So I found some pictures online using the google images option. They are photos of the internal components of the HR20-100. Looks to me like there are two PCI x4 slots with two PCI x4 cards used as the HD tuners in these unit. This has me really going, as I've been hoping for a Media Center solution to time-shift HD content from D*. There were rumors in the past of D* working on an MCE option, but I find that highly unlikely. I think they are far too worried about DRM and content turning up elsewhere. Mostly because they did not allow us TiVo owners to use MRV. I still don't understand why this is an issue, because C* digital cable seems to be OK with it.

Personally I prefer TiVo, but next to that I prefer my MCE PC. The D* units are OK, but still not a TiVo, and are somewhat buggy still. My HR10-250 is great, but it will not receive all of the content. With the possibility that the HR20-100 using PCI tuners really has me going. I'm very curious as to how difficult it would be to install these tuners into a PC and at least get it to display content on the screen? I'm not interested in hacking or getting around any kind of HDCP or DRM. I would just like to be able to use my MCE PC to watch all of my content.

It's always made more sense to me, rather than upgrading TiVo or adding storage to other DVR units where the content is limited, that the space can be far better utilized on a PC.

Well, I guess I'm alone on this one. I would have thought there were more people out there that were looking for MCE with HD tuner support.

The satellite tuners in the DirecTV HDTV receivers are all soldiered on the logic board.

The PCI tuners you refer to are the OTA tuners. You can buy as many of those as you want for a Vista MCE PC. HDHomerun (http://www.silicondust.com/wiki/products/hdhomerun) is probably the most popular OTA tuner for Vista MCE.

Yes, that makes perfect sense. I've been getting my hopes up that D* would release a compatible tuner option for MCE. C* already has it.

Actually, if you look at it from the rear, the OTA tuner is on the side...

http://hr20.dbstalk.com/images/hr20_100/large/img_5980.jpg

The satellite tuners are slotted connected to a daughter card.

Actually, if you look at it from the rear, the OTA tuner is on the side...

http://hr20.dbstalk.com/images/hr20_100/large/img_5980.jpg

The satellite tuners are slotted connected to a daughter card.Ahh, I see you are right. I knew the HR20-100 had tuners from Thomson, so with a quick glance, I assumed that's what those slots were with the visible Thomson chip. But this shot (http://hr20.dbstalk.com/images/hr20_100/large/img_5986.jpg) shows the Thomson OTA tuners on the side.

I didn't see get any search results on the Thomson 4120C, so I don't know whether the DVB/DVB-S2 demodulation circuitry is still soldiered onto the mainboard, as it is on other HR20 variants. It looks like this part (http://hr20.dbstalk.com/images/hr20_100/large/img_5984.jpg) near the hard drive could be a Broadcom BCM450x DVB/DVB-S2 demodulator, but I can't quite read the part number.

Regardless, those tuners wouldn't help you since hardware decryption chip is still soldiered onto the motherboard.

Yeah, I found only one hit on google for the chip, and didn't get much info off of it. I'm not looking to try to get any kind of free programming, but just crossing my fingers that some day D* will offer a MCE tuner :).