Chris Lanier's Blog

Now that DIRECTV has suspended development on their HDPC-20 Tuner where does that leave us?  There are a lot of differing opinions going around about why DIRECTV canned the tuner, whose fault it is, and where do we go from here.  Most people are pointing the finger at Microsoft, and with their history of releases how could you not?  This doesn’t mean however that Microsoft is totally at fault, but let’s look at the whole situation to see how we got here. 

Timeline

January 2006 – Microsoft and DIRECTV announce partnership to “develop new ways to expand the reach of digital music, television and movies throughout the home and to portable devices.”  Nothing is said specifically by either party about a Media Center tuner.

January 2006 – Microsoft employee Sean Alexander says “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.”  This however, was not an official Microsoft statement.

January 2007 – We really start asking for information about the assumed DIRECTV Tuner.  DBSTalk.com does Q&A with DIRECTV at CES, DIRECTV says “Still in progress, internal beta testing” when asked about HTPC Tuner cards.  Confirmation that a tuner card is in the works.

December 2007 – Microsoft states in an online job posting that they are “working with newly developed dual satellite tuners” for the next Media Center release.

January 2008 – CES comes around again and DBSTalk.com gets a flyer from the CES floor for the HDPC-20.  This is the first official confirmation that the tuner exists.  CES attendees hear information about the public unveiling of the tuner to be scheduled later at CES.  This didn’t happen however, leaving several people confused.  No one from Microsoft or DIRECTV is talking now.  DIRECTV had the flyers to give out at the show, so something happened that caused either Microsoft or DIRECTV to back out of the public announcement.

February 2008 – Top Media Center OEM Niveus Media now lists “HD Satellite” tuner option on their website with “TBD  (To be determined)” availability.

March 2008 – Microsoft started sending out e-mails for the Fiji (codename for TV Pack) beta program.  Several leaks happened around this time including an e-mail asking select beta participates for information about their DIRECTV account.

July 2008 – Fiji beta testers leak more information including DIRECTV and H.264 support being pulled from the release.  It is suggested by some in the beta that they never received tuners from DIRECTV.

July 2008 – It is reported that Microsoft will be releasing a second Media Center update in 2008 with nothing to backup the statement.  The proposed purpose of the second update was to add H.264 and DIERCTV support.  This didn’t happen.

September 2008 – Subscription news service Consumer Electronics Daily (CED) reports that Microsoft "continues to look at ways" to make the tuner happen and that news will be announced at "the appropriate time.”  DIRECTV made no comment in the article.

November 2008 – Ed Bott finds a driver for the HDPC-20 in the PDC build of Windows 7.

November 2008 – Microsoft invites several bloggers and journalists to tour the eHome Labs (no, I wasn’t invited).  Ben Drawbaugh scores pictures of the DIRECTV HDPC-20 working in Microsoft’s Labs.

December 2008 – DIRECTV e-mails several in the community to tell us that DIRECTV has “suspended the development of the HDPC-20 tuner…after assessing the impact of missing the August 2008 release of Windows Media Center update [Fiji, TV Pack] and considering timing of the next release.”

Talking a Step Back

The big question now is what does all of this mean and who is at fault.  Let’s explore a few things here.

Microsoft is a software company; they don’t make hardware (generally speaking).  Microsoft’s main goal is to produce various software frameworks so that other companies can come in and produce hardware to work with their platform.  I’d actually say that this is the reason Microsoft has been successful as a company, but it is also their largest fault.

Anyway, Microsoft makes software and third parties make hardware (and most of the time drivers to go with this hardware).  Seeing as Microsoft is going to produce the software aspect of this DIRECTV Tuner, it means they want to produce a common framework to allow third parties to integrate a number of different things into their Media Center platform.  I’ve gone over this time and time again, but to refresh I’m talking about things like H.264, Pay-per-view order, content protection, etc.  DIRECTV on the hand has to make the hardware (or contract it out) to pair with Microsoft’s software framework.

DIRECTV has suggested that they are suspending develop of their hardware because of the impact of H.264/DIRECTV support not shipping in the TV Pack and the wait until the next release. (Windows 7, highly publicized to have a 2009 ship date)

DIRECTV-less TV Pack, whose fault?

This is a bit hard to answer because outside of DIRECTV and Microsoft no one really knows.  What we do know (or rather, think we know) is that Microsoft had plans of shipping DIRECTV support in the TV Pack as evidenced by the beta e-mails.  We also know (or think we know), that neither Microsoft nor DIRECTV shipped tuner to beta testers.  Microsoft then cut H.264 and “subscription-based satellite TV support” before the TV Pack ship date.  Notice they never said they cut DIRECTV support.

The main thing we don’t know here is why beta testers reportedly didn’t get tuners.  Hundreds of options here, but here are three main ones.

• Possibility that DIRECTV didn’t have stable hardware/drivers
• Possibility that Microsoft had issues with H.264 support in the TV Pack
• Possibility that Microsoft had issues with other software aspects in the TV Pack
• Possibility that Microsoft and DIRECTV are fighting like kids about something

There are various possibilities about why beta testers might not have been shipped tuners and why support was cut from the release.  I don’t think you can make a clear judgment about who was at fault knowing what we do.

On the Road to Windows 7

Given on how Microsoft operates, we knew that the next chance for DIRECTV support was in Windows 7.  Microsoft doesn’t push out Media Center updates to add functionality months after a major release.  Things were now looking good for Windows 7 DIRECTV support, at least from the outside.  CED published reports saying DIRECTV and Microsoft are still working together, and Windows 7’s projected release date keep moving up.

Ed Bott finds the drivers in the Windows 7 build, and then Ben gets pictures of the tuners in the lab.  We are all thinking that Windows 7 with DIRECTV is a-go.  DIRECTV then says they are “suspended development” of the tuner and points to the conflicts with the TV Pack as a prime reason along with the “timing of the next [Media Center] release.”

What’s DIRECTV Hiding?

Lets say Microsoft and DIRECTV missed the TV Pack ship date, again we really don’t know why.  In the e-mail statement DIRECTV is basically implying that they are done with their part and just waiting on Microsoft.  Is this really the case?  I fully believe that Microsoft had 90% of the software framework in-place to ship with the TV Pack.  In fact, if you look in your RTM TV Pack registry you can find some DIRECTV bits hiding pretty well.

If DIRECTV was ready and willing to release their tuners, why cut the project after all your initial expensive and development?  The tuners seem to be real, and if it was Microsoft who screwed up the TV Pack you would think that DIRECTV is sitting on a near finished product waiting for Microsoft.  DIRECTVs enginners can jump back on a new project and leave their efforts intack for Microsoft to start Windows 7 beta testing (which is basically 6 months after the TV Pack release).

I’m thinking that DIRECTV might not be a clean in this whole ordeal as some might think.

DRM, Doubtful to Blame

Whenever there is a hold-up on a product like this the first thing in peoeple’s mind is that Microsoft is DRMing it up and thus causing massive delays.  Considering CableLabs approved Windows Vista with their very strict content protection guidelines I think it would be a huge stretch to think that Microsoft was holding up the project in this way.  Their system already works, and has been for two years (mostly, DRM might actually be too protective given the bugs).

It has been suggested to me that DRM might be to blame because DIRECTV offers service outside of the US.  I was personally expecting to see the DIRECTV Tuner be US-only, but if it was international this would be a contract issue between DIRECTV and their content providers.

Who needs who?

Media Center is hardly the platform it should be, and DIRECTV might have misevaluated the commercial need of such a tuner.  It is also possible that their DIRECT2PC, TiVo partnership, and their own Multi-room Viewing features could be playing into things (along with the economy).

Microsoft has no leverage here.  They have a platform that hasn’t lived up to expectations of any market and they have to be pleading with broadcaster providers to help them save their platform.

Maybe DIRECTV has come to the conclusion that there focus should be elsewhere.  Of course, if it turns out that DIRECTV was not prepared to ship with the TV Pack this is a godsend for us users.  I want a stable platform, and with DIRECTV in charge of hardware/drivers for this they need to have their heart in the game before I want to play.

Ben argues that DIRECTV only released a statement because they want to downplay expectations about the tuner.  I don’t follow the concept because DIRECTV has no visible reason to do any sort of damage control.  This is where Microsoft should have stepped in, but alas has failed to do.  When/if Microsoft makes a statement (which they need to), it will likely be very simple and there is a good chance it will not mention DIRECTV by name.

As far as I know, Microsoft’s framework is done for third parties to integrate DVB-S tuners into Media Center.  What third parties (eg. DIRECTV) do at that point is largely up to them.  The only thing I’ve been told by Microsoft is that when two companies are involved they can’t say anything.  NDAs are play there just as they would be in any business partnership.

Bottom Line

I firmly believe both companies at a fault, but Microsoft will always take the most abuse because they can’t seem to conjure up a good Media Center release.  This is not DIRECTVs platform falling apart before our eyes, it is Microsoft’s.

Given that I think the framework is there, we might see other providers step up to the plate and offer solutions.  I strongly suspect others have like projects in development, but then again so does did DIRECTV, so I guess we have to wait for an official word at this point.