Skip to Content

Joystiq has you covered with all things Metal Gear Solid 4!
AOL Tech

Posts with tag HdDvr

Reminder: TWC's Start Over going live in New York / New Jersey

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 9:08PM


Something actually launching on the very day it was supposed to? Say it ain't so! According to the New York Post, Time Warner Cable actually is rolling out its Start Over feature -- which gives users a chance to "restart a show they may have missed from the beginning with the press of a button" -- in areas of New York / New Jersey on July 1st. Reportedly, it'll hit HD subscribers first in Staten Island, with other systems to follow shortly. It should be noted, however, that the feature will only be offered "up to one minute before the program is over, and as part of an agreement between Time Warner and broadcasters, unlike a DVR, viewers cannot fast forward through commercials." Give it a go here in a few hours and let us know how it turns out. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

Foxtel gets official with quad-tuner iQ2 HD DVR

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 25th 2008 at 7:45PM


Foxtel's HD+ services may have launched a few days back in Australia, but that's not stopping OpenTV from pushing out a release trumpeting the arrival of the iQ2. As you could likely guess, the set-top-box is powered by OpenTV's Core2 middleware, but frankly, that's not the part we're interested in. Merely hearing the words "quad-tuner" just gets our juices flowing, and with nearly "double the recordable capacity" of the current Foxtel iQ, we'd say it's a surefire winner for Aussies looking to delve into the beautiful world of high-definition.

TiVo Series 3 coming to Australia next month

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 24th 2008 at 7:40AM


Great news, Aussies -- you too can enjoy the same box Americans have been using for eons starting next month. Yep, as of July, the TiVo Series 3 will go on sale via Seven for $700, and while Harvey Norman will sell the device exclusively for three months, it'll filter into "all major electronics chains" shortly after that window of time closes. Of note, Seven claims that it is not attempting to compete with Foxtel and its newly announced iQ2 box, and that it is instead aiming for subscribers who want the functionality of a DVR without the costly Foxtel subscription fees. If whispers prove true, you folks can expect to see this on sale in late July following a July 1st media launch.

Sky's new HD EPG gets peeked

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 1st 2008 at 7:56PM


We already received confirmation that Sky would be freshening up its universally frowned upon EPG with something a bit sweeter, and now UKers are getting a first look at what to expect. Reportedly, the new guide will be entirely in HD and launched in August -- unfortunately, the image above may be the only tease you get (from Sky, anyway) all summer.

TiVo's Tom Rogers speaks of "whole home model"

by Darren Murph, posted May 30th 2008 at 11:00AM


During his sit-down at D6, TiVo's head honcho Tom Rogers was grilled with a flurry of questions. Aside from a lengthy back-and-forth over the DVR's ability to skip through ads, we finally got to some real meat. First off, Mr. Rogers noted that he was "hopeful" that TiVo would be launched in the UK "soon." Secondly -- and probably most interestingly -- was the notion that TiVo was working up a "whole home model" in order to solve the problem of needing multiple boxes to service an entire house. Sadly, that snippet is all Tom uttered, so we're left to ponder what's really going on behind the tightly sealed doors at TiVo. Here's to hoping we know more by the time CEDIA rolls around -- you listening, Mr. Rogers?

[Via Electronista]

Poll: Are you waiting for a Tuning Adapter?

by Darren Murph, posted May 24th 2008 at 12:00PM


With the looming Tuning Adapter practically stealing the limelight at The Cable Show 2008, we can't help but wonder: how many of you are actually waiting in tense anticipation to snag one of these rascals? Is your CableCARD-equipped TiVo not pulling in all of the HD channels that are being delivered via switched digital video? Are you holding off on buying a set-top-box until tru2way DVRs hit the market? Let us know just how important this stuff is to you.

Are you waiting for a Tuning Adapter?


Macrovision to scrutinize Sunflower Broadband in-guide advertising

by Darren Murph, posted May 21st 2008 at 1:25PM


With Disney creating a dedicated lair for biometric testing of advertisements and Backchannelmedia pushing its own TV-to-internet ad platform, we aren't too surprised to see Macrovision teaming up with Sunflower Broadband to gauge the effectiveness of yet another advertising alternative. As part of the collaborative effort, EPG usage patterns of an "anonymous sample of Sunflower customers" will be collected and scrutinized in order to "gain insight into how consumers use i-Guide and interact with their DVR, on-demand services and in-guide advertising." In essence, the data will be used to "develop more effective consumer marketing tactics" and understand how subscribers "engage with interactive guide advertising." In-guide advertising? We hate to even think it, but really, what's next?

AT&T quietly enables 2HD / 2SD U-verse service in more cities

by Darren Murph, posted May 20th 2008 at 3:06PM


Since activating dual HD streams in St. Louis earlier this month, AT&T has seemingly enabled the functionality in a handful of other cities without even an official peep. According to user reports stemming from Atlanta / Alpharetta, Georgia and certain sections of Michigan, they too are enjoying the luxury of recording one high-def program while viewing another live. We fully expect the carrier to spread the 2HD / 2SD service to more of the country here soon, but until it decides to open its own mouth, we'd highly recommend keeping an eye on your box for a certain surprise.

Seagate reveals Showcase external HDD: for media centers and DVRs

by Darren Murph, posted May 19th 2008 at 11:24AM

Great, just great. Soon after Western Digital made a fool of itself by introducing an external hard drive "certified" for use with DISH Network HD DVRs, along comes Seagate to further fuel the hype machine. Announced at this year's Cable Show (after being mentioned at CES), the Showcase storage solution is "designed" to extend storage capacity of DVRs and media centers. In a similar vein, the outfit's newest drives are "compatible with Motorola's s-SATA-capable HD DVRs," and they also come with USB 2.0 ports and up to 1TB of space. No word on a price or any of that jazz, but those who can't figure out that an external hard drive is an external hard drive can look for 'em to land in Q3.

DISH Network's forthcoming DVRs get detailed: hints of Sling all over

by Darren Murph, posted May 17th 2008 at 10:41PM


Although DISH Network's previous quarter wasn't anything to write home about, it sounds like the satcaster (EchoStar, technically) isn't going to allow its set-top line to grow stale in the process. During the recent Team Summit in Nashville, Tennessee, DISH's CEO Charlie Ergen reiterated that it would be beaming out "more than 100 national HD channels" by the end of 2008, and he also made mention that the EchoStar 11 satellite would lift off in July. Most interesting, however, was all the talk about the new STBs. The forthcoming ViP 722s will be the first HD DVR from the outfit with loads of Sling technology built in -- not too shocking considering the recent acquisition. Additionally, the box is said to feature an all new interface and the ability to browse to (select) websites, double as a SlingCatcher and even handle Clip & Sling duties. There's plenty more where this came from, so be sure and hit the read link when you've got some spare time for reading.

[Via GizmoLovers]

WD's 500GB My DVR Expander drives certified for use with DISH HD DVRs

by Darren Murph, posted May 16th 2008 at 2:20PM


From what we can tell, this is just marketing hoopla to get you to buy a drive "certified" for use in a particular application; in all actuality, users can connect any USB 2.0 external hard drive to their DISH Network HD DVR and expand their storage capacity for a one-time fee. Nevertheless, Western Digital has just let loose its 500GB My DVR Expander, which "more than doubles" your available recording hours by storing up to 300 hours of SD content and 60 hours of high-def goodness. As predicted, the drives work with the satcaster's ViP family of HD DVRs, and WD is apparently looking to expand the brand to other carriers as soon as they get with the program and enable USB storage. Those willing to fall for this ploy can procure the half-terabyte drive for $149.99, but considering that the port activation fee is still charged, we can't imagine looking elsewhere first.

[Via FarEastGizmos]

Dream Multimedia launches DM 800 PVR in Europe

by Darren Murph, posted May 15th 2008 at 8:07PM

We know, you've been waiting ages for Dream Multimedia to finally launch a product in the DM 8** series, and we're elated to see that your suffering has at long last come to an end. The European satellite receiver boasts a 300MHz MIPS processor, Linux operating system, OLED front-panel display, MPEG-2 / H.264 hardware encoding, DVB-S tuner (DVB-C and DVB-T are optional), a SmartCard reader, RS-232 port, Ethernet, DVI, two USB 2.0 sockets and an eSATA hookup for external storage. Sadly, we're not savvy on a price, but you can dig into the read link for a breakdown of the technical specifications should you be so inclined.

[Thanks, Rob]

TiVo brings back $399 Lifetime Service plan

by Darren Murph, posted May 15th 2008 at 11:10AM


Hard to say if this is just another fling that will expire as soon as some TiVo exec feels that it should, but for whatever it's worth, interested users can now purchase a Lifetime Service plan for their TiVo. Those operating sans a TiVo HD DVR can actually still take advantage of the Blue Moon special, but for everyone else, you can snag the Lifetime package for $399 (or $299 if adding it to your second, third, fourth or twentieth TiVo box). Remember, however, that the "Lifetime" subscription only applies to whatever deck you currently have, and with all this talk of tru2way, we might suggest holding off and letting the dust settle before pulling the trigger.

[Via Zatz Not Funny, thanks MegaZone]

Sky launching HD service, MySky HD DVR in New Zealand

by Darren Murph, posted May 14th 2008 at 9:26PM

How's this for keeping a promise? Nearly two years back, Sky revealed plans to roll out HD service in New Zealand during the early part of 2008, and sure enough, all systems are go. The pay-TV operator is putting the finishing touches on its new high-definition satellite service, which it will use to beam out Sky Sport 1, Sky Sport 2, Sky Movies and Sky Movies Greats in HD this July. Users will also be able to rent the all new MySky HD DVR, which was "developed in conjunction with Sky's Australian sister company Foxtel, which will sell the same box under the iQ2 banner." It's noted that the timing of the two launches is purely coincidental, and the unit itself will boast a 320GB hard drive, four tuners, an HDMI output and an Ethernet port for a "possible video-on-demand service over broadband." Pricing information has yet to be divulged, but that tidbit should be surfacing real soon.

Portugal's ZON intros ZON BOX HD DVR

by Darren Murph, posted May 14th 2008 at 3:11AM


ZON TVCabo, a leading programming provider in Portugal, has introduced an all new HD DVR for its users: the imaginatively titled ZON BOX. The unit boasts a 160GB hard drive, USB 2.0 port, gigabit Ethernet and HDMI / component / S-Video / composite jacks for good measure. We're also informed that the box will come in handy here soon, with National Geographic HD (which recently launched on rival Portugal Telecom), MOV HD and possibly SportTV HD going live. The latter two channels would be dedicated to movies / TV series and sporting events such as Euro 2008, respectively. Unfortunately, we weren't able to solicit pricing information, but feel free to give the carrier a call and see what this gem will run you.




Weblogs, Inc. Network

AOL News

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in:

Joystiq
Download Squad
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
BloggingStocks
Xbox 360 Fanboy
Autoblog
Big Download Blog
AOL Sports Blog