Microsoft emancipates Digital Cable Tuners with second Media Center update today
By Richard Lawler 
posted Nov 6th 2009 10:19PM
posted Nov 6th 2009 10:19PM
Read - MCE: Digital Cable Advisor Tool Available Now!
Read - ATI DCT Firmware update pops up on Windows Update, DRM-free MCE recordings & are a go
I am very excited about this! I invested in a CableCard PC, so this won't directly affect me immediately. But it will get average joes into MediaCenter and will shine a bright light on MediaCenter.
This is the kind of technology that should be showcased at a Microsoft Store
Will it be possible for current CAM capable tuners to be upgraded using a cablecard extension of some kind?
QAM tuner?
No. All the products I've seen so far are individual tuners
So far yeah, but surely there would be a way to extend QAM tuners for CableCARD capabilities right? Such as a USB or front bay cablecard extension of some kind.
Not possible for an existing tuner to be converted to Cablecard. It has to be cablecard certified and they have to integrate a DRM processor and all that stuff. You'll have to buy a new tuner if you want cablecard support.
That's what the extension would do. CableCARD is essentially encrypted QAM, so the CableCARD extension + QAM tuner would decrypt the QAM signal and re-encrypt with some kind of DRM (probably done by media center I suppose)
I personally wouldn't buy a whole new tuner card to get CableCARD functionality, but I would definitely buy an extension that upgrades my current QAM tuner to have CableCARD support.
Here's an example of how that could work:
http://i38.tinypic.com/5015qh.jpg
Ceton hurry up with your adapter already
Don't see it in my Windows 7 Media Center.
It's all the way at the top under "Extras" -> "Extras Gallery"
You should see coax cable, although it doesn't seem to be in the same place for everyone. Mine was the top-center for me; unlike the bottom-left in the picture above.
Valiot,
Go to Start > Settings > General > Automatic Download Options > Download Now, and then it should shortly appear after.
Mike
MissingRemote.com
Watch out.. the advisor will fail your system if you have < 4GiB of RAM.
- Mark
My laptop with 2GB memory and integrated graphic chip passed certification just fine.
Finally. Anyone know if this also enables "tuning adaptors" to enable the reception of digital switched video? I guess I'll find out in a few hours when the wife stops watching TV and I can do the upgrade. I have two Cisco tuning adapters from the cable company with flashing green LEDs waiting to go.
Tuning adapter is supported already in Windows 7 MCE.
This would be great if Cable company would support PC CableCARDs. Cable companies like Cox Cable only will install on TV's and Tivo's.
Cox supports PCs just fine. They came to my house and installed the Cablecard tuners in my PC without any questions. They did say they don't see many PCs, but that doesn't mean they don't support them. Cox also provided me with tuning adapters to get switched digital signals at no charge.
Some started to support such device now.
People need to cut the cord and go OTA... Why pay for tv when you can get it for free.
Can you get the following OTA:
- Food Network
- HGTV
- ESPN
- SciFi (yes I know)
- History Channel
- Discovery
- NatGeo
All in HD? The list goes on, but you get my point. We pay because there is content out there that you cannot get OTA.
Trust me.. The way the economy is going, more and more cable subscribers will be turning to OTA to save a buck.. It's just a matter of time (a very short time)
This would be even greater if you could actually find CC tuners.
Did ATI stop making them? You would think some inet retailer would pop up with availbility to buy.