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Amazon Fire TV Edition televisions put its box in the big screen
Earlier today Amazon announced that Seiki, Element Electronics and Westinghouse will sell TVs with its Fire TV experience built in, and tonight we got to see them in action. As promised, the televisions pack the latest version of the Fire TV software, with Alexa voice commands plus the usual apps and tweaks. What they add to it are wrinkles needed for TVs, plus the convenience of not having to switch inputs all the time.
Samsung will likely bring Chromecast-like functionality to its TVs
Samsung's Smart View app has let users pipe movies and photos on their device to a nearby TV for years, but the latest version's App Store page has screenshots suggesting it's expanding into the streaming market. Similar to Chromecast and Roku, this could funnel YouTube, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video straight to a screen, suggesting that users will be able to use the feature with its next generation of smart televisions and control it with their smartphones.
Samsung TVs now play YouTube videos in HDR
If you have a recent Samsung TV and want more high dynamic range content without having to buy a game console, you're in luck. Samsung's 2016 quantum dot and 4K TVs are getting support for HDR YouTube videos thanks to an updated YouTube app rolling out to sets worldwide starting in December. You now only have to visit a special HDR section in the software to find a library of extra-vivid videos -- no subscription services or dedicated media devices required. There's still going to be a relatively limited selection of clips given how new HDR is for YouTube as a whole, but it's an important step for making the color-rich technology available to a wider audience... and, of course, it's a good excuse to show off your new TV.
Latest Roku TV update makes any smartphone a wireless headset
One of Roku's smartest features was the company's decision to pop a headphone jack right into the remote, turning it into a wireless headset and saving your housemates from overhearing potential spoilers in the process. With Roku's latest OS 7.5 update, users can now get that same feature on any Roku TV model using any iOS or Android device connected to the same WiFi network.
FCC boss shares a fresh compromise on set-top box rules
The FCC and cable companies have been butting heads for nearly a year over how to regulate set-top boxes, and today FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler outlined his latest plan in an LA Times op-ed. The new plan to "Unlock the Box" is a compromise that embraces some earlier suggestions from the cable industry. Notably, Wheeler's proposal calls for pay-TV providers to create free apps that consumers can download on the device of their choice, such as Roku, Apple TV, Xbox One, PS4, smart TVs, or Windows, iOS and Android devices. Or, consumers can keep their set-top boxes.
Samsung is packing more ads into its smart TV interface
Samsung wants to be more than just a hardware company, which is why it's strengthening its longstanding flirtation with the ad business. The Wall Street Journal claims that the manufacturer, struggling to turn a profit in TVs, will increase the number of tile ads that it displays in the menu bar of its smart TVs. These small squares are currently only available in the US, although the paper believes that Europe will be added to the program in the near future. In addition, older models will get the ads delivered to the home screen thanks to a future software update.
Polaroid's first smart TVs pack 4K and Google Cast
When Google unveiled a wider range of TVs with Google Cast support, you might have done a double-take when you saw Polaroid's name -- what, the reborn camera maker? Yes, it's true... and you may have a good reason to take notice. Polaroid has unveiled its first-ever smart TVs, and it's clear that they offer some bang for the buck. Every model in the LED-lit range packs a 4K display, a 120Hz refresh rate, native HEVC decoding and Google Cast streaming, so you won't have trouble either watching Ultra HD video or sharing a YouTube clip from your phone.
Logitech's Harmony app brings smart home control to Android TV
Logitech's ill-fated Revue was one of the first devices with Google TV -- how could we forget that ad campaign -- and now it's back in the fold with an Android TV app. Compatible with hub-based Harmony remotes, it brings control of Harmony Activities to the big screen. Given enough home automation tie-ins throughout your home, it can adjust the blinds, thermostat, speakers and lights to create the desired viewing experience. If you have a Harmony Hub and an Android TV device (like one of Sony's smart TVs) on the same WiFi network then you're ready to go, just install the app from the Play Store right here.
HBO Now comes to the Xbox One
It's already available on all of the devices that cord cutters like to shove under their TVs, but HBO Now was underrepresented in the console stakes. Now, however, that's set to change after the Game of Thrones maker announced that its on-demand platform has come to the Xbox One. Much like the other platforms the service has already come to, users can pay $14.99 and get all of that premium TV content from John Oliver through to Veep without a cable subscription. And look, HBO made the announcement just in time for that show everyone loves (to pirate) comes back. Update: HBO announced that the app is also newly available on Samsung's smart TVs.
Comcast Xfinity heads to Roku and Samsung TVs without a box (update: FCC responds)
While the FCC is working on ways to "unlock the box," Comcast announced plans for its Xfinity TV service that don't require the set-top add-on. Later this year, the company will release an Xfinity TV Partner app for Roku-powered TVs and streaming gadgets as well as Samsung's 2016 line of smart TVs. The app is part of a wider Xfinity TV Partner Program from Comcast, which brings its cable service to consumer home entertainment devices while nixing the extra cost of renting a box.
Vizio brings tablet remotes and 4K to lower-cost TVs
You don't have to splurge on Vizio's higher-end P-Series TVs to get some of their nicer features. The company is trotting out new M-Series and E-Series sets that bring over some of the nicer features, even if they aren't quite as eye-catching. Like its pricier counterpart, the M-Series now uses a 6-inch Android tablet remote (running the company's SmartCast app) and supports Google Cast streaming from other devices in your home. It's a big step up in quality over last year's model, too. There are twice as many active LED lighting zones (64) for higher contrast ratios, and you'll get luxuries like support for HDR video and Dolby Vision. Prices for the soon-to-launch, 4K-only line start at $850 for a 50-inch set, and scale all the way up to $4,000 for an 80-inch behemoth.
Google is reportedly working with Vizio on Cast-ready TVs
Google has tried reworking Google TV into Android TV, but we're still not seeing the platform embedded in many more new TVs that were announced at launch. Now, according to a report from Variety, the company could try convincing manufacturers to build Chromecast-like receiving directly into TV sets. The first rumored partner is Vizio, which could be looking for a new edge in smart TVs with Yahoo shutting down its platform, and the possibility of an Android tablet remote. Vizio tried building its own Android tablet before, but packing one in with each new TV would be a step further.
CES 2016: TVs are finally taking a backseat
Where are the TVs? In my ten years of attending CES I've never had to ask this question, and to be fair, this year they were still front and center in a few booths. But Sony pushed TVs and projectors to the fringe of its spacious CES booth (ceding space for headphones and... turntables?) while Panasonic could only spare a couple of tables for the latest Ultra HD TVs. In the same space where Darth Vader stood in front of dozens of flat panels to announce a Star Wars Blu-ray, now Spartan Race athletes wearing action cameras took on obstacles, and electric scooters showed off fast charging. Instead of riding high as the primary electronics device on show, TVs, set-top boxes and Blu-ray players are settling in with wearables, VR, drones and the rest as just another thing that look to your phone for advice.
Samsung's SUHD TVs amp up the colors and picture quality
Samsung hasn't gone all-in on OLED TVs like LG did this year, but it still has models that can make your wallet light in a hurry. The company just launched its latest top-shelf SUHD lineup that includes nearly every imaginable feature for those willing to pay. The main selling point is still the picture quality. While its LED quantum dot screens are arguably inferior to OLED, they're getting pretty darn close and cost less. Samsung said all of its 2016 models will get 10-bit, HDR displays with 1,000 nits of contrast between light and dark images. It's also using new tech it calls Ultra Black that "absorbs natural light the same way [as] a moth's eye" does, providing deeper blacks with less glare.
Samsung's 2016 Smart TV remote controls all your devices
It's not too hard to simplify your home theater if you get a Harmony remote or the right HDMI-CEC gear, but Samsung wants the experience to be even simpler than that. Its 2016 Smart TVs are launching with a Smart Control remote that can recognize and control all kinds of devices, including game consoles, dedicated media hubs and your service provider's set-top box. Theoretically, you only need the one Tizen-powered remote to steer your whole media setup -- a big deal if you're tired of shuffling multiple remotes to start a movie.
Samsung says its new Tizen TVs will be harder to hack
Samsung has announced that its next generation of Tizen smart TVs will be a lot harder to crack than before. The firm has created Gaia, a security product for its 2016 range that promises to do for TV what Knox did for its smartphones. Some of the features promised include locking your credit card information with a smartphone-style pin, encrypting the data it sends out and a built-in anti-malware system. In addition, the TVs will ship with physical encryption chips to make it that much harder for others to access your microphone or, in some models, webcam.
Samsung is putting SmartThings hubs in its 2016 HDTVs
All the smart TVs in Samsung's 2016 lineup can connect to its SmartThings platform, the company has revealed. Even better, it equipped all the flagship TVs, which it calls SUHDs, within next year's product list with the IoT hub technology it snapped up in 2014. In other words, those SUHDs can connect to Samsung devices and all the SmartThings-compatible lights, thermostats, cameras, motion (and other types of) sensors you have in your home. The TVs will most likely be able to control them all through a single user interface.
LG wants to make using smart TVs easier with webOS 3.0
LG debuted its webOS-powered HDTVs back in 2014, bringing HP's mobile technology to the living room and making for a smart TV that mostly succeeded in being simpler and faster. Last year the second edition focused on speed, and for 2016 -- in world where dongles, set-top boxes and videogame systems are all competing to manage your streaming TV apps -- LG says it's working on usability and control. There are three new "Magic" features this year, with Mobile Connection that lets users toss apps up from their phone to the big screen, a new remote that's supposed to control more set-top boxes, and Zoom that can blow up parts of the picture without ruining the quality.
LG will upgrade your old webOS TV with some fresh features
If you're still rocking a first-generation webOS TV and regret that you didn't hold out for a webOS 2.0 set, don't worry -- you'll soon catch up in some respects. LG is promising a Value Pack Upgrade that gives your webOS 1.0 TV four core features from 2.0, including favorite channels in the launcher, improved search, instant input detection and quick settings. You should also see overall boosts to ease of use and performance. The pack isn't the same as a full-on webOS 2.0 upgrade, but it might alleviate your early adopter's remorse when it starts rolling out on September 21st.
GameFly brings game streaming to Samsung smart TVs
Is it still soon for video game streaming services? Maybe. OnLive is gone and PlayStation Now has had a rocky launch, making GameFly's entrance all the more surprising. After launching on Amazon's Fire TV, the game rental company is bringing its new "GameFly Streaming" service to Samsung smart TVs in the US, Canada and eight new European markets. It means that with nothing but a controller and a stellar internet connection, you can turn on your TV and play some "AAA" console games. GameFly is pitching it as a "Netflix of Games," but the pricing model isn't quite that simple. Instead of a single fee, you'll have to choose one of its monthly bundles that come with a small smattering of pre-selected titles. The other problem is that, like many of its rivals, the games on offer aren't particularly fresh. To name but a few, there's Sleeping Dogs, Dirt 3 and Batman: Arkham Origins -- all good games, but nothing that'll be vying for Game of the Year 2015.
