Comcast is Encrypting All Basic Cable Channels, Requiring Set-Top Boxes

Comcast

ComcastWell, this is quite a blow to basic cable viewers. Up until recently, Comcast has allowed subscribers to access certain channels without adding a set-top box for every TV — instead, you’d simply connect your TV directly via coax (how quaint!). Now, certain customers have received word that their free ride will soon be coming to an end. The media giant will begin is expanding the area where it encrypts basic cable channels, requiring a single STB for each and every television that you plan to use. A Comcast Q&A document only addresses home users, so it’s unclear whether enterprise subscribers would also be affected — though that wouldn’t be out of the question. We think the move could mean a more complicated (and pricey) installation at hospitals, university dorms and even neighborhood gyms, where TVs installed in cardio equipment often plug directly into wall jacks, not to mention the inconvenience you’ll be facing at home.

Read the full story at Engadget.

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