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YouTube begins streaming 1080p insecurities next week (update: 1080p video!)

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 13th 2009 at 5:14AM

Ready to have your imperfect complexions scrutinized by every anonymous coward on the Internet? You'd better 'cause YouTube has announced the move from 720p to 1080p video streaming to make use of those cheap, Full HD camcorders flooding the market. Now puff up that keyboard courage -- the ruthless bashing of your peers is set to begin next week.

Update: 1080p sample video posted after the break.

Continue reading YouTube begins streaming 1080p insecurities next week (update: 1080p video!)

YouTube going 1080p, already?

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 12th 2009 at 7:37PM


A year removed from adding 720p streams to its repertoire, YouTube Director of Product Management Hunter Walk hit the stage at NewTeeVee Live and mentioned, among other things, that over the next few days it will be rolling out 1080p video, including going back and re-encoding all previous videos uploaded at that resolution. While other streaming services have offered 1080p for some time now we weren't exactly expecting YouTube to flip the switch just yet. With an eye towards improving quality for its 10-foot experience and moving beyond just the computer screen, clearly an upgrade was necessary, though Blu-ray or even VUDU quality is probably out of the question (though if the company jumps in the online rental biz all bets are off) the commitment is for your uploaded content to "look as good or better than the source quality." Check the video after the break for more tidbits about what's next for the site, including YouTube XL.

Continue reading YouTube going 1080p, already?

Sony's new BDP-N460 Blu-ray player adds access to internet content

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Sep 9th 2009 at 5:00PM

BDP-N460
What you're looking at here is the latest addition to the Sony Blu-ray family. The BDP-N460 seemingly fits right in between the BDP-S360 and the BDP-S560 with an MSRP of $249. What sets it apart from its little brother is the fact that it can use its included network jack for more than just BD-Live and it features a USB port on the front, in addition to the one on the back for optional BD-Live storage. There's no built in WiFi or MKV support like other brands though, but it is shipping with access to YouTube and to Bravia Internet Video, and in addition Sony promises Netflix Watch Instantly later this fall. No word on whether this means the end for the BDP-S360, but considering the price and improved features of the 460, that's where we'd put our money.

Continue reading Sony's new BDP-N460 Blu-ray player adds access to internet content

Sherwood's 700W R-904N NetBoxx AV receiver dabbles in online media

by Darren Murph posted Sep 9th 2009 at 12:01AM


Not sure if you've noticed, but CEDIA has just kicked off down in the ATL. One of the first to introduce something genuinely fresh is Sherwood (of all companies), with its R-904N NetBoxx pulling double duty as a 7.1-channel AV receiver and an internet media portal. For starters, the compact set-top-box looks nothing like a typical AVR, but you'll still find 700 total watts of amplification, three HDMI 1.3 inputs, one Toslink input, a pair of coaxial audio inputs and support for Dolby Volume, Dolby TruHD and DTS-HD Master high-resolution audio formats. Once you're done hooking up your music makers, feel free to shove an Ethernet cable in there and witness its ability to pull down material from PlayOn (Hulu, Netflix, CBS, CNN, ESPN, Amazon, etc.), CinemaNow, YouTube and SHOUTcast. There's also a USB socket for loading up media locally, and at just 17- x 10- x 2.5-inches, it shouldn't take up too much room underneath your current HDTV. It'll set you back $649.95 when it ships later this month, and you can feel free to dig even deeper in the full release just past the break.

Continue reading Sherwood's 700W R-904N NetBoxx AV receiver dabbles in online media

Netgear expands Digital Entertainer line with the EVA2000 Digital Entertainer Live

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 8th 2009 at 3:46PM

Netgear's Digital Entertainer media streamers have always been well-admired as capable and flexible home theater units, and it sounds like the new Digital Entertainer Live will keep that trend alive while bringing prices down -- the $150 box will play back just about any format you throw at it from just about any source, while offering YouTube, pay-per-view CinemaNow movies and VuNow and PlayOn support in the bargain. Seems like a pretty decent piece of kit, no outrageous claims here -- oh, except for this line about the Live's new video search tool that can "locate videos on the entire worldwide web" by searching "more than hundred thousand websites." That sounds... ominous. Way to go, guys -- first you add MKV support, then you try to blackmail the entire world. We always knew this would happen.

Update: We just spoke with Netgear and learned a couple interesting tidbits. First, although remote bears a resemblance to the one used with the Western Digital WD TV HD, that's all -- the actual box itself is completely different hardware, and the remote has a totally different layout. Second, PlayOn will be offered at a 25 percent discount to DE Live buyers, making the whole thing seem like even more of a bargain.

Samsung Blu-ray players adding YouTube, MKV support (Update: Right now!)

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 3rd 2009 at 7:54PM


Samsung hasn't been shy about sliding streaming video into its Blu-ray players with Netflix and Blockbuster OnDemand already making an appearance, and it announced at IFA that YouTube will be joining them in Q4. Whether watching grainy webcam footage (or even possibly renting movies) is your thing, we're a bit more surprised but no less pleased to hear MKV container support is also making its way into new hardware, while owners of existing players (no word which ones) can add the functionality via upgrade.

Update: Samsung's official PR states BD-P1600, BD-P3600 or BD-P4600 owners can get the YouTube update right now (as several commenters already have,) no word on the MKV support yet.

YouTube looking to enter rental movies on demand business, says WSJ

by Ross Miller posted Sep 2nd 2009 at 6:02PM

Sounds like Google has found the best way to monetize YouTube yet, and it puts itself in a pretty competitive spot versus the likes of Netflix, Amazon VOD, and Apple's iTunes movie store. According to Wall Street Journal, the company's currently in talks with Lions Gate, Sony, and Warner Bros. studios over putting their content on YouTube for a rental fee, likely $3.99 -- the same price as Apple's SD movie rentals. Even more interesting is talk of getting some titles online day and date with the DVD releases. Some options could still be free with advertising, but as for paid content, Google's enticing studios over to their way of thinking with a proposed minimum fee of "just under $3 per title viewed." A three-month beta testing is apparently scheduled to begin soon among 10,000 Google employees, and after that? Well, here's hoping the G-Man manages to sign on some more studios and offer us the films in streaming HD.

brite-View's CinemaTube adds 1080p streaming, YouTube XL to the mix

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 1st 2009 at 11:29AM

We're not sure who decided to follow up the award-winning brite-View CinemaCube with something called the CinemaTube, but the latter certainly lives up to it's change of a single letter, adding full 1080p streaming and embedded YouTube XL to its predecessor's already potent mix of supported video and audio formats (including H.264, XviD, and MPEG1/2/4), a bit.torrent engine, and USB storage support. Shipping on September 21, it'll retail for $129.99 -- but if you pre-order now you get it for $99.99. Hit the read link for all the gory details. We're praying that the company's next device is not called the CinemaRube -- that would be just plain mean.

[Via GizmoScene]

VuNow's internet video-to-TV streamer finds a home in Sherwood receivers

by Richard Lawler posted Jun 16th 2009 at 5:02PM


The VuNow platform is sitting a lot prettier, as it has grabbed an OEM deal to be included in Sherwood's upcoming line of receivers. Already making an appearance as the Netgear ITV2000 standalone unit, now high end amps and surround sound systems will have access to a variety of internet video sources without additional hardware. Verismo's said it will be pursuing many different opportunities for its technology, we'll wait and see where the YouTube / CNN / ESPN and more streaming hardware shows up next, though your cable box would appear to be a safe bet.

Continue reading VuNow's internet video-to-TV streamer finds a home in Sherwood receivers

YouTube rebrands TV web portal "YouTube XL"

by Richard Lawler posted Jun 3rd 2009 at 7:09AM


Whether you call it ten-foot or lean back like Hulu Desktop, putting a TV-ready front end on your website is all the rage nowadays, and after six months of beta, YouTube is relaunching its Wii and PlayStation 3-aimed site as YouTube XL. Now accessible by any browser at www.youtube.com/xl, it's been stripped down to the basics (at the moment, that means no HD, or even HQ viewing option) to make YouTube work on the big screen, plus tweaks allowing control via Bluetooth remotes or some cellphones, like Android devices running Gmote. The HTPC crowd, those living without widgets and other direct access will surely find plenty to love, why not hit up the site right now to try it out?

[Via TechCrunch]

Gallery: YouTube XL

LG's HR400 Profile 2.0 Blu-ray recorder gets outed

by Darren Murph posted Jun 1st 2009 at 8:33AM


So, why can't Yanks get ahold of these Blu-ray recorders again? All pent-up rage aside, what we're looking at above is LG's yet-to-be-formally-announced HR400, a Blu-ray recorder that will evidently be aimed initially at the European market. Packing BD-Live (Profile 2.0) support, a built-in DVB-T TV tuner and YouTube compatibility, this deck also arrives with 160GB of internal hard drive space for holding OTA recordings. Heck, this thing can even play back DivX HD files, stream media clips from other places on your network and upscale DVDs to 1080p. Is all that worth €599 ($852)? We're saying no, but you and your wallet can make your own darn decisions.

Samsung's 46 and 55-inch B9000 HDTVs boasts widgets, wireless external media box

by Ross Miller posted Apr 21st 2009 at 7:36PM

With no picture to show for it, unfortunately (that's the 8 series, pictured), Samsung's gone ahead and announced the 46-inch and 55-inch B9000 HDTVs, which looks to be a follow-up to the A950 models from last year. According to flatpanelshd, the latest addition to the Touch of Color series include LED backlights with localized dimming, Medi@2.0 with YouTube / Yahoo! widgets, built-in USB port, DLNA functionality, built-in DVB-T and DVB-C tuners, and most interesting, a wireless connection to an external media box that's reportedly similar to Sony's ZX1 -- no word on whether or not that means it's using WHDI. As for the other details, including pricing and availability, you're gonna have to keep waiting, we're afraid.

Qtv launches console IPTV platform on the PlayStation.... 2

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 21st 2009 at 7:22AM


In one of the more unexpected developments from NAB 2009, Qtv is pushing its streaming media player platform for consoles. Not an altogether radical idea we know, but what's different here is a plan to launch first on the PlayStation 2 and move to newer hardware later. From the makers of the Qcast technology behind the GameShark Media Player, Qtv includes YouTube and access to streaming video from other sources, plus pictures, music and video (DivX, h.264, XviD & more) from USB devices or networked computers. The PS2 may not be the first HD set-top box we thought of, it does have the highest installed base. The Qtv player launches later this year and will be available on Mac and PC as well for "less than $50," although thanks to the free 30-day trial the hardest part may be remembering where we left our PS2s.

Sony Pictures movies & TV shows pop up on YouTube

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 16th 2009 at 9:45PM Breaking News

Filling a hole for premium quality content, Sony and YouTube have worked out a deal, with full length movies and TV shows popping up on the Crackle channel today. Right now Cliffhanger has top billing, and we're not seeing anything in HD yet, but hey, it's all free and unlike, for example, Hulu, will play on about a billion different platforms. Don't expect this to be the end either, word is the streaming service has signed up other studios as well but no word on which ones.

Sony in talks to put movies on YouTube?

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 15th 2009 at 7:09AM


Is YouTube looking to go upscale? The rumor goes that Sony is in talks to post full length movies on the site, helping to boost the amount of high quality video available. Of course, Sony already has movies available on Crackle.com, and Hulu's been streaming full length flicks for a while, but neither of them are available with all the "HD" YouTube provides or are as easily viewable on many devices beyond computers, so there's plenty of reasons to find a potential deal intriguing.




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