I got kidnapped by Time Warner :-----(((

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:44:55 -0800, "Bill's News"
wrote:

Mark Lloyd wrote:
snip
People always say that if you don't like it you can go
somewhere else,
and COMPLETELY IGNORE situations where there is no "somewhere
else".

Good point! But not completely accurate. For example, if no
other access to broadcast TV is available in some area, ignore
TV and rent your favorite shows when they appear, commercial
free, on DVD. Is it really vital to see this week's "Desperate
Housewives" this week, or even this year? And consider all the
other shows not seen on "standard cable" which are available on
commercial-free DVD.


I find that I am doing that more now. Actually I'm watching "Lois and
Clark" season 4 on DVD now.

As for news, there is always the internet and radio. One of
those probably offers far better coverage than TV!


If any really important news happens, you probably can't keep from
hearing about it (even if you have no TV at all).

If you're a daytime addict, or MUST see the academy awards show
and its ilk,

I find those awards shows REALLY boring.

then you've probably got no choice - but also give
up your right to complain!

Why, when I was a lad ......

;-0)

--
12 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"How could you ask be to believe in God when there's
absolutely no evidence that I can see?" -- Jodie Foster

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:44:55 -0800, "Bill's News"
wrote:

Mark Lloyd wrote:
snip
People always say that if you don't like it you can go
somewhere else,
and COMPLETELY IGNORE situations where there is no "somewhere
else".

Good point!

And it reminded me of the last (USA) presidential election. Neither
candidate seemed a good choice.

But not completely accurate. For example, if no
other access to broadcast TV is available in some area, ignore
TV and rent your favorite shows when they appear, commercial
free, on DVD. Is it really vital to see this week's "Desperate
Housewives" this week, or even this year? And consider all the
other shows not seen on "standard cable" which are available on
commercial-free DVD.

As for news, there is always the internet and radio. One of
those probably offers far better coverage than TV!

If you're a daytime addict, or MUST see the academy awards show
and its ilk, then you've probably got no choice - but also give
up your right to complain!

Why, when I was a lad ......

;-0)

--
12 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"How could you ask be to believe in God when there's
absolutely no evidence that I can see?" -- Jodie Foster

Here are the latest updates of my attempts to force Time Warner to send
me a cable signal to a box I purchased not from them:

I called FCC and was told that Time Warner is breaking the FCC rule and
asked me to file a complain. I filed a complain and today (it was
faster then a speeding bullet!!!) I got a letter from State of NY
Department of Public Service telling me that they "have escalated my
concern to senior staff at the company".

I also sent an email to FCC asking them if Time Warner broke the FCC
rule. Today I received an email with the message:
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/New.../nrcb9009.html

Does anyone have an idea what does it mean?

Zalek

"zalek" wrote in message
ups.com...
Here are the latest updates of my attempts to force Time Warner to send
me a cable signal to a box I purchased not from them:

I called FCC and was told that Time Warner is breaking the FCC rule and
asked me to file a complain. I filed a complain and today (it was
faster then a speeding bullet!!!) I got a letter from State of NY
Department of Public Service telling me that they "have escalated my
concern to senior staff at the company".

I also sent an email to FCC asking them if Time Warner broke the FCC
rule. Today I received an email with the message:
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/New.../nrcb9009.html

Does anyone have an idea what does it mean?

In a nutshell... if you request a CableCARD for your 3rd party produced
CableCARD compatible device (e.g. TV with CableCARD slot, Tivo Series3,
etc...) they can't refuse you

and

They can't stop you from using an external cable tuner.

They still however, as I read the document provided, have to authorize your
privately purchased descrambler. No where in the document do the words
"decode", "authorize" or "descramble" even exist.

The FCC has escalated a case to the NY Atty Gen office that does not apply
to you.

"zalek" wrote:

Here are the latest updates of my attempts to force Time Warner to send
me a cable signal to a box I purchased not from them:

I called FCC and was told that Time Warner is breaking the FCC rule and
asked me to file a complain. I filed a complain and today (it was
faster then a speeding bullet!!!) I got a letter from State of NY
Department of Public Service telling me that they "have escalated my
concern to senior staff at the company".

I also sent an email to FCC asking them if Time Warner broke the FCC
rule. Today I received an email with the message:
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/New.../nrcb9009.html

Does anyone have an idea what does it mean?

Zalek

They will find that the converter you bought is stolen property and
file charges against you.
--
"From spongecake to satellites, it's gotta be Krebstar"

Seth wrote:
"zalek" wrote in message
ups.com...
Here are the latest updates of my attempts to force Time Warner to send
me a cable signal to a box I purchased not from them:

I called FCC and was told that Time Warner is breaking the FCC rule and
asked me to file a complain. I filed a complain and today (it was
faster then a speeding bullet!!!) I got a letter from State of NY
Department of Public Service telling me that they "have escalated my
concern to senior staff at the company".

I also sent an email to FCC asking them if Time Warner broke the FCC
rule. Today I received an email with the message:
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/New.../nrcb9009.html

Does anyone have an idea what does it mean?

In a nutshell... if you request a CableCARD for your 3rd party produced
CableCARD compatible device (e.g. TV with CableCARD slot, Tivo Series3,
etc...) they can't refuse you

and

They can't stop you from using an external cable tuner.

They still however, as I read the document provided, have to authorize your
privately purchased descrambler. No where in the document do the words
"decode", "authorize" or "descramble" even exist.

The FCC has escalated a case to the NY Atty Gen office that does not apply
to you.

What is a difference between "external cable tuner" and "descrambler"?
To watch channel like CNN or Discovery that is not transmit over the
air - do I need "descrambler" or "cable tuner"?

Thanks,

Zalek

David Moran wrote:
"zalek" wrote in message
oups.com...
Well - my war with Time Warner is not over yet, but I did almost all
humanly possible:

I called FCC - they acknoledged that Time Warner is breaking rule -
they told me FCC do not enforce rules and told me to file a commplain
at NY agency - 800 342-3377 - which I did.

I notified my Congress/Senat representative

I sent my case to On Your Side from WABC

I posted a message on misc.legal.moderated asking if it is possible to
file a class action suit against Time Warner for breaking FCC rules

I cried on my wife's shoulder...

Anything else can I do?

Zalek


Cable TV is a luxury, not a right. If you don't want to pay their price,
DON'T GET CABLE! Plain and simple.

Dave

Dude,

I live in apartment building where my only choice is cable TV or no TV
- plan and simple. If I had a choice to switch to a satellite I
wouldn't bitch about my problem.

Zalek

zalek wrote:
Seth wrote:
"zalek" wrote in message
ups.com...
Here are the latest updates of my attempts to force Time Warner to send
me a cable signal to a box I purchased not from them:

I called FCC and was told that Time Warner is breaking the FCC rule and
asked me to file a complain. I filed a complain and today (it was
faster then a speeding bullet!!!) I got a letter from State of NY
Department of Public Service telling me that they "have escalated my
concern to senior staff at the company".

I also sent an email to FCC asking them if Time Warner broke the FCC
rule. Today I received an email with the message:
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/New.../nrcb9009.html

Does anyone have an idea what does it mean?
In a nutshell... if you request a CableCARD for your 3rd party produced
CableCARD compatible device (e.g. TV with CableCARD slot, Tivo Series3,
etc...) they can't refuse you

and

They can't stop you from using an external cable tuner.

They still however, as I read the document provided, have to authorize your
privately purchased descrambler. No where in the document do the words
"decode", "authorize" or "descramble" even exist.

The FCC has escalated a case to the NY Atty Gen office that does not apply
to you.

What is a difference between "external cable tuner" and "descrambler"?
To watch channel like CNN or Discovery that is not transmit over the
air - do I need "descrambler" or "cable tuner"?

Thanks,

Zalek


Years ago, when lots of TVs were not Cable Ready (they could only tune
VHF & UHF up to about channel 64 or so if I recall) one needed an
external box to tune cable channels because they are modulated
differently. Those boxes don't "unscramble" anything, they just provide
the functionality of a 'cable ready' TV tuner.

Descramblers on the other hand, actually decrypt or unscramble premium
content. If your cable company requires you use their box to tune
non-digital content, that's what the box is doing.

CableCard basically allows you to buy something like a Tivo S3 or high
end TV, plug the cable directly into it, insert a card from the cable
company that you may lease from them which includes the keys required to
decrypt the content and watch with no ugly box sitting on your
entertainment center.

This is a rough sketch of what these things are. I know I generalized
broadly, but that's the basic idea.

If you can't plug the cable directly into a relatively modern TV and
watch, the only thing they are obligated to do is lease you a CableCard.
They're under no obligation to "activate" the box you have purchased
(legally or not, doesn't matter) off eBay.

"zalek" wrote in message
ups.com...

Seth wrote:
"zalek" wrote in message
ups.com...
Here are the latest updates of my attempts to force Time Warner to send
me a cable signal to a box I purchased not from them:

I called FCC and was told that Time Warner is breaking the FCC rule and
asked me to file a complain. I filed a complain and today (it was
faster then a speeding bullet!!!) I got a letter from State of NY
Department of Public Service telling me that they "have escalated my
concern to senior staff at the company".

I also sent an email to FCC asking them if Time Warner broke the FCC
rule. Today I received an email with the message:
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/New.../nrcb9009.html

Does anyone have an idea what does it mean?

In a nutshell... if you request a CableCARD for your 3rd party produced
CableCARD compatible device (e.g. TV with CableCARD slot, Tivo Series3,
etc...) they can't refuse you

and

They can't stop you from using an external cable tuner.

They still however, as I read the document provided, have to authorize
your
privately purchased descrambler. No where in the document do the words
"decode", "authorize" or "descramble" even exist.

The FCC has escalated a case to the NY Atty Gen office that does not
apply
to you.

What is a difference between "external cable tuner" and "descrambler"?
To watch channel like CNN or Discovery that is not transmit over the
air - do I need "descrambler" or "cable tuner"?

"external cable tuner" is what people needed to view "in the clear" CaTV
channels back in the day when many TVs weren't "cable-ready". The TVs were
designed for VHF channels 2-13 and UHF channels 14-83. When people with
those TVs went to cable they needed an external cable tuner to put between
their TV and cable line to get CaTV channels above 13. Then came
"cable-ready" TVs where you could tell the TV if you were using CaTV or OTA.

A descrambler is just that. It has the necessary security gear built in to
authorize viewing of channels that weren't in the clear.

The FCC ruling that applies to descrambling equipment is CableCARD. Not
external descramblers.

An "external cable tuner" will allow you to view the exact same channels
that you can view on a cable ready TV (or VCR) by plugging directly into the
wall.

Back when this transition first happened the cable companies tried to say
you couldn't buy an "external cable tuner" but you had to use theirs. Kind
of like back in the day when Ma Bell said you couldn't buy your own
telephone, you had to use theirs.

Mark Lloyd wrote:
snip

And it reminded me of the last (USA) presidential election.
Neither
candidate seemed a good choice.

snip

I think the last time we had a clear choice for the Presidency
was George Washington!

We've had a few "tight" races after which the President rose to
the tasks at hand, and we've had some landslide victors who
are/were a disgrace to the office. It ain't perfect, but we
call it democracy (even though we're a Republic;-0)

It might be a good idea to require reading of Gibbon's, "The
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" in political science
classes. Our politicians seem to believe that history will not
repeat itself?

A sample:

"The rise of a city, which swelled into an Empire, may deserve,
as a singular prodigy, the reflection of a philosophic mind. But
the decline of Rome was the natural and inevitable effect of
immoderate greatness. Prosperity ripened the principle of decay;
the causes of destruction multiplied with the extent of
conquest; and, as soon as time or accident had removed the
artificial supports, the stupendous fabric yielded to the
pressure of its own weight."