Replay TV will be selling PC Software in a deal with Hauppauge

[DFranch]

I just saw this news item at Yahoo http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051218/...ia_replaytv_dc. This might be bad news for Sage.

[flavius]

If this was about TiVo, i'd read the article.

[Bohica]

This could be bad news for Sage... it is probably going to be some type of "lite" version of their software... but still not good to get in at the ground level of new hardware purchases... wonder if they approached sage for a similar deal??

[dbfresh23]

ReplayTV selling pc pvr software isn't really bad news for SageTV. It's not like they are another MS. Plus they are a few years behind SageTV, they've been designing pvr software for a highly customized linux distro, they probably wont catch up with the other pc pvr apps that quick. They'll probably get sold a few more times before they are worth worrying about!

It doesn't sound like it's going to be a lite version. The way that article made it sound, they will cease hardware sales/production and sell only software. I could have misunderstood it though.

[phenixdragon]

Originally Posted by Bohica

This could be bad news for Sage... it is probably going to be some type of "lite" version of their software... but still not good to get in at the ground level of new hardware purchases... wonder if they approached sage for a similar deal??

I think only the bundled software would be a "lite" version but it sonuds like (also listed at http://news.com.com/ReplayTV+to+laun...l?tag=nefd.top) that it is a full blown version of what is in their hardware now since they are going to announce they are stopping production of hardware.

[DFranch]

I agree I would be much more worried it it were TiVo selling their software, but I am a bit concerned that Hauppauge is involved.

[stanger89]

Replay selling their software on the PC isn't a bad thing (would be if Sage weren't better ).

However if you read the article, this is what could be "bad":

Hauppauge's WinTV-PVR tuner-encoder card, which lets PCs tune in and record live television, will be sold with ReplayTV software starting next year in North America.

Sage (and all PC PVRs really) main benefit is that they are way better than the software bundled with tuner cards, if something as prolific as the Hauppauge cards start coming with decent software, that could be trouble.

On a side note, this is a prime example of something Sage needs to work on, getting OEM/bundling deals. They've got great software, but aren't doing nearly as good getting it bundled with products, especially compared to BTV.

[mightyt]

Hmmm ... Wonder if Hauppauge will increase the price of their cards?? Or offer them unbundled??

[jquinlan]

Could/Would they be making an offer to buyout Hauppauge and/or SageTV or would they just license Sage software to add thier Pay TV Guide.

http://http://www.digitalnetworksna....ess.asp?ID=613

This article on ReplayTV site still talks about them controlling the feature set.

[stanger89]

I don't think it has anything to do with SageTV. It sounds like they're just porting their ReplayTV software (from the set top boxes) to the PC for use with hardware encoders.

On interesting thought I just had, I wonder if it will run on Windows or not? Replay was/is (IIRC) a Linux device, it will be interesting to see if they've gone the Windows app route, or if they've just ported/opened their whole OS and all.

[cmaffia]

I would imagine they are making this software for Windows environment as they are dropping the hardware to go with software... wouldn't make good business sense if it weren't Windows. The real question is if there will be a Linux version released. (not that I care). I will try this software when it comes out just out of curiosity.

Originally Posted by stanger89

I don't think it has anything to do with SageTV. It sounds like they're just porting their ReplayTV software (from the set top boxes) to the PC for use with hardware encoders.

On interesting thought I just had, I wonder if it will run on Windows or not? Replay was/is (IIRC) a Linux device, it will be interesting to see if they've gone the Windows app route, or if they've just ported/opened their whole OS and all.

[Fluffdaddy]

As an old RPTV fanboy. (I once had 5 5040 replaytv's with lifetime service) I would really consider going back home if they come out with PC software any time soon. Have to test it out first of course

[stanger89]

Yeah, I plan on trying it (if possible), if for nothing else than to see what I almost got. Long, long ago, when my WinTV PVR-PCI (original, before the 250) started flaking out, I almost bought an Replay, would be interesting to see what it would have been like

[SHS]

Now this interesting and no at Hauppauge told me any about this.
stanger89 I pettey it Windows Software App.

[stanger89]

Yeah, I handn't thought about the market issues when I posted that. It wouldn't make sense to make yourself that much of Niche product on purpose.

[src666]

As much as I like Sage (and I do), I miss quite a few features of my ReplayTV's, especially the playback related items such as directly jumping X minutes into a program, and the ability to jump X minutes forward/back from the current point.

ReplayTV did PVR right with the 5000 series. Period. Too bad they couldn't keep their business going.

[Outvit]

I own a hacked ReplayTV 5040 with a 300GB hard drive. Will be interesting if the software is worth it when it hits PC because they removed commercial skip and file transfers which was the only reason the 5000 series of DVRs was worth my money. I won't even touch the 5500 series.

[waynedunham]

Originally Posted by src666

As much as I like Sage (and I do), I miss quite a few features of my ReplayTV's, especially the playback related items such as directly jumping X minutes into a program, and the ability to jump X minutes forward/back from the current point.

ReplayTV did PVR right with the 5000 series. Period. Too bad they couldn't keep their business going.

The ability to jump 'x' minutes into a program, or skip/rw 'x' minutes is the one thing keeping me from retiring my ReplayTV's (2 5504's and a 2020 and 3030. 5504's upped to 120gb and the 2020 and 3030 upped to 60gb).

I have one 5504 and one of the older machines in the living room and a similar setup in the bedroom. I have a MediaREADY 5000 in the living room and an MVP in the bedroom.

Right now I do my main recording on the ReplayTV's with Sage as a conflict resolver and duplicating anything recorded on the older non networked ReplayTV's which gives me the ability to play content from the 2020 or 3030 in the "other" room from their physical location.

I still prefer viewing content on the ReplayTV's specifically for the transport controls with the ability to skip/rw any amount, and jump to anywhere in the program. Plus I occasionally use the regular ff/rw (i.e. smooth ff/rw). The MediaREADY 5000 has the smooth ff/rw, plus now the built in MVP support will give me the smooth ff/rw once I upgrade to the latest version of Sage.

I use the 'x' minute skip/rw a LOT and just can't break away from it.

[waynedunham]

Originally Posted by Outvit

I own a hacked ReplayTV 5040 with a 300GB hard drive. Will be interesting if the software is worth it when it hits PC because they removed commercial skip and file transfers which was the only reason the 5000 series of DVRs was worth my money. I won't even touch the 5500 series.

I never owned a 5000 series ReplayTV, but my experience with the 5504's I have make me think I would prefer the 5500 series method of comskip, i.e. show-nav. I find that on my crappy analog cable system (thanks Comcrap!) the commercial marking is inexact enough that I'd be missing a LOT of many of my programs if automatica comskip were enabled like the 5000 series.
I just use the show-nav to comskip and when I see it mismarked I then use the skip/rw 'x' minutes and quickskip/replay to locate the exact commercial breaks.

I suppose I could do something similar if I had 5000 series machine?

[blade]

You guys must watch TV a lot differently than I do because I've never seen the real benefit of skip x amount of time or the smooth ff/rw for that matter. I use comskip and rarely have the need to use ff/rw in the first place.