BREAKING VOOM DVR News from CES!!!

Ok, since there was some initial controversy based on early reports from CES, let's set the record straight. Based on what Scott, Don, jagouar and rudolpht have reported:

1. The new DSR-580 DVR has been officially announced at CES-2005.
2. The DSR-580 was on display (perhaps not on the first day when Scott was there)
3. VOOM reps were demonstrating the DVR and its features.
4. The demonstrations were run from real DSR-580, not from a PC as at previous shows.
5. The release target is now set ("expected") in March 2005
Here are some pictures of the DVR that I have just received directly from VOOM:
 

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Quick question, I know I must be missing something incredibly simple here, but. I keep reading (and hearing in the video) the DVR can be 'networked' with the STB and vice versa. Where are the network connections? All I see is USB, is that what we're to use?
 
I just took a look at the pictures of the front of DVR and was wondering about the hearts....I just got a laptop with AOL already installed and for their favorites it's little red hearts. Could VOOM have got backing from AOL/Time Warner...or a possible partnership??
 
B.Greenway said:
Quick question, I know I must be missing something incredibly simple here, but. I keep reading (and hearing in the video) the DVR can be 'networked' with the STB and vice versa. Where are the network connections? All I see is USB, is that what we're to use?
Yes How??? theres no way i can run another rg6 to my living room HD set due to the vaulted ceiling. (I dont want cable run outside and poke through a wall). The DVR will have to go in a room with an SD set and attic crawl space above so that I can run another rg6 to it. But how are the two connected? and the client stb remote "operates this thing?" remotely from another room? This thing badly needs ethernet 100mbps
 
Hmmm. I have a separate Sat and OTA RG-6 run to each receiver. In my case, I ran an extra RG-6 from the multiswitch to where I'll place the DVR and I'll just split the OTA so the quad-tuner should work as advertized. Ok, so (as in Vurbano's case) what if you simply can't run another coax. Can we assume the DVR will still function, but only record 1 Sat and 1 OTA event? Also, will VOOM be providing a special diplexer/quadplexer for the DSR580...and will it be available in March?

Last, but certainly not least, will the DVR use my plain ole multiswitch or will it require some sort of networkable device to display video to other STBs when the Whole Home Networking feature is enabled? Moderators: VOOM should gladly provide you with this information since they plan to release the DVR in about March. Information please... :)
 
Here's a few differences:

1) Voom said repeatedly that the DVR WOULD ship in Mar. That was declaritive. Did they say for me, did they say to every current customer, did they say for which single customer? No, but the basic milestone words were not minced.

2) Echostar promised the 921 for months on end. They promised a baseline feature set. They delivered crap and broke promises, so I'm more jaded about vendors claims than many. You ask Voom about Firewire, they say nahhh. This is much more refreshing than yes, spend $1K, then "just kidding."

If you you walked through the feature set with the Ucentric and the exact state of each feature in terms of completion, what remained "seemed" very executable. They were very open (but so were the British crowd that did the 921, at least initially).

So bottom line I have high confidence that I'm getting a Voom DVR this spring or that Voom is going out of business on 28 Feb.

Tim
 
Richard Fuller said:
I just took a look at the pictures of the front of DVR and was wondering about the hearts...
From what I was told, the heart icon means a recording is in progress. Two hearts means two recordings in parallel.
I just got a laptop with AOL already installed and for their favorites it's little red hearts. Could VOOM have got backing from AOL/Time Warner...or a possible partnership??
Wow! What a stretch! :)
No, I don't think there is any connection here. The hearts were shown on VOOM's web sites for many months now and were designed by Moto long-long ago, I would think... :D
 
Hey Tim, did you take any pictures?
 
actually there is a playroom with attic space over it with a voom reciever in it. additional coax could be run to that room from the dish for the DVR to replace that reciever. But then what. how do you connect the other receiver to it?.
 
Ilya said:
Ok, since there was some initial controversy based on early reports from CES, let's set the record straight. Based on what Scott, Don, jagouar and rudolpht have reported:

1. The new DSR-580 DVR has been officially announced at CES-2005.


Official announcements are through a press release/press conference. Was there one?
 
Sorry about dragging up this subject... but it shouldn't be swept under the carpet so easily imo.

jnardone said:
Sean:
the press release from VOOM didn't say the DVR "may" be released by Summer. It said it was "expected" as in:

"The latest advancement from Rainbow DBS will be the rollout of its VOOM HD Home Media Network, expected this summer" (VOOM press release from CES 2004)

Many people wouldn't consider VOOM's language to be as ambiguous you want it to have been and you don't do much for SatGuys credibility when you try to revise VOOM's own statements.

Sean Mota said:
Expect, may, might... whatever the language is and how you interpret it... the only thing I am saying is that this is the only known fact that everyone knew... Nothing else nothing more... everything else was speculative language and anyone understood it to be a fact... well, that person did not understand...


"Expect" and "May" mean two different things to me....so put me down as the 2nd person that didn't understand Sean's revision of VOOM's statement.
So c'mon SatGuys let's get the wording as accurate as possible.
 
jnardone said:
Official announcements are through a press release/press conference. Was there one?

I haven't seen one either.
VOOM's website doesn't have it.
Did VOOM reps just stand around at their booth all weekend and twiddle their thumbs?
So is all this talk of March 2005 for their DVR really just speculation???
 
Guys at CES, thanks for the video and the pix.

Not only has the DVR been "announced" as Ilya says, but the Voom rep in the video also "announced" point blank there will be 70 more HD channels in March. Any ideas what the new HD channels will be??

Looks like iBeVuMin for a long time to come! :D
 
1080iBeVuMin said:
Not only has the DVR been "announced" as Ilya says, but the Voom rep in the video also "announced" point blank there will be 70 more HD channels in March. Any ideas what the new HD channels will be??

I hope someone thought to get names of these glorified "CSR"s at the VOOM booth just in case... :D
 
I have to correct what I posted above after watching the video again...

The Voom rep "announced" there will be a TOTAL OF 70 HD CHANNELS on Voom starting in March, not 70 new HD channels. Anybody have a clue what the 30 new HD channels could be??

Could the new HD channels be new HD versions of IFC, AMC, TCM, Weather channel, SciFi...??

How about an HD version of C-SPAN! !sadroll

Do you think any of the 30 new HD channels could be new Voom exclusives? Any speculations??
 
voomster2 said:
I hope someone thought to get names of these glorified "CSR"s at the VOOM booth just in case... :D
FYI: Some of these "CSR"s were actually VP's, as far as I know ;)

Guys, perhaps Scott and others who were actually there, can give you better answers, but keep in mind that CES is a huge show. Thousands of exhibitors, hundreds of thousands of products! Not each product gets a press conference or a press release. Most new products are announced on the show floor. I am not saying that the DVR does not deserve a press conference (I too expect a bigger splash!) But just because there was no separate PR, doesn't mean the product wasn't announced. VOOM had the product at the booth, was making demonstrations of it all the time, had product brochures and specs. Some of these Scott will post as soon as he gets back home. Stay tuned... More info to come!
 
I think if some want to debate word meaning they should go have an english discussion over at AVS. just my .02 cents