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New Sony PVR/DVR and DVD Recorder
i4u writes "Sony announces in Japan a new digital recorder NDR-XR1 equipped with the 80GB hard drive and a DVD recorder.
The unit features a broadband connection to retrieve a programming guide. The system can record up to 90 hours of programming on the 80GB Hard drive.
Recorded shows can be directly burned on DVDs with the built-in DVD writer.
This is the dream machine! Wonder if it will be available on the US market, This baby is poised to 'piss-off' Hollywood. This would be a nice alternative to the ReplayTV box.
The Digital Recorder NDR-XR1 will go on sale April 12th in Japan."
This baby is poised to 'piss-off' Hollywood.
Or the Sony studio execs down the hall.
"Anonymous Coward" is for whistleblowers, not unpopular opinions.
I saw pioneer (i think) had a similar unit. It had a 40GB hard drive though. I'm not sure what this unit does, but the one that I saw, once you burn a recording onto DVD, it deletes it off the HD. I find that kind of annoying, but I guess they had to do that to compromise with the movie companies (only allow one copy at a time, and don't allow mass burns of the same program). I hope this one does not have tha behavior.
today is spelling optional day.
But isn't Sony part of Hollywood?
I don't know. Think about this. PVR's piss off hollywood because you FF through commercials. But, even though you WILL FF through commercials on this also, the commercials will be permantntly burned into a DVD. What sales company doesn't like the idea of permanent commercials on a DVD?
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
I own two Tivo boxes, and wouldn't give them up for anything. Unless I see something better, of course...
--Larry
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence
Here is a informative link on using a dvd-writer with your TIVO...
Its nothing that can't be done with a high-end PC now (including HDTV, yum), but at the right price, thats $600 for those of you who need a number, it ought to sell very well. Why $600? Take a cheapo mini-ATX barebones box ($400 at a trade show) add a DVD/RW or whatever your flavor is ($200-$250 at a trade show) and you have the same thing. At least for us geeks, thats the case. But more and more 'common folk' seem to be realizing the same cost of parts vs. cost of the unit deal.
All sony owned record labels are pushing for copy protection , why would sony want to make a machine which helped piracy (ok not music piracy but they all want to push for DRM , watermarking, etc etc)
*shifty eyes*
Slashdot - The one stop shop for procrastination
The SONY marketing corporation, hard disk drive (the or less HDD) with the digital recorder ' NDR-XR1 which loads the DVD recorder ' and, 5.1chcDvd foam/home theater system ' NAV-E900 ' of HDD built-in type ' NAV-E600 ' sells the total 3 type as a brand of the foam/home AV gateway equipment which corresponds to broadband network environment.
Both machines are defeated, by various functions due to the regular connection to broadband network and the fact that service is added, offering new AV life style to basic function of the digital recorder and the foam/home theater system.
Type name Desired retail price (classified by tax) Sale day
digital recorder ' NDR-XR1 ' 145,000 Yen April 12 day
foam/home theater system ' NAV-E900 '
foam/home theater system ' NAV-E600 ' 115,000 Yen
84,000 Yen April 26 day
digital recorder ' NDR-XR1 '
The knitting machine is the digital recorder which loads the connected function to broadband network the HDD and the DVD of the 80GB - the RW / - in addition to the R recorder.
Image such as television program maximum approximately 90 hours (the *1) it is possible in the HDD to videotape. As for the image which was videotaped in the HDD, compiling, it is possible to record to the DVD simply. In addition, if you connect to broadband network, " net program guide " empty up-to-date television program information on Internet can be procured. With the adoption of the " net program guide ", the case of program searching and video recording reservation and the program video recording with keyword the comfortable video life such as automatic title input is actualized.
It classifies image of video recording end, every folder in the HDD and marks password and can manage. Furthermore amount used of the HDD, being color classified every folder, has done the device which mass video recording program is easy to manage e.g., it is indicated. The case where in the HDD the DVD is drawn up from image of video recording end, image is divided in chapter, just favorite the scene is gathered and the play list is drawn up. It chooses the background which you like from the midst of the templet for the DVD menu of 30 types which are prepared beforehand, also it can draw up the original DVD which has the menu picture like the DVD software of marketing.
The video deck and the ic.link terminal which were connected to the external input terminal (the *2) taking in to the HDD, it compiles also the DV image of the handy cam which is connected, it can retain the image of the memory which past photographed as the original DVD. In addition, adjusting to the music which is beforehand prepared in the knitting machine, you can enjoy also the still picture which was photographed with the digital still camera of the rhinoceros bar shot and the like the memory stick slot (the *3) with loading, with sliding show.
*1: At the time of SLP mode use (1 title longest 12 hour video recordings is possible.)
*2: The ic.link terminal of the knitting machine is the " DV input terminal ".
*3: We do not correspond to the memory stick PRO.
foam/home theater system ' NAV-E900 ' ' NAV-E600 '
Both machines the HDD of the 80GB are 5.1 ch DVD foam/home theater systems which load the connected function to broadband network. Not only enjoying the image and sound of the DVD software, retaining the music CD * television program * digital photograph picture and the like in the HDD, e.g., it enjoys, you can have enough the various AV lives which center the foam/home theater system.
Choosing necessary function with standard function, and the life style which center " the function " of the foam/home theater system there is an addition function which it can purchase " in " both machines. " Standard " function playback of the DVD/CD, the FM/AM tuner, WEB perusal and the email due to Internet connection, of function acquisition of the CD number data with the Gracenote CDDBR (the *1) consists. In add
Stop by my site where I write about ERP systems & more
Tivo has a history of supporting reasonable hacks, and as a result the hack forums (such as Tivo Underground) generally support Tivo. Most of the forums strictly forbid discussions that revolve around attempts to copy Tivo content to removable media.
--Larry
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence
Run the page through babelfish.altavista.com. Not a perfect translation but enough to get the jist. Looks like it's only capable of 90 hours on it's lowest quality setting. The highest results in 15 hours. Gee.. wonder what type of compression it's using... could it be MPEG-2? Must be if it's designed to burn DVD. How much more could it fit if divx were used? It is kind of nice though, with an 80 gig hard drive, it must keep the price relatively low... Aside from the dvd burner, all other features are standard on most PVRs. The variable bit rate encoding is rather nice, but again, what can this do that my computer (with a dvd burner and all in wonder 9700) can't?
Sony already makes a DVR built with Tivo technology. I imagine they will still use Tivo technology for a US release of the new product.
Adding a DVD burner is definitely a cool addition.
I'm a Tasty-vore. If it's Tasty, I'll eat it.
"DMR-HS2
Progressive-Scan DVD Video Recorder with 40GB Hard Disk & Time Slip Playback records to DVD-RAM and DVD-R discs
MSRP $999.95 "
Straight from the relevant page of the Panasonic site (which I'm having problems giving a direct link to, sorry).
The drive is only 40Gb in this case, but thats easily enough if you're backing up to DVD regularly.
"I Know You Are But What Am I?"
Or rather, the product will be crippled to hell by DRM systems to be nearly impossible to use properly.
This has been done before with the NetMD minidisc players, which don't allow to extract the pieces recorded with the microphone.
I wouldn't be surprices, if those burned DVD can only be played back on the same unit, that DVD commercial DVD can't be copied or some other copyright protection idiocy.
This is a noticeable improvement on the 2nd generation of DVD-recorders, along with the Toshiba RD-X3. First generation was a DVD-Recorder. Pure and simple. They're still coming out, should be under $500 this summer. The second generation, which is still coming out, includes a Hard Drive, which IMHO is necessary. While the DVD-RAM can let you edit and the like, it's far from a DVD-R.
I'm using the Panasonic DMR-HS2, which has a 40 gig drive. Very nice, but programming it's a pain - either manually program it or use VCRPlus+ codes. A TiVo-like program guide would be the cat's meow. The catch is that for $1000+, should it come with a "lifetime subscription" ala ReplayTV, or are you going to have to pay each month? This is not a trivial issue - the boards dedicated to these DVD-Recorders mention it frequently.
Three other things:
1) Cable Blaster - if you have a cable box, you have to program your box to change channels, and the DVD-Recorder to record. A Cable Blaster/Cable Mouse (i.e. something to change channels) really is a necessity.
2) CPRM is supported on these things. The television transmission can have a "No Copy" bit set, and these DVD-Recorders will obey. So, for now, MythTV may still be superior.
3) How long before DVD-R drives become cheap enough for them to be included in some kind of Tivo? A big reason for owning these is to make it _easy_ to burn to DVD. Yes, you can use stuff like DVArchive to download to your computer. Then you transcode. Then burn to DVD. This is all one step, and the reason I have one - it's simple. Granted, I'd rather make SVCDs of some of them, rather than a DVD, but I'll cope.
"Sometimes a woman is a kind of religion, she can save your soul & set you free from all your sins" - Bad Examples
The same kind who shut down websites for containing video clips of commercials.
It was one of the dumbest things I have ever heard, when a few years ago a website (can't remember the name) was SHUT DOWN for containing copyrighted material. It was a website of funny/interesting/nostalgic commercials. How stupid could advertisers be, to shut down a website that did their job for them. It's all about control. Insanity.
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
It's worthless to me until it supports my Time Warner Digital cable system. That seems to be the problem with Tivo and ReplayTV. What good is a PVR that records all your favorite shows no matter what channel/time they are on, when all you see is channel 3 coming from your tuner?
The history of TV is littered with shows that people like, but the stations drop - the whole reason to own something like this is so that you can record series you really like for later viewing.
Although it would be nice to buy a DVD of the series and help support the actors and such - often there is no way to buy any kind of tape of a series.
Even apart from the series, I'm sure there are many people that would record other weird stuff from TV.. myself, I'd collect commercials I like.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I can't read Japanese, but their appears to be an MSRP of 145,000 yen on the Sony page. That's ~$1200 at current exchange rates, and far more expensive the similar Panasonic unit which has an MSRP of $999, and generally goes for about $700 on EBay. Shouldn't these kinds of devices be going *down* in price, not up? I realize the Sony unit has some networking features for guide data and so forth, but I can't see those adding $300 worth of value, unless its a total Tivo replacement.
It's also not clear what writable format they're using -- + or - or all of them. I'm mildly biased in favor of the - format because it seems to be the most compatible where I've tried it.
As far as a Tivo replacement, I'm not sure I see that. Tivo is pretty far down the pike in terms of scheduling, selection, conflict avoidance and user interface. I don't think this Sony unit is meant to be that, but instead as a VCR on steriods.
I'm personally waiting for the DVD writer decks to drop in the $300-400 range. I have a Tivo, so I don't need an extra source of guide data. The internal HDD is nice for basic editing (from what I understand of the Panasonic DMR-HS2 unit that has one), but its a big added cost as well. I could live with just the writer. I'd hope they'd drop to sub-$500 this year, perhaps closer to Christmas, but maybe the economy/war/malaise will make us wait even longer.
You can do pretty well with a linux box and myth tv, although its not quite as feature-complete as tivo. A nice solution though :)
God Fucking Damnit
Ha, if it doesn't support x-ray writing of DVVDvD +- R/RW/RO/WO 1.5 TB Discs with Dolby 15.3 SRS and XHDTV2, it won't even be worth $50.
ReplayTV pissed people off because it had features that let you skip commercials, and it had an ethernet port which meant that you could stream video from your ReplayTV to your PC, or just download it directly, which in the MPAA's eyes, means that it'll be that much easier for everyone to become the pirate that they naturally are.
1. For all the Trekkies out there, start recording a season for your own personal use, DVD's will keep better than VHS. It's being broadcasted, we're paying for it through the products we buy. No harm no foul.
2. God knows the Major networks show an made-for-tv movies/specials once and at the very most twice, if you don't get good copy you might never see it again. Example. back in the 80's my brother and I recorded the Kroft puppets (spelling/name may be off, sorry) when the did the "Ronny and Nancy Show". I re-watched that tape till it wore out, now I can't find a copy of it anywhere. If I had one of these, no problems.
Not everyone pirated movies, it's too much crap to deal with. Why would I want a wall covered with DVDs? I barely have enough space for the crap I got now. I don't need/want anymore. I'm sure there are people who feel the same way.
Sean D.
"Hmm. I am to metaphor cheese as metaphor cheese is to transitive verb crackers!"
I can't wait to see the Apex version of these units a few years down the line. DVD-R's will be 10 cents each, the unit will cost 90 bucks, and the DRM will go away if I hold the "6" key on the remote while I start up the machine.
The listed price is 145,000JPY, which equals $1,213..
Nice if you can afford it I suppose. I wonder if there will be restrictions on exporting it to the US.
"Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion." - Democritus
That's kind of silly since DVDs are drastically higher resolution, better sound (with more channels), etc.
VCD/SVCD would make much more sense... since VCD is VHS quality and SVCD is (supposedly) about the same quality as NTSC is capable of carrying... AND you can play them back in (almost) any DVD player.
Not to mention the fact that it would be MUCH cheaper.
I'd love to have a VCD/SVCD recorder.
- Preferences: Solaris 10 (servers), Ubuntu (desktops), Solaris 11 (personal servers) -
A quick note to clear up any confusion about the amount of video you can compress onto that 80GB hard drive with this unit...
It's about 4 LOC (Library of Congress) although if you need to be more exact, you could say that it's 4 LOC, and then round to the nearest Volkswagon
*DUCKS*
>>What?! No HDTV?
Nope. At least, not in the near future.
Sony is a company with competing interests. On one hand, the personal electronics division wants to sell compelling, useful electronic devices. On the other, the studio-side of the company jealously guards its entertainment/media content. The content side holds the electronics side in check -- it knows what the market wants (HDTV TiVO, anyone?) but fears cannibalizing Sony's Content/Studio division sales.
There are internal (management) power struggles going on right now to determine which side will win. Personally, I'm betting on "neither." The infighting at Sony will continue for the forseeable future, and smaller, more nimble companies without divided loyalties will be the ones to deliver innovative products and gain market share.
Your right to DRM ends where my TV begins.
It's essentially a tivo and a DVD player sharing the same box. You can't put tivo'd shows onto DVD, and you can't record DVDs to the tivo. They're two seperate devices for most purposes, though there is an option on the tivo menu to 'play dvd' that's as far as the integration goes.
Tivo no longer subsidizes hardware. Series 1 hardware was subsidized, but Series 2 is not.
"With the Series2, we're out of the subsidy business," Ramsay said.
That's TiVo Chief Executive Mike Ramsay as quoted at news.com
It's worth noting that this will not work on Series2 TiVo's (which is all that's been sold for well over a year now). The S2 TiVo's are locked down much tighter (at least with current software) and haven't been hacked completely. Yet. Last I read the hacking was progressing, but it's going to involve replacing the BIOS - in most cases physically by desoldering the old one and soldering in a new one.
You can still get a S1 TiVo on eBay if that's what you want. But you won't get any future software upgrades (S1 are not getting 4.0, due out any day), new features (no HMO - although most (but not all) of its features can be hacked in to one extent or another), and wow are they slow. If you're really, really into hacking the boxes and that's what makes you happy then I'd advise a S1 TiVo. If you just want things to work, get an S2.
It's okay, but not as good as you think it is.
Trust me, attempting to interface it to a computer will prove to be excruciating. And just like Sony MiniDisks are proprietary, there is no guarantee that the "DVDs" will actually play anywhere else.
I went on holiday for 10 days - in the, granted, limited time I saw telly I couldn't get over the fact that (compared to the UK) advertising is literally rammed down your throat.
Almost everything is sponsored by someone, you have advert breaks with unnerving frequency (often just cutting out in the middle of the tension without any thought to picking a bit where it would make sense) and you even have adverts just after the starting credits and just before the ending credits (I mean, whats the point of sticking some adverts up - only to come back to the credits, and then more adverts??).
Finally, I was watching some ice hockey and even the player stats screen was littered with 3 adverts! Amazing.
So, in short, I'm not really surprised that Tivo took off over there and badly here. Yes, we have adverts - but they're appproximately once every 15 minutes, cut out at appropriate sections of the programme or film and aren't put so close to the beginning or end of items that it annoys the viewers.
BUT, and it's a big but - Sony are very pro-DRM. Their Net-MD line would be great if it wasn't so crippled and last month I went to buy a CD/MP3 player only to find that whilst their top of the range product was very very cool, you couldn't fast forward or rewind through MP3's. I fail to believe that this is due to technical problems - more the fact that they want it to be so slightly inconveniant that you give up using MP3's.
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