What Is CableCARD?

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Stop renting set-top boxes from your cable company. One CableCARD can unlock your TV and access hundreds of channels. So ditch that old-school cable box and enjoy even more of the shows and movies you love. CableCARDs allow you to watch cable TV on any device you choose. A CableCARD device will enable you to watch cable directly through an adapter rather than a set-top box with the right equipment. The result is lower costs, more convenience and fewer hassles for you. They can also be helpful if you rent your home and switch from one cable company to another or have more than one TV in your home and want to connect different devices to different providers. Most cable providers will provide a cable card when you order your service. To move your cable card to another TV, unplug the cable box, connect the new cable card to the latest TV, and plug the cable box back in. Once the provider has activated the cable card, you will have access to all channels and be able to view your desired content. You're about to get a bit of cable for your money. CableCARDs are small, black devices that let you watch cable-television channels without renting a set-top box from your service provider. Here's how they work: Your local cable company installs these cards in the headends of their broadcast network, and each CableCARD is paired with a specific subscriber account. When you insert this card into your PC or other device equipped with its tuner, it decodes and unscrambles the signal so you can watch cable channels without needing to rent a bulky set-top box. The FCC has required cable providers to support CableCARDs for several years. The rationale is simple: to foster competition in the cable industry. CableCARDs are leased from cable providers for much lower rates than set-top boxes, allowing consumers to choose their preferred devices. The result is lower prices, more features and more significant innovation. They let you escape endless bill increases and service fees. If you're paying a monthly lease fee on a set-top box and hate it, why not switch to a device that doesn't need additional fees? You can safely replace your device with an adapter like this and save a few monthly bucks.

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