gil@limbic.UUCP (Gil Kloepfer Jr.) (08/29/89)
While in a hotel recently and having some time to fiddle with the SpectraVision (for in-room movies and hotel services through the television) box, I discovered a way to get the box into what seems to be a diagnostic mode. If PAY8 is pressed, then channel 99 is immediately selected, the box will begin displaying control information on the LCD readout on the box. Some of this information includes the mapping of the pay channels to standard channels, what the room number is, what the high and low channel is, and what the hotel information and menu channels are. Pressing any key seems to scroll one-by-one through the information. As any other "normal" computer person would do, I tried entering values to see if anything unusual would happen, and it didn't. My questions are-- does anyone know anything about this? Are there ways of changing the values from the box? How does the box get programmed (from the desk or is it in some kind of NV RAM)? Are the pay channels really mapped to regular "extended" channels (eg. cable frequencies) and those channels are locked-out by the box so you can't view the pay channels without paying? Note: These queries are for informational and educational purposes only - no attempt at theft-of-service is intended by knowing this. (Actually, aside from that little devilish temptation to get something I'm not entitled to, I *really* am just curious :-) Thanks in advance for any light that can be shed on this topic. Any information e-mailed to me will be summarized on the net. Please indicate if you wish to keep your name anonymous. Gil ...!icus!limbic!gil
lsheldon@cup.portal.com (Laurence Larry Sheldon) (08/31/89)
I too once discovered that the Spectravision box could be made to do interesting things, except it seems like it was an unprovoked 88 that made it go diagnostic/control mode. It also seems like I had to call the desk to get somebody to come up and clear it. Further thought--it was one where you could review your bill, and whatever I did was a more-or-less explainable result of doing what I _thought_ the on-screen instructions said to do. I'll be travelling again soon. Field research report to follow.
thomas@mvac23.UUCP (Thomas Lapp) (09/07/89)
> to do interesting things, except it seems like it was an > unprovoked 88 that made it go diagnostic/control mode. > [...] > Further thought--it was one where you could review your bill, and If memory serves (and this was a number of months back), the room literature ADVERTISED that 'feature' of going to 88 to review bill, order breakfast, etc. It was an interactive channel. To get out, you hit any other channel and it would clear and return to 'regularly scheduled programming'. As for PAY8,99, that is a new one to me. I'll have to try it next time... - tom internet: mvac23!thomas@udel.edu or thomas%mvac23@udel.edu uucp : {ucbvax,mcvax,psuvax1,uunet}!udel!mvac23!thomas Location: Newark, DE, USA Quote : NOTICE: System will have a scheduled disk crash at 4:45pm today.
ingoldsb@ctycal.COM (Terry Ingoldsby) (09/15/89)
I've missed most of this discussion, but I have seen SpectraVision
in the hotels. Is it coming down on satellite (which bird and
transponder) or is it from tapes?
--
Terry Ingoldsby ctycal!ingoldsb@calgary.UUCP
Land Information Systems or
The City of Calgary ...{alberta,ubc-cs,utai}!calgary!ctycal!ingoldsbgil@limbic.UUCP (Gil Kloepfer Jr.) (09/19/89)
In article <459@ctycal.UUCP> ingoldsb@ctycal.COM (Terry Ingoldsby) writes: >I've missed most of this discussion, but I have seen SpectraVision >in the hotels. Is it coming down on satellite (which bird and >transponder) or is it from tapes? > Terry Ingoldsby ctycal!ingoldsb@calgary.UUCP There's been a real lack of response on this end, so here's a repost of the question in the hopes more people see it this time: While in a hotel recently and having some time to fiddle with the SpectraVision (for in-room movies and hotel services through the television) box, I discovered a way to get the box into what seems to be a diagnostic mode. If PAY8 is pressed, then channel 99 is immediately selected, the box will begin displaying control information on the LCD readout on the box. Some of this information includes the mapping of the pay channels to standard channels, what the room number is, what the high and low channel is, and what the hotel information and menu channels are. Pressing any key seems to scroll one-by-one through the information. As any other "normal" computer person would do, I tried entering values to see if anything unusual would happen, and it didn't. My questions are-- does anyone know anything about this? Are there ways of changing the values from the box? How does the box get programmed (from the desk or is it in some kind of NV RAM)? Are the pay channels really mapped to regular "extended" channels (eg. cable frequencies) and those channels are locked-out by the box so you can't view the pay channels without paying? Note: These queries are for informational and educational purposes only - no attempt at theft-of-service is intended by knowing this. (Actually, aside from that little devilish temptation to get something I'm not entitled to, I *really* am just curious :-) Thanks in advance for any light that can be shed on this topic. Any information e-mailed to me will be summarized on the net. Please indicate if you wish to keep your name anonymous. Gil ...!icus!limbic!gil