A very interesting idea... but is it possible?

I recently found out (yeah I'm a newbie :D) that the line that provides internet access for a cable internet connection, is also a live cable line. You can use it in your TV to watch TV, which means it obviously transmits cable signals.

Now, would it be possible to make a TV in visual basic for users of Cable internet access? I'm sure a program like that would be very popular... :)

You don't need a program to do this. You need a video card that supports it.

I'm not really some electronic engineer, but in the Netherlands there are special hardware filters for the TV signal and the data signal.
It's a single cable entering the building, but is splitted in a internet data part and the TV/Radio signal part. It all has to do with interference and these kind of things...

I am not totally sure on this but I have some things for you to think about before trying to undertake this. My understanding from your post is that you could possibly watch cable while only paying fro internet access, and please correct me if I'm wrong here.

- Is this legal? I doubt it! :confused:
- Is the TV and Cable on 2 different frequencies? I think it is.
- Can it be done? I am sure it can, but get a really good lawyer before distributing it!

Once again, not sure if this is what you mean. I am not trying to make you look like you are doing something illegal, just trying to give you some input if this is what you are reffering too.

Otherwise:
If you are talking about someone having already subscribed to cable and on cable internet I am sure you could do this, I'm just not sure how. You could also do it without being subscribed to cable internet like reboot said it would require a video capture card. How many people have this? I have it on my ATI all in wonder but I wouldn't suspect most people using computers do. I could be wrong here too :D

Good Luck with it.


Not to mention, ususlly when you buy a video capture card it comes with free software to already do this. Once again, if you are subscribed to the television portion of the cable.

Maybe this should have been in "Random Thoughts"

Cable offers at least TV cable programs and Internet.
Cable is wire. So there can be more than just 2 services.
Cable companies have been serving both for years.
You may subscribe one, and stealing other, if you know
how, and you have proper equipment. When you subscribe
both, you just pay, without doing nothing. Anyway, there
is no need of VB.

Interesting idea. Would be nice to watch TV at a better resolution than your standard TV. I doubt that it would be illegal to do, seeing as how you must (in most cases) already have cable if your going to get a cable modem.

<sarcasm>
And just so you know, noone on this forum uses, or ever has used pirated software. :rolleyes:
</sarcasm>

And just so you know, noone on this forum uses, or ever has used pirated software.Actually, we have a strict rule about this. Basically, you use warez, you're banned. (Don't say something stupid like "my VB didn't come with a helpfile" because that is a dead giveaway.)

Heh, my apologies for that last post. My Linux lovin roommate posted that while I was getting the BBQ fire going. He's been properly counciled. :)

<sarcasm>
If you believe that I have a gigantic salt water lake for sale, you interested?
</sarcasm>

I don't know where you are from, but I have DirecTV and I am getting a cable modem without the television.

As reboot and the rest said, with a video card that has a TV tuner
you're good to go. (as cheap as $50)

I watch satellite and cable on my PC.

Originally posted by VolteFace...
(Don't say something stupid like "my VB didn't come with a helpfile" because that is a dead giveaway.)Ahh... so that's why my VB didn't come with a help file... :D just kidding. ;)

Also, I myself wasn't planning on doing this, simply because I'm too new to VB to have any clue as to what do. Secondly, if this kinda thing is illegal, then nobody should do it. I just figured that if the cable internet line served as a cable TV line, the cable company must have meant it to be this way.

Thanks for your time, and sorry for the dillema.

ALPHANUMERIC
...case closed...

Well, getting free cable is illegal. It you got a cable descrambler and rerouted the lines to your computer, that's illegal. However, if you get a TV-Tuner Video Card in which your existing cable line hooks up to, it is perfectly legal.

Funny thing is (It doesn't make me laugh though) in the Montreal
area the Cable TV provider allows only one TV to be connected, if
you want additional sets, they charge 50% of the rate per TV.

The phone company (Bell Canada) used to do this with their
service 15 - 20 years ago, but have since stated that you can
connect an unlimited number of phones without any additional
charges.

to robbie above..
umm where are you living? I'm Montreal also, and umm psst (spliter...) if you pay for each connection to your tv's.. I feel sorry for you.

After posting my last reply, I realized that I'm doing it illegally by connecting Cable to several TVs. Oops...

I don't really care because the CRTC (equivalent to the FCC) is trying to resolve the issue.

The Cable company in my town used to charge per TV as well. If you have the company do your inside wiring they still do. The installers tell me though that if you do your own inside wiring the company can't charge for the extra sets. They apparently have no way of knowing (unless they do the install) how many sets you have connected. Not sure how legal it is, but since it came from the installers I have to suspect it is either legal or un-enforcible.

Yzerman_19 that's my point, I'm doing the splitter thing and it is illegal.

Don, a friend told me that he called Cable to go to his home and
fix something and the tech discovered the splitter, reported it and
then was charged a penalty.

*gasp* Robby is warezing TV! Ban him! :D

Oh well, I don't have any problems like that here. I may be getting satellite (TV) soon, so that will be cool.

Besides, how can they catch you splitting the cable, anyway?

Robby, that could well be how it is enforced in my area too. I don't know though. At the moment I have DirectTv with 2 receivers on a dual-lnb. DTV kind of has one by the short hairs with their set-up :) I am kind of surprised the cable companies haven't gone to the access card system too as a way of generating more revenue.

Originally posted by VolteFace
*gasp* Robby is warezing TV! Ban him! :D

Oh well, I don't have any problems like that here. I may be getting satellite (TV) soon, so that will be cool.

Besides, how can they catch you splitting the cable, anyway?

Most troubles with people getting ghosted images and such is caused by the poor quality of splitters sold on the retail market. Cable companies get a lot of tech support calls for this problem. One solution is to use a powered tap. The signal quality is much higher with these. The cable provider doesn't use these because they have access to considerably higher quality splitters than most consumers do. Still even the cable company will use powered taps in a installation where the customer wants many tv's hooked up simutaneously.

You can buy a new home with an outlet in each room, the Cable
company can't and won't charge for the existance of the outlets,
they will only charge extra if you connect more than one TV at
one time. So pretty much they would have to catch you in the act.
(I guess)

Don, I have a feeling that if the Cables do start using the access
card system like DTV, there would be lots more piracy for them to
deal with. As we can imagine how much revenue DTV is losing on
that front.

The cable TV companies around here have stopped charging extra for multiple TVs thanks to the satellite companies. They even advertise it "We don't charge for extra connections like those satellite companies!".

Isn't competition grand? :)

Well, extra satellite connections require more than one satellite reciever, so there isn't really a way to not charge for multiple connections.

All in all, it's just big companies wanting more money.

When you have 2 satellite recievers, you need 2 cards.
Do they charge more per month for this?

Having actually done wireing for a cable company....They CAN detect (with some degree of inaccuracy) the number of active draws on the cable.

A splitter has a 3 ohm load on it.. The CATV Company knows how many ohm's come off the line tap on the main feed line (The one on the telephone pole). Each main feed tap has 4 outputs (here at least, they do.) Each output is alotted a certian number of Ohm's.

Every splitter, every TV, every device connected to the line has a draw. This can be detected at the tap, and in fact, they have 'filters' if you will, that will degrade the signal, if you connect more than 2 tv's to it, or whatever.

Just fyi

Mikirin, what about if you have an outlet in each room but use only one of them? I guess that's not drawing more juice.

When you have 2 satellite recievers, you need 2 cards.
Do they charge more per month for this?

Hmmm... I was under the impression that you could get a secondary reciever without needing another card or dish or anything... I could be wrong, or it may just be a company or something. I don't know.

BTW, Maybe this thread should be moved to Random Thoughts, as it seems to be turning into a discussion about Cable, not VB. :)

Volte, I was thinking the same thing. (Random Thoughts)

One dish can with a dual LNB connect to 2 recievers but I think you need a card for each. I'm not sure. I only have one reciever.

Yes I pay $4.50 USD per month for the extra receiver. You can get a device that will remotely control one box and send it's signal to another set, but both sets have to watch the same channel. Only one tuner to one box I guess.

Robbie: The outlet itself does not cause a draw, unless there is something connected to it... then you get the draw from whatever is connected, and a touch of draw from the outlet, since its basically a 1:1 splitter.

To have two independent signals, you would need two receivers, with 2 access cards, and extra payment.

You CAN multidrop additional TV's off the same receiver, though, with no problem. However, what you see on one, you see on all. Sigh.

I don't know if this is true everywhere, but where I am from the cable companies also charge you per computer for the cable internet. While on such a topic I would like to mention (and hopefully not start a war here) that connecting this cable "modem" to a router and then serving multiple computers with it would also be illegal, at least in my area :)

These days many homes have multiple computers in them, once again in my area at least, and most of the multiple computer homes have geeks like me in them and are more likely to have cable internet (in my opinion anyway).

The hi-speed service (phone) here doesn't care how many PCs you connect to the line. I don't know about the Cable company though.