The FCC put a stop on selling non-CableCARD-equipped set-top-boxes in the United States around this time last year, but it did leave open the possibility for small cable carriers and other providers in strange market conditions to sidestep the new rule. Choice Cable TV, which services parts of rural Puerto Rico and the cities of Ponce and Mayaguez, finally received its long-awaited FCC waiver which will enable it to start selling HD DVRs that lack CableCARD support. It's hoping that this will rekindle demand for high-def service and consequently allow it to add more HD content. On a related note, the island's Liberty Cablevision is also applying for a similar waiver, as it argues that the low median annual household income in its service area constitutes a "idiosyncratic factual situation."

Back in May, TiVo's VP of product marketing got all of our hopes up that the next announcement involving it and Amazon would include HD Unbox content. As you can very clearly see, this is most certainly not the case. Instead, we have the immense pleasure of informing internet-connected Series2, Series3 and TiVo HD owners that they can now buy wares from Amazon without leaving their couch. If browsing through Amazon's extraordinarily huge store with just a remote sounds appealing to you, you're in luck (and mildly insane). Also of note, the new Product Purchase feature will enable advertisers to "market products sold through Amazon on any broadcast or cable network, any TV show, or via any of TiVo's extensive interactive advertising features." In other words, next time you see Dwight using that iconic shredder, you can buy that bad boy right then and there. Take that, Staples.

[Via Zatz Not Funny]

The Beyonwiz DP-S1 dual-tuner HD DVR was a pretty hot piece for those in Australia last year, but we'd agree that it's about time a suitable replacement hit the market. Enter the DP-P2, a 300GB twin-tuner HD DVR created to capture both pay-TV and free-to-air signals on its internal hard drive. The unit supports IceTV Remote, which enables users to "choose from multiple remote recording options using any web browser, web-enabled mobile phone or while using the all new IceTV Widget." Furthermore, the unit can connect to a home network in order to stream local media (music, images, videos, etc.) on the living room TV, and those with another Beyonwiz in the house can have this newcomer stream content from the old one onto the primary set. A bit steep at AU$999 (that's 969 of those Greenbacks), but it's available now for those with deep wallets and an incurable infatuation with high-def.

Conceptronic's beastly Media Giant HD media server / DVR that made headlines a few months back is officially on sale across the pond, with a number of tipsters chiming to say that it is being offered for €379 ($603) from Metro Group. Better still, those who order are being treating to tracking numbers on the double, meaning that those who take the dive should have it in their hands in no time. Expensive? Sure. But that's the price you pay for built-in PowerLine networking (Pro version), a slew of ports, a 500GB hard drive and lots more features listed in the read link.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

We can't say for certain how long the above pictured splash screen has been around on AT&T's website, but if "2 room DVR service" means "whole-home DVR" service, we're left with just one question: where? One of the U-verse issues that has long since held it back from being viewed as a killer programming service was the inability to serve up various DVR recordings around the home, and while AT&T has been promising that said feature was on the way for nearly a year, there's still nothing to show for it. You only need shuffle through a few pages of the U-talk forums to find a plethora of angered individuals, and while some are optimistic that WHDVR is imminent now that 2 HD / 2 SD is spreading across the land, others are understandably skeptical (and bitter, too). So, AT&T -- when can these loyal users expect WHDVR to really be implemented? And for those on the fence, is this limitation the primary thing holding you back from embracing fiber?

[Thanks, Todd]

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'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.

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.

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.

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]

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.

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?

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.

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.

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]