Ever forgot to program the video recorder and then left the house? If the VCR had a phone connection you could dial it up and programme it using touch-tones, either using VideoPlus numbers or conventional means.-- hvermin, Jan 21 2002 Wireless Access to Home Entertainment Services http://servlet.java...4/google-sf2001.jspRead the Abstract - takes less than a minute, or look at the PDF Slide file - which is 4,417,227 bytes. [thumbwax, Jan 21 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] I could have swore that I've already seen one that does have it... You can get existing X10 modules that'll sort of do this, and there's a couple others that claim to do this. I just haven't seen a VCR company that has the ability BUILT-IN.-- kschang, Jan 21 2002 I have a vague recollection that Tivo (or one of those type of things) allowed you to set up programs via a web page. The updates are picked up when the thing connects to get the updated schedule.-- azlondon, Jan 21 2002 Ah, a whole new way to hack...-- phoenix, Jan 21 2002 Microsoft's PVR - "UltimateTV" - will soon allow instantaneous programming of your home device via the web.-- waugsqueke, Jan 22 2002 [azlondon]: You can program TIVO over the net, and I know someone who has added SMS functionallity to this too. So baked, I suppose (but not really that publically accessible).
[kschang]: Isn't X10 a little too basic to do this, I thought all you could do with this was turn lights on and off and the like?-- mcscotland, Jan 22 2002 The Simon III alarm system uses something like this. You can let people in, control lights, set the alarm, etc. by phone. You simply call your home number, hang up, then call again within a certain number of seconds. The alarm answers and you type in your code.-- -----, Feb 22 2004 random, halfbakery