Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!abcfd20.larc.nasa.gov!ames!uhccux!hale!whinery From: whinery@hale.ifa.hawaii.edu (Alan Whinery) Newsgroups: sci.electronics Subject: Re: cable TV and better black boxes Message-ID: <9681@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> Date: 4 Oct 90 18:32:55 GMT References: Sender: news@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu Organization: Institute For Astronomy, Hawaii Lines: 20 In article tims@infidel.lanl.gov (Tim Sullivan) writes: >Now my question is: Why can't someone make a box that will take all >those channels coming in, descramble the ones you've subscribed to, >and put them all out at once on a cable to your tuner so the tuner can >do its thing? >Tim Sullivan (tims@infidel.lanl.gov) I don't understand. It sounds to me like the box you are proposing does just what every cable box I've ever had -- in four different states -- has done. There's a high bandwidth signal coming into the back, a series of passthroughs (for free channels) and descrmblers for subscribed channels. Most cable companies pass the unsubscribed pay channels through, so you can listen to the sound and wish you could see the picture. Is CATV around Los Alamos abnormal? Or am I missing your point? Alan Whinery whinery@hale.ifa.hawaii.edu