# Screenshots of New HR20 UI (for photos and Music)



## dvrblogger (Jan 11, 2005)

At the Connections show in San Jose I saw DIRECTV and Intel showing off the new VIIV UI. The Intel person I spoke to said it was coming soon to the HR20. Apologies for the quality the photos were snapped with my phone.
DIRECTV added a new option to attach a slideshow to music or music to a slideshow. The option is shown every time you play music or photos and eliminates the need to go back and add one or the other.
Thumbnails display for photos are awesome.


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## jimbojive (Mar 12, 2007)

great ,
i was hoping the is the direction they would go.
kinda MCE look


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## dvrblogger (Jan 11, 2005)

jimbojive said:


> great ,
> i was hoping the is the direction they would go.
> kinda MCE look


forgot to mention they also have a nice fade from photo to photo. Hopefully they will Jazz it up more before it downloads to us.


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## jimbojive (Mar 12, 2007)

any ETA?


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

jimbojive said:


> any ETA?


Soon...


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

Just hope that it will continue to work with non ViiV Wintel systems, can't afford to buy a new PC at this time.


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## islesfan (Oct 18, 2006)

This is good! I really hate the current way, but it is better than nothing. Its pretty hard to pick a song to play when all you see is:

My Chemical Ro
My Chemical Ro
My Chemical Ro

Etc...

I actually started re-naming files with the song name first to make this easier.


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## BillyBob_jcv (Feb 12, 2006)

Does the HR20 use the ID3 tags in mp3 files and/or the EXIF data in pictures?


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

BillyBob_jcv said:


> Does the HR20 use the ID3 tags in mp3 files and/or the EXIF data in pictures?


Not directly...
The HR20 talks to the MEDIA server on your PC.... The Media Server software, needs to read that information and prepare it into the XML type file it sends to the HR20.

As for what exactly the HR20 uses, or what is exactly in that XML feed... that I don't know.


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## KCCardsfan (Apr 18, 2007)

Question-1: Will WMP11 still work after this upgrade? And if it does I assume it will not have the new look.
Question 2: With VOD coming & from reading here at DBSTalk about using the Ethernet connection, will non-VIIV computers be able to download VOD titles?
I currently have my HR20 connected to my network & view pictures/play music using WMP11 with no trouble.


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## VLaslow (Aug 16, 2006)

dvrblogger said:


> At the Connections show in San Jose I saw DIRECTV and Intel showing off the new VIIV UI.


Great shots! Great intel (CIA type intel)!

Thanks!


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

KCCardsfan said:


> Question-1: Will WMP11 still work after this upgrade? And if it does I assume it will not have the new look.
> Question 2: With VOD coming & from reading here at DBSTalk about using the Ethernet connection, will non-VIIV computers be able to download VOD titles?
> I currently have my HR20 connected to my network & view pictures/play music using WMP11 with no trouble.


#1) It should... as I said, there is the graphic portion... which is on the HR20... then there is the media server piece... Provided that stick with the same standard communication methods underneath... there is no reason why it shouldn't continue to work with the same media servers.

#2) The computer portion, doesn't come into the equation with the VOD... so it wouldn't matter if you have a ViiV PC, or No PC at all.


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## Rambler (Nov 9, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> #1) there is no reason why it should continue to work with the same media servers.


I think you meant - that there's no reason it should*n't* continue to work with the same media servers.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Rambler said:


> I think you meant - that there's no reason it should*n't* continue to work with the same media servers.


Thanks for the correction


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## Drewg5 (Dec 15, 2006)

Now only if there where Mac support... Than again it would have to be an iDVR, allowing you to stream from iTunes, no need for that pesky intel only platform crap, every one that could get iTunes could fully use the dvr, even with the DRM being fully covered.

note: I know there are workarounds. Like every thing the workarounds dont always fully work, or require more time than there worth.


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## tucker301 (Feb 11, 2007)

That's pretty awesome stuff right there.
Now if we could just get it to process live and recorded television programming reliably


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## cuibap (Sep 14, 2006)

when can we stream video from from iso file or DVD?


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## Scott B. (Jan 22, 2007)

I must say excellent pictures. My question is will video be supported via network: HR20 to HR20, computer to HR20, HR20 to computer. Just wondering about movie camera icon in the pictures.


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## shmengie (Apr 12, 2007)

i can't help but notice icons for music, photos *and* movies in the upper left. oh, how they tease us...


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## sbcale (Aug 19, 2006)

Very nice, thank you!


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## tfederov (Nov 18, 2005)

My big question is will the new GUI put the tracks on the CD in the correct order. It's kinda hard to listen to a CD like "LOVE" by the Beatles. It's meant to flow in a certain order. The way things work now, it's a shuffle regardless if I start at the first song (which isn't the first one on the PC) or I pick shuffle.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

tfederov said:


> My big question is will the new GUI put the tracks on the CD in the correct order. It's kinda hard to listen to a CD like "LOVE" by the Beatles. It's meant to flow in a certain order. The way things work now, it's a shuffle regardless if I start at the first song (which isn't the first one on the PC) or I pick shuffle.


99% That is the MEDIA SERVER... the Media Server (Be it ViiV or WMP11, what ever), is the one responsible for that...

As the Media Server reads the audio source, parse it, and converts it when it is requested to play.

The HR20, just plays things back in the order that the Media Server sends it... (which is an XML file, that contains the descriptions...ect)

The 1% I am leaving out, is in case it is doing some sort of ALPHA sort on the data once it gets it.


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## tfederov (Nov 18, 2005)

Earl Bonovich said:


> 99% That is the MEDIA SERVER... the Media Server (Be it ViiV or WMP11, what ever), is the one responsible for that...
> 
> As the Media Server reads the audio source, parse it, and converts it when it is requested to play.
> 
> ...


I'm also in agreement on the 99% part and even raise you a .5%. DIRECTV said and confirmed this came from Viiv. That was the main reason behind my wondering if Intel would be interested in CE'ing (is that a word?) Viiv software releases.


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## dvrblogger (Jan 11, 2005)

KCCardsfan said:


> Question-1: Will WMP11 still work after this upgrade? And if it does I assume it will not have the new look.
> Question 2: With VOD coming & from reading here at DBSTalk about using the Ethernet connection, will non-VIIV computers be able to download VOD titles?
> I currently have my HR20 connected to my network & view pictures/play music using WMP11 with no trouble.


No connection between VOD and PCs these are independant and share your network connection.


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## dvrblogger (Jan 11, 2005)

johnyram said:


> I must say excellent pictures. My question is will video be supported via network: HR20 to HR20, computer to HR20, HR20 to computer. Just wondering about movie camera icon in the pictures.


The Intel rep and handout say video (PC to HR20 ) is coming soon. Most likely MPEG 2 and maybe MPEG 4 part 10 ( H264).


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## stogie5150 (Feb 21, 2006)

tucker301 said:


> That's pretty awesome stuff right there.
> Now if we could just get it to process live and recorded television programming reliably


+ 1 Billion.:hurah:


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## thekochs (Oct 7, 2006)

RAD said:


> Just hope that it will continue to work with non ViiV Wintel systems, can't afford to buy a new PC at this time.


Another way....no ViiV....no MCE.....no transcoding slowdown.....includes video....no UPnP....just traight forward. 

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=80312


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## Duffinator (Oct 25, 2006)

That looks great, I can't wait to get my second HR20 for my HT where I have an existing network connection.

Does anybody know what resolution the photos get displayed as? Does the HR20 rescale them to 1080i or ??? My Hauppauge Media MVP only displays 640x480 and I'm hoping for higher resolution.


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## g4jedi (Aug 21, 2006)

I wish we Mac people could do this easily.


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## AMGPilot (Aug 20, 2006)

Any word on when multi room viewing (sharing recordings between two or more HR20's) will be available?


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## dvrblogger (Jan 11, 2005)

Duffinator said:


> That looks great, I can't wait to get my second HR20 for my HT where I have an existing network connection.
> 
> Does anybody know what resolution the photos get displayed as? Does the HR20 rescale them to 1080i or ??? My Hauppauge Media MVP only displays 640x480 and I'm hoping for higher resolution.


currently photos are displayed at 480 lines of resolution not HD.


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## Duffinator (Oct 25, 2006)

dvrblogger said:


> currently photos are displayed at 480 lines of resolution not HD.


Bummer.

Any plans of increasing the resolution?


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

VettePilot said:


> Any word on when multi room viewing (sharing recordings between two or more HR20's) will be available?


Don't count on it ever being available.


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## Agrajag (Jun 22, 2004)

This looks to me to once again be way too little way too late.

When is someone like DirecTV going to install an Xbox and run XBMC and then start using that as the goal to beat?

This has extremely limited codec support, no real support for Internet streams, RSS, local storage, visualizations, album art, band bios, etc. They could do so much more with this to make it a feature that will draw in customers instead of just being an afterthought.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Agrajag said:


> This looks to me to once again be way too little way too late.
> 
> When is someone like DirecTV going to install an Xbox and run XBMC and then start using that as the goal to beat?
> 
> This has extremely limited codec support, no real support for Internet streams, RSS, local storage, visualizations, album art, band bios, etc. They could do so much more with this to make it a feature that will draw in customers instead of just being an afterthought.


Well... frankly... because they are not competing with products like that.
The HR20 is an HD-DVR first, with then features on top of it, to give some more functionality to it's end users...


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> The HR20 is an HD-DVR first, with then features on top of it, to give some more functionality to it's end users...


Some people will never be happy. Why not complain that an Xbox with XBMC doesn't have any DVR functions? XBMC does some things, and the HR20 does others. There is some overlap, but they are two very different products.


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## g4jedi (Aug 21, 2006)

When will they implement the beer cooling feature into the HR20? Or what about the automatic back massager?

Seriously, Earl hit the nail on the head. It's a DVR first and a media center link as an added bonus. And as we know, a mediocre one at best. You either have to HACK your machine to do it or buy a new PC with this special ViiV chip... and we Intel Mac users have it even worse.

BUT... remeber the old DirecTiVos? Getting those things to work with your PC was a real bear and totally unsupported by D*. At least they have SOME support for this kind of feature now.

Personally, I'd rather have dual buffers anyway. But I'm not holding my breath... and that is a totally different subject.


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

I wouldn't calling installing a 3rd party software package such as Twonkeyvision a HACK to a system.


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

RAD said:


> I wouldn't calling installing a 3rd party software package such as Twonkeyvision a HACK to a system.


Or first party software like WMP11.


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## Agrajag (Jun 22, 2004)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Well... frankly... because they are not competing with products like that.


That's short-sighted thinking on their part then.

The idea is to have a home media CENTER. This device already opens that door and past comments spoke to DirecTV wanting in on this turf.

The bottom line is that a DVR is the ONE device that people almost universally have no trouble with it being available at all times (given the nature of its core task).

Thus it makes perfect sense for this device to also work with other media. It'd be like arguing that a receiver should only work with radio.

Jeremy, the reason that neither the Xbox or the HR20 has succeeded as a full-blown Media Center is that neither of them got the variables right. Same thing for TiVo with their failed HMO attempt (few regular consumers give a SQUAT about streaming content from their PC).

I've watched the industry scream, for decades, that they could do all this if only consumers would accept a device in their house that they would leave on so that everything could work from it. They have it now and yet the software still isn't there.

My HR20 can record, store and play back video. Why can't it do the same for music? Why should that be such a huge leap? Again, think of a receiver and all the features it provides that qualify as overlap but it provides it all the same. Why couldn't the HR20, likewise, store and play back my digital photos?

To provide a half-assed media connection is a WASTE OF TIME. It will not provide enough functionality to make more than a few fanatics happy. Either do the job right or don't do it at all. To applaud the current efforts is to give support to a flawed plan.

G4Jedi, yes, I agree on the TiVo. It too was a failed plan but people like some posting here posted on their forums the same supportive messages and TiVo just continued on blindly. They figured, based on the feedback they were getting, that everyone would dive onto the bandwagon. Then they released it and the fanatics bought it and then no one. Then the priced dropped. Still no one. Dropped again. Still no one. Then it was free and still no one cared.

Think about how IDIOTIC that plan was. Here you have a box. It can record, store and play back VIDEO. Then, when it comes time for TiVo to think about their device as a media center, what do they do? They decide that audio and photos should be streamed from your PC?!?! Whoever came up with that should have been fired for incompetence on the spot. It made no sense to anyone except a bunch of nerdy network admin-types that thought it was awesome (and that's who fills those kinds of forums, thus the danger of paying attention to your own fans).

Yes, to play a single song you needed to have a TiVo, have a PC, keep both on, install server software, understand it, install a wireless or wired network, a router, understand it, manage it. All that to play a song.... Yeah, that makes good sense. Try explaining that to the masses who couldn't program their VCR's but love their TiVo's.

MOST people do not keep their PC's on 24/7. The HR20 is likely to be the only such device that stays on in many homes. Why not leverage that into something beneficial?

Plus we're talking about content that is a FRACTION of the size of video. I could store all of my music and photos on a small segment of my HR20 and not miss it. I'd also gladly then add another drive, or a larger drive. If the device handled it all WELL I'd also be VERY unlikely to consider leaving as no one else could provide this for me. Imagine DirecTV offering an upgrade to the HR20 that perhaps was a drive and a DVD tray for ripping content onto it. I'd be all for it.


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## CraigM (Jan 20, 2007)

Do you think we could ever see YouTube or say Zap2it interactive on DTV?


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

CraigM said:


> Do you think we could ever see YouTube or say Zap2it interactive on DTV?


No... At least not as direct links.


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## CraigM (Jan 20, 2007)

How does Dish Network do their Zap2it Interactive? I also saw Dish Network has CNN Interactive. Couldn't DTV do something similar?



Earl Bonovich said:


> No... At least not as direct links.


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## houskamp (Sep 14, 2006)

CraigM said:


> How does Dish Network do their Zap2it Interactive? I also saw Dish Network has CNN Interactive. Couldn't DTV do something similar?


do you have any idea how BAD youtoob would look on a real screen? :eek2:


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## CraigM (Jan 20, 2007)

What about adding something like this? Or is this only designed for cable?

http://www.opentv.com/files/OpenTV_Device_Mosaic_Data_Sheet_April_2005.pdf


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## CraigM (Jan 20, 2007)

Wouldn't YouTube look good in HD?



houskamp said:


> do you have any idea how BAD youtoob would look on a real screen? :eek2:


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Agrajag said:


> That's short-sighted thinking on their part then.
> 
> The idea is to have a home media CENTER. This device already opens that door and past comments spoke to DirecTV wanting in on this turf.
> 
> ...


What you listed above... you are asking the HR20... which is a dedicated piece of system... to become more and more like a full blown Media Center PC..

There is a cost involved with that.... software, hardware, and support.

There is a reason why home media centers are not popular... they are too costly and too complicated to setup for the average (and even above average) consumer.

The HR20 is not the unit, never will be the unit, that will do everything...
The XBOX360 is not the unit, never will be the unit, that will do everything
PS3, TiVo, ect...... right now, there is no one single unit that will be able to do it all... as frankly... there is just too much out there to do it "all".


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

CraigM said:


> Wouldn't YouTube look good in HD?


YouTube would look absolutely HORRID in HD...

YouTube is designed for your small PC screen, or portable media device.

They wouldn't have the type of storage space to hold those millions of videos in an HD codec, that would look good on a 50" TV


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

CraigM said:


> How does Dish Network do their Zap2it Interactive? I also saw Dish Network has CNN Interactive. Couldn't DTV do something similar?


That is all interactive content... which are applications that run on top of the video/audio feeds.

So could something be added... sure...
But it would have to be coded, to be compatible with the Interactive engin in the DirecTV units.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

CraigM said:


> What about adding something like this? Or is this only designed for cable?
> 
> http://www.opentv.com/files/OpenTV_Device_Mosaic_Data_Sheet_April_2005.pdf


That document is from April 2005....

OpenTV is a middleware for providers to base their DVR/Systems on...

So could it be added? Sure... but you are probably looking at things for the next generation of DVRs.

DVRs (even though they have been around for about 10 years now)...
Are still in their early lffe cycle.... (IMHO)... the technology, usage patterns, and place in home entertainment system, is really still being totally defined.

The end-all-be all unit, that will become the new "standard" that everything after it will be built from... is still not here yet...


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## Agrajag (Jun 22, 2004)

Earl, you're giving me all the typical excuses.... I don't want a Media Center PC either. Those are flawed concepts. The Media Center PC makes all kinds of backwards assumptions about how people want to interact with their content and very little of it extends beyond the higher levels of geekdom.

I can't believe you're going to suggest to me that storing and playing back audio and static pictures is beyond the capability of a box that currently stores and plays back video.



> The end-all-be all unit, that will become the new "standard" that everything after it will be built from... is still not here yet...


And with thinking like I'm seeing above, it's not going to get here anytime soon, and certainly not from DirecTV.

I'll tell you what would be a good INTERIM solution. Streaming from the PC to place the content onto the HR20 is one of the very few uses I see for streaming with the exception of acting as a "tuner" for Internet Radio and the like. However, since the box has Ethernet access even that can be done with some software. Let me connect to my PC, copy all my music over and then play it from my HR20 night or day. No other connection needed. If you're going to suggest that displaying album art is a problem or that even getting band bios is a problem, we're just not going to agree on much of anything.


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

Agrajag said:


> Jeremy, the reason that neither the Xbox or the HR20 has succeeded as a full-blown Media Center is that neither of them got the variables right.


The reason they didn't get the variables right was because they were never trying to. DirecTV is not trying to make the HR20 into a home media center, and they have never said that they were. You're expecting too much.


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## Agrajag (Jun 22, 2004)

DirecTV absolutely wants in on the media center concept:

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/jan06/01-05WMDIRECTVPR.mspx

This is just one initiative. They've also said this many times during their investor meetings and in other releases.

http://gear.ign.com/articles/578/578382p1.html

Hmm, there's another reference. "DIRECTV also announced its Home Media Center at CES 2005."

For a company not interested in this sector they seem to do a lot of talking about it.


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

Agrajag said:


> DirecTV absolutely wants in on the media center concept


Show me where either of those articles mentions the HR20, and I will take back my comment. Otherwise, you're not paying attention to what I'm saying. The *HR20* is not going to be a home media center. I never said that DirecTV never wanted to make a home media center, nor did I say that DirecTV doesn't want to ever have more capabilities in their products than the HR20 supports now.


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## Agrajag (Jun 22, 2004)

You may be correct that DirecTV never planned on the HR20 ever being anything but a simple DVR. However, then the effort to add support for playback of other media types doesn't make sense. 

So, I again say that applauding what they're doing with the current initiative is applauding a failed concept. Either they are interesting in this, they aren't interested in this or they're doing a half-baked solution. Which is it?

If they are interested in it, then the HR20 better not be the answer as it's woefully inadequate to the task.

If they're not interested in it then what's with the effort going into the HR20?


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

Agrajag said:


> If they're not interested in it then what's with the effort going into the HR20?


Haven't you ever heard of baby steps? Look at the evolution we've already seen of the media features on the HR20. We started out with nothing and moved up to what we have now, which is just a basic textual list. The UI shots in this thread show the next step, which is probably as far as the HR20 will go. Further capabilies may show up in later products. When DirecTV is dealing with a product that is meant to be a DVR first and foremost, dumping a ton of multimedia features into it all at once would be a disaster.


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## brittonx (Dec 26, 2006)

I can't wait for the new UI. It will be great to be able to see the full titles on songs, albums, artists etc... 

Any chance of it also utilizing Album Art?


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## GNAPP1 (Aug 23, 2006)

It seems that I heard somewhere that you will be able to stream video from the PC to the HR20 in the near future (end of the year), then the capability to stream video from the HR20 to the PC (next year) so as to record that content to DVD etc.?


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

GNAPP1 said:


> It seems that I heard somewhere that you will be able to stream video from the PC to the HR20 in the near future (end of the year), then the capability to stream video from the HR20 to the PC (next year) so as to record that content to DVD etc.?


I would not expect the very later part of your statement (the recording to DVD)


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> I would not expect the very later part of your statement (the recording to DVD)


Earl, couldn't the S-Video output from the HR20 be input to a DVD recorder? It's roundabout, but ... could work, no?


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

drew2k said:


> Earl, couldn't the S-Video output from the HR20 be input to a DVD recorder? It's roundabout, but ... could work, no?


Yes... that will and does work today...

I read it as, transfering to a PC... and burning to PC-DVD


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## Agrajag (Jun 22, 2004)

Baby steps? In other words, what they are doing on the HR20 is never going to become anything useful that the masses will use? They've been promising this sort of functionality for years now. I don't know about you, but I'm a bit tired of DirecTV taking 5+ years for many of the things they talk about. Baby steps.... You mean the same kind of baby steps approach that the HR20 has taken since day one? Just how many times does DirecTV have to release incomplete products before you say enough?

You also used the phrase, "dumping a ton of multimedia features". We're talking about a decent interface for playing back audio and photos. 

The unit can already play audio. The unit can already display pictures. I'm talking about a user interface that provides these EXISTING features in a usable, useful and intriguing way. I cannot fathom that the current hardware is incapable of providing ANY of the things I mentioned. They may find that they lack the horsepower for very specific audio codecs (though I doubt that) but there's not a lot more that needs to be factored into the equation. Please explain how providing a user interface that is useful equates to "dumping a ton of multimedia features" into the box? See below. I mentioned 7. I can think of maybe 3 or 4 more I'd love to see out of the gate. When did 7 to 11 become a ton? 

What's a disaster is putting forth a feature set that's of little use to anyone and potentially shows off how little they understand the needs of that area. Does that sound like a couple of past examples we're already familiar with around here?

What would get my interest, instead of a thread showing pictures of a lame (actual definition here) multimedia interface would be to commit to providing a fully realized multimedia interface. What they're doing so far is to tell people. "Hey look, we screwed around and did this half-baked job. It's not of much use but hey, if you can do anything with it, have at it."

So, let me touch on this a bit more closely:

1) Allow for storing of other media on the device.

In what way is this beyond the ability of the current hardware? Can someone please explain why storing an MP3, WMA, JPG, BMP or any other format would bring the HR20 to its knees? I don't see it. If the device can store its own system files and large video files it can certainly store these files. This should be a non-issue.

2) Allow for playback of these items.

This is already done except that instead of having to go out over the network it can actually do it locally off the current drive. This should be a non-issue.

3) Allow album art.

This could be done by using the Ethernet cable which is already being used. It could get the art from the folder structure already there, locally, or go out to an album art server. This should be a non-issue.

4) Allow band bios and other interesting information.

This is just grabbing data off the web. Is this in some way beyond the abilities of the hardware? If so, that's news to me. It seems to be able to connect to my PC just fine. Connecting to any other PC to grab some textual data seems a rather trivial undertaking. This should be a non-issue.

5) Visualizations.

Okay, this one could take some horsepower and it's the one thing I could see them passing on but I suspect that the horsepower might be good enough to provide some basic visualizations. If they can't do it, I won't miss it. This should thus be a non-issue.

7) Internet Streams.

It already supports this via the server software. All it really needs is a way to segment these in the UI so that my net "radio" stations aren't just seen as songs due to a lack in UI support. Let the user, for example, create their own media categories and sub-categories. This is a non-issue.

So please guys. What exactly is it about my hope for this box that is so outrageous as to be beyond reach? All of this was said about the HR10-250 long before it got JavaHMO and HMO. Are you suggesting the HR20 is generations behind the HR10-250???

Bottom line is that nothing I've touched on is beyond the hardware of the HR20. It may be beyond the scope or desire of DirecTV but that's a different thing and that's in large part what I'm speaking up about. If they're going to go down this path, stop playing around. Dedicate a real team to this effort and give us something everyone will be impressed with. Wouldn't that be a nice change of pace?


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

I'll tell you right now that I'm not going to read that whole diatribe you just posted. The HR20 was (and still is) never even advertised as having any multimedia features. If you're not happy with what's there, don't use it. I look at it as icing on the cake, a feature that's a nice little extra that I use once in a while. It's not core functionality, it was never meant to be, so why treat it that way?


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## Agrajag (Jun 22, 2004)

Because I actually would like to see DirecTV provide a product that actually goes beyond expectations. Again, wouldn't that be nice?

For someone so stoked about DLB your approach here is completely ironic.


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## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

It's been said before, from D* and Apple: D*+ HD iDVR.


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## Kapeman (Dec 22, 2003)

Jeremy W said:


> I'll tell you right now that I'm not going to read that whole diatribe you just posted.


I can see both sides of this issue and don't want to get in the middle of this, but I would hardly call his previous post a diatribe.

He just listed some functions he would like to see on the HR20.


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## Michael D'Angelo (Oct 21, 2006)

brittonx said:


> I can't wait for the new UI. It will be great to be able to see the full titles on songs, albums, artists etc...
> 
> Any chance of it also utilizing Album Art?


I agree a 100% with you.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Ok... :backtotop
The screen shots and the new UI that is comming...

If you want to continue the debate on "what" a full multimedia solution should be... we can do that in another thread.


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## wolfs_darkshadow (Jan 22, 2007)

Thank You Earl Your the Man :bowdown: :icon_hroc

I am now really looking forward to actually seeing this NEW UI in person...


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## g4jedi (Aug 21, 2006)

Agreed. Besides, one could just buy an AppleTV and use that with the HR20 and be done with it. ALthough, that would mean being an ealry adopter of some other hardware....


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## dvrblogger (Jan 11, 2005)

houskamp said:


> do you have any idea how BAD youtoob would look on a real screen? :eek2:


actually in 1/4 screen it should look just fine .


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## dvrblogger (Jan 11, 2005)

g4jedi said:


> Agreed. Besides, one could just buy an AppleTV and use that with the HR20 and be done with it. ALthough, that would mean being an ealry adopter of some other hardware....


SInce we are not paying extra "you get what you pay for" is appropriate. If you shell out 300$ for an apple TV then that is where Apple is making their money.Over time the UI will improve as will the chips in future boxes allowing better performance , sexier User interface\, 2D/3D.
DIRECTV already promised VOD, streaming video from PCs and this new UI as well between now and year end pretty good if they can deliver.
DISH has been promising an external drive for 2 years and it is still 3-6 months away and they want to charge a 50$ fee to allow their customers to install it !


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## dvrblogger (Jan 11, 2005)

Agrajag said:


> Baby steps? In other words, what they are doing on the HR20 is never going to become anything useful that the masses will use? They've been promising this sort of functionality for years now. I don't know about you, but I'm a bit tired of DirecTV taking 5+ years for many of the things they talk about. Baby steps.... You mean the same kind of baby steps approach that the HR20 has taken since day one? Just how many times does DirecTV have to release incomplete products before you say enough?
> 
> You also used the phrase, "dumping a ton of multimedia features". We're talking about a decent interface for playing back audio and photos.
> 
> ...


Their are hardware and business issues involved as well as philisophical ones.
1) adding MP3 opens you up to royalty payments and lawsuits (Microsoft just lost a major case)
2) HR20 hardware can only decode certain formats today and supporting HD images and scaling them on the HR20 requires quite a bit of CPU and memory. WOuld you be willing to live with pixelated recordings or messed up slideshows ?
3) DISH and AT&T in their products copy content to their hard disks. This approach while improving performance is problematic in that it eats up hard disk. Many music lovers have 5-30GB of songs and several gigs of photos. If your disk dies will you complain to DIRECTV about losing your content ? FInally by having the VIIV server the user doesn't need to copy their photos and music to / from every PC device it can be streamed and accessed with a few clicks. Want to create a really cool slideshow ? just use some software that creates a DVD slideshow and when video can be streamed you can play it on the HR20. Copying files requires writing a software app for every version of O/S Mac, XP, Vista etc and supporting this with updates . No small undertaking and full of networking/access issues so the VIIV approach to me makes much more sense.


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## Agrajag (Jun 22, 2004)

They already support MP3.

It already supports audio and picture formats so this only becomes an issue if they try to extend that list to formats that have overhead issues.

If my disk dies I will complain to DirecTV about losing the content just as I would if the disk dies and I lose the last 5 episodes of all the shows I'm watching. So, even if this user has 30GB of music and 5GB of pictures, that's still not even the bulk of the drive and drives can be enlarged. There's no reason an HR20 couldn't get a 500GB drive in a few months.

The ViiV approach makes sense to you because you're mainly a PC person. Most people aren't.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Agrajag said:


> They already support MP3.


Actually, it doesn't... It support LPMC
The Media servers (ViiV, Twonky, ect)... convert the MP3's to LPMC.


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## islesfan (Oct 18, 2006)

Am I missing something here? I mean, I can playback all of my music and pictures from the drive on my VIIV PC, and other than not being able to see the whole song title, I'm really satisfied with the media features. Sure, a better interface would be nice, but even if they never changed it from what it is, it is pretty cool. I can finally play my music collection in my living room! Do I want better? Sure, I always want better. But, if it never got better, I'd still be happy.


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## Agrajag (Jun 22, 2004)

Islesfan,

What if I told you that you needed your PC to be on to record or watch any of the TV shows you have? Would that be fine with you too? If so, why do you need the HR20 at all? You might as well get a slingbox and be done with it.

So how about playing your music or looking at your pictures while the PC is off like 99% of the rest of the consumer base has theirs when it's not being used?

Again, please explain to me the thinking that recording and storing video on the HR20 is perfectly fine but storing and playing back audio or pictures, which are much easier to deal with than video, is a ludicrous idea?


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## carlsbad_bolt_fan (May 18, 2004)

Agrajag said:


> Islesfan,
> 
> What if I told you that you needed your PC to be on to record or watch any of the TV shows you have? Would that be fine with you too? If so, why do you need the HR20 at all? You might as well get a slingbox and be done with it.
> 
> ...


Having had to endure your diatribes in TWO THREADS, I've got a simple question:

Why don't YOU devlop something? SERIOUSLY. Instead of wasting our time rambling on and on about how D* needs to do something better, step up to the plate and do it yourself.

You might just have some buyers here. :grin:


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## Agrajag (Jun 22, 2004)

One, I'm sorry that Carlsbad passed a law we're not familiar with here in New Jersey where everyone there is forced to read things they claim to have no interest in.

Two, nice response. So if you have a problem with your car would you expect other owners of that car to tell you to go build one of your own? When you get a bad steak, do you rush out and carve up a cow and show the chef how it's done the right way? 

What a ridiculous, useless waste of a response. Sorry, but that's exactly what it is. I'm sorry that you're miffed that I didn't come here to kiss the backside of the people I PAY to provide a service. I didn't come here just to discuss all the positives of the HR20. If you disagree with my comments say so and let me know why. I came here to have an open, honest, intelligent, OBJECTIVE dialogue about a product we all pay to use. If that's not welcomed here, say so up front. If it is acceptable here and you don't like it, oh well. What can I say?

Coming back with a comment like this serves exactly what purpose? You answered nothing I asked about. You said nothing about anything at all except that you've apparently been tied to a chair with your eyes propped open with toothpicks and forced to read posts from people. Since when is it not acceptable to post, and ask for clarification, on threads that you don't agree with? I've been positive on many things about the HR20. This isn't one of them.


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## carlsbad_bolt_fan (May 18, 2004)

Agrajag said:


> One, I'm sorry that Carlsbad passed a law we're not familiar with here in New Jersey where everyone there is forced to read things they claim to have no interest in.
> 
> Two, nice response. So if you have a problem with your car would you expect other owners of that car to tell you to go build one of your own? When you get a bad steak, do you rush out and carve up a cow and show the chef how it's done the right way?
> 
> ...


Well, I'm sorry you took my response that way. My point was simple: if you don't like the mousetraps available to you, build a better one. I even suggested that if you did, you'd have buyers, including me. But, no, you'd rather kvetch about how the HR20 doesn't work the way _you_ want it to, or the way it _should_ work in _your_ mind. Too bad. Again, apologies if you felt prosecuted.

Now I think I'll drive my car to my favorite restaurant and order up a nice piece of COW. :grin:


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## dvrblogger (Jan 11, 2005)

Agrajag said:


> Islesfan,
> 
> What if I told you that you needed your PC to be on to record or watch any of the TV shows you have? Would that be fine with you too? If so, why do you need the HR20 at all? You might as well get a slingbox and be done with it.
> 
> ...


The issue is losing your lifes collection of photos is more serious than losing some tv shows. Also most people do not want to copy files from camera to PC , PC to HR20 etc. AN improved UI you get the access to all photos with no need to copy and in the future this will work with multiple boxes if they ever get a home server.
VIIV PCs can be woken up by the HR20 so that they do not have to be on all the time just in sleep/hibernate.


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## davidord (Aug 16, 2006)

Another side note, is the HR20 is a leased product. Do you really want to put personal photos on a leased machine. Granted, the hard drive could be erased. But, I've heard of people receiving refurb HR20's with shows on the hard drive. Imagine an "X" rated photo going to the next user. Directv is probably smelling the lawsuits already.



dvrblogger said:


> The issue is losing your lifes collection of photos is more serious than losing some tv shows. Also most people do not want to copy files from camera to PC , PC to HR20 etc. AN improved UI you get the access to all photos with no need to copy and in the future this will work with multiple boxes if they ever get a home server.
> VIIV PCs can be woken up by the HR20 so that they do not have to be on all the time just in sleep/hibernate.


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## Agrajag (Jun 22, 2004)

Great point. You'd have to be sure to clear the data. If they did this they'd have to provide a way to do a real wipe.

carlsbad, your point was not realistic. If a customer complains that the picture quality is no good, is an appropriate response from DirecTV, "Build, launch and maintain your own satellite network then"??? If you feel it is, best of luck with that. I don't think many consumers would agree with you.

DirecTV is embarking on a path to include multimedia features, for better or worse. These features are ultimately meant (unless this is a research project which is possible but unlikely) to impress customers. I'm pointing out that these features as they are and as they are shown in this thread don't impress me at all. They are miles behind what other products already provide especially given that the core feature set is still a while away from being fully ready for the masses.


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## flashfast (Dec 12, 2006)

Just wondering Earl; Can I network the two machines without a internet connection?


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## dvrblogger (Jan 11, 2005)

flashfast said:


> Just wondering Earl; Can I network the two machines without a internet connection?


thru a router yes


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

dvrblogger said:


> thru a router yes


You don't need a router. A simple switch will do.


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## dvrblogger (Jan 11, 2005)

another way to look iat the photo and music features is the competition between xbox 360(and PS3) to the WII. The HR20 cannot compete on hardware or CPU intensive applications with an XBOX 360 or Media Center PC. Is is not targetting the high end latest 3D graphics but rather an easier to use system to be used by a larger audience of soccer moms, digital camera owners etc that jsut want an easy way to view photos but are not willing to spend 300$ for an Apple TV .
Overtime the cost of CPU/3D graphics will come down and the HRXX will support higher resoltions and more sexy effects.


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## Agrajag (Jun 22, 2004)

As I've said, my concern is that none of those three got it right either. They all provided extremely minimal "media center" features even though they have an overload of hardware to be able to provide for this.

It's clear to me that no one has their eye on this ball entirely.


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## dvrblogger (Jan 11, 2005)

Agrajag said:


> As I've said, my concern is that none of those three got it right either. They all provided extremely minimal "media center" features even though they have an overload of hardware to be able to provide for this.
> 
> It's clear to me that no one has their eye on this ball entirely.


I didn't mean the HR20 was as good or bad as any of the game consoles rather targetting average users like the Wii instead of hard core geeks/gamers linke the xbox and ps3.


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## Milominderbinder2 (Oct 8, 2006)

GNAPP1 said:


> It seems that I heard somewhere that you will be able to stream video from the PC to the HR20 in the near future (end of the year)..


"in 2007...customers will also be able to access...home videos on their TVs directly from Intel® Viiv™ [PCs]" - 2006 Annual Report p. 9.

- Craig


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