Replacing Your Tired Old DVR 121
An anonymous reader wrote to mention a C|Net article about a possible replacement for the DVR. Called RS-DVR, it allows customers to record shows on centrally located business-owned servers. From the article: "One uncertainty is reaction to Cablevision's service by programming networks, which have bristled at some of the cable industry's previous attempts to record shows on their systems before negotiating new broadcasting rights. Cablevision argues nothing will be recorded on its network unless the viewer orders it from the remote control--an important difference from other failed experiments. Earlier controversies had centered on Time Warner Cable's aborted Maestro service, which had proposed to automatically store programs on its network so viewers could order up just about any show that had been previously broadcasted." There are a number of possible media ownership issues here, I think. Personally, I'm happy having the shows right here on a hard drive in my home.
Very strange (Score:5, Funny)
- Andrew
Re:Very strange (Score:1)
An anonymous reader wrote to mention a C|Net article about a possible replacement for the DVR [CC]. Called RS-DVR, it allows customers to record shows on centrally located business-owned servers. From the article: "One uncertainty is reaction to Cablevision's service by programminG netwOrks, which have bristled at sOme of the cable industry's previous attempts to record shows on their systems before neGotiatinG new broadcasting rights. CabL Evision argues nothing will be recor
Re:Very strange (Score:2)
- Andrew
Re:Very strange (Score:1)
So there.(TM)
No way (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:No way (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:No way (Score:2)
Re:No way (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:No way (Score:2, Insightful)
sure, same as email (Score:2)
to get your shows, you watch & record.
Re:No way (Score:1)
Re:No way (Score:2)
I would be happy to store the TV shows online away from my hard disk. Space I can use for something more useful.
Frankly, I don't care if the shows are stored locally here or online as long as I can pull it up and view it on the devices I like. If some of them needs special hardware due to copyrights, I'm fine with that. I couldn't care less if I can't store Friends or South Park for several years or make copies of it, I only watch the show once anyway.
If you want to own a movie or sh
'Tired Old DVR' (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:'Tired Old DVR' (Score:5, Funny)
Re:'Tired Old DVR' (Score:2)
You insensitive clod.
Re:'Tired Old DVR' (Score:1)
I have a VCR which I still use and it's about 15(ish) years old (I borrowed it from my parents a while ago...). The head is a bit worn so recording is a bit crap (but if I really want to watch something and I'm out, it is bearable) but play-back is fine. Why do we have to replace everything so quickly these days?
My parents have still got a TV which is older than me (I'm 22), and it works brilliantly. They had to replace it
Viewing Pleasure (Score:1)
Re:Viewing Pleasure (Score:1)
One question that is a bit up in the air is whether HD recording will be supported. Cablevision currently supplies a Scientific Atlanta (er, Cisco?) 8300HD box for users with HD sets, which has dual tuners. It
Re:Viewing Pleasure (Score:1)
You can add a 30 second skip to Comcast DVR remote
Is quite handy.
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,11973771~m
Re:Viewing Pleasure (Score:1)
My DVR is MythTV (Score:5, Informative)
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:2)
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:3, Informative)
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:2)
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:1)
http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-3.html#s s3.1
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:2, Informative)
I think most people will want 2 capture devices--watching one thing an
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:2)
You don't need two capture devices to watch one thing while recording another. You need two capture devices to record two shows that are on at the same time. Since you watch only stuff that's already been recorded, you can do that anytime, regardless of what the tuners are doing. Next Tuesday, for instance, Overhaulin' [overhaulin.com] and The Unit [cbs.com] are on at the same time. Overhaulin' gets recorded on one of th
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:2)
As a side note, my folks bought a Panasonic DVR thingy. It has a DVD writer, SD slot, and 100G hard disk. Apparently, you have to let it sit on for a week before it picks up the lineup, and still mis
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:2)
My DVR is ReplayTV. Why would I want to replace it? No DRM, works great, and I can burn shows I like onto DVD. I recommend this to everyone interested in a DVR.
that product IS geared towards the General Tv drooling moron. and yet it gives me the same abilities with a very simply program called DVarchive on my local PC. plus I get a 30 second skip button that all cabletv pvrs are intentionally missing.
Fast Forewarding through commercials sucks horribly. Pressing a button
Re:My DVR is BitTorrent (Score:2)
Re:My DVR is BitTorrent (Score:2)
Re:My DVR is BitTorrent (Score:2)
And how is that different from cable?
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:2)
Zap2IT (Score:2)
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:2)
The same place TiVo gets its guide data. Tribune Media Services [tribune.com] (which is what TiVo uses) runs Zap2it Labs [zap2it.com], a free service for open-source and free-as-in-beer PVR projects that provides about two weeks' worth of listings. I've been using MythTV for mayb
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:1)
Until then however, when I want a Linux based DVR, I'll just use TiVo... Works great, cheaper... Hackable (if I feel like it, as opposed to knoppmyth)...
td
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:1, Insightful)
Building your own DVR using free scftware should not cost you more than a couple hundred dollars. Be creative and it will cost even less.
Here is the recipe (assumes you have analog cable or OTA antenna and a internet provider)
1. Pentium 400 MHz or faster w/128MB RAM or more, a HD 8GB or larger, a decent video card (nvidia or one that supports Xv), and an ethernet NIC.
Cost: probably free if you reuse an old PC but no more than $100 if you shop on eBay.
2.
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:2)
While it is very cool that you built a PVR, not everyone (like me) really wants to. There probably is no reason for you to ditch the PVR for a service. I have thought about building one myself, might be fun, but then I have to manage it.
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:2)
B) How well do you support HD? Or do you only do so with over-the-air stations again?
Re:My DVR is MythTV (Score:2)
Privacy (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Privacy (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Privacy (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Privacy (Score:2)
DRM? No Way! (Score:4, Insightful)
No thanks!
Re:DRM? No Way! (Score:1)
pricing (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:pricing (Score:1)
Re:pricing (Score:2)
On my own hard drive - exactly... (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly. As I've said before, I've never cottoned to having my email stored on someone else's server, either.
Just give me the PIPE, man! I don't need, want, or trust any of your "services" to manage the data for me. I can do that myself, thank you very much.
Steve
mp3.com (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:mp3.com (Score:3, Informative)
Won't replace my DVR... (Score:2)
Re:Won't replace my DVR... (Score:2)
Not a Good Thing (Score:1)
First, I don't want comcast to be storing my shows. I cannot imagine the cable companies will ever NOT impose more strict usage guidelines upon me... because they can.
Second, I've never modded my DVR, I've never even made copies from my DVR or TV to a computer. 95% of the time my usage of the DVR is using the "WTF did they just say button" and the article,
Sorry, I like my "has-been" TiVo (Score:3, Interesting)
(BTW, before you suggest Myth - Myth won't work for me - I have DirecTV and HD. DirecTV has already massivly compressed the shows, I've got 2 tuners in one box, and there is no full rate HD input card in my price range)
Re:Sorry, I like my "has-been" TiVo (Score:2)
Can you get shows you've previously (before hack) recorded off the box unencrypted?
Was it a ton of work to get setup and working?
Re:Sorry, I like my "has-been" TiVo (Score:2)
Sigh... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Sigh... (Score:1)
What about my Betamax? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What about my Betamax? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:What about my Betamax? (Score:1)
Re:What about my Betamax? (Score:3, Interesting)
Why would I do this? (Score:2, Insightful)
So the content providers can choose how long I have to watch something I want to record? And how is this better than having a DVR and on-demand tv?
Unless they somehow offer this 'feature' as a free service, count me out.
Good for them, bad for us. (Score:2)
"You're breaking the law with your saving and redistributing that copyrighted cont
Re:Good for them, bad for us. (Score:4, Insightful)
The cable company doesn't care if you record and redistribute content. It's not hypocritical for them to do it themselves.
On the other hand, you can bet the owners of the content are going to have a problem with the cable companies time-shifting their content and getting paid for it, unless they're getting a cut of the fees and they're convinced it will make it more difficult for the end users to record, redistribute, and skip commercials. I'm sure they'd love to see the cable companies take as much DVR functionality away from the customers as they can get away with.
Re:Good for them, bad for us. (Score:1)
Please, No! (Score:2, Insightful)
Its scarey, but I forsee a time where a TV is a thin-client- basically an mpeg decoder with a remote proxy tied back to the cable company. And I do not want this. I'm very happy with my dual tuner Motorola HD PVR. (ok, I could be happier if Insight Communication hadn
Re:Please, No! (Score:2)
you have not been paying attention to CATV lately have you.
Comcast and others are going to ALL digital setups with tiny little "thin client" boxes that have MPEG2 stream capability. your TV will haveto have a CableCARD to recieve it or use the box. no analog signals, no unscrambled Digital signals. you have to use the cable company's tuner/descrambler gear or not recie
Questions: (Score:5, Insightful)
2. Will it still be there when the network loses the "right" to broadcast it?
3. Will it still be there in case government (or someone else) doesn't like the idea of its existance?
4. Will it be free of extra charge?
5. Will it allow "unlimited" recordings?
6. Will I be able to make local copies?
If one of those queries return "no", my answer is "no" as well and I stay with my means of recording.
Re:Questions: (Score:2)
As soon as the library opens up and pricing structure catches up to inflation, I really do believe that the iTMS will "kill" PVRs. All Apple would have to do is release some kind of monthly subscription, $100 a month gets you 100 episodes of any and every show a month.
Re:Questions: (Score:2)
Not really. Any OS update could disable the ability to play your files, and there's no escape hatch of burning and re-ripping like with iTMS music.
All Apple would have to do is release some kind of monthly subscription, $100 a month gets you 100 episodes of any and every show a month.
Now that's interesting. I wouldn't do $100, but with 50 for $50 I'd happily cancel my cable service. Assuming the resolution becomes adeq
Re:Questions: (Score:2)
Hey, what happened to my recording of Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction"?
Re:Questions: (Score:2)
Last week chocolate rations were lowered from 60g to 40g.
Orwell's DoubleThink can be enforced with a centralized recording system like this. Granted, we're already dangerously close to that as it is with existing DRM schemes and with media owners being able to buy multiple outlets (print, TV and radio stations) within the same given market.
By the way: Chocolate ra
Why? (Score:2)
Why can't something like this apply to tv channels? They pay their money and then they can broastcast the shows they have rights to whenever they like. Also this means their customers can view what ever shows when they like.
I mean, we could just record it on vhs and swap tapes...
Industry's next big idea (Score:3, Funny)
My first big idea of 2006? Peer to Peer networks! I'll call them p2p for short, I'm sure they will be a big success. We could charge a fee for encumbered media that only works the way we want, and expect our customers to help distribute to boot.... errr, what? p2p exists and people use it freely already to obtain unencumbered media. damn! I thought I was onto a brand new idea here. ...errr, what? people have been recording TV just fine without me for more than 20yrs? and they've been recording them digitially using a PVR for the better half of a decade?
ok; my next big idea is to record TV shows for people, and store them on my server. Then people can tell me what they want recorded and watch it later. I'm sure this one will fly!
dammit! why does the market always beat me to the punch?? there must be some way I can extort more money out of people for useless services.
Overreacting a bit, I think (Score:3, Insightful)
Ok, kvetch about possible cost -- though it might be cheaper than roll your own -- and limitations, but it's sounding too much like conspiracy theory here. For Joe Average who missed last night's "American Idol", this could be very handy.
Re:Overreacting a bit, I think (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Overreacting a bit, I think (Score:3, Informative)
And if I wished to torture myself with last night's episode of American Idol, and for some reason I hadn't programmed my own DVR (or told my cable company to record it for me), I'd look for it on iTunes for just $2 once, not pay $10 a month.
Lag? (Score:2)
is it portable? (Score:1)
I just received my new 40gb PVR-700 [archos.com] and now I can go anywhere and have DVR functions.
I can copy the files I DVR onto my hard drive via the USB cable and do all my editing there.
I can bring my PVR to my friend's house and show off the cool ass viral video I downloaded.
I can plug it into my video card's s-video output and use it to record those hard to convert MKV and other wrapper video files.
You wanna get un-tired, you should check this device o
Replace? they mean downgrade. (Score:4, Insightful)
and that is only the start, I can not see ANY advantages of their proposed setup. Right now I can record and play back perfectly without my internet connection, theirs CANT.
unless it is going to be $1.25 a month it cant even begin to offset the loss in features (30 second skip is missing from the Comcast PVR and that is why I will not touch it.)
Re:Replace? they mean downgrade. (Score:3)
I have seen a mythbackend server on a Dual P-III 866 that had 5 PVR-250 tuner cards in it all recording from the CATV signal.
It was a sight to behold, but certianly had more complexity than most people can touch without losing sanity.
Also you can easily do this with ReplayTV. I have 3 replay 5040 units and pay 1/2 price for monthly service on all the other units after the 1st.
best part is the replayTV setup is 100% brain dead easy.
Re:Replace? they mean downgrade. (Score:2)
The "magic" isn't in the software, but in the capture card. With a PVR-250, you just need a system fast enough to copy 4Mbps over the PCI bus (per-card). Even a a very old single-proc machine can handle that.
Incidentally, PVR-150s are quite a bit cheaper, these days.
Truth is, it really doesn't require much complexity at all. MythTV is just a mess. I found it much easier, far more
Re:Replace? they mean downgrade. (Score:2)
Tired old DVR? (Score:2)
RS-DVR? I think they meant NVR (Score:2)
Just a question (Score:2)
what's the point (Score:1)
call me cynical.. but... (Score:1)
Tired old RS-DVR you mean? (Score:2)
My SageTV box plugs along flawlessly, recordin all the shows I want, streaming DRM free video to my entire network. I can easily burn the results to DVD or transcode to my PSP or GameBoy PlayYan. Why would I want to pay extra for less capability?
The fun part is that my tired old homemade DVR keeps gaining functionality over time from upgrades and synergy with my new toys
The continuous
Tired and old? (Score:2)
This is how (IMHO), new DRM-laden technology will sneak its way into our living rooms one day.
This is good...Seriously! (Score:1)
This is the essence of competitive innovation
Nobody is saying that you can't keep your DVR and the extra features it affords you, but please don't begrudge those that would love to see DVR like f
Plan to get from here to all pay per view (Score:3, Insightful)
Step 2. Kill off Tivo entirely by moving the hard drive out of the consumers home.
Step 3. Charge $1.99 to watch a timeshifted show (*cough* itunes *cough*).
From a Cable Operator's View... (Score:2, Interesting)
I can't spe
This has nothing to do with "media ownership" (Score:2)
If you don't want it, build your own mythTV box or buy a TiVO or something! AFAIK there is nothing to stop you from doing so. I'm sure that cable cos are fine with any product you use provided they don't have to offer support for it or pay to keep it in working order.
Re:"Old DVR"?! (Score:2)