ITV Player comes to Amazon’s Fire TV

ITV’s replacement for ITV Player is meant to launch before the end of the year, but that doesn’t mean the company is holding back on its app expansion. As promised, the broadcaster has brought ITV Player to the Amazon Fire TV, letting you catch-up on all of your favourite programmes on-demand. The rollout is staggered, however, as Fire TV Stick owners will have to a couple of weeks until they can get in on the action. And if you’ve pre-ordered Amazon’s new 4K-ready Fire TV, that too will support the app when it starts shipping on October 5th. When ITV Hub does launch, with a focus on live TV, ITV Player will be swapped for the rebranded app, but you shouldn’t need to lift a finger.

TiVo’s 4K-ready, commercial skipping Bolt hints at the future

This new Bolt DVR may not totally remake the recording technology TiVo is famous for, but it introduces a sharp departure in design and adds features customers have asked for since it started in the late 90s. Just like the leaks suggested, the Bolt is a funky arc-shaped white box that looks different from anything else near your HDTV. Despite being smaller than TiVo’s older DVRs — or whatever cable box you probably have — it’s eye-catching enough for visitors to stop and ask what you’re watching TV on. Looks aside, Bolt’s main claim to fame will definitely be its ability to bypass commercials with a new SkipMode (No more hidden 30 second skip! We’ve been asking for this since 2009). That’s actually an old trick, and while it’s appreciated, where I see evidence of TiVo looking towards the future is the way it’s connecting the DVR to Amazon’s Fire TV. Slideshow-324372

Let’s start with the new hardware. TiVo Bolt will replace the base Roamio (and eventually the Plus), as a 4-tuner DVR that also works for OTA or just streaming TV. For those who prefer six tuners and a larger built-in hard drive, the Roamio Pro will stick around, but it doesn’t have the Bolt’s 4K or new features. Bolt loses the old analog video outputs and offers only an HDMI port — no breakout cable either — which shouldn’t be a problem in 2015, but is worth knowing. It has the same integrated TiVo Stream features we dug on the Roamio, and it will work with the existing TiVo Mini boxes to extend the setup beyond your living room.

That funky arc shape isn’t just there to stick out visually however, as VP Jim Denney told us it also allows the smaller box to vent from the bottom. It’s a rather unique design, and in our short time using it the box stayed cool and quiet. The upgraded hardware is good for more than just pixel-pushing too, with apps and menus responding faster than ever. One tweak you’d almost miss? It still has the Roamio Pro’s tiny Remote Finder button on the back, perfect for times when the RF-connected control has slipped between couch cushions somewhere. In general, things are the same as they ever were, including stuff like CableCARD setups, and transferring your Series Recordings via TiVo’s sometimes-frustrating website. That’s definitely one aspect that could use a 2015-style makeover to resemble modernized platforms like iOS, Xbox or Spotify.

The biggest changes however, are in the software. With “SkipMode” TiVo drops in a feature featured its old competitor ReplayTV, and more recently by Dish Network’s “Auto Hop” DVRs. It works just like it sounds, when you’re watching a recorded program, a green icon will pop up and prompt you to hit the “D” button to skip commercials. Easy, right? Right, but there are some limitations. TiVo is managing this by basically having people watch the programs on certain networks (the top 20 or so most popular, between 4PM and midnight) and mark where the actual show begins and the commercials end. Your Bolt downloads the information, and is ready for skipping at will shortly after the shows are recorded. You’ll know which shows have commercials that can be skipped, because they’ve got a big green skip button in the guide now. The only bad news? SkipMode is not being ported back to older DVRs, but it should work on the Mini (as long as it’s connected to a Bolt.)

We tried it out and everything worked without a hitch. TiVo’s scheme covers the lions share of our primetime TV programming, and being able to easily skip commercials can make it easier to blow through shows quickly. In that same vein, TiVo is also adding QuickMode (unlike SkipMode, this will be available for the Roamio and Premiere), which lets viewers watch recordings sped up by 30 percent, but pitch corrects the audio so it doesn’t sound any different. Many of you told us you listened to the old HD Podcast that way, and we can confirm, if you’re bingeing on a series to catch up before the finale, it makes things go by faster without seriously compromising the experience.

What we didn’t get a chance to try was the Bolt’s Ultra HD chops, but according to TiVo it will have two 4K-ready apps at launch: YouTube and Amazon. Oddly, Netflix isn’t on that list, and for now, it doesn’t have a Hulu Plus app at all. They’re odd omissions, but we expect they’ll be corrected quickly, now that Bolt is going all-in on HTML5-based apps. The menu has been tweaked slightly, and while that change won’t be copied onto older hardware, Premiere and Roamio users can expect a guide update that adds more channel logos. Other software tweaks coming in a fall update will bring a personalized “What to Watch” section on iOS, better social sharing on Facebook and Twitter, and a slicker OnePass experience for TiVo Online — but those aren’t the features that piqued my interest.

Fall Updates

• Getting Personal – A Fall update will deliver new features to TiVo’s iOS app that will allow you to create a personalized ‘What to Watch’ screen by selecting categories based on your hobbies and interests. Content matching your interests will then populate your ‘My Shows’ folder.
• Share with Friends – TiVo is taking social sharing to the next level. This update will allow you to share a link to your favorite show with all your friends via email, Facebook, Twitter and more. Upon clicking on that link, TiVo will take your friends to a page on an iOS or Android device or on the Web indicating where they can watch that show.
• TiVo Online – Creating OnePass selections will be easier than ever on TiVo Online with OnePass Quick Select. Upon updating, OnePass will include default options highlighting your favorite programs with a single click.

I think the best news of today is that TiVo will finally extend itself to other connected TV boxes. Its iOS app has AirPlay so owners can stream TV to Apple’s box but most other devices are entirely left out. It would be better if TiVo created an app for the upcoming Apple TV, but there’s no word on that yet. Right now, TiVo says it’s working on an app for the Amazon Fire TV. It’s not out yet, but when it launches you should be able to watch easily recordings from anywhere else in the home. With a little hacking people have already been doing just that, but official support is a move in the right direction. Making TiVo work smoothly with other devices would make the ecosystem much more valuable, and I hope it’s just the start of a trend.

The Bolt goes on sale today online — check the usual sources like Amazon and Best Buy — and units should reach retail shelves in the next week or so. The only difference between the two versions offered are the size of the 2.5-inch HDD inside, at 500GB ($299) or 1TB ($399), and both come with the first year of TiVo service included. Is that enough to get buyers away from cable DVRs or custom setups? By including the first year of service TiVo is taking some of the upfront pricing pressure off, which is a big reason why I haven’t always recommended it right away. I’d like to see more work done on those apps for other connected devices (Roku, Xbox, PlayStation… Chromecast?) before making the switch full time, but if you’re in the mood for an upgrade, the Bolt is a great option right out of the box.

Andrew Tarantola contributed to this report

Amazon Flex is really an Uber for high-speed deliveries

When word got out about Amazon Flex, it wasn’t clear exactly how it worked. Was it a pick-it-up-yourself service? Not really, as it turns out. The online retailer has finally taken the wraps off of Flex, and it’s ultimately an Uber-like service that has on-demand contractors delivering your Prime Now orders. Like with ridesharing, couriers have to bring their own car and install an app on their phone that notifies them of gigs — the difference, of course, is that they’re transporting packages instead of people. Recruits make between $18 to $25 per hour, and they can work as much as they want.

The service is only available in Seattle right now, but it should expand to several more areas (including Austin, Chicago, Manhattan and Portland) in the future. It may also begin covering less-than-urgent packages, too, which suggests that Amazon sees this as a more than just a way to make its high-speed shipping dreams a reality. In the future, Flex could help Amazon cope with crushing holiday demand and other situations where conventional services aren’t up to the job. The question is whether or not it’ll continue as-is for very long. There’s currently a push to treat on-demand workers like employees, which could require that Amazon pay benefits, allow unions and otherwise shell out a lot more than it was expecting.

Via: Wall Street Journal

Source: Amazon

Prime Music adds Katy Perry, The Weeknd and other Universal artists

To keep pace with the likes of Apple Music, Spotify and other, Amazon is expanding its music streaming library once more. Today, the online retailer announced that Prime Music now features tunes from Universal Music Group. If you’re not into industry minutiae, Universal is home to Katy Perry, The Weeknd, Maroon 5, Drake and Lorde, just to name a few. The deal also means that Amazon will offer a collection of classical and jazz from Universal, too. Prime members are privy to the new tunes for unlimited streaming as well as “expertly programmed” playlists on iOS, Android (and Android Auto), Fire devices, Amazon Echo, or the web.

[Image credit: Mauricio Santana/Getty Images]

Source: Amazon (Business Wire)

Hands-on with Amazon’s new Fire HD tablets: Cheap, yet refined

One thing’s for sure, Amazon’s thinner new Fire HD tablets aren’t iPad killers. Instead, they’re being positioned as the ideal budget tablets for consuming video, e-books and music. To that end, Amazon didn’t even upgrade their hardware much — both the Fire HD 8 (starting at $150 with 8GB of storage) and Fire HD 10 ($230 with 16GB) sport quad-core 1.5 GHz processors like last year, 1GB of RAM as well as paltry 1280 x 800 resolution displays. The big change this year? Amazon has crafted new enclosures for the tablets, which measure at just 7.7 millimeters thick. Basically, they’re affordable, but more polished than Amazon’s cheapo $50 Fire tablet (which it’s actually offering in six-packs). Slideshow-323351

Strangely, the new Fire HD tablets feel a lot like Nokia’s Lumia 2520 Windows RT tablet. Their cases are made of similar glossy, fingerprint-attracting plastic, and there’s a slight curve to the edges as well (though it’s not nearly as aggressively tapered as Nokia’s tablet). They feel pretty solid, with little flex when you grip them tightly. Unlike Nokia’s unibody design, though, the Fire HD cases are clearly made out of a few pieces of plastic: the rear portion is glossy, while the plastic that borders the screen is a duller matte finish.

Both the eight-inch and 10.1-inch Fire HD are easy to hold with one hand, owing both to the slim case 7.7mm design and their relatively light weight (0.68 pound and 0.95 pound, respectively). You certainly won’t mistake these for something obscenely thin and light, like Samsung’s Tab S2, but overall they feel pretty comfortable for budget tablets. They also reminded me why I typically prefer smaller tablets. The Fire HD 8 is far easier to hold, since it weighs about the same as a paperback book. The Fire HD 10, on the other hand, will never let you forget you’re holding a big tablet.

Given that they’re running aging hardware, these tablets aren’t very fast. In fact, navigating through Amazon’s Fire OS 5.0 interface felt downright slugging at times. Swiping through the main menu and navigating through apps took a half-second too long — it’s a noticeable delay if you’re used to a snappier premium smartphone. Still, the Fire HD tablets are usable as content delivery vehicles. Amazon Prime videos loaded up within seconds and the video quality looked decent, even though both tablets have fairly low-resolution displays.

In fact, that low 1200 x 800 resolution is yet another reason I prefer the smaller HD 8. It’s far easier to read text and browse the internet on that tablet, since its low pixel count isn’t particularly noticeable. On the HD 10, however, text is noticeably jagged and pictures aren’t very sharp. Casual users may not notice those issues much, but it’s something that will bug you if you’re used to sharper screens.

As far as new features go, the Fire HD tablets offers a new option called Word Runner, which flashes words quickly on the screen to help you zip through e-books faster. It’s technology we’ve seen from companies like Spritz, and while it’s certainly possible to speed up your reading with it, I prefer going at my own pace. The Fire HD tablets will also automatically download new shows based on what you’ve watched with a feature called “On Deck.” Basically, it makes sure you’ve always got something to watch. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten any automagically downloaded videos yet.

Based on a few days worth of testing, the Fire HD tablets feel like capable, if somewhat sluggish, cheap tablets. I’m still putting them through their paces, however, so check back for a more in-depth look in the future.