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Boxee inks deal with first hardware partner: a 'Boxee Box' is coming

by Darren Murph Nov 12th 2009 @ 11:48AM

Color us shocked and elated. Boxee, the white-hot startup that has risen from nothing to everywhere thanks to its internet TV software portal, has just announced that a deal has been inked between it and an undisclosed "hardware partner." If you'll recall, we actually heard that the outfit was mulling the production of its own set-top-box back in January, and now it looks like Roku, Apple TV and a host of other mini PCs will have yet another formidable rival vying for space underneath the tele. The firm isn't spilling any details whatsoever on the so-called "Boxee Box," but we are told that mockups and the like will be presented at the Boxee Beta Unveiling on December 7th. Oh, and as if you aren't excited enough already, chew on this -- the company has informed us that they believe "this will be the first of several living room devices you'll see running Boxee in 2010," so don't be shocked if your favorite game console or Blu-ray player gains an embedded Boxee app in the near future.

Best Buy partnering with CinemaNow to stream first-run DVDs to 'all web-connected devices sold'

by Thomas Ricker Nov 3rd 2009 @ 4:11AM

Can you live without physical media? Are you ready to buy into owning a license without any physical property to show for your purchase? We hope so 'cause that's the future. Today Best Buy will announce confirmation of its rumored partnership with CinemaNow in a deal that will stream first-run DVDs directly to consumers. Better yet, according to an AP report, the software required to access CinemaNow's video library "will be included on all the Web-connected devices sold in Best Buy's more than 1,000 U.S. stores." If taken literally then wow, just wow... that's a lot of devices. However, since Best Buy sells Apple's iPhone and iPod touch, and there's no way that Apple's going to let a retailer tamper with its devices, we think the AP's wording is a bit ambitious.

The idea here is simple: pay once for a DVD then eventually be able to play it on any device be it a television, Blu-ray player, PC, smartphone or some other connected device. The new Best Buy-branded service will launch "early next year" according to Chris Homeister (yes, that's his real surname), as Best Buy gets "into this business in a big way." Remember, Best Buy already announced a streaming Netflix deal and partnerships with TiVo and Napster that will be launching early next year as well. And we've already seen Sonic Solutions, CinemaNow's owner since last year, bunging its 1080p-capable CinemaNow service into every connected-device imaginable -- even 3D content for 3D Vision-ready displays. The whole concept sounds very much like Disney's Keychest which already sounded very much like the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (or DECE) consortium. Hopefully Best Buy will clear up the details later today when this gets really official. The future is now -- too bad US broadband is so yesterday.

Update: It's official. The agreement will allow customers to "buy or rent" from CinemaNow's library of content on "connected consumer electronics" sold through Best Buy retail stores or BestBuy.com. New titles will "often" (note the qualification) be made available day and date of the DVD release. The service will also leverage digital copies to bridge the physical and digital stream worlds. See the full press release for all the detail.

Show full PR text
Best Buy Co., Inc (NYSE:BBY) and Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ:SNIC) today announced a strategic relationship that will result in a new Best Buy customer offering in its growing line-up of digital entertainment products. The new on-demand movie and entertainment service will be powered by Sonic's Roxio CinemaNow™ and will allow consumers to have access to buy or rent a vast library of premium content.

To power this offering, Best Buy has entered into a multi-year agreement in which Best Buy plans to license and deploy Sonic's Roxio CinemaNow™ technology and services platform to make on-demand digital content delivery a standard feature on connected consumer electronics devices sold throughout U.S. Best Buy retail stores and BestBuy.com. Under the terms of the agreement, Best Buy acquired warrants enabling it to purchase shares of Sonic Solutions common stock.

Best Buy, one of the largest consumer electronics retailers in the world, has a strong track record of bringing innovative technologies to a broad audience through its consumer-focused marketing, education, and Geek Squad services. To foster the consumer appetite for obtaining on-demand premium content electronically, Best Buy intends to embed the Roxio CinemaNow technology on a wide array of devices - web-connected television sets, portable media players, PCs, Blu-ray Disc players, set-top boxes, and mobile phones - from a variety of manufacturers. Best Buy expects to undertake a marketing program to educate consumers about the increased convenience, flexibility, and choice digital content delivery affords.

With the new Best Buy service, consumers will have access to buy or rent an extensive library of premium content including new movies, TV shows, independent films, and older catalog movies, which they will be able to access on devices in the broad ecosystem. It is anticipated that new titles will often be available on the same day they become available on DVDs in retail outlets. Together with their Studio partners, Best Buy and Sonic plan to also collaborate on new service and content offerings, including those that leverage digital copies to bridge physical disc sales and electronic sell through.

"Best Buy is in a great position to expand the market for on-demand home entertainment," said Thomas Gewecke, president, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. "The combination of Sonic's platform with Best Buy's expertise in selling consumer electronics, video content and technical services creates an opportunity for a wide variety of exciting new consumer offerings."

"Our relationship with Sonic Solutions allows Best Buy to quickly establish a strong position in the digital delivery of video entertainment," said Brian Dunn, CEO of Best Buy. "It also enables us to make deeper and more meaningful connections with our customers and expand our relationships with content owners and hardware vendors to create compelling new home entertainment solutions."

"With Best Buy's ability to drive in-store promotion and education, consumers will come to quickly understand and appreciate the convenience, flexibility, and control that digitally-delivered video entertainment affords them," said Dave Habiger, president and CEO, Sonic Solutions. "With Best Buy's focus, we expect on-demand entertainment to quickly grow into a mass market activity, with digital sell-through and rental becoming a significant new revenue stream for content owners."

Roxio CinemaNow includes Hollywood-approved digital rights management, encoding and adaptive delivery technologies, and secure device-optimized playback of premium entertainment. Roxio CinemaNow's cloud-based media services power devices which consumers can use to seamlessly enjoy video entertainment anytime and anywhere across the broadest range of devices. The Roxio CinemaNow ecosystem includes PCs, connected TVs, set top DVRs, Blu-ray Disc and mobile media players from leading manufacturers such as Archos, Dell, HP, LG, Microsoft, Nintendo, Pioneer and TiVo and is powering internet movie delivery for Blockbuster.


Read -- AP report
Read -- New York Times

Netflix coming next month to PlayStation 3

by Ross Miller Oct 26th 2009 @ 8:38AM

What a coup. After we've been hearing all along that Xbox 360 had a game console exclusivity to Netflix streaming, Sony just announced it, too, will be joining in on the fun. Timeframe? Sometime next month. Press release after the break.

[Via PlayStation blog]

Continue reading Netflix coming next month to PlayStation 3

Toshiba details CELL REGZA LCD TV, coming December to Japan (update: video!)

by Ross Miller Oct 5th 2009 @ 2:12AM

It's a day before CEATEC officially kicks off, but Toshiba's getting a head start on the news, dishing out all the deets on its Cell-powered CELL REGZ LCD TV, now officially due out in Japan in early December. The 55-inch, 240Hz display boasts a mighty impressive 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, self-congruency technology for improved picture detail on the edges, a peak luminance of 1250cd/m², and LED backlits dividing the screen into 512 distinct areas. A 7-speaker sound bar lies just below the display. Want more? How about eight-window simultaneous multi-display, an Opera-based web browser, DLNA, and a 3TB hard disk drive, 2TB for "time-shift" recording recording up to 26 hours of programs, up to eight channels simultaneously. There's a sizable box on display, too, which seems to be where the Cell hardware is being housed. Curious about price? So are we, but there's nothing being said.

If that's not forward-thinking enough, Toshi's also outlining its future concepts, dubbed CELL REGZA NEXT. Those four include a 3D set, a 4K2K version that upcoverts 1080p to 3840 x 2160 resolution, a 46-inch model integrating its CELL BOX dedicated TV tuner and HDD, and a 37-inch that works as a home network server. It looks like we'll be getting some hands-on time with the 55X1 shortly, but in the meantime, one more pic after the break.

Gallery: Toshiba Cell Regza

Continue reading Toshiba details CELL REGZA LCD TV, coming December to Japan (update: video!)

Intel announces Atom CE4100 for insanely powerful cable boxes and Blu-ray players

by Nilay Patel Sep 24th 2009 @ 12:34PM


Intel's CE3100 media chip has been behind some of the cooler demos they've done here at IDF, and it's just gotten a big brother, the Atom CE4100. As you'd expect, the big change is the replacement of the CE3100's Pentium M core with an Atom core, but this thing is actually kind of a monster -- it can decode two 1080p video streams with various high-end audio codecs, it adds MPEG-4 support and 3D graphics capability, and it can even capture uncompressed 1080p video. Of course, it's up to manufacturers and cable companies to actually put all this power to use, but Intel's promised us some hardware demos from partners -- stay tuned.

Continue reading Intel announces Atom CE4100 for insanely powerful cable boxes and Blu-ray players

Media Center CableCARDs freed from OEM requirement

by Steven Kim Sep 9th 2009 @ 7:26PM


This just in from our team at Microsoft's MCE event at CEDIA -- the OEM requirement on CableCARDs has been officially lifted, freeing Joe Six Packs all over from having to buy whole systems. The photo above pretty much says it all -- enthusiasts (hey, that's us!) can add CableCARD tuners to their PC. Even though a DIY workaround has been around for a while, it's nice not to have to break/bend the rules to get your shows recorded, isn't it?

Samsung's LED TV Couple packs a 7-inch tablet remote for streaming TV and so much more

by Paul Miller Sep 6th 2009 @ 11:07AM


Without much fanfare, Samsung has released a TV / tablet combo in Korea that seems to deliver on all the untapped promise in Toshiba's JournE touch tablet. Dubbed the LED TV Couple, Samsung has paired a 55-inch LED baclkit LCD TV with a brand new 7-inch touchscreen tablet, which communicates with and controls a full home theater over 802.11n WiFi. The tablet offers a visual program guide, including video previews of TV shows, along with access to media stored on a PC -- which can in turn be "tossed" up to the full TV -- and even a few widgets. But the real money is in the pair's ability to stream live TV and Blu-ray content from the home theater to the tablet, making that next trip to the kitchen for munchies so much less painful. No word on a US or Europe release, but we hope to see a lot more of this pair in the near future. Peep them in action after the break.

Continue reading Samsung's LED TV Couple packs a 7-inch tablet remote for streaming TV and so much more

Toshiba BDX2000 Blu-ray player coming November for $250, gives HD-DVD the final cold shoulder

by Ross Miller Sep 3rd 2009 @ 11:36AM

And so it is. Toshiba, the one-time cheerleader for HD-DVD, has now officially gone to the azure side with the BDX2000 Blu-ray player. It supports BD-Live (Profile 2.0) and REGZA-LINK (HDMI-CEC), outputs 1080p at 24 frames per second, and does Dolby True HD / DTS-HD Master Audio... but really, all that needs to be said here is that it's a Toshiba Blu-ray player. Look for this one-time paradox this November for a penny under $250. As for yesteryear, we think this line from the press release says it best: "This product does not play HD DVD discs." It's at once both sad and poetic that this very well may be the last official line ever uttered in the once-promising format's story.

PS3 Slim bitstreams Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA audio, at last

by Thomas Ricker Aug 21st 2009 @ 1:53AM

Slowly, ever so slowly we're beginning to learn about the internal differences between Sony's new PS3 Slim and its chubby ancestry. We already knew that it supported BraviaLink while talk of "faster gaming" was introduced (suspiciously) yesterday; something that remains very much in doubt until we can confirm. Now we hear that the fatboy gone slim supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio bitstream output to your receiver. Hear that audio nerds? Bitstream. See the HDMI chip on previous generations of the PS3 didn't support bitstream output of the new(ish) high def codecs like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. As such, the PS3 had to decode it internally before sending it over to your receiver via LPCM. A process that could garble the lossless audio depending on your setup. Even though the vast majority of people will never notice the difference (or even care), PS3 Slim owners can still kick back in smug satisfaction each time the TrueHD or DTS-HD MA indicators light-up on their receivers.

Xbox 360 officially the only console to stream Netflix -- sorry, PS3 and Wii

by Darren Murph Aug 11th 2009 @ 7:27AM


We actually had to brush the fog off of our spectacles to ensure that hazy conditions weren't clouding our comprehension abilities, but sure enough, that Netflix streaming that Xbox LIVE members have grown to love won't ever land on Sony's PlayStation 3 nor on Nintendo's Wii (PlayOn notwithstanding). At the very bottom of Microsoft's long list of details surrounding today's Xbox LIVE update, we're clearly told that the Netflix Watch Instantly integration is now an "exclusive partnership," with Microsoft going so far as to say that the "Xbox 360 will be the only game console to offer this movie-watching experience, available to Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also Netflix unlimited plan subscribers." Of course, we'd heard rumors over the years that Netflix could sashay over to other consoles in due time, but it looks like the suits in Redmond had the foresight to lock things down while they still had a chance. So, are you reconsidering that Xbox 360 purchase, or just looking that much more intently in Roku's direction? Full blurb is after the break.

[Thanks, David]

Continue reading Xbox 360 officially the only console to stream Netflix -- sorry, PS3 and Wii

Toshiba applies for BDA admission, Blu-ray players and laptops coming soon

by Darren Murph Aug 10th 2009 @ 3:20AM


We'd already heard that Toshiba -- the outfit best known for solidly backing HD DVD during the two-year format war of the early 21st century -- was preparing to swallow its pride and kick out a Blu-ray player by the year's end, but now it's official. The outfit just announced moments ago that it has "applied for membership of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and plans to introduce products that support the Blu-ray format." Sadly, Tosh doesn't bother to mention exactly what kinds of BD-capable wares it hopes to produce, nor is it ready to disclose product launch time frames. We'd tell you exactly how it wants us to just be patient and all, but you're probably better off hearing it directly from the horse's trap:
"In light of recent growth in digital devices supporting the Blu-ray format, combined with market demand from consumers and retailers alike, Toshiba has decided to join the BDA. Toshiba aims to introduce digital products that support the Blu-ray format, including BD players and notebook PCs integrating BD drives, in the course of this year. Details of the products, including the timing of regional launches, are now under consideration. We will make announcements in due course."

Toshiba launching Blu-ray player by year's end

by Darren Murph Jul 18th 2009 @ 3:50PM


Need a little something to get you over the Saturday lull? Gnaw on this. Japan's own Yomiuri is reporting today that Toshiba is expected to finally admit defeat and enter the dark, devious world of Blu-ray later this year. For those keeping tabs, we've heard both confirmations and denials about the outfit finally caving and supporting the format it once battled so valiantly, but this seems to solidify it. If machine translation is to be believed, the company's first DVD / Blu-ray deck is slated for release somewhere in the world by the year's end. The article also mentions that Tosh is strongly considering a Blu-ray recorder for the Japanese market, though no further details on that are available. C'mon Toshiba -- get this bad boy to the States before Christmas. We're anxious for a BD price war.

[Thanks, Rata]

Hulu to PlayStation 3 browsers: "This video is not available on your platform"

by Richard Lawler Jun 27th 2009 @ 6:59AM


The PlayStation 3 has kept access to Hulu even without PlayOn or other workaround while others were blocked -- with the exception of its own remote friendly desktop software -- thanks to its browser's Flash support, but this morning multiple users have reported the above message indicating "Unfortunately, this video is not available on your platform. We apologize for any inconvenience." Some odd glitch related to the recent 2.80 firmware update or other temporary problem, or is this the latest platform to get the Boxee treatment when trying to bring streaming video to TV screens? We've reached out to Hulu for an explanation but so far, haven't heard a response. Interestingly, the Hulu TOS was just updated as of June 26, and although we haven't found any PS3-specific passages, changing a browser's user-string to match the console reveals it is definitely being specifically blocked.

[Thanks Sev, and to Tyler from FormatWarCentral.com for the picture]

Sharp LCD panels banned from US import until further notice

by Nilay Patel Jun 24th 2009 @ 4:17PM


Chalk up another huge win for Samsung in its long-running patent dispute with Sharp: the US International Trade Commission has just issued a ruling banning importation of Sharp LCD panels that infringe one of Samsung's viewing-angle patents. As you might imagine, the ban covers a wide swath of Sharp's consumer products, including the Aquos TV line, but it's not clear on how it'll affect other companies that use Sharp panels -- this ruling could potentially have a huge impact on the entire tech market. On the other hand, we'd bet that Sharp's lawyers are furiously putting together a request to have the ban delayed while an appeal is sorted out, so this is far from over -- in fact, we'd say the real fireworks are just beginning.

Sony Pictures to smarten up Blu-ray with MovieIQ, the "killer app for BD-Live"

by Richard Lawler Jun 18th 2009 @ 7:22PM


Are you one of the more than 4,000 people (86%) that answered our poll saying you thought BD-Live was a waste of time, or didn't see any reason to give it a shot? We talked to Sony Pictures recently and were promised that more useful reasons for hooking the internet to Blu-ray discs & players were on the way, and today at a press event it showed why it thinks that will come true. Check out the gallery for a few pics of its new MovieIQ app, quickly described as a "wiki for movies" that can tie into your discs and provide information from Gracenote on demand on nearly anything in the movie or even specific scene being watched, from actors & directors to background music. The first BD-Live discs with it should be available in September, we'll be back with more details shortly, for now just let the images do the talking.

Update: Official press release is included after the break

Gallery: BD-Live MovieIQ

Continue reading Sony Pictures to smarten up Blu-ray with MovieIQ, the "killer app for BD-Live"





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