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TiVo Premiere 14.8b patch stops (apparently glitchy) Premiere-to-Premiere streaming
We never got official word on Premiere-to-Premiere streaming being enabled after the last update from TiVo, but now it appears the company is nixing the feature, for now. According to TiVo Community poster eddieb187, one of his boxes downloaded the new 14.8b software update overnight and can no longer stream recordings from his other box. After a call to customer service confirmed the change, claiming unspecified issues with the feature, he checked his other box which has not yet updated and is still able to stream. If a little bit of multiroom action is all that's keeping your two TiVo Premiere household running you might want to avoid any updates if possible until we find out when it's coming back. [Thanks, @BrennokBob]
TiVo Premiere multiroom streaming already enabled?
We'd heard that the most recent software update for the TiVo Premiere set the stage for TiVo-to-TiVo streaming, and now multiple posters on the TiVo Community forum report it's already working. If you only have one Premiere in the house you may want to wait for the Premiere Q (or the Preview, if you don't need any additional tuners) but those already living the multiple box lifestyle can select shows as though they were going to be transferred and simply press play instead. Check the threads for details and let us know how if it works for you, if this is intentionally enabled an official announcement can't be too far off. [Thanks, @BrennokBob]
Verizon FiOS IMG 1.9 rollout to resume next week, with SD override and improved contrast
Verizon FiOS TV subscribers eagerly waiting for their crack at the new IMG 1.9 software for their set-top boxes with its HD guides, support for external hard drives and more can breathe now, as it will start rolling out again soon. Mari Silbey at Zatz Not Funny has heard from a "very reliable" source that updates will resume next week, and expand nationally in the next few months. Director of Product Management Joe Ambeault confirmed on Twitter that the new v1.9a software started getting loaded into the network last night, and includes the SD override wizard and improved contrast tweaks that necessitated a pause in the first place. The one minor damper on the news is that the roll out will restart with those that already have 1.9 getting the new version first, so if you're still looking at a 4x3 UI it will likely remain in front of you for a few weeks longer.
TiVo Premiere Q and Preview boxes are official along with an updated iPad app
An early release over the weekend took any surprise out of the news, but now TiVo has officially announced its plans for the new TiVo Premiere Q and TiVo Preview set-top boxes and an update for its iPad app at the 2011 NCTA Cable Show. Both boxes are firsts for TiVo, the Premiere Q (pictured above) because it has four tuners and can stream video to up to three other boxes in the home, and the Preview because it lacks a hard drive or any DVR capabilities entirely. The Preview can function on its own or as a multiroom thin client streaming from TiVo DVRs, and both promise full integration with video on-demand and other cable-provided services. There's no word on any retail plans and as expected RCN and Suddenlink will be the first to offer the boxes. The TiVo iPad app is also getting a cable-friendly makeover with a new version that can browse video on-demand offerings and flick them to any available TiVos for viewing, just like it does for internet video. We complained about the slow pace of updates for the existing Premiere DVR yesterday, so we'll try to have a fresh outlook on the official announcements (PR and more pictures are after the break) and consider a future where TiVo isn't tied to DVRs or being offered at retail. Update: @BrennokBob points out a post on DSLReports revealing the Premiere Q will ship (at least for RCN) with a 500GB hard drive, up from 320GB on the standard Premiere but less than the 1TB of the XL model or Virgin's TiVo in the UK.
RCN exec confirms TiVo Premiere multiroom streaming in latest update
Over on DSLReports, RCN's Director of Video Product and Video Operations revealed details about the 14.8 software update coming to the cable company's TiVo Premieres, including the multiroom streaming support that posters at TiVo Community have already found evidence of in retail boxes. Apparently this is all a part of RCN beta testing a move to the Premiere's HD UI on its boxes (currently still using the classic interface) and adding support for features like the TiVo iPad app and even TiVo-styled menus for browsing VOD. As Zatz Not Funny points out, we still have no idea when the streaming may actually get activated, but hopefully it will get knocked off the list of features we're still waiting for (dual-core support, DirecTiVo) sooner rather than later.
Latest TiVo Premiere update sets the stage for multiroom or iPad streaming?
While we're still not sure exactly what's been changed in the most recent 14.8 software update some users have gotten on their TiVo Premieres, a poster on the TiVo Community forums has found a change in the TiVo's XML file that suggests its getting ready for streaming support. Every TiVo provides an XML feed that can be read by other devices or software on the network and moyekj noted there is a field he hadn't sen before marked "StreamingPermission." Rumors have indicated streaming to other TiVo Premiere boxes, a multiroom companion extender or even to the iPad previously so it's not immediately clear what this switch could toggle if it were marked yes, but for now, it's marked no so feel free to speculate as wildly as possible. [Thanks, @BrennokBob]
AT&T U-verse Total Home DVR adds pause/rewind live TV feature on multiroom extenders
Spring is usually the time we see AT&T refresh the features on its U-Verse Total Home DVR and the latest update gives users the ability to pause and rewind live TV no matter which TV they're watching. Previously, this was only available if you were watching on a TV connected to a DVR, but now users can control playback from any room even if the DVR is somewhere else. According to the press release it's only up and running in a couple of cities (Grand Rapids, MI and Mobile, AL) right now, but should roll out everywhere over the next few months. Check after the break for the press release with more details or on the UverseUsers.com forum thread about the Phase 3 rollout.
Dish shows off new three tuner DVRs, multiroom boxes, promises 3D this summer at Team Summit meeting
Over at SatelliteGuys there's a lot of information from last week's Dish Network Team Summit, where it talked about some of the recent developments and made some new product announcements. Some of the new initiatives will let new Dish customers get a free Sling Adapter, 3 months of Blockbuster service free (both go into effect May 18th) while Blockbuster flicks will also be viewable on Dish receivers this summer. Other new developments on the way include 3D channels, with linear channels due this summer and two new set-top boxes in the three tuner XiP 813 and the XiP 110 multiroom extender that streams video from it. If you like to get your satellite on the go, it also showed off a new box called The Tailgater, which is apparently based on King Controls VuCube satellite setup for mobile homes, with will be priced at $349. Check out the post for all the details including hints on the Google TV app stuff that was announced earlier at I/O. [Thanks, J David]
Shaw Gateway DVR is the six tuner Canadian son of Moxi
Shaw Cable in Canada unveiled its DVR of the future today, calling the Shaw Gateway Experience "a new world of entertainment." As it turns out, that new world is actually very familiar, consisting of an Arris six tuner DVR and multiroom companion box. The Gateway (pictured above) is a six tuner DVR with a CableCARD slot, 500GB hard drive, WiFi, DLNA and an HD guide that looks just like the Moxi DVR technology Arris purchased over a year ago. The Total Home Portal is the multiroom box that appears to be a refreshed edition of the Moxi Mate extender that lacks its own tuner or hard drive but can stream live or recorded video from the gateway. The cost of one Gateway and Portal is $600 up front or $17/month, while an extra portal is $178 or $5/month. They're currently only available in Calgary and are due to arrive elsewhere in Canada later this summer. [Thanks, Daniel]
TiVo survey hints at multiroom companion box, four tuner DVR in the future
If you were wondering what is next for TiVo, another leaked customer survey may give some indications. ZatzNotFunny has a few screenshots, and the questions ask customers about their interest in a companion box that could sit in another room and stream live TV or recordings from the DVR on a second TV, as well as their interest in a DVR with four tuners. Windows Media Center fans with four tuner InfiniTV setups or Moxi owners with three are unlikely to accept anything with less, and TiVo itself already ships a three tuner box for Virgin Media in the UK while cable and satellite providers have largely stuck with two, making it a logical feature to beat them on. Those weren't the only features users were asked about, they also ranked items like the ability to hide SD versions of channels from the guide, browse recorded shows on every DVR from any box and other UI related options. TiVo is apparently figuring out where it should allocate resources going forward and while we'd suggest enabling the second core of that processor and extending the new Premiere UI across all menus, they didn't ask us. Check out the full text of the survey a tipster forwarded to us after the break and see if TiVo missed anything else you might want them to focus on. [Thanks, Anonymous]
Verizon FiOS offers triple- or quad-play customers in Florida free 500GB DVRs
Verizon's adding some juice to its triple- and quad-play FiOS TV bundles in the state of Florida, offering Bucs fans its new 500GB QIP7232 multiroom DVR from Motorola for free (normally $19.99) as long as they'll sign up for home phone and maybe mobile phone service as well. The discount applies as long as customers hang onto the bundled service which ranges from $99.99 to $129.99, plus any mobile service charges. Combine this with the still-being-previewed software upgrade to turn on a new UI, multiroom DVR browsing and external storage, and while it probably won't cause anyone to toss a Media center setup or TiVo Premiere aside, it's certainly worth a look if you were already considering bundling services anyway. Check the press release after the break.
FiOS rolls out 'sneak peek' of updated v1.9 set-top box software
The much anticipated new guide for Verizon's FiOS TV service is out in the wild for testers recruited via its blog, and testers report new features like eSATA support and multiroom DVR browsing are present and accounted for. Another new feature is automatic switching for 3D content, with plans for enhanced user profiles, more HD and VOD and customizable menus in the future. Of course, we're just happy to see another guide for 16:9 displays, but if you're wondering what the new software can do, check out the thread on DSLForums for a few early impressions.
Raumfeld's 2Raumfeld multiroom audio system reviewed, deemed sweet but no Sonos
Despite the bevy of multimedia streamers beating down your door, there are still few options available for high-end multiroom audio, and until recently the ones you'd likely consider would go by the name of Sonos. Judging by a recent UK review, that hasn't entirely changed, but a two-speaker WiFi-based setup by Germany's Raumfeld reportedly offers a reasonable challenge to the Sonos hegemony. PC Pro said the 2Raumfeld package "knocks the equivalent Sonos 250 into a cocked hat" when it came to quality sound thanks to a pair of Adam Audio-designed speakers, and praised the minimalist design and ease of setup even as minor annoyances (like the pairs of 'wireless' speakers that have to be strung together) popped up. It seems the only real flies in the ointment are the limited media browsing options available -- that sexy silver knob and touchscreen aren't enough -- and the fact that you can roll your own Sonos mesh network for less than Raumfeld's €1,225 (about $1,575) asking price, which kind of defeats the point. Read the full review at our source link.
Verizon FiOS set-top boxes getting a new HD guide, external storage and more in Q4
Streaming and downloading TV content to mobiles is nice, but we enjoy watching TV... on the TV, and Verizon had plenty of that to talk about today as well. Due in Q4 along with its FlexView app for mobile VOD access, version 1.9 of its FiOS TV guide software will finally add a 16x9 HDTV-filling guide to those Motorola boxes and it looks like many of our suggestions (and yours, according to Director of Product Management Joe Ambeault) made it in. Beyond a fresh coat of paint (although, with animated transitions, highly customizable viewing and browsing options and 3D-ish elements it's shaping up to be a very nice fresh coat of paint), the real meat is in the enhanced DVR features. New updates include support for external storage (up to 1TB eSATA per DVR), automatic DVD-style chaptering on recordings, and an undelete button to bring back mistakenly removed recordings. Also freshened is its MoCA-powered multiroom setup that now shows all recordings from any box or external storage all in one list. About the only thing we can find missing from the new software is any sort of support for conflict resolution across DVRs or using all tuners as a pool, but it's otherwise robust, with each box handling up to 4 streams (2 in, 2 out) at once, and 7 connected devices (6 boxes plus one router) per home. Check out a couple more screens after the break, though skipping directly to house shopping in FiOS-connected neighborhoods may make for more efficient use of your time.
Telus turns Canadian Xbox 360s into IPTV boxes starting today
After years (and years) of waiting it's no surprise to see the Xbox 360 finally sliding into the role of IPTV set-top box, but we couldn't have seen Canada's Telus being the first in North America to offer the option. It only switched customers over to the Microsoft Mediaroom platform (also used by AT&T's U-Verse, where the feature should appear soon) powering its Optik TV package -- currently only available in Alberta and B.C. -- earlier this year, enabling this new multiroom setup. Of course, that means the Xbox 360 can't be the only set-top box in the house -- it just acts as a client to the main DVR for live TV watching, or to schedule and watch previously recorded programming. Subscribers owners can check the main website for access on their current Xbox 360 or grab a free new system by signing up for two years of internet access. Mediaroom 2.0 is expected to bring PCs and mobile devices into the fold at some point as well, but for now check out the Xbox 360 experience in our video demo after the break, as well as a press release with all the details.
Poll: Are you going to get / already set up with a multiroom DVR?
It seems like every provider is finally rolling out multiroom technology, even though it's been around for years from outsiders like TiVo and Windows Media Center. For this week's poll, as suggested by @rothgar, we're wondering how many are either already playing their recordings on another display or are even thinking about it, or if you're pure old school and think programs remain in the room where the set-top box is. If you have one, let us know what you're using and how well it's working in the comments. %Poll-49344%
Suddenlink to lean on TiVo for DVRs, non-DVR set tops and multiroom
There's no news on the DirecTiVo, Cox or Comcast TiVo fronts, but it appears Suddenlink is following RCN as the latest domestic provider to offer the company's DVRs to its customers, complete with access to its video on-demand offerings. TiVo Premiere DVRs (with the Flash-based new UI instead of the old one currently on RCN boxes) should roll out at some point in "certain markets" in the fourth quarter with multi-room features, with expanded deployments in 2011, including the development of a "whole home solution" next year. Of course, a retail box may still be in your future if you prefer Amazon and Netflix movie access to cable VOD (including Blockbuster) since the press release only mentions interactive apps from YouTube, Pandora, Rhapsody and Fandango. No word on price either, but frankly we're more interested in that whole home setup -- even with this, overseas dealings and link up with Best Buy's Insignia brand we're just not ready for the idea of TiVo moving beyond DVRs.
Comcast starts offering multiroom features, 500GB hard drives with AnyRoom DVR
Oregon and Southwest Washington are enjoying more than just the launch of Comcast's updated A28 guide today, the company also announced it has begun offering Anyroom DVR (not to be confused with Anyroom On Demand) setups in the area. It's a pretty standard MoCA implementation, one central HD DVR that allows customers to watch and control recorded programming from other hard drive-less set-top boxes in the same house. Comcast say Anyroom DVR is available in 20 markets including the Bay area, Western Mass, Augusta, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Little Rock and others, while forum posts on DSLReports indicate promos have been spotted in Chicago and Pennsylvania with a price tag of $19.95 for the main DVR, and the usual fees for the other boxes (maximum of 3). We couldn't get an official confirmation on the amount of storage available 500GB is an all too welcome improvement over the 160GB / 250GB drives still sitting in most standard DVRs Comcast issues or the FiOS one we tested a while back, outpaces the 250GB / 320GB options in AT&T's U-verse setups and would put it on par with DirecTV's HR24 (can be upgraded) and the new Cox Plus Package. Sure, it's a little late to record every World Cup match in HD (or 3D) but we're sure you'll find something to fill the space. Update: Check after the break for specs on the main DVR and networked set-top boxes. (Thanks, Robert!)
DirecTV takes Whole Home DVR service nationwide
DirecTV has officially launched its multi-room viewing solution, now branded Whole Home DVR service, for customers looking to manage and view their recordings from more than one set-top box in the same house. ZatzNotFunny links to the a product page that breaks down what's available while also taking shots at its cable competition and even DISH's SlingLoaded boxes. The setup still seems a bit complex to us, but since it doesn't require any new hardware and only a $3 service charge it might be just the right thing for your home. Check the video on the page or embedded after the break.
Cox 'Plus Package' brings advanced Trio UI, 500GB multiroom DVR and more HD channels
Cox is ready to make a major leap forward in its user interface -- goodbye SARA and Passport, we won't miss you -- with the newly developed "Plus Package" rolling out in limited areas during Q2 and throughout its service area by the end of the year. For the hardware Cox is bringing a Whole Home DVR solution to bear based on a Cisco 8642 HD/DVR with 500GB (3x more than the sizes currently offered) of storage, and MoCA-connected 1642 HD receivers, which are also necessary to tune to the new HD channels on the way delivered over Switched Digital Video (SDV) in the 860-MHz band. The star of the show however is the new "Trio" program guide (video embedded after the break), a 16:9 interface that spaces out program info over three panes -- channels on the left, programs in the middle, details on the right. TV programs can also be sorted grid-style, by themes, HD-only or favorite channels, while VOD lists titles, box art and detailed info in the three window style. There's personalization for up to eight members of a household, as well as TiVo-style suggestions and related programming searches based on metadata. An exec told Multichannel News the new tru2way-built software started by realizing that "our guides were, in fact, broken" and this all-new approach is a step towards fixing that. Besides the TiVos and Moxis of the world, other service providers with similar setups include DirecTV, FiOS, Dish Network and U-verse and while we'd definitely like to see that middle pane expanded a bit to show more of each title, Cox could be the first cable company offering a set-top box that actually competes with any of them. %Gallery-92661%
