set-top box
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9410094100Apple TV 4K review (2022): Still the best streaming box by a long shot
The new Apple TV 4K is faster than ever, and it's far cheaper than before. That makes it the best overall streaming box.
The Apple TV 4K 32GB drops to $159 at Adorama
The Apple TV 4K 32GB model is now on sale for just $159 at Adorama, a savings of $20.
Broadcom lawsuit blames your Netflix habit for a drop in chip sales
Broadcom's success still depends in part on selling chips for cable set-top boxes, and it's apparently upset that TV viewers are headed elsewhere. The company has sued Netflix for allegedly violating eight patents covering data transfer and video playback, and that the streaming service is profiting from that claimed infringement by encouraging cord-cutting and hurting Broadcom's chip sales. In other words, it believes your Witcher marathon hurt its bottom line.
Netflix is dropping support for older Samsung smart TVs in December
If you have an older Samsung or Vizio smart TV, you may have noticed a message from Netflix pop up on your screen. This week, Netflix began notifying customers that it will no longer support Samsung smart TVs, circa 2010 and 2011, or Vizio smart TV more than four years old. It's also dropping support for first-generation Roku boxes. The changes go into effect December 2nd.
Latest NVIDIA Shield TV Pro leak shows a bigger, better remote
After multiple leaks, including two trips through the FCC, we've known for a while now that NVIDIA plans to update its venerable Shield TV Android set-top box. Thanks to an Amazon listing that was first spotted by Android TV Rumors and has since been pulled, we now also know the "Shield TV Pro" will add Dolby Vision HDR.
Xfinity internet-only customers now get the Flex streaming platform for free
As of today, Comcast will provide its internet-only customers with its streaming TV service Xfinity Flex at no additional cost. Xfinity Flex, which is essentially a streaming device and platform, launched in March and originally cost $5 per month. Now, Comcast is waiving the fee, and all internet-only customers will have access to the 10,000 free movies and TV shows that Xfinity Flex offers.
TiVo plans to split its product and licensing divisions
TiVo, one of the early makers of DVRs, has been on the hunt for potential buyers. The company announced it is splitting its product and intellectual property licensing divisions on Friday, perhaps in hopes of becoming more attractive to buyers. It hopes to complete the split by the first half of 2020.
Roku made a 4K streaming stick
Fresh off a successful IPO, Roku is keen to keep the momentum going. And what better way to do that than to launch a set of new devices, packed with a bunch of free (ad-supported) channels. The company tends to refresh its line-up in the fall, and this year is no exception. As rumored, there's a 4K streaming stick, but that's not all. Roku is also upgrading its budget line-up, slashing the price of its top-tier device (the Roku Ultra), and giving its Roku OS a fresh coat of paint.
UK police seize thousands of Android streamers modded for piracy
Set-top boxes help deliver streaming services like Netflix and Now TV into our homes, but they're also giving rise to less-than legal methods of watching films, TV shows and sport. As manufacturers have embraced the open nature of Android, enterprising users have found ways to install apps that facilitate piracy, which has become a business in its own right. This week, a number of police forces conducted raids on sellers of "pirate" Android streamers, confiscating thousands of units in the process.
Roku brings smarter search features to UK set-top boxes
Roku faces growing competition in the UK, but for now its streaming set-top boxes are still some of the best on the market. To help it fend off Apple, Amazon, Google and others, the company is introducing new software features and an upgraded Roku 2 player. The biggest addition is Roku Search, which lets you quickly see which streaming services have a particular movie or TV show in their library. Only Netflix, Snagfilms and Popcornflix support the feature at the moment, but Roku says it hopes to integrate more in the future. In addition, you can now search for actors and directors, as well as streaming services available in the Roku Channel Store. Finally, the new Roku Feed gives you updates about upcoming movies and when they'll be available to watch via on-demand services.
Sky confirms a 'next-generation' Now TV box is coming this year
With the rise in cord-cutters and streaming services such as Netflix, Sky knows it needs a cheaper alternative to its traditional TV bundles. At the moment its answer is Now TV, a standalone service that lets viewers pick and choose from three smaller packages: sport, movies and entertainment. Just over 18 months ago, Sky supplemented it with a dedicated set-top box -- and now it's planning a refresh. In an investor presentation, the broadcaster today revealed plans for a "next-generation" Now TV box coming later this year, which will feature a refreshed UI and a new marketing campaign. Notably, Sky has been an investor in set-top box maker Roku since 2012, and last December it launched a rebranded model called the Sky Online TV Box in Germany. It's quite possible that Sky is planning a similar move for the UK, which means we could see a much-needed leap to full HD.
Expect Sky and BT to launch new 4K boxes sooner rather than later
It's no secret that BT is after Sky's sports broadcasting crown -- it's already taken away Sky's access to Champions League coverage and will soon go toe-to-toe with its rival again to spend big on more live Premier League matches. While it isn't quite as dominant as its rival in terms of customers, Sky deems BT a credible enough threat that it will reportedly bring forward the launch of its new 4K set-top box to ensure it doesn't lose subscribers when those major European football broadcasts vanish. That's according to The Telegraph, which says the broadcaster will debut a new internet-connected 4K set-top box in the Spring. It's meant to be capable of sharing streams to smartphones and tablets, allowing access to recorded programmes while a user in on the move -- similar to EE's new TV hardware.
EE TV now available for free to mobile and broadband customers
EE is ready to take on the living room. The UK's largest mobile network is now offering its first TV set-top box, EE TV, for free to mobile customers with an EE Broadband plan (existing and new subscribers). The black box is currently only available in EE stores and supports over 70 Freeview channels, as well as video streaming services such as BBC iPlayer, YouTube and Wuaki.tv. Up to four different devices (including your TV) can use the service simultaneously, letting other family members with a smartphone or tablet watch whatever they like in another room.
Engadget giveaway: win an over-the-air HDTV package courtesy of Tablo!
Just because you cut the cable cord, doesn't mean you can't enjoy live TV. Devices like the Tablo DVR can help you snag free over-the-air (OTA) HD content, record it and watch it on any of your connected devices. The company has even provided us with two cord-cutting packages for two lucky Engadget readers this week. The prize includes a Tablo 2-Tuner DVR (record up to two shows at once), a 500GB external hard drive and an HDTV antenna to help get things rolling right out of the box. To watch this content on your TV, you'll need to connect to an existing Roku, Apple TV or Chromecast on your network, but up to six users can stream shows simultaneously to PCs and iOS or Android devices. All Tablo owners get a 30-day trial of its Guide Data subscription with advanced features and the out-of-home streaming service. All you need to do is head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning one of these OTA streaming solutions. Winners: congratulations to Justin A. of Katy, TX. Second winner TBC.
Google reveals $99 Nexus Player game console, controller
Google announced the upcoming release of the Nexus Player, a $99 set-top box and video game console compatible with thousands of Android apps. The hardware boasts a 1.8GHz Silvermont quad-core Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of storage space, and supports 1080p video streaming via services like Netflix and Hulu. Google will also launch a twin-stick controller peripheral priced separately at $39, putting it in direct competition with Amazon's Fire TV console. The Nexus Player launches on November 3, and pre-orders open on October 17. [Image: Google]
EE TV is a set-top box that streams video to your mobile devices
Already the UK's biggest mobile network, EE is looking to branch out. The company today announced EE TV, a new set-top box that will serve up over 70 Freeview channels, as well as various catch-up and on-demand services. The box itself has DVR capabilities, with a 1TB drive capable of storing roughly 600 hours of recorded TV or film. Up to four channels can be recorded at any one time, and as you'd expect, you can pause and rewind live TV. With EE being a mobile network and all, smaller screen devices are integral to the product. EE TV will pump content to up to four different screens including your TV, so tablets and smartphones connected to the same WiFi network can tune in to different channels, watch on-demand video streams, or view anything that's been recorded to the box.
Amazon's streaming device is reportedly a dongle with gaming support (update: April release?)
We've been hearing rumblings about Amazon's set top box plans for quite a while now, and according to the folks over at TechCrunch, that gadget more closely resembles Google's Chromecast. The possibility of a USB-style product should come as no surprise given the popularity of the aforementioned $35 option and Roku's recent release. In addition to the dongle form factor, the report also suggests that the device will feature support for streaming PC games in order to compete with the likes of Xbox, PlayStation and Steam for all types of living room content consumption. The gaming aspect is said to closely resemble a service like OnLive, which allows cloud-based streaming. Details are scare in terms of titles, but the library has been tipped to include "top-tier games" beamed from Amazon at 30fps. This reported union of the online retailer's set top and console plans comes just days after a controller broke from cover and weeks out from a report that gaming plans were alive and well. Update: The Wall Street Journal reports from its anonymous sources that the device could go on sale as early as next month. Besides the early April ship date, other possibilities include selling it through other retailers too, like Best Buy and Staples, and that it would pack in a simple remote with the advanced controller as a separate option.
Google buys Android controller manufacturer Green Throttle Games
While the developer closed near the end of 2013, Google confirmed that it just acquired the "parts and labor" as well as two co-founders of Green Throttle Games this week. PandoDaily reported that Green Throttle Games may be an asset for Google in the set-top TV box business. Green Throttle Games is the developer of the Atlas controller and Arena app for Android, which combine to turn any Android device into an HDTV-connected game console. One of the company's founders is Charles Huang, co-creator of the Guitar Hero franchise. There's no confirmation on whether Huang is among the Green Throttle Games employees that are joining Google, though he will retain the rights over the Green Throttle business. [Image: Green Throttle Games]
Rumors suggest Amazon's game console project is still alive
No matter how many times Amazon denies that it's developing a set-top box, the rumors continue to pop up once every six months or so. VG 24/7 is reporting that the company is still working on an Android games console that'll retail for "below $300." Based on gossip from game publishers, the latest indication is that Amazon's product team, Lab 126, has designed a grey oblong similar in size to the PSOne, designed to play both games and Instant Video / Lovefilm content to your HDTV. With rumors of a pay TV service and a future product that's "bigger than Kindle" currently swirling around, we can see how this looks plausible. That said, $300 seems an unlikely price for Amazon to target, when Apple TV and the Roku 3 are so much cheaper, and when other Android consoles are showing only lukewarm demand, so there's still plenty of room for skepticism.
Channel Master and Echostar working on new OTA DVR
Sometimes you just want to enjoy TV without making a commitment, and time-shifting broadcasts either means building your own HTPC or purchasing an OTA DVR -- like the now defunct Boxee. Back in 2011, Channel Master teamed up with Entone to fill that niche and a recent FCC filing shows the company (once again) partnering with Echostar to bring a new OTA DVR to the market. The set-top box -- called Channel Master K77 (not pictured) -- also provides over-the-top functionality and comes in two flavors: CM-7500GB16, which features 16GB of built-in flash (and relies on external USB storage for DVR support) and CM-7500GB320, which incorporates a 320GB hard drive. While it's unclear when the device will launch, it will be competing with a number of similar offerings from Simple.TV, Tivo (Series 5) and Aereo once it lands on store shelves.
