DIRECTV Debuts Home Media Center at CES (2005) Trade Show

[Chris Blount]

Digital Network System Provides Seamless DVR in Every Room

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 2005--DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading and fastest-growing digital television service provider, today introduced at the International Consumer Electronics Show an advanced new receiver and networked system, the DIRECTV Home Media Center, designed to be a whole-house entertainment solution that will allow DIRECTV customers for the first time to access content -- including digitally-recorded video, digital photos and digital music -- seamlessly from all television sets in a household. The DIRECTV Home Media Center, which includes the most technologically advanced DIRECTV receiver developed, has digital video recorder (DVR) functionality and also supports high definition (HD) and standard definition signals.

The Home Media Center will be comprised of a main unit, with smaller units located at each additional TV networked throughout the house, to provide DIRECTV customers with DVR service on all television sets. It also provides an integrated and common consumer experience on all television sets. For example, recordings can be scheduled and viewed from any room to any room.

"DIRECTV has been at the forefront of developing and bringing new television technologies to fruition since its inception and our new Home Media Center will take the DIRECTV viewing experience to a new level," said Mitch Stern, president and CEO of DIRECTV, Inc. "By integrating the television experience into a media center, we are providing our customers with the ability to have easier access to and enjoy a full range of content throughout the home. This product was developed in response to our customers' desire to expand their DVR experience to every television."

The DIRECTV Home Media Center, which will be available by the end of this year, will allow for networking throughout the house. DIRECTV customers with the Home Media Center will be able to share, move and view content from room to room.

The networked system's advanced middleware architecture will support additional functions via its broadband connection. Examples are support for personal computer connectivity, scheduling DVR recordings from the Internet, photos from wireless phones and video-on-demand. It is also MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 compatible, and as with all DIRECTV receivers, the product software can be upgraded via satellite.

"Our goal at DIRECTV is simple: to provide the best television experience in the United States," said Stern, "And our new Home Media Center will help us get closer to that goal, as well as further distinguish DIRECTV from the competition."

Source (http://phoenix.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=660038&highlight=)

[HappyGoLucky]

Well, there's the answer to "will Tivo still be offered by Directv". This sounds like a VERY nice setup. But it also sounds horrifically expensive. I'll stick with my $49 HDVR2 for as long as it is supported. What is sad is that they could have added all the same features except for the HD support to the current thousands of HDVR2's with a simple software upgrade, one that already exists even!

[AllieVi]

This announcement is a sign of things to come and a good reaon to have a house extensively wired for networking when built. The possibilities are very interesting.

[bonscott87]

Most likely this will all be networked via the Coax cable and not a home "network" in the computer sense. This was DirecTV's main sticking point with Tivo, DirecTV didn't want to support and deal with the computer network. They wanted a solution that used the existing coax. Tivo or not, I'll be getting a Home media center setup for Christmas 2005 for sure. :)

[longbirdieputt]

Well I am at the moment building a house and have d* hd service and was planning on buying a hd tivo but that is not gonna happen as it all sounds as if it will be obselete very very soon. Question is with this home media center and everything else that is being talked about should I continue with them puttin coax in the house or is there something else i should run in now that I have the chance to be ready for all these new changes that d* is promising.

[AllieVi]

Well I am at the moment building a house and have d* hd service and was planning on buying a hd tivo but that is not gonna happen as it all sounds as if it will be obselete very very soon. Question is with this home media center and everything else that is being talked about should I continue with them puttin coax in the house or is there something else i should run in now that I have the chance to be ready for all these new changes that d* is promising.
The safest solution to "future-proof" your house is to install empty conduit. I realized that fact after having wired about half my house a few years ago. As technology changes it's then possible to easily replace anything in the walls.

[kwajr]

well those of you wondering if they will evr get the hmo option no they will not because that would have made this announcement stupid

[HappyGoLucky]

The safest solution to "future-proof" your house is to install empty conduit. I realized that fact after having wired about half my house a few years ago. As technology changes it's then possible to easily repace anything in the walls.
Exactly. As those who just bought the DirecTV-HDTivo's can now attest, you can be obsolete within days of your purchase and installation.

You know, this is one of the prime reasons to go BACK to cable. At least if the equipment changes, they are the ones who deal with it, the customer isn't left with obsolete equipment and doesn't have to shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars to get a new feature.

I knew when Murdoch bought D* that my days with them would be numbered. Companies that crap on current customers just to win a few more new ones don't deserve my business.

[Capmeister]

I'm still going to get my HD-TIVO at the end of the month, unless this stuff is coming out within that time frame.

[longbirdieputt]

The safest solution to "future-proof" your house is to install empty conduit. I realized that fact after having wired about half my house a few years ago. As technology changes it's then possible to easily repace anything in the walls.



What exactly do you mean by empty conduit?

[AllieVi]

What exactly do you mean by empty conduit?
Before the wallboard is in place and when it's still easy to do things, install conduit (i.e., pipes, typically PVC plastic) wherever you would normally run wires. On each end, the conduit should be accessible so that you can "pull" wires through at some later time. Ask your electrician about the details.

The beauty of this approach is that you can then install the wallboard, but be able to do whatever wiring you want later. You can proceed with construction of the house without having to decide about what wiring you (think you will) need. Whatever wires you eventually install can even be easily removed and replaced with something different if/when the technology changes.

I wired a lot of my house with CAT5 networking cable, state-of-the-art at the time. It's buried and can't be easily removed or replaced with the newer CAT5e or CAT6. If it was in conduit, it would be a simple matter. One day we may have fiber optics available in houses and it would be nice to be able to simply pull out the old and replace it with the new.

Most people don't have the luxury of deciding to install conduit instead of wires. If you do, though, I'd definitely recommend it. Cost is not really a major issue.

[adam1115]

Whatever happened to this thing? Vaporware I guess...

[Earl Bonovich]

Whatever happened to this thing? Vaporware I guess...

1) The company that was building this: Ucentric was shortly after this announcement bought by Motorola.. So that put a kink into it

2) 3 years ago (when this was announced)... the cost level for this particular unit, was through the roof and was not practical at the time

3) Take a look at the current lineup of equipment, and a lot of the threads discussing MRV... the features in the newer H21 (aka the network jack)... see a pattern?

Basically.... it is not vaporware... as the vapor cleared, and things progress for CES "what do you think", into something slightly different... (aka concept cars and what they become as production models)

[Thaedron]

Wow, talk about digging things up outta d' archives...

[bhelton71]

Wow, talk about digging things up outta d' archives...

I know - I read it on the front "DirecTV Debuts..." posted by Chris Blount - I thought it was current event until I saw 2005

Fooled me :lol:

[Earl Bonovich]

I know - I read it on the front "DirecTV Debuts..." posted by Chris Blount - I thought it was current event until I saw 2005

Fooled me :lol:

I did the same thing... but found it odd, that it was January 6th and posted "today"

I have altered the title of the thread.

[rrrick8]

I did the same thing... but found it odd, that it was January 6th and posted "today"

I have altered the title of the thread.

Thanks. Threw me too.

[Ken S]

1) The company that was building this: Ucentric was shortly after this announcement bought by Motorola.. So that put a kink into it

2) 3 years ago (when this was announced)... the cost level for this particular unit, was through the roof and was not practical at the time

3) Take a look at the current lineup of equipment, and a lot of the threads discussing MRV... the features in the newer H21 (aka the network jack)... see a pattern?

Basically.... it is not vaporware... as the vapor cleared, and things progress for CES "what do you think", into something slightly different... (aka concept cars and what they become as production models)

Earl,

C'mon...

They announced a product and said it would be available later that year. They made the same announcement in 2006. This is not a "concept" car...it was an announced product that was, at the very least, never sold.

You mean they put those ethernet ports in for MRV and not because it will substantially enhance their ability to capture information from their receivers at a far lower cost than with telephone lines?

Other companies have been sharing media information throughout a home LAN for more than three years.

The moral of the story is with DirecTV and many, many other companies do not believe a product announcement or release until you see it actually sold. Once it's sold don't believe it will do what the announcement, advertising or manual say it will do until you see it do it...successfully.

[Stuart Sweet]

A lot of stuff gets announced at shows like this and doesn't make it. DIRECTV is hardly unique. Yes it is three years later and we don't have this, but we do have close to 100 HD channels and I would have bet against that back in '05.

[hdtvfan0001]

A lot of stuff gets announced at shows like this and doesn't make it. DIRECTV is hardly unique. Yes it is three years later and we don't have this, but we do have close to 100 HD channels and I would have bet against that back in '05.
I've exhibited in booths at over 125 shows in the financial services technology field, and can attest that if any company there did the same thing 3 years later, they see the same kinds of "we changed our direction along the way" updates. Most technology business lines are in dynamic markets, meaning, they have to react and modify their plans as the market changes.

In our industry....forecasting our strategic plans more than about 6-9 months is not even vaporware....its fantasyware. :D

I would never hold a company accountable that every protoype, every new planned enhancement, every new product offering....will see the light of day as it is explained at a tradeshow. That's why they call them "prototypes" and "not display models".

Tradeshows are a combination of business partner interactions, lead generators, marketing extravaganzas (whoopla), and "look at us now" advertisement. Perspective is needed when assuming every detailed bit of information is as good as gold for the future.

But in the end...it is always interesting and fun to look back and perhaps appreciate just how far things have come, despite traveling down some detoured roads along the way.

[bonscott87]

Half the stuff at CES is just fluff and concept. Always has been. Probably why DirecTV didn't have an actual booth this year. They had a few solid announcements which we know most of are true since the CE program is already testing some of them. But they didn't have any of these "concept" type devices other then perhaps the PC tuner card. That would be the only thing I'd see as possibly not happening or on the edge.

As for Home Media Center, well, if/when MRV rolls out it's already there. HR20 or HR21 with a 1 or 2 TB drive is the "server" with other HR20/21's as clients that can also record themselves and the programs can be played on any other of the receiver and the PC. Bonus if the non DVR H21 can be "client" and watch something off the DVRs. Sounds good to me.

[houskamp]

I've exhibited in booths at over 125 shows in the financial services technology field, and can attest that if any company there did the same thing 3 years later, they see the same kinds of "we changed our direction along the way" updates. Most technology business lines are in dynamic markets, meaning, they have to react and modify their plans as the market changes.

In our industry....forecasting our strategic plans more than about 6-9 months is not even vaporware....its fantasyware. :D

I would never hold a company accountable that every protoype, every new planned enhancement, every new product offering....will see the light of day as it is explained at a tradeshow. That's why they call them "prototypes" and "not display models".

Tradeshows are a combination of business partner interactions, lead generators, marketing extravaganzas (whoopla), and "look at us now" advertisement. Perspective is needed when assuming every detailed bit of information is as good as gold for the future.

But in the end...it is always interesting and fun to look back and perhaps appreciate just how far things have come, despite traveling down some detoured roads along the way.
What? That 150" plasma won't be avalible from Best Buy next month? :lol: