Based on what we're hearing, a slate of soon-to-be-proposed FCC rules may stop the likes of Comcast from discriminating against P2P applications on their networks, and AT&T sure will have a tougher time justifying why it won't let the iPhone's version of SlingPlayer run on 3G while giving WinMo and BlackBerry users all the bandwidth they can handle. Julius Genachowski, the new chairman of the entity, is slated to discuss the new rules on Monday, though he isn't expected to dig too deep into the minutiae. Essentially, the guidelines will "prevent wireless companies from blocking internet applications and prevent them from discriminating (or acting as gatekeepers) [against] web content and services." We know what you're thinking: "Huzzah!" And in general, that's probably the right reaction to have as a consumer, but one has to wonder how network quality for all will be affected if everyone is cut loose to, well, cut loose. Oh, and if this forces telecoms to deploy more cell sites to handle the influx in traffic, you can rest assured that the bill will be passed on to you. Ain't nuthin' free, kids.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

DViCO is back with yet another media streaming box, this time the TViX 6600N, spied by HomeTheater.co.il. What we can find of the specs indicates a worthy followup to the earlier 6500, with dual tuner DVR, HD video decoding, UPnP access, BitTorrent and claimed fast boot time. It's powered by the Realtek 1283 chipset and includes Wireless-N support. Check the video (it's in English) for a quick demo of the box itself and menus, the only bad news to report is a distinct lack of a price tag and any hope we'll ever see this in the U.S.

We can't tell you precisely how much we've been yearning for an L-shaped media streamer, but we can tell you that Compro has made the hopes, dreams and wishes of quite a few content junkies come true with the debut of its VideoMate T1000W. Showcased late last week at SecuTech Expo 2009, this network media streamer is an all-in-one solution that handles content shuffling, TV tuning, internal storing of files, expansion ports, WiFi access, support for USB DVD players and even BitTorrent files. As expected, pretty much any file format you could think of is supported here, though the DVB-T tuner won't do us Yanks much good in the homeland. Fudzilla asserts that the unit should hit shelves overseas this May, though the £200 ($293) price tag just might scare away most potential buyers.

[Thanks, TheLostSwede]

We don't try to hide how much we like Windows Media Center around here but that doesn't mean we hesitate to complain when warranted, and one of our biggest complaints has always been the limited codec support -- especially when it comes to Extenders. Well we're happy to say that we've found an acceptable work around, one that does require a little initial let work, but after that it is all automatic. The process is actually simple and in the end you'll have a hard time being able to tell which shows were recorded with Windows Media Center, and which were downloaded -- and of course they're in HD. The bad news is that the legality of downloading HD from the internet isn't exactly crystal clear, but if you aren't scared of BitTorrent and you're looking for a way to fill in the gab left by the HD channels your provider doesn't offer, then click on through.

It's been just about ten full months since Myka's BitTorrent box was formally introduced to Earthlings, but it seems like the wheels are finally turning on production way across the way in China. According to a promising update on Myka's official website, "production is in full swing," which means that boxes should start arriving to eager consumers in around four to six weeks. For those unaware, this here box pulls down torrents as you sleep and then plays 'em back nicely on your connected HDTV. Users can also load up additional media on the inbuilt 80GB, 160GB or 500GB hard drive, but first you'll need to hand over $299, $349 or $459 depending on just how capacious you like your media servers.

[Thanks, Julio]

When NIN was forced to abandon its film plans for Lights in the Sky, we thought the already-filmed parts were headed for the wrong can, but Trent Reznor has decided to break from the "take my ball and go home" attitude by putting the footage up online. Opening up a public domain wellspring for fans to create some great content, the 400GB of unedited HD data from three shows (Victoria, Portland and Sacramento) is available as a torrent. Don't fire up that download just yet -- Reznor warns that beyond the drive-crushing size of the content, this is totaly unproduced and not really the sort of thing for casual viewers seeking a finished product. For those of you with serious editing rigs and a yen for film production, clear off some space on the RAID and hit the link for torrent details.

It was a valiant effort, it truly was, but even we saw this coming. Way back when, a couple of Skype founders had a brilliant idea of trying to pump out its own software that utilized peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing technology in order to distribute videos online and circumvent the so-called bandwidth limitations. Fast forward to now, and those plans are finally being axed. According to a notice from Joost, users will "no longer be able to watch videos in the Joost software application" after December 19th. Instead, those hoping to suck up some content from the company will be forced to watch the web video player, which has practically become the de facto standard over the past year. Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey even chimed in with this gem after hearing of the development: "[P2P] as a platform for legal consumer video is dead." Tough to disagree with the man, huh?

It's no secret that Comcast has already put a stop to the most extravagant of download parties (all while charging more for its TV services), but for those still wondering what was to come of all the data tampering going on earlier this year, here's the final spill. According to an e-mail just sent out to customers, Comcast will be "switching to a new network congestion management technique by the end of the year." The new approach will focus on "managing network congestion only when and where it may occur," and obviously it completely replaces the current technique. As predicted, Comcast asserts that only the heaviest of users will even notice that it's watching their pipeline like a hawk, but it remains to be seen what kind of backlash the new throttling methods will / won't have. Hop on past the break for the memo in its entirety.

[Thanks, M.N.]

First off, you've got to be kidding us. Okay, now that we've got that out, get a load of this. After the FCC told Comcast earlier this month that its data discrimination tactics weren't kosher, the provider has decided to react by simply slowing all internet traffic on its heaviest users. More specifically, Mitch Bowling, Comcast's senior vice president and general manager of online services, stated in a recent interview that the top internet speeds for "targeted customers will be reduced for periods lasting 10 minutes to 20 minutes, keeping service to other users flowing." Right now, this may not affect you one iota, but what's to happen when your kid spends his summer sucking down content on the VUDU / Hulu / etc.? We can think of quite a few reasons to legitimately use a huge chunk of bandwidth, and having Big Provider keep watch and determine when enough is enough frightens us just a wee bit.

[Via CrunchGear, image courtesy of Kansas]

The FCC finally acted on Comcast's "data management", finding against the company because it had arbitrarily decided which applications subscribers would have access to. Of course, the judgement did not include a fine, and while it enforced a policy for open access to the internet, it doesn't seem to do much for possible bandwidth caps. Comcast does have stop its blocking practice by the end of the year, and provide details to the commission on what exactly it's done so far, and to customers on whatever it plans to do in the future. With online video distribution growing more ubiquitous and even Comcast working with BitTorrent-style technologies like GridNetworks on how to deliver HD over the internet, we're sure we haven't heard the last of this.

Read - Commission Orders Comcast to End Discriminatory Network Management Practices (Warning: PDF link)
Read - Comcast Statement on FCC Internet Regulation Decision
Read - Verizon Statement on FCC's Comcast Decision

You may not remember so vividly the fiasco surrounding Comcast's data meddling ways unless you were directly affected, but FCC chief Kevin J. Martin is looking out for us all by backing sanctions against the carrier in a stand for net neutrality. Essentially, Mr. Martin isn't asking that Comcast be fined; rather, he wants the provider to "change its practices and give the commission more details on what it did in the past." Essentially, he's aiming to establish a standard that will "make it difficult for an ISP to discriminate against users based on what they want to do online," which we couldn't possibly support more. Of course, there's nothing saying that sanctions will indeed be levied against Comcast, but whatever happens, we'd love to see a precedent set that forbids providers from tampering with those 1s and 0s.

[Thanks, Matt]

As far as mods go, it just doesn't much easier than this. Popcorn Hour's heralded A-100 HD media streamer contains a gap just big enough for a PATA HDD, and if you've been too timid to flex your DIY muscle and throw one in there, we've got the video to guide you through. Anxious to store files locally and turn your unit into a mighty useful BitTorrent client? Check out a demonstration of the painless procedure just beyond the break -- and grab your screwdriver while you're at it.

[Via eHomeUpgrade]

This whole "it's web video, on your TV!" space is getting crowded fast, but we'd say there's certainly room from this new "PoD" device from Verismo Networks. Not content to merely concentrate on one form of content, the PoD can handle content from YouTube, BitTorrent, vTap, Amazon Unbox, CinemaNow, you name it. It's a pretty simple box, with an Ethernet plug, a couple of USB ports for flash storage, some sort of wireless (we're guessing WiFi), and outputs for S-Video or HDMI, up to HD resolutions. It'll sell later this summer for $99, with a bit of a marketing push from YouTube, so this probably won't be the last you hear of PoD.

Everyone knows you can find torrents from plenty of TV shows on the internet, but it's usually not seeded by the broadcaster. Taking a page out of mariposaHD's book, the CBC is putting a "high quality" DRM-free copy of Canada's Next Great Prime Minister online (no wonder they think HDTV has no business model) after it airs March 23. No idea yet if this is a one time thing or the start of a trend, but we applaud the Canadians for one-upping Her podcasting Majesty in getting with digital distribution. Hopefully, the reasoning behind selecting political leaders soliciting ideas for a better country via a reality TV show (and why the U.S. isn't), will also be answered.

[Thanks, Sukhminder]

OK, perhaps not so sneaky, there's a nice big BitTorrent logo right up front, but Myka seems to be quite the end-to-end solution for getting those torrents up on the big screen. The box hooks up to the internet via LAN or WiFi, includes a 80GB, 160GB or a 500GB drive for storage and runs a torrent client on Linux. Outputs include HDMI, composite, S-Video and SPDIF, and codec support is substantial. You can add storage via USB, and pull video off your computer if you're not in a downloading mood. Prices range from $299 to $459. Let's keep it legal out there, kids!

[Thanks, ARZ]