You can now send Spotify tunes to Amazon’s Fire TV
Amazon’s Fire TV hasn’t had a lot of choices for on-demand music; for the most part, you’re been stuck with either the company’s own music service or Vevo. As of today, though, you can add Spotify to the list. The set-top box now serves as a Spotify Connect target, letting you send songs to the Fire TV using your mobile devices as remote controls. You’ll still need a Spotify Premium subscription to get those streams going, but that may be a small price to pay if you’re hoping to use your TV as a jukebox.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Amazon
Source: Spotify
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Apple CEO Tim Cook talks to Charlie Rose about TV and why he bought Beats
Need to hear more from Tim Cook after this week’s new iPhone and Watch event? Charlie Rose will air a two-part interview with the Apple CEO tonight and Monday, and excerpts posted to YouTube point to a few popular topics about the company. Cook discusses his company’s purchase of Beats by pointing out the brand Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre were able to build, and their recognition of the human element in putting together playlists. In another clip, he continues the longstanding tradition of pointing out how ancient and backwards the TV experience still is, and that Apple is interested in it (we’ll reference our advice from 2012 on how to handle these rumors) — without revealing anything about plans to actually enter the market or adjust the approach of its Apple TV box. You can view the clips embedded after the break, and the first part of the interview tonight (likely at 11PM) on your local PBS affiliate.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, Apple
Source: Charlie Rose (YouTube)
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Verizon eyes 2015 launch for internet TV service, chats à la carte options
If you’ve been champing at the bit to hear more about Verizon’s upcoming television offerings, CEO Lowell McAdam has spilled a few more details. During remarks at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference in New York, the chief executive said that the launch of the wireless company’s online TV service would arrive “probably late in the first half of 2015.” What’s more, McAdam also explained that the days of bundled channels could soon be over, saying “nobody wants to have 300 channels of their wireless device.” This could lead to a transition towards a more à la carte line-up including “customized channels” that target specific groups of viewers — much like DreamWorks Animation’s AwesomenessTV. If you’ll recall, Big Red snatched up Intel’s unsuccessful OnCue internet TV service back in January, and existing relationships with both broadcasters and customers could help it do what the previous owner couldn’t. There should be other options too, as Sony’s prepping a similar offering of its own — announcing a deal with Viacom (Comedy Central, etc.) to bring 22 channels aboard just yesterday. Of course, content providers might have hesitations about the concept of a dozen user-selected channels, rather than subscriptions that force customers to buy a truckload of content they don’t even watch. In regards to that, McAdam noted “over the last six months to a year, that dialogue changed dramatically.”
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Verizon
Via: The Verge
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline Hollywood
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Viacom brings 22 channels to Sony’s upcoming internet TV service
Sony’s future cloud-based TV service shouldn’t be hurting for content. Viacom has forged a deal that will bring 22 of its networks (including Comedy Central and Nickelodeon) to the streaming platform when it launches late this year — the first time Viacom has provided its channels to any live internet TV service. The media giant thinks its “young, tech-savvy” audiences are a good match. That’s a slightly ironic statement given its years-long battle with YouTube, but it makes sense. Not that the company is leaping into the internet era with both feet as it is; you’ll have access to on-demand content, but only through authenticated access to the same material you’d find in TV Everywhere apps. It’s still not clear when Sony’s video portal will be ready for action, but you may now have a good reason to give it a close look.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Sony
Source: Viacom
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Netflix makes it easier to marathon shows using your Chromecast
One of the most alluring (if dangerous) features of Netflix is its auto-play feature — that’s how you end up watching half of House of Cards when you only meant to check out one episode. Chromecast owners haven’t had that luxury, however, so Netflix is releasing new versions of both its Android and iOS apps that enable the serial viewing option when you’re using Google’s streaming media stick. It works much like you’d expect if you were watching on the mobile device itself, but gives you extra time to reach for that phone buried in the couch cushions. You should see both apps surface within the next few days, and PC support is due “soon.”
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google
Source: Netflix, App Store, Google Play
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How do you say ‘Ay caramba’ in Mandarin? The Simpsons are going to China
There many, many things blocked and banned in China, including Google and Twitter, but apparently, The Simpsons isn’t one of ‘em. According to Variety, Fox and Chinese online video platform Sohu have agreed to stream The Simpsons (yes, that same series that’s been poking fun at American culture and its all-American family for decades) in China. Their deal includes the latest season which will air later this September, but it’s unclear how many episodes will be available in the country — and if episodes that reference China will even be shown at all. Instead of dubbing over the characters’ iconic voices, they opted to air the show in English with Mandarin subtitles. One can’t help but wonder how they’ll translate all the pop culture references, so don’t be surprised if you see a Simpsons bad translation blog out of the mainland in the future.
Via: Motherboard
Source: Variety
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Philips’ new curved TV and 4K media player run on Android
Philips has just revealed a new lineup of 4K TVs, along with a way to actually play something on them. The standout model is the 55-inch curved Philips 8900 model that brings Smart TV features via Android. That gives access to the Google Play Store for apps, games and content and an interface that smartphone users may find less miserable more comfortable. The set itself uses Philips’ three-sided Ambilight and micro dimming to adapt the viewing experience to your room, along with a 1,000 Hz refresh rate, high-quality upscaling and a curved “ribbon” stand. Unlike Samsung and others, Philips didn’t explain exactly why it thought a curved screen was a good thing, other than hyping its “striking appearance” (hey, at least they’re honest).
Philips (or rather TP Vision, the awkwardly-named company that markets Philips TVs) also showed off the Philips 9100, a flat, high-end model UltraHD TV in 55- and 65-inch sizes. It also gets Smart TV functions powered by Android, and the 1,000 Hz refresh rate, upscaling, and four-sided Ambilight glow. But the model’s piece de resistance is Spotify integration, letting you control music with your smartphone, without actually tying it up for streaming. Unlike the curved model, it also ships with a 50 watt subwoofer.
For the budget set, TP Vision launched the Philips 7900 UltraHD TVs in 49- and 55-inch sizes. Those models are also powered by Android, but have knocked-down specs like two-sided Ambilight only (instead of four-sided), and 600Hz refresh rates — two features that purists won’t care about anyway. Like the rest of the models, the 7900 also sports minimal bezels.
Finally, if you’re tired of upscaling HD content, TP Vision also announced the Philips Media Player UHD 880, joining Samsung, Sony and a few others with such a box. It’ll work with all the new Philips models as well as those from 2013 and use a new HEVC streaming format (aka H.265), the standard used by video services like Netflix. The UHD 880 will be powered by Google’s upcoming Android L OS, giving users the store, apps and games that also come on the TVs. Other features include WiFi, ethernet, USB and HDMI 2.0. It’ll run 249 euros when it arrives in Europe early next year, but if you bought an 8000- or 9000-series model like the first two above, Philips will throw it in for free. Meanwhile, all three new 4K model lines will arrive to Europe in Russia sometime this quarter, but there’s no word yet on pricing.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
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Fox Sports Go will stream some football games live — if you have cable
Got cable? If so, there’s a good chance that you can stream some live football this season. For the first time, Fox Sports Go is offering live internet access to regular NFL games. So long as you’re using an eligible TV provider, you’ll have access to 97 standard match-ups along with four NFC playoff rounds that include the conference championship. That should be convenient if you’re away from your TV when a big game rolls around, although you can’t go too far. Fox warns that the league won’t let it offer games on smartphones, so you’ll still have to catch the action on a larger screen unless you’re on Verizon. Still, that beats having to settle for the occasional score update.
[Image credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Fox Sports (PDF)
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UKTV will copy Amazon, ask viewers which shows it should make
When it comes to choosing which new TV shows to make, British broadcaster UKTV is taking a leaf out of Amazon and the BBC’s playbook. The company behind Dave, Really and Watch will produce pilot episodes of shows, asking users of its UKTV Play on-demand platform to vote on which one should become a series. Emma Boston, the executive behind the scheme, believes that the move will enable the company to take more risks and produce shows that’ll cater to different audiences. Recombu is also reporting that the company has asked Sky and Virgin Media to share detailed ratings data in order to help UKTV produce more tailored content. Presumably the company is looking at Netflix’s vast reserves of viewing data with envious eyes.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Via: Recombu
Source: Broadcast (Paywall)
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Samsung has a soundbar that matches your curved TV
Let’s say you bought a pricey curved TV, only to remember that your existing soundbar is (gasp!) flat. Will you have to live with that geometry mismatch for the life of your set? Not if Samsung has its way. It just unveiled the Curved Soundbar, which it says is the first audio system designed to match curved screens — specifically, the company’s 55- and 65-inch sets. The aluminum-clad device looks the part, of course, although it also promises some better-than-average audio with 8.1-channel surround support and side speakers that add to the immersion. There’s no word on just when the curvy peripheral will show up or how much it will cost, but it’s likely to sit on the higher end of the price spectrum.
There is some good news if you’re not interested in expensive TV audio. Samsung is adding a low-end model, the M3 (below), to its multi-room wireless audio system. The firm isn’t saying just what kind of output you’ll get from the M3 right now, although it’s safe to presume that the smaller speaker won’t deliver quite as much oomph as the M5 or M7. It will, however, add rich Spotify Connect support; you’ll get to stream your tunes through multiple M-series speakers at the same time. It’s doubtful that the M3 will sway you from the Sonos Play:1 or other lower-cost wireless speakers that you might already own, but it’s nice to have another major alternative.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals, HD, Samsung
Source: Samsung Tomorrow
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