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TiVo Premiere update brings HD guide, multi-room streaming, more (Update: Android remote app too!)
It's too early to know if this is the big TiVo update fans have been waiting for since the release of the Premiere, but there's no doubt it's a significant one. For starters, the guide has finally gotten the upgraded HD treatment -- no word if it is the only remaining old screen to get refreshed. Next up is official Premiere-to-Premiere streaming, which frees your recorded TV to be watched in any room of the house, even if the content is marked Copy Once. Other notable improvements include the integration of Hulu Plus content in TiVo search results, a revamped discover bar that actually discloses why the content is featured -- we assume this will make it more useful -- and hitting select while watching live TV now brings up a mini-guide and updated program info screen. All in all it is a nice list, but the truth will be told once some have had a chance to try it out. When that might be is still somewhat unknown, but feel free to force your Premiere to connect to TiVo service now to find out if you are in the lucky few to be the first to get the update. Update: We've got one more surprise treat for you, as a reader alerted us the official TiVo Remote app is now available in the Android Market. It claims to be compatible with phones and 7-inch tablets running Android 2.1 and up, so YMMV. Grab it at the link below, and if you've just got to get this update as soon as possible, follow @TiVoDesign on Twitter and then email in your service number for the chance of a priority update. [Thanks, @DanJacobsen!]
Comcast shows off its new 'Barcelona' HD guide upgrade
We've already gotten a large eyeful of Comcast's next-gen Xcalibur guide that's on the way next year with social networking tie ins and apps, but until that arrives, what can we hope for on the existing Scientific Atlanta, Cisco, and Motorola cable boxes? Sr. Director of Video Product Development Ted Hodgins has the answer, dropping in a link to the company's new Barcelona guide that it is already delivering to Anyroom DVR customers in Florida now, and will roll out in more markets before the end of the year. Like the upgraded guides we've seen for FiOS and TiVo, this iteration is built for HDTVs, with 16x9 graphics and far more listings information than was previously available on one screen. Other new features include the option to filter listings down to HD, premium, kids, movies, or sports content, easy jumping between days and saved searches. When we first laid eyes on another version of the software nearly four years ago we were impressed by its slick looks, but while it's still a major upgrade over the current decade-old cable box interfaces, in 2011 it takes more than a simple facelift to impress us. Hit the gallery for a few screenshots or click the source link below to meet the new guide before it rolls out in your area and see if its enough to hold you over for the time being. [Thanks, cypherstream] %Gallery-140085%
ReQuest produces HD user interface for its whole-home servers
We can't say we're thrilled to hear that ReQuest's wares didn't already come with a high-def interface, but given that HD GUIs are still mighty tough to come by, we can't harsh on it too much. The media server producer has just cranked out a presumably gorgeous high-definition graphical user interface for its iQ whole-home music system as well as its N-Series / F-Series media servers. Users can navigate the software with just five commands -- Up, Down, Left, Right, and Enter -- and while entering those inputs in that order won't give you a 1-Up or anything, they should be manageable with virtually any IR remote.
Control4's Home Controller HC-300 outputs GUI in HD
For those looking to make the leap to home automation whilst making sure that elegance is taken into account, Control4 is hoping its newfangled Home Controller HC-300 will fit the bill. The relatively low-cost IP-based home controller offers up a multitude of serial, infrared, and video sensing ports, plays nice with standards-based communication technology including Ethernet, WiFi, and ZigBee mesh networking, and can dictate multi-room music, smart lighting, advanced temperature control, and security without breaking a sweat. Most notably, however, is its ability to output the graphical user interface in sparkling 720p, meaning that you will no longer be ashamed of flashing your home controller's GUI on the big screen. Additionally, Control4 revamped the device by adding an anodized black aluminum chassis and a glossy black faceplate, and it plans on shipping these things out sometime in July for a respectable $699.[Via CEPro]
