Black Boxes: RCA Ultimate TV DWD490RE set-top box

by Edward B. Driscoll, Jr.
Fall 2001

RCA
(877) ULTIMATE
[www.rca.com]
$400 (DirecTV satellite dish needed. RCA's DS4290RE plus dish: $450)

In his 1994 book, Life After Television, George Gilder wrote that it was only a matter of time before technology would replace television that static, one-way, couch-potato medium with something interactive, fluid and flexible, shifting at least a little of the power from the networks back to the consumer. Microsoft's UltimateTV set-top box is one giant leap in that direction. It combines DirecTV satellite TV service, WebTV Internet access, an interactive TV decoder, picture-in-picture and a digital video recorder into one box.
That's quite a package, but for those who have a DirecTV satellite dish, it's a product that is long overdue. With 300 or more channels of programming, you are bound to find desirable shows on at inconvenient times, or two of your favorite shows on simultaneously.

Joint Venture
Microsoft's UltimateTV is a joint venture with DirecTV, Sony and RCA. DirecTV supplies the programming, Sony and RCA make the hardware and of course, Microsoft provides the UltimateTV software.
We tested RCA's version, the DWD490RE. At a suggested retail price of $399, it's certainly cheaper than buying a ReplayTV or TiVo and a WebTV Plus box, and it adds Web-based interactivity to DirecTV. Also, putting three units into one set-top box adds much more flexibility than using separate components, and frees up some inputs on an A/V receiver.

The Hard Disk as VCR
While most DirecTV set-top boxes allow for easy programming of a VCR, tapes aren't as sharp as the satellite's original digital picture, and they wear out when taped over repeatedly. Also, until now, you needed a separate set-top box to tape one show when watching another. UltimateTV replaces all of that with the dual-tuner PVR (personal video recorder). Being able to record and/or watch two separate programs at once will solve many a family squabble over the remote.
The DWD490RE can store approximately 35 hours of programming on its hard drive. DirecTV's reputation for sharp picture quality is well known. With the DWD490RE, we couldn't see the difference between the digital satellite picture and a digitally recorded picture. The customary feeling of watching inferior videotape quickly yielded to enjoyment of watching a superior-imaged, live TV show we could pause, rewind and fast-forward.

Ultimate Features
The DWD490RE's remote control resembles the standard RCA DirecTV remote, but it includes a few extra buttons to operate UltimateTV's added features. One of the most useful buttons is the one that allows for a 30-second advance, great for zapping commercials on a recorded show. It also has a seven-second skip-back feature. Want to have your own instant replay of a touchdown? Miss a line of dialogue? Just skip back and replay the quote. These functions work even on shows you're not actually recording for later viewing.
The DWD490RE offers TV, Internet and two-station picture-in-picture. The unit does not, however, have an intuitive "brain," a la TiVo, that learns your viewing likes and dislikes. Another DWD490RE feature is a DirecTV electronic program guide, which offers two weeks of programming information.

The Price is Right
The monthly fee for UltimateTV is $10, which includes three hours of Internet access. (Microsoft assumes that most users of the box will not use it as their primary Internet source, unlike users of WebTV).
The same service with unlimited Net access is $30 ($15 to use your own ISP account). This is in addition to an existing DirecTV monthly fee, which varies based on the packages of channels and other options chosen.

A Satellite-only Service
Even a component dubbed the ultimate in TV is bound to have some frustrating aspects, depending upon expectations. First, because it is designed for use with DirecTV's digital signal, UltimateTV can't record regular (off-the-air or cable) television. UltimateTV is truly a satellite TV component and is meant to supplement that service, not stand alone as a video-recording unit. While the unit has two sets of audio and video outputs with RCA jacks, there is only one S-video output. A second S-video output would be a welcome addition to add flexibility in output configurations.

Patch That Bug
While Microsoft publicly announced a few bugs, such as programs not deleting properly and overwriting existing material on its hard drive when it runs out of space, we did not experience these symptoms on our evaluation unit. Microsoft's technical department will send you a fix if your unit has this symptom, and promises to incorporate it in its next software upgrade, which is expected to be released soon.
When Microsoft debuted their UltimateTV units at the January Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, all showcased units accessed high-speed Internet access via a dongle that connected an RJ-45 cable to the USB port. This connection allowed the WebTV component of the box to work. It was unfortunate that they didn't include this dongle with the shipping unit or make it immediately available as an accessory.
The most useful attribute that stands out for UltimateTV is its dual tuners. This feature lets the user record one program and watch another or record two separate programs at the same time.
With user feedback and version upgrades from Microsoft, UltimateTV is close to living up to its name.

SMART SPECS