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From: rs55611@ihuxk.UUCP (Robert E. Schleicher)
Newsgroups: net.video,net.tv
Subject: Re: Cable Ready TV/VCR
Message-ID: <545@ihuxk.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 30-Jan-84 10:06:17 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxk.545
Posted: Mon Jan 30 10:06:17 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 5-Feb-84 04:02:07 EST
References: <667@eisx.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 28

Cable-ready just means that the tuner section of the VCR or TV can
be tuned to some (but not necessarily all) of the frequency bands used
for cable channels.  Between VHF and UHF you get 82 channels.  Unfortunately,
UHF frequencies (ch 14-83) are too high for cable transmission.  Therefore,
the cable companies use the VHF (channels 2-13), the midband (9 channels
in the gap between channels 6 and 7, along with FM radio), the superband
(11 channels betwwen VHF and UHF).  This gives 105 (oops, I think my 11
superband channels should be 14), which is the number of channels that many
cable-ready sets can pull in.  This only allows 35 cable stations.  Too
allow more cable channels, some cable companies cram more channels into the
midband and superband, and also use something called the hyperband, 
increasing the total channel count to various levels like 117, 129, 136, etc.
Thus, you should check with your cable company (or a local expert if you 
don't want to talk to the cable company), to determine how many channels
will be needed.   A cable-ready set doesn't solve the problem of scrambled
pay channels, however, which means that the cable box may still be needed
for HBO and other pay-extra channels.  

Another possibility to consider is the use of a block converter.  Since
cable systems don't use the UHF band, which has plenty of channels,
a block converter "up-converts" the cable frequencies to the UHF band,
so that any set can tune in the cable frequencies.  This makes any old
TV/VCR "cable-ready", although there may be some potential for
interference between adjacent stations after up-converting.

Bob Schleicher
ihuxk!rs55611
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Naperville, Ill.