CES 2009

(Credit: Dish Network/EchoStar)

We're huge fans of the Slingbox, which lets you access your home TV from any broadband-connected PC and many models of 3G smartphones. But the boxes have always had a fundamental problem of monopolizing the host video source (cable/satellite box or DVR); if you access your Slingbox remotely and somebody happens to be watching the home TV, both of you are forced to watch the same program.

That's just one problem that the new EchoStar SlingLoaded HD DVR 922 fixes. The "SlingLoaded" moniker basically means that it's got a Slingbox built-in. That, along with multiple satellite and over-the-air HD tuners, means that remote and local viewers can watch two separate video feeds (live or recorded TV) without interfering with each other--the kids can watch a Spongebob recording in the living room, for instance, while Dad watches a football game on his laptop via Sling.com. Dish is also showcasing a Wi-Fi-enabled flat-panel LCD TV that uses Sling technology to access the 922--toss it in the kitchen or bedroom, and you get another way to access your DVR and TV programming with no pesky wires or boxes.

The 922 has a laundry list of other features that viewers will appreciate. It's pretty much a supercharged version of the ViP722 (a previous CNET Editors' Choice winner), with such upgrades as a touch-pad remote control and support for onscreen RSS feeds (for weather, news, and stocks--similar to the widgets we've seen on other TVs and video products at this year's CES).

Sticklers that we are, we'd like to see the 922 support some online video services (beyond Dish's video-on-demand offerings); content from Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and the like would go the extra mile to make this the ultimate set-top box. Still, if the 922 lives up to its potential, it's got all the makings of being one of the most full-featured DVRs we've seen to date. Look for the 922 to be available through Dish Network in the spring of 2009. It's only for Dish subscribers for now, but keep your fingers crossed that EchoStar can adapt it for cable providers in the not-too-distant future.

More photos:

Dish DuoDVR SlingLoaded ViP922

LAS VEGAS--Verizon will soon allow some Fios TV customers to remotely access their DVRs online from a computer or via a Verizon Wireless cell phone, the company is expected to announce Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show that it.

Using the remote access service, Fios TV subscribers are able to remotely review, change or add recording requests, delete recorded programs, browse and search TV and video-on-demand listings, and set parental controls.

The remote control service can be accessed through the Fios TV Web site or by using downloadable software on select Verizon Wireless handsets, including the LG enV2, LG Voyager and LG Chocolate 2 handsets. Other handsets will get the remote DVR capability in the future, the company said.

The new service is free to subscribers who have the Home Media DVR, which allows subscribers to record a show in one room and watch it in up to six other rooms.

Verizon demonstrated the new service in October at a special press event held at Verizon CIO Shaygan Kheradpir's Manhattan apartment. Cable operators, Comcast, Time Warner, Cox Communications and Advance/Newhouse Communications, had high hopes of offering a similar remote DVR programming service through a joint venture they had formed three years ago with Sprint Nextel. But that initiative never really got off the ground.

Tivo, which essentially invented the DVR market, announced in November that it is launching a cell phone-friendly Web site that will allow users to search programming and set their TiVo DVRs remotely. TiVo Mobile will be a free service available "with any Internet-enabled phone through any network, regardless of carrier," the company said.

In addition to the remote DVR function, Verizon also plans to announce Thursday that it's now offering 100 or more channels of high-definition (HD) television in every market where the TV service is offered.

Seagate just announced two new additions to the Seagate Pipeline group of hard drives made to fit in digital video recorders. The Pipeline HD mini and Pipeline HD.2 focus on acoustics to attract consumers.

Seagate managed to keep the sounds of operation down to a silent 21 decibels while at the same time increasing the amount of recyclable materials used to build the drives. Both drives are made of 50 percent recyclable materials and achieve a 52 percent power-saving improvement over its last iteration.

The Pipeline HD mini uses a 2.5-inch hard drive in either 160GB or 250GB capacities, allowing generous room to store up to 10 simultaneous stream of HD video, and the Pipeline HD.2 is Seagate's second generation of 3.5-inch DVR hard drives. The HD.2 will also be available in 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB capacities. Both drives are designed to work seamlessly with Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system.

(Credit: Digeo)

Remember Digeo's Moxi? After spending years in development, the DVR start-up was aiming to go head-to-head with TiVo by offering a DVR system optimized for sharing home recordings between multiple rooms in the home. We even got to see a demo and thought it looked pretty good. But it's a tall order to sell consumers on paying for a DVR--even one with some compelling value-added features--when they're used to leasing one that's "good enough" from their cable company with no up-front cost. The last we heard was that Digeo hit a rough patch (even before the current financial crisis), and canceled its then-current DVR products.

But blogger Dave Zatz has spotted what appears to be a new Moxi HD DVR. The updated model seems to offer all of the standard DVR accouterments (dual HD tuners, CableCard support) and a few TiVo-style extras (expandable storage, remote scheduling, Flickr access, and music streaming). Gone--or at least unmentioned--are an over-the-air tuner and room-to-room video streaming.

Right now, Digeo is selling the Moxi DVR directly to consumers through Amazon. But the $800 price tag will undoubtedly induce sticker shock. That's without a TiVo-style subscription fee (at least for now), but your cable company will still be taking its pound of flesh with CableCard rentals, service fees, and franchise fees. Meanwhile, Moxi lacks the growing boatload of Internet-delivered subscription and pay-per-view features that TiVo's been amassing to distinguish itself from generic cable DVRs (Netflix, Rhapsody, CinemaNow, Live365, and YouTube).

Digeo's expected to launch the new Moxi officially at CES 2009. Perhaps then we'll get more clarification as to how the company expects to compete at that price point. Until then, I'd say an $800 DVR has a tough row to hoe.

Zatznotfunny: Digeo unveils new Moxi HD DVR
Moxi.com: Moxi HD DVR product page