SageTV Licenses PlayReady

[Naylia]

Original Article Link

Holy Shit!

I’m allowed to say that right  😮

/dance
/dance
/dance

[Anonymous]

Before we get too excited, I need someone to tell me what it means for SageTV to have be a “PlayReady Master Agreement Licensee”

Does anyone know for certain?  Would that give them the ability to add Netflix to their software AND extenders?  Does it mean something in the CableCard world?  Or something less exciting?  I’ll be honest – I don’t know the answer yet.  But I am very, very curious.

More:
With the changes SageTV petitioned for to the FCC recently, the PlayReady license could give them access to CableCARD on the PCs.  But SageTV would still have to certify the Extenders with CableLabs to get them CableCard ready.  So it COULD be a step towards CableCard, but it’s not as easy as just getting PlayReady.

My wild guess is that it’s to give SageTV official access to some sort of streaming service that uses PlayReady….

[Naylia]

PlayReady is the DRM that is required by CableLabs to support CableCard on the PC

Netflix has also announced that they will be using PlayReady for all upcoming streaming devices.

[Anonymous]

[quote=”Naylia”]
PlayReady is the DRM that is required by CableLabs to support CableCard on the PC
[/quote]
PlayReady is used by a LOT more than just CableCard.  But it is CableCard DRM as you say yes.

[Naylia]

If you think about the possible reasons that SageTV would embrace PlayReady DRM, the only one that really makes sense is for CableCARD support. Without it they are for the first time at a major disadvantage to WMC in their ability to record content.

Supporting PlayReady just to support other random music, movies, etc that are protectd by DRM makes no real sense for Sage.

[Anonymous]

Ummm  Netflix perhaps?  With hopes of CableCard down the road?

I don’t really know.  But I do know Netflix uses Playready and it doesn’t cost anything like CableLabs certification does.

[Naylia]

Yes, but you already have the plugin community providing full Netflix and Hulu support via PlayOn. Which while not perfect, solves most people’s needs. Although integrated Netflix support would be great.

With the new tuners out, which CableLabs has approved to be able to act as network tuners, there has been discussion around any software application being able to access the content which has been protected by the hardware device.

CableLabs has already agreed that Copy Freely content could be accessed by any software package (no certification or anything required), it wouldn’t be too big of a jump to have then any PlayReady software or device be able to access and playback the restricted content, since a PlayReady software package or device would already be fully supporting the mandated DRM and what could be done with it.

So it’s possible that only the tuners need to be CableLabs certified, to ensure that they correctly wrap the video in DRM, while any software package that supports PlayReady DRM could then play the video.

[Naylia]

Of course, I’m not taking this so far as to be pre-ordering a Ceton tuner just yet 🙂

[Anonymous]

I’m not disagreeing with what would be the best for users.  CableCard would & should be the 1st priority.  But lets look at it from a magnitude of likelihood – on what is cheapest and hypothetically easiest to do with a PlayReady license:

1. Netflix (& other online content) – no fee, send in your request & get in line.  Could make it work on your software or extenders or both.  If extenders then it makes those extenders competitive as stand-alone media players as well…
2. CableCard – costs $$$ to license each software version, costs $$$ to license each hardware device model, takes lots of time, requires more changes to software itself etc.

It could be one or the other or even both in my perfect world.  But If I were the one in charge & I had the money to blow on a PlayReady license I would at least go for the one that cost the least money and could help sell those hardware devices.  And I’d probably then work on the second one if I had the cash.  I’m totally guessing here so take it fwiw.

I’ll get really excited when I hear it from the SageTV team.  Till then I have to continue to dream and hope.  Knowing they are a PlayReady licensee does help though 😉

[Naylia]

It’s true that Netflix enablement could help sell standalone HD200s (of which they don’t have any…)

The reason I’d like to think that it’s about CableCard is because historically SageTV has been all about being a great PVR application first, with all other media coming second…and in maintaining dominance as the best and most flexible PVR application around.

I contacted microsoft’s PlayReady question line to inquire about what participating in the Master Licenensing agreement provides, and to see if they could share how long SageTV has been a member.

[autoboy]

I’m pretty sure that the HD100 and HD200 do not use the chips that support DRM pathways.  That means you will need the fabled HD300.

Ceten tuner $400
3 HD300s – $600

That’s a steep upgrade for me.  Hopefully the old extenders are able to still play copy freely content.  I don’t have any premium channels that are typically DRMed.

[Andrew Van Til]

[quote=”Naylia”]
Yes, but you already have the plugin community providing full Netflix and Hulu support via PlayOn. Which while not perfect, solves most people’s needs. Although integrated Netflix support would be great.

[/quote]

Personally I think Netflix would be a big win for them.  While it’s true that there are workarounds, I don’t use them because they aren’t as good as the client built into 7MC or other CE devices.  That said, I don’t think they’d need a PlayReady license to do Netflix on the PC (how hard would it be to wrap Silverlight?), so I’m hoping for native support on extenders.

CableCard, and any other tuners that come which require PlayReady on the PC, is of course the biggest target I think, but like autoboy mentioned I don’t think the HD200 (which uses Sigma’s 8635 – i.e. the one w/ less DRM) can support it (I don’t think PlayReady is required for non-PC support of the content) but who knows, maybe it is just for Netflix or some other purpose.

[autoboy]

Netflix via playon on the sagetv extenders works on my 32 inch TV, but on the 65 it can’t keep up with CE devices.  Part of the problem is that there isn’t any HD content for the PC compared to HD on CE devices.

Knowing SageTV it won’t be open to just one vendor.  I would think they would want to go the plugin route so they could support other systems like Amazon video, pandora, etc.

[Anonymous]

I hope it will eventually lead to CC being usable on Sage-TV, especially with the recent FCC rulings reqarding CCs. I love Sage and have been with it since the beginning, almost(missed it for a month or 2, before I found it via a link at SHS’s site). However I just keep wandering away(once to meedio, once to boxee, several times to MC) from it about every 2 years. ??? Fortunately Sage is great with new features/functions and I have always come back.

I did already pre-order(just not soon enough to get it yet :'() a Ceton card. I was planning on a dual setup of 7MC and Sage-TV. It’s not that hard with a Harmony remote, and both have a good WAF(in different areas). If PlayReady allows Sage to use a CC tuner then I don’t need really need 7MC, especially if Sage makes it work with [i]any[/i] current or future extender. Sure I’d love to use my HD200, but if it means I get CC on an extender I’ll pay for a newer model. Heck I’m already in for $400, what’s another ~200 for a newer extender(with whatever other new features Sage sees fit to add).

I do agree that Sage will likely do option “#1” (Netflix,etc) first. It just seems to be Sage’s style and the reasoning is sound. However, I’m also with Naylia, that Sage needs CC support to stay ahead of all other PVR apps. I’m not one of those people who loves DRM but I’m losing clearQAM(via my HDHR) channels, and renting 4 STBs(STBs cost ~ $10 each and a CC is free, after a one-time $15 setup fee) is not an option. So I’ll make a deal with the DRM Devil. I’m not of of those that believe any DRM will pollute Sage(locking down all recordings, including existing methods with DRM). I don’t believe Sage would ever do DRM that was forced on all content. Only those that need it to work.

Anyway, it’s all speculation(be it fun) at this point. It could just be old news and mean nothing. But I [b]really,  really[/b] hope this eventually leads to CC on Sage.

PS: Sorry for not saying “Hi” earlier, But I’ve been reading this site forever.
/peace
justme

[xjboonie]

The question I’ve got: should I buy playon premium?  They just sent me a special offer…

[Author]

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