Archive for the ‘Net TV’ Category

TiVo gets its Netflix fix

by Steve O'Hear

December 8th, 2008 | Posted in Net TV | Comments1 Comment

The roll out of TiVo’s support for Netflix’s ‘Watch Instantly’ Internet TV service is now complete, reports Zatz Not Funny. As of today, “TiVo Series 3, HD, and HD XL subscribers who also partake in an unlimited Netflix plan will be able to stream a wide variety of video content at no additional cost.”

Dave Zatz’s verdict:

While the hybrid Netflix+TiVo interface isn’t as snappy as my Xbox or Roku boxes, receiving Netflix digital video on a DVR – a primary television set-top box – is extremely significant. Also notable, this represents the first time TiVo has facilitated high definition Internet video.

Dave’s only real complaint is that there’s not enough compelling content available through Netflix’s streaming catalog, something that should improve over time.

As I noted when Netflix first made the announcement, adding support for TiVo marks an impressive six months for the company in which it has delivered on its promise to bring its Internet TV offering on to many devices beyond the PC: Netflix streaming is now available on game consoles (Microsoft’s XBox 360), set-top boxes (Roku), DVRs (TiVo) and Internet connected DVD players (LG and Samsung).

Check out ZNF’s video demo of Netflix on TiVo after the jump…

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Video: Livestation demos live Internet TV on iPhone and iPod touch

by Steve O'Hear

December 3rd, 2008 | Posted in Net TV | Comments1 Comment

Livestation is currently in talks with Apple to bring a version of its Internet TV application to the iPhone and iPod Touch. A working prototype already exists (see video below) that delivers Livestation’s channel lineup of live television news stations on Apple’s device, although this is likely to be supported over WiFi only. “We’re not planning to have this available on 3G, simply because operators would not be too happy with people using this on a 3G connection”, says Livestation CEO Matteo Berlucchi. It’s also unclear when Livestation on iPhone and iPod touch will be made publicly available, although the company is delivering a live demonstration of the app on a dedicated Livestation channel tomorrow at 5pm GMT, including an interactive Q&A session with Berlucchi.

Video demo after the jump…

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BBC iPlayer lands on PlayStation 3 – could Hulu be next?

by Steve O'Hear

December 2nd, 2008 | Posted in Net TV | Comments1 Comment

Now that the PlayStation 3’s web browser supports full screen Flash video, I knew it wouldn’t be long before we’d see the BBC finally roll out a PS3 version of iPlayer. But boy was that quick.

Available in Beta, as of today PS3 owners can now access the Beeb’s seven day TV catchup service (UK-only), joining their Nindendo Wii brethren, along with specific versions for Nokia’s N96 and Apple’s iPhone. In fact, the BBC now lists compatibility with a whole bunch of portable media players, presumably via a generic mobile version, including the Archos 605 WiFi and Creative Zen X-Fi.

See also: BBC iPlayer on Wii gets a UI overhaul

The BBC always said it had a version of iPlayer for the PS3 in the works but that development was being held back due to the limited way in which Sony’s console supported Flash video. Now that’s been addressed, there’s no reason why other Internet TV services, such as Hulu, can’t follow in iPlayer’s footsteps.

Video demo: Nokia XpressMusic 5800's media playback features

by Steve O'Hear

November 26th, 2008 | Posted in Audio, Mobile, Net TV | Comments1 Comment

Nokia’s new touchscreen phone, the XpressMusic 5800, is being pitched as an affordable music and video centric phone — it’s the third handset to support the company’s all-you-can-eat music subscription service, Comes With Music — rather than being an outright iPhone killer (it isn’t). On that note, after playing with the device for a few weeks — see my first impressions — here’s a hands-on video I shot walking through the 5800’s media playback features.

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Finally, Blockbuster's Internet set-top box unveiled

by Steve O'Hear

November 25th, 2008 | Posted in Net TV | CommentsNo Comments

We knew it was coming. First, video rental chain Blockbuster purchased the movie download service MovieLink — originally a joint venture between Hollywood studios Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros. and MGM — and then the company, through a series of leaks to the press, began hinting at related plans to release a set-top box. A few denials later, followed by an outright confirmation, and today the company best known for its bricks and mortar stores finally unveiled the hardware itself.

Here’s what we know about the new Blockbuster Internet set-top box and accompanying On Demand service:

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Video demo: SkyFire's S60 mobile web browser accessing Hulu and YouTube

by Steve O'Hear

November 24th, 2008 | Posted in Mobile, Net TV | Comments3 Comments

In my first attempt at a video demo — something I hope to do a lot more of — I’ve been putting SkyFire‘s new mobile web browser through its paces, running on my S60-powered Nokia e71. What sets SkyFire apart from other mobile browsers, the company claims, is its ability to display the web in its full desktop glory, including Flash, Quicktime and AJAX-heavy content. To achieve this, web pages are processed by the company’s own proxy servers before being served up on the phone.

Check out my video demo after the jump, in which I try visiting last100 (Flash ads included), a page with a YouTube video embedded, and more ambitiously, the online video site Hulu — it played but was out of sync. I also tried accessing the web version of BBC iPlayer, but due to SkyFire’s use of a proxy server, I was blocked from accessing the UK-only service as it presumably thought I resided outside the country…

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Steve Jobs finds time for hobby (Apple TV software update)

by Steve O'Hear

November 20th, 2008 | Posted in Audio, Net TV | CommentsNo Comments

It’s nice to know that Steve Jobs and his faithful army of Apple engineers are still able to find time to spend on the company’s hobby. I’m talking about the Apple TV of course, which today received a minor software update.

The Apple TV Software Update 2.3 adds the following features to the company’s set-top box:

  • the ability to stream music via AirTunes to Airport Express-connected speakers or other Apple TVs connected to same local network
  • improved support for third-party remote controls
  • playlists in iTunes that contain Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, and Music Videos can now be seen on Apple TV
  • support for volume control in Music

Although this latest update is a minor one, it’s at least proof that Apple hasn’t abandoned the Apple TV completely. Having said that, the company’s Internet TV set-top box is starting to look really long in the tooth with it’s closed nature (the 2.3 update breaks existing hacks) and nearly sole existence within the iTunes eco-system.

See also: AppleTV 2 breaks free from the PC, remains under Apple’s lock and key

As I’ve argued many times before, Apple should open up the Apple TV to third-party developers or at least take a page from TiVo’s book and partner more aggressively, something that the company seems loathed to do in order to protect sales of movies and TV shows through the iTunes Store.

On that note, I wonder how Steve Jobs feels about the prospect of YouTube, a third-party video service the Apple TV does support, adding full-length movies and television shows from major Hollywood studios.

Mass market who? Vudu targets high end home theater crowd

by Steve O'Hear

November 17th, 2008 | Posted in Net TV | CommentsNo Comments

Set-top box movie service Vudu already targets the home theater crowd with its higher end XL offering, but now the company is taking up a notch with the release of the Vudu XL2.

Described as being “designed specifically for professional home theater installations”, the XL2 sports an aluminum case that houses a 1U rack mountable unit, uses the “highest quality components”, and like its XL sibling, features a terabyte of storage — enough to store more than 500 standard definition movies. Other high end features include IP and IR control to allow the XL2 to be integrated into “most high-end home control systems”, along with 1080i HD output over component, and the ability to route and switch HD signals through the home with the use of off-the-shelf video switchers. The result, says Vudu’s Tony Miranz, makes the XL2 a home theater installer’s “weapon of choice”. At a premium price, of course.

The Vudu XL2 will be listed at $1,299 and is available today exclusively through more than 1,000 Vudu-certified custom installers, says the company.

It’s interesting to see Vudu continue to pursue the high end home theater market, a natural fit, in terms of the company’s recent focus on HD content. It also helps to differentiate Vudu’s offering, on a hardware level at least, from competitors such as TiVo, Apple and Microsoft. But does that make it the right strategy?

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TiVo bridges the pizza to TV gap

by Steve O'Hear

November 17th, 2008 | Posted in Net TV | CommentsNo Comments

Not content with trying to solve the PC to TV problem, TiVo has teamed up with Dominoes Pizza to “give broadband connected TiVo subscribers the ability to order pizza for delivery or pick-up, and track delivery timing, right from their TV sets.”

While ordering a pizza directly through the TV, all without leaving the couch, seems like a neat idea, it’s utility maybe limited, particularly for the laptop generation. As Dave Zatz points out, the 10 foot UI of a TiVo will have a hard time beating the efficiency of the 2 foot browsing experience provided by a PC. And since many people, myself included, already watch TV with a laptop (or netbook) at hand, why not just visit Dominoes’ website or any takeaway delivery service of choice, and place an order that way.

See also: I’ve jumped on the Netbook bandwagon

However, for those users that don’t always have a PC on their lap, the Dominoes integration could provide an additional revenue stream for TiVo, presuming the company is getting a healthy kick back from Dominoes. On that note, the pizza tie-in isn’t the only e-commerce feature integrated into the company’s set-top box. Users also have the ability to “find and purchase products on Amazon.com related to a customer’s favorite TV show” and can purchase cinema tickets through Fandango – all via their TiVo remote.

Zatz Not Funny: TiVo, Flip MinoHD, CES Unveiled and more

by Steve O'Hear

November 16th, 2008 | Posted in Mobile, Net TV, ZNF | CommentsNo Comments

A periodic roundup of relevant news from our friends at Zatz Not Funny (one of my all time favorite blogs)…

Flip goes HD, adds FlipShare software

Mari Silbey: Pure Digital unveiled its anticipated Flip MinoHD today packaged with new FlipShare software for editing and sharing… One of the issues with the Flip camcorders to date has been keeping a sharp focus for close-up shots. According to a Flip spokesperson, the MinoHD doesn’t necessary solve that problem, with the minimum focus range staying at 80 cm. However, it’s likely not a significant concern for casual users, particularly with the new HD resolution.

(Ed. I looked at purchasing a Flip but after reading multiple reviews I’ve plunged for the more expensive Sanyo HD800 – review coming soon).

Dave dumps XM (again)

Dave Zatz: See ya, XM. I was on the fence and you pushed. Our time together has been mostly positive, but the massive lineup modifications yesterday without any advance notification isn’t the proper way to treat your customers. So I’m walking.

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