| reply to dervari2
Re: Basic tiers going away? they will offer tiers. You'll just need a digital box to get them. Many cable companies had boxes back a long time ago. Analog HBO anyone? |
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 AZ_OGM
join:2007-01-12
Phoenix, AZ
 ·Cox HSI
1 edit | I remember those boxes. Tune your TV to channel 3 or 4 and turn the dial and viola, HBO or Showtime was there. I remember having a Showtime box back in the early 80s and removing the front panel and placing an alligator clip on a tip and getting HBO on channel 3 and Showtime on channel 4. Of course the cable company got wind of this and started riveting on the faceplates.  |
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| reply to hottboiinnc
said by hottboiinnc:Many cable companies had boxes back a long time ago. Analog HBO anyone? Many early cable systems offered analog channels and no box. Analog boxes were added later to compensate for past-generation TVs that had channel limitations. As TV tuners were expanded up to channel 125, the original need for analog boxes was eliminated.
In many systems, analog HBO and other premium channels then were delivered directly to cable-ready TVs. Line filters, or "traps," were used to limit access to authorized, paying customers. |
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 David_La vida es bella
join:2001-01-28
chile | reply to AZ_OGM
That`s gotta be the first "hacked" electronic system ever!  |
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fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | reply to cousintim
You are partially correct. However, analog boxes were also addressable with security capabilities. MANY systems used them as a way to protect the security of the system and offer tiers.
MOST all systems that use the trap model send the signal in the clear (analog) which makes stealing easier. Trapping the signals only worked, mostly, on legal hookups. Remove the trap, get the channels. The analog box was put in place as cable companies scrambled the 2nd tier. The box was the enforcer and it worked well.
Having a good portion of my time as "cable cop" in my systems, I know this policy very well.
In the end, it primarily depended, traps, on if systems wanted to deal with rolling trucks to mess with passive traps, or use the active cable box which gave greater control of the system. |
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