[mythtv-users] so where can I buy a Cablecard Set Top Box?

[Bill Omer]

On 8/17/07, Victor Perez <spectro at gmail.com> wrote:
> I went HDTV a couple of weeks ago and picked up the cable's DVR until I
> figured how to make mythtv to work with HDTV. Yesterday I got my cable bill
> and my TV service pretty much doubled by adding HDTV tier and $14 for "DVR
> service".
>
> I already got myth to get some HDTV through firewire so I am returning their
> DVR this weekend but I will not have access to some of the channels I am
> paying for, I care less for most of them but not having ESPN2HD and TNTHD
> (NBA games) is going to suck (ok, the chicks on HDNET's "Get out" are pretty
> hot but they talk so much it gets old pretty quick)
>
> I looked all over the internet for retail Cablecard enabled STB and it seems
> the cable companies have succeeded in keeping their STB monopoly regardless
> of FCC regulations.
>

Your cable companies DVR is your cablecard set top box.  Currently
there is no way to get an HDTV signal from the wall, unless is
unencrypted.  You may be able to use QAM to get some channels, but it
wont be the premiums.  You will probably get the same channels, if not
more, from Off The Air.

ATI did release a capture card with cablecard support earlier this
year.  It's not being sold to the public yet I believe, and it's meant
to only work with Microsoft's Media Center.  Hopefully in the near
future we can have cablecard access in MythTV, but sadly right now,
it's not possible.  Using firewire on your DVR from the cable company
might be your best bet, unless you can live without the premium
channels.

-Bill