Zillion TV, Not Dead Yet

Zillion TV continues to sputter along… Originally backed by a few studios, amongst others, in what sounded like a “Hulu box”, the startup has seen all manner of turmoil. Including blown 2009 launch plans, a restructured sales model, a CEO replacement, and unflattering commentary by pilot testers. However, buried within a lawsuit (more turmoil!), we’ve … Read more

Let the March Madness Begin Again

TiVo, blah blah, TiVo, blah blah blah. Let’s move on to something important, like March Madness. ;) With the best month in college basketball kicking into gear, I thought I’d take a look at my options for following all of the NCAA action. First up is the official March Madness On Demand Player from CBS … Read more

BREAKING: DISH Held In Contempt (For Real)

I’ve been covering the TiVo/DISH/EchoStar patent infringement case for years. (With varying degree of interest.) And it looks like we’re that much closer to a conclusion given today’s ruling/affirmation by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit: Appellants (collectively, “EchoStar”) appeal from the district court’s decision finding them in contempt of the … Read more

The TiVo Premiere Paradox

TiVo Premiere, er, premiere week continues! And, last night, I was a guest on the EngadgetHD podcast dedicated to TiVo’s launch. Unfortunately, as with my write up, we had a difficult time focusing on what the Premiere offers… versus what it lacks. Of course, we’re not representative of the broader consumer market and have the … Read more

Three TiVo Premiere Mysteries

As no one beyond TiVo Inc, and their NDA-ed testers or partners, have spent more than a short while with the TiVo Premiere, there are quite a few outstanding questions of the CableCARD DVR. Is the hard drive still user expandable/replaceable? To what extent has the HME API been expanded to support the new Flash … Read more

The TiVo Premiere is here! (That’s it?)

TiVo-Premiere

After a few months of unintended leaks and 3 1/2 years since third generation hardware was introduced, the TiVo Series 4 Premiere has arrived. As with TiVo’s HD line, which is being cleared out, the Premiere will ship (next month) in two SKUs: A base model with 45 hours of HD storage (320GB) at $300. And a higher tier THX certified “XL” unit, containing a terabyte of storage (150 hrs of HD), for $500. Service fees are unchanged. As you’d expect, the Premiere sports significantly beefed up processing power and, also as expected, finally realizes TiVo’s new HD UI.

Additionally, the Premiere represents a savvy reboot of TiVo marketing. With, perhaps, a little help from their friends. Now that “DVR” functionality has essentially been commoditized, TiVo’s pitching the Premiere as a “cable box.”  That also provides video, web, and music content. Basically, “One Box” to rule them all.

So that’s what the TiVo Premiere is.

However, given TiVo’s inaugural role and leadership in space, not to mention the tens of millions spent annually on R&D, I have to say I’m somewhat underwhelmed. I get why they didn’t go the tru2way route, given the cable industry’s inability to roll out as planned and requirement to implement an inferior, secondary interface. But where’s the improved whole-home DVR experience (like Moxi), additional tuners, Blu-ray player, social media apps (like FiOS), DLNA, user personalization (like Sezmi), etc?

But, before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s dive into the Premiere specifics…

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The New Blu-ray Players Have Arrived

After seeing every single Blu-ray player on sale and/or clearance at Best Buy a few weeks back, I’ve been religiously checking in to see when the latest batch (most unveiled at CES) drops. And this weekend, I hit the mother lode at Best Buy’s Reston, VA outpost. Although these eight new units aren’t entirely ready for their close up… None have completed shelf labels and only two (the Sonys) are boxed on the showroom floor. This isn’t the entire updated lineup, but all the models I saw (starting at $180) include a network jack and streaming services. Additionally, all units start at lower prices compared to last year and are mostly more compact – with several boasting improved startup times. Now that the LGBD390 has presumably been discontinued and Vudu has been acquired, I’m no longer sure which player I need…

The Sony Blu-ray Players

The two Sony Blu-ray players are significantly thinner than prior models. At least 1/3rd thinner, maybe 1/2. And surprising slow. Unfortunately, these two lower end models look somewhat pedestrian in a cheaply finished plastic. However, they can be overlooked as the “wireless ready” (buy their USB adapter) units include Slacker, amongst the other Bravia Internet services, and an iPhone remote control app is available. The slightly higher-end unit is also the first Blu-ray player advertising 3D capabilities on the box, expected via a firmware update this summer.

The LG Blu-ray Players

Although not the slimmest, I found the three LG models to be the most elegant looking. But I’m still not quite sold on the need for a built-in hard drive (on their high-end model), as I have no intention of ripping my (old) CDs to a Blu-ray player. However, maybe it opens the door for improved movie download or gaming services. Interestingly, despite the variety of online services offered by LG, only Netflix is mentioned on the unit. I suppose they reserve the right to rotate streaming apps in and out of their catalog.

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The Sony DSC-WX1 Panorama Contest, Part Deux

Last December, in cooperation with Sony, WeSay, and Technorati Media, I was provided the pocketable Sony DSC-WX1 with the task of shooting some interesting panoramas. And it turns out, folks dug my work, as a panorama I snapped from the shore of Point of Rocks won the competition. Although, it wasn’t my favorite panorama… preferring, … Read more