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NYT dissin' the CableCard

The New York Times recently ran a tech story "A CableCard That Hasn't Been Able to Kill the Set-Top Box" talking about how the CableCARD standard was included in a lot of TVs but hasn't taken off, so many TV manufacturers are scaling back their support of CableCard.

What is annoying about this article is that it hinges entirely on quotes from companies producing hardware, cable company spokespeople, and industry analysts, including this gem:

"The CableCard is essentially dead," said Mr. Doherty of Envisioneering. "It will go down in history like the Edsel."

I really wish the writer mentioned the other side of the story. Cable companies dragged their feet supporting CableCard and only did the minimum to meet FCC regulations. The TV manufacturers released CableCard-ready hardware years ago, before most companies offering programming had their act together. From what I've heard from other Comcast customers like me, it's apparently difficult to get a CableCard and they try to talk you out of it (since they end up losing the $5-10 per month you'd be paying for a box). Most importantly, the big CableCard applications like the Series 3 TiVo and Microsoft Vista Media Center systems will be some of the first DVRs that can record in HD thanks to the CableCard.

CableCard uptake has been low for several reasons. There aren't too many compelling reasons to opt for one today (aside from simply having a cleaner/cheaper cable TV setup). There are specifications for hardware and software that take quite a bit of time to pass muster. Now that the standard has been in place for a few years, we'll finally see some good applications later this year when feature-rich DVR apps come out of TiVo and Microsoft, and people will be lining up to get them.

This story in the NYT reads like a premature eulogy, told from industry insiders with a vested interest in seeing the standard fail miserably. In a few years when there are millions of Series 3 and Vista Media Center boxes floating around, the story of CableCard will surely be rewritten as one of success, and something that empowers customers who weren't getting the features or flexibility in the cable company DVRs of the past.

by Matt Haughey July 5, 2006 in Op-Ed

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