Tivo & Replay didn't use Cube. Wanna bet the announcement with WD was a shot across their bows? Just image all those $199 PVRs coming out of China soon. Konka's first I bet...
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PVRs FAST-FORWARD INTO MAINSTREAM
September 21, 1999 -- Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) were vaporware a year ago. Today, however, it seems that PVRs are making news almost daily. Last week Sony embraced TiVo's technology, and Philips's TiVo box went on sale at Best Buy, Circuit City and other top retailers. PVRs contain massive hard drives that let you digitally record, rewind, replay and pause live TV.
Well, get ready for more excitement: Chipmaker C-Cube and hard drive builder Western Digital have announced the industry's first Digital Video Recorder (DVR) reference platform. This DVR platform will allow consumer electronics manufacturers to quickly assemble their own MPEG-2 hard drive-based PVRs, without having to create all of the necessary components themselves. When coupled with an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) service, consumers will be able to create virtual channels of their favorite shows.
"The tremendous consumer value of DVRs and near ubiquity of TVs will propel this category into the mainstream over the next few years," said Kevin Hause, manager of Consumer Devices Research at IDC, a market research firm. "With broad vendor support and potential for DVR functionality in a variety of consumer electronics products, we believe this market will top 10 million unit shipments by 2004."
In the meantime, Analog Video Recorders -- better known as VCRs -- continue to sell like crazy. Last year, 18.1 million decks were sold, and another 18 million or more will be gobbled up this year. Where they're going escapes us, but at just $49 for a two-head deck, why not pick up a six-pack for less than $300?
etwon.com
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"When coupled with an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) service, consumers will be able to create virtual channels of their favorite shows."
Ha, Cube solved that problem also!
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