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Sony brings AirPlay 2 and HomeKit to more high-end TVs
Earlier this year, Sony announced that some of its higher-end TVs would add support for Apple's AirPlay 2 and HomeKit protocols. Now, Sony is bringing that support to more TVs.
Netflix is dropping support for older Samsung smart TVs in December
If you have an older Samsung or Vizio smart TV, you may have noticed a message from Netflix pop up on your screen. This week, Netflix began notifying customers that it will no longer support Samsung smart TVs, circa 2010 and 2011, or Vizio smart TV more than four years old. It's also dropping support for first-generation Roku boxes. The changes go into effect December 2nd.
Nokia-branded smart TVs are coming to India
The Nokia brand name may be synonymous with the indestructible cell phones of the 2000s, but did you know that back in the mid-90s it had a line in widescreen TVs? Nokia's efforts in the TV sphere may never have caught on with mainstream tech enthusiasts back then, but that could be about to change, as the company is now planning on launching a range of smart TVs in India.
Sony confirms that it has not rolled out the Apple TV app to its TVs (updated)
When the redesigned Apple TV app arrived in May, it was compatible with Samsung smart TVs, as well as the expected Apple products. Apple promised that the app would eventually work on more platforms, and in the past weeks, it's arrived on Roku and Amazon's Fire TV Stick devices. 9to5Mac reported that the Apple TV app is available on some Sony smart TVs -- but Sony has confirmed that the app was never released and that the screenshot in the 9to5Mac report is not from a Sony television.
Sling adds a 'Micro Guide' and simpler search to Xbox and smart TVs
Sling is giving its living room interface some decidedly useful tune-ups, including one designed to stay out of your way. Its app for LG TVs, Samsung TVs and the Xbox One now includes a "Micro Guide" that won't obscure as much of what you're watching while you're trying to find out what's next. There are channel filters at the top to help you quickly pick a movie or otherwise shift categories.
Amazon previews Prime Day deals before the shopping frenzy
Amazon claims Prime Day 2019 will be a "two-day parade of more than a million deals." The action starts July 15th and new deals will drop as often as every five minutes for a full 48 hours. Today, Amazon released a preview of what's to come.
iOS 12.3 is out now with overhauled TV app
Just seven weeks after rolling out iOS 12.2, Apple has released iOS 12.3. The biggest update this time around is a major refresh of the TV app ahead of the Apple TV+ streaming service debuting later this year. Through the new-look app, you can subscribe to various TV networks through Apple TV Channels and watch their shows all in one place.
Apple's redesigned TV app arrives today
If you've been patiently waiting for Apple's redesigned TV app, which was revealed back in March, today is your lucky day. The company is now rolling out the updated application to iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and compatible Samsung smart TVs, complete with a fresh look, the new Channels feature and curated sections such as "For You" and "Kids." Aside from the overhauled design, which focuses on offering big, beautiful imagery for movies and TV shows and a UI that's intended to help you swipe/scroll less, the biggest changes to the TV app are the addition of Channels and the full iTunes library.
Huawei’s first television could also be the world’s first 5G 8K TV
Huawei is reportedly working on the first 5G 8K television and could unveil it as early as this year, according to Nikkei Asian Review. The Chinese tech giant, which makes its own 5G chips, would be a newcomer in the television space. Few companies, if any, have floated the idea of a 5G TV, but that kind of connectivity would allow users to quickly download VR and other data-heavy content and watch it on an equally high-res display.
Get ready for targeted ads on your smart TV
By now, we're all used to targeted ads on social media. And whether you're comfortable with having your interests shared with advertisers or not, it looks like "addressable advertising" is coming to your smart TV too, sooner rather than later. Several top media companies -- including Disney, Comcast, NBCUniversal, CBS and Discovery -- announced they're teaming up with smart TV company Vizio to develop a new standard that might make commercials feel eerily personal.
Samsung Smart TVs get PlayStation Now game-streaming service
We knew PlayStation Now support was coming to Samsung Smart TVs, but now it's finally here. If you have a compatible 2015 set in your home (or office), you can now start streaming games directly from Sony's subscription service. However, do keep in mind that you'll need a DualShock 4 controller to get started -- which is much better than needing an entire console. Up until now, PlayStation Now had only been compatible with Sony hardware, including the PS4, PS3, PS Vita and some TVs, so it's great to see the service become more widely available. Unfortunately, this is only available to users in the US and Canada, at least for the time being.
PlayStation Now hits Samsung Smart TVs in first half of 2015
Game-streaming service PlayStation Now is coming to select Samsung Smart TVs in the first half of 2015, meaning you'll be able to enjoy PS3 games without owning a Sony system or even a Sony TV. The Smart TV-based form of Sony's cloud-based service will roll out in the United States and Canada, according to this week's announcement. Sony says Samsung Smart TVs will support "all functionality" of PlayStation Now, including trophies, cloud saves and online multiplayer.
In time for Ryder Cup, Samsung lets golf fans in on new TV app
This year's Ryder Cup won't have Tiger Woods representing the US, although some people argue that this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Regardless, the tournament, which begins today, must go on. To make the experience better for golf enthusiasts, Samsung has teamed up with the PGA and Turner Sports to release a Ryder Cup app for its smart TVs, allowing viewers to switch between live video feeds (provided by NBC and the Golf Channel), see an up-to-the-minute leaderboard right on the screen and easily keep up with either Team USA or the European Team.
Samsung is helping golfers keep up with the PGA Championship
While a lot of people in the US are getting ready for the NFL regular season to start, there are indeed other sports out there. Which is to say, the other football, basketball, baseball and, well, you get the point. For golf fans, these next few days will be rather interesting, with the PGA Championship due to begin on Thursday, August 5th. Naturally, Samsung saw an opportunity and found a way to help golfers who won't be there to experience it live, by introducing a smart TV app filled with content from the tournament -- the only caveat is you'll have to own one of the company's 2013 or 2014 sets. Aside from that, there will be a ton of stuff for you to enjoy, including different broadcast modes (from CBS and TNT); a second-screen feature that can display leaderboards and highlights on an Android device; and live voting for different things during the PGA event. Once the Championship is over, Turner Sports, a Samsung partner on the launch, tells us the smart TV app is expected to have the same features for the Ryder Cup, which tees off on September 23rd.
Departing Samsung exec dares to criticize his own products
Samsung's former head of TV innovation, Richard Bullwinkle, insists he's still on good terms with his old employer. But that could change when the company discovers what he really thinks about its smart TVs. In an interview with FierceCable, he admitted that some models he's worked on are just too slow: "The switch from live TV to Netflix takes over two minutes," he's reported as saying. "That's dinosaur speed." More broadly, he said that the whole smart TV industry is "in trouble" due to a lack of good content and apps, which is encouraging a "very high percentage" of people to rely on a separate device like a "Roku box or Apple TV box" instead. Burn.
Samsung data center fire causes outage, errors on smart TVs and phones (update: fixed)
Seeing an error message on your Samsung phone, tablet or Smart TV today? You're not alone, as the Samsung.com website appears to be down and owners worldwide have reported anything from error messages to being unable to access apps on their smart TVs. Reports have spread on Twitter -- mostly from a community news site called Wikitree -- that a fire at a Samsung SDS building in Gwacheon, South Korea is the culprit. We've contacted Samsung but haven't heard anything back yet, and while some of its social media pages have noted the outage, there isn't an official explanation posted. Update: Naturally now that we've mentioned it, the outage that lasted several hours appears to have ended around 6:15AM ET. Many of the same users who were having problems with their smart TVs and phones seem to have full access again, and Samsung.com is back up and running. A Samsung SDS blog post confirms the fire and subsequent outage, while apologizing for the inconvenience. Despite some scary photos and video of the blaze (after the break) Korean news reports indicate there were no fatalities. The big question left? Why a fire at one location seemed to have such a large affect on the company's devices and services. [Thanks, Mark & Martin!]
Sonic Adventure, La-Mulana feature in Japanese TV streaming service
Japanese cable company KDDI is set to roll out an Android app-based cloud service that will stream games from Sega, Konami, and other publishers to J:Com and JCN subscribers, Engadget reports. The Ubitus-developed GameNow service, which is compatible with an upcoming lineup of Toshiba Smart TVs in the United States, will offer a number of paid and subscription-based games when it launches in Japan this year. Announced titles include Sega's Sonic Adventure, Milestone's World Rally Championship 3, and Konami's World Soccer Winning Eleven 2014 (Pro Evolution Soccer 2014). Other featured games include Square Enix's puzzler Yosumin, Nigoro's indie adventure game La-Mulana, and Falcom's Eiyuu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki FC (released stateside for the PSP in 2011 as The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky). Sony's similar PlayStation Now streaming service recently entered a closed beta ahead of a planned launch this summer. [Image: KDDI/Ubitus]
Leak shows LG's radical new interface for its webOS Smart TVs
LG's rumored webOS Smart TV is tipped to arrive at CES in the coming days, but that hasn't stopped intrepid leaker @evleaks from giving us what could be an early preview of its next connected set. In what appears to be a significant departure from the smartphone-like UI utilized in its current Smart TVs, the leaked render shows off LG's modern interpretation of the Cards interface we first saw in Palm's webOS-powered smartphones and tablets. LG chiefs have already indicated that the company has thrown its weight behind the Enyo open-source JavaScript development framework, which it acquired from HP as part of the webOS project, in the hope it will encourage third parties to create apps and services for its next-gen TVs. If the leaked image is real, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Skype apps will likely be available at launch, but we're set to find out for sure when CES 2014 commences next week.
LG's webOS Smart TV tipped to arrive at CES
Remember when LG bought the festering remains of the once proud webOS project from HP with the plan to add it to Smart TVs? Nearly a year later and it looks as if the company is ready to show off the results. According to ZDNet Korea, company officials told investors that next fortnight's CES is where the platform will launch. At the same event, LG chiefs also said that it would throw its weight behind Palm's Enyo open-source JavaScript development framework in the hope of encouraging third parties to craft software for the new system. You never know, maybe Jon Rubinstein's big project could get a happy ending after all.
LG finally joins the Spotify Smart TV party
Spotify has been available on a number of LG's home theater products since March, but only now are Smart TV owners getting the chance to enjoy it on their flatscreens. The company announced today that the new app is coming to all of its 2013 model Smart TVs, but it will only be available to Premium account holders. While Spotify now offers free streaming to mobile and tablet users, the LG app requires a monthly subscription, but a month's free trial may soften the blow if you've yet to sign up. With LG in the bag, the music service now supports three major TV makers, having already launched apps for Samsung and Philips sets. It gives the company a considerable advantage over its streaming rivals, which include Rdio, Google and Apple, by letting users access over 20 million tracks from an ever-expanding range of devices. LG says the new Smart TV app will go live in over 30 countries over the coming days, giving you the perfect opportunity to load up your playlists in time for Christmas.
