dvr

Comcast's new set-top box moves DVR to the cloud

In its battle against the growing trend of cutting the cord, Comcast instead wants TV viewers to ditch the DVR.

The cable TV giant on Tuesday took the wraps off X2, an upgrade to its X1 entertainment platform, which includes a new compact set-top box that will store recorded programs in the cloud. The box doesn't even have a hard drive for local storage, resulting in a form factor three times smaller than conventional boxes, and 50 percent less power consumption.

Expected to be available to consumers later this year, the new set-top box also includes voice-activated control, allowing … Read more

Motorola settles DVR patent infringement suit with TiVo

Motorola has settled a patent-infringement lawsuit with TiVo over digital-video recording technology ahead of a patent trial scheduled to begin next week.

TiVo filed a patent-infringement claim against Motorola last October, saying that the Google-owned company's set-top boxes infringed on its patents related to DVR functionality. TiVo argued that were the court to rule in its favor, the "damages claim is likely to run into the billions of dollars."

The settlement, which was first reported by Bloomberg, was confirmed by a Motorola spokesperson, who declined to offer details of the settlement.

"We're pleased that all … Read more

TiVo to yank free version of its PC software on June 5

TiVo users who want to install the company's PC software have until June 5 to grab it for free.

The TiVo Desktop for PC program lets you listen to your music and view your photos on your TV. You can also transfer shows recorded on your TiVo box to your PC. But in less than a month, that version will be no more.

Starting June 6, TiVo users will have to pony up $15.99 (down from $24.95) to buy the TiVo Desktop Plus software. The Plus edition offers all of the features of the free version. But … Read more

Boxee CEO dishes on Aereo, Apple and talks up cloud DVR

Boxee's products along with devices from similar companies like Roku have become necessary pieces of equipment for so-called cord-cutters. But now the company is courting traditional TV providers, like broadcasters and cable operators.

Boxee was among the first companies to shake up the traditional TV market by offering a product that allowed people to stream movies and TV shows from Internet services directly to the TV.

In the years since the company launched, its product has evolved from a software platform to a dedicated box that provided access to content from Netflix and other streaming partners. And most recently, … Read more

How to pad a recording using the Xfinity TV Remote app

With opening day a mere three days away, and the second weekend of the NCAA tournament under way, there is much in the way of great sporting events to consume in the coming days and weeks.

If you find yourself at work or otherwise away from your Comcast, er, Xfinity cable box and realize you forgot to record a game, fear not: you can set a recording using the Xfinity TV Remote app for iPhone or for Android. I would always recommend adding some extra time to your recording, but the process is a bit more involved with the mobile … Read more

Mobile devices overtake TVs in the bedroom

What are wired people around the world doing in the living room and bedroom? Consuming content on their mobile devices, according to Motorola Mobility's Fourth Annual Media Engagement Barometer. Consumers globally are watching 25 hours of TV and film programming per week on average, up from 15 hours in 2011.

Fifty percent of respondents said they watch programming on their TVs in the living room, while 40 percent use their smartphones or tablets instead, the study found. The Motorola Mobility (owned by Google) survey of 9,500 consumers in 17 countries found that among the 36 percent of respondents … Read more

The guilty truth: There's too much content

It all started when I was at a bar and accosted by three women: a Stanford Hospital resident, a UX designer, and a wine distributor.

With faces more appalled than John Boehner's when he has to meet the president, they simply couldn't believe I'd never watched "Downton Abbey."

"But you have an English accent," the wine distributor offered, as the UX designer ordered a sixth beer.

"I have a bald head, but that doesn't mean my house is full of Patrick Stewart posters," was the best I could counter.

The … Read more

Get PlayOn and PlayLater for life for $59.99

If you've ever thought seriously about cutting the cable-TV cord and saving yourself a big chunk of change every month, you've probably looked at PlayOn, a PC-based media server that lets you stream tons of TV content to just about any home and mobile device.

And if you love your Netflix and/or Hulu Plus subscriptions but don't always have an Internet connection for streaming their content, you need to know about PlayLater, which turns your PC into a DVR that can record those and other sources for later viewing.

All of which brings us to this … Read more

Scrappy Dish wows again at CES with TV anywhere push

LAS VEGAS--You have to hand it Dish Network -- the company knows how to impress.

CEO Joe Clayton didn't just walk onto stage -- he hustled up and danced in the style of "Blues Brothers" alongside kangaroo mascot Hopper, and then rapped about his digital video recorder. Few executives at the Consumer Electronics Show would ever attempt such an entrance.

And for the second year in a row, the satellite TV provider is at CES in a big way. Last year's Hopper whole-home HD DVR made a splash with a pretty nifty box that included commercial-skipping … Read more