Audio Video News

A lot of folks seem stymied by the remote controls that come with consumer-electronics gear. But is using the Internet any easier? ReplayTV thinks so, and last week announced its new service: MyReplayTV. The company says that MyReplayTV "creates a Web portal where viewers can find out about TV programming, gather additional information about shows of interest, and control the ReplayTV Service and digital video recorder via the Web." ReplayTV expects the Internet remote feature to be online later this fall.

According to ReplayTV, with a personal computer, customers using the new service will be able to control any digital video recorder powered by the ReplayTV service from anywhere in the world they can find an Internet connection. Once online, the company says, customers can log on to the website, view their personal ReplayTV channel guide to find shows, and set up recording options "just as easily as if they were at home on the couch."

ReplayTV's Kim LeMasters says that the first release of MyReplayTV will be available in conjunction with a new ReplayTV Service software update later this year. "The first phase will allow users to view program listings and personal channels, search for shows, set up recordings, view the amount of storage space available on the hard disk, and even view recording status messages. As part of ReplayTV's ongoing commitment to improving their free Personal Television Service, MyReplayTV will be made available to all existing users via a software download to the installed base."

Both ReplayTV and TiVo are struggling to establish markets for their hard-disk–based digital recorder systems by arranging deals with consumer-electronics manufacturers such as Sony and Panasonic, as well as by making deals with cable companies to integrate their service into set-top cable decoder boxes. Both companies also hope that adding interactive Internet capabilities will help move the technology into the mass market.

LeMasters adds that "in the future, as a fully reciprocal environment, MyReplayTV will allow our users to personalize and view information such as television news and related online data at a single, easy-to-use place. As an example, through MyReplayTV users could set up a New York Yankees 'virtual channel' where all games, post-game shows, and news coverage would be automatically recorded on their home DVR, and all online news, schedules, statistics, and merchandise would be automatically available online."