Cable Set-Top Prices to Rise

[Poke]

http://www.tvpredictions.com/cablehike070507.htm

The cable operators respond to the FCC's order for more expensive boxes.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (July 5, 2007) -- Cable TV operators will soon charge customers more to lease set-top boxes, including High-Definition, in response to a FCC mandate to offer more expensive receivers.

That's according to an article by the Associated Press.

Starting July 1, a new FCC rule requires cable TV operators to use the same technology in their boxes as cable set-tops sold at retail by non-cable companies. (The rule only applies to digital cable TV boxes deployed on July 1 and beyond.)

Consequently, cable viewers will be able to plug a "CableCard" into the back of either box to receive their digital cable signals, including High-Definition. (They can get the CableCard from their cable operator.)

Federal officials say this will give consumers the choice of purchasing their cable box from a non-cable company at the store or leasing it from their cable operators.

But the cable operators say the boxes are more expensive and they will have to pass the costs along to their customers, including those who do not get the new CableCard set-tops.

According to the AP, cable services will not say how much they will raise the rates on leasing the boxes. But trade groups representing the industry suggested the increase could be $2 to $3 more per month if the hike is restricted to customers who get the new boxes.

However, Comcast has said it will spread out the cost to all subscribers who rent cable boxes. The cable operator says the FCC CableCard rule "amounts to an FCC tax of hundreds of millions of dollars on consumers."

 

[minnow]

I'll be very interested to see whom sells these things and how much they are to buy.

 

[stevenl]

You wonder why TV is so expensive? Thank uncle sam.

 

[korsjs]

You wonder why TV is so expensive? Thank uncle sam.

it is not entirely the government. their is more to the article than what is posted above. at the end of it, it says that cable companies raise their rates between 2 - 3 times the rate of inflation every year.

they granted verizon a waiver because they said the cable companies need competition.

i beleive the boxes might cost a little bit more, but the cable companies will raise rates any chance they get.

 

[Van]

Only boxes I ever see offered are the ones that will only do up to channel 126 and most only go to 99 so where are these so called better boxes at? Is some pot smoking congressman getting his 622 confused with a cable box?

 

[Jimbo]

Only boxes I ever see offered are the ones that will only do up to channel 126 and most only go to 99 so where are these so called better boxes at? Is some pot smoking congressman getting his 622 confused with a cable box?

Cable boxes around here go to at least 700, I know the HD content is in the 600's
Then again, I haven't had cable since about 1985

Jimbo

 

[Stargazer]

As many of these things that's going to be out there the prices should drop a bit. I am surprised that they have not required satellite to have a standard like this so that one type of technology would be able to work with any satellite provider and allow more competition to come into play easier with what would already be out there.

 

[RVD420]

As many of these things that's going to be out there the prices should drop a bit. I am surprised that they have not required satellite to have a standard like this so that one type of technology would be able to work with any satellite provider and allow more competition to come into play easier with what would already be out there.

In Europe satellite TV hardware in interchangable. You buy a FTA receiver with CI module slots. Then you get point the dish to the correct satellite and get the CI module from the satellite TV company.