Mediacom → [KS] Many TV channels available but only paying for internet?

A friend of mine and I were talking about our cable providers, and the subject came up of me only subscribing to cable internet but not cable TV. He told me it's all the same deal and I could reattach the wires on the outside cable splitter (from the previous homeowners) to get TV + internet, even though I only pay for internet. Of course I was curious, so I went outside and hooked it all up: the one big mediacom cable in to the splitter, that goes out to two cables; one to my internet modem, and the other to my TV.

The TV automatic channel scan went through and I can get channels 2 to around 67. I was very surprised that it worked! but then I began to wonder if this was illegal cable stealing, because shouldn't I have to pay for Discovery and History and Cartoonnetwork and all of those? I was afraid, so I unhooked it.

Can anybody enlighten me on this ? thanks

You are correct in your thinking. That would be stealing cable tv as you are not paying for it.

If they didn't trap it it's not stealing it. If you didn't mess with or remove anything that they installed, it's not stealing. If they have a problem with it they can come put a trap on it and you wouldn't be able to receive the channels.

If you leave your car running and someone takes it, that is not stealing? I fail to see the difference. Although I agree a trap should be put on the line.

Lol it is stealing regardless of there being a trap or not. If you don't pay for the service and you get the service by going out and attaching wires, that's stealingYou're right, there is no difference.

Seperate the moral from the legal.

Morally: If you take something you're not paying for it is stealing.

Legally: If Mediacom is sending the signals into your home and you DID NOTHING TO CHANGE THAT (as in you didn't crack open the MDU box and remove a trap) you will not be in legal risk connecting a splitter and running a line to a TV.

NORMALLY, mediacom places a trap on the line of internet only subscribers that blocks all TV signals and only allows through the signals for your modem to operate.

You will have to reconcile if you are comfortable getting something you didn't pay for.

If you are nervous you could always call Mediacom and tell them that you are getting more channels than you paid for, and they will gladly come out and trap the line for you and shut off those channels. Mistakes happen, installers can be lazy and sometimes don't want to climb a pole on an install to connect the right traps.

This reminds me of about 30 years ago when cable first came to the little town I lived in then. I ordered all the channels they offered which was only about 12 basic ones plus HBO and Cinemax. After about a year, I decided to get rid of the two movie channels so I called them and requested the cancellation. They took the fee off my bill but never installed the traps at the pole to block them. I still had HBO and Cinemax for over three years until the cable company changed ownership.

Do you think I fretted over "stealing" those movie channels for all that time? Nope.

You were stealing cars all that time. Shame on you!!