Ive been getting some emails from companys advertising there descrambler/filter. Do these work. One of them said it works w/ any type of cable and the other is the filter you put inline and works w/ digital cable. Right now i have standard cable. If i get digital(at&t) and get the filter they say you must have the ppv function on the remotehow does it work if you order ppv on the remote and not get charged. thanks. Rich
cable descramblers-do they work
- Thread starter jetmech
- Start date
Little6pack
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2002
I thought the filters were an enhancer to a better piture?
I could be wrong.
The Problem with descramblers are if they cable company shoots the magic bullet down the wire they will know you have it.
They can also bring in the law to make an example of you with a Big fine.
Personally nothing that cable has to offer is worth spending the $$ for a descrambler.
I could be wrong.
The Problem with descramblers are if they cable company shoots the magic bullet down the wire they will know you have it.
They can also bring in the law to make an example of you with a Big fine.
Personally nothing that cable has to offer is worth spending the $$ for a descrambler.
I know someone who know's someone, who's uncle's brother's cousin has had these 
and here are my thoughts on how well they work:
Descramblers: I have not seen them for Digital Cable yet. Some advertise "digital" converters, but they have a digital readout and work with analog cable, as opposed to working with digital cable. I may be a few months outdated though.
Analog descramblers replace your existing cable box, and usually allow you to receive all channels offered by your cable company, including pay channels and pay-per view channels. Usually the only way the cable company will know you have one is if you invite them into your house and they see it. Supposedly, some cable companies have equipment that allows them to do a "drive by" and detect that you are using a picking up an illegal signal. I have never actually known anybody who has ever experienced this. It seems unlikely that it would work, as they would have to drive by as you were "stealing" a signal, and most people are at work when the cable companies are at work, at home stealing cable after work.
Cable companies also generally don't send signals to "zap" them, at least not in the Pacific Northwest. I do know that they commonly send signals to zap the cards for satellite TV, but not analog cable.
Descramblers can cost as much as $500. While it is not illegal to sell or buy one, it is illegal to use one to steal cable or to use it without notifying your cable company.
Filters for Digital Cable: These allow you to watch pay-per view events (movies, sporting events), but not "pay" channels (showtime, HBO, etc.).
The filter hooks to the "input" connection at the back of the digital cable box (the box supplied by your cable company), and then the cable from the wall hooks into the filter. It takes longer to actually swing the cable box around and unhook the cable and then it does to install the filter). The process of ordering a PPV movie is exactly the same whether you have a filter or not (except the paying part ).
In simplified terms, the cable company regularly (probably every day or two) broadcasts a signal to your cable box asking it if you have watched a PPV movie. If you have, the box transmits back which movie you watched (date, time, etc.) , and then you get charged for it on your bill. If you haven't, then I believe the box doesn't repond back ( or responds back that nothing was viewed).
If you have a filter attached, when the box replies "here's the movie I watched", the filter instead replies back "no movie watched", and you never get charged.
Filters usually cost less than $25 ( I have of them being less than $10), and may or may not work with your box. You test them by hooking one up and ordering a movie. Check back in a week or two with the cable company and see if you were charged. If you were, it doesn't work, if you weren't, then it does.
Now for the question you are all going to ask:
I don't know how long the box stores the movies you watched in memory. I can't imagine the memory being that large.
So if you unhook the filter, the box might transmit the movies you watched back to the cable company. Most filter instructions probably recommend not unhooking the filter. I don't know what you do if you have to have a repairman come, since you obviously don't want him to see the filter.
Hope that helps!
and here are my thoughts on how well they work:Descramblers: I have not seen them for Digital Cable yet. Some advertise "digital" converters, but they have a digital readout and work with analog cable, as opposed to working with digital cable. I may be a few months outdated though.
Analog descramblers replace your existing cable box, and usually allow you to receive all channels offered by your cable company, including pay channels and pay-per view channels. Usually the only way the cable company will know you have one is if you invite them into your house and they see it. Supposedly, some cable companies have equipment that allows them to do a "drive by" and detect that you are using a picking up an illegal signal. I have never actually known anybody who has ever experienced this. It seems unlikely that it would work, as they would have to drive by as you were "stealing" a signal, and most people are at work when the cable companies are at work, at home stealing cable after work.
Cable companies also generally don't send signals to "zap" them, at least not in the Pacific Northwest. I do know that they commonly send signals to zap the cards for satellite TV, but not analog cable.
Descramblers can cost as much as $500. While it is not illegal to sell or buy one, it is illegal to use one to steal cable or to use it without notifying your cable company.
Filters for Digital Cable: These allow you to watch pay-per view events (movies, sporting events), but not "pay" channels (showtime, HBO, etc.).
The filter hooks to the "input" connection at the back of the digital cable box (the box supplied by your cable company), and then the cable from the wall hooks into the filter. It takes longer to actually swing the cable box around and unhook the cable and then it does to install the filter). The process of ordering a PPV movie is exactly the same whether you have a filter or not (except the paying part
).In simplified terms, the cable company regularly (probably every day or two) broadcasts a signal to your cable box asking it if you have watched a PPV movie. If you have, the box transmits back which movie you watched (date, time, etc.) , and then you get charged for it on your bill. If you haven't, then I believe the box doesn't repond back ( or responds back that nothing was viewed).
If you have a filter attached, when the box replies "here's the movie I watched", the filter instead replies back "no movie watched", and you never get charged.
Filters usually cost less than $25 ( I have of them being less than $10), and may or may not work with your box. You test them by hooking one up and ordering a movie. Check back in a week or two with the cable company and see if you were charged. If you were, it doesn't work, if you weren't, then it does.
Now for the question you are all going to ask:
I don't know how long the box stores the movies you watched in memory. I can't imagine the memory being that large.
So if you unhook the filter, the box might transmit the movies you watched back to the cable company. Most filter instructions probably recommend not unhooking the filter. I don't know what you do if you have to have a repairman come, since you obviously don't want him to see the filter.
Hope that helps!
Little6pack
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2002
Chris,
What would happen if the power was cut out to the box or descrambler? What would it send back to the company?
My Dad inlaw had a descrambler in the old days of cable.
TALK ABOUT getting away with the old analog style.
Anyway it was switched on while I was visting them but I didn't realize it.
UNTIL I clicked on to the SEEX Channel.
My mom in-law was it the room with me. YIKES
Her REACTION to what she saw
WOW that's a BIG ONE! LOL!
What would happen if the power was cut out to the box or descrambler? What would it send back to the company?
My Dad inlaw had a descrambler in the old days of cable.
TALK ABOUT getting away with the old analog style.
Anyway it was switched on while I was visting them but I didn't realize it.
UNTIL I clicked on to the SEEX Channel.
My mom in-law was it the room with me. YIKES
Her REACTION to what she saw
WOW that's a BIG ONE! LOL!
Losing power to the box / filter doesn't matter, since the filter is still in place. The filter itself isn't powered. It is about the size of a lawnmower sparkplug and appears to be very basic. The guy I know bought his over the internet (not sure where, but you could probably search on google for it) and he paid less than $10.
Chris
Chris
Turbo__Tim
One heck of a Tim!
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
I work for the Cable company. These filters you are talking about will not work most of the time because once you order a movie, the billing system's computer wants to 'hear' back from the box, confirming the movie has been recieved. If it does not hear back, the box is programed to shut off, and when you have it replaced, (and that is the only way to get it working again) the box will supply an 'f' code to the repair people, such code indicating that theft has taken place.
This is when the 'cable cops' begin to watch your account, and begin to gather evidence. Last guy we caught got a $500 fine. Had his name in the paper. Everybody knows he is a thief now...
Stealing is wrong, no matter if it is the power company, Wall Mart, or the candy store. Theft like this seems harmless, but every cable suscriber pays an extra dollar a month to make up for low lifes such as yourself.
You might as well be stealing a $10 bill from your neighbor's wallet every year. I wouldn't be too proud, you might as well be talking about shoplifting....
This is when the 'cable cops' begin to watch your account, and begin to gather evidence. Last guy we caught got a $500 fine. Had his name in the paper. Everybody knows he is a thief now...
Stealing is wrong, no matter if it is the power company, Wall Mart, or the candy store. Theft like this seems harmless, but every cable suscriber pays an extra dollar a month to make up for low lifes such as yourself.
You might as well be stealing a $10 bill from your neighbor's wallet every year. I wouldn't be too proud, you might as well be talking about shoplifting....
Turbo__Tim
One heck of a Tim!
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
Don't roll your eyes at me with that dinky blue head! I hate that little blue guy!!
No it's sorta like stealing is wrong. Think of that special someone that ripped you off, or owes you money. Like that person much? Wouldn't you want your money?
Everybody wants something for nothing, but that isn't where it ends. It costs all of us when people steal. That pair of jeans you bought cost 2 dollars more from the cost of shoplifting. Each year you spend a thousand of your shopping dollars covering the costs of thieving lowlifes like this. A couple hundred of your insurance premium covers the cost of car theft. I guess that's ok?
No different than a welfare parasite. If you have cable, you are paying for his free ride.
I'd admit to being a puke-faced, barf eating, POS if I had to steal to feed my family. No problem. Still wrong, though, innocent people still pay.
Just another form of terrorism...
No it's sorta like stealing is wrong. Think of that special someone that ripped you off, or owes you money. Like that person much? Wouldn't you want your money?
Everybody wants something for nothing, but that isn't where it ends. It costs all of us when people steal. That pair of jeans you bought cost 2 dollars more from the cost of shoplifting. Each year you spend a thousand of your shopping dollars covering the costs of thieving lowlifes like this. A couple hundred of your insurance premium covers the cost of car theft. I guess that's ok?
No different than a welfare parasite. If you have cable, you are paying for his free ride.
I'd admit to being a puke-faced, barf eating, POS if I had to steal to feed my family. No problem. Still wrong, though, innocent people still pay.
Just another form of terrorism...
I agree... stealing is wrong.
But consider what a person/company is out. In most cases the cable/sattelite company doesn't lose any money. Why? Because most of the people wouldn't buy it in the first place.
And why is that? Because cable/satt companies raise their rates through the roof to try and recoup the losses suffered on the market, poor management causing customer loss and not knowing their a** from a hole in the ground.
I have first hand experience in this all- inhouse for cable companies, construction, and as a contractor. I have seen only ONE project where the managers had ANY idea what to do... and these were the guys responsible for multi-million dollar upgrades! Practically every project I have been on has to pay to do things two or three times!
For the programing I would like to have, a satt comp. would charge a hundred bucks a month! I have seen rates TRIPLE in the last few years. I would not pay for premium cable or satt. or for most PPV. COME ON!! $50.00 for a boxing match! WTF!!! Hell, they want more for a PPV movie than if you go and rent it! Can't pause or rewind a PPV...
Sorry for the rant, I just hate it when people stick up for cable companies when they monopolize practically every area they are in. Think about it... how many places have options between two cable companies? Not many. With that monopoly, they raise rates as they see fit. Most raises come in areas where customers have no choice AND cannot get "free" TV through the bunny ears.
The ONLY thing I feel they are justified on is the 30-40 bucks they want for cable internet. That is totally worth it AND they have spent millions to be able to make that service available.
Now, for the skinny on cable descramblers. NO cable company has a gizmo to be able to tell if you are stealing cable. If your service drop is hooked up, and you are not paying for ANY cable, then they can physically see it at the tap(the equipment on the pole or in the pedestal) and you might be disconnected sooner or later. Yes they can levy some HUGE fines... but it was hooked up when you moved in right? You never even hooked it up to see, so you had no idea... right? But if you are paying for basic cable and have a descrambler inside your home... noone will be the wiser.
Descramblers are not available for digital services only analog signals, cjp69 was right. Be careful where you buy them from. I would recommend finding someone who has allready bought one and going through them.
On satt. they don't "zap" your card they just figure out the program that hackers have used and block it, then your signal is screwed. when you get your card reprogramed, they put a different router on it and it is good until the satt companies figure it out.
Now, watch out if you do not pay anything at all for cable and keep hooking up your drop yourself. I was on a siteone time and this one house kept hooking up thier drop. Problem was whatever they had inside was injecting MAJOR interference into the system and kept screwing our return signal.
It was so obvious too... a drop running from the pole across the yard(on top of the ground) in throught the window. we unhooked it twice and cut the end off... went out with the sheriffs... no answer. Finally on the fifth day, after several service calls after hours, with the cops there, the system manager, tech and a couple of us contractors... the service tech cut the drop way up on the pole and tied it to his bumper... got in the truck and floored it. Wa BAM! you could hear the TV fly across the room... glass breaking... guys yelling"WOAH, WOAH! What the F***!!" we were all laughing so hard...
never a problem from that house again...
Ah, the good ol' days.
Stealing is bad... mmkay.
Hope I helped,
Vic
But consider what a person/company is out. In most cases the cable/sattelite company doesn't lose any money. Why? Because most of the people wouldn't buy it in the first place.
And why is that? Because cable/satt companies raise their rates through the roof to try and recoup the losses suffered on the market, poor management causing customer loss and not knowing their a** from a hole in the ground.
I have first hand experience in this all- inhouse for cable companies, construction, and as a contractor. I have seen only ONE project where the managers had ANY idea what to do... and these were the guys responsible for multi-million dollar upgrades! Practically every project I have been on has to pay to do things two or three times!
For the programing I would like to have, a satt comp. would charge a hundred bucks a month! I have seen rates TRIPLE in the last few years. I would not pay for premium cable or satt. or for most PPV. COME ON!! $50.00 for a boxing match! WTF!!! Hell, they want more for a PPV movie than if you go and rent it! Can't pause or rewind a PPV...
Sorry for the rant, I just hate it when people stick up for cable companies when they monopolize practically every area they are in. Think about it... how many places have options between two cable companies? Not many. With that monopoly, they raise rates as they see fit. Most raises come in areas where customers have no choice AND cannot get "free" TV through the bunny ears.
The ONLY thing I feel they are justified on is the 30-40 bucks they want for cable internet. That is totally worth it AND they have spent millions to be able to make that service available.
Now, for the skinny on cable descramblers. NO cable company has a gizmo to be able to tell if you are stealing cable. If your service drop is hooked up, and you are not paying for ANY cable, then they can physically see it at the tap(the equipment on the pole or in the pedestal) and you might be disconnected sooner or later. Yes they can levy some HUGE fines... but it was hooked up when you moved in right? You never even hooked it up to see, so you had no idea... right? But if you are paying for basic cable and have a descrambler inside your home... noone will be the wiser.
Descramblers are not available for digital services only analog signals, cjp69 was right. Be careful where you buy them from. I would recommend finding someone who has allready bought one and going through them.
On satt. they don't "zap" your card they just figure out the program that hackers have used and block it, then your signal is screwed. when you get your card reprogramed, they put a different router on it and it is good until the satt companies figure it out.
Now, watch out if you do not pay anything at all for cable and keep hooking up your drop yourself. I was on a siteone time and this one house kept hooking up thier drop. Problem was whatever they had inside was injecting MAJOR interference into the system and kept screwing our return signal.
It was so obvious too... a drop running from the pole across the yard(on top of the ground) in throught the window. we unhooked it twice and cut the end off... went out with the sheriffs... no answer. Finally on the fifth day, after several service calls after hours, with the cops there, the system manager, tech and a couple of us contractors... the service tech cut the drop way up on the pole and tied it to his bumper... got in the truck and floored it. Wa BAM! you could hear the TV fly across the room... glass breaking... guys yelling"WOAH, WOAH! What the F***!!" we were all laughing so hard...
never a problem from that house again...
Ah, the good ol' days.
Stealing is bad... mmkay.
Hope I helped,
Vic
