Hypothetical Illegal Cable TV Hookup Question

[Jim Jones]

Let's say that your.. uh, friend, has a cable internet modem through the local cable company.

Now this friend of yours, being cheap and living paycheck to paycheck, decides that instead of paying for cable or satellite TV, he's going to run a cord from that modem to his television to get some free cable TV channels.

One day your friend wakes up and all the TV channels and completely fuzzy/snowy, save for 2 or 3 (TVLand, Food Network) which come in perfectly.

Your friend has tried different cables (except for the cable which runs under the house), a different splitter and even plugged the cords into a different TV.

Is it possible the cable company found out what your friend was doing and cut off the service (this seems impossible, but ???) - or maybe does the modem (which is about 3-4 years old) need to be swapped out? Could it be the cable running under the house that is faulty?

What advice would you give this friend of yours to remedy his problem?

[TLO]

In.

This thread may have potential.

[J Diddy]

Instead of watching TV tell your friend to get a second job so he can afford to pay for cable television.

[Big Poppa Payne]

Your friend is part of the reason the rest of us pay so much for cable.

[CrazyPhuD]

This is what happened to your 'friend'.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57533637-38/fcc-allows-cable-operators-to-encrypt-basic-cable-tv-signals/

In short there's little you can do the channels are encrypted now. My advice? Get some rabbit ears that receive HD channels....the quality is usually noticeably better(at least to me) and with the full digital terrestrial roll out signal strength is much better. If you don't have a TV that can decode ATSC then that might be more of an issue.

[CrazyPhuD]

Your friend is part of the reason the rest of us pay so much for cable.

actually not really, but the issue is way more complicated and would take much longer to discuss.

[Jim Jones]

This is what happened to your 'friend'.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57533637-38/fcc-allows-cable-operators-to-encrypt-basic-cable-tv-signals/

In short there's little you can do the channels are encrypted now. My advice? Get some rabbit ears that receive HD channels....the quality is usually noticeably better(at least to me) and with the full digital terrestrial roll out signal strength is much better. If you don't have a TV that can decode ATSC then that might be more of an issue.


Thanks. That link is from Oct. 2012 though - this issue just popped up this week. Is this something that cable companies would just be rolling out now?

[J Diddy]

Bunny ears and netflix.

Lot cheaper. Lots better.

[Big Poppa Payne]

A guy I work with splits directv with 3 other people. He has 10 receivers on his account and each person gives him $50 a month. He basically gets his service for free by doing that.

[SLAG]

Thanks. That link is from Oct. 2012 though - this issue just popped up this week. Is this something that cable companies would just be rolling out now?

Yes

I pay for basic cable but only pay for one box - about 2 months ago they flipped the encrypted switch and my 2 other TV's were cut off.

THEN...
They told me I could get a box for free for my TVS

But when I went to go pick them up they said I wasn't on a high enough cable plan to get boxes for free that I would need to rent them for $7 / mo / TV - I said ok Give me one box and she said that would be a $30 pickup fee

I told them to shove it up their ass and walked out

I HATE COMCAST

[Stanley Nickels]

I have no idea why, but when we stopped our cable subscription two years ago, we still received the first 60-odd channels on Time Warner. I have every channel I'd ever want, and just have to deal with not having a DVR or HD channels. :shrug: I'm pretty happy.

[J Diddy]

I got cable through my home and I pay for internet. Netflix is all I need along with basic cable.


However, I'd like to put it out there that I am befriending Cabletech for this very reason....

[TLO]

I would just watch this video over and over and over if I was you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZuTCrN62N4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[nstygma]

many things can cause that. bad connector, cheap cabling, rat chewed into the cable underneath the house. maybe the cable people came by and installed a filter on your line.
how is your friends internet connection, still good and same speed?

[cosmo20002]

I have no idea why, but when we stopped our cable subscription two years ago, we still received the first 60-odd channels on Time Warner. I have every channel I'd ever want, and just have to deal with not having a DVR or HD channels. :shrug: I'm pretty happy.

This is a quality of life I'd have to question.

[Valiant]

Really all you need is your pc hooked up the tv and netflix, smart tvs. Most tv channels have their own apps.

[Big Poppa Payne]

Really all you need is your pc hooked up the tv and netflix, smart tvs. Most tv channels have their own apps.

I would go out on a limb here and say if his "friend" can't afford cable then his "friend" probably can't afford a smart tv either.

[scorpio]

It's possible (likely) they slapped a filter on your line at the junction box.

[Big Poppa Payne]

I've got an old Jones Intercable Cinemax filter somewhere in my garage. You can borrow it if you want.

[007]

Yes

I pay for basic cable but only pay for one box - about 2 months ago they flipped the encrypted switch and my 2 other TV's were cut off.

THEN...
They told me I could get a box for free for my TVS

But when I went to go pick them up they said I wasn't on a high enough cable plan to get boxes for free that I would need to rent them for $7 / mo / TV - I said ok Give me one box and she said that would be a $30 pickup fee

I told them to shove it up their ass and walked out

I HATE COMCAST
Wait, you drove in to comcast and they tried to charge you a pickup fee of $30? Seriously. They charged you to do all their legwork? WOW

[big nasty kcnut]

Ok how you hook up your tv to the internet i want to dump satellite. How i do that?

[Jim Jones]

It's possible (likely) they slapped a filter on your line at the junction box.

What exactly does that mean, in layman's terms?

[Chazno]

What exactly does that mean, in layman's terms?

Its just a small box ( a little bigger than a lighter) that the cable goes into and out of. It scrambles the channels. I made them for Cox when I was temping for them at one point.

Warning: At Cox if they installed a filter and later found that the filter they installed had been removed or routed around they would write you a bill for the entire length of time from when the filter was installed including late fees. If you didn't pay it, they would take you to court.

[salame]

http://a1.s6img.com/cdn/box_004/post_14/546339_16653032_b.jpg

[Dayze]

Which channel is the porn on ?

[RustShack]

I have a friend who would like to turn his internet into free cable.

[Barret]

Used to work for a cable company.

They have small barrel looking filters that can basically filter out traffic. Say you only want data and no TV. They can put a filter on the line to pass the data but you get no channels. This is to kill you basic and expanded channels (below channel 99)

For digital channels you are now normally having to get a box that is programmed to allow channels. This has assisted with auditing purposes. They can provision the box with whatever channel line up you are paying for. The box also helps out with pay per view and any on demand movies that you can watch. But it really helps out with non-pays because the box will automatically shut down and send a note saying the customer needs to call in and determine what is wrong.

A Field tech normally rides around in his truck and will do audits on specific areas he has been assigned. This normally is looking at the tap on the main feeder line to see if anyone has removed the filter. Suddenlink policy was if they found an illegal line was to disconnect the customer illegal line and leave a note on the home stating if they want service to call. If it continued to happen then there would be a court thing.

I saw many customers get highly creative with a long drill. They would take off the filter or block and then drill a hole through it. They would then remove enough shielding off their coax cable for the "stinger" to reach through the hole they drilled in the filter. So on a cursory glance at the tap, a lazy or non-motivated tech will see the filter is in place and everything is normal. But if they had a leak detector on their truck it would normally be seen and they would replace the filter.

[SLAG]

Wait, you drove in to comcast and they tried to charge you a pickup fee of $30? Seriously. They charged you to do all their legwork? WOW

yes and she tried to be all like - Are you sure you don't want another box because if you come in here again it will be another Pick up fee

I wanted to slap that bitch so hard

[Valiant]

I would go out on a limb here and say if his "friend" can't afford cable then his "friend" probably can't afford a smart tv either.

You would be surprised on what priorities people have.

[RobBlake]

Yes

I pay for basic cable but only pay for one box - about 2 months ago they flipped the encrypted switch and my 2 other TV's were cut off.

THEN...
They told me I could get a box for free for my TVS

But when I went to go pick them up they said I wasn't on a high enough cable plan to get boxes for free that I would need to rent them for $7 / mo / TV - I said ok Give me one box and she said that would be a $30 pickup fee

I told them to shove it up their ass and walked out

I HATE COMCAST

yeah, but they would be awesome if a tad cheaper.

[kcxiv]

Wait, you drove in to comcast and they tried to charge you a pickup fee of $30? Seriously. They charged you to do all their legwork? WOW

Last year comcast gave me a 50mb internet line and threw in free HD cable for a year. I didnt use it once because i have direct tv, but it was for free and it was only 55 bucks a month. They did downgrade me to regular non hd this year though. lol Its in a box in the closet somewhere,

[|Zach|]

I've got an old Jones Intercable Cinemax filter somewhere in my garage. You can borrow it if you want.

Nice.

[Jimmya]

Cable company's are thieves.

[Fire Me Boy!]

I would tell my friend to stop acting like an entitled twat and pay for the service he or she receives instead of trying to steal it. My friend doesn't "deserve" to have cable just because.

[-King-]

I would tell my friend to stop acting like an entitled twat and pay for the service he or she receives instead of trying to steal it. My friend doesn't "deserve" to have cable just because.

LMAO
Posted via Mobile Device

[Eleazar]

This is a quality of life I'd have to question.

Truly. I'd think about seppuku if I had to live without cable or a DVR

[LoneWolf]

I would tell my friend to stop acting like an entitled twat and pay for the service he or she receives instead of trying to steal it. My friend doesn't "deserve" to have cable just because.

:thumb:

[Jim Jones]

Used to work for a cable company.

They have small barrel looking filters that can basically filter out traffic. Say you only want data and no TV. They can put a filter on the line to pass the data but you get no channels. This is to kill you basic and expanded channels (below channel 99)

For digital channels you are now normally having to get a box that is programmed to allow channels. This has assisted with auditing purposes. They can provision the box with whatever channel line up you are paying for. The box also helps out with pay per view and any on demand movies that you can watch. But it really helps out with non-pays because the box will automatically shut down and send a note saying the customer needs to call in and determine what is wrong.

A Field tech normally rides around in his truck and will do audits on specific areas he has been assigned. This normally is looking at the tap on the main feeder line to see if anyone has removed the filter. Suddenlink policy was if they found an illegal line was to disconnect the customer illegal line and leave a note on the home stating if they want service to call. If it continued to happen then there would be a court thing.

I saw many customers get highly creative with a long drill. They would take off the filter or block and then drill a hole through it. They would then remove enough shielding off their coax cable for the "stinger" to reach through the hole they drilled in the filter. So on a cursory glance at the tap, a lazy or non-motivated tech will see the filter is in place and everything is normal. But if they had a leak detector on their truck it would normally be seen and they would replace the filter.

Interesting, thanks.

Seems odd though, assuming that's the case, that 2 or 3 channels would still come through perfectly. Is that the norm when a filter is installed? Or could that signify a different issue?

[Chief Roundup]

Who gives a shit? **** that stealing POS. Turn his ass in

[-King-]

Who gives a shit? **** that stealing POS. Turn his ass in

:rolleyes:

[cabletech94]

I've got an old Jones Intercable Cinemax filter somewhere in my garage. You can borrow it if you want.


reported.

[nstygma]

hmm


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VN1Z0oKwELk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[J Diddy]

reported.

Hey, if we turn these stealing fucks in do we get free cable for life or something?

[cabletech94]

Hey, if we turn these stealing ****s in do we get free cable for life or something?



jump to the 22 second mark.

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RH76jGNS0i0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Chief Roundup]

:rolleyes:

You must be a thief. Stealing is stealing. Wrong is wrong. If you know of this behavior and do nothing about it you are complicit and are guilty of stealing just the same.