Addition of broadband to digital video recorder by Sony
July 27, 2009
The company has announced the release of a digital video recorder (DVR) with DVD recorder and hard drive and above all, it offers a broadband Internet connection and Web browser. NDR-XR1 was launched on 12 April in Japan, and it has been marked as a step towards technical advancement. Hard drive and DVD recorders have been introduced previously by many other brands. Sony takes the credit of being the first company ever to add a broadband connection in a DVR. The addition of broadband can be used as guide information and web pages can be accessed. Inclusion of a hard drive with a DVD burner is a comparatively new feature, but at the same time posses a threat to entertainment industry’s regarding piracy matters.
According to a latest report from In-Stat/MDR research firm, shipment numbers and interest from consumer electronics manufacturers are increasing, due to the popularity of digital video recorders among customers. Features like recording television programmes, storing them on a hard drive, etc are facilitated in this device. It also allows quick access of programmes and pausing live broadcasts temporarily.
According to In-Stat/MDR, these devices have enthralled many users and got 83 percent satisfaction rating, although, it has failed to amass the following predictions. The shipments are likely to grow considerably as companies will incorporate DVR features to devices like DVD players. In the year 2002, worldwide shipments had reached 1.5 million and have grown to 11 million in 2005 according to In-Stat/MDR. Satellite set-top boxes are considered to have stimulated the growth.
The customer interest is stirred up with the latest configuration of Sony’s NDR-XR1. It consists of hard disk of 80GB capacity, the capability to record in DVD-R/RW format, DV link for importing footage from video cameras and Memory Stick reader for importing still images. Besides these, it supports playback of DVD-R/RW, DVD video and CD formats. This device can be connected to Internet-based programme guide through its always-on broadband connection and facilitates automated programming of the device.
The user can programme the DVR through a PC or Internet-connected mobile phone by subscribing to the programme guide service. The web pages can be viewed by the user in a picture-in-picture display, at the same time when he watches the television. It was on the basis of automatic programme guides and its pause live television feature that the first DVRs with TiVo service appealed its customers, although it could be recorded on the built in hard drive alone.
Latest device such as NDR-XR1 and Panasonic DMR-HS2 has the capability to record on the built-in hard disk, at the same time enables the users to archive programmes on DVDs which can be played back on a DVD player or PC. Sony’s NDR-XR1 is affordable as well.
