Ceton Announces Launch of World's First Digital Cable Quad-Tuner PC Card

Innovative new technology, available in Q1 2010, brings expanded premium cable TV services to Windows 7 PCs with Windows Media Center.

Ceton Corporation today announced details of the upcoming launch of the Ceton Digital Cable Quad-Tuner card, the world's first four-tuner digital cable solution for Windows 7 PCs with Windows Media Center. The first version of the Ceton Digital Cable Quad-Tuner card will be available as a PCI Express Low Profile form factor for installation in desktop, tower and slim entertainment PCs. It will be available for retail purchase by the end of Q1 2010 at a suggested retail price of $399.

The Ceton solution was highlighted this evening by Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft, in his keynote address at the start of the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. During Mr. Ballmer's presentation, the Ceton Digital Cable Quad-Tuner solution was demonstrated on a Gateway SX Series Desktop as one of the examples of digital media innovation that takes advantage of the rich new television capabilities of the Windows 7 operating system.

PCs running Windows Media Center, included with most versions of Windows 7, with a Ceton Digital Cable Quad-Tuner card installed will natively support high-definition pay TV, including premium cable TV channels, without the need for a separate cable set-top box. In addition to standard- and high-definition channels, the Ceton solution will also support channels delivered using Switched Digital Video (SDV) via a Tuning Adapter. A single Ceton Digital Cable Quad-Tuner card with a single multi-stream CableCARD™ (M-Card) and single cable RF connection will support playing and/or recording of up to four live channels of high-definition digital cable TV simultaneously.

"Ceton is incredibly proud to deliver the world's first quad-tuner digital cable solution for the PC platform," said Gary Hammer, president and chief executive officer of Ceton Corp. "Our product has been generating an amazing amount of excitement in the Windows Media Center community over the last several months and we're thrilled with the response. A Windows 7 PC with Windows Media Center and the Ceton Digital Cable Quad-Tuner delivers the hands-down best digital television experience available on any device, any platform and any network."

"Windows 7 introduced a number of new features that enable the best in TV on your PC and the Ceton technology is a great example of partner innovation that takes advantage of these new capabilities," said Geoff Robertson, General Manager of Windows Media Center for Microsoft. "A Windows 7 PC with the Ceton Digital Cable Quad-Tuner card installed gives consumers a cost-effective, multi-tuner, digital cable experience on the PC."

"Acer believes the PC platform with Windows 7 is ideal for enabling world-class digital entertainment experiences that are significantly better than what consumers have today on proprietary set-top boxes," said Michael Cochran, Director of Research & Development for Acer Inc. "The Ceton Digital Cable Quad-Tuner card combined with Windows 7 PCs opens up a range of new in-home entertainment that consumers have been asking for and that are now possible."

The Ceton Digital Cable Quad-Tuner card is on display at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in the following partner booths:
  • Ace Computers (South Hall 1, booth # 21807) – is demonstrating a 4-tuner configuration as well as an 8-tuner technology preview configuration
  • Microsoft Corporation (Central Hall, booth #7144) – is demonstrating a 4-tuner configuration
  • MSI (South Hall 3, booth # 30651) – is demonstrating a 4-tuner configuration

About Ceton Corporation

Ceton Corporation is a Seattle-area technology company that is developing the next-generation of in-home digital entertainment and communication solutions. Combining stellar hardware and software engineering capabilities with market-making, patent-pending technology, Ceton aims to help unlock the potential of the digital home to unleash a new generation of in-home connected entertainment and communication services for PC and device makers, software developers and consumers. More information about Ceton and its solutions is available at http://www.cetoncorp.com.

CableLabs, CableCARD, and OpenCable are trademarks of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.