After years of trying everything possible to kill streaming video services, it looks like at least one major cable provider is finally realizing the move to streaming content by consumers is inevitable. Virgin Media UK, which is oddly based in the New York, has announced that it is now offering Netflix directly to 40,000 of its subscribers who currently use a TiVo set-top box.
The test is currently only available for 40,000 of the estimated 1.7 million TiVo set-top box users that Virgin Media has in the UK. The cable provider has an estimated 3.77 million customers, 44% of which use the TiVo box.
This marks the first time a major cable provider has offered Netflix content integrated into its services. Subscribers to Virgin Media in the UK still have to pay a subscription fee for access to Netflix. Hopefully, this means more cable and satellite will begin offering integrated 3rd-party streaming services.
Raspberry Pi and the Raspbmc OS already make a solid combo as a media center, but if you encounter music-related limitations then it may be worth giving the RaspyFi distro (v1.0) a shot instead. In addition to supporting Apple AirPlay and a range of lossless file types, this audio-centric form of Linux also works with a long list of external USB DACs, including asynchronous playback, so you can avoid relying your Pi’s tiny stock DAC and amplifier. RaspyFi’s other big feature is that it comes with its own web-based UI (shown in the video after the break), which ought to make it easy to control playback of both local and streamed content (such as web radio or Spotify) from virtually any browser-equipped device on your network. A quick health warning, though: audiophilia is a slippery slope that may subsequently cause you to develop an unhealthy suspicion towards your Pi’s standard power supply.
Sonos’ Play:3 speaker ran away with our editors’ choice award back in 2011, so there’s probably a little pressure on the device that’s just turned up at the FCC. Ahead of any official announcement, the Play:1 has been outed toting 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, all thanks to our boys in blue lab coats. Now that the hardware has been deemed fit for human consumption, we can expect some more solid news in the near future. The only question left, therefore, is if “1” is above or below “3” in the minds of Sonos’ marketing department.
Yesterday Sony introduced a gaming device that’s as surprising as the Nintendo 2DS. Alongside its announcement of a new PS Vita model, Sony also introduced the PlayStation Vita TV. But while Nintendo wants to grab new mobile gamers with its new handheld, Sony seems to be going after its existing customers with the PS Vita TV. You’ll see why I say that in a bit.
If the 2DS is a 3DS with no 3D screen, the Vita TV is a Vita that has no screen at all. It needs your TV or HD monitor as its screen. It measures just 2.6″ x 4.1″ x o.54″ and weighs just 110g (~0.24 lb.). It can play many games PS Vita games as well as the PS One Classics and PSP games in the Playstation Network store. It will use the DualShock 3 controller, which was originally released for the PS3. The Vita TV has a Vita game card slot, an HDMI port, a USB 2.0 port, an Ethernet port, Wi-Fi connectivity and a slot for Sony’s memory cards.
Another compelling feature of the PS Vita TV is that it will also have its own version of Remote Play when the PS4 launches. If you have a PS 4 connected to one TV, you can use the PS Vita TV to stream games to another TV as long as both PlayStation devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. You can see this feature at around 0:44 in the video below:
The PS Vita is also a digital media player. But it’s going to be launched in Japan first so the announced services are mainly for Japanese customers, with the exception of Hulu. Finally, like the 2DS, the PS Vita TV is also cheaper than its full featured kin. It will launch in Japan on 11/14/13 for ¥9,954 (~$100 USD).
It’s not all good news though. As you may have deduced already, the PS Vita TV cannot play all Vita games. That’s because some games, e.g. Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Tearaway make use of the Vita’s touchscreen, which the DualShock 3 doesn’t have. PlayStation Japan has a list of the games that will work with the PS Vita. The obvious answer to this dilemma would be the DualShock 4, but Sony didn’t say if this functionality will be added in the future.
As with the 2DS’ lack of 3D, the disparity between the Vita and the Vita TV could create a lose-lose situation for Sony. If developers keep on making Vita games that require a touchscreen or a touchpad, owners of the Vita TV will be pissed off that they can’t play those games. On the other hand, if more Vita games in the future won’t require the touchscreen, that may render the Vita’s touchscreen and rear touchpad useless. I think Sony should order developers to require the use of Vita’s touch hardware only on games that are meant to be played on the go. In short, only on games designed for a mobile device. Because that’s what the Vita is and that’s what the Vita TV is not. I don’t think Vita TV gamers would care much for an endless running game or a tower defense game.
Another drawback of this strange new microconsole is that it’s not really as cheap as it seems. Sure, at only $100, it’s 50% cheaper than the PS Vita. But the microconsole doesn’t come with a DualShock 3. Japanese customers will have to buy a bundle that costs about $150 if they want a controller included with their PS Vita TV. Then there’s Sony’s most irritating quirk: its memory cards. The PS Vita TV has only 1GB of internal memory, which means pretty soon you’ll have to splurge on Sony’s vastly overpriced proprietary memory cards.
Like I said, the PS Vita TV seems to be aimed at loyal or would-be loyal fans of the PlayStation ecosystem. If you already have a PS3, then you already have a DualShock 3 controller. Got the Vita? Then you have Vita games and at least one memory card. If Ouya and other microconsole makers want to stay swimming with this big fish, I think they have to attack that one weakness: sell cheap and go for casual and retro gamers.
AMD has long signaled that embedded chips will play a major role in its future, and it’s backing up that claim by providing a glance at its 2014 roadmap. The highlight is Bald Eagle, a 35-watt x86 processor designed for demanding tasks like gaming; it should include up to four Steamroller cores, and it will optionally sport on-chip Graphics Core Next video. Devices that need even more visual power will use Adelaar, a dedicated graphics chipset that includes both GCN and 2GB of built-in memory. It’s reportedly fast enough to be useful for PC video cards, not just the usual set-top boxes and smart TVs.
Two system-on-chip designs are also joining AMD’s lineup. Hierofalcon is built with data centers in mind, and carries up to eight ARM Cortex-A57 cores; Steppe Eagle, meanwhile, is a combination of upgraded Jaguar x86 cores and GCN that should speed up AMD’s low-power G-series processors. With the exception of Hierofalcon, all of the new embedded chips should be available in the first half of next year. AMD hasn’t named any early customers, but its embedded silicon tends to reach products that you’d recognize. Check out the roadmap after the break.
In an unusual move for a pay-TV operator, Virgin Media is going to enable Netflix on its TiVo DVRs in the UK. Here in the US cable company-provided TiVos are missing the app and have blamed its absence on Netflix’s content agreements with the studios. Virgin Media’s claim that its the first pay-TV operator to offer TiVo doesn’t seem quite right though, since Google Fiber TV has included Netflix and YouTube (which VM wedged into TV guide listings earlier this year) alongside regular TV since it launched, and recently added Vudu to the mix. Either way, we expect subscribers will be happy to see the option when it pops up for all later this year, a trial starting this week is limited to 40,000 households. The two will still need separate accounts and billing, at least for now, and users can create a new account within the app itself. According to the press release, this rollout comes alongside updates that increase energy efficiency while improving WishLists and recommendations — let us know if you’re seeing any changes for the better.
Just over a month after its iOS debut, video support for “Play on Roku” is now available for the streaming box’s Android app. You’ll need a second gen or newer Roku running at least software version 5.1 to push hand-crafted video from your Google gizmo, and then it only works with “select” Ice Cream Sandwich or later devices. Which ones? The company’s blog lists the Samsung Galaxy S III and S4, HTC One, Nexus 4 and 2012’s Nexus 7 tablet. You have one of those, right?
Monday Night Football is back and there’s a massive Texas A&M vs. Alabama college football game, but that’s far from the only thing on TV this week. Star Trek Into Darkness highlights the Blu-ray releases but Trek fans beware: The Digital Bits warns Paramount has spread the extras as exclusives across retailers, meaning things like a commentary might not be on your version. We’d advise skipping it entirely until a proper release arrives with all the extras in tow.
One other show we’re keeping an eye out for tonight is NBC’s The Million Second Quiz. It’s a 24/7 trivia show that ties in with mobile apps on Android and iOS to let viewers at home play along with the live broadcast and perhaps even get on the show. This week we also have the series finale for Burn Notice, season finale for The Newsroom, the premiere of Ricky Gervais’ Derek on Netflix and the season premiere of Sons of Anarchy. Look after the break for our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.
Orb Audio clearly subscribes to the “do it right the first time” school of thought: Since 2003 it has released exactly one product, the Mod1 speaker. That changes today, because the funky modular audio system is getting both a refresh, and pair of subwoofers to celebrate the firm’s 10-year anniversary. The Mod1X satellites sport a new aluminum driver the company says can handle higher power and has improved midrange and high frequency performance. For aesthetics, they’re available in black, white, “hammered Earth,” polished steel and antiqued copper and bronze finishes.
If you like your bass down low, Orb has you covered here too. The subONE is a 200-watt subwoofer squeezed into a cabinet measuring less than 12 inches on each side, and it features anti-clipping and thermal overload circuits as well as auto voltage-sensing tech — just in case you use it abroad. A small room doesn’t mean you don’t need big sound, so it’s nice to see Orb address that with the 100-watt subMINI that’s tucked into a dual ported 9-inch cabinet. Sure, an $889 starting price for surround sound is a little pricey, but, unlike other aspects of your home theater, good speakers can last a lifetime.
Judging from the reader comments when we initially reported on Commercial Break’s beta launch, a lot of people wanted to see an Android version and more functionality for sports. Well, the devs appear to be listening. With the app’s new “Live Events” feature, you can follow multiple upcoming live broadcasts (ballgames or otherwise) and get push notifications before they start and when they return from an ad-break. The app is now available at Google Play, and both it and the iOS version support a majority of (not blacked-out) nationally televised pro and college football games, as well as the upcoming MLB playoffs. Could the app use any more improvements? Speak up and speak often — it won’t be in vain.
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