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GlideTV Navigator gets a thorough hands-on and critiquing
If you're not down with snapping up an HTPC-centric keyboard with an integrated trackpad or trackball, controlling the likes of Hulu, Boxee and ZeeVee's Zinc TV viewer can be a real chore. Dave Zatz was able to wrap his paws around the problem-solving GlideTV Navigator, and while he deemed the actual remote trackpad "the best he'd ever used," he couldn't unequivocally say that this beauty was worth a buck-fifty. He also found that the remote could be used one-handed with a bit of practice, and he expressed understandable concern about this thing's ability to stay functional as the software around it evolves. If you've been waffling on pulling the trigger here, you owe it to yourself to give the read link a look.
Microsoft officially delays Digital Cable Tuner firmware and Advisor Utility
Ever since CEDIA Windows Media Center enthusiasts have been anxiously awaiting the announced firmware update for the ATI Digital Cable Tuner and the Advisor Utility. While the firmware will finally relax the DRM on recording made with the Digital Cable Tuner and enable support for Tuning Adapters, the Advisor Utility will make it so anyone can add a Digital Cable to Tuner to their Windows 7 PC. Although a hard release date was never announced for either of these, it was fully expected that both would be available at the same time as Windows 7. Now Microsoft has posted over at The Green Button letting us know that we can stop checking as neither will be released today. To add insult to injury no new date was given, only that it would be available as soon as possible. So yeah, big time bummer for Media Center fans.
CableCARD tuners come to SageTV via SageMCTuner
With the main obstacles for adoption of CableCARD tuners in Home Theater PCs gone it just makes sense that even those who don't use Windows Media Center would want to get in on the fun. If only it was that simple, with CableLabs holding the keys to the kingdom, not just anyone can build software that will work with a CableCARD tuner and expect it to work. Good news for Sage TV fans, as the genius who came up with our favorite Media Center plugin (DVRMSToolBox) has now come up with a nifty work around. SageMCTuner is still in beta, but the idea is to put Media Center to work for Sage. So in other words, Media Center is still doing all the recordings etc, but Sage is calling all the shots and reaping all the benefits. If you want the full details you'll have to click through and try it yourself, go ahead, we'll be waiting for your return to hear how it worked out -- we bet it goes pretty well.
Windows 7 Media Center's upgraded Netflix Watch Instantly interface now available
Those already upgraded to Windows 7 ahead of Thursday's launch events (no, we're not coming to your party) should find a Netflix button parked under the Movies section in Media Center starting today. Clicking it revealed a slightly smoother install process than the initial Netflix upgrade for Vista users last spring, then it's off to the refreshed interface we first spotted at CEDIA -- extender support or HD streaming is still out. Also updated is the out-of-beta internet TV sliding under the TV tab (new from beta 2: Adobe Flash video support and region locking) with a wide assortment of streaming video available, though the picture quality still leaves something to be desired. [Thanks, Daren & Craig] Update: Not seeing it yet? Go to the Tasks -->Settings-->General-->Automatic Download Options and manually start an update there, the new tiles should arrive shortly. %Gallery-75959% %Gallery-72477%
GlideTV Navigator puts Media Center controls in the palm of your hand
Otherwise content users of Boxee or Hulu on the big screen in the living room, the tyranny of the keyboard and mouse may finally be over! GlideTV Navigator is a palm-sized remote control that features a trackpad and backlit AV buttons, just the thing to further enable your YouTube addiction beyond the confines of your computer nook. Works with Windows XP or Vista (we're assuming there's a Windows 7 version on tap as well), Mac OS X, and the Sony PS3, and the package includes a charging cradle and USB receiver. Sadly, the on-screen keyboard and integrated search apps are Windows only for the time being. Look to spend about $149 -- but not before peeping the gallery below.%Gallery-75429%
Upgrading a Win7 Media Center with CableCARD from RC to RTM is painless
We have to admit that when we upgraded from Windows 7 RC to RTM we were a little apprehensive to use the upgrade hack, but if we had any CableCARD recordings we wanted to watch after the upgrade, then maybe we would've chosen a different route. Well it appears our fears were unfounded as the upgrade is actually pretty painless. In the linked how to, we learned how to hack the Windows 7 RTM install disc to allow an upgrade from RC, then watched as Windows 7 pretty much took care of the rest -- without losing access to DRM'd recordings. For an added twist, the author was using a DIY CableCARD machine so it was also good to see that OSFRLoader still works on the RTM build as we all wait patiently for Microsoft to release the utility to unleash Digital Cable Tuner to the world.
Engadget HD reviews what's new in Windows Media Center after CEDIA
Yet another CEDIA has come and gone, and while some of our greatest hopes for Media Center came true (CableCard is no longer OEM only, Switched Digital Video support for the tuning adapter is coming) several more did not (Zune HD integration and any new CableCard announcements from ATI.) Peep the recap post on Engadget HD for the full rundown on what did and didn't happen in Media Center news from Atlanta, and what Microsoft's next plans for Windows Media Center could (& should) be. %Gallery-73742%
Microsoft Media Center CEDIA predictions wrap-up
Now before you ask, the reason this post is so late has nothing to do with how off the mark we were with our predictions. It's just that we've been sick with the Flu around here and just now started to feel better -- guess all those long days on the show floor and late nights with the GT ACM are bad for the immune system. At any rate here is the wrap up of our Windows Media Center predictions as well as our overall impressions about Windows Media Center now that CEDIA is over. %Gallery-73742%
Curious about SDV and Copy Freely support in Windows 7 Media Center?
Look here, bub. Do you own an ATI Digital Cable Tuner? Has your Windows Media Center PC been waiting for a firmware update, since like, forever ago? If so, you should already know that SDV and Copy Freely support has been added to Windows 7 Media Center, which is the software coding equivalent of all of your dreams coming true. Of course, getting used to all this new functionality is a daunting task, but that's why Engadget HD is breaking things down to make it fit for digestion. Ready to get schooled? Well, head on over!
A first hand look at SDV and Copy Freely support in Windows 7 Media Center
If you have a ATI Digital Cable Tuner connected to your Windows Media Center then you've been waiting a long time for a firmware update. In fact, although updates were released fairly steadily during the first year of the product's life, the last update (1.17.1) was dated April 30th 2008. But this long delay has been particularly painful because this is the first update since CableLabs relaxed the DRM requirements last Summer -- it's also the very same update Microsoft has been touting since CEDIA 2008. So what took so long? We'd like to know, but one thing is for sure, CableLabs sure took its time in the approval process as the date on the firmware is May 1st 2009! Better late then never, so while you wait for the public release click through to find out what all the fuss is about.
Zune Marketplace HD videos will play on Extenders for Media Center
It is actually very sad that this is even news. What we mean is that normally we'd expect that two products from the same manufacture would work together, but not when it comes to Microsoft. Either way, Media Center fans with Extenders like the Xbox 360 and the deceased Linksys DMA2100 will be happy to know that HD content from the Zune Marketplace looks great in Media Center. You can see from the screen shot that although it works, it is less than ideal. What we're saying is, would it be so hard to add a little metadata or even an episode number? The other thing is that the content doesn't show up automatically, we had to actually add the location of the content to the video library, which means the TV show we downloaded don't show up with the rest of our recorded TV shows. The good news though is it that playback works as expected, meaning that fast forward, rewind and resume are all there -- but there is that annoying "buffering" message when you skip forward or back. Who knows, maybe sometime between now and the official launch of Windows 7 further interoperability will be added -- doubtful.
Engadget HD Podcast 155 - 09.15.2009
CEDIA is over so there no better time to wrap up the news than with the Engadget HD Podcast. If you love Media Center, you'll love this episode as we dedicate more than half the show to the topic. We talk new tuners, cost of admission, as well as what might still be announced between now and the official launch of Windows 7. Next up we hit our second favorite topic with Blu-ray's Managed Copy and other Blu-ray player hardware like thee 400 disc Blu-ray changer. We round out the show with a quick chat about HDMI over IP (not just CAT5), the Panasonic 3D demo, the NFL Redzone channel and finally we talk up our reader meetup plus a few reader questions.Get the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). p[RSS - AAC] Enhanced feed, subscribe to this with iTunes.[RSS - MP3] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator[Zune]Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace[MP3] Download the show (MP3).Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh, Steven Kim, Richard LawlerProducer: Trent WolbeProgram00:01:15 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 15400:03:25 - Video: Dish Network Media Center tuner in action00:08:36 - Ceton is set to take over the CableCARD PC tuner market00:33:32 - Poll: What's the most you'd pay for a quad HDTV tuner with CableCARD?00:35:00 - Windows 7 to get a better version of Netflix than Vista00:38:55 - Hauppauge to expand its offerings to include a CableCARD tuner00:41:44 - DirecTV's CEDIA booth was all about multi-room viewing00:51:14 - Video: First working Blu-ray Managed Copy demo00:55:45 - Video: Sony 400 disc Blu-ray changer with Gracenote in action00:58:45 - Video: Vudu on the LG BD390 Blu-ray player01:01:08 - Panasonic including DivX Plus HD (MKV) support into next gen Blu-ray players, TVs01:02:10 - Apple TV junkies left out of new iTunes Extra special features01:05:45 - Panasonic Full HD 3D experience eyes-on01:13:07 - Just Add Power introduces Projector Connector HDMI-over-IP solution01:16:23 - It's game day, who's got the NFL RedZone Channel?01:19:14 - Thanks to Atlanta for the great reader meetup LISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)
Is the NFL Sunday Ticket coming to Verizon FiOS?
Chalk this one up as a total rumor, but you can imagine our surprise today when we saw all of these NFL Sunday Ticket channels show up on our CableCARD equipped Windows 7 Media Center connected to Verizon's FiOS. Unfortunately the channels didn't actually tune in when we selected 'em and this could very well be another case of bad guide data, but no way we could pass up the chance to share this one.**UPDATE** As expected, this was confirmed by the NFL as just a glitch in the guide data, but it was fun to dream even if it was only for a day.
Poll: What's the most you'd pay for a quad HDTV tuner with CableCARD?
Let's be clear right up front, we're not asking you how much you want to pay because we already know the answer; as little as possible. We want to know, what is the most you would pay. Now before you answer, lets put this into perspective. A dual tuner TiVo HD costs $300 at retail (plus subscription), a Moxi is $800 and the old ATI single CableCARD tuners were $300 -- so unlike the Ceton tuner, you'd have to rent four CableCARDs instead of just one. So keeping all that in mind, what is the most you'd pay for a single PCI-E card that could turn your Windows 7 PC and Xbox 360 into the best premium content HD DVR today? %Poll-34362%
Hauppauge to expand its offerings to include a CableCARD tuner
The tuner company that we never seem to be able to pronounce correctly is planning on adding a digital cable tuner with CableCARD to its lineup. No word on price or availability but the initial seemly over ambitions timeframe was this year. Our friends at Geek Tonic were able to confirm the the company's plans for the new tuner, but also learned that there is little hope that the new device will make it to market before the Ceton tuner, and in fact the actual release is still undeterminable. The good news is that there will be some competition in the PC digital cable tuner market which is always a good thing, in fact at this point we wouldn't be surprised if Avermedia was the next to throw its hat into the mix. [Via GeekTonic]
Ceton is set to take over the CableCARD PC tuner market
We can't say we saw this coming, but a little technology company we never heard of until CES '09 is going to not only be the first to market with a multi-stream quad tuner CableCARD device, but will probably be the only one for some time. It is for good reason too, as Ceton (pronounced sē-tən or seaten) has been able to pick up where AMD left off with its ATI Digital Cable Tuner for Windows Media Center and improve it in the best way we can think of. This startup seems to have some special sauce that no one else has, we can't even start to think of how hard it would be to decrypt four HD streams at the same time and re-encrypt them at the same time -- and apparently that is just the beginning. We say this because we sat down with Gary Hammer, the president and CEO, and to say he is on the same page with the Media Center market, is an understatement.
Video: Dish Network Media Center tuner in action
We told you we were able to get a video of the Dish Network tuner for Windows Media Center in action and here it is. You can see that for the most part, the Dish content plays back just like any other HD source. We did seem to think that the channel changes were slower than we were used to, but not bad enough to be a deal breaker. The short clip is after the jump.
Hands-on with the Ceton CableCARD tuner
We learned all about it this new tuner first thing this morning and were very pleased to see a "technology preview" of the card in action at the Microsoft's booth. As expected, it is a single PCI-E card that uses one multi-stream CableCARD and offers the ability to record four HD channels at once. The tuner shows up as a single network adapter in Windows and still uses UPnP like the currently available ATI tuner does. The configuration and diagnostic interface included tabs for each individual tuner and apparently two Tuning Adapters -- unfortunately there wasn't a working demo of the SDV tuning in action. And in case you are wondering, we did ask about the price and as you might expect we were referred to Ceton for specific product questions. We do already have an appointment with them tomorrow, but we'd be surprised if they were ready to tell us. %Gallery-72441%
Dish Network Media Center tuner hands-on
We have good and bad news after visiting the Dish Network booth first thing in the morning. We're happy to say that Dish was proudly displaying a Dish Tuner for Media Center 7 at its booth. The bad news however is that it was just a "proof of concept." Which means no matter how hard we tried, no one would tell us anything about price or availability. The other thing up in the air was if the actual implementation would be based on VIP211K HD STBs like the demo, or if instead there would be a dedicated tuner. The last unknown was around VOD or PPV, which we know was recently being tested, but still no word if it'll make the final version. The other bad, but not unexpected news, is the fact that like the first generation CableCARD tuner for Media Center, all the content is copy protected. As for how it works, looks good, but the channel changing was slower than our CableCARD tuner enabled Media Center. We did grab a video, but you'll have to wait until we can get it uploaded. %Gallery-72434%
Ceton CableCARD PC tuner details emerge
There's no press release or anything, but an eagle eyed blogger noticed that the FAQ for highly anticipated multi-stream CableCARD tuner for Windows Media Center on Ceton's site has been updated. Among the new details is the fact that there will be multiple offerings -- as apposed to just the one version announced at CES -- which will include 2, 4 and 6 tuner versions. The card has also been adapted to work in a low-profile PCI-E form factor, but no word if all three iterations will be available in the shorty version. The bad news is that the new release date has been pushed back from 2009, until the first quarter of 2010. Of course the new tuners also won't be restricted to the OEM requirement and will of course work with Tuning Adapters to add SDV support. The quad steam version is currently geting its stamp of approval from CableLabs so it'll be out first, but we're very saddened to tell you that there is still no word on the price. While we wait for price and availability though, you can look forward to our hands-on just as soon as we work our way to the Microsoft booth at CEDIA.[Via GeekTonic]
