The hype about DVR has come and gone. When TiVo first came out with its digital video recorder, it surged into popularity and revolutionized the way we watch TV. The fact that people could actually record their favorite shows and watch them later, rather than work around broadcast television’s rigid schedule, has left a permanent mark on the TV experience. But that’s old news now: the rise of online TV providers like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO GO has taken us from our TV sets to our tablets, allowing us to stream the extensive (but not infinite) supply of online television wherever we have internet.
But broadcast TV is still alive and well, and it’s not dying anytime soon, thanks to the latest advancement in digital video recording. Network-based DVR (NDVR), or remote storage DVR (RS-DVR), is one of the most exciting future trends for information technology and will soon be readily available.
The advantage of NDVR is that it combines the best parts of the original DVR and online TV. Just like any DVR, NDVR can record and store all your favorite shows to be watched at anytime. But now, you can watch them anywhere. Rather than storing recorded television content in the set-top box at your home, NDVR stores recorded video on a “cloud” powered by the service provider. You don’t have to be in front of your home TV to watch your recorded content; you can access it from your computer, tablet, or any television with broadband connection!
Cablevision released the first and NDVR in the United States, which can now record up to ten shows at once. But other companies will soon follow suit: Comcast has been testing its own NDVR, Time Warner Cable announced its launch of a cloud-based interactive program guide, and set-top supplier company Arris has said that many of its clients have NDVR systems on the way. NDVR has been adopted abroad as well, gaining popularity in China, Germany, Italy, Greece, Finland, and Singapore.
How to use this Information
At Edge Solutions, we stay on top of the future trends for media and entertainment information technology. NDVR is about to change many technology, retail, and entertainment businesses, and we’re prepared to help them adapt. Call us at (888) 861-8884 or contact us online.