A WARNING to all ntl cable subscribers stealing cable

PK - the king

I would like to warn all ntl customers that ntl are getting ready to launch interactive (within the next year) on their cable network. As I noticed recently, there has been a lot of threads and posts from people who are stealing cable, obviously illegally. Well, the lot of you had better watch out, because NTL can immediately detect anyone who is stealing cable, because the box will report back to NTL HQ that something is wrong. Then the gardai will be on your doorstep, and personally I hope they sling the lot of ye in jail. And you never know - NTL can still monitor their STB even though interactive is "not available yet". There's a lot of things ntl can do, that they don't tell you about.

I hope anyone bootlegging cable gets caught - it's illegal, and I think you should be locked up for a few years. You wouldn't rob a DVD shop would you? And, as the labels on the underside of your boxes say, "Theft of cable services is a crime". So, cop on. Pay up for cable, like the rest of us do. The service might be crap, but hey - they can only improve the service if they have money to invest.

No matter how you try to evade ntl, they will always find a way of getting you and making you pay.

watty

And if you want free telly put up and aerial and/or a dish and buy your own gear.

IF you ARE paying for cable and the picture is NOT PERFECT on every channel, compalin in writing. If nothing is done take a photo and send to Comreg.

Cable & MMDS quality of service is shocking.

Tom Dunne

Originally posted by PK - the king
NTL can immediately detect anyone who is stealing cable, because the box will report back to NTL HQ that something is wrong.

I know nothing about NTL cable, but I know people who have it (legally) and don't have a box. Care to expand on this point?

eth0_

Originally posted by tom dunne
I know nothing about NTL cable, but I know people who have it (legally) and don't have a box. Care to expand on this point?

I presume he's talking about NTL digital here.

watty

The "basic" analog package works with no box.

The "extra" analog channels are "scrambled" and need a simple box.

Digital is encrypted and even if it wasn't needs QAM demodulator and MPEG2 to analog convertor inside the Cable Tuner.

So with analog ALL the TVs in the house can choose any mix of the basic package, but the quality is terrible.


With digital, as long as it actually works at all, the picture is much better (but for various reasons not as good as BBC on Satellite or a GOOD RTE UHF signal), but even if the box feeds all the TVs, they all see the same channel.

Chorus / NTL only really keep the basic analog, even though it encourages cable piracy (taps) as a marketing ploy versus Sky. Satellite even for analog needs a separate receiver, so each TV with Satellite needs a receiver unless you all watch the same channel.

We solve this two ways.. (1) don't watch much TV and (2) The Three digital Receivers and 3 analog recievers and 4 channel roof aerial feed all the TVs so there is pleanty choice.

(nor do we actually subscribe. Cable has zero free channels if you cancel, Ireland has about 800 free TV and 600 Free Radio on Satellite when you cancel Sky.....!)

watty

To the folks that think it is no harm - do nothing, Piracy has collapsed many operators and reduces the money to invest in the system.

NTL/Chorus are bad enough without being made worse.

ITV digital paritally folded due to 30% piracy and paying too much for Sport.

Two satellite operators in Italy got taken over cheap by Sky as they had too much piracy.

Tom Dunne

Originally posted by eth0_
I presume he's talking about NTL digital here.

I had a feeling. I didn't think it was possible to 'steal' digital.

Which leads me to believe that NTL have no way of knowing who is 'stealing' their analogue signal. Note: I do not in any way condone this, I am merely amused/confused at PK's rant.

watty

Of course you can steal Digital. Though noone has "stolen" Sky yet.

And yes there are methods of detecting theft of Analog cable and also which TV channel you watch on an aerial etc etc.

These vary from simple to complex.

I'm not going to explain the details of how to steal Digital nor how Analog cable piracy can be detected. Some folks are less honest than me. (My moral failings are in other directions).

BrianD

I suspect that it is difficult to steal Digital Cable but it is rare that NTL actually 'turn off' analogue cable to a premises. Many peole who have free cable tend to be those who have recently (or not so recently) and have 'forgotten' to ring NTL. There are also people who 'tap' into the cable and this causes signal degradation for everyone else.

Cal

Originally posted by PK - the king
There's a lot of things ntl can do, that they don't tell you about.

Would 'Customer Service' be one of those things?

Cal

Roffle cal67

cdc

Originally posted by PK - the king
So, cop on. Pay up for cable, like the rest of us do. The service might be crap, but hey - they can only improve the service if they have money to invest.

I recall NTL being in billions of debt, so presumably any money they make will go towards servicing and repaying this debt.

NTL should have been wound up and got rid of and their cable infrastructure sold to a competent company.
Instead the whole chapter 11 farce has kept it alive, with it's debts which will take forever I presume for it's customers to pay off.

Don't break the law, but don't believe a bit more cash from former leechers will do anything to improve NTL's service.

HarryD

Originally posted by PK - the king
Well, the lot of you had better watch out, because NTL can immediately detect anyone who is stealing cable, because the box will report back to NTL HQ that something is wrong.

One of the 1st things the "bootleggers" do, is disable talkback, so the box cannot report back to HQ.

Pay up for cable,.... The service might be crap,

If I pay money for something I expect a good service.
I'm not gonna pay for a 'crap' service..


I'm not condoning stealing cable, but if they cable companies want to make money they should really improve the service.
Especially when one can get a similar service for free via sky digital.

PK - the king

Just to clarify, I WAS talking about digital cable from ntl. I saw an interesting article in the Irish Indo business section, that said ntl made €5 million profit in the first quarter of this year, and have €23 million disposable cash. Perhaps they will go about improving the service and detecting bootleggers. The service might be crap but the only way in which it will be made better is if people pay up for the services.

And, a good point about customer care, Cal67!!!

I am actually going to videotape ntl digital some night, and post them off the tape, to show how absolutely awful the service is here on evenings and weekends. Any time they have called out to me, it's being during the day, when everyones at work, so the digital does nt act up. But as soon as everyone comes home for the evening and switches on their telly, my digi goes haywire. Maybe if eveybody complained about ntl being terrible, theyd actually do something.

But bootleggers don't help the quality of cable tv.

Mike 1972

There are also people who 'tap' into the cable and this causes signal degradation for everyone else

Only if they dont do it properly

Although I suspect thhe "signal degradation" argument is (along with "lost revenue") just another pathetic excuse by NTL for their service being crap

I could never figure out how a law prohibiting people physically connecting into a network which was installed on their property without their permission could be valid (Eircom and ESB have the ability to invoke compulsary access provisions but NTL dont) The companies are supposed to seek wayleave agreements but (especially when contractors are involved) more often than not dont bother. Besides does anyone seriously believe that the companies are meticilous about keeping and filing all their wayleave forms properly especially when a large outfit like NTL or Chorus would have to have tens of thousands of them and some of them would date back to the days when there were dozens of small networks run by TV dealers

kaisersose77

lol PK - the king, do you think people are gonna read your post and stop stealing ntl and then your ntl service is gonna improve. stop kidding yourself

secret_squirrel

Originally posted by PK - the king
But bootleggers don't help the quality of cable tv.

And you evidence for this is what exactly?

Or would you rather just rant at these 'bootleggers' and believe the crap that the cable companies feed you ?

watty

I'm amazed at the number of people here that are Anarchists. This is the logical philosphical result of argue that a crime is "OK" because it doesn't hurt anyone.

This kind of pervasive attitude, IMO, is the reason we end up with Dog **** on pavements, Costly Tribunals and arrogent drivers that block access at corners parking or even kill people with their driving.


It is the thin end of a very nastly wedge.


Society needs laws and needs the bulk of people to keep them. It seems in this Country too many people only heed laws if they think they are likely to be caught.

Sleipnir

Odd.
The NTL engineer who actually installed my mate's NTL was the one who said

"for 50 euro, I'll give you the sports & movies and you'll never be billed for them"


I mean, if NTL themselves do it........

telecinesk

**NTL can immediately detect anyone who is stealing cable, because the box will report back to NTL HQ that something is wrong.***

1. Is that assumption based on someone cutting into the cable or an existing customer with an approved NTL digital box who has "worked" it? ie as someone earlier posted an NTL bloke doing a nixer for 50euros???

Explain as I dont have or know much about cable in Ireland...
We have MMDS here and its FTA as it stands but all foreign stuff.!

silver_p

It's as simple as this;

Fact... ntl Don't use any special gear for detecting piracy on their network, physical manpower and the help of the public assist in the detection of self tapper's/pirates etc etc etc on our system.

Fact... with digital stb or analogue decoder, a road tech/engineer or contractor are NOT ABLE, don't have access to the equipment that controls the packages assigned to these boxes.

and by the sounds of it, both "cableguy" & "Pk" both work for ntl cause they seem to know TOO MUCH of what goes on behind ntl's closed door's!!!

WELL BOY's ????????????

PK - the king

*edit to remove hacking advice*

telecinesk

I'm not going to go into detail on how to hack ntl,<

You just did go into detail...


However a stb does not send outgoing signals unless its hooked back into the system and via data or ethernet connection. Same applies to satellite receivers, main diff is processor or OS and tunerhead.

The antenna tuner module is passive to begin with.Read your block diagrams of the receivers.

Close thread. Becoming anorack.

Xcellor

Originally posted by PK - the king
*edit to remove hacking advice*

*edited by mod*

To the last three posters:
The discussion of methods to hack cable tv services is disallowed in the rules of this forum.
Further infractions will result in a ban.
Thread closed