Oct 07
Thom Yorke has already made his feelings on music streaming services known: he doesn’t like them
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Oct 06
This article was written on December 28, 2011 by CyberNet.
Now that internet-enabled smartphones are rapidly expanding their market share, we’re increasingly turning to our phones to pass the time while we’re on the bus, sitting in a waiting room or even when we should really be keeping our eyes on the road. People have been watching videos on their phones for some time now, but due to recent developments you can now legally stream major television channels as well. Here are three cheap ways to watch your favorite channels on your smartphone.
Through your television provider
This year many cable and satellite television providers have released their own TV viewing apps, often for both iOS and Android. They have been subject to controversy because some TV channels weren’t happy about this move, so your experience may vary depending on your location.
Apps are available for some, but not all, of the major television distributors:
Comcast/Xfinity subscribers are left in the dark for the time being. HBO has released HBO Go (iOS/Android), which offers an on-demand app but no live streaming capabilities.
In Europe, similar apps are available for subscribers of Sky (United Kingdom), KPN (The Netherlands), Ziggo (The Netherlands), Telenet (Belgium) and Belgacom (Belgium).
Cost: free with your subscription
No cable subscription?
In the United Kingdom, you don’t even need to have a cable subscription to stream live television. All major Freeview broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5) are available from the ad-supported TVCatchup app.
The worst thing about this service is the 30-second preroll when you tune in to a channel but other than that it is really easy to use. Paid ad-free accounts are not available at this point. I suspect this has more to do with complex legal rules than an unwillingness to offer paid alternatives. Also, keep in mind that you still have to pay TV Licensing if you watch live television online!
If you live in Germany, Spain or Denmark you can watch a selection of the big networks in your area through Zattoo. Depending on your country’s regulations, you may have to pay for a TV license to legally access these streams.
Cost: free, ad-supported
The do-it-yourself solution
If some of the channels that matter to you aren’t available through these apps, there’s a DIY route. You will need some form of TV reception (terrestrial, cable or satellite) and the appropriate software to redistribute these channels for personal use. Orb and SlingPlayer are some of your options.
Orb: streaming from your computer
Among other things, Orb can be used to stream live television from your computer to your mobile devices. You’ll need to install a free piece of software on a Windows/Mac computer and connect an Orb-supported TV tuner to your computer. Their mobile apps for iOS and Android will run you about 10 dollar. If you’re not sure that this is what you need, you can try the lite version of their app for free.
SlingPlayer: streaming from your television
If you have a Slingbox at home, you can buy the SlingPlayer app for iOS and Android to stream live video from your television. Their app will cost you 30 dollar in addition to the price of your Slingbox. Two more caveats: not all of their models are supported and you can only stream one channel simultaneously.
Cost: one-time fee
Copyright © 2013 CyberNetNews.com
Oct 02
Netflix brought 1080p streaming to Android 4.3 this summer, and now iPhone / iPad users can experience HD streams as well, provided they’ve updated to iOS 7. Another new feature in the latest update is support for AirPlay streaming (if you prefer that to using the Apple TV’s built-in app, it also means disabling AirPlay mirroring and requires iOS 7), along with other miscellaneous fixes. Hit the link below to grab version 5.0 right away, unless you’re still busy testing out the just-released Chromecast support from Hulu Plus.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Internet, HD, Mobile, Apple
Source: iTunes
Oct 02
The British Film Institute promised that it would put 10,000 movies online as part of the Film Forever initiative, and it’s now making good on its word — if slowly. The Institute will launch the first phase of its BFI Player streaming service on October 9th with a library of more than 1,000 videos, including movies, behind-the-scenes clips and archival footage. About 60 percent of the content will be free, with the rest available as pay-per-view. As for those remaining 9,000 videos? The BFI expects those to appear in the months ahead, and it’s launching BFI Player’s second phase in early 2014.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Via: Pocket-lint
Source: British Film Institute
Oct 02
Though RCA has slipped from electronics giant to maker of niche products, it’s just announced an intriguing music streaming system that is rumored to cost $178 at Walmart, according to Android Police. The Internet Music System (has RCA fired its branding department?) features a removable Android tablet of as-yet unknown size that plays music via Bluetooth to the docking amp and speakers. Music sources can be Google Play Music and apps like Spotify, as well as CDs via a player and yes, FM radio. As a topper , it’ll also stream video from the likes of Netflix and YouTube to your TV via an HDMI cable. At the above price, it might be just the device for those tired of explaining for the eighth time how to play a YouTube song through the home theater system. To see how it works, check the video after the break.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wireless, Internet, HD
Via: Android Community
Source: Android Police
Oct 02
Launching in July with Netflix and YouTube mirroring, Google’s $35 Chromecast streaming dongle now has another video streaming service adding supporting the platform to its apps: Hulu. From today, Hulu will provide Chromecast streaming inside its Hulu Plus app, mirroring shows like New Girl and Modern Family on the big screen. Unlike Netflix, which allows subscribers to stream video from Chrome and its official apps, Hulu originally supported Chromecast via its tab casting feature. Today’s extenstion will see a Cast button added to Hulu’s iPad and Android apps (with iPhone support “coming very soon”). While we’re still waiting for Google to open Chromecast to allow local media playback, the addition of Hulu Plus may tide us over until it does.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD, Mobile, Google
Source: Official Google Blog
Oct 02
Hulu has finally added Chromecast support to its Hulu Plus app, which means you can gorge on Modern
Posted in: Today's ChiliHulu has finally added Chromecast support to its Hulu Plus app, which means you can gorge on Modern Family and Parks and Recreation to your heart’s content.
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Oct 01
Wondering why the BBC brought iPlayer downloads to just 11 Android devices, several months after iOS users got their turn? The broadcaster has just explained itself through a blog post detailing the Android app’s testing process. Like Netflix, the BBC had to focus its support on a handful of Android products in order to launch on time; this supports what we’ve heard from our own sources, who suggest that iPlayer development is normally arduous. To address as much hardware as possible on a tight schedule, the network conducted frequent, iterative tests that guaranteed compatibility relatively quickly. While the end result still leaves a lot of viewers without downloads, the BBC suggests that its testing process introduced the feature sooner than would have otherwise been possible. Whether or not you’re happy with the finished product, you can check out the corporation’s full methodology at the source link.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, HD, Mobile
Source: BBC Internet Blog
Sep 26
Netflix’s highest quality ‘Super HD’ 1080p video streams are available everywhere
Posted in: Today's Chili
Feeling left out because your internet provider isn’t on board with Netflix’s Open Connect program that provides access to its Super HD high-bitrate 1080p streams? Let that feeling of abandonment go, as the company has announced all of its customers (with compatible players) now have access to the higher quality video (and, in the US, 3D). According to Netflix the move is based on a combination of performance data and member requests, although we’ll consider ourselves unofficial beta testers after a glitch temporarily switched it on for all providers back in August. Netflix is going to keep pushing its Open Connect platform, and reminds users that actually getting the video streams with less compression depends on the network connection available. Let us know if you’re seeing a few new shades and sharper edges in OITNB, or if things have stayed pretty much the same.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Netflix Blog, Netflix Support
Sep 26
AMD and Raptr create PC gaming suite to tweak settings, dole out prizes and stream over Twitch
Posted in: Today's Chili
Hate mucking around in PC game graphics menus? NVIDIA’s got an app for that — and now, AMD does too. The chipmaker has teamed up with Raptr, a video game-focused social network, to launch Gaming Evolved: a suite that offers tools for chat, takes screenshots and even tweaks game settings for better performance. Unlike Nvidia’s kit however, Gaming Evolved relies heavily on Raptr’s community data to determine the best configuration for your PC. Naturally, the social network’s rewards system is in play, offering users beta access to select games or free DLC for using the service, too. You can also stream via Twitch, and even simultaneously watch someone else’s broadcast while you play DayZ. The company says the program is designed to “make PC gaming as simple to use as consoles,” but the beta build that’s available now plays more like Steam than a living room device.
Source: Raptr
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