Petteri Pyyny
4 Dec 2002 13:36
What we who live in Western countries consider to be the top-of-the-range in personal digital video, is getting pretty antique in Japan. Here in the UK Philips and others are pushing strongly stand-alone DVD-/+R/W recorders to the markets, but the devices are priced so that only early-adopters can afford them. Meanwhile in Japan, combined DVR (think of TiVo) and DVD-R devices are getting rapidly more popular.
Now, Toshiba has set a new storage capacity record for these type of devices, by releasing a 160GB DVR device that's combined with DVD-R/W recorder. Short blurp from their press release:
The RD-X3 offers home users a 160GB HDD, the largest drive of any HDD & DVD video recorder*1, capable of recording a maximum of 208 hours*2 *3 of programming. The recorder also supports a DVD-RAM/-R drive that can record up to 12 hours of video on a 9.4GB double-sided DVD-RAM disc.
A wide range of enhancement technologies supports superb image quality. A progressive scan video circuit delivers the impressive 540 horizontal line resolution that brings out the best of DVD images, while a Ghost Reduction Tuner (GRT) assures clearer, sharper picture reproduction. Other imaging technologies include Digital Noise Reduction (DNR), a 12bit 108MHz Video Digital to Analog Converter (DAC), and D1 terminal input that enables reception of high-quality images from other tuners.
Internet connectivity is provided by a LAN (Ethernet) terminal with broadband capacity. It allows the RD-X3 to connect with an in-house LAN and the Internet, and to access the value-added functions offered by Toshiba's original "Net de Nav" software. These include selections of programs to record through the Internet Electronic Program Guide (iEPG), including e-mail selection by a mobile phone. "Net de Nav" also supports PC-based remote control of the RD-X3 and download of titles and images that can be used to add a creative personal touch to the menu of DVD-R discs during recording. These appear on the replay display during playback of the DVD-R.
Device will be available in Japan in January, 2003. Pricing has not been announced yet.
More info: Japancorp