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Apparently, the only way to make a splash on the Internet these days is to take something that costs money and give it away for free. Google did it with Google Analytics (which used to be Urchin and was not cheap) and now Yahoo has done it with Yahoo! Go TV (which used to be Meedio and was not free). Yahoo Go TV is basically free DVR software for your Windows computer that also has a number of media management functions built in — very similar to Windows XP Media Center Edition in many ways.

Yahoo Go TV will run on most Windows based computers, but to take advantage of the DVR functions you will need to have a TV tuner card installed in your computer. I don’t have a TV tuner card in my computer (yet) but hey, it’s free and I’m definitely going to be downloading and installing the beta.

Technorati Tags: Yahoo, Meedio, DVR, PVR, Yahoo GO TV

Popularity: 16%

More and more people are discovering every day how a DVR can change your life (at least your TV live), and apparently this trend will continue for a long time. A new study by Strategy Analytics predicts that DVRs will be in 130 million homes worldwide by the year 2010 with the US and Europe leading the way. According to the study, 12 percent of homes have a DVR in the US and they expect this number to increase to more than 50 percent by 2010.

Alot of this growth will definitely be attributed to the integration of the DVR into not only cable and satellite boxes but also Televisions and Computers — Windows XP Media Center Edition being the most notable addition to date. As PVR and DVR functions become a part of more consumer electronics devices, people will come to expect these features as standard.

Since we already have a refrigerator with a built in TV, can the refrigerator with a TV and DVR be coming soon?

Technorati Tags: DVR, PVR, Windows XP Media Center

Popularity: 4%

Over at CNet, there is an interesting article that compares the Mac Mini to Windows XP Media Center for use as a DVR / PVR in the home. According to the article, this is just round one, but the winner is suprising — The Mac Mini wins Round One! It’s not that I don’t think the Mac Mini makes a better DVR or PVR than a computer running Windows XP Media Center, but I didn’t think a mainstream media outlet like CNet would ever even take a look at the Mac Mini, no less say it’s better than Media Center.

Of course, this is just round one, and what they looked at in round one — initial setup — is definitely going to be a strength of the Mac Mini. We’ll have to wait and see until the next round — which will focus on the PVR / DVR functionality of each device — how well the Mac holds up. I think it’s going to have a hard time since it doesn’t include a TV Tuner and really wasn’t designed to be a DVR.

Technorati Tags: CNet, DVR, PVR, Apple, Mac Mini, Windows XP Media Center

Popularity: 5%