Sezmi box merges media hub, TV, DVR

Hoping to solve many problems with modern TV at once, Sezmi today unveiled a self-titled set-top box that it says accommodates new and old media alike. The hub will offer streaming and downloadable Internet content but also serve as a receiver and recorder that expands on conventional TV. Viewers can watch traditional cable or satellite signals but will also have the option of picking up digital over-the-air shows; a unique service will ideally see some otherwise cable-only shows appear on unused wireless space for a subscription that will cost half as much as for conventional services.

A hard drive built into the Sezmi device also lets it record and cache shows, with many of the shows from the proprietary subscription downloadable as on-demand viewing, the company says. Sezmi also purports to have developed a unique networked reception system that lets users place the antenna for over-the-air shows anywhere the local network reaches, saving basement viewers the trouble of placing the Sezmi hub upstairs.

Costs for the subscription TV and the device itself are unavailable, as are most technical details of the platform. However, Sezmi vows to launch its platform this year and says it has lined up several online and TV content providers, as well as Internet providers and TV broadcasters, to provide its initial service offerings.