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Poll: How important is placeshifting?
We know, the dream of the future is to watch all the content we want, wherever we want, but unfortunately the present is a little more complicated. While Dish seem to have the best thing going for "TV Anywhere" with its Sling integration and AT&T has made some strides with U-Verse Mobile, others like Cablevision and Time Warner have only extended the live TV string as far as the bathroom, kitchen or other rooms within your home. TV Everywhere efforts have so far mostly allowed viewing of video on-demand wherever you are like Comcast's Xfinity and HBO Go so we're wondering if true placeshifting is actually a key feature for you right now, or something you can live without. %Poll-62881%
Monsoon Vulkano do-it-all media box starts shipping, gets unboxed
Looking for one box to rule them all? If so, you must have glossed right over Monsoon's Vulkano launch, but lucky for you, there's a reminder coming in the form of a 'now shipping' proclamation. Just weeks after the $379 mega-box -- which aims to replace all of those other STBs under your television -- went up for pre-order, the earliest of adopters have started to receive their devices. We're still waiting on a proper critique, but if you're yearning to have a glance at what the future of media looks like, give those links below a look. Just kidding about that last part, by the way. [Thanks, Dan]
Monsoon Vulkano all-in-one DVR/placeshifting/media streaming box ready for preorder, ships August 10
Monsoon -- after taking advantage of a few delays since our initial hands-on by adjusting the name and pricing -- is finally ready to show off the followup to its HAVA line of placeshifting media streamers, the Vulkano. Integrating a video processor and local storage into its slim frame, the Vulkano accepts HD video over its analog inputs for recording and live streaming to other devices (PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, Blackberry and Android players will be available at launch, with a Symbian version on the way) or it can convert recordings locally for them to be downloaded over WiFi or 3G and stored on those devices for offline viewing. Remote scheduling and channel changing functionality (controlling connected set-top boxes via IR blaster) isn't a shocking new feature, but this goes a step further by bringing internet videos to your TV (YouTube, local UPnP devices) Boxee and Popbox style, and other big names like Hulu, Netflix, Google TV, Amazon Yahoo! Widgets and a full HTML browser are promised to show up in firmware updates soon. Believers can hit the site to preorder now, with units ranging from the $279 Vulkano with 8GB of SD card storage, up to a $379 Vulkano Pro with 1TB eSATA HDD included and other sizes planned in between. Check after the break for a press release with more details, and our hands on video from CES. %Gallery-98258%
HAVA media streamer for iPhone available now
Just a quick note to all you HAVA Player enthusiasts: the iPhone app that Monsoon announced at CES is finally ready for public consumption. Available from the App Store (of all places), the software lets HAVA owners control it all remotely -- including cable, satellite, and DVR. What's more, you can stream your recorded programming right onto the handset for all those times when you can't stand to be apart from Jim Cramer (few and far between, we know). Supports iPhone and iPod touch (with OS 2.2.1 or higher) and goes for $9.99. PR after the break.
HAVA SociableTV lets you and friends fight over the remote, remotely
Looking for another reason to choose HAVA over Slingbox? The SociableTV website will let HAVA owners share their video Justin.tv-style with friends or the world, and chat while they watch. Xbox Live may still be working on getting group watching features off the ground on Netflix and Sling.com is a solitary experience but William Loesch, Monsoon Multimedia CEO sees people jumping online and watching live TV events like the Super Bowl together (at least until the NFL hears about it) regardless of location. SociableTV.com is just a placeholder for the moment but expect things to go live with a free upgrade for all HAVA owners in the second quarter of this year.
Monsoon brings HAVA Player for Apple's iPhone
Early last year, Monsoon Multimedia announced that the HAVA Mobile Player would be coming to S60 handsets; here at CES, we've learned that the same software is headed to Apple's iPhone. For those unaware, HAVA Player for iPhone allows HAVA customers to view and control their home television and services, including satellite and TiVo, from anywhere in the world. An on-screen remote enables users to change channels, browse the EPG and pause / view recorded shows from most any cable / satellite DVR in real time. Furthermore, iPhone users can also export their HAVA DVR recordings to iTunes (pictured after the break) to watch later, but those looking to take advantage will have to wait until sometime next quarter. Ah well, at least it'll be free. Full release is after the break.
HAVA Mobile Player comes to S60 handsets
It seems like just yesterday that Nokia's N800 and N810 internet tablets garnered HAVA support (not to mention those WinMo cellies), and lo and behold, Monsoon Multimedia is now announcing that S60-based handset owners will be able to enjoy the same luxuries. Hailed as a TV place-shifting, video-streaming solution for S60 3rd edition on Symbian OS, the HAVA Mobile Player gives HAVA adopters "the ability to watch and control all of their home television channels and services from anywhere in the world on a mobile device." Unfortunately, the free download (for HAVA owners) won't be available until Q3, but it's being shown off now at the S60 Summit 2008 and in the gallery below. Dig in, won't you? %Gallery-23832%
HAVA player hits Nokia's internet tablets
Monsoon's HAVA HD streamer doesn't get quite as much love as the various Slingboxes, but it's a fine piece of kit with features Sling doesn't have quite yet, like pause and rewind -- and now it's got one more supported client platform, as the company's using CTIA to roll out support for Nokia's Internet Tablet OS. That means the N800 and N810 can now get in on the action, and the quality looks pretty decent -- the crew over at Internet Tablet Talk got a chance to play with an early version, and they think it looks even better than the PC client. Hmm, looks like that WiMAX N810 could double as a fairly decent portable TV, eh? Video after the break.[Thanks, Joey]
Hands-on with Monsoon's new HD-capable HAVA streamer
Well, after both Samsung and Netgear demoed wireless HD streaming yesterday -- and Netgear actually got cheers for pulling out a RAID drive while doing it -- Monsoon's breathless press release for its HD-capable HAVA hardware streamer seems a little overenthusiastic, but it's their party, so we won't wreck it too much. The new box rocks 802.11n and allows users to multicast up to 1080i video to unlimited clients on their home network and one broadband-connected client over the net -- including WinMo phones -- and the PC client software features PVR features that'll allow you to pause and rewind the stream. Monsoon says the new HAVA gear will be available in spring through "select retailers," but pricing details are still a little up in the air. We actually caught some time with this thing yesterday in what looks to be the older-style casing, check it out in the gallery! %Gallery-12900%
Monsoon's HAVA line gets Windows Mobile support
Placeshifting just seems to make so much more sense when you can shift to your handset. Sling recognized that last year (though its Symbian support is still a no-show unless you're on 3) and now Monsoon's hopping on the mobile video bandwagon, adding Windows Mobile support to its HAVA line of placeshifters. No word on exactly when it'll be coming out of beta, but when it does, HAVA owners will have compatibility with Pocket PC phones, Smartphones, and even classic Pocket PCs (via WiFi, naturally) to get their TV fix on the go. If they make it free, it's a strong marketing point over Sling's now-commercialized offering (hint, hint, Monsoon).[Via PhysOrg.com]
Snappy adds the stripped-down HAVA Gold to its placeshifting line
If you can't quite scrape together the cash for one of HAVA's high-end placeshifters, you might be into Snappy's new HAVA Gold, which sheds the WiFi and internal tuner of its big brother, slims down considerably and adds an extra audio input. The best news is the $129 pricetag and complete HAVA software functionality for multicasting and a bit of timeshifting. Now word on distributors yet, so we're not sure when you'll be able to score your own.
Snappy updates HAVA software, adds 1080i and 720p support
Snappy's HAVA is a bit of a dark horse in the remote TV viewing world, being overshadowed by Slingbox and all. But nonetheless, it soldiers on, sending your favorite programs out over your home network and then out over the great series of tubes. However, that little box just got a nice upgrade -- on Monday, Snappy Multimedia released a software update for the HAVA, version 1.6. This version will support 1080i, 720p, and 480p/576p inputs, and supports 16:9 aspect ratio for HD content. Further, the HAVA will now automatically detect the input resolution and adjust accordingly. Among the issues that this new software fixes is resolving incorrect video scaling and the ever-annoying "wireless configuration problems." We're constantly annoyed by our own "various problems" with our WiFi routers, so if Snappy wanted to share their insight with Netgear / Linksys / D-Link, we'd be much obliged.
Snappy's HAVA Video Streamer
It might not be quite as edgy as the Slingbox in the design department, and the software support seems a bit lacking as far as client viewers, but the HAVA from Snappy Multimedia has a couple of welcome additions to the Slingbox repertoire. First off, the box includes built-in 802.11b/g WiFi, so adding it to your network shouldn't as much of a hassle. Second, the HAVA includes its own TV tuner, so you can have dual TV inputs if you'd like, or even use it as the primary (and wireless) tuner for your Windows Media Center box. Of course, all the usual location shifting capabilities are there, with up to 30fps DVD quality video available to multiple users over your home network, while lower bit-rate video can simultaneously be encoded for viewing over the Internets. Currently the HAVA is going for $200 after a pair of rebates, so if you're not bent on handheld or Mac support, and your inner fashionista is willing to take a hike, this little unit doesn't seem like a bad option for the remote viewing lifestyle.
