Boxee Box is about to get a little bit better thanks to a small device called the Boxee Live TV.  It plugs into the Boxee Box (the one made by D-Link – this won’t work with your PC or Mac) and allows you to navigate and watch terrestrial HD broadcasts such as NBC, CBS, FOX and more right on the device.

They’re tossing in a portable antenna into the mix, but keep in mind that you may not live within close enough proximity of a tower to receive a signal.  For that, Boxee recommends that you plug in an unencrypted cable connection (using ClearQAM), which is often provided with your Cable Internet connection and should achieve similar results.

However, we’re hearing there is no DVR function with the Boxee Live.  So you’ll be left to watch everything as it happens.  No matter, since the majority of content is already steaming online, with the exception of the NFL and many other live sporting events, which is probably what this handy device is good for.

For $49 it’s not a bad deal, especially when yo consider that the Mohu Leaf, a small HDTV antenna you stick on your wall, is $45.

GadgetReview is giving away a Swann RemoteCam Video Camera & Recorder, to ONE lucky winner!

The Swann RemoteCam Video Camera & Recorder like a car remote control, but hidden inside is a video camera that can record up to 720 x 480 AVI video files at 30 fps, or 1280 x 1024 JPEG still photos.  So if you ever wanted to be James Bond, or spy on the baby sitter – we’re sure there is a good reason – here is your chance.

We’re giving away one of these to one person for FREE. To enter just LIKE our Facebook Fan Page and then leave a comment on our Facebook page telling us which is your favorite James Bond character (we loved Pussy Galore).

Will pick one winner at random from the comments, but in order to WIN you’ll have to Like Us and comment on Facebook. If you’d like a double entry, follow us on Twitter and tweet “@gadgetreview @swannsecurity #contest #free #spy”.

This contest ends 8/24/2011 at 11:59 PST

It’s open to US residents in the continental US of A only.

GadgetReview is giving away an Elgato EyeTV HD, a full-featured DVR for your Mac, to ONE lucky winner!

The EyeTV HD connects your Mac to your cable or satellite receiver and lets you record, watch and edit your shows and movies.  It includes an infrared remote and a blaster to change the channel on your cable box.  And get this.  It records in not only full HD, but in a format that is compatible with your iPad or iPhone so you can instantly watch your content on your favorite touchscreen device.

We’re giving away one of these to one person. To enter just LIKE our Facebook Fan Page and then leave a comment below telling us what you think of our new design. You must register your comment with an email address so we can contact you. Comments are moderated so please be patient and enter only one.

Will pick one winner at random from the comments, but in order to WIN you’ll have to Like Us on Facebook. If you’d like a double entry, follow us on Twitter and tweet “@gadgetreview @Elgato #contest #free”.

This contest ends 8/3/2011 at 11:59 PST

It’s open to US residents in the continental US of A only.

Here’s a common TV watching dilemma: You want to watch Survivor tonight, but there’s 49 other shows you want to see that are airing at the same time! Okay, not so common a problem. Still, SnapStream has got you covered now with their box that records a whopping 50 channels simultaneously. The device is actually comprised of five separate SnapStream DVRs, working in tandem to get all that glorious TV to the included hard drives.

Pricing and availability are unavailable, but hopefully you’ll be able to record fifty different sports games soon.

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Rumors suggest that Dish and Google might be collaborating to create a set top box for your TV.  According to leaks from within Google’s staff, they have been trialing the concept and deciding upon whether to go ahead with the project or scrap it.

The main idea is that the Android powered platform would find channels on Dish, YouTube, Metacafe and other website media channels and allow you to easily view it via your tv, transmitted by a box that would sit on top of your television. You would also be able to create playlists and perform refined searches of your TV programs using a keyboard.

Google could possibly make money by selling advertising space on their channel, much like they sell targeted website advertising space on their search engine.

As of now Google and Dish have yet to comment, so there is no indication as to whether or not they’ll move ahead with the project.

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At this point I thought Tivo was all but dead in the water.  But surprise, today the company announced their Series 4 hardware and with it a new UI called the Premiere.  So what’s new in Tivo Premiere?

Well, for starters they’ve beefed up the processor, which apparently now handles searches at a much faster rate and the new Flash UI moves like butter.  When the units ship next month you’ll have your choice of two skus: a base model with 45 hours of HD storage (320GB) for $300 or a higher end THX certified model with 150 hours of HD storage (terabyte of storage) for $500.  If you were hoping that Tivo would lower their service fees, well, keep wishing; they’ve remained the same.  The new boxes consume less power than their predecessors, which probably won’t be reflected in your home’s monthly electricity bill, but it’s a nice peace of mind.  To cut some costs (on Tivo’s end) they’ve forgone the modem and S-video output, but there is a cable card on the rear of the box, but good luck wrestling one of those away from your local provider (I’ve hard it’s a nightmare to score one).

As for the UI, it’s a bit difficult to say without using the Series 4 box.  Also, I’ve never been a Tivo user so I’m at a loss to what is exactly new in this box.  There is a new Discovery bar at the top of the menu screen, which apparently is some sort of aggregation of online video and TV with tips and suggestions for shows – I assume it’s based on your previously watched program, an Amazon for TV and something Tivo has long been doing.   Zatz seems to think we’ll see advertising pop up in this location as well.

The new search we saw 2 years ago at CES apparently renders and works much more smoothly thanks to the increased horsepower under the hood, which should make finding Youtube and other online content a snap.  Also, suffice to say we should expect some apps to eventually roll out, such as Pandora and Netflix, which seem to be the catch all applications when any integrated device launches these days.

When the Series 4 boxes launch they’ll be a standard remote available, but the flagship box – perhaps available for a separate purchase or separate all together – will be a QWERTY keyboard remote that communicates over Bluetooth.  Early reports peg it as a bit chintzy in feel, but nothing is finalized at this point so hang tight while the brains at Tivo finalize the design.  As for WiFi there’s of course the step up to 802.11n for increased through put and range, but it’s a standalone dongle.  Surprisingly, it will have to be plugged into the wall in addition to the Tivo’s USB port to operate, but according to Zatz there is a built-in Ethernet cord for daisy chaining the adapter to other non-WiFi boxes, such as an Xbox 360.

So, as the title states, is this the Tivo we’ve all been waiting for?  I’ve never been a Tivo fan due to the high monthly cost.  At this point in the game I’ve ditched my cable and subscribe to Internet only.  I use a Mac Mini to watch all my content on Hulu and other sites, and the way I see it I’ll make my money back in 8 months.  Tivo’s new boxes are most certainly a step in the right direction, but unfortunately I think it’s too little too late.

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Control is power and vice-versa.  Scarface would agree.  Those who have a Direct TV DVR and an iPhone will be happy to know that there is a new app out there that gives you full access to your account.

The app is FREE and will let you browse programs, stations and set new recordings from anywhere you have Internet access.  Does Tivo have this yet?

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Despite losing a long standing contract with Timewarner, Moxi has announced plans for a new set top DVR box that includes 3, yup 3 tuners.  That means you can record CNN, Fox and BBC all at the same time and then review them later to see just how fair and balanced they truly are.

They’ve also updated their Moxi Mate box to now let you view live TV – before it could only access recorded or Internet based programming.  Lastly, Moxi, just in time for the holidays has dropped the price of their 2-tuner box from the ridiculous $799 to $499, which ain’t bad since these players can access the usual streaming Internet content (Youtube, Netflix, etc) and don’t have a monthly subscription fee such as Tivo.

New Three-Tuner Moxi® HD DVR and Reduced Pricing for Moxi Multi-Room Packages Unwrapped for Holiday Season
Under ARRIS Ownership, Moxi Continues to Innovate and Deliver New Features to Consumers

SUWANEE, GA – November 10, 2009 – As part of its first product update since acquiring the award-winning Moxi product line from Digeo, Inc. in September, ARRIS (Nasdaq: ARRS) today announced the introduction of a three-tuner version of the Moxi HD DVR as well as reduced pricing for its two-tuner Moxi HD DVR and Moxi multi-room packages.

·         The new three-tuner Moxi HD DVR, which allows for recording of three channels simultaneously while watching a fourth recorded program, is available in a Moxi HD DVR plus Moxi Mate bundle for $799 MSRP.
·         The price of the two-tuner Moxi HD DVR introduced earlier this year has been reduced to $499 MSRP (formerly $799).
·         In addition, ARRIS is introducing a three-room multi-room bundle option—a three-tuner Moxi HD DVR plus two Moxi Mates that collectively serve three rooms for $999.

The company also announced plans to deliver live TV on the Moxi Mate via the Moxi HD DVR. The Moxi HD DVR will receive the update automatically through a software download.  Additionally, the price of the Moxi Mate has been reduced to $299 (formerly $399).

“We’ve heard from consumers that they love the Moxi products but are looking for different price and component options to serve their individual needs,” said Marc Beckwitt, VP of CPE Video Business Development, ARRIS. “The recent acquisition by ARRIS brings the market presence and leverage required to drive cost out of the product, and consequently, we’re able to offer these very competitive prices to consumers.”

ARRIS continues to stand by the commitment to deliver the Moxi “all in”, with no monthly or lifetime DVR service fees. Moxi also has no in-menu advertisements.

The Moxi HD DVR is designed to appeal to the most demanding digital cable entertainment enthusiasts.  Some of its key attributes include:
·         A native HD interface and Emmy® award-winning Moxi Menu
·         Up to 75 hours of HD recording space or up to 300 hours at standard definition, and expandable to 6.5 Terabytes for up to 1000 hours of HD recording with an external eSATA drive
·         Access to many Internet services consumers already use, such as Rhapsody®, Flickr® and online video from Netflix®, Hulu™, and YouTube™ via DLNA server software such as PlayOn™ (currently provided at no charge) running on their PC
·         Multi-room viewing with the Moxi Mate and the ability to record three channels simultaneously while watching a fourth recorded program on the three-tuner version of the Moxi HD DVR
·         Remote and mobile browser scheduling to set recordings while away from home
·         MoxiNet for full-screen web browsing and SupertickerTM —a ticker widget that provides information, such as weather, sports scores and news along the bottom of the screen

The Moxi HD DVR makes it effortless for consumers to discover, experience and share high definition media from their digital cable provider, PCs on the home network, and the Internet.

Also scheduled for release later this month are additional software upgrades to Moxi, which include new search and record option menus. These software updates will enable users to specify preferred record settings that can be applied to any new recorded TV shows or TV series. The new menu structure delivers easier access and better visibility related to the DVR function of the Moxi HD DVR, such as available hard drive space and other Moxi HD DVR related recording and scheduling functions.

Software upgrades, which have been delivered each quarter since unveiling the Moxi at CES in January 2009, continue to be delivered to the consumer automatically and at no charge.

Taking advantage of ARRIS e-tail infrastructure, the company is also introducing payment via major credit card instead of the PayPal option previously offered. The new Moxi pricing and bundle options are available now at www.moxi.com.

For more details, technical specifications and screen images of the Moxi HD DVR and Moxi Mate, please visit: www.moxi.com. You can also follow Moxi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/moxi_hd or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moxi.hd.

About ARRIS
ARRIS is a global communications technology company specializing in the design, engineering and supply of technology supporting triple- and quad-play broadband services for residential and business customers around the world. The company supplies broadband operators with the tools and platforms they need to deliver, reliable telephony, demand driven video, next-generation advertising and high-speed data services. ARRIS products expand and help grow network capacity with access and outside plant construction equipment, reliably deliver voice, video and data services and assure optimal service delivery for end customers. Headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia, USA, ARRIS has R&D centers in Suwanee; Chicago, IL; Beaverton OR, Kirkland, WA; State College, PA;  Wallingford CT; Waltham, MA; Cork, Ireland; and Shenzhen, China, and operates support and sales offices throughout the world. Information about ARRIS products and services can be found at www.arrisi.com.

###

ARRIS, Moxi, and their respective logos are the trademarks of ARRIS. Emmy is the trademark of ATAS/NATA. Flickr and the Flickr logo are the trademarks of Yahoo! Inc.  Rhapsody is the trademark of RealNetworks, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Recording capacity times can vary depending on content type and bit rates utilized by the provider. Stated recording capacities are calculated in typical usage scenarios. Certain future services may be offered at additional cost.

RIM and Tivo announced the availability of the Tivo app for BlackBerry devices. Yeah, you probably perked up and exclaimed, “Wow!” but the app only allows you to view the program guide and schedule shows to be recorded. Sorry to be a downer but like most of you I was expecting to…

To continue reading “Tivo Blackberry App Now Available For Download” head to PhoneDig

Tivo’s suit against Dish Network, the one that won them $103 million in royalties, might do more than fatten their bank account.  It might provide them with the necessary leverage to either sell the company to a Pay TV service provider or establish contracts with DirecTV, TimeWarner cable and others to utilize their DVR technology.  In fact, TimeWaner’s CFO said on a June 11th conference call that TW is in talks with Tivo to provide their DVR boxes to their 13 million subscribers, although Tivo wouldn’t confirm.  Of note, Tivo already has a contract with Comcast, which I believe is the largest cable provider in the US.

Personally, I can’t stand Timewarner’s current DVR offering, a POS Motorola cable box that often freezes, records ‘repeats’ even though the option isn’t selected, and lacks some painfully obvious features that many DVR users have come to expect.  Even if TW does sign with the DVR company, it will be probably more than a year before customers like me see the box in our homes (tear).

Sound off below if you have some thoughts on the whole DVR offering from cable/satellite companies.  Does Tivo rock or suck? Would you pay extra for the service? What do you think of TimeWarner/Comcast?  You know I can’t stand their DVR box.

[via Giz]

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Don’t forget Amazon’s $300 coupon: SAMSTIVO (expires: 5/31)

Digeo issued a software update for their flagship Moxi HD DVR today that will let them more closely compete with the likes of Tivo.  The update is as follows:

• PlayOn – This media server software currently provides access to Internet videos from YouTube, Hulu, CBS, Netflix, CNN, ESPN and more through the Moxi HD DVR from a PC on the home network. Video formats are automatically converted so Moxi users can watch Internet video directly on their widescreen HDTV.
• Rhapsody® – The leading on-demand digital music service is now available through the Moxi HD DVR, allowing users to easily listen to any one of more than 7 million songs from all the major record labels and hundreds of smaller independent labels. Rhapsody delivers complete control over the music experience, helping users to easily find and play full length tracks, build playlists of favorites or listen to Rhapsody’s professionally programmed genre & artist channels. Starting today, Rhapsody and Digeo are bringing music without limits to every user of the Moxi HD DVR.
• Media Link – Certified to support the DLNA home networking standard, Media Link connects the TV or home entertainment system to PCs on a home network. Moxi users can easily stream digital movies, videos, music and photos from their PCs for viewing or listening from the comfort of their home entertainment environment.
• eControls – Moxi users can now manage their home entertainment environment through the Moxi menu to set the mood. Users can adjust most Z-Wave-certified products such as lighting (e.g., turning sets of lights on, off or dimming), control volume and power on AV devices, as well as monitor IP baby-cams or outside cameras, all from the remote control.
• Mosaic – A new browsing feature for the Flickr® online photo service available through the Moxi menu, Mosaic allows users to rapidly scroll up, down and across their photos as they are displayed as mosaic tiles on the display.
• MoxiNet –Moxi registered users can now bookmark their favorite websites at Moxi.com and browse them on their home entertainment display using the Moxi remote as a virtual mouse. This expands upon MoxiNet’s quick access to news, sports scores, movie times, weather and other information from the Internet.

Echostar unveiled their latest box with built-in SlingBox and DVR functionality yesterday, the T2200S.  Unlike previous Echostar boxes, though, this one will work with cable (Echostar owns Dish Network) and includes a DOCSIS cable modem, a 1TB hard drive and dual-tuners.  So, for those that invest in this mighty DVR, you’ll be able to enjoy your recorded or live programming from any where in the world assuming you’ve got a high speed Internet connection and a laptop or cell phone.

Sounds like EchoStar will sell the T2200S wholesale to the cable companies who will subsequently lease them to consumers for a monthly fee.  Although mass production of the box starts in Q4 of this year I wouldn’t expect to see them offered from your local cable operator until mid 2010, if not later.

Full release after the ‘leap’

ECHOSTAR UNVEILS WORLD’S FIRST SLINGLOADED HD DVR
FOR CABLE

EchoStar Technologies Creates tru2way™-based Set-top Box to Support
Cable Customers Seeking Entertainment Anytime, Anywhere

Englewood, Colo., March 30, 2009 – EchoStar Technologies L.L.C. and Sling Media,
Inc., wholly owned subsidiaries of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today
unveiled the EchoStar T2200S, the world’s first SlingLoaded™, tru2way™-based, multi-
tuner, HD DVR set-top box designed specifically for the cable TV industry. The
announcement was made in advance of this week’s National Cable and
Telecommunications Cable Show ’09 in Washington, D.C. EchoStar will demonstrate the
T2200S at booth 917 in the Washington Convention Center April 1-3.

The T2200S integrates Sling Media Inc.’s award-winning placeshifting technology,
empowering cable TV subscribers to realize their dream of watching their home TV,
including live TV, DVR and VOD content, on almost any Internet-connected device,
such as the PC, Mac, mobile media players or mobile phones. The SlingLoaded
capabilities also enable remote video diagnostics which lets subscribers opt-in to receive
remote troubleshooting from an MSO’s tech support. This is just one of many
SlingLoaded features enabled by the T2200S that can help reduce the operator’s call
volume and truck rolls. EchoStar can also offer MSOs the power of SlingGuide™, giving
customers a powerful online search engine for their TV, the ability to schedule online
timers and to manage their DVR away from home.

The T2200S features a massive 1 terabyte hard drive for up to 1,000 hours of storage and
supports external storage via USB or an optional eSATA port. As a tru2way-based device,
the T2200S is proven to integrate with multiple OCAP electronic program guides and
will be fully functional for tru2way-enabled cable systems, including M-Card support,
embedded cable modem, DOCSIS Set-Top Gateway for two way communication, and
OCAP middleware.

“EchoStar and Sling engineers have created one of the most powerful set-top box devices
ever made for the cable industry, with the ability to watch content anywhere in the home
or anyplace in the world,” said Mark Jackson, president of EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.

The SlingLoaded T2200S also provides the following features:
• Supports MPEG-2, H.264 (MPEG-4) and VC1.
• 1GHz tuners to support expanded network bandwidth.
• Connect to the home network via Ethernet, WiFi (with optional WiFi adapter) or
Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA™).
• Picture-in-Picture
• Supports advanced resolution formats up to 1080p24.
• Individual branding opportunities for MSOs.
• Supports Macrovision and DCS analog copy protection.
• Features an attractive, capacitive-touch, backlit front panel with clock display.

The T2200S will be available for testing in MSO labs in June 2009, with volume
production rolling out in Q4 2009. Consumers interested in this product should contact
their local cable company.

MSOs seeking more information should visit www.echostar.com or email cable-
sales@echostar.com.

About EchoStar Technologies
EchoStar Technologies L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation
(Nasdaq: SATS) spans 25 years of delivering innovations in TV entertainment, advanced
set-top boxes, and end-to-end video delivery systems. EchoStar designs and engineers
products for satellite, IPTV, cable, terrestrial, and consumer electronics markets
worldwide by combining engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and service into one
company. With more than 2,000 employees worldwide, EchoStar provides customers
with competitive business strategies, practices, and reduced product and operational costs.
Visit www.echostar.com.

About Sling Media
Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ:
SATS), is a leading digital lifestyle company whose products include the acclaimed,
Emmy award-winning Slingbox™  that allows consumers to watch and control their
living room TV shows at any time, from any location, using PCs, Macs, PDAs and
smartphones. Sling Media also introduced SlingCatcher™, a universal media player that
seamlessly delivers broadcast TV, Internet video and personal content to the TV. Sling
Media also provides a video entertainment web site, Sling.com, offering consumers a
variety of popular TV shows, movies and other entertainment free for viewing online or
on TV using SlingCatcher. For more information, visit www.slingmedia.com. To watch
your favorite TV shows and movies, visit www.sling.com.

Tru2way and OCAP are trademarks of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.

DirecTV released an iPhone app today that allows its subscribers to control their DVR box any where there is an Internet connection.  DirecTV subscribers can search for programs up to 14 days in advance of airing, schedule one episode or a series to record, browse by channel, date or time and access detailed info about the program.

[iTunes via iLounge]

While Moxi is probably still far from unseating Tivo as the number one DVR company, the companies latest offering is most certainly a refreshing choice in the buy and subscribe world.  For $800 you get the Moxi MR-1500T3 HD Digital Video Recorder, an EPG, no monthly fees, a CableCard slot and 500GB of storage.  And much like Tivo’s HD box you can record up to two programs at once, access files from PC and a few online services.

Unfortunately – this is why the Moxi MR-1500T3 HD Digital Video Recorder will never sell -  Tivo’s EPG guide is far superior, you can access a variety of online video sites including Amazon’s On Demand service as well as Netflix’s streaming service and all at a lower price (Moxi does offer a larger HDD, though).   Do the math: the Tivo HD box is $300 + $400 for a lifetime service = $700.  That makes Tivo $100 cheaper.  Sorry Moxi, you’re great alternative to Tivo via Time Warner (cringing while saying that), but that’s about it.

[Amazon via eHomeupgrade]