HDTV

HDTV maker Loewe surges, even as it nixes Apple rumor

An unconfirmed report that was ultimately dismissed by management isn't enough to turn shareholders off to German HDTV maker Loewe.

The company's shares today are up 22 percent to 5.55 euros following rumors that it would be acquired by Apple as early as this week. AppleInsider, an Apple-tracking Web site, reported on Saturday that it had received a report from a source claiming Apple had offered a buyout deal for a slight premium on the company's stock price, and Loewe's financial advisers had "been advised" to take the offer.

AppleInsider made it clear … Read more

Pay $2 to promote your Facebook status?

In today's show, we're buying status updates, finding a new route and building a new game addiction:

Would you pay $2 to get your Facebook status message seen by more people? It's something Facebook is testing in New Zealand. (And tell me your two-cents on the issue via Tout!)

The Foxconn factory for Apple products is preparing to build the much anticipated Apple television set. The chief at the Foxconn spilled the beans in a news conference.

According to 9to5Mac, the next version of iOS will not include Google Maps. Rather, it will have Apple's own mapping software. … Read more

Get an HDMI cable for $3 (or less)

Buying an Apple TV or Roku box? A Blu-ray player? A $99 Xbox 360? These and other TV-centric devices have one thing in common: they don't come with the HDMI cables necessary for the optimal connection to your TV.

Shoppers often make the mistake of assuming that whatever the local electronics store charges for an HDMI cable is just the price you have to pay. But although retail prices have come down in recent years, they're still way higher than what you can find online.

For example, Best Buy charges $24.99 for a Dynex 6-foot HDMI cable. … Read more

Apple HDTV prototype spotted, blog claims

If a report from Cult of Mac this morning is true, we may have our first good sense of what Apple's long-rumored and much-hyped HDTV looks like and what features it contains.

In the report, Cult of Mac cites an unnamed source who is said to have seen a prototype of the forthcoming device and who claims that it looks like "Apple's current lineup of LED-backlit Cinema Displays but is 'much bigger.' It [also] has a built-in iSight camera for making free FaceTime video conference calls. And it has Siri, the iPhone 4S' voice-activated virtual assistant." … Read more

Why do plasma TVs look washed out in the store?

CNET Reader Rob asks:

I've been reading your articles on HDTV and find them very informative so, here's something I need cleared up. You mentioned how plasma TVs can control the brightness of individual pixels, made me think they should have a superior picture to LCD -- so I went looking at plasmas. I noticed that they seem to have a "washed out" look, an overall dimmer picture than LCD. Everywhere I go this seems to be the case. What's up with that? Thanks.

A common question, and a huge issue with plasmas, but not how you might think.… Read more

Morrison's Mailbag: Will leaving my HDTV on affect the picture?

CNET reader Ray asks:

Will leaving my TV powered on (but on black screen) for an extended period of time do any damage or affect the picture quality?Good question.

… Read more

When HD isn't HD

Not all HD is the same. For that matter, just because you have an HDTV, that doesn't mean you're actually watching high-definition video. A variety of factors could be conspiring to create an image that's not nearly as good as what your TV is capable of.

Make sure you're getting the most from your TV with this guide.… Read more

Get a 42-inch plasma TV for $299.99

Recently, while shopping for a new TV, I found myself waffling between LCD and plasma. I've always chosen the former because they tend to pair better with PCs (and I'm a media-center guy), but because the TV in question was going to marry a TiVo, that wasn't a concern.

I'd also steered clear of plasmas because of longstanding issues with burn-in, but a little research revealed that thanks to improvements in plasma technology, it's not really a problem anymore.

Most of all, plasmas used to fetch a premium price -- but these days they're … Read more

When should I upgrade my projector?

The other day I wrote an article titled "When should I upgrade my HDTV?" The general thought was that TV performance, while not exactly hitting a plateau, had slowed enough that TVs even a few years old perform pretty close to the new models.

In the world of front projection, though, it's an entirely different story. The level of performance you can get for very little money is incredible. What were once considered "budget level" projectors now easily outperform $10,000+ models from just a few years ago.

Time to upgrade? Perhaps.… Read more