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News, Analysis, and Opinion on Microsoft Digital Media Technologies (and TGB News!)
May 2008 - Posts
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I’ve been attempting to learn about the Broadcast Flag over
the past few days, and instead
of focusing on what it can/can’t do I decided to look at a few other
things.
First of all, I want to say that I believe the issue early
this month with NBC was a total fluke. I
think a lot of people are getting bent out of shape considering this has been
and continues to be a onetime bug not reproducible by anyone at Microsoft, NBC,
EFF, etc. This is compounded with the
lack of understanding between different technologies, mainly Copy Generation
Management System - Analog (CGMS-A) and the Broadcast Flag. The Broadcast Flag only applies to Over the
Air (ATSC) broadcasts. It doesn’t and
can’t apply to NTSC, CableCARD, etc. It
is understandable that people are upset when something like this happens
(especially with the longstanding CGMS-A issues, and CableCARD issues that mostly
appear to be software conflicts), but everything needs to be kept in check.
With all of that said, this whole situation doesn’t match
up. On Microsoft’s side first, they said "Microsoft included technologies in
Windows based on rules set forth by the (Federal Communications Commission).” CNET published the story under the title “Microsoft
confirms Windows adheres to broadcast flag” despite the fact nothing they
published from Microsoft said “Broadcast Flag.”
It is also worth noting that the FCC doesn’t have any rules on the
Broadcast Flag. Ten days later CNET published
a follow-up story refuting parts of their previous story quoting Microsoft
as saying “Please note that Windows Media
Center does not support Broadcast Flag.”
Cut to NBC’s side of things, CNET reported that NBC
“made an inadvertent mistake” and “incorrectly flagged” the shows in
question and they later
reported that “It was a CGMS-A flag,
not a broadcast flag.”
Where does this leave us?
With a seemingly rare occurrence that can’t be reproduced. Microsoft says the Broadcast Flag isn’t
supported, NBC says they didn’t put the Broadcast Flag on and instead they
magically enabled CGMS-A(nalog) on a pure digital ATSC broadcast. These two bits of information are where
things actually get interesting.
NBC first, they are saying they enabled CGMS-A, an analog
(NTSC) copy protection technology on a non-analog (ATSC) broadcast. In NTSC, the CGMS-A bits are broadcast in Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI) which
also carries closed captions, V-chip data, and other digital data. However, best I can find there is no standard
for CGMS-A in ATSC broadcasts. There is
a VBI extension for ATSC, but based on the specs it doesn’t support
CGMS-A. Can CGMS-A even be put on
ATSC? Based on what I’ve seen the answer
would be no. If this is the case, it
leaves NBC with no idea what really happened on the broadcast end. If it was somehow CGMS-A on ATSC it would
also seem to be a onetime occurrence that has ever been reported before.
On Microsoft’s side, the question is does Windows support
the Broadcast Flag? Microsoft says “Windows Media Center does not support
Broadcast Flag,” but there is more to the story then that. Who knows what the software truly supports,
but Microsoft has developed for the Broadcast Flag in the past. Most notability while developing for Vista
which would be prior to the time it was officially stuck down.
Microsoft’s position on the Broadcast Flag is simple and is
even semi-outlined in a 2003 document.
Basically it boils down to we will support the Broadcast Flag if it is
created with us in mind. This is exactly
how I would expect Microsoft to deal with it in a world of digital video on the
Internet and Microsoft wanting to push their Windows Media technologies. It is no secret, Microsoft supported CGMS-A
in Windows Media Center way back in 2002 and now they are the only PC-based
platform with CableCARD and pending DIRECTV support. It is a game that Microsoft knows how to
play, and it pays in the end (it also helps grow their digital download aspirations,
Microsoft TV division, etc).
Other interesting bits are the ASF specs
which reference and start to define how to deal with the “Broadcast Flag” (I’m
assuming that’s proper Broadcast Flag and not general flag in a broadcast). And then there are the PBDA PowerPoint’s from
Vista, which show a nice block diagram of 8VSB demodulation (which is
ATSC) with the Broadcast Flag clearly
being detected with dealt with.
Since Microsoft really never published any of the in-depth
specs for PBDA type stuff we don’t know for sure if Windows does “support” it,
or rather if Broadcast Flag support is in the live implementation. I’m not trying to scare anyone or suggest
Microsoft wants to kill access to all of your media (they want the opposite),
but I think it is important for everyone to understand what can be done.
While I haven’t had the time to do in-depth research on the
Broadcast Flag in general, I do see that the issue between NBC and Microsoft
from a few weeks ago is appearing to be nothing but a fluke. I’m interested to see if anything like this
(copy protection on ATSC) happens again, but truthfully the situation is
looking more like a single rare occurrence to me than an issue with the
Broadcast Flag.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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No doubt that CableCARD has turned out to be a less than stellar
technology from a stability point of view, but could Dell be a big reason why
CableCARD seems so unstable? As a part
of Microsoft’s
investigation into “Restricted Content” errors on CableCARD PCs we have
learned a lot, specifically about Dell.
First of all, Dell has 10x as many CableCARD PCs out then
any other OEM. That’s not incredibly
shocking given the price they have been pushing them out at, but interesting nonetheless. Second, it seems users are targeting their
own issues with Dell’s CableCARD PCs, and their issues revolve
around Dell’s Support Center software.
Several users have commented that removing the software fixed (at least
part of) their problem. Considering the large amount of Dell XPS 420 with CableCARD,
is Dell’s Support Center software (or other pre-loaded software) contributing
to the constant instability of CableCARD in Media Center? Update: The Dell
issue has been confirmed
by both Dell and Microsoft
now.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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We are taking our turn at The Green Button to give away an HP HDX
Dragon PC ($5,000+ value), so everyone should make sure
to enter. Entering to win is easy,
just tell us (at The Green Button, not here) what our next site upgrade should
focus on and look like. What are we
doing wrong now, what could be do better, what type of format should the
upgrade be, etc.
That’s all you have to do to enter. To enter you must have registered an account
at The Green Button before 4/28/08.
Check out the rest of the rules
here, and remember you only have until Friday 5:00pm PST, May 30, 2008 to
enter. The winner will be posted on Saturday,
May 31, 2008. I’ve put a few buttons in the sidebar to remind you to enter,
so I expect everyone to give us something we can do better (and I know there is
a lot we could do better). Update: So of course as soon as we start something like this the site craps out. Admin's have been notified, clearly everyones top suggestion for The Green Button should just be a site that works. I think we will work on that first. Other suggestions welcome as a part of the contest or outside of it. Update 2: Back up and working.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Cannon PC, LP announced
its Direct OEM partnership with Microsoft and will be offering a Digital
CableCARD on its Home Series and Pro A/V Series Media Centers. May 25, 2008 – Cannon PC, the award winning Media Center specialty
company, announced May 25th its partnership with Microsoft and will be offering
dual Digital CableCARD on its line of Media Center PCs and has plans to release
quad CableCARD systems in the near future. “We are excited about our partnership with Microsoft
and the opportunity to offer our customers Digital CableCARD” said Gregg
Cannon of Cannon PC. “Cannon PC has worked hard over the years to
establish itself and major player in the Media Center market and CableCARD will
allow us to bring the next level of this exciting technology to our customers.” For those not familiar with Digital CableCARDs, they allow customers
to watch and record their cable TV channels, including premium HDTV channels
like HBO-HD and ESPNHD directly on their Media Center without the need for a
set-top box. You can even stream the HD
content to other rooms in the house via Media Center Extenders. As the winner of nine national and international awards,
Cannon PC has been designing Microsoft Windows-based Media Centers for over
four years. Their business model is specifically targeted to Media Centers and
Media Center technology. “We contribute
our success on focusing our resources on what we do best and aligning ourself
with strategic partnerships including A/V integrators, homebuilders and
cutting-edge home automation companies.” said Cannon. Cannon PC offers a of line of Media Centers for the tech
savvy consumer as well as a high end line of Media Centers tailored for the
custom integration market. Cannon PC has
a unique dealer program for qualified A/V installers and integrators that are
looking to offer their clients reliable feature rich Media Centers at a
competitive price. Unlike other Media
Center manufactures, each system can be completely customizable to fit the customers
need or the A/V project. Their Home Series line of Media Centers consist of the AMD-based
ultra small form factor FX Series Media Center as well as the Intel-based MC
Series house in an A/V style case.
Either system can be purchased through their online site. The Cannon PC Pro A/V Series consists of three models; the
LX, EX and RX. The LX has been
redesigned to include a stylish new case that integrates gold plated front
audio connectors, quick access USB and Fire Wire connections as well as a 28 in
1 media card reader. The EX features a
12” HD touch screen and room for over 6 TB of disk storage. The RX unit is a sleek rack mount system that
will fit nicely into any standard A/V rack and each system comes standard with
a Blu-ray DVD drive. All Cannon PC Media Center’s come standard with features
such as a 28-in-1 media card reader, front IO, USB and Firewire connections,
dual NTSC and HDTV tuners (with CableCARD shipping soon), 8 channel HD audio, P35
Express chipset, Quad Core and Dual Core Processor, high end ATI or NVIDIA
graphics cards, up to 8 GB or RAM and up to 6 terabytes of internal SATA hard disk
storage. Each system uses state of the
art motherboards and components that utilize cool and quiet technology to
ensure that their systems are whisper quiet and low on heat. All systems are backed by a 1 year factory
warranty.
Cannon PC has been designing high end Media Center since its
founding in 2004. To learn more about
Cannon PC Media Centers, visit them online at http://www.cannonpc.com.
For information contact:
sales@cannonpc.com
832-364-6608
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Remember Windows
Live for TV? The plug-in for Windows Live Spaces/Messenger that promised cool
features like chat and voice conversations, PC-to-PC calls, and of course
Windows Live Spaces access via remote has
officially died. “The project was moved to a different
organization internally in the spring of last year and will most likely not
come out of beta” replied a Program Manger around the product. Can’t say I’m surprised, after all it had one release well
over a year ago and nothing else was ever said.
I wouldn’t be shocked if parts of this came back from the dead for Media
Center in Windows 7, but I don’t think we will ever see Windows Live for TV as
the plug-in it was once meant to be.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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CinemaNow has launched a new Media Center plug-in available
through the “Explore” tile in Vista Media Center. Currently their library features over 3,400
feature-length movies, 3,000 TV episodes and over 2,900 music videos that can
be downloaded without using a mouse and keyboard. This includes Pay-Per-View and
Download-to-Own movies, new release and catalog favorites, with titles
available day-and-date of retail DVD release as described below. All downloads are also streamable to Media Center Extenders.
CinemaNow offers a
variety of services now available through Windows Media Center:
Download-to-own: Hollywood movies, popular TV shows, and
music videos are available for purchase, providing an unlimited viewing period
on up to 3 devices. Download-to-own movies are priced from $9.99 to $19.99; TV
shows and music videos are priced at $1.99.
Download-to-Own movies are available day-and-date of retail DVD release. Pay-Per-View: Hollywood movies are available for purchase,
providing customers a 24 hour window to watch the video. As with all CinemaNow
downloads, customers can start watching in minutes or download the file and
watch it anytime, anywhere. Pay-Per-View movies are priced between $2.99 and
$3.99. Select Pay-Per-View titles are
available day-and-date of retail DVD release. Burn-to-DVD: Enables customers to legally download a DVD,
play it back on their PC, and burn a copy to a blank DVD disc. The disc can
then be played in virtually any DVD player with full remote control navigation
and access to all of the special features. Burn-to-DVD movies are priced from $8.99
to $14.99.
In addition to CinemaNow, Windows Media Center
delivers a variety of TV and video content to millions of consumers: TV – Consumers can watch both live and recorded TV in
Windows Media Center. A variety of TV
options are supported, including broadcast over-the-air NTSC and ATSC, analog
digital cable and satellite, all with a no-charge Program Guide. Internet TV Beta– Internet TV Beta is a U.S. offering within
Windows Media Center that allows consumers to choose from more than 100 hours
of TV entertainment, music concerts, movie trailers, news, and sports content,
and you don’t even need a TV Tuner to watch it. Consumers can watch Internet TV
Beta full-screen on their Windows Media Center PC or use Extenders for Windows
Media Center to watch it on their TV. Online Media – Online Media gives users access to a variety
of digital media, including sports news and statistics from Fox Sports, XM
Radio, HSN Vision, and Showtime TV. Online Media also provides the ability to browse
through top stories from NPR, Reuters and other news outlets, allowing users to
quickly catch up on the day’s top stories. There are also several Windows Media
Center add-ons available from the providers, which allow you to watch NetFlix,
YouTube videos or check the weather, to mention just a few of the services
available from Online Media services partners. Movies – In addition to CinemaNow, Windows Media Center
provides access to Starz Entertainment’s VONGO and MovieLink, which are
additional premium movie and TV downloading services. Digital home movies can
also be easily accessed through Windows Media Center and watched on a
television via an Extender for Windows Media Center.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Hardened Whole-Home Media System Now Available with Industry-Leading Blu-Ray San Jose, Calif., May 19, 2008 – FUZE Media
Systems, makers of the industry’s most hardened whole-home media system, today
announced that it has partnered with ArcSoft for Blu-Ray playback. Following
the company’s recent OEM software announcement, ArcSoft is the first announced
software partner that will be leveraged in both FUZE Media Systems and OEM
partner media devices.
Adding Blu-Ray disc playback is the latest in feature enhancements
for the appliance-like media system that delivers whole-home live &
recorded TV, traditional DVDs, home movies, digital photos, and music. The
selection of ArcSoft highlights that organization’s software leadership in
Blu-Ray playback.
“FUZE has come to represent the vanguard in whole-home media,” said
Bob Silver, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at FUZE. “In the past year,
we have continued to enhance our whole-home media solution to make it even more
desirable, and this partnership with ArcSoft is a logical next step for us.
Arcsoft has proven its Blu-Ray leadership, and our partnership has enabled us
to rapidly implement for our dealer network and our OEM partners.”
Michael Downs, VP of Marketing & Business Development at ArcSoft,
added, “This is an exciting announcement for us. FUZE has delivered an entirely
different sort of media system to market—one that is simplified, robust, and
delivers a performance that functions more like an appliance than a computer.
This is a powerful force for the industry, and we are confident that ArcSoft’s
Blu-Ray software will play a key role in improving whole-home media
distribution moving forward.”
Both companies noted that the Blu-Ray capability has been
implemented and is immediately available for sale.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Dave
Zatz posted some of the first photos of the upcoming SDV Tuning Adaptor
(TA) today and it brings up some interesting questions on whether or not they
will work with OCURs on the PC.
First, let’s take a step back to last year when I asked
CableLabs if the Tuning Adaptor (formally Tuning Resolver) would work with OCURs. The reply I received was “we [CableLabs] are working toward a two-way solution now that we have
UCDP covered and we have not focused on this intermediate step.” This was pretty clear to me that OCURs were
not being targeted for the TA and that BOCRs
would have to be the next step. (As a side note, I’m
also still questioning if UDCP [covers TiVo, etc] and OCUR [PC-only spec] can
be used interchangeability. The reply
above told me ‘no,’ as if UDCP is covered and OCUR is not being focused on then
OCUR is not UDCP.) Cut to last week, Ben
from EnagadgetHD got a completely different reply with CableLabs saying “The CableLabs specifications for the Tuning
Adapter and the UDCP application extension do not technically prevent use with
an OCUR.” This was after
I checked out the TA specs to find OCUR not mentioned at all. So now it sounds like while CableLabs is not
focused on TA for OCUR, it could be done. However, it would be in the hands of ATI/AMD to
provide a firmware update which is required for any device to work with
the TA. That's not the end of this story though.
Now that we have pictures of the TA I’m finding
other problems that could relate to OCURs.
The TA specs state that the UDCP “USB interface SHALL be the USB type A
receptacle.” Problem? OCURs have type B USB only. Could this be fixed with a cheap USB
adaptor? It is technically the exact
same if you where to use a USB type A to type B adaptor, but this is something
interesting to think about. As stupid as
it sounds, you have to follow the specs set by CableLabs even for something as
small as a USB connector type. This also brings up an issue with internal OCURs, which don't have an external USB aspect at all. The next issue revolves around USB again, how exactly do you
connect an OCUR to the PC after you have gone through the TA? Checking the block diagram, as well as the back
of the Motorola MTA700 TA, USB from OCUR to TA would result in a closed
loop. Since the TA and OCUR operate independently
of each other, I believe the USB connection must be from OCUR to PC and not
from TA to PC (else if wouldn’t go through the CableCARD). The only way I could see this being fixed is if ATI/AMD provided a two-way USB switch-like device that provided a USB connector (type A) to the TA, and then a second USB connector (type B) for the PC. As a part of the needed firmware upgrade, allow the type A connector to only commicate with the TA, and the type B to the PC.  Where does this leave us? Nowhere really. In my mind
things are not matching up for TA with OCUR, but
AMD/ATI says they are “in discussions
with all the relevant parties to address the issue of Switched Digital Video.” Whatever that means is your answer to this
question. Does it mean TA, or does it
mean BOCR? Only time will tell.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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