Boxee will begin shipping its new Boxee Live TV tuners this week according to a post on the company’s blog. The new device is a dongle that provides Boxee Box owners with the ability to watch local broadcast TV stations. The Boxee Box accessory costs just $49.99 and it is likely best for those who have turned to Boxee to replace their cable television subscription, not those who are using it as a supplement. The Boxee Live TV tuner supports the following:

• Social Channel Listings – We’ll show you what’s on, what your friends are watching, and how many people total are watching a show as you flip through channels.
• Sharing – Share the traditional Boxee way on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr AND you can now passively share to Facebook using our Live TV Timeline App – turn sharing on and whatever you’re tuned into will post to your Facebook ticker automatically.  It’s easy to switch off too so your friends don’t need to know about your addiction to HSN.
• Edit Channels - Quickly hide channels from your lineup that don’t speak your language or have pissed you off with bad programming decisions like taking Arrested Development off the air.  Easily rename WNDHCTA 7.2 to NBC.
• All-In-One Interface – done watching a show on broadcast, easily jump into more episodes from the web. It’s the best of both worlds all on the same remote.

9% of consumers in the United States have already cut cable TV service from their monthly utility bills, the latest State of the Media Democracy survey from Deloitte indicates. The company also found that 11% of U.S. consumers are considering cutting cable TV. Younger generations are more likely to get rid of cable TV, too. Deloitte found that 19% of those aged 23-28 are thinking about canceling cable while 13% of Generation Xers and 7% of baby boomers said they are considering doing the same. “For the first time, less than half of all viewers say they have viewed their favorite shows live on their home TV,” Phil Asmundson, Deloitte’s U.S. Media & Telecommunications Sector Leader said. “In 2011, the number was only 49%. In 2008, it was 71%. That’s striking.” Read on for more.

Deloitte found that 35% of survey respondents are now using their DVR to watch shows at their convenience. In 2009, just 17% of viewers streamed their favorite television shows online for free, and that figure jumped to 22% last year. Just 6% of viewers said they watch their favorite show from a smartphone or mobile device, but 9% used a game console such as an Xbox or a PlayStation 3. “Cable providers should consider enhanced ways to leverage their current strengths before users flock to other options,” Asmundson said. “DVR would appear to be a strong starting point for waging that battle – but today it’s underused.”

[Via GigaOm]

Read

The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently published three Thunderbolt related patents that suggest Apple may have plans to build Intel’s Thunderbolt connections into its iOS devices. As Patently Apple points out, Apple may build its own cabling technology that gives it exclusive rights to how Thunderbolt technology might be built into portable devices. Thunderbolt ports would allow for faster data transfers on the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, as well as shorter charging times. One of Apple’s more revealing patents describes stronger Thunderbolt cables that could handle greater amounts of data more efficiently and without overheating. Apple says in its patent that the Thunderbolt connections “may be provided between a portable media player and a display, a computer and a portable media player, or between other types of devices.” Apple currently has a number of devices, including displays and computers, with Thunderbolt ports. The company does not yet offer a portable device with the I/O option, however.

Read

When we last heard from social media listening firm Mashwork, we learned that future smartphone buyers were much more interested in purchasing the Samsung Galaxy S II than the 4G-friendly Motorola DROID BIONIC. Mashwork is back on Monday with some more interesting findings: according to the firm’s latest research, 45% more people prefer Netflix over Hulu Plus than vice versa. Pulling data from 10,283 relevant tweets between June 28th and July 6th, 2011, 29% of all users prefer Netflix over Hulu Plus for streaming movies and TV shows, while 20% prefer Hulu Plus over Netflix. Also of note, 51% of those accounted for in Mashwork’s study use both services and are hoping to cut the cord with their cable or satellite TV providers. Hulu certainly would like to have been positioned better in the study; Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed at a recent Allen & Co conference that Hulu owners NBCUniversal, News Corp and Disney/ABC Television Group are currently trying to sell the company. Mashwork’s full infographic follows below.

As an aside, Mashwork is looking for feedback from BGR readers. The company was blown away by the feedback it got after we covered its Galaxy S II vs. DROID BIONIC study, and it wants to know what comparisons our readers might like to see in the future. Do people want a more expensive high-end iPad 2 to compliment the current model? Does QNX really stand to right the RIM ship? Let us know what questions you want Mashwork to help answer in the comments section below.

Read

We’ve been keeping our ears to the floor for news on what Microsoft has in store for the E3 trade show, which kicks off early next week, and we’re finally starting to hear some mumblings. According to winrumors, Microsoft is finalizing media partnerships and plans to debut a new Xbox LIVE subscription TV service — currently being called “Diamond” — during its press conference. Xbox LIVE Diamond should allow Xbox LIVE customers to watch streaming television provided by Microsoft’s content partners, although it’s currently unclear how much the subscription will cost. The Redmond-based company has also recently trademarked “Fusion Vault, “Fusion Genesis,” and “Fusion Sentient,” and it reportedly has a music and video discovery service dubbed “Ventura” in the works, too. We’ll be reporting from E3 next week in Los Angeles where we’re sure to hear plenty more.

Read

According to new data from ABI Research, internet TV and and television services run by telecoms – such as Verizon or AT&T— are slowly eating away at cable TV’s market share. Cable TV subscriptions dropped from 72% in 2009 to 69% in 2010, and cable providers in North America and Western Europe saw the greatest subscriber losses. Despite the customer losses, the overall pay-TV market continues to grow — there were 11.3 million new pay-TV subscribers in Q1 2011, and that the total number of subscribers is expected to exceed 759 million by the end of this year. Cable TV is continuing to grow in Latin America, however, and penetration in Brazil is expected to reach 10% in 2011. “The emergency of digital TV in different pay-TV platforms begins to offer more choices to consumers,’ Khin Sandy Lynn, an ABI research analyst, said. “Digital terrestrial TV (DTT) channels and high definition (HDTV) channels are gaining popularity in pay-TV markets. ABI research expects that there will be more than 230 million high-definition TV subscriptions across different platforms at the end of 2011.” Hit the jump for the full release

Telco TV and Internet TV Capture Share from Cable TV in Mature Markets

According to new market data from ABI Research, 11.3 million pay-TV subscribers were added at the end of first quarter of 2011. “By the end of 2011, the total number of pay-TV subscriptions is expected to exceed 759 million,” says practice director Jason Blackwell of ABI Research.

Cable TV still maintains the largest market share; however, its relative share of subscriptions dropped from 72% in 2009 to 69% in 2010. Cable TV operators in Western Europe and North America in particular faced subscriber losses in 2010 as new television services such as telco TV and online TV replaced traditional cable TV services.

However in emerging markets such as Latin America, cable TV will continue its growth. As an example Brazil, a country with more than 59 million households, has only about 17% pay-TV penetration. Many parts of Brazil still have no access to cable TV services. In a plan recently released by the country’s telecom regulator, cable TV penetration is expected to reach 10% in 2011.

Analog switch-off is taking place across the world. The momentum of the process is especially high in Western Europe, with the UK and Italy expecting to complete analog switch-off in 2012. Asia-Pacific countries such as China and India have taken the first steps to switch off analog transmission, and the process is expected to be complete by 2015.

“The emergence of digital TV in different pay-TV platforms begins to offer more choices to consumers,” notes research analyst Khin Sandi Lynn. “Digital terrestrial TV (DTT) channels and high definition (HDTV) channels are gaining popularity in pay-TV markets. ABI Research expects that there will be more than 230 million high-definition TV subscriptions across different platforms at the end of 2011.”

ABI Research’s new Market Data product, “Pay-TV Subscriber Market Data” presents an overview of the pay-TV market across three key subscription video platforms: satellite, cable, and telco TV. Detailed market trends and market forecast information for key regions and countries around the world are provided where available.

The study is a part of the company’s TV and Video Research Service.

Patently Apple reports that its Cupertino-based namesake has been granted a new patent for an improved 30-pin dock connector. The interface, which is used by Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPods, is slightly thinner and will be able to sherpa data over USB 3.0 and 2.0, and contain a dual-lane display port channel. The patents suggest that future versions of the company’s laptops, desktops, and mobile devices will utilize the new USB technologies — and that future mobile devices may be able to output to HDMI without the need for an adapter. There is an additional patent schematic after the break.

Read

We knew that Cablevision was involved in creating an iPad app that enables the viewing of TV content, but we didn’t know that the app would offer iPad owners a better experience than FIOS’ and Time Warner Cable’s offerings. Cablevision’s Optimum app lets you, from behind your own network at home, view your entire channel lineup directly from up to two iPads simultaneously, complete with program guide information, access to the company’s more than 2,000 VOD offerings with the rest coming this summer, while also letting you record and control your DVR directly from the app. After entering my Optimum account username and password, I was immediately able to access every Optimum channel that I subscribe to from my iPad, and after some quick buffering, video looked absolutely great. It doesn’t look like you’re able to currently watch any recorded video from your DVR, but that’s not such a big deal in my book. Cablevision told me that their app doesn’t use the internet to deliver video to your iPad, nor is the content streamed, rather it’s sent over the company’s network just as it works with your set-top box. If you are an Optimum customer that doesn’t have a cable modem, Optimum will provide an internet-blocked cable modem for free that will enable you to use the iPad app with a user-provider secure wireless router. Cablevision also said that they plan to deploy the same experience to other devices, so we anticipate an iPhone and Android app in the future. Check out some screenshots of the app in our gallery, and if you’re an Optimum cable customer, the app is available for free in the App Store. Press release after the break.

CABLEVISION’S NEW OPTIMUM APP DELIVERS THE FULL CABLE TELEVISION EXPERIENCE TO AN iPAD IN THE HOME

Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg is likely none too pleased with the team responsible for writing a presentation he gave at a recent investor conference. In it, Seidenberg stated that his company’s LTE service could become a “modest substitute” for traditional cable or home Internet access. The press and blogs subsequently erupted, and rightfully so — at $50 for 5GB per month or $80 for 10GB per month (plus $10 per GB for overages on either plan), Verizon’s “4G” would be an extremely pricey cable Internet alternative. It would also provide service that is a fraction of the speed of current home Internet solutions. Cable Internet subscribers in many regions pay $30-$40 each month for download speeds in excess of 20-30Mbps and no finite caps on usage. In preliminary tests, Verizon’s LTE service achieved download speeds of less than 10Mbps with no load whatsoever on the network.

Read

T-Mobile has cleared the air in response to reports Friday that questioned why the carrier might be stocking connector cables for use with Apple’s iPhone and iPod lines. T-Mobile, of course, does not currently sell any Apple products. A T-Mobile spokesperson confirmed to BGR that the cables will be sold in select T-Mobile locations, but said they are intended for subscribers using unlocked iPhone handsets and European T-Mobile customers roaming in the U.S.

Select T-Mobile stores will soon begin carrying iPod/iPhone charge and Sync cables to support customers who may be using an unlocked iPhone or are traveling from outside the United States and using an iPhone while roaming on our network.  T-Mobile carries the iPhone in Europe, so many people traveling to the U.S. roam on our network with their iPhones.  The iPod/iPhone cable also makes a great companion product for our line of MicroUSB charging solutions.  The cable can be plugged into the USB port of the universal MicroUSB car, wall or two-in-one chargers to provide customers with a charging solution for their iPod when they are on the go.

Many had jumped to the conclusion that the iPhone might soon be offered by T-Mobile, but unfortunately that does not appear to be the case. Instead, the iPhone remains an AT&T exclusive… for now.

Any T-Mobile fans out there looking for some fresh iPhone-rumor fodder? TMoNews is reporting that several T-Mobile retail locations are starting to receive T-Mobile branded Dock Connector cables; a 30-pin cord which is currently only used by Apple’s iPods, iPads, and iPhones.

T-Mobile has publicly stated that it would support unlocked iPhones on its network — this new cable could be a testament to that. However, if you’re one of those people who know all about the “Magic Bullet” theory, you might like to convince yourself that the cable is a clear indication that Magenta could begin offering the iPad or the iPhone in the not-so-distant future.

Anyone have any additional thoughts or conspiracy theories? We’ve reached out to T-Mobile for comment and will update this post with any additional information provided.

Read

Kind of… Cablevision and Time Warner are spending $10 million to provide WiFi service to over 30 parks in NYC as part of a deal to renew the cable companies’ cable TV franchises. Here is the catch though: internet use over Wi-Fi is free, but it’s limited to up to (3) 10 minute sessions a month, a total of 30 minutes of usage a person. If you want to get your SlingBox on after that, it’s going to cost $0.99/day to access the internet. Not an exorbitant amount of money, but definitely not quite free, either.

Read

AT&T has announced that the U-Verse mobile app is now available to Apple iPhone users via the App Store. As the press release so succinctly puts it:

U-verse Mobile replaces the popular Mobile Remote Access for iPhone app and incorporates the ability to browse the U-verse TV program guide, view program descriptions, schedule and manage your DVR recordings, while adding the ability to download available episodes over any Wi-Fi connection, and watch them in full-screen mode on your iPhone from anywhere.

There is (as always) a catch, customers have to be subscribed to the U-Verse U300 package or higher, which starts at around $82 per month (and doesn’t include HD). If you are already a U-Verse customer, have a U300 cable package or better, and rock an iPhone, check out the new goods and let us know what you think! AT&T’s full press release is after the break.

AT&T Launches U-verse Mobile App to Let Customers Record and Watch TV Shows from iPhones

First TV Provider to Offer iPhone App with DVR Management and Ability to Download and Watch TV Content While on the Go

The U-verse Mobile app gives U-verse subscribers the ability to download and watch popular TV content on their iPhone so they can take their U-verse TV experience with them, wherever they go. AT&T is the first TV provider to offer an integrated mobile app that allows you to both manage your DVR and download and watch select shows. The app is another example of how AT&T delivers more value to U-verse TV customers with continued service enhancements and innovative apps.

U-verse Mobile replaces the popular Mobile Remote Access for iPhone app and incorporates the ability to browse the U-verse TV program guide, view program descriptions, schedule and manage your DVR recordings, while adding the ability to download available episodes over any Wi-Fi connection, and watch them in full-screen mode on your iPhone from anywhere. U-verse TV customers already enjoy the flexibility of remote DVR management. More than 100,000 U-verse TV customers use the Web and Mobile Remote Access apps every month.

“We’re making it possible for you to watch TV shows on your iPhone at no extra charge. It’s just one more valuable and innovative feature available on U-verse TV,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Our U-verse multi-screen promise is now a reality for millions of U-verse TV customers, with content available on U-verse TV, U-verse Online, and today, U-verse Mobile. No cable provider comes close to matching the cross-platform experience we’re delivering today, and we’ll continue to add unique features that further integrate these screens.”

All U-verse TV customers can download the app to manage their DVR, and the ability to download and watch content is available for customers that subscribe to the U300 package or higher. U-verse customers can upgrade their TV packages at any time at www.att.com/u-verse. New U-verse TV customers and iPhone owners that order AT&T U-verse U300 or U450 will receive a $75 iTunes gift card.

You can browse or search a library of downloadable shows, and select which series or specific episode you want to download. The content is downloaded to iPhone over a Wi-Fi connection. All AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet customers have home Wi-Fi installed as part of their service and get access to AT&T’s U.S. Wi-Fi network at no additional cost.

The U-verse Mobile App includes TV shows from several popular networks and AT&T will continue to add more content on an ongoing basis.

U-verse Mobile is the latest way that AT&T is mobilizing everything that’s important to customers — their favorite content, apps, entertainment and social networks. AT&T today delivers the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network as well as the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network, giving customers the best combination of speed and coverage.

The U-verse Mobile App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

AT&T U-verse offers numerous features and apps that enhance your entertainment experience, including many ways that TV and wireless services work together — a benefit that cable providers don’t offer. In addition to U-verse Mobile, you can check your wireless and U-verse Voice messages from a single voice mailbox; use the YP.COM TV app to search for local business information and send the call to your home or wireless phone with the click of your remote; and more.

AT&T U-verse TV is the only 100 percent Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV) service offered by a national service provider, making AT&T U-verse one of the most dynamic and feature-rich services available today. AT&T U-verse TV ranked “Highest in Residential Television Service Satisfaction in the South and West Regions Two Years in a Row,” according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 and 2009 Residential Television Service Provider Satisfaction StudiesSM. For additional information on AT&T U-verse — or to find out if it’s available in your area — visit www.att.com/u-verse.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Read

According to the LA Times, Sony is preparing to launch two new cable television channels on October 1st. The first channel, tentatively called Sony Pictures Movie HD, will feature full-length, HD-quality films from Sony’s vast library of movies. The channel would be included as an additional HD channel within a basic television package and would not be a premium offering like HBO, Starz, or Showtime. The second channel is the already operational FEARnet, a horror movie venture between Sony, Lionsgate, and Comcast. Currently offered as a pay-per-view channel and online, FEARnet will be expanding to a dedicated, ad-supported HD channel starting in October.

[Via Barron's]

Read

The New York Times is reporting that Apple, Inc. is “working on an update to its television software” that runs on its Apple TV hardware, an update that “will offer a completely redesigned interface for it.” The Times’ source asked not to be identified, and Apple – unsurprisingly – declined to comment on the matter. The Times cited several additional anonymous sources that claimed the new Apple TV could: be a completely new hardware product, be a software update to the current hardware offering, and/or run Apple’s expanding iOS. Apple TV was first launch in 2006 and since has been described by Apple’s CEO as “a hobby.” One thing we’re looking forward to seeing: how Apple, Google, Roku, Tivo, and others compete for space in your living room.Read