Comments on: Is Microsoft’s Vista gambling too much on CableCARD?

By: Alienware: Dell’s media center store? » FloppyHead - A Media Center, Digital Video Recorder, and HTPC Resource

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 02:08:18 +0000

[...] Dell has typically avoided media centers that look like high-end audio/video components. To get CableCARD support in Vista, Microsoft had to sell-out the DIY community of PC builders and potentially smaller OEMs. Microsoft is totally reliant on the big OEM’s, like Dell and HP, to move their product. To date, HP or Dell has not been too innovative with Windows MCE computers. When was the last time a Dell product generated a lot of buzz or excitement? With Microsoft’s reliance on 3rd-party vendors to release Vista media centers with CableCARD support, Alienware could position themselves as a must have product for home theater enthusiasts. [...]

By: HD DVD Managed Copy is key to Vista’s Media Center » FloppyHead - A Media Center, Digital Video Recorder, and HTPC Resource

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 16:05:56 +0000

[...] Microsoft’s Vista is an important step in the evolution of the media center and the home theater computer since it will support CableCARD and HD DVD’s ‘Managed Copy.’ I have discussed Vista’s CableCARD implementation alot on this site but have not talked at all about HD DVD support. So exactly what is ‘Managed Copy?’ Currently, HD DVD is the only next-gen DVD format to provide for the ability to legally make copies of optical content. Dubbed ‘Managed Copy,’ HD DVD implements part of the AACS control mechanism to allow for things such as putting digital copies of a disc on a hard drive, transferring a movie (legally) to a portable player, or streaming content on a home network. It is an often neglected feature of the HD-DVD standard. All HD DVD’s are required to implement ‘managed copy.’ [...]

By: Will DRM cripple Vista’s bid to be a Tivo replacement? » FloppyHead - A Media Center, Digital Video Recorder, and HTPC Resource

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 00:28:27 +0000

[...] As you can see, Vista’s Media Center is very polished and comes close to rivaling Tivo’s interface. I keep thinking Vista’s Media Center is a house of cards though. None of the eye-candy is worth anything if the overall user experience is crap. Microsoft has caved into the pressure of the content providers, and has included some serious hardware DRM (HDCP), not to mention that CableLabs has to approve the configuration of every media center box. If HDTV is not fully integrated, a Vista box is a waste of time. Microsoft has so much riding on their CableCARD implementation. The comments on Charlie’s website highlight these issues. The frustrating thing to me is that I won’t be able to build my own media center using Vista becuase of the need for CableLabs approval. How much of a premium are manufacturers going to charge me for CableCARD support? This sums up why I am secretly rooting for Linux and MythTV. If I cannot watch HDTV reliably and somewhat cheaply with Vista’s Media Center, I will turn to MythTV, which is free by the way. Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]