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TiVo++ from India

Posted by timothy on from the still-testing-though dept.

charmer writes "According to a story in rediff, a company in India, Divinet Technologies, have developed a set top box that plays video cds, offers sms, email, chat, plays mp3s, acts as a game box, has a web cam, video on demand, and a digital VCR, and has a multilingual interface (a necessity in India.) And it looks pretty good too :-) No pricing given though."

33 of 161 comments (clear)

  1. Available Out Of India? by traskjd · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I wonder if this will be available outside of India? It sounds like a cool device to have!

    I mean I really can't be bothered building a small computer just to integrate into my home tv setup.

    Of course the price could end up being more than building your own computer to connect up?

    --
    My blog [.net, rants, general IT]
  2. Stretching by Mtn_Dewd · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Could they have jam-packed ONE more area of technology into this box? It seems that the only thing they forgot to include was a detachable PDA or perhaps an integrated Gameboy.

    Don't get me wrong. I want one. Now.
    Any plans to come to the US soon?

    --



    My little sad piece of the internet: www.mtndewd
    1. Re:Stretching by rtmfm · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The cable momopoly would never allow it.

  3. Article Text by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    A TV set that combines the Internet with a VCR, Web cam, Karaoke system and more. Possible? Yes

    To begin at the beginning, a couple of questions: What costs less than a dial-up connection, but gives you broadband Internet access upto 10 MB per second? What uses your TV set to offer Real-Video-on-Demand, SMS, email, chat, unlimited MP3s, online gaming, video-conferencing, telephony, and interactive education? What doubles up as your VCD, Web cam, Karaoke system, jukebox and VCR?

    The answer: The WICE box.

    Developed by P R Eknath, Sanjay Wandhekar, and B P Narayan -- founder members of CDAC, the brains behind India's PARAM-supercomputer, and currently the management team at Divinet Access Technologies Ltd, Pune -- this little gizmo is no larger than an overhead projector. Called the WICE (Window for Information, Communication and Entertainment) Box, or WICEMAN, it is Eknath's brainchild; his dream of creating a generic platform that can run any application.

    The best thing is, it is a boon to India's Net users.

    "The actual implementation was done by Sanjay Wandhekar, ex-coordinator of hardware technology group at C-DAC," says Eknath. Wandhekar has more than a decade of experience in systems and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) design and is an expert in converting scientific concepts into marketable products. "Name the application and we will make it happen on this network," he adds, confidently.

    The technology, also known as RAMNet (Remote Access Metropolitan Network), runs on a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). Eknath explains: "Being in a local loop, the speed is tremendous and a digital signal ensures the highest quality with zero distortion. It consists of a Distribution Module (DM) box installed in every building or multi-dwelling unit (MDU), with a WICE box in every user's house. Each DM supports 16 users. A single wire brings you all the services."

    Plug your TV into the WICE box and a fluorescent green menu prompts you to select from live channels, Video-on-Demand (VOD), MP3 music, chat and learning, email and SMS. The joy comes from knowing that you pay only for the TV channels you watch!

    "We are implementing a Conditional Access System (CAS)," says Eknath. "No more paying for 80 channels when all you want is Star Plus and BBC. Also, you can record your favourite TV programmes and view them at leisure, just like a VCR." You can also record remotely, using SMS!

    VOD lets you watch your choice of movie at your convenience. You can fast-forward, rewind or pause, as if it's your own mini-movie theatre. "In fact, one client wants to build movie theatres with no regular movies running. You hire the theatre, select the movie and watch it with your own crowd," says Eknath. Stunned yet? There's more. Such as unlimited MP3 titles. You can also use the Karaoke function and re-record classics using your own voice.

    The icing on this huge cake is the email and chat without an Internet connection. When Anupam, Divinet's multilingual software expert (and also the brain behind CDAC's GIST technology), actually sent me email on my cellular phone using the TV set I was staring at, I began looking at it as if it were the eighth wonder of the world.

    The email can be in any Indian language, you can chat online (when you're not actually 'online'), and even see the person you're talking to if you choose video-conferencing. Your email address is Yourname.number@DivinetAccess.com, incorporating a unique identification number for every user.

    If that's not enough, the RAMNet also allows you to SMS without a cellular phone. Type your message on the TV screen, enter the recipient's number and send. Since it runs on MAN, the services are within your city limits, but Eknath soon plans to provide inter-city access using content replication. "There is no need for movies and MP3 files to travel globally. They can be accessed from a l

  4. I have to wonder... by Yanna · · Score: 3, Insightful
    if this is one of the dreaded consequences of outsourcing jobs to India.

    I mean, the development of these type of technology used to be the patrimony of the US. Later on, it shifted to Far East (Japan) and now we see really cool gadgets being developed in India.

    A sign of what's to come? Is this the result of the US losing their position as main providers of R&D? What will be left afterwards? An economy of service?

    1. Re:I have to wonder... by jkrise · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "this is one of the dreaded consequences of outsourcing jobs to India."

      Oddly enough, American technology is to a large extent, devleoped by Indians. Consider this: about 30% of Microsoft employees are Indians. Similarly, NASA has more than 25% Inidans.Outside of Seattle, the only other development centers for MS is in Hyderabad, Inida and Israel.
      Secondly, remember that American Corporate success depends on countries like India for their markets. Why'd you think Bill Gates spent 4 days in India? Philanthropy? AIDS aids? Think again.

      "I mean, the development of these type of technology used to be the patrimony of the US."

      See what this has led to... most of the innovation in the US suffers from this self-centred outlook. The Media-Center PC edition is an example. Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic etc. have now joined to put Linux onto their electronics. American tech focusses on 'lock-in' and 'lock-out' rather than 'features' and open-ness. Take GPS, Qualcomm, Microsoft and Adobe as examples.
      Cellphones within the US are generally a few generations behind Europe, Japan and even India!!

      " Is this the result of the US losing their position as main providers of R&D?"

      On the contrary, it's the result of pampering a few US entities for actions which Americans wouldn't stand for, from other nations. I'd name Microsoft, Adobe, Qualcomm etc. in this list.
      It's also a result of the American education system, though I'd need to write a lot to explain this.

      "What will be left afterwards?"

      The fruits of what's been sown. For starters, I'd suggest Americans need to be more understanding, tolerant and mature. There's no need to get angry at the French or paranoid about job-loss to third-world Indians. A little introspection will go a long way.

      --
      If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
    2. Re:I have to wonder... by Yanna · · Score: 3, Interesting
      I couldn't have said it better myself. The only reason I came with those questions is because I follow your line of thought exactly. I was just curious as to how others see the situation.

      I feel for the average American who has troubles to make ends meet. I feel for anyone, American or not, who works for a meager salary and this shifting into development to other countries rather than US will only bring poverty to people who do not have a safety net.

      I used to be socialist, then I moved to Europe and saw first hand what a crippled, backwards system socialism can be and now I no longer know what I am... but one thing is sure, I sleep better knowing that there is a layer of protection between me and abject poverty.

      Anyways, not to go off topic, what I meant to say is that if this trend continues, we can expect to see more troubles for the average American. That's never a good thing and not because they are Americans, but because they have the same rights than anyone else to make a decent life.

    3. Re:I have to wonder... by cioxx · · Score: 5, Insightful
      I mean, the development of these type of technology used to be the patrimony of the US. Later on, it shifted to Far East (Japan) and now we see really cool gadgets being developed in India.

      Do you seriously think that US companies could not have invented a convergence box like the one above? Absolutely not. Afterall, US perfected the use of TiVos and other flavors of PVRs, which got hacked and modified initially. Then if you remember, TiVo bent under the Advertising Corporations' pressure and went from a hacker-friendly box preducer to an essentially a closed, DRM device producer with Series 2. You can't easily hack it anymore to fetch the data, modify software, etc.

      So this move from lobbies and corporations who felt that TiVo was cutting into their advertising pie, seriously hampered the ability of producers to put out better, cheaper, open devices. No one is willing to give market something which would be designated to please both the population and the corporate entities who feel they're getting ripped off (For the record, I believe these allegations hold no ground). There are no companies dumb enough to go against already-established PVR makers, additionally opening second and third fronts with DVD and console producers in the competition department. MPAA, RIAA, DMCA and other 4-letter evils will rain down on this producer till they crack under pressure.

      So yeah. You should first and formost blame the corporate forces for slowing down technology for the sake of few millions in advertising revenue.

      That's my take on it.
    4. Re:I have to wonder... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Indeed.

      Western capitalist markets are based on continuous long term growth. Yet it is plain obvious that the markets cannot grow forever. This means that system is fundamentally flawed and will have to be modified in the future towards conservation of resources, controlled markets and zero-growth economies.

      How this will be achieved, however, is unclear since the public has been brainwashed to believe that (representative) democracy and capitalism are the same thing. Just try saying that there is something wrong about capitalism or the reckless consumption based societies and you are immediatelly labelled as a luddite and communist who is hell-bent on replacing democracy with a Soviet-like dictatoriship.

    5. Re:I have to wonder... by allrong · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yes, for years the US has lead the world supplying useless acronyms (UA's) for anything vaguely technology or business related (VTBR). Judging from the article, it would seem that the Indians are catching up very strongly in this area (VSITA).

      Maybe they've skipped actual innovation and gone straight for management and marketing.

      --
      What is the inverse of the Matrix?
    6. Re:I have to wonder... by be-fan · · Score: 3, Interesting

      *Dreaded* consequence? For who? Compete or get out of the business, isn't that the American motto? Might have to deal with a lower standard of living to do it? Well tough. Other people have been doing it for a long time.

      If the US ideology had been isolationist and protectivist (and it hadn't tried so hard to "open up" markets in the rest of the world) I could sympathize with your position. But it wasn't, and I don't.

      --
      A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
    7. Re:I have to wonder... by grumling · · Score: 3, Informative
      So this move from lobbies and corporations who felt that TiVo was cutting into their advertising pie, seriously hampered the ability of producers to put out better, cheaper, open devices.

      The thing that the advertiser hates is the 30 sec. skip. All Tivos still have the 30 sec skip disabled. To enable it, press select, play, select, 3, 0, select. The Tivo will chime 3 times. Now, when you hit the the key marked ->|, instead of going to the end of the show, you get a 30 second skip. I don't see any indicator that it will go away any time soon, and you don't need backdoors enabled to use it.

      I doubt anyone in Hollywood is very realistic in hoping they will get PVRs outlawed anytime soon. That seems like it is just doing what they have to do to defend their copyrights, and copyright lawyers earning their retainer.

      --
      "Well, good luck finding a judge that doesn't run a bestiality site."
  5. Convergance and Colour by rf0 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    For the geek this is cool. I like it and wouldn't mind one but I can't help but think that normal Joe bloggs on the street might think, why do I need all this? Also I think that it might be just to much. All that technology just can't come cheap surely? As one of the comments says

    "Appreciate the technology and efforts but reality is that no convergence device other than clock radio has succeded. Put the consumer first and you will ... "

    Also I don't like the red....

    Rus

    --
    Cheap UK and US VPS
  6. No DVD by KrunZ · · Score: 3, Informative

    They went for video cds instead of DVD because of the region lock:

    "This is a wonderfull machine but it can only play these sing-cry-kiss movies from Bollywood"

  7. Sounds Useful by n3rd · · Score: 5, Funny

    You can watch a VCD that was recorded using your web cam of you playing video games while listening to MP3s.

    Or you can read an SMS that tells you to check your e-mail that contains an chat log reminding you to record a show tonight.

    Or you can chat with your web cam. Wait, that's not right. This device can do so many goddamned things I'm getting confused.

  8. Stupid question by Zayin · · Score: 5, Funny

    To begin at the beginning, a couple of questions: What costs less than a dial-up connection, but gives you broadband Internet access upto 10 MB per second? What uses your TV set to offer Real-Video-on-Demand, SMS, email, chat, unlimited MP3s, online gaming, video-conferencing, telephony, and interactive education? What doubles up as your VCD, Web cam, Karaoke system, jukebox and VCR?

    Linux!

    --
    "I'd rather have a full bottle in front of me than a full frontal lobotomy"
  9. not because of outsourcing by psylent · · Score: 4, Interesting

    the guys are from CDAC and they are a government funded agency. They do real good work on computing and super-computing. (I have a friend who writes network drivers for supercomputers... now that is a cool job) I do not agree that this product is because of people developing experience while getting work done for cheap.

  10. Links to da Box by DM_Slicer · · Score: 5, Informative
    There's details on the Wice box at divinet.
    Still no pricing though.

    Check out their FAQ tho and it says one of the reasons PPL should prefer their services is:
    "Future: Telephony @ affordable cost."

    ..I did find some pricing on a 'WICE box' but at 9000 Euros a pop, somehow I don't think it's the same thing..

  11. Looks like I'm going to India! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I mean, if all the jobs are heading there anyway, why not! Learn a new language, eat new and exotic foods, and a fast Internet connection on-demand. Don't even think of asking AT&T or Comdex for that feature/convenience.

    Is the American tech industry slipping because of copyright battles? Will we be importing more devices from India than Japan in the future or will devices like WICE be banned in the US because they may be considered a violation of the DMCA?

    AllI know is that I would love to have a box like that without having to know all sorts of software and hardware hacks/tricks just to make it work on Linux. And they put it in such a pretty (but bright!) box!

    Maybe they'll offer skins :D

  12. HDTV by birdman666 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    What would happen to these products if the television networks and electronics companies would get HDTV out of stagnation and into actual homes for a reasonable price? Could any current storage media hold a sufficient amount of HDTV broadcast at a reasonable quality or would Tivo and all of these devices like it be obsoleted until HDs could catch up to the massive amount of space required for the high resolution signal?

    --

    Nothing from nowhere I'm no one at all
    1. Re:HDTV by evilviper · · Score: 3, Interesting
      Could any current storage media hold a sufficient amount of HDTV broadcast at a reasonable quality

      Considering that I can fit a 100+ minute movie at very-near DVD quality on a 700MB CD-R, I don't think HDTV will be a problem. Granted, set-top boxes will need more powerful processors to compress to MPEG4 rather than MPEG2, but it's not THAT big of a problem.

      Personally, I would prefer to see more devices using VP3... It's open, and at low bitrates, I saw fewer noticable artifacts in a VP3 file, as compared with a similar size MPEG4 file...

      RANT:
      Maybe I'm the only one that notices, since everyone is all too happy to use them, but I hate all the video artifacts I see with MPEG-based codecs (compression blocks, aliasing of straight edges, rainbow discoloration of complex objects like pin-striped suits, etc)... What would be perfect (literally) would be to use MNG for video (I hear some people have successfully stuck MNG in an OGG wrapper along with audio). So you'd have (PNG) video, and in a size probably comparable to MPEG2, but no need for lossy compression that distorts the video (look at nearly identical consecutive MPEG2 frames and you will notice that solid colors are made up of a rainbow of colored pixels, and the pixels change color each frame).

      So, MPEG has annoying artifacts, and all of the open codecs use the same ideas, hence similar artifacts. VP3 is the only codec I have experience with that didn't appear to have the same artifacts (and coincidentally looked better as well) but I admit I don't have as much experience with it as I'd like to. I can't difinitively say VP3 is better, but in multiple cases it has held it's own.
      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  13. Found their website and more info.. by cOdEgUru · · Score: 5, Informative

    Divinet Access Website here

    More Information on the Technology here

    --
    Rapid Nirvana
  14. CDAC setup to build supercomputers by sonamchauhan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... if this is one of the dreaded consequences of outsourcing jobs to India.

    Hmm - No. Not due to job outsourcing... but its certainly a result of technology that was born in the US.

    I said "No" because the people behind this are (from the article) "founder members of CDAC, the brains behind India's PARAM-supercomputer". If I recall correctly, CDAC was setup by the Government of India in the late 80s as a direct consequence of the US *withholding* export of supercomputers to India for fear it would be used for defense research (more specifically, nuclear research). As a result, the CDAC people built massively parallel supercomputers from off-the-shelf CPUs (IIRC, they still used American CPUs - off-the-shelf 8086s (?) to begin with). They have some very cluey guys with a lot of experience born from research efforts like creating the complex electronics for interfacing supercomputers. Now it seems some of those people are moving to the private sector - kind of like with Govt. spending jumpstarting the computer revolution in the US.

    A sign of what's to come? Is this the result of the US losing their position as main providers of R&D? What will be left afterwards? An economy of service?

    I think every country needs a *balance* of free trade and protection of weaker industries. A "we can sell to you, but you can't sell to us" mentality is ultimately is bad for everyone concerned; from what I understand, 2/3rds of US income derives from exports.

    At the end of the day, I'm sure your leaders have an eye on industry and employment figures. If not, you elect new ones.

  15. Hardware Costs by ShooterNeo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The only thing that bugs me is that while tech miracles happen, how can this thing do all these features effectively on cheap hardware? To do games and video on demand requires reliable disk drives or high end processing hardware.

    Also, how is the networking the boxes depend upon better or cheaper or immune to the same problems with rolling out broadband or cable access, elsewhere? Surely it requires the same expensive upgrades to the wiring and nodes as any other networking upgrade, the expense having slowed down adoption of this kind of tech.

    But the real problem is the software, the enormous virtual machine required to do all of these things. Programming software to do all the listed features well has taken years, and still isn't finished. I suspect this machine is not nearly as neat or as useful as the PC you are reading this on, especially if your PC is reasonably recent and has a fast, unrestricted, network connection.

  16. Not quite there yet by kanda · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have seen many cool product announcements in India, especially during the boom times. Most have fizzled, some are struggling. Slashdot has also carried some articles: Kaii, Simputer I have rarely seen any of these products being sold and used significantly. (I am from Bangalore, India). I would say India has not yet acquired the ability to develop and market complete embedded high technology products. But soon we may get there. Its a dream for many geeks in India that once a few products click. It would open the flood gates of Indian product innovations. Hope the Slashdot crowd will wish us good luck. :-)

  17. Want to work for them? by Newer+Guy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    STAR, Asia's biggest television broadcaster is launching India's first DTH satellite platform and seeking exceptional broadcast engineers to work on this pioneering project. This is a unique opportunity for best-of-breed engineers to play an integral role in an enterprise that will transform the Indian television industry. Field Engineering Manager, ODU - Delhi based A qualified graduate engineer with a minimum of five years experience in the design and installation of ODU and the associated Set Top Box (STB). Professionals with a Higher Certificate in a relevant discipline and a strong track record will also be considered. Candidates must be highly motivated, pro-active and team-orientated with strong management and leadership skills. Knowledge of the Indian workplace and culture is essential. Key responsibilities will include: Selection of ODU and STB installation companies Testing and approval of equipment prior to field use Training of installers and monitoring of equipment vendors to ensure the provision of high quality, reliable and cost effective product Management of a nationwide group responsible for ODU equipment design, equipment type approval, installer training, development of training documentation and system quality control Ensure on-time installations to meet customer demand Installation scheduling and team management Preparing and managing annual operating budgets STAR, a News Corporation subsidiary, offers a positive work environment, well-defined HR policies, attractive remuneration packages and the benefits of an exciting career path working with cutting-edge technologies in a corporate culture that nurtures talent, recognises excellence and believes in contributing to the communities it operates in. If you are serious about taking your broadcast engineering career into an exciting new dimension please forward your resume to stardthhr@startv.com. For more information, please visit: www.startv.com

  18. This is not a standalone unit - don't order this. by yo303 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Most of the functionality of this device comes from the way it works as part of a network; the inexpensive client receives services from the central server. A WICE box won't work if it's by itself.

    From the article (you did, read it, didn't you?)

    "It consists of a Distribution Module (DM) box installed in every building or multi-dwelling unit (MDU), with a WICE box in every user's house. Each DM supports 16 users. A single wire brings you all the services."
    If you did buy one of these, you'd have to run that wire all the way back to India.

    yo.

  19. I'm not impressed by Dusabre · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Wow. High technology indeed. Apart from the high-speed Internet access and movie access (I'll believe it when it starts, companies have been claiming its just round the corner for near to a decade), its just a prototype red box with stuff crammed into it. Guess what, I can watch VCDs (and even DVDs), listen to mp3s, chat, read my email, watch TV and sends text messages from my $1000 PC. Putting together the components in a red box isn't a big deal for a competent engineer.

    The internet and movie claims are the only interesting aspect. But I'll believe that when I see it.

  20. Scary stuff by Openadvocate · · Score: 4, Funny

    They are evil

    Ah finally Friday.

    --
    my sig
  21. But not only that, by ultraexactzz · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...It can tuck your children in at night, make a killer caeser salad, and can divide by zero.

    --
    Never underestimate the potential of Human stupidity. -Heinlein
  22. Priceing (approx) by tanveer1979 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Normally basic internet set top boxes cost around Rs 5000 here (100-120 $$), however this may be around 150-200$$ Max

    --
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  23. The real juice by jalfreize · · Score: 3, Interesting

    OK. All you jealous geeks, I'm an Indian
    *and* I happen to live in Pune, the home of
    C-DAC, and the first city to get a sneak peek at
    this hyped up device. he he he...

    But cheap shots apart...

    The real juice here is not the WICE box -- its the *network* (RAMnet or whatever). The websites of Silicon Mountains, the guys who will be, I guess, the content suppliers and Divinet Access, the box makers and network engineers, both make very ambitious claims about content replication and the sophistication of the network itself (its so sophisticated, its mentioned as one of the risk factors in this venture.)
    As far as convergence goes, I personally don't
    believe in a set-top box that does everything.
    I would prefer a relatively simple access-point kind of device that allows me to plug my computer,
    TV, VCR, sound system, coffee machine whatever
    and intercommunicate between these systems.
    The network should be sufficiently intelligent
    and filled with enough active elements to do
    the routing and delivery.
    e.g. Can it allow me to schedule my TV
    programming from my computer using my scripts or
    maybe using an SMS from my cellphone?

    This degree of convergence is really a bit too much for anyone, really. Especially for someone like me, who grew up on a single, state-sponsored
    TV channel, and actually liked most of what was on offer then.

    Well, guess all I have to do now, is fill up
    the forms on the website
    (http://www.smjet.com/smjet/Inquiry/inqui ry.jsp)
    and wait for them to reply...
    Har har har...

  24. Only one problem with this box- by BluedemonX · · Score: 3, Funny

    No matter what show you're watching with it, at random points suddenly they all start doing a song and dance number and the voices on the lead actors change to a screechy woman for the female lead and a velvety-slightly nasal tone for the male lead. After the dance number, the show resumes. And every romance scene has the camera cut to a shot of trees or something just before any two people kiss (or do anything more hardcore).

    --

    --- Jump!! Fire!! Bullet time!! - Lego version of the Matrix