TVs

When should I upgrade my projector?

The other day I wrote an article titled "When should I upgrade my HDTV?" The general thought was that TV performance, while not exactly hitting a plateau, had slowed enough that TVs even a few years old perform pretty close to the new models.

In the world of front projection, though, it's an entirely different story. The level of performance you can get for very little money is incredible. What were once considered "budget level" projectors now easily outperform $10,000+ models from just a few years ago.

Time to upgrade? Perhaps.… Read more

When should I upgrade my HDTV?

Let's say you've had your HDTV for a few years now. Let's say you can't stop reading new TV reviews. Let's say you find excuses to stop at Best Buy to stare at the wall.

OK, you want a new TV. No problem. But do you need a new TV? Are the current models really that much better than what you have?

Let's take a look.… Read more

From Amazon to HBO Go to YouTube: App availability on 2012 TVs compared (big chart)

"Smart TV" is even more common than ever this year among the TVs of 2012, and as always, content is king.

With that in mind we present the chart above, summarizing the various major apps available from most major TV manufacturers this year. As you can see, pretty much everything has Netflix, and the differences begin from there.

Compared with last year, the major addition to the chart is HBO Go, which is currently exclusive to Samsung TVs. It's a superb app with a wealth of content that helps makes Samsung's suite the most compelling of … Read more

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

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

Samsung Smart Touch Remote and keyboard (hands-on video)

Samsung has unveiled its new flagship control peripherals--the Smart Touch Remote and optional Smart Wireless Keyboard--at an event in New York today.

The new remote will ship with the company's Smart Interaction televisions, the ES7500 and ES8000 LED and E8000 plasma. The keyboard is an optional accessory ($99).

Last year, Samsung was one of the few manufacturers to offer a reversible QWERTY remote and despite Samsung's claims to its popularity at today's press conference, the company has decided to discontinue the peripheral. Instead, Samsung now offers the $99 Bluetooth Smart Wireless Keyboard, which it says will also work with smartphones and tablets.… Read more

Samsung 2012 TVs get pricing and release dates (hands-on)

Updated March 7 with more information and new videos.

Just two months ago at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Samsung--along with all of its competitors--talked up its new line of of 2012 TVs. As is always the case at CES, the new product info was long on hype and short on details. That changed today, when Samsung began filling it a lot of the blanks.

No, the company didn't say a word about its "Super OLED" TV, and we don't expect to hear anything more on that until at least midsummer.

Samsung did release … Read more