NCTA says TiVo, Intel and Microsoft’s claim about CableCARDs is a load of bull. The trio claims the only way to reduce the retail price of CableCARD products is to require cable ops to rely on the cards. "What will impact the market is CE manufacturers reducing the prices of their HDTVs to something the average American can afford, not the price of the CableCARD," NCTA wrote to the FCC last week. Cable and the CE industry are at loggerheads over an FCC rule requiring operators to deploy CableCARD-enabled set-tops after July 1, ’06. Cable wants the Commission to oust the ban, or at least postpone it to Jan 1, ’08. CEA wants it to take effect as planned. In the letter, NCTA also argued "saddling cable with needless costs" required for CableCARD-enabled boxes would benefit TiVo and Microsoft as they are exploring distribution paradigms that compete directly with traditional cable.

The Daily

Subscribe

Comcast: We Can Do Better

With Comcast losing 199,000 domestic broadband customers in 1Q25 (about 50,000 below consensus) and churn rising slightly, the operator is launching a new go-to-market approach that will continue to evolve over the coming months as it works to provide more value to its customers with less friction.

Read the Full Issue
The Skinny is delivered on Tuesday and focuses on the cable profession. You'll stay in the know on the headlines, topics and special issues you value most. Sign Up

Calendar

Sep 11
2025 Faxies Awards Faxies Nominations Open! Final deadline: 4/4/25
Full Calendar

Jobs

Seeking an INDUSTRY JOB or hiring for one?
VIEW JOBS

In conjunction with our sister brand, Cynopsis, we are offering hiring managers a deep pool of media-savvy, skilled candidates at a range of experience levels and sectors. The result will be an even more robust industry job board, to help both employers and job seekers.

Contact Carley Ashley, [email protected], for more information about posting a job on the website and our Jobs newsletter, sent twice weekly to 85,000 media professionals.