Dave Zatz posted some of the first photos of the upcoming SDV Tuning Adaptor (TA) today and it brings up some interesting questions on whether or not they will work with OCURs on the PC.

First, let’s take a step back to last year when I asked CableLabs if the Tuning Adaptor (formally Tuning Resolver) would work with OCURs.  The reply I received was “we [CableLabs] are working toward a two-way solution now that we have UCDP covered and we have not focused on this intermediate step.”  This was pretty clear to me that OCURs were not being targeted for the TA and that BOCRs would have to be the next step.  (As a side note, I’m also still questioning if UDCP [covers TiVo, etc] and OCUR [PC-only spec] can be used interchangeability.  The reply above told me ‘no,’ as if UDCP is covered and OCUR is not being focused on then OCUR is not UDCP.)

Cut to last week, Ben from EnagadgetHD got a completely different reply with CableLabs saying “The CableLabs specifications for the Tuning Adapter and the UDCP application extension do not technically prevent use with an OCUR.”  This was after I checked out the TA specs to find OCUR not mentioned at all.  So now it sounds like while CableLabs is not focused on TA for OCUR, it could be done.  However, it would be in the hands of ATI/AMD to provide a firmware update which is required for any device to work with the TA.  That's not the end of this story though.

Now that we have pictures of the TA I’m finding other problems that could relate to OCURs.  The TA specs state that the UDCP “USB interface SHALL be the USB type A receptacle.”  Problem?  OCURs have type B USB only.  Could this be fixed with a cheap USB adaptor?  It is technically the exact same if you where to use a USB type A to type B adaptor, but this is something interesting to think about.  As stupid as it sounds, you have to follow the specs set by CableLabs even for something as small as a USB connector type.  This also brings up an issue with internal OCURs, which don't have an external USB aspect at all.

The next issue revolves around USB again, how exactly do you connect an OCUR to the PC after you have gone through the TA?  Checking the block diagram, as well as the back of the Motorola MTA700 TA, USB from OCUR to TA would result in a closed loop.  Since the TA and OCUR operate independently of each other, I believe the USB connection must be from OCUR to PC and not from TA to PC (else if wouldn’t go through the CableCARD).  The only way I could see this being fixed is if ATI/AMD provided a two-way USB switch-like device that provided a USB connector (type A) to the TA, and then a second USB connector (type B) for the PC.  As a part of the needed firmware upgrade, allow the type A connector to only commicate with the TA, and the type B to the PC.

Where does this leave us?  Nowhere really.  In my mind things are not matching up for TA with OCUR, but AMD/ATI says they are “in discussions with all the relevant parties to address the issue of Switched Digital Video.”  Whatever that means is your answer to this question.  Does it mean TA, or does it mean BOCR?  Only time will tell.