New TV cable boxes???

From my conversation with the owner, it's to stop theft.
As for black market boxes, I thought of that as well, and there's always a crook around who will figure out an angle, but if someone wants to sell you his converter, he would have to continue paying an extra $100 pesos per month, and it's not likely that anyone could get those converters from elsewhere, so cheap.
Let's face it, $15 US for a cable converter with remote & volume, is pretty cheap.
Nevertheless, if you have any ideas as to how people will steal the service, I'm sure Yoani would be interested to hear about it.
He's almost always at his shop on the highway at 8 AM.

We have the black market here in Santo Domingo, for about $4000 pesos you get the black box that lets you see all the channels without paying. The cable companies through the cable, sends some signals to deprogram these illegal boxes.

I'm sure it will not be long before you can get "hot" boxes in and around Sosua

Robert said:

I'm sure it will not be long before you can get "hot" boxes in and around Sosua

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We already have them.. Oh.. You mean cable converters?

You can buy them cheap in USA though cable/descrambler businesses. The models these guys are using are old models, the ones that used to sell in usa about 10 yrs ago.
AZB

Rocky said:

We already have them.. Oh.. You mean cable converters?

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No, I mean't hot boxes.

singletravel said:

The admin of my home (Sosua) said the cable company is switching to cable boxes and that it is 500.00 a box. However, this price will now cover only 2 television sets.* Each additional TV will cost RD$ 100.00 per month, and will be included in your monthly cable invoice.

Now my question, is this for better and new service or just to stop stealing?? If so, I can see a new black market in cable boxes . Just curious ....


Singletravel

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As a rule, people will need 1 box per tv set. If someone has 2 sets it will cost him 2 boxes at 500.00. He will then be billed 350.00 basic + 200.00 = 550.00 per month. It's going to be hell for the hotels and big Apt. units.

Funny This Topic Came Up Just Now!

We have had the "Boxes" in Santo Dominigo for about 2 or 3 years,I have 4 of them,3 in my house,and one in my apartment.
I just walked into my office from a trip to my apt. with "The Illegal Cable Guy":bandit: ! My last box had to be replaced,fell off the TV onto the floor and broke.He came with a brand new,still in the box, "Box"! He threw in a "Warner" universal remote,and even spent about 30 minutes on the roof of the building,removing all the "Illegal Connections"(made by "Duminicans" who splice into my cable line thinking that it will give them "Cable TV",but don't know you also need ,"The Box")from my "Illegal Connection"!!
I paid 2,500 pesos.I get all the "Premium Channels" too!
Most of the "Illegal" boxes come from the Cable TV Companies.Their "Techs" steal them and sell and install them as a "Side Job"! If the companies paid these guys a decent wage,the job would be worth keeping,and maybe,just maybe,(You know how Dominicans think here!) they might not steal from their employer!!
"When In Rome,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,!"
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The purpose of converter boxes is to regulate the "package plan" a subscriber paid for, i.e. HBO + Showtime or Showtime + Playboy. These boxes have serial numbers on the back, so if you buy just HBO and you call the cable company to request Cinemax, they will send a signal to your box and unlock that channel, understand that all channels available on cable is an open feed, but the converter boxes blocks what you have and don't have. Now with a "chipped" box, it allows all channels feeding thru cable to your tv and if you buy one, you can set up all the tv's in your house with splitters and A/B switches.

In the US, when ever company's like HBO offer free-preview, many customers will unplug their boxes before the end of the preview so that they will never recieve that lock signal and extend their un-subscribed channel. Only works for a couple of days. "Chipped Boxes" were going for $200 about 7 years ago before everybody switched to digital.

Can anyone give me the brand and the model number of the cable box? flip it over and see what is the model number below. Its a sticker. I will give you more info if anyone can tell me this info. I know all about these boxes.
AZB

Cable Company Name And Phone Number

Hello,

Can someone please give me the name and phone number of the cable company that provides service for Sosua? I have checked all the post but can only find old information. Thanks in advance!!!

The official name is something like "Cable Norteno", but it's owned by Delancer, and they operate it from their store on the highway.
The phone # is 809-571-4732.

Ricardo900 said:

... "Chipped Boxes" were going for $200 about 7 years ago before everybody switched to digital.

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I've seen those chipped boxes at the Sunday morning flee market under the Luperon bridge, also many scratched and dented ones. The sellers provide installation and guarantee reception of all channels. By the way, last Sunday I saw many expats (how can you tell expats from regular tourists?... ;-) buying pirated movies (they even had Big Momma-2...). There were about 15 stands selling pirated movies (between RD$70 and RD$100). I asked several sellers how could they sell their wares in the open. I was told that authorities leave them alone just so they don't sell the local productions. However, I asked for 'La Maldici?n del Padre Carmona' and was provided a copy from a hidden suitcase in the back. I bought an old telephone with an attached 'Call Identifier' (for RD$80). The phone didn't ring, however, the 'Caller Identifier' works perfectly.