Comcast’s new X2 platform moves your DVR recordings from the box to the cloud

DNP Comcast's new X2 platform moves your DVR saves from the box to the cloud

Crying because your DVR’s hard drive can’t hold an entire season of Antiques Roadshow? If you’re a Comcast subscriber, there may be hope on the horizon. At The Cable Show in Washington, D.C., Comcast announced its next Xfinity-branded cloud solution: the X2 set-top box. Available later this year, the X2 will eschew hard drive saves in favor of storing recorded programs online. Additionally, both the forthcoming X2 and soon-to-be updated X1 are said to provide greater interface customization, smarter personalized recommendations, additional web content and enhanced multiplatform integration. If this news tickles your fancy, you can find more screenshots at the source link below or read the press release after the break.

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Source: Comcast

TiVo brings its mobile apps to cable providers, TiVo hardware not required

TiVo brings its mobile app experience to cable providers, with or without TiVo hardware

TiVo’s mobile apps have so far been limited to those who use the company’s DVRs, but that audience is about to get much larger. The company has just launched a “powered by TiVo” program that will bring the apps’ Live Guide and content searching to cable TV providers, whether or not there’s a TiVo box attached. While those with generic hardware will miss a large chunk of the original experience, the features are the same underneath — recording and remote control are still around for the TiVo faithful. Atlantic Broadband will be the first to deploy a customized app in tandem with TiVo hardware in the fall, and we wouldn’t be surprised if others follow suit.

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Source: TiVo

TiVo, Motorola / Google settle DVR patent lawsuit

TiVo’s patent lawsuit against Motorola (formerly owned by Google, then sold to set-top box maker Arris) had been scheduled to start June 10th, but now it’s reported the parties have reached a settlement. There are no details available and representatives for the companies involved had no comment at this time. TiVo has successfully leveraged its “Time Warp” patent, along with others, to negotiate settlements with the likes of AT&T, Dish Network and Verizon. For Arris, protection guaranteeing it would only be responsible for up to $50 million in the case of a loss to TiVo — which some analysts suggested could result in a payout of close to $1 billion — came as part of its deal to acquire Motorola. The lawyers will remain busy however, as TiVo still has litigation pending against Time Warner Cable and Cisco.

Update: Motorola responded “We’re pleased that all parties involved have reached an agreement to resolve pending litigation.”

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Source: Bloomberg, Variety, Multichannel News

DirecTV GenieGO DVR streaming app arrives on Android

DirecTV GenieGO arrives for Android viewers

DirecTV subscribers with a penchant for travel have long had access to the Nomad (now GenieGO), a box that packages their DVR recordings for viewing on PCs and iOS devices. They haven’t had an Android app, however, until now. Like its iOS peer, the new GenieGO client (which is new, despite the version number) can either directly stream recorded shows or download them for offline catch-up sessions. Don’t expect just any old Android hardware to work, though — DirecTV can only vouch for compatibility with a small roster of devices that focuses mostly on Motorola, the Nexus line and Samsung. Nonetheless, any customer who has both a GenieGO and a Google inclination can give the app a shot at the source links.

[Thanks, Alex]

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Source: Google Play, DirecTV

Dish Social app brings Twitter, Facebook to Hopper DVRs

Dish Social app brings Twitter, Facebook to Hopper DVRs

Dish is a little late to the social television party, but it has finally arrived with the aptly (if not creatively) named Social app. The app, available on Hopper DVRs, shows personal Facebook, Twitter or Now Watching feeds — which displays tweets relevant to the show and channel being viewed — in a right rail alongside the video window. Social also enables full tweeting functionality and the ability to post Facebook status updates to up to four accounts for either social network. Lastly, the app delivers data about the amount of Twitter action related to the program being watched, such as the number of tweets in the past hour and where those tweets are coming from. Not bad, eh? All you Dish customers no longer need a second screen to spew forth your digital vitriol the next time David Benioff and D.B. Weiss kill off your favorite resident of Westeros.

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DISH Hopper Social app brings Twitter chat and Facebook updates to HD DVR

Today an app has been released by DISH that will bring social networking to the Hopper Whole-Home HD DVR machine, integrating Twitter and Facebook into the mix. This app is what DISH calls the “first set-top box application capable of providing contextually-relevant social feeds.” Of course this isn’t the only way you can chat through Twitter or see your Facebook updates on your TV, but it certainly is a unique bit of integration.

Social_App_On_Now_Feed

DISH is launching this app with the ability to both see your Twitter feed and interact with Twitter in essentially every way you’d be able on a desktop or mobile device. With “Now Watching”, his app shows a Twitter feed relevant to the program being displayed on the television.

asfads

With “My Twitter”, users will see their own Twitter feed – assuming they’re logged-in, along with the ability to tweet, retweet, reply to a tweet, and “favorite” a tweet. Facebook integration exists through “My Facebook”, this allowing the user to post a status update, see their personal feed, and post any of a variety of pre-drafted updates – letting people know what you’re watching on TV, of course.

This app shows these updates in two places – the first is in a data bar along the bottom of a viewer’s TV screen. This bar works with Twitter exclusively to show tweets about the TV program on at the moment, the programs “sentiment rating”, and data surrounding gender and frequency of tweets with regard to the show being shown.

The second place this app shows data is through DISH’s “quick launch” bar. This bar is access via a press of the blue button on the Hopper user’s remote control, this also bringing up the ability to connect up to four Twitter accounts and up to four Facebook accounts if the viewer does so choose.

SOURCE: DISH


DISH Hopper Social app brings Twitter chat and Facebook updates to HD DVR is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Bell intros Fibe TV Wireless Receiver, takes Canadians multi-room for $199

Bell launches Fibe TV wireless receivers

Some Canadians can get multi-room TV through their providers, but a truly wire-free option has never been on the table — no doubt a disappointment for backyard viewing parties. Bell is filling that void today with what it says is the first carrier-supplied wireless TV package in Canada. Fibe TV subscribers can now pick up as many as five Wireless Receivers (really, Motorola VIP2502 boxes) to extend their HD viewing and DVR control to the whole home without cables. It sounds easy; the real challenge, we figure, will be getting a Wireless Receiver in the first place. Customers have to live in Montreal, Quebec City or Toronto for Fibe TV to even be an option, while each Wireless Receiver costs either $7 per month or $199 up front.

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Source: Bell

Free TiVo Desktop PC software disappears June 5th, $16 Plus version will remain

TiVo Desktop's free PC version disappears June 5th, $16 Plus version will remain

Windows-using TiVo owners should make a beeline for the TiVo Desktop download link below, because on June 5th its free edition is going away. This software allows user to bring their personal music and photos to the TiVo, and more notably, transfer recordings from the DVR to their PCs. The paid version that adds support for transferring videos to the TiVo and DVR recordings to mobile devices will still be available at a cost of $15.99, lowered from $24.99. As ZatzNotFunny points out, there have been indications that a replacement may be in the works, but nothing — including updates for Windows 8 — has been promised yet. The free Mac version is still kicking, but it’s only good for pushing photos and music to the box, although Tech of the Hub notes several free alternatives (for both platforms) including kmttg, PyTiVo and iTivo. The current software hadn’t seen many updates recently, so if this is just clearing the table for a version that ties into the TiVo Stream transcoder, it might be worthwhile.

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Via: TiVo (Twitter), @BrennokBob (Twitter)

Source: TiVo Desktop PC, TiVo

Loewe Reference ID TV hits the UK in July with full customization and a 1TB DVR

Loewe Reference ID TV hits the UK in July with full customization and a 1TB DVR

Loewe has staked its success in the TV market on personalized designs, and it’s taking that concept to its logical extreme with the upcoming Reference ID. First shown at IFA last year, the LCD set is now due to reach the UK in July with progressively wilder customization options. Owners will only have a choice of covers for the built-in 160W speaker at first, they’ll get frame selections later in the summer, and full customization of materials and patterns this fall — if they want a set housed in leather and gold, it can happen. Conformists might still be happy with the Reference ID between its 3D-ready 400Hz panel, media streaming and a dual-channel DVR with 1TB of space. Loewe’s adaptable design won’t be cheap for discerning Brits, however: 40-, 46- and 55-inch variants will respectively cost £4,500, £5,500 and £6,500 ($7,007, $8,564 and $10,121), and that’s before applying a personal touch.

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Via: Pocket-lint

Source: Loewe

Boxee Cloud DVR reaches the San Francisco Bay Area in beta

Boxee Cloud DVR expands to the San Francisco Bay Area in beta

Boxee Cloud DVR has been active in only eight markets since its inception as Boxee TV, but it’s at last time for the platform to spread its wings. As of now, Boxee’s live TV recording service is up and running in the San Francisco Bay Area in beta form; owners just need to update their firmware to start uploading shows. While the company hasn’t outlined its plans for other markets just yet, its target of 26 cities by the end of 2013 means that other areas shouldn’t be far behind.

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Via: GigaOM

Source: Boxee (Twitter)