Cable Questions

[epiphany]

Hoping that there are some cable savvy folks among you all.....

After reading the recent threads on how to save money, I started seriously thinking about whether I needed to keep cable TV or not. I don't watch that much TV but I like it there when I want it.

I really only want channels 2-80 but my cable company has shoved 500 plus channels down my throat, claiming that they don't have a cheaper package unless all I want are 2-13. I've looked into this three times.

One time, they actually put me back on a promo that was supposed to be good for a year, but reversed it 6 months later, saying that the person who did that never should have. That shouldn't matter, they should have honored their agreement anyway but this company cares nothing about customer service. There is no other cable company to use in my area.

Anyway, my cable bill was due Saturday and I actually went to their office to pay it, thinking that they were open until 6, but they had closed at 5. I contemplated paying them online but then started thinking since I didn't have that much money to let 'em shut it off and pay them on payday (which is tomorrow).

They did shut off the box. I hooked the cable line to my VCR (which is hooked up to the TV) so I could get better reception on a local channel to watch Big Brother (I know it's assine, but I love it!). Anyway, I discovered that I still have channels 2-80 by hooking it up this way. I checked the bedroom TV, which never had a box, and it still is getting those channels too. (some of the channel numbers in the bedroom have always been different because of the non box but now the living room matches)

So here are my questions:

Why am I still getting cable? Do they actually have to come out and shut something off?

Why can't they charge me for just what I have at this very moment in time, because it's really all I wanted in the first place?

I would gladly pay for this. I have no intention of stealing cable but am tired of paying 72.00 a month for a whole bunch of crap I have no use for. I will pay them what I owe tomorrow but I want to keep the current setup. What do you think my chances are?

TIA,
ep

[BKParalegal]

What is a VCR?

Just kidding, Do you have internet through your cable company as well, or more importantly do you have ISDN(Cable internet) period. If you do that is why the line is hot, the cable company can't send the internet signal without also sending the cable as well.

If that is the case, then "technically" you are stealing but "technically" they are sending it to you for free.

Good luck

[epiphany]

What is a VCR?

Just kidding, Do you have internet through your cable company as well, or more importantly do you have ISDN(Cable internet) period. If you do that is why the line is hot, the cable company can't send the internet signal without also sending the cable as well.

If that is the case, then "technically" you are stealing but "technically" they are sending it to you for free.

Good luck

Thanks but no. I have DSL. The only thing I have through a cable company is the television.

ep

[epiphany]

What is a VCR?

I haven't come out of the dark ages. (it took me forever to get a CD player but I finally relented.) The only DVD player I have is on my computer.

ep

[JRScott]

I don't have a TV at home at all. I mostly use my computer for what I might use a TV.

[krielly]

My guess would be that you have digital cable. They probably sent a signal to your box to shut it off, but for now, you are still getting the lower channels.
Unless you make payment shortly, I suspect they will totally shut it off, but for now, it's just the box. That's why you are still getting a cable signal through the line.

K

[Cali]

Some places they actually do need to come out to turn it off.

Do you have digital phone and cable? That might be why you can still get it.

Or maybe the channels are actually the basic cable.

[southernbelle]

My guess would be that you have digital cable. They probably sent a signal to your box to shut it off, but for now, you are still getting the lower channels.
Unless you make payment shortly, I suspect they will totally shut it off, but for now, it's just the box. That's why you are still getting a cable signal through the line.

K

I agree with krielly. That's probably what is happening.

And JRScott, you are my personal hero. No t.v.? Wow, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. LOL

[AngelinaCatHub]

Your box was for premium channels. I think they are running bull to you. Now here is how it works, in the old days with less channels they would put a ‘choke’ or filter in line from your “drop” to their larger cable connection. This choke would pass some channels but not others. When they “turn you off” they will put a dead ‘choke’ in line with your cable or simply unscrew the cable and leave it loose. It is easy to rehook it back up but it is theft and falls into Federal law. You would not want to do that. Your bill is very high though for only cable. Ask what their cheapest plan is and what stations you get. Do you have a new TV? Next February, all signals will be digital. Supposedly cable TV will be ok to use with the new digital. The box you have takes the place of the ‘choke’ since so many other channels are now available they can limit your choice digitally. ‘Hub

[JRScott]

I agree with krielly. That's probably what is happening.

And JRScott, you are my personal hero. No t.v.? Wow, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. LOL

Haven't owned a TV in 8 years. I do watch it sometimes at work during graveyard. For entertainment I just play a computer game, for news I browse news sites, etc.

[yoyoma51]

We have Dish Network. $51.00/month total with plenty of channels, and a two room DVR.

[AMISLANDER]

Personally, it makes more sense to keep the cable/satellite with a few movie stations as going out to the theatre is just way expensive (and you know that popcorn smell, even if it's bad, always tries to lure your $ away as well)...

Next year, all analog is going digital, which will be a mess for awhile & bunny ears, so they say, won't do it anymore.

Didn't tv used to be free?

[WhatMoney]

TV has been free for me ever since I cancelled my cable back in 1993. Back then it was 100 channels and nothing on. Now it's 500 channels and still nothing on.

Over The Air (OTA) television is still free and with the DTV broadcasting (which is already here with most stations) is better than ever. No more snow, shadows, and weird color distortions with digital transmissions OTA, plus digital sound. And I'm not talking about OTA HD TV, which most of you in bankruptcy should not have anyway.

For the purists, OTA DTV (SD or HD) is still the best quality you can get. Cable and satellite companies compress and degrade the digital signals (and the analog ones too). This is one reason I switched to OTA years ago.

I paid $10 after the $40 government coupon to get a new Zenith DTT-901 converter box for my OTA TV set. I presently get 23 local channels all perfectly in digital TV, and more are on the way next year. Depending on your location you may need anything from a paper clip stuck in the back of the box for an antenna to an attic or outside antenna. I have an outside UHF/VHF antenna hidden under the roof of my porch - overkill for my location - but good enough to pick up DTV stations up to 40 miles away.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=186

We have an entire generation that never experienced free TV, even though for the first 30 years of television everyone used OTA with an antenna.

[ssdsco]

TV has been free for me ever since I cancelled my cable back in 1993. Back then it was 100 channels and nothing on. Now it's 500 channels and still nothing on.

Over The Air (OTA) television is still free and with the DTV broadcasting (which is already here with most stations) is better than ever. No more snow, shadows, and weird color distortions with digital transmissions OTA, plus digital sound. And I'm not talking about OTA HD TV, which most of you in bankruptcy should not have anyway.

For the purists, OTA DTV (SD or HD) is still the best quality you can get. Cable and satellite companies compress and degrade the digital signals (and the analog ones too). This is one reason I switched to OTA years ago.

I paid $10 after the $40 government coupon to get a new Zenith DTT-901 converter box for my OTA TV set. I presently get 23 local channels all perfectly in digital TV, and more are on the way next year. Depending on your location you may need anything from a paper clip stuck in the back of the box for an antenna to an attic or outside antenna. I have an outside UHF/VHF antenna hidden under the roof of my porch - overkill for my location - but good enough to pick up DTV stations up to 40 miles away.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=186

We have an entire generation that never experienced free TV, even though for the first 30 years of television everyone used OTA with an antenna.

[PaKettle]

Many cable co's have a "broadcast basic" package that they don't like to tell you about.
Call them up and ask them for their absolute cheapest way of just getting the broadcast channels. I think it might even be a law that they have to provide this.

I am paying only $18 or so per month for mine and it includes the broadcast stations in digital transmission, but also about 10-15 other stations, PBS, etc..

We went from a $50/month cable bill to $18 and then we put the other $35 or so into Netflix and Blockbuster online (we use both because Blockbuster has a plan that allows you to trade movies at the store, they get there quicker and you get "extra" free movies that way too. Also each is sometimes out of a movie, so when one is out, the other often has it.

We prefer this to having a bunch of cable or satellite channels.