From RGrant:
I'm pretty sure that they use digital cable boxes to track ratings, so if you want to watch the mini but don't want to give them another ratings fraction, then it's probably best not to watch if you have digital cable. Or at least you might want to wait until the repeat showing next Sunday. Or tape it on a VCR instead.
A regular cable hookup with no kind of box seems safe, but it's a safe bet that digital cable boxes are used to measure ratings. I did a real quick search and found this site. It doesn't tell you a lot, but it gives you the general idea of what's probably happening with cable boxes and ratings.
I've had someone tell me that they called their cable company and they'll be using the boxes to track ratings, so he's not watching. I have no idea what kind of box he has or any of the companies involved.
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Hi RGrant, that's what I was told too. I wonder...
Muffit
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From RG:
Hi, Muffit. I don't know if that's true or not about the boxes (or some of the boxes), but just to be safe, I disconnected my box, wrapped it in blankets, stuffed it into a wooden crate, put chains around the crate and locked the whole thing in my closet. Once in a while, I head muffled thumps coming from in there.
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Hi again CaptainTux! My cable bill has come with an insert several times, and shame on me I didn't read it thoroughly. However, I do remember seeing a section in which it stated that, by agreeing to receive cable in my home, I automatically also agreed to allowing certain information to be gathered and used by my cable company and its assigns. My bad, I did not read it carefully, just skimmed.
Next time I will read the whole thing carefully. Shoot though, doesn't help me for tomorrow night. Of course, I won't be watching - I have enough pain in my life without adding to it deliberately.
Cheers,
Muffit
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From dvo47p:
The cable co. does not give this data away, $$$, but TimeWarner, has a 24 hour delay on it's data, gives em an edge.
Get a satellite dish, that way you can you can steal stations to your crackers ability.
Or so I'm told........... I wouldn't know if this is true, really, honest would I lie?
YES I am, plus my Tivo isn’t plugged @ $9.95 a month. Also that 35 hour 7 1/2 or DVD hour quality hard drive is S drive elsewhere. I swapped to a larger 180 GB one, ya need a Linux capable widget to swap software by the way. Just use
www.zap2it.com
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From ojai22
I asked someone about DirecTV, if that is trackable, too. Here is his answer:
''It just makes sense to me that in this digital
age, everything can be tracked, just like website
tracking.''
They seem to have an edge they don't tell us about.
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From crash4587:
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I got a call from my friend at AT@T labs, he said "All I can say is big brother"
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CrossPost about Digital
