Abstract: A cable television control apparatus includes a television channel access controller connected at a node of a cable television network between the network and at least one subscriber household. All available cable television channels, including premium channels, can be transmitted by the headend without scrambling. Each access controller receives channel selection signals, such as television tuner local oscillator signals, from within subscriber households. The controller detects the channel selection signal and identifies selected channels. A channel filtering system is tuned in accordance with the detected selection signal to pass only selected channels to subscribers while blocking all other channels.

Abstract: A cable television control apparatus includes a television channel access controller connected at a node of a cable television network between the network and at least one subscriber household. All available cable television channels, including premium channels, can be transmitted by the headend without scrambling. Each access controller receives channel selection signals, such as television tuner local oscillator signals, from within subscriber households. The controller detects the channel selection signal and identifies selected channels. A channel filtering system is tuned in accordance with the detected selection signal to pass only selected channels to subscribers while blocking all other channels.