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From: barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Cable-ready VCR & Unreceived Channels
Message-ID: <1909@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Apr-85 01:06:27 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1909
Posted: Wed Apr 17 01:06:27 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 21-Apr-85 05:52:32 EST
References: <7583@rochester.UUCP> <16338@mgweed.UUCP> <7865@rochester.UUCP> <1900@sdcrdcf.UUCP> <129@nic_vax.UUCP>
Reply-To: barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold)
Followup-To: "Mr. Video."
Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica
Lines: 26
Summary: 

In response to Mr. Video's inquiry which so kindly implied that I didn't
realized that scrambled channels couldn't be received without passing
through a decoding box by a cable-ready TV...

*FLAME*


Ah, that feels better.  Now that I'm calmer, I shall be happy to oblige
with the facts.

I have Communicom Cable, which codes its channels as 02-47.  Scrambled
channels are in the 37-41 range.  My RCA VCR cannot tune in any cable
channel over 40.  I didn't expect it to tune in scrambled channels.
But I had hoped to get CBN (non-scrambled, channel 42), CSPAN (non-scrambled,
channel 44), BET (non-scrambled channel 47).  I don't much care about
channels 43, 45, and 46.  I am somewhat bothered by the fact that Communicom
has recently added two new channels--at the top end of the scale.  This
implied that all further channels will also be unreceivable by the VCR.

In spite of that--and in spite of the fact that I have heard that some
other cable-ready VCRs have a wider range than the RCA, I am happy with
the VCR.   I just wish my old RCA VCR hadn't buzzed so badly on cable.
In practice, MOST of the shows I record are on SHOWTIME so the new VCR's
cable-readiness is only occasionally useful.

--Lee Gold