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Time Warner Cable starts rolling out new Navigator, more HD soon?
Remember when the Mystro Digital Navigator landed in New York / New Jersey, only to find that a plethora of HD channels were right behind? Hopefully, the trend will continue nationwide. We've received reports from the Dayton / Cincinnati, Ohio and Raleigh / Durham, North Carolina regions that TWC has indeed started to roll out the freshened-up Navigator. Granted, there's still some bugs in there to be worked out, but hopeful souls are looking at the change as one that'll precede a smattering of new high-def material. We can't say for certain that the new EPG signifies that more material is on the way, but do chime in below if your Navigator has suddenly morphed into one eerily similar to that shown above. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family] [Thanks, Dayton Guy]
Wii gets TV guide channel, Wiimote becomes universal in Japan
Wii's 'Terebi no Tomo' Channel has launched in Japan, free for download from the Shop Channel. Better understood as 'TV Friend' Channel, the service, which was announced last November, provides users with an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) that updates over the internet from Japan's G-Guide service. While it might be a giant step backward for TiVo and DVR users, the new channel may be useful for elder Wii owners still stuck with ancient SD analog programming. EPG browsers can search by genre and keyword -- in 3D! -- and then 'stamp' programs of interest. These picks can then be shared with in-house users and coded Wii friends, and are used by Nintendo to give programs aggregated popularity scores. The service will also send out an alert to an email address specified during setup, 30 minutes prior to a stamped program's start time.Additionally, while using the TV Friend Channel, the Wiimote will operate as a semi-functional universal remote, capable of changing channels, adjusting volume, and switching between the Wii and TV inputs. The 'hack' is accomplished with the sensor bar, which sends out an IR signal compatible with your display. The signal is bounced off a wall (or your head or whatever) and ideally lands on your TV's IR port. There's a faceless female voice that guides you through the IR calibration process via the Wiimote speaker (we knew it had a purpose!), just in case your screen goes dark ... and stays that way. Hey, it's free, remember? [Via Engadget Japanese; thanks to Ittousai for translating!]%Gallery-17530%
Nintendo launches TV Guide Channel in Japan, enables Wiimote to control TV
For Wii owners not located in Japan, get ready to weep. Why? Because users in the aforementioned nation now have access to an incredibly fascinating new channel and you, well, don't. Details on the TV Guide Channel are still a bit fuzzy (read: lost in machine translation), but based on what we've pieced together, users can surf through shows on the EPG, share their favorites with friends, see how popular a program is (using demographic data, too) and even receive an e-mail / SMS alert 30 minutes prior to a flagged show's start time. Best of all, however, is the ability to use your Wiimote as a television remote. You heard right -- owners can use their Wii controller (via the sensor bar) to dictate volume, switch channels and flip back and forth between their shows and the TV Guide Channel. Now, how long must the rest of the free world wait? Check out the gallery over on Classic for a few more looks at what you're (probably) missing out on.[Via NintendoWiiFanboy]
Sky confirms HD boxes will soon receive new EPG
Rumors of a facelifted electronic programming guide to Sky's receivers / DVRs have been swirling for quite some time, and apparently, the satellite provider has finally come clean and doled out the skinny. According to Digital Spy, only Sky HD boxes will be receiving the upgrade, which will replace the current four top-level options with ten. Purportedly, "television, radio and interactive services will be listed separately," and it's also stated that a small box will be added to show content from channels as they are browsed through in the guide. As for when Brits can expect the new EPG? "Sometime during 2008" -- sadly, that'll have to do for now.
Diamond Multimedia offers up HDTV100 portable USB TV tuner
Although these miniscule USB TV tuners have long been available overseas, we're thrilled to see Diamond Multimedia bringing the tiny OTA tuning love here to the States. The firm's HDTV100 sports an attractively small thumb drive-like enclosure, is powered entirely by USB, and features both ATSC and analog tuners within. Aside from supporting EPG, allowing you to schedule recordings and simultaneously playback a stored show while capturing another, it also comes with a "video capture dongle" to grab content from sources other than your trusty TV antenna. Best of all, Diamond's wee gem can be snapped up for just $99, which should give American travelers yearning for a little TV action while on the go little to frown upon.
Interlink unveils SlideLink: the first SideShow remote for Vista MCE
While SideShow, that snazzy forthcoming feature that lets you fire up slideshows, widgets, and other random goodies with actually booting up, has been garnering a good bit of attention lately, it's not much good without a equally flashy remote to control the action from afar. While there's been several devices parading around as Vista MCE remotes, CEPro is now reporting that Interlink Electronics -- the folks who sued Nintendo for jacking their motion-sensing technology and implanting it in the Wiimote -- is the "first company to officially announce a SideShow remote control." The firm asserts that the SlideLink will let customers "select songs, schedule recordings, navigate video clips and photographs, display TV program guides, and even browse recorded TV shows" right from the worn down cushion of your sofa. Still, we're not yet sure if this thing will utilize RF, Bluetooth, or some other short-range wireless format, and since this doesn't seem to be the company's "first priority" (see lawsuit mentioned above), who knows when we'll see this thing in the flesh.
