08-11-2014, 07:54 PM
DeusxMac wrote:
... Question is, if both units are connected to the main cable line into the house, how can one get more channels than the other? :S
Simple. Back in Analog days, cable companies used filters to block certain channels and uses some sort of scrambling to make picture unwatchable. I remember even having 2 COAX cables coming into my apartment, one A and one B.
Now they no longer use filters, all signal is digital. Your box receives all channels, but COMCAST can choose which channels each box can decode. These boxes are like little computers, they have some sort of IP address or at least a MAC address. They can reset the box from the central office, activate/deactivate the box, I bet they can even keep track of what you watch (after all how they make those ratings?).
Somehow one of these boxes you have is now able to decode more channels, perhaps a bug in the system, or they screws up and activated your box instead of someone else's.