TiVo has opened another round of patent claims against Comcast over its set-top IP. The lawsuit has been filed in a California court under TiVo’s owners, Rovi Corp, and the new complaint relate to advanced DVR functionalities, such as cloud or network recording and whole-home or multi-room DVR arrangements. “Litigation is always a last resort, […]
US DTH broadcaster DISH has revealed that it’s building the Google Assistant into its Hopper family of receivers. In the coming months, customers will be able to use the DISH voice remote to ask the Assistant to control smart home devices, provide weather and news updates, display photos and more. This new integration builds on […]
Slovenian multiplay operator Telekom Slovenije has launched NEO, the next generation of home entertainment that integrates an open, secure, cloud-connected, state-of-the-art smart home solution, that also supports pay-TV services, gaming and e-commerce. By developing a smart living and entertainment platform, Telekom Slovenije offers its users the option of managing TV content and smart home devices […]
TiVo Corporation has announced that Rovi Corporation has signed a new multi-year patent licence agreement with Samsung for the use of Rovi’s video discovery patents and technologies across Samsung’s smartphone and tablet devices. The patent renewal encompasses Samsung mobile products sold on a worldwide basis. “We are proud to extend our licensing agreement with Samsung […]
Telecommunications and cable equipment vendor CommScope is in talks to acquire entertainment and communications and CPE specialist ARRIS International, according to a Reuters report, which suggests that negotiations are ongoing and there is no certainty a deal will be reached. ARRIS itself has been active in sector consolidation, acquiring set-top box maker Pace, Motorola’s CPE […]
Amazon has unveiled Fire TV Recast, a new companion DVR that lets users in the US watch, record, and replay free over-the-air TV programming on Fire TV, Echo Show, and on compatible Fire tablet, iOS, and Android devices. Users can connect Fire TV Recast to a HDTV antenna for instant access to free over-the-air TV […]
Freesat, the free-to-air digital satellite TV provider, will partner with ARRIS, a global player in networking technology, to produce Freesat’s new Generation 3 (G3) set-top box. The new box, to be launched in 2019, will allow Freesat to offer ultra-HD content, and provide users with the latest on-demand services. Using the KreaTV software platform from […]
An analysis of digital video recorders (DVRs) from cable and telco providers by Sense shows that they consume nearly as much energy while idle as when your TV is on, and their energy saving modes are not effective. For instance, Comcast’s XFinity X1 DVR uses 26 watts when active
UK STB specialists Manhattan has launched its first Freeview PVR. The T2-R offers over 70 subscription-free Freeview channels plus 15 in HD, a 500GB hard drive capable of storing up to 300 hours of programmes, and the ability to pause and rewind live TV. “Manhattan prides ourselves on creating competitively-priced set-top boxes that punch way […]
TiVo shares crashed 10 per cent at one point on August 17th when news emerged that Amazon is contemplating building its own TV recorder. TiVo shares were already under pressure having fallen some 30 per cent over the past year. The potential Amazon device would function as a TV recorder and also a streaming device […]