Superbox streaming device delivers IPTV channels

The home satellite TV business got its start in the late 1970s when people living mostly in rural areas began installing large receiving antennas in their yards. 

The dish-shaped devices, some as big at 10 feet across, could pull in popular cable TV channels such as HBO and Showtime along with regional broadcast channels like Atlanta's TBS and Chicago's WGN which carried lots of live sports. 

Those signals were bouncing off orbiting satellites because that's how HBO and the others sent their programming to cable company distribution centers.

The big dishes cost $2,000 or more but the content was free and was much sought after by people who either lived beyond cable’s reach or didn’t want to pay their fees.

Those dishes are mostly gone now after TV channels and content creators switched from satellite to digital distribution networks. Now most use the Internet Protocol (IPTV) networks to move content around the globe. That’s how Netflix turns up as an option on many smart TVs and how services like YouTubeTV and Hulu deliver local broadcasts and cable-type channels to end users. 

IPTV has also spawned a growing market for dedicated setup boxes like the Superbox S2 Pro, which offers users a stunning menu of more than 1,000 live premium channels and broadcast network channels.

The Superbox S2 Pro uses WiFi to connect to the Internet and an HDMI cable to connect to a TV. Like the Roku or Apple TV streaming boxes, the Superbox also uses downloaded apps to link to different content providers. Some require subscriptions but many are free. 

Content options include network TV feeds, local broadcast channels, sports networks, baseball, basketball and football channels, Canadian channels in English and French, and Spanish language channels. The full channel lineup list is available online. 

Other features include a seven-day playback function and support for 4K or 6K high resolution content. The Superbox S2 Pro costs $299 -- way less than those big satellite dishes -- with no monthly fees for the hardware.

For more details, check out the Superbox website. 

By: Ric Manning On 6/06/2021

Continue Reading

World's easiest TV remote

My wife hates all hand-held remote controls - especially if she has to use more than one to operate the television, sound system or streaming box.

The multi-function remotes aren't the answer. She almost divorced me when I got one of those programmable remotes from Logitech.

I'm about ready to get the Tek Pal Large Button Remote Control to use on sets that require multiple devices.

The remote has six large buttons that control a TV's essential functions: power on and off, volume and channel up and down, and mute. That's it. No 10-digit keypad, menu, or video recording buttons.

Each button is super-sized and the whole array will light up for four seconds when any of the buttons are pushed.

A couple of caveats: The Tek Pal only works with a TV, not satellite or cable boxes, and you'll likely have to do the set-up work.

The Tek Pal costs about $19 and it's available on Amazon.

By: Ric Manning On 5/20/2020

Continue Reading

A time for Neverthink

Life in a state of social distance has included a lot of television watching. Like many others, we're following the Tiger King and that woman stranded in 19th Century Scotland. But I've also developed an appreciation for Neverthink.

It's a video channel that's populated by streams of perpetual video clips, most of them from YouTube. According to Neverthink, the clips are selected and curated by humans who look for the interesting or unusual. The videos are sorted into some 20 different topic channels.

In my first encounter with Neverthink, I was first entranced by the Drones channel. It was showing a guy doing a daredevil run across a series of rooftops followed by a drone chasing a roller coaster. I was hooked. Then there was the Dashcam channel where I killed an hour (maybe more) watching bad drivers do stupid things.

Sounds like mindless entertainment? It is, and that's by design. It's for people who don't want to spend time searching for something to watch. Tech Crunch said the channel "might just be the most ‘lean back’ online video experience yet."

Here's how Neverthink co-founder Aviv Junno described his creation: “We believe that the main reason people watch videos online is just because they want some distraction. To clear their mind after a day of work, have something in the background to keep them company, to watch while commuting to work, on the toilet etc. People don’t necessarily want to watch something specific, or want the perfect video. We created Neverthink for those times”.

Neverthink reminded me of Night Flight, a visual arts program that ran on the USA Network in the 1980s. It's where I saw the animated series Aeon Flux and J-Men Forever.

Not every channel on Neverthink is something to play in the background. It's Late Night News channel streams monologues and segments from Colbert, Kimmel, Fallon, Seth Myers, Samantha Bee and Trevor Noah at Comedy Central, which isn't on YouTubeTV, my selected cable alternative. I also like Making Stuff and the photography tips on the Learn Something channel.

You can see the full channel line-up on the Neverthink website. A Neverthink app is available for Android and iOS devices and for Apple TV and Amazon Fire streaming boxes. 

By: Ric Manning On 4/04/2020

Continue Reading

New iOS app streams to Roku, Xbox, Fire and more

After the Christmas dinner dishes were put away, my family members gathered near the largest TV to relive the day’s activities. Everyone had photos or videos on their phones. Now, all they needed was a way to show them on the big screen.

In the not-so-distant past, you needed a phone that supported a cable connection to a TV’s input such as an HDMI port. Today, wireless streaming devices bridge the gap between mobile phones and TVs.

A new app called StreamBeam is designed to link an iPhone or iPad to many of those streamer boxes. The description posted in the iTune App Store says StreamBeam will work with the most popular streaming devices including Apple TV, Roku, the Fire TV and Stick from Amazon,  and Google’s Chromecast dongle.

Other stream-capable devices such as Microsoft’s Xbox game console, some LG televisions, the Sonos multi-room media manager and devices that use WebOS are also on the list.

Screen shots posted in the app store also show StreamBeam delivering still photos and streamed Internet content from Twitch.

The app is a free download for iOS devices.

By: Ric Manning On 12/28/2016

Continue Reading

KEEN.TV could be a cable-cutter's dream

Once the cable cutters cut their cables, where are they going to go to get news, sports and their favorite shows?

Of course there are websites for Netflix, Amazon Prime and broadcast of cable channels, but that’s going to take a lot of switching and clicking.

My guess is that once they hear about KEEN.TV they’re going to love it. KEEN.TV has collected more than 850 live TV channels from around the world and made them accessible with one click on one website.

The service's lineup of live TV includes some familiar names from cable and satellite, such as TruTV, Al Jazeera and the US feed of Bloomberg News. Offerings from outside the US include multiple channels from the BBC and feeds from more than 40 countries, from France, Germany and Italy to Pakistan, Somalia and Venezuela.

The site also has a Video On Demand section where visitors can find where recent movies like Captain America: Civil War or popular series are legally available for binging. Want to revisit Breaking Bad? KEEN.TV has links and pricing for episodes streamed on iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, YouTube and Verizon.

And viewers can spend hours exploring scads of specialty channels for topics such as snooker, fashion clothing and wine. My current fave is the Drone Racing Channel.

KEEN.TV is a free service. You can get more details and browse the channel lineup at the KEEN.TV website and check in for news and updates @keenlivetv on Twitter.

By: Ric Manning On 9/22/2016

Continue Reading

New service lets users build streaming channels

I can call up YouTube videos from any number of devices, including my TV, DVD player and multiple computers and streaming devices, including Roku and Apple TV. But what those devices don’t offer is an easy way to find, collect and schedule the videos that I am especially interested in watching.

That’s where WhatsNext TV comes in. It’s a new startup service that gives users the tools and technology to essentially build their own channels out of the millions of videos now stored by YouTube and other streaming services.

And a surprising amount of that video is pretty good. I’ve found feature-length movies that are now in the public domain. Talented musicians, actors and comedians are using free streaming platforms to distribute their work. And my Facebook friends often share links to video content that has impressed them.

WhatsNext TV helps users collect and keep track of content they like and share it with their friends and followers if they choose. It also lets users indulge in that great American pastime: channel surfing.

To start your own collection, visit the WhatsNext TV website and sign in with your Facebook account.

By: Ric Manning On 5/01/2016

Continue Reading

New universal remote includes streaming services

Universal remote controls have been around for decades, but a new device called Blumoo could be the first one to incorporate streaming services into a single controller.

Blumoo works with an app on a mobile phone or tablet to integrate access to a full range of services. It works with TV, audio receivers as well as satellite services and streamer boxes like Apple TV.

Blumoo includes streaming services like Netflix along with cable or satellite channels and it adds Pandora, Spotify and Apple Music to home audio options.

Blumoo also provides an interactive TV channel guide that includes filtering capabilities and direct connections to home devices. Find a show on the guide, click it in the app and Blumoo will turn on the television and play it.

Blumoo sells for $99 and is available at Best Buy, Sam’s Club, Amazon and at the Blumoo website. The Blumoo apps are available for free in the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store.

By: Ric Manning On 2/05/2016

Continue Reading

Dish expands the Hopper, adds portable player

Dish Network had good news for binge TV viewers at this year’s CES. The new version of it’s Hopper DVR will be able to record 16 shows at one time and store up to and has enough room to store 500 hours of high-definition video.

Like the earlier versions, the Hopper 3 also automatically records every prime-time show aired on the major broadcast networks and will play them back without commercials. And it includes Sling technology, so users can watch their recorded shows over the Internet. That feature has been especially welcome in our family when we’re away from home and don’t have access to premium channels like HBO or to local sports broadcasts.

The Hopper 3, due out this month, also supports the new super high-resolution 4K video. You won’t find 4K on broadcast networks - at least not yet - but Netflix and Sony each have a library of 4K content and the Hopper 3 will support both services.

Dish also has a new device for that type of situation. The HopperGo is a portable, battery-powered storage device that can hold up to 100 hours of recorded TV. You can plug it into your hotel TV to watch programs you recorded at home.

The HopperGo is scheduled to be available in March for $99.

By: Ric Manning On 1/09/2016

Continue Reading

LG's roll-up TV makes a splash at CES

Just a few years ago, the hottest new technology at CES was OLED TV. It started out with small displays, like a mobile phone or a car stereo, then expanded to full-sized televisions. OLED was a big deal because it was so thin it could be adapted to almost any situation.

Now Korean manufacturer LG is showing off the demonstration version of a video screen that is so thin and flexible it can be rolled up like a newspaper.

Like the early OLED's, the LG prototype is small, just 18 inches wide, and it’s has a fairly low resolution at 1200 x 810pixels.

The company did not announces details on pricing or when the technology will reach the consumer market. But an official told reporters that LG expects a 60-inch version to be available some time in 2017.

By: Ric Manning On 1/06/2016

Continue Reading

New forum helps cut the cords

Did you know you can watch Monday Night Football live streamed through a Roku box? I discovered that fact when my wife commandeered our primary TV and satellite receiver to watch Dancing With The Stars.

Turns out there’s all sorts of watch TV online through a host of Internet-connected devices including DVD players, TVs, computers, gaming consoles and set-top boxes like Apple TV and Roku. And now there’s a place to explore that world and get answers to your questions.

The Cut The Cord Forum is an online community for people who use content streaming services and devices as well those who are new to the concept. The goal of the four is to make streaming at home easy.

The forum has discussion boards devoted to all facets of legal streaming technologies. That covers both services such as Hulu, Netflix, iTunes and Amazon Instant Video and hardware such as Chromecast, Sling Box, Fire TV and Apple TV plus Xbox and Sony game machines.

Access to the Cut The Cord Forum is free. Membership requires only a simple registration and users won’t get bombarded with ads.

By: Ric Manning On 10/15/2015

Continue Reading

TVexe dials in the world

It’s easy to say that the Internet is shrinking the globe and bringing people in far away places within our reach. But that abstract idea didn’t fully register with me until I discovered TVexe.

The service delivers live television from more than 1,500 channels originating in more than 100 countries. It’s one thing to watch a British or Mexican channel streamed through my Roku box. It’s entirely something else to tune in news from Afghanistan, sports from the Czech Republic, music from Ireland and children’s programs from Turkey.

The service includes more than 170 channels from the US including news from ABC and CNN and local-interests channels in Miami, New York and other locations.

TVexe delivers its global lineup of channels through a Windows video player that can be downloaded for free from the service’s website. The player includes a channel guide that lets you browse channels from their home country, by language and by topics such as news, entertainment, art and local interests.

Users who don’t have windows can watch on a website with a Mac or Linux computer or a tablet device.

Visit the TVexe website to download the Windows player or explore the channel lineup.

By: Ric Manning On 6/19/2015

Continue Reading

Monkey TV delivers Internet streaming services

It was just a couple of years ago that the major TV manufacturers were touting their “smart TVs.” They were new and more expensive models with a few streaming services built in, typically Netflix and YouTube.

Today inexpensive add-on devices like the UK-based Monkey TV can turn any digital TV into a smart TV. The device lets users view a wide variety of streaming video services using their big-screen TV rather than a computer or tablet.

Monkey TV uses an Android-based set-up box to provide direct access to free streaming services like YouTube and Pandora, as well as premium subscription services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus and the movies and TV shows available through Google Play. It also delivers the free over-the-air channels broadcast in the UK.

The Monkey TV box comes in three configurations with prices ranging from  £99.99 to  £149.99. The website also sells optional keyboards and a remote controller.

For more details about the hardware and the available content, visit the Monkey TV website.

By: Ric Manning On 6/09/2015

Continue Reading

DISH hoops fans get Bracket View and multi-screen

Subscribers to the DISH satellite TV service will have some unique ways to follow the NCAA college basketball tournament action as it tips off this week.

DISH's Hopper receivers now offer a Bracket View app, which lets you follow the full tournament using a bracket graphic interface for each of the four regions. Each bracket shows the paired teams, game times and scores. Viewers can click to watch a live game or schedule a recording

The College Sports Multi-Channel View divides the screen to let viewers watch up to four games at the same time. Another app displays the top 25 college basketball teams as ranked by the Associated Press and the USA Today Coaches Poll. During the tournament, the two polls will rank teams every week based on game outcomes.

By: Ric Manning On 3/18/2015

Continue Reading

DISH users can skip game, watch ads

Except for my wife, who has a thing about Richard Sherman, nobody in my family has much affection for the Seattle Seahawks or the New England Patriots. But we do love Super Bowl commercials, so we are very likely to enable the "Reverse AutoHop" feature that DISH Network announced today.

We also love AutoHop, the feature built into DISH receivers that will automatically skip over commercials when you watch recorded shows. The reverse feature will let you skip over the game segments and just watch the ads.

Here's what Vivek Khemka, DISH senior vice president of product management, said about Reverse AutoHop in a press release issued today: “This day is about two things: football and commercials, and for good reason -- both are entertaining and our customers love them. "We’ve decided to flip our user-enabled ad-skipping feature on its head so customers can watch the ads uninterrupted the next day when everyone is talking about them."

Reverse AutoHop will be available on Monday if DISH users have enabled the PrimeTime Anytime feature.

By: Ric Manning On 1/29/2015

Continue Reading

Dish to have 4K content

DISH Network says the satellite service says it will start delivering Ultra High Definition programming later this year. The Discovery Channel will be among the first providers to subscribers who have the latest Dish receivers.

By: Ric Manning On 1/08/2015

Continue Reading

ILOOKTV turns YouTube channels into apps

Anyone who posts videos on YouTube has the ability to create their own branded channel. You can think of it as a TV station that's all about you, whether you're Taylor Swift or 12-year-old with a webcam.

Peter Redford wants to make it easy to extend those channels even further into the world of mobile devices. Redford is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who developed the concept of the 2nd screen, software that lets a mobile device interact with a TV.

Redford's new project is ILOOKTV, a cloud-powered platform that converts YouTube channels into branded mobile "channel apps." In an article posted on the ILOOK TV blog, Redford said he can see the day when TV viewers have access to "thousands, or even millions, of affinity TV networks."

ILOOKTV offers anyone with a YouTube channel to create a branded iOS app (an Android version is in the works). ILOOKTV handles the process of submitting the app to Apple and it provides four options to monetize the channel: subscriptions, advertising, pay-per-view or purchase the app.

For a closer look at ILOOKTV, visit the company's website and check out their Twitter feed.

By: Ric Manning On 12/20/2014

Continue Reading

OLED comes of age with LG TVs at BestBuy

It was around 2003 when I first saw an OLED display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Back then, screens using organic light-emitting diodes were in their infancy. The first one I saw was only about four inches wide on the front of a car stereo system, but it had the remarkable ability to show animated images - in rich color.

Today, when I walk into a Best Buy store and see the latest super-sized OLED TV from LG Electronics, I can't help but recall a line from that classic Van Morrison song: "My, how you have grown!"

Today's OLED screens fulfill the promise of those tiny dashboard displays. They deliver spectacular picture quality with exceptional contrast from blazing white to the deepest blacks, all in a size that would be a welcome centerpiece for any media room.

Although other brands have produced OLED TVs, LG in particular has raised the bar for the technology by investing heavily in production facilities and introducing new sets in ever-larger sized. LG flagship is the curved 55-inch model 55EC9300 which Best Buy sells for $3499.99 - a discount of $500 off the TV's list price.

The set features a curved screen that is only 0.21" thick at its thinnest point. And is uses LG's exclusive 4 Color Pixel technology to produce enhanced and vibrant colors. The set also has LG's Smart TV powered by webOS to connect it to online sources such as Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. To learn more about the set and OLED technology, visit LGOLEDatBestBuy.com.

There was a time when I argued that plasma screens were superior to other display technologies because only plasma could deliver the deep, rich blacks that make all color pop from the screen. But no more. It was a long wait, but now the best of the breed is OLED.

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

By: Ric Manning On 11/20/2014

Continue Reading

Dish plans new line of Joey receivers

Wireless Joey

Dish Network's brood of kangaroos just keep growing. The satellite service's home setup uses the Hopper as the base station and a small receiver called the Joey installed on remote TV. At our house, we have the Hopper installed in the family room and Joeys on the bedroom and kitchen TVs.

At CES, the satellite service announces three new versions of the Joey. New boxes coming later this year include a wireless Joey that can be used anywhere within your home Wi-Fi coverage. If you want to watch recordings of "Two Broke Girls" at poolside, this is the box for you.

Another version is the Super Joey that adds two additional network tuners to the system. That lets users record up to eight shows at the same time when using Dish's Prime Time Anytime recording feature.

The third new offspring is a software-based "Virtual Joey" that can be added to the Sony PS3 and PS4 game machines and to LG's Smart TVs.

By: Ric Manning On 1/14/2014

Continue Reading

Where to get 5,000 free TV channels

You might have seen Rabbit TV for sale at Walgreens or Walmart stores. It's a little USB device that for $10 a year promises to deliver "free access to 5,000 TV stations."

Too good to be true? While the rabitteers might be guilty of hyperbolic marketing, they're not actually fibbing.

The device does deliver access to thousands of free movies, TV shows and radio broadcasts. It does it by scouring the Internet to find content available through websites like Hulu, Amazon, Netflix, Crackle, Spike TV, and the major broadcast and cable networks. Then it sorts and organizes everything into a guide.

"Our spider crawls about two million links, most of them in the U.S.," said Kyle Moulder, who was explaining Rabbit TV last week at International CES.

In other words, Rabbit TV does the legwork. It finds what's available online, organizes it around a TV Guide-style interface and collects 10 bucks for its trouble. Not a bad deal for either side.
Want to watch Time Bandits, Supersize Me or A Very Brady Christmas? Rabbit TV will hook you up with a free stream on your computer. It also indexes and links to pay-per-view movies on Amazon and other sites.

Rabbit's news at CES is the company is working with cable systems and other bandwidth providers to package Rabbit TV with their services. The company is also working on a set-top box that will deliver Rabbit TV directly to a to televisions. The box is scheduled to be released later this year.

By: Ric Manning On 1/13/2014

Continue Reading

CES 2014: Ask HAL for help

Lose your TV remote again? Check out HAL and you might just leave it between the sofa cushions.

This HAL isn't the rogue computer from 2001 A Space Odyssey, but it will do your bidding when you talk to it - or use hand gestures. Nashville-based WHYremote Inc. will be demonstrating HAL for the first time at International CES when the trade show opens Jan. 7.

WHYremote says HAL combines an Internet-connected set-top box and remote control. With HAL, users can change channels, set a DVR to record movies and shows, browse the internet, stream movies, make video calls and even play games. In addition to the TV, HAL will also control audio receivers, DVD players and smart devices that use iOS or Android.

HAL is expected to be available for sale in the fall with a list price of $199. 

By: Ric Manning On 1/01/2014

Continue Reading