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Microsoft Announces CableCARD Support

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the if-you-yell-loud-enough-and-long-enough dept.

Thomas Hawk writes "Microsoft and CableLabs announced today that they have reached agreement that will allow digital cable ready CableCARD supported Media Center PCs to ship by the Holiday Season next year. Lack of premium HDTV cable or satellite support was frequently cited as one of the largest weaknesses of the Media Center platform. Central to this agreement is the DRM protection scheme developed by Microsoft to protect HDTV cable programming under the OpenCable process."

9 of 126 comments (clear)

  1. Anyone else see the irony... by Tezkah · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Anyone else see the irony in the "OpenCable" process being used to DRM TV content?

  2. Can I... by maynard · · Score: 3, Insightful

    record the HD content to a PVR and stream it to a disc for archival and later viewing? 'Cause if not, then I'll stick with my Motorola 6412 PVR and JVC DVHS deck. Which, BTW, works perfectly well today and has the benefit of being pretty cheap too. --M

  3. Microsoft just making it easier by javaski · · Score: 3, Insightful

    At the speed that DRM's are worked around, this is just going to make recording your favorite HDTV shows that much easier. Although, it would be nice to be able to watch high quality cable on my computer. This is just bringing the computer and television closer and closer.

  4. DRM this DRM that, if it is a pain I won't buy it by Retired+Replicant · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I am so sick of all this DRM crap. It just makes things a pain in the butt for average customers who aren't trying to pirate anything. If the DRM makes the product a pain in the ass to use, I won't buy it.

  5. DRM you gotta' love it by My_guzzi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    From TFA
    "The specified OpenCable architecture allows for multiple DRM systems to be used in the device and ensures content providers of protected delivery of content to the PC. Microsoft(R) Windows Media Digital Rights Management is the first major DRM system to complete the due diligence necessary for approval by CableLabs."

    We are just getting over the SONY fiasco, bringing on the call of the "SONY boycott." Micro$oft now tries to get in bed to implement some more DRM crap ( not like this is any kind of surprise). I wonder how many PS2P and XBOX 360's will be under the Xmas tree this year. My guess is way to fucking many.

    DRM (just recently referred to as "Digital Restriction Management") is a continuing issue, it is reported a lot and harped on quite often, recently there was an article that I wish I could find where some honcho of the music media was referring to consumers need to get use to "renting" content and not purchasing it..

    BTW I still play vinyl at home.

  6. Er... by suitepotato · · Score: 3, Insightful

    DRM protections are ALREADY on DBS and cable and have been for a long while. This new step was needed or else the content providers vowed they'd stonewall digital cable content delivery to PCs for eternity.

    Sadly, the same content providers who didn't care if you watched a VHS tape of the nightly news at one point now see the future of DRM as being pay per view everything. A time when they can arbitrarily at any time revoke your ability to watch anything. The cable companies are NOT happy about being in the middle and THEY have been the ones stonewalling the advance of DRM on your television more than anything else.

    Marriage born in Hell, but aren't they all?

    --
    If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
  7. Re:DRM this DRM that, if it is a pain I won't buy by eosp · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In the words of someone (I can't exactly name who it is) very wise, DRM "only blocks stupid pirates and legitimate users."

  8. Re:Don't blame Microsoft for this by mrchaotica · · Score: 3, Insightful
    The reason that Microsoft is able to get a license for Vista to support CableCard+DTCP compliant hardware for the PC is because they are willing to put in the DRM required by the DTLA, a la "Trusted" Computing. No open-source solution will ever be able to get this license, because the content companies decree it to be so - after all, an enterprising young hacker could alter said open-source solution and then be able to skip those oh-so-precious commercials that we don't want to watch.
    Yeah, and the net result of that is that Microsoft kills Linux in the HTPC market. Do you really think Microsoft failed to take that into account when they decided to support DRM?

    No, Microsoft has enough power that they could stop this DRM trainwreck from happening, if they wanted to. The fact that they don't just means that they're just as fucking much to blame as the cable and content companies!!
    --

    "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

  9. Circumventing DRM by no_such_user · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The only way we will ever be able to stop DRM is to create our own, free content. Via the same (r)evolutionary technology which threatens to kill our ability to share copy-protected media, the potential to create a world-class television production or film is no longer soley in the hands of corporate entities.

    The media industry, from top to bottom, is about money. How can we create a production which can compete with the "big leagues" without being sucked into the same greed-pit that already exists? If content was distributed freely, could a small production company, with actors, producers, technicians, etc. survive on a tip system alone?

    I'm guilty. I currently work for a massive player in the media industry, and I don't necessarily see a way out. Breaking something like CableCard would be huge problem to my company. Yet I'd still love to see it happen.

    BTW, don't bother trying to hack CableCard. Just figure out a way to crack DigicipherII -- that's where the goods are.