TV Articles

Supersize your screen for the big game

If you're planning to buy an HDTV to watch the big game between New England and New York, do yourself a favor and get something BIG.

Football looks best in high-def that's blown up monster-size. We've selected a few of the biggest HDTVs we've reviewed in the last year--call 'em our offensive line--and picked the best for you to size up. When a 50-incher is small, you know you're in the pros.

Though you can spend as little as a grand on a 60-incher, we'd recommend digging a bit deeper for the improvements in picture quality. There's also a couple of tips for getting the best TV for your living space here. A TV's for life, not just for the holidays.… Read more

Yamaha's budget sound bar passes your remote signals to your TV

Yamaha basically created the sound bar category and continues to sell its best-in-class Digital Sound Projector line, but it can be hard to recommend the company's sound bars when they generally cost in excess of $1,000.

The YAS-101 ($250 street price) is Yamaha's entry into the increasingly crowded budget sound bar field, and it's one of the few that manages to stand out.

That's largely because of Yamaha's decision to eschew a separate subwoofer, instead using a built-in subwoofer, which gives the speaker system a more streamlined look. The YAS-101 also has a very … Read more

Why 4K TVs are stupid

Editors' Note: An updated article entitled Why Ultra HD 4K TVs are still stupid was published on January 28, 2013.

The latest TV technology buzzword is "4K." This magical alphanumeric represents a quadrupling of the now-standard 1080p resolution found on Blu-ray and most HDTVs.

Have no doubt, manufacturers are going to start pushing 4K (some already are).

The thing is, though, you don't need 4K, because in the home, 4K is stupid.… Read more

Samsung TVs 2012: Micro dimming LEDs, blacker plasmas, gesture control

The chart has been updated with information from Samsung's March 7th line show but the rest of this article (aside from the Changelog below) has not. See the line show article for the latest information on Samsung's 2012 TVs.

Samsung will ship gobs of different TV models in 2012, and CES provided our first peek at the details.

Unfortunately the country's best-selling TV maker chose to keep many of those details under wraps in its CES press releases, I'm assuming because it would rather try to dominate the news cycle in early March at its now … Read more

LG TVs 2012: Thin bezels, motion remotes and lots of LEDs

Massive numbers of new 2012 TVs were announced at CES 2012 earlier this month, and digesting them all is easier with a table than umpteen blog posts.

Hewing close to hoary CES tradition of yore, LG was the first major TV maker to hold its CES press conference. The company also gave CNET the most information prior to the show about its TV models (and probably other stuff; don't ask me about LG phones or kimchi refrigerators please). It also took home Best of Show.

You won't find these TVs described in detail on LG's Web site … Read more

How to use your TV as a computer monitor for gaming, videos, and more

So you want to share photos, watch videos, or play computer games on the expansive screen of your HDTV? On one hand, this is a really simple how-to: use HDMI!

That, of course, isn't the whole story. Not all computers, and not all TVs, can output or input a signal via HDMI easily. There are also a few tricks to consider.… Read more

What is 4K? Next-generation resolution explained

As if LED and 3D TV weren't confusing enough, in the last few months we have seen a new HDTV technology called 4K, or its official name, Ultra HD. It's being heralded as the next high-def, and judging by the show floor at CES 2013, manufacturers are lining up to bring you a new array of products.

But just as was the case with 3D, it's the hardware chicken before the software egg: there's no consumer 4K content available. Still, if you listen to the industry, it'll tell you it's the last resolution you'll ever need. So what is 4K anyway, and what makes it different from high definition?

Editors' note: This was post was originally published January 23, 2012, and has been updated several times thereafter with expanded information, most recently on January 17, 2013.… Read more

Harmony remote competitor going for bargain price

If you're looking for a remote control, most people will tell you to get a Logitech Harmony. But there are a number of high-quality alternatives.

For the past two years, the Acoustic Research ARRX18G ($200) has been one of these. Unfortunately, it's just been discontinued, but if you're looking for a good remote at rock bottom prices--around $60--take a look online. … Read more

Hands-on with Unity home theater

During CES, I got a chance to hook up with Engage, the company behind Unity, a well-built home theater system.

Unity is the brainchild of Todd Beauchamp, an ex-Apple audio engineer (he worked closely on iPhone acoustics, for example) and Mike Fidler, an individual with a strong marketing and engineering background in Sony.

The sound system looks familiar because it has a design similar to the many sound bar and subwoofer combos out there, but stacked on top of each other. Unlike most sound bars, Unity's modular design has a depth to it that can support a 60-inch TV.

I quickly learned that the idea is a "system that can be set up in little as 15 minutes," Beauchamp said enthusiastically. You can tell that a lot of time and dedication went into the first version of the home theater and future versions could be compelling as the design evolves. … Read more