Hasta La Gadget!

TiVo has revolutionized TV watching in much the same way that cable did, back in the 70s/80s. But contrary to popular belief, the company didn’t pioneer the DVR. Motorola is claiming that title, and now the company is suing TiVO to prove it.

The company claims that TiVo violated the patents on the Motorola DVR that came out in 94. There’s some speculation that the move is payback to TiVo lawsuit against Verizon. You see, TiVo sued Verizon over similar claims, leading Motorola filing a suite to protect the assets under Motorola. However, it gets sticky here for both parties. Verizon uses Motorola DVR technology, which TiVo sued Verizon for. Now with Motorola suing back, all cases could be thrown out of court if the connection proven.

Motorola issued a statement saying that TiVo is making false claims against Verizon, which uses Motorola DVR technology under the patent that was filed under Motorola. No word on how either of the lawsuits are doing, nor how much they are asking for in return.

Via Hot Hardware

We’ve seen IP cams before, inexpensive ones like the DCS-930L from D-Link that get the job done with no frills, rather fancier ones like the Logitech Alert system that offer a premium feel — at a premium cost. But nothing quite like this. It’s the Swann DVR4-2600, a system that comes with four separate cameras, each offering a “high resolution” VGA that are about 10 years past a time when VGA could reasonably be called “high resolution.” They do, at least, offer 65 feet worth of night vision and all-weather functionality. There’s also a 500GB DVR included that can be connected directly to a TV or accessed remotely from a plethora of mobile apps covering everything from Android and iOS to Windows Mobile 6 and Symbian. You can get e-mails whenever your prisoners guests move and, the pièce de résistance, the kit includes four theft deterrent stickers. If those don’t keep the crooks away, maybe the rottweiler* will. Full details in the PR below.

*Rottweiler not included.

Continue reading Swann DVR4-2600 kit is 4 cameras and 500GB worth of remotely-accessible home security overkill

Swann DVR4-2600 kit is 4 cameras and 500GB worth of remotely-accessible home security overkill originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dish Network is still on a mission to make sure that you get your TV Everywhere, and as of today, that means your Android tablet. We reported in November that the provider was bringing its Dish remote access app to Android, opening up the world of paid-for TV to even more smartphones. As with the smartphone app, Android tablet users will have to have a Sling-enabled device, like a Sling Adapter, to access their hard earned programming, and as with the smartphone, the tablet app is free. The Dish Network app’s got all the same functionality as its predecessor: browse and search options, DVR scheduling/management, and a remote control function. So it’s basically the same beast, but we’re definitely still impressed.

Dish Network remote access app extends its long arm to Android tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 01:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Say hello to the future of DVRs, at least from Comcast, as its as-yet unannounced Xfinity Spectrum box passed through the FCC’s database shortly after having its existence revealed by the Wall Street Journal. A quick peek at the production-ready manual reveals there’s plenty of new features here, including a new guide design including IMDB-style cast & crew info as well as access to internet services. While it’s hardware makes this Pace RNG-210n a 500GB HD DVR with four tuners, MoCA and IP access, one of the biggest changes is a software makeover means it pops up notifications prompted by your Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Configurable at Xfinity.com/Spectrum, it looks like it will only pull in information when people you follow share pictures, video, or link to info about TV shows and movies, with “most” viewable right on the box itself, plus the option to share what you’re watching on those services. There’s less details available about that “apps” section of the menu but weather, traffic, music and games are promised, take a quick peek at the most interesting sections including a look at the guide, remote and box in our gallery or check out the FCC filings yourself for more details — it’s hard to tell if the changes will make all our issues with cable provided set tops go away, but pretty much any new guide has to be better than what’s there now, right?

[Thanks, cypherstream]

Comcast’s quad-tuner Xfinity Spectrum DVR with internet access revealed by the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Ozair, who is no longer down with forking out monthly for a subpar DVR experience. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“With the unveiling of (pricey) Google TV, what are the other, cheaper alternatives to setting up HDTV via a cable box rather than renting out Optimum / Cablevision’s outdated and laggy set-top box? TiVo? Any other standalone DVRs? Something I’m not considering?”

For those of you who’ve purchased a standalone DVR + CableCARD setup (or possibly even an HTPC + CableCARD setup), how are you enjoying it? Let this fellow know your optimal arrangement down in comments below — make it quick, it’s not like he can afford to miss this year’s burning of the Yule Log in HD.

Ask Engadget: best alternative to a cable company-issued set-top box? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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