Nick
08-22-06, 06:16 AM
Cable Co.'s Take Hit in CableCard Fight
The cable industry took a step back last week after a federal appeals court upheld
the Federal Communications Commission's mandate requiring operators to distribute
CableCard technology making set-top boxes no longer necessary to watch digital cable.
A D.C. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals unanimously supported the FCC's "integration
ban" requiring cable operators to separate fundamental decoding measures from
encryption utilities in their set-top boxes. According to reports, the separation will
allow digital subs to run their cable feed directly into a TV set- making the set-top
box technology's latest eight-track player.
The credit card-sized CableCard fits into a specially-built port on digital TVs and
several consumer electronic devices like TiVo's patented (ahem) digital video
recorders and high-definition televisions.
The FCC originally set a deadline of January 2005 for cable operators to implement
CableCards into their systems but was extended to July 1, 2007. Cable subscribers
wanting to boot their set-top boxes can thank the National Cable and Telecommunications
Association for the delay.
www.SkyReport.com - used with permission
The cable industry took a step back last week after a federal appeals court upheld
the Federal Communications Commission's mandate requiring operators to distribute
CableCard technology making set-top boxes no longer necessary to watch digital cable.
A D.C. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals unanimously supported the FCC's "integration
ban" requiring cable operators to separate fundamental decoding measures from
encryption utilities in their set-top boxes. According to reports, the separation will
allow digital subs to run their cable feed directly into a TV set- making the set-top
box technology's latest eight-track player.
The credit card-sized CableCard fits into a specially-built port on digital TVs and
several consumer electronic devices like TiVo's patented (ahem) digital video
recorders and high-definition televisions.
The FCC originally set a deadline of January 2005 for cable operators to implement
CableCards into their systems but was extended to July 1, 2007. Cable subscribers
wanting to boot their set-top boxes can thank the National Cable and Telecommunications
Association for the delay.
www.SkyReport.com - used with permission