DirecTV’s PC Tuner Moving Out Of The Vapor

Earl Bonovich, a DBSTalk moderator and a reliable source in the past, has posted front and back scans of the product brochure for DirecTV’s new HDPC-20. This is a dual-tuner satellite receiver which will connect with a Windows Vista Media Center PC USB. The unit is fairly simple, two coax satellite inputs, a USB port for connection with the PC, and a power connection. Interestingly, it also has a second USB port and an Ethernet port, not sure what they’d be used for as it connects to a PC. Oddly the specs, listed right next to the photo of the back, don’t even mention these two ports!

The fine print on the back says:“Requires a Media Center computer running Microsoft® Windows Vista™.” So it doesn’t look like it will work with just any PC, seems like it could have the same limitations as PC CableCARD tuners. On the upside, it also says“Updated January 2008″, so this is current info and not something left from a year ago or something.

Hmm, with the TiVo PC software coming, I wonder if this would be a way to get an HD satellite TiVo. :-)

Via EngadgetHD.

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