BCM7038 - HDTV PVR Chip from Broadcom

[zlevine]

Doing some internet engineering and Broadcom announced at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics show (http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=SVBIZINK6.story&STORY=/www/story/01-07-2004/0002084610&EDATE=WED+Jan+07+2004,+08:01+AM) an HDTV PVR chip.

Per chance, is that chip in the PVR 921?

If not I have a feeling HDTV PVR prices will plummet given this new chip.

Regards,
Mark

[Doody]

imo, dvr prices are going to approach zero within the next two years. murdoch is apparently planning to use them as sales tools to sign up new DTV customers now that he's running the show. the cable companies are apparently thinking similarly. the logical extension of this thinking is that eventually your tuner (cable, satellite, ota, etc.) will simply have time-shifting and recording capabilities, and it'll have minimal to no up-front fee and the providers will collect value over time - just like cell phones and cable now and old telco service and anything else with a non-trivial monthly fee.

given some of the specifically problematic (for me) shortcomings of the 921, i have a tough time shelling out a grand for it myself.

once they've got a DirecTiVo unit going that does HD, i can't imagine the promotions they're going to run to pull DISH subscribers away. murdoch isn't likely to "play nice".

doody.

[tnsprin]

Doing some internet engineering and Broadcom announced at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics show (http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=SVBIZINK6.story&STORY=/www/story/01-07-2004/0002084610&EDATE=WED+Jan+07+2004,+08:01+AM) an HDTV PVR chip.

Per chance, is that chip in the PVR 921?

If not I have a feeling HDTV PVR prices will plummet given this new chip.

Regards,
Mark
The Broadcom chips currently used have been around for about 3 years. Its unlikely the can easily switch unless the chip is so compatible with the previous chip sets that the one chip can be plugged in where the multiple chips were and everything else continues to work without modification. Note that its said that the same chips in the 921 are in the DirecTivo sets.

[Mike123abc]

I doubt prices will plummet. This chip probably would save at most $100 in the 921/HD-TIVO. Don't forget these machines are essentially PCs. There is a ton of other hardware in there.

[zlevine]

Thank you all for your sage advice. I keep trying to fight Moore's Law and haven't won a round yet starting with my purchase of an Apple IIe for $3000 (in 1984 dollars).

I'm scheduled to take delivery next Friday. After all it's only money.

Mark