Wish you could access your HD DVR from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection? How about being able to not only to access and program your HD DVR remotely, but also be able to view live TV directly from the unit as well? If you’re answer is a resounding YES, you’re gonna wanna pick up the DISH Network HD DuoDVR SlingLoaded ViP 922 when it becomes available later this Spring. The ViP 922 is said to the first network HD DVR with Slingbox capabilities built-in. What’s more, it’s also capable of delivering on-demand content in 1080p resolution, accessing media content from a variety online sources / services, instant messaging, audio streaming, LAN content transfer, storing 1TB of media, and remote management via a PC, Mac, or iPhone using SlingGuide – the company’s new remote DVR manager, programming guide, and content search portal. Press releases for both products are attached below. MORE »

A US consumer study into High Definition TV purchase drivers carried out by Oregan Networks™, an Internet TV software company and Micronas®, a leading supplier of innovative TV application-specific IC system solutions, has revealed that the ability to access the Internet from the comfort of the living room in parallel or in addition to watching regular TV programming, is making its way into the purchasing criteria of today’s tech-savvy consumers who plan to purchase a TV within the next 2 years. MORE »

OMG. What unholy union has D-Link created here? D-Link today is unveiling to the world a cross-segment device that combines a 802.11n Wi-Fi router, 3.2-inch photo frame / data display, NAS server with UPnP / BitTorrent / FTP functionality, and SharePort server for printer and scanner sharing. Ok… so after all that has sunk in, it’s really not that bad. In fact, combining a NAS server with a wireless router is pretty cool. The big mystery is the LCD. The company’s press release states: “the vibrant LCD screen [...] displays device status via graphical gauges, digital photos, streamed video, weather forecasts and other live streaming Internet content in up to 1.6 million colors.” Something tells me D-links want you to place this device right on your desktop or bookshelf. Price, availability, and storage capacity: TBD. MORE »

The day all you iPhone and Slingbox owners have been waiting for has just about arrived. Sling Media will be demonstrating a version of the SlingPlayer Mobile for the iPhone at Macworld this week, which the company says should be available in iTunes the first quarter of 2009. Also on display will be the new SlingPlayer for Mac HD that will allow Slingbox PRO-HD users to stream HD content to their desktop or laptop. Interestingly, the new SlingPlayer is a web-based application that’s only accessible via Sling.com. Additional details are provided below. MORE »

LG is announcing the company is getting set to launch a new LCD and plasma “Broadband HDTV” line that will be capable of streaming Netflix video from a subscriber’s Watch Instantly queue via their broadband connection over Ethernet – similar to the company’s BD300 Network Blu-ray Player. According to the press release, users will also be able to to browse Netflix’s available library and make further selections right on the TV using the accompanying remote. In addition, people will also be able to read synopses, rate movies, and, of course, play / pause / rewind / fast-forward movie selections as they’re streaming. No word on pricing or availability other than: sometime in 2009. MORE »

Scoot over, Netflix. Roku and Amazon have announced a partnership to provide the Roku Digital Video Player (notice Roku finally changed their device’s name from “Netflix Player by Roku” to the Roku Digital Video Player — good move) users access to Amazon’s Video On Demand library in the early part of 2009. Soon users will be able to rent new movie titles (launched the same day as their DVD counterparts) and TV shows ranging in price from 99-cents to $3.99 with a 24 hour viewing window. Users will also be able to purchase videos to own, which will be stored in “your video library” at Amazon.com for convenient access from any PC, Mac, or TV. It’s also worth pointing out that Amazon VOD videos will be encoded in the advanced H.264 codec and will stream at the best quality possible (either 300, 600, 900 or 1200 kbps) automatically according to your detected bandwidth connection speed. Full press release below. MORE »

CE Pro Magazine gave subscribers an early sneak peek at ZeeVee’s upcoming ZvPro rack mountable, HD over coaxial cable distribution appliance in its latest edition. Unfortunately, the details in ZeeVee’s ad spot were a bit thin for our taste, but it looks like the ZvPro will be able to screen shift (if that’s actually a technological term yet) the feed provided by a DVR, media server, HD set-top box, and even a PC. What’s more, with a PC connection, ZvPro users gain access to “unlimited video on demand from the internet, plus email, web surfing, and more [on all your] HDTVs.” How it will do all this is a mystery, so stay turned – an official press release should be hitting the wires later this week. [via]

Looks like the guys at LG aren’t threatened by the likes of Samsung’s BD-P2500. LG is announcing that in the next few weeks owners of their BD300 Network Blu-ray Player will gain access to CinemaNow – including its HD library – and YouTube content directly from their player. These new enhancements are in addition to LG’s recently added Netflix HD streaming support. Now, if someone can pass the word along that us, connected home enthusiasts, would like to see UPnP functionality added so we can stream our stored media from network PCs and NAS servers, that would be very much appreciated. MORE »

I get and respect Cisco’s desire to dig deeper into the home, but I am not convinced that a piece of consumer electronics gear is the way to do it. According to the NYT, Cisco is looking to develop a “a digital stereo system that is meant to move music wirelessly around a house.” MORE »

A new study from international research firm Parks Associates finds consumer demand for networking features will drive the next wave of consumer electronics purchasing, particularly for imaging and mobile devices such as digital cameras, photo frames, and mobile phones. Digital Media Evolution, a new survey from Parks Associates, finds nearly 50% of U.S. broadband households want a digital camera with networking capabilities, with nearly 40% similarly interested in a networked digital photo frame. MORE »