Shownotes:
The TiVo and Netflix partnership is getting better and better. Now, if you have a TiVo Series 3, TiVo HD or TiVo HD XL, you can stream HD content with a Netflix account.
The Logitech Lapdesk is meant to keep your lap from burning up and allows air to flow through. It won’t be out until January.
Black and Decker announced a Thermal Leak Detector that will help you find heat leaks in your house. It’s also not due out until next year.
aTV Flash has a new version. If you’re not familiar with aTV Flash, it’s a simple and easy way to unlock your Apple TV and play any file you want.
Pano Logic is taking advantage of server-based visualization to the enterprise market. Their beautiful little desktop client is 100% hardware, has no CPU, no memory, no operating system, no software, and I want one!
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December 8th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
I switched to Netflix just because of the TiVo/Netflix partnership and so far I like Netflix a lot better. They are faster and I get new releases on the day they are released. I have tried a few times to access the video on demand page of my TiVo today to try out the Netflix video but it keeps telling me that there is scheduled maintenance so I can’t download anything! I can’t wait to try this out and will leave a comment once I do. Keep up the great work on the show!
DAN
December 8th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
A) glad to hear the normal Cali
B) you still have Blockbuster!?!?
C) these product release announcements seem… badly timed
D) Pano Logic is basically in the thin client arena. It’s making a comeback in the enterprise, given how cheap power is now (as in, computing power). You will need on central beefy server, and then getting software distributed in that manner is not cheap.
We use Wyse thin clients for some of our customer service desks. Moved away from actual computers because of cost and reliability. They hook into a MS Terminal Services server, use the web, office… basically that’s all they need. Video and flash suck, but they are outside the job scope.
Virtualization for the home I don’t think we’ll see, which is where most of this stuff sits. At least, not in it’s current form. I see maybe something like the home file server getting more defined, and becoming a media hub to stream out.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I had a long comment all typed out… i hit submit, and it cleared!!! This is the 3rd time this has happened on this site =(
Basically, Pano Logic is nice, but it’s aimed at virtualization and the enterprise because you need a hefty backend to make it work well. I don’t see it hitting the home market, it’s just not useful when we have “the cloud.”
I see more lower power cheap systems like netbooks because everyone basically does everything online. The killer is our broadband connections. But even still, we’ll likely see a change in the home computer w/ all the processing power we have. Because as it stands, a large majority of people could live with XP on the newer hardware. Maybe the biggest benefit would be the fast Intel SSD
December 9th, 2008 at 10:40 am
It hurts my heart a little to think that you give any money to Blockbuster…I pegged you as an early adopter of Netflix. So you are only 99.9% enlightened :)
December 9th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
I like the Pano Login, but the only issue is that you would need high amount of bandwidth to be able to use the same OS that you could access faster with a small HD within the Pano box. This is a great way to promote the whole “Cloud Computing”. But I guess Asian countries with slow internet are not yet ready for it.
I am waiting for the gOS Cloud to release early next year, so that I can install it on a netbook boot just in around 5 seconds and then use the “Cloud” (Web-based Applications).
December 9th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I have netflix on both my TIVOHD and XBox 360. It seems a little better on the XBox but TIVO is continuing to work on their boxes. The HD is great. I played the same movie in both HD & non HD modes and the HD version is definitely much clearer. Granted I was using the XBox 360 for the HD and the TIVO for the Standard version (I’m beta testing the Netflix app and HD was not available yet). TIVO is still in beta testing of the NetFlix app. As soon as it’s released I’m sure it will produce the same results as the XBox.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Forgot to mention that BOTH the XBox and TIVO will determine the best quality to play the video based on the bandwidth available at the time you try to view the movie. And they will auto adjust if it changes while you are watching it.
December 9th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
The most successful home thin client that I know of was the ViewSonic AirPanel series. I have several that I picked up cheap off of eBay and I’m pretty happy with them. The biggest problem is that they are so old that they don’t interoperate well with current wireless equipment. nComputing seemed to be going after consumers at one point. One big problem for thin clients at home, is that the logical conclusion is essentially the same model we had before the AT&T breakup, with thin clients replacing phones. Consumers will fear that. On the other hand, I would encourage it for some of my family members, rather than continue to provide technical support.
For years I ran a SunRay network at home, but I’m not a typical consumer.
December 9th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Pano Logic is definitely not a new idea. Sun Microsystems introduced a true thin client back around 1999 with the Sun Ray (http://www.sun.com/software/index.jsp?cat=Desktop&tab=3&subcat=Sun%20Ray%20Clients). Sun Rays desktops are essentially a secure video display attached to a network card. The desktop device does not run an operating system, does not cache, does not require software updates, and are throw away devices should they ever break. The user session is portable from one desktop to another. They operate over low bandwidth connections such as dsl or cable networks. Sun Rays are used heavily by the U.S. DoD in secure areas, used by many help desks, hospitals, and corporate enterprises.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
As an owner of a Tivo S1 and S2, I was really bummed that Tivo wasn’t going to offer the NetFlix streaming option to my S2 box. As a result, I have a shiny new Roku from http://www.roku.com coming in the next week.
I posted a bunch of analysis about streaming Netflix to my Mac and hooking to my 50″ Sony Wega over at my blog, http://www.nerdnology.com, and will soon be publishing a full review (video I believe) of the Roku.
I guess if you’re thinking of upgrading to a Tivo S3 or HD or if you’ve had issues streaming from a new unibody MacBook to a TV as I did, you might want to stop by and check out the upcoming Roku review before plopping out a min. of $299 for a Tivo S3. The Roku might do the ticket for you. We’ll see shortly.
Keep up the great work Cali! I love the Brief and use your promo codes any time I buy yet another domain in my ever expanding list of .coms.
-Corby-
http://www.nerdnology.com
http://www.helpmeswitch.com
http://www.itlols.com
http://www.bubeasy.com
December 11th, 2008 at 11:15 am
What? The Pano Logic doesn’t have a CPU? What are they using inside, a can of worms? Sorry, I can’t buy that it doesn’t have a CPU. Even if it is pure hardware, it still needs something to execute the instructions it receives. Same goes for OS, it may not be Windows, but it needs to have some sort of embedded operating system to interact with things like audio, video, network, etc. Now I’m willing to admit that all of this could be on a single chip, but the functionality has to be there.
December 14th, 2008 at 1:50 am
$299? I bought the refurb unit for $179!
But for current TiVoists looking to add a HD, they get some of their money back on the refurb units. If you pay $299 for new, you can pay $9.99/mo or $299 for lifetime; if you buy the refurb unit, you will pay $12.99/mo, $129/yr, or $399/life like the unTiVoized masses. I called to gripe, but it looks like I’m stuck with 12.99 for the first year. Then I may go lifetime.
It’s still a LITTLE cheaper than the new box, but not much.
Gotta get my antenna hooked up for HD…or give in and get the CableCards.
December 15th, 2008 at 8:11 am
This is late, but:
Netflix-in-Tivo had some early teething problems, but the issues seem to be largely resolved. There are some problems with specific videos, which apparently have to be recoded by Netflix (if you run into problems, Netflix supposedly wants the video names to be reported to them). The video selection may not be large right now, but it’s not small, either. Anyway, I like it.
If you already have a Tivo, getting another one qualifies you for their multi-service discount. With it, the lifetime service, for example, is $299 instead of $399. However, I don’t think this applies to refurb units.
For those people who don’t want to get a refurb unit: you don’t have to buy a Tivo from Tivo. You can, for example, get an HD Tivo for around $250 instead of $299 (plus service costs, for both).
Supposedly, the S2 and earlier Tivo units can’t handle Netflix because of insufficient CPU horsepower (needed to decode the Netflix streams). As others have said, you need an S3 or one of the HD units to get Netflix. Be careful of this, as Tivo is selling the S2 Tivo for $150 (plus service).
December 15th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
RE: ATV and Boxee – Since you’ve mentioned them both (GB#471 & here), might you offer any guidance as to which of the two should be installed/configured first? Thanks!
April 15th, 2009 at 7:23 am
This is very hot info. I’ll share it on Facebook.