By David Ponce

If you’ve got a nagging urge to get your Android action on that big fat HDTV you just purchased, a company called Always Innovating might have something for you. It’s an HDMI dongle that is essentially a little PC all on its own. It’s got its own TI Dual Cortex-A9 OMAP 4 (1 to 1.8GHz) processor, 256MB to 1Gb of RAM, WiFi and is capable of 1080p video decoding. Oh, and it’s running Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich. The idea is that you take any ole TV, plug this into the HDMI port and off you go, running Android as if that TV was a mobile device. You can run apps, browse the Internet, watch movies and do whatever else you’d do on an Android device.

Always Innovating isn’t selling these directly to the consumer, instead opting to license them to third party vendors. They expect to see them in shelves come summer 2012, for a price somewhere between $49 and $99.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

I’m as big a fan of streaming/downloading content online, or watching TV on demand, as anyone these days. But I also have to admit that at times I still enjoy the randomness of broadcast television, and just flipping on the TV and taking what I get. The feeling is hard to describe. But it’s like The Simpsons. While I own every season on DVD (up to season 10 of course) and can watch a given episode whenever I want. There’s still some appeal to randomly stumbling across a classic episode on TV.

But for most people, enjoying broadcast TV is limited to sitting at home on the couch in front of the flat screen. It’s not always easy to take it with you. Portable TVs are always an option, but who wants to bother when you probably already have a laptop with you while traveling? So most of the time you’ll settle for a show or movie you’ve ‘purchased’ online. But with Elgato’s EyeTV Hybrid dongle you don’t have to settle. If you’re sitting in an airport and want to see what’s going on with the local news, you can just plug it in to your laptop and enjoy broadcast TV right in your lap. It can even turn your laptop into a portable DVR, stream a live broadcast to your iPhone or iPad and best of all, the hardware is smaller than some flash drives. Check out our full review after the jump.

So maybe the best part of the EyeTV Hybrid tuner is really how easy the software is to setup and run. But the small USB dongle it uses to tune in analog NTSC, digital ATSC & QAM broadcasts is a big part of its appeal. On one end you’ll find a USB connector, and on the other is a couple of proprietary video ports that help keep its overall size to a minimum. And that’s it. No power buttons, no annoying LEDs, nothing. You just plug connect a signal source, plug it into your PC and you’re good to go.

Now for the most part I suspect that people who’ve purchased the EyeTV Hybrid tuner will be using it with broadcast signals either pulled in through a cable coming from the wall, or from a small antenna getting it over the air. And in that case you’ll need to attach an included coaxial adapter to the dongle. Oddly enough I don’t see any reason to remove it once it’s attached. It’s unobtrusive, doesn’t add much to the size of the dongle, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why Elgato didn’t permanently incorporate the adapter into the dongle’s design to begin with.

You can also use the EyeTV Hybrid as a ‘video-in’ connection for your laptop, allowing you to connect old camcorders to digitize footage. Or even a gaming console if you’ve decided to travel with something like a Wii in tow. For those times you’ll need to use the included break out cable which connects to the square port on the back of the dongle. It only gives you stereo audio and composite or s-video connections, no component or HDMI here. But again, it’s understandable given the product is designed with portability in mind.

Unfortunately the one area where that ‘keep it compact’ mentality was totally ignored is when it comes to the EyeTV Hybrid’s included remote. As far as compact remotes for portable devices goes it’s monstrous, and while it lets you control any of the included EyeTV software’s functions from afar, I highly doubt I would ever leave the house with this crammed in my laptop bag. It’s obviously a last minute addition to the package, and I really think Elgato should seek out a smaller solution for future versions of the product.

Once you’ve got the dongle attached, a broadcast source connected to the coaxial adapter, and the included EyeTV software installed, you have to go through a relatively quick setup process. It’s pretty painless as you specify which hardware you’re using (it would be nice if the setup process could just detect it automagically) and what source you’ve got connected. Cable or an OTA signal. After that it goes through the process of auto-detecting channels, which admittedly is a little tedious if a lot are available from your source. It took about half an hour to collect a full run-down of the channels available via my cable service.

You also have the opportunity to sign up for TV Guide’s data services which are free for the first year, but $19.99/yr after that. Having that info of course makes it far easier to find something to watch, but it’s also pretty integral when it comes to scheduling recordings and using the EyeTV software as a DVR.

Once everything is setup and your channel lineup has been detected, you can start watching TV right away in a window that can be set to always be on top if you want to work at the same time. Or in full screen mode if you’re going to stop pretending that you’re actually going to do anything productive while watching TV.

Flipping channels, adjusting the volume and going into the DVR’s menu settings can all be accomplished through the aforementioned included remote. But there’s also an on-screen remote option if you’re sitting at your PC and are willing to use your mouse. It’s got access to all the functions you’d need including recording and rewinding live TV since like Tivo and other DVRs, the EyeTV software is constantly recording a live buffer of what you’re watching. Limited to a specific amount of drive space in the preferences. But if you do choose to use the remote instead, the on-screen controls can be hidden as needed.

The EyeTV software also has it’s own PC-friendly front-end that provides a list of all the recordings you’ve made, in addition to keeping track of scheduled recordings and the program guide. Each episode or snippet of TV that’s been captured shows up in this list and can be watched or deleted as needed. You can also pop-up a basic video editor, but from my testing it’s really only useful for chopping off extra content at the beginning or end of a show. If you were hoping to splice out ‘naughty’ scenes to make a show more kid-friendly, you’ll have to use a more powerful editing app. I also want to point out that the video captured by the EyeTV software is at a lossless quality, which means the digital stream that’s recorded is exactly as the broadcaster has encoded it. So you’re not losing a generation of quality.

One feature I really like is the one-button export for making a recording iPhone or iPad friendly. There’s a dedicated button for each device, and once clicked you’ll see a small progress bar on the specific show as it’s re-encoded for the portable devices. When done, the new clip is exported to your iTunes library automatically so that you can sync it to your device. There’s also a button for exporting the clip to Roxio’s Toast multimedia conversion software, but it’s not included. And like I said at the beginning of my review, the software is extremely easy to use. With minimal fuss required to configure things like video quality and the like. Sometimes I like being able to tweak an app to exactly what I need, but other times I’m happy to just enjoy a user-friendly experience.

But that’s not to say the EyeTV software is completely crippled when it comes to tweaking it to your needs. The preferences still give you a decent amount of options when it comes to everything from how the video is displayed in a window, to sharing recorded content to other devices on your network, to setting up parental controls. If you’re really picky when it comes to re-encoding video there are certainly more advanced options out there you can use. But as a basic DVR I think the EyeTV software has more than enough options for the average user. It’s pretty much on-par with the branded DVR boxes offered by most cable companies in North America, as well as Tivo.

One last thing that iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users will like, is that Elgato have created an accompanying EyeTV app that can be used with iOS devices. Sadly it’s not available as a free companion to the EyeTV desktop application. It will actually cost you $4.99, but I think the extra functionality could certainly be worth the price if you find yourself relying on the EyeTV app as your main DVR. The iOS app lets you stream anything you’ve recorded to the portable devices, over wifi or 3G (with a drop in quality of course) including live TV! So if you’ve ever fantasized about enjoying TV while using the bathroom, this will pretty much make those dreams come true if you’ve got an iOS device at your disposal. (Oh come on! I’m pretty sure I’m not the only person to have thought about this!)

Having used other USB-based TV tuners in the past with limited success, I have to say the EyeTV Hybrid is certainly one of the simplest and easiest solutions I’ve come across. The compact USB dongle makes it easy to toss in a laptop bag if you’re hoping to enjoy some local TV content while traveling. Just keep in mind that you’ll also have to bring along a compact antenna if you were hoping to tune in some OTA ATSC content. But still, if you have limited access to the internet, and forgot to load up your system with movies and TV shows before you left, it’s a nice alternative to watching old episodes of Top Gear again and again. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!)

I also think it’s a great way to turn a home PC into a fairly functional home theater setup. I know a few people who’ve opted to keep a larger screened iMac in their living room that doubles as a TV for watching downloaded content. But with the EyeTV Hybrid kit it can easily serve as a full-featured DVR as well. But the real beauty is that you’re not limited to ONLY watching things on the PC where they were recorded. It can also be sent to an iOS device to be synced and watched later, or streamed live using the accompanying app. I know Apple already has a lot of this functionality with the Apple TV, AirPlay and iTunes, but they have a distinct lack of free content when compared to OTA ATSC broadcasts. And if you’ve got a large monthly iTunes bill, that’s reason enough to give the EyeTV Hybrid some consideration.

Pros:
+ A compact accessory that lets you enjoy broadcast TV on your PC or laptop.
+ Included EyeTV software turns your PC into a fairly capable DVR. And makes it easy to convert recordings to iPhone or iPad friendly versions.
+ EyeTV software is also able to stream recorded and live TV to an iPad or iPhone with an accompanying app.

Cons:
- A little on the expensive side at $149.95.
- Accompanying EyeTV iOS app is an additional $4.99, instead of being free.
- Requires at least a compact antenna to tune in OTA ATSC signals, and reception is dependent on where you are.
- Included video in breakout cable maxes out at an s-video connection. No HDMI or component.
- If you’ve gotten used to online content you’ll have to learn to deal with commercials again.

Links:
EyeTV Hybrid TV Tuner – $149.95

If you have any questions about the EyeTV Hybrid TV Tuner you’d like answered, please feel free to leave them in the comments, and I’ll try to respond to them as best I can.

By Chris Scott Barr

Here’s an interesting thing. TVs are getting more and more features these days. Enough that they can actually start eliminating the need for other devices to be connected to them. The next device to go? If Sony has anything to say about it, they’re looking to replace your DVR.

Sony is releasing a trio of new Bravia TVs that come equiped with 500GB hard drives. What’s more is that they have support for external drives, just in case you run out of room. The only real difference between the three models is size, which range from 22-inches to 40-inches. The new sets will cost you a pretty penny though, with the smallest size fetching $1,000 when it launches next month in Japan.

[ Sony ] VIA [ Geeky Gadgets ]

What it lacks in subtlety, XCM’s HDMI Capsule switcher makes up for in simple usefulness. I’m hesitant to call it a run-of-the-mill HDMI switcher though. Technically all it’s really designed to do is switch between 4 connected HDMI sources, but its frosted plastic housing hides a rainbow of surprises. Literally! The box glows either green, blue, red or yellow depending on which input is selected. So if you color coordinate it with your gear properly, you should be able to see what’s currently selected at a glance from across the room. Available from importers like Play-Asia.com for ~$30.

[ XCM's HDMI Capsule Switcher ]

These nondescript black boxes from Vanco could be the best thing since sliced bread if you need to route an HDMI AV signal around your house, but don’t want to re-wire your place with HDMI or HD video friendly cat5e & cat6 network cables. It instead lets you transmit a full 1080P HDMI audio & video signal over your home’s existing coaxial wiring, assuming of course your home is wired for cable. Over a dual or quad-shielded RG6 coaxial cable you can extend the HDMI signal up to 328 ft. or 164 ft. over RG59 coaxial cable which I’m going to assume is more common. And if for some reason you’re setting up a massive video wall at home you can cascade up to 45 of the receiver units from a single transmitter box.

As for the price tag? Well I’d like to say this solution is a more affordable alternative to running network cable or using other HDMI extenders, but the transmitter & receiver pair run about $500 so I guess it all depends on your particular setup and how much easier or cost effective it would actually make things for you.

[ Vanco HDMI Over Coaxial Cable Extender ] VIA [ mavromatic ]

It was announced, and has been available in the U.S. since last Fall, but the second generation of the Flip MinoHD will soon be available for all of us north of the U.S. border. (By mid-July for $239.) When compared to the original MinoHD the second generation model has a slightly thinner, considerably more rounded body with an aluminum housing featuring a brushed metal finish. Overall it’s a bit sleeker than the previous model, but is far more pocket-friendly and compact than the Flip UltraHD we reviewed last year. And if brushed metal isn’t your thing (what’s wrong with you?) you can order a customized version from the Flip website instead.

But the real improvements of the second generation MinoHD include a bump to 8GB of memory, twice that of the original model allowing you to record up to 2 hours of 720P ‘HD’ video, a mini-HDMI port on the bottom and a screen that’s now 2 inches in size compared to the 1.5 inches of its predecessor. That might not seem like a lot, but having played with it for a while, it’s actually a big improvement. Video quality is pretty much on-par with the previous model and the UltraHD, same sensor and all, and while some people have commented that its touch buttons don’t provide a lot of tactile feedback (there’s still a physical record button) I actually like that they’re easy to keep clean.

If you’re in the market for a compact camcorder the Flip line still remains at the top of the list when it comes to being easy-to-use, making them an ideal gift for the less than techno savvy. However, the lack of pretty much any options when it comes to video quality or shooting (it really only has a digital zoom) and the fact that certain reception-issue-plagued smartphones have already caught up and surpassed the Flips when it comes to functionality will hopefully see Cisco expanding the line and the camera’s capabilities in the very near future. You don’t think they bought Linksys and Flip for nothing did you?

[ Flip MinoHD ]

We’re all familiar with the idea of slapping a hi-def LCD display on the wall in a portrait orientation and then playing back footage of the great outdoors to make it seem like a window with a fantastic view. So the eScape from Sky Factory doesn’t exactly break any new ground. They’ve basically taken the concept and refined it with a lovely 40-inch 1080P LCD and a stylish frame with shutters, that open inwards for some reason. And while I find the $9,750 asking price ridiculous, it’s the included video scenes that actually leave me shaking my head.

Is the waterfall clip supposed to make visitors think that part of my house and/or apartment opens into an underground grotto? Or that even though I live on the 26th floor of a high-rise building, the view from my bedroom includes a spectacular shoreline with waves crashing against rocks? Now I know these virtual windows are just supposed to provide a relaxing escape wherever they’re installed, but I think it wouldn’t hurt to provide a couple of video options that are at least semi-plausible.

[ Sky Factory eScape Virtual Windows ] VIA [ DVICE ]

Cables suck, particularly when you’ve got your HDTV mounted to the wall with an ugly trunk line sticking out the back that’s difficult to camouflage. But Cable To Go’s TruLink 60GHz WirelessHD kit promises to at least get rid of the HDMI cable between your TV and components like your PVR, Blu-ray player or hi-def gaming console. Installing the hardware looks to be as plug-and-play easy as anything, and with a range of up to 33 feet, it should be more than adequate for most setups.

However, there are some downsides that I can see. First of all the transmitter/receiver seem to be dependent on a line of sight signal, so you won’t be able to hide this, um, aesthetically challenged hardware in a cabinet or behind your TV. And it only accepts a single HDMI connection, so unless you have all of your hi-def gear piped through a switcher of some sort, you’ll be swapping cables. Finally, while it does eliminate the HDMI cable running to your TV, it also adds another power cable to deal with on both ends, which can be even more annoying. That and the fact the kit is a whopping $499.99 available starting in June.

[ TruLink 1-Port 60 GHz WirelessHD Kit ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Evan Ackerman

This TV from Haier (I guess they’re an electronics company or something) doesn’t just feature wireless HD… It’s totally, completely wireless. Wireless power, folks. What does it take to transmit 3 gigs per second of 60hz 1080p plus 100 watts of electricity? A gigantic antenna is what, as you can see right in front of the distracting jerk with the ponytail who got in the background of my shot:

We talked to the Haier reps about just what exactly would happen if you got in between the antenna and the TV, and while they said that it was perfectly safe, I’m going to assume that that’s just PR-speak for, “it’ll definitely turn you into a super hero while giving you some form of cancer.” We have no information on when you’d find something like this in your house, but the wireless HD probably won’t be available before 2011, about the same time as non-chafing lead underpants.

By Evan Ackerman

1080p? Yawn. It’s been done. If high def is the new normal def, what’s the new high def? It’s UHD (Ultra High Definition), which takes 1920 x 1080 full HD and quadruples the resolution to 3840 x 2160. This particular TV is an 84″ LCD from LG… Good luck spotting any pixels, even if I zoom waaaaayyyy in:

It’s kinda cool that you can actually get closer to the TV and examine things in greater detail, kinda like you can in real life. Not that this is necessarily a good thing, since it encourages unhealthy viewing distances. At least Sony is way ahead of us on that one.

It’s gonna be a little while before you’ll be able to buy a TV like this, if for no other reason than you’ll have a hard time finding any content that utilizes its full potential. And by the time stuff like this is available, we’ll be looking forward to the next high def standard… 8k (7680 x 4320, or 33 megapixels) should be arriving sometime around 2020.