Wide World of Women

http://www.multichannel.com/article/443 ... vision.php

"John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 1/8/2010 4:17:50 PM
The Federal Communications Commission has granted Cablevision a waiver of its encryption rule prohibiting cable operators from scrambling their basic tiers for the cable operator's New York City franchise -- in The Bronx and the majority of Brooklyn -- which it is converting to all-digital."

This meansyou will no longer be able to watch and record the broadcast channels with a QAM tuner on some Cablevision NY systems.

So much for Cable-ready sets.
Just another way for them to make customers need a Cable Box or Cable-Card from them.
$$$$$$$$$$$

There's a PCI cable card tuner that will be out in the spring, http://www.cetoncorp.com/products.php

Comcast did the same thing here in Washington state a month ago. No clear QAM basic cable channels 30-70 for us. This is actually the reason why I've stopped capping (I posted a few Erin Burnett caps in HD from my local NBC affiliate to get my mind off of it but that just wasn't the same as capping my preferred anchor on HLN. I've been using composite cables connected to my cable box to record cable channels with an analog signal instead. It looks horrible!).

I think I've given a few hints here and there that I've had my eye on a getting a CableCARD tuner since that is probably the only option to record digital and premium HD channels to the PC, especially since QAM has being cut. I've looked at an old ATI tuner but the Ceton Quad-tuner that I've been following (the one IceMan mentioned) looks like a far more appealing and cost effective solution. Since CableLabs have relaxed their DRM restrictions, Hauppauge have also been working on a CablCARD tuner of their own and Silicon Dust has a networked dual-tuner device in development too.

As far as I understand, CableCARD tuners will only work with Windows 7 (with Media Center). An advisory tool in Media Center says I have a CableCARD ready system so the last thing I need is the tuner itself. Hopefully I don't die waiting for that Ceton tuner. Their company is only a 45 minute drive from me so if I have to wait any longer than March 31st, I think Gary Hammer is going to find a very angry person waiting in the lobby.