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| Facebook, Twitter coming to Vizio TVs |
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(Credit: Vizio)
First announced at CES, the list of Web widgets packed into forthcoming Vizio high-definition TVs is growing.
On Tuesday, Vizio announced that some of the most popular services on the Web will be directly accessible from the TV screen, including eBay, Facebook, Twitter, and Rallypoint Sports. Showtime, Web ... |
| | 7/09/2009 7:32 PM (252d 5h 38m ago) |
| Best Buy + TiVo does not equal HDTVs with built-in DVRs |
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The news that Best Buy and TiVo are teaming up to share technology and hopefully pump up each other's sales has led some to conclude that new HDTVs with digital video recording capability are in the offing.
That's highly unlikely.
TiVo, the inventor of the DVR market that ... |
| | 7/09/2009 7:31 PM (252d 5h 38m ago) |
| Sharp introduces new LED-backlit LCDs |
| | The LC-52LE700UN is one of Sharp's new LED-backlit Aquos TVs.(Credit: Sharp)
Sharp's first line of LED-based LCD displays is called the LC-LE700UN series, and it's available in four screen sizes. Here's a quick look:
Models (availability, suggested retail price)
LC-32LE700UN (July, $1,100)
LC-40LE700UN (... |
| | 7/09/2009 7:31 PM (252d 5h 38m ago) |
| Supreme Court declines to hear remote storage DVR appeal, cloud recording is on the way |
| | It seems like Cablevision and others have been trying to roll out "remote storage" network DVRs forever, and now that the Supreme Court has decided against hearing the appeal of the Hollywood studios looking to block it, they should finally be able to deliver as soon as this summer. Of course, there's benefits to having a locally stored copy of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, but just in case we forgot to queue up a recording, the power went out or suffered some other manner of catastrophe, we'd still have access to all the Lou Diamond Phillips anyone could ask for, and there's really no way the highest court in the land could get in the way of that.Filed under: HDTV, Home EntertainmentSupreme Court declines to hear remote storage DVR appeal, cloud recording is on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/29/2009 5:24 PM (262d 7h 46m ago) |
| Why connected HDTVs are the future |
| | LG launched two broadband-equipped HDTVs this week--the 47-inch 47LH50 and the 50-inch 50PS80. Both televisions boast NetCast Entertainment Access, which provides consumers with the entire Netflix streaming library of more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes.
This LG HDTV streams Netflix content. Are you ready for more?(Credit: LG)
The LG HDTVs released this week require a broadband connection to work with the NetCast Entertainment Access service. To choose a film, users need only to surf through the items and make selections on the right of the screen. They can read movie synopses and rate films.
LG isn't the only company bringing connected HDTVs to store shelves. Toshiba is well on its way to bringing its Regza line of HDTVs into the streaming realm. When the connected HDTVs launch later this year, Toshiba plans to give consumers access to a variety of content, including local weather, top news stores, sports scores, videos, and more. The HDTVs will also be able to access multimedia content stored on a connected PC's hard drive.
Surprised by the sudden uptick in connected HDTVs coming to store shelves? Don't be--it's the future.
... Originally posted at The Digital Home |
| | 6/15/2009 4:10 PM (276d 9h ago) |
| Good-bye, rabbit ears? Not so fast |
| | Congratulations! You've successfully made the switch from analog to digital TV. So is it good-bye to rabbit ears? Not quite!
Retro TV antennas may not bring in a perfect picture, but they can bring back some great memories.(Credit: CBS)
Whatever your view of television, be it couch potato casual or flat-screen fanatic, Friday was a special occasion. And even if you didn't give it the kind of warm reception some Chicago students did on Friday night, complete with champagne toasts, you knew it was the end of an era, if for no other reason than all those incessant reminders we've been giving you, like "The Big Switch From Analog To Digital TV" or "Flipping The Switch To Digital TV".
In these days of cable and satellite, you probably thought it was time for a requiem for the old rabbit ears. Not so fast.
"The antenna is alive and well," said Michael Godar, who runs one of the nation's few handmade antenna companies out of a TV repair shop in Gilbert, Ariz.
And he says that, even at the dawn of the Digital Age, there's plenty of life in that old antenna.
"There was almost a sport (in) adjusting your antenna on your TV," Sieberg said.
"Oh yeah, battling it--you know, especially when you had a remote control," Godar laughed. "You'd change the channel and then get up, adjust the antenna!"
... Originally posted at News - Digital Media |
| | 6/15/2009 4:07 PM (276d 9h 3m ago) |
| Sharp's 20-inch AQUOS DX LCD HDTV has a built-in Blu-ray player, no 1080p panel |
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Cute Sharp, real cute. Brag about releasing the world's first 20-inch LCD HDTV with a built-in Blu-ray player, but don't even mention to consumers that they won't have the luxury of seeing their flicks in full resolution. For reasons unknown, the latest set in the AQUOS DX range does indeed pack a remarkably convenient integrated BD player, but the 1,366 x 768 resolution makes the whole thing sort of pointless. As Liz Lemon would say: "That's a deal-breaker, ladies." At any rate, folks who snap one up in Japan will also find a digital TV tuner, DVD support, a 1,500:1 contrast ratio and 450 nits of brightness. It'll be available in black (LC-20DX1-B) and white (LC-20DX1-W) for ¥150,000 ($1,593) at the tail end of next month in the Land of the Rising Sun.[Via Engadget German]Gallery: Sharp's 20-inch AQUOS DX LCD HDTV has a built-in Blu-ray player, no 1080p panelFiled under: Displays, HDTV, Home EntertainmentSharp's 20-inch AQUOS DX LCD HDTV has a built-in Blu-ray player, no 1080p panel originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 07:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 5/22/2009 5:05 PM (300d 8h 4m ago) |
| Sharp's AQUOS D series 10 gets hip with the online kick |
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Bargain LCDs are selling like hotcakes, but apparently folks are still buying the higher-end models too. Just a few weeks after announcing its new A series, Sharp is now releasing another new selection of sets, the AQUOS D 10 series. Ranging in size from 32- to 52-inches, the new LCDs have similar specs to the A, including a 1080p resolution, 15,000:1 contrast ratio, a judder-hating 120Hz mode, and the ability to automatically adjust contrast, but will sport one potentially major addition: compatibility with online video content services. Right now streaming seems limited to Yahoo! Japan's online offerings, but if and when these come Stateside here's hoping they have a little Hulu up in there. All are said to be shipping in Japan right now for an undisclosed price. [Via Akihabara News]Filed under: DisplaysSharp's AQUOS D series 10 gets hip with the online kick originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 06:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 5/11/2009 3:40 PM (311d 9h 30m ago) |
| Bargain hunters make Vizio LCDs most popular in US -- for now |
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In these difficult times people are looking to buy what's cheap, a state of mind that Vizio's iSuppli's latest press release isn't ashamed to apply, lauding the company's status as the current most popular brand of LCD television in these United States. It owned a 21.6 percent chunk of the US LCD TV market in the first quarter, up from 13.8 in the quarter before and beat out Samsung to be king of the liquid crystal hill -- largely thanks to prices that were, on average, between $150 and $400 lower than the competition. Kudos to the brand and we hope that it enjoys this moment, because with imports of new sets banned out on bond it must be tough paying an extra $2.50 on each one coming through Customs. Full press release after the break.Update: To be clear: this is actually a press release issued by iSupply talking about Vizio, not by Vizio.Continue reading Bargain hunters make Vizio LCDs most popular in US -- for nowFiled under: Displays, HDTVBargain hunters make Vizio LCDs most popular in US -- for now originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 May 2009 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 5/08/2009 3:07 PM (314d 10h 2m ago) |
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| Ask the Editors: Does calibration reduce power consumption? |
| | (Credit: CNET)
Q: I heard that TV calibration could reduce energy consumption and therefore reduce costs to operate. Do you have any evidence of that?
--Scott, via e-mailA: Yes it does and yes I do, but first it's worth mentioning that you don't necessarily need to pay hundreds of dollars for a professional calibration to get the savings.
What saves energy and operating costs, as well as increases product lifespan, is reducing light output. That's typically controlled by the contrast or "picture" control and, in an LCD TV, the backlight control. Since calibration usually involves reducing light output from the very bright default picture settings, it will generally result in cost savings. The picture is still plenty bright after calibration, especially for the kind of darkened home theater environment more conducive to watching movies, it's just not as blindingly bright as the default modes often used to compete with other TVs on the showroom floor.
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| | 11/03/2008 5:35 PM (500d 7h 35m ago) |
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