Background
Cable television companies typically encrypt or scramble the signal of channels that the subscriber hasn't purchased so that only persons who have paid for the service will be able to receive and view it. Some scrambling techniques employed by cable operators, however, may not always fully block the video and audio of each channel. The result may be “signal bleed.”
What is "Signal Bleed?"
Signal bleed is the ability of a cable subscriber to access the audio and/or the video of a channel that the subscriber hasn't purchased. For example, if a subscriber has not purchased a certain cable station, but is able to see or hear the programming on that station for brief periods, there is signal bleed. Signal bleed may result in an individual cable subscriber viewing programming that contains objectionable content or material. To address this specific concern, Congress enacted Section 504 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996.
How Does Section 504 Address a Signal Bleed Problem?
Section 504 requires that, upon the request of the subscriber, a cable company must fully scramble or block the audio and the video of a programming service that a consumer doesn't subscribe to at no charge to the subscriber. This law applies to any type of programming that you do not wish to view and to which you don't subscribe. For example, the programming must be on a channel that isn't included in the programming package that you purchased from your cable company.
Section 504 doesn't require the cable operator to fully block the channel unless the subscriber requests blocking. To take advantage of Section 504, contact your cable company and request that the channel you don't wish to view be blocked.
Cable television companies typically encrypt or scramble the signal of channels that the subscriber hasn't purchased so that only persons who have paid for the service will be able to receive and view it. Some scrambling techniques employed by cable operators, however, may not always fully block the video and audio of each channel. The result may be “signal bleed.”
What is "Signal Bleed?"
Signal bleed is the ability of a cable subscriber to access the audio and/or the video of a channel that the subscriber hasn't purchased. For example, if a subscriber has not purchased a certain cable station, but is able to see or hear the programming on that station for brief periods, there is signal bleed. Signal bleed may result in an individual cable subscriber viewing programming that contains objectionable content or material. To address this specific concern, Congress enacted Section 504 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996.
How Does Section 504 Address a Signal Bleed Problem?
Section 504 requires that, upon the request of the subscriber, a cable company must fully scramble or block the audio and the video of a programming service that a consumer doesn't subscribe to at no charge to the subscriber. This law applies to any type of programming that you do not wish to view and to which you don't subscribe. For example, the programming must be on a channel that isn't included in the programming package that you purchased from your cable company.
Section 504 doesn't require the cable operator to fully block the channel unless the subscriber requests blocking. To take advantage of Section 504, contact your cable company and request that the channel you don't wish to view be blocked.
No comments:
Post a Comment