PIONEER MULLS EPG SERVICE REBATE FOR DVD RECORDER/TIVO COMBOS
Additional details emerged Thurs. on new Pioneer set-tops that combine DVD-R/RW recorder and TiVo-based hard disc drive (CED June 26 p3), including possibility company will offer rebate toward step-up TiVo EPG service.
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In developing DVR-57H ($1,800) and DVR-810H ($1,199) combos, Pioneer weighed PVR technologies from D&M Holdings’ ReplayTV as well as TiVo vs. internal effort, Vp Product Planning/Mktg. Matt Dever told us Thurs. Company landed on TiVo about 18 months ago. “It came down to deciding which technology would be easiest to integrate with a DVD recorder, and from the moment of our first conversations with TiVo there was an impression that there wasn’t anything that couldn’t be done,” Dever said.
Pioneer added several features to its version of combo PVR/DVD recorder, including component video output and “Extreme” recording option that boosts TiVo data transfer rate to 9.95 Mbps from 6 mbps that’s standard with TiVo’s Series2 platform, Dever said. Higher data rate allows for recording of one hour of video at 720x480 resolution, he said. When any TiVo derived content on hard disc is transferred to DVD-R or DVD-RW, recording is made in format’s Video Mode which is broadly compatible with legacy DVD players. User has access to 4 DVD recording-quality modes, but those are determined by resolution mode that was chosen to store original TiVo content on hard disc -- highest quality being Extreme mode and demanding greatest capacity vs. time on blank.
Pioneer said it left off IEEE-1394 inputs for digital camcorders with combos because TiVo models would likely appear primarily to time shifters rather than customers interested in transferring home movies to DVD. Meanwhile, company does include digital input on other DVD decks. Among differences between 2 combos, step-up Elite model has better shielding than Pioneer deck and adds dual-layer chassis. It also contains 120 GB hard drive vs. 80 GB in Pioneer piece, Dever said.
In promoting combos, Dever said several programs are being considered for fall debut, including possibility of rebate being offered on TiVo service. Rebate would be designed to encourage consumers to step up from basic TiVo service, which has 3-day advance program guide and is free with combos, to more advanced TiVo offering that’s coupled with 14-day guide and $12.95 monthly fee.