Google tried it and failed. Microsoft’s spent years putting pieces in place with Xbox, but it hasn’t gotten there yet. And if you believe the rumors, Apple’s been working on it in secret for years. But the living room revolution we’ve been waiting for won’t be coming from the big three, according to a report from TechCrunch. More »
Like a big-screen scab it just can’t stop picking at, LG continues to trickle out details about its upcoming CES 2013 smart TV range, including updated sharing, on-demand, 3D, and eco features. Having already told us about its Google TV line-up for next year, as well as some details on the high-end panels screen-centric subsidiary LG Display is particularly proud of, LG is now focused on streamlining the smart TV UI, with the new Smart Control interface paired with SmartShare with an NFC twist.
SmartShare already supported WiDi and Miracast, among other options, but LG’s new addition for 2013 is NFC compatibility. A sticker on the CINEMA 3D Smart TVs themselves will – when you hold your NFC-equipped phone or tablet nearby – automatically pair them and set up a streaming connection by whatever method is supported on both. There’s also streaming from LG Cloud, the online storage service announced earlier this year.
The new UI – which will work alongside the updated Magic Remote complete with Siri-style natural speech recognition – also includes a new recommendation engine, which LG calls One Now. That combines suggestions from live and on-demand sources in a single place, with thumbnail previews.
As for hardware, select models get faster processors and graphics – up to a 120-percent bump in CPU speed, and up to 300-percent more from the GPU – while bezels are slimmer and a new stand (which reminds us a little of Samsung’s ES8000) has been introduced. LG will be showing off OLED and Ultra HD models, among others; we’ll have all the news from CES 2013 next week.
LG details 2013 Smart TV: NFC SmartShare plus On Now recommendations is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
No much to say here, just enjoy the video and brace for the “CES” impact that will come to us next week!
Samsung has teased a striking new TV design for reveal at CES 2013, what’s apparently a portrait form-factor set which will shake up the traditional landscape orientation of televisions to-date. The new model is illustrated only with the somewhat vague picture shown here, and it’s unclear whether we’re supposed to guess at some sort of transparent panel.
If that were the case, then it’s not Samsung’s first unusually-shaped transparent display. The company demonstrated a tiling system of 21.6-inch panels with a 1:1 aspect ratio, building on previous work with more traditional form-factor transparent screens.
However, Samsung said at the time that the transparent sets are really intended for marketing and promotional use, such as in creating a showroom case that could overlay dynamically changing specifications on top of a product.
Another alternative is that the new Samsung set doesn’t fill its entire frame with a flatscreen. Bang & Olfusen’s BeoVision 10-46, for instance, is a portrait-orientation TV with a display on top and a speaker section below, a form-factor that Samsung is yet to experiment with.
Whether whatever concept Samsung shows off next week would actually reach the market is questionable; the company has brought various big-screen prototype TVs, such as OLED and other technologies, to CES in previous years, but has generally stuck with LCD for its commercial range.
Samsung teases revolutionary TV design for CES 2013 is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
With CES 2013 just days away, TechCrunch has posted a juicy rumor that chipmaker Intel will announce a major plunge into TV, choosing to go it alone after several failed partnerships in an effort to “do it right” this time. Claiming an unnamed source in the video distribution industry, the rumor suggests a plan to deliver a set-top box with DVR, rolled out on a city-by-city basis as it negotiates channel agreements. Despite a number of demos through the years, the Intel-powered TV boxes that have landed in our living rooms so far have been the first gen Google TV and Boxee Box units. Both struggled to make a significant impact and switched to ARM CPUs for the second generation of their products.
Based on some of the tech demos we’ve seen and earlier rumors, Intel’s plans could include using facial recognition to personalize the experience for (and target advertising towards) different viewers, and offering smaller, cheaper bundles of channels than traditional providers. Another element from the TechCrunch post indicates a plan to provide a Catch Up TV-style service that lets users view anything that has aired in the last month on the channels they’re subscribed to, although there’s no word on what will power this technology.
Intel’s participation in Comcast’s Reference Design Kit program is also referenced, although given Big Cable’s traditional reluctance regarding alternative delivery models, any sort of tie-in here seems like a long shot to us. A combo package of pay-TV channels and internet VOD has been tried before, although Sezmi’s antenna-connected solution failed to catch on and fizzled late last year. Like recently rekindled Apple HDTV rumors, the potential of Intel’s service may rely just as much on its success negotiating with content providers as any technology it’s cooked up. Check out the rest of the rumor at the source link and a video from Intel’s 2009 IDF demo after the break, we’ll have any official announcements as they happen from the press conference January 7th.
Continue reading Intel rumored to launch set-top box, ‘virtual cable TV service’ at CES
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Intel
Source: TechCrunch
When smart TVs were first entering the market many TV manufacturers believe that the technology would push a massive number of users to upgrade. That massive upgrade to adopt smart TV technology didn’t take place the way TV manufacturers had hoped. A new report published by NPD Group claims that most people who own smart TV aren’t using their smart TV to its full capacity.
According to the report, smart TVs get little use beyond streaming TV services such as Netflix and others. The report says that about 60% of smart TV owners are using their TV to access over the top video services. However, the report claims that very few people are taking advantage of available smart TV apps for services like Twitter or Facebook.
The report also claims that very few people are using their TVs to surf the Internet. With the abundance of Internet connected gadgets in homes today such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops it’s really no surprise that people are using the TV to surf the web. The report does say that there has been “reasonable consumer uptake” for streaming music apps offered on smart TVs for services such as Pandora.
The usage rate for apps for social networks such as Twitter and LinkedIn, gaming, and other apps are said to be well under 10% among smart TV owners. The report also claims that about 10% of smart TV owners use the TV to surf the Internet and only 5% or 6% use their TV to access their computer desktops.
“The less than great news is that the TV manufacturers are failing to make the TV more than, well, a TV. Further, we are seeing attached devices also focus heavily on TV and video-centric apps, Microsoft’s upcoming launch of more than 40 additional television apps for the Xbox Live subscription service is one example,” the NPD analyst noted.
[via PC Mag]
Report claims most smart TVs are not used to full capacity is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
I was digging around on the Wi-Fi Alliance website checking out the latest certified devices today when I came across an interesting batch of small displays from LG, all with Wi-Fi support built in.
It appears that a wide variety of LG’s small LED-backlit LCD televisions, ranging in size from 22″ to 29″ will offer Wi-Fi in the upcoming model year. While I’m not certain of the use for the wireless connectivity, I’d bet it’s to provide access to LG’s Smart TV or other digital services through these more compact displays. Up until now, LG’s internet-connected displays have been designed for the living room, but this new feature could put streaming video, images and other digital media in your bedroom, den, kitchen or other location where a large display doesn’t make sense. Sure, you could always buy an add-on box like a Roku or Apple TV for those locations, but having the feature built into the set should keep the cost lower for consumers.
The exact details on these sets have yet to be revealed by LG, but I’d bet they’ll turn up at CES 2013 in a couple of weeks.
On the 19th of February, 2013, a new entry into the always-excellent documentary series AMERICAN EXPERIENCE will take on the information age: Silicon Valley. This made-for-tv documentary entry into the series will take on rural Santa Clara County’s transformation into the “hub of ingenuity” of the modern age, also known as Silicon Valley by the whole entire planet. This film will begin back and the beginning: the creation of Fairchild Semiconductor and the rise to prominence of none other than Robert Noyce.
This movie will show how Fairchild Semiconductor made the integrated circuit which pushed the United States forward as the top superpower in both space exploration and personal computers – and the revolution therein. Back in 1957 is when this documentary begins, and straight forward through one of the most powerful of those directly influenced by Noyce, Steve Jobs, and the mobile age it will go.
This documentary follows Noyce and the “Traitorous Eight” who founded Fairchild Semiconductor: Gordon Moore, Sheldon Roberts, Eugene Kleiner, Victor Grinich, Julius Blank, Jean Hoerni and Jay Last. This documentary is directed by Randall MacLowry and will be making its first appearance on television in February 2013 (on the 19th, as mentioned previously). You’ll find that October 4th, 1957, will be much more significant in your mind from your first viewing forward.
“On October 4, 1957, the young founders of the newly minted start-up heard some startling news: the Soviet Union had just launched the first artificial satellite into orbit around the earth. With the United States scrambling to catch up, the timing couldn’t have been better for the upstarts at Fairchild. Eisenhower quickly launched NASA and the nation’s new obsession with technology provided the opportunity of a lifetime. In less than two years, Noyce would co-create a groundbreaking invention that would help put men on the moon. But Noyce’s innovation — the integrated circuit — would have an impact far beyond the Apollo program. The integrated circuit, also known as the microchip, would re-shape the future, making possible the invention of smart phones and digital video recorders, pacemakers and microwaves possible, and launching the world into the Information Age.”
Have a peek at the trailer above and make sure you tune in when the time comes. Let us know if you plan on picking up this epic journey on your antiquated television set or if you’re going to go mobile and see how easy it is to get this documentary about the future here in the past!
[via TechCrunch]
American Experience “Silicon Valley” special hitting PBS in 2013 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Several games that were (and still are) a huge hit on mobile platforms are making their way to LG Cinema 3D Smart TVs. LG announced today the arrival of several new games, including Where’s My Water, The Sims FreePlay, Air Penguin, Mini Motor Racing, and many more. LG says these games are incredible immersive an interactive, thanks to compatibility with the company’s motion-sensing Magic Remote.
LG has been working on adding more and more games to its Smart TVs since July, which was when the company first launched games on the platform, and for those who don’t have a dedicated gaming console, the selection of games that LG offers are certainly the next best thing, especially if you’re wanting to play something that the whole family will enjoy.
Selected titles have been specifically optimized for 3D on LG’s Smart TV line. Disney’s Where’s My Water and EA’s The Sims FreePlay are just a couple of the popular games you can grab. Where’s My Water became the number one downloaded game in 90 countries, and The Sims FreePlay sold more than 150 million copies worldwide.
LG said that all the games will be demonstrated on LG Cinema 3D Smart TVs at CES 2013 in Las Vegas coming up in January. Each title will also be downloadable from LG SmartWorld beginning in the first quarter of next year. No word on if the games will be free or if they’ll cost a couple of dollars.
LG announces new games for Cinema 3D Smart TVs is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
It was predicted earlier in the year that the popular HBO series, Game of Thrones, was going to be the most-pirated TV show of the year, and it looks like that’s finally come true. TorrentFreak has issued their yearly list of the most pirated TV shows and movies, and Project X received the crown for the most-pirated film of 2012.
Game of Thrones topped out at almost 4.3 million downloads for a single episode, and while TorrentFreak notes that TV show downloads have leveled off the past few years, they’ve seen an increase in 2012. The biggest reasons why Game of Thrones made it to the top of the list are due to various airing delays and HBO’s choice not to make the show widely available online.
Project X ended up receiving over nine million downloads through illegal means. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and The Dark Knight Rises rounded out the top three. Surprisingly though, a few of the more popular movies were absent from the top 10, including The Hunger Games and the latest James Bond film, Skyfall.
Some other notable TV shows and movies that made the top 10 on their respective lists include Dexter, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Breaking Bad, The Avengers, and Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows. Overall, a handful of HBO and CBS shows made the list, mostly due to not being available online, as previously mentioned.
Game of Thrones, Project X among most pirated in 2012 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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