Media Center CableCARDs freed from OEM requirement

[BrainStormer]

Looks like we're another step closer to being able to record encrypted channels in the US.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/09/media...quirement/

[pcostanza]

Been using cable cards since 2006 and have had great success. I hope this brings price down on these devices. Cable companies have not traditionally fallen in love with cable cards because they don't make much money on them and they lose services live DVR and PPV. We'll see how this moves forward.

[nightwalker]

They've been talking about the 2way cable card for years now. If then got that working they would lose a lot less. It won't help on DVR sales but it would for OnDemand and PPV.

[mkenyon2]

Another link:
http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press...DIAPR.mspx

MS is opening up some of it for portability too.

[johnsonx42]

but, will there ever be a way to use it with 3rd party DVR apps, like a certain one we sometimes discuss on this here forum, or will it remain Microsoft-only?

[sub]

I suspect it'll Microsoft-only for the foreseeable future.

They went through a many years of being very 3rd party developer friendly on the TV card front (WDM and BDA), but they seem to be shutting that friendlyness down in recent times (PBDA, DRM etc).