Hasta La Gadget!

If you were one of those who took a chance on M-Go when it entered the internet streaming arena in January, listen up: you have a new way to enjoy your flicks now that it’s rolling out an app for Vizio Smart TVs. This is the latest addition to the growing roster of compatible devices that you can use to rent / buy movies and TV shows on the subscription-free, pay-as-you-go service. Besides the new app, looks like M-Go’s also making an effort to stay true to its “people-friendliest” promise by revamping its website for easier navigation. These developments might make M-Go harder to dismiss for potential users despite many similar services out there, and who knows — if it continues to expand its offerings, more people could give it a second look in the future.

Filed under: Internet, HD

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Source: Vizio

As much as we enjoyed the decade we spent vegging out in front of the shopping channel, we had hoped that the internet had put such days behind us. Not so, thanks to Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, which has developed its own Smart TV OS, separate to Aliyun, in the hope of pumping even more cash out of our wallets. Developed in collaboration with Wasu Media, the duo will launch a set-top box later in the year, and are in talks with companies like Cisco, Haier and Allwinner to produce compatible devices. While customers will be able to use smartphones to stream media and control their TVs, they’ll probably be strong-armed into buying apps, shopping at the Alibaba-owned Juhuasuan and even making utility payments via the company’s Alipay platform. Looks like we’ve got no choice but to finally buy that noiseless karaoke microphone we’ve been avoiding all these years.

Filed under: Software, HD

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Alizila

Smart TV providers who wish to use HTML5 for their streaming ecosystems have been running into a wall with YouTube, according to Korea’s ETNews. It said Google has insisted TV makers place the app on their systems’ main page and pass a Smart TV “browser conformity test” at its US headquarters, too. As a result, companies like Samsung have had to wait up to three months for YouTube certification. A key part of this allegation is that that TV makers who opted for Mountain View’s Android-based Google TV instead of HTML5 wouldn’t face such problems, but meanwhile, we’ve contacted Google for its take on the matter.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google

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Source: ETNews

China’s Xiaomi has certainly made a name for itself in the smartphone market, but let’s not forget that it has other plans as well. For one, there’s the Xiaomi Box, which is the company’s first foray into the video content world. And according to the above leak, the next step from there appears to be a 47-inch 1080p TV, which is simply branded as “Xiaomi TV” in Chinese (model number L47M1-AA). Like the Xiaomi Box, this TV will apparently feature built-in WiFi and “MiLink” (Airplay, DLNA plus Miracast), as well as audio certification from Dolby and DTS. More after the break.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Sina Weibo (login required)

As commonplace as Time Warner Cable’s TWC TV app might be, it’s surprisingly tricky to find on actual TVs — Roku boxes don’t quite count. The provider is addressing that gap today by releasing a version for Samsung’s Smart TVs. The new app (not yet pictured here) offers authentication-based access to about 5,000 on-demand shows without any extra hardware. This isn’t a true replacement for a cable box, however — along with the usual subscription requirement, there’s no mention of the live TV that we’ve seen elsewhere. Those who aren’t deterred by the restrictions can load TWC TV on their 2012-era Smart TVs today, and 2013 sets in the near future.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung

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Source: Time Warner Cable, TWC Untangled