As soon as we heard the official word that Linksys had discontinued the DMA2100 and DMA2200 Extenders for Media Center, we though to ourselves, there goes any hope of a firmware update. But just to be sure we sent a quick email to see if there was any chance H.264 support would be added. As you might expect, when we asked if Linksys would release an update, the answer was "no they will not." Depending on where you live and what provider you have, this could be a big deal. Currently in the UK, no H.264 means no BBC HD, but eventually here in the US it will means no hope of HD from DISH Network or DirecTV. This also excludes those who want to use a Hauppauge HD PVR as well as anyone who has an HD camcorder that uses the codec. We have to say we're very disappointed with the support level from Linksys, even if it is an end-of-life product. We suppose it could be argued that we shouldn't expect new features on a dead product, but I doubt many who need H.264 would agree that this is anything but an update that ensures the device continues to perform its initially intended task.

Cox grabbed some early SDV headlines by promising to supply its Phoenix-area TiVo customers with free tuning adapters, but it only recently made good on the deal in our central Phoenix location. Since the initial announcement, other cable markets -- both Cox and other providers -- have already delivered tuning adapters to users. Based on our poll, it seems the Tuning Adapter rollout is still in the early stages even though we feel like we've been waiting for a long time. Better late than never, though -- last week we got a letter indicating that our Tuning Adapter was ready for pickup at the local Cox office, thankfully still gratis. For our troubles, we got a Cisco (Scientific Atlanta) STA1520 that the Cox representative made abundantly clear was free only as long as we stayed a customer. Follow us past the fold to see how the rest of our Tuning Adapter experience shaped up.

And to think, this here box had so much promise. At first glance, it's easy to fall head over heels with the PLTK300 Powerline box. After all, it features a four-port adapter that easily manages game consoles, Blu-ray players, AV receivers, etc., and passes those signals along your home network via power wiring. The rub? It's based on the older 85Mbps standard and not the fresher, speedier 200Mbps protocol. In other words, you may see dropped frames and the like if trying to push too much HD through here at once. Ah well, at least that news makes the Asia-only availability that much easier to live with.

Update: So, these seem to be shipping now in the US. Huzzah! [Thanks, Dave!]

There stands a good chance that you've never heard of Zodiac Interactive nor Alticast, but if a Cisco / Scientific-Atlanta tru2way set-top box ends up in your abode in the near future, there's an even better chance that those two firms will play a crucial role. The duo has just announced plans to plant its embedded software within tru2way STBs, with the combined solution enabling cable providers to "deliver interactive services and applications including next-generation interactive user interfaces, guides, messaging and advanced VOD." Additionally, MSOs will be able to more easily offer subscribers "advanced services such as TV widgets," though there's currently no timetable for when a completed box will be made available. Did we mention that the widget race was officially on?

Still waiting for multiroom HD streaming from your cable company? Cisco's contender, the Explorer 8600 is apparently expected to start trials in Q2, giving customers a taste of the MoCa 1.1, 500GB storing, tru2way enabled experience they've been wanting. Multichannel News says DLNA and DTCP support is in the package powered by a new more powerful 6th gen processor, and should be ready for a real rollout in the third quarter. Cisco, please don't disappoint us.

We knew that Cisco would be invading the home audio space in '09, but we didn't know it'd be so quickly (and under the Linksys name). Here at CES, the outfit has unveiled the admittedly complex Wireless Home Audio system, which utilizes Ethernet / 802.11n / DLNA in order to stream audio over multiple zones throughout the home. The kit is actually comprised of some very specific components, so let's not waste any time, eh? There's the Conductor DMC350 Wireless-N Digital Music Center, Director DMC250 Wireless-N Music Player with Integrated Amplifier, Player DMP100 Wireless-N Music Extender, Stereo Speaker Kit DSPK50, DMWR1000 Wireless-N Touchscreen Remote, iPod docking station and the DMRIR500 IR Remote. For details on the specific kits, which should go on sale this quarter for $300 and way up, give the read link a peek.

After slowly sneaking its branding onto its Linksys devices, and welcoming us to the non-defined "Human Network" with ubiquitous GE-style feel good advertising (above), Cisco is finally ready to make a real play for our hearts and pocketbooks with a new wireless audio streamer -- among other consumer-friendly products -- to be unveiled at CES next week. The products so far are vaguely defined, but it seems like a Sonos-type device in the cards, with a video streamer for use with a TV (and that handy Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem) and eventually a TV-based videoconferencing device both in development. The latter would be a full-HD setup, in the vein of the company's $40k+ Telepresence rooms currently available to corporations and inexplicably rich comic book heroes, but dramatically cheaper of course. Unfortunately, that won't be available for a year or two, and in the meantime we'll have yet another vaguely useful media streamer on our hands -- we can't wait!

If the term GridNetworks seems vaguely familiar, it's because it is. After being invested in by Cisco back in March, the outfit is finally pushing out a quasi-tangible product in the form of GridCast TV. You see, the service actually relies on other boxes to handle the dirty work, meaning that content owners have complete control over how their material is distributed and via what channels. By leveraging UPnP technology, content owners can beam out programming to anyone with an internet-connected PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and HDTV (for example), and we're told that online video mainstays Revision3, IndieFlix and havocTV have already begun using it. Good luck out there -- with a space this crowded, you're bound to need it.

No this isn't another demo at a trade show, but instead a real life solution for TiVo owners to address the incompatibility with 3rd party CableCARD host devices and recently very popular Switched Digital Video (SDV). Late last week Comcast sent some of its customers that were renting CableCARDs, a letter letting them know the Tuning Adapter would be available today and Jesse, a lucky member of TiVo Community, scored a Cisco STA1520 Tuning Adapter today from Comcast in NJ and finally gained access to all those new HD channels he'd be denied up until now -- assuming SDV is even already deployed where he lives. So if you've been waiting over a year to get your hands on one of these, now might just be the time to start calling your provider and giving them a hard time. The full picture after the jump.

[Thanks, Jesse!]

Looks like one of those "souped-up" set-top-boxes could be just what the doctor ordered for ailing U-verse users. It's no secret (not even to AT&T) that many customers have been experiencing intermittent audio dropouts using optical audio connections on the current Motorola STBs. Typically, the glitches occur every 30 seconds to a minute, and the problem seems to reside within the box itself. Reportedly, Tier 2 technical support has advised some subscribers that Cisco boxes are now being dispatched for those dealing with the issue, and of course, AT&T asserts that these units will solve the problem. The latest word on end-user availability is "within [a few] weeks," so hopefully a bona fide fix isn't too far out.

[Thanks, Ryan]

This one probably goes without saying, but just in case you're inclined to waste a few gallons of precious regular unleaded searching for a tuning adapter, don't. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and TiVo have jointly issued a release to inform the public that "several manufacturers of switched digital external tuning adapters have submitted products for formal testing at CableLabs." On the positive side, this means we're inching closer to seeing these devices hit store shelves, but sadly, it also means we're not done wading through red tape just yet. For those unfamiliar, these newfangled "tuning adapters" will enable TiVo Series3, TiVo HD and certain one-way set-top-boxes that utilize CableCARDs to "access digital cable channels delivered using switched digital (SDV) technology." Hit up the read link for all the details, and check out our hands-on galleries with a few of the boxes right here.

The Cable Show is all about bringing the members of the cable TV industry together, and unlike the Consumer Electronics Show, everything is all about business to business. But this doesn't mean the big players don't have big booths, and just like any other show, everyone wants to be on the main aisle. So while we strolled through, we snapped some pics so you could get an idea of what it was like. Also like any other show, some booths were packed like Motorola's and Cisco's, but others were like a ghost town -- we almost felt sorry for the Aljazeera booth folks who were talking amongst themselves. The one thing that seemed to hold true wherever we went, was that everyone is excited about tru2way, and not for the reasons you think. Cable really thinks it has a chance to take interactivity to the next level, and we hope they're right.

Though we had previously heard that The Weather Channel's new HD studio wouldn't open until July, it looks like things will be getting started a touch early. Based on a dedicated page on the network's website, we're told that June 2nd is the date in which it will start broadcasting from an all new "state-of-the-art, eco-friendly" high-definition studio. The channel doesn't hesitate to give props to Cisco for its help in constructing the facility, and it has even posted a slideshow and video to give viewers a look at how it all came together. Head on down to the read link if that sounds like something you'd be interested in.

[Thanks, Kevin]