Microsoft rolls out first Xbox One ad, highlights NFL features and Skype integration

Now that we know the release date for Microsoft's Xbox One, it's only natural for the company to start an ad campaign showcasing some features that are part of its next-generation console. Unlike what most would expect, however, the first video advertising the Xbox One isn't touting one of its main purposes: gaming. Instead, this particular 31-second spot focuses heavily on the new Xbox's integration with Skype and NFL-tailored features -- some of which include watching games live, built-in Fantasy Football and having access to personalized highlights. Of course, this is only the beginning, so expect to catch an ad with casual gamers actors playing Titanfall or FIFA 14 in the not-so-distant future. Check out the video for yourself right past the jump.

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It wouldn't surprise us to hear that some people in Canada have already managed to snag a Roku 3. But, the truth is the miniature video player's just now officially hitting shelves there, nearly six months after its release in the US. Evidently, The Great White North availability signifies a footprint expansion for Roku's newest box, and it provides interested Canucks streaming access to over 450 channels -- even newly minted ones like Livestream's. The Roku 3 will be available for $109.99 at many brick-and-mortar and online shops across Canada, including Future Shop, Best Buy, Staples, Walmart and more.

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GetGlue for iPhone's new guide includes streaming video sources,

GetGlue is continuously massaging its socially connected app for TV watchers, and the latest update reflects some of the ways TV viewership is changing. Like Foursquare's recent changes, after an initial focus on check-ins and sharing, the new updates are all about helping users figure out what they're doing / watching next. There's a redesigned guide (again) in v5.0, now offering a personalized view at not only what's on right now via traditional broadcast networks, but also video on-demand and internet services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, iTunes, HBO Go and more than a dozen others. With the rise of on demand viewing from a number of sources, it will be interesting to see if GetGlue can fill in some of those viewership statistics companies like Netflix have kept private.

There's also a new "Search & Discover" feature to find programs with browsing by genre or curated lists from GetGlue staff. Reworked show pages feature more social tie-ins, and the app also lets users directly add images, videos or news articles to their posts for some IntoNow-style meme creation and spreading. Finally, DirecTV customers can connect the app to their satellite boxes and change the channel directly from GetGlue's guide. The new app is rolling out today, let us know if its social networking focus is helping you finding new shows to watch or if it's just another source of oversharing on Twitter and Facebook.

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SimpleTV preps secondgen streaming DVR with international tuning, sleeker design

Simple.TV's first streaming DVR had its rough edges, but the company is clearly willing to make improvements -- it just announced the second generation of its set-top box. The redesign is more flexible, sporting both a second tuner and compatibility with international broadcast standards like DVB-C, DVB-S2, DVB-T2 and ISDB-T. Both first- and second-generation owners will also get a revamped Version 2.0 interface that offers personalized content, faster updates and new streaming clients for Android, iOS, Roku players and the web. Simple.TV doesn't yet have pricing for the new DVR, but it tells us that both the device and the Version 2.0 upgrade will reach the US by mid-to-late November; Europeans will get the hardware next spring.

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Engadget Giveaway win one of two NVIDIA Shields!

Don't act like you don't want one, because there's a lot to love about a Tegra 4-powered Android gaming console, especially when it's an NVIDIA Shield. Our pals at NewEgg were generous enough to dispense with two of its units merely for the pleasure of giving them out to our readers, and that's exactly what we're going to do. Head below to our Rafflecopter widget and enter today or tomorrow and you'll be in the running!

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Haier shows off an OLED TV with a builtin stand at IFA

Eye control is all well and good, but what Haier was really pumped about at this year's IFA was its new 55-inch OLED set. And, granted, the set is nice and thin at four millimeters, with a 1.5 millimeter bezel. What the company was really excited about, however, was the built-in stand. Yep, it's a four millimeter thick TV that can stand on its own, making it really difficult to push over in one direction, at least. We appreciate the sentiment, but we'll be more excited when we can start controlling the thing with our brains.

Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!

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Haier shows off its latest eye-controlled TV at IFA, we go eyes-on, naturally

Let's face it, it wouldn't be a proper IFA if we didn't take some time out of our busy schedules to pop by Haier's booth for a little alternative TV action. In past years, we've seen gesture and mind control, transparent sets and, of course eye-control. The company's tweaked the latter a bit, hitting this year's show with the latest prototype. Asked if we'd actually see the set in our lifetimes, the Haier rep we spoke with assured us that the company would have something "soon," so take that as you will. So, what are the changes from last year? For starters, the set is slimmer. More importantly, it's got a new sensor from Tobii, which promises sharper eye detection.

We've got to say though, as ever, it takes some getting used to. After calibrating, you move you eyes to different parts of the screen to engage different functions -- like, say, top for menu and bottom for volume. When your eyes drift up there, a menu will pop up. In the case of volume, you move your gaze (and the cursor in turn) to volume up and blink to select. Why this is better than a good old fashioned remote, we're still not sure -- particularly when moving your head can throw the whole thing off. But we've lost our remotes enough times to seriously consider giving it a shot.

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LG's showing off its new 55-inch OLED set here at IFA, and (get this) it's not a curved one. Though it's bucking the trend made so popular by LG itself (along with Samsung), the product is hardly boring; the so-called Gallery comes complete with a sound bar disguised as an art mat. LG's included its canvas speakers all around the panel to pump out 2.2-channel sound, along with subwoofers.

In theory, the Gallery (model 55EA8800, if you must know) sounds a bit gaudy, but the execution is anything but. For one, it looks sleek despite the soundbar backing -- it won't distract your eye from the 55-inch panel. Colors looked extremely vibrant, and images extremely clear, when we viewed the OLED in LG's booth at IFA. Sound quality is strong as well. This is a straightforward (premium) TV, of course, but if you want to leverage the product's artsy pedigree, you can enable Gallery Mode, which displays a selection of works of art from Van Gogh and others. The set ships with a simple, thin black frame, but other, more elaborate options could become available later on.

The Gallery and the sound bar "art mat" will be sold as a bundle for €8,999. An LG booth attendant told us the TV will launch at the end of the year, though the company has made no official comment. Check out the eyes-on video for a closer look.

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Samsung announces the world's first Curved UHD TVs at IFA 2013

You didn't think Samsung was done announcing TVs at IFA yet, did you? This time, Samsung's folded two of its new TV notions into one set, announcing the world's first curved Ultra High Definition TVs. They don't appear to be OLED (so our money's on LED), but the new screens will be available in both 55-and 65-inch sizes. the company saying that differently-sized curved UHD TVs sets will come, "based on consumer response", so if people are buying 'em big, these high-pixel curves could get bigger too -- Samsung's range of flat 4K TVs now stretches to a one-percenter-baiting 98 inches. At almost the same time, Sony has just taken the wraps off its own curved display, a 65-inch LED TV -- but it's not UHD. Hyun-suk Kim, executive VP of Visual Display, reckons the new TVs are another milestone for the company, and will "invigorate" the UHD market, one that's only just taking its first steps.

Update: We wandered over to Samsung's gaggle of displays here at IFA, and we laid our eyes on their curved UHD TV. Not only is the set's 4K res just as impressive as big blue's other efforts with UHD displays, but its colors are exceptionally vibrant, and we're willing to bet accurate to the real-deal. Not only is the screen impressive, but it's sleek and swooping design is easy on the eyes. The gentle curve of its frame makes it take up more space than razor-thin flat panels, but its looks make it something we'd hate to hide in an entertainment center.

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BBC iPlayer for Android finally supports downloads on some ICS, Jelly Bean devices

BBC iPlayer viewers with Android devices have been left waiting for many features, and until today one of them was the ability to download shows for offline viewing. A fresh update is changing that, as the broadcaster is enabling it (as long as you're on WiFi) on several devices running Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. A blog post claims it should cover about 70 percent of app users with compatible devices will be able to use the feature starting today, with more to be added in the future. Just like on iOS, users can download an episode and keep it for up to 30 days offline, with 7 days for viewing after they've pressed play.

A BBC blog post specifically lists 11 devices (included after the break) that will enjoy support once the update arrives on Google Play and the Amazon Appstore today. Unfortunately, two that aren't on it for now are the Kindle Fire 7 and Kindle Fire HD 7. BBC says it's working on those, and the FAQ claims if your device has ICS or higher there's a "strong" chance support will arrive in the coming months. The update for iOS offline viewing launched just over a year ago, but the Android version will bring a trick it doesn't have: background downloading without keeping the screen awake. Otherwise, the update adds support for Android 4.3, and "addresses some known issues."

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Philips launches Cloud TV to stream 'hundreds' of internet channels to its Smart TVs

Philips has just launched Cloud TV at IFA 2013, a service that'll work on its latest Smart TVs including the hot-off-the-press Philips 9000 4K series. It'll bring streaming of "hundreds of local, national, international and special interest channels" to 2012 or newer Philips Smart TV models. An app will also be available for those sets to scan all that content, most of which will be free. The company also announced Cloud Explorer, which will let you store your personal photos, video and audio by signing in to Dropbox or creating a new account through Philips. Both are now available in most of Europe and Russia, so if you're pining for yet another cloud streaming or storage service, check the PR after the break.

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New 4K TVs from Philips? We can't say we didn't see 'em coming. Heck, Philips even won an award for one of them. The company was waiting for the main event here at IFA to make the thing officially official, however. Philips took to the stage today to show off two entries in its 9000 series -- 65- and 84-inch models. The company's promising an "attractive price point here" -- that means €4,999 ($6,588) for the smaller 65PFL9708 and €14,999 ($19,768) for the 84PFL9708. Both sets feature Ultra Pixel HD Engine technology for upscaling, given the still somewhat limited selection of 4K content. The 65 and 84 are both available now in the UK and Russia.

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Samsung shows off 98, 110inch Ultra HDTVs at IFA 2013, teases 4K OLED

At Samsung's press conference it's bringing some of those extra large Ultra HD TVs it promised at CES, and mentioned something even more tantalizing: a 4K OLED. Unfortunately that last one did not make an appearance on stage, however the company has promised it will be present in its booth for demos tomorrow. We expect that, like the ones shown by Sony and Panasonic at CES, this is just a prototype, but if it's anywhere near as beautiful as those we can't wait to see it. As far as products that are actually shipping, Samsung also showed off its 55-inch curved OLED again, as well as the 65-inch F9000 UHD TV. As far as the supersized 4K sets, Samsung is showing off 98-inch and 110-inch models that outsize the 85-inch behemoth it kicked this crazy trend off with back in January. Finally, it's trying to address the issue of high-res content, with representatives from Eutelsat and TF1 present to talk about the projects they have in the works.

Update: We stopped by big blue's digs here at IFA to see the sets in action, and they're as impressive as you might think. Even at such a large size, the resolution doesn't appear to degrade when compared to their smaller brethren. Naturally, however, you'll want to stand a few feet away from these behemoths for the optimal viewing experience. Just like the other panels in the line, the TVs produce vibrant colors, strong contrast and crisp visuals. When it comes to overall design, Samsung's kept the S9 series Timeless Gallery frame, complete with speakers all around its stand -- for better or worse.

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Eyes-on with Toshiba's 50-inch concept 4K TV

If you want an 84-inch 4K TV, you've really gotta be a one-percenter, but fortunately for the rest of us that's not a very big market. That's why it's high time that companies started to trim those ultra high-definition panels down to a size and price point that's suitable for the everyman. It's Toshiba, therefore, that's leading the charge to affordability with a concept 50-inch 4K TV. The M9/L9 Series Concept is currently just that, but it combines the usual breathtaking imagery with a more apartment-friendly size. Naturally, there aren't currently any plans to bring this to market, but hey, the company will happily sell you a 58-inch model for £3,000.

Dana Wollman contributed to this report.

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Sony's VPLVW500ES projector brings 4K within reach of rich cinephiles

Sony has just announced the VPL-VW500ES 4K projector at IFA 2013 in Berlin, and though it didn't name a price, said it'll be much cheaper than its first 4K projector. Before you start re-arranging your theater room, though, the original VPL-VW1000ES cost a cool $25,000, so "cheaper" might be a relative term. If you're undeterred, though, you'll get full 4,096 x 2,160 4K resolution thanks to native 4K SXRD panels -- technology that Sony lifted from its commercial cinema projectors. Other perks include 1,700 ANSI-lumen brightness (compared to 2,000 for the VW1000ES), a 200,000:1 contrast ratio, "Super Resolution" Blu-ray to 4K upscaling, Motionflow tech for less blur, and support for HDMI 2.0 -- which permits 60fps 4K. Again, Sony hasn't mentioned a price yet, but we did see it at a French retailer for 10,000 euros, meaning a $10,000 price seems feasible.

Sony also dropped a Full HD 3D model, the VPL-HW55ES projector, which replaces the VPL-HW50ES as its top 1080p dog while using the same SXRD tech. It boasts 1,700 ANSI-lumens, a 120,000:1 contrast ratio, a 5,000 hour lamp, an optical engine upgrade and Reality Creation technology. Both projectors offer wireless HDMI compatibility, and will arrive at some point next month. For more minutiae, check the PR after the break.

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