Unfortunately, when you hit the Read More link, the article was nothing more than an editorial… and even concluded that its initial premise (of getting to the bottom of this) wasn’t really found. Great way to lure in readers, Entrapet?

Even that said, I don’t buy the premise which they were making. That premise was that TV Pack 2008 was meant to train OEMs in the United States on what Windows 7 Media Center would entail, and give European customers DVB-T tuning support. And, also that OEMs were informed that they would want to avoid shipping TV Pack 2008 to customers, because of its unreliable state.

This is the point where I put my hand on my face and sigh a lot. First, OEMs must never have gotten that memo, if Entrapet HD is to be interpreted correctly… because everyone from HP to top-tier premium HTPC manufacturers have been shipping TV Pack 2008 since when it started shipping. Two, bad behavior doesn’t justify good intentions. TV Pack 2008 is buggy, everyone knows that… that’s why Microsoft starts to stutter when you ask about it. It doesn’t mean that it was a beta or developer preview.

Why? Because Microsoft releases developer previews and betas all the time. If they wanted OEMs to not ship a product, they’d do that like they always do. And, unlike Entrapet’s assertion that only enthusiasts are ticked about TV Pack 2008… that’s quite false. Many average people bought into the Vista Media Center and CableCARD waves, looking to replace their TiVo. Now they get nothing but FUD about the solution, well until recently. Now they’re told to just wait (and pay) for the bug fixes in Windows 7.

Here’s my take. And, this is only my take, not something I’m going to write off as “getting to the bottom of it.” I think that at some point, Microsoft realized Vista had failed. So, the team began working on Windows 7.

But, at the same time, they realized that they promised Europe DVB-T, and Hauppauge wanted to offer the HD PVR with Media Center. Oh, and the CableCARD people were fuming about their $3,000 systems not working right. An update had to be made.

And, so it was made. Unfortunately, like the rest of Vista, it too was a failure, due to countless bugs and problems (those are the bugs and problems that we TV Pack 2008 users suffer/suffered with… and Microsoft still has yet to fully admit to… and probably won’t until legal obligations/memories are long in the past). So, faced with splitting the difference, the HD PVR support was gutted (removing the H.264 components) and TV Pack 2008 went to the OEMs in Europe. Everyone else got the code bits to look at, but only because Microsoft wanted something to show for three years of work.

My advice to Microsoft: Give any CableCARD owner a free upgrade to Windows 7. That will start to heal the awful track record of TV Pack 2008, even for those still waiting for its features.

But, I don’t want to do that today… it’s beating a dead horse. I would however like to point out when others do the same thing. Mike Wren has done that quite eloquently on his own blog. And, he echos what many are saying, and what I may be resigned to accept… that Microsoft is going to force people (many of whom have paid thousands of dollars for their CableCARD rigs) to pony up for Windows 7 to fix those bugs.

That is going to fail Microsoft, I’m warning you now so that I can say that I did later. These people are the ones you don’t want to tick off, because they will wind up telling everyone to go to what TiVo is brewing, just as soon as it comes out of the gates. And, they will too… leaving Windows 7 Media Center devoid of both advocates… and savvy users.

They remember when they were supposed to get bug fixes, and they know who exactly to cast blame on.

They know what to reccomend to the hundreds of friends, family, and co-workers.

And, their opinion spreads like a virus to the rest of the non-tech community.

Microsoft, you still have time to fix this. There is still time to roll TV Pack 2008 into Vista Service Pack 2, and fix it. Please, take advantage of the Vista Service Pack 2 delay, and save Media Center’s face… Microsoft will be shooting themselves in the foot otherwise.

I haven’t heard official word from Microsoft, but I can confirm that TV Pack 2008 is absent from SP2. It’s not clear why the Media Center team didn’t add this. Microsoft has confirmed to me that TV Pack 2008 will not be included in Service Pack 2, see update at the end of the article.

As I’ve noted in the past, TV Pack 2008 adds a lot of cool features, ClearQAM support, the ability to mix and match analog, CableCARD, ClearQAM, and ATSC tuners all in one system. In fact, it’s an excellent way to get around the CableCARD DRM problem that Media Center still haves. A user with TV Pack 2008 can have ClearQAM tuners record content from most channels, while the CableCARD tuners will still (needlessly) add DRM to CableCARD-only channels.

The only problem? Microsoft refuses to offer a public download of TV Pack 2008. It still isn’t clear if you’re breaking the law, in Microsoft’s opinion, if you download TV Pack 2008 elsewhere. It is clear that they’re only offering it directly to OEMs, with the purchase of a new computer.

Microsoft still says they’re getting back to me on this, and many other questions that you submitted. When they do, I’ll be sure to follow-up on this.

Also, I have no idea if Microsoft will about-face and add TV Pack 2008 to the final release of Vista Service Pack 2. I am simply reporting on what I have seen from the first wave of beta releases.

Update: Microsoft just confirmed to me that they have no plans to add TV Pack 2008 to Windows Vista SP2. I’m still waiting to hear back why this update is any different than the Bluetooth and Storage feature packs, which are being added to SP2. Doubt I’ll hear anything you’ll want to read.

Not that this would really tip my decision either way… but Microsoft added support for Bluetooth 2.1 in the Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless. There’s just one problem…

Like TV Pack 2008 for Windows Vista, you can’t have it! Microsoft is only making it available to “select OEMs.” Meaning, Dell can ship new systems with Windows supporting Bluetooth 2.1, but Apple can’t (because, they don’t sell Windows).

I view this as an abuse of monopoly powers. How is one version of Windows Vista different from another? What makes a Dell user more entitled to the Wireless Feature Pack, than a MacBook owner who bought the retail version of Vista?

Microsoft says that they will integrate this into Windows Vista SP2. But, that’s cold comfort for those trying to have the latest-and-greatest today. Thanks Microsoft.

Moral of the story, Microsoft… stop limiting updates to customers, based on where and when they bought their computer. It’s just wrong.

If you look at the very-ancient Expert Zone homepage, you’ll now see that Media Center Expert Zone chats have resumed. I’m sure myself, like many others, will enjoy re-re-re-asking key questions… and getting nothing but dead air in response.

But, fear not folks, I’ll be there to ask them yet again.

I can’t blame them, really. The chats weren’t aimed at true Media Center experts, and wound up being broken up into two parts; basic questions and questions left unanswered. Guess which category my questions always wound up in?

While the right people from Microsoft were in these chats… they refused to answer the pressing questions that Media Center experts have been asking (for months… and months… and months).

It’s really starting to be disappointing that Microsoft is leaving people, who paid thousands of dollars for CableCARD systems, in the dark on basic things like placeshifting. CableLabs finally chimed in months ago, and Microsoft still has no answer on when, or even if, CableCARD users will be able to break free from draconian and unnecessary DRM.

And don’t get me started on my bevy of TV Pack 2008 (Fiji) questions, which I’ve been personally promised answers to, for months now.

I’ve beaten to death the problem in prior posts, just run a quick search on CableCARD to see all of them. But, safe to say, that if you were holding out for a CableCARD system because of this problem… you’re going to be holding out until Windows 7 for Microsoft to put the fix in.

And, with that, I’m going to transfer a few TV shows wirelessly to my MacBook Pro, from my TiVo HD. And, I feel great about signing that 1-year contract with TiVo right now, because it will be long over before Microsoft fixes their setup, to do what my TiVo can do all day long.

I highly recommend this for anyone with a Vista Home Premium computer. Windows Media Center is one of the few great things that was added in Vista, take advantage of it!

KWORLD ATSC 340U Dongle ATSC TV USB Stick ATSC 340U KWORLD ATSC 340U Dongle ATSC TV USB Stick ATSC 340U USB 2.0 Interface (Mail In Rebate $20.00 Expires 08/29/2008)

So, I’ll turn to you. What would you ask the team behind Windows Media Center? Post your questions in the comments, and I’ll try to get them answered.

As I’ve covered in-depth on my blog, again and again, it made absolutely zero sense that TiVo HD is allowed to placeshift content all around the world via TiVoToGo, whereas the same CableCARD couldn’t do that when inserted directly into a PC. Worse, the gum-and-paperclip fix of physically pulling out the CableCARD to record local channels and analog cable just made CableCARD look pathetic.

Now the timer starts on when Microsoft will actually fix this. Rumor has it, they may have slipped it into the elusive TV Pack 2008 update for Windows Media Center. Microsoft is still checking on if it will be offered to end-users, I have been personally promised an update on that.

However, others report that the OCUR Tuners themselves will need a firmware update as well to unlock the DRM restriction.

All of this would be great… except I’m now locked in a contract with TiVo until April of next year. Who knows though? Maybe they’ll be doing away the the you-must-buy-a-new-PC requirement as well by then. Either way, I can definitely see myself replacing my Core 2 Duo HTPC with a Nehalem-based PC come April.

With DirecTV coming to Media Center as well… and QAM in the TV Pack 2008 update… Microsoft may finally be fixing the main objections to Windows Media Center.