I wonder if the author got a free HTPC for writing this article?
Mike - you are correct. There are plenty of TVs out there that have high-def recording capabilities.
How about the Tivo HD box that takes cable cards and records HD for $300. Can’t you buy 3 of those and network them for less than the $1500 low end price mentioned?
No such thing as an “HD” cable card. Also, all cable cards are two-way. The host devices have limited them to one-way communication.
I agree with the above comments but also have more. Why isn’t the cable industry held accountable for the pathetic reputation (as mentioned in the original article) of cable cards? After all, they invented them and control the specs on them! For example, Time Warner won’t allow customers to install cable cards so it requires a service call (at least in my area). The first installer tried 5 cards in my Tivo unit - none of them worked (and he blamed the Tivo unit). I insisted they bring someone else with “new” cards (the other 5 cards had clearly been used) and they did and the new cards worked. However, the second installer blamed Tivo for the poor operation of the cable cards - go figure.
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Talk about misinformation. . .you bet I can slap a cablecard in my tv and record in HD. I was a smart buyer and bought an HDTV that has both a cablecard slot AND a hard drive/dvr function!! And yes, I can also share a Tivo S3 throughout the house IF I have a whole-house a/v distribution system (which I do). It’s one thing to push Vista and the Xbox media center extender platform in your article, it’s another to misstate facts and say that other solutions aren’t possible when in fact they are. I’ve been reading many “slanted” articles with misstatements from you guys too much recently. C’mon, get your facts straight.