Mark Fleischmann

When you record a program with your DVR, does it matter whether the hard drive lives in your set-top box or on your cable company's network? Yes it does matter, a federal district court has ruled, effectively killing Cablevision's Remote Storage DVR. Soon after Cablevision introduced the innovative device, it was sued by CNN, Fox, NBC, Paramount, and TBS, who claimed the RS-DVR was not merely recording programs, but rebroadcasting them--a violation of copyright law. Cablevision argued in vain that the device was not rebroadcasting because recording and playback were controlled by the consumer. The decision will affect not only Cablevision's three million New York-area subscribers, but also cable consumers nationwide, by preventing other cable operators from introducing their own network-based DVRs. Cable operators like network DVRs because they're less costly to operate than the conventional kind. Cablevision may appeal. If it drags out the fight long enough, and Congress passes the Fair Use Act, the RS-DVR may get a second chance. The proposed law protects devices "capable of substantial, commercially-significant non-infringing use."

Hate your cable company supplied DVR and its inferior interface? Cox subscribers will get a new and better option later this year when the company begins supporting TiVo Premiere DVRs.

If adding a USB DAC to your system would be one box too many, Creek offers one with a CD slot, so you might eliminate the disc player.

Videophiles of a certain age recall the way Criterion swept through the laserdisc domain like a fresh wind, radically raising standards for both film to video transfer quality and alternate track interviews. Having continued its high standards in DVD releases, Criterion is now about to apply its magic touch to Blu-ray.