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More Microsoft FUD

163 Views 15 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Wayno, Oct 30, 2000

jleavens

Discussion Starter · Oct 26, 2000

As usual, since Microsoft is unable to ship a product apparently in time for the holiday season, they are instead resorting to their old tactics.

This press release talks about the announced pricing for the UltimateTV service.

Pretty sickening. You can't ship a product, so you try to get people to forgo the available products over the holiday season in anticipation of what might come from Microsoft someday. Note that they don't mention anywhere WHEN this product might ship.

As always, thanks to Cravan's PTV site for the link...

[This message has been edited by jleavens (edited 10-26-2000).]

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1 - 16 of 16 Posts

Amazingly Smooth

· #2 · Oct 27, 2000

I'm really bothered by the lack of competition in this market. At least with satellite TV it is understandable that placing satellites in orbit is expensive, but this market is relatively cheap by comparison. I hope more than just Microsoft comes out with a competitive products.

Cheers

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ReplayTV -- The only one that had firewire...

Dr. Zed

· #3 · Oct 27, 2000

What burns my britches is when an article says something like:

Quote:

It's the only fully integrated product offering with DIRECTV programming, digital video recording, interactive television and Internet access in one complete package, and the only satellite receiver to allow viewers to watch two shows on DIRECTV at the same time (picture-in-picture), watch one show while recording another, and record up to 35 hours of digital-quality programming for later viewing on their own "personal lineup."

This is NOT true simply because IT DOES NOT EXIST! How can "it be the only" anything?

The second thing mentioned, the dual tuners with DirecTV, is laughable. The DirecTiVo has two tuners. The second tuner isn't supported. If that's enough to discount it, then how many of the UltimateTV's tuners are supported? That's right, NONE. It doesn't exist!

Now, could someone get me a glass of water, my britches are burning.

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"It's like living in the future."

[This message has been edited by an infinite number of monkeys (edited 10-24-2000).]

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jbarr

· #4 · Oct 27, 2000

While UltimateTV and DirecTiVo may ultimatly be good products, they miss the market currently served by current ReplayTV and TiVo systems: Multi-input users. I think an integrated DirecTV/ReplayTV/TiVo/UltimateTV box would be nice, but will they be able to encode OTA antenna or cable broadcasts? I doubt it. And if they don't encode other sources, then they (all companies who do this) "screw you cable and OTA networks".

Maybe average Joe Sixpack would only purchase DirecTV services, but I depend on both DirecTV and OTA locals. Not a product I would lean toward.

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-Jim

ReplayTV: The only way to watch Iron Chef!

jleavens

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 27, 2000

DirecTiVo does *not* let you record off-the-air or cable signals. This is because they don't have an MPEG encoder, rather they use the MPEG encoded signal from the DirecTV broadcast and simply decode it as they need.

This also means that you can't record from any line inputs either, like a DVD or VHS for time-shifting. I'm wonder if the DirecTiVo even has line inputs....

Dr. Zed

· #6 · Oct 27, 2000

Neither the article, nor I stated that the DirecTiVo would record cable or an ota signal. Why is this even being brought up? If there is a point, please make it. Preferably one that's on topic.

Quote:

.... the only satellite receiver to allow viewers to watch two shows on DIRECTV at the same time (picture-in-picture), watch one show while recording another, and record up to 35 hours of digital-quality programming for later viewing on their own "personal lineup."

My point was that this is NOT true. Their "product" doesn't do this because it doesn't exist. If one is going to argue that "it will do this", then the same can be said for the DirecTiVo because it is far closer to that potential.

It is correct, although very off-topic, that the DirecTiVo doesn't record other sources. That is not it's intent. If you want to do that, get a stand-alone unit. However, it can do something that stand-alones don't, and that's record up to 35 hours of TV at "better than best" quality because it's recording the tranmitted signal that's been compressed at a quality that you won't find in a stand-alone unit. The integration of DirecTV+PVR or Dish+PVR has it's advantages. Combo units are not meant to be the "swiss army knife" of the PVR market.

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"It's like living in the future."

[This message has been edited by an infinite number of monkeys (edited 10-24-2000).]

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jasonl99

· #7 · Oct 27, 2000

Quote:

DirecTiVo does *not* let you record off-the-air or cable signals.

Neither will UltimateTV when (if) it's released. Neither does Dishplayer. But that's the price you pay for absolutely perfect picture quality.

For most people, this won't be an issue, certainly not in the next few years. Both DirecTV and Dish Network are putting up spot-beam satellites that should really increase the number of local channels that can be carried.

I get my locals through DirecTV now, and have a standalone TiVo. I can't even tell you the last time I recorded something that was not on the satellite.

MikeNY718

· #8 · Oct 27, 2000

What does FUD and HUD stand for, anyway??

MikeNY718

· #9 · Oct 27, 2000

Quote:

Originally posted by NetBoy:
FUD = Fear Uncertainty and Doubt

HUD = Heads Up Display

Thanks. Just out of curiousity, what is a "Heads Up Display?"

jasonl99

· #10 · Oct 27, 2000

Quote:

Originally posted by MikeNY718:
Thanks. Just out of curiousity, what is a "Heads Up Display?"

It's the exact opposite of a TUD - Toes Up Display.

Dr. Zed

· #11 · Oct 27, 2000

Quote:

Originally posted by jasonl99:
It's the exact opposite of a TUD - Toes Up Display.

Thanks for the laugh. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

But seriously, the concept of a HUD is to have a display that doesn't require you to take your eyes off of what you should be viewing. For example, when driving your car, if you want to check your speed, you need to glance down at your spedometer. However, if the information was projected onto your windshield, you wouldn't have to take your eyes off the road to see your speed. You could keep your head up.

So, rather than a jet pilot having to take his eyes off the skys to check his instruments, if he has a HUD, he can get most information without as much distraction.

When it comes to a PVR, there really isn't much of an alternative than the TV screen. It would be silly to put the menus on the physical unit, although that's what VCR originally did. I wouldn't call an on-screen programming display, by itself, a HUD. However, if the menu appears transparently over the TV content, in a way that it doesn't really interfere with the content, then I would call that a HUD.

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"It's like living in the future."

[This message has been edited by an infinite number of monkeys (edited 10-24-2000).]

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Wayno

· #12 · Oct 28, 2000

Quote:

Originally posted by MikeNY718:
What does FUD and HUD stand for, anyway??

Well, in this instance I suspect that FUD stands for F'ed Up Disinformation. You can insert your own favorite 'F' swear word in the "F'ed" spot. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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Wayne Dunham

[email protected]

riker

· #13 · Oct 28, 2000

Wayno, that's not funny, because it happens occasionally on the Replay too.

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-=- Glenn -=-

jleavens

Discussion Starter · #14 · Oct 29, 2000

So getting *back* on topic, does anyone know off-hand what the "interactive" part of this box is supposed to be? Are they integrating a WebTV box in it as well?

Wayno

· #15 · Oct 29, 2000

Quote:

Originally posted by jleavens:
So getting *back* on topic, does anyone know off-hand what the "interactive" part of this box is supposed to be? Are they integrating a WebTV box in it as well?

Well it is a M$ product so it probably means that at least once a day you'll be heading over to the box to "interact" with it by pressing the CTRL-ALT-DEL keys on the front panel to fix the lockup? http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Sorry, couldn't resist!

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Wayne Dunham

[email protected]

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Wayno

· #16 · Oct 30, 2000

So far if I recall the only time my Replay's locked up on me is when I am playing a show and go to the Replay Guide to delete that show and pick another one to play without stopping the recording I'm playing first. It's a random and infrequent thing, but the only time mine's locked up recently.

Back in February when I came back from vacation (or was it in June on that vacation?) my machine had a black screen but an unplug reboot fixed that. At any rate it's nothing like the Windbloze lockup of at least once a day. "Windows, where do you want to crash Today?"

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Wayne Dunham

[email protected]

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