Technology News: Home Entertainment

Sunday - May 4, 2008

A startup is betting that people are tired enough of their cable and satellite bills to take a look at an alternative pay TV system that combines a number of different technologies to deliver programming. Silicon Valley-based Sezmi revealed a system Thursday that amounts to a way for phone companies and local TV broadcasters to team up for an end run around satellite and cable. Technical trials are starting shortly, with full-blown commercial trials in some markets, yet unnamed, later this year. [More...]

eBay, Craigslist Soap Opera Unfolds

Friday - May 2, 2008

eBay's strange legal dispute with Craigslist just got weirder. The auction giant has disclosed the details of its lawsuit against the king of online classifieds, and here's what the dispute boils down to: eBay took a stake in Craigslist, agreeing to certain conditions regarding competitive behavior. [More...]

Let Them Eat Toast

Thursday - April 24, 2008

I have written a lot about the Apple TV. I've written about updates, I've pointed to stories and reviews, and I've discussed the compression issues related to getting HD content into the customer's Apple TV via the Internet. All along the way, I've resisted buying one for several reasons. I didn't think much of the content selection, and I was trying to avoid another "buy the box then pay for the content" syndrome. [More...]

Apple TV: A Sophisticated Device Hobbled by Limitations

Wednesday - April 23, 2008

Soon after launching the set-top box known as "Apple TV" last year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs famously downgraded it from a major new business line to a "hobby." Jobs and company recently tinkered with the device, making it a whole lot more compelling. But the company has more work to do before Apple TV's a bona-fide hit. [More...]

Will a PS3 Download Service Starve Blu-ray?

Tuesday - April 22, 2008

PlayStation 3 owners may soon be able to watch movies without ever leaving their living rooms. In an official PlayStation blog entry dated April 15, the game maker hinted at plans for the PlayStation Network in 2008 and a recent revamp of the PlayStation Store. A senior marketing executive also mentioned that a video service was in the works for the PS3. [More...]

Adobe Media Player: A Good Start

Tuesday - April 22, 2008

The new Adobe Media Player 1.0 is a good first step into territory the company hadn't before ventured. Yet it's clearly a 1.0 version that needs some tender loving care to bring it up to 1.5 or 2.0. I don't say this lightly -- I started the free download process from Adobe with high hopes that I'd find a media player that fills in the gaps left by the likes of iTunes and Hulu. [More...]

You Call This HD?

Monday - April 21, 2008

In Brent Swanson's basement home theater, there should be nothing drab about "Battlestar Galactica." He's got a high-end projector that beams the picture onto a wall painted like a silver screen, and speakers loom in the corners, flanking two big subwoofers. Yet when he tuned in Sci Fi HD for a recent episode filmed in high definition, the image was soft. [More...]

Blockbuster May Be Moving Into Set-Top Box Territory

Friday - April 11, 2008

Blockbuster is working on a new movie-streaming and/or downloading service, according to a news report. The reported device apparently would let its customers view movies from a television set-top box similar to the Apple TV or an Xbox 360, both of which can download rentable movies. [More...]

Mac Bloggers Fantasize Over Fresh MacBooks, Bicker Over Apple TV Resolution

Friday - April 11, 2008

In Mac- and Apple-focused activity this week, bloggers and commenters have been beating up on allegations of premature iPods deaths as well as speculating on the next generation of redesigned MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Also in the air is a mysterious MacBook firmware update and the supposed upcoming downfall of Apple TV. [More...]

Adobe Grabs a Slice of Video 2.0 Pie

Wednesday - April 9, 2008

Adobe on Wednesday announced that its Adobe Media Player 1.0 is now available as a free download. The cross-platform software, which is built on the Adobe Integrated Runtime platform, is customizable and works both online and off to give viewers new ways to discover and interact with their favorite content. It also offers revenue and brand-building opportunities for content publishers, Adobe said. [More...]

Making Progress by Making Peace

Monday - March 31, 2008

Too many of us -- and I include myself -- are too willing to go to war and not willing enough to find harder, but often more successful, collaborative ways to solve problems. I often look at both the U.S. and Microsoft as similar entities in their respective spaces, and I'm often fascinated by how examples of good and bad judgment can be applied to both. [More...]

See More Articles in Home Entertainment Section >>

Shortcuts