Series4
Latest
Samsung serves up Series 2, Series 4, and Series 6 laptops for serious, professional types
Okay, so Samsung's newest business laptops may not be as slim or light as their Series 9 brother, but they actually don't look half bad. First up is the Series 2, and as you may expect, the 12.5- and 14-inch systems are the most budget ones of the bunch. We don't have a price on the duo, but the smaller version packs an Intel Celeron processor while the 14-incher kicks it up to a Sandy Bridge Core i3 CPU. Sadly, we don't have details on the exact configurations either, but they will be available with up to 4GB of RAM and 320GB hard drives. Jumping on up, the Series 4 keeps the same 12.5- and 14-inch chassis options, but provides new Sandy Bridge Core i3, i5, and i7 processor options as well as 7,200RPM hard drives and six-cell batteries. Last but not least is the Series 6, which tops off the chain with some higher-end specs. Unlike the other two lines, the 6 comes with 14- and 15.6-inch SuperBright 300-nit displays -- there's also a 1600 x 900 resolution option on these, while the others keep it at the standard 1366 x 768. The Series 6 is also available with your choice of Core 2011 processors (i3, i5, and i7 all available) and finally jacks up the graphics power with an NVIDIA NVS 4200M GPU. All three systems are said to be made of "super-hard external casing," have metal hinges, and pack 1.3 megapixel webcams. We don't have any pricing details, but the 2 and 4 will be available in April and the Series 6 in May. Check out the pictures below or sneak past the break for more details. %Gallery-119161% %Gallery-119176%
TiVo Premiere spotted in Best Buy with March 28th retail date
If the miniature box doesn't give it away then the word "Premiere" certainly does. That's the first in the wild shot of TiVo's inaugural Series 4 shifter riding the shelves of Best Buy. We're told that the units are definitely in-house but are being withheld from shelves until March 28th (not the 27th as originally rumored but ahead of the official "early April" date) with a list price of $2,000 to prevent enthusiastic clerks from breaking the street date. So don't go in demanding a $149.99 take home price (MSRP is $299) this morning just 'cause you saw it on Engadget, ok? [Thanks, DS]
Engadget HD Podcast 181 - TiVo Premiere
A new TiVo isn't something that happens everyday -- in fact the last time was almost three years ago -- and because so many love and hate their TiVo at the exact same time, these same people get very passionate about the changes they expect. This is a task we weren't willing to take on our own, so we invited Engadget Classic Editors Nilay and Paul (one is a die hard TiVo user and the other actually went to the event) and just for a little outside perspective, we also had TiVo expert Dave Zatz. Who's been following the company as long as anyone we know. We went a little long and deviated off topic into the land of Media Center a few times, but overall there is some podcast gold in here -- if we can say so ourselves.Get the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).[RSS - AAC] Enhanced feed, subscribe to this with iTunes.[RSS - MP3] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator[Zune]Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace[MP3] Download the show (MP3).Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh, Richard LawlerGuests: Nilay Patel, Paul Miller and Dave ZatzProducer: Trent WolbeProgram00:02:05 - TiVo Premiere and Premiere XL usher in a brand new interface, optional QWERTY remote00:23:15 - TiVo Premiere hands-on (update: video!) 00:47:00 - Oops: TiVo Premiere won't have Comcast On Demand01:33:10 - Poll: So what's your reaction to the TiVo Premiere? LISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)
TiVo Premiere and Premiere XL usher in a brand new interface, optional QWERTY remote
Over three years after the original Series3 launched, TiVo's back with Series4 -- say hello to the new TiVo Premiere and Premiere XL, which will arrive in early April. The new slimmer hardware is nice, but the big news is the totally revamped HD interface built on Flash -- yes, Flash -- with all kinds of new options for discovering content from recorded, on-air, and internet sources. The new UI is only for the Series4, and TiVo's pitching the Premiere line as a single-box solution for getting content on your TV, so although there's long been support for services like Netflix and Amazon Video on Demand, it's now being pushed to the front -- content will show up in searches and be exposed on the main screen. There are also new partnerships with Pandora and FrameChannel, both of which will also come to Series3 boxes. And yes: there's finally a capacity meter. We could kiss the ground. Both models will do up to 1080p output and have single multistream CableCARD slots and eSATA jacks for storage expansion; the $299 Premiere will do 45 hours of HD recording on the 320GB internal drive, while the $499 XL will do 150 on 1TB and adds in THX certification. The bad news? There's still no support for tru2way, so you still won't have access to your cable company's video on demand service -- although one of the screenshots has a Comcast logo on it, so we're intrigued. There's also a new optional Bluetooth slider QWERTY remote, which will ship later this year for an undisclosed price -- we played with a hush-hush prototype at CES and we can say that it'll be a must-buy for Premiere owners. We're actually a little miffed that it's not packed in the box as the standard remote -- all that searching almost demands it. Same with the new Wireless N Adapter, which will be $90 and go on sale with the Premiere; it should at least be included with the Premiere XL. We're okay with the omission of the new optional phone line adapter, though, it'll be $30 and only sold online. Press release after the break, a full set of pics in the galleries, and PDF spec sheets at the read links. %Gallery-87041%
New UI, tweaked hardware in store for TiVo's March reveal?
We already know all of you have more than a few ideas about what TiVo should or will bring to the table March 2, but an anonymous tipster claiming knowledge of recent developments in the beta program let us know what may be coming. Although it began as simple bug fixes for the Series 3 now an all new user experience is on the way that the company expects to perfect the DVR. The UI is speedy again, rising to the level of the older Series 2 but with new high res, crisp widescreen elements designed to look great on your HDTV. Other fixes that should have the faithful drooling are a capacity meter for add-on drives and Tivo Desktop enhancements including "Sling-esque" features. Naturally, add-ons like Netflix, Amazon, Blockbuster and even Facebook lead the app charge with faster and easier program access. No real details on what's new on the hardware side, but that QWERTY remote seems to be a sure bet, we'll be counting down the next 19 days until we know for sure.
TiVo planning a new "Premiere" DVR?
A packaging mixup may have revealed the next DVR coming from TiVo. Unfortunately this doesn't appear to be the Series4 we were looking for, but the "TiVo Premiere" (or Premiere XL) instructions sent along with a new TiVo HD to self-described Chicagoland geek Patrick McCarron show a slimmed down box with one (multistream only) CableCARD slot instead two and no S-video or phone jack. The prevailing speculation is this is a lower cost revision of the existing Series3 hardware that could be on shelves very soon, but we're still hoping for updated internals and UI to make TiVo fresh for the next decade. The full instructions are scanned and posted over at Infinite Shamrock, for confirmation and any real details on what's next we'll probably be waiting until next week in Las Vegas.
Is TiVo planning a Flash upgrade?
Put this on our watchlist for the 2010 CES (or earlier, we're not picky) TiVoBlog.com recently pointed out a twitter indicating TiVo is looking for a Flash expert to work on embedded applications -- like the ones that could bring Adobe's widgets to its DVR hardware. Assuming the Series4 (or whatever it ends up being called) uses processors from Broadcom or Sigma, Flash platform support should come included, let's just hope this is a part of an overall UI refresh and not a resource hogging add-on slapped over the same old SD interface.
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.
TiVo survey hints at new name, direction for Series4 boxes
We don't know exactly what the next generation of TiVo hardware will be like, but if these survey screenshots are to be believed, we have an idea what they might be called. EHD reader Justin tipped us off to a recent online survey road testing new names like TiVo eVO, TiVO OmniBox, TiVo Series4 and TiVo OnDemand for new hardware with the TiVo features we've come to know and love plus video on-demand access. Squaring off against competition like the Roku player and Xbox 360, peep the gallery and see how these roll off the tongue, or suggest innovation and environmental friendliness.
TiVo still working on a DVR with two-way features like VOD
Hi-def and DVRs go together like peanut butter and jelly, but even with all the great DVRs available today, none are perfect. TiVo offers the best overall user experience and features, but lacks a few fundamental features that most cable STBs have -- like VOD, for starters. Although this isn't TiVo's fault, when it comes down to figuring out what's right for your family, it really doesn't matter. During Tivo's earnings call yesterday, it was reaffirmed that TiVo is working one step closer to making the ultimate cable DVR by including two-way functionality using the latest CableLabs standard tru2way. For those who haven't been keeping track at home, tru2way has undergone an identity crisis, and if you go back long enough, you'll find that it was called CableCARD 2.0 -- by someone. The way this would work is that you'd have a way on a TiVo to access the cable company's UI, so good or bad, when you're accessing VOD content, you'd see the same thing as if you were using a Moto or SA Cisco box. What isn't known is if current HD TiVo owners, with the help of a tuning resolver and some software, would have access to the same features. We don't see why not, but this stuff is already way more complicated than it should be, and at this point we wouldn't put anything by CableLabs.
