Hasta La Gadget!

Sony has announced an incoming media-centric update to the PlayStation 3, bringing the console up to speed for the new nasne networked recorder and NAS. Revealed back in April, nasne will hit Japanese shelves on July 19 along with system software update v1.5, allowing the PS3 to stream live and recorded content from the STB to their console, and introducing smartphone browser support for remote control. However, Sony will also begin collaboration with other companies on open DLNA support.

Sony says it plans to “proactively collaborate with DLNA client software developers to enhance compatibility between their software and nasne, so that users can enjoy even more content on their devices through the media server features.” That could mean the tuner-enabled box ends up useful even to those without a PS3; Sony had already said it would be streaming content from nasne to VAIO computers, its Smart TVs, and its Xperia phones.

The new update will also enable inter-compatibility between nasne and torne, and Sony has partnered with Japanese content providers SKY PerfecTV ! e2 and WOWOW. How nasne is presented to other devices via DLNA is also customizable, with user-selectable icons and a client management tool.

nasne is a compact tuner and DVR box, with integrated terrestrial and satellite digital tuners and a 500GB hard-drive. It hooks up to a wired network and can stream live and recorded content to multiple DLNA devices, while remote access from a web-based client is also supported. A USB 2.0 port supports adding extra storage.

Sony is yet to confirm whether nasne will go on sale outside of Japan, though the fact that the v1.5 software update announcement has been pushed out both in Japanese and English (which is not always the case) might imply that there are international launch plans on the drawing board. The STB is priced at 16,980 yen ($214).

PS3 nasne update boosts console’s media credentials is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
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It’s been a awhile since we caught up with Peel, but the company has certainly been putting its time to good use with a big update to its Android app at Google I/O. A new AllPlay TV component acts primarily as a companion for Google TV, pooling together listings of the disparate sources of conventional and streaming TV without having to break out the awkward remote until absolutely necessary. Live TV, DVR recordings and Netflix all sit side by side; if the season premiere of a show is coming up and last season’s finale remains tragically unwatched, Peel will be the cue to record the new airing and hit Netflix for the catch-up. Peel warns that AllPlay TV won’t be part and parcel of the app until July — as compensation, it’s promising that the release will bring Android 2.3 users into the fold, and a parallel version is coming to iPhone and iPod touch owners in the next few months.

Peel AllPlay TV unites media sources for Android fans, puts them in harmony with Google TV originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 05:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That slick, speedy new interface DirecTV recently pushed out to beta testers is officially getting hyped with a new landing page and (unfortunately not embeddable) video trailer. It advertises all the features we’d heard about, including the facelifted HD graphics, “lightning fast” scrolling, visual browsing experience and personalized recommendations. The HD UI is still without a release date however, and while we’d probably put it it ahead of the DirecTiVo on the company’s current priority list, let’s not forget who we’re dealing with here. Hit the source link for the orientation materials, there will be a quiz later.

Update: You can now view the video here, embedded after the break, thanks to our friend Dave Zatz!

[Thanks, Stuart & cypherstream]

Continue reading DirecTV shows off its new HD UI with a website and trailer, still no release date

DirecTV shows off its new HD UI with a website and trailer, still no release date originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The four-tuner, 2TB hard drive-equipped TiVo Premiere Elite DVR is officially available. It popped up over the weekend on Weaknees and in Best Buy Magnolia stores, and some eager users have already taken them home and dug deep into the hardware and software. Gizmo Lovers points out the $499 box is packing updated software that hints at dual core support and more including Premiere-to-Premiere streaming, as well as 1GB of RAM built-in. If you prefer to get your DVR from your cable company, RCN is also apparently promising the Premiere Q and Preview extender boxes will be available in November. So far the early adopters are reporting increased speed, but we should find out what the new boxes are really capable of when all their features go live today, so stay tuned.

Continue reading TiVo Premiere Elite now available, but is updated software the big surprise?

TiVo Premiere Elite now available, but is updated software the big surprise? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don’t expect Comcast to stop its Xfinity VOD streaming to the living room rollout with just the Xbox 360 this Christmas, as executive Sam Schwartz promised during a CTAM panel that it plans to develop apps for the PS3, Wii, Roku and other connected TV platforms. Multichannel News reports it doesn’t plan to roll out streaming to as many platforms as Netflix, so we’ll have to wait and see where this initial venture into IPTV stops. Think big cable is scared of over the top services? Maybe not yet, since Comcast claims Netflix subscribers tend to be the most voracious users of its VOD. Also in Comcast’s future is its completely revamped Xcalibur guide software with internet and social media tie-ins (check out our early sneak peek here), which Schwartz reiterated would be available nationwide at some point next year.

Comcast promises Xfinity VOD streaming on more devices, new Xcalibur guide in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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