Intel® DHCAT Hits the Streets

We released Intel® DHCAT 1.0 in the fall of 2005. It featured the ability to predict user ratings, called Mean Opinion Scores (MOS Scores) for video playback, video recording and video streaming. It featured cutting-edge video analysis software from a British firm called Psytechnics*, a recognized leader in the field of perceptual modeling. But, like most version 1.0 pieces of software, ours had its fair share of rough edges. Some came from trying to create a whole new class of platform evaluation instrument. Some came from the complexity of Media PCs and getting them correctly configured. And some just came from the fact that we had a lot to learn about making Media PC evaluation truly simple. It was a humbling experience.

Next came Intel® DHCAT 2.0, which greatly improved on its predecessor in several key areas. It was easier to run. It took a lot less time to finish. Its GUI was easier to navigate. We made many steps forward, and some members of the press even picked up on it, and used it in their stories to cover Home Theater PCs (HTPCs). But it was still hard to run, and the results screen was still a bit overwhelming for the uninitiated.

We knew we were onto a good idea and that we were making progress, but there were still pieces missing. This tool, for all its impressive technologies and innovations wasn’t much good to consumers unless it solved their problems in some meaningful way. We were determined to make Intel® DHCAT better, and this time, “better” meant useful and helpful to consumers. The only way we were going to achieve that goal was to go talk to consumers, and really learn what their problems were when choosing Media PCs, and what information they needed to choose the right system. So that’s what we did…