Category: Digital set-top boxes
Digital Vision announces GiGo – the VCR killer
Digital Vision has launched the GiGo DV-DTR1 Digital Freeview recorder – the first USB stick based recorder on the market.
It’s basically a single tuner Freeview receiver, with the usual EPG you’d expect on a Freeview box, that has three USB ports on the front of it. Users can record programmes using the EPG direct to any storage device plugged in to one of the slots.
Programmes are recorded in MPEG-2 format with an hour’s worth of programming taking up about 2GB. The file name is taken directly from the EPG and programme synopsis is also copied.
Playback is via the GiGo or via any device that supports MPEG-2, meaning you can take your recorded programmes with you on the move.
Robert Musk told Tech Digest (well, me) that he sees the GiGo box as a direct replacement for people who were comfortable recording onto VHS but haven’t got to grips with Freeview recorders and personal planners yet although, to be honest, the GiGo doesn’t look any easier to use than a standard Freeview recorder.
The GiGo DV-DTR1 will be available in Tesco from September for £69.99 initially, although this will probably drop to £59.99. The cheapest Freeview reorder I could find on the Tesco website was £87.89 for a 250GB DigiHome model meaning the GiGo could be a good entry-level Freeview recorder.
Wyplayer: HD multimedia set-top box – internet, audio, video & TV recording too
It doesn’t take a satellite dish or subscription service to get yourself a PVR these days and a company from France is pushing the set-top box paradigm a little further as of last week with an HD multimedia HDD device known as the Wyplayer.
It’s a good-looking, fairly compact device in the flesh with all the ports you’d expect in the shape of 3 x USB, Ethernet, RCA and, of course, HDMI (1.2 only). It also happens to have a built-in Wi-Fi N receiver with no ridiculous aerial sticking out of the back. So, already we’re looking at one function most PVRs don’t have – media streaming straight from your computer.
Naturally, it plays back just about every file format under the sun including (are you ready?) MOV, MKV, H.264, VC1, ISO, AVI, ASF, MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, WAV, AC3 and soon the lossless FLAC. Not bad at all. Plus, because the Wyplayer is internet connected there’s worlds of streamed web radio, podcasts and, soon likely, connection to services like Spotify too. It’s also happy to run Flash so you can watch YouTube and iPlayer in High Quality on your big screen.
There’s services accessible through the Wyplayer online portal which you can set up on your computer so that you can read your RSS feeds and access P2P services too, as well as all sorts of other features. Not quite sure how much P2P access you get, though.
The machine is capable of doing all sorts of things like actually recording Flash streams too but it’s been disabled so as not to start a fight with YouTube and the Beeb. Doubtless the Wyplayer can be chipped and the limits bypassed in some way, so it might be a good device for those confident with a little code and touch of solder.
Back on the legal side, the Wyplayer has twin tuners, so you can record and watch something different at the same time, plus it offers three hours of pause time and a really very nice, friendly and usable EPG and menu. It also happens to have a decent remote too.
The 500GB version will cost you €395 including postage and packaging but it also comes in 160GB, 320GB, 1TB and 1.5TB sizes.
Sadly, the site’s only in French at the mo but I assure you they will deliver in the UK – so long as you can work out the store. Good luck.
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SHINY VIDEO REVIEW: Emtec S800 HDD Movie Cube
Over Christmas I ate a lot of turkey, drank a lot of wine, and fiddled endlessly with this – the Emtec S800 movie cube. I’ll break it to you now – it’s not a cube – but it is a great little home entertainment set-top-box that lets you stream video over a network and record television.
Not one for the technophobic amongst you, but if you like tinkering with your AV setup then it comes highly recommended. It costs £230 and the company claims it’s available now from Dixons, but I certainly can’t see it on the site, or anywhere else for that matter. If you know where you can buy it in the UK, drop us a line in the comments.
Related posts: Emtec S800 HDD Movie Cube – an all-in-one digital media set-top-box | Emtec launches Movie Cube-R multimedia centre
FetchTV launches: subscription-free VOD with Freeview and DVR
IP Vision has announced a new hybrid set-top box which can be used to access the complete range of Freeview channels, acts as a digital video recorder (DVR), as well as being able to access a range of video on demand content over the Internet.
The company is keen to point out that this is a subscription-free, operator independent service, unlike those from the likes of BT, Virgin Media and Tiscali. It can be used with any broadband provider.
At launch, over 1,200 hours of content will be available in the VoD library including films and programmes from Paramount, ITV, Turner Broadcasting, Eagle Vision, Fremantle, Entertainment Rights and Aardman…
Allio's 42" Blu-ray-playing all-in-one media HDTV with BONUS PC in the case
Ladies and gentlemen! Roll up! Roll up! The gadget freak show is in town! Here, behind a wall of steel for your safely, is the Silicon Mountain Allio – a 32″ or 42″ HDTV that also squeezes a Core 2 Duo PC and Blu-ray player into its case.
It even manages PVR-like recording features thanks to its PC bit’s hard drive. Plus you can split the screen if your brain’s capable of multitasking and you want to watch TV, browse the internet and play video games simultaneously because you’re THAT CONNECTED. Here’s a look at the beast…
Careful, she’s hungry! The 42″ model does the full 1080p spec, with the…
The BBC's TV detector vans are simply a form of psychological warfare
The UK’s Information Commissioner, who’s been a very busy man/department recently, declined a freedom of information request to reveal how many TV license detector vans the BBC operates – because it might stop people believing they exist.
The shadowy fleet of TV-detecting vans is supposed to be able to pick up tell-tale signs that a TV’s being used inside a house, but the ICO ruled that revealing how many vans the BBC actually operates – and the technology they use – might undermine the level of threat they pose. And lead to us not bothering to pay our licence fees any more…
Pioneer's two limited edition 50" KURO plasmas – yours in "Pure White" and "Beige Grisé"
Pure White and Beige Grise are the exciting names of two new colours Pioneer has invented to jazz up its KURO range of HD Ready plasmas a little. Pioneer’s home business product manager Jim Catcheside offered us the following explanation about why white and beige TVs are best…
“With these Limited Edition KURO TVs we want to offer our customers the opportunity to customise their viewing environment even further by harmonising their TV with their interior design. The minimalist White and luxurious Beige Grisé KUROs are an excellent means to express one’s individual taste and style.”
The KRP-500AW and KRP-500ABG both use Pioneer’s media receiver technology…
Imerge MS1 high-end media server – holds six terabytes of Spongebob episodes
It’s high-end audio time now, with the announcement of the Imerge MS1 home server. It’s a media server which, when combined with a storage system like XiVA’s three and six terabyte disc arrays, will give you a very high-quality audio and video streaming solution over a network…
Brookstone's voice-activated Handsfree Universal Remote Control
Continuing today’s impromptu theme of dull things made sexy, we bring you this – a remote control. Made sexy.
The pyramid-shaped remote control has been designed to stand on its end. This ruins the fun game that is trying to stand a remote control on its end on the carpet, but maker Brookstone has additional fun-streams lined up for you – this remote is voice-activated…
Shiny Video Preview: TVonics MFR 300
In this video, Dan gets his hands on a tiny tiny digital TV reciever “designed for people who don’t want big freeview boxes”. It’s got very simple, very small design, with just enough space to plug in the appropriate cables. Decent UI too. But don’t take my word for it, watch the video and take Dan’s. It’s £60, and it’s available now.
Related posts: Two new Humax Freeview+ PVR set-top boxes out today | SURVEY: DVRs – good, aren’t they?
