 | May 1, 2000 |
Catchy, no?
Digital VCRs get a new name
The digital video recorders pioneered by TiVo and Replay are hot, and now an industry consortium called the TV-Anytime Forum intends to guide further development. Step one: establish a single name for the concept. The group settled on (drum roll please) PDR, which stands for personal digital recorder.
The forum is publishing four documents that will define essential PDR technologies. The aforementioned pioneers are part of a growing membership that’s approaching 100 companies.
At the recent NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) show, member company NEC announced a new IC specifically for PDRs. The µPD82885 works with NEC’s
set-top-box processor to offer core features like simultaneous record and playback, as well as trick functions like enhanced fast forward and slow motion. Meanwhile,
Metabyte Networks and Applied Psychology Research (APR, an arm of the UK-based Independent Television Commission) announced software products that learn your viewing habits and control the PDR. APR’s Intelligent Viewing Advisor works with PC-based PDRs.
Also, you can expect PDR capabilities to appear as a companion to an ATI Technologies graphics card within six months.
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