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Rogers Nextbox HD PVR - opinions/reviews?

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Deal Addict
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Dec 9, 2008
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Rogers Nextbox HD PVR - opinions/reviews?

There doesn't seem to be any detailed info up on the Rogers site yet - but this week's BB & FS flyers are promoting the new:

"160GB Nextbox HD PVR and Hi-Speed Internet N Gateway Wireless Home Networking Kit"

[QUOTE]With a Rogers Nextbox HD-PVR and Nextbox HD box, you can create a TV system at home that allows you to stop what you're watching in one room and resume right where you left off in another room. You can customize channel guides and search seamlessly without leaving your current program with enhanced interactive guide. And by downloading an app, you can enjoy 21 live TV channels on your iPad or Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablet. Add up to 4 Nextbox HD boxes to enjoy content in your whole home

*Rogers Hi-Speed Internet service required. Usage will be deducted from customers' plan.[/QUOTE]

This sounds like the service Bell has been advertising for a couple of years now. If you're in the market to buy a new PVR anyways, is this the way to go? The deal sounds pretty good - $649.98 for the 160GB PVR and the Hi-Speed N Gateway modem plus a $200 gift card, especially if you can save your monthly modem rental fee from Rogers. Then there's the plain, non-PVR HD Nextboxes which cost $319.99 each for up to the other 4 rooms in your house you want to equip.

Here's a couple of questions:

- Can that modem be used for the higher levels of Rogers Internet (requiring a DOCSIS 3.0 modem) at the same time as being used for TV?

- When it says "usage will be deducted from customers' plan" - does it mean that any TV bandwith won't count against your GB limit on your Rogers Internet plan?
7 replies
Sr. Member
Sep 5, 2011
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Toronto
Noticed a similar ad and found this post while trying to find more information.

I can't speak to your specific questions, but from the looks of things, "Nextbox" is just the new Rogers branding of the same Cisco Explorer 4642 / 8642 models that Rogers has been selling for a couple of years. Maybe there was a software upgrade or something, I don't have one so I don't know.

(Cynical side note: the full badging appears to be "Nextbox 2.0", even though these seem to be the first models Rogers is using the "Nextbox" name for. :| )
Sr. Member
Dec 4, 2004
730 posts
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GTA
OhHiThere wrote: Noticed a similar ad and found this post while trying to find more information.

I can't speak to your specific questions, but from the looks of things, "Nextbox" is just the new Rogers branding of the same Cisco Explorer 4642 / 8642 models that Rogers has been selling for a couple of years. Maybe there was a software upgrade or something, I don't have one so I don't know.

(Cynical side note: the full badging appears to be "Nextbox 2.0", even though these seem to be the first models Rogers is using the "Nextbox" name for. :| )

That's exactly correct, the NextBox and NextBox PVR are simply re-branded Cisco HD4642 HD Terminal and Cisco HD8642 HD PVR

that Rogers "launched" in conjunction with their Whole Home PVR system. Whole Home PVR requires some additional equipment to be installed (mainly a filter on your incoming cable feed) and, of course, is at additional cost. Yes, this means there's a new firmware that allows this functionality. All new boxes rented/sold are supposed to ship with the new firmware. Any already in-service 4642/8642 boxes were in the process of getting the upgrade... but that upgrade has been "postponed". The new firmware is very buggy and slow, and Rogers is apparently trying to iron out some of the bugs before continuing the rollout.
time space wrote:- Can that modem be used for the higher levels of Rogers Internet (requiring a DOCSIS 3.0 modem) at the same time as being used for TV?
TV and internet are completely seperate, using one does not affect the performance of the other.
time space wrote:- When it says "usage will be deducted from customers' plan" - does it mean that any TV bandwith won't count against your GB limit on your Rogers Internet plan?
Watching TV on your TV will have no effect on your internet bandwidth limits. Watching TV on an iPad or Galaxy Tab will mean streaming video over the internet which of course will use up bandwidth.
Newbie
Aug 9, 2008
2 posts
Toronto
The Cisco pvr is dreadfully unreliable. Cannot do instant recordings sometimes. Shows don't record. Can't change channels. I carefully check for conflicts so has nothing to do with that. The old scientific American box way more reliable. This genuinely deserves the label as a POS.

Rogers get your act together !!> :(
_dc_ wrote: That's exactly correct, the NextBox and NextBox PVR are simply re-branded Cisco HD4642 HD Terminal and Cisco HD8642 HD PVR

that Rogers "launched" in conjunction with their Whole Home PVR system. Whole Home PVR requires some additional equipment to be installed (mainly a filter on your incoming cable feed) and, of course, is at additional cost. Yes, this means there's a new firmware that allows this functionality. All new boxes rented/sold are supposed to ship with the new firmware. Any already in-service 4642/8642 boxes were in the process of getting the upgrade... but that upgrade has been "postponed". The new firmware is very buggy and slow, and Rogers is apparently trying to iron out some of the bugs before continuing the rollout.



TV and internet are completely seperate, using one does not affect the performance of the other.



Watching TV on your TV will have no effect on your internet bandwidth limits. Watching TV on an iPad or Galaxy Tab will mean streaming video over the internet which of course will use up bandwidth.
Deal Guru
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Mar 1, 2004
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Pickering
time space wrote: There doesn't seem to be any detailed info up on the Rogers site yet - but this week's BB & FS flyers are promoting the new:

"160GB Nextbox HD PVR and Hi-Speed Internet N Gateway Wireless Home Networking Kit"



This sounds like the service Bell has been advertising for a couple of years now. If you're in the market to buy a new PVR anyways, is this the way to go? The deal sounds pretty good - $649.98 for the 160GB PVR and the Hi-Speed N Gateway modem plus a $200 gift card, especially if you can save your monthly modem rental fee from Rogers. Then there's the plain, non-PVR HD Nextboxes which cost $319.99 each for up to the other 4 rooms in your house you want to equip.

Here's a couple of questions:

- Can that modem be used for the higher levels of Rogers Internet (requiring a DOCSIS 3.0 modem) at the same time as being used for TV?

- When it says "usage will be deducted from customers' plan" - does it mean that any TV bandwith won't count against your GB limit on your Rogers Internet plan?

As far as I know, there is a 1 TB external device that was to be included ( don't know if this is direct from Rogers or third party). Rogers ran out of 160 GB units and has been selling 500Gb for the same price after they ran out of 160s and then 320s. This potentially means 1.5 TB total storage.

Modem has nothing to do with TV, it has it's own dedicated channels. If it is a Cisco 3825 D3 it has a max capability of 300mb down 120mb up. Usage will be deducted from customers plan refers to if you watch streaming TV on a tablet.
pwatom wrote: The Cisco pvr is dreadfully unreliable. Cannot do instant recordings sometimes. Shows don't record. Can't change channels. I carefully check for conflicts so has nothing to do with that. The old scientific American box way more reliable. This genuinely deserves the label as a POS.

Rogers get your act together !!> :(
Is it the box or the firmware? The new firmware is slower and if you have issues and are not running NEXTBox, ask to be put on the old firmware and see if that works.
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Jan 5, 2003
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pwatom wrote: The Cisco pvr is dreadfully unreliable. Cannot do instant recordings sometimes. Shows don't record. Can't change channels. I carefully check for conflicts so has nothing to do with that. The old scientific American box way more reliable. This genuinely deserves the label as a POS.

Rogers get your act together !!> :(

I think there's just a lot of lemons out there. I have a Cisco/Rogers 8642 and knock on wood, it works amazingly well, even better than my old Scientific American 8300 HD.

There were/are a lot of 8300 HD lemons out there too, but they seemed to improve the quality over time, whereas the 8642 seemed to have a LOT of faulty units when it was first released, and fewer after the first 6 months or so.
Deal Addict
Jan 5, 2003
4653 posts
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Toronto
time space wrote:
- When it says "usage will be deducted from customers' plan" - does it mean that any TV bandwith won't count against your GB limit on your Rogers Internet plan?

TV Bandwidth never counts against your GB limit on Rogers internet and streaming it in the house via "Nextbox 2.0" is the same thing because you're pulling the TV from your HD PVR, not over the internet through the modem :) . It's simply using the router to transmit the TV signal to your secondary TV or device.
Banned
Feb 25, 2007
2007 posts
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Woodbridge
oldd thread but i need help with my Nextbox.. how the hell do i change the Menu Guide from the old crap to the new black theme?
Go Big or Go Home! , Chi Chi Get the Yayo!

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