Singularis-Is it Better than TiVo and RePlay?

tminator asks: "I was perusing the archives over at ZDnet when I came across a commentary about DVR's (Digital Video Recording). In the talkback section, someone mentioned a site called Singularis. It's a web-based television programming guide with thumbs-up/down rating of genre, title, actor, etc. You tell it what you like, it pulls up when similar shows are one, and the best part is it works with 'Singularis Personal Video Recorder (SPVR)' so you can record mpeg encoded programs on your PC. You can even modify and record programs while you're away! Just use their website to schedule the show and it'll go. You do need a TV Card, but it sounds like it'll beat the pants off TIVO and RePlay...'cause it's FREE." Unfortunately, the service is limited to Microsoft Operating Systems, but it's still an interesting experiment. If some of you have tried this service, I'm sure the rest of us would like to hear your experiences.

US DVR market behind the European

[Anonymous Coward]

much better than singularis is www.tvtv.de which provides access to TV programs that you can download to your DVR in Europe. Far, far superior to Tivo, Replay in the US. Unfortunately, the US will never see such an innovative scheme of Internet access to TV programs you can download to your computer since TVGuide controls program interface by patent in the US. Consequently, US products get this sucky TVGuide remote control interface while the Europeans get anywhere, anytime access to programs. DVR in the US will be as screwed up as cellular phone industry for a long, long time. Patent protections have basically taken US industry out of the competitive arena in emerging markets. -r

Re:Not really free.

[glaude]

YES IT IS really free...

May be one day there will be some kind of advertisement like banners or intersticials with the SPVR, but it will stay free for the end user.

Singularis aims to sell its technology to DTV operators, not to Internet users. The SPVR is a kind of "proof of concept" for TIVO-like Set-Top-Boxes that will be distributed by digital cable operators.
Finally TV users will get a cable STB with browsing, time shifting and smart recording capabilities...
Much more integrated than TIVO or ReplayTV that need a lot of tuning to work with a STB

The SPVR dev team :-)

About the ethernet port...

[AtariDatacenter]

The author complained about the lack of the official Ethernet port. I agree, but for a different reason. The purpose of the TiVo is to put a simple interface, logic, and automation, around things that we are already capable of doing today. It is important that this is wrapped up as an appliance, and not a computer component.

Now that I have a TiVo, I'm addicted. But I see a great deal of possibility for service enhancement.

Mr. Corporate Executive: are you listening? Here's what I want! A bone-fide "open" video format that is used by a number of encoders. It allows content providers to put information in a format which can be downloaded into a DVR for playback.

Download AVI movie previews? HA! I want to download them to my DVR. I don't care if it has to happen in the background.

If you're looking for revenue that YOU can cash in on, how about allowing people to download (PPV) *unique* content. Things that wouldn't be on PPV but, say, would be in a video store or elsewhere. For example, an episode of Doctor Who.

Bringing this back on topic, something like Singularis is good. I'm not going to knock points off because it has a so-so web interface. But I wish that it was capable of downloading programs into my TiVo. Heck, they could do music, too.

I'm hoping that ReplayTV/TiVo do not go out of business, or adopt a strange revenue model. This type of product has a mass amount of untapped potential.

Re:My opinion

[Olive777]

Ok Tivo is integrated in your TV but SINGULARIS is free. You get TV lisiting, real recommendation and personalization and you can record any program on your PC. All you need is a PC TV Tuner Card. That's cool. I personaly like it a lot.

TiVo fills in a noche

[lkaos]

A PC based TiVo-like service will never be as popular as a set-top box based system. I know I don't like watching TV on my PC and since I use Linux, getting TV tuners to work properly is quite a trick (I am currently using WinTV). I think projects like LART [tudelft.nl] have a greater chance of an Open TiVo system is someone would develop a proper daughterboard for MPEG compression/decompression.

Re:Not really free.

[Olive777]

Singularis is totally free. I have askek them and they do not plan to charge the service any time soon. It is because they sell their a complete set of Personal TV software to cable operators and broadbanders. They added they want to collect user feedback to enhance their product and get the relevant mix.

Not really free.

[NetJunkie]

That service is only free during the Beta.

Saying that... I love my TiVo, and I don't see something like this replacing it. The reason the TiVo is so popular is the full integration it has. There is no real seperation for me from my TV, as would be required by having my PC do the work.

With the price of a 20 hour TiVo $199 after rebate, I don't see anything beating it. Sure, you have to pay a monthly fee but it's only $99 for a year, or $199 for lifetime of the unit. If 20 hours isn't enough you can always add a big HD to it later.

The interface is great, the features are great....

Singularis is free

[Olive777]

Singularis is 100% free. Cause they sell a complete set of Personal TV software for cable operators. It's cool - I try it, get recommendation and record and TV program on my PC. I'm having tons of fun with it.