# Bolt with Spectrum



## Player1138 (Oct 1, 2015)

I currently have a TWC plan which requires a cable card and tuning adapter to work. 

Now that spectrum has purchased TWC they are offering both TWC and Spectrum plans. The Spectrum plans are bpibviously better as they try to get people on them. 

So my question is does anyone know if with Spectrum I still need a tuning adapter?


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

I do not know but I know this. If I were to switch from TWC to Spectrum my monthly internet bill would go from the current $15 to $60 a year later. So not worth it.


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## Player1138 (Oct 1, 2015)

jth tv said:


> I do not know but I know this. If I were to switch from TWC to Spectrum my monthly internet bill would go from the current $15 to $60 a year later. So not worth it.


If I keep TWC my bill (cable + internet) was going to be $164/month. Spectrum $135 which includes much faster internet and HBO. Of course next year at this time this same plan will try to jump up to $175 I am sure.


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## ravic (Jul 5, 2017)

Yes, I did switch from TWC plan to Spectrum and have a TiVo bolt. You do need the tuning adapter and cable card. It works well. I did have to restart the tuning adapter once in the last 6 months.


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## T-Shee (Sep 22, 2006)

Player1138 said:


> I currently have a TWC plan which requires a cable card and tuning adapter to work.
> 
> Now that spectrum has purchased TWC they are offering both TWC and Spectrum plans. The Spectrum plans are bpibviously better as they try to get people on them.
> 
> So my question is does anyone know if with Spectrum I still need a tuning adapter?


Spectrum in NYC has quite a few Switched Digital Video stations that you won't be able to see without a tuning adapter - but it's not required. I've been running a Bolt+ on Spectrum/TWC for about a month without the tuning adapter. The change from TWC to Spectrum did not eliminate the Tuning Adapter "requirement".


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## Player1138 (Oct 1, 2015)

T-Shee said:


> Spectrum in NYC has quite a few Switched Digital Video stations that you won't be able to see without a tuning adapter - but it's not required. I've been running a Bolt+ on Spectrum/TWC for about a month without the tuning adapter. The change from TWC to Spectrum did not eliminate the Tuning Adapter "requirement".


So what are you missing by not having the TA? Assuming some of the channels you get just do not come through in HD without it?


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## Morpheus101 (Jan 14, 2006)

Player1138 said:


> I currently have a TWC plan which requires a cable card and tuning adapter to work.
> 
> Now that spectrum has purchased TWC they are offering both TWC and Spectrum plans. The Spectrum plans are bpibviously better as they try to get people on them.
> 
> So my question is does anyone know if with Spectrum I still need a tuning adapter?


Be careful and READ the fine print. I have 20MB down and Broadcast only. My bill went up after 12 months by $5. If you cancel or change anything you will be moved to Spectrum.

I get at least one offer from Spectrum a week saying it's their best offer ever, but reading the offer it is the same old offer that anyone can get online.


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## Player1138 (Oct 1, 2015)

Morpheus101 said:


> Be careful and READ the fine print. I have 20MB down and Broadcast only. My bill went up after 12 months by $5. If you cancel or change anything you will be moved to Spectrum.
> 
> I get at least one offer from Spectrum a week saying it's their best offer ever, but reading the offer it is the same old offer that anyone can get online.


That sounds like the plan I have. I have 25mbps as basic cable (no HBO..etc) and my bill went up $30. If I go to Specturm it is only $5 more with HBO and internet of 100mbps


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## MacGuruTX (Sep 20, 2006)

It's still the same cable plant/infrastructure. So there isn't a change in the switched digital TV channels. The deal with the plans, is really the finance/revenue model of how they sell/bundle the cable. Here in San Diego, they will leave you on your Time Warner plan until you try to change something, in which time they are encouraging movement to the new plans. They may be cheaper, they may be more expensive.....


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## reds91185 (Jun 7, 2017)

Player1138 said:


> I currently have a TWC plan which requires a cable card and tuning adapter to work.
> 
> So my question is does anyone know if with Spectrum I still need a tuning adapter?


Yes you will need the tuner adapter if you have any SDV channels...most areas do now to free up bandwidth for internet.


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## drumdude (Dec 25, 2007)

Does anyone in Charlotte NC have a TiVo Bolt working with Spectrum? Years ago I tried using the old TiVos with Time Warner and it was a disaster. TWC rep brought a box of 100 old cable cards to my house and could not find 3 good ones. Seemed like they did not want to support the device. I ended up selling all 3 TiVos on eBay and going back to DirecTV. I still miss my TiVo and wonder if it would work now?


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## Buckeye3d (Dec 9, 2004)

I just went through switching to Spectrum and TiVo in an old Time Warner Cable area (Columbus, OH). Just do a self install. Place your order through chat or the phone. Pick up the tuning adapter and cable card at the Spectrum retail store and then call the cable card support # to get it activated. They know what they are doing. The installers who will come to your house will not. All it took for me was a 5 minute phone call.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

I have Spectrum (fka Charter) and the TA is necessary, at least I know to see some of the channels for which I pay.

As to self-install, my experience with them has been that the first time they won't let you pick up the TA/CC and install them yourself. They force you to have a service call. Mine went fine except that one of the CCs was not good and he had to bring another one back the next day (I suggested bringing extras and he was cool with that).

But, after I had the CableCARDs and the Tuning Adapters, I could transfer them to my newer machines and just do the call-in for pairing.

YMMV, but that's the way it works here with them.


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## Chuck_IV (Jan 1, 2002)

Hmm, I was always able to pickup my CC/TA and do the installs myself. Instead of swapping cards/TA, I just stopped by my local office yesterday and picked up another CC/TA for my new Bolt that is coming in a few days. 

I didn't want to mess around with trying to unpair then re-pair the card to a new box, remembering how painful it was to get the original one paired, in the first place. So this way, if I have issues with getting the new box paired, I'll still have the old box to fall back on, until any issues get resolved.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## donsullivan (May 31, 2000)

Chuck_IV said:


> Hmm, I was always able to pickup my CC/TA and do the installs myself. Instead of swapping cards/TA, I just stopped by my local office yesterday and picked up another CC/TA for my new Bolt that is coming in a few days.
> 
> I didn't want to mess around with trying to unpair then re-pair the card to a new box, remembering how painful it was to get the original one paired, in the first place. So this way, if I have issues with getting the new box paired, I'll still have the old box to fall back on, until any issues get resolved.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Interestingly, I'm with Spectrum (former Brighthouse) and when I switched from a Roamio Pro to my recent Bolt VOX, I didn't ever have to do anything with pairing of the CableCard. I just took it out of the Roamio and slipped it into the Bolt and it just worked. In fact, I moved from the Roamio, to a 4 tuner Bolt that got returned and later to a 6 tuner Bolt that I'm using now. I never had to do any sort of pairing, or contact Spectrum or anything else and have had absolute no know issues. I just left the Tuning Adapter in place just as it was on the Roamio and everything works fine.


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## Terrie (Dec 3, 2017)

Does anyone know what brand cablecard Spectrum uses?


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## Chuck_IV (Jan 1, 2002)

It depends on your area. In my area, they use Cisco, but I've also seen Motorola in other areas.


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## Terrie (Dec 3, 2017)

I didn't realize it was area specific, I'm in Tampa Bay.


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## reds91185 (Jun 7, 2017)

Terrie said:


> I didn't realize it was area specific, I'm in Tampa Bay.


The brand of cablecard provided depends on the headend hardware used in the area (generally Motorola/Arris or Cisco/SA).


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## mtnbkr (Sep 3, 2016)

drumdude said:


> Does anyone in Charlotte NC have a TiVo Bolt working with Spectrum? Years ago I tried using the old TiVos with Time Warner and it was a disaster. TWC rep brought a box of 100 old cable cards to my house and could not find 3 good ones. Seemed like they did not want to support the device. I ended up selling all 3 TiVos on eBay and going back to DirecTV. I still miss my TiVo and wonder if it would work now?


Yes, I have a Bolt on Spectrum. Cable card and TA work just fine.


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