SnapStream’s massive DVRs—used by Colbert and the like—are getting smaller

 

Lee Hutchinson

The SnapStream Express prototype we looked at prior to launch.

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Houston-based SnapStream has the ultimate toys for serious TV junkies: monstrous 30TB DVRs that can record 30 channels at the same time, with a Web-based interface that combines the best damn TV guide grid we’ve ever laid eyes on with fast searching, clipping, and collaboration tools. The problem is that the entry-level price tag of $10,000 means they’re not really consumer-based products—they’re intended for use in media production, where shows like The Colbert Report and The Soup need to collect thousands of hours of TV every week and clip out the bits they need to highlight in their broadcasts.

SnapStream’s newest product still isn’t quite a consumer device—but it is aimed at eliminating most of the price-related barriers to entry for businesses. The SnapStream Express, announced today, has almost all of the same software-based functionality of the big SnapStream products, but in a small PC-style form factor. And instead of $10,000 and up, it will cost $500 (though there will also be a $100 per month service fee).

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