http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/ Engadget Comments for Hell freezes over, the FCC admits that CableCARD is a failure http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 3:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 6:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 6:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
EXACTLY.

The Cable industry has done all they can to half-ass and cock-block CabeCARD. That's why its a failure. Why would manufacturers make sets that support CableCARD when the deck is stacked against the consumer? True Two Way? Hah, its a bigger joke. To US.

And the best part of all this? We let this happen. Instead of complaining to high heaven like we do for everything else, we just let it be that 'CableCARD sucks'.]]>Dec 4th 2009 9:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
Agreed!

I just got a multi stream cable card installed into my new TiVo HD from cox, and it works amazingly well. When the technician came to install it, he was pretty grumpy about the whole thing, and was telling me it was a waste of money to install it, and that it'd be outdated in a few months... right..

Anyway the only issue is you can't use a guide, but that's why I have a tivo, and you can't use their on demand features, which I don't need cuz that's why the TiVo has netflix.

Lets see now.. HD cable box is about 10 dollars a month to lease, Cable card = 4 bucks a month. So I save about 72 bucks a month. It's not much, but that's a brand new 700 watt power supply right there!]]>Dec 5th 2009 12:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
I haven't either seen issues with CableCARD but I also never seen issues with Comcast in the Seattle area. They have always seem to know exactly how to handle it. They even know about SDV a year ago. I was told by a rep they all went to training about it. I think the bigger issue is cable companies wanting their own box next to your TV instead of using CableCARD. They can make more money off of it from various features such as on demand.]]>Dec 8th 2009 5:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 3:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
One good thing Bush did was nominate Kevin Martin to FCC, he fought cable industry hard but at the end they broke him. He wanted to make cable boxes like phones, you can buy one anywhere, from anyone, with any feature.]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 5:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 6:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
Funny, Comcast let me pick up my 2 cards from my local office and with one phone call, both were activated. I haven't had any problems since, and they've been rock solid in a Windows 7 Media Center setup.]]>Dec 5th 2009 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
Luckily, it was my initial install so I didn't have to pay extra for the guy to come out (and I wouldn't have paid anyway since it took 4 different trips, a different guy on the last one finally knew what he was doing).]]>Dec 5th 2009 2:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
At that point, bureaucracy, DRM panic, anal control of media, advertising lobby, etc, take over logic and 'smarts'.]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 6:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
At that point, bureaucracy, DRM panic, obsessive control of media, advertising lobby, etc, take over logic and 'smarts'.]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 4:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 4:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
omg can u send me a larger version of your picture? :)]]>Dec 4th 2009 6:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 6:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 6:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 24th 2009 2:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 4:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/That's what every HTPC user wants. Unfortunately, that is the opposite of what TiVo and the cable companies want, and they have the money to get their way most of the time.]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/I would probably suggest the people who would make money from that idea to set up and say something chipset makers, PC Makers (Dell,Hp,Apple), and even Microsoft because all of them would benefit from it entering into a mainstream environment. ]]>Dec 4th 2009 5:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
I was always confused by the decision of TV makers to only put cableCards in their large high-end TVs. Afterall, one of the main appeals of cablecards is the lack of an STB. Larger high-end systems are almost always going to be installed where there is access to a media cabinet for other electronics (dvd/bluray, receivers, etc.). It seems to me that the smaller TV you wallmount in your bedroom/bathroom/kitchen would benefit more from the lack of an stb than the large tvs would. ]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
But thanks to cable television, I've discovered the wonders of the numerous OTA channels available in LA. Works great with a small antenna and Media Center.]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 4:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
I mean hell I've got a comcast box hooked up to a PC using firewire and a couple of drives so I can watch watever I want to through that connection(FCC made them have at least one active port like this, ironically you can also access the DVR if you boot linux, and grab the streaming mpegs)]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 5:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
It depends n which box you have from comcast]]>Dec 4th 2009 5:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 4:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
I would love to be able to buy TV stations directly from the networks. With iTunes you don't even need to pay for some of their shows, while others cost a little bit of money. Now, if they went to a yearly fee for any Comedy Central show for example, I think that would work out for everything except live TV.

Now, if I could get the iTunes store directly on my Mythbuntu HTPC it would work a little better than having to transfer files, but that works.]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 4:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
I ditched my cable package a couple of months ago, and don't miss it at all. I can watch every single cable TV series I used to watch legally over the internet, and still get the network shows in glorious HD for free via digital antenna.

Adios cable TV.]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/+1

I can afford cable, there's just no value in it. Too expensive for too much content.]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Digital Antenna? Please explain, how many channels do you receive? Do you have any kind of box at all?]]>Dec 4th 2009 10:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Over the air broadcasters (your local NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CW and PBS affiliates) now broadcast in high-definition: digital signals on the UHF band that you can pick up with an antenna, as long as your television has a digital tuner (almost certainly if you have an HDTV). Over the air high-definition usually offers the highest quality image.

Plus, with digital signals, over the air broadcasters now have the ability to have sub-channels. So instead of a local affiliate being Channel 7, like they were on analog, they have 7-1, 7-2 and 7-3 on digital.

I live in the Midwest, and pick up over a dozen channels with my antenna.]]>Dec 8th 2009 6:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 4:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
This is just a test post to figure out how this comment system is working. I can't seem to find another comment that's scrolled off the bottom of this page (a reply to a first-level comment). So I'm wondering if I add another reply above it, will even more replies disappear?]]>Dec 5th 2009 12:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
I guess that's just another legacy of the local monopolies that are the cable providers.]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 4:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 5:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/Dec 4th 2009 4:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
To achieve any of that we would have to remove cable card fee. Those things have actual cost to manufacture them, so why are we charged $2.85 for 1st card and then $4.50 for 2nd. That is bullshit, they should make every device required to use cable card or some other type of id form, and that item should be able to go with you no matter where you move and be paired with another provider wherever you move.

]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/People don't want to pay for the extra tuner? Fine, although this would make the technology cheaper, there's nothing stopping them from buying a monitor with an HDMI port and no tuners at all, and plugging the box in there.

Bonus points for making satellite compatible.]]>Dec 4th 2009 7:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/DTV PAL DVR
Netflix and Hulu over PS3 via PlayOn

What I'm missing isn't worth paying for.]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
And I know it was the card - I have four OCURs at home, and if I use a card from the other OCUR, everything is fine.

This is mainly because the cable companies don't want to support and be blamed for all of the 3rd party equipment out there. With a bad cable box they can just pull it and replace it with a new one - they control the experience end to end. With a bad TV or Tivo they would get blamed too.]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
I'm also not interested in paying for a bunch of channels that are full of garbage programming and advertising. To that end, I have minimum analog cable TV required to get me cable internet service.

Cell providers, phone companies, cable companies need to realize that people want them to do as little as possible. They can provide the connectivity, but I can figure out for myself what to do with it.]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
1) Mandate a DIY CableCard option
2) Mandate all TVs have a CableCard slot (maybe even embed a cablecard)]]>Dec 4th 2009 4:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/hell-freezes-over-the-fcc-admits-that-cablecard-is-a-failure/
There is NO reason we need a card or any hardware from the cable company. If each TV was shipped with a signed embedded certificate, then all we'd have to do is contact the cable company and give them a number that uniquely identified our TV on the network, and the rest would just work.

PKI is a proven technology on the internet, in fact it is how every ecommerce site works. And this version would be even more secure since it would be on the cable co's private network.]]>Dec 4th 2009 5:08PM