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Note that, by law, cable companies are required to support separable security, whereby you can purchase your own host device (STB or DVR) and receive all linear programming that are part of your service subscription, as long as your host device supports the standard separable security mechanism, currently CableCARD. Currently, manufacturers have not seen fit to offer CableCARD-compatible STBs for sale to the general public. There evidently isn't enough of a profit motive for them to do so (especially given how expensive it is to provide customer support to the general public). However, there are are two CableCARD-compatible DVRs, currently available for sale in the United States: The TiVo HD DVR, and the Moxi HD DVR.

The TiVo HD DVR is available two ways: You can buy one for about $250 and then pay about $12 per month extra for service on it, or you can purchase it for about $550, and service is included for its lifetime.

The Moxi HD DVR is only available one way. It costs about $700, and service is included for its lifetime.

In each case, you'll need a CableCARD installed by the service provider, to activate it to receive the services that are part of your subscription. Comcast includes the price of the CableCARD in their digital packages.