Stream Machine and ESS Push Combined DVD Playback and PVR

Well, the old VCR is on the fritz and you want to buy a DVD player, but don't want to lose the option of recording TV shows by switching to a read-only disc format. In the near future, hopefully we'll see "set-top" boxes that let us play DVDs and record video to a hard drive without costing an arm and a leg. Stream Machine and ESS Technology say they are working toward making that box affordable with their "Encore" reference design. Products based on the reference platform will use Stream Machine's SM2288 MPEG audio/video codec chip and ESS's Vibratto single-chip DVD processor to combine DVD playback, audio/video MPEG recording and PVR (personal video recording) time-shifting capabilities. Encore uses an IDE interface for the hard disk drive, which can be adapted to provide increased recording capacity and to use other media formats. The SM2288 supports real-time video recording over a range of bit rates (2-15 Mbps). Encore also includes a real-time clock to support scheduled recordings, as well as a cable-ready TV Tuner for independent recording of broadcast material while you watch other programming, along with a DVD loader drive for DVD playback and a hard disk drive for personal video recording functions like time-shifting live broadcasts. Stream Machine and ESS are also offering this design for applications that use CD-RW recording media instead of hard disk drives. The "Duo" Reference Design combines the same Stream Machine and ESS chips for a consumer product that plays DVD and records MPEG2 onto CD-R and CD-RW media. The Encore Reference Design is available now from Stream Machine and is priced at $25,000. Hopefully, the end products from those who fork out the cash for the reference design will be substantially cheaper.