NEWS - Monday, January 12, 2004

DVR Technology In Xbox 2 And PS3
Sony Electronics PlayStation and Microsofts Xbox game consoles may include digital video recording (DVR) technology in future versions, panelists said during a discussion at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Despite lagging sales, DVR would be a hot consumer technology in the future, said speakers on a panel devoted to investigating future consumer electronics products and technology trends. DVRs make it possible to record and watch a program by skipping (or "zapping") advertisements. TiVo, ReplayTV and Echostar Satellite currently dominate the DVR market. In addition to Microsoft and Sony bundling DVR technology into future game consoles, cable companies would be a major player in the DVR market as they added digital video recording capability into set-top boxes, panellists said. A DVR technology growth deterrent, however, could be poor consumer education about DVR gadgets, a panellist and senior vice-president at Pioneer, Andy Parsons said. "Consumers dont understand how to use DVRs," he said. The DVRs prices would also need to come down for the technology to sell, according to panellist and senior marketing manager at Samsung Electronics, Chris Cudina, said.Source: http://www.arnnet.com.au/