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I want my dumb TV

When it comes to smart TVs, manufacturers are basically charging money for nuthin.'

Or to put it in less dire terms, the smart TV suites included in today's TVs offer little value. That's not to say I don't enjoy Netflix, Amazon Instant, and HBO Go as much as the next broadband Internet subscriber, it's just that I can get the same great apps and content on devices as cheap as the $50 Roku LT. So why would I want to spend $100 extra or more on a TV that has these features?… Read more

Panasonic DMP-BDT220 review: 2012's best Blu-ray value

If I had to recommend just one Blu-ray player for 2012, it would be Panasonic's DMP-BDT220 ($130 street price). It's in the sweet spot of Panasonic's Blu-ray lineup, with built-in Wi-Fi and an excellent set of streaming-media services, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant, Vudu, MLB.TV, and Pandora.

And while competing players from Samsung and Sony offer just as many streaming apps, they're hamstrung by awkward user interfaces.… Read more

From Amazon to HBO Go to YouTube: App availability on 2012 TVs compared (big chart)

"Smart TV" is even more common than ever this year among the TVs of 2012, and as always, content is king.

With that in mind we present the chart above, summarizing the various major apps available from most major TV manufacturers this year. As you can see, pretty much everything has Netflix, and the differences begin from there.

Compared with last year, the major addition to the chart is HBO Go, which is currently exclusive to Samsung TVs. It's a superb app with a wealth of content that helps makes Samsung's suite the most compelling of … Read more

LG BP620 review: 3D Blu-ray player with everything but Amazon Instant

The BP620 is LG's "flagship" Blu-ray player for 2012, but you couldn't tell by its $130 street price or ordinary feature set. It includes all the important features that manufacturers are charging for this year, such as 3D compatibility, built-in Wi-Fi, and a suite of streaming-media services.

The big catch, especially if you were familiar with LG's platform last year, is that Amazon Instant will not be included on 2012 players, which could be a deal breaker for cord cutters. However, LG continues to have one of the best-designed streaming-content portals, with a dead-simple user … Read more

PS3 gets Amazon Instant streaming-video app

The Sony PS3 has added an Amazon Instant app to its suite of streaming-video services, letting you streaming purchased and rented content, as well as letting Amazon Prime subscribers stream free Prime TV shows and movies.

Amazon Instant joins Netflix, Hulu Plus, CinemaNow, Vudu, NHL, MLB.TV, NFL Sunday Ticket, SEC college sports, XOS college sports, and Sony Video Unlimited in the PS3's suite of streaming-video services. Although it may seem surprising that Sony is adding a service that directly competes with the Sony's own video store, Vudu and CinemaNow already offer the same ability to purchase and … Read more

TiVo lowers monthly fee, increases Premiere storage

Most agree that TiVo's DVRs are among the best available, but the main sticking point for most buyers is always the monthly fee.

TiVo's making it a little easier to get over that hurdle, announcing today that the monthly fee has dropped to $15 a month with a one-year commitment. On the other hand, TiVo has changed the cost of the DVRs themselves as follows: Premiere ($150), Premiere XL ($250), and Premiere Elite ($400). That's a $50 increase for the entry-level Premiere, while the Premiere XL's price has dropped $50 and the Premiere Elite has dropped $… Read more

Has Aereo solved the cord-cutters' dilemma? (hands-on)

It's tempting to think you can ditch your cable subscription, relying instead on a hodgepodge of content sources like Netflix and iTunes, but live TV is harder to replace. Many cord-cutters (including myself) get their live TV using free, over-the-air TV signals, but the hassle of dealing with an antenna and limited DVR options have left over-the-air TV as a niche (albeit seemingly growing) market.

Aereo is a startup looking to make over-the-air TV easier and in February the company announced its $12/month service that lets you stream live and recorded over-the-air TV using an iOS device or … Read more

Samsung's home theater line gets pricing, available now

Samsung showed most of its home theater line at CES 2012, but the company finally got official with pricing at a media event in New York this morning.

While the products weren't new, they're now officially available, with pricing (estimated selling price) breaking down as follows:… Read more

Aereo brings over-the-air TV to the cloud

The future of over-the-air TV is in the cloud. Or at least that's what Aereo's banking on.

Startup company Aereo held a press conference in New York this morning to announce its new service, which allows subscribers to access live and recorded over-the-air TV on their iPad/iPhone for $12 a month. The service is limited to New York City at launch and will be invitation-only until March 14.

Aereo's subscribers will be able to tune in to live TV on any of the major networks in New York (including CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC, CW, PBS) or … Read more