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In <5l81gj$s0r$1@news.utdallas.edu>, goyal@utdallas.edu (Warped) writes:
>do they make VCR's that can control cable, ie-replace the cable box?
>specifically, I mean VCR's that can handle the A/B inputs of cable
>boxes.

    I think.....

    I don't know what the A/B inputs of your cable box are.  I do know that
most new t.v.  and VCRs are 'cable ready'.  This means that the T.V.  and
Cable box should be able to understand any UNSCRAMBLED singals comming from
the cable in the wall.  There is usually a menu that you say you have cable
or a tv antenna connected.  If you have cable...  then your channels go
from 2 to 100+.  If you say tv antena, you get 2 - 69.  You HAVE to have
the cable box to descramble scrambled programs.  A cable ready tv and vcr
won't descramble a scrambled picture.  I think that all of your 'basic'
channels are not scrambled.  I'm sure that most of the movie channels are.
don't know about the rest.

    I think... that is... 

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On 12 May 1997 21:19:15 GMT, goyal@utdallas.edu (Warped) wrote:

>do they make VCR's that can control cable, ie-replace the cable box?
>specifically, I mean VCR's that can handle the A/B inputs of cable
>boxes.
>
>thanks.
>
Other posters have described well the inability of VCR tuners to
descramble scrambled cable stations.

If you are looking for a VCR that has 2 RF inputs for 2 cable feeds
(cable a and b), they don't exist, for a good reason.  All you really
need is a 75 ohm a/b switch.  I even think there are some that work
electronically with a remote control.

Now, if you want to be able to program the VCR to automatically switch
between cable a and b, then that's another matter.  Perhaps there are
VCRs with cable controller mice that will do that with a cable box
that has the cable a/b inputs.  The cable mouse control might be able
to control the cable a/b switch automatically.  The only way to find
out is to get a cable box for your system and try it with various VCRs
and their cable box controllers.  Email me if you have questions.
Gary E

|Gary A. Edelstein
|ap079@detroit.freenet.org; he137@cleveland.freenet.edu
|GREEN BAY PACKERS RULE
|I don't live in Detroit or Cleveland
|Born, raised and still living in Wisconsin

Gary A. Edelstein wrote:

> On 12 May 1997 21:19:15 GMT, goyal@utdallas.edu (Warped) wrote:
>
> >do they make VCR's that can control cable, ie-replace the cable box?
> >specifically, I mean VCR's that can handle the A/B inputs of cable
> >boxes.
> >
> >thanks.
> >
> Other posters have described well the inability of VCR tuners to
> descramble scrambled cable stations.
>
> If you are looking for a VCR that has 2 RF inputs for 2 cable feeds
> (cable a and b), they don't exist, for a good reason.  All you really
> need is a 75 ohm a/b switch.  I even think there are some that work
> electronically with a remote control.
>
> Now, if you want to be able to program the VCR to automatically switch
>
> between cable a and b, then that's another matter.  Perhaps there are
> VCRs with cable controller mice that will do that with a cable box
> that has the cable a/b inputs.  The cable mouse control might be able
> to control the cable a/b switch automatically.  The only way to find
> out is to get a cable box for your system and try it with various VCRs
>
> and their cable box controllers.  Email me if you have questions.

I'm running mine without cable box, using a manual A/B switch. It all
depends on your provider. If it's TCI, they've offered the no-cable-box
option for some time now, so go for it. I do miss being able to switch
from A to B remotely, though.

"Michael A. Koenecke" <nobody@nowhere.net> wrote:

>>
>> and their cable box controllers.  Email me if you have questions.
>
>I'm running mine without cable box, using a manual A/B switch. It all
>depends on your provider.<

Same here.


> If it's TCI, they've offered the no-cable-box
>option for some time now, so go for it.<

Is this currently available? I heard it was on the drawing board
sometime ago, but never saw word of a release.

--
Irwin

t.i.n.s.t.a.a.f.l.
(Helping victims of conventional wisdom)

On 12 May 1997 21:19:15 GMT, goyal@utdallas.edu (Warped) wrote:

>do they make VCR's that can control cable, ie-replace the cable box?
>specifically, I mean VCR's that can handle the A/B inputs of cable
>boxes.
>
>thanks.
>
A correction from my original post on this subject:

I got an email from someone (I discarded the message as I has assumed
it was posted to rec.video; it wasn't as far as I can tell yet)  who
said there are now VCRs that have 2 RF inputs for A/B cable (or for
single cable or antenna plus another source, such as a small dish)
that can be controlled by the internal VCR programming.  I seem to
recall the brand as Mitsubishi (sp?), but I'm not 100% sure.  I would
expect this to be a higher end, more expensive model.  Perhaps others
can provide more details, or know of other models.  Gary E

|Gary A. Edelstein
|ap079@detroit.freenet.org; he137@cleveland.freenet.edu
|GREEN BAY PACKERS RULE
|I don't live in Detroit or Cleveland
|Born, raised and still living in Wisconsin

Irwin Sabath wrote:

> 
> > If it's TCI, they've offered the no-cable-box
> >option for some time now, so go for it.<
> 
> Is this currently available? I heard it was on the drawing board
> sometime ago, but never saw word of a release.
> 

My cable system also provides this service, thier slowly upgrading
thier whole infastructure....


Josh