Tonight, at Digital Experience, ReplayTV will debut their software-only DVR product. I’m skipping the event, but perhaps my Engadget or Gizmodo buddies will take the new software for a spin and report back. ReplayTV is expected to ship this fall for $100. I hope that includes the referenced Hauppage tuner card, otherwise it’s horribly overpriced compared to Windows MCE, Yahoo, and BeyondTV. Guide data is included for the first year, but will cost $20 for subsequent years… effectively killing any chances at success they might have had. I can’t say I’m too excited about any of this — PC-as-PVR is a niche and Replay is late to the party.

USA Today says: While ReplayTV will continue to serve its stand-alone DVRs, it has been unloading inventory to focus exclusively on software. “The PC is a very vibrant market,” says ReplayTV General Manager Bill Loewenthal. “It’s natural that a DVR experience come to that.” ReplayTV will require a PC with at least a Pentium 4 processor and Windows XP operating system. Users can decide how much hard drive space to devote to TV shows (an hour typically requires a gigabyte). The unit also has a device that sends infrared signals to a cable or satellite box so people can use a single remote to also change channels.

Kevin spotted a nice deal over on Woot for a $30 refurb Gyration keyboard and mouse. Back in my HTPC days I used this (or a similar model) to control a projector-attached computer. The remote and keyboard use RF, so you have increased range without line-of-sight issues. And being so compact, these are pretty unobtrusive on the couch or coffee table. Additionally, the gyroscopic features of the mouse (moving it in the air) were nice to use while reclining without worrying about a hard surface (though the couch cushions were often sufficient). The mouse charger/dock acts as your USB receiver — mine happily sat on top of the subwoofer. I don’t know what these run for today, but I recall paying over $100.

Want to turn your Mac mini into a PC DVR using BeyondTV? All you need is Boot Camp, Windows, and an external tuner. Why? Because we can! Not to mention this is tons cheaper than EyeTV. If you’re pining away for HD tuning on that Mac mini, you’ll also need an external drive to keep up. Of course the next step is seeing if the SnapStream folks can get this to work within Parallel’s virtualization software…
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Om’s got the scoop on Yahoo Go TV being released a mere week after Meedio announced they had been acquired. They weren’t kidding when they said they’ve been working on this relationship for awhile…

Here are some pics after my initial install. Don’t expect a comprehensive review anytime soon, I’m having too much fun playing. Will this be a Windows MCE, BeyondTV, or Front Row killer? At the very least the price of zero dollars makes it very competitive.

Yahoo says: Take back your TV

Now you can see all your Yahoo! stuff, such as photos, video clips and music videos, up on the big screen. Plus, your own DVR gives you the freedom to record and manage all your TV shows – no set-top boxes or monthly fees required.

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Never enough time…

• TiVo cofounder Jim Barton broadcasts the revolution. (ACM Queue)
• Netflix quarterly conference call doesn’t mention TiVo. (Internet Stock Blog)
• Save fifty bucks on a Slingbox and get 2000 United Airlines miles. (Sling)
• Details on Clear Channel’s digital radio plans (aka HD) to compete with satellite. (MarketWatch, Business Week)
• Sony releases PSP firmware 2.7 (in Japan) providing Flash and AAC support. (Engadget)
• NHL scores and standings plugin released for BeyondTV. (SnapStream)
• Pay for a year of service and get a free refurb TiVo offer still available. (TiVo)

SnapStream, the BeyondTV folks, has added the Firefly Mini to their arsenal. Unlike the original RF Firefly, the new remote is IR and button presses trigger keyboard commands to control many common software apps without requiring configuration or the installation of any drivers. Both Firefly remotes fully support BeyondTV and other SnapStream software, but it’s not required to use them. If you have many complex apps and want to control your HTPC through walls, go for the $49.99 RF Firefly or the ATI Remote Wonder. For a smaller and more economical option to use with simpler configurations, the $29.99 Firefly Mini is a decent choice.

Personally, I want control of all my devices with the least amount of clutter. Apparently someone at SnapStream feels the same… They’ve documented how to use a cheapie Sony learning remote to pick up the Mini’s IR codes, thus allowing you to toss it in a drawer. Being a Harmony aficionado, I’m here to tell you their remotes have a learning port and can do the same. Then again, you’ll have to ask yourself if an IR receiver is worth 30 bucks.