TV Articles

Sony readying super-sized 84-inch 4K TV

Sony plans to introduce a super-sized 84-inch LCD television during IFA 2012, Europe's major consumer electronics show, a source told CNET.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed to CNET that the upcoming 84-inch TV can display a massive 3,840x2,160 resolution (four times the number of pixels in a conventional 1080p set), also known in the industry as 4K. We learned that the 84-inch Sony TV features a side-lit LCD panel (think thin) and removable speakers. In terms of design, our source describes the aesthetics as a reimagined retro-style appearance with a modern twist. … Read more

Five best LED TVs for picture quality

This year the gap between the picture quality of the best LED/LCD TVs and the best plasma TVs has grown wider than ever. Unless you're interested in overspending for buying a Sharp Elite, there's no 2012 LED TV that can come close to the picture quality of even midlevel plasmas like the Panasonic TC-PST50 and Samsung PNE6500.

But maybe you're simply not interested in plasma. If that's the case, then check out the following list of 2012 TVs that (A) employ an LCD panel illuminated by LEDs and (B) perform better than most such TVs. The list doesn't include the Elite and the Sony XBR-HX929 simply because they debuted in 2011; both are excellent performers, still current and exceedingly expensive. It also considers picture quality only, so if you're interested in seeing the best LED TVs overall, including some that scored well according to our other TV reviews criteria, here ya go.

The list appears in descending order of picture quality.… Read more

OLED: What we know

Rumors are still flying about the next great TV technology: organic light-emitting diode.

It's difficult to pry info out of the companies involved, but I figured it was worth putting down what we know, what we think we know, and what we know we don't know, ya know?

OK, go.… Read more

Apple TV vs. Roku: Which streaming box should you buy?

Every time there's a significant update to either product, the e-mails start filling up my inbox: so now which is better, the Apple TV or Roku?

It's an understandable question, and one that only gets harder to answer now that Apple TV has recently added two, significant features: AirPlay Mirroring via Mountain Lion and a dedicated Hulu Plus app. While it used to be easy to give the Roku LT the edge for costing half as much and offering more streaming services, it's a much closer call with the Apple TV's standout features.

Let's take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of both boxes.… Read more

Are letterboxed movies really 1080p?

CNET Reader Doug Hagemeister asks:

Hello! I was watching a movie on Blu-ray the other day filmed in the 21:9 aspect ratio and I realized that it technically wasn't "1080p" since about 1/4 of the screen was taken up by the horizontal black bars (called "letter boxing," correct?). Anyway, I was just wondering how many pixels were being used on the TV. Thank you!

Ah, letterboxing, how I love you.

To understand letterboxing, we have to talk about aspect ratio. HDTVs are 16x9, or 1.78:1. Slightly wider than they are tall, they're pleasantly rectangular. Old-fashioned tube TVs were 4x3, or 1.33:1, so closer to square. … Read more

'Jaws' looks killer on Blu-ray

A lot of people have noted that best thing about Blu-ray is seeing "new" versions of old films in the format.

"Jaws" doesn't qualify as a really old film, but it did first hit theaters in 1975, so it's certainly an older film, and it looks truly impressive on Blu-ray. This is one of the films that Universal has chosen to restore for its 100 anniversary (of Universal, not the film), and some of its earlier restoration efforts have been lauded while others have been criticized for introducing too much digital noise reduction and … Read more

PS3 gets new YouTube app, controllable via smartphones

The PS3 has a solid collection of streaming-video apps, but the lack of a dedicated YouTube app has always been a conspicuous omission.

That ends today, with Sony and Google rolling out a new YouTube app for the PlayStation 3. The new app features a big-screen-friendly layout with controls optimized for the PS3's controller. You'll be able to log in to your YouTube account, giving you access to your subscribed channels and other YouTube community features.

There's also an option to use your smartphone as as a controller for the app, letting you take a video you'… Read more

Why 4K TVs are stupid (still)

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

A few months ago, hot on the multitude of 4K TV announcements at CES, I wrote an article called "Why 4K TVs are stupid."

I was shocked, shocked to find so many angry, contrary opinions on the subject. I mean, this is the Internet. Surely everyone is cordial and like-minded.

The comment section was the usual bog of ad hominem, straw man, and plain nonsense arguments. But buried deep within the chaff were a few good questions worthy of rebuttal. So if you'll indulge...… Read more

Singapore scientists unveil multiscreen, social TV viewing experience

Scientists from Singapore's Nanyang Technological University's School of Computer Engineering have unveiled "Social Cloud TV," which is essentially a multiscreen mobile TV experience.

Developed by a research team headed by assistant professor Wen Yonggang, "Social Cloud TV" lets users chat -- using video, voice, or text -- with their friends on the platform, as well as share their content on social-networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

They can access content that's stored locally, in the cloud, delivered via over-the-top (OTT) services (click here for more information on the technology) or shared using a Web browser on a smart TV or mobile device. Wen and his team developed the back-end processes -- such as a compression algorithm and media transcoding -- so that content is optimized for each device and screen size. … Read more

Sonos adds Amazon Cloud Player

Sonos has announced that its streaming-music players now support Amazon Cloud Player, which joins other supported services including Spotify, Mog, and Songza.

In July, after an agreement with the four major record companies, Amazon announced iTunes and Windows Media Player library "matching," meaning users of the Amazon Cloud Player service can upload their libraries to the cloud.

Amazon is offering two versions of the service: Cloud Player Free, with which customers can store all MP3 music purchased at Amazon, plus import up to 250 songs from their PC or Mac to Cloud Player, and Cloud Player Premium, for an annual fee of $24.99, which permits customers to import and store up to 250,000 songs.

The Amazon Cloud Player replays MP3s in 256Kbps, while in contrast the competing Spotify service streams in a higher-quality 320Kbps Ogg Vorbis format.

Earlier this week, Sonos also announced support for playlist service Songza and that it would be providing exclusive mixes from artists such as Slash, Counting Crows, Tori Amos, and Montgomery Gentry.… Read more