What are they thinking over there at ReplayTV??? - Page 2  

Have you seen the price drop of some of those HDTV's ? More and more J6p's are jumping on the HD bandwagon. It's like color TV sets when I was a kid. once you seen one B&W is unwatchable ;) . Time for DNNA to start thinking on making that Replaytv 6000 HDTV ready. As a owner of 3 5040's The 5500 has nothing I want. But HDTV DVR, I would be all over it.

Well, it would fit the trend...

--Fox

don't know whether this could be implemented via software or not but maybe the big new feature is being able to record two shows at once by using two of the video inputs. like using your digital cable box in video-in 1, and then just sending the analog cable signal into the coax input to use the built in replay tuner. after all, wouldn't that in theory give you two tuners, the cable box and then the built in replay tuner. this is probably just wishful thinking and isn't possible with just software but wouldn't it be pretty neat if it could be done?

Oh, definitely. However, I still don't think HDTV penetration is at a point where HDTV recording will be a deciding factor for most people (especially when there are so many other areas that need improvement first). I have an HDTV but no HDTV signal. There are a couple of OTA channels that recently started broadcasting here, but I haven't bothered to buy a STB or antenna yet since I may be moving soon anyway. Cable HDTV is a long ways off for a lot of people, and some just won't go back to rabbit ears (even for a better picture).

I'm pretty sure the current ReplayTVs lack the horsepower to encode two MPEG2 streams at once, but it would definitely be nice in the future.

I think that the only way they would be able to record two streams simultaneously would be to enhance & add to the HW...

It would be great if the Replay could do HDTV, that would make me get another Replay. Also nice but I think minor is for Replay to get a month or more channel programming instead of the twelve days it gets now.

How about the ability to Que up several shows to watch from the Replay guide.

I think Toots was pretty close with her tongue-in-cheek guess. The 'clown' however will actually be shaped like a lowercase "r" which kind of resembles a bent paperclip. It points at which button you've just pressed, and similar useful help information. (It gives a pained expression if you press the wrong button.) In addition it will be integrated with a glossy demo show featuring <celebrity name here> for in-store presentations.

Actually, the coolest feature I could think of which might be possible on existing hardware would be 1.2x, 1.5x, and 2x fast-forward speeds with audio playback, so you can watch shows in less time.

Next in line would be automated conflict resolution between networked machines. When there are two conflicting shows, the second program will be automatically recorded on another unit, if that machine doesn't have anything else scheduled. The machines will be smart enough that if two machines are going to record the same show, one of the machines will automatically be freed to catch any conflicting recordings. The recorded shows would then be transferred over to the correct machine through the network.

Third in line would be a merged replay guide showing all of the shows for all units on the network merged together in one display.

And a couple features 'Mom' would use:

When you turn the unit on, a menu pops up with the five most recently recorded shows, and you can select which show to play without having to surf the replay guide.

Then, when the show completes playback, it automatically continues playback with the show recorded immediately after the current show (or at leasts gives a button for this option), so you don't have go back into the replay guide to find it.

Unfortunately, without adding the "cool" features that many of us are thinking about, price is probably the only area where DNNA can make changes that will sway an undecided consumer. (OK, there's one other possibility....As I remember what drove the VCR explosion in the 70's and 80's, it occurs to me that if DNNA could somehow integrate pornography-related features into the product, then these things would fly off the shelves. However, since a comment was made about this feature being a bonus to someone's mother, I'll assume it's not that.)

Seriously, if J6P knows that an 80-hour TiVo is going to cost $600 activated while an 80-hour ReplayTV with a very similar feature set will only cost $400, then everyone will start rooting for the underdog. Look at what happened to Gateway with their $2999 plasma TV. IMHO that single product is what helped bring their company back from the brink of disaster.

I just don't know... It seems to me that even with lower prices, DNNA is still fighting an uphill battle. Having removed their product from major brick&mortar retailers like BestBuy and Circuit City, DNNA is left with little more than Amazon.com and Radio Shack, and your average consumer 1) doesn't like shopping in Radio Shack and 2) likes to be able to see and touch their AV gear before they buy it, which might make them hesitate to buy one from Amazon.

EUREKA! Now it all makes sense... DNNA is pulling out of retail because their scheme is to turn ReplayTV into the Tupperware of PVRs. This whole "Demo Days" thing is just their first step toward the creation of a vast army of commission-earning, Replay-evangelizing, PVR-party-having housewives and househusbands. ReplayRichard's mom is happy, I'm happy, potential buyers are happy, DNNA is happy, and all is well in a new world order without status bars. Case closed.

Oh! J6P!

I've been wondering about that one.

Finally read a definition for "J6P" in the International Journal of Duh!.

Ok, now I'm following the conversation.

;)

LOL... i think most of us sat there a few times scratching our heads wondering what that meant the first (few) time(s) we saw it. Then came the dawn.

If I can't have HD, i'll take:

1) Multimedia "server"
2) Hot swap-able/add-able hard drives

liquifactitous: general purpose neologism conjoining

• liquefaction: phenomenon in which the strength and stiffness of a soil is reduced by earthquake shaking or other rapid loading
  
• fictitious: the nature of continued phiddlepharting maintenance reboots as a long term/final solution to underlying memory leaks and/or pernicious generic instabilities

I'd *like* to say it's a pleasure to have you back...

:D:D:D

I love hints as much as the next guy, but all this deciphering brings back bad memories of calls to the India support center.

Status bar... hmmm...

I'm currently "just" an extremely happy Panasonic Showstopper owner.

HOWEVER... if an alleged new status bar COULD HIDE THOSE @#$% CHANNEL LOGOS from view, I'd buy a 5xxx so fast it would make my head spin! I think even MY mom would like that!

I could finally throw away that empty VHS tape box I've got propped up against the screen in the L/R corner of the TV that currently hides those dang logos. I'd rather OBLITERATE the on-screen info than have to look through those annoying logos. They are not only distracting but make me feel like I've got a smudge on my glasses (or on the TV screen)...

Plus, it would have the added "benefit" of giving the networks another ReplayTV feature to gripe about! :)

If we read between the lines of what Richard said....

It should be something that can be marketed to the consumer at purchase time.

It should be something cool for the non-geek users.

It should be within the capabilities of the machine.

It should be cooler than a Tivo (though, I'd rather see both companies do well that snipe at each other all the time).


And to further determine this feature, it's seems that it's not MP3 streaming or a hardware addon (too tekkie). Hmmm.... I'm going to guess that the thing that can be done to "retrofit" a 5XXX would be to give it a greater brain. That is the ability to use fuzzy logic or something to make the box a lot smarter that it is... and either act like a Tivo and record things that it think you'd like, or much better conflict resolution. However, it may be something for more usability... the idea of a PC component doesn't seem so farfetched either.

hehe... that's my two cents.... (and I just got a 5040 three days ago, having had two DTivo's for a while.... so I'm glad to see that there is a push for stability... my main reason for getting it was the DVArchive ability -- that and backup in case I have to move and not have satellite access).

Jim

Richard-

By "Buffer Capture" do you mean the ability to record a show already in progress that you were already tuned to?

If that's what we are talking about, then I can't agree with you on that one. And yes, I do believe it would help the customer decide which one to buy.

You tell me how to rebuff "and you can record shows you are already watching, right from the beginning" when somebody mentions that feature of TiVo.

I'll be glad to pass it on...

Geez... I finally got on this thread and I am underwhelmed by the deductive capacity of this group (present poster NOT excepted).

I mean, Richard has given us a number of hints, eliminated some of the more obvious features, and I don't think I've yet seen one single suggestion as to what these two features REALLY may be yet.

Key here... his (non-geek) mother would use it, and it would distinguish Replay from TIVO in a definitive way.... I can't come up with anything.

Anyone?

Many mothers would really like it if the "scheduled" reboot didn't happen in the middle of a recording, or right before one started...

Doesn't take too much of a geek coder to make that happen.

"I've got an idea formin' in my brain..."

We all know IVS is dead. Well, maybe it isn't quite. What about using one of the spare inputs on the machine to record home movies and then send them to friends and family over the internet? Of course we could all do this before the death of IVS, but perhaps there will be a new, user-friendly (and MPAA/TV networks) friendly way to do it.

Oh yeah...another brainwave:

How about sending of digital pictures to other RTVs over the net? Surely the content providers could not take issue with this. It would be pretty darn cool, too, and certainly not something TiVo has AFAIK.

If you are going to put in a staus bar, please put in a way to make it *never* pop up. CFP command, maybe. I just can't stand the one on my TiVo taking up screen space when I'm trying to see what I'm FFing or RWing to.

Yeah, stick with the stuff grandma would love, guys.

The most inspired idea I've seen in the 'what would grandma love' vein is methodmachine's idea that you could send grandma your own home movies or pics over IVS. FlipFlop also had some good ideas like playback at 1.2x, 1.5x, and 2x fast-forward speeds with audio playback, so you can watch shows in less time, or like a menu that pops up when you turn the unit on and shows you the five most recently recorded shows so that you can select which show to play without having to surf the replay guide. As far as I can tell, noone else has even come close to zeroing in on features that would thrill grandma.

OK..... Just to recap and get it back on track here...

This is every hint Richard has given thus far:

Sorry.. but I just don't see how "home movies" over IVS would cut it based on these hints. First of all, the unit would have to "know" it's a home movie or it would just be IVS all over again... and I don't see how that would be possible. Secondly, I don't see how this is anything but a geek feature.

I can't say I can think of anyting like this either.

PS: Status bar people... both sides... could we waste more time on this feature when it is so obvious that's NOT what Richard is talking about? 'nuf already.

I started on page three to read this messy thread.
Started looking good until I went back to page one.

I come to this conclusion. It's all smoke and mirrors.
I have seen messages like this all the time. And with the
movie from last night "Wag the Dog" fresh in mind.

Do you realize this is just a distraction from the latest
fiasco of no INTEROP between 4k/5k/55k. No more bug
fixes. "Contrary to what was said about ""Rock"" release
code"

I have seen it all before. Smoke blown in (your orafice of
choice here) about features and functions that did not
materialize.

If this sounds negative. You are right. I am really pissed about
the latest happenings.

Concider this. A positive referral to a friend is based on how
a customer is handled. A negative referral will kill replay/dnna
and it will be 100:1 against replay if that happens.

back to work.

OK, let's bring this into focus. What do most Mother's want more than anything else in the world? The list is wide open, but from my personal experience Mother's love to see their kids more often, and if they cannot see them, pictures or at the very least a phone call will help to satisfy the need.

Now let's see how the existing ReplayTV could be used to give a Mother what she want's most. Well, the thing cannot be used to physically bring you to your Mother (or her to you for that matter) so that is out of the question. ReplayTV is a network connected "computer-like" device and can send video, so adding the ability to send pictures (as stated previously) should not be to difficult to implement. Additionally the device could be used to send and receive e-mail (again not to far a stretch, after all it does understand the MS WebTV keyboard already to some degree, and has rudimentary e-mail functionality already) without going to far over the "non-geek" line. The ability to do voice mail (or Voice-Over-IP) or any voice / video connectivity would be the most impressive feature any Mother would love, however the existing ReplayTV currently does not support voice input, so a computer program would need to be involved, (not very Mom-like) so that is not all that likely to be the new feature.

What other "Mom-wanted" things can you all think of, that could be added to ReplayTV via software?

Mother/Grandma? would they use this? I know my mother would not the way it is now but add web/e-mail picture sharing then you have something she might. So, what is said here? A webTV with DVR power. Interesting. But, still too much layout and backend work required by DNNA on their side. The infastructure that they would need to support a webtv like appliance is BIG.

My wife wont even touch the replay because its to difficult to use. Here is the are they would probably improve on. She loves the Tivo and will work with that unit (when it was working). I have tried to show her the network benefit of 2 replays and she just does not get it.

Mom wanted things:
1. Good parental control and password safe area for the parents.
2. Easy to use and pick shows to record.
3. All networked replays look as one. All network recording/playing is done in the background without the user even knowing.

What would my mom want?

I'm betting they're not gonna make it:

Milk the cows
Feed the dogs
Slop the hogs
Take hay to the horses
Water the goats
Can the vegetables
Brew coffee for Dad

Hmmmm. I'm thinking Richard's mother has different priorities than mine.


That said, here's my SWAG: An HDTV receiver that's controlled by the USB port.

Oh wait, he said stunning. Then it's a home security system that zaps any would-be intruders with a 100GW blue laser. (It's been masquerading as a mild-mannered status light all this time.)