Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site ittvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!ittvax!schachte From: schachte@ittvax.UUCP (Peter Schachte) Newsgroups: net.consumers Subject: Re: Cable ready TV, etc. Message-ID: <1597@ittvax.UUCP> Date: Mon, 14-Jan-85 10:54:05 EST Article-I.D.: ittvax.1597 Posted: Mon Jan 14 10:54:05 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 16-Jan-85 04:42:58 EST References: <293@mhuxm.UUCP> <248@terak.UUCP> <282@lsuc.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: ITT-ATC, Stratford Ct. Lines: 34Mark Brader writes: > What there is a crying need for is component-based TV systems. > [...] Well, I should be > able to buy a TV monitor and a videotape player/recorder without a tuner, > and then buy the tuner or tuners with the degree of cable readiness (and > remote controlledness) that I want. And if the cable system changes, I > should be able to go out and buy a new tuner if I want, and junk the old one. This is a good idea, but not sufficient. If you get cable and want to subscribe to any scrambled services, you are stuck with *their* tuner, making yours, and your remote control, useless. What we really need is a standard for the electrical interface of all unscramblers. Then the companies that design tuners would allow some number of slots for you to plug in unscramblers, and let the channel number for each such slot be settable. With this system, you would call up your cable company and tell them you want to get HBO. You go to their office and pick up the unscrambler, and they tell you that HBO comes in on channel 91. You plug the unscrambler in to your tuner and set it for channel 91, and bingo! HBO on channel 91, and your remote control still works. The problem is, of course, that undergound unscrambler companies would crop up to sell these unscramblers. Once you found out which unscrambler you need for your movie channels you could just buy one and never pay for movies again. Anybody have any other ideas? -- Peter Schachte (decvax!ittvax!schachte)