CableCARD

The Cable Card is a standard for removable encryption keycards created by Cable Labs, the industry research and development of the CATV industry.

Its goal was to permit users to purchase any device they liked to receive the digital and pay cable services they subscribe to, without having to get that device from their cable service provider.

• http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=2&article_id=679
• http://www.pcworld.com/digitalworld/article/0,aid,117587,00.asp
• http://www.timewarnercable.com/corporate/products/digitalcable/cablecard.html

Will this allow me to access (record) programs from my cable tv provider without a settop box? Which cable tv providers support Cable Card?

It would, if anyone manufactured a QAM compatible digital cable tuner card that took a Cable Card -- currently, no one does that I can discern.

It is, alas, unlikely that anyone *will* before the Broadcast Flag rule -- which would make such a card essentially useless -- goes into effect, Jul-01-2005.

Um, isn't the Broadcast Flag rule only for HD programs? --Tyler Drake

• &* New Addition to Cablecard

FCC have recently pushed back the deadline for Cablecard to the 1st of July 2007. Having said that the FCC have indicated both publicly and privately that this date will be stuck to and not negotiable. In addition this date may be moved forward should the FCC feel that the cable companies are being obtuse in bringing this about.

The future of Myth TV will be greatly improved by a cablecard integration.

If anyone is working on this please contact me as I may have some funding available for this specific development.

Cheers, Dean