Ricor PVRs To Hit Russia

BlackShirt writes "Mediacenter acts as a digital video recorder, i.e. it enables the viewer to plan his/her future television broadcast recordings. 'Live' broadcasts can also be recorded. Program recordings are stored in the video archive, and the user can playback, delete or unable deleting of recordings (here are some screenshots). I personally like their advertisements more than their product. (Shopping-tv style, wife doesn't allow to watch football, so disapponted husband knocks on his neighbors' door, as they turn their fabulous Ricor TV box from pause to play.)" It looks like this is being marketed to Russian cable companies as an all-in-one portal, since they also include electronic ordering capabilities and "near video on demand"; I wish American PVRs had all these features by default (ethernet, USB, microphone, camera inputs ...)

Comments

No kidding

[autopr0n]

It's just incredibly asinine that companies which broadcast their content through to open air or pump it into our homes can even think to sue people who make PVRs that aren't to their liking. Go after someone who posts copied shows on their website or Kazza sure, but suing a company because their PVR has an eithernet port.

It's just assinine.

American... Russian....

[Grelli]

<ruskie accent>
Amercian PVRS

Russian PVRS

ALL MADE IN TAWAIIN
</ruskie accent>

damn you lameness filter, sometimes you need to yell.

Ricer PVRs?

[Space Coyote]

Did anybody else read the subject line as 'Ricer PVRs To Hit Russia' and get visions of set top boxes with oversized wings and a large aluminum exhause pipe coming out of the back with way too many decals plastered all over it?

I could be mistaken, but..

[VPN3000]

"'Live' broadcasts can also be recorded." - Why's that mentioned? I think any PVR can do that. A broadcast is a broadcast, the material is the same whether it's 'live' or not.

"It looks like this is being marketed to Russian cable companies as an all-in-one portal, since they also include electronic ordering capabilities and "near video on demand";"

Any PVR has that functionality when combined with a proper/integrated tuner and PPV channels. If I know I am watching movies Friday night, I will pick some PPV movies to record during the day. With most providers you have the same movie with staggered timeslots where the movie starts every 15-60 minutes. I assume PPV overseas is similar.

"I wish American PVRs had all these features by default (ethernet, USB, microphone, camera inputs ...)"

I think this unit gives up more than it gains in functionality by only having one tuner. I don't see anything in their product description about recording one show on 'live' tv while watching another 'live' show. I don't consider it a true media center until you've got the ability to record one show and watch another one. This doesn't sound like a big deal to the uninitiated, but nothing is more lame than having a PVR and the associated freedoms, then get forced watching something your roomie wanted to record because you can't change channels. The hardware cost for a second tuner is not much at all, well worth the extra $20-30..

Most american units have USB ports on them. I think that about covers the gambit of devices you would be attaching (camera, ethernet, keyboard, etc). I see the 'nifty' factor in being able to babble off how many types of ports something has, but I've noticed the people who own things with lots of ports tend to not own anything to connect to them. The different types of ports also run up the costs of manufacture for features that aren't needed or used. Much like all those funky ports on 8-bit Nintendos and other game systems of yesteryear's 'future expansion slot' thingys that nothing ever connected to. You have a PC, hook your stuff up to it. You have a PVR, use it to watch television. :)

One nifty feature UTV has is the ability to record a whole timeslot hitting record at any time before the slot expires. That's handy when you are just randomly watching stuff on TV, find something, only get to watch the first 15 minutes before the phone rings and you have to leave. Just hit record and the whole thing is recorded from the beginning.

I am guessing this will be a good hack unit. I don't care about that stuff with PVRs like most folks on here seem to do. From my experiences with modifying these types of devices, I become the only person in the house who can operate them. I'll stick to devices other people in the house don't depend on to modify.. :-)

I don't mean to sound rude here, but beyond Russia getting a PVR I don't see how any part of this is news, unless it's a slow news day, especially when I have a unit I spent $40 on almost two years ago and it has way more features minus integrated DVD. I'm not crazy about all-in-one systems either. You try to hack it, break it, you are out a DVD player and a PVR. Same goes for just daily usage, break the tuner time to buy a new DVD player too.

Always buy your components separately and avoid bundles if you want quality. Typically, the parts in multi-function devices are purchased from the lowest bidders. I'd rather be wise, save my money, read some reviews and buy a separate DVD player, PVR, tuner, amp, speakers, etc. You spend a little more but end up with a superior result and the ability to replace parts. Think you are too broke for that logic? You won't be thinking it when your DVD player dies and you have to get a whole new unit. Also, where's the component video connectors for HDTV? Is that dvd player progressive scan?

I apologize, I always post like 20 paragraph messages in regards to home video links. I'm very anti-hype after seeing so many new products all to find they are crap later on. :)

It's a shame

[rworne]

Looks like Russia gets all the good programming. The first picture of the sample screenshots looks like the (very) old Japanese shoujo anime classic Candy-Candy.