Xref: utzoo rec.video:6266 sci.electronics:6051
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!dogie.macc.wisc.edu!uwvax!astroatc!brown
From: brown@astroatc.UUCP (Vidiot)
Newsgroups: rec.video,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: *** CABLE TV + VCR + TV ***
Message-ID: <1836@astroatc.UUCP>
Date: 2 May 89 05:56:52 GMT
References: <1796@ubu.warwick.UUCP> <1825@astroatc.UUCP> <2652@puff.cs.wisc.edu>
Reply-To: brown@astroatc.UUCP (Vidiot)
Organization: Vidiot's Hangout
Lines: 59

In article <2652@puff.cs.wisc.edu> boettche@cat17.CS.WISC.EDU (Michael Boettcher) writes:
<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.  

One cannot shift all the channels to the UHF band and descramble the scrambled
ones at the same time.  It just ain't done.  Maybe I didn't make myself clear
enough.  Here in the States, if one doesn't have the pay channels AND none of
the other channels are scrambled (some systems are tiered), then one just
removes the cable converter box and enjoys multi-channel capability.  If one
has a pay channel, the box is a must.

The Radio Shack unit (and others) moves all channels up to the UHF band,
starting with 2 and ending with W or later (if the bandwidth is large
enough).  These work well with non-scrambled systems.

<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.

The problem overseas may be a little different.  As I mentioned, if the
cable is truely UHF, then the user should be able to remove the cable box.
But if the cable is VHF, then he can't do much, as I don't believe the
broadband converters are available there.  There isn't the market as there
is here.  But I did forget about that thing.  It could be possible that
one of those would work there since they are not channel sensitive.  The
problem is finding one.

With more details from the original poster, we should be able to come up
with some kind of answer.

Thanks for reminding me about the VHF-UHF shifters.  I think mine is still
in a box downstairs someplace.
-- 
	        harvard\     att!nicmad\
Vidiot            ucbvax!uwvax..........!astroatc!brown
	        rutgers/  decvax!nicmad/
	ARPA/INTERNET: brown%astroatc.UUCP@spool.cs.wisc.edu