Tech your Digs. Dig your Tech. Demystifying Your Entertainment Tech. http://techdigs.net Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:35:15 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://techdigs.net/images/M_images/techdigslink150x37.gif http://techdigs.net Tech your Digs. Dig your Tech. Demystifying Your Entertainment Tech. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/XeQ852v2m6s/ (images/stories/news/tivohd_large.jpg)TiVo has announced the new TiVo HD (http://www.tivo.com/whatistivo/tivohd/index.html), a lite version of the TiVo Series 3. Like the Series 3, the HD includes: Dual CableCARD support 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i output over HDMI and component video S-Video, composite video outputs Optical digital audio and analog audio outputs Ethernet and phone line connections USB ports for the TiVo Wireless G Network Adapter E-SATA, still not officially activated Still no support for multi-room viewing or TiVoToGo Unlike the Series 3, the HD: Only as 20/HD and 180/SD hours of recording compared with 32/HD and 300/SD on the Series 3 Only has a basic non-glow remote Has no front OLED displayDoes not have THX certificationHas a $299 price tag compared with the current $512 of the Series 3 At $299, with the purchase of a $299 3-year subscription for a total of $600, the HD will cost you about $16.61 per month. A few dollars more than the standard cable DVR. But for those who are ready to throw that buggy box out the window, it may be worth the premium. weaKnees (http://www.weaknees.com/series-3-hd-tivo.php) already has already announced upgraded boxes with up to 144/HD and 1350/SD hours. The TiVo HD will be available in August. TiVo HD (http://www.tivo.com/whatistivo/tivohd/index.html) Home Theater - Home Theater News Tue, 24 Jul 2007 06:07:44 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/173/42/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/b8naOi93UNE/ According to the Financial Times (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/b08aba9c-1773-11dc-86d1-000b5df10621.html), Apple, Inc., is in discussions with movie studios to offer movie rentals beginning fall 2007. Such a service would operate much like those from Xbox Live, Unbox, MovieLink and CinemaNow. The rentals would cost $2.99 for 30-days and would be able to be moved to at least one other device such as an iPod, iPhone or Apple TV. We mentioned in our recent review of the Apple TV (content/view/161/42/), we believe that in order for Apple TV to be relevant, this is exactly what Apple needs to do. Home Theater - Home Theater News Mon, 11 Jun 2007 09:00:00 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/171/42/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/xjC_7XFEFfw/ As promised, today, Apple, Inc., launched DRM-free music from EMI. While still a limited selection, it's a solid first step. The AAC (.mp4) 256Kbit audio files are $1.29 instead of the standard $0.99. Albums are the same prices as they were previously.We tried the .mp4 files in a few different players including iTunes Mac and Windows, Windows Media Player, VLC player, Sonos and Squeezebox. All software and hardware players had no trouble playing the DRM-free iTunes. In order to purchase the new DRM-free music, you must upgrade iTunes to version 7.2. If you previously purchased songs from the iTunes Store that are now in the iTunes Plus (DRM-free) format, iTunes will offer a $0.30 upgrade to the DRM-free version. We found it worked even if the purchased track had been deleted. Additionally, Apple has provided an iTunes Plus Quick Link in the iTunes interface and a checkbox for iTunes Plus in Power Search (also a Quick Link). We noticed that iTunes was a bit busy today and experienced a few errors that required restarting downloads. We now look forward to a larger selection and more labels. Nicely done Apple (http://www.itunes.com/). Home Audio - Home Audio News Wed, 30 May 2007 10:14:07 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/170/43/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/CKs7-jaCzwo/ Sonos has updated their music system to version 2.2. The primary change in version 2.2 is the addition of the Pandora (http://www.pandora.com/) streaming music service. In our Sonos review (content/view/64/43/), Pandora was one of they key additions we wanted to see. Pandora provides a personalized radio service based on the Music Genome Project which analyzes popular music. The result is that you can create your own Pandora stations based on artists and songs you like. Sonos' implementation of Pandora is nicely done. From both the hand-held and computer-based controllers you can rate songs, listen to any of your 100 Pandora stations, create a new station based on any artist or song, create a new station based on the currently playing track or artist, bookmark a track or artist and tell Pandora not to play a song again for 30-days. The only thing you can't do from Sonos that requires the Pandora website is setting up the initial account and deciding which stations make up your mix (a multistation mashup). We wish that Pandora would allow multiple mixes, especially with Sonos. Getting house-wide, unlimited music with the advanced matching system used by Pandora for $36 per year is an excellent deal. We like the Pandora interface on Sonos better than Rhapsody. If you have Sonos, you really need to give it a try. If you are a fan of Pandora and want it throughout your house, it may be time to pull the trigger on a Sonos system. With Sonos' new Bundle 130 (http://www.sonos.com/store/?tref=gproducts), which includes a ZonePlayer 80, ZonePlayer 100 and a Controller, $999 gets you quite a bit. Sonos users can trial Pandora free for 30-days. Unfortunately, Pandora is only available for U.S. users. Pandora on Sonos (http://www.sonos.com/get_music/radio_services/pandora/) Home Audio - Home Audio News Wed, 23 May 2007 08:00:00 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/169/43/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/qXUlMI7A5fk/ Following in the footsteps of Apple, Inc. (content/view/163/43/), today Amazon announced DRM-free music including music from EMI and more than 12,000 minor labels. Launching later this year, the DRM-free Amazon store will include music in the MP3 format. There was no mention of pricing or encoding bit-rate. Based on other Amazon services, the Amazon offering should be competitive and that's great news for all. The cracks in the DRM dike are growing larger. We only hope that such a story would seem trite in three years. Amazon Press Release (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060 p=irol-newsArticle ID=1003003) Home Audio - Home Audio News Wed, 16 May 2007 08:00:05 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/168/43/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/NU1bqBL5Uow/ Today, NETGEAR announced (http://www.infrant.com/company/news_content.php?id=336) the acquisition of Infrant Technologies, maker of the very popular ReadyNAS line of network attached storage devices. As part of the $60 million cash transaction, Infrant CEO, Paul Tien, will become the NETGEAR VP and General Manager of Storage Products. In general, we think this is great news for Infrant fans. Hopefully, this move will speed up new product development, increase distribution and drive prices lower – all without sacrificing the quality we've come to expect from Infrant. Home Networking - Home Networking News Thu, 03 May 2007 09:08:56 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/167/46/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/GC2T4qqKJHM/ Today, Onkyo, along with video processing chip maker Silicon Optix, announced two new Onkyo home theater receivers that contain the Reon-VX HQV video processor. The TX-SR875 (MSRP $1,699) and TX-NR905 (MSRP $2,099) will ship in June and August respectively. With HDMI 1.3a, component, S-video and composite upscaling video inputs, both of these will be compelling receivers when they hit the street. We love the Silicon Optix Reon processors. Products based on the Reon do some of the best upscaling and de-interlacing out there. We're hoping that Onkyo's home theater receivers are also in that camp. Silicon Optix (http://www.siliconoptix.com/company/news/pressReleases/onkyoavreceiver.cfm?CFID=6576979 CFTOKEN=32965566) Onkyo (http://www.us.onkyo.com/) Home Theater - Home Theater News Tue, 24 Apr 2007 09:20:59 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/165/42/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/cWIdzSNuNv0/ (http://itunes.com/) MGM and Apple, Inc. announced today immediate availability of selected MGM titles at iTunes. Unfortunately, the offering is a bit more of movie history than history making. If you've been waiting to see Mad Max, Robocop, Rocky or Chucky on that new shiny Apple TV, then this news is for you. For those counting, that brings the number of studios at the iTunes store to four. Now if Apple would only offer 720p movies and movie rentals. Home Theater - Home Theater News Wed, 11 Apr 2007 08:00:00 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/164/42/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/bQoaRubs5z0/ In what we consider a major announcement, EMI and Apple today announced that EMI music will be available DRM-free on iTunes beginning in May. The DRM-free EMI tracks will be available at twice the bitrate (audio quality) of standard iTunes tracks for $1.29 each. Complete albums will also be DRM-free and higher quality at no additional charge. Additionally, iTunes users can upgrade existing tracks to DRM-free tracks for $0.30. All EMI music videos will be DRM-free at current prices. Our disdain for DRM runs deep. It limits how you can use the music you purchase and affects your buying decisions. We believe that by removing DRM and doubling audio quality, Apple and EMI will increase online music purchases (content/view/65/43/). iTunes users who also use other devices such as Sonos and Squeezebox will now be able to play DRM-free EMI tracks on all their devices. Based on all the strong words in favor of DRM from the other big record labels, it's hard to predict if they will follow suit. When DRM-free EMI iTunes songs are made available in May, let your $$ do the talking and show EMI and Apple that their decision is a good one. EMI Press Release (http://www.emigroup.com/Press/2007/press18.htm) Home Audio - Home Audio News Mon, 02 Apr 2007 08:59:09 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/163/43/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/vUDt2o8H8lI/ (http://macobserver.com/podcast/2007/03/24.1.shtml)Just a quick note to shamelessly plug TechDigs.net publisher Greg Keene joining Rickey Spero and Jeff Gamett on The Mac Observer's Apple Weekly Report podcast. Link (http://macobserver.com/podcast/2007/03/24.1.shtml) TechDigs.net - TechDigs.net News Sat, 24 Mar 2007 06:00:00 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/162/56/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/6PVuG7VzIEo/ We learned there's more to the Apple TV than meets the eye as we took our first look at the product. In general, Apple TV is an easy-to-use digital movie and music player for the masses that works well in the living room or home theater. While not flawless, we can confidently recommend it for most people -- especially iTunes users and iPod owners. Because getting non-iTunes video into it is not as straight-forward, it won't meet everyone's needs, especially online video junkies.Read more for details. Home Theater - Home Theater Reviews Fri, 23 Mar 2007 17:00:00 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/161/42/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/cIDzOTCicag/ Over the last 20 years, terrestrial radio has been dismantled to the point where it's represented by a few monolithic companies. If you care about Internet radio and don't want to see the same consolidation occur on the Internet, sign the petition at savethestreams.org (http://www.savethestreams.org/). Without a change in the latest royalty scheme lobbied for by the RIAA and forced through the Copyright Royalty Board (http://www.loc.gov/crb/) on March 2nd, excellent services like Pandora (http://pandora.com/) will be forced to disappear. This ultimately limits your choice of music because only the artificially-created, over-hyped 'payola-supported' stars will get play time. When an artificial market limits exposure of small and upstart artists, it silences them by limiting their ability to make enough money to continue to create. So, if you want more Britney Spears, do nothing. If you want a rich, eclectic choice, sign the petition now (http://savenetradio.org/). Home Audio - Home Audio Opinion Fri, 16 Mar 2007 08:51:43 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/160/43/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/FIBeawNipUg/ (images/stories/reviews/dns323.jpg)We love network attached storage (NAS) – sharing hard disk space on your network without using a full-blown computer as a server. By using a NAS device to store your media, you can have access to media, files, photos from any computer on your home network with increased reliability and speed with the added benefit of lower power consumption. In our recent article, Help, My Hard Drive is Full! (content/view/134/46/), many of you requested a review of the D-Link NAS, the DNS-323. At the low-end of the NAS market, the DNS-323 is a decent offering for home use. We take it through its paces. Read more for details. Home Networking - Home Networking Reviews Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:11:37 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/158/46/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/YaISLTQRWe0/ At 2am, Sunday March 11, most locations in the North America will switch to daylight savings time by setting the clock forward one hour. Undoubtedly, you'll be inundated with reminders about it in your local newspaper, TV and radio news and all over the web. For most of us, this will be just like any other spring where we set the clock forward to gain a bit more daylight later in the day. The difference this year is that it's occurring in March instead of its normal spring forward time which has historically been the first Sunday in April. What are the obvious devices you'll want to be sure make the change properly?Clocks (home, car, etc.)WatchesAlarm systemsSprinkler systemsAutomatic lightsPDAs (smart phones will likely sync with the cell phone carrier)Computers (for Windows and Mac OS X users, make sure you have the latest system updates and it'll be automatic) What's not so obvious? Read more to find out. Home Theater - Home Theater How-To Fri, 09 Mar 2007 09:44:36 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/159/42/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/1s9fh30mKGc/ Leveraging their own file distribution protocol, BitTorrent has entered into what's becoming a very crowded movie download market. What we found in an initial review of BitTorrent Entertainment Networks is a service that offers reasonable download speed and good pricing. While it has potential when the movie selection is fresher, with the current selection and DVD-only quality for mainstream selections, it leaves us wanting more. Read more for our review. Home Theater - Home Theater Reviews Tue, 27 Feb 2007 08:31:52 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/157/42/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/thxmqP_RcrQ/ Following recent news of broken decription keys for HD-DVD and Blu-ray disks, Slysoft has announced AnyDVD HD. With the right hardware and plenty of disk space, Slysoft's AnyDVD HD software lets you easily rip HD-DVDs. As confusing and gray as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:H.R.2281:) (DMCA) is, one could assume that AnyDVD HD is a violation of the DMCA anti-circumvention provisions. Who knows how much heat Slysoft will get with this release? However, their standard DVD ripping utility has been on the market for years. Slysoft's HD software works just like their DVD software under Windows XP. According to Slysoft, AnyDVD HD includes: Same features as regular AnyDVD Removes encryption (AACS) from HD-DVDs watch movies over digital display connection, without HDCP compliant graphics card and HDCP compliant display. playback of discs on the PC with PowerDVD Ultra, which otherwise do not run. Removes user prohibitions, you can select the language and subtitle track without going through the disc's menu. Removes parental restrictions. Allows you to remove or skip Studio Logos and warning messages. With magic file replacement ™ you can remaster any commercial movie disc using simple XML scripts. Includes a UDF 2.5 file ripper, no need to install 3rd party UDF 2.5 filesystem under Windows XP. And requires: IBM-compatible PC with a minimum 2 GHz Pentium-class microprocessor and 512 MB RAM Windows 98/98SE/ME/2000/XP/XP64/VISTA/VISTA64 2 MB hard-disk space AnyDVD HD required Windows 98 as the minimum OS for standard DVDs. For HD decryption / ripping the minimum OS is Windows 2000 (latest SP). PC Player software usually requires Windows XP SP2 as the minumum OS. A Blu-ray version is forth-coming. No word yet on HD-DVD/Blu-ray capabilities from the usual suspects on the Mac side (Mac The Ripper (http://www.mactheripper.org/) and HandBrake (http://handbrake.m0k.org/)/MediaFork (http://mediafork.dynalias.com/blog/)).AnyDVD HD (http://www.slysoft.com/en/anydvdhd.html) Home Theater - Home Theater News Tue, 20 Feb 2007 15:29:18 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/156/42/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/61mo-3xcwJo/ If you've been using your home network primarily to access the Internet, there's a good chance your current wired connections won't be adequate when you want to begin sharing files around your house, or to stream media to a computer connected to your TV. Our recent article, Help, My Hard Drive is Full! (content/view/134/46/) highlights the benefit of using a NAS. However, if your home network isn't up-to-speed, adding that NAS without upgrading your network will just leave you wanting. Read more for TechDigs.net upgrade tips. Home Networking - Home Networking How-To Tue, 06 Feb 2007 12:02:33 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/155/46/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/gEIZ5Bi18OY/ Interact-TV today announced MyTellyHD, a fanless $899 Linux-based HD media center with upscaled 720p output and Gigabit Ethernet. Not taking the boring route when it comes to industrial design, MyTellyHD includes standard-def video recording with a no-subscription-fee programming guide/remote scheduling, video library with play or save capability including DVD cover art, MPEG2 video encoding, DVD burning, and video playback in most formats including AVI, DivX 3/4/5/6, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, MSMPEG4, WMV, Motion JPEG, Cinepak, DV, MSVideo1, Sorenson SVQ1/SVQ3, Creative YUV, QuickTime, RealMedia, H263 and H264+. It also includes other standard media center features such as ripping and playback of music libraries with CDDB lookup, photo library management, streaming video and audio from the Internet and other computers on your home network, and web browsing with Firefox. Hardware specs include a 160GB drive (400GB optional), 512MB system memory, 6.1 audio, component, s-video and composite video output, NTSC tuner, composite video input, S-video input, coax input, firewire, USB 2.0, an IR trackball remote and an optional RF keyboard and RF blaster. Decidedly focused on Internet-based digital media and DVDs, it does not have an HD tuner, CableCARDs or HD video inputs for recording. Still, a capable fanless HD media center for under $900 is interesting. TechDigs.net hopes to get a review unit soon. MyTellyHD (http://store.interact-tv.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=9 products_id=88) Home Theater - Home Theater News Wed, 31 Jan 2007 07:48:39 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/154/42/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/8qdQToiLImc/ We recently gained access to the Netflix Instant Watching movie streaming service and put it through its paces. Overall, we're pleasantly surprised with the service and think it's a great first step by Netflix. Read more for details of our first look. Home Theater - Home Theater Reviews Wed, 24 Jan 2007 12:00:00 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/153/42/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/2bw3eOR8GEM/ Does this sound like you?A seriously messed up iTunes music library.No time to rip that teetering stack of CDs. Join the crowd! While CD ripping can be a DIY project, it's no small undertaking when you have a large music collection. If you have only a handful of CDs, you can rip them yourself with iTunes or Windows Media Player knowing that your results will vary depending on the software you use and your attention to detail. In the real world, however, you're more likely to have 300+ CDs to rip. Even with a speedy drive, it's tough to sustain a rate greater than 6 CDs-per-hour. So, unless you have at least 50 hours to kill PLUS the additional time it takes for metadata editing and grabbing the best album art while ensuring it's properly embedded in the MP3s, it's time to consider one of the many ripping services available. That said, all ripping services are not created equally, and the best services charge about $1.50 per CD. We had no trouble finding a TechDigs.net staffer with one of those teetering stacks of CDs waiting to be ripped, so we decided to put the three leading national CD ripping services to the test: Get Digital, ReadyToPlay and Riptopia. Ripping is an art and getting it done right pays off. Read More for the review results. Home Audio - Home Audio Reviews Wed, 24 Jan 2007 07:00:00 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/152/43/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/t6kGs6oPNF4/ After nearly a week to digest CES, I have some random thoughts about what I saw. 2007 is the year of CableCARDs. We'll finally be able to buy Vista-based PCs and other new 3rd-party devices designed to decode, record and playback HD content. Of course, because they're CableLabs-approved devices, it's likely that many the cool features will be handicapped. 1080p will be mainstream in 2007. Despite the fact that no broadcast sources leverage 1080p, 720p and 1080i will begin to seem more like EDTV. Flat panels keep getting bigger. Micro-display technologies (DLP and LCoS) are far from dead at large sizes. However, flat panel displays keep getting bigger and cheaper. Digital innovation isn't coming from the traditional guys. The traditional CE companies just aren't creating innovative digital solutions. Real innovation continues to come from start-ups such as Slingbox (http://slingmedia.com/), Sonos (http://sonos.com/), TiVo (http://tivo.com/), Digeo (http://digeo.com/) and others. I'm still surprised we haven't seen a really innovative DVR built into a traditional CE device such as a flat panel display. Anyone who has seen the interfaces on DVRs from mainstream CE companies knows what I'm talking about. Real wireless HD video options will be available in 2007. Various prototypes and products from Sanyo (http://www.sanyo.com/business/projectors/home_theater/), Audiovox/TERK (http://www.audiovox.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/GenProductListCmd?type=nprev catalogId=10001 storeId=10001 categoryId=5066 langId=-1 page= urlString= productId= brand=), Gefen (http://gefen.com/), Digitrex (http://www.digitrexusa.com/) and others showed off wireless high def video prototypes based on technology from startups like Tzero (http://www.tzerotech.com/) and Amimon (http://www.amimon.com/). There will clearly be losers in this game. But, with no products available and multiple standards and technologies, it's too soon to say who the winners will be. HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray. No clear winner but HD-DVD made some key moves. Signing Onkyo (http://www.us.onkyo.com/) gives HD-DVD another mid-range manufacturer. Even more important was signing of lower-end targets Shinco (http://en.shinco.com/) and Alco (http://www.alco.com.hk/). These Chinese manufacturers will be the first to make HD-DVD available to non-enthusiasts at a sub-$300 price point. In order to gain broader acceptance, mainstream-friendly pricing is needed. Overall, the buzz and activity around HD-DVD feels more substantial than Blu-ray. Comcast (http://www.comcast.com/) powered by TiVo (http://www.tivo.com/) seen in the wild. Still not at your house, but since we saw it at CES we can only assume it's not far off (read last half of 2007). Sling gets it. SlingMedia (http://www.slingmedia.com/), maker of the SlingBox, knows how to make great products. SlingCatcher is their latest offering and we can't wait to get our hands on it. Projectors continue to get cheaper and brighter. While the top-of-the-line projectors are still not cheap, there are now plenty of reasonably priced options available. High-end gear still cool and still priced out of this world. The high-end audio guys like McIntosh Labs (http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/) and others continue to show amazing gear that is completely out of reach for most of us. I want an iPhone (http://www.apple.com/iphone/). Apple is now a CE company. While not at CES, the Apple TV and iPhone shown by Apple at MacWorld Expo demonstrates that it's in the lead for the US, and perhaps the world, in creating innovative consumer electronics devices. Revenge of the Nerds - Home Theater Smackdown. Xbox 360 (http://www.xbox.com/) and Apple TV (http://www.apple.com/appletv/) are headed for a clash of the titans in the digital living room. DRM and closed systems everywhere. Every major CE maker demoed or launched some sort of closed system for Internet content and DRM-laden content. Get used to it. Despite the fact that some pundits have proclaimed 2007 'The Year that DRM Died,' we don't see it. For now, it's here to stay. Everyone loves YouTube. Okay, YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/) has its place, but every CE product, mobile video toy, etc., wants to show how they can participate in the YouTube phenomenon. Analysts and press chastise products that don't leverage YouTube. But, seriously, how many groin-kicks and talking cats can you take? Price-performance leaders don't spend money on trade shows. Cool companies like Oppo Digital (http://www.oppodigital.com/) and Outlaw Audio (http://www.outlawaudio.com/) don't spend their money at CES – passing that savings on to you. I'm sure glad walking is good for you (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ministry_of_Silly_Walks). For four days I did nothing but walk. CES 2007 - CES News Tue, 16 Jan 2007 12:24:06 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/151/70/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/zCGB5CcAC_o/ Tuesday, Netflix will announce streaming movies for Netflix subscribers. The company will start the service this week, rolling it out to about 250,000 customers per week until all 6 million subscribers have it available – which should be by June 2007. Watch Now will make about 1,000 of its approximately 70,000 movies available for instant streaming at no additional charge. For example, subscribers who pay $17.99 per month to keep three movie rentals concurrently, will now get an additional 18 hours of free moving watching per month. Subscribers with lesser plans will get fewer free hours. Conversely subscribers with premium plans will receive even more streaming hours. Watch Now will use Microsoft DRM and require XP with Service Pack 2 or Vista. It will also require IE 6 or higher. We think this sounds like an excellent first step into digital movie downloads by one of our favorite services. Free is always welcome and should really bolster the rate of adoption. Windows DRM is unfortunate as it can sometimes be cumbersome, however it's not a surprise and it can be done effectively. According to Netflix, after a browser applet installation, you can begin playing movies in as little as 10 to 15 seconds. Movies can be paused. and users can dynamically jump to different parts of a movie. Quality varies with Internet connection speed. Watch Now requires minimum Internet connectivity of 1 megabit-per-second for Internet-sized clips, with 3 megabits-per-second required to watch movies at DVD quality. Can the bandwidth-challenged U.S. Internet deliver enough 'tubes' to satisfy Netflix customers real-time? Netflix (http://netflix.com/) Home Theater - Home Theater News Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:30:00 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/150/42/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/hdoiW0Zii3Q/ This week at CES in Las Vegas, Sonos launched support of Windows Media DRM for it's digital music player. Windows Media DRM is used by most music stores with two major exceptions: iTunes and Rhapsody. This means that Sonos now includes support for Napster, MTV Networks’ URGE, Yahoo! Music Unlimited, Zune Marketplace, AOL Music Now, Wal-Mart and more, in addition to their ongoing support of Rhapsody. Unlike the Rhapsody support, Sonos' Windows Media DRM support does not include streaming audio, only downloaded tracks. Customers must upgrade their Sonos Zone Players using the one-button upgrade on the controller. After the upgrade, playback of the music library is done using Windows Media Sharing. This 2.1 update also includes enhanced iTunes 7 support including: improved playlists, enhanced volume normalization and album artist attribute. Now, if Apple would only let Sonos play iTunes Store purchases. Sonos (http://sonos.com/) CES 2007 - CES - Home Audio Wed, 10 Jan 2007 20:06:11 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/149/70/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/6t0g7tq_VCs/ In order to enable cable companies to become compliant with the July 1 deadline for separable security access devices in all cable boxes, Motorola is updating the 6412 digital cable HDTV DVR. The new 6412 will include a single Multistream CableCARD Interface 2.0 card that can provide two-tuner support in a single card. Cable companies aren't required to replace existing boxes, however, new boxes after July 1 will require removable CableCARDs. Motorola will start shipping it this quarter. We think the new box looks a bit better. Now, if we could just get most of the cable providers using Motorola boxes to implement better software, perhaps we all would complain a lot less about the box. We believe a good example for others to follow will be the TiVo (http://tivo.com/) software implemented with TV Works (http://www.tvworks.com/) software in the forthcoming Comcast (http://comcast.com/) TiVo. (sorry for the 'tradeshow-quality' photo) CES 2007 - CES - Home Theater Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:55:50 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/148/70/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techdigsnet/~3/xp1PKRoHgDI/ Sony announced its latest Vaio Digital Living System Media Center, the XL3, at CES. The XL3 is a liquid-cooled digital cable HDTV Media Center based on Windows Vista Home Premium that includes both a slot-loading Blu-ray drive and a CableCARD slot. It's powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive and an Nvidia GeForce 7600 GTL video card. Sony claims it's virtually silent at 30 decibels. In addition to HDMI out, it includes component out, various memory card slots, and optical input and output. See enlarged images for details. As you probably know, the CableCARD addition means this device can replace your cable box and play and record HDTV directly off the cable.Unfortunately, Sony couldn't confirm a Multistream CableCARD Interface 2.0. Therefore, if it doesn't support 2.0, it will be a single-tuner Media Center. At the somewhat steep MSRP of $3,300, we're hoping it's CableCARD 2.0 compatible. Otherwise, it looks like a very nice implementation of a CableCARD-based Media Center. March availability. Sony.com (http://sony.com/) (images/stories/CES2007/sonyxl3frontopen.jpg) (images/stories/CES2007/sonyxl3back.jpg) CES 2007 - CES - Home Theater Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:50:50 +0100 http://techdigs.net/content/view/147/70/