At CES 2006 (370-some days ago) Microsoft and DIRECTV cut a deal to “enable the flow of digital content among Windows-based PCs, DIRECTV’s set-top boxes, PlaysForSure-compatible devices and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, which will allow customers to experience DIRECTV programming and digital content stored on their Windows-based PCs in a variety of new ways.”

Everyone thought this was perfect, an alterative to Cable when we knew that CableCARD would mean buying a new PC.  The hope was that the DIRECTV deal would come along and save those who wished to build their own PCs.

Sean Alexander said at the time “In the future (timing wasn't discussed), you'll be able to have an installer come out and install a DirecTV tuner into your Media Center PC and get your local channels complete with DVR.  As many know, DirecTV uses their own protection scheme with a "conditional access card" not unlike a CableCARD.”

Of course, I hope Sean meant “local cable channels” and not just “local channels”, but anyway, skip to CES 2007 (right now) and neither DIRECTV or Microsoft has anything else to say about it.  I figured that they would announce something, anything at CES this year.  Doesn’t look like it’s going to happen though.

This leaves the door open for DIRECTV support in either Vista SP1 or (hopefully) Vista Media Center Update Rollup 1 (this coming before Vista SP1, hopefully).

Can anyone confirm this thing is still real?

Update:  Thanks to Heath for posting this in the comments. 

DBSTalk.com got a quick Q&A with DIRECTV at CES and said “HTPC Cards - Still in progress, internal beta testing”