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Matt Goyer Replies To Smaller OEMs - Chris Lanier's Blog

Matt Goyer Replies To Smaller OEMs

Building your own DVD changer and applications (Matt Goyer) | Matt Goyer followed up on my post about Microsoft Ignoring Small OEMs.  Since Matt works with the DVD Changers, his post was centered around them.  He says “I’d disagree. While we did closely collaborate with Sony on the development of the XL1 changer what we built can be leveraged by anyone.”  He provided some technical information for building your own DVD Changer that will work with Media Center, but this data still isn’t what’s needed.  There is no information on DVD Changers on MSDN or the OEM System Builder Site that I can find.  He did say that the information is right from what they “share with OEMs”, so if it’s not on the OEM System Builder Site or MSDN there are clearly some issues here.

Published Fri, Feb 3 2006 23:54 by chrisl
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Comments

# re: Matt Goyer Replies To Smaller OEMs

The info matt provided is in the post rollup2 SDK for MCE

Tuesday, February 07, 2006 8:52 AM by Bryan Socha

# re: Matt Goyer Replies To Smaller OEMs

Bryan: Problem is that this infromation, was:

- Not available before the release of Rollup 2.
- Not really usefull for the System Builders, as they can't simply built these units.

Regards,

Brian

Tuesday, February 07, 2006 11:12 AM by Brian Binnerup

# re: Matt Goyer Replies To Smaller OEMs

Microsoft needs to either recognize and support the small OEM's, or abandon the use of them. They created this niche of Media Center PC builders by supplying the software, and appear to foster the small OEM community with blogs and message board postings discussing design and development. All the while, as they struggle with these small OEM's problems with patches, using them as as beta testers, they design and implement features with Sony, Dell and HP that the small OEM's don't get to know about. Now with their CableCard announcement, the same lack of information is taking place.

CableLabs isn't to blame, they're not doing anything differently than they have ever done before. They have been certifying STB/PVR's from Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, General Instruments, Sony, etc... for years. They have a process in place, and when Motorola or Sony or any of the others designs a new STB/PVR, they submit it for testing and certification along with any necessary fees and await their certification. Once certified, they start producing and selling the STB/PVR. That has gone on without complaints from anyone that the barriers to entry in this business are impossible to overcome.

Now, this group of small OEM's that Microsoft has created and nurtured, is looking at a barrier to entry that will be impossible for some to overcome. They will lose out to the few select OEM's that Microsoft deemds worthy enough to be allowed in their inner circle. The small OEM's can complain to Microsoft that it's too expensive to get into the cable STB/PVR business, but Microsof has already gotten what it needed out them, a foothold into the HTPC market. The small OEM's will wither away because without Microsoft's MCE application and the possible CableCard usability, none of the small OEM's will be pursuing CableLabs licensing blessing, and without that, they will be out of the STB/PVR business.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006 4:59 PM by MikeA