Dave Zatz, Author at Zatz Not Funny!

Choosing An iOS Infrared Remote Control

ZNF regular Chucky seeks our assistance in choosing the right iOS IR remote solution for his situation…

I’ve always avoided Harmony universal remotes. I’ve never really liked the Harmony UI, in either the touchscreen or physical button incarnations. But now, with the variety of iOS based universal remotes available, I’m suddenly interested in getting myself a universal remote with a better UI.

In figuring out which remote to buy, I have specific needs, which may greatly vary from yours. I place a high degree of value on software that is easy to use on a daily basis, easy to customize, and easy to initially learn. I’m willing to “teach” the new remote my button codes by pointing old remotes at it. In short, I’m willing to spend 1 day setting up the new remote just the way I want in order to enjoy it the next 364 days of the year.

The hardware must be functional, with a minimum of hassles on a regular basis, but I’ll take good software over good hardware for this project.

Also, I rarely watch live TV, and prefer scheduling my DVR recordings from the massive real estate and fine control offered by desktop or laptop computers, so programming “discovery” is not high on my priorities.

Here are the devices I’m looking to control for my single room media center:

TiVo Simplifies Pricing On May 19th

I’ve never been a fan of TiVo’s numerous pricing permutations. Why add complexity to what’s an already confusing purchase for many? If you need a FAQ, you have failed. Well, it looks like TiVo has discovered what most of us have suspected and will be simplifying their plans come May 19th.

Regardless of where or how you buy TiVo Premiere hardware, the new monthly fee will be $19.99 (with a required 1 year commitment). Also, the Lifetime service option will return as an option for new customers; albeit, at $499, its highest price point ever. I expect TiVo will also continue to offer multi-unit service discounts (MSD). In fact, rumor has it, monthly MSD pricing will jump from $9.95 to $14.95 (ouch) with the new Lifetime MSD option running $399.

Sadly, I expect the $12.95 monthly fee is gone for good. So when $19.99 contracts expire, renewals will continue at this rate. Add in CableCARD rental along with Additional Outlet (AO) fees in some markets and TiVo becomes a rather pricey proposition.

Kindle On The Fritz? Remove The Cover.

Here’s a weird one… Should your 3rd generation Amazon Kindle begin spontaneously shutting down, fail to reliably power up, sprinkled with a dash of page sync issues, the culprit is most likely your official Amazon Kindle Leather Cover. Apparently, Amazon has been aware of this issue since at least late last year… and the cover is … Read more

The Vulkano Flow Placeshifter Giveaway

In honor of the new Zatz Not Funny Facebook annex, we’re giving away our Vulkano Flow review hardware. If you recall, the Flow is the first placeshifter with a MSRP under $100. And mobile clients run almost 2/3rds less than their Slingbox equivalents. Overall, we found it a good value for those with non-HD placeshifting … Read more

Verizon FiOS TV IMG 1.9 Rollout Paused

The eminently valuable Verizon Idea Exchange is not only a rich resource for customers and employees, somewhat reminiscent of the TiVo Community Forum back when TiVo actually ~~cared~~ participated, it’s also a blogger gold mine. Unfortunately, the news I bring you today represents a little short term pain based on customer feedback. Yet, it’ll presumably result in a better long term experience. The FiOS IMG 1.9 nationwide rollout has been temporarily placed on hold. From Verizon Director Joseph Ambeault:

We are pausing for a moment to incorporate some customer feedback into 1.9 (e.g. SD Override wizard and improved contrast between the text and background)… we’ll be back in action shortly.

And…

We’re incorporating feedback we got from customers in the 4 markets that were already upgraded to 1.9. Just some minor tweaks as we get ready to roll to other markets in the coming months.

Anecdotally, based upon ZNF commentary, it does appear some users have had difficulty reading text within the toned down color scheme. But I have no idea what this SD Override wizard is, as I do my best to avoid SD channels. Not to mention that most televisions offer plenty of display modes to stretch or zoom content. But our audience is probably a little more savvy than the typical cable customer and it sounds like Verizon may have ended up with a number of confused or disgruntled subscribers who’ve received 1.9. Hopefully, they clear these issues and resume the rollout in short order. As I’m ready for the 16:9 guide and whole home streaming to/from each and every HD DVR.

DISH Network Embraces Whole Home DVR

DISH Network recently held their annual Team Summit for partners and retailers. Scott Greczkowski of Satellite Guys was in attendance… and came back with a treasure trove of info and photos. The most compelling story for us gadget loving consumers was the unveiling of Echostar’s new whole-home DVR solution, which will be composed of at least one … Read more

Netflix Enables iPhone, iPad Closed Captioning

While it may be arriving late for many, Netflix has just expanded video streaming closed captioning onto iOS devices with their 1.3 app update. There are limited display options, but subtitles are certainly a boon. And something I could have used yesterday at the gym when I forgot my headphones. Unfortunately, caption preferences don’t appear … Read more

Google TV Scheduled For A Summer Reboot

I’d like to suggest an update to this Google TV FAQ, as the schedule has clearly been blown (and by any or most objective measures, Google’s initial foray into television services has been a failure).

Expect many more applications after we open the Android Market on Google TV in early 2011.

“Early 2011” has obviously come and gone while Google TV has remained largely stagnent. Yeah, it provides a few nifty tricks, like that video overlay, and there’s tons of potential. But the interface remains a mess and a large percent of the web video we want to get at is blocked (by the providers). And then there’s all the apps. Rather, the lack of.

That’s the bad news. The good news, unveiled at Google’s developer conference this week, is what looks to be a significant reboot of the Goole TV platform this summer. Based on Android 3.1 (Honeycomb), and as reported by NewTeeVee, the new experience more efficiently directs folks to the features they’re seeking… including a full blown application Market. As you can tell from the screengrabs, the refreshed UI appears at once both more sophisticated and more streamlined. I only hope early adopters of original Sony and Logitech Google TV hardware and rewarded for their gamble with an update.