About a week ago, Verizon launched Media Manager for Mac OS X. While it’s not quite as capable as their Windows version with drive scanning and Internet video capability, this desktop app makes iPhoto (albums, events, slideshows) and iTunes (playlists) available for streaming to FiOS DVR hardware (similar to TiVo Desktop, circa 2006). Media Manager essentially channels iPhoto and iTunes as a System Preferences pane, which is probably the preferred approach in the Mac world, but without actually being housed in System Preferences. At least not on my laptop running Snow Leopard, where I hear a few quirks still need to be ironed out.
Speaking of deep moles, it’s been awhile since I’ve been formally briefed on Verizon’s FiOS TV roadmap. I know folks have been clamoring for increased recording capacity and, last I heard, 2009 was to be the year of additional storage. But subscribers will have to wait until 2010 for significant improvement. New DVR hardware, with larger drive capacity, is currently being tested and should be available early next year. Additionally, a variety of external storage options (USB, eSATA, NAS) are (still) being researched. Although it’s not yet clear where Verizon will land or the timing of those solutions.
I’ve been using Fios for a year. Video quality is awesome. But the single biggest drawback on a daily basis is the interface for the guide and for tuner/channel switching.
While I applaud their efforts to introduce additional functions like the media extender, the fact is that most people will never use it while most would benefiit greatly from better usability in the guide/tuner/channel interface.
They make it SO painful – nearly impossible -to do things that worked easily and intutively on DirecTV.
I had totally missed the message on 10/20 about Mac support until this past weekend. My non-techy ex-wife asked me about it when I was picking up Tyler and I’m thinking — what is she talking about, Mac support for FiOS? She got the last laugh because she showed me the message and I quickly set up her Mac to stream tunes to her TV / stereo. Of course, I rushed home and did the same at my house. I finally got an optical audio cable from FiOS to stereo and I’m pretty impressed by the sound quality. Not so impressed with how slow the FiOS box responds when sifting through albums, songs and such, but it’s a start!
Does this require the Home Media DVR, or can I use it with the standard HD DVR?
if fios media.m cannot stream HD (h264 aac in matroska) contrainers to a non-DVR STB via the ethernet port in the QIP there is ZERO point in wasting time toying with it
The STB should require ZERO software to pull media over ethernet (think NAT)
shame on you verizon…. here comes net neutrality to b**ch slap you into playing nicely