What type of digital cable does Starhub provide?

[Splatted]

I'm interested in finding out what sort of cable is used by Starhub.

Second question I want to ask is whether cable boxes from any other country are compatible with Starhub.

Essentially I'm thinking of buying a DVR set-top box, but I think the current ones on offer by starhub are a major ripoff, and don't offer many features.

[bigfilsing]

I'm interested in finding out what sort of cable is used by Starhub.

Second question I want to ask is whether cable boxes from any other country are compatible with Starhub.

Essentially I'm thinking of buying a DVR set-top box, but I think the current ones on offer by starhub are a major ripoff, and don't offer many features.

You wont be able to use cable boxes from other countries as the current boxes use a customised encrypted chip card.

With the original boxes Star hub provided there were some "china" copy boxes that had a eprom chip that could be swapped as and when they changed the encryption but these no longer work.

I wouldn't buy the Star hub Set top DVR either. Much better off with a stand alone DVR or a PC with a vivo card ( vid in vid out)and MS media Centre operating system.

Good luck

[Splatted]

I wouldn't buy the Star hub Set top DVR either. Much better off with a stand alone DVR or a PC with a vivo card ( vid in vid out)and MS media Centre operating system.

Good luck

Yes, I actually have this set-up, however it requires me to still rent a digital box from starhub, and i'm limited to only 1 channel a time, rather than recording one, and watching another.

Overseas boxes are so much better and cheaper

[bigfilsing]

I think thats the only good thing about the SCV DVR box. It allows you to watch one channel and record another ( i believe..i've never actually seen one)

Not sure about overseas boxes either but i do think the signal here is pretty mediocre at best. It also varies quite a lot. HBO seems to be the worst for this.
For the money charged it's pretty poor all round.

I'd like to get the HD box and see if thats an improvement but until SCV offers more channels it's just not worth it.
The majority of American TV series are shot in HD nowadays so why we have to wait so long is a mystery.

I've downloaded a couple of mpeg 4 torrents of, for instance House MD or Ugly Betty and despite them being reencoded to mpeg4 ( Xvid) from a HD TV recording, they are better than the SCV signal quality we get.

I'm afraid it's going the same way as the internet here. Loadsa hype and false advertising but you get what yer given.
Sucks

[lost_canuck]

when we signed up with starhub (phone/cable/internet) we got a free dvr box from them, you can watch one channel and record another, it has some glitches, so i wouldn't buy one, occasionally the channels flick when surfing.

[Splatted]

I'd like to get the HD box and see if thats an improvement but until SCV offers more channels it's just not worth it.
The majority of American TV series are shot in HD nowadays so why we have to wait so long is a mystery.

There was an offer not too long ago to get a HD box for $99. The catch is you're paying an arm and a leg for the connection. $15 a month I think it was, and that's not counting any channels.