Updated: Microsoft and DIRECTV Cut a Deal (370 Days Ago)

First DIRECTV Tuner Details? - Chris Lanier's Blog

WINhomesite.com — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:23:40 GMT

First DIRECTV Tuner Details? - Chris Lanier's Blog

re: Updated: Microsoft and DIRECTV Cut a Deal (370 Days Ago)

Jerry — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 12:39:31 GMT

This is crazy. 2008??? DirectTV has had over a year to get this right. Still working on the business model? come on DirectTV get the new satellites out of your rear end and give the consumer what they want.

re: Updated: Microsoft and DIRECTV Cut a Deal (370 Days Ago)

Heath — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 22:48:38 GMT

New info.

Vbox Communications, which makes pc tuner cards, has announced a relationship with NDS, the company that makes the smart cards for DirecTV.

They also already have prototype hardware that runs on PCs, incorporates NDS smart cards, and is capable of receiving DirecTV content.

Unfortunately, they think it is unlikely that PC-based D* tuners will be out before 2008, and whether D* will offer them directly to customers or OEMs will offer "DirecTV certified PCs".

Needless to say, I am dissapointed about the potential release date, and the possibilty of D* going the "OEM only" route. Let's hope that's not the case.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20070109/tc_zd/198313

re: Updated: Microsoft and DIRECTV Cut a Deal (370 Days Ago)

Matt — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 02:51:55 GMT

For the time this is taking I sure hope the DTV solution supports 2-way communication.

When the DTV solution and the RBOC IPTV solution hit the street, that will be the day CableLabs will realize they screwed up by putting UNNECCESSARY constraints on the consumer for access.

re: Updated: Microsoft and DIRECTV Cut a Deal (370 Days Ago)

Darryl — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 21:27:32 GMT

I'm with E*. I'd be willing to switch just for this.

re: Updated: Microsoft and DIRECTV Cut a Deal (370 Days Ago)

Heath — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:41:48 GMT

Thanks, Chris. That was driving me crazy. To you and Richard, I'll let you guys know if I find out who to bribe, so you can get in line behind me. :-) I've been with D* for 10+ years myself.

Considering that interview actually took place some 10 months ago, that jives well with the recent news of a product being in beta testing.

re: Updated: Microsoft and DIRECTV Cut a Deal (370 Days Ago)

chrisl — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:22:14 GMT

RichardG: When I find out I'll let you know. I'm a DIRECTV customer, and have been holding out for this too.

re: Updated: Microsoft and DIRECTV Cut a Deal (370 Days Ago)

chrisl — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:20:15 GMT

Cool. That's the Engadget article with Joe Belfiore from Microsoft.

Part 1

http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/02/the-clicker-a-sitdown-with-microsofts-joe-belfiore-part-i/

re: Updated: Microsoft and DIRECTV Cut a Deal (370 Days Ago)

RichardG — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:19:40 GMT

I have one thing to ask...

Who do I have to bribe to test it?

re: Microsoft and DIRECTV Cut a Deal (370 Days Ago)

Heath — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:50:34 GMT

No problem, Chris. I found the text from the MS interview that I was talking about. I had copied it, probably to post it somewhere else, and still had it. Unfortunately, I can't remember where I got it from. JB is from Microsoft, that I do remember. Here it is:

SS: DirecTV… Will this also be in the Vista timeframe?

JB: We haven’t announced the specific timeframe around when the DirecTV products will be available. The team is working super hard right now with DirecTV. We’re absolutely well in progress of getting this done. However, we don’t yet have everything figured out to the degree that we’re ready to tell a date, but once we get there we know that people are super excited about it – we’ll let you know.

SS: OK so we won’t talk dates. We’ll talk product; will it be a similar product to OpenCable?

JB: The basic idea is very similar, which is that you can get essentially a receiver device that is a DirecTV receiver and connect it through some digital connection to your PC. [Doing so] lets you get all the great value from the DirecTV service, including High-Definition. If you subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket, you’ll be able to get that. All that good stuff.

SS: Via the Media Center 10-foot UI, correct?

JB: Yes.

re: Microsoft and DIRECTV Cut a Deal (370 Days Ago)

chrisl — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:27:20 GMT

Wow! Thanks for that update Heath! =)

re: Microsoft and DIRECTV Cut a Deal (370 Days Ago)

Heath — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:09:57 GMT

A couple of weeks ago, I either read online or heard on a podcast, someone from Microsoft say that the D*/MCE solution was "very far along", or something to that effect. I'll try to figure out where I heard that.

More recently, several members of dbstalk.com, who are attending CES, got a chance to have a sit down with the D* people and ask a buch of questions. Tom, one of the dbstalk members, posted yesterday that the answer to the PC tuner question was "Still in progress, internal beta testing".

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=75717