Maximum PC

The long-talked-about (at least, on Engadget, and at thegreenbutton.com) Ceton multistream CableCARD tuner is nearing release.
Product page: http://www.cetoncorp.com/ProductsWMC.php
Long-running TGB thread: http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/t/78488.aspx
Ben Drawbaugh (at Engadget) has confirmed that the first release version (which was always to be a 4-stream version (can tune 4 channels simultaneuosly, using a single M-card)) will be priced at $399.
Better (for those HTPC users who require it): that card will be a single-slot, low-profile-compatible card.
(as little as 3 months ago, Ceton wasn't sure that they could make that combo happen. The two are, on their face, mutually incompatible.)
Article: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/ceto ... ets-a-pri/

More info (including a possible concrete release date) is expected to be released at CES this week - namely, during (hopefully) Steve Ballmer's keynote speech on Wed (1/6), where the card is to be demo'ed.

</glee>

Woohoo!

Yay future tax return!

n0b0dykn0ws

I'm almost there - I should have the rest of the $$ Monday ('sock drawer' money, AKA Side Cash.)
It'll be sitting in the drawer, patiently awaiting release.

nice toy!

Will it work with comcast?

As long as Comcast will lease you a MultiStream CableCard.

n0b0dykn0ws

Not only is the cableco required to rent you a CableCard (the FCC mandates it - really, really big fine if the cableco refuses), most cablecos aren't even buying S-cards anymore. Odds are, they'll bring an M-card by default; however, it would be a good idea to specify that you'll need an M-card when you set up the install.
Sadly, most cable offices require a tech install of a CableCard, rather than doing them over-the-counter.

Hi.

I am going to build a DIY HTPC and my question is this?

I am going to purchase The Ceton card when it becomes availible. My question is this I Have Time Warner Cable and they provide free Tv tunning adapters, do I still need to use an extender i-e an xbox 360? Also do I need a tv tunning adapter for each tv?

Regards, Don

Hi, Don. Welcome to the forums!

A single TA supports 2 streams
<edit> if you're on a Scientific Atlantic system (using Cisco TAs); if you're on a Motorola system, a single TA can resolve 6 streams
</edit>, and is paired to a tuner. So, you'd need 2 TAs <edit> (if Cisco; only one if youre cableco uses Motorola) </edit> to go with the Ceton tuner, and they'll be used exclusively with it - the two TAs will be connected to both the cable feed, as well as to the PC (coax, and USB, respectively.)

360 as Extender? Completely up to you. But, if you want to watch what the HTPC / Media Center recorded (in a room other than where the HTPC is), then, yeah - you'd need one (or more.)

HTH

<edit>
The above only applies if your local TW has rolled out SDV (Switched Digital Video.) While the requirement to use a box, TA, or CableCard device does say that they've gone all-digital, it doesn't mean that they went SDV.

If they merely went all-digital (no SDV), then the Ceton tuner (just as with any other CableCard-using device) can be used - needs a CableCard installed, of course; no TA needed.
I'd recommend checking with your local office.
</edit>

First edit: Add SDV info.
Second edit: clarify TA abilities, based on cable headend.

Good news: update from Ceton today! For one, it has a name - the InfiniTV 4. Second, they managed to eliminate the fan that the card was needing - this shaves almost 2.5" from the card's length.
Bad news: small (2 month) delay for shipping. First orders will be shipped on May 31, 2010.
Good news: there is now a pre-order program in place that's set up with Zones.com. Submitting a pre-order (obviously, the sooner the better) will guarantee you a card from the first production run.
Price remains at the previously-disclosed amount of $399. You will not be charged until the product ships.

And, the newsletter: [quote="Ceton Corp"]As you know, we’ve been hard at work for many months developing our quad-tuner digital cable product and today we want to give you an update on where things stand. To be frank, it’s a good news/bad news situation, but we’d rather be up front with our customers and fans as opposed to trying to sugarcoat things.

First, let’s get the bad news out of the way so we can focus on the good stuff. The Ceton quad-tuner card will unfortunately not ship on March 31 as we had planned. The new ship date is May 31, 2010. We know this isn’t welcome news, and trust us that no one is more disappointed in the delay than we are, but our #1 objective is to ship a great product and if that means taking some extra time to do that then we believe that’s the right decision for everyone.

Why the delay? There isn’t any single reason, or any major “show stoppersâ€

Another update:
Preorder programs have also been set up with Cannon PC
http://www.cannonpc.com/productcart/pc/ ... roduct=271
as well as with Fluid Digital
http://www.fluiddigitalmedia.com/products/ceton

Why's this good? Zones.com charges sales tax in damned-near every state. Cannon PC, OTOH, does not.

Bump for another update:

Ceton will, unfortunately, miss their May 31st release date. Apparently, they've experienced a component shortage.

Full story (with press release):
http://hd.engadget.com/2010/05/21/ceton ... yed-again/

Frell!

That sucks.

By the time the tuners come out it will nearly be time for the new 'solution'.

n0b0dykn0ws

Bump for another update: they're in production!

Copied from another user's post over at thegreenbutton.com:

Woot!

I've been keeping track.

I'm still waiting for a hands on review from a real user, and not someone in a lab.

n0b0dykn0ws

I'm waiting on the price to go down a bit.

Price of these tuners is too rich for my blood, especially with Hulu Plus coming out in the next few months.

The HDHomeRun Prime will be a 3 tuner $250 solution.

There are rumors flying that it will eventually work with MythTV for most of the channels, but I'd treat as such right now. A rumor.

n0b0dykn0ws

Reviews: I'd call Ben Drawbaugh's reviews "real" - I know that he did them 'at-home', rather than in the lab.
Same goes for anything that erkotz (a greenbutton member) has said of the tuner - he is/was a beta tester for Ceton. As such, he's been running a pre-pro board, at home, since they gave it to him. He's even said so.

Pricing: honestly, I don't see Ceton coming down on the price anytime soon, especially since they'll have zero competition (at least, until SiliconDust ships theirs.)
One other thing about the SD offering (which, frankly, isn't likely to ship until Q1 2011): the devel boards only have one USB port on them. This is an issue for anyone on an SA SDV headend: it can only support one Cisco TA (which will disable one of the three tuners.) Not an issue for someone on a Motorola headend, though.

I haven't heard that the HDHR Prime might work with Myth, though. I'm wondering how it would, anyways, seeing as PlayReady is the only CableLabs-certified PC DRM system, and MS has (at least, AFAIK) no plans to license it out.

Engadget HD

n0b0dykn0ws

Interesting, if a bit limiting.
For a FiOS user, that would be great - in most markets, they flag everything as Copy-Freely (I hear, though, that this is slowly changing for the worse.)
For most Comcast users, it's OK (varies by market.)
For nearly all TW/BHN customers, though, it's news of no use (TW tends to flag all encrypted channels as Copy-Once.)

My CableCo has everything marked Copy-Freely at this time.

n0b0dykn0ws