The monthly subscription TV bill is a painful reminder that you don’t watch most of the billed channels you receive. You’re not alone — cable and satellite companies are also tired of paying for worthless channels, and they’re doing something …
[CES 2013] As advanced as our television watching has become recently, one thing cable companies are still lagging behind on is their cable box features. Not every company has something as awesome as Dish Network’s Hopper, and that’s a shame as we all have experienced the torture that is having your DVR notifying you two shows are about to be recorded while you’re watching something really good.
Verizon FiOS is teaming up with Motorola to make a new DVR, called the VMS1100 Media Server, available to its customers later this year that may just be the ultimate DVR. First off, it has one terabyte of hard drive space which means you’ll be able to store up to 100 hours of HD programming. You’ll also be able to use it to watch TV from five separate TVs, record up to six programs at once as well as being able to perform better than previous generation DVRs.
The only downside is you’ll need additional set-top boxes in order to use the media server in additional rooms, which are called the IPC1100 IP-based set-top, which just means that’s more money a month you’ll be throwing at Verizon for rental fees.
So if you could afford all of the extra rental fees for the new Media Server and additional set-top boxes in your home, this new addition may be worth it.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: JVC GC-PX100 Camera Is Designed For Fast And Easy Handling, Canon PowerShot N Camera Unveiled With Unique Design,
Fall is officially here and we’re closing in on the final quarter of 2012, a time when products usually get real or fade into the vapor forever. One that we’ve been waiting to hear about just got a little more real as the Verizon Media Server (VMS), which Big Red teased last December and promised in 2012, got a little mention in the company’s latest comments to the FCC. While attempting to persuade the FCC to standardize an IP content interface and delay the December 2012 deadline, Verizon revealed that the rollout of its new product will begin in the coming months. The full feature set of this server is still unknown, but one interesting feature is its ability to stream multiple high-def stream simultaneously to 3rd party devices connected to your home network. Of course without a industry wide streaming standard — again, like Verizon is requesting the FCC to ratify — who knows exactly what devices could be in the mix.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Verizon FiOS TV Media Server due in the coming months, delivers content to 3rd party devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 02:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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While some patent lawsuits continue to drag on, the battle between TiVo and Verizon over DVR technology has come to a resolution. In exchange for cross licensing their patents and dismissing all pending litigation, the two parties have agreed Verizon will pay TiVo $100 million up front followed by recurring quarterly payments totaling $150.4 million through July 2018, as well as monthly license fees for each FiOS DVR user above certain levels. Now that they’re no longer at war the two companies may find a few things to work together on, and there is a provision for “certain commercial initiatives” which, if pursued this year, could count as credits toward the amount Verizon has agreed to pay.
Additionally, the press release indicates they are exploring support for the upcoming Redbox Instant service (which Verizon is a partner in) on TiVo’s DVRs. This all follows TiVo’s $215 million settlement with AT&T earlier this year and last year’s $500 million agreement with Dish Network. Meanwhile, lawsuits are still pending against Cisco, Time Warner Cable and Motorola. The press release is after the break and associated filings are linked below, with any luck this infusion of cash will help TiVo on new projects like dropping the price of the Stream.
[Thanks, Dave Zatz]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
TiVo settles patent lawsuit with Verizon for at least $250 million, is ‘exploring’ Redbox Instant support originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 09:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Want to know the definition of frustration? Try being teased with a FiOS TV app that supports live streaming, only to be denied when the app shows up. The end to that (admittedly mild) form of torture may be in sight. Engadget has learned through a tip that Verizon is sending invitations among a limited group to test a new FiOS TV iOS app with the usual schedule browsing, DVR control… oh, and live TV. Flex View On Demand videos and local media should be on tap as well, although it’s not clear whether or not any of the options will require an active link to Verizon’s fiber or cellular networks to watch. The trial leaves some time to go before we’re tuning in through a bedside iPhone 5; even so, it suggests the gap between hope and reality is about to close.
[Thanks, Anonymous]
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Mobile
Verizon sends invitations to closed trial of FiOS TV app for iOS with live streaming originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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TiVo owners who’ve wanted to record any more than two shows at a time or use more recent technology like MoCA have had to look towards the wallet-busting Premiere XL4, at least if they didn’t happen to rely on a cable provider bundling the Premiere Q. Thankfully, TiVo has told Zatz Not Funny that a more affordable Premiere 4 option is on the way. The new DVR will still require QAM digital cable or FiOS TV for its tuners to sing, but its 500GB of space will likely lead to a significant price cut versus the 2TB-touting XL4 — if also a whole lot of deleted old shows. MoCA, an eSATA port and a single CableCARD slot will carry over, so there’s few other penalties in store for those who pass on the XL4 flagship. We don’t have any official word on the launch strategy so far, although one loose-lipped rep has floated the rumor of a release within the next one to two months at $250 price tag. If true, the Premiere 4 will go a long way towards satisfying TV junkies who are more concerned about catching every show in a crowded prime time slot (and a lower cost) than digging through months-old archives.
Filed under: Home Entertainment
TiVo Premiere 4 confirmed early, promises a 4-tuner DVR for the masses originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 12:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
While we saw cable and IPTV providers promising pay-TV channels without a box (at least in that room) at CES 2012 we were skeptical, since we’ve been burned before, but now Verizon FiOS TV has followed up the launch of its app on Xbox 360 by quietly releasing the version for Samsung’s Smart TVs and Blu-ray players. Like the Xbox 360 app of course, you will need to already be a Verizon FiOS TV customer, so if it’s not in your area you’re still out of luck. One of our readers noticed the app pop up on his 2011 model Samsung HDTV, and Verizon just posted a quick video trailer (embedded after the break) previewing the app’s ability to tune into 26 live channels, as well as FlexView video on-demand content. Tipster ProphetBeal noted the channel changes seemed quicker than on the Xbox 360 app, although they were otherwise very similar. There’s a few more screens awaiting you at the source link, as well as a list of compatible devices.
[Thanks, ProphetBeal]
Filed under: Home Entertainment
FiOS TV app for Samsung HDTVs and Blu-ray players available with 26 live channels (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 12:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
While it hasn’t actually started to roll out yet, one of our readers sent in pics of a Verizon FiOS survey gauging reactions to a new device that “may be available in the future” as the FiOS Companion tablet. As described in the survey, it’s a WiFi-connected Android slate that not only runs the usual apps, but also works as universal remote control and streams “select” TV channels (probably the same ones as the Xbox 360 app) directly to its screen. The sole picture included confirms we’re looking at the Motorola Corvair 6-inch Android 2.3 tablet that surfaced late last year with all of those features, home automation tie-ins and a 4000mAh battery. The survey questions don’t reveal much else about its capabilities or potential pricing other than asking users if they would be interested in customizing their own home screen, and how. We’d hope the software has seen some updates since its original leak, but knowing this market that seems unlikely. All we can do now is help Verizon / Motorola with that customer research they were hoping to perform so let them know — is this something you’d be interested in?
[Thanks, anonymous]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Tablet PCs
Verizon survey reveals FiOS Companion Android tablet, aka the Motorola Corvair originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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