I am a Comcast costumer running 2 HD TVs, 1 HD DVR box. I would like to run a second DVR but do not want to pay the $20 a month to rent a second but rather buy my own. I have found some Motorola 6412s on ebay but in talking to my cousin who works as an installer for comcast informed me that I would be taking my chance because they are usually ones that customers did not turn in upon cancelling their service. He mentioned that as I look I need to find one that has a cable card insert and that it would be compatible. The only thing I found was a TIVO series 3. So to get to my question is there a product I can buy that gives me DVD player, DVR capability with HDD and I guess now a cable card. If not I would like to at least find a Dual-tuner DVR w/HDD that would allow me to record programs that are upcoming (this requires on-screen guide). I really don't want to buy a TIVO because I would still have to pay monthly fee or do lifetime and by using the cable card I loose on-screen guide. Please help me in my search.
As of January 15, 2010, when I try to record from Comcast to my DVD recorder or from my Comcast DVR to my DVD recorder, I get the message "This program is not allowed to be recorded." Are they copy-protecting everything now?