Got a Slingbox? Got a Mac? Time to sign up for beta testing! Sling Media VP Jeremy Toeman says: The application will be live for the next 2 weeks, after which we will close it down, pick out our crew, and get rolling. The program will last a few months, so please make sure you … Read more
Everybody’s favorite universal remote is on sale for $150 off! Dell is offering the Harmony 880 for a low $100… until midnight. The retail price is $250 but this deal includes an instant $120 off, a $30 mail in rebate, and free delivery. UPDATE: If you have a smaller budget or don’t need a color … Read more
Never enough time… DirecTV HD TiVo getting upgraded to 6.3! (HDBeat) Optical component reads Blu-ray and HD-DVD. (EETimes) Court rules against “film sanitizing.” (AP) Audio interview with Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Fred von Lohmann. (eHomeUpgrade)
Never enough time… Five-second ads try to counter TiVo. (USA Today) Hi-Def codec face-off: WMV-HD vs. DivX-HD. (eHomeUpgrade) Vista Media Center features won’t require NTSC tuner. (jkOnTheRun) Real Rhapsody on Squeezebox. (Engadget)
CNET Tech News has been available for almost two months on broadband-connected Series 2 units. I regularly watch the weekly 15-minute shows, though I find myself fast forwarding through about 50% of each installment (some of these editors are not meant for TV; I don’t care about Best Buy or Sony commercials). In the latest … Read more
As you may have gathered, I spent a few days in Canada. While taking in Montreal’s Jazz Fest, I noticed XM is a new sponsor this year (XM Canada didn’t exist last summer). I don’t read/speak French, but I picked up a GM/XM brochure which probably says something about 50 vehicles offering satellite receivers. In … 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
As you probably suspect, I’ve been somewhat ambivalent of TiVo’s expanded/additional in-DVR advertising initiatives. While I support their desire to increase revenue and reach profitability, as a paying subscriber I am leery of ads negatively impacting my DVR experience. Additionally, I have (unfounded?) fears that easy advertising dollars could discourage TiVo from pursuing my VOD/PPV … Read more