| Title: | The TV Chatter Notes Conference |
| Notice: | Welcome to TV Chatter :-) |
| Moderator: | PASTA::PIERCE |
| Created: | Wed Dec 16 1992 |
| Last Modified: | Thu Jun 05 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 498 |
| Total number of notes: | 5416 |
Who decides whether a cable channel is scrambled?
I recently found out that, on my cable system, TBS and TNT will be
scrambled. I understand why premium channels, such as HBO and Cinemax,
are scrambled, but TBS and TNT are part of the basic service in my
town. I don't rent a cable box, because it's much easier to watch TV
and use my VCR without one. So, soon, I won't be able to watch TBS or
TNT. It's not a big deal, because my life will be complete without
Braves games and reruns of Three's Company. Why, though, would "they"
do something that shuts out viewers without cable boxes?
Mike
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 282.1 | DSSDEV::RUST | Fri Aug 12 1994 00:06 | 17 | ||
Presumably, because "they" want to shut out the people who are stealing
cable service. [Why they'd select those two channels specifically, I
don't know; since they're both Turner's, I expect it was a corporate
decision.]
It is kind of a drag, but I *think* the technology has caught up to the
point where one can get cable boxes that are programmable, so that one
doesn't have to switch them manually to record off the newly-scrambled
channel while watching something else. (If your cable service doesn't
provide such boxes, write them nasty letters; that's what I'll do if it
happens with mine. [A note to the networks in question wouldn't hurt,
either. "You may not be aware that cable service Mumble is scrambling
your channels, and does not provide programmable cable boxes, so I
won't be able to watch your networks any more. Just thought you'd like
to know."])
-b
| |||||
| 282.2 | Wrong conference, see UPSAR::Cable_TV (press SELECT now) | NETRIX::michaud | Warner J. Cable | Fri Aug 12 1994 00:34 | 0 |