CableCard is here...

[cat6man]

check out a post i made a week or 2 ago............DRM was approved (by cable labs) that will break the vista bottleneck and permit streaming around the house.

date available: who knows, but at least the method has been approved by cable labs after a long and hard battle

i would certainly hope it would be available in 2008

[jhanan]

According to cablelabs, you can use a cablecard PC in one of these Microsoft "approved" PC's. (Why is Microsoft doing the approval??) Below is from Mike Schwartz - CableLabs communications. Also, I received a reply from Snapstream support that would lead me to believe that I can run BTV on these PC's, instead of using MCE s/w. But then, what do I do with my current very nicely configured HTPC?? A contacted TWC, they are ready to come out and install a cablecard - you cannot pick one up and DIY. Can you open up these boxes to add tuners and HD's?

From: Mike Schwartz M.Schwartz@CableLabs.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 9:07:58 AM
Subject: RE: PC support for CableCards

Microsoft has only approved certain PCs for use with the cable tuner module that accepts the CableCARD. Our technical guys tell me that you would need to buy one of those Media Center PCs approved by Microsoft. Here's a list:

| DELL INC DXG061_OCUR |
| TOSHIBA PQG33U |
| Sony Corporation VGX-XL3 |
| DELL INC XPS710_OCUR |
| DELL INC MXG061_OCUR |
| TOSHIBA QosmioG30 |
| TOSHIBA PQG41U |
| niveus media |
| DELL INC MXP061_OCUR |
| Alienware Hangar18 : HD Entertainment Center |
| Hewlett-Packard Company 74NAV3PC |
| Hewlett-Packard Company 74NAv6pr |
| Hewlett-Packard Company 74NApc32 |
| Hewlett-Packard Company 74NAv3Pr |
| Hewlett-Packard Company 12345 |
| DELL INC DXP061_OCUR |
| VELOCITY MICRO CINEMAGIX BY VELOCITY MICRO |
| Hewlett-Packard Company OCUR |
| Hewlett-Packard Company m8010y |
| Niveus Denali Digital Cable Compatible (TEST) |
| Hewlett-Packard Company m9200z |
| Hewlett-Packard Company d4995t |
| Hewlett-Packard Company d4990y |
| Sony Corporation VGC-LV19U UC7 |
| Sony Corporation VGN-AR660U |
| Sony Corporation VGN-AR570U |
| Sony Corporation VGN-AR690U |
| Sony Corporation VGN-AR590E |
| Hewlett-Packard Company a123l |
| Exceptional Innovation Life|media |
| Sony Corporation VGN-AR150E |
| Sony Corporation VGN-AR550U |
| Sony Corporation VGC-LT19U |
| Sony Corporation VGN-AR550E |
| Sony Corporation VGN-LT19U |
| Sony Corporation VGX-TP1 |
| Hewlett-Packard Company m8100y |
| S1Digital MCPE |
| Hewlett-Packard Company d4890y |
| Sony Corporation VGN-AR570E |
| TOSHIBA PQG42U

[cat6man]

DTCP-IP, announced a few weeks ago my cable labs, should eliminate that bottleneck and permit streaming encrypted video within the house

so yes, those are the only options today, but i expect better solutions in 1Q08

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by jhanan

According to cablelabs, you can use a cablecard PC in one of these Microsoft "approved" PC's. (Why is Microsoft doing the approval??)

Cablelabs is doing the certification part at 15k $ a pop or such, not MS...

[rtuneg35]

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665246461

See now why would sony sell these individually and list no restrictions or special prerequisiites (other than autherized install from cable company)?

[rtuneg35]

Originally Posted by rtuneg35

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665246461

See now why would sony sell these individually and list no restrictions or special prerequisiites (other than autherized install from cable company)?

I'm retarded i missed the part where it says compatable models (one that already ship with it)

[jhanan]

Funny thing is I work for AMD, and I have asked when this ATI box will be available and I get the "waiting" answer. Which must mean the CableLabs does not want it sold as a stand-alone interface yet for the DiY HTPC.

I called TWC, and they ready with their CableCards.

[mediactr]

Is the ATI TV Wonder™ Digital Cable Tuner now available to the retail market????

See: http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/25/s...by-its-loneso/

and

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...&storeId=10151

[ZetaVu]

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but is the Tivo HD the one with cablecard? Does this mean you cna now transfer HD content from HD tivo (via cablecard) to a computer or dvd burner? Do you maintain high resolution? How the hell do they get this past the media nazi's?

[jhanan]

Originally Posted by mediactr

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...&storeId=10151

Ya, I saw this. I bet it only works with a Vaoi on Vista that was already CableLabs cert (I saw one of these at Fry's a couple weeks ago) and delivered with one OTB. As soon as some hack makes it work with BTV. I will buy one. TWC say they are ready to rent the CableCard ($4/mo.). I would rather see a 5c compatable driver for firewire. I need to change my sig, I now have firewire as a interface from the STB instead of using composite video to the PVR-500!

[robotech95460]

Why are cable cards not SOLD? I contacted the FCC - and they said you CAN buy a cable card, but it has to be compatible with the system that you are using. My cable company sales department told me that I can buy my own cable card - but tech's for Comcast on the phone refused to activate my cable card as it was "not in their system". And they said that you can not buy one from them, and you can not activate one that you buy even if it is compatible. So, I asked the FCC as to how to complain - and they said to take it up with my local cable franchise. Any one else ever activated a cable card that you bought? Like from Best Buy or something? I know this post is from like 2007 - but my TV DOES have a cable card slot - not sure it is two way or not - but the card info says that it considers the host to have 1 way capability. Does any one know if in Northern California Comcast has two way capabilities? There is two way Internet here.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by robotech95460

Why are cable cards not SOLD?

The cable companies basically require a technician to do the matching. They probably refuse to activate it for the same reason they wouldn't activate a cable box from another provider, too many rented boxes stolen as people move...

[jhanan]

TWC has told me before that if I use a "Cablelabs Approved PC" then they will activate their rental only card. I don't think you can buy one that works for TWC. A while back I posted the list on the forum of approved PC's that the marketing director from Cablelabs provided me. I of course have hard time buying one of these PC's due to my investiment, and I suspect they are locked down.

BTW, I keep bugging TWC about clear QAM (just for fun I guess??), maybe someday we will prevail and they will - with competition bearing down on both cable co's and the content providers - to offer all cable HD channels in the clear.

This is the lastest response I got from TWC on my last "please provide all HD via Clear-QAM":

"In response to your email, at this time we do not provide this service. We do not have any specific dates as to when we will be able to provide this service. Thank you for your inquiry.

Margaret Simpson
Customer Relations Department
Time Warner Cable - Central Texas Division
(512) 485-4003
email: margaret.simpson@twcable.com"

- Jeff

[jhanan]

Unless Snapstream gets a CableLabs license, we will never get CableCard support for BTV. No hope from the CableHome project it appears. Without a license for Snapstream/BTV, CableLabs will not allow an OCUR to work in a standard off-the-shelf PC. Bummer... I guess HD-PVR is the only available option now...

[jhanan]

Is cablecard here?
CableCARD now a go for homebrew home theater PCs - Ars Technica