The equipment is not illegal, as such equipment is being sold openly on E-bay and elsewhere.

However the use of the equipment in a way to circumvent encryption is illegal.

If there was anything illegal about the equipment itself, it could not be sold.

And if the equipment were illegal the sellers and the manufacturers of the equipment would be bought up for prosecution and jailed with heavy fines like it was done many times in the past.

But talks about these technologies do not belong on these forums. Many of us here are paid subscribers with Cable, Dish, Direct or Canadian Satellite and want legal FTA to get more (legally) than what the paid services offer.

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http://www.myretrotv.com/affiliates.html

Setup Home: Direct TV since 2001
75cm Dish w/ single LNB for 74West
Orion 75 cm Dish dual LNB for 97West
World Direct Dish single LNB for 72West
WS7630 75cm Dish single LNB for 103West
Fortec, Viewsat and Visionsat receivers

* Avatar is Macy's Satellite Network on 105W.

>>>> Everyone should look into upgrading their OTA capabilities and get a deep fringe outdoor antenna ( with a rotator) and use a 30 db MAST MOUNTED amp. This adds a new dimension to the meaning of "FTA".

You're right about that, Bill. I recently switched to DirectTV from Dish Network, after about 3 years with DN. I really don't like any of them, I like the cable companies even less, but my wife needs TV, and I try to choose the lesser of the evil providers .
I rarely watch anything that's not FTA , particularly HD , and left to my own, I'd have FTA and OTA and forget the money grubbers . I don't think, though, that threads that discourage hackers should be deleted. It's not like there are any secrets revealed here on that subject !

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1.0M Ku dish/DG-380/ - CS8000.
120 cm mini BUD / DG380/ -CS8000
AZbox, Merc II, CS5000, Pansat 2800A hanging from various cables.