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HDTV DirecTiVo news from CES

As an addendum to today's CES announcements by TiVo, two conference calls took place this afternoon, one by DirecTV and another by TiVo that mentioned the upcoming HDTV-capable DirecTiVo unit. Here is a chunk of their press release with some specs on the new unit:

The DIRECTV® HD DVR, along with the DIRECTV®DVR with TiVo® service, will apply familiar DVR functionality to DIRECTV and off-air ATSC high-definition programming – including the ability to record, pause, instant replay and rewind live television. The new DIRECTV HD DVR will feature a much larger recording capacity than existing DIRECTV DVRs, and will feature component and digital video outputs for enhanced audio and video.

The DIRECTV HD DVR will incorporate a 250 GB hard disk drive, which allows customers to store up to 30 hours of DIRECTV high-definition programming, up to 200 hours of standard-definition programming or any combination of the two*. The DIRECTV HD DVR enables customers to record high-definition programming from both DIRECTV and off-air ATSC. A customer can simultaneously record two different programs from DIRECTV, ATSC or one from each, while watching a pre-recorded program all at the same time. This means a customer can watch one high-definition program while recording two other high-definition programs.

In addition, the DIRECTV HD DVR will be one of the first products available with the latest in digital interfaces, High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector with High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP). The outputs may be configured for 480i, 480p, 720p, or 1080i formats.

Word on the street is that the units will cost somewhere around $699-899 depending on storage space and manufacturer. If any of the above technical jargon sounds like greek to you, the best source of background info on it is the TiVo Community board's new section devoted to HD TiVo, and more specifically the FAQ on all things HDTV TiVo and DirecTiVo. It does a great job explaining everything known about the upcoming units, what kind of hardware you'll need, what channels you'll get, and how it will operate.

by Matt Haughey January 8, 2004 in News, TiVo

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