# New DVR may have video on demand



## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

By David Lieberman, USA TODAY

NEW YORK - DirecTV is preparing to offer a digital video recorder (DVR) service in mid-2005 that could duplicate virtually every feature now available from current partner TiVo, plus provide video on demand similar to what's offered on cable, say executives of the company preparing the software.

About the only TiVo function the new service will not have, they say, is the ability to jump over commercials. That's an unadvertised TiVo feature users can activate with programming instructions widely available on the Internet.

*MORE*


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## MacKenzieIII (May 5, 2003)

Chris Blount said:


> About the only TiVo function the new service will not have, they say, is the ability to jump over commercials. That's an unadvertised TiVo feature users can activate with programming instructions widely available on the Internet.


A DVR that can't skip commercials? Am I missing something? I mean I guess there are some benifits to a DVR other than commercial skipping but that seems like the main selling point.


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## ImmerTech (Jul 19, 2004)

MacKenzieIII said:


> A DVR that can't skip commercials? Am I missing something? I mean I guess there are some benifits to a DVR other than commercial skipping but that seems like the main selling point.


Perhaps what Chris slightly over stated. You can still fast forward through commercials you just can't use the 30 sec jump ahead feature. This is a feature that even on TIVO has to be manually turned on and 99% of TIVO users probably don't even know they have.

- ImmerTech


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## ImmerTech (Jul 19, 2004)

Has anybody heard if this box will be HD or not?

-ImmerTech


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## gglockner (Mar 25, 2004)

I have many questions about the NDS box:

1. Will it support Season Passes and Wishlists?
2. Can I personally replace a dead drive or add a larger drive without returning the unit to D*?
3. Will they have an HD-version?


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## HappyGoLucky (Jan 11, 2004)

ImmerTech said:


> Perhaps what Chris slightly over stated. You can still fast forward through commercials you just can't use the 30 sec jump ahead feature. This is a feature that even on TIVO has to be manually turned on and 99% of TIVO users probably don't even know they have.
> 
> - ImmerTech


Already it appears they have some method of preventing even fast-forwarding over commercials (have seen it several times on my HDVR2) with some sort of code in the stream. No doubt that we will soon NOT be able to skip commercials on any DVR system if the copyright nazis get their ways in Congress and with the delivery systems being owned by the studios/content providers.


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## boba (May 23, 2003)

HappyGoLucky said:


> Already it appears they have some method of preventing even fast-forwarding over commercials (have seen it several times on my HDVR2) with some sort of code in the stream. No doubt that we will soon NOT be able to skip commercials on any DVR system if the copyright nazis get their ways in Congress and with the delivery systems being owned by the studios/content providers.


You can still channel surf while the three minutes of commercials are on. You might even find something better to watch. :lol: :lol:


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## mini1 (Jan 25, 2004)

"He adds that his system "will be less expensive for DirecTV" than TiVo and that the savings could be passed to consumers."
This is good! What will the monthly cost go down to $4 or $3 per month? If it did then DirecTV would have the lowest cost per month DVR on the market.
Will DirecTV still be offering Tivo? or it will go the way of UltimateTV?


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## bavaria72 (Jun 10, 2004)

HappyGoLucky said:


> Already it appears they have some method of preventing even fast-forwarding over commercials (have seen it several times on my HDVR2) with some sort of code in the stream. No doubt that we will soon NOT be able to skip commercials on any DVR system if the copyright nazis get their ways in Congress and with the delivery systems being owned by the studios/content providers.


While I rarely agree with HappyGoLucky's politics this time I am right there with HappyGoLucky on this. Preventing me from skipping thru commercials? Why (A rhetorical question by the way)? Does this mean that the advertising companies pay TiVo and D* to ensure we can't jump thru them? I want my cut!! With the current E* 501, one can do 1 minute jumps forward and 30 sec jumps backwards right thru recorded show or commercials. If D*'s new box can't jump thru commercials then TiVo must make their box be able to jump commercials and minimize old Rupert's ploy. Hell I would pay 10 bucks to be able to jump thru them. This is getting starting to get both ridiculous and just a tad bit scary as HappyGolucky has often pointed out.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

OK, Here's where Charlie can score points by saying that he will NEVER get rid of the commercial skip (unless forced to by BS legislation by Congress)...


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## Combow (Aug 8, 2004)

VOD by satellite I mean are you kidding me... I’ve seen that story and I was amazed. I just can’t believe that satellite have the capability of streaming Video On Demand for 13.5 million customers. I guess this new receiver is going to be similar to Comcast receivers, wider and heavier. They also said have Tivo features. I just hope to god that it’s Motorola.

If Directv Does support VOD in mid-2005 u can expect comcast 21 million to drop. and Dish Network 10 million to also drop... Because Directv will be the first DSS with VOD with the cheapest plans and well mans favorite plan ''NFL SUNDAY TICKET''


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

HappyGoLucky said:


> Already it appears they have some method of preventing even fast-forwarding over commercials (have seen it several times on my HDVR2) with some sort of code in the stream. No doubt that we will soon NOT be able to skip commercials on any DVR system if the copyright nazis get their ways in Congress and with the delivery systems being owned by the studios/content providers.


Poppycock. I've got some HDVR2's myself, and I've never had any problems utilizing the 30-second skip feature, or any other commercial skipping feature for that matter.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

Yep, HUGE advantage for Dish Network here. Can you see advertisements galore in the DVR Events screen and before you press play and when you have a show paused?


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

Combow said:


> VOD by satellite I mean are you kidding me... I've seen that story and I was amazed. I just can't believe that satellite have the capability of streaming Video On Demand for 13.5 million customers. I guess this new receiver is going to be similar to Comcast receivers, wider and heavier. They also said have Tivo features. I just hope to god that it's Motorola.
> 
> If Directv Does support VOD in mid-2005 u can expect comcast 21 million to drop. and Dish Network 10 million to also drop... Because Directv will be the first DSS with VOD with the cheapest plans and well mans favorite plan ''NFL SUNDAY TICKET''


VOD is a non issue for me.....

My E* DVR lets me make my OWN VOD. VOD (as cable and potentially D* define it) has no worth to me.


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## ImmerTech (Jul 19, 2004)

Combow said:


> VOD by satellite I mean are you kidding me... I've seen that story and I was amazed. I just can't believe that satellite have the capability of streaming Video On Demand for 13.5 million customers.


My understanding is that there is no streaming involved in the process. What they are going to do is block some large partition of the Hard Drive for their content. Then in the middle of the night they will record PPV movies to that partition of the Hard Drive so that you have them available on demand. Sort of like what Starz on demand is today. Then from some special menu you will be able to purchase movies from that partition. So there will be no streaming in the process.

- ImmerTech


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## EricG (Mar 28, 2002)

So does this new non-TiVo DVR mean the future of HMO on my HDVR2 is dead?
Time to go to that database place and get HMO on mine now. I'm tired of waiting for D*.


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

Should have done it anyway, Eric. HMO is superb!


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## koji68 (Jun 21, 2004)

mini1 said:


> This is good! What will the monthly cost go down to $4 or $3 per month? If it did then DirecTV would have the lowest cost per month DVR on the market.


Free is still better. 501 from E* :grin:


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## HappyGoLucky (Jan 11, 2004)

Lord Vader said:


> Poppycock. I've got some HDVR2's myself, and I've never had any problems utilizing the 30-second skip feature, or any other commercial skipping feature for that matter.


Myself and many others have reported on Tivocommunity that many times while fastforwarding through commercials the unit will "freeze". You cannot fastforward through the commercial, you have to hit "play" and let it run for at least a few seconds before fastforward will work again. It is as if there is some code at the beginning of that commercial telling the machine to not fastforward, but once you play past that code fastforward ability returns. I've seen this dozens of times, others have also. I rarely use the 30-second skip feature, I prefer to just fastforward in high-speed over the crap and hit play at the appropriate time.


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## SuperJack (Jul 6, 2004)

What is HMO? Please explain.


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## TerryC (Jul 18, 2002)

It stands for Home Media Options...

http://www.tivo.com/1.2.13.asp

I doubt we'll ever see it, though.


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

How can you say that, Terry, when it's already here? I have HMO, as do many others I know. It's now available for *ALL* Series 2 DirecTIVO models.


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## TerryC (Jul 18, 2002)

Of course there's a hack but Lord Murdoch urges young padawans to resist the darkside...


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## aaronwt (Aug 14, 2003)

Lord Vader said:


> How can you say that, Terry, when it's already here? I have HMO, as do many others I know. It's now available for *ALL* Series 2 DirecTIVO models.


Can I get it without opening my unit?


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

aaronwt said:


> Can I get it without opening my unit?


 Fear not the opening of your unit. It won't hurt your unit. Hard drives are a dime a dozen anyway, for the most part. I'm a novice when it comes to that stuff, and I've "modified" several drives over the years and never once messed things up.

Open your unit, replace the stock drive with a larger one, install 4.10b, and away you go. It'll be a whole, new world for you.

Give yourself to the Dark Side. It is your destiny.


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## Combow (Aug 8, 2004)

BobMurdoch said:


> VOD is a non issue for me.....
> 
> My E* DVR lets me make my OWN VOD. VOD (as cable and potentially D* define it) has no worth to me.


to tell the truth I don't know how Directv is going to pull this off but VOD is special because you don't save nothing... you pause or fast forward live TV no record it and look over it. Maybe with your DVR you can record it and pause or rewind but you can't skip commercials. And Directv said it would be similar to VOD but you also can't skip commercials... I don't understand how it is like VOD then.

Video on Demand is a server that stores hours of shows not a 40 GB hard drive.



ImmerTech said:


> My understanding is that there is no streaming involved in the process. What they are going to do is block some large partition of the Hard Drive for their content. Then in the middle of the night they will record PPV movies to that partition of the Hard Drive so that you have them available on demand. Sort of like what Starz on demand is today. Then from some special menu you will be able to purchase movies from that partition. So there will be no streaming in the process.
> 
> - ImmerTech


OOOK Do that sounds smart? I mean maybe it's true but what if you watch TV at night. Some people never turn off their receiver, so how in the middle of the night........ It just makes no sense. We are talking GB... so they are going to send you movies in the middle of the night? Just sounds a bit stupid. :nono: I'll just wait until I find out further news or experience it my self because that story you cooking me smells fishy.


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## Guest (Dec 24, 2004)

Future DVRs will not take away the ability to fast-forward through commercials. Doing so would cause people to stop buying these devices or to switch providers. There is always a way around something like that - some people are using media center PCs with third-party software that can do all sorts of things that even Tivo can't do. My WinTV card, for example, has PVR functionality, including fast-forwarding and a 30-second skip. If DirecTV decided to do away with these features, I could easily override that by using my TV card and PC.

While it is possible DTV won't include the 30-second skip on future models, most people aren't using it, anyway. I have it enabled on my DVR, but not for the purpose of skipping commercials. I do fast-forward, but skipping the commercials completely means I might miss something I want to see (e.g., a promo for an upcoming program). I use the 30-second skip mainly when I want to watch a football game but I don't have three hours to spend watching it. The time between plays almost always runs just over 30 seconds, so I can quickly go through a game and still see every play. 

If the media companies want to stop people from skipping commercials, they need to include content in the commercial breaks that people won't want to miss. Instead of adjusting their business model to adapt to new technologies, they focus their efforts on trying to find ways to get the technology disabled or outlawed. 

As to VOD, I really don't think it is going to be as big as the cables companies think it will be, but who knows? With a DVR, I already have something that is similar to VOD. As a result, I rarely watch live TV. 

On the other hand, if they are planning a video-on-demand service that offers commercial-free programs that don't have on-screen logos, banners, animated promos with sound effects, and informational messages such as storm warnings (I won't mention Amber Alert messages, since I was flamed in one of the other forums for complaining about that), then I would definitely be interested. In fact, I would be willing to pay extra for that type of hassle-free programming.


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## stevesmall (Jul 28, 2004)

mini1 said:


> "He adds that his system "will be less expensive for DirecTV" than TiVo and that the savings could be passed to consumers."
> This is good! What will the monthly cost go down to $4 or $3 per month? If it did then DirecTV would have the lowest cost per month DVR on the market.
> Will DirecTV still be offering Tivo? or it will go the way of UltimateTV?


 :lol: if any of you think the savings will be passed on to customers you are dreaming. they give us these new technologies to increase cashflow and bring in new customers. ill be happy with a price stabilization.


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## ds650 (Nov 27, 2004)

stop it, you're scaring me...

All these Tivo mods are interesting, but my Tivo is just 1 day old & I can't bring myself to tinker...yet.


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## Bogy (Mar 23, 2002)

I have had VOD available for most of 2004 through Cox Omaha. I've had my Motorola DVR since the middle of August. I really didn't use VOD much even before I had the DVR, but now I don't see any use for it at all. The whole idea of VOD is that you can watch programming "on demand". This is also the concept of a DVR. Also to take into consideration is that there is a charge involved in using the VOD. Since I am already paying for the DVR service I see no need to incur further charges for something I can already do. My own opinion is that VOD was a stopgap for cable until they could roll out their DVRs. For those who don't upgrade to DVRs it will continue to be an option. But DBS does not have the bandwidth to deliver VOD "on demand". It would have to be as mentioned earlier, sent during non-peek periods to a hard drive. Since you already have the hard drive you have a DVR. The ONLY reason I can see where VOD has a real future is through access to a large library of movies. I now have this access, with a charge, but there is enough out there on the channels and premium channels to watch that I am already paying for that I don't have time to watch that I have never used the service. 

Since I may be going back to DirecTV in the near future the news of a new DVR is encouraging, since I am now hooked, but VOD means nothing to me. I just hope the new box is as good as my Motorola DCT4000 and doesn't cost a fortune.


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