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Tidal launches app for Apple and Android TVs
Today, Tidal launches its Tidal TV app, allowing subscribers to use the streaming service on their Apple TVs and Android TVs. The app's "Home" section displays recommendations and popular concerts, livestreams, music videos, albums and podcasts. And users can curate their own "My Collection" section, which can house all of their favorite content.
Plex on Android now works more like a 'real' DVR
Plex recently turned your devices into virtual DVRs through its live TV update, but there have been limitations: you couldn't timeshift to replay an important moment, and watching a show while it recorded required a second TV tuner. Not much of a replacement for a real DVR, is it? The situation just got much better, however, as Plex has updated its Android app with support for both timeshifting and, as you might expect, watching a live show while in mid-recording. If you missed a crucial play in the big game or just want to repeat what someone said, you can skip back just like you would with a conventional DVR.
UK government issues advice on what makes 'Kodi boxes’ illegal
While streaming services like Netflix and Spotify have provided easy (and affordable) ways for Britons to enjoy legal content in their homes, the UK government is still waging war against what it calls "illicit streaming devices." This week, the Intellectual Property Office published official guidance on such hardware, reiterating that streaming copyrighted material via an Android TV steamer or so called "Kodi box" is illegal and that any offending add-ons or software should immediately be removed.
Comcast's Xfinity app will be available on Sony smart TVs in 2018
It's a strange time in the world of cable television, with more people cutting the cord these days and an ever-increasing amount of internet-enabled devices (like Apple TV and Roku) and smart TVs. Venerable cable companies like Viacom have to to find ways to get their content out to where the viewers actually are. Comcast is in the same boat, which is why it makes sense that the cable business is partnering with Sony to get its Xfinity app on the television-maker's Android-based sets.
Google Assistant is ready to help on your Sony TV
If you have a Sony TV in your living room, it just got a little smarter. Sony is rolling out an update to many of its Android TV-powered 4K HDR sets (more on that in a moment) to enable Google Assistant. Talk to your remote and you'll get the same AI helper that you can likely find on your phone. Naturally, Assistant can do a little more than you're used to on your phone: you can ask about the weather, search for factoids or play videos, but you can also control your TV. Sony is particularly keen to tout the 'seamless' smart home control -- you should have an easier time dimming the lights when it's movie time.
YouTube TV finally has an app built for your living room screen
When YouTube TV arrived earlier this year, it was focused on phones. Sure, you could send video to your TV via Chromecast or AirPlay, but thus far there haven't been apps for the big video platforms like Roku, Apple TV or even Google's own Android TV. That's changing today, as YouTube TV will start rolling out to screens running Android TV. And in the coming weeks, it'll be in plenty more places, including Xbox One, Apple TV and Roku, as well as Samsung, Sony and LG TVs.
AT&T is making an Android-powered DirecTV streaming hub
AT&T might not rely solely on other companies' devices to pipe DirecTV Now and other forms of internet-only video into your home. Variety has unearthed a new FCC filing for an Android TV-powered set-top box dubbed the "AT&T/DirecTV Wireless 4K OTT Client." Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? The hardware isn't much to look at, but the manual talks about a voice-guided remote with touchpad as well as full access to Google Play. In other words, this is really a general-purpose Android media player that happens to be focused on services like DirecTV. You could just as easily use it to watch Hulu or Netflix, if that's your inclination. And no, there's no connectors to plug into DirecTV's satellite services.
Android apps can find nearby devices even when they're offline
If you've ever wished that your smartphone's apps would automatically do your bidding the moment you neared a device, you're in luck. After previewing it at I/O in May, Google has made the second generation of its Nearby Connections toolkit available to Android developers. The updated framework uses Bluetooth and WiFi to find nearby devices, connect to them and perform tasks without requiring an internet connection. Your hotel room could auto-adjust the temperature the moment you walk in, Google suggests, while your phone could merge contacts whenever you're close to your spouse.
YouTube on Android TV plays catch-up with new design, auto-play controls
Android TV didn't get much attention back at Google I/O, but the platform hasn't been forgotten. An update to the YouTube app on Android TV is rolling out now, bringing the interface on par with what's been available on smart TVs for a while now. The app on my Panasonic Viera TV received the new look months ago, for example. The most notable change is a revamped interface that makes it more obvious which item is selected. It sounds like a snooze, but it's actually a noticeable change that comes in handy. Video player and search UIs were also refreshed to make things a bit more user friendly.
Tablo easily turns Android TV boxes into standalone DVRs
If you already have a TV antenna and an Android TV box like the NVIDIA Shield, then you're very close to having everything you need for a DIY Tablo DVR. Instead of picking up one of the company's boxes that can start at $180, now you can simply add its $70 USB dual-tuner device, install the free Tablo Engine app and start watching TV. At first, tuner buyers will get access to six months of guide data for free. Once the introductory period is over, however, while they can watch live TV and view up to 24 hours of guide data without a subscription, accessing 14 days of the guide and getting a one-click record option will come at a cost. The price is $4 per month, or $40 paid annually.
Facebook is bringing gaming videos to the living room
Facebook is determined to become a destination for gaming videos, and that includes when you're lounging on the couch. It's adding a dedicated gaming tab to its TV app that will highlight videos from the games, developers, eSports teams and personalities you like on Facebook. If you want to catch a tournament highlight or a new game trailer, you won't have to pull out your phone or leave the living room.
YouTube is bringing 360-degree videos to your TV
Google's I/O 2017 developer conference isn't just about its search engine getting smarter. The company has also announced that YouTube's 360-degree videos are coming soon to TVs, expanding beyond smartphones and web browsers for the first time. "It's not just about the size of the screen," YouTube product manager Sarah Ali said before demoing a 360-degree video from Coachella. "It's about giving you an experience that [traditional] TV just can't match."
Sony's first 4K OLED TV starts at $5,000
Sony's first consumer OLED TV, the XBR-A1E was easily its best product at CES 2017, but now comes the rub: How much is it? Before I answer that, know that Sony sets tend to be expensive to begin with. And on top of 4K OLED, this one has advanced video processing, all the flavors of HDR (Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG), the first-ever "Acoustic Surface" sound system that's integrated within the panel, an ultra-thin, near bezel-less design, a stand-mounted sub-woofer and Android TV support, including Google Cast and Google Assistant.
Pros and cons: Our quick verdict on NVIDIA's new Shield TV
NVIDIA's new Shield TV is a lot like its old Shield TV -- at least, on the inside. Still, the revamped Android TV set-top box is a lot smaller; it has a vastly improved game controller; and it's a much better deal at $200, since it includes the remote that used to cost an additional $50. The Shield TV also packs in a newer version of NVIDIA's GeForce Now game streaming service, and it can pipe over titles from your NVIDIA GPU-equipped gaming PC with full support for HDR. Eventually, it'll also include Google's Assistant.
NVIDIA's new Shield TV is more of the same, with a better gamepad
We expected NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang to introduce a revamped Shield TV at CES; what we didn't expect was for the new device to be practically a carbon copy of the original. Sure, it's a lot smaller, but inside, it's running all of the same hardware we saw in 2015. And yet NVIDIA claims it's still much more powerful than any other set-top box. That's a testament to how robust the company's X1 chip is, but it's a disappointment for anyone who was hoping for something fresh. On the bright side, the new $200 Shield comes with a new controller that's light-years ahead of the last one. It's not revolutionary, but you can think of it as a refined spin on NVIDIA's original set-top box concept.
Super Bowl 51 will stream for free on Fox Sports Go
The Super Bowl has been streaming for awhile now, but watching the commercials (arguably the best part) has been hit or miss in the past. Remember when all that streamed was the game? Yep, that was pretty terrible. This year, however, Fox Sports has a new plan in place: showing local commercials from some 170 affiliate stations, in addition to the national commercials.
AirTV conveniently pairs streaming with over-the-air channels
With the plethora of TV-streaming options, getting all of your content in one place can be a chore. At CES this week, Dish unveiled the AirTV: a 4K set-top box that handles Sling TV, Netflix, Android TV for other streaming apps and over-the-air channels. The $130 device also uses the Sling TV guide to organize all of that content. It also includes a remote with dedicated buttons for those aforementioned streaming libraries. I spent some time with the AirTV on the show floor to see how well it really works.
I want Sony's new 4K OLED TV in my home
Sony didn't have too much to show at CES this year, but it did come packing one surprise: a new, absurdly thin and sharp 4K TV. The horrifically named XBR-A1E (try remembering that one a few minutes from now) features a 55-inch, 65-inch or 77-inch OLED panel capable of spitting out Ultra HD and high dynamic range (HDR) with ease. The most intriguing part, however, is "Acoustic Surface," which integrates the speaker into the screen itself. That's possible because of how ridiculously thin the set is. In fact, LG Display took a similar approach with its Crystal Sound prototype.
Sony upgrades its 4K line with Dolby Vision ... and OLED
If you can't beat 'em, use 'em. That seems to be the logic of Panasonic and now Sony, which is announcing its first OLED TV. The XBR-A1E Bravia uses a trick we just heard about from LG Display, which embeds a sound system within the screen itself. That's thanks to the thinness of the OLED panel, which Sony claims makes for an "unmatched visual and aural experience" called Acoustic Surface. The OLED TV will be available in 55-, 65- and 77-inch models.
Dish's AirTV combines 4K streaming with an over-the-air antenna
Finding quality 4K content is still rather difficult, but that isn't keeping hardware manufacturers from building devices to support the format. To that end, Dish is announcing a new set-top box called AirTV that has a few tricks up its sleeve. Just as last month's leak showed, it's based on Android TV and combines the Sling TV over-the-top video service with apps from Google Play. But it also works with an over-the-air antenna to pull in free live TV, as well.
