JT Money

I have had my tv for a few weeks now. When I first plugged it in a programmed all the channels I picked up a random hd channel. The movie "Room 1408" was on, just came out on dvd. Then other times on the same channel I will get the Howard Stern Show. Right now it's cartoon network. Other times it has been a fitness network that I have never seen before - not FitTV.

One weird part was while I was watching the fitness network show it appeared to be fast forwarded.

I live in an apartment complex. Is it possible am I picking up a neighbors channel?

jlukja

Sounds like you're picking up your neighbor's programming, whatever their TV is tuned to.

Kikaida

Doubt you are picking up a neighbors signal...

It would be easy to modulate an analog signal onto a channel and backfeed it back into the CATV system, but I doubt anyone in your building would have the equipment to feed an HD signal.

More likely it is coming from your cable provider. Some cable companies are now broadcasting unencrypted HD signals on their systems and so long as your HDTV has a QAM tuner should be able to display the signal.

Based on your statements that there are all kinds of programs and one of the shows was fast forwarding, I would guess it is a test channel the cable company setup.

So no, you are not a thief!

Keep watching it. Maybe you will luck out and they will broadcast some free HD pron!

AznX TL

zomg, i have the same thing happening to me!
except i pick up well over 100 digital channels, but i only pay for analog cable. and yes.....i get free pornos at night.
but yeah, its weird because it fast forwards and rewinds while im watching, as if someone's digital box is broadcasting.

curls

Your QAM tuner is probably picking up some of the PPV feeds that neighbours are using, meaning your cable company isn't encrypting/shielding and of their signals from QAM tuners.

This was common on Rogers Cable for a while but I believe they completely encrypted their PPV and all HD cable feeds so QAM doesn't work with them anymore.

Slinks

Many cable companies have their non premium channels going thru the wires unencrypted. To stop non-customers from receiving the channels, they put a filter outside your house (on the telephone pole or wherever). Depending on the filter, you may be able to receive no channels, only local/basic channels, or every non-premium channel.
Most new tvs can pick up unencrypted cable channels (the QAM tuner). When you cancel service, sometimes they're slow to put the filter, sometimes they forget, or if you live in an apartment building, there's the possibility that the entire building is unfiltered.

doopstr

^Yes this is what it is. When a user on the network signs up for a PPV program a dedicated channel gets assigned for that program. Your carrier instructs the box to tune into that channel and the user gets the PPV. Now that PPV channel is broadcasted in the clear to the entire network. So your QAM tuner is picking that up.

On the bright side you get free stuff. On the negative side you have no control over it. You could be right in the middle of a good flick and the subscriber could rewind, ff, or even stop your show

JT Money

I am getting 4-5 on demand channels that come in and out throughout the day. Spiderman 3 in HD ftw!

JT Money

transformers just came on