Cable Cards...Support???

[blacks1093]

Has anyone seen any Cable Card support for the pc's yet? I am assuming that the cable cards are a PCMCIA interface from the looks of the cards. I am in the research stages of building a new Media PC, but i want it to be compatible for HD and the digital channels that are provided to me from comcast... Without a STB. I would love to be able to acomplish this without having to go out of the digital box into the Hauppauge tuner that will accept the RGB (that is supposedly due out on the market next month) and have to use the IR blasters to change the channel on the STB. It would be great to be able to use a hauppauge 1600 or 1800 and be able to get a cable card from comcast and plug it in the computer and do whatever needs to be done to make it all just work. Obviously we all have no use for a STB if we are using GBPVR...Other than to decode the cable companies encrypted channels......

I did some looking around and I found that ATI has a tuner of some sorts that accepts the cable cards, but it is external, big, ugly, and there was not to much info or support on it, but it appeared that it supported incoming HD but knocked it back down to SD when sending it into a pc (via USB) for recording. Basically it is a STB. I just wish there was a way to consolidate it all. I am sure there will be soon enough....





Any thoughts or insight???

[bogyver]

Not to completely stomp on your hopes for a STB less setup, I can almost grantee you will never see cable card for use in any thing other than MCE on vista and in computers that are from someone like dell or hp. The reason for this is, the content providers dont trust their customers with the content that they are paying for or in their eye's paying to have the right to view and thats it. Unless the fcc forces the cable companies to provide open access to cable card on windows to any pvr software and have it record in to the format that it is being digital broadcast in with out the drm that the current cable card systems use.

Direct tv is coming out with a usb attached dual tuner for pc but it looks like it will require vista mce and an update will probably have to come out to support it. So a lot of people are expecting the device to only work with vista mce and will probably be cable card all over again, but I continue to hope, that maybe just maybe, but I am ready to have that hope crushed.

Once again sorry to crush your hopes

[pcostanza]

I've been testing the OCUR for Microsoft for over 18 months now but unfortunately, I can't say very much as I've still not been released from the NDA. It is available via OEM's only and I can say that I'm using dual extrernal tuners but the models I've read about have internal ones.
And yes, as far as I know, it's for Vista MC only!

[blacks1093]

doing more and more research, it appears that yes microsoft, sony, and ati all make some external tuner that accepts the cable cards... but i came across this company (below) which has some quite intersting products...mostly Vista supported only, but i think there is possibly a light at the end of the tunnel. Comcast cards are apparently supporetd and are open for use on Vista MCE-This info is from Comcast.


http://www.cetoncorp.com/Index.php

[zehd]

Apparently, I know of a way, or should I say, will be introduced to the way, of running modular emulators on a computer that would decode IP-TV (TV provided over the internet, -- competing product with the cable services -- big time phone company)

The emulators, use the same Mac address as the STBs, and is perfectly legal and OK with the big time phone company, because you pay for the shows, you pay for the MAC address, so they don't care how you view/record TV...

[blacks1093]

That makes the most sense...If you are paying for it what is the difference of how you view it. They would probally make more money if there were less restrictions, and less loop holes, you need this and that and the other just to view content. The same with the cable cards-you are paying for the card-to un encrypt the signal...what is the difference if you use the card in a cable card ready tv, stb, Tivo (which allows you to record anyway), or in a media pc.

[blacks1093]

HMMMM.....I guess I will just have to wait it out! Below is a response from Hauppauge

[COLOR="Orange"]Hello,



Cable card support for the wintv card is something that our development team is looking into, although there is no

forcast at this time as to when it will be available.



Regards,


Technical Support

Hauppauge Computer Works

New York[/COLOR]

[agidius]

Apparently, I know of a way, or should I say, will be introduced to the way, of running modular emulators on a computer that would decode IP-TV (TV provided over the internet, -- competing product with the cable services -- big time phone company)

The emulators, use the same Mac address as the STBs, and is perfectly legal and OK with the big time phone company, because you pay for the shows, you pay for the MAC address, so they don't care how you view/record TV...

I am interested.
we have discussed going to att u-verse, and the only thing stopping us is the ability to use GBPVR with it.

[zehd]

I am interested.
we have discussed going to att u-verse, and the only thing stopping us is the ability to use GBPVR with it.

I was premature in my post. Today I decided it was time to push the point and look into it; get the ball rolling. It turns out that there was no software emulator that was being discussed. I was very excited by the concept. And I still think that it may be possible. Supposedly, the Tel company still does consider it legit so long as someone has purchased their programming.

I'm disappointed, but life goes on.