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From: duncan@zygot.ati.com (James R. Duncan)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Cable descramblers.
Message-ID: <29126@zygot.ati.com>
Date: 1 Jan 91 22:45:54 GMT
References: <40170@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <22274@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Reply-To: duncan@zygot.ati.com (James R. Duncan)
Organization: Green Hills and Cows
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In article <22274@ttidca.TTI.COM> sorgatz@ttidca.TTI.COM ( Avatar) writes:
>In article <40170@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> pous@janus.Berkeley.EDU (Rafael Pous) writes:
>+I have a couple of questions about the cable TV descramblers advertised in 
>+the back of electronics magazines.
>
(deletions)

> Unless you're out to begin a path of technical  understanding  about  the
>subject,  I'd  suggest you just forget it.  Buy the damn service and avoid
>the hassles altogether.  Additionally some of these ripoff companies  will

After having read a number of articles disscussing TV descramblers, I
really must point out that I've had direct experience with those so
called "ripoff companies" and have been totally satisfied.  My favorite
is MD Electronics, Omaha, NE (see the back of Radio-Electronics).
While they sell all manner of descramblers, I've bought several
ordinary cable converters with remote control for my bedrooms and den.
They seem very service oriented, and heck, they even take VISA and
Mastercharge (which is what I did to avoid delays and COD) as do many
of the other "ripoff companies".  One converter I bought was $30 less
than the equivalent Radio Shack product; just call an 800- number, and
it comes to your door a few days later.  No hassles here.

Also, the Radio-Electronics "Universal Descrambler" has been kicked
around in these articles.  Since I love to tinker with video (I fix my
own VCR's, etc.), I built one when it first came out.  The concepts
involved are very cute, but the device is somewhat half-baked.  It
doesn't provide DC restored video, and the sync recreation seems very
corrupt.  It descrambles just about everything except certain
techniques used on some satellite downlinks, but the result is
mediocre.  This is a fun little toy for the serious video experimenter.
One of these weekends, I'm going to change the design so it will at
least provide DC restored video; this is fundamental.

NOTE: I certainly would never promote illegal use of descramblers;
there are indeed stiff penalties.



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