New technology could lead to next generation FR

surfer ^ | 10/14/01 | surfer

[surfer]

I just recently received information regarding an upgrade to my ReplayTV unit. Now for those of you that don't know what it is - it is basically a hard drive based VCR with real-time access.

My current unit store up to 60 hours of programming. One of the nice features is the ability to pause and rewind live programming. Let me tell you this has been very helpful during the recent breaking news!

Well let me explain why I think this technology could help us. SonicBlue is in the process of releasing the next generation of the technology. There are some new features that could really help us out here at FR.

Some of the new features include:

Up to 320 hours of recording time

Broadband connectivity (ethernet connection)

Ability to integrate to a network and your PC

Ability to share you recorded video with others that you know via the broadband connection on the net

They have a new concept called IChannels that allow them to push content via the net to the set-top boxes

Ok so how could this help us...well we probably would be able to post links to recorded newscasts right within FR.

We could share important video clips and recordings with each other with great ease. Which could include Freepers video taping protests and other activities.

We could work with BlueSonic and maybe get an IChannel dedicated to FR so we could use it as a media channel for us.

This would allow us to have a distributed network of content - imagine thousands of Freepers with hundreds of hours of video storage available!

Here is a link to more product information - this is a Killer Internet Appliance!

Here is the link to SonicBlue and ReplayTV

[surfer]

If you like the concept and want to discuss it more keep this thread a live and let's get everyone discussing it here.

Thanks for reading!

[MizSterious]

I have something similar from Dish Network (satellite provider), and I love the concept, but it's still very buggy. We're on our third unit (so far) because they haven't yet figured out how to keep the hard drive from crashing. But when it works, it's dynamite.

[Praxeologue]

Realistically, don't you think that we need to wait for at least 8 meg ADSL transafer rates before this becomes practical for video sharing?

[surfer]

I have had the ReplayTV unit for almost two years...started with their 30 hour unit and had a few bugs and then upgraded last Jan to the 60 hour unit. Works great...I reboot about once every 6 weeks...

[surfer]

They have done a great job with MPEG-2 and they are pioneering new way to move this type of volume...what is important here is to get everyone thinking about the concept. Think of the impact if we could have our own IChannel...it would be amazing!

[avg_freeper]

I think you're right on.

I beleive the future of the media will be distributed news.

Much like distributed computing, lots of people will be videoing stuff in their
own community and showing it on sights like FreeRepublic.

[avg_freeper]

MPEG-4 will be the medium of choice. Not lossless but much better transfer rate.

The entertainment buisness hasn't been too keen on letting the technolodgy out yet.

[surfer]

bttt

[elfman2]

"I have something similar from Dish Network (satellite provider), and I love the concept, but it's still very buggy. We're on our third unit (so far) because they haven't yet figured out how to keep the hard drive from crashing. "

You too? Damn! I'm on my 5th unit in 6 months, and the 4th one is in a box about to go back. Tech support claimed that they weren't having many problems with the 501s last time I spoke to them. I told them that they must just have a bad batch the keeps getting repaired and sent back out. I said I wanted a new one. I went to the super and then to her manager, but I think that I still have a rebuilt. I'll keep with it though until the warrantee on these things runs out in 6 months. They really are a joy to use when they work!

[gcruse]

Sounds interesting. I have had TIVO for some time, myself. There have been no drive crashes in months on my unit. It really changes the way you watch television, though. I don't watch live news TV anymore, or live anything for that matter, except football. So I get my news from FR and watch TV with a day or so delay to skip the commercials.

[danielobvt]

I have a Tivo(and 3 of my brothers have bought one since I got mine, once you play with them it is hard to go back). I really wish they would make them with built in ethernet connections, that they would talk to each other(the only thing keeping me from buying another one). The whole thing about extra capacity always struck me as excessive, my 30 hr unit is enough.... if I get more than that behind in TV watching, it wont matter if it is 30 or 340. Definately changes the way you watch TV though(most 1 hour shows sqeeze up to 40 minutes, there is no tape switching, and Fast forwarding is much more effective.). I have watched almost no live TV since I got this thing a year ago.

[Reeses]

I love my Tivo also. I'm surprised it's not more popular. The Tivo company is losing so much money though they may go out of business. Of course if it became too popular it would impact TV company revenues from everyone skipping the commercials. It's best kept a secret I guess. The basic idea is the future though. Video stores will someday go out of business as the machines download encrypted movies off hours, then people choose which one's to rent from their private queue.

Next on the horizon are PC cards that record TV to a PC's hard drive. There's one out now but it doesn't compare in quality to Tivo yet. Possibly an open source software project will start up to make it mainstream.

I wish I could download free programming info off the web instead of subscribing to a service. It might be interesting to use the Internet to find groups of people with similar taste in movies, then share their movie and show picking. Choosing movies on Tivo can be a chore. The first few people who watch a recording could automatically share their commercial jumps with others, so other viewers could choose auto-jumping.

[surfer]

Well the next version of ReplayTV is your answer to the limitations in TIVO...Nicest thing about the new Replay unit is the ethernet connectivity and integration to external PC's...this is going to change this landscape forever. If you remember Replay was going out of business and BlueSonic acquired them. It looks like BlueSonic understands proper architecture. This could be the first real killer internet appliance!