Samsung, Microsoft work PlayReady DRM support into upcoming devices

The reality of PlayReady’s ability to extend DRM’d media across devices still seems to be more theory than reality (just ask Nokia) but if/when protected content wants to stay that way, Samsung hardware will be ready. The first of the company’s products with Microsoft’s DRM scheme baked in are expected to ship this year, with an expected migration from the old Windows Media DRM wrapping up across all product lines by 2012. We’re still dreaming about sliding content access from Zune to Galaxy S to Media Center PC to our remote and back, and will remain secure in our cryosleep chambers until it comes true…

Samsung, Microsoft work PlayReady DRM support into upcoming devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola software update makes 3D automatic, except for the “buying a new TV” part

It’s not like a couple of button presses on a remote was the big gap between us and the perfect 3D experience but when most people can’t even figure out if they’re actually watching HDTV, some automated assistance can’t hurt. To that end Motorola has developed an update for its latest set-top boxes that allow them to automatically detect and process 3D signals so those properly equipped can watch without having to lift a finger, and even adjusts the on screen graphics to match. No word when operators will actually deploy the new software, though odds are it will be well before you actually buy a 3DTV so we wouldn’t worry too much, yet.

Motorola software update makes 3D automatic, except for the “buying a new TV” part originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dish Network’s SlingLoaded ViP922 DVR to hit store shelves tomorrow (finally!)

We saw it at CES 2009 — and then we waited. And waited. And finally last month Dish’s SlingLoaded DVR made it to the FCC. And now? We’ve just received word that the ViP922 should be hitting Dish Network retailers April 7 (like, tomorrow). The long-awaited device carries an MSRP of $649, although existing customers who want to work it into their lease can expect to pay closer to the $200 – $400 range. Unless, of course, you live in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands — in which case you’ll have to do without altogether. That what the Dish Network calls “tough love.” We’ll let you know if the company changes its mind. PR after the break.

Continue reading Dish Network’s SlingLoaded ViP922 DVR to hit store shelves tomorrow (finally!)

Dish Network’s SlingLoaded ViP922 DVR to hit store shelves tomorrow (finally!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TiVo Premiere review

When we first heard rumors of new TiVo hardware back in April of 2009, our imaginations started racing. The current TiVo HD and HD XL have been the best DVRs on the market for their entire three-year run, and while they’ve received significant feature updates in that time, the overall experience of using a TiVo simply hasn’t kept up with the explosion of online content and the revised viewing habits of consumers — in fact, the interface has remained largely unchanged for nearly a decade. So while the actual TiVo hardware has actually gotten smaller and simpler, it’s the software that’s received a substantial makeover this time around — it’s migrated to Flash, and the main elements have been totally redesigned for HD displays and the invisible integration of online video services. Is it enough to keep TiVo afloat in a sea of cheap cableco DVRS? It is worth upgrading from an existing TiVo HD? There’s only one way to find out — read on for our full review.

Continue reading TiVo Premiere review

TiVo Premiere review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comcast’s 3D Masters broadcast explained

Still wondering how the first live broadcasts for the new 3DTVs will work? Comcast Fellow Mark Francisco has been working on bringing 3D home for several years now, and was able to clear up some of the questions that you’ve been asking about what takes place before home viewers slip on those “beautifully styled” glasses for the first time. Whether you’d want to, can afford to with the first generation of compatible HDTVs, or why it’s expanding the use of that silly Xfinity name weren’t among them, so for that you’re on your own.

What format/compression will Comcast use on its Masters broadcast and going forward?

Just like DirecTV, Comcast is planning on a side-by-side 1080i (not sure what that is? Check out our breakdown of the different ways to send 3D) MPEG-2 transmission. Mark confirmed what we’d heard previously in our discussion with Bob Wilson from Motorola, on the backend, very little needed changing or updating to enable this transmission, which will take up a 6MHz channel, other than their frame multiplexers. There will also be an h.264 stream and VC-1 (for the Masters.com feed) and for broadcast within hospitality tents at Augusta National.

Will I need a new cable box or have to get a firmware update of some kind to watch 3D?

All of Comcast’s HD set-top boxes connected through HDMI are already capable of handling the signal, so don’t expect a firmware upgrade (unless you’re waiting for remote DVR features, of course) between then and now, although future upgrades will include 3D menus and guide information, which are currently still 2D.

Continue reading Comcast’s 3D Masters broadcast explained

Comcast’s 3D Masters broadcast explained originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A CableCARD replacement is due by December 2012, bandaids by this Fall

IP Gateway

While most of the FCC’s new Broadband plan has been about, well, broadband, there’s also some great news for HDTV fans. We expected a few mentions about CableCARD and its future when the FCC requested comments and declared it a failure, but we’re still glad to see that the FCC listened to consumer electronics companies like TiVo and Sony — among others. The biggest news is that the FCC has asked the industry to come up with a residential IP gateway that is open and that will provide same abilities as your provider’s equipment, and most importantly, it should enable the very same gear to work no matter what type of service you prefer, whether it be satellite, cable or fiber — for example, via various gateways the same TiVo would work with either DirecTV or Comcast. But while the FCC has given the industry until December of 2012 to define and deploy these IP gateways before implementing an “appropriate enforcement mechanism,” in the meantime the FCC wants to see the biggest issues with CableCARDs resolved by this Fall. The list below of immediate fixes is pretty impressive, and other than the persistent lack of video on demand support, it’ll help make CableCARD a pretty respectable solution.

  • Ditch Tuning Adapters and let devices with Ethernet ports communicate upstream via IP to tune SDV channels.
  • If a customer has a CableCARD in their leased set-top box, it must be reflected on the bill like any other CableCARD would.
  • If the provider offers a self install for leased set-top boxes, they must also allow self install of a CableCARD.
  • Software shouldn’t require the same CableLabs certification hardware does.

Continue reading A CableCARD replacement is due by December 2012, bandaids by this Fall

A CableCARD replacement is due by December 2012, bandaids by this Fall originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google-Powered Google TV Set-top Box Concept Surfaces Again

google logo.jpgA little more than a week ago, The Wall Street Journal reported that Google and DISH Network had begun testing a set-top box that uses Google as a search algorithm. In a story published late Wednesday, The New York Times went a step further, claiming that a “Google TV” platform is in the works, from Intel, Google, Sony and Logitech.

The Times reported that the Google service will run on Atom-powered set-top boxes, and that Logitech is developing complementary remote controls. The Google TV platform will be opened to third-party developers to write their own plug-ins, as they have for the Android platform, the paper reported.

Given the two complementary reports from two of the major daily papers, it seems logical to assume that Google is likely leaking the news ahead of a launch. Furthermore, the open platform concept seems to be in keeping with Google’s strategy.

Sony apparently will manufacture the set-top boxes, although I have yet to see a mass-market Sony set-top besides the PlayStation 3.

EDIT: I wrote earlier that, since the announcement of a plug-in TV widget technology with Intel in 2008, a Yahoo-Intel partnership for developing widgets on set-top boxes has been extremely quiet. Yahoo representatives have pointed out that the company has announced partnerships with Vizio, LG, Sony, and Samsung.

Packard Bell Studio ST media playback drive invades Europe

It’s not much more than a hard drive with HD media playback abilities, but the Packard Bell Studio ST certainly looks nice, doesn’t it? It’s Europe-only for now, but we’re hoping parent company Acer brings over a US-branded version of this box, which holds up to a 2TB hard drive and can do 1080p out over HDMI with Dolby Digital. Codec support is described as “all main formats,” which is a little shady, but we’ll be forgiving if it’s cheaper than the Western Digital WD TV Live HD.

[Thanks, Matt]

Packard Bell Studio ST media playback drive invades Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Playcast Media nabs support from big name publishers, aims to bring STB gaming to US

GDC is winding down here in San Francisco, but Playcast Media is hoping to snag its 15 minutes by announcing new partnerships with Atari, Capcom, Codemasters and THQ (to name a few) for use in its “console-free games-on-demand” service. ‘Course, streaming games in through a set-top-box is nothing new, but few operators in the States offer such a thing with any real substance behind it. Playcast’s solution enables titles to be pushed through existing cable and telco STBs, and we’re told that the US market is next in line to get gifted. We’re not given any significant details beyond that, but we’re pretty jazzed about big name publishers signing on to finally give this distribution method a bit of credence. Now, if only this Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD shipped with a SIXAXIS controller, we’d be golden.

Continue reading Playcast Media nabs support from big name publishers, aims to bring STB gaming to US

Playcast Media nabs support from big name publishers, aims to bring STB gaming to US originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TiVo returning to the UK thanks to partnership with Virgin Media

It looks like TiVo’s freshly minted Premiere hardware will soon be setting sail eastwards as The Daily Telegraph is reporting Virgin Media’s next generation set-top box will be built around it. Loyal readers of Engadget HD will already be aware that TiVo and Virgin hooked up last November and this latest news relates to the first hardware to be spawned from that relationship. According to TiVo CEO Tom Rogers, the Premiere will “heavily inspire the development work” going into Virgin’s next TV appendage, which may or may not mean that the cable company will simply rebadge the well-received new boxes. What’s assured though is much greater integration with online content, with search linking you out to Amazon, BBC’s iPlayer, YouTube or good old standard broadcast channels. The whole thing’s about unlimited choice, apparently, and should be showing up on the Queen’s isles by the end of this year. We can wait, but we’d rather we didn’t have to.

TiVo returning to the UK thanks to partnership with Virgin Media originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink T3  |  sourceThe Daily Telegraph  | Email this | Comments