TiVo exec explains Bolt strategy, Fire TV app and new Pro next year

When the TiVo Bolt was unveiled earlier this week, most of the questions (that weren't about its odd shape) came from long-time enthusiasts wondering why it doesn't cater to them? Many aren't willing to downgrade from a Roamio Pro's 6 tuners and 3T...

Apple pulls iFixit’s app after it tears down the new Apple TV

The team at iFixit is learning a hard, hard lesson about the importance of honoring developer agreements. Apple has banned an iFixit developer account (and consequently, the iFixit app) after the repair-it-yourself outfit tore down a pre-release A...

Xbox One owners report compatibility problems with UK TV providers

Nothing tests a stiff upper lip like a next-gen console launch. Having already been spooked by inaccurate pricing on the PlayStation Network, some Brits are now discovering that the Xbox One's heavily promoted TV functions aren't readily compatible with their set-top boxes. Whether on Freeview, Virgin or Sky, users' efforts to route TV output through the Xbox One's HDMI passthrough port are apparently resulting in "juddery" and unwatchable video -- perhaps because the Xbox One defaults to 60 frames per second while most UK hardware sticks to the PAL standard of 50Hz. In turn, if they're forced to give on using passthrough, they also have to miss out on the use of Kinect voice control to start watching TV, change the volume or "snap" TV side-by-side with an app.

Ironically, one UK service that has made a particular point of never supporting the Xbox One -- namely, YouView -- may now offer the smoothest experience of the lot (albeit without any EPG integration), as its box seems to be more comfortable outputting a compatible signal. That won't be much help to others, however, so we've asked Microsoft's PR if there's any progress towards a fix, and in the meantime you might want to try a possible workaround from a reader at HDTVTest.

[Thanks, Barry]

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Source: The Guardian

Roku 2700X set-top box surfaces at the FCC with basic specs

Mystery Roku 2700X settop box hits the FCC

The Roku 3 might not be the only Roku set-top box arriving this year: an unannounced 2700X has just passed through the FCC for approval. The filing shows a streaming hub that's curvy like the Roku 3, but is limited to single-band, 2.4GHz 802.11n WiFi. Combine this spec with the low model number (the Roku 3 is the 4200X) and it's not hard to figure out what we're looking at -- this is an entry-level device based on Roku's newer design language. When the company's confidentiality request to the FCC will expire in less than 90 days, we'd expect the 2700X to launch relatively soon. Check out a second image of the hardware after the break.

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Source: FCC

Huawei unveils outdoor-ready Honor 3 smartphone, MediaQM310 set-top box

Huawei unveils outdoorready Honor 3 smartphone, MediaQM310 settop box

Huawei's first two Honor smartphones were straightforward mid-range devices; with today's unveiling of the Honor 3, the company is going the semi-rugged route. The third-generation model is IP57-rated for resistance to dust and water, and its high-sensitivity touchscreen will recognize wet hands. There's also an HTC One-like infrared blaster to control TVs and home appliances. The Honor 3 is otherwise a modest upgrade, however -- it carries a slightly larger 4.7-inch 720p in-cell touch LCD, a mildly faster 1.5GHz K3V2 quad-core chip, a higher-resolution 13-megapixel rear camera, a 1-megapixel front camera and Android 4.2. The 2GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage haven't changed since last year, although they're acceptable when the Honor 3 is already on sale for just ¥1,888 ($309) in China.

The smartphone will soon have company. Huawei is teasing a new TV set-top box, the MediaQM310, that should offer both cloud services and China Network Television's online video. The media hub should be uncommonly powerful for its diminutive size with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 chip, Bluetooth and dual-band WiFi. There's no mention of a price just yet, although that should come when Huawei ships the MediaQM310 to China sometime in September. Check out a photo of the device after the break.

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Via: Engadget Chinese (translated)

Source: Huawei (translated)