"Currently it doesn't look like you can use the software to automatically dim your lights when you're watching a video and bring them back up when you hit pause."

That's one of the main features of mControl, you have been able to do it using mControl for years.

Media Center only supports QAM using a Digital Cable Tuner/OCUR/CableCARD Tuner. It doesn't support QAM from any other card. The HDHR can be used for QAM if you don't have a CableCARD PC.

Native playback means within the application. Media Center has always had native support for DVD playback. I'm not talking about simple things like decoders being included in a box.

The differences between HD DVD and Blu-ray are quite large when you factor in software support using a framework that has already been developed.

Read more at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/archive/2008/01/25/1480420.aspx

The fact is no software currently makes it possible for native playback. That's the subject matter that I was writing about in the original article, not playback within Windows in general. Two really different subjects.

The majority of my readers (and readers here at Engadget HD) know that you can playback the discs on a PC.

The point is with how HD DVD appears to be on the downfall, the addition of native support (if it ever is released) will likely be pointless in the long run (eg. everyone going BD).

You can buy the tuner from SonyStyle.com. But yes, it will only work with a PC with the correct BIOS and product keys.

No, there are internal cards too. An external one is just an internal in a separate casing.

Yes, it will work with FIOS. FIOS is QAM, IP is only used for on demand. Media Center and/or TiVo HD will both work fine with FIOS.

They released in near a year ago, you can buy one of a dozen PCs with it included....

Yes, it is.