HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

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Podcast #709: CEDIA 2015 Oct 16, 2015

Show notes

CEDIA 2015

Each year CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association) holds an event where the industry gathers to show off their wares. Kinda like a mini-CES, but also like a best of CES, we’ve been to a few of these and actually enjoy the show more than CES. It takes the parts of CES that we are interested in and compresses it down to a more manageable show. We didn’t go this year but that won’t stop us from talking about some of the products we think are interesting. This year the show was from October 14-17 in Dallas, TX.

Sony Electronics Announces 4K Home Theater Projectors at CEDIA 2015

Sony Electronics is expanding its home theater line-up by announcing new projectors at CEDIA 2015. The new projectors include the VPL-VW665ES and VPL-VW365ES, which deliver native 4K resolution and a new long-lasting lamp gives both up to 6,000 hours of performance, with high brightness and high contrast for even more vibrant images.

The VPL-VW665ES is compatible with HDMI input of HDR (High Dynamic Range) content with a 300,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Sony is developing HDR support across its portfolio and the VPL-VW665ES gives home cinema enthusiasts the opportunity to experience total immersion in whatever they are watching. The new VPL-VW665ES and VPL-VW365ES use advanced SXRD™ panels for a native 4K picture, with no artificial manipulation of pixels.

Both new models allow users to enjoy up-to-date 4K content services through the latest connectivity options using the latest HDMI standard and HDCP 2.2. The new projectors will be available in October 2015 at a suggested retail price of $3,999 for the VPL-HW65ES, $9,999 for the VPL-VW365ES and $14,999 for the VPL-VW665ES.

SunBriteTV Unveils 84-, 55-Inch Outdoor 4K TVs

SunBriteTV has announced its entry into 4K UHD with two new outdoor televisions, including an 84-inch Pro Series model (SB-8418UHD), its largest screen size to date, and a 55-inch Signature Series unit (SB-5574UHD). Designed for permanent outdoor installation, both the SB-8418UHD and the SB-5574UHD feature weatherproofing technology that protects internal components from rain, snow, dust, salt corrosion, insects, and humidity. Specialized high-brightness anti-glare screens differ from those of indoor televisions for a 3840 x 2160p 4K UHD viewing experience. Both units come with a 20W detachable weatherproof speaker bar.

Shipping dates and pricing for both units will be released later this year. The SB-8418UHD, part of SunBriteTV’s Pro Series, also features a glass shield to provide extra protection for the LED panel. The unit has an (800 NIT) LED screen and Direct Sunlight-Readable capability with a built-in heating and cooling systems that keep it operating in temperatures from -40° to 122°F. The SB-5574UHD has a 3.5-inch depth and is fully functional in temperatures from -24° to 122°F.

Epson Unveils New Line of Premium Ultra-Bright Pro Cinema Projectors

Epson unveiled an expanded line of Full HD 1080p Ultra-Bright Pro Cinema Projectors, the Epson® Pro Cinema G6970WU, Pro Cinema G6570WU, Pro Cinema 4855WU, and wireless Pro Cinema 1985. Featuring up to 6,000 lumens of color brightness and 6,000 lumens of white brightness. Epson's latest projectors provide custom installers, sports and AV enthusiasts versatile solutions specifically designed to provide exceptional image quality and wireless connectivity in large, open ambient light environments that compete directly with traditional flat panels.

The Pro Cinema 1985 wireless projector shines bright and supports the latest in connectivity – transforming the projector into a versatile home entertainment hub. Users can stream media from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop using wireless projection with Miracast® and Intel® WiDi. For brilliant entertainment right out of the box, the projector features built-in sound and two HDMI® ports to connect cable and satellite boxes, gaming consoles and more. In addition, the Pro Cinema 1985 supports MHL-enabled devices, including Chromecast, Roku®4 and Amazon® Fire TV Stick.

Pro Cinema G6970WU: $6,999 MSRP, 6,000 lumens

Pro Cinema G6570WU: $5,499 MSRP, 5,200 lumens

Pro Cinema 4855WU: $3,099 MSRP, 4,000 lumens

Pro Cinema 1985: $2,499 MSRP, 4,800 lumens

The Pro Cinema G6970WU, G6570WU and 1985 will be available in November through CEDIA and specialty dealers. The Pro Cinema 4855WU is shipping now.

Control4 Delivers Enhanced Smart Home Security and Entertainment Experiences

Control4 released OS 2.8, the latest version of its smart home operating system. With OS 2.8, Control4 rolls out a reimagined smart home security experience that easily integrates with today’s leading security systems, smart locks and cameras; offers native streaming of music services from Pandora, Deezer, and TIDAL; and updates other capabilities to make it easy for Control4 homeowners to search, browse, listen and watch their favorite media. Additionally, OS 2.8 delivers a number of enhanced dealer tools, most notably the ability to back up Control4 projects to the cloud and all-new “experience” drivers that simplify the creation of personalized smart home experiences.

Specifically, Control4 OS 2.8 brings several key new home security enhancements, including:

A new user interface for families to arm or disarm their systems – or get emergency help – with a single tap directly on their touch screens, TV remotes, smart tablets, and mobile phones.
A new iOS and Android mobile interface to manage smart locks, for family members to easily lock or unlock a door, add or delete users, and grant temporary home access.
All security zones are now available in a single interface and simplifies the management of all the security zones in the smart home, including the ability to close a gate or a garage door with a single tap.
A new searchable event-history agent that records security incidents throughout the home to provide a sequenced and contextual understanding of activity, which in turn can be used to inform homeowners via mobile alerts and push-notifications that are timely and relevant.

Control4 has also announced new “experience” drivers that help simplify programming for highly-personal experiences inside of a Control4 Smart Home.

The all-new MockupancyTM capability remembers the every-day routines and actions of the household within the home, allowing a Control4 homeowner to play back those routines and actions while they are away – simulating the organic feel of an occupied residence. Specifically, Mockupancy can coordinate lighting, shades, and even TV entertainment and music streaming to mimic normal household occupancy.
The all-new Snapshot driver simplifies the capture of the current state of connected devices throughout the home, including lighting, entertainment and comfort control. A dealer can then program the system to recall the scene with a single tap or button press.
The driver database has expanded to integrate over 9,500 compatible devices; Control4 has released free drivers for over 700 devices since the acquisition of Extra Vegetables in September of 2014, including popular smart devices from Amazon, Sony, Samsung, TiVo, Hunter Douglass, Bang & Olufsen, and Bowers & Wilkins among many others.

IC720 full 360 x 360 DIY home security camera

The security manufacturer IC Realtime has been innovating in the camera category for a long time. At the 2015 CEDIA Expo, dealers can see the company’s new IC720 camera. Utilizing IC Realtime’s 360-degree by 360-degree virtual reality technologies, users can see 360-degrees horizontally and 360-degrees vertically in HD in real time. The IC720 is a pro-level product with a 24-megapixel dual-sensor 4K virtual PTZ product that works with IC Realtime’s app. The ALLie is a $599 product for DIY’ers. ALLie incorporates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and 8GBs of memory.

LP Smart Products Collaborates With Elite Home Theater Seating To Design Smart Seating Of The Future

Leggett & Platt Smart Products announced a collaboration with Elite Home Theater Seating Inc. at CEDIA EXPO to create technology-enabled, high-end theater chairs that can detect human occupancy. The seating combines LP Smart Products' LPSense® and LPConnect® technology in its launch of LPConnect Package with Elite's luxury handmade theater seating. The LPConnect Package can be implemented into any piece of home furniture and includes several customizable features including auto stop safety control, easy integration with existing automation systems, memory presets, and control over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth low energy, and Zigbee.

When implemented into Elite's theater chairs, individual preferences can be stored into memory presets using LPSense and LPConnect. Its LPSense technology uses capacitive sensing to detect human presence and trigger actions based on activity, such as playing or pausing a movie when the user gets in or out of the theater chair. The chair and other connected furniture can also be programmed to adjust room settings with its LPConnect technology.

Fibaro gesture control and first Wi-Fi-enabled doorbell/intercom/security camera

To enable gesture control of devices connected to Fibaro’s Home Center 2 Z-Wave hub, the company developed a battery-operated panel that can be placed behind picture frames, behind walls or under countertops to sense the capacitance of a moving hand. The panel recognizes six gestures: up, down, left, right, circle left, and circle right. It also recognizes combinations of gestures. Consumers would program in the devices or scenes that a gesture would control.

The panel, called the Swipe, will be available the end of November at a targeted $149.

The company’s first intercom/doorbell with integrated camera features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Power over Ethernet. The device, called the Fibaro Intercom, gets power from an existing doorbell system. It uses motion and sound sensing to launch 4K video recording, sends doorbell video over Wi-Fi for in-house or remote viewing on a mobile device, and incorporates Bluetooth. With Bluetooth, the Intercom senses when an authorized user’s phone is within a set range, then automatically sends a 12-volt signal to unlock a connected electronic lock. Also to unlock a connected electronic lock, users rotate the device’s bezel to enter a numeric security code. It will be available in December at around $500.

Kaleidescape Unveils Strato 4K HDR Movie Player, New Alto Players, Terra Server

The award-winning Kaleidescape Strato is the world's first and only 4K Ultra HD high-dynamic-range movie player. Strato plays movies in true 4K Ultra HD at up to 60 frames per second, without startup delays, buffering messages, or quality drops that are so common with streaming services. Strato supports lossless multichannel audio including Dolby Atmos, and bit-stream pass-through of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The Strato onscreen user interface is also displayed in 4K Ultra HD, at 60 frames per second, resulting in fluid animation and a stunning visual impact.

Strato can be purchased with or without an internal 6 TB hard drive that can store up to 100 4K Ultra HD movies, 150 Blu-ray quality movies, or 900 DVD quality movies. Strato equipped with internal movie storage can be used standalone or in a system with other Encore components. Strato without internal storage plays movies from any movie server or disc server in its Encore system.

Kaleidescape Terra stores movies on hard drives and serves them to movie players in the home network. Terra also provides computing and caching services that enhance the performance of Strato and Alto players. A single Terra can simultaneously serve up to seven 4K movies, or up to 15 Blu-ray quality movies.

Sonos

Over in the whole-house audio category, wireless category leader Sonos is not resting on its past accomplishments. A few weeks ago the company introduced its new Play:5 active loudspeaker that incorporates new drivers, amplification, crossover networks and a new industrial design. Headlining its software tweaks, the company has added its TruePlay auto room equalization technology.

Demonstrating the technology, Sonos asks dealers to watch a quick video that shows how simple the EQ is. Taking approximately 55 seconds, TruePlay uses the microphone in users’ iOS devices to measure room interactions. Once completed, TruePlay cleans up common sound issues such as muddy bass and smeared top end. Summing up the technology, Sonos states it underscores its pursuit of “pure musical truth.” The tenets of its musical truth include full-frequency clarity, stereo imaging and well defined bass performance.

Podcast #708: Chromecast Audio Oct 09, 2015

Show notes

Chromecast Audio

We have been enjoying whole house audio for years now. Braden has a nice Sonos system in place while Ara has gone with an Airplay solution. We each have multiple zones including the garage and bathrooms where we can listen to our music in a casual setting. The Sonos solution uses Sonos designed speakers or it can use a bridge to add powered speakers or receivers to the system. Apple uses their technology called Airplay which allows you to connect powered speakers connected to an Airport Express or one to the many receivers and third party powered speakers that support Airplay.

Both systems are flexible and reliable. You can mix and match speakers, receivers, and even set top boxes. You can choose to have different music playing in the various zones. And everything can be controlled from the palm of your hand. The systems can cost a few hundred dollars all the way up to thousands.

The playing field just got a little more crowded with the introduction of the Chromecast Audio. It's a small device about the size of three silver dollars stacked on top of each other and it only costs $35! And no you can’t get it at Amazon! Seriously…what are those guys thinking??

The Chromecast Audio plugs into your powered speaker via the 3.5mm audio input jack for streaming music through WiFi. If your speakers or receiver only accept RCA inputs you can use a cable that is 3.5mm on one end and RCA on the other. Once set up, simply use your iPhone, iPad, Android phone and tablet, Mac and Windows laptop, or Chromebook to send your music to any zone in the house.

Setup

Setup is quite easy. First connect the Chromecast Audio to power and use the supplied 3.5mm cable to your speakers. Then download and launch the Chromacast app for your mobile device. Follow the onscreen steps and in less than a minute you will have your fist audio zone up and running. Repeat the steps for each zone you are setting up and just like that you have multiroom audio! Depending on the speakers you choose you can spend anywhere from $50 up to $500 or more per zone. But if the listening is strictly causal and for ambiance you can easily setup up a five zone system for less than $500!

Performance

To start playing audio (on an iOS device anyway) you simply launch an app that is Chromecast capable select the speaker and enjoy. Google Play, Pandora, iHeart Radio all support Chomecast Audio. In fact the list of supporting apps is quite large. Check out the Chromcast Audio website for a full list. Unfortunately but not unexpectedly for iOS users Apple’s own apps do not support the Chromecast Audio.

Once you have started streaming control is handed off to the Chromecast which streams directly from the cloud. So if you get a call or notification you don’t stop or interrupt the music. This is a nice feature if you are having a party and you don’t want the music to stop. If you are at home and you prefer it to be quiet you can always pause the track.

You can also cast from a desktop Mac or Windows PC but you’ll need to use the Chrome Browser and install the Chromecast Extension. Once you do this any audio that is coming into your browser can be sent to the speakers.

So far the experience has been real nice, but what about the audio quality? Well how much quality can you expect from a device that costs $35? We found the audio was a little thinner than when listening through the same speakers connected directly to the phone or tablet. The lows didn’t have that punch and the highs just seemed washed out. We couldn’t find detailed specs on the converter used but that’s probably because it's not very good. In general we found the Sonos did a much better job. But this isn’t a real knock on the product. It's just a reminder not to expect miracles from the device. For what it is, the Chromecast Audio is a nifty little product that does a decent job.

The current firmware does not support sending audio to multiple zones at once. Google says there is an update coming later this year that will enable that feature.

Conclusion

Let’s be honest, the Chromecast Audio is not going to win over any audiophiles, but what it will do is make it possible for just about anyone, with a limited budget, to deploy a multi zone audio system for casual listening that won’t break the bank!

Podcast #707: United Object Smart Beam Laser Projector Oct 02, 2015

Show notes

United Object Smart Beam Laser Projector

You could probably start a pretty healthy debate if you asked a group of home theater enthusiasts what the single most important piece of gear is if you want to truly transform a home video system into a legitimate home theater. Surround sound is important. Without surround sound you’ll never feel like part of the action, and your home theater will never feel like a movie theater. The subwoofer provides the punch you need to really feel the action; the center channel provides all the on-screen action and the surround speakers put you right into the middle of that action.

But equally as vital is the front projector. Sure TVs are getting bigger, and they’re really good - even at the really big sizes. To be honest, big TVs that are really good is a relatively new phenomenon. In the past the really big screens, the rear projection screens, were good, but they were really more about size than quality. But not true today; there are some killer home theaters built around large plasma and LED TVs. But for the authentic big screen experience, you really need that big screen. Something you can still only get from a front projector.

But if you turn that debate inside out a bit, if you ask about the single most important piece of equipment for a portable theater setup, the answers change. Surround sound isn’t as important, because who would travel with 7 speakers. Obviously you wouldn’t travel with a full television set, so you could say a really good, portable screen is key. But most people would tell you the projector is the most important. And small projectors, pico projectors, are starting to really develop into a strong category.

One such pico projector that’s getting a lot of attention is the United Object Smart Beam Laser pico projector. Not only is it tiny, small enough to fit in any travel bag, it has some unique features that make it quite compelling as the centerpiece to your portable home theater. We had the opportunity to play with one recently and it was a lot of fun. Granted it won’t ever be able to anchor your true home theater experience, it is cool enough to anchor your portable video needs and turn any portable electronic viewing device, like a laptop, tablet or phone, into a portable home theater rig.

Basics

The United Object Smart Beam Laser Projector is square. It measures about 2.2 inches on a side and can fit in the palm of your hand. They bill it as the smallest HD laser projector in the world. It has a maximum brightness of 60 ANSI Lumens using, of course, a laser power source. The display itself uses LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) technology and is capable of 720p (1280x720) HD video resolution. It’ll go as small as 20” all the way up to a maximum 100” screen. You can buy it online direct from United Object for $419. Or from Amazon for the same price, but you do get Prime shipping.

Setup and Use

The projector needs power and a video source. It includes the power cord and an MHL cable, but you can also use micro HDMI, but you’ll need to provide your own cable for that. The unit is battery powered and the manual claims you can get up to 120 minutes of video from a full charge. We didn’t test that, but because it also supports a couple wireless video options, you don’t need to have it plugged in at all times to use it. You can connect to it using Miracast, mirroring from iOS, or using DLNA over WiFi.

Plugging into power is, of course, trivial. Once that’s done, plugging in a micro HDMI cable (you can get from Amazon for a couple bucks) and using the Smart Beam like a traditional projector is a snap, assuming you have a device that supports either HDMI or MHL. At that time, you have a 2-inch cube portable projector that fits in the palm of your hand. The Smart Beam includes an MHL adapter that is needed for some MHL devices, but we went with straight HDMI and it was ridiculously easy to setup and use. It took all of 30 seconds.

Going wireless really doesn’t take that much more work. When you turn it on without an HDMI/MHL input, the home screen shows you a Miracast Device name to connect to. We assume that is trivial, but didn’t have a Miracast device handy, so we didn’t try it. To use it with iOS or DLNA, you have to switch it to DLNA mode by tapping the power button twice quickly. Then it turns into its own WiFi hotspot and tells you how to connect to it. You join it as if it were a standard, open WiFi network and use AirPlay to mirror a device to it or DLNA to send content to it. This added an extra minute or two to the setup.

Performance

One really cool feature of the projector is that it will auto focus for any supported screen size. You can’t zoom, so you have to move it to the proper distance to get the right screen size, but once you have it at the right distance, it’ll automatically focus for you. We found the focus to be much sharper at larger screen sizes than smaller ones, but that could also be a function of how far we were from the screen, so the slight fuzziness of the picture diminished the further away from it we sat. The auto-focus feature makes it just that much easier to use.

For video, the LCoS laser display was surprisingly good. At 60 ANSI Lumens it is absolutely critical that you control ambient light, but in a sufficiently dark room, the projected image was quite good. It doesn’t have the resolution needed for crisp text display, especially at smaller font sizes, so it probably wouldn’t be an ideal projector for all business use cases. But if your business presentations tend to be more graphical in nature, it could work for you.

Using it as a portable video projector, however, is probably the manufacturer’s ideal use case. For video, we found the colors and contrast to be quite good - of course assuming you have a dark room and a good screen to project onto. The clarity of the picture was a bit softer, and perhaps slightly grainier than other 720p projectors we used, but certainly not to where it was terrible or distracting. The built-in audio is what you would expect from a package that size. It gets the job done, but at about the same quality as the speaker built into your laptop or phone.

Conclusion

All in all, we’re excited about where the pico projector technology is headed. You still have to deal with a good deal of trade-offs in brightness and picture quality, but they are improving. We can see a day in the future where you could have video screens all over your home, much like you have with whole-house audio, using pico projectors. Or where multiple pico projectors working together, like surround sound speakers in your home theater, could transform an entire room into a 360-degree panoramic viewing experience. Talk about being in the middle of the action. Add 3D to the mix there, and you’ve got yourself a holodeck. Sure, it might be a dream right now, but at the rate technology is moving these days, you really never know what tomorrow holds.

Podcast #706: The Ultimate DVR Sep 25, 2015

Show notes

Ultimate DVR

We have been using DVRs now for the past 10 years or so and they have come a long way since when they were first introduced. But with that said there are still a few features that could take the DVR to a whole new level. We have a few ideas for the Ultimate DVR and so do you.

Pause In One Room And Pick Up In Another

Most of our DVRs can already pick up recordings in different rooms at the last played spot but it's a bit cumbersome. The way it works for most of us is to turn on the TV in the other room go to the recording list select the show and then hit resume. We would like to make it simpler. How about when you hit pause you are given an option to select another TV for continuation. Then you turn off the TV and go to the other room and turn on the TV. A dialog box will already be displayed on the screen asking you to hit play to resume. With a single click of the remote you are back in business!

User Profiles

User profiles would make life much easier for homes with multiple inhabitants. The interface should allow for quick filtering of the recorded programs based on users. That way we don’t see the shows that our children and/or spouses recorded. Anytime a new program is added to the season pass manager it will show up in everyone’s list until you accept or reject it. You can also show the full unfiltered list with a simple toggle.

But the real power will be in tracking where you were in a program. If someone in your household watches a show that you also have in your list it should not indicate that its been watched by you until you watch it. If someone else is 30 min into the show and you are 15 min into the show the DVR should keep track of that as well.

True iTunes/Netflix/Amazon/Youtube Integration

It would be great if you could log in via your DVR and then whatever subscriptions/TV/movies you have purchased would show up in the program list. Sure you can switch over to a Smart TV application or external set top box. It would be really cool if they just show up in the playlist.

Listeners Ideas

I would like to be able to record 4-6 shows simultaneously, watch DVR from my phone, set recordings more easily (too many steps), watch from any TV/device.

Thanks!

Shawn Faherty

Stafford, VA via Facebook

Due to there being so much content out there to watch, some intelligence can be added to recommend shows that you would like based on what you record and shows that you watch via the "Catch Up" feature. I find that there is a lot of good stuff out there, but we just don't seem to find it and if we do find it, the shows are a few episodes in already.

For shows that you generally record, highlight them within the "Catch-up" section. I prefer to watch via "Catch-up" then via the recorded shows since then I don't have to skip commercials.

Glen

South Africa via Facebook

Cloud based dvr so that recordings are available to view on all devices. Could be practical now that dsl speeds are much higher these days.

Integration of catch - up and on demand within the EPG. This could allow for scrolling 'back in time' through the epg to launch a catch up show, straight from the epg itself.

Duncan via Facebook

In today's day and age, if a game runs late, the dvr should automatically adjust

@409SWH via twitter

An interface that's easy to use with less clicks. The @XFINITY X1 DVR is example of poor/stupid UI.

@HiFiGuy528 (and many others!) via twitter

Honestly, way before any fancier feature, I'd just like the damn thing to work SMOOTHLY. My Comcast box is just slow enough responding to button presses that it drives me crazy. I spend an inordinate amount of time just trying to fast forward through commercials without overshooting the beginning of the next program segment. Then, rewinding... Then, oops, back forward... Then back... Then screw it, I'll just watch this last commercial. At the end of a program I hit stop and WAIT for the option to delete, then hit OK and WAIT for it to delete, then WAIT for it to respond to the "exit" button for the DVR menu to go away. Then I'm about 10 seconds away from smashing the remote. Also, on the Comcast DVRs, you have to add about 3 minutes to every recording because the thing acts squirrelly near the end of any recording, in ways too specific and weird to explain here. Oh, AND, for no reason, they changed the play button's function during playback from simply showing the play timeline to now pausing the program. GRRR.... So the feature I want the most? JUST WORK RIGHT.

The next complaint is simply the guide / schedule. Program reruns show up as new and either don't get changed to a rerun listing until right before it airs, or never change and get recorded, filling up the drive. And our local PBS station CONSTANTLY has errors in listings. On other stations, series recordings just disappeared for the upcoming season, and we had to re-create them. Nuts.

So then after all the basic stuff, I'd like one DVR that remembered where you were in any recording, no matter how you were playing it back (recorded or on demand), and could play back to TINY little players around the house, or as DLNA to anything that uses that standard, or to mobile devices wherever I am. But mostly I don't want big ol' boxes with every TV simply to be able to see HD. That's infuriating, and one of the reasons I was so excited to recently read about efforts to set a software standard by the FCC that could be licensed to whomever, so we don't all have to rent so many infernal boxes! :-)

Lee Overstreet via Facebook

I would like DVR's to go away. All shows should be available from any device at any time, including FF/RW capability. My cable company (Brighthouse) only has shows available from the current season and FF does not work. The capability to download a show to a mobile device so it can be played off-line should be available as well. So far, I have only seen this from Amazon.

Andy Cohen via Facebook

External HD with no size limit (user upgradable/replaceable)
easy downloadable recordings (for archiving)
easy way to backup all settings to an external computer

Bob Tar via email

Podcast #705: Yonomi - The Automation Consolidation App Sep 18, 2015

Show notes

Yonomi - The Automation Consolidation App

Being able to control anything and everything in your home from your smartphone is pretty cool. Having to open multiple apps to do it is kinda lame. That’s what the developers behind Yonomi are hoping to solve for you. Sure if you have a central server or hub, you can do it all there and control everything with one app, but is there really one server that can control any smart device? We haven’t seen it yet.

Of course, Yonomi can’t control any and every smart device you can imagine, but because their approach is different, they have support for more than you can imagine. And it feels like it will be easier for them to add support for more devices faster than a server or hub product could do.

About the App

From the Website: “Smart devices are here: Wireless thermostats, activity monitors, networked music systems and a whole host of devices in the home. Wouldn’t it be great if they all could communicate together? Wouldn’t it be even better if they worked in unison to make your daily routines easier and more enjoyable? Now there is an app that does all that and works in the background so you can get back to the things that really matter.”

“Yonomi resides on your phone and in the Cloud. No need for a hub, controller box or other additional hardware. Yonomi magically finds and enhances your existing connected devices allowing them to interact with one another in ways never before possible.”

Supported Devices

August Smart Locks
Belkin WeMo Switches, Plug Modules, Motion Sensors, Bulbs and Netcams
Belkin Wemo enabled Crock-Pot
Belkin Wemo enabled Mr. Coffee
Cree LED Bulbs
Egg Minder
GE Link LED Bulbs
Jawbone UP
Mimo Baby Monitor
Nest Thermostat and Smoke Detector
Parrot Flower Power
Philips HUE Lights
Quirky Aros Air Conditioner, Door & Window Sensors, Water Sensors
Sonos Devices
Withings Pulse, Activite, Smart Body Analyzer, Wireless Scale

Using the App

First of all, the app is totally free. We aren’t sure how they plan to make money and stay around for the long run, but hopefully they have a plan. It is a bit scary to rely on it as your home automation server to only have it disappear out from underneath you. But then again, it’s free, so you’ve lost nothing but the time it took to get it up and running. Installing the app is as easy as any other app. Then you register by providing your name, email address and a password. Once done, it scours your WiFi for compatible devices and adds them.

Once you have some devices in the app, that’s when things get really fun. It starts by suggesting routines that match with the devices you have. Almost like a Harmony remote, when you add a TV and it tells you that you should really have a Watch TV activity, etc. But it goes way beyond just the devices it found. You can tell it where your home is located and it can use date and time, sunrise and/or sunset, the location of the phone (you leave home, you arrive home, etc) and a lot more to customize your routines.

Much like an automation hub or server, you can configure all kinds of routines to occur based on your life, and even things you didn’t know your devices could do. You can have your Sonos speakers talk to you, like saying ‘Don’t forget your lunch’ at 7:45 in the morning as your kids are headed out the door for school, then play Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye) by Bananarama as they’re walking out. Or it can say, “Welcome home, Dave” when you get back from a long day at work, then start playing your favorite relaxing slow jam mix to help you de-stress. Even turn on some lights and start a pot of coffee.

Events that occur on the phone can set off routines in the smart devices as well. Flash the lights in the whole house when you get a phone call. Mute the Sonos speakers, or pause the music, when you answer or make a call. Have the Sonos speakers announce the weather when you shake the phone. It’s fun, easy to use, and very easy to configure. Because the app works with the Sonos Playbar, there are a bunch of cool potential routines to tie into your home theater as well.

We didn’t get the chance to try it on multiple phones, to make sure they could set independent routines, like different slow jam mixes when different people arrive home, but since the phone was added as a supported device during setup, we assume it would be as simple as logging into the app with the same account and creating some new routines. We’ll try this later and report back.

Podcast #704: Binge Watching TV Sep 11, 2015

Show notes

Binge Watching TV

We have talked about Binge watching on the show many times. It's a relatively new phenomena where you watch multiple episodes of a TV program in rapid succession. In the early days that meant you would buy or rent seasons of the program you were interested in on DVD. Today it can be that or more likely you stream the program from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, or the network’s website.

We have never in the history of television had more content available to watch than we do right now. From old series to new made for streaming series you no longer can say there is nothing to watch. But has Binge watching improved the experience? Will take a look.

Some Statistics

A recent Tivo study says a little more than 90% of you have binge watched television. Seventy percent of the respondents to the Tivo survey say there is nothing wrong with it. Some of the reasons for binge watching include, catching up on missed episodes, finding out about a series a season or two or five after it first aired, and some just want to power through a season without having to wait for the show each week. The undisputed champ of binge watching is Netflix with 66% of the Tivo respondents saying that’s how they binge watch.

It's not all roses for those who binge watch either. Thirty One percent of the survey takers said they have lost sleep because of their binge and 37% say they have lost an entire weekend to the habit. There is another study that binge watching can lead to depression although it may be that those who suffer from depression like to binge watch. Remember the old adage, everything in moderation! It applies to binge watching as well.

Water Cooler Discussions Not What They Used To Be

Who remembers watching Lost and then going to the office the next day to talk with co-workers so that you could decipher the previous night’s episode? It was almost like a ritual that a small group of us would discuss nuances of the show. It made for a nice social interaction with friends and co-workers. Fast forward a few years and now with Twitter you can watch a TV show with hard core fans and get real time discussion or you can interact with the actors after the show with Twitter Q&A.

With binging these social elements of watching programs are no longer there. You may have spent the entire weekend watching Daredevil (Fantastic show by the way) on Netflix but your co-worker is only 5 episodes in. You have to hold back on your enthusiasm in your discussion for fear of a spoiler. Speaking of spoilers, now we have to speak in code to make sure that the person you are speaking with is caught up. We have all been upset with someone who says something like, “OMG, I can’t believe they killed Beth!!” (Spoiler alert, they killed off Beth in The Walking Dead). We have on this very show had to be careful in what we say for fear of spoiling an episode or series for our listeners. How long do we have to wait before we can freely talk about a show without fear of upsetting our friends? Here is a survey from the Sydney Morning Herald:

Content Creators Are Adapting

It not just the viewers who are changing, so are the producers of television. It's not very long after a season wraps up that all episodes are available on Blu-ray and DVD ready to be shipped to your door so you can binge. So many of you would tell us that we should watch “Burn Notice” and “The Walking Dead” that we ended up getting the discs from Netflix and catching up in a few weeks. We remember how depressing it was when we ran out of old episodes and had to wait each week for the next one. Although the Monday Morning Debrief, as Ara’s daughter calls it, is also fun.

Creators understanding that we can watch more content at any time are giving us more things to watch. For streaming you don’t need an audience of ten million people to make the show viable. Networks have a finite amount of time to fill so they only want to fill it with shows that draw huge numbers. Streaming can get by on a lot less. Plus, since the show was meant to be streamed the producers don’t care when you watch. As a result more shows are getting green lit. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was passed on by NBC and then picked up by Netflix. It has been a huge success and is nominated for an Emmy.

Do you remember when mid-season finales were big? Well no reason to do that anymore. Also, what about seasonal episodes? Shows that are made available all at once no longer can do the obligatory Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas episode. But is does allow creators to be free from the limits. not having to “waste” episodes based on seasonal elements allows the creators to experiment.

Not fearing being canceled after two episodes allows the creators to develop the plot and characters at a slower pace. Binge watchers may have to wait four or five episodes to get the full picture, but who cares, that can be done before lunch. This way you don’t feel like you’ve invested an entire month on a show before deciding that you don’t want to watch anymore. But others may like the show and at a minimum they will have one season.

You Might Be A Binge Watcher If:

From the Telegraph in the UK

You utter the phrase "Just one more episode" more than anything else in the day.
You dream about the show you're currently watching and become obsessed with its stars.
You forget the names of your friends/family members/other half but can reel off whole character histories.
Entire hours/days/weeks slip by without you noticing.
You lose sensation in your limbs after sitting still for inordinately long periods of time.
When the series ends, you feel completely bereft - for around three seconds until you start on the next one.
Your friends/family members/other half recommends a detox.
The idea of switching the TV/laptop off brings you out in a cold sweat.

Hulu Not So Convinced

Hulu wants you to watch its original programming the old fashion way… one week at a time. Hulu’s thinking is that they want you to talk about a show each week to generate “Watercooler Buzz”. You can still binge watch older episodes of current shows and past shows. On the plus side, you won’t have to wait until the entire season is shot and edited before they dump it into your queue.

Has the TV Experience Improved?

Well some may say no but we say a resounding yes! There is so much more content on TV and being able to catch up over the summer is a very good thing! Imagine trying to jump into the middle of the series Lost… pardon the pun but you’d be lost. New viewers would be locked out. Bingeing allows new viewers access to great programming. This in turns allows producers the leighway to build complex plots that arc over seasons. It also give producers the ability to develop characters and plotlines that may appeal to a smaller audience than what’s is required for network TV but still viable in the new world of binge watchers.

Resources

Here are a couple of links that may help you select what to binge watch:

Determine the amount of time it will take if you binge watch the entire series (http://tiii.me). For example, binge watching Magnum P.I. would take 6 Days and 18 Hours. If you want to start watching the Walking Dead you would need to invest 1 Day and 23 hours before the October premiere of season six.

Over at Wired They have a Binge Watching Guide that breaks down a show into who may be interested in it, where to get it, and which episodes you must watch vs the ones you can skip. The shows aren’t listed in an specific order and it's not an exhaustive guide but the most popular shows are there. You can use the search feature with the show’s name to see if a guide exists for that show.

What Are You Binge Watching?

Got a show you are into right now? Share it with us!

Podcast #703: New TV Shows for Fall 2015 Sep 04, 2015

Show notes

New TV Shows for Fall 2015

Few things in life are as highly anticipated as television premier season every Fall. The Super Bowl maybe? A wedding or the birth of a child perhaps? But most of them pale in comparison to the awesomeness that is premier season. All of your favorite shows coming back for another year, and a ton of new shows to potentially add to the DVR. One of them might just become your new favorite show. Media Life Magazine has a great post with all the Fall Premiere Dates by date, time, and Network.

ABC

Blood & Oil

Premieres: Sunday, Sep. 27 at 9:00 PM

Don Johnson won't be getting Blood & Oil all over his Miami Vice linen clothes in this dirty series about a modern-day oil boom in North Dakota. Johnson plays an oil tycoon who's the antagonist to ambitious young couple Billy (Chace Crawford) and Cody (Rebecca Rittenhouse), who do everything they can to break off a little piece of that oil pie for themselves. Will everything of theirs — including their marriage — stand up to the challenge?

Dr. Ken

Premieres: Friday, Oct. 2 at 8:30 PM

Community's Ken Jeong, who was once a real-life doctor, can now say he plays a doctor on TV. Jeong stars as the titular character, a great physician who lacks bedside manner and a husband and father of two who drives everyone up the wall. The multi-camera comedy should be a good fit on Friday nights, where it will be paired with Last Man Standing. Suzy Namamura, Tisha-Campbell Martin, Dave Foley, Jonathan Slavin and Albert Tsai also star.

The Muppets

Premieres: Tuesday, Sep. 22 at 8:00 PM

Everyone's favorite (or at least top 10) puppets are coming back to television, but this time, they have even more sass. This new version of The Muppets is presented as a modern-day documentary catching us up with Kermit, Miss Piggy and everyone else as they go on with their professional (running a late-night show) and personal (puppet romance!) lives. ABC is pitching this as a more adult version of The Muppets that's still good for kids of all ages. The Big Bang Theory's Bill Prady will run the show.

Quantico

Premieres: Sunday, Sep. 27 at 10:00 PM

Let's just call this one How to Get Away with Terrorism, because this twisty ensemble thriller has a lot in common with ABC's big hit from last fall. A new incredibly attractive (obvs) class of FBI recruits at Quantico all joined the FBI for different reasons, which will be shown to the audience via flashbacks. But the real interesting part? One of the recruits — we don't know who — is responsible for the biggest domestic terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. Let the twists begin! Priyanka Chopra, Jake McLaughlin, Johanna Braddy and Graham Rogers star.

Wicked City

Premieres: Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 10:00 PM

Anthologies, period pieces and murder dramas are all the rage, and ABC smashed 'em all together in Wicked City. Set in 1980s Los Angeles, the first season is all about a detective (Jeremy Sisto) chasing down coupled-up serial killers (Ed Westwick, Erika Christensen) who prey on young women. Enjoyment tip: Try not to think about how half the cast wasn't even born when the series takes place.

CBS

Angel From Hell

Premieres: Thursday, Nov. 5 at 9:30 PM

Jane Lynch stars as a guardian angel. Or does she star as a crazy person who thinks she's a guardian angel? That's what Maggie Lawson's character — a straight-laced dermatologist — will have to figure out in this oddball buddy comedy. But you'll have to figure out when to laugh — this is a rare single-camera comedy on CBS.

Code Black

Premieres: Wednesday, Sep. 30 at 10:00 PM

Marcia Gay Harden stars in this medical drama about an emergency room in Los Angeles that's overcrowded, understaffed and under-equipped. But the doctors get it done, because this is a television show! Based on Ryan McGarry's award-winning documentary of the same name, Code Black also stars Luis Guzman, Raza Jeffrey, Benjamin Hollingsworth and Bonnie Somerville.

Life in Pieces

Premieres: Monday, Sep. 21 at 8:30 PM

A fantastic cast highlights this multi-generational family comedy that's told from the point of view of every family member. Babies will be born, kids will go to college and sitcom situations will go down at funerals. Dianne Wiest, James Brolin, Colin Hanks, Zoe Lister-Jones, Angelique Cabral, Thomas Sadoski, Betsy Brandt and Dan Bakkedahl star.

Limitless

Premieres: Tuesday, Sep. 22 at 10:00 PM

You thought the movie was OK, now see the television show based on the OK movie! This thriller stars Greek's Jake McDorman as a man who takes a drug that gives him access to 100 percent of his brain, meaning he's gifted physically and intellectually. Naturally, that makes him the perfect person to solve crime! Jennifer Carpenter, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Hill Harper co-star. Bradley Cooper, the star of the original 2011 film and executive producer of the series, will recur and reprise his character.

Supergirl

Premieres: Monday, Oct. 26 at 8:30 PM

Add CBS to the list of networks riding on the cape of the superhero phenomenon, as Melissa Benoist suits up as Superman's cousin in this light hearted drama. Come for bubbly heroine Kara saving National City from disaster, stay for the Devil Wears Prada work environment with Kara's nightmare boss Cat (Calista Flockhart) and wardrobe changes. Mehcad Brooks, David Harewood, and Chyler Leigh also star.

FOX

Grandfathered

Premieres: Tuesday, Sep. 29 at 8:00 PM

It's time to finally take down your Teen Beat John Stamos poster from your bedroom wall because Stamos is a grandfather! At least he is in this new single-camera comedy, in which Stamos plays a playboy restaurateur who finds out that he not only has a son, but his son also has a daughter. Old-man-changing-diapers hilarity ensues! Rounding out the cast are Josh Peck, Paget Brewster and Christina Milian.

The Grinder

Premieres: Tuesday, Sep. 29 at 8:30 PM

Rob Lowe can't stay off TV for too long! He headlines this comedy about an actor on a popular legal TV drama who returns to his small-town home to work in his family's real-life law practice with his brother (Fred Savage), despite only knowing law from the scripts of TV. What could go wrong? Umm, lots. But maybe that small town will teach him a thing about humility. Hey, this writes itself.

Minority Report

Premieres: Monday, Sep. 21 at 9:00 PM

Set 15 years after the Tom Cruise film of the same name, Minority Report follows a pre-cog — psychics who have the ability to predict the future — named Dash who uses his ability to stop crimes with the help of a detective. But Dash must do all he can to keep his abilities secret as there are people out there who want to detain pre-cogs and do all sorts of bad things to them, like poke their brain or open them up to see what makes them tick. Stark Sands stars as Dash, with Meagan Good on board to play his partner.

Rosewood

Premieres: Wednesday, Sep. 23 at 8:00 PM

The latest brilliant medical mind on television who has a problem is Morris Chestnut, who plays the titular Rosewood. And his problem? He's endlessly optimistic and loves life. Annoying! But his real problem appears to be legitimate medical issues, which leads him to live every moment like it's his last. (YOLO!) As Miami's top pathologist, he'll help a skeptical cop (Jaina Lee Ortiz) solve the murders that the Miami PD can't.

Scream Queens

Premieres: Tuesday, Sep. 22 at 8:00 PM

The latest idea to crawl out of Ryan Murphy's brain is an anthology comedy-horror series that's one of the hottest tickets of the year. Season 1 will be set in the ripest of horror settings — a snooty sorority — when the school's new dean demands that all potential sisters must be accepted in the pledging process. Oh, and a serial killer is on the loose murdering at least one character in each episode. Emma Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lea Michele, Nasim Pedrad, Oliver Hudson, Keke Palmer and Ariana Grande highlight the impressive cast.

NBC

Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris

Premieres: Tuesday, Sep. 15 at 10:00 PM

If there was ever a person suited to bring back the variety show, it's Neil Patrick Harris. The Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor is a singer, dancer, magician and just generally a doer of funny things. Based on the popular British series Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Best Time Ever features appearances by stars, stunts, comedy skits, incredible performances, mini game shows, audience giveaways and hidden camera pranks. If you can think of it, it'll probably pop up on this hour-long series.

Blindspot

Premieres: Monday, Sep. 21 at 10:00 PM

You know that recurring dream where you wake up naked in Times Square? Well, that really happens to Thor's Jaimie Alexander in this new drama from Arrow and The Flash executive producer Greg Berlanti. Alexander's character takes the nightmare to a whole new level, though, when she discovers her body is covered in intricate tattoos and she has no memory of how she got there or who inked her up like a gas station bathroom. Strike Back's Sullivan Stapleton appears as the FBI agent who follows the clues from her tattoos to reveal a larger conspiracy, the truth about her identity and hopefully, if he's lucky, who to call for a good time.

Chicago Med

Premieres: Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 10:00 PM

The newest spin-off in Dick Wolf's popular Chicago franchise, Chicago Med stars Oliver Platt, S. Epatha Merkerson, Laurie Holden, Nick Gehlfuss and Yaya Dacosta. It follows the day-to-day activities of one of Chicago's busiest and probably most dramatic hospitals, if we've learned anything from medical dramas. The series will draw inspiration from topical events as the doctors, nurses and cafeteria staff forge relationships in, out and probably around the emergency room. And yes, you can expect to see Chicago's hunkiest firefighters and top-notch lawmen swing through its doors on a semi-regular basis.

Heroes Reborn

Premieres: Thursday, Sep. 24 at 8:00 PM

A reboot of NBC's Heroes, this new series is exactly like the old one only with less Milo Ventimiglia and more Zachary Levi. And although Peter Petrelli won't be back, some other familiar faces will make appearances, including Jack Coleman as H.R.G., Greg Grunberg as Matt Parkman and Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura, among others. But what is this new chapter in the Heroes story about? Following a terrorist attack in Odessa, Texas, that left the city decimated, those ordinary folks with extraordinary abilities are blamed. Most have gone into hiding or are on the run, but something tells us they won't stay hidden for for long, because otherwise WTF is the point of this show?

The Player

Premieres: Thursday, Sep. 24 at 10:00 PM

Philip Winchester stars opposite Wesley freakin' Snipes in this new Las Vegas-set action series about a former military operative and current security expert who's drawn into a high-stakes game in which a bunch of wealthy jerks bet on his ability to stop crimes before they happen. You can probably think of it as Strike Back: Las Vegas but with fewer explosions, more Snipes and some truly ridiculous, convoluted scenarios.

Truth Be Told

Premieres: Friday, Oct. 16 at 8:30 PM

Formerly known as People Are Talking, this new hangout comedy is about two couples who over-analyze and obsess about everything as if they're the heir apparent to Dawson Leery. Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Franklin & Bash) stars as Mitch, a college professor (LOL) who's married to Vanessa Lachey's (Dads) Tracy. Meanwhile, Tone Bell (Bad Judge) and Bresha Webb (Hung) portray their BFFs and neighbors, Russell and Angie. You can probably expect a lot of talking that doesn't really say much.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Premieres: Monday, Oct. 19 at 8:00 PM

The CW's only new series this fall, this new comedy with musical elements hails from Rebecca Bloom who stars in the hour-long series as Rebecca Bunch, a determined (and possibly crazy) young woman who gives up her partnership at a law firm in Manhattan to move to West Covina, Calif., in a desperate attempt to find love and happiness with an ex-boyfriend. Remember when we said she might be crazy?

AMC

Fear the Walking Dead

Premieres: Sunday, Aug. 23 at 9:00 PM

Don't call it a prequel! It's a companion series. Set during the time Rick Grimes was in a coma, the L.A.-set Fear the Walking Dead will show what happened when the zombie outbreak first began. But don't expect the same harrowing tales of survival from its wildly successful cousin; this drama will focus on a family unit and the problems it has with an outbreak backdrop. Kim Dickens, Cliff Curtis, and Frank Dillane star.

Research compiled with the help of TV Guide.

A look back at the new TV shows for Fall 2014

How many survived? Of the shows we looked at for Fall premieres last year, not that many. This doesn’t include shows we didn’t talk about, or other late premiere shows like mid-season or summer replacement series.

ABC (2/6)

Black-ish - renewed
Cristela - canceled
Forever - canceled
How to Get Away With Murder - renewed
Manhattan Love Story - canceled
Selfie - canceled

CBS (3/5)

Madam Secretary - renewed
The McCarthys - canceled
NCIS: New Orleans - renewed
Scorpion - renewed
Stalker - canceled

NBC (1/6)

A to Z - canceled
Bad Judge - canceled
Constantine - canceled
Marry Me - canceled
The Mysteries of Laura - renewed
State of Affairs - canceled

FOX (1/5)

Gotham - renewed
Gracepoint - canceled
Mulaney - canceled
Red Band Society - canceled
Utopia - canceled

CW (2/2)

The Flash - renewed
Jane The Virgin - renewed

Podcast #702: Pinch Hitter Aug 28, 2015

Show notes

Today we go through emails and news and a discuss a post by Scott Wilkinson at AVS Forum that provides 12 Tips to Tune up your HDTV with guest host Stephanie Derderian. Don't worry, Braden will be back next week!

Podcast #701: DIY Automation Controls using Amazon's Dash Buttons Aug 21, 2015

Show notes

DIY Automation Controls using Amazon’s Dash Buttons

Amazon released a new little product a couple months ago, to very little fanfare. The Dash Button is a tiny device that allows you to instantly order a specific product for Amazon Prime delivery. We thought it was a bit of a novelty and didn’t see much use for it, but as with just about anything in technology these days, give it time and someone will find a way to repurpose it and put it to better use.

About the Dash Button

Each button is about the size of a portable USB drive and, in Amazon’s own words, it “...comes with a reusable adhesive and a hook so you can hang, stick, or place it right where you need it. Keep Dash Button handy in the kitchen, bath, laundry, or anywhere you store your favorite products. When you're running low, simply press Dash Button, and Amazon quickly delivers household favorites so you can skip the last-minute trip to the store.” They are currently available in limited quantities to Prime members only.

Each Dash Button costs $4.99. Not bad for the convenience factor. When we first heard about them, we thought it could be pretty neat. Buy a button, tell it what product you want it to order for you, and place it in a convenient location. Do you use a lot of AA batteries for remote controls, kids toys, etc? Place the Dash Button by where you store your batteries and when you’re running low, click it and you’ll have more on your doorstep in two days. But that’s not exactly how it works.

The idea is the same, but the Buttons aren’t nearly that configurable. Each Button corresponds to a predetermined product, and includes that product’s logo on it. If you find yourself constantly ordering and reordering one of the available products, it could be great for you. If not, the Dash Button may seem useless. That is, unless you find your own unique way to hack the Dash Button to get it to do something else that makes sense for you.

Right now there are 18 Dash Buttons available: Tide Detergent, Bounty Paper Towels, Cottonelle Toilet Paper, Glad Trash Bags, Gillette Razor Blade Refills, SmartWater Water Bottles, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Gatorade Sports Drinks, Huggies Diapers, Larabar Nutrition Bars, Izze Sparkling Juices, Wellness Natural Pet Food, Amazon Elements Baby Wipes, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, Maxwell House Coffee, Olay Skin Care, Gerber Baby Formula, and L'Oreal Youth Skin Care.

Repurposing the Dash Button

The whole idea comes from a post at Medium.com by Ted Benson called How I Hacked Amazon’s $5 WiFi Button to track Baby Data. Which, we’ll admit, sounds a bit creepy, but it isn’t. It was a dad’s quest to track when and how often his baby woke up at night. You can get the full details if you read the post, but he had tried baby tracker apps, but wasn’t satisfied, so he decided to put the Amazon Dash Button to use for just that purpose.

Those familiar with networking know that any devices you connect to your home network must have a unique identifier so your router can tell it apart from all the other devices on your network. This identifier is called a MAC address. The Dash Button is no different. Each one has a Mac address so it can connect to your home Wifi, then connect to Amazon over the Internet to make your product order. That MAC address, and the Dash Button’s ability to connect to your home Wifi are the secret to unlocking the device’s full potential.

To save battery life, the Dash Button completely shuts off when not in use. This means that when you click the button it has to wake up, connect to your Wifi network, then place the order. So if you can track when it connects to your network, you can get an alert every time the button is pressed. The author decided to monitor his network with a simple python script running on his computer. The source code is available at the post if you want it. But if you’re inventive, there are multiple ways to detect a new device joining your network.

Since each Dash button has to have a unique MAC address, you can have as many as you want and detect each one independently when they’re pressed. The author went on to enhance his python script to add a line to a google spreadsheet. He was able to use two different Dash Buttons to track two different baby activities at night, without having to turn his phone on, launch the app, track the activity, etc. Just click a Dash Button and you’re set. Of course, as he points out, you want to make sure the Dash Button isn’t actually associated with an item at Amazon so you don’t end up ordering something every time you click it.

But instead of writing a line to a Google spreadsheet, this is where the world becomes your oyster. Yours can do anything you can script to occur from the computer tracking the network for Dash Button activity. If that computer happens to be your automation server, imagine the possibilities. Do you have an automation activity you perform constantly that a single button press would make so much easier when a light switch isn’t within reach? Lights on or off from the bedside table. Air Conditioning on or off from the couch? Lights on or off from the car? Music on or off from the patio. Unlimited possibilities.

By now, if you’re a DIY automation enthusiast, you’ve probably come up with at least one or two ideas for the Dash Button. Sure, they’re all things you can do from your phone if you wake it up, open the right app, click the right action. Or from a wall switch if you get off your lazy butt and walk over to click it. Or from any of a plethora of other automation interfaces. The point isn’t that this a new or novel concept, it’s a new or novel way to put a $5 device from Amazon to work for you in creative and unique ways.

If you don’t want to do it yourself, there are options for tabletop controllers so you can get the simplicity of single click without having to repurpose a Dash Button. For example, if you’ve got an Insteon based system, you can pick up the 6-button scene control keypad in black or white for around $100. Not a bad deal. You get 6 buttons instead of having the keep track of 6 different Dash Buttons, but you pay quite a bit more as well. But, on the upside, it’ll be an instant addition to your automation system, so there’s still programming work to get it to do what you want, but less DIY work to get it into your ecosystem.

If you end up hacking up a Dash Button, we’d love to hear your story. If you’ve done something similar, hacked a device to automate your home or otherwise enhance your life, we’d love to hear about that too. Our listeners are quite sophisticated and inventive, we’d love to share your successful automation or home theater life hacks with the rest of the listeners.

Podcast #700: Mobile HDTV Aug 14, 2015

Show notes

Mobile HDTV

Motorola Mobility, one time subsidiary of Google, now a part of Lenovo, just released a new app in the Google Play Store called, yep, you guessed it, Mobile HDTV. The app enables select phones and portable devices, with the proper hardware, to watch live, over-the-air HDTV right on your Android device. The concept is pretty simple, and you’d think very compelling, but it turns out most people can’t use it. The question is, why not?

According to the description of the app, “Digital HDTV brings the broadcast TV experience to mobile devices with HD quality, making the experience more personal and more universally available.” The app is both a tuner and a DVR, so it allows you to...

“Watch TV while away from home: Digital HDTV brings the HD broadcast TV experience to the mobile device, with the additional support of the EPG (Electronic Program Guide) and Ginga, for user interactivity.”
“Record the TV program that you like: You may record the program you are watching, so that you can see it again later, or share something you liked with others.”
“Choose when to watch your favorite program: You may love a TV program but you may not necessarily be available to watch it when it plays. This feature gives you the ability to schedule it to be recorded, so that you can watch it later, when you like it.”

However, “This application has been designed to work on the Motorola models that support Mobile HDTV.” That’s the catch. So how many Motorola devices support Mobile HDTV? Turns out we weren’t able to find any for the US market that include the necessary hardware. Google and Amazon searches for devices with built-in DTV tuners came up empty. There are a handful of external DTV tuner/antennas at Amazon, but they’re based on the now defunct Dyle TV platform. So what gives?

TV on your Phone

According to the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters), “The process of integrating mobile TV transmission with an existing ATSC broadcast TV plant is not difficult. These are the basic devices required for local origination and network services:

A video (AVC) and audio (HE AAC v2) encoder for each added program stream
An IP path into the facility (for remote component ingest)
An IP encapsulator to encapsulate all program streams and non-real-time files into the appropriate transport protocol
A service multiplexer to multiplex the conventional ATSC stream with mobile TV data
A mobile TV enabled exciter to replace the existing exciter in the ATSC transmitter
The Mobile TV architecture provides full compatibility with all industry-standard ATSC equipment. Additionally, the system is compatible with all current microwave and fiber STL systems.”

And they list a ton of benefits for the broadcaster, “When a mobile TV system is implemented, broadcasters can expect the following operational and financial benefits:

Leveraged investment in ATSC transmission
Delivery of robust digital TV signals to mobile TV receiving devices
Extension of local branding to mobile users
The ability to redirect local news, weather, sports and traffic information to "consumers on the go"
The addition of up to eight program (streams) of mobile content per station
New revenue opportunities based on subscription, advertising and sell-through transactions”

We (The HT Guys) started talking seriously about Mobile HDTV back in 2010 when a group called Mobile Content Venture (MCV), a joint venture of 12 major broadcasters, announced a commitment to upgrade TV stations in 20 markets in order to deliver live video to portable devices. Their goal was to deliver mobile video service in markets representing more than 40% of the US population by late 2011. That group eventually released a platform of hardware and applications called Dyle TV. But as of May 22, 2015, Dyle mobile TV is no longer in service, and Dyle-enabled devices and their apps will no longer be supported.

Some may remember that Qualcomm tried and failed as well. They developed a technology called MediaFLO for transmitting audio, video and data to portable devices for mobile television and branded it in the US as FLO TV. But in October 2010, they announced they were suspending all new sales of the service to consumers and in December 2010, AT&T acquired Qualcomm's broadcast spectrum licenses in the 700 MHz band. FLO TV was officially shut down as a service in March of 2011.

What gives?

Many of us remember how many portable TVs were sold in the 1980’s. How many Watchman TVs Sony was flooding the market with. And back then you had to carry a separate device with you just to watch TV. Often they were only black and white screens, and sure they were “portable,” but not nearly as portable as today’s cell phones. How is it that free, over-the-air television, with no cost to consumers - no data charges, no minutes used - isn’t a feature on every cell phone and tablet in America?

This is very different than the Aereo situation. With Mobile HDTV the same broadcaster is airing the same content in the same market. They’re just broadcasting it to an entirely new set of screens. We don’t know for sure, but it’s entirely possible that the number of cell phones and tablets exceeds the number of TV screens in a lot of urban markets. Why wouldn’t broadcasters want their content on those screens? Why wouldn’t users want the ability to tune into live TV when they’re stuck shopping at the mall all day on a Saturday? Or every tablet made, for any kid in a carset or at a restaurant. There’s no cost to watch it. You don’t even need a data connection.

There has to be some technical challenges with the technology that we weren’t able to uncover, and we’re hoping some of our listeners can shed some light on it. Because, as of right now, an app like Mobile HDTV from Motorola Mobility seems like a pretty big no-brainer. We just don’t know why nobody has been able to get it to catch on.

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