TV Articles

Samsung Smart Interaction: Hands-on with voice and gesture control

At CES this year one of the most interesting announcements involved Samsung's Smart Interaction, a new feature on its 2012 TVs that utilizes a built-in camera and microphone to enable you to control the boob tube just by speaking and/or gesturing to it. I've spent the last few days doing just that, much to the amusement of my co-workers, and boy are my arms (and at least one finger) tired.

My takeaway? Smart Interaction has promise but feels half-baked and more like a gimmick than a compelling upgrade. Once the novelty wears off, its usefulness is limited (at best) to those times you don't have a remote in-hand. … Read more

Sony Entertainment Network: 2012 smart TV hands-on

From phones to cameras to TVs game consoles, if you've played with a Sony device over the past 5 years, then you'll be quite familiar with the company's Xross Media Bar (XMB), which also forms the backbone of of its 2012 TV interface. This year Sony is also pushing its Entertainment Network even harder, which for some reason meant adding a new, completely different-looking interface on top of the old one and keeping both.

Content Sony's 2012 app selection, as seen on the HX750 series I recently tested, is basically the same as last year (Sony recently added Amazon Instant Video to its PS3 console but the service already existed on Bravia TVs). High-profile apps include Netflix, Hulu Plus, Cinema Now for video, Pandora and Slacker for audio, and Skype (optional camera/speakerphone required), Facebook and Twitter for networking. The Sony remotes also carry a dedicated Netflix button for easy access to the video service.

The only major missing video services are Vudu and MLB TV, while subscription music services are conspicuously absent, probably so they don't compete with Music Unlimited.… Read more

PS3 gets Amazon Instant streaming-video app

The Sony PS3 has added an Amazon Instant app to its suite of streaming-video services, letting you streaming purchased and rented content, as well as letting Amazon Prime subscribers stream free Prime TV shows and movies.

Amazon Instant joins Netflix, Hulu Plus, CinemaNow, Vudu, NHL, MLB.TV, NFL Sunday Ticket, SEC college sports, XOS college sports, and Sony Video Unlimited in the PS3's suite of streaming-video services. Although it may seem surprising that Sony is adding a service that directly competes with the Sony's own video store, Vudu and CinemaNow already offer the same ability to purchase and … Read more

Yamaha's 2012 midrange receivers boast AirPlay, 4K support

Onkyo and Pioneer have already spilled the details on their 2012 midrange AV receivers, and now Yamaha has released two new models to its RX-V line.

The RX-V573 ($550) and RX-V473 ($450) are available immediately, and both feature built-in AirPlay, 4K video pass-through, 3D support, and four HDMI inputs. AirPlay is a new feature for Yamaha's receivers, as it was a noticeable omission from last year's models, while competing Pioneer and Denon models offered it. The RX-V573 and RX-V473 are both also DLNA-compliant.

The new models will continue to use Yamaha's color graphical user interface, and Yamaha's AV Controller app has been updated for both iOS and Android devices, including tablets. The major difference between the models is that RX-V573 is a 7.1 channel receiver, while the RX-V473 has 5.1 channels.

Yamaha also announced that it will be releasing more models in the RX-V line later this month. Here's a breakdown of the key features of models announced today:

Samsung's swanky DA-E750 audio dock gets priced at $800

Samsung's high-end, tube-powered DA-E750 audio dock was impressive enough at CES to garner a Best of CES nomination in the home theater category. Now Samsung's initial foray at luxury home audio finally has a price: a whopping $800.

Pricing was also announced for Samsung's other vacuum-tube-amplified home audio product, including the two home theater systems, the HT-E6500W ($800) and HT-E6730W ($1,000). The shipping date for all three products is still a vague "spring," so it may be a month or two before these start showing up. Samsung's step-down audio docks will be coming … Read more

TiVo lowers monthly fee, increases Premiere storage

Most agree that TiVo's DVRs are among the best available, but the main sticking point for most buyers is always the monthly fee.

TiVo's making it a little easier to get over that hurdle, announcing today that the monthly fee has dropped to $15 a month with a one-year commitment. On the other hand, TiVo has changed the cost of the DVRs themselves as follows: Premiere ($150), Premiere XL ($250), and Premiere Elite ($400). That's a $50 increase for the entry-level Premiere, while the Premiere XL's price has dropped $50 and the Premiere Elite has dropped $… Read more

TV and movies on new iPad look better, but not by much

When I directly compared the screens of old iPad 2 and the new iPad, I immediately noticed the improvement in resolution in text and some graphics, like the Apps icons. Being a TV reviewer, however, I was curious to see if there was any major improvement when watching movies and TV shows.

I spent a few hours this weekend looking at common video sources side-by-side, one on an old iPad 2 (1,024x768-pixel resolution) and one on the new iPad (2,048x1,536 pixels). Despite the massive boost in resolution, and what Apple claims is a 44 percent increase in … Read more

Why the new iPad's resolution is irrelevant to HDTVs

With all the incessant hoopla about the new iPad, the one comparison that keeps popping up is that its 2,048x1,536-pixel resolution is "greater than an HDTV!" or "1 million more pixels than your TV!"

Not only is this irrelevant and a senseless comparison, but it has no bearing on the future of HDTVs, as some have implied.

Here's why.… Read more

Morrison's Mailbag: Why is my TV's audio so low?

CNET Reader Kato asks:

I have speakers directly hooked up to my TV via the "speaker audio out." It works fine. I then hooked up additional speakers I had from a computer. Upon doing so the volume on the original speakers went way down and I get even less from the new speakers. What am I doing wrong?

Oh, so many things...… Read more

Pioneer 2012 AV receivers double down on AirPlay

Pioneer delivered a great line-up of AV receivers in 2011, highlighted by the VSX-1021-K. That model was one of the first non-Apple products to offer AirPlay compatibility--the ability to stream any audio from iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touch models. CNET awarded the Pioneer four stars, with only the Denon AVR-1912 besting it in the $500 AV receiver line-up last year.

A new product year hits the reset button, and Pioneer is back with a quartet of receivers for 2012. In addition to bristling with plenty of HDMI inputs, some of the new receivers offer a variety of ways to stream audio content, including AirPlay, DLNA, and Bluetooth options. Prices range from $249 to $599. Expect the receivers to be available for purchase before the end of March.

Here's a quick breakdown of the new models and an overview of the most important features:… Read more