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I'm afraid you can forget about DVB-C if you live in a UPC area. If you live in a Ziggo area it is still possible to use an Alphacrypt CAM, but Ziggo has already announced that they are going to use CI+ and once they do that the Aplhacrypt CAM will no longer work.

UPC Netherlands used to have the basic channels (same channels as in the analog package) unencrypted, free to air, on DVB-C. End of 2008 everything was locked away in Nagravision and only Ned1,2,3 could be received free to air. A few months ago even those public stations became encrypted (against the law!) so now nothing can be received digitally anymore (That was €169 euro for my floppyDTV card down the drain). The UPC smartcard will not work outside the UPC decoder (box-key).

These cable companies have way way waaaay too much power in Holland. They have completely monopolized the market and even though legislation came in place last january that they have to allow competitors on their cable, they continue to lock down their own systems. I expect that by the end of 2009 it will no longer be possible to use their signals with anything besides the decoders that the cable companies supply or endorse themselves. Unbelievable! I have a DVC-C card that is useless. I have a TV with a built-in DVB-C CI+ decoder that is also useless. All because the cable companies do not allow it. I can not understand that our government does nothing about this. We pay a lot of money every month for cable but we are not allowed to use the equipment of our choice to watch it. These cable companies need to change their behaviour because otherwise at some point Nelie Kroes of the EU Competition Policy Commission is going to intervene and they can look forward to a fine. And these fines for unfair competition are usually in the billions! Who do you think is going to pay that?? Not UPC, but their customers.... (that is you and me!)

Sorry about the rant.. needed to get that off my chest.

<blockquote data-quote="synthdood" data-source="post: 425845" data-attributes="member: 47606">I'm afraid you can forget about DVB-C if you live in a UPC area. If you live in a Ziggo area it is still possible to use an Alphacrypt CAM, but Ziggo has already announced that they are going to use CI+ and once they do that the Aplhacrypt CAM will no longer work.UPC Netherlands used to have the basic channels (same channels as in the analog package) unencrypted, free to air, on DVB-C. End of 2008 everything was locked away in Nagravision and only Ned1,2,3 could be received free to air. A few months ago even those public stations became encrypted (against the law!) so now nothing can be received digitally anymore (That was €169 euro for my floppyDTV card down the drain). The UPC smartcard will not work outside the UPC decoder (box-key). These cable companies have way way waaaay too much power in Holland. They have completely monopolized the market and even though legislation came in place last january that they have to allow competitors on their cable,&nbsp; they continue to lock down their own systems. I expect that by the end of 2009 it will no longer be possible to use their signals with anything besides the decoders that the cable companies supply or endorse themselves. Unbelievable! I have a DVC-C card that is useless. I have a TV with a built-in DVB-C CI+ decoder that is also useless. All because the cable companies do not allow it. I can not understand that our government does nothing about this. We pay a lot of money every month for cable but we are not allowed to use the equipment of our choice to watch it.&nbsp; These cable companies need to change their behaviour because otherwise at some point Nelie Kroes of the EU Competition Policy Commission is going to intervene and they can look forward to a fine. And these fines for unfair competition are usually in the billions! Who do you think is going to pay that?? Not UPC, but their customers.... (that is you and me!)Sorry about the rant.. needed to get that off my chest.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="synthdood, post: 425845, member: 47606"] I'm afraid you can forget about DVB-C if you live in a UPC area. If you live in a Ziggo area it is still possible to use an Alphacrypt CAM, but Ziggo has already announced that they are going to use CI+ and once they do that the Aplhacrypt CAM will no longer work. UPC Netherlands used to have the basic channels (same channels as in the analog package) unencrypted, free to air, on DVB-C. End of 2008 everything was locked away in Nagravision and only Ned1,2,3 could be received free to air. A few months ago even those public stations became encrypted (against the law!) so now nothing can be received digitally anymore (That was €169 euro for my floppyDTV card down the drain). The UPC smartcard will not work outside the UPC decoder (box-key). These cable companies have way way waaaay too much power in Holland. They have completely monopolized the market and even though legislation came in place last january that they have to allow competitors on their cable, they continue to lock down their own systems. I expect that by the end of 2009 it will no longer be possible to use their signals with anything besides the decoders that the cable companies supply or endorse themselves. Unbelievable! I have a DVC-C card that is useless. I have a TV with a built-in DVB-C CI+ decoder that is also useless. All because the cable companies do not allow it. I can not understand that our government does nothing about this. We pay a lot of money every month for cable but we are not allowed to use the equipment of our choice to watch it. These cable companies need to change their behaviour because otherwise at some point Nelie Kroes of the EU Competition Policy Commission is going to intervene and they can look forward to a fine. And these fines for unfair competition are usually in the billions! Who do you think is going to pay that?? Not UPC, but their customers.... (that is you and me!) Sorry about the rant.. needed to get that off my chest. [/QUOTE]