Hasta La Gadget!

The Hulu Plus living room experience has had a user interface update today, bringing Hulu’s Seattle-born vision for non-desktop streaming video to various devices. This update has brought on a new vision for the streaming video platform, now working with in-app Hulu Plus signup, Hulu Kids – an extension of the Hulu Kids child-friendly selection of programs available to web-based users, and simplified controls all-around.

The updated Hulu Plus living room user interface will be working with – most obviously – larger and easier to digest artwork for each media bit and piece. Easier navigation is provided through this enhancement as well as through a system called Trays. With Hulu Plus’ new Tray-style format, users will be able to scroll through selections with much greater ease that the slightly more convoluted system presented in past iterations of the software.

Search functionality has been enhanced in this latest update, this interface simplified once again to add to the overall easier top-to-bottom refurbishing of the user interface. Search now shows results directly beneath the search where before they were – again – not part of as smooth an experience.

This update comes right on the tail of an announcement by Fanivision of a device by the name of Fan TV. This machine will quite likely be featuring Hulu Plus by the time it is released in the future – release date remains unknown at the moment.

The Hulu Plus living room experience update is on its way first to Samsung Smart TVs and Blu-ray players, inclusive of 2012 and 2013 models of Samsung Smart TVs and a select number of Blu-ray players from their recent collection. Roku will also be seeing this update starting today, while the Nintendo Wii will have to wait – soon, and very soon!

SOURCE: Hulu

Hulu Plus living room experience update hits Samsung and Roku first, Wii second is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Roku is a high-selling little set top box that brings a variety of content platforms, such as Netflix and Vudu, to its users’ televisions, giving them smart TV-like functionality sans actually being a smart TV. On April 10, Roku announced that it had sold 5 million players, and now the company’s CEO has spoken with The Hollywood Reporter, sharing his vision of the company’s future.

In the future, we could be seeing Roku-branded televisions, according to a statement made by Anthony Wood, Roku’s CEO. “We see a huge opportunity to be an operating system for televisions and that’s what we’re focused on right now.” Roku is reportedly in talks with more than 24 OEMs for certifying its device/software for TVs.

One particular area of focus is the Streaming Stick, which is a device about the size of your standard thumb drive that can be plugged into a TV. By the end of 2013, Roku expects to see 3.5 million “devices” that are Roku-certified, though it didn’t go into any more detail about those devices. In addition to that, Roku also wants to see its software integrated in TV sets.

The company is said to be in talks with “about two dozen” television makers, looking at having the software built into the devices at some point in the future, although such plans weren’t included in the end-of-2013 timeline it specified for having Roku-certified devices on the market. Although not all the brands were listed, the majority are said to be so-called “house brands,” such as Best Buy’s Insignia.

The idea behind such a business shift is two-fold: on one hand, companies will benefit from having the Roku branding on a television – in theory, at least – and perhaps especially by offering a television that has the software integrated into the set, no secondary device necessary. And by more heavily pushing its software, Roku will spread its proliferation. The company has received a $60 million investment from several companies, which is going towards this goal.

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter

Roku looks outside the box as funds are pushed towards TV integration is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week VIZIO has shown that they’re still very much in the business of making televisions with their M-Series Razor LED Smart TV line for 2013. These televisions come in sizes from 30 all the way up to 80 inches and feature technologies like Smart Dimming and VIZIO Internet Apps Plus for high quality picture both locally and via the web. These machines come with what VIZIO notes is an “ultra-thin bezel” for a “near-borderless” TV experience.

While VIZIO has over the past year shown its ability to spread into the world of personal computing and mobile devices, the M-Series here shows their original home to still be a welcome one. Each television in this series works with full HD 1080p picture with up to 240Hz effective refresh rate.

Each of these televisions work with Smooth Motion technology enhanced with backlight scanning, while models 50-inches or larger gain added abilities. Every model at 50-inches or larger works with a “flicker-free” 3D picture viewable with VIZIO’s implementation of Theater 3D technology.

The whole range works with VIZIO’s newest Internet Apps Plus Smart TV platform, this allowing the user access to apps like Facebook, Pandora, VUDU, YouTube, M-GO, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, and Netflix. All of this will be accessible with each television’s built-in Wifi connectivity or ethernet to keep you up on the internet.

Each M-Series television works with a new backlit Smart remote made specifically for ease in nighttime viewing. These remotes will have Wifi connectivity and new Universal remote features later this summer (2013), allowing the user to control all home entertainment devices. Each of the following: 32, 40, and 47-inch models will be costing between $399.99 and $729.99 MSRP, while models at or above 50-inches will begin at $799.99 ranging up to $3,999.99 USD for 80-inches of Razor LED Smart TV with Theater 3D abilities.

And for those users who want a bit more punch for sound, VIZIO has also introduced the VIZIO S4251w 5.1 Sound Bar which we’ve also reviewed in full earlier this month. Stay tuned as VIZIO continues to keep it sharp.

VIZIO M-Series Razor LED Smart TVs line up to cover bulk of 2013 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The recently-announced Xbox One is coming with new ways earn achievements playing your favorite games, but TV achievements might be coming as well. Microsoft applied for a patent that details a feature that would give users achievements for watching television. Yes, according to Microsoft, sitting on the couch with a dumb look on your face while watching a TV show is considered an “achievement.”

The patent is titled “Awards and Achievements Across TV Ecosystem,” and it essentially revolves around the idea of rewarding television viewers with achievements in a similar fashion that Microsoft rewards gamers for completing certain tasks in games, something like earning points for watching Wheel of Fortune, for instance. Another example would be achievements for watching an entire season of a TV series.

The patent doesn’t mention the Xbox One nor any other of Microsoft’s platforms, but it’s safe to say that if it were to indeed come into fruition, we would most likely see it on the Xbox One, given Microsoft’s strong stance on using the Xbox One has a television set-top box alongside its gaming capabilities.

In the patent application, Microsoft says that they want to change the way users watch television, since it’s mostly just a “passive experience” with no interactivity. The company says that “to increase interactive viewing and encourage a user to watch one or more particular items of video content, awards and achievements may be tied to those items of video content.”

Microsoft hopes to target more people with the Xbox One by focusing more on other areas of entertainment, such as TV, movies, and a plethora of apps that don’t deal with gaming. Of course, gaming will be a core function of the new console, but even with the Xbox 360, Microsoft has been wanting to dive deeper and deeper into more non-game features.

VIA: GamesIndustry.biz

SOURCE: USPTO

Xbox One tipped for TV achievements with new Microsoft patent is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

While we’re aware that Netflix is planning to up its game when it comes to original programming, we were never really given a solid number or when it would all occur. However, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos says that original content on Netflix will double in 2014 compared to this year, meaning we’ll get more House of Cards, as well as a few new shows tacked on.

Netflix is wanting to change the way Hollywood views internet content, and they’re even looking to take on HBO to become the supreme when it comes to original ad-free content. Sarandos says that director David Fincher’s roll in House of Cards is changing the way people view internet streaming content, where it’s no longer a bunch B-list web shows, but actual TV series featuring A-list celebs.

House of Cards is a great example of how Netflix is changing the way people view streaming content. The series stars Kevin Spacey, who is best known for his numerous roles in tons of classic films, such as American Beauty, The Usual Suspects, Se7en, and Superman Returns. The first two episodes of the series were directed by David Fincher, who also directed movies like Fight Club, The Social Network, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

This year already, Netflix has released two original series: House of Cards and Hemlock Grove, with several more original shows on the way: Arrested Development and a Hasbro-sponsored children’s show, as well as three more that we know of. That’s seven shows total that we know of, meaning that if Netflix kept their promise and doubled their original content in 2014, we’ll be getting at least 14 shows next year, but Sarandos says that’s merely a goal, not a promise.

Netflix accounts for a third of all traffic that makes its way through the internet, which is something quite impressive, and the service streams more content than YouTube even. Netflix also keeps adding on new users, claiming three million more customers during Q1 2013 to make a total of 37 million users paying for Netflix.

SOURCE: Hollywood Reporter

Netflix to double original content next year is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.