Hasta La Gadget!

Now that Moto’s phone and set-top box divisions are being split out into their own company, it looks like there’s some convergence afoot: the MOTOBLUR interface found on the CLIQ and the Backflip is currently being tested on the company’s cable boxes with a tentative release scheduled for this year. That’s the word according to CEO Sanjay Jha, who also told the Wall Street Journal that he wants Moto’s phones and set-top boxes to eventually support a common platform so they can “share media and features” — lending credence to those old rumors about Android-powered Moto cable boxes. Of course, getting custom software on cable boxes requires negotiating with cable companies, which is an even slower and tougher process than working with cell carriers, so we’re not holding out hope that we’ll see the fruits of this labor any time soon — but it’s nice to think about, isn’t it?

Motorola cable boxes to get Blur, connect with phones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LAS VEGAS — A host of video services on the web enable you to watch your favorite TV programs and movies anytime you wish, and Boxee is an open platform striving to weave them all into one neat interface. To get the Boxee experience onto a TV, D-Link has launched a set-top box dedicated to the open video platform, along with a special remote.

The Boxee box is pretty simple. Video outputs through an HDMI connector. For audio, you can plug in through an optical digital audio-out jack or regular composite audio. An SD card slot and two USB ports allow you to expand storage. For internet connectivity, the box supports 802.11n Wi-Fi and ethernet.

Boxee was previously a piece of open source software that you’d download to view media on your computer. Most users would download Boxee onto their notebook, which they’d then hook up to a TV. The box eliminates that need, and it’s also compatible with a new remote that just launched at the Consumer Electronics Show.

The remote sports a full QWERTY keyboard for typing in search queries. On the back of it there are three buttons for hitting Enter, accessing the main Boxee menu and playing or pausing video.

We’ve been fans of Boxee for some time: The menu is beautiful and intuitive, and it’s really zippy with loading multimedia files with thumbnails. The remote does indeed make the experience more enjoyable. It’s sturdy, smooth and comfortable, and the keys feel high quality.

Boxee’s primary purpose was to streamline video entertainment, but since it’s an open platform, it can do a lot more. There’s a Boxee app store for downloading third-party apps provided by developers. The main menu has buttons to access music and photos, too. Think of the Boxee as a restriction-free Apple TV.

The Boxee box and remote are shipping the second quarter of 2010. Pricing has not been announced, but Boxee estimates $200.

For a detailed look at the Boxee platform, see Epicenter’s coverage of the Boxee box launch.

Product page [Boxee]

See Also:

• Boxee Unveils Public Beta, ‘Boxee Box’ Hardware
• Boxee Gets a Box, Made By D-Link
• Boxee Beta Is a Web Video Streamer’s Dream

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com; images courtesy of Boxee

This year is definitely going to be big for set-top streaming devices. Monday brought us the Popbox, and today Netgear introduces a new model: the Digital Entertainer Express.

Like other Netgear devices, this one is big on playing video, music, and photos from your networked computers or storage devices. It can also steam video from sites such as Hulu, Netflix, and CBS, but you’ll need to use a PlayOn account to do so. You get a free 14-day PlayOn trial, but after that you’ll need to play a one-time $39.99 fee.

The Digital Entertainer Express includes one HDMI port and can upconvert videos to 1080p. It also includes two USB ports for attaching storage drives. You’ll need to purchase a wireless adapter if you want to stream over Wi-Fi, as the product is wired-only out of the box. It seems like a better solution if you mainly want to play stored content, although the $249 list price feels high.

If you’re undecided about what set-top box to attach to your TV–Roku? Apple TV? Boxee Box?–the field is going to become a lot more crowded in 2010. Right out of the gate we’ve got the Popbox by Syabas, which nails the price ($129) and offers a decent range of content (partners include Netflix and ShoutCast).

This open-platform set-top box lets you stream movies, music, and photos from your networked computers and attached storage devices (including portable video cameras). You can also stream a variety of programs and movies off the Internet, which is really the bigger draw.

The box includes 1080p HDMI video out, as well as component video, and it comes with an included infrared remote. The user interface is especially attractive, and makes it simple to browse content from the Internet or local devices. While the box is certainly missing some premium content partners, the company is hoping its open development platform will remedy that. Media companies can create apps that let them sell content to Popbox owners. The device should be available in March.

The FCC has this week signaled its intent to snoop around set top boxes and how they may be improved. Prompted by “a lack of competition and innovation in this market,” the regulator will look into ways it can encourage the proliferation of broadband internet access provision as well as stimulating further advances. One potential solution may involve compelling cable and broadband providers to supply “bridge” network interface devices that’ll allow users to hook up their set top box to a modem and get groovy online. Whatever the final proposals are, and they’ll take more definite shape in February, we’re pleased to see the FCC take a proactive approach toward an industry it perceives to be stagnating. Our idea? Boxee Boxes for everyone!

FCC ponders opening set top boxes to broadband connections, greater competition originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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