Hasta La Gadget!

We knew Google was rather fond of its WebM video standard, but we never expected a move like this: the company says it will drop support for the rival H.264 codec in its HTML5 video tag, and is justifying the move in the name of open standards somehow. Considering that H.264 is presently one of (if not the) most widely supported format out there, it sounds a little like Google shooting itself in the foot with a .357 round — especially considering the MPEG-LA just made H.264 royalty-free as long as it’s freely distributed just a few months ago. If that’s the case, Chrome users will have to download a H.264 plug-in to play most web video that’s not bundled up in Flash… which isn’t exactly an open format itself. Or hey, perhaps everyone will magically switch to Chrome, video providers will kowtow, unicorns will gaily prance, and WebM will dominate from now on.

Google will drop H.264 support from Chrome, herd the masses towards WebM and Theora originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For the average consumer — the kind that doesn’t consider BitTorrent a way of life, that is — video content discovery can still be a pretty big challenge, particularly if you dare venture outside the friendly confines of YouTube and Hulu. A new service called Fuugo looks to clean that mess up a bit, offering to aggregate a variety of online services along with support for the full suite of digital over-the-air standards around the globe: one-seg for Japan and Brazil, DVB-H and DVB-T for Europe, and ATSC-M/H for North America. Fuugo’s app is tailored for devices ranging from smartphones to touchscreen all-in-one PCs, featuring what appears to be a solid UI powered by gestures — swipe to change channels, for instance — that heaps content from various online and offline sources together into one hot mess of brain-melting programming. It’s being shown off for the first time here at CES this week — we’ll be sure to track it down, but in the meantime, follow the break for the full press release along with a video preview.

Continue reading Fuugo aggregates video content for your phone, tablet, or PC, makes it more touch-friendly

Fuugo aggregates video content for your phone, tablet, or PC, makes it more touch-friendly originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marketing research surveys have proven a good source for yet-to-be-announced information in the past and a recent one by DirecTV may be a good sign for those who prefer their NFL Sunday Ticket over the internet instead of satellite. According to a tipster, some of the questions asking about potential pricing setups indicated the digital version would be available via currently unsupported devices including internet connected Blu-ray players & TVs, “game machines,” Apple TV, Roku and Boxee. Another new wrinkle is a $19.99 per weekend pricing plan for streaming NFL Sunday Ticket access among other options. Currently, Sunday Ticket streams in HD to PCs and a bevy of mobile platforms (even without DirecTV’s TV service), but it’s possible we could see that list expand to several if not all connected TV platforms in the near future — assuming this isn’t just pie in the sky dreaming of course. The NBA, NHL and MLB already play ball with some but not all of the streaming set-top boxes, if the NFL follows them by adding alternate viewing options — assuming a new labor deal is reached and we actually see football played in late 2011 — would it make you more likely to subscribe?

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Continue reading DirecTV survey hints at NFL Sunday Ticket on Apple TV, Boxee and Roku players?

DirecTV survey hints at NFL Sunday Ticket on Apple TV, Boxee and Roku players? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As if we didn’t already know that video on demand was the hot new ticket, the Wall Street Journal is today reporting that a couple more companies are ready to throw their hats into the ring. OnLive, the cloud gaming upstart, has confirmed its intention to offer up a subscription-based movie streaming service at some point next year, while HDTV vendor Vizio is said to also be looking at its options. What makes these new guys intriguing (aside from the fact that Vizio sells a lot of TVs in the US) is the general feeling among media companies that Netflix is growing uncomfortably big and should be diversified away from. Well, whatever happens, neither we nor content distributors should be strapped for VOD choice come 2011. Hit the source link for a more expansive look at the current situation.

Vizio and OnLive mulling subscription-based video services for next year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 04:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texting has taken over mobile networks, and now it’s destined to overwhelm our emergency responders as well. According to Wired Epicenter, the FCC is looking to follow in the footsteps of those trailblazing Iowans and expand its 911 services to allow emergencies to be reported via text message, and while at first glance that may sound silly, we can think of some times when it could make a lot of sense. Let’s say there’s someone in the house and you don’t want them to know where you are — texting is a lot quieter than talking. Or let’s say the aliens are attacking and you don’t have time to stop running — a text is a lot quicker, too. The FCC is also apparently looking at receiving MMS and even streaming video so that you could send pictures and footage of their hugely advanced tactics. If these efforts are successful perhaps we can survive the coming trans-dimensional menace for just a little longer.

FCC looking to accept 911 texting, MMS, and even streaming video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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