Cable TV is a BIG Ripoff

An elderly woman I know (and I'm not spring chicken!) asked me to help her with her TV. It seems that she had cable and they told her she needed to get a new digital TV. So, she went out and got one (not cheap). Then they told her she needed a set-top box (a fancy converter so they can charge more). They came out and installed this without asking them to; said they "had" to. Then it began showing up on her monthly statement. I disconnected that thing and rescanned her set and she gets all the stations she wants; picture is good, sound is good, she just can't buy X-rated movies (poor thing, how will she ever survive?). Boy, what would we do without our government? I mean they sell off the VHS bands without asking us, the people, who supposedly "own" the air above our nation, then they force us to buy converter boxes or new TVs so we can watch the new UHS signals. They tells that if you are already getting cable, then you don't need to do anything; the signal you will receive will already be converted and your TV will work. But, the cable companies figure out how to scramble things anyway and tell this lady she needs a new digital TV, and then she needs a new set-top box (high-tech unscrambler) to use that new TV. Lies! All lies. I unhooked that box and put the cable connection directly into her TV and she gets all the stations she wants.