Tag Archives: CableTv

Adobe pushes TV Everywhere forward with Adobe Pass 2.0, promises easier logins on more devices

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No matter what's going on with Flash, Adobe is still pushing other technologies, and one of them is the one that powered NBC's Olympics apps this summer, Adobe Pass. The company counted more than 88 million authenticated streams during the games, and its tech is behind apps for other networks like ESPN and Cartoon Network. Now it says it can make things better for cable companies and their customers to get viewing on mobiles with Adobe Pass 2.0, which includes technology like automatic authentication, which was tested on Comcast and Cablevision customers during he Olympics. We tried it then and it couldn't have been easier, logging in while connected to your home network flips the switch based on IP address or MAC address, and then it worked at home or on the go, no password necessary.

Another feature rolling out is "Free Preview" which lets viewers watch before they're finished logging in, while a Server Side API on the way should open up access to more apps on more devices. We're not sure if that's enough to stem the tide of cable cutting, but if it means more and easier to use viewing even when we're not in front of the HDTV, then we're for it. This is all a part of Adobe's "Project Primetime" which it expects to roll out in full across iOS, Android, Windows, Mac OS and other platforms later this year, check the blog post linked below and video after the break for more details.

Continue reading Adobe pushes TV Everywhere forward with Adobe Pass 2.0, promises easier logins on more devices

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Adobe pushes TV Everywhere forward with Adobe Pass 2.0, promises easier logins on more devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MPEG drafts twice-as-efficient H.265 video standard, sees use in phones as soon as 2013

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MPEG drafts twiceasefficient H265 video standard, sees use in phones as soon as 2013

All of that squabbling over H.264 may be rendered moot in the near future. The Motion Picture Experts Group (better known as MPEG) has just let us know that it was quietly drafting a new video standard while everyone was on summer vacation last month: H.265, also called High Efficiency Video Coding, promises to squeeze video sizes with double the efficiency of H.264. As you might imagine, this could lead either to a much smaller video footprint for bandwidth-starved mobile users or a hike to image quality with the same size as before. Imagine fast-loading HD streaming on 4G, or cable TV without all the excess compression, and you've got the idea. Ericsson Research visual technology lead Per Fröjdh anticipates H.265 coming as soon as 2013, when our smartphones and tablets are most likely to play it first. TV and other areas might have to wait, although Fröjdh is offering a consolation prize -- he's teasing a separate MPEG project that could give us glasses-free, compressed 3D video as a standard by 2014.

Continue reading MPEG drafts twice-as-efficient H.265 video standard, sees use in phones as soon as 2013

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MPEG drafts twice-as-efficient H.265 video standard, sees use in phones as soon as 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 21:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FiOS TV app for Samsung HDTVs and Blu-ray players available with 26 live channels (video)

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FiOS TV app for Samsung HDTVs and Bluray players available with 26 live channels video

While we saw cable and IPTV providers promising pay-TV channels without a box (at least in that room) at CES 2012 we were skeptical, since we've been burned before, but now Verizon FiOS TV has followed up the launch of its app on Xbox 360 by quietly releasing the version for Samsung's Smart TVs and Blu-ray players. Like the Xbox 360 app of course, you will need to already be a Verizon FiOS TV customer, so if it's not in your area you're still out of luck. One of our readers noticed the app pop up on his 2011 model Samsung HDTV, and Verizon just posted a quick video trailer (embedded after the break) previewing the app's ability to tune into 26 live channels, as well as FlexView video on-demand content. Tipster ProphetBeal noted the channel changes seemed quicker than on the Xbox 360 app, although they were otherwise very similar. There's a few more screens awaiting you at the source link, as well as a list of compatible devices.

[Thanks, ProphetBeal]

Continue reading FiOS TV app for Samsung HDTVs and Blu-ray players available with 26 live channels (video)

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FiOS TV app for Samsung HDTVs and Blu-ray players available with 26 live channels (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 12:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DirecTV waves goodbye to 52,000 subscribers in first ever net loss of customers

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DirecTV lost 52,000 subscribers in first ever quarterly customer loss

Viacom's frenemy, DirecTV, has announced that it suffered a net loss of subscribers for the first time in its history. The revelation came in its second quarter filing, which claimed that the exodus is actually a purge -- due to a tighter credit policy and a change of focus toward "higher quality" customers. The dip in numbers hasn't hurt the balance sheet, however, with revenues up seven percent to $5.65 billion, leading to a net profit of $604 million. This time out, there's no reference to the recently-minted deal to keep Viacom's stations on the service, believed to be in the region of $600 million per year -- but we expect it to appear on the books in the next quarterly report.

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DirecTV waves goodbye to 52,000 subscribers in first ever net loss of customers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 09:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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KDDI unveils ICS ‘Smart TV Box’ for cable providers in Japan, available later this year (video)

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KDDI unveils ICS 'Smart TV Box' for cable providers in Japan, available later this year

We've seen a fair share of Android-powered set-tops in our time, but KDDI (with the help of Panasonic) has taken a slightly different entertainment route with its recently unveiled Smart TV Box. Similar to some Google TV boxes, which the Smart TV Box isn't, KDDI plans to bring this one to cable providers in Japan to act as the main unit in living rooms, with the testing phase set to commence as soon as next month. KDDI's Smart TV Box is powered by an undisclosed dual-core chip and feeds off of a tasty bite of Mountain View's Ice Cream Sandwich. As far as ports and other features, there's HDMI and three USB ports on board, while Ethernet (WiFi, too) keeps you connected and a built-in hard drive takes care of all your DVR needs. Like we said earlier, trial runs will start in August, but the Japanese company expects to have the brick officially up-and-running in a number of households later this fall. In the meantime, though, there's a soothing video for your viewing pleasure just past the break.

Continue reading KDDI unveils ICS 'Smart TV Box' for cable providers in Japan, available later this year (video)

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KDDI unveils ICS 'Smart TV Box' for cable providers in Japan, available later this year (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 14:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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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.

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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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