Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!rutgers!rochester!PT.CS.CMU.EDU!andrew.cmu.edu!es1e+
From: es1e+@andrew.cmu.edu (Eric Lee Singer)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: HELP : Cable scrambling
Message-ID: 
Date: Sat, 28-Nov-87 19:37:53 EST
Article-I.D.: andrew.IVfqlVy00W0eZKE0CJ
Posted: Sat Nov 28 19:37:53 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 1-Dec-87 01:46:08 EST
Organization: Carnegie Mellon University
Lines: 14


	I am interested in the ins and outs of cable scrambling.  This is
informational only, not for illegal purposes.  How do channels like Showtime,
Cinemax, etc. acheive scrambling (the type where you can make out the image
but it is like the vertical/horizontal hold is out of whack).  How can the
cable company selectively turn on/off scrambling at each house or box?  Is
there something up on the pole that has an electronic "address", or is there
such an address in each cable converter that you get from the company.  Is
the scrambling/descrambling done inside the converter box, or does it come
from the pole or cable company already scrambled?  Are there any published
schematics for descramblers in magazines?  I would be interested in figuring
out what they do.

-Eric