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Poll: Will you be buying the 'Avatar' 3D Blu-ray?

Poll: Will you be buying the 'Avatar' 3D Blu-ray?

It was almost three years ago that "Avatar" debuted in cinemas, and today eager fans can finally do what they wanted to do when it first came out on Blu-ray: watch it in 3D at home.

The reason you couldn't buy it on 3D Blu-ray until now? Panasonic bought the exclusive rights for the 3D version for 18 months, and this expired in February of this year. Up until today, if you wanted a copy of "Avatar" in 3D, you either bought a Panasonic plasma, or shelled out up to $100 for a copy from … Read more

Which gadget would you buy for $300?

Which gadget would you buy for $300?

In the past week, CNET has reviewed three separate media devices, each costing $300, and one of them was a television. And guess what: the TV wasn't terrible.

The three products were the TCL L40FHDP60 ($309), the 3M Streaming Projector ($299), and the Apple iPod Touch ($299). Seeing them all together got me thinking: which one of these would I actually buy if I had the money? Is there something else I'd rather do with my $300?

Until we find out whether the Apple iPad Mini exists, I cast the net out a bit farther and two other … Read more

Rumor Has It: The ultimate cable killer coming from Boxee?

Rumor Has It: The ultimate cable killer coming from Boxee?
According to the report, the rumored new device would combine a TV tuner with a DVR and media-streaming capabilities, so you could record over-the-air TV. Do you care? Emily does, but she could be alone on this one -- just like she's alone in not knowing who one of America's favorite stars is.

Also, Facebook might finally release a native Android app so HTML5 will stop holding everyone back from stalking their friends at the speed of light.

Speaking of light, Sony's next flagship phone could be made out of a Norse god's lightning bolt and … Read more

Samsung TVs tune in to Spotify

Samsung TVs tune in to Spotify

Owners of Samsung's astonishingly thin 2012 smart TVs will soon have another app to play with: Spotify. A deal has just been inked that will give Spotify Premium subscribers in Europe access to millions of streamed tracks and their playlists directly through the set. That means you'll need to pay a small monthly charge to Spotify get it to work -- in the U.K. that's 10 pounds ($16) per month.

The app has a different interface to the one you may be used to from the desktop application, and has been designed to work with a TV remote. It's very similar to the one I use at home on my Virgin TiVo box -- take a look at the gallery above to see what it looks like.

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What is refresh rate?

What is refresh rate?

With 120Hz, 240Hz, and even 600Hz, refresh rate gets a lot of attention in the marketing of new HDTVs.

What it is and how it works is interesting, but why it exists is even more so. And it can have a profound effect on the picture quality of your HDTV.

Curious?

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1080i and 1080p are the same resolution

1080i and 1080p are the same resolution

There still seems to be some confusion about the difference between 1080i and 1080p. Both are 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution. Both have 2,073,600 pixels. From one perspective, 1080i is actually greater than Blu-ray. And, you can't even get a full 1080p/60 source other than a PC, camcorder, or some still cameras that shoot video.

True, 1080i and 1080p aren't the same thing, but they are the same resolution. Let the argument commence... … Read more

4K TV vs. OLED TV

4K TV vs. OLED TV

On one side, there's 4K: four times the resolution of your current TV. LG, Sony, JVC, and others have all announced or shown upcoming 4K displays.

On the other, there's OLED: Organic Light-Emitting Diode. Significantly better picture quality than your current TV, plus lower energy consumption, and even thinner cabinets.

So what's more exciting?… Read more

What HDTV model numbers mean

What HDTV model numbers mean

One of the things I take for granted as a TV reviewer is the translation from model number to things like screen size, model line, display type, and so on.

I've gotten a few e-mails lately from people looking for help trying to decide between similarly priced models, with radically different model numbers. Are they similar? What does the alphanumerical soup mean?

While model numbers change yearly (or sometimes even more often), there are a few guidelines you can use to help you sort out the what from the what.… Read more