[vernonjeff]

Has anyone notice that when you cancel your cable account your PVR turns into a door stop? I canceled my cable but had multiple recordings of shows on the hard drive to catch up on. It never even occurred to me that they it would be legal to disable the recordings and playback features on something I paid $600 for. I wonder if they are on the hook for replacement value of the stuff on the hard drive such as the full season of band of brothers and a few movies. I am seriously thinking about filing a small claims. If anyone has any thought let me know.

 

[Dr.Dave]

I don't think you'll get anywhere with your small claim. I'm sure Shaw's thinking is that the PVR is part of of their TV service and when you discontinue their TV service you also discontinue the right to use the PVR. I don't agree with their approach - I'm just explaining it.

The recordings aren't erased. They are still on the hard drive and if the box is reactivated (by you or by someone you transfer it to) they can be played.

For future reference, the correct procedure to watch your recordings after you discontinue cable service is disconnect the coax cable from the PVR prior to the final service date so that the cable company can't send a deactivation code to the PVR. Never unplug the power from the PVR. This should continue to work until there is a power failure or the PVR encounters a major problem and reboots. When the PVR starts up it tries to connect to the head-end before it will activate the PVR. As far as I know there is no time limit on how long this will work as long as the PVR doesn't reboot.

 

[vernonjeff]

Maybe not but it may be fun to try as I now got all sorts of spare time from having no TV. I would think though that it would be the same as disabling your PC when you cancel your internet services with them. I may try your suggestion though. Promo with them and then immediately disconnect with the PVR off the system.

 

[mungar]

I'd say it's more similar to disabling your modem when internet services were canceled. Your TV itself is not disabled when you cancel services, just the equipment.

 

[fatlip]

vernonjeff,

In order to access your recordings, you need the Interactive Program Guide. Shaw charges for this. So if you cancelled your cable, you aren't paying for the guide, thus can't access your recordings. At a minimum, you would need to pay the basic fee to have the terminal activated (1.99 or 2.49/month - I don't remember what the fee is). You would get a few unencrypted/music channels as well as access to VOD and PPV.

Subscribing the set top to services, then disconnecting it before cancelling service will work for a short time, but there are processes in place to prevent the set top for working for an extended period of time so your success with this would be short lived.

I can understand where you are coming from with feeling that the recordings on the set top are "yours". You have to remember that as soon as you terminate your service with Shaw, you have in effect terminated the service with the broadcaster as well, including your recordings as they belong to the broadcaster.

 

[mungar]

There is no fee for having a digital terminal on an account (unless you are renting it). There used to be a fee for additional terminals, but it was removed for all customers in April 2009. As long as you own the terminal, there is no additional charge, other than whatever cable package you have.

 

[vernonjeff]

Well live and learn. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I cancelled the cable because they put a $95 charge for a phone modem that was returned and they lost it. I had to call in on 3 different occasions to get them to actually deal with it. None of the phone reps where helpfull or even really nice. Thank god i had taken the techs name when he picked it up or it could of been a mess. Anyways going to Telus when they come to my area in a month or two.
Until then I am selling the PVR and ripping the drive to a hacked sata drive so i can play them on my laptop to TV...

 

[fatlip]

vernonjeff,

Taking the drive out won't work either. The video on the drive is encrypted and tied to the individual set top.

 

[vernonjeff]

Thanks fatlip but I found a way around it. alls good now and i am not a shaw customer anymore. Man has your company gone down the drain in the last few years. Hopefully your ashamed.

 

[calgarychipmunk]

I cancelled Shaw basic cable yesterday and then realized I would no longer be able to use my PVR (which I bought seperately). I just called Shaw to see if I could pay for a terminal fee so I could still use my PVR and they told me it was not posssible it could only be used with a minimum of Basic Cable.

 

[CHrisCHu]

If OP sells the DVR with the recordings in it, will whoever activate the DVR next with Shaw be able to watch the recordings? The recordings are tied to the box not the account, right? "For Sale: HDDVR to activate with Shaw. Comes with full season of Band of Brothers and a few movies."

 

[Dr.Dave]

That'll work.

 

[vernonjeff]

Thanks for everyones input but i got it figured out. Thanks again and there is a way around this.

 

[vernonjeff]

well heres an update. I got a final shaw bill and it has a weird charge for my internet modem that I had returned. They seem to have lost that too. They also charged me another month for internet and the phone person says that your internet doesn't get cancelled until your equipment is returned. All i can say is I am in awe..... I'm starting to think this is on purpose....

 

[trainwalker]

Why not let us know the way around this? I am sure there are others that this would benefit.

 

[Roastbeef]

The recordings are encrypted with a key unique to each PVR and a means to crack the key has not, and probably wont be, found. There may be "a way around this" but it is not copying data of a Pace PVR.

However, the Motorolla PVR does have the firewire port that you can use to record real time to a Mac...

 

[CHrisCHu]

I don't think that's the "way around" OP mentioned. The firewire port streams only what's on the main output (minus screen menu overlay). You need to be able to play the recording in order to stream it on the firewire port.

 

[vernonjeff]

As it turns out the DCT is not address specific... I put it on a buddies account had it authorised and then brought it home. Seems to work fine.

 

[BGY11]

That's account sharing and is against the Terms of Service.

I don't know if Shaw tends to do audits often, but if they do, your PVR could be disconnected at any point in time.

 

[llcarlos]

Thanks Dr Dave. While this will make me think twice about disconnecting the service I reason I will be ahead even if the recordings get erased. I'll just buy the DVDs. Some of the movies I have are hard to find I'm sure but they should be on DVD somewhere.

I forgot the PVR phones the mother ship before resuming service. Lately I've had to reboot once a month and the power went out twice this year.