Echo development is dead

[th3Pil0t]

I finally got a straight answer out of Ceton support department regarding performance issues with my two Echos. It's pretty much what has been assumed for a long time.

So...if you are not happy with your current hardware, I wouldn't be waiting around for F/W updates. And if you are considering buying one, don't expect any future updates.

Hi XXXXX,

The Freescale graphics chip and the Windows Media Center software used in the Echo is responsible for displaying video. Since the Echo is a Windows Media Center Extender that runs proprietary software licensed from Microsoft, this limits our ability to make changes to platform ourselves. We have escalated the issue with both Freescale and Microsoft. Unfortunately, neither company has indicated that changes will be made available at this point.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Thank you,
Ceton Support

[IownFIVEechos]

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Ahh but they apologized, so doesn't that make it all better?

[grinchy]

Should be no surprise to anyone here. I do wonder if it's time to move this forum to the "Xbox 360 & Legacy Extenders" forum. Though I wonder more why I still pop in every so often.

[Dean L. Surkin]

As grinchy says, it doesn't come as much of a surprise. My two Echos, together with Windows 7/Media Center work well enough for live TV and recording cable broadcasts, and I picked up a pair of Roku 3s to get the other features I wanted. I guess my current system, absent hardware death, will last until Microsoft stops updating the program guide in Media Center. I read somewhere that MS will stop support for Windows 7 in 2020, but I also recall reading that the program guide will be updated for a few years after that, since Windows Media Center was offered as an add-on to Windows 8.

At that point, absent third-party program guide support, I guess TiVo will be the only game in town in cable TV recording. Of course, by then, the encroachment of Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming services on cable TV may have changed the game entirely.