Cablecards for dishnetwork
- Thread starter pjm8047
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cablecard? they already have smartcards in the receivers. I'm not sure I follow what you are asking.
It's basically a card that most newer digital TV's have a slot to accept. In a nutshell, this card replaces the digital set-top box you would get from Time Warner, Comcast, etc...
http://news.com.com/FAQ+CableCard+Whats+that/2100-1041_3-5542400.html
Dish had a PCI card over 5 years ago for their business division and some made it to the public via Gateway computers on a TV/MM platform they released. This card was done by a company named Broadlogic.. At the time, it only ran in windows 98 and 2000 I believe. So this isn't a market that would be "new" to them - I bet all the first gen PVR systems by them were based off the PCI PC cards.
Who cares unless the cable card has a DVR built it....
My HDTV has a cable card slot - will never be used.....
My HDTV has a cable card slot - will never be used.....
Fellas,
I think what pjm8047 is asking for is the ability to use a cable card for satellite like the cable cos use it to eliminate the need for the set top box. As Pepper points out, the cable signal is QAM so unless satellite adopts QAM it wouldn't work.
It would be nice to not need a box for each HD TV. Not the end of the world, though.
Miner
I think what pjm8047 is asking for is the ability to use a cable card for satellite like the cable cos use it to eliminate the need for the set top box. As Pepper points out, the cable signal is QAM so unless satellite adopts QAM it wouldn't work.
It would be nice to not need a box for each HD TV. Not the end of the world, though.
Miner
Cable cards have disadvantages anyways -- you cant get Video OnDemand with them and you can't do two way interactions or get the pretty on screen guide. Most cable customers want DVR's also so they just rather have the digi cable box to get their 'wanted features'
Both Dish and Direct were very upset about being left out of the specification regarding the "Cable Card", even protesting to Congress to ensure satellite is included in the next generation of "Cable Cards" or similar technology. I can't remember if Congress required that satellite be included next time. It looked mighty attractive at the time, and satellite felt they might be at a competitive disadvantage. But, considering the limitations and disadvantages of the current generation of "Cable Cards", it probably worked out for the best for satellite.
However, at the time the "Cable Cards" first came out and when work began on the next generation that would allow PPV, and a lot of what you can't get in today's "Cable Cards" (are they still working on the next generation?) Dish seemed serious about the "Card" technology for some subs who didn't want boxes (and there are a lot of people who do NOT want boxes), or was all that just to hobble Cable? However, that was a long time ago, and who knows if Dish or Direct care anymore. It is true, however, that Dish continues to research technologies that will allow them to eliminate the high number of boxes currently necessary for satellite viewing.
Dish was working on a "Home Node" technology, I think it was called, system a few years ago. It was supposed to be one box feeding multiple TV's, even HD signals to multiple TV's. Does anyone know what happened to that project, and what specifically are they working on now?
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Actually, the card itself seems to only decrypt the signal. I am familiar with cable cards, as I have a slot on my dlp tv.
The tv can still receive QAM digital signals, that are unencrypted, without ever inserting a card.
If satellite ever did have something "similar" to cable card, it wouldn't be a cable card, that's for sure, since that was specifically made to allow people to not have to use a box, as was mandated by the fcc or whatever.
My whole point above, was that if they did something like this, I'd see it as a NEW pci card, that read smart cards from dish for this specific purpose... No need to re-invent the wheel if dish already uses smart cards.
I would love to see a standards based DBS delivery mechanism in where all set-top-boxes, and perhaps even TVs, use a standards based card slot in which to receive DBS programming...just insert the provided card and call the vendor - Viola! It makes sense, it sounds simple, and would make life easy for the customer...it does, it's not, and it will make Cablecard look like an award winning technology.
Of course, if D* and E* were to merge sometime in the future...
Of course, if D* and E* were to merge sometime in the future...
