Modular Home Network PVR at CeBIT 81
Mackus Daddius writes "This ought to give the MPAA a conniption:
'The Lancaster system is modular, consisting of a TV tuner (analogue or digital), a hard disk module and an interface module that ties the system together and connects to your TV. The modules are connected using standard Ethernet connections, giving you flexibility over where the modules are placed and used. Multiple storage and interface modules can be used, increasing the capacity of the system and allowing multiple TVs to be used for watching programmes.'
From the ZDNet UK article and here's an
article with pics."
Does it speak TCP/IP? (Score:5, Insightful)
From what I can tell, it uses standard TCP/IP.... (Score:2)
Kjella
Re:Does it speak TCP/IP? (Score:1)
since that is what will determin if it messes your network os not. as long as thay stick to ethernet, you are probably safe.
(However there are no guranties about leaving any bandwidth for your other uses)
I would assume the answer is, that the cheapest way to add networking capabilities to a device is to use off-the-shelf componants (probably one of the cheap realteck controllers) - which would mean that they will respect the ethernet protocol.
Re:Does it speak TCP/IP? (Score:2)
Re:Does it speak TCP/IP? (Score:5, Interesting)
And I did it all for way cheaper then the current manufactures are selling their Windwos Media Center PCs. Can you believe they want 2,000 or more for some models.
Re:Does it speak TCP/IP? (Score:2)
It seems most likely to me that somewhere 'twixt the Xbox OS (Based on Windows 9x?) and Windows XP Media Center edition lies the OS which will run on the next xbox. In the meantime I still think there's room for an Xbox 1 PVR edition.
Re:Does it speak TCP/IP? (Score:2)
Not by a long shot. It's a stripped version of NT 5.0 (Windows 2000)
Re:Does it speak TCP/IP? (Score:2)
Re:Does it speak TCP/IP? (Score:1)
Any tips from your experience?
Re:Does it speak TCP/IP? (Score:3, Insightful)
After all, how many of us are using routers to subdivide our home network??
Oh, I forgot this is
Re:Does it speak TCP/IP? (Score:1)
modular, but not COTS ... (Score:5, Interesting)
- the storage format was non-proprietary and not crippled (can anyone even tell from these releases what storage format they're using?)
- there were some high-speed ports (firewire / USB2) that would work with currently available external hard drives. On sale, it's not unreasonable to find firewire external drives in the range of a dollar per gigabyte; considering that this comes with an 80 gig drive, that would be a good upgrade.Ethernet connection is nice -- but only if that actually allows access, and isn't just a friendly-looking port
- Better yet (though more unlikely) built in software for archiving via an external CD burner.
I picture instead that they'd like you to buy ever more boxes that say "Lancaster" on the side if you need more storage. I'd love to be wrong about that!
timothy
Nice, but TOO expensive... (Score:5, Informative)
The simplest system would be just the receiver and TV interface, for $800. Timeshifting would be enabled for $1200.
One can build the same system with a Hauppage PVR card (hardware MPEG encoder) for $400 (w/o software). It wouldn't be as quiet or small, but you could get the same modularity with multiple systems. Since it has hardware mpeg encoding, a cheap fanless system, such as the Via epox boards, should be able to handle one card and hard drive, and still be able to decode one stream at the same time. This would be about the same saize as all the modules put together, in one quiet, cheap box.
-Adam
Re:Nice, but TOO expensive... (Score:1)
Re:Hauppage == junk. (Score:5, Informative)
I would not characterize it as a solid piece of software, but restarting the app is all that's needed when it starts recording with no one logged in. It records fine if you leave it alone, but when you log in while it's recording it slows to 10-20 frames per second. This is an issue a few times a month, so not a big deal. I suspect it's related to winxp, since the software isn't a service and has to log in as the user.
The only other issue is that once in awhile the mpeg shows coding artifacts (small flipped chunks occasionally show up). This requires a reboot. I haven't spent the time figuring out how to duplicate it, as it only happens once a month or less.
Considering the bad experiences I've had with the ATI all in wonder cards, this is a dream. All my shows are recorded, and I can take them with my on my laptop or save them to my server for later consumption.
YMMV.
-Adam
Re:Hauppage == junk. (Score:2, Interesting)
That's an MSWin problem, not the card.
With the (still in alpha) open source linux driver, a capture(cat /dev/video0 > file.mpg) takes 2% cpu on my PIII/450.
Re:Nice, but TOO expensive... (Score:2)
some clarification (Score:2, Insightful)
and while the WinTV-PVR's do have their problems, most of them are because of Hauppage's software... even for the PVR-250, you can get better software out there then what Hauppage uses.
for example, you can get SageTV [freytechnologies.com].
personally, i think the best alternative to this would be a R
Re:Nice, but TOO expensive... (Score:1)
Thankfully, there's a project (ivtv) which is writing a clean-room open source driver for the PVR-[23]50. It still relies on the Hauppauge firmware binaries to be uploaded to the card, but as they're external to the modules and extracted from the Windows driver, there's
Excellent! (Score:5, Interesting)
Another alternative : MythTV is free and open (Score:5, Informative)
See the mythv web page for more info on what it can do.
Re:Another alternative : MythTV is free and open (Score:1, Redundant)
Re:Another alternative : MythTV is free and open (Score:2)
For Slashdot crowd however an open and free system like mythTV is generally more attractive still, as it offers unlimited tweaking and enhancement potential.
Re:Another alternative : MythTV is free and open (Score:2)
You be surprised then. A lot of tech companies seem to think that the exchange rate is about US$1=£1.
For examplce, pricewatch.com tells me you can get a P4 1.5GHz for $110, while pricewatch.co.uk says £103.40 (ex. VAT, actual retail price is that +17.5%) which is $164.82 at current exchance rates (xe.com currency converter.)
Re:Another alternative : MythTV is free and open (Score:2)
Re:Another alternative : MythTV is free and open (Score:2)
http://www.aopen.com/products/housing/A340-series
Seems to handle 1 AGP and 4 PCI. Looks good too.
Re:Another alternative : MythTV is free and open (Score:1)
The Lancaster? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The Lancaster? (Score:1)
Boring! (Score:3, Interesting)
Show me the URL (Score:2)
Dont you hate it when someone posts a URL that doesn't have information on the subject matter.
So where is the information buried on your PVR?
Can you provide a more specific URL?
Re:Show me the URL (Score:1)
Already been done (Score:1)
Add'l Lancaster Info (Score:2, Informative)
TerraTec Electronic Offers a Glimpse of Tomorrow at CeBIT Today
Lancaster: Networked Entertainment for Every Home
The magic formula for intelligent home entertainment equipment reads versatility, mobility, and an extensive array of features and functions designed for maximum ease of use. The Nettetal-based multimedia vendor TerraTec Electronic is set to reveal the secret to total entertainment at this year's CeBIT - a multimedia video TV server so
Re:Is it real or is it vapor ware (Score:2, Interesting)
That said, I think it will be a good product when it is finally out. I hope it has good file sharing ( NFS? SMB? autoconfig?)
DivX ;-)??? (Score:2)
If this box is capable of doing this it just may be the PVR of choice for me, when I get enough money.
Re:DivX ;-)??? (Score:2)
Just get a Sony ethernet adapter for it. And this software [broadq.com] ($$$). Granted, it won't record shows, but it will play your divx, mpg, mp3, etc.
ReplayTV has been able to do this since the 4000 (Score:5, Informative)
Re:ReplayTV has been able to do this since the 400 (Score:2)
Replay doesn't have everything this does (Score:2, Insightful)
Yes Replay can do most of what the Lancaster can, and better in some cases, the Lancaster is built with the future in mind. A cheap, consumer future.
Each Replay has it's own hard drive, it's own tuner, it's own EVERYTHING. All of this is extra hardware past a certain point. A modular system is just flat out more flexible and SHOULD become cheaper with time. Right now the Lancaster is FAR too expensive but has potential to become far cheaper in the end.
Re:ReplayTV has been able to do this since the 400 (Score:1)
Monthly fee for as long as I want to use the device? Done.
Offloading (Score:2)
Rus
This is the future (Score:4, Insightful)
Of course, this does not stop you from purchasing an all-in-one "black box", but it certainly sets the benchmark of functionality that you can expect.
Contrast this with the MPAA/RIAA/Microsoft view: An "entertainment console" with pervasive DRM, encrypted and incompatible connections between different components, functionality fixed by the manufacturer and not expandable (except perhaps by buying components from the same manufacturer, protected by encryption from compatibility with equipment from another manufacturer).
Given a free market, which product do you think would be most successful?
Coincidence? (Score:1)
Damn. I should've trademarked the name.
Why? (Score:1)
Re:Coincidence? (Score:1)
Sounds like ReplayTV but worse (Score:2)
There are lots of flaws with the ReplayTV system but it sounds better than this tripe. 4 different modules all complete computers. Sounds way too expensive to manufacture to be competitively priced and it doesn't sound all that convenient either. Who funds these people?
Looks like a PC? (Score:2)
Could someone please tell me how a Tivo, ReplayTV, UltimateTV, or any other PVR on the market looks more like a PC than an electronics consumer device???
Personally, I'm looking forward to the release of the Digeo Moxi [digeo.com]. This thing is a PVR with a lot of the functionality of this Lancaster product and more - a PVR, DVD player, MP3 jukebox, DOCSIS
other things at CeBIT (Score:4, Interesting)
Plextor is showing off a new 52x32x52x cd burner, a new DVD burner, and a new version of PlexTools, which apparnetly is due out in the US pretty soon, too! the new version of PlexTools has some pretty cool features, too, including the ability to password protect CD's, to burn 980mb on a 700mb cd (i don't really understand how this works, but oh well), and the ability to make plextor drivers more quiet? i dunno, but you can read about all this here [cdfreaks.com]
also, LiteOn is planning on releasing some new CD / DVD burners, as well as entering the standalone DVD player business. Nero is also showing off Nero 6, and an MPEG4 / AAC codec they have in development called Nero Digital. you can read about all this here [cdfreaks.com]
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even more things at CeBIT (Score:1)
I like it (Score:2)
Sure, the objections about the components being expensive, compared to PC-based equivalents, are noted. They apply strongest to the storage devices, which should really just be hard disks in servers somewhere at the home's headend.
The other devices are "living-room" stylish, and fit well in a media center. Well, maybe showed off a bit more, somewhat like my (rapidly aging) B&O Beosystem 5500.. The idea of a dedicated entertainment peripheral, capable of
Generic Home entertainment mass storage? (Score:4, Interesting)
Talk about convergence! Buy one huge RAID box, put it in your basement, and hook everything up to it through a home metwork. It would be more expensive at first, but if the electronics industry started making devices to take advantage of it, costs would go down (no more local storage), and the convenience would be amazing - watch your PVR movies on your PC transparently, listen to your MP3s on your living room stereo instead of PC speakers, store a library of movies without changing DVDs, and so on.
Obligatory link (Score:2)
Modular homes? (Score:4, Funny)
Oh, you mean a Modular, Home Network PVR?
That's different...
Nevermind.