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DLNA for media streamers--what does it all mean?

At CNET we've reviewed and covered a number of products designated "DLNA-certified," from game consoles to HDTVs, and in our experience the standard's idealistic vision, "to be able to easily and conveniently enjoy this content using any electronic device, and from any location in their home, and beyond," according to the DLNA's FAQ, sometime fails to come to fruition.

This failure can be blamed on numerous factors, including competing standards, Digital Rights Management issues, or manufacturers not entirely following the DLNA standard or eschewing it for their own. Confusion over what DLNA means can put buyers of media devices in a precarious situation: will my DLNA-certified Nokia N95 digital camera connect to my DLNA-certified Sony KDL-46Z4100 HDTV so I can share my photos of my trip to Maui for my family to view? In this blog I'll unravel some of the mysteries around DLNA and try to make sense of what it actually means.

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DirecTV on your computer?

For years it's been possible to pull in standard and high definition programming onto your computer using a Slingbox or a TV tuner such as ATI's All-in-Wonder PCI cards. But these solutions have their limitations (for example, a Slingbox cannot display a high-definition picture) and let's face it, nobody wants to sit uncomfortably in front of their 19-inch monitor to watch their favorite TV program. Now with TV manufacturers integrating Web-based content into their sets, the possibility has become more mainstream.

The promise of the DirecTV's HDPC-20 might further change that perception--if it's released. The … Read more

HP to cut price on MediaSmart Connect

When Hewlett-Packard showed us an early version of its $349 MediaSmart Connect digital media extender, our first reaction was, "It costs too much." Now that it's actually available, it appears the company has finally gotten the message. We're hearing from a source close to HP that the official price will drop to $299 in early October, and that "retailers are expected to offer instant rebates so consumers should find the product for around $249...maybe even lower."

Why the price cut? Remember that the Xbox 360 can duplicate much of the MediaSmart Connect's … Read more

Free TV shows online

Sometimes you don't find out about a good TV show until partway through its run, or maybe you don't get a certain channel, or even worse, for whatever reason, your DVR fails to record your favorite show. Thanks to the Internet, there are many ways to catch up, and maybe even ditch cable. Watch our Insider Secret video to see some of our favorite ways to get TV shows online, and then come back here for the links.

There are still many popular shows that don't put their content online. At least not legally. And this ain'… Read more

BBC to launch music download store

BBC Worldwide is developing a music download service, offering streamed-for-free and paid download works from its archive of music that bands have recorded for TV and radio in BBC studios.

The Beeb's radio and television music shows frequently feature live sessions recorded at BBC headquarters, often of current singles, acoustic versions of popular tracks, or cover versions of other artists' songs. Radio 1's Live Lounge is a popular destination for pop artists. The BBC also has exclusive rights to broadcast performances at Glastonbury Festivals.

Naturally, live performances are well-recorded by the BBC and are often replayed upon request … Read more

Amazon flicks on its streaming-video service

Amazon.com on Thursday made available to the general public its video-on-demand service, through which ad-free movies and TV shows can be streamed on Macs, PCs, and Sony Bravia flat-screen TVs.

The broader release of the Amazon Video on Demand service comes two months after the online-retailing giant began offering the service to a limited number of its users.

Amazon's service aims to enable users to instantly watch movies or TV shows via a Web browser on their Mac OS or Windows machine. The online retailer is also teaming up with Sony to enable users to purchase or rent … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 801: There's something strange in your USB

In a world where browser tests show all kinds of things but seem to agree that Chrome is fast, where 58 percent of adults don't know what a social network is, and where DVRs are the new marriage counseling, a tiny team of intrepid podcasters stand together to fight back agianst the forces of inaccuracy, rumor, and way-too-serious news. It is we, JaMoToNa. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 801

Speed test: Google Chrome beats Firefox, IE, Safari http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10030888-92.html

Firefox counters Google’s browser-speed test http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10031278-92.html

Chrome suffers … Read more

Qik attracts Andreessen-Horowitz investment

Netscape veterans Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz have thrown their financial support behind Qik, a mobile live-video service.

Qik's investment announcement on Tuesday comes roughly a month after the company debuted its public beta, with several new features designed to improve the service that allows people to stream live video from their cell phones onto the Internet, to such sites as YouTube, Mogulus, MySpace, Orkut, and Justin.tv.

Andreessen and Horowitz will also serve as board advisers on Qik.

"We are thrilled to have Marc and Ben involved in Qik, both as investors and advisers," Ramu Sunkara, … Read more

Sony's KDL-46Z4100 DLNA capabilities disappoint

We recently tested the network media capabilities of Sony's KDL-46Z4100 flat-panel LCD, and frankly there's not much to look at save for a slide show of colorful photography. Unlike other media-rich televisions we've covered in the past, such as the Pioneer's PDP-5020FD and the Samsung LN46A750, the Sony only supports the streaming of JPEG photos, not music or video, over an Ethernet connection.… Read more