Verizon FiOS TV IMG 1.9 Update Rolling Out

Unveiled last August and expected to ship by the end of 2010, Verizon’s FiOS TV IMG 1.9 experience is finally complete; the show stopping bugs have been squashed and the rollout has begun. Some highlights from the release notes:

IMG 1.9 is our most significant upgrade to FiOS TV’s guide since we introduced the Interactive Media Guide in 2007. There were few portions of the guide software that weren’t enhanced in this release.

  • New look and feel with higher resolution graphics and smooth animations
  • Re-design of search and better integration throughout the guide
  • Expansion of guide data to include complete cast information and air date
  • New Channel Guide view providing another option for navigating live TV content
  • Recommendations for live TV content
  • Ability to select the Widgets that are displayed in the carousel
  • More parental control tools and a configuration wizard
  • Overhaul of Message Center
  • Improved 3DTV support
  • Support for Descriptive Video Service, native pass through, 1080p, and MP3 and MPEG-4 decoding on select devices.
  • A long list of DVR and multi-room DVR enhancements
  • Even more ways to customize the guide to your personal preferences

Beyond those bullets, Verizon has also enabled eSATA hard drive expansion. However, unlike TiVo, there are no artificial brand/model restrictions based on marketing relationships.

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New Slingbox 120 Launches (In India)

It’s been a loooong time since we’ve seen a new retail Slingbox. In fact, the Slingbox PRO-HD was introduced way back in January 2008. Well, it turns out a new dedicated placeshifter will be hitting store shelves shortly. In India. The low-end Slingbox 120 runs 7,999 Rupees (~$180), but only accepts and streams standard definition … Read more

Source Code: Because Groundhog Day Lacked Dubious Science

Caution… potential movie spoilers ahead.

Many characters in film and television have wrestled with the question, “Does she really love me for me?” But only a select few, including Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) and that guy from Quantum Leap, have had to answer it in another dude’s body.

Source Code, Duncan Jones‘ sophomore directorial effort, after debuting with the vastly superior Moon in 2009, is the kind of movie where you can sort of accept the things that are happening on screen until people start trying to explain them. Our hero, Captain Stevens, wakes up on a train and spends the rest of the movie exploding for a good cause.

Stevens is part of an experiment that transports him back to the last eight minutes of one passenger’s life on a Chicago commuter train to figure out who placed the bomb that wiped out everyone on board. Nothing Stevens does can affect the outcome in his own timeline, so he’s strictly gathering information to thwart a possible future attack. Every time his host body dies, Stevens is forced back on the train to try again. Think Groundhog Day meets Seven Days.

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TiVo Prepping 4 Tuner HD DVR?

The new TiVo Advisors survey is far more interesting than most, spelling out a number of “potential products and features.” On the hardware front, two very specific devices are described: A companion device for your DVR. It allows a second TV (in another room) to watch live TV (in HD) and also watch the recordings … Read more

HBO, Cinemax programming coming to iPhone, iPad, Android

DirectTV has announced plans to offer HBO GO and MAX GO apps for mobile devices. Right now the services allow DirectTV subscribers who pay for HBO and Cinemax to view content online via a web site for no additional charge. Eventually mobile apps will also be available for Android and iOS. There are 1400 titles available from … Read more

Roku iPad Remote App Now Ready For Download

The unofficial Roku DVPRemote iOS app has been updated to version 2.2. While it’s always allowed us to control our Roku media streamers via iPhone and iPod Touch, this refresh launches as an universal binary with brand spanking new iPad interface. In addition to the replicating the physical Roku remote(s), what’s so useful about DVPRemote is … Read more

A Few Notes On Acquisitions (Money Talks)

Of course the big news today is Cisco’s abandonment of their $590 million Flip acquisition. Yeah, it’s a disappointment (which we saw coming) and somewhat perplexing that a buyer wasn’t lined up – the brand retains significant value even if the recent and unreleased products don’t. Over on Twitter, I had an interesting exchange with former Wired reporter … Read more

UMI, Flip, and Ojo – Where Video Was a No-Go

Cisco has announced it’s closing down the Flip business and folding the UMI video conferencing product into its Business TelePresence line. The news comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that WorldGate, maker of the ill-fated Ojo video phone, has finally shut its doors for good. Bye bye, badly-managed video products. Hello, smartphone and … Read more