If you ONLY have cable internet can you still get tv channels?

1happyguy · 06-29-2009, 01:02 PM

I have a friend who says he ONLY has cable internet and can still pick up some cable channels. I told him that is illegal and he is only paying for internet. Can this happen?

THanks

E55 KEV · 06-29-2009, 01:28 PM

Yes. The cable line coming into a house 'usually' does not split or exclude the cable tv programming. The cable company is pushing internet and cable down the same line all the time. If you have a digital TV with a QAM tuner you will get limited cable tv channels, those channels that are not scrambled, without needing a rented cable box.

I am not sure if this is 'really' illegal as many of the cable channels coming in with the QAM tuner are the free broadcast stations that you get with an antenna. He is not getting any premium or pay for programming from that line without a cable box.

bicker · 06-29-2009, 02:07 PM

Our service provider charges about $10 for limited basic cable and about $50 for high-speed Internet, but they give a $10 discount for taking two services, so if you just get the high-speed Internet, you're still paying the same as what you'd pay for both limited basic cable and high-speed Internet.

E55 KEV · 06-29-2009, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bicker

Our service provider charges about $10 for limited basic cable and about $50 for high-speed Internet, but they give a $10 discount for taking two services, so if you just get the high-speed Internet, you're still paying the same as what you'd pay for both limited basic cable and high-speed Internet.

sounds like what a friend of mine just did also. She only wanted internet and they (Comcast) say they are throwing in basic cable for free. She did not get a cable box.

davecramer74 · 06-29-2009, 03:15 PM

depends where you live and if the techs block it. They can put a signal grabber on that blocks tv. My old place, they didnt block it, my new house i just bought, its blocked. There is a certain tool that they have to remove them. its not one that just screws on.

electrictroy · 06-29-2009, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1happyguy

I have a friend who says he ONLY has cable internet and can still pick up some cable channels. I told him that is illegal and he is only paying for internet.

I used to have "only" local channels, but I was also able to watch FX, TNT, and E! for no extra charge. This was due to the filter not being perfectly designed, so even though I was only supposed to get channels 2 to 15, I also got channels 39-41.

And it's not really illegal. If the cable company didn't put-in proper filtering, that's their OWN fault not mine nor your friend's fault.

Sykotic · 07-01-2009, 01:36 AM

Most markets require a trap (filters out video). Dont expect anything for free.

electrictroy · 07-01-2009, 12:04 PM

No trap is perfect. It sounds like this gentleman, like me, was able to see some channels that "snuck" through

oblioman · 07-01-2009, 06:26 PM

Me only dealing with comcast is for HS internet (they do a great job of it), and its all we asked for. But, alas, our local comcast charges us an extra $15 a month for basic cable because we subscribe to their HS internet. Since it's the only HSI we can get, we simply resign ourselves and our monies to comcast. Does not make our loathing for comcast any less, we merely consider comcast a minor irritation that one of these days (hopefully soon) we can untether our checkbook from the crooks.

Sykotic · 07-01-2009, 10:01 PM

I know the filters go bad. But which do you think is far more common, a bad filter or a lazy tech? Cable is a local utility, so the local government gets a franchise fee for each subscriber. But getting cable services for free, you are taking from the local community. Which is odd, that its a federal crime and most local law enforcement dont even deal with cable service theft. And they benefit from the infusion of revenue.
honestly, if your not willing to pay for it, you shouldnt have it.

electrictroy · 07-02-2009, 07:01 AM

You're not understanding. Even a perfectly-designed filter still has harmonics. That's why my filter which was supposed to cut-off at channel 15, still allowed me to see channels 39,40,41 - the harmonics snuck through as a blurred but watchable image.

And no it isn't stealing when the cable company does not do its job properly. I asked them for locals only - they gave me locals plus channels 39-41. The blame goes on THEM not the customer, and the government would fine Comcast for incompetance, not the customer. (Actually Comcast would probably just bribe the local politicians and clear themselves of all charges.)

And as for theft - the government/companies steal from us plenty. I consider the ~2000 billion bailouts of the past year to be theft by the corporations from the taxpayers. Rob from the poor; give to the rich; that's basically what happened.

Filekhasper · 07-03-2009, 08:52 PM

You still get basic cable channels, a lot of times the cable internet charge without any cable is normally higher and basically making up for 1, the fact that you have a single product and/or 2, you dont have the basic cable but you are still getting it...

watching tv you dont pay for is stealling... If you goto a yard sale and take something, is this not stealing? whether or not it has a price tag or a security gaurd? No one is going to say anything or prosecute anyone for it... If you suddenly loose them, you know why? Don't complain about what you are getting tho...

electrictroy · 07-05-2009, 10:42 AM

Yeah but stealing something from a yard sale deprives the owner of his chair, vase, or whatever. He's lost his property.

Watching TNT for free doesn't. TNT still has the videotapes in their possession.

bicker · 07-05-2009, 11:08 AM

Rationalizing theft of service is selfish and disreputable.

Sykotic · 07-05-2009, 11:21 AM

How do you think you would react if they came out and replaced the trap with a better and all of a sudden you only get the programming that your paying for? Would you be ok with it? Its not a question fault, its a question that you know your NOT supposed to get it, but you do. Enjoy it while its happening, and expect the possibility of losing it at anytime. GL

06-29-2009, 01:02 PM	#1
1happyguy High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 269	If you ONLY have cable internet can you still get tv channels? I have a friend who says he ONLY has cable internet and can still pick up some cable channels. I told him that is illegal and he is only paying for internet. Can this happen? THanks

06-29-2009, 01:28 PM	#2
E55 KEV High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Washington D.C. Posts: 1,032	Yes. The cable line coming into a house 'usually' does not split or exclude the cable tv programming. The cable company is pushing internet and cable down the same line all the time. If you have a digital TV with a QAM tuner you will get limited cable tv channels, those channels that are not scrambled, without needing a rented cable box. I am not sure if this is 'really' illegal as many of the cable channels coming in with the QAM tuner are the free broadcast stations that you get with an antenna. He is not getting any premium or pay for programming from that line without a cable box. __________________ My Website www.E55AMG.com Last edited by E55 KEV; 06-29-2009 at 03:23 PM.

06-29-2009, 03:15 PM	#5
davecramer74 High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bay Area California Age: 35 Posts: 1,046	depends where you live and if the techs block it. They can put a signal grabber on that blocks tv. My old place, they didnt block it, my new house i just bought, its blocked. There is a certain tool that they have to remove them. its not one that just screws on. __________________ Vizio 42" LCD Phillips 50" plasma

07-01-2009, 12:04 PM	#8
electrictroy Wii 480p looks good to me Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 2,002	No trap is perfect. It sounds like this gentleman, like me, was able to see some channels that "snuck" through __________________ My internet cost == $15/month. My cellphone cost == $5/month. My television cost = Free!

07-02-2009, 07:01 AM	#11
electrictroy Wii 480p looks good to me Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 2,002	You're not understanding. Even a perfectly-designed filter still has harmonics. That's why my filter which was supposed to cut-off at channel 15, still allowed me to see channels 39,40,41 - the harmonics snuck through as a blurred but watchable image. And no it isn't stealing when the cable company does not do its job properly. I asked them for locals only - they gave me locals plus channels 39-41. The blame goes on THEM not the customer, and the government would fine Comcast for incompetance, not the customer. (Actually Comcast would probably just bribe the local politicians and clear themselves of all charges.) And as for theft - the government/companies steal from us plenty. I consider the ~2000 billion bailouts of the past year to be theft by the corporations from the taxpayers. Rob from the poor; give to the rich; that's basically what happened. __________________ My internet cost == $15/month. My cellphone cost == $5/month. My television cost = Free!

06-29-2009, 02:07 PM	#3
bicker High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Burlington, MA Posts: 1,534	Our service provider charges about $10 for limited basic cable and about $50 for high-speed Internet, but they give a $10 discount for taking two services, so if you just get the high-speed Internet, you're still paying the same as what you'd pay for both limited basic cable and high-speed Internet.

07-01-2009, 01:36 AM	#7
Sykotic Got HD? Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Institutionalized Posts: 510	Most markets require a trap (filters out video). Dont expect anything for free.

07-01-2009, 06:26 PM	#9
oblioman Possum Tipper at large. Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Someville TN Posts: 5,307	Me only dealing with comcast is for HS internet (they do a great job of it), and its all we asked for. But, alas, our local comcast charges us an extra $15 a month for basic cable because we subscribe to their HS internet. Since it's the only HSI we can get, we simply resign ourselves and our monies to comcast. Does not make our loathing for comcast any less, we merely consider comcast a minor irritation that one of these days (hopefully soon) we can untether our checkbook from the crooks.

07-01-2009, 10:01 PM	#10
Sykotic Got HD? Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Institutionalized Posts: 510	I know the filters go bad. But which do you think is far more common, a bad filter or a lazy tech? Cable is a local utility, so the local government gets a franchise fee for each subscriber. But getting cable services for free, you are taking from the local community. Which is odd, that its a federal crime and most local law enforcement dont even deal with cable service theft. And they benefit from the infusion of revenue. honestly, if your not willing to pay for it, you shouldnt have it.

07-03-2009, 08:52 PM	#12
Filekhasper High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 41	You still get basic cable channels, a lot of times the cable internet charge without any cable is normally higher and basically making up for 1, the fact that you have a single product and/or 2, you dont have the basic cable but you are still getting it... watching tv you dont pay for is stealling... If you goto a yard sale and take something, is this not stealing? whether or not it has a price tag or a security gaurd? No one is going to say anything or prosecute anyone for it... If you suddenly loose them, you know why? Don't complain about what you are getting tho...

07-05-2009, 10:42 AM	#13
electrictroy Wii 480p looks good to me Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 2,002	Yeah but stealing something from a yard sale deprives the owner of his chair, vase, or whatever. He's lost his property. Watching TNT for free doesn't. TNT still has the videotapes in their possession. __________________ My internet cost == $15/month. My cellphone cost == $5/month. My television cost = Free!

07-05-2009, 11:08 AM	#14
bicker High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Burlington, MA Posts: 1,534	Rationalizing theft of service is selfish and disreputable.

07-05-2009, 11:21 AM	#15
Sykotic Got HD? Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Institutionalized Posts: 510	How do you think you would react if they came out and replaced the trap with a better and all of a sudden you only get the programming that your paying for? Would you be ok with it? Its not a question fault, its a question that you know your NOT supposed to get it, but you do. Enjoy it while its happening, and expect the possibility of losing it at anytime. GL

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