[mythtv-users] DVB-S channel scanning gets stuck

[Graham Wood]

On Thu, Jul 31, 2008 at 12:14:55PM +0100, Ian Clark wrote:
> This is where I'm not sure, as I understand it there is an explicit act that
> covers the public telephone system, which is why it's illegal to connect
> unathorised equipment to a BT phoneline (stuff without that green sticker on
> the bottom.) but does this cover any network of this nature?
I believe this was removed a while back (probably when BT went private).  You can now plug 
anything you like into the system, as long as you do so AFTER the master socket.  The 
cabling as far as the master socket (and including it, I believe) is still owned by BT, and 
therefore under their control.

> Mind you I'd accept that this may have changed a bit. (eg, up until recently
> it wasn't illegal to trespass in the UK, I'd imagine it was much the same
> thing.)
Law is a bad place to imagine ;)

> > iv) The RF connectors are likely there because prevous subscribers
> > could receive analogue TV through the incoming cable, in addition to
> > their VM feeds which required decoding.
> No, the RF connectors are added when the STB is removed, if a STB was
> installed that was connected via an F connector, an additional lead was
> occasionally used so you could get ntl stb feed /and/ the standard RF
> signals, but in this case the adaptor wouldn't be required, an extra lead
> was. (I've been a ntl/virgin analog cable customer for some 10 or so years
> now, in several different properties.)
The cabling is put there by VM (or whatever it was called at the time) at the request of the 
appropriate person.  This includes them signing a contract to cover the usage of the 
service/hardware.  The fact that it's physically on your property will certainly grant you 
some rights (e.g. you can probably demand that they remove & make good), but certainly 
doesn't grant you any rights to use the service.  There are provisions in the law for the 
passing of certain responsabilities between owners - and there's also interesting things to 
cover anything within the house that was not detailed on the paperwork when you bought it.  
I think, in a silly way, you might even be able to sue the previous owner to get the cable 
removed if you weren't told it was there when you agreed to buy it.

To put it another way, would you feel entitled to free electricity if a power cable ran 
over/under your house?  Same question for gas, if you've got a pipe under your property.

There are very weird provisions within the law for the utility companies to be able to 
support their infrastructure.  For example I think water companies can dig up any part of 
your house they like to fix a leak in one of their pipes - and you've agreed to that if 
you're on a mains water supply.

All of this is totally pointless (I don't think any of us are lawyers), a mess (since not 
everyone in the discussion is covered by the same laws), and something to keep us interested 
while the weather is far too hot.

And, in case it's not obvious, IANAL either.

Graham