Items tagged with TV
It’s perhaps as perfect a marriage as two educationally-minded can have: PBS and TED (of the famous TED Talks) are teaming up to produce a one-hour special on the public network called “TED Talks Education”, which airs Tuesday evening at 10/9 central. Although TED Talks tend to be fascinating, PBS and partner WNET (a New York public broadcaster) reworked the 18-minute TED format down to 5- to 8-minute segments per speaker. Topics will focus on education and in particular issues surrounding high school dropout rates, and the show will mix in clips of young people talking about their schooling. The hour-long event will be hosted by singer John Legend, who himself is interested...
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How’s your download speed? Netflix is already offering some new, bandwidth-hungry streams, and its plans for 4K content streaming will blow the roof off the bandwidth limits for many broadband customers. You can expect a higher broadband price when you go 4K, but the real fun will be in buying a 4K TV. Hopefully, we’ll see 4K TV prices drop a bit by then. How does your ISP stack up in Netflix's streaming rankings? Image credit: Netflix Of course, Netflix isn’t waiting around for 4K to attract new customers. The streaming video service announced new streams (Super HD and 3D) earlier this year. Those streams offer better definition and 3D content, but require between 5 and 12Mbps...
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Intel is trying to break into the streaming content business -- again. At the AllThingsDigital media conference today, Erik Huggers, vice president of Intel Media, told assembled journalists that the company has been hatching a new idea for the TV space. "We have been working for (the past) year to set up Intel media, a new group focused on developing an Internet platform," Huggers said. "It's not a value play, it's a quality play where we'll create a superior experience for the end user." According to Huggers, the new streaming service will have ala carte options that allow customers to pick and choose between channels rather than forcing them to buy pre-bundled packages. This last is of interest...
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In the battle for monthly streaming subscribers, the latest weapon is exclusive content. Hulu is launching several new shows under its own brand and Netflix is in the process of doing the same. The Netflix twist: you get the whole season in one go. Today, ‘House of Cards’ launched with not one, but all 13 episodes available to all Netflix subscribers. If you’re not a Netflix user, you can watch the first episode free, but you’ll need to sign up for a paid Netflix account to see what Kevin Spacey’s up to next. Netflix bills 'House of Cards' as "Bad, for the greater good." Image credit: Netflix Dropping an entire season into its subscription service is a big bet: we’re...
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Certainly, the Google TV platform has promise, but like a lot of intriguing projects, this one has needed more hardware makers to jump on board. The latest to get into the game wholeheartedly is LG, which announced its lineup of Google TV products for 2013. It appears that the Korean company will roll out 42-, 47-, 50-, 55-, and 60-inch TVs running Google TV, and they should have the sleek look of bezel-less displays and striking stands. Unfortunately, the release didn’t include much more detail than that, focusing instead on the many features the TVs will offer thanks to Google TV 3.0. Fortunately, that’s a lot of juicy stuff. The latest version of Google TV incorporates voice search,...
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Elgato and Dyle mobile TV announced the EyeTV Mobile accessory. This TV tuner for iOS devices brings live streaming TV to your iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone. The compact ATSC-Mobile tuner receives mobile TV signals from a miniature antenna, so you don't need an Internet connection or unlimited data plan to take advantage of free streaming TV. With the accessory, users can access live broadcast TV from Dyle partner stations as well as other stations that are broadcasting to mobile in a specific market. The EyeTV Mobile accessory connects to iOS devices with 30-pin connectors (or via an adapter). The accessory works together with the free EyeTV Mobile app. Using the EyeTV Mobile app, you can pause...
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Boxee TV, the current evolution of the intriguing Boxee Box set-top box, looks like a real contender in the anything-but-traditional-pay-TV media consumption market. The box is $99 and offers Internet streaming and built-in apps including Netflix, VUDU, YouTube, Vimeo, and Pandora (with more to come including Spotify, TED, and MLB.TV) in addition to dual tuners for OTA signals and basic cable, and $14.99-per-month unlimited DVR capabilities. The product itself is compelling, but the Boxee folks landed a huge retail ally: Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, which will be selling Boxee TVs in stores (complete with a big display in the electronics section) and online. “We’ve...
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Watching broadcast TV on a mobile device has been a consumer’s dream for years, starting way back when you could buy a handheld TV with long antennae like the Sony Watchman. Yet as our phones have evolved into small computing powerhouses, the concept of watching TV on one has become less about broadcast TV and more about streaming content via the Internet from sites like Netflix and Hulu. In fact, the whole paradigm of “TV” as we know it is changing; satellite and cable distributors are sweating it out as on demand and streaming content available on the Internet threatens their entire business models, and as big players in the pay-TV industry throw public hissy fits at each...
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Aereo, a broadcast-streaming startup, is working to try to build its subscriber base. To help accomplish this, the company introduced a new pricing structure as well as a free plan. Aereo's service lets customers access live broadcast TV on their iPad, iPhone, Safari on MacBook, AppleTV and Roku box. Aereo doesn't require a box or application to run. Aereo's new pricing structure includes a $1 day pass, $8 and $12 monthly plans, and an $80 annual plan. Aereo Try for Free offers one continuous hour of viewing each day for free. All Aereo users can use the company's remote antenna and DVR technology to watch, pause, rewind, and fast-forward a program. Paid Aereo members also get access to remote...
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Toshiba may want to have a chat with its PR department on the subject of burying the lead. Tucked away in an otherwise low-key press release mentioning that Toshiba is shuffling its digital products facilities in Japan, there’s a potentially big announcement: a major part of the restructuring will consolidate the company’s TV, PC, and tablet R&D teams into one spot, where they’ll be developing “fusion products” for the global market and streamlining product lines. Specifically, here’s the bit that follows the mention of the TV division being moved to western Tokyo, where the PC and tablet divisions already reside: This integration will allow product developers...
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Although mobile and social gaming is all the rage, gaming on a living room console connected to your TV has always been a thoroughly enjoyable way to while away the hours alone or with friends. In recent years, the Xbox (alone and with the Kinect), Wii, and Playstation have dominated living rooms. Now there’s another contender, the Ouya, which costs $99, runs on an open platform, and is built so that hackers and devs can tweak it and create for it. Here’s the group’s Kickstarter video: The team behind Ouya believes that game development for consoles is spiraling away from independent developers due largely to rising costs associated with game development. By producing a hackable...
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The Internet is still something of a wild frontier, where everything is growing and evolving fast, but the rules are still being written and shootouts between companies are general practice. It’s grown so much that it’s gradually invading just about every other market sector, from phone service to retail and more. The TV industry is a major battleground, as online streaming video from the likes of Netflix and Hulu nibble away at cable companies’ market share and, more importantly, make people question why they’re paying so much money for cable and satellite. In an on-demand world, the paradigm of cable/satellite programming is laughable, as TV programming is delivered...
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According to sources cited in a Reuters report, Intel is getting into the TV business, because hey, so is everybody else these days. Despite television being a rather tough nut to crack, Intel is apparently hoping that its set-top box and subscription service will be its golden ticket to delivering more Intel processors to the living room. Simply put, the service would be a sort of specialized virtual cable subscription that would combine a bundle of channels with on demand content. So what’s Intel’s killer feature that distinguishes it from the vast and powerful competition? Granular ratings that result in targeted ads. It’s no surprise that Nielsen’s rating system is...
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It looks like cloud gaming service OnLive was holding back on us, waiting for the E3 show to unleash some tasty new features and games. New games coming to the service include Aliens: Colonial Marines, The Cave, Darksiders II, Hell Yeah!, Hitman: Absolution, Inversion, London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games, Metro: Last Light, Ravaged, Saints Row: The Third: Enter the Dominatrix, Sid Meier's Civilization V: Gods & Kings, and South Park: The Stick of Truth. But the games are just the tip of the iceberg. OnLive is also demoing games on Google TV-packing LG G2 Smart TVs. The TVs boast LG’s L9 dual-core processor and, with OnLive running directly on them, would...
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If you’re tired of catching word about a new Apple TV, getting your dander up about it, and then realizing it’s only a new version of that black hockey puck-looking device Apple sells instead of an actual Apple-branded TV set, there may be respite coming to you soon. According to a report from Apple Insider, an actual Apple TV set may be headed for production as early as May, with a release date late this year (read: in time for Christmas). Citing Jefferies analyst Peter Misek as a source, the article notes that specialized components including “polarized films, filters, and IGZO components” are being shipped in small quantities to Apple’s Asian partners. Image credit:...
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Best Buy has been sending out consumer surveys asking for people's opinions on potential products and services that could be released. It's a common practice for retailers to do this and normally no one would bat and eyelash at such a survey, but the fact that Best Buy is gauging customers, in detail, about an Apple brand HDTV has people wondering if the oft rumored panel might finally be nearing release. The survey, which was tipped anonymously to The Verge with a screen capture, presents a potential ad for a 42-inch Apple HDTV at Best Buy for $1,499. "Apple finally reinvents what a TV can do," the ad starts off. A recent Best Buy surveys gauges consumer opinion about a 42-inch Apple brand TV...
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Months after unveiling its TWC TV app for iPad and weeks hence from bringing a non-streaming version of it (“My TWC”) to Android smartphones and tablets, Time Warner Cable announced that TWC TV is now available on the iPhone, as well. iPhone users who also have broadband Internet in the home can use the app to stream live TV to their device, control the DVR, and even change channels, with that last feature being ideal fodder for surreptitious sibling-on-sibling tomfoolery. The TWC TV app also features an interactive program guide (with show info, show art, and filtering options) and search functionality. There are no fees associated with using the app. With the introduction of the...
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Opera Software is working with Comtrend to deliver a new broadband TV service via set-top boxes. Opera's browser will power Comtrend's STB-7007 next-generation set-top box. With the browser, users will be able to access context-sensitive information while watching TV. For example, with the technology, you could buy a song while watching MTV or you could tweet about a sporting event directly from the TV while watching the big game. A new wave in TV viewing Set-top boxes by Comtrend Corporation now surf with Opera Taipei, Taiwan — June 2, 2011 - Imagine this: you are watching the World Cup finals at home, your favorite player scores a goal, and you can tweet about it without taking your eyes...
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Our preview of Valve’s upcoming puzzle-platformer Portal 2, at PAX East this past weekend, proved to be quite popular. If you liked that preview, you’re definitely going to get a kick out of this one. Valve just gave us early access to a new Portal 2 TV spot that is about as cool a commercial as you’re ever going to see... If that doesn't make you want to get your sci-fi geek on, we don't know what will. Valve wants you to pre-order now at https://thinkwithportals.com. You do what you gotta do or wait it out until release -- which is soon obviously. * Note to self: Be sure to check out the latest Two and a Half Geeks Webcast!...
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Hulu has struck a content deal with Viacom that returns "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" to Hulu.com and brings shows from other networks to the subscription service, Hulu Plus. At the same time, Hulu's CEO hinted that the days of fully free access to the service might be numbered. The agreement covers shows on Comedy Central, MTV, BET, VH1, Spike TV and TV Land. As of February 2, current, full episodes, of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" became available on the free Hulu.com service as well as Hulu Plus. Now, if you want more highbrow stuff from Viacom than Comedy Central's two famed news parody shows, you can...
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Well, it's about time. For years now, TiVo has been fighting an interesting problem. They essentially created the DVR service that we know and use today, but they have been struggling forever to make profits and acquire new subscribers. How so? Cable companies were able to duplicate the experience, and although it's not nearly as robust, it's good enough for the vast majority of people. Also, TiVo never had any deals with pay-TV providers, so they were out on their own attempting to upsell people despite regular DVRs being pushed hard by cable companies. It was and is an uphill battle, to say the least. But finally, finally, TiVo has what they have needed from day one: a deal with a cable company....
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It's one thing to support 3D in the home, but it's another to devote time, resources and shelf space to in-home 3D products. It's clear at this point that Samsung is fully behind the technology, and they're ramping up impressively as the holiday shopping season draws near. Aside from picking up some exclusive 3D Blu-ray content, the company is launching four new 3D LCD and Plasma HDTVs, giving what Samsung describes as the "world’s broadest lineup of 3D home entertainment products" another big boost. Samsung's UN65C8000 is a huge 65" display, which is the largest Full HD 3D LED TV available for the home today. The company's 3D processor is integrated, along with a 240Hz refresh rate, dynamic...
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