Microsoft's Media Center to support four CableCARDs

Hot on the heels of finding out who Microsoft chose to buddy up with for its Extenders for Windows Media Center comes word that the software itself will support up to four CableCARDs in a single configuration. If you'll recall, Media Center previously supported just a pair of CableCARDs, but word on the street has Niveus Media and Exceptional Innovation as the first two HTPC vendors to offer up systems that take full advantage of the new functionality. Reportedly, Exceptional Innovation's Model 754 LifeMedia Server will have four CableCARD slots built-in right into its chassis, while Niveus is opting for four external tuners, and while hard pricing details don't look to be available just yet, go on and tell yourself that it won't be cheap.

[ryanworrell @ Sep 6th 2007 7:47AM]

Now if CableCARD was such a closed damn standard. Pisses me off I can't upgrade my perfectly find HTPC to cablecard. I have to buy a whole damn system that it built for me. WTF. Anyone know if the CableCard Tuners will ever show up on a sorta black market?

[Patrick @ Sep 6th 2007 8:46AM]

droooooooooool

[Chip @ Sep 6th 2007 9:10AM]

ryanworrell, I feel your pain. It's such a closed system with few allowed players. SageTV, MythTV, BeyondTV are all out. Even if you did buy the entire computer with cablecards, it won't work with anything but MCE. I probably wouldn't mind if Microsoft had placeshifting on mobile devices, transfer content to mobile devices, ultra small extenders with HDMI and 802.11 N.

[zipcube @ Sep 6th 2007 8:02PM]

You realize that microsoft has every single one of those features right? the entire point of Media Center is that there is an entire ecosystem of plugins and devices that do exactly the things you wanted.

[Chip @ Sep 6th 2007 10:06PM]

That's great zipcube! Please provide the download to the placeshifter for my Windows Mobile 6 Sprint Mogul. (good luck) While you're at it, please provide the link to download the placeshift client for Windows (good luck with that one too) There are some good media extenders on the horizon, so at least that part of the puzzle is solved.

[rodan32 @ Sep 7th 2007 7:43PM]

Here ya go, chip. Now free.

http://asciiexpress.com/webguide/download.aspx

[Ceralor @ Sep 6th 2007 9:28AM]

That player is huge, it's the size of a PC in and of itself!

[Ceralor @ Sep 6th 2007 9:33AM]

Correction -- It IS a PC! I thought it was just an extender.

[palehorse @ Sep 6th 2007 9:59AM]

Dear CableLabs,

Suck my hairy chode you greedy slimy SOB's.

Have a nice day.

-ph-

[Trent @ Sep 6th 2007 10:39AM]

I have to agree. If I were Microsoft I wouldn't develop anything with the very draconian Cablelabs. I assure you, I can build a far better/more quiet/cheaper HTPC than any of these stupid "certified" integrators.

Loosers. No money for joo!

[Mike @ Sep 6th 2007 12:49PM]

This is da shiznit!

[Vincent @ Sep 6th 2007 6:12PM]

HTPC? This? wow, kinda big nah?

[James @ Sep 7th 2007 11:26AM]

Haven't followed this very closely -- are you going to have to pay your cable co a monthly fee for *each* cablecard, or are they required to *give* them to you, however many you need? I was under the impression that they had to supply them, but for all I know the terms of the ruling/law could allow them to charge however much they want (and make them effectively unavailable, e.g. $50 per card per month or something equally stupid).