he first CableCard-ready Windows Vista Media Center PCs have begun trickling into the market, but it will be some time before broad licensing is available to system builders.
CableCard enables consumers to view and record high-definition premium content such as HBO and ESPN on their TVs and PCs without a set-top box or personal video recorder.
Following an accord signed by Microsoft and Cable Television Labs in November 2005, a handful of specialized OEMs, including Niveus Media, ZT Systems, Velocity Micro and S1Digital, have been authorized to build and sell next-generation CableCard-ready Media Center PCs based on Vista Home Premium and Vista Ultimate.
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