CableLabs Certified CableCARDs officially lose OEM Requirement! (1 Viewer)

[TheSkinsFan1]

Windows Media Center will now officially support Cablelabs Certified CableCARD tuners, such as the one offered up by ATI, without the need for an OEM HTPC. We should expect to see more of these cards become available from various manufacturers soon.

IOW, we will no longer need to buy expensive pre-fab HTPC's, or install hacks, to use them.

Articles here:
Normal People Can Now Install CableCARD Tuners On Windows 7 PCs - Windows 7 media center - Gizmodo

Microsoft Enhances the Digital Cable Experience and Names 2009 Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Winner: Customers get new capabilities, more options, and a better digital cable experience in Windows Media Center.

Question: What needs to be done to get cards like these to work with MediaPortal as well?

 

[TheGlassjaw]

Do you think this means that MediaPortal will be able to interface with the tuner? Or do you think MS will put roadblocks in so that only WMC will be able to use it?

 

[TheSkinsFan1]

Multi Channel CableCard Tuner for MediaCenter Arrives from Ceton
http://www.geektonic.com/2009/09/multi-channel-cablecard-tuner-for.html

Facts About the Ceton Multi-Channel Cable TV Card

* Works with any U.S. cable provider.
* Supports all standard- and high-definition cable channels including premium and encrypted channels.
* Play and/or record up to six live HD channels simultaneously from centralized storage.
* Stream live and recorded HD programming securely to several HDTV sets in the home at once.
* Watch and record from all TVs without needing multiple DVRs or any set-top boxes. Pause a show in one room and pick it up in another.
* Supports all Media Center Extenders including the Xbox 360.
* Eliminate monthly set-top box rental fees — a single Media Center PC can support all the TVs in most homes.
* Ceton has completed development and Windows 7 testing on the Ceton Multi-Channel CableCard
* The Ceton card will natively support SDV on Windows 7 PCs via a Tuning Adapter
* Since it’s CES debut, the card has been adapted to a smaller PCI low profile form factor to better accommodate slim HTPCs
* There will be 2-tuner, 4-tuner and 6-tuner versions of the card
* The 4-tuner version of the Ceton Multi-Channel CableCard will be entering CableLabs Certification process shortly – this certification is the final step before making it available commercially
* The 4-tuner version will be available first, with the 2-tuner version for consumers and the 6-tuner version for pre-configured OEM PC’s available later.
* The Ceton Multi-Channel CableCard will be available as a standalone retail offering as well as bundled in new PCs from OEM partners Ceton plans to announce in the future. The 6-tuner version will only be available to OEM’s due to the maximum # of tuners limit that Microsoft puts on Windows 7. OEM’s can expand the number of tuners supported in Windows 7 Home Premium or Ultimate to 6 tuners thanks to the AEP (advanced entertainment pack) support added in Windows 7.
* The new Ceton Multi-Channel CableCard is expected to be available by the 1st Quarter of 2010

We REALLY need to figure out a way to tap into these for front-ends other than WMC... seriously.

 

[drealit]

Yep I just saw this excellent news too... rushed over to make a new thread but you beat me to it! If this can somehow be modified to work outside of WMC I will be amazingly happy.

 

[tourettes]

We REALLY need to figure out a way to tap into these for front-ends other than WMC... seriously.

I highly doubt that CableLabs would allow such cards if open source applications would be able to access the stream. That would basicly mean that there is no content protection anymore if TVE3 or any other similar progtam could record the stream, and that is not something that the content creators are wanting to happen.

 

[TheGlassjaw]

There's bound to be a way to provide access to third party software. I'd be willing to buy a card and lend it to the devs to figure out a workaround if it means being able to use MP with it. I guess this is all just speculation though, until the new products are actually out in the market.

 

[mzemina]

There's bound to be a way to provide access to third party software. I'd be willing to buy a card and lend it to the devs to figure out a workaround if it means being able to use MP with it. I guess this is all just speculation though, until the new products are actually out in the market.

Need to find a USA (maybe Canadian) developer to work on this, majority of MP developers are European.

 

[TheSkinsFan1]

I'd pitch in to see this developed... anyone have any ideas?