What is the one thing everyone wishes they could do while on vacation? Watch TV, of course. Satellite TV provider Dish has now made it easier to get your fix while away from home, as its Evolve streaming platform will soon be getting Netflix integration.
OK, maybe we’re being a little too sarcastic but not every hotel stay is for a vacation after all, and being able to relax with your favorite TV shows while traveling for work or visiting family is great. But having your curated watch lists, suggestions, and watch progress seamlessly move from your home devices to your hotel room is even better.
The Evolve is a “set-back” streaming box, meaning that it installs directly into the back of a TV, that is exclusive to hotels. Dish launched the device in June 2017. If you happen to find yourself staying in a room equipped with an Evolve, you have access to some impressive streaming features. Evolve runs on Android TV, features a customizable guide, and supports “thousands” of apps through the Google Play Store, including YouTube, Sling TV. There is also a built-in Chromecast, allowing you to watch content from your phone on your hotel room’s TV. Further, if your room is equipped for it, the Evolve box supports 4K playback.
Despite all those features and thousands of supported apps, Netflix was noticeably missing at launch, which is why the announcement is such a big deal.
Users will be able to access Netflix directly from the Evolve guide menu and sign in with their account. There will also be an option to easily sign up for a Netflix subscription if you don’t have an account yet. Once you’ve signed in, you will be able to pick up with your shows and movies right where you left off.
This will certainly be convenient, but if this sounds like an easy way to accidentally share your Netflix credentials with other guests if you forget to sign out, fear not. Once you check out of your hotel, your login information will be automatically removed from the Evolve device. This security measure is a welcome inclusion, especially in today’s world of mounting digital privacy concerns.
Netflix integration will be rolling out to all Dish Evolve devices in the coming months.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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