The biggest trend in TVs over the last couple of years has been the move toward 3D and smart TVs. Indeed, it is rapidly becoming difficult to buy a TV without both features, but that is no guarantee that anyone will actually use the features. A recent NPD In-Stat survey has revealed that only 47% of smart TVs are actually […]
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Roku has released version 1.1 of their iOS remote control app. When the app launched last December, the control interface was focused on using swiping gestures for navigating through the Roku’s onscreen interface. The new version adds a more traditional D-pad and control buttons layout. The new version also adds shortcuts to Netflix, Crackle, and Pandora above the D-pad controls. […]
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The SilverStone DC01 DataCenter is a Mac Mini-inspired single drive network attached storage enclosure that keeps itself slimmed down by housing a 2.5″ drive rather than a 3.5″ drive. Despite a paucity of internal drive bays, the DC01 is definitely designed with media consumption in mind. For expansion to take advantage of the integrated BitTorrent client, the DC01 sports a pair […]
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VIA has announced a pair of new mini-ITX boards, the EPIA-M900 and EPIA-M910, aimed at digital signage and consumer media applications. The new boards can be outfitted with the VIA Nano X2 processor, but are also the first to support VIA’s QuadCore processors. Both boards pair the processor with the VX900 chipset that we most recently saw VIA using on their […]
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The Nintendo Wii just recently added Hulu Plus to its short list of available streaming media services, well after just about every other device on the market today. Nintendo has repeatedly stated that the Wii is not intended to be a streaming media machine, bucking the trend established by Microsoft and Sony of adding content services in a bid to […]
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It would seem that the world’s best-selling TV brand just can’t catch a break on the TVs it sells. Even as Samsung is in the midst of spinning off it’s LCD division into a separate company because of declining revenue and incurred losses, the company is accused of using low-quality capacitors in its TVs. Samsung has settled a class-action lawsuit […]
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UltraViolet, the movie studios’ attempt at establishing a digital media locker system, launched last October. The first studio to support the initiative was Warner Bros., who has run their UltraViolet storefront and account service through Flixster. The “buy once, play anywhere” service got off to a rocky start, but has continued to plug along, perking the interest of Akamai and picking […]
Read moreI noticed an interesting email on the MythTV-Users mailing list today. Apparently someone (Fredrik) has released an Android app for the MythTV Frontend. I have not tested this myself and likely won’t because I don’t have an Android device, but for those that do this could be useful for you. The one big drawback that I see at the moment […]
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As more content becomes available via search, it is increasingly important to use a real keyboard to interact with devices in the home theater. Unfortunately, with most keyboards lacking the capability to control infrared (IR) components, they can only supplement a traditional remote (or series of remotes) which reduces the value of when applied to the problem they are intended […]
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In a move that is sure to set off alarms for network neutrality proponents everywhere, Comcast has announced Xfinity Streampix, a new streaming media service intended to compete with Netflix. The new service will be bundled into Comcast’s higher-end TV tiers for free, or can be added to a lower-end tier for $4.99 a month. The service will initially offer […]
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