[opendtv] Don't Touch That Dial

Don't Touch That Dial
By Leander Kahney
02:00 AM Nov. 19, 2004 PT
Wired News

Plextor's ConvertX PVR is a slick little hardware box that turns a PC
or a Mac into a digital video recorder, but it has a big problem.

Costing about $200, the ConvertX PVR pauses and records live TV, and
automatically records favorite shows every time they air.

In fact, it does just about everything a stand-alone digital video
recorder does, and something extra: Shows can easily be burned to CD
or DVD. It's almost perfect except for one glaring shortcoming: If
you use a set-top box, it can't change channels.

The ConvertX PVR has no hardware for switching channels on a cable or
satellite box, which are used by more than 45 percent of viewers,
according to Plextor.

Most stand-alone DVRs, like a TiVo, include a serial connector or
infrared "IR blaster" that changes channels by firing a close-range
signal at the set-top box, just like a remote control. It's clunky,
but it works.

...

http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,65762,00.html


 
 
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