By: Chief Gizmateer, Gizmos for Geeks
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

What do you buy the Home Theater Enthusiast for Christmas? We have compiled Christmas gift ideas for the Home Theater Enthusiast since time is ticking down until the jolly old fat elf squeezes his way down your chimney! With less than two weeks until Christmas we gathered some unique gifts sprinkled in with some gifts that are sure to be on a lot of people’s wish lists. Also, we assume your enthusiast already has the basic components setup in a home theater such as the right video display and surround sound.

Here’s a roundup of the gift ideas:

1. Upgrade for a TiVo - $19.99-$1999
2. TiVo Series 3 HD Digital Media Recorder - $689.99
3. Sling Media Slingbox Pro - $219.99
4. Helios H4000 1080p Upscaling DVD Player - $169.00
5. Logitech Harmony 1000 Advanced Universal Remote - $499.99
6. Sony Playstation Portable - $199.00
7. Alienware DHS 2 Media Center - $999.00
8. Mvix MX-760HD Wireless HD Media Center - $329.99

If you think we missed anything in our Christmas Gift Guide for the Home Theater Enthusiast, let us know! Read the entire article here.
Source: DVR Playground

By: Chief Gizmateer, Gizmos for Geeks
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

We’ve decided to look into the future of home video and predict five growing trends that we see in this marketplace. Covering DVD, Blu-ray, HD-DVD, Internet video delivery systems and in-demand video services, DVR storage and placeshifting. Which technologies are disappearing? Which technologies will be the wave of the future?

Since VHS has officially been declared dead, consumers probably will not watch too many movies on VHS tapes nor will consumers continue to use VCRs to record shows from TV. Instead consumers will use Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) such as TiVo DVRs even more heavily.

Speaking of DVRs, high-definition is supported with the release of TiVo Series 3 earlier this year. Many cable and satellite integrated DVRs already supported the HDTV format as well. With storage space continuing to climb, DVRs could morph into an integrated recording and storage unit for not only TV shows but purchased movies and other media as well.

Next we have DVDs. For the most part people use DVDs for watching movies. There is a small minority of people that use DVD recorders as their next-gen “VCR”. DVDs overtook the sales of VHS tapes last year and the separation between the two technologies has exploded this year. In addition, most manufacturers have stopped manufacturing VHS tapes. With that said, DVDs are in the late fall of their lifespan. While new DVD players provide up-conversion to hi-def helping to prolong the lifetime and enhance the imagery from DVDs on your HDTV, newer formats are being pushed heavily.

Trend #1: DVDs starting to die.

Read the entire article for the addition growing trends on DVR Playground.

By: Chief Gizmateer, Gizmos for Geeks
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

The HDHomeRun allows you to watch over-the-air digital TV from all computers in your home network and it’s compatible with VLC, MythTV, SageTV and coming soon, Windows Media Center. Also, you can watch multiple channels on same or multiple computers.

DVR Playground test drove one recently and here’s an excerpt:

Since the HDHomeRun plugs into your network, there is no opening of a computer case required, and there is minimal configuration of software required to use the unit. In other words, for the easiest method of recording OTA programming with your homebrew DVR, get this unit. If you need more than two tuners, you can simply add more HDHomeruns.

Source: DVR Playground

By: Chief Gizmateer, Gizmos for Geeks
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

TiVo has added a commercial service called Program Placement that asks if a commercial can be shown while you delete shows from your TiVo DVR. This new service will launch in two weeks and promises to anger users as TiVo users have to press yet another button in addition to the standard “are you sure?” This is the latest enhancement of TiVo’s DVR service with hopes of generating some much needed advertising dollars.

MythTV, BeyondTV and SageTV look better all the time.

Source: DVR Playground

By Chief Gizmateer
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

“Gotomydvr” is a new [beta] service from DVRupgrade that allows you to connect to your TiVo remotely using TivoWebPlus. Using this method, there is no complicated port forwarding required, and you are connected to your TiVo via a secure session, so no user name or password are required in the tivoweb.cfg file (for security reasons).
Before you begin using gotomydvr, you need a TiVo (standalone or DirecTV) that has been hacked to enable networking features and is running TivoWebPlus (or, for Series 1 units, TivoWeb). For Series 2 DirecTiVos, you can use several methods, such a PTVnet or the Zipper, to enable those features. If you do not feel comfortable with either of those methods, you can send your TiVo to DVRupgrade, and they can enable the networking features for you (more information here); DVRupgrade offers services for both Series 1 and Series 2 units. Note that some standalone TiVos require a PROM mod to enable certain networking features.

Read the rest of the article on DVR Playground.

By Chief Gizmateer
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

Remember when TiVo released their HME Software Development Kit a year ago? Ever wonder what applications have been created for the SDK? DVR Playground current is running an article about Apps.tv and other HME software created:

Apps.tv recently released a new Amazon product browser which is available via a subscription on the apps.tv server.

Last year, TiVo released an SDK (software development kit) encouraging developers to engineer new and unique software for use on TiVos as HME applications. Some innovative and useful applications such as a Stock Viewer, TrafficCam Viewer, and a Netflix RSS Reader to check on your Netflix account.

Apps.tv was created and developed as a way to manage the many applications that can be built using HME on TiVo DVRs.

What application would you want developed?
Source: DVR Playground

By Chief Gizmateer
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

It’s official, Variety reports that VHS has died at the age of 30.

Once a groundbreaking media format, VHS has been suffering from loneliness for several years now and died of natural causes in 2006 survived by DVD, TiVo, VOD and DirecTV.

Consumers can continue to morn the passing of VHS by purchasing a piece of history at Toys’R'Us where you can still purchase “Barney” video tapes or you can find a multitude of VHS tapes at eBay.

Born Vertical Helical Scan to parent JVC of Japan, the tape had a difficult childhood as it was forced to compete with Sony’s Betamax format.

After its youthful Betamax battles, the longer-playing VHS tapes eventually became the format of choice for millions of consumers. VHS enjoyed a lucrative career, transforming the way people watched movies and changing the economics of the film biz. VHS hit its peak with “The Lion King,” which sold more than 30 million vidcassettes Stateside.

The format flourished until DVDs launched in 1997. After a fruitful career, VHS tapes started to retire from center stage in 2003 when DVDs became more popular for the first time.

Since their retirement, VHS tapes have made occasional appearances in children’s entertainment and as a format for collectors seeking titles not released on DVD. VHS continued to make as much as $300 million a year until this year, when studios stopped manufacturing the tapes.

Let’s all hit pause on TiVo for a moment of silence for VHS.

Source: DVR Playground

By Chief Gizmateer, Gizmos for Geeks
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

As mentioned in DVRPG’s Wireless HAVA Technology Review, Monsoon Multimedia has branded their HAVA product line for Pinnacle Systems.

Avid Technology, Inc., today announced that its consumer division, Pinnacle Systems, Inc., is expanding its popular Pinnacle PCTV™ product family with the addition of Pinnacle PCTV To Go. This new product gives customers the ability to enjoy their home entertainment systems from any location in the home or around the world. Easy wireless setup, integrated Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) support and comprehensive digital video recorder (DVR) capabilities make Pinnacle PCTV To Go a must-have for anyone interested in watching high quality TV shows, sporting events, movies or news on a PC, anytime, anywhere.

Zatznotfunny has a picture of the Wireless HAVA and Pinnacle PCTV To Go next to each other. The placeshifting arena is starting to heat up with yet another player besides SlingMedia and Sony.

Source: DVR Playground