I remember my best friend had a portable black and white TV in his room back in the day—kind of similar to the Magnavox BD 3902 pictured in OObject's list.

The damn thing got like two over-the-air stations. All I can say is that it is a great time to be alive with our HDTVs and smartphones. Hit the following link to see the full list. [OObject]

Everyone, including Apple, knows that the next logical step in making the Apple TV set-top product is embedding that technology into a TV. It'd be like all the Korean TV manufacturers putting Netflix in theirs. But Apple says no.

COO Tim Cook says:

Today, the go-to-market model for Apple TV is very difficult. Because it would seem that that go-to-market model would lead to the TV. And we have no interest in being in the TV market.

Which leaves them in a weird limbo, because they don't want to move forward, yet they don't want to discontinue the product.

...There's people — and I'm one of those — that they're avid Apple TV users, and so, because their gut says something there, we're continuing to invest in this. But today it's just a hobby.

Unfortunately in business, you've got the mindset that if you're not moving forward you're falling behind, so if they can't figure out what to do with the Apple TV brand, they might just kill it altogether rather than continue to support it without much new development. [Business Insider]

This rumor comes from the Financial Times, a reputable source who's previously examined Apple's relationship with the networks, and it makes sense to us: Video is not like audio, in that you don't often watch multiple times, so its value is significantly less over time than music. Apple is apparently telling the networks that lowering the prices to a buck would increase sales, thereby making up for any loss in revenue they'd see from the cut. What do you guys think? Would you be more inclined to buy TV shows if the price was dropped to a dollar? [Financial Times via Business Insider]

Though we've already heard Mosspuppet's preemptive review of the iPad, it's interesting to see all three of these influential voices—Mossberg from the Wall Street Journal; David Carr, a columnist for the New York Times; and TechCrunch's head honcho Michael Arrington—discussing Apple's upcoming device in one forum. And what emerges is that all of them, to varying degrees, are excited about the iPad's promise.

At one point, David Carr says, "I think there's a revolution in the fact that you lean back and read something," and this, the possibility of a more casual version of computing, seems to be the iPad's greatest promise in the minds of all three journalists. And after reading the 1994 Rolling Stone interview with Steve Jobs that recently resurfaced, it's clear that Jobs is at his most passionate when he has locked in on a revolution to champion. [TechCrunch]

Comcast and GE are in the "midst of due diligence" for a deal that would give a Comcast 51 percent stake in NBC Universal, and GE 49 percent. It would merge with its own cable networks. The sticking point, for now, is Vivendi's 20 percent stake and its asking price of $6.3 billion. But, since GE and Comcast both "appear to favor" the deal, we can still probably expect 30 Rock cracks about having Comcastic days next season. [WSJ]

Disney and CBS interested in Apple's subscription-based iTunes TV idea? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Displays, Handhelds

FLO TV Personal Television now on sale for $250, should be in cereal boxes soon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yesterday I published an article on how kids are dying because of old CRT TVs falling onto them. Today, reader Russell Warren sent to us this scary photo, and the terrifying story about how a Magnavox set almost killed him:

gawkerGallery(5427124,1,'WARNING: Don't zoom in if you are easily impressed');

I read your story on falling TVs yesterday, and I wanted to show you this picture of me, age four. That's when a TV tried to kill me.

I was simply trying to put the remote back on top of our 27" wood console Magnavox television, when I slipped while climbing onto the TV cabinet.

Instead of just falling to the ground, I grabbed the top edge of the Magnavox as I tumbled down to the ground. I hit the ground first, then the TV followed with one of the corners squarely landing on my forehead. The television slid off my head, taking about a quarter of my scalp with it.

The babysitter—my parents were at the movies—described it as "if someone had opened my scalp like they would open a banana peel." I ran around the house screaming in shock, but the babysitter—who later became my mother's best friend—did everything right, kept her calm, and called 911.

One hundred and forty-four stitches later, and enough hospital ice cream to please any 4-year-old boy, I was on my way to a steady recovery. I had some temporary nerve and muscle damage that affected things like my eyebrows, but I was lucky enough to have no long-lasting damage that I'm aware of. I'm obviously incredibly lucky that I've been left unscathed short of a very large scar across my forehead. As you know, there are many other people that haven't been as lucky.

I would love it if you could post my story and my picture in Gizmodo. It would be great if my story can help make other people aware of the significant dangers of untethered CRTs or flat screen TVs.

Thanks Russell. Hopefully, this will make more people aware of this problem.

An Apple patent worth gawking at, given its grander ambitions for advertising, iTunes and TV subscriptions: It details a way to make you watch ads embedded into video content, like say, a free or cheap TV show.

Conceptually, it's not too dissimilar from what you see with Hulu, actually—essentially, in order to unlock further segments of the video, you have to watch an ad. You know, just like real TV worked, before DVRs!

The patent goes in-depth about how ads would be embedded with content that could be downloaded to multiple devices—like an iPhone or iPad—how it'd react to trying to jump ahead of the ad, and gathering statistics about how the ad was viewed or interacted with.

The reason it's interesting, primarily, is that Apple's reportedly been heavily pitching networks both on selling TV shows for cheap—99 cents—and signing on to an iTunes TV subscription service that would bundle a selection of TV shows from major networks for 30 bucks a month, like say, Gossip Girl from CBS. The networks have been cool to both suggestions, given that TV's expensive to produce and stuff.

Ads, especially ones with detailed usage statistics (and maybe demographics), would help make up the revenue lost by offering shows for a buck, and make $30 subscription a lot more palatable, and possibly even offset the screams of cable operators watching content dance out the door and maybe onto the cloud.

The retrenchment of the old timeline model of television with interstitial advertising in the age of the DVRs, where we can create any timeline we want as we watch, is one of the more curious developments of networks groping for new ways to make money off of old media on new devices. What's old is new is old again, apparently.

Oh, and Apple's patent illustrators apparently like Charlie from Lost. [Patently Apple via 9to5Mac]

We knew this day was coming, but it may be sooner than we realized. The LA Times is reporting that Hulu is looking to introduce a pricing model within the next six months.

One plan being considered by Hulu would allow you to watch the five most recent episodes of a TV show for free, while the back catalog beyond that would require a $5/month subscription to access. They're looking to include at least 20 shows in the package to make it appealing to users, but of course the issue won't be how many. It'll be which ones.

This all comes on the heels of Boxee's announcement yesterday of plans to charge for premium content, and Pandora's pay service announced in May. Five bucks doesn't seem like much, but it does all start to add up. [LA Times via Business Insider]

Pull up the security footage from sector 4B. Unsharp mask. Zoom. Gaussian blur. Undo gaussian blur. Lasso tool. Adjust contrast. Reduce noise. Filter. Zoom. X-Ray. Enhance. Enhance. Enhance. Enhance. [Enhance]

$1 TV shows, down from $2: sounds like a great plan, but is it real? The FT seems to think so, claiming that the changes will hit the iTunes store at the end of April, corresponding with the iPad launch.

Apple's current pricing scheme puts most SD TV content at $2 an episode, with HD content coming at a $1 premium. The new plan would likely just move the pricing levels down by a dollar and be done with it. (It would also go a long way to expanding Apple's vision of a digital media dysutopia: In the future, man will feed iTunes one (1) dollar, for which he will be granted a single unit of Apple-Approved Digital entertainment. </scifi>)

But the FT doesn't stop there: They also claim that Apple is still actively pursuing a $30 "best of TV" subscription service, which would roll selected content into a bundle, for which users would pay a monthly fee, and that Apple is being careful to avoid linking the Apple TV to discussions about either proposal, because the prospect of people watching downloaded TV on their actual televisions is apparently terrifying to content providers, for some reason. Ha, could Apple care any less about that poor box?

So, how would this actually go down? I'd wager that a limited first wave of $1 shows will serve as a sort of pilot program. Once, or if, these shows make up their price decrease with larger download volume, it'll be much easier to convince the rest of the content providers to go along with the new scheme. Got a better theory? Throw it in the comments. [Financial Times]

The winter months are the hardest time to not want new stuff. We're inundated with sales, and in a few short weeks we'll be ogling next year's tech at CES. As the resident Gizmodo "no I won't upgrade my PowerBook" curmudgeon, I'm here for support. Take a look at the gear I use, and how despite its age, all (well, most of) it has plenty of life left.

I Call Him FrankenPod

No, you're not seeing things. The image above is indeed a picture of my primary media player, and yes, it is an iPod mini.

Go ahead, get the Borat jokes out of your system.

Done? Okay, now hear me out. Don't judge a book by its cover. As far as I'm concerned, this little guy can blow away nearly any other MP3 player on the market.

Under the hood, I swapped the 6GB microdrive with a 16GB Compact Flash card. I can easily change it out for a 32 or a 64GB card once prices come down. It's also running what I consider to be the most feature-rich firmware around, Rockbox. What looks like a beat-up iPod mini is actually a robust, nearly indestructible flash-based portable audio player, all built for a fraction of what a new one costs.

The mini isn't the only old iPod that's easily moddable. Considering about 118% of the United States' population has an old iPod lying around somewhere by now, chances are you've got what you need for a fun weekend project. Even if your heart's set on the Zune HD's OLED display or the Touch's app catalog, some love and a little elbow grease can breathe old life into that old iPod, and give you a great secondary PMP.

The Little Computer that Could

When I walked into Gizmodo HQ on my first day, I was nervous. Some of that anxiety was the new job jitters, but I was mostly afraid that my 12" PowerBook wouldn't cut it. Gizmodo moves fast, and my aging machine certainly doesn't. I was on the verge of upgrading, but decided to see how my old hardware fared before taking the plunge.

Long story short: It did the job. Barely. But through compromise, I made it work. I love Firefox and all of its extensions, but Safari runs at half the resource load. Photoshop Elements does what I need without the huge footprint of CS. With a little thought as to what applications I was running, which ones I didn't need, and where I was willing to compromise, my plucky PowerBook and I made it through the summer.

As much as I love the little guy, it's not like I haven't thought about replacing him. I almost pulled the trigger on a new MacBook last month. At the last minute I decided that instead of buying a computer that would last me 2-3 years, I wanted another that could feasibly last for 4+. Whenever that computer comes out, I'll probably bite, but until then I'm happy squeezing a little extra life out of my aging hardware.

Look at how you use your computer. If you're rendering all day, never leave Photoshop, or doing any other heavy computing and you need the speed, then upgrade. But the rest of us can probably hold off a little longer, even tech-obsessed gadget bloggers.

Nice Peeling Chrome Paint, Dude

I'm fairly certain I'm the only writer at Gizmodo without a smartphone. Yes, dumbphones must die, and someday I will upgrade this one. But for now, it makes calls, texts, and even has an almost acceptable music player built in that works in a pinch. Google services run surprisingly well in a WAP browser, too, so I can get email and read my RSS feeds when necessary.

Would I love to have a smartphone? Sure. (Hey Brian Lam and Jason Chen, skip down a few sentences) But it's also really nice to be disconnected sometimes. My Gizmodo email account receives a very steady stream of emails, to say the least. I like being able to walk away from the computer and cut myself off every once in a while, without my phone constantly reminding me that there's work to be done (Okay overlords, you can read on from here).

Just Because it's Old Doesn't Mean it Sounds Worse

No, this stereo doesn't do DTS-HD Master Audio. It has zero HDMI ports. But it still does 2-channel audio pretty well, more than well enough for what I need it to do.

Repurposing old stereo equipment is one of the best ways to build a great system on the cheap. The turntable and receiver are my dad's old gear, coupled with a pair of speakers I yanked off of a CD player I've had since I was 14. The setup won't win me any audiophile cred, but it definitely does a much-better-than-OK job at playing music.

Not to mention that it's pretty cool to listen on the same equipment my dad once used. When I was 17, I found his old record collection in the basement and immediately started spinning it on his long-forgotten turntable. Call me corny, but I think it's pretty awesome to know that 30-some years ago he was listening to the same records on the same deck.

If you aren't lucky enough to have access to your parents' old stereo equipment, it's not uncommon to find some real gems at your local thrift shop on the cheap, tossed away by someone who thought McIntosh is a cheap Apple knock-off.

Okay, so Maybe I Want to Upgrade Some of It

I do have one thing that I desperately want, and will upgrade to soon: an HDTV. I've never owned anything besides tube TVs under 20 inches. The fact that flat-panel prices are finally reasonable, combined with the digital switchover makes it prime time for me to jump the CRT ship.

I want to say that it always makes sense to hold onto your old TV after you upgrade, but in this case it might not. Television sets were at their saturation point well before HDTVs came along. In 2009 there were more TVs per household than people. By now it's likely that you just don't have room for a fourth or twelfth tube anywhere.

If you find yourself needing to dispose of an aging TV, please do so properly. Donate it. Sell it on Craigslist. Or look into electronics recycling centers in your area. An old TV may not have a place in your house or apartment, but it might find a place in someone else's home. It certainly doesn't belong in a landfill.

See? I'm Not a Total Luddite

I might roll with old stuff, but I'm not some sort of quasi-neo-luddite. Plenty of other gadgets in my arsenal are much more recent than what you see here. I have a PS3, my music gets fed to my stereo through a Squeezebox, and I do have another receiver that handles multichannel audio, albeit a relatively cheap and older one (and in case you're wondering, I did take these pictures with a DSLR, but it's not mine).

So yes, even I don't always live by the "never upgrade" mentality. Planned obsolescence and the industry's fast pace make it impossible to live by that creed. But I also think that a lot of the time we feel "forced" to upgrade we're really being driven by gadget lust, that powerful desire which makes us overlook the benefits of using old stuff.

Here's what I always think about when that ol' familiar "gotta have it" feeling hits. The biggest and most obvious perk: buy new stuff less often, save money. I don't know about you, but if I walk away from a big purchase, I feel like I've won. It's like trapping money that was trying to escape from my bank account. And if you've got a bit of the tree-hugging hippy spirit in you, you'll feel good about cutting down on your e-waste output, even if only by a little bit.

Not to mention the freedom old gear provides. I imagine it's similar to the feeling of operating the Mars rovers. I know that my gadgets have gone far beyond their planned mission length, so I throw them around without caring if they get damaged. And once that old gear inevitably goes belly up, I'll feel no remorse upgrading something that lasted for so long.

But that doesn't mean I won't be sad to lose my gadgets. I've heard other tech junkies say that we should never fall in love with technology, because we'll just end up heartbroken when it's time to say goodbye. In my opinion, that emotional connection is exactly what we need nowadays. If we all try to love our gadgets, to start treating them more like companions than disposable tools, a lot more perfectly good gear could be saved from an untimely retirement.

I know more than a few of you out there are eyeing some new toys for the holidays. I am too. But before we let upgraditis get the best of us, let's consider what we already have. Maybe it's still good enough. Maybe there's a new part that could make our gadgets better, and provide a fun modding project to boot. Take it from me: There's almost always some way to squeeze extra life out of old gear.

Now, if you'll excuse me, there's an old Dell tower around here somewhere that's begging to become a NAS.

Apple's had ambitious TV plans. Standing in the way, industry execs. Apple supposedly wants to offer subscriptions to packages for $30 a month, and to sell shows for a buck. Funny then, what CBS's CEO said during an earnings call.

The relevant Q&A from CBS's most recent earnings call, via Seeking Alpha's full transcript, with my emphasis added:

Doug Mitchelson – Deutsche Bank
And the secondary is just online distribution of your TV shows, I don't want to belabor it because we have talked a lot about over the last year, year or two, but there is a story out there that Apple wants to try to get prices down $0.99 per episode on the sales side and we are all still wondering if this is a right ad load on the free streaming shows. I mean any thoughts on your comfort level with the business models that are out there online?

Leslie Moonves
Yes, I mean the interesting thing about online ads and once again the reason we are happy we are controlling our own content is the advertising thing it's sort of a trial in process. And we are experimenting with different ad loads and as you know authentication TV everywhere would involve the same load that is on the network with similar pricing. So in all these, once again, they are all short-term deals and it is a moving target. There are a certain shows that will be sold on Apple for $0.99, I don't know yet which will be – and we will talk to them about it. But look the great news for us is are we are up in every single demographic category, at the same time we are increasing our revenue from online and other sources. So it all looks good for the future.

The catch, as it were, is that Moonves might not have meant what he said quite so specifically. That is, Peter Kafka's sources tell him that what he meant is that CBS is "open to talks with Apple," but there aren't any specific plans to cut TV shows prices. (In other words, CBS kinda wishes he hadn't said it, but they're not saying it it's flat wrong.)

Leading up to this, the Financial Times has reported on two separate occasions that Apple's pushing for 99-cent shows, and that they'll happen, possibly in time for the iPad launch in April. And then there's the WSJ's persistent report that Apple's pursuing $30 monthly subscriptions for packages of TV shows. Which sound nice. Desirable, even, to the point that Apple would sell way more TV shows.

But TV execs thus far—aside from Moonves' slip here—aren't exactly bubbling about selling their stuff for cheaper, even given the possibility of pushing a greater volume. At best, we could see certain shows sell for cheaper, like Moonves but they'll likely be shows that have less "value." (Like say, Season 1 of VH1's Dr. Drew's Celebrity Rehab, which goes for 99 cents a pop right now.) In other words, not Lost. It's the same reason the book guys don't like the idea behind Amazon's flat $9.99 rate for ebooks, or really anybody who produces any kind of content seems to be acting like such a paranoid, entrenched asshat to the average person who just wants to buy digital content cheaply and easily—they don't want you to think the stuff they make is worth less than it already is. (Though in the case of TV guys, it's not just losing value they're worried about, it's making more money to cover the expensive production costs of quality, hence their hot-on-the-balls desire to turn Hulu into something you pay for, since the ad revenue's not quite cutting it yet). Oh, and cable guys, like Time Warner, really aren't thrilled with an iTunes that sells subscriptions to TV packages, which is, you know, the same business they're in.

Point being, if this revitalized TV segment of iTunes happens, it's going to take a lot of coaxing, leveraging and browbeating to happen. If it does. [MediaMemo, Seeking Alpha, Mucho props to Peter Kafka]

According to Rodney Charters, director of photography on 24, print media might not be the only thing Apple's tablet is saving in coming months. Charters cheerfully Tweeted that Jack Bauer might wield the ubergadget later this season on 24.

The production team on the show, which recently aired the fifth episode of its eighth season, is apparently working behind the scenes to outfit its hero with Apple's forthcoming device. This morning Charters announced:

Hmmmm looks like we may get an iSlate into Jacks hands for Ep 20 getting giddy with excitement

and later updated, with a bit more certainty

Got a bit too excited probably more likely Episode 22 but Apple provided fingers crossed

In any event, it's a testament to the hype surrounding the device that it's even managed to make its way into the dreams of fictional characters. I'm sure Jack, too, is giddy with excitement. [Rodney Charters]

LG expects to sell 3.8 million 3D LCDs by 2011, partners with Korean broadcaster SkyLife originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On sale in Korea only (someone pass me the tissues, quick), this LG Serie 1 retro TV may not have 1080 lines of resolution or a contrast ratio to make your knees bend, but it's very cute, non?

The screen measures just 14-inches diagonally, in a 4:3 ratio, and as you've probably noticed, LG's used a ye olde CRT for the body—no flat panel 'round here. The antennae and chrome legs finish the retro styling off nicely, as does the glossy orange finish—though it's also available in brown, which would certainly give the M21 a run for its money.

Thankfully it's a heck of a lot cheaper than the similarly-retro styled Brionvega Doney, at 249,000 KRW, or around $216. Better get in touch with a Korean exporting firm. [LG via Retro To Go]

LG's just stolen ahead in the 3D TV wars, claiming it will sell 400,000 3D TVs during 2010, and in the following year a mahoosive 3.4 million units.

Putting its money where its mouth is, LG's also joined forces with the Korean SkyLife, one of the largest 3D TV broadcasters in the world. Aiming to create industry standards, and do for 3D TV what Sony did for Blu-ray, they'll work together to ensure those ambitious sales targets are met.

Ultra-slim bezels are part of LG's hook, which supposedly help the 3D image pop with more effect. No doubt we'll be seeing more products launch next month at CES, such as these 42-72-inch models and 150-inch projectors which LG's been spouting off about, as so far it's only launched the 47-inch 47LH50 and 23-inch LCD monitor in Korea. [AVING]

Both 15 and 19-inchers have been shown off by LG, but they want to add another inch before mass-producing their OLED range this year. Next year they'll raise the bar again with 30-inch panels, and in 2012, a 40-inch OLED.

Hitting the nail on the head, LG's VP Won Kim said:

"They may be expensive, but it will be possible to buy a 40-inch class OLED TV in 2012."

When Sony's XEL-1 went on sale, all 11-inches cost $2,500. Working by the same measurement, LG's 40-incher should be oh, close to $10,000. A veritable bargain. [Tech-On via OLED-Display]

We've seen more exciting leaked roadmaps, but it's rather comical that LG's leak came about by accidentally sharing a Google Document. A 3D TV, 3D Blu-ray player and TV webcam for 720p Skype chat are all due to launch soon.

That 3D TV is actually just a different version of the LH9500 series, named the LX9500, and will be available mid-May. After learning that, it'll certainly make the TVs announced at CES that are due in March - April a lot less attractive. The BD580 3D Blu-ray player will be on sale in the middle of April, just a few weeks earlier in May the webcam peripheral allowing for 720p Skype chatting on your TV will become available too.

Meanwhile, the LEX8 and LEX9 LED-backlit TVs that measure just 0.27-inches in depth will be on sale in June, with models ranging from 47 - 72-inches. [CNET via Electronista via CrunchGear]

newVideoPlayer( {"type":"video","player":"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/Ss68YWoihqs&hl=en&fs=1&fmt=22","customParams":[],"width":500,"height":412,"ratio":0.824,"flashData":"","embedName":null,"objectId":null,"noEmbed":false,"source":"youtube"} ); Maybe he was trying out the TVs or the baseball bat, maybe he was struck by Walmart rage. Whatever the case, this guy destroyed a row of TVs before sitting down in the electronics aisle and waiting for the police.

The smashed televisions add up to about $22,000 in damaged goods, 29 counts of criminal damage to property, and one bottle of confiscated anti-depressants. I suppose that's just an itsy-bitsy bit worse than what went down with that foul-mouthed Australian guy. [Huffington Post via Engadget]

The WSJ already said most of this stuff yesterday, but the Financial Times has a few more tidbits on the situation that seems interesting—namely, Apple's relationship with network giants, and a plan to launch the fabled tablet soon.

The relevant passage from the FT:

Apple has contacted other broadcast and cable networks, including Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting System and Viacom, which have so far been unconvinced by Apple's proposal. The computer maker has also courted the book publishing industry, sector executives say.

Cooperation with Time Warner and Viacom would be essential if Apple wants to get this cable replacement off the ground—they own a plurality of basic cable channels between them. As far as the tablet is concerned:

Apple is preparing an announcement next month that many anticipate will be the official unveiling of its tablet, but the company has so far declined to confirm the existence of the device. Wall Street analysts expect mass production of an Apple tablet to begin as early as February.

That's some serious confidence right there, but it lines up with what we heard yesterday. This is all speculation at this juncture, but the WSJ and FT are big dogs who can (for the most part) be trusted; we'll have to see whether 2010 really is the year of the tablet. [Financial Times]

Good news for folks who against all odds don't have a home theater

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Netflix hitting internet-capable Sony BRAVIA sets today originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gary at HD Guru once again snagged next week's Best Buy TV circular early, and just like last time, the deals are surprisingly good. Here's a sample, check out his site for the full list and price comparisons:

• Samsung PN50B550 50″ 1080p plasma $979.99
• Toshiba 46XV645U 46″ 1080p 120 Hz LCD Best Buy $999.98 with Free Toshiba BDX2000 Blu-ray player bundle
• Sony KDL-40XBR9 40″ 1080p 240 Hz LCD Best Buy $1244.97 with Free Sony BDPS360 Blu-ray player and HTSS360 5.1 Home Theater in a Box system
• Sony KDL-46XBR9 46″ 1080p 240 Hz LCD Best Buy $1704.97 with Free Sony BDPS360 Blu-ray player and HTSS360 5.1 Home Theater in a Box system
• Samsung PN42B450 42″ 720p Plasma $624.99 Best Buy

Not too bad. Not too bad at all. [HD Guru]

newVideoPlayer( {"type":"video","player":"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/clnozSXyF4k&hl=en&fs=1&fmt=22","customParams":[],"width":500,"height":412,"ratio":0.824,"flashData":"","embedName":null,"objectId":null,"noEmbed":false,"source":"youtube"} ); Everything you thought you knew is wrong. On almost every exterior shot you see on TV, the background is filled in via green screen. Watch this video and have your mind blown. [That's How It Happened via Kottke]

In response to complaints regarding black level performance in its plasma TVs, Panasonic has issued a statement admitting that "background brightness will increase," but described the change as "automatic" over the TVs' lifespan and being intended to mainta optimal performance.

It also said that newer plasma TVs will include a "more gradual change in Black Level over time," but made no mention of a fix for existing plasma TVs, whose owners first noted the issue at enthusiast Web site AVS forum.

Here's the entire statement as e-mailed to CNET, entitled "Automatic Control of Contrast over Operational Lifetime."

Panasonic Viera plasma HDTVs deliver exceptional picture performance throughout the lifetime of these products. Various elements and material characteristics of all electronic displays change with use over time. In order to achieve the optimal picture performance throughout the life of the set, Panasonic Viera plasma HDTVs incorporate an automatic control which adjusts an internal driving voltage at predetermined intervals of operational hours.

As a result of this automatic voltage adjustment, background brightness will increase from its initial value. After several years of typical use, the internal material characteristics will stabilize and no additional automatic voltage adjustments are required. The Black Level at this stabilized point will yield excellent picture performance.

The newest Viera plasma HDTVs incorporate an improved automatic control which applies the voltage adjustments in smaller increments. This results in a more gradual change in the Black Level over time.

More Questions Than Answers

I first contacted Panasonic seeking comment on January 11 , and the company has not responded until this statement, which was e-mailed to me Wednesday, February 3. Though arguably better than silence, the statement leaves too many major questions unanswered.

I have followed up with Panasonic seeking those answers, asking, among other questions, if/when a fix is planned for current TVs to address owner complaints; at what "predetermined intervals" do the the voltages increase; when do the materials stabilize; what the quantitative difference is between the initial black level and the "stabilized point"; which are the "newest Viera plasma HDTVs" referred to in the statement; and what should owners do who are unsatisfied with the picture quality of their TVs. I'll update this story when I receive a reply.

The Big Picture for Plasma

As I mentioned in the original report, I haven't seen a Panasonic plasma affected by the lighter black levels yet, so it's impossible for me to reply to the big question of whether the loss of black level performance is significant enough to make the TV pale in comparison to its competitors. Many eyewitnesses believe it is, judging from the original thread at AVS forum and from a few of the comments on the report, but other owners are less definitive or report no change.

I began a long-term test using two 2009 Panasonic plasmas in my lab, but it will be at least a month before I can expect to notice any change in black level. Of course, I'll report back when that happens.

I'll also report that since 2005, my main TV at home has been a Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK plasma, and I've never noticed a change in its black level performance. At CNET, we didn't hear of this issue until we read the reports on AVS forum, and to our knowledge, past Panasonic plasmas, as well as models by LG, Pioneer and Samsung, have delivered basically consistent black levels over time.

That's why, despite Panasonic's statement that "all electronic displays change with use over time" and that after said change its sets still have "excellent picture performance," I tend to believe owners who describe the black level increase in the company's latest plasmas as unusual and ultimately detrimental to picture quality.

A quote included in my original report accords perfectly with much of Panasonic's eventual statement, enforcing that belief. In it a respected calibrator who goes by the screen name D-Nice, citing sources within the company, called the too-aggressive voltage increase a "goof" on the part of Panasonic engineering. The closest Panasonic has come to admitting as much is contained in its reference to an improved, more gradual change in new models.

Now What?

My main job at CNET is to provide buying advice regarding TVs, and Panasonic plasmas were one of my go-to recommendations. The 50-inch G10 was the most popular TV on CNET during 2009, and the V10 series earned the only Editors' Choice award I handed out to any flat-panel TV last year. In fact, after I reviewed the 2009 models, my dad bought a TC-P42X1, two of my colleagues at CNET, Matthew Moskovciak and John Falcone, bought TC-P50G10s and another, David Carnoy, bought a TC-P65S1 (we're keeping tabs on the black levels of those sets, too). It's safe to say that many readers of this Web site did the same thing dad, John, Matt and David did: buy a solid-to-excellent HDTV for a good price, and be perfectly happy with the picture quality. Judging from reader reaction, that happiness may be in jeopardy.

Nothing halts a shopper's reach for his wallet better than doubt, so I believe it's in Panasonic's best interest to answer those lingering questions. Until that happens, it's going to be hard for me to recommend the company's TVs without a degree of uncertainty.

This story originally appeared on CNET

We've seen bits and pieces of Qualcomm's FLO live TV service, curiously even on an iPhone, but at MWC it'll be showing it off on Snapdragon-powered smartbooks. It enables real-time updates via Twitter while watching live TV.

If you don't have a Twitter account, or can't stand the thought of getting updates about footballers while watching a sports match, Qualcomm will also give the viewer info from breaking news services and other e-magazines. FLO TV has heaps of different channels to watch, including ESPN, Comedy Central, MTV, NBC and Nickelodeon. The jargon-filled press release is below, but in the meantime there should be some solid news including product launches with FLO TV coming this week. [Qualcomm via TechRadar]

Image credit: Electricpig

Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies, products and services, today announced FLO-EV, the next evolution of the FLOâ„¢ air interface for new deployments of mobile TV and other advanced broadcast mobile media services. Intended primarily for international markets, FLO-EV builds on the success of FLO technology to enable a rich suite of mobile content and services with greater channel capacity and significant performance improvements. FLO-EV is designed to help wireless operators lower the deployment costs for delivering multimedia content to mobile devices.

Analysts have predicted the global market for mobile media services will surpass $90 billion by 2018. Adoption of mobile media is being driven through a combination of increasing consumer awareness and industry investment. Wireless operators, broadcasters and content providers are all seeking to implement the best technologies to drive new mobile media business models. FLO-EV can help them by substantially lowering the cost of rolling out mobile media services while preserving features critical to the user experience, such as high-quality video, reduced power consumption, rapid channel changing times and increased channel capacity.

"As a technology enabler and leader in the mobile media space, Qualcomm is continually looking to improve the capabilities of FLO technology to deliver more advanced broadcast services to our worldwide customers," said Neville Meijers, senior vice president and general manager of MediaFLO Technologies. "FLO-EV is the result of our continued innovation and dedication to providing the most compelling and technically advanced offering to both wireless operators and mobile media consumers. By pushing the envelope with our design and development efforts, we are confident of staying at the forefront of the rapidly expanding and dynamic mobile media industry."

FLO-EV features a variety of technical enhancements to the original FLO Rev. A air interface (TIA-1099), including a 3-5 dB improvement in performance with the same spectral efficiency. This link margin can translate into a 30-50 percent reduction in capital and operating costs to deploy a FLO-EV network. Moreover, the costs savings can be realized without negatively affecting channel change times or increasing power consumption on the mobile device, thereby preserving a high-quality user experience. FLO-EV is well suited for new mobile TV network launches and as an upgrade to existing FLO Rev. A networks. FLO-EV can increase the channel capacity of a FLO Rev. A network by 50 percent or more using the existing transmit sites with no increase in radiated power.

The MediaFLO™ services platform enables the broadcast delivery of high-quality mobile entertainment and information to the mass market. In addition to live mobile TV, the MediaFLO platform supports enhanced mobile broadcast services such as streaming video and audio, clipcasting media, datacasting, interactive applications and targeted advertising – providing a compelling mobile media experience while enabling profitable business models. Invented for mobility and complementary to 3G and Wi-Fi services, the MediaFLO platform is designed to increase capacity and coverage and reduce costs for multimedia content delivery to unlimited mobile devices simultaneously. The MediaFLO platform is based on the FLO™ air interface, an open standard recognized by ETSI, ITU-R and TIA. Additional information is available at www.mediaflo.com.

Parental controls will bar yougins from seeing any BDSM tomfoolery, and to access the content you'll have to register your box with EroticVision.TV. Uh, enjoy? Update: NSFW porn is obviously redundant. "Changed." [CrunchGear]

Filed under: Displays

Samsung SyncMaster P2770HD has built-in TV tuner, sex appeal originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Samsung's first 3DTV has been reviewed ahead of release by the UK's largest tech site, TechRadar, who has has nothing but glowing words to say about it, claiming "we don't reckon you'll be sorry you bought this Samsung."

They watched Monsters Vs. Aliens on the 40C7000 TV, with a BD-C6900 Blu-ray player from Samsung. The active LCD shuttered glasses were of the SSG2100AB model, which cost £100 each ($152). While they do point out that they used two different 3DTV sets to complete the review as "neither were 100 per cent finished), between the two models they "experience all the major features."

For anyone considering a 3DTV, it sounds as though TechRadar had a pretty good experience with it. They found some "unpredictable results" with the frame-delay technique, and the connections proved rather fiddly, but it stands up as a great TV that just so happens to be 3D—at a premium.

I'd be wary buying a 3DTV in the first wave however, as prices will come down and technology will improve—and besides, my personal opinion is that 3DTV just isn't worth getting het up about anyway. [TechRadar]

Also interesting! Number two is LG. Together, today, they make over 30 percent of TVs. (They actually make the TVs, too, instead of outsourcing the crap out of components.) They'll own more than a third of the market soon. Seoulpower. Korea is the new Japan. [WSJ]

Sezmi, a company that seeks to offer an affordable alternative to cable TV providers and their bloated packages, has now opened shop for those living in the Los Angeles area. For the last few months Sezmi has quietly been wrapping up beta testing, but now Californians in the area can head into a local Best Buy and free themselves from the chains of the TV tyrants.

The hardware costs $300, which includes an indoor antenna and a 1TB hard drive, and the montly fee is $5 for for the broadcast digital channels or $20 for basic cable, all of which are rolled into Sezmi's DVR. The system includes on demand movies and YouTube content if you plug into ethernet, all of which is accessible through an individually-tailored homepage. If you're fed up with your provider, Sezmi might be someone to turn to. [Sezmi via NY Times]

It's been over a year since we last heard from Sezmi—the company that promises to deliver a complete internet and broadcast entertainment solution through one set-top-box—but new developments indicate that this project alive, well, and on the way.

In case you forgot, Sezmi plans to roll up live broadcast and cable TV along with web videos, on demand-movies and DVR functionality in a single, easy to navigate set-top box. Needless to say, this is a tall order, and most of us probably relegated Sezmi to the vaporware bin. However, trials of the product have begun in LA and a $25 million cash infusion from investors has given the project new life. In fact, it seems that Sezmi spent the last year working out deals with the likes of Sony Pictures, MGM Studios, Paramount Studios, Warner Brothers, Lion's Gate Entertainment and Universal Studios for on demand streaming, and ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC, Turner, MTV Networks Discovery Channel, Telemundo and Univision for TV content.

Sezmi plans to offer a tiered pricing plan that starts with Sezmi Select, the entry tier, which will offer all local channels (in SD and HD) as well as access to on-demand content for $4.99 per month. Sezmi Supreme will include cable and local channels for $24.99 per month.

If you are interested in participating in the trial, you can apply for the LA pilot here. If you are lucky enough to get in, the equipment and the service will be free of charge for three months, after which you will be offered a discounted price on the DVR and tuners which normally runs $300. [Sezmi via Variety and Zats]

The app costs $30 or comes as a free upgrade for existing users and can be snatched up riiiiiight now on iTunes. [iTunes - Thanks David!]

But pushing the digital release (and here we're talking about streaming, not iTunes-like downloads) ahead of the physical, as in Weeds and a few other movies and TV shows, is a definite shift for the studios. Typically, they've tried to protect physical media with its larger profit margin, so this is a pretty big change for them—but it remains to be seen how widespread and how soon the digital adoption will be. [WSJ via Electronista]

Here are three powerful reasons to tune to the new TLC's Heavy Haulers premiere, which tells the story of the Pattersons, a family dedicated to move more than 350 superstructures across America every year:

Heavy Haulers follows a family of structural movers as they race against the clock and battle extreme odds to move mansions, trains, planes, churches and ships hundreds of miles over treacherous terrain. No structure is too large for monster movers Jeremy Patterson, wife Tonya, 12-year old son Greg and 9-year old daughter Ashley, who built the business from the ground up and now move over 350 structures per year. The pilot episode follows the family's brave attempt to shift a 400-ton brick mansion five miles across Iowa under extreme weather conditions.

The pilot shows the Patterson moving a 400-ton brick mansion across Iowa, under extreme weather. Why and how the hell do you move an entire 400-ton brick mansion? I guess I'd have to tune in for the answer. Heavy Haulers premieres on TLC this Thursday at 10PM, right after the season six premiere of American Chopper. [TV Squad]

This man is tightening a mold in a Samsung factory in Kaluga, Russia. Inside that mold is a portion of what will soon be a television. Let's take a tour of the rest of the factory.

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Samsung opened this particular factory in 2008 and its been putting out products ever since. Aside from quality inspections, it appears that from the moment components arrive in gigantic sacks from Korea nearly everything is automated in this factory—from hot plastic being piped into molds to microcircuits being produced to the little logos being stamped onto panels. Humans mostly oversee the production and yes, occasionally tighten molds. Guess we're still needed for something. [English Russia]

It seems that The Elders Of The Internet have decided to mass-produce the Intartubez. Hurrah! [instructables via BoingBoing]

TiVo's website is listing the TiVo HD—the company's core product—as completely out of stock. This isn't a retailer we're talking about here: TiVo is official out of TiVos. Is TiVo clearing the way for new models? Basically, yes.

The TiVo Premiere, which looks like a minor hardware evolution of the existing TiVo HD, was first shown to the public back in December, when TiVo accidentally sent a manual for the device with an existing box. So, at the very least, we're probably in for an announcement about the Premiere sometime soon.

Unfortunately, TiVo letting their box supply run dry doesn't tell us much of anything new. We could have safely assumed that the Premiere was imminent already, and we still don't know what—if any—software improvements TiVo will ship with it. And just because one box has been obsoleted doesn't mean that two couldn't sprout up in its place.

So, er, watch that space! [TiVo via Crunchgear]

The new TiVo Premiere is like dinosaurs who got upgraded with laser jetpacks: Fancier, but potentially outmoded in a world populated by tons of ninjas with nuclear shuriken.

I saved up enough money to buy the first-generation TiVo—one of the Philips models, I think—when I was still in high school, and mostly used it to record episodes of Buffy and Batman the Animated Series scattered all over the vast expanse of cable television. Oh yeah, and skip commercials. No commercials, and Batman whenever I wanted? This is the future of TV, I was pretty sure.

Which turned out to be true. Now, cable companies (or FiOS or U-Verse) offer DVR services built right into your set-top box, for free, or for a few bucks a month. While the interface and experience they offer isn't as nice as TiVo's, most people aren't willing to drop $300 to $500 on a box with an additional monthly fee for a slightly prettier, more robust experience. They're happy with the (nearly free) basics: fast-forwarding through commercials, and saving shows to watch them later. That's 90 percent of what most people want out of DVR, so for them the TiVo price is too high: Another box, another wad of cash, another subscription.

Having convinced the entire industry that its original idea was a really good one, the burden on TiVo this time around was to show us what came next. What could it be? A new cable tuner that embraced technology for cableco-provided VOD and other services? A multi-room system with a big box and many skinny satellite boxes connected by Wi-Fi? Perhaps a box with integrated Wi-Fi or maybe even integrated Powerline networking?

Though TiVo ducked these possibilities—in some cases because the tech just isn't ready, in some cases because the cost would go up—they did overhaul the user interface. Video remains visible while you are poking around all the menus, rich metadata is now available at the touch of a button while you're watching, and searches for a single show now list multiple sources including Netflix and other third-party VOD services that come with the system. There's also a new remote with a QWERTY keyboard.

Though these steps make the Premiere a much improved experience over its predecessors, it only demonstrates the point: Netflix streaming, Amazon VOD, even a QWERTY remote, are all being commoditized. Samsung, Vizio and others are building software right into their TVs or Blu-ray players that tap all of those services, delivering video, photos and news from a multitude of sources (and at least in Vizio's case) in a pretty damn good interface. Free. LG's got a Blu-ray player with a hard drive now. Where do you think that's going? Combined with that free DVR from the cable company, there's not a lot of room for TiVo there. Hell, the TVs even have built-in Wi-Fi.

That's not to mention the ultimate DVR: the internet. TiVo is freeing users more and more from the constraints of network programming schedule, the ability to watch the shows whenever I want to. But it's freedom inside the box. With Hulu, FanCast, or BitTorrent, I can watch shows on just about any screen I want to. My laptop, TV, or my phone. And even the ability to search one show and get multiple sources is a hallmark of Boxee, another free app for PCs, Macs and certain Linux boxes like Apple TV.

Sure, the catalogs of many services aren't as complete, the "listings" can get messy and Hulu yanks down shows I like on occasion, but this is where the future of television really is. Any screen, any time. Without significant development in the box-free world, TiVo can only be a stopgap, really.

The new TiVo's billing itself as the one true set-top box, and it does embrace the internet in some ways—the overture made to third-party apps development shows that TiVo knows the position its in. But it's fundamentally the same TiVo it's always been. That's painfully clear when you check out the site for Premiere, and then watch this video demoing the latest Boxee, which is fundamentally tied to the internet. Which one looks more like the present to you (annoying narrator aside)?

TiVo isn't going anywhere yet, just like the dinosaurs who hung around after that meteor threw a bunch of dust into the sky. They couldn't figure out how to use their laser jetpacks to clear out the debris, so their days were just numbered. I kinda hope they do though.

We know that TiVo's hyping a major announcement on March 2nd, and now a tipster over at CrunchGear has provided some additional insight. It's all still just a rumor, but the details about the UI and HD menus make sense:

According to the tipster, the announcement will center around moving to full HD menus, improved search, and phasing out the Series 2 software:

He describes the move as something akin to Microsoft's redesign of the Xbox Dashboard – a surface refresh that plays better with larger, HD TVs. This could also include new methods for adding apps and content to existing boxes.

I'm not sure this would live up to the lofty expectations TiVo placed on itself with its "Inventing the DVR Was Just a Warmup" teaser. But as far as refreshes go this, combined with rumors of TiVo Premiere, would be a welcome one. Just not... you know... epic. [CrunchGear]

TiVo's leaked product manuals and product shortages have had us expecting something new from the company for weeks now. Today, invites went out for a March 2nd launch event, and if you trust TiVo, it's a big one.

We've been hearing whispers that TiVo has a shakeup coming to their hardware line since last year, and with the recent disappearance of the TiVo HD from the company's website, an announcement seemed all but inevitable. But here's the thing: a few weeks ago, a customer who ordered a TiVo HD found a manual for a different product tucked away with his DVR. It was called the TiVo Premiere, and aside from a few differences in ports, it was just like the HD. So assuming the Premiere is coming, what is TiVo talking about? Surely a slightly cheaper, unnoticeably reconfigured TiVo HD isn't what TiVo is hyping here. I mean, it couldn't be, right?

Whatever it is, we'll be there.

TV Armor is a clear, acrylic shield for your LCD or plasma set. You know, for if your little Hellspawn thinks that pounding a GI Joe against the television is funny.

The Price

$150 as tested, for a 40-42" screen.

The Verdict

If you had a very nice TV and a very naughty child, I could see the appeal of TV armor.

The hardest part of installation is pulling the plastic film off the TV armor itself. Once that's done, you stick a few felt adhesive pads on the back, then set the armor directly over your television (it hooks from the top).

Even without the straps, I found the shield extremely well-balanced. That is, before I proceeded to bang the crap out of it with my remote. I basically tried to stab my Samsung to death with a blunt DirecTV remote. And I failed (which was a good thing).

While I'm not sure it could withstand a brick coming straight at it, TV Armor didn't flex enough to contact my TV's real glass screen at all during my remote test. However, the armor wasn't left completely unscathed. Some of the remote's plastic left little spots on the screen (and items like keys are sure to scratch the surface). But, I guess if you were investing in the product, you'd want it damaged rather than your TV.

As for glare and general watchability, it roughly doubles reflections coming off the screen. I found the sacrifice adequate, though depending on your precise lighting situation, results may vary. (The glare off a fully open window can get pretty intense at certain angles.)

So it's your call. But if I may be as bold as to suggest, for $130, the money spent on TV Armor could buy a lot of Ritalin and child muzzles. [TV Armor]

Solid construction

Minimal effects on overall image quality

Once it scratches, does that defeat the point or completely justify the device?

Increases glare moderately

Filed under: Home Entertainment

UK Channel 4 set to throw some 3D programming our way originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

All that's known about it is that it's 802.11b/g wireless-compatible and connects to a TV. Curiously, it's been filed under the 'display devices' category, for 'televisions, monitor, picture frame.' Any thoughts? A Wi-Fi adapter for Sony Bravia TVs? Something which will let you use your PS3 wirelessly? An adapter for flashing up a message on your Bravia, alerting you to the fact that your Sony Ericsson phone has finished charging? Answers on a postcard, please. [FCC via Sony Insider via Engadget]

The WSJ says that CBS and Disney are seriously considering Apple's plan to kill your cable box with iTunes TV show subscriptions. Oh, and that the Apple tablet thing is coming in March.

The WSJ says that Apple's plan for iTunes TV show subscriptions would have you pay a monthly fee for "access to some TV shows from a selection" of major networks, and that CBS and Disney are the two most seriously thinking about it. CBS would apparently offer up shows from both CBS and the CW, like Gossip Girl, while Disney would be offering up shows from ABC, ABC Family and the Disney Channel. What's interesting is that the networks could actually make more money per subscriber than they do from cable companies, with broadcast networks picking up $2-$4 per subscriber, and cable networks grabbing $1-$2. (Which has to piss cable companies off, no doubt why networks are treading carefully around this proposal.) Originally, Apple had floated something more like a traditional cable payment, like paying $30 a month for a big bundle of TV stuff.

All of this, of course, would fit into Apple's larger plan to remake the iTunes model with Lala, and Apple hopes to launch the service sometime next year. While the way Apple says songs and TV shows now would stick around according to the Journal, the combination of web-and-streaming-oriented music and TV subscriptions fundamentally changes the way iTunes would work.

Oh, and of course, this is all happening as Apple "finalizes its plans for a tablet device," Apple's trying to launch "by the end of March." Interesting, that's what an analyst heard not too long ago. Killing cable and up-ending the publishing industry in one fell swoop? That's a pretty busy 2010. [WSJ]

Prices range from $339 to $1989 and you can order now, but be careful. While Marvel Entertainment has responded to us to confirm that they did indeed officially license these televisions, we really don't know much about RTC23 or the quality of their products—just that they look pretty fun. [RTC23 via Action Figure Insider via Nerd Approved]