2005 Reviewed, 2006 Previewed

2005 Review 2005 was the year we collectively dipped our toes into the portable media pool. Sure, there were many product introductions, price drops, and business mergers across the board but a mobile revolution was brewing. On the hardware side, Apple’s video-capable iPod obviously grabbed most of the headlines. I wasn’t overly impressed with the … Read more

TiVo Takes On Fear Factor

TiVo continues to blur the lines between advertising and content (see Navy Football, CNET Reviews) with today’s debut of a new video feature called “TiVo Takes On…” The first Showcase is a 10 minute behind-the-scenes look of NBC’s Fear Factor. TiVo employee Shanan Carney, of TiVo Newsletter and video advertisement fame, does a nice job hosting the entertaining featurette (assuming you’re into Fear Factor). Based on the audio and video quality, though, I’m guessing either production was handled in-house or they need to work on their video compression. Trivia: Joe Rogan owns three TiVo units.

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XM Goes HD

I’m no audiophile, so this announcement doesn’t do much for me. However, those of you who enjoy fully immersive music are in for a treat. Beginning in March, XM subscriptions will include two “XM HD Surround” stations and special hi-def programming. Obviously, you’ll need some new hardware to handle the 5.1 audio… but why let … Read more

Dave’s Deal Of The Day

OK so I don’t have “deals of the day” on my site, but every now and then I do come across a bargain on some sort of gadget which needs to be shared. Walmart has been selling the Garmin i2 under $200 this holiday season and they’re back in stock today. CNET and Amazon reviewers … Read more

TiVo’s Wireless Adapter Arrives

TiVo’s custom wireless G USB adapter has arrived. As previously reported the adapter is compatible with Series 2 models and off-loads some of the network processing, by utilizing a “full MAC chipset,” resulting in improved throughput over, say, my Netgear WG111. The sexy little adapter retails for $49.99 direct from TiVo or less via Amazon. I’ll post photos with a TiVoToGo and Multi-Room Viewing (MRV) performance comparison as soon as mine arrives.

More visual goodness after the jump…

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DirecTV Goes Mobile

DirecTV is joining TiVo and Dish as a competitor in the portable media market. Next week they’ll be announcing a new partnership, possibly with a hardware vendor and NBC, as part of this mobile content initiative. No word yet regarding which DTV models, current or yet-to-come, and portable devices will be covered. There’s strength in … Read more

ReplayTV Moves To PC

ReplayTV is leaving the hardware business once all 5500 models have been sold. Additionally, D&M Holdings has ported ReplayTV software to the PC platform which will begin shipping next year bundled with Hauppauge tuner cards. ReplayTV intends to become solely a software and services company as first disclosed last summer with their intentions in the … Read more

Non-TiVo Humax LCD DVRs Coming To America

Humax plans to sell 26″, 32″, and 40″ LCD televisions with built-in DVRs to American consumers. While similar models have been seen overseas, this is the first time the products will be available in the US. Unlike the reference model displayed at CES, Humax appears to be going it alone without TiVo software. No timeline … Read more