Media fans that use a Roku XD|S or HD-XR media steaming device will be glad to hear that a new update is coming for both of the devices. The new update adds a feature that lots of people that own the devices have been waiting for. The feature is called Rocku USB Media player.
You can probably guess exactly what the new feature allows you to do. The support allows the user to play content back from a connected USB drive directly. A few of the details are left out, but Roku has offered a pretty clear picture of how and what you can do.
The feature supports direct playback from USB drives for KV (H.264), MP4 (H.264), MOV (H.264), WMV/ASF (WMV9/VC-1), MP3, AAC, JPG, and PNG files. The firmware supporting the new feature is version 2.9 build 1529 that landed last week.
I just mentioned that Vulkano had a new product coming soon for mobile devices that streams live TV to just about anything called the Vulkano Flow. Monsoon Multimedia also has a new Vulkano Blast device that it is talking up alongside the unveil of Flow.
The Vulkano Blast is a versatile TV video platform according to Monsoon and it has lots of features. The device is easy to set up and the features include an integrated DVR, web video, TV anywhere, UPnP streaming, mobile video recording and packs in a 160GB HDD.
The Blast is capable of turning your smartphone into a mobile video recording and those programs can be played back on other device. The DVR mode allows fast forwarding of content and pause capability. TV programs can be watched on the go with the device over WiFi or 3G connections. Video is streamed at 150kbps in H.264 and MPEG-4 standards. The device has integrated WiFi and future updates will bring access to Amazon, Netflix, and more. The device will ship this month for $199.
Apple’s AirPlay might be getting all the attention lately but it’s hardly the first solution for wirelessly streaming media to the television. Far from it. In 2003, the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) formed with its first set of interoperable products hitting the market in 2004. Since then, the alliance has certified thousands of products supported by more than 245 member companies, 29 of whom are listed as “promoter members” including such heavyweights as Sony, Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba, Verizon, AT&T Lab, LG, Qualcomm, Cisco, Microsoft, Panasonic, Intel, HP, and Motorola. Pretty much everyone but Apple. Recently, HTC joined the DLNA ranks with the introduction of two smartphones — the Desire Z and Desire HD — and a tiny media streamer known as the HTC Media Link, HTC’s first attempt to gain a foothold in the living room. Over the last week we’ve been testing the Desire Z (a Eurofied T-Mobile G2) with the Media Link, lazily streaming video, music, and images around the house using a myriad of sources and controllers from Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and Western Digital. How did it perform? Click through to find out.
Netflix is busy changing things up. The company, after making it possible for people to pay for streaming-only service, is now working on getting their Watch Instantly service a bit more stocked, especially when it comes to current TV episodes. They apparently want it so bad, that rumors are now suggesting that the online movie-and-television show-rental service is looking to pay a hefty sum to make it possible for new episodes of TV shows to be played via Watch Instantly.
There’s no doubt that some people think that, while Netflix is great, their Instant Queue could be better. Especially when it comes to TV shows. The higher-ups at Netflix have been listening, and want to make a change. According to new rumors, Netflix could be willing to pay anywhere between &70,000 and $100,00 per episode, to get the option to stream it instantly on Watch Instantly. The hope is that Netflix would be able to run the season of any particular show, even while it’s still running on air.
Of course, TV networks aren’t going easily with this, even if there is a lot of money being bandied about. According to the New York Post these networks are arguing that they have rights over current-run TV series, and therefore it would be hard for Netflix to attain them for its own service. As of the time of this writing, Netflix hasn’t commented on the rumors, and none of the TV networks that are included have been named specifically.
Hooray, Sony will soon be bringing their Qriocity streaming movie service to all PSP machines and Bravia TVs and Blue-ray players and home theater systems in the UK. Oh you UK, you’re gonna love it. What this means for the PSP is access to the Sony Music Unlimited library, for the other devices, this will mean they’ve got complete access to the stream of streaming goodness. In the PSP, this update will require the user to move to version 6.35 (which is coming soon.) Along with the update will come an icon that’ll sit in the XMB interface’s Music category.
Inside this software update there’ll also be an application by the name of Media Go with will help PSP users manage content downloaded and to PC and will bring new photo editing tools as well. Video on Demand on UK devices, noticeably skipping over PS3 as it’s got it’s own store and is sitting in the corner with its arms crossed saying that it doesn’t LIKE what Sony made for dinner.
In the future, audio, gaming, and e-book content will also come to these devices, starting first with groups like Paramount, Sony, Starz, Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, Disney, NBC Universal and Warner Bros in both HD and SD.
Acer’s press event today started with hardware, and ended with software. Throughout their announcements this morning, the company made sure to focus on the fact that interactivity between their devices was paramount. They wanted to feature the same User Interface, the same elements, amongst their devices, no matter the software powering it, or the hardware owners would be using. To help that, sharing media is a must, and so the company has created a new way to share your media, all in hopes of making it easier, more streamlined, with a focus on multi-platform. It’s called Clear.fi.
Acer’s focus is to make media sharing easy, when it comes to Clear.fi. Acer believes that it is easier to share media if the media is all in one location, based on the same interface and linked to one system. And, most importantly, they have to be able to be shared in real-time. Clear.fi is meant to work with multi-format media, and be able to stream it on multi-platform devices. They intend to make it this simple: if you’re device is connected to your WiFi network, you should be able to stream the media you want to stream.
Clear.fi will automatically detect devices that are connected to the network, and from there you’ll be able to start the streaming. Not only that, but you’ll also be able to share/upload images from the network to social networking sites like Flickr, and Facebook. YouTube is also included in there, too. In concept, the idea is great, but it will only be when customers start using it, that we’ll be able to find out how well Acer has made media streaming easier.
If getting a multi-site backup software application wasn’t enough, NETGEAR is continuing with their Friday announcement by unveiling new devices for their Ultra series of media streaming devices. The new devices are labeled as the world’s fastest home media servers, and come packed with features that will make streaming media in your home easier, and more enjoyable.
If you’re familiar with the NETGEAR ReadyNAS Ultra series, and you were impressed with the performance therein, then the Ultra Plus series will blow your mind. NETGEAR has revealed that the new series will offer up 30% more performance versus the Ultra series before it. Not only that, but the 2-bay model for the ReadyNAS Ultra family will also be made available later this year, worldwide.
NETGEAR is positioning the new Ultra Plus line-up of devices as not only a stand-alone media streaming device, which includes local or remote handhelds, video game consoles, and desktops, but also a supplemental device to the likes of TiVo users. Features like Orb transcoding means that you’ll have support for multiple media formats, based on the type of screen you’re playing it on. While Skifta will shift your movies and music onto any DLNA-certified device. Not only that, but there’s also a remote file access application available in the Apple App Store for $2.99.
What’s more, NETGEAR has officially achieved DLNA certification for several of its devices, including the Ultra Pro line-up. The other device is the N600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router, model number WNDR3700. With the DLNA certification, it means that these new NETGEAR devices will effortlessly connect, and stream media with other DLNA-certified devices, making your streaming needs all that much easier.
The ReadyNAS Ultra Plus and Ultra 2 series devices will be made available in late November. You’ll be able to pick up the Ultra 2 Plus for $449.99; the Ultra 4 Plus for $699.99; and the Ultra 6 Plus for $999.99. The Ultra 2 will cost you $399.99; the Ultra 2 with 2TB of storage for $549.99; and the Ultra 2 with 4TB of storage for $699.99. Check out the full press release below for more information.
Press Release
NETGEAR Releases World’s Fastest Home Media Servers
New additions to the ReadyNAS Ultra family deliver stunning home media streaming experiences
SAN JOSE, Calif. – November 5, 2010 – NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and Internet service providers, today released four new additions to its ReadyNAS® Ultra family of home media servers. The new ReadyNAS Ultra Plus series delivers approximately 30% more performance over the ReadyNAS Ultra series, offering the world’s best streaming media experience for music, movies, photos and files. In addition, the 2-bay model of the ReadyNAS Ultra family will soon be available worldwide.
The ReadyNAS Ultra Plus series transforms home media networks, delivering media content to local or remote handhelds, desktops and game consoles. NETGEAR’s industry-leading partnerships deliver expanded media experiences at home and away from home. TiVo™ users may use the ReadyNAS Ultra Plus to tremendously expand their DVR capacity. Orb™ transcoding support puts the right media formats on the right screens, streaming movies on handhelds in any connected location. Skifta™ shifts movies and music onto any DLNA networked screen. Remote file access is now available for iPhone users with the new ReadyNAS Remote iPhone App.
“The explosion of digital content has resulted in large personal media collections that are often unmanaged and scattered. As media collections grow, so has the demand for home media servers. Consumers want simplicity and flexibility,” said Norm Bogen, industry analyst at In-Stat. “And the NETGEAR
ReadyNAS Ultra family delivers. With a ReadyNAS Ultra or Ultra Plus at the center of the home network, consumers can consolidate and organize their content in a secure, expandable place that’s accessible anywhere.”
“The ReadyNAS Ultra family brings cutting-edge partnerships and applications to the home media server market. The new Ultra Plus series is now the most powerful home storage available,” said Tiffany Pham, Product Line Manager for Prosumer Storage at NETGEAR. “Now users can do more with their digital media collections than ever before.”
Pricing and Availability
The ReadyNAS Ultra Plus series will be available online in late November 2010 from leading direct marketers and ecommerce sites at the following estimated street prices:
• RNDP200U – Ultra 2 Plus (Diskless 2-bay), $449.99 USD
• RNDP400U – Ultra 4 Plus (Diskless 4-bay), $699.99 USD
• RNDP600U – Ultra 6 Plus (Diskless 6-bay), $999.99 USD
The ReadyNAS Ultra 2 will be available online in late November 2010 from leading direct marketers and ecommerce sites at the following estimated street prices:
• RNDU2000 – Ultra 2 (Diskless 2-bay), $399.99 USD
• RNDU2120 – Ultra 2 (2TB: 1 x 2TB), $549.99 USD
• RNDU2220 – Ultra 2 (4TB: 2 x 2TB), $699.99 USD
The ReadyNAS Remote iPhone app is available on Apple’s App Store for $2.99 USD
For more information, please visit: www.netgear.com/ultra
About NETGEAR, Inc.
NETGEAR (NASDAQGM: NTGR) is a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and Internet service providers. For consumers, the company makes high performance, dependable and easy home networking, storage and digital media products to connect people with the Internet and their content and devices. For businesses, NETGEAR provides networking, storage and security solutions without the cost and complexity of Big IT. The company also supplies all of the top Internet service providers with retail proven, whole home solutions for their customers. NETGEAR products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as wireless, Ethernet and powerline, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. NETGEAR products are sold in over 27,000 retail locations around the globe, and through more than 36,000 value-added resellers. The company’s headquarters are in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in 25 countries. NETGEAR is an ENERGY STAR® partner. More information is available at http://www.NETGEAR.com or by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR at http://twitter.com/NETGEAR and http://www.facebook.com/NETGEAR.
The maker of a hardware set top streaming boxes called Cirago and streaming content provider PlayOn have announced that they have teamed up to offer access to your personal media library and access to popular web streaming content on your TV. The content will stream to your set via the Cirago CMC3000, CMC1000, and CMC2000 media players.
The available web content includes Netflix, YouTube, Amazon VOD and the big one for me – Hulu. For some reason a lot of the streaming devices out there don’t offer Hulu access. Hulu is the only streaming provider that I really care to watch most days. Cirago has added the service offerings via PlayOn to its Cirago TV Platinum CMC3000 that can be had in 1TB or 500GB storage capacities.
The device also has integrated network storage capability and a BitTorrent client to download peer-to-peer movies and music files. The media players support 1080p resolution and the CMC3000 has time shift capability to record and playback live TV shows. The PlayOn service costs $19.99 for the first year for a limited time and the normal price is $39.99.
If you are a big streaming media fan on the Android platform a new movie and TV streaming service is now available for you. The service is Crackle from Sony Pictures Entertainment. The app is a free download on the Android Market and has paid and free content offerings.
The free content includes access to Minisodes, which are TV shows that are condensed down to a few minutes. I would bet these are the flashbacks like we see before most shows today to catch you up before a new episode starts. Crackle focuses on content in the action, comedy, crime, horror, thriller and sci-fi genres.
The premium service will set you back $4.99 monthly and allows the user to stream full-length TV shows and movies. Studios offering films on the service include Columbia Pictures, Tri-Star, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Classics and others.
Today, Roku has officially announced that Hulu is coming to the Roku media streaming devices available in the market. It will be made available in the Hulu Plus variant, which means that if you want to get your hands on the media streaming service, you’ll have to drop some money every month. But, the additional service to the media streaming set-top box does indeed put a new twist on the at-home media streaming services, and puts some question marks over the other set-top boxes available to consumers.
There had been some grumblings about the availability of Hulu on the Roku box for a little while now, and while some of those rumors may have been powered by nothing more than hope, it certainly paid off. Roku announced today that the popular Hulu service would be made available to all Roku boxes later this fall. You’ll have to pay the $9.99 monthly fee to access the full catalog of Hulu, and watch older episodes.
“We are excited to bring Hulu Plus to all Roku users,” said Pete Distad, VP of Content Distribution for Hulu. “With Hulu Plus on Roku, TV fans will have an easy way to stream to their TVs the shows they love, whenever they want.”
Considering the refresh of Roku boxes, with prices for the set-top variants starting at $59.99, it would be hard not to say that Roku is one of the best options available. Check out the full press release below for any additional information you might be looking for.
And, if that’s not enough, it’s also coming to TiVo Premiere customers, too.
Press Release
Roku Announces Content Partnership with Hulu
Hulu Plus Coming this Fall on All Roku Streaming Players
Saratoga, Calif. (September 28, 2010) Roku, Inc., maker of the best-selling and award-winning Roku streaming player, and Hulu™, the leading online TV service, today announced a partnership to offer the Hulu Plus™ service on all Roku players. The Hulu Plus channel will be available via subscription to all Roku customers later this fall.
Hulu Plus offers one of the deepest offerings of TV shows, both current and classic, on a streaming platform to subscribers in the U.S. Through Hulu Plus on Roku, TV lovers can watch every episode of more than 45 current hit programs from ABC, FOX and NBC like Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, Glee, Family Guy, The Office and 30 Rock. In addition, TV lovers will be able to enjoy full series runs and numerous back seasons of dozens of classic shows like The X-Files, Law and Order: SVU, Arrested Development, Saturday Night Live, Miami Vice, Ugly Betty, Quantum Leap, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Roswell and Ally McBeal. The Hulu Plus channel will be available via subscription to all Roku customers later this fall.
“We are excited to bring Hulu Plus to all Roku users,” said Pete Distad, VP of Content Distribution for Hulu. “With Hulu Plus on Roku, TV fans will have an easy way to stream to their TVs the shows they love, whenever they want.”
Roku pioneered the streaming player category in 2008, and recently launched its new line of HD streaming players starting at $59.99, featuring the largest collection of streaming entertainment available for the TV, and the lowest prices in the industry.
“We’re thrilled to be able to provide Hulu Plus subscribers with the most inexpensive device to stream Hulu content to their TVs,” said Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku, Inc. “Hulu continues to be an amazing innovator in online entertainment, and Roku is an ideal platform to bring their content back to the living room and high definition televisions where it is best viewed.”
The Roku HD streaming player ($59.99) delivers video in high-definition and features built-in wireless and Ethernet for easy broadband connectivity anywhere in the home. The new Roku XD ($79.99) and XDS ($99.99) models add 1080p HD support (delivered over HDMI) and extended-range Wireless-N. In addition, the XDS model features dual-band Wireless-N technology and USB playback.
In partnering with Roku, Hulu joins major entertainment partners including Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), Amazon Video On Demand (NASDAQ: AMZN), Pandora, MLB.TV, and Ultimate Fighting Championship®.
About Roku, Inc.
The market leader in streaming entertainment devices for the TV, Roku has always believed that anything you want to watch, listen to, and enjoy should simply be there on your TV, whenever you want it. Roku streaming players are renowned for their simplicity, variety of entertainment choices, and exceptional value. Roku is privately held and based in Saratoga, Calif. For more information on the company and its products, visit: http://www.roku.com.
About Hulu
Hulu is an online TV service whose mission is to help people find and enjoy the world’s premium content when, where and how they want it. As we pursue this mission, we aspire to create a service that users, advertisers and content owners unabashedly love. Hulu was founded in 2007 and is operated independently by a dedicated team with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Beijing. NBC Universal, News Corporation, The Walt Disney Company, Providence Equity Partners, and the Hulu team share in the ownership of the company. (www.hulu.com)
