Hasta La Gadget!

Well, well — what have we here? That up above is LG’s Revolution, a Snapdragon-powered Android superphone. What’s inside is no normal Snapdragon, though. It’s actually a newfangled chip that isn’t shipping to consumers just yet, which includes DRM libraries at a hardware level that serve to satisfy paranoid movie execs. The good news is that Qualcomm has actually whipped up a solution that’ll finally bring Watch Instantly to Android; the bad news is that existing smartphones — even existing Snapdragon devices — will not be able to utilize the app. Without new hardware, the Android version of the Netflix app simply won’t function, and no one at Qualcomm was willing to tell us when these Netflix-friendly Snapdragon chips would begin to ship out.

Whenever that fateful day arrives, though, Snapdragon devices with HDMI sockets will be able to beam that content right to their HDTV — the company’s hardware is HDCP-approved, so there’s no sweat when it comes to watching content on the big screen. On-site representatives made clear that both the phone and the app were for demonstration purposes only, but we’d be shocked if LG’s handset shipped without this compatibility. The demo we saw was smooth as butter, and the app itself looked glorious on the Revolution’s 4.3-inch touchscreen. See for yourself in the video just past the break.

Continue reading Android-powered LG Revolution caught streaming Netflix at MWC (video)

Android-powered LG Revolution caught streaming Netflix at MWC (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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These days, a media streamer isn’t really in the game unless it has Netflix streaming and thankfully, the Boxee Box has finally corrected its most glaring content hole — sorry Hulu Plus. According to a blog post by CEO Avner Ronen, the oft-delayed addition has been the most common request by users so far but obviously they’ve cleared all remaining DRM hurdles, so once the latest software update is downloaded, either automatically or by manually checking, owners can enjoy everything the latest Netflix interface has to offer, whether they’re in the US or Canada. Of course, that’s not all there is to this update, with support for Dolby Digital TrueHD bitstreaming, high resolution SRT subtitles and updated support for IR remotes. All the details are in the changelog, although we figure most of you will just get straight to watching The Human Centipede or something similar.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Netflix on the Boxee Box is a much better Valentine’s Day gift than what you had planned originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 15:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First it was the PlayStation 3, then it was the Google TV and now it appears Samsung Apps compatible HDTVs feature the new look of Netflix’s Watch Instantly interface. According to our reader Bruce, the new UI popped up after he upgraded the firmware on his UN46C6500 LCD HDTV and, like on the other platforms, it adds the ability to search through Netflix’s catalog right on the device — no adding DVDs to your queue though, that’s still PC or mobile only. Of course, after our experience with the PS3’s multiple UI madness we know how much Netflix likes to test multiple versions of its app at once, so we wouldn’t be surprised if everyone isn’t seeing this immediately, just keep an eye out if your app suddenly asks to be reactivated again and you should be in for the new version.

[Thanks, Bruce]

New Netflix Watch Instantly interface showing up on Samsung HDTVs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The British Broadcasting Corporation has made its iPlayer app plans that extra bit more official by announcing that iPad- and Android-specific versions of its software will be arriving by the end of this week. The iPlayer is a free TV catchup service hosting the best and most popular (those two being almost mutually exclusive categories) from the BBC’s catalog of recent programming, and the new native apps promise to bring that to your portable device in a touchscreen-optimized format with a “simple and intuitive design.” The finishing touches are being applied right now and the apps should be with us before the week is through, but the real cause for excitement is that the BBC plans to take the iPlayer out for an international walk, which will likely rely on such platform-specific apps for distribution and the collection of subscription fees. Then we can all watch Question Time together, yay!

P.S. – Take note, Android users, that you’ll need to have Froyo and Flash Player 10.1 installed on your phone or tablet in order to partake in the new app. Sort of a one step forward, one step back maneuver.

[Thanks, Jules]

BBC iPlayer app coming to Android as well as iPad by the end of this week originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 04:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A BBC Interactive Operations Engineer has British hearts all aflutter tonight with a tweet announcing that the iPlayer app for the iPad is ready to roll out this Thursday, February 10th. It’s specific to the tablet for now, so no iPhone, and will only debut in the UK, so no BBC America for you just yet, though this is the first step toward making that cozy dream a reality. Taking the BBC TV catchup service into international waters will be done on the basis of a paid subscription model, which should dissuade all the TV License payers in the UK from revolting, but do bear in mind that this upcoming tablet app will only allow content streaming over WiFi. You’ll be able to browse the iPlayer over 3G, we’re told, but will need to hook up to some roomier wireless pipes to sip the sweet nectar of BBC Entertainment on your iPad (in app form, browser-based options are a whole other matter). Stay tuned for the fully detailed announcement in a couple of days.

BBC iPlayer app landing on UK iPads this Thursday, US in June originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 20:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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