A CI+ slot, short for Common Interface Plus, is a card reader built into many televisions that allows a plug in conditional access module, combined with a subscription smart card from a pay TV provider, to decrypt encrypted channels directly on the television. It removes the need for a separate set top box for many cable or satellite pay TV packages.
In practice, a viewer inserts a small module into the slot, then a card supplied by the broadcaster or cable provider into the module, and the television handles decryption itself once the combination is recognised. Not every pay TV provider supports CI+, and not every television includes the slot, so checking compatibility with a specific provider before relying on this route is worthwhile.
CI+ is most relevant to viewers receiving channels through DVB-C cable or DVB-S2 satellite who want to avoid a separate receiver box. See our guide to antenna and reception for how the different reception paths compare.
