MCE with cable card option

[kny3twalker]

http://www.anandtech.com/tradeshows/...spx?i=2317&p=5

sounds like MCE won the war

this is everything anyone could want except access card for satellite users

I am betting unless there is competition
people will not care about DRM for the greatly improved quality

[lovingHDTV]

Was there ever any question about that?

It is only a matter of when not if.

[kny3twalker]

well I am ready for something better
by ignoring request for improvements and going to a linux based market
they are just helping M$ along
nto trying to start another one of those threads though
I am going to still hang in here for a little bit

maybe SageTV can look into providing this on their linux boxes or even support on the PC side
I doubt this cable card PCI card will be that hard to get when they are released

[JasonJoel]

Bah.

First, there will always be a market for other Media programs. There will always be those that can live with the feature set of other programs, and want tthe added flexibility.

Second, there are TONS of areas that don't even have immediate plans to support Cable Card in the first place (like mine). So that feature isn't the 'gotta have' feature for a LOT of us. Hell, I don't even have an HDTV and won't for many years to come - same as 95% of people I know. Even though I'm in an affluent industry and people I know can certainly afford HDTV's, most people I know said they will get one when they need a new TV - which could be 5+ years...

That being said, that is a sweet computer, and for those with HDTV and cable cards, that will be AWESOME.

Jason

[kny3twalker]

well I cannot get cable card access because of my apartments only have analogue cable and directv
but I am hoping with only a few satellite prviders
M$ will add access card options

[SHS]

I must say that nice box's and would make a cool MVP clinet but did any one read the part (The next version of Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition due out in Q3) I'm beating that one really going be even more full of DRM carp which dosen't sound all that AWESOME to me.
kny3twalker let get one some rigth here with MS XPMCE the MovieStudio there are in control of you (THINK DRM) after HBO, etc all ready have it DRM on but with Linux you are in control.
By the has any heard weather not the FCC has move July 2005 dead line for analog shut off date?.

[kny3twalker]

I think that is the end of 2006
it is july that the broadcast flag gets enabled but EFF is fighting that

[phenixdragon]

I wouldn't say MS wont the fight, it only pushes everyone else to support a cable card. It makes the card available and will drive down the prices. I know Sage and others will support it. Now if we could get a DirecTV card out there it would be perfect. And DirecTV annouced HDTV local channels in the top 11 markets. But I only see this news as good news for the end users, first cable and then SAT. But I would dump my SAT fro cable when this comes out. Really TiVo is runs my house just because of HDTV and 100% DTV. My media center right now is just a toy to play with until it is able to step it up which now it looks like it will by the year's end.

[salsbst]

Don't bet on Sage supporting a cable card any time soon. I believe they would have to demonstrate content protection before they could support a cable card.

[Cayars]

With MS backing the Cable Card this will be VERY GOOD for us. Manufactures/cable/sat companies WILL support. Once the hardware is out I bet you'll see Frey, ShowShifter, SnapStream, MythTV and everyone else supporting it to since there will FINALLY be a solution in place to get reliable HD contect for the PVR.

[kny3twalker]

OTA the air is quite reliable from my experience

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by phenixdragon

I wouldn't say MS wont the fight, it only pushes everyone else to support a cable card. It makes the card available and will drive down the prices. I know Sage and others will support it.

Not necessarily, I can see it happenning that MCE 2005QAM (just made up the name) will make some substantial changes to the core OS to beef up security, and that not being available in the standard build of XP. It would therefore be likely that Sage and others would be unable to provide the level of security required by CableCard.

Just a possibility.

[phenixdragon]

No way, it would be the same as a PVR-250 card, it will be done and there is nothing the cable company can do about it. Just like now TiVo doesn't do anything for people hacking their systems, they don't say one way or the other and no one cares.

The thing is, the card will be on the market at some point, we will be able to buy it, and other companies will use it. Protecting the content will not be an issue.

[Crazedz]

Hmm well ill not be getting anything like that if it has DRM in it anything with DRM is a nonstarter for me. As for MCE it's got DRM in it already so all that the broadcaster has to do is flip a switch and it wont let you record it or it will lock it to the machine and thats a reason i wont use MCE with or without HD or cable card.

I'll stay analog or regular non encrypted hd before putting up with any DRM crap.