Cutting edge tech to feed your TV habit
— -- People are passionate about their entertainment, and the tech world is noticing, debuting slick new TV sets, streaming services and social apps. When we last wrote about TV tech, the response from readers was overwhelming. So we're following up with even more products to complement the new TV experience.
CanIStream.It: Movie stream central
When was the last time you stepped foot at a rental store? Exactly. The go-to destination for content these days is the Internet, or to be more specific: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, YouTube and other video-streaming services. Yet licensing issues means Thor might be available on Netflix but not on Amazon, Hulu or YouTube.
CanIStream.It is a great service that lets you quickly find an online stream of your favorite movies as well as sources for e-rentals, digital purchases and of course venues to procure the old-fashioned DVD or Blu-ray.
CanIStream.It, a brainchild of New York-based tech consulting firm UrbanPixels, has grown a lot since its debut last fall, integrating with more services, such as Vudu, Crackle and Comcast's Xfinity Streampix. It also has free apps for iOS and Android devices.
Sharp unveils a massive TV
Come Olympics season this summer, what will you be watching on?
If your answer is anything short of a 90-inch screen, then I'm not sure who'll want to go to your viewing party. Sharp just debuted what it says is the largest TV on the planet. Yeah, you read that right. Spanning 6 feet and 8 inches in length and nearly 4 feet in height, the AQUOS LED TV is available now (yes, as in, drive over to Best Buy after work) for the eye-gouging price of $10,999.99.
The 141-pound set is less than 5 inches deep, which Sharp says can be easily mounted to the wall. The connected TV includes apps for video streaming services and can also browse the Web with built-in Wi-Fi. And if you're a fan of 3D viewing, this set includes two pairs of 3D glasses.
New routers smooth hiccups
Western Digital isn't just a hard drive manufacturer anymore. The company has been slowly moving into the entertainment space, with the introduction of set-top boxes and networked drives ideal for streaming media. Its latest is a line of routers running FasTrack, proprietary software that allows users to prioritize entertainment traffic (eg. Netflix, YouTube, Xbox, etc.). What this means is the best speeds for viewing high-definition content.
Typically, streaming services use adaptive bitrate technology to adjust the quality of online videos to network capabilities. If your network is slow, then the quality deteriorates to make up for it and provide a seamless experience, instead of one plagued with buffering issues. But Western Digital poses another solution: real-time bandwidth analysis to create smooth HD video, so Web browsing, downloads and other types of traffic take a backseat.
Of the four new routers, the top-of-the-line My Net N900 Central, available next quarter, stands out from the rest with its 1 to 2 terabytes of internal storage and automatic backup capabilities, in addition to its gigabit ports, USB 2.0 port and FasTrack software. These features make this one of the priciest routers on the consumer market, with a $299.99 (1TB) to $349.99 (2TB) price tag. The three other models range from $69.99 to $179.99 and are available now.
Xbox 360 takes on a starring role
Sure, the Xbox has been around for a while. But the device has evolved from a video game console in the kids' bedroom to a full-fledged entertainment device that's a staple in living rooms.
And why not? Microsoft has sold more than 67 million units of the Xbox 360, which integrates with Netflix, ESPN, Xbox Music, among other services. Music and video streaming now overtakes multiplayer video gaming, the company said earlier this year.
Furthermore, while we're waiting anxiously for a purported Apple TV capable of understanding voice and gesture, Xbox already delivers thanks to the Kinect motion sensor. While the Xbox 360 ( beginning $199.99) isn't anything new, it's taking on a new role at home.
Tomorrowish is a 'social DVR'
By now, you might be familiar with the idea of checking into a TV program, with apps such as Miso, GetGlue or Viggle. But social TV isn't all about checking in. Its biggest appeal is the conversation that revolves around your favorite programming.
For that, TV and Twitter have made a fantastic combination, keeping users engaged around season finales, award shows and sporting events. But you can still partake even if you're a week or a season late. Tomorrowish bills itself as a social DVR. (The term DVR, or even time-shifted television is used loosely here. The company is referring instead to on-demand content that isn't viewed in real time.)
As you're catching up on an older episode of House, Tomorrowish populates a feed that shows the real-time tweets that accompanied the show, adding the new conversations that happened hours later (to accommodate later regional broadcasts) or years later as viewers watch online. This way, TV talk doesn't have an expiration date.
Voomote Zapper reimagines the remote
The remote control has gone through a makeover.
Instead of juggling a hand full of remotes to change the TV's volume and fast-forward a DVD, VooMote Zapper simplifies the experience with a dongle that transforms your iOS device into a universal remote.
Unlike Griffin's Beacon, which we highlighted back in February, VooMote doesn't use an external infrared blaster. The low-profile add-on attaches to the 30-pin connector of iPhones and iPads, and a free app helps control every media device in the home. (If your Blu-ray player, for instance, doesn't set up easily with the wizard, you can teach VooMote to learn how to control it.) Plus, instead of having to juggle different remotes, you can customize one single controller to control various devices. VooMote Zapper is also compatible with Apple's iCloud, so the custom configurations can be shared across a household. The dongle costs $69.99 and comes in red, green, blue, pink and gray.
E-mail Alice Truong at techcomments@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter: @alicetruong.