Those in search of SNL and 30 Rock clips over at NBC’s videos page have been met with something quite different: a hacked page of weirdness with a surprisingly catchy soundtrack. It’s most prominent website hack we’ve seen in a while, and also one of the least coherent. More »
While it seems like every network is rolling out its own personal second screen app for tablets and / or phones, over in the UK zeebox has been trying to corner the experience across channels and providers with its app. Available as an app for iOS and Android and also on the web, it brings a customized TV guide, live chat, social network sharing and remote control features to the TV experience, and now it’s come to the US. Other than the typical second screen experience, its main hook is an “OpenBox” API and tags that allow content providers to customize the experience for their viewers… and then sell them stuff like video on-demand or related merchandise.
On this side of the Atlantic zeebox has secured backing from Comcast / NBC Universal, giving it financial and promotional support as well as covering more than 30 networks right away. It also means it can eventually act as a remote control for Comcast users, which may be an advantage over competition like Miso, GetGlue and IntoNow, and can flex its muscles paired with hundreds of shows like The Voice, Notre Dame football and HBO content like True Blood. Out of the box, the app’s social ties and careful metering may be a programmer’s dream as it monitors who is watching what live, but we’ll have to see more of the second screen content come to life if it’s going to catch on socially. A customizable guide (yes, you can hide or reorder channels at will) is a nice touch and so is being able to see what your friends are viewing with Facebook Open Graph and Twitter hooks — but only if they’re actually using it. If you want to check it out, the free apps are linked below and the full press release follows after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Software, HD
Zeebox second screen TV companion app crosses over to the US, with a boost from Comcast and HBO originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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NBC’s Olympics Live Extra may have lost its original raison d’être after the flame was extinguished in London, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to purge the app from your phone’s home screen. An update for Android and iOS users alike is giving the title new life as NBC Sports Live Extra, and the name makes it quite obvious that you’ll have a lot more to watch than just biathlons and fencing. NBC expects to offer live streaming for the European PGA, LPGA, MLS, NHL, Notre Dame, PGA, Ryder Cup and other events or leagues culled from the channel formerly known as Versus. Highlights, social sharing and other side features will carry over as well. You don’t have to do a thing beyond check for a new version to make the switch to the already updated apps, but you will have to subscribe to conventional TV to use them properly: NBC is requiring TV Everywhere authentication for access to most of what’s on offer from NBC Sports Network and the Golf Channel.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, HD
NBC rebrands Olympics app as NBC Sports Live Extra, promises streams for a wider athletic universe originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 05:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Amazon and NBCUniversal Cable & New Media Distribution today announced a deal that will expand the mega-retailer’s streaming selection by hundreds of episodes, including the likes of Parks and Recreation, Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, Heroes and Battlestar Galactica. Prime users will be able to check out older seasons of those shows on their computers, iPads, Xbox 360s, PlayStation 3s and, of course, Kindle Fires. Non-Prime subscribers can also try out Prime Instant Video’s 22,000 movies and TV shows for one month, gratis. More information and lots of excited quotes about the deal can be found after the break.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Amazon and NBCUniversal expand Prime Instant Video deal, let you stream Parks and Rec in one place originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 09:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Can’t get enough coverage of the US presidential race even with YouTube in the mix? Microsoft’s Election 2012 Hub for Xbox Live may be able to satisfy your inner political junkie. Redmond’s initiative will provide video of town hall events at both the Democratic and Republican national conventions, daily content from NBC and full coverage of results as ballots are cast and counted on November 6th. Throughout live streams of the debates, users will be able to rate the performances of public office hopefuls and see what marks other viewers give them in real-time. Information on voter registration, politicians and their take on issues will also be included. According to Microsoft, roughly 40 percent of Xbox-owning voters surveyed aren’t concretely committed to a candidate running for the Oval Office, placing them in the highly-prized swing voter category. The service won’t launch until the Grand Old Party’s powwow kicks off on August 27th, but we hear there’s plenty of relevant reading to keep you busy until then.
US presidential campaign trail winds its way to Xbox Live on August 27th with Election 2012 Hub originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 02:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Starting later on this month (Monday, August 27 to be exact), the Xbox 360 dashboard will transform into a hub for coverage of the 2012 presidential election. Microsoft announced today that it will be providing Xbox 360 owners with full election coverage, and from the sounds of things, those who are interested will be able to find all the information they could ever want about the election come August 27.
Microsoft isn’t offering this election hub by itself, however, as it has a teamed up with a number of different companies to deliver all-encompassing coverage. Users will be able to register to vote through the dashboard thanks to the Rock the Vote campaign, while Face the Facts USA will be offering information on both candidates. There will also be “live daily polling” provided by the folks at YouGov, so Xbox 360 users will be able to keep up with the rest of the community’s thoughts on the election.
Microsoft has also teamed up with NBC News to deliver daily video content on the election. Perhaps most importantly, Xbox users will be able to watch the three planned presidential debates along with live streams from the Republican and Democratic National Conventions through their consoles. That’s where YouGov’s live polling comes in, as Xbox 360 owners will be able to vote in polls during the debates.
As always, there’s a bit of a catch: most of this coverage will be available to all Xbox Live users, but the really important stuff – the debates and the coverage from NBC – will only be available to those with an Xbox Live Gold subscription. Other than the Gold requirement (which was to be expected, really), this sounds like a pretty great way to get gamers involved in the election, and the information from Face the Facts USA will undoubtedly be appreciated while the candidates are offering their own take on things during the debates. Will you be watching the debates through your Xbox 360?
[via Xbox.com]
Xbox 360 to offer hub for 2012 election coverage is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
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While NBC News is no longer rocking the MS tag on its name, it’s still tight with the Redmond crew and just launched a new app on the Xbox 360. Its well hidden section on the Inside Xbox channel got a refresh just last year, but the new app should bring even more clips of breaking news, features and commentaries culled from its various shows. As you can see in the screenshot it brings the content in the now-familiar grid style of menus (or whatever Microsoft is calling it) with Kinect support and the like. You can find it on your console now, just in case you needed another place to love / hate Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews and all the rest.
Continue reading NBC News app for Xbox 360 brings streaming show clips to the console
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment
NBC News app for Xbox 360 brings streaming show clips to the console originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Our men and women in uniform got the total shaft on Olympics coverage this year. Like everyone else, active duty members of the armed forces and other agencies overseas have had to watch NBC’s infuriating tape-delayed broadcasts. Even if they’re on bases in Europe where they could otherwise watch the events live on local TV. Bloody hell. More »
Remember how Guy Adams’ Twitter account was suspended after his rant over the delayed live telecast of the Olympics’ opening ceremony on TV? Well, it seems that Twitter has restored Adams’ account, so hopefully all of it will be bridge under the water by now. I guess it is an issue that has been blown up by someone in the media team who decided to act as an individual instead of as a corporate decision, contacting NBC in the process to have the entire thing (to some) blown out of proportion. Twitter’s rules do mention that you are not allowed to put up someone else’s private and confidential information, explicitly listing “non-public, personal email addresses”, never mind that those can more often than not be uncovered through some clever Google sleuthing.
Not only that, Twitter also mentioned “[i]f information was previously posted or displayed elsewhere on the Internet prior to being put on Twitter, it is not a violation of this policy,” which more or less invalidates Twitter’s own action of taking down Adams’ account in the first place. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail in such situations in the future, but it does seem as though Guy Adams is not in the wrong here.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: No tweets in London Olympics if you want to watch TV, Twitter flu gets tracked, predicts you falling sick in advance,
Fanhattan’s often been praised for offering a one-stop hub where folks can keep track of all their cherished entertainment shows, which has led it to become a crowd favorite amongst iOS users. Well, today the application’s expanding its TV guide services a little more, announcing it’s now showing content from 10 new providers, including HBO, Cinemax, NBC and, better yet, The CW — you know, because we just can’t miss out on the latest Gossip Girl episodes. In addition to these channel inclusions, Fanhattan’s also introduced a novel, Amazon-esque WatchList feature that pushes out alerts as soon as added shows (movies, too) are ready to be watched. If you’ve yet to give the handy application a try, you can do so now by grabbing it at no cost from Cupertino’s well-known app mart.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Software
Fanhattan updates iOS app with WatchList feature, content from Cinemax, HBO and NBC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 18:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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