Here is my question:

Is there a newer release of the TV Pack than the one that was leaked?  If so, what are the changes in the newer release?

Chris - Moderator:

Questions is what I need.

Sweet! I've been trying to get the eHome team to respond to my questions about TV Pack here, here, over here, tried there too, and finally here. These are all essentially the same question. If you could kindly get someone from the eHome team to respond, you would make my day.

Chris - Moderator:

Questions is what I need.

Fair enough, Chris. Here's what I would like to know. Since TVPack has changed the recording format, are OEMs being provided a different version of Vista that will allow the new WTV format to be burned to DVD? If not, are there plans to release an update that will do so and, if so, will it be available only to OEMs again or will it be a Windows Update?

It would be unrealistic to think that OEMs will now be selling systems that do not allow buyers to burn unrestricted (by DRM) recorded content to a DVD, so there has to be some plan in place to accommodate this need for purchasers of OEM TVPack systems.

Chris - Moderator:

Questions is what I need.

1. Will future TV Pack specific updates be available to all via Windows Update, or just limited to OEMs?
2. Will MS provide info on how guide data can be uploaded (as you used to be able to pre-TV Pack) for those countries that do not have supported EPGs?
3. And again -

   Satch:

   What people would like to know is what happened during the beta testing, what was in initial betas but didn't make it to the final release, and what other communications were received from MS during the test period?

kingwr:

So I guess there is no hope about finding out what happened with DirecTV HDPC-20.  I just want to know if it will ever be released, or is it officially dead?  The problem with MS's policy is that it could be dead and we would never know.  Well, maybe sometime in 2017 when SP1 for Windows 7 Media Center is released and its not in there, I will finally take the hint.  Or I'll be dead.  Either way, there will be a resolution.

This is all I want to know as well.  I switched to Directv over a year ago with the expectation that this would be coming out soon.  I was excited in January that I may have made the right decision when the HDPC-20 was announced.  Now I realize I made a huge mistake.  I'm now at a point where I need to upgrade my PC and don't know if I should go ahead and get a cablecard pc, or keep waiting.  Of course cablecard is about to go through a change too, so that would probably just be a waste of money.  I just want to know how long I have to wait for a system that works well without a bunch of hacks.  I should have just gotten a tivo a long time ago and skipped all the heartache.

MS!!  Please just tell us what is happening with Directv!! 

jeonunh:

This is all I want to know as well.  I switched to Directv over a year ago with the expectation that this would be coming out soon.  I was excited in January that I may have made the right decision when the HDPC-20 was announced.  Now I realize I made a huge mistake.  I'm now at a point where I need to upgrade my PC and don't know if I should go ahead and get a cablecard pc, or keep waiting.  Of course cablecard is about to go through a change too, so that would probably just be a waste of money.  I just want to know how long I have to wait for a system that works well without a bunch of hacks.  I should have just gotten a tivo a long time ago and skipped all the heartache.

MS!!  Please just tell us what is happening with Directv!! 

CycleWriter:

Fair enough, Chris. Here's what I would like to know. Since TVPack has changed the recording format, are OEMs being provided a different version of Vista that will allow the new WTV format to be burned to DVD? If not, are there plans to release an update that will do so and, if so, will it be available only to OEMs again or will it be a Windows Update?

It would be unrealistic to think that OEMs will now be selling systems that do not allow buyers to burn unrestricted (by DRM) recorded content to a DVD, so there has to be some plan in place to accommodate this need for purchasers of OEM TVPack systems.

+1 on this one for me too.  I am a US cable tv customer as well.  I installed TVPak08 and am more than satisfied with the fact that my ClearQAM capable tuners are natively recognized by VMC.  Thank you MSFT for that.  At the same time I am also terribly dissappointed that the move to WTV file format for recording broke the ability to burn DVDVideo directly from inside VMC or even from within Win Movie Maker or Win DVD Maker.  It would just seem that in so going to the new format that MSFT would at least have maintained the functionality within their own software suite.  I can understand breaking things relative to 3rd party vendors but these were their own indigenous products that are no longer functional.  Anyway, the question embedded here is whether or not everyone will be afforded a fix to VMC that will allow burning WTV file format to DVDVideo natively?  Will the fix have to come from an OEM or will it be "leaked" to the public similar to the way the TVPak08 was leaked?  I am indifferent as to "how" I get it.  I just want to know if it will ever be possible to get from the standpoint that MSFT will provide a fix?

EZEd:

+1 on this one for me too.  I am a US cable tv customer as well.  I installed TVPak08 and am more than satisfied with the fact that my ClearQAM capable tuners are natively recognized by VMC.  Thank you MSFT for that.  At the same time I am also terribly dissappointed that the move to WTV file format for recording broke the ability to burn DVDVideo directly from inside VMC or even from within Win Movie Maker or Win DVD Maker.  It would just seem that in so going to the new format that MSFT would at least have maintained the functionality within their own software suite.  I can understand breaking things relative to 3rd party vendors but these were their own indigenous products that are no longer functional.  Anyway, the question embedded here is whether or not everyone will be afforded a fix to VMC that will allow burning WTV file format to DVDVideo natively?  Will the fix have to come from an OEM or will it be "leaked" to the public similar to the way the TVPak08 was leaked?  I am indifferent as to "how" I get it.  I just want to know if it will ever be possible to get from the standpoint that MSFT will provide a fix?

I haven't kept up with most of the TV Pack threads but I just tested this and it does work fine on my primary HTPC.  It did not initially work on my secondary but I was able to fix that somewhat easily..  I don't want this thread to turn into a troubleshooting thread so if there is a better one please PM me the thread or create a new one and I will respond there.

Octavean "I suspect that anyone who may have been beta testing this is still under NDA."

As far as the HDPC-20, I don't want to hear from anyone beta testing it anyway, so NDA or no NDA is of no importance.

Microsoft and DirecTV felt free enough to release information about it 9 months and 21 months ago, when they thought it would drum up interest in their products.  Now that it has been (severly) delayed or is officially dead, I think they should be required to say so.  That is the cost of playing the game.

That's all I am saying.  I mean, look how much talk there is about Windows 7, and that will most likely be vaporware for 2 or more years.

BTW, what the hell is up with the Microsoft Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld commercials.  Evidently, Microsoft's inability to execute and deliver quality products extends to their advertising agency as well.  That has got to be close to the stupidest thing I have ever seen on TV (yeah, I really mean it).  I know they want to be pop and progressive like the Apple PC-Mac adds, but the commercial at least needs to be decipherable.

Octavean:

My question posted earlier with respect to decoding H.264 streams within VMC + TV Pack is a prerequisite of “DirecTV HDPC-20” support though.

mikinho:

I haven't kept up with most of the TV Pack threads but I just tested this and it does work fine on my primary HTPC.  It did not initially work on my secondary but I was able to fix that somewhat easily.