U.S. House votes to kill CableCARD mandate!

[Skybolt]

If/when the time comes that they can squeeze you that much forcing rental of an STB at inflated pricing, then it would be time to cut the TV cord. Live off IP streaming content and be done with traditional cable TV.

I would have done that already if it were not for watching LIVE sports, specifically NASCAR
You can never find replays of cup races.

[erkotz]

I am currently using the Ceton InfiniTV 4 PCIe and have had many conversations with Charter Techs about this current subject. They say that Charter is chomping at the bit for the opportunity to discontinue support of the cards. If they become no longer required to provide them as they are now, there will be a rapid decline in their functioning properly. Let a pairing corrupt, who's going to fix it?

The field techs at the various cable operators typically are not familiar with the direction the cable operators are headed. There is no indication that separable security, or CableCARD, are being "killed off" any time soon. Ultimately CableCARD will go away (likely in favor of downloadable security) but that's going to be down the road a bit, and there are still legal mandates for support.

Re: AllVid, best I can tell it is stillborn.

[barnabas1969]

I ALWAYS provided/owned my modem as I was not willing to pay $7 per month FOREVER!!!!

I pay $3.00 per month to rent my modem. It has been replaced 4 times in the past 7 years because it failed (lightning strikes or whatever). So, I effectively paid $63 for each modem, and each time it failed I got it replaced the same day without having to drive to a store to buy a new one. I think that's a fair deal.

As a side note, I always put an Ethernet surge protector between my modem and my router so that if the modem gets fried, it won't kill my router too.

[makryger]

I ALWAYS provided/owned my modem as I was not willing to pay $7 per month FOREVER!!!!

I pay $3.00 per month to rent my modem. It has been replaced 4 times in the past 7 years because it failed (lightning strikes or whatever). So, I effectively paid $63 for each modem, and each time it failed I got it replaced the same day without having to drive to a store to buy a new one. I think that's a fair deal.

As a side note, I always put an Ethernet surge protector between my modem and my router so that if the modem gets fried, it won't kill my router too.

You're lucky its only $3... if you had the $7 comcast fee, plus the loss of a $1.50 credit, the $178/modem may be a bit harder to swallow... or more- if you expected your modem to last more than every 2 years, which mine has.

(Though why don't you put the ethernet surge protector before the modem?)

[barnabas1969]

(Though why don't you put the ethernet surge protector before the modem?)

I also have a gas tube surge suppressor on the coax line coming into the house, with a ground line to the copper rod that is driven into the ground. Don't forget: I live in Florida, the lightning capital of the USA... and I live in the part of Florida which is called "Lightning Alley". When people visit this area from other parts of the country, they are always amazed at the number of lightning strikes.

[blueiedgod]

I ALWAYS provided/owned my modem as I was not willing to pay $7 per month FOREVER!!!!

I pay $3.00 per month to rent my modem. It has been replaced 4 times in the past 7 years because it failed (lightning strikes or whatever). So, I effectively paid $63 for each modem, and each time it failed I got it replaced the same day without having to drive to a store to buy a new one. I think that's a fair deal.

As a side note, I always put an Ethernet surge protector between my modem and my router so that if the modem gets fried, it won't kill my router too.

I had to retire my Motorolla 3100 because they no longer support it. I think I bought it in 1998 or 1999.