I do the same, it's great! The cable companies are mandated by the fcc to supply subscribers with at least one cablecard free of charge so you can use your own

I do the same, it's great! The cable companies are mandated by the fcc to supply subscribers with at least one cablecard free of charge so you can use your own equipment, like a TiVo. I have a HDHomeRun Prime and use 2 cards. The rental on the 2nd card is only $1.50/month, and I get 8 streams with it. I also bought a cablemodem for like $50. Other than the $1.50 cablecard rental, I don't rent anything from them except the service itself. Saves a boatload over years.