Can someone please explain why anyone needs decryption cards for watching channels illegally?

I can see that a lot of effort is being expended on posting files on internet for various card types, and that people are spending a lot of money on buying various card systems and card programmers etc.

As a complete novice last year "a friend" bought a cheap satellite system, comprising cheap receiver, two dishes and a decryption card loaded with keys. Every couple of months as keys changed and he couldn't watch those channels, he took the card back to the shop to have the latest keys loaded onto it.

He's just had a software upgrade to the receiver (about 10 GB pounds) to allow him to enter keys manually using the remote controller. Now he doesn't need his card. When a key changes he just finds the latest one from Internet.

....So please would someone explain why I, er he, might want to fork out to buy a Matrix Reloaded or whatever card system...

His receiver is Goldmaster 7400 CIM, using satellites Hotbird and Turksat. Goldmaster appears to be a rebadged Xtreme Hornet.

So please would someone explain why I, er he, might want to fork out to buy a Matrix Reloaded or whatever card system