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News, Analysis, and Opinion on Microsoft Digital Media Technologies (and TGB News!)
October 2007 - Posts
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Get
it while they are hot. My guess is
Sony is getting rid of their stock, and this will most likely be a discounted
product in the upcoming months. At $99, there is no question that there
is no money to be made selling PC-based DVD changers to such a small market,
especially when use is limited to the local PC and not over Media Center
Extenders. The only other possibility is a Blu-ray version replacing this
in the future, since it is Sony you can't count that out.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Zune unveils an
expanded list of accessory partners to offer existing and new Zune users a
wider selection. REDMOND, Wash. — Oct.
30, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the retail availability of new
accessories for its innovative digital media player, Zune. The new first- and third-party
accessories will usher in the next generation of Zune digital media players,
which will be on shelves Nov. 13. “Zune is committed to providing customers with choice,” said
Scott Erickson, senior director of product management for Zune. “In addition to
offering choice among Zune media players, we have also enhanced our accessories
program to ensure that Zune users can choose from a robust line of high-quality
accessories. By working only with licensed partners, we ensure that consumers
have everything they need to enjoy a seamless, end-to-end Zune experience —
Microsoft is one of the few companies that can offer this depth of support.” Zune also announced an expanded third-party accessory
partners program, teaming up with leading manufacturers to offer a wide
selection of products created exclusively for Zune. Microsoft is collaborating
directly with 23 accessory partners to ensure customers have a number of
accessory options, complementing and enhancing their Zune experience. Read
Full Press Release
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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AVerMedia has released a beta plug-in to allow unencrypted
QAM (aka Clear QAM) support in Vista Media Center. AVerMedia
Product Manger Felix Kolotinsky posted about it last week on The Green Button
as well as offered a link to the beta plug-in on their FTP. The only card supported is the AVerTV Combo
PCIe x1 M780 tuner, and it will support both Vista x86 and x64. There is no Media Center 2005 support.
You can download the plug-in at ftp.aver.com
using the user name: beta and password: betatest.
Reading through the thread when they say this is a beta,
they mean it. I would strongly suggest a
full backup before playing with this, and remember it is not a finished
product.
For more information, as well as troubleshooting (you will
likely need it), check
out the thread on The Green Button.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Everyone is shocked to see this morning that Sony
is selling Digital Cable Tuners by themselves (Via Engadget) for
the low price of $300. Now, OEMs are only
supposed to sell you a DCT (OCUR) if you have purchased a PC from them, and as
Sony notes you will still need a “Unit already shipping with ATI TV Wonder
Digital Cable Tuner.”
It will be interesting to see how long this lasts. If you are interesting in picking one up,
remember you still have to have a CableCARD-ready PC for it to work. Just because you can buy the tuner doesn’t
mean it will work on your home built PC.
This does look like a nice option for those with HP/Sony
machines, as both OEMs decided only to ship single tuners machines.
Update: I wanted to
make it super clear for those who have not followed by CableCARD ramblings for
the last two years, this will not work in your PC unless you specifically purchased
a CableCARD-ready PC (you know if you did).
It will not work in a non-CableCARD-ready PC. It requires a special BIOS and second COA
(Product Key) to work, it doesn’t include these and you can’t get them without
the purchase of a new CableCARD-ready PC.
For more, see my Vista
CableCARD FAQ. Also, if someone was to hack the BIOS and COA, CableLabs and
Microsoft have external methods to disable it from working. Remember, half of the concept of a CableCARD
is to authenticate you to your cable companies network. Compromised methods can just be “turned off.” So, purchase at your own risk if you are
trying to hack it. If you have a CableCARD PC currently, this tuner should work
fine as a second tuner
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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I think I might finally have decided that Media Center isn’t
going to get to the point it should. It
isn’t going to be integrated to the point it should, and I really don’t think
Microsoft gets the whole “Connected Entertainment” concept. They have so many parts there, yet they are
so far from it. Anyone wondering what
tipped this off? Well a great
thread with Charlie Owen at his blog.
I respect everyone at Microsoft and I know they all work hard on the
products, but I’m so losing my trust in them delivering products that work
together. Maybe I’m being to hard, maybe
I’m asking for too much, maybe it is time for me to back out and accpet Microsoft is going to do what they are going to do.
On a different subject, I’ll have a review of a Slingbox SOLO in a few
days. I’ve got a review unit, and I’ve
been playing with it for a week. It
works great, I’m just trying to find time to write the review. Instead I have been putting it off studying for
a mountain of tests and replay to Charlie’s post above.
There was something else that was supposed to go into this post, but I forget
what it was.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Error message when you try to watch live TV in Windows Media
Center on a Windows Vista-based computer: "Restricted Content - Display
Driver" - Full KB Article Consider the following scenario: You are using an OpenCable
Unidirectional Receiver (OCUR) device that is connected to a Windows Vista-based
computer. You put the computer in standby or hibernate, and then you resume the
computer. In this scenario, when you try to watch live TV in Windows Media
Center, you receive the following error message: Restricted Content - Display Driver If you wait for 30 seconds after you resume the computer
from standby or hibernation, and then try to watch live TV, the problem may not
occur. In other cases, you may have to restart the computer to resume live TV
playback.
Because of this problem, scheduled recordings may not be recorded.
Windows Media Center stops responding when you resume a
Windows Vista-based computer from hibernation. - Full KB Article
Consider the following scenario: - You use a computer that is running Windows Vista Ultimate or
Windows Vista Home Premium.
- The system is configured to use a digital cable tuner.
- You watch Live TV in Windows Media Center.
You put the computer into hibernation or into sleep, and
then you resume the computer. In this scenario, Windows Media Center may stop responding
(hang). Or, Windows Media Center cannot find the OpenCable Unidirectional Cable
Receiver (OCUR) tuner. In some scenarios, you can watch TV again if you press
the Live TV button several times. In other scenarios, you must restart the
computer to watch TV.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Dell just updated
their website to include the new XPS 420 in-place of the XPS 410. So far, it is hard to say it CableCARD is
even offered, as the “Ultimate Entertainment” package can’t be configured on
their website. I imagine this will
change in the next few hours, but other than a redesigned case I don’t see much
different between the currently available 420 and the 410.
So far CableCARD is not available on two cheaper
configurations at all, even when you select their DellCare program. That leaves the XPS 420 “Ultimate
Entertainment” with Blu-ray as the only option that might include it. Because of this, I wouldn't expect to be able to
configure a Dell machine without Blu-ray.
I’m going to assume the other
issues are still there too, like having to purchase a monitor (officially)
to put the package together. We can only
hope they did away with having to pay extra for “DellCare” just to configure it
with CableCARD. No word on pricing since it can't be configued just yet. Update: Specs are up and can be configured...but no options for CableCARD. I'm going to assume this is because they didn't have their papers to CableLabs in a timey fashion. I will post again when Dell hopefully adds CableCARD as an option. The XPS 420 does have an integrated SideShow display on the front of the case, not sure it is a big advantage on a desktop but it is nice to see a large OEM pushing SideShow as a feature. It also can include an "Xcelerator" that speeds up video encoding, much (exactly) like the dozens of USB 2.0 thumb drives that do the same thing.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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New console includes five games, wireless
controller and storage to save games — all for the incredible value of $279.99
REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 22, 2007 — Just in time for
holiday, Microsoft Corp. today released a new Xbox 360® console that
delivers games and content to everyone in the family for an incredible value of
$279.99 (U.S. estimated retail price)*. Available in stores beginning today,
Xbox 360 Arcade console is the first Xbox 360 console to include five
family-friendly games, a wireless controller, a high-definition multimedia
interface (HDMI) connection to enable high-definition output if desired and 256
MB of memory useful for storing games and entertainment content. At $279.99,
the Xbox 360 Arcade console will include five best-selling games: “PAC-MAN
Championship Edition” (NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.), “Uno” (Carbonated
Games), “Luxor 2” (MumboJumbo), “Boom Boom Rocket” (Electronic Arts Inc.) and
“Feeding Frenzy” (Sprout Games).
“As families gather together this holiday, it’s the perfect
time to launch a new low-priced, high-value Xbox 360 that plays games, TV shows
and music for everyone to enjoy,” said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of
global marketing, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “In addition
to offering an incredible all-in-one package for families to get right into the
fun, the Xbox 360 Arcade system features the industry-leading Family Settings,
which allow parents to control what their kids are watching and playing — and
we know how important that control is to families around the world.”
Karen Dodge, senior vice president and chief merchandising
officer at Toys “R” Us, added, “We are excited to offer this new gaming
experience to our customers — children and families — who can now enjoy the fun
of Xbox 360 together. Many of this holiday season’s hottest items provide
Internet connectivity, and with the online entertainment options available
through Xbox LIVE®, Xbox 360 Arcade offers families a great mix of
online content and traditional gaming in one console.”
The news of Xbox 360 Arcade comes as part of a broader
initiative by Microsoft to bring the Xbox 360 experience to families
everywhere. Microsoft also announced today that it is significantly expanding
its catalog of high- and standard-definition family fun content that is
available on demand direct to the consumer’s living room. This includes the
addition of everyone’s favorite characters such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck
from Warner Bros., which will be delivering the first ever “Looney Tunes”
cartoons for download on Xbox 360, starting today. In addition, Nickelodeon is
adding three new shows to its already large library of more than 300 episodes
of TV shows on Xbox LIVE, Microsoft’s premier online gaming and entertainment
service, with the inclusion of “Blue’s Clues,” “The Backyardigans” and
“iCarly.” “SpongeBob SquarePants Underpants Slam™” (THQ Inc.) and “SHREK-N-ROLL™”
(Activision) games will also be available exclusively on Xbox LIVE Arcade, the
place to download games for Xbox 360 over Xbox LIVE, adding more fun for
everyone in the family.
Microsoft’s commitment to family entertainment is
complemented by the largest next-generation library of “E”- and “T”-rated
games, more than 200 in all, available at retailers nationwide this holiday,
including “BEE MOVIE™ GAME” (Activision), “Guitar Hero III®: Legends
of Rock” (Activision), “Naruto: Rise of a Ninja” (UbiSoft Entertainment),
“Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action” and “Viva Piñata®: Party
Animals.”
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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I got last weekend and reviewed the rest of the comments on
my Zune posts from the week before and realized that I needed to clarify a few
things.
First of all, I still believe that the Zune is no iPod
competitor. Why? It really doesn’t
matter what features are there for the Zune, it is not an iPod. As I have said in the past, the iPod is 25% a
great digital audio player and 75% a product of Apple marketing. The sales of the iPod didn’t come from the
features. Sure, they helped but overall
that is not why the iPod is what it is today.
The name “iPod” is generic now; it is an interchangeable term that
millions of people use to describe an MP3 player. Zune will never match, and therefore Zune
will never be a true iPod competitor in my opinion.
Having said that, I look back at some of my previous
comments and I want to note that while Zune will never overtake the iPod, I
think the best thing Microsoft can do is appeal to niche crowds in order to
sell it. There are features of the Zune
that a lot of iPod owners would likely never use, however those same features
will bring in niche crowds. Wireless is
an example. Great feature, but if I buy
a Zune for my Dad, an iPod owner, it would never get used. Same with the social features, same with the
FM tuner, same with recorded TV syncing, etc.
All of those features might put the Zune over the top of the iPod based
on pure features, but in this iPod world today they become niche features.
Zune v2 is almost what Zune v1 should have been. But, the lack of integration between
Microsoft products is driving me nuts, and it does start to turn me off
products from Microsoft even though competing products don’t integrate how I
want either.
So the question is would I buy an iPod over a Zune? The more I think about it, it depends. I was tempted when I saw those $99 Zunes on
Woot yesterday until I saw they were referbs.
The wireless sync is a very nice feature, and depending on how it works
for everyone else that might put a Zune in my hands next. The fact that it still doesn’t integrate with
Media Center just plain sucks. They can
call importing recordings into the Zune Software “integration” all they want,
but when I pull out a Portable Media Center and can sync using a 10” UI that is
what I call integration. Give me that
with the wireless sync and I’ll buy.
Being able to create playlists in Media Center, my main way of listening
to music, and then being able to sync that wirelessly with the Zune is what I
want. This needs to work from Extenders too.
Also, I generally go with two players in my collection. One is for working out (flash based), and one
for the car/plane trips/normal listening/etc.
The Zune has no match for the iPod Shuffle yet and it really needs
one. Another one of the iPod strength
comes from the fact that there really is one for every member of the house.
If the Zune can
continue to increase features in software (and not require new hardware to get
the majority of them) and integrate better with Microsoft’s own software, then
I’ll consider it for my next player.
Edit: Aaron posted in the comments, but I wanted to point
out his post on The Green Button about his converting to a Zune because of
the $99 Woot deal and liking it, at the original price he said he wouldn't have gone for it.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Battery technology has held back so many devices over the
years, so why has their not been any innovation in the field? I’m wondering yet again because Engadget is reporting that
the new Zune’s are going to get about four
hours of battery life without wireless on.
Microsoft’s big push with the Zune has always been video, but how useful
is four hours? Not only that, add in
having wireless on and we can definitely see why Zune isn’t going to function
as a Media Center Extender anytime soon. Clearly this isn’t a Microsoft only problem, based on other charts
the new iPod Classic lists 7 hours of video playback, the iPod Touch and new
nano rank in at only 5 hours. Edit: Apparently the 160GB iPod Classic and 80GB iPod Classic have different batteries in them, I didn't know this. The 160GB iPod Classic lists at 7 hours of video playback, while the 80GB iPod Classic lists at 5 hours.
All of these figures vary based on bitrate, resolution, and
codec of the content. Engadget made
a big deal over the Zune’s high quality TV out at 720x480, but at that
resolution you are likely talking about 2.5 hours of video playback if you are
lucky. So, why the hell can’t battery technology catch up to
software innovation? Having to charge a
portable player for just as long as you can use it takes the enjoyment out of
the device.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Expands industry’s premier placeshifting TV-on-the-PC
portfolio with addition of TV Wonder™ 650 Combo USB and TV Wonder™ 600 PCI/PCI
Express
Sunnyvale, Calif. -- October 15, 2007 --AMD is
expanding its TV Wonder™ product lineup that enables HDTV on the PC. Available
through VisionTek at Best Buy stores across North America, ATI TV Wonder™ 650
Combo USB, TV Wonder™ 600 PCI and TV Wonder™ 600 PCI Express transform PCs into
exceptional high definition digital video recorders. The TV Wonder™ family of
products is AMD LIVE!™ Ready and Certified for Windows Vista® -- delivering The
Ultimate Visual Experience™ and strengthening the value of multimedia PCs.
ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo USB, with a manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP)
of $149, includes two TV tuners allowing users to watch and record off-the-air
Digital TV/HDTV, unencrypted Digital TV (ClearQAM) cable programming, analog
TV, and listen to FM broadcasts. TV Wonder 600 PCI and TV Wonder 600 PCI
Express TV tuners break new ground by offering ClearQAM at a value of $99 MSRP.
“No other company offers this exceptional choice of connectivity and
configuration in TV tuner PC products,” said Matt Skynner, vice president of
marketing, Graphics Products Group, AMD. “Our graphics pedigree is built on
long-standing leadership in TV and video on the PC. The ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo
USB and ATI TV Wonder 600 PCI/PCI Express, offered through VisionTek, take the
best of our company’s digital TV experience and enable amazing HDTV on PCs
today.”
AMD’s strong lineup of USB, PCI and PCI Express tuners includes the previously
announced ATI TV Wonder™ 650 PCI, ATI TV Wonder™ 650 Combo PCI Express, ATI TV
Wonder™ 600 USB, and the ATI TV Wonder™ Digital Cable Tuner – the only solution
to enjoy premium digital cable shows , such as HBO and Showtime, on the PC.
Catalyst Media Center™ software, available with the ATI TV Wonder products,
features placeshifting to view TV programs in a variety of environments.
Unrestricted recorded TV programs can be quickly converted with two mouse
clicks into most popular formats currently used today for viewing video on
portable media devices.
The ATI TV Wonder™ hybrid and combo TV tuner solutions easily enable
best-in-class HD reception for Windows® Media Center bundled with Windows
Vista® Home Premium and Windows Vista® Ultimate editions, as well as Windows®
XP Media Center Edition 2005. The TV Wonder™ products complement media-rich AMD
LIVE! PCs.
“AMD’s TV Wonder family makes HDTV multimedia PCs a reality,” said Michael
Innes, EVP & COO of VisionTek Products, LLC. “The ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo
USB and ATI TV Wonder 600 series deliver exceptional performance at a great
price for PC owners who want to experience HDTV in their home, office or dorm
room. We are thrilled to offer our customers the greatest selection of
best-in-class TV tuners for the PC.”
“We’re excited by the collaboration from AMD and VisionTek that brings HDTV
tuners to the PC just in time for the new fall TV season,” said Dean Jahnke,
Sr. Buyer from Best Buy. “HDTV demand is very strong and with the outstanding
lineup of ATI TV Wonder tuners, BestBuy can provide customers with a broad
range of priced-right solutions.”
The ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo USB is a combo-tuner DVR (digital video recorder)
allowing users to switch between analog and digital TV to watch and record a
digital TV program while watching/recording an analog TV channel. The ATI TV
Wonder 650 Combo USB features ClearQAM tuning to receive unencrypted digital
content from local cable television providers. The new offering also features
high image quality, advanced 2D and 3D comb filtering, and FM tuner powered by
ATI Theater™ 650 Pro.
The ATI TV Wonder 600 PCI and PCI Express add-in TV tuners feature: ClearQAM;
powerful PVR based on ATI Theater 600 Pro video decoder; world-leading ATI
Theater™ ATSC reception technology; and, analog TV reception.
ATI TV Wonder products feature Catalyst Media Center software -- an easy-to-use
big-screen TV interface with an advanced electronic programming guide, DVD
authoring and playback, video conversion and AMD LIVE! OnDemand to access the
DVR from any computer with a broadband connectivity.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Lifextender is a
new plug-in that offers commercial removal from DVR-MS recordings, something
that many have been doing for a while now.
However, Lifextender aims to make the process “dead simple” with no
configuration required to get started.
Much like DVRMSToolbox, Lifextender takes advantage of
ComSkip to do the commercial detection.
Then, Lifextender chooses to remove the commercials from the DVR-MS
instead of just “mark” them like many do with DVRMSToolbox (though, DVRMSToolbox
can also remove them too).
Only Windows Vista is supported here, and you can download
it free here. Give it a shot, this sounds like a great
option for those who have configuration issues with DVRMSToolbox. In the words of the developer, “Lifextender
was created because there just weren't any simple commercial-removing
applications around. Lifextender gives you just enough rope to lasso those
commercials, not enough to hang yourself.”
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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v2
Extenders have yet to ship but it looks like Sigma Designs and Microsoft
are working to get additional features out in the form of Extenders integrated
into HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc Players, as well as IPTV set-top boxes (STB).
By now everyone should know that it is very likely the
first v2 Extenders will use the
Sigma Designs EM8622L reference design, which is supposed to allow rapid
development and shipping of Media Center Extenders by cutting down the work the
OEM has to do in order to get the finished product ready.
The next step up might be coming with the Sigma
Designs SMP8630 processor. The SMP8630
supports the same basic formats and outputs as the EM8622L (MPEG-2, MPEG-4
ASP/AVC, HDCP-HDMI, etc), but also features some additions geared toward HD
DVD/Blu-ray playback and IPTV STB’s such as AACS support and the ability to use
Windows CE for Microsoft’s IPTV platform (MediaRoom).
This means that your future HD DVD/Blu-ray Disc Player might
just have Media Center Extender functionality built right in. In addition, future Microsoft IPTV STBs could
do the same which might be more of a benefit to those outside the US where more
telcos currently have IPTV services deployed using Microsoft’s TV platform (some current boxes could get software upgrades to add the Extender feature too, just depends on the OEM). Hopefully we will see some combo units out sometime next
year, whether they are Sigma based or not. With the format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray, much of the thought as
to who will win is based on the price on the units. While $300 is
too much in my opinion for a standalone Extender, the value goes through
the roof if I can get an HD DVD player that doubles as an Extender for the same. Plus, in another four months or so the going
price for HD DVD players should be around $150-$180 (currently HD DVD is from
$220-$300 for the cheapest standalone) which is my prime price for a standalone
Extender to start with. Adding HD DVD playback for the same price would open my wallet, how about you?
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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