SnapStream Takes PVR Software 'Beyond TV'
SnapStream Media launched its newest personal video recording software dubbed "Beyond TV" to attendees of this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Formerly known as Personal Video Station, SnapStream's Beyond TV touts a redesigned user interface, compression to enable easier playback on portable media devices, and new electronic programming guides. To complement its Beyond TV solution, the Houston based developer intends to introduce two additional products within the next month.
Beyond TV acts like a TiVo for the PC - only without the monthly subscription fees. Like its set-top rivals TiVo and ReplayTV, Beyond TV permits users to record, watch, pause, and even "SmartSkip" past commercials without the need for tapes. At CES, the software was chosen as a nominee for TechTV's "Best of CES 2004" awards, and will ship with ADS Tech's Instant TV Deluxe TV tuner.
New features incorporated since the past release include SmartSkip, a free electronic programming guide for Canadian customers, and SnapStream's new "ShowSqueeze" clip compression technology which supports conversion from MPEG-2 to either the Windows Media or DivX formats. In addition, the PVR software is now controllable by a mouse, and the "ViewScape" interface integrates a program search to simplify navigation.
SnapStream plans to follow up Beyond TV with Beyond Media, software that transforms a home PC into a hub for digital media akin to Windows XP Media Center Edition and Dell's Media Experience. Beyond Media enables the playback and display of videos, DVDs and photos.
When asked if SnapStream had plans to partner with OEMs, president and CEO Rakesh Agrawal told BetaNews that he could not comment on any specific agreements at this point in time. Dell currently saves on its bottom line by shipping Media Experience, which runs on Windows XP Home, in lieu of Microsoft's Media Center Edition of XP Professional.
SnapStream is also taking its new FireFly PC remote control out from under wraps. FireFly controls PC applications such as Beyond TV, but also will interact with competing products such as MusicMatch and myHTPC, or even PowerPoint.
"It's the remote control to rule them all," said Agrawal. Agrawal told BetaNews that FireFly is not intended to compete with Microsoft's Media Center Extender technology - a family of streaming media receivers that plug into TVs, set top boxes and the Xbox gaming console.
More information on SnapStream's new product lines will become available shortly.