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CableCARD In-Depth

Posted by Zonk on from the fun-with-learning dept.

Atvtg writes "Ars Technica has an excellent article on CableCARD, and where it's heading. After discussing the history of the initiative and some of the technical details, they cover how CableCARD may meet its end shortly after the launch of 2.0 (the bi-directional spec) because of DCAS. The real surprise, however, is that CableLabs, which controls the CableCARD spec, has to certify computers to use CableCARDs for DVRs and the like. Ars points out that the upshot of this is that it will not be possible to build your own DVRs using CableCARDs. Will this kill the DIY market?"

3 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. The reality is... by Bullfish · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They would love to do away the DIY market, not just for the mark-up they can hit people who want PVRs with, but because in the DIY market it is much harder if not impossible to enforce DRM. Having failed for the nonce with the broadcast flag, there are going to be other attempts to bring the hobbyist to heel. Cable card wars will be one of them.

  2. You hit the nail - it's really the end of CABLE! by maillemaker · · Score: 3, Insightful

    >I guess if this happens I can go to using my HDTV for watching movies and just saving lots of money from not using cable or DVRs.

    You hit the nail on the head.

    The day they succeed in locking down the incoming cable stream so I can't record things and watch them whenever I want to as many times as I want to is the day I no longer need the cable stream.

    Already the only reason we have cable TV is because it was cheaper to order broadband internet access /with/ the cable TV than without it. Otherwise we wouldn't even have cable TV - just the internet access.

    All they are doing is making TV less and less appealing to me as an entertainment medium.

    Steve

    --
    A work that expires before its copyright never enters the public domain and thus enjoys eternal copyright protection.
  3. Re:It won't kill the DIY market ... by tgd · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The beauty of that is they don't care. Not in the slightest.

    The cable companies are not making these calls, its the media companies forcing it on them. If the cable companies lose 1% of people in order to be able to continue to provide content for the 99% who don't care, if you think they spent even a millisecond worrying about you as a customer, you're horribly mistaken.

    If you want to see the mainstream media, you play by their rules. You can try going anywhere you want, but the same restrictions are coming for satellite. Via the broadcast flag, they will eventually come for OTA as well.