Yes, it needs the legal privilege to decode the cable stream. This is likely not legal under the DMCA; I would guess it constitutes the distribution of a tool intended to circumvent "copy protection", and I would further guess users of such a device could also be held legally liable for actually using a tool to circumvent copy protection.
Besides that, I think that almost all of the set-top boxes blow away the boxes of the carriers on practically every front.
Besides that, I think that almost all of the set-top boxes blow away the boxes of the carriers on practically every front.