wtm@bunker.UUCP (William T. McGarry) (08/22/85)
I would imagine that this subject has come up innumerable times int the past but I have just bought a VCR for the first time so I have just started reading this group. My problem is that our cable company uses a channel A/B system with a Regency converter. This is set up like: "A": Channels 2 - 13 non-pay channels Channels 14 - 28 pay channels (semi to totally scrambled) "B": Channels 2 - 13 non-pay channels The converter has a A/B switch along with a channel selector and outputs just one channel (4) to the TV. This is bad enough with just the converter and the TV but when the VCR is added in, it's a nightmare. I've bought a mixer but it is still horrible. In order to be able to tape programs from different channels while I am away, I set up the mixer so that the converter is bypassed. This gives me channels 2 through 13 but only on one side (A or B) and does not give any of the pay channels. If I want to tape one of the pay channels, then the output from the converter goes to the VCR. This allows the channel to be descrambled but I'm restricted to only the one pay channel that I pre-select on the converter. It's just one big mess. I have a cable-ready TV and a cable ready VCR and they are both quite useless because of the damn Regency converter. (As an aside, I hear that the phrase "cable-ready" is being replaced by "cable-compatible" -- maybe because of cable systems like this?) Is there any way around this?? Doesn't anyone make a converter that will output 30-40 separate channels rather than just one? Is there any way around the converter to descramble the channels? (I pay for these channels so I'm not looking to steal the pay channels.) If nothing else, is there any kind of converter that will take channels 2 through 13 and convert them to some UHF channels so that I could feed one side of the A/B through the converter and end up with channels 2 - 26 that the VCR could handle? HELP! I am about to go crazy with this. ANY suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Bill McGarry decvax!bunker!wtm
barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold) (08/26/85)
Can you get a remote control converted from your cable company? If so, my copy of the September Cable magazine has an add for something called a CableMaster (order toll free from 800-227-8529) which can supposedly drive ANY system's cable converter. It's programmable to eight stations, on a 14 day basis. "Restores full timer cability to your VCR." It runs $99.95 from $3.50 shipping. It can be ordered with Visa or Mastercharge. Does anyone know anything about this? I'm calling tomorrow and asking some questions. --Lee Gold