Redmond, Washington, and Louisville, Colorado, November 16, 2005—Microsoft Corp. and Cable Television Laboratories Inc. (CableLabs®) today announced they have reached an agreement that will allow Microsoft and PC manufacturers to bring to market digital-cable-ready Windows® Media Center-based PCs in the holiday 2006 time frame.
These Media Center PCs, capable of supporting a CableCARD5 module, will allow consumers to enjoy one-way cable programming, including premium high-definition cable content, on their personal computer and throughout the home on compliant network-connected devices, such as Xbox 3605, while protecting cable operators’ investments in high-value content in a digital environment. Microsoft is working closely with CableLabs to document final approval of Windows Media® Digital Rights Management (DRM) as a content protection technology for OpenCable5 products that receive one-way cable content under the terms of this agreement.
“This agreement is an important milestone for our customers who want access to high-definition digital cable content on their PCs and a major step toward enabling a solution for the delivery of that content,” said Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of the Windows eHome Division at Microsoft.
This is very good news. Curiously, the announcement doesn’t mention Windows Vista at all. Chris Lanier has argued persuasively that DRM features specific to Windows Vista will make this possible. Although the headline of this release refers to “future versions” of Media Center PCs, it doesn’t specifically rule out Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. That’s a detail Microsoft should clear up sooner rather than later.
Also, this is a one-way solution. Although you can use one of these boxes to get premium services like HBO, you won’t be able to order a pay-per-view movie from a CableCARD-equipped Media Center PC.
If anyone on the Media Center team wants me to beta-test this hardware, you know where to reach me.
Thanks, Thomas!
So if we already have custom built media center pcs. Will this mean all we have to do is buy a pcmcia adapter card. Put that adapter in a empty PCI slot, then put the card in. Finally update Media Center, and presto we have cable delievered HD broadcasts and digital channels?
That’s the big question, isn’t it? Will these be available as add-ons for existing PCs (with, presumably, an upgrade to Windows Vista)?
Do all cable/satellite companies automatically support CableCard or do I need to call my cable company to find out?
All cable companies are supposed to support CableCARD eventually, but not all do so today. Best bet is to call and find out how much it costs, whether you need an installer to come out, etc.
This is a big step forward.
Two things bother me:
- What about MCE customers internationally? Will this cablecard initiative mean I can take a raw feed from my Telewest cable in the UK, bypass the box and go straight into a PCI card? Probably not.
- One way only? Digital TV feeds in Europe increasingly use MHEG interactivity to provide digital text, gaming and PiP features. This may not be happening in the US, but Microsoft (a global company, right?) need to keep on the case to allow full interactivity for the PC user.
This will be a tough one to crack, but surely no tougher than getting this cablecard approval.
I’ve already see a post on Chris Lanier’s blog saying ‘why do we need interactivity?’ Maybe ont in the USA, but look elsewhere……
regards,
Paul
This is what I have been waiting for. I want to get rid of all the boxes under my TV (cable box, xbox, dvd player) and replace them with one xbox 360. In order to do that I need a Media Center PC on the network that supports cable card and now I am FINALLY getting it!! Thanks Microsoft. Too bad it’s another year off.
This is somewhat disappointing; supposedly 2-way CableCARDS should be available in the second half of next year. If that’s the case why only 1-way CableCARDS by the holiday season of next year?
I was badly waiting for this technology to be made available to massess at it will enable to remove all the cable tv boxes from my tv and I can build and put my media center PC there will all gadgets running on the self in single box.Seems we are speaking Geek.