Hisense Series XT710 TV helps you exercise your La-Z-Boy sans remote

You might feel like the king of the couch, but let’s face it — picking up the remote can be exhausting. Hisense is hoping to lighten your load with the launch of its new Android-based Smart TV with hands-free eyeSight gesture recognition technology — the Series XT710. Slated to launch in China, the TV features a 2D sensor, designed to understand your hand movements and interpret your every channel changing whim. Besides flipping between reruns of Law and Order and Jersey Shore, couch potatoes will also be able to play games and access Android applications through the intelligent tube. Now, if it could only help us pop our popcorn. Jump past the break to check out the full PR.

Continue reading Hisense Series XT710 TV helps you exercise your La-Z-Boy sans remote

Hisense Series XT710 TV helps you exercise your La-Z-Boy sans remote originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T U-verse set-tops go wireless, free you to herniate yourself moving your HDTV around

AT&T U-verse wireless receiver

Chances are, you put your TV in the most convenient spot based on where the requisite cables are feeding into your abode. And putting a set in a new room usually means someone is breaking out a drill. Well, starting October 31st, AT&T U-verse customers will no longer be constrained by wires! (Besides HDMI and power cords, that is.) The company’s new wireless receiver pairs with your AT&T-issued residential gateway and pulls in broadcasts over WiFi. What the provider claims is the first consumer wireless receiver of its type should simplify installation and free customers from the worry of running coax around their homes. You could even drag your big screen out to the patio and try to enjoy the “big game” under the glare of the sun. Just don’t make lugging your 42-incher around a habit — hernias aren’t covered by the warranty. The receivers will be available to order on Monday for a one-time fee of $49 and a $7-a-month rental fee there after. Check out the (bizarre) demo video and PR after the break.

Continue reading AT&T U-verse set-tops go wireless, free you to herniate yourself moving your HDTV around

AT&T U-verse set-tops go wireless, free you to herniate yourself moving your HDTV around originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix to expand to UK, Ireland in ‘early 2012,’ looks to challenge Lovefilm

Well it looks like Netflix’s rumored UK launch was a lot more than just a rumor. Today, the company announced that it will indeed expand to the UK and Ireland “in early 2012,” promising to offer unlimited streaming on PCs, tablets and mobile devices at a “low monthly subscription price.” The company didn’t say what that price would be, nor did it offer any details on available content or supported devices, though more details will be announced closer to its launch. We’re also expecting to hear more from Netflix during its Q3 earnings conference call later today, when we should find out about the impact of its recent price hike and Qwikster turnaround. Whether or not its foray into the UK can loosen Lovefilm‘s grip on the domestic market, however, remains to be seen. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Netflix to expand to UK, Ireland in ‘early 2012,’ looks to challenge Lovefilm

Netflix to expand to UK, Ireland in ‘early 2012,’ looks to challenge Lovefilm originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon’s My FiOS app puts your entire living room under one Android roof

Leaving home is hard, especially when you’ve got a backlog of on-demand movies and TV shows staring at you with big puppy dog eyes. Fortunately, however, Verizon has now come out with My FiOS — a new app for Android users that promises to keep you constantly connected to all your home entertainment systems, and more. Released yesterday, this app allows users to remotely access movies, Flex View TV shows and home automation and monitoring systems directly from their handsets, while managing their accounts and billing via the provider’s built-in customer service tools. Verizon clients can also use My FiOS to control their TVs, DVR players or home phones, and can even access some content straight from their devices. For now, the app is only available on Android 2.1 or above, though Verizon says an iOS version should hit the market “before year-end.” Skim past the break for more information in the full PR, or hit up the source link below to download My FiOS for yourself.

Continue reading Verizon’s My FiOS app puts your entire living room under one Android roof

Verizon’s My FiOS app puts your entire living room under one Android roof originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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U-verse TV gets social with help from Miso, TV Foundry, Wayvin and BuddyTV Guide

BuddyTV screen shot

The fact is watching TV has always been social, which of course means it was only a matter of time before technology removed the physical proximity requirement from the mix. We’ve seen said requirement disappear from various content providers and now it’s subscribers to AT&T U-verse’s turn. The initial slew of options include Miso, TV Foundry, Wayvin and BuddyTV Guide. All four let you share what you’re watching while at the same time help you discover new content by being exposed to what your friends are watching. Of course none of them are exactly Facebook and U-verse isn’t anywhere near the most popular content provider in the country, but we’re glad to see someone pushing hard into social TV that moves beyond just sending status updates via our remote.

Continue reading U-verse TV gets social with help from Miso, TV Foundry, Wayvin and BuddyTV Guide

U-verse TV gets social with help from Miso, TV Foundry, Wayvin and BuddyTV Guide originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ultra HDTV technical standards agreed on, more pixels is a good thing

The high-definition pride of your living room may not want to hear it, but it looks like ultra high-definition TV (or UHDTV) has now taken another step towards reality. While shop-floor products remain years away, experts in the ITU Study Group on Broadcasting Service have made several agreements on technical standards for your (next?) next TV purchase. Increasing pixel count in future sets is also expected to improve viewing angles on glasses-free 3D, which needs more dots to work its lenticular magic. 33 megapixels sounds like it should be enough to work with.

Ultra HDTV technical standards agreed on, more pixels is a good thing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype / Rdio co-founder’s Vdio service leaks out, pronunciation confirmed

Where does one go after Rdio? Why, Vdio, of course. GigaOm today got some answers about Skype / Rdio / KaZaA co-founder Janus Friis’s upcoming service. First and most foremost, it’s pronounced “Vee-dee-o.” The service is in closed beta at the moment, and will be first made available in the UK. The service will let users watch TV shows and movies — beyond that, we don’t know much, though the company assures us all that it “think[s] people will love using Vdio.” Fair enough. At present, the service’s homepage is cycling through shots of films like A Clockwork Orange and Ghostbusters and TV shows like Justified and Breaking Bad. Not too shabby.

Skype / Rdio co-founder’s Vdio service leaks out, pronunciation confirmed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 22:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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$50 Roku LT, Now With HBO GO

Roku’s new baby LT will come loaded with HBO GO

If you still have space on your TV for yet another set-top box, Roku would like you to consider its new Roku LT, a little purple video and audio streamer which will sell for just $50.

The LT has everything you’d expect from a modern-day box: Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon and Pandora streaming are joined by “more than 300 channels.” Signals come in via Wi-Fi, and out in the form of 720p hi-def video.

Possibly more interesting than the hardware, though, is a new channel coming to all of Roku’s boxes: HBO GO. Previously available on phones and tablets, the app can now be used to stream HBO direct to your TV. You’ll need to be an HBO subscriber to use it, but if you’re serious about watching good TV then you probably already have a subscription.

The LT will join the rest of the Roku lineup this November, ready to be stuffed in a stocking.

Roku products page [Roku]

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SlingPlayer app now available for Honeycomb tablets, priced at $30

It was teased back in September and now, it’s finally arrived — the SlingPlayer Android app optimized specifically for Honeycomb tablets. Available today on the Android Market, Sling Media’s latest app allows Slingbox owners to stream TV directly to their slates, and features a new program guide, designed to help users browse content and change channels with greater ease. The SlingPlayer app for Android handsets, meanwhile, will continue to function on tablets in “compatibility mode,” without exacting extra charges, though it won’t offer the same resolution quality you’ll find on a Honeycomb-laced device. Interested parties can grab the app for the familiar price of $30, at the source link below. Otherwise, click past the break for more details in Sling’s refreshingly brief press release.

Continue reading SlingPlayer app now available for Honeycomb tablets, priced at $30

SlingPlayer app now available for Honeycomb tablets, priced at $30 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTube extends movie rental service to the UK

YouTube — no longer the favorite repository for cats playing pianos — has launched its movie rental service for folks across the pond. Previously available in North America only, web denizens in Ol’ Blighty will now have access to brand new flicks for 24-hours at $3.99 a pop. Looks like all Mountain View needs now is Hulu to fully control the play-shifted portal.

YouTube extends movie rental service to the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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