Midcontinent out of South Dakota.
Free cable?
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,143
Likes: 18
Free cable?
Man, I'm confused with what to do. Half tell me to use it, half tell me to be careful and not use it.
I just don't want to be using it, then get the cable company mad, and somehow have it effect my cable internet service.
I just don't want to be using it, then get the cable company mad, and somehow have it effect my cable internet service.
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,775
Likes: 1
From: Conway Arkansas
Free cable?
Worst case scenario would be they make you pay for it.
Since your a subscriber of some sort I dont think they will get you for pirating it.
Best thing.... CALL THE CABLE COMPANY AND ASK!
Keeps your butt out of a hard place :P
Since your a subscriber of some sort I dont think they will get you for pirating it.
Best thing.... CALL THE CABLE COMPANY AND ASK!
Keeps your butt out of a hard place :P
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 11,537
Likes: 27
From: Long Beach, Ms.
Free cable?
YES they can tell if you are watching. They have a reciever that can pick up the emissions from your tv set. It enables them to sit outside your home in their truck and tune into your system. However if you did nothing to make a connection other than hooking into the jack at the interior wallplate then most companies will turn a blind eye to the past service. The cable company is responsible for disconnecting service to a location.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,393
Likes: 0
From: Thomson, GA
Free cable?
I say go for it, but if you are gonna be paranoid, just unhook it when you are not watching. Worst Case scenario-just what andysutt said. Pay for one month *if* you get cought, and cancel after you pay what you had to. Myself, I have country cable.
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 505
Likes: 0
From: Castle Rock, Colorado
Free cable?
Yes, they can tell you are watching it, no they aren't sitting outside your house with a receiver. They can tell remotely by more bandwidth being drawn to your location. It's the same way they can tell if you hook your neighbor up to your computer network by running a coax to his house, it'll take more bandwidth...
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 525
Likes: 0
From: New Braunfels TX
Free cable?
I've been watching my free cable for almost 3 years. If they turn it off I'll get a dish. Tried it when I first moved in so I just use it till they turn it off. I don't feel that I,m doing any thing wrong since I didn't ask them to hook it up and all I did was plug the wire coming out of the wall into my tv.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,323
Likes: 2
From: Montana Territory
Free cable?
Wrong guys, he lives in an apartment building its split off of the complete building, they aren't going to be able to tell. And no I would never turn anyone in. I don't really care if you take it, they got us bent over paying over $100 a month here anyway. I am glad somebody is getting something out of it. I would use it for as long as you can get away with it, when they ask, say that you thought it came with your internet.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
Free cable?
I had a worker from the cable company come to my house to switch me from expanded basic to just basic cable. All he said was "if I forget to put your filter on, call me in a year and I'll install it". Obviously, he never put the filter on and I received expanded cable for free. I don't think that they really care. Just my opinion.
Elder User
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 940
Likes: 0
From: LAT 46.55501° & LON -122
Free cable?
They probably leave it connected to your house at the street in hopes that you will get "hooked to it" and cannot live without it; then they stop by one day and ask you to start paying or get disconnected. Sounds like the typical drug dealer?
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
Likes: 37
Free cable?
Originally posted by dtpatt2
Yes, they can tell you are watching it, no they aren't sitting outside your house with a receiver. They can tell remotely by more bandwidth being drawn to your location. It's the same way they can tell if you hook your neighbor up to your computer network by running a coax to his house, it'll take more bandwidth...
Yes, they can tell you are watching it, no they aren't sitting outside your house with a receiver. They can tell remotely by more bandwidth being drawn to your location. It's the same way they can tell if you hook your neighbor up to your computer network by running a coax to his house, it'll take more bandwidth...
HUH??? Who told you that? Could I interest you in some real estate off the Florida coast perhaps...
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,143
Likes: 18
Free cable?
I've been flipping channels this evening, but not willingly (gotta cover my tracks....the cable company made me do it, right?). Not much to see other than garbage. Some good stuff, but I don't watch much tv to begin with. I'd be happy just getting the local channels.....and comedy central.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 2,007
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
Free cable?
If they really wanted to, the Db loss could be measured at the amp out on the street. One amp handles so many households, however; that's assuming the guy climbing the pole took accurate measurements years ago when they were in a rush to add amplifiers with the upcoming cable modem speculation. I think 40% added gain was the figure I heard they were specing into the systems to allow for return bandwidth.
The realistic way they would check it would be to have the $10/hr tech climb up the pole and see if the filter was installed. But to get to that point they would have to know you were using it. Not likely, unless someone was getting free cable and called to complain about poor reception. That would probably get a guy up the pole with a filter to the house.
Now, say you were getting free cable and decided to throw an amp on at your house. Then go to your neighbors and offer them free cable by stringing RG59 through the backyards. When the whole street cancels cable at the same time- that might cause a lightbulb to go off somewhere and force them to send in legal.
The realistic way they would check it would be to have the $10/hr tech climb up the pole and see if the filter was installed. But to get to that point they would have to know you were using it. Not likely, unless someone was getting free cable and called to complain about poor reception. That would probably get a guy up the pole with a filter to the house.
Now, say you were getting free cable and decided to throw an amp on at your house. Then go to your neighbors and offer them free cable by stringing RG59 through the backyards. When the whole street cancels cable at the same time- that might cause a lightbulb to go off somewhere and force them to send in legal.
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,775
Likes: 1
From: Conway Arkansas
Free cable?
Originally posted by 88grandmarquis
I've been flipping channels this evening, but not willingly (gotta cover my tracks....the cable company made me do it, right?). Not much to see other than garbage. Some good stuff, but I don't watch much tv to begin with. I'd be happy just getting the local channels.....and comedy central.
I've been flipping channels this evening, but not willingly (gotta cover my tracks....the cable company made me do it, right?). Not much to see other than garbage. Some good stuff, but I don't watch much tv to begin with. I'd be happy just getting the local channels.....and comedy central.
Haha, your like me... My TV stays on Comedy Central.
Im either watching ir, or the TV is most likely off