Don't tell Comcast

[DeusxMac]

We have the low-end HD Comcast plan (a collection of about 20-30 channels) and two of their cable boxes; one box is a large unit with access to On-Demand, an the second is a small unit that just routes the channels to our secondary TV.

Although nothing has changed on the large unit, last week the little box started to carry about 20+ additional channels which are NOT part of our plan.

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

[cbelt3]

the Comcast black drones are circling over your house right now.

Fortunately they are all operated by Comcast call center employees in India, so they will crash in the pond when tea time hits at 4 PM.

[PeterW]

All the channels available come into your home via the cable - it's up to the decoder boxes which ones you can watch. Often the cable com will authorize some of the boxes to get more channels than you're paying for, hoping that you will call and sign up for them when they get switched off again in a couple of weeks.

[space-time]

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.

[Mini 9]

I don't have comcast "TV", but their app and website allows me to stream "TV" shows.
I emailed them asking WHY? Their response was unintelligible.

[Jack D.]

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.

To be on the safe side, I would not get undressed in the room with the little box.

[Mini 9]

safe for US... don't want those images getting out.

[silvarios]

Okay, I won't tell.

[silvarios]

PeterW wrote:
All the channels available come into your home via the cable - it's up to the decoder boxes which ones you can watch. Often the cable com will authorize some of the boxes to get more channels than you're paying for, hoping that you will call and sign up for them when they get switched off again in a couple of weeks.

This. space-time largely had the same thought. Since cable companies have done their best to require access to leased equipment that the cable company has full control over, I take the position it is their responsibility to figure out what channels can be properly accessed. If it's a true mistake, they'll eventually filter the channels out

On the flip side, it is fair to say your responsibility is to make sure Comcast is actually providing the channels in your actual tier. If one of your actual channels disappears, Comcast may never fix the problem unless you tell them.

[Chakravartin]

PeterW wrote: Often the cable com will authorize some of the boxes to get more channels than you're paying for, hoping that you will call and sign up for them when they get switched off again in a couple of weeks.

Comcast often descrambles a few channels for a few days as a promo. They'll usually have a crawl on a couple of the channels prompting customers to call to upgrade service.