CableCARD Install Process Still Needs Improvement

Blogger Christopher Price live-blogged his CableCARD install experience in his new TiVo HD today. While his experience is certainly not as bad as others have experienced, it still shows that the cable industry has some work to do on improvement the CableCARD install experience. The first card in his install failed, and Comcast had to provide a second card, which worked. It would really be helpful if the cable companies would update the cards to the latest firmware and test them before sending them into the field to customers. And give installers spare cards. Dead CableCARDs are too common (again, test them first!), and I’ve been burned by the installer needing to call around and hunt down another card too. It has to cost the cable MSOs as well, having installers wasting time waiting for cards, needing to run back to the office, etc. Why not make life better for everyone and give them some spares? (And did I say test them first?)