On the Trouble with HDTV in MCE

By | September 30th, 2005 comments icon (5) Comments


cablecard insertEd Bott is out today with a post which is more or less an excuse in my opinion for why Microsoft doesn’t have native HDTV yet in Media Center. I’m oversimplifying things here but bottom line is Ed’s opinion is that getting HDTV on an open system (MCE) involves much more than we might think and hence Microsoft is somehow justified for being late to the HDTV party (correct me if I’m wrong here Ed).

I don’t buy it. We already know that Micrososft can do HDTV time shifting. It’s called Foundation and if you’re lucky enough to live in Washington State you just might be familiar with it. The technology in fact exists today. If Microsoft wanted to they could create a closed box inside of an open box. Whether or not caving to the content providers (as Ed rightly points out TiVo did with DirecTV and is now paying the price) is the right strategy or not is another debate.

My own opinion is that even a closed HDTV system inside of an open box where the cable/satellite provider got all the money and Micorosft got none and got screwed two years later would be preferable to the current strategy of no native HDTV.

Like I said before, if TiVo could do it, so could Microsoft. They chose not to do it and to instead pursue a path more profitible to them in the short run. Microsoft should realize that HDTV in MCE is not about short term profits. It’s about selling units and changing the face of the game later when 25 million people have Media Center PCs. Give away today for what you get tomorrow. Kind of like how a sleepy little company named Google has done it down in Mountain view.





Filed in: Industry Buzz

  • leobag

    Thomas Hawk for president.

    (i agree)

    No native HDTV is what is keeping me from buying an MCE machine.
    +

  • jasonbub

    Hi,

    I originally posted when this article was written and then removed my post because I ended up reading the original article that this was based on.

    Can we get things straight here!!!

    MCE does have native HDTV support. I get all of the OTA network broadcast stations in my area (ALL OF THEM!) and I timeshift without problem.

    What the writer of this article doesn’t get across is that MCE doesn’t have native CABLECARD support.

    This is the reason that I hate blogging. People just blather things, “like So and So for President”. Whatever!

    Hope this helps!
    Jason

  • leobag

    Oh shut your hole. Relax man – don’t get so worked up. HDTV is not consistent across media center lines. Also, what I am really waiting for – and I should have mentioned this in my previous post – is full support for cable card integration (with HDTV).

    But really, don’t get bent out of shape.
    +

  • jasonbub

    leobag said: Oh shut your hole. Relax man – don’t get so worked up. HDTV is not consistent across media center lines. Also, what I am really waiting for – and I should have mentioned this in my previous post – is full support for cable card integration (with HDTV).

    But really, don’t get bent out of shape.
    +

    loebag,
    If that’s what you (and I guess Thomas) meant, maybe [before you go and open your holes] next time, you should proof read your articles (blogs) for valid statements [rants].

    P.S., I am completely relaxed, I just don’t think it’s responsible for a writer to publish inaccurate statements.

    P.S.S., I would like CableCARD support, too :)

    Actually, a DirecTV HDTV card would be even better ;)

    Jason

  • http://www.atmasphere.net/wp Jonathan Greene

    OTA is a limited offering though of available HDTV content. Sure it’s nice, but as Thomas has mentioned quite a few times, it won’t get the Sopranos or any other HBO content delivered on your MCE or any other box not sold / rented by your cable or sat provider.