Earlier word suggested that Samsung should have this ready to go, at least in some markets, by the time the 2012 Olympics got kicked off in earnest out in London. But a new report emerging suggests that it may be ready even sooner than that at least in one major market: Great Britain. Word is it may well be ready for launch by the spring of the year, which is actually a couple months ahead of earlier reports that put this one at right around the time the Summer Games were ready to get started.

Admittedly, the earlier reports suggested that the 55 inch monster, that offers incredibly thin packaging with impressive viewing angles and a wide array of apps via Samsung’s Smart TV systems, would be ready in time for the games, and this spring would definitely be before, though significantly more before than previously indicated. Getting them out in time for the games would also give them the opportunity to get some serious cross-promotion going, and piggybacking on the Olympic Games’ international fame and instant recognition would be a big help for Samsung.

Of course, we still don’t yet know some of the most important things this product has to offer, like the various number of ports on this, speaker wattages, or even how much the thing will cost when it finally does arrive, questions that should get cleared up pretty quickly when Samsung finally goes into an official launch with this one. I get the feeling, though, that when they do it will be worth the wait, because getting an OLED television together, especially in that size, is something of a feat.

But what do you guys think about this one? Think that Samsung can get some groundswell in the home theater market with an amazing new OLED display? Or will it likely be too pricey for most to even care about when it finally does make its appearance? No matter what you think here, head on down to the comments section below and tell us what you think!

The story so far is that the retailers are having a tough time actually getting new units of the Apple TV set-top box. With Best Buy not even shipping to online customers (and the brick-and-mortar outlets reporting a lot of outages), and other retailers reporting supply lag (Amazon was offering up the 2010 version with a two to five week shipping range, and Radio Shack only had them in at certain locations), it’s getting tougher to find an Apple TV out there.

When you combine the stories of Apple TV shortages going through the marketplace with the word that we’d been hearing for some time now about an upcoming Apple event (now likely looking at the first week of March), it’s enough to make you wonder if maybe that iPad 3 event that our own Chris Smith told us about not too long back won’t just be about the iPad 3.

No company wants to run out of goods to sell, especially when they’re clearly in demand. But this kind of thing does happen; supply chain issues, shipping troubles, and a whole host of other possibilities could be at play here. Of course, the other possibility is that Apple, as it’s done in the past, is allowing the current models to sell out so that it can prepare for a new version to launch. And a new Apple TV has been mentioned in the past, packing in 1080p streaming as well as Bluetooth connectivity.

Whether or not a new Apple TV will make an appearance at the upcoming Apple event remains to be seen, but given the circumstances, it’s a pretty reasonable explanation. The question here is, what do you guys think about this one? Figure that we’ll see a new Apple TV roll out to replace the one that’s suddenly become much harder than normal to find? Or are one of the many other plausible explanations the root of the missing set-top boxes? No matter what your stance, head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

Now the Wall Street Journal has it that Google is working on a home entertainment system whose main feature will be to stream wireless music, quite probably from the company’s Google Music service:

Google’s entertainment device, in development for several years, is expected to be unveiled later this year, people familiar with the matter said.

It’s unclear which retailers would sell the entertainment device, which would stream music from Google’s online music-storage service and pipe it wirelessly to Google-designed speakers or other Web-connected devices in people’s homes, according to these people. In the future, such a device could potentially stream other forms of digital media such as video, one of these people said.

We’re certainly surprised to hear that Google is interested in manufacturing such a product and we can’t but wonder what would motivate the company to develop it. Such a device could be controlled by mobile devices including smartphones and tablets, although it’s not known yet whether they must be Android devices. But there are no details regarding its specs and features and we should be looking at some spectacular characteristics to convince users to buy one. And there’s no indication the device will be based on Android either.

What’s also puzzling is that the device will not stream, at first, movies or TV shows, which is quite a strange decision.  And while Apple is expected to make around 17 billion in the first year alone from its rumored iTV product, the home-audio hardware business is valued at $8 billion per year, so Google won’t make a lot of cash off it, at least not initially.

Not to mention that the music business is largely dominated by Apple as the company has quite an important MP3 market share and a significant iOS customer base, also devices that can download and stream music from iTunes. And chances are that quite a few iPod and iOS device owners already own an iPod and/or iOS device dock that helps them transform the device into a home entertainment system.

So why is Google so interested in creating a Google-branded home entertainment device. Is it part of the company’s future Android@Home Android-based automated home vision? Will you purchase such a music-only entertainment device?

Barclays analysts are reporting that, should the Apple television actually make it to market, it will do so in a big way, taking fully five percent of the total television market, and bringing in $17 billion in revenue for Apple. That’s not all at once, of course, but rather over time. The Barclays report further suggests that Apple’s television likely wouldn’t just be a television, but rather serve a whole variety of other purposes as well, like music, gaming, communications and even some productivity applications.

But as for a release date, the Barclays report suggests that this one will be waiting a good long while, at least until 2013. Or at least fiscal year 2013, which for Apple begins in October. This in turn keeps in line with some suggestions that Apple may be looking to have this one out by the end of the year. Plus, of course, there’s the always-present (especially at that time of year) suggestion of a launch in time for Christmas shopping season, and if Apple can bring this massive chunk of market destabilization into play in time for Christmas, well, there’s no telling what they could do.

And with good reason; it’s a fair bet to suggest that anything Apple already does, like their massive iTunes library or their various communications efforts and the like, would be not only brought into play here but even exemplified somewhat, providing not only access but also access on the largest screen that Apple has put out yet.

I’m actually looking forward to this one myself; not that I’m not plenty happy with my current television, but it will be exciting nonetheless to see what Apple actually does with the concept. But what about you guys? Anyone else looking forward to this? Or do you just figure it’s going to be another overpriced hunk of Apple hardware? No matter what you think about this one, we always like hearing from you, so hit the comments section and let’s talk Apple television!

Basically, the new remote, which is set to release with an as yet unnamed smart TV sometime this year, has taken out most of the buttons and replaced them with a nice touch screen field and some voice recognition systems, said to be approximately the same as those currently in use on the ES8000 smart TV that Samsung showed off back at CES 2012 a few weeks ago.

It brings together a combination of Bluetooth and more standard IR connectivity for better reception (and if you’ve ever tried changing the channel at an odd angle or from better than ten feet you know how useful that could be), but leaves some buttons behind, like those controlling the channel and volume settings. They’re also, seemingly, in the same place they usually are, so those carefully ingrained remote habits won’t go to waste.

There’s even some word that suggests at least some universal nature here, as you’ll be able to use this on Blu-ray players. Though just how far you’ll be able to go with it (will your cable box or audio gear work with it?) is as yet unclear, the concept is still fairly interesting.

Personally, I like this idea. A handful of buttons to keep the concept from being too new for the late adopters to work with, but with some new features and edge for those who like the early adoption looks like a nice compromise system. And while its exact nature as a response to potential releases from Apple is strictly conjectural, it’s not hard to think that they’re looking to get themselves an early edge ahead of any possible release. Samsung’s been a big wheel in televisions for some time now, and it’s easy to see that they’d want to lose as little market share as possible to Apple.

But what do you guys think? Is this a hedge against future Apple releases? Or is this just a new path for Samsung? Anyone like the way it looks, or is it just a gimmick to get attention? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

The Verge revelead the survey sent by Best Buy (see gallery below), which describes a non-existent Apple HDTV – this is what the retailer calls the product, which we currently refer to as the Apple iTV – and here’s what Best Buy proposes:

Please read the concept below carefully as it will appear only once. The next 4 questions will be based on this description.

Be one of the first to get the all new 42’’ Apple HDTV at Best Buy for $1499. Apple finally reinvents what a TV can do:

• 42’’ 1080p LED flat panel display
• Incorporates Apple’s operating system (iOS) found in its current Apple TV set top box which allows you to purchase and stream movies and other entertainment from the Internet
• Download and use apps from the App Store. Can you imagine playing Angry Birds on a big screen in your living room?
• Supports Apple’s new iCloud service for storing movies, TV shows, and music content that you’ve purchased from iTunes and beam them to your Apple HDTV.
• Use you iPad or iPhone as a remote control, and do everything from controlling your TV, to purchasing new shows and swapping content between your Apple devices and the iCloud service
• Built-in convenience with built in iSight camera and microphone for Skype
• In addition to iTunes, stream content from popular sites such as Netflix, YouTube and flickr
• Available for $1499

Then Best Buy asks customers whether they would buy the product or sign up for the service, whether they would like/dislike the product, whether the product would solve a problem or fulfill a need, and whether the Apple HDTV is “different from other products/services currently available?”

Best Buy’s survey is certainly interesting, and it’s suggesting various Apple iTV features that we either expect or have seen in recent and older rumors. What’s also interesting is that Best Buy is suggesting that the new Apple TV will also be used as a gaming rig, something we’ve talked about in the past. Is Best Buy trying to mislead customers into believing a 42-inch Apple TV will cost $1,499, thus being more expensive than current models available from the retailer? And how does Apple feel about this unexpected survey?

We’ll remind you that Apple does not pitch customers such surveys. In fact, according to various interviews with late Steve Jobs, the company’s co-founder and former leader, Apple is not likely to ask users what they want from new products. Instead the company would just show us what we need and how it’s supposed to work.

Let’s hear it from you, potential Apple HDTV buyers, does the 42-inch machine described about sound interesting to you?

Nevertheless, a report from Digitimes now says that Apple is not likely to start selling its first TV models next quarter because the company isn’t able to secure enough TV display supply. Apparently Apple needs Sharp IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) displays for its upcoming TV models, with Samsung and LG focusing on OLED display technology:

Apple reportedly has sought to source IGZO panels from Sharp for the production of iTVs as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, which unveiled their 55-inch Super OLED and AMOLED TV models, respectively, at CES, both have regarded OLED TVs are their killer products for 2012, and therefore the two Korea-based companies are unlikely to share OLED panel production capacities with Apple.

Once it starts IGZO panel production, Sharp will be able to produce 32-, 46- and 55-inch displays, although the company will probably refrain from sharing with the press any deals it may have with Apple for such displays. Furthermore, Apple has not confirmed yet in any way that it will produce a TV set this year, and while there’s plenty of speculation regarding the sizes of a future Apple iTV units or the special content Apple will offer TV buyers, there are no official details about the products at this time.

Not to mention that Apple may be busy with other product launches in the following months, including the iPad 3, the next-gen MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops, and even the iPhone 5/6, which is said to launch in summer. Therefore, with such a full calendar, Apple may want to postpone the launch of an Apple iTV regardless of display supply availability. We’ll be back with more news on Apple’s first TV set, but in the mean time let us know what TV size you’d be interested in and how much would you pay for such a product?

7. Grill N Chill

It’s no secret to folks who have been reading for a while that I love gadgets that serve multiple functions. I love it when the car packs a blender, or when the vacuum can send text messages, or when the refrigerator can show videos. And that’s why the Grill N Chill got my attention. One side of the Grill N Chill offers a two-layer grilling surface, while the other side offers up a draft system for hooking it into a keg. Grilled meat and draft beer in one place? How can that be better? How about they throw in a stereo? Now you can listen to some music, or the pregame show, whilst grilling meat and handing out beer. And that multifunctional joy makes this well worth looking into.

6. Cruzin Cooler

A great one for warmer environs where you can have part of your Super Bowl party outdoors, the Cruzin Cooler is again one of those great multi-function gadgets that I’m so enamored with. This time, they’ve figured out a way to combine a cooler and a scooter into one package, and yes, include an electric motor. You’ll be able to cruise around your party riding a beer cooler, and can pass out your payload at will, preferably before you’re the one passing out. Spectacularly awesome no matter how you slice it, but of course, drinking and driving is never recommended, as at least one operator discovered when he got a DWI charge for riding one of these around while drinking.

5. BeerTender

No multifunction gadgetry here, folks, but what this will do for your Super Bowl party cannot be expressed fully in mere words. See, sometimes, you want a keg, or you want draft beer, but you can’t get hands on one. Well, if you can get Heineken or Newcastle draught kegs, then you can get the BeerTender involved. The BeerTender will keep your beer at a constant 37.4 degrees, and keep said beer not only cold but also fresh for the almost disturbingly long time frame of 30 days.

4. The Grill Sergeant Apron

While it’s entirely possible to grill without the benefit of an apron, adding an apron to your grilling experience gives you the ability to carry a whole lot of extras: condiments, implements, and the like. But the Grill Sergeant Apron will not only allow for these things to be held, and in large quantities, but you’ll also get a bandolier of canister-sized holders to wear across your chest, capable of holding a full six-pack of your canned beverage of choice. And the whole thing comes your way in a jungle camo pattern, so when you need to storm the beach head that is your grill, the Grill Sergeant is ready to cover your six.

3. Blacktop 360 Grill

Sure, we just recommended a grill, and a magnificent one too, but this grill will actually take grilling up a notch even over the Grill N Chill. Not only is the Blacktop portable, but it can handle a variety of things that the Grill N Chill won’t. See, not only does this grill meat at temperatures of up to 650 degrees on an infrared grill, but it also offers up a flat griddle, a warming plate for buns and the like, but at the center of it all lurks a 20 ounce deep fryer. Thus, you can grill burgers, toast buns, melt cheese, fry bacon, and deep fry side dishes all in one shot, plus keep it all warm. No beer, sure. No stereo, sure. But all this takes is a small propane canister to turn it into a multifaceted grilling machine.

2. Bose Lifestyle V-Class Home Entertainment System

The plain and simple here, folks, is that you’re going to need big sound. Big. You want everyone to hear every hit, every grunt, and every word of the play by play when the whole thing is going, and one of the best ways to get really, truly choice home theater sound is from Bose. Just about everything I’ve ever heard of Bose is incredible, putting out huge, ultra-clear sound from speakers often no larger than your hand. I use the Bose Lifestyle V-class here, but most of Bose’s systems will do the job, and do it very well. You’ll get 5.1 channel surround sound, 1080p video upscaling for up to six sources, a dock for your iPod, and the capability to distribute audio to as many as 14 different sources. Pipe the pregame show audio outside. Run the game sound in the bathroom so no one ever misses a play, even when all those snacks and beer come back to haunt you. The options are endless, and Bose sound is a great way to watch.

1. Samsung UN60D8000Y LED Television

I sweated on this one. Believe me. I’m personally a projector kind of guy, so suggesting a television wasn’t easy. See, I went with a television on this one for a couple reasons. One, it’s got the number of ports you’ll need to get everything you need hooked up. The refresh rate is better to ensure the least amount of blurring in the playback possible. And this little beauty not only has a 240 Hz refresh rate for smooth images, but also 3D capability, full 1080p playback, and the crowning glory, a 60 inch LED display. There’s a reason this one’s part of Best Buy’s Magnolia collection, which is a mark of serious quality in the home theater market. And when the Super Bowl is over, you’ll be able to get a load of streaming content thanks to the Smart TV aspect of this. A great picture backed up by great sound is going to go a long way to making your Super Bowl party truly, well, great.

And there you have it folks, from pre-game to post-game, from food to drink and the necessary home theater gear to make the game look every bit as good as live, you’ll be needing a substantial quantity of gadgets. And from the functional to the fun, we’ve got a huge list of them right here.

But what do you guys think? Did we miss anything? What gadget makes your Super Bowl experience complete? No matter what you think, we always love hearing from you, so head on down to the comments section and let’s talk Super Bowl!

all pics copyright their owners.

In a note to investors, Gene Munster from Piper Jaffray mentioned that Apple is already in talks with a “major TV component supplier […] regarding various capabilities of their television display components.” Munster concludes that Apple is on track of launching its own connected TV by the end of the year, although details on future TV sets are not exactly available.

One of the most important pieces of the puzzle seems to be the providing unique content for the new product and Munster believes that Apple would not consider making a play for the TV business without a solid plan of delivering great content to Apple TV buyers. As for the plan itself, the analyst has three scenarios in which Apple could offer unique content that would be tailored:

1. Apple could simply enable its television to manage a consumer’s live TV service from within a unified interface much like TiVo does, partnering with MSOs [i.e. the cable companies]. As Apple was developing the iPhone many investors expected the company to become an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). Instead, the company partnered with AT&T (then Cingular) to bring the iPhone to market in the U.S. Similarly, Apple could choose to avoid the cost and effort of entering the live TV services business and simply partner with MSOs to deliver live, cable TV to the Apple Television. While this would be the easiest and most likely option, it would also be the least revolutionary. Technically, this option would function much like TiVo does today: partnering with MSOs and offering a unified DVR/guidance software interface to make search and discovery easier for the viewer. In some ways, a connected TV’s software is the biggest differentiator that Apple can bring to the table, so this option could still result in a new and fresh product for the television market. Apple could also supplement this with its iTunes Movie rental and purchase service directly on the television.

2. Apple could offer access to live TV from network channels in combination with other web-based video services. One middle-of-the-road option could be for Apple to deliver live TV from network channels (either over the internet or over the air) to the Apple Television. Apple could then leverage a new App Store for the Apple Television to supplement the basic live TV features with Netflix, Hulu Plus, or any content provider that chooses to build an app for the television. In this instance, Apple would also likely continue to offer its iTunes movie and TV content through the iTunes store to the Apple Television.

3. Apple could offer monthly subscriptions, on an a-la-carte basis, for live TV packages with content from content providers. Clearly the most challenging option, if Apple truly wanted to control the entire television experience – which, again, the company chose not to do when entering the smartphone market – it would have to become a virtual MSO (Multiple Services Provider) and offer monthly subscriptions for live TV services. Such an offering would be unlikely given existing licensing arrangements between content providers and service providers as well as the fact that it lies outside of Apple’s core competencies, even in media. That said, it would enable the company to control the entire experience and possibly deliver new features that are currently unavailable through existing television service providers and CE device makers.

Unfortunately we have no idea at this time what Apple is cooking. The company proved time and again that it can sell brand new products and that it can reinvent various niches. It also has an amazing digital store that’s filled with lots of content that’s ready for future “iTV” owners. But what’s currently available from iTunes, when it comes to TV shows and movies, can already be played on any big-screen TV connected to an $99 Apple TV. No need for paying thousands of dollars (guesstimate) for an actual Apple iTV set. In addition to great, unique content, Apple should also make sure its Smart TV will stand out of the existing crowd of Smart TVs by being even smarter than every competitor – that means bringing all those iOS apps, or part of them, to the new TV platform, which is one step away from attacking the console gaming business and the TV business with one swift blow.

Are you considering buying an Apple iTV set this year in case Apple does launch one in time for Christmas? Anybody interested in a Google TV?

Give Vizio all kinds of credit for good timing, their first foray into the market, the 58-inch CinemaWide television, will land on shelves just in time for the NCAA basketball playoffs–otherwise known as March Madness–and offer up a pretty impressive tech loadout to go with it. Not only will users get an absolute treat of a 58 inch LED screen, they’ll also get 3D functionality, as well as access to streaming content from Netflix and Hulu Plus, among others, a Bluetooth remote (with built-in QWERTY keyboard making finding what you want to watch, even if it’s not basketball, as easy as typing in a name) and, thanks to the wider 21:9 aspect display, you’ll be able to switch to a standard 16:9 format as you like and then browse your smart TV apps while you watch television. This is, of course, great for those pesky commercials they insist on showing every so often when you don’t feel like running a DVR skip over them.

While the 58 inch model–the XVT3D580CM, if you want the full product name–will be out in March, it won’t come cheap, setting you back fully $3499.99. But later on this year, your wallet will get something of a break by being able to get this in 50 inch with the XVT3D500CM, and if price is no option for your home theater, they’ll take it all the way up to a 71 inch monster with the XVT3D710M.

Don’t know about you folks, but I’m impressed, and it’s looking like a pretty sweet showing indeed for the crew out at Vizio, who in recent years have been somewhat hampered by some buyers’ perception of them as a bargain seller of last resort. This looks like quality hardware, even if it’s going to be entirely too rich for a lot of people’s blood.

But what do you guys think? Anyone looking forward to getting one of these in their home theater arsenal? Or do you figure the price will scare people away from Vizio’s foray into the upscale? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section and fill us in!

The current word is that Samsung is looking to get in Lotus Glass for use with the line of OLED televisions we’ve been hearing about from them for the last few months too, as well as with certain parts of their mobile line, starting with the Korean market and hopefully working its way outward from there.

Lotus Glass is said to be not only more durable than regular glass, but that this delicacy also allows for it to be assembled into a series of much more complex panels, something that will no doubt be extremely helpful to Samsung as the OLED televisions they were showing off out at the 2012 CES event were much, much thinner than we commonly expect to see from even OLED televisions, so a new kind of ultra-tough glass that allows for extremely thin panels is going to be a huge help to Samsung’s home theater ambitions, not to mention giving their mobile gear–tablets and smartphones alike–that little extra resiliency that will help them compete with Apple.

It looks to be a pretty smart move overall for the crew out at Samsung, whose work with Corning on this one looks like it should pay off big dividends in the form of improved hardware. And hardware improvements would be quite a help for them considering the pasting they’ve been taking from the folks at Apple for some time now in the mobile hardware division, and the huge amount of competitors in the home theater arena.

But what do you guys think here? Figure that Lotus Glass will be just the help Samsung needs to get back in the game? Or do you think that just the addition of new, thin, and tough glass won’t be enough to turn the tide? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section below and tell us all about it!

It’s being called Update 3.2_2012012601, and that long string of numbers is more than just a tongue twister–a whole lot more indeed. The biggest additions to the lineup that come with that update are some boosts to Chrome’s performance–which in turn some believe might well bring the experience of older devices up to par with the experience of newer devices that Sony was showing off out at CES a couple weeks back–and support for 3D Blu-ray playback.

This definitely gives the older devices a much-needed extra boost, and a boost that Sony will no doubt welcome now that Logitech bugged out of the Google TV market, leaving Sony the only game in town before the upcoming releases said to be in the works from the crews out at LG and Vizio, among others, coming soon to the market. And if Sony wants to make as much hay as possible while the sun shines, adding on extra features by way of a simple product update is a great way to do that.

The question that remains, of course, is will Sony be able to get new faces in the door in sufficient number to keep their Google TV line afloat in the face of upcoming competition. A tall order by any stretch, especially considering the sheer number of non-Google TV devices already on the market, but updates like these should go a long way to help.

But what do you guys think? Anyone out there with a Sony Google TV looking forward to the updates? Or do you figure the end result here will leave Sony wanting for business? No matter what your opinion on Google TV, we always like hearing from you, so head on down to the comments section below and let us know what’s on your mind!

While originally, the Regza 55X3 was available on a much more limited scale in Japan back last November, the current word out of the supply chain suggests that they’ve already started mass production on these impressive new systems. Interestingly, Toshiba isn’t actually supplying the panels on this one, but rather, they’re coming from AU Optronics.

But no matter who’s supplying the panels on this one, there’s still plenty of reason to be looking forward to these. The biggest reason to look forward to them, of course, is the fact that they’re 55 inch televisions operating at 4k2k resolution, or 3850 x 2160, if you prefer having the number resolution in hand. It also boasts 240-zone intelligent backlighting systems, as well as a lenticular panel built into the television itself, offering 3D that doesn’t need glasses to operate, and can accommodate up to nine viewers with its viewing angle. And, in case you’re a little skeptical about picking up a 3D television at that kind of resolution because there’s not much material that will work with it, be of good cheer as the Regza 55X3 can convert 2D content to 3D.

There are downsides here, though, as that 2D to 3D conversion will take a lot out of the resolution, dropping it back to 1280 x 720, which isn’t bad by itself, but is a pretty huge step down from that original 3850 x 2160.

And of course, you know this isn’t going to come cheap. They’re currently selling for around $10,000 out in Japan, so you can probably figure there won’t be really substantial discounts on this one when it makes its appearance in other markets, which it’s set to do sometime this quarter, or in the next two months.

Personally, I’m happy with Toshiba hardware: I actually just went to a new Toshiba a while back and have been very pleased with its performance, and this from a guy who spent five years with Philips. But what do you guys think about this one? Anyone actually want to drop that kind of money on a Regza 55X3? No matter how you feel, head on down to the comments section and let us know!

But Motorola’s not just engaging in some idle bull sessions here, they’ve got some very definite plans, including the kind of specs they want to put in said set top boxes once they finally start rolling off the line. Basically, Motorola’s reportedly got plans to make theirs able to record fully six shows at once from your cable or satellite connection, start out with a terabyte of storage (considering that this is what they’re thinking for starters, I can’t help but wonder if they’re going to get modular with their storage, allowing different external hard drives and such the ability to connect) and even have something like a release date, set for the middle of the year.

And what’s more, Motorola even has something of a plan for getting content to these impressive little boxes, having already discussed content arrangements with Verizon to get their FiOS television services onto Motorola’s boxes. There’s even a measure of security for the content (not at all surprising, really) with the gateways packing in what’s called “secure transcoding technology” likely based on the DLNA standard that got its first showing out at the 2012 CES event just a couple weeks ago.

Pricing on Motorola’s new boxes is as yet unclear, as well as how much you’ll have to shell out monthly to get the content onto said boxes, but it’s an interesting move on Motorola’s part like the recently-leaked Motorola Corvair, or Motorola’s earlier Televation. They’re clearly expecting the cable box to get overthrown, and replaced with this technology. While there’s still plenty of competition from the various cable cutting services, this is definitely going to provide extra value for the cable user.

But what do you guys think here? Will Motorola’s new box help Verizon’s cable hopes? Will the combination of FiOS content and a solid Motorola box allow cable to recover some viewership? Or will cable cutting methods continue apace? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section and fill us in!

We’ve seen televisions that offer wireless internet access, and in turn, streaming capability before. That’s nothing new, though every time I see it make an appearance on televisions I get just a little happier for the future of home theater. But before you dismiss Haier’s wireless television as nothing new, you’ll want to consider one further point: there’s one more wire that’s involved even in wi-fi capable televisions: the power cord. Yes, Haier’s prototype looks to do away with the power cord, instead choosing to take its charge from magnetic resonance.

Thus, between the Wireless Home Digital Interface allowing for content to hit the screen, and magnetic resonance charging it, the end result is that the television is as wireless as it gets. And it will provide all this in a hefty 55 inch screen.

Of course, there’s something of a problem in this concept, as magnetic resonance charging requires some pretty hefty extra components, including a dedicated receiver, as well as a transmitter. And if they in turn need power cords, well, that kind of limits the value of the truly wireless television set. Plus, they have a tendency to take up a lot of room, which might well make this even more unwieldy than plugging in the television in the first place.

There’s no word yet on prices or release dates, as this is still a prototype, but it’s still a clever idea, and one I wouldn’t mind seeing hit the market. Wouldn’t even reject picking one up myself out of hand, as long as the price was right.

But what do you guys think? Will Haier’s wireless television prove to be too much gimmick for its own good? Or will this one be a very valuable source of home theater joy for a lot of people? No matter what you think, we’re always happy to hear from you, so head on down to the comments section and let’s talk Haier!

Basically, word had only recently emerged that the folks out at LG were looking to get a FiOS TV app in their televisions with a full 26 channel lineup, which in turn would join their plans to launch a Gaikai app built in on their televisions as well. But Samsung, meanwhile, came out only a short while ago with the claim, according to reports, that they would be first to market with their own FiOS TV app.

And Samsung’s FiOS TV app, much like LG’s, would reportedly pack in fully 26 live channels, some of which would be in HD (though we’re not a hundred percent sure as yet just which channels would be in the offing), as well as a hefty 10,000 video on demand titles from Verizon Flex View. That may not sound like much until you start figuring it in terms of hours, then you realize that you’re talking about a little under two full years of 24 / 7 movie playback if you assume 90 minutes per movie.

Being as it’s a FiOS app, you’ll have to be a Verizon FiOS customer in order to get in on this one, and it will remain to be seen if Samsung can beat LG to market with its FiOS app. At last report, both were looking to have it in play by the end of the first half of 2012, so you won’t have terribly much longer to wait to get hands on some impressive amounts of content in an easily accessible format.

Smart idea on both fronts, I’d say, though me personally I’d stick with LG for the Gaikai access to boot. But Samsung has had some pretty impressive televisions in their time, so it’s not an easy call. And thus, I’ll leave it to you. Would you rather go with LG or Samsung for your FiOS TV access? Whichever one you’d pick–or even if you favor a totally different option–we want to hear from you in the comments section below!

Basically the crew out at Corning, popularly known for their work with a variety of devices, including some Apple devices, got together with the folks at Perceptive Pixel to bring out a touch screen display measuring fully 82 inches. It’s an LCD display measuring a mere six inches in depth while also offering up optical bonding for ultra-low parallax ensuring the most accurate possible touch screen experience. Basically, it’s an extremely accurate, extremely powerful and extremely durable (not to mention extremely large) version of what a standard Gorilla Glass 2 display might look like.

And while this was just an exhibition for the show floor, one thing was abundantly clear: Gorilla Glass 2 may not be just for portable devices any more. I’m sure we’ve all seen or heard about someone firing a Wiimote through their television screen because they didn’t wear a wrist strap, or the baby got too close to the power cord and pulled it down, or the cat knocked the television off the stand or what have you, but with a Gorilla Glass display, we may well see an end to accidentally broken television screens. And if they can provide sufficient resolution to make a giant touch screen work, they should be able to pull off a big television.

That and a giant touch screen display in your living room may well herald a whole new movement in home automation technology. Imagine checking your email, your phone messages, the contents of your refrigerator, your current thermostat settings, and then activating your burglar alarm all from your television before settling in for a nice night of Gold Rush on Discovery. This is very possible with the help of a giant touch screen television.

So what do you guys think about this one? Clever idea? New paradigm? Or just a nifty aside from the folks at Corning and Perceptive Pixel? No matter what you think, hit the comments section below and tell us all about it!

We’d been hearing about Microsoft’s Pay TV plans for some time, so to hear now that they’ve been suddenly halted is far from what you might call good news. But apparently, once Microsoft had finished building the service, and then even provided a demo for network staff, the time came to figure out just how much it would cost to get current shows and live network feeds on so people could get what they’d been wanting for some time, the fabled a la carte programming system.

And Microsoft, once they saw the prices, balked. Turned out that networks were asking massive sums for the rights to air various shows and network feeds on Microsoft’s systems, sufficiently so that Microsoft basically saw a tough time making a profit from the service that they’d built. Thus, instead of looking to offer up the Xbox as a way to replace the cable box, Microsoft is now looking to make a mark in redundancy by offering up content to current cable subscribers.

This gives a little bit of edge back to the Apple television concept, which, based on these reports, will now be competing on an even keel with Microsoft since they no longer have the content advantages they’d previously offered up. But both will likely still have the unusual way to interact with the channels, through voice activation and the like, so the Apple / Microsoft television battle will likely be much less the horse race it was formerly, but still could provide some interesting results.

So what do you guys think here? Is the future of home theater looking a little bleak as a result of Microsoft’s bowing out? Or do things look brighter for you? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section below and tell us what you think!

On the surface, Simple.TV is a lot like a lot of other DVR systems. You’ll be able to watch your various content, as well as pause and record live television, but you’ll also get a built-in TV tuner that lets you take all that stuff on broadcast television, cable included, and convert it to MPEG-4 format. This process allows your content to be easily moved over to iPads and iPhones, a service which has been fought for hotly by cable providers mostly by their assorted networks, but now they’ve been largely beaten to the punch by a good old fashioned hardware end run around the system.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. The Simple.TV system does not have an HDMI output, which means you pretty much won’t be plugging it into your television directly. Nor does it offer internal storage. It looks to offer up a standard cable jack instead, and also boasts a USB input, which suggests that you’ll be able to put in your choice of a networking dongle or external storage. It will also boast a pair of Ethernet jacks, which points out the other thing this is lacking: wireless capability.

But the up shot here is that the Simple.TV system is already working with Roku and Google TV, so it’s a fair bet that there will be lots of content in the offing here that will, in turn, give you the ability to run things through your home network and route them out to other devices, even if it doesn’t always do so in the most convenient of fashions.

It’s set to start selling in spring of this year, which means it’s only a couple months out, and you’ll shell out fully $149 for the system itself as well as a $4.99 monthly subscription fee.

Looks like Simple.TV might have at least the start of something interesting here, but what do you guys think about this one? Figure that this will start a whole new way of life in streaming video? Or will more conventional systems rule the day? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section and let’s talk Simple.TV!

Gaikai is much like OnLive, in that it allows you to pull games from the cloud and put them up onto your home television, and the folks at LG are looking to back up Gaikai’s play by offering the service through their own Smart TV platform. Currently, Gaikai is mostly limited to demo games without the need for downloads, and we’re actually talking about some pretty impressive first-run titles, too. No low-end flash gaming here, folks, we’re talking about actual titles like Dead Rising 2, The Witcher 2, Dragon Age 2, and plenty of other titles both with and without numbers involved.

LG brought out a prototype version of a television running Gaikai, and based on the reports coming in from the floor, the Gaikai service itself may well end up expanding to offer digital delivery of full version games purchased online. LG plans to put the Gaikai service into play with their 2012 3D Cinema TV models, which should prove a pretty exciting addition.

Though the everpresent problem with this sort of thing is, indeed, still present, in that it will require internet bandwidth to get your hands on this service, and with ISPs not making much in the way of moves to improve bandwidth supply to users and instead focusing on ways to keep users from using the bandwidth there is currently, a cloud-based service will likely strain networks still farther.

But what do you guys think of all this? Will the increased use of cloud-based services lead to improved networks? Will they die on the vine for lack of bandwidth? And would you buy an LG 3D Cinema TV to get the Gaikai service? No matter what your opinion on this one, we love hearing from you! So head on down to the comments section below and tell us what you think!

Vizio kicks things off with the VAP430 Stream player, which functions essentially like a standard set top box in that it brings the Google TV experience to your current home theater system, if it doesn’t already have it. It will also provide access to different forms of streaming media, including a pretty healthy lineup that counts Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and the juggernaut that is YouTube among its members as well as several audio-based options like Pandora and Slacker Radio.

Vizio then rounds out the slate with the significantly more substantial option of the VBR430, which brings in much the same streaming options as the VAP430 Stream, but includes a Blu-ray player and a new VIA platform that boasts a new video on demand app and Technicolor’s M-Go, which is said to bring first-run movies to televisions, which is an interesting step in its own right.

Sadly, much like the rest of Vizio’s CES show, the prices and release dates on these are still unavailable, but chances are we’ll be hearing more about these in the weeks to come. At any rate, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for the cable cutters out there, with a whole slew of new options coming out that may well give the cable companies some restless nights to come.

But what do you guys think about these two? Anyone thinking Vizio’s pair of new products may have a place in your home theater rotation? Or do you figure that these will quickly find themselves swamped by the variety of competitors in play? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section below and tell us what you think!

The Hopper DVR system is said to be the most energy-efficient home DVR system released to date, and that by itself does pose a noteworthy advantage. But that’s only where things start, rather than conclude. See, the Hopper also packs in a two terabyte hard drive for storage, meaning you’ll be able to put up a little over ten full days of HD recording on the device–250 hours, specifically–and if you step down to the still perfectly watchable but clearly inferior SD recording, you’ll be able to quadruple that total time to 1000 hours, or just south of a month and a half. It also includes three separate tuners to take care of programs on different channels at the same time–up to six different shows at once–and you’ll even be able to use the Hopper to route those recorded shows to different rooms, allowing up to four different rooms to tap into the impressive new feed.

And, even better, they had two mascots at the show: full-grown Hopper and baby Joey. So what is the Joey part of this enterprise? Simple–that’s Dish’s new tuner, packing in a 750 MHz Broadcom processor, said to be the fastest satellite receiver out there. It’s also going to bring out a whole new user interface that’s much, much more heavy on the graphics than previous versions were, and all of this contained in a chassis that’s about the size of a dollar bill.

This is actually only the start of Dish Network’s expansion plans, with a whole lot more (including some boosts to the streaming offerings on Blockbuster Online) set to emerge. And if Dish can pull all this off, you’ll likely see a whole lot of people who might have left Dish Network decide to stick around after all. Of course, much will depend on their execution of these nifty ideas, so it will remain to be seen just how much kick Hopper and Joey, et al, can throw into Dish’s bottom line.

But what do you guys think here? Figure Dish can keep its point of place in the home entertainment stakes with its new offerings? Or will the bloom fall off the rose too soon to be much use for Dish Network, and they’ll botch the job in the execution? No matter what your opinion, head on down to the comments section, because hearing from you always makes our day!

The LC-80LE844U is an 80 inch LED television that will also be packing in 3D capability, as well as a 240 Hz refresh rate, which is going to make video playback very smooth indeed. Sadly, Sharp didn’t put out much information about the basics, like just how many HDMI ports this thing’s going to be packing, or whether there will be any love here for the older equipment that’s still running on composite and component inputs, or even what the speaker wattage will be.

However, what we do know about the rest of the lineup is even better; the entire 2012 lineup from Sharp–which is said to represent fully 20 different televisions–is set to offer up onboard wi-fi for easy access to a variety of streaming services, as well as Sharp’s SmartCentral, which brings several of those streaming options together under one easy to access roof, like both Netflix and Hulu. And to top it off, they’ll even come with an AirPlay-style feature called Beamzit, which gives you access to your external devices, so long as they’re Android or iOS-driven.

And once you look at the top-end items, the so-called “9 Series”, you’ll even be able to get local dimming as well as the new Quattron Pixel Plus II system for what should be an even better–and bigger–picture than you’d seen from even previous Quattron models, which was never exactly a slouch in its own right.

The prices, naturally, are going to be soul-clenchingly high. For instance, the LC-80LE844U will sell at $6499, but you’ll have until April to save up for one, as that’s when it will be hitting shelves. The rest of the so-called 8 Series, with slightly lowered specs from the LE844U, will weigh in at $3199 and $4199. There’s no word on pricing for the 9 Series, but heading down, you’ll be able to get in on the new Sharp line for as little as $1699 thanks to the 5/6 series, which still looks like it will be pretty nice at at least a 52 inch screen and will be available in March.

I’m thoroughly impressed, of course, even if the price tags will be out of my normal spending for some time to come. But what do you guys think? Anyone want to get in on Sharp’s new line of Quattrons? Whatever you think about them, head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

The W7000 represents BenQ’s first ever 3D home theater projector, offering up DLP Link to remove crosstalk from the equation of the 3D effect. It puts out 2000 ANSI lumens of brightness, a contrast ratio measuring fully 50,000 to one with a dynamic iris to boot, and support for HDMI 1.4 3D signal formats to make this work with most anything. Even better, it offers Texas Instruments’ own BrilliantColor system for an even better picture, as well as VIDI lighting systems to increase color brightness (at least for the reds and the blues) by fully 15 percent. It will even pack in frame interpolation systems to cut down on blurring, judders, and smoother overall motion by upping the rate of frames per second. And just to top things off, it’s even got an ISFccc badge.

Impressive? You bet. I haven’t seen this one in action yet but the spec sheet alone has me drooling and reaching for my popcorn popper, knowing that a combination of this and, say, Jurassic Park will blow minds. But not surprisingly, a 3D home projector with this kind of spec array behind it is going to cost, and big time: the folks out at BenQ plan on selling these for a whopping $3999, and expect to have them on shelves by the end of March.

Admittedly, a projector that sells for the same price as some entire used cars may not make a lot of headway in a consumer market that’s found itself badly assaulted by the bad economy of late, but at that price, they really don’t need to sell that many to make it a staggering success. But what do you guys think on this one? Figure that BenQ will see brisk sales of the ultra-powerful projector line? Or do you think that BenQ’s big new projector won’t find enough people willing to spend to power up their home theaters? No matter what you think, we always like hearing from you, so hit the comments section below and tell us what you think!

The television in question is a 42 inch model showing in full 1080p resolution with polarized glasses, and an ultra-slim profile that also contains a Blu-ray player, so you can fit the whole thing in any space large enough to accommodate a 42 inch diagonal television. This isn’t the only thing that Sceptre was showing off at the big show, according to the tip we got in, but rather only the start of a panoply of devices that included regular 3D capable televisions measuring 55, 42 and 32 inches, a super-slim LED packing wi-fi connectivity and a 40 inch screen but no 3D, and a class of 32 and 22 inch televisions that come with the unexpected bonus of removable face plates so that you can customize the television’s color to your liking and your room’s decor.

And aside from the televisions, they’re even backing it up with some sound equipment too, in the form of the LED Sound Base System. Geared toward televisions measuring between 32 and 40 inches, the LED Sound Base System provides an extra punch of home theater sound without having to bring in the big array of external speakers.

It’s an impressive array of home theater components Scepter’s looking to bring out, and they’re going to start bringing the line out sometime this year for as yet undetermined price tags. I’ve tried Sceptre hardware before, and they can really do an impressive picture, though I admit that I haven’t had much contact with their audio gear. I don’t remember the last time I heard about them doing anything with audio, so hearing something from Sceptre on audio certainly catches my attention.

But what do you guys think here? Can Sceptre make a go out of its variety of products? Are they spreading themselves too thin? And can a built-in Blu-ray player and changeable face plates help make a dent in an already packed marketplace? No matter what you think, the comments section is waiting for you to tell us all about it!

The inTouch is the most interesting device of the three, as it will give your regular HDTV Smart TV powers. Instead of paying full price for a brand new Smart TV, you could purchase the inTouch, hook it up to your “dumb” HDTV, and access various smart features including Skype video chatting with HD video support, YouTube, Google News, Weather apps and web browsing. Sure, the inTouch will not bring your HDTV full-fledged Smart TV attributes, but it will still pack a bunch of useful features. In addition to Wi-Fi support and a 720p HD webcam, the inTouch comes with a remote control that features a full QWERTY keyboard. The inTouch will be launched in March 2012 and it will cost $199.99.

The SmartCam is a Wi-Fi IP camera that can be used to monitor your home or any other area, as long as it’s linked to an active Internet connection. The SmartCams records 640×480 videos at 30 frames per second and can record videos up to 15 feet away in low-light conditions using invisible infrared LEDs. The camera can be setup to record video when motion and/or noise is detected and upload the resulting clip to a YouTube channel. Users will also be able to register on a special Samsung site, samsungsmartcam.com to access live footage from their SmartCam camera. The Wi-Fi IP camera will set you back $149 in March when it launches.

Finally, we have a second Wi-Fi IP camera that can be used to monitor your baby’s activity. The camera works just like the SmartCam, and parents will be able to watch their babies online by accessing the same Samsung website. The camera offers two-way talking, video recording support and features non-visible infrared LEDs that let it record video even at night while your baby is asleep. Just like the SmartCam, the baby camera will cost $149 next March and both cameras will come with free iOS and Android applications.

We hardly have any ICS-running smartphones, so we’re certainly impressed to see this 55-inch beast run Google’s latest Android version. Unfortunately it’s not all good news for potential buyers, as Lenovo has not announced pricing details or launch dates for the K91. And we have no idea what markets the K91 will hit once it becomes available, other than Asian ones.

This Android television will sport a Qualcomm 1.5GHz dual-core 8060 Snapdragon processor, a 55-inch LED-backlit glossy LCD display with IPS technology, 16:9 aspect ratio, 240Hz refresh rate, 1,080p video resolution and 3D support. Other features include SRS TruSurround sound, Ethernet and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, DLNA support and HDMI 1.4 connectivity. In other words, the K91 has plenty of interesting TV features to offer that would satisfy most consumers. Add to that all the ICS apps that it will be able to run and you’ll end up with a powerful multimedia device ready to offer users access to plenty of content.

CES 2012 is getting ready to officially start, but plenty of products have already been unveiled already. While the K91 is definitely an interesting Smart TV set, especially since it’s coming from a non-traditional player in the TV business, we’re definitely interested to see what Smart TV models will be launched by Samsung and LG in the coming days.

Anyone particularly interested in the 55-inch K91 from Lenovo?

The official Google TV blog has been updated and that comes with a list of Google TV partners for 2012. The list of partners includes some names that we have seen before such as Sony and LG and even adds in a few more. The full list, well, the full list at this time includes LG, Marvell, MediaTek, Samsung, Sony and Vizio. Anyway, without any further adieu, here is a little teaser as to what we can expect from each of those six companies.

• LG – We’re thrilled to welcome global consumer electronics leader LG to the Google TV family. LG will showcase a new line of TVs powered by Google TV running on their own L9 chipset at CES.
• Marvell – Also new to the Google TV family this year is Marvell, an innovative worldwide leader in chipsets. Marvell will be showcasing a new generation of Google TV solutions which will help bring more products across more price points to consumers.
• MediaTek – We’re also excited to partner with MediaTek, the leading Taiwanese chipset designer. MediaTek chipsets will power yet another wave of Google TV devices.
• Samsung – We’re excited to work closely with Samsung to bring Google-TV powered Samsung devices to market in 2012.
• Sony – We’re happy to build on our partnership with Sony. At CES, Sony will unveil new devices for the US and plans to offer Google TV powered products in several countries around the world in 2012.
• Vizio – Last year we announced our partnership with Vizio at CES. This year we’re excited to join Vizio as they hold private demos at CES showcasing their new line of Google TV-powered products.

Otherwise, Google has also shared some details about Google TV such as how they have seen their activation rates double since they launched that big update last October. More exciting though, Google is now touting how they now have “more than 150 apps which developers have specifically built for TV with thousands more Android apps from the mobile world available to deepen your living room TV experience.” With that, look for more Google TV related news to come next week during CES.

The patent is reportedly titled Dynamic Backlight Adaptation for Black Bars with Subtitles”, and is geared toward improving picture quality on an LCD display for letterbox movies, which is pretty much the most common type of home movie release out there on at least one of the most common screen types. Basically, the patent addresses the issue of displaying the color black in a movie, which can be compounded when letterboxing is involved.

And what Apple’s system would do would be to offer multiple brightness settings based on the locations of images, such that when black appears in a movie, it gets a different level of backlighting than the letterbox presentation does, thus giving the two a clearer separation. The display itself would include a variety of circuits for analysis of the picture and adjustment of the backlight levels accordingly, and always on the fly as the picture is continually changing.

If Apple manages to introduce something like this into their televisions, it’s going to be a big help for their launch plans. Sure, they may not get the content they want, but if they can offer a better picture quality than their competitors, it’s not going to matter how entrenched they are, because Apple will definitely get some home theater buffs on their side just by offering the better picture. After all, there are plenty of sources for content out there–Netflix, Blockbuster, Hulu, YouTube, and right on down the line–but making that content look extra good? That’s a competitive advantage if ever there was one.

But what do you guys think here? Would you pay Apple prices for a television if they could offer better picture quality? Or do you think you’d do all right with the current models that would likely cost much less? No matter what you think, the comments section is waiting for you, so head on down and tell us what you think!

The Pioneer N50 is set to provide a so-called “armored chassis”, a USB port thrown in for your various MP3 players, coaxial and optical ports (and gold-plated analog RCA jacks too), a 2.5 inch LCD screen to show data about the music you’re playing, a pair of EL transformers, and the Advanced Sound Retriever / Sound Retriever AIR system. Plus, those who like streaming will be happy to have AirPlay, DLNA 1.5, and vTuner’s internet radio system, as well as apps for Android and iOS users. You’ll be able to pick this up for $699.

The Pioneer N30, meanwhile, brings most of that to the plate, but dumps one of the EL transformers, rear digital inputs, the armored chassis and the Advanced Sound Retriever and Sound Retriever AIR systems to sell for $499.

While you could easily wonder just why a device meant to sit on a shelf needs with exterior armor, the answer is actually pretty simple: the armor in question provides proof against outside interference and noise artifacts, giving you as clear a sound as Pioneer knows how to generate. Most audiophiles will readily admit that Pioneer knows its stuff in terms of sound quality, so if Pioneer says it makes for better sound, I believe them. But you’ll notice a couple things missing out the door here: wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Those are available, but have to be purchased separately in the form of a $150 wireless adapter and a $100 Bluetooth adapter, which is an unusual step to say the least.

But would the lack of wi-fi and Bluetooth keep you from buying either of these? Or would you be all right with the wired base models? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section below and tell us what you think!

The biggest part of this story is that the televisions themselves, reportedly, are being developed. Word is that they’re looking to start at at least a 42 inch model, with an actual 50 inch television currently contained inside Jonathan Ive’s workshop. This actually runs counter to some early reports that suggested that Apple would start smaller, going for the 32 inch or 37 inch sizes first, and actually works a bit closer with logical thought, as in, why offer up smaller sizes for more money when you can really show off Apple’s power and capability on a big model? It’s also said to have built-in wi-fi connectivity, which would be vital for something like this.

The other part of the story likely won’t be really news in the traditional sense, but the biggest problem Apple’s running into is not one of design, but rather, still, one of licensing. Apple’s plan to essentially create the first ever iTunes-style a la carte television service is running into serious resistance from, not at all surprisingly, the content owners. The problems, which have been ongoing for months, show no real signs of let-up at last report, and this leaves Apple with a rather unpleasant situation to surmount.

If Apple puts up a new television without much in the way of content, it’ll be tough to separate it from the legion of competitors already out there. Sure, adding Siri to the mix would be an impressive addition, but Siri by itself won’t prove too much different from the glorious combination phrase that is “Xbox-Bing”, especially given the fact that Microsoft has content deals. But considering the kind of cash hoard that Apple’s dealing with, they could conceivably make their own content at any given time and really do some damage.

So what do you guys think here? Think we’ll still see an Apple television? Or will the lack of content deals leave Apple out in the cold for the first time in recent memory? No matter what you think, the comments section is waiting for you below!

The Cybershot W610 will be the simpler of the two, not surprisingly, and will offer up a 14.1 megapixel image sensor, 4x optical zoom, a sweep panorama shooting mode, a variety of photo effects, two gigs of onboard storage capability and a variety of colors available.

Meanwhile, the Cybershot W630 will offer up a 16.1 megapixel image sensor, a slightly longer 5x optical zoom, two gigs of storage capacity, the sweep panorama shooting mode, Intelligent Auto to determine your settings automatically according to conditions on the ground, optical image stabilization capability, and the ability to capture video in 720p.

Pretty simple, of course, but otherwise not half bad, especially when you consider what else is already out there. And the prices will certainly help make a positive decision for these two, as the W610 is set to sell around $167 (it’s priced in yuan out at the Sony China website, so some currency value fluctuations make that price less than static) and the W630 will sell at a slightly heftier $206. In fact, once these get their debut out at the 2012 CES event, as the current word suggests will happen, the prices will likely drop for the United States release due to differences in tax issues.

Still though, the prices look sufficiently solid as to make these well worth any camera buffs’ time to check out, with a decent set of specs weighing in at a nice price indeed, so chances are these should do some decent business when they emerge. But what do you guys think here? Figure that there’s still room for a point and shoot camera in a world where iPhones are so widely present? Or do you figure that the new Cybershot lineup will end up falling under the big competition that is the iPhone, et al? No matter what you think, the comments section is ready and waiting below, so head on down and tell us what you think!

I know, most of us–especially home theater buffs like myself–were all pretty interested in LG’s attempt to bring out the OLED television, as it represented some pretty substantial improvements in the technology as we knew it, but LG isn’t resting on its laurels by bringing out just one mere technological marvel. No, they’ve got something almost as good planned in the form of an 84 inch television that will be showing at 4K resolution.

If this seems a bit familiar to you, it should, as LG actually showed off something similar to this at last year’s CES event, but this time, there are some serious modifications going on. Not only are you getting the impressively massive 84 inch LCD screen showing at 3840 x 2160, but you’ll now get the Smart TV system, as well as fully 1200 apps contained within giving you a whole lot more functionality in your television viewing. Even better, word is that they’ve also installed a new ultra-thin bezel around the edge, getting us closer to the time when television will look more like a big floating portal into another dimension and less like an appliance. It will even, according to reports, offer up a 2D to 3D conversion system to accommodate the lack of 3D material out there.

Naturally, there’s no word as yet on pricing, release dates, or anything that will let you know where, when and for how much you can lay hands on one of these impressive juggernauts of home entertainment yourself, but chances are we’ll hear more out of this one at the CES event in just a matter of days now.

But what do you guys think? Would you be interested in picking up one of these, even at the no doubt massive price tag you’ll have to pay to lay hands on it? Or will you be willing to settle for merely1080p resolution on several televisions that are already dropping in price? No matter what you think, the comments section below is waiting for you to step in and tell us what you think!

Samsung is reportedly planning to launch the Galaxy S III, which will succeed its popular Galaxy S II flagship Android smartphone. The company is planning a launch at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this coming February 2012, according to sources cited by Korean-language site ETNews.

The Galaxy S III is expected to come with a quad-core Exynos chipset, and will feature 3D technology. The smartphone will come with a Super AMOLED Plus 720p display, LTE connectivity, 2GB RAM, and will run Samsung’s proprietary TouchWiz UI on top of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Further, Samsung is reportedly planning to differentiate its Android smartphones from the iPhone, noting that its cross-country legal battles with the Cupertino, CA company have mostly involved design patents. The Galaxy S III will feature 3D photo and video recording capabilities, which will likewise be a feature in other Samsung smartphones and tablets. In particular, Samsung is rumored to have a Galaxy 3D in the works, which can be used to stream content to a 3D-enabled Samsung TV.

Samsung’s new smartphones are likely to get a public release by 2Q 2012, which will be right after MWC. Samsung has historically launched flagship products at the MWC, such as the Galaxy S II, which it announced at MWC in Barcelona in February 2011, which gives some credence to the reports that a new flagship smartphone will likewise make an appearance at the upcoming event.

We’ve been hearing a lot about the Apple television–just recently we heard that they were looking to include something approximately similar to an A5 chip to power the whole thing–and this just adds on to the stack. But what Apple wants to do is what a lot of users out there have been no doubt hoping for for a long time, what amounts to a la carte programming, in that you get to select the channels you want, and leave out the stuff you don’t want. Apple looks to offer this up for a monthly subscription fee, much like cable does, with the key distinction that this time you get to pick a number of channels (or even individual shows) you want, up to a maximum number, instead of whatever hash the provider cobbled together.

Of course, this isn’t exactly innovative. People have wanted this ever since there was cable to watch in the first place, but the problem here is not one of technology or execution, it’s one of rights and licenses and intellectual property and lawyers. And while this will no doubt be a substantial hurdle for even Apple to overmaster, there are two important points to bear in mind here.

One, this is Apple. Apple has a massive, loyal user base, which means a whole lot of eyeballs in the waiting for advertising. That’s a market anyone would want access to.

Two, this is Apple. Apple also has a massive stash of ready cash which it can use to woo content providers away from their current deals. And that’s what they’re going to really need to pull this off.

Naturally, if they manage to do this, they’re going to have a serious competitive advantage, but the question is, can they even pull it off? What will they have to do to get it? And would you pay more for a television that could provide that kind of programming freedom? Lots of room for discussion here, folks, so head on down to the comments section and let’s get started!

The current word suggests that Apple is working on the television in question, and that they’re planning to power the device with a custom chip similar in nature to the A5, which is currently running both the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4S. And what’s more, further word says that three bidders right now are in the hunt to provide components for said television, making this look like more of a likely release with every passing bit of news that lands about it. And indeed, where yesterday, we were hearing about a third quarter 2012 release on the Apple television, the newest report to emerge is pegging “late 2012″ for a release date.

Saying “third quarter 2012″ and “late 2012″ actually meshes pretty nicely, at least by some figures, and as we mentioned yesterday it would be a good idea for Apple to have something ready to go into the dark space between releases, especially with an iPad likely to hit in the early days and an iPhone likely ready for the end of the year, there’s a nice big Apple-free expanse that could stand a little sprucing up.

Apple already has the makings of a terrific addition to most any home theater on its hands, with Siri providing all the makings of a fine engine of content discovery and the Retina Display making an excellent, well, display. So it’s really not out of line to think that Apple could conceivably offer up a great home theater experience for anyone who cared to try, as long as they could keep the costs in line with most everybody’s likely strained budgets.

But what do you guys think about this one? Think that Apple may have something on their hands here with an A5-analogue powering their television? Or do you think this will all end up as mere vaporware? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section below and tell us what you think!

LG had actually only recently updated its line of 3D glasses back in August, when they rolled out their new LW980S television. And now, almost six months later, they’re plotting a whole new reboot to the line. This time around, the glasses are set to be 20 percent lighter in weight (and this after they’d already reduced the weight to the line released back in August, according to reports), and include, for the first time, curved lenses.

Style is also something of a plus here, with a set of glasses said to be designed by eyewear’s own Alain Mikli. They’re passive glasses, so you won’t need to plug them in or charge them up ahead of time. This is actually part, according to reports from LG, of an overall greater strategy to get people past some of the biggest objections to 3D television: affordability and comfort.

And they’ve got something of a point here, which is why you see so much work going to get 3D without glasses into wider distribution. But that’s going to take a while, and those who have adopted 3D will be needing something to get over the hump, thus you see LG’s new move here. And making stylish, lightweight, inexpensive 3D glasses should definitely give LG an edge until the glasses-free 3D movement finally reaches fruition.

LG plans to offer these new glasses in the early going of next year for an as yet undetermined pricing structure. But what do you guys think about these? Think LG’s got a good idea on its hands here with these new glasses? Or do you figure that LG’s stepping in on a comparatively doomed technology? No matter what you think, we definitely want to hear from you, so head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

The MMC-12 is set to pack in your choice of an Intel Core i3 2100T running at 2.5 GHz or an Intel Core i5 2390T processor running at 2.7 GHS. You’ll be able to back this up with your choice of RAM configurations, starting at one gig and going all the way up to eight gigs of DDR3 RAM, a front mounted optical drive in your choice of CD/DVD or CD/DVD/Blu-ray drives (no burning on this one, from the look of it, though), your choice of a 500 gig or one terabyte hard drive (or an 80 or 120 gig solid state drive), your choice of Windows 7 operating systems and a mini wifi system from Edimax. You’ll also get a pair of USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI output, a DVI output, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a GBE LAN port and an audio in / out jack.

What kind of price are they asking, you wonder? The absolute lowest bare-bones price on one of these kicks off at 278 pounds sterling, or around $436 in US dollars. And for that kind of money, you can get a full desktop with much more going on, though it will be substantially bigger than the MMC-12, which fits easily into any DVD player-sized slot in your home theater.

Personally, I’m not seeing the value on this one, especially given that you could likely do better from a full-size desktop, or even a laptop. But there’s always the possibility I’m not seeing something right, so I’ll turn it over to you. Do you see a value in the MMC-12? Or do you think that you can do a whole lot better with a variety of other possible sources? No matter what your stance, we definitely want to hear from you, so hit the comments section below and tell us what you think!

The televisions in question are going to start relatively small, offering up both 32 and 37 inch screens. Not bad, admittedly, but still lagging behind the much larger systems the industry currently offers.Information about other specs, sadly, wasn’t part of the rumor package, but some interesting support for the rumor is.

See, the current word says that suppliers are getting ready to get components for the devices around, and will be doing so throughout the first quarter of 2012. This initial burst of activity should lead to completed units ready to go either in the second or third quarter of 2012, which is going to put this smack into summer, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. And that actually intermingles rather nicely with earlier reports suggesting that the new iPad was set to land in the early part of the year and the new iPhone would come later in the year. That left a nice big Apple-free hole to fill, and going after a new television is the perfect thing to toss in the mix, especially if Apple can get it around in time for the Olympics.

There were rumors of an Apple television going back for some time now, but they reached critical mass following the release of Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs, wherein Jobs had expressed his belief in a new kind of television that was much simpler to work with. Plus, earlier word that Apple bought into a Sharp plant for LCD panels certainly didn’t reduce the speculation.

Personally, I look for this to happen, eventually. Televisions have picked up a lot of power, and Apple’s design skills (not to mention using Siri for a remote) would be a game-changer. Will it happen this summer? Maybe not. But still, eventually, this could be a good move. But what do you guys think about this one? We always like hearing from you, so head on down to the comments section below and tell us what you think!

Basically, Boxee 1.5 is looking to make its entrance soon, as a full release is set to hit sometime in January, around the same time as Live TV. And while Boxee users will be happy to see that the user interface will get some serious tweaking until it’s on par with that of the Boxee Box, they likely won’t be happy to hear that this is the last version of Boxee to ever be released for Windows, Linux, and Mac desktops. Nor will they be happy to hear that support for premium apps like Netflix will also be unavailable here.

Boxee, at last report, plans to focus on set-top boxes and the like, including the eponymous Boxee Box, as well as a variety of Blu-ray players and televisions. Developing separate software for PCs (and Macs, if you prefer) has been diverting development resources away from the set-top peripherals, something Boxee wants to change to keep up with the growing amount of competition in that market space.

This is undoubtedly something of a blow for the home theater PC crowd, though it’s only something of a blow considering that there will be plenty of alternatives to follow, not to mention likely improvements to the overall Boxee Box design now that Boxee’s no longer splitting its R&D capabilities. Still though, losing an alternative is never anything but a bitter pill to swallow, though hopefully, this one will produce some pleasant results down the line.

So what do you guys think here? Think the home theater market is losing a great alternative? Or do you think that Boxee focusing on the Box and the like will prove more valuable for users in the long run? No matter what stance you take here, the comments section below is the perfect place to fill us in on what you think!