TWC Basic Service + Local HD

[JRel]

My question is this:  Can I rent a digital HD set top box from TWC and receive the local channels in HD if I only have the very minimum basic service($15 / month)?  I think I have read on the forum that it is possible, but I have talked to two different people from TWC and both said "You have to subscribe to digital cable to receive any HD channels."  I also have RoadRunner, if that changes anything.  Anyone doing this currently?

Other question:  If I can indeed rent a digital HD STB from TWC, would I be able to rent the SA8000HD DVR?

I currently have a OTA HD box that works well, but I would like to get Fox 6 without the pixelation.  :bang:

If I can rent the DVR, that would just be great.  :rock:
(Paying $900 for a DVR is not an option for me.)  

Now only if the SA8000HD DVR could accept signal from my OTA STB....

Thanks for any responses.

[gparris]

If I understand you and their website and discussions with the TWC CSRs, you will be able to get only the basic HD locals with the very basic of cable packages.
This means TWC channels 2-25 in analogue (see website)
and of course, their corresponding HD channels as follows:
504-505-506-510-512. I have friends who get only these with the very basic cable package and the TWC non-DVR HD box.

This box is rented for $7.95 a month, added to the price of your basic cable bill and the box itself has component video and coaxial digital audio outputs for the 5.1 sound FOX, ABC and NBC have for your receiver/amp.  
As for hooking anything up the TWC box is non-configurable for OTA, however, if your receiver/amp has component-switching ability, I would go that route.
As for getting a DVR, the website states that you must have Digital service and the Digipic pricing starts at $47.95 a month plus the cost of box rental and $6.95 for HD DVR service or about $62.85 a month to record in HD.
The Digipic package has over 190 channels, including an additional HD channel offerings of Discovery HD Theater Channel 541 and TNT-HD Channel 533.
There is an addtional charge of $6.95 for the 5-HD channel package if desired...it too, requires digital service packages.

Hope this answers your question...

[Tom Snyder]

I have TWC for HD Locals and the HD DVR

Here's how my bill breaks it out:

15.00 - Basic Service
8.95 - HD DVR service
.30 - DVR Remote Control
7.65 - for the HDTV DVR

Total of 31.90 per month... and they took $5 a month off my Roadrunner

[gparris]

Maybe you're the lucky one...I know what I see on the website and what I am told (and billed), it wouldn't be the first time I got erroneous information from TWC....

Good for you.

[summerfun]

Tom,

Your getting away with murder.

You are not supposed to have any DVR without at least one of the DigiPic packages. They start at $47.95.

The $5.00 discount on RR is only when you purchase the DigiPic 2000 package at $67.95.

I think you got real lucky with a CSR that did not know what they were doing.

[Mark Strube]

Speaking of FOX 6, is it just me or does it even look crappy on cable? The last Packer game had sooo much pixelization, I think they need a higher bitrate or something.

[AndrewP]

WITI OTA signal is perfect, if you are lucky to get it.

Andrew

[JRel]

Well, last night I stopped in at TWC to see what they had to say agian.  I talked with the same guy who told me previously that I couldn't get local channels HD with Basic.  

I told him that I was there to pick up the HD DVR and add the DVR service to my Basic subscription.  He had to call someone, and then told me (to his surprise) it was possible to get local channels in HD using the STB, but you need Digital package to use the DVR.  After I informed him I knew someone with the HD DVR and Basic service (thanks Tom), he added the DVR service to my account, handed over the box to me, and said good luck.

Brought it home, hooked it up, and the DVR works! :rock:

The only thing now is that he gave me a bum remote (multiple buttons do not work) so I need to exchange it.  Other than that, I couldn't be happier having the DVR and getting the locals in HD.

Side note:  The CSR said that a few of the 8000HD DVR's DVI ports are active, but all will be activated next year sometime.  I guess if you get a working DVI port, it is like winning the DVI Port lottery.

Thanks everyone for your input.

[gparris]

summerfun and I should ask TWC to update their website for these errors.

But they are, afterall, TWC and of course do not care if they have errors on their website, do they?

When you go to the "Digipic" pricing site they still don't have ESPN-HD as one of the channels you get with the HD Package for $6.95 and it has been missing there for weeks now since they added the channel.  Other errors include the channel lineup as HDTV, but no breakout to what is the HD Package, either on the drop down listing of channels offered in various colors, poor on their part.
Missing is the HD DVR completely, including its pricing.
Maybe there is a reason for all of this...spin the CSR "dial"
... and get a lower price!

So it is like this folks, especially you out there-with satellite services who cannot afford a HD-Tivo:
Get a TWC HD DVR for less-than-website prices!