Windows 7 includes a driver for the DirecTV HDCP-20 USB tuner
We all have our hopes up that the elusive DirecTV HDPC-20 dual HD USB tuner for Windows Media Center will have support in Windows 7, but after three years of it being vaporware, we have our doubts. Things are looking up however as our friend Ed Bott found the little gem pictured above in the pre-beta version of Windows 7. This is easily convincing enough to make us confident that by next Christmas, we'll be able to finally enjoy H.264 encoded HD from DirecTV on Windows Media Center. And no, we don't expect this to be OEM only like ATI CableCARD tuners and if we were to guess, we'd say it'd cost about $200, but that's all speculation.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bobsled @ Nov 10th 2008 11:31AM
I wonder what the likely hood of using two HTPC-20s for a grand total of 4 tuners would be?
Ben @ Nov 10th 2008 11:32AM
I'd say the odds of being able to use more than one HDPC-20 is very, very good.
shawnmos @ Nov 10th 2008 11:58AM
Windows 7 is gonna rock. I decided to test out the pre-beta and found it to be so stable that I am now using it as my main OS. There are a few bugs, but no show stoppers. Most are cosmetic bugs. It's not feature complete but what they have so far looks good. I'm getting used to the new task bar. Makes things less cluttered.
joek112 @ Nov 10th 2008 12:07PM
Ohhhhh, my!!! ---- Is this finally going to happen?
Thank you ALL for making this possible! Thank you, Thank you.. I would like to thank Micros..... Oh wait, I am getting too excited..... GET THIS OUT!
joel @ Nov 10th 2008 12:51PM
please please be out soon enough to order the 2009 sunday ticket.
aaron @ Nov 10th 2008 12:55PM
after how piss poorly cablecard was handled and how long this has been delayed im not going to get excited about anything media center until its in my hands. but i really want to be able to run 2 of these boxes on my home built computer and not have it cost an arm and a leg.
i really want to believe the hype again but media center has taught me in the past to not get too excited over features.
David S @ Nov 10th 2008 2:47PM
I don't see any reason why DirecTV would want to do such a thing. Just think of all the high end customers DirecTV would steal away from the Cable companies if they made it easy to switch and didn't introduce a false barrier to entry. People who build their own system only want local channels, and aren't interested in a lot of high margin premium content. This is destined to fail.
And there's no sarcasm in this post whatsoever. None, and I'm saying this in my no sarcasm voice.
clara @ Nov 10th 2008 1:10PM
That's very interesting. How are they protecting content?
That is, how can I get around their content protection to convert, store and play where I wish? (not piracy)
Philip @ Nov 10th 2008 1:40PM
When this finally hits, it is going to be very hard for me to stick with Cox.
iansilv @ Nov 10th 2008 1:41PM
OK- so, this is the scenario I envision- please someone tell me that this may be possible:
1. I have a nuclear-powered ssd-drived media server in a rack in my house.
2. on a shelf above it, I have 4 of these babies for 8 concurrent recording options
3. I have a media center pc in every room (that's a bunch of copies of windows 7 Microsoft!)
4. That same media server runs a database for MyMovies, and each of the clients play them.
So now- I have one box for movies and tv- could this be possible?
Ben @ Nov 10th 2008 2:49PM
Currently there is a limit of 4 of any type of tuner on Media Center, no reason to think this will change. Certain OEMs can do 8, but not normal people.
Also, currently the client server environment you're describing doesn't work, doubt this will change, so you'll have to use extenders to watch the protected content in other rooms. But this may change.
shawnmos @ Nov 10th 2008 4:05PM
That's not a big deal though as extenders are cheaper than HTPCs anyway. Still it would be nice for those of use with extra computers laying around.
The Fuzz 53 @ Nov 10th 2008 2:04PM
Will the HDPC-20 work for Vista Media Center too, or am I going to have to upgrade from Vista to 7 to get this?
Ben @ Nov 10th 2008 2:50PM
You will 100% have to upgrade to Windows 7 to use the new tuner.
yaksplat @ Nov 10th 2008 7:32PM
upgrade upgrade upgrade
clara @ Nov 10th 2008 4:12PM
Let's.... avoid that at all costs, please. Should I bother asking if there are linux drivers?
AndyS @ Nov 11th 2008 8:02AM
Ben, you say that protected content can't be shared client/server currently. What's your take on the new "Shared Libraries" stuff that Charlie Owen on his blog stated gave part of the functionality of softsled? Do you think protected content like cable cards and possibly DirectTV won't work with the Shared Libraries structure?
Microsoft obviously knows the community really wants some of this stuff. The fact that they don't deliver on things like softsled and at least making it possible for someone else to add DVDs through extenders continues to confuse and frustrate me.
If the DirectTV thing comes true and doesn't require me to buy an OEM to use it, I will happily ditch Comcast.
Carlos Narvaez @ Dec 3rd 2008 7:44PM
Were i can purches DirecTV HDCP-20 Dual USB Tuner
hamiltonguy @ Dec 9th 2008 3:36PM
well, that's the end of that. Direct TV just killed Windows Media center support in Windows 7.
http://thegreenbutton.com/blogs/chris_blog/archive/2008/12/09/315546.aspx