It has always been hard to stomach the DRM variations that CableLabs has set up between OCURs and UDCP devices like TiVo’s.  TiVo gets the ability to have non-DRM recordings if the content provider hasn’t flagged the broadcast at all whereas Media Center with CableCARD has to protect everything no matter what.  This discrepancy might is ready to change.

CableLabs recently unwrapped an update to the OCUR specs in which they appeared to have removed the “Requirement to Protect Output of Content with No Protection Flags.”

Hard to say whether you will need the Windows Media Center TV Pack to take full advantage, but based on what S1Digital is planning to ship it would appear that at least at first the TV Pack will be required.  There will also have to be a Digital Cable Tuner update that would most likely allow shows not marked as copy protected to skip the WMDRM process within the tuner.