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From: doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Buying a 19 inch color television--naming brands and prices
Message-ID: <248@terak.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 7-Jan-85 15:05:03 EST
Article-I.D.: terak.248
Posted: Mon Jan  7 15:05:03 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 10-Jan-85 06:59:37 EST
References: <293@mhuxm.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Terak Corporation, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
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> But, WHAT DOES CABLE READY really mean?  If I were to subscribe to
> cable TV, would I pay less each month if my TV were "cable-ready?"

The technical details have already been described by others.  The
bottom line is this:

Cable ready TV's and VCR's should have been a good idea, but they
aren't.  The chances are very good that you will NOT be able to
tune ALL of your cable channels now.  As a result, you'll HAVE to
use the cable company's converter box.  As a result of THAT, you
only need to be able to tune one channel (2, 3, or 4 as appropriate).
Even if you can tune all cable channels now, it is almost certain
that you won't be able to in the near future (within the lifetime
of the set).

The advent of "stereo TV" threatens to make things even worse,
since the stereo TV standard is fundamentally incompatible with
the usual "scrambling" that cable companies use.  There is a crying
need for an ability to connect TV's, VCR's, stereo systems, and
cable TV together in a reasonable manner.  I wouldn't be surprised to
find a revolt occurring in the next few years, with a new set of
standards which is to a great extent incompatible with current
equipment but which allows video equipment to be combined into
a cohesive system.  Or, maybe, simply the demise of cable TV!

Doug Pardee -- Terak Corp. -- !{hao,ihnp4,decvax}!noao!terak!doug