change in cable tv?

Lynn Mullins

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Dec 16, 2005
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A friend told me last night that soon there will be a change in cable tv and it will all be turned off if we don't have a receiver or something. He got the word from channel 50 (I think). (Sosua). You can e-mail me directly at lynn_mullins@yahoo.com if you know more about this....
 

Ken

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We've lost channels but have been through this a number of times in the past 5+ years in Sosua. Channels disappear, reappear, are replaced by good channels, they disappear, reappear, etc., etc. Seems to be an ongoing process to keep us checking to see what is new and what is lost.
 

Eddy

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Lynn Mullins said:
A friend told me last night that soon there will be a change in cable tv and it will all be turned off if we don't have a receiver or something. He got the word from channel 50 (I think). (Sosua). You can e-mail me directly at lynn_mullins@yahoo.com if you know more about this....
From what I heard today, they will be scrambling certain channels and people will need a decoder to pick them up. DeLAncer told me a few years ago that he would go that route eventually. Looks like the time is drawing nearer. It will probably mean PPV events and certain channels will cost more $$$.
 

Tor

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Strange that they cut the channels before they give an offer on a decoder. They have cut a couple of the channels i watched most, very annoying.
 

Ken

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Update on Cable TV situation in Sosua

A representative from the cable tv company in Sosua came to El Neptuno today to answer some of our questions.

He said the problem they are trying to solve is people hooking up and not paying in the same way they do electricity. He claimed the problem was bigger with tv than with electricity.

He said each paid user will have a "box", and the charge for this will be a one time RD$500. If it burns out, or goes bad, he said it would be replaced by the company at no charge.

Once this system is fully implemented, only people with the box will be able to get cable tv. Each television will need a box, so if you have 2 in your house you will need two boxes.

There is no plan, he said, to start charging for tv. The only one that will be charged for is channel 51, a German channel, and somebody else is doing that.

We asked about programs that have been disappearing. He said channel 55 is being worked on and will be back. PBS will soon be back, he said.

The problems they have experienced with some of the channels has nothing to do with the boxes, he said. That is a separate issue and is for the purpose of turning off cable in the homes of people who don't pay.

He said right now they are starting to work on residencial users. He said it will be later before they get to hotels, apartment houses, etc. All users won't have the box before they change to the new system on January 1, but he said they won't be cutting off clients who don't yet hve the box installed. Technicians from the cabel tv company will do the installing.
 

Tor

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Thanks for the update Ken. At least I got ch 43 back, but miss 5 or 6 others.
 

Eddy

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Ken said:
Once this system is fully implemented, only people with the box will be able to get cable tv. Each television will need a box, so if you have 2 in your house you will need two boxes.

I have 14 TV's. Grrrrrrrr.
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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Don't Worry! Sosua

The "Boxes" will soon be for sale from the techs:bandit: who work for the cable company,as well as "others":bandit: ,just like here in Santo Domingo!Cost is about $100 US per box,depending on how many ypu buy!! CCCCCCCCC:bandit:
 

CyaBye3015

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Jan 8, 2003
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Eddy said:
I have 14 TV's. Grrrrrrrr.

You don't need a separate box for each TV, simply a separate box for each TV that you want to watch a different channel at any one time. So with a sports bar many of the TV?s would be on the same channel at the same time. You could just split the output, if you split to many times you may need a small amplifier, but they?re cheep.
 

Eddy

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CyaBye3015 said:
You don't need a separate box for each TV, simply a separate box for each TV that you want to watch a different channel at any one time. So with a sports bar many of the TV?s would be on the same channel at the same time. You could just split the output, if you split to many times you may need a small amplifier, but they?re cheep.
I have 7 satellite receivers but sometimes, an event is on cable so I tune to cable saving my satellites for other events that are not on cable. I'll figure something out.
 

Rocky

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The real scoop

Here are the actual details, straight from the horse's mouth, Yoani DeLancer.
At this point in time, the channels that have recently disappeared, are largely due to an equipment failure, which should be fixed by the end of the week.
At the same time, they are implementing a program that would have all cable subscribers acquire a "cable box/converter".
Each TV you have will require a cable box.
The initial payment will consist of a one time payment of 500 pesos per box. The cable company will own the units and maintain them, in the event they break down, but the clients will be responsible for the remote controls.
As it stands right now, there are a few channels that already require the cable box, and, as time goes on, every month, there will be additional channels, 3 to 4 at a time, which will be encoded and need to be viewed through the cable box.
Eventually all channels will require the box.
There will be a potential through this new system, to order pay-per-view events, although I do not know how this will work.
There is a monthly charge of 100 pesos/monthly, for the additional TV's.
That is to say, if you have 2, you would be billed an additional 100 pesos/monthly for the extra TV.
PS: You must go to their office on the highway, on the way down to Sosua Abajo, to prepay your order, and from there, the technicians will come by to do the installation.
 
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Tor

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500 pesos is realy nothing, cant be much of a box if the cable company should not loose money on this ?
Rocky, is it just to buy the box, or do you realy have someone to install it ?
 

Rocky

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Actually, it's a pretty impressive looking piece of equipment.
Like I said. You're not buying it. It remains the property of the cable company, but the remote control they supply is your responsibility, should you break it.
The technicians install them, although you have to go to their store and prepay them.
 

Ken

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Rocky, your report is essentially the same as we were told, including the fact that it was not their intention to elminiate any existing channels, except the German channel 51.
 

Rocky

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Ken said:
Rocky, your report is essentially the same as we were told, including the fact that it was not their intention to elminiate any existing channels, except the German channel 51.
Yoani mentioned the German channels and that they would still be available, except that they were the first channels to require the cable box.
 

Ken

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We'll see, Rocky. I'm sure I'll here more because one of my neighbors, is complaining about it. The man who came here, I think I heard him say, that the other German channels would stay, but not 51. Since I don't watch 51, that channel is well down on the list of channels I hope come back soon.
 

Rocky

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Ken said:
We'll see, Rocky. I'm sure I'll here more because one of my neighbors, is complaining about it. The man who came here, I think I heard him say, that the other German channels would stay, but not 51. Since I don't watch 51, that channel is well down on the list of channels I hope come back soon.
I know what you mean.
He started to list the channels, and I stopped him from going on, as I wasn't interested.
Do you already have your box installed?