The Boxee Box is going to be receiving a 1.5 update soon, and with it will come the option to add a USB TV tuner for over-the-air and unencrypted cable television broadcasts. From the sound of things, this new live TV functionality is going to be prominently positioned on the home screen and include some sort of social media integration. […]
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Many home theater PC (HTPC) enthusiasts dream of a system that is as slim as other consumer electronic devices such as a dedicated Blu-ray player. It is also an expensive and difficult proposition for most; thus, when Acer introduced its newest Revo 100, many took notice. Not only is the Revo 100 only one inch high, it also has a […]
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I really wish Microsoft would come out with a Windows Phone 7 device sans phone like Apple does with the iPod Touch. I love the look of the UI and want to dig into some of the WMC apps that developers have been putting out on the platform without having a cell phone tied to controlling the living room. Media […]
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Despite being the original device partner for Netflix Watch Instantly, I’ve always found Roku’s Netflix app to be fairly basic. Even gaining search functionality took much longer than I expected. Of course, I was spoiled by WMC’s Netflix app which, despite becoming increasingly flaky as Microsoft neglects WMC, is still the best Netflix app I have ever used. However, every […]
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We recently commented on Roku adding a Disney channel to its little streamer and the importance of being able to put the Disney brand on the box. Even when the content is not particularly compelling, the brand alone is enough to attract the attention of parents and children. YouTube may be counting on the same effect as YouTube and Disney […]
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Netflix will be launching in the UK and Ireland in early 2012 and they are going to be facing some serious competition from the Amazon-owned LOVEFiLM streaming service which is already firmly entrenched in the region. Unsurprisingly, Netflix is looking to line up some content that will help differentiate their service and give them a competitive edge. Today Netflix announced […]
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Smart TVs are all about bringing the world of apps to the television set, and Panasonic’s smart TVs are no different. Panasonic recently announced some new apps, but the most interesting app was their upgraded Social TV app. Panasonic’s Viera TVs have included social apps for a while, but its latest upgrade brings an integrated Social TV app designed to let viewers […]
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DirecTV did a pretty good job of picking up subscribers in Q3. If their Q4 doesn’t go as well, they won’t have AT&T to blame. AT&T gets a lot of attention for their fiber optic U-Verse television service, but U-Verse has had a fairly limited roll-out at this point. Where AT&T lacks U-Verse to bundle in with their telephony and data services, […]
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Connected media streamers, like the pair from Roku and NETGEAR that we reviewed recently, focus on providing access to IP content but generally cannot handle local media well enough (if at all) to be a viable unifying solution. Until we have enough bandwidth, and services able to deliver quality audio/video services over the Internet, those devices act as a supplement […]
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Blockbuster Express has been feeling a bit left out. All of their competitors have been raising their prices, leaving poor little Blockbuster Express without any headlines. Guess it’s about time they joined in. They even decided to get catchy with their rate hike. Say hello to 3-2-1 pricing. Blockbuster Express has been cutting special deals for awhile to avoid the […]
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