In an effort to boost lagging television sales, Best Buy announced that 700 of its U.S. stores will start selling Sony 4K Ultra HDTVs this week. The home theater departments of Best Buy and Magnolia stores will prominently display the 4K sets and offer demonstrations that tout the benefits of the new format over current 1080p offerings. The demos are expected to emphasize up-scaling capabilities to help attract consumers. Continue reading Best Buy Now Selling Sony 4K Televisions in its U.S. Stores

In a study conducted by NPD Group with over 4,000 participants, only 47 percent of home entertainment devices, such as Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, smart TVs and streaming media devices are connected to the Internet. Results of the study also determined that 40 percent of connected televisions are used to watch Netflix content, with other video sites such as YouTube following at 17 percent, and Hulu at 11 percent. Continue reading Majority of Entertainment Hardware Not Actually Connected

Mobile carrier Telefónica is testing technology from Expect Labs that listens in on phone calls. The new type of artificial intelligence provides suggestions based on key terms in a phone conversation, by converting the conversation to text and offering instant relevant information. New investments in the San Francisco startup have been made by Telefónica, Samsung and Intel. Google Ventures invested in Expect Labs back in October. Continue reading Expect Labs Software Understands Phone Conversations

With March Madness underway, many sports fans will be using social media to read and share updates about their favorite college basketball teams. To enhance the social and second screen experience this year, Twitter has joined forces with Turner Broadcasting and startup SnappyTV to provide instant 15-second replay videos of popular game highlights through Twitter’s news feed. The move will also create new opportunities for advertising revenue. Continue reading Twitter Offers Video Highlight Clips During March Madness

FOX has announced a new syndication network that will allow second screen TV apps including Shazam, Viggle, ConnecTV and Dijit’s NextGuide to link with its sync-to-broadcast content, currently accessible via FOX NOW apps. The network will also allow FOX to syndicate content to smart TVs and service providers interested in enhancing audience engagement. Additional partners are expected to be announced soon. Continue reading FOX Launches Digital Syndication Network for App Partners

Samsung’s new TV Discovery service will enable viewers to search for and watch live TV, on-demand video and online videos from outlets such as YouTube. The company plans to unveil the new platform at Mobile World Congress this week in Barcelona. TV Discovery will work on Samsung’s line of smart TVs and its mobile devices. The service will learn user preferences and give recommendations based on each user’s viewing history and interests. Continue reading Samsung to Launch TV Discovery for Video, Live Television

The streaming music service Deezer has announced partnerships with Samsung, Toshiba and LG that could possibly make the Deezer app available to some 600 million people across more than 150 countries. However, the deals are limited in scope since Deezer will initially only be available on Samsung smart TV models produced from 2011 (Europe only) and LG models from 2011 (worldwide). Deezer does not have a deal in place for the U.S. Continue reading Deezer Expands Global Music Streaming with Smart TV Deals

Computer security firm Rapid7 has discovered and outlined three sets of security flaws in Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), a component that allows devices to connect and communicate on networks. “The flaws would allow hackers to steal passwords and documents or take remote control of webcams, printers, security systems, and other devices that are connected to the Internet,” reports Wired. Continue reading Rapid7 Uncovers Shocking Flaws in Universal Plug and Play

Electronic devices and household appliances are going mobile in increasing numbers. And your smartphone is about to go along for the ride. In fact, your smartphone is about to conduct the ride. “In the age of the connected home, your mobile devices are becoming the central command, the brains, if you will, of the entire smarthome experience,” writes Wired. Continue reading Smartphone as Magic Wand: Your Remote Control for Everything

Samsung unveiled its new Smart TV Evolution Kit at CES, which will bring software updates to older Samsung Smart TVs including improvements to CPU, GPU, and other software features. Samsung knows rapidly advancing technology can in some cases act as a sales deterrent, and hopes the Evolution Kit will convince consumers to invest in current Smart TVs by promising technology updates to keep the functionality from becoming stale. Continue reading Evolution Kit: Samsung to Provide Smart TV Software Updates

Samsung is previewing 85-inch and 110-inch Ultra HD LED TVs; a new flagship Smart TV, the F8000 LED with quad-core processor; and a 55-inch OLED TV with Multi-View feature. The company is also extending its “Smart” capabilities including voice recognition and introducing its 2013 Evolution Kit to bring new features to existing Samsung displays without requiring a new television. Continue reading CES 2013: Samsung Launches Ultra HDTVs as Part of New Lineup

LG is going big with its new 100-inch class “Hecto” Laser TV, equipped with both smart TV and digital TV capabilities. Launching at CES this week, the 1080p projection system offers an in-home theater-like experience, easily controlled via the company’s Magic Remote, which utilizes voice, gesture, point and wheel control modes. LG’s Laser TV allows users to place the lens just 22-inches from the screen, while providing full HD resolution and 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Continue reading CES 2013: LG Unveils Theater-Like 100-inch Hecto Laser TV

Smart TV Alliance announced on Sunday that five new members have joined to help develop and launch smart TV applications and services. The new members include manufacturers Panasonic, ABOX42 and TechniSat, and solution providers IBM and Specific Media. Additionally, the organization announced a new software development kit designed to optimize the smart TV experience with 3D video, high quality video and audio, updated DRM and more. Continue reading CES 2013: Smart TV Alliance Announces 5 New Members and SDK

LG has confirmed it will launch new Google TV offerings at CES next week, including 42-, 57-, 50-, 55- and 60-inch models from the upcoming GA6400 series, and 47- and 55-inch Cinema Screen panels from the new GA7900 series. Features include: Magic Qwerty Remote, natural language recognition via a built-in microphone, and built-in Google search functions. An updated Home Dashboard offers convenient access to content from HBO Go, YouTube and other apps. Continue reading CES 2013: LG to Unveil Seven Google TV Models

Research organization NPD estimates that approximately 25 million U.S. households currently have smart TVs. While nearly six out of 10 owners are using their smart TVs to watch over-the-top video services such as Netflix and Hulu Plus, and roughly 15 percent are accessing music services like Pandora, the majority of Americans are not utilizing applications beyond streaming video and music. The latest NPD Connected Intelligence Application & Convergence report suggests the Internet connected HDTV screen has yet to reach beyond its TV-centric heritage. Continue reading NPD Study: Consumers Slow to Adopt Apps on Smart TVs