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http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/06/windows-vista-digital-cable-tuners-do...
Not sure how this fell through the news cracks but I thought it was rather interesting.
Vista's Digital Cable Tuners
Sun, 01/07/2007 - 2:20am
#1
Vista's Digital Cable Tuners
Sun, 01/07/2007 - 10:45pm
#3
Here I was thinking slots in computers just like tv's. That form factor is not going to do anything for its success.
Mon, 01/08/2007 - 9:39am
#4
Um, yeah.... that thing is so huge it completely defeats the point of not having a cable box. WTF. I require more info. I really hope that's not the only option.
Mon, 01/08/2007 - 10:00am
#5
Just wait till you have to talk your local cableman into installing his precious cablecards into a couple of those.
Mon, 01/08/2007 - 10:57am
#6
Oh god. The more I keep reading of CES coverage, the more worried I am.
http://www.cepro.com/news/editorial/16823.html
Mon, 01/08/2007 - 11:10am
#7
I see the bit about it being in laptops, very interesting.
Mon, 01/08/2007 - 11:58am
#8
ATI has an internal tuner, fits in a PCI slot (but connects via USB headers). The external casing of the shipping ATI tuner looks different, not sure of the size through.
Chris
Mon, 01/08/2007 - 12:12pm
#9
Here's pictures of ATI's external tuner
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/08/pictures-of-atis-tv-wonder-digital-ca...
Mon, 01/08/2007 - 12:33pm
#10
From the TechReport :'(
This process begins with OCUR, or Open Cable Unidirectional Receiver, a standard established by CableLabs and the cable industry for digital cable tuners. OCUR-compliant devices should be able to accept a CableCard and then act as tuner for digital cable on any U.S. cable network. As the U in OCUR implies, this standard is only unidirectional, so OCUR-compliant devices cannot transmit data in order to invoke on-demand movies or the like. AMD says this TV Wonder is the first device of its kind certified by CableLabs.
C'mon hackers!!! But the problem is getting the actual bloody cable card from the companies huh?
Mon, 01/08/2007 - 3:52pm
#11
Looks like we might get some more info tomorrow:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12760_7-9673232-5.html?tag=blog
And here's the official product page:
http://ati.amd.com/products/tvwonderdigital/index.html
Still nobody has really mentioned much about the internal solutions beyond what's in that Tech Report article. Which by the way, is here:
http://techreport.com/onearticle.x/11564
Mon, 01/08/2007 - 9:16pm
#12
... That looks like a retail unit, not an OEM style thing... One can hope. 
Anyways, I wonder why the internal version doesn't draw power from the PCI bus. Certainly it could be wired to do so.
Quote:
Eventually, AMD expects the TV Wonder DCT to be selling separately to consumers once a sufficient number of OCUR-compliant PCs are out in the market. Consumer sales might be spurred in part by the fact that it's possible to have up to two TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuners connected to one PC.
Okay, cool. I really hope that means it will be possible to roll our own CableCard HTPCs.
Mon, 01/08/2007 - 9:55pm
#13
here's what i wonder....so u don't need to show this certificate of cablelabs blah blah to your Cable Company, right? So *what if* one was able to obtain the device...and then somehow manages to figure out the reg key needed to enable it.....HYPOTHETICALLY, that'd work, right?
Mon, 01/08/2007 - 10:09pm
#14
You need reg keys and a special jumper thingy on the mobo to use one.
Mon, 01/08/2007 - 11:52pm
#15
no dna samples? what weak protection!
sheeesh. 
Wed, 01/10/2007 - 9:45am
#16
Ah, but the MPAA,a nd RIAA would step in and require 87 milion pints of blood for thier DNA sampling when actually they only need 1/87th of a pint to do the test.
Wed, 01/10/2007 - 10:41am
#17
I don't care if they are external but please allow muiltiple cards in one box. IF I have a media center server in the closet I don't want to fill the rack with individual tuner boxes. If Niveus can put two in a box then so can ATI. I guess for first generation we shouldn't expect too much. How ATI still doesn't have a dual tuner analog card and how long was it after the Haup PCE 150 until the Haup 500 came along.
Wed, 01/10/2007 - 8:06pm
#18
Niveus is using the ATI CableCARD solution as are all other OEMs currently shipping boxes, so clearly more then one can be in a system. AFAIK ATI's is the only shipping product for OCUR right now.
Wed, 01/10/2007 - 8:08pm
#19
Matt wrote:
Niveus is using the ATI CableCARD solution as are all other OEMs currently shipping boxes, so clearly more then one can be in a system. AFAIK ATI's is the only shipping product for OCUR right now.
Niveus Press Release
http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/3465/niveus_media_intros
Thu, 01/11/2007 - 10:18am
#20
Seeing as they are external and connect via USB do you think we (The consumer) will be able to get them.
Thu, 01/11/2007 - 11:25am
#21
Sounds like only if you buy a CableCard Ready PC with a special motherboard and special BIOS.
Thu, 01/11/2007 - 11:43am
#22
Naylia wrote:
Sounds like only if you buy a CableCard Ready PC with a special motherboard and special BIOS.
That's the way I read it too
Thu, 01/11/2007 - 12:39pm
#23
Ditto here.
Thu, 01/11/2007 - 1:40pm
#24
Conceivably they could let you buy the MOBO, since the BIOS comes with it....maybe a feature in new enthusiast level motherboards???
Wonder what else they'll DISABLE on the BIOS though, in order to make sure it can't be "hacked"
Thu, 01/11/2007 - 1:47pm
#25
RTRski wrote:
Conceivably they could let you buy the MOBO, since the BIOS comes with it....maybe a feature in new enthusiast level motherboards???
Wonder what else they'll DISABLE on the BIOS though, in order to make sure it can't be "hacked"
Nothing is unhackable. I've said it before,i'll say it again, I don't believe Cablecards will remain OEM-only for long. It's up to them if they want to do it legitimately or have hackers figure it out, but I think one way or another it'll get done. but don't quote me 
Thu, 01/11/2007 - 1:56pm
#26
RTRski wrote:
Conceivably they could let you buy the MOBO, since the BIOS comes with it....maybe a feature in new enthusiast level motherboards???
Wonder what else they'll DISABLE on the BIOS though, in order to make sure it can't be "hacked"
BIOS will be flashed by the OEM. It will not ship from the mfg with the correct BIOS.
Chris
Thu, 01/11/2007 - 2:01pm
#27
Chris do you have any more info for say smaller OEMs as to which motherboard vendors are supporting CableCARD ready BIOS? If so please give me a PM, I know a client or two who would love to get moving on being ready for OCUR and Vista.
Thu, 01/11/2007 - 2:18pm
#28
No idea. I haven't looked into it since I have no plans on becoming an OEM.
Chris
Thu, 01/11/2007 - 3:23pm
#29
Some more pics of the external device if anyone is interested:
http://www.windows-now.com/photos/vista/tags/Media+Center/default.aspx
Fri, 01/12/2007 - 5:44pm
#30
And a little more info on CableCard DRM:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/12/microsofts-cablecard-drm/
Mon, 01/15/2007 - 3:03pm
#31
If anyone has any sense it will be released to the public. IF it is OEM only then the money stays with them and few people will buy into it. Release it to the public and you have a lot of people buying parts from all the vendors. A lot more hardware will be sold, more cable cards rented, people will upgrade to HD packages. I think it is jsut a matter of time. What is stopping the Sattellite guys from making their tuners available. IS sattelite transmision covered under cable labs also?
Mon, 01/15/2007 - 3:29pm
#32
PAPutzback wrote:
If anyone has any sense it will be released to the public. IF it is OEM only then the money stays with them and few people will buy into it. Release it to the public and you have a lot of people buying parts from all the vendors. A lot more hardware will be sold, more cable cards rented, people will upgrade to HD packages. I think it is jsut a matter of time.
It's become rather apparent that when Hollywood (or the entertainment industry at large) is involved then all sense is thrown out the window.
I don't see them opening up CableCard and considering how the CableCard tuners work I don't really see anyone making hacks to open them up. The chips are stacked against us DIYers.
The sad thing is if these CableCard tuners where released to the public then I'd be willing to buy one for $199, upgrade my cable to digital with an HD package, upgrade from my old SDTV to an HD one and buy Vista Home Premium as well. Hell, I'll even throw in a 360 core for streaming to the bedroom. I'm willing to bet there are a lot of people who would be doing the same thing as well.
Quote:
What is stopping the Sattellite guys from making their tuners available. IS sattelite transmision covered under cable labs also?
They annouced their own solution but I haven't heard of anything. Considering how close it is to Vista's launch I hope it hasn't turned into vaporware (although they can't let that happen, Sat providers need to be competive in this area as well).
Mon, 01/15/2007 - 7:10pm
#33
Crim wrote:
The sad thing is if these CableCard tuners where released to the public then I'd be willing to buy one for $199, upgrade my cable to digital with an HD package, upgrade from my old SDTV to an HD one and buy Vista Home Premium as well. Hell, I'll even throw in a 360 core for streaming to the bedroom. I'm willing to bet there are a lot of people who would be doing the same thing as well.
Wow, see I would tend to do the same thing if it were more available. I think many tech savvy consumers would do something similar too. Shame the cable industry is so scared they don't our money (which is first for the rather infamously greedy industry).
PAPutzback wrote:
What is stopping the Sattellite guys from making their tuners available. IS sattelite transmision covered under cable labs also?
Crim wrote:
They annouced their own solution but I haven't heard of anything. Considering how close it is to Vista's launch I hope it hasn't turned into vaporware (although they can't let that happen, Sat providers need to be competive in this area as well).
Yeah it came up in some news blurb a week or so ago, and basically nothing has really moved forward. DirecTV is pretty much being laughed at for totaly crapping on HD feeds, and copping out on their supposed Media Center integration. They have some rudamentary thing for streaming from their own DVR to a ViiV enabled PC but it doesn't seem to be implimented much yet.
EDIT: Oh I misread it, the damn thing doesn't let you stream DirecTV to a PC at all, all it does is allow a ViiV PC to stream music and photos to the STB! what a lame product. And why the hell do you need it to be a ViiV PC when nothing DRM'ed is taking place?
Tue, 01/16/2007 - 10:12am
#34
Add me in that list of people who would consider buying a cablecard tuner, HD cable, HDTV, Vista and a 360. I really am that excited for cablecard. Have been since it was announced at CES last year. Seriously, they don't realize the huge market they're missing out on with people like us (DIY crowd) that are more than willing to spend the money for this. It's so sad. It makes me angry!! >:(
At this point, if someone like Dell for instance releases a dirt cheap cable-ready PC, I'd be willing to buy it and gut the damn thing to slap in the parts I'd actually want. Screw warranties. Seriously. WHY DON'T THEY UNDERSTAND!!!
Tue, 01/16/2007 - 10:21am
#35
P.S. this is coming from someone who currently doesn't even have cable TV anymore!!
Tue, 01/16/2007 - 7:44pm
#36
I agree...I want to record HD with my HTPC. I can record OTA free, so why get cable. If they let me record my cable HD I'd pay for it.
Thu, 01/25/2007 - 7:51am
#37
Naylia wrote:
I agree...I want to record HD with my HTPC. I can record OTA free, so why get cable. If they let me record my cable HD I'd pay for it.
That's pretty much my feeling at this point. I mean, if I can stream HD OTA, plus all my other channels why would I want to switch? Conversely, I'm curious as to the quality of streamed SDTV through VISTA MC and the 360. I'm sure it is better than with MCE '05, but considering S-VIDEO is the highest quality I can send into my tuner from a STB, I don't expect magic. DirecTV dropping the ball on integration with Vista really sucks for me the most.
ummm....that things almost the size of the cable box
My Home Theater, XLobbyMC
To Do: Finish Re-ripping my music collection - While Playing FF XIV