Sony keeps Google TV alive with new Blu-ray player, set top box

LAS VEGAS--Sony was one of the few early supporters of the Google TV platform, and the company is doubling down on its bet with two new home theater products at CES 2012.

Sony announced an updated version of its Google TV-powered Blu-ray player, the NSZ-GP9, as well as its first-ever Google TV set-top box, the NSZ-GS7. Both products will feature all of the improvements made in the most recent Google TV update, including access to apps in the Android Market.

The major upgrade from last year's model is the new touch-pad remote, which supports gestures via three-axis motion control. … Read more

LG's 2012 Blu-ray lineup looks a lot like 2011 lineup

LAS VEGAS--If you had the feeling that Blu-ray players have "peaked" as a product type, LG would tend to agree with you.

At least that's the feeling I get looking at LG's newly announced line of Blu-ray players at CES 2012. Not much has changed from last year's line, except that built-in Wi-Fi is no longer a premium feature, appearing on the nearly entry-level BP320. The chart above has most of the important details summarized, but the breakdown is essentially:

LG BP220: Smart TV (Ethernet-only) LG BP320: Smart TV + Wi-Fi LG BP520: Smart TV + 3D + … Read more

LG's Blu-ray home theater systems bet big on wireless rear speakers

LAS VEGAS--LG's latest batch of home theater systems will make it tough for other manufacturers to treat wireless rear speakers as a premium feature.

LG announced four new home Blu-ray theater systems this morning at CES 2012, with all but the entry-level BH6720S featuring wireless rear speakers. That's a big shift from years past, when wireless rear speakers were typically only available on the flagship model.

The major features break down like this:

LG BH6720S: Smart TV + Wi-Fi + 3D LG BH6820SW: Smart TV + Wi-Fi + 3D + wireless rear speakers LG BH9220BW: Smart TV + Wi-Fi + 3D + wireless rear speakers + Bluetooth + &… Read more

Getting a new Blu-ray player? Ignore these apps

If you're getting a new Blu-ray player this holiday season, chances are it's loaded with apps. And a lot of them aren't worth trying.

A broad selection of apps is theoretically great, but in reality there are entire genres of apps worth skipping on Blu-ray players. Sure, you could find that out the hard way by trial-and-error, but that's particularly frustrating on Blu-ray players where you often have to tediously enter in a log-in and password using an onscreen keyboard and a remote.

The big-screen experience just doesn't lend itself to all types of apps, … Read more

New Yamaha app gives greater AV, media control

Yamaha has unveiled its AV Controller App 2.0 for Android and iOS devices. The app is designed to let users not only control Yamaha receivers and Blu-ray players wirelessly but also stream music to them via DLNA and from a mobile device.

The new app also offers multizone functionality, enabling users to control music in any zone, in addition to system functions such as power, source selection, zones, DSP, and volume.

The app lets users select computers and/or NAS devices from a source list, browse the media contained on them, and stream that media to a receiver. Yamaha … Read more

Blu-ray player holiday buying guide

If you're thinking of picking up a Blu-ray player this holiday season, the buying process can be overwhelming.

The differences between different models are often minor; every manufacturer supports a difference suite of streaming-media services and they all pretty much look the same. And a lot of the information you need to make an informed choice isn't readily apparent by browsing the placards at a local retailer.

Luckily, you can narrow your choices quite a bit by asking the right questions. We've isolated the most important features, and once you've made your picks, you should be … Read more