john@datacube.UUCP (12/18/85)
You should note that the cable companies consider your VCR competition
against their service. You going out and renting a movie and playing
it on your VCR is direct competition against their service. There are
many other ways your VCR competes, either legally or illegally, against
their service. Remember cable services have been around a lot longer
than reasonably priced VCRs. To cable companies VCRs are the young
upstart in the industry, and they feel threatned. After all VCRs are
capable of giving you much more flexible programming service than
a cable company, except for some things like news.
This may go a small way twards explaining why your cable company is
not jumping up and down trying to make the remotes for all your video
goodies work like they should.
The VCR and television manufactures are puting the AB switches, refered
to in many of the other responses to your note, into their products, of
course controlable from the remote.
Happy Viewing
John Bloomfield
-----------------------All the usual disclaimers--------------------------
Datacube Inc. 4 Dearborn Rd. Peabody, Ma 01960 617-535-6644
ihnp4!datacube!john
decvax!cca!mirror!datacube!john
{mit-eddie,cyb0vax}!mirror!datacube!johnbrown@nicmad.UUCP (12/19/85)
In article <16300001@datacube.UUCP> john@datacube.UUCP writes: > >You should note that the cable companies consider your VCR competition >against their service. You going out and renting a movie and playing >it on your VCR is direct competition against their service. There are >many other ways your VCR competes, either legally or illegally, against >their service. Remember cable services have been around a lot longer >than reasonably priced VCRs. To cable companies VCRs are the young >upstart in the industry, and they feel threatned. After all VCRs are >capable of giving you much more flexible programming service than >a cable company, except for some things like news. I'm sorry to be the one to bring you this following bad news, but not all cable companies are afraid of VCRs. Our company, Complete Channel TV, which covers most of Dane County WI, is working with our local BIG supplier of TVs and VCRs. They even have a spot in the store. When a customer buys a TV **AND/OR** VCR, they can get a month of cable free (or real cheap, I forget which). They even have a box that they sell that allows the user to hook up the decoder/VCR/TV. It is nothing but a switch box type thing, but at least or company is trying. They know that VCRs are out there and are working with them, to keep up their connection sales (of course). So, not EVERY cable company is fighting VCRs. -- ihnp4------\ harvard-\ \ Mr. Video seismo!uwvax!nicmad!brown topaz-/ / decvax------/
terryl@tekcrl.UUCP (12/23/85)
> > You should note that the cable companies consider your VCR competition > against their service. You going out and renting a movie and playing > it on your VCR is direct competition against their service. There are > many other ways your VCR competes, either legally or illegally, against > .... > .... > .... > This may go a small way twards explaining why your cable company is > not jumping up and down trying to make the remotes for all your video > goodies work like they should. > Well, then, it looks like the cable companies are going to lose out on a lot of business. A co-worker and I were discussing this recently, and came to the same conclusion: cable does not offer us what we want, and how we want it. Now we may be the exception, and not the rule, but I do not keep any movies I tape off of cable. I just use my VCR for time shifting, and with scrambled channels, my VCR is useless. That's the reason I gave up HBO and Cinemax, because I couldn't (and refused to) re-arrange my schedule to watch their movies AT THEIR TIMES. Most premium channels usually have the biggest movies on just once or twice a month at reasonable times, but usually show the movies at least 10-15 times a month (although at really lousy times, like 4:00 AM). Until the cable companies address people like me, they'll keep losing business.
speaker@ttidcb.UUCP (Kenneth Speaker) (12/24/85)
In article <16300001@datacube.UUCP> john@datacube.UUCP writes: > >You should note that the cable companies consider your VCR competition >against their service. You going out and renting a movie and playing >it on your VCR is direct competition against their service. SURPRISE! My cable company (Valley Cable in the San Fernando Valley) this past month had a bill stuffer PROMOTING the use of your VCR and their cable. "Your VCR is made for cable..." We provide SOOOO many movies for your taping enjoyment. Build a library. etc.etc.etc. Then a note that taping of copy- righted movies is COMPLETELY LEGAL for personal use only. Seems at least one company has decided to stop fighting and start joining. If only they provided a signal that was worth taping! --Kne
lipinski@hpisla.UUCP (Greg Lipinski) (12/27/85)
re: cable companies and cable-ready tuners.
I believe our cable company (Scripps-Howard owned in Loveland,CO)
built their system with cable-ready tuners in mind. The primary
premium channels (HBO, Cinemax, and Showtime) aren't scrambled
at all. Instead they put a hi-Q notch filter in the distribution
box for each home and each channel that aren't paid for. Thus, the
entire channel is filtered out. This means that the only way to
steal the channels is to break into their distribution boxes. There
is no signal for pirate decoders to decode. When you pay for a channel
the filter is removed, and you can tune it the same as the basic
channels (which aren't scrambled either). In fact they give you a $2
discount per month if you don't need a converter box. I assume this is
a more costly protection scheme since most people will only subscribe
to one (if any) of these premium channels. Maybe they got a great deal
on notch filters.
The less-premium channels (Disney, HTN, and Playboy) are protected with
a carrier injected into the signal just below the audio. This messes up
the audio and video enough to make you not want to watch it. When you
purchase one of these channels, they now add a hi-Q notch filter in the
distribution box which removes the extra carrier, and allows the program
to be viewed normally. So again a cable ready TV/VCR can receive them.
Lucky in Loveland,
Greg Lipinski
ihnp4!hpfcla!hpisla!lipinskiuhclem@trsvax (01/06/86)
<"If we took out the bugs, it wouldn't be crashy, would it?!?"> >You should note that the cable companies consider your VCR competition >against their service. You going out and renting a movie and playing >it on your VCR is direct competition against their service. >>SURPRISE! My cable company (Valley Cable in the San Fernando Valley) this >>past month had a bill stuffer PROMOTING the use of your VCR and their cable. >>"Your VCR is made for cable..." We provide SOOOO many movies for your taping >>enjoyment. Build a library. etc.etc.etc. Then a note that taping of copy- >>righted movies is COMPLETELY LEGAL for personal use only. >>Seems at least one company has decided to stop fighting and start joining. >>If only they provided a signal that was worth taping! About a year and a half ago, a half-page article appeared in the local cable guide, giving a general blessing to connecting a VCR to the local cable system (Sammons of Ft. Worth), and providing some connection instructions. The opening sentence said something like "Now that it is legal to videotape cable-transmitted programs, here is how to do it right." They failed to mention what law or decision made it legal. Their instructions had you insert the VCR on the downstream side of the box, and tune channel 3 all of the time. More recently, a Texas law allowing cable companies to have you electrocuted if you even walk too close to their cable and inductively pick-up their signal was put into effect. This time, Sammons used a full page ad and about 11 free channels to remind everybody (for 5 months, 24hrs a day) about what the law was, what it's number was, and how many different possible loopholes it covered. I guess when the law is in your favor you tend to talk about it more. <My employer makes satellite dish-systems, so you can guess what their opinion is.> "Sheer and Destroy" - Slogan "Thank you, Uh Clem." Frank Durda IV @ <trsvax!uhclem>
albert@kim.BERKELEY.EDU (Anthony &) (01/17/86)
In article <56100003@hpislb.UUCP> lipinski@hpisla.UUCP (Greg Lipinski) writes: > >re: cable companies and cable-ready tuners. > >I believe our cable company (Scripps-Howard owned in Loveland,CO) >built their system with cable-ready tuners in mind. The primary >premium channels (HBO, Cinemax, and Showtime) aren't scrambled >at all. Instead they put a hi-Q notch filter in the distribution >box for each home and each channel that aren't paid for. Thus, the >entire channel is filtered out. ... I assume this is >a more costly protection scheme since most people will only subscribe >to one (if any) of these premium channels. Actually, this is an the system used about 8 years ago when our cable system was starting and only had one premium channel. I think it was cheaper to install filters than to have more advanced scrambling technology. The disadvantage is that a serviceman has to come out to the site to add or delete a channel. Anthony Albert ..!ucbkim!albert albert@ucbkim.berkeley.edu