Hasta La Gadget!

An interesting new set-top box from Boxee has leaked today called the Boxee TV. According to the source who leaked the photographs, the set top box combines an over the air HDTV antenna and DVR functionality allowing users to record programs using free HD broadcasts in the area. The device is also tipped to feature support for web apps.

The set-top box is manufactured by D-Link for Boxee and looks more like a traditional set-top box than some of the company’s previous devices. Previously, Boxee offered the ability to view live TV by connecting a separately available external tuner to their existing products. The new Boxee TV supposedly has that TV tuner built right in.

It appears that the set-top box is available to beta testers right now, and one of those testers snapped some pictures and leaked them. The tipster notes that documentation included implies that you can watch the content recorded on the box on multiple devices. Presumably, that means using the Boxee smartphone app allows users to watch recorded programs on the go.

Other features of the new set-top box include the ability to stream full HD video within the home across a network. Interestingly, rather than the double sided remote control Boxee currently uses that has a keyboard on one side; the Boxee TV apparently uses a traditional single sided remote offering no keyboard control. Reports indicate that it may be a while before this device turns up for your average consumer to purchase, apparently the software the device runs is unstable and crashes frequently with updates promised from Boxee.

[via The Verge]

Leaked Boxee TV gets integrated HDTV antenna and DVR is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you’re not quite comfortable shelling out £299 for BT’s YouView box, then you’re in luck. Starting October 26th, the hardware will be free for new Infinity broadband subscribers who ink contracts that are one year or longer. Instead of relying on cable, the Humax-built device uses both aerial and internet connections to deliver content from more than 100 digital TV and radio channels including Channels 4 and 5, the BBC and ITV. With the IPTV box, users can sift through content that’s aired in the past seven days, watch on-demand programs and record up to 300 hours of standard definition television or 125 hours of high-def video to a built-in 500GB hard drive. Current British Telecom subscribers pining for the subsidized box will be able to get their own for a £49 activation fee and a £6.95 delivery charge. Those eager for the gratis set-top solution will be able to order it online starting October 19th if they register interest with BT’s website beforehand. For more details, check out the press release below.

Continue reading BT to offer free YouView box with one-year broadband contract, £49 for existing customers

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

BT to offer free YouView box with one-year broadband contract, £49 for existing customers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 02:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  BT  | Email this | Comments

Now that Ceton has pushed its Companion mobile apps for Windows Media Center out the door, our attention returns to the hardware we got a look at during CES. A blog post from the company indicates the Echo extender has passed FCC and CE certifications, with alpha tests under way. If you’re not in position to borrow a unit from the home of an employee, your next opportunity to obtain one will come when the beta starts. The 1,000 applicants accepted should receive ordering information around the end of this month before hardware ships on October, which, if there are no delays, could mean general availability as soon as November. Still waiting for word on that slick six tuner Q DVR? So are we, but an update, along with final specs for the Echo version 1, are promised at the end of the month.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Ceton Echo WMC extender beta units set to ship in October, on target for November release originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 13:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Ceton  | Email this | Comments

You may be familiar with EchoStar’s satellite-based (Dish Network) and Sling Media (Slingbox) products, but the company also manufactures set-top boxes for third-party providers, as well as free-to-air services in the UK. It’s this last grouping that’ll be able to take advantage of the Android-based device we saw today, assuming it does in fact make its way to market. The HDX-410 runs native Ice Cream Sandwich, and is available in two versions — one supports IP content and local storage exclusively, while a second can also accept terrestrial Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) programming, letting you play back live TV shows in addition to content from a local server, pulled from the web or stored on attached media or an inserted microSD card. It connects to the web using Ethernet or WiFi, and includes USB ports on both the front and the rear, Bluetooth, HDMI out, digital audio out and a standard-definition connection. It’s also paired with a QWERTY keyboard-equipped remote manufactured by Philips with gyroscopic or directional-pad curser control, along with pinch/zoom gesture capability.

We had a chance to check out the ICS box at EchoStar’s IBC booth today, where the device was running Android 4.0.4 and an early version of the company’s hybrid app, which groups “favorited” content alongside terrestrial channels, letting you use the standard channel up/down button to navigate through stored TV shows, IP content or live programming quite seamlessly, as if all of the media was playing from the same source. It’s clearly not yet ready for primetime, but the interface was sleek and speedy — the set-top box performed very well overall. EchoStar reps were unable to confirm whether or not the HDX-410 would be coming to market at all, but they did add that the solution may be made available to third-parties in the future. Click past the break to take a closer look in our hands-on video.

Continue reading EchoStar HDX-410 set-top box runs native ICS, supports terrestrial broadcasts (hands-on video)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

EchoStar HDX-410 set-top box runs native ICS, supports terrestrial broadcasts (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Sky+ has been on a bit of a tear refreshing its set-top boxes, and it’s not about to stop now. When ready, a new update for the satellite TV provider’s devices will let you undelete recorded programs; deleted shows are now moved to a separate space and only removed permanently either through age or if you really, really don’t want to watch. If you’re more interested in watching content that’s always available, both Anytime and Anytime+ will be rebranded as On Demand, while the Sky Guide is adding a dedicated store tab for movie rentals. Catch Up TV is also nearing with the update and should aggregate the last week’s worth of shows from Sky in addition to BBC iPlayer, Demand 5 and ITV Player. The gotcha, as we know all too well from these kinds of firmware revisions, is the timing. You’ll have to have either a Sky+ HD 1TB box or the Sky+ HD DRX890 to get the upgrade early on, and Sky is staggering its deployment in a move that could leave some subscribers twiddling their thumbs.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Sky+ update allows undeleting recorded shows, more on-demand and future Catch Up TV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pocket-lint  |  Sky  | Email this | Comments