Bullet Busters

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! Don't 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 doesn't 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