From the FCC yesterday: we terminate a proceeding in which we sought comment on the adoption of new regulations for “navigation devices”—devices that consumers use to access multichannel video programming and other services offered over multichannel video programming networks— and eliminate outdated CableCARD support and reporting requirements. I could write pages on CableCARD and how … Read more
I’ve got some good news and I’ve got some bad news. Assuming you’ve read the headline, you already know one of our favorite OTA DVR offerings will be making commercial skip available for $2/mo (or $20/yr) as part of a new “Tablo Premium” service. In order to generate the Automatic Commercial Skip playlists, each Tablo … Read more
As TiVo degrades their consumer DVR experience, and generally hasn’t morphed into the digital lifestyle company some had hoped for, folks are seeking out alternatives. And, for cord cutters, there are several great options to enjoy and manage that free antenna television… with or without an actual antenna. First, most of the streaming aggregators (YouTube … Read more
The Channels app and DVR software have become my go-to solution for watching live OTA TV and recording local channels. When you pair Channels with an HDHomeRun tuner, you have instant access to stream local stations to any supported applications on iOS, FireTV, or Android devices. If you choose to pay for Channels Plus, you … Read more
DISH has been at the forefront of cord cutting technologies, having launched the original OTT aggregator in Sling TV and more recently unveiling home hardware to harness antenna television. DISH clearly continues to crank away in this space as an AirTV 2 just passed through the FCC. The question is: Which sort of AirTV will … Read more
While Nvidia Shield TV gets the bulk of the attention, and rightfully so, there are a number of other Android TV products out there… including quite a few Sony televisions. And our very own Joel Ward was treated to a rather unpleasant update. Both Joel’s Sony 2016 800D 43″ and 2017 900E 65″ televisions, running … Read more
Several years after the questionable SCOTUS smackdown of Aereo, upstart Locast is similarly attempting to stream antenna television… to those who may not have reception or prefer to watch on something other than a television. Unlike the for-profit model of Aereo, which provided live television with DVR capabilities to customers via rented regional micro-antennas, Locast is … Read more
I finally took possession of an Amazon Fire TV Recast DVR… and, boy, is it is massive. I assume Amazon went with off-the-shelf components to get to market quickly and, should they find success in this space, invest more resources in a smarter, custom design for v2… much as they did in utilizing the Blackberry … Read more