TVHarmony AutoPilot (free!) has always offered leading edge TiVoToGo desktop software, being the first with scheduled downloads and commercial skip functionality. I traded several emails with Will of TVHarmony, and I’m impressed with what he’s accomplished (and what he has planned). AutoPilot Beta 2 converts to and from a much greater variety of devices and … Read more
Both TiVo and Netflix posted interesting job openings this week… First up is Netflix, who’s looking to hire an interface engineer. Based on the description it seems they’re interested in exploring Vista’s GUI functionality to possibly produce a front-end for on-line movie distribution. Keep in mind Vista will bundle Media Center Edition features… which currently … Read more
Never enough time… in Canada! Newly manufactured 25″+ TVs must contain ATSC digital tuners starting today. (HD Beat) Ready for TV pop-up advertising? (Tampa Tribune) Catch the Shuttle launch in HD today. (HDNet) Toshiba still wants unified DVD format. (eWeek) MobiTV now available for Windows Mobile 5.0. (Engadget Mobile)
I no longer ride the subway to work, so now my commute is far less interesting and far less productive. However, I still have a fond place in my heart for portable multimedia. The two media apps I find myself using most frequently (which can’t be accessed on a subway) are the portable Slingbox player … Read more
The Akimbo story isn’t over yet… As Om Malik reported yesterday, Akimbo has picked up $15 million dollars from a variety of investors including Cisco and AT&T. Not so coincidentally, Akimbo will be providing content downloads for AT&T’s upcoming Homezone service. While Akimbo’s hardware revision has been pushed to the fall, PC Magazine just published … Read more
Never enough time… ReplayTV recruits for PC DVR software beta testing. (ReplayTV) Hollywood, retailers eye movie download kiosks. (Reuters) Cablevision begs for network DVR mercy. (Reuters) Sony’s eReader delayed until late summer. (Sony) Yet another home media extender, though this one touts Viiv and HDMI. (eHomeUpgrade)
If you recall, MovieBeam is the movie rental device and service spun off from Disney and backed by Cisco. Unlike Akimbo’s internet downloads, MovieBeam contracts local broadcasters to distribute films over the air. The box supposedly holds 100 movie rentals at any given time, including several offered in HD. A few weeks ago, MovieBeam lowered … Read more
How’s this for strange bed fellows… Online movie distributor CinemaNow has added both pornography and Disney film downloads to their library this month. CinemaNow has always offered more obscure independent and foreign flicks compared to Movielink, so the new porn offerings aren’t so surprising. Unlike the major studios overpriced burn-to-DVD features, porn coinsurers may appreciate … Read more