TiVo Premiere Elite Transforms Into Premiere XL4

We suppose it’s safe to assume the TiVo Premiere Elite soft launch, with limited retail inventory, was a success. As the company has not only decided to wisely simplify branding across the Premiere DVR line, they’re also reintroducing the “Elite” as the “XL4” in full color packaging (versus their original brown box). The new boxes … Read more

Kindle Screensavers Are So Bad… I Opted For Ads

Apparently I’m not the only one unimpressed by Amazon’s “dead author” Kindle screensavers. Yeah, I know I could hack my Kindle to display other images (like these)… but there’s nothing specific I’d like to view and do appreciate the random “playlist” approach. Which is why I voluntarily turned on Amazon’s “Special Offers.” Opting into advertising pre-purchase saves one $30 … Read more

"New" Roku HD Lands On Retail Shelves

Just last month we reported that a new “Roku HD” SKU had hit the FCC, and today I found it nestled amongst the Roku 2 XD and XS models at Walmart. As the lowest priced Roku to grace store shelves ($60), I’m sure casual shoppers on a budget seeking to fulfill their Netflix or Pandora … Read more

Save Some Money On Roku

In the market for a Roku streaming box? If so, you’ve got a few deals to choose from today… At the high end, the “flagship” Roku 2 XS is 20% off as Amazon’s Deal of the Day. Instead of $99.99, you’ll only be paying $79.99. Beyond providing access to a variety of “channels” including Netflix, … Read more

The Apples & Oranges Of The New iPad

As we’re all well aware, Apple introduced the “new” iPad yesterday. And, while I’m still not quite sold on the tablet form factor, I did place a pre-order. Primarily due the iPad 3’s integrated voice dictation capabilities and much heralded “retina” display — likely featuring more pixels than anything else in our homes. Although, I do wonder how long it’ll take app developers to maximize its potential.

During the marketing spiel Apple made several fascinating and dramatic proclamations. I’m not prepared to classify any as dubious, but it looks as if some could be comparing apples & oranges. For example, I was initially stunned when they said, “This new device has more memory and higher screen resolution than an Xbox 360 or PS3.” Yet, after thinking about it, the factoid isn’t so surprising… and what exactly does it mean?

Other interesting points to ponder: Nvidia has taken  issue with the characterization of their competing chipset, utilized by some Android devices, and what exactly is a PC? 

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No More Free Ride with Comcast Video on Demand

Free VOD is where it’s at. According to Comcast, 70% of the nearly half a billion video streams that subscribers watch on demand comes from the free section of its VOD library. And, leaving subscription fees aside, Comcast thinks that content should be bringing in cash. So get ready for more ads with Comcast VOD, and, quite likely, with every other cable operator.

At a Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News event yesterday, several cable and programmer folks got together to talk about “advanced” advertising. The term covers everything from interactive ads, to dynamic ad insertion, to cross-platform campaigns, but there was significant focus yesterday on VOD commercials. That’s because a cableco consortium known as Canoe recently ditched efforts to create a national platform for selling interactive ads, and instead decided to spend all of its resources on video on demand. (Canoe laid off 80% of its staff in the process too. Ouch.) With all of the flexibility on the web, the cable industry has been fighting to catch up in the advertising revenue game. Operators have all this premium, time-shiftable content, and yet with little ability rotate new ads in an out of on-demand programming, they’ve felt hamstrung. In 2012, they’re finally ready to do whatever it takes to change that.

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Microsoft Ultrabooks Inspired By Intel… Or Apple?

Last night, while watching live TV (*gasp*), I inadvertently caught the commercial above. And what was I thinking? As “the new Ultrabook [was] inspired by Intel”… not Apple’s Macbook Air. It’s a cute ad and Windows users also deserve both better style and substance in their computing hardware. Further, Microsoft’s hardware partners would prefer higher … Read more

A Tale of Two Kindles

While watching TV last night, I caught what may be Amazon’s second Kindle Fire commercial. As I’m fairly well acquainted with the 7″ Playbook tablet, what struck me was the amount of reflection and glare from the LCD. Which is perhaps somewhat ironic given Amazon’s earlier e-Ink Kindle spot that took a shot at the iPad … Read more