re: Matt Goyer Replies To Smaller OEMs

MikeA — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 22:59:10 GMT

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.

re: Matt Goyer Replies To Smaller OEMs

Brian Binnerup — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 17:12:30 GMT

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

re: Matt Goyer Replies To Smaller OEMs

Bryan Socha — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 14:52:07 GMT

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