🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Nov4.001041.10635@doug.cae.wisc.edu> kolstad@cae.wisc.edu (Joel Kolstad) writes:
...
>
>Notice that this argument of mine implies that descrambling cable is
>OK.  Legally, I think this should be the case.  Again, if scrambled HBO
>shows up at 55MHz on that cable and I can manipulate the voltages in such
>a way as to get unscrambled HBO, I think that this ought to be legal.
>I should note, though, that I have severe MORAL problems with this idea,
>and would therefore never do it personally.  But the law should NOT
>legislate morality!  
>
>If the cable company doesn't want people to see HBO without paying something 
>for it, they shouldn't ship it down the line.  Putting filters inside the
>cable box is a cheap way to do this, but some cable companies are so
>profit hungry that they won't even do this.  (And tampering with the cable
>company's boxes is obviousy a crime.)
>
What is descrambling anyway?  Doesn't a basic ordinary TV descramble
the picture anyway.  There is a standard (NTSC), that most signals
come down the wire in, but there are other standards and modified
standards, heck even the closed caption signal could be considered
scrambled signal.  Basically NTSC has a sync pulse, and some data.  If
the sync pulse is changed from positive to negative, the basic TV
doesn't know this signal is still valid, but in reality it is only a
modified standard signal.

Any of the "scrambling" techniques I have heard about are simply
modifications to the basic video signal (shifted sync, inverted video,
inverted sync, etc).  If they want real scrambling they ought to use
some spread spectrum techniques.

I have to agree, you put the signal in the customers home, the
customer figures out a way to modify the basic TV (or put a signal
fixer in line), then you ought not to say anything.  (Modifying the
cable box is illegal, it isn't you property, don't do it).  I don't
think the cable companies should get all the blame, blame HBO,
Cinemax, the actors, and the film companies.

Think about poor Sony.  They make the TV's you watch, they make the
films, there are hundreds of employees to pay, you really ought to pay
for their signal. ;) ;) ;)


I have never built a descrambler, I have studied them, and am
interested in the concept.  I fear, however, proving I am right would
be really expensive in court, and then only the lawyer would win, I
would no longer be able to afford a TV.  Besides what I hear, it is
sort of a cold war, as soon as the descrambler technology is published
for the general public, the cable companies change their techniques.

Tommy