Replay TV

Replay TV is a brand of digital video recorder (DVR), a term synonymous with personal video recorder (PVR). It is a consumer video device which allows users to capture television programming to internal hard disk storage for later viewing (and time shifting). The first Replay TV model launched in January 1999, two months ahead of rival TiVo. Currently, Replay TV only sells a PC edition of their product. Replay TV was founded in 1997 and purchased by SONIC blue in 2001. On March 23, 2003 SONIC blue filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and on April 16 sold most of its assets, including Replay TV, to the Japanese electronics giant D&M Holdings. SONIC blue was fighting a copyright infringement suit over the Replay TV's ability to skip commercials when it filed for bankruptcy. Replay TV would then concentrate on PC software sales of its DVR technology in a partnership with Hauppauge Computer Works, a manufacturer of Television cards for PCs. On December 13, 2007, D&M Holdings sold most of the assets of Replay TV to DirecTV. Replay TV service is only available in the United States via its subscription program. Although hardware is no longer sold, the subscription service remains active. Through the subscription service, searchable program guides are downloaded to the Replay TV unit nightly. Older units are only able to accomplish this download via a dial-up connection. Later models also capable of downloading program guides via the user's existing internet connection (broadband or DSL), as well as via the dial-up connection. Like other PVRs, Replay TV allows the users to record television programs. The subscription service is operated on a monthly fee, or one time payment, lifetime subscription. Each individual unit requires a separate subscription. The price of the original Replay TV units was higher than comparable TiVo units by approximately the same amount as TiVo's lifetime subscription, so a lifetime subscription was essentially priced into the units. Some Replay TV models allow automatic commercial skipping with no user intervention. It scanned for the black frames local television stations used to insert commercials. The "4000 Series" and "5000 Series" Replay TV units have Ethernet connections that allow the user to stream shows to another similar Replay TV unit within the same local network, transfer shows to another similar Replay TV unit (either on the local network or across the internet) or to a personal computer. This capability enables the users to move recorded programs to PCs using third-party programs. Recording of television programs could be accomplished either manually, or through use of the program guide.

The most recent "5500 Series" Replay TV units had the ability to stream shows to another similar Replay TV unit within the same local network, but can no longer transfer shows to other Replay TV units across the internet. The "5500 Series" units have also had the automatic commercial advance feature removed in favor of a manual "Show| Navigation" feature. The units are otherwise identical to the "5000 Series" units.

Amongst various models are Replay TV RTV5504 40-Hour Digital Video Recorder, whose estimated price is worth 149.99 US Dollars, Replay TV RTV5508 80-Hour Digital Video Recorder, whose estimated price is worth 299.99 US Dollars, Replay TV RTV5516 160-Hour Digital Video Recorder, whose estimated price is worth 449.99US Dollars and Replay TV RTV5532 320-Hour Digital Video Recorder, whose estimated price is worth 799.99US Dollars. Another brand Replay TV 5000 series included a JP1 remote which could be reprogrammed or upgraded using free software. Subscriptions for additional units were $6.95 a month.