One of the more contentious rumors surrounding next-gen consoles has been potential changes to DRM and while Microsoft hasn't answered all our questions when it comes to the Xbox One, it took a few head on. The official FAQ starts off with the "always-on" DRM issue and also addresses used games, indicating that the box is designed "so you can play games and watch Blu-ray movies and live TV if you lose your connection," and that it does not have to always be connected. That said, it still "requires" a connection to the internet, promising cloud-based benefits for gameplay and more. Other questions answer things like whether the new console will require more power (no) and will our Xbox Live Gold subscriptions still work with the new and old hardware (yes).

When it comes to used games, the FAQ's response is also promising, stating "We are designing Xbox One to enable customers to trade in and resell games." We can still find enough wiggle room in those responses to remain curious, but it appears we should be able to avoid a SimCity-style meltdown (with our new games, since the old ones won't work.)

Update: There have been many questions about a reported "small fee" for used games, but we've asked Microsoft and received no confirmation of that. Joystiq points out that the Wired article where the tidbit originated has been updated to mention Microsoft did not detail its plans for used games, while the Xbox Support Twitter account claims there are no fees and the article is incorrect.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft

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Source: Xbox One FAQ

Today Microsoft revealed the Xbox One, and confirmed rumors that its new game console is ready to take over as the heart of your home theater. The new box features HDMI in and out for passthrough with your cable or satellite box. It's even able to control connected devices with Kinect 2.0-detected voice and gesture commands thanks to IR blasters and HDMI-CEC. On stage, executives showed off the Xbox OneGuide, demonstrating a way to pull up information including trending programming or fantasy sports stats while watching live TV. There's also a live TV show for Halo in the works, and Microsoft brought NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on stage to talk about integration with the number one pro sports league. There's no word on exactly which cable, telco or satellite TV systems this will integrate with, but Microsoft's PR states it "is committed to bringing live TV through various solutions to all the markets where Xbox One will be available" and mentions HDMI is required for the feature to work. It's supposed to be available at launch in the US, with "global scale" anticipated over time. Check after the break for a few pics of the guide and the back of the Xbox One showing its IR output.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft

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Microsoft's Xbox One is promising even more second-screen support than we saw on the Xbox 360. An improvement of the SmartGlass integration we've seen pop up on the Xbox 360, Microsoft says it can make your mobile device feel like it was "built" to work with your console. The current SmartGlass app has seen over 10 million downloads, and it looks like Microsoft is aiming for more this time around. It will also be able to screen scrape video, encode it to h.264 and send it over to your second screen, although what will work on which devices is still unknown. What is mentioned in the press release is that it will support multiple devices at once, for multiplayer and shared entertainment. It's also promising exclusive experiences with its NFL partnership that attach to SmartGlass and Skype integration, so we'll expect to see more about that in the future.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft

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TiVo announced its quarterly earnings yesterday, revealing a net loss for the quarter of $10.8 million. Despite that, its push to partner with cable companies seems to be going well: it recorded its largest growth in MSO customers in seven years, adding 277,000 subscriptions that way. More interesting to most users however, will be news that the MLB.tv app Zatz Not Funny mentioned in January launches today. Additionally, Scandinavian operator Com Hem is about to start offering an IPTV service built on TiVo's devices, and is accepter preregistrations to be an early tester. The Com Hem project will combine an internet TV service with the usual TiVo features -- including TiVoToGo -- and DVR capable of recording up to three HD channels at once. What we can see of the box looks very similar to the one offered by Virgin in the UK, we'll wait and see if any other operators look the company's way when/if they make the transition to IPTV service in the future.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: TiVo, Com Hem.se

Samsung showed off its Wallet app to developers earlier this year, and now Korean customers can download it onto compatible Android devices from the company's own app market. Currently it only appears to collect credit card info, which customers can then use to pay for goods and services at online merchants, verified by a one-time password or PIN. Clearly aimed at both Google Wallet and Apple's Passbook, Samsung plans to add a few features we've seen in Passbook that will make tickets, membership cards and coupons accessible all in one place. According to the translated press release it's out for the Galaxy S 4, Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy S II HD LTE, although whether it will be featured in a Gangnam Style 2 video remains unknown.

Update: Commenter Chris posted a pic showing that the app is also live in the US Samsung Apps market, although it looks a bit different and lists more of the Passbook features we were expecting. This may be explained by a post on the Samsung Wallet Partners site, indicating it launched in open beta on the 18th, with support for transportation tickets, membership cards, coupons and event tickets. We checked and it's not showing up on our Note IIs or GS4s yet, but if you have one it may be worth taking a peek at Samsung's app store to see what's waiting inside.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: Samsung Korea, Samsung Wallet Partners

Coming months after the feature's introduction on Android and PCs, Vudu has updated the iOS version of its app with the ability to download movies for viewing offline. Unlike the Android version, this feature is not restricted to tablets however, with downloads of your Vudu / Ultraviolet collection on iPads and iPhones. Other tweaks include making the Player "easier to use" and adding closed captions on iPhone. The Flixster app already allowed for Ultraviolet movie downloads on iOS, however Vudu has access to some movies that may not be available there. The updated version of the free app is available on on iTunes, although you will need an associated account (with updated password info) with unlocked videos to get any use out of it.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile

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Source: iTunes

Arrested Development fans have had this week circled for a while, but that's not the only thing to watch. The weekend will also be big for racing fans, with the Coca-Cola 600, Indianapolis 500, and a live presentation of the Grand Prix of Monaco on NBC. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

Xbox Reveal
Tomorrow Microsoft takes the wraps off of its next Xbox console and, of course, we'll be there to bring you all the information as it's unveiled (bookmark our liveblog here). Of course, if you'd like to watch firsthand you'll have a number of options, including live streams available on Xbox.com, Windows Phone, and the Xbox 360 (for Gold and Silver members). It's also on cable, with Spike TV doing the broadcast honors. The pre-show starts at 1PM ET and the reveal itself is expected at 2PM ET, set your alarms accordingly.
(May 21st, Spike TV, 1PM)

Arrested Development
It's finally time. After being rescued from the grave, season four of Arrested Development will launch on Netflix streaming Sunday. As is the streaming company's custom, the entire season will be available for viewing at once, however Mitch Hurwitz notes it is made to be viewed in order, which we expect many of you will do multiple times. Check out the official trailer after the break or just start rewatching the first three seasons now.
(May 26th, Netflix)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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When Samsung unveiled its first 4K Ultra HD TV at CES this year, it said other sizes would follow, both larger and smaller than the initial 85-inch version. Now it's apparently ready to fulfill part of that promise, announcing in Korea that 65- and 55-inch models will launch next month. Of course our next question is how these smaller models will compare to the $39,999 MSRP 85S9 UHD TV in price. Hopefully they'll follow the path blazed by Sony, which recently introduced models at that size with pricing well below the $10,000 benchmark, although we expect Seiki's 50-incher will still hold the crown for value pricing. The press release mentions they will feature Samsung's upgradeable Smart TV platform and the "micro dimming ultimate" LED lighting of their larger cousin, but the odd "Timeless Gallery" frame / stand (pictured above on the 85-incher) was not listed.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung

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Source: Samsung Korea

Even though we don't yet know what the PlayStation 4 looks like or how much it will cost, one of the many details revealed at Sony's February event was that games will be playable even as they download. Now it turns out we won't have to wait for the new hardware to experience that feature on a console -- Steam, for example, does this on PCs with some games -- as The Last of Us leaders Bruce Straley and Neil Druckman told Game Informer the PS3 game will be available as a download the same day it arrives on discs, and is playable once the transfer is 50 percent complete. There's no word whether other developers will have access to the "magic" Naughty Dog worked out with Sony to make it happen, but as least there will be as little delay as possible before you begin exploring its post-apocalyptic landscape June 14th.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Game Informer

With much of its information obscured it's hard to say what Google has planned for this new device revealed by its FCC filing, but the model number at least indicates someone has a sense of humor. Called an "H840 device" and rocking the model number H2G2-42 (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - 42, the ultimate answer to the question of life, the universe and everything) it has WiFi of the 802.11 b/g/n varieties, but that's all we know for sure. The natural question is whether this is a proper revamp of / follow up to the failed Nexus Q project, particularly with its appearance coming so closely after the unveiling of its Google Play Music All Access subscription. Of course, Google has no shortage of mysterious device projects in store, we're hopeful this one will reveal all of its secrets soon.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Google

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Source: TabletGuide.nl, FCC

Earlier today, Yahoo sent press invites to a "product-related" event in New York City Monday afternoon and there are already two separate rumors about the company's plans. The first, from Bloomberg, concerns the event specifically and cites a "person familiar with the matter" reporting we'll hear about new updates for Yahoo's once-mighty Flickr photo service. The second is from AllThingsD which has upgraded rumors of a Tumblr purchase from possible to possibly imminent, saying the company's board will meet Sunday to decide whether it will make a $1.1 billion all-cash offer for the site. Since new CEO Marissa Mayer took over Yahoo has made a number of acquisitions with a focus on improving its homepage, content and app offerings including Flickr. That announcement is also penciled in for the 20th, but whatever actually goes down you can be sure we'll have the details as they're unveiled around 4PM ET.

Filed under: Internet

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Source: Bloomberg, AllThingsD

Project PlayStation Input Output has been trying to load PlayStation 1 game images through the game system's parallel I/O port since 2010, and now it's ready to show off the first prototype. If piracy is your aim, then modchips that let users play burned discs and emulators that have been available through the console's 19-year history should suffice, but this project aims to bypass those methods. The potential benefits include easier homebrew support and playing of ripped discs on the original hardware without worrying about wearing out an aging console's laser. Eventually the team wants to load games and saves from an SD card, but in this demo video it's playing Klonoa: Door to Phantomile from an attached PC. As seen in the nearly ten minute video it does work, albeit slowly. As the video notes, optimizations for the USB controller and CD sectors that should speed things up have not been implemented yet. According to its FAQ, the PSIO team aims to have a final version done this year, you can check out the fruits of their labor after the break.

Filed under: Gaming, Sony

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Source: PSIO, PSIO (YouTube)

This week many TV networks are putting on "upfront" where they lay out their content plans for the next year, and The CW President Mark Pedowitz announced it's bringing full TV episodes streaming to the Apple TV. The CW already has ad supported full episode streaming on several platforms including iOS and Android, Windows 8 and it launched last month on the Xbox 360 (pictured above). Pedowitz indicated the network is working to reach more viewers on more platforms, so Apple TV is probably not the last. In a note to MacRumors The CW confirmed it will mirror the experience on other platforms, with episodes available the day after they air, no cable TV authentication required and supported by advertisements. Les Moonves is president of CBS (which is a part owner of The CW, along with Warner Bros.) and previously remarked on turning down participation in an Apple subscription service funded by advertising revenue. Of course, CBS now does full episode streaming on mobile iOS devices, so we'll see if this a sign of more changes on the way, although with no release date we don't know how long we'll have to wait.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Apple

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Via: MacRumors, 9to5Mac

Source: Deadline

Google just announced it will be upgrading Google TV units to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and China's TCL has announced it will have the first 4K TV built on the platform. We got a look at TCL's custom-skinned MoVo Google TV platform and 4K TVs separately at CES (pictured above, and in the gallery) so it only makes sense they'll be combining the two. Part of TCL's MoVo customizations include a motion sensor to recognize each user and personalize offerings based on their habits. Called Personal Box Office (PBO) or "Lazy TV" searches the available content and makes a recommendation without the need for a remote or even voice command. The press release indicates it will be available "later this year" although whether that includes a US release like Seiki's 50-inch Ultra HD set remains to be seen. According to the company it's being demonstrated at Google I/O this week, we'll see if we can get some hands-on time tomorrow.

Gallery: TCL CES 2013 booth

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, Google

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As a part of the 7 Techmakers and a Microphone panel tonight at Google I/O, Project Glass Staff Hardware Engineer Jean Wang dropped in this slide reflecting on the process of developing the headset. We've seen pictures of a few early Glass prototypes before, but as she describes, this shows off the full process from strapping a cellphone to a pair of goggles along with a pico projector shining directly into the wearer's eyes. The jump from off the shelf components to custom 3D-printed materials is represented in the third version (top right), and allowed the progress seen along the bottom row.

She also got a laugh pointing out that the Glass-inspired SNL skit starring our friend Fred Armisen wasn't "too far off" the team's initial efforts in gesture and voice control. The panel itself focused on a series of TED-style segments featuring seven women discussing being technical leaders inside their company. You can check out the entire thing embedded after the break or just zoom to the Google Glass part (6:13) for more details.

Filed under: Wearables, Google

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Via: Danny Sullivan (Twitter)

Source: Google Developers (YouTube), Google Developers

Now out of beta, Redbox Instant is slowly increasing the number of devices it supports and has now announced its launch on LG's Smart TV platform (TVs only, not Blu-ray players, for now). The hybrid disc / video on-demand / subscription streaming movie service has continued to push updates to its apps on Android and iOS since their debut, and has been posting promotions of its "disc + digital" approach. Its digital catalog is still more limited than competition like Netflix or Amazon Prime, but the disc aspect is an interesting hook, allowing users to pick up a brand new flick at the kiosk and stream catalog fare, all under one package. If you're in the beta then let us know how things are progressing in the comments, and if you're not then you can get a free month trial at the link below.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, LG

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Via: Redbox Instant (Twitter)

Source: Redbox Instant

Sony is adding another option to its smartphone lineup with this Xperia A it just announced in Japan. Spotted a few days ago in an FCC filing, the SO-04E will be released on the 17th on NTT DoCoMo. It slots in a step below the Z and ZL models on the spec sheet however, with a 1,280 x 720 4.6-inch LCD. It shares most of their internals, with a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU and Android 4.1, which are nice, but not the latest out (Snapdragon 600 and Android 4.2.) It also packs a 2,300mAh battery, 13MP rear camera and 0.3MP front camera. Like all of the phones announced today in NTT DoCoMo's summer push it supports LTE, and it will have NOTTV access after an update this fall.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

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Source: NTT DoCoMo (PDF), (2)

We dug the grid-style menu system that came along with the Roku 3, and now owners of some of the company's older players can experience it as well. The Roku 2 boxes, Roku LT, newer Roku HD and Streaming Stick are all eligible to download the new update, although it's not coming to the company's first generation boxes. It's been rolling out to limited numbers of users all month for testing, but tonight the company announced anyone can get it by prompting their box to manually update. All it takes is checking the update section under settings, otherwise it will be downloaded automatically at some point in the next few weeks.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Roku blog

Just as promised, Time Warner Cable has delivered a new version of its TWC TV app for Android users that includes access to live TV streams of certain channels while away from home. That new feature is accompanied by several other tweaks, including TV mini guide filtering and expanded device support for devices running Android 2.2 and higher. Out of home streaming is still more limited than that provided by solutions like Slingbox or Cablevision's Optimum, and streaming over cellular connections are restricted to Verizon only (for now.) Despite the restrictions, the app is out now and will hopefully see them loosened in the future, subscribers can grab it now at the link below.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile

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Source: Google Play

Just as it revealed in an interview this weekend after months of rumors, the Disney / ABC Television Group has launched Watch ABC as an "open access preview" for New York and Philadelphia residents. Available on the web and as an iOS or Kindle Fire app in place of the old ABC Player, it still offers video on-demand playback of the network's shows, but is the first to add live network TV streaming in those two areas. It will require customers to log in with their cable / satellite TV account details (Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, Charter, Midcontinent and AT&T U-verse are all signed up already) for access starting July 1st, but for now there's no such restriction. ABC is promising a launch in all ABC-owned station markets by the start of the fall broadcast season, though most areas will need to wait for agreements with their local affiliates.

Currently scheduled for launch after July 1st are Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno, while Hearst Television has already signed on to launch streaming in its 13 markets as well. The app itself should resemble the WatchESPN and Watch Disney services we've seen roll out previously, and AirPlay streaming is disabled. The press release mentions Kindle Fire support, though we didn't see it in the Appstore yet, and it's coming to Samsung Galaxy devices "soon." There aren't any other Android devices mentioned, but hopefully more platforms will follow quickly. Hit the source links below for the app or to watch on the web, and there's a press release after the break with more details.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Mobile

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Source: iTunes, WatchABC.go.com

In the US, you'll be able to pick up the just-announced Nokia Lumia 925 on T-Mobile. T-Mobile's press release lists all the specs of its first LTE-packing Windows Phone 8 device, but provides no details on pricing or release date. Those will be revealed "at a later date," and interested parties can register for updates at the link below. In the meantime, if you're wondering how this new flagship compares to the Verizon-bound Lumia 928 then we can answer that question right here.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia

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Source: T-Mobile

The original premise of NBC's show Revolution is that in the near future some unknown worldwide catastrophe devastated all electronic devices, plunging everyone into a blackout. As the plot has progressed however, in limited cases the power is coming back on. That includes a nanotech machine a couple of characters are planning to use to perform emergency surgery -- by shoving what appears to be a USB stick into an open wound -- and its configuration is enabled thanks to a very familiar-looking $35 device. Keen eyed viewers spotted a Raspberry Pi (top center) as it popped on screen a few times, however like our own prime time cameo it flashes by very quickly, the screencap above may be your best look at it.

[Thanks, Gene]

Filed under: Peripherals

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The end of April suddenly became very stressful for Netflix subscribers, as it was widely reported that nearly 1,800 titles would be disappearing from its Watch Instantly service in the US. Unfortunately, it likely caused a lot of tension in Los Gatos as well and tonight the company revealed it's changing its policies. Quickly dubbed "Streampocalypse" or "Streamageddon," some blamed it on competition like Warner Archive Instant, despite many of the listed titles actually being related to Netflix's agreement with Epix. As we now know, on May 1st the sun rose once again and there are still some movies and TV shows to watch on Netflix streaming, but for just a few hours you might have thought that would not be the case.

The list came from the third-party site InstantWatcher, which we've long recommended to help users sort selections in ways not supported by the official page and apps including by year, Rotten Tomatoes rating or New York Times Critics' Picks. Starting today however, that will not include the ability to list "expiring soon" titles. As Daniel Jacobson posted to Netflix's API developer blog, it will stop including expiration dates in the public API. While we're sad to see the amount of data available to the public reduced and are still peeved over the public API being shelved entirely, after last week's incident we can certainly understand why. Netflix did not directly reference the incident in its statement (available after the break), but one can certainly connect the dots -- read on for more information.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

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Source: Netflix API Developer Blog, Instant Watcher

The flood of season finales continues, and this week it even includes some notable series coming to an end. Doctor Who, Castle, and Arrow are among those taking off for the summer, but they will be back. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

The Office
After nine seasons, this US adaptation of a British comedy is finally coming to an end. Some might say it's hung out for (at least) a season too long, but still we're sad to see it go. There's a retrospective running before the finale on Thursday, just in case you want to relive all that's happened since its debut in 2005.
(May 16th, NBC, 9PM)

Ghostbusters
Not that we need an excuse to watch this 80s flick, but this week's release is one of Sony's "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray discs so there's an all-new high quality transfer and Ultraviolet digital copy. You probably don't have one of Sony's new 4K TVs and xvYCC-capable player to take advantage of the expanded color, but at $14.29, even if you're double dipping for the new release or just future proofing it won't cost much.
($14.29 on Amazon)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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A Google-built alternative to Game Center on iOS and Games Hub on Windows Phone surfaced last month, and we know even more about it. Android Police dug into a new Play Services (an Android component you don't access directly, but does things like update Google apps) APK, and found the latest version hid a massive update getting ready for Google Play Games. Although it's not directly accessible yet, so far it's revealed support for system wide notifications, standardized notifications managed by Google+, and cloud synced game saves to work across multiple devices. Also built in are the other parts of any modern gaming service like matchmaking, leaderboards, achievements, lobbies and such. Exactly how all this works and how devs will put it to use will probably be revealed next week at Google I/O, but for now there are a few more screenshots beyond the source link.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

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Source: Android Police