Cedia 2009 Video Podcast: Microsoft Media Center Booth Tour (Sneak Peek Windows 7)

Will watch this one tonight, thanks Ron!

Fantastic.  Soon as there is a cable card for FiOS sign me up!

Sam,

I'm with you on this one and that's exactly what I intend to do (full house FIOS) ASAP.  Adam G. is running exactly this configuration in prototype form as a beta tester and I'm told that the regular FIOS cable cards that are available now will work.  It's just a matter of getting all the parts working together in final release versions that will do the trick.  The main stumbling block up until a few days ago what that each PC had to go through a lengthy screening and certification process before the cable cards would be certified to work.  We were told that recently the restriction on PCs was lifted and now it will be available for any PC you choose to run Win7 on - as long as you have enough memory and storage to accommodate everything.  I think that Kevin Collins is running 8gigs of memory and using a 2 terabyte hard drive to run a HUGE system in his home.  He has indicated that he is going to write a "how to" guide to be released here on the HTF for people interested in pursuing this.  When it arrives we will be publicizing it extensively. 

( Incidentally, this implementation is an extension of what Kevin demonstrated at the Zune Lounge in Hollywood for us during the last HTF meet.)

That demo is exactly what I was thinking of when I posted my link to Engadget's video of Kevin last week.  I was somewhat impressed back then but also turned off by the fact that it seemed that you would have to go full OEM to make it work.  Homie don't play that game =)  At least not at the prices we were talking about back then.  But you let me add the cards to my PC of choice and I am with you.

FiOS is installed at my parents house and I have been checking daily for my street to 'go live' on the Verizon site.  Our streets are less than a mile from each other and were wired the exact same week, yet theirs has been lit for 3+ months yet mine has sat fallow.  I got a letter in the mail Monday saying that installs would be available 'VERY soon' so I am checking TWICE daily now =)  Of course I'm sure it will become available while I'm actually out on business travel, but either way I'm now looking at weeks instead of months. 

As for PCs, my main gaming rig is a nice XPS Core i7 box now with 6GB ram which should be plenty once the cards are available, so I'm very much looking forward to trying it out.  As noted I already have Win7 RTM installed on 3 boxes so no waiting for October for me.

The ONLY thing that will kill this for me is if the NON pay channels start enforcing the 'no copy' flags.  I've been pleasantly surprised at how few grumbles I have heard about such DRM issues but I've chalked that up to so few people having this capability yet.  I'm looking forward to giving it a try on my own.

This was a big diappointment for me too. This was a cable company requirement.  Thankfully they have lifted it and the requirement that all shows be copy protected regardless of the broadcasters intend.

On that note, sigh:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/09/time-warner-cable-let-us-lock-down-your-tv-and-well-offer-movies-sooner.ars

Whats wrong with the way they do PPV today?  Once they get the door open watch out!

Agreed, I hope the FCC laughs them out...

Sam (and others),

 

I'm fully set up with an M-card from FIOS plugged into a CETON Infinit4 4 tuner PC card.  This distributes the video recorded (or live) from those 4 tuners to any 4 of 6 media extenders (XBox360s) connected to six different HD TVs throughout my house.  In other words, what Kevin Collins was demonstrating at CEDIA 2009 is now a working reality.  The Dish Network is now history and the only Hardware Charge I have from FIOS is $3.99/month for the single M-card that is at the heart of everything.  Check out our WI KI entitled CETON MC Hints Notes and Suggestions where we are attempting to provide a resource for those who want to set up their own Win7 PC with a CETON and any M-Card available from Cable vendors.