Software Baed Cable Card?

[Shredder]

Hey all,

Wouldn't it be easier to come up with a software based cable card for computers rather than come up with the hardware that's supposed to be released in November? This way, all people with HDTV tunres have to do is download and install the official software to get digital channels without buying new equipment..

Possibe?

 

[Digital Dude]

Most computer HD tuners are ATSC and not QAM. If a tuner card had a QAM tuner for in the clear it would need a firmware update at the least to decrypy coded HD channels, and you can bet your bottom dollar Hollywood would fight tooth and nail to keep copy protection in hardware.