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Boxee hands out free Boxee TVs to its most eager cloud DVR fans
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.
DirecTV Genie DVR and interface launch with advice for the indecisive
We got a peek at DirecTV's Genie system just a few weeks ago with promises of a system that would both suggest related shows and optionally record them unbidden. It's here, and it's being joined by some rebranding. The company's flagship HR34 DVR has been relabeled as the Genie and makes the new software its centerpiece, with those five tuners letting even the chronically uncommitted take new recommendations as seriously as they like. As before, simultaneous viewing is otherwise the biggest angle: there's support for up to eight RVU-capable TVs hooked up at once, two shows playing on one TV and up to four TVs watching the same show. You'll have to be a new subscriber to get the video recorder under the Genie moniker, although we don't see too many existing customers dropping everything to get that symbolic distinction.
TiVo Premiere 4 confirmed early, promises a 4-tuner DVR for the masses
TiVo owners who've wanted to record any more than two shows at a time or use more recent technology like MoCA have had to look towards the wallet-busting Premiere XL4, at least if they didn't happen to rely on a cable provider bundling the Premiere Q. Thankfully, TiVo has told Zatz Not Funny that a more affordable Premiere 4 option is on the way. The new DVR will still require QAM digital cable or FiOS TV for its tuners to sing, but its 500GB of space will likely lead to a significant price cut versus the 2TB-touting XL4 -- if also a whole lot of deleted old shows. MoCA, an eSATA port and a single CableCARD slot will carry over, so there's few other penalties in store for those who pass on the XL4 flagship. We don't have any official word on the launch strategy so far, although one loose-lipped rep has floated the rumor of a release within the next one to two months at $250 price tag. If true, the Premiere 4 will go a long way towards satisfying TV junkies who are more concerned about catching every show in a crowded prime time slot (and a lower cost) than digging through months-old archives.
Aereo doubles DVR space to 80 hours for early adopters
Were you so entranced by Aereo's approach to over-the-air TV broadcasting that you signed up even while the legal battles were just getting started? You're likely being rewarded for your trust. The company has confirmed with GigaOM that New Yorkers who subscribed in the "earliest days" will have their cloud DVR storage doubled to 80 hours -- no limited period, no extra charge. There should likewise be some improved tools for overseeing all that extra space in the near future, although just what that might entail is left to the imagination. We won't fret about it much: given the service's still-tentative existence, any upgrades are icing on the cake for customers.
Peel AllPlay TV unites media sources for Android fans, puts them in harmony with Google TV
It's been a awhile since we caught up with Peel, but the company has certainly been putting its time to good use with a big update to its Android app at Google I/O. A new AllPlay TV component acts primarily as a companion for Google TV, pooling together listings of the disparate sources of conventional and streaming TV without having to break out the awkward remote until absolutely necessary. Live TV, DVR recordings and Netflix all sit side by side; if the season premiere of a show is coming up and last season's finale remains tragically unwatched, Peel will be the cue to record the new airing and hit Netflix for the catch-up. Peel warns that AllPlay TV won't be part and parcel of the app until July -- as compensation, it's promising that the release will bring Android 2.3 users into the fold, and a parallel version is coming to iPhone and iPod touch owners in the next few months.
Cisco sues TiVo to nullify four DVR patents, claims TiVo's just a big meanie
TiVo is known for being more than a bit aggressive in claiming patent rights for its DVRs, and Cisco has apparently had the last straw. Scientific Atlanta's owner has sued TiVo this week in an attempt to negate four patents that TiVo is allegedly using to bully Cisco and other set-top box makers. As long as those patents are active or usable against others, TiVo will refuse to give a fair license, Cisco says -- leaving competitors with little choice but to either agree to a costly settlement or risk a ban. Before championing Cisco as the underdog, remember that it's likely counting on a large patent library as a Sword of Damocles over TiVo's head that could fall if TiVo decides on a countersuit. Regardless of the strategic maneuvering, there's no doubt that Cisco is hoping to avoid a lawsuit on the scale of the epic-length EchoStar case.
MediaMall's PlayLater brings DVR to internet video
Aching to ditch your cable box, but can't bear to let go of that sweet, commercial-skipping DVR? If the folks behind PlayOn get their way, you won't have to. MediaMall launched the beta for PlayLater this week, a service it's calling "the world's first DVR for online video." The idea of a DVR for the internet sounds a little wonky at first, but it is an accurate description of the program's facilities -- pick a network (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc.), a show, and an episode, and PlayLater downloads your selection to your computer's hard drive for belated enjoyment. Simple? Sure, but not without a catch -- anything PlayLater pulls down it wraps in a neat layer of DRM, locking that content to the PC that downloaded it. Time-shifting Hulu will set you back $5 a month, but beta testers (the first 5,000, at least) can score a free month just for trying it out. Hit the break for a press release and additional details.
Olympus' LS-20M boasts dual mics and 1080p recording, split personality
Cisco may have washed its hands of pocket camcorders, but Olympus is ready to dive into the market with gusto. The company, best known for its cameras and voice recorders, just brought those two worlds together by announcing the LS-20M, a handheld whose relatively high-end audio specs should help it go toe-to-toe with Zoom. In addition to 1080p video, the LS-20M records 24 bit / 96 hHz Linear PCM audio using a pair of condenser mics. Alas, at $300 it has a small 2-inch screen and no optical zoom, but at least Olympus borrowed four of the visual effects that make its PEN cameras so fun to use. Look for it in June, and in the meantime, hit the PR for more details.
Marusys MS630S and MS850S set-top boxes stream straight to your iPhone
If you didn't already have enough ways to get content onto your iPhone, Marusys is adding two more to the pile with its MS630S and MS850S set-top boxes. Said to be PVR-ready, these boxes are designed to serve up content in all sorts of ways, with composite, component, and HDMI video outputs on the back and, inside, the ability to run Linux-based media players like XBMC. Both rock a Magnum DX6225 media chip, enabling on-the-fly transcoding of content into a variety of formats, including the hallmark feature of these devices: streaming straight to the iPhone over WiFi. It's not exactly clear how this will work as Marusys itself doesn't explain this functionality on its site, but Magnum certainly talks it up in the press release after the break. No word on price and availability of either, or when we might get more info on how this whole thing fits together, but you can be sure you'll know as soon as we do.
Crapgadget CES, round 6: Goscam China's Body-worn DV for Police
If you can't get funding for Taser International's Axon head-mounted video recorder, why not try your luck with Goscam?
TiVo's Jim Denney responds to Engadget!
We can't say we were expecting any sort of response to our state-of-TiVo piece yesterday, but we just got a note from VP of Product Marketing Jim Denney. It's not long, but he says that TiVo takes comments like ours "very seriously," and that TiVo's always looking to build on customer feedback. Sure, uh, we're glad to help, but we'll be even happier to write about a new TiVo that actually changes the game -- let us know, won't you? Full letter after the break.
Ten years of TiVo: how far we haven't come
We'll be totally honest here: we love TiVo. TiVo DVRs of every vintage are scattered throughout the Engadget editorial ranks, and Series3 units are our preferred hardware for HD Netflix streaming and Amazon's nascent HD Video on Demand service. And, well, using a TiVo is just fun in a way that no other DVR ever is -- those booping noises still provoke smiles all around.But here's the thing: it's been ten years since TiVo first introduced the Philips-built HDR110 at NAB, and while the company's name has since become synonymous with time-shifted digital video recording, it's not because its products have achieved runaway success. In fact, it's the exact opposite: most consumers choose to get by with awful cable- or satellite-company DVRs, and TiVo's only just barely pulled a full year of profitability, two factors that have kept it firmly on deathwatch since 2005. Not only that, but while TiVo might have pushed the DVR into the mainstream, it hasn't meaningfully innovated since -- apart from HD output and the aforementioned streaming services, you'd be hard-pressed to tell a brand-new TiVo HD from an original unit by using it for five minutes. Worse, the entire DVR category's essentially remained stagnant as well -- one study found that the average DVR-enabled family records just 15-20 percent of the TV they watch, a startlingly low number by any measure.So look -- it's not working, guys. We're happy that Comcast is now offering the TiVo interface in certain markets as a paid option, and we'll be pleased as punch when those long-promised new DirecTiVo units ship out, but the simple fact of the matter is TiVo can't continue to rely on the same strategies and ideas that haven't worked for the past ten years. What TiVo needs is a new plan -- and we've got five simple ideas that might help kickstart the company and the DVR market for the next ten years. Read on for more.
Toshiba annnounces new VARDIA HDD/DVD recorders
Toshiba's introduced a pair of new VARDIA digital video recorders for the Japanese market today, the RD-E300 and RD-W300. Each box packs a fairly substantial 300GB hard drive, DVD burner, digital TV tuner, and HDMI output, with the RD-W300 throwing some VHS action into the mix -- cause nothing shows your rebellious side better than digital content stored on an analog medium. Toshiba's also seen fit to include not one but two remotes with each unit (a full-featured one and a simplified one), no doubt a well-intentioned move on Toshiba's part, but one that's also likely to cause a few bouts of dueling remotes. No word on pricing for either of 'em, but it looks like they should both be available in November.[Via Akihabara News]
Pioneer intros 4 HDD/DVD recorders for Japan
Pioneer has introduced a bundle of new HD-based digital video recorders for the Japanese market, all packing either 250GB or 400GB drives, and two of which come equipped with the unsettling combination of DVD burners and VHS recorders -- with HDMI output to boot. We doubt that your collection of Max Headroom tapes will look any better when pumped though a spiffy HDMI cable, but at least you'll have the convience of transferring 'em to a DVD at the push of a button. All four recorders are also compatible with Pioneer's HDD-S400 external hard drive, which'll give ya an extra 400GB of storage. Sadly, though, pricing and availability have yet to be announced for any of them.[Via Akihabara News]
Time Warner won't provide CableCARDs for Series 3 TiVos?
Remember how TiVo recently sent that letter to the FCC and cable operators telling them to be prepared for the Series 3 rollout, partly because of reports that some providers were refusing to hook up beta testers with the necessary CableCARDS? Well now it looks like the company's concerns may be completely legitimate, as a complaint on the website ConsumerFury contends that Time Warner Cable's Raleigh division responded to a recent customer inquiry on the matter by stating that "Time Warner Cable of Raleigh does not provide support for or allow TiVo devices on our cable network...CableCARDS will only be installed on cable-ready, CableCARD-slot-available television sets." Pretty harsh, especially considering the fact that Time Warner's policy may not even be legal: federal regulations concerning CableCARDS seem to indicate that providers must support them for any unidirectional TV, set-top-box, or recording device connected to a digital cable system. We certainly understand that cable companies see TiVo as a direct competitor to their own DVR offerings, but we're not sure that alienating customers with such a hard-line stance is the best move; after all, isn't a customer who brings his/her own DVR to the table better than no customer at all?[Via TiVoBlog]
DirecTV delays its HD DVR (again) until the fall
We can't blame DirecTV subscribers for getting a little antsy over the company's HD DVR that has yet to materialize -- after all, it was originally scheduled to drop early this year -- so the fact that this highly-anticipated product has once again been delayed until the fall will probably cause some very understandable frustration. The satellite TV provider recently sent wait-listed customers a letter explaining that the box is undergoing additional testing to ensure smooth operation (yeah, we've heard that line before), and that it's now set to ship in "the September/October time frame." One skeptical analyst over at Sanford C. Bernstein, however, feels that the delay is actually due to inventory shortages, and that DirecTV is only putting off the inevitable cost it will incur from a new product deployment. Bernstein's Craig Moffett went on to speculate that the company's procrastination may actually cause some subscribers to flee to (future partner?) Dish or cable, but his analysis doesn't seem to take into account the somewhat-crippled and limited HD TiVo already available to DirecTV's customers. Still, these habitual delays are certainly doing nothing to bring new subscribers into the fold, so we humbly suggest that DirecTV give their testers a few cases of Red Bull and some serious overtime to get this thing out the door as quickly as possible.[Via HDBeat]
The Clicker: TiVo and Echostar, the battle begins
Every week Stephen Speicher contributes The Clicker, an opinion column on entertainment and technology:The zephyr that oft times blows lightly over the plains of Texas carries with it these days a passenger. On that wind rides the subtle smell of desperation. Taking flight in the Federal District Court of the east-Texas town, Marshall, and emanating from TiVo, co-creator of the Digital Video Recorder market, is that unmistakable scent of fear, of panic, that comes when a company has reached the point in its lifecycle where the "Patent Infringement" lawsuit seems like the only way to save the company.As you read this, a five-man and five-woman jury is digesting testimony and preparing to deliver a verdict that could either deal another, perhaps deadly, blow to the floundering company, or on the flip-side could give the company a much-needed cash infusion.Not in dispute is the fact that TiVo is and has been, from its birth in that downtown San Jose mid-rise, a money-loser. While TiVo has managed to gain mindshare, secure a place in the English lexicon, and to help revolutionize how people watch TV, what TiVo hasn't done is make money. In fact, over the course of its 9-year existence, TiVo has lost well over half of a billion dollars.Jury members will instead be asked to determine the cause of this loss. Is it, as TiVo contends, in part due to Echostar's patent infringement, or is it, as Echostar argues, due to TiVo's mismanagement?
