Microsoft invited us, with a few others, to tour the eHome team office and lab's and of all the great things we saw -- pictured in the gallery -- the one that got us the most excited was to see the rumored DirecTV
HDPC-20 USB tuner in action. Our dreams were a little dashed though, as we were reminded on numerous occasions that although Microsoft tests lots of hardware, not everything makes it to market. So in other words, the presence of any hardware in the lab is no way an announcement of future products. But this here tuner wasn't the only thing we saw, as there were even a few indications that DISH Network was being tested as well, and while we did see
DISH multi-switches and a
DISH TV screen up on a Media Center PC, we didn't see any specific DISH equipment connected to Media Center. This could mean the tuners are internal or maybe the tuners were just cleared out before we came through. More pictures of the HDPC-20 in action after the jump.
posted Nov 19th 2008 1:48PM
the "presence" of any hardware in the lab.
presents is confusing. please fix.
Unless of course they are gifting their lab hardware, which would be cool :)
". . . the presents of any hardware in the lab, is no way an announcement of future products"
Uh, wait a minute, they gave you gifts while you were there too? Isn't it early for Christmas?
Is that an Apple TV I see on pic 1 of the gallery?
Microsoft, you make me laugh.
I want one, damn it!
Isn't that 360 in Pic #2 a fire hazard?
While you were they, did you notice if the DirecTV tuner will require something like the Digital Cable key for the ATI tuners?
The more I see of W7MC, the more I think that it looks pretty damn cool.
I hope I get one of the beta invites...
Why wait for Windows Media Center, it has been done for years now with SageTV, a $70 program installed over windows xp or vista.
native support for DirecTV? dont think so there bub.
In the last photo you can see the labels on the machine it says: NTSC, ATSC, DVB-S/T. DVB-S is the format that Dish Network uses.
Thanks for the pictures.
Ben how long before a full write up on youe ehome trip?
"TV with DISH Network" (picture 24) ... Hmmm...
you'd think the guys at microsoft could come up with a more elegant-looking rack-mounted 360... (pic 2)
"you'd think the guys at microsoft could come up with a more elegant-looking rack-mounted 360... (pic 2)"
You clearly know nothing about product testing. "Pretty" installations and pretty test labs are generally the lowest priority on any test manager's agenda, because they are generally a huge waste of time and resources that is better spent on actually testing the product. That's not to say that there aren't some test managers who have showcase installations, because there are. The overlying theme is generally "function over form", and this rings true throughout most the test industry. Also, this method is more real-world than you can possibly imagine, since 99% of the end users will not have a more elegant (if any) solution.
By the way, that test lab is immaculate compared to some others I have seen. I have personally rebuilt three labs that looked like MONKEYS originally wired it.
Slap forhead, "They could have had a V8"
All those pictures and none show the new media center in action.
Great - looks really simple. I'll take two - one for each grandparent.
But don't forget - with D you won't "Own" that 350.00 DVR - it's a "lease upgrade" that ropes you into a two tear contract. And the 35.00 monthly sat bill blooms to 120.00 with all the "fees".
This is just plain silly. They can do 90% of what this group tied together in their own DVR.
I REALLY HOPE THE RECESSION TEACHES DIRECTV THAT THEY CAN'T TREAT THEIR CUSTOMERS LIKE CRAP AND GET AWAY WITH IT.
What are the gray things on top of the Xbox 360's are they some kind of HDD's?
Okay Ben, I'll bite.. and listen to your podcast this week to get the details of your trip.... Please spill the beans and give us the details of your trip and the DirecTV intergration!!
......And I though the HDPC-20 was dead.... silly me.
If DirectTV is reading this, if you make this available to us custom PC builders instead of only having them available on the pre-built PCs from Dell, HP, etc, this will almost certainly get me to switch from Comcast. I'm sure there are others like me.
Anyone know what going on with the hard drives on these Elites in http://www.engadgethd.com/photos/tour-of-microsofts-ehome-labs/1169901/
Those arent eliltes, they're devkit 360's. The devkits have tumor like hard drive attachments on them.
If you look at pic 9, you can see the back of them. It looks like it has 2 USB type A ports on the back. There are NO hard drives attached to those XBoxes, and they have the new upgrade. Don't you need atleast 512 MB for the new update? There aren't any memory cards in those slots. It also doesn't look like anything is attached where the Hard drive goes. Can't do anything but guess, maybe HD built in soon? Maybe direct TV to xbox?
Any sign of Cisco or Motorola SDV adapters in the lab ;) ??
Nope, but it was a big lab and I could've easily missed them.
lolz at the duct tape on the Xbox360's IR receiver. I had to do that, too, until I switched to an RF remote for the HTPC.