Shaw USERS!! Firewire possibility

[soul_stalker]

Okay,

So I'm a long time lurcker around here. I'm a VMC user who always flirts with the idea of switching to Sage... Now I was curious about how well the Nextcom R5000 mod works with sage. Follow the next set of facts and see if you arrive at the same conclusion as me

1. Nextcom will mod ANY motorola cable stb that DOES NOT have a firewire port. (check out their site)http://nextcomwireless.com/R5000/cableinfo.htm

2. Shaw uses non leased Motorola cable stbs

3. To receive HD content over the r5000 mod the box DOES NOT need to be a HD capable box (see their site for a compete explaination of this)

4. Shaw DOES NOT map signals according to the box you have. (this is raised as a possibility on the Nextcom site) This means you you not need to have a HD capable Box for shaw to authenicate and send the HD signal (I called and asked a TSR last week and they explained that it's always mapped for HD regardless of the box type, it's just easier for their own housekeeping to have an "always" rule for basic HD.)

5. SO Shaw will map the HD signal to any DCT shaw box, Shaw uses the DCT 700 box. It can be purchased new for $99 (about, might be less) or used on craiglist for as little as $10. (or alternatively the same applies to the DCT2XXX series.... lots of those kicking around for next to free, I think I have one in a closet somewhere)

6. The r5000 mod for moto stb's is $299 (unknown for the DIY kit, but prob a bit cheaper, plus right now they offer 1/2 price on 2nd box).
http://nextcomwireless.com/store/ind...roducts_id=191

7. DCT6200's sell used on craiglist for $200 to $300 (I have two of them)

8. I could sell my two DCT6200's for over $400 then purchase or find old 2400's or 700's stb's for next to free and have the r5000 mod installed and just about break even... maybey even be ahead....

THE RESULT: Dual tuners that are better than cable card, in that it is completely DRM free, 5C free, and I don't need to use VMC or buy a OEM computer, or THE KICKER, live in the US.

Now, in terms of Sage, I have now idea how well the r5000 mod works. It is apparently quite buggy in VMC.

Now I'll let all that sink in and lets see what sort of discussion comes of it. Why haven't I tried this yet... well because I dont need to bypass 5C (yet) because I get every channel I subscribe to 5C clear via the firewire port on my 6200's.... for now, but what if that changes. It seems to me I could future proof myself at little cost, and posibly even put some cash back in my pocket (depending on what I get for the DCT6200's) in the process.

[mikesm]

I don't think there is enough room in a DCT700 to do an R5000-HD mod. At least the Nextcomm folks told me the DCT700 wasn't suitable when I asked them about it a year ago. R5000's work great in Sage though - I have personal experience with that.

[wayner]

You may still be better off with an HD-PVR. Check out the R5000 vs. HD-PVR thread in the Hardware forum - it is on the first page right now.