Time Warner: Let Cable Scramble Off-Air DTV

[Gregg Lengling]

Abstract: Time Warner is seeking federal approval to scramble off-air digital signals over its cable systems.

[summerfun]

What exactly does this mean?

Currently I run cable directly to my analog TV sets without an STB, but I only get the analog channels up to 99.

Are you saying I will need an STB for all my cable ready TV sets even for just the first 99 channels? I already need an STB for the digital channels.

[Gregg Lengling]

I think what they are looking for is to scramble the HD feeds. Like the 500 channels right now you actually need their box for, but with the new cable ready TV's you would be able to receive them at this point.  However if they scramble them, you won't be able to get them without their box or an add-on card.

[mhz40]

Originally posted by Gregg Lengling
Abstract: Time Warner is seeking federal approval to scramble off-air digital signals over its cable systems.

You got this from Multichannel News?

[Gregg Lengling]

No from HDTV Insider.

[summerfun]

I guess I am surprised that the HD channels are not already scrambled.

The digital channels are scrambled, why would the HD channels not be scrambled?

I have resigned myself that I will always need an STB because I will always want to use icontrol, indemand, and DVR features and I don't think any of the HD cable ready TV sets with or without cards will provide those features.


I do like having no STB on my other TV's in the house. Although they only get the analog 99 channels, there is no extra cost to those TV's. With six other TVs in the house, that could add up quickly.

[mhz40]

Hmmm.  I know of no local change to the policy of not encrypting local feeds...  HD or not.
Not seeing the article, I can't comment much more about the reports.

[Gregg Lengling]

The only thing that hangs in my mind about this one is the contracts the cable companies have with the broadcasting stations.  Unless someone's lawyer let this one slip past, I would think most carriage agreements require that OTA locals be placed on the basic (unencrypted ) tier.  Meaning that consumers will not have to rent the cable companies boxes to receive the signal on any of their TV sets.  I'm just surmising this from my experience with contract law during conversations with my lawyers on this type of contract.  Although ours were in a different wireless industry I would think they would be somewhat similiar.

I wonder if Jim Hall could (if ownership allows) expound on this as to whether 58 has such clauses in their carriage agreements with Time/Warner.