

Newer TVs that have ATSC tuners can decode the digital channels but cannot decrypt any that are encrypted so if you subscribe to premium channels you still need a set top box. The set top box also provides the interactive guide and the ability to purchase On Demand movies.

You can't really do without a set top box and the cable companies have us over a barrell. They charge for each additional box and if you've ever noticed when cable rates go up, they almost always raise the rental fee as well. Still, the cost of renting the box (unless you have half a dozen of them) is still cheaper than buying one, even if they would let you purchase your own (which they don't), because it would take years for the rental fees to add up to the cost of a new box and by that time there will be newer boxes with more features and your purchased box is obsolete.

Ok now I am confused. You make it sound like if I do buy a box on say eBay, it would work on my tv as long as the signalis being sent to my house.

I have HD and DVR already with one box that I rent, but now I have a chance to buy one outright and thats what I am trying to hook up.

 

[MDS]

No. Buying a box on EBay will not work because the cable company will not authorize it. If you RENT another box direct from Comcast it will work on any outlet in the house.

 

[Hi Ho]

If you subscribe to digital cable and/or HD, the signal will be available at every outlet in the house BUT you need a separate box at each location where you will actually connect a TV.

Even if he is a digital cable subscriber, the basic analog channels will still come through without a box. If that's all he wants on the other TV's then he does not need boxes for those.

That is how it works in my area anyway. I install Comcast boxes daily and I see many people that have one box and another TV on basic cable without a box.

 

[MDS]

Even if he is a digital cable subscriber, the basic analog channels will still come through without a box. If that's all he wants on the other TV's then he does not need boxes for those.

Yes, because the TV's tuner can tune them directly. A TV with an ATSC tuner can tune the digital channels too without a box, but you need the box for any channels that are encrypted and if you want the interactive features such as the cable guide and Pay Per View/On Demand.

The point I was trying to clarify is that the digital channels and HD will be available at any outlet in the house - just like the basic analog channels - the only difference is that you need the appropriate tuner to actually see them and for most people that means the set top box supplied by the cable company.

 

[billy p]

Well

it seem to me the question asked was with hd service already provided to home that a second hd box would give him a hd signal? The answer is no, not untill the second hd box is registered would it work. Chances are comcast would not support a product not there own, as well an unregistered box wouldn't work.

 

[Hi Ho]

CableCard is another solution. Oviously it isn't much help if the TV's don't support it.