Digital Home Thoughts: HDTV Enthusiasts Rejoice! CableCard Custom Rigs!

"Here's something you don't see every day: companies like Microsoft and the cable industry relaxing content and DRM restrictions. But that's exactly what happened yesterday at the CEDIA EXPO trade show in Atlanta, where Microsoft announced that home users could now install CableCARD-powered digital TV tuners in their PCs, could use those tuners with switched digital video (SDV) cable systems, and could use recorded content more freely."

No, DRM is not going away; The big entertainment companies have too much invested to take that kind of risk with TV. However, it does look like they are loosening things up so that the enthusiast market can have more fun while building their HDTV rigs. Not only does this mean that you are able to build your own system but you will have the ability to share or broadcast your recorded shows to more devices. It seems like TV industry is just recognizing that people are no longer just watching shows on their fancy new colour TV in the family room, but catching up on shows while on the commute to work, or while sipping a cup of joe at the local coffee shop. The freedom is nice, but I think this announcement indicates that the entertainment industry is recognizing that they need more adoption, and that you need to get enthusiasts on your side to do so. Giving them some freedom to make their own rigs instead of pre-boxed solutions is a step in the right direction.