Internet@TV

California gets first commercial white-space high-speed Internet

Believe it or not, there are still parts of the U.S. that don't have access to high-speed Internet. But that's looking to change with the onset of TV white-space broadband technology.

The first commercial application of this type of service in the U.S. is coming to a rural area of Northern California called El Dorado County, or Gold Country. Internet provider Cal.net is partnering with network equipment provider Carlson to bring this region's residents something more than dial-up.

"Over 59,000 residents in our rural service area have had little or no quality … Read more

News Corp. exec threatens to make Fox subscription-only

LAS VEGAS--One major U.S. broadcaster upset with last week's court decision that upheld the right of Internet TV company Aereo to stream broadcast TV to its customers in New York without paying retransmission fees says his company will find new ways to monetize its content if the courts don't protect its copyright interests.

Speaking at the opening session of the National Association of Broadcasters' annual trade show here today, Chase Carey, chief operations officer of News Corp., said that his broadcast network, Fox, will change its business model to ensure it gets paid for TV content it … Read more

Man allegedly cuts Internet, TV wires 'to relieve brain'

Is it all getting too much?

Is your thinking crooked, your logic frazzled, and your every wire crossed?

Perhaps it's time to go and cut yourself off from your phone and Internet. No, not metaphorically, but literally.

That was allegedly the slightly illegal thought-process of Raymond Bischoff of Hastings, Minn.

As CBS Minnesota wires it, Bischoff, 65, allegedly thought it best to cut the wires and cables that happened to connect a local business to the Internet, the phone service, and even the satellite TV because he wanted to "relieve the pressure on his brain."

Some might … Read more

Buy your ticket for the new Titanic (no iPads, thanks)

Tempting fate is a very human pastime. We know it will all end badly sooner or later, so why not see whether we can skirt the edge of disaster and experience how it feels?

Such an impulse will surely drive many to book an early ticket on Titanic II.

No, this is not another Donald Trump project. It is, instead, the idea of Clive Palmer, an Australian mining tycoon known for his dreamy qualities.… Read more

Google's cash machine awaits Internet-connected TVs

DANA POINT, Calif. -- Google's chief business officer sees the future, and it is Internet-connected TVs. "The big tipping point we are waiting for is Internet-connected televisions," said Nikesh Arora, speaking with All Things D's Liz Gannes at the Dive into Media conference here today.

"Right now Internet-connected TV is nice to have, not must have. When it is must-have, then we will be able to have advertising delivered off the Web. The moment you can do that, broadcast TV [advertising] doesn't have a role," Arora said.

In the Internet-connected TV world, ads … Read more

Justice Department probes Internet video data caps

Recent accusations that cable companies are giving preferential treatment to online video streamed on their own apps and services have apparently attracted the attention of antitrust regulators.

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether cable companies are acting improperly to suppress online video competition, people familiar with the matter tell The Wall Street Journal. Investigators have spoken with several major players in the sector, including Netflix, Hulu, Comcast, and Time Warner Cable about the monthly caps placed on the amount of data subscribers can download, the Journal reported.

CNET has contacted the companies mentioned above, as well as … Read more

Cutting the cord: Why and why not (Device & Conquer)

Everybody wants to tell the cable or satellite TV company what to do with that three-figure monthly bill that pays for a lot of stuff you don't even want, right?

Today, thanks to Internet-delivered TV, you can actually put some teeth behind that. Know that it's not as simple as throwing a switch and cancelling an account. In this episode of Device & Conquer we show you what we've learned about the process and how you can do it. It might be right for you, it might not. But whether you do it now or do it later, odds are you'll do it eventually. … Read more

NBC to live-stream all sports from London Olympics

NBC is taking a big step with this summer's Olympics that is sure to please Internet viewers.

Reversing an earlier policy, the network is expected to formally announce tomorrow that all 32 sports at the Olympic Games in London will be streamed live at NBCOlympics.com, The New York Times reports.

"Whatever is on schedule that day, if cameras are on it, we'll stream it," Rick Cordella, vice president and general manager of NBC Sports Digital Media, told the paper. "The hot topic is always, 'Why don't you show all your sports live?' We … Read more

From Amazon to HBO Go to YouTube: App availability on 2012 TVs compared (big chart)

"Smart TV" is even more common than ever this year among the TVs of 2012, and as always, content is king.

With that in mind we present the chart above, summarizing the various major apps available from most major TV manufacturers this year. As you can see, pretty much everything has Netflix, and the differences begin from there.

Compared with last year, the major addition to the chart is HBO Go, which is currently exclusive to Samsung TVs. It's a superb app with a wealth of content that helps makes Samsung's suite the most compelling of … Read more

How to turn your iPhone into a keyboard and mouse

The ultimate Internet-connected TV accessory isn't Roku. It's not Apple TV, and it's not Boxee.

It's something you probably already own: a computer.

With an inexpensive cable (like this one for Mac), you can mirror your computer on your television, giving you complete access to any Internet streaming services or local content on your hard drive.

Many newer laptops even include HDMI out, giving you full 1080p mirroring. Older machines would have to rely on DVI or VGA out with an accompanying audio-out cable.

But once you hook up your computer to your TV, the setup … Read more