CEDIA-2004: VOOM

[Ilya]

Cedia-2004: Voom - Day One

Well, it took me more than 5 hours of driving, but I finally made it to Indianapolis and caught the last 2-3 hours of Day One of the Show. Here are my first impressions from the VOOM's booth.

So far, no real surprises. The main focus of the display is on multi-room home network, distributed video/audio streaming and client-server approach. As at previous shows, thin clients are operational, but the Moto 580 DVR is not displayed. Ucentric software is demoed on a personal computer (running Unix, I think), not a real DVR/server. Tomorrow I am meeting with a Ucentric representative. I'll try to get some details.

VOOM gets a lot of attention: the booth is crowded and several VOOM reps are present there all the time: primarily sales and marketing people. I talked to several of them, trying to get any info or at least some rumors about DVR release dates, etc. And that's exactly what I've got: RUMORS!

They range from as early as November (I think Scott even heard October!) to as late as the first quarter of 2005... My impression is that no one really knows. Looks like VOOM is pushing very hard and trying to release it before the Holidays, but whether this really happens or not will depend on too many things...

A lot of talks about MPEG-4 upgrade. Some even say that MPEG-4, might be released this year, even before the second satellite goes live, which by the way, is not expected until next year. Again, just speculations. No official word yet.

There are a lot of other interesting things at the show. Since many of us are using Harmony remotes, I am reporting about two new remotes just announced by Logitech: Harmony 676 and 680.

More updates tomorrow...

Continue here: CEDIA-2004: VOOM - Day Two​

 

[Dvlos]

Ilya, print out some of the heavily debated threads on SatGuys, make copies, and drop it off for the Voom Sales & Marketing Guys. Thanks for update! Keep hounding them for DVR info, and ask what's the delay, what are they working on, are there samble PG DVR screens there?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I also met with the VOOM guys yesterday and there is no reason really to print anything out, as they really do read most everything posted here at SatelliteGuys in our VOOM forum.

Today Ilya and I will be heading back to meet with VOOM and we will be shooting some video so hopefully we can give you guys a video demonstration of the VOOM Multiroom DVR.

 

[Dvlos]

Ok, I just got my 24" dish upgraded (no Voom logo on it, what the heck?) this tech guy I had was certified, and a blast to talk too, he was very HD and Voom knowledgeable... when I asked him how Voom's doing in here in S. Florida... he said it's doing "much better" he said all the problems and service calls are good for his business but the trend of deinstalls has halted and he's getting installs again. He said he likes the new firmware it gives him less issues, .. then he tells me:

Voom just called them this week and wants them to send back STBs, and give them a total stock count on equipment. He said my 24" dish will probably be the last few done in a short while. I asked how come, he said they told him and his boss that Voom is coming out with new killer equipment that should really put them on the map (I think DVR)..he said it's Voom's DVR.

I said yeah, that's the rumor, but everything I've read about it seems to put it at months away, like November. He's like "well their revealing it this week at a show" (CEDIA!) "my boss is up there now, he's getting as much info on it as he can, we are supposed to be getting information on how it works, installation, etc. as Voom expects to be pushing this out as soon as they can, November seems a bit far away what we think."

He also went on to say all the things we have been talking about here, the dual tuning, the whole house networked solution, how you can record on the DVR and playback on another TV, how you can export to PC, new program guide menus. I asked him if he's heard about pricing, he said he didn't hear specifics, but that whatever it is they get the "impression" it's aimed at "destroying Dish, DirectTV, and ComCAst's" DVR offerings in terms of cost, features, and reliability. John also said it was going to be today, Saturday, that the DVR would be fully unveiled at the show.

I almost pee'd in my Miami Dolphins sweatpants. Here's hoping "John" my tech guy today, is 100% correct. Every other tech I have talked to didn't know anything about the new satellite, new firmware (at the time 6.1 was rolling out), DVR, etc... this guy's answers were instant, not "um this" or "I guess that"... pretty interesting.

Also, my Sat Signal is 95-97, this morning it was 95 because I have cloud cover, after the dish install it went to 98, I can't wait for it to rain now just to see how the new dish does.

PS- Ilya and Scott take of picture of yourselves dry-humping the sides of the DVR if they do unveil it.

 

[Dvlos]

... is no reason really to print anything out, as they really do read most everything posted here at SatelliteGuys in our VOOM forum...

Very, very, encouraging news Scott, at least all the talking and comments that go on here aren't a waste!

 

[wase4711]

PS- Ilya and Scott take of picture of yourselves dry-humping the sides of the DVR if they do unveil it.

Let me be the first to say I will pay big $$$ to see those pix!!!

 

[HeavyC]

Can you get some info about the RSN's? For the love of God man!!

 

[andrzej]

Let me be the first to say I will pay big $$$ to see those pix!!!

Scott is here: http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=28141, and it is free!.

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

PS- Ilya and Scott take of picture of yourselves dry-humping the sides of the DVR if they do unveil it.

I second that, and I sure hope "John" does know what he's talking about. Great post.

 

[wase4711]

Scott is here: http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=28141, and it is free!.

Didn't see any "humping" here, either wet or dry....

 

[Ilya]

Ilya and Scott take of picture of yourselves dry-humping the sides of the DVR if they do unveil it.

Sure we will!
Sorry guys! No DVR. Don't hold your breath. It's not going to happen overnight...
We took some new pictures and even taped a demonstration of the Ucentric solution though. We will post them once we get back.
We've made some new contacts had a lot of interesting conversations. I hope this will be very helpful to this forum in the long run.

Ilya (postintg from the Show floor).

 

[riffjim4069]

Sorry guys! No DVR...We've made some new contacts had a lot of interesting conversations.

No DVR! Can you ask your contacts if they are going to reneg on their anti-firewire policy. I can't speak for everyone, but I sure want firewire enabled ports on the DVR.

 

[Dvlos]

Maybe "John" confused a Ucentric demo with "an unveiled" DVR?

 

[Ilya]

Can you ask your contacts if they are going to reneg on their anti-firewire policy. I can't speak for everyone, but I sure want firewire enabled ports on the DVR.

Yes, we talked about FireWire. It's still being discussed, but at this point they are not planning to have it. Technically this is easy to do, but they are concerned about content protection.
Again, these are primarily sales people, and they are not necessarily up-to-date on this.

I'll be posting more CEDIA pictures soon...

 

[Ilya]

Just a few more minutes...

 

[Ilya]

CEDIA-2004: VOOM - Day Two

On Day Two we took a closer look at the VOOM-Ucentric home network solution. The setup consisted of several TV monitors. I believe three of them were actually networked: one HD and two SD. Two Ucentric thin-client boxes were SD only. They were connected to SD sets. As I already mentioned, the Moto 580 (DVR) box was not displayed. A regular 550 STB was displayed instead and used as an IR repeater for demonstration purposes. A personal computer (running Linux) was hidden behind the display and was used as a functional DVR/server. Even though this was not exactly the setup we were hoping for, it was still interesting to see the DVR software in action and review some of its features.

Ken from Ucentric did a detailed demonstration for us. Scott has recorded it on his camcorder and is going to post it here soon.

As you probably already know, the VOOM/Ucentric solution will consist of one or more DVRs (servers) and multiple client set-top boxes that can be installed throughout the house. The server(s) will be connected to the dish and to the OTA antenna and will have 4 HD tuners: 2 satellite and 2 OTA, as well as a hard drive for DVR functionality. Several video and audio streams (up to 4 HD streams simultaneously) can be passed to all clients on your home network. The network is supposed to be a standard (CAT5) TCP/IP Ethernet, though it might be possible to use a coax cable instead. A wireless option is being considered too.

You can easily control the entire system from any client STB. For example, you can pause a show in one room and then resume it in another room:

In a similar way you can re-route an audio stream, and send it, say, to your audio system instead of the TV set. Very cool!

Not sure if this will be initially supported by VOOM, but Ucentric's software allows you to playback MP3 music files and display photos from a personal computer connected to the same network.

The DVR can record movies and programs selected not just by time and channel, but also by title, including TV series.

You can select whether a specific recording should be kept, or whether it can be over-written if needed. You can also add additional minutes before and after the show, just in case.

The program demonstration included on-screen Caller ID display...

... and even voice-mail features. However, it is not clear yet, whether Caller ID and Voice Mail functionality will be actually supported in the released DVR. This is a hardware question, more than software.

We talked to several VOOM representatives about what they think in regards to the announced HD plans from DirectTV. Surprisingly, they didn't seem to be very concerned about that. In fact, they were saying, that it is actually good that DirectTV is at last taking HD seriously: this should result in more HD content and wider HD acceptance. Good for the industry and good for VOOM, as the HD leader. The number of satellites and transponders is not the main concern (we were told VOOM can launch or lease more satellites in a matter of months if and when this becomes a limiting factor). What is much more important, is the HD content availability and the acceptance of the HD format in general, and big companies like DirectTV can actually help VOOM with that...

Although we were somewhat disapointed with the absence of any new announcements from VOOM, we have established new contacts with VOOM executives and brought their attention to our forum and issues being discussed here. We look forward to a tighter relationship between VOOM and SatelliteGuys which should be benefitial to this forum, to VOOM itself and to all VOOM customers.

 

[Sean Mota]

"The DVR can record movies and programs selected not just by time and channel, but also by title, including TV series."

Ilya,

I love the above. Does it work like Tivo's season pass where the DVR will record the Series. Details if you have any. This nice if it can do this.

 

[Ilya]

Does it work like Tivo's season pass where the DVR will record the Series. Details if you have any. This nice if it can do this.

I don't have Tivo, so can't comment. The way I understand it, you simply select the show from the list, and then select whether to record once or to record series (see the Program Info screen above).

 

[dtsfanohio]

Perhaps I missed it but did you get a "firm" DVR launch date/time frame out of anyone at the Voom or Ucentric booth ?

 

[Sean Mota]

I don't have Tivo, so can't comment. The way I understand it, you simply select the show from the list, and then select whether to record once or to record series (see the Program Info screen above).

Do you know what happens if you click record series? Does not another screens come up or does it mean that it will record the series from the point you click on record series. What happens when the series ends, does it keep recording the series?