Where can I find old analogue cable converters? What happened to United Artist Cable?

[Radium]

Hi:

In April of '89, I rented a cable-converter-box from United Artist. It
was obviously an analogue cable-converter as at that time, there were
no digital equivalents. It had red LED display for the channels. I
gave it back to United Artist Cable in August of '92.

Where can I find this box or something similar? I have the book that
came with the cable box but it doesn't give the model-# or anything I
could use to ID it?

Also, what happened to United Artist? I called up their phone number
in August of '94, and their name was changed to "TCI Cable Vision".
That phone number is no longer valid.

This cable box had the option of connected to channel 2 or 3 in the
television. This was weird because usually the option is channel 3 or
4, as it was with the Nintendo Entertainment System I had at the time.

Currently, what is the name of the cable company who used to be United
Artist?


Thanks in advance,

Radium

 

[Allen Abel]

Hi:

Also, what happened to United Artist? I called up their phone number
in August of '94, and their name was changed to "TCI Cable Vision".
That phone number is no longer valid.

Currently, what is the name of the cable company who used to be United
Artist?

Well, this will get you caught up to March of 1999:

AT&T completes megamerger with TCI
http://news.com.com/2100-1033-222771.html

 

[HankG]

Hi:

In April of '89, I rented a cable-converter-box from United Artist. It
was obviously an analogue cable-converter as at that time, there were
no digital equivalents. It had red LED display for the channels. I
gave it back to United Artist Cable in August of '92.

Where can I find this box or something similar? I have the book that
came with the cable box but it doesn't give the model-# or anything I
could use to ID it?

Also, what happened to United Artist? I called up their phone number
in August of '94, and their name was changed to "TCI Cable Vision".
That phone number is no longer valid.

This cable box had the option of connected to channel 2 or 3 in the
television. This was weird because usually the option is channel 3 or
4, as it was with the Nintendo Entertainment System I had at the time.

Currently, what is the name of the cable company who used to be United
Artist?

How about using a cable-ready VCR? You may still get one at Wal-Mart.

HankG

 

[Al in Dallas]

Well, this will get you caught up to March of 1999:

AT&T completes megamerger with TCI
http://news.com.com/2100-1033-222771.html

AT&T has sold its cable/broadband subsidiary to Comcast. Everyone who
used to be a TCI customer has become a Comcast customer if they
haven't cancelled their cable subscription.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

AT&T has sold its cable/broadband subsidiary to Comcast. Everyone who
used to be a TCI customer has become a Comcast customer if they
haven't cancelled their cable subscription.

Is United Video Cablevision still in your area?


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Al in Dallas]

Is United Video Cablevision still in your area?

Charter seems to be the only cable company around St. Louis now. When
I lived in Dallas, the choices were Comcast and Time-Warner's Road
Runner. Choices were made by the various city councils, not the
consumers, natch.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Charter seems to be the only cable company around St. Louis now.

I was working for United Video's Cincinnati system when the St. Louis
system was being built. The city passed a ban on ALL sat dishes,
including those at CATV headends, and at radio & TV stations in an
attempt to force everyone to use CATV. The city of St. Louis was
divided up between seven CATV companies in the early '80s.

When
I lived in Dallas, the choices were Comcast and Time-Warner's Road
Runner. Choices were made by the various city councils, not the
consumers, natch.

That is the 'franchise' process, which decides who gets to use their
right of way to build and maintain the electric, phone and CATV
services.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Puddin' Man]

AT&T has sold its cable/broadband subsidiary to Comcast. Everyone who
used to be a TCI customer has become a Comcast customer if they
haven't cancelled their cable subscription.

Not all. I went thru -all- the St. Louis, MO cable vendors from 1984
to present. It was TCI until Charter took it over maybe 1998. It's
been Charter since.

Puddin'

"Mit der Dummheit kaempfen Goetter selbst vergebens!"
-Friedrich Schiller

 

[Puddin' Man]

I was working for United Video's Cincinnati system when the St. Louis
system was being built. The city passed a ban on ALL sat dishes,
including those at CATV headends, and at radio & TV stations in an
attempt to force everyone to use CATV. The city of St. Louis was
divided up between seven CATV companies in the early '80s.

That didn't last long. After enough wheeling/dealing to land a few
city fathers in jail and others in court, they settled on one vendor.
There were lots of crazy-sounding clauses in the city contract,
service was often horrible, etc. Later, TCI took it over: not much
better.

That is the 'franchise' process, which decides who gets to use their
right of way to build and maintain the electric, phone and CATV
services.

If I hadda nickel for every unpublicized deal involving cable "franchises" ...

P

"Mit der Dummheit kaempfen Goetter selbst vergebens!"
-Friedrich Schiller

 

[Al in Dallas]

That didn't last long. After enough wheeling/dealing to land a few
city fathers in jail and others in court, they settled on one vendor.
There were lots of crazy-sounding clauses in the city contract,
service was often horrible, etc. Later, TCI took it over: not much
better.

Well, the "new AT&T" is working on the state legislature to allow it
to supply cable services throughout the state of Missouri without any
permission needed from city or county levels. Of course, since that's
the old SWB and their customer service has sucked for a decade, the
current cable companies may have nothing to worry about.

[snip]