is the azbox capable of getting free hbo and other channels right out of the box, if so i want to get one
Slack,
I noticed your post earlier but did not have time to respond.
The answer would be "technically" YES as the AZBox can receive and process almost all the signal transmissions available. But, the real world answer is "officially" NO as HBO is an encrypted signal and therefore NOT FTA. As Pwsurge and Stargaze already stated, you must subscribe to a service such as DISH or DirecTV or whatever in order to get channels such as HBO. Now, you cannot subscribe to these services and use the AZBox. You must use their equipment. There are some providers who allow you to purchase their decoder "card" and slip it into the AZBox to get their channels, but I cannot name them and I don't think that any of those companies in N.A. offer HBO (I may be wrong).
I hope that our information explains it sufficiently for you to understand what FTA really means. There is FTA and then there is PIRACY. Some people and companies like to try to slide their pirated avenues in under the guise of FTA. Just because you are not "paying" a provider for the service doesn't mean that it is free nor a legal enterprise.
You might have a romantic concept of "piracy", but it is not romantic at all. It is a serious offense and people pay dearly and ruin their lives and their families by getting involved with piracy. FTA is a totally legitimate and legal option for television service that few understand completely. FTA is a hobby and is not intended to get you free pay-per-view or premium channels. However, there are some nice rewards up there for anyone who wants to opt to get involved in the hobby.
If you want to see what is available to the legal FTA hobbyist, check out "THE LIST". I don't have the link set to direct you to that here, but it is easy to locate here on our forum. This is a great hobby and I have been serious about it for quite a few years (at least six) and FTA is all I watch. I can get 12-16 channels OTA (Over The Air) and I don't even bother with them unless there is a major local news story breaking (like a flood or a tornado). A lot of FTA is a novelty and a curiousity, but there is a lot more up there than you realize.
RADAR