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If Baidu didn't already have reason to take pause at Youku and Tudou's recent merger, it might now: the newly joined Chinese video giant just announced a five year licensing deal with Sony Pictures. The agreement will put some 300 Sony titles on Youku Premium's ad-free platform, providing subscribers with classic, critically acclaimed and recent tiles such as Groundhog Day, Across the Universe, and Men in Black 3. The Sony deal also gives Youku Tudou a complete set of major Hollywood content providers, complimenting similar deals with Warner Brothers, DreamWorks, Paramount, Disney, NBC Universal, Lionsgate and Twentieth Century Fox. Check out the firm's official announcement after the break.

We've had mixed feelings about Yahoo's Connected TV platform, but Samsung appears to think that its the next big thing. The two mega corporations announced a multi-year partnership on Monday that will bring the restructuring internet company's interactive television software to Samsung's 2012 lineup of smart TVs. Far from the traditional clunky Facebook and Twitter smart TV apps, Yahoo's setup brings interactive content to the programming that you're watching, such as trivia, program statistics and other types of playable games. You'll also have the option to use your smartphone or tablet as a surrogate remote control to view and share additional interactive content. As promising as this may sound, our biggest concern here is that this feature also recognizes commercials and may offer additional advertisements on top of the ones that you're already viewing. Programming partners currently include: Showtime and National Geographic, which makes us wonder what kind of ad suggestions will run during episodes of Dexter -- knives, duct tape and plastic wrap, anyone?

Halo 4
After more than a decade the Halo series is still going strong, although development has moved from Bungie to 343 Industries. Fans shouldn't let that switch worry them however, as Joystiq's review assures it is a "decadent show of strength" for the series that lives up to its predecessors in single player, co-op and multiplayer. A new co-op mode that's updated weekly will also probably help find some allies instead of foul-mouthed adversaries should you choose to head online. There's a trailer after the break, but we're pretty sure you already know if this is the game for you.
($59.99 on Amazon)

Entourage The Complete Series
If you'd like to see every season of Entourage in HD, this is your chance. The complete series is coming to Blu-ray (yes, before The Sopranos) and anyone who caught it during its run on TV can attest to the sharp visual style and always timely soundtrack. Vince and crew have never looked better, and at $140, it's not too expensive for serious fans to enjoy.
($139 on Amazon)

Firefly 10th anniversary
Browncoats unite. The Science Channel is airing a special reunion of the short-lived show Firefly, complete with never before seen footage and more. Check out the official site for more info and a chance to unlock more exclusive clips, and tune in Sunday night to relive all the action. If you missed the Comic-Con reunion panel, video is embedded after the break.
(November 11th, Science, 10PM)

Samsung Smart TVs can now boast more than just bird flinging in the games department, with EA today dipping its toe in the Samsung App store in the form of two major digital board games: Monopoly and The Game of Life. The games cost $10 a pop, and are controllable with your WiFi-enabled Samsung Galaxy SI, SII, and SIII mobiles -- you'll need to snag "mobile companion apps" for each game to enable controls, which adds some tilt sensor-based waggle (the apps are free). That brings the grand total of notable standalone games on Samsung's Smart TVs to three, but then there's always Gaikai support to tide you over as well, eh? And hey, we hear there's a new Nintendo machine on the way pretty soon, in case you wanna go down the rabbit hole even deeper.

It's Monday, which means it is time for you to listen into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to mp3 at 5:30PM. Please be a part of it by reviewing the list of topics after the break, and then participating in the live chat too.

CBS has been the lone Hulu refusenik among the biggest US broadcasters -- even with rumors of licensing discussions underway at least two years ago, we've usually had to visit the network's own site if we wanted a CSI fix without paying by the show. The deadlock is over at last now that CBS and Hulu have struck a deal. The agreement isn't quite what we'd hope for, focusing almost exclusively on back catalog titles like Medium and Star Trek, although celebrity gossip junkies will like knowing that Entertaintment Tonight segments will be viewable the day they air on regular TV. We'll have to wait until January 2013 for the selection to be ready -- not to mention shell out for Hulu Plus to get full access -- but there's at least an end in sight to one of the longer content droughts in streaming video.

If it wasn't busy enough selling millions upon millions of smartphones, Samsung's TV department has proven it's no slouch either, with a record 1.15 million sets sold last month in the US alone. After noting "potential demand for super large TV," Samsung's focusing its attentions on the 75-inch ES9000 to help it sell the next million. Trumping its first million-selling month one year ago, it's pretty good going at a time when plenty of viewers are now happily settled with their HDTV setup.

The media player paradise of XBMC 11 Eden has served us well for the majority of the year, but now it's time to move to Middle Earth. XBMC 12 Frodo has entered formal development, bringing with it a feature freeze until the new version is done and dusted. This means there won't be many changes beyond tweaks to the default skin for the foreseeable future, but a few significant additions just made the inclusion deadline, such as a UPnP update, advanced filtering (pictured above) and more. Beta versions of the hobbit-friendly release are expected to start appearing in the middle of November, but if you're still craving forbidden fruit, alpha software is available to install now at your own peril.

Panasonic has just launched the AG-AF105A pro camcorder, an updated version of the AG-AF105 model, and for lovers of fine color gamut, there's good news. You can now output 10-bit HD video through the live view SDI port to an external recorder, boosting the color range to a billion hues and 1024 shades of grey. That addresses one of the main gripes with the previous $6k, 8-bit camcorder: it had to live in a world of Red Scarlets and Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera MFTs, which already have deep color. The revised model also brings a new PS recording mode with 25Mbps data rate, full HD progressive modes (1080/60p, 1080/50p), higher fidelity 16 bit LPCM audio and enlarged focus assist. It'll hit shelves on November 15th in Japan (there's no mention of an international date yet) with pricing up to the dealer, so sharpen up those haggling skills if you want one.

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Wes, who needs to ensure that Delta Tau Chi don't start interfering with his band practice sessions. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I'm a university band director, and I need a WiFi stereo receiver for our rehearsal space. The problem is, that it would have to join the same network that the students and faculty all share. I want to be able to Airplay music and related apps (like a metronome) through the setup, but I'm worried that any student can connect and mess with it. I can't seem to find a receiver that requires a separate password to connect to it, so I could really use some help! Thanks, Wes"

Wes, we'll help you on one condition: the next time you're directing a half-time show, the band has to stand in the shape of the Engadget logo. Deal? Good.

• It's very easy to set an AirPlay access code onto an Apple TV. That way, if anyone wants to start pushing tunes (or apps) to your sound system, you have to enter a four-digit code of your choosing.
• You can also control permissions on other AirPlay devices like the Sony STR-DN1030, but there's a limit of 20 devices, and it's a little bit fiddly.

Of course, this wouldn't be Ask Engadget without some audience participation, so, dear audience, participate! Share your knowledge, tell us tales and spread some love this weekend -- but only if said love is related to the world of AirPlay passwords.

Anyone who follows the home entertainment space closely probably agrees that TV is broken: archaic user interfaces, pricey bundles, six remotes that each do one thing, all limited to the confines of your home. Of course, realizing it's broken and knowing how to fix it are two different things. One attempt at a fix is Simple.TV. This $149 box (plus $59 a year for service) bridges the gap between the various devices you already own and the world of broadcast television. It allows you to access the plethora of content available via unencrypted digital cable, or for free via an antenna, on just about any device you own -- tablet, smartphone, PC or even a TV. Sounds pretty great, huh? But does it deliver? And can it replace your cable box and the high-priced service that goes with it? Just click on through, and you'll find out.

Simple.TV review

The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem -- the consortium of companies attempting to develop an industry standard for digital distribution of entertainment, and the folks behind UltraViolet -- can count another member among its ranks as of this week: digital storage company Seagate. The storage manufacturer announced as much in a press release this week, and threw its support behind UltraViolet. "As a DECE member, Seagate's expertise and perspective on cloud solutions and storage devices will help the organization to evolve those benefits," says UltraViolet GM Mark Teitell. Considering how many major content providers are supporting UltraViolet, it's good to know that one of the largest storage companies isn't standing against our digital futures.

The newest option for Windows Media Center users is nearly here, as Ceton's Echo extender has been listed for pre-order at Newegg. Available for $179 with a $10 gift card and free shipping, the diminutive accessory enables WMC streams of your live and recorded TV in up to 5 other rooms. That's been possible with other extenders -- especially Microsoft's own Xbox 360 console -- but the Echo claims its advantage is being purpose built to do the job with less noise and power consumption, plus support for features like DTS surround sound*. We'll be reviewing it as soon as the software is final, early adopters that are ready to jump but missed the beta offer can snag one at the link below -- the first shipments are scheduled to go out November 30th.

Update: DTS support was announced at NAB but that was before the hardware change to the smaller boxes. As a result, it will not support DTS at launch.

You have to admit, this was a great way to start off the week, and it's just as enjoyable to finish it off this way as well. The fifth day of our five-day giveaway campaign is coming to a close, but not before we hand out one final prize to a lucky winner: a gift card good for the price of one iPhone 5 at full retail price. This comes to us courtesy of Heatma.ps, a Polish startup that created the first heat map analysis of mobile apps. Heat mapping can certainly come in handy for developers who are trying to figure out the best way to enhance their app's UI experience. So take a peek at the link above and -- while you're here -- make sure to enter this week's contests, okay?

Among the truckload of devices that Apple unpacked at its press event a few days ago was a gadget that we had heard rumblings about for a long time. The iPad mini graces the cover of our weekly and we put it through the full review treatment to see how it stacks up with other slates that sport a smaller stature. If Cupertino's latest doesn't grab your eye, we also take a good, long look at Windows 8, ASUS's PadFone 2 and HTC's 8X before offering in-depth analysis. Weekly Stat recaps earnings season, Eyes-On visually fondles a pair of Slingboxes, and video producer Freddie Wong visits the Q&A. The usual download repositories are just below, so mosey on to yours and snag a copy.

Distro Issue 64 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

Yes, this week just keeps getting better and better, as we have yet another iPhone 5 to send your way. This time, the phone comes with a pair of rugged cases, and it's all thanks to Otterbox, which has made a rather large name for itself over the years by offering peace of mind to accident-prone customers. The winner of this contest will have both a Defender and Commuter case to use with their new prized possession, which is nice since different situations may require different types of protection. Anyway, scope out the rules and leave a comment below to enter -- and remember, all of our other contests are still running right now, so don't forget to hop over to enter those ones as well!

Launch day has finally arrived for Boxee's second hardware effort and now we're finding out even more about it. As we heard yesterday, the $99 Boxee TV will be a Walmart exclusive at retail (also available via Boxee's website), however early adopters in the holiday season can also expect a three month period to try out the "No Limits DVR" for free, plus a discounted service rate of $9.99 (normally $15) for life, three months of free Netflix access and a $5.99 Vudu credit. After the holidays, buyers can still expect free DVR trials, but there's no details on exactly what is in store. The list of supported apps has also grown, with Spotify, MLB, TED, Wall Street Journal, Accuweather and Boxee's own Cloudee joining the previously announced Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, Pandora and Vimeo on day one. Finally, we've got our first look at the HTML5 webapp that serves as a guide and second screen remote control.

For owners of the original Boxee Box, the company posted in a blog entry (the link appears to be down at the moment) that all back end support will remain running "for the foreseeable future" and an updated Flash Player is on the way. The bad news is that due to a lack of updates from Intel, it will not be able to upgrade the Netflix app for access outside the US and Canada, and agreements with premium content providers prevent opening it up for root access. The project has evolved a long way, from XBMC spinoff with a focus on support for locally stored and streaming video, then moving to a set-top box, offering OTA live TV viewing, and now its latest incarnation as a more conventionally shaped box built for OTA and ClearQAM channel viewing with the possibility of easier cable access in the future. We'll be reviewing the new hardware soon, potential buyers (especially in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington DC where they can access the Cloud DVR) can check out the galleries for one last look or hit the link below to try out Boxee's take on the future of TV viewing.

Boxee TV HTML5 guide

Boxee TV press shots

Boxee TV hands-on

The step-by-step restoration and high-def re-release of Star Trek: The Next Generation continues, and next month Season Two will arrive on Blu-ray. We already got a peek at its trailer during Comic-Con and heard about some of the special features that were on the way but now we have the full list. If you're not waiting 'til Season 3 hits the streets, you can enjoy more than two hours of new special features including a documentary on the making of season two. There's also a couple different cuts of The Measure of a Man episode, including HD extras you haven't seen before, and a 1988 Reading Rainbow segment featuring our good friend Levar Burton. Check the press release and the trailer after the break for all the details, you can snag the season two set on Amazon for $115 or so.

Rocking a YouView box? You'll shortly be in line for a software bump that'll give you a few handy tweaks. The update will speed up the device's boot-from-standby time, let you group recordings by series so you can watch 'em box-set style and pump out surround-sound audio if you've got the right gear. It'll also provide a few useful UI tweaks, like offering the option to hide BBC red button prompts, letting you roll live TV backwards by 15 seconds or forwards by 60 seconds. It'll be available on Humax-branded boxes over the next few weeks, followed by the TalkTalk branded units shortly afterward.

With the official launch of Windows 8 comes the official support of premium cable content via one of the various CableCARD tuners originally designed for Windows 7 Media Center. Silicon Dust is at the front of the pack as Media Center on Windows 8 is already officially supported and the documentation is available for both the HDHomeRun Prime as well as the ATSC or QAM HDHomeRun. The only feature we noticed was not supported for now, is WMC Sync. Ceton is still working on the official driver for its InfiniTV 4, but reassures us that the Windows 7 driver "does work relatively well," although, is unsupported -- the real loss here is that there are no plans to bring the InfiniTV tuner sharing feature to Windows 8. Last up is Hauppauge, who doesn't have a single mention of support of Windows 8 for the WinTV-DCR-2650 on its site, but a representative of the company said it does work and will be officially supported. Of course, support by Media Center and Windows 8 is one thing, but we're really waiting for a mention that any "Windows Store Apps" that can play nicely with all this premium HD content.

Hurricane Sandy (and a flood of news courtesy of Google, Microsoft and Apple) pushed our podcast back to a Halloween edition, but for some the scariest thing is news that Disney will take over Lucasfilm and its franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. We'll tell you why we're actually encouraged by the development (hint: Pixar), and dive into the latest news about Xbox 360 and SmartGlass, Media center on Windows 8 and Google's connection to your HDTV with Android 4.2. Of course other standbys like Netflix, Roku and TiVo have news for us to discuss and Ben's new laptop means we can record as long as we want. Distribute the credit / blame for this week's XXL-sized edition as necessary, and press play below.

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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)

Producer: Trent Wolbe

00:21:43 - Disney acquires Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, plans more Star Wars movies
00:29:13 - Xbox SmartGlass now available in Google Play, brings console integration to Android
00:34:29 - Microsoft offering free Media Center upgrade to Windows 8 Pro users until January 31st 2013
00:50:58 - Google bumps Android to 4.2, keeps Jelly Bean moniker
00:53:54 - TiVo Premiere fall update starts rolling out with more HD menu screens and a few other tweaks
00:58:49 - Tim Cook: 1.3 million Apple TVs sold in Q4, 5 million for 2012 fiscal year
01:02:50 - BBC iPlayer comes to Sky+, Hell reports incoming frost
01:04:43 - ITV Player revamp brings ad-free TV rentals, keeps the free catch-ups
01:05:25 - Roku update adds cross-provider search over Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Vudu and Crackle
01:09:40 - Boxee hands out free Boxee TVs to its most eager cloud DVR fans
01:10:38 - Netflix Q3 2012 earnings: 2 million more streaming subscribers worldwide, $8 million net income
01:12:00 - Open webOS-powered HDTVs said to be on the way from... LG?
01:13:30 - Samsung 2012 Smart TVs get Amazon Instant Video streaming app, synchronicity with your Kindle Fire
01:22:40 - Barnes & Noble bolstering Nook Video catalogue, bringing UltraViolet to the HD and HD+
01:24:45 - LG's 84-inch 4K TV goes on sale in the US for $19,999, home mortgage optional
01:26:42 - Warner, Redbox agree to 28 day delay on disc rentals, UltraViolet support for Redbox Instant
01:29:10 - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to receive the Dolby Atmos treatment
01:30:40 - Must See HDTV (October 29th - November 4th)

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Boxee has some fairly grand plans for its Boxee TV set-top box, and it's now set to get a sizeable boost from the biggest retailer around. According Bloomberg News, the device will be available at more than 3,000 Walmart stores in the US starting tomorrow, where the retailer is also said to be setting up displays to demonstrate the device and provide marketing materials. As Bloomberg notes, the deal comes at a fairly critical time for Boxee, which sold some 120,000 devices in the past year compared to 1.4 million Roku boxes and 5.3 million Apple TVs. It also comes on the heels of another attempt by Boxee to win over customers, with it announcing just a few days ago that that it'd be handing out free Boxee TVs to some early adopters.

Need ideas for a holiday present for that special someone? We know your significant other would be completely enamored at the sight of a beautiful white custom iPhone 5 case... adorned with Engadget's logo on it (the actual iPhone 5 won't hurt, of course). The phone and case was provided to us by CafePress, an e-tailer that not only specializes in custom cases but clothes, stationary, flair and plenty more. It's definitely worth a look-see, but not until after you enter to win this contest -- as well as the ones we started up Monday and Tuesday (they're still going)!

Toshiba has managed to pick itself up this quarter, recording $17.8 billion in sales, making for an operating profit of $722 million over the past three months. The "social infrastructure" segments recorded a healthy profit ($518 million), while income from digital products, home appliances and electronic devices fell due lower than expected demand. Forecasts for the year have been cut for the full year by approximately $500 million to $3.26 billion, as Toshiba expects lowers sales and operating profits due to the uncertain global economic situation. Individual segments are expected to continue their distinct trends, with the social infrastructure business pulling in more while its other arms bear the brunt of the economic slowdown.

[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]

The good news for Panasonic in its Q2 earnings release is that it managed to record a 48.8 billion yen ($613 million) operating profit, higher than last year. The bad news however is word of falling sales in its TV business, although we're not hearing any confirmation of changes in its plans for mobile phones. New CEO Kazuhiro Tsuga is working a new restructuring plan that should help return divisions like its one for TV to profitability, but there will be costs upfront. The company revised its operating profit prediction for the year to 140 billion yen ($1.76 billion) based on the slower sales, and still is looking at a net loss for the year of 765 billion yen ($9.6 billion) due to deferred tax assets. Hopefully any cost-cutting doesn't affect the quality of its Viera HDTV brand, but Panasonic will have to figure out some way to turn those stellar reviews into overall profits, even as the market continues to shrink. Our suggestion? Get some of those 8K Super Hi-Vision plasmas to market, ASAP.