Deep-six your cable box: CableCard HDTVs

Ever wish you could toss your cable box in the trash and use your TV's remote to switch channels, never having to worry about two remotes, an extra box, and those endless lists of channels that you don't subscribe to cluttering your guide? As the little man says, "You can do it!" The promise of Digital Cable Ready HDTVs is simple: rent a CableCard from your cable company instead of a box--they usually cost less per month--and you'll be able to watch digital cable, including HDTV, using just your TV and the cable coming out of the wall. What's the catch? Well, you won't be able to order pay-per-view via the TV or get video-on-demand, you can't watch two scrambled cable channels at once or record shows to a DVR (many cable boxes have these features), and you won't get your cable company's guide--although many sets include the TV Guide EPG as a stopgap. If you don't mind these sacrifices, insist on DCR. Nearly all new models have it, so here's a sample of the latest.

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