As predicted earlier today, Apple have pushed out their latest firmware for the Apple TV. Version 3.0 brings with it a newly redesigned GUI, along with compatibility with iTunes Extras and iTunes LP as introduced in iTunes 9. There’s also support for Genius Mixes and internet radio playback, and the whole set-top box experience is apparently smoother and quicker.
Back before HDTVs, set-top boxes, consoles and Blu-ray players sprouted ethernet ports, the only people who needed a network hook-up near their AV kit were those with media streamers. Now one cable might not be enough, so Netgear have stepped into the fray with their XAVB1004 Home Theater Internet Connection kit. Consisting of a four-port ethernet switch with Powerline support, the kit funnels an internet connection across your mains wiring and shares it with multiple devices.
With the successful launch of the iPhone 3GS last spring and a new version of OS X and a new crop of iPods expected this fall, one player in Apple’s lineup seems to have gone missing, namely Apple TV. On Apple’s financial conference call, the device that Steve Jobs once described as “a hobby” was not mentioned once. I hope Apple hasn’t given up on this category as there’s a lot of value and function in Apple TV that has yet to make it into other products in this space.
This was an interesting assignment. SlashGear has received some FyreTV BoXXXes (Yes, three X’s) and absolutely must review them. Oh the terrible, terrible things this job makes me do. Explanation and video after the jump.
Another update has seen the Linux version of the Boxee multimedia platform gain Hulu support, together with access to the App Box download system. Boxee V.0.9.11.5777M also gains a new GUI skin and brings the Linux version better up to date with the OS X version of the app.
Apple have released a new update for the Apple TV, version 2.3.1, and users have discovered that it unceremoniously dumps the unofficial Boxee plugin from their set-top box. Boxee is an open-source media player, and by installing it onto the Apple TV the STB is able to play just about any DRM-free multimedia file, rather than simply Apple’s own iTunes content (or files specifically compatible with iTunes).
If you’re looking for an alternative to the Archos TV+ or the AppleTV, Dane-Elec may have the option. The DaneDigital So Speaky PVR is a network-connected hard-drive media player and recorder, available with anything from 320GB to 1TB of internal capacity and capable of recording DVD-quality video.
An update has been released for the Apple TV media streamer, adding AirTunes streaming, more remote control flexibility and playlist compatibility. Firmware version 2.3, detailed here, consists of four main improvements, key among which is the ability to stream music from the media device to either other Apple TV units or Airport Express speakers.
Tivo DVRs will join Samsung Blu-Ray Players, LG BD300,Xbox 360 and Roku Player to stream Netflix’s online flicks. Both companies have reached an agreement to deliver an online library of 12,000 Netflix movies and TV shows though Tivo DVR set-tops, which includes Tivo S3, Tivo HD and Tivo XL.
Apple has quietly updated both iTunes and AppleTV overnight, introducing mainly bug-fixes for both products but also adding Genius intelligent playlist creation to their set-top box. The iTunes update, which takes the app to v8.0.1, cures a particularly annoying bug whereby high-definition episodes of TV shows were replaced with standard-definition copies.
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