Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Because at the end of the day its down to money and resources. There are forums out there openly which discuss these issues wouldn't they have approached them? Its purely for educational purposes only!VM can't do nothing.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

i dont see the point in you bringing ppls families into it.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Your taking something I said totally out of context. I said stealing is equally wrong no matter what you steal. Im talking about the word as in what it means, meaning its not ok to steal a bar of chocolate because its so small and less expensive that what a car is.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

thats a cop out mate they say that its for educational purposes only to cover themselfs.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I did that to make a point.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

gotta agree with shawty there.

---------- Post added at 16:27 ---------- Previous post was at 16:26 ----------

still i dont agree with that, so plz leave ppls family out of it.

thanks

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Ok, I will. But it worked 100% like a charm.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

lol

---------- Post added at 16:29 ---------- Previous post was at 16:28 ----------

it may have however some ppl can get very p*ssed off when it comes to ppl bringing their family into it.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

That's completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand, in terms of what the police might or might not find a worthwhile use of their time, and it still doesn't address my iPod question, the answer to which, I would imagine, would somewhat undermine your point, or certainly betray a double standard. I cannot imagine you don't know someone who hasn't downloaded illegal MP3s, probably close friends or family even, but surely you wouldn't take such a black-and-white Judge Dredd-ish approach to their indiscretions, if it doesn't directly affect you?

That would probably be a mistake, if you actually read what my point here is.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

For me, it has to be done. It proves the point that they are totally selfish and dont care unless it affects them. But I get your point and wont do it again.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

at the end of the day stealing is stealing no matter what it is.

---------- Post added at 16:32 ---------- Previous post was at 16:31 ----------

mate im not trying to have ago im just giving you a friendly word before anyone takes affence.

---------- Post added at 16:33 ---------- Previous post was at 16:32 ----------

lol no it wasnt a mistake.

---------- Post added at 16:34 ---------- Previous post was at 16:33 ----------

MR. Theif has gone all quite now lol :D

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Ive already stated, there is an open thread on this forum where I have been talking about illegal MP3's. But now that I have supplied you with an answer to my stealing analogy, it now becomes irrelevant? I dont see how, stealing cable is wrong and against he law. Stealing anything is wrong and against the law.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I'm not the one who started bringing up people family into this, it was the above post. Seems like he is still at school bringing up peoples mum and that. I use to cuss peoples mum when I was at school. Grow up now.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

aye

---------- Post added at 16:36 ---------- Previous post was at 16:35 ----------

while he was wrong to bring ppls family into it your no better for stelling cable. two wrongs dont make a right mate.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

It got the right reaction I was hoping for, maybe I shouldnt have done it, but it shows you up for the person you are.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I've seen enough of the baiting of different forum posters. Time to cut it out now thank you.

Let's get back to the topic of Set Top Boxes being disabled, and leave the morality of the theft issue to one side. It's been discussed to death now.

Edit: Looks like Russ and I are on the same wavelength ;)

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

At the end of the day, if you can do it why not, If virgin wants ppl from stealing there services then they need to invest in making there system secure like sky, but some how I don't see it happening.. because they know what will happen. I'm talking facts here.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

thats totaly wrong mate, its like saying if you can get away with robbing a bank then do it.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Nope, the underlying CA system was changed. I upgraded 70 professional recievers myself in preparation for it.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Please point out who would sue Virgin for changing the software on their own hardware?

You never answered that question about whether you work in the cable industry.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

So back on topic, what's the general impression? Have Virgin been succesful, or has this all been a waste of time for them? Some people around here seem to suggest at least certain illegal boxes are up and running again. Is there a cost to Virgin for a week-long campaign like this?

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

IMO it has been quite successfull, im sure there are boxes that are back up and running, but a lot wont be, so the people using them will have to take them back to wherever they got them to get them back up and running.

I wouldnt have thought there would be a huge cost involved, just the wages of the people over-seeing it (which would have been paid regardless of this excersize)

I remeber reading something on the intranet a few months back about them doing something big with security by the end of this year involving the re-issue of the smart cards.

I wouldnt have thought that they expected to stop everyone that has a chipped box, but if its stopped one person being able to view TV without paying then it has been a sucess in my humble opinion.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I can confirm it is a waste of time as some cards are back up and running only a few more cards left but that won't be very long either. When they hit the cards its only a temp solution to disconnect modified boxes, wait a few days then a solution comes out to get it up and running. It goes round in circles this is been happening for years.

---------- Post added at 17:23 ---------- Previous post was at 17:20 ----------

I get the feeling i am not welcome here? if thats the case I will fly off??

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Everyone is welcome here. Don't ever get the wrong impression.

What is not welcome however, is argumentative and provocative posts which are aimed at nothing other than getting a rise out of someone else. (And of course the how's and where's of gaining illegal services) :)

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I'm sure there are some who would rather see the back of you, but personally, I find that an opposing view is good for a balanced discussion.

I didn't know these "attacks" by Virgin were a regular occurrence. Do you mean monthly, yearly...? I don't recall seeing any other threads on the subject.

I wonder if this is even something they're all that interested in wasting time on, or if it was at the request of the television and movie studios who supply their programming, and might not be too thrilled about how easy it is to pirate, particularly now that the time-gap between US and UK broadcasts is narrowing. I remember some years ago, Fox took issue with the BBC inadvertently broadcasting episodes of 24 unscrambled via satellite. Perhaps this was an effort to try and address similar concerns, without having to go to the expense of swapping their entire encryption system, which would surely be a more costly affair.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Whether your views are popular or not, as long as you stay within the site's T&C (which you have) then you're as welcome here as anyone.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

If it got rid of a few free loaders then I'm sure Virgin will think its been successful. There can only be a finite number of MOSC's (Modified Original Smart Cards) so people will have to use the other types of cards, Nagra will continue to investigate ways to knock cards out again and again, until Virgin are finally in a position to start simulcrypting and eventually change over to the next CA system whatever that may be.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

What about the new extra strength emu?

[img]Download Failed (1)[/img]

Isn't that going to solve the problems?

What about the AU?

Some of the boxes had new firmware too...

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I've not been involved for years at Virgin, I don't follow any of the hacking forums either so have no idea what the current trends are. In my day Fun cards were all the rage!

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Perhaps, but side effects may include, but not be limited to: Spastic Phantom Limb Syndrome, Lactose Dependency, Detached Uni-Brow and Involuntary Night-Vision

For external use only. :)

It seems that certain boxes are able to auto-update again. I'm not sure if those are chipped, clones or whetever, though.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

People using mosc's were fine, there was an Atmega fix out after a couple of days and then a Fun fix over the weekend. So, it's all back to normal.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

It might help VM if they took on a couple of the hackers & crackers who so easily bypass whatever's put in front of them. Technology breaks it, technology fixes it.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

As far as I am aware the people I know using dodgy cable boxes are now up and running. It does make it tempting to buy one when you see how easy it is to get free tv. Why don't virgin introduce a 'shop a cable theif' campaign, giving the person who shops someone in free tv for a year. That would certainly make those doing it, i.e stealing, think twice.
If I was a virgin customer, I for one have no incentive to report anyone I know using a dodgy box because my subscription will stay the same irregardless of whether he gets done or not.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

For all we know, they may do. If they did, they certainly wouldn't discuss it publically.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

:mad:

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

With what VM are doing and planning on doing i have no incentive to want to do anything to help them. If they do what they do with all the caps and phorm I would be tempted in fact very tempted to get hold of a few cloned modems and a certain brand of box to get what I actually pay for. If VM are happy to rip me off ill certainly not shed a tear if I rip them off some also. My tune has changed since VM decided to stuff the customer

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

i see all the boxes are up and running again why am i wasting money on a xlsub 2 months would pay for one of them boxes.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

if you do something like that then expect a couple of visits from whoever you shopped,
its not too hard to find out who shopped you

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

If you believe Echostar it could well be NDS (provider of Sky's encryption system).

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Last time I checked it was also illegal to threaten people and or intimidate them - I will not have it done on this forum either.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

how is it a threat?
it is advice,
its all common sense and happens everyday,
what i was trying to say is he should just mind his own business and not get into unneccessary trouble and hassle.

as far as me threatening him goes for goodnes sake the guy lives in london which is like 300 miles away from me.

sometiems the staff really need to assess the posts and not just go over the top

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

That is like asking why 2 + 2 = 4.

You just made a statement which says along the lines that if people 'grass' on others, those being 'grassed' up will pay the 'grasser' a visit - this is surely a threat.

No it's surely a threat.

And its why this country is ruin to the likes of people who take the law into their own hands and or threaten honest folk.

I know full well what you was trying to say - I think people should make it their business when they are paying for services and other people don't pay anything.

Make your mind up - you said it would be easy to pay someone a visit if they grassed and then in the next breath, you wouldn't be prepared to travel.

How about you practise what you preach then? :rolleyes:

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

dont worry about it man,
you wont get it,

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Just further evidence that it wasn't a threat. Clearly the comment wasn't meant as intimidation. It was a perfectly reasonable statement, given how former (and current?) cable company employees around here have described many of the cable pirates they've encountered as violent and abusive individuals.

Meanwhile, back on topic. I had the opportunity to see a legal sat version of one of the boxes many people use for cable the other day, and I must say, in terms of functionality, speed and ease of use, it simply blows Virgin's standard box away.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

So, kudos to the hackers, shame to NTL.

But that's nothing new, NTL's incompetence is legendary!

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

To be honest I didnt feel threatened by the hardtarget or any other poster and I get exactly what he means. My point in running a "grass them up" campaign was based on the Benefit fraud adverts that are running on TV. I am sure if virgin ran a similar advert, rather than employing Uma and Samuel L and a lot of money, simply saying "Cable Stealers, We're Onto You - Report A Cable Stealer, 6 months subs paid for" a lot of people wouldn't turn to the dark side.
Whether you knick your cable of not, I don't care. I mean I download movies, I rip off music, I have bought a laptop of a dodgy mate etc etc, so it would be hypocritical of me to shop you.

My idea was simply a respoonse to the question of what can virgin do to stop this.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

im sure most people who steal cable do not broadcast it . If they are stupid enough to then they deserve to be caught tbh

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I have been to three houses where the set top box looks nothing like a NTL/Telewest/Virgin one. Where do you think I watch all the big games on Sky, lol.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I'm sure if VM did start a grass them up for free subs thing there would be a fair few people who would

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

could be freeview with top up tv or satellite boxes for eurostat etc lol

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Lol, this guy does speak truth, though obviously I don't want to give stuff away.

They're not NTL sub'd boxes, they don't even have smart cards.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

The numbers for such an initiative almost certainly wouldn't add up. The man power Virgin would have to invest in dealing with tips like that just isn't worth it. It's not like you could just phone up Virgin, turn in your neighbour, and have him disconnected 20 minutes later. Each tip would have to be verified and dealt with, possibly in court, and in addition to those costs, they would have to waive your cable bill for 6 months. All this just to get rid of a guy who might actually be paying a minimum subscription anyway. Not worth it.

The only approach that makes sense to Virgin are global hits through the encryption system, as well as dealing with people who sell dodgy boxes, cards, and related services.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Further to that, I would imagine that VM would be hesitant to advertise the fact that it is possible to steal cable services.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

It's actually not too hard to hide your identity either..

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

i didnt see it as a threat at all

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

They've done that before. Ran TV ads about it last winter.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Nor did I..... Virgin dont have to advertise how easy it is to steal cable, quite a few have already done it here for them lol

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Perhaps if they took back their discontinued boxes and had a clamp down inside the organisation this topic would not come up.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

would make only a small difference as the better boxes at the job have never been owned by VM NTL or any of their subsidaries

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Ofcourse, why not?

Then we can start a " shop your local mp for maxing out their expense accounts at the detriment to genuine claimants "

I dont condone what the hackers are doing but there is a market for everything and there are many reasons.

---------- Post added at 22:44 ---------- Previous post was at 22:42 ----------

Is it known what ratio is being spoken of here?

IE; unowned boxes to owned?

---------- Post added at 22:47 ---------- Previous post was at 22:44 ----------



Ofcourse providing that would be grasses have never sampled NTL/VM with all its issues ;)

---------- Post added at 22:52 ---------- Previous post was at 22:47 ----------


Its akin to when we were not talking to the ira under maggie thatcher, remember gerry adams on the news with a dubbed over voice? that was pathetic too, but hey we have moved on now and the world is a far safer place :erm:

---------- Post added at 22:58 ---------- Previous post was at 22:52 ----------


Think how many cans of Mr Sheen you could buy with the saved subs ;)

---------- Post added at 23:20 ---------- Previous post was at 22:58 ----------


AH, but if you left your door open with your key in the ignition, much the same as VM leaving discontinued boxes that can be used again without subs.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

any statistics I could possibly give would be like any other. 88 % of all statistics are made up on the spot

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Understood Zing;)

But then if the percentage of unowned boxes increase vm's problems do too.

I still say they need to put more effort into taking back their boxes.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I agree they just get in the way lol

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

is that really all you have to discuss??

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Take your pick harryboy, there's 100s of other threads if this one doesn't float your boat;)

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Just thought I'd ask what the situation was? Are the boxes back up and running now?

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I dont see how thats the case with oversubscription with TV. The signal is still sent to the wall socket anyway whether you have a box or not, so having a box decode the signal is hardly going to change the amount of bandwidth being used.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

The signal for the standard range of channels is being carried. However with VOD, whether or not it's PPV, there will be extra traffic. Marginal maybe for the upstream, "I want to see this one" type commands, but cumulatively significant on the headend servers that issue the media stream, and the bandwidth over the network. Remember that with VOD everyone is seeing things at different timeframes. If even only some of the dodgy boxes do operate with VOD, that's a significant financial, and networking incentive for VM to try and reduce the problem.

VM try and close a door, the "hackers" will try and reopen it. It's the same as internet spammers and virus writers. Inevitably this is all a game of cat and mouse. The real disssapointment is tha occasionally those who don't have legitimately subscribed services feel they are justified in complaining, and later gloating when VM do something about the problem.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Most boxes now auto-update the keys with some new code....so they are up and running...

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Forget VideoGuard, It's an NDS company and we don't want to give them any more money. The best option VM could go for is PowerVU which was developed by Scientific Atlanta. All of the Scientific Atlanta boxes VM use already are PowerVU compatible with an OTA software update. PowerVU does not use a card as all key information is in the box. PowerVU has not been hacked and all VM has to do is simulcrypt PowerVU and Nagravision until all the old non Scientific Atlanta boxes break and have been replaced with Scientific Atlanta ones then switch off Nagravision thus knocking out all piracy. Job Done.

More info here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerVu

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Not quite. PowerVu is not DVB compatible. So it can't be used for Simulcrypting.

Also PowerVu is used only for distribution to cable headends and such like, its not suitable for use as a 'to the home service'. Each IRD's Identity is held on a database, and enabled for each service. It would need a PowerVu system per service, or at best per transport stream. It wouldn't be suitable for distributing to around 2million STB's.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

AFN use PowerVu on their DTH satellite service. My friend is in the forces and he's got two installed at his place in Germany.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

How many channels does he get? Its quite a limited number of subscribers as well is it not?

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I think he gets 10 channels. The movie channel isn't bad. To get them though you have to be in the US armed forces. His receiver is a Scientific Atlanta d9234 DVB.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I'm suprised at the amount of people who think stealing cable can be justified as somehow right because they think it doesn't affect anybody or they dont think they are getting a good deal etc etc.

The simple fact of the matter is that it is illegal and it does effect people eventually. Stealing a service is stealing a service no matter what that service may be or how big the company is that is being stolen from.

Before I'm called a hypocrite, I will say that I have broken laws as has everybody, Nobody is completely innocent. I do have a strong sense of right and wrong and try to do right when I can.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Well said mate, I'm not perfect by a long shot, but to go on a cable website and openly boast, as some people have, about stealing cable and how its OK to do so is beyond me.:shrug:

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I'm surprised that we hear a lot about hooky cable but little about hooky mobile phones (do they exist). Why can't the cable industry have the mobile industries record on closed systems?

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Never heard of dodgy mobiles, at a guess though I'd say its to do with pound notes.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

you can clone sims so im guessing there are

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Stealing is stealing, They would be the same ones that think its ok to steal anything as long as they get away with it. It has nothing to do with "for information purposes only or for education or to see how its done" It's ALL to do with them being thieving, stealing lowlifes who would steal from there own family given half the chance.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

There is a bloke in Gloucester thast got knicked and is no serving community service for these kind of dealings.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

So thats probably one transport stream. One PowerVu system. Virgin would need around 28, and more as new streams were added. As far as I can see nobody uses it for a large DTH system, its mainly used for distribution.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

and what is particularly annoying is these stupid illegal people who have tried to steal cable services have enforced VM into the deployment of new software which not only chops them out but also negates the workaround for the so called pin "protection" for Sky movies whereby you could for a period of hours only by the inseration of the pincode once only you could browse all the movie channels without nanny-hindrance until midnight

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Perhaps if Sky and VM gave people fair value for money with their subscriptions then people whould'nt feel the need to steal cable. I subscribe to the medium package which costs £11.50 a month for that - it's a small step up from Freeview... it's shocking value for money. But when you have Sky charging over £40 for a montly subscription to watch crap movies, you'd be best placed to go and join your local Blockbuster store. But what really hurts is is the extortionate prices they charge for viewing football matches, I mean over £10 just to watch a pay per view game ontop of your subscription you already pay!!!

If the ppv games were like £2.50 they'd probably get my business.

Sky and Virgin are the people who are pushing up prices, the people who steel cable are simply a byproduct of their (Sky and VM's) greed.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

£10 just to watch a PPV game! Even if it were £15 - £20 they'd still pay... Or maybe that's when a dodgy box would look very appealing? ;)

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Attitudes like that never fail to amuse me.

Nobody is putting a gun to these peoples' heads. No-one is forcing them to steal. They are doing it of their own free will. From experience usually these type of people are the sort who think nothing of buying stolen gear or fake designer stuff.

Now if that's how people want to do business then that's up to them, I'm not slagging them off. But to suggest it's the broadcasters who are at fault makes as much sense as Arsene Wenger after the Gunners lose a game.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Why do people buy cheap cigs and beer?
Because it is cheaper ;)
Should they now be called low lifes?
Think about it, that money in tax evasion could be spent to treat sick people in our hospitals.
VM should get their act together instead of moaning about it.
People who call people low lifes should look at themselves very hard.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

These People? What sort of person am I then Russ?

And yes - I AM suggesting it is partly the broadcasters fault for providing a sub-standard service for an inflated price... shall we have a look at Sky's profits for this year to April?

Russ, you should be more refrained with your comments about "these people"... I pay for my subscriptions and pay for everything else I use - so don't classify me as a person who thinks nothing of buying stolen goods. I work hard for my coin and I pay my way - do you?

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

If you're admitting to being a person who steals services from VM then that's the sort of person you are.

You're welcome to your opinion.

No, I'll say what I like. When making a post about individuals who obtain services which others aren't paying for then I will continue to say 'these people' seeing as i don't know them all by name.


Yes.

Have a read of my post again. I made it clear I wasn't slagging 'these people' off. Just that it's a bit rich to blame VM or Sky for their own individual actions.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

to all you freeloaders living off honest peoples subs thats all well and good just dont complain to the police or anyone else next time something illegal happens to YOU as it will and its not a victimless crime as some of you seem to think because without subs there is no company so you are all parasites! and in my experience its not guys on the dole who all do this but people with jobs who could well afford to pay but there you go if you can live with yourself fair enough. Dont be stealing from any charity boxes now!!

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Russ you kind of beat me too it.but just to add, price rises could be cyclical in that those who steal services are forcing prices up.

I would go as far to say those the majority of cable thefts are by people who won't pay, not can't pay. The worst sort of **** in my opinion.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Are people who pay for cable but download torrents, movies, music blah blah blah lowlife and **** too? What about those who copy music for friends.

Comeon that is a bit OTT, and for 95 percent of us a pretty hypocritical statement to make.

I could use the argument that I pay for expensive CDs because my cable subscription payment friends download music for nothing. Low life? I think not.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

I would say that none of us are perfect, we all probably bend the rules at times, but the difference is when you go on a public forum and try to justify it. I would guess 95% of people on this forum pay their cable bills, and for most its around £40pm, so when someone comes on saying, "I'm not paying because VM charge too much, that's why I feel justified in stealing it", what do they honestly think the reaction will be from people who pay their bills each month will be?

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

There was also a method when PAYG was new* to use an EEPROM hooked up to the sim to reset it's credit by pressing a button (or combination of buttons) - a rather dodgy friend had one.
IIRC that pretty much got squashed when the phone companies started monitoring/applying the PAYG credit from their end rather than on the phone's sim.

I suspect these days it's much harder to steal the mobile phone service than it is to steal cable, because the mobile service requires full two way communications between the device and the provider to work at all, whilst cable TV can probably work with one way only communications if you're not using anything interactive/on demand.



*Going back to about 99/00 or possibly even earlier.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

Thats the approach I take with my cable package. What is known as the family pack over here. No Starz, HBO, Cinemax, TMC or Showtime, just a subscription to NetFlix to get DVDs by mail.

Re: All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down
 

so when VM basically steals from us giving us restrictions and changing their rules
thats totally fine to be screwed over by the actual company

but when a user decides to do the same back they are low lifes?
and they should be burned in hell... how about having the same feeling towards
companys who go out their way to restrict your service to a stop and still
continue to steal full payments for a service they are advertising which clearly
we are all not getting,

i have the full XL package but i credit the cloners and the people whos
stealing service from VM because VM is stealing our money

They took sky 1 of us all and we are now paying a higher price! work that out