DirecTV's PC tuner (HDPC-20) is real!
Picture of the rear and more details after the jump.
Picture of the rear and more details after the jump.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
xemumanic @ Jan 8th 2008 5:20AM
Wow, I think I'm sold. No CableCard crap to go through or anything. Which is sad too, if it weren't for the OEM hardware requirements, CableCARD could have caught on in the HTPC enthusiast market.
MegaZone @ Jan 8th 2008 7:34AM
Ben, read the fine print on the bottom of the back - requires a Media Center PC running Windows Vista.
UnnDunn @ Jan 8th 2008 7:52AM
Mac support?
MegaZone @ Jan 8th 2008 9:48AM
You're joking, right? ;-)
Kevin Pataky @ Jan 8th 2008 8:38AM
Product Brochure
http://hr20.dbstalk.com/images/ces2008/hdpc20_front.jpg
http://hr20.dbstalk.com/images/ces2008/hdpc20_back.jpg
treacherous @ Jan 8th 2008 9:08AM
When this is released into the wild, I am switching from DISH to DirecTV. It's settled!
aaron @ Jan 8th 2008 9:13AM
if they pull it off sans all the lame cablecard crap they will be the defacto provider for media center and will likely gain quite a few new accounts.
going to be interesting to see how it all plays out.
The Fuzz 53 @ Jan 8th 2008 9:36AM
Right now, I have a standard DTV receiver hooked up to my PC through the s-video on my tuner card and I use Media Center to record. With this, would I still be able to use media center to record, or would I have to pay for DTV's DVR service?
MegaZone @ Jan 8th 2008 9:49AM
You would be able to use a Vista Media Center PC - but not XP MCPC.
The Fuzz 53 @ Jan 8th 2008 11:47AM
I do use Vista MC. Sounds feaking sweet. Sign me up!
Erwos @ Jan 8th 2008 10:16AM
Rumor has it that the official announcement is at 4PM today. The ethernet port is probably for VOD stuff, but might be for over-the-network tuning, too - we'll see.
This is definitely some huge news, if it pans out.
Michael @ Jan 8th 2008 10:25AM
This is about as sweet as it comes. Now, if we can just get a Hi-Def version running Tivo software...
cckrobinson @ Jan 8th 2008 10:54AM
This news along with the sub $200 Blu-ray drive from Sony is making me reconsider Vista Media Center. I'd prefer to have Tivo or Mac support DirecTV but I'm sure that's asking too much.
Tim Fischer @ Jan 8th 2008 10:56AM
Okay, this is cool. All DirecTV DVR's include a phone hook. Where is it? Also, do I need a DirecTV access card...where does that go?
I am wondering if this puppy be used with Xbox360? It was mentioned in the small print copyright note.
Casey Vincent @ Jan 8th 2008 11:07AM
It will be used with the 360, to extend Media Center from the computer.
Brendan @ Jan 8th 2008 5:15PM
If you look at the image of the front of the unit you can see what looks like a flip down panel about a inch form the bottom. Just a guess but that looks like where the access card goes.
kastonie @ Jan 8th 2008 11:28AM
but will it blend? that is the question
Zach M @ Jan 8th 2008 11:44AM
Earl works for DirecTV in some capacity. He might be an engineer of sorts
syphix @ Jan 8th 2008 12:41PM
Earl does NOT work for DirecTV in ANY capacity. He is not an engineer, or even compensated by DirecTV for his work on DBSTalk.com. He only has contacts within DirecTV -- contacts that he has fostered over years of communication with them.
The Fuzz 53 @ Jan 8th 2008 11:49AM
Has our friend Mr. Dickson come across anything he can't blend yet?
Abed Husseini @ Jan 8th 2008 12:05PM
Yes, but does it do HD...that is the real question! If this is just SD quality then it is not that interesting. The CableCard HTPC's allow for HD recording capability. Now if this does HD, I am all over it for enhancing my Vista Media Center setup.
elbow @ Jan 8th 2008 1:40PM
Abed, I certainly hope so. I'm guessing the "HDPC" in the model name confirms that, but who knows...
cckrobinson @ Jan 8th 2008 1:21PM
It's makes a ton of sense for Tivo to support the tuner in TivoHD\Series3. All the hardware is already in place. One Tivo box that could support Cable and Satellite would be incredible. If DirecTV was willing to provide a tuner for MCE then I don't see why they would want to keep Tivo in the cold (unless Microsoft paid them a boat load of cash). Right now DirecTV is losing a ton of potential Tivo customers. I'm not sure how many TivoHD/Series3 boxes are out in the field, but it has to be quite a bit more than the number Vista MCE boxes with cable card.
elbow @ Jan 8th 2008 1:54PM
I'm guessing that this will have DRM that doesn't allow transcoding or streaming, a la Vista MCE with CableCARD?
To anybody here with Vista MCE + CableCARD - what file format & bitrate is HD saved in? I'm trying to figure roughly how many hours of 720p/1080i DVR goodness I can get out of a 1TB drive...
xemumanic @ Jan 9th 2008 9:27AM
Digital Cable, CableCARD or not, is usually MPEG2-TS, so I would assume thats the format that it would be saved in, no conversion done.
Philip S @ Jan 8th 2008 11:36PM
I built an HTPC hoping for CableCard support. If this thing allows me to get around the stupid OEM requirement, I will jump to DirecTV in a heartbeat. Doesn't hurt that I'm already salivating at their HD lineup.
alpha37 @ Jan 9th 2008 10:42AM
I, too, am salivating. And in some 2-3 years, those of us in Canada (on ExpressVU) will also be able to get this.
dp1228 @ Jan 13th 2008 2:23PM
I can't imagine that it does not tune HD, but I thought that DirecTV's HD equipment required 5 satellite inputs. Or does the "5-LNB" dish not mean 5 coax cables? Obviously, there are only two coax jacks on the tuner in the leaked pics.
Ben @ Jan 13th 2008 2:25PM
It'll do HD and the 5lnb dish has an integrated multi-switch so only one coax is required from the dish for each receiver. There are 4 outputs like this from the dish that can be connected to a 4x8 multi-switch for a total of 8 tuners.
Andrew @ Jan 14th 2008 9:40AM
Count me in as sold as well. I'm stuck in my apartment with cable right now, but once I move into my house later this year (which gives this time to come out as well), bye bye TWC!