The New York Times has confirmed that Samsung has acquired streaming TV company Boxee. It’s not a monumental deal, but if anything the purchase will probably help Samsung slightly improve its connected TV interface.
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Bloomberg Businessweek is reporting that Amazon will soon be announcing its own streaming box to pair up with its Amazon Instant Video and video on demand. More »
Bad news for anyone who was excited for Intel to finally reveal its long-rumored set top box and TV service plans at CES next week. According to Janko Roettgers over at Gigaom, knowledgeable sources claim that Intel won’t be officially announcing its challenger to the Apple and Google TV at the show, but more tantalizing details have emerged. More »
Google tried it and failed. Microsoft’s spent years putting pieces in place with Xbox, but it hasn’t gotten there yet. And if you believe the rumors, Apple’s been working on it in secret for years. But the living room revolution we’ve been waiting for won’t be coming from the big three, according to a report from TechCrunch. More »
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 gaming console has given the company a good foothold in the living room, but the company apparently isn’t content with that and wants to increase traction with a new lower-cost device, the Verge reports. According to “multiple sources,” the blog says Microsoft will offer a streamlined media device that provides access to TV and entertainment services, as well as casual gaming software titles.
This device would be one-half of a strategy that also includes next-generation Xbox hardware, the report claims, to be launched in 2013. The set-top box will reportedly be based on a stripped-down version of Windows 8, and will likely offer the type of casual titles available on Mobile and Surface RT devices, as compared to the core gaming titles available through Xbox 360. Specific hardware details weren’t made available to the Verge, but reports claim it’ll be an instant-on gadget, which is in keeping with competitive devices from Apple, Roku, Boxee and others.
The gadget is also said to be part of a larger strategy that would see Microsoft unify core elements of the Xbox experience across platforms, ensuring it can run the same experience on phones, a modestly priced set-top box, full-fledged gaming consoles and also potentially licensed TVs from OEM partners. The company did not reveal timeline specifics beyond the general target of a 2013 release.
A streamlined version of Microsoft’s Xbox would bring it to audiences who aren’t interested in gaming, likely at a much lower price than the Xbox 360. That would help it build its overall device ecosystem, which the company is trying to unify with similar software experiences and cross-platform service integration with Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8. It’s definitely in keeping with what Redmond seems to want to accomplish. We’ve heard whispers that the next-gen full Xbox console will be arriving sometime in 2013, so the timeline is right if this is indeed designed to be part of that launch as reported.
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
The case for rich operating systems supporting a wide range of applications has been proven out among PCs, tablets and smartphones. But the jury is still out for other devices such as televisions. While Samsung pushes ahead on attracting apps to its Smart TVs using its own platform and LG, Sony and Vizio align with Google TV, there are still reasons to believe that the smart TV will fail to have tremendous impact as Switched On discussed last year. Blu-ray players, video game consoles and cheap boxes from Apple, Roku, Netgear and others allow consumers to expand their video options while integrated networking provides gateways to content from smartphones, tablets and PCs.
Continue reading Switched On: The next microplatform
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment
Switched On: The next microplatform originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Nov 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It’s hard to believe that the Slingbox has been around for seven years, but that only makes it harder to accept these are the first retail models that have been released since 2008. That finally changes today, though: Sling Media just introduced two new place-shifters: the Slingbox 500 and 350 (pictured). Available on October 14th for $299 and $179, respectively, these new set-top boxes replace the Solo and Pro-HD. While the 350 simply adds 1080p streaming for the same price, the 500 adds SlingProjector, a feature that lets you take photos stored on your iOS or Android device and send them to your television (video streaming will soon be supported as well). The Slingbox 500 will also soon be able to play content on USB-attached storage, but that will come in a future software update. The SlingPlayer apps get a refresh as well, adding reminders and an easier way to share your Slingbox with friends. What we set out to determine in this review — and what you’ll discover if you click through — is how big of an upgrade this really is. Is it worth chucking your old hardware for one of these boxes? What if you’re thinking of getting your first media streamer? We’ll delve into all that after the break.
Gallery: Slingbox 500
Gallery: Slingbox 350 review
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Slingbox 350 and 500 review: Sling Media finally upgrades its line of media streamers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If Apple TV is anything like the a la carte channels as apps dream we’ve hoped for, it could be amazing. But according to comments from Time Warner Cable president and COO Rob Marcus we might never be liberated from our cable providers. More »
And then there were two. We’re talking about standalone Google TV boxes, folks, with the Vizio Co-Star recently joining Sony’s NSZ-GS7. Both feature the same version of Google’s software and come with a remote offering a full QWERTY keyboard and touchpad. But with Vizio’s model selling for just $99, it’s half the price of Sony’s entry, so you might be wondering how extensive the differences are. Now that we’ve had a chance to test both, we’re ready to weigh in. Read on to find out if that 50 percent price difference makes the Co-Star worth it.
Continue reading Vizio Co-Star review: how good a deal is this $99 Google TV box?
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Vizio Co-Star review: how good a deal is this $99 Google TV box? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology.
When I was a kid, my parents actually rented our home phones from the phone company. They were hard-wired to the wall — no detachable RJ cables. The phones were heavy, and when you needed a new one, you would call the phone company and get in line. They would then come out in four to six weeks and install the new phone for you at your expense. If you wanted to move the phone to another room, the process was like calling an electrician: holes were drilled, ladders were scaled and money was spent.
The phone equipment itself was drab, heavy and came in your choice of two colors: boring and depressing. Answering machines were rare — instead, you had to use expensive answering services staffed by cranky women from New Jersey.
Continue reading This is the Modem World: Can I pick my own set-top box, please?
Filed under: Displays, Misc, Household, Internet
This is the Modem World: Can I pick my own set-top box, please? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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