Comments on: Yes Virginia, Media Center already does HDTV

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 21:33:00 +0000

Thomas- I respect you but you’re incorrect. Ed is right- this is about hardware. I strongly recommend you get a representative from the CableCard consortium to clarify their position on any PC doing HDTV over CableCard- what it would take etc.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 13:39:00 +0000

Again, that’s the same with any third-party box. It’s also the same issue: CableLabs is dragging their feet.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 11:51:00 +0000

The focus seems to constantly be premium content HDTV via media center. Well how about the fact that I can't watch any premium content via MCE without renting and setting up via IR blaster, a set-top box from the cable or satellite provider.

The need for set-top boxes increases the cost to use an MCE, degrades picture quality, and make channel changing noticably slower. I'd be happy at this point with the ability to record SD premium content without the need for set-top boxes.

All those new sleek HDTV cases are pretty worthless if you have to attached two set-top boxes to it in order to record two channels at once.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 10:38:00 +0000

The problem with that argument is that Microsoft has also worked with cable providers to provide premium HD content. My Comcast DVR runs a Microsoft OS.

Will DirecTivoHD people be singing the same tune when, in 12-18 months, their 1k investment no longer works.

My point is simply that we're talking apples and oranges. When TiVo (or anyone*) introduces a third-party HD box, then it's time to say that Microsoft has missed the boat.

*Yes, there is a rather anemic Sony box. However, it meets no one's standards in this conversation.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 10:24:00 +0000

Great post, Thomas. This is why I subscribe to your blog, though every week I get so annoyed by all of your pictures that I almost hit delete. I really wish you would seperate your pictures into a seperate blog feed.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 10:23:00 +0000

I agree with Thomas on this. Tivo worked with DirecTV (whatever the underlying reasons) and have a solution for recording HD. That is the bottom line. If Microsoft wanted to do something they could. For that matter, they could afford to buy DirecTV, Comcast, or any other provide of HD to ‘force’ the integration – they just haven’t deemed it a priority yet.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 09:05:00 +0000

Thomas,

You really need to come to grips with this one. It is NOT Microsoft's fault.

I suppose you're willing to say that TiVo doesn't care about HD either, right?

Repeat after me: The ONLY reason that TiVo does ANY premium HD is because DirecTV was looking for a TEMPORARY solution to their needs. As such, they licensed TiVo's software for use it THEIR boxes. This will change in the future.

CableLabs is holding it up. I would not be surprised if both companies had been working with them for upwards of two years.

By: Ed Bott

Ed Bott — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 08:46:00 +0000

You really, really, really need to read my follow-up post, Thomas. You’re being very naive by overlooking the hardware requirements. Are you arguning that Microsoft should reverse-engineer cable company encryption (virtually impossible to do anyway, since cable systems use individually addressable boxes)? Even if they could do that, it would a DMCA violation, subjecting Microsoft to criminal and civil penalties.

If it were as simple as you make it sound, it would already be done.