Video

Universal search on Apple TV has gained support for finding CBS shows

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 14, 2016

Apple continues to add more content sources to the universal search capability of the fourth-generation Apple TV. Last week, for example, it added Starz content to the Apple TV's universal search.

And now, owners of the set-top box who installed CBS's tvOS application can take advantage of Siri to find such CBS shows as “Big Bang Theory”, “NCIS“, “Supergirl” and others, just by using their voice. Apple's support document was updated yesterday to reflect the addition of CBS to the universal search lineup for the fourth-generation Apple TV.

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Safari to gain support for audio/video chats via WebRTC standard without needing a plugin

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 14, 2016

Apple is hard at work on adding support to its Safari browser for cross-platform audio/video communications capability that won't require any special plug-in, enterprise computing blog No Jitter learned yesterday.

The Cupertino firm's reportedly decided to incorporate support for the open-source WebRTC project, a real-time video and audio standard originally created by Google.

Microsoft's Edge and Mozilla’s Firefox browsers have adopted this technology recently, which lets web developers create messaging applications that run in a browser and offer two-way audio/video communications capability without a plug-in.

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Snapchat stickers can now move in tandem with objects and people in your videos

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 13, 2016

Snapchat today announced a very cool object-tracking feature that works with live video, in real time.

Now available in Snapchat for Android and coming soon to the company's iPhone application, users can optionally attach a sticker to an object or a person in the frame and Snapchat's algorithm will handle the rest and do all the heavy lifting for you, Engadget reports.

You could add colorful scribbles to your photos and videos before but these were static. By pairing stickers with specific parts of your recording, the Snapchat algorithm can make them move, rotate and change their size to follow the object it's attached to as it moves around the frame.

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Netflix begins rolling out (very limited) support for HDR and Dolby Vision streaming

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 12, 2016

Netflix isn't wasting any time: they began rolling out support for high-dynamic range (HDR) streaming, with a spokesperson confirming that HDR programming will be delivered to compatible TVs anywhere Netflix is available.

“We are indeed live with HDR,” Yann Lafargue, Netflix's manager of corporate communications said to FlatpanelsHD.

The new streaming option works with compatible TVs, both in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, resulting in fewer compression artifacts and a greater dynamic range of luminosity than is possible with standard streaming technologies.

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BBC releases iPlayer Kids app

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 12, 2016

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Tuesday announced a kids-friendly version of its iPlayer video-streaming app, called iPlayer Kids. Available in the UK App Store at no charge, the ad and In-App Purchases free software offers kids a safe environment to watch all of BBC Children’s world-class content in one place.

These include over 10,000 episodes being made available this year alone, including both new and old CBeebies and CBBC favorites such as “Wolfblood”, “Blue Peter”, “The Dumping Ground”, “Topsy & Tim” and “Go Jetters”.

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Doodling over live video coming soon to Periscope

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

Periscope is currently testing a brand new feature that allows you to draw with your finger on top of a live video feed, The Next Web reported today. You can pick any color to draw with by tapping on a live video feed or use the new selection interface to draw in three primary colors.

Facebook too is working on ability to draw on video as part of the Facebok Live features so we're not surprised that rival Periscope, which is owned by Twitter, would work on this.

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Facebook app gaining Live button, video broadcasts now more Periscope-like

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 6, 2016

The Messenger button in the mobile Facebook app for iOS and Android which sent users to the Messenger app has been replaced with a Live button as the popular social network aims to push live and pre-recorded videos in front of as many eyeballs as possible.

Announced in a blog post Wednesday, the company is also rolling out new features for Facebook Live that give users more ways to discover, share and interact with live video.

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Reposting Vine videos to Instagram with VineGrab

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 12, 2018

I recently talked about sharing Instagram videos on Vine, a multi-step procedure that involves a third-party app to save an Instagram clip to the Camera roll before posting it manually to the Twitter-owned Vine service.

So far so good.

But what about the other way round? Of course that same process applies to posting vine clips on Instagram: save a vine to the device before manually sharing it on Instagram.

As it turns out, there's a bunch of third-party apps in the App Store which can take the pain out of resharing vines on Instagram. With VineGrab, a free iPhone app by Xiaoyu Xia, not only can you watch vines in a more elegant interface than Vine's own, you can also repost your favorite ones to Instagram.

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Cable network Starz launches $9 per month streaming package for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 5, 2016

Starz, a premium cable and satellite television network, today announced a brand new video service which permits owners of the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Apple TV to stream shows for a low monthly fee of just $8.99 per month.

A companion iOS app lets subscribers download full episodes to watch offline but does not offer live streaming. On the fourth-generation Apple TV, it supports universal search so you can ask Siri for shows to watch, including original ones like “Outlander”, “Power” and the upcoming “American Gods”.

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Twitter will live-stream Thursday Night Football broadcasts worldwide in the next season

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 5, 2016

Twitter has managed to sign an important deal with the National Football League giving it rights to exclusively live-stream as many as ten Thursday Night Football broadcasts worldwide in the next season, the companies said today.

According to Variety, Twitter will carry the games broadcast by NBC and CBS, to be simulcast on the NFL Network, too.

Free live-streams will leverage Twitter-owned Periscope.

In addition to the live games, Twitter will also stream in-game highlights from TNF and pre-game live broadcasts from players and teams before, during and after games.

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