New CableCARD diagnostic tool for Windows Media Center makes installation slightly less frustrating

Let's be honest, getting a CableCARD to work with Windows Media Center is far, far, far from a smooth process. Thankfully, the Media Center Integrator Alliance -- this sort of the things is its bag, naturally -- are set to show off a Digital Cable Tuner Diagnostics tool at next week's Electronic House Expo. It'll provide all kinds of information on your tuner and CableCARD, including modulation type, format, frequency, carrier, PCR Lock, encoding level, and authorization -- and if all that goes way over your head, there's an option to export the data to XML and send it to someone who can help. No word on when we'll see an official release, but no matter what, it won't be soon enough.

[steveoinsd Posted Mar 7th 2009 1:14PM]

What's the point? Since 99% of the people who run HTPCs aren't buying one of the few special models that allows cablecards to be used, and since it looks as if the cable cos will never allow them to be used in home-built machines, how much use will this get?

[Dalhectar Posted Mar 7th 2009 5:26PM]

If you're the 1% of the public with a CableCard PC, it helps a fair amount. The process isn't brain dead simple, and errors can occur. Not to mention that especially the first time you ever set it up, you are doing it with no prior knowledge, any diagnostic tool would help if pairing fails.

CableCard PC owners can't depend on the Cable Company for help, because so few techs have experience installing them, the owner is on their own if something doesn't go right. This tool should give diagnostic data to the owner, so when either they call tech support or post on TGB, they can post some helpful data.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 7th 2009 6:15PM]

They have the internet on computers now?

[The Fuzz 53 Posted Mar 9th 2009 9:43AM]

They did, until Microsoft bought them out.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 9th 2009 9:35AM]

it looks like a Fortezza Crypto Card.