TheGreenButton - Windows Media Center Forums

Yummy! I wonder how long for further drops in prices?!

At some point, I'd expect the Silicondust folks to reduce the price of their products so that it fits in more with the current price-per-tuner base, and then it'll probably stay steady.

Ceton says the 100$ off will last until Sept 6 (http://www.cetoncorp.com/) - maybe they're waiting to see how SD reacts price-wise. Newegg is taking a bit more off than the 100$ which might be enough to sway me over to the ceton tuner. I have a HDHomeRun prime on preorder but ...

HDHRP 3 tuner: $249.99 + $6.98 shipping = $256.97
InfiniTV 4 tuner: $269.99 + $0 shipping = $269.99

So it'll cost you $13.02 to get 4 tuners instead of 3. Sounds like a good deal to me.

You gotta love Jeremy and co's marketing decisions

I folks. Been lurking awhile and came over from the old greenbutton. Great group here, very happy to join you!

Scored one of these from newegg business for $219

I'll be installing in my HP desktop w/Intel E2200 processor. I may be limping along but I think it will do OK (I view through extenders). It's more a DVR than HTPC.

From what I have read, I will remove my Avermedia Duet prior to install of the Ceton and reinstall the Duet after the Ceton is completely functional. The unit has shipped and should be here in a few days!

josim in Simpsonville, SC USA

Hey Josim! Welcome!

You may want to contact your cable company as soon as you can to see if you can pick up a cablecard or if they still require a Tech visit. I know Comcast (here in St. Paul, MN) still requires a Tech visit (though that's supposed to change on Aug 1st and I won't go into details). It kind of sucked having the card in hand on a Friday afternoon, looking forward to testing it out all weekend, only to find out I have to wait until the following Wednesday for a Tech to show up (and watch me install it).

-Wolf sends

Yes welcome!

220 clams - fantastic price. Maximum of five per customer. You may make four more instant buddies here

Wolf & STC,
Thanks for the welcome and the many informative posts you have made.
If I run in to installation snags I'll post on the other thread.

Thanks again,
josim

I jumped on this as soon as I could too. Was just going to settle for the new Hauppauge until I saw I could get one for $219.99. Ordered a cable card from FiOS(they do self installs only now) and both should arrive tomorrow. Can't wait.

Anyone looking for a HD-PVR?

rantanamo,

Are you saying that Verizon is going to let you install the cable card yourself? Just a few months ago they were still insisting on sending a tech out to my house. If you don't mind me asking, where are you located? I'm in MA. Good luck with your tuner!

"Was just going to settle for the new Hauppauge until I saw I could get one for $219.99."

Great minds....

josim

CadeFoster wrote:rantanamo,

Are you saying that Verizon is going to let you install the cable card yourself? Just a few months ago they were still insisting on sending a tech out to my house. If you don't mind me asking, where are you located? I'm in MA. Good luck with your tuner!

have been following some of the sites like dsl reports. They say as of 6-29-11 M-cards are self install only for FiOS. Several posters there have confirmed that M-Cards are simply being shipped now, and they can even be removed from other devices and paired to new devices(Tivo to cablecard tuner or television set). They merely shipped mine to me. No truck roll. No fee. Sending a box to send my STB back as well. Package hasn't arrived, but we always get packages late here. I'm in Garland, Tx which is VHO 1

As I understand it, the FCC requires that if a cable company offers *ANY* type of self installation (cable modem/set top box) they *must* allow cablecard self installs. Now some of the larger companies (Comcast for one) was given an extension before being required to allow self installs, but that extension ends on August 1st.

-Wolf sends

InfiniTV and CableCard arrived on the same UPS truck. Easy install. Easy instructions. Drivers worked perfectly. Went to the FiOS activation site and channels are all working as is my avertv duet. The activation was actually really quick. As a former agent I know these can take a while at times. So went from 4 tuners (2 ATSC, 2 cable box) to 6. Recording working perfectly. Between that and my cheapo DSI Ergo touchpad keyboard(same exact keyboard as the Adesso Slimtouch ergo for 1/3 the price), I am a happy HTPCer today.

Wolfshadw wrote:As I understand it, the FCC requires that if a cable company offers *ANY* type of self installation (cable modem/set top box) they *must* allow cablecard self installs. Now some of the larger companies (Comcast for one) was given an extension before being required to allow self installs, but that extension ends on August 1st.

-Wolf sends

The FCC ruled that all cable companies that allow self-installation of any cable modems or set-top-boxes must allow self-installations of CableCARDs by August 1st. If Comcast or anyone else got an extension, it wouldn't expire on August 1st. It would have to expire sometime after August 1st or it wouldn't be an extension. Also, those cable companies that do not allow self-installation of cable modems or set-top boxes have until November 1st, at which time they too will be required to allow self-installation of CableCARDs.

Of course, there is a loophole. If the manufacturer or vendor of your device does not provide both self-installation instructions and a toll free customer service number you can call for installation help, the cable company can still require a professional installation. AFAIK, Ceton, SiliconDust, and Hauppauge all have failed to provide the toll-free customer service call center, and I don't know about the vendors (I seriously doubt NewEgg or Amazon has people standing by waiting to answer your calls about CableCARDs). Therefore, until they do, cable companies can still require professional installation for those devices.

<shrug> There is no loophole if you simply tell Comcast or whoever that you need to self-install a card on a Tivo. They have no way of knowing what device you're actually going to put it in.

Similarly, if you play your cards right and tell them you need two cards (e.g., for the SD Prime 6-tuners) in one device, you should be able to get the $1.50/mo. additional card charge at Comcast instead of the full outlet charge. Just tell them you have an old Tivo S3 that requires two cards, there is a special code for that in their system.

As recwently as two months ago (when I first installed my cablecard setup) WOW cable did not allow self installs.

Now, they have switched and give both manual and appointment options.

My Ceton will be here tomorrow, it's nice to know I can get it taken care of quick this time instead of waiting the two weeks it always seems to take to get a tech out here.