Toshiba showcases 2013 AV range and updated Cloud TV platform (eyes-on)

Toshiba showcases 2013 AV range and updated Cloud TV platform eyeson

Toshiba isn’t the first name you’d associate with exciting products, but recently we were invited to check out its 2013 selection of AV gear in the hope we’d be dazzled by pixel counts and the IQ of its revamped smart TV platform. We revisited a few products we had flings with at CES, were introduced to some new panels, and taken through the ins-and-outs of the company’s fresh Cloud TV interface. Was there anything to get excited about? Head past the break for the full tour.

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LG ships its MT93 Personal Smart TV to your dorm this March

LG ships MT93 Personal Smart TV to your dorm this March

College students and studio apartment tenants still don’t have many options for advanced TVs; they often have to make do with a PC monitor or find a way to cram a bigger TV set into a tiny space. It’s a good thing that LG’s MT93 Personal Smart TV is shipping to Europe this month, then. The 27-inch, IPS-based upgrade to last year’s model carries the same smart app platform, 3D imagery and Magic Remote as LG’s larger sets while doubling as a monitor for HDMI-equipped PCs. It even stuffs in wireless sharing support that rarely makes it to small TVs, such as Miracast and WiDi. LG hasn’t said which other countries will get the MT93, but international expansion plans later this year could please at least a few more campus dwellers.

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Source: LG

Samsung unveils TV Discovery for finding and watching video content

Samsung unveils TV Discovery for finding and watching video content

Mobile World Congress is just a few days away, but that hasn’t stopped Samsung from pulling back the curtain on TV Discovery: a new service that lets users search for and watch live TV, on-demand video and even online content from outfits such as YouTube. The platform, which will work on Samsung’s mobile devices and Smart TVs, serves up recommendations and even hones its ability to gauge your interest in programs the more often its used. When loaded on a tablet or smartphone, TV Discovery can act as a universal remote control, slinging commands to cable and satellite boxes, Blu-Ray players, home stereos and more.

Of course, if you’re feeling social, the solution will also let you share what you’re watching with others and check up on your friend’s TV-viewing habits. Netflix and Blockbuster will be on tap for the platform in the US, while Europe will have access to Acetrax, Wuaki, MovieMax, FilmIn, Chili, Pathé and SF Anytime. TV Discovery will hit all of the firm’s 2013 Smart TVs in the US, Korea and 12 European countries — including France, Germany, Italy and the UK — during the first quarter of this year. Slates and smartphones in those countries, however, will see nab the experience during Q2.

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SoftBank – SmartTV – Streaming content, 100,000s of titles, use your smartphone/tablet as remote control

SoftBank is releasing SmartTV, it’s highly anticipated service that will be directly taking on Apple TV in the Japanese market. It allows you to watch high-quality video contents just by connecting the dedicated stick to your TV’s HDMI terminal.
And you are not restricted to using a limited remote control – you can install a remote control app (free) to your smartphone or tablet to start watching the contents and use your smartphone/tablet as a remote control through a wi-fi …

Deezer teams up with LG, Samsung and Toshiba to bring its music service to smart TVs

Deezer teams up with LG, Samsung and Toshiba to bring its music service to smart TVs

We were already well aware of Deezer making its way toward some LG Smart TVs in the UK, but now the streaming service has announced it’ll be coming to many, many more savvy television sets in the very near future. The digital tunes provider let it be know that it’s struck a deal with Samsung, Toshiba and, yet again, LG, one that’s bound to make the Deezer application available to a “potential audience of at least 600 million people across more than 150 countries.” There’s a slight caveat, however, as the recently announced deal comes with somewhat of a limited scope — namely the fact Deezer’s set to only be usable on Samsung smart TVs in Europe that were produced in 2011, while the same goes for LG’s but with the exception of a worldwide availability. Toshiba, on the other hand, will be able to bring the music offering to its 2011-range in Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific, as well as the company’s new 2013 smart TV lineup to users all around the globe. This, naturally, excludes us folks in the good ol’ US of A, since, as you may know, Deezer is still trying to figure things out this side of the pond.

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Source: Deezer

Blockbuster On Demand gives streaming a second chance, with odd limitations

Blockbuster On Demand gives streaming a second chance with odd limitations

Blockbuster hasn’t had much success shifting from physical rentals to digital, even under Dish’s wing. Nonetheless, it’s betting that the umpteenth time’s the charm with a relaunch of its Blockbuster On Demand streaming movie service. The revamp ticks many of the checkboxes for a modern by-the-title rental store with 1080p and 5.1-channel surround sound as well as apps for 2012 Samsung Smart TVs, Android and Roku 2 boxes. However, there’s a number of curious choices, and we don’t just mean the omission of a subscription model. It’s missing an iOS app, emphasizes apps for desktop viewing and leaves no way to watch HD video on anything but a TV — our mobile and PC screens have advanced in the past several years, Blockbuster. Idiosyncrasies notwithstanding, the rebirth presents more of a unified front than the one-time giant has offered in the past.

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Via: Android Police

Source: Blockbuster On Demand

Crackle streaming video heads to LG, Samsung, and Vizio Smart TVs, Samsung Blu-ray players

Crackle video service heads LG, Samsung, and Vizio Smart TVs, Samsung Bluray players

Free video streaming service Crackle is already available on your smart phone, computer, and game console, but today the company announced its expansion to LG, Samsung, and Vizio Smart TVs. The expansion is twofold for Samsung, which is also adding the ad-supported streaming service to its line of Blu-ray players; Crackle characterizes today’s news as the conclusion of a strategy to bring the streaming service to, “all leading smart TV manufacturers.” Of course, that strategy is only complete in a handful of countries thus far — today’s additions apply to only the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia for LG and Samsung, while Vizio Smart TVs in the US and Canada are the only ones to get Crackle. All new iterations of the Crackle app are available via Samsung, LG, and Vizio’s respective app portals.

Show full PR text

Crackle Starts The New Year On A ‘Smart’ Note With Expansion To Major Smart TVs And Blu-ray Devices
LG, Samsung and VIZIO Devices Now Offering Crackle

CULVER CITY, Calif., Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Crackle, the multi-platform entertainment network, today announced its application is now available on millions of LG, Samsung and VIZIO Smart TVs, as well as on Samsung Blu-ray players. With an already established and popular presence on Sony Internet TVs and Blu-ray players, Crackle is now available on all leading smart TV manufacturers, bringing on-demand streaming directly to millions of living rooms.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120817/LA59056LOGO)
Crackle hand-picks Hollywood movies, television and original series to the tastes of its digitally connected audience, focusing on genres like action, comedy, crime, horror and sci-fi. The Crackle App and online service is free to download and free to watch, and offers unlimited ad-supported viewing of all content available on Crackle.com, including TV and film hits “Rescue Me,” DISTRICT 9, UNDERWORLD, SNATCH and WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY.
“The penetration of IP-connected TVs and Blu-ray players in the living room is rapidly growing and these devices are fast becoming the new standard,” said Phil Lynch , Senior Vice President, Digital Networks and Games, Sony Pictures Television. “We are pleased with Crackle’s performance on Sony connected devices to date-as well as viewers’ overwhelmingly positive reception to the service-and are excited to begin 2013 with a major expansion into these other leading brands of connected TVs.”
Providing high-quality video streaming, Crackle is available on LG Smart TVs in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia; Samsung Smart TVs and Blu-ray players in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia; and VIZIO Smart TVs in the U.S. and Canada.
Hundreds of films and full-length television episodes available on Crackle are delivered uncut and unedited – the way they were meant to be viewed. Content is continuously refreshed, with new titles added every month.
A sampling of Crackle’s current content offerings in the U.S. include:
DISTRICT 9
UNDERWORLD
SNATCH
WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY
HARRY BROWN
JOE DIRT
THE BIG HIT
DRAGON WARS
“Rescue Me”
Thousands of episodes of the world’s most loved Anime series including hit titles such as “Blood+” and “Kurozuka” as well as the Marvel Anime series “Wolverine,” “X-Men” and “Ironman”
Two new original series: “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” starring Jerry Seinfeld and “From the Basement,” a music series from Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich , along with over 40 other originals including: “The Ropes,” “Issues,” “The Bannen Way,” and more.
Along with these Smart TV and Blu-ray devices, Crackle is accessible on an expanding distribution network including the recently launched app for PlayStation; Sony and other manufacturers’ Android phones and tablets; the iPhone, iPad and iPod; Roku players; Xbox LIVE service; and Windows Phones, Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Tablet devices and Amazon’s Kindle Fire, among others. A full list of Crackle’s extended availability can be found on www.crackle.com/outreach/platforms.
On the aforementioned devices, the Crackle App can be accessed in the following ways:
Through Samsung Apps at http://www.samsung.com/us/appstore
As a VIZIO Internet App(R) from the Yahoo! Connected TV store http://www.vizio.com/technology/via
Through LG SmartWorld at http://us.lgappstv.com/appspc/main/main/main.lge
Crackle, Inc.
Crackle, Inc. is a multi-platform next-generation video entertainment network that distributes digital content including original series and full-length traditional programming from Sony Pictures’ vast library of television series and feature films in addition to the libraries of other studios. Crackle is one of the fastest growing entertainment destinations on the Internet, mobile and over-the-top devices, offering audiences high-quality programming in a variety of genres, including comedy, action, sci-fi, horror and music. Crackle reaches an impressive audience through its diverse online and mobile distribution network. Crackle is available in the US, Canada, UK, AU, Latin America and Brazil. Visit Crackle’s site at www.crackle.com or find Crackle on Facebook at www.facebook.com/crackle.
SOURCE Crackle, Inc.

RELATED LINKS
http://www.crackle.com

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Editorial: TV gets prettier, smarter and dumber

Editorial TV gets more beautiful prettier, smarter and dumber

Good ideas are hard to predict, both before and after they are introduced as prototypes. The push-button (touch-tone) telephone was conceptually launched to the consumer market at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, 21 years after the device was invented by Bell Telephone labs. Another 20 years after the Seattle exposition, touch-tone phones finally penetrated 50 percent of American homes. A general lack of tech frenzy, and monopoly pricing control, slowed adoption. But it’s also true that the new phones didn’t solve a fundamental problem. They sped up dialing, which solved a non-essential but important user-interface problem of rotary dial phones.

Each year at CES, tech enthusiasts get a chance to glimpse prototypical ideas and guess whether they will endure. In doing so, one question should remain central: “What problem is being solved?”

Continue reading Editorial: TV gets prettier, smarter and dumber

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Haier HDTVs to get Roku compatibility, HXT series debuts with Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 silicon

Haier's HDTVs to get Roku compatibility, HXT series debuts with Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 silicon

Usually, at this time of year Haier rolls out a bundle of new HDTVs, but at CES 2013 it’s upgrading some of its existing product lineups instead of hawking all-new gear. Turns out models from Haier’s 2013 Core, Encore and Encore+model lineups will be Roku ready, meaning there’s an MHL port round the back just for Roku streaming sticks. Of course, you’ve gotta bring your own dongle to enjoy this new benefit on most of Haier’s TVs, unless you spring for Encore+ set bundled with one.

Additionally, Haier’s HXT 3D Smart TVs will debut packing Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad core silicon and running Android 4.2. The MPQ8064 chipset packs an Adreno 320 GPU to provide top-notch graphics, and the TV comes with a WiFi Direct QWERTY remote. Naturally, Haier’s not saying how much any of these HD goodies will cost nor when they’ll be available, so the info about them after the break will have to do… for now.

Continue reading Haier HDTVs to get Roku compatibility, HXT series debuts with Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 silicon

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SmartTV Alliance welcome five new members alongside at CES 2013!

Smart TV Alliance (founded by LG, TP Vision and Toshiba) announced today that six new industry-leading manufacturers and solution providers joined the Alliance to stimulate cross-platform Smart TV applications and services. Consumers will enjoy a richer Smart TV experience with 3D video, the highest quality video and audio, and the greatest variety of content with applications created from a new software development kit (SDK) for 2013 TVs from global manufacturers.
New Smart TV Alliance members …