When it comes to DVRs there are many choices. Most come from cable and satellite service providers. While these have improved over time, like Dish Hopper and DirecTV Genie, they aren't perfect, although they are getting more usable.

Now TiVo is readying it's own new device. The company produces what some feel is the best DVR you can get. The latest version is called Bolt and it's just cleared the FCC.

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The release of Windows 10 spelled the end for Media Center. It wasn't unexpected, users have known it was coming for a while, as Microsoft had ceased developing the service. That didn't make the loss any easier for the loyal following of HTPC users.

From Microsoft's abandonment, other businesses grow. MediaPortal, which has been a solid solution for quite some time now is one. Though, other options for Media Center refugees also exist.

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In today's television market Comcast is the bully -- the 600 pound gorilla. The cable provider owns NBC, which arguably should not have been allowed, but what's done is done. The carrier also doesn't seem to be above using it's status to fight off rivals, especially those in the new TV market that it knows is coming, but would prefer to prevent.

That is apparently the case recently with Sling TV, a service that works just like cable, but comes in over the internet, which turns Comcast into a bandwidth provider and takes away that lucrative TV business. With that in mind, Comcast-NBC has begun blocking Sling's ads.

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Six major US film studios, and Sky UK have been charged by the EU on the basis of unfair restriction of content across the European Union.

Competition chief Margrethe Vestager said that the European consumers want to watch the pay-TV channels of their choice regardless of their location in the EU. But according to their investigation, the film studios cannot restrict the content because of the licensing agreements. They believe that these studios might be in breach of the EU competition rules.

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Chinese technology conglomerate Xiaomi, best known for its low-priced and durable smartphones, has been aggressively working lately to increase its other product portfolios. The company today announces that it is refreshing its TV lineup by launching the Mi TV 2S.

As for the specifications, the Mi TV 2S sports a 48-inch display with 4K capability. With a waistline of 9.9mm and aluminum body, the television set is impressively thin too. But the company is not making any compromises on the internal components.

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The internet can be a scary place, as sites and services get breached on a regular basis. However, it's also become an integral part of life for many people. That's why constant vigilance is in order to try and maintain a level of safety.

The latest victim is Plex, the media server and client, that many home theater enthusiasts use. If you just have a standard account then you should be safe, But, if you signed up for the forums, then you'll need to pay attention. Plex is notifying users to change their passwords.

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I plopped onto my sofa tonight to watch a show using Sling TV. I love the service, despite it being a bit pricey. The one time I've called I got quick and courteous customer service. Tonight was different -- the service told me there was a problem with the login. I called and received endless messages that there were "higher than normal call volumes".

The sense that something was up popped into my head. Indeed it was, as the eventual customer service rep informed me that there was a big problem.

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We last looked at the cord-cutting revolution in early 2014 and asked who planned to do so in the coming year. A surprising number of you said you'd already done it. What has happened since then that will make those who haven't switched do so now? A couple of interesting developments have happened in this time.

Before we get to those, we'll pose the question one more time. Will you, or for that matter have you, cut the cord? If you have no plans to, then why? There are obviously many possible answers to these questions and many good reasons both for and against the change in your entertainment options.

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Sony delayed the launch of its wafer-thin 4K TVs in May, but has officially penned the launch month for July. The three models, all running Android TV, are ahead of the curve in terms of design.

Take the 55-inch model for example, measuring at 4.7 mm at the thickest screen point. That is thinner than the iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S6 and the thinnest display on the market.

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The world is increasingly a melting pot, with all countries containing citizens not native to them. This results in a plethora of languages being spoken and heard. To deal with this, countries carry an increasing number of foreign language channels to accommodate all people.

Now Sling TV, a new kind of "cable" service, is getting into the game, introducing a package of Arabic language channels for those people who may be feeling a bit out of place away from their home lands.

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The season finale of Game of Thrones managed to break piracy records once again, despite HBO clamping down on pirates in Canada and the UK.

An estimated 1.5 million downloads of the tenth episode happened during the first eight hours, with a further five million since. It is expected to rise to over 10 million by the end of the week, as latecomers catch up.

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Netflix has been busy with content, although the video service has somewhat been neglecting the website it maintains. But that's all changing now as the company unveils a complete revamping which it hopes customers will find much more useful.

This update promises a better user experience that "has been built from the ground up to make it faster and easier to discover something".

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When Sony Pictures was hacked last year, one of the primary concerns for the company was the leaking of a number of unreleased movies. But in the UK, there were other consequences, including the daytime broadcast of the movie The Verdict complete with a smattering of four-letter expletives.

Sony Pictures Entertainment's subsidiary company Media Mix Limited owns the TV station Movie Mix, and on 14 December the channel broadcast an edit of the movie peppered with f-bombs. In the middle of the afternoon. The channel's excuse? That the "safe for daytime" broadcast version of the movie had been deleted by hackers.

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While its competitors were fighting about Weather Channel royalty fees and customer service fiascos, Dish Network was blazing ahead to become an exceedingly relevant TV provider in a 21st century landscape. Its new effort to merge with T-Mobile is just the latest example.

As has been widely reported, Dish and T-Mobile are in discussions to become one entity that would give a huge amount of wireless spectrum to T-Mobile and give Dish a completely unique position in the mobile marketplace.

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If you haven't been following the news today, Lenovo is currently holding its Tech World show. We have seen new laptops in various price ranges. But a hot item these days for the home theater is sticks, as opposed to set-top boxes. We've seen them from Google, Roku and Amazon, but all three had some experience in the market. Now Lenovo is jumping in feet first with its own offering.

The Chinese hardware maker has announced Lenovo Cast to allow customers to share the videos from their phones and tablets, but do so on the big screen -- obviously more comfortable than having folks gather round that hand-held device.

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