Archives For Gadgets

Hands On the Netgear MoCA Networking Kit

Guest Blogger —  August 14, 2009 — 20 Comments

Netgear-MoCA-1

For a few years I have been on a quest to reliably stream HD video from my NAS to my TV. I’ve tried both Powerline and draft 802.11n wireless solutions, but neither has proven sufficient. Which is I was excited to see Netgear release the MCAB1001 MoCA Coax-Ethernet Adapter Kit (~$200). I used to build out 10Base2 networks back in the day, so why not use the existing coaxial cable running through my home to move data?

Our review unit consisted of a pair of MoCA devices, power adapters, stands, a pair of Ethernet cables and a pair of coax cables. I was glad to see that Netgear included the coax cables. I had feared that I would be taking a trip to The Shack.

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Setup of the MoCA units is very simple, although your mileage may vary. I unplugged the cable from the TV and plugged it in the Coax In port on the MoCA device. I then ran the included coax from the Coax Out to the TV. Next, I connected the Ethernet cable to the Ethernet port and connected the other end to my Popcorn Hour A-110. (Netgear, we’d be happy to take a look at the EVA9150. Hint, hint.) I then connected the second MoCA device to my router. I made sure the Mode button on each device was set to Normal and then plugged in the power. After a few seconds the Ethernet and MoCA lights started flashing. I turned the wireless off on the A-110 and browsed to my movie share and started streaming a 720p HD file. The video played without a problem! I then played a 1080p HD video and am happy to say that it played without a problem as well.

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In Broadband, Gadgets, Reviews, Video
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Digital Media Bytes: Last100 Edition

Dave Zatz —  August 14, 2009 — Leave a comment

A periodic roundup of relevant news… from our friends at Last100:

creative-egg

Creative announces Android-based PMP platform, goes head to head with Apple’s iPod touch
In all areas the Zii EGG matches or beats Apple’s iPod touch, the product it’s clearly designed to compete with. But what’s interesting is that Creative have decided to do this with the help of OEMs rather than going it alone.

Why Sony is embracing the ‘open’ ePub eBook standard
If Sony can’t stop Amazon owning the eBook standard on its own, then embracing an open format along with other players in the market seems like the best way to prevent the online retailer becoming the dominant force in the e-publishing industry.

INQ’s mass market ‘Twitter phone’ takes aim at overpriced QWERTY touting smartphones
It addresses two demands: A low cost QWERTY device. And one that offers the key applications of Facebook, Twitter, IM, Skype and push email. Oh and the INQ Chat 3G has another trick up its sleeve – iTunes syncing.

SugarSync comes to Android phones (it’s very good)
I took the Android version for a test drive and found it to work really well. I could access all of my backed up folders from my Macbook and, quite brilliantly, when you try to open a particular file you’re prompted to select which application on your Gphone should handle said file

In Gadgets, Mobile, Software
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Zune HD Pre-Ordering Now Available

Brent Evans —  August 14, 2009 — 4 Comments

I’ve been incredibly impressed with the Zune HD UI and the look & feel of the ZuneHD hardware. It’s simply a beautiful device. You can now pre-order one from Amazon for delivery September 15th. I’m on the fence on whether to purchase or not. I definitely don’t need it as I have a perfectly fine iPod Touch 2g. But my gadget lust is pushing me to pick one up…

Catch more of Brent’s reflections on tech, gadgets, software and media over at Geek Tonic.

In Gadgets, Mobile, Video
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More Funding and a More Focused Vision for Boxee

Brent Evans —  August 13, 2009 — 1 Comment

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Boxee has announced an additional $6M in funding for its HTPC software program and their planned focus for the future. This is on top of quite a bit of previous private equity investment in Boxee. The press release talks of not only the new funding but also how they hope that the new investor “General Catalyst” brings a better connection to the big media & cable companies. Here’s my takeaways from the announcement:

  1. Boxee has some big investors who expect a return. Lots of pressure, but lots of opportunity as well.  It’s really encouraging though that these big-time investors still see promise in the HTPC and Media Player market.
  2. Monetization is more and more of a focus for Boxee and their investors. Their time to live on spending money without earning money will come sooner than later and that has to be an incredible amount of pressure on the team.
  3. There is a focus on getting the content HTPC users yearn for and that does require good relationships with big media as well as playing by those big media rules. This one should be interesting to watch.
  4. The mention of moving Boxee outward to the TV (less computer-centric) and therefore more mainstream is important. Take notice of this as this likely will be a very big focus for Boxee and probably drive their success one way or another.

After Boxee had the “run-in” with Hulu a lot of the “wow” factor was lost for some, but I think it’s still a very viable freeware HTPC app.

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In Gadgets, HTPC, Video
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Roku Hits A Home Run With MLB

Dave Zatz —  August 13, 2009 — 18 Comments

As you may have read earlier this week, the Roku Media Player ($99, Amazon) has a new channel in the form of Major League Baseball. Which is monumental as far as I’m concerned. Because it allows folks to subscribe to premium, live television programming without going through a television operator. And unlike Boxee, which also landed MLB.TV (and $6 million), Roku is truly a hack-free set-top device. (Which also travels well.)

As you can see in the video I shot above, MLB on Roku allows subscribers to watch all out of market games. Not only can you join a game in progress, you can optionally start playback from the opening pitch. Given the buffering, similar to Netflix video streaming, using the transport controls to jump around could be frustrating. But, overall, video looked good enough – I imagine most baseball fans will be quite pleased.

As the season is winding down, a new MLB.TV subscription runs only $35. While existing MLB.TV Premium subscribers are entitled to access at no additional cost. If Roku were able to work a similar deal with say the NFL or SEC for live football, I’d be willing to overpay for access. No doubt about it.

Bonus coverage: Towards the end of my video, watch the menu flip around as I work my way into a hidden service menu Super Contra style. (home x5, rw x3, ffw x2) Here you can override Roku’s analysis of your network and force it to stream at a specific bitrate and/or turn on debugging to see what those observed speeds and issued streams are. Practically, these may not have much use. But when was that ever a requirement for an interesting hack?

Click to enlarge:

In Gadgets, Video
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