1. A method of preventing unauthorized use of a pay television system having a central station for transmitting at least a scrambled television signal and at least one remote television receiver, including a descrambling circuit, for viewing the television signal, the method comprising the steps of: providing the at least one remote television receiver with a smart card for receiving an enabling signal from the central station to enable the descrambling circuit to descramble the scrambled television signal; providing the at least one smart card with authentication data, unique thereto, for responding to an authentication message from the central station, to authenticate that the smart card is authorized for use; and independently transmitting, from the central station, the enabling signal and the authentication message to the smart card at the at least one remote television receiver.