> At 01:09 PM 7/28/2008, you wrote: > >Last I had looked at it the answer was "no" if we are talking about > >encrypted channels (nearly all of them are). > > Actually, the networks aren't, but it is up to the cable companies to > provide them unencrypted. >
If a cable company chooses to carry local OTA networks (CBS, NBC, PBS, FOX, CW, etc) over their cable plant, they MUST do so unencrypted, and must provide them on the most basic (typically analog) tier. It's an FCC rule. If your cable co provides locals and is encrypting them, report them. > > while this is still available they have mostly been abandoned by > cable companies and TV manufacturers. The cable companies don't like > them because they are not bi directional, so many of the features, > like pay for video, or the TV guide can't work with a cable card. The > manufactures don't like them because they cost money to install in > the TV, and most consumers don't care. There is a new technology > that has replaced cable cards ... I think it is called TV2. Sony will > be deploying it next year, it won't be cheap but it will be built in > and provide bidirectional support to cable users without a cable box. > Cable companies are supporting it because it meets their needs, and > manufactures are coming to it largely because it seems to meet their > needs expect one..... price per unit. However, manufactures believe > the price will come down quickly as more consumers use it. Actually, STBs provided by the cable company can (as of July 1 2007) no longer use integrated components--they MUST use CableCARDs per FCC rules. If you go get a new STB from the cable co and it doesn't use CableCARDs, report them. Now, that being said, currently only company-provided STBs/cards are capable of bi-directional communication. Greg
