(Credit: Sonos)Add iPhone control, Last.fm, and an expanded Internet radio roster to Sonos’s bag of tricks.
Starting today, a free application available at the iTunes App Store will allow iPhone and iPod Touch owners to control their Sonos digital audio system via their home’s Wi-Fi network. The Sonos Controller for iPhone provides the Apple handheld with most of the same functions as the Sonos CR100 Controller, but provides direct touch-screen access not available on the latter device. The Sonos system can already be controlled via its companion Windows and Mac software, but the iPhone Controller provides a much more convenient and accessible interface to the multiroom music system.
In addition to providing a secondary control option for existing Sonos owners, the Controller App also lowers the effective entry-level price for the Sonos. The company’s two-room bundle, the $1,000 BU150, includes a ZP120 base station (with built-in amplifier), ZP90 base station (no amp), and CR100 remote. Previously, those looking for a single-room option were left with purchasing a separate ZP90 ($350) and CR100 ($400), netting out to a very pricey $750. But the availability of the iPhone application means consumers can grab a ZP90 and an iPod Touch for $580. Still a lot of money, to be sure, but now you’re getting top-notch home and portable digital music players. And existing iPhone or iPod Touch owners, of course, need only get the ZP90 or ZP120.
Sonos is also updating the product’s firmware to version 2.7. The free upgrade (it’s a one-touch automatic free download for all Sonos systems, available today) adds the following:
…
Continue reading about Sonos adds free iPhone app, Last.fm, expanded Internet radio options
Can an analog TiVo be used to access digital cable?
(Credit: TiVo)
Hi–I’ve read your articles on Comcast/TiVo, but I’m still puzzled by the Comcast/TiVo connection. I have basic Comcast cable (haven’t upgraded to digital cable yet) and I’m running two TiVo Series 2 DVRs (no cable boxes at all). Can I upgrade to Comcast digital cable service and keep my current TiVos or will I be forced to use Comcast’s DVRs or Comcast’s TiVo software? I asked Comcast numerous times and 50 percent of the time they say I can use my current setup and 50 percent of the time they say “no, you need to upgrade the DVR equipment.” Can you shed any light on this? (In my zip code in Chicago, Comcast doesn’t yet offer Comcast DVR with TiVo service).
–Nathan in Chicago, via e-mail.
Good question, Nathan. Keep in mind that you’re not likely to be able to keep using your existing all-analog solution for much longer. That’s because many cable systems throughout the U.S. are in the process of upgrading their system to accommodate a larger line-up of digital channels. (For each bandwidth-hogging analog channel dropped, a cable system can add at several digital channels, which use bandwidth more efficiently.)
While these changes aren’t directly related to the February 2009 analog shut off (that only affects over-the-air broadcast viewers), a lot of cable systems will be using the resulting “end of analog TV” publicity and confusion to woo their customers to digital service. Once a cable system goes all-digital, devices with analog tuners–Series 2 TiVos, analog TVs, VCRs, and DVD recorders–will no longer get a signal when you plug the RF cable from the wall directly into them. Instead, you’ll need a digital cable box in the mix, which will convert the digital signals back to analog (via the RF/coaxial, composite, or S-Video output).
…
Continue reading about Ask the Editors: Analog TiVo for digital cable
(Credit: Samsung)Samsung is adding the ability to stream Netflix videos and Pandora’s online music service to its latest Blu-ray players. Starting today, a free firmware update will add both services to the BD-P2550. (The nearly identical BD-P2500 will get Netflix support, but not Pandora.) The Samsung players join …
Continue reading about Netflix, Samsung partner on video streaming
(Credit: CinemaNow)Add movies from Disney and Jaman.com to the growing list of downloadable content you can view on TiVo DVRs.
Disney movies will be available on TiVo starting next week. Rentals will be $2.99 each (standard definition only), and include titles ranging from animated classics (Dumbo) to …
Continue reading about TiVo adds content from Disney/CinemaNow and Jaman
(Credit: Engadget Japan)The PSP 3000 is equipped with an updated screen, which–according to Sony–reduces glare, offers better color reproduction, and reduces pixel ghosting. Now that the models are hitting retail, however, some users are complaining that the supposed improvements are actually a step backward, introducing artifacts in the form …
Continue reading about PSP 3000 screens afflicted by visible artifacts
(Credit: Amazon U.K.)It’s been awhile since we’ve seen anything from U.K. audio manufacturer Acoustic Energy here in the U.S., but the company is returning to the American market with a stereo Bluetooth speaker system. The AE-29 Bluetooth Speaker–already available overseas–is a three-part system, so …
Continue reading about Acoustic Energy AE-29 Bluetooth Speaker coming to America
So you’ve taken the plunge and purchased the new PSP 3000. It’s a great handheld for gaming and media playback, but–just like an iPod or a cell phone–you’re gonna need an assortment of accessories to get the most out of it. Here’s what we suggest:
…
Continue reading about Must-have PSP accessories: PSP 3000 edition
You could be forgiven for thinking that Logitech’s Harmony line has all but taken over the universal remote market. But–just as the iPod isn’t the only choice for portable media players–there are still plenty of alternatives out there. One of the latest is the URC Digital R50. (URC …
Continue reading about Can the URC Digital R50 take down Logitech Harmony?
Look ma, no box! Panasonic's TH-PZ80Q plasmas are the first Tru2way TVs available.
(Credit: Panasonic)
Panasonic has announced limited availability of two Tru2way plasma TVs. The two plasma flat-panels, the 42-inch TH-42PZ80Q and the 50-inch TH-50PZ80Q, become the first products available to consumers that are Tru2way compatible, making good on Panasonic’s pledge to have the debut products in stores by year’s end.
Tru2way is a new technology that allows full interactive (“two-way”) access to digital TV and HDTV cable systems without the need for a standalone cable box. That’s an improvement on the earlier CableCard technology, which couldn’t be used to access interactive services (such as pay-per-view and video-on-demand) via third-party devices such as the TiVo HD DVR.
The Panasonic Tru2way models will be priced at $1,600 and $2,300 for the 42-inch and 50-inch model, respectively. Compared to their non-Tru2way predecessors, the TH-42PZ80U and TH-50PZ80U, it looks as if the new technology will cost consumers a premium of $500 to $670.
For now, distribution will be limited to the Denver and Chicago areas, where the cable systems have been certified to be Tru2way-ready. That area should widen as more cable operators around the country add the capability. Additional manufacturers–including Sony, Samsung, and RCA–are planning to release Tru2way products in 2009 and beyond.
So: My prediction that we don’t see [Tru2way TVs] until sometime in 2009 was dead wrong. But, to my mind, the technology still needs to address three key points before it’s truly ready for the mass market:
…
Continue reading about First Panasonic Tru2way TVs hit stores in Chicago, Denver
(Credit: Sony)As of Tuesday, the Sony PSP 3000 is officially for sale. The CNET review has been up since late last week, but for those with short attention spans, here’s the deal: It’s an evolutionary step up from last year’s PSP 2000, with a slightly improved screen (better color reproduction, slightly less glare), a built-in microphone (Skype users can now use regular headphones instead of a special headset), and improved video-out support (games can now be displayed on non-HD TVs). Otherwise, it’s pretty much the same ol’ PSP–which we’ve always liked.
In other words, it’s not a must-have upgrade (unless you’re dying for one of those above-mentioned upgrades), but anyone new to the platform will be getting the best PSP to date.
The PSP 3000 will be available in at least three configurations:
The Sony PSP 3000 Ratchet and Clank Entertainment Pack: this limited-edition $200 bundle includes a silver PSP 3000, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters UMD game, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets UMD movie, 1GB Memory Stick Duo card, and a voucher for Echochrome (a downloadable game available at the online PlayStation Store).
…