HDTV

Game over: Netflix frags game rental idea

Another Netflix idea has bit the dust.

The company's CEO Reed Hastings said yesterday during an earnings call that Netflix has "no plans to enter video games," scuttling hopes that it would follow through on an idea it floated last year to provide game rentals to its customers.

Back in September, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced plans to spin off his company's DVD-by-mail business into a new company, called Qwikster. As part of that plan, Hastings said that Qwikster would let customers rent Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii titles. Just a few weeks later, Netflix … Read more

Get a refurbished Logitech Harmony 650 remote for $39.99

This is an update of a post from many moons ago.

Mo' gadgets often means mo' problems--or, at least, mo' remotes. That's why I continue to champion Logitech's Harmony series of universal remotes, which not only take the place of multiple clickers but also let you set up crazy-handy macro functions.

One of the better models, the 650, usually sells for around $80. But if you don't mind going the refurbished route, you can get one for half the price. While supplies last, Ice Monkey has the refurbished Logitech Harmony 650 remote for $39.99 shipped.

In … Read more

Nintendo's huge losses continue; when will the bleeding stop?

Nintendo's troubles are deepening, and unfortunately for the venerable game company, there doesn't appear to be an end in sight.

The game company today announced (PDF) sales of 556.2 billion yen ($7.2 billion) during the nine months ended December 31, down nearly 32 percent compared to the same period in 2010. It also posted a 48.4 billion yen (about $625 million) net loss. During the same period in 2010, Nintendo generated a profit of nearly 50 billion yen.

In its earnings release, Nintendo acknowledged that times are tough, saying that its financials were brought down … Read more

Xbox Live update proves popular among gamers

Microsoft's late 2011 Xbox Live update prompted users to flock to the online service last year, according to Microsoft.

In 2011, Xbox Live video viewing jumped 140 percent, compared to 2010, Microsoft's director of programming for Xbox Live Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb wrote yesterday in a blog post. He didn't provide exact viewership figures.

Hryb also said that 60 percent of U.S.-based Xbox Live Gold members accessed entertainment applications during December and spent an average of one hour each day using the programs. In addition, the number of people globally who used Xbox … Read more

Get a 32-inch Coby HDTV for $169.99

Yowza. That's the only word I can use to describe this deal.

While supplies last (and I'm hoping they last longer than it takes me to finish this sentence), Best Buy's outlet center has the refurbished Coby TFTV3227-Z 32-inch LCD HDTV for $169.99 shipped (plus sales tax where applicable). That's definitely a new low for a TV of this size.

Update: Rats. Looks like it's already sold out. But keep checking, as Best Buy might just free up some additional inventory.

OK, but a refurb? And a Coby refurb at that? Admittedly, this is … Read more

Verizon Fios, LG team up to bring live TV, VOD to smart TVs

If there's any trend developing at CES, it's cable and satellite providers trying to capitalize on the growth of smart TVs.

Earlier this week, Verizon Fios announced that it will be offering 26 live HD channels and over 10,000 video-on-demand titles to customers who own an LG smart TV or Blu-ray player. In order to access the channels, LG TV owners must also be Verizon Fios customers and access the content through the service provider's Flex View offering.

Dish earlier this week at CES announced something similar for its customers. After acquiring one of the company'… Read more

Take that, Dish: Samsung, DirecTV partner on 'boxless' DVR streaming

Samsung and DirecTV have partnered up to make watching DVR-recorded shows in other rooms a bit easier--one day after Dish Network unveiled its own multiroom DVR setup.

The companies said today that Samsung's 2012 line of Smart TVs, announced yesterday at CES, will allow viewers to stream recorded programs from DirecTV DVRs to televisions in other rooms. That alone isn't new, although to date, most such setups require you to have multiple DVRs attached to your TV sets. (Dish yesterday unveiled DVR "extender" devices it calls "Joeys"--check out this slideshow to see why… Read more

LG's CES TV barrage: Thin, 3D, and Google-y

Consumer electronics giant LG kicked off CES 2012 with a bang, unveiling a boatload of high-tech TVs and a new smartphone.

The company's 2012 TV line boasts sleek flat-screen TV designs and commitment to the fledgling Google TV platform:

LG's Cinema Screen Range has super-thin five-millimeter bezels--the frames around the screens-- and a one-millimeter bezel for its OLED model. The LM8600 series will be edge-lit LCD TVs that are 3-D compatible, voice-controllable, support Flash and HTML5, and have built-in Wi-Fi. Sizes for the thin-bezel Cinema Screen models will range from 47 inches to 55 inches.This summer, LG … Read more

Amazon strikes back at Netflix with BBC streaming deal

Amazon's Lovefilm has inked two important deals as it prepares to wage a streaming-video war with Netflix in the U.K.

BBC Worldwide will bring its programming, including "Doctor Who" and "Life On Mars," to Lovefilm's streaming service. In addition, Lovefilm, which operates solely in Europe, announced today that it has signed a deal with the U.K.'s largest commercial broadcaster, iTV, to stream its shows, including "Marchlands" and "Above Suspicion" among many others.

Lovefilm's BBC deal is especially important. Just last month, Netflix announced that it signed a deal with the BBC … Read more