Hasta La Gadget!

Every TV maker trying to avoid total commoditization has a special trick to keep its designs unique and worth a higher price. For JVC, that trick is sound. It’s launching the BlackSapphire line of LCD-based 3D TVs with the 55-inch, edge LED-lit JLE55SP4400, whose signature is an unusually powerful built-in audio system: the 45W system and 3D processing supposedly produces surround sound without having to line the living room with extra speakers. Odds are that the set won’t provide much competition for dedicated speakers, although JVC is promising more integration beyond this with rare built-in SlingPlayer TV streaming, just in case there’s a Slingbox in another part of the home. The all-in strategy could make the inaugural BlackSapphire more of a bargain than it looks: that $1,300 you’ll pay when the screen ships this month might be all you need to start watching.

Continue reading JVC intros 55-inch BlackSapphire LCD TV with 45W virtual surround sound, SlingPlayer

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

JVC intros 55-inch BlackSapphire LCD TV with 45W virtual surround sound, SlingPlayer originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’d wanted to watch Aereo’s unique antenna-to-internet TV streaming until today, you had to tune in from an iOS device or Roku box. That’s not a lot of choice for placeshifting, is it? A fresh update to the company’s streaming service has widened the choices considerably for New Yorkers to include all the major browsers on Macs and Windows PCs. As long as you’re using a recent version of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera or Safari, you can catch up on Ion or Telemundo while you’re checking email. About the only restrictions left are the continued lack of Android support and occasional lawsuits from traditionalist broadcasters.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

Aereo opens its streaming TV to Mac and Windows web browsers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 21:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft confirmed some time ago that a Netflix app would be available for Windows 8, and it turns out it’s available well before the big October 26th launch date. Netflix announced today that the app is now available for download from the Windows Store for those who’ve already upgraded to an early version of the OS. Expectedly, the app matches the overall style of Windows 8, and Netflix says that it’s also made the app more efficient to cut down on both CPU and battery usage. It’s quick to point out that this is only the first version of the app, though, noting that it has “more updates and ideas in the pipeline for later this fall.”

Continue reading Netflix app for Windows 8 now available for download

Filed under: Internet, HD, Microsoft

Netflix app for Windows 8 now available for download originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 15:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been one of the more conspicuous omissions in the media hub space: despite Google Play being the cornerstone of Google’s content strategy, you couldn’t truly use the company’s music or movie services through Google TV without depending on content you’d already paid for elsewhere. As of a new upgrade, the ecosystem has come full circle. Viewers with Google TV boxes can at last buy or rent directly from Google Play Movies and Google Play Music, and the content will be indexed in the TV & Movies section alongside third-party video services and traditional TV. The upgrade also helps Google’s TV front end play catch-up with its mobile counterpart by adding automatic app updates and subscriptions. While device owners may have to wait a few weeks as the upgrade rolls out, the addition signals a big step forward for a platform that has normally leaned heavily on others for help.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google

Google Play Music and Movies purchasing reaches Google TV, patches a media strategy hole originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Like Amazon, Best Buy and Barnes & Noble before it, Toys R Us is following the path of being a retailer distributing its own branded hardware (Tabeo, Nabi) with an accompanying app store, and then supplementing those offerings with a digital media service. ToysrusMovies.com is a Rovi-powered digital storefront currently available to PCs, Macs and other Flash compatible devices, with an app planned for the Tabeo soon, as well as Blu-ray players, HDTVs and other mobile devices including iOS and Android. The content consists of “more than 4,000” titles from big names like Disney, Fox, NBCUniversal and more, available for 24-hour rental starting at $2.99, and $5.99 for download or streaming. Right out of the gate its scored an early release of Madagascar 3 two weeks before the disc release, currently a $16 purchase with “unlimited” streaming to activated devices, with downloads to up to 5 devices. Now of course, all it needs is some compatible devices, but building an ecosystem is a process, and may be key to separating Toys R Us’ offerings from the competition. Check out more details in the press release after the break or at the site.

Continue reading Toys R Us launches family-friendly internet movie service, plans Tabeo access, HD video and more

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Tablets, HD

Toys R Us launches family-friendly internet movie service, plans Tabeo access, HD video and more originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 07:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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