Marc Andreessen, cofounder of Netscape Communications, has invested an undisclosed sum in Replay Networks, a startup making a device that could eventually replace the VCR.
Closely held Replay, based in Palo Alto, California, said Monday that Andreessen, an executive vice president at Netscape, also will take a seat on its board of directors.
Replay is developing a device, called ReplayTV, that stores television programming on a hard disk drive instead of videotape. Users can create "channels" that record programs according to user-defined parameters, such as theme, actor, or program. The device can store six to 32 hours of programming for playback, the company says.
ReplayTV can pause and rewind during live broadcasts, and can be hooked up to a regular VCR to permanently tape the programming. It also works with regular cable and satellite television, said Replay's CEO Anthony Wood.
ReplayTV's boxes start at US$500. Most of its products are still in development, but a $900 premium model will begin shipping later this year.
Andreessen's investment could boost Replay's prospects and visibility. "Coming from a place like Netscape, Andreessen is one of the world's experts on look and feel," said Gerry Kaufhold, an analyst at research firm In-Stat. "I think [the investment] validates the approach of Replay."
From now until January 2001, all kinds of hybrid semi-interactive products will emerge, said Kaufhold. "The really killer app is personalized TV, which is a lot easier to implement [than interactive TV]."
"Think of ReplayTV as a portal for television," Andreessen said in a statement. It will "personalize and manage the chaos of thousands of hours of television programming raining down on people daily."
Replay Networks runs a programming guide that can be downloaded into the ReplayTV box at night via a regular phone line.
