Audio Video News

This fall, Pioneer will launch a new line of DVD recorders featuring TiVo's personal video recorder technology. Almost certain to cause anxiety among Hollywood studios and network broadcasters, the new recorders will combine TiVo's versatile recording and operating features, and give consumers the choice of archiving their recordings on magnetic hard disks or DVD-R/RW optical disks.

With a projected price of $1800, the Pioneer Elite DVR-57H will include a 120-gigabyte hard disc drive. Its smaller-capacity sibling, the DVR-810H, will feature an 80-gigabyte hard drive. Both models will include the TiVo service, enabling users to schedule and record programs while playing a DVD, play programs from the hard drive while recording from the hard drive onto a DVD, and transfer content at high speeds from the hard drive to a DVD for long-term storage. Recordings can be added to the hard drive until it reaches its capacity, at which time some programs must be erased or transferred to DVD for permanent archiving. One big advantage of the machines will be their ability to let users edit their recordings prior to transferring them to DVD.

The combination DVD/TiVo machines will include analog inputs useful for transferring content from camcorders, and TiVo's basic service package, offered with no additional monthly fee requirement. Owners of the machines will have the option to upgrade their TiVo service whenever they wish. Upgrades to be offered will include the 14-day program guide, "Season Pass," "WishList," and the "Search by Title," features, according to a mid-June announcement.