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Forget Hulu, cable TV! ‘Daily Show,’ ‘Colbert’ heads to TV alternative

March 26th, 2010, 12:40 pm by

If you’re still mourning the loss of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on Hulu.com, there’s a new cheap source in town.

MediaMall Technologies, which sells PlayOn software to TVs to web videos, announced today that it added a link to ComedyCentral.com shows, including “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report.” The feature is in beta and available for free to existing and new PlayOn users.

The software  is installed on a home computer, which accesses online videos and TV shows from Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Video, Netflix and several other online video sources. Then, on a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and certain other networked devices compliant with the Digital Living Network Alliance, users can view the videos on their big TV — no extra cables or wiring necessary. Third-party developers also created plugins to grab on-demand videos from Food Networks, NFL, MTV and many other TV networks.

But PlayOn has really won converts because it is one of the rare ways to view Hulu videos on a regular TV. (Hulu, of course, currently offers free access to several TV shows that typically require a cable TV or paid subscription.) Earlier this month, Hulu said that the two Comedy Central shows were being pulled from its site after Hulu failed to get the rights from Viacom to continue airing the shows online.

But PlayOn isn’t free. The software is $40, though you can usually find it cheaper online and there’s a free 14-day trial. Users also need broadband Internet service plus a home network and a DLNA device, such as the game consoles. After all that is in place, there are no further charges.

However, for this new product, MediaMall says it may charge a one-time $5 to $10 fee after the Comedy Central feature graduates out of beta status, scheduled for June 2010.

“It isn’t 100% decided yet- we are still doing some research, but it is likely to be $5 to existing customers for a limited time after the release and then go up to the standard $10 price going forward,” said Tracy Burman, with MediaMall. “…There is no official agreement between ComedyCentral and PlayOn.” Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Internet • Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • • | 2 Comments »

AT&T confirms wireless ‘disruption’ today

March 25th, 2010, 5:05 pm by

FYI: For Orange County AT&T mobile users who had unusually spotty service today, it’s all been fixed, the company said.

“Due to an equipment issue earlier this afternoon, some area AT&T customers may have experienced wireless service disruption. AT&T technicians resolved the issue at approximately 3:45 p.m. PT. We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers,” said the company.

I’m not an iPhone or AT&T customer, but I heard that some people had major issues with 3G Internet today. If issues continue, let me know.

More on cell phone service:

Posted in: Cell phones • iPhone • • • • | 13 Comments »

BlizzCon 2010 set for Anaheim this fall

March 25th, 2010, 11:14 am by

Another blog interruptus: The all-things-Blizzard-Entertainment game fest BlizzCon returns this fall to the Anaheim Convention Center.

BlizzCon, which will be the Irvine game company’s fifth fan convention, is set for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 22 and 23, 2010.

The convention usually sells out within minutes because it’s one of the rare chances for fans of the company’s games — World of Warcraft, Diablo and StarCraft — to get sneak peeks at coming games, meet the developers and snag some rare merchandise. Worldwide, some 11 million gamers play just World of Warcraft. The Blizzard franchise has been around since the early 1990s so it has a large and loyal fan base.

More details will be posted at blizzcon.com.

Here are stories from last year’s BlizzCon:

Posted in: Blizzard • BlizzCon • • • • | 4 Comments »

Cox’s mobile phone update: Can you hear me now Omaha?

March 25th, 2010, 8:02 am by

Despite a marketing campaign to promote the March launch of a new mobile phone service, consumers in the only city where Cox Communications actually launched service probably have no clue it exists.

That’s because in Omaha, Nebraska, only paying Cox employees there can get the service, said Jill Ullman, with Cox’s public affairs department. She declined to share prices, features or any other useful information.

Orange County was supposed to join Omaha this month as one of three areas nationwide that would get Cox’s “unbelievably fair” service first. But as we learned earlier this week, Cox nixed that launch in Orange County  in order to put “the final touches on the Cox Wireless,” said a spokesperson (see earlier story: What happened to Cox Cable’s mobile phone service?).

Around the Web, other news sites are reporting that Cox is gearing up to launch mobile service for business customers. Multichannel News says phone service is available in the three communities but only for “friendly” customers and testers.

If there are any “friendly” readers out there who are testing Cox’s mobile service in Orange County, please share your experience.

Earlier on Cox’s mobile phone service:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • | 2 Comments »

Not another TV channel dispute! This time, it’s DirecTV

March 24th, 2010, 5:31 pm by

Spotted: A small number of DirecTV customers could lose ABC and CBS if the companies don’t sign a new contract by March 31.

While this only affects DirecTV customers in Des Moines and Davenport, Iowa, publicizing such disputes is becoming more common and could impact paid-TV service nationwide, including in Orange County.

Local ABC and CBS affiliates apparently could yank the broadcasts if an agreement isn’t reached. Says Derek Chang, executive vice president of Programming for DIRECTV:

“DIRECTV’s contract with the Citadel-owned ABC station in Des Moines, Iowa, and the CBS station in Davenport, Iowa, is expiring on March 31. We have been negotiating in good faith to try and reach a resolution and will continue to do so. If an agreement is not reached by the deadline, we intend to continue to provide the stations as we have for many years, unless Citadel demands that we take them away from our customers. If the stations come down after the deadline, make no mistake, it will be solely and completely the station owner’s (Citadel’s) decision to take the channels away from our customers.”

While this doesn’t affect Orange County customers directly, it is a trend reverberating throughout the paid-TV industry. Channels that cable and satellite companies didn’t pay for previously are now asking for a per-subscriber fee.

TV viewers also wind up in the middle as each side attempts to win their sympathy by saying the other side wants to pull the channels. This happened here in Orange County over New Years Eve, when Time Warner Cable customers thought they would lose Fox and its collection of TV shows and sporting events. We never lost Fox but on the East Coast, Cablevision customers temporarily lost access to the Oscars when ABC and the cable provider failed to come to an agreement.

While the final agreements are never made public, the possibility that ABC and Fox are now collecting money from previously nonpaying customers is just too tempting a revenue source for other broadcast channels to overlook.

I suspect we’ll continue to see more public disputes, including several that will impact channels here in Orange County.

Past disputes:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • | 1 Comment »

Get your own personal AT&T cell tower next month

March 24th, 2010, 3:15 pm by

If you’re tired of waiting for AT&T to build a new cell tower in your neighborhood, you will soon be able to buy your own mini tower to improve cellular coverage at home.

The AT&T 3G MicroCell, which launched last fall in test markets like San Diego, is now ready for its national roll out. The product goes on sale in mid-April. No cities were announced, but the company plans an aggressive launch.

These MicroCell devices, generically called femtocells, still require separate broadband Internet service. Wireless calls are routed over the home’s broadband connection to produce a stronger signal for a clearer conversation. If your calls are scratchy due to concrete walls, nearby mountains and other terrain, this is something to consider.

The AT&T’ MicroCell also supports 3G data and was developed with Cisco. More details: www.att.com/3gmicrocell.

The device will be $149.99, which may seem high considering you’re already paying a monthly bill. But that’s about the going rate for MicroCells. Verizon Wireless charges $249.99 for its “network extender.” Sprint’s Airave is $99.99. T-Mobile no longer offers its HotSpot @Home service, at least to new customers.

AT&T is offering mail-in-rebates to get the cost down to nothing. If you add a MicroCell monthly plan of $19.99, you’ll get unlimited calls when using the MicroCell to connect. That also qualifies for a $100 rebate. Add in AT&T DSL or U-verse Internet service and there’s an additional $50 rebate.

Related:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • | 14 Comments »

What happened to Cox Cable’s mobile phone service?

March 24th, 2010, 7:12 am by

March is almost over and the “unbelievably fair” mobile phone service from Cox Communications has failed to make its debut in Orange County, which was one of three regions nationwide picked for the cable TV provider’s mobile debut.

The launch has been delayed indefinitely, said Lana Ong, the spokesperson for the local Cox operation.

“We didn’t launch Cox Wireless widely to the public on March 8 because we are taking a very deliberate approach to introduce new products and services to the marketplace to ensure an experience that customers expect from Cox,” she replied.

She continues, “We realize many customers were looking forward to it however, the most important thing to note is Cox is putting the final touches on the Cox Wireless experience. Holding true to our customers is our number one priority and Cox Wireless will be here soon.  We’re asking that interested customers visit unbelievablyfair.com if they want to be the first to learn more about Cox Wireless – and don’t renew that contract!”

That’s a tough request, even for people who can’t wait to ditch their own wireless provider.

At this point, all we know is that Cox was building a mobile-phone network that uses Sprint’s CDMA 3G network. It would do away with overage fees, vanishing minutes and other consumer outrages. You don’t have to be a Cox TV subscriber. The company even produced commercials about it, which it’ll have to reshoot since they tout a March launch.

Orange County was one of three regions picked to be the first to get service. Hampton Roads, Va. and Omaha, Neb. were the other two areas.

Omaha, however, did launch, Ong said.

“While we don’t have a set date yet for our official wireless launch to the public, our Omaha system launched Cox Wireless in limited availability earlier this month,” she said.

In the mid 1990s, Cox tapped Omaha as a city it planned to launched cellular service using existing its fiber-optic cable network, according to a story in the Omaha World Herald. The service was pitched as something that would cost half the price of existing cellular service. The effort was later dropped.

Related stories:

Posted in: Cell phones • Video & TV • • • • • • • | 27 Comments »

NHL Network offers free preview this week

March 23rd, 2010, 10:07 pm by

Like hockey but don’t want to pay for it? There’s a free preview of the NHL Network channel in standard and high-definition this week. The free preview ends March 26.

I’ve confirmed that the freebie is available to customers of these paid TV providers:

  • Time Warner Cable: Free to all customers with a digital converter, on Channel 275 and 471 (HD).
  • Dish Network: Channel 403 (HD)
  • DirecTV through March 27, is on channel 215 for both SD and HD.

Not participating in the free preview are Cox Communications in Orange County and AT&T U-verse.

More free TV preview alerts:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • | Comments Off

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