Details remain decidedly light on this one, but it looks like Samsung could be about to expand its AllShare media streaming / sharing service with a new piece of hardware. A device dubbed the AllShare Cast Hub has now turned up in some FCC filings, apparently packing some HDMI connectivity and dual-band WiFi capabilities. Unfortunately, that's about all that the filings reveal, but it's not too much of a stretch to infer that the device is a media hub of some sort, presumably with the ability to stream media from your computer or smartphone to TVs that don't already support AllShare out of the box. We're guessing Samsung will fill in the rest of the details sooner or later, but those into test reports can dive into the links below right now.

Continue reading Samsung AllShare Cast Hub hits the FCC, maintains an air of mystery

Samsung AllShare Cast Hub hits the FCC, maintains an air of mystery originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Britons and citizens of the ROI! Sony's bringing Netflix to all Sony Entertainment Network-connected devices. It looks like Kaz Hirai's plan to "unify" the company and its media offerings is beginning to gain a little momentum. If you have a SEN-connected 2012 Bravia TV or Blu-ray player, then the app should be available soon -- although no-one seems to know precisely when. If you're on PS3, or in the States, then Netflix is old news, so don't bother with the press release after the break

Continue reading Netflix brought into the Sony Entertainment Network fold for British Bravia buffs

Netflix brought into the Sony Entertainment Network fold for British Bravia buffs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG has released its Q1 2012 numbers, and there's plenty of good news to go around, with TV profits that nearly doubled and profit from cellphones for the second quarter in a row following six straight quarters of losses. Despite slightly lower sales, more of the units that did sell had higher prices and made more profit. In its press release, the company claimed to have "turned the corner" with a net profit of $215 million, blaming the slower sales of TVs on the European economy and cellphones on declining featurephone sales. We don't have specific numbers, but it called out the popularity of the Optimus LTE and Optimus Vu as part of the reason for increased revenues. Of course, the year is only just getting under way, and the company is expected to introduce its first 55-inch OLED HDTV soon, as well as quad-core smartphones and a new L-style series of phones. Before that however, it will have to deal with the competition from fellow Korean giant Samsung which will report its earnings later this week and has a few high profile releases up its sleeves as well. There's more details in the press release after the break, and PDF linked below.

Continue reading LG's Q1 2012 earnings show greater profits on strong TV, phone sales

LG's Q1 2012 earnings show greater profits on strong TV, phone sales originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 01:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL Draft
The NFL has finally realized the reality TV potential of its big night, and moved the process of making several young players millionaires to prime time. While Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are cemented as the top two picks ,there's plenty of drama left for the rest of the first round and those that follow. Whether you're watching to see what your favorite team does or where a player you watched in college goes, it's just the start of the offseason festivities for football fans. We've preferred the NFL Network's coverage to ESPN's in recent years, we'll see who wins the day in 2012.
(April 26th, 8PM, ESPN & NFL Network)

NBA Playoffs
This weekend the NBA Playoffs get underway and ABC has the opening games. We'll have to wait a little longer to know who will be playing who in each matchup, but until then, you can see the Bobcats try to avoid breaking a record for futility Thursday night on TNT.

NHL Playoffs
One word: Unpredictable. Most of the top teams are already out after round one, but that's just life in the NHL Playoffs. The chase for the Stanley Cup continues this week, but your guess is as good as ours when it comes to who has the edge. Many games are still TBD on the schedule, so keep your eyes peeled to find out when and where they'll be playing.

Continue reading Must See HDTV (April 23rd - 29th)

Must See HDTV (April 23rd - 29th) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's Tuesday, and while not our regular day, we're going to let you listen into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to mp3 at 6PM. Please be a part of it by reviewing the list of topics after the break, then participating in the live chat as you listen in.

Continue reading Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 6PM ET

Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 6PM ET originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reuters is reporting that regulators have begun a probe of American movie studios and their dealings with Chinese officials. The Security and Exchange Commission has sent letters to at least five companies, including 20th Century Fox, Disney and DreamWorks Animation requesting information about "potential[ly] inappropriate payments" made to members of the Chinese government. The market in the pseudo-Communist nation is seen as one with huge potential for US-made films, but the state-owned China Film Group has placed strict limits on foreign cinema. However, in February, the group agreed to loosen restrictions and exempt up to 14 IMAX or 3D films a year (along with their 2D counterparts) from the 20 movie cap on international media. Around the same time, DreamWorks announced it would be building a production studio in Shanghai with participation from several large Chinese media companies. Even Disney struck a deal that will see the next Iron Man title co-produced by China's DMG Entertainment. The sudden shift in tone must have raised some eyebrows with watchdogs, and the SEC has responded by hitting up the studios for info over the last few months. Obviously, we'll be keeping an eye on this to see how it develops.

SEC investigating movie studios' dealings with China originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With services like Aereo TV taking a similar streaming approach -- and getting sued in the process -- NimbleTV won't have an easy road ahead, but the outfit's willing to take its chances. The startup plans to launch its subscription-based offering to the public within the next few months, allowing future users to stream cable content to unspecified devices at any time and from anywhere on the globe -- all thanks to Nimble's cloud-based software. However, unlike some of its competitors, NimbleTV will give customers the ability to select channel packages based on personal preferences, though that'll depend heavily on the TV providers going along for the ride. While the service will only be available in the US and India at first, the company does plan a broader launch at some point in the future. No word yet on how pricing will play out, but there is a NYC-only beta (just as Aereo did) which you can join now by giving the source below a quick click.

Continue reading NimbleTV streams cable content to 'any' device, launching 'in the next few months'

NimbleTV streams cable content to 'any' device, launching 'in the next few months' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you've been itching for Sony to take your money since it announced its flagship BDP-S790 Blu-ray player, then get ready to open up that wallet. The device is now available at Sony's online store for $249.99, with an estimated ship date of April 24th. The dual-core player (yes, there's a dual-core CPU in here!) will also be available in stores on May 6th for folks who prefer schlepping their electronics the old-fashioned way. Besides 4K upscaling and 3D playback, the BDP-S790 features DLNA, Netflix, VUDU, Amazon Instant Video, Slacker, Pandora, Twitter and Facebook capabilities. For more details, feel free to peruse the PR after the break.

Continue reading Sony's 4K-upscaling BDP-S790 Blu-ray player available online, hits stores May 6th

Sony's 4K-upscaling BDP-S790 Blu-ray player available online, hits stores May 6th originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TiVo's rebranding its Premiere line of DVRs in order to eliminate customer confusion in the lineup. The range will now comprise of the Premiere, while the Premiere XL is unsurprisingly renamed Premiere XL2, while the quad-tuner Premiere Elite is now called the Premiere XL4. The first two are suitable for over-the-air programming, while the latter is limited to those of you with cable or FiOS subscriptions. New livery and branding should arrive in stores soon, although TiVo's website is yet to reflect the changes.

TiVo quietly rebrands Premiere XL, Elite DVRs as XL2 and XL4 under cover of darkness originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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