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robotech95460

Anon

Why Can I not buy and use my own cable card?

Why are cable cards not SOLD? I contacted the FCC - and they said you CAN buy a cable card, but it has to be compatible with the system that you are using. My cable company sales department told me that I can buy my own cable card - but tech's for Comcast on the phone refused to activate my cable card as it was "not in their system". And they said that you can not buy one from them, and you can not activate one that you buy even if it is compatible. So, I asked the FCC as to how to complain - and they said to take it up with my local cable franchise. I did. Any one else ever activated a cable card that you bought? Like from Best Buy or something? My TV DOES have a cable card slot - not sure it is two way or not - but the card info says that it considers the host to have 1 way capability. Does any one know if in Northern California Comcast has two way capabilities? There is two way Internet here.

bUU
join:2007-05-10
Kissimmee, FL

bUU

Member

There is no law requiring sale of CableCARDs, nor any law requiring entering any customer-owned CableCARDs into an MSO's system. You should talk to you Members of Congress about that, if you're not happy about it, since they're the ones that can influence the FCC to make new rules for you. Until new laws are in place, it is a matter of whether it is profitable enough for MSOs to offer such a service; it is not.

AFAIK, there aren't any televisions that have two-way CableCARD capability.

Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

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Did you buy the cablecard from Best Buy or "something (i.e. eBay?)

Who makes the cable card you bought? Does it have a Comcast logo on it?
rendrenner
join:2005-09-03
Grandville, MI

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Your tv is not a two way tv. Sony just announced this past summer that it has worked out some type of agreement with Comcast and the other major cable companies to make a two way TV. Was on the front page news blurbs here.

rv65
Premium Member
join:2008-08-02
USA!!!!

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Yes they may be a bit of BS. They probably support Tru2way but you need a special tv for that. Cable Card's can be rented out but not sold since it requires them to go to Cisco/Motorola to get some id's and stuff like that. It's not that practical to sell them in stores. You can however buy your own host though.

DaveDude
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey

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Its because each system is provisioned differently. Some use Motorola, others Scientific Atlanta. What i have a problem with the lackluster approach Comcast has to supporting them. They should never run out cablecards, and they should work on the first truckroll, otherwise there is something wrong that needs to solved.