Microsoft’s Stand-Alone DVR Drops

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LG MS DVRLG’s previously announced and demo-ed Microsoft-powered DVR is now available at your local big box retailer. We can all agree ReplayTV is no longer a threat to TiVo’s stand-alone business, but a major play by Microsoft is interesting. In theory, competition is good for innovation and keeping prices reasonably low.

The DVR has some nice features including a beefy 160GB hard drive, USB ports for external drives, a 90 minute buffer, DVD burning, and the ability to playback PC-based audio and pictures. Additionally, MCE owners have the ability send video, audio, and pictures in either direction. To get folks on board Microsoft is offering $100 off of the one-time subscription option.

LG says: The world’s first dedicated “digital media recorder” with the Microsoft Program Guide service is now available at leading consumer electronics retailers nationwide, LG Electronics announced today. The LG LRM-519 Digital Media Recorder is a combination digital video recorder (DVR) and DVD recorder powered by Windows Media Center Technologies with a 160-gigabyte hard drive for unparalleled recording flexibility. Creating a new industry product category and taking home theater digital convergence to the next level, the LG LRM-519 has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $599.95. The Microsoft Program Guide service is available through three subscription options: a one-month subscription for $9.99, a one-year subscription for $99.99 or a one-time subscription for $249.


(Photo graciously provided by Engadget)

9 thoughts on “Microsoft’s Stand-Alone DVR Drops”

  2. What is a “One-Time” subscription?

    A One-Time subscription is charged only once and the subscription is active for the operational life of your Recorder.

  3. If you buy a $500 MCE Desktop machine, the guide data is free, no additional charges. Why is the guide data on this box $249? An OEM copy of MCE is only $110…

  6. Is Microsoft Program Guide service a guide for cable programming or will it also do DirectV or dish programming.
    Can i hook up a cable box and directv box to it ???
    thanks

  7. Buyer Beware. I bought a LRM-519 for xmas and paid the one time subscription fee of $249. I spent hours with customer service trying to get it setup, only to find out I had a defective unit. I brought it back to best buy and exchanged it for another. Problem is, the $249 fee IS NOT TRANSFERRABLE, and microsoft has a no refund policy. Therefore, at the time of this writing I am out $249 and have another unit with no subscription service!

  8. i saw this device yesterday at best buy. talking to the bestbuy rep. he told me the subscription fee will disappear on Feb. 1st. No more $249.00 fee or any fees. The bestbuy guy said that an LG rep was there earlier in the day and told the bestbuy workers that the fee would go away. The box itself will stay at $599.00 though.

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