Invisioneer Continues Qplay Rebrand (New Details)

After breaking news that TiVo’s co-founders have reunited to develope another (mini) set-top, it appears that the company rebrand has accelerated… as Invisioneer transforms into Qplay right before our eyes (and clearly without a private staging website). Our initial assumptions, based on limited site text and LinkedIn profiles, appears spot on. From Qplay’s new description: For … Read more

What Might Amazon's TV Streamer Look Like?

kindle-mhl

Having missed the ever so lucrative holiday hopping season, we stop to wonder what Amazon might pack into their forthcoming TV streamer (after failing to reach a deal for the Netflix-backed Roku a few years back).

First, given pulled and presumably filled job openings, one technology Amazon’s Lab126 Kindle division has been interested in is MHL – something we’ve seen leveraged by the Roku streaming sick, as means of doing away with the set-top box. Of course, the M in MHL is “mobile” and this could equally refer to the Kindle Fire line of tablets — either on their own or as a means of interfacing with a Kindle streamer. However, we fully believe any Amazon TV stick or set-top would act as an endpoint to the Kindle Fire’s Miracast capabilities.

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DISH Hopper App Consolidation Underway

DISH Anywhere Android and iOS apps have both been updated to expand their Sling Hopper capabilities from mere streaming to also include DVR recording downloads. Now the functionality isn’t new, but consolidating down from three apps to two is a good move – and one we’ve seen from a variety of service providers (like Verizon) who … Read more

Slingbox 500 Launches DishWorld International TV App

Sling has unveiled a second app for their high end Slingbox 500, a placeshifter with benefits. And, like the company’s first foray in reverse streaming, the EchoStar subsidiary dabbles in nepotism with the launch of DISHWorld — a service that offers a variety of international programming, including live “television” and a sports package that runs $10/month. I’d hoped … Read more

Monitor Your Netflix Bitrate & Resolution

While I’d been aware that Netflix has populated their catalog with a variety of test clips, I didn’t realize they display dynamic details on video resolution and bitrate. TUAW’s identified “Example Short 23.976” as the one to seek out. And, as you can see above, I fired it up myself. In addition to enjoying a man moonwalk … Read more

Comcast & TiVo Resume Xfinity On Demand Rollout

After about a 6 month hiatus, Comcast and TiVo are once again expanding Xfinity On Demand services into new regions – Arkansas and Kentucky, to be specific. While we’re not entirely clear on the nature of the pause and had assumed the pair were evaluating perhaps a more efficiently implemented over-the-top app, as seen via Xbox … Read more