set top box

TVs are getting as smart as phones these days but not everyone may want or need a full-blown smart TV. Most, however, will have some set-top boxes, media centers, consoles, and speakers around that could benefit from a single hub. That's what Caavo's Control Center offered when it launched late last year and, this year, it's opening its doors to even more feature that will make you think you already do own a smart TV.

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While connected TVs are becoming more common, there isn’t really much of a platform war going on in that space unlike, say, smartphones and smartwatches. Almost everyone has their own smart TV implementation but the quickest way for smaller players to get into the game is usually by adopting an existing one like Android TV. Long-time DVR giant TiVo promised to do just that earlier this year but it seems like its first actual Android TV product won’t debut until next month, at least based on a lone FCC filing.

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One could argue that given how few NVIDIA SHIELD units there are, it’s relatively easy for NVIDIA to update it. That said, one can also argue that given how few NVIDIA SHIELD units there are, NVIDIA could have also just as easily abandoned them in obsolescence. Fortunately, that isn’t the case and the latest SHIELD Experience 7.2 upgrade not only fixes or updates existing apps, it even brings new experiences, including Amazon Music.

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T-Mobile is working on a TV service that it plans to launch before the end of the year, at least based on comments it made back in January. The Uncarrier previously acquired Layer3 TV, helping position it to launch its own service, and now newly surfaced FCC documents indicate something big is underway.

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Comcast is developing products to target its cord-cutting customers, according to a new report. The alleged platform is intended for customers who only have a broadband Internet subscription, though it'll be an uphill battle against established competitors like Roku and Netflix. Comcast's alleged products will include a set-top box.

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Sports fans recently got access to a new service that provides games and more for a low monthly fee, cable not required. Called ESPN+, the service offers access to the network's original content, such as 30 for 30, as well as some live games from major leagues and access to events. As of today, the streaming sports platform is now available through Roku devices.

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The back and forth between Google and Amazon has become both entertaining and also frustrating for consumers. It is the common folk who get caught in between the clash of the titans and, at least for Amazon Echo Show and Fire TV users, that meant being deprived of the time-wasting joys of YouTube. While peace negotiations are supposedly on the way, hope comes from a new, outside source. Mozilla has just announced that the Firefox web browser is now available on Amazon’s Fire TV platform and, yes, it can play web videos, including YouTube.

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Amazon has begun selling the Apple TV again, ending a two year standoff between the retailer and Apple, though supplies of the set-top box are already constrained. The two companies found themselves at loggerheads in late 2015, when Amazon announced it would be pulling the Apple TV from its virtual shelves. Ironically, the reason it gave to justify the decision was quickly thrown into disarray.

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Google, while generous with its updates, follows a more or less strict timetable for its Nexus devices. Nexus phones and tablets are guaranteed two years’ worth of updates, including major Android version, nothing more but sometimes less. The odd exception seems to be the Nexus Player Android TV puck, which unexpectedly got Android Oreo in September, a year after it reached its end of life. Adding to the pleasant surprise is the addition of Google Assistant, which sneaked into the device via the November security update.

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If manufacturers and tech companies are to have their say, everything will be controlled by voice in the not so distant future. And not just simple voice commands, mind, but smart voice recognition backed by natural language processing and machine learning. But as easy as simply uttering your command may be, there are still some things done faster with a single press of a button. That’s why DISH’s second gen voice remote for Hopper DVRs brings the best of both worlds together for the ultimate user experience convenience.

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This week the folks at TiVo revealed a pair of new devices, both the TiVo BOLT VOX and the Mini VOX. These devices work with TiVo's first voice control remote - aptly called TiVo VOX Remote - and include "built-in personalized recommendations and intelligent predictions." Plus there's 4K to look forward to.

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TiVo can perhaps be considered the granddaddy of modern-day DVRs and set-top boxes, but it has been shoved to the sidelines by numerous rivals, including those from big names in the tech industry. Not one to go down without a fight, the company was rumored to be working on not just a more modern box but also a remote control with voice support. Those are no longer rumors now that the TiVo BOLT VOX has appeared, disappeared, and now reappeared on Amazon, ahead of whatever announcement TiVo may have in store.

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