UPDATED 20 May NYC Home Ent Show:Voom at CES was best display/information of the show

[Sean Mota]

Can the server use the tuners in a client box to make recordings?

I think it works the other way around. The clients are using the server tuners and then from the clients you can watch one of the tuners or a pre-recorder program. I believe that you can also record from the client to the server. Also, you may add another DVR to double the capacity in your network. I do not know if by adding another DVR then you will 4 satellite tuners and 4 OTA tuners available to all clients. I could be but I am not sure.

 

[squicken]

Interested. I imagine you could do that but will have to wait until it comes out to see how it works and how much it will. I heard nothing about pricing but I heard about the possibility of leasing. Nothing concrete. My own opinion is that they still have some way to go in delivering this product. Not that I saw bugs but there were features that were not active yet or not even in the demo.

The reason I don't think there's going to be leasing is no one else has done it before. Voom will have to process every returned DVR. Cleaning out the hard disk, etc. It will cost alot more than a STB inspection. It's more likely they sell it at a low rate but require a committment.

 

[Sean Mota]

The reason I don't think there's going to be leasing is no one else has done it before. Voom will have to process every returned DVR. Cleaning out the hard disk, etc. It will cost alot more than a STB inspection. It's more likely they sell it at a low rate but require a committment.

Cleaning the Hard Drives is not difficult. It can be done with one command -- Format and then download the software. Yes, but remember no DBS provider was leasing HDTV boxes until VOOM started. Now E* has followed in their footsteps.

 

[squicken]

I hope I'm wrong. This may be a dumb question, but doesn't a hard drive wear?What's your guess Sean, as far as pricing?

 

[Sean Mota]

I hope I'm wrong. This may be a dumb question, but doesn't a hard drive wear?What's your guess Sean, as far as pricing?

The market of the 921 and the HDTIVO will dictate it. VOOM will probably go lower than both.

 

[rudolpht]

Wow, kinda dissapointing. I was hoping for something similiar to Tivo's 'Season Pass' and 'Suggestions'.

It would get pretty legal pretty quick with those patents. Maybe Voom should patent play any source in any room, including multiple HD streams and pause and move capability

 

[rudolpht]

Can the server use the tuners in a client box to make recordings?

The small clients will only connect up pictures & music in the future, but more importantly route video from a DVR or existing STB to a TV. The DVR or existing STBs can be considered "servers" in a loose construct, live or recorded from DVR or live from existing STBs.

Getting around multiple head units would be great, but I would assume you would ultimately want as many Sat tuners as concurrently used end item video devices (unless you have better "negotiation" tactics in your house )

 

[slffl]

It would get pretty legal pretty quick with those patents. Maybe Voom should patent play any source in any room, including multiple HD streams and pause and move capability

I don't see how 'Season Pass' can be patented. I can see the name being trademarked, but not the function. It's like patenting the 'search' feature. If there is a patent on 'Season Pass' in which no one else can have a feature that records all episodes of a program, then something is wrong with the patent system.

 

[squicken]

I don't see how 'Season Pass' can be patented. I can see the name being trademarked, but not the function. It's like patenting the 'search' feature. If there is a patent on 'Season Pass' in which no one else can have a feature that records all episodes of a program, then something is wrong with the patent system.

You mean the American legal system is flawed? When did this happen?

 

[vinnyv07]

I went to the NYC Ent Show on Sat and was impressed with the VOOM room. As you saw earlier in the thread by Sean's pictures , they had TV screens set up with almost every HD ch going. When I was there they had each tv set labled with what ch it was ...I found it intersting that they did not have ESPNHD labled...just ESPN. But of course ESPN wasnt showing HD at the time.
I found the new technology that they are working on very interesting, but it's also going to be very expensive. I asked one Voom rep that was there about pricing....and he said $1,000. Then I asked another VOOM rep that was actually near the new receiver , how much, and he said they really cant comment on pricing right now.
What I got out of the whole deal is that you have four inputs in the back of the receiver which allows that receiver to record four different programs. Then the smaller clients that are working off the main receiver can only view one recording at a time. If I wanted to watch a hockey game that I recorded in the main room and my wife wanted to watch something that she recorded in the bedroom, we couldnt do that. I can watch a recording in one room and she can watch a reg broadcast in the other....but you cant watch 2 recordings at once in different rooms. But, if anyone has any other information that might prove me wrong on that please let us all know.
I was a little depressed about the pricing that one voom rep told me...but then I realized that no one really knows yet. But, how much can you expect to pay for an HD hard drive recorder that has the ability to record four shows at once and that can hold 30 to 40 hrs of HD material? ALOT. When this thing first comes out, which I heard JUly, its going to be expensive. Just my take on it. Also, they are shooting for sometime next year for the smaller clients to arrive.

 

[kawdog]

I called Voom last week and signed up for them to install three receivers (all leased), while I was on the phone I specifically asked about if they released a recorder would I be able to switch it out with one of the regular receivers I will have. I know the CSR's probably don't know anything but she kept repeating that I would be able to upgrade to any new hardware at no cost under the lease program. I don't see why you can't lease it, I leased a receiver from Dish Network that could record live TV, then when I cancelled sent it back to them. I guess it is one of those things we will have to wait and see. Thanks for all the info and for this great forum.

kaw

 

[LOBO2999]

They have been telling alot of us that are leasing the same thing so like you said we will have to wait and see.

 

[vinnyv07]

I just feel that this receiver is far and above the technology that we are using right now. If there is a leasing plan I think we could all agree that it would be way more then 10 bucks a month. For this thing to handle 30 to 40 hrs of HD material...it must come with a huge amount of HD space. I was impressed ...but couldnt help but think of the cost factor. I hope its available for lease .....because I want one already.

 

[ChetK]

I'd buy it for $1,000 if it holds 30 to 40 hours of HD. That's the same price as the D* HDTivo that holds less than half that amount.

Of course, I'd want to know how much the client machines are going to cost too.

I'd probably purchase their new DVR one or two months after its release. I don't like to be on the bleeding edge. I don't mind being on the edge, I just don't like the bleeding part.

There are a couple of things I need before purchasing a DVR that might break the deal for me:

• Name Based Recording
• An AWESOME user interface

From what I understand, Tivo has both, but Tivo doesn't make a stand alone HD recorder. It's all D*. And who would want to deal with having so little HD? :yikes :haha

 

[vinnyv07]

Whole House High Definition DVR From VOOM

Talk about exciting!!! Not only a DVR, but a DVR that will record up to four different programs at once. A DVR that acts as a server for other smaller clients around your home. Below are some excerpts from VOOM's handout from the HE show in NY.

" Imagine being able to have digital video recording capabilities like fast forward, rewind, skip, and more. In every room of your house. Imagine being able to move a program from one room to the next and resume watching it at the exact scene you left off."
Very cool stuff. Im just hoping that VOOM lowers the price down for a person like me could afford it. One Voom rep told me that the Set top Server would not be available until JUly of this year. A price has not been determined as of yet, but another Rep at the show told me $1,000. But its anyones guess at this point. The thin clients that you would put around your home will not be available until 2005.
Whats cool about the clients is that you could hook one up to your PC and record a show to your HD of your computer and then burn to DVD. Which is kind of cool....but the only thing is that HD takes up alot of space...much more than a single layer DVD can hold. I was also told that you would be the option to go wireless from the set top receiver to the client. I myself do not like that idea....I rather have a wire that runs from the server to the client. Really this is alot to think about and it makes it all the better to be a VOOM subscriber with all this great technology floating around us.
I wanted to throw out a question .....what would the best offer for this system that VOOM could come up with? What will you be willing to spend on the set top server? What would be too much? $1,000 would be beyond what would be affordable for me. I would much rather see a continuation of a leasing program of some sort. Any ideas of what VOOM can offer us?

 

[ZeitGeist]

I'm much more interested in a leasing option than I am for buying. Maybe I'm being silly but I would feel more comfortable buying the more mature technology of the DirectTV HDTivo (specifically the interface) than buying the relatively unproven Ucentric/Motorola DVR. If the DVR is too expensive or can't be leased I would probably end up crawling back to Direct and keeping Voom as a supplement. Or I could go cable - Comcast cable will lease me a 6208 which might not be as feature rich but it's 10 bucks a month. If something better comes along, I switch it out. If something earth shattering comes along, then I can buy it later when it cost 500 dollars instead of 1000.

 

[FunkyBoss]

Hmmmm, those reps don't seem to know very much about it at all. July release time... I really doubt it will be ready by then. Everything else I have heard says fall timeframe. Ability to record to a PC... no way they'll allow that!

 

[The Stone Man]

There is a 5 page thread, and a lot of posts regarding the DVR. Sean has posted pictures of it, and there is quite a bit of information at http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=4399.

 

[snathanb]

Cleaning the Hard Drives is not difficult. It can be done with one command -- Format and then download the software. Yes, but remember no DBS provider was leasing HDTV boxes until VOOM started. Now E* has followed in their footsteps.

Followed in their footsteps how? I believe I got my 811 on the DHA plan before Voom started leasing their STB. I could be wrong, but that's the way I remember it. I think that's why I went with E* at the time, it was till very expensive to go with VOOM.

Then again, I could be misremembering.

 

[madpoet]

Sounds nice. All I can say is that if they give leasers a free upgrade, they darn well better do the same for us purchasers or I will be screaming from here to hell and back