Estuary, the new skin for Kodi is available for those looking to download the latest nightly build of the Media Center. Starting with Kodi 17.0 Krypton Estuary, the more TV-centric skin will become the default skin for the multi-platform program. Estuary for Kodi may make the program easier for new users to grasp by providing a cleaner interface with new icons for key functions.
This year’s NCAA Tournament is going to be streamed on more devices than ever before. The March Madness Live app will be available on 12 platforms this year as it expands to OTT platforms Including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku players and Roku TVs. As before the app will also be available on mobile devices including Amazon Fire tablets, iOS and Android mobile devices, Windows handsets, Web browsers, and this year the Apple Watch. This year’s NCAA tourney streaming options continue the digital trend.
Sling TV gets another chance with the NCAA Tournament
If you have been on the fence about looking in the sling TV March may be a good time to take a look. Sling TV will be featuring most of the major college basketball tournaments that will determine the NCAA field as well as a majority of the NCAA tournament action including the national championship game.
Sling TV is an app/service available across a number of streaming platforms including IOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV and Android TV. Its starter service consists of a $20.00 basic package that includes ESPN as well a number of othe channels. The availability is broken down by packages.
NCAA Conference Tournaments
· Sling TV subscribers will be able to watch NCAA Conference Tournament events starting this week from conferences like the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and more.
· Games airing on ESPN or ESPN2 are available to all “Best of Live TV” subscribers
· To see basketball coverage on ESPNU, SEC Network and ESPNEWS requires a subscription to “Sports Extra” ($5 more per month with a Best of Live TV subscription).
March Madness
· Starting with the First Four and continuing through the National Championship, you’ll be able to watch approximately 70 percent of the March Madness matchups with Sling TV on TBS, truTV and TNT.
· Check out our March Madness bracket takeover at sling.com when the tournament begins.
Free Preview – truTV
· Best of Live TV subscribers will have access to a free preview of truTV, throughout the tournament (March 13-April 12).
· In addition to carrying the first four tournament games, truTV and TNT will also show “Teamcast” feeds during the Final Four round, so you can experience alternate game views from different perspectives.
For more information, check out the Sling TV blog. Thanks, and please let me know if you have any questions!
By Richard D Chadwell
Sports and Entertainment Correspondent
When the WWE Network was first announced two years ago many critics dismissed it saying that the venture would struggle to attract subscribers to its niche network. That it would damage its PPV product and be an albatross around the neck of chairman Vice McMahon. Those critics are hard to find these days. At the most recent shareholder’s meeting for World Wrestling Entertainment there was a great deal of information about how the network is doing. As far as the company is concerned the network is doing very well.
Trademark issue is taking on a life of its own
It’s never too early to figure out your NCAA March Madness Plans. With the Super Bowl out of the way it is the next major upcoming sporting event. CBS All Access Members will be able to access a number of games as part of their live streaming packages through their local CBS affiliate. For an early look at the game schedule before the brackets fill out check it out below. Looking for more info on CBS All Access check Here
CBS All Access is a substantial offering as a streaming service providing access to CBS programming from throughout its daily schedule on-demand as well as a live streaming feed of local stations in over 60% of the US market on mobile and set-top devices. All of that is available along with a large library of past shows for $5.99 (plus tax) per month. But what if you just want to watch one show. On a recent visit to the Apple store I struck up a conversation with an associate regarding sales
figures for the Apple TV at that location (they appear strong btw). She has an Apple TV but said she wished she could watch Super Girl and that it is not available as part of the CBS app on her phone for AirPlay. She was unaware of Plex and for that matter PlayOn. With both Plex and PlayOn users can watch Super Girl without CBS All Access on Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku without having to resort to pirating or anything else nefarious.
If it’s not pirating how do Plex and PlayOn give me Super Girl?
The reason Plex and PlayOn can access Super Girl is that they connect with CBS’s website. And once the CBS channel is part of your Plex channel lineup on the free Plex media server users cab access the channel on a number of connected devices. PlayOn also accesses content via a web browser Internet Explorer. While users never use the browser actively it is what keeps the server tied to network sites. PlayOn is not free but does have inexpensive lifetime options that include DVR functions. Unlike the CBS apps, CBS’s website does provide free episodes of Super Girl, typically the last 5 that have aired. This works out very well for those who keep up with shows semi-regularly. I mean let’s face it, if you do not watch a show within a month of it airing it must not be that high on your list. Even Hulu’s commercial supported tier has a number of series that only provide the last five episodes.
Can You Watch Super Girl On Kodi?
Yes. There is an app for Kodi called USTV VOD. The app, like Plex and PlayOn, accesses content via the respective websites of networks and provides users with a simple interface to watch them. This is another great way to keep up with favorites via the web without wrestling with yourself about whether it is the right thing to do or not. You also do not have to use another computer system in order to use Kodi, though it does not have official apps for the big three set-top boxes, Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV, nor does it have straight forward casting ability with Chromecast though there is a workaround. Kodi is available via the Fire TV without too much work as well as the Apple TV with a bit of effort.
Video on Plex and Plex Home Theater
KlowdTV, the curated Internet content provider has added Apple TV to a list of streaming platforms that includes Roku, Fire TV IOS, Android, PC’s MACs and numerous smart TV’s. The service combines multiple Internet-based channels into a comprehensive grid offering streamers access to sports, news Kids programming, foreign language programming from Mexico and Columbia as well as entertainment channels. One channel that really stands out is FNTSY Sports Network. It is a sports channel dedicated to fantasy sports. It features a great deal of content from who to start, what’s hot and more to help fantasy sports fans keep on top of the games and leagues they love.
It’s sort of like ESPN for Fantasy Sports. Sky News is another standout channel featureing 24 hour international coverage based out of Britain. For those with young children kids ducktv serves as a source of calm soothing imagery. Js tthe kind of thing you might use to help a baby fall asleep for that much needed nap in the swing or vibrating chair.
DVR Included
Klowd TV gives users a chance to record shows for later viewing with a cloud based DVR service that can be used to record anything available on KlowdTV. It is very easy to use. Simply select the desired programming and press record and the service will snag it for later viewing allowing you to pause and fast forward.
To try Klowd TV for a week Click Here
Video Demo KlowdTV
The MINIX NGC-1 is a fanless mini PC with a fully licensed Windows 10 operating system. It offers 4k
Playback and has a hefty amount of RAM 4 GB of DDR 3L. This allows the system to handle a ton of applications and programs and perform well as a media center. At $399.00 the system is at a premium price but it is very much a premium product with a metal case and a stout weight. MINIX products always have a solid build and this one tops them all. Think of it as a pre-assembled Intel-based NUC. It is fully functional right out of the box and can be configured for multiple home entertainment and productivity needs in mind. Read on to get our overall impressions of the device.
Operating System Windows 10
Ah Windows 10, the operating system so exciting Microsoft skipped past Windows 9. Windows 10 was not built to be a media player interface. No version of Windows was unless you count the Xbox. Navigating made
me miss the Windows Media Center. With a wireless keyboard, the navigation is very natural because it is just like using any computer. Windows 10 is plenty fully capable of supporting a vast number of programs and applications. But if one chooses to use the device as a media player it would be helpful to utilize a front end system like Kodi or the Plex Home Theater.
Media Apps
Windows 10 utilizes the Windows app store. While not as robust as the IOS or Android store the Windows App Store has all of the big name apps the typical consumer would look for like Netflix, Hulu, Watch ESPN, Crackle and Plex. Users are hardly limited to the selections in the store of course. Plex itself offers numerous channel options when paired with an active server.Users can also download Kodi and other media apps directly from their respective websites. We set up Kodi 15.2 for Windows in a matter of minutes.
Install full servers for Plex, Kodi and PlayOn
When it comes to media servers some people swear by Kodi/XBMC while others argue that Plex’s ability to work as a peer to peer hub make it superior. While there are any number of Android media players set up around Kodi as well as some lighting fast Linux machines very few set-top boxes can be used as a Plex server. The NGC-1 can.
Because it is a full Windows PC with RAM to spare it easily handles Plex and Kodi at the same time. It can also support the Plex Home Theater which is a far more capable application than any of the Plex application available on other devices. Another option that we tried was PlayOn. PlayOn is a media center built to be used as a DVR for digital content and offers users an easy pathway to TV network based websites amongst other things. All of the media centers functioned quite well playing back media in HD The ability to handle all of these options helps set the device apart from numerous competitors.
Controllers
The NCG-1 does not ship with a remote of any type. This is common with mini PC’s. The system supports USB and Wireless controllers. For set up purposes the best route is a wireless keyboard. We used a Logitech
wireless keyboard which made entering passwords for the numerous apps and server programs easy. Once set up is complete a simple air mouse will do. I have to think that the type of user who would invest in a mini Windows 10 PC likely would have a workable solution handy. But in the absence of one another purchase will be required.
Desktop Replacement
It makes me sound much older than I am to say this machine has more than 3 times the RAM of the computer I had custom built by Annand Shimpi before I started college (also indecently before he finished 11th grade). With 4 GB of DDR3 RAM it will power through any basic Windows program. If a user chooses to they can utilize the NGC-1 as a desktop computer with a printer etc. It’s HDMI port will support a monitor and any peripherals needed.
Browsers
You want it you got it. It comes loaded with Microsoft Explorer and Microsoft Edge. The best thing about Microsoft Explorer is that you can use it to download Google Chrome. We did that immediately. With a full browser as opposed to an Android/mobile browser users can access any website including CBS or Hulu to get content that cannot be accessed via apps. Users can also access the Plex Web App if they choose to and bypass downloading any other
interface. Any media site can be accessed through a television and if it turns out that a site is best optimized by something else just download it. There are no flash issues to negotiate or any other protocols.
Wi-Fi Performance
Dual Band Wi-Fi is an industry standard so it should come as no surprise that the NGC-1 supports it. As with any wireless connection the performance will have a great deal more to do with the strength of one’s home network than the hardware on the computer itself.On the hardware side the NGC-1 has two external Antennas to give users the best Wi-Fi performance possible on the network.
Ports
The NGC-1 has 3 USB 3 ports along with an Ethernet port, a combined headphone/microphone jack and optical audio port and the power adapter port (of course). There is no SD card port which is odd for both a computer and a set top-
box. If you choose to utilize SD cards I would recommend using a USB based one.
Build
The NGC-1 has a silver metal case which differentiates it from the traditional black cases that the company typically utilizes. The company uses the same supplier that Apple uses for the Macbook. It feels like a premium product, heavy, substantial and sturdy.
Specs
SoC Intel Celeron N3150 quad-core processor @ 1.6 GHz / 2.08 GHz (Turbo) with 2MB L2 cache, and Intel HD graphics with 12EU (4W SDP / 6W TDP)
Memory 4GB DDR3L
Storage 128 M.2 SSD
Video Output HDMI 1.4 up to 4K @ 30 Hz (not true 4K) and mini DisplayPort
Audio HDMI, 3.5mm stereo jack (microphone + headphone), and optical S/PDIF
Networking Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2 with two external antennas
USB 3 USB ports on
Want to order an NGC1? Pick it up from our Amazon Powered store Here
Recently I had a fun experience. I got to watch the original Star Wars movies with someone who had never seen them before. My cousin wanted his girlfriend who speaks Spanish and English to see the original movies before they saw the latest films. With the dialogue-heavy films my cousin suggested watching the movies in Spanish which was fun because I watched something so familiar through a totally different set of eyes. With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend ESPN is giving Spanish-speaking audiences and their friends the same opportunity. The sports network will be showing the game in Spanish via ESPN Deportes. For those who have the channel through their cable package, the game will also be streamed through the ESPN Deportes Internet channel on Watch ESPN and Sling Television. If you don’t have cable or don’t already subscribe to a tier that includes ESPN Deportes you can jump in with Sling Television. While ESPN Deportes is not part of the regular “Best of Live TV” package or even the standard sports add-on. There are two ways users can sign up to receive ESPN Deportes and watch the Super Bowl in Spanish on Sling Television.
How do you get ESPN Deportes?
Sling TV customers who subscribe to “Best of Live TV” package can add “Best of Spanish TV” for an additional $5 per month or “Deportes Extra,” also for an additional $5 per month.
Streamers can also sign up directly for Sling Latino for $12 per month to access the Super Bowl from ESPN Deportes and they can even do it as part of a free trial. New customers can sign up for Sling Latino at www.slinglatino.com .
So it’s game on in two languages. Get your favorite snacks and see the coronation of Cam Newton or the triumphant end of Peyton Manning.
