[mythtv-users] Comcast rendering my HDHR useless

[Matt Mossholder]

----- "Mark Small" <msmall at eastlink.ca> wrote:
> Okay conspiracy theorists, calm down.  The whole reason that they
> encrypt most 
> of the QAM streams is that HDTV's with QAM capable tuners are very
> common.  
> If they didn't encrypt the QAM streams then people would be able to
> view 
> channels that they DON'T subscribe to.  And that's called cale theft.
> 
> If you want to view subscribed digital content without an STB, that's
> what 
> cablecard is for (in theory -- shame its such a mess in practice)
> 
> Mark


The gotcha with that is that they are still taking away a feature that most users have been using and come to expect: the ability to receive cable television without needed to pay extra monthly fees to the cable company. Yes, cablecard addresses this to some degree, but most TVs do not have cablecard slots. Cablecard is just another, very small, set-top box :) Currently, my cable provider limits who has access to the basic cable services by performing an installation. Filters are put in place to limit who gets cable, and who doesn't, and premium services require an STB. Moving forward, it is starting to look like ALL services will require an STB. 


      --Matt