# You can buy your own cable card?



## dalesd (Aug 2, 2001)

Verizon FIOS TV is suddenly available, and I'm on-line chatting with a rep now. I asked how to order a M-type cable card, and he said I could just buy one at any Best Buy.

Is this right?


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## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

No
You have to rent them from Verizon.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

Good grief. I wonder if that's a new low for a CSR.

Reportedly there are a few (or just one?) cable companies that do sell you the cards instead of renting them. But you still wouldn't get them at Best Buy, and Verizon is not one of those companies.

BTW, I wouldn't bet on being able to get an M card, either, even when you do get through to someone with a clue. Last I heard, VZ wasn't offering them yet.


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## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

The cable system in my parents area (Service Electric) sells the CableCARDs for about $75 each, or you can rent them for a small monthly fee.


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## dalesd (Aug 2, 2001)

Here's the chat transcript for your edutainment. Emphasis added. I suspected he erred when he told me I could get a cable card at Best Buy (thus this thread).

Thanks for the quick answers.



> Chat Information: We are routing you to a chat representative. Thank you for contacting Verizon FiOS. Your average wait time is 2 seconds. Ask about our first month FREE offer when you order FiOS online.
> 
> Chat Information: You are now chatting with 'Riley'
> 
> ...


Dinner really was ready, that wasn't BS.


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## RonDawg (Jan 12, 2006)

While Best Buy now sells items that were once the exclusive domain of cable and broadband providers (for example, cable and DSL modems), CableCards are not one of them. Not yet anyway.

If what both a Charter rep and a Charter tech (who appeared to be pretty knowledgeable) told me about CableCards is true, these aren't something you want to purchase. Both referred to the technology as "temperamental" and indeed the first problem I had with the TiVoHD was related to a defective CableCard. I'd much rather rent these, especially since Charter in my area gives you the first card free as part of their digital tier, whether it's an S-card or an M-card.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

It should be noted that if CableCARDs do ever make it to Best Buy, they may only work for one service provider, and perhaps just one head-end (so you're not buying portability), and if they break, you're basically going to have to address it as a product failure, following return policies, etc.


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

A rule of thumb, is the Motorola cards/boxes could be authorized across systems (but most providers choose not to), but Cisco (Scientific Atlanta) are system specific (so they could not, if they wanted to). The reason, I suppose, is that for Motorola, the providers have a live link to Motorola to activate the boxes, or at least get the provider keys. Scientific Atlanta keys are issued to the purchaser of the equipment on a CD, which are loaded onto their system as boxes/cards arrive, so are ready for seamless authorization.


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## jrm01 (Oct 17, 2003)

classicsat said:


> AScientific Atlanta keys are issued to the purchaser of the equipment on a CD, which are loaded onto their system as boxes/cards arrive, so are ready for seamless authorization.


Those Cox SA cablecard users in Phoenix just love the "seamless authorization".


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