Tag Archives: SmartTvs

Redux promises to bring a ‘lean-back TV experience’ to new Sony and LG devices

Posted on by

DNP Redux promises to bring a 'leanback TV experience' to new Sony and LG devices

Smart TV and set-top box users unhappy with tedious menu-clicking might have already found Redux, a Google TV app that streamlines online content selection. Now though, buyers of new Sony Google TV and LG Smart TVs and Blu-ray players will find the handy streaming guide baked right in. It works by allowing user "curators" to create their own video channels on subjects like music and tech, which the software then presents in a directory for other like-minded viewers. Redux also has deals with publishers like Hearst, letting it stream premium content from Popular Mechanics, Car and Driver and other brands. Already one of the top apps in the Google and Samsung TV ecosystems, the new deals with Sony and LG mean it could appear on up to 40 million devices by the end of the year. So, if you're tired of hunting and pecking and want to couch-surf online programs more traditionally, check the source for more info.

Filed under: , ,

Redux promises to bring a 'lean-back TV experience' to new Sony and LG devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch  |  sourceRedux, Redux (Google Play)  | Email this | Comments

Tencent and TCL unveil Ice Screen: a 26-inch Android-based smart TV

Posted on by

Tencent and TCL unveil Ice Screen: a 26-inch Android-based smart TV

Chinese web titan Tencent and TCL Multimedia have torn the wraps off the Ice Screen, a jointly developed 26-inch smart TV with a 1,366 x 768 display that allows users to browse the web, access videos, music and games through QQ services. Under the hood, the Android-powered television houses a dual-core Cortex A9 1GHz processor, a Mali 400 GPU, 4GB of RAM and support for a memory card of up to 32GB in size. An IR remote and an app for devices sporting version 2.2 or higher of Google's OS can be used to control the tube, which can sit horizontally or vertically in its stand. On the connectivity front, the panel packs Wi-Fi, a pair of USB ports, HDMI and a 3.5mm headphone jack. You can plunk down ¥1,999 (roughly $315) for an online pre-order before its September 3rd launch. More details await in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Tencent and TCL unveil Ice Screen: a 26-inch Android-based smart TV

Filed under:

Tencent and TCL unveil Ice Screen: a 26-inch Android-based smart TV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 10:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceEngadget Chinese  | Email this | Comments

Sainsbury’s pairs up with Rovi for video service, stays ahead of the techie curve

Posted on by

SSB

Beloved UK supermarket Sainsbury's is making a big push into digital media, after snapping up e-book retailer Anobii and music company Global Media Vault, it's now partnering with Rovi for a digital video service. Launching later in the year, it'll offer video-on-demand and downloadable copies of "major" film and TV titles, available the same time the discs are available in store. It'll initially be limited to computers, before rolling out to Smart TVs, connected Blu-Ray players, smartphones and consoles. The only question we have is if we'll be able to collect Nectar Points on our purchases -- if so, we're sold.

Continue reading Sainsbury's pairs up with Rovi for video service, stays ahead of the techie curve

Filed under: ,

Sainsbury's pairs up with Rovi for video service, stays ahead of the techie curve originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

TVSync API unveiled, helps devs build second-screen and smart TV apps

Posted on by

TVSync API unveiled, helps devs build second-screen and smart TV apps

Second screen apps seem to be all the rage as of late, and Vobile's freshly announced TVSync API platform can help developers ride that wave of popularity. Compatible with iOS and Android devices, PCs and some smart TVs, the API can be leveraged to supplement what's on the silver screen with relevant content ranging from polls to products. Apps developed with the interface can trigger what's displayed on the companion screen at just the right moment by analyzing audio, video, or both. For instance, a recipe featured on a celebrity chef's program could be pushed to your slate as soon as it's first mentioned. Yearning to code an app of your own with the tech? Visit the source to request beta access to TVSync or look below for the full press release.

Continue reading TVSync API unveiled, helps devs build second-screen and smart TV apps

Filed under:

TVSync API unveiled, helps devs build second-screen and smart TV apps originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 05:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceTVSync  | Email this | Comments

Angry Birds with gesture controls collides with select Samsung Smart TVs

Posted on by

Angry Birds with gesture controls collides with select Samsung Smart TVs

We first caught wind of Angry Birds' impending arrival on Samsung Smart TVs earlier this month, and now the war against pigs is available as a free download on some of the company's silver screens. Thanks to a built-in camera and the firm's Smart Interaction tech, which typically help users navigate menus and browse the web, gamers can smash through swine defenses using gesture controls. In order to download the app from the Samsung Smart Hub, you'll need a television in the Plasma 8000 range or a 2012 LED 7500 or higher. If your TV's not as intelligent as Samsung would like, however, the avian protagonists can already stage their skirmishes on your tube with a Roku, and come this holiday season, they'll be soaring on the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Filed under: ,

Angry Birds with gesture controls collides with select Samsung Smart TVs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 02:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Samsung 75-inch ES9000 smart TV makes stateside debut: on sale in August for $9,999

Posted on by

Samsung 75inch ES9000 smart TV makes stateside debut on sale in August for $9,999

The mammoth 75-inch ES9000 LED smart TV that Samsung recently unveiled for the Korean market is making its way stateside. Today the 3D-capable, LED-backlit set was on display in New York as part of the Sammy-sponsored SpaceFest marking the Space Shuttle Enterprise's arrival at the Intrepid. How smart TVs relate to Space Shuttle orbiters is beyond us, but the ES9000's US debut is welcome news for those with a massive living room to fill, and were disappointed after the ES8000 75-incher shown at CES and even given a price tag earlier this year failed to materialize.

Detailed specs are currently MIA, but as we noted before in our hands-on, the 75-incher's bezel measures just 0.31 inches, and the frame sports a rose-gold finish. There's also a built-in web camera that retracts when not in use, and the TV comes with four pairs of 3D glasses. Being a smart TV, this guy also includes the full suite of Smart TV features, such as Smart Interaction for enabling gesture and voice controls and Smart Content for sharing media across several devices. Samsung also used today's occasion to introduce a new Angry Birds app for its smart TVs, which lets users play the game entirely with gesture controls. The app will be available for a free download later this month, and the ES9000 will go on sale in August for a super-sized price of $9.999. Check out the PR below for more info.

Continue reading Samsung 75-inch ES9000 smart TV makes stateside debut: on sale in August for $9,999

Filed under: ,

Samsung 75-inch ES9000 smart TV makes stateside debut: on sale in August for $9,999 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Gaikai’s cloud gaming beta arrives on cue to high-end Samsung Smart TVs

Posted on by

gaikais-cloud-gaming-beta-samsung-smart-tv

Gaikai announced with a flourish that it was partnering with LG and Samsung for Smart TV cloud gaming, so its acquisition by Sony made us wonder if those arrangements would still hold. Well, it looks like all's well with the arch-foes, at least on that front. The service has landed in a closed beta, provided you're the lucky owner of a 2012 Samsung LED 7000 series or higher Smart TV with the latest firmware update. Should you decide to download the software, you'll be offered the chance to check out the company's early access program, which will not only let you sample the cloud gaming wares, but also get you a Logitech Gamepad to boot -- provided you're a "selected participant." That'll let you kick back and test out some Gaikai games for yourself, so if you're among the select few with the right TV, check the source to see how the install works.

Gaikai's cloud gaming beta arrives on cue to high-end Samsung Smart TVs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 05:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  sourcePC Perspective  | Email this | Comments

Gaikai-powered cloud gaming coming to Samsung Smart TVs (update: hands-on video and impressions)

Posted on by

Gaikaipowered cloud gaming coming to Samsung Smart TVs

At this point, most people (in the tech world, at least) are quite familiar with Gaikai's cloud gaming platform, which lets users have a not-quite-console quality gaming experience on any device. The technology has found its way onto Facebook and in LG TVs, and now Gaikai's bringing gaming to Samsung TVs, too. Called Samsung Cloud Gaming (SCG), it'll be available via the Smart Hub on Samsung 7000 series and up Smart TVs in the US this summer. The technology powering SCG is the same as what's behind LG's service, but Sammy's customized the UI to suit its sensibilities. We got a chance to speak with Gaikai CEO David Perry about his company's latest partnership, so join us after the break for more.

Update: Video hands-on added after the break. We also demoed the service playing Darksiders, and aside from some mild stuttering the button masher was smooth enough to play using a USB-connected controller. We're told that the software we viewed isn't final, so it may not reflect the final look.

Gallery: Gaikai on Samsung Smart TVs

Continue reading Gaikai-powered cloud gaming coming to Samsung Smart TVs (update: hands-on video and impressions)

Gaikai-powered cloud gaming coming to Samsung Smart TVs (update: hands-on video and impressions) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Nuance takes credit for voice features inside Samsung’s 2012 Smart TV lineup

Posted on by

Nuance takes credit for voice features inside Samsung's 2012 Smart TV lineup

Back at this year's eventful CES, Nuance announced it was launching a platform to bring voice recognition services to connected TVs, among other devices. Now, just a few months later, the communications outfit's taking credit for the voice features packed inside Sammy's 2012 Smart TVs. Essentially, this means those speaking commands used to control the Smart Hub, applications like Skype and even web surfing are all powered by Nuance's Dragon technology. The move itself isn't a surprising one, given Nuance's credibility within the industry. So, now you know who's making it all happen the next time you're telling that ES8000 what to do.

Continue reading Nuance takes credit for voice features inside Samsung's 2012 Smart TV lineup

Nuance takes credit for voice features inside Samsung's 2012 Smart TV lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 06:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Lenovo launches four Android-powered K-series Smart TVs in China this month

Posted on by

Lenovo launches four Android-powered K-series Smart TVs in China this month

We first saw Lenovo's Android 4.0 tellymabob back at CES, now the firm is getting ready to unleash the full K-series of Smart TVs on China. Four models are on offer, the 55-inch K91 and K81 models, along with a 42-inch version of the latter and another at this size -- the K71. You may remember that Ice Cream Sandwich is running on a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon CPU and Lenovo claims the interface is a mix of touch, air mouse, gravity sensor, smart keyboard and conventional remote -- lots more to lose down the back of the couch, then. The firm's joint venture with SMG's BesTV -- iSmartv -- will provide on demand HD content, and its "Le Store" developer community will serve up the apps -- with over 1,000 claimed to be available already. Prices will range from 6,499 RMB to 14,999 RMB (about $1030 to $2370) and should be in stores across China this month.

Lenovo launches four Android-powered K-series Smart TVs in China this month originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 07:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Reuters  |  sourceLenovo  | Email this | Comments