ReplayTV "PC Edition" announced

[Sagebrush]

A new contender: http://www.replaytv.com/press_release/06282006.asp

A modest entry. But at least these guys have earned their stripes in the DVR field....and earned my respect.

After more than six months of trying to wean myself off my three networked ReplayTV 5000 series machines and fully onto my Sage-Fusion-XP-Purevideo--- PC, I'm still no closer than I was several months ago.

[teknubic]

Having never been a replayTV user, I'm skeptical of their offering in this arena. I have no preconceived opinions of their past products so I cannot (and neither should anyone else, for that matter) have one about this one.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060628-7157.html
But $20/yr? What's that for?
I'll check out the trial when it comes out if I can but unless it totally floors me, I'll be here.

[Sagebrush]

Originally Posted by teknubic

But $20/yr? What's that for? :

They're coming from the stand-alone DVR box subscription model (like TiVo). From their perspective, they're probably thinking that $20/year is a lot less than the $13/month (or $300 lifetime/3 year) rates they were/are charging. And $20 is only 20% of the original application price.

Although we're used to $0/year for a basic EPG and ongoing free Sage updates/patches, it's possible that Replay plans to provide enough additional value to warrant this ongoing "subscription" fee. Time will tell.

For what it's worth, I think their biggest shortcoming (as they target the early adopters) is that they don't (yet) appear to support HD cards.

[waynedunham]

I was, and am a ReplayTV user. Having read through their Email announcing it, and seeing the web pages about it I'm left with more questions than answers.

(1) No mention of HD in the initial version, or hinting that it may be coming
(2) You can have several PC's running the software with recording devices in each machine and view any recordings on any machine. You can also have basically a "client" with no recorder but able to view recordings. However can you have multiple cards in one machine. I have 5 recorders in my Sage server now)
(3) No mention of any thin clients/media extenders aka the MVP, etc.

Granted some of these may be in their thoughts at a later date after they get the basics working.

At least initially it looked to me like a pretty basic set of formats supported. A couple things I read implied (to me) that they'd be pretty much in line with the Micro$oft DRM model (i.e. "All you media is belong to us!")

I applied to Beta test the software, but I'm guessing that I didn't make the cut. I figure they've probably already got their Beta testers selected and possibly even viewing product if they're announcing it will come out in September.
I'll still hold out hope of getting on the Beta team in case they haven't finished picking people. I did Beta test Version 2 of the software on the older ReplayTV boxes.

[Ryokurin]

kind of too little too late if it can't match whats out there.

[PGPfan]

Originally Posted by Sagebrush

They're coming from the stand-alone DVR box subscription model (like TiVo). From their perspective, they're probably thinking that $20/year is a lot less than the $13/month (or $300 lifetime/3 year) rates they were/are charging. And $20 is only 20% of the original application price.

Keep in mind that this is the mentality of the 'new' ReplayTV. I had one of their 'original' PVR boxes way back when they offered lifetime guide at NO charge. If they really are in stand alone model mode, then they should look to their roots for pricing of the guide data. If Sage can do it, they could as well but I suspect they'd rather 'milk' people for every penny possible.

So far, they are NO threat to Sage in my opinion.

-PGPfan

[stevech]

this: "ReplayTV PC Edition will also be bundled in the box with select Hauppauge WinTV/PVR tuner cards, also with a free 30-day trial. "

Suggests that Replay TV's PC Edition will piggy-back on Hauppauge's distribution channels and eye-catching product packaging on the shelves. At CompUSA, Fry's, BestBuy, if they get into these, could be lucrative sales. Maybe it's just a teaser 30 day trial that's put in the box- no revenue for ReplayTV unless x% of the buyers opt-in. And and Hauppauge can cut the costs of supporting their own minimalistic DVR.

[dbfresh23]

Well after years of being kicked around by Tivo and sold from company to company it seems that ReplayTV finally has one foot in it's grave. IMO it's too little too late and as Wayne said, with no mention of an extender like the MVP - it's not even worth installing the demo.

[jquinlan]

Originally Posted by waynedunham

I applied to Beta test the software, but I'm guessing that I didn't make the cut.

Same here. Have not been contact to this date.

I once had a ReplayTV but returned it (Best Buy 45 day return) for the PC based systems free guide.
So now this just leaves TIVO for the hardware market.

[stevech]

and what of the cable TV companies' DVRs as competition to TiVo, long term

[dbfresh23]

Originally Posted by stevech

and what of the cable TV companies' DVRs as competition to TiVo, long term

I don't think Tivo really has a long term future. I think their biggest profit they've seen has come from the lawsuit against Dish Network. I can see the DVR market getting narrowed down to HTPC or Cable/Dish DVR. I'd bet that Tivo will probably be bought out by another company like comcast - though IMO Apple would make more sense. With their *new* pricing structure, Tivo has priced themselves out of competition.

[Ryokurin]

Originally Posted by dbfresh23

I don't think Tivo really has a long term future. I think their biggest profit they've seen has come from the lawsuit against Dish Network. I can see the DVR market getting narrowed down to HTPC or Cable/Dish DVR. I'd bet that Tivo will probably be bought out by another company like comcast - though IMO Apple would make more sense. With their *new* pricing structure, Tivo has priced themselves out of competition.

Well, they are also getting into the software market, Comcast, and a few other providers do have plans to provide tivo software upgrades to their dvr systems. Most charge extra for it however so thats still is a negative.

Tivo's biggest issue with the Dish DVR lawsuit is if they lose it basically means that they are dead as anyone can do what they do. On the other hand however if they win then they also have the right to go after others which could be bad for the PC HTPC market, especially the open sourced part of it.

[stevech]

TiVo, having introduced a new techno-verb into our language, will have wall street darlings for quite some time, IMO