Hands-on: Simple.TV might be the next big cord-cutting device
LAS VEGAS--Simple.TV's DVR without a hard drive or video output may sound crazy, but it could end up being a killer product for cable-cutters.That's the impression I got after spending some hands-on time with the over-the-air-friendly DVR, which was already working on an iPad and a Roku 2 XS box in the booth.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayTo recap from my initial story, Simple.TV allows you to access over-the-air TV programs, either live or stored on a connected hard drive (that you supply), from a number of devices on your home network--at launch there are apps for Roku, Google TV, Boxee, and iPad. So fire up your iPad and you can watch live broadcast TV or any of the recordings on the connected hard drive.Matthew Moskovciak/CNETSimple.TV's iPad app is nicely designed and lets you set recordings, watch live TV, or previously recorded shows.Matthew Moskovciak/CNETThe iPad app is seriously slick. There's a nicely laid out interface for browsing what's currently on TV and you can set the DVR to record right in the app or watch live. Even with dodgy connectivity issues of the CES showroom floor, the app was surprisingly responsive pausing live TV and fast-forwarding through recorded content. Even more impressive was that the live content we were accessing was from an off-site Simple.TV box, a la Slingbox.The EPG interface on the Roku app could use some work.Matthew Moskovciak/CNETThe Roku app was having some connectivity issues, but we got to see the design of the interface. It's much more basic than what's on the iPad app, but you can still watch live TV and access recordings. The EPG interface could certainly use more screen real estate and we'd prefer network names like CBS vs. "KPIXDT", but the app isn't finished yet.Hands-on: Simple.TV might be the next big...See full gallery1 - 4 / 11NextPrevMost encouraging for cord-cutters is that Simple.TV's CEO and President Mark Ely clarified that you won't really need to pay that $5 monthly fee to get good EPG data. Simple.TV is providing basic EPG data (not just the data included with an over-the-air TV signal) without a subscription, despite what's implied by the chart on Simple.TV's Web site. The premium service is still required for watching content or live TV remotely (i.e. placeshifting) and "season pass"-like automated recordings, but those looking for just basic over-the-air recording won't need to pay.An iPhone full of over-the-air TV recordings.Matthew Moskovciak/CNETSimple.TV will also have a Web interface, with an HTML5 video player for accessing content on your Simple.TV. I was also surprised to hear that you can import your recorded programs right into iTunes, allowing you to offload shows onto an iPhone or iPad. It's a great solution for you're planning on taking a long flight without Wi-Fi, but I can already foresee legal threats from TV networks. (Disclosure: CNET is a CBS property.)The biggest limitation as it stands now remains the single tuner, which means you can't record two programs at once. The Simple.TV does have an antenna-out connection, which you can run to your TV's tuner if you want to watch a different live program while the DVR records, although you won't be able to pause live TV.Of course, lots of products demo great, then end up as duds, but it looks like Simple.TV has a good chance of standing out in a market without a lot of compelling options. Even with the required add-ons like a hard drive and a streaming media box, the Simple.TV's $150 price is attractive, compared to the $400 Channel Master TV. I'm looking forward to seeing how it fares in the real world when the Simple.TV is released in the spring.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Friday, May 8, 2015
The 404 583- Where we're switching back to Hotmail (podcast)
The 404 583: Where we're switching back to Hotmail (podcast)
We've always noticed something a little off about our dear Wilson G. Tang, but today's episode finally kicks the door open on the severity of his addiction to technology. Our frightening discovery begins with a CNN article that exposes the Apple iPad and other brightly lit devices as the reason why some people have trouble sleeping at night. The hypothesis belongs to Oakland resident J.D. Moyer, who set out to prove that using devices with backlit displays in bed can actually reset a person's internal sleep clock and even trick your brain into thinking that it's daytime.The three of us are in complete agreement with Moyer based on our own nightly rituals of checking e-mail and turning off a million other electronics before hitting the sack, and it's during this conversation that we discover Wilson's secret sleep disorder.I won't spoil it for you if you haven't listened to the show yet, but rest assured we'll have Sleep Doctor Michael Breus back on the show to officially diagnose our disturbed co-host; you're gonna be just fine, Wilson.Hot mail123rf.comIn other news, Microsoft is introducing a handful of convenient Hotmail upgrades in hopes of reinvigorating the e-mail service it purchased 12 years ago. Available in late July/early August, the upgraded Web platform will automatically sort incoming messages into organized categories according to registered social networks and contact information, as well as provide previews of incoming media without downloading any attachments...aaaaand that's it.We'll give Microsoft a break, though- nobody expectsthem to re-invent Web-based e-mail after just TWELVE YEARS of research. Let's give 'em another decade to see what they come up with--personally, I'm crossing my fingers for color coding. Finally, thanks to Angela (Angelicious in the chat room) for linking us to a parody commercial for Cupidtino, a new dating service exclusively for Apple fanboys and fangirls. We tried our hardest, but none of us are able to get through the entire 1:25 video without throwing something at the screen--with the exception of Wilson, who had to wear this or risk damaging our sensitive studio equipment.Check out the full episode by clicking on the player below. You can also subscribe to our iTunes feed in audio and video form, and don't forget to e-mail at the404(at)cnet(dot)com or leave a voicemail on 1-866-404-CNET to share your thoughts with us!EPISODE 583PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
We've always noticed something a little off about our dear Wilson G. Tang, but today's episode finally kicks the door open on the severity of his addiction to technology. Our frightening discovery begins with a CNN article that exposes the Apple iPad and other brightly lit devices as the reason why some people have trouble sleeping at night. The hypothesis belongs to Oakland resident J.D. Moyer, who set out to prove that using devices with backlit displays in bed can actually reset a person's internal sleep clock and even trick your brain into thinking that it's daytime.The three of us are in complete agreement with Moyer based on our own nightly rituals of checking e-mail and turning off a million other electronics before hitting the sack, and it's during this conversation that we discover Wilson's secret sleep disorder.I won't spoil it for you if you haven't listened to the show yet, but rest assured we'll have Sleep Doctor Michael Breus back on the show to officially diagnose our disturbed co-host; you're gonna be just fine, Wilson.Hot mail123rf.comIn other news, Microsoft is introducing a handful of convenient Hotmail upgrades in hopes of reinvigorating the e-mail service it purchased 12 years ago. Available in late July/early August, the upgraded Web platform will automatically sort incoming messages into organized categories according to registered social networks and contact information, as well as provide previews of incoming media without downloading any attachments...aaaaand that's it.We'll give Microsoft a break, though- nobody expectsthem to re-invent Web-based e-mail after just TWELVE YEARS of research. Let's give 'em another decade to see what they come up with--personally, I'm crossing my fingers for color coding. Finally, thanks to Angela (Angelicious in the chat room) for linking us to a parody commercial for Cupidtino, a new dating service exclusively for Apple fanboys and fangirls. We tried our hardest, but none of us are able to get through the entire 1:25 video without throwing something at the screen--with the exception of Wilson, who had to wear this or risk damaging our sensitive studio equipment.Check out the full episode by clicking on the player below. You can also subscribe to our iTunes feed in audio and video form, and don't forget to e-mail at the404(at)cnet(dot)com or leave a voicemail on 1-866-404-CNET to share your thoughts with us!EPISODE 583PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)