Noise

by Charles Fulton
Digital Edition March 2004

Echostar's High-Def DVR
Echostar's DishDVR 921 satellite receiver contains two HD-capable tuners and a 250GB hard drive, capable of recording up to 180 hours of standard-definition programming or 25 hours of high-def programming (or some combination of both). The $999 box also includes picture-in-picture, as well as the ability to record two programs at once, all while watching a third program from the hard drive. The box includes FireWire, DVI and HD component video outputs, as well as composite, S-video and coaxial (RF) outputs for connecting to standard televisions. The DishDVR's optical digital audio output delivers Dolby Digital and PCM audio to stereo equipment. With a terrestrial antenna attached it receives and records off-the-air digital TV signals. The DishDVR 921 includes a universal remote control that can control a TV, VCR and an auxiliary device through IR and the satellite receiver through UHF radio.

AOL Offers Free Streaming Movies
In an effort to whet appetites for streaming video content, AOL is offering free movies via MovieFlix.com to its broadband subscribers. The classic and campy B-movie titles offered include selections from The Three Stooges, various Sci-Fi movies, Dick Tracy and films directed by Alfred Hitchcock, among others. Look for titles released periodically and sorted by themes.

The Continuing Saga of SONICblue
As the Summer/Fall 2003 issue of Smart TV & Sound was going to print, we learned that D&M Holdings was the high bidder for the ReplayTV and Rio business units formerly owned by SONICblue. The major television networks effectively litigated SONICblue into bankruptcy over the automatic commercial skipping and program sharing features found in some ReplayTV models.

The ReplayTV 5500 is the first model for the new ReplayTV. Most notably, it omits automatic commercial skipping, but it retains manual QuickSkip. It includes a more limited version of program sharing that only works over home networks and not over the entire Internet. ReplayTV has also adopted a different subscription model. The retail price of a new ReplayTV receiver includes a three-year subscription. You can extend the subscription for 99 cents per month when the box turns three years old.

The ReplayTV 5504, with a 40GB hard drive, retails for $500. The 80GB ReplayTV 5508 goes for $600 and the ReplayTV 5516 (with a 160GB hard drive) will cost you $850.

Charter to Buy 100,000 MOXI-Equipped Motorola Cable Boxes
In the first application of Digeo's much-ballyhooed MOXI set top software, Charter Communications has ordered 100,000 Motorola cable boxes with the MOXI software, which includes DVR functionality, picture-in-picture, high-definition resolution and an optional built-in progressive-scan DVD player. The rollout of the boxes, dubbed Broadband Media Centers, signals the first cable deployment of a DVR. The BMC9012 is a single-TV box, while the BMC9022D includes the DVD player and connects to two televisions simultaneously.

Media Center Edition Update
Microsoft has announced a slate of new partners that will begin building Windows XP Media Center Edition PCs, including Toshiba, Dell and Samsung. Sony has also announced Media Center Edition PCs, adding to their slate of VAIO machines with Giga Pocket.

A press event to announce a new version of the Media Center Edition was held shortly before this issue went to print, and included exhibits by nVIDIA, Gateway and HP, among other heavy hitters in the MCE PC arena.

nVIDIA showed an MCE PC by ViewSonic that could be placed horizontally or vertically, to fit in aesthetically with a greater range of surroundings. Also at the nVIDIA suite: Micro-PC manufacturer Shuttle's silver MCE-equipped PC, and a MCE machine built by Higrade with approximately the same size form factor as a typical DVD player. Of course, nVIDIA showed their own products that go into MCE PCs: the GeForce FX graphics chipset along with the GeForce FX Go mobile graphics chipset, the nForce 2 line of chipsets and nVIDIA's control software, ForceWare, which now includes Media Center-centric controls.

As Gateway showed the 610 Media Center, HP demonstrated a system dubbed the Photosmart PC, which includes an integral dock for HP's digital cameras. HP also showed a MCE laptop, joining Toshiba, who has been marketing them since June, along with Dell, which is planning a rollout, and Acer, which demonstrated a MCE laptop for the European market.

Microsoft has also announce their intention to roll out Media Center PCs to other parts of the world, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China and Japan.

Another highlight of the event was a demonstration of the Media Center Edition's Online Spotlight, which includes links to complimentary products such as the MovieLink and CinemaNow streaming movie services.

Microsoft Corporate Vice President Rick Thompson reported while the upcoming update of Windows XP Media Center Edition doesn't dual-tuner setups, future generations of the software may support two or more tuners.

Sony Makes Giga Pocket Standard on VAIO RS Computers
Sony has announced that it will integrate its Giga Pocket DVR software into a wider selection of future VAIO RS-series computers. Giga Pocket utilizes an Internet-driven program guide. When placed on a home network, a Giga Pocket-equipped PC can feed Sony RoomLink network media receivers. The VAIO RS family of computers starts at $850, and includes multimedia software to manage digital photos, music and video captured from analog and digital sources. Dual-format DVD burners (-R/RW and +R/RW) are also standard equipment on the VAIO RS line.

Gateway Keeps Rolling Out More Digital Media Products
At press time, Gateway announced a new line of Media Center Edition computers, dubbed the 610 Media Center series. The machines utilize an all-new, sleek silver design, featuring integrated 17" wide-screen flat panel displays. The machines also include built-in Ethernet or Wi-Fi networking, depending on the model selected. A total of 5 USB ports are available, along with FireWire ports and S-Video inputs and outputs. The machine includes a built-in subwoofer and full support for 5.1-channel audio. The machines also include a CD or DVD burner, depending on configuration.

Base prices start at $1,499 for the 610S model, up to $1,999 for the 610XL. The new media center PCs are slated to be available at the end of October.

Gateway has further broadened their product line to include a networkable DVD player, dubbed the Connected DVD Player. The $250 device can connect to a choice of Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet networks, and plays MP3 and WMA audio tracks, in addition to displaying digital photos (either from a Kodak Picture CD or from JPEG files stored on the home network).

Samsung Introduces DirecTV Receiver with TiVo
Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung has introduced a DirecTV satellite receiver with integrated TiVo DVR. The SIR-S4120R includes a 120GB hard drive, capable of storing up to 100 hours of programming. The box also includes two tuners, making it capable of recording two programs simultaneously or recording one program while watching a live program. The SIR-S4120R will retail for $499.

Philips Announces Connected Home Initiative
Dutch electronics manufacturer Philips has announced a line of interoperating electronic products, calling the venture "Connected Planet". The product line is based on open standards such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and UPnP (Universal Plug and Play, a network setting discovery protocol). Philips has also announced strategic partnerships with international telecom companies including Deutsche Telekom, British Telecom, Belgacom and Telecom Italia as part of the announcement.

The first Connected Planet product releases will be in 2004, and will include Streamium Wi-Fi audio/video systems, a new version of the Pronto remote control dubbed iPronto, as well as a wireless digital media client for the living room.