Xbox One gets over-the-air DVR through a set-top box
Just because Microsoft has ruled out an Xbox One DVR feature doesn’t mean that you’re without choices. Nuvyyo has introduced an Xbox One (and Windows 10 Anniversary Update) version of its Tablo app, letting you watch and record over-the-air TV streamed from the company’s networked set-top box. You’ll get the “majority” of features you see on other platforms, including a TV guide as well as options to pause live shows and skip ads.
As always, the only real gotcha is the cost. The Tablo DVR’s entry two-tuner model officially costs $220 (a four-tuner version is $300), and the TV guide requires a subscription ($5 per month, $50 per year or $150 lifetime) if you plan to use it. If you’re a cord-cutter and want to use your Xbox as your central media hub, though, the up front price may be small compared to what you save by ditching cable or satellite.
Source: Tablo
LeEco has grown so fast it’s running out of cash
Chinese technology company LeEco is still a relatively new name in the west, but in China, the company is one of the most dominant players in smartphones, TVs, movies and e-commerce. With help from Faraday Future, the electronics giant has moved into the automotive industry, but its fast expansion has come at a cost. In a company-wide letter, LeEco co-founder Jia Yueting admitted that the company is running out of cash.
In a letter obtained by Bloomberg, Jia said: “We blindly sped ahead, and our cash demand ballooned. We got over-extended in our global strategy. At the same time, our capital and resources were in fact limited.” Reuters also received a copy of the same letter, which read: “We are starting to see signs of big company disease, such as low individual performance and organizational redundancies.”
Jia, who has an estimated net worth of around $6 billion, has attempted to lead by example by slashing his yearly salary to one yuan (15 cents), but his announcement isn’t too surprising. In July, the company confirmed the $2 billion acquisition of US TV maker Vizio and pledged to spend a further $1.8 billion building a EV factory capable of outputting 400,000 electric cars per year. Add to that plans to dominate the US market with cheap phones, TVs, bikes and cars, and you can see why LeEco may have overextended itself.
In attempt to cushion the blow, LeEco will immediately put cost-cutting measures into place and pass on extra costs to consumers by reducing the subsidies it places on its products. The plan also includes refocusing on its existing businesses — basically phones, TVs and car production (which it’s already spent $10 billion on) — so it can recoup the cash it needs to properly explore new markets.
Via: Bloomberg, Reuters
Apple is close to launching single sign-on for Apple TV
Apple wants to take the pain out of turning your Apple TV into a cable box, and is doing so with Single Sign On. It’s a system that promises to let you enter the username you use with your TV provider just once, and it’ll collate whatever apps and services you can access automatically. It was announced all the way back in June, but only now is the company ready to begin testing the feature publicly.
Both AppleInsider and 9to5Mac are reporting that Single Sign-on has been activated for beta testers using iOS 10.2 and tvOS 10.1. If you’re using those operating systems on the Apple TV, iPhone or iPad, you can head over to the settings pane and enter your provider details to get going. For now, the number of companies listed is limited to four: Dish, GTVC Communications, Hotwire and Sling TV. But now that Apple is letting folks in the real world kick the tires, hopefully it won’t be long before we all get to play.
Source: AppleInsider, 9to5Mac
Hulu’s live TV options will include Fox and Disney, of course
Hulu will roll out its live TV lineup in early 2017, complete with shows from the Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox, two of Hulu’s founding partners, the company announced today. The agreement brings more than 35 networks to Hulu’s live service, including ABC, FOX, Fox Sports channels, ESPN channels, Disney Channel and XD, Freeform, National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild.
These networks join Time Warner Inc.’s Turner channels on Hulu’s live service. The Turner deal brings TBS, TNT, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang, among other affiliated channels, to Hulu’s live service. This deal follows Time Warner’s purchase of 10 percent of Hulu for $583 million. Viacom is also on board for live Hulu programming, but it’s unclear which of its networks in particular will be available.
Hulu doesn’t detail how much its live TV service will cost, but describes it as “a complement to the company’s current ad-supported and ad-free subscription video on demand products.” The Wall Street Journal reported in May that it would cost $40. That’s more than Sling’s $20 basic package, for example, and it’s not yet known if the reported $40 price tag includes Hulu’s traditional streaming options.
Source: Hulu
Watch Apple’s MacBook Pro event in 9 minutes
In contrast to Microsoft’s everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach to announcements just a day earlier, Apple’s “Hello Again” event was a more focused affair. However, there was still a lot to take in. How does the new MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar work, exactly? And what’s this TV app that Apple introduced? Don’t worry about having to spend ages reading (or watching the full replay) if you don’t have time, though. We’ve recapped the entire presentation in a 9-minute video, so you can get the gist of Apple’s media shindig in the time it takes to grab a drink.
Click here to catch all the latest news from Apple’s “Hello Again” event.
Trump squashes rumor of Trump TV
Since the launch of his campaign there has been speculation that presidential candidate Donald Trump was using the 2016 race to expand his brand. That’s culminated recently in speculation that he’ll launch Trump TV if he loses his bid for the White House. But the candidate laid those media-empire rumors to rest during a radio interview.
While talking to Cincinnati radio station 700WLW host Scott Sloan, Trump flatly denied he was interested in a launching his own TV station. “No, I have no interest in Trump TV,” the presidential candidate said. Instead he said he was focused on the election and of course “making America great again.”
That doesn’t mean the candidate is completely out of the media game. His campaign is now airing a nightly show via Facebook Live. If that gets enough traction and Trump loses the White House to Clinton, don’t be surprised to see a giant gold T on your basic channel lineup in the near future.
Via: Entertainment Weekly
Source: Radio Station 700WLW
AT&T’s internet-only DirecTV service launches in November
You don’t have to sit on pins and needles wondering when AT&T will launch DirecTV Now, its flagship internet-only streaming service. As part of a discussion of the Time Warner acquisition, AT&T chief Randall Stephenson has revealed that DirecTV Now will be ready in November. It might be a bargain, too — Stephenson vows that it will carry a price “radically lower” than competing offerings. Just what that means isn’t certain (which services and tiers are included in this comparison?), but it’s promising.
The news takes on added meaning in light of the Time Warner buyout. AT&T already had HBO and Cinemax lined up for DirecTV Now, but the Time Warner deal would give the streaming service a virtually guaranteed source of popular TV without having to work hard for a license. It could theoretically keep the price low without depriving you of must-watch programming. That’s assuming that regulators approve the deal in the first place, of course — there’s a concern that AT&T could punish rivals by either charging them more for Time Warner channels or denying some channels altogether.
Source: CNBC Now (Twitter)
AT&T to buy Time Warner for $85.4 billion
After no small amount of anticipation, it’s official: AT&T has announced that it’s acquiring Time Warner for the equivalent of $85.4 billion in cash and stock. The move gives one of the US’ largest telecoms control over some of the biggest names in movies and TV, including HBO, Turner and Warner Bros. That includes rights to broadcast MLB, NBA and NCAA March Madness games, we’d add. If you ask AT&T, this is a “perfect match” that mates top-tier content with a ton of distribution points. It can easily deliver quality shows over the internet (particularly on mobile), conventional TV or in theaters — it won’t have to jump through hoops to license material for playback on your platform of choice.
Developing…
Source: AT&T
Google rumor hints at ‘Unplugged’ streaming TV service
Since rumors about Apple’s TV attempts are in their ebb phase, now it’s time for Google to take the stage. In a pattern that seems very familiar, sources tell the Wall Street Journal, Reuters and CNBC that Google has cut a deal with CBS to include its channels in a streaming “skinny bundle.” The rumored service is apparently planned for launch in 2017 under the name “Unplugged.” While Apple’s long-rumored service has yet to appear, we have seen similar efforts appear in the form of Dish Network’s Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, and the upcoming DirecTV Now.
The unnamed media executives that have apparently heard the pitch say Google wants to offer a bundle priced between $25 and $40 per month, that’s separate from YouTube, although execs from that company are overseeing the project. Fox and Disney/ABC are said to be in negotiations as well, while the WSJ report mentions that one sticking point has been YouTube’s desire to add data overlays (like sports stats) to the channels it’s streaming.
Of course, negotiations between tech companies and the entertainment industry can be difficult, and the latest Apple rumors suggest it will go in a different direction entirely. If the service is meant to launch in the first quarter, then maybe we’ll hear more about it at CES in January.That could be particularly poetic, since at CES 2006, CBS exec Les Moonves joined Larry Page — Google co-founder and current CEO of its parent company Alphabet — to announce a content partnership for Google Video.
Source: Wall Street Journal, Reuters, CNBC
PBS made a tablet just for kids
You buy a kid-proof tablet to give young ones a safe environment to play their favorite games and videos, so wouldn’t it make sense to buy a tablet from an outfit making all that content? PBS thinks so: it’s introducing the Playtime Pad, a self-branded Android slate (technically made by Ematic) that serves as a showcase for all its educational programming. It comes preloaded with over 25 PBS games and 120 videos, as well as preloaded PBS apps for streaming and creative play. Your children can watch Ready Jet Go without asking you to download something first, which might be important when they’re looking for something to do in the middle of a road trip.
Thankfully, parents have full Google Play access — you can download more apps if your kids want to watch Netflix or play a favorite game. PBS is shy on the specs for the tablet, but we wouldn’t expect a powerhouse between the 7-inch screen and 16GB of storage. You do get front and back cameras, however, and the rugged design should (hopefully) survive the inevitable round of drops and bumps. More importantly, it’s affordable enough that you might not panic if Junior does smash it to pieces. The Playtime Pad will sell for a modest $80 when it goes on sale November 6th, and you can pick it up at both Best Buy, Walmart’s website and PBS’ own store.
Source: BusinessWire
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