Black Boxes: ReplayTV Reviewed
Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) may be the most exciting thing to happen in the living room since the invention of the television itself. DVRs, like ReplayTV give television viewers an astounding amount of control over the programs they watch. Once you have one, you’ll never watch TV the same way again. Unlike VCRs, these units record video onto an internal hard drive. It records up to 20 hours of MPEG-2 video, and the image quality is far better than VHS.
ReplayTV’s hard drive-based video recorder connects to a phone line providing you with a searchable Electronic Program Guide (EPG), and it allows you to pause, rewind and replay live television.
ReplayTV’s latest release, the 2020, boasts several improvements over last year’s 2001 box (read our review of the 2001 in the Winter/Spring 2000 issue of SmartTV or see the review online at www.smarttvmag.com). The most notable improvements include new Replay Zones, which allow you easily to find and record programs by category, sharp new graphics and a redesigned remote control, something we had asked for in our prior review. Thanks for listening, ReplayTV.
Get Ready
Hooking up the unit was a snap. When we opened the box, we immediately found a large, full color, easy-to-follow Quick Start instruction card. Don’t worry about having to interpret small technical-looking wiring diagrams with cryptic icons. Just select one of four hook-up options from the card, match the provided cables to the proper connections on your TV, VCR, cable box or satellite receiver and a phone line; you’re ready to roll. The Quick Start card also includes a guide to each button on the redesigned universal remote control. Nice touch.
Next we powered up the box and followed the on-screen instructions for set-up. This was as easy as entering the first few digits of our phone number and clicking on the name of our cable company. There is no monthly fee for the ReplayTV service. Once you’ve bought the box, you’ve got the service.
The entire set-up process took less than 30 minutes. The unit dialed up and retrieved our local program listing and we were ready to go. While the box was busy getting our local listings, we took a few minutes to program the universal remote control for our TV and VCR. When the set up was complete, we were ready to pause, rewind, slow down and watch TV like never before.
The Channel Guide
The included universal remote control is the primary input device for the ReplayTV box. It was easy to program, and the buttons were easy to identify, even in a dimly lit living room. The remote includes channel up/down keys, and a numbered keypad for changing channels. However we did most of our surfing in the electronic program guide (EPG). Pressing the Channel Guide button on the remote can easily access the EPG. You can also press the Menu button and selecting the Channel Guide from the options that pop up on the screen.
The EPG lists seven days of programming in 30-minute blocks. Navigation is simple. Just click the arrow keys to move through the guide. Shows that are currently on are highlighted in light blue and shows that air later are dark blue. When you highlight a program you are given a brief description of it. To record the program, click the record button once. A red dot appears next to the episode on the EPG. Click the button twice and two red dots appear. The ReplayTV unit will now record the show every time it’s on. Want to know about the other shows airing this week? Press the Menu button and search the program listings by keyword.
The Replay Guide
To view the recorded programs, we pressed the Replay Guide button. A new interface appeared on screen listing the names of the programs we had recorded. If you have already started watching a program you have the option of playing the show from where you left off.
The quality of the recorded video was quite good: better than recordings we made on a VHS tape. Upon close inspection, a small amount of digital artifacting was visible from time to time, but you may never notice it. Artifacting of this sort is a natural by-product of the MPEG-2 compression used by devices of this sort.
Because the programs are recorded and played from a hard drive, you can skip through program sections at high speed: you may never again watch a commercial. A tap of the QuickSkip button on the remote lets you instantly skip ahead 30 seconds. The Instant Replay button lets you skip back seven seconds. After viewing a show, you can leave it on the hard drive, delete it or save it by recording it to videotape (VCR not included).
Controlling Live TV
One of the most attractive aspects of ReplayTV is the revolutionary power it gives you over live television. Although, technically speaking, you never watch “live” television with ReplayTV. As the television signal enters the box it is immediately digitized and instantly recorded before it hits the screen. The delay is imperceptible but the effect is profound. Because the signal is constantly recorded as you watch, you have the power to pause the “live” broadcast, and resume watching where you left off several minutes (even hours) later. When you resume viewing you can use the QuickSkip button to catch up to the “live” broadcast. Tap the Return to Live button and catch up to the live program instantly.
The Rewind function allows you to review portions of the program you are watching. A tap of the Instant Replay jumps the program back seven seconds. Want to see more? Use the Rewind button to rewind the live program all the way to the beginning if you like. But watch out. The rewind cue is reset every time you change channels.
Who Could Ask For More?
As good as the box is, there are a few things we’d like to see in future releases. 1) It would be nice if they’d add a picture in picture function so you could peruse the EPG without obscuring the show. 2) The current box requires that you watch the channel that is being recorded. We’d like to be able to record one show to the hard drive while watching another. The manual suggests that you use a line splitter to split the incoming cable signal. We’d rather not clutter up the entertainment center with all those extra cables. 3) More and more broadcasters are including interactive features and enhanced content in the broadcast signal (see the Interactive TV column in this issue for details). We’d like to see ReplayTV add ATVEF compliance so viewers can access these enhancements without the need for another device. 4) Lastly, WebTV users will currently have a tricky time trying to cable up their existing WebTV boxes and a ReplayTV unit. Both have EPGs, and want to be primary portal for television viewing. We’d like to see ReplayTV add Internet access and E-mail to eliminate the hassle for would-be TV Web surfers.
Survey Says...
So what do we think? We think the ReplayTV2020 makes watching TV an exciting new experience. The unit performed extremely well and recorded good-looking images with only minimal digital artifacting. It’s easy for anyone to operate and the features will hook you immediately. ReplayTV is so sure you’ll like it that they offer a risk-free 30-day trial. If you aren’t satisfied they’ll refund your money. We think you’ll like it.
Manufacturer ReplayTV
Inputs/Outputs
(800) 266-1301
www.replaytv.com
Price $499 (no monthly fee)
Storage Space Approx. 20 hours of MPEG-2 video
Video In S-video, RF/ANT cable, Composite RCA (2)
Video Out S-video, Composite RCA (2)
Audio In Stereo L/R RCA (2 pair)
Audio Out Stereo L/R RCA (2 pair)
Telephone Standard RJ-11 telephone jack
IR Control Out Female mini jack
Serial Control Out 9-pin serial port
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