Just an update on the broadcast flag controversy: NBC has copped to an "inadvertent mistake" in flagging the broadcast of American Gladiators as content prohibited from recording, while Microsoft stated it is only following the FCC's rules, and "fully adheres to flags used by broadcasters". This conveniently ignores the fact that there is no legal requirement for Windows Vista Media Center to recognize the broadcast flag and disable recording, but it does. Errant metadata can and does happen, but for such a "feature" to be buried within one's software unknowingly is troubling. Expect to hear more from the EFF and others questioning why Media Center unnecessarily turns parts of itself off at a broadcaster's command, and rightly so. What's most disturbing, and likely to go sadly without protest is that someone out there is actually watching, and trying to record for later, American Gladiators. The more you know indeed.

[Via Techdirt]

Check it Media Center Extender owners -- a fancy new workaround is reportedly enabling users to stream DVDs via their DVD Library, which isn't enabled by default on any MCE. For starters, Vista SP1 is required for everything to work correctly, and once you've confirmed that you're running said OS, you can hit up the read link for a how-to guide explaining the steps to creating symbolic links; essentially, the hack tricks the device into playing .VOB files. It's noted that symbolic links shouldn't be created on Windows Home Server shares, but if you do as you're told, everything should turn out peachy. Just don't come barking up our tree if it doesn't, alright?

[Thanks, Ryan]

Owners of HP's older MediaSmart HDTVs, your sometime is now as Chris Lanier reports the company's posted the long-awaited Vista Media Center Extender update. The SL4278N and SL4778N model TVs should prompt for the update automatically if they're connected to the internet, and afterwards connect to your fully patched Vista Home Premium or Ultimate edition machine and access your Media Center library (DivX, Xvid, h.264, MPEG-2 and WMV of course), live TV, recorded TV or other features directly through the TV. Check out HP's support page for a full walkthrough on the process and keep your Windows Media Center remote close by.

[Via Chris Lanier, HP press release]

Niveus has been teasing us with various 2007 hotness for the past few months, with those oh-so-pricey Intel-based systems it's been trotting by. Well now that Vista is out, Niveus is throwing Vista into new versions of its Rainier and Denali PCs, alongside its Pro Series n7 and Pro Series n9 media servers, for a nice little family of beefy Windows Vista Media Center boxes. Highlights in the various PCs include full home theater outs, including HDMI; built-in HD DVD drives; dual CableCARD and that fancy quad-core QX6700 processor in the n9; and of course ridiculous pricetags to the tune of $15k for the "low-end" n9 box.

As you may have seen in our coverage of that other keynote going on today, Dell seems to have gotten into a bundling mood, announcing the Dell Home Media Suite set to launch soon after the release of Vista later this month. At the core of the setup is the familiar-looking XPS 410 desktop, packing a Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of memory, a 1 terabyte RAID disk array, and, especially notable, a digital cable tuner so you can fill up all that space with recorded HD programming. Dell's also not skimping on the monitor, throwing its just-announced 27-inch LCD into the mix, alongside a slew of other peripherals, including a set of Creative speakers, a Creative Live! Voice webcam, a Dell Photo All in One 966 printer, a Linksys Draft N router, and a Linksys powerline AV bridge. While Dell hasn't announced how much it'll cost to get all that delivered to your door just yet, if you add it up the parts (even with the inevitable discounts) you know it isn't going to come cheap.

We love market studies, they give us an idea of the reasons why companies are misled and fail to offer the right products and services at prices we want make the decisions they do. Pacific Media Associates believes their research indicates that in the three year period from 2005 to 2007 the number of HDTV-connected Media Center PCs will have tripled. Not entirely surprising considering all the features added over that period, the manufacturers who have started shipping Media Center PCs en masse and that whenever Windows Vista does launch, Media Center will be a part of the Home Premium and Vista Ultimate versions. While streaming and Xbox 360 integration is great, we're not totally sold on the Media Center PC dream just yet; we'll wait until the QAM, HDCP and CableCard questions have been settled before making any long term decisions.

[Via PVR Wire]

There were several groans when we heard the CableCARD 2.0 certification fees for Windows Vista; that cert effectively put a nail into the DIY crowd's coffin. Perhaps a conceptually simple but slick workaround could do the trick, thanks to eHomeUpgrade. The thought here is, why not get a barebones or base certified system with the minimum specs, then hack it pieces and add the high-powered horsepower and hardware on your own. It's a small consolation at best, but it might get folks to have that terabyte of storage, triple-tuners, a QuadHD GPU or whatever else you can dream of. The one issue that jumps to mind is how Vista will handle hardware additions. Last year, we mentioned that Vista itself could limit or restrict hardware changes.

Forget CableCARD, OEM's will need a Platinum Corporate Card to afford the CableLabs certification fees for CableCARD 2.0 computers. Microsoft MVP Chris Lanier compiled a list of the fees involved and once you look at the list, you begin to see why not all of the 130 WMCE original equipment manufacturers will bring you a Vista-licious HD computer later this year. Remember, these are the costs that an OEM will pay:

• Verification: $30,000
• Practice Run: $20,000
• Development Lab Use: $12,000/week or $2,500/day. Additional $1,500 per day for extended hrs (5-10 pm).
• Digital Output and Recording Technology Review: $35,000
• Device Certificates for Host: $20,000 annually; plus $0.07 per certificate
• DFAST Patent/Secrets (DFAST): $5,000

We ran through the numbers and come up with a good hundred-grand for starters. Sure, that's a drop in the bucket for Dell, Sony, HP and the like, but what about the smaller OEM's? Perhaps the expected sales don't justify the cost and that's a real shame as this potentially shuts some good PC manufacturers right out of the market.

Read (via eHomeUpgrade)