HDTV news and reviews, including LCD and plasma, projectors, home theater, and more

Twelve South announces BassJump laptop subwoofer

Dan Frakes — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:23:00 -0800

Twelve South has announced the BassJump, a USB-powered subwoofer that aims to enhance the audio pumped out by your MacBook's own speakers.

Bookmark for iPhone

Ben Boychuk — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:55:00 -0800

Notwithstanding some annoying limitations and quirks, audiobibliophiles will find much to love about Bookmark, an iPhone and iPod touch app that gives you greater control over audiobooks on your mobile device.

Hands on: Roku's updated Player software and new Channel Store

Dan Frakes — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0800

Roku has updated the software for the company's lineup of streaming-media players, and introduced a new Channel Store that offers additional streaming content.

Google adds captions to YouTube search

Jacqueline Emigh — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:53:00 -0800

In a step to make YouTube videos more accessible to deaf people as well as to anyone else searching for videos online, Google has launched an automatic video captioning service.

Cloud Engines updates Pogoplug media sharing device

Jonathan Seff — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0800

On Friday, Cloud Engines introduced the second generation of its Pogoplug multimedia sharing device. The Pogoplug is designed to plug into your home or small office network and let you access and share content of USB hard drives over the Internet using a standard Web browser.

California Energy Commission rule to impact HDTV industry

Melissa J. Perenson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:05:00 -0800

For the California Energy Commission, the voluntary guidelines of the Federal Energy Star program aren't enough to curb energy guzzling by HDTVs.

Review: Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server

Jason Snell — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:18:00 -0800

The new $999 Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server is a fantastic product for workgroups, small businesses, and even schools to use.

Macworld's complete iPod buying guide

Christopher Breen — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:08:00 -0800

This holiday season, which iPod is the right one for you and for your loved ones? Our expert Christopher Breen helps sort out Apple's offerings so you can make the best choice.

Some Sony e-readers may not arrive for the holidays

Nancy Gohring — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:50:00 -0800

Sony may not be able to ship its Reader Daily Edition to customers in time for the holidays.

Copy music off your iPod

Kirk McElhearn — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:19:00 -0800

There's nothing worse than losing your iTunes library to a hard drive crash. If you have music on your iPod, you can at least get it back with the right tools.

Full-sized HD camcorders buying guide

Christopher Breen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:07:00 -0800

How to choose the right HD camcorder? We’ve got some shopping tips if you’re in the market for one this holiday season. And we’ve got a few camcorder recommendations based on what we’ve reviewed over the past year.

Pocket HD camcorders buying guide

Christopher Breen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:07:00 -0800

The pocket camcorder may be the hottest holiday gift this year. To help you make a decision, here are some of our top-rated pocket camcorders from the products we’ve reviewed.

Review: Roth Audio Alfie

Andy Penfold — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:02:00 -0800

The Alfie looks pretty, but its high price tag is more a function of its multi-purpose nature than its sound quality.

HDTVs for the holidays

Macworld Staff — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:51:00 -0800

Our lab has been hard at work testing HDTVs ranging in size from 40 inches to 52 inches for image quality, usability, audio quality, and features. Here are the test results of 16 HDTVs.

Headfunk offers Sidekick Speaker Bags for iPod

Nick Spence — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:32:00 -0800

Headfunk has announced the launch of the Sidekick Speaker Bags for iPod.

Review: Vizio SV420M HDTV

Yardena Arar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:16:00 -0800

The Vizio SV420M 42-inch HDTV offers lots of customization options and average video quality, at a midrange price.

Review: Panasonic Viera TC-P42X1 HDTV

Lincoln Spector — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:15:00 -0800

A 720p plasma HDTV, the low-cost 42-inch Panasonic TC-P42X1 provides problematic images and underpowered sound.

Review: Samsung LN40B650 HDTV

Lincoln Spector — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:14:00 -0800

Thanks to its very good picture quality, Internet and home-network entertainment features, and general user-friendliness, the Samsung LN40B650 ranks as one of the best HDTV we've tested this year.

Review: LG Electronics 42LH55 HDTV

Lincoln Spector — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:13:00 -0800

The LG 42LH50 42-inch HDTV provides great connected features, above-average image quality, and good looks for a moderate price.

Review: Vizio SV471XVT HDTV

Lincoln Spector — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:12:00 -0800

This 47-inch HDTV with multimedia capabilities has an estimated street price of $1200, which sounds good. But there are major compromises to be made with image quality.

Review: Panasonic Viera TC-P46S1 HDTV

Yardena Arar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:11:00 -0800

The Panasonic TC-P46S1 would be a bargain 46-inch plasma HDTV if its image quality weren't so disappointing.

Review: Vizio SV421XVT HDTV

Lincoln Spector — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:10:00 -0800

Vizio’s SV421XVT HDTV has a 42-inch screen, a 240Hz refresh rate, and multimedia playback from USB drives. But poorly rendered detail and color, plus problems with digital artifacts, mar the viewing experience.

Review: Sony Bravia KDL-40W5100 HTDV

Lincoln Spector — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:09:00 -0800

Sony's Bravia KDL-40W5100 is a very good 40-inch HDTV and an excellent Internet viewing device.

Review: Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ850U HDTV

Lincoln Spector — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:08:00 -0800

The Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ850U has fantastic extras, but only average picture quality for a 50-inch plasma HDTV.

Review: Insignia NS-LCD52HD-09 HDTV

Lincoln Spector — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:07:00 -0800

If you’re on a tight budget but want a larger-than-50-inch TV, consider the Insignia NS-LCD52HD-09.

Review: Toshiba 47ZV650U HDTV

Lincoln Spector — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:06:00 -0800

Toshiba’s 47ZV650U is a pleasant-looking 47-inch HDTV that delivers a more than acceptable viewing experience, but its rough edges need smoothing, and it’s short on extras.

Review: Vizio VO420E HDTV

Yardena Arar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:05:00 -0800

The no-frills Vizio VO420E 42-inch HDTV is attractively priced, but you'll have to settle for subpar image quality and mediocre audio.

Review: Samsung LN46B750 HDTV

Lincoln Spector — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:04:00 -0800

Samsung’s 46-inch LN46B750 packages very good picture quality, excellent sound, YouTube viewing, Yahoo Widgets, and the ability to play media files from USB storage, all in one HDTV.

Review: JVC LT-46J300 HDTV

Lincoln Spector — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:03:00 -0800

At this bargain price, the LT-46J300 will look very attractive. But there are other HDTVs that produce better image quality at a similar price.

Review: Insignia NS-L42X-10A HDTV

Yardena Arar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:02:00 -0800

The Insignia NS-L42X-10A 42-inch HDTV has lots of features and a temptingly low price, but also poor image and audio quality.

Review: LG Electronics 42LH50 HDTV

Yardena Arar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0800

The LG 42LH50 42-inch HDTV provides great connected features, above-average image quality, and good looks for a moderate price.

Fifth-generation iPod nano gets a firmware fix

Philip Michaels — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:36:00 -0800

iPod nano 1.0.2, released Friday, features several bug fixes for the latest generation of miniature MP3 players introduced in September.

Review: iSing for iPhone

Jeffery Battersby — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:10:00 -0800

A combination of "American Idol" and a karoke bar, the slick iSing lets you compete in a global talent show.

YouTube adds 1080p HD

Ramu Nagappan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:56:00 -0800

YouTube announced that it will allow users to upload and view video in full HD. The company plans to re-encode previously uploaded 1080p material so that viewers will be able to take advantage of its original resolution.

Review: Crystal Audio Video SSB-1 surround sound bar

Cliff Joseph — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:03:00 -0800

The Crystal Audio Video SSB-1 surround sound bar is a good-sounding speaker set, but its virtual surround-sound feature doesn't live up to its promise.

Panasonic debuts audio system with photo frame

Philip Michaels — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:23:00 -0800

Set to arrive in December, the $300 MW-10 is Panasonic's first audio system with both an iPod dock and a digital photo frame.

Apple launches iTunes Preview

Nicholas Bonsack — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:10:00 -0800

Apple has just quietly launched a service that makes links to the iTunes Store a little more informative by displaying information about the product in a Web browser.

Review: FlickTunes for iPhone

Ben Boychuk — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:47:00 -0800

This app, which makes use of your handheld's full screen for control music playback, is the ideal music manager for for drivers, joggers and multi-taskers.

CES 2010 Preview: Gloom, but not doom

Robert S. Anthony — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:07:00 -0800

Consumer Electronics Association officials see some breaks in the clouds for rising technologies such as e-book readers, 3D televisions, and mobile apps, as the group that organizes the CES trade show gave its forecast for the coming year.

Does Apple really want to sell magazines?

Jason Snell — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Jason Snell hopes that Apple won't get in the e-book business, but will instead just let publishers create apps.

Lyrics licensed but with limitations

Christopher Breen — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:21:00 -0800

Reports of the demise of free lyrics were premature. Unlicensed lyrics may be gone, but more-limited licensed versions are taking their place.

Review: Family Guy for iPhone

Lex Friedman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:10:00 -0800

The main video clips in this app for the Fox animated series are funny enough, but the incessant advertising in a paid app will drive you to distraction.

Mini DisplayPort connector blessed by VESA

Dan Moren — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:38:00 -0800

VESA announced that Apple's Mini DisplayPort connector has officially been integrated into the DisplayPort specification.

iTunes Store adds a ton of HD films

David Chartier — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:15:00 -0800

Without much fanfare from Apple, iTunes Store now stocks nearly 300 HD films, possibly more.

Nook e-reader demand delays shipments

Tony Bradley — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:02:00 -0800

Barnes and Noble's Nook e-reader is in such hot demand that the company is already announcing production delays.

Review: Cygnett Maestro iPod speaker dock

Nick Spence — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:14:00 -0800

Average looks aside, the Maestro produces decent audio reproduction from a speaker dock that won’t offend the ears, or for that matter the eyes.

LaCie intros Network Space 2 media server and NAS

Nick Spence — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:30:00 -0800

LaCie on Tuesday revealed the Network Space 2, the follow-up to its Network Space network-attached storage (NAS) and media server.

Review: Sanyo VPC-WH1 HD camcorder

Jim Feeley — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:10:00 -0800

There are only two reasons to buy Sanyo’s Xacti VPC-WH1 HD camcorder, but they’re good reasons: It’s inexpensive, and it’s waterproof.

Apple TV 3.0.1 update addresses disappearing content issue

Philip Michaels — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:49:00 -0800

Apple says users who've upgraded to the recently released Apple TV 3.0 software should download this update to prevent a problem where content temporarily disappears from the set-top box until it's resynced.

Beatles ban takes effect at BlueBeat

Jacqueline Emigh — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:38:00 -0800

The owner of online retailer BlueBeat has begun complying with a new court order to stop selling Beatles music online, after offering a quirky defense that he owns the copyright to the songs at issue.