CableCARD

A CableCARD is a removable security card, supplied by the cable operator, that lets a compatible TV, digital video recorder or network tuner decrypt encrypted cable channels without the operator's set-top box. It was the main way to use retail equipment for encrypted cable TV for many years. Support has been winding down, so it is worth understanding before you buy or rely on a CableCARD device.

Where CableCARD came from

Section 629 of the Communications Act, added by the Telecommunications Act, directed the FCC to make sure consumers could buy cable navigation devices, such as set-top boxes, from retailers and not only from their cable company. To do that, the FCC required operators to separate the security function from the rest of the box. The cable industry, through its research group CableLabs, developed the card format that became CableCARD, and CableLabs certifies devices that accept it.

Calling CableCARD a form of digital rights management is not quite right. It is a conditional access module: it decides whether you are authorized to watch an encrypted channel and decrypts it if you are. Copy-control flags travel with the content and are enforced by the device, but the card's job is authorization and decryption.

One-way devices and their limits

The FCC's plug-and-play rules covered unidirectional, or one-way, digital cable products. A one-way device with a CableCARD can receive the linear channels you subscribe to, but it cannot send requests back to the cable system. That means features that depend on two-way communication, such as on-demand programming, pay-per-view ordering and the operator's interactive guide, are generally not available.

Many systems also use switched digital video, which only sends a channel down your line when someone asks for it. A one-way device cannot ask, so operators provided a separate tuning adapter that handles those requests for CableCARD devices. A multi-stream card, or M-Card, can decrypt several channels at once and is what multi-tuner devices use.

The integration ban and its repeal

To make sure operators supported CableCARD properly, the FCC's "integration ban" required operators' own leased boxes to use separable security as well. Congress repealed the integration ban in the STELA Reauthorization Act, and the FCC later closed its navigation device proceeding and eliminated its CableCARD consumer support and reporting rules, finding they no longer served a useful purpose given changes in how people get and watch video. With those rules gone, the level of CableCARD support varies from one provider to the next.

Should you use CableCARD today?

  • Check with your provider first. Some operators still provide cards for existing customers; others have stopped or are moving channels to IP delivery that cards cannot decode.
  • One-way limits still apply: expect linear channels only.
  • Copy-control flags set by the operator may restrict recording or streaming some channels to other devices.
  • Few new CableCARD tuners are being made. Weigh that against your provider's own boxes and apps.

For unencrypted channels you do not need a CableCARD at all. See Clear QAM and Choosing a TV Tuner.

Sources

Good to know. Cable lineups, encryption policies, equipment fees and device support are set by each provider and manufacturer and can change. Check with your provider and the sources listed before you buy equipment.
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