by ·Comments Off on Channel Master Launches Stream+

Stream+ imageChannel Master just announced through a blog post that it has begun selling its new Stream+ receiver, which should come out in mid-January. The technical specs are everything that I hoped for and maybe a little more.

As expected, Stream+ runs on Android TV with full access to the Google Play store. According to its press release, the device also includes:

  • Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity. Better than the DVR+’s Ethernet-only connection.
  • Integrated voice search. What used to be an amazing remote control feature is quickly becoming required.
  • 4K and HDR viewing technology. Soon to be as ubiquitous as HDTV.
  • A quad-core CPU for advanced gaming. Never mind gaming, I appreciate what a good CPU can do for peppy responses when navigating Android TV. Do people still play games on general-purpose devices? I really don’t know.
  • Two built-in ATSC 1.0 tuners with a MicroSD storage option for DVR. Two tuners are required for a decent OTA DVR. MicroSD makes a small form factor, but USB hard drives can provide more storage. (Update: They tell me the microSD can be up to 512gb. Not bad!)
  • USB 3.0 for personal media use and future options. Does that mean users will be able to use it for DVR storage like the DVR+? (Update: They tell me USB storage is in development, but they wanted to get microSD certified first.)

Apparently Stream+ is going to rely on Google’s Live Channels for its free(!) program guide data after separating from Rovi a few weeks ago. I played around with that app a little on my AirTV Player, and I hope it integrates better with the Stream+.

Perhaps the best news is the price point. During pre-release, Channel Master is selling the Stream+ for $99 delivered. That’s a no-brainer for a subscription-free OTA DVR with high-quality over-the-top capabilities. If it works as advertised, the Stream+ could become the signature device for cord-cutters everywhere. I’ve placed my order.

by ·Comments Off on Didja Reveals More Of Its Local TV Plans

Didja logoDidja, the company behind Phoenix BTV and Bay Area BTV, said it landed another $12 million round of funding according to an article posted early this morning by Jeff Baumgartner at Multichannel News. It also sounds like he got a chance to talk a bit with Didja CEO Jim Long.

Most of the article matches the speculation I’ve had, that Didja is using its current free test markets to try out different service configurations to see what works best. Although not stated, they’re also shaking out the technology so it’ll be ready for paying customers later. As I wrote yesterday, each local-market version provides a wide collection of unpopular channels (relatively speaking, of course) for which Didja has secured streaming rights, and each is only available to local viewers.

Baumgartner’s article had some hopeful notes. Thanks to the new funding, Didja plans to launch a Los Angeles version in early 2018 and to add more channels in the Bay Area market where the company makes its home.

In general, it sounds like Didja knows it will need the major broadcast stations to gain wide acceptance. “Looking ahead, Didja is also noodling on a longer-term business model by which it would offer a package of local broadcast networks for about $15 per month – with about two-thirds of that going to the network partners.” Speaking as a former NimbleTV and Aereo subscriber, I’d be up for that.

by ·Comments Off on Didja Stations To Expect

LocalBTV logo from the Google app storeDidja, the company behind the fine services BTV Phoenix and BTV Bay Area, likes to advertise its new channels but ignore its dropped channels. Because of that, and to help anyone interested in joining either service, I thought I’d make a record of exactly what’s available now.

Phoenix:

7.1 KAZT (independent)
7.3 HSN
7.4 Charge!
21.1 TBN
21.3 Juce
21.4 TBN Enlace
38.1 RitmoVision
38.2 Tuff
38.3 Iz Videos
38.4 evine
38.5 Action
38.6 Retro TV
38.7 Rev’n
41.1 Azteca
41.2 Religious
41.3 Lifehacks
41.4 QVC
42.1 Estrella
44.1 LATV
44.2 Telemax
44.3 DrTV
44.4 Jewelry
44.6 DrTV

Bay Area:

1.4 VietBay
1.7 VieTop
1.9 U Channel
1.12 NetV
2.4 Buzzr
4.2 Sky Link TV
12.10 CMC-USA Country Music Channel
14.3 GetTV
20.4 This TV
26.2 Diya TV
26.3 MBC America
26.6 Viet Shopping TV
28.1 Creation TV
28.2 HSN
28.3 California Music Channel
28.4 Blues
28.5 Rev’n
28.6 HSN
28.10 Retro TV
28.15 The Country Network
32.1 KMTP (independent non-commercial)
32.5 Classic Arts Showcase
32.6 Arirang (KPOP)
36.2 KEMS / KBS World
36.3 CCTV News
38.1 Sonlife Broadcasting Network
38.3 VieTV
38.5 New Tang Dynasty TV
50.1 Azteca
50.2 QVC
50.4 evine
50.5 Lifehacks
60.1 KCSM (independent non-commercial)
60.2 France 24
60.3 Jazz TV

If it were up to me, I’d choose all the music channels in the Bay Area lineup over the extra movie channels and one independent station in Phoenix. Of course, you don’t get to choose. These services are only available to viewers who are within the associated TV market according to the BTV servers, which so far have diligently checked my IP address (Windows desktop) or device location service setting (Android tablet and phone). But if you qualify, go for it!

by ·Comments Off on New AirTV Box Supplements Sling With OTA

AirTV device, shown from the frontYesterday, I wondered what drove Sling to withdraw from Channel Master’s over-the-air receivers. There’s no official reason yet, but Jeff Baumgartner pointed to a new device from Sling’s AirTV. Unlike the device Sling launched at CES 2017, the AirTV Player, this new one is called just, uh, AirTV.

The Player accepts an optional (though recommended) OTA adapter for local channels and streams Sling TV, Netflix, YouTube, and everything else that works on an Android TV. The new AirTV doesn’t have any streaming; instead it works a lot like SiliconDust’s HDHomeRun, taking an OTA antenna input and making it available throughout the house via WiFi. The differences are that the AirTV integrates with the SlingTV viewer app (and its own AirTV app) and makes those locals available from anywhere.

Another way to look at the AirTV is that it’s like a Tablo with no DVR, which is the most conspicuous omission for the AirTV Player as well. In a marketplace where a sub-$40 digital converter box can pause and record OTA, it seems like a no-brainer for AirTV to add it. Maybe I’ll learn more about it at CES next month.

by ·Comments Off on Sling Leaving Channel Master DVR+

DVR+ screen showing Sling TV as an optionSling just sent out an email to subscribers, presumably just those who watch on a Channel Master DVR+, which began, “The time has come for us to bid farewell to one of our devices. Soon, Sling TV will no longer be supported on Channel Master.”

That was all the useful information the note provided about this change, so while I await responses to my inquiries to Sling and Channel Master, it’s a good thing that I have enough questions and speculation to fill the gap.

When is soon? The end of the year is a natural, but it might also align with …

Does this have anything to do with Channel Master’s Stream+? It’s supposed to launch at CES 2018, which is pretty soon, and it shares some characteristics and a common source (Technicolor) with Sling’s AirTV Player. When Sling jumped on the DVR+ at CES 2016, it was hungry for subscribers and didn’t have its own device. Maybe now Sling sees Channel Master as a competitor? Which leads to …

Who initiated this change? Is Channel Master just shifting Sling viewers to the Sling Android TV app, which I would presume to be available on the Stream+? (Apparently not, see update below.) Did Sling want to make changes that wouldn’t fit on the DVR+? Or for some truly wild speculation, will Sling use CES 2018 to announce a local OTA DVR for AirTV?

I doubt that we’ll get all of those answers before next month, but I’ll update this as soon as I hear anything more.

Update: Channel Master emailed me to say that Sling initiated its removal from the DVR+. CM wrote, “Unfortunately, we do not have a reason behind their decision to pull the support.” I’m sorry to see it go.