[olug] Cox DVR questions...

[Dan Linder]

After using the the Cox DVR, I'm really missing my old ReplayTV DVR.  Sadly
ReplayTV doesn't sell the boxes anymore (they're pushing their software for
Windows systems), and I don't want to purchase one off of eBay.

I'm kicking around the idea of building a Linux MCE (
http://www.linuxmce.org/) or MythTV system so I'm wanting to pick the
collective OLUG brain.  I like the LinuxMCE interface and I'd probably
support them by purchasing their remote - I'm already drowing in too many
NON-universal remotes as it is!

Starting with the motherboard, does anyone know of a motherboard that has
decent video out that will send a composite signal to feed my analog tv?
(Bonus points if it has Linux compatible HDMI ports for future use.)

My daughters have really latched on to some shows on "Noggin" (channel
257).  Will any digital tuner card pull in this channel?   Is this channel
encrypted on the wire?

(If it's encrypted, then that implies that you're forced to purchase a COX
piece of hardware instead of using more commodity equipment.  Just doesn't
seem right if I'm already paying for the channels that I'd have to use a
"blessed" piece of hardware too...)

Dan

On Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 9:58 PM, Jennifer Frasier <wookieburgers at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dan, this is just my experience, but in my opinion, the Cox DVR really
> sucks. The search functionality, the reliability of the machine, etc. it's
> just not worth it. Cable companies do not use "good" DVRs generally, and I
> think you'll really miss the Replay. I've been a big fan of Replays from
> day
> 1, so I'm really used to them. They are buggy, but I feel they're buggy in
> a
> much less annoying way than the cable ones I've had. I'd highly recommend
> buying another replay (see ebay), buying a Tivo and putting up with the
> pop-up ads through commercials, or building a mythTV box. Are you stuck
> with
> cable? I don't know what DirecTV uses as a DVR since they dropped Tivo, but
> that might be another option.
>
> On Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 11:26 AM, Dan Linder <dan at linder.org> wrote:
>
> > Ok, our old ReplayTV 5504 finally bit the dust (both the Ethernet and
> modem
> > ports are fried)... So, we're going to move to the Cox Digital cable and
> > their DVR.  Now for some geek questions!
> >
> > I see it has Ethernet, USB, and FireWire -- are any of these ports active
> > on
> > the units or do they need something from Cox to activate them?
> >
> > If they are active, what can I do with them?  (I'd like to be able to
> > either
> > expand the HDD capacity or copy videos off to a PC or CD/DVD -- something
> > that I should have done with some recording on the ReplayTV...)
> >
> > Does anyone have an old ReplayTV they aren't using?  If so, I might see
> if
> > we could do a HDD swap for a short bit so I can bring it up and pull off
> > the
> > recordings?  Or is there a PC/Linux software program I can use to access
> > the
> > HDD directly.
> >
> > Thanks!  I'm finally moving into the 21st century!
> >
> > Dan
> >
> > --
> > "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" (Who can watch the watchmen?) -- from
> the
> > Satires of Juvenal
> > "I do not fear computers, I fear the lack of them." -- Isaac Asimov
> > (Author)
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>
>
> --
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-- 
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" (Who can watch the watchmen?) -- from the
Satires of Juvenal
"I do not fear computers, I fear the lack of them." -- Isaac Asimov (Author)
** *** ***** ******* *********** *************