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idiot question

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2003 8:58 pm
by IRONMAN
greetings;
I need some advice, a friend of mine is about to get digital cable or a satellite receiver, currently he's got standard (analog) cable, using a jerrold box, he use an RFT box to turn on all the channels.
My question is, is there such a device for digital cable or the dish systems?
Which format is the easiest and least expensive to descramble? Who has the equipment necesary, at the most reasonable prices?
He'd prefer a dish system, if possible. I know that's a lot of questions but you guys haven't let me down yet.<p>Thanks.
Shelby.

Re: idiot question

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2003 12:08 am
by gadgeteer
I'm not aware of anyone selling digital cable descramblers. There are many who SAY they do, but they really sell a NOTCH filter; this connects to your cable line, and notches out the communications line from your box to your cable company --- preventing your box from reporting movies that you watched. So you hafta SUBSCRIBE to DIGITAL CABLE, and then the filter lets you CHEAT and get pay channels WITHOUT PAYING.<p>There is no way that this device canNOT be considered "theft-of-service", and if caught you will be fully prosecuted.<p>When I was in college (early 80s, HBO wasn't running 24 hours), I climbed a pole and connected myself to cable; I even installed two "traps" that were-not-traps-at-all, but only LOOKED like traps; this so it looked like I wasn't getting "HBO" and "CINEMAX". It was a matter of weeks until my conscience got the better of me; there was no way I could deny to myself I was STEALING it. I disconnected it...<p>Think about this --- to use a decoder, you must have BASIC cable at $15-$20 per month, OR you must have an illegal prosecutable tap; and you get reruns, and MORE reruns. Any movie you might want to see, can be far MORE affordably RENTED. Or go to a pawn shop and BUY it --- I've gotten many movies this way for $1 to $5. Or a flea market. There is no jail term resulting from rentals, nor pawn shops, nor flea markets...<p>My brother-in-law has sattelite, and he gets >150 channels; 150 channels with NOTHING TO WATCH. Yes it's fun to see Gilligan, or the Flintstones; but they only made so many episodes. We also have a used bookstore that will RENT videos; and they have in their library many shows like "Lost In Space" and "Outer Limits" (original TV shows).<p>SPEAKING OF WHICH--- your public library will loan MANY movies, old ones and CURRENT HITS, and they won't charge you a CENT! (Unless you forget to return them in time...)

Re: idiot question

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2003 10:33 am
by haklesup
Digital cable is not really digital, The Video and in most cases the Audio is still Analog. What is Digital is the services like the on screen guide and the ability for them to charge you more money for more pay stations. The higher channel numbers are for for the most part just like the others but beyond the range of TV tuners. I know of no cable company that transmits DTV or HDTV. You can still tune most of the extended channels with a normal NTSC TV tuner.<p>Dish network and other Satellite providers do broadcast DTV and HDTV and require a Digital tuner to convert it so you can watch it on your TV or DTV monitor. THe only other way to get HDTV is over the air with free terrestrial broadcast.<p>Digital TV hacking hasn't caught on in the US due to the stiff penalties for bringing technology needed to do so into the country (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) and the willingness of content providers to prosecute.