DirecTV Media Center Development Suspended

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Those Media Center users anticipating the DirecTV HDPC-20 tuner are going to be very disappointed. DirecTV sent out an email stating:

DirecTV has suspended the development of the HDPC-20 tuner project that was designed to integrate DirecTV service into Windows Media Center after assessing the impact of missing the August 2008 release of Windows Media Center update and considering timing of the next release.

Further into the email the DirecTV rep states that both companies are “continuing to explore ways to integrate DirecTV service with Windows-based PCs in the future.”  It’s just amazing to me that something so anticipated by Media Center users is so difficult to bring to market. I wonder if there’s still a chance of Dish Network PC support in Windows 7?

Check out more of Brent’s reflections on tech, gadgets, software and media at Geek Tonic.

10 thoughts on “DirecTV Media Center Development Suspended”

  2. I’m honestly a bit surprised about this news for some reason. Seems there had already been plenty of development and work with MS on it so why now?

    So what does this mean to the possible DishTV PC tuner?

  3. Yeah, seems like it was pretty far along in development. But it sounds like dependency (?) on Windows 7 and related timing killed it. Though I assume the potential market is small, at least in the current form. And who knows what the cost to consumers was going to be. A DirecTV PCI card (or similar) may fare better and come in cheaper.

  4. This was about the only thing that could have gotten me to dump TiVo for Windows MCE. Actually, separating the tuner from the receiver would be great for TiVo, too. Imagine if you could use a DVR to cache video from any service – ATSC, cable or satellite. OK, I’ll stop dreaming…

  5. Greg, it’s possible to encode HD very well over component using the newer chips at consumer-friendly prices. TiVo, or other, could make a DVR that controls any cablebox – via IR or serial like in the old days, and captures the content. (The Hauppauge HD PVR and Slingbox PRO-HD are examples of boxes taking HD over component.)

  6. A Little Update on this: This seems to have more to do with DirecTV and the economy than it does with Vista Media Center or anything else. Per the LA Times

    “DirecTV Group Inc. said Tuesday that although it remained bullish about 2009, hiring would be frozen and all but the most crucial capital projects would be suspended as visibility on the economy stayed poor.”
    http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-dtv10-200…

  7. F*ck. F*ck F*ck. How hard it is it to ship a product that people clearly want to give you money for, come on already and get a clue! I should just fire direct tv and explain to them that their complete and utter lack of ability to get a smart home system in place caused me to give money to (shutter) comcast again :(. Take that crcial capital project scheduler.

  8. Lame. There quoted excuse makes no sense. And I can’t imagine this project was so expensive that they needed to de-fund it due to the crisis.

  9. This is very disappointing, just last month, I reconfigured my home setup to be ready for this. I moved 2 of my directv boxes to my basement where my media center machine sits and configured it to use both boxes, and bought another xbox 360 to be used as an extender. This setup works soo good, (it’s the only thing vista is good for imho) the last step would be to replace the sat box on my large lcd tv, but not now with no directv hd through mediacenter… MS and Directv is really missing a chance of leading the market on this one.

  10. For me, it comes down to this: The first satellite provider to offer native HD support for Windows Media Center (whether it be by an external tuner or internal tuner card) will be the one to get my money.

    Until then, I’m not even upgrading to HD.

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