Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

There's no difference in taking cable TV without paying to taking electricity without paying - do you do that as well?

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

True, you do have a point about the exact definition of the term "theft", but my comment was really more aimed at highlighting how relatively unimportant an offense this is, both in the eyes of the law and the cable companies.

I'd like to thank God, my parents, and everyone who believed in me... :)

It's not an insult, it's a term of endearment, and the general point is entirely relevant, since people's personal values and beliefs are crucial to how they perceive and justify their own actions and misdeeds.

There's a considerable difference, actually. If you have a minimum subscription, the signal the cable company sends into your house contains every single channel. There's no more or less drain on that resource, whether you're watching BBC1 legally, or using a dodgy box to watch a channel you haven't subscribed to. Clearly that's a very different issue from electricity, where you're obviously draining a finite resource.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

It doesn't matter how unimportant you view it as a crime it is still a crime and if prosecuted you still have a record.

As for the insult bit you are just using verbiage to try and cover the fact that you are just talking for the sake of appearing clever...

And your last point is entirely irrelevant..as usual...

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

I agree.

I am clever, I can't help it.

No, it isn't. It's very relevant to the topic, since I'd suggest that the main reason a company like VM would be getting serious on piracy is because they're contractually obligated to their content providers to provide a reasonable level of security for their content. Let's say half of EON's customers were getting their electricity without paying for it, that would be a considerable drain on the company's resources, and it would hurt their bottom line. This is not the case for VM. As long as they're pumping the signal into your home anyway, there's no more or less drain on their resource, whether you watch the channels you're subscribed to or leeching premium channels. It's not costing them anything extra. It's for all intents and purposes an infinite source, as long as you have the cable there legally in the first place.

So when we're talking about getting serious on dodgy boxes, as per the subject, it's no coincidence that individual users are merely getting warning letters, and people who sell the illegal products and services are getting visits from the police waving search warrants around. That's where they're getting serious, because those sort of raids produce news stories that will satisfy their content providers. Going after or getting tough with individual users is nonsensical and not at all cost effective. If they wanted to get tough with known, individual users, they'd send a guy out to cut their signal from the box in the street, Instead they try the code changes we've heard about recently, where the aim is to take out as many of these dodgy systems as possible, and with individual, known leechers, all it takes is the cost of a stamp to send them a letter intended to scare them into going straight, as in paying for the service they're currently leeching. I don't know how successful the letter tactic is, but I think these are all important factors to consider in a discussion about where and why the cable companies are really getting serious. Considering the cost of upgrading the security on their network, it makes far more financial sense to try and live up to their contractual obligations to their content providers with the sort of tactics we've seen recently, but as we all know, it realistic terms, there's really nothing serious about what they're doing.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

Laus in proprio ore sordescit.

I always have taken the view that praise is more valid if said by others, as, imho, self-praise is no recommendation; in fact, it could easily be mistaken for empty boasting. :D

Self-praise is like onanism - you may find it enjoyable, but others would rather not watch you do it. ;)

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

I think we had abide by David's request folks...

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

Apparently, the codes have been changed 3 times today? They seem to be starting to sort it because they've also been changing them for the last few days.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

Nope, it's a very correct one.

You're not taking money from them as they never had your money in the first place.

No, it's very relevant which act applies, as the theft act DOESNT, it's NOT theft, however it IS an offence.

Infact, saying someone who uses dodgy boxes is a thief is technically slander.

You can't "End of" and expect to be right when you're wrong. You might think it's theft, but you're wrong.

Indeed, my point just shows how even more unimportant it actually is. It's nowhere near theft on the punishment scale, and most of the time you'd just get a fine, or even a police caution for it.


Now, to get back on topic, anyone else notice they're really pushing the report dodgy boxes thing? there was a section in Play that was with this months bill about reporting people with them. I wonder how many people will actually bother as a huge amount of people seem pretty open about having them and in near enough every pub you can find someone who can sort you out with one so it's not like people are hiding underground with them.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

Did not take them long to get a proper fix to keep the boxes on did it.

3 Hours, what a waste of time that was.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

But they've changed the codes like 4 times today. I'm sure that will be annoying the hell outta them.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

No because the fix that's out auto updates again, not gonna bother them losin channels for less than 5 mins 4 times/day.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

I don't know what Play is, but there's no downside for the cable companies in sending out snitch requests like that. Doesn't cost them a thing, and it makes it seem like they're being pro-active in cracking down on piracy. If they really wanted to get serious, though, they'd send some people out to disconnect the thousands of live cable feeds they have going into non-subscriber homes, or maybe even make some sort of effort to collect old set top boxes, so they don't end up chipped at car boot sales or wherever people get these things from. One of my friends used to be a Cable & Wireless customer, but cancelled his service many years ago, and he still has his two Pace boxes. Nobody even bothered asking for them back. VM may have stepped up their efforts a little bit, but I wouldn't really say it amounts to getting serious. I'd be interested in seeing them try to prosecute individual users, if only as a scare tactic or to set a legal precedent. The trouble is, if they're not successful, which could very well be the case, they would lose the ability to scare people with bluff letters threatening legal action.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

Yeah.. I hope it is annoying them.. they need to keep this up and also think of otherways to disrupt their illegal activity!

:bsmack: