Cable Theft

Gary Allan · Jul 12, 2005

quote:

What chaps my arshe, is that you pay to have the cable sent to your house, and then they have the nards to charge you extra if you want it in more than 2 rooms. ***????

That's if they install it. You OWN everything beyond the termination block. All that you're paying for with addtional "per outlet" charges is for them to run the cable and maintain a useable signal. You can put your own applifier and distribute it as you please ..but you have to maintain the lines.

I can't wait for fiber optic (estimated at about 2 years in my town) and I can give the cable company the boot. Why am I paying for commercial television?? Half of the channels that they offer are various forms of Home Shopping Network.

For my useage, The Dish is no cheaper. It offers more selection ..but it's not cheaper (5 active sets ). I only have "Stars" as a premium channel and my cost is about $60/month. I refuse to pay more for digital service. My local cable company started swapping out boxes every two or three years when the law was passed that you could buy your box if your cable company charged you rental on it. So, in reaction, they just made it uneconomical to buy your own box compared to renting theirs.

I will cheer when they fall flat and die.

labman · Jul 12, 2005

I don't have a problem with paying Bright House $45 a month for cable internet and a coaxial cable, when I was paying my former phone company nearly that for a dismal twisted pair. When I had a land line and dial up, I paid about $65 a month for local phone, long distance, and internet access depending how much long distance I used. The moderators here don't permit me to say what I think of the service the phone company was giving me. Just before I had a stroke or firebombed the phone company office, I discovered I could go cable and bypass Grace Fergerson Screendoor, Airline, and Phone Company, using the cable connection for phone too. My router, that parcels out the cable to the 2 computers and phone, sets right next to their cable modem. The only complaint I have had is that in 2 years, they have had to replace the modem twice.

I now pay $72.25 for better local phone service, unlimited long distance, and a great, fast Internet connection. Available anywhere you have an ethernet connection, see www.vonage.com.

Audi Junkie · Jul 12, 2005

My exp has been the same as ALS. 6 years and never looked back. There were no local channels when we joined, so we told them we were in Phila and got those channels instead. Local programming is BS in the Poconos anyway. The upside is we got waviers from FOX East (NYC) and West (LA) plus PHL gives us 3 Fox channels. Simpsons, Seinfeld etc all the time and it's staggered if we miss we can catch something on West Coast. Add TIVO, it's awesome.

GROUCHO MARX · Jul 12, 2005

I'm looking for that pamphlet Homer Simpson had titled: "So you've decided to steal cable"

brianl703 · Jul 12, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by Gary Allan:
All that you're paying for with addtional "per outlet" charges is for them to run the cable and maintain a useable signal.

That's not even a recurring charge, that's only a one-time installation charge. The only way you get a recurring charge would be if you rented additional boxes to go with the additional outlets.

By the way, it seems like Cox and Comcast feed houses with enough signal for an 8-way split. The picture still looks good and the cable modem still works with a 4-way and a 2-way splitter in between them and the incoming cable, so...

Tosh · Jul 12, 2005

Can you still "steal" satellite programming, like you used to be able to with a reprogrammed card?

Schmoe · Jul 12, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by GROUCHO MARX:
I'm looking for that pamphlet Homer Simpson had titled: "So you've decided to steal cable"

That was one of the best episodes I've seen.

Matt_S · Jul 12, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by Tosh:
Can you still "steal" satellite programming, like you used to be able to with a reprogrammed card?

I think you can still do that, but the satellite companies are always updating their encryption codes, which makes it pretty difficult.

Gary Allan · Jul 12, 2005

quote:

That's not even a recurring charge, that's only a one-time installation charge.

Not here. You pay $1.50 (last time I checked) per month for every hook up. You pay an additional $5.95 (again, last time I checked) for each box. I only have Stars since it and HBO are filtered at the pole. I'm not going to pay to recieve "paid for"(by me) programming. It's a rip off.

brianl703 · Jul 13, 2005

Comcast doesn't even know how many outlets are in their customer's houses, other than by how many boxes are being rented by that customer.

They probably determined that the costs of keeping track of that information--and dealing with the billing complaints/questions/disputes that inevitably arise due to it--exceed the revenue they'd get by charging for additional outlets.

Is your cable company still using a trap system?

Gary Allan · Jul 13, 2005

Comcast doesn't even know how many outlets are in their customer's houses, other than by how many boxes are being rented by that customer.

You're thinking of prewired housing in developments where the cable guy just links a give house to the main lugs. This is not the case in your urban centers ..where existing housing is over 100 years old.

I have Comcast

As far as the trap system. Pottstown Cable/Suburban Cable/ Comcast, in the pre comcast state, only offered two premium channels. HBO and Prism. These were filtered out at the pole (we have poles here in the urban centers). So you got a HBO band reject or a Prism (now Stars) band reject ...or no filter at all.

All other premium channels are scrambled and require a box.

brianl703 · Jul 13, 2005

Well, many of those "prewired" houses come with exactly two outlets. One in the living room, one in the master bedroom. Additional ones cost extra (I think the going rate is now $100 per additional outlet), and it seems like a lot of new home buyers simply don't want to pay. So someone like me moves in and determines that two outlets isn't enough and wants additional ones installed.

Also, this area did not have cable prior to about 1985 so there are a significant number of homes that were never prewired for cable at all. The last house I lived in, built in 1983 was prewired with twin-lead for a TV antenna!

Poles? Yes, we have those here too, in neighborhoods built prior to the early 70s or so.

Due to it's relative newness, this system was never a trap system. I believe that the Scientific-Atlanta 8500 addressable convertor, which came out in 84-85, was the first box they ever used here; I've seen a few of them around in garage sales and resale shops. They're a whitish/beige color which makes them a bit unusual looking. Later Scientific-Atlanta boxes, including the similar looking 8550, were the usual black color.

[ July 13, 2005, 05:11 PM: Message edited by: brianl703 ]

Cable Theft

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