Tag Archives: cable tv

Cablevision Optimum apps for iPad, iPhone upgraded with new UI, ratings and discovery features

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Cablevision Optimum apps for iPad, iPhone upgraded with a new UI, ratings and discovery features

Cablevision unveiled its Optimum for iPad app with live TV streaming in the spring of 2011, then upgraded it to 2.0 with remote control and DVR scheduling plus an iPhone-compatible edition last fall, and now 3.0 has arrived on iOS with a whole new UI. The updated look makes the app more consistent with the web-based Optimum experience for PCs that launched in April, making it easier to find shows and view the guide well into the future as well as up to two hours into the past. Key to the upgraded discovery experience is the ability to rate TV shows which it uses to make recommendations on other content. The DVR section has even been revamped,making it easier to see what's been recorded and programs that are scheduled, as well as remaining storage space. The full changelog is available on iTunes, subscribers can grab the free apps for their respective devices at the links below.

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Cablevision Optimum apps for iPad, iPhone upgraded with new UI, ratings and discovery features originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 09:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boxee, Comcast agree to a workaround for encrypted basic cable channels on third party boxes

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Boxee usually doesn't get along with the existing media / pay-TV conglomerates, but now it's telling the FCC it has come to an agreement with Comcast. The solution agreed to lets live TV-friendly Boxee access encrypted basic cable channels thanks to a DLNA-controlled high definition digital transport adapter that would connect to the box via Ethernet, with an eye towards no longer requiring an adapter at all down the road. Multichannel News quotes Boxee CEO Avner Ronen as saying it was "good to work with Comcast" on a deal that gives third parties like his company continued access to basic cable. The benefit for Comcast and other cable companies is that they could progress with encrypted all-digital solutions that would open up bandwidth for things like higher speed internet, something Boxee was arguing against previously. What this means for existing standards like CableCARD or the long awaited AllVid is unclear, but if it's one step closer to a legitimate option to ditching the cable box, we'll take it.

Boxee, Comcast agree to a workaround for encrypted basic cable channels on third party boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Multichannel News  |  sourceLetter to FCC from Comcast / Boxee  | Email this | Comments

Time Warner Cable starts rolling out lightly refreshed guide with new color scheme, cloud VOD search

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Time Warner Cable starts rolling out lightly refreshed guide with new color scheme, cloud VOD search

While it's definitely good news that Time Warner Cable is revisiting its Navigator guide again, the bad news is that at least in terms of appearance, very little has changed. The screenshots above show the old guide (left) next to the new one (right) and as you can see, other than a color scheme adjustment to match its new apps, things are almost entirely the same. In terms of functional adjustments, names have changed for some of the menus, and now the A button on the remote pulls up channels listed by category, the B button searches by title and the select button lets you know if features like Start Over, Look Back or VOD are available. According to CED Magazine, the guide's (slight) facelift also goes hand in hand with a new cloud-based video on-demand portal that includes with richer graphics and metadata, as a prelude to more cloud-provided navigation and IPTV set-top boxes. So far we're seeing notes that the new guide is being delivered in Syracuse and Charlotte, if you haven't received it yet Time Warner Cable says it will be running newspaper ads ahead of the change in each area -- people still read newspapers, right?

Time Warner Cable starts rolling out lightly refreshed guide with new color scheme, cloud VOD search originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel’s TV service aims at Nielsen, big cable, might not get here

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Intels TV service plans stalled as big cable flexes muscles

Reuters is reporting that Intel's mooted virtual television network has hit the buffers because it can't beat its cable rivals spending. The company is eyeing up the $100 million TV business with a set-top-box and over-the-top service that would offer smaller, cheaper bundles of channels rather than the hundreds that come with a basic cable subscription. It would leverage its facial recognition technology in the system both by offering precise ratings data to networks and by showing targeted adverts to whoever it can see is watching. The former will surely annoy Nielsen, a player with plenty of its own influence in the industry. Despite hiring a quartet of industry heavyweights to help negotiations, studios are refusing to offer discounts to a new and untried entrant, meaning we may not see the service arriving by that planned November launch date.

Intel's TV service aims at Nielsen, big cable, might not get here originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cox TV Connect live TV streaming app for iPad updated with new grid guide UI

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Cox TV Connect live TV streaming app for iPad updated with new grid guide UI

Cabler Cox Communications joined in on the live TV streaming to iPad craze by releasing its own Cox TV Connect app late last year, and recently updated it to version 1.1.0. With the upgrade comes the new look shown above, so while it originally featured a more... unique look for TV listings (as seen after the break) this version has programming sorted in the traditional grid-style guide shown above. Also mentioned is the ability for users to view and sort TV listings for all channels, although they'll still need the separate Cox Mobile Connect apps for things like DVR scheduling. Grab the new version at the iTunes link below, assuming you get your TV and internet service at the right place.

Continue reading Cox TV Connect live TV streaming app for iPad updated with new grid guide UI

Cox TV Connect live TV streaming app for iPad updated with new grid guide UI originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 May 2012 21:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comcast officially launches next-gen X1 DVR platform and iPhone remote app (update: video)

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Comcast officially launches next-gen X1 DVR platform and iPhone remote app

As expected, Comcast is kicking off the rollout of its new X1 (previously beta tested under the name Xcalibur) DVR platform. The announcement was made at the Cable Show in Boston, and that's where it will be available first, some time in "the coming weeks" with a few other major markets following soon after. We've had a few peeks at the new UI over the last year or so but now we have a full gallery of shots of both the DVR software and accompanying X1 remote app that will be available first on the iPhone. The new guide looks very similar to the existing Xfinity TV remote apps for phones and tablets, formatted for HD screens and with support for recommendations from your social network and support for apps like weather, TV, traffic, Facebook and Pandora to start. The new set-top boxes it runs on have built-in tru2way and internet support, as well as RF remotes instead of IR.

Meanwhile, the X1 remote control app adds motion and gesture control to the current set of features, as well as more direct interaction with what's on screen, since it can be used to swipe through pages, type into menus and pause currently video with a shake. As far as pricing, Comcast says it will be available to new Triple Play customers with HD/DVR service at no additional cost -- no word yet on what that means for everyone else. Check the gallery below for a look at the new software, and check the press release after the break for more info.

Update: Check out a video of CEO Neil Smit demonstrating the new UI on the show floor after the break.

Gallery: Comcast X1 DVR and iPhone remote app

Continue reading Comcast officially launches next-gen X1 DVR platform and iPhone remote app (update: video)

Comcast officially launches next-gen X1 DVR platform and iPhone remote app (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 10:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WatchESPN finally streams to Comcast customers, but not on Android

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WatchESPN finally streams to Comcast customers, but not on Android

The short list of TV and internet providers that support ESPN's TV Everywhere play, WatchESPN, just grew by one with the addition of Comcast to a list that already included Time Warner, Bright House and Verizon. Part of a deal reached back in January, ESPN has managed to tie its live streaming service in with Comcast's Xfinity TV protocols, similar to the adjustments made by HBO to open up HBO Go streaming on the Xbox 360. One downside however is that for the moment Comcast customer access is restricted to the website (XfinityTV.com access is coming soon) and iPad / iPhone apps (an update is required first). The Android app that launched a year ago is, for the moment, not supported, although access there is promised "in the coming months." As we heard in January this just the beginning, as similar Watch services will be rolling out for Disney Channel, DisneyXD and Disney Junior as part of the mouse company's TV+ program. For now those live feeds of ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com (Buzzer Beater and Goal Line are available in their respective seasons) will have to do however, as the channels and cable services try to add more features and access to keep subscribers happy, or at least still paying, whether they're at home or away.

Continue reading WatchESPN finally streams to Comcast customers, but not on Android

WatchESPN finally streams to Comcast customers, but not on Android originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 23:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comcast Xfinity TV iOS app adds integrated DVR manager so you don’t miss Deadliest Catch

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Comcast's Xfinity TV app for iOS has seen more than a few updates since it launched back in 2010 that added support for video on-demand streaming anywhere, live TV in-home with additional hardware and made various tweaks to the UI. Despite all that, until today's update doing something as doublechecking what was scheduled for recording on your DVR required popping out of the app and signing into a different webpage. The new integrated DVR Manager can be seen above and confirms, yes, that Deadliest Catch is securely in our queue for this evening. We're not sure what's going to happen in the season eight premiere, but we suspect someone is going to worried about whether or not they're catching enough crabs on this trip.

Comcast Xfinity TV iOS app adds integrated DVR manager so you don't miss Deadliest Catch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time Warner Cable app for Android tablets with live streaming is (still) right around the corner

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To be fair, when we heard that Time Warner Cable's TWC TV app for Android tablets might add live TV streaming by the end of March it was described as a "very loose" projection, so it's not much of a surprise we're still waiting for it now, in April. It is still coming however, and a new post is up on the blog teasing the above image of the app in action and promising to make the feature available in the next few weeks, certainly by Memorial day. we should also note, it's for Ice Cream Sandwich loaded tablets only -- they have the required "security and stability" (read: DRM) necessary. Also noted is that developing a live video streaming app for iOS was easier simply because of the limited number of manufacturer, OS and hardware combinations, which mirrors what we heard previously from Netflix. Still, it's on the way, so if you're looking to use your slate as an extra TV screen in the home, you should look next to your manufacturer to make sure it's been updated with ICS.

Time Warner Cable app for Android tablets with live streaming is (still) right around the corner originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon’s CEO has a plan for wireless pay-TV, if the government will allow it

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Verizon CEO Lowell C. McAdam doesn't quite have all of those SpectrumCo AWS licenses in his pocket just yet, but if he does get them he has a decidedly old school idea of what to flood the airwaves with: TV. The Wall Street Journal quotes him saying Verizon and its new cable friends could have "the beginnings of an integrated offering" out by the holidays, so pay-TV customers could watch video on their mobile devices. Even though many of the TV services are already streaming video to tablets, PCs and phones, currently most subscription services are limited to the space of the home's WiFi network, unlike the video on-demand seen above. According to McAdam the potential to negotiate rights for outside the home streaming and even busting open the bundles for à la carte programming exist -- provided the FCC and DOJ allow Verizon to complete the proposed $3.9 billion purchase. Of course, consumption based billing would still be on the table, so don't start planning your streaming schedule just yet. For now we'll wait and see if the pros of this arrangement outweigh the cons (and how its Redbox play is mixed up in this), or if the pie-in-the-sky NowTV-style elements of the plan are merely being floated to get the deal done.

Verizon's CEO has a plan for wireless pay-TV, if the government will allow it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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