Amazon Is Reportedly Working On a TiVo-Like DVR For Live TV (bloomberg.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: Amazon is developing a new device that records live TV, working around cable providers and encroaching on TiVo's market, according to a person familiar with the plans. The device, dubbed "Frank" inside Amazon, is a new type of digital video recorder for the streaming era. It would include physical storage and connect to Amazon's existing Fire TV boxes, the living room hub for the company's online video efforts. The Frank DVR has the same wireless technology that Amazon's Echo speakers use to connect to Fire TV boxes. Users will be able to record live TV and stream the video to a smartphone so it can be watched later. That functionality is similar to offerings from TiVo and Dish's Slingbox. Amazon hasn't made a final decision on rolling out the streaming feature, the person said, noting that the plans could either be canceled or delayed.

Comments

with Alexa, and Prime 1 click ordering

[Anonymous Coward]

in other words, no thanks.

KGB Tiiiiimmmmeeee

[Anonymous Coward]

This is gonna let the KGB *SPY* on us (get it) and make Hillary LOSE 2020 if we dont have more of a verified by snopes platform. I called it in 2018.
 
-=BeauHD=-

United

[Anonymous Coward]

Negro College Fund.

For Negros Only, please.

So like MythTV but with Amazon ads?

[Anonymous Coward]

Pass.

Re:So like MythTV but with Amazon ads?

[dohzer]

Is there a way to run MythTV without needing the client-server thing? I have little interest in it, but my aging mother would.

Re:So like MythTV but with Amazon ads?

[Waffle Iron]

By default, MythTV runs a web server on localhost:6544. You can use any device with a browser to access its web interface.

The biggest problem is that out of the box, MythTV saves the videos in native digital TV default, which isn't very compatible with web browsers. In particular, you can't skip around in a show. Supposedly, you can set up MythTV to auto-transcode shows into a web-friendly format, which should fix that.

Since I use the web interface infrequently, I instead usually use it to just download the video files to my device, then use VLC to watch it locally.

Re:So like MythTV but with Amazon ads?

[Hamsterdan]

client and server can run on the same machine. For now I'm recording TV with a Media Center machine, but could do it with either MythTV or BeyondTV. The reason I chose MCE is for simplicity, and with a couple plugins can be used as a backend for any Kodi device

Re:So like MythTV but with Amazon ads?

[furry_wookie]

I run mythtv backend on Linux VM, and use Kodi running on FireTV's to watch livetv, and recordings. Kodi has a really good MythTV frontend plugin available.

Amazon can make credible threats (;-))

[davecb]

"If you don't sign us with us, you'll lose gazillions of dollars"

My local cable company encrypts and DRMs public domain programs, so you have to buy their PVR. Amazon PVRs provide them an "offer they can't refuse", much like the mafia does.

Re:Amazon can make credible threats (;-))

[Actually, I do RTFA]

My local cable company encrypts and DRMs public domain programs, so you have to buy their PVR

Under (US) Federal Law, they have to rent you a decryption device (CableCard) compatible with other DVRs. It's usually $5/mo. It's one area the US seems to actually protected consumers.

Hey Cox!

[Existential Wombat]

With my cable bill about to hit $200 for almost basic TV, Internet and phone (which I don’t need but if I remove makles the bill go up!) I am ready to listen to Amazon on this.

Someone needs to let Amazon know

[nehumanuscrede]

that there is nothing on live TV worth recording in the first place.

From the " What folks really fucking want " department:

Create a DVR that just removes commercials entirely from a recorded broadcast and you're on to something.
Actually, belay that . . . . .

Since that will get the lawyer types drooling over dreams of litigation, instead of removing the commercials completely,
the DVR time shifts all the commercials to the end of the recorded program. That way, they're still there if you want to
watch them, ( for you closet masochists out there ) and the advertising companies have nothing to bitch about since
their Ads haven't been removed.

Re:Someone needs to let Amazon know

[Layth]

talk about shooting yourself in the foot, this is a terrible idea.
tv lives because of ads and when people dont have any ads the tv content will stop being created.

Re:Someone needs to let Amazon know

[denis-The-menace]

TV is also dying b/c of ads. I think they are north of 33% now.

I heard years ago that France has something similar to this idea except ALL the ads are on Sunday. It was the highest rated viewing time, too. Dunno if it's still like this now.

Re:Someone needs to let Amazon know

[SuseLover]

Ummm, if ads support the programming, then why do I have to "pay extra" to watch it?

The original premise (promise) of cable TV was that you paid to NOT see commercials and to see feature movies and programs uninterrupted..

Re:Someone needs to let Amazon know

[Darinbob]

I do want a DVR that records streamed shows though. Download it late at night when the network is less cowded then watch it in prime time.

Re: Someone needs to let Amazon know

[Ken_g6]

Here you go.

Re:Someone needs to let Amazon know

[Anonymous Coward]

So pick up a Channel Master DVR and shut the fuck up.

Or they could just buy

[bobstreo]

Hauppauge, and fix their lame ass front-end software/vaporware that still blows. And Amazon could toss in a cloud back-end to minimize storage and playback overhead. Extra points if it supports amazon video and netflix.

Re:Or they could just buy

[Anonymous Coward]

Hauppauge, and fix their lame ass front-end software/vaporware that still blows.

I haven't used my Hauppauge TV tuner card in years. The only reason I still have it installed is because the remote control receiver connects to it and I use the remote for any video player apps I have and also controlling Netflix/Hulu and other services I watch via web browser. Last time I had to do a reformat on my system from a major crash I only reinstalled the remote software.

Re:Or they could just buy

[Aero77]

or TiVo...

Re:Or they could just buy

[nwf]

I have a TiVo and I think it would be great if Amazon purchased them, because TiVo is pretty sad right now. Their boxes are slow, buggy and fail at playing video from streaming services fairly often. They reboot more often than Windows and their iOS app is pathetic.

Re: Or they could just buy

[Anonymous Coward]

Theyâ(TM)d have, or license from/go to court with them otherwise. Tivo was acquired by a large aggressive patent troll called Rovi, who have 5-6,000 patents, many in this field. Theyâ(TM)ve sued most of the people in this field, although it was gratifying seeing them lose to Virgin Media in the UK over 11 patents.

Re:Or they could just buy

[Anonymous Coward]

You may have a hardware issue. Failing hard drive maybe? My TiVo is WAY faster than any cable-provided DVR I've ever used, I've seen it spontaneously reboot maybe twice in the 5 years I've owned it, and the streaming apps have worked fine when I've used them, which is admittedly somewhat rare.

Hmmmm

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't understand. This is a story about TV and I don't see the self righteous posts from those bragging about not having a TV and haven't had one for years.

IR Blaster

[will_die]

Come on Amazon make sure it has an IR blaster and you will sell a lot from all the people still using a Tivo 2, the last model of Tivo that came with one.