There’s an opportunity for set-top manufacturing companies like Moxi and 2Wire to really outclass TiVo, simply because they designing devices around a very specific set of, well, specifications. The newly announced 2Wire MediaPortal, for instance, isn’t just a satellite receiver. It’s also an internet/Ethernet-enabled media streamer with a built-in 250GB hard drive, designed to provide all the PVR functions you’d expect, (including HD recording), as well as over-the-wire on demand content. Wrapping that all up in a cohesive, consistant interface makes for a much more pleasant, integrated experience that generic set top boxes can’t as easily provide.
Wouldn’t it be hot to type “Law & Order” in the search field, then page through results that included PVR-recorded shows, ripped DVDs, live TV, on demand streaming media, and downloaded videos that live on your PC’s networked storage? This MediaPortal box can’t do all of that (the DVD ripping and the downloaded movies part might be trouble), but it can do everything else, plus stream your home content to a mobile device. Who knows how well it’ll all work together, but it holds a lot of promise.
Product Page [2Wire via GigaOm]
