Crave

The Mitsubishi LT-249 has a built-in 16-speaker sound bar.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

At CNET, we never review the audio quality of a TV, because, frankly, it's usually terrible. As we said in our How We Test TVs page: "We believe that anyone who cares [about sound quality] would be better served investing in a separate audio system." However, Mitsubishi's LT-249 series is an LCD TV designed for people who do care about getting decent sound without having to fuss with an external audio system. Therefore, we tested the Mitsubishi's sound the same way we test other sound bar home theater systems.

What's the verdict? When paired with a subwoofer, the LT-249 can belt out audio as well as the smaller sound bars it resembles, which should sonically satisfy fuss-intolerant, decor-conscious buyers. The high-end Mitsubishi also has solid picture quality, although it won't match the better LED-powered LCDs and plasma TVs available in its price range. It also has a compelling suite of interactive features including Vudu and Pandora. However, this HDTV is all about the speaker; so if you don't mind paying more for better sound, the Mitsubishi LT-249 series deserves a place on your wall.

Read the full review of the Mitsubishi LT-249 series.

Mitsubishi LT-249 series (photos)

(Credit: jarrettphoto.com)

There might be a solution to one of the most obnoxious linear relationships: as Grandpa gets older, the TV gets louder. TV Ears is a wireless headset that allows Grandpa (or anyone) to listen to television audio in isolation. And though its design screams "geek!" the wearer can sacrifice fashion for a peaceful household.

A small transmitter plugs into the audio-out ports located on the back of the television set, satellite box, or cable box and wirelessly transmits the television's audio to the headset. The user can adjust the volume and tone dials on the headset, while television volume can be set to any level or turned off.

George Dennis, CEO of the Spring Valley, Calif.-based company, explains that unlike other wireless headsets or hearing aids, TV Ears amplifies dialogue more than other sounds with its "Voice Clarifying Circuitry." Since the digital transition, consumers are complaining of muffled dialogue, Dennis said.

TV Ears is made for a niche market--seniors--but parents who complain of loud video games might administer it to ... Read more

This is me being stoked for the holidays.

(Credit: Matt Hickey)

As is the tendency at year's end, this week Crave has seen several "best of" lists, including the 10 best cell phones of the year. Not to be single-minded, we also put out the 10 worst cell phones of the year. But it's not just phones, we listed the 20 most notable tech products of the year, period.

We also shared a collection of last-minute gifts you can print. If you have a printer, you now have stocking stuffers. Getting a new HDTV for Christmas? We're here to help.

Did you hear about the wicked giant new airplane that flew for the first time here in my city? It was pretty awesome.

But it's not all gifts and end-of-year fun. We learned that Apple is trying to patent reality. No, really.

Speaking of ballsy moves, we sort of have to mention Google's Nexus One phone here, don't we?

And feel free to gift us, your humble bloggers, with ... Read more

(Credit: zerozeros.com)

Things are certainly winding down here at the CNET New York offices as The 404 finishes up its last two live episodes for the year. In the studio with us today is Natali Del Conte along with her CBS producer Will--so it sounds like the show is about to get some Early Show love on Friday morning!

Today's show starts off on an unsettling note as we talk about word of U.S. drones being hacked in the skies of Iraq. Apparently, all that was needed was a cheap $26 program that allowed insurgents access to our unmanned aircrafts--how comforting!

Bonehead military security issues aside, it's about time the FCC addresses the all-too-common issue of blaring TV commercials. How many times have you blown an eardrum after an ad comes on that's 35 times louder than the program you were watching?

In our unintentional effort to destroy the green movement, we uncover the ridiculous side effect some new LED traffic lights are having involving their inability to melt snow. It's actually causing accidents, so maybe good-old-fashioned energy-sucking, heat-producing traffic lights were the way to go.

There's more 404 fun in today's show: Y2K memories, "Iron Man 2" talk, and the year's best YouTube videos!

EPISODE 489

Now what?

You've just broken your new high-def TV out of the box, hooked it up to your cable box and fired it up. And chances are, you love the picture. But after the initial joy of seeing that screen in action wears off, you might be wondering: How can I get the most out of it? Here are a few tips.

Get a high-def source
The single most important thing you can do to get your new HDTV looking its best is to hook up an actual high-definition source. For television programming, that means an HDTV-capable cable box or satellite box--or an antenna. Ask your cable or satellite provider for a high-def box or DVR, and they'll hook it up for you (although it's a good idea to double-check their work; see below). If you don't have cable or satellite, try using an antenna to tune over-the-air HD stations, which are available in most areas.

Most TV services offer both standard-def and high-def channels, and if you have an HDTV ... Read more

Wayne A. Spring might be wishing he had better privacy settings on his Facebook page.

According to the Associated Press, Spring, in an attack of hubris, madness, or merely Saints fandom, told his socially-networking nearest and dearest that they could come and shoot his TV if the Saints beat the Washington Redskins last Sunday.

Yes, I said "beat," because Spring is a longtime, long-suffering fan of one of the NFL's more spirited and unfortunate franchises.

"I was a Saints fan, but used to be they never could win, and I admit I was a fair-weather fan," Spring told the AP.

The Saints won in overtime, 33-30. And as soon as the winning field goal pierced the uprights, Spring's ears were pierced by the sounds of his ringing phone.

Around a dozen equally sane Saints fans turned up with beer and guns. The resulting video has already caused something of a stir on YouTube. So please enjoy the merriment and the fact that Spring, who owns a medical staffing company, will apparently be watching ... Read more

Before you comment, keep in mind that this Panasonic plasma is NOT part of a Crave giveaway. This blog post simply highlights the publication of its review.

Plasma has been ceding ground to LCD for years, and the latest patches of territory at risk are screen sizes above 50 inches. Panasonic, both sheriff and principal resident of plasma town, has traditionally ruled the vast-size flat-panel frontier with an iron fist, but with LCDs available in new 55-inch and, lately, 65-inch versions for competitive prices, the company has had to continually make its own big screens more affordable.

The happy result, at least for HDTV shoppers with room to spare, is that larger models can be had for chunks of change that seem small by historical standards. And while the bigger sets in Panasonic's TC-PS1 series plasma might surprise you with their affordability, they also deliver better picture quality than most of their large LCD competition.

Read the full review of the Panasonic TC-PS1 series.

Panasonic TC-PS1 series (photos)

(Credit: Apple)

Recently, with the help of some of the editors here at CNET, I put together list of the biggest tech flops of the decade. Since I'm not a negative guy at heart, it was only a matter of time before I came up with a more positive spin on the whole tech-products-of-the-decade concept that's all the rage as we approach the end of '09.

Once again, I've enlisted the help of my fellow editors, so while my name may appear at the top of this list, it's really a collective effort. That said, you can blame me if you don't like the picks.

As always, feel free to suggest your own picks. If you make a good case, we'll update the list and make some changes. Also, let us know what your top five picks are in order of innovation and influence.

Click on any image to start the slideshow and see the picks (they are listed in alphabetical order).

This mysterious black rectangle is the most popular TV on CNET during 2009.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Among the three most-popular technology product categories covered by CNET Reviews--cell phones, laptops, and TVs--just one doesn't feature anything made by Apple. At least not yet.

Without having to fear roundish, white-logo-clad products whose names begin with a lower-case vowel, the scads of nearly identical-looking glossy black rectangles (notwithstanding a touch or two of color) can safely saturate the HDTV battlefield with their "Hz"-infused blood, assured of relatively equal footing.

Or is it? Judging from our list of most popular HDTVs of 2009, accessible below in suspense-building reverse order, said field is dominated by two titans that pummel the rest. Of the ten HDTVs listed, only one--the remarkable Pioneer Kuro PRO-111FD, still the highest-rated television I've ever reviewed--comes from a brand other than Panasonic or Samsung.

CNET's most popular TVs of 2009

The disparity between brands is no coincidence. Products that made the list, which is arranged by total pageviews over the span of 2009 (and so includes a good number of TVs from 2008), invariably spent a lot of time atop or near the top of the Best Products lists. ... Read more