Well, we knew Digeo would be showing off their Moxi box for cable MSOs at The Cable Show. Back in January when I spoke with Digeo’s then-COO Greg Gudorf, he said that their Moxi HD DVR for cable would ship in 1Q08, clearly that didn’t happen. Now, according to a press release issued today, Charter will be the first cable MSO to deploy the Moxi Cable HD DVR 3012 - in 3Q08. It isn’t surprising that Charter is the first customer as they were one of the MSOs to deploy the first generation Moxi units, and Digeo is backed by Paul Allen, who also controls Charter. A little corporate nepotism. I just hope Digeo does better than FlipStart, which seems to be comatose.

Ben Drawbaugh from EngadgetHD was at The Cable Show and he got a picture of the unit on display. Is it just me, or does it look like a slightly shorter (no optical drive so I guess they didn’t need the room) version of the now defunct Moxi Multi-Room HD DMR? Only in black instead of white. I have to admit, while I thought the Mutli-Room HD DMR was hideous, this one is only bland. The change in color helps.

According to the press release:

The announcement marks the first order and deployment of Digeo’s second generation offering which incorporates a dual HD-tuner digital video recorder (DVR). The Moxi 3012 also includes the Emmy(R) award-winning Moxi Menu user interface, along with the following advanced features:

* Full DVR functionality
* CableCARD(R) multi-stream 2-way support
* Remote web scheduling capable
* External storage options up to 1TB
* Extensive data mining through the Moxi portal for real-time customer usage insights

So it is a dual-tuner CableCARD DVR. Sounds like it relies on M-Card, which fits with what was known about their canceled consumer products. They don’t disclose the internal storage capacity, but given the ‘3012′ naming scheme, I’d guess at 120GB. ‘Remote web scheduling capable’ is interesting, but the question is will Charter enable it? They don’t say if the external storage is USB or eSATA, and I can’t tell from Ben’s photo. The data mining is both intriguing and worrying. Is it anonymized? Just how much data do they track? How personal is it? Some people dislike even TiVo’s anonymized, aggregated data collection. And this is ‘extensive’ and ‘real-time’.

While they mention 2-way CableCARD support, they don’t specifically mention what is supported - SDV? VOD? PPV? I’d venture a guess that SDV is supported, since the Tuning Resolver Adapter is close to finalized. They could build that capability into the box. Since this isn’t a consumer device and the software can, and probably will, be customized for each MSO, I think it is reasonable to expect they’ll be supporting VOD & PPV. But without an OCAP platform I don’t know about advanced cable services in general.

And, according to the press release, Digeo is continuing to work on an OCAP/tru2way version of their Moxi platform.

I have Charter, though they never offered Moxi in my neck of the woods. If they do start offering this Moxi 3012 in my area I’ll get one, at least for a while, to see how it fares.

EDIT: I received the following via the contact form after originally posting this:

On your press release of the 3012 I have a few answers to your speculation

1) Remote scheduling will be enabled, current Digeo Moxi 9012 users already enjoy this feature. Scheduling is done by logging into the charter.net portal with your charter.net email address and going to the TV section. First time users will have to associate the box with their email there.

Unfortunately at this time it requires that the customer have our High Speed Data product in addition to the DVR and that both services be on the same account.

2) Expansion
This is already an option on the older 9012 and 9022 boxes as well. Currently the older boxes only supported USB expansion. I would assume that the 3012 is the same (unless it has eSATA ports)

3) 3012 model name.
Unless Digeo’s changed their naming scheme the 12 in 3012 should stand for 1 TV, 2 Tuners.

In the 9000 series there were two models, 9012 and 9022. The 9022 supported two TVs through the usage of a “moxi mate” box

I’m guessing givng the 9022 configuration that the 3012 should have no less than a 160 gig base hard drive (to compete with the Motorola 6416 which offers 160 gigs)

Hope this information is helpfull!

James Doster
Digital Coordinator
Charter Communications

The press release:
Read the rest of this entry »

Following up on his report on the Motorola MTR700, Ben Drawbaugh of EngadgetHD has posted photos of the corresponding Cisco/Scientific Atlanta STA1520 Tuning Adapter. While Motorola’s TA was part of a working demo, the Cisco box is just a static display, not connected to anything. While it has the same connections, the Cisco box is physically much larger than the Motorola TA. And while Motorola indicated that their TA could be available to cable MSOs in July, Cisco is only saying 3Q2008.

Still, progress is being made. Be patient a little while longer all you folks with SDV issues.

EngadgetHD is down at The Cable Show and Ben Drawbaugh (the lucky SOB) got a little hands-on time with the Motorola MTR700 Tuning Adapter for SDV. It seems that CableLabs has decided to start calling such devices ‘Tuning Adapters’ instead of the previous ‘Tuning Resolver’. (I prefer Tuning Resolver, such is life.) The MTR700 was named before the change, which makes me wonder if they’ll rename it the MTA700 before release.

As we’ve known for a while, the Motorola TA looks just like their DCT700 cable box. It is a very simple device with only five connections - coax in, coax out, USB, a diagnostics port, and power. In the demo it is connected in series with the TiVo HD cable into the MTR700, then out of the TA into the TiVo, and the USB connection to the TiVo. Ben reports that it works perfectly, tuning SDV channels transparently with no apparent delay compared to linear channels. He also says it should be available to cable MSOs in July, as I previously predicted, but no firm details on consumer availability or pricing yet.

All in all it sounds like good news. Maybe Ben can see if Cisco has their STA1520 on display as well.

You might want to hold off on buying the Funai Blu-ray player from my last post. The Samsung BD-P1500, expected in June, is showing up in Wal*Mart with a $348 price tag - the expected MSRP was $399. That’s just $50 more than the Funai/Magnavox deck, and the Samsung is ‘BD-Live Ready’. That means it will ship with Profile 1.1, aka ‘Bonus View’, support but it has the hardware (such as a Ethernet port) required for Profile 2.0/BD-Live, and support will be enabled via a firmware update later this year. The firmware update will also add DTS-HD audio support.

While a sub-$300 price tag is nice, for $50 I’d definitely opt for the Samsung.

Via EngadgetHD.

Rumored last September, and announced in January, Funai’s first entry into the Blu-ray player market is beginning to appear on store shelves with an MSRP below $300. The Funai NB500 Blu-ray player has appeared on Wal*Mart shelves as the Magnavox NB500NG9 with a $298.00 price. The player is Profile 1.1 aka Bonus View, so no BD-Live capabilities. But it is the lowest priced Profile 1.1 player, by far.

Funai OEMs hardware for a number of brands. The NB500 is also the Sylvania NB500SL9, and is expected to appear under the Emerson, Insignia, and Pye brands as well. The owner’s manual for the Magnavox deck is available online as a PDF. According to the manual (page 14), the system is capable of bitstreaming advanced audio codecs such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD HR/MA over HDMI, but it cannot internally decode them. If LPCM output is selected instead, then Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD fall back to Dolby Digital, and DTS-HD falls back to DTS. A similar fall-back happens if you use the coaxial digital output for audio instead of HDMI. Video output is supported as 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p/60, and 1080p/24.

All in all it doesn’t seem like a bad player, if you can forgo BD-Live, for under $300.

From Blu-ray.com via EngadgetHD.

I reported on the Samsung BD-P1500 from CES in January. At the time the $399 MSRP player was announced as a Blu-ray Profile 1.1, aka Bonus View, player due in June. Well, as the Blu-ray competitive landscape is rapidly evolving, Samsung has decided to make the BD-P1500 ‘BD-Live Ready’. It will ship with BD Profile 1.1 support, with BD-Live support to come via a firmware update. Also due via a firmware update later in 2008 is DTS-HD HR (High Resolution) audio support. The press release doesn’t mention DTS-HD MA (Master Audio), which is the highest DTS standard. That could be a simple oversight in the press release, since it is pretty much unheard of to have DTS-HD HR and not have DTS-HD MA. If it does indeed have DTS-HD MA then, once the updates are received, the BD-P1500 would match the PS3 on features and press, plus the ability to bitstream the advanced audio codecs. Of course, I think the PS3 is still a better value since it is a top-end game system as well, but if you prefer a conventional AV component look then the BD-P1500 might be the box for you.

Picked up from EngadgetHD.

On April 11th, when their petition was denied, EchoStar issued a statement in which they said:

The decision, however, will have no effect on our current or future customers because EchoStar’s engineers have developed and deployed ‘next-generation’ DVR software to our customers’ DVRs. This improved software is fully operational, has been automatically downloaded to current customers, and does not infringe the Tivo patent at issue in the Federal Circuit’s ruling.

“All DISH Network customers can continue to use their DVRs without any interruption or changes to the award-winning DVR features and services provided by DISH Network.

It seems there was a missing asterisk on that statement. The boards at Investor Village have links to two notices sent out by Dish Network on April 18, 2008 and posted at DBSTalk. While Dish claims that a software update to several DVR models make them non-infringing (a claim TiVo has disputed in public comments, but that’ll be up to the courts to decide), it seems some models of Dish PVR are still infringing:

Pursuant to the Amended Final Judgment and Permanent Injunction, DISH Network and EchoStar are permanently enjoined from making, using, offering to sell, selling, or importing in the United States, the following products: DP-501, DP-508, DP-510, DP-522, DP-625, DP-721, DP-921 and DP-942 (the “Infringing Products”), either alone or in combination with any other product, and all other products that are only colorably different therefrom in the context of certain claims of TiVo’s ’389 patent (the “Infringed Claims”), whether individually or in combination with other products or as part of another product, and from otherwise infringing or inducing others to infringe the Infringed Claims. In addition, DISH Network and EchoStar were ordered to disable the DVR functionality in all but approximately 192,000 of the Infringing Products in the field within thirty days of the issuance of the injunction order.

The injunction had been stayed during the appeal, but the stay was lifted on April 18. Dish is claiming that this will not impact any DVRs in the field as fewer than the exempted 192,000 units are infringing, and the remainder of the models have been updated with the new software. Specifically:

This is a clarification of the “Notice of Tivo Injunction” that was sent this morning. DVR models 501, 508, 510, 522, 625, 622, Homezone 622, and 722, have all received the redesigned software and can continue to be sold, installed and activated. With respect to those models, no further action is necessary on your part at this time. However, the 721, 921, 942 and Homezone 1022 models did not receive the redesigned software. Because the injunction goes into effect today, any existing inventory of those models that has not yet been installed or activated for a customer cannot be installed or activated in the field. 721, 921, 942 and Homezone 1022 models that are already installed and activated are not subject to the injunction and can continue to be used by customers.

So, if Dish’s claims hold up, the injunction should have no impact on existing Dish PVR users. Only distributors who still have any stock of the older models are impacted as they’re now unable to activate those units under the terms of the injunction.

Of course, I don’t expect this to be the last we hear of this. Dish has already said they plan to appeal the case to the US Supreme Court, and TiVo has made public comments of disbelief regarding EchoStar’s claims of a software update making the products non-infringing, so TiVo could fight that claim in court to seek to apply the injunction to the rest of the Dish PVR models.

Picked up from EngadgetHD.

Disclaimer: I’m currently employed by Sling Media, which is owned by EchoStar. But I have nothing to do with Dish Network nor the DVR products. I’m just reporting on the statements as posted.

D&M Holdings, former owner of ReplayTV, is looking for a buyer. D&M Holdings is the parent company of Denon, Marantz, Snell, McIntosh, Boston Acoustics, Escient, and other high-end AV brands. The two leading contenders to purchase D&M are Kenwood parent Bain Capital and Best Buy, with the a price of roughly $700 million. Best Buy has strong reasons to pursue the purchase:

As Best Buy is D&M’s biggest customer, it makes good financial sense for the consumer electronics retailer. The implications for the types of equipment that will be offered in their Magnolia shops would increase in number as well as quality. McIntosh has a near fanatical following, though being able to roll down to your local Best Buy to check out the latest tube amps is probably going to be met with mixed emotions.

If they’ve been planning this for a while, and most likely they have, it could be a contributing factor in their unloading of ReplayTV to DirecTV in December. ReplayTV was the odd-man-out in this grouping of companies, and probably would’ve been a sticking point in the deal.

Picked up via EngadgetHD.