Earlier this week, DirecTV expanded their previously private whole-home DVR viewing pilot into an opt-in open beta. DirecTV’s rendition of multi-room viewing is similar to most – stream recorded content from a HD DVR to any other HD DVR or receiver around the home via a unified or filtered playlist. Additionally, you’ll be able to schedule recordings or delete programming from any receiver. In addition to having received the appropriate software update, you’ll also need to have networked your HD DVRs (models HR20-23) or receivers (models H21-23). In this case, on your own via Ethernet or via a DirecTV-purchased powerline or MoCA solution. Unlike most whole-home DVR solutions, once launched from beta, DirecTV will charge for this functionality. Something unseen since the days long ago that TiVo sold a Home Media Option. For more details, including hands-on experiences, check out DBSTalk. In addition to an active, evolving thread, they’ve also put together a PDF (mirrored below) covering the multi-room service with pics.
It’ll be interesting to see if the upcoming DirecTV TiVo solution will support multi-room viewing at launch. (Or at all.) Related, I’d like TiVo to launch a more modern, sophisticated MRV within their retail product line to the replace simplistic show copying (often prohibited by one’s cable provider).
(via Multimedia-PCs)
