[opendtv] Re: More on Cable Cards
- From: Tom Barry <trbarry@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 19:44:03 -0500
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
This not only
> increases the cost of any product that competes with the STBs offered
> by the cable industry, but you must pay the cable company for two
> cards, which currently are being rented for about $5-7 per month
> (each). Meanwhile SA and Motorola are building boxes without cable
> cards that support multiple tuners.
This is obvious monopolistic gouging and we should talk about it a LOT.
Hopefully an indignant public pressure will be brought upon the FCC to
not allow this obvious sand bagging of the cable cards. (though I'm not
impressed with them anyway)
- Tom
> A reliable source tells me that the cable card issue was one of the
> biggest stories coming out of CES.
>
> The CE industry wants to force the cable industry to use the SAME
> cable cards as those needed for integrated receivers and cable ready
> digital STBs. Meanwhile, the cable industry is applying extensive
> pressure on the FCC to remove the requirement that they use these
> cards.
>
> Support for products with dual tuners and PVRs is at the core of conflict.
>
> A little known fact: The new cable ready PVR announced by Tivo last
> week will have two cable card slots. Why?
>
> The current generation of cable cards will support only ONE tuner.
> There are no plans to offer cards that will support multiple tuners.
> This is by design.
>
> If you buy an integrated receiver with a cable card pod, you can only
> record the single program to which the cable receiver is tuned. You
> cannot have the PVR record a different program. To do this you must
> include another cable card for the second tuner. This not only
> increases the cost of any product that competes with the STBs offered
> by the cable industry, but you must pay the cable company for two
> cards, which currently are being rented for about $5-7 per month
> (each). Meanwhile SA and Motorola are building boxes without cable
> cards that support multiple tuners.
>
> The theory is that by forcing ALL boxes to use cable cards, the
> playing field will be leveled. That is, the cable companies will have
> an incentive to offer more capable cards that support multiple
> tuners, since they will be forced to use them too.
>
> Regards
> Craig
>
>
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