Hasta La Gadget!

Hope you weren’t enjoying watching YouTube on the television screen via Popcorn Hour and other set-top boxes, as they have been given notice by the newly 1080p and network TV-friendly website that they are no longer welcome to access its content. The new Hulu-ish Terms of Service (section II, item 10) restricts API clients from the ability to “use the YouTube API in connection with any API Client created for use on television set top boxes, television game consoles, or video screens packaged and marketed as television sets;” according to Popcorn Hour COO Alex Limberis this applies to all with the exception of “a few strategic partner’s Google has singled out” — PlayStation 3, Wii, TiVo, Panasonic, Samsung and other licensed hardware is safe.

Update: After speaking with Alex we’ve got a better view of the situation — as is clear from the TOS, manufacturers streaming directly via the API as Popcorn Hour did are no longer welcome without cutting a seven figure check to license access. Google did offer to allow continued access via its YouTube XL interface, but for devices like theirs not built around Flash, that possible solution proved to be technologically unfeasible. Obviously these changes apply to all, but as of yet we’re not aware of anyone other than Popcorn Hour that has been contacted directly about it.

Update v2: After the break is Google’s response, stating Popcorn Hour and the like have been in violation of the above TOS for over a year, from its perspective, this is a simple matter of defending its rights from “video scraping technology.” As we mentioned above that means most are in no danger of losing access, but fans of these media streamers will have to live without it, until either YouTube can control the experience or the manufacturer pays up.

Continue reading YouTube pulls a Hulu — yanking API access from Popcorn Hour (Update: Google responds)

YouTube pulls a Hulu — yanking API access from Popcorn Hour (Update: Google responds) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look, we’re all for competition, but it’s about time for some of these guys to stop copying and start innovating. As if your noggin’ wasn’t already spinning enough as you attempt to whittle down your laundry list of HD media streamers, in flies PrimeDTV with yet another hopeful. The PHD-HM5 looks to be fairly standard in terms of features, with HDMI / component outputs, a lengthy list of supported formats, an Ethernet socket and a pair of USB 2.0 ports. You won’t find WiFi or any internal hard drive, and you’ll have to live with the fact that this thing is akin to some lackluster AV component from the early 90s. Oh, and then there’s the chore of actually finding one for sale (not to mention an MSRP), which should probably be just enough to push you towards Popcorn Hour.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

PrimeDTV further saturates HD media streamer segment with PHD-HM5 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ready to have your imperfect complexions scrutinized by every anonymous coward on the Internet? You’d better ’cause YouTube has announced the move from 720p to 1080p video streaming to make use of those cheap, Full HD camcorders flooding the market. Now puff up that keyboard courage — the ruthless bashing of your peers is set to begin next week.

Update: 1080p sample video posted after the break.

Continue reading YouTube begins streaming 1080p insecurities next week (update: 1080p video!)

Filed under: Portable Video

YouTube begins streaming 1080p insecurities next week (update: 1080p video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been almost a full year since we heard a peep from the fine folks at Myka, but it looks like we could be talking about ’em a lot more often judging by the specs list on its latest contraption. The simply-titled ION is an Atom-based media PC that relies on NVIDIA’s Ion graphics set and a customized interface that brings Hulu, Boxee and pretty much any other web content you can stumble upon to your television. Within, you’ll find a 1.6GHz dual-core Atom 330 CPU, up to 4GB of RAM, ten USB 2.0 ports, VGA / DVI / HDMI outputs, an eSATA connector, Ethernet and plenty of audio outputs. The fanless design ensures that things remain quiet, and for those oozing cash, a Blu-ray drive, HDD and WiFi module can be implanted. It’s up for order right now starting at $379, but you’ll be stuck waiting four to six weeks for delivery.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Myka ION brings Hulu, Boxee and other web content to your TV originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TiVo’s Wireless G USB network adapter has been out and about since late 2005, so to say an 802.11n version is past due would be understating things dramatically. At long last, it seems as if high-speed network access is coming to the heralded DVR, with an AN0100 802.11n AP recently splashing down at the FCC. There’s no instruction manual or indication of whether this is the device we’ve been waiting for in order to stream networked media to the TV through one’s TiVo, but why else would the outfit bother with tossing out a new dongle with support for higher throughput? We know, we’re letting ourselves get a bit too optimistic here — but c’mon, can you really blame us?

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wireless

TiVo’s AN0100 802.11n WiFi adapter hits the FCC, stirs up imaginations originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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