RIP CableCard - We Barely Knew Thee

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.hdbeat.com/2006/07/04/cablecard-vs-cable-box/' target='_blank'>http://www.hdbeat.com/2006/07/04/cablecard-vs-cable-box/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Cable Cards have all but disappeared from consumer level TVs. There are a few still floating out there but they tend to be in the more pricey models that offer little to no advantage over the normal sets. One, the cable companies simply did not encourage them due to the amount of monthly rental fees associated with cable boxes. They make too much money with those boxes to promote an alternative solution. Second: the limitations of the card. Cables boxes cost more to the consumer, but they do offer a lot more features. The current implementation of Cable Cards only offer a one way communication stream and therefore cannot have the same interactive features like the on-screen guide or Video-on-Demand."</i><br /><br />To just take it a little further, sure the cable companies like the cable box rental fees, but without two-way communication, the lack of ability to sell pay-per-view and video-on-demand are probably the bigger detractors to adoption.

[randalllewis]

When purchasing my first HDTV last year, it was down to two models- one with cable card and one without. The sales dude pushed the cable card model, telling me it was the next generation after cable box and not to worry about the one-way nature of the cards because there would soon be two-way cards. I asked if the set would handle two-way cards and he sheepishly said "ah, well, no, probably not." I did not have digital cable before purchasing the HDTV, so I wasn't sure how much I would use the interactive guide or video on demand, but I am sure glad I went with the non-cable card set because sometimes even with all those damn channels, there is nothing I want to watch scheduled and VOD is a great option. Of course, so is turning off the TV and reading a book.

[rlobrecht]

Where does this leave the Vista version of MCE, and its ability to record HD content? I guess the cable companies, and for sure the content providers, never really wanted that to happen anyway.

[Jason Dunn]

Wow. This is disastrous. :(

Where does this leave the Vista version of MCE, and its ability to record HD content? I guess the cable companies, and for sure the content providers, never really wanted that to happen anyway.

Up the creek without a paddle. Microsoft should have known better than to think that the idiotic cable companies would do ANYTHING that would deprive them of income. :roll: This fully sucks.