In case you haven’t heard, Netflix is proudly trumpeting the arrival of banner ads. While this might please stock holders, I’m not sure how much value advertising clutter affords the typical customer. In fact, on my 1024×768 laptop the new banner ad for Sony’s Monster House combined with the Netflix Father’s Day promotion fills nearly … Read more
Been thinking about getting a Slingbox? Is $100 off retail enough to force your hand? If you’re game, add the $199 Slingbox to your cart and then use code DISH2006 for another $50 off. (via Gizmodo)
Never enough time… Netflix talks small film distribution and movie downloads. (Business Week) Echostar, DirecTV, and WildBlue team for satellite broadband service. (CNET) Connecticut gives IPTV thumbs up. (GigaOM) What Netflix could teach Hollywood. (NY Times) Kenya and Uganda get PVR in time for World Cup. (All Africa)
Valleywag reports photo-sharing site SmugMug has received a cease and desist letter from TiVo in regards to their usage of thumbs up/down functionality and/or graphics. CEO Don MacAskill claims SmugMug is not in violation of TiVo’s trademarks as they aren’t using the symbols in an interactive television application. MacAskill suggests TiVo’s legal department will be … Read more
A few retailers have begun offering TiVo’s 180HR dual-tuning Series 2 model for online purchase. So if you’ve been pining away for KidZone, now may be a good time to get in. The 80HR DT units can be purchased directly from TiVo with bundled pricing, or bought outright through Costco ($319) or Best Buy ($349) … Read more
Google has developed a system that uses a PC microphone to eavesdrop on a co-located television. “Big Brother” determines what you’re watching to present relevant web information, social applications, and more targeted advertising… that you can’t quite see from the couch, anyway. Monitoring TV viewing habits actually seems less invasive than archiving search data (in … Read more
Those of you with Series2 units… go sign up for system software 7.3! Expect up to three days before TiVo peeps manually load your priority request. The major enhancement is the release of KidZone, a feature adding a managed and insulated partition for children. Kudos to TiVo for delivering on time — several months ago … Read more
For a sneak peak at TiVo’s Guru Guide recommendation and scheduling service, check out the pre-release web pages here. The initial batch of (working!) guides include suggestions from Sports Illustrated, CNET, Entertainment Weekly, and Billboard. For the moment, you can only access Guru Guides via the TiVo webpage, though I suspect once KidZone functionality arrives … Read more