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Roku rounds out its media arsenal with new Spotify and Vevo channels
Roku's music cred increased twofold today. First up was news that a Vevo channel is coming to the set-top box, bringing video and music streaming along with its recommendations service. Users will be able to sync their Vevo accounts to access saved videos and playlists. The (extra-sweet) cherry on top: Spotify will be coming to Roku 2 players as well as the Roku Streaming Stick for users in the US, UK and Ireland, with support for the Roku LT and the new Roku HD coming in early 2013. Not enough new goodies for you? Roku's Android and iOS apps just received some minor yet nifty updates, including new controls (such as shuffle and repeat) for music in the Play on Roku feature.
EchoStar HDX-410 set-top box runs native ICS, supports terrestrial broadcasts (hands-on video)
You may be familiar with EchoStar's satellite-based (Dish Network) and Sling Media (Slingbox) products, but the company also manufactures set-top boxes for third-party providers, as well as free-to-air services in the UK. It's this last grouping that'll be able to take advantage of the Android-based device we saw today, assuming it does in fact make its way to market. The HDX-410 runs native Ice Cream Sandwich, and is available in two versions -- one supports IP content and local storage exclusively, while a second can also accept terrestrial Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) programming, letting you play back live TV shows in addition to content from a local server, pulled from the web or stored on attached media or an inserted microSD card. It connects to the web using Ethernet or WiFi, and includes USB ports on both the front and the rear, Bluetooth, HDMI out, digital audio out and a standard-definition connection. It's also paired with a QWERTY keyboard-equipped remote manufactured by Philips with gyroscopic or directional-pad curser control, along with pinch/zoom gesture capability. We had a chance to check out the ICS box at EchoStar's IBC booth today, where the device was running Android 4.0.4 and an early version of the company's hybrid app, which groups "favorited" content alongside terrestrial channels, letting you use the standard channel up/down button to navigate through stored TV shows, IP content or live programming quite seamlessly, as if all of the media was playing from the same source. It's clearly not yet ready for primetime, but the interface was sleek and speedy -- the set-top box performed very well overall. EchoStar reps were unable to confirm whether or not the HDX-410 would be coming to market at all, but they did add that the solution may be made available to third-parties in the future. Click past the break to take a closer look in our hands-on video.%Gallery-164692%
Hisense Pulse with Google TV set-top box hands-on (video)
Hisense announced its low-cost set-top box, the Pulse with Google TV, a few days ago, and though pricing remains vague at "less than $100," we got a chance to see the device in action at IFA today. The Android-based Pulse supports content in 1080p, and includes HDMI, USB and Ethernet connections, along with WiFi, and the double-sided remote communicates with the square-shaped box via Bluetooth 4.0. Being a Google-branded product, it also gives users access to compatible apps from Google Play. The remote includes dedicated buttons for YouTube, Netflix, the web and Live TV, and there's a small touchpad in addition to the standard remote-control keys. It's quite difficult to navigate with this hardware: the touchpad is too small, and it doesn't support scrolling, which makes it incredibly inconvenient for viewing web pages. On the flip side of the remote, there's a full QWERTY keyboard. A booth rep told us the Pulse will drop in September, though that contradicts information from this week's press release. In any case, you can take a closer look in our video hands-on after the break. %Gallery-163976%
Diamond Multimedia outs AMP1000 Android set-top box: Gingerbread-based, 1080p, sells for $120 (update: ICS coming this week)
Diamond Multimedia's more commonly known around the web for selling Mac and PC capture cards (among other things), but as of today, the company's officially entering the set-top box game with its AMP1000. The media player itself is running a not-so-new flavor of Android -- Gingerbread, to be exact -- which will be used to bring a slew of familiar entertainment tidbits to the bigger screen, such as a media player capable of 1080p playback, an evolved internet browser and an oversized photo viewer, as well as other content like games, ebooks and magazines -- all of which can be downloaded from Google's Play repertoire. Although Diamond Multimedia's formally pricing the AMP1000 at $120, there's a Facebook-only offer that knocks the price down to a mere $100. Now, will it be enough to compete with, say, Vizio's $99 Google TV box? We'll let you be the judge of that. Update: Well, in case you weren't fond of the AMP1000's Gingerbread innards, Diamond Multimedia's got something in the works to solve that problem. A company rep has contacted us to let us know Ice Cream Sandwich will be coming to early adopters "later this week," as well as noting that all future units will come with the creamy OS already onboard.
Netgear's NeoTV Pro adds WiDi, makes any TV smart
Netgear is supercharging the Roku-troubling NeoTV 200 that arrived late last year. The NeoTV Pro adds Intel's WiDi tech to the tiny box, enabling you to wirelessly span your laptop's display onto the biggest screen in your house. It'll come with the same Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu, YouTube and Pandora offerings you know and love, controllable with the stock remote or your smartphone. The hardware remains otherwise unchanged, packing the same 300Mbps WiFi, Ethernet, optical out and HDMI -- specs that are doubtless powerful enough for you to catch all of those glorious episodes of The Engadget Show again and again.
Google reportedly considering sell-off of Motorola's set-top box business
This one is still far from a sure thing and would represent something of an about-face from earlier statements made by CEO Larry Page, but The New York Post is reporting today that Google may be looking to sell-off Motorola Mobility's set-top box division as its $12.5 billion acquisition of the company nears a close. Specifically, the Post reports that Google has brought on Qatalyst Partners and Barclays Capital to help shop the business around, and the paper's sources say that Google is "highly likely" to sell-off the division, at least partly because cable operators have "shunned" buying Motorola set-top boxes ahead of the acquisition. Details get decidedly murkier beyond that, with one source only going so far as to ballpark a possible sale price at anywhere from $2.5 to $4 billion. For its part, Google said only that it doesn't "comment on rumor or speculation."
AT&T U-verse set-tops go wireless, free you to herniate yourself moving your HDTV around
Chances are, you put your TV in the most convenient spot based on where the requisite cables are feeding into your abode. And putting a set in a new room usually means someone is breaking out a drill. Well, starting October 31st, AT&T U-verse customers will no longer be constrained by wires! (Besides HDMI and power cords, that is.) The company's new wireless receiver pairs with your AT&T-issued residential gateway and pulls in broadcasts over WiFi. What the provider claims is the first consumer wireless receiver of its type should simplify installation and free customers from the worry of running coax around their homes. You could even drag your big screen out to the patio and try to enjoy the "big game" under the glare of the sun. Just don't make lugging your 42-incher around a habit -- hernias aren't covered by the warranty. The receivers will be available to order on Monday for a one-time fee of $49 and a $7-a-month rental fee there after. Check out the (bizarre) demo video and PR after the break.
Spotify partners with Virgin Media to stream music to UK TVs, smartphones
Spotify, the Rhapsody of Europe, may still be an unfamiliar brand stateside, but the service just inked a deal with Virgin Media to bring streaming music to Virgin's broadband customers, set-top boxes, and mobile phones in the UK. The deal will bundle Unlimited (£4.99) or Premium (£9.99) monthly Spotify tiers, at to-be-determined discounted rates, allowing new and existing subscribers to access millions of tracks from any of their compatible home and mobile devices. Open (free) Spotify customers will reportedly need to upgrade to a paid version, but only to access the service on Virgin's set-top boxes, we presume -- don't expect to see a blanket ban on all devices. Until pricing is announced, the partnership appears to be more of a win for Spotify than for customers, who will still need to pay up before rockin' out, but set-top integration is likely to be a boon with digital TV subscribers, letting them bring those infamous Euro house music raves to an actual house.
Apple TV 4.2.1 update puts kibosh on flickering screens
If you've been using an HDMI to DVI adapter to hook up your Apple TV, there's a chance you've been dealing with some annoying flickering on the boob tube since downloading the latest update to the device. Well, the end to your flashing screen woes is here: Apple's just let loose a followup that promises to fix the flickering. Update 4.2.1 also addresses audio issues and a glitch that puts the thing in a permanent slumber when it goes to sleep. So there you have it -- now you won't have to miss even a split second of your favorite episode of That's So Raven, even though we all know you have it committed to memory. Follow the source link to get your fix.
Gateway Media Console with CableCARD and Windows Embedded Standard 7 hands-on
Microsoft's working hard to get people believing in its Windows Embedded Standard platform as a real set-top box contender and one of its vanguard devices is the above Gateway Media Console. It's still a concept product in the Acer / Gateway labs, but what it promises to deliver makes us wish it hurries up and makes the leap to retail nice and quickly. Based around a Sandy Bridge Intel CPU, this machine runs Windows Media Center and gives you access to all the internet-connected content that you can enjoy on your Windows 7-equipped PC, but it also boasts a InfiniTV 6 CableCARD tuner that permits up to six HD broadcast TV streams at a time. Those can then be networked out throughout your house -- whether over a wireless or wired connection -- and then recorded on whatever laptops, desktops or other Windows devices you have lying around the house. The end result is that the kids can be recording a pair of channels upstairs in their bedroom while you watch the football game in the living room and your mother-in-law enjoys whatever she's into down in the basement -- all coming in from the same, single coax cable plugged into the Media Console. There's a hidden optical drive as well and Microsoft tells us this thing could range between $500 and $700 when it does eventually make its way out for sale. %Gallery-113077%
Boxee Box ditches NVIDIA's Tegra 2 for Intel CE4100, pre-orders start today at $199
The wait for the Boxee Box is nearly over -- pre-orders begin today -- but before you drop a stack of change on D-Link's half-sunk cube, know that there's no longer an NVIDIA Tegra 2 under that tiny hood. At the last minute, Boxee switched to the Intel Atom CE4100, the same up-to-1.2GHz Sodaville chip powering Google TV. That's not all, as manufacturer D-Link told us our good friend Avner Ronen may not be able to keep his promise -- though the company still expects the Box to hit the streets at under $200, we're now looking at a $229 suggested retail price. What could possibly have happened to make these drastic changes? We visited Boxee in person to get an explanation, and you'll find the surprisingly simple (yet NVIDIA-damning) answer right after the break. Update: We just learned that Amazon will be selling it for $199, though the MSRP will remain $229. %Gallery-101976%
Amino launches Freedom over-the-top video set-top box, challenges Google TV to arm wrestle
If the AppleTV announcement didn't satiate your need for a Google TV set-top box battle royal, then new details about Amino's Freedom box might do the trick. Yes it still packs the same hardware announced back in 2009 such as an Intel CE4100m Atom Processor, 500 GB of internal storage, SD card support, Bluetooth, WiFi 802.11n and 1 GB of RAM. We've now discovered however that it'll also run its own Amino branded version of Nokia's MeeGo OS, adding apps and gaming support to its list of capabilities that already included 1080p playback, VOD streaming, and DVR recording. In other words there's going to be a new Google TV competitor on the block sometime before the end of this year looking for a fight. Whether it'll provide a Lincoln Hawk-worthy performance though is something we'll let the bookies squabble over until we can go hands on with both. [Thanks, Hary]
Steve Jobs on TV: 'no one wants to buy a box'
Well isn't that a breath of fresh air. With no apologies given to its long-standing hobby, Apple CEO Steve Jobs provided a pretty honest and thorough assessment of what's wrong with the TV set-top box market. "No one wants to buy a box -- ask TiVo, ask Roku, ask us... ask Google in a few months" (in the spirit of competition, of course). In Jobs' opinion, "the only way that's going to change is if you tear up the [box], give it a new UI, and get it in front of consumers in a way they're going to want it." Frankly, we're pretty happy how quickly and succinctly he was able to respond in a Q &A session, seems like he's been mulling it over -- and given what we heard about Apple TV's future plans, we're not surprised. All the pertinent quotes, care of our liveblog, after the break.
Switched On: A keyboard PC seeks to Eee-peat success
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The original Asus Eee PC took on the challenging North American market for a small notebook PC and was so successful that it created a new wave of product that's turned the PC business upside down. And although Asus has since released over a dozen permutations of its original Eee PC notebook as well as several desktop models both with and without integrated monitors, its next big test will be a keyboard. A top-slice reincarnation of the pioneering Commodore 64, the Eee Keyboard has a full complement of ports and can run Windows, but its two standout features are a 5" LCD that replaces the numeric keyboard and wireless high-definition output to a television. Much like the original Eee PC, it is unlikely that the Eee Keyboard would be anyone's primary PC. In fact, Asus's keyboard-footprint computer will have to overcome a number the same problems PCs and other information products like WebTV have had in the living room. But Asus may be hitting the market at a critical inflection point -- for a few reasons.
Has Building B created an internet video "God box"?
Without getting overly dramatic, word on the street is that Building B, a new-fangled startup based in Belmont, California, has developed an internet video "God box" which will allow OTA streams of traditional cable, internet video, and on-demand content without the need for a PC (i.e., directly to your 70-inch plasma television). Obviously, as the wave of internet TV steadily increases, dozens of companies are scrambling to unify the set-top, and streamline the end-user's ability to get all their content in one place -- not to mention suck up some totally righteous dough. Although Building B claims their technology will bring a heretofore unseen convergence to people's living rooms, the boys in charge have been rather tight-lipped in regards to the "forthcoming" magic unit, or services and fees that would be associated with said device. Hopefully we'll soon know what the "God box" can or can't do with your television, what kind of "plague" capabilities it will include, and if it will be compatible with Atheism.
New Slingbox supports Mac OS X, Symbian - but where's the software?
It's time to check in again on the Slingbox's journey to Mac OS X, as Dave Zatz pinged us with some more details and a purty picture he took off one of the new Slingbox AV models at Best Buy. Turns out there are going to be three new models - Tuner, AV and Pro. Tuner ($150) goes the bare bones route for regular cable or antenna, AV ($180)can interact with a set top box, and Pro ($250) is the One to Rule Them All™ with support for multiple feeds and that hot new 'HD' thing the internets keep talking about. The interesting thing, as you can see, is that these new models list support for Mac OS X (as well as Symbian) right on the box, but as we learned a couple weeks ago, the company is still in the middle of a private beta of their SlingPlayer software for the Mac - nothing is public yet. So for now, it sounds like they're cranking out these boxes without actually having any way for John Doe Mac user to work with them, though after an update over on Dave Zatz's original story, we might have a public beta of the software very soon.If any of you rush out to grab one of these, feel free to let us know if there are some wires mixed here and Mac OS X software actually is shipping in the box.
EasyBox : New set-top box to pimp your Swiss chalet
The Swiss have an easy life, don't they? Watches, chocolate, skiing -- what else could you want? Surely an EasyBox, this new set-top box straight outta Zürich, would spice up your lonely winter evenings sitting by the fireplace in the living room of your Alpine châlet, no? This hot little number is packed tightly into a 4.5-inch square box that's two inches smaller than a Mac mini -- so small in fact, that it's "extrem kompakt." It also has two easy-access USB ports in the front, which is nice, but surely the Swiss engineers could do better than the paltry one CF reader in the front. It's also frontin' an ultra Euro ghetto fabulous 200 MHz processor, and 128MB of RAM. All in all, the EasyBox seems like a good idea, but might pinch your Swiss bank account a bit at 484 Swiss Francs ($394). For that price you could nearly buy a Mac mini anyway.[Thanks, radraf]
