ChrisL
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Cannon PC starts offering internal CableCARD tuners for sale separately
If you're like some people we know - - yes Zatz, we're talking about you -- the idea of adding yet another box to your home theater setup isn't anywhere near consideration. Up until now, this meant that if you wanted to add an ATI Digital Cable Tuner to your Vista Media Center PC, you either had to hold your nose or spend the big bucks on one of the top tier OEMs that offered the internal version -- which is actually the same device sans a case, and yes it still connects via USB. Our friend Chris Lanier discovered today that Cannon PC started selling both the external and internal versions of the ATI TV Wonder DCT separately, so that finally those with CableCARD ready Vista Media Center PCs -- you know the OEM only ones -- can either add additional tuner, or opt to swap out the external variety for the internal type the takes less space, all for about $300 each. [Via The Digital Lifestyle]
DirecTV's Media Center Tuner still not on track for this year
It was a pretty big disappointment when we learned that the Windows Media Center TV Pack (code named Fiji) didn't include support for the long awaited DirecTV tuner, and unfortunately this means the smart money is on Windows 7 -- which will probably be out in early 2011 -- but of course this doesn't stop a few assumably uninformed DirecTV CSRs from telling customers it'll be out in November. Although we really have no idea when Microsoft will add native support for DirecTV, we do know it would be highly unusual for Microsoft to release anything without at least a few months of external testing. So with September half way over, it makes it next to impossible to believe we'll see it before the end of 2008. The thing that isn't as clear though, is that for whatever reason, the testers we've spoken to still aren't 100% convinced that the new tuner will require Windows 7, and although it seems like a slim chance, the tuner might just get here before Windows 7 after all, but your guess is as good as ours.
