The Digital Media Zone

Amazon makes an infuriating money grab for Ring app features you’ve been using for years, Sonos is expected to use a product launch as an opportunity to raise prices again, and Leviton will be rolling matter support out to 2nd generation Decora Smart products with a firmware update. Finally, several quarters in now, what’s Insteon Technologies up to? Co-founder Richard Sudek joins us to share the latest on Insteon products and services, talk about some new products, and give us a glimpse at what’s in their sights for the future. Cue Richard Gunther’s standard Insteon disclaimer.

Listen to the episode here or download it.

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Did you like it? Please rate it in Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher.

• Ring brazenly puts key camera features behind paywall
• New Sonos Era speakers
• Philips Hue Slim Downlights are now in stores
• Leviton is adding Matter support for Gen2 Decora Smart dimmer and switch
• Follow Insteon on Instagram at @insteon
• Find out more about Insteon products at insteon.com

Home: On is listed at Technology.FM, a curated collection of technology podcasts, including great shows like The HomeTech Podcast, The Spoon Podcast, and The Smart Home Show, co-hosted by Richard with Adam Justice.

If you’re interested in any of the products mentioned in this show, consider using our affiliate links, below, to view or purchase them on Amazon.com. Don’t worry…nobody’s getting rich off of this; but it does help us keep the lights on (so to speak) at The DMZ.

Inquire about sponsorship opportunities at [email protected]

The post Home: On #155 – Restarting Insteon with Richard Sudek from Insteon Technologies appeared first on The Digital Media Zone.

Plex will automatically skip the end credits of movies and TV shows in your personal media collection. Spotify is allowing you to partially train their algorithm. YouTube Music is giving you greater control over custom radio stations. Microsoft is bringing their games to Nvidia GeForce Now.

Join us most weeks for the live recording of Entertainment 2.0 on Tuesday evenings at 8:30 pm ET!

Click here to download episode #614.

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• Let the next episode roll
• Spotify now lets you exclude certain playlists from its recommendations – The Verge
• YouTube Music’s redesigned radio experience allows you to create totally custom stations | Engadget
• How Microsoft’s Nvidia deal works for gamers — with or without Activision
• The Xbox February Update Rolls Out Today!

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The post Entertainment 2.0 #614 – Your Taste Profile appeared first on The Digital Media Zone.

You can stream the Super Bowl in 4k for free! Peacock eliminated their free tier. Paramount+ is rebranding and trying an unusual growth strategy. Richard is really angry about YouTube TV dropping the MLB Network. The Netflix password-sharing crackdown has people up in arms. Netflix added spatial audio to over 700 movies and shows. Amazon Music Unlimited subscription prices are increasing. Should you be concerned about which of the three big publishers show up at E3? Samsung’s QD-OLED gaming monitor has a price, and we’ve got some thoughts about it.

Join us most weeks for the live recording of Entertainment 2.0 on Tuesday evenings at 8:30 pm ET!

Click here to download episode #612.

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• Confirmed: FOX to Stream Super Bowl LVII for Free in HD, 4K Without a Pay-TV Subscription – The Streamable
• Exclusive: Peacock Drops Free Tier for New Sign-Ups, Will Only Offer Paid Plans to New Customers – The Streamable
• Paramount+ Premium will absorb Showtime and rebrand as ‘Paramount+ With Showtime’ | Engadget
• YouTube TV Drops MLB Network
• How the end of Netflix password sharing will change the way families watch, especially the ones with college-age children 
• Netflix’s Premium Plan Adds Spatial Audio Support on All Devices – Thurrott.com
• Amazon Music Unlimited is Getting a Price Hike in the US and UK – Thurrott.com
• Exclusive: Xbox, Nintendo, and Sony Won’t Be Part of E3 2023 – IGN
• Samsung’s first OLED gaming monitor costs $1499.99

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The intro music is a song called Rogue by Raw Stiles

The post Entertainment 2.0 #613 – I Am Kind of a Rules Guy appeared first on The Digital Media Zone.

Tablo’s ATSC 3.0 DVR is indefinitely delayed. MGM+ has launched. HBO Max raised prices while cutting content. Apple TV and Apple Music are now Windows apps. The large Apple HomePod has returned!

Join us most weeks for the live recording of Entertainment 2.0 on Tuesday evenings at 8:30 pm ET!

Click here to download episode #612.

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• Tablo is Refunding Pre-Orders of ITs ATSC 3.0 DVR But Still Plans to Release It | Cord Cutters News
• Amazon’s MGM+ goes live, has Google TV integration already
• HBO Max’s first price hike raises the monthly rate by $1 – The Verge
• Apple TV, Music Apps Coming to Windows; Preview Versions Available Now – The Streamable
• Apple announces revamped full-size HomePod two years after discontinuing original – The Verge
• Google releases Stadia Controller update to enable Bluetooth

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The intro music is a song called Rogue by Raw Stiles

The post Entertainment 2.0 #612 – Uncharacteristically Nice appeared first on The Digital Media Zone.

Sports absolutely dominated broadcast television last year. fuboTV is kicking off the new year by raising prices. You’ll soon be able to rent movies through Plex. Google is working on innovative new audio technology. Apple is using “AI” to turn eBooks into audiobooks. The HTC Vive XR Elite looks to move VR and AR forward to the next level.

Join us most weeks for the live recording of Entertainment 2.0 on Tuesday evenings at 8:30 pm ET!

Click here to download episode #611.

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• All but Six of 2022’s Top-100 TV Broadcasts Were Sports; 82 Were NFL Games – The Streamable
• fuboTV Raises Price by $5 Starting at $74.99 per Month, Replaces Ultra Plan with New Premier Plan – The Streamable
• Plex Announces Movie Rental Platform Will be Available in Coming Months – The Streamable
• Google to Bring New Audio Experiences to Android 13 – Thurrott.com
• Apple’s new audiobook narration service uses AI voices | Engadget
• Xbox and Bethesda to Present Developer_Direct Livestream on January 25 – Xbox Wire
• HTC’s Standalone Headset is an Evolution For Virtual Reality – CNET

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The intro music is a song called Rogue by Raw Stiles

The post Entertainment 2.0 #611 – Robotic Romance appeared first on The Digital Media Zone.

Josh is back to recap the biggest gaming tech news from CES 2023. Razer and Alienware have the most interesting new gaming laptops. Samsung has a couple of absolutely ludicrous computer monitors. Alienware and Asus ROG are competing in the refresh rate arms race. Razer unveils their portable game streaming handheld. PlayStation announced an accessible PS5 controller in Project Leonardo.

Join us most weeks for the live recording of Entertainment 2.0 on Tuesday evenings at 8:30 pm ET!

Click here to download episode #610.

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• Razer rounds out its laptop line with the high-spec Blade 16 and Blade 18 | Engadget
• Alienware Unveils Its Thinnest and Most Powerful Gaming Laptops Yet – CNET
• You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Desk: Samsung’s New Gaming Monitor Is a Beast – CNET
• Alienware’s 500Hz Gaming Monitor Might Be the Fastest at CES – CNET
• Asus ROG Swift Gaming Monitors Hit 540Hz, 240Hz OLED in 1440p – CNET
• CES 2023: Razer Edge 5G is an impressive (and misguided) gaming handheld
• PlayStation Announces Project Leonardo, an Accessibility Controller Kit for PS5 – IGN

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The intro music is a song called Rogue by Raw Stiles

The post Entertainment 2.0 #610 – CES 2023 Gaming Tech appeared first on The Digital Media Zone.

The start of a new year means a plethora of announcements from across the technology space at CES! Josh and Richard are covering the show a little differently this year, and they’re podcasting about it differently, too. In this episode, they talk about the biggest and most interesting television and audio product announcements. There will be a separate podcast episode featuring gaming technology announcements.

Join us most weeks for the live recording of Entertainment 2.0 on Tuesday evenings at 8:30 pm ET!

Click here to download episode #609.

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• Best TVs of CES 2023 – CNET
• JBL Bar 1300X hands-on: Impressive immersive sound via detachable speakers | Engadget
• JBL debuts true wireless earbuds with a touchscreen ‘smart’ case | Engadget
• Support for spatial audio arrives on the Google Pixel
• Poly’s Voyager Free 60+ might be the slickest earbuds for work yet | Engadget

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The intro music is a song called Rogue by Raw Stiles

The post Entertainment 2.0 #609 – CES 2023 TVs and Audio appeared first on The Digital Media Zone.

Richard once again joins other hosts from the Technology.FM podcasts to share in their annual tradition of the fireside chat. What caught their attention this year, what do they think will be big next year, and how did they fare with last year’s predictions? As always, this special DMZ mix offers fewer ums, fewer digital assistant triggers, and–perhaps most importantly–blocks Mike’s valiant attempt to trick your Echo into sending something very expensive to your home.

Listen to the episode here or download it.

You’ll also find the show in these places:

• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Spotify
• Pandora
• Our RSS Feed

Did you like it? Please rate it in Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher.

Your hosts this year:

• Seth Johnson from the HomeTech Podcast
• Adam Justice from ConnectSense and The Smart Home Show
• Richard Gunther from Home: On
• Gavin Campbell from the HomeTech Podcast
• TJ Huddleston from Connect You and the HomeTech Podcast
• Mike Wolf from The Spoon and The Spoon Podcast

Home: On is part of Technology.FM, a curated collection of technology podcasts, including great shows like The HomeTech Podcast, The Spoon Podcast, and The Smart Home Show, co-hosted by Richard with Adam Justice.

Inquire about sponsorship opportunities at [email protected]

The post Home: On #154 – Fireside 2022 appeared first on The Digital Media Zone.

DIRECTV STREAM plans to start 2023 the same way they started 2022: by raising prices. The FTC is bucking all logic and suing to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Microsoft is following the lead of other major publishers by raising game prices in 2023. LG has two new OLED gaming monitors launching soon.

Join us most weeks for the live recording of Entertainment 2.0 on Tuesday evenings at 8:30 pm ET!

Click here to download episode #608.

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• DIRECTV STREAM Price Hike Coming in January 2023, with Plans Starting at $74.99 per Month – The Streamable
• FTC Sues to Block Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Acquisition
• Microsoft Raising Prices on New, First-Party Games Built for Xbox Series X|S to $70 in 2023
• LG LAUNCHES ULTRAGEAR GAMING MONITORS IN U.S. FEATURING WORLD’S FIRST 240HZ OLED PANEL – Dec 12, 2022
• Fosi Audio BT20A Bluetooth 5.0 Stereo Audio 2 Channel Amplifier

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The intro music is a song called Rogue by Raw Stiles

The post Entertainment 2.0 #608 – Can’t Unrecommend It Enough appeared first on The Digital Media Zone.

Plex added Discover Credits and it surprised us in multiple ways. Verizon Fios TV is launching a new box that might be the closest modern replacement to Windows Media Center that we’ve seen yet. Amazon is launching sports programming to rival ESPN. Razer announced a customizable PlayStation 5 controller that might appeal to competitive players who prefer the feel of the Xbox controller.

Join us most weeks for the live recording of Entertainment 2.0 on Tuesday evenings at 8:30 pm ET!

Click here to download episode #607.

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• Edifier R1280DB Powered Bluetooth Speakers
• Pioneer DJ DM-50D-BT 5-inch Desktop Active Monitor Speaker Pair with Bluetooth
• Sonos Roam
• Wanna Know Who’s in What? Welcome to Discover Credits | Plex
• Verizon Unveils ‘First-of-Its-Kind’ Fios TV Streaming Device – The Streamable
• Prime Video Launches ‘Sports Talk,’ Featuring 12 Hours of Daily Original Programming – The Streamable
• Razer Unveils $250 PS5 Controller With Offset Sticks The Wolverine V2 Pro

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The intro music is a song called Rogue by Raw Stiles

The post Entertainment 2.0 #607 – It’s All Math appeared first on The Digital Media Zone.