set top box

It's well-known that Apple isn't known to waste time when it comes to moving ahead on production of forthcoming devices, even when a brand-new model was just introduced to consumers. Case in point: the new, fourth-generation Apple TV was just released in October, following three years without an update, but now Apple is prepping to begin production of a fifth-gen model in early 2016. This comes a day after the news that analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is predicting a new 4-inch iPhone model to debut in the same time period.

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Time Warner Cable (TWC) has announced a new trial program that will allow customers in New York City and New Jersey to use a Roku set-top box instead of the company's own cable box. The service is a new extension of the cable company's TWC TV mobile app, which let subscribers watch live TV on their devices, as long as they're connected to the home WiFi network. TWC's goal seems to be moving away from leasing cable boxes, and towards letting customers get their subscription over different apps and devices.

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With the brand new Apple TV almost in our hands, and its ability to run native apps from its own App Store, it's time for the announcements about which apps and services are hitting the set-top box first. The BBC is one such example, as the British network has revealed that its popular streaming video service iPlayer will be landing on the Apple TV in "the coming months."

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Apple broke the news on Monday that the new, 4th generation Apple TV was available for pre-order on its website, and deliveries could be expected as early as Friday, October 30th. Unfortunately, Apple declined to mention when streaming video fans would be able to get their hands on the set-top box in stores. Well, according to several Apple Store retail employees who spoke to 9to5Mac, eager buys will be able to pick one up in person on Friday as well.

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Apple's newest Apple TV (the 4th generation, for those keeping count), has just become available for ordering from the online Apple store, with first orders scheduled to begin shipping on October 30th (that's this Friday!). Both configurations are listed, the 32GB and 64GB models, each coming with the new touchpad-enabled Siri Remote. First announced in September alongside the iPhone 6s, the new Apple TV introduces a host of new capabilities, including the option to download and run apps and games.

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With Apple's new Apple TV, the pressure is on long-time players in the set-top box market to start gearing up for tougher competition. One of the oldest in the field is Roku, who is now revealing its play with the new Roku 4 player. As leaked before, the box, which is now really more of a box than a palm-sized trinket, does support 4K video playback. However, that is not the only trick that this new dog knows, a set that includes an upgrade to the Roku OS software as well.

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Signs that the Roku 4 is nearing are everywhere, and the anticipation has sent some hunting for an image of the device. We've seen what appears to be the next-gen Roku appear at at the FCC, and now someone has managed to locate an image of the device on Roku's own website. The link has since been pulled, but a copy of the image remains, showing a device that eschews the common product design for one that is wider and thinner.

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It less than a week ago when a rumor surfaced about a new Roku 4 streaming set-top box model was in the works, featuring a flagship feature of 4K video support. Now, new FCC filing has been discovered, once again by Zatz Not Funny, that seems to give the idea much more credibility. The listing for the new Roku features a designation number of "4400X," and if this truly is the company next streaming video player, it's expected to be announced as early as October.

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While Amazon said last month that its Prime Video streaming service would be debuting in Japan sometime in September, the company has now officially announced its arrival a month later than expected, but alongside Fire TV hardware as well. Both the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick will begin shipping in Japan on October 28, only the fourth nation after the US, Germany, and the UK to see the devices. Meanwhile Prime Video is being released in Japan starting today.

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While the news about upcoming streaming video set-top boxes have been dominated by the new Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, there are rumblings that Roku is nearing the launch of an updated model. The Roku 3 made its debut bake in 2013, and while it's still a decent choice today, the draw of 4K video support is starting to attract viewers. Known tipster Dave Zatz of Zatz Not Funny says leaked information has hinted the upcoming release of the Roku 4.

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We’re not sure why you’d want to, but it is now possible to access your Dropbox account on your TV through your Roku. The most obvious use for this is pulling up photos to show off on the big screen, though you could also pull up those (short only) vacation videos. The Dropbox Channel is now available on the Roku channel store for those with the maker’s set top boxes, streaming stick, and smart TVs. It is listed specifically as a "Photo App".

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The next Apple TV device has been tipped for reveal this September 2015, set to be revealed alongside the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The single event - normally reserved for iPhone devices only - will also demonstrate how the Apple TV will interact with the iPhone collection, bringing the whole Apple Smart Home into focus with an Apple TV-centered HomeKit collection of devices. The reveal of this new Apple TV was contentiously planned - read: rumored - to take place at this year's WWDC 2015, Apple's developer conference, but was then said to be pushed back by the same sources that spoke rumors in the first place.

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