Alienware Won't Sell Consumers CableCard PCs

An anonymous reader writes "Alienware doesn't think CableCard is ready for the mass market. The Dell subsidiary is coming out with some high-end Media Center PCs but won't sell them directly to consumers because the HD-enabling CableCard 'requires the expertise of a reseller and installer.' CableCard was supposed to be the savior for Windows Media Center, which has been held back by its inability to support high-def content. Alienware made its mark selling tricked-out computers to gamers, so it's telling that the company doesn't think its traditional geeky customer can handle CableCard without professional help."

Comments

Re:Cable card in brief and explanations

[forty7]

It's quite clear from your list of "reasons" that either you've never actually used a CableCARD, or you're a cable company shill.

By way of refutation:

1. Installation only requires your cable company to come out because they say it does. The entire installation procedure consists of:
   1. Insert card.
   2. Call in pairing information. This consists of a couple of numbers found on a screen automatically displayed by your host device.
   Any deviation from those steps is almost certainly due to the incompetence of your cable company.
2. CableCARDs are supported everywhere by every cable company (with a few rare exceptions. The FCC mandates that cable companies (including Verizon for their FIOS service) will provide CableCARDs to any customer who asks for one.
3. Again, this has more to do with the cable company's incompetence that it does with the general bugginess of the CableCARD technology. It's true that the newer M-Cards are known for being more buggy than their older counterparts the S-Cards, but even this is somewhat overexaggerated.

I've been using CableCARDs in various host devices for the past year and a half, and I've never had any trouble with the cards themselves. I've had three separate installation experiences with two different cable companies, and while the most recent experience was an absolute horror story, that was entirely due to the company's screwed-up policies and unknowledgable install techs. The other two installations went perfectly.

Most of the purported "problems" with CableCARDs are cable company FUD, pure and simple. It's true that you lose support for VOD, PPV, and interactive program guide, but for many cable customers, these aren't a problem (especially those whose CableCARDs are installed in third-party DVRs). But it's a huge problem for cable companies, who generate tons of revenue from those features.