Hasta La Gadget!

Apple might not need to make a TV set to make a big splash in the television market: a brand new report from Bloomberg claims that the company is negotiating with Time Warner Inc. to bring HBO Go to Apple TV by the middle of this year, citing two people familiar with the plans. That would still mean that the ability to watch HBO shows on Apple’s set-top box would be limited to people who already subscribe to the network in cable and satellite packages, but it’s a promising step.

HBO Go currently provides mobile access to HBO shows and content, which would mean that Apple TV users who are also subscribers would have access to the more than 600 hours of video currently available on the service, which includes hit shows like Game of Thrones and True Blood. The move wouldn’t be unprecedented, as Apple already currently offers Hulu Plus and Netflix access on the platform, and HBO Go is already on Roku and Xbox.

And in the end, it would still mean that customers are shackled to traditional cable and satellite distribution methods, even if the delivery mechanism for their HBO content is actually Apple’s standalone streaming video player. But turning the Apple TV into a platform with access to a broader content library is a key step in making it a better value proposition for consumers: AirPlay is a good selling point, but content options are more plentiful on other devices, even given the fact that the iTunes library is among the largest for digital video.

Many have wondered also whether Apple would open up the Apple TV to third-party apps in a way similar to how it’s running on the iPad and iPhone. This sounds like just another hand-selected partner, however, so it’s unlikely we’ll see an opening up of the platform anytime soon.

Heads up, content lovers: you can now get your fix over at BlackBerry World, which has been updated with music, movies and TV shows for your perusal. As expected, prices are in line with industry norms, ranging from $8 to $12 for albums, and between $0.99 and $1.49 for individual tracks. Meanwhile, television episodes can be had for $1.99 a pop — perfect if you happened to miss the awkward season premiere of Archer — and there’s variable pricing for movies, depending on whether you rent or buy. You’ll find previews of all music tracks, but movies are limited to the trailers and TV shows lack free samples. Nonetheless, if you’re feeling bold and live within one of the supported regions, take a moment to check out the overhauled BlackBerry World. It’s certainly a nice appetizer of what’s to come.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, RIM

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Via: CrackBerry

Source: BlackBerry World

We’re just a few short days away from the official debut of BlackBerry 10 — RIM’s effort to remain relevant in a market it helped pioneer. With the move to a next-gen platform, it also became clear that media would need to be added to marketplace offerings. When it launches, the revamped BlackBerry World will feature DRM-free music, as well as TV shows and movies available for purchase or rent. While prices aren’t set in stone, you can expect them to to fall in line with industry norms. Best of all, most movies should be available the same day as their DVD release and TV shows the day after airing. And, lest you think RIM was going to half-ass the content part of the equation with nothing more than a few CTV and Japandroids offerings (we’d get tired of watching Degrassi: TNG eventually), the slew of partners is pretty impressive. Record labels signed on include 4AD, Matador, Warner and Sony and will be available in 18 countries at launch, while the BBC, Fox, CBC, ABC, CBS, NBC and Warner Bros. are among those offering TV shows in the US, UK and Canada. For a complete list of partners and countries check out the PR after the break.

Filed under: Misc, HD, Mobile, RIM

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Today’s H.264 video codec might be all well and good for the most part, but there’s a new codec in town that looks to take over in order improve video quality and bitrates even more. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced today that they’ve agreed upon the successor to the current H.264 standard, and it’s called H.265, or High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC).

The new video format brings one huge benefit, which is the ability to stream high-quality video at half the bitrate that’s normally required with H.264. While H.264 has become extremely popular during the past recent years, the ICU says that H.265 will be relevant for at least the next decade, and it could made 4K streaming less of a burden on bandwidth.

The hope is that H.265 will enable services to stream full 1080p HD video using half as many bits as required normally, which should make streaming HD video much easier, especially on data connections using smartphones and tablets. As far as 4K goes, it’s said that 4K streaming could be easily possible with a 20 Mbps internet connection using H.265. Those kinds of speeds aren’t readily available for everyone yet, but in a few years it may very well be possible.

The new codec will definitely take a bit of time to reach the popularity that H.264 is at now, though, but once it hits, it’s expected to be the de facto format for quite some time. The ITU says that companies like Mitsubishi and Qualcomm have already demonstrated implementations of the new format, so it shouldn’t be too long before we see it in action out in the wild.

New H.265 video format approved: high-quality video at lower bitrates is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
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