Multi-Channel News: Out-of-the-Box with Comcast Anyplay, powered by Televation

If you’re a regular reader or a Comcast Xfinity customer in Denver or Nashville, you’ve probably heard about Comcast’s new AnyPlay service, which launched in January and uses Motorola’s Televation box to stream live cable TV to your tablet. 

Leslie Ellis at Multi-Channel News recently got her hands on it and took down her first impressions. Here are some excerpts:

-“That’s where AnyPlay is different, and I’ll say it, better..”

 – “…it’s an extension of the TV programming you already pay for…”

– “It’s a standalone box. No video outputs. Coax in, Ethernet out to the modem/wireless router, and voila: Television on the iPad. (Droids and other devices to come.)”

– “How does AnyPlay compare to the other lab streamers? Put it this way. The lab stuff is in a back room. All those screens, all those services, no TV at the desk! Until now. (I expect my quality of work to degrade precipitously.)”

Read the full story here: http://www.multichannel.com/blog/Translation_Please/33073-Inside_a_Comcast_AnyPlay_Installation.php

And find out more about Comcast AnyPlay at www.xfinity.com/anyplay.

Top 5 Tech Articles You Might Have Missed – Week of Jan. 30

What good are your favorite TV shows, songs and photos if you can’t share them? Motorola Mobility’s Larry Robinson discusses how the company has opened the floodgates for content delivery and sharing.  He highlights the company’s efforts to transform DVR recording units into home video gateways, designed to stream content to other IP-connected devices in the home.

The way we consume content has certainly changed as we grow more and more attached to our second screens. In fact, survey results show that the average Super Bowl viewer will check their mobile device up to 10 times during the game and almost a third of viewers will have their devices in hand while they watch the big game! Specifically, advertisers are leveraging social media as an opportunity to advocate their brands and keep viewers engaged. The value of these channels can be seen in Facebook’s public filing this week as the company seeks to raise a whopping $5 billion. Do you plan on using Facebook or Twitter during the big game?

1. Motorola’s New Strategy Brings Content to your Tablet (Jan. 28) By Jillian, PadGadget: Motorola has the details on how they would change the face of DVRs by replacing those recording units with home video gateways designed to move content between all of your devices and technology (including gaming consoles, computers, tablets, smartphones or other set-top boxes).

2. Super Bowl Viewers Will Check Phones 10 Times During the Game (Feb. 1) By Sam Laird, Mashable: Nearly half of Super Bowl XLVI viewers will check their mobile device as many as 10 times during the game, and almost a third of viewers under age 45 will watch the game “with device in hand.”

3. Super Bowl advertisers seek buzz on social media (Jan. 29) By Yinka Adegoke, Reuters: In the age of Twitter and Facebook, many Super Bowl viewers will use the commercial breaks to go online and see what people are saying about the game. This year, advertisers want them to tweet about their favorite commercials as well.

4. Facebook Seeks to Raise Up to $5 Billion in Biggest Internet IPO on Record (Feb. 2) By Brian Womack, Bloomberg: Facebook Inc., the social-networking website that in eight years changed the way the world communicates, filed to raise $5 billion in the largest Internet initial public offering on record.

5. TV’s Next Target: 4K Displays (Jan. 30) By Todd Spangler, Multichannel News: The next big leap in high definition TV is so eerily realistic, watching it is almost like looking out a picture window.

In The Middle of Super Bowl Action – Right From Your Couch

What will you be doing when the Giants take the field versus the Patriots for Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday? Gathered around a TV with friends and family, or catching the game while on the move? This year viewers will be able to watch the game in thrilling new ways, while enjoying rich, deep content — stats, clips, interviews and more – on every screen in the house.

How the times have changed. In 1967, fans watched the Packers demolish the Chiefs in the first-ever Super Bowl. It was probably like watching NASA video from the moon: grainy, scratchy, black-and-white. Now, fans can be immersed in a maxed out experience with video streams of action, background information, stats for fantasy league challenges and behind-the-scenes access. All this can be delivered to tablets, smartphones and screens in HD, 3D and DD 5.1. This Super Bowl is the first of many events in a new era of integrated experiences for fans at home.

So, how will you watch? Will you take the game with you as you walk around your house and hang out with friends in the kitchen? This is possible with Motorola Televation, which lets you stream your full channel line-up to your tablet, live, over your home network so that you can watch it anywhere in your house. Or will you stay on the couch and use your tablet to stream highlights or re-watch favorite commercials? Perhaps you’ll even use your smartphone to post a status update with your thoughts on the game. 

Whatever your plans include, learn more about the evolving fan experience and how rich content is being delivered today in the video below. Let us know what you’d like to see in your future entertainment experiences!   

Top 5 Tech Articles You Might Have Missed – Week of January 16

Post-CES news continued to dominate tech media this week with our Connected Home Gateway garnering additional praise from CEPro. Multichannel News added that the theme of CES revolved around video everywhere on multiple screens and devices, an area where we focus many of our efforts. The article also highlights tablet TV and features Comcast’s AnyPlay device, which leverages Motorola Televation technology.

In industry news this week, several popular websites, such as Reddit.com and Wikipedia, shut down their pages in protest of the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA). GigaOM’s Ryan Lawler argues that studios are partially responsible for making pirated streams and downloads too easy for consumers to access, adding that consumers are willing to pay for content. In other news, Reuters’ John Abell wrote an opinion piece detailing the evolution of television towards widespread adoption of TV Everywhere, which is quickly expanding and becoming a standard in the cable industry, although the controversy over content will continue. In fact, Sports Business Daily reports that ESPN is currently negotiating with MLB Advanced Media to adopt TV Everywhere as multi-platform viewing continues to gain popularity. How would you feel about watching sports games on your tablet?

1. CES 2012: The Good, The Bad, The Dubious (Jan. 15) By Julie Jacobson, CEPro: Avi Rosenthal muses about Motorola 4Home, strange cloud thermostats, faux tubes on Samsung’s “tube amp” and more from CES 2012.

2. CES: Drive to ‘Video Everywhere’ Shifts Into High Gear (Jan. 16) By Todd Spangler, Multichannel News: For the TV industry, the focus of many CES demos and announcements last week revolved around getting access to video content on multiple screens and devices.

3. How Hollywood drives people to piracy (Jan. 19) By Ryan Lawler, GigaOM: Media companies have been pushing SOPA and PIPA as a way to limit piracy, but it’s the studios’ fault.

4. TV 2012: A tale of two sets (Jan. 18) By John Abell, Reuters: There’s a whole lot going on in the world of television, the medium that has dominated the world’s attention for three generations and was supposed to — at the very least — become an also-ran to the Internet.

5. ESPN and MLB are on a TV Everywhere collision course (Jan. 16) By John Ourand, Sports Business Daily: MLB Advanced Media will be pressured to adopt TV Everywhere principles this year when MLB negotiates its next media-rights deal.

Motorola Mobility Booth Photos @ CES 2012

Motorola Mobility is showcasing its lastest innovations in home and mobile devices at CES this week. Check out some photos from our booth below or, if you are at the show, stop by and see us in booth #8644.

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