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Mike Garcen at MissingRemote writes that he’s been getting lots of e-mails from ReplayTV about their new DVR software offering a “whopping 20% discount”. I’ve been getting them too, but I remember signing up to be on their list. And I haven’t asked to be removed–yet.

Yes, they are getting annoying, but since I follow the industry I figure it’s a small price to pay. And 20% is pretty cheesy.

I was a loyal ReplayTV customer for many years. From about 2000 to 2006, I owned the Panasonic ShowStopper DVR with about 30 hours of recording time. I later upgraded it with a bigger hard drive, which really helped me keep using the Replay for a few more users.

I would always scoff at Tivo users, with their pretty menus and cute sounds. My Replay was lots better, I would say. And in many ways, I still think the menu and user interface design are better than Tivo’s. (Check out my post where I offer suggestion to improve Tivo’s UI.) But I’ve been using Tivo for almost a year now and am used to Tivo’s interface. Some things still annoy me, but not like they used to.

I think it was a mistake for ReplayTV to get out of the hardware business, and switch to PC software only rather than a stand-alone DVR box. And I hope they can survive in the software DVR market, especially with established software like BeyondTV.

Related posts:

1. Interested in HD USB Sticks?
2. Suggestions for Improving Tivo Interface
3. Digeo Unveils PC Based DVR
4. New Software Records Streaming Audio and Flash
5. Tivo to Deliver Rhapsody Music