One Million "Cable-ready" HDTVs

One million cable-ready high definition TVs will have been purchased by American consumers by the end of 2004, according to projections published June 23 by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). ¶ Cable-ready sets can accept direct feeds from cable providers without the need for set-top converter boxes (STBs)—the result of the "plug-and-play" agreement between manufacturers and cable providers that was ratified last fall by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). A slot for an authorized "CableCARD" in the front panel of the sets allows users to receive high-def programming, including premium channels, without an STB. ¶ "Receiving HDTV over cable without a set-top box is a long-awaited driver of the DTV transition and will provide millions of households with a seamless transition to high-def. It is important to note that Digital Cable Ready HDTVs also include over-the-air DTV tuners for terrestrial DTV broadcasts," said CEA president and CEO Gary Shapiro. ... That's not saying they have them now. --Dennis Stereophile Ultimate AV link" HDTVs