TV

Al Gore's Current Media files for IPO

Current Media, the youth-oriented cable channel founded by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, has filed for a $100 million initial public offering.

The company aims to trade under the Nasdaq symbol CRTM; neither share prices nor number of shares have been disclosed.

Acknowledging that it has "a history of losses," relies on an "unproven media model," and had an accumulated deficit of $31.9 million at the end of 2007, Current Media is nevertheless pushing forward in the hopes that it will be able to better cover expenses as a public … Read more

Eyes-on with JVC's new line of TVs for the U.K.

JVC has previewed its product line-up for the coming year, and top of the list is a selection of LCD TVs that are--you guessed it--very thin. The top-end V series models measure just 39 millimeters at the narrowest point and 74 millimeters at the widest.

The 42DV9 and 46DV9 won't be around until later this year, but when they are they'll bring 42- and 46-inch 1080p televisual delight to U.K. living rooms. Each boasts an 8-bit panel with color bumped up to 12 bit for smoother gradations across colors. (See JVC's line for the U.S. … Read more

Vudu drops price to fend off resurgent Apple TV

Vudu is knocking 25 percent off the price of its eponymous video-on-demand box. Effective immediately, the Vudu is now $295, down from its original $399 asking price. Customers who've purchased the unit in the past 30 days can get a $100 movie credit by calling the company's customer service line (888-554-VUDU).

The price drop is a direct response to the newly resurgent Apple TV. When it was first introduced in September 2007, the Vudu box delivered several advantages versus the Apple: it offered PC-free movie downloads with instant-on playback and good video quality, and included content from all … Read more

Crossfade TV: Best of 2007

Later this week we'll post a brand-new Crossfade TV episode, featuring three artists who are already making a big splash in 2008. In the meantime, and before '07 fades entirely into memory, have a look at our end-of-the-season video special highlighting faves from last year's crop, including Spoon, LCD Soundsystem, Kanye West, and Richard Hawley.

Introducing the multimedia waterbed

OK, so maybe $50,000 is a wee bit much for a bed, even if it does help stop snoring. Thriftier Cravers might be more inclined to go with something like a stripped-down "TV-Bed" from Gustarle, which comes with a built-in 26-inch Samsung LCD and a Sony DVD player. And it's a waterbed.

All this for the bargain price of $13,577, according to BornRich. Sure, it doesn't have all that fancy sleep technology featured in the "Starry Night Bed," but it has all the basics. After all, as everyone knows, a bed's … Read more

How Louis XIV would hide a plasma TV

Apparently some homeowners think that disguising a wall-mounted plasma with a mirror or painting is for the hoi polloi--hardly suitable for the truly opulent interior. Recognizing such discerning taste, North Carolina-based Tapestries Limited has developed a motorized device that can store a woven work and dramatically descend it over the surface of a flat TV on command, Electronic House says.

It can be lowered on a moment's notice by a remote control, which will come in handy while watching your favorite episode of the Three Stooges when the neighbors drop in unexpectedly. The company, which will also sell the … Read more

Who will buy Panasonic's 150-inch plasmas?

After Panasonic stole the show at CES in Vegas with its ginormous plasma TV last week, we got to thinking: Who buys these things anyway?

One indication may come from the number of sales from the last 100-plus club. Pocket-lint cites a report in the Commercial Times that only 15 of Panasonic's 103-inch plasmas were sold in the last year with prices averaging around $62,500. "Apparently the monster screens have been shipped to Japan, the U.S., and Europe mainly, but one customer in the Middle East bought five," it said.

We're sure the money … Read more

Etch-A-Sketch on the plasma

It's the perfect gift to address a Boomer's midlife crisis: an excuse to get a big-screen TV and to relive one's childhood.

The "Deluxe TV Etch-A-Sketch" has a handheld controller that plugs into the television so you can put your work on display for all to see--until someone wants to watch something, anyway. The knobs look a little different from those on the original, so purists might not allow it in any sort of competition.

But there is one feature that remains true to the original, according to Book of Joe: If you shake the controller, … Read more

HBO joining the online distribution party this week

The New York Times is reporting that HBO is launching its own online distribution service for a portion of its content both past and present. Starting this week, lucky residents of Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wisconsin will be the first to get dibs on the new software application that can be set up to download and stack episodes old and new that can be watched on their PCs. Cable provider Time Warner (the same folks working on the lovely bandwidth metering down in Texas) is sending out the application on an CD to current HBO subscribers "soon."

Already … Read more