Cable box question.

[Mysteryman2000]

My family already has extended cable down the hall in the living room, and every other room in the house has cable because they don't have cable boxes. Will buying an actual cable box (outside the cable company), have to be activated before use or just not work?

 

[thee_prisoner]

They have to be activated. Just make sure you use compatible cable boxes that the cable company approves if you don't want to rent or buy their boxes.

Be seeing you, the Prisoner...

 

[Mysteryman2000]

Alright, I didn't know. I was about to order a cable box for my room and just buy it for the channels, but if cox is going to activate it they are going to charge for that and they will probably also charge for me to have it my room as well as out in the living room, unless the activation fee is one time only.

 

[thee_prisoner]

Not sure about Cox but they may charge you to have an extra cable box. I would suggest calling them and see what the price will be. IT might be an extra account charge or they may allow a certain amount of boxes in a house with no or small charge. Just don't go and buy a cable box before you call them or the person that has the account will have to talk to them to get it setup. The account might be setup for multi cable boxes.

Cable boxes have "MAC" addresses like a modem so they have to be setup. It would take me a long time to explain.

 

[Mysteryman2000]

Yeah, they use a cable card for activation. Found out that you need the card from them, so it turns out to be $8.50 per month to rent the entire box itself, or I can go buy a box with a card slot and rent the card for $2 a month. The choice is obvious now.