On Sunday, June 1, 2014 12:31:43 AM UTC-4, IGot2P wrote:
On 5/31/2014 7:37 PM, trader_4 wrote:

On Saturday, May 31, 2014 4:33:19 PM UTC-4, bob haller wrote:

On Saturday, May 31, 2014 4:03:24 PM UTC-4, Higgs Boson wrote:



If I ever get cable again, I don't want to be held hostage to big monthly rentals for Verizon's digital box.



Ditto on the cable card. It's the only way I know of to get cable

without the cable company box.



What am I missing? We have cable and it is simply a coax wire that comes

into our house that I have then run into a amp/distributor that services

every room in our house (three floors)...no box or boxes anywhere. This

is the way it was done when the home was built and it is still this way.

Are the boxes just for recording (which we don't do) or what?

nearly all cable companies are encrypting all channels with a addressable box.

the company can authorize whatever specific channels they want too. your system likely uses filters to make premium channels visible.

cable companies went to digital channels so they can carry many more channels and internet too....

the last 10 years have seen major changes in cable, some make things better like more channels and better quality.
'
others require addressable converters and other hassles....