The major issue I have with the whole digital conversion was the loss of simplicity and for better word connectivity. By the 90’s every TV had a built in tuner. You just plugged the coax line in and away you went. Sure the cable company had to change some filters around if you bought a premium channel, but for the most part it was simply plug and play. Once digital came we went back to the idea of the set top box. Sure ATSC tuners were/are a thing, but really cable companies never opened themselves up like they had done. They saw the opportunity to lock you into an endless rental agreement and for it you got a slow, laggy, set top DVR. Cable card is the perfect example where technology could have bridged the gap between consumer and retailer making it a seamless experience.
