Announced all the way back in 2006, Microsoft and DirecTV are engaged in the world's slowest romance, which some day should result in requited love for subscribers who want to use Microsoft's Media Center DVR platform with the satellite TV service. While a whole lot of nuthin' followed the CES 2006 announcement, recent rumblings and trusted sources tell Ars that the dream is still alive in Redmond. Microsoft is pressing forward with testing on solutions for both DirecTV and possibly Sky TV in the UK, and has hope that other satellite providers will hop on board.

Renewed speculation into the state of affairs came after the posting of two jobs at Microsoft, both listed earlier this year and still unfilled. An entry for a software tested for the eHome NetOp TV Team revealed that Microsoft is working on "TV Tuners designed to deliver Premium TV experiences from world class Satellite TV network operators." These tuners support "PPV, H.264 HD, in-band guide loading," and can record two streams at once. An even earlier posting talks about the company's work in both the US and Europe.