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From: geoff@cs.warwick.ac.uk (Geoff Rimmer)
Newsgroups: rec.video,sci.electronics
Subject: *** CABLE TV + VCR + TV ***
Message-ID: <1796@ubu.warwick.UUCP>
Date: 30 Apr 89 06:21:52 GMT
Sender: news@warwick.UUCP
Organization: Computer Science, Warwick University, UK
Lines: 83


This is a question about CABLE TV and how it interfaces with a VCR and TV.


Here in the UK, I have found no way to do either of the following:

a) Program the VCR's timer to switch cable channels by itself.

b) Record one cable channel while watching another cable channel.


With regular TV, there is no problem.  We just have our 4 channels
coming into the VCR and the VCR can switch between them at its
leisure.  Meanwhile, the 4 channels are then fed into the TV, where
I can choose to watch any of the 4 channels.


4 channels	  +----------+		4 channels	+----------+
=================>|  V C R   |=========================>|   T V    |
=================>|          |=========================>|          |
		  +----------+				+----------+
		(tapes channel 2)			(shows channel 4)

Now, when we bring cable TV into it, we get this:

20 channels    +----------+            +----------+               +----------+
==============>|  CABLE   | 1 channel  |   VCR    |   1 channel   |   TV     |
==============>|  RCVR    |===========>|          |==============>|          |
==============>|          |            |          |               |          |
               +----------+            +----------+               +----------+

The only way to switch cable channels is by using the cable receiver.
This then tunes into one frequency, and that is the *only* channel to
be sent to the VCR and TV.

The only way I know of being able to watch channel x while taping
channel y, is to buy a second cable receiver.  In fact this is what
my local cable company advised me to do.  (At an extra cost to me of
#7 = $12 a month of course!)

However, this does not get round the other problem: I cannot program the
VCR to record

	channel 10 from 6pm -> 7pm
then	channel 15 from 8pm -> 9pm

without me standing by the cable receiver and switching it manually!

My understanding of what the cable receiver does is based purely on
observation:

I know it takes 20 channels as input, checks the channel it is set to,
say ch 8.  It then outputs this channel on a particular frequency - it
doesn't matter whether it is channel 8 or channel 20 - it still comes
out on one particular frequency.

Now, the thing I can't get straight in my head is: if there are 20
channels coming in on different frequencies, why can't the damn box
give me those 20 channels (or maybe 15, if I haven't paid for the
movie channels) out also on *different* frequencies???  Is a box that
meets these specifications particularly difficult or expensive to make?

Is such a box in existence?

If so, all my problems would be solved and I would be able to lead a
happy and contented life, in the knowledge that I could leave my VCR
to do its job of switching channels, taping something, switching to
another channel, taping something else, etc etc.

Can somebody please help me!!!

Geoff

	/---------------------------------------------------------------\
	|	GEOFF RIMMER  - Friend of fax booths, ANSI C, PCBH,	|
	|			phone *numbers*	& MPFC & CABLE TV	|
	|	email	: geoff@uk.ac.warwick.emerald			|
	|	address : Computer Science Dept, Warwick University, 	|
	|		  Coventry, England.				|
	|	PHONE	: +44 203 692320 (10 lines) If I'm out please	|
	|			   leave a message with my secretary.	|
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	\---------------------------------------------------------------/