Digital Cable Tuners (OCURs) Not Getting SDV Adaptor?
Now that
CableLabs and TiVo have announced that they will have an adapter for Switched
Digital Video (SDV) on one-way UDCP devices the question has been will the
same adaptor (generally refered to as a Tuning Resolver) work with Media Center and OCURs (Digital Cable Tuners/DCTs)? My first guess was ‘no’ as OCURs are not
classified as UDCP devices by CableLabs.
However, OCURs do have a USB connection and can have their firmware
updated, both of which are requirements for the adaptor to work. So where does this leave the possibility of
the SDV adaptor working with OCURs?
I’ve asked CableLabs about the issue and while I didn’t get
an in-depth reply I did get that they are “working on a two-way solution”
[BOCR] and have “not focused on the intermediate” adaptor method for OCURs.
The two-way solution should be BOCR
which I have talked about in the past.
The BOCR specs have not been finished yet (or even publicly announced by
CableLabs), so this solution is pretty far off.
Does this mean that the adapters will not work with OCURs
though? Clearly CableLabs is not
focusing on it, but is there really anything stopping OCUR OEMs have adding
support to their firmware? I have my
doubts that ATI/AMD will focus on it, but what about Ceton Corp?
Since Ceton is more focused on CableCARD products (basically
all they do, unlike ATI/AMD) they might be the first ones add firmware support
for the upcoming adaptor. We will just
have to wait and see if it happens, but we now know that CableLabs isn’t
focused on using the adaptor with OCURs.
Note: I never got to my post on Ceton Corp MOCUR, but it is
going to rule and will blow ATI’s OCUR out of the water. It will include M-Card support and a wicked cool add-on card
functionality for multiple tuners.
They will also have a BOCR
when CableLabs gets around to finishing their side of things with the specs.
