DVR

New Satellite DVRs Displayed

At the CEDIA Expo, which caters to the high-end home theater (installer), two new satellite DVRs were on display… DirecTV HR21 Pro TVSquad writes: a rack mountable unit ($1000) capable of recording 100 hours of HD programming in MPEG-4. It also packs an optical HDMI port for running long fiber optic cables without signal loss. … Read more

U-verse Adds Yellow Pages

The great thing about software updates is that they can roll out at any time. Word is that AT&T is now field-testing new U-verse apps in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area. While folks are still waiting on the more coveted whole-home DVR feature, the U-verse Users Forum has screenshots up of a Yellow Pages directory … Read more

Digeo and Monster Partner… For Something

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Digeo and Monster have announced a strategic partnership:

The collaboration will allow Digeo and Monster to combine the premium entertainment experience delivered by Digeo’s Moxi products with the superior quality and broad product line-up offered by Monster. It also brings Monster a step closer to their own expanded business strategy of creating an ecosystem of plug-and-play connected entertainment and home control devices. Together, the companies will also examine other compelling digital services and business development opportunities.

While at the Get Connected event in July some Monster folks I was chatting with indicated they’re planning to expand/enhance their Digital Home unit offerings. Though I would have never guessed a partnership with Digeo. I’ll be interested to see what this relationship produces with the upcoming Moxi retail push… beyond the obvious co-branding opportunities.

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New DVR Software… from Philips

Philips has announced it’s getting into the DVR software game. Apparently undeterred by the presence of TiVo, Microsoft, Verizon and Comcast/Gemstar, not to mention PC players like ReplayTV, the CE company has developed the Personal TV Channel. The software includes a program guide and recommendation engine for building a personal channel of favorite TV content. … Read more

And a Note About Apple TV – It’s Not Selling Well

Buried toward the end of this morning’s WSJ article on Sony is a short blurb on Apple TV:

Apple’s set-top device called Apple TV, which lets users play music and video from their computer-based iTunes library, has not been selling strongly since it went on sale earlier this year, analysts say.

apple-tv.jpgI had numerous debates with people when Apple TV first launched about how successful it could be. Then and now the biggest argument for Apple TV has always been that it has the potential to become so much more. If you add HD content to iTunes it could be a great HD video machine. If you add a TV tuner and DVR features it could replace your set-top. If you give people a chance to pay a premium for no DRM, it could transform the video purchasing experience.

Unfortunately, each “if” is fraught with complications. The content companies are fiercely protective of their content and only want to work with Apple on their own terms. This goes double where HD video is concerned given fears of piracy and lost revenue. As for consumers, they (we) want access to content they’re used to getting from their cable, satellite or telecom company, and that means dealing with CableCARDs or some other workaround technology. No simple task.

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DVRs Killing DVDs

The Netflix rental model is beloved in my household, and we watch very different things on Netflix DVDs than we do on our DVR. However, a new study out of the UK by a firm called Ofcom, the independent regulator of UK communications industries, suggests that DVR viewing may be cutting into DVD popularity. In … Read more

…And a DVR in Every Home

I remember when Motorola (yes, my employer) rolled out its first HD DVR years after TiVo and ReplayTV first hit the market. There was some general concern about Motorola being late to the game, but the truth was that DVRs hadn’t really made a splash yet, at least in terms of mass adoption. Today, Leightman … Read more