# Is this the correct cablecard?



## Finkdawg5 (Jun 7, 2014)

Hi guys,
Im looking at a Roamio (basic model) and per the specs I will be needing a cablecard since I have digital cable. I have an existing Motorola cable box which I don't really use anymore and it appears to have a cablecard installed in it. Anyone know if this would be compatible with the Roamio? Thanks in advance!
Dan


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## Finkdawg5 (Jun 7, 2014)

Attached photo is the other side...


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## ajwees41 (May 7, 2006)

Finkdawg5 said:


> Attached photo is the other side...


you can't take it out of the motorola box or get a cable card anywhere besides your cable company.


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## Finkdawg5 (Jun 7, 2014)

Thanks. I was hoping that since my motorola box is currently activated and working fine that I could just use that cablecard in a different device (roamio) and it would continue to function as long as I didn't deactivate that box with the cable company. I didnt know if the cablecard would stop working if switched to a different device. The place I'm planning to use the roamio provides one cable box and that's it, we aren't permitted to add additional boxes, cablecards, etc. because it would cause issues with our group billing. It was worth asking tho, thanks!


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## telemark (Nov 12, 2013)

What is the cable company?

Whether this works is as much a cable company policy thing as a technical limitation.

The card and box are paired. You would have to ask them to pair the card and the Roamio.


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## Finkdawg5 (Jun 7, 2014)

Interesting, thanks. Our cable company is Service Electric Broadband Cable in northwest New Jersey. I will have to find out if they will allow this. Thanks for the tip!


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

Exchange the box for a CableCARD.


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## telemark (Nov 12, 2013)

what lpwcomp said, is the official way. If you got the box's card working, there would be someone paying for an unused box somewhere.


They list cable cards in their pricelist, and as it should be, is a lot cheaper than most the boxes.

Converter Boxes
Digital Converter	$2.95
High Definition Converter	$10.00
High Definition DVR Converter	$13.95
Cable Card	$2.95
...
Additional Services
Digital Tier	$7.99
High Definition Tier	$4.95
...

There are some FCC requirements to offering cable cards instead of boxes, if they give you trouble, you can find out if it applies to them.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

If you stuck that CableCard into a Roamio it MIGHT work, if your cable company does not require pairing of the card to the device. If you really want to try doing it to see if it would work, I don't see what harm it could do.

But as is stated above, the way you are supposed to do it is exchange that box for a CableCard with your cable company. If they give you a hard time about it, just file a formal complaint with the FCC.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

tarheelblue32 said:


> If you stuck that CableCard into a Roamio it MIGHT work, if your cable company does not require pairing of the card to the device. If you really want to try doing it to see if it would work, I don't see what harm it could do.
> 
> But as is stated above, the way you are supposed to do it is exchange that box for a CableCard with your cable company. If they give you a hard time about it, just file a formal complaint with the FCC.


I suspect that the cable co would frown on the removal of the CableCARD from their box.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

lpwcomp said:


> I suspect that the cable co would frown on the removal of the CableCARD from their box.


I'm sure they would, but from the images it appears he has already done that. What the cable company doesn't know won't hurt them. In a situation like this, it's probably better to ask forgiveness than permission.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

tarheelblue32 said:


> I'm sure they would, but from the images it appears he has already done that. What the cable company doesn't know won't hurt them. In a situation like this, it's probably better to ask forgiveness than permission.


Having it suddenly become active in a different device with which they have no two-way communication might apprise them of the situation.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

lpwcomp said:


> Having it suddenly become active in a different device with which they have no two-way communication might apprise them of the situation.


If they were actually looking for it, I'm sure it probably would. Comcast and Time Warner probably have systems in place that actively try to look out for this kind of thing, but a dinky little cable company might not even really notice. Besides, even if they do figure it out, what are they going to do to him? The worst thing they can do is deactivate the card. Then he can just pop the card back into the cable box, take it down to them and say it stopped working, and they will just give him another box.


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## telemark (Nov 12, 2013)

lpwcomp said:


> Having it suddenly become active in a different device with which they have no two-way communication might apprise them of the situation.


Idk, could that even happen if the Roamio is not 2-way?
What kind of cable box is it, maybe it's a one-way device too?

I imagine he would have tried it already, but sounded like he didn't buy the Roamio yet.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

telemark said:


> Idk, could that even happen if the Roamio is not 2-way?
> What kind of cable box is it, maybe it's a one-way device too?
> 
> I imagine he would have tried it already, but sounded like he didn't buy the Roamio yet.


The CableCARD has to at least be authorized and receive the channel map. I have no idea how the authorization is handled. Do you? IMHO, it's just not worth even the (probably) minimal risk. Just put the card back in the box, turn it in, and get a new card.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

lpwcomp said:


> The CableCARD has to at least be authorized and receive the channel map. I have no idea how the authorization is handled. Do you? IMHO, it's just not worth even the (probably) minimal risk. Just put the card back in the box, turn it in, and get a new card.


Since the box (and therefore the box's CableCard) is already authorized on his account, it should theoretically be able to receive the channel map (I think). But the only way to know for sure would be to try it. If he really wants to try it, I really don't see any real risk in doing it.


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## telemark (Nov 12, 2013)

I recall hearing that unauthorized cards, still decode the map.
And then the unencrypted channels would still come through.

I could see, that doing this might break the pairing between the CableCard and the CableBox which could be difficult to get reestablished.

I think we all agree what the OP should do, but humans come in a wide range of curiosity and patience.


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## jmbach (Jan 1, 2009)

My cable provider uses the M-Cards. Putting the card in another unit will generate a new host ID as well as another data id. Since neither correlates to the info at the head end, he might not get anything or at best non premium channels.


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## Finkdawg5 (Jun 7, 2014)

Thanks for the info, everyone! I will be calling them when the open Monday and figuring out what options will work.


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## ajwees41 (May 7, 2006)

\


Finkdawg5 said:


> Thanks for the info, everyone! I will be calling them when the open Monday and figuring out what options will work.


there is only one option that will work return the box and cable card and get a cablecard from them.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

ajwees41 said:


> \
> there is only one option that will work return the box and cable card and get a cablecard from them.


You don't know that for a fact. I actually would have been very interested to see exactly what would have happened if he had inserted that CableCard into a Roamio. I'm guessing he probably could have at least gotten the channel mapping and unencrypted digital channels.


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## telemark (Nov 12, 2013)

There's a small of number of Tivo users here who use ebay bought cablecards in some mode with limited functionality. I don't see how this card would fare any worse than that.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

tarheelblue32 said:


> You don't know that for a fact. I actually would have been very interested to see exactly what would have happened if he had inserted that CableCard into a Roamio. I'm guessing he probably could have at least gotten the channel mapping and unencrypted digital channels.


Sure. No skin off of your nose if there are problems.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

I think Service Electric is one of those goofy cableCos that require you to purchase cards (wish I could do that on Comcast), so there's a good chance a fleabay card could be paired if it's a Moto M-card.


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