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DirecTV Now's revamped apps open up access to cloud DVR
AT&T is acting on its promise to roll out next-gen DirecTV Now service in the spring. The telecom giant is launching a revamped experience that not only includes new apps, but an updated beta of its cloud DVR service that's available to everyone. All subscribers get 20 hours of recordings that last for up to 30 days. If you need more, an extra $10 per month gives you 100 hours of video that lasts for up to 90 days.
Sling TV expands Cloud DVR to Chromecast, Xbox One and smart TVs
Sling is expanding its Cloud DVR service to more devices. Now, you can use the DVR with the Chrome browser, Chromecast, Xbox One, LG Smart TVs and 2016 and 2017 models of Samsung Smart TVs. The company has been rolling out the service to more devices since last year. With the $5 per month service, you can record up to 50 hours of TV shows and movies, record multiple programs at once and protect certain recordings from being deleted. There are some limitations to the service. You can't, for example, record live content on Disney and ESPN channels -- you can see the list of channels that can't be recorded here.
Sling TV extends cloud DVR to iOS devices
Sling TV's cloud DVR service is now available for iPhone and iPad. The streaming service's DVR "First Look" option costs an additional $5 per month and gives you 50 hours of DVR storage. The iOS devices now join the growing list of DVR-supported systems, which includes AirTV players, Amazon Fire TVs and tablets, Android TVs and mobile devices, Apple TVs, Roku™ streaming players and TVs, Xbox consoles and Windows 10 devices.
Sling TV's Cloud DVR records your guilty pleasures on Apple TV
Two weeks after Sling TV rolled out its Cloud DVR feature to Android and Roku users, the streaming service is now doing the same for people who own an Apple TV. "First Look," which was introduced last November, lets Sling TV subscribers get 50 hours of DVR storage by paying an extra $5 per month. Any recorded TV shows or movies can be watched across different devices, regardless of platform, and they never expire from an active account. It's great for those of you who decided to cut the cord completely, since features like this have traditionally required a pay-TV subscription or some sort of third-party hardware.
Even tiny wireless carriers want their own internet TV service
Wireless providers with a live TV service aren't hard to find these days. AT&T offers its customers DirecTV Now and Verizon has its own Go90 service to entice new customers. Mississippi-based C Spire is the latest to offer an app-based HD TV service, C Spire TV.
Sling TV's $5 Cloud DVR arrives on Android and Roku
Sling TV's Cloud DVR feature is slowly becoming available for more subscribers. Now folks who use Android and Roku devices to stream live TV can pay $5 extra a month to store 50 hours of video on Sling's servers for anywhere/anytime viewing -- half as many hours that beta testers had access to in November. Of course, the Cloud DVR tools (like rewinding and skipping commercials) aren't available across every channel, which puts a damper on having them in the first place. And it even calls the entire feature's name into question, to be honest.
YouTube's live TV service is here
Google announced YouTube TV at the end of February, and now the live TV streaming service is ready to launch. It's available today on your phone and computer in five markets: New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia. If you hadn't heard yet, the $35 monthly service offers live streams from all four major broadcast networks (CBS, Fox, NBC and ABC) and a host of other networks like ESPN, FX, the CW and many others. All told, YouTube TV is launching with 39 stations, but 10 more (including AMC, IFC and BBC America) will arrive soon.
TiVo appears to be testing cloud DVR recording
While a few companies have tried on network/cloud DVR features, TiVo has always been associated with storage that's sitting right in your living room. Previous leaks pointed to a new TiVo box, codenamed Mantis, that might do network recording of OTA channels, but now Dave Zatz posted this picture, showing that there may be similar features in the works for the existing Bolt DVR.
Sling TV debuts cloud DVR to combat PlayStation Vue
While Dish's Sling TV impressed us as a streaming television alternative for cord cutters (and it's gotten even better over time), rival service PlayStation Vue has had one major advantage from the start: cloud DVR. But that won't last for long. Sling TV announced today that it'll begin beta testing its own cloud DVR service next month with Roku users. And, notably, it won't have a 28-day limit on your recordings like PS Vue.
UK's first cloud DVR lets you watch recordings anywhere
To be blunt, Bush isn't a brand known for particularly innovative products. But, come the end of the month, it's the name you'll see on the first cloud DVR to launch in the UK. Bush's Digital TV Recorder is an affordable set-top box -- arriving exclusively at Argos on August 30th for £100 -- that lets you watch and record Freeview channels. What's special about it, though, is the integration of ShowDrive, a service that takes those recordings and uploads them to the cloud so you can watch them wherever you want, and on basically any device.
Startup promises a legal alternative to Aereo's TV streaming
TiVo may have dreams of becoming the next Aereo and giving you access to over-the-air TV in the cloud, but one startup isn't willing to wait that long. FreeAir.tv is crowdfunding CloudAntenna, an attempt at recreating Aereo's TV streaming model (it even copied the signature "A" logo) without angering broadcasters. As before, you're streaming free-to-air TV shows that you can save to the cloud for later -- the big difference is that you're buying an antenna box that sits at home, rather than access to a company-owned, legally dodgy antenna like Aereo's. You can even pay for a World TV package that gives you 600-plus international stations, in case local programming just isn't enough.
Comcast's cloud DVR starts serving up recordings you can watch anywhere
In the midst of attempting to gobble up its largest counterpart, battle Netflix on net neutrality and face down customer service scandals, Comcast is still slowly extending its new TV platform. The latest addition to its X1 setup is enhancing the cloud DVR feature that CEO Brian Roberts showed off at the beginning of the year. While the 500GB cloud DVR and in-home streaming are already a part of the system in several areas, in the Bay Area and Houston viewers can stream or download recordings to their mobile devices (iOS or Android, PCs can only stream) starting today. Inside the house, the X1 app fulfills Roberts promise of turning any mobile device into a television, with access to live TV streaming, recordings and video on-demand.
Aereo 'pauses' streaming TV service in wake of Supreme Court loss
That didn't take long. Now that the US Supreme Court has ruled that Aereo's antenna-to-cloud TV service is violating copyright, the company is telling customers that it will "pause" service as of 11:30AM Eastern; after that, it's lights-out for both live and recorded streaming. As compensation, Aereo is refunding subscribers' last paid month of service. The startup is adamant that the shutdown is temporary, and is talking to the lower court that previously ruled in its favor (and which has to deal with Aereo's case again) about the "next steps."
Simple.TV's second-gen DVR streams to mobile apps, ships December 12th for $249 (hands-on)
Simple.TV gave us a peek at its second-generation streaming DVR back in September, and today it's committing to a US launch. The dual-tuner set-top should arrive stateside on December 12th, when it will sell for $250 in a basic kit with both recording and live streaming to local devices. Matching new software, also available for the first-gen device, delivers TV to native Android and iOS apps alongside previous support for browsers and Roku players. Avid viewers can spring for a premium service that offers remote viewing, automatic recording and downloading either as an after-the-fact subscription ($60 per year, $160 lifetime) or bundled with the hardware ($300 per year, $400 lifetime). We gave the media hub a spin at Expand here in New York -- read on for our impressions of the pre-release gear.
Boxee Cloud DVR to shut down following Samsung deal, goes dark July 10th
If you're like us, you were wondering what impact Samsung's acquisition of Boxee would have on Boxee's Cloud DVR service. Unfortunately, we don't have good news. Boxee is shutting down the service on July 10th, and customers will lose access to their TV recordings at the same time. We're not surprised by the move, but it effectively shuts the company down within the space of a week. When Boxee's apps, the Boxee Box and the Live TV add-on are either gone or on their way out, there aren't really products left to offer -- it's all Samsung from here.
