Why Not Opt For A HDTV Card Instead Of The Set-Top Box?
When you start to do your research on HDTV and go through the various specifications related to different makes and models you can be sure that you will encounter the term CableCard in many of these specifications and for those who are wondering just what are this HDTV card the answer is that essentially, the HDTV card is the most elegant method that can be used in order to receive HDTV programs from your cable operator, and in fact this HDTV card can also easily substitute for the operator's set-top box that receives and then decodes signals that are in HDTV format.
Slot Into Your HDTV Set
Rather than buy a separate set-top box, you could just as well purchase the HDTV card that can then easily be slotted into your HDTV set where it can begin to perform the same functions as are done by the set-top boxes which are to decode channels from your cable provider and then let the integrated HDTV take it from there.
The main advantage to using a HDTV card lies in the fact that it does not take quite so much space as does a set-top box and it can also work without a power supply of its own and in addition, it also means needing to use fewer cables as would be the case when using a set-top box.
The HDTV card also gives you another advantage and that is in case you shift residence or even your cable provider you won't need to change any hardware which is the case with a set-top box. In fact, all you will need to do is give up your old HDTV card and get another one from your new service provider and normal service can be resumed without much fuss or bother.
However, there is still another and perhaps the most important advantage to using the card and which is also an important point of difference between a HDTV card and a set-top box and that is that the HDTV card gives you better picture quality and this is not too hard to understand given the fact that cable providers don't really have the necessary know-how to create outstanding set-top boxes while card manufacturers do.
However, the only downside to using a HDTV card is that at present it is only one-way and that means that you can't enjoy pay-per-view or on-demand services for which you would be better served in using a set-top box. Nevertheless, there is hope on this account as well because currently development work is ongoing to create the two-way version as well and who knows, in a short time from now you could even get this capability as well.
