# Cable Descramblers

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-descramblers/129832
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 27, 2002, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-descramblers/129832 "2002-09-27T04:43:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2002, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-descramblers/129832/1 "2002-09-27T04:43:27Z")

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I’ve always wondered- How exactly (in laymen’s terms) does the cable company scramble all those pay channels, yet they can be descrambled with a box on top of your tv? And how do the illegal boxes work?

-Rob

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### Author: ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2002, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-descramblers/129832/2 "2002-09-27T11:50:36Z")

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We do not permit discussions on this board that would encourage people to break the law.

This is closed.

**DrMatrix** - General Questions Moderato