CableCard 
A small PCMCIA-size card available from most digital cable providers nationwide that can provide digital cable service without the need for a set-top cable box. Requires a Digital Cable Ready TV or a component that has a CableCard slot. CableCard currently does not support EPG or VOD (video-on-demand) functionality, which is a significant disadvantage compared to a cable box, although a next-generation version that does support these features is in development.