Skammer
01-24-2008, 03:45 PM
We subscribe to digital cable “extended basic” service, which means we get all the free cable channels (including HD) but no premium channels. Our main TV in the family room has a cable box, with which we can access all the available channels as well as the On Demand pay-per-view programming.
Until recently, our other TV was a 15 year-old 13” analog set in the kitchen. However, it was killed by a lightning strike a few weeks ago and we replaced it with an inexpensive 13” tube set with a dual analog/digital tuner.
The other day I was flipping through the digital channels on this new TV and of course found all the basic digital channels – basically just digital versions of the local broadcast stations, plus WGN, CSPAN, and a couple of others.
As I continued up the dial, I found a number of channels that displayed the message “Signal is encrypted.” Without a cable box, that made perfect sense.
However, as I scanned higher channels (starting at 104-001) I started seeing movies like The Simpsons, Waitress, and other recent films. Also – depending on the time of day – a lot of children’s shows and/or porn. At first I thought I was receiving some premium movie channels, but I’ve found that the same channel might be showing Dora the Explorer one hour and then an Anna Nicole Smith Playboy special a little while later. Also, I’ve noticed that sometimes movies will suddenly fast forward through a scene or multiple scenes; or stop altogether before the movie is over. And there are never any network-identifying bumpers between movies.
In other words, I’m pretty sure I’m seeing “On Demand” movies. I can’t control them, or predict what will be on when, but I can watch them – about 20-30 channels worth (but they are not all active at the same time). And only on this little cable box-less TV.
How can this possibly be happening? Could I be "peeking in" on movies that my neighbors are watching? And is there any way for the cable company to know?
Until recently, our other TV was a 15 year-old 13” analog set in the kitchen. However, it was killed by a lightning strike a few weeks ago and we replaced it with an inexpensive 13” tube set with a dual analog/digital tuner.
The other day I was flipping through the digital channels on this new TV and of course found all the basic digital channels – basically just digital versions of the local broadcast stations, plus WGN, CSPAN, and a couple of others.
As I continued up the dial, I found a number of channels that displayed the message “Signal is encrypted.” Without a cable box, that made perfect sense.
However, as I scanned higher channels (starting at 104-001) I started seeing movies like The Simpsons, Waitress, and other recent films. Also – depending on the time of day – a lot of children’s shows and/or porn. At first I thought I was receiving some premium movie channels, but I’ve found that the same channel might be showing Dora the Explorer one hour and then an Anna Nicole Smith Playboy special a little while later. Also, I’ve noticed that sometimes movies will suddenly fast forward through a scene or multiple scenes; or stop altogether before the movie is over. And there are never any network-identifying bumpers between movies.
In other words, I’m pretty sure I’m seeing “On Demand” movies. I can’t control them, or predict what will be on when, but I can watch them – about 20-30 channels worth (but they are not all active at the same time). And only on this little cable box-less TV.
How can this possibly be happening? Could I be "peeking in" on movies that my neighbors are watching? And is there any way for the cable company to know?