TVSquad

Gizmodo has an intriguing article looking at the ins and outs of the TiVo remote control. Not from a technical standpoint, but from a historic one. Back in 1998, for example, TiVo wanted to develop a remote that looked like no other. But before settling on the "peanut" style design, the company considered remotes that looked more like spatulas, breadsticks, or toads.

The post has dozens of pictures showing early TiVo prototypes, remote controls designed by third parties for boxes like the DirecTiVo, and even a bunch of prototype shots showing early designs for the backlit TiVo Series3 remote.

Probably the most interesting bit is head of consumer engineering Paul Newby's look ahead at the future of the TiVo remote. Future models could have a QWERTY keyboard, a touchscreen or both.

Think your home theater PC is pretty cool because you can record two high definition shows at the same time? Harmon Kardon is displaying an HTPC at IFA that can handle 8 simultaneous HD recordings.

Gizmodo managed to get a few details and snap a few pictures of hte DVC600, but we've got more questions than answers at the moment. Here's what we know. It will support Blu-Ray playback, sport custom Unix-based software, and cost between 3,000 and 4,000 Euros (or about $4,000 to $5500 US).

What we don't know is if the DVC600 will be available in the US, or what kind of high definition inputs it supports. Are you going to need to line up a series of HDTV antennas if this puppy ever hits the US, or will there be CableCard support?

We're probably putting the cart in front of the horse here though. Odds are this dreamy machine will only be available to Europeans with cash burning a hole in their pockets.

Gizmodo has the scoop on an upcoming product that's designed to make the AppleTV look like a Betamax player.

Vudu is set to launch this summer with a video store that will sell several thousand movies from seven major studios as well as independent filmmakers.

The other central component to the Vudu system is a small box that plugs into your television set. No computer required. You can purchase and download movies directly from the set-top-box.

The box will handle MPEG-4 video upscaled to high definition. It includes HDMI, composite, and S-video ports. No WiFi here. You'll have to connect to your high speed internet connection over ethernet.

No final word on pricing or hard drive size yet, but Vudu has the AppleTV clearly in its sites, so expect competitive features and pricing.