PLANETWEB MOVES INTO PVR MARKET WITH SOFTWARE SUITE
Hoping to ride wave of CE products incorporating personal video recorder (PVR) technology in coming months, PlanetWeb used CES to unveil FrontRow suite of applications that will enable OEMs to add time-shifting, live pause and other PVR functions to virtually any device with hard drive.
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PlanetWeb CEO Ken Soohoo said DVD/PVR combo market was company’s first target. He had told Consumer Electronics Daily in Aug. that his company was eyeing PVR market entry by CES but offered few specifics (CED Aug 13 p2). Although Soohoo wouldn’t divulge identities of PlanetWeb’s negotiation partners, he told us at CES he expected FrontRow to be in DVD/PVR combos from several brands by fall.
Move into PVR software marks 3rd major shift in PlanetWeb’s core strategy in recent years. Company’s original plan was to develop browsers for modem-enabled CE devices, such as Sega Saturn NetLink and Dreamcast game consoles, 8x8’s ViaTV Videophone, Zilog’s Internet TV Appliance. As move toward Web browsing via TV stalled, company shifted in 2000-2001 toward making photo and music management and other software that is used offline in DVD players from Mitsubishi, Samsung, Sharp, Toshiba.
Soohoo said that in addition to standard PVR functions, FrontRow also would have photo and music management software option. Only thing lacking is EPG (electronic program guide). “This does not dictate EPG so our partners have to find that solution themselves,” Soohoo said. “Some of them are going to license Gemstar Plus [now renamed TV Guide on Screen] or go to the Web and get a Web-based EPG. There’s a Japanese player that’s using a Web-based EPG because it avoids some of the intellectual property issues involved with downloading into the box.” Soohoo predicted PVR pricing would drop 50% in coming year, with DVD/PVR combos reaching $200-$250 mass market price range by holiday 2003.
Separately, DVD Forum ad hoc group studying Web connectivity and interactivity for DVD discs and players is expected to approve Version 0.5 specification standard at meeting this month, Soohoo told us, and “in a couple more months we'll get to 0.9. That is the hope at least.” Ad hoc group has been meeting more than 2 years, but Soohoo said length of time was understandable given complex process in making sure each step has support of myriad of interests, ranging from content creators, to chip makers, to enabling software providers and CE manufacturers.