With the annual Consumer Electronics Show just around the corner, we’ve compiled a first pass list of products and services we’re looking forward to seeing in Las Vegas next week. We believe these should be of particular interest to those who work in entertainment media. While we anticipate seeing products that directly compete or overlap with those on this list — and we hope there will be plenty of additional surprises — we wanted to share some of the expected highlights in advance. Continue reading CES 2014: Compelling Products Generating Early Buzz (Part 1)

During the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week, LG Electronics is planning to unveil its 31-inch “Real 4K” 31MU95, the company’s first 4K PC monitor. While manufacturers such as Asus, Dell and Sharp already sell 4K monitors with 3840×2160 resolution, LG’s first offering will tout 4096×2160 resolution at a 16:9 aspect ratio, the ultra-wide 4K resolution favored by the film industry. LG’s 4K monitor is intended for professionals in visual industries including design and film. Continue reading LG to Debut its First Ultra HD PC Monitor at CES Next Week

Samsung is releasing its 110-inch Ultra HD TV — first unveiled during last year’s CES — in South Korea, China, parts of Europe and the Middle East, starting at about $142,000 for the basic edition. The news follows December’s announcements that both Samsung and LG will demo 105-inch curved 4K TVs at next week’s CES in Las Vegas. While pricing and availability has yet to be announced for the U.S. market, details are expected to be revealed at CES. Continue reading Samsung Releases Pricey 110-inch 4K TV on the Eve of CES

It looks like Archos, maker of Android devices, will join Pebble, Samsung, Sony and others in the emerging smartwatch market when it debuts new connected devices at next week’s CES. A “Coming Soon” teaser page on the company’s website promises “Archos Smartwatches: the perfect companions for your smartphone.” And the company’s press release suggests new smartwatches will join a collection of other connected devices on display in Central Hall at the Archos booth. Continue reading Archos to Intro Smartwatches and Connected Devices at CES

Netflix is testing a new pricing model with some of its new customers that provides streaming access to as many as four screens simultaneously, allowing household members to view different shows at the same time. Pricing ranges from $6.99 to $11.99 per month. The approach offers more ways to watch content, similar to how cable providers rent multiple set-top boxes. Netflix may also be looking for ways to curb account sharing. If successful, the new pricing could be expanded to additional customers. Continue reading Netflix Tests Subscription Model Based on Number of Users

It’s been nearly a year since LG purchased HP’s webOS to power its future televisions. At a recent semiconductor event held in Seoul, Korea, LG researcher Hong Sung-pyo announced that the company has plans to debut a new TV running its version of the defunct smartphone OS at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The webOS-powered TV will reportedly run a 2.2GHz dual-core processor with 1.5GB of RAM, enabling multitasking features. Continue reading LG Plans to Debut its New webOS TV During CES in January

Netflix is making a push for Ultra HD resolution streaming and promises to reveal details on its plans for 4K at next month’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Neil Hunt, the streaming service’s chief product officer indicated Netflix has deals to offer 4K streaming with embedded players on certain UHD TVs (manufacturers will also be announced at CES). The second season of Netflix’s original series “House of Cards” will be the first to stream in 4K in 2014. Continue reading Netflix to Reveal 4K Streaming Details at Next Month’s CES

In the wake of an eventful year for television technology, January’s Consumer Electronics Show is expected to feature a slew of new announcements, most notably, perhaps, involving a new wave of LED LCD sets possibly filling the void left by plasma. In October, Panasonic announced it would stop manufacturing plasma TVs. While LG and Samsung will likely introduce new plasma models in 2014, compelling features of affordable LED LCD models could possibly take center stage. Continue reading TV: Will 4K LED LCD Replace 1080p Plasma at CES in January?

With numerous reports showing that the trend of cord-cutting continued to accelerate during 2013, despite the fact that pay TV revenue growth remains strong, the ETCentric reporting team in Las Vegas will be looking for innovative or disruptive products and services that may impact the current television business model. Currently, 14 percent of U.S. broadband households are using some sort of video streaming media device, with the various models of Roku being the most popular. Continue reading CES 2014: TV Everywhere and Tech Beyond the End of the Cord

At January’s 2014 International CES in Las Vegas, the ETC reporting team will be looking at how vendors are positioning 4K UHD TVs, including what features they consider compelling, and how they are building out the full consumer experience with an ecosystem of products and services. Features we’ll be watching for include resolution and pixel count, extended dynamic range, wider color gamut, a “director’s intent” setting, the latest in 3D, advances in audio, and more. Continue reading CES 2014: Exciting Possibilities for Future of 4K Ultra HDTV

Amazon Studios, the film and TV production arm of Amazon.com, announced this week that it plans to shoot all of its original series next year in 4K Ultra HD. Amazon plans to debut five new comedy and drama pilots in 2014, from producers and performers such as Chris Carter, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Michael Strahan and others. Viewers will help determine which pilots should be produced as exclusive series on Prime Instant Video and LOVEFiLM in the UK. Continue reading Amazon Studios to Shoot Original Programming in 4K Ultra HD

Warner Bros. launched Warner Archive Instant in April, offering rare and hard-to-find movies and TV shows online. The $9.99 per month service streams content from Warner Bros., MGM, RKO, Allied Artists and others. Last week, the studio announced a new iPad app for the service. Many of the titles are available for streaming to HDTVs in 1080p via an iPad or Roku player. The entire Warner Archive Instant collection is also now available with closed captioning. Continue reading Warner Archive Instant Adds iPad App and Closed Captioning

Facebook is working on ways to give brands and media companies a better look at conversations happening on the social media service about TV, movies and media. Facebook recently launched new APIs allowing certain companies to read what people are saying about them online. The goal, of course, is to allow those companies to better engage with target audiences. But for now, the program is limited just to media brands and content producers. Continue reading Facebook Helps Companies Gauge Social Chatter About Media

Pay TV subscribers in the U.S. who purchased Microsoft’s new Xbox One game console can now watch episodes of Fox prime time shows such as “The Simpsons,” “New Girl” and “Almost Human.” In order to access the Fox Now streaming service, consumers need to subscribe to participating cable, satellite and telco TV partners. According to Microsoft, 2 million Xbox One consoles have been sold since the product debuted last month in 13 countries. Continue reading Pay TV Subscribers Can Now Enjoy Fox Shows via Xbox One

BBC’s iPlayer streaming service shows that Britain’s TV viewers have different consumption habits than Netflix customers here in the U.S. The iPlayer service, which offers live and on-demand shows for viewing, indicates viewership habits that reflect traditional TV viewing, with varying peak times. The majority of BBC’s viewers still watch traditional television, but the definition of “prime time” changes along with the shift to streaming. Continue reading BBC iPlayer Peak Times Vary Between TV and Mobile Viewers