CEDIA Expo: Networked DVD Recorder Also Upconverts
Posted by Ramon G. McLeod | Sunday, September 11, 2005 7:18 AM PT
How long can plain vanilla DVD players and DVRs survive when companies like Toshiba keep putting out recorders like the $700 RD-XS54 (below)? Introduced here at CEDIA, this versatile machine plays back DVDs, records in DVD-RAM, DVD-R, and DVD-RW, is networkable via ethernet, upconverts video to 720p or 1080i, and includes an interactive television guide for scheduling recordings to its 160GB hard drive.
The networking capability is particularly interesting. Once on your network, you can use your PC to program new recordings and schedule recording by e-mail. It's also possible to dub content from on RD-XS54 to another if they're on the same network and to stream live and recording material to the PC.
The unit's upconversion capability to 720p or 1080i works whether the content is being played from a DVD or from the product's hard drive. Also included is the TV Guide On Screen Interactive Program Guide, for scheduling recordings.
What good is the network connection if you can only view what is on the machine? We have one and I am very disappointed that I can not dub my own content (non copy protected) from the hdd on the XS54 to my pc for editing. We use the XS54 to capture the images from 2 camcorders in our church services. I thought the network connectivity would allow us to dub from the hdd to a pc for editing. The dubbing only works between XS54's. Bummer!