US law clamps down on TV cable cards

From Thursday 1 July, US law requires that at least 50 per cent of all televisions with screen sizes of 36 inches or more must be able to accept cable cards – smart cards that can take the place of digital set-top boxes.

From tomorrow (Thursday), US law requires that at least 50 per cent of all televisions with screen sizes of 36 inches or more must be able to accept cable cards – smart cards that can take the place of digital set-top boxes. But the US TV industry is unhappy with the cards, because they only function one-way, which means homes with the cards cannot subscribe to video on demand, interactive gaming and similar interactive services.