seifert@mako.UUCP (Snoopy) (04/18/85)
In article <5250@tekecs.UUCP> tomb@tekecs.UUCP writes: >Most local cable companies are now moving to FULLY SCRAMBLED >service in order to combat what they perceive as a threat by >folks with cable-ready TVs. Once all your cable channels are >scrambled you can't get anything without a box. Of course >they'll give you a second box for your VCR at a significant >discount. :-) At the apt complex I used to live at, they put in a rather hacker-hostile system. They brought in two fiber optic lines, one brought in a single channel, and the other sent control signals to the distribution box. The cable-box had connections for these two fibers, power, and a 75 Ohm line to your tv. It sent signals to the distribution box requesting whatever channel you wanted, and if you were subscribed, the distribution box would send it down. The quality wasn't as good as broadcast, there was no way to get two channels at once, and for US$30/month there were two or three movies worth watching. Needless to say, when the free trial period ran out they got their box back. What was really sad was the people who couldn't pay their rent, utility bills, or even buy *food*, but they *had* to have cable. -sigh- _____ |___| the Bavarian Beagle _|___|_ Snoopy \_____/ tektronix!mako!seifert \___/
jc@mit-athena.UUCP (John Chambers) (04/26/85)
> What was really sad was the people who couldn't pay their rent, utility > bills, or even buy *food*, but they *had* to have cable. -sigh- Reminds me of the sociological study I read about last year that verified the widespread belief that the higher the family income, the fewer TV sets in the home. The correlation and signifigance levels were impressively high. The lowest rate of TV ownerset was among the top management of broadcast firms. Most of them have no TV in their homes at all. They see no need for wasting their own money on such things, and certainly don't wand their own children exposed to such stuff. Looks like good ol' Karl Marx is outdated. The masses now have a better opiate than religion. And back when TV was first being introduced, they promised us that it would be so educational! -- John Chambers [...!decvax!mit-athena] He who has made no mistakes has probably made nothing at all.