Digital Media Bytes

A periodic roundup of relevant news… from our other blogs: Motorola’s New Multi-Room DVR Software The multi-room DVR launches continue to roll. Cincinnati Bell is now deploying Motorola’s software-based whole-home DVR solution, giving subscribers access to DVR features on up to eight client boxes over an in-home MoCA network. The 3D TV Road Ahead Two … Read more

The (Current) Hardware of Hulu Plus

Click to enlarge When Hulu Plus launched a few weeks back, there was some initial device compatibility confusion – specifically, regarding the Sony PS3 implementation and compatible Samsung Blu-ray players. Fortunately, at some point, the Hulu folks updated their supported devices webpage to bring some clarity to the situation. And they’ve confirmed that a PlayStation … Read more

D-Link Boxee Box First Look

Boxee Chief Product Officer, Zach Klein gives a low-fi un-Boxee-ing intro video (recorded via iPhone) of the first D-Link Boxee box in its final production hardware. My favorite aspect of Boxee hardware continues to be the IR/RF remote control with QWERTY keyboard on the backside. The Boxee Box is slated for arrival in late October or … Read more

Popbox Arrives (with early firmware issues)

The Popbox ($130) media streamer from Syabas has been one of the more anticipated media players for 2010 and it seems to have arrived a few days ahead of schedule (yet still late). As a matter of fact Syabas, the company that brings us Popbox says they were “surprised” by the early availability on Amazon. Unfortunately, … Read more

Popbox Gets a Launch Date (For Real)

After a few months of delays used to tighten up their software and experience, the Sysbas folks have christened July 23rd as Popbox Launch Day. Syabas is no stranger to this space, having produced the powerful Popcorn Hour boxes (and as the guy behind the guy prior)… And the Popbox miniaturizes most of those local media playback … Read more

Engadget Samples Some Hulu Plus

Engadget scored a golden ticket Hulu Plus invite and took the beta service for a quick spin… on an iPad, iPhone, and Internet-connected Samsung HDTV. And, unfortunately, my enthusiasm for the new $10/month, ad-supported subscription has been somewhat tempered by E’s initial experiences. At this time, HD video quality is described as merely “watchable” and … Read more

Hulu Plus (Finally) Announced

Rumored for months, and speculated on for years, Hulu announced today the debut of its premium subscription service, Hulu Plus. It will cost $9.99 a month, and will offer full seasons of current shows and back-catalog series. Equally as important, Hulu Plus will be available on the iPhone, iPad, and HDTV sets supporting Samsung apps. … Read more

Content is King. Especially When It’s ESPN.

In case you live under a rock, Microsoft announced a number of Xbox updates yesterday including the news that its refreshed Xbox 360 game console will give users access to ESPN games through the ESPN3 channel. The announcement is bigger than most people realize. Live sports events, many of which are only available through ESPN, … Read more