Blog Archives
IR over HDMI: Why was this not out before?
Sewell InjectIR
IR extenders are my best friend. They hide away boxes but leave the needed functions. It’s nice to be able to hide A/V equipment. The thing is that IR extenders tend to need to be thought about before you buy your place or equipment. Sewell has a solution for that problem. I thought this was already out by other company.
Sewell’s InjectIR system plugs into both ends of an HDMI cable. The end by the TV has an IR receiver and the end by the equipment, an IR emitter. Like a traditional extender, the IR receiver takes the IR signals transmitted by any remote and sends that signal to the emitter end where it’s broadcasted to the equipment’s IR sensor.
So it works over an HDMI cable that you most lilly already have connected anyway. Pretty nice idea. If you want to order it.Head over to Sewell. It’s Part #: SW-29660 Mfg Part #: SW-29660
iPlayer: Now for the rest of Europeans but still no US love…
The iPlayer expands to more of the world. Just not the US. Not just yet anyway. You can always use a proxy to get around that. The subscription grants access to a wealth of TV classics like EastEnders and Spooks.
The app will allow for downloading as well as streaming, and marks a “pilot phase” for the service. I did a review of the app already a few weeks ago. Not much has changed other than the expanding of the places it’s offered.
BBC iPlayer App for iPad expands
“Based on the soaring success of the UK’s pioneering BBC iPlayer service, the app combines technical innovation with editorial creativity to transport users to the heart of the BBC and British television and on a journey of discovery, wherever and whenever they want”
This brand-new video on demand subscription service, launching first in Western Europe, will deliver the award-winning programming upon which the BBC’s history and heritage is built, to viewers in 11 markets. For €6.99 a month (or €49.99 for an annual subscription), the app will initially be available in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.
Subscribers will be able to access a rich selection of captivating English language programmes across eight genres: News Specials & Documentaries; Entertainment; Drama; Comedy; Science & Nature; Family & Kids; Music & Culture and Lifestyle. The app brings together classic comedies such as Fawlty Towers and Only Fools & Horses, thrilling drama series Sherlock, Luther and much loved Pride and Prejudice, recent episodes of the UK’s famous soap EastEnders, global motoring phenomenon Top Gear, the Doctor Who archive and the adorable children’s show Charlie & Lola. Hours of new programming will be added to the service every week, along with imaginatively themed collections curated from the BBC’s extensive archive, including David Attenborough and the story of the Royal Family.
Designed to be intuitive and easy-to-use, a key feature of the app allows subscribers both to stream and to download shows for offline viewing for when they can’t access Wi-Fi connectivity. The stylish and simple interface enables users to build a personal library of shows.
John Smith CEO BBC Worldwide said: “I’m proud that we’re one of the first international broadcasters to give access to our shows in a perfectly packaged app. This launch is an important route to market in our strategy of pursuing multiple platforms for our programmes and brands, taking British programmes to new digital audiences around the world. Today marks a significant next step on a digital journey that has already seen 12m BBC Worldwide apps downloaded across brands as diverse as Lonely Planet and Good Food.”
“Based on the soaring success of the UK’s pioneering BBC iPlayer service, the app combines technical innovation with editorial creativity to transport users to the heart of the BBC and British television and on a journey of discovery, wherever and whenever they want,” said Jana Bennett, BBC Worldwide President of Worldwide Networks and Global iPlayer “We have an exciting vision for what this service could become and will develop it based on feedback from within the markets.”
The global BBC iPlayer App is now available to download for free from the App Store in the launch markets on iPad at www.bbc.com/iplayer/tv.
The global version of the BBC iPlayer app launched today marks the start of a pilot phase for the service.
Netflix now has MadMen There is nothing as more… wait, sorry. I was watching MadMen
One day someone told me that I should watch MadMen. I held off for two seasons. One day I had enough time to catch an episode. The next day… Through some means. I was able to get the rest of the seasons. I was caught up within a first three seasons of Mad Men within a week. I must say this is one of the best shows on TV. Don Draper is the can sell anything. Those that were wondering about Netflix losing subscribers should hold off on the hate.
I think that if Netflix keeps signing such great shows as this. It will be hard to leave this service. We are not yet sure what is going to happen with Hulu Plus. One thing is for sure. Those deals that they have in place now will not be here after they are sold away. The studios and networks that are supporting Hulu now are not going to keep giving sweetheart deals to it. Once they jump ship that is all she wrote.
Netflix will still be here with it’s great deals. Netflix’s Lionsgate, CBS International and Showtime shows will keep it on top for a long time. There is no real no competition to is dominance at the moment. The next step is over seas. They have deals with the king of them all in Latin America, Telenovelas. $7.99 per month service is well worth it people.
CNN now streams news 24 hours a day on iOS
CNN is now going to have 24-hour news streaming live feeds of CNN and HLN, online and through its iOS apps.Sounds great but you do have to have a pay TV subscription through AT&T, Comcast, Cox, DISH Network, Suddenlink or Verizon to access the streams. Fail. So for those that thought they were going to cut the cord. Keep dreaming. Also there is no Android streaming. Never the less most people still have able. I would have preferred that they charged for the app and offer the stream.
Press Report:
CNN is First to Stream 24-Hour News Network Online and On Mobile
CNN.com Unveils New Video Experience to Showcase Live CNN and HLN TV, On-Demand Video, Multi-tasking
CNN and HLN’s complete 24-hour television networks will be streamed live on CNN.com, the CNN App for iPad and the CNN App for iPhone and iPod touch beginning today, July 18. CNN Worldwide is the first news organization to stream its linear television channels online and on mobile devices to consumers who subscribe to a multi-channel video service. Simultaneous to this launch, CNN.com has debuted its new video experience, which seamlessly integrates live network TV into a larger and higher-quality video player, capable of delivering HD quality.
CNN and HLN online and mobile streaming is currently available to approximately 50 million households with subscribers to participating pay TV providers, including: AT&T, Comcast, Cox, DISH Network, Suddenlink and Verizon.
“A principle goal for CNN is to make more of our content available to more people on more platforms, and CNN’s participation in the TV Everywhere initiative is another step forward in that effort,” said Jim Walton, President of CNN Worldwide. “We have long believed that our growth depends on keeping CNN essential and relevant to consumers wherever they are.”
To access CNN and HLN online, users can go to www.cnn.com/video, click on the “Live” tab and log-in through their cable, satellite or telco provider with a username and password.
For mobile devices, a user can download the CNN App for iPad or the CNN App for iPhone and iPod touch (or update their app to version 1.2 for iPhone, 1.1 for iPad), and authenticate in the same way.
“CNN is taking a significant step forward by offering live CNN and HLN TV to our audiences whether they are on their couches at home or have their toes in the sand on the beach,” said KC Estenson, general manager of CNN Digital. “The 10 million users who have downloaded CNN’s mobile apps and the tens of millions of people who get the latest news and information from CNN.com every day will soon be able to watch CNN TV on every device they have.”
CNN.com video experience
CNN.com’s new video experience offers a cinematic player that optimizes the video quality for a user based on their Internet connection, with the capability of delivering HD quality. Video can be “squeezed back” to allow a user to browse through curated CNN video collections and TV show clips without leaving the video experience.
In addition to the live streams of CNN’s networks, the video experience will continue to offer up to four live streams of breaking news and events, original video series and on-demand video clips with related CNN and HLN show information.
The CNN App for iPad and CNN App for iPhone and iPod touch are available for free from the App Store or at www.itunes.com/appstore.
CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.
Drifting apart? Here is how to stay a couple
It has been a while since I have written any relationship advice so I thought I do that this weekend. Do you feel like you and your partner are drifting apart? It seems that the only time you two talk is to ask for something. You don’t have anything to talk about other than to talk about why you don’t talk anymore. Let’s say she wants to go to the movies but you are more of a stay at home and watch Game of Thrones type of person.
It’s more like you have a pen pal more than a loving relationship. You don’t mean for this to happen it just does over time. You’re both pretty busy with work, maybe the kids and errands. After work you just want to be left alone and in the morning you have no time for anything else. Here is how you can start to work your back to each other. Try just these 3 things and see how you do.
[I] Make time to talk to each other
I don’t mean talking about your kids, bills or money issues. No I mean take the time to find out what is going on in their life. You can even talk about a show or say a blog you might have read called Saintel’s Daily.
[II] Enjoy each other again
By that I mean how about you go out on a weekend trip. Nothing too expensive or you can pick up a hobby together. Basketball or dancing.Friday movie night or even just an afternoon coffee date at Starbucks.
[III] Go on a date
Not one of those quick movie nights. I mean a real date. Food at a very nice restaurant and a show. Act like you are dating again for the first time. Keep your phone in the car and no other devices at the table. Have conversations about anything other than work and if you have them kids. You want to try to learn as much about each other as possible.
Glass-less 3D? Yes, it’s real & coming thanks to 3D Fusion
3D is the future media. It’s been pushed by Hollywood hard ever since Avatar took over the box office. Everything that comes out in the movies is in 3D. Even if it was not meant to be. They go and have it converted. Even if its to the dismay of movie goers. Case in point Clash of the Titans.
While at the movies you stay in a fixed position. That is why the glasses for 3D are not too much of a distraction. You don’t move. You are there to enjoy the content on the huge screen. Now while at home that is a completely different matter all together. People don’t want to be forced to wear glasses nor do they want to stay in a stationary location.
Such a thought will be a thing of the past. Recently while at CES on The Hill I happen to have met a very knowledgeable individual named Rodolfo La Maestra. He is the Senior Technical Director at HDTV Magazine. Rodolfo has participated in the HDTV vision since the late 1980′s when HDTV was proposed as an analog system. In the late 1990′s, he began tracking and reviewing HDTV related technologies and hundreds of consumer products, which prompted him in 2002 to pioneer the authoring of the annual HDTV Technology Review report.
Rodolfo and I had a long conversation about the state of media and where it is going. 3D in the home is the most fascinating topic he covered however. Soon consumers will be able to watch 3D at home with out the need for glasses. Thanks to a company called 3D Fusion. They have come up with a glass less 3D technology that is in one word “incredible”
Exciting out-of-screen 3D effects
•Immediately grabs the attention of the viewer
Autostereoscopic display
•No need for special 3D glasses
•Multiple users experience 3D at the same time
•Large 3D viewing zone
•No “sweet spots”, no image distortions
Multi-view lenticular technology
•Full brightness and full contrast
•True color representation
High quality 3D and 2D mode
•2D high-definition video playback
•Autosensing between 2D and 3D mode
End-to-end system solution
•From content creation to visualization
•Integrated intelligent signal processing
•Flexible 3D data format through 2D-plus-depth
•3D application performance and distribution bandwidth close to 2D
Declipse supported for enhanced viewing experience
•Additional occlusion information enables the ‘look around’ effect
Full range of 3D content creation services
•3-stage (automatic, semi-automatic, and manual) 2D to 3D conversion process
•Plug-ins for most popular 3D rendering software tools (3D studio max and Maya)
•In-house development of custom 3D imaging applications per client’s request
TiVo and Comcast team up for the greater good of content; about time
TiVo and Comcast Team Up to Offer the First Retail CableSet-Top with DVR That Delivers Linear TV, Broadband Content and Xfinity On Demand Library All From One Box
Selling TiVo is about to get a lot easier. Today TiVo announced a groundbreaking agreement with Comcast that will introduce the first retail cable set-top with DVR that delivers broadcast TV, broadband content AND the entire Xfinity On Demand Library – all from one box. Under the agreement, owners of the retail version of TiVo Premiere will soon be able to access Comcast’s Xfinity TV On Demand service. Comcast will also install the TiVo Premiere DVR at no additional charge when the service becomes available in selected markets.
This removes one of the biggest customer concerns surrounding the installation of the world’s first Smart DVR. Now TiVo Premiere subscribers can access TV, Netflix, Amazon Instant Streaming, Blockbuster, Pandora and much more PLUS all the Xfinity TV On Demand service options they enjoyed on their cable company DVR.
Check out the press release below for more details…
The TiVo Sales Team
Comcast to help TiVo to promote solution with retail and marketing support
ALVISO, CA and PHILADELPHIA, PA – May 9, 2011 – TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO ), the creator of and a leader in television services and advertising solutions for digital video recorders (DVRs), and Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK), one of the nation’s leading providers of entertainment, information, and communications products and services, today announced they have enteredinto an agreement to enable access to Comcast’s robust library of Xfinity TV On Demand content on TiVo Premiere set-top boxes sold at retail. For the firsttime, Comcast customers in select markets will be able to use a TiVo Premiere box to enjoy a fully integrated offering of On Demand programs, along with linear television and a range of broadband services, all accessible through TiVo’s user interface and intuitive search capabilities.
Under the agreement, Comcast will make its Xfinity TV On Demand service accessible on TiVo Premiere set-top boxes in many of its largest markets, with the first expected to be the San Francisco Bay Area with a plan for additional markets to follow. In each of those markets Comcast and TiVo plan to partner on promotion of this new service in retail and other sales channels. Comcast will install TiVo Premiere set-top boxes with its cable service at no additional charge for its customers when the service is available in those markets.
“Adding Comcast’s On Demand library to TiVo Premiere is a fantastic win for consumers because it will offer access to the ultimate television viewing experience with the programming viewers want. Traditional TV channels, On Demand and broadband delivered content will all be accessible with TiVo’s universal search capability and TiVo’s stunning HD user-interface,” said Tom Rogers, President and CEO of TiVo Inc. “And, this partnership will make it easy for our mutual customers to enjoy both their TiVo service and Comcast’s Xfinity TV with the more than 25,000 On Demand programs it offers along with the ease of Comcast arranged installation.”
“We’re pleased to combine Comcast’s industry leading On Demand library with the innovative TiVo experience and provide our customers even more choice and convenience,” said Marcien Jenckes, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Video Services for Comcast. “Working with TiVo to allow customers to access our Xfinity TV On Demand service complements our commitment to bring any content to any device, at any time.”
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com ) is one of the nation’s leading providers of entertainment, information and communicationsproducts and services. Comcast is principally involved in the operation of cable systems through Comcast Cable and in the development, production and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and other content for global audiences through NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential and business customers. Comcast is the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal, whichowns and operates entertainment and news cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local television station groups, television production operations, a major motion picture company and theme parks.
About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo Inc. developed the first commercially available digitalvideo recorder (DVR). TiVo offers the TiVo service and TiVo DVRs directly to consumers online at www.tivo.com and through third-party retailers. TiVo also distributes its technology and services through solutions tailored forcable, satellite, and broadcasting companies. Since its founding, TiVo has evolved into the ultimate single solution media center by combining its patented DVR technologies and universal cable box capabilities with the ability to aggregate, search, and deliver millions of pieces of broadband, cable, and broadcast content directly to the television. An economical, one-stop-shop for in-home entertainment, TiVo’s intuitive functionality and ease of use puts viewers in control by enabling them to effortlessly navigate the best digital entertainment content available through one box, with one remote, and one user interface, delivering the most dynamic user experience on the market today. TiVo also continues to weave itself into the fabric of the media industry by providing interactive advertising solutions and audience research and measurement ratings services to the television industry. www.tivo.com
TiVo is a trademark or registered trademark of TiVo Inc. or its subsidiaries worldwide. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.These statements by Comcast and TiVo relate to, among other things, the future integration, availability and promotion of Xfinity TV On Demand Service on TiVo Premiere set-top boxes in select markets with the first expected market to be San Francisco Bay Area early next year and availability in additional markets after that. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “intend,” “estimate,” “continue,” “plan to” or similar expressions or the negative of those terms or expressions. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by the forward-lookingstatements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially include delays in development, competitive service offerings and lack of market acceptance, as well as the other potential factors described under “Risk Factors” in each company’s public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including each company’s most recent annual reports onForm 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K.Each company cautions you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect an analysis only and speak only as of the date hereof. Each company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
[via Comast & Tivo]
BBC iPlayer coming soon, like this Thursday soon
The BBC iPlayer app for the iPad will be released this Thursday. After years and years of waiting. A BBC iPlayer engineer Geoff Marshall made it official with just one tweet.
iPlayer App for iPad is being released this Thursday – 10th Feb. 3G connection is browse only. Browse+Playback requires Wi-Fi. #iplayer
The iPlayer is the BBC’s Hulu. Not Netflix as it is mostly shows. I love to use the web version and have waited for a while to get this app. Since it is going to be a UK only version. You might have to use a proxy to get it to work for you. The BBC is forbidden from charging for its content in the UK and is instead funded by a compulsory license fee. That is why they have to find another way to make money with this app. Look for an international paid version to come out after the UK only free one. Finally I will be able to get my Spooks fix on my iPad.
How will you watch the Super Bowl XLV?
Thank you to Mashable.com for giving us something to think about. Here I was thinking house party or BW3′s. Who knew I had other options. Although I would use an iPad before an iPhone for the game.
