Essay About Unauthorized Cable Boxes And Second Way

Bullet Busters
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On Wednesday, the 13th of March 1991, American Cablevision of Queens, New
York, sent the first electronic “Bullet”. This so-called “Bullet” was in
fact, an electronic signal directed to unauthorized cable boxes causing
them to turn-off. Approximately 300+ unsuspecting customers then called the
cable company to complain and were subsequently taken to court for cable
theft.
The “Bullet” works by ordering the computer processor within the cable box
to lock-up if it is authorized for all channels. Since pirate chips
installed in a cable box would authorize all channels, the TV “goes black”.
HOW THE CABLE COMPANIES CATCH PIRATES
There are several methods; here are some of the more popular. The first
method is somewhat costly to the cable company, and is used usually only
when they think they have a thief. A device called a Time-Domain
Reflectometer(TDR) is used to send a timed signal from the cable line
outside you home to your decoder.
The reflected energy of the signal is measured and then compared to
previous measurements to find a time difference which would indicate that
the box has been tampered with. Pirates were able to get around this by
installing an in-line amplifier which would weaken the reflected signal.
One problem with TDR is that you need previous readings, which are not
usually taken at the time of installation for a reference point.
The second way is to modulate an identification signal onto the cable line
at about 108 MHz. This signal sounds something like a “cuckoo”, and “leaks”
from the converter box where it can be picked up by cable company employees
outside of suspected pirates homes using hand held receivers. Unfortunately
the signals sent by the cable companies can also cause interference with FM
reception within the home.
A third method is to program all cable boxes from the headend to display a
message. This message is displayed only by boxes which have had a test chip
installed and left in. The message informs the customer that they have won
a free t-shirt or something similar. They only have to go to the Cable
Company HQ to pick up their prize. And what a prize it is! A FREE trip to
jail! Dont fall for this. There is no free lunch.
IS THERE A FIX FOR THE BULLET?
Yes, there are several solutions to the problem. The “Bullet” as sent from
headend causes the box to lock-up, and not output a picture. The fix is
simple – unplug the power cord. After a few minutes, plug-in the box again
and it should reset. At worst, the box may stay dead for up to 24 hours. If
this doesnt work – go to the next fix.
The second fix is to install an in-line trap to filter out the actual
message or “Bullet” before it can get to the microprocessor. This is
accomplished by inserting on the cable going to the box, a small F-M trap.
This trap is designed to “filter” out the frequency carrying the “Bullet”
information. Unfortunately, there are a few side effects. One is that the
box will not be updated with time-of-day, special messages and other
“housekeeping” instructions. These small traps are popularly referred to as
“Bullet Busters”.
The third fix is to go inside the box, locate the small, usually RG-174
Mini-coax cable carrying the demodulated F-M information and cut this
cable. This has the same effect as installing a trap but costs nothing. Of
course, if the box belongs to the cable company going inside the box is not
advised. You may, however, purchase