Kiwis Embrace ‘free’ Digital TV

The uptake of Freeview in New Zealand, the free-to-air digital television and radio service, has been faster than expected, with installed receivers in over 100,000 Kiwi homes. The latest figures show that over 25,000 receivers have been sold this quarter, swelling the total to 123,903, including 7594 high-definition versions. The current arrangement from Government on digital television dictates that the analogue broadcast will be shut off when coverage reaches 70 per cent, or 2012, whichever comes... 

Seven Things About Windows 7

Windows 7, the next version of Windows, is closer than you might think, with early copies already in the hands of OEMs and trusted partners. Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer demonstrated an early version of its user interface at the D6: All Things Digital conference in May but Steven Sinofsky – who took over Windows 7 after his success getting Office out of the door on time, time after time – is well known for keeping things close to his chest. There’s been very little solid information about just... 

PlayTV Tuner Test Run

Gadgetoid has been trying out the upcoming PlayTV tuner – here’s a quick overview of his findings. The PlayTV is due for release next month and couldn’t be better timed what with the 80gb PS3 having a good lead to give new PS3 purchasers oodles of recording space for that wholesome Freeview television. I’ve been playing with the PlayTV and like what I see. It’s a little on the big and ugly side but is easily hidden away as all control is effected through the PS3 itself. The picture produced... 

MythTV An Overview

Software MythTV is basically a big multimedia jukebox primarily meant to record television programming to be watched later (“time-shifted”) when it’s more convenient to the viewer. There are plugins to handle video files that have been manually added to the system (MythVideo) and plugins to play music that has been manually added to the system (MythMusic). Conceptually there are three parts of the system that perform different functions, and which talk to each other at various points,... 

XBMC – iPhone Remote

Dave Fumberger is developing an iPhone application which converts your iPhone into a (much more than) full featured remote control for XBMC. The iPhone becomes what we we know as a “SideShow Enabled Remote” which enables the user to select songs, schedule recordings, navigate video clips and photographs, display TV program guides and even browse recorded TV shows – all on the remote control with full visuals. Very cool! See the video demo here – dave.fumberger.com  Read More →

XBMC ‘Atlantis’ Alpha 4 Released

Due to the great feedback from Alpha 3 users in terms of bug reports, many of which have already been fixed, Team-XBMC have released the latest Alpha version of XBMC for Linux, Mac OS X, Windows and Xbox. This is the last in a series of alpha releases in preparation for the upcoming stable release of XBMC, code named ‘Atlantis’. XBMC ‘Atlantis’ is still in a feature freeze and the final version is planned to be released on Linux, Mac, Windows, and Xbox in October. You may track the development progress... 

PlayTV Files Not Transferable

Sony has told Eurogamer that PlayTV will not allow saved video files be transferred to PSP, PC or Memory Stick. Instead, the PS3 TV recorder will only be able to stream live or recorded content to your PSP using Remote Play functionality. Sony Cambridge, the studio making the software for PlayTV, had told us there was no copy protection or time restrictions on the standard format recordings, which could be moved freely onto all manner of storage devices. No reason for the change of heart was given. We... 

PlayTV – The MC Challenger?

It’s been in the works for a few years, but the PlayTV is finally launching in England on September 19th for £69.99 and in Australia during the December quarter at below $200 (subject to confirmation). For TV hungry Playstation 3 gamers, the PlayTV is a digital, Freeview PVR. The device lets you watch, pause, rewind and record live television, and watch it on your TV or your PSP. The following FAQs should answer any burning questions you may have about the product. How do I use the PlayTV? Simply... 

Engineering Windows 7

written by Steven Sinofsky & The Windows 7 Team Thanks to everyone who provided comments and sent me mail. I definitely appreciate the discussion we have kicked off. There’s also a ton of energy in our hallways as this blog started. It seems like a good thing to do to start off is sort of an introduction to the Windows development team. This post provides an overview of the team that is represented by this blog. Before diving into the main topic, let’s talk a bit more about what to expect from... 

Ed Bott Comments On Fiji

Published August 8, 2008 by Ed Bott Earlier this week I wrote about Ben Drawbaugh’s hands-on look at the new Media Center TV Pack for Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate editions, formerly known by its codename, “Fiji.” (See Read all about the new Media Center TV features you can’t have, and also see Mary Jo Foley’s excellent coverage here and here.) Today, in a post at The Green Button, Microsoft’s Ben Reed, Product Marketing Manager for Windows Media Center, confirmed most of the details in... 

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