Former Tivo User Implementing "Home Video Server"

[rusten]

I'm a Tivo user who is desperately looking for a more network-friendly PVR.

One of the prominently displayed features of SS3 is the "Home Video Server" functionality (networkable PVR's). This is the most critical reason I'm considering replacing my Tivos with SS3. I'm tired of having several Tivos around the house, and being forced to watch a show in one room because it wasn't recorded in another.

My question is how this will be implemented, for example, will this require a PC for every television, all storing their recordings on a central server, or will it be a peer-to-peer system - or can I use hard driveless video terminals on each television (there are a few of these set top, Solid State audiotron-like units being sold now)?

Additionally, will SS3 have a ReplayTV style show listing (as opposed my Tivo's, which are non-hierarchial, flat-menus) that enables shows to be organized by virtual "channels" or some other more organized cataloging system? I only ask because as I've started to work with 320GB Tivos, I've noticed the menu system is severely broken. If the SS3 will support a networkable paradigm, surely this will become an important concern?

Thanks very much in advance!

[V_D_O]

Well, you need a PVS host computer (recording and streaming server) equipped with the TV tuner card and hard drive to record onto. You can then watch streamed recordings from any computer which can run Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer, so with the HDD-less terminals, as long as they can run WMP and IE, they should work fine.

As for the second request, it has been asked for, but will not be implemented in 3.0, but in the next version. Sorry.

[jobey]

Originally posted by rusten
I'm tired of having several Tivos around the house, and being forced to watch a show in one room because it wasn't recorded in another.

You DO know that if you have Series 2 Tivos, you can purchase the Home Media Option which will allow you to watch your shows on any Series 2 Tivo? If you still have the Series 1, then you are out of luck....Tivo isn't supporting the first generation with this upgrade.

[rusten]

That's amazing - I can't believe I didn't read that anywhere. I have all series one Tivos, but this would make it worth upgrading if SS3 doesn't ship in the timeframe that I do something.

Thank you to both of you for the great information.

Regarding the solid state video end-units I was asking whether SS3 would support, I was referring to the exceptionally cool new boxes by PRISMIQ at www.prismiq.com - or the new SonicBlue (now Marantz/HK) "networked DVD player" - at: http://www.sonicblue.com/shop/_templ...del=168&cat=37

Unfortunately, both of these devices are limited to MPEG video files, as well as other devices that look to be shipping soon.

Thanks again for the information!

[sstubbs]

It is mentioned above:

"Regarding the solid state video end-units I was asking whether SS3 would support, I was referring to the exceptionally cool new boxes by PRISMIQ ...

Unfortunately, both of these devices are limited to MPEG video files, as well as other devices that look to be shipping soon."

Wouldn't the PRISMIQ device now work with SS3 - as long as you record in MPEG-2 format? From the PRISMIQ literature it appears that it would support streaming of the captured SS3 MPEG-2 video from your PC to a PRISMIQ-equipped TV... am I understanding this correctly?

If so, is anyone aware of other devices like PRISMIQ for wirelessly streaming SS3 media from PC to TV?

Thanks for your help

[Julia]

Wireless Streaming of MPEG2 at high bitrates doesn't work well... and it would have nothing to do with the Snapstream software, there simply isn't enough bandwidth. I have some 6Mb bitrate MPEG2 files that I try to play over a wireless connection, and it just maxes out the bandwidth (even sitting next to the access point).

Julia

[jkoon]

I have Broadq’s Qcast player for playstation 2 and it plays snapstream’s mpeg files back just fine. I have mine on a wired network, however it should work on a wireless network if your bitrate is not set too high (as Julia mentioned).