🚀 go-pugleaf

>dbak@elm.lle.rochester.edu (Douglas Baker) writes:
>
>>In our local paper there has been talk of detecting Il-legal cable TV
>>descrablers from outside the home.  I can think of two possible ways
>>this can be done but there may be others.
>
>I suspect that it is simpler than this.  Most people who have "illegal" cable
>descramblers are buying a complete unit by mail order that is essentially
>the same one used locally.  The only difference is that the mail order unit
>is configured to descramble everything.
>
>Since most of the fancy commercial descramblers are remotely configurable
>or something like that, the cable company can probably send a "request ID"
>signal to all lines and see which boxes answer with a configuration that does
>not match what the subscriber pays for.
>
>David
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------
>David Salamon                Physics Graduate Student (Slave)
>d-salamon@uiuc.edu           University of Illinois
>--------------------------------------------------------------
>
I am sure there are a few different ways that cable companies do this.
But in recent meetings with major brand converter sales reps, they told
me that most modern addressable converters have an additional register that
triggers when it receives a special code on an illegaly authorized box.
Scrambled channels are then switched to a channel carrying a message to
call the cable company to report service problem so and so.  Smart thieves
are forced to throw away the box.  Incredibably, many absent-minded thieves
actually call their cable companies.
Bye...  Ted..