The Seattle Times sat down with
Ceton, and the entire Hammer family that founded the company, and uncovered some pretty interesting details about the Kirkland, WA startup. Lucky for Windows Media Center fans -- when Gary and Pamela Hammer's son Jeremy graduated from college with a engineering degree, the entire family decided to start a new company, which designed the first multi-stream CableCARD tuner for HTPCs. Without going into all the details here, we did enjoy learning about the origins of the company as well as the fact that a yet to be announced dual tuner version of
the quad tuner card should sell for less than $300. We've been excited about
this product since CES 2009, but as we get closer and stories like this surface we can hardly contain our anticipation.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JayC @ Oct 7th 2009 8:47AM
Before all this hype, just release the products and let the consumer judge the merits.
Brian @ Oct 7th 2009 9:14AM
I think you mean Kirkland, WA and instead of Kirklan WA. :-)
Jonathan @ Oct 7th 2009 9:30AM
Did I just read the quad version will be less than $300! I'm sold! Where can I pre-order?
Jacob @ Oct 7th 2009 10:00AM
"a yet to be announced dual tuner version of the the quad tuner card should sell for less than $300"
Nope - the DUAL tuner will be less than $300...
Jonathan @ Oct 7th 2009 10:27AM
I guess I read what I wanted to read... oops! $100/tuner is the perfect price point for me at least. What do you guys think?
PLUCKYHD @ Oct 7th 2009 11:42AM
"In early 2010, it will begin selling a four-tuner version for consumers PCs, priced between $300 and $600. Prices will be closer to $300 if Ceton gets big orders from PC makers and volume discounts on components."
You read right the other guy didn't. They said pricers of the quad core will be closer to $300 if they can get big enough orders (ie from newegg and the likes)
pluckyhd @ Oct 7th 2009 9:40AM
"Ceton is hedging its bets. While it's busy trying to get its hardware into PCs, it has also been talking to cable companies about using Ceton tuners. Gary Hammer said some have discussed offering subscribers Windows Media Center PCs with Ceton tuners as an alternative to standard set-top boxes."
That right there is what would help media center more than anyone knows. I have been thinking all along Cable companies can get complete mini pc's cheaper then they pay for settop boxes or on par and offer a more compeling solution to end user for their "low monthly" rental fees.
Joseph @ Oct 7th 2009 9:47AM
With a last name as cool as Hammer, you think the company have a more creative name. I vote for HammerTime!
Oknarf @ Oct 7th 2009 9:47AM
OMFG will this thing ship already? Also, has there been any word on cablecards that will work seemlesly with SDV?
Jonathan @ Oct 7th 2009 10:25AM
It's either going to ship late 2009 or early 2010. And yes, it works with tuning adaptor(s) supplied by your cable provider. That will allow you to get SDV channels. Hurray for the Hammers!!
Jon @ Oct 7th 2009 10:32AM
I'm confused by SDV .. When i got a few from Comcast, they said on the website if you use cablecard you do no need them
Oknarf @ Oct 7th 2009 10:50AM
I see that it works with Tuning adapters but has there been any word on cablecards with SDV baked in, so we don't need yet ANOTHER box? I mean, come on, how difficult would that be?
Jonathan @ Oct 7th 2009 10:53AM
SDV is a distribution method used by SOME cable companies in SOME areas. It is used as opposed to blast all channels at all times. It, however, requires having 2-way communication between the front-end and the tuner. The tuning adapter (TA) provides a request to the front-end and asks it to broadcast the channel requested. The only digital cable tuners available now (and the foreseeable future) are one-way and need the TA to get the SDV channels. You need to talk to someone (probably five or six people) at Comcast or whomever to find out if any of your channels are SDV... or you can assume the ones you are SUPPOSED to get and you can't actually tune to at the moment are SDV. Does that answer your question?
P.S. -- Depending on the TA your cable company provides, one TA can either resolve 2 streams and some can do up to 4. So you MAY need multiple TAs.
demon @ Oct 7th 2009 11:43AM
Oknarf:
The way SDV works, it can't be incorporated into the card itself. It has to be incorporated into the host device, and until tru2way goes nationwide, most of us won't have hardware that can do the necessary upstream communication to do it. Blame CableLabs for this.
Oknarf @ Oct 7th 2009 2:09PM
"Blame CableLabs for this"
We all know the game they play and whos fault it is, but it's not that difficult. OMG we need a device that can communicate in 2 directions. By god that just can't be done .... (sarcasm)
" one TA can either resolve 2 streams and some can do up to 4. So you MAY need multiple TAs." Exactly, and that is the problem. So now you have 2 additional boxes talking to the tuner using cablecards for authentication just to ..... ready for this .... Watch TV. It shouldn't be that frickin ridiculous. I mean come on.
stashman @ Oct 7th 2009 9:53AM
Dude, if you can't grow a stash, don't grow a beard.
Jason @ Oct 7th 2009 10:54AM
I wonder how far along they were before they realized that hiring the Amish consultant was probably a big waste of time and money.
engadget @ Oct 7th 2009 11:47AM
ROFL
normychas @ Oct 7th 2009 11:57AM
The comments on this article are really funny. People seem to think that this company will replace their cable provider. Somebody wrote that they refuse to use comcast and this is exactly what they are looking for. Oddly enough the author of this Seattle times article seems like he did his homework and actually understands the technology. I have to even wonder if the author of this article is himself an enthusiast. Can't wait to get to purchase one of these though. I'm really hoping the 4 tuner cable card is at least under 400 since they say it will be between 300 and 600 depending on how many get ordered from dell and the like.
Bryan @ Oct 7th 2009 5:28PM
The author did not do as much homework as you imply. He seems to believe that ATI gave up on selling directly to consumers. One large reason why this product now has any relevance is the recent removal of the OEM only distribution of hardware.
mugatu @ Oct 7th 2009 12:41PM
I'm guessing Abraham Hammer was at the Twilight casting call when the other family members were developing the card... What exactly is that running down his right leg? OMG
lorennerol @ Oct 7th 2009 3:34PM
The dude on the right looks like Mose Schrute from "The Office".
JP23 @ Oct 9th 2009 9:24PM
Now if we could get one for the Satcasters it would be nice.