Cable Companies no longer have to Provide Cable Cards

So glad Channels has TVE.

Since all of the articles I've read fail to actually cite the FCC with the appropriate text, here's the pertinent bit from the Introduction (emphasis added):

Separately, we eliminate the CableCARD consumer support rules and the requirement that large cable operators report to the Commission about support and deployment of CableCARD modules because these regulations no longer serve a useful purpose and thus are no longer necessary.

For those interested, here's the PDF of the FCC's actual ruling.

Since there are no new shows on the horizon .. I am going to try a little experiment disable the Primes and go with my Connects and TVE this weekend.

Bummer. I always liked 5.1 channel audio, and a somewhat higher bitrate/clearer stream.

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I would bet that the vast majority of people who currently have Cable Cards (myself included) would drop cable if their provider stopped supporting it. It would be a great way to lose even more customers in an already shrinking market.

I wonder with this news is Silicondust getting out of the Prime business.

Pretty sure they already have. The 6 tuner model has been vapor ware for many years now and with no support for CableCARD being mandated by the govt it would be foolish to expend any resources on it moving forward.

Plus, according to posts on the SD forums from earlier this summer, they haven't even finalized the hardware, nor has anything been submitted to CableLabs to even begin the certification process. (Certification can easily take months—if not years—to achieve.)

This is terrible It's really over now.

With this news, don't be surprised if the cable operators start ditching them pretty quickly to move people over to paying for their equipment.

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I don’t know. If they already bought them, it doesn’t make sense to me that they would recall them, but just stop supporting new installations.

Why start a fight with existing customers when so many are walking out the door already?

There are so many ways of catching content these days, It will be cool to see how companies find new ways to innovate presenting the content.

I’m mildly surprised that people still are pushing ATCS3. Figured that idea would be dead now. Especially with satellite internet coming finally.

The TV tuners are becoming a thing of the past. I supported silicondust ATCS3 ... now I am wondering why did I do that do I really need it ????

The summer lull in programming from the OTA 4 (ABC,NBC,FOX,CW) And traditional cable along with the pandemic, reminds me of how little content I watch from normal sources. To find things I like and are NEW, I find myself subscribed to the most services ever, and my “TV” Bill is its highest ever for me.

No kidding I wind up skipping recordings from OTA channels than I actually record ... I have mostly been streaming shows I like.

I stated on here last year about,,.that Comcast in my service are stopped offering Cable Cards to new accounts. Current customers can still use the ones they have rented, and if they need a new or additional card, they are only available until each location runs out of stock.
I was told both by phone reps, and by the people at the Comcast store, that they are "phasing out Cable Cards" and they were pushing their streaming box the Flex.

Intresting, this is exact opposite to Europe, when satelite companies like Canal+ anc Cyfrowy Polsat insist on pairing card with module and would rather give all people CI+ module with ECP to prevent them from recording anything. Waste of effort because all 4K shows are anyway on torrents no matter security and it only make customers angry. I wouldn't mind box instead of module but it has to be decent construction like Sky Q, not crap Vivendi or Orange offers.

I don't know why Comcast bought Sky if they cannot apply their knowledge and insisting on offering crappy boxes, in Italy Sky has even special version of box for fibre - invention probably USA never heard of :frowning:

Side question, there was some law that stated they have to give you a discount for "customer owned equipment" for cable card users. (u can find many articles and vids online about it)

I recall, years ago, that CC was $10 a month, but, for the longest time, I saw on bill -$5 for "customer owned equipment" discount. At some point, that went down to -$2.50. And it was not even listed on my last 2 bills i got from them when i still had service.

So, i guess it also means cable companies can also no longer give you said discount, after all, they are not required to give you a CC anymore, so, seems to me those that still do offer them, can charge you whatever they want to use/rent one.

The new firmware for HDHomeRun tuners enables DVB-C on 5th gen DVB-T/T2 tuners, essentially turning them into newer Expands. The problem is that no DVB tuners from SD support CI+, and they don't offer DVB-S, either.

Sounds intresting but it enable only uncrypted DVB-C.
I have old HD Homerun 2 tuners European version.
Lack of dvb-s or even SX could be a pain because all sat>ip tuners are crap, I did preliminary testing on combo tuner with module and I can record only one thing at once, when using card I can record and watch only channels that are broadcasted on same QAM.
I was thinking on using Raspbery Pi but again no CI+ module with usb socket :frowning:
So Channel and TVE is sort of a godsend. If only AXS added stream...

I wonder what happens to companies such as TiVo. If they are going to move to proprietary equipment only, TiVo will probably have to fold.

TiVo also has a full line of OTA receivers; I doubt this will make much of a difference to them.