Do any cable companies let you install the cable cards yourself

Depending on your service provider, you can do the pairing of the cable cards... regardless, they must physically bring the cards to your residence... The dispatcher will need the serial number on the back of each card, then after he sends a "hit" to your Tivo, the Host ID number will need to be given to this dispatcher...

Problem is, that when you make the call to your cable company, the person you speak with may not connect you with their dispatcher... Only that tech can pair the cards...

Good luck with that, it's been a headache for two months now, in my case that is..

Comcast in Houston is self install. We go pick up the cards and call in when we are ready for setup.

Many CableCo's will allow you to pick up the CableCards at an office and allow you to take them home and install them.

Most have a number to call after you've put the cards in the TiVo. The Tivo HD comes w/ instructions on setting it up from your side, the rest is up to the CableCo after you call them.

For me it I've had CableCards in several devices over the past couple of years and it normally takes my CableCo about 24hrs to have it fully working (but most channels are available almost immediately)

Note this will depend on your CableCo and their policies on installation. You may want to check AVS Forum's NY Cablevision thread for CableCard installation http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11666911#post11666911

CCourtney

mrdazzo7 said:

...or is it 100% mandatory that they all come to your house and install them? I have Cablevision in NY, wondering if I can get them to either do it there or let me do it--is this something that can be haggled depending on the carrier, or is there some kind of FCC regulation that says they have to do it themselves?

Thanks

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The cable companies determine if you need a service call. For the majority of the people on this forum, they're not necessary and likely complicate matters since the techs have never heard of cablecards or tivos before. I imagine though that for most people, a service call would be necessary.

In my situation, the installer left before everything was working and he gave me his office # in case I had to read off the #s to them again. He was from a contracted company though... I don't believe this is common COX practice.

mrdazzo7 said:

...or is it 100% mandatory that they all come to your house and install them? I have Cablevision in NY, wondering if I can get them to either do it there or let me do it--is this something that can be haggled depending on the carrier, or is there some kind of FCC regulation that says they have to do it themselves?

Thanks

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Comcast in Nashville will let you pick up the cards at their office and install them yourself. Following the instructions that came with the TiVo, at the proper point in the installation you call and give the CSR each card's serial number. The CSR then activates that card.

Thanks for your responses. I'd much rather do it myself because my apartment is in my aunt's basement and it's not exactly a "legal residence" so I really don't want the cable guy over here. I know they don't really care, the only thinh they're concerned about is if you're stealing cable or not, but I've heard people say that they CAN technically report you if they wanted to be a******s.

mrdazzo7 said:

Thanks for your responses. I'd much rather do it myself because my apartment is in my aunt's basement and it's not exactly a "legal residence" so I really don't want the cable guy over here. I know they don't really care, the only thinh they're concerned about is if you're stealing cable or not, but I've heard people say that they CAN technically report you if they wanted to be a******s.

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What's there now? Is there an active cable outlet? Whoose the cable company?

What's there now? Is there an active cable outlet? Whoose the cable company?

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Yeah I have an active cable outlet leading to a set-top box from the cable company. It's Cablevision NY

mrdazzo7 said:

Yeah I have an active cable outlet leading to a set-top box from the cable company. It's Cablevision NY

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The only way to see is call and see what they say.

I just called cablevision of rockland county, NY (for my mother-in-laws TivoHD). They do not allow self install and will require a tech visit that costs $45. Sucks.

Time Warner in San Antonio let me do a self install

mrdazzo7 said:

Yeah I have an active cable outlet leading to a set-top box from the cable company. It's Cablevision NY

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If they require a tech to visit, and you remain concerned about the basement apartment issue, perhaps you could temporarily relocate the TiVo to a room in the main part of the house for the duration of the install.

I've heard a rumor that Verizon Fios in the DC area is going to start a self-install program. I think they will mail you the cards on day 1, you receive them by day 3, and they are activated automatically by day 7 or something like that.

FIOS offered my friend CableCards by mail (the the DC area), but he declined because he also needed someone to pick up the STB's he was replacing with TivoHD's.

They completely @&^*ed the process up, and left him without TV for a week, but that's a whole different story. But they did indeed offer CC's by mail.

-Ken

Charter absolutely refuses to let you do it yourself around here.

CCourtney said:

Many CableCo's will allow you to pick up the CableCards at an office and allow you to take them home and install them. Most have a number to call after you've put the cards in the TiVo.

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I wouldn't say "many" or "most"...

Cablevision & Cox require a truck roll for 100% of their CableCARD installs.

Charter allows self-install in a small fraction of their markets (the North Carolina/Virginia market is one that allows self-installs). Only .005% of total installs are self-installs.

Comcast allows self-installs in a minority of their markets; 7% of total installs are self-installs.

Time Warner allows self-installs in a minority of their markets; 11% of TWC's installs are self-installs.