Hasta La Gadget!

Convergence, the dictionary tells us, is the point where two things combine, so imagine Sceptre’s new hardware as the singles bar where speakers and Android first met. The SB301524W Sound Bar 2.1 marries dual front-facing speakers, a 35W subwoofer, 2.4GHz WiFi 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Ice Cream Sandwich to rejuvenate any old display into a Smart TV. Naturally, users will be able to access Google Play and download apps to the machine, but there’s no word on capacity or expandability — something you’ll have to ask in the store before you shell out $300 on the gear.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google

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Source: Sceptre

Sony is shipping its Bravia X9 line of 4K TVs in the UK this week, and it wants to convey the advantages of all those extra pixels. The solution? Advertising that’s as finely detailed as the screens themselves. It’s putting micro ads on the fingernails and uniform of tennis player Anne Keothavong as she makes her way through Wimbledon, showing how the extra detail pays off. Few of us will get to see the ads in full clarity, however — while Sony and the BBC are recording some of the event in 4K, they’re playing that footage at an experience zone on the Wimbledon grounds. We’re not looking at a decisive marketing coup, then, but those left squinting at home will at least know what they’re missing.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Sony

Samsung told us to expect its 55-inch OLED TV sometime in July, but there’s now a chance that South Koreans will get an early look. Yonhap News Agency hears through tipsters that the premium set could ship to Samsung’s homeland next week, with a price somewhere north of 10 million won ($8,840). It might not be alone, either — those same sources also claim that the company’s curved OLED TV may arrive at the same time. Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything, but such moves would line up with the firm’s tendency to debut products in its home country. Besides, Samsung rarely lets any of LG’s salvos go unanswered.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung

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Source: Yonhap News Agency

Looking to get away from all the Apple news? Well, as Ben puts it in this episode, “you’ve come to right podcast” — if you’re all about E3, that is. We’re really excited to talk about how the big announcements from this year’s gaming show will pertain to our HD wants and wishes. Ben hasn’t decided whether to order the PS4 or Xbox, but Richard is considering ordering as many as he can get his mitts on. Of course, that and all the HD news from the rest of the week is ready for streaming below.

Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)

Producer: Joe Pollicino (@akaTRENT)

Hear the podcast

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Podcasts, HD

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As commonplace as Time Warner Cable’s TWC TV app might be, it’s surprisingly tricky to find on actual TVs — Roku boxes don’t quite count. The provider is addressing that gap today with plans to release a version for Samsung’s Smart TVs. The new app (not yet pictured here) offers authentication-based access to about 5,000 on-demand shows without any extra hardware. This isn’t a true replacement for a cable box, however — along with the usual subscription requirement, there’s no mention of the live TV that we’ve seen elsewhere. Those who aren’t deterred by the restrictions can load TWC TV on their 2012-era Smart TVs soon, and 2013 sets sometime after that.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung

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Source: Time Warner Cable, TWC Untangled