Humax DIRECTV 2Go portable media player

[Earl Bonovich]

Source: http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/news/articles/story_6267.html

Humax DIRECTV 2Go PMP : Humax USA has developed a new hard drive based hand-held portable media player (PMP) platform ideal for use by content and pay TV providers with plans to deliver content electronically to customers via portable video devices. The first content provider to be supported by this Humax PMP platform is DIRECTV, for its upcoming DIRECTV 2Go service. The Humax DIRECTV 2Go PMP platform has a 4-inch widescreen LCD display screen with navigation controlled via an easy-to-use 5-button design. Additional consumer conveniences include a high capacity hard drive (capacity to be partner specified) and a long-lasting, user-replaceable battery that provides up to 4 hours of video and 10 hours of music.

Humax portable media player (PMP)
Based on an AMD Alchemy Au1200 processor, the device natively supports many video formats including MPEG1/2/4, DivX, WMV9 with WMDRM10 support, all at full D1 resolution (720x480). Moreover, the integration of a DDR1/DDR2 memory interface, USB2.0 High Speed Host & Device with On-the-Go, and on-chip AES cryptographic support, provide enabling technology for strenuous media applications and content protection schemes. The Humax DIRECTV 2Go PMP was on display at 2006 International CES.

Humax DIRECTTV media player - Codec and Video
According to Humax USA's vice president of business development and strategic marketing, Tony Goncalves, the HUMAX PMP platform will provide consumers a simplified user-experience with greater entertainment value than is currently available from similar-type products today. The extensive Codec and connectivity support will allow the HUMAX device to directly connect to digital video recorders, allowing transfer of video content without the need to trans-code the file through a personal computer, greatly reducing the amount of time required to download and playback fresh video content.

Humax 2Go media player - Content and OEM
Humax is seeking appropriate content partners to design, manufacturer and even market the hand-held PMP devices for. "With the company's established background in product manufacturing and marketing within the operator markets on a global level, we are in perfect position to enable the many content providers and operator's poised to deliver exciting new portable video services. We are prepared to either OEM this device to partners, or let them take advantage of the established logistics, distribution and customer support that we have successfully implemented here in the US," says Goncalves.

Humax DIRECTV media player - Online entertainment
The first content partner for Humax in this venture is DIRECTV. The Humax DIRECTV 2Go compliant PMP device is designed for a direct connection to a DIRECTV DVR, which will allow the consumer to transfer DIRECTV content recorded at home, a key benefit of the Humax platform. Additionally the device features DIRECTV branding throughout the User Interface including a DIRECTV approved playlist interface similar to DIRECTV receivers. In this relationship, the PMP device is Humax-branded, and will be sold at numerous retail and internet retail outlets. The device is scheduled for release later this year and in line with DIRECTV's launch of this new service. In additional to DIRECTV content device will support music (MP3 and WMA) as well as photos and other non DIRECTV videos.

Humax DIRECTV 2Go PMP - Portable television
"The Humax PMP will allow our customers to take their DIRECTV and experience it when, where and how they want it," said Romulo Pontual, executive vice president and chief technology officer, DIRECTV, Inc. "The Humax PMP device and DIRECTV 2Go will be a seamless experience for our customers because it uses the same easy-to-navigate DIRECTV user guide they use and see on their Television at home."

Humax DIRECTV 2Go video player - Online content at home
"Regardless of OEM or co-branded approach, Humax is prepared to support the development of the specific look and feel of the partner's user-interface, allowing them to both extend their brand and be in control of the consumer interactivity with their content and services, which is exactly what Humax set out to do with DIRECTV's 2Go product. We feel that customizing a proprietary UI will expedite early adoption of existing customers, build brand equity and also promote the content provider's existing in-home content service to potential new customers," furthered Goncalves.

About Humax
Founded in 1989, Humax Co. Ltd of Korea is one of the world's leading digital satellite set-top box manufacturers, exporting its products to more than 90 countries around the globe. Listed on the Korean stock exchange (KOSDAQ), the company's international headquarters and research and design facilities are based in Korea with offices in Australia, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. Production facilities are located in Korea, India, China and Poland. Humax recorded consolidated revenue of US $470 million in 2004, and has projected consolidated revenue of over US $600 million in 2005.

[Chandu]

This announcement was done almost 18 months ago, but where is this functionality today and on which DVRs?

R15???? HR20???? USB port enabling anyone??

For the record, DISH Network has been doing this with PocketDISH devices (Archos mobile PVRs such as AV700E, AV500E etc. for a looooooong time now. Check out http://www.pocketdish.com ). So the digital rights management problem has already been solved. I cannot possibly believe DirecTV is not able to solve the DRM problem, as it has already been solved by the biggest competitor. If anything, it seems either incompetence or lack of resources or both which has held this up. For now, R15 and HR20 manuals simply state "USB Port - Reserved for future use", but the future was yesterday.

I personally would have preferred Humax, RCA Lyra, ... whoever, DirecTV not demonstrating any functionality as early as January of 2006 at all, instead of blowing up hot smoke and not delivering on it 18 months later.

[Earl Bonovich]

Okay....

[PoitNarf]

It is most likely low on the priority list of things to get done. If a competitor has capabilities which you desire, then by all means switch if that's the functionality you're looking for.

[Chandu]

It is most likely low on the priority list of things to get done. If a competitor has capabilities which you desire, then by all means switch if that's the functionality you're looking for.

It's not the question of "switching". I already have been on DISH for long time and have been using PocketDISH successfully for days. :allthumbs

That doesn't preclude me from being a DirecTV customer for content which is not available on DISH. Being a DirecTV customer, I have reason to be miffed about such a long holdup which I can't comprehend. You say it's most likely a lower priority. I think this is the same thing as "lack of resources" I had stated, reworded.

Now that Setanta USA is also available on DISH, I'm seriously considering dropping DirecTV altogether. I have held onto it for the "Setanta Xtra" chanel 670, which is exclusive to DirecTV. But it doesn't seem like a big deal now. (As well as, I was holding on for potential future subscription to TyC Sports which will never appear on DISH, any additional HD channels which will appear only on DirecTV and not DISH etc. But again, these requirements are now of much lower priority for me.)

Being able to download Setanta USA recorded content on R15 DVR onto a mobile PVR is a critical requirement for me right now. Without it, I'm literally immobile and forced to sit in front of the R15. Slingbox is not an attractive action (yet another power consuming, heat generating box crowding up home theater assembly!) if you get used to better picture quality and fast access to digital features with a mobile handheld like PocketDISH. The only problem with dropping DirecTV/R15 is, on DISH side my 2 tuner 622 is fully loaded with other recording requirements and cannot handle a concurrent recording for Setanta USA. Either I will consider getting rid of R15, ordering another DISH DVR like 625 and dedicate it for Setanta, or a non-satellite alternative like Setanta Broadband, Setanta through ITVN etc. The non-satellite options have their own disadvantages such as not having access to 100% of content available on satellite versions.

There is yet another alternative, which is being able to do analog recording off of R15 onto Archos PocketDISH. This is with S-Video, not USB. The disadvantages are of course, worse picture quality, recording in real time instead of bulk digital data transfer (too time consuming), no easy way to extract content from R15's hard disk without literally playing every single recording manually in sequence.

The most ideal option is indeed access to this mythical DirecTV2go feature. I would really, really like for DirecTV to continue earning revenue from me. I read a bunch of other articles and read that Humax, RCA Lyra etc. have been ready and waiting to go for quite some time. Entire holdup is on DirecTV side, not the mobile hardware manufacturers. I wouldn't be as miffed if they hadn't done demo of this functionality such a long time ago and kept existing or potential customers waiting.

[dave29]

how much will this cost

[AlbertZeroK]

how much will this cost

Vaporware is free! :lol:

[litzdog911]

how much will this cost

I'm not aware of any announced pricing.

[Chandu]

I'm not aware of any announced pricing.

I think it was supposed to be an MSRP of the order of $400, in the ballpark of what the better PocketDISH sold for. But of course yes, unfortunately it has ended up being vaporware :grrr: , so it's free.

[Stuart Sweet]

At this point I would consider this announced product "cold" if not "dead". That isn't to say there isn't going to be a product like it, but two years is a long time and costs and products change.

[Chandu]

At this point I would consider this announced product "cold" if not "dead". That isn't to say there isn't going to be a product like it, but two years is a long time and costs and products change.

Absolutely. There have been other advances in handheld technology while DirecTV has been trying to or not trying to figure this out. The screens have become slightly bigger, added WiFi, GPS capabilities, bigger hard disks etc. So whatever Humax and RCA Lyra had announced would probably have become obsolete, if at all DirecTV ever comes to a conclusion with their R&D.

[Kevin Dupuy]

There's one small issue with this, DISH's service, and anyone else who does something similar: They won't play on the iPod. 98% of people might look at this and say "Cool" Then you mention the new device, and they look at their iPod/Phone and brush it off.

And obviously, there will never be this on the Ipod because of iTunes' Video Store.

Just my $0.02.

[bobnielsen]

There's one small issue with this, DISH's service, and anyone else who does something similar: They won't play on the iPod. 98% of people might look at this and say "Cool" Then you mention the new device, and they look at their iPod/Phone and brush it off.

And obviously, there will never be this on the Ipod because of iTunes' Video Store.

Just my $0.02.

I don't have anything from the Apple iTunes store, but have uploaded a number of Directv programs and DVDs to my iPod, running the A/V connections to a Miglia Evolution USB device on my Mac and converting with Eye TV (which works for DRM-enabled DVDs since you are copying analog content, which is legal). It definitely isn't a real-time process, of course.

[Chandu]

There's one small issue with this, DISH's service, and anyone else who does something similar: They won't play on the iPod. 98% of people might look at this and say "Cool" Then you mention the new device, and they look at their iPod/Phone and brush it off.

And obviously, there will never be this on the Ipod because of iTunes' Video Store.

Just my $0.02.

Screen size of iPod/iPhone (2 in x 3 in) is very small compared to those of few of the latest handheld devices (e.g. Archos AV700 is at 7 inches diagonal). Agreed, the Humax mentioned in this old press release is a pretty small screen too. But I would have expected it to become somewhat bigger in latest versions by now, had this DirecTV2go panned out.

Also, why would I think of iTunes video store for content of interest to me? It does nothing for me. Do you think iTunes video store would help me with for example Liverpool vs. Everton Merseyside derby from earlier in the morning (for baseball fans, substitute some other MLB game from earlier in the day)? I think not. Similarly, could you download content like this stored on a DISH or DirecTV DVR to an iPhone, preserving digital quality? Nope. (What bobnielsen wrote above is about analog transfer through a Mac, not digital transfer of data.)