Dec 10

Sungale introduces 4.3-inch Kula: the WiFi-enabled portable TV

Posted in: PMP, Television, Today's Chili, TV, wifi

Not so keen on coughing up a month’s worth of WoW coinage in order to pay for FLO TV services? If so, and you can somehow keep yourself surrounded by WiFi waves at all times, Sungale just might have a cheaper alternative. The outfit has just revealed what it says is its “first IPTV,” though frankly it sounds more like a WiFi-enabled PMP with a knack for finding web programming. The 4.3-inch Kula is described as an “ultra-portable WiFi-enabled IPTV that allows users to access a large number of live streaming television programs from all over the world, selectable by country, language and topic like News, Sports and Finance all without the high rates.” Aside from using WiFi, there’s no mention of any other protocol to tap into various channel “packages,” though we’re not completely shutting out that possibility until we see this bugger at CES. Other specs include 2GB of internal memory, an SD / MMC expansion slot and support for a slew of file formats. Hop on past the break for the full release, which naturally omits any semblance of a price tag in keeping with the elusive theme.

Continue reading Sungale introduces 4.3-inch Kula: the WiFi-enabled portable TV

Sungale introduces 4.3-inch Kula: the WiFi-enabled portable TV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 04

Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Televisions

Posted in: 1080p, hdtv, LCD, LED, Panasonic, plasma, samsung, Sharp, Television, Today's Chili, vizio

Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today’s bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the holiday season.

Want a gift the whole family can enjoy? A brand new television is sure to do the trick and with more HDTV content available than ever from antenna, cable, satellite, Blu-ray discs or even the internet, there will always be something to watch. Whether it’s their first flat-panel or an upgrade, these picks come through in several price ranges selected to maximize your, we mean their, viewing pleasure. The only question left we can’t help you with? Who gets the first turn on the remote.

Continue reading Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Televisions

Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Televisions originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 04

Screen grabs: House, MD likes a little PSP Go between his high-risk medical procedures

Posted in: gaming, psp, sony, Television, Today's Chili

Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today’s movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com.

There’s one thing (and one thing only) that we know about House, MD. He seriously loves nearly killing people before saving them. Well, that, and he loves chilling out with a PSP Go. What, you hadn’t heard? Yeah, seems old Dr. Greg is pretty into gaming in his downtime — you know, when he’s not downing Vicodin or collecting clues. There’s one more piece of evidence after the break.

[Thanks, Donny]

Continue reading Screen grabs: House, MD likes a little PSP Go between his high-risk medical procedures

Screen grabs: House, MD likes a little PSP Go between his high-risk medical procedures originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 01

FCC starts up white spaces database, devices now inevitable

Posted in: cellphones, mobile internet, MobileInternet, Smartphones, Television, Today's Chili, TV, Wireless

White space devices seem likely to play a major part in the FCC’s solution to the wireless spectrum crisis. Operating in the buffers between frequencies used by television broadcasts, these devices will be able to exploit TV’s airspace without interfering with the incumbent users’ traffic. The unlicensed utilization of white spaces has been approved going on for a year now, but really important government stuff has gotten in the way of making that vote a reality. It was only recently that Claudville, Virginia got the very first such network, and initial results show that it hasn’t disrupted any of the fine, fine programming percolating the local airwaves. The only issue we see is that your WSD will need to be capable of both identifying its own position by GPS and hooking up to the database to find out what bands it may use, but then it’s not like anyone sells smartphones without these capabilities nowadays, is it?

FCC starts up white spaces database, devices now inevitable originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 24

Google and TiVo partner to analyze viewer data, sell ads, get filthy rich

Posted in: ads, advertising, Google, GoogleTv, Television, tivo, Today's Chili, TV

We’re actually sort of surprised that this hasn’t happened earlier, but TiVo and Google announced a data-sharing partnership today that’ll give the Google TV team access to TiVo’s second-by-second viewing data — anonymized, of course. That means advertisers who buy their TV ads through Google will only have to pay for the ads that customers actually watch — a system the networks obviously aren’t so keen on, but which makes total sense given Google’s pay-per-impression online advertising model. Google’s already processing a billion remote clicks a day as part of a similar deal it’s had with Dish Network since April, so the new TiVo data should just help Mountain View inch its claws even deeper into our everyday lives. Happy future.

Google and TiVo partner to analyze viewer data, sell ads, get filthy rich originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 20

Philips launches 9704 LED Pro televisions in the UK

Posted in: Displays, hdtv, philips, Television, Today's Chili
Philips has just announced a new 9704 LED Pro line of televisions bound for the UK. The two sets promise a 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, a 200Hz refresh rate, and a 1-ms response time. Philips promises both models — the 40-inch 40PFL9704 and the 46-inch 46PFL9704 — are up to 50 percent more energy efficient than previous models, and both boast 5 HDMI ports. Both LED Pros will be available in December, with the 40-incher running £1,799 (around $2969) and the 46-inch model costing £2,499 (about $4,124).

Philips launches 9704 LED Pro televisions in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 20

FLO TV for iPhone proof-of-concept caught in the wild

Posted in: iPhone, qualcomm, Television, Today's Chili, TV
We don’t know if watching TV on a 3.5-inch display is your bag, as it were, but it looks like Qualcomm is moving onward and upward with its plans for FLO TV on the iPhone. Not too many details at the moment, just some pics that Electricpig snapped of a handset running a proof-of-concept app that relies on an external device for reception, streaming re-runs of Mayberry R.F.D. to your handset via WiFi. No word yet on the when this device might actually go “prime time,” but with any luck the five pocket TV enthusiasts out there may someday be freed from the tyranny of the FLO TV Personal Television. Get a closer look after the break.

Continue reading FLO TV for iPhone proof-of-concept caught in the wild

FLO TV for iPhone proof-of-concept caught in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 20

California mandates TV energy efficiency improvements by 2011

Posted in: eco, green, hdtv, plasma, Television, Today's Chili, TV
California mandates TV energy efficiency improvements by 2011

That new HDTV of yours? It may be thin and light and lovely, but it ain’t saving you any money. The state of California knows this and has created new energy efficiency standards applying to any sets sold after January of 2011. The initial regs state a maximum of 1 watt of consumption when “off” and, when on, a maximum of .2 watts per inch of screen area plus an arbitrary 32 watts. Two years later, in 2013, things get even tougher, that formula dropping to .12 per inch with a 25 watt base modifier. There are plenty of TVs that already meet the 2013 criteria, most of them smallish LCDs, so it’s not an impossible dream. The bad news? An inability to sell non-compliant sets in CA could result in lost tax revenue. The good news? Reduced energy bills and a smaller hit to our fragile environment. The really good news? Any set greater than 58-inches is exempt, so go big, broheim.

California mandates TV energy efficiency improvements by 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 16

Sezmi’s low cost cable / satellite premium TV alternative launches in L.A.

Posted in: cable, dvr, hdtv, ota, satellite, Television, Today's Chili

Ready for yet another way to watch TV? Sezmi has just gone on the air in Los Angeles, offering its unique blend of premium OTA and internet delivered video to a few limited trial users. $5 a month brings whatever local networks you can pull in, basic IPTV (YouTube, OnNetworks, podcasts) and internet VOD (CinemaNow) access, while throwing an Andrew Jackson on top of that adds “more than 100 cable TV networks,” delivered via antenna. According to the L.A. Times that doesn’t include any channels from the Disney or Fox family like ESPN, regional sports networks or premium movie channels, but if those are already stations you’re avoiding, it’s a cheaper option than most cable TV plans. Other than the allure of sticking it to the current distribution model, the 1TB DVR package includes a rather unique UI to aggregate and even seek out new shows for you from those varied sources, while maintaining individual profiles for different users. The three month trial has just the right price — free — so even with little info on how much high definition Sezmi’s network can handle or what areas or channels will be added next, it’s at least worth a look.

[Via Zatz Not Funny]

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Sezmi’s low cost cable / satellite premium TV alternative launches in L.A. originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 13

Flo TV Offers Anywhere Viewing with Latest Player

Posted in: Television, Today's Chili, video

FloTV.jpgWhy be without television for even a moment? With the Personal Television, launching today from Flo TV, you won’t have to be. The Flo TV Personal Television is a surprisingly compact digital TV, offering a 3.5-inch crisp display. The whole thing measures 3 by 4.4 by 0.5-inches and weighs just over 5 ounces, so it’s small enough to take anywhere. It gets over five hours of viewing time on a charge.

You’ll need a Flo TV subscription to get shows on your Personal TV, but six months of free service is included with the $249.99 list price. After that, signing up for a three year subscription gets you content for the equivalent of $8.99 per month. There’s also a one year commitment plan, but good luck finding subscription info on the site. The company offers a coverage map, so you can check out ahead of time whether or not Flo TV broadcasts in your area.

How does this gizmo actually measure up? Take a look at Zach Honig’s just-posted “hands on” review of the Flo TV Personal Television at PCMag.com.

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