VLC returns to iOS after two-year hiatus, brings AirPlay and Dropbox integration

VLC returns to iOS after two-year hiatus

VideoLAN's original VLC for iOS had a brief and rocky history: open source licensing quirks led to the media player being pulled from the App Store just months after launch. More than two years later, it's back with a compatible license -- and it's bringing a slew of new features in return for the wait. VLC 2.0 supports all the file formats of its desktop counterpart while throwing in AirPlay, background audio, network streaming and numerous smaller tweaks. It's also better suited to sharing with support for Dropbox, the iOS sharing prompt, web downloads and WiFi uploads. The revived VLC app is gradually rolling out now, and its source code should be available for tinkering by July 19th.

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Via: The Next Web

Source: App Store

Slingbox 500 gets My Media feature, morphs into AV player

Slingbox 500 gets My Media feature, morphs into a streaming box

While the Slingbox 500 lets you place-shift and sync media from your iOS or Android devices, it's a shame it hasn't been able to play other media, too, since it's parked beside your TV. Slingbox thought so as well, and announced the My Media feature way back in January that would bring video and photo playback to that device and its Slingbox 350 cousin. It's finally arrived via a firmware update, and you'll now be able to check out video and images in most formats from a FAT32 or NTFC drives under 3TB in size. You'll also get better streaming via iOS devices, improved SlingSync transfer speeds and minor bug fixes, too. It should be arriving for the Slingbox 350 soon as well, so if you're hoping to declutter a bit, check your device to grab it.

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Source: Slingbox

Redray 4K player now shipping, UHDTV not included

Redray 4K projector now shipping, UHDTV not included

4K televisions are all the rage right now, but they're still dogged by a slight problem: where's the content? Red has taken one step to rectify that, as it's finally started shipping it's Redray media player, which can send a native 4K (4,096 × 2,160) or up-converted HDTV signal to your UHDTV. It uses wavelet compression tech to play 4:2:2, 12-bit video over a relatively miniscule 2.5MB/s pipe, allowing up to 60 fps 4K video in 3D from a hard drive, USB key or other source. Red will also offer online 4K content via its Odemax.com network, though there's no word yet on when that'll launch. Meanwhile, those who pre-ordered the player for $1,450 last year (it's now $1,750 at Red's store) should be receiving it soon, along with an iOS app to control it, pending Apple's say-so. As for the Redray laser projector -- also promised earlier this year starting at $10,000 -- there's still no word on when it'll grace our eyes.

Update: The original headline said Redray projector, but it's the Redray player that's shipping.

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Source: Reduser Forum

XMBC for Android’s End User Friendly build gets stable release

Back in January, XMBC for Android trotted out what it called the first End User Friendly build of its mobile media center -- a release designed with compatibility in mind. Half a million downloads later, the team is ready for the custom build's first major update, releasing XMBC for Android's first stable End User Friendly version today. "This is the first and only truly End User Friendly release of XBMC available on the internet," writes the team on its official blog. "We're hoping that it will in time bring XBMC to a whole new mainstream level." For the uninitiated, the release page gives new users a brief rundown of what XMBC is, explaining how the software snags streaming content from all over the web and serves it to the user in a single, easy to access place. Installation is a little more complicated than simply hitting up Google Play, but folks who tried the team's last release should be familiar with the process: sideload two APKs, and jump in. Check out the release for yourself at the source.

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Source: XMBC for Android

XBMC for Android’s End User Friendly build gets stable release

Back in January, XBMC for Android trotted out what it called the first End User Friendly build of its mobile media center -- a release designed with compatibility in mind. Half a million downloads later, the team is ready for the custom build's first major update, releasing XBMC for Android's first stable End User Friendly version today. "This is the first and only truly End User Friendly release of XBMC available on the internet," writes the team on its official blog. "We're hoping that it will in time bring XBMC to a whole new mainstream level." For the uninitiated, the release page gives new users a brief rundown of what XBMC is, explaining how the software snags streaming content from all over the web and serves it to the user in a single, easy to access place. Installation is a little more complicated than simply hitting up Google Play, but folks who tried the team's last release should be familiar with the process: sideload two APKs, and jump in. Check out the release for yourself at the source.

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Source: XBMC for Android

Cyberlink’s PowerDVD 13 universal media player for Windows 8, iOS, and Android has an improved UI and 4K support

Cyberlink's PowerDVD 13 universal media player for Windows 8, iOS, and Android has an improved UI and 4K supportIt's been well over a year since Cyberlink released a new version of its venerable PowerDVD software, but now version 13 has arrived sporting a shiny new look, 4K support and a fresh media upconverting trick. Among the UI highlights are: a dedicated movie library, the addition of cover art for movies and music, a mini music player and the ability to customize hotkeys and mouse controls. Oh, and the app is built to auto-scale the interface to play nice with hi-res Retina displays, too.

As with the prior version, PowerDVD 13 uses Cyberlink's TrueTheater video technology to enhance picture quality but now it can apply that black magic to 1080p and Blu-ray video as well. Rounding out the enhancements is a BD-Live bypass feature that lets users avoid the interminable load times that normally accompany so equipped Blu-ray discs. It works on Windows 7 and 8 and will set you back $99 for the full-fledged Ultra version. The best news? Forking over that hundred bucks also gets you the PowerDVD Mobile and Remote apps for iOS and Android for free.

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Source: Cyberlink

Toshiba showcases 2013 AV range and updated Cloud TV platform (eyes-on)

Toshiba showcases 2013 AV range and updated Cloud TV platform eyeson

Toshiba isn't the first name you'd associate with exciting products, but recently we were invited to check out its 2013 selection of AV gear in the hope we'd be dazzled by pixel counts and the IQ of its revamped smart TV platform. We revisited a few products we had flings with at CES, were introduced to some new panels, and taken through the ins-and-outs of the company's fresh Cloud TV interface. Was there anything to get excited about? Head past the break for the full tour.

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MediaPortal 1.3 exits beta with official Windows 8 support, revamped skins

MediaPortal 1.3 exits beta with official Windows 8 support, revamped skins

MediaPortal 1.3 is throwing its hat in the air today after graduating from beta to full release status. The Titan skin intended for 1080p widescreen displays has made the final version with plug-in support, but don't worry if it doesn't fit your style or screen, as the default skins have also been refined. UI themes and settings can be easily modified for deeper personalization, and you can now highlight shows in the TV guide to better plan your evening's entertainment. Unencrypted Blu-Rays will work in the native player (with the right decoder) and several improvements have been made to video playback and the bundled codec library. MediaPortal settings can be configured more easily in 1.3 and the "My Videos" section has picked up some new features. Finally, 1.3 adds official Windows 8 support, although the team admits there may be some bugs that remain undiscovered. If MediaPortal is your HTPC software of choice, you might want to check out the complete changelog at the source link, where you'll also find installation instructions if you wanna cut straight to the hands-on.

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Source: MediaPortal

Archos releases free version of Android Video Player, placates penny-pinching cinephiles

Archos Video Player Android app now has a free version, pennypinching movie lovers rejoice

While there's no dearth of video playing apps available on Android, French outfit Archos' $5 offering stands out as an especially feature-rich option. For those that shied away from the Archos Video Player just because of the outlay involved however, there's now a free version up for grabs. Supported by ads, it provides all the functionality of its premium cousin, including hardware-accelerated encoding, ability to play network content and online retrieval of movie information like posters and subtitles. Entertainment aficionados can snag the goods at the source link for the unarguable cost of zero, and likely spend the saved scratch on some high-definition bird-slinging action instead.

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Via: Android Central

Source: Google Play

Western Digital unveils WD TV Play streaming box, directly competes with Roku

Western Digital unveils WD TV Play streaming box, directly competes with Roku

After making a stop at the FCC recently, Western Digital's WD TV Play streaming media player got an official announce this morning. The Roku-esque streaming media box touts easy setup, a $70 price tag, and connectivity with a variety of apps (YouTube, Netflix, Hulu Plus, VUDU, SlingPlayer, Spotify, Pandora and Facebook are specifically named). The device can also manage and display your own media, via DLNA-friendly devices, all in 1080p. A remote control comes with the device, but there's also a free WD TV Remote application headed to iOS and Android devices -- you'll need WiFi running to get the app synced up, of course.

The WD TV Play is already available for purchase via Western Digital's online store, and there's no word on retail availability. We've reached out to Western Digital to find out more.

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Source: PR Newswire