Perhaps the most controversial decision in the early days of HDTV standards was the use of interlacing at the highest resolution (1080i). The introduction of Blu-ray and HD DVD also brought the standardization of progressive content (1080p) which has been responsible for the introduction of many more HDTVs capable of displaying these signals. Now Dish Network has brought 1080p to their online Video On Demand (VOD) service.
Dish Network’s IP-VOD service is similar to offerings from cable companies, but due to the lack of interactivity inherent in satellite communication it requires a DVR and broadband internet connection. Subscribers with a MPEG-4 HD DVR will now be able to get A&E’s new series The Beast in 1080p.
“We are thrilled to work with A&E in pioneering these efforts by taking television to the next level using 1080p format,” said Jessica Insalaco, DISH Network’s Chief Marketing Officer. “As the first pay-TV provider to first offer VOD movies and now offer a TV series in 1080p, DISH Network continues to lead the industry when it comes to delivering the best quality programming options, DVR technology and overall value for our customers.”
Although the satellite VOD offerings from Dish Network and DirecTV aren’t capable of precisely emulating the experience of their cable counterparts, using receivers designed specifically for their services does give them an advantage when it comes to non-standard features like 1080p.
Result for: hd dvr
Dish Networks is planned to release a digital video recorder that incorporates Slingbox technology. This will enable users to watch recorded content on a variety of Internet-capable consumer electronics devices. The new ViP 922 HD DVR was shown at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. It will be available to Dish subscribers this Spring for $199.
Adding the Slingbox technology to the DVR greatly increases the viewing options of the users, Chief Executive Charlie Ergen told a news conference on Thursday. People can watch recorded programs on their computers at home, their notebooks while traveling, iPhone, smartphones, BlackBerry and more.
SlingGuide features are also available, which enable users to search for, record and view content from a computer or a mobile phone.
Result for: hd dvr
TiVo has announced that it will be adding Disney and Jaman VOD services to its ever increasing on-demand video library.
Jaman offers “a selection of international independent movies and foreign films and serials” and the Disney content will come from CinemaNow beginning next week.
The content will be available in SD with MPEG-2 encoding and can be accessed through Series2 and Series3/HD DVR hardware.
TiVo currently offers 30,000 TV and movie titles for rental or purchase and the rentals start at $1.99 per title.
Most movies will be available day and date with the retail DVD release.
