Comments on: Set-top shakeup is in the cards

New FCC-mandated system relocates cable TV security outside the cable box. Don't count on any real benefits.

[tanis143]

Why blame cable companies

Ok, this is what irks me the most. Who invented the TV? Was it the TV broadcasters? No. Who created cable ready tv's, was it the cable companies? No. So why has it been forced onto the cable companies to create a two way cable card, or even the one way cable card for that matter? If the TV industry was so into giving the consumers choice, why didn't they approach the cable companies and say "Hey, we have an idea to allow tv's to receive digital content without the need of a box"?

And now for the smartest question, how will this ruling help usher in choice for consumers? This only affects boxes that the cable company rents out to its customers. So, the customer is still paying the rental fee for a box that does nothing better than the original boxes, except now they will be absorbing the cost of this forced upgrade. Yeah, that helps out.

Though one good side note, the rule only applies to boxes that are purchased new from the manufacturer, boxes that have been previously purchased before this deadline can still be put into use. So, hopefully the price of this new boxes can be spread out over time. Or, hopefully OCAP will be launched and provide an easier transition.

And to an earlier post, no I dont work for Comcast.

[rmorain]

Comcast business practice

I have been a Comcast customer for 8 years, from Comcast to AT&T back to Comcast again & I have to say that AT&T is the only one that knows how to treat their CURRENT customers. You get one service it's so much, add another service & it's so much with a discount on the first one, etc. The more services you had the bigger discount you had. When Comcast bought it back again, they got rid of those. All of the discounts go to the new customers, not the loyal ones that have a good history!!!

[patch991]

The Color of Money ....

It's obvious it's all about the almighty dollar (well, it used to be almighty) ... I currently use MS Vista Media Center and in the past I have used XP Media Center, I think their great! I think it's unfair that CableLabs wants to FORCE me to purchase a PC from an OEM to use cablecard, rather than allow me to build my own PC and have it work in it. This almost seems monopolistic to me ... FCC? Where??