PVR/DVR Units for Eastlink Question
lharnish
I'm not very savvy on these units. I don't see any DVR/PVR's on
Future Shop or Best Buy. Can someone who is up to speed on this tell
me whether this unit would work on Eastlink? Thanks!
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Magnavox-MDR-513H-F7-320GB-DVR-and-DVD-Recorder/14291489
Rick Walker
Eastlink, to my knowledge, always used Motorola units. To be sure I'd ask
someone who knows... and ask someone that doesn't work at WalMart (just to
be safe), like Eastlink themselves. Future Shop's where I bought my
Motorola - no problems since I purchased this set-up back in December 2008.
Come December, if I'd rented one from Eastlink it will have paid for itself
(within 50 bucks) by the New Year.
a
AFIK, Eastlink encrypts their HD content so ... wait - whut?!?
You want to buy a PVR and hook it up and have Eastlink supply content?
Unless you buy the DVR/PVR from Eastlink - that aint gonna work.
The device boots and receives its network info from Eastlink. They only
authorize Eastlink provided MAC addresses to do this.
If you rent - it's not that bad for a /mo cost and you can swap out
units when newer ones are available. I've had 3 swaps for newer
equipment initiated by me - plus - I don't pay for repair if needed.
a
Rick Walker
"a" wrote:
>
> AFIK, Eastlink encrypts their HD content so ... wait - whut?!?
>
> You want to buy a PVR and hook it up and have Eastlink supply content?
> Unless you buy the DVR/PVR from Eastlink - that aint gonna work.
>
> The device boots and receives its network info from Eastlink. They only
> authorize Eastlink provided MAC addresses to do this.
>
> If you rent - it's not that bad for a /mo cost and you can swap out
> units when newer ones are available. I've had 3 swaps for newer
> equipment initiated by me - plus - I don't pay for repair if needed.
>
I disagree - I purchased my PVR from Future Shop - "The same one Eastlink
uses" the sales guy said, and have no problems receiving any of Eastlink's
programming. A phone call to Eastlink from the guy when he installed it, a
little wait for a download, and everything's been fine ever since.
All freebees worked for month, PPV and OnDemand all work as well. And no
repairs.
I just wish they'd stop adding new channels in the middle of the ones I'm
used to using.
lharnish
buy my own, didn't have to rent one from them. I didn't get to the
point of asking if it had to be the specific Motorola unit they rent
or if other brands are compatible. I couldn't find the Motorola one
for sale except for on Ebay. I'm of two minds. I've heard there's
been lots of problems with the Motorola overheating and dying and
that's why people prefer to rent them as opposed to laying out $500
for it to only last a year. On the other hand, I hate to rent
something that I'll never own. My only exception for that is my
rental hot water heater for similar reasons - we went though two hot
water heaters in ten years.
a
Interesting - I remember FS did sell the boxes, just as Eastlink does -
instead of renting.
Now, FS sells PVRs but they are limited to certain geographic regions
and providers...
What make and model did you buy?
a
Rick Walker
You could take out their 'insurance' if you're really that concerned, but as
long as the PVR has proper ventilation (highly recommended) you should have
no problems with your Motorola from Future Shop. Plus, you have a year's
warranty on the thing if something seems odd during that time anyway.
And no, I wouldn't buy used.
Rick Walker
"a" wrote:
>
> Interesting - I remember FS did sell the boxes, just as Eastlink does -
> instead of renting.
>
> Now, FS sells PVRs but they are limited to certain geographic regions
> and providers...
>
> What make and model did you buy?
>
> a
Motorola DT 6416 III - Eastlink gave me the digital box free for the other
room, but no recording or HD available on that one.
I record, have HD and can do everything a rental can with this PVR from
Future Shop... maybe they're not selling them anymore, but I don't know why.
I purchased it in December 2008, a.
lharnish
> You CAN but it ....from FS for $499. The Motorola one that Eastlink
> uses only overheats if it's enclosed in an entertainment center where
> it doesn't get proper ventilation. I had that happen twice. Now that I
> have the newer entertainment centre that doesn't have doors and has
> lots of space above the unit, I've had this one for 2-3 years with no
> problems.
>
> Think of how many $15 a month you would need before it equals the
> $573.85 you would pay to buy it from FS. The only reason RW got it
> cheaper is because it was part of a LARGE entertainment set-up.
They're not showing up on the FS or BB websites as being for sale.
Can't understand why they're $200 in the US and $500 here. Someone is
making a lot of money.
wmd
I've struggled with the PVR rental issue. I currently rent a PVR from
Expressvu for $10/month. We've had it for about three years.
On the one hand, it is frustrating having to pay for something I'll
never own.
On the other hand, I can look at it as paying for a service: no just the
benefits that the PVR provides, but also for the security of knowing
that I can have the unit replaced at any time if it breaks (as all
electronics eventually do).
Having the PVR has changed the way we watch television. It is wonderful!
We'll often delay watching a program for 10-15 minutes by pausing the
live feed, allowing a buffer so that we can skip through most of the
commercials. I also like time-shifting: we can record programs later in
the evening or overnight, and watch them at our leisure (again, skipping
the commercials). We have several programs set up to record
automatically so we rarely miss an episode of our favourite shows.
Great invention! Now we just need to hop onto the bandwagon and purchase
an HDTV - maybe. We still don't own a DVD player, believe it or not. We
don't watch a lot of movies, but when we do we'll pull out the old
Playstation 2, which plays DVDs. Suffice it to say, we aren't early
adopters of entertainment technology! :)
wmd
lharnish
> The last time I was at the BLIP store, they had them. Perhaps they
> just don't have them for sale on the web. That same model is $200 in
> the U.S.?
The Motorola units on ebay were in the $200 range but I didn't look to
see if they were new or used. Other brands on US Walmart sites like
the one I originally posted are in the $200 range. As far as I can
tell, most of the ones on the US sites don't require you hook up to a
specific cable company which made me hope the technology was such that
they were interchangeable. I thought it was similar to a cell phone
company giving you a discount on a cell phone if you signed up for a
contract but paying more if you bought a phone outright without a
contract. I'm going to have to find an honest Eastlink person who
doesn't want to just sell me a rental to tell me the ins and outs and
ways around some of this stuff. I can't believe that a $500 unit can
overheat and fry in a year. The majority of households at the very
least a tv and vcr or dvd player and most would have tv/entertainment
unit to set them in. These things should be designed to sit and work
properly in a typical TV/entertainment unit without overheating. It's
only been the last two years or so that the flat screen became so
popular and the styles of tv units changed to reflect the new styles
of televisions on the market.
lharnish
months free offer for new DVR customers. I think I'll bite the bullet
and go for that and then decide after six months if I want to try and
purchase my own unit!
Rick Walker
Good plan... if you buy it in February you stand the chance of a "sale"
price too.