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Netflix is making 'Mascots,' a film from Christopher Guest
Netflix has acquired yet another movie: Mascots. Behind the full-length project, scheduled to be released in 2016, is Christopher Guest, best known for his acting and directing in comedies like A Mighty Wind, Best In Show and For Your Consideration. He also starred in This Is Spinal Tap, in which he played the role of an English rockstar. According to Netflix, Mascots is abouta group of "unusual" men and women in furry suits who compete to win "the prestigious Gold Fluffy Award and be crowned the best mascot in the world." Other than that, details are scarce at the moment. But, if Guest's previous mockumentaries are any indication, you can expect his Netflix film to be both funny and outrageous.
Engadget HD Podcast 402 - 6.18.14
A short time ago, your hosts Ben Drawbaugh and Richard Lawler celebrated the 400th episode of the Engadget HD Podcast and it was a milestone achievement. After this week, however, the show will be on hiatus as we re-envision the future of how we deliver HD and other news beyond the website proper. That doesn't mean we haven't packed in a ton of info into this week's episode, however. The FCC has decided to step in to offer support for municipal broadband and to review the situation between Netflix and ISPs like Comcast and Verizon. A new Slingbox is hitting the market and Comcast's Xfinity router seems to have developed WiFi capabilities. Of course, it wouldn't be a podcast without your hosts quibbling about the merits of Michael Bay or Ben giving us some info about either the Lego Movie or the brand's latest game. If you chose to watch last night's episode of Fargo instead of listening to the podcast live, we forgive you. But please join us for this week's edition of the Engadget HD Podcast at the streaming links below. At least for now, we'll all have a bit more time for HDTV! Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Engadget HD Podcast 401 - 6.11.14
Has it been two weeks since we last saw you? Yep, but audio-file-munching software systems couldn't keep us away this week, so get ready. There are piles of console related tidbits on top of E3 this week, with Sony launching its PlayStation TV device in the US and Microsoft's Xbox One getting dis-Kinect-ed from it's once-bundled sensor peripheral. Verizon and Netflix are at it again, playing the streaming slowdown blame game and Apple wants to improve audio quality by letting its proprietary Lightning port step in for headphone duty. There's also a ton of shows to see this week, but Ben's been too busy checking out the technology at Disney World to make a dent in his DVR queue. All this and much more is ready for your ears, so head to the streaming links below to join us for another episode of the Engadget HD Podcast! Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Engadget HD Podcast 400 - 5.29.14
Welcome to the 400th HD Podcast! Similar words were typed back in February 2006, when the fledgling HDBeat Podcast was launched, with a slightly younger Ben Drawbaugh at the helm. Richard is no slouch himself, having racked up over 200 episodes in the series, and we're also joined by former editor and HD host Steve Kim, who has a habit of dropping in on these occasions. The crew does some reminiscing, but won't be stopped from getting down to the details that have kept this show afloat for so long. There's discussion of Cox's gigabit internet rollout, Google Fiber's business plan and Amazon's Fire TV deal, which Steve is pressured into acknowledging as a must-have deal. Richard has some tips to keep your classic Xbox 360 in top shape, but it somehow manages to dredge up memories of the unending flow of quarters which Donkey Kong and its arcade brethren used to command. Please join us for this quadricentennial celebration of the Engadget HD Podcast and its nostalgic look at how far things have come since this all began. Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Guest: Steven Kim Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Engadget HD Podcast 399 - 5.21.14
Things are heating up in the HD world this week, but definitely not enough to cook a pizza properly. AT&T is making a bid to buy DirecTV for a hefty sum, unless the company's NFL Sunday Ticket portion doesn't pan out, leaving them with an escape clause. Other deals afoot include the Comcast and Time Warner Cable merger, both of which are some of the most hated names in the industry. As for Pioneer's beloved Kuro displays, it seems Ben's had one in his home for longer than he's willing to believe, leaving him in a nostalgic lurch. This gives Richard a chance to dish out all the new content that's popped up on Hulu Plus and run down some Must See HDTV -- don't worry, no Game of Thrones spoilers. As always, there's a ton of info to feed your brain with, so click on down to the streaming links and join us for this week's episode! Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Engadget HD Podcast 398 - 5.15.14
Yep, there's more net neutrality talk this week, but look on the bright side: at least Eastbound & Down has arrived on Blu-ray. But it doesn't take a major leaguer to throw a curveball, as exemplified by Netflix's one dollar price hike for all its subscribers. The upside? If you're an existing customer, you get a two-year grace period on that increase. NBC is also upping the ante, but its all about locking in Olympics broadcast coverage until 2032 to the tune of $7.65 billion. While some things are looking to the future, this week also brought about a slew of TV finales, including the less-than-triumphant return of Cleveland Brown to Family Guy after his own show got canned. All this and more can be found amongst the informed chatter on this week's Engadget HD Podcast, conveniently served up at the streaming links below. Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Engadget HD Podcast 397 - 5.7.14
Stories about net neutrality and slowed connectivity continue to surface, and the FCC chairman has made it clear that preferential treatment will not be tolerated. In other news, merger mayhem continues with AT&T rumored to be buying DirectTV, and Cox may join the gigabit internet club. Ben and Richard do their best to sift through this towering mess of info and cut through the nonsense. But confusion abounds, with theatrical film releases bleeding into home viewing as Moviefone decides to add TV listings to its service and the CEO of Dreamworks is predicting a faster turnaround from cinemas to consumer purchases -- sometime in the next ten years, that is. You should definitely squeeze some time into your TV schedule for this week's episode, although we do know your DVR only has so much space. Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Engadget HD Podcast 396 - 4.30.14
Net neutrality is still on the table for discussion this week and FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler even wants to hear your opinion on the situation. Ben and Richard share their two cents on the issue and continue to cover all the cozying up between companies including ISPs and content providers. Hulu, on the other hand, is exhibiting some self control and cracking down on international viewers who are sneaking a peek via VPNs. And those who haven't been streaming or watching TV at all lately may have missed Neil deGrasse Tyson's informative Cosmos reboot. But have no fear, if you prefer the offline experience of physical discs, it will soon be arriving to Blu-ray and DVD. If it's enlightenment you're after, then you've come to the right place. We've got all this and more on this week's episode of the Engadget HD Podcast! Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Engadget HD Podcast 395 - 4.23.14
Let's just cut to the chase: Aereo's battle with broadcast TV hit the Supreme Court this week and it's one of the biggest entertainment-related court confrontations since the Betamax case in 1984. Confusion levels have been high, but Ben and Richard are your legal eagles and they break the situation down into its simplest terms. Time Warner Cable recently announced a potential money-saving alternative to cable box leasing, with its $99 set-top box that will stream cable TV and internet video. Netflix, on the other hand, has stated that it will raise its prices for new customers, although it's giving existing users a two-year grace period. There's a heap of HD news to run though this week, so you'll have to tune in to catch it all. Just head down to the streaming links below for this week's episode of the Engadget HD Podcast. Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Engadget HD Podcast 394 - 4.16.14
If you can't make it camping this year, perhaps Sir David Attenborough's upcoming wildlife TV project in VR will suffice. And for immersion in something with fewer dimensional dynamics, maybe Sony's lineup of 4K TVs will fit the bill. Yes, it's been a relatively slow week for HD, but Richard and Ben need a breather since Chromecast, Aereo and so many others keep dropping news bombs on a regular basis. Richard's been so busy lately that Must See TV recommendations are at a minimum, but Ben shares an interesting DirecTV ad to keep your eyeballs busy. So, please join us at the streaming links below, as we serve up another entertaining and informative episode of the Engadget HD Podcast. Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Sony has a 4K TV for every budget (that's at least $2,099)
Sony has nailed down the final launch details for its newest 4K Bravia TVs, and surprise -- they just might be affordable this year. The "entry-level" XBR-X850B series will start at a relatively frugal $2,099 for a 49-inch model, with prices peaking at $5,499 for a 70-inch set. If you've got a bit more cash and want upgrades to both audio and wall mounting, the XBR-X900B line starts at $3,999 for a 55-inch set and scales up to $8,999 for a 79-inch variant. There's still a couple of models for the money-is-no-object crowd, of course. The improved LED lighting of the 65-inch XBR-X950B will set you back $7,999, while the display's 85-inch sibling costs an eye-watering $24,999. All of the 4K sets ship in June.
Broadcasters' backup plans for thwarting Aereo include live TV streaming
The big US broadcasters are primarily leaning on legal action to shut down Aereo's antenna-based streaming TV service, but what if the startup prevails in court? Apparently, the media giants aren't too worried; they have some backup plans. The Wall Street Journal claims that CBS is considering a subscription-based video service of its own that would offer both live and on-demand shows for a few dollars per month. While it would still include ads, there might also be an option to pay for Showtime's premium programming.
TiVo update lets you set recording defaults, when it isn't creating chaos (update: fix on the way)
TiVo has been rolling out a firmware update that has given some DVR users a lot more than they were bargaining for. Officially, the refresh supplies Mini, Premiere and Roamio units with a very helpful page for default recording options as well as a host of bug fixes. However, that's when it's working -- quite a few subscribers have been dealing with glitches instead. Some Mini users have received an error that prevents installing the update without unplugging the set-top box for up to three days. Meanwhile, others have seen some of their gear roll back to older code, which can wipe out customizations and break multi-device setups. There are reports of spontaneous reboots and other hiccups, too.
Engadget HD Podcast 393 - 4.10.14
HD news seems to be tumbling out of the sky like big, fat, high-definition raindrops and we've got it all covered in this week's episode. Both Richard and Ben have spent some time with Amazon's Fire TV and now that they've gotten past the unskippable tutorial video, they're ready to share their opinions. Richard also took some time to catch some of the Comcast and Time Warner Cable hearing on C-Span in all its standard definition glory and Ben's just recovering after learning there's yet another Lego videogame that he'll have to tackle -- he hasn't even finished the last one yet. This week's Engadget HD Podcast is chock full of info, so settle in and head to the streaming links below to catch the show. Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Engadget HD Podcast 392 - 4.2.14
If you have a dozen shows that always seem to overlap and you just can't bear to miss any of them, then Verizon may have just the thing. Its FiOS Media Server has arrived under the name Quantum TV DVR and it's ready to make you master of your multi-room domain. With this week's announcements, some casual competition arises between your hosts regarding the details on what Amazon will (did) release -- congratulations Richard -- and the company has locked in season two of Alpha House, along with six other new shows to satisfy your TV jones. The crew also flashes back to the OG Slingbox and provides you with a pile of Must See HDTV for the week. So grab a seat and head on down to the streaming links below to join us for this week's edition of the Engadget HD Podcast. Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Engadget HD Podcast 391 - 3.27.14
Keeping it real used to be the goal, but now it seems that real reality just isn't that interesting anymore. Virtual reality, on the other hand, that's taken the tech world by storm lately. Both Sony and Oculus demoed their latest VR wares at GDC last week, and this week Facebook decided to drop some big news. The social network has just purchased Oculus VR for a whopping $2 billion. Ben and Richard dig into the positive and potentially negative aspects of this deal and what it could mean for the future. On top of that, Netflix decides to pay ISP tolls for its heavy bandwidth use, while AT&T feels that these things are really the subscribers' problem. It's a complicated web of news these days, but luckily you have the Engadget HD Podcast to help break it down into a more digestible format. Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Engadget HD Podcast 390 - 3.19.14
Streaming services, set-top boxes and dongles are dominating HD news this week, and there's quite a few to discuss. Rumors are bubbling up about more Amazon hardware to match the competition's offerings and Chromecast continues to make headlines with the international roll out of its diminutive device. Surprisingly, Richard isn't going on about March Madness and Ben is lukewarm about the arrival of an ACC Sports channel for Apple TV. Signs of the robopocalypse perhaps? We hope not, since there's plenty of Titanfall still to play and the Xbox One was catching up to PlayStation 4 sales numbers. Keep in mind that Microsoft has only just decided to take its console global. We've got plenty in store and its all packed into this episode of the Engadget HD Podcast, conveniently located at the streaming links below. Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Dish's Super Joey DVR extender arrives, lets you record eight shows at once
Dish subscribers who fret over choosing shows to record can relax a little today. The satellite provider has just released its promised Super Joey, which both extends the Hopper DVR to other rooms and adds two tuners to the Hopper's already plentiful six. As the math suggests, the device combo lets you record a full eight shows at the same time -- four of your own choosing, plus four from the biggest US networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC). Dish hasn't said how much it will cost to bring a Super Joey into your home as of this writing, although we'd expect it to carry a premium over a run-of-the-mill Joey.
Engadget HD Podcast 389 - 3.12.14
If the Titanfall release had coincided with the start of March Madness, there probably wouldn't have been a podcast this week. As it is, we had to tear Richard away from his Xbox One to help Ben review the HD details that have been pouring in. There's a constant shuffle of content, ISP deals and updates to go through, as well as a certain monstrous LED-lit HD display to ogle. Your hosts leverage their experience and know-how to help speed you through the week's news, leaving some extra time to watch some TV. We hear Neil deGrasse Tyson and Seth MacFarlane's reboot of Cosmos has gotten some great buzz and rated an introduction by the POTUS. As always, there's plenty of HD to go around, so head on down to the streaming links to join us for this weeks episode. Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Engadget HD Podcast 388 - 3.5.14
It's the week of HD content news in its many various guises: streaming, video, award shows and service cancellations, all wedged in amidst a couple of physical devices. Actually, the hardware is content-enabling as well, with the new Roku Streaming Stick and an N64 mod that gives your classic gear an HDMI upgrade. Ben and Richard get their wish with Netflix's experiments in sleep tracking (courtesy of a Fitbit) and Microsoft continues to fine tune the Xbox One with updates in audio, Kinect options and a UK glitch fix. Just hop on down to the streaming links to enjoy this episode of the Engadget HD Podcast in all its informational glory. Hosts: Richard Lawler, Ben Drawbaugh Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
