By Michael Seese
From a security e-newsletter I get:
FCC OKs encrypted TV signals to prevent cable theft
"The Federal Communications Commission has voted to permit cable companies to encrypt television signals to prevent theft by consumers. Encrypting basic cable signals, a practice banned before the FCC ruling last Friday, may require consumers without cable boxes to acquire them. The FCC said the change would “adversely affect a small number of cable subscribers” with TV sets that are directly hooked up to cable connections, as opposed to being controlled remotely through boxes. According to the agency, cable operators and consumers will benefit, on the whole, as the decision will greatly reduce the need for cable providers to dispatch employees to households to disconnect illegal cable service."
I know I will sleep better at night, knowing that I will benefit from Time Warner Cable being able to "greatly reduce the need for cable providers to dispatch employees to households to disconnect illegal cable service."
Because the benefits to me are so obvious. Like ... um ... and ... um ...
Does anyone else have a good cable story to share?
This is very bad for me as I am one of those 'small number of cable subscribers' with TV sets directly hooked up to cable. I pay just under $11 a month for the most basic cable - essentially the local broadcast channels and bit of flotsam. Once they start encrypting I will need a converter box at each TV which will double (or more) my costs.
ReplyDeleteThe other (real?) reason cable operators were so hot for this change is folks who have just internet service via a cable operator will no longer be able to 'steal' those broadcast basic channels by hooking the wire to a TV set.
So another regulation that benefits consumers bites the dust. Must be another day in what FOX news would surely describe as our socialist nightmare what with Obama being the President.
You must be one of the "47% folks" who feel you're "entitled" to cheap television. Get off the dole and make something of yourself! (If you were not aware, ohiobikes is a long-time friend of mine.)
Delete