Engadget HD catches the Media Center DirecTV HDPC-20 in action

The crew over at Engadget HD was part of a tour of the Microsoft eHome lab and was lucky enough to catch the un-announced DirecTV HDPC-20 in testing. Unfortunately Microsoft wasn't ready to announce any new products and even reminded everyone that things in the lab don't always make it to market. But despite this, we still have our hopes up that we'll one day soon be able to watch DirecTV HD on Windows Media Center.

[kjb434 @ Nov 19th 2008 3:18PM]

It's cool to know they are at least testing it!

[Alex Padilla @ Nov 19th 2008 3:27PM]

DirecTV HD on Windows? That would be the sickest thing ever.

[KilgoreTrout @ Nov 19th 2008 3:30PM]

Oh dude, you really ain't seen nothing yet!

[StalematE @ Nov 19th 2008 3:28PM]

then after they test this... they can work on making a slimline ka/ku dish that doesn't rip your roof out every time the wind blows... I work for Directv, i have to remount those bastards constantly.

[absinthe party @ Nov 19th 2008 3:33PM]

My DirecTV dish never blew away when I had one.

... maybe you're just doing it wrong?

[StalematE @ Nov 19th 2008 3:42PM]

I only do service, I don't install the things, I just fix them. The installation techs get paid by the job, so they put them up as fast as possible to make more money... then I have go and clean up their shitty jobs.

[Derek @ Nov 19th 2008 3:50PM]

My DirecTV HD dish didn't rip off my roof during a direct Hurricane Ike hit.

I think you need to learn how to install them a little better.

[The Walrus @ Nov 19th 2008 5:14PM]

Do you happen to live in the giant red spot on Jupiter?

[Mobius_1 @ Nov 19th 2008 4:28PM]

Without them getting blown all the time, you could be out of a job ;)

[Mark Perrin @ Nov 19th 2008 3:29PM]

Anyone else noticed the Apple TV on the first picture under the TV lol.

[StalematE @ Nov 19th 2008 3:45PM]

Nice.

[Patriks7 @ Nov 19th 2008 3:52PM]

HAHAHAHA LMFAO ROFLZOMANO!!!!!!!11111one

Come on, grow up dude :\ Why bring Apple into every Microsoft post?

[Squid7085 @ Nov 19th 2008 7:36PM]

First thing I noticed! Its brushed finish just didn't fit in! Gotta check out the competition, (If you can call the current Apple TV that.)

[tyler @ Nov 19th 2008 3:29PM]

I dunno about DirecTV, but by the looks of that lab-- can I live there, plz?

Seriously though, that must be an awesome job getting to innovate all day...

[hamiltonguy @ Nov 19th 2008 3:36PM]

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeet, Media Center fanboys were devistated by the news DirectTV wasn't included in the Fiji update to Windows Vista. Many of us anticipated a release with Windows 7 but it's nice to see some of the boxes in action at MS. only one question, Why is it so big? What the hell is in that case?

[ProjecT TimeZ @ Nov 19th 2008 3:40PM]

Not to be a fanboy or anything, but I don't know why people hate on Windows/Microsoft so much. They harp on all the bad things and refuse to look at any of the good. It's almost as if they pretend it never exists, and with companies like Apple, they look at only the good and disregard the bad.

Grow up.

[Patriks7 @ Nov 19th 2008 3:53PM]

Welcome to life..

Uh I meant fanboyism sorry..

[Crand @ Nov 19th 2008 4:34PM]

@Project, this is true most of the time. However in regard to the Vista MCE, people are right to chastise Microsoft. At the end of the day it offers nothing over XP MCE. I have a quad core P45 machine just sitting there in my living room because the only way I can get TV into it is through s-video or OTA HDTV. I have been waiting for years for HDTV in MCE but time and time again we get left behind. I'm just shocked that Apple didn't take advantage of this and make their own HD solution. And the ATI CableCard doesn't count as a solution. That's just a bag of hurt that I wouldn't touch with a 50ft pole. I've been waiting to purchase an HDTV, BD-RE drive and some sort of receiver that can process the blu-ray audio formats. With Windows 7 maybe I can finally get these.

[nohone @ Nov 19th 2008 7:30PM]

@Crand

My setup is Vista Ultimate (Home Premium will work fine), TV pack (available for download, just do a search), 2X AverMedia A180, ATI Combo 650 PCIe, Hauppauge 500, which gives me 3 HD and 2 SD tuners. The only problem I had with this setup was splitting so many ways, I needed to buy a powered cable amplifier ($25) and I have HDTV just fine. There is much more to VMC than XPMC than what you think.

[Crand @ Nov 20th 2008 2:26AM]

@nohone. All OTA. My point remains valid.

[Scott @ Nov 19th 2008 3:43PM]

1. Looks like Dish Net is (maybe) coming to Media Center. First one there gets my business!
2. I was suprised to see so many Xbox's and no 3RROD.
3. What is the grey thing on top of the black elite 360's?

[Joe Dombrowski @ Nov 20th 2008 12:55AM]

1) From personal experience, avoid Dish and their horrid customer service.
2) Not touching that one!
2) It's a dev kit, used to connect and test game builds while in progress.

[John @ Nov 19th 2008 4:47PM]

That is what activate the development/debug mode for XBOX360.
Only for the developers and coders.

[neodorian @ Nov 19th 2008 4:15PM]

I would be happier if they fixed QAM support in Media Center.

[GeekPI @ Nov 19th 2008 4:18PM]

FYI - an interesting new feature became apparent on my network after DirectTV's latest firmware update. With their DirecTV2PC software, it works nicely as a stopgap until their full integration into Windows Media Center.

http://www.directv.com/directv2pc/

[JazJon @ Nov 19th 2008 4:53PM]

wow I didnt know about directv2pc, very cool I'm going to give it a try.

[Unique Gift Ideas @ Nov 19th 2008 4:43PM]

This would be awesome if it came full circle, but the original article made it sound like it was just some test product that will eventually be scrapped.

[Neal @ Nov 19th 2008 4:46PM]

Heh, I saw this entire group of people walking down the hall, but had no idea they were with Engadget :P

[AG @ Nov 20th 2008 6:43PM]

Not all of us, Neal -- Gizmodo, BetaNews, a bunch of places had folks there Wednesday. Y'all looked really startled to see us, BTW -- did anyone tell you we were dropping by? :-)

[Barstool @ Nov 19th 2008 5:01PM]

I do not envy anyone who has to work with that many ATI OCUR units. Those things are horrible.

Looking at these pictures makes me want to like these people... but then I remember these people are the reason digital cable still doesn't work properly in Windows Media Center.

SageTv+HD-PVR+normal STB > all the garbage hardware in these pictures sans DRM

[The Fuzz 53 @ Nov 19th 2008 5:16PM]

Damn it! I want one now!!

[BJ is Gooder @ Nov 19th 2008 5:54PM]

Two things:

1. That place must be the hotter than hell. At least they save money on the heating bill?

2. I want those red Microsoft party cups for my next party.

[Quikboy @ Nov 19th 2008 5:54PM]

In case everybody hasn't seen the sneak preview of Windows Media Center in Windows 7, here's Charlie Owen's post about it with screenshots:

http://blog.retrosight.com/WindowsMediaCenterInThePDCBuildOfWindows7.aspx

[HombrePhaty @ Nov 19th 2008 6:52PM]

Why is that place so messy? It looks like a hobo hangout. That one guy's desk is a box, fer Chrissake. Also, why is it so small? It looks like a back-yard utility shed. Do they take turns working? Finally, no windows? All the photos with people look like sweat-shop photos: flash-lit, deer-in-the-headlights look. Maybe I'm a little rummy from the work day (and the rum), but I kept laughing out loud at those photos.

[Steve @ Nov 19th 2008 7:37PM]

Interesting that picture 25 appears to show BBC HD (a UK free-to-air H264 HD channel) on a monitor. Vista Media Center - and Vista TV Pack - don't support H264 HD (without a hack) yet... Windows 7 is supposed to. Presumably that is a recording - or they have a means of replaying transport streams - or do they have some groovy system whereby they have a receiver in Europe and can stream the transport stream over a fast network connection to the US?

[CP @ Nov 20th 2008 11:12AM]

i thought i read that they killed the hdpc-20 (wasn't there something about it not being supported in media center for windows 7?).... there hasn't been any news whatsoever on it in about 8 months. if i had to make a list and prioritize electronics that i eagerly anticipate being released, this would probably be #1.