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OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 Holding OEMs Back? Nope - Chris Lanier's Blog

OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 Holding OEMs Back? Nope

Kevin wonders if OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 are holding OEMs back from releasing CableCARD PCs.  I say, no way.  OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 are holding the whole cable industry back, but they have the smallest amount to do with OEMs not accepting and offering CableCARD.

Why would Dell, HP, Gateway, etc care if what they sell is going to be obsolete?  The reason these guys are still in business is because a PC is obsolete the day they assemble it.  Obsolescence is their business, and it’s a fact of the industry.  More so, with television technology set to change rapidly in the next few years, you would need to apply to same concept to them selling NTSC tuners.  Did any OEMs back away from selling NTSC tuners in PCs year ago when they knew in 2009 the airwaves would go dead?  There are dozens of other examples, but hardware becoming obsolete is the last thing on these OEMs minds, and it is not the reason for a lack of CableCARD options in PCs.

What is holding OEMs back?  I have no idea.  Maybe they don’t see the value anymore after failing with Media Center PCs over the past few years.  Maybe they are not interested in the extra work signing a piece of paper and sending it to CableLabs.  I don’t think we will know the real answer, but I doubt OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 have anything to do with it.

The more interesting things that I have found and that Kevin brings up in his post is that Dell sends out review units of the XPS 410, but fails to release them to the public.  Did they take Engadget’s review and really look at it hard or is there another reason?  Still, no idea.

CableCARD has its problems, but I have no doubt that OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 are not the issues holding up OEMs from shipping machines.  If you are interested in what’s next for CableCARD in Vista, stay tuned subscribed.

Published Mon, Jul 23 2007 12:25 by chrisl
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Comments

# re: OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 Holding OEMs Back? Nope

I think it's sales that is holding it back.  Media Center has never been a good source of Revenue for the OEM's.  Microsoft really needs to concentrate on having OEMS make PC's more like Tivos and then getting them to market them right next a TIVO instead of sitting over in the computer section.  The hardest part for consumers is visualizing a PC just sitting in their living room next to their TV.  If we can change the way consumers think about Media Center PC's then sales will begin to take off.  Stop calling it a PC and start calling it an Entertainment system or STB.

Monday, July 23, 2007 1:55 PM by DanITman

# re: OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 Holding OEMs Back? Nope

The problem with that is that OEMs have done the worst with trying to make the PC a TiVo.  Gateway, HP, ViewSonic, and more have made nice "HTPC-style" cases and tried to sell it as a TiVo-like device.

Problem is that the market is not there for that.  I've said in the past that people don't want a PC in the living room, and I think most large OEMs agree with that (based on their past sales).

Extenders are where the market should be, changing what people think about PCs in the living room hasn't happened in the nearly five years Media Center has been out.  I don't think it will.  CE devices are the path to the living room, which means Extenders.

Monday, July 23, 2007 2:01 PM by chrisl

# University Update-Windows Vista-OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 Holding OEMs Back? Nope

Pingback from  University Update-Windows Vista-OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 Holding OEMs Back?  Nope

Monday, July 23, 2007 2:56 PM by University Update-Windows Vista-OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 Holding OEMs Back? Nope

# re: OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 Holding OEMs Back? Nope

Tivo has had no problem putting computers in the living room for many years.   Their success is in the fact that they do one thing really well. Media Center does that and a ton more but they still can't succeed.  They have also done a great job  staying away from calling themselves a computer and have never been displayed in the computer section.  They have always remained with the DVD players and such in the TV section.

Extenders are cool and all and I'll probably buy one the first day they come out.  However, you still need to own a Media Center PC to make it all happen.

Monday, July 23, 2007 2:58 PM by DanITman

# re: OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 Holding OEMs Back? Nope

The difference there is that TiVo is an embedded OS.  Media Center is full down Windows.  If Microsoft was to go standalone with Media Center, this would be an option for OEMs.

However, Microsoft licensed TV software to LG a few years ago.  Looked exactly like MCE 2005, and the product as a standalone PVR.  It lasted 6 months (I think) before it was discounted.  There were some problems with the device, mainly it was only a single tuner SD system.

Since embedded devices are the key, that's why I believe Extenders are the only change for Media Center in the living room.  PCs are going on where fast, and I don't see that changing no matter what OEMs try and do.

Monday, July 23, 2007 3:13 PM by chrisl

# re: OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 Holding OEMs Back? Nope

I guess it is a chicken or the egg thing.  There will never be a market as long as SDV is floating around out there. Who is going to spend $3000 on a system that might not get all available HD channels?  Tivo is facing the same problem as well. SDV has to be addressed.

This is where the DIY community really could have lead the marketplace. Oh well.

Monday, July 23, 2007 5:42 PM by Kevin

# re: OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 Holding OEMs Back? Nope

1. The cost is too high.  Nobody wants to spend that much on a computer just for CableCARD.

2. Too much trouble. Too many horror stories.

and even if the above weren't true, this is the thing that makes me tell every one of my friends to wait a year or so before considering CableCARD:

3. You can't replace your Cable Box with any current CableCARD system.  NO PPV. NO On-Demand.  NO THANKS.

Why would anyone pay $3000 for a computer if it won't replace their cable box?  Especially since that is pretty much THE selling point...

Tuesday, July 24, 2007 6:05 PM by sirshannon

# re: OCAP and CableCARD 2.0 Holding OEMs Back? Nope

- It's hard enough to get vanilla SD video working w/o hiccups in Vista; getting HD is even more challenging; and only an insane person would assume that cablecard would be any easier.

- Nvidia and ATI deserve some of the blame for taking forever to come out with decent WDDM drivers. 7 months post launch and Nvidia has released its first decent driver for htpc usage, but it still sucks mightily. Probably 6 more months before they get it right.

- The only way cablecards will go into PCs is if (a) extenders become widespread and (b) there is a BYOB model. Without early adopters there will never be a CableCard business for Vista, and without BYOB, there will never be early adopters.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007 7:04 PM by Jed Lewison