Now that Netflix has revealed exactly how many subscribers it has lost over the last few months, we’re wondering what’s next for the video service and its competitors like Amazon. In other pay-TV news, we have an upgraded UI on the way from DirecTV and new social media hooks from AT&T that could signal a change in the way we watch TV. Before closing things out with our picks of what to watch this week, we even had some time for new ultra HDTV standards, mobile app consolidation for FiOS and Sony’s PlayStation 3D Display.

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[MP3] Download the show (MP3).

Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)

Producer: Trent Wolbe

16:18 – Netflix US subscriber count drops by 800k in Q3, 21.45 million still streaming
18:24 – Netflix to expand to UK, Ireland in ‘early 2012,’ looks to challenge Lovefilm
24:19 – Amazon Prime Instant Video expands its library with even more video from PBS
27:23 – BBC’s global iPlayer app adds AirPlay streaming, should just be on Apple TV
30:00 – DirecTV shows off its new HD UI with a website and trailer, still no release date
33:55 – U-verse TV gets social with help from Miso, TV Foundry, Wayvin and BuddyTV Guide
40:00 – Verizon’s My FiOS app puts your entire living room under one Android roof
42:39 – Playstation 3D Display hits shelves November 13, Sony answers your burning questions
44:50 – Ultra HDTV technical standards agreed on, more pixels is a good thing
52:30 – Must See HDTV (October 24th – 30th)

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Engadget HD Podcast 271 – 10.25.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hope you weren’t planning on falling asleep tonight. We’ve got a very spooky episode of The Engadget Show coming at you this week. We get a behind the scenes tour of the technology that goes into running Manhattan’s Nightmare haunted house. And we swing by New York Comic Con, to discuss the state of digital comics and shoot the breeze with geek legends Mark Hamill and Stan Lee.

We also announce the winners of our Frankengadget contest and give away the clothes from Tim’s back to the winner of our in-studio costume contest, courtesy of Halloweencostumes.com — oh, did we mention that Tim and Brian and dressed as Darth Vader and a storm trooper this whole episode? Because they are.

Intel’s staff futurist Brian David Johnson stops by to talk about the near future of the chipmaker and the role science fiction plays in his daily work. We pay tribute to Steve Jobs with the help of some eager Apple fans. And we take a look at the iPhone 4S, Amazon Kindle and the ASUS Zenbook UX31.

Gallery: Engadget Show — October 2011

Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater
Special guests: Brian David Johnson
Producer: Guy Streit
Director: Alexander Vietmeier
Executive Producers: Joshua Fruhlinger, Brian Heater and Michael Rubens

Download the Show: The Engadget Show – 026 (HD) / The Engadget Show – 026 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show – 026 (Small)

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The Engadget Show – 026: A visit from Intel, a trip to New York Comic Con, haunted houses and costume contests originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After a tumultuous week in tech we’re back — but Qwikster isn’t. Of course we’re giving our two cents on Netflix’s stunning reversal, but there’s also plenty of non-streaming news too. The newest TiVo DVR is out and about, while DirecTV is also ready to show off its Nomad and HR34 boxes. Microsoft has enhanced the Xbox 360′s capabilities with a few new partnerships, while Comcast previews the future of pay-TV with its latest moves. The dawn of Ultraviolet is finally upon us, so are we excited about the possibility of buy once play anywhere? Find out the answer to this question and many more when you press play below.

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[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace
[MP3] Download the show (MP3).

Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)

Producer: Trent Wolbe

04:45 – Netflix backtracks on Qwikster, will keep DVDs and streaming under the same URL
13:20 – TiVo Premiere Elite now available, but is updated software the big surprise?
22:37 – DirecTV Nomad is ready to launch, transcodes DVRed shows for mobile viewing
31:40 – DirecTV’s five tuner, RVU-ready HR34 DVR revealed
38:10 – Microsoft reveals new TV providers including Verizon and Comcast coming to Xbox 360 (video)
44:25 – U-verse on Xbox 360 is getting upgraded in November, but will require XBL Gold
47:13 – Comcast testing pay-per-package, still afraid of a-la-carte
49:55 – Comcast promises Xfinity VOD streaming on more devices, new Xcalibur guide in 2012
54:41 – CinemaNow strikes deal with Intel, adds new movies in 1080p HD
55:30 – UltraViolet ‘digital locker’ opens for business. Lets you buy once, play anywhere… eventually
01:02:05 – Must See HDTV (October 10th – 16th)

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Engadget HD Podcast 269 – 10.11.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Check your Bingo squares — we have a full on geek rant this week. While DVBLink’s Boxee extender engendered nothing but peaceful conversation, we couldn’t help but dig into the next two topics. Rumors of Microsoft’s efforts to integrate cable TV into a unified search with its other Xbox offerings continue to swirl, which left us wondering just who is standing in the way of innovation. Meanwhile, the cable companies and content providers are at odds over how to distribute their channels with little thought given to the end user’s experience. Of course, we do have some happy news, with Star Trek: TNG coming to Blu-ray, bigger LCDs and 4K support for the PS3. Press play to hear the rest of our discussion and our impressions of the new fall programming so far — it’s not looking good.

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[MP3] Download the show (MP3).

Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)

Producer: Trent Wolbe

00:01:42 – DVBLogic’s Boxee app brings live TV streaming to the Box
00:04:15 – Microsoft reportedly adding video from Comcast, Verizon, HBO Go and others to Xbox Live
00:13:20 – Some cable companies are pushing for unbundled channels — but not for you
00:32:35 – Showtime launches Anytime streaming portal, social iPad app
00:34:57 – Star Trek: The Next Generation is coming to Blu-ray, starting in 2012 (video)
00:42:44 – Sharp’s biggest LCD HDTVs get even bigger with a new 80-inch model
00:49:00 – PS3 will support 4K stills after a future update, moving pictures remain out of reach
00:51:15 – Sony to stop paying for movie theater 3D glasses, theater owners fire back
00:56:27 – Energy Star 5.3 now in effect, some chunkier TVs left out in the cold
01:00:30 – Must See HDTV (October 3rd – 9th)

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Engadget HD Podcast 268 – 10.04.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Like Zune’s own Business Development Manager once said, all consumer electronics products have a lifespan, and today the (not so long) lineage of dedicated Zune hardware expires not with a roar, but with a promise to honor its warranties. Tucked away in the inner chambers of the Zune support site lies a page spelling out Microsoft’s final words on the device, “Windows Phone will be the focus of our mobile music and video strategy,” it says, “we will no longer be producing Zune players.” The Zune HD is survived by the Zune music service, which will continue to function with straggling standalone media players, as well as the Windows desktop, Windows Phone and Xbox platforms.

Zune is dead, long live Zune originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 23:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It may not enjoy quite the same level of buzz that the likes of Spotify, Rdio and MOG have been basking in lately, but Microsoft’s Zune service is still kicking, and the company’s now working to make it a bit more appealing and more widely available. For folks in the US, the big change today is a new $10 per month Zune Music Pass, which is identical to the existing $15 service with the notable exception that you no longer get to keep ten free MP3s each month (that $15 option remains available to existing subscribers, though). Elsewhere, Microsoft has also now finally brought the Zune Marketplace and Zune Pass to Canada — it opens up on October 3rd, with the Zune Pass running the same $10/month (or $100 for a year of service).

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Microsoft announces new $10 Zune Music Pass, expands service to Canada originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Phone 7.5 has officially landed, but unless you’re among a fortunate few, Redmond’s tropical getaway might seem like only a twinkle on the horizon. In a wild turn of events, we’ve now stumbled across (and confirmed) a method that promises instant Mango gratification, and if you’re so inclined, we hope you’ll find similar luck. Here’s the gist: something very special happens when you run the update and then promptly disable your internet connection — about one second seems to do the trick. We first checked for Mango and kept WiFi enabled; the Zune software dutifully reported that our phone was up-to-date. Then, we executed the process and disconnected the internet… and wouldn’t you know it, the update presented itself. Now, we’re happily frolicking through Microsoft’s latest delights on our Focus. If you’re willing to try your luck, you’ll find a full list of instructions in the source. Here’s one final tip: once it’s reported that an update is available, be sure to restore that internet connection.

[Thanks, Rohit]

PSA: Force Windows Phone 7.5 Mango to update, right now originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia is still hammering out the hardware for its premier Windows Phone, but here’s a taste of what the beleaguered phone giant will be adding in the way of exclusive apps. Posted on the Zune marketplace, Top Apps turned up a few days ago and we managed to get a screen grab in case it disappears. It appears to be Nokia’s “fun and quick” interpretation of a curated app portal, all pretty similar to the stock Windows Phone offering. Looks like we’ll have to wait just a little longer to see exactly how much creative freedom Nokia manages to wring from Microsoft’s (previously stringent) Windows Phone UI.

First Nokia app appears on Windows Phone store, suggests you buy more apps originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve got a whole lot of show coming at you this month! Tim and Brian start things off by unveiling Distro, Engadget’s new weekly greatest hits magazine for the iPad. We also take a look at Sony’s new 3D-enabled video headset and the purse-friendly HTC Rhyme.

Next up, Tim takes a spin around New York City on the Grace One electric bicycle, and we try to figure out whether it’s worth the rather steep price tag. Brian pays a visit to the folks at Frog to discuss the company’s long history and take a look at some of its industry shaping designs.

Keepon co-creator Marek Michalowski stops by the studio to discuss the creation of his little yellow robot and explain how the dancing ‘bot made the journey from research tool to retail toy.

We swing by the Maker Faire in New York to check out 3D printers, a life-size game of Mouse Trap and get stuck in the (Polaroid) Matrix. And Make: Live co-hosts Becky Stern and Matt Richardson join us in the studio to talk about some of their own favorite DIY projects.

We close the show with an interview and a few songs from Jonathan Coulton. (Spoiler: he plays the song from Portal.)

Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater
Special guests: Becky Stern, Matt Richardson, Marek Michalowski
Producer: Guy Streit
Director: Michelle Stahl
Executive Producers: Joshua Fruhlinger, Brian Heater and Michael Rubens
Music by: Jonathan Coulton

Download the Show: The Engadget Show – 025 (HD) / The Engadget Show – 025 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show – 025 (Small)

Subscribe to the Show:

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[iPad RSS] Get the Engadget Show in iPad-friendly adaptive format.

The Engadget Show – 025: We ride an electric bike, check out the new Keepon and get serenaded by Jonathan Coulton originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We kind of don’t even know where to start these days! We’ve all heard about how technology expands exponentially, and this week feels like we are really getting cubed…or something. From the meta to the macro to the micro it was a silly-crazy week, and as hard as it was we did end up starting the podcast and tried to round it all up for you as best we could. It’s the Engadget Podcast, the only way we can do it.

Host: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater
Guest: Dana Wollman
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Funky Town

01:20 – Introducing Engadget Distro!
03:50 – Review score review
06:44 – The Engadget Show is live, here at 6:00PM ET! (update: we’re done!)
09:15 – HP names Meg Whitman new President and CEO, gives Leo Apotheker the boot
17:42 – Facebook partners up to bring music, news and videos to your profile through Open Graph (video)
18:40 – Facebook outs Timeline, gives your profile page a new outfit (video)
25:15 – Color abandons app independence for Facebook, hopes you’ll pay someone a ‘visit’
29:48 – HTC Rhyme official: 3G, 3.7-inch display, single-core CPU, headed to Verizon for $199 on contract
38:48 – HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio, we go ears-on (video)
40:10 – HP’s unreleased white TouchPad and Pre 3 for AT&T (hands-on video)
42:37 – A week with Google Wallet (video)
45:00 – Amazon lets you check out Kindle books from library websites, asks you to shush yourself at home
50:43 – Report: Apple to hold media event on October 4th, Tim Cook to unveil iPhone 5
53:47 – Listener questions

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Contact the podcast

Send your questions to @tim_stevens.
Leave us a voicemail: (423) 438-3005 (GADGET-3005)
E-mail us: podcast at engadget dot com
Twitter: @bheater, @timstevens, @danawollman

Filed under: Podcasts

Engadget Podcast 257 – 09.23.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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