Eminent has outed its latest STB media player, the Eminent HD EM7195, a twin digital tuner model with USB 3.0 and network connectivity. Built around a pair of DVB-T Freeview tuners and Realtek’s new RT1183 DD C+ chipset – reportedly allowing for faster UI and EPG navigation – the HD EM7195 can record two shows simultaneously as well as stream network content.
Ports include one USB 3.0 Device, for hooking up to a computer and dropping files onto a SATA HDD in the EM7195′s internal bay, together with three USB host ports for external storage. There’s also 10/100 ethernet, HDMI and a multi-format memory card reader.
Supported file types include MKV and H.264, though Eminent is yet to reveal a full list. It also gets a backlit remote control. No pricing, but the Eminent HD EM7195 is set to hit the UK come March 2011.
Press Release:
Eminent announces new HD media player EM7195 with DVB-T twin tuner
The Eminent HD media player EM7195 with DVB-T, USB 3.0 and a next-generation Realtek chipset offers a complete home cinema experience. Eminent expects the HD media player EM7195 to be available in the UK in March 2011.
Supplier of ICT accessories Eminent will equip its HD media player EM7195 with a DVB-T twin tuner. As a result, it is possible to watch one Freeview™ channel and record another one at the same time. Use the electronic program guide (EPG) to choose from free digital TV channels. The Eminent HD media player EM7195 allows to schedule recordings and record up to two channels simultaneously.
Eminent is the first company offering an HD media player with the next-generation Realtek RT1183 DD C+ chipset in the UK. High stability, fast navigation and HD audio support add to the comfort of using the Eminent HD media player EM7195. It supports a broad range of video formats, including MKV and H.264.
The USB 3.0 connection facilitates fast movie transfer from a PC to the hard disk inside the Eminent HD media player EM7195. It takes seconds to copy a complete movie to the HD media player. Furthermore, it is possible to connect external storage devices to the USB ports, SATA port and card reader. Connect the Eminent HD media player EM7195 to the home network to stream multimedia files from a PC to the TV.
Additional accessories, such as the full-size luxurious backlit remote control, clearly add value to the Eminent HD media player EM7195. Eminent provides all necessary cables, including an HDMI and USB 3.0 cable. The Eminent HD media player EM7195 is an elegant black device made of brushed aluminium.
Eminent offers a 5 year warranty. This HD media player will be available in the UK in March 2011.
Another stumbling block on the path to all-content multimedia enlightenment in a single STB has presented itself, with rights holders taking umbrage with TiVo DVRs supplied by cable companies. According to Suddenlink – though the limitation also stands for Cox and RCN – rights holders aren’t willing to see streaming and VOD content on the same cable-powered device; that means that, while Hulu Plus is expected to launch on TiVo STBs soon, it will only be available for those bought at retail, not supplied by cable companies
“Currently, Hulu Plus will not be available on MVPD-provided TiVo Premiere DVRs,” Netflix told GigaOm, meaning there will be a significant feature-gap between standalone TiVo units and those supplied by cable providers. Suddenlink rolled out TiVo Premiere units as a $15 per month option recently; however, $5 more a month gets you TiVo’s own lease, and a box with Netflix support and Hulu Plus incoming.
The content issue could see TiVo struggle to pick up customers among cable companies, which had previously been identified as an under-staturated market for the DVR firm.
Panasonic Japan has outed a new HDTV, and if you’ve ever wished for an easy way to archive live TV without messing with a DVR then this could be the VIERA you’ve been waiting for. The Panasonic VIERA TH-L42G3 is a 42-inch set with an IPS LED-backlit Full HD display, but the clever stuff is in the SD card reader in the side. Rather than just allowing you to play back media, as with memory card slots on other HDTVs, this one lets you record it.
That slot will take SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards – up to 64GB in size – which is good enough for up to five hours of Full HD, 24Mbps video. Alternatively, there’s a USB port to which you can directly hook up an external drive, for even longer storage.
The only problem is that the media files the VIERA creates won’t apparently play on other TVs, computers or mobile devices, which seriously undermines the TH-L42G3′s usefulness as a way to get video onto your smartphone. Other features include an ethernet port for smart TV functionality, two HDMI ports, VIERA Link, video-on-demand connectivity and DLNA. It’ll drop in Japan come January 18 2011, priced at the equivalent of $1,800.
Recently, my day was over and I wanted to relax, so I took to the couch, picked up the remote, and turned on the television. Based on what time it was, I thought I’d catch the end of one of the shows I watch each week and then get to another program after that. I thought it would be a slow, relaxing night.
As I turned on my DVR, it took about 15 seconds to start. When I tried changing the channels, it took about 10 seconds to perform the action. And in the moments when I hit a few buttons, like the channel up and channel down keys to test response time, it locked up for about a minute or so. When it came back, it performed all those actions in about a second.
At that point, I had enough. I knew the drill from talking to my cable company’s customer service agents in the past that the best idea in that situation is to unplug the DVR, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. So I did.
And then, as I stared at the black display on my television for, oh, about 5 minutes, I realized something. DVRs today are arguably the worst set-top boxes in any person’s entertainment center. And yet, many of us have them, so we can watch our favorite programming and record shows we want to see.
That is precisely why I can’t wait to get rid of my DVR. I long for the day when a single set-top box (or even a few) will be able to deliver me all the content I care about, so I can finally call the cable company and tell them that their DVR services are no longer required.
The best part is, I think I’m getting close to that point. I have Netflix streaming for old programming, the prospect of using Hulu Plus on my Roku set-top box at some point in the near future for the new stuff, and the possibility of seeing all kinds of content with Google TV once the search giant can find a way to coax studios into seeing its potential as the next big thing in home entertainment.
But alas, I’m not there yet. I watch too many cable shows for me to just ditch Time Warner Cable. And the content I’m currently accessing on other set-top boxes, like that on the Apple TV, can in no way match what I’m getting from my cable provider. At this point, I need to take the abuse my DVR doles out so I can be entertained.
But my patience is wearing thin. I have had countless DVRs over the years, and none of them have worked up to a standard that I even find adequate. There is no attention to detail put into the design of the boxes. They are simply poorly designed pieces of equipment that have no place in the home.
Now, I’m sure some might say I should get a TiVo. I should note that I have one in the bedroom. I replaced it in my living room with my DVR due to the issues I was having with my cable provider’s switched digital video adapter that accompanied the TiVo in order to access several channels. It was a major issue for me.
So, as I sit here contemplating what I will do tonight, I’m afraid I’ll have to go back to the DVR. It’s not that I want to — that’s certainly not the case — but at this point, I simply have no other choice.
What sort of DVR replacements do you think would solve this problem?
Panasonic Japan has outed what the company is calling the smallest ever DVR that integrates both Blu-ray burning and a hard-drive. The Panasonic DIGA DMR-BF200 measures a slight 210 x 194 x 65 mm and weighs in at 2.2kg; it can burn BD-R or BD-RE discs and or record media to its 320GB hard-drive.
There’s also streaming content support, with an ethernet port on the back which allows users to access YouTube videos. The hook-up to your TV is via HDMI, plus there’s an SD card slot and you can access content directly from memory cards.
Recorded video is encoded in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format, and the hard-drive can hold around 290 hours in Full HD. The DMR-BF200 will drop in Japan on November 15 priced at the equivalent of $860; no word on a release elsewhere as yet.
TiVo has launched an Online Season Pass Manager, which will allow subscribers to transfer season pass subscriptions between their various TiVo boxes, as well as adding new passes and deleting old ones. Billed as a direct request from TiVo’s customers – and we can’t really blame them – the new manager builds on the old system (which would allow Season Passes to be set up online) with more flexibility for multi-TiVo households and for those upgrading from an old TiVo box.
The only stipulation is, unsurprisingly, that the TiVo units themselves must be broadband connected for the new online manager to work. All of the company’s broadband-compatible DVRs will support the service, and you still get online scheduling as well.
The new TiVo Online Season Pass Manager will be available later on today at tivo.com/spm.
Press Release:
TiVo Launches Online Season Pass Manager Giving Customers Superior Control Over Their Recordings
Enhances TiVo’s Already Robust Online Offerings So Users Never Miss an Episode of Their Favorite Programs
ALVISO, CA — (Marketwire) — 10/13/2010 — TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), a leader in advanced television services, including digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced the launch of a Season Pass® manager on tivo.com. This tool, requested from customers directly, enhances TiVo’s already robust Web features, allowing TiVo customers to easily manage and transfer their Season Pass recordings online. This new feature joins TiVo’s online scheduling functionality on tivo.com for browsers and m.tivo.com for mobile devices, both of which allow customers to schedule recordings from anywhere they have access to the Internet.
For years, TiVo has allowed customers to remotely schedule recordings and set up Season Passes from tivo.com. With this updated tool TiVo subscribers can now also reprioritize or delete Season Passes on tivo.com, so that they have more control over their TV than ever. Customers can also transfer a Season Pass recording from one broadband-connected TiVo box to another box on their TiVo account making the addition of new TiVo DVRs or the transition from one TiVo DVR to another even easier.
“This is just another example of TiVo leading the way for in-home entertainment innovation and listening to customer feedback. The Season Pass manager is something that our subscribers have asked for and we are pleased to make it available to them today, saving customers time and giving the unique ability to ensure they do not miss a single episode of their favorite shows when they upgrade to a new box. No other company makes this level of control so easily,” said Jim Denney vice president and general manager of product marketing for TiVo. “TiVo has always been the easiest DVR to use and the Season Pass manager gives consumers even more control over how they choose to manage their recordings and settings.”
To manage Season Pass recordings online the TiVo box must be broadband connected and connected to the TiVo service. The Season Pass manager is available to all broadband-connected boxes including TiVo Premiere, Series3™, HD and Series2™ DVRs. To learn more about the Season Pass manager visit www.tivo.com/spm.
Monsoon Multimedia are taking preorders for their Vulkano set-top box, which the company reckons can replace not only your TiVo but your Slingbox and Roku too. Basically a place-shifting streamer with optional DVR functionality and various smartphone clients for remote use over 3G/WiFi, the Vulkano also promises to keep pace with new STBs; the company has said they’ll be releasing updates to add Google TV compatibility, among other things.
As with a Slingbox, with the Vulkano and the right smartphone app you can remotely control channels and access the EPG; on the iPad and PC/Mac apps you can also pause live TV. UPnP streaming support allows you to display content stored on NAS or wirelessly-connected smartphones or PMPs, while Yahoo! Widgets, Netflix and Hulu compatibility is promised for the near future.
You can also view YouTube in up to 1080p HD quality, record to either 8GB or 16GB SD cards, or install up to a 1TB eSATA external hard-drive. Connectivity includes HDMI, composite, component and S-Video, among other ports, plus two USB 2.0 ports (host and device); the basic Vulkano comes with 16GB of storage for $279.99, while the Vulkano Pro comes with a 1TB external drive for $379.99. Both will ship on August 10th 2010.
Vulkano – World’s First Universal and Affordable Video Platform for Smartphones, PC/Macs, iPads and TVs
Vulkano Integrates Multiple Disruptive Technologies – DVR, Web Video, Place Shifting, Universal Plug and Play streaming and Mobile Video Recording – Eliminating Multiple Boxes
SAN MATEO, CALIF. – July 27, 2010 – Monsoon Multimedia, a leading provider of video convergence products, today announced it is now taking pre-orders for Vulkano, which is shipping in early August 2010. Vulkano is a sleek consumer device as easy to set up as a video game console. Vulkano is a tightly integrated hardware and software platform that has a powerful video processor and local storage. Vulkano in addition to replacing multiple boxes such as TiVo, Slingbox and Roku provides significant other benefits and energy savings, giving consumers tremendous performance at a low cost. Cost of a Vulkano ranges from $259 to $379, depending on storage capacity.
When connected to a set-top box and a TV, Vulkano enables a complete video experience across Android, Blackberry, iPhones, iPads, Macs, PCs and the living room TV. Vulkano allows users for the first time to experience their TV channels, videos and photos on whichever screen they want, when they want it. Vulkano will be sold through Monsoon’s www.myvulkano.com, Amazon.com, leading retailers and etailers, and through strategic OEMs.
By downloading a free software application onto their device from www.myvulkano.com, or for iPhone/iPad from the Apple App store and installing a Vulkano, consumers can watch and control any home TV channel through a wired, Wi-Fi or 3G connection from anywhere in the world. They can schedule a recording through an included EPG (electronic program guide) and transfer and watch these recordings at any time on their TV, computers, smartphones or iPad type devices. Software players for PCs/Macs and iPads also come with Pause/Live functions.
Vulkano lets users watch YouTube on their big screen TV. Moreover, by using a technology called UPnP (Universal Plug n Play), Vulkano users can stream video and photos from their smartphones, computers and cameras wirelessly on to their living room TV without having to use messy cables. In the near future, Vulkano will offer free service upgrades such as Google TV, Yahoo! Widgets, Netflix, Hulu and others.
TV set-top boxes are commonplace in households today with over 210 million shipped in 2009 alone, according to analyst firm In-Stat. The fundamental flaw in nearly all set-top boxes is that they are “closed.” Vulkano “opens” these boxes by allowing consumers to enjoy a total video experience on their smartphones, iPads, PCs and Macs, or access services such as Netflix or YouTube.
“The combination of mobile video recording on iPads/smartphones, viewing YouTube on big screen TV, DVR and Universal Plug and Play streaming changes the television and web video experience in ways never before imagined,” said Colin Stiles, EVP Sales and Marketing at Monsoon. “We are proud to the be first to deliver your live and recorded TV content immediately with a simple screen tap. Whether in your backyard or on an international flight, you’ll have your favorite programming available anywhere, anytime – live or recorded.”
“We designed Vulkano from the ground up to replace single purpose solutions, such as TiVo, Roku, Slingbox, etc,” said Steve Stone, CTO at Monsoon. “In the coming months we will be pushing new apps to Vulkano owners for free so they can rest assured that this is the first and last product they’ll need for all their TV and Internet media needs.”
Mobile Video Recording (MVR): By using Vulkano’s unique MVR technology, consumers can schedule and record content from any TV channel on to the Vulkano’s local storage and either on demand or automatically transfer the content to smartphones, computers or iPads/iPod touches. A wired, Wi-Fi or 3G connection is required and an included EPG can be used. For instance, iPad owners can schedule a recording before going to sleep and have it automatically downloaded to the iPad. It is then ready for watching anytime, anywhere at a cafe, airport, airplane, office or in one’s bed. Hundreds of recorded movies, sports events or TV shows can be stored onto the 64GB iPad for viewing anytime. PC, Mac and iPad apps also come with Direct Record, Pause and Live functions.
Place Shifting Live TV: Consumers can watch and control their home TV or TiVo from anywhere in the world, including their home.
Digital Video Recording (DVR): Users can select programs to be recorded to the Vulkano SD card or optional hard drive, which can store over a thousand programs depending on memory size. Once recorded, the programs can be downloaded to computers, smartphones or played back on living room TVs. Vulkano also allows a consumer to schedule recordings through a TiVo or other DVRs that may be built into a set-top box.
Web Video: Vulkano supports YouTube content (up to 1080p) streaming and progressive downloading for a big screen TV experience. Future software releases will add support for Netflix, Cinema Now, Amazon and free media content providers. Yahoo! Widgets will be released later this year and Google TV early next year. A fully functional web browser with media extensions (including HTML5 media support) will be released later this year.
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP): Consumers can easily enjoy photos, video and music stored on smartphones, iPads, PCs and Macs on a big screen TV by deploying industry standard UPnP technology. This capability also enables multiple UPnP devices, such as video cameras, to play directly on the TV eliminating the tedious job of plugging and unplugging cables into the TV.
State of the Industry
Hundreds of millions of TV set-top boxes worldwide are “closed” preventing consumers from accessing new services and exciting video experiences. Due to the cost and logistics involved in constantly upgrading these boxes, companies cannot keep pace with the rapid changes in technology. The result is an array of single feature boxes resolving specific issues.
Consumers today are saddled with paying for TiVo, Sling, Roku, Vudu, Apple TV and other single solutions to address their needs. This has led to a cluttered living room, multiple service fees and constant maintenance of multiple devices. They are also often difficult to install and can cost over a thousand dollars combined. Vulkano eliminates all of these issues while saving on power consumption.
Summary of Vulkano Features:
• Transforms smartphones, iPads, iPod touches, PCs and Macs into Mobile Video Recorders
• Recorded programs play back on smartphones, iPads, PCs and Macs
• Direct record mode allows for Pause, Fast Forward/Rewind
• Schedule TV recording by show, channel or date and time
• Browse EPG for shows and episode descriptions
• Mark channels as Favorite for quick access
• Watch and control your live TV on the go via Wi-Fi or 3G
• Watch at home on iPads and computers in near HD resolution
• Change channels just like at home
• Search and watch YouTube videos on your home television
• Enjoy photos, video and music on home TV from UPnP supported devices, such as smartphones, PCs/Macs and cameras
• Multiple users can have recordings on Vulkano hard-drive and access independently
• Control Vulkano features and settings through intuitive television menu
• Connect to all major TV sources – cable, DVD, satellite, DVR, TiVo
• Stream video at H.264 and MPEG-4 standards at rates as low as 150kbps
• Includes 8GB or 16GB of SD card storage or e-SATA hard drives up to 1TB
• Connects wirelessly through Vulkano’s on board .11n WiFi to home router
• TV content is passed from the set-top box’s analog output (component, composite) to Vulkano; using resolutions up to 1080i
Pricing and Availability
Vulkano is available immediately for pre-order at www.myvulkano.com and www.amazon.com. Vulkano comes with 8GB, 16GB of SD storage and Vulkano Pro comes with 500GB and 1Terabyte e-SATA hard disk storage. Vulkano will be generally available in August through selected etailers, retailers and distributors worldwide. 8GB Vulkano will cost $259, 16GB $279, 500GB for $349 and the 1Terabyte Vulkano for $379. Monsoon will release its 3G version for the recently introduced iPhone 4 in August, 2010.
It used to be straightforward: satellite TV, like that from Sky, comes via a satellite dish, and cable comes via cable. Now, according to some leaked documents from Sky UK, it seems things might not be quite so clean-cut anymore. TrustedReviews have heard that Sky UK are ramping up to offer their Sky+ service “through a new set top box supplied by Sky connected to your Freeview aerial and broadband connection”, that would use IPTV distribution rather than the traditional dish.
The new package will require the customer to use Sky Broadband as well as the company’s Freetime calling package, together with viewing all Freeview channels, on-demand Sky TV and various pay TV channels including Comedy Central, FX and National Geographic. Pricing is tipped at £5 to £10 ($7-14) per month for the basic TV, with further channels such Sky Movies as levied as additional fees on top. No word on when this might arrive on the market.
TiVo have outed their latest peripheral for the newest TiVo Premiere, and if you’ve been regularly tripping over a stretch of ethernet cable running between your router and the DVR then the TiVo Wireless N Network Adapter should save your knees. Backward compatible with WiFi b/g, the 802.11n adapter is all about speed: whether that be faster video-on-demand downloads, transferring HD files between multiple TiVo units, or speedier exporting to portable devices.
Installation looks straightforward, though it’s not quite as plug-and-play as a regular USB WiFi adapter; instead it works more as an ethernet bridge, with two connections: one for power and the other plugging into the Premiere’s ethernet port. While it’s billed as a TiVo Premiere accessory it will in fact work with all TiVo DVRs bar the DIRECTV DVR with TiVo.
The TiVo Wireless N Network Adapter is available to buy online from the company’s webstore now, priced at $89.99. It’s also expected to land in Best Buy stores later on this week.
Toshiba Japan have updated their REGZA HDTV range, with select models supporting USB hard-drives or coming with 500GB of storage built-in. The Toshiba REGZA R1 series – made up of 32-, 37- and 42-inch sets – and REGZA H1 series – made up of 32- and 37-inch sets – each have a USB port and Full HD resolution (bar on the 32-inch models, which get 720p support). Meanwhile there’s also the entry level Toshiba REGZA A1 series, with 19-, 22- and 26-inch models all offering 720p HD resolution.
The REGZA R1 HDTVs use IPS panels complete with a special enhanced gaming mode for smoother play. There’s also DLNA streaming support, four HDMI ports, various PC and analog inputs, plus two 10W speakers. The REGZA 32R1 is due on April 30th, priced at 130,000 yen ($1,393), while the REGZA 42R1 and 37R1 will arrive in early June priced at 230,000 yen ($2,465) and 180,000 yen ($1,929) respectively.
As for the REGZA H1, they have 500GB HDDs built-in, with IPS displays, DLNA streaming support and the same sort of connectivity as the R1 series. The REGZA 37H1 and 32H1 will arrive in early June, priced at 200,000 yen ($2,143) and 150,000 yen ($1,607) respectively. Finally, the REGZA A1 series get two HDMI ports, TN panels and no USB recording support; they’ll drop in early August, priced at 90,000 yen ($964), 75,000 yen ($804) and 65,000 yen ($697) for the 26A1, 22A1 and 19A1 respectively.
