This just in from our team at Microsoft's MCE event at CEDIA -- the OEM requirement on CableCARDs has been
officially lifted, freeing Joe Six Packs all over from having to buy whole systems. The photo above pretty much says it all -- enthusiasts (hey, that's us!) can add CableCARD tuners to their PC. Even though a DIY workaround has been around for a while, it's nice not to have to break/bend the rules to get your shows recorded, isn't it?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Karkas @ Sep 9th 2009 7:31PM
This is great news
Steveorevo @ Sep 9th 2009 8:14PM
Did they finally fix the rewind vs. skip audio sync issue? I mean its not like Microsoft is feeling the heat in usability in this industry... its so intuitive to just go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Decoder
And its so easy to just set the value PreferredMPEG2AudioDecoderCLSID to {A753A1EC-973E-4718-AF8E-A3F554D45C44}.
I mean, isn't it obvious? My grandma can do this, if only Apple would make it so simple...
Cash @ Sep 9th 2009 7:34PM
So are they going to release a USB or PCI-E adapted to the general public then?
karkas @ Sep 9th 2009 7:40PM
I'm guessing eventually both, but I cant see myself wanting something external. Of course, I can't see myself wanting cablecard anyway until I can watch the content anywhere in my house.
This is a good 1st step though.
Peter F @ Sep 9th 2009 7:42PM
All depends on the manufacturer of the tuner. ATI is always USB. Other vendors may be different. I'm okay with USB. Kind of hard to screw that up.
Peter F @ Sep 9th 2009 7:40PM
sweet dear mother of god. I would have never bet on this happening
Stevec6x6 @ Sep 9th 2009 7:43PM
me neither. i am officially excited again...
Fuzzball @ Sep 9th 2009 7:41PM
About bloody damn time. Though it seems like it may be a moot point by now since CableCard has gone by the wayside. I guess the mandate by the FCC for cable companies to provide a solution like this is still in effect.
karkas @ Jan 7th 2010 4:56PM
The more cablecard tuners we get into the wild will help to increase the pressure on these guys to become compliant (and hopefully ease up on the DRM restrictions)
demon @ Sep 11th 2009 11:37AM
It's a misnomer to say CableCARD has gone by the wayside - they're now in every new cableco box, and all the tru2way stuff will need them as well for the foreseeable future. They're not going anyplace anytime soon.
Christopher RIce @ Sep 9th 2009 7:45PM
Now how long do you think it would take to this to show up on linux side.
brennok @ Sep 9th 2009 7:45PM
I am definitely excited though. Now we just need price drops and multiple tuners on a single card.
Peter F @ Sep 10th 2009 8:37AM
@ Nate: I'll be anything that there is competition in your area for wired pay-tv. In my area with Comcast, there is no competition. The competition (AT&T U-verse) opening said they were not planning on coming into our market. I pay a few bucks a month for mine. My friends who have TV competition in their area can actually go to the Comcast office, pick up a CableCard and install it themselves. I had to pay for an install. It's very sad.
Screw health care reform, give the FCC guns.
Nate @ Sep 11th 2009 9:44AM
No, just comcast for wired. This is Denver - qwest land - and they are partnered with satellite. No AT&T. No verizon. No twc.
Robert @ Sep 9th 2009 7:48PM
So where can I get a hold of these tuners now?
Frankinla @ Sep 9th 2009 7:54PM
wow... that was even less fun then a phil schiller keynote
QuambaFu @ Sep 9th 2009 7:59PM
a 25 minute presentation... I feel like an unfulfilled housewife.
TheSkinsfan1 @ Sep 9th 2009 8:02PM
I wonder how much warning the tuner manufacturers had... if it was long enough, we may start to see affordable and innovative products sooner rather than later.
It's about damn time!
thewarm @ Sep 9th 2009 8:02PM
I'm holding out for the model from Silicon Dust (to go with my HDHomeRun).
karkas @ Sep 9th 2009 8:06PM
I wonder if it's realistic to hope these get
Jim Mallory @ Sep 9th 2009 8:10PM
I didn't see that coming! Even as someone who owns an OEM machine, this rocks! Now if something breaks, I can just fix it myself. Way to go Microsoft!
Oh, and the SDV support is nice too.
I can just wait to hear how you get support for this though. Velocity Micro did a good job working with Comcast when I first got mine.
UnnDunn @ Sep 9th 2009 8:11PM
Here's my question: is it Microsoft dropping this requirement, or is it CableLabs? Because as I recall, CableLabs requires the PC to have a special BIOS that has been tested and certified by CableLabs for sale as part of a complete system. I think Microsoft only sells its special CableCARD tuner licenses to OEMs as well, so it's a two-part thing.
You need the special BIOS to get the OCUR (CableCard receiver) to actually function, but then you need the special Vista/Win7 license to get Windows to recognize the CableCARD tuner. Microsoft dropping its OEM requirement doesn't matter much if you still need that special CableLabs-approved BIOS from an OEM.
brennok @ Sep 9th 2009 8:46PM
Maybe it is something built into Windows 7 that satisfies the cable labs requirement such as playready.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/12/microsoft-announces-another-new-drm-playready/
UnnDunn @ Sep 9th 2009 11:39PM
Reading the press release, it seems it is a joint Microsoft-CableLabs announcement.
So I'm happy.
nathannfm @ Sep 9th 2009 8:23PM
http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/05/12/how-to-install-a-cablecard-tuner-in-your-diy-media-center/
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/TV_Tuners_Remote_Viewing/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=NAHB&sku=A2438651
or
http://www.cannonpc.com/
(there on sale bottom right)
as of an 1 hr ago you can ignore the warnings on the latter one (sweet!)
Jay @ Sep 11th 2009 10:38AM
Sweet! This is great news. I don't need it right now, but it sure makes my system much more flexible.
james @ Sep 9th 2009 8:53PM
so would this allow the recording of premium channels also? I have an Hauupauge HD PVR, does anyone know what the benefits would be to switch to this other than 1080p as opposed to 1080i.
pluckyhd @ Sep 9th 2009 9:05PM
Native support no ir blasters.
Fanfoot @ Sep 10th 2009 1:47AM
Multiple channels can be recorded simultaneously, something you can't do with an external video hookup like the Hauppauge.
Improved video quality, since the PC can simply record the incoming signal directly without it having to be decoded by the STB and recoded by the Hauppauge. I'm not sure how huge this is myself. It seems like it could be a significant quality issue, but I know that there are numerous decode/recode steps in the system already...
Don Solomon @ Sep 9th 2009 9:10PM
I really like the sound of this. My question, will this work for those of us who have DirecTV? I also have a Hauppauge HD PVR.
dagamer43 @ Sep 9th 2009 10:32PM
DirecTV does not use CableCard.
Eriq @ Sep 9th 2009 9:43PM
This is great news. I hope we see cards or USB devices by end of year.
Sid @ Sep 9th 2009 10:28PM
Any information on when the new firmware will be released?
normychas @ Sep 9th 2009 11:04PM
Wonder why they didn't talk more about this
"A technology preview of the new Multi-Channel Cable TV Card from Ceton Corp., which enables PCs with Windows Media Center to play or record multiple live channels of premium HDTV at once, and stream live HD channels or recordings to multiple TV sets throughout the home, all with a single CableCARD."
Spiza @ Sep 9th 2009 11:33PM
And I just bought a TiVo earlier this year...
CiZiN @ Sep 9th 2009 11:49PM
I was planning on building a HTPC, but was bummed i would still have to switch inputs to my cable box to watch live TV. I've never dealt with home theaters, but would this let me watch live TV through my HTPC?
PS I have Comcast >.<
Thanks
AndyS @ Sep 10th 2009 12:03AM
With Win 7 and a digital tuner card or external tuner, you'd have already been able to watch live TV on the channels that come through cable as Clear QAM (or over the air ATSC if you have signal and an antenna...which is even better quality than cable in most cases due to less compression). In most places this is limited to local channels, but I still am able to watch and record 90% of the series I watch this way.
(You can also watch and record anything in analog on your cable, as it's not encoded...but that's not the point)
What this CableCard support allows you to do is watch and/or record any cable channel, including premiums in the exact same way.
Fanfoot @ Sep 10th 2009 1:54AM
@AndyS: Any Cable Channel you have the rights to decode, at least.
@CiZiN: Yes this will let you do what you want. You'll have to rent a cable card from Comcast, probably for $2 - $3/month. YMMV. And endure the initial setup/install of it in your system by a technician who may never have done a cable card install before, so plan to be home for several really boring hours. But when he's done you'll be able to record multiple channels simultaneously from anything offered by the cableco.
Comcast in particular is using the digital switchover to somewhat sneakily kill off most analog channels. And many of the digital channels that are replacing them, other than the must carry locals, are encrypted, so without something like this, there won't be much to record off the cable into your house. And of course, only SD channels are available either in the clear or in analog, none of the HD channels.
ericn32 @ Sep 10th 2009 12:59PM
Spot on. A digital cable tuner just tunes into the cable signal straight from the coax into your PC, using a CableCARD from your MSO (e.g. Comcast) to decode authorized channels. In essence, your PC becomes a decent cable box. You can watch or record live TV in HD. It does pretty much everything except Video on Demand, Pay-Per-View and other interactive TV stuff. It also frees you from the horrible guide data that cable providers use (when will TV Guide understand that "Cheers" shouldn't show up as "Scrubs".) And you'll save up to $13 per month.
Basically, if you can pop one of these into your PC and get it activated, you won't ever regret it. Not a chance.
Spiza @ Sep 10th 2009 7:11AM
They have to give one card free. After the first, additional cable cards are 7.99 a month.
keith @ Sep 10th 2009 9:49PM
With Charter it is $2 per card, same price no matter how many.
Chris M @ Sep 9th 2009 11:56PM
First off, if anyone thinks CableCards have gone by the wayside, that is just wrong. All STBs deployed since July 2007 have used CableCard technology. A lot of people have a CableCard in their cable box right now and probably don't know it. That is how cable companies adhere to the separable security mandate of the FCC.
This is great news. Ceton Corp will be releasing (hopefully soon) a PCI card with 4 tuners controlled by a single M-Card. They could put more tuners on it but 7MC supports just 4 tuners per tuner type. So 4 is the limit, for now at least. But 4 is good for the average household I would think. I can now build a relatively inexpensive Media Center PC and replace all of my cable boxes with Media Center Extenders. With 4 tuners I can record 2 shows at once while watching 2 more shows on 2 separate TVs.
Fanfoot @ Sep 10th 2009 1:57AM
What media center extenders? Haven't you been paying attention? I don't think anybody makes those anymore...
And until the new remote viewing standard (RVU) stuff gets rolled out (a ways off) I wouldn't expect any new boxes either...
I think the XBox is sort of it for the moment. And its (a) expensive, (b) noisy.
Chris M @ Sep 10th 2009 11:46AM
I have been paying attention and understand that all but one MCX has been discontinued. I still haven't given up on the extender concept though. Is there a better whole house HD DVR solution than a WMC/MCX config? If so so please let me know.
Sure there are plenty of reasons why extenders have not taken hold like was expected. One big reason is that getting HD cable signals into an HTPC has been a costly and cumbersome process. A lot of people who are into this kind of thing hate the fact that you had to buy OEM equipment to make it work and simply chose not to do it. If Ceton, and hopefully others, deliver on multi stream tuners at a price point that's attractive, that's a plus for WMC. The announcement that there is no more OEM restriction is another huge plus. With 7MC we finally have
- 4 tuner support ( I know Vista TV Pack had this too)
- DIY HTPC with CableCard
- multi-stream PCI tuner card(s) with M-Card support (6 stream decoding)
Those three things combined finally make it possible to build a relatively inexpensive HTPC that even my dad would be interested in. Just as importantly, this makes a WMC setup with extenders not only a viable but an almost ideal whole house DVR system. If the multi-stream cards don't pan out then that's a big problem. Otherwise I see no reason why the MCX will not be revitalized.
For me at least, everything hinges on the multi-stream tuner card. If that comes out soon and does not cost a fortune, I have no problem buying another used HP X280N to use for another year or two. Hopefully by then new extenders will be available in one form or another. If something doesn't happen by then, then I'll concede that extenders are dead and that there is no hope for WMC as a whole house DVR solution.
AndyS @ Sep 10th 2009 12:06AM
That's what I'm excited about. I actually said this was my dream at this event, CableCard for non-OEMs (and sub $200 tuners, but maybe that will come eventually). With a 4 channel card I will totally gladly ditch my comcast DVR. Might keep a basic box around for OnDemand, but in the long run this will save me money.
And for MS, it will probably sell another Xbox for extender use.
glenn s @ Sep 10th 2009 12:26AM
ABOUT F-ING TIME!!!
Griffon @ Sep 10th 2009 12:30AM
Wow outstanding, only 3 years to late when the whole thing is tottering ready to fall over dead. Pretty much the new definition of too little to late.
Fanfoot @ Sep 10th 2009 1:59AM
Okay, so can you explain the whole SDV thing in a little more detail please? Are they somehow supporting SDV without the external box that Tivo has to use? Or is it just that same kludge?
Fanfoot @ Sep 10th 2009 2:02AM
Looks like its the same kludge, support for an external DTA. So you can tune SDV channels with a cable card AND an external cable box. Yuck. All you Time Warner customers take note of this, since the cable card alone isn't going to be enough for you. And the SA DTA you're likely going to need is pretty big...
andino @ Sep 10th 2009 3:55AM
So they lift the OEM requirements. ABOUT TIME!
Too bad that the only cards available right now are in the $250 range.
Ceton says theirs won't be available until 1Q 2010 ... http://www.cetoncorp.com/ProductsWMCFAQ.php If they don't push it back more...
And there is no telling on the cost of that either.
Seems to me that they are killing themselves here.
Rental of a STB DVR is $10 ~ $20 a month and there is no upkeep...
And last I heard rental rates and availability of a cable card was up to the cable company.
Theoretically, they can charge you more to rent the cable card than it would cost to rent their DVR.
Don't get me wrong, this is a great announcement but there are still a lot of things that need to come together before Media Center can be a more desirable option.