Streaming video

What I'd (still) like to see in a new Apple TV

Almost every recent Apple event has been preceded by rumors of a big Apple TV update and yesterday's WWDC was no different. The rumor mill was expecting a full-blown app store for Apple's set-top box, but instead the Apple TV was mentioned only in passing, primarily to demonstrate AirPlay.

That lack of an update wasn't that surprising to me, but it means my wish list for an overhauled Apple TV from earlier this year is still largely unfulfilled. As good as the current Apple TV is (I like the current model a lot; see my full review), there's plenty of room for improvement, especially with competitors like Roku and Xbox 360 providing compelling alternatives.

Here's what I'm still hoping will eventually make its way to the Apple TV.

Philips appeals to Apple-haters with 'Android SoundBar'

LAS VEGAS--If you consider yourself a "Fandroid," you might like to know that Philips has announced the CSS5123 SoundBar: the "first Android streaming Home Theater experience."

The $349.99 SoundBar is designed to sit at the center of a home-streaming setup controlled with a dedicated Android app, SimplyShare, which Philips is pitching as an alternative to AirPlay. It's worth clarifying that the SoundBar itself doesn't run on Android.

SimplyShare is based on DLNA and is compatible with other DLNA devices including Windows PCs, network servers, and dare we say it, (probably) DLNA apps on … Read more

Hands-on: Simple.TV might be the next big cord-cutting device

LAS VEGAS--Simple.TV's DVR without a hard drive or video output may sound crazy, but it could end up being a killer product for cable-cutters.

That's the impression I got after spending some hands-on time with the over-the-air-friendly DVR, which was already working on an iPad and a Roku 2 XS box in the booth.

To recap from my initial story, Simple.TV allows you to access over-the-air TV programs, either live or stored on a connected hard drive (that you supply), from a number of devices on your home network--at launch there are apps for Roku, Google TV, Boxee, and iPad. So fire up your iPad and you can watch live broadcast TV or any of the recordings on the connected hard drive.… Read more

Simple.TV is a next-gen DVR for the cord-cutting crowd

LAS VEGAS--It's hard to imagine a DVR without a hard drive or a video output, but that's exactly what the new Simple.TV box is.

Designed with cable-cutters in mind, the Simple.TV ($150, available in the spring) is capable of recording over-the-air HDTV and Clear QAM cable, along with traditional DVR functionality like pausing live TV.

What makes Simple.TV's solution interesting, compared with more-traditional DVRs capable of recording over-the-air content (like TiVo and Channel Master TV), is that the Simple.TV box itself doesn't have an HDMI or any kind of video output. Instead, … Read more

Sony keeps Google TV alive with new Blu-ray player, set top box

LAS VEGAS--Sony was one of the few early supporters of the Google TV platform, and the company is doubling down on its bet with two new home theater products at CES 2012.

Sony announced an updated version of its Google TV-powered Blu-ray player, the NSZ-GP9, as well as its first-ever Google TV set-top box, the NSZ-GS7. Both products will feature all of the improvements made in the most recent Google TV update, including access to apps in the Android Market.

The major upgrade from last year's model is the new touch-pad remote, which supports gestures via three-axis motion control. … Read more

LG's 2012 Blu-ray lineup looks a lot like 2011 lineup

LAS VEGAS--If you had the feeling that Blu-ray players have "peaked" as a product type, LG would tend to agree with you.

At least that's the feeling I get looking at LG's newly announced line of Blu-ray players at CES 2012. Not much has changed from last year's line, except that built-in Wi-Fi is no longer a premium feature, appearing on the nearly entry-level BP320. The chart above has most of the important details summarized, but the breakdown is essentially:

LG BP220: Smart TV (Ethernet-only) LG BP320: Smart TV + Wi-Fi LG BP520: Smart TV + 3D + … Read more

Roku's Streaming Stick shrinks the Roku box into a dongle

I've called the Roku LT "tiny," but it's about to look downright chunky.

Roku announced the Streaming Stick this morning, which essentially squeezes all the functionality of a typical Roku box (including Wi-Fi, processor, and memory) into a a device that looks like a USB flash drive. It doesn't require an additional power cable or a separate remote, instead allowing you to use your TV's standard remote to navigate Roku's software. Roku's platform currently supports over 400 channels, including Netflix, Amazon Instant, Pandora, MLB.TV, HBO Go, MOG, and Rdio.

Roku sees … Read more

WD TV gets smartphone remote app, Vudu

Western Digital announced several updates to the WD TV Live and WD TV Live Hub streaming-media boxes today, including a smartphone app for both iOS and Android, plus a new slate of streaming services, including Vudu, Flixster, SnagFilms, XOS College Sports, SEC Digital NEtwork, Comedy Time, and Watch Mojo.

While a lot of those services lack a broad appeal, the addition of Vudu is a big plus, as the WD line of streaming-media boxes previously lacked a top-tier pay-per-view movie and TV service. That's important for getting access to more new release content that's often missing from subscription … Read more

Is the Xbox recommendable as a streaming-video box?

The new design of the Xbox 360's dashboard and press releases touting "the future of TV" make it clear that Microsoft is transitioning the Xbox from a gaming console that also does home entertainment to a home entertainment box that also does gaming.

That's an exciting move, especially for not-quite-hard-core gamers who spend more and more time streaming video on their game consoles.

The Xbox is far from the only contender in the streaming-video space, which has several good options (Roku LT, Apple TV), but nothing that truly nails the category. Below I take an in-depth look at the Xbox in light of new video-centric features, like Kinect-enabled voice search and Bing-powered cross-platform video search, to see how it stacks up strictly as a streaming-video box.… Read more

Why Boxee Box's TV tuner needs DVR support

Boxee co-founder Avner Ronen took to the official Boxee blog this morning to announce the Boxee Live TV tuner.

It's a $50 TV tuner dongle coming in January that connects to one of the Boxee Box's USB ports and works with either free over-the-air TV signals (which typically include the major networks, plus PBS) or unencrypted Clear QAM cable channels. (There's a useful overview on Boxee's site.)

The pitch is that the Live TV tuner makes the Boxee Box an exceptional cable-cutting device, letting you still watch major TV events like local sports and award shows, while catching up on other TV and movie content via streaming video services like Netflix and Vudu. (But not Hulu Plus, which still hasn't been added to Boxee, despite the announcement over a year ago.)

The catch? That all sounds great, until you remember that every modern HDTV already has a built-in ATSC tuner that allows you to watch live TV.… Read more