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TiVo will add apps for smart TV boxes and WiFi for Mini this year
It's been a few years since TiVo released a limited app for Amazon's Fire TV platform, but as it promised last year, the next-generation platform will reach third-party boxes. Those include not only Fire TV (and Android) but also Roku and eventually Apple TV. We got a brief demo of the experience on those boxes at TiVo's booth, where it streamed transcoded video from a connected Bolt DVR without issue. If everything goes according to plan, you should see the full app for Fire TV in Q2, followed an app for Roku, and later, perhaps in the fall, access will extend to the Apple TV. Additionally, it's not planning to charge for access to the apps, although TiVo owners will only be able to stream to two third-party devices at once.
TiVo's new network DVR just passed through the FCC
TiVo is dropping the ax on its oldest DVRs at the end of this month, but Zatz Not Funny points to an FCC filing that might show what's next for the company. Thanks to the documents themselves, there's not a lot of confusion about what the device is. Dubbed the Mantis (for now) this box breaks from previous TiVo hardware by lacking any kind of video out. Instead, the owner plugs in an antenna, while the Mantis takes care of recording and transcoding video that then streams to other devices over the network.
Twitch on Android can stream 'Hearthstone' while you play
Twitch loves Android. Following its persistent player that debuted on Google's mobile OS this past April, the game-broadcasting outfit's premiering a pop-out player window on the platform. Once popped, you can adjust the size at will and when you're done, go back to the app to find the next broadcast to jump into. The implications of such, as noted on the Twitch blog, are that you could effectively watch someone play Hearthstone while you play a game of it yourself. Yo dawg.
Amazon's Elastic Transcoder converts audio files now, too (updated)
Amazon set out to makes our lives a tiny bit easier when it launched its cloud-based video transcoder back in January, and now, it's expanding the service to audio as well. In addition to converting media files into mobile-friendly formats, the platform will also allow users to turn their videos into audio-only streams, which might just come in handy if you plan on turning a video into a podcast. The Elastic Transcoder lets you create output using AAC, MP3 or Vorbis audio codecs, and can attach relevant metadata like track names and album art to your files. In an effort to reel new users in, Amazon is offering a free usage tier capped at 20 hours minutes of converted audio content each month. After that point, you pay for what you use, so each minute of audio will cost the princely sum of $0.0045 to transcode. To see how it all works, check out the video after the break. Update: The free tier isn't quite that good a bargain: you get 20 minutes per month, not 20 hours.
TiVo Stream transcoder review: TiVo is bringing streaming to mobile devices, starting with iOS
More Info Updated TiVo Netflix, YouTube interfaces and iPad streaming hands-on TiVo Stream DVR-to-iOS transcoder box pops up for $129 pre-orders early TiVo Stream transcoder officially set to go on sale September 6th for $129 Back when we first reviewed the TiVo Premiere for iPad app, there were folks who complained about not being able to stream content. It seems, though, that TiVo was one step ahead of us: back at CES the company teased a transcoder -- a device that would later be known as the Stream. As its name suggests, this little box streams recordings from your TiVo Premiere to as many as four iOS devices with the help of your local network. You can also use it to transfer shows for on-the-go viewing. So is it worth the additional $129? Let's find out.%Gallery-163753%
Plex brings extra hustle to Android, remote control to Google TV, Ouya support, ponies for everyone
Media server all-rounder Plex has just rolled out a raft of goodies for Android and Google TV in its latest release, version 2.2.1.2. If you notice more pep in its step, the maker said on its blog that "yep, this is a performance and stability release," adding that image and page load times in particular have been boosted. The other major upgrade is the addition of Plex iOS or Android remote control support for Plex on Google TV, letting you couch surf with smartphone in hand. It was also revealed recently by Ouya that Plex would be supported on its Android gaming console as soon as it's released. Feel free to hit the source to find the new version, then the sofa -- but forget about the pony, you can't have everything.
Plex Android app updated with remote control from mobile devices, new transcoding
While it was exciting to hear that XBMC is making its way to Android, the Plex media center has been on the platform since last year and was recently updated with a few new features. Version 2.2.0.5 of the $5 app adds the ability to accept remote control commands from any of the company's other mobile clients, so if your phone or tablet is dangling from the TV, you can still control playback or browse media without getting up. Also new is the "QuickSilver" media transcoder from the latest Plex Media Server release which we're assured we will hear more about in the future, it's currently expected to provide improved video quality, particularly on the Kindle Fire. Since the feature is still experimental you'll have to specifically enable it in the settings menu, hit the official blog for more details on how to get it running, the full changelog and newly expanded list of devices that support HTTP Live Streaming.
Plex Media Server beta adds DLNA support, streams to PS3, Xbox 360, WP7 and more
Using Plex as your media server software is great, with its ability to organize and transcode media for playback on a variety of devices, but what about platforms that still lack a compatible client? The freshest beta version of Plex Media Server fixes that by supporting DLNA, making it compatible right out of the box with many of the HDTVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles and other connected devices released recently. There are some limitations when it's being used this way in terms of metadata and subtitle support, but we're pretty sure being able to access Plex at all from devices like the PS3 (as shown above), Xbox 360 and WDTV Live (the profiles it's been tested with so far) is worth it. Also featured in the beta is support for Silverlight Smooth Streaming, which comes in handy for the new Windows Phone 7 client app (Update: If you're not seeing it yet don't worry you're not alone, it's been approved by Microsoft and should be live soon, check the forum thread and blog post linked below for more information). Check out the blog post for all the details or just head to the download page to try it out yourself if you're on a Windows PC or Mac -- Linux builds are still being tested.
Roku players now have an official Plex channel with upgraded UI and new features
If you're a fan of Plex's media server software and Roku's do-everything hockey puck media streamers then today is your lucky day, as bringing the two together is now easier than ever. While Plex has supported streaming to Roku devices through an unofficial channel since last year, today it announced it's officially available in the Channel Store. That's not the only thing that has changed either, since a blog post indicates the new official channel brings a new upgraded UI and features like myPlex support, audio and picture support, and Direct Play of video without transcoding on compatible videos. Hit the Plex blog for a few more screenshots and details, or just turn on your Roku and add the app directly. Also, if a Google TV device is your preferred Plex client, that app has also just been updated with a few new bugfixes.
Google TV 3.2 update enhances HLS video streaming support, Plex update takes advantage
The Google TV update that rolled out to Sony units earlier this week (no word on the Revue, yet) brought tweaks to Chrome and support for Blu-ray 3D playback on the player, but that's not all. The bump to Android 3.2 also improved hooks for developers to access channel listings in their apps, enabled hardware acceleration and last but not least, improved support for HTTP Live Streaming. That last detail is particularly important to those streaming video from their PCs using Plex, since additional HLS tweaks were necessary to allow viewing of files transcoded from otherwise-Google TV unfriendly formats. Also supported as in the Plex update is selection of alternate audio streams, subtitles, more channels and a few other fixes. Check out a Google+ post from Les Vogel of the Google TV team for all the Honeycomb 3.2 (API Level 13) details you can stomach, the Plex blog for more info on its software, or just make sure you're running the latest updates and take a look around yourself.
DirecTV Nomad is ready to launch, transcodes DVRed shows for mobile viewing
It was just about a year ago that we initially heard rumors of the DirecTV Nomad, and after some lengthy intrigue it is finally ready to launch. While its product page on the company's website isn't live yet, the folks at DBSTalk have been testing it and already posted one of their detailed walkthroughs, revealing the box as a TiVoToGo-style transcoder. Plug the $149 box into your whole home DVR network and it snags recorded programs and prepares them for viewing on other devices. Currently that list includes PCs with 1.2GHz processors or higher (no Atom powered netbooks invited to this party) and iOS devices, although an app for Android is apparently on the way. Compared to Dish Network's Sling-powered TV Everywhere streaming approach, DirecTV's sideloading has the distinct benefit of offline viewing, but without access to live TV on the go. The iPhone app is already available in iTunes and some forum posters report they've already been able to preorder the unit, but check DBSTalk for their breakdown and the device's manual in PDF form before making a decision on your placeshifting future.
More DirecTV Nomad info uncovered, but details are still fuzzy
Even though DirecTV's website is ready to start doling out the information on its elusive Nomad TV box, a post on Gizmo Lovers digs through the available information to show just how much there is to know, and how much is still unknown. Between on a DirecTV satellite installer training video, a suggestive press release by fellow RVU member Morega and the long running rumor thread over on DBSTalk, the technology in play is certainly capable of both Slingbox style streaming and TiVoToGo sideloading, but what will actually be enabled is unclear. Once it rolls out, the Nomad will connect to multiroom capable satellite boxes via a wired network connection and transcode the video streams it pulls in for other devices like PCs and mobiles. All the other details are shrouded in rumor, regarding its use of h.264 and how much internal storage is available, but if you're wondering whether the long delayed DirecTV will really be able to compete with Sling, Monsoon and the flood of TV-streaming iPad apps available in 2011 then hitting the source link below is a good way to get started.
ESPN will go all MPEG-4 in July
For better or worse, ESPN is planning to pull its MPEG-2 feeds at the end of June and transmit to affiliates solely in MPEG-4. Like HBO, ESPN already transmits all of its channels in MPEG-4 via satellite and will save money by cutting out the older backups, but since most cable companies are still sending streams to customers in MPEG-2 (although some are following DirecTV's lead) they'll need to transcode the signal an extra time which could affect the picture quality. Multichannel News mentions ESPN is supplying the necessary Motorola decoders to affiliates that need them, at this point all we can do is wait until July and see if there's any notable difference in sports quality on our end of the pipe. [Thanks, Chevelleman]
PlayOn opens up PlayDirect API, says make your own channel
As more native apps for things like Hulu Plus on Xbox 360 and Netflix on Android appear you might think that would cause a problem for PlayOn, which has made its business in converting streams for the unsupported. Luckily, it's continued to add supported content and the latest move is opening up its PlayDirect API and letting others create channels for the app. Anyone should be able to create a channel now simply by plopping in the URL of the video they want to watch, and it plans to open up a Roku-style channel store soon for subscribers to review and add others channels. All the info you need to make one is on the developer guide, hit the source link to add that one site you've always been missing if you're a PlayOn subscriber.
YouTube starts transcoding all new uploads to WebM, already has a third of its library ready
Google's resolve to bring WebM video streaming to the masses doesn't seem to have been weakened by a general lack of interest from the rest of the tech world, and the company's announced that each and every new YouTube upload will now be automatically transcoded into a WebM version. Nearly a third of YouTube's archives have already made the transition to the open source format, though if you think that's a small proportion, you should probably know that those 30 percent account for 99 percent of all views on the site. Apparently, we all have a narrower set of interests than we like to believe. So, with all popular vids encoded and every incoming one getting the transcoding treatment, all you really need now is a compatible browser -- Chrome (naturally), Firefox 4, Opera, or IE9 with a plug-in -- and to enroll in YouTube's HTML5 trial linked below to get rolling with WebM playback. Appending "&webm=1" to a search string or a video's URL will also help you ensure you're getting the good stuff.
iSWiFTER is another Flash-to-iOS app featuring video and games
Currently free for a limited time, iSWiFTER is yet another contender in a growing category of what I'd call "service" apps which allow you to play Flash content on your iOS device. While Skyfire was iPhone compatible, iSWiFTER is iPad-only. How does it work? Just barely. This is not designed for accessing the rich universe of creamy Flash content. This is a list of 15 games or videos from around the web. Game interaction is primarily poke-based, as there's no multi-touch or swipe behavior support. Not really, anyway, as the lag from the transcoding service makes for poor response time. Games are "mostly playable" depending on this lag. They are presented in a smaller window inside a border, likely to spare bandwidth. Still, audio can get choppy. If you absolutely must play the less than dozen games available and all you have is your iPad, then here's your app. Video was an even less useful experience. The app includes TED content, but there's already an app for that. One video (a YouTube clip, no less) refused to play, and another site required scrolling. Well, if you ever remote-controlled a computer on a slow connection you may guess what happens when you "scroll" via remote -- the page flies and you're nowhere you wanted to be. Finessing the scrollbar before even getting to the video is no way to use your iPad, son. I also got a big screen of static at one point. For free I'd say iSWiFTER may provide you with a few grins from poking around some very simplistic games. But it's more of the same from these apps, a clunky tech demo that ultimately reminds us there's no Flash on iOS, for better or worse. %Gallery-107053%
Marusys MS630S and MS850S set-top boxes stream straight to your iPhone
If you didn't already have enough ways to get content onto your iPhone, Marusys is adding two more to the pile with its MS630S and MS850S set-top boxes. Said to be PVR-ready, these boxes are designed to serve up content in all sorts of ways, with composite, component, and HDMI video outputs on the back and, inside, the ability to run Linux-based media players like XBMC. Both rock a Magnum DX6225 media chip, enabling on-the-fly transcoding of content into a variety of formats, including the hallmark feature of these devices: streaming straight to the iPhone over WiFi. It's not exactly clear how this will work as Marusys itself doesn't explain this functionality on its site, but Magnum certainly talks it up in the press release after the break. No word on price and availability of either, or when we might get more info on how this whole thing fits together, but you can be sure you'll know as soon as we do.
Verizon gives FiOS TV some app store, social media flavor
Confirming the theory that one day soon everything will have an app store of some kind, Verizon has launched its Widget Bazaar for FiOS TV, dedicated to bringing new interactive experiences to FiOS TV subscribers, starting with Facebook, Twitter, and ESPN Fantasy Football. Don't expect to tap out 140 character missives via remote for now, at launch viewers can only view tweets, not post them or log in to their own accounts, although updating Facebook status and personalized ESPN Fantasy Football info is available. Verizon has promised to publish its SDK to enable "open development" (limited to a select group of developers of course) which should bring many free & for-pay apps to join the current (free) offerings by year-end. Also made official is the addition of searching and viewing video from blip.tv, Dailymotion and Veoh, plus the long awaited ability to stream personal videos from a connected PC, available free of charge to Home Media DVR customers. No word yet on what codecs the updated Home Media Manager software will support for transcoding to MPEG-2 and streaming to the set-top box so keep those MKVs holstered for now and check a few screens of the apps in action in our gallery or a quick video walkthrough embedded after the break. Update: Verizon let us know it will support FLV, WMV, MPEG-1, AVI, MPG, PM4/M4V, 3GP/3G2
Toshiba's SpursEngine chip dominates in transcoding demonstration
Toshiba has let us know just how incredible its SpursEngine SE1000 chip really is, but all that talk has never amounted to much -- until now. Packed away in a dusty corner of Computex 2008 was Corel's demonstration booth, which just so happened to have a few rigs set up with a Cell-optimized version of its DVD MovieFactory application. One station utilized the SE1000, while the other relied solely on a 3GHz Intel Core 2 Quad CPU to transcode 1080p H.264 video to 480p. According to onlookers, the SpursEngine-based machine completed the task nearly twice as fast as the hamstrung opponent, proving that maybe Toshiba does have something worth waiting for on that PCI-Express card. Too bad there's still no mention of a price.
Hands flailing wildly with Toshiba's SpursEngine laptop
Toshiba's Cell processor-based SpursEngine B.E. was on full display at CES, with a variety of tech demos to show off its power. From HD video transcoding, facial recognition, or the always popular gesture-control Toshiba's baby went through a series of workouts, trying to be the third teammate, with your CPU & GPU, to speed heavy-duty processing. Featuring only four cores -- half the number found in the PS3 -- it handled all tasks thrown its way, check out the gallery to find out how the power of the Cell could help your PC in the future.%Gallery-13422%
