Sep 07

Verizon FiOS HD DVR review (1.9)

Posted in: dvr, hdpostcross, motorola, review, Today's Chili, verizon

It seems most have never learned to truly appreciate a DVR, instead thinking of it merely as a tape-less VCR. If you’re like us, you love your DVR, but wait with bated breath for the next — that might be the great one. So it was with great anticipation that we ran the new FiOS HD DVR update (1.9) through its paces. Arguably the biggest update since Verizon released a DVR, it was instantly adored by those lucky enough to have access to it, thanks to its external storage support, enhanced multi-room functionality and slick new 16×9 HD user interface. But does it meet our expectations? And can it compete with the likes of a TiVo or Windows Media Center DVR? Well, you’ll just have to click through yourself for those answers.

Gallery: FiOS HD DVR review (1.9)

Continue reading Verizon FiOS HD DVR review (1.9)

Verizon FiOS HD DVR review (1.9) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 06

TiVo Premiere Elite will bring quad tuners, 2TB storage to retail this year

Posted in: BestBuy, dvr, hdpostcross, tivo, Today's Chili

When TiVo announced its first quad tuner DVR, the Premiere Q, fans were devastated to learn it would only be available via cable operators, and that it featured a smallish 500GB hard drive. Fortunately, the company has rectified both of those issues by announcing the TiVo Premiere Elite, a quad tuner Series 4 DVR with 2TB of storage built that will be available through TiVo.com, Best Buy’s Magnolia stores and authorized home theater installers. There’s no word yet on price or an exact release date, as all of this is still pending a waiver from the FCC allowing TiVo to sell the box without any OTA or analog cable tuners, making this a digital cable (or Verizon FiOS) only experience. It’s also THX Certified and most of the press release is dedicated to focusing on the high end nature of the hardware TiVo is unleashing. Also unmentioned so far is any retail edition of the TiVo Preview multiroom extender box, but we should get some hands-on time with this quad tuner edition very shortly during CEDIA 2011. For now, just check out the press release, included after the break, and for our European readers Engadget Spanish has you covered on the launch of the TiVo Premiere for ONO in Spain.

Update: The official TiVo.com/elite page is live, and reveals the price as $499 “with service”, $499 additional for a lifetime subscription. [Thanks @PhilipSaad]

Gallery: TiVo Premiere Elite quad tuner DVR

Continue reading TiVo Premiere Elite will bring quad tuners, 2TB storage to retail this year

TiVo Premiere Elite will bring quad tuners, 2TB storage to retail this year originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 24

TiVo talks cable, satellite deals in Q2 results; DirecTiVo exposed! (video)

Posted in: cable, dvr, earnings, hdpostmini, satellite, tivo, Today's Chili, video

TiVo’s results for the second quarter are here and there were a few tidbits that let us know where its products are going in the future. Despite reporting a net loss for the quarter, its cash position was up after receiving the first $300 million payment from its settlement with Dish Network. Things appear to be going well with Virgin Media in the UK where it reported 50,000 TiVo’s live by the end of July and ONO is closing in on a launch in Spain, while closer to home RCN is almost ready to officially offer a whole-home DVR setup based on the quad-tuner TiVo Premiere Q. Charter and DirecTV are mentioned as “progressing towards launch”, but the company seems particularly excited to see the current state of patent warfare going on, trumpeting its 210 issued patents and 389 applications.

Speaking of the DirecTivo, an apparent training video has leaked. ZatzNotFunny has more information, but it reveals the hardware and UI, which disappointingly harken back to the days of older Series3 hardware instead of the updated HD menus on the new Premiere boxes. Check out the video and Q2 press release after the break.

Continue reading TiVo talks cable, satellite deals in Q2 results; DirecTiVo exposed! (video)

TiVo talks cable, satellite deals in Q2 results; DirecTiVo exposed! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 19

Elgato HDHomeRun iPad app brings (some) cable channels to the tablet

Posted in: app, Apple, dvr, hdpostcross, ipad, ipad 2, Ipad2, Today's Chili, video

Whether or not your cable TV provider has decided to offer live TV streaming to your mobile devices, you can do it yourself with the new HDHomeRun iPad app from Elgato. Paired with one of SiliconDust’s new HDHomeRun Prime CableCARD tuners, the $17.99 app can tune into cable channels that are sent without encyption or are marked copy freely (varies from provider to provider) and even allows users to record them right on the app. Restrictions include that it only works on the iPad 2, with standard definition MPEG-2 channels and (for now) only the most recent HDHomeRun hardware is supported. Check out the video demo for more information on exactly how it works or click the source link to get to iTunes and buy — in a market suddenly flooded by CableCARD tuners maybe this extra functionality is just what’s needed to tip the balance between one device or another.

Gallery: HDHomeRun for iPad

Continue reading Elgato HDHomeRun iPad app brings (some) cable channels to the tablet

Elgato HDHomeRun iPad app brings (some) cable channels to the tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 12

TiVo Premiere Elite quad-tuner DVR detailed, doesn’t support OTA broadcasts

Posted in: dvr, tivo, Today's Chili


Earlier this summer, we got wind of TiVo’s plans to release its Premiere Elite DVR — a retail version of the company’s quad-tuner Premiere Q, which is only available directly through service providers. We knew to expect four tuners on the Elite as well, letting you record content from up to four channels at once. A leaked FCC document sheds a bit more light on the Elite, revealing two terabytes of recording capacity (for a whopping 300 hours of HD), digital cable compatibility (read: no OTA), and support for Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA), for networking with other MoCA-enabled devices in your home. Still missing, however, are a price tag and release date, though Zatz Not Funny predicts pricing to land in the $600-800 range, with a release this fall. $499 seems to be more on target, though, considering the Premiere XL’s $299 price tag — but even at $500, you better really love television if you’re gunning to spend that much on a DVR.

TiVo Premiere Elite quad-tuner DVR detailed, doesn’t support OTA broadcasts originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 15

Best Buy Insignia cTV with DVR-less TiVo built-in launches July 31st

Posted in: BestBuy, dvr, hdtv, streaming, Television, tivo, Today's Chili, TV, wifi

Best Buy and TiVo announced they were forming a “broad partnership” two years ago, then revealed a connected HDTV product last year, and now it’s apparently just days from being released. This information posted over at ZatzNotFunny pegs the launch date for the Insignia cTV as July 31st, packing the TiVo Premiere’s menu system and apps like Netflix, CinemaNow and Pandora. The 32- and 42-inch models feature built-in WiFi, but no included DVR and don’t require a TiVo subscription. With the recent launch of multiroom streaming on the TiVo Premiere and another DVR-less product from TiVo in the Preview, this is a perfect opportunity to include multiroom access, no set-top box needed. Unfortunately, like the pricetag of the cTV units, that detail has yet to be revealed.

Best Buy Insignia cTV with DVR-less TiVo built-in launches July 31st originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 12

TiVo app jumps from iPad to iPhone, adds support for Series3 and HD DVRs

Posted in: app, dvr, ipad, iPhone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, itunes, remote control, RemoteControl, tivo, Today's Chili

A magazine ad revealed it was on the way, and today TiVo came through by releasing a version of its remote app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. v1.5 does more than just get the existing iPad interface ready for smaller screens, it also increases compatibility by adding “limited compatibility” (search, browse and schedule recordings, plus the virtual remote) with older TiVo Series3, TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL DVRs, as well as TiVo Premieres supplied by cable providers RCN and Suddenlink. Still waiting in the wings is the promised Android version — unless you’re in the UK. Check out the press release after the break or just click the iTunes link below and give it a download yourself, especially since even the TiVo-less can browse its wares thanks to a new guest mode.

[Thanks, @BrennokBob & Larry]

Continue reading TiVo app jumps from iPad to iPhone, adds support for Series3 and HD DVRs

TiVo app jumps from iPad to iPhone, adds support for Series3 and HD DVRs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 30

MediaMall’s PlayLater brings DVR to internet video

Posted in: dvr, media streamer, MediaStreamer, Software, stream, streamer, streaming video, StreamingVideo, Today's Chili
PlayLater brings DVR to internet video

Aching to ditch your cable box, but can’t bear to let go of that sweet, commercial-skipping DVR? If the folks behind PlayOn get their way, you won’t have to. MediaMall launched the beta for PlayLater this week, a service it’s calling “the world’s first DVR for online video.” The idea of a DVR for the internet sounds a little wonky at first, but it is an accurate description of the program’s facilities — pick a network (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc.), a show, and an episode, and PlayLater downloads your selection to your computer’s hard drive for belated enjoyment. Simple? Sure, but not without a catch — anything PlayLater pulls down it wraps in a neat layer of DRM, locking that content to the PC that downloaded it. Time-shifting Hulu will set you back $5 a month, but beta testers (the first 5,000, at least) can score a free month just for trying it out. Hit the break for a press release and additional details.

Continue reading MediaMall’s PlayLater brings DVR to internet video

MediaMall’s PlayLater brings DVR to internet video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 24

TiVo’s retail plans for quad-tuner Premiere DVR revealed in FCC filing

Posted in: dvr, tivo, Today's Chili

If your TiVo-loving heart was crushed last week when we found out the new Premiere Q DVR was only for cable companies with no plans for retail sales, allow us to put the pieces back together. Zatz Not Funny has dug up an FCC filing, dated June 7th, indicating TiVo will bring the quad tuner Premiere Elite DVR with 2TB of hard drive space to retail. The purpose of the filing? To get the FCC to waive requirements that the Elite — which is designed for digital cable reception only — contain an analog tuner that it claims would increase costs by $80 – $100. There’s no word on price or timing but it’s clearly intended as a high end product that TiVo plans to offer online, through custom installers or specialty outlets like Best Buy’s Magnolia stores. If it gets approved we could still see the Elite set-top box this year, assuming the FCC has its approval stamp ready and inked.

TiVo’s retail plans for quad-tuner Premiere DVR revealed in FCC filing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 21

Monsoon Vulkano Flow, Blast launch DVR-to-mobile feature for iPhone, iPad and Android

Posted in: Android, Apple, apps, BlackBerry, dvr, Google, ios, ipad, iPhone, Today's Chili

Monsoon Multimedia is again advancing its Vulkano line of set-top boxes with a feature not found on Sling, TiVo or Roku, adding the ability to make DVR recordings directly to iPad, iPhone or Android devices. While users can still watch TV from anywhere in the world using the Vulkano, the new DVR-to-mobile feature is restricted to WiFi and will only work with the Vulkano Flow and eventually the Blast. Sure you could store your shows on a hard drive and move them over or stream later, but this way fans of The Killing on AMC can be disappointed by the season finale later on even while offline. Updates for the platform-appropriate $13 apps should arrive shortly, while Blackberry users are assured the feature is on the way soon for them too.

Continue reading Monsoon Vulkano Flow, Blast launch DVR-to-mobile feature for iPhone, iPad and Android

Monsoon Vulkano Flow, Blast launch DVR-to-mobile feature for iPhone, iPad and Android originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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