Your thought's on what the new Directv DVR's will be like?

[CPanther95]

I assume they are sticking with their plan to not offer a 30-second skip button or workaround? That's probably the only thing that will make it real difficult to transition.

All in all though, the Home Media Center networking capabilities will offset any annoying software differences to get used to.

 

[cr0mag]

All in all though, the Home Media Center networking capabilities will offset any annoying software differences to get used to.

I totally agree with you on that one... I'll learn a new interface in a heartbeat to have a 'network' system that works with the entire house. And I bet most people would feel that way.

 

[CPanther95]

Those that have a single HDTV with an HD-Tivo and a couple SD receivers may disagree - but I've got 3 HDTVs and only one has DVR capabilities - 4 SD receivers and only two have DVR - one of those SD non-Tivo receivers feeds 4 TVs.

The HMC will offer a huge increase of capabilities in my house.

 

[cr0mag]

Well, I have two HD sets, but only one HD STB. (Bedroom has a SD DVR). I'm looking very forward to being able to 'pick up and go' from room to room. That's what I meant about being happy to adapt to a new system.
Not to mention the ability to use the thin clients in any room. That will be a big help to folks who who don't want to fork out for HD DVRs in every room.
What I'm really waiting for is for someone to leak a diagram or some info on the connections to this new gizmo so that I can start re-wiring casa de cr0mag. See, I've been postponing moving my OTA (didn't do it right the first time...D"OH!) and I want to re-position my dish and have all the wires run to a central location in my attic, where I can locate whatever type of switch they throw at us. From there I can tap into 'home runs that I'm going to string all over the house.'
"IF you're listening D*, all I want to know is what type and how many of each cable to run to each room!"

 

[peterl1365]

I'm very interested in the HMC, even though I don't have an HD set yet. I know that D* has talked about wireless connectivity being a 2006/2007 option. Anyone know what the wired topology will be for the initial release.

My TV's are located such that it would be very difficult to run ethernet cable to each one. Ideally, the networking could piggyback onto the coax runs. I know this is wishful thinking, but it would be nice.

 

[LonghornXP]

I'm very interested in the HMC, even though I don't have an HD set yet. I know that D* has talked about wireless connectivity being a 2006/2007 option. Anyone know what the wired topology will be for the initial release.

My TV's are located such that it would be very difficult to run ethernet cable to each one. Ideally, the networking could piggyback onto the coax runs. I know this is wishful thinking, but it would be nice.

These boxes will use coax to start for all networking features along with TV so you won't need to run ethernet. Now you will need a wireless network card if you want to connect to your home network so you can share music, video and pictures from your computer(s) along with internet scheduling.

When 2006/2007 comes along the entire system would be wireless which means that only the server would need a hardwired connection (coax from the dish) and that all client boxes would be wireless.

What this is telling you is that you don't need to worry about running ethernet because the system would use coax feeds and/or wireless cards.

 

[kbohip]

^^^Man that sounds great. I have 2 HD tv's right now and I'd love to have HD DVR capability on both.

 

[peterl1365]

LonghornXP,

So what you're saying is that the new multiswitch is going to double as a router (so to speak).

If so, then that's awesome.

 

[LonghornXP]

LonghornXP,

So what you're saying is that the new multiswitch is going to double as a router (so to speak).

If so, then that's awesome.

Something like that. To put things simple all the client boxes will be discovered by the server upon hookup and will be assigned unique IP addresses and other types of IDs so they can talk back and forth to eachother. With that said I'm pretty sure the multiswitch would need to be some form of a two way device so my bet would be your suggestion. Having a multiswitch with a built-in coax based router would work. From what I've been told is that this system would work very very very very close to the way the Voom system was going to work and that would make sense because the Voom system was a motorola box with Uncentic middleware and we know what D* will have Motorola make the box and Ucentric doing the middleware. Now that Motorola bought out Ucentric it seems that the middlware might be exactly the same and completed for D* because they might use the Voom stuff but brand it with D* and add whatever specific features D* wanted.

 

[mhaider]

From what I've been told is that this system would work very very very very close to the way the Voom system was going to work and that would make sense because the Voom system was a motorola box with Uncentic middleware and we know what D* will have Motorola make the box and Ucentric doing the middleware. Now that Motorola bought out Ucentric it seems that the middlware might be exactly the same and completed for D* because they might use the Voom stuff but brand it with D* and add whatever specific features D* wanted.

Is it going to be Motorola's Moxi made for D*? Only the DVR UI would be from NDS? Not the Moxi UI? Was looking at Motorola's website and the Moxi HMC looks pretty cool and the UI seems nice judging from the demos.

 

[LonghornXP]

Is it going to be Motorola's Moxi made for D*? Only the DVR UI would be from NDS? Not the Moxi UI? Was looking at Motorola's website and the Moxi HMC looks pretty cool and the UI seems nice judging from the demos.

This isn't Moxi at all. This box will have three key layers list below.

Layer 1 will be made by D* and will contain the core working parts of the software like every other D* box. This would include the IPG as well.

Layer 2 will be made by Ucentric which would contain all the multiroom and networking features.

Layer 3 will be made by NDS which would contain all the access controls and security features which are currently on many D* boxes today. To give you an idea both Layers 1 & 3 are currently on current D* boxes its the second layer that is very new.

Now all the layers above are all software based. Now the box itself (hardware) will be made by Motorola and branded as just a D* box and this box would contain all three layers of software to complete the feature set of this new HMC.

Again this box is going to be very similiar to the upcoming not released Voom multiroom HD DVR but again D* has asked for a few specific special hardware and software features. A few examples of these are extra tuners on the hardware side and on the software side some of those specific software features are season pass ability and searching ability.