Rovi rushes in to rescue Fan TV, set-top box may live on

By Christine Persaud November 4, 2014

rovi acquires fan tv may save set top box — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’ve heard of Fan TV and have been excited about the prospect of a cool, not to mention uber-affordable, single set-top box that could replace both your pay-TV and Web video boxes, you may have heard the rumors that the company was looking for a buyer following slow sales, as reported on re/code. But it appears things may be looking up, as Rovi has acquired the startup.

Rovi develops technology that powers a large number of the video guides you see today through various services. That sort of fits with Fan’s initial business idea, which was to develop software that would make it easy for you to locate a particular TV show or movie across multiple platforms at once, not just within Netflix, for example, or your pay-TV service guide, independently. Think of it like a high-powered Google search for media boxes. Fan, by the way, was initially an offshoot of a BitTorrent business called Vuze.

Somewhere along the line, the Fan TV box emerged this year, selling at an attractive $149. The concept: rather than help you search for content across the various media boxes in your home, this box was meant to outright replace them all. That’s a pretty tall order for a startup. But clearly it had some legs, as Fan managed to snag a deployment deal with Time Warner Cable, allowing its customers to purchase the box.

Nevertheless, the Fan TV box may live on, thanks to Rovi. Or will Rovi simply use Fan technology to enhance its own guides? We should know soon enough.

You can learn more about Fan TV here.

Editors' Recommendations

Christine Persaud

Contributor

Christine has decades of experience in trade and consumer journalism. While she started her career writing exclusively about…

Audio / Video

Yes, YouTube TV is kind of broken tonight

YouTube TV and Hulu apps on the Roku homescreen.

The YouTube TV live guide is just one feature that's down for subscribers this evening. Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

If you've fired up YouTube TV this evening and are trying to figure out why things are kind of broken all over the place, know that you're not alone. The most popular streaming service in the U.S. is seeing some fairly significant issues tonight.

Audio / Video

The 5 best YouTube TV alternatives in 2024

best youtube tv alternatives alternative 5

YouTube TV is among the most popular live TV streaming services in the U.S., with more than 8 million subscribers as of early 2024. That's about a twice as many as Hulu With Live TV, and far more than that of Sling TV. But that doesn't mean that you won't at some point decide to test the waters elsewhere, especially given its March 2023 price increase. The good news about these streaming services is that it's as easy to pause or cancel them as it is to sign up for them in the first place. The question is what to try next.

There's a lot of overlap between the services, but not every service has the same channels or options as YouTube TV. Or maybe you're looking to spend less, and pare things back accordingly. YouTube TV costs $73 a month, and some of its closest competitors also hit that price point. Others are less expensive. That's not to say that you'll be able to replace YouTube TV at the same price. And the list of YouTubeTV tips and tricks is a strong selling point. It's hard to beat unlimited DVR, six profiles per account, and the ease of account management that comes with everything being tied into the Google ecosystem. You might have to pay more for the same channels. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't take a look.

Audio / Video

Best Buy just knocked $300 off this 85-inch Sony 4K TV

Sony - 65 Class X80J Series LED 4K UHD Smart Google TV

Best Buy is regularly one of the best places for TV deals and that’s certainly the case with the Sony 85-inch X80K 4K TV which is currently on sale. It usually costs $1,600 but it’s currently down to $1,300 so you save $300 off the regular price. If you’ve always wanted a large TV but you’ve been waiting for a lower price, this is a good opportunity to enjoy such an experience, all from a highly reputable brand. Want to know more? Let’s take a deeper look at what the Sony 85-inch X80K 4K TV has to offer.

Why you should buy the Sony 85-inch X80K 4K TV
Sony is a hugely aspirational TV brand which is hardly surprising given it consistently ranks highly in looks at the best TV brands. Generally, if you buy from Sony, you’ll be happy. With the Sony 85-inch X80K 4K TV, you get plenty of great features. That includes its 4K HDR Processor X1 which offers a picture which is smooth and clear, even when upscaling non-4K content. There’s also Triluminos Pro support which provides billions of accurate colors which are natural and beautiful.