We had hoped that the dispute between Samsung and LG over their OLED tech would be resolved soon but recent developments suggest that may not be the case. Bloomberg reports Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency investigators entered the Samsung Display HQ in Asan as they look into the possibility that LG partners may have leaked secrets of its technology. A Samsung spokesperson denied any involvement, and an LG spokesperson is quoted saying the police made the allegation themselves. This comes after Yonhap News reported last month that LG accused Samsung of illegally using its patented technology and demanded Samsung Display and Samsung Electronics pay for the rights. While these two continue to duke it out legally, we have yet to see an OLED HDTV from either arrive in the US and it seems like it may be quite some time until that happens.
Tonight the Men’s NCAA basketball tournament comes to an end as Louisville faces Michigan. That’s not the only finale this week, as Being Human, Go On, Legit and others wrap up their seasons. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.
Archer If you’re somehow not watching this cartoon, you should be. Part two of the season finale airs Thursday night as the ISIS agents find themselves trapped undersea (it’s all Carol’s fault.) (April 11th, FX, 10PM)
Louis CK: Oh My God It’s going to be Louis CK, on stage, telling some jokes. Don’t have HBO? the comic will be selling this one on his website as well, although you’ll have to wait until November to get it. (April 13th, HBO, 10PM)
If you were chomping at the bit to create content for the oncoming 4K revolution, Sony has just announced a couple of enhancements to its XAVC video format to help you on your way. Long GOP is a high-efficiency codec designed to meet the requirements of the professional market, while XAVC-S is aimed squarely at consumers with its MP4 wrapping. Of course, both codecs should play nice with Sony’s series of CineAlta cameras (the PMW-F5 is pictured above), which is set to reach over 2,000 units shipped by the end of the month. Sony’s not the only one making XAVC-compatible devices however; over 60 manufacturers have applied for XAVC licenses while 31 others have pledged to support it in their products. Seeing as 4K hardware is finally dippingintoaffordability, we can’t fault Sony for getting the ball rolling, at least from the creation side of things.
Now that you can finally watch HBO Go on your Apple TV via AirPlay, the premium cable network has decided to sweeten its iOS app with AirPlay multitasking in a 2.1 update. The new version of the app also offers enhancements to Game of Throne‘s interactive features and general performance improvements as well. We’d obviously prefer that the app offers a standalone option instead, but being able to catch up on episodes of GoT on the HDTV while looking up how to say “winter is coming” in Dothraki is good too. (It’s “Aheshke jada.”)
From the latest harbinger of the robopocalypse from Boston Dynamics to more friendly looking machines like Romo, Engadget has a longstanding love affair with all forms of robots. Syfy channel’s newest show, Robot Combat League (RCL), has provided us with twelve new objects of robotic affection –and the best part is, we get to watch them destroy each other in gladiatorial fashion. RCL isn’t the first show to have ‘bots do battle on TV, of course, but it is the first to have the robots be humanoid avatars that mimic the movements of the people operating them. Mark Setrakian is the man who designed and built the dozen robots on the show, and we recently got the opportunity to chat with him about how he did it.
We’ve heard rumblings about Razer’s modular gaming plans since the early whispers of Project Fiona. Now, the gadget is a full-fledged tablet in the form of the Edge and in a fresh edition of our tablet mag, we put the Pro version and a couple of its add-ons through the wringer to test its PC gaming chops. Eyes-On takes a ride on a BRD electic motorcycle, Hands-On tackles GDC 2013 and V-Moda’s Val Kolton works his way through the Q&A. This week’s issue is ready for the taking via the download links below.Also, be sure to grab the latest version of the Distro apps as they become available — major updates to both the Android and iPad software were released earlier this week.
As it’s known to do, Samsung Electronics has released early estimates for its quarterly earnings and Q1 of 2013 was another good one for the company. According to reports, its operating profit is expected be around 8.7 trillion won (.7 billion), pushed by sales of its current smartphone lineup even as its new standard bearer, the Galaxy S 4, waits in the wings. The projections slot in lower than its record setting .27 billion Q4 2012, but still up significantly from last year’s .16 billion operating profit for the same period. More detailed breakdowns by division will be available in the full report April 26th, but we’re getting the idea they’re doing just fine.
It’s been about two years since Cablevision introduced its Optimum for iPad app that brought its live TV channels streaming to the tablet, and now it’s finally ready to offer the feature even when users are away from their home WiFi network. That ability is coming in an update rolling out tonight, however currently it only applies to the News 12, News 12 Traffic & Weather & MSG Varsity channels. All of those are at least partially owned by Cablevision, which should help it avoid the sort of legal challenges suffered by its initial rollout. Other tweaks in version 3.1 include improved guide info for shows, the ability to delete multiple recordings and an indicator when scheduling an in-progress recording. Of course, most subscribers will want to stream other, more popular channels to their mobile devices and PCs no matter where they are — we’ll see if they start popping up soon, and how quickly the lawsuits fly afterwards.
Roku’s media streamers have carved out a notable niche for themselves, with what started out as a Netflix box, but quickly grew to include hundreds of other entertainment options. Whatever they’ve lacked in style, they’ve always made up for with an easy-to-navigate menu and remote, not to mention low prices. In fact, they’ve become our default recommendation in the media streamer category, and now the company is back with its third iteration.
Its approach hasn’t changed: the Roku 3 is still a simple box that brings internet content including video, some simple apps and even games to your TV. But this one is touted as the most powerful Roku ever, and the team behind it has even dared to tweak that boring, but simple menu system. There have always been some rough edges that needed polishing, along with holes in its offerings — join us to see if it’s good enough to be the best.
This week, the Seattle Mariners showed off a new 3,840 x 1,080, surface-mount LED display at Safeco Field — one the team’s PR department touts as the “largest in Major League Baseball and among the largest in all of sports.” At 201.5 feet wide by 56.7 feet tall, its surface area of 11,425 square feet places it behind massive screens at Charlotte Motor Speedway (16,000 square feet) and Cowboys Stadium (11,520 square feet). That’s good enough, the team said, to rank as the third-largest sports-venue display in North America and surpasses Kauffman Stadium’s HD scoreboard as the largest in baseball. Roughly 1,200 individual panels make up the screen, offering a total of 4,147,200 pixels — more pixels than the 2.6-megapixel Cowboys Stadium display, the team pointed out.
To feed their new HD beast, the team revamped its video control room and upgraded to high-def cameras throughout the stadium. A 64-bit operating system called VisionSOFT allows the team to mix in multiple video sources, from in-house animations and HD video feeds to out-of-town footage from broadcast partners. All told, the HD upgrade required about 3,000 each feet of power, video coax and Cat5 cables. Along with showing ads, stats and replays, the team will take advantage of the HD resolution to display social media updates from fans during games via Twitter, Google+ and other sources.
You can check out more shots of the new screen in action after the break.
The BeoSound 5 is, without a doubt, among the priciest of its kind, but thanks to a new partnership with Spotify, Bang & Olufsen has just added a little more value to its lavish controller. According to the company, those with a BeoSound 5 in their possession will able able to start streaming up to 320 Kbps tunes from Spotify as soon as they snag a software update, which will be available to download starting today — though it’s worth noting that a Spotify Premium account is a must for owners looking to stream. Still, since these are folks who’ve already paid the extravagant premium that’s attached to the BeoSound 5 systems, chances are they already have the proper credentials or won’t mind shelling out a few bucks per month on some quality internet-based music.
Aw, you missed us live? Not to worry, we’ve got you covered here as usual! This week, Ben continues to highlight his hopes for more à la carte access to shows than channels, while Richard tries to — sneakily — double his follower count on Twitter. Oh yeah, and we’ll discuss the latest in HD news, from a potential Intel TV service to checking out Panasonic’s 2013 lineup with us in NYC. Hear all about it below and subscribe after the break.
Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)
With Kickstarter backer shipments kicking off last Thursday, it’s no surprise that some folks are already receiving their OUYA consoles. Two of our US-based, East Coast staffers just got their consoles this morning, and here we are with an unboxing video and screens so that you can share in the excitement with us. Of course, we’ll have a full review of the Android-powered game console coming later this week — long before the console becomes available at retail on June 4th — so keep your eyes loose and your brains ready. For now, enjoy the menagerie of media we’ve prepared for you; should you prefer a deeper dive, our hands-on is right here.
That gruff American rocker, Gibson Guitar Corp., has gotten tired of its old life. Instead of justsuingcopycats and putting out the occasional robot axe, it’s now looking to diversify, having spent million on a 54 percent stake in Japanese firm TEAC. The last we heard from TEAC, it was making things like headphones and retro-styled radios, which maybe gives us a hint as to where this new partnership is headed. After all, it’s not like the path between music brand and consumer electronics hasn’t been trodden to a pulp already.
After rumors swirled that Panasonic was considering putting a stop to production of its well-regarded plasma HDTVs later this year, the company announced it will stay in the business. President Kazuhiro Tsuga revealed a three year growth plan for Panasonic to focus on batteries and entertainment systems for cars, as well as environmentally friendly housing developments. It will also streamline the number of departments by allowing each division to handle its own products from development to release. The beleaguered TV unit will stay, as Tsuga said it will consider walking away only as a last resort. Additionally, Chairman and former CEO Fumio Ohtsubo will retire in June. Some analysts believe Panasonic will still need to lay off workers if it’s to turn things around, but we’ll have to wait and see how Tsuga’s plan comes together.
You’d really like to stream some HD cable TV to a DLNA client from your HDHomeRun Prime, but aren’t willing to risk introducing beta firmware into your fully functional entertainment system? We have good news: after a little more than two months of beta, your wait is over. Today’s official HDHomeRun Prime update comes with release notes detailing its newfound ability to stream Copy Freely content to any DLNA playback device (like XBMC, PS3 or Samsung’s HDTVs, for example) that supports MPEG-2 and AC3. Protected content, like anything marked Copy Once, works as well if your device happens to be one of the few that supports CableLab’s transmission DRM of choice, DTCP-IP. So while we warned that this feature might not be worth injecting beta software into the mix back in January, a number of fixes in this release plus weeks of testing should push HDHomeRun Prime owners to update now.
Back at Expand, the folks at Lenovo unveiled the ThinkPad T431s, a unit that embodies an overhaul of the outfit’s iconic laptop. The latest issue of our weekly magazine goes inside the process of balancing customer preference, perception and tradition with forward-facing design in order to construct the final model. As far as reviews go, Ableton Push, Sonos Playbar and Dell Latitude 10 all get put through their respective paces to tally up some final grades on each. Moog occupies both Eyes-On and the Q&A, Hands-On speed tests T-Mobile’s LTE network and IRL has three more items that we’ve used on the daily. All of that and much more is a download away on your go-to e-reading gadget.
Epic Games isn’t just offering up its ubiquitous current-gen game creation tool Unreal Engine 3 to Oculus Rift developers, but also its next-gen tool, Unreal Engine 4. Epic Games VP Mark Rein told Engadget as much during an interview at this year’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, repeatedly stating he’s “super bullish” on the Rift, all the while rocking an Oculus pin on his exhibitor lanyard. “Oh, for sure,” he said when we asked about UE4 support for the Rift. “We’re working on that now.” The Rift dev kit was demoed at CES 2013 running Unreal Engine 3′s “Epic Citadel” demo, and Epic’s offered support to the Oculus folks since early on, making the UE4 news not a huge surprise, but welcome nonetheless.
The next-gen game engine was being shown off at GDC 2013 with a flashy new demo (seen below the break), as well as a version of its “Elemental” demo running on a PlayStation 4 dev kit (shrouded behind a curtain, of course). Rein was visibly excited about that as well, unable to contain random vocal outbursts during the presentation. “It’s a war out there, and we sell bullets and bandaids,” he jokingly told us in an interview the following day. The quote comes from coworker and Epic VP of business development Jay Wilbur, and it’s fitting — Epic only makes a handful of games, and the company’s real money comes from game engine licensees. In so many words, the more platforms that Unreal Engine variants can go, the better for Epic (as well as for engine licensees, of course). “It’s a good place to be — we try to support everything we can. We have to place some timed bets on things that we feel are gonna be the most important to licensees, and also to us where we’re taking games. But because the engine is portable — it’s written in C++ — a licensee can take and do whatever they want,” he said.
Oculus Rift is in the mail! Development kits began shipping to customers on Wednesday, and even if you have yet to receive a tracking number of your own, a kit may very well be on its way. The Oculus team has been “tied up at GDC” this week, which explains the delay in sending out tracking info, but folks taking care of logistics have apparently been hard at work, prepping some 10,000 development kits for shipment. Of course, not every set will be on its way to a developer right away — it does take time to get that many kits out the door — but if you’re expecting one at your front porch, it’s likely to arrive very soon. In the meantime, the Developer Center has opened up to devs, with access to the SDK, Unity and Unreal Engine integrations, forums, wiki and other documentation. The team also published a video of its SXSW panel in full for your enjoyment — you can catch it just past the break.
Your Slingbox isn’t just for streaming realtime television content anymore. SlingSync, which we first heard about during CES, is now available as part of this week’s firmware update, letting you upload photos and videos captured with an Android or iOS device directly to a USB drive connected to a Slingbox 500. Using SlingPlayer Mobile on your handset or tablet, you can opt for either automatic or manual transfers, enabling you to offload captured content for safekeeping. And, assuming the Slingbox 500 is connected to your television, you can then view photos and videos on your TV. Your device will need firmware number 1.3.462 in order to take advantage of SlingSync, while mobile gadgets should be using SlingPlayer Mobile version 2.4.2 for Android or 3.4.1 on iOS. Though the above feature only applies to the 500, the update also marks the return of Audio-Only mode on the Solo, Pro-HD and 500 — the Slingbox 350 will receive that last feature in a future update.
The OUYA Tegra 3-powered Android game console is having quite a day, but now that it’s shipping, CEO Julie Uhrman is informing early recipients of what to expect when they open the packaging. According to an email sent out to Kickstarter backers this evening, their new box will have a software update required as soon as it’s plugged in. After the Wii U we hope this isn’t a trend (but fear it is) although the Ouya promises to take only seconds or at most minutes to complete. Also detailed are the 104 games already available from the 8,000 registered developers including Beast Boxing Turbo, Stalagflight, and KnightmareTower, plus entertainment apps like XBMC and Flixster. The games are all free to try out, but a credit/debit card is required upfront.
We’ve already offered our opinion of the shipping hardware after a quick hands-on, although backers are encouraged to contribute their own during the preview period before it officially launches. To that end, the company is planning a Reddit AMA next month and will have its own forums available for feedback soon. Until then, you can get the rest of the info directly at the source link below.
Just because you have a Raspberry Pi, and the know-how to change the world, doesn’t mean you want to do everything the hard way. For those who haven’t already applied the 12.1 update to XBMC running on their Raspberry Pi, the Raspbmc team is now eager to handle the dirty work for you. Wondering how easy it is to upgrade? Just reboot your Pi and wait about 15 minutes. Seriously, that’s all the elbow grease required to receive a litany of fixes and enhancements in the latest version of XBMC as well as a number of specific patches for Raspbmc. Specifically, there is a newer version of HDMI-CEC, improved support for internet streams and third-party modules, and finally, a few security fixes.
Mo apps, mo couch entertainment, right? Well, in order to boost the attributes of its mature gaming console and Xbox Live, Microsoft today announced it’s bringing some additional content to the ever-evolving platform. To go along with the recent inclusion of Redbox Instant, Redmond this week — and just in time for the new season, shall we say — will welcome an MLB.tv app with a redesigned interface and other undisclosed features that, according to the company, should “make watching baseball on Xbox better than ever.” What’s more, Microsoft didn’t just have MLB lovers in mind, and is also giving film buffs, both young and old, something to look forward to with a few new applications, such as IndieFlix, PopcornFlix and Toys R Us movies — oh, and for those who fancy internet-based TV shows, there’s a Revision3 app, to boot. As is often the case, the countries in which they can each be enjoyed will depend on where you live (and a Gold subscription, of course), so now may be a good time to peruse the PR after the break to find out which of these you can expect to see on your Dasboard.
Nintendo’s Wii U has faced complains over slow loading and switching between menus since launch, but the company has promised a pair of updates will help the situation. Tonight it posted a video on YouTube (embedded after the break) that shows off the difference before and after the April update side by side. Showing off how quickly it can return to the home menu from a game of New Super Mario Bros. U, the updated console is ready to go in eight seconds, compared to the current software’s 20 second delay. There’s no mention of the other update to improve the speed of launching software, but hopefully that will be shown off soon as well. More than halving the main menu’s load time is nothing to sneeze at, although it’s still not exactly a snappy experience. We’ll see if these tweaks — once they arrive — do anything to improve the console’s position while it waits for the improved software lineup President Satoru Iwata is expecting.
U-verse subscribers often have some bandwidth to spare; it’s only fair that they make the most of it with some streaming sports. Appropriately, AT&T and ESPN have just flicked the switch on WatchESPN support for those who subscribe to U-verse TV service. As always, viewers can tune into live and on-demand content from a computer, an Xbox 360 (with an Xbox Live Gold subscription) or their Android and iOS devices while on the road. The sports partnership is also just the start: AT&T notes that all flavors of Watch Disney should be coming “soon,” giving the little ones something to stream in between football matches.
The marriage of social networking and television is nothing new, but Myriad recently launched Social TV, a white label solution which allows TV service providers to roll out their own custom social networking platform on your cable box. It complements services like Twitter, Facebook and Google+ by offering a more contextual way for viewers to interact with their friends while watching TV. Social TV provides an integrated HTML5 experience that’s consistent across both television and companion devices (phones and tablets). Viewers can chose between receiving alerts on their TVs, mobile devices or both and can create show- or series-specific virtual communities that automatically expire when the program ends. The system is even mindful of time zones and time-shifts messages to prevent spoilers. More after the break.
Fans of ThinkFlood might want to shed a few tears today, as the company has just announced it’s closing its doors. As a reminder, ThinkFlood was responsible for the RedEye universal remote control system that allowed any smartphone or web-connected device to control everything from a home theatre to a HVAC unit. It was an ambitious project to be sure, which might be the reason behind its demise. If you’re a current RedEye customer, rest assured that your hardware and apps will continue to work. However, certain licensed tech like ThinkFlood’s device code database and television program guide will become unavailable as licenses expire, so be sure to get those configured ASAP. As the curtains close, there might be a sliver of hope; ThinkFlood’s intellectual property is currently up for sale from a creditor, which could point toward a RedEye resurrection if the right buyer is found. Until then however, we might suggest looking for an alternative solution.
Microsoft and Motorola’s spat in the International Trade Commission started way back in 2010, but it looks like the case may be finally drawing to a conclusion after an initial ruling in Moto’s favor was remanded for a second look. Reuters reports that on remand, the presiding administrative law judge reversed his stance in a new initial determination, clearing Microsoft of the remaining infringement charge for patent number 6,069,896 on wireless peer-to-peer technology. In response to this bit of good news, Microsoft VP Corporate VP and deputy general counsel had this to say:
We are pleased with the Administrative Law Judge’s finding that Microsoft did not violate Motorola’s patent and are confident that this determination will be affirmed by the Commission.
Back in October of last year, Motorola dropped the two WiFi-related patents it had asserted against Microsoft, and in January of 2013 it dropped both of its H.264 related patents from the ITC proceeding. With this latest ruling, it looks like Microsoft will escape from the ITC scott free, though it’s not out of the woods yet, as the final call from the full commission won’t occur until July. And, of course, Motorola can always take things to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit should it choose to do so. Isn’t the system of endless appeals that is the United States judicial system wonderful?
Nintendo’s European arm worked out a deal with Germany’s video game regulation body, USK, and its 18+ eShop games are now available at any hour on the 3DS and Wii U. In a missive issued to European Nintendo console users, the company said “adults can browse and buy all games at any time of day” from now on. Said agreement was only reached after “analysis of the Parental Controls system on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS” by USK, which found the parental control systems “in practice” with standards.
The bizarre restriction, which originally allowed sales of 18+ games through the European eShop only between 11PM and 3AM, was caused by USK’s decency and violence standards. As Nintendo’s European branch is based out of Germany, the German laws impacted the entire region’s eShop access. But no longer! Assassin’s Creed 3 at 10AM? You bet! ZombiU at 2:13PM? Why not! Of course, with download / install times topping four hours, you may wanna get started sooner than later on downloading the bigger games.
Linux devotees need media too, don’tcha know? Designed to cater to “media enthusiasts,” Plasma Media Center has been released today for those looking to place photos, videos and audio clips on the highest pedestal. The build (v1.0.0) was crafted on Plasma and KDE technologies, and as you might expect, it aims to deliver a “unified media experience on PCs, tablets, networks, TVs and any other device capable of running KDE.” PMC can be used to view images, play music or watch videos, and developers are free to create custom plugins for the software as well. The release — as well as installation guides for Ubuntu and Fedora — are housed in the read link, and if you’re willing to give it a go, let us know how it turns out in comments below.
While we’ve heard rumors of the death of plasmas before, Japanese business paper The Nikkei is reporting that Panasonic may stop using the technology in fiscal 2014. Without citing sources, it claims Panasonic will shut down production at its main Amagasaki plant, reducing production gradually to avoid angering partners and retailers. A Panasonic spokesperson tells Reuters that the company has not made any decisions on the future of its TV business yet. The Nikkei’s info indicates it will downsize the entire TV business, including reductions in LCD manufacturing, over the next three years.
What’s next? OLED, as Sony and Panasonic are partnering on developing the technology and according to the report it plans to outsource manufacturing to keep costs down. We’ll find out how much of this turns out to be true in the coming months, but for now we’ll just appreciate the company’s latest round of Viera plasmas.
We didn’t really get to see the Plair in action when we last saw it at CES, but luckily, it’s here with us at Expand 2013! This time round we have a better understanding of what makes this , micro-USB-powered HDMI dongle so special: not only can you beam native video clips from your mobile device (through an iOS or Android app) or your desktop Chrome browser’s extension to it, but the Plair can also grab the video source from your current page in Chrome and then stream the clip independently – as in once the video’s started, you can shut your computer down and still keep the stream going on your TV! You can actually see this demonstrated in our video after the break, where we streamed an episode from NBC’s Saturday Night Live website through a WiFi network (but the Plair can also create its own hotspot for direct WiFi connection, which is handy for avoiding slow hotel networks).
In our opinion, the Plair is a neat little gadget for its price, but you’ll have to wait until early April for the next batch coming off the production line. Interested buyers will be able to order a Plair on its website around then.
Follow all of Engadget’s Expand coverage live from San Francisco right here!
The Xiaomi Box has had an arduous road to travel before it could go on sale: Chinese regulations reportedly kept it in limbo until local broadcaster iCNTV stepped in this January to get the ball rolling once again. The end is in sight now that a limited trial is set to start on March 19th. Changsha, Hangzhou and Shanghai will get about 10,000 total units of the Android media hub, whose price is dropping from the originally chosen ¥399 () to an extra-frugal ¥299 (). The price slash could well make the set-top box that much more alluring, especially when it’s still poised to give both Android and iOS users some media sharing love. Could you please hurry up your release plans, Xiaomi?
RasPlex is not the only HTPC software project aimed at the Raspberry Pi (also see Raspbmc, OpenELEC or PyPlex), but it is trying to leverage the Plex Media Server to become the best option. As detailed on the “Why Rasplex?” section of its new website, Plex’s client/server model lends itself to handling video streams that might otherwise not be supported by the Pi’s lightweight ARM CPU, as well as (once it’s out of beta) access a number of additional apps and features. Its creator celebrated Pi day yesterday by launching a new site for the project, and even has plans for custom cases to make mounting your media PC in the living room easier to do. Hit the source links to download the latest update, version 0.1.27 or just get more information.
Just because XBMC 12 Frodo has been officially released we wouldn’t expect the team behind the media PC software to take too long of a break. In fact, in a blog post it’s announced plans to return to a monthly development cycle, as well as a code name for version 13 of the software: Gotham. While we wait for the next official release to arrive, the February build features improvements to UPnP with a “Play Using…” push server feature that should be familiar if you’ve used Play To on Windows for example. also new are Android fixes that let it rotate in any direction, and control the device’s native audio. there are other changes as well, which can be reviewed beyond the source link, along with test versions for your preferred platform.
If you’re one of the precious few to have access to Google Fiber, you may have been disappointed by the need to use its companion app on a Nexus 7 — a fine tablet, but certainly not the only device in Google’s universe. Thankfully, a new update significantly broadens that pool. The app should now offer remote control and content browsing on phones and tablets that run Android 4.2 or later, whether it’s a Nexus 4 or the upcoming Galaxy S 4. Viewers should also see a simpler interface, no matter what hardware they’re using. Those fortunate enough to have the fiber TV service just need to swing past Google Play to expand their control of the living room.
Well, well, it looks as if Comcast has planned something relatively major for Xfinity TV subscribers. The company just announced that from March 25th through March 31st, it’s set to give customers an all-access viewing ticket to a plethora of TV series from various networks, which will also include on-demand content for those with the proper All Video On Demand credentials. Thanks to the Xfinity Watchathon Week, as it’s formally known, folks with an Xfinity TV account can have the chance to check out shows from networks they may not be subscribed to, including ones such as HBO, Showtime and Stars, as well as others like A&E, AMC and BBC America — so yes, you can catch up on (or watch for the first time) Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Downtown Abbey, The Sopranos and, of course, Girls (!). There are still quite a few days to go until Comcast’s Watchathon kicks off, so, perhaps, now might be be the perfect time to set a cal reminder and start stacking up on some popcorn.
In this post-DVD world, it can be tough to really enjoy a film without having a director talk on top of it. AMC’s looking to fill in the void of contextual information left as many of us have moved from physical to streaming media, with the launch of Yeah! today at SXSW, an online streaming movie service featuring curated supplementary features for classic movies like Superman, Reservoir Dogs, Clerks and A Nightmare on Elm Street. The offering includes interviews with folks like Wes Craven and Richard Donner, facts about the films and quizzes — there’s 400 to 500 new pieces of content per film, according to AMC, which you can access “without obscuring the movie.” Yeah! is available now in the source link below. An iPad version of the service is hitting this summer.
It’s Monday, and you know what that means; another Engadget HD Podcast. We hope you will join us live when the Engadget HD podcast starts recording at 5:30PM. If you’ll be joining us, be sure to go ahead and get ready by reviewing the list of topics after the break, then you’ll be ready to participate in the live chat.
This week is surprisingly 3D heavy, with basketball tournament action on ESPN and a pair of movies (Life of Pi and Rise of the Guardians) on Blu-ray, but a blast from the past has caught our eye. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.
Australian Grand Prix Formula 1 is finally back, and for the first time in the US, on NBC Sports. We’ll have to wait and see if their presentation can match or surpass what we’ve been used to from Fox / Speed, but a just released broadcast schedule that shows every race airing live is a great start. (March 17th, NBC Sports Network, 1:30AM)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit For its 25th anniversary this pioneering live action / animated combo is coming to Blu-ray. Besides the movie starring Bob Hoskins as toon-hating detective Eddie Valiant, it also packs three restored Roger Rabbit shorts — our nostalgia will not allow us to pass on this one. (.99 on Amazon)
Remember the adage that good things “come to those who wait?” Well, if you managed to hold your nerve and resist signing up with Suddenlink, then your patience is ready to be rewarded. The TiVo Mini is finally ready to strike out on its own two feet four rubberized corners. The DVR extender will set you back .99, plus a monthly charge of .99, or a one-off payment of 9.99 — in a way, you kinda wish the company had just priced it at 9.99 and let us get on with it.
SimCity is in shambles. Not the virtual cities built within its digital confines, mind you, but the game itself. The reboot of EA Maxis’ classic SimCity this week has been a roller coaster of emotions, with positive reviews and fanfare pushing hype levels past 11… all of which fell apart just after midnight on Tuesday morning when the game launched to a crushing response from fans. Unlike many games, including previous SimCity entries, the new SimCity requires a constant connection to EA’s servers. It requires a connection regardless of whether or not you choose to play with others, even — a bold move, and one that was met with much wariness among gamers when announced last year.
Given the mass popularity of the SimCity series and the glowing praise the game received ahead of release from press, it was no surprise that the sheer number of customers trying to snag the game — and subsequently, play it — overwhelmed EA’s servers. The result? Days of choppy play, or, more often, an inability to access the game at all. Worse yet, EA’s started shutting off parts of the game in hopes of lowering server loads across the board, which (understandably) angered many players. So, how did we get here?
Once upon a time, Netflix was proud enough of its public API which enabled third-party services and apps to serve up its data and content in different ways that it opened a gallery to display them. Unfortunately, times have changed since 2009 — the old App Gallery is gone and now, so is public API access for new developers. A blog post indicates the API is now focused on supporting Netflix’s official clients on the many devices its customers use to stream movies, not hobbyist projects for managing ones queue or finding new movies to watch. While those already in place should still work since existing keys will remain active, the developer forums are being set to read-only, no new keys are being issued and new partners are no longer being accepted.
The move is reminiscent of recent changes by Twitter, where as each company has grown it’s decided having control over the user experience through its own official apps outweighs allowing the community to build and extend access as it sees fit. We’re sad to see the program go, as many of these tools assisted Netflix members in ways the official website and apps either never did, or no longer do after the features were removed. Even though Netflix relies on its own secret sauce for recommendations, we’ve always found it hard to beat InstantWatcher’s curated lists (by year, Rotten Tomatoes rating, critic’s picks, titles most recently added by other users and more) to find a video, and FeedFliks was indispensable for monitoring exactly how valuable the service is until its features were cut down by API changes. They provided an edge the competition like Amazon Prime and Redbox couldn’t match, but we’ll have to wait and see if this change is noticed by enough subscribers to matter — we’ve seen how that can go.
Barnes and Noble has just dealt up some good news for movie-loving owners of its Nook HD and HD+ slates, with the announcement of new licensing agreements with a host of studios. Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount, Relativity Media as well as National Geographic, Little Pim and Film Buff are all part of the new wave of additions to the Nook Video line-up. This means titles such as The Hunger Games, Mad Men, and the Twilight Movies will be available for rent or purchase starting today. Little Pim provides foreign language learning for kids, so there’s something to expand the minds of the little ones too. This, combined with that UltraViolet integration and the odd item at the FCC suggests that Barnes & Noble is taking its media content offering more seriously than ever. We’re certainly not complaining.
Amazon doesn’t have any original programming just yet that can quite compete with the buzz of House of Cards or the resurrection of Arrested Development. What it does have, however, is a compelling lineup of exclusive children’s programming from big names like Angela C. Santomero and Carol Greenwald, the people responsible for Blue’s Clues and Curious George, respectively. The two are collaborating on Sara Solves It, the second project from Santomero for Amazon’s burgeoning Prime lineup. The series, which stars bother and sister Sara and Sam, was created with help from WGBH Boston (home of Frontline and Nova), where Greenwald works and is currently under contract for 12 episodes. It’s unclear when the duo will begin solving their “absorbing and relatable” math mysteries, but our friends across the pond can rest easy knowing the interactive children’s programming will be coming to Lovefilm in the UK and Germany as well.
The Assassin’s Creed video game series — beyond its trademark murderous historical fiction — is known for arriving in annual installments. 2013 is no exception, with French publisher Ubisoft recently revealing Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, a pirate-centric next entry in the long-running franchise. Unlike last year’s game, which took players through the American Revolution as a half-British / half-Native American named Connor, AC4: Black Flag puts you in his grandfather’s swashbuckling boots as Edward Kenway of The Caribbean. Kenway’s the captain of a pirate vessel known as “The Jackdaw,” which promises a new twist in the AC series: open-world naval combat. While the last series entry teased naval combat, Black Flag is built around that gameplay; AC4 also borrows from recent Ubisoft highlight Far Cry 3, with Kenway battling sharks below water while diving for booty (a takeoff on the hunting found in that game, as well as in the last AC entry).
Of course, the conceit of the AC series has always been that you’re a modern man named Desmond Miles, a member of the ancient Assassin’s Guild, and that you’re experiencing your assassin lineage through a machine called the “Animus” in order to save the world. This conceit lead Desmond through a variety of eras in previous games, ending with the American Revolution in Assassin’s Creed 3. Without spoiling that game’s final moments, it’s safe to say that Desmond isn’t joining the cast in Black Flag; rather, you’re simply a modern day Templar (the long-running rivals of the assassins) searching for more secrets about the enemy. Ubisoft reps wouldn’t tell us much about how the modern day will play into the new game’s story, but did admit that it’ll play a major role.
The new owner of Hulu could turn out to be… one of the existing owners. After an aborted sale attempt in 2011, new rumors suggest current part owners Disney and News Corp are talking over the possibility of one buying the other’s stake out. The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg both tag people with knowledge of the situation as their sources, indicating a disagreement over the video streaming website’s business model — it announced 5 million in revenue last year — as a reason for the talks.
Reportedly News Corp. prefers a subscription based model, while Disney sees an advertising-focused approach as best. Both of them own about a third of the site, while Comcast / NBC Universal owns most of the remaining third but can’t vote, and according to the rumors would remain as a minority investor if a buyout took place. Also playing into this is CEO Jason Kilar’s announcement he will leave the company by the end of Q1, so hopefully any decision on its future are made by the time a new leader is in place.
Just as we had all recovered from the January trip to Vegas, it was time to ship a pack of editors to Barcelona for another week-long barrage of gadget news. In a freshly e-printed issue of our slate ‘zine, we go hands-on with the best of what Mobile World Congress served up in 2013. To round out this Mobile Issue, Brad Molen decodes the new unlocking policy in the US and Sharif Sakr examines the death of the form factor phone. There’s a truckload of other tech-centric goodness to peruse, so grab your copy and get to it.
One of LG’s more surprising product introductions at CES 2013 was its “HECTO” laser projector, which — when combined with its accompanying 100-inch screen — is capable of tossing a 1080p image from just 22-inches away. While we’d heard it’s coming to the US in March, the projector is out in Korea today branded Cinema Beam TV, available for those ready to drop 9 million won (,322) on the package. It has a claimed 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and can accept video via WiDi or Miracast for wireless streaming from a PC or mobile device, while LG also says its laser light source is eco-friendly thanks to a mercury free design and extra long lifetime. The price tag is said to be around K when it ships here, apparently the company feels its unique capabilities make it a perfect fit for commercial installations like sports bars, or just high-end home theater customers that value its small footprint.
If Amazon’s recent foray into British period drama leaves you cold, its Prime Instant Video service now has something grittier on tap: The FX Network’s Justified. Thanks to a new deal with Sony Pictures Television, you can download the western-style crime series for no additional cost if you’re a subscriber on the yearly service. It was up for grabs at .99 a pop on Instant Video before, where Amazon said it was one of its most popular buys, and nowPrime subscribers can grab episodes from seasons one through three. Season four will arrive after its current run on FX concludes, though individual episodes of the latter are available on Instant right after they air, if you’re willing to pay .99. Amazon also added all seven seasons of Sony’s The Shield to Prime Instant, so if you’re looking to go on a crime spree, check the PR after the break.
Most portable projectors are tasked with striking a delicate balance between power consumption and picture quality. With this in mind, Texas Instruments’ DLP arm has unveiled a new system at MWC known as IntelliBright, which is intended to improve the brightness of pico projectors without making hardware hungrier. It’s no fancy set of circuits, though, but a pair of algorithms which tinker with image brightness and contrast to produce a more radiant picture. What’s more, the algorithms can be tweaked separately by hardware manufacturers for any desired result, and can incorporate data from ambient light sensors to increase projector efficiency. DLP recently introduced its new Tilt & Roll Pixel chip architecture at CES, which is also designed to make pictures brighter and batteries happier in the next generation of pico products. All we hope is the developments inspire Samsung to create a Galaxy Beam II, just with more focus on the phone part this time
Two in a row, that was a good run, but it’s over as once again we are off our regularly scheduled time for the Engadget HD podcast. Hopefully this later time still works for you, as we don’t know how we can go on recording without you at at 8:30PM tonight. If it does still work for you go ahead and get ready by reviewing the list of topics after the break, then you’ll be ready to participate in the live chat.
Just after launch, Ceton announced it would bring Android to the Echo Windows Media Center Extender by the end of last year. Owners of the device have been left wondering ever since then: what’s the holdup? Now the Ceton Blog has spelled out what’s taking so long. Essentially the story goes that Android is optimized for touch screens, rather than the big screen, and the company decided to hold off until some changes could be made. Most interestingly, one of those changes is integrating Windows Media Center into Android, allowing users to access all the content that both platforms have to offer in a single user interface. A hefty goal indeed and one worth waiting for, but the question of when remains. While the post does include some interesting screen shots and other details — like Windows 8 support — it stops just short of making another promise to deliver the update in any particular amount time.
Annoyed that YouTube had reached Freesat boxes and not just TiVo? Worry not, for Sir Richard and his chums at Virgin Media are on their way with a basket of soothing balms. Your DVR’s EPG will soon feature baked-in YouTube results along with regular TV listings, giving easier access to all of those shudder-inducing Harlem Shake videos without resorting to a smartphone. It’s been positioned at Channel 198, and you can also access it via the Search and Browse menus on your box — no matter the paint job.
HBO brought some of the content walls down when it opened up AirPlay support in the HBO Go app for iOS users, proving that it wasn’t going to protect TV viewing at all cost. It just removed some more barriers: the premium channel has quietly rolled out an update to its Android app that enables HDMI video output. Provided a phone or tablet supports the connection (sorry, Nexus 7 owners), it too can pipe video to the big screen. The solution still doesn’t let us watch HBO without a pricey TV subscription, but it will give us fewer qualms about catching up on Girls when we’re at a friend’s place.
Hammerstein Ballroom may be known for its long history as a concert venue, but tonight Sony’s taking over to unveil the PlayStation … something. All signs point to a reveal of the game console we’ve only known by its codename thus far, “Orbis,” and we’ll be on site liveblogging the whole shindig. But that’s not all! Our intrepid EIC, Tim Stevens, is joining Joystiq‘s EIC, Ludwig Kietzmann, for a little pre- and post-show conjecture / analysis — you can find the former here, and the latter right here. We’ve also got an embedded stream of the event, should you prefer to follow along visually while we break the news apart into so many digestible pieces. Our coverage kicks off around 4PM ET, and the event itself officially begins at 6PM ET — all we expect from you is wonderful, wonderful GIFs. But then you already knew that, didn’t you?
While some of us try to avoid mainstream media and the accompanying Things You Should Be Afraid Of Today reporting, sometimes we need a place to go for 24/7 coverage of a disabled cruise ship, and CNN is always there. Now it’s there on Android too, after launching live streaming of both CNN and HLN on iOS back in 2011 a new update for its Android phone app has brought the feature (and the classic “This is CNN” greeting by James Earl Jones) to the platform. You’ll still need to be a subscriber to a participating cable TV service to actually watch the feed, but getting your dose of Anderson Cooper on the go is as simple as inputting your account details, and then you’re set. Feature parity — who doesn’t love it? (Android tablet owners, Windows 8 users, Symbian…)
We’re getting the band back together. After we welcome Ryan Block and Peter Rojas back to the fold, we dig into all the news that came out of the AllThingsD conference last week. Sony, Dish, Microsoft, Intel and others had plenty to say, but did we believe everything we heard? We’re also on the bleeding edge of a new display technology as OLED HDTVs hit the streets, so we’ll make our best guess as to whether mainstream pricing is in the near future. Finally, several connected TV platforms have updates, and the battle for content continues to heat up with customers stuck in the middle — press play to find out all the details.
Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)
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Sure, it’s possible to get remote access to home theater devices through raw methods like a Slingbox, but KDDI has a slightly more elegant solution for those living in Japan. Its tiny Remote TV box puts a Blu-ray DVR on the local WiFi network to both schedule recordings while away and stream the video itself. Locals can watch from a Mac, Windows PC or Android device, although they’ll be limited to 480p when they’re outside of the home. iOS support is coming soon, the carrier says. KDDI ships the device on February 23rd for an estimated ¥19,800 (3) and is keen to note that it doesn’t require a subscription — it sees Remote TV more as an incentive to splurge on smartphone data, which just might work for commuters wanting to catch up on their shows.
After its run on the internet and then cable TV, Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome is coming to Blu-ray, along with the second season of Game of Thrones and Monsters Inc. Sports fans have NASCAR racing to (try to) replace football, while movie buffs can keep an eye out for the Academy Awards on Sunday. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.
Top Gun 3D After a short run in theaters, Top Gun 3D is coming home on Blu-ray. We’ve had the chance to watch it already and came away with (mostly) good things to say about the conversion. The 3D conversion is well done and particularly in the action scenes, as one watches F-14s zooming through the air it enhanced the feeling of speed and depth. Now, it’s not all good news as we did notice a slightly different color tint on the 3D version, not necessarily bad, but different. Overall we liked it, so if you’re looking for another 3D viewing option and are a fan of the original, it’s worthwhile, but probably not required viewing. If you’re not a 3D fan, this probably won’t change your opinion. (.96 on Amazon)
Daytona 500 NASCAR is back and in full effect. If you like to see cars turning left then this is the series for you, and in a fresh twist, Danica Patrick will debut as the first female polesitter in race history. This race will also see the new Gen6 cars that are designed to not only be safer and faster, but also more closely resemble production automobiles. Whether you’re watching the race end to end (February 24th, Fox, 12PM)
We’re just a few days away from Sony’s February 20th “see the future of” PlayStation event where we expect to see the next edition of its home console, and the rumor mill is buzzing. The latest one tonight comes from the Wall Street Journal, with a report that connects Sony’s 0 million purchase of cloud gaming service Gaikai last year with a method to provide backwards compatibility on the PlayStation 4. The WSJ reports Sony has been “investing heavily” in preparing Gaikai for an influx of PS4-equipped gamers, while also developing better cameras for its Move and the DualShock+touchpad controllers we’ve seen recently.
What’s not revealed, however, is any potential pricing plan, or whether cloud games will work using existing cloud saves. While buying fully digital copies of games we already own is less than appealing, if Sony can implement something like the abandoned UMD-to-PSP Go “good will” plan, then there may be benefits for all. In the last gen Sony used hardware, then software and then nothing at all for backwards compatible gaming, while Microsoft went all software — we’ll see how it balances out this time around.
Vizio’s Co-Star hub is still one of the cheapest points of entry into the Google TV world, so it’s comforting to see the set-top box getting an update — albeit somewhat behind Google’s own pace. The previously promised release mostly focuses on giving it the third-generation Google TV interface, including the mini-guide, YouTube pairing and (through a future Android app update) voice-guided search. Viewers on the prowl for more content get a few additional perks through new apps for M-Go and Vudu video streaming, as well as a truly native Amazon Instant Video app. Should Vizio’s tiny media center inhabit your living room, you can expect the upgrade to arrive over the air within the next few weeks.
Rogers CEO Nadir Mohamed took over for company founder Ted Rogers in the Canadian communications company’s top post back in March of 2009, and today announced he will step down in January 2014. The news comes along with Rogers fourth quarter earnings announcement, where it noted 58,000 net subscriber additions for wireless and 7,000 for cable. Milestones achieved in the last year include the rollout of NextBox 2.0 features for cable TV viewers and LTE coverage it says reaches 60 percent of Canadians. Meanwhile Mohamed leaves able to note the company becoming Canada’s largest wireless carrier during his leadership. We don’t know yet who will step up in his place, but the press release mentioned Rogers family members Edward and Melinda — currently serving as a Deputy Chairman and Senior VP, respectively — will not submit their names for candidacy. We have submitted the names of Engadget mobile editors (and native Canadians) Myriam Joire and Sean Cooper for consideration, but have yet to hear back from the search committee.
Valve head Gabe Newell says the company isn’t stopping any planned hardware initiatives, despite reports of layoffs at the company and the news that hardware lead Jeri Ellsworth was fired. In a statement issued to Engadget, Newell said:
“We don’t usually talk about personnel matters for a number of reasons. There seems to be an unusual amount of speculation about some recent changes here, so I thought I’d take the unusual step of addressing them. No, we aren’t canceling any projects. No, we aren’t changing any priorities or projects we’ve been discussing. No, this isn’t about Steam or Linux or hardware or [insert game name here]. We’re not going to discuss why anyone in particular is or isn’t working here.”
When pushed, company reps wouldn’t confirm or deny layoffs at Valve, nor would they comment on the confirmed exit of Ellsworth. Valve’s big push this year is hardware, as evidenced by the company’s presence at CES 2013 with a variety of living room PC prototypes, dubbed by many as the “Steambox.” The company’s also working on virtual reality and wearable computing technology — we’ll hear more about Valve’s VR plans in mid-March at the Game Developer’s Conference — beyond its enormously popular game distribution platform, Steam.
This week kicks off with a slew of set-top box news: Dish is shipping its Hopper with Sling DVR, the TiVo Mini DVR is available on Suddenlink and Roku’s next media streamer just hit the FCC. Moving onto more modern concerns, second screen apps for events like the Super Bowl, the NBA All-Star game and the Grammys along with more conventional contenders like GetGlue are all over are mobile devices, but are we getting any use out of them? Press play to find out which ones we’re happy with and much more.
Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)
“We have been working for around a year now to setup Intel Media — it’s a new division that includes a lot of people from outside of the company. We’ve hired people from Apple, Netflix, Google, BBC, etc. We’re aiming to develop an internet television platform. My opinion is that not many of those rivals have cracked it — have truly delivered.
For the first time, we’ll deliver a few things to consumers. We’ll deliver a new consumer electronics product under a new brand. It’s associated with Intel, but you’ll have to wait to hear what exactly that is. It’ll be an Intel-powered device with beautiful industrial design. Where it really gets interesting is here — we’re working with the entire industry. It’s an over-the-top service, delivering network channels, pay-TV channels, catch-up television, on-demand, and a host of applications.”
He also affirmed that the box (and service) would launch “this year,” and while the box won’t provide Intel’s “entire vision” at launch, a fair amount will be. That should include live television, on-demand, and catch-up. We’re guessing it’s the app ecosystem that’ll take some time to truly develop.
After making a stop at the FCC recently, Western Digital’s WD TV Play streaming media player got an official announce this morning. The Roku-esque streaming media box touts easy setup, a price tag, and connectivity with a variety of apps (YouTube, Netflix, Hulu Plus, VUDU, SlingPlayer, Spotify, Pandora and Facebook are specifically named). The device can also manage and display your own media, via DLNA-friendly devices, all in 1080p. A remote control comes with the device, but there’s also a free WD TV Remote application headed to iOS and Android devices — you’ll need WiFi running to get the app synced up, of course.
The WD TV Play is already available for purchase via Western Digital’s online store, and there’s no word on retail availability. We’ve reached out to Western Digital to find out more.
It seems harder and harder to keep to a regular schedule these days, but we won’t have to think of an excuse this week as we’re back to our regular recording time this week for the Engadget HD podcast. So if you agree that it’s good to be home — and love HD, of course — please tune in live at 5:30PM and be be a part of it. Start by reviewing the list of topics after the break, then participate in the live chat.
Microsoft isn’t acknowledging the development, or even the existence, of the Xbox 360′s successor (codenamed “Durango“), but that isn’t stopping potential details from leaking out of Redmond. The latest report comes via console overview documents (known as “white papers”) provided to Kotaku by the same source who provided information on the next PlayStation (codenamed “Orbis“), and it spells out some things we’ve yet to hear. Namely, the console will ship with a new version of Microsoft’s motion-sensing camera controller, Kinect, and that the device, “must be plugged in and calibrated for the console to even function,” the piece says. The new Kinect — which we’ve heard of in the past — is said to capture up to six people at once, and an alleged image demonstrating the difference between new and old versions of the camera puts much higher specs on said device (1920×1080 color resolution, more trackable joints, improved depth resolution, etc.).
The new console is also reported to employ multitasking, enabling multiple games or apps to run concurrently, similar to mobile phones and tablets; how many apps that could mean is unclear, if true. Sony’s PlayStation Vita already employs such functionality, making the claim all the less far-fetched.
The piece also states supposedly final retail hardware specs for Microsoft’s next game console, including a 64-bit D3D11.x 800GHz GPU, an 8-core x64 1.6GHz 4MB L2 GPU, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB of on-board memory, USB 3.0, HDMI-out, and an optical drive for 50GB discs. For its part, Microsoft’s staying mum — “We do not comment on rumors or speculation. We are always thinking about what is next for our platform, but we don’t have anything further to share at this time,” a Microsoft spokesperson told us — and Sony’s the only game in town with even an event scheduled in the near future.
OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman’s promising a quick, simple approval process for games on her company’s upcoming Android-powered game console, the OUYA. She told us in an interview this week:
“It’s similar to mobile: they’ll submit their games, and we’ll review for intellectual property infringement, and malware, and excessive pornography. But ultimately it’s a quick review and you’re in the storefront in one capacity or another.”
That’s not the only mobile model OUYA’s following; Urhman already said the OUYA hardware will iterate on an annual basis, similar to the mobile market.
Despite the console’s impending March launch to Kickstarter supporters, OUYA’s yet to begin reviewing games for its storefront. “We literally just opened the ability for developers to upload their games into the store,” Uhrman explained. The review process isn’t too far off, however — she’s predicting a “middle-to-end of this month” timeframe. “We’re building that right now,” she said, when asked who’s staffing that approvals process. “We are a start-up like any other start-up, it’s just-in-time business.”
The first consumer-ready OUYA consoles are planned for a March launch, with availability at retail to follow in June. The console made a big splash on Kickstarter, eventually raising over .5 million when the original goal was a meager 0K.
The Wii U’s launch was a bit rocky, to say the least. Missing features, promised TV services and slow-loading, day-one firmware updates left Nintendo fans frustrated and disappointed. The company is still cleaning up the mess too, announcing that it will push two additional software updates to fix the console’s slogging load times. A quicker console will certainly be welcome, but the Wii U spring updates are missing an opportunity to close a rift that divides Nintendo from its loving customer base: how it handles digital content ownership.
Ever buy an Xbox Live game? You probably know that purchase is tied to your Xbox Live account, and will be available on any subsequent Xbox you purchase. Not in Nintendo’s world; Kyoto’s digital sales are tied to the gaming hardware, not the user’s account. It’s been a sore spot for Nintendo gamers for some time now, and the Wii U was the company’s chance to make amends — except it didn’t. Like its predecessors, the new console locks content to the device it was originally purchased on, imprisoning digital purchases in a physical cage. The Wii U takes content confinement a step further with its support for legacy software, providing a near-perfect example of the folly of Nintendo’s content ownership philosophy: the isolated sandbox of its backwards-compatible Wii Menu.
The last time Roku properly refreshed its line of media streamers was back in 2011 with the Roku 2 series but we’re apparently in for at least one new addition, if not a whole new line. This 4200X (the current players are in the 2000/3000 series) just popped up in the FCC’s database, although most of the juicy information was withheld. Still, as seen above, its measurements indicate a box that’s just 2.25-inches on each side, smaller than the current top of the line Roku 2 XS which is 3.3-inches long on each side. Other than WiFi with 2 and 5GHz bands we didn’t uncover much else, although we wonder what the company may add in a new model.
One possibility is the (official) YouTube channel we’ve been waiting for since 2011, which CEO Anthony Wood recently told analyst Michael Wolf “isn’t far away”, but would require new hardware. Otherwise, the current boxes have 1080p output, more than 700 channels, and a Bluetooth gaming remote on the high-end units. Previous FCC leaks of the 2 and refreshed HD saw official launches within weeks, so we should know more about this new version pretty soon.
When there’s a sea of shows to dig through in Boxee TV’s web interface, finding one won’t always be easy without knowing the exact name. A range of updates hitting the servers should put an end to the guesswork while throwing in a few extras at the same time. The freshened portal brings an autocompleting search box that should speed up finding shows in the guide and, eventually, cloud DVR recordings. Viewers with a load of archived episodes aren’t left out to dry, either — the recording viewer now stuffs TV shows and movies into a more compact grid view, and offers a quick recording override if there’s suddenly a more important show in the same time slot. While deeper, firmware-based updates are still on the way, it’s nice to have the web update as a prelude.
You like the games in Sony’s PlayStation 3-based social network, Home, but not the endless Quincying? We can fully respect that, and we’re glad to tell you that Sony’s doing something specifically catered to your wants, fictional person — today, PlayStation Home Arcade launches on the PlayStation Vita, bringing arcade games from the network to Vita with none of the awkward virtual dancing found on PS3. The software previously popped up on the Vita’s store, but Sony wasn’t saying a word at the time — and now we know why. To access PlayStation Home Arcade, grab the free download from the Vita’s PlayStation Store gateway; we’re not seeing it pop up in the store just yet, but keep your eyes peeled! When it is available, to access the games, open up the application and download away — they range from free to .49. For a full list of titles and the official word from Sony, head past the break. For a horrifying demonstration of Quincying, watch this.
It’s finally over — pro football is done for the year. In its absence we have a number of big returning shows to look forward to, including favorites like Community and The Walking Dead. Also of note, Syfy will air Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome this weekend, a show that already premiered months ago on YouTube (click here to watch it now), while Dead Space 3 arrives on your gaming system of choice. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.
Community October 19th is Thursday night. Correct your calendars as necessary. (See video after the break if you require an explanation) (February 7th/October 19th, NBC, 8PM
The Walking Dead Season three of AMC’s juggernaut has been rolling along well so far, we’ll join our favorite group of zombie apocalypse survivors for the second half of the story Sunday night — see the trailer after the break. Also worth remembering for fans is that the Talking Dead recap show has been extended to an hour and will air immediately after the episode at 10PM. (February 10th, AMC, 9PM)
Top Gear The best part about season 19? BBC and BBC America have narrowed the window between when episodes air in the UK and the US, so we’ll finally get to enjoy content while it’s still fresh. Check out BBC America tonight for the season premiere. (February 4th, BBC America, 9PM)
Anyone who’s planning to catch up on Downton Abbey on their preferred service may want to plan a viewing marathon very soon: Amazon has struck a deal to become the exclusive home of the period drama on subscription-based streaming video platforms. Starting June 18th, only those Amazon Prime Instant Video members will have access to the third season and beyond on a commercial service without paying per show. The terms don’t stop there — seasons one and two will be pulled from other services later on in the year. While we’re sure Kindle Fire owners will be happy, the move won’t thrill those who want more of a choice as to how they keep up on their pseudo-historical intrigue.
Update: We’ve since gotten in touch with a source near the agreement that supports what The Vergeheard: season one will disappear from Netflix on July 1st.
Having already declared war on the grid, TV remote / guide app maker Dijit is taking GoMiso under its wing. The company announced via its site that it’s in the process of acquiring the social TV developer. The move will incorporate more discovery into Dijit’s offerings. The company has announced intentions to keep the Miso and Sideshow apps around, as well as GoMiso founder, Somrat Niyogi, who is coming on as an advisor. Quips, on the other hand, is now on the chopping block — at least it’ll have some clever last words, no doubt.
After delays and a software preview, RIM BlackBerry finally pulled the wraps off of it’s new hardware and operating system that we’d been looking for the end of January to bring. In this week’s edition of our e-publication, we take a look at all of the wares that the Canadian company unveiled in order to determine if it’s enough to reinvent the outfit. We also rundown the history of the unit formally known as Research in Motion to paint a complete picture of the road leading up to this week’s proceedings. Of course, there’s more than just BlackBerry stuffs to peruse. Hands-On visits NAMM 2013, Weekly Stat tallies up earnings season and we get cozy with the Pebble Smartwatch. There’s plenty of time for a bit of weekend reading, so head to your favorite repository to snag the goods.
Having already ploughed through Warner Bros.’ catalog, execs at Sky have just added the latest wares from Sony Pictures Television to their UK and Ireland playlist. Forthcoming titles like After Earth will arrive on Sky Movies six months after they’ve finished in cinemas, and will join other Sony pictures — like Men in Black 3, The Amazing Spider-Man and Django Unchained — in being Sky-only for another twelve months after that.
Now that the Android-powered game console on a stick, GameStick, has been fully funded (five times over), another piece of the puzzle is falling into place: its final design. Taking suggestions from the Kickstarter backers that supported the device in the first place, the final design of the controller reflects, “a more ergonomic form with extended grips and a tapered shape to better sit in the hand.” The HDMI stick that previous popped out from the bottom of the controller now rests around back — it’s now got a MicroSD slot built in as well, allowing up to 32GB of expandable memory (bringing the maximum of expandable memory up to 104GB — that’s a lot of Android games).
A docking station is also in the cards, which enables a whole mess of peripherals via USB, HDMI, and ethernet ports — it’s powered separately, so you can charge your GameStick controller without having to turn on the console. You can also charge your controller on it wirelessly, according to PlayJam. All said, it’s got one ethernet port, a full size SD card reader, three USB ports, and three HDMI ports (one out, two in), and comes as part of an option 9 bundle on the Kickstarter page. As for its sale price separately from the GameStick, PlayJam’s staying mum for now.
GAMESTICK UNVEILS FINAL DESIGN INSPIRED BY KICKSTARTER COMMUNITY
London & San Francisco; January 29th, 2013; As the GameStick Kickstarter campaign (http://kck.st/12SSvMO) enters its final few days, the team announce their final designs of the device as well as a new docking station for every peripheral conceivable.
GameStick; Kickstarter´s most recent success story, currently sits at over 500% of its original target with over 0K raised at the time of writing. The team waits on tenterhooks to discover the final figure to be revealed at 04:23 PST on Friday 1st February.
“It´s hard to believe that we launched GameStick just a few short weeks ago. The Kickstarter campaign has been a roller coaster of a ride and one which has given us more feedback than we could ever have possibly imagined.” says PlayJam´s CMO, Anthony Johnson, “We have been able to take that input and literally better shape our product to give our backers a truly bespoke creation – one which has been designed by the Kickstarter community that backed it.”
The new design sees subtle changes to the controller, which gets a more ergonomic form with extended grips and a tapered shape to better sit in the hand. The housing for the HDMI stick has been moved to the rear of the controller and the stick itself now supports an expandable 32GB MicroSD card slot in response to overwhelming demand. The finish has also been meticulously designed meet the highest of standards.
Additional requests from the backer community resulted last week in the GameStick team announcing support for peripheral hardware through a previously unspecified docking station. The dock brings on board a number of sought after features such as; wire-free charging for the controller, a number of USB and HDMI ports to support peripheral hardware such as keyboards, mice, microphones and cameras as well as support for yet more storage bringing the total potential capacity of the bundle up to 104GB.
“The GameStick Dock is a prime example of how we have moved rapidly to innovate while still in the pre-production phase,” continued Johnson, “it has made for a ‘hairy’ 30 days but we think the results are worth it and we are delighted that we have been able to tailor the product as much as we have in such a short time-frame”
The GameStick Kickstarter campaign has reached its first two stretch goals with just under K to go to hit it´s third and final stretch which will add a number of colour options to its range; a target the team hopes to hit before close. Backers have been urged to vote for their favourite colours on the GameStick Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/GameStickNews) in a poll to establish the final color.
To visit the Kickstarter page and pledge your support, please visit: http://kck.st/12SSvMO
To visit the GameStick website for more information or to apply for an SDK please go to: www.gamestick.tv
To follow GameStick news, join the conversation and give your opinion on Facebook or Twitter please go: www.facebook.com/GameStickNews and www.twitter.com/Game_Stick / @Game_Stick
To subcribe to YouTube,please go to: www.youtube.com/GameStickVideos
We’re just a few short days away from the official debut of BlackBerry 10 — RIM’s effort to remain relevant in a market it helped pioneer. With the move to a next-gen platform, it also became clear that media would need to be added to marketplace offerings. When it launches, the revamped BlackBerry World will feature DRM-free music, as well as TV shows and movies available for purchase or rent. While prices aren’t set in stone, you can expect them to to fall in line with industry norms. Best of all, most movies should be available the same day as their DVD release and TV shows the day after airing. And, lest you think RIM was going to half-ass the content part of the equation with nothing more than a few CTV and Japandroids offerings (we’d get tired of watching Degrassi: TNG eventually), the slew of partners is pretty impressive. Record labels signed on include 4AD, Matador, Warner and Sony and will be available in 18 countries at launch, while the BBC, Fox, CBC, ABC, CBS, NBC and Warner Bros. are among those offering TV shows in the US, UK and Canada. For a complete list of partners and countries check out the PR after the break.
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New BlackBerry World for BlackBerry 10 to Include Extensive Catalogue of Songs, Latest Movies and TV Shows
January 28, 2013
Unified Multimedia Storefront Will Carry Music and Video Content from All Major Studios, Labels and Broadcasters
Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX:RIM) today announced that the new BlackBerry(R) World[TM] storefront (formally BlackBerry App World[TM]) for BlackBerry 10 will offer one of the most robust music and video catalogs in mobile today. The new BlackBerry World will include an extensive catalog of songs as well as movies and TV shows, with most movies coming to the store the same day they are released on DVD, and next day availability of many current TV series. The competitive offering will feature content from all major studios, music labels and top local broadcast networks. Customers will be able to preview tracks and access the content using multiple payment options.*
“Music and video content is an integral part of a rich mobile experience. People want easy and convenient access to their favorite music, movies and TV shows wherever they are,” said Frank Boulben, Chief Marketing Officer at Research In Motion. “RIM is committed to working with content providers to bring the best, most up-to-date content to our customers with BlackBerry 10, and to make it easy for them to get what they want.”
The video download and rental section in BlackBerry World will initially be available in the US, UK and Canada. Varying by region and distributor, customers will have access to movies from the following studios and independents: 20th Century Fox, Entertainment One (eOne), Lionsgate, MGM, National Film Board of Canada, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (US), Starz Digital Media, STUDIOCANAL, The Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures (UK), Warner Bros. Customers will also have access to TV shows from the following broadcasters and studios: ABC Studios, BBC Worldwide, CBC/Radio-Canada, CBS, DHX Media, ITV, National Geographic, NBCUniversal (UK), Nelvana, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (US), Starz Digital Media, Twentieth Century Fox Television, Univision Communications Inc, and Warner Bros. The BlackBerry World storefront’s DRM-free music download section will feature an extensive catalog from all major and independent labels including: 4AD Records, Domino Recording Company, finetunes, Matador Records, [PIAS] Entertainment Group, Rough Trade Records, Sony Music Entertainment, The Orchard, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, XL Recordings and Zebralution. The music section will initially be available in 18 countries: Canada, USA, UK, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Australia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore.
Useful Links
BlackBerry World http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/
BlackBerry 10 Sign Up Page http://global.blackberry.com/blackberry-10.html
* BlackBerry(R) ID required. For more information please visit http://www.blackberry.com/bbid/
We’ve known since last year that Jurassic Park would make its return to theaters in 3D this April, but now Universal has also dropped the details about its Blu-ray 3D release, as well as the 2D release of all the flicks individually in March. Just to fill in the timeline: first Jurassic Park 1, 2 and 3 will hit Blu-ray/DVD individually (following the triple pack that shipped in 2011) on March 26th, then Jurassic Park in 3D arrives April 5th in regular and IMAX theaters (no, the now-dated CGI has not been redone, you can get a peek in the trailer embedded after the break) followed finally by the Blu-ray 3D April 26th.
While news that the flick is back on the big screen is exciting, we can’t help but think there’s a few missed opportunities here like the previously mentioned CGI, and lack of any extras detailing the conversion process on the disc. Still, some had complaints about the picture quality of the previous release and it’s possible that remastering done in the name of 3D could see a better version this time around for all viewers. Either way, after Titanic, I, Robot and even Top Gunseeing 3D re-release it appears this is definitely a trend. The individual movies are priced at .49 on Amazon, and the 3D combo pack is .99.
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JURASSIC PARK
Bonus Features: o. Digital Copy of Jurassic Park (redeem by 4/30/2015) o. Includes UltraViolet (redeem by 4/30/2015) o. Return to Jurassic Park: Dawn of a New Era o. Return to Jurassic Park: Making Prehistory o. Return to Jurassic Park: The Next Step in Evolution o. The Making of Jurassic Park o. Original Featurette on the Making of the Film o. Steven Spielberg Directs Jurassic Park o. Hurricane in Kauai Featurette o. Early Pre-Production Meetings o. Location Scouting o. Phil Tippett Animatics: Raptors in the Kitchen o. Animatics: T-Rex Attack o. ILM And Jurassic Park: Before and After the Visual Effects o. Foley Artists o. Production Archives: Photographs, Design Sketches and Conceptual Paintings o. Jurassic Park: Making the Game o. My Scenes o. pocket BLU App
The Lost World: Jurassic Park Bonus Materials:
Return to Jurassic Park: Finding The Lost World Return to Jurassic Park: Something Survived The Making of The Lost World Original Featurette on the Making of the Film The Jurassic Park Phenomenon: A Discussion with Author Michael Crichton The Compie Dance Number: Thank You Steven Spielberg From ILM ILM & The Lost World: Before & After the Visual Effects Production Archives: Production Photographs, Illustrations and Conceptual Drawings, Models, The World of Jurassic Park, The Magic of ILM, Posters and Toys BD-Live and pocket BLU App
Jurassic Park III Bonus Materials:
Return To Jurassic Park: The Third Adventure The Making of Jurassic Park III The Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park III The Special Effects of Jurassic Park III The Industrial Light & Magic Press Reel The Sounds of Jurassic Park III The Art of Jurassic Park III Montana: Finding New Dinosaurs Tour of Stan Winston Studio Spinosaurus Attacks The Plane Raptors Attack Udesky The Lake A Visit to ILM Dinosaur Turntables Storyboards to Final Feature Comparison Production Photographs Feature Commentary with Special Effects Team BD-Live and pocket BLU App
ConnecTV represents traditional TV producers’ attempt at second screen content, and having that official blessing carries certain perks. Witness the platform’s newly added SocialTV Timeline for mobile devices: the real-time, synced content feed provides not just expandable info, news and polls in line with ongoing fan conversations, but live chats with TV and sports personas during key shows and events. The SocialTV Timeline isn’t limited to the avaialble iOS or web apps, either; there’s support for syndicating it through other companies’ mobile software and sites. The core ConnecTV apps remain free (if ad-supported), so those who’ve had an inclination to chat with an actor or NFL veteran just need to visit the relevant links to get started.
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ConnecTV Unveils New SocialTV Timeline[TM] for Mobile Devices
Fans chat in real time with TV and sports stars in new format that syncs with TV
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ConnecTV, the social TV network for television fans, today announced a unique new SocialTV Timeline that dynamically syncs on your mobile devices to whatever show you’re watching, and offers a stream of integrated news, bios, special info, polls, and celebrity tweets. ConnecTV’s SocialTV Timeline also puts front and center “guest star” chat with stars from hit programs “Pretty Little Liars,” “Dancing With the Stars,” and “X-Factor,” as well as Super Bowl and Heisman Trophy-winning sports celebrities.
Just tap on any content unit in ConnecTV’s “SocialTV Timeline” and it immediately springs to life, expanding to offer news, polls, play-by-play sports and more. Share with friends, sign up for upcoming show alerts, create a ConnecTV viewing party or chat with stars and other fans – all with one touch. Fans can access ConnecTV’s new features free on smart phones, tablets and computers by downloading the ConnecTV app in the iTunes Store or at ConnecTV.com. The new SocialTV Timeline is also available for syndication by third parties as a simple module that works in smart phone and tablet applications as well as on web pages, allowing users anywhere to sync to TV across more than 400 channels.
The SocialTV Timeline showcases TV and sports stars as well as Internet celebrities chatting with fans in real time as they watch their favorite shows and games or in ConnecTV’s Watercooler. Among the “guest stars” showcased in ConnecTV chat: Keegan Allen of ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars,” Val Chmerkovskiy of ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars: All-Stars,” Apollo Nida of Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” Beilee Madison co-star of Billy Crystal’s “Parental Guidance,” Chris Rene of Fox’s “X-Factor,” Super Bowl XXXIV champion and St. Louis Rams tight end Roland Williams, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Oakland Raider Tim Brown and Internet celebrity Michael Buckley.
“ConnecTV is primarily focused on a great user experience that enhances television viewing – rather than distracting you from the ten foot experience by pulling your focus in dozens of different directions,” said ConnecTV Co-Founder Ian Aaron. “By giving our million users – and growing fast – a companion experience to television programming and marketing that they can act on with one touch, ConnecTV leads the way in fast-forwarding television into a truly social and interactive medium.”
“All the play-by-play action on the field now comes to life in real time on ConnecTV with a stream of deep stats, player bios, news and more,” said former Oakland Raider Tim Brown, who chats with fans on ConnecTV. “Joining the conversation with my super sofa warriors or sports bar titans is the most fun way to watch every game.”
The SocialTV Timeline launch follows the announcement of ConnecTV’s AdSync Network, which enables “view-sers” to act immediately on relevant television ads and promotions by tapping on synchronized companion ads on their second screen devices: Buy now, get a special promotional offer, watch additional product videos, find the closest store or enter a contest. SocialTV Timeline and the TV AdSync Network comprise the core of ConnecTV’s new social television platform that syncs with every show across more than 400 national channels, local stations and regional sports networks.
The new suite of ConnecTV features launches with an innovative graphical design that showcases the conversation around your favorite shows as well as a one-touch social integration that instantly connects viewers with their friends and followers throughout the social sphere. The design mission: To make TV more engaging, more compelling and more fun.
Consistent with the new design’s focus on driving the conversation around television, ConnecTV showcases its “Watercooler” initiative launched over the summer. Watercooler features national and local celebrities in sports, news, and entertainment chatting about the day’s top news on TV. The Watercooler premiered on ConnecTV around the 2012 London Games with Olympic Gold Medalists Bruce Jenner, Greg Louganis, Aaron Peirsol, Amanda Beard, and Clyde Drexler, and has continued through the new year with pop culture icon Michael Buckley sparking social media conversation around tent-pole programming such as the Golden Globes, “Dancing with the Stars” and “Vampire Diaries.”
ConnecTV’s new mobile interface is designed as a stream of dynamic cells, which, when touched, instantly expand to provide users with more in-depth information and real-time interactive functionality, including purchasing capabilities, in-depth and play-by-play sports statistics, relevant user polls, and connected social media – as well as enabling chat that is synchronized with the show you are watching.
The free ConnecTV app offers companion programming content and social interactivity elements that sync with any program from any TV source: cable, satellite and IPTV – live or time-shifted. ConnecTV uses a proprietary combination of content-recognition algorithms, closed caption data and a diverse mix of content meta-data to drive the accuracy, relevancy and speed of synchronization with broadcast programming – along with a tight technical integration into leading social media networks including Facebook and Twitter.
ConnecTV’s new platform syndication opportunity for SocialTV Timeline and the AdSync Network launches with the top broadcast media companies’ television stations across America: Belo Corp., Cox Media Group, E.W. Scripps Co., Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television Inc., Media General Inc., Meredith Corp., Post-Newsweek Stations, Raycom Media and Schurz Communications.
As Samsung predicted, Q4 2012 was another big one for the company with 8.84 trillion won (.27 billion) in operating profits, around double what it reported for the same period back in 2011. Overall revenue was also up, showing a gain of 18.5 percent from the same period last year for a total of 56.06 trillion won (.04 billion.) The company reported “strong” sales of its tablets and smartphones, specifically calling out its Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II, which last seen crashing through the 30 million and 5 million sold barriers, respectively. If you were hoping for a Galaxy S IV preview, it won’t be found here, although Samsung expects demand for replacements and the expansion of LTE to drive sales, the anticipated seasonal drop in sales in Q1 suggests we won’t see a new model right away.
For its TVs, Samsung claimed overall demand was flat from last year, however a focus on higher end LED models drove higher profits. Samsung sees the 60-inch and higher market growing in 2013, however Q1 sales are expected to be slow before the new models are introduced. Samsung is also a major chip maker, and it reported weak demand for PC RAM, but growth in the server and mobile markets. Hit the source link to check out the PDF yourself or check out the press release after the break for more details. We didn’t learn anything particularly illuminating on the conference call, however executives believe there are more surprises left in the smartphone market for innovative companies like Samsung — take from that what you will.
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Samsung Electronics Announces Earnings for Fourth Quarter in 2012 on 4Q consolidated operating profit reaches 8.84 trillion won on revenues of 56.06 trillion won
SEOUL, Korea – January 25, 2013 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced revenues of 56.06 trillion Korean won on a consolidated basis for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2012, a 7-percent increase quarter-on-quarter. Consolidated operating profit for the quarter hit 8.84 trillion won, representing a 10-percent increase on-quarter, while consolidated net profit for the same quarter was 7.04 trillion won.
The full-year 2012 operating profit was 29.05 trillion won on revenue of 201.10 trillion won.
In its earnings guidance disclosed on January 8, Samsung estimated fourth quarter consolidated revenues would reach approximately 56 trillion won with consolidated operating profit of approximately 8.8 trillion won.
Highlighting the quarterly performance, Mobile Communications generated quarterly revenues of 27.23 trillion won, a 4-percent increase compared with the previous quarter. The growth was mainly driven by solid sales of Samsung’s GALAXY S IIl and GALAXY Note ll. All told, operating profit for IT & Mobile Communications, which encompasses four business units including Mobile Communications, was 5.44 trillion won on revenues of 31.32 trillion won.
“Despite uncertainties in Europe and concerns over the U.S. fiscal cliff creating a difficult business environment, we did our best this quarter to achieve strong earnings based on a strategic focus on differentiated and high value-added products as well as our technological competitiveness,” said Robert Yi, Senior Vice President and Head of Investor Relations.
“Heading into this year, we are expecting a slow recovery in the component business due to reduced capital expenditures, while competition in the set business will intensify further as demand slows and the mid- to low-end market expands,” he added. Mr. Yi also expressed caution over the continued strength of the Korean won in 2013.
Samsung’s standout lineup of LED TVs, including premium models targeting advanced markets and TVs tailored to emerging markets, has also improved quarter-on-quarter earnings. Although demand for home appliances retreated in the December quarter due to a tepid global economy, Samsung saw increased sales of high-end refrigerators and washers in the U.S. and in European markets.
On the components business side, demand for PC DRAM remained weak but growth of high value-added products such as server and mobile DRAM was constant due to increased sales of mobile devices. While the Semiconductor Business landed profits in the quarter, the Display Panel segment struggled, as demand for IT panels for notebooks and monitors remained slow. On the other hand, profitability in LCD panels for TVs and OLED panels for smartphones prevented wider losses.
As for this year’s capital expenditure, the size of investment is expected to be similar to that of 2012′s.The weakening global economic recovery and looming market uncertainties are anticipated to weigh on plans for investment and performance this year, but despite global economic jitters, Samsung will respond to the market’s ebb and flow with a capex plan that is flexible in manner.
Differentiated Product Mix to Alleviate Chip Supply Squeeze
Samsung’s Semiconductor Businesses – including Memory and System LSI – posted consolidated 9.59 trillion won in revenue, a 10-percent hike from a quarter earlier. The Memory chip unit accounted for 5.33 trillion won in earnings and with the logic chip unit yielded 1.42 trillion won in operating profits, up 39 percent on-quarter
The Semiconductor Business sustained profitability in the quarter, amid weak market demand, thanks to a mix of high-margin products such as servers and Solid State Drives (SSDs) coupled with differentiated 20-nanometer class NAND flash chips. A competitive edge in mobile application processors for smartphones and tablet PCs also contributed to the bottom line.
Looking ahead, demand for memory chips is expected to be stifled in the first quarter, due to the seasonably weak demand for PCs and mobile devices. However, for the remainder of 2013, high value-added DRAM for mobile devices and servers will sustain profitability. Demand for logic products and NAND solutions including SSDs will remain strong throughout the year, as the industry puts greater emphasis on devices with higher capacity, greater processing power and mobility.
High-End Panels Secure Stability
The Display Panel Business recorded an operating profit of 1.11 trillion won on revenue of 7.75 trillion won in the fourth quarter. This represented a 5-percent decline in profits compared with the previous quarter but was up from the corresponding quarter of 2011.
Despite slower-than-expected economic recovery in developed markets, panel demand in China and emerging economies remained favorable in the quarter. This was led by solid sales of TV and tablet panels which offset the slowdown in notebook and monitor panel demand.
Samsung was able to secure stable growth for the quarter with an improved product mix and strengthened sales of high-end panels. Sales of LED and narrow bezel panels for premium TVs continued to grow, although the company’s TV panel sales dropped in the mid single-digit percentage range from the same period last year. However, increased sales of tablet panels as well as OLED panels for premium smartphones contributed to steady growth.
Looking ahead to 2013, the company expects the market for large-size TV panels, those over 60 inches in size, to grow. Strong sales of tablet panels are also forecast to continue throughout the year. For the first quarter, however, panel demand is expected to be adversely affected by off-peak seasonality before recovering in March with new TV and tablet product launches by manufactures.
Emerging Markets, a Silver Lining
The IT & Mobile Communications – comprised of Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Imaging and Media Solution Center businesses – posted operating profits of 5.44 trillion won on 31.32 trillion won in revenue for the period. Out of the total IM earnings, the handset-making unit claimed 27.23 trillion won in revenue in the October-December quarter.
Samsung led gains with its full lineup of entry- to mid-level smartphones, expanded sales of tablet PCs and an increase in average selling price (ASP) from the previous quarter. The success was mainly brought on by strong sales of GALAXY S III and GALAXY Note II, which beat the popularity of their predecessors with record sales in record time.
In contrast, growth in network and IT-related IM businesses was stunted by heated pricing in the fourth quarter. On a brighter note, sales of Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless broadband technology equipment continued gains while revenue from overseas sales of notebook PCs improved.
The furious growth spurt seen in the global smartphone market last year is expected to be pacified by intensifying price competition compounded by a slew of new products. In the first quarter, demand for smartphones in developed countries is expected to decelerate, while their emerging counterparts will see their markets escalate with the introduction of more affordable smartphones and a bigger appetite for tablet PCs throughout the year.
LED TVs Drive Growth
The Consumer Electronics Division – encompassing the Visual Display and Digital Appliances businesses – posted revenue of 13.95 trillion won for the quarter, up 20 percent quarter-on-quarter. The operating profit of 740 billion won amounted to an increase of 87 percent on the previous quarter and an increase on-year.
Lifted by peak season sales, the market experienced stronger demand for TV products in both developed and emerging markets as LED TV sales drove overall market growth of over 40 percent on-quarter. Backed by favorable market conditions, Samsung outperformed the market for LED TVs with on-quarter growth of more than 50 percent. This was achieved by the company’s differentiated strategy of focusing on premium models for developed economies and region-specific models in emerging markets.
Heading into 2013, sales will be led by emerging economies and the LED TV segment, which will expand its proportion of total TV sales into the mid-80 percent range. In the first quarter, the company expects off-peak seasonality to dampen on-quarter growth, although demand will be up in comparison with the previous year.
For the Digital Appliances market, although global economic conditions pushed demand down on the previous quarter, Samsung was able to expand sales of premium refrigerators and washing machines as the company experienced growth in developed markets such as Europe and the U.S. Looking ahead, the company expects moderate growth in emerging markets while low growth is likely to continue in developed economies.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in consumer electronics and the core components that go into them. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 227,000 people across 75 countries with annual sales exceeding US3 billion. Our goal is opening new possibilities for people everywhere. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.
The fiscal 2013 Q3 numbers from Logitech are in, and according to new CEO Bracken P Darrell, the “disappointing” results will require immediate action to turn around — action that includes selling off its remote control (read: Harmony) and digital video security divisions. At this time last year, we were still looking forward to a refresh of the line which resulted in the Harmony Touch, but that does not appear to have turned things around. Harmony remote sales fell off by 55 percent based on units, although a focus on higher end devices like the new Touch meant revenue declined only 24 percent.
According to a slide in the presentation, after a strategic review, Logitech is focusing on tablet accessories, wireless speakers as well as keeping its lead in PC-related products. Other “non-strategic” products are also on the chopping block, and we’d have to think that includes video conferencing after yesterday’s announcement. Current owners worried about potential support should be taken care of however, as a post by Darrell on the support forums indicates company will continue to provide support during the sale process and all current warranties are still in effect. There’s no word about a possible buyer, but we’ll be tuning into the earnings call tomorrow morning to see what additional information is revealed.
Nothing says, “Nintendo news” quite like watching Nintendo president Satoru Iwata gesticulate in a featureless white room for nearly an hour. This morning’s Nintendo Direct presentation didn’t disappoint in that respect, with Iwata moving his hands this way and that, all the while detailing upcoming system updates to the Wii U, new features and mobile access for the Miiverse social network, and Virtual Console finally heading to Nintendo’s latest console. That’s to say nothing of a new yarn-based game starring Yoshi and the HD remake of Wind Waker. But you’re not here for that, are you? You just wanna watch Iwata make silly arm movements? Done and done — head past the break for your fix.
Now that we’re all back to the normal grind outside of the confines of a double-wide trailer, it’s time to reflect on the last week’s events in chilly Las Vegas. In a return to weekly installments of our tablet mag, we recall the high points of CES 2013 with a look at the battle surrounding second screen tech. We also discuss of all of the Ultra HD news and rundown the Best in Show items in all of the major categories. Eyes-On takes a gander at QNX’s Bentley, Hands-On wraps the final two days from the show floor and travel photographer Austin Mann visits for the Q&A. The end of another week is here, friends, so grab your device of choice and cozy up for an extra helping of leisurely gadget reading.
We’ll take a break from football — true addicts can give the Pro Bowl and Senior Bowl a look — for one weekend before the big game, but there are other options. That includes hockey now, of course, but also a few premiering and returning shows. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.
The Following If you need a few more connections in your next six degrees of Kevin Bacon game, tune in to The Following, which pits Bacon as an FBI agent chasing down serial killer (and leader of other killers) James Purefoy. It’s been heavily promoted, but we’ll find out tonight if the high profile cast and production add up to a show worth watching — it didn’t work so well for ABC’s Last Resort, which is airing its series finale this week. (Fox, January 21st, 9PM)
Spartacus: War of the Damned The last season of Starz’ hit Spartacus: War of the Damned kicks off Friday night, and should bring along all the associated violence we’ve come to expect from the series. As Marcus Crassus and Julius Caesar join the fight things are only going to get more interesting, if you’ve somehow missed out on the show till now you can check out a trailer embedded after the break. The special effects have never surpassed the level of most made-for-Syfy movies, but somehow it manages to become more than the sum of its parts. (Starz, January 25th, 9PM)
The Cave The next adventure game from Double Fine, The Cave hits a slew of platforms this week. Available for download on Steam, PSN, Xbox Live and Wii U eShop, it lets player’s pick their own squad of adventures and explore — what else — a cave. Somehow that area will include an amusement park, castle and even a ready to launch nuke, but we’re most interested to see how it integrates the Wii U GamePad for camera and character switching. (.99, multiple platforms / dates)
Blu-ray & Games
End of Watch
Death Race 3: Inferno
Searching for Sugar Man
The Paperboy
The Quiet Man
For A Good Time, Call…
Pina
The Cave (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC)
Monday
The Following (series premiere), Fox, 9PM
Spurs/76ers, TNT, 7PM
Lakers/Bulls, TNT, 9:30PM
The Bachelor, ABC, 8PM
Bones, Fox, 8PM
Continuum, Syfy, 8PM
The Carrie Diaries, CW, 8PM
How I Met Your Mother, CBS, 8PM
Switched at Birth, ABC Family, 8PM
WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
2 Broke Girls, CBS, 9PM
90210 (winter premiere), NBC, 9PM
Being Human, Syfy, 9PM
Bunheads, ABC Family, 9PM
Mike & Molly, CBS, 9:30PM
Hawaii Five-0, CBS, 10PM
Lost Girl, Syfy, 10PM
Deception, NBC, 10PM
Castle, ABC, 10PM
Catfish, MTV, 11PM
Tuesday
The Taste (series premiere), ABC, 8PM
The Ultimate Fighter (season premiere), FX, 8PM
White Collar (winter premiere), USA, 10PM
Raising Hope, Fox, 8PM
Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, NBC, 8 & 8:30PM
Hart of Dixie, CW, 8PM
Pretty Little Liars, ABC Family, 8PM
Ben & Kate, Fox, 8:30PM
Go On, NBC, 9PM
The Lying Game, CW, 9PM
New Girl, Fox, 9PM
Happy Endings, ABC, 9PM
Emily Owens M.D., CW, 9PM
Dual Survival, Discovery, 9PM
The Mindy Project, Fox, 9:30PM
The New Normal , NBC, 9:30PM
Africa, Discovery, 10PM
Cougar Town, TBS, 10PM
Justified, FX, 10PM
Private Practice (series finale), ABC, 10PM
Parenthood (season finale), NBC, 10PM
The Burn with Jeff Ross, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
Flashpoint (series finale), Ion, 11PM
Wednesday
American Idol, Fox, 8PM
Arrow, CW, 8PM
The Middle, ABC, 8PM
Nuggets/Rockets, NBA TV, 8PM
The Neighbors, ABC, 8:30PM
WWE Main Event, Ion, 8PM
Criminal Minds, CBS, 9PM
Supernatural CW, 9PM
Modern Family, ABC, 9PM
Inside the NFL, Showtime, 9PM
Suburgatory, ABC, 9:30PM
Workaholics, Comedy Central, 10PM
CSI, CBS, 10PM
Necessary Roughness (winter premiere), USA, 10PM
American Horror Story (season finale), FX, 10PM
NFL Turning Point, NBC Sports Network, 10PM
Nashville, ABC, 10PM
Unsung: Isaac Hayes (season premiere), TV One, 10PM
The Kroll Show, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
Thursday
30 Rock, NBC, 8PM
Impact Wrestling, Spike TV, 8PM
The Vampire Diaries, CW, 8PM
Last Resort (series finale), ABC, 8PM
Knicks/Celtics TNT, 8PM
American Idol, Fox, 8PM
Parks & Recreation, NBC, 8:30PM
Beauty & the Beast (winter premiere), CW, 9PM
Glee (winter premiere), Fox, 9PM
Grey’s Anatomy, ABC, 9PM
The Office, NBC, 9PM
1600 Penn, NBC, 9:30PM
Anger Management, FX, 9:30PM
King of the Nerds, TBS, 10PM
Archer, FX, 10PM
Bellator MMA Live, Spike TV, 10PM
Suits, USA, 10PM
Legit, FX, 10:30PM
Clippers/Suns, TNT, 10:30PM
Totally Biased with W Kamau Bell, FX, 11PM
Friday
Spartacus: War of the Damned (season premiere), Starz, 9PM
Spurs/Mavericks, ESPN, 8PM
Nikita, CW, 8PM
WWE SmackDown, Syfy, 8PM
Malibu Country, ABC, 8:30PM
CSI: NY, CBS, 9PM
Friday Night Fights, ESPN2, 9PM
Real time with Bill Maher, HBO, 10PM
Banshee, Cinemax, 10PM
Merlin, Syfy, 10PM
Portlandia, IFC, 10PM
Saturday
Senior Bowl, NFL Network, 4PM
UFC on Fox 6, Fox, 8PM
US Figure Skating Championships, NBC, 8PM
Abominable Snowman, Syfy, 9PM
Saturday Night Live: Adam Levine / Kendrick Lamar, 11:30PM
Microsoft’s quest to become king of the living room by continuing the expansion of its console’s entertainment services just grew a little more today. The Redmond-based company has announced that NHL GameCenter is now available to Xbox Live members with a Gold subscription, delivering great news to hockey fanatics ahead of the already controversial 2013 season. Regardless of lockouts and all that, though, the National Hockey League application’s set to bring plenty of content to the Xbox Live folk, including real-time scores and stats, a Season Central hub that shows you the league’s schedule and, naturally, the ability to watch replays and live games (as long as you shell out the fee for the 2012-2013 season, of course). Per Microsoft, NHL GameCenter is available “around the globe,” however countries like Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland don’t appear to have made the cut. The rest of you, meanwhile, can download the app starting today.
Update: Below is a note from Microsoft about which countries can expect to see the NHL GameCenter app on their consoles, as well as more info regarding the situation in the Nordic regions.
The following countries are receiving NHL GameCenter: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong SAR, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America.
The NHL app will not be available on Xbox within the Nordic markets due to an existing digital broadcast agreement already in place between NHL and Viasat Broadcasting. NHL games can be viewed instead via the Viaplay app, which launched on Xbox in December 2012.The Viaplay app is available immediately for download via Xbox LIVE.
Show full PR text
NHL GameCenter launches on Xbox LIVE
NHL GameCenter[TM] is now available on Xbox LIVE* around the globe, giving Gold subscribers access to their favorite NHL hockey action right from their Xbox and just in time for the 2013 season to take center ice. NHL GameCenter[TM] for Xbox 360 brings you live games, replays, classic games, and videos from NHL VideoCenter[TM], plus controller-free entertainment with the power of Kinect for Xbox 360.
NHL GameCenter[TM] on Xbox LIVE offers the following features:
Follow the Action from the 2013 NHL Season – Get real-time game scores, player stats and team standings. All Xbox LIVE Gold Members can also follow the action on and off the ice from the NHL VideoCenterTM. Watch the best goals, saves and hits from around the league this season.
· Live Games and Replays with NHL Game Center LIVE – With your NHL GameCenter LIVE[TM] subscription (.99 USD for the 2012-13 season), watch live, out-of-market games from the NHL regular season. Miss a game? Watch full-length archived games or condensed replays from this season and last.
· Every game with an HD-Quality Picture – NHL GameCenter[TM] delivers every game in a beautiful, HD-quality picture, and each broadcast gives every fan the option of the Home or Away audio feed. With NHL GameCenter[TM] on Xbox 360, you will feel like your team is the home team.
· Keep Up With Your Favorite Teams – NHL GameCenter[TM] on Xbox 360 lets you personalize the experience to get to the information you care about most. Select up to five teams to follow so you can be sure not to miss a beat on your favorite teams and players. Get the scores, player stats, schedule and live games, right at your fingertips.
· Season Central – A quick calendar view of the league schedule or just your favorite teams is a click away. Season Central is the best way to find out what games are on today, this week, or next month.
· Mini Guide – The Mini Guide gives you a quick preview of all of today’s action right at the bottom of your screen, and makes it easier than ever to switch between games.
· Split Screen – Keep an eye on the rest of the league while cheering on your home team! With Split Screen, you can watch two games at once and do just that. Watch live games on both screens or a live game on one while you catch up with a game recap on the other. You can control both screens independently, pausing and rewinding each separately so you never miss a second of the action.
· Classic Games from NHL Vault[TM] -Relive your favorite moments in NHL history with on-demand access to over 800 classic games from NHL Vault[TM]. Watch some of the best Original Six battles from the 1960s or re-watch the best games from the Stanley Cup(R) Playoffs through the years. You now have the best way to watch these games on your big screen with Xbox 360.
· Voice and Gesture Control with Kinect for Xbox 360 – Focus on the puck instead of looking for the remote. Navigate through Season Central, or play, pause, and rewind that behind-the-back goal, all with the power of Kinect for Xbox 360.
With the addition of NHL GameCenter[TM] to the existing lineup of sports partners, including ESPN, UFC, NBA and MLB, Xbox is taking live sports on TV to a whole new level with personalization features, deeper interactivity, and social connectivity found only on Xbox 360. For more information, visit www.xbox.com.
Got your HDHomeRun Prime, your favorite DLNA client and an itch to watch some premium HD cable TV? Well, then it’s time to head over to the beta forum, download the latest firmware then register as a tester. Those of you lucky enough to have a nice TV provider that doesn’t lock everything down with Copy Once flags will be able to watch live TV on just about any DLNA playback device that supports MPEG2. Those not so lucky will need a PS3 or a 2012 Samsung HDTV, without which this little gem ain’t going to do you much good. Sadly, this exclusive to the HDHomeRun Prime because its the only one with the hardware to support DLNA, but the new tuners due this spring will allow DLNA access of ATSC, QAM and DVB sources — as well as allow playback on Media Players that only support h.264. The usefulness of this is still pretty limited while we wait for the rest of SiliconDust’s Project:Connect to come together, but we don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t join in on the fun.
Here’s the good news: Ben and Richard survived the so-named CES Death Flu. Good thing, too, because we’re not finished with the onslaught of UHD display tech from Vegas in the least. Among various HD talking points, we’ve got an interview straight from the slow floor with Sharp’s Jim Sandusky about the company’s latest TVs. The only thing that might top that is Top Gun remastered in 3D. These, just some of the many highlights from this installment of the Engadget HD Podcast.
Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [RSS - AAC] Enhanced feed, subscribe to this with iTunes. [RSS - MP3] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace [MP3] Download the show (MP3).
Being able to watch Sky TV on the go using, erm, Sky Go, is great, but streaming video away from your home router can often be costly, especially if you’re on EE’s basic LTE plan. Thankfully, the broadcaster is looking to launch Sky Go Extra, which, if The Telegraph is to believed, will allow up to four users to download anything from the Murdoch library straight to their mobile device. Adding such functionality to your family’s viewing habits will set you back £5 a month (after a two month free trial) but that also includes unlimited access to the company’s first-windowmovie catalog, a jewel it’s paid heavily to keep out of the hands of rivals such as NetflixLovefilm.
Following Lovefilm’s deal with NBC Universal to bring the latter’s movie catalogue to the streaming service, the pair have hooked up again to do the same job for the studio’s TV productions. Shows such as The Office (US), 30 Rock and Knight Rider will all be available for viewing, whenever your desire for some Corporate Hijinks / Alec Baldwin / talking cars takes hold. We’ve just checked and the shows are already filtering through — although you can only catch the first three years of Liz Lemon’s adventures so far.
Disney and AT&T today announced a multi-year extension to their already existing relationship, which brings approximately 70 channels to AT&T’s U-Verse cable network. The new “long-term distribution agreement” also adds a handful of new content, including the return of ESPN 3D and a new ABC/Univision collaborative channel aimed at English-dominant and bilingual Hispanics. That adds to the already robust lineup, which features biggies like ESPN and ABC. It’s unclear what money exchanged hands in the deal or how long it’ll last — no specifics are given for either — but it’s safe to say your Disney-owned channels are secure for now, U-Verse users.
Comcast now has some extra skin in the cable box and modem business, as the provider has just agreed to invest 0 million in Arris. If the name sounds familiar, it should — this is the company that recently purchased Motorola Home from Google for .35 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Comcast will purchase roughly 7.85 percent of Arris, and in the very same stroke, halve Google’s stake in the company, which previously sat at 15.7 percent. After the deal is complete, Google will end up with an additional 0 million in its pocket. As for what we can expect, Bob Stanzione, CEO of Arris, sounded off: “We believe this investment by one of our largest customers is a strong indication of customer support for the Motorola Home acquisition and its potential to accelerate innovation to the benefit of the industry and consumers.” So, yeah… both companies will be working together more closely. For some additional insight behind the terms of the deal, you’ll find the PR after the break.
Whenever you ask a friend to suggest a good TV show, they often just bellow praise for The Wire, Breaking Bad or My Little Pony — not useful if your tastes are a little more diverse. That’s why major players Time Warner and Vudu have signed up Jinni’s taste engine to build into their platforms to help you find entertainment — no more boring grid-style guides, Jinni promises. We’re apparently entering, “a new era of intuitive, personalized user experience,” which sounds perfectly swell to us. A duo of European providers are also hopping on board — Bouygues Telecom and C More Entertainment — as well as Asia’s SingTel and Africa’s Multichoice.
Nobody’s talking specifics on when we’ll see these metadata-pulling suggestions appear in homes, but if your horizons suddenly start to broaden, you know who to blame.
This was our biggest CES group of all time, by a long shot. As we pack our bags and return to our home cities around the country and beyond, our team of ace editors took some time to share their final impressions of the show. Scroll down below to hear from Tim Stevens and Darren Murph, who helped to provide invaluable direction and motivation here in Vegas, then click past the break for some brief reports from the rest of the team.
Tim Stevens, Editor-in-chief For me, the story of CES 2013 was the massive shift of focus from mega-announcements by mega-corporations to the micro-innovations pitched by the crowd-funded. This, to me, is far more exciting than the usual iterative advancements we fixate upon in Las Vegas every year. I don’t know what that means for the future of CES as a mega-show, but I can’t wait for 2014′s iteration.
Darren Murph, Managing Editor Here’s the problem with CES 2013: nothing is shipping soon, and nothing is affordable. But that’s also what made CES awesome. I’ll one day be able to afford a 4K HDTV, and the new Tegra 4 / Snapdragon gear will one day be in an Android phone I’ll crave. Now that the dust has settled, I’m actually pretty amazed that envelopes are still being pushed in a world where people are increasingly content with existing technologies. Onward and upward.
Even before this year’s CES kicked off, we knew Ultra High-Definition was going to dominate the show. Then from the first press conference to the last, 3,840 × 2,160 resolution displays were a center piece of almost every major manufacturer’s announcements. Leading up to the show, the CEA’s board decided against using “4K” to market these 8-megapixel (1080p is two megapixels) displays, instead choosing Ultra High-Definition or Ultra HD. Of course not everyone followed along, in fact Sony was first to market in the US, late last year, with its “4K Ultra HD TV.” The display is only one piece of the puzzle and plenty of questions remain, however. Like, “Where’s the content?” and “Will I have to replace all my other home theater gear?” Questions aside, Ultra HD TVs are here and more are coming, so click through for these answers and to discover the slate of new Ultra HD TVs for 2013.
Look closely at the image above. See that clear portion depicting a food fight? That’s coming through the right lens of dedicated eyewear made specifically for Samsung’s55-inch OLED Multi-View HDTV. The sleek, silver-trimmed 1080p set, recently unveiled at CES 2013, utilizes a quad-core processor and 240Hz refresh rate to send specific “firing patterns” to a user’s eyewear that’s then filtered out by swapping the input control (A /B) located above the left ear. The actual 3D effect varies from an artificial seeming emphasis on layers of depth, to the more traditional, and quite impressive, “in your face” immersive experience. Multiple input configurations are also possible, allowing users in the same room to watch either two separate 3D images, one 3D plus two 2D images or four 2D images simultaneously. So, basically, you can keep playing your PS3 while a loved one watches Homeland.
The 55-inch set also comes equipped with an inbuilt webcam that’s tucked just behind the top front panel and supports Samsung’s Smart Hub. Pricing hasn’t been made known at this time, but you should see the Multi-View set hit retail sometime mid-July 2013.
Almost five years after the introduction of the very first consumer-priced HD capture device, the HD PVR, Hauppauge has introduced the HD PVR 2 model 1512. Joining the new HD PVR 2 GE Plus, released late last year and geared towards gamers, the HD PVR 2 is focused on home media users who want to record broadcast TV. It includes an IR blaster to control the set-top box it is connected to and bundled with WinTV v7.2 software. It is also compatible with Windows 7 and Windows 8 Media Center. You can record component or HDMI (unprotected) sources, up to 1080p30, and the video and audio are stored as h.264 and 5.1 surround sound. The new unit will be available on February 1st, but the press release after the break doesn’t include the price. The HD PVR 2 GE Plus is available via online retailers now for 0, so it’s probably safe to assume the HD PVR 2 model 1512 will be around the same.
If you asked Netflix, it’d probably agree there’s more money to be had from the Bluth Family’s banana stand — after all, it did buy the exclusive rights to it. After months of waiting and anticipation, the company has confirmed that the fourth season of Arrested Development will arrive in May. This run of the revived sitcom will consist of 14 episodes in total, all of which will only be streamable from the house of Hastings servers. All we can hope for in the meantime is that, Maeby maybe, just maybe, a certain Gob Bluth will finally gets his act together.
Cox Communications continued to build on its investment in live TV streaming, unveiling its latest mobile app at a CES presser. Developed in partnership with Cisco, the yet unnamed app will feature 90 live channels, On Demand content and personalized video recommendations for up to eight household members. Folks who don’t quite feel the recommendations they receive will also be able to “like,” “dislike” or “suspend” them. Cox apparently plans to place its proverbial eggs into this one basket, eventually integrating all its mobile applications into the app. Cox has been busy releasing all sorts of digital offerings in the last few years, including the Cox TV Connect app in late 2011 as well as its Cox Mobile Connect apps. The new app is slated to debut on the iPad first but will be available on more devices by the end of the year. For more details, check out the PR after the break.
Ubitus might call itself “the worldwide technology leader in cloud gaming solutions,” but we’ve yet to hear of the Japanese cloud gaming company. But that’s about to change, as the company just announced a partnership with Google TV to bring “console and MMO games” to various GTV-enabled devices. That means both Smart TVs and set-top boxes with Google TV will now have access to Ubitus’ library of cloud-based games; Resident Evil 5, Lost Planet 2, and Super Street Fighter IV are all shown in an image we got with the announcement. Whether that means worldwide or Japan-only remains unknown for now, but we’ll be sure to find out as CES 2013 kicks off in earnest today.
GoPro ain’t the only name in the action camera game, and here at CES Unveiled we’ve just got a look at Liquid Image’s latest mountable cam — the Ego Mini (that’s it on the right, pictured next to the first-gen Ego). It shoots 1080p video at 30 fps or 720p at 60 fps, and is WiFi enabled, so you can livestream if hooked up to something with internet access. Obviously it’s pretty small and light (as well as waterproof), and we saw it nestled inside a motorbike helmet, and in various mount configurations, like four cams pointing in all directions for 360-degree recording, and two side-by-side for 3D video. In camera mode, it can shoot 12-megapixel stills with a continuous photo-taking mode if you want something in-between full video recording.
The Liquid Image app, which has just been released for iOS and will be making its way into the Google Play store at some point in the future, can pair with the cam and solicit the live video view. It can also access data stored on the Ego Mini’s microSD card (up to 32GB supported), and upload short clips to social networks. The app also works as a remote control for taking stills and will allow you to change settings on the camera. We saw the app in action briefly, and it worked as described, with only a little lag in the video stream, and pretty good image quality from what we could tell from an iPhone screen. Due to arrive in stores in August 2013, the Ego Mini is expected to cost 0. Check out the PR after the break for more info, and check out the gallery below for our hands-on pics. If you’re interested in a more integrated action cam specifically for snowsports, we also took a quick tour of Liquid Image’s Apex HD+ goggles (or HD + WiFi depending on your source), which started shipping in November 2012.
Harman has joined several other companies in jumping the CES gun, announcing five new products it’s bringing to the show. First up is the JBL Charge, a hardy Bluetooth speaker which promises an impressive 12 hours of tunes on a single charge. If you are willing to sacrifice some of that play time, you can siphon power from the internal battery to other kit via the speaker’s USB port. Expected to start shipping in Q1 2013, you should be able to pick one up for around 9. Joining JBL’s OnBeatrange are the Mini and Rumble speaker docks, which are both compatible with Apple’s Lightning connector. The Mini is a fairly standard dock which will play and charge for up five hours on battery power, and should be available this coming March for around 9. The Rumble, however, is a little more equipped, with both Lightning and Bluetooth streaming options, as well as a 4.5-inch, “down-firing subwoofer” for bass junkies. That extra muscle is reflected in the price, though, which is likely to be 9 when it hits stores next spring.
A couple of new Kardon-branded A/V receivers from Harman are also coming along to CES — the AVR 2700 and 3700. Both have multi-zone functionality, are stacked with wireless features including internet radio, AirPlay and DLNA connectivity, and can be controlled using iOS and Android apps. The AVR 2700 has eight HDMI ports and 4K video scaling for when you get round to buying that UHDTV, as well as 7.1-channel audio (at 100 watts per channel). The AVR 3700 adds WiFi connectivity, and has 7.2 channels (at 125 watts per channel) for adding a second woofer to your setup. When they become available to purchase in Q1 2013, expect wallet damage to the tune of 9 for the 2700, or 9 for the 3700. You can get a closer look at all the Harman products in the press shots below (complete with unnecessary reflection), and if you’re into PRs, there are a whole bunch awaiting you after the break.
It’s not Monday, but we’re still taking some time off from preparations for the super bowl of electronics to record the Engadget HD podcast. You can tune in live at 5:30PM and be be a part of it. Start by reviewing the list of topics (including our CES preview) after the break, then participate in the live chat.
Razer’s Onza Xbox 360 controller is very, very nice. Sure, it’s got an unbelievably long, non-detachable wire sticking out of it, but its build quality is top notch and its ultra-clicky face buttons are a pleasure to use. In the company’s second Xbox 360 controller — the Sabertooth — Razer’s focusing on the tournament gaming crowd rather than simply outfitting its Onza with “Tournament Edition” specs. That aside, the Sabertooth retains the quality we’ve come to expect from Razer products. Oh, and that crazy long wire is thankfully detachable!
It’s apparent from first glance that the Sabertooth is intended as such, given the six extra (programmable) buttons found on the shoulders and back of the controller, and the tiny OLED screen found along the bottom (allowing for the programming of said buttons). Considering that a regular Xbox 360 controller comprises 12 (!!) buttons not counting the d-pad, adding another six and an OLED screen is … intense, to say the least. While we didn’t have occasion to test the programmability, we can definitively say that the Sabertooth’s other functions are just as solid as with the Onza. The analog sticks are as good or better than a standard Xbox 360 controller, the d-pad is an improvement over the Onza (which was already an improvement over the dismal d-pad included on most Xbox 360 controllers), and the triggers / shoulder buttons are appropriately springy and responsive. There’s even a silly backlight for several face buttons, should you be playing video games in a cave (you can opt to turn off the backlight, too — we certainly did).
Charter viewers won’t have any shortage of TV choices this year — at least, as long as they like Disney-owned channels. The House of Mouse has signed a deal with Charter to bring its full deck of channels and services to the cable provider in the first half of 2013. The mix includes all national ABC, Disney and ESPN channels as well as their on-demand and authenticated streaming equivalents, such as WatchESPN. The Longhorn Network and local station retransmissions are involved as well. Neither side has mentioned the full terms, although it’s cast as a “multi-year” pact; we’ll take the uncertainty as long as we get more say in what (and how) we watch.
Although WatchESPN viewing has been an option for Android viewers since 2011, those with Amazon tablets haven’t had the same luxury — they’ve sometimes had to watch on an old-fashioned TV. Thankfully, ESPN is giving them a better start to the new year by bringing its app to the Amazon Appstore. Anyone with a regular Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD or Kindle Fire HD 8.9 now has access to live games and news as long as they have a supporting TV subscription. The app is free outside of the cost of ESPN itself; if you’ve got the right mix of hardware and software, it’s easy to get your fill at the source link.
As LG continues its slew of CES pre-announcements, it’s revealed details about the new HDTVs it will be showing off in Las Vegas next week. Predictably, they include three lines of plasma models (fewer than previous years, but still kicking) in 42- to 60-inch sizes, and new LCD HDTVs in various levels of trim and sizes from 22-inches up to 60-inches. Most notably, this year all of its new LCDs are LED, as it’s kicked the old CCFL tech to the curb. LG has already detailed upcoming changes for its voice/gesture Magic Remote control and a couple of Google TV models, however other new features for 2013 include an “On Now” recommendation system that learns what you watch and offers relevant selections from live TV and video on-demand services. Expect new tie-ins to be announced with both streaming and local TV providers to help fill out the selection around the world.
Hardware-wise, new feature boxes checked this year include NFC, thanks to a new “Tag On” sticker smartphones and other devices can easily pair with. Getting content from mobile devices to the display will also be easier thanks to Miracast and WiDi support, and MHL ports will be readily available as well. LG’s FPR 3D tech isn’t going anywhere, and Smart TV features should be speedier than ever thanks to CPUs with a promised 120 percent speed boost, and 300 percent faster GPUs. As seen in the pics, the design has also been altered slightly with a new stand that both swivels and rolls, plus a reduced bezel size.
If you’re looking for the latest and greatest however, LG will be showing off the 84-inch Ultra HD 4K set it just started shipping and the 55-inch OLED display we’re waiting for. No word yet on shipping dates or price for any of the new models, but as we surmised from LG Display’s plans, we should see a couple of 55- and 65-inch Ultra HD TVs appear before the year is out. There’s a couple more pictures of the new HDTVs in the gallery plus a press release with all the details after the break. Beyond that, HD Guru has a model-by-model breakdown of the available information — we’ll check back with our in-person impressions in a few days.
Samsung’s HDTV-based Smart Hub is set to land a major refresh at CES, according to a trio of images and a product description that appeared on Flickr this evening. Like previous iterations, the software interface will provide access to real-time TV broadcasts, on-demand flicks, apps and photos, according to the site’s image captions. The new version will feature a new background design, along with a “simplified” UI. While the on-screen interface appears to be new, the screen shot is presented atop last year’s Series 8 model, including an identical stand and a built-in camera up top — there’s no hint at what hardware advances we may see in Vegas early next year. Samsung’s CES press conference is on the books for the afternoon of Monday, January 7th, so we have less than two weeks to go before this new UI — and a whole lot of HDTVs — becomes official.
Update: The Global Samsung Tomorrow blog has revealed a few more details, describing how everything will be split into five categories: On TV (live), Movies & TV Shows (VOD), Apps, Social, and finally Photos, Videos & Music. A “Flipping” function will page through the categories one after the other, hit the source link for all the details currently available.
LG is in the midst of a whirlwind tour of its 2013 CES introductions, and the next stop is its AV catalog. The running theme this year is NFC: both the BH9430PW 9.1-channel home theater and the BP730 Blu-ray player include the short-range wireless format to simplify mirroring content from your Optimus G (and, most likely, other NFC phones). The surround system also packs an iPod dock and a Private Audio Mode that funnels sound to a nearby smartphone when a quiet house is paramount. Beyond these two devices, LG promises the Bluetooth-equipped, 310W NB4530A sound bar, a ND8630 speaker dock with both Android and iOS support (including AirPlay and Bluetooth) and an NP6630 portable speaker that stuffs AirPlay, Bluetooth and NFC into its frame. We’ll know more at CES next month, but those who want LG’s overview can see it for themselves after the break.
By Billy Steele, Sarah Silbert and Christopher Trout Illustration By ILoveDust
While planet Earth has yet to meet its demise, the end of 2012 is nigh. It was a year of lengthy legal battles and shifting power dynamics in the tech industry. It brought with it great advancements and great failures — and, for some, the promise of the end of days. We’ve combed our archives to bring you just a few of the stories that made the biggest impact on our reporting this year. Herewith, an abridged look back at the year that was.
We’re very happy that 2012 ended up being the year of whole-home DVRs. We reviewed Dish Network’s Hopper earlier this year and now we’ve spent some quality time with DirecTV’s Genie — can’t say we expected the cute names. Capable of serving up to eight rooms in your house (but only four at once), the Genie system works with a variety of setups, including being built into some newer Samsung TVs. Only available as part of DirecTV service, the Genie can be had for free by some new DirecTV customers who are willing to sign a term agreement and select the right package, and available to existing customers as an upgrade for 0 depending on the circumstances. If DirecTV didn’t already have you at five tuners, 1TB and up to eight rooms, then click through for a full rundown on the latest the original direct satellite broadcast TV provider has to offer.
DirecTV announced today that it will raise its prices effected February 7, 2013, with the average customer’s bill going up about 4.5 percent. The card shown above displays the new rates (hit the source link to see them all) which it claims are up less than cable competitor’s price hikes, and are pushed by programming costs that have gone up eight percent. The last time we noted an increase in prices, DirecTV had just added a slew of HD channels. This time, it comes after a year that’s seen a number of DVR upgrades, more new channels, a lower price for Sunday Ticket, the launch DirecTV Everywhere features and, of course, a battle over programming costs with Viacom. We predicted that last bit would be reflected sooner or later in a pricing adjustment and it appears the time has come. So tell us DirecTV customers, are the new features, and keeping all those channels worth an increase to you, or are you thinking of moving on?
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the most extravagant flashy lifestyle, the deluxe villa, the fly palace of Samsung Semiconductor Inc. It only exists as a pile of architects’ drawings right now, and probably looks nothing like the Minecraft wonderment shown above, but when it’s finished the 10-story San Jose structure will boast the following:
A new sales and R&D center, built in the stead of some existing Samsung offices, with floor space totaling 1.1 million square feet.
A layout that seeks to “encourage interaction among staff” and “foster connections with the community,” while ultimately improving Sammy’s “soft capabilities“
A parking garage and an “amenity pavilion” (whatever that is, we just know we can’t afford one)
So, that’s pretty much it in terms of detail. But to put all this into perspective, we’re talking about an HQ that will be slightly bigger than Apple’s recent 3,600-worker expansion in Austin, Texas — or around a third the size of an infinite loop.
Westinghouse has yet to become the premium HDTV manufacturer it one day hopes to be, and if the past is any indication, flooding the market with low-cost sets won’t drive you to the top. But the promise of high resolution might at least yield a modest bump. The company’s 2013 lineup is set to be dominated by 4K models, each packing 3840 x 2160-pixel panels for an “amazing” and “affordable” experience. The company’s flagship rings in at a massive 110 diagonal inches and will be available for custom order beginning sometime in Q1. 50, 55 and 65-inch versions will also ship within the same timeframe, offering the same resolution and a modest 120Hz native refresh rate. We’re still waiting to hear back on pricing and a hint of where you might be able to pick one of these UHDTVs up beginning early next year, but if the press release after the break is any indication, we’re about to be inundated with high-res, low-cost televisions at next month’s CES.
You may wince at the idea of your TV supplanting your games console, but LG’s seen enough potential in the idea to swell the number of titles available for its Cinema 3D units. It’ll add The Sims Free Play, Air Penguin and Mini Motor Racing (amongst others) that you can control with the Magic Remote. The latter has also been tweaked to offer three-dimensional gaming, and, thanks to the company’s FPR 3D tech, two players can battle each other without having to glare at a split screen. The only downside to the announcement is that we won’t see ‘em arrive until the first quarter of 2013, because LG are naughty teases.
The manufacturing white label behind products from LG Electronics and many, many other companies, LG Display will have something new for us in Las Vegas as well. In a press release, the company announced it will show off Ultra HD (4K) panels in 55-, 65- and 84-inch sizes (shown above), complete with its FPR passive 3D tech built in. Since LG Display makes panels for quite a few of the HDTVs on shelves, it follows that we’ll be seeing actual products shipping in those sizes in the coming year from several brands. It also will show off its work in other areas, with a 30-inch 4K monitor, a 5.5-inch 1080p screen for smartphones, a 1,920 x 1,200 7-inch tablet display, and a new QSXGA (2,560 x 1,700) screen destined for laptops that packs all of those pixels into just 12.9-inches.
PPI isn’t everything however, and LG Display is bringing several displays notable for their tiny bezels as well, including a 23.8-inch monitor in its Neo-Blade Series, a 13.3-inch laptop screen with a 2mm bezel, and a 4.7-inch mobile screen with a 1mm thick bezel. Finally, the new year also brings tweaks to its OLED displays, which will show off an ultra light and thin design at just 3.5kg and 4mm thick — and hopefully actually being released in the US this year. Check out the release after the break for the full list of goodies, we’ll be getting our own look at them in just a few days.
As LG continues its slew of CES 2013 pre-announcements, the latest is a new display technology it’s bringing to the projection arena, an ultra short throw laser projector. Capable of creating a 100-inch screen from just 22 inches (56cm) away, the “Hecto” Laser TV a 1080p shooter that can change the way owners design their home theater. If you’d like to use it as an all-in-one home theater to go (the screen is included, picture after the break), it also has a digital tuner and 10w speakers built-in, with three HDMI inputs, an RS-232 port and Smart TV capabilities controlled by LG’s Magic Remote. As you can see above, it follows LG’s “Dynamic Arc Design” with a max height of just 5.7-inches. It carries a 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio with WiDi and Miracast compatibility and LG claims the laser system will run for up to 25,000 hours without replacement. There’s no word on pricing or release date, although it likely won’t be value priced. We expect to get a few more details when we see it in Las Vegas, check the press release after the break for all the information currently available.
Samsung’s AllShare apps are the only implementations of the company’s DLNA-based platform to date, but now it wants external developers to help realize the tech’s potential. The AllShare Framework SDK has been released, meaning its APIs can be integrated into third-party software for the creation of “AllShare-enabled” apps. Developers will be given access to AllShare features including media streaming, screen sharing with compatible devices (or an AllShare Cast dongle), and remote control functions. Now devs can start using these tools, expect to see more AllShare-enabled apps boosting the functionality of your Galaxy device in the near future.
We have survived the dreaded apocalypse for the time being, but the year’s end is right around the corner. As CES looms on the horizon, it’s nearly time to look ahead to an entirely fresh slate of new gadgetry. To usher in 2013 in proper fashion, our weekly takes a look back at the major happenings of 2012 along with insight from a few of our editors. But that’s not all. We also count down the top 10 CrapGadgets of the year and compile the best CE-Oh No He Didn’t mudslingin’ of the last 365 days. Eyes-On visually fondles the MakerBot Replicator 2, Recommended Reading gets Netflixed, and director / photographer Timothy Saccenti stops over for the Q&A. Jump down below to grab a copy of your very own, as a truckload of reminiscing is but a few clicks away.
We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Robin, who wants to help the older generation get online. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
“Hi Engadget, I’m looking for a desktop for my parents, and since they rarely play any 3D games, I think a nettop might be ideal. Anything that has an HDMI output would work, so what do you recommend? Thanks very much”
Lenovo’s latest Q190 arrives in January, will set you back 0 and comes with Windows 8, while the eco-friendly (but less-powerful) ASUS EeeBox EB1030 is 0, but should do a similarly decent job with your parents early adventures in tweeting. But how about you out there? Can you suggest a nettop that’s even more desirable? Now that the world hasn’t ended (at least when the Mayans said it would) you can share your knowledge in the comments below.
LG only experimented with a Google TV lineup in 2012; for 2013, it’s committing to the concept in earnest. The 47- and 55-inch sizes we know today should be joined by 42-, 50- and 60-inch models that cater both to frugal viewers and those who like to live large. We should also see the spruced-up designs that come with yearly updates, including newer zero-bezel frames and distinctive stands. We’re less surprised by input and software updates — all of the new screens will ship with voice-enabled Google TV and OnLive support from the get-go, and the company’s multi-talented Magic Remote is making its return. LG is remaining coy on further details beyond promising a release sometime in the first half of 2013, although there’s a good chance we’ll know more in Las Vegas.
The folks over at Dijit have been busy as the year draws to an end, issuing updates for both their universal remote app and NextGuide tablet app that promises to help us escape traditional grids. The newest version of the Dijit remote (a free app that brings control features when paired with Griffin’s Beacon) is now integrated with NextGuide, allowing users to share profiles across the software, the welcome addition of a “record to DVR” button for DirecTV subscribers, a refreshed UI, accessibility enhancements and finally support for iThing screens of various shapes, sizes and resolutions. The NextGuide app itself also has a new feature, with “Clips” which pulls in additional short videos from Hulu that tie into whatever actor, show or anything else you may be watching, plus an easier setup process and autofill search box. The apps themselves are free, snag them at the source links below.
Hot on the heels of making it available on the iPhone and iPod touch, Amazon’s now bringing a native app for its Instant Video service to Mountain View’s TV platform. It’s always been accessible via the web browser, although navigating the site via remote was painful and the Flash video quality suffered. Granted, the on-demand application doesn’t appear to be compatible with some devices at the moment, with a few folks pointing out that they are not seeing it be friendly with their particular Google TV-powered set-top box — including ones such as the Logitech Revue and the (much) newer Vizio Co-Star. Here’s to hoping the giant e-tailer makes Instant Video friendly with more Google TVs pretty soon — according to Google, it’s only available on LG TVs so far, since they’ve received the latest v3 updates already.
Online video startup NimbleTV told us that service was just months away, and it’s acting on that promise with the official launch of its private beta. The 250-plus New York City residents let into the beta will have the option to stream cable, satellite or other paid TV services to virtually any device with a modern web browser and a good broadband connection. Regular service could be available in the first quarter of 2013 at an estimated per month, although this doesn’t include the TV programming in question: NimbleTV’s business model requires subscribing to traditional service that the company sets up on the customer’s behalf. This is also presuming the provider doesn’t encounter any legal obstacles. The fledgling firm lets customers sign up for service outside of their actual region, which could dodge around blackout policies on sports and other shows. If Aereo upset broadcasters by streaming local, over-the-air TV, an even more adventurous company could wind up in the same boat.
We knew Netflix was big, but big enough to change the law? Apparently so, as an amendment to the Video Privacy Protection Act backed by the streaming service has been cleared by the US Senate. If the alteration gets a final sign-off from Obama himself, it’ll allow Netflix users to easily share their streaming activity on Facebook — something already implemented in regions outside the US. The current law, which makes such sharing tricky, was passed in the late 80′s after a judge saw his video rental history leaked to a newspaper. There wasn’t anything embarrassing in this list, but the episode begat the Act which requires a person’s legal consent every time there’s a request to publish such data. Instead, Netflix is proposing a one-off authorization which streamlines the whole process. We imagine the president’s signature is just a formality, in which case you’ll soon know exactly how many times we’ve watched Step Up 2: The Streets.
We’ve seen several iterations of LG’s Magic remote since it was first introduced in 2010 with gesture control, as it added a click wheel and a mic for voice control (QWERTY for the Google TV), and LG has announced it’s returning with a new model at CES in a few days. The new Magic remote keeps all of those features and adds on with universal remote capabilities that let it control other hardware in your home theater, and improved software with Natural Language support. That means you can just say the name of a program or a channel, and see it automatically pop up on the screen. The design of the hardware itself has also been tweaked, with repositioned buttons and, on the premium version that ships with higher end TVs, a smaller model with backlit keys. We’ll surely give it another hand waving, command shouting demo once we’re in Las Vegas, until then you can just check out another pic and a press release after the break.
Flashy new logo, same HD news. We’ve finally put out our review of Ceton’s Echo Windows Media Center Extender and… oh, wait, what’s that? There’s already an update available in beta for an issue with 1080i video playback, so listen in to find out why this is the overall best Media Center extender available. Also, there’s finally official details about Redbox Instant — for a month users get kiosk Blu-ray rentals and streaming. Press play to get the full scoop on that and the rest of the week’s news including Kaleidescape, Amazon and (of course) Apple HDTV rumors.
Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)
It’s Monday, which means it is time for you to listen into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to mp3 at 5:30PM. Please be a part of it by reviewing the list of topics after the break, and then participating in the live chat too.
Nearly every show still on is preparing for a winter or season break, but there’s still plenty of football to watch including the season finale of Monday Night Football… on a Saturday. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.
The League Just as our fantasy football seasons are coming to an end, so is this season of FX’s comedy series. Whether or not this year’s season finale lives up to last year’s probably depends on how much Rafi plays into it, but we’ll be watching The League to see who wins the Shiva all the same. (December 20th, FX, 10:30 & 11PM)
49ers/Seahawks Sunday Night Football Wait, is this an exciting late season game in the NFC West? Apparently so, since young QBs Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson have shown this season that they’re more than deserving of the “must-see” tag. After beating the Patriots and destroying the Buffalo Bills they come head to head, it should be an excellent matchup to watch while wrapping gifts Sunday night. (December 23rd, NBC, 8:20PM)
Waiting in line to get into The Hobbit? Sitting around bored? Or do you simply have way too much to do and just no motivation to accomplish any of it? Fear not, we have the perfect remedy to cure your boredom and / or frustration: another giveaway! Sprint is taking advantage of the opportunity by handing out three LG Optimus Gs to our lucky readers. Retailing at 0 (0 with a two-year commitment), the Optimus G is one of our favorite flagship smartphones going into the new year — you can’t go wrong with a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 720p display and 13-megapixel camera, among other top-notch specs. It doesn’t come with service, so we’ll leave the activation details up to you, but it’s definitely worth throwing in a quick comment below to seal your entry. Good luck!
After simmering in its second alpha stage for roughly two weeks, MediaPortal 1.3 has hit the beta phase with a trio of newly-minted looks. The Titan skin spruces up the open source media player’s interface with fresh visuals designed for folks with 1080p 16:9 displays. If you’re worried about the new look harshing your plugin mellow, the Titan Extended option already plays nice with a handful of add-ons: OnlineVideos, MovingPictures, MP-TvSeries, My Films, Fanart Handler, Latest Media Handler, Trakt, InfoService and the Extensions plugin. Those who’d rather not make the leap to the brand-spanking-new skin can take advantage of refreshed Default and DefaultWide themes instead. In addition to the new coat of paint, the Beta adds preliminary support for Windows 8, which is scheduled to mature in the final version. Thanks to Last.fm’s about face on free API access, the music service’s plugin has been nixed, but it might return for Last.fm subscribers. For the full changelog and instructions on migrating to the latest test release, hit the bordering source link.
Those fortunate enough to be in a FiOS region have enjoyed the NFL’s RedZone channel for years now, and those with iPads have been able to stream some of that content to their tablet since 2010. Viewing the NFLonline, however, right in a desktop browser, has proven to be nearly impossible. Blame it on popularity, licensing, piracy concerns — whatever — but it seems that football fanatics now have one more reason to relocate to one of Verizon’s 13 FiOS-ified states. The addition of “Watch NFL Network” to FiOS TV Online gives FiOS customers who receive NFL Network and NFL RedZone as part of their TV package the ability to view programming online from the two channels from anywhere in the US, with a broadband connection.
That also includes streaming access to full Thursday Night Football games, NFL Total Access, NFL GameDay, NFL AM and more. Live streaming of NFL RedZone will be made available each Sunday during the regular season, and while we wouldn’t get our hopes up too high just yet, we can’t help but be encouraged. Hans Schroeder, senior vice president of media strategy and development for the NFL, said: “This authentication agreement with Verizon is part of a larger NFL Media initiative to deliver NFL content to fans and consumers in as many ways possible.” Perhaps you’re talking about “more pay-TV providers,” Mr. Schroeder?
The BBC’s Android efforts have, for several reasons, trailed its iOS offerings. Most notably iPlayer and Media Player have been stuck with low-quality, non-adaptive streams and a stripped down feature set. The national broadcaster is promising to fix that in the near future, however. The changes wont be happening all at once, but iPlayer head David Price promises that big improvements are coming to its Android offerings. One major upgrade will be to the playback experience by offering not just higher-resolution streams, but various levels of video clarity based on device capabilities, screen size and data speeds.
The new video backend should be launching before Christmas, while an update launched today that adds support for Jelly Bean 4.2, provides a UI facelift improves video over WiFi and brings BBC Alba. The more ambitious goal of reaching feature parity with iOS will have to wait till some time next year. Price says he has beefed up his staff to make offline playback a reality on Android devices as soon as possible, but no timeline is being given. Lastly, the apps will finally be getting properly tweaked tablet versions — hopefully sooner rather than later. For more check out the source link.
The first wearable “augmentations” span from the 11th and 12th centuries all the way up to Google’s side project that has built a ton of momentum this year. In the cover story of this week’s issue of our e-magazine, we take a look at Google Glass and the timeline of wearable computing that’s led us to this point. Eyes-On keeps up the theme while taking a gander at Garmin’s Fenix and we offer up an in-depth review of the second coming of Jawbone’s UP. If that’s not enough, the brains behind the Pebble smartwatch, Eric Migicovsky, submits his responses to the Q&A. Unfortunately, this issue isn’t wearable itself, but all of the usual download links are ready to meet your swipes and clicks just down below.
Whether you’re into rooting for Jarrod and Brandi as they pillage storage units or you prefer gaping as the Robertson clan battles pesky beavers on their land, we’ve a good feeling that you’ll dig A&E’s new video streaming app for the iPad. Like the network’s website, the app provides access to full episodes and exclusive clips from Storage Wars, Duck Dynasty, The First 48 and many other popular shows. For the moment, Comcast subscribers will find access to even more content, but A&E plans to spread its love to others the near future. Sadly, AirPlay compatibility is nowhere to be found in this version, but A&E promises that it’s in the pipeline. Oh yeah, you heard that right: it’s on like Donkey Kong!
Update: Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, you’ll now find streaming apps for The History Channel and Lifetime, too. We’ve linked ‘em up for your convenience.
As good as a catch-all that Twonky Beam can be for pushing mobile and web video to TVs, there’s been a glaring hole as long as some of the most popular media hubs weren’t streaming targets. An update rolling out to the Android and iOS apps is patching things right up by adding support for Roku and Xbox 360 hardware as destinations. There’s not much to know beyond that, although it’s a giant help for compatibility — along with support for DLNA, some TVs and U-verse boxes, the refresh should have Packet Video’s app reaching about 90 percent of the networked devices you’d find in front of the couch. That still makes it a handy compliment to (or even a replacement for) living room apps like SmartGlass.
It’s that time of year, when our favorite TV shows go one winter break. There’s a sudden flood of fall finales, so while most will be back in a few weeks/months, don’t be surprised when your DVR is looking a little thin next week. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.
Syfy 20th Anniversary Special Love it or hate it, the network formerly known as Sci Fi celebrates 20 years on the air tonight. The stars from some of its most loved shows will be stopping by to talk shop and celebrate with nods to shows like FarScape and Battlestar Galactica, as well as newer ones like Alphas and Haven and a peek at upcoming content like the platform-spanning Defiance. (December 10th, Syfy, 9PM)
College football The bowl season kicks off this weekend with the New Mexico bowl and Idaho Potato Bowl, but that’s not all of the college football there is. Also keep an eye out for the Division II and III championships Friday night / Saturday afternoon if you’d like to get a preview of what a college football playoff is like.
Barnes & Noble have kept its “early December” promise to bring the Nook Video service to the UK. The company has signed deals with heavy-hitters like the BBC, HBO and Warner Bros., so Game of Thrones and The Dark Knight Rises are ready and gagging to be seen. It’s also the first to arrive in Blighty with full-fat UltraViolet access, enabling you to watch your (compatible) purchased DVDs and Blu-Rays without all of that fiddly ripping and re-encoding. If you haven’t snapped up one of the company’s Nook HD tablets yet, you’d better get writing that letter to Santa.
While Netflix Watch Instantly movie streams are mostly useful for casual viewing, if you’re interested in the actual quality of the video provided you may have noticed a few changes recently. Chronicled in a thread on AVS Forum and reported to us by several tipsters, more than a few users have noticed their streams on 1080p-capable hardware (PlayStation 3, WDTV Live) no longer rock the “X-High” notification (on PS3, hit select to view more information bout your streaming details) that had previously let them know they were getting the highest quality possible. We checked with Netflix, and according to the company, it’s rolling out better encoding that improves picture quality despite using a lower bitrate. That means 1080p works even for people with slower connections, and increases detail on “textures, shadows, skies, and particularly faces.” As a result, what was previously called “X-High HD” is now being labeled a tier lower.
While it wasn’t mentioned specifically, some are theorizing the move is tied into Netflix’s use of eyeIO’s video encoding tech, which it announced earlier this year, to shrink the size of streams. eyeIO claims it can chop bandwidth by more than half for a 720p stream, something we’re sure a company that’s pushing as much data as Netflix would appreciate. Still, some viewers in the thread are claiming a noticeably softer picture as a result. Check after the break for the statement from Netflix, then take some time for “research” and let us know if you’re noticing any changes in picture quality lately.
Although LG and Samsung exhibited dueling OLED HDTVs at CES earlier this year neither has been able to put a model on US shelves yet. that may change soon since we just spotted this 55EM9700-UA from LG in the FCC’s database. Flashing WiFi and Bluetooth modules as well as a December 2012 build date, our only picture of the unit is from behind, powered off, although the photographer makes a cameo via reflection. An appearance in what remains of 2012 seems unlikely, but the odds that next thing in television display technology will actually arrive soon are getting better — assuminglawsuits don’t put the breaks on everything. While you look for an extra ,000 or so in that holiday budget, check out better pics in the gallery, and a promo video plus a pic of the label after the break.
NVIDIA‘s “GeForce Experience” application isn’t so much an “experience” as it is a software application designed to optimize video game settings for a wide variety of PC setups. It’s also a kind of Steam for drivers, if you will, in that it automatically maintains an updated list of drivers for your PC’s various parts, only requiring the user to click the install button. In a recent demo with NVIDIA, we saw Borderlands 2 go from good looking (standard out of box settings) to significantly snappier (optimized), and Modern Warfare 3 transform from a visual mess to a … well, it looked a lot better. You’ll forgive us for not being wowed by a two-year-old game’s aging visuals. Good news is you can see for yourself by applying to the limited beta — 10,000 lucky folks will be granted entry ahead of the early January public launch (the beta application process appears to be offline thus far, but we’ll let you know when it’s live).
The application costs nothing and works with around 30 games thus far (pre-loaded in the beta as “profiles”) — NVIDIA sees the software not as a tool for direct monetization, but as a means to grow the accessibility of PC gaming. Of course, growing the world of PC gaming helps NVIDIA just as much as the next guy, if not more; the company says the GeForce Experience’s algorithms aren’t set with only NVIDIA GPUs in mind (or given preference), but we’re a bit wary of that assertion without our own rigorous hands-on. Thankfully, we’ll be able to provide just that very soon, as the application just entered closed beta. NVIDIA’s hoping to have it finished and live by early January, “around CES,” if you’d rather just wait for the final build.
Update: The sign-up page is live, as is a lengthy rundown of the service from NVIDIA itself. There’s even a video showing you how the whole thing works, which we’ve dropped below.
It’s a hobby. That’s basically what we’ve been told about the Apple TV since day one. Cupertino saw the device as an accessory to its ecosystem, not necessarily a marquee product. Tim Cook is singing a slightly different tune these days, though. After reaffirming the Apple TV’s hobby status back in January, he recently told NBC’s Brian Williams that the screen in your living room is now “an area of intense interest.” The CEO isn’t necessarily talking about the Apple TV as we know it today, he could be referring to the long rumored Apple-branded television set, but we wouldn’t hold our breath on that one. Of course, in following the tradition set forth by his predecessor Cook left plenty of mystery for the media to poke at. The TV is stuck 30 years in the past, but if you ask what Apple plans to do about it you’ll just get the line about “intense interest” and a quick, “I can’t say more than that.” He’s a slippery son of a gun.
If you’re a Star Trek: The Next Generation fan who bypassed seasons one and two waiting for the pivotal third season to arrive on Blu-ray, you can finally get a taste of the experience in high definition. While you’re enjoying memories of the Borg, season-ending cliffhangers and all the other highlights of season three with this new trailer, you can also check out an updated version of the PADD app that’s out on iPhone and iPad. Originally launched in 2011 to bring home a database of Star Trek info in true TNG form, version 2.0 brings an additional 170 entries, Siri-powered voice search, messages from Starfleet, a smaller size and the ability to live update content in the future. Check after the break for the trailer and beyond the source link for the apps (still .99 on iPad / .99 on iPhone.)
You’ve got your fancy new iPhone 5, and you’ve got the Xbox SmartGlass app, but who wants those silly black bars on the sides? Certainly not you, aesthetic savant, which is why you’ll be glad to hear that Microsoft’s latest update to the SmartGlass app optimizes it for use with the iPhone 5′s taller, 16×9 screen. Aside from device support expansion, the update also includes the ambiguous “bug fixes.” No broken bugs for you, only fixed ones! The Xbox SmartGlass app launched earlier this year for Windows Phone 8, Android and iOS, with a staggered rollout across the various mobile ecosystems. Beyond just allowing for basic Xbox 360 control via mobile, SmartGlass propagates rich content to your second screen in-tandem with some software, from games to streaming video.
Much as smart TVs might seem like a recent revolution, audiences in the UK have had access to interactive, multi-window content on their boxes for over 13 years. The difference (and in many ways, the problem) is that this bonus “Red Button” material has been delivered over the old-school digital broadcast signal rather than over the web — which is why today’s launch of the Connected Red Button service makes a whole lot of sense.
Starting with the 1.2 million people who happen to own a Virgin Media TiVo box, pressing red will bring up an overlay suggesting programs from iPlayer and the radio channels, tailored by BBC staff to what they’re currently watching, plus further curated web content from BBC News, Weather and Sport. They’ll be able to read articles in overlay mode, or click on a video to throw it fullscreen. The content isn’t new of course — it can already be accessed via the multitude of apps that the BBC has for iPlayer and other services — but it’ll now be delivered through a much simpler, app-free interface that is already used by around 20 million people per month. We’ve had a play and can certainly vouch for it being straightforward — check out our hands-on video after the break to see for yourself.
Of course, it’ll only work if your TV is linked into the web somehow, which is the reason the BBC gives for initially only providing the service to TiVo customers. Starting in 2013, it’ll roll out the Connected Red Button to Freeview, Freesat, BT Vision, YouView and other connected devices — basically everything except Sky, which BBC execs say they regard as a “closed service” rather than as a “platform.” At the same time, there’ll be an awareness campaign urging the mainstream masses to get their TVs or media boxes online and thereby prepare for the inevitable.
Valve Software’s celebrating the official launch of TV-based “Big Picture Mode” today, which enables Steam users to play PC games on their televisions with a user interface designed around the experience. As a result of the celebration, “over thirty” games are seeing prices slashed by as much as 75 percent through December 10th — those games, as you might expect, are geared toward controller-based gamers. Should you wish to get in on the Big Picture phenomenon now that it’s out of beta, all you’ve gotta do is sign into Steam with a PC or Mac connected to your television and click the “Enable Big Picture Mode” icon in the upper right hand corner. Not sure if it’s for you? Take a gander at our hands-on from back in September to get an idea of how the service stacks up.
Developer kits for the Ouya were given a ship date of December 28th today, alongside news that the system’s software development kit (“ODK”) will be available that same day. In case it wasn’t already clear how small the Android-powered console is, the folks at Ouya included the picture you see above to further illustrate that point — the thing is really small. Ouya expects the dev kits to get into backers’ hands “within a couple days” of the 28th. Final units are still intended to ship some time in March 2013, though no final date is available just yet.
How different are these dev units from the final run, though? Not that different, we’d guess, considering the company’s continued promise that “every Ouya will be a dev console.” The only hint given of their difference is a note in today’s update calling them, “pretty special.” Beyond just getting a jump on game development with the Ouya in mind, dev unit buyers will also be the first to try out Jelly Bean gaming. Of course, if you’re a dev unit-level backer and you’d like to share your thoughts with us, we’re all ears.
Recently Sony invited us to check out its forthcoming 84-inch XBR 4K LED TV and we couldn’t resist an opportunity to get an idea of how well the company’s ,000 flagship stacked up against the competition. Perhaps trying to simulate an in-home viewing experience, Sony packed its gargantuan TV into a family room setting and allowed us to give it a spin. While we didn’t get to channel surf freely, the provided stock media did a great job of highlighting the display’s capabilities. Images were crisp but fluid, while colors remained strong and organic. One of our biggest concerns was that things would look too good and possibly appear unnatural.
But the XBR-84X900 managed to produce an excellent picture with stellar viewing angles. As for the content itself, we were treated to a collection of pre-loaded clips running off of Sony’s recently announced 4K media server controlled by the system’s included Xperia Tablet S. It should be noted that The Amazing Spider-Man was listed as a 56.4GB file — compared to its Blu-ray counterpart, which comes in at an almost modest 36GB. Check after the break for more of our impressions, and a look at the tablet (loaded with a remote control app) that’s included.
Despite its crucial role in the Android ecosystem, ASUS hasn’t taken the plunge on Google TV so far. An FCC approval for a new adapter, the Qube, suggests that reticence is coming to a quick halt — and in an uncommon way. Rather than build a full media hub, ASUS appears to be crafting a possibly Roku-like dongle that would graft Google TV on to a host device through USB. The Qube’s components aren’t outlined in earnest, but it would pair up with an RF-based keyboard and touchpad for its main input.
Some details may have been given away through Google Play listings for O!Mobile Control Center and Remote apps linked to the Qube — they hint that ASUS could use the same Marvell Armada processors that power modern Google TV boxes, as well as extend smartphone control beyond what Google’s official remote app can offer (we tried it with an existing Google TV unit and it wouldn’t connect.) At this moment, we’re less curious about when and where the Qube releases than how it will sell; its dependence could see it destined for an equipment bundle instead of sitting on shelves by its lonesome. We’re asking around for possible details and will let you know if we hear more.
We got a peek at Red’s Redray 4K Cinema Player and Projector back in April at NAB, but now you can bring the player portion of it to your own home very soon. You’ll need to bring your own 4K Ultra HD display but for ,450 you can pre-order a unit capable of native 4,096 × 2,160 or 3,840 x 2,160 video playback (in .RED file format) and upscaling. It connects to 4K displays via one HDMI 1.4 port or 4 HDMI 1.3 ports, with an additional HDMI jack needed to push 7.1 audio. It’s even ready for the new high framerate 3D video that we’ll see debut at theaters next week with The Hobbit. There’s no mention of the Red Laser Projector yet, so you’ll have to BYO 4K display, which right now would probably mean something by LG or Sony.
To get content home Red is also launching its nationwide fiber-based Odemax.com over-the-top distribution network. Red co-owner Jarred Land calls it the “only comprehensive distribution solution for 4K,” with built-in DRM, sales and analytics tools. He goes on to say that the Redray player will begin shipping at the end of December, with volume shipping promised in Q1 2013. A new RRencoder plugin for the Redcine-X viewer will launch in mid-December for converting external footage to the .RED format, and finally Odemax is scheduled to come online in January in time for the Sundance film festival. Check for more details after the break, plus a few more pics and a press release with all the specs.
Verizon is continuing to extend access to its FiOS TV service (at least, within the homes of subscribers) by bringing an app to LG Smart TVs with access to 75 channels and Flex View video on-demand. That follows the iPad last week, as well as earlier apps for the Xbox 360 and Samsung’s connected TV platform. This app is of course customized for LG’s Magic Remote gesture control feature, and is available on all 2012 Smart TVs, plus the BP620 Blu-ray player via the Smart TV smart World app store. The good news is you can make use of it in a room with no cable box needed, however the lineup is still missing a few key channels (ESPN) that may be tough to do without. Verizon recently announced a deal with NBCUniversal to increase its TV Everywhere selection, if it can add a few more the set-top box-less future may be within reach.
Sky’s Now TV service is continuing its uphill battle against the armies of Netflix and Lovefilm today, setting up camp in Roku’s streaming boxes. Matching its Xbox 360 launch offer, you’ll be able to try the service for 30 days without charge, but it’s added another enticing deal for the Roku launch — pay a reduced price of £8.99 for the first three months before the regular £15 per month fee kicks in. As well as boasting its exclusive Harry Potter catalogue suitable for a holiday marathon, we’ve been told Sky Sports will finally be coming to Now TV “in a few months.” Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Arts and Sky Living will also eventually be added to the service, but there’s still not even a loose date for those. Now TV might not reach all the hardware it intended to before the end of the year, but at least with this latest launch, Roku can start showing Sky it was worth all that cash.
Home theater PC owners only just recovering from their turkey or tofu comas will have some updating to do — MediaPortal has been busy. The experimenters among us will most likely want to jump straight into the promised MediaPortal 2.0 Alpha Autumn, which carries new visual layouts and video backgrounds, a news plugin and a party-friendly music player. New versions of remote tools like aMPdroid, MPExtended, WebMediaPortal and WifiRemote bring their own slew of upgrades, such as HTTP Live Streaming in MPExtended or a “what’s new” interface in aMPdroid. We’ll readily admit that our eye is most drawn to the yet-to-be-launched MediaPortal 1.3 beta’s addition of the Titan skin you see up above: going beyond what we saw in October, the extra-polished look goes a long way towards accommodating newcomers and the style-conscious. We’re still waiting on publicly accessible 1.3 beta code, but everything else is waiting for open-source media hubs at the included links.
It’s Monday, which means it is time for you to listen into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to mp3 at 8:30PM. Please be a part of it by reviewing the list of topics after the break, and then participating in the live chat too.
Bestbuy’s CinemaNow has started to embed UltraViolet content into their video-streaming service. It’s no huge surprise — given that the retailer is a founding member of DECE — but a good sign for anyone shoring up a collection of discs with UV digital content. CinemaNow identified compatible content with an Ultraviolet icon (seen above), while the service continues to gradually upgrade its SD content to big-screen friendly full HD. According to some early users, there’s some teething issues with links to UV versions, however, suggesting CinemaNow’s still tweaking the setup.
While waiting for season three of Game of Thrones to start airing March 31st, fans of HBO’s series will be able to snag the second season on Blu-ray February 19th. Even if you’ve already seen it (whether on TV, via a borrowed HBO login or…other sources) there should be some new elements with Blu-ray exclusive “HBO Select” features including an interactive “War of the 5 Kings” guide to keep track of who is doing what / where / when, animated histories, in-episode guides with more information on characters (like the iPad companion app did) as they appear and “dragon egg” surprises. Check the press release after the break for a full account of features, or hit Amazon to preorder the 7-disc set (w/ digital copies) for .99.
It’s no secret that college football is big business and that a major contributing factor is revenue from television. The influential reach of that revenue is a hot debate in organizations that are supposed to put more ideal values above capitalistic ones — the two are not always at odds, though. So when a collegiate organization like the Big Ten Conference is motivated to expand, most would like to think it’s a school’s academic, or even athletic, merits that put said institution at the top of the want list. However, Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports believes the reason the Big Ten courted the University of Maryland and Rutgers University really just comes down to finding a way to sell an additional 14.6 million residents the Big Ten Network. The economics of sports networks on cable television is well documented — the majority pay so that the vocal minority may watch — but sculpting an amateur sports league to ensure your cable TV channel gets carriage in America’s largest media markets might be a new twist.
It would be a shame if Sharp kept that giant 90-inch AQUOS TV confined to living rooms, wouldn’t it? The company is inclined enough to agree that it’s building an industrial version, the PN-R903, for digital signs. Its 1080p resolution and local-dimming LEDs are as familiar as a well-worn pair of shoes, but that 6-foot, 8-inch width lets Sharp claim a record for public spaces: the R903 is supposedly the first LCD sign with its technology that can display average humans at real size when tilted to a portrait view, making it an ideal fit for fashion or most anything where one-for-one scale matters. The 700cd/m2 brightness helps by keeping the picture visible in harsher lighting. If you’re not quite ready for the uncanny valley, you’ll be glad to know that the R903 won’t ship until January 28th, when it goes on sale with open pricing. Those who’d still prefer something less imposing can buy a 60-inch PN-R603 at the same time or wait for the 70-inch PN-R703 to grace storefronts on February 25th.
The long nights, relentless Christmas adverts and brisk chill in the air are all signs the year is coming to an end, and what better way to see in the next than with British documentary legend Sir David Attenborough? The first episode of his new three-part natural history series Galapagos 3D, written and presented by the man himself, will be airing New Year’s Day on Sky 3D in the UK. Like most of his projects, it’s sure to be a stunning visual treat that’ll make you forget about even the worst of New Year hangovers. So, don’t forget to stoke the fire, switch on your 3D TV, and enjoy an educational tour of the Galapagos Islands to start off your 2013.
Nintendo‘s new console is an anomaly in the game console ecosystem, but not for Nintendo. The company that — in just the last decade — popularized stylus-powered gaming, microphone-powered gaming and motion-based gaming, is once again pushing game control inputs forward. And just like its previous consoles, lessons learned from past hardware build the foundation of its latest effort: the Wii U and its bizarre-looking, but conventionally named, “GamePad.”
The Wii U console itself, for instance, looks almost exactly like the original Wii. It’s longer (10.6 inches vs. 8.5 inches for the Wii), a bit rounder on the edges, and there’s an HDMI port out back, but overall it’s quite similar to its squatter predecessor. It’s enough that you’d get the two confused if they were sitting in the same entertainment center. Naturally, the beefed-up internals and Wii backwards compatibility mean you’ll likely be replacing the ol’ virtual tennis machine should you choose to pick one up.
Of course, the GamePad is the real star of the show here, bolstered by Nintendo’s ambitious “TVii” experiment. Everyone’s favorite Italian plumber looks super in HD, no doubt, but how software employs the multifaceted touchscreen tablet / traditional game controller hybrid is what really matters. So, how does the Wii U fare? Find out below.
Note: Nintendo delayed TVii into December, and the majority of promised functionality was not made available to reviewers ahead of the console’s November 18th release date (including crucial components like online infrastructure, the Miiverse social network, Nintendo Network, Nintendo TVii, and Wii backwards compatibility). As such, we’re updating our review as we use those features, post-launch.
External hard drives are handy, but there’s always a concern that something may happen to it that would cause all of your docs, movies, precious memories and other files to all go poof in an instant. ioSafe’s certainly made a name for itself in these kinds of situations, crafting a lineup of products that offer an ever safer shelter for your important digital mementos — and it’s offering up a 3TB SOLO G3 hard drive to two lucky winners! Enter by leaving a comment below, but don’t forget to make a pit stop at the company’s site (linked above) and check out its offerings.
Samsung announced on Monday that it won 27 CES Innovation Awards for several of its products, but nested within a list of familiar honorees was a wildcard: an 85-inch ultra high definition TV. Bringing earlier prototypes (pictured above) to fruition, this massive up and comer cranks out resolutions of over 8 million pixels. Sammy is billing this titanic television as “the world’s largest commercialized UHD LED TV,” a claim that will likely be challenged soon. Thin on pricing and release details, the company did confirm that it will be on display at CES 2013. So, if you’re currently denying yourself luxuries such as hot water and warm meals in hopes of saving up to snag a certain 84-inch UHD set, you might want to pump your brakes until you see what Samsung has up its sleeve in the months to come.
We’ve seen a few TVs with thin bezels in our time — some affordable, some not so much — but they usually sell at prices that have many of us turning to less than elegant screens. If Hisense has its way, the lines between higher style and lower budget will blur with the unveiling of its T770 series. The 42- and 52-inch sets in the range both have extra-narrow 7mm bezels yet cost an entirely reasonable 0 and ,200 respectively, according to a spokesperson. For the cash outlay, the two TVs share the common foundation of a 1080p LCD with edge LED lighting, active shutter 3D and 120Hz refresh rates. They likewise share a quartet of HDMI ports, WiFi and the seemingly obligatory local media support through DLNA sharing and USB. Although Hisense might not lure some viewers away from bigger or simply more elaborate screens once the T770 is in stores sometime in the undefined near future, it may have given us a friendly reminder that interesting design and sane prices don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Like its Golden State neighbors, Google also had a gadget arsenal to unveil this fall. The folks in Mountain View trotted out the latest duo, the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10, without a huge press event a few days ago. In this week’s issue of our tablet mag, we put these Android advocates through their paces to see if they live up to the Nexus moniker. We also offer in-depth musings on the WP8-packing Nokia 920 and visit Lockheed Martin to catch a glimpse of how that outfit is prepping for the future with the help of aging tech. Military-style rucksacks occupy Eyes-On, Visualized is all about cosmic self-portraits and M.C. Schmidt of Matmos handles the Q&A. Consult your link of choice to grab your copy and settle in for some end-of-the-week tech reading.
Google’s long-awaited offering of Google Play Movies and Music on Google TV may have answered a longstanding demand for streaming access from some viewers, but it still left many of those outside of the US turning to alternatives. The company is closing that open loop with plans to take the media strategy global. Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the UK will all get similar streaming video options on their Google TV hubs as of November 13th; while content will undoubtedly vary, the gesture once more puts the international stores on roughly the same level as their American counterpart. The only debate left likely centers on what movie to rent for celebrating the occasion.
Tim Schaaff came over to Sony from Apple back in 2005 with a mission of aligning its vast consumer electronics and entertainment interests, and today the company has announced he’s retiring from his post as Sony Network Entertainment President at the end of the year. Schaaf’s responsibilities will be taken over by current Sony Computer Entertainment president Andrew House to start 2013, although Schaaf will retain his seat on Sony Network’s board of directors. In place and SNEI prez since 2010, he was around for the infamous PSN hack and subsequent outage in 2011, calling it a “great experience”… that he would not like to do again, of course. While Sony has made great strides in reorganizing the way its disparate arms work together since ’05 (remember Sony Connect? No one else does either.) his departure comes amidst new company head Kaz Hirai’s “One Sony” turnaround efforts along the same lines. A rebranding of PlayStation Network to Sony Entertainment Network hasn’t pushed the Music and Movie Unlimited properties to the top just yet, nor connected devices like its tablets and phones — we’ll see if this executive shuffling has any effect on the company’s fortunes going forward.
Microsoft’s finally released the Windows 8 hounds, and retailers aren’t skipping a beat on stocking up on pre-loaded hardware. TigerDirect is one such outlet eager to get you hooked up with a Windows 8 device, and to prove it, it’s provided us with an ASUS S400CA-DH51T Ultrabook (currently an 9 value)! All you have to do is leave a comment below to enter, but you should definitely take a few minutes out of your day to check out TigerDirect’s website for some great online deals!
Note: specs for the Ultrabook include a 3rd generation Intel Core i5-3317U 1.7GHz, 4GB DDR3, 500GB HDD + 24GB SSD Cache, 14.1″ Touchscreen and Windows 8 64-bit. Head to the above link for more details.
If you found the new lineup of Vizio TVs announced last month interesting, then you might want to check out some potential accessories. Vizio hopes that soundbars will be at the top of that list with four new models available online and in stores in time for the holidays. The line is divided in half between the E-Series and the M-Series, with the extra that the M-Series costs buying you a small display and controls up top. Within each series, you have the option to pay an extra 0 for a wireless subwoofer. All four of them do feature SRS TruVolume and TruSurround, though. The full release is available after the break, but sadly doesn’t include as many details as you might want, so you may way to check out Vizio’s website for more.
CBS has been the lone Hulu refusenik among the biggest US broadcasters — even with rumors of licensing discussions underway at least two years ago, we’ve usually had to visit the network’s own site if we wanted a CSI fix without paying by the show. The deadlock is over at last now that CBS and Hulu have struck a deal. The agreement isn’t quite what we’d hope for, focusing almost exclusively on back catalog titles like Medium and Star Trek, although celebrity gossip junkies will like knowing that Entertaintment Tonight segments will be viewable the day they air on regular TV. We’ll have to wait until January 2013 for the selection to be ready — not to mention shell out for Hulu Plus to get full access — but there’s at least an end in sight to one of the longer content droughts in streaming video.
If it wasn’t busy enough selling millions upon millions of smartphones, Samsung’s TV department has proven it’s no slouch either, with a record 1.15 million sets sold last month in the US alone. After noting “potential demand for super large TV,” Samsung’s focusing its attentions on the 75-inch ES9000 to help it sell the next million. Trumping its first million-selling month one year ago, it’s pretty good going at a time when plenty of viewers are now happily settled with their HDTV setup.
Anyone who follows the home entertainment space closely probably agrees that TV is broken: archaic user interfaces, pricey bundles, six remotes that each do one thing, all limited to the confines of your home. Of course, realizing it’s broken and knowing how to fix it are two different things. One attempt at a fix is Simple.TV. This 9 box (plus a year for service) bridges the gap between the various devices you already own and the world of broadcast television. It allows you to access the plethora of content available via unencrypted digital cable, or for free via an antenna, on just about any device you own — tablet, smartphone, PC or even a TV. Sounds pretty great, huh? But does it deliver? And can it replace your cable box and the high-priced service that goes with it? Just click on through, and you’ll find out.
We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Wes, who needs to ensure that Delta Tau Chi don’t start interfering with his band practice sessions. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
“I’m a university band director, and I need a WiFi stereo receiver for our rehearsal space. The problem is, that it would have to join the same network that the students and faculty all share. I want to be able to Airplay music and related apps (like a metronome) through the setup, but I’m worried that any student can connect and mess with it. I can’t seem to find a receiver that requires a separate password to connect to it, so I could really use some help! Thanks, Wes”
Wes, we’ll help you on one condition: the next time you’re directing a half-time show, the band has to stand in the shape of the Engadget logo. Deal? Good.
It’s very easy to set an AirPlay access code onto an Apple TV. That way, if anyone wants to start pushing tunes (or apps) to your sound system, you have to enter a four-digit code of your choosing.
You can also control permissions on other AirPlay devices like the Sony STR-DN1030, but there’s a limit of 20 devices, and it’s a little bit fiddly.
Of course, this wouldn’t be Ask Engadget without some audience participation, so, dear audience, participate! Share your knowledge, tell us tales and spread some love this weekend — but only if said love is related to the world of AirPlay passwords.
The newest option for Windows Media Center users is nearly here, as Ceton’s Echo extender has been listed for pre-order at Newegg. Available for 9 with a gift card and free shipping, the diminutive accessory enables WMC streams of your live and recorded TV in up to 5 other rooms. That’s been possible with other extenders — especially Microsoft’s own Xbox 360 console — but the Echo claims its advantage is being purpose built to do the job with less noise and power consumption, plus support for features like DTS surround sound. We’ll be reviewing it as soon as the software is final, early adopters that are ready to jump but missed the beta offer can snag one at the link below — the first shipments are scheduled to go out November 30th.
With the official launch of Windows 8 comes the official support of premium cable content via one of the various CableCARD tuners originally designed for Windows 7 Media Center. Silicon Dust is at the front of the pack as Media Center on Windows 8 is already officially supported and the documentation is available for both the HDHomeRun Prime as well as the ATSC or QAM HDHomeRun. The only feature we noticed was not supported for now, is WMC Sync. Ceton is still working on the official driver for its InfiniTV 4, but reassures us that the Windows 7 driver “does work relatively well,” although, is unsupported — the real loss here is that there are no plans to bring the InfiniTV tuner sharing feature to Windows 8. Last up is Hauppauge, who doesn’t have a single mention of support of Windows 8 for the WinTV-DCR-2650 on its site (we reached out to them, will update once we hear back). Of course, support by Media Center and Windows 8 is one thing, but we’re really waiting for a mention that any “Windows Store Apps” that can play nicely with all this premium HD content.
It’s not Monday, but it is still time for you to listen into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to mp3 at 8:30PM. Please be a part of it by reviewing the list of topics after the break, and then participating in the live chat too.
Day one has come and gone, but we are just twenty percent of the way through our weeklong mission to give out five iPhones. Today’s contest is made possible by Tanga, an e-tailer known for offering tech magazine subscriptions on the cheap as well as closeout prices on just about anything you can think of. Tanga is hooking the lucky winner up with an Apple gift card with enough credit to cover the no-contract cost of an iPhone 5, which means you have more flexibility in choosing a carrier. So head below, read the rules and leave a comment to enter again! You have until Saturday to get your entry in, but the longer you wait, the easier it is to forget — believe us, that happens to us all the time. (At least, we think it does.)
If you like the idea of the Boxee TV, you’ll be glad to hear that Boxee is handing units out like so much Halloween candy… as long as you live in the right areas, that is. Those who’ve signed up for product notifications and live in the cloud DVR coverage areas of Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington, DC can get a free Boxee TV just by filling out a survey. They’ll even have the privilege of getting their units ahead of everyone else. Boxee hasn’t said if any new sign-ups will qualify, though it can’t hurt to try the source link and potentially get a welcome treat.
A lot of you out there have been anxiously awaiting the holidays, and — more importantly — an excuse to get your hands on the latest iPhone. In fact, the demand is so high that Apple is still experiencing inventory shortages. We don’t want that little niggle getting in your way, of course, so we’ve teamed up with five different companies to get you set up with an iPhone! So here’s the deal: beginning Monday, we will begin one new iPhone 5 contest every day through Friday. Some of the contests will feature the actual phone (carrier branding may vary), while others will offer an Apple Store gift card to cover the cost of buying one without a contract.
You can enter each individual contest once, giving you five separate opportunities to win over the course of the next week. So be on the lookout starting Monday, and make sure you come back every day to increase your chances of winning! Below you’ll find the companies involved, so that way you know exactly who to thank for your new toy. This post is not a contest, by the way, so leaving a comment here won’t enter you to win. Just make sure you’re back here bright and early on Monday — believe us, there will be plenty of other awesome news to check out that day while you’re here.
Note: this next week is going to be a pretty hectic one, so we’re going to keep each contest open for five days rather than the usual two.
Home theater PC enthusiasts weren’t too thrilled when Microsoft announced that it was stripping Media Center and its codecs for DVD playback and broadcast TV from Windows 8 in favor of a paid add-on. The folks from Redmond are offering a temporary reprieve, in an effort to reward early adopters. Windows 8 Media Center Pack is for free to customers who purchase Windows 8 Pro… at least until January 31st 2013. This promo requires that you enter your product key at the company’s website in order to receive your free upgrade. Sadly, when the discount period for Pro upgrades ends, so too does the ability to score Media Center for free. Microsoft never revealed the price for its Media Center Pack, only referring to it as “economical.” While we appreciate affordable software, there’s nothing more cost effective than a freebie.
LG Electronics has reported its earnings for Q3 2012, notching its third straight quarter of positive income with a net profit of 157 billion won (8.57 million) and “solid” performances from its home theater and mobile businesses. Revenue is down from the same period last year, but seeing as it’s actually making money this time around it’s probably still reason to celebrate. On the mobile side of the aisle it reports an operating profit of .42 million with slightly higher sales than Q2, mostly thanks to those LTE smartphones it’s been rolling out. Its home entertainment biz noted a rise in LCD sales, with 3D TVs and LED-lit models growing from last quarter in most markets. Looking towards the future it’s obviously going all-in on the Optimus G (although our interests run towards the Nexus G that should debut next week), and also looks for its Ultra HD television to raise its standing as a premium brand. Check the press release after the break and PDF linked below for more numbers if that’s your thing.
The Boxee TV is official, so what do we think of its antenna / ClearQAM broadcast-to-cloud DVR aspirations? We’ll dig into that, as well as Simple.TV and Aereo’s announcements in the past week. A JVC-branded HDTV is launching with integrated SlingPlayer support, and AMC is finally back on Dish Network. We’ll also take a peek at the latest happenings in 3D from 3net and Fox’s I, Robot conversion, before digging into Syfy and Trion Entertainment’s TV show / video game combo, Defiance.
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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)
It’s Monday, which means it is time for you to listen into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to mp3 at 6:30PM. Please be a part of it by reviewing the list of topics after the break, and then participating in the live chat too.
With shows like Battlestar Galactica, all of the Stargates and even Eureka on ice, where will Syfy go when it runs out of places and/or marginal celebrities to tell ghost stories about? One answer may be a show slated to debut next spring called Defiance, which will depict an Earth populated by humans and aliens alike trying to pick up the pieces after years of war between the two have left the planet in pieces. The twist here is that the show will run along concurrently with a massively multiplayer shooter being developed for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 from the makers of RIFT that takes place in the same world. The team behind it has been posting content about the making of both sides of the project recently (check out Massively by Joystiq’s coverage for more info), as well as a trailer for the TV show, which you can check out after the break. We’re not sure if this will go over with any more of a splash than Syfy’s usual Saturday night monster-of-the-week flicks, but at least they’re trying. We’ll be keeping an eye out for this one in April one way or another because really what else would we do, watch Revolution?
Dish Network customers have been without AMC and its family of channels since July 1st, but thanks to a settlement between the satellite company and Cablevision’s former Voom HD unit, AMC will be back on the air starting tonight. The possibility of a settlement leaked out late last week via a court filing, and it looks like Dish CEO Charlie Ergen will avoid taking the stand Monday after all. According to the terms, Dish will hand over 0 million in cash plus its 20 percent stake in Voom, and receive 500MHz of video and data spectrum licenses in 45 areas. In a separate deal, Dish and Cablevision spinoff AMC Networks have a new multiyear deal that should bring back AMC (on channel 131) in time for The Walking Dead to air tonight, and all of its other channels (IFC, WE tv, Sundance and for the first time, Fuse) starting November 1st. While Dish had previously claimed the channel deal was being held up by AMC’s distribution of its shows via iTunes, Netflix and Amazon, now that lawsuit is over those concerns seem to have faded away.
Now that HDTV is “the new normal” according to Nielsen (its most recent stats say more than 75 percent of US households have one) then naturally, it’s time to upgrade to 4K. This week the Consumer Electronics Association officially dubbed such screens — with characteristics including at least eight million active pixels, and 3,840 x 2,160 resolution, among other things — Ultra High-Definition, or Ultra HD in order to help educate consumers about the new tech. The ITU already laid down its spec recommendations for Ultra High Definition TV so the industry should be able to move forward in unison pushing super high-res displays across the land. Of course we did say “should,” and Sony is already informing media outlets that it plans to market its 4K products as “4K UHD.” Whatever it’s called, we saw 84-inch screens from multiple manufacturers announced recently, and with the CEA’s announcement we’re penciling in a few more pixel-dense models for the big Las Vegas show in January.
MediaPortal is a rare veteran spinoff of XBMC — a testament to its fan base, but also a sign that it needs a fresh coat of paint. A new 1.3 beta might offer just what home theater PC users have been looking for to keep the front end relevant, at least in the short term. It carries a much more contemporary (and less Windows Media Center-like) skin with minor tweaks to the layout and overall interface. CableCARD support also makes its overdue appearance, although the lack of official CableLabs approval keeps the software from recognizing any copy-protected shows. Don’t fret if those additions aren’t enough, however — we’ve been given a hint as to what the long-in-development MediaPortal 2 will offer through a pair of videos. The clips are largely top-level overviews, but they allude to mobile tie-ins, events, extensions, more skin support, video backgrounds and news. With an Autumn Build of MP2 available “right around the corner” for viewers, it might not be long before we learn what those new additions are like through first-hand experience.
At its event in San Francisco a few weeks back, Apple had more up its sleeve than just an aluminum-clad smartphone. In the latest issue of our weekly, we put both the new iPod nano and iPod touch through their paces to find out how they fare against their elder siblings. If a duo of PMP reviews doesn’t snag your attention, we also throw down the review gauntlet on Wacom’s Cintiq 24HD touch and this year’s slimmed-down PlayStation 3. Eyes-On peeks at an ultrathin ultrabook, Weekly Stat examines emoticon use and Time Machines tallies up some more gadget history. The week’s end is mere hours away and the usual download links that follow can help you settle in for a bit of leisurely gadget reading.
If you’re waiting for a sign that shows like The Walking Dead are coming back to Dish Network, a court document filed Thursday might be it. According to Reuters, the document was originally filed with the title “poss. settlement” (later changed to “adj. for briefing”) and set a date for October 22nd. Additionally, the New York Post reports that on Wednesday the Judge adjourned proceedings for the week. As you’ll recall, Cablevision sued the satellite company over its Voom HD channels being dropped back in 2008, and is asking for .4 billion in damages. If the two have found a resolution, the next question would be whether this affects Dish’s negotiations with Cablevision spinoff AMC Networks, which the latter claims were derailed because of its connection to Voom. If the case proceeds, Bloomberg reports Dish CEO Charlie Ergen is set to take the stand Monday — we’ll see if this can get wrapped up before Mad Men and Breaking Bad return in 2013.
Despite what may be announced next week, the third-generation iPad is still one of the finer tablets money can buy, and it’s even better when we just simply send one to you in the mail. This time around it’s YesVideo doing the honors, handing out a 16GB iPad with WiFi. The company specializes in personal video and photo digitization, which basically means it can convert old film, videos and photos into digital form (thus preserving those cherished memories for years to come). In addition to the iPad, the winner will also receive a 0 voucher for YesVideo service, and we’ve been given two more 0 vouchers to hand out to a couple lucky runners-up. So you know what to do — head below, leave a comment and you’re entered to win!
Note: If you’re looking for an idea on what kind of comment to leave, feel free to tell us your favorite childhood memory that was caught on video.
Every TV maker trying to avoid total commoditization has a special trick to keep its designs unique and worth a higher price. For JVC, that trick is sound. It’s launching the BlackSapphire line of LCD-based 3D TVs with the 55-inch, edge LED-lit JLE55SP4400, whose signature is an unusually powerful built-in audio system: the 45W system and 3D processing supposedly produces surround sound without having to line the living room with extra speakers. Odds are that the set won’t provide much competition for dedicated speakers, although JVC is promising more integration beyond this with rare built-in SlingPlayer TV streaming, just in case there’s a Slingbox in another part of the home. The all-in strategy could make the inaugural BlackSapphire more of a bargain than it looks: that ,300 you’ll pay when the screen ships this month might be all you need to start watching.
While we’ve still got plenty of iPad second screen and streaming video tech to talk about this week, we’re leading off with some old classics: FCC rulings, DVRs and Windows Media Center. While the FCC may be helping cable companies kill ClearQAM, is the sacrifice actually worth it? We’ve also got a look at the final Ceton Echo, and even TiVo is finally opening up its SDK. We reviewed the new Slingboxes this week, and will go over what they got right — and what they didn’t — before we dig into what’s new to watch this week.
Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [RSS - AAC] Enhanced feed, subscribe to this with iTunes. [RSS - MP3] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace [MP3] Download the show (MP3).
Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)
While being able to schedule DVR recordings from your mobile device is nice, an update currently being pushed to some Comcast DVRs is adding the ability for users to check exactly what shows are stored there from an app or web browser. Previously the only remote info users could get from their DVRs was the percentage of storage currently in use and what recordings were scheduled to take place, but now users can see individual recordings, choose to watch any of them now, change their deletion priority, or even delete them remotely. Hopefully that doesn’t lead to any unintentional interhousehold griefing as users manage the often inadequate hard drive space in their cable DVR, but it can certainly put ones mind at rest to know The League (or whatever your show of choice might be) was successfully archived.
The update is quietly being pushed out as a software update for the DVR itself, and should appear automatically for users on the web or in their iOS app’s DVR manager (Android users can access it as well, but via the browser). We noticed the change after our Motorola DVR got an update that also made the name of a channel appear under the number when typed in from the remote. It worked well, although a few much older recordings were not listed online every new one was, which could explain the quiet rollout that Comcast confirmed to us just began yesterday. One other change taking place at the same time is a new Xfinity TV Player app for iOS that is focused solely on streaming VOD, mirroring a similar app already out on Android. While the Xfinity TV app on the platform has handled streaming duties since 2010, the dedicated player has a different menu and even player interface, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the feature excised from the general app eventually.
Other than what feels like a very slow pace of updates, one of our gripes with TiVo’s Premiere DVR platform has been a relative lack of new apps being released. Hopefully that could change soon, now that the company has opened up its Developer Channel to allow interested parties access to its SDK and tools to build their own apps. Although as our friend Dave Zatz points out, it doesn’t guarantee apps will be released even if certified, anyone ready to get down with TiVo’s Adobe-based environment should take a peek around. The notes do reveal some interesting details like the fact that only one app can run at a time so when an app is launched the TiVo UI is suspended, and that apps are restricted to 720p resolution only, 32MB of system memory, 20MB graphics memory and 1MB hard drive space quota. We don’t know yet what can be constructed with those tools, but go ahead — surprise us.
As you might expect, the cable industry has been taking measures to protect its business by asking the FCC to allow encryption of basic cable — something that has never been done and that many have rightly opposed. The FCC responded by releasing new rules on Friday and while cable operators will be able allowed to encrypt all their channels, it isn’t without a few strings. The Boxee blog voiced its approval of those strings, which basically amounts to a requirement that when an operator encrypts, it also needs to make basic channels accessible via IP — with or without some hardware in your home — so that Boxee and others can still tune in. The other, less interesting stipulation, is that you might be entitled to at least one free set-top box or CableCARD for up to five years, depending on what package you subscribe to or if you are on Medicaid. The free hardware will only be for existing customers who apply within four months of when your provider rolls out the basic cable encryption. The real loser here are those few who actually use the Clear-QAM tuner in their TV, or perhaps those that use HTPC software that’ll never get anupdate.
Microsoft confirmed some time ago that a Netflix app would be available for Windows 8, and it turns out it’s available well before the big October 26th launch date. Netflix announced today that the app is now available for download from the Windows Store for those who’ve already upgraded to an early version of the OS. Expectedly, the app matches the overall style of Windows 8, and Netflix says that it’s also made the app more efficient to cut down on both CPU and battery usage. It’s quick to point out that this is only the first version of the app, though, noting that it has “more updates and ideas in the pipeline for later this fall.”
The road to become the best it can be will surely be a long one, but Netflix is certainly doing all it can to be covered on all grounds. Most recently, the streaming giant announced that it has reached a settlement with the National Association for the Deaf which ensures that the company will offer captioning services on its entire video library by 2014. Currently Netflix has caption options on nearly 85 percent of its hefty entertainment repertoire, with the outfit expected to make it 90 percent by next year and, shortly thereafter, have its full set CC-ready. Needless to say, this is a win-win for all parties involved.
First, we must congratulate the entire XBMC team on reaching the tenth anniversary of one of the project’s first betas hitting the internet, when Yet Another Media Play (YAMP) and Xbox Media Player joined forces to create something beautiful. It’s outlived the original console by far, powered other projects and spinoffs (Boxee, Plex, GeeXBox — just to name a few) and is still going strong. Just to show how much progress it’s making there’s a new monthly build that adds two features most will have to wait for XBMC 12 Frodo to try out. If you like to live on the edge, the September cycle includes mainline PVR support, which pulls in TV broadcasts thanks to PVR add-ons like MythTV or MediaPortal, as well as integrated support for the Raspberry Pi. Other tweaks include performance enhancements on Android, better picture zooming and rotation on mobiles and much, much more. Hit the source links for a full changelog and details on what dangers running a build hot off the presses may entail.
Europeans who have been pining for a(nother) way to bring Spotify into their living rooms can rest easy, now that Samsung is on the case. The pair have teamed up to bring 18 million tracks to Sammy’s 2012 E-Series Smart TVs with a new app designed for the platform. The software will arrive later this year, with existing Premium users finding their playlists already syncing, while those new to the service will be offered a short free trial to coax them into signing up. If you’ve yet to make an investment in one of the displays, the company is also planning to add the functionality onto its Blu-Ray players and Home Theater systems in short order.
Hot on the heels of YouTube’s launch of 60 new original content channels, the BBC has announced that it will be partnering with Google’s video service to present two of those. The UK broadcaster said it will introduce a nature channel, with content coming from its BBC Earth Productions unit, and a science channel featuring Top Gear presenter James May “and his crack team of scientists.” The new portals will come online in 2013, and “Auntie Beeb” has also redesigned its six current YouTube stations and added new clips from Top Gear (season 18) and other original programs, too. All that comes along at the same time as the refreshed iPlayer — another way the company’s been creative with technology, lately.
While its high pixel density mobile displays stole much of the attention at CEATEC 2012, Sharp also has tech destined for bigger screens like this “Moth Eye Panel” that Engadget Japanese took a look at during the show. Thanks to nanoscale irregularities on its surface similar to the eye of a moth it claims to give bright colors and high contrast while cutting down glare as seen above (moth eye panel on the left) The technology isn’t in use yet, but Sharp says the film has been produced in 60-, 70- and 80-inch sizes already, so if you thought the company’s extra large and Elite HDTVs couldn’t get any better, next year’s model will probably have at least one way to prove you wrong.
Although these have been accomplished by two different branch entities, there’s no doubt the folks over at Disney are in a deal-making mood as of late. Having recently announced a deal bringing new content to Cablevision subscribers, Disney has also partnered up with LG to bring an array of 3D films over to its Smart TV platform — so long as the units are 3D-ready and you are in the US, of course. This means movies from studios such as Disney Pixar, Walt Disney Pictures, Marvel and Touchstone Pictures will available to rent in three-dee directly from LG’s 3D World, including The Avengers, Toy Story, Alice in Wonderland and, later next year, Finding Nemo. Better yet, LG’s currently offering a deal which hands you in credit (which expires December 31st) to spend on 3D rentals — naturally, however, you’ll have to shell out some cash on one of its qualifying TVs in order to take advantage of this promo. To learn more about that, check out the press release after the break.
Amazon is finally catching up to the rest of the streaming industry and adding closed captions to some of its Instant Video selections. For the moment the library of CCed content is pretty slim, with only 169 shows and 74 movies, but we’d expect that to grow pretty quickly. That does put the burgeoning media giant quite a bit behind competitors like Hulu and Netflix, who have been catering to the hearing impaired for some time. For now, captions are only available when streaming from Amazon’s website, but the company promises to expand support to “additional devices” soon. For more info check out the Amazon help page at the source and the email notice forwarded to us by a tipster after the break.
While Vizio’s summer has been all about PCs, set-top Google TV boxes and even the odd ultrawidescreen HDTV, it’s getting back into its usual garb for the fall. As is its customs, it’s rolling out a few new HDTV models ahead of the big shopping season, which range in size from 55- to 70-inches. Other than the 58-inch CinemaWide ultra widescreen model there are also three representatives from its M-Series, with a 55-inch model for 9, and a 65-inch model that’s ,699 with 3D and ,499 without. The other two models are in its E-Series line, and are 2D only edge-lit LED sets that feature a new thin bezel / slim frame design. The 60-inch version is priced at 9, while the 70-inch goes for ,999. They all include the Yahoo Widgets powered Vizio Internet Apps (Netflix, Vudu, Hulu, Amazon etc.) and WiFi built in and most are already popping up on store shelves near you (just ask Logitech and Sling how that works), check out a bit more information in the press release after the break.
Toshiba had its new lineup of Regza HDTVs on hand at CEATEC today, showing sets from both the J7 Series and Z7 series. The J7 Series offers 32-, 40, 50- and 65-inch options, all of which boast 1080p resolutions save for the 32-incher. Pricing starts at ¥75,000 (about 1) and tops off at ¥370,000 for the largest model. The slightly higher-end Z7 Series includes 42-, 47- and 55-inch models, with pricing ranging from ¥180,000 to ¥370,000. The Z7 Series also boats Toshiba’s “time-shift machine” feature, which automatically records up to 40 hours of content on primary channels and suggests programs based on your viewing habits.
We spent a few minutes staring into the high-def abyss at the company’s rather dim booth, and all of the displays looked quite stunning. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to test out the time-shift feature, so we’ll have to take the company on its word there. The premium Z7 models include a thinner bezel and an overall sleeker look, while the J7 featured a more rounded design, with a beefier border around the panel. All of the TVs are expected to debut in time for the holiday season. For now, you can get a sneak peek from our hands-on video below.
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today’s movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com.
Whether you’re a fan of CBS’s Elementary spin on Sherlock Holmes or not, it sure gave a nice amount screen-time to cellphones in its pilot. While there was prominent use of iPhones in the episode, we’re highlighting a seemingly forced Nokia Lumia 800 cameo — you’d think it would at least be the 900 being an American series. The camera takes a tight shot of Sherlock swiping through photos on a murder victim’s black Lumia twice, highlighting the Nokia logo and Windows Phone 7.5 gallery interface. Here’s your clue to see it for yourself: check around the 8-minute mark at the source link below.
Why get a Smart TV when you can enhance your existing HDTV with a dongle? That’s the precise inquiry FAVI is aiming to answer with its SmartStick, a device that lets you access streaming movies, music, apps, and games just by plugging it into your television’s HDMI port. It runs Jelly Bean, the latest Android OS, and supports services like Netflix, Hulu, Epix, YouTube, and Pandora. Other features include a full internet browser, 4GB of memory, and the ability to wirelessly stream media from your computer via its MediaSHARE app. Since it runs Android, you can download apps from the Google Play store as well. While we’re still fans of the Roku Streaming Stick, the SmartStick’s price tag is hard to beat. You can also get a mini wireless keyboard and touchpad mouse for .99 for easier navigation. The FAVI Streaming Stick will be available this November, though you can pre-order it now for an October 30th ship date. Check after the break for the SmartStick promo video and the press release.
While Ridley Scott’s latest flick is already available on just about every downloadable movie store you could name, Prometheus is still a few weeks away from making its debut on disc and now Fox has officially released all the details. The extras listed in an earlier leak appear to be accurate, with a Second Screen iPad app that promises access to character Peter Weyland’s archives, while much of the 15 minutes or so of deleted and alternative scenes have already been posted on the internet (search around if you absolutely must know what else there is and can’t wait / don’t want to spend the cash). Arriving October 9th, there’s a four disc set with both a Blu-ray 3D edition and bonus extras disc with featurettes for a total of seven hours of bonus materials, while the two disc set trims it to just one Blu-ray and DVD / digital copy. The two disc set is currently selling for .99 on Amazon, while the four disc edition bumps the price another . A trailer with a peek at some of those extras and the full list of details awaits after the break, but an explanation for why anyone would ever try to touch some weird space snake is something you’ll have to find on your own.
As the summer comes to a close (as least north of the equator), temperatures are dropping and the leaves are beginning to change their hues. Leisurely strolls and bike rides that had become quite uncomfortable are options for relaxation once again. Speaking of bicycles, that’s precisely where the cover story of this week’s edition of our tablet mag focuses. Terrence O’Brien visits with Dan Sorger at his DBC City Bike workshop in Boston and discovers how — with the help of designers, engineers, and medical professionals from institutions like MIT — The Swift takes a beloved European-style bike and adapts it for American city dwellers. This week’s “Hands-on” section circles the globe as we check in at the Tokyo Game Show and Nokia’s HQ before returning in the States. On the review front, we put Sony’s Xperia T and Xperia Tab as well as Vizio’s all-in-one through their respective paces and offer our detailed impressions of each. Find yourself a spot on the porch and settle in before grabbing the latest issue via any of the options that lie down below.
Much of the business news out of Japan from Sharp hasn’t been good, but for now at least it’s worked out a loan agreement to keep rolling. It’s still pursuing a deal with manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry / Foxconn that would provide a much-needed injection of capital, but those talks have reportedly stalled. Until something happens there it has a 360 billion yen (.6 billion) syndicated loan worked out with a couple of Japanese banks that runs until June 30th 2013. We’re still not sure how Sharp will proceed with all this, but hopefully an agreement can be reached that brings its sweet IGZO LCD tech and any other new screens it will be showing off at CEATEC next week to more devices.
Dish Network’s long-gestating tie-up with ViaSat and Hughes has finally arrived under the name dishNET. Sounding like an implement you’d use to clean dirty dinner plates, the nationwide satellite broadband service launches from October 1st, targeting customers in rural areas that are underserved with fixed line gear. a month gets you 5 Mbps down / 1Mbps up with a 10GB data cap, while subscribers can get a discount if they pick up a TV package at the same time. We asked the company if this was related to the service based upon its spectrum purchases that was hinted at back in August, and it confirmed this is just leveraging ViaSat Exede and HughesNet.
While it seems like every network is rolling out its own personal second screen app for tablets and / or phones, over in the UK zeebox has been trying to corner the experience across channels and providers with its app. Available as an app for iOS and Android and also on the web, it brings a customized TV guide, live chat, social network sharing and remote control features to the TV experience, and now it’s come to the US. Other than the typical second screen experience, its main hook is an “OpenBox” API and tags that allow content providers to customize the experience for their viewers… and then sell them stuff like video on-demand or related merchandise.
On this side of the Atlantic zeebox has secured backing from Comcast / NBC Universal, giving it financial and promotional support as well as covering more than 30 networks right away. It also means it can eventually act as a remote control for Comcast users, which may be an advantage over competition like Miso, GetGlue and IntoNow, and can flex its muscles paired with hundreds of shows like The Voice, Notre Dame football and HBO content like True Blood. Out of the box, the app’s social ties and careful metering may be a programmer’s dream as it monitors who is watching what live, but we’ll have to see more of the second screen content come to life if it’s going to catch on socially. A customizable guide (yes, you can hide or reorder channels at will) is a nice touch and so is being able to see what your friends are viewing with Facebook Open Graph and Twitter hooks — but only if they’re actually using it. If you want to check it out, the free apps are linked below and the full press release follows after the break.
The fall TV season is upon us and we have responded accordingly with a plus-size episode of the EHD podcast. We’ve got a good mix of old and new, with news about DirecTV’s DVRs, TiVo settling a patent lawsuit and our review of the Vizio Co-Star Google TV box. The NFL Network is finally on Time Warner Cable, but we pause the celebration to remember NFL Films pioneer Steve Sabol. There’s Apple TV, Hulu Plus, HBO Go and Showtime Social updates to go around as well, press play to find out what’s new.
Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [RSS - AAC] Enhanced feed, subscribe to this with iTunes. [RSS - MP3] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace [MP3] Download the show (MP3).
Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)
