PlayOn Adds HBO GO, My Media

Apr 26, 2012 by Richard Gunther

PlayOn, the service that streams many popular online media offerings around your home via DLNA, recently received some updates in its free version, PlayOn Lite: HBO GO and personal media streaming.

Why Netflix Needs to Keep MSOs at Arm’s Length

Mar 21, 2012 by Adam Thursby

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings recently came out stating that the company could one day become a premium subscription channel a la HBO or Showtime for cable and satellite MSOs. While I can understand why the company wants to expand, this has to be the worst way to achieve the growth they’re looking...

The Elusive Digital Shoebox

Mar 14, 2012 by Richard Gunther

As digital media rapidly replaces physical media in our world of music, movies, books, photographs, etc., we should consider how we curate and preserve memories for our future. We interviewed Jesse Chan-Norris, who addressed this very issue in a talk at this year's SXSW Interactive conference.

Will 2012 Finally be the Year of the Smart Family Room?

Feb 21, 2012 by Jon Deutsch

The big consumer electronics and tech companies have been trying to deliver video to your living room and family room for over a decade now. Is 2012 the year that one (or more) of them will get it right?

Should Microsoft Really Do Media? A Look at Zune

Feb 16, 2012 by Jon Deutsch

If you ask people what kind of company Microsoft is, you may get varying answers (snarky quips aside), but the responses would probably converge around “software.” Windows, Office, Outlook, database software, the myriad of business tools…are all software. Sure, there are other aspects of...

Live Concert on Apple TV

Feb 9, 2012 by Richard Gunther

Apple's iTunes Live feature debuts on Apple TV with a live concert event.

Paul the Male Matchmaker, a Hulu Original

Feb 7, 2012 by Ben Wade

On February 13, Hulu is releasing Paul the Male Matchmaker exclusively to paid Hulu PLUS subscribers. 10 episodes feature a neurotic socialite helping women find love.

The Current State of CableCARD

Feb 3, 2012 by Josh Pollard

Without a doubt, one of the most critical features to the success of Windows Media Center has been open support of CableCARD. Once the archaic restrictions were lifted allowing anyone to buy and install a CableCARD tuner into the PC the market opened up. Ceton released their InfiniTV 4 (PCIe, then...

A Drive into UltraViolet

Feb 1, 2012 by James Montemagno

So wait is it “Ultra Violet” or is it “UltraViolet” or maybe “Ultraviolet” or “ULTRAVIOLET”. Spelling aside, I have been pretty excited about a new “digital locker” for movies. UltraViolet is supposed to unify all of the digital copy issues, and if you listen to Entertainment...

Paramount’s Messy UltraViolet Debut

Jan 27, 2012 by Richard Gunther

Our high hopes for Paramount's UltraViolet launch get quickly dashed as they unveil an unreasonably expensive storefront with severe limitations and problems. Perhaps the best news is that Paramount continues to include iTunes and Windows Media digital copies in their combo packs.