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Slingbox update lets you invite Facebook friends to watch your cable in a browser
If you're an inveterate place-shifter and have the internet bandwidth to spare, there's no longer any reason to keep your cable TV feeds all to yourself. A Watch update has arrived for the Slingbox 350 and 500 media streamers that includes Facebook integration, letting you invite your friends to view your Slingbox streams on a browser when you're not (only one connection is allowed at a time). Along with no doubt more "likes," the update also brings improved zoom controls to handle aspect ratios like anamorphic and letter box, a relocated pause button and advanced device search during setup. You can start inviting your pals on the social network now, but you may want to warn them: you can interrupt their viewing, but they can't interrupt yours. Check the More Coverage link to see which browsers are supported.
Engadget HD Podcast 359 - 07.23.13
Richard saw Pacific Rim again -- shocker -- and this episode he gets Ben to contemplate a very rare visit to his local cinema to see it, period. As usual, we'll go over HD tech that's way over our budgets and wonder how others still don't live up to their potential. Still undeterred? This week's installment is ready for your ears below. Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc) Producer: Joe Pollicino (@akaTRENT) Hear the podcast
Sonos for Android now streams on-device music
To date, Sonos owners have had to use iOS to stream music directly from a mobile device. They'll have a little more choice as of today: Sonos has updated its Android app to support direct streaming. If a device has a local audio library, the controller software can send tracks, albums, playlists and podcasts to any Sonos-equipped speaker in the home. Listeners with the most recent Sonos firmware just need to grab the updated Android app from the source link to start playing.
Verizon deal brings Watch ABC, Watch Disney to FiOS TV subscribers
Got FiOS TV? Then you can stream ABC and Disney TV shows. Verizon has reached a deal with Disney that offers authenticated access to the full slate of Watch ABC and Watch Disney online services, including Disney Junior, Disney XD and the yet-to-launch ABC Family. There are no quirks or catches involved, and Verizon has also agreed to carry Fusion, a Hispanic-oriented news and lifestyle TV channel launching later this year. FiOS TV subscribers wanting to catch up on their Motive episodes can start streaming today.
Zeebox update adds 'replay tweets' feature, brings time-delayed social commentary
Twitter already put forward the idea of a social media "DVR," that might let you "playback" tweets, and see what was being talked about at a certain time. It seems Zeebox wasn't about to wait around for that to happen and took the initiative, bundling a similar feature into its latest update. The second-screen app will now recognise when you're watching something after the fact, and resurrect the tweets that went along with it, as if it were live. Great for seeing what your tweeple were thinking at the time. Still won't protect you from any Downton-eque spoiler debacles, sadly.
Opera SDK to be the basis of TCL's upcoming line of Smart TVs
It looks like China's TCL isn't just working with Google to grace its line of flat-screen TVs. The TV maker has just announced that its next line of Smart TVs will be powered by yet another well-known web brand -- Opera. Indeed, TCL's E5691, E5510, F3250 and F3500 series of HDTVs will be built on top of Opera's devices SDK for Linux-based devices, and will feature Opera's TV browser and TV Store. Aside from apps and the usual online entertainment options, Opera's TV platform also seeks to offer an enhanced TV experience, so that you can check your Twitter stream while watching your favorite episode of Game of Thrones, for example. Other features of the new line of TCL sets include 3D viewing, multi-screen interaction and the ability to use your phone as a remote control. They're slated to debut in Australia, Europe and Latin America later this year for a yet to be determined price, with no word on their North American presence. This is not the first time Opera has entered the Smart TV space, but TCL's adoption does lend additional legitimacy to the company's silver screen venture.
Engadget HD Podcast 358 - 07.17.13
Richard insists Pacific Rim is just a movie with a light plot (rather than a dumb action flick), while Ben explains his general distaste for pre-feature trailers. Mix those discussion with the HD news highlights from the last week and you've got episode 358 of the Engadget HD Podcast. Stream it below. Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc) Producer: Joe Pollicino (@akaTRENT) Hear the podcast
Paramount picks DTS-HD codec to deliver surround sound for UltraViolet common file format digital movies
Early this year, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. movie studios chose Dolby Digital Plus as their preferred means to deliver surround sound for their UltraViolet common file format (CFF) downloads. Paramount Pictures, however, has decided to go with Dolby's competitor, DTS, announcing today that the DTS-HD codec will be used in its UltraViolet CCF offerings. Like Dolby, the DTS codec delivers up to 7.1 channels of surround sound for Paramount's UV catalog -- though your cloud-based audio/visual bliss will have to wait, UltraViolet CFF isn't slated for release until sometime in the latter half of 2013.
Philips intros Ambilight+Hue integration, 60-inch Elevation TV (video)
Philips makes colorful Hue light bulbs, and it (indirectly) makes colorful Ambilight TVs. Wouldn't it make sense if the two devices talked to each other? They do now: a new Ambilight+Hue app for Android and iOS coordinates Hue bulbs with compatible TVs, spreading Ambilight effects across the entire room. To mark the occasion, Philips and TPVision are launching the 60-inch Elevation TV (not pictured here). The 3D-capable, 1080p LCD introduces a four-sided Ambilight system that produces a fuller lighting effect when the set is wall-mounted. It's also the thinnest Philips TV to date, at 0.54 inches thick, and it includes the requisite smart TV features like Netflix, web browsing and Miracast media sharing. Ambilight+Hue should be available now, although Europeans will have to wait until later in the summer to buy the Elevation for about £2,800 ($4,168).
Engadget HD Podcast 357 - 07.09.13
Ben actually a liked a remote system by Logitech's Harmony division -- our minds are blown, too. Aside from that spoiler, Richard discusses how he hates when his social media feeds reveal movie plots. All that, along with another 30 minutes of the biggest HD news from the last week, and you've got Engadget HD Podcast 357 ready to stream below. Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc) Producer: Joe Pollicino (@akaTRENT) Hear the podcast
Virgin Media launches Play Games portal for TiVo
Many of us don't see TiVos as game consoles, but Virgin Media would beg to differ -- there have been over a million game sessions this year on its edition of the DVR. Accordingly, it just launched a Play Games portal to court this growing audience. Besides putting games in one handy location, the hub saves game states and ranks favorite titles. Virgin is also recruiting more developers to expand Play Games' fledgling catalog. While the casual gaming focus is unlikely to stop serious players from pre-ordering an Xbox One or PS4, it may be enough to keep TiVo owners on the couch long after their favorite show is over.
Sony to offer UltraViolet movies in France and Germany starting late September
To use UltraViolet these days, you have to live in one of a few English-speaking countries. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will change that soon: the company just teased its plans for the digital locker service in mainland Europe. According to the firm's David Bishop, Germans will get cloud access to Sony movies in late September -- possibly September 30th, as DECE hinted in April -- while the French will have their turn sometime in the fall. Neither Sony nor other studios have provided additional launch dates, although we know that neighboring countries like Belgium and the Netherlands should be next on the list.
BBC to broadcast Wimbledon final and semi-final matches in 3D
Though ESPN 3D's imminent demise might be evidence to some that 3D TV isn't exactly killing it, BBC has confirmed that it will cover Wimbledon again this year with that extra dimension. In particular, it will broadcast selected matches, including the men's and women's finals and semi-finals, in free-to-air 3D for those with the Red Button service and supported sets. Wimbledon marked its first-ever 3D broadcast two years ago, and the BBC is also experimenting with 4K coverage this year with Sony, albeit exclusively at a live spectator "experience zone" on the finely manicured grounds. The network also said it would up its live streams from six to ten to go with its YouTube coverage -- meaning UKers who miss a single grunt will have only themselves to blame.
Boxee Cloud DVR to shut down following Samsung deal, goes dark July 10th
If you're like us, you were wondering what impact Samsung's acquisition of Boxee would have on Boxee's Cloud DVR service. Unfortunately, we don't have good news. Boxee is shutting down the service on July 10th, and customers will lose access to their TV recordings at the same time. We're not surprised by the move, but it effectively shuts the company down within the space of a week. When Boxee's apps, the Boxee Box and the Live TV add-on are either gone or on their way out, there aren't really products left to offer -- it's all Samsung from here.
USA Network now lets you watch past episodes on its iOS app
Like many, many (many) other programmers, NBC Universal's USA Network has had its own iOS app, USA Anywhere, for quite some time. However, users have been disappointed with the lack of past episode availability, among other foibles, so USA has just taken the wraps off a new app called Anywhere Plus, available for free on iTunes. You'll now be able to watch all its programs a day after they air and back episodes for certain shows, assuming you're signed up for the network with a cable provider. Even if you're not, selected episodes are now available along with behind-the-scenes clips, interviews and the like. You'll also get a program guide and the usual social network bells and whistles, so if you've been looking to get your Psych or Burn Notice fix on the go, hit the source.
Engadget HD Podcast 356 - 07.02.13
We may have had some connectivity issues during our livestream, but the magic of post production means a smooth podcast for your listening pleasure as usual. Aside from the usual topics like Netflix, 4K TVs and IPTV, Ben's still wondering how Richard manages to have time to waste for watching multiple TV episodes -- given our hectic schedules and all. Get to streaming below! Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc) Producer: Joe Pollicino (@akaTRENT) Hear the podcast
Bell cleared to buy Astral Media, creates a Canadian TV powerhouse
Bell tried to shake up the Canadian media landscape last year by acquiring Astral Media, but it ran into a CRTC-sized roadblock -- regulators didn't want 25 TV stations moving to one provider. After some big concessions, however, Bell has received approval to buy Astral for $3.2 billion. The revised deal gives Bell control of 12 channels that include The Movie Network, HBO Canada's owner. Bell is offloading some important TV content to move forward, though. Corus gets several recognizable channels that include the Cartoon Network and Teletoon, while big stations like Disney XD and MusiquePlus are on the auction block. Not that Bell will complain too loudly when the buyout closes on July 5th, mind you. The merger still gives it 35.8 percent of the English Canadian TV market and 22.6 percent of its French Canadian equivalent, or enough to immediately eclipse rivals like Rogers and Quebecor.
Sceptre's Android-powered Sound Bar 2.1 makes any TV smart
Convergence, the dictionary tells us, is the point where two things combine, so imagine Sceptre's new hardware as the singles bar where speakers and Android first met. The SB301524W Sound Bar 2.1 marries dual front-facing speakers, a 35W subwoofer, 2.4GHz WiFi 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Ice Cream Sandwich to rejuvenate any old display into a Smart TV. Naturally, users will be able to access Google Play and download apps to the machine, but there's no word on capacity or expandability -- something you'll have to ask in the store before you shell out $300 on the gear.
Engadget HD Podcast 355 - 06.26.13
Okay, we're day a late, but we're not $50 dollars short since Richard avoided the World War Z 'Mega Ticket.' That much and only a small popcorn? No, thanks. Despite seeing the movie twice for regular price, however, Ben is still convinced that Richard's the guy who hates every movie and loves every TV show. We'll let you decide by tuning to this week's episode of the Engadget Podcast below. Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc) Producer: Joe Pollicino (@akaTRENT) Hear the podcast
Sony puts micro ads on Wimbledon player, ushers in an era of 4K marketing
Sony is shipping its Bravia X9 line of 4K TVs in the UK this week, and it wants to convey the advantages of all those extra pixels. The solution? Advertising that's as finely detailed as the screens themselves. It's putting micro ads on the fingernails and uniform of tennis player Anne Keothavong as she makes her way through Wimbledon, showing how the extra detail pays off. Few of us will get to see the ads in full clarity, however -- while Sony and the BBC are recording some of the event in 4K, they're playing that footage at an experience zone on the Wimbledon grounds. We're not looking at a decisive marketing coup, then, but those left squinting at home will at least know what they're missing.
