# What do you have to pay your cable provider?



## learnthingshuman (Jan 2, 2010)

I know you have to pay an extra like $7 a month for a cable receiver box, if you get a TiVo I know you don't need a cable receiver box so do you still have to pay your cable provider something to use the TiVo box? I can't really find an answer on the internet anywhere.


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## nrc (Nov 17, 1999)

It varies from one cable company to another and even within the same company in different locations. If you let folks know what cable company you're dealing with someone may be able to tell you exactly what to expect.

In my case for digital cable on WOW with cable cards I get the first cable card free and the second is $3.50 per month.


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## learnthingshuman (Jan 2, 2010)

i see... I have Time Warner in Rochester, NY


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## qrs136 (Mar 30, 2005)

I use Comcast in Portland and don't have a cable box. I have a Multicard, for which Comcast charges me $1.75 per month. 

The one thing you can do with a cable box that you cannot do without one is use the OnDemand feature. Basically, a CableCard only supports traffic from the cable company to you; a cable box supports traffic from you (ie, the request for a movie) to the cable company as well.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

The only thing I have to pay Mediacom that's related to TiVo is rental of four CableCARDS at $1.99 a pop.


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## gastrof (Oct 31, 2003)

learnthingshuman said:


> ...if you get a TiVo I know you don't need a cable receiver box...


Where'd you hear this from?

TiVo Series 1 and 2 machines require a cable box to get any scrambled analog channels and ALL digital channels. Many cable companies are getting rid of analog entirely, so that leaves only digital which means a cable box is a must.

TiVo Series 3 machines have their own digital tuners, but without cable cards a Series 3 would only be able to get unscrambled digital channels themselves. No guide data. For full TiVo functions on digital cable, you'd need cable cards.

Cable cards are more or less mini cable boxes, so again a cable "box" is pretty much required.


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## Flyinace2000 (Aug 2, 2005)

$50 for internet only. I use the TivoHD w/ an antenna to get OTA HD. Then i use XMBC/Plex/Boxee for the rest of my media needs.


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## rbtconsultants (Dec 16, 2002)

I pay $9 for an HD Comcast box. I also have two DTAs they charge me $0 for, and two cable cards in two TIVO HDs they charge me $0 for. I thought they were going to charge me an additional outlet fee for they second cablecard since I was told I would get one primary outlet and two DTAs for free. I assume that one TIVO cablecard was my primary outlet and they would charge me for the second, but both are free on my bill. I'm OK with this. 

Bob


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

I am lucky, in that we pay only a $4.99 Multi-receiver fee, the one fee covering service for all additional receivers, plus provides an exchange warranty.
For the service, about $70/month for most pre 2001 expansion, and some other cable channels, as well as broadcast. HD for some channels is included.


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## baijumehta (Oct 10, 2009)

I pay $9 for an HD box and $2.75 for a M Card for my Tivo. I live in Anaheim, CA. If I wanted to get another Tivo, it would be $3.75 for the next M Card.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

gastrof said:


> Where'd you hear this from?
> 
> TiVo Series 1 and 2 machines require a cable box to get any scrambled analog channels and ALL digital channels. Many cable companies are getting rid of analog entirely, so that leaves only digital which means a cable box is a must.


Yes, we know this, but since the questioner has a post count of 2, they're obviously new, and are looking for a *new, current* Tivo. Adding in the historical information about old Tivos really doesn't do much but confuse them. They were completely correct about the "main" currently available Tivo. (I guess the S2DT is still available?)


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## Sapphire (Sep 10, 2002)

This is what I pay to Service Electric Broadband Cable, Sparta NJ. I'll also attempt to explain each line item.


BROADCAST BASIC	$19.99 - local channels, public access, EWTN, WGN, C-SPAN, local news etc
EXPANDED BASIC	$42.96 - Most everything else, except "expensive" channels like Fox Sports
HDTV PACKAGE	$4.95 - HD channels above locals
ADDITIONAL OUTLETS	$0.50 - self explanatory
INTERNET POWERED BY PENTELE DATA	$69.95 - Cable modem service, DOCSIS3 30M/2M
FRANCHISE FEES	$1.26 - se;f explanatory
** MONTHLY DUE **	$139.61

Notice you don't see a CableCARD charge... ah-ha! They made me buy them for $125 each. This was in 2007. They are also S cards.  But on the bright side as long as they don't ever fail I don't pay monthly for them. When my TiVo sub runs out, the one cablecard I have left in my S3 is going into my TV's cablecard slot. I've already moved one card to my new PC with an ATI OCUR so I can watch TV upstairs using a Win 7 MC extender (XBOX) and also on my PC. I might get a second OCUR or one of the new cablecard tuners so I can use the remaining S card in another PC. They didn't pair the cards so I can swap them around without a truck roll.

They are now only leasing CableCARDs for $2.95/mo. They don't sell them anymore. Could be a good or a bad thing. 

HD boxes are $10/mo, HD DVRs are $14/mo. Your first SD box is free, additional boxes are $3.95/mo.


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## ewilts (Feb 26, 2002)

I pay $10.66 per month for basic cable that includes all my locals in HD. I pay nothing for my 2 CableCARDs.


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## Steve_Martin (Jul 18, 2004)

More than I pay the alarm guy. 

$140 per month for internet and cable TV (with HBO).


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

I pay them $47.95 plus $4.76 in "taxes, fees, and surcharges".

But all I get from them is internet service, not any television.


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## dstoffa (Dec 14, 2005)

I pay $15.53 for Broadcast Basic on Time-Warner in the Hudson Valley of New York State.

With that, I receive my locals (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, MyN, CW, PBS, ION, Univision, Telemundo), a second CBS feed from Binghamton (so I get different football games than the NYC station on Sundays), an independent station that tends to run infomercials all day, ESPN, FX, CSpan, QVC, HSN, VH1, Religious Programming, and of course, the Community Bulletin Board.

I need to complain about the filters on the pole, because I should also be getting the lcoal sub-channels, Discovery, CSPAN2 and 3, 2 Korean Channels, an Arab Channel, and of course NY-1.

A pretty rockin' package for $15.50 / month, even if I don't get the digital channels....

Cheers!
-Doug


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