RyanPeterson

Yes

Hey Pimplebutt.  Since you have no idea what is going on in the world of media centers let me educate you.

There are devices that connect to your cablebox and can record decrypted TV as you are suggesting.  Give this setup a little thought, and you'll realize that this is not a desirable configuration.  Okay I'll assume you don't know why this is not good.  If you setup a device to record shows presented by the cablebox, then you can ONLY record shows that the cablebox is tuned to.  This means it is a pain to setup automated recordings of different shows, and recording one show and watching another is out of the question.

This steaming pile of dung as you so ignorantly put it is the next generation of TV tuners.  Once the FCC mandates that CableLabs opens up these abilities even further you will see more more companies jumping at the chance to build these devices.  The InfitiTV can tune and record 4 different channels simultaneously.  This is great!

Currently Media Center is the ONLY authorized software to work with these TV tuners that can decrypt a cable signal.  In order for Ceton to even be able to decrypt TV they had to go through an $80,000 CableLabs certification process.  CableLabs wouldn't have even opened this technology up if they weren't forced to by the FCC.   The cable companies are stuck in their backward thinking and fighting technology and innovation.  This Fall the new FCC rules should come into effect, and you'll see more software working with these new TV tuners such as MythTV etc.