Consumer Electronics Daily News

Sony PS Vita TV: A Surprise Innovation

Sony surprised everyone today with an announcement for the new Sony PS Vita TV. The product will initially be available in Japan and selling for $95 US, which puts it in Apple TV's price range ($99). 

The device performs the same features as the Apple TV and Roku, but also works as an extension of the PS Vita and PS4. A small slot in the front of the PS Vita TV allows for PS Vita games to be played on a big TV screen with a playstation controller. Like its counterparts, it streams TV and Movies-- the Youtube video didn't hint much at the user interface, so no word on how it stacks up to the clean and easy-to-navigate Roku. Finally-- and here's the kicker-- the PS Vita TV can wirelessly stream PS4 games to any TV in your house that has a PS Vita TV hooked up to it.

Check out the demo video below and get stoked!  

 

 

Blu-ray Player Ratings and Surround Sound Systems Announced by 10rate

2013 has seen a number of new models introduced for all sorts of home theater equipment. Steve Holdgren, one of the main technology editors at 10rate.com, knows how important it is to find the best product to get the job done for the best deal. HDTVs, budget LED TVs, and 32" to 42" LCD TVs were his main focus while he also compiled lists of the best blu-ray players and home theater systems. Some of the criteria he used to rate the products from 1 to 10 were up-conversion video quality, features like built-in wifi and 3D playback, price vs value, and ease of use. Editor's choice awards for Best Quality, Best Value, and Best Budget products were assigned to those excelling in each category.

While reviewing TVs, Steve Holdgren started out broad before narrowing down his lists. For the HDTV Ratings page he awarded the Panasonic TC-P60VT60 plasma TV and the Samsung UN60F8000 LED TV top spots on the list. The Panasonic "has exceptionally saturated black levels and best in the market contrast. In fact only OLED TVs can beat the black levels and wonderful color saturation," while the Samsung has an incredibly bright picture, a plethora of Smart TV features, and a very appealing appearance.

He chose the Samsung UN55F6400 for the top spot of his Budget LED TV list. A big plus for this TV is the inclusion of active 3D playback as well as the Smart Touch remote that he claims is "about 2x faster than pressing arrow buttons" when surfing the internet and browsing the Smart Hub features. This model was also given the editor's choice award for Best Quality.

He wrapped up his TV reviews with a list of the best 32 to 42 inch LCD TV Ratings. Samsung's UN32F5000 was given the Best Value award because the "side angle viewing is better than most LED TVs of this price range due to the clearer screen. Appearance and design are also much better than the competition," Holdgren said. The price tag is also very appealing.

When it comes to watching media on a brand new HDTV, a blu-ray player is going to be one of the best options. His 3D Blu-ray Player Comparison list has the Samsung BD-F6700 as the best model with a rating of 9.5 and the Best Quality award. He said, "A big improvement over previous models is the inclusion of 4K upscaling. This is still relatively new technology, but for those capable of displaying UHD content it is a worthy addition."

A new TV and blu-ray player are not complete until they are set up with the right sound system. 10Rate's Home Theater System Reviews list features a number of affordable 5.1 speaker set ups perfect for anyone trying to level up their setup. The Sony BDV-N7100W was the top choice because, "It's a feature packed system that includes a 3D blu-ray player with 4K upscaling, wifi for connection to streaming media, and a 5.1 surround experience that will take your movies and games to the next level," the review said.

PRNewswire

Roku TV Box Trumps Apple TV in the States

In their report titled, "Connected TV: Trends and Innovation," Parks Associates found, among households with a streaming video media device, 37 percent primarily use a Roku compared to 24 percent that primarily use an Apple TV.

According to Business Insider, this doesn't come as a suprise-- the Roku 3 is "really good." The Roku streams TV shows and Movies much like Netflix and Hulu, and gives the option to rent or buy TV shows or movies, and matches the features of other Smart TV apps and Apple TV. However, the Roku's biggest strength is its interface. Compared to the clunky menus of Apple TV, it takes a Roku viewer minimal effort to begin watching their desired show. 

With Smart TVs still pricey and relatively new to the market, it is a smart move to go with a streaming device. There is still plenty of room for innovation in the Smart TV market, and at a lower pice, streaming devices can provide TV viewers with the services that they want today. "Innovations such as next-gen game consoles and 4K or ultra-HD TVs will boost unit sales for these devices, but overall, consumers are reluctant to replace these big-ticket items solely for smart upgrades," said Barbara Kraus, director of research at Parks Associates. "As a result, streaming video media devices will have a thriving market because they can offer innovations such as streaming video at low prices. Devices such as Roku's streaming players and Google's Chromecast will benefit from these market conditions."

Read more on why Business Insider prefers the Roku 3 to Apple TV here.

iTunes Users Watching Breaking Bad Season 5 Must Pay Twice

Breaking Bad fans who use iTunes to get their fix were more than a little angry with Apple today.

The season pass for Breaking Bad, season 5, is $21.99. However, the final eight episodes-- the first of which premiered last night on AMC-- are considered to be "The Final Season" by iTunes. So, because it is technically a different season, iTunes users must pay twice.

The trouble here comes from AMC's season model-- for the Walking Dead and Breaking Bad, certain seasons are split in half. How this translates to Apple's digital model is handled inconsistently.

Read more at Business Insider.

 

element14 Unveils Raspberry Pi Projects Group

element14 today launched its latest online resource, Raspberry Pi Projects, providing a single location for Raspberry Pi owners of all skill levels to highlight their creations and learn how to move onto the next level.

Making it easier for users to try out and store more Pi projects, element14 is today also launching the great value 8GB Raspberry Pi bundle available for $40. The new pack incorporates a Raspberry Pi B Board and an 8GB SD card with the all six of the official Raspberry Pi Foundation approved operating systems preloaded on the memory card.

Members of the element14 Community are being encouraged to contribute to the library by adding their own projects to the catalogue, or rating and liking the works of others.

Some of the first projects to be added include:

• For beginners, a step-by-step, guide detailing how to turn the Raspberry Pi into a fully functional laptop and an introduction to controlling the Pi with an Xbox 360 controller

• For more advanced users, an image based tutorial guiding developers through using their Raspberry Pi as a flow meter for measuring water usage a and a more software orientated, seasonal guide to creating a 'Pumpkin Pi' jack-o'-lantern, with web controlled lights and sound.

"One of the main things we hear from our Raspberry Pi customers is how they want to challenge themselves and take on more complex projects," said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community, element14.

"Catering to complete beginners through to coding experts, each project will show them exactly what parts are required, whether that's an expansion board such as the PiFace or just some different cables."

Marking the launch, element14 is running the Connect 4 Challenge, where 25 community developers will be supplied with a newly released PiRack expansion board for their Raspberry Pi and asked to create and document a project build in Pi Projects.  Community members are invited to rate the entrants' projects to win a series of ongoing prizes.  

The 8GB Raspberry Pi Bundle is available from Farnell element14 in Europe, CPC in the UK and Ireland, Newark element14and MCM in North America and element14 in APAC.

PRNewswire

VIZIO Releases Next-Gen Smart TV Platform: Can This Save the Smart TV?

Though numbers show that Smart TVs are being outflanked by tablets, smartphones, and even video game consoles, Vizio has released a new model that may bring legitimacy back to the Smart TV market.

VIZIO today announced the availability of its all-new connected platform – VIZIO Internet Apps Plus.  Building on the brand's #1 position in the smart TV industry, VIZIO Internet Apps Plus combines a best-in-class connected TV experience with an all-new, powerful platform and additional apps. The new smart TV experience debuted on VIZIO's all-new M-Series Razor LED smart TV collection, the brand's latest most feature-rich smart TV line-up to date, ranging from 32" to 80" in size.

VIZIO Internet Apps Plus provides consumers with an intuitive smart TV experience. The platform features advanced, full-screen app browsing and discovery, HTML 5 app support, the ability to control apps with mobile devices and an intuitive app launcher.

Users can now control apps with a mobile device, paving the way to seamless second screen interactivity between phones, tablets and smart TVs. The innovative YouTube "Send to TV" feature allows consumers to send a YouTube video from their mobile device to the TV when both are connected on the same Wi-Fi network. 

Based on consumer feedback and research, VIZIO is also introducing their latest innovation to compliment the smart TV experience on VIZIO's M-Series TVs. VIZIO's new Wi-Fi Direct Smart Remote features a faster response time than IR by using Wi-Fi to communicate with the TV, which gives users great range from anywhere in the room and without needing to point directly at the TV. VIZIO will deploy a software update to new internet-connected M-Series TVs and alert users to follow the onscreen directions to update their remote with the added Wi-Fi features later this summer.

As part of VIZIO's unwavering commitment to providing consumers with the latest and best technologies, VIZIO's next generation smart TV platform also supports HTML 5 apps, which allows developers to create richer app experiences using a more efficient protocol that enables better interactive design and features for consumers.

Current popular apps that have helped VIZIO become the smart platform consumers connect to most include Amazon Instant Video, HuluPlus, Netflix, VUDU and YouTube among others. New apps to join the new platform include:

• M-GO – M-GO is the people-friendliest, new pay-as-you-go digital entertainment service that makes it easier than ever to browse, rent, buy and enjoy the broadest, newest and best selection of movies and TV shows on your screens. Created by people who love entertainment for people who love being entertained, M-GO's mission is to transform the world of digital entertainment on the viewer's terms. Whether viewing at home or on-the-go, M-GO makes it even easier for consumers to enjoy the freshest releases and a deep catalogue of hits with handpicked recommendations, paying only for what they want without needing to commit to subscription fees.
• ESPN ScoreCenter – Gives sports fans real-time game scores and information from all major leagues and sports.  ESPN ScoreCenter is a data-driven application that features stats, schedules, rankings, scores, personalization and video highlights.
• ESPN EXTRA – Allows college football fans to enjoy a personalized experience with short-form clips during College Football Season (September 2013 through February 2014).
• 3DGO!™ – Unique to the VIZIO Theater 3D Smart TV experience is SENSIO's 3DGO!, the world's first dedicated 3D video-on-demand service featuring a wide array of premium 3D content including some of the latest Hollywood blockbuster titles. Based on the award-winning SENSIO^® Hi-Fi 3D technology providing the best 3D image quality, 3DGO! is the perfect app for 3D movie enthusiasts who desire instant access to new 3D content, with an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, and requiring no subscription or additional equipment. 

VIZIO's new M-Series with its new smart TV platform now extends its award-winning smart TV collection with screen sizes from 32" to as large as 80", perfect for enjoying the latest movies, TV shows and more on-demand with stellar picture quality and near borderless, ultra-thin design. The new M-Series lineup is now available at VIZIO.com and at retailers nationwide including Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Sam's Club, Target and Walmart.

For more information on VIZIO's all-new VIZIO Internet Apps Plus smart TV platform or the latest M-Series HDTV collection, please visit www.VIZIO.com.  

 PRNewswire

Comcast Launches X1, A Next-Generation Cloud-Based Video Platform, In Utah

Comcast, a global media and technology company, today announced the launch of its cloud-based interactive television experience, the X1 Platform from Xfinity, across Utah.

Unlike any other video service available today, X1 is a cloud-based platform that transforms TV into an interactive and integrated experience. It integrates the largest collection of video with social media features, interactive apps, web content and more in one easy-to-navigate, sleek viewing experience. The launch of X1 is part of Comcast's ongoing and evolving effort to take advantage of its powerful network and IP technology to constantly bring new innovations to market. 

"The X1 Platform is a huge leap forward for us and transforms traditional television viewing into an entirely new entertainment experience," said Comcast Regional Vice President Kyle McSlarrow. "X1 uses cloud-based technology to make the TV smarter, richer, and more personalized, and allows us to deliver new features to our customers faster than ever." 

New X1 features and capabilities available to customers in Utah today include:

• Visual, Sleek User Interface: A modern user interface that enables one-click access to programs and a highly visual guide to entertainment options and related information.
• Faster, More Personalized Search and Discovery: A personalized viewing experience with recommendations based on search input and previously watched shows and movies. They also have the ability to search simultaneously across live TV, Xfinity On Demand and DVR recordings – and see the last nine programs watched across all services with a single tap on the remote control.
• In-Home Convenience: The ability to watch DVR recordings from any room in the house and simultaneously record up to four shows while watching another.
• Social Integration and Customized Apps: An expanding selection of tailored-for-TV apps, including traffic, weather, voicemail, and a sports app to track multiple games at once and check the latest scores, standings and schedules while watching a favorite show. X1 also includes a selection of Web-based apps, including Facebook and Pandora.

In addition, the X1 Remote App lets customers use motions, gestures, and voice commands to control their TVs with their Apple handheld devices. For example, customers can use voice commands to navigate the guide and search for content; swipe their iPhones to page through the interactive TV guide and program personalized short-cuts and favorites ("Quick Links"); and shake their device to pause Xfinity On Demand content.

X1 will initially be available to new Xfinity Triple Play customers and will become available to additional customer segments in the future. The X1 Platform is currently available in more than a dozen markets, and Comcast plans to launch the service in all remaining markets by the end of the year. 

PRNewswire

The Smaller The Device, The Greater The Attention Of The Mobile-TV Viewer

Mobile-TV viewers are more focused on TV content when viewed on their smartphones than on larger devices, according to new study findings. 

Viewers performed unrelated multi-tasking on other electronic devices during only 14 percent of the occasions on which they viewed TV programming on smartphones. This compared to 27 percent for tablet viewing, 31 percent for computer (desktop and laptop) viewing and 34 percent of the television-set viewing occasions, according to study participants.

At the same time, viewers watching a TV show on a smartphone also were more likely to engage in online activities related to that show-– such as looking up show information, or posting about the show on social networks.  Such activity occurred during 21 percent of the television set viewing occasions, 27 percent for tablet viewing occasions, 31 percent for computer viewing occasions and 39 percent of the smartphone viewing occasions.

These findings come from additional analyses of the study conducted by Boston-based market research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey for the Council for Research Excellence (CRE), a diverse group of senior-level research professionals from throughout the media and advertising industries dedicated to advancing the knowledge and practice of audience measurement methodology. 

The study, "TV Untethered," was launched in November 2012 to understand if and how mobile media devices--tablets, mobile phones and laptops-– impact overall television viewing behavior.   

Other new findings:

• Mobile TV viewers tend to be younger (mean age 35), higher income professionals with graduate degrees, and reflect more ethnic diversity than non-mobile-TV users;
• The portion of overall TV-viewing devoted to mobile devices decreases for older mobile-TV users – 28 percent for users ages 15-to-24, 18 percent for ages 25-34; 12 percent for ages 35-49; and 8 percent for ages 50-64; 
• Mobile TV viewers are often heavy overall TV viewers and are more likely than non-mobile-TV viewers to be TV show opinion leaders and to use social media to talk about TV.

The CRE previously disclosed study findings that 64 percent of smartphone-TV viewing occurs in the home-- reflecting some simultaneous viewing with TV sets, which continue to dominate in-home viewing at 90 percent. The top drivers of in-home mobile viewing cited by participants are content and device availability, family dynamics, device preference and inertia.  Mobile-TV viewers do most of their out-of-home smartphone-TV watching (23 percent) at work.  By contrast, only 14 percent of computer-based TV viewing occurs at work.  Convenience, portability and filling downtime are the top drivers of out-of-home smartphone viewing.

The study was overseen by the CRE's Media Consumption & Engagement Committee, co-chaired by Joanne Burns, Head of Research for 20^th Television, Fox; and Laura Cowan, Research Director, LIN Media.

"This research suggests greater audience measurement needs to be directed at smartphone viewing," Burns said.  "People are bringing devices from room to room, and out of the home, and on their commutes.  TV sets still rule in the home, even for the younger demographics -- but elsewhere, and even in the home for multi-taskers, smartphones are becoming an important device for viewing professional TV content.  It all goes to convenience and portability; more people are watching more TV – everywhere – and increasingly on smartphones."

The full report on the latest "TV Untethered" study findings can be found (under "New Research") on the Media Consumption & Engagement Committee page at the CRE website. 

PRNewswire

InstantGS.com: Only One Dollar for 9-in-1 Game Server Rental!

Ipsilion Developments Inc. Company has launched a service where nine gaming servers are rented together on a flexible and customizable renting plan.

Together with IntantGS.com gaming service, Ipsilion Developments Inc. is offering their services to thre prime gaming locations: New York, Amsterdam, and San Francisco. 9 gaming servers are offered: Counter Strike: Team Fortress 2; Counter Strike: Global Offensive; Counter Strike: Condition Zero; Urban Terror; Killing Floor; Minecraft; Left 4 Dead 2; and Serious Sam 3. Players can switch between servers anytime they want very quickly, and no charges are incurred for switching servers. This way, some days you can play Left 4 Dead 2 and then switch to Team Fortress 2 later. The service also keeps a snapshot of the server when it expires, so when it is renewed, the server is restored to its last played state.

There are two billing options: a daily billing of 1 USD/day and a monthly billing of 9 USD/month. The control panel makes this easy, and also gives you easy and complete control of all your servers-- it allows you to add requirements, maps, and configurations.

Instantgs.com is also offering a promotional campaign contest: two contents happen per week, every Friday and Wednesday, and the participants will be offered a two-day server and a digital copy of a game. Gamers who want to participate must tweet the hashtag #PlayEverythingNow along with the URL http://www.instantgs.com and mention the InstantGS.com twitter account which is @instantgs.

 PRNewswire

 

LG Begins Selling First OLED HDTV In The U.S.

LG Electronics today announced the first U.S. availability of the revolutionary new OLED HDTV, combining the pinnacles of picture quality and design to deliver the ultimate in display technology for home entertainment.

As LG's exclusive OLED TV launch partner, Best Buy today began selling the 55-inch class (54.6-inch diagonal) LG CURVED OLED TV (Model 55EA9800) at the Richfield store. In the coming weeks, Magnolia stores inside Best Buy in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle and San Antonio will display and begin selling the thin new premium TV at a suggested price of $14,999. Over the summer, the new TV is expected to roll out to select Magnolia inside Best Buy locations nationwide.

The U.S. launch solidifies LG's early lead in the OLED TV race. Global demand for OLED TV is expected to grow to more than 7 million units by 2016, according to DisplaySearch. LG is the first company to commercialize both the flat screen OLED TV, which has been sold to consumers in Korea since January, and the innovative new CURVED OLED TV, which began sales in Korea in April.

For Best Buy, being first to launch OLED TV in the United States supports the retail giant's leadership strategy focused on offering the latest and greatest technology products.  

Exceptional Picture Quality and Design

At only 0.17 inches (4.3 millimeters) thin at the edge of the screen and weighing less than 38 pounds (17.2 kilograms), the new OLED TV produces astoundingly vivid and realistic images thanks to LG's proprietary WRGB technology. The unique WRGB four-color pixel system features a white sub-pixel that works in conjunction with conventional red, green and blue pixels to create the perfect color output. LG's exclusive Color Refiner delivers even greater tonal enhancement, resulting in images that are more vibrant and natural than anything seen before.

The LG CURVED OLED TV is the world's first OLED TV to achieve THX® Display Certification, signifying that it passed more than 600 THX laboratory tests to ensure it delivers the picture quality of a professional post production display.

With its gently curved screen, the new LG CURVED OLED TV represents a unique design statement for discerning high-end consumers. This represents the first major design change in the industry since the widespread introduction of flat-panel TVs to the consumer marketplace more than a decade ago. With more than five years of research behind developing the optimal curvature, the LG CURVED OLED TV delivers an IMAX-like viewing experience in the home.

For more information on the LG CURVED OLED TV, visit http://www.lg.com/us/oled.

PRNewswire