Gizmo Lovers Blog » Media Center PC

Control Your DirecTV Receiver From Your DVR Via USB

MegaZone — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:00:45 +0000

Early DirecTV receivers had serial ports which allowed TiVo, ReplayTV, and other DVRs to control them without using IR blasters. Serial provides a more reliable control connection as there is no chance of interference or having the IR emitters moved while cleaning, etc. And it offers a bidirectional communication channel so the DVR can confirm the change. But later model DirecTV receivers dropped the serial port, forcing users of third party DVRs to use IR blasters.

I just became aware of another solution. Paterson Technologies offers a serial to USB adapter which allows users of TiVo, ReplayTV, ShowStopper, BeyondTV, SageTV, MythTV, and Windows Media Center to control the DirecTV model D11, D12, H20, H21, H32, HR20, and HR21 receivers. It is more than just a simple serial to USB cable, there is some intelligence built in such as the ability to map channels so you can have your DVR, say, tuning channel ’4′ and the satellite receiver actually being tuned to channel 4-1 for OTA ATSC. You can configure it by connecting the adapter to a PC.

It isn’t a cheap option at $42, but for those using 3rd party DVRs with newer DirecTV receivers it may be worth it for the reliability of serial over IR, and the channel mapping abilities. You can check it out for yourself.

Microsoft Working On SDV Support For Windows Media Center

MegaZone — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:08:22 +0000

According to this post at The Green Button by Charlie Nilsson, Program Manager for Microsoft eHome Division, Microsoft is working on support for the Tuning Adapter in Windows Media Center to allow MCPC users to handle Switched Digital Video. The Tuning Adapters were approved by CableLabs in July and TiVo has already deployed support. Since the TAs are USB devices, it might seem like PCs would be amongst the first platforms to support them. However, it sounds like it may be a while yet:

Microsoft recognizes the impact of this technology on our customers and partners. We are working to enable support for the CableLabs SDV Tuning Adaptor for Windows Media Center Digital Cable Tuners, ensuring that Windows Media Center users will be able to access switched content.
While we have no further details at this time, we will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

While it is good news that MCPC users will be getting SDV support, I’m sure the users with cable systems using SDV would like to see it sooner rather than later.

DirectTV Vista Media Center PCs May Yet Appear

MegaZone — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 00:45:58 +0000

Remember when Microsoft and DirecTV announced that they were developing tuner modules and the associated software that would allow vendors to sell Vista-based Media Center PCs with built-in DirecTV support? No? Well, I can’t blame you, since it was at CES 2006, nearly two years ago now. Since then there have been very few additional mentions of the development. Even at CES 2007, both parties were mum about the project. It seemed that it, like so many other CES announcements, had simply died a quiet death.

Well, CES 2008 is just a couple of weeks away, so we may hear something this time around. But Chris Lanier has some interesting info in his blog. He spotted a job posting which indicates Microsoft is still working on satellite TV support in Vista:

We are delivering next generation TV Tuners designed to deliver Premium TV experiences from world class Satellite TV network operators into the Media Center Edition PC. TV Experiences such as PPV, H.264 HD, in-band guide loading, all on newly developed dual-tuner TV receiver devices makes this job exciting and fast moving.

DirecTV isn’t mentioned by name, and the technologies listed apply equally to DirecTV and DISH Network, as well as other DBS providers outside the US, but it does provide some hope. He also found a second job posting which indicates the satellite TV support will not be confined to the US:

Working with Satellite TV providers, both in U.S. and Europe, you will help deliver native Satellite TV tuners allowing native content to flow directly into Media Center, opening up HDTV and NetOp experiences/services directly into the PC.

So it seems the project, at least satellite TV support in Vista Media Center in general, isn’t dead just yet. It remains to be seen if Microsoft and DirecTV are still actively engaged, or if this is just a platform development by Microsoft that would allow such support in Vista. In any case, it certainly has taken a while since the initial announcement, which made it sound like it would be seen in the then near future.

Picked up from EngadgetHD.