PVR Wire http://www.www.pvrwire.com PVR Wire http://www.www.pvrwire.com/media/feedlogo.gif PVR Wire http://www.www.pvrwire.com en-us Copyright 2009 Blogsmith, LLC. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/NewsCorp gets out of DirecTV - Good news for TiVo?http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/24/newscorp-gets-out-of-directv-good-news-for-tivo/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/24/newscorp-gets-out-of-directv-good-news-for-tivo/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/24/newscorp-gets-out-of-directv-good-news-for-tivo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


DirecTV LogoAs rumored back in September, it has now announced on Friday that Malone's Liberty Media Corp will be getting a 38% controlling stake in DirecTV from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. In exchange Rupert Murdoch will receive Liberty's 16.3% of News Corp

As part of the deal Liberty will also get three regional sports networks and $550 million in cash. The deal as a whole is estimated to be worth around $9 billion.

Many of you will remember that not too long ago DirecTV ditched TiVo and started using PVRs produced by NDS. NDS is a company which Rupert Murdoch is a large shareholder in.

These NDS PVRs, such as the DirecTV R15 And DirecTV Hr20-700, have been frequently criticized for reliability and functionality issues. To put it bluntly they just don't match up to TiVo.

But now that Rupert Murdoch is out of the picture TiVo could be returning back to DirecTV which will certainly make a lot of people very happy. Liberty Media was actually an equity investor in TiVo.

Let's just hope that the trade of DirecTV over to Liberty did not include a clause that the company must continue to use the NDS PVRs.

[Via WeaKnees]
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]]>directvdvrliberty mediaLibertyMediapvrtivoChris Tew2006-12-24T11:55:00+00:00Get "All My Movies" for free (today only)http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/21/get-all-my-movies-for-free-today-only/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/21/get-all-my-movies-for-free-today-only/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/21/get-all-my-movies-for-free-today-only/#commentsFiled under: , ,


All My Movies

No, I'm not giving away my personal video collection. But Giveaway of the Day is giving away a free copy of All My Movies, a video database program.

The program lets you grab information from the IMDB or other online databases for Russian, German, Dutch, French, Polish, Italian and Spanish films. You can then save that information in a personal database. You can also capture screenshots from DVD or AVI files and add them to the databse. Movie posters are pulled from sites like Amazon.

You can add videos using UPC codes, which you can type in or scan if you happen to have a bar code scanner. There's a search function, a loan manager to help you keep track of your videos, and the ability to export your database to an HTML, TXT, or XLS file. You can also export your data to a cell phone or PDA.

Sorry for the late notice about the deal, I just discovered it a few minutes ago. But the deal's still good for a few hours. The program regularly goes for $34.95, although there's a 25% discount if you buy before Christmas.
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]]>all my moviesAllMyMoviescollectiondatabaseBrad Linder2006-12-21T17:36:00+00:00Azureus to bring BBC shows to the internet via P2P (legally)http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/19/azuereus-to-bring-bbc-shows-to-the-internet-via-p2p-legally/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/19/azuereus-to-bring-bbc-shows-to-the-internet-via-p2p-legally/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/19/azuereus-to-bring-bbc-shows-to-the-internet-via-p2p-legally/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Zudeo

Okay, here's something that could actually get me to use Zudeo. When BitTorrent client developers Azureus launched a new broadband service for users to share and download high-definition videos, it seemed a bit clunky to me. Unlike reigning the raining champ, YouTube, Zudeo requires you to install software to play, and you can't immediately watch programs.

But now Azureus says they've reached a deal with the BBC to carry BBC programming on Zudeo. That means shows such as Doctor Who, Little Britain, and Red Dwarf could be available legally in the US through a peer-to-peer BitTorrent service.

When I was in college, I was made aware that TV viewers in the UK were always a season or two behind on one of my favorite shows, Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I guess turnabout is fair play, but it's been painful waiting for the Sci Fi channel in the US to show new episodes of Doctor Who almost a year after they've already aired in Britain. I hope this deal means that first-run programs will be available on Zudeo for a small fee, or even for free. If programs such as Torchwood don't make it onto Zudeo or another service I might just wait until they come out on DVD.
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]]>azureusbbcbuffy the vampire slayerBuffyTheVampireSlayerdoctor whoDoctorWholittle britainLittleBritainred dwarfRedDwarfzudeoBrad Linder2006-12-19T13:15:00+00:00Perfect Inexpensive Gift for the Budding PVR Enthusiast in Your Life (Read: Your Kids)http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/13/perfect-inexpensive-give-for-the-budding-pvr-enthusiast-in-your/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/13/perfect-inexpensive-give-for-the-budding-pvr-enthusiast-in-your/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/13/perfect-inexpensive-give-for-the-budding-pvr-enthusiast-in-your/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

RipRoar VideoFree DVR Portable Media PlayerNeed a gift idea for the up-and-coming PVR enthusiast in your household? Look no further than this holiday gift giving tip.

We covered the Toyquest RipRoar VideoFree DVR Portable Media Player a few months back and decided it looked like a solid portable device for the youngsters.

Walmart has this "toy" for $48 on clearance with $.97 shipping, which is a pretty phenomenal price considering it cost $199 at release and can currently be found on Amazon for $126.

512 MB of internal storage (expandable by 2 GB via memory card) is probably the devices biggest shortcoming, but you have to remember this is for the kiddies.

You can cram plenty of episodes of Blues Clues or Dora the Explorer on one of these things - at least enough to keep your pipsqueak satiated for a good while, and that leads us to the units strongest selling point.

There's no downloading of shows off the web and transferring them to the unit to mess with.

The Riproar records programming directly to the unit from any video source giving you an endless supply of free content (let's just assume you steal your Cable TV / Satellite) to entertain your child with on the road.

It also includes some other nice features such as an external speaker, scheduled recordings, 5 hours of battery life for video, MP3 and photo playback, TV out, and an IR remote for controlling the unit while on the included dock. Is it wrong that this feature set sounds better than some of the real adult PMPs on the market?

At such an inexpensive price, this thing is either a seething piece of digital poo or nobody is aware of this decent looking product and as a result they simply aren't selling. At $48.97 I'd be willing to take the gamble on this one and give it a try.

This definitely falls into the "gifts that are ostensibly for my child but really for me" category, but whatever. I do what I want.


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]]>Toyquest Riproar Portable PMP for KidsToyquestRiproarPortablePmpForKidsJJ Hawkins2006-12-13T10:30:00+00:00PVR Wire Gift Guide #3http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/06/pvr-wire-gift-guide-3/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/06/pvr-wire-gift-guide-3/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/06/pvr-wire-gift-guide-3/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,


Sky HD1. Sky HD. If there's one present I'd really love someone to buy me this Christmas, it's BSkyB's news HD service. It's a Sky+ PVR with 160GB of storage capacity (around 80 hours) and it displays tons of Sky's content in glorious HD (presuming you have an HD capable TV. It'll cost you £299 for the box, £60 for installation and an extra £10 per month on top of your subscription, depending on the channels you already receive. More: www.sky.com/hd

2. Topfield TF5800PVR 160GB Freeview PVR. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of ordering one of these top-notch Freeview PVRs for the purposes of my job. It's a twin-tuner unit with a 160GB hard drive and a fairly easy-to-use setup and EPG. The only drawbacks are a slow reaction time on the remote, but it also has the added bonus of a USB connection, which comes in handy for moving videos around on to portable devices. You should expect to pay around £250, but it's worth every penny. More: Amazon UK.

3. Telewest TV Drive. If you're an NTL or Telewest customer in the UK, and you don't yet have a PVR, but you're sick of their basic on-demand service, you should consider treating yourself this Christmas by upgrading to TV Drive. It has a twin tuner, 80 hour capacity, 8-day EPG and series link facility. Humax PVROh, and it does HD too. Subscriptions start at an additional £10 per month, with no connection fee. More: Telewest UK.

4. Humax PVR800T PVR. If the Topfield doesn't take your fancy, you might want to consider the Humax PVR800T. It has pretty much all the same function as the Topfield TF5800, but with a slightly smaller HDD (80GB) and can only record one Freeview channel at a time. Expect to pay around £130.
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]]>Martin Conaghan2006-12-06T14:00:00+00:00(Rumor) TiVo and Apple to Partner - Not likelyhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/06/rumor-tivo-and-apple-to-partner-not-likely/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/06/rumor-tivo-and-apple-to-partner-not-likely/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/06/rumor-tivo-and-apple-to-partner-not-likely/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


AppleA rumor popped up on PVRBlog yesterday that Apple might be partnering with TiVo. Matt Haughey said he received an email stating: "Apple will be licensing TiVo patented technology for iTV. Also, the name iTV has changed to Mac Media Capsule".

Well firstly I wouldn't call a licensing agreement a partnership, many companies license TiVo technology and TiVo licenses technology from other companies, but that is as far as it goes.

Secondly a partnership between TiVo and Apple is extremely unlikely as the companies have different and competing goals. TiVo wants to bring control to the user by providing an easy way to record TV shows and watch them later. Apple on the other hand wants people to pay for video from the iTunes store.

What the rumor does suggest is that possibly the Apple iTV may have PVR functionality and/or have an interface that shares some of the qualities of a TiVo.

I would quickly abandon the PVR idea since Apple would lose out quickly by allowing people to record shows rather than pay for them at iTunes. The Apple iTV is rumored to have a hard drive but I expect this to be for keeping TV shows downloaded from iTunes rather than recording TV.

So that leaves Apple licensing technology from TiVo's interactive program guide which is something I can believe. Apple is excellent at making things easy to use, but unfortunately when it comes to the living room TiVo is the biggest innovator and has many patents covering its excellent user interface.

So if Apple wants to do make an advanced user interface for the Apple iTV then it could very well find it is walking on ground where TiVo already has its flag in the soil. If Apple wants to use that technology then it will have to pay TiVo for the luxury.

In my view a partnership is out of the question, Apple licensing PVR technology is out of the question, but Apple licensing aspects of TiVo's user interface is quite possible and if it is true its could mean some nice extra bucks for TiVo.
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]]>appleitvpatenttivoChris Tew2006-12-06T11:33:00+00:00PVR Wire Gift guidehttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/04/pvr-wire-gift-guide/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/04/pvr-wire-gift-guide/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/12/04/pvr-wire-gift-guide/#commentsFiled under: , ,


PVR WireWell folks, the festive season is upon us again. And, whether you believe in Santa, the Baby Jesus, the Tooth Fairy, or the Miracle of the Oil, then the chances are you'll be celebrating the 25th in much the same way as everyone else -- usually by passing around trinkets and gifts, while stuffing your face with turkey.

If you're anything like me, or the rest of the gang here at PVR Wire, you're probably struggling for something to buy your loved one (or perhaps, what NOT to buy them).

If so, then look no further than PVR Wire's Gift Guide, featuring a selection of thoroughly considered PVR-related choices from the five wise men here at Weblogs Inc Central; me, Brad, JJ, Chris and Matt.

If you don't like what you see, you can always buy perfume, a box of chocolates and a copy of The Eagles' Greatest Hits (everybody loves The Eagles, right?).

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]]>christmasgift guideGiftGuideholidayspvrMartin Conaghan2006-12-04T13:59:00+00:00BitTorrent video downloads dealhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/30/bittorrent-video-downloads-deal/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/30/bittorrent-video-downloads-deal/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/30/bittorrent-video-downloads-deal/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Is there a company not getting into the legal video download market at the moment? We've had Microsoft with the Xbox Live Marketplace, Apple with the iTunes Movie Store, Amazon Unbox, TiVo in talks with Amazon, plus the old school services like CinemaNow and MovieLink.

Now BitTorrent is getting in on the act with their new peer to peer video download service. Bittorrent has announced deals with 20th Century Fox, G4, Kadokawa, Lionsgate, MTV Networks, Palm Pictures, Paramount and Starz Media for Download to Own and rental services.

Of course we can expect fast download speeds using BitTorrent's p2p technology, so people won't experience the slow download problems that occur with the Xbox Live Marketplace.

There are no details on pricing but I imagine the prices will not be competitive as with all download services. This of course is at the request of content owners to make sure their DVD sales stay healthy.

It will be interesting to see how BitTorrent approaches the DRM issue, consumers hate, content owners love it, and BitTorrent is a popular tool for getting DRM free (illegal) video.

The service is expected to launch in February 2007.
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]]>bittorrentdownloadsp2pvideoChris Tew2006-11-30T10:06:00+00:00Buy 3200 Xbox Live Marketplace Points - Get 1600 Freehttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/22/buy-3200-xbox-live-marketplace-points-get-1600-free/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/22/buy-3200-xbox-live-marketplace-points-get-1600-free/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/22/buy-3200-xbox-live-marketplace-points-get-1600-free/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Free Marketplace PointsI'm just full of tips today.

With Microsoft unveiling the Xbox Video Marketplace today, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share my method of obtaining 1600 free Marketplace Points.

As some of you may or may not know, Buy.com is offering a $20 discount on purchases of $50 or more if you use Google Checkout to pay.

At Buy.com, 1600 Marketplace points will set you back $19.98. This appears to be the only quantity of points you can purchase from them.

Simply add three 1600 Marketplace Points packages to your shopping cart and choose to pay using Google Checkout.

3 - Xbox 360 Live 1600 Marketplace Points $59.94
Shipping & Handling (Standard: 3 to 5 business days) : $6.36
Tax (OK) : $0.00
1 - Google Checkout & Buy.com Holiday Bonus - $20 off orders over $50 -$20.00

After shipping, you'll end up paying $46.30 and essentially get 1600 points for free.

The pricing structure for the various video downloads from the Marketplace are below. Of course, you can also use these Marketplace Points to download other non-video related items available on the service.

New Releases Films

  • 720p HD movies -- 480 MS Points ($6)
  • 480p SD movies -- 320 MS Points ($4)

"Classic" Feature Film

  • 720p HD movies -- 360 MS Points ($4.50)
  • 480p SD movies -- 240 MS Points ($3)

Television Purchase

  • 720p HD television -- 240 MS Points ($3)
  • 480p SD television -- 160 MS Points ($2)

I'm personally not even thinking about downloading video yet as I'm currently preoccupied with Gears of War multiplayer (u die now is my gamertag on XBL - hit me up if you want a game). However, at some point the 4800 points I just bought will come in handy when I need a movie or television show fix.

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]]>JJ Hawkins2006-11-22T12:15:00+00:00Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick TV Tuner - $90 Shippedhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/22/pinnacle-pctv-hd-pro-stick-tv-tuner-90-shipped/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/22/pinnacle-pctv-hd-pro-stick-tv-tuner-90-shipped/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/22/pinnacle-pctv-hd-pro-stick-tv-tuner-90-shipped/#commentsFiled under: ,

Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick HD TV TunerIf you've been itching to turn your laptop into a PVR and want to watch and record in glorious high definition Woot has the perfect deal for you today.

They're offering the Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick TV Tuner for the low price of $90 shipped, a good deal less expensive than the $128.99 price you can find on Amazon.

Features:

  • Watch live high quality digital HD and SD TV without service fees from anywhere on your laptop
  • PlaceShift TV with the sleek USB 2.0 powered portable PCTV device w/ included remote
  • HD Pro Stick and remote are both pocket sized for easy portability
  • Full support for both analog (NTSC) and digital (ATSC) reception
  • Transforms PC into a personal video recorder (PVR)
  • Schedule recordings with the integrated Electronic Program Guide (EPG)
  • Turn your Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) computer into a full featured analog and digital TV set (MCE remote sold separately)
  • Automatically records shows direct-to-DVD and/or in the destination file format of choice (i.e. iPod, PSP, DivX, etc.)
  • Capture from most consumer devices with analog outputs (e.g. VCRs, camcorders, DVD players, etc.) and then edit and enhance with the included Pinnacle Studio QuickStart software

    Over seven reviews at Amazon, four buyers seemed to like the device quite a bit. The Gadget Site also gave it an 8 out of 10.

    As usual, Woot typically offers a single deal for 24 hours, so if you're thinking of acting on this one you better make it quick.

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    ]]>    JJ Hawkins2006-11-22T11:38:00+00:00    Motorola buys Netopia for $208 millionhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/19/motorola-buys-netopia-for-208-million/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/19/motorola-buys-netopia-for-208-million/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/19/motorola-buys-netopia-for-208-million/#commentsFiled under: , ,


    Motorola LogoIt was announced this week that Motorola has bought the middleware company Netopia for $208 million dollars (US) in cash.

    The aim of the acquisition by Motorola is to leverage the companies IPTV offerings by utilizing Netopia's telco experience into Motorola's Set Top Box.

    Last year Netopia launched its MiAVo triple-play gateway, a customizable video, telephone and internet solution specifically for use by DSL providers while also turning over $108 million dollars, although only squeezing out a profit in the last 6 months.

    The acquisition is set to close in early 2007, although it has been predicted this won't be Motorola's only middleware company purchase.

    [Via Davis FreeBerg's Blog]
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    ]]>    iptvmiddlewaremotorolanetopiaChris Tew2006-11-19T05:19:00+00:00    Should TiVo buy SageTV to enter the PC PVR market?http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/15/should-tivo-buy-sagetv-to-enter-the-pc-pvr-market/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/15/should-tivo-buy-sagetv-to-enter-the-pc-pvr-market/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/15/should-tivo-buy-sagetv-to-enter-the-pc-pvr-market/#commentsFiled under: , ,


    SageTVI recently came across a blog post that mused over the possibility of TiVo buying SageTV. Alan Cooke of Missing Remote beleives that SageTV would be a good acquisition choice for TiVo allowing them to move into the PC PVR market.

    Many people have already suggested that they would like to see the TiVo service available on a media center PC, much like the Microsoft Media Center, Sage TV and Beyond TV..

    However, I do not think buying SageTV is the answer, SageTV is a different product to TiVo and buying them simply buys out a competitor. TiVo is not a company making a profit so any acquisitions it makes should be extremely vital to its success.

    I'm sure TiVo is very capable of bringing its product to PCs should it want too, even with the TiVo EPG being a Linux based software.

    I have personally never seen a comment from TiVo on the matter of bringing its service to a PC and would be very interested in what the company has to say. Does anyone else know of TiVo's opinion on this?
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    ]]>    sage tvSageTvtivoChris Tew2006-11-15T21:38:00+00:00    Google YouTube Deal closes at $1.775 billionhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/15/google-youtube-deal-closes-at-1-775-billion/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/15/google-youtube-deal-closes-at-1-775-billion/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/15/google-youtube-deal-closes-at-1-775-billion/#commentsFiled under: ,


    Google YouTube Deal

    When the acquisition of YouTube by Google was first announced the deal had a price tag of $1.65 billion. However, most of the payment was to be made in stock and since share prices have a tendency to change the deal is now worth 1.775 billion.

    The final amount was calculated from the average of Google's stock value over a 30 day period ending on November 9, 2006.

    12.5% of the payment is being held in Escrow, which Google says is to to secure certain indemnification obligations. In line with what was rumored on Mark Cubans blog a while back, this could be to deal with copyright lawsuits.
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    ]]>    googleyoutubeChris Tew2006-11-15T11:53:00+00:00    Coming soon: record TV shows directly to your cell phonehttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/14/coming-soon-record-tv-shows-directly-to-your-cell-phone/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/14/coming-soon-record-tv-shows-directly-to-your-cell-phone/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/14/coming-soon-record-tv-shows-directly-to-your-cell-phone/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


    Comcast phoneComcast and Time Warner plan to roll out cell phone service later this month. The two announced a partnership with Sprint/Nextel last November.

    Each company already provides residential telephone service over VoIP. But as companies like Verizon and AT&T roll out television service, the cable companies are trying to diversify their offerings as well. It's possible that Comcast and Time Warner may require subscribers to sign up for broadband or VoIP service in order to qualify for telephone service.

    Convergence does have some benefits for the consumer. For example, Comcast has access to plenty of video content, PVR technology, broadband pipelines, and now cell phone service. Comcast plans to make short video clips from E! and other cable networks it owns available to cell phone users.

    And starting next year, Comcast plans to roll out a kind of mobile PVR, allowing users to record programs directly to their phones. It's not entirely clear if this is a true PVR in the sense of putting a hard drive in your phone and allowing it to record content. I'd probably be happier with a setup that lets you record shows via a Comcast PVR at home and watch them on the go using SlingPlayer-like software on your phone. Of course, it's possible that Comcast just plans to stream on-demand full-length programming or video clips to your phone while calling it a PVR. But that wouldn't necessarily be all bad either.
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    ]]>    cell phoneCellPhonemobile phonemobile pvrMobilePhoneMobilePvrBrad Linder2006-11-14T14:00:00+00:00    YouTube coming to Verizon's V Cast?http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/07/youtube-coming-to-verizons-v-cast/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/07/youtube-coming-to-verizons-v-cast/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/07/youtube-coming-to-verizons-v-cast/#commentsFiled under: ,


    Verizon logoWould you look at that? I blink, and suddenly there's another story about mobile video.

    This time, it looks like YouTube's in talks with Verizon to provide content for the phone company's V Cast service. Verizon V Cast currently offers subscribers access to music, games, and brief videos including news, sports, weather and music videos. A partnership with YouTube would dramatically increase the amount of content available to V Cast customers

    The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the deal could also mean a YouTube on-demand channel on Verizon's TV service. The companies could reportedly reach a deal within the next few weeks.
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    ]]>    mobile videoMobileVideoverizonyoutubeBrad Linder2006-11-07T11:39:00+00:00    Hauppauge WinTV-GO TV Tuner Capture Card - $15.99 Shippedhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/04/hauppauge-wintv-go-tv-tuner-capture-card-15-99-shipped/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/04/hauppauge-wintv-go-tv-tuner-capture-card-15-99-shipped/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/04/hauppauge-wintv-go-tv-tuner-capture-card-15-99-shipped/#commentsFiled under: , ,


    Cheap PCI TV TunerMore good news for those eager to turn their computer into a television recording machine.

    Surplus Computers has the Hauppauge WinTV-GO TV Tuner Capture Card (PCI) for the ridiculously cheap price of $15.99 shipped, down from the originally listed price of $29.99.

    Features include:
    • Live TV from 125-channel cable ready tuner or from external audio/video source. TV-in-a-window (any size) up to full screen. Channel surf 16 channels
    • Make digital recordings in an MPEG or DivX(R) format, from TV or from an external A/V source
    • Capture high quality still video image, up to 1600x1200 pixels, in BMP, TIF, TGA and JPEG
    • Videoconference* with Microsoft NetMeeting or Windows(R) Messenger by adding video camera
    • Windows(R) Plug & Play for easy installation
    • Single slot PCI card with bus-master technology.
    If you have a spare PCI slot have and any desire to watch and record TV on your computer, the low entry price on this device makes this the perfect opportunity to give it a try.

    If you don't have a spare PCI slot, there's always the USB 2.0 variety of TV tuners like the deal we posted on the TV Box earlier this week; although, I personally prefer an internal TV Tuner to the external variety but to each his own.

    Presuming they play nice together, the Hauppauge Win TV-GO tuner, an average video card, and some pay software like BeyondTV or even some free software like GeeXboX or GBPVR would make for a nice project to work on that would ultimately yield a pretty decent PVR.

    And just think of how impressed your parents and friends will be when you tell them you put it altogether yourself.

    [Via Techdeals]
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    ]]>    Cheap PCI TV TunerCheapPciTvTunerJJ Hawkins2006-11-04T08:32:00+00:00    Generic USB 2.0 TV Tuner / Video Capture - El Cheapohttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/02/generic-usb-2-0-tv-tuner-video-capture-el-cheapo/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/02/generic-usb-2-0-tv-tuner-video-capture-el-cheapo/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/11/02/generic-usb-2-0-tv-tuner-video-capture-el-cheapo/#commentsFiled under: ,

    Cheap USB 2.0 TV TunerI'm never one to shy away from an inexpensive PVR solution so here's a tip on an el cheapo USB 2.0 TV capture card that'll let you perform the full gamut of PVR functions on your PC.

    Techdeals is reporting that Acortech is selling the generic TV Box USB 2.0 TV Tuner / Video Capture Box for the attractive price of $29.49. The price drops to $27.72 if you purchase a quantity of 5 or more. Just letting you know in case you want to get some early Christmas shopping done.

    The TV Box has a pretty decent set of features for the price and includes:

    • New and high performance USB2.0 IC, no external power required
    • Support NS-High Speed, data transfer rate reached 480M bps
    • TV Record at resolution NTSC 704x480
    • S-VHS and Composite input. For high resolution Video Capture. NTSC 704x480
    • Video Adjustable Saturation/Contrast/Hue/Brightness.
    • Capture and Record as Standard Format (ex. AVI, MPEG1, MPEG4 etc.)
    • Bandwidth Adaptive Automatically Control.
    • Audio Capture & A/V Sync. Function.
    • Full channel (supplementary channel contained) scanning, up to 125 TV channels receivable
    • Support TV, Video, DVD/VCD displaying and watching, music listening, picture browsing
    • Support multi-national languages
    • Support audio/video USB mongline transfer
    • Time-shifting
    • Scheduled recording
    • Remote control

    No clue as to how well this thing works, but $29.49 isn't a whole lot to risk to give it a try.

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    ]]>    Cheap USB 2.0 TV TunerCheapUsb2.0TvTunerJJ Hawkins2006-11-02T10:00:00+00:00    Update on Comcast/TiVo partnershiphttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/10/31/update-on-comcast-tivo-partnership/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/10/31/update-on-comcast-tivo-partnership/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/10/31/update-on-comcast-tivo-partnership/#commentsFiled under: , ,


    Comcast TiVoZDNet has an article on TiVo's deal with Comcast to provide PVRs for the nation's largest cable company. There's not much new in the article, but it's a nice review of the partnership. And a rep from Comcast confirmed that the new set top boxes, first announced well over a year ago, will be available before the end of 2006.

    The larger issue here is whether it even makes sense for TiVo to continue making standalone products like the Series2 and Series3 TiVo boxes. If you ask most cable or satellite customers if they'd rather rent a box for a few bucks a month or pay $800 and a subscription fee to get a box from TiVo, very few would go the latter route. And most cable and satellite service providers are offering some sort of cheap PVR these days.

    The point is, not only is the price tag on a Series3 TiVo extraordinarily high, but the profit margins are pretty low. Although it would have to split the profits with Comcast, TiVo stands to make a lot of money through its partnership with Comcast by providing a "TiVo-like" box with "TiVo-like" software to as many users as possible. If the deal goes well, TiVo could offer similar services to other TV providers.

    So while other set-top box manufacturers like Digeo are considering breaking out of the niche market of selling their set-top-boxes through cable companies, it's possible that TiVo will have to make this partnership work if it wants to stay afloat.
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    ]]>    partnershipset top boxSetTopBoxtivo and comcastTivoAndComcastzdnetBrad Linder2006-10-31T07:59:00+00:00    The dirty hidden dealings of the Google-YouTube dealhttp://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/10/31/the-dirty-hidden-dealings-of-the-google-youtube-deal/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/10/31/the-dirty-hidden-dealings-of-the-google-youtube-deal/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/10/31/the-dirty-hidden-dealings-of-the-google-youtube-deal/#commentsFiled under: , ,


    GooTube

    Mark Cuban has posted a brilliant article which he received from one of his well trusted unnamed business friends about the Google-YouTube aquisition. What the article states, although not confirmed as fact, is very shocking.

    It looks like Google, YouTube and the content owners have been making some very sneaky agreements. Here is a summary:
    • Of the $1.6 billion Google is paying for YouTube, $500 million is being kept in Escrow to deal with copyright lawsuits. Google intends to have out of court settlements wherever possible.
    • Vivendi's Universal Music Group, Sony and Bertelsmann's jointly owned Sony BMG Music Entertainment and the Warner Music Group each quietly took a small stake in YouTube worth $50 million dollars, apparently paid for by the $500 million copyright fund.
    • These companies were paid off so that they would not attempt to sue YouTube over copyright infringement for a given amount of time (estimated to be six months). This gives YouTube some breathing space and allows it to continue to grow on copyrighted content.
    • Google also encouraged these content owners to sue other video sharing sites (Bolt and Grouper sued by Universal) to thwart their growth and make investors uneasy about backing video sharing sites. This goes on while YouTube continues to use copyright content to grow its user base.
    • The $50 million was paid to the content owners in equity which allows them to avoid paying any royalties to the actual content producers. This is because it appears as an investment, rather than a payment to use content, therefore content producers don't get a dime.
    It is amazing to think how cunning Google and YouTube may have been in order to impede competitors and to keep YouTube full of copyrighted content to allow it to continue to grow.

    However, this is only a short term solution and how long Google and YouTube can keep this up can't last more than a year.

    It will be interesting to see what clever deals Google and YouTube have up their sleeves for the long term to keep YouTube at the top and the copyright lawsuits at bay.
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    ]]>    copyrightcubangooglegootubeyoutubeChris Tew2006-10-31T05:21:00+00:00    Who will buy TiVo? Google, Yahoo or Microsoft?http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/10/27/who-will-buy-tivo-google-yahoo-or-microsoft/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/10/27/who-will-buy-tivo-google-yahoo-or-microsoft/http://www.www.pvrwire.com/2006/10/27/who-will-buy-tivo-google-yahoo-or-microsoft/#commentsFiled under: , ,


    TiVo Acquisition

    [Digg This]

    There is no doubt in my mind that the internet will enter the living room and become a standard form of entertainment on our TV sets.

    This is happening already today and being fueled by the explosion of video content appearing online.

    Knowing that the internet is going to take over the living room the three heavily competing big online names, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, must be thinking how they can ensure they can be the prominent internet company on your TV.

    There is one company that Google, Microsoft or Yahoo could acquire to ensure they will be well placed on the living room TV, and that company is TiVo. Here is why:
    • Unlike cable companies TiVo is happy for online video to enter the living room as it does not disrupt its business model.
    • It has a huge subscriber base which I suspect is over 4 million by now.
    • TiVo is relatively small and worth about $700 million (a slight increase over their current market cap).
    Now to look at the individual reasons why Google, Microsoft and Yahoo might, or might not want to buy TiVo.

    Microsoft

    Microsoft seems to leave no stone unturned these days. They have already got into the living room with the Xbox and are getting into our hands too with the Zune PMP.

    With the Xbox, Zune, IPTV middleware and Media Center PCs already in hand, Microsoft is ahead of everyone and has the living room well covered.

    Not to mention that TiVo is powered by Linux and we all know Linux and Microsoft don't mix.

    For those reasons I think we can safely leave Microsoft out of the running.


    Yahoo

    Yahoo, along with Google, was interested in buying TiVo, according to reports from April last year.

    Although TiVo was not taken over by anyone, Yahoo has partnered with TiVo to provide a number of online services on TiVo PVRs already.

    The already strong bond between TiVo and Yahoo makes good ground for an acquisition by Yahoo.

    Yahoo has historically made some very big acquisitions in the past as high as $5.7 billion for broadcast.com back in 1999. With no serious acquisitions this year TiVo could be a well priced choice.

    Yahoo has been left a bit in the cold as it has seen profits drop and Google buy YouTube. Competition is fierce between Google and Yahoo and securing its services on TiVo could give Yahoo an advantage it desperately needs.


    Google

    Google is always keen to buy traffic for itself; this could not be shown more clearly with the purchase of YouTube.

    For a company that paid $1.6 billion for YouTube then paying $700 million for TiVo seems like a good deal. It would give Google access to the millions of TiVo subscribers which are also from a different demographic to YouTube.

    Google is already working with video ads, which could be used in conjunction with YouTube to offer video content on TiVo. Google already has very good potential to monetize on TV viewers.

    However, with such a hefty purchase already this year, Google may not have enough pockets to handle this acquisition just yet, and could potentially spread itself thin.

    Even if Google does not buy TiVo then YouTube can still offer it a way into the living room since it is so immensely popular. There are already rumors of YouTube being offered in the living room via the Apple iTV.


    Other Companies

    In addition to the three search engine giants there are some other companies that could be interested in TiVo. For example:
    • Apple iTV - unlikely due to conflicts with the Apple iTV.
    • Time Warner & AOL - possible as it could leverage AOL's internet video endeavors and Time Warner could use it to thwart other content producers and cable companies.
    • Amazon - possible as it could bring Amazon Unbox to a wide audience (talks on a partnership are already in progress), although I don't think Amazon is big enough to buy TiVo.
    To Sum Up

    The internet, especially internet video, is without a doubt heading into the living room.

    TiVo's CEO believes that internet television played on TVs will challenge regular broadcast TV over the next 10 years.

    With this in mind it seems only a matter of time before Google or Yahoo might pull out their wallet to buy TiVo.

    If I had to hedge my bets now. I think it would be Yahoo since they are already partnered with TiVo and seem to be falling behind Google.

    Bearing in mind Microsoft is already well positioned in the living room, the purchase of TiVo by Yahoo could leave Google out in the cold.

    Google would be left with a very difficult route into the living room, while Yahoo and Microsoft sit comfortably on the couch.
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    ]]>    Chris Tew2006-10-27T11:59:00+00:00