February, 2008 - K2B Inc. is pleased to announce the availability of TV2Me-SD, a new, groundbreaking, server capable of encoding and delivering full broadcast quality TV resolution and producing a picture that is virtually indistinguishable from the picture displayed directly from a cable box or satellite receiver.
The original TV2Me, which inaugurated the “placeshifting” genre in 2003, remains unrivaled for producing the highest quality live television pictures over the public Internet. The original hardware was optimized to operate within the Internet environment which, in those days, was rarely capable of delivering speeds faster than 512 kb/s.
TV2Me-SD takes advantage of today's faster Internet links to bring you a picture with 4 times as many pixels as does your current unit. On large home theater screens - with fast-moving picture changes especially - the difference is awesome. A link of 1.2 mb/s is rerquired to achieve the higher resolution.
As always, we believe "seeiing is believing." Use your demo account: try it now!
ADVISORIES
[Last Revised 20 February 2008]
November 2007: TV2Me Major Upgrade:
We've made major improvements and added great new features to the new TV2Me software version 2.20.18. Now, more than ever, TV2Me is head and heels above any other placeshifting system ever seen.
If your TV2Me software version is between 1.7 and 1.9, you'll benefit through:
- Purpose-adapted streaming for any device you choose to watch on: Enjoy TV2Me on a broadband PC or a Wi-Fi or cellular-connected Smartphone or PDA.
- Automatic saving of last audio encoding bitrate selection
- Automatic audio synchronization
- Ability to remotely reboot your TV2Me server ("Reboot TV2Me" link in the admin tab)
- If your TV2Me software version is V 2.0 or later, you'll also benefit through:
- Improved signal stability - greater tolerance of network "hiccups."
- Compatible Internet Explorer & Firefox.
- The video processing system in IE is substantially improved.
- IE version can be used with no receive-side software - can be viewed on any Windows PC with nothing to install (good for hotels, friend's homes, cafes).
- Your log-on page provides details information as to circuit conditions between you and your server - including its current bandwidth performance compared to past sessions.
- User admin control of cable/sat receiver power and several customization features have been added.
- A new user interface streamlines your pages.
- Encoding speed choice now adaptably color-coded to suggest optimal settings.
Higher encoding speeds may be selected - the Internet is getting faster, with higher throughput available almost everywhere. Through this upgrade, the system is adapted for higher throughput speeds, which when available, result in a substantially better, startlingly clear, picture!
The upgrade is made remotely. Due to hardware improvements that have evolved along with TV2Me, the upgrade is not available for units currently running TV2Me software prior to Version 1.7 (Manufactured post-October 2005). (If you are uncertain which hardware is running on your server, contact us for verification.)
Please contact us to set a schedule for this upgrade... you're sure to agree it greatly enhances the TV2Me viewing experience. We will coordinate a date to perform the work with you, as your server may be out of service for periods over the 1-2 days while the upgrade is being made.
April 2K7: SELECTION OF MULTIPLE CODECS:
V2.1 and above supports multiple client-side viewers or browsers, and assignment of the optimal CODEC for each. Factors that may favor use of one CODEC or the other include type of client device, its configuration, its browser and Internet conditions. TV2Me's ability to scale compression and processing of streams to PCs, PDAs and Smartphones and to different browsers is unique.
The client has remote control both video and audio encode rates at the server. While user control of bitrate may be crucial in varying Internet condtiions, it is always especially important when bandwidth is severly limited, as on many cellular systems. Last-selected default video and audio encode speeds last used are recalled each time TV2Me is started.
Client-side software is password protected on the support site. The new software is available as a self-executing file, and includes additional new features.
Server-side software is provided on request free of charge. Please contact us at your convenience to schedule a convenient iime for us to perform the updates (remotely).
CYBER-CAFE CAPABLE A TV2Me exclusive allows you to access your server without the need to install any software. The video quality remains great, making this mode a good alternative when you are in a cyber cafe or a friend's hourse or office, for example, where no software can be installed.
CABLE BOX REBOOT ADVISORY: The routines of some cable systems require that their set top boxes be rebooted after the provider updates attached decoders, or simply polls them for Pay Per View activity. These actions are periodic, but resumption of service requires a person on-site to physically press the STB's power switch. The "power-off" is a "hard" power-off - IR on/off commands will not work.
This may be difficult to accomplish if a subscriber is 1000's of kilometers away and no one is available to unplug/plug the cable box! The result is black screen - remotely and at the box itself.
A option can force the equivalent of a physical power switch keypress in such affected source cable and satellite boxes. This is the most minor inconvenience when a viewer is close to the set top box. Contact TV2Me support if you are affected.
DISH NETWORK SUBSCRIBERS (USA): The design of Dish's standard 522 receiver makes it incompatible with external, third party, universal remote controls or devices (such as TiVo).
One other exasperating feature of the Dish receiver has to do with its screensaver, which cannot be turned off and which comes on after 4 hours. The Dish standard 522 receiver (possibly others) "features" a Dish logo screensaver that comes on after 4 hours and cannot be defeated changed or turned off. A subscriber thus setting a TiVo record time greater than 4 hours hence will return to a recording of nothing but a Dish screensaver. The problem has been the subject of numerous posts by Dish subscribers. A Google search, "Dish 522 problem" returns a surprising number of hits. Thus US users who need or prefer a satellite source to cable are advised to choose DirecTV.
PASSWORD PROTECTED REBOOT: Ver 2.1 and above provides for password protected rebooting of the TV2Me server.
