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Cerevo Cam live! packs on-board USTREAM support
Japan's Cerevo already has a fairly unique product on its hands with the 3G-enabled Cerevo Cam, but it looks like it's now managed to pull one more trick out of its hat: built-in support for USTREAM live streaming. That comes in the form of the Cerevo Cam live!, which is otherwise identical to the company's previous Cerevo Cam (it'll get USTREAM support in a firmware update), and is available with an optional USTREAM kit that includes a wide-angle conversion lens, a mini tripod, and a 4GB microSD card. As for the camera itself, while livestreaming is limited to 352 x 288, you'll of course still be able to capture video up to 720p resolution and snap 9-megapixel still images, and you'll be able to upload video directly from the camera over WiFi in addition to 3G. Still no indication of a release over here, but it looks like this one's already available in Japan for a downright reasonable ¥19,999 (or about $216). Update: As our pals from Engadget Japanese have pointed out, the camera requires a USB modem for 3G connectivity, which unfortunately can't be used for streaming video.
Hauppage WinTV gets WiFi streaming for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
If we've learned anything from the long gestation of the SlingPlayer iPhone app, it's that folks want to stream video to their iPhone, iPad, and / or iPod touch. At least the folks at Hauppauge think so -- and the new version (v7.2) of WinTV for the WinTV -HVR tuner board for the PC now includes that functionality. Indeed, the software will even stream 16 and Pregnant (or whatever it is you're into these days) to your Mac computer. Sadly, all of this streaming is going down via WiFi, but who knows? Maybe you really want to record TV on one machine and then watch it five feet away. It will be available directly from Hauppauge for $9.95, although the company is making a free upgrade available to current owners of WinTV-HVRs. PR after the break.
Hands-on with Elgato EyeTV Hybrid and EyeTV app for iPhone
Elgato Systems has been in the business of turning Macs into TVs for quite a while now. The company's most powerful USB digital TV tuner, the EyeTV Hybrid (US$149.95), is an amazing little dongle that comes equipped with EyeTV 3 tuner / recorder software for Mac. The EyeTV Hybrid has gone through a few iterations, many of which we've previously reviewed on TUAW. I'm not much of a TV viewer; my tastes tend to run towards The Food Network and Fringe, so I don't spend hours sitting in my La-Z-Boy recliner flipping the remote. After using the EyeTV Hybrid and experimenting with the US$4.99 EyeTV app for iPhone, I was considering changing my mind. Most content available on TV is still dreck, but EyeTV made it incredibly simple to watch and record on my Mac, and to send that content to my iPhone when I'm not near the office. Read on for a hands-on review of the Elgato EyeTV Hybrid and the EyeTV iPhone app (version 1.0.2) to see how they worked during my time with them. %Gallery-92990%
Hulu says HTML5 'doesn't yet meet all of our customers' needs'
As you may be aware, Hulu rolled out an updated version of its video player today, but what you may not have noticed is that the company also took advantage of the occasion to briefly talk about HTML5. In a post on the Hulu blog (which has curiously since been pulled, though it remains in the RSS feed), Hulu's VP of Product Eugene Wei took a moment for an "aside on HTML5," in which he said that while Hulu continues to monitor developments on HTML5, "as of now it doesn't yet meet all of our customers' needs." Wei further goes on to note that Hulu's player doesn't just stream video, that it also must do things like secure the content, handle reporting for advertisers, and do "dozens of other things that aren't necessarily visible to the end user" -- all of which are critically important for Hulu and often part of contractual requirements. Of course, Wei also notes that it's possible that HTML5 will one day meet those needs, but it doesn't look like a switch is coming anytime soon.
TUAW TV Live today at 5 PM EDT: all Apple, all the time
Today's episode of TUAW TV Live is a bit of a mixed salad: a little bit of Mac, with a dash of iPhone and some sauteed iPad on top. If you're not familiar with the show, it's a fun hour or so of talk with your host Steve Sande (and any guests he invites), demos of Mac software and iPhone or iPad apps, and discussion with the folks who have joined in. We're live at 5 PM EDT this afternoon (2 PM PDT), and all you need to do is to show up about five minutes before the start of the show. We'll have a special post up by that point that features a streaming video player and chat box, or you can use Ustream's apps or non-Flash URL to watch the show on your iPhone or iPad. What are the topics for today? Some more talk about the EyeTV Hybrid and EyeTV iPhone app, a look at some fun videos of new or upcoming apps, and any topics that happen to pop up in the chat.
iPad 3G's non-WiFi video playback restrictions detailed
We could hear the echoing howls of discontent over the weekend as thousands finally received their very own iPad 3G and learned they couldn't watch Dancing With the Stars whilst on the go. Now we have the details on why, exactly, and the repercussions. As it turns out, it's simply a carry-over of an iPhone OS HTTP Live Streaming rule that states quite clearly: You must include a low quality stream of no more than 64 Kbps for your app to resort to when network conditions demand it, along with the higher quality streams you want to deliver to your customers when the network can support it. It seems the ABC Player devs chose to skip that option, so when you lose WiFi you also lose Tom Bergeron's charm and wit. Other apps, like Netflix and YouTube, do provide a lower bitrate fallback, but that of course results in nasty compression artifacts when on the go. In other words: there's a very good chance that 3G streaming will come in a future ABC Player release, but when it does it ain't gonna be pretty.
Netflix Watch Instantly adds closed captioning support for the PC, Mac
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/tech_news/Netflix_Watch_Instantly_adds_closed_captioning_support'; We'd like to welcome the hard of hearing to the internet delivered video party, now that Netflix has begun offering optional closed captioning on a limited number of Watch Instantly titles. Currently only available through the Silverlight player on Mac or PC, Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt promises it's in the works for other platforms and should arrive there around fall along with the long-awaited support for 5.1 surround sound. Of course we're also still waiting for HD streaming on the PC but we know this is a big deal for specific communities and situations. For now, you can test out the feature on seasons 1-4 of Lost, part of about 100 titles so far with others being filled in "over time." Now excuse us, we need to watch some old episodes with CC switched on and make sure our Lostpedia entries are correct before the finale.
ABC reveals iPad app statistics, says it's 'pleased' with results
There's no question that ABC's free iPad app was one of the highest-profile apps to launch with the device, and ABC has now finally revealed some hard numbers to give an indication of just how successful it has been. According to The Wall Street Journal, ABC says the app has been downloaded 205,000 times in the ten days following the iPad's debut, and that is has been used to watch at least part of 605,000 TV shows. Perhaps the best news for ABC, however, is that the app has served up "several million" ad impressions, although the exact number is apparently still being calculated, with ABC only adding that it is "pleased with the results." Also, the most popular single show watched with the app? Why the episode of Modern Family where Phil Dumnphy gets an iPad, of course.
iPad Netflix and ABC Player hands-on over MiFi 3G and WiFi (with video)
Having ABC's entire catalog of programming stowed away in your iPad is a great trick that gets you within earshot of Hulu-level awesomeness. Granted, that's not quite what the free ABC Player provides -- we're only finding a handful of episodes for most shows -- but it's a start, especially considering how great the content looks. Flipping the iPad on its side automatically takes you to a full-screen view that streams almost instantaneously over a fast WiFi connection, though we've found one annoying bug -- triggering the orientation lock immediately pops it back to portrait, effectively rendering the lock useless within the app. Connected to a Verizon MiFi with good EV-DO Rev. A signal strength, we were pretty blown away by how good the video still looked; it took only a few seconds longer to start streaming, but otherwise, it's a fantastic option (of course, your 5GB monthly cap might be bruised and battered to a pulp within a few days if you're a heavy user). Netflix looked great, too, though the interface isn't as slick as ABC's -- it's clear that these guys threw the app together in a hurry. The first thing you see when you open it, for instance, is the company's standard web-based login -- it's literally just the Netflix website. Don't get us wrong, it works just fine, but there were definitely plenty of opportunities for iPad-specific customization here. The trend continues after you log in, where you see the same view you're already familiar with when you peep your queue and Watch Instantly selections from a browser on a PC. Streaming worked quite well in both orientations; it appears to just use the iPad's in-built video player, and that's fine with us. We noticed some stuttering over 3G after we stopped filming our demo, but the good news is that it only happened once, and the footage looked just as good over the MiFi as it did connected to our cable modem. Follow the break for video of both ABC and Netflix in action. %Gallery-89680% %Gallery-89687%
Would you want to stream movies from Redbox?
Surveying your users can be a great way to figure out what other types of services they might be interested in, but it can also tip your hand to future plans. Redbox recently surveyed its users asking 'em what they'd think about paying $3.95 a month for a subscription to an unlimited streaming movie service. The cool twist here is that it includes four free kiosk rentals for that price -- the movies shown in the survey were of the older variety. No surprise that Redbox would want to get in on this game and at the price we'd expect, with the correct hardware partners, it could be a valuable service -- assuming its in HD of course. [Thanks, Paul!]
Netflix finally ships out Watch Instantly discs for Nintendo's Wii
Wii owners have been waiting for this day to come since early January (or before, arguably), and at long last it looks as if the rental superstar has come through. Customers around the US are receiving email notifications today stating that their Watch Instantly disc (required for Netflix playback on the Wii) has shipped, and it should be waiting in their mailbox before this weekend begins. We'll be interested to see how the streaming service performs on the weakest of the three major consoles, but given that no 1080p content is available, we doubt they'll be any major snags. Let us know when your disc arrives and how the experience is down in comments, won'tcha? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
1080p, 5.1 surround sound coming to Netflix Watch Instantly in 2010? Update: No, yes (and closed captioning)
Netflix Watch Instantly fans could be due for a big upgrade, as CNET has heard the company will roll out 1080p and 5.1 surround sound later this year. No word on timing or any other details, but this could mean its moving to version 3 of Microsoft's Silverlight streaming platform with its additional tweaks for adaptive streaming and hardware graphics acceleration. Also unknown is how much bandwidth would be necessary, but considering Microsoft already uses very similar technology for its 1080p Instant On videos on Zune Marketplace through the Xbox 360 while only requiring 3 Mbps and VUDU HDX 1080p videos only state a minimum of 4500 Kbps, a massive jump in available bandwidth might not be necessary if you already get clear 720p video. The last big hurdle? How much content will be available that way, Gizmodo points out only about 6 percent of current offerings stream in HD we'll be watching carefully if the pace picks up going forward. Update: Netflix pinged CNET to let them know that 1080p was mistakenly included on a roadmap of 2010 features, however if you can get over missing all those extra pixels, surround sound and closed captioning are definitely booked for an appearance later this year.
Cox trials voice calls, streaming HD video over new LTE network
Cox Communications is just now kicking off slivers of its CDMA network in Virginia, California, and Nebraska, but it's already got its sights firmly fixed on 4G services, too, having announced today the "successful completion" of LTE trials in Phoenix and San Diego supported by infrastructure from Alcatel-Lucent and Huawei. Notably, both voice calling (a hot topic in 4G right now, since there aren't any commercial handsets in the field yet) and HD video streaming were tested -- a nice little tie-in with Cox's cable biz. Airspace for all of this newfound interest in the wireless space comes from Cox's recent spectrum acquisitions in the 700MHz and AWS ranges; granted, even in a best-case scenario these guys would have to negotiated a bunch of serious roaming deals to take their service national, but in the meantime, anyone lucky enough to be within range of a Cox tower might very well be in the first wave of Americans to enjoy the spoils LTE has to offer. Follow the break for Cox's full press release.
Disney renegotiating Starz deal, might pull movies from Netflix streaming
Looks like the movie studios are beginning to realize that Netflix is racing away with the streaming market, and things are starting to change fast: hot on the heels of Warner forcing Netflix to accept delayed DVD rentals in exchange for better streaming terms, Disney and Starz are reportedly renegotiating their deal, and blocking Netflix is one of the terms. Most new releases on Netflix right now are part of the StarzPlay package, and the studios don't get a cut, since they've already sold those rights to Starz. As we all know, the studios aren't big fans of not getting a cut, so what Disney is trying to do is block Netflix from dealing with Starz and force it to license streaming rights directly -- not the end of the world and certainly not impossible, but a move that has the potential to disrupt service and raise prices. As of right now, things are status quo and no one's talking on the record, but we've got the feeling there's a shakeout coming -- stay tuned.
Hulu to stream reality show internationally, incessantly
See this forlorn-looking male model? He's got a lot on his mind. Really, he's just like the rest of us -- a starry-eyed dreamer who's headed to Hollywood in search of fame and fortune. To this end, he's shacked up with four fellow photogenic wannabes in a Hollywood crash pad where they'll be webcast 24-7 for Simon Fuller's new Internet-only talent show, If I Can Dream. In addition to weekly episodes broadcast on Hulu, voyeurs viewers will be able to watch the action in the house live, as it goes down. You see, Hulu (who's not had much luck getting a foothold outside of the states) will be streaming the thing to select international markets in an attempt to spread their brand and influence worldwide. Will it work? Who knows? Besides, Jersey Shore is more our speed. PR, video after the break.
Apple requiring the HTTP live stream protocol for iPhone apps
Amidst all of Apple's recent app non-rejections and changes to allow APIs that were private, it was announced earlier this week that the company is now requiring developers of apps that implement live streaming video to use the HTTP Live Stream protocol. The HTTP Live Stream protocol uses web standards to implement video, and also allows for use of iPhone-friendly formats like H.264 encoded streams for QuickTime (supported on the iPhone since iPhone OS 3.0). This change also requires developers to create a minimum stream of video no larger than 64kbps, for use with slower connections. It's still not known if this will have any impact on AT&T's position on streaming video over a 3G connection, but developers are still trying to find ways to work around Apple's restrictions. One example is the EyeTV update that was released earlier today, which works via Mobile Safari to stream video over a 3G connection.
Google would like to sell premium content on Youtube
We all remember the fantastic crash and burn of Google Video before it gave up and just bought Youtube, so it should come as no surprise that Google would like to sell streaming videos online. The problem of course is that even if the newest TV shows and movies were offered without commercials and at the same time as on iTunes or Amazon On Demand, streaming just doesn't seem worth as much as a downloadable file. And since the studios really don't like to give anyone any additional leverage in content negotiations, it would be hard for Google to offer the same content, in a less portable way, for a lower price. Of course the real answer is to offer rentals, but for some reasons only Netflix has been successful in acquiring a license to stream the latest TV Shows in HD on a subscription basis. But Google is bigger than Netflix and since Youtube streams far more content than anyone else on the web (10.5 Billion views in October vs second place Hulu at 856 Million according to comScore) the company might just find a way to leverage its position to bring us a new way to catch our favorite show.
BBC redoubles its Wii efforts with dedicated iPlayer channel
The BBC's iPlayer streaming video / radio service has been available on the Wii in the form of a browser-based app for some time now, but it looks like it's now set to step up its game considerably with a full-fledged iPlayer Wii channel. Launching in the UK on November 18th, the new channel boasts a streamlined, Wii-friendly interface that was apparently the result of extensive testing, and includes a number of other smaller design touches, like some nifty background animations during radio programs, and some use of the Wiimote's rumble feature for added feedback. Best of all, the whole thing's completely free -- now, about that UK-only part... [Thanks, Lenny]
Qik gets rebuilt for Droid, 480p streaming is upon us
Qik had already been available on Android, but when you bring a monster like the Droid into the mix, it warrants a rewrite -- and that's what the company has put together this week. Qik's new Droid-specific build brings a wealth of new features into play, chiefly Android 2.0 support and an impressive 720 x 480 streaming video resolution, perfect for the Droid's expansive display and 5 megapixel (albeit questionably usable) camera. The version also includes an improved version of what Qik calls the "Speed Sharing Ribbon," an area at the bottom of the display that allows users to drop frequent contacts for sharing recorded videos. There's no word on when the new version hits Droids around the nation, but it's already in an invite-only beta stage, so hopefully it'll be available soon enough. Follow the break for a quick video of that wild 480p support in action -- you ready for the data onslaught, Verizon?
AT&T gives U-verse a streaming video portal without joining the TV Anywhere party
Not wanting to let it's cable and fiber competitors run away with all the streaming fun, AT&T has launched its own streaming video site in the vein of Sling.com and the various TV Anywhere related projects. Currently anyone who checks out the site can view all the content, including some provided by Hulu and CBS Interactive, but the plan is to include some walled off premium video for U-verse subscribers in the future.
