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From: boettche@cat17.CS.WISC.EDU (Michael Boettcher)
Newsgroups: rec.video,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: *** CABLE TV + VCR + TV ***
Message-ID: <2652@puff.cs.wisc.edu>
Date: 2 May 89 02:31:54 GMT
References: <1796@ubu.warwick.UUCP> <1825@astroatc.UUCP>
Sender: news@puff.cs.wisc.edu
Reply-To: boettche@cat17.CS.WISC.EDU (Michael Boettcher)
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 36

In article <1825@astroatc.UUCP> brown@astroatc.UUCP (Vidiot) writes:
>In article <1796@ubu.warwick.UUCP> geoff@cs.warwick.ac.uk (Geoff Rimmer) writes:
><
><This is a question about CABLE TV and how it interfaces with a VCR and TV.
><
>< [...]
><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?
>
>No, such boxes don't exist, as they are too expensive to build.  Here in the
>States, anyone who buys a pay channel (that is scrambled) also has the 
>programmability of their equipment shot-to-hell.  I get the impression that
>you don't get any of the pay channels.
>
I believe this is incorect.  Radio Shack sells a Cable Converter that puts
all the cable channels (A-Z) up on the UHF band.  This is for non-cable
ready tv's.  

What I think the box does is to convert all the cable channels to channel 
2 or 3, one at a time.  When a pay channel is selected, it also de-scrables
it.  

I am presently viewing cable on a non-cable ready TV with one of the Rad 
Shack converters, and have no problems.  My VCR is cable ready also, so I
really don't even need the converter.  I may be missing the point, but I 
don't think that there is any problem about recording on one channel while
watching another if your VCR is cable ready, or you have a converter.

Hope this isn't too far off, and is of some help.

Michael Boettcher    boettche@garfield.cs.wisc.edu