If I have a cable modem does that mean I also have free basic cable?

[DPmaster]

Yep. I have Comcast here and I get free basic cable. I've got a cheap Radio Shack 4-way splitter (5-1100 MHz) that I use.

It's pretty funny how I found out about this. After the Comcast installer came to hook up my internet service years ago, he told me all I needed was a signal splitter and I would get free cable. Pretty nice guy

 

[manly]

Get a Cable Modem... Go to Jail

 

[StageLeft]

I used to, but my current one it looks like they have a filter they screwed on there. I could, in a minute, unscrew it, but if they came around to service the neighbor's (or mine, or just checked), cable, I'd be SOL.

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I used to, but my current one it looks like they have a filter they screwed on there. I could, in a minute, unscrew it, but if they came around to service the neighbor's (or mine, or just checked), cable, I'd be SOL.

You could take your neighboors off too and then blame it on those damn neighborhood kids giving people free cable. :Q

 

[kenshorin]

Originally posted by: Eli
Basic service is 12$. If you have both Cable internet and Basic CableTV, they take 10$ off your bill, making it virtually free.. 2$.

Its possible in your area its not, but it is around here (Boston), more money gets knocked off the cable internet bill than the cost of our local basic cable. Basic cable around here is only 23 channels though.

Also for those of you who split the line, that may work in your area, but in our area we trap out all HSD (high speed data, what the company calls cable internet) customers so that nothing in the video frequencies gets through. All of the Comcast regions are supposed to be starting to do that soon, so you may find one day that splitting the line no longer works for you. They are doing it to cut down on the number of illegal viewers (people with black boxes who just pay for cable internet).

Thats the messed up thing about Comcast, its a big conglomeration of many smaller cable companies that were taken over, and even though it is "one company" it is still very much factioned off as those smaller companies were, there has not been a widespread integration.

 

[Nitemare]

Anyone care to chime in on Road Runner and Time Warner?

Have Road Runner but don't have an extra coax

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
Anyone care to chime in on Road Runner and Time Warner?

Have Road Runner but don't have an extra coax

Anyone?

 

[Linflas]

It didn't for this woman in 1998. I know when I turned off my basic cable service they installed a video trap on the main feed to filter out all the channels except for the one the data service rides on.

Get a cable modem and go to jail. (Warning crappy geocities link)

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
Anyone care to chime in on Road Runner and Time Warner?

Have Road Runner but don't have an extra coax

The answer is "no", but if you subscribe to both services, they both come in on the same line. There's no dedicated feed for data versus video.

 

[guyver01]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: Nitemare
Anyone care to chime in on Road Runner and Time Warner?

Have Road Runner but don't have an extra coax

Anyone?

In NYC, Time Warner scrambles ALL channels so you need a box to descramble it. The "raw feed" isn't even the same as the channel lineup. I plugged my Coax into a cable-ready TV, and CNN, which is on 10.. was on 34.... Weather, which is on 72, was on 14, and ABC was on 45.
all scrambled of course, but you can make out pictures and stuff.... remember scramble-pr0n, and scramble-PPV?

Weird.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: guyver01

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: Nitemare
Anyone care to chime in on Road Runner and Time Warner?

Have Road Runner but don't have an extra coax

Anyone?

In NYC, Time Warner scrambles ALL channels so you need a box to descramble it. The "raw feed" isn't even the same as the channel lineup. I plugged my Coax into a cable-ready TV, and CNN, which is on 10.. was on 34.... Weather, which is on 72, was on 14, and ABC was on 45.
all scrambled of course, but you can make out pictures and stuff.... remember scramble-pr0n, and scramble-PPV?

Weird.

So the signal is there, it's just like the American Pie, guy whacking with a sock scrambled?

 

[Yaotl]

Originally posted by: guyver01

In NYC, Time Warner scrambles ALL channels so you need a box to descramble it. The "raw feed" isn't even the same as the channel lineup. I plugged my Coax into a cable-ready TV, and CNN, which is on 10.. was on 34.... Weather, which is on 72, was on 14, and ABC was on 45.
all scrambled of course, but you can make out pictures and stuff.... remember scramble-pr0n, and scramble-PPV?

Weird.

i have earthlink through time warner and i get free basic. it was cheaper than paying for road runner without cable.

 

[CTrain]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
Anyone care to chime in on Road Runner and Time Warner?

Have Road Runner but don't have an extra coax

I first had Time Warner cable, then I got the their RR cable modem.
When they jacked up he cable rate, I canceled. Then I called back and got just the RR.
I then got DirectTV for my cable service.

One day for curiousity, I split my RR line and hooked it up to my TV and voila, I get all the basic cable(everything but the premium channels).
Its been like this for over 3 yrs.
I could cancel CTV but three of us split the bills so its pretty cheap beside DTV has the NFL tickets, and other advantages. It helps when there is a storm out and I can still have cable to watch.

I know for a fact it doesn't work for everyone. I think they messes up my wiring somehow.
I've had them come by several times and the CABLE still works.

BTW, Brighthouse bought out TW and RR around here.

 

[MDE]

Originally posted by: Zorro

Originally posted by: Arkitech

Originally posted by: aphex
I think it depends on the cable company....

I have Comcast service, does anyone out there have free cable with their internet package

Comcast Cable uses traps (filters) To block out waht you do not pay for. So if you want cable Pay for it.

They don't in the Chicago area.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: CTrain

Originally posted by: Nitemare
Anyone care to chime in on Road Runner and Time Warner?

Have Road Runner but don't have an extra coax

I first had Time Warner cable, then I got the their RR cable modem.
When they jacked up he cable rate, I canceled. Then I called back and got just the RR.
I then got DirectTV for my cable service.

One day for curiousity, I split my RR line and hooked it up to my TV and voila, I get all the basic cable(everything but the premium channels).
Its been like this for over 3 yrs.
I could cancel CTV but three of us split the bills so its pretty cheap beside DTV has the NFL tickets, and other advantages. It helps when there is a storm out and I can still have cable to watch.

I know for a fact it doesn't work for everyone. I think they messes up my wiring somehow.
I've had them come by several times and the CABLE still works.

BTW, Brighthouse bought out TW and RR around here.

They wanted 15 a month for local channels and 46 a month for "Basic"

46 a month is not basic if you ask me...
Notice any speed degredation when you split your Roadrunner?

 

[Mr N8]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: Nitemare
Anyone care to chime in on Road Runner and Time Warner?

Have Road Runner but don't have an extra coax

Anyone?

I have RR, and its kind of weird. I get stations 2-5 and then 66-97. Everything else seems to be filtered out somehow. I don't know, but I'm guessing those freuqencies of the channels I get are used for data. Anyone know why I would get those strange channel ranges?

 

[gwlam12]

Originally posted by: Yaotl

Originally posted by: guyver01

In NYC, Time Warner scrambles ALL channels so you need a box to descramble it. The "raw feed" isn't even the same as the channel lineup. I plugged my Coax into a cable-ready TV, and CNN, which is on 10.. was on 34.... Weather, which is on 72, was on 14, and ABC was on 45.
all scrambled of course, but you can make out pictures and stuff.... remember scramble-pr0n, and scramble-PPV?

Weird.

i have earthlink through time warner and i get free basic. it was cheaper than paying for road runner without cable.

hey me too

 

[Dutchmaster420]

i have cablevisions optimum online/digital cable

even before i had digital cable and optonline i just had one box in my house for basic family cable...split that and i get the same around the house minus starz and encore....in my room i had a line there from the street and same thing plus HBO for about 10 years

 

[morkinva]

I have RR, and its kind of weird. I get stations 2-5 and then 66-97. Everything else seems to be filtered out somehow. I don't know, but I'm guessing those freuqencies of the channels I get are used for data. Anyone know why I would get those strange channel ranges?

They use a notch filter (probably before the cable comes into your house) to remove the pay frequencies you refer to. I think you're correct regarding the other ones being necessary for you to use the line for internet service.

 

[kroq]

Originally posted by: Arkitech
I always thought that if a person had a cable modem then they automatically also had free basic cable. Just recently I tried splitting the signal between my modem and the TV but the reception for the cable feed was extremely fuzzy. The channels were there but there was so much static it was unwatchable. Do I need a signal booster or are the cable companies no longer providing basic cable with their internet packages?

With a cable modem you get no service.

 

[NivekC4]

I have Road Runner through Time Warner (Austin, TX), and they install a filter that requires a special tool to remove. So the only way I could get cable with RR is to pay for it ... which I do ... bill is about $80 somethin a month :-(

 

[IGBT]

I would consider it part of the service..some form of entry level cable tv servise and your broadband connection..I hear it's possible to get phone,cable tv and broadband in a package deal of some sort...but who watches tv any more??

 

[Dragnov]

No, if you have cable internet you do not get FREE basic cable.

For the most part, companies place a filter on the cable blocking the TV frequencies. Of course not all do (rare), and in those situations by simply attaching another cable line to the TV... well there you go. Technically, you're not supposed to but if they don't place a filter they obviously don't care enough, or would be able to check.

Now of course if the filter was to be removed somehow... Most places if you get caught they add another filter or cut the extra line (common in college places). But YMMV, so I'm not reccomending anything.

 

[BigJimbo]

you need to run a seperate "clean" line for your modem..the bandwidth btwn the two is too much

didnt you notice a speed degregation in your online browsing?

 

[Jzero]

Yes, is there a speed degradation? I rarely watch TV (don't even OWN a TV!) but I have dual monitors and an AIW so I always thought of getting basic cable since it ends up costing $1 LESS per month.
But they said they would have to install a 2nd jack, which would cost $50 + missing 1/2 day of work provided the tech even SHOWS UP (f'ing comcast!) which would not be worth the savings.

If I can split my line without seriously impacting my cable modem, though, I have no problem legitimately subscribing to the service...