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Windows 10's latest preview sends web videos to your TV
If you've wanted nothing more than to sling web videos from your Windows 10 PC to your TV, today's a very big day. Microsoft has released a Windows 10 Insider Preview build that gives early adopters (specifically, those on the Fast ring) the ability to cast media in Edge. The web browser now sends audio, photos and videos to any DLNA- or Miracast-capable device (an Xbox One should do it) on your network, whether it's a YouTube clip or a Pandora radio stream. There is a big gotcha, unfortunately: copy-protected content won't work, so don't expect to put Netflix on the big screen. Even so, it's good to have an alternative to Google's Chrome browser, Cast API and Chromecast hardware for easily sharing web content with the rest of your home.
The PlayStation 4 is getting a media player
Believe it or not, Sony couldn't even wait for its E3 event to get started to share some news about the PlayStation 4. The company is launching a media player for its console with some playback features you might miss from your PS3. It'll stream media from DLNA-compatible devices on your local network, for a start, and you can plug in a USB drive if you'd rather play locally stored music and videos. The player should be available later tonight, so it won't be long before you can try it for yourself. Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
Plex media streaming app arrives on PS4, PS3
Plex, the personal media streaming service, can now send content directly to the PlayStation 4 and PS3 with a new app now available on the PSN. The program allows users to stream media from their computers to any Plex-ready device, including mobile phones, tablets and now the PlayStation home console ecosystem. While the service may not mean much to PS3 users – since that console has its own built-in media server support – a Plex debut on PS4 means users can now use the console as a hub for their own downloaded media content. There is a catch, of course: Plex streaming to PlayStation consoles is only available for Plex Pass subscribers, which is priced at $5 a month ($40 year, $150 lifetime). The app "will be made available, for a fee, to those without a Plex Pass" in the future, a post on the PlayStation Blog revealed. The PlayStation Blog says the app is available in the US, Canada and Latin America. On the Plex website, the company notes a select number of other regions where the app will be available, including the UK. The Plex site also reveals a few additional details, such as the PS3's limitation of streaming 720p content using the app and the Plex on PlayStation's lack of support for the MKV file format and DTS audio. At launch, Plex on PlayStation will only support video content, but music and photo streaming "will be coming shortly." [Image: Plex]
CarKarPlay display mirrors your smartphone on your dashboard
Remember the good old days when mini Bluetooth keyboards just became a thing? Then you may recall a brand called iPazzPort, who is now launching what appears to be the world's first wireless display dedicated to mobile devices. Much like the brand, the device itself is just as awkwardly named: CarKarPlay. It's pretty much just a 7-inch, 800 x 480 screen with WiFi radio for AirPlay, Miracast and DLNA connections, meaning it'll support wireless screen mirroring from iOS plus Android, as well as media streaming from DLNA-enabled apps or devices -- including some Windows Phones. As the name suggests, it's all about having a bigger screen in your car.
Toshiba's new drive could take the headaches out of networked storage
There aren't many network-attached hard drives for the home, and those that exist aren't always easy to use... not unless you enjoy drive mapping, anyway. Toshiba may just make the experience simpler with its just-shipped Canvio Home, though. This sequel to the Canvio Personal Cloud takes some of the guesswork out of setting up and finding your storage on your home network; if you just need to drag-and-drop files, you could be up and running within minutes. The Canvio Home also introduces official Mac support. As before, you can access the Canvio Home from anywhere (including Android and iOS apps), and it will stream media to local DLNA-capable gadgets. Toshiba is selling a 2TB version of the new disk for $200, while its 3TB sibling costs $260.
Xbox One will play audio 'compact discs' (ask your parents)
The Xbox One will play audio CDs and is DLNA compatible, allowing users to stream media from their compatible home networks, Microsoft told Penny Arcade Report. This follows Sony's FAQ for the PS4, which revealed the console won't be able to read CDs, won't support DLNA and won't read .mp3 files at launch. Xbox One won't read .mp3 files directly, but it works with Microsoft's Play To service, which streams from any device with Windows 7 and up, including PCs and Windows Phone. What timing, Microsoft.
Xbox One will act as a media server and play audio CDs
The Xbox One will stream media from your home network and play audio CDs, Microsoft tells Penny Arcade Report. In that way, the One is much like the Xbox 360. When it comes to MP3 playback, however, it's a little trickier. The Xbox One is a Play To device that supports Redmond's PC and mobile ecosystem, but not much else. This comes just days after Sony released its massive FAQ that said, among other things, that the PlayStation 4 wouldn't do any of the above. If you're looking for a new do-all device for your A/V rack, the Xbox One could be it.
Bose intros SoundTouch WiFi music systems, makes home audio more like a car stereo
Bose is out to take on the likes of Sonos with its new SoundTouch WiFi music systems. The speakers rely on a free SoundTouch app that acts as a simple controller for all of your favorite music. It pulls media from your network-connected computers and Pandora, and we're told other popular streaming services will be added soon. The app uses a very simple interface that's almost like a mix of the Sonos Controller app with the intuitiveness of a car stereo. The universal feature across the speakers and software are six customizable presets (individual artists, playlists or internet radio stations) that can be changed on the app, with an included remote or using physical buttons on SoundTouch-optimized systems. If you hear or search for something you enjoy, it's as simple as holding one of the preset buttons for a few seconds to store it -- just like you would in your car.
Libratone's $500 Loop speaker wraps AirPlay, PlayDirect and DLNA in wool
Don't quite have the funds -- or room -- for the circular B&O Play A9 speaker ($2,700)? Libratone's new AirPlay and DLNA-equipped Loop might catch your eye. The $500 satellite dish-like rig packs two ribbon tweeters and a bass radiator, which together pump out enough volume for moderately sized rooms. While the Loop is tiny enough to sit on a nightstand, it also comes with a detachable wall mount. You can even connect devices to it via ad-hoc WiFi if you're away from an actual network, thanks to PlayDirect -- just like the Zipp. As with all Libratone speakers, the unit's sound characteristics are adjustable via a free app (Android and iOS) and the swappable wool speaker grille comes in a variety of colors ($50 each). The Loop is up for pre-order now in "Pepper Black, "Salty Grey" and "Raspberry Red" if you're interested enough to bring it full circle. It'll hit doorsteps and retailers by the end of the month.
Update your music dock to WiFi with the Auris Skye Kickstarter project
Let's face it -- a lot of people bought docks back in the days of iPods and the first iPhones. Basically, it made it very easy for people to blast tunes out of an alarm clock or speaker by just plugging the device in, and the device received a charge in the process. Well, things are different these days, and a lot of people would rather play with their iPhone or iPod touch while listening to music. So do you toss out the old dock? A new Kickstarter project wants to repurpose your dock by giving it WiFi powers. Auris has just launched a Kickstarter for a product called Skye with a US$56,000 goal of which they've already raised almost $18,000. Skye not only works with all of those 30-pin Dock Connector devices, adding a WiFi receiver to them for AirPlay and DLNA music streaming, but it can also be attached to just about any other sort of device. You can even beam to Skye via a peer-to-peer WiFi network if you don't own a router. There's an app under development for both iOS and Android that will provide a way to set up and control the little receiver. The Kickstarter page shows the Skye connected to a variety of different docks, as well as to stereo systems with 3.5mm inputs and standard RCA connectors. With a pledge of $64 or more, you get one of the devices, although some of the pledge levels are beginning to fill up quickly. Once the Kickstarter is over, the device will be available at a suggested retail price of $89. There's another great reason for Skye's existence: by using WiFi rather than Bluetooth, it improves the throughput of the music stream and the distance from which music can be beamed. Auris hopes to ship the first Skyes in December, so act now and give these folks your support.
Harman Kardon ships AVR 2700 and 3700 receivers with 4K scaling and AirPlay
Now that Ultra HD TVs are poised to hit the market in force, it's more important than ever to have receivers that can handle them -- even if our bank accounts often can't. Harman Kardon knows this well enough to ship its AVR 2700 and AVR 3700 receivers, both of which carry 4K passthrough and upscaling on their eight HDMI ports as a matter of course. The two also support AirPlay streaming alongside more commonplace DLNA media sharing and offer remote control mobile apps. Home theater futureproofers mostly have to decide on audio channels and network support before they buy: the $800 AVR 2700 produces 7.1-channel surround and sticks to Ethernet alone for networking, while the $996 AVR 3700 introduces 7.2-channel audio and WiFi. Few of us will use either receiver to its full potential right now, but well-heeled 4K TV owners (or just the well-prepared) can pick one up today.
HDHomeRun Prime firmware featuring DLNA streaming comes out of beta
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. [Thanks, Rob]
Boxee TV update brings DLNA access, on device DVR management and more
Boxee's second box is getting a fresh round of updates, as GigaOm points out software version 2.1.0.7781 has been detailed and is rolling out. It includes features that appeal to classic Boxee fans like support for DLNA rendering that lets it browse and play files from PCs or other devices on the same network and DMR that lets users push media to it from apps like Skifta. For more traditional viewers, the update also brings a standard TV guide users can pull up by selecting "TV" on the home screen, the ability to schedule and manage DVR recordings from antenna on the box itself (previously only possible via webpage for the still-in-beta feature), notifications for upcoming recordings and even 3D support in the Vudu app. Boxee co-founder Idan Cohen joined us at Expand and mentioned some of the other updates the team is working on, we'll see if oft-requested features like the ability to pause live TV are added any time soon. Hit the source link for the full list of changes, current owners should see the new software arrive over the next few days.
Zotac's StreamBox and RAIDbox build upon the ZBOX's HTPC pedigree
Zotac has this media-friendly SFF computer thing pretty much nailed. For years the company has been churning out ever smaller machines purpose built for living rooms and media servers. The StreamBox and RAIDbox aren't standalone computers, but accessories that build on the home theater capabilities of their ZBOX PCs. The StreamBox pushes content to your TV from a laptop, Android smartphone or tablet using DLNA or Miracast for mirroring your portable's display. In addition to the 10/100 Ethernet jack and dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n radios, there's also a USB port on board for connecting external storage devices. What kind of storage devices, you ask? Well, how about the USB 3.0 RAIDbox that was unveiled alongside the StreamBox. The box itself doesn't ship with any drives inside, but you can slip in a pair of mSATA SSDs and it wont even require an external power supply. Sadly, the really important details like price and availability haven't been announced, but you can still read the PR after the break.
HDHomeRun Prime beta update for DLNA streaming is live
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.
Qualcomm Atheros' Skifta app brings DLNA media streaming to iOS
Android users have been using Skifta, the mobile media streaming platform, for a couple years now, shooting media to and from their phones and tablets wirelessly. Today, Apple users can get on the action, as Qualcomm Atheros has quietly released a version that brings the power of DLNA to iOS. That means that iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads running iOS 5 or later can now stream content directly to and from a host of devices, including stereos, TVs and the PS3. Sound good? You'll find a gallery of screenshots of the Skifta's UI below, and should that sufficiently pique your interest, hit the source to grab the app for yourself.
Intel demos 'headless' 6-tuner cable gateway for Comcast
Pre-CES rumors suggested Intel would announce a "virtual cable" service (before being stamped out) but the partnership with Comcast it actually revealed turned out to be far more conventional. Very similar to the tru2way multiroom box Intel demonstrated back at IDF in 2009, the Multi-Screen Video Gateway by Arris capitalizes on DLNA standards -- touted by the alliance earlier today -- to bring video to virtually any device in your home. It's "headless", because it's not built to connect directly to any TV, just shoved somewhere out of sight while you tune in on your various screens. Of course, these demos have been here before and the DTCP-IP technology behind it isn't particularly new either, so why could 2013 finally be the year we see these features roll out from major providers? As cited in the earlier press release, DirecTV has released Genie DVRs loaded with RVU that pushes video directly to TVs and even the PS3 in the past year, providing one example of the tech in action. The updated FCC IP interface requirements and continued work on the DLNA Premium Content guidelines are also forcing progress forward, albeit slowly. Finally, there's some hope that the CE and cable industry can actually work together, as seen in Comcast's RDK program that's pushing the development of this box and others (like that Humax box we spotted floating through the FCC) with similar capabilities. The box was running Comcast's new X1 cloud-based guide which has seen a limited rollout so far, but because of how it works is more easily accessed and updated on connected devices. Of course even with all that, we've been down this road before (again and again and again and again) so despite a slick demo we'll withhold excitement until hardware is actually released.
DLNA already in use by TV providers, but not exactly what we had in mind
Comcast, Cox, DirecTV, Orange and Time Warner Cable are already using DLNA to deliver premium content around your house, but perhaps not exactly the way you had in mind. The dream that DLNA promises has never really lived up to expectations, but we still can't help but hold on to the dream of accessing our favorite shows on every device in the home. The DLNA premium content guidelines announced last year at CES seemed to be the most promising yet, but a year has passed and evidently we didn't notice. According to the press release issued by the DLNA, the aforementioned TV providers have already deployed products implementing the guidelines. Unfortunately, those implementations haven't made the content universally accessible in our home -- yet. There is hope however, in the FCC IP interface requirement intended to facilitate such access. For example, Steve Necessary, VP of Cox Communications expects "more than 500,000 subscribers (will) have DLNA premium content functionality" through its Trio guide within the next year. How useful that access will really be, though, remains to be seen.
Klipsch details Stadium and KMC3 wireless speakers, hopes to be at the Center of your listening experience
Sound and time: two things that fly by pretty fast -- and many an Engadget editor has been known to make time zip by faster with Klipsch headphones. While the company showed us its latest ear-gear in the fall of 2011, it's kicking off 2013 at CES with a focus on speakers. It was a year ago when we checked out a mockup of Klipsch's Stadium AirPlay speaker, and it's finally poised to hit shelves in the coming months. Part of its Music Center lineup, the visually striking, wireless 2.1 system (pictured right) hasn't changed aesthetically, but the company does have more to share when it comes to specs and availability. In addition to AirPlay, it's now loaded with DLNA and Bluetooth, with compatibility for aptX. The Stadium is loaded with a duo of 5.25-inch subwoofers, a pair of three-inch woofers for mids and a pair of 1-inch "horn-loaded" tweeters to handle the highs. Now word on price just yet, but north of $1,500 (yes, you read that right, audiophiles) wouldn't be a bad guess when it arrives this summer. For those looking solely for Bluetooth connectivity in a semi-portable package, Klipsch's KMC3 (pictured left) might be the ticket. This 130-watt system features a 5.25-inch subwoofer and a pair of two-inch full-range drivers. Naturally, an 3.5mm input lets you plug your devices in the old fashioned way, while an integrated USB port can be used for charging your devices. Sadly, there's also no word on price for the KMC3, but it should arrive a bit sooner in the spring. Klipsch says it has more planned for the Music Center line this year as well, so we'll keep you posted when we hear more. More details in the press release after the break.
SiliconDust announces two new HDHomeRun network tuners with transcoding, DLNA DMP beta firmware available soon
SiliconDust let us know that it would be the first to certify a live TV tuner as a DLNA Digital Media Server, easily enabling premium cable TV to more devices with its existing HDHomeRun Prime network CableCARD tuner. A beta firmware of that software will be available next week for existing customers. The rub, though, is that you'll need a DLNA Digital Media Player (or Rederer) that supports MPEG2, and that just isn't as common as you might think -- as well as DTCP-IP support for copy protected content. In comes two new network tuners, the HDHR4-US and the HDHR4-CC. Both offer hardware transcoding for "digital-to-digital conversion of high-bandwidth MPEG2 streams to bandwidth-friendly H.264." The primary difference between the two new models is one has a CableCARD slot for recording four HD premium channels at once, and the other has dual clear QAM or ATSC tuners -- there is also a third unit, HDHR4-DT2, for Europe and Australia. The number of DLNA Digital Media Players (DMP) that support H.264 is far more vast and the codec is far more efficient. This basically means you'll have access to your favorite live content on more devices and in more places, and use less bandwidth while enjoying it. These new ones should be available starting in "mid-2013" with no mention of price in the releases below. But with the HDHR3-CC retailing for $199, we'd suspect the new quad tuner versions with transcode, will come just a bit above that. %Gallery-175391%