Microsoft delivered the first half of two promised ATI Digital Cable Tuner-related updates as the 1.19.12.09050155 firmware update is now available from Windows Update (listed with the optional udates) that will relax the way it handles DRM on its recordings and add support for Switched Digital Video. With the new update applied, all Copy Freely-marked programing will be recorded without DRM allowing you to move it between PCs, convert it to another format or whatever you wish with ease, however as our hands on experience with the new firmware indicated you'll still need your cable provider to pass along the right bits to make it all operate properly. Still waiting in the wings is the Advisor Utility that will allow Digital Cable Tuners to work with any PC, no OEM purchase or hacking skills required.

[Thanks, Rob]

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.

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.

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]

With the Custom Electronic Design & Installation show in Atlanta only a month away, we thought it'd be fun to try and predict the future by laying out our expectations for Windows Media Center. The way we see it, CEDIA is the perfect launching pad for Windows 7 Media Center. For starters it is just over a month before the official release of the OS, but more so because Microsoft has used the venue in the past to announce new Media Center features. We really believe that this is going to be the year that Redmond brings everything together, so if you're the type who doesn't think it'll ever happen, then click through to find out why we think you're wrong.

All the Moxi owners out there should be happy to learn that Digeo intends to keep its promise by continually releasing updates to Moxi HD DVR on a regular basis. The latest Summer update should hit your Moxi in the next few days and brings some of the more anticipated features -- no still no TiVoToGo like functionality -- like the grid guide pictured above, support for the Moxi Mate and Switched Digital Video (SDV).


First up is SDV support, but while adding the ability to tune channels delivered via SDV is appreciated, it really falls under the "about time" category. Next is the new Moxi Mate, which holds more promise but just because it starts shipping tomorrow for $399, doesn't mean it will deliver. As it stands now, the Mate requires that you bring your own network connection to your second TV -- so no MoCA support like FiOS and other cable operator DVRs work -- and it doesn't completely replace the STB in your bedroom because it doesn't do Live TV and you can't schedule recordings with it. You can at least pick up where you left off watching a record without transfering it first, but the included remote can't control your TV's channel or input, so you're going to need a universal remote or you're going to make life in the bedroom as complicated as some living rooms. Our last gripe about the Mate (yes there's more) is the fact that Digeo only recommends running one Mate at a time with a hard limit of three concurrent streams. The good news though is that existing Moxi HD DVR customers can pick up a Mate for $199, and there're even package deals and payment plans to lesson the blow. The breath of fresh air coming with this update is the fact that up to 6TB of external storage is now supported and DLNA support is improved with added codec and containers like H.264 in MKV files -- although obviously MKV can support all kinds of codecs that may or may not also be supported.

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.

Media Center fans with ATI digital cable tuners that use CableCARDs have felt pretty left out recently as all the TiVo owners have been getting their hands on Tuning Adapters, and thus access to all the SDV delivered HD channels they pay for. Well it appears there may be some good news on the horizon. We were listening to one of our favorite podcasts -- no not that one, or that one or even our own -- by Derek Flickinger who is a foremost expert on everything Media Center, and at about exactly the 40:00 mark he let a little bit of inside information slip that we've been waiting for. According to DrFlick, the next version of the ATI Digital Cable Tuner's firmware-- the same one that is supposed to reduce the DRM -- will enable support for the Tuning Adapter (all though he actually called them by their old name, "Tuning Resolver") in Windows 7 Media Center. Once upon a time there was a little debate as to whether these devices would even work with OCURs, but now it seems that it just a matter of time.

We've received reports from one side of the country (New York) to the other (Hawaii) from locals that have just received their long anticipated DTV tuning adapter. This week's poll question is quite simple, really: have you received yours? If so, how long did it take to arrive, and what carrier are you using? If not, chime in below with how long you've been waiting, where you are and what operator is being lazy on you.

Cox Communications was one of the first cable carriers to openly admit that it would be handing out tuning adapters to those negatively affected by switched digital video implementations (read: CableCARD users) sans a fee. Now, it seems like the floodgates are officially open across the industry. On the same day that TWC users in Austin, Texas began scooping up tuning adapters of their own, we're seeing multiple reports from Northern Virginia that consumers are finally able to claim one from their local office. It doesn't seem as if installation is totally a breeze for everyone, but Cox has evidently trained its CSR staff to handle quirks quickly judging by positive vibes felt on the TiVoCommunity boards. Moral of the story? Your carrier just might have a TA with your name on it, but you may never find out without giving 'em a ring.

[Thanks, Phillip]

We knew that Time Warner Cable was allowing customers in various regions around the country to pre-order their tuning adapter, and tonight we've received the first report of delivery. For those out of the loop, these free adapters enable CableCARD users to tune into any channel that's delivered via switched digital video (SDV); without one, your current TiVo (for example) won't ever be able to see any channel beamed out with the new technology. The lucky locale is Austin, Texas, but we get the idea that other places should be seeing them soon. Give your local TWC office a call, and do report back (bonus points for images) if you've found that your city now has 'em as well. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

[Thanks, Andy]

You already know what Comcast's Digital Transport Adapter looks like, and for folks in Salem, Eugene and Corvallis, Oregon (not to mention Seattle, Washington), you'll be seeing 'em in the flesh soon enough. Comcast has announced that its all digital transition will be heading up from Portland and into Seattle in the near future, and it's upsetting quite a few locals with Media Center PC / TiVo setups. Of course, these are just the growing (or should we say "changing") pains associated with a mass switch from analog to digital, but at least in theory, the conversion should free up oodles of bandwidth for the carrier to expand its HD lineup. And remember, a cable company choosing to pipe its channels out in digital is very different than the broadcast change coming in February 2009 -- it's confusing, we know, but the read link does a fairly decent job of spelling everything out.

[Thanks, Doug]

For those parked in beautiful Orange County, California and wondering if Time Warner Cable is thinking of you, trust us, we feel your pain. Thankfully, competition has pressured the carrier into opening its eyes a bit, as a recent interview with the president of OC's Time Warner Cable operations has given folks in the area something to look forward to. For starters, subscribers can soon expect faster internet speeds all around, with "Power Boost" taking underutilized capacity and giving it to those who need an extra burst to suck down a large file. Additionally, users will finally see Caller ID on their TV, and best of all, Fred Stefany admitted that HD was a priority and that most areas should have upwards of 50 high-def channels before 2009. Finally, we're told that SDV, Start Over and Look Back are all coming within the next several months. Check the read link for the full writeup, and hang tight (if you can).

As switched digital video (SDV) rollouts continue, we're apt to hear more and more about how cable companies plan on handling the distribution of Tuning Adapters. We've already heard that Cox will be giving needy customers in Phoenix a TA for free, and Time Warner Cable New York recently sent out letters to CableCARD users informing them that their TAs may be handed out gratis. Now, we're seeing a pre-order page over at TWC's San Antonio site that clearly informs subscribers that the Tuning Adapter they request will be provided at no charge "later this year." If you're in or around this area and own a TiVo Series 3, TiVo HD or TiVo HD XL, now would probably be an excellent time to get your name on the list. For everyone else, have a look at your local carrier's page and let us know if it's doing something similar. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

[Thanks, Lawrence]

Read - TWC San Antonio main site
Read - TWC San Antonio pre-order page