Comcast Starts Billing For Digital Adapters → Re: suck

The television manufacturers got hurt financially from the CableCard debacles. Advanced services were not available if you used the CableCard, only set top boxes from the cable companies provided those services. Tru2Way cards were supposed to be capable of allowing all the advanced services, but without out the need for a box. Few cable companies use them, there is almost no equipment available that has the Tru2Way card slot. The FCC has done little to regulate the cable industry to eliminate the need to use proprietary set top DVRs or other boxes. In theory you would be able to subscribe with a cable company for services and get the number of Tru2Way cards you need, You then go out and buy whatever DVRs or TVs you want that had Thu2Way slots. You would then connect the card to the wall outlet and then to the DVR you bought. The card would have all the security stuff a box does, but in a much smaller format.

It confounds me that the cable industry does not want to get rid of the logistical hassle of set top boxes and switch to a CableCard or Tru2Way only system. Letting the customer deal with the DVR would seem to be an easier business model.

There's too much profit in the current system. These DTAs are going to bring in 500 million a year just by themselves.

The DTAs are relatively small form factor solid state devices with comparatively simple firmware. DVRs are hulking power hungry machines with multiple rotating mechanical disks and complex firmware. I can see why you would want to keep the small simple low logistical cost DTAs as a profit center, but if I were a cable CEO I would want to get rid of those DVRs and switch to CableCard and Tru2Way.