UPDATED 20 May NYC Home Ent Show:Voom at CES was best display/information of the show

[TheForce]

MY interest is purely academic, Tim. I don't have any need or interest in home media networking. I understand many do and are excited about the possibilities.
True, the 921 hidden box demo 2 years ago was also just a PC behind the cabinet. Angela Warren(Eldon) showed it to me. But I don't believe it won the CES award that year. Last year when it was an actual working PVR921 in it's present cabinet and chassis was the award year.
I suppose all of us need to come off of the CES high. It is so easy to get wrapped up in future technology, thinking moch of this stuff will be out soon. Examples from last year at CES I still wait for-
Bu Card reader from Targus- Just released in December and buggy as can be.
Colormorphic light controller- not out yet, No ETA
MX800- Was just able to order this, probably out 8 months after it was announced.
(PS- I have your MXD file I am studying, Tim) My MX800 should be here middle of the week... New challenges!
Just some of our own realities so my position is not to go overboard on anything that is not real and here today. Taking VOOM serious near end of 2004, beg. 2005 is probably a realistic goal for me. It will give both E* and D* time to mature their PVR's and HD programming for a few months. Should be an exciting year!

But just one thought based on track record- When D* makes an official announcement you can bank on it. E*? "tune in next month" "We are the leader etc"
VOOM- "We're new but will be better than everyone else Feb 1st. "

Don(money's still in the pocket and recording with 169Time, but don't have starzHD)

 

[rudolpht]

Don,

Can't disagree with any puts. (But I can send you a later MX-800 MXF, as I die hard Prontoite, I can say I have been happy with the 800 and happier than the 3000 or the disaterous iPronto).

Late 04 is probably more prime time for Voom (and more realistic for the newer stuff). Now I can't wait for 1920x1080 plasmas & LCDs, so I'm perpetually never satisfied and always looking over where the grass was just seeded (vs greener)

Tim

 

[rudolpht]

Well, at the Home Electronics show today I saw a real WORKING 4 tuner DVR (or so I was told). No mockups. Official announcements in a couple weeks. Stuck with end of summer ETA.

Not much else (although Voom was advertised in each elevator video screen )

 

[Ilya]

Well, at the Home Electronics show today I saw a real WORKING 4 tuner DVR (or so I was told). No mockups. Official announcements in a couple weeks. Stuck with end of summer ETA.

Not much else (although Voom was advertised in each elevator video screen )

That's excellent news! Can you post some pictures? Does the DVR look the same as the current STB?

 

[rudolpht]

Except from minor cosmetic differences, it is very close. I was told the unit also supported Firewire out as a "network" and that the picture/music functionality to the mini-net boxes for receivers and computers "would follow." I am glad they are not holding up the DVR for those (though they are interesting). GUI looks close to finished but you could still see some rough edges. I hope others get to the Expo to see if they get same story.

 

[AaRdVarK]

So what did the UI look like? Is it comparable to TiVo? Name-Based Recording? Season Passes?

I'm anxiously waiting to see whether I can ditch D* !

 

[oddwunn]

I hope others get to the Expo to see if they get same story.

Hi Tim!

I'll be going to the show on Sunday, and since I will only be there for one day, I'll have to pick and choose what I visit. Can you give me the location of the DVR, as I want to make sure I get a chance to stop by and see what's cooking?

Thanks,

Bob Sorel

 

[rudolpht]

Bob,

Would very much appreciate your take. The Voom Room is off the main registration area, 2nd floor, on the lobby/checkin/6th ave side of the hotel.

You actually should have an easy time to see most things in a day. I was pretty deliberately focused on new video devices (wowed by Qualia demo for instance, and saw new DXP-1100, Sim2 500, JVC HD2K, Infocus 777, etc.) all in about 3 hours. It's like 5% as big as CES, but actually can talk to folks more. The only err I saw in program was that Infocus is on 2nd floor, not 4th floor in central corridor - Morgan room.

 

[rudolpht]

So what did the UI look like? Is it comparable to TiVo? Name-Based Recording? Season Passes?

I'm anxiously waiting to see whether I can ditch D* !

Name based descriptions for shows, music, content, I only saw scheduling from the guide and of course Voom has OTA guides unlike Dish for HD. I'm sure it doesn't have season passes since that is patented, but hopefully Bob can assess. I have only been a Tivo dreamer vs convert. That said UI was slick to me. Pause a show come back. Pause a show, come back and watch on a different TV (slick) in realtime. Seemed like the Voom UI (ovals, but a little blockier in current state).

 

[Sean Mota]

Guys, stay put. I am trying to borrow a digital cammera and go down there and get some pics. I'll report if I am successful.

 

[vinnyv07]

Im going down there on Sat...I'll bring my digital camera. See what I could come up with. I cant wait!!!!

 

[Sean Mota]

I have the DVR pictures will be posting them shortly...

 

[Sean Mota]

Here we go guys.

Picture 1:

These three pictures show the presentatio booth of the DVR. The monitor in the center has the DVR which is acting as a server at this point. The monitor is a HDTV. To your right and left you have two monitors that are acting as clients using the ucentric network box. Everything is connected through a basic IP network. To your far left, there's a sound system stereo and to your far right there's a PC which is connected to the system and will be sending both pictures (jpgs and mp3s) to the server. You will be able to display the picture in any monitor and you will be able to send the audio of MP3 to the stereo or any TV that is acting as a client.

Picture 2: Is another view of the presentation booth.

Picture 3: Is the other angle of the presentation booth.

There's more to come so please hold on questions while I load the pictures.

 

[Sean Mota]

Here's the DVR580. Very similar to the 550.

Front view and back view. The back view was very hard to get. As you see in this picture none of the coax and cables were connected. But the inputs are there. As I said before it was very difficult to get the camera there. I was looking for the firewire input but could not verify that it was there. You'll be the judge.

 

[Sean Mota]

Remote Control would be Ucentric. Here's a picture.

 

[Sean Mota]

This is the Ucentric Client and the PC that was connected to the Network where all MPG photos and some MP3s file were saved.

The Ucentric client will be bundled with the DVR. So every DVR will come package with a Ucentric client. If you want to add more TVs you will need more Ucentric clients. If you want to your current DSR550 to the network, you will also need the client. You may also add another DVR580 and use both hard drives in the network.

 

[Sean Mota]

Now, let's go to the actual screens of the DVR. Here's the search feature. Not like Tivo but very primitive like the 921.

 

[AaRdVarK]

Awesome! Thanks

 

[Sean Mota]

Awesome! Thanks

There's more so sit tight.... The good stuff comes now...

 

[Sean Mota]

Here's how the actual recording programs will look like. Very similar to dish. No folders customization. Everything right now is on one screen.

The Recording Screen shows what happens when you select a program in the program guide. You will get the option to watch the program or record the program.

The PG was very at very primitive stage. Right now it was only showing one channel and basically one column of programming. The planner was not in this demo but will be included as well with the integration of the recording. I asked about weekly, daily, or customized recording but they were not sure about it but said that those could be in the plan when the DVR is finally released.