Sony High Definition Digital Recorders

[zorankarapancev]

Sony is announcing a new line of HD digital video recorders: DHG-HDD250 and DHG-HDD500. These recorders will provide access to encrypted high-definition and standard-definition digital cable services when paired with a digital decoder device and a digital cable subscription. They also provide access to analog cable services, as well as such non-subscription services like high definition digital terrestrial and analog broadcasts.

The DHG-HDD500 digital video recorder can record and store up to 400 hours of standard definition (SD) programming or at least 60 hours of maximum bit rate high-definition content with its 500 GB of storage capacity. The DHG-HDD250 will record up to 200 hours of SD programming and at least 30 hours of HD content on its internal 250 GB hard drive.

The DHG-HDD500 and DHG-HDD250 will also include:
- Pause, rewind and record live high-definition TV with no recording subscription fees and no equipment rental.
- Free TV Guide On Screen interactive program guide with easy program searching and automatic scheduled recording (where available).
- HDMI or Component (YPbPr) high-definition outputs.
- Several standard-definition analog outputs for connection to recording equipment or analog TVs.
- Multiple display formats and flexible aspect ratio settings for reproduction of all broadcast formats on a wide variety of DTVs.

The DHG-HDD250 and the DHG-HDD500 digital video recorders will be available this fall with MSRPs of about $799 and $999, respectively.

[Frobozz]

Interesting. My math indicates that HDTV recording therefore requires about 8 or 9 GB per hour of video

Comcast mentions on their site that they "soon" will be offering a Motorola HDTV cable box that includes and 80GB hard drive that will record HDTV and NTSC. Here is the page they link to: http://broadband.motorola.com/noflash/dct6208.html