It looks like the tool that Microsoft talked about at CEDIA for checking if you system is capable of working with CableCard has been released. The tool called the Digital Cable Advisor should be showing up in the Extras gallery in Windows 7, after you have installed the tool it will run an analysis of your system and it will check things like graphics card performance. If everything passes you know your good to run a DCT

ATI also released the updated firmware for their DCT that enables the less restrictive DRM settings so you will be able to start playing with those commercial skipping applications

Of course non of this is available over here in the UK so checkout the gallery at Missing Remote