NTL customers breaking the law

[bangwell]

Everyone at my work who is on NTL seems to have a chipped digital box. Some have a box that allows you to book Front Row movies for free. I live in Leeds, is this going on in other areas around the Country?

[td444]

Its going on in coventry too. I've heard people mention about it. It actually has something to do with NTL engineers working for the company, believe it or not.

[Lew]

Yup. I knew someone who had a chipped box. It was installed by the NTL engineer for a £100 back-hander.

[bangwell]

Not just digi boxes but modems too.

[paul11974]

i was approched in london area and offered a chipped box by a man in a NTL VAN

[MikeyB]

An old workmate of mine had an old chipped analogue box on Telewest, could watch all analogue the channels, he had the base TV pack on Telewest.

[Admin Edit(Mick): Comments specific to hacking removed]

[Matth]

Doubly illegal, since unlike hacking satellite (where you generally own the box), most (all?) of the NTL boxes have been misappropriated.

<comments specific to hacking removed>

Can we focus on the discussion of customers breaking the law and not centre it around on how to break the law and hack an STB/CM. Thanks.

[2old4this]

Ebay also breaking the law & turnind a blind eye when it comes to selling them

eBay does not permit the sale of items that can be used to decode encrypted transmissions, or facilitate access to cable, digital terrestrial or satellite television programming without authorisation or payment.

[Tristan]

No, but then e-Bay probably don't know the difference between DSat boxes (which can be legally traded), DTT boxes (which can be legally traded), american DCab boxes (which can be legally traded), and UK DCab boxes, which can't.

[iron25]

Surely NTL must be able to trace these boxes. If not the program transmissions they should be able to tell if someone is using the broadband without paying the subscription.

[Chris W]

Originally Posted by 2old4this

Ebay also breaking the law & turnind a blind eye when it comes to selling them

eBay does not permit the sale of items that can be used to decode encrypted transmissions, or facilitate access to cable, digital terrestrial or satellite television programming without authorisation or payment.

I did actually report about 20 listings of ntl pace boxes on ebay, explaining why it was not legitimate, and about 12hours later i had an email saying thank for you bringing it to their attention, but they couldn't discuss what action had been taken. I checked the auctions, and all of them had been ended. I think ebay do not turn a blind eye, but just cannot sort through the millions of auctions to find them unless they are reported.

MB

[Jonboy]

it would not be a problem if ntl picked up yhe stb and or modems the money they must waste and yes i here you cry its not cost effective so they only have them self to blame

[Bifta]

Originally Posted by bangwell

Everyone at my work who is on NTL seems to have a chipped digital box. Some have a box that allows you to book Front Row movies for free. I live in Leeds, is this going on in other areas around the Country?

It's happening in Derry too, but afaik, only with people still using analog boxes.

[zoombini]

On the other hand, there are many reported instances of NTL not collecting the boxes despite customers offers to return them & then the ownership of these boxes passes over to the ex-customer.

A colleague told me that he recently had an NTL sales guy round to his parents & they were offered a fully chipped box for £220.
I said I thought that they were not that expensive