Did you get invited to beta test DirecTV's Media Center tuner?
by Ben Drawbaugh 
posted Mar 29th 2008 at 9:50PM
While the rest of us wait for the mythical DirecTV Windows Media Center tuner, some are apparently lucky enough to be a part of the beta program to test the HDPC-20. Of course Microsoft has yet to even confirm that such a device exists, so there's always the chance that this is a fantastic photoshop job, but we have no reason not to believe it. The one thing we are upset about is the fact that we haven't been invited, it's not like we have a problem keeping a secret, seriously.
[Thanks, Aaron]
[Thanks, Aaron]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
aaron @ Mar 29th 2008 11:49PM
damn i didnt get an invite... i would have loved to get one.
i still say this is endgame for alot of directv subs (i see alot of people getting these tuners assuming you can add them to existing computers and dont have to go through all that crap to get a cablecard tuner)
Jeremy W @ Mar 30th 2008 3:31AM
Ummm, you CAN add the HDPC-20 to an existing PC. It is not a CableCARD tuner that requires a special BIOS.
Erwos @ Mar 30th 2008 9:10AM
It hasn't been confirmed either way yet. Don't count those chickens before the eggs hatch.
Desi_D @ Mar 30th 2008 12:01AM
How does one get an invitation? Via e-mail?
Robin @ Mar 30th 2008 12:07AM
Didn't get one here either, drat.
LJKelley @ Mar 30th 2008 12:21AM
I can't wait for this device... I wish I had been invited. As it stands DirecTV told me it would be released late 2008 with more information to come in the summer.
joshpollard @ Mar 30th 2008 7:29AM
if/when this device comes out, i'm going to switch to DirecTV for sure. This really could push a lot of people in the same direction.
Mike Peluso @ Mar 30th 2008 8:20AM
the only thing i'm worried about is the notoriously low quality of 1st gen sat tuners. I worked in the satellite industry so i'm very familiar with the practice. I'm hoping that since the Media center software is so mature that it'll keep the bugs to a minimum.
If the product works at all well i'm going to jump ship asap. (assuming the drivers exist for Vista 64)
Vince @ Mar 30th 2008 11:02AM
I am waiting for the HDPC-20 to:
Buy a new Television
Build a new Computer
Make the switch from cable to DirecTV.
xemumanic @ Mar 30th 2008 7:43PM
They may not have formally announced the exsistance of the HDPC-20, but this is all the proof we need. Forget all the CableCARD issues, this is all one would need.
But also, this brings up other questions. Will Windows Vista/Vista Media Center soon have native support for H.264/AVC? Somehow, a decoder is going to have to be a part of the equation. This could benefit All Windows users
Raaden @ Apr 7th 2008 1:08PM
It is definitely not a photochop ;)
SimbaDogg @ Apr 3rd 2008 2:14AM
i didn't...F them, i really wanted this
BigGuy @ Apr 12th 2008 11:03AM
Looks like it's about to start. I just got my Hardware Loan Agreement from Microsoft and it IS the HDPC-20 that we will be using!