Chris Lanier : TV Tuners, DIRECTV/Dish

Can DISH Network One-Up DIRECTV?

chrisl — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:16:00 GMT

Now that we are fairly certain that DIRECTV will not ship with Windows 7, the big question remains to be will DISH Network? Around the time the TV Pack started beta testing, I did hear that some testers had been contacted about testing DISH Network Tuners, and that talk has popped back up in the past few weeks.

Going under my theory that Microsoft has all the plumbing in-place for DIRECTV support, there is no reason that same framework can’t work for DISH Network. If DISH Network wants to make a Media Center tuner, they can using this framework, and they might have already.

Looking around, their are some other hints about the possible DISH Network Tuner. Ben's photos of the eHome Lab show Windows 7 running with a branded Start Menu saying “TV with DISH Network.” In addition to that, several people, including Dave Zatz have brought up the possibility that the unmarked white box in the photo below is a DISH Network tuner. Of course, the tuner being in Microsoft’s Lab means nothing as Microsoft as evidenced by the suspended DIRECTV HDPC-20 tuners also present.

(Photos via Engadget HD)

Back to the framework which I believe is complete to ship with Windows 7, here is something Microsoft showed at WinHEC. That is premium Pay-Per-View TV being ordered via Media Center. We know that’s not from a CableCARD as tru2way tuners don’t have any specs from CableLabs yet. It chould be DIRECTV, but considering that Channel 510 happens to fall in the range of DISH Networks PPV and most PPV content on DISH Network happens to be $4.99, there is a good possibility you are looking at working PPV via a native DISH Network Tuner.

So, should you jump and switch to DISH Network because of this? I wouldn’t suggest it. Should you keep checking back to see when we get more details? I'd suggest it. I’m a DIRECTV customer, so even if this DISH Network tuner is real I likely wouldn’t be testing it. That said, I’m looking forward to see what happen with this. Given DISH Networks TurboHD package for $24.99 has every channel I’d ever watch, and the fact I can get ATSC HD using an antenna in Media Center saving me from having to add HD Locals to the package, DISH Network does look like a good deal if I could get a native Media Center tuner.

DIRECTV and Microsoft: What Went Wrong

chrisl — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:22:00 GMT

Now that DIRECTV has suspended development on their HDPC-20 Tuner where does that leave us? There are a lot of differing opinions going around about why DIRECTV canned the tuner, whose fault it is, and where do we go from here. Most people are pointing the finger at Microsoft, and with their history of releases how could you not? This doesn’t mean however that Microsoft is totally at fault, but let’s look at the whole situation to see how we got here.

Timeline

January 2006 – Microsoft and DIRECTV announce partnership to “develop new ways to expand the reach of digital music, television and movies throughout the home and to portable devices.” Nothing is said specifically by either party about a Media Center tuner.

January 2006 – Microsoft employee Sean Alexander says “In the future (timing wasn't discussed), you'll be able to have an installer come out and install a DirecTV tuner into your Media Center PC and get your local channels complete with DVR.” This however, was not an official Microsoft statement.

January 2007 – We really start asking for information about the assumed DIRECTV Tuner. DBSTalk.com does Q&A with DIRECTV at CES, DIRECTV says “Still in progress, internal beta testing” when asked about HTPC Tuner cards. Confirmation that a tuner card is in the works.

December 2007 – Microsoft states in an online job posting that they are “working with newly developed dual satellite tuners” for the next Media Center release.

January 2008 – CES comes around again and DBSTalk.com gets a flyer from the CES floor for the HDPC-20. This is the first official confirmation that the tuner exists. CES attendees hear information about the public unveiling of the tuner to be scheduled later at CES. This didn’t happen however, leaving several people confused. No one from Microsoft or DIRECTV is talking now. DIRECTV had the flyers to give out at the show, so something happened that caused either Microsoft or DIRECTV to back out of the public announcement.

February 2008 – Top Media Center OEM Niveus Media now lists “HD Satellite” tuner option on their website with “TBD (To be determined)” availability.

March 2008 – Microsoft started sending out e-mails for the Fiji (codename for TV Pack) beta program. Several leaks happened around this time including an e-mail asking select beta participates for information about their DIRECTV account.

July 2008 – Fiji beta testers leak more information including DIRECTV and H.264 support being pulled from the release. It is suggested by some in the beta that they never received tuners from DIRECTV.

July 2008 – It is reported that Microsoft will be releasing a second Media Center update in 2008 with nothing to backup the statement. The proposed purpose of the second update was to add H.264 and DIERCTV support. This didn’t happen.

September 2008 – Subscription news service Consumer Electronics Daily (CED) reports that Microsoft "continues to look at ways" to make the tuner happen and that news will be announced at "the appropriate time.” DIRECTV made no comment in the article.

November 2008 – Ed Bott finds a driver for the HDPC-20 in the PDC build of Windows 7.

November 2008 – Microsoft invites several bloggers and journalists to tour the eHome Labs (no, I wasn’t invited). Ben Drawbaugh scores pictures of the DIRECTV HDPC-20 working in Microsoft’s Labs.

December 2008 – DIRECTV e-mails several in the community to tell us that DIRECTV has “suspended the development of the HDPC-20 tuner…after assessing the impact of missing the August 2008 release of Windows Media Center update [Fiji, TV Pack] and considering timing of the next release.”

Talking a Step Back

The big question now is what does all of this mean and who is at fault. Let’s explore a few things here.

Microsoft is a software company; they don’t make hardware (generally speaking). Microsoft’s main goal is to produce various software frameworks so that other companies can come in and produce hardware to work with their platform. I’d actually say that this is the reason Microsoft has been successful as a company, but it is also their largest fault.

Anyway, Microsoft makes software and third parties make hardware (and most of the time drivers to go with this hardware). Seeing as Microsoft is going to produce the software aspect of this DIRECTV Tuner, it means they want to produce a common framework to allow third parties to integrate a number of different things into their Media Center platform. I’ve gone over this time and time again, but to refresh I’m talking about things like H.264, Pay-per-view order, content protection, etc. DIRECTV on the hand has to make the hardware (or contract it out) to pair with Microsoft’s software framework.

DIRECTV has suggested that they are suspending develop of their hardware because of the impact of H.264/DIRECTV support not shipping in the TV Pack and the wait until the next release. (Windows 7, highly publicized to have a 2009 ship date)

DIRECTV-less TV Pack, whose fault?

This is a bit hard to answer because outside of DIRECTV and Microsoft no one really knows. What we do know (or rather, think we know) is that Microsoft had plans of shipping DIRECTV support in the TV Pack as evidenced by the beta e-mails. We also know (or think we know), that neither Microsoft nor DIRECTV shipped tuner to beta testers. Microsoft then cut H.264 and “subscription-based satellite TV support” before the TV Pack ship date. Notice they never said they cut DIRECTV support.

The main thing we don’t know here is why beta testers reportedly didn’t get tuners. Hundreds of options here, but here are three main ones.

Possibility that DIRECTV didn’t have stable hardware/drivers
Possibility that Microsoft had issues with H.264 support in the TV Pack
Possibility that Microsoft had issues with other software aspects in the TV Pack
Possibility that Microsoft and DIRECTV are fighting like kids about something

There are various possibilities about why beta testers might not have been shipped tuners and why support was cut from the release. I don’t think you can make a clear judgment about who was at fault knowing what we do.

On the Road to Windows 7

Given on how Microsoft operates, we knew that the next chance for DIRECTV support was in Windows 7. Microsoft doesn’t push out Media Center updates to add functionality months after a major release. Things were now looking good for Windows 7 DIRECTV support, at least from the outside. CED published reports saying DIRECTV and Microsoft are still working together, and Windows 7’s projected release date keep moving up.

Ed Bott finds the drivers in the Windows 7 build, and then Ben gets pictures of the tuners in the lab. We are all thinking that Windows 7 with DIRECTV is a-go. DIRECTV then says they are “suspended development” of the tuner and points to the conflicts with the TV Pack as a prime reason along with the “timing of the next [Media Center] release.”

What’s DIRECTV Hiding?

Lets say Microsoft and DIRECTV missed the TV Pack ship date, again we really don’t know why. In the e-mail statement DIRECTV is basically implying that they are done with their part and just waiting on Microsoft. Is this really the case? I fully believe that Microsoft had 90% of the software framework in-place to ship with the TV Pack. In fact, if you look in your RTM TV Pack registry you can find some DIRECTV bits hiding pretty well.

If DIRECTV was ready and willing to release their tuners, why cut the project after all your initial expensive and development? The tuners seem to be real, and if it was Microsoft who screwed up the TV Pack you would think that DIRECTV is sitting on a near finished product waiting for Microsoft. DIRECTVs enginners can jump back on a new project and leave their efforts intack for Microsoft to start Windows 7 beta testing (which is basically 6 months after the TV Pack release).

I’m thinking that DIRECTV might not be a clean in this whole ordeal as some might think.

DRM, Doubtful to Blame

Whenever there is a hold-up on a product like this the first thing in peoeple’s mind is that Microsoft is DRMing it up and thus causing massive delays. Considering CableLabs approved Windows Vista with their very strict content protection guidelines I think it would be a huge stretch to think that Microsoft was holding up the project in this way. Their system already works, and has been for two years (mostly, DRM might actually be too protective given the bugs).

It has been suggested to me that DRM might be to blame because DIRECTV offers service outside of the US. I was personally expecting to see the DIRECTV Tuner be US-only, but if it was international this would be a contract issue between DIRECTV and their content providers.

Who needs who?

Media Center is hardly the platform it should be, and DIRECTV might have misevaluated the commercial need of such a tuner. It is also possible that their DIRECT2PC, TiVo partnership, and their own Multi-room Viewing features could be playing into things (along with the economy).

Microsoft has no leverage here. They have a platform that hasn’t lived up to expectations of any market and they have to be pleading with broadcaster providers to help them save their platform.

Maybe DIRECTV has come to the conclusion that there focus should be elsewhere. Of course, if it turns out that DIRECTV was not prepared to ship with the TV Pack this is a godsend for us users. I want a stable platform, and with DIRECTV in charge of hardware/drivers for this they need to have their heart in the game before I want to play.

Ben argues that DIRECTV only released a statement because they want to downplay expectations about the tuner. I don’t follow the concept because DIRECTV has no visible reason to do any sort of damage control. This is where Microsoft should have stepped in, but alas has failed to do. When/if Microsoft makes a statement (which they need to), it will likely be very simple and there is a good chance it will not mention DIRECTV by name.

As far as I know, Microsoft’s framework is done for third parties to integrate DVB-S tuners into Media Center. What third parties (eg. DIRECTV) do at that point is largely up to them. The only thing I’ve been told by Microsoft is that when two companies are involved they can’t say anything. NDAs are play there just as they would be in any business partnership.

Bottom Line

I firmly believe both companies at a fault, but Microsoft will always take the most abuse because they can’t seem to conjure up a good Media Center release. This is not DIRECTVs platform falling apart before our eyes, it is Microsoft’s.

Given that I think the framework is there, we might see other providers step up to the plate and offer solutions. I strongly suspect others have like projects in development, but then again so does did DIRECTV, so I guess we have to wait for an official word at this point.

DIRECTV Kills Media Center Tuner; Windows 7 to be DIRECTV-less

chrisl — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:21:00 GMT

DIRECTV has informed several bloggers and journalists in the Media Center community that they suspended development of the HDCP-20 Media Center Tuner. Windows 7 will not include native DIRECTV support, which will servely impact the Media Center platform as a whole.

I’ll have more on this later tonight, but I wanted to go ahead and get it out there.

Short Bits: Media Center Show, Hauppauge HD-PVR, CableCARD

chrisl — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 01:36:00 GMT

Ian Dixon had Scott Evans from Microsoft on The Media Center Show this week along with AMD talking about AMD Live!

A lot of information dropped today about Hauppauge HD-PVR’s Component Capture device. I’ve been meaning to do a whole big post about this and how it relates to Media Center and other products like SageTV but never found the time so here is the quick version.

Some information about the device, it is a single input (also has passthrough) Component video capture device that encodes to H.264 (13.5Mbs max) at up to 1080i It is expected to go for around $250 in early May, produces AVCHD recordings perfect for authoring to Blu-ray Discs, etc, etc. Product page is here. It will not work with Media Center out-of-the-gate, Media Center doesn’t support H.264 capture. Expect that part to get added in Fiji, but I doubt Hauppauge is working directly with Microsoft here so no clue when working Media Center support will be added. This has ramifications in the content protection field; expect content owners to start looking at enabling ICT on Blu-ray Discs. That means a max output of 540p unless HDMI-HDCP is used. Brent Evans has the blog to subscribe to for up-to-the-minute information on the device.

I'm questioning if the 13.5Mbps can be changed via a registry entry, the encoder can do more. Price is high at the expected $250/device; you also have to add your two cable/satellite STBs that connect directly which puts you at CableCARD prices for a dual tuner setup. Upside is all content is unprotected and no OEM PC is needed. SageTV will benefit greatly, they will now have a true HD PVR and Extenders to boot.

Engadget HD confirms the obvious that DIRECTV tuner testing is part of the Media Center beta. I’m not happy with whoever keeps leaking this stuff BTW. You got into a private beta, be happy and keep your mouth shut. It was clear DIRECTV was a part of this, leaking it means less opportunities for beta access in general. You thought over a year wait for this beta was bad, wait until the next when it skips any type of public access and goes only to Microsoft employees and partners. On the plus side, hardware loan agreement because include a PC so the tuner works without a special BIOS. This puts the chances for a retail consumer installed device pretty high.

Ben Drawbaugh is posting about his first day with a Dell XPS 420 which he just got to ditch his TiVo’s. Ed Bott has a similar overview of his CableCARD setup.