HDTV DirecTiVo news from CES

« VIA Entering Entertainment PC Market | Main | Intel Moves Further Into Consumer Electronics »

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

Comments

The bad news: no standalone TiVo as was announced last year any time. It's either DirectTv (and holding one's nose over Murdock's owndership) or nothing.

Posted by: Ruidh at Jan 9, 2004 11:43:33 AM

Who cares if there isn't a standalone unit? Frankly the standalone unit doesn't do a thing for me because I can't use it with my digital cable. So it does me no good.

I'm making the switch to DirecTV and DirecTivo specifically because it has the most integrated support for the Tivo unit.

Most cable systems are coming out with their own PVR's anyway, COX for example has one in the works.

Too bad for them i've already made the switch to DirecTivo.

Posted by: Carl at Jan 9, 2004 2:36:54 PM

According to the call, TiVo said they would first let the HD-Directivo go to market and see how well it sold before committing to a time frame on the standalone HD-Tivo. I suspect they don't want to compete for the same customers at the same time.

Posted by: Matt Haughey at Jan 9, 2004 2:47:59 PM

The reason there is no standalone HDTV Tivo is simple. It's not cheap.

With the DirecTV version they have complete control of inbound signal. The HD version is simply recording the 19.3 Mb/s ATSC steam onto the hard drive w/o attempting to transcode it in any way.

As with the SD DirecTivo, the data is played back and decoded/decrypted on the fly on the way to the screen. DirecTV supplies a clean data feed and no ATSC tuner is needed.

If you wanted a standalone, there would be two ways to do it.

1) Record the off-air ATSC stream. Feasible, but you would need an ATSC tuner (cost) and an antenna input system (cost) and Tivo would get calls from people with bad reception in place like NYC (cost).

2) Decode the HD component video from an external ATSC tuner. This would require both full ATSC decoders (cost) to lay down the data and ATSC encoders (cost) to play it back in the appropriate format.

Standalone HD PVRs will come from Tivo eventually, but as long as the big sugar daddy of DirecTV is paying the bills, they let the costs come down on all the extra components.

Posted by: Michael at Jan 12, 2004 8:35:40 PM

I just got back from CES - a couple of points.

According to DirecTV booth people the unit will be out in late March and will MSRP for $999.

As for a standalone HDTV TiVo, I don't understand the last poster - one of us is confused.

There is no need to encode HDTV, the DirecTiVo unit and the standalone HDTV reference design (which was on display in the TiVo booth again) have ATSC tuners. The digital data is recorded directly to the drive.

But is there a market for a TiVo that only does HDTV over the air, and can only encode SD input from cable, etc? Personally I don't believe there is.

So the real HDTV standalone unit will probably be one that supports the new Digital Cable Ready plug-and-play cable standard, which will allow the unit to record QAM HDTV signals from digital cable. I would expect such a unit to have an ATSC tuner, as in the current reference design, as well. But the main use will probably be digital cable.

TiVo reps wouldn't talk about such a box, other than to admit TiVo certainly is interested in that market and has been watching it closely.

Digital cable ready boxes from other vendors (non-TiVo) were on display at CES.

Posted by: MegaZone at Jan 13, 2004 1:44:08 AM

Matt, your standalone observations don't make much sense considering the unit already includes two atsc tuners and the ability to record ota atsc as well as hd from directv.

- pink

Posted by: pink at Jan 13, 2004 9:06:24 AM

Does anyone know of any dvd recorder that comes with an audio optical input?

Posted by: TROY MEADORS at Feb 6, 2004 4:57:30 PM

I can easily understand why TIVO is not in a rush to release a stand-alone HiDef TIVO.

I live in the Bay Area of California. I can get about 1/2 dozen channels off air that broadcast OCCASIONALLY in HiDef. As far as I can tell, virtually none of the markets around here are presently offering HiDef Cable (maybe some small pockets here and there). And this is a HUGE cable market.

My information is that ComCast has to make massive investment in new infrastructure in the Bay Area before HiDef Cable will become a practical reality in this market. (Many areas still don't have high speed cable internet around here) Not just new reception equipment. THe weak link seems to be transmission lines, switches, etc.

So, TIVO has to make an economic decision: bring a PVR to market for a delivery channel that keeps adding more HiDef signals every day right now (DirecTV), or produce one for the 1/2 dozen off air channels available to most of us schlogs that rely on cable and an aerial for HiDef channels even in a cable market with more than 6 million potential subscribers.

They can sell the stew out of DirecTV units over the next year. THe markup on the initial release units and DirecTV PVR sales in '04 will bankroll in part, the costs of developing the cable/ATSC units to come later.

Plus, with ComCast and other cable companies developing competing technology, will there EVER be a market for stand-alone TIVO except for off air reception. I have to imagine that people relying mostly on off air are not a very large market segment, just due to the limited number of channels available to most people in heartland America. If you live in Little Rock, AR, do you get more than one channel for each network? Probably not. (just guessing so don't get offended) So, if you don't have HiDef cable, are you likely to drop $1000 to record NBC News and Everybody Loves Raymond in Hi Def? Or the bleeped and edited 4 hour version of the best picture from 2002? Probably not. And, if ComCast comes to market with its own HiDef PVR, then will you buy a TIVO, or subscribe to Comcast's top pkg and get teh free PVR subscription and free or discounted equipment?

My bet is that TIVO will never come out with a stand-alone HiDef PVR, or if they do, it will be expensive, low production numbers and destined to flop.

Get out your stock tip sheets. Does anyone besides me see a merger between TIVO and DirecTV in the future? Hmmm.

Posted by: Tony at Feb 6, 2004 5:29:57 PM

On an unrelated but equally important topic (to me anyway), does anyone have an idea when/if TIVO/DirecTV will add Home Media Option functionality to the the DirecTV PVRs? I have a standalone Series 2 w/ home media and bought a DirecTV PVR thinking it was Home Media capable (USB ports and all). But no joy. (I wonder if the HiDef DTV/TIVO will be Home Media ready?)

Posted by: Tony at Feb 6, 2004 5:51:46 PM

You won't see Home Media option for DirecTiVo because that means you could have a 2nd TiVo in the house and watch pre-recorded DirecTV channels from another room in the house without paying DirecTV the extra $5 a month...

Posted by: Cjay at Feb 6, 2004 9:17:47 PM

Dang. I really wish they would offer the home media option. I'd only use it for photos and music on my home theater system.

Posted by: Matt Haughey at Feb 6, 2004 9:40:22 PM

That it certainly one theory that could easily be accepted.. but on the other hand DirectTv would charge you for the HMO service or there is nothing to say that your current A/V set-up would not already allow for watching a pre-recordered DirectTv show in another room without a second receiver. (2-tuner, zone2, ect.). So the counter argument should be additional pressure to DirectTv to provide those of us wanting a HMO option. ???

Posted by: rob at Feb 22, 2004 10:31:25 AM

Available NOW?

http://tiger.orbitsat.com/product.asp?pid=HD-DVR250T&subM=TiVo

Posted by: cjay at Feb 24, 2004 12:43:22 PM

No. Not available now. Take a closer look next to the price and you will see it is for a waiting list.

Posted by: Kurt at Mar 2, 2004 4:18:52 PM

When are we gonna see the DirectTV HD TiVo unit?

Posted by: radiorhea at Apr 12, 2004 7:43:21 AM

hello any info on a tivo that will record hi def

Posted by: nick at Apr 24, 2004 2:07:43 PM

HD TIVOs can be made, and made cheaply. The issue is NOT a technical one, but rather a political one. For example you can output 1080p over coax, but the regulating committees say that it is not possible. It is not possible because they are afraid that if the consumer has the ability to record 1080p from a component single, more piracy of bluray and other HD sources would increase. That is the reason why you don't see HD PVRs. It is NOT a cost or technical issue, it is politics revolving around piracy. If you go to China or Japan, there are PLENTY of devices that will allow you to output 1080p over component as well as capture cards available. They are illegal here in North America.

Posted by: bruce at Oct 9, 2008 3:14:03 PM

HDTV DirecTiVo news from CES

Comments

Post a Comment

On this site

Recent Comments

Advertising