Sony KDF-55XS955, KDP-51WS655, KD-36XS955, KDF-50WE655, KDF-60WF655 F.A.Q.

Unidirectional Cable Ready Products

F.A.Q.

July 2004

What does Digital Cable Ready mean?

A DCR product is a digital TV, digital video recorder or other
device capable of receiving unscrambled analog, digital basic and
digital premium cable television programming by direct connection
to a cable system providing such programming. This device can

receive unencrypted or unscrambled video signals through direct
connection to the cable system with no additional required component. To receive
encrypted digital services, the device needs a CableCARD™ supplied by the cable
operator which fits into a slot on the DCR product. Sony DCR products that are available
to consumers now or have been publicly announced for release in the near future include
digital video recorders DHG-HDD250 & DHG-HDD500 and the following digital
televisions (DTVs):

• KD-34XBR960

• KD-30XS955

• KD-34XS955

• KD-36XS955

• KDP-51WS655

• KDP-57WS655

• KDE-37XS955

• KDE-42XS955

• KDE-50XS955

• KDF-42WE655

• KDF-50WE655

• KDF-55WF655

• KDF-60WF655

• KDF-55XS955

• KDF-60XS955

What does Plug-and-Play mean?

Plug-and-Play is another term for DCR used during the cable and consumer electronics
industry discussions and the FCC’s rulemaking proceeding. The generic term for these
products is DCR.

How does DCR benefit consumers?

DCR enables consumers to receive digital programming, including HDTV signals,
without a set-top box and will allow for an array of new devices, such as various kinds of
digital recorders, to be easily connected to cable networks.

How does a DCR television work?

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In addition to the electronics typically found in most television sets, a DCR product
incorporates many of the same electronics found in a digital set-top box. The key
difference is that a DCR product does not itself contain technology that will allow the
television to display encrypted digital signals. Such decryption technology is instead
built into the CableCARD™. Since cable operators encrypt most digital cable signals
(other than, e.g., retransmitted local broadcast digital TV programming), a
CableCARD™ must be inserted into a DCR product in order for that product to receive
most digital cable programming.

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