No CableCARD for Windows Media Center until Longhorn (probably)

Bill G. promised that Windows Media Center would get support for CableCARD (which would make it possible for a Media Center PC to directly record cable HDTV programming) during his interview with us a few weeks ago, but if you were waiting for that to happen anytime soon, you better brace yourself for a long wait, like until the end of next year. What's the deal? Chris Lanier writes on his site that the problem is the broadcast industry, which is reluctant to let Microsoft add support for CableCARD to Windows Media Center because they don't think a Media Center PC is a secure enough environment. They prefer what they perceive as the closed box environments of a TiVo or a cable set top box, and believe that a Windows Media Center PC with CableCARD would be a boon to piracy (as if shows aren't going to get pirated no matter what). So that means that Microsoft probably won't be able to create a version of Media Center that satisifies the broadcast industry's concerns until Longhorn appears on the scene in 18 months or so. That's a ridiculously long time for them to add support for CableCARD and it's only going to hurt Windows Media Center's prospects as a DVR platform (which, of course, is good news for TiVo, et al.).

[Via Thomas Hawk]

[julio @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

When are these giant world-leading companies like Microsoft going to tell the entertainment industry to fuck off? I mean, really. Do you think Microsoft would let other market sectors the size of the television industry tell it what to do? No way.

It's so frustrating to see Microsoft compete like a rabid dog with other technology companies -- but when it comes to the entertainment industry, they always try to play nice. Perhaps they don't realize that it's going to cost them their customers in the long run.

[Jazzay @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

MS is losing customers fast, no one is liking the look of longhorn, and apple is convincing more and more people that its better, more and more people are getting fed up with their PC crashing, and the MAC mini is a good deal, i dunno where MS is going, but i dont think their gonna go under, they have more than enough money, just saying i beleive they are losing market share

[xVariable @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Umm... Is there a partcular reason why we are waiting for MS on this? Why isn't someone else doing it?

MS is a software company, and the CableCARD is HARDWARE. The last time I checked, there was still an API(s) with which a driver could be be written for ANY HW that interfaced with a PC.

I'll tell you one thing: if I'd known all the limitatons and difficulties I'd encounter when I built my home theatre around a PC, I'd never have made the investment. The whole fucking point was to have something more versatile, and, in many ways, the opposite has turned-out to be true. Now to hear that this is what's holding cable HDTV recording back on the PC... What a LOUSY FUCKING JOKE.

[xVariable @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

BTW, the only keeping me from going Linux at this point is the games.

[The DMan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

So I read the artcile, and just read through the first few comments. I'm in no way a Microsoft fan-boy, but how did the feedback turn against Microsoft on this one?

As I see it, Microsoft is actually trying to add features that customers wants (and count me as one of them.) Instead the Movie/TV guys are pushing back. I'd really like to punt my Comcast cable box. Without CableCARD support there's no other way in my area to get DVR+HD Premium channels like HBO except to use Comcast's crappy DVR cable box.

I'd like to see someway we can help Microsoft in this case push back against the entertainment industries.

[Bruce @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Ms is not losing customers. They have overtaken Unix in the server arean. They own the desktop, and Linux's pitiful market is actually a fake because most computers bought with Linux actually end up with a pirated version of Windows.

Novell is doing for Linux what they did for Wordperfect: Losing money and market share.

[Tom W @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

It seems like copyright holders are holding back the technology everyone wants. There will never be secure DRM. The solution is to change the business model. Charge more up front for the content to make up for the internet sharing. Maybe even get in on the P2P action as a middle man. It's easier to change a business model than to change human behaviour.

[Andy @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

The cable industry doesn't want or like the hardware solution that is cablecard. The device manufactures hate it more. The cable industry is moving towards a software based implementation of secutiry called OCAP. CableCard will be dead and the cable industry isn't looking actively to create a legasy of 1st generation devices that will get hacked. Don't expect to see CableCards in Tivo or and other off the shelf product anytime soon.

[Wes Felter @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

This was sort of announced at WinHEC; I guess people weren't paying attention.

The reason Microsoft has to bend to the entertainment industry's wishes in this case is because all the CableCard DRM rules have been enshrined into a combination of FCC regulations and CableLabs contracts. The same applies to any other company that tries to get CableCards into PCs (Shuttle) -- it's just not going to happen.

[qp @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Bruce,

MS might not be losing a ton of customers to Linux, but every day I see more and more Macs around town. The next hurdle for Apple is the corporate market -- and judging from my work (a 4000 person research facility, which just decided to start offering macs to departments) their time there is coming closer every day.

As for this article, I was only anti-MS because I don't see why they let little companies like record labels and television producers boss them around. MS doesn't take shit from anybody in the tech biz -- why do they only throw softballs when it comes to the entertianment biz?

What we need is some real leadership for copyright reform -- and companies like Intel and MS should be leading the way.

[GTgadget @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

"let little companies like record labels and television producers boss them around."

You mean those "little" media conglomerate heavyweights working in unison which have strong lobbying/ties in Congress and already have a strong record with pushing heavyhanded legislation/policies in their favor?

Microsoft isn't as "all powerful" as some would like to believe. No other legit vendor would be able to go against the media companies either. Apple surely isn't going to do it either. BeOS is unfortunately dead. Someone might have the guts to do it with Linux, but I hope the poor soul(s) have really good legal representation. Maybe DVD Jon will become CableCARD Jon, who knows. Right now the media companies are driving the bus and most people aren't itching to get run over.

I love how the fairly off-topic "PC crashing" stereotype got thrown into this pretty quickly too. I haven't had a crash since the NT4 days that wasn't because of bad/failing hardware or some hackology gone wrong. Mac OS9 and earlier with coop multi-tasking and poor memory management...yeah, a real stable performance kernel there.

[Deadend @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

qp,

Your right in that there need to be industry leaders, but Intel just put out a DRM motherboard, they are a Hardware company that is bowing to content people.

MS... I am not quite sure why they are playing nice to Hollywood/TVland. But it is sad that Media Center is so lame due to all the DRM and encryption that the Content people want.

I think MS may be playing safe this round, so that when IPTV starts taking off, they can have a easier time of getting that going. The worst case is for Content people to get cold feet and hide in their cave and keep us on their time tables.

I still don't know why they care about a TV show getting pirated from the broadcast version, as once that is in the air, its free for anyone who feels like taking it.

[Bruce @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

#10 Ok. You are anti-MS and pro-Apple. The Apple with close ties to the movie and record companies? The Apple whose boss owns a movie company?

Hypocrite.

[William @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

DRM in my mind is a load of crap -- broadcasters want to get their content to the most number of people, but only people that own T.V. sets and will watch all of the commercials.

Mindjack did a segment about hyperdistribution -- that is, to get the content to the most number of people without all of this DRM crap.

http://www.mindjack.com/feature/piracy051305.html