Rupert Murdoch’s exit as Fox CEO hints at a bigger digital future
There’s a big executive shakeup looming that could change the digital media landscape in the long run. Both CNBC and the Wall Street Journal report that Rupert Murdoch is planning to step down from the CEO role at 21st Century Fox, with his son James taking the reins. The media mogul will still hang around as an executive chairman (along with his other son Lachlan), like he does at News Corp, but he won’t be so closely involved in day-to-day affairs. The handover would take place no later than 2016.
The move isn’t surprising. Murdoch hasn’t been shy about grooming his sons for succession, and even James’ abrupt departure from BSkyB (now Sky) after the UK phone hacking scandal didn’t deter that. However, it also signals a shift in online media strategy. CNBC understands that James Murdoch has been instrumental in Fox’s recent digital push, which has focused heavily on streaming. Once he becomes CEO, that effort is likely to kick into high gear.
[Image credit: Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez/AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: CNBC, Wall Street Journal
Hoopla app review
The days of browsing books at your local library are slowly fading into extinction. While there are many people that prefer the look and texture of a physical book, the millennial generation has moved more and more towards their digital counterparts. Many of the libraries in the US do not maintain digital archives of their media. This is where services like Hoopla come into play.
Hoopla works in conjunction with your local library to offer digital titles. With your library card, you can borrow a certain number of titles from their collection per month. That amount is determined by your library. Hoopla offers ebooks, comics, movies, TV shows, audiobooks, and music, but the available content will depend largely on your library. My library, for example, does not provide comics or ebooks but does offer everything else.
The design of the application is fairly easy, but they could have done so much more. Personally I would like to see some settings for parental controls and video quality. Another feature would be to have options in the sidebar to select the type of media that you want to browse, but that’s not a deal killer for me. The home page lists available media and groups them into categories. There is a link to the right that will allow you to view all the media in the selected categories.
E-books and comics:
E-books and comics are available for 21 days at a time. They have a large selection of books and comics. You’re sure to find something interesting to read. Just don’t expect to find the latest and greatest novels or comics.
Audiobooks:
Audiobook titles, like the e-books and comics, are available for 21 days at a time. I personally was not able to stream the book directly through the mobile app. This was remedied by downloading the book directly and then playing in through the application. The audio quality was good, but there was an occasional blip here and there. My biggest complaint is that there are no chapter points programmed into the book. They do have a system of user generated bookmarks and the player will pick up where you left off, but it would be nice to be able to jump to a specific chapter in the book.
Movies and TV:
The video quality is good, but they do not offer HD content at this time. I have been assured that they are working on implementing this in the near future. Most titles are available for 72 hours after you check them out, but a few titles are only available for 48 hours. It streams fairly well and I experienced no buffering. The catalog is fairly large but is by no means an exhaustive catalog. The good news is that there are several modern titles to choose from. The bad news is that there is no support at this point for Chromecast or Amazon’s Fire TV.
Music:
Albums are available for 7 days. The quality is good, but like the audiobook player, the music player app experiences the occasional blip. Just like with the audio books. I had to download the album first to listen to the music. The catalog has several newer titles, but just like your local library, you may not find everything you’re looking for.
Overall this is a great app that is still in its infancy. They have new features like HD video streaming and Chromecast support that are in the works. They are also continually looking for new content providers to keep things fresh. The service is cross-platform and can be easily picked up from one device to another.
Is this a replacement for services like Amazon Prime, Audible, Google Play, Hulu Plus, or Netflix? At this point, the answer is no. However; to those whose library does offer Hoopla, this is a great alternative or supplement to these services. The best part is that it is 100% free to use and there are no ads that come with it.
The post Hoopla app review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
TiVo Online has some web TV for everyone, more if you have a TiVo
We still haven’t progressed to TiVo’s cloud DVR future, but the company is jumping ahead with the launch of TiVo Online. That is the name of its new web portal that collects video from cable channels, internet sources and even your TiVo DVR (if you have one), to put TV on your computer easily. The interesting part is that it’s usable by anyone, but you’ll get a lot more out of it if you have cable, and/or a TiVo DVR. Also, TiVo just launched upgrades bringing Plex, iHeartRadio and Yahoo Screen to its boxes. We took TiVo Online for a spin and on the plus side, it’s a welcome improvement from the web features TiVo has offered so far, but it has a few drawbacks.
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/yh7Qz5ecqXM?rel=0
The good news (for TiVo owners) is that you can do most of the things you expect, like manage recordings, search for TV shows and even create the new OnePass setups that pull from TV and internet sources. The bad news is that on the web, it only searches the sites that are available so far or regular TV, so there’s no way to see if something if it’s on Netflix or Amazon Prime, for example. In-home streaming works across devices if you have a newer Roamio DVR, or one of the older ones with a Stream attached. That even includes ChromeOS (although it pops up a warning when you first try to log-in citing “reduced functionality”), although the quality is just acceptable. Until now, the company hadn’t done much to update its online interfaces, which were mostly the same as they were in 2010 and in 2006 when it was called TiVo Central Online, so at least this is something.
According to the accompanying PR, a way to stream or download TV even when you’re away from home (on PCs, it’s already possible via apps) is in the works, but it might be tied to just a single device at a time, and may not work with every show because of DRM.
I think the idea is to create something that not only works for TiVo users, but also pulls in viewers who haven’t purchased a TiVo yet. It already had a similar setup for RCN customers with TiVo, but now it’s available to anyone. On the second point they still have some work to do (if you need a way to find what’s on streaming, check out our list here), but if you already have a TiVo it’s a convenient way to watch on your laptop.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: TiVo Online
New Apple TV hardware reportedly won’t show up at WWDC, either
Apple’s oft-rumored streaming TV service won’t be the only thing going AWOL from the Worldwide Developer Conference next week, it seems. New York Times sources say that 1 Infinite Loop has scrapped plans to unveil revamped Apple TV hardware (along with a matching remote and app development kit) at the gathering. Reportedly, the new media hub just wasn’t “ready for prime time” — it’s still coming, but you’ll have to wait. There’s no mention of when it’ll show up. Assuming the leak is accurate in the first place, though, history suggests that Apple could wait until September (when it usually starts releasing its big products for the year) to debut its next-generation set-top box.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Apple
Source: New York Times
Showtime reportedly announcing standalone streaming this week
Showtime’s standalone streaming service was tipped back in November, and now it appears we may be close to the official reveal. Variety reports CBS is prepping to announce the subscription option to temp those who’ve cut the cord as soon as this week — six months after CEO Les Moonves discussed the service’s 2015 arrival on an earnings call. What’s more, like HBO’s offering, it’ll reportedly be an Apple exclusive at launch before opening up to other platforms and streaming gadgets later on. HBO Now, that cable networks standalone service, debuted in April for $15/month. No word on how much Showtime’s subscription plan will cost, or what it’ll be called, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the asking price was the same. CBS is no stranger to the streaming boom, launching the $6 per month CBS All Access option last fall that brought with it live TV in select markets. While Showtime may not have the roster of powerhouse series like Game of Thrones, its roster includes popular shows like Homeland, Nurse Jackie, Masters of Sex and more.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Variety
‘Teletubbies’ to return with tablet tummies
You wouldn’t think that technology would have infected the primary colored world of children’s TV, but even the Teletubbies have been forced to move with the times. The forthcoming remake of the stoner-favorite show sees the amorphous blobs ditch their stomach-mounted televisions for “touchscreen devices.” Naturally, in the real world, it’s still a square of grey felt stitched onto the costume, but characters will now interact with this tech in a way that’s familiar to kids.
Whereas you could keep the kids of 1998 entertained by dumping them in front of PBS, modern children are slightly more sophisticated. In fact, most of them either spend their days swiping back and forth across your smartphone’s home screen, or have a kiddie-tablet of their very own. In fact, when you combine that with the embarrassment of age-appropriate TV shows on services like YouTube Kids and DirecTV Kids, Teletubbies seems almost archaic.
Apropos of nothing, Teletubbies is set in a post-apocalyptic paradise where a group of amorphous, sexless blobs eat a strange yellow liquid for sustenance. Living in a bunker, a computer monitors their every move while barking out oblique orders from a series of speakers that cover the landscape. Does anyone else think that there’s more than a few similarities with the plot of Harlan Ellison’s horrifying short story I Have No Mouth, Yet I Must Scream? Now that I’ve worked that out, I think I need a lie down.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Tablets, HD
Source: The Guardian
Netflix is testing ads surrounding its shows (update: only its own)
Anxious to see what happens next in Daredevil? In the future, you might have to endure an ad first. Netflix has confirmed to Cord Cutters News that it’s publicly testing ads both before and after shows. What you see as a test subject varies in length and whether or not it’s skippable, so it’s not certain just how tolerable these promos would be. However, Netflix is quick to note that a lot of things are up in the air, and that you might not see these clips at all — it warns that many experimental features “never see a rollout,” so your subscription may remain blissfully ad-free.
The company isn’t discussing its ultimate aims, to no one’s surprise. However, the ad trial is likely meant to open the door to new pricing options that do more than tweak the number of simultaneous streams. Netflix could offset price hikes (and undercut streaming rivals) by launching a cheaper, ad-supported tier; alternately, it could compensate for slowing growth by asking you to pay more for ad-free viewing. We’re certainly hoping it’s the former rather than the latter. Either way, it’s clear that Netflix isn’t completely satisfied with its status quo.
Update: Don’t panic just yet! Netflix tells TechCrunch that there are currently “no plans” to run third-party ads. Instead, this would be more to get you checking out other exclusive shows (say, Bloodlines) once you’re looking for something new to watch.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Via: AmongTech
Source: Cord Cutters News
Lenovo announces the $49 Lenovo Cast streaming device
Lenovo has been unveiling its latest creations at its Tech World 23015 conference, and here we have the Lenovo Cast streaming device that fills a similar role to Google’s Chromecast device. Instead of looking like a weirdly shaped USB stick though, the Lenovo Cast looks rather like a hockey puck, black and round.
Whereas the Chromecast uses Google’s proprietary casting technology, the Lenovo Cast uses Miracast and DLNA standards that are present in almost Android smartphone or tablet. The Lenovo Cast will mirror your phone or tablets display, much like you can with the Chromecast, the downside of which is that when your display times out, the content being cast to the TV will also vanish.
The Lenovo Cast can cast Full HD movies, images and games from up to 20m away, with the ability to get its signal through two walls. Unlike the Chromecast, the Lenovo Cast offers dual-band WiFi (2.4GHz & 5GHz) compatibility. The device connects to the TV or monitor via HDMI cable, and if you were worried about having to find room in your TV cabinet for the Lenovo Cast, fear not. A bracket is included in the box that allows you to mount the device on the back of your TV.
At $49, Lenovo Cast is a little more expensive than the Chromecast, although it does offer slightly higher specifications than Google’s device. For me, the Chromecast still edges it by giving the user the option to stream content without needing to keep the phone or tablet display on. There’s also a good chance we will see the second generation Chromecast being announced at Google I/O 2015 later on today. Still, you can never have too many options, am I right? Remember to check out our complete Google I/O 2015 coverage by clicking here.
We have the full specifications of the Lenovo Cast below.
Source: Lenovo
Come comment on this article: Lenovo announces the $49 Lenovo Cast streaming device
Canada’s response to Netflix is available nationwide this summer
Canadian cable firms Rogers and Shaw have hogged the Shomi video service all to themselves during its testing phase, but they’re loosening up now that they’re nearly ready for prime time. The two have revealed that their answer to Netflix will be available to all Canadians this summer, not just the companies’ internet and TV subscribers. As during the beta, you’ll plunk down $9 CAD ($7 US) per month to get a mix of shows and (mostly older) movies, including Transparent and other series that are Amazon exclusives in the US. The service already works through Android, Apple TV, Chromecast and iOS devices, so you won’t be hurting for places to watch.
The expansion isn’t just about giving domestic cablecos a shot at money that would otherwise go to Netflix and other American providers. It’s partly a foil to CraveTV, a service meant only for Bell customers. Also, Rogers and Shaw are under pressure from Canada’s telecom regulator, the CRTC, to open up. The agency has ruled that any video-on-demand exclusives must be available to every Canuck online — if companies want sole access to a hot series, they can’t force you to sign up for other services in order to start streaming. This probably won’t get you to drop your existing US subscriptions, but you at least won’t have to jump through hoops to check out options from the Great White North.
[Thanks, Kristy]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Via: Huffington Post
Source: Canada Newswire
TiVo said to be launching Cox video on demand
You’re forgiven if you forgot that TiVo and Cox were once best buddies. They formed a partnership years ago, but that alliance quietly fell by the wayside. However, there are signs that it could come roaring back. Tipsters tell Zatz Not Funny (which has a good record with such leaks) that TiVo is close to launching Cox On Demand services. It’s not clear whether this will simply rehash the DVR maker’s Comcast technology or try something new. If the rumor is true, though, this could be heartening news — you could spring for one of TiVo’s nicer video recorders without having to sacrifice all the on-demand content that comes with your Cox TV package.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Zatz Not Funny
AIVAnet 