Tech Gear to Watch in 2004
From smart phones to fancy MP3 players, and from satellite radio to combo DVD/DVR players (and more), here's what you need to keep an eye on in the coming months.
Michael Cahlin
Combination DVD DVR Recorders/Burners
Industry trend: Say sayonara to VHS. The hottest trend is folding TiVo--or a TiVo-like service--into cable boxes and DVD players. Before you buy, check your local cable company to see if they have--or will soon be offering--DVR (digital video recording) services. Comcast, for instance, plans to offer "TiVo-like" services in 2004, and many Time Warner subscribers already have the option.
If you can't wait, prices on standalone TiVo and ReplayTV boxes have fallen during the year, as newer models are rolled out. You can snag a TiVo for as little as $199. (Note: This price does not include the $13-per-month subscription fee--or a one-time $299 lifetime fee.) Best bets: Check the companies' Web sites for further year-end discounts, rebates, and clearances. Another great source for purchasing TiVo or ReplayTV equipment: EBay.
New this year are combination DVD and DVR players that also play CDs and MP3s like the Toshiba SD-H400 ($550) and Panasonic DMR-E80H ($700). Toshiba includes free, basic TiVo; Panasonic does not. Neither product burns programming directly to DVD. For that luxury, check out Pioneer's DVR-810H ($1209) and DVR-57H ($1800)--the first DVD combo player/burner with TiVo. Both products let you record shows on recordable and rewritable DVD discs. Hook up your VCR to the back of either unit, and you can transfer your old VHS tapes to DVDs. Expect prices to drop substantially in 2004 when Sony and others introduce competitive models.
If you haven't gotten into the DVD-burning craze, but you want to do something with your pile of VHS tapes, HP's $350 DVD Movie Writer is a unique all-in-one external kit that turns old analog video into DVD. The Movie Writer hooks up to a Windows PC via a USB 2.0 cable, just like a regular external DVD burner. Simply connect your VCR to the Movie Writer with a standard video/audio cable, then press the Record button on the device. A Video Transfer Wizard pops up and walks you through the rest of the transfer and burning process in a handful of mouse clicks. So far, the Movie Writer is the only one of its kind on the market (the price also includes a DVD+R five-pack).
