Gaming

So you want to share photos, watch videos, or play computer games on the expansive screen of your HDTV? On one hand, this is a really simple how-to: use HDMI!

That, of course, isn't the whole story. Not all computers, and not all TVs, can output or input a signal via HDMI easily. There are also a few tricks to consider.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Finally, a unique and worthwhile "app" comes to Google TV.

Google announced today that its much-maligned connected TV platform would support the OnLive gaming service.

OnLive's "cloud" gaming allows users to play a variety of console-quality titles on devices like PCs, tablets, and now select Google TV hardware like TVs, streaming boxes, and Blu-ray players, without having to use an actual game console.… Read more

LG wants to bring the joy of split screen gaming back--minus the cheating that inevitably goes with it--with its Dual Play technology.

Split-screen gaming has enabled players to compete against each other on the same machine since the early days of consoles, popularized by games such as the original "Goldeneye."

LG's passive Dual Play mode, available on 2012 TVs with passive 3D, enables two people to play on the same screen and is presumably compatible with any console game that includes a top-bottom split screen. With LG's Dual Play enabled and the special Dual Play glasses, … Read more

The new design of the Xbox 360's dashboard and press releases touting "the future of TV" make it clear that Microsoft is transitioning the Xbox from a gaming console that also does home entertainment to a home entertainment box that also does gaming.

That's an exciting move, especially for not-quite-hard-core gamers who spend more and more time streaming video on their game consoles.

The Xbox is far from the only contender in the streaming-video space, which has several good options (Roku LT, Apple TV), but nothing that truly nails the category. Below I take an in-depth look at the Xbox in light of new video-centric features, like Kinect-enabled voice search and Bing-powered cross-platform video search, to see how it stacks up strictly as a streaming-video box.… Read more

The soon-to-be released Xbox 360 dashboard update features a slick Metro-based user interface and new cloud-saving functionality, but the most interesting aspect for cable-cutters and other streaming videophiles is the integration of Bing video search and Kinect voice recognition.

We've had some hands-on time with a preview version of the dashboard update. And while our test unit lacked the cross-platform search, updated Netflix app, and other video app improvements that will be in the official update, we've been able to test simple voice-recognition video searching via Kinect and it's a promising (albeit imperfect) approach to the video search problem. (We'll be publishing a more in-depth hands-on with all of the streaming-video-based updates later this week.)

It's easy to get numb to the magic of voice recognition, but searching for TV and movie content on your TV simply by speaking is still pretty incredible.… Read more

Streaming video has exploded in the home theater.

Only a few years ago there was only Netflix, but now Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus, and Vudu all offer top-notch streaming video services. The variety is great, but it forces streaming video fans to keep a mental catalog of where their favorite shows and movies are available. When I rereviewed the Apple TV, I almost rented "The Trip" for $5 before I realized it was available for free on Netflix.… Read more