Dell now has the XPS 420 in their Dell Outlet for much cheaper prices but it doesn't come with tuners. Does anyone know if you can buy the PC without tuners and add them later?

jhale83:

Dell now has the XPS 420 in their Dell Outlet for much cheaper prices but it doesn't come with tuners. Does anyone know if you can buy the PC without tuners and add them later?

Nope. If you want Digital Cable Tuners, the PC must be built with that in mind. There is a special BIOS and a special "Digital Cable Ready" version of Windows Vista. The important part is the BIOS... without CableLabs approved BIOS on your motherboard, you can't use CableCards.

-Scott

My understanding was that all the XPS 420 PCs came with the BIOS and Vista license necessary to accommodate the ATI cable card tuners. 

Has someone else seen or experienced differently?

Jeep4JB:

My understanding was that all the XPS 420 PCs came with the BIOS and Vista license necessary to accommodate the ATI cable card tuners. 

Has someone else seen or experienced differently?

I could be completely wrong, but I don't believe that is the case.  My understanding was that the ONLY way you would have a CableCard ready PC is if you ordered it that way.  I thought that Dell would only put the CableCard BIOS into the 420's if you actually ordered a CableCard version.  Same with the Windows Vista for CableCards.

Again, I could be wrong...  that's just the way I had interpreted things.

-Scott

That was what I was thinking as well and I was just wanting to know if someone knew for sure. I don't know why they would bother with putting different BIOS in different systems (unless there was an additional cost associated with it).

jhale83:

That was what I was thinking as well and I was just wanting to know if someone knew for sure. I don't know why they would bother with putting different BIOS in different systems (unless there was an additional cost associated with it).

I would guess that Dell does have to pay some sort of royalty or licensing cost to CableLabs when they use the CableCard enabled BIOS.

-Scott

I'm not quite sure if they change the bios at all.  I thought the cable card device itself needed to be certified by CableLabs, and its being sold mostly through oem vendors like Dell and HP.  The one case which I've seen you can buy the same cable card tuner on its on is from Sony for $300 (link) excpet they call it by VAIO and not ATI.

Update:

What I failed to first notice was this sentence towards the bottom of the page

Compatible Models
Units already shipping with ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner

there's an OEM tuner code on the microsoft OEM stamp on the back of the computer

without that OEM code you cant setup the cablecards


I can only assume dell pays extra to microsoft and then to cablelabs for these OEM codes

I was able to get the following, plus 2 TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner for $1350.00.  I basically put a config together, searched the web and found a old $200 deal.  Went to the Dell website and configured a machine and saved it in my cart.  Next  I did a web chat with Dell explaining that I put a config together in saved it to my cart.  I brought up the old $200 deal and asked was there anyway that I could get it or on the email list for when the next time it was happening.  I also indicated that the orginal shipping price for the config in my cart was $1617 and that I was willing to buy today for $1400.  She offered to have a rep call me in 10 minutes and .... BAM $1350 shipped...  Will not get my cards until March but for the price I will wait.

1 223-2365 XPS 420, Intel Core2 processorQ6600 (2.40Ghz,1066FSB) w/QuadCore Technology and 8MB cache 
1 311-7873 3GB DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz 
1 310-7963 Dell USB Keyboard 
1 320-6200 Video ready option w/o monitor 
1 320-5954 256MB Radeon ATI HD 2600 XT 
1 341-5334 320GB NCQ Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM) w/ 16MB DataBurst Cache 
1 341-5418 No Floppy Drive 
1 420-6718 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, English 
1 310-8030 Dell 2-Button USB Optical Mouse 
1 313-4591 56K PCI Data Fax Modem 
1 313-5829 16X DVD+R/RW 
1 950-3337 1 Year Limited Warranty 
1 988-2217 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Initial Year 
1 412-1058 Remote Control for Vista Home Premium,OCUR2 
1 310-8626 You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System 
1 420-7285 Datasafe Online 10GB,1 Year Free 
1 987-7449 XPS,Datasafe 10GB,1YR(Incl w/price) 

Just went to Dell and saw this advertised 2-12-08

Specially configured XPS 420 desktop	$375 Off Instantly!	DXCWQJ3
Specially configured XPS 420 desktop	$600 Off Instantly!	DXCWQJ6

Yeah but those won't let you take the monitor off like they did last month.

---

Dell xps420 w/ dual ATI cable cards
Hdhomerun for QAM
Panasonic 50" Plasma fed by xbox 360
Panasonic 42" plama fed by xbox 360
3TB in storage and counting

Just received one of my DTCs...  Was looking through the manual and it said to connect and configure it before my cable installer comes out... This actually works for me since I can't get an appointment before next week...I pretty much followed the installation in the attached manuall and now I'm watching basic cable.  My plan is once my second turner gets here, to install and configure it and just us the S-Video input off of the cable box itself until my appointment...

To this point, I have not had an issue... (fingers crossed)

ARobinso0502:

Just received one of my DTCs...  Was looking through the manual and it said to connect and configure it before my cable installer comes out... This actually works for me since I can't get an appointment before next week...I pretty much followed the installation in the attached manuall and now I'm watching basic cable.  My plan is once my second turner gets here, to install and configure it and just us the S-Video input off of the cable box itself until my appointment...

To this point, I have not had an issue... (fingers crossed)

Actually, I wish I sprung for Vista Ultimate... Been using it and miss the features in comparison to Home Premium... 

Just purchased some RAM from a local store, now going to order it off of _ewegg to get a better price... I just did a small test, was able to run Orthos for 1 hour, while burning a DVD to the HDD... This RAM is EPP so I think that's why it's working within the Dell... Currently running at 4.0 GB at a CL 5 from CL 6 using the factory Hyundai RAM...  The memory is running at 1.8 volts using JEDEC specifications...

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145034

Let me get ths straight....If I order one of these dell xps systems I will be able to finally watch and record HD channels from charter or satelitte? Did i miss something? i thought we could only use the high end velocity micro stuff to do this?

 

Thanks

 

JJ