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0 pointsbeerandt5y ago0 comments

You say simply, but I think that's much more difficult than just detecting the presence of em noise conforming to a broadcast standard.

Anyone that's put an AM radio next to a CRT TV knows it emits em noise.

The CRT itself is, to over simplify, a high voltage capacitor. It's one of the most popular devices used to power hobbyist Tesla coils...

I don't know why everyone seems to think that just because TVs were "receive-only" devices, that they wouldn't emit any sort of easily detectable signal.

Also, when this enforcement began, broadcast was the only source of TV content, so the presence of a TV was generally proof of watching broadcasts. There wasn't really any need to prove the TV was tuned to any particular content.

Now, whether it is a practical, effective method of enforcement that was actually used is another matter.

0 comments

scrooched_moose5y ago

Maybe poor phrasing on my part, but that's the prevalent theory I've seen for how they do it today. Various other methods of EM leakage might have worked in the past (unproven as far as I know), but modern televisions are so much better built that visible light leakage is believed to be the only effective detection method.

beerandtOP5y ago

Yeah, I wouldn't expect it to work on flatscreens, since they don't have the high voltage components wrt the CRT.

That said- it doesn't really have to do with being built better, just completely different.

raverbashing5y ago

You're thinking too much like an engineer

Here's my TV detection method: look at their windows and see if there's a light flickering pattern that looks like a TV (if behind curtains) or maybe you can see the TV

joosters5y ago

'TV Light Simulators' are actually a thing:

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=tv+light+simulator&atb=v172...

raverbashing5y ago

Your point?

If you're trying to avoid being suspected of having a tv, that sounds as smart as trying to rob a gun store with a fake weapon

1 more reply

beerandtOP5y ago

Sure, but that doesn't require a van full of equipment. (If we're talking about historically.)

Looking for light would also only work until people found out about it, and violators covered their windows.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsbeerandt5y ago0 comments

You say simply, but I think that's much more difficult than just detecting the presence of em noise conforming to a broadcast standard.

Anyone that's put an AM radio next to a CRT TV knows it emits em noise.

The CRT itself is, to over simplify, a high voltage capacitor. It's one of the most popular devices used to power hobbyist Tesla coils...

I don't know why everyone seems to think that just because TVs were "receive-only" devices, that they wouldn't emit any sort of easily detectable signal.

Now, whether it is a practical, effective method of enforcement that was actually used is another matter.

0 comments

scrooched_moose5y ago

beerandtOP5y ago

Yeah, I wouldn't expect it to work on flatscreens, since they don't have the high voltage components wrt the CRT.

That said- it doesn't really have to do with being built better, just completely different.

raverbashing5y ago

You're thinking too much like an engineer

Here's my TV detection method: look at their windows and see if there's a light flickering pattern that looks like a TV (if behind curtains) or maybe you can see the TV

joosters5y ago

'TV Light Simulators' are actually a thing:

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=tv+light+simulator&atb=v172...

raverbashing5y ago

Your point?

If you're trying to avoid being suspected of having a tv, that sounds as smart as trying to rob a gun store with a fake weapon

1 more reply

beerandtOP5y ago

Sure, but that doesn't require a van full of equipment. (If we're talking about historically.)

Looking for light would also only work until people found out about it, and violators covered their windows.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse