Hasta La Gadget!

Honeycomb beta update now available for Logitech Revue, only the intrepid need apply originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 02:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google TV not worth 300 bones to ya? How’s about a cool Benjamin? As promised, Logitech has slashed the price of its Revue set-top box from $299 to $99 on its own site and at retailers like Best Buy, giving prospective customers something awfully tempting to consider alongside the prospect of running Honeycomb on their TV right away. Oh, and the much-reported nugget from its earnings about “returns exceeding sales”? It should probably be noted that wasn’t about returns from end users, which the company claims “have averaged at levels comparable to other Logitech products”, but from the distributors and retailers it sells most of its hardware to. So, you in, or are you still holding out for the 90 percent off sale that may or may not ever materialize?

Continue reading Logitech officially drops Revue price to $99 today, clarifies ‘more returns than sales’ remark

Logitech officially drops Revue price to $99 today, clarifies ‘more returns than sales’ remark originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yes, you can watch the first three seasons of Blackadder in their entirety

The BBC has launched the international version of its iPlayer app for the iPad. The app, which lets users stream and download the Beeb’s TV shows, is free and available in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

The app differs from the local, UK-only version quite significantly. The UK iPlayer service is intended as a way to catch up on shows from the past week, and all content is free for its short life on the service. The international iPlayer works more like Hulu. There is a significant back catalog of around 1,000 hours stretching back 60 years — currently featured are vintage episodes of Doctor Who starring William Hartnell. The iPlayer also contains non-BBC content. The excellent Misfits from Channel 4 is in there, for example.

Also new are streaming over 3G and offline viewing. The latter lets you download and keep episodes to watch later — perfect for vacations or plane rides.

Some content is free, and you can grab the app and try it out right now. For the meat of the service, though, you’ll have to pay. A monthly subscription costs €7 ($10) and a yearly one €50 ($71). This is very cheap compared to the compulsory television License Fee payable by every TV owner in Britain, currently £145.50, or $238, or €166. Subscriptions are paid for in-app, just like any other iTunes purchase.

So how is the app itself? Not bad. The experience is slick, and navigation is fast. You can browse or search for shows. Each episode has a plot summary, where you can hit play, download the show or — inevitably — recommend it via Twitter or Facebook.

Streaming starts pretty much immediately (you get a bandwidth warning first if you aren’t connected to a Wi-Fi network), and the quality isn’t bad. It’s not as good as a torrented file ripped from the hi-def version, but its good enough for the small screen.

Two major faults stand out. The first is a lack of subtitle support, which is absurd in an app showing English language shows to foreign audiences. For example The Lady, who speaks perfect English, is sometimes foxed by the weirder English accents on TV.

The second is a lack of AirPlay support, even for audio. This is thanks to the app’s custom video player. You can always hook up the iPad to a TV or stereo using a cable, though.

The iPlayer app is pretty great, and fills the gap for smug Europeans left by Spotify launching in the U.S. And best of all, unlike the paid version of Hulu, there are no ads (you do get some pre-roll commercials in the free version).

iPlayer iPad app [iTunes via the Guardian]

The wonders of iPlayer are no longer the reserve of the Brits. As of today, iPad users in 11 other countries across Europe can subscribe to the service for €7 per month or €50 per year. That equates to $10 — just about living up to the Beeb’s promised maximum price. The subscription grants access to a wealth of TV classics, like Fawlty Towers and Only Fools & Horses, as well as unwitting comedies like EastEnders. Some sort of motoring series by the name of Top Gear is also available, for those who like cars and middle-aged men in pointy shoes. The app will allow for downloading as well as streaming, and marks a “pilot phase” for the service, which should hopefully reach the former colonial outpost of America before too long. Full details in the PR after the break.

Continue reading BBC releases ‘global’ iPlayer app for European iPads, €7 per month

BBC releases ‘global’ iPlayer app for European iPads, €7 per month originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 05:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Wavi waltzes through FCC, ready to stream from your PC to your TV originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 05:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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