Skip to main content

The next-gen TiVo Edge DVR will provide 4K, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos … eventually

Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s probably not a coincidence that mere days before IFA 2019 in Berlin, some leaked photos of what is clearly TiVo’s next-gen DVR have emerged, courtesy of Zatz Not Funny. It’s called the TiVo Edge, and if the leaked photos are accurate, it will be a much more conventionally shaped set-top box than the company’s current generation of DVRs — the TiVo Bolt and Bolt OTA — which sport a controversial wave-like design. There will be three versions according to the leaked report: One for standard cable, one for CableCARD, and an OTA (over the air) model.

The six-tuner, 2TB DVR will preserve all of the Bolt’s features including 4K, Alexa compatibility, skip mode, and TiVO’s own voice-driven Vox remote options. What’s new is the Edge’s support for Dolby’s two major home theater technologies, Dolby Vision (Dolby’s proprietary HDR format) and Dolby Atmos (the company’s immersive surround sound format). But before TiVo subscribers get too excited by these additions, it’s worth noting that the Bolt DVRs already have HDR10 and HLG capabilities, but none of the onboard streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Plex have been updated by their respective publishers to take advantage of the Bolt’s HDR chops. TiVo puts the onus on the streaming companies for their lack of HDR support. “It is up to the app providers, not TiVo, to take advantage of this capability,” Digital Trends was told by a TiVo spokesperson in November 2018.

Dolby Vision (and HDR in general) and Dolby Atmos are seeing rapid adoption by streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, but the broadcast world is lagging far behind. So if no broadcasters support Dolby Vision/Atmos yet, and TiVo’s streaming partners aren’t updating their TiVo apps to take advantage of these technologies, does it really matter if TiVo’s new DVR supports them? The answer, of course, is yes — support for any new technologies must exist at the hardware level first. But now, it’s a waiting game for TiVo customers. Will their favorite streaming services update their apps, or will HDR fans need to look to other streaming devices like the Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, or Chromecast for their HDR/Dolby Vision/Dolby Atmos fix?

There’s been no leaked info so far regarding the price or the availability of the new TiVo Edge, but we’ll update you as soon as we hear anything.

Editors' Recommendations

Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
Sony brings laser power, native 4K to every 2022 projector
Sony XW Laser Series Projectors.

Sony has updated its 4K home theater projector lineup for 2022, and in so doing has said goodbye to high-pressure bulbs. The entire range now uses lasers as its light source, including the new entry-level, $6,000 VPL-XW5000ES, marking the first time a native 4K laser projector has been sold for so little.

Most of the models have also been redesigned with smaller chassis. Sony has also taken its X1 Ultimate image processing chip for projectors, which it previously reserved for its most expensive flagship, and given it to every model. It has also ditched 1080p resolution, going native 4K and HDR across its collection.
New technologies

Read more
Furrion’s 4K HDR outdoor TVs can take the heat
furrion outdoor 4k hdr full sun partial shade tvs aurora tv featured

If you're fortunate enough to live someplace where the great outdoors forms part of your living space, you might want to equip your patio with a TV. But if you do, it will need to withstand sun, rain, or anything else that mother nature can throw at it. Furrion's new Aurora line of 4K HDR outdoor TVs are designed to do just that, and come in three models for full sun, full shade, or anything in between, with prices starting at $1,400. The partial sun and full shade models are available now, with the full sun models coming in May, according to the company.

All three Furrion Aurora models (Full Sun, Partial Sun, Full Shade) are 4K HDR LED TVs that have been weatherproofed to an IP54 rating, which means they can withstand some dust and grit, and they won't object to rain or being hit with a sprinkler -- just don't dunk them in the pool. Furrion says this protection is also sufficient for all-weather use, including snow. The Full Sun and Partial Sun models are also designed to be impact and scratch-resistant, given that they're more likely to be placed where they could be exposed to an errant baseball, frisbee, or pool noodle.

Read more
BenQ’s new 4K HDR projector is designed with gamers in mind
benq announces one of kind 4khdr projector x3000i x1300i

BenQ is looking to grab the attention of gamers attending the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES.) The company that is most known for its monitors has just announced a new lineup of gamer-first products, including a 4K HDR gaming projector.

Being called the "only gaming projector on the market offering settings for 4K HDR game audio-visual enhancement," the new addition to BenQ's lineup is the X3000i 4K LED gaming projector. This projector is unlike any other as it covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, with preset audio-visual gamer modes. Those modes are tuned to 8.3ms response times, at the 120Hz frequency. These response times and frequencies are quite important when playing fast-paced games like Fortnite or even Call of Duty. 

Read more