Settop TV decoder cards + Oceanic Cable

[Konaguy]

Looks like Oceanic is offering them at $1.75 a month. Unfortunately
the page does not say what specific model/brand are compatible
[Aside that that it is digital cable ready] and you cannot watch
iControl or PPV movies with them.

http://tinyurl.com/3l934

[pzarquon]

Fascinating. So instead of spending $6.75 a month to rent one of their fully-integrated "addressable boxes" (which allows for two-way interactivity), you can spend $1.75 a month to get a card which - with the correct TV or other device - lets you access most of their digital cable lineup.

I've never even noticed TV's sold with "digital cable ready" as a feature, though I'm sure it's right on the side of the box. I suppose the slot for the card is also part of most HDTVs you can buy today?

Still, you are rentinghardware to simply decode content you're already paying for... and that still rubs me the wrong way. Then again, I'm a cheapskate!

[Konaguy]

I'm kinda bummed it won't work with iControl movies as those are cool.
But I believe Sony is coming out with TV's wiith a decoder slot built
in as far as I understood. The costs savings are pretty good though.
If you had two of these kind of TVs with decoder slot you could
only have to spend $3.50 instead of $14.75.

[Konaguy]

Evidently I found out the decoder cards with two way communication
will be available in about year. Then I figure PPV/icontrol will be available then.

[adrian]

Now if they could only offer that for computers (or atleast make it legal/possible for people w/ tv tuners in computers to view digital cable).

[Konaguy]

Now if they could only offer that for computers (or atleast make it legal/possible for people w/ tv tuners in computers to view digital cable).


That would be cool, but the likelyhood of that happening is very remote :(
All because of the people who illegally infringe copyrights.

[adrian]

That would be cool, but the likelyhood of that happening is very remote :(
All because of the people who illegally infringe copyrights.
Yeah, but think about it: having a TV on your computer would give you automatic access to updated show information via internet; tech support will be able to have better access to info via remote access; you can be watching TV and surfing on the internet/doing work at the same time; and more.

Some people are already getting internet TV via their high speed connections. The Cable companies gotta look what people have, and learn how to utilize them, instead of just pushing expensive products into their living room. Like the RIAA, cable providers have to jump into the 21st century, and realize that the internet is taking over our lives. Soon, cable/satillite TV would be obsolete because of the ability to get wireless tv via internet providers.