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March 16, 2013 5:15 PM EDT What's next for television? We've got reps from Boxee, TiVo and Sling on hand to discuss the ways in which technology is evolving in the early 21st century.
The Daily Roundup for 03.11.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
TiVo Mini review
TiVo fans who want to be able to watch whatever they want, in any room that they want can finally stop waiting. Sure, some have been satisfied with TiVo's Multi-Room Viewing even though it required multiple DVRs with the multiple Now Playing lists and multiple ToDo lists that go with them. But for those TiVo fans who want a single whole-home DVR, the TiVo Mini is available to order for $99.99 plus a $6-per-month subscription, or $249 for the device with lifetime service. This is less than the cost of another TiVo, but more than most set-top boxes available at retail. Of course the Mini can do what most less expensive retail boxes cannot; take the place of a DVR and deliver the most popular programming source in America, premium cable TV. Exactly how well it extends the TiVo experience to another room is what you'll find out if you click through.%Gallery-180671%
TiVo Mini goes on sale for $99.99 with a $5.99 monthly subscription
Remember the adage that good things "come to those who wait?" Well, if you managed to hold your nerve and resist signing up with Suddenlink, then your patience is ready to be rewarded. The TiVo Mini is finally ready to strike out on its own two feet four rubberized corners. The DVR extender will set you back $99.99, plus a monthly charge of $5.99, or a one-off payment of $149.99 -- in a way, you kinda wish the company had just priced it at $249.99 and let us get on with it.
Virgin Media adds a YouTube channel to TiVo's guide, ensures you can't escape kitty clips
Annoyed that YouTube had reached Freesat boxes and not just TiVo? Worry not, for Sir Richard and his chums at Virgin Media are on their way with a basket of soothing balms. Your DVR's EPG will soon feature baked-in YouTube results along with regular TV listings, giving easier access to all of those shudder-inducing Harlem Shake videos without resorting to a smartphone. It's been positioned at Channel 198, and you can also access it via the Search and Browse menus on your box -- no matter the paint job.
TiVo Premiere now loaded with Flingo LaunchPad, nets more than 70 video apps
If that TiVo Premiere of yours still doesn't have enough content sitting in its memory to satisfy your appetite, you're in luck, as Flingo's LauchPad on-demand video platform has just been baked into the hardware. Now, channel surfers can stream content from more than 70 video apps from the likes of A&E, CollegeHumor, Crunchyroll, History, Showtime and others. LaunchPad for TiVo will also feature exclusive content, but details regarding just what it might be are scarce. In addition to the bevy of streaming options, users can even "fling" online videos from other devices to their television screen with the aid of a bookmarklet. Ashwin Navin, Flingo co-founder and CEO, tells Venture Beat that he'd like to implement the firm's SyncApps second screen tech into TiVo's box, but that won't be coming in the near future. [Image credit: Zatz Not Funny]
TiVo Mini DVR extender launches on Suddenlink, gets rental pricing
The TiVo Mini has yet to make its retail debut, but cable provider Suddenlink is now serving up the DVR extender for use with its own services. According to Zatz Not Funny, the outfit is pricing rentals of the boxes between $6 and $12 depending on a customer's location, and presumably their service package as well. That rental fee nabs users the privilege of slinging live TV from a TiVo Premiere DVR on their network to another television set, in addition to searching for and watching recorded shows. While dynamic tuner allocation is on the hardware's roadmap, it doesn't appear to be switched on just yet. Waiting to pick up the hardware from retail shelves rather than take Suddenlink up on its offer? TiVo's pint-sized offering is slated to ship this spring.
Google Maps and TiVo integration on Nintendo Wii U delayed beyond January
Nintendo's Wii U was supposed to get TVii when the console launched back in late November. That did not happen. Then, when it did launch in late December, two key features were missing: TiVo and Netflix. Despite insistence that the former would arrive in January 2013, Nintendo tells us that both are delayed beyond January to an unknown point in "early 2013." The company specifically notes that said integration is planned for the United States. Google Maps and Street View, custom-tailored for the Wii U's tablet-like GamePad, were also given a January 2013 launch window when we first heard back in early December that they were headed to the Wii U. As it turns out, those are also delayed, albeit to a more precise "first quarter of 2013." This news comes on the heels of below expectation Wii U console sales, and word of not one, but two console updates coming later this year aimed at optimizing the hardware -- an issue we struggled with during our review of the console last year. Update: Nintendo added the following statements: "Mr. Iwata recently confirmed that NCL [Nintendo Company Limited] will delay the release date of Wii Street U in Japan from late January to mid-February to spend some more time on final development work. As NOA announced in a Nintendo Direct on 12/5/2012, Wii Street U will be available for download from the Nintendo eShop in the United States in the first quarter of 2013." Per Netflix / TiVo: "Further integration with Netflix subscriptions and TiVo are expected in early 2013 in the United States."
TiVo Mini extender hands-on (update: video)
Who doesn't want to be able to watch whatever they want, in any room that they want? Of course this was possible for years using TiVo's Multi-Room Viewing, but that required multiple DVRs which meant multiple Now Playing lists and multiple ToDo lists -- not to mention other costs. In comes the TiVo Mini, a smaller, more efficient set-top box that extends your TiVo Premiere into other rooms of the house. The Mini can connect to the TiVo via Ethernet or coax (MoCA) and has HDMI output as well as component and composite (via a dongle). The box is a trapezoid shape, so don't try stacking anything on it, and is about four times as wide and deep as the TiVo Stream and about the same height -- and of course uses the famous TiVo peanut remote. The TiVo Mini is expected to ship this Spring, and the price is still yet to be determined. At launch, the Mini will take over one of the four tuners of the XL4 if you want to watch live TV on it, but dynamic tuner allocation is on the road map or you can just choose to use it to watch recorded TV, etc. The XL4 will support two Minis and can work with them both at the same time, and you can easily configure the Mini to switch to any TiVo in your house. The experience is almost identical to that of the Premiere, except its much faster. The only missing features are the Premiere's Live TV window in the menus and not all the streaming apps that the Premiere has will make it to the Mini -- have to wait for launch for a list.
PSA: Nintendo TVii now live on Wii U in North America, no download required
Nintendo TVii is now available on Wii Us in North America, arriving right on time with Nintendo's 24-hour window of "December 20." The service -- which promises to unify the console's disparate media services under a single application, dubbed "TVii" -- doesn't yet support the promised TiVo or Netflix integration it was announced with, but the former is said to arrive in January, while the latter is expected in "early 2013." To start using it, just turn on your Wii U and select Nintendo TVii -- if you're already all up in Acorn Plains with your Raccoon Suit on, just head into the Home menu. Also, maybe take off that Raccoon Suit you're wearing before the family gets home.
Nintendo TVii gets TiVo support in January, hoping to support other DVRs 'in the future'
Nintendo TVii is scheduled for arrival on North American Wii U consoles at some point today, but it's lacking a few key features Nintendo promised when the service was first revealed back in September. Most notably, TiVo support was delayed until "early 2013," though Nintendo of America Director of Network Business Zach Fountain reveals a January launch in the first ever "Reggie Asks" (headlined by ... you guessed it, Nintendo of America president / interviewer Reggie Fils-Aime). Nintendo TVii's co-developer i.TV, represented in the interview by company head Brad Pelo, confirms our fear that TiVo DVRs will be the only supported DVR in the near future on the Wii U. Pelo thankfully adds, "In the future, of course, we hope to add support for other DVRs." The group also discusses a main feature of TVii's second screen integration: "TV Tags." Beyond just viewing shows on the Wii U's GamePad controller, many shows (starting with "the top 100 shows in the US market," including sports, and evolving to integrate "what Nintendo TVii thinks is hot, what we think has momentum, and what we think our audience might find interesting") will feature social interaction and rich content (think: Miiverse-esque chat and stats for sports). Should TVii be as successful as Nintendo believes it will be, Pelo sees producers of popular television shows working with Nintendo to speak to their show's audience more directly. We're just hoping for a chance to talk about those crazy outfits Cee-Lo wears on The Voice in real time on the Wii U -- let's make it happen, people!
Spotify now streaming to premium customers on TiVo Premiere boxes (update: no radio)
Spotify is continuing its bid for electronic ubiquity, today announcing yet another device its streaming tunes will be available on: TiVo Premiere. The Premiere series of set top boxes from TiVo come in a variety of flavors, but it sounds like the service should work on any of the line -- of course, you need to be a paying Premium Spotify member to actually use the service, just like Spotify's mobile variations. There's a snappy TV-centric UI, optimized for use with TiVo's controller, and a full screen mode should you choose a more minimalist approach to your music consumption. And hey, now that Lars Ulrich is on board, you can have an all Metallica jam session, right from your living room entertainment center. Hot dog! Update: TiVo reps tell us that the Spotify app doesn't contain the radio functionality found in other iterations of the software, and resultantly, the Spotify for TiVo app is premium member-exclusive.
AOL On comes to TiVo, delivers (more) video content to the DVR
We knew AOL's On Network application would be hitting TiVo DVR boxes eventually, but, after nearly four months of being nowhere to be found, we were starting to wonder when exactly that would be. The good news is, as of today, TiVo Premiere owners can finally start enjoying on-demand content from AOL's hefty video catalogue on their set-top box -- which includes, but isn't limited to, vids from HuffPost Entertainment, TechCrunch, Moviefone and, you guessed it, Engadget. That's not it, though, as the AOL On app also brings in snippets from various outside entities, such as the BBC, Reuters, CNET, Entertainment Tonight and Gourmet TV. AOL On should be live now on your TiVo Premiere, so ready up that DVR if you're looking to dive into one (or more) of the 380,000-plus videos it has to offer. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the AOL family]
FCC clarifies set-top box IP interface requirement and extends deadline to 2014
You may have not noticed, but your cable box at home has a Firewire port on it, designed to serve up content to other devices in your home. This almost useless port -- thanks DRM -- is a result of an FCC mandate that has been enforced for almost ten years. Due to the lack of use, the cable industry asked that the rules be updated to require an IP interface instead. That request was granted in the fall of 2010 and was supposed to go into effect this very month. Evidently two years wasn't long enough to find an acceptable industry standard stack to deliver video over IP, so TiVo and the cable industry requested an extension. The FCC let it be known last week in a Memorandum Opinion and Order that a single standard wasn't actually required, as long as the IP interface on the cable box used an industry standard -- the Commission did bless the DLNA Premium Video Profile as a suitable example. We'll have to wait and see if any other standards are in the mix, but regardless, TiVo and the rest of the cable industry now have until June of 2014 before every one of their boxes has to be able to deliver HD content to 3rd party devices like TVs, Blu-ray players and tablets via IP. In this particular context, TiVo is being treated as a cable company box supplier, although we're not sure how this will apply to its retail devices. Only time will tell if this mandate will bear fruit, but with any luck, the second time will be a charm.
BBC's Connected Red Button launches on TiVo, brings true web TV with one tap (hands-on)
Much as smart TVs might seem like a recent revolution, audiences in the UK have had access to interactive, multi-window content on their boxes for over 13 years. The difference (and in many ways, the problem) is that this bonus "Red Button" material has been delivered over the old-school digital broadcast signal rather than over the web -- which is why today's launch of the Connected Red Button service makes a whole lot of sense. Starting with the 1.2 million people who happen to own a Virgin Media TiVo box, pressing red will bring up an overlay suggesting programs from iPlayer and the radio channels, tailored by BBC staff to what they're currently watching, plus further curated web content from BBC News, Weather and Sport. They'll be able to read articles in overlay mode, or click on a video to throw it fullscreen. The content isn't new of course -- it can already be accessed via the multitude of apps that the BBC has for iPlayer and other services -- but it'll now be delivered through a much simpler, app-free interface that is already used by around 20 million people per month. We've had a play and can certainly vouch for it being straightforward -- check out our hands-on video after the break to see for yourself. Of course, it'll only work if your TV is linked into the web somehow, which is the reason the BBC gives for initially only providing the service to TiVo customers. Starting in 2013, it'll roll out the Connected Red Button to Freeview, Freesat, BT Vision, YouView and other connected devices -- basically everything except Sky, which BBC execs say they regard as a "closed service" rather than as a "platform." At the same time, there'll be an awareness campaign urging the mainstream masses to get their TVs or media boxes online and thereby prepare for the inevitable.
TiVo TV Anywhere app, multi-room streaming launch for Virgin Media viewers
British TiVo owners with Virgin Media have sometimes had to watch as their American counterparts get first crack at the latest extras, not the least of which have been the mobile apps. The UK has just caught up, and then some, now that Virgin has rolled out a finished TV Anywhere app for iOS, Macs and Windows PCs. While the software has the obligatory DVR queuing and remote controls, the "anywhere" portion comes through a selection of as many as 45 live TV channels accessible from most any broadband internet connection. Reinforcing that connected vibe is fresh multi-room streaming to share recorded shows with that TiVo in the basement. TV Anywhere and multi-room support are both gratis parts of a subscription, so Virgin customers have every excuse to liberate their TV viewing. [Thanks, Stuart]
TiVo Premiere fall update starts rolling out with more HD menu screens and a few other tweaks
We got an early peek at some of the newly revamped menus from TiVo's fall update a few days ago, and now the company has announced it is officially rolling out to retail Premiere DVRs, with cable-provided boxes getting the update at some point in the future. Those on the priority list are first up so some TiVo Community posters report they've already received it and can confirm the Netflix app is "still terrible." Besides the upgraded screens for Season Pass Manager, To Do List, History and My Shows (beyond the new look, they each have gained a few new features), Parental controls has replaced KidZone settings, there are some new games in the apps menu and users can name their DVR in the menus. Hit the source link to check out the full list of changes,
TiVo teases long-awaited HD guide upgrades for fall DVR update
When we originally reviewed the TiVo Premiere DVR back in 2010, one of our laments was that its revamped HD guide style didn't cover all of the screens in its menu system, and the issue still existed when we reviewed the XL4 earlier this year. Finally, that's being addressed, as TiVo VP Margret Schmidt has confirmed the upcoming fall update will bring reworked screens for the To Do List, Season Pass Manager and My Shows (for networked DVRs), and tweeted screenshots. Also of note are a number of Comcast areas recently added to the list of places that support Xfinity VOD via TiVo, so check your zip code to be sure. As far as the update goes, as usual, if you'd like to be first on the list to try it out, go ahead and sign up on the Priority list right away.
TiVo opens up Developer Channel, lets third parties create apps for your DVR
Other than what feels like a very slow pace of updates, one of our gripes with TiVo's Premiere DVR platform has been a relative lack of new apps being released. Hopefully that could change soon, now that the company has opened up its Developer Channel to allow interested parties access to its SDK and tools to build their own apps. Although as our friend Dave Zatz points out, it doesn't guarantee apps will be released even if certified, anyone ready to get down with TiVo's Adobe-based environment should take a peek around. The notes do reveal some interesting details like the fact that only one app can run at a time so when an app is launched the TiVo UI is suspended, and that apps are restricted to 720p resolution only, 32MB of system memory, 20MB graphics memory and 1MB hard drive space quota. We don't know yet what can be constructed with those tools, but go ahead -- surprise us.
TiVo settles patent lawsuit with Verizon for at least $250 million, is 'exploring' Redbox Instant support
While some patent lawsuits continue to drag on, the battle between TiVo and Verizon over DVR technology has come to a resolution. In exchange for cross licensing their patents and dismissing all pending litigation, the two parties have agreed Verizon will pay TiVo $100 million up front followed by recurring quarterly payments totaling $150.4 million through July 2018, as well as monthly license fees for each FiOS DVR user above certain levels. Now that they're no longer at war the two companies may find a few things to work together on, and there is a provision for "certain commercial initiatives" which, if pursued this year, could count as credits toward the amount Verizon has agreed to pay. Additionally, the press release indicates they are exploring support for the upcoming Redbox Instant service (which Verizon is a partner in) on TiVo's DVRs. This all follows TiVo's $215 million settlement with AT&T earlier this year and last year's $500 million agreement with Dish Network. Meanwhile, lawsuits are still pending against Cisco, Time Warner Cable and Motorola. The press release is after the break and associated filings are linked below, with any luck this infusion of cash will help TiVo on new projects like dropping the price of the Stream. [Thanks, Dave Zatz]
