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Moxi Functions In Charter Set-top Box Next Year

Posted by timothy on from the it's-spreading-my-precious dept.

An anonymous reader writes: "Charter Communications will offer a Moxi-like cable tv set top box with DVR / MP3 capabilities next year. Here it is. I like the idea of merging the set-top box with a DVR using normal cable tv or satellite. A good combination."

108 comments

  1. Hunh? by The+Lyrics+Guy · · Score: -1

    What the fuck does the title of this article mean? I've read it 4 times and it still doesn't make any sense.

    1. Re:Hunh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      The article says "Congrats for 1st post". You beat out the gay AC who posted "FIRST POST" below.

      Now prepare for anal submission.

  2. first post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    and anonymous! eat it, CLIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. You'll like it less by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    when you can't skip ads.

    (PS We love the CLIT)

  4. FRIST PSOT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Jon Katz is my idol.

  5. Whats funny by papasui · · Score: 4, Interesting

    is that all these companies are owned by Paul Allen and the article states that the main competitor will be Microsoft (which was co-founded by Allen).

    1. Re:Whats funny by skydude_20 · · Score: 1

      its all just to make it appear like there won't be a microsoft monopoly

      --
      Jesus saves souls and redeems them for valuable cash prizes
    2. Re:Whats funny by frameshift · · Score: 3, Interesting

      paul allen also owns tech tv which promotes linux and one of the popular shows on tech tv is "the screen savers" with leo laport who does linux support on air. they also did a show on installing linux. i thought this would be kinda weird for a station that is owned by someone that holds a lot of stock in microsoft.

    3. Re:Whats funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

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    4. Re:Whats funny by Teknogeek · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Hey, fucktard!

      Setting aside the fact that you're spamming Slashdot (rarely an intelligent thing to BEGIN with), the words 'prestigious' and 'non-accredited' go together about as well as 'Bill Gates' and 'Linus Torvalds'

      --
      I mod down anyone who uses M$ in their posts. I like to live on the edge.
    5. Re:Whats funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not at all. The appearance of competition to Microsoft's monopoly is VERY important to Paul Allen's stock in Microsoft. He's not stupid by any stretch of the imagination. Every single company he has taken an interest in has helped his other interests, including Microsoft, even though they're openly promoted as supposed "competitors". Behind closed doors I'm sure he has a good snicker or two with Bill.

    6. Re:Whats funny by josh+crawley · · Score: 2

      He also is the president of ZDtv/TechTV. I really don't think he cares much about MS (well, not reglioulsy). Look at TechTV and how they _ACKNOLOGE_ linux. If he was a MS drone, that linux section would be canned.

    7. Re:Whats funny by xintegerx · · Score: 1

      I noticed and was about to post this same thing. Charter is owned by Allen. However I wouldn't have received 5 points like you.

      --

      Cover your eyes and click this link!
    8. Re:Whats funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm sure he's not above using Linux for his own purposes. Who cares if Moxi runs Linux? Just make sure no one at Charter mentions that to their customers, throw in the MS-Paul Allen tie-in and bingo! Joe 6pack will think Microsoft software runs it.

    9. Re:Whats funny by toby+b'no · · Score: -1, Redundant

      is that does allow you watch my satelite feed. Analog is the idea of ZDtv/TechTV. I found the need for most appealing about MS (well, not imagine. When I don't think this would be a DVR from DishTv. The rest is hardly an improvement over the Moxi. The box with a much people on here bitch about MS (well), not required, and there's a Tivo other than the idea of something I'd rather than the DVR using normal cable tv or something like that.

    10. Re:Whats funny by detritus. · · Score: 2

      Even more ironic, under the "General Subscriber Responsibilities" of Charter Pipeline's Customer Agreement, they require you to adhere to MSN email's TOS. That's being quite selective considering there's so many free e-mail sites out there. One has to wonder what (if any) TOS/Privacy agreements that will accompany this set-top box.

    11. Re:Whats funny by Mashby · · Score: 2, Informative

      This is, of course, only applicable if you use MSN email or Hotmail. I'm a Charter Pipeline subscriber, and I noticed that they recently changed their default startpage to a cobranded MSN/Charter Pipeline portal, which I'm sure is why they mention it in the TOS.

    12. Re:Whats funny by detritus. · · Score: 1

      I'm a subscriber as well and never used the startpage once. So, I guess i'm still bound by the TOS ;) Thanks for clarifying that, though.

    13. Re:Whats funny by Mashby · · Score: 1

      Well, the impression I get from it is that you are only bound to the MSN email TOS if you use MSN email. From the Customer Agreement:

      Charter customers using MSN e-mail must also comply with MSN's Terms of Use. A copy of the MSN Terms of Use is found at http://privacy.msn.com/tou and is incorporated into this Agreement by reference.

      So, as long as you don't use MSN e-mail, I don't see how you could be bound to the MSN terms of use, although, IANAL. You're right, though, it is funny that they even mentioned it, it's a little redundant, since you're obviously bound to the MSN email TOU if you use that service.

  6. Slashdot has confirmed:PWP is dying by poopbot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Yet another crippling bombshell hit the beleaguered trolling community when recently Slashdot confirmed that, after several changes were made to production Slashcode, wide posts account for less than a fraction of 1 percent of all Slashdot posts. Coming on the heels of the latest verions of IE which make page-widening more difficult, this news serves to reinforce what we've known all along. the wide posts that we love are collapsing into the narrow posts that we are used to, as further exemplified by the lack of Slashbots complaining about difficulty reading Slashdot's articles.

    You don't need to be a Klerck to predict PWP's future. The hand writing is on the wall: PWP faces a bleak future. In fact there won't be any future at all for PWP because PWP is dying. Things are looking very bad for PWP. As many of us are already aware, PWP continues to be defeated by users with thresholds of 1 or higher. Mod points flow like a river of blood. Klerck's PWP-bot posts are the most endangered of them all, having been filtered early on because of their uniformity.

    Let's keep to the facts and look at the numbers.

    PWP leader Klerck states that there are 7 wide posts in the average Slashdot article. How many non-wide crapflood posts are there? Let's see. The number of crapflood versus wide posts on Slahdot is roughly in ratio of 5 to 1. Therefore there are about 7*5 = 35 non-wide crapflood posts in every Slashdot article. Tacosnotting posts on Slashdot are about half of the volume of crapflood posts. Therefore there are about 17 tacosnotting posts per article. A recent article put Goatse.cx trolls at about 80 percent of total troll posts. Therefore there are a hell of a lot of homosexual trolls. This is consistent with the number of Goatse.cx Slashdot posts.

    But Slashdot is only part of the picture. Due to the troubles at Slashdot, negative revenue and so on, the site will soon go out of business and many users will flock to alternative weblogs, where PWP is almost completely unknown. Trollaxor.com, the popular troll hangout, is also dying, its corpse sodomized in yet another Greek bath house.

    All major surveys show that PWP has steadily declined in the scope of all troll posts. PWP is very sick and its long term survival prospects are very dim. If PWP is to survive at all it will be among Blog faggot using outdated versions of Slashcode. PWP continues to decay. Nothing short of a miracle could save it at this point in time. For all practical purposes, PWP is dead.

    - posted by poopbot: because we're all crapflooders at heart

    LkYhc76KS0

  7. Fist post by perthstyle · · Score: -1

    Mr Fist

  8. Combinations. by saintlupus · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I like the idea of merging the set-top box with a DVR using normal cable tv or satellite. A good combination.

    The trade-off, of course, is that they _both_ have to be upgraded if you want something better. The whole unit would have to be replaced, in this case.

    See how much people on here bitch about the iMac if you don't think this would be a problem.

    --saint

    1. Re:Combinations. by Lumpy · · Score: 2

      and you know what... this is a good thing! you pay $5.00 a month for yout set top box, so you get a new PVR every time you break yours now. Granted there will be a larger number of whiners because they will now actually get arrested and fined for hacking the cable companies equipment.

      Secondly... this has been around for over a year now. the MAIN use for these boxes is to do targetted advertising... you see an ad that your neighbor doesn't see as it was targetted to you based on your profile, demographics, and all the data the boxes collect on you (*and already do! the DCT3000 on up log and report everything you do... weither or not the cable company collects and uses that data is another story...)

      So having the whole unit replaced for free at my cable office because it broke is awesome to me... as is them asking that I bring it in for a newer one as it doesn't have the features they need me to have...

      Dont think for one minute that they are giving you anything... it's for streaming targetted ad's... you get the side benifit of having a PVR.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  9. Yea, great combo.... by Stiletto · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I like the idea of merging the set-top box with a DVR using normal cable tv or satellite. A good combination.

    Yea that's a great combination. While you're at it, let's combine my microwave oven with my freezer. Oh and don't forget that useful tiolet-sink combo.

    Bleh.. Just give me a cheap black box that does one thing WELL, rather than fifty things half-assed.

    1. Re:Yea, great combo.... by quitcherbitchen · · Score: 1

      Uh huh. Personally I don't think this is a great combination. It is in the interest of cable companies to allow for things like DRM and the like. Don't give them more control. Please.

    2. Re:Yea, great combo.... by coolgeek · · Score: 2

      I like the idea of merging the set-top box with a DVR using normal cable tv or satellite. A good combination.

      Perhaps to thwart TV "thieves" like myself. I'd say the odds against this device having a commercial skip button or even a fast-forward are pretty high.

      --

      cat /dev/null >sig
    3. Re:Yea, great combo.... by gerardrj · · Score: 2

      The benefit is that as the signal comes off the satellite it can be written directly to disk. The encoder/decoder is not required, and hence you get better video quality.

      The reason I've not purchased a Tivo (other than the need for the stupid on-going service) is that I don't want to do MPEG->Analog->MPEG->Disk->Analog to watch my satelite feed. MPEG->Disk->Analog is a much shorter path with only a single decode involved.

      This is the reason I'll be getting the DVR from DishTv. The new dual tuner model is pretty sweet.

      --
      Article X: The powers not delegated... by the Constitution...are reserved...to the people
    4. Re:Yea, great combo.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      a directivo (direct tv/tivo combination) records the digital signal, eliminating the intermediary analog step.

    5. Re:Yea, great combo.... by malice95 · · Score: 4, Informative

      The reason I've not purchased a Tivo (other than the need for the stupid on-going service) is that I don't want to do MPEG->Analog->MPEG->Disk->Analog to watch my satelite feed. MPEG->Disk->Analog is a much shorter path with only a single decode involved.

      Um.. the direct tivo unit records directly from the stream. There is no analog conversion involved until you watch it. Its mpeg stream to disk direct. Its also dual tuner and avaliable now.

    6. Re:Yea, great combo.... by Slurpee · · Score: 1


      Bleh.. Just give me a cheap black box that does one thing WELL, rather than fifty things half-assed.

      Unlike your PC, your refrigerator/freezer, Lounge/Dining room, CD/DVD player, VHS Recorder and Player, Your Combined Stereo System or any other of the many appliances and things that do more then one functionality.

      There have been many bad examples of combining functionality, but in the end, convergence is generally a good thing. But, as always, avoid the early attempts, they suck. Wait for attempt 2-5 when things are much better.

    7. Re:Yea, great combo.... by gerardrj · · Score: 2

      I don't have Direct TV, so that doesn't help me.

      --
      Article X: The powers not delegated... by the Constitution...are reserved...to the people
    8. Re:Yea, great combo.... by The+Mayor · · Score: 2

      Uh, the DirecTivo is a DirectTV decoder. And it's a dual-tuner Tivo. Pretty sweet, actually.

      --
      --Be human.
    9. Re:Yea, great combo.... by gerardrj · · Score: 1

      That's nice again. But I STILL don't have DirectTV. Hence such a device is useless to me and all the people on the cable systems involved with this release.

      --
      Article X: The powers not delegated... by the Constitution...are reserved...to the people
    10. Re:Yea, great combo.... by Thorkytel+Ant-Head · · Score: 1

      I'd say the odds against this device having a commercial skip button or even a fast-forward are pretty high.

      What use would a PVR be without a fast-forward button? It will have one. And if you've seen any of the Moxi demonstrations, you would know that it also has a commercial-skip button. I highly doubt that this will be removed.

    11. Re:Yea, great combo.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Those people can all get direct TV, and Direct Tivos, then it will be useful to them.

      Speaking from personal experience, I think they all should get DirecTV and Tivo. Hey you, DirecTV with Tivo *IS* useful to you, you should get it.

      Oh, non-US? bummer! don't bother whining, then! See ya!

    12. Re:Yea, great combo.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did Wired have a Fridge/Stove combo in it recently?

    13. Re:Yea, great combo.... by coolgeek · · Score: 2

      I highly doubt a cable company is going to push a device that enables their customers to circumvent commercials. It is not in their interests.

      --

      cat /dev/null >sig
  10. Jackson 5 = PENIS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    1 2 3 4 5
    + + + + +
    P E N I S

    it all adds up.

    1. Re:Jackson 5 = PENIS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll
      WHOOPS!
      Due to excessive bad posting from this IP or Subnet, comment posting has temporarily been disabled. If it's you, consider this a chance to sit in the timeout corner. If it's someone else, this is a chance to hunt them down. If you think this is unfair, please email jamie@slashdot.org with your MD5'd IPID and SubnetID, which are
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  11. digital cable/internet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    too bad they can't get thier cable internet working right...

  12. bleh... by justchillink · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I'm with the other guy, WTF is this title supposed to mean? PS: Gotta love that clit.

  13. What if these break? by taloobie · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Maybe someone has come up with this thought before...

    With all these convergence boxes/devices has anyone put in any thought about what happens when one breaks? I mean, if I invest in one device for everything and it breaks/hangs/crashes I'm SOL for everything I use the box for. I'd hate to lose TV, music, DVDs, gaming and web all at once...

    I tend to like many devices with specific purposes. That also seems to keep the stability up reasonably well.

    Does anyone else agree?

    1. Re:What if these break? by joshuarat · · Score: 1

      Definatly agree on multiple systems/redundancy...the advantave of the Cable company providing this box is it's rented...10 bucks a month (arbitrary number) it breaks...they bring a new one in a couple of days. Of course, I'll still have my tuner card/mp3player/dvd etc ad nauseum (sp?) to rely on...

      --
      That tech support that does not kill me...drives me crazier
    2. Re:What if these break? by ShavenYak · · Score: 2

      The bad thing about multiple devices is the cost and efficiency factor. You need basically the same electronic parts in your cable box as your MP3 player and Tivo anyway, why not build the functionality in at a tiny incremental cost rather than building a whole separate redundant device?

      Redundancy makes sense if you really need high availability, but entertainment isn't that important. On the other hand, I have three cable boxes, a cable modem, and a half-dozen computers around the house, so what do I know? ;)

      --

      Hey kids, there's only 5 days left 'til Yak Shaving Day!
  14. LOSER by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    You got beat by a legit slashdot flamer! I will not sux yer nux now.

  15. So what they are saying is... by httpamphibio.us · · Score: 1

    This is a computer that you keep by your TV. Hm... can't those exist now?

    --
    sig.
  16. And the Remote? by phraktyl · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why, the Moxi Pad of course!

    --
    Karma: Marginal (mostly due to the border around the website)
    1. Re:And the Remote? by Em+Emalb · · Score: 2

      GAH, you just gave me a mental picture of something I'd rather not imagine. When I first read it, I thought you said Maxi-pad. thanks a ton.

      YECK.

      --
      Sent from your iPad.
    2. Re:And the Remote? by Fluid+Truth · · Score: 1

      Well, I'm pretty sure that was the point. Presumably, you're the first to admit that the desired effect has been achieved. ;-)

      --
      Apparently, of the rich, by the rich, for the rich.
  17. [GafTheHorseInTears]: Fuck you all in the ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Oh no, oh horrors, my IP has been blocked from posting, whatever shall I do? Oh wait, here's something called a proxy! hahahahaha

    Snow - Informer

    What's up man hey yo what's up Yeah what's goin' on here
    Sick an' tired of five-oh runnin' up on the block here You know what I'm sayin'
    Yo Snow they came around here lookin' for you the other day Word word bust it

    Informer you no say daddy me Snow me I'll go blame
    A licky boom boom down
    Detective mon said daddy me Snow me stab someone down the lane
    A licky Boom Boom Down.

    Informer you no say daddy me Snow me I'll go blame
    A licky boom boom down
    Detective mon said daddy me Snow me stab someone down the lane
    A licky Boom Boom Down.

    Police them come an' now they blow down me door, One him come crawl through through my window
    So then they put me in the back the car at the station, From that point on me reach my destination
    When the destination reached it was the east detention, Where them whipped down me pants looked up me bottom so

    Informer you no say daddy me Snow me I'll go blame
    A licky boom boom down
    Detective mon said daddy me Snow me stab someone down the lane
    A licky Boom Boom Down..

    Bigger they are they think they have more power, They're on the phone me say that on (every) hour
    Me for want to use it once an' now me call me lover, Lover who I'll be callin is the one Tammy
    An' me love her in me heart down to my belly, Yes me daddy me Snow me I feel cool an' deadly
    As the one MC Shan an' the one daddy Snow, Together we-a love 'em as a Tor-Na-Do

    Informer you no say daddy me Snow me I'll go blame
    A licky boom boom down
    Detective mon said daddy me Snow me stab someone down the lane
    A licky Boom Boom Down..

    Listen for me you better listen for me now Listen for me you better listen for me now
    When me rockin' the microphone me rock it steady
    Yes sir daddy me Snow me are the article don, But in the in an' the out of a dance them they say where you come from
    People them say you come from Jamaica
    But me born an' raised in the ghetto that's the one I want you to know, Pure black people mon that's all I mon know
    Yeah me shoes are tear up an' me toes used to show, Where me born in on the one Toronto so

    Informer you no say daddy me Snow me I'll go blame
    A licky boom boom down
    Detective mon said daddy me Snow me stab someone down the lane
    A licky Boom Boom Down..

    Come with a nice young lady, Intelligent yes she's gentle an' irie
    Everywhere me go me never left her at all, Yes its daddy Snow me are the roam dance mon
    Roam between a dancin' in a in a nation-a, You never know say daddy me Snow me are the Boom Shakata
    Me never lay-a down flat in that one cardboard box, Yes say me Daddy me Snow me I'll go reachin' at the top so

    Informer you no say daddy me Snow me I'll go blame
    A licky boom boom down
    Detective mon said daddy me Snow me stab someone down the lane
    A licky Boom Boom Down..

    Why would he Why would he

    Me sittin' 'round cool with my dibbie dibbie girl, Police knock my door lick up my pal
    Rough me up an' I can't do a thing, Pick up my line when my telephone ring
    Take me to the station black up my hands, Trail me down 'cuz I'm hangin' with the Snowman
    What I'm gonna do I'm backed an' I'm trapped, Slap me in the face an' took all o' my gap
    They have no clues an' they wanna get warmer, But Shan won't turn informer

    Due to excessive bad posting from this IP or Subnet, comment posting has temporarily been disabled. If it's you, consider this a chance to sit in the timeout corner. If it's someone else, this is a chance to hunt them down. If you think this is unfair, please email jamie@slashdot.org with your MD5'd IPID and SubnetID

    1. Re:[GafTheHorseInTears]: Fuck you all in the ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      hahahahahh

      you too? :( heres a good one

      good thing there are idiot malays and other asians who dont understand "security" and "firewall". plenty of proxies for our sexy trolls to use ;) ;) ;)

  18. got one already... by off-topic_troll_bait · · Score: 1

    cost about 250... its called a used PC

  19. What I don't like.... by MortisUmbra · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Is that the cable company would controll it. Take the ReplayTV fiasco for instance. They fought back because they don't get any perks from the industry, however cable companies, that is their bread and butter. And being a cable company, God only knows what features they can/will/could put in it, or disable (like 30 second skip to bypass commercials). I don't trust the same people who provide my content to be the ones who allow me to manipulate it at whim. Then again todays climate could just have me uoverly paranoid :)

    --

    "The saddest words of mice and men, are not those which were, but should have been."
    1. Re:What I don't like.... by Lumpy · · Score: 2

      30 second skip is never going to be in there... so you cant lose something that was never there...

      "Hey, this doesn't make toast! you bastards! I want my money back!"

      If you want to complain, great... complain about something real.. DON'T complain about something you never had.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  20. I am the clit commander!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    There's a few things that I can say about the clit that I'd like you to hear. I am the master of the clit! I make that shit work! It does whatever the fuck I tell it to do! No one rules the clit like me! Not this little fuck! None of you little fucks out there! I am the clit commander!!! Remember that - commander of all clits!

    1. Re:I am the clit commander!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll
      you sir, smell like fish.
      //
      Due to excessive bad posting from this IP or Subnet, comment posting has temporarily been disabled. If it's you, consider this a chance to sit in the timeout corner. If it's someone else, this is a chance to hunt them down. If you think this is unfair, please email jamie@slashdot.org with your MD5'd IPID and SubnetID, which are //
    2. Re:I am the clit commander!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll
      wait one more time for good luck

      OOPS!

      HTTP/1.1 200 OK Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 01:56:31 GMT Server: Apache/1.3.26 (Unix) mod_gzip/1.3.19.1a mod_perl/1.27 mod_ssl/2.8.10 OpenSSL/0.9.6d X-Powered-By: Slash 2.003000 Connection: close Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
      OK
      The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.
      Please contact the server administrator, pater@slashdot.org and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

      More information about this error may be available in the server error log.

      Apache/1.3.26 Server at slashdot.org Port 80
  21. Toilet/sink by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Oh and don't forget that useful tiolet-sink combo.

    Don't they have those in prison?

    1. Re:Toilet/sink by Kredal · · Score: 2

      No, they have them in Europe... called a Bidet or something like that.

      (:

      --
      Whoever stated that signature sizes should be limited to one hundred and twenty characters can just go ahead and kiss my
  22. its war! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    why is every third article on Slashdot a MS vs AOL or MS vs SUN flame war ...?

    for one this set top box shouldn't even be featured on Slashdot since you can't simply go buy the thing and most Cable companies DONT offer it ..

    for two the MS vs AOL time warner BS is getting boring .. ya MS is trying to weasle into the Living Room / TV Room ... but who the fuck cares .. really???

    buy a Sony Playstation and a TiVo .. and leave me alone ..

    1. Re:its war! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Idiots love to see the world as X vs. Y, that's why.

      Take 1 dead horse, beaten savagely.
      Add crapfloods.
      Add FUD. Worse FUD that microsoft, ibm and sun combined could ever generate.
      Add people like you who are stupid enough to question it.
      Ta-da! You have slashdot.

  23. 100:1 against by Lurgen · · Score: 1

    What are the odds of us ever seeing one of these here in Australia? All the cool MP3 related devices (eg Voyetra's AudioTron, the SliMP3, etc) are unavailable here for various reasons...

    I hate living in the technological third world :(

    1. Re:100:1 against by seanadams.com · · Score: 2

      All the cool MP3 related devices (eg Voyetra's AudioTron, the SliMP3, etc) are unavailable here for various reasons...

      The SliMP3 is available in Australia, you just have to order it from us directly. Why? Because network MP3 players are not a mainstream product (in Australia or the USA for that matter) so it's hard to get them onto the shelves in retail outlets. Also we're a small company with "slim" margins, so we need to sell direct.

      We have found some reatilers in Europe who now carry our product, but as yet we do not have an Australian reseller yet.

      Just get together with a few of your friends to save on the shipping costs. We've sold a lot of players in Australia, you just have to import it yourself. It's actually cheaper than it would be to pick it up from a local store (by the time the reseller pays import tax and adds their markup).

      Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about bringing the product in to Australia. Also, if you know anyone who might be interested in promoting the SliMP3 in Australia, please let me know!

    2. Re:100:1 against by Lurgen · · Score: 1

      That's a fair point indeed - you are the only company producing such a product that will actually work here (power supply differences being the major show-stopper).

      I'm one of those guys who prefers to actually touch something before buying it, but the time is getting closer when I give up waiting. Also, I'm one of those annoying bastards who _really_ wants digital outputs from such a toy.

      As an aside, I've thoroughly investigated the shelf-unit MP3 products available on the first world markets... Only two seemed even remotely worth purchasing: SliMP3 and Audiotron. Audiotron is prettier (fits in nicely with the rest of my components, digital outputs), but doesn't support Aussie power supplies. SliMP3 seems to have better software, is quieter, cheaper (!), supports Aussie power supplies (!!), but has no digital outputs.

      Oh well, you can't win everything I guess.

  24. All-in-one systems by Andy+Smith · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I like the idea of merging the set-top box with a DVR using normal cable tv or satellite. A good combination.
    Here in the UK the main satellite provider, Sky, has a normal digibox but also an enhanced system called Sky Plus that is a combo digibox and PVR. There's no MP3 or DVD support but it does allow you to record one satellite channel while watching another. It's been around since last September. I've had one for most of this year and it's an awesome piece of kit, despite a few technical problems along the way. The box itself costs £300 and there's a £10 monthly subscription.
  25. roflllllllll OOPS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll
    HTTP/1.1 200 OK Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 01:56:31 GMT Server: Apache/1.3.26 (Unix) mod_gzip/1.3.19.1a mod_perl/1.27 mod_ssl/2.8.10 OpenSSL/0.9.6d X-Powered-By: Slash 2.003000 Connection: close Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
    OK
    The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.
    Please contact the server administrator, pater@slashdot.org and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

    More information about this error may be available in the server error log.

    Apache/1.3.26 Server at slashdot.org Port 80
  26. Article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Garbage stories like this make LNUX shares drop even farther

    1. Re:Article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      And make OSDN even cheaper for Aol to buy.

  27. Moxy Fruvous by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Once I was the King Of Spain!

    Now I eat humble pie!

    AYBABTU!

  28. Settop vs PC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't really like the idea of using a "set top" box as it offers me little control. I see the digital hub as a PC not as a set top.

  29. There will probably be a catch by Influxx · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This sounds like a great idea but i'm sure there will be some type of encoding that won't allow you to record premium channels or skip commercials. This is just some kind of ploy to trick the consumer into self-limiting what they can record and view.

  30. No mention of auxilliary receivers by uradu · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If I remember correctly, the original Moxi system had optional set-top boxes that you could string via Ethernet throughout the house to watch content off the main box on other TVs. That's what I found the most appealing about the Moxi. The rest is hardly an improvement over the current TiVo devices.

    1. Re:No mention of auxilliary receivers by Christopher+Bibbs · · Score: 2

      If you check out the Moxi product page you'll that feature is still listed. I'm sure the journalist/press release writer just didn't feel that was one of the "cooler" features.

    2. Re:No mention of auxilliary receivers by illumin8 · · Score: 1

      Not correct. Actually, the Moxi includes a built in 802.11a access point and allows you to have up to 3 remote set top boxes that receive digital video and audio wirelessly. Talk about a cool concept. Not only that, it also accepts an ethernet feed from your broadband provider and acts as a cable/dsl router, provides NAT, and rebroadcasts your internet signal in glorious 54 megabits throughout your humble abode...

      Check the Moxi website at http://www.moxi.com

      --
      "When the president does it, that means it's not illegal." - Richard M. Nixon
  31. Will the email service be free? by xintegerx · · Score: 1

    I have a question. I use Charter Cable TV and Pipeline (their cable internet service.) If I buy the set top box, I assume I would need to get Digital Cable from them. BUT say that I do do that.

    Will I have to pay ANOTHER montly fee to view e-mail and surf from my TV if I have their computer cable internet subscription? I hope not, but you never know...

    --

    Cover your eyes and click this link!
    1. Re:Will the email service be free? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As a Charter subscriber as well I can definitely say if you use their equipment you will pay a fee be it a broadband modem or a digital receiver.

  32. [GafTheHorseInTears] Hey, you forgot the lyrics... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Eazy-E - Still a Nigga

    ("Str8 off tha streetx of Compton,dedicated and by most suckas
    hated. But I got something I want you mutha fuckas to know I
    really dont give a fuck,hahaha.")

    Niggaz aint shit in the 90's I dont trustem and bitches on my
    dick but they aint shit so mutha fuckem. Eazy knows whats up cuz
    see he really dont give a fuck cuz it dont concern me if dont
    pertain to money or a nut. But then again I talk to a few of my
    friends 9 times outta 10 bout some endz or some skinz. Cuz Im tha
    type of nigga that gotta have it like a rabbit,rappn is my hustle
    bustn ho's is a habbit.I stab it like a true no good nigga
    should,I do it the way a down OG nigga would. And now Niggaz know
    Eric Wright aint no busta,Another platnium cut from tha Compton
    Thugsta, My name is "Eazy-E"

    "Eazy Mutha Fuckn E, A real Nigga, Born and Raised in Mutha Fuckn
    Compton, This ones dedicated to you busta ass niggaz ,you know
    who you are. Smoke a fat ass joint to this BITCH!!!HAHAHAH"

    I dont think Im all this or that but Im all me original Gangsta
    E-A-Z-Y-E. Down from tha Jump now Im ending with tha bizya,still
    rollin in my 6-4 on them thizangs. Do wicked shit,cuz shit is
    wicked on the streetz and from what my eyes see the wickedness
    will never cease. Bitches on my dick and ya know Im running yall
    so ya just sold your soul to tha mutha fuckn devils son in law.
    Wicked as could be Eazy-E got tha flow.LEAVING A SMELL OF DEATH
    ON THA ROW FOR SURE(or Show). And a ho cant make me or break me
    but she can take me to a motel and work a niggaz smell.Cuz Im
    "Eazy-E"

    "Yeah,suck on these nutz mutha fucka's, Get with tha real and
    quit faking tha funk. And oh yeah,stay off my dick,haha,really
    doe,hahaha"

    I let my demons loose when I hit tha 8 juice, and I leave a trail
    of stiff's when Im high off of a spliffs.Niggaz talk shit so I
    talk a lot of shit to, Niggaz want diss fuck them and their whole
    crew. In fact nigga thank ya for stocking a niggaz bank up yeah
    Im living swell but Im gangsta like Dresta,no NOT tha
    Doctor,physician,or the MD, Dresta's an OG Doc is a PHONY. Only
    the real real can chill with me and tha rest cant fuck with E.
    Cuz Im tha OG that'll bring ya down,tha devils son in law KING of
    tha underground. Good to go with tha flow that I throw,giving ya
    more to let a mutha fucka know. That I can get wreck on tha set
    and make ya slow cuz yeah know I aint a joke Im a mutha fuckn Loc
    and my name is "EAZY-E"

    "Eazy Mutha Fuckn E,but you bitches can just call me E.A real
    nigga from tha CPT. Kickn ass and asking questions later...Oh
    yeah,dont get smoked Loc...And Im out.....Mutha Fucka's (echo
    Mutha Fucka's)"

  33. [GafTheHorseInTears]: WWEED? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    What Would Eazy-E Do?

    Eazy-E - Gimmee That Nutt

    Intro:
    Cruisin' down tha street in my '64

    Verse One:
    It's like that and it's like this
    I took her to tha pad and we started tah kiss
    Now my dick's on hard ya know what I'm thinkin'
    Took tha panties off and the pussy wasn't stinkin'
    Pulled off my draws and we started to begin
    Now tha pussy's wet so my dick slides in
    Oh, hiddy hiddy hiddy you hoe
    Ridin' from the back so I'm fuckin' kinda slow
    So fee fie foe fuck fum
    She's scratchin' on my back oh here she comes
    Now I gotta get a nutt gotta get a nutt gotta get it quick
    Ya know because I love this shit so

    Chorus:
    Gimmee that, that, that nutt [3x]
    Gimmee that, Gimmee that, Gimmee that nutt

    Verse Two:
    Okay back back to the fuckin' basics
    You got yours and mine ya want tah taste it
    Open wide oh no don't 'cha waste it
    Oh shit all over ya face kid
    Ya know ya know one thing
    You know me I like to slang
    That dick you know what so roll over girl while I stick it in ya
    But I'll turn it wild while I'm ridin' that ass scream and shout
    My name is the same
    Just another pussy that I had tah tame soooooooo

    uh, get it on baby
    uh, get it on baby
    uh, get it on baby (lick my ballz honey)

    -Chorus-[2x]

    Verse Three:
    Now I love pussy (love pussy)
    And pussy loves me (pussy loves me)
    Like a lemon to the lime and the bubble to the bee
    Ya know its real good a nigga can't resist it (it's real good)
    Couldn't be a foot loop (can't be a fag) so don't get me twisted
    'Cuz in some pussy is the place tah be
    Always fuckin' is the life for me
    Spread them legs open far and wide
    Fuck this shit just let me put my dick inside soooooooo

    -Chorus-[2x]

    uh, get it on baby
    uh, get it on baby
    uh, get it on baby (gently put the ballhaaaaa)

    -Chorus-[2x]

  34. Most likely... more... by Viewsonic · · Score: 1

    With Charter, and digital cable, it costs around $10 a month for the box. When this comes out, they will probably offer choices for the same dulld rab box for $10/mo or the Tivo one for $15/mo .. Charter doesn't seem to do huge leaps in prices unless it's from Basic -> Extended. Extended -> Digital is rather cheap, and the boxes etc along with it .. More than likely most average people would be paying an extra $15/mo for the Tivo like box WITH the added digital channels that come with it. We will so. If it is too much for my dad (Who is really stingy.), then it probably wont be worthwhile for them to invest in this technology. One thing that I bet they are banking on is VIEWING HABITS. With Tivo, you can be ANONYMOUS, or OPT OUT ENTIRELY. I am guessing with Charter, you will NOT have either of those options, so that might even make the service cheaper in the long run. We shall see, but for now, I am glad they're at least TRYING. PVRs are the way of the future for the generation of people who have NO TIME. When you have that extra hour to do nothing, you can sit down and watch your favorite show and be happy and relax.

  35. Cox, too by Reality+Master+101 · · Score: 2

    I was very pleased to see on the Cox web site that they are working on integrating a PVR into the cable box as well. Woo hoo!

    Cox also rocks in that they are going to supply HDTV signals. Double woo hoo! Maybe it'll actually be worth buying an HDTV unit someday.

    --
    Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
    1. Re:Cox, too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have Cox, and have a set top box
      made by Scientific Atlanta, although
      not with pvr or hdtv features het.

    2. Re:Cox, too by ShavenYak · · Score: 2

      Charter already has HDTV available in my area. Despite having an HDTV-ready set, I haven't signed up yet. They want $89 for installation, which means that a guy with pants that don't fit is going to crawl around in my home theater set-up, screw it all up, and them I'm still going to have to spend an hour fixing it after he leaves. I'd rather be able to install it myself (ooh, the difficulty - plug the coax into the box, run component video and digital audio cables into my receiver - I hope I can handle it). I don't mind if they want to send an installer, but I don't want to pay that much money for a service I don't need.

      They also want $11/month extra for the HD service, on top of my already near-$100 bill (including internet and all the movie channels) and the only channels in HD are HBO and Showtime. When there are a few more channels on I might get it. It's not worth the hassle now.

      --

      Hey kids, there's only 5 days left 'til Yak Shaving Day!
  36. Mediacom by Geccoman · · Score: 1

    My company, Mediacom(www.mediacomcc.com) is definitely looking into providing high speed web access via set-top boxes. For the most part we offer high speed internet access to places that sometimes can't even get a local dial up. Unfortunately, they haven't really committed to offering this type of access yet.

    --
    I'm on a chair.
  37. Benefits and drawbacks by jtl · · Score: 2, Informative

    There are some definite benefits to a combined system: digital channels can be recorded without being re-compressed, increasing quality; it's easier & more likely to be able to record more than one show at a time; it should cost less than two separate units duplicating functionality; the combined UI could be simpler to use.

    There are some pretty significant drawbacks, though. As others have pointed out, these units are unlikely to have features content providers dislike -- they certainly won't have automatic commercial skipping, and may not have 30-second skip; they're not likely to have internet video sharing; they may have restrictions on how long shows can be kept, how many times they can be played, and whatkinds of shows can be recorded. The biggest problem, though, is that the end user won't own the unit -- it'll be rented from the cable company. Thus, no modifications. No HD upgrades, no tivo web, no shell hacking, nada.

    1. Re:Benefits and drawbacks by ggram · · Score: 1

      I think the box being rented from the cable companies is one of the best features. If you want to do all the modifications, shut up and buy a tivo, but I imagine a lot of people wouldn't want to shell out all the money up front and would prefer to rent one from the cable company (who also would replace it if it breaks or when a better one comes out).

      As for the stuff about commercial skipping/internet video sharing/etc. What is wrong with the cable companies trying to make money? Jeez, they are businesses who like to make money too. Commercials and pay-per-view bring in money, if people are skipping the commercials, then the advertisers will stop buying time. Commercials have been around forever, that's why we have the up/down channel button!!!! If you really hate commercials that much, stop watching TV!!!!

    2. Re:Benefits and drawbacks by Jobe_br · · Score: 1

      Commercials first appeared on "broadcast" television and you PAID for cable to be able to watch commercial free television (obviously not the same shows as on broadcast television, that's not what I'm saying). So, the cable company is already taking in money from its subscribers. I have digital cable, so they're also making money from putting commercials in the menu system. The cable shows all have commercials (unless you're watching a premium movie/PPV) and now the industry wants to start showing pop-up ads during television.

      For me, that'll be the last straw. Watching the Bond movie this past weekend, I was horrified to have to sit through 10 minutes of commercials for the privilege of watching 8 minutes of Bond. And the industry complains that viewers aren't watching the commercials -- seems to me like they're shooting themselves in the foot. I used to sit through commercials because the breaks were relatively short (2-3 30s commercials) so there wasn't *much* I could do. Now, I can easily get up, go check my email, switch over to the digital cable menu system to select what I'm going to watch for the rest of the evening, refill my drink, get ice, use the washroom - any number of things.

      Not to mention that a number of advertisements seem to think that making their ads as annoying as the banner ads that give you seizures is a good tactic, instead of paying money to have a decent design team work on an entertaining, high quality commercial spot.

    3. Re:Benefits and drawbacks by ggram · · Score: 1

      I thought you paid for cable to get more/better quality channels, no more moving the antenna around and standing in strange positions to get the channel to come in. Most stations that are on cable are not owned by the cable companies, so they have a right to put commercials on so they can pay for all the good shows you watch. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that sometimes (ok, most times) they go over board with the commercial to show ratio and I hate the idea of popups, but you can't blame the cable companies/tv stations for wanting people to watch commercials, so if a company like Digeo wants to sell their boxes to cable companies, obviously they are not going to have commercial skip/etc stuff.

    4. Re:Benefits and drawbacks by jtl · · Score: 1

      "when a better one comes out" -- you must have had better experiences with cable companies than I have. Why offer an upgrade when they've still got unused units from last year on the shelves? It's not like you can go buy from someone else...

      There's nothing wrong with them trying to make money -- did I say they shouldn't do this? Users just need to keep in mind that cable companies' interests aren't at all the same as their own.

  38. OT: Undermine this show by MisterBlister · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    There's a show on FOX called "American Idol", the long and short of it is that they hope to create a "pop superstar" ala NSync or whatever. The voting for this show is done by the public via telephone. Please call this toll-free number 1 (866) 436-5707 to vote for the most retarded of all the contestants just to undermine the results of this show. Must call within the next 2 hours. Pass it on!

    1. Re:OT: Undermine this show by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      I'll say it again: "You fucking suck dude". That't the third time you've posted this shit. Get a fucking life.

  39. Vaporware, 2.0 by laguy · · Score: 1

    At the beginning of this year, I was waiting for Moxi with baited breath. Their CES demo blew me away. Dish Network had a Moxi-box with 4 tuners that would be available by summer. Nearly 7 months later, they're still nowhere to be found. No cable, no Dish Network, no nothing. Now they're announcing another box that will be "available soon". It'll be nice if this actually happens, but in the meantime, I'm giving my Tivo and Tivo Series 2 the three thumbs up. Moxi, time to join Anna Kournikova in the lists of things that look sexy, turn you on, but in the end, don't deliver.

    1. Re:Vaporware, 2.0 by Thorkytel+Ant-Head · · Score: 1

      I don't believe that Dish Network EVER announced that a Moxi box would be available by summer. In fact, they never officially announced ANY Moxi box coming out, just that they were working with Moxi. Now that Digeo has purchased Moxi, I would imagine that they would now be focusing on cable boxes, not satellite. These business deals take time. Deal with it.

  40. We already have sky plus by seanyboy · · Score: 0

    We already have the PVR / Cable facility in the UK with Sky Plus. It is a good idea, but the way it's panned out it's more a way for Murdoch to increase his monopoly / increase tie-in to Sky / take more money into the Murdoch Fold. It's not as good a solution, but I think the best thing to do is to keep your set top & your cable box separate. You'll appreciate it in the long run.

    --
    Training monkeys for world domination since 1439
  41. SETI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I hope they start crunchinf SETI on that beast

  42. Straight from the horses mouth by Christopher+Bibbs · · Score: 2

    Right on the Moxi product page: "Conditional Access Decryption". Well of course they're going to put in restrictions on how and when you view things. This is a product for the cable industry to help them make more money. If it was intended to make TV better for the consumer, you'd see them on sale at Circuit City and Best Buy.

    1. Re:Straight from the horses mouth by ggram · · Score: 1

      Conditional Access is pay-per-view.

    2. Re:Straight from the horses mouth by ggram · · Score: 1

      Whoops, it is also things like only being able to view channels you subscribe to and stuff like that.

  43. What, Charter might have a clue these days? by mbourgon · · Score: 2

    This is more a slam on Charter than anything else. I'm amazed they managed to figure out the whole PVR thing, considering that you either need two remotes to record something, or a cable mouse on your VCR. On the plus side, it is kinda an improvement, since their current "digital cable" box has numerous bugs and I can make it crash once a day, doing nothing too involved. Laaaaaaaaaaaaa......

    --
    "Sometimes a woman is a kind of religion, she can save your soul & set you free from all your sins" - Bad Examples
  44. Sky+ by Xugumad · · Score: 1

    While I'm not aware of either companies involved with this box, it sounds a lot like the "Sky+" box we have in the UK. Basically, Sky, satellite TV company (and given that a lot of the country cannot receive cable, by far the supplier of TV beyond the standard 5 channels), has come up with a box that can spool the incoming digital TV signal on to HD.

    As the signal received is digital (I believe they actually use MPEG-2), there is no loss from encoding, except that at origin. The first boxes were released around a year ago, and although they've had their problems, seem like a good idea.

    The boxes sell for the equivalent of about $450, and have a monthly subscription cost of around $13 on top of that. They come with two tuners, so they can record one channel while you watch another, and are generally great.

    AFAIK they have no advert skip function, however they do allow time delaying of pay per view events (you can record them when you want, and then watch them whenever you want, although I beleive it erases them after watching).

  45. Don't merge 'em... by mwood · · Score: 1

    ...define and use a standard interface. Tight integration is the enemy of both competition and creativity. Don't let them lock *your* ideas out!

  46. The MPAA's gonna love this! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I bet Jack Valenti's rolling over in his grave...wait a minute, he's not dead...or is he?

  47. My Charter Experience by dbc001 · · Score: 1

    This is slightly off-topic, but I thought I would tell about the problems I've had with Charter. I signed up for the mid-grade (is it bronze?) "pipeline" cable modem service about a year ago, and really liked it. It went down a few times for extended periods, but every time I called they were very good about crediting my account for all the downtime.

    Then about sometime in April I got a call from a telemarketer. I really hate telemarketers, so I was pretty pissed, but just as I was about to rage on the guy, I heard the phrase "one month of free digital cable". I'm really not interested in digital cable, and I can't afford it, but I figured I would try it out. We scheduled an appointment for the following Tuesday morning (before noon to be exact), and I skipped work because I was pretty excited.

    Well 12:30 came and nobody showed up, and I angrily called Charter. We re-scheduled for a Saturday morning and even though I was pissed that I missed work, I was still kind of excited - the free didgital cable kind of made up for the money I lost from not working. The Saturday appt was from 10am-2pm, and around noon I decided to double-check with Charter to make sure that they were still coming. I was not surprised when they explained that my appointment had somehow been cancelled. They had wasted close to 8 hours of my time. The following Monday I called in to cancel my account with Charter. This is why I fucking hate telemarketers - even though they were offering free stuff, I had still gotten screwed.

    After negotiating with Charter's customer support (who were great by the way), I decided to accept their apologetic offer for 2 free months of Digital Cable plus my existing pipeline service, which was close to a $200 credit. That served as a nice apology for all my wasted time. My digital cable went in about May 1st.

    About mid-July, I got a bill from Charter for about $130, just as my Mother asked me to help her pick a high-speed internet provider. I called Charter and explained that the bill was in error and that as soon as they cleared it up I would sign my mom up for her account. After spending 45 minutes on the phone with a supervisor, I was told that the bill was correct and that I would still have to pay the full balance. I cancelled my account, and fired off a letter explaining in great detail that I would not pay any fees for services that they had offered for free. I received yet another bill for the full amount.

    The moral of the story is that Charter provided a pretty good service but did not hesitate to try to screw me. From now on I will be recording any phone calls that relate to billing issues, because there is a good chance that I will get stuck with this $130 bill even though they offered the service for free. Telemarketers suck. Charter sucks. Big companies suck, don't ever trust them.

    -dbc

  48. My reply to the original submission by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Fundamental point, all of these boxes with built in video coders/decoders, a tuner and a hard disk will drive those components down in price so that we will be able to build homemade versions of them for almost no money.

    Does this mean a reasonable sub- $100.00 pc for the masses or a $50 xbox/ps2 ??

    1. Re:My reply to the original submission by ShavenYak · · Score: 2

      Well, I've never seen a PC tuner card that will receive digital cable channels, so you can't really build a homemade version of a digital cable box. If you know of one, please tell me!

      --

      Hey kids, there's only 5 days left 'til Yak Shaving Day!
    2. Re:My reply to the original submission by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://www.hauppauge.com/html/chart.htm

    3. Re:My reply to the original submission by ShavenYak · · Score: 2

      Please note that digital cable is not the same as DTV. It's NTSC video, digitized and compressed with MPEG of some form, and delivered over cable by QAM or something similar. Those Hauppage DTV cards do ATSC, which is the broadcast format for DTV. So, no dice.

      --

      Hey kids, there's only 5 days left 'til Yak Shaving Day!
  49. Not "Moxi-like," it IS Moxi by Thorkytel+Ant-Head · · Score: 1

    The words "Moxi-like" in the post should be changed to "Moxi." This new box is using Moxi technologies, since Moxi was acquired by Digeo (also owned by Paul Allen earlier this year.

  50. Not True by MagicYoshi · · Score: 1
    Um.. the direct tivo unit records directly from the stream. There is no analog conversion involved until you watch it. Its mpeg stream to disk direct. Its also dual tuner and avaliable now
    The Tivo input is not MPEG, so that means that the Satellite decoder must decode the MPEG and produce an analog signal for the TV (since it doesn't know the Tivo is there), which the Tivo must convert to MPEG.

    MPEG at Dish, Analog into Tivo, MPEG to disk. The MPEG compression is better at the satellite, so I'd rather have an integrated unit.