Re: Digital Cable - CableCARD

From: Curious (curious_at_like2.know)
Date: 11/18/04 

Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2004 16:44:01 -0800

I did not realize that you could buy a cable STB at an electronics store the
way you can buy a satellite STB. Please provide an example of a brand and
model of Cable STB that I can buy at a store instead of getting one issued
by the cable company as I may want to get one.

"Phil Taylor" <philipt@private-citizen-sorta.com> wrote in message
news:uMHDd$OzEHA.1400@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> you still need to pay the cable company to receive premium content,
> regardless of the device used to receive it. if you dont do that, no
> content comes in to the cable feed at all.
>
> how does the cable company get their montly fee if you have one of the HD
> STBs out there that we can buy at Fry's/Best Buy/Circuit City?
>
> same way, thru your monthly fee.
>
> as to if they bump the fee for an additional feed in the house that is
> done without any hw from the cable company - yes they usually charge per
> TV connected regardless.
>
> "JW" <anonymous@Nospam.Iam> wrote in message
> news:eaY$90OzEHA.2040@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>> Using your desired solution how does the cable company insure that they
>> are being paid the monthly fee required to provide the premium channels
>> that they have to pay to the supplier of the premium channels? Take ESPN
>> for example the cable company has to pay ESPN around $1 or more per
>> subscriber that receive ESPN from them.
>>
>> "Phil Taylor" <philipt@private-citizen-sorta.com> wrote in message
>> news:%23vcJOiOzEHA.2200@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>>> true, the bs guide thats on one of the low channels, and only supports
>>> the non-premium channels, is available via the Comcast. but given it
>>> doesnt support the premium channels its of limited usefulness.
>>>
>>> maybe other cable MSOs provide better guides for CableCard customers, so
>>> ymmv.
>>>
>>> as far as how this rolls out, I suspect the first path is going to be a
>>> PC-specific card that incorporates the same circuitry thats in a
>>> CableCard, and not a card that enables "plugging in" CableCards. the
>>> qual phase alone is harder for the plug-in approach.
>>>
>>> just so folk arent expecting this at CES, lets be clear this is all
>>> speculative and in no way is grounded in any product plans coming from
>>> Building 50.
>>>
>>> "JW" <anonymous@Nospam.Iam> wrote in message
>>> news:%23poov32yEHA.1652@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
>>>> Here is a good description of the current cable card offerings.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/specsformats/CableCARDprimer.php
>>>>
>>>> Note the fact that even though they do not offer Interactive Guides
>>>> does not meant that one way guides are not available.
>>>> Also note that even when a PC card supporting cable cards is made
>>>> available that a slot is required to hold the Cable Card leased from
>>>> the local cable company.
>>>>
>>>> Hopefully we will see such a tuner card product for PCs at the CES in
>>>> January and of course it would be even better if the product provided
>>>> MCE support.
>>>>
>>>> "Derek R. Flickinger" <DrFlick@ONLINE.InteractiveHomesInc.com> wrote in
>>>> message news:u4Z5TJ2yEHA.344@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>>>> Just to set expectations:
>>>>>
>>>>> IF you were able to plug it in some how, all of the current CableCARD
>>>>> offerings here in The States are one-way only. This means that you
>>>>> still would not have the ability to send commands upstream for things
>>>>> like Pay-Per-View or VOD. You also would not have many of the
>>>>> features currently implemented in STBs like the Guide and menus, etc.
>>>>> (no big deal IF you could use it from within MCE). Current plans for
>>>>> two-way CableCARD features look like they still are at least a year
>>>>> out.
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>
>>>>> =D-
>>>>>
>>>>> Derek R. Flickinger
>>>>> Interactive Homes, Inc.
>>>>>
>>>>> "Kyle" <Kyle@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:60776913-3777-45A4-BD01-06989C4AF006@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>I noticed new TVs on the market that are selling TVs labeled as
>>>>>>"Digital
>>>>>> Cable Ready" and have a slot in the back that looks like a PCMCIA
>>>>>> slot that
>>>>>> you can insert a Motorola Digital CableCARD into to receive Digital
>>>>>> Cable
>>>>>> channels without the need for a STB (set-top-box). My cable provider
>>>>>> (Insight) supports this technology. My question is, will the MCE PC
>>>>>> support
>>>>>> this new technology if at all, or anytime soon?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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