“Basic tier” cable lives up to its name; it’s literally mostly just the stuff you’d get over-the-air. Yes, they expect you to pay for stuff you can get for free, but at least the reception is better (in theory).
And now cable wants to encrypt it because A) they hate companies like Boxee, and B) they want to charge you an extra $15 a month to rent a descrambler from them.
At least that’s how Boxee sees it in their current argument with the cable companies over encrypting basic tier.
The cable companies insist that most people have descramblers anyway (77%, according to some estimates) and that allowing people to just plug their TV into the wall means you have to wait for a technician to show up to make sure the connection is secure. Which frankly makes us wonder if cable companies have ever used a coaxial cable, because honestly, guys, it’s not that hard to figure out.
Somehow, we suspect the reality lies inbetween. Of course, if you want cable Internet, you need a technician anyway…but then you can just cut the cord completely.
(Image via Shutterstock)