Black Boxes: SONICblue ReplayTV 4040 PVR

by Melinda Adams
Winter 2002/Spring 2003

COMPANY: SONICblue
CONTACT: (408) 588-8000
WEB SITE: www.sonicblue.com
PRICE: $699

With the release of the ReplayTV 4000 series, SONICblue takes home-DV recording to the next level. In addition to the time-shifting and scheduling features we've come to expect from units like the ReplayTV and TiVo, the 4000 series ups the ante by taking advantage of broadband access to allow users to trade programs over the Internet. That, along with new bonus features such as file sharing and commercial skipping make SONICblue's latest release a winner -- but unfortunately one that just may be a bit ahead of its time.

Out of the Box
Setting up the ReplayTV 4040 (the series also includes 4080, 4160 and 4320 models, with the last three digits referring to hard-drive capacity) is similar to connecting a VCR, with the exception of the network connection. The unit includes standard cable/antenna inputs, as well as RCA and S-video outputs. On the networking side, the unit comes with an RJ-45 jack, the standard connector for Ethernet networks. The unit is designed to only connect to a broadband home network (DSL, ADSL or cable modem) rather than a dial-up modem connection used in Replay's less-expensive, non-sharing models. Since the broadband program sharing is the primary feature on this unit, the 4040 will not function at all unless it detects a valid network connection. (NOTE: the 4500 series does not require DSL. See the sidebar.) The included instructions made the networking sound simple, yet we found even our network-savvy techie needed quite a bit of fiddling with our admittedly non-standard network to get the Replay to recognize our connection.

Into the Ether
Once we'd created a valid network connection, the 4040 performed admirably with all of the classic ReplayTV features including channel guide, program search, scheduling, etc. In addition to the usual on-screen scheduling methods, the added broadband connection allowed us to schedule recordings and manage the 4040's content from a Web interface. We also found several forums on the Web in which other 4000 series users list programs currently stored on their units and offer them for trade. The sharing process is one-way; meaning that someone must send programs to you rather than retrieving them from another person's machine. We tested this feature by requesting a few specific shows via e-mail. In all cases, other 4000 series owners were happy to oblige and send us programs, though the transfer rate was extremely slow even over our otherwise normal DSL connection. A few movies we requested ran through two overnight transfer sessions before the senders finally gave up. In these cases, the unit reported only that we "may be experiencing network problems" but did not elaborate. SONICblue's Web site includes a disclaimer about the transfer speeds of some ISPs, which suggests the transfer rate may be a problem with these first-generation machines.

Skip It
Another new Replay feature is Commercial Skip. When we selected this option before playing a recorded program, the unit was able to successfully detect and zap around 80 to 90 percent of commercial content. While this feature is sure to strike fear into the heart of the advertising industry, it makes for great viewing. Not only could we watch programs when we wanted to view them, we could also catch a half-hour show in about 18 minutes without the commercials.
We liked the overall functionality of the unit, though we were surprised at some of its limitations, specifically that it requires the Internet connection be present at all times -- even just to watch regular television. We also experienced a few crashes related to our networking setup and found that in many cases the unit failed to respond to even the reboot function and we were forced to unplug it to get it working again. In theory, this unit is a winner, though SONICblue needs to do some fine-tuning on the next release to justify the $700 price tag. Melinda Adams is a computer consultant and Web enthusiast.

[Sidebar: 4500?]
No sooner had our keyboard cooled when SONICblue announced that the 4000 series had been replaced with the 4500 series. This appears to be primarily a marketing move as the pricing of the ReplayTV was restructured: the 4504 (formerly known as the 4040, reviewed here) is now $450 + an additional $250 lifetime activation fee. This makes the unit seem more competitively price with TiVo (which pulls the same price trick), although the bottom line remains exactly the same. The only technology change we could find was that the modem on the 4500 was enabled, which meant that it could function on a dial-up only connection, albeit with greatly reduced file sharing capabilities.

SMART SPECS
Inputs: RF/ANT, s-video, 2 video RCA, 4 audio RCA
Outputs: RF/ANT, s-video, 2 video RCA, 4 audio RCA, VGA (for progressive), Optical (digital audio)
Storage Capacity: Up to 40 hours (MPEG 2) with 40GB drive
Additional Hardware: 10/100 Ethernet (RJ-45)