921 almost FOR SALE!

[Tahoerob]

Well, I have started the separation process!!!

It first began when I added Adelphia cable modem & for fun added their HD channels including Starz HD, InHD, InHD2 as well as local NBC HD which I can never seem to get OTA.
They gave me the SA 8000 HD DVR ($7.95/month). It turns out to be a dual tuner DVR!! NEVER CRASHED. Works well with NAME BASED RECORDING, so all my timers worked EVERY TIME. The interface is OK & Adelphia just added Video On Demand. Very nice & good PQ. The only draw back is no 30sec commercial skip (just FF).

So now I have added HBO & Showtime (both with HD channels) to cable (only extra $4/month), DOWNGRADED Dish from AEP to Top 60 w/ locals & HD pak. The only 2 channels that Adelphia does not offer in HD yet here are Disc HD, TNT HD, & local PBS HD. However, other Adelphia locales have Disc HD. If they add that here, then I will drop Dish & sell 921 on Ebay. With top 60, we stilll get the core channels as back up & still kept 501 in treadmill room.

Then I can wait a year for Dish & Directv to hash out MPEG 4 & more HD channels.

So now I get:

704 WRC HD (NBC)
705 WTTG HD (FOX)
707 WJLA HD (ABC)
709 WUSA HD (CBS)
750 HD HBO
751 HD SHOWTIME
752 HD STARZ
770 HD NET
771 HDN MOVIES
772 ESPN HD
774 INHD1
775 INHD2


I cut my Dish bill in HALF. MY cable bill now is basically the SAME as it was for Dish AEP/HD & INCLUDES MORE HD as well as CABLE MODEM and Video On Demand for all the movie channels as and some "free" content!!!
__________________

 

[boy921]

I'm envious. Too bad E* is as fast as a glacier crawling up a mountain. Only if our cable company was worth the while. I could see saving dollars not only in programming but also higher speeds with a cable modem. In my area, the local OTA are digital but the majority are SD only and most likely will not upgrade to HD until 2009. Oh well, I'll keep feeding the satellite hippo.

 

[jbcheshire]

Great deal!!
I wish Charter in st louis could offer something to match that...

 

[Zookster]

Welcome "back" to the dark side. I'm in the transitioning process myself. BTW, it may worth looking into getting the SA8300. In San Diego (Cox), you have to ask for it specifically by saying your TV has HDMI input (that's what the 8300 outputs). I'm not sure of all the different features from the 8000, but it can only be better since it's the next model up (more recording space?). So far mine has worked pretty flawlessly. I'm also keeping my 508 as back up, but so far haven't needed it.

 

[Tahoerob]

Here are the specs:
http://www.scientificatlanta.com/consumers_new/CableBoxes/8000hd.htm
160 GB hard drive (90hrs SD, 20 hrs HD)
http://www.scientificatlanta.com/consumers_new/CableBoxes/8300hd.htm
Has HDMI & External SATA connection for possible hard drive storage
The internal HD is the same 160GB. Also has front composite AV input.
I also have seen the the remote looks more user friendly & has a dedicated VOD button.

 

[Zookster]

Thanks, Robert. Nice work.

I know on the 8300, all the outputs seem to be active simultaneously. How's that on the 8000? (may just depend on the local cable provider, too)

I only had my 8300 for a week before a software upgrade added a rudimentary name-based-recording featrue and also placed an HD logo in the guide for programs that are in true 16 x 9 HD.

 

[Sean Mota]

Robert,

I also started the separation process with E*. I am not going to Cable but to D*. Basic reason is that I am going to combine my cable bill and E* bill. I used to have cable for one reason --- YES NETWORK. Now that D* has added the HD Feed, it is not an option to keep cable and E* anymore. I know the drawbacks of D* and no one better than I know them but I feel that D* is a company that is moving in a better direction than E*. With E* I waited too long to get the YES network and more HD. I might just leave my account in suspense pending what is going to happen with V*. I do not want to be left without TNTHD in case V* is gone. In anycase, I will leave one receiver in my account connected to the E* dish in suspense.

I already made a purchase on an HDTIVO. I know they are not MPEG-4 upgradeable and cost a lot of money but I need to have the recording capabilities and I have the money. If E* gets their act together one day, I may come back full-time.

 

[techdood]

I too might join the wave of 921's to be sold. Once the NBA season draws to a close, past the Eastern Conference Finals, I will no longer have a reason to keep TNT-HD. I currently have cable and I'm waiting for an offer from V* that does not include multiple room packages. My 2 HD terminals are enough, I see no need to buy into a 3rd just to pay the extra dollar to get it installed.

 

[macagent]

Well, I have started the separation process!!!
It first began when I added Adelphia cable modem & for fun added their HD channels including Starz HD, InHD, InHD2 as well as local NBC HD which I can never seem to get OTA.

So can the 8000 display HD OTA signals? I have a hd ota reciever that I use separate from my dishnetwork box now. I also have Adelphia strictly for network, but may switch to 8000 if it can give me dvr features to my OTA channels.

TIA

 

[WorkOutMN]

The cable boxes doesn't do OTA in the way that Dish or DirecTV does OTA, but many cable companies carry the local HD channels so you get them as being a subscriber. In my case with Time Warner in Minneapolis, they carry my local PBS, CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX and UPN's digital/HD transmissions, so I get them right on my 8300 box the same way I get SHO & HBO, so no external antenna to fiddle with. It's one of the major reasons I switched because I just couldn't get the external antenna to get a strong enough signal.

 

[Zookster]

Cox let me add the SA8300 to my limited basic $12 cable package for $9 for receiver + 9.95 DVR fee + $7 for "digital gateway." It lets me get ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, WB, KPBS, and the Padres channel (110 games in HD). What I don't get with this limited cable package is the HD channels for ESPN, Universal, InHD, Discovery, etc. But since I'm on a contract with Dish for their HD pack, it's fine for now. I just can't record.