Microsoft delivered the first half of two promised ATI Digital Cable Tuner-related updates as the 1.19.12.09050155 firmware update is now available from Windows Update (listed with the optional udates) that will
relax the way it handles DRM on its recordings and add support for Switched Digital Video. With the new update applied, all Copy Freely-marked programing will be recorded without DRM allowing you to move it between PCs, convert it to another format or whatever you wish with ease, however as our
hands on experience with the new firmware indicated you'll still need your cable provider to pass along the right bits to make it all operate properly. Still waiting in the wings is the
Advisor Utility that will allow Digital Cable Tuners to work with any PC, no OEM purchase or hacking skills required.
[Thanks, Rob]
Running downstairs to update this as soon as I submit this....
The probably should've mentioned you need to restart your computer for this to work. I'll have screens uploaded to my blog soon
You can see my screens at the following link
http://www.peterf.net/blog/2009/11/06/ATIDCTFirmwareReleasedInstallNotSoObvious.aspx
After restart, it installed the firmware on both tuners
Best news I heard all week. I needed this after CIT going belly up.
Excellent.
Hey guys, great news! The Digital Cable Advisor tool just hit live as well!!! I posted screens here: http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4361&Itemid=1
great catch!
About time!
I am pumped about this. Time Warner Austin has SDV on half the HD channels. Now I just need a tuning adapter and another splitter.
By the way, any idea if going from the DIY CableCARD hack to the Digital Cable Advisor upgrade will lock out all the old recordings?
Blahman, it shouldn't matter, the recordings themselves are tied to the DRM on your system, which to my knowledge this tool should have zero effect on.
The question though, is why even run it if you have the DIY hack working already? Check my article screenshots, you'll see if the system is already CableCard-enabled that it won't do anything but display that message.
Mike
MissingRemote.com
Simple, faster boot times and no hacky garbage on the screen during boot!
Just to confirm I was able to run the Advisor -- the first time it said I was already CableCARD ready, at which point I uninstalled the OSFRLoader and rebooted and ran it again, and now it all works, including all my old recordings. Sweetness!
Going to pick up a tuning adapter from TW tomorrow and see how that goes.
Just installed the firmware update on my Vista Media Center, and, after a couple of reboots, it works.
I flipped through some of the channel while looking at the tuner's "DRM" webpage to see what was set to Free Play, and the bad news is that now I can see that TWC here in Los Angeles has everything locked down except for the locals. Even CSPAN on an analog channel is not marked as Free Play ... Really, Time Warner? Really?
After installing this update, WMC (7 64-bit) no longer recognizes that I even have a tuner installed!
Well I picked up the tuning resolver. Presumably I only need 1 for my 2 DCTs. My problem now is that Windows can't find a driver for it. It's a Cisco STA1520. Also the green light on the front blinks incessantly. Anyone gotten past these hurdles?
The STA1520 driver is included with the firmware update. Once the driver is installed, you need to contact your cable provider so they can activate the STA1520. Make sure you explicitly tell them that the activation is for the SDV tuner, not the cablecard. Hopefully you get a tech that knows what you're talking about. Shouldn't take more then five minutes on the phone.
Well it started working today, mysteriously. However it turns out you need one tuning resolver for each DCT. Not sure why the TiVo only needs one. Going to pick up another tomorrow.