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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!noao!terak!anasazi!guy
From: guy@anasazi.UUCP (Guy Finney)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Re: Cable TV (really satellite TV)
Message-ID: <163@anasazi.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 23-Apr-85 18:20:40 EST
Article-I.D.: anasazi.163
Posted: Tue Apr 23 18:20:40 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 26-Apr-85 22:14:17 EST
References: <5250@tekecs.UUCP> <847@peora.UUCP> <134@nic_vax.UUCP>
Organization: Anasazi, Phoenix Az.
Lines: 32

> > Recently HBO bought a
> > new scrambling system for their satellite signal, which uses an encryption
> > key (so that even if you have a descrambler, you can't descramble it unless
> > you can keep getting the new encryption keys each time they change them).
> > The facility for doing this was a new, low-cost one.  Have they started
> > using it yet?  It would seem to be a strong reason for not buying an "earth
> > station" satellite receiver.
> 
> HBO has been shipping descrambling units to the west coast area first.  The
> east coast feed will be next.  There are other companys going that route
> as well.  ESPN wants to do it, SHOWTIME and THE MOVIE CHANNEL want to do it,
> and of course CINEMAX, because they belong to HBO.
> 

True, HBO has announced, and has spent gobs of money on developing,
a nontrivial (to crack) scrambling method.  Everyone else (the above
mentioned channels included) is jumping on the announcement bandwagon,
but as far as I know, is eagerly awaiting the market test results
from HBO before doing anything.  Everyone's wondering what will
happen to HBO's market share.  Will the cost of the units be so
expensive that some small-time cable companies (like the one in my
front yard) will be hurt by the extra cost passed on to the viewer?
Will MA/Com or some enterprising distributor sell/rent the decoders
to individuals at bargain basement prices?  What will that mean 
to cable companies?  All sorts of interesting marketing questions 
swirl around this issue.  As for me, I'll keep my dish, thank you, 
and rent movies from my local store before coughing up $20 a month 
for a crummy decoder.  The best sports on satellite are the live feeds,
anyway, and they won't be scrambled.
-- 
Guy Finney
{decvax|ihnp4|hao}!noao!terak!anasazi!guy