[uncleblaine]

A couple snippets from the article at:

http://famulus.msnbc.com/famuluscom/...1.asp?sym=SBLU


The ReplayTV 4000 enables new user experiences, such as the ability to have multiple recording units in the home that are able to communicate and share files with one another over the Internet, as well as with a Windows XP-enabled PC or with other ReplayTV 4000 DVRs.

"Our new ReplayTV 4000 DVRs leverage UPnP functionality for seamless connectivity across the home network, enabling the product to act as a true home media server,"said Ed Brachocki, vice president, video product line, SONICblue.

 

[Scyber]

Anyone know if this is connectivity with all Windows OSes , or if it is a feature of WinXP exclusively?


As far as I can tell, if WinXP can connect to the Replay 4000, I don't see why other MS OS's can't. This is probably just SonicBlue riding the publicity wave around WinXP.



Scyber

 

[Crunchy Doodle]

Quote:

Originally posted by Scyber Anyone know if this is connectivity with all Windows OSes , or if it is a feature of WinXP exclusively? As far as I can tell, if WinXP can connect to the Replay 4000, I don't see why other MS OS's can't. This is probably just SonicBlue riding the publicity wave around WinXP. Scyber

To quote from the article . . . .


"UPnP is a networking architecture supported by Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me) and Windows XP that enables network devices of all forms, such as PCs, PDAs, printers, broadband routers, consumer electronics, etc., to be truly plug and play on the home network. UPnP devices can seamlessly connect and communicate with each other over any TCP/IP network, without the need for user configuration, centralized servers, PCs, or product-specific driver software."


So the answer is not all versions of Windows, just Me and XP support UPnP. That doesn't completely rule out others, they would need some sort of driver or special configuration.


Bye.

 

[dkan24]

UPnP is just a protocol used by Windows ME and now XP to make connecting a network easier. I have 2 PC's, 1 running ME and the other 98 and they obviously connect to eachother just fine. What UpnP does is kind of an auto detect networking, but really it is just a little bit easier than how it was for 95 or 98. In other words, ReplayTV will connect to 95, 98, probably even a MAC. It uses standard TCP/IP you just need to know how to set up a network, in 95/98, which is not that hard anyway (without UPnP)


When I called the guy at SB, he told me I could drag files from my 4000 to my PC. He made no mention of needing ME or XP.

 

[richardkaufmann]

I wonder if I'll be limited to storing still images, or whether I can watch programming stored on the 4000. (The latter is much more interesting.)


Anyone know? I couldn't glean details from the press releases.

 

[cdaveb]

Well hopefully it will work with anything that supports SMB so that I can use it with my new PowerBook running OS X.1 which should hopefully show up shortly before my Replay 4000. I'll report as soon as I get mine.

 

[Sabardeyn]

I wonder if this means it will be possible to take shows off the ReplayTV and store them on CD-Rs/DVD-Rs?


I know their are copyright issues, but I'm looking more at shows that are not likely to go to DVD. Particularly those shows that are episodic - where missing an episode doesn't only mean missing that week's story, but a part of the overall story of the show.


Some examples are X-Files, The Pretender, Babylon 5. Half the fun of the show is trying to figure out what is going on, why, and who's doing what. Being able to create compilation recordings would be a great help.

 

[dkan24]

from what the SB guy told me, this will be possible. I asked him if the mpeg2 file will be encrypted and he said no. That means any software player on the PC should be able to play it. He said that you cannot go the other way though. You cannot put mpeg2 files from your PC to the 4000. This would be a nice feature. When DVD burners come down in price, I plan on dumping a lot of stuff to DVD then later playing on my standalone DVD player

 

[hroeder]

dkan,


DVD burners, as they currently exist, are not compatible with DVD players. I'm sure some day that compatibility will come about, but for right now they write a std 4.7 or a new 9.4 gig disk. Real DVD writers exist, but they're in the thousands of dolllars range.


To record a DVD your PC will have to either feature a live record feature, not common; or be able to store the divitized file, somehow. If the 4000 is truly networked; then that would mean it's drive is open to drives on the network. Probably read but not write. Because too many people would zap something.

 

[RandyL712]

Quote:

Originally posted by hroeder DVD burners, as they currently exist, are not compatible with DVD players.

What do you mean by this? With the current DVD burners out there for $400-1000, I can't play the resulting DVD in a DVD player?

 

[TripleD]

Current DVD writers ARE compatiable with most modern DVD players. You just have to get the right one. I don't know about the Windoze world but the "SuperDrive" comes standard on some Macintosh G4 computers, the cheapest being $2,499. The SuperDrive will write video and audio to a DVD disk and you can play it on your home DVD player.

 

[dkan24]

There are 3 different types of DVD burners:


1. DVD-Ram: not compatible with DVD video players. Used for backup


2. DVD-RW: compatible with mostly all DVD video players that are 2 years old. (MAC superdrive, Compaq, Sony currently available)


3. DVD+RW: a new standard backed by many computer and CE companies. This is supposed to be compatible with virtually all DVD video players on the market now. DVD+RW will come in 2 flavors- 1 for the PC, the other as a standalone Video recorder. HP is releasing a drive for $599 next month. It is on their website now.


With DVD-RW or DVD+RW, you can drag the mpeg2 file over to your PC (from the network), then use software (that comes with the DVD burner drive) to burn a fully compatible (with DVD video players) disc. You can do this RIGHT NOW with a computer from Compaq costing $1000.

 

[theprophe]

so your sure the sonic blue guy told you, you coult get the mpeg into windows with no encription? if so i'll get one, if not i won't pretty simple actually for me

 

[dkan24]

I am 100% sure he said that to me. I asked twice about the file being encrypted- he said no! Of course he could be wrong, but it would make sense being that it is networked. That was the kicker for me. It gives you virtually unlimited space, and the ability to dump it to disc.

 

[toots]

Seems to depend on a lot of factors.


I mean, on the existing 2000/3000 boxes, the MPEGs aren't encrypted. Just getting at them means opening the box, taking the drive out, wiring it up to your 'pute, running extract_rtv, etc.


So, if they're encrypting the MPEGs on the 4000 - that'd be new. Not to say that they won't, but it would be new.


So, the major question is whether the business about being able to mount the Replay as a drive share under Windows-something is true.


I personally expect to find out as soon as I can. Just can't wait to watch all my TeeVee in them little 320x240 Windows Media Player windows...

 

[dkan24]

let's assume the 4000 is a drive and you can easily drag mpeg2 files over- what would the resolution be? would it be 720x540, larger or smaller?

 

[toots]

720x480, in all likelihood.


At least the last time I extract_rtved a show, it was in that ballpark.

 

[theprophe]

ididn't know you could extract mpegs with the older units, any sites or info for me to find out more about this?

 

[HoTat2]

Wait a minute. Whats the advantage of buying one of the new DVD recorders now hitting the market?. That is what then are you getting any different for your money outside of an integrated OTA tuner for the $1000+ cost of a DVD recorder if you have PCs with DVD video capable burners?.

 

[dkan24]

the only advantage is for people not comfortable using a computer. It is like the CD-R argument. I have one for my PC. My friend has a standalone. He likes it a lot. I like mine a lot- especially the versatility it gives me. I don't know if the DVD blanks will be more or equal for the standalone DVD burner. By the way- the DVD-RW and DVD+RW use the same DVD-R write once discs. They differ in their re-writable discs. Also, the DVD+RW is built specifically to be used for both a PC and a standalone video burner. It has 2 specifications to write- 1 is for data, and does this at 2 1/2 speed (which is equal to 12x for a CDR) and the other method is made specifically for recording real time video.


DVD+RW will probably win out in the end b/c more companies are supporting it. They should be out before the holidays. The real winner will be determined in the price of dics. Right now, DVD-R discs (for a DVD-RW like superdrive) go for $10 each. There is no reason they cannot come down to $1 each when they are mass produced.