DirecTV, Cisco and Samsung have whole house DVR plans with RVU alliance
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted August 19th 2009 12:00PM
posted August 19th 2009 12:00PM
Here's how it would work
The concept is that you'd get a RVU server from your content provider (like DirecTV but it could also be cable or anyone else) and plug it into your home network. Then you'd buy HDTVs from the likes of Samsung with a RVU client built in, or you could even plug the RVU server directly into the TV. Then you can go to any TV in your house that is also an RVU client and access the exact same experience. This experience includes the ability to watch or record the same shows that you can from any other TV. Now the key part that get our minds going is the fact that Samsung obviously wants to sell TVs with this built in, otherwise why join the alliance? And then there is Cisco and DirecTV, both companies that make DVRs. So obviously they have interest in creating an RVU server. So as you can see this concept holds some real of potential.
What we don't know
Of course the website is short on details, which leads us to believe the details haven't been finalized yet. First up on our list of q's is how scalable is it? In other words, how many tuners can we have in the house, how much disc space is supported, and how many clients can there be? But we also wonder if you can have multiple servers from different providers on the same network? Then there is the biggest question of all, which is how well will this actually work -- assuming it even makes it to market. The last question isn't a cocern if you have DirecTV, but if you have cable, we wonder if your provider would even offer such a box, assuming Cisco actually makes a server? Of course not everyone wants to buy a Samsung TV, so we wonder how likely it is that other manufactures would join in on the party? Or what about other devices? The press release mentions other digital media adapters and set-top-boxes, so who knows how widespread the support for this could be.
Built on the shoulders of DLNA an UPnP
One of the most promising aspects of the RVU alliance is the fact that it is built on top of DLNA and UPnP. These two technologies are really everywhere, from Windows 7 to the Playstation 3. In fact we'd be willing to bet that DLNA is the most widespread media alliance ever assembled. A quick look at the roster on the DLNA site shows how well adopted it is. Of course neither DLNA, nor UPnP have the features required to deliver the type of experience that the RVU alliance is promising, which is where the new alliance comes in. To make up the difference, the RVU is offering the RUI -- you saw that one coming right -- which is described as a pixel accurate remote user interface technology. Basically the server would deliver the user interface alongside the video and audio to the client, which means all the heavy lifting is done on the server rather than the client. This is supposed to make the client less expensive and easier to implement, but it also means not just any DLNA client will work.
Okay, sounds great, but when?
According to our old friend Rômulo Pontual, DIRECTV's chief technology officer, "We are committed to the RVU technology and are planning to deploy it in media servers and clients beginning early in 2010." That sounds great and all, but DirecTV doesn't exactly have the best track record of delivering new technologies on time. Of course just because DirecTV has a server and clients out next year, doesn't mean Samsung or any other TV will, but at least it is a start.
It sounds great on paper, but we want to check it out first hand
If there is one thing we've learned following the HD industry, it is that plenty of great ideas go wrong when implemented. We all know too well that you can't buy electronics based on the spec sheet alone, so as great as this sounds, we won't be ditching our Windows Media Center setup just yet. One thing is for sure though, the RVU alliance most certainly has our attention, we just hope that they can deliver.
it can view live content view, in addition to life (assuming you have a networked web cam)!
FAIL
It is the same.
Both the original xbox and xbox 360 as well as a number of extenders can do this with Windows Media Center.
Live and recorded. Why re-invent the wheel AGAIN?
Yes, as long as you have the STB. You also are controlling the source in via a cablecard, etc. This is going to unleash that need, having a full STB to receive. A small software layer embedded can accomplish it. Not saying we can't do it today, its just not for the masses and certainly not as streamlined. This will probably also make hollywood happy and free up some of the inane restrictions we have today.
again with the DLNA.... In this article you say:
"A quick look at the roster on the DLNA site shows how well adopted it is."
The truth is DLNA has slapped their label on thousands of products that exhibit some sort of representation of some of the DLNA guidelines. In and of itself, having the DLNA logo means nothing other than the device has ethernet and can playback some media.
As I posted in another thread about some amazing DLNA gadget, for example: Sony Bravias with DLNA require proprietary hardware (also amazingly made by Sony) to give you full DLNA service (streaming video, music, and pictures). Sharp has 'DLNA' on several Aquos TVs but no one seems to have used one for such and posted reviews. Samsung has 'fake' DLNA in that it requires you to install THEIR OWN server software on your PC to use (does not work with tversity)...
'DLNA' is yet another label for another conglomeration that means nothing in the real world by itself.
I'm doing the same thing. It works great. I can watch shows on my PC from either of my DirecTV DVRs. I mean, its not the same as watching any show, recorded on any DVR, from any other DirecTV receiver but its a step in the right direction anyway.
Stupid comment system. My comment was supposed to be a reply to Jesslyn in the comments above regarding the DirecTV2PC application.
Ugh seriously? Direct TV dropped MCE tuner development for this crack dream by committee? Sigh. I'm sure they will produce something stunningly over priced, barely functional, riddled with DRM to the point of uselessness, and just in time for my 5 year old to have graduated college.
All of this stuff is about controlling the content and giving the end user the illusion they are in control. Maybe DirectTV and some others need all the extra boxen, but FIOS streams all their VOD as IPTV. If they would just let me receive it on a network device of my choosing, I'd be all set.
Someday all TV will be streamed from servers at a head end and received on any network capable device and/or sold subscription style a la iTunes. Until then, we'll have this hodge podge of standards, plug-ins, converters, storage here, storage there, and so forth. I just won't be spending (much) of my money it.
Grrrr.
"One of our dreams is to have a true whole home DVR that allows us to watch any show we want, on any TV we want; but so far the perfect solution has alluded us."
No it hasn't - it has ELUDED you. FFS.
Tony
Already doing this today with SageTV. http://www.sagetv.com
I am curious what type of out-of-band stream they are running between the devices once the session is established - in addition to the impact that has on the network. One of the claims to fame is that RVU specifications leverage the DLNA and UPnP protocols. Obviously, that is for device Discovery, Content Directory Services, and setting up the sessions through the ConnectionManager functionality. I also assume that it converts generic IR-based control signals into AVTransport and RenderingControl based SOAP transactions for the commands, although it also would be logical that it requires specialized remotes that use the UPnP protocols natively instead, which would be a first.
The question is “What type stream is established between the devices.” Another one of RVU’s claims to fame is “Pixel Accurate Remote Graphics.” What does that mean? There is talk in this thread about compression codecs for the content. Are they actually applicable to the protocol found in the new Remote User Interface (RUI) specifications? Why do they refer to pixels instead of “lossless” video codecs for their content delivery mechanism? Are they actually sending the screen image itself in some sort of pixel by pixel source to a rendering engine using a proprietary format or are they sending “standard” video streams in some sort of standardized codec format? The implications of being “pixel accurate” are huge if they truly are talking about lossless video. Using standardized lossless video codecs has network performance implications. Although they talk about potentially having an unlimited number of clients, they only use two clients in all of their scenarios. Is that because the system quality actually starts to break down after that? Do the RVU specifications really just establish a “required” set of UPnP content tags in their Device Description Document that limits the content formats to a specific subset of codecs that deliver lossless video streams? It also is confusing that in their scenario documentation they refer to the kid’s watching high def show in one room and then picking it up and watching the same show in standard def in his room. That implies that the stream is transcoded in some way rather than being sent as a “pixel accurate” image to a standard def display in one room while sending the same image stream to a high def source in another room.
I guess the bottom line is that this architecture really is not much different than what the WMC Extenders have now. The biggest difference is that RVU uses standardized DLNA-based protocols for discovery and setup instead of the “more proprietary” interfaces that the Microsoft implementation currently uses. However, one of the advantages of the Microsoft implementation is that, at least on the 360, it uses MCML-based UI “commands” that are rendered locally, thus supporting all of the great animation techniques that they do. How are the scrolling navigation menus that are delivered out-of-band from the video stream itself generated in this environment? Are they generated on the server and sent as “pixel accurate” in the stream or are they sent as some sort of remote UI rendering tags and rendered locally? Will we have an experience like the non-360 Extenders that are more of a remote screen scrape or will they truly be “pixel accurate,” which has the implications on the scalability of this solution from the server resources required to generate the various images for each session, the transcoding (if there is some), the network performance (does the DIRECTV server have a Gigabit connection?), to the rendering? If they do not have a programming language similar to MCML, how do they render the “10 foot experience” when bringing content and menuing systems from web sites and content providers into their ecosystem? Are they rendered on the server and included in the “pixel accurate” video stream or are they out-of-band from the actual content stream itself?
Additionally, how does this impact the audio? Is the audio also “lossless?” Would the platform allow a vendor to remote a Blu-ray with 7.1 lossless audio? Will all clients be in synch or will there be delays for the same content. Actually, can you even play the same content to multiple displays simultaneously or is it more of a WMC architecture with each device rendering its own unicast stream? Since they rely on DLNA for the underpinnings and DLNA currently does not have a synchronization platform, have they developed their own non-standardized way of doing this?
The last question is how does Broadcom fit into the picture (no pun intended)? Have they created a System on a Chip that simply can be plopped into any CE device to enable this technology? Do they provide all of the “pixel accurate” processing themselves or do they rely on integration with video and audio codec chips from other manufacturers? IS it really all about licensing the “pixel accurate” content stream technology to as many vendors as they can find?
While this does sound like distributed audio and video nirvana, there still are a lot of questions on the actual implementation and how well they will be able to deliver the experience. It will be interesting to see (and hear) how this pans out once it is delivered to the masses (it appears it is time to start looking at everyone upgrading their home networks to be able to support multiple “pixel accurate’ media streams running around the house). Additionally, how does Microsoft’s push into the DLNA world with Windows 7 play out as a competing scenario? Will they actually be able to deliver a similar Extender experience using DLNA protocols (in with PlayReady instead of DTCP-IP)? Could DLNA really be the new Extender Version 3.0 platform for Microsoft? It will be interesting to see how this all plays out…..
=D-
Derek R. Flickinger
Interactive Homes, Inc.
I have a Pace MoCA solution that utilizes a 1TB NAS and 3 dual tuner client boxes. I can record up to 6 HD streams while simultaneously playing back 3 HD streams in any room.
Verizon joined RVU as a "founding promoter."
Source: http://www.multichannel.com/blog/BIT_RATE/22579-Verizon_Joins_TV_Interface_Group.php