wilkes

Where cablecard should theoretically be great is turning a Media Center PC into the best darn DVR you ever saw. There are cable-card capable Media Center boxes that can record four high-def cable channels at once, while you watch something you've already recorded. Pretty cool!

Fins is right about them not taking off, but they can\'t die legally. Cable companies are required by the FCC to make them available! They MUST let you have one if you request. It\'s the law!

Cable cards are pretty much dead. They never took off well because the cable companies didnt want them to. So they never made them work correctly. Basiclly they dont work more times than they do. I dont know if Charter ever even had them in this area.

Satan is right, you only will get a few extra channels, and almost all are music channels. But any new TV with a built in tuner should have the same abilities in finding channels.

Cable companies are required by the FCC to make available what's called "Cablecards" if you ask for them. TVs with "Cablecard" tuners allow you to slide the card into the back of the TV, and receive all cable channels, without an external cable box.

If your company says they can't do it (provide a Cablecard), remind them that they are required by law to do so, and should they fail, you'll report them to the FCC.

Again...you must have a Cablecard-compatible device (TV, Media Center PC, DVR, etc.)

with charter you will only get a few "extra channels" free local hi-def and the music only channels
and you still have to have a wired connection

Thanks... I think I have found it. A TV with a QAM tuner

you can do something like this http://www.smarthome.com/76...30S/p.aspx but i have no idea if it works well or not and it would be watching the same channel on both tv's but for the cost of the unit you can rent another cable box for quite awhile a standard digital reciever is only $1.75 a month and a hi-def reciever is $6.75
pick them up and get activated at the office downtown ,they charge ($29.99 for a special trip)...if they ..bring them out and install them

"I have heard there is a TV that has a built in tuner that will pick up the other channels"...
not from cable ... cable doesn't broadcast a signal

I have heard there is a TV that has a built in tuner that will pick up the other channels.... any ideas?

get a splitter($5-$10), run a cable($5-$20) ... you will get ch #'s 2-77 without a cable box.

We are getting ready to replace a small tv in one of the bedrooms. I use Charter and I am looking for a LCD (about 32 inches) that can pick up a lot of the channels without getting another cable box. Does anyone have suggestion?