How To

If you bought your TV within the past few years, and you live anywhere close to a city, chances are you can get better HDTV than you've ever seen, for free.

The key, of course, is you need one little thing that you probably already have.… Read more

It's possible that you've been so consumed by L.A. Noire or MLB 11: The Show that you haven't realize that your PS3 can do more than just play games. With a few tweaks to your settings, and some software set up on your computer, you can stream music, videos, and photos from your computer(s) to your PS3 over your home network. Here's how:

Set up your PS3 Step 1: Make sure your PS3 is connected to the same network (via Ethernet or wireless) as your computer. You can check your connection by going to … Read more

If you are a Sony PlayStation Network (PSN) customer you are probably getting a little paranoid. First there was the data breach from last month that exposed customer data and forced Sony to take the network down.

And now, just days after Sony got the service back up and running, it has taken the PSN password reset service offline because it was allowing people to change other customers' passwords if they knew their e-mail address and birth date--information that was stolen in the attack.

Sony says the hole in the PSN password reset site was not exploited in active attacks, … Read more

If you've never adjusted the settings on your TV, it's a good bet it's not performing as well as it could. While it's possible to get the picture settings close just by using your eye, the better option is a Blu-ray setup disc.

Beginner to expert, there's one for every skill level. All will get your TV performing much better than before.

… Read more

Many Android phones have HDMI ports to output photos and videos to an HDTV. We'll show you how to connect your Android phone to your TV so you can view them on the big screen. The phone we'll use in this how-to is a Motorola Droid X.

Step 1: Connect the HDMI cable to your Android phone and your HDTV. The Motorola Droid X has a micro-HDMI port (type-D connector) that connects to the regular HDMI port (type-A connector) of your HDTV.

Step 2: Launch your Android phone's Gallery app and select the photo or video you'… Read more

It always seems like the best concerts are the ones you hear about too late. But who has time to scour the show listings in the local paper or habitually check a band's Web site for tour dates?

There's a better way. In fact, there are so many sites out there promising personalized concert recommendations, I figured a roundup was in order. So here you are, five sites that will put you in tune with the best live music in your area, using data from your favorite music sites and services:

… Read more

The Xbox 360 is a terrific home media portal even for those who look down on gaming. It's dead simple toaccess media from your Windows PCs, but for those of us who like to store our media on network hard drives, the Xbox connection can be tricky, inconsistent, and frustrating. Here's how to use free TVersity software to stream that media flawlessly to your console.

1.       Before you get started, make sure your network hard drive is up and running and the Windows PC you'll be using can recognize it. … Read more

Most of us store music in two places: on our computer and on our iPod (or other MP3 player). But if your computer crashes indefinitely, all the music you (hopefully) purchased disappears along with it. So what's left? A handicapped iPod, as Apple restricts its gadgets to sync with one music library--any attempts to sync with a different computer will result in a deleted iPod.

Naturally, there's a workaround. If you'd like to safely move songs from your iPod (except the iPod Touch) to any computer, follow these steps:

How to transfer music from an iPod to … Read more

Televisions are unlike other consumer electronics products. Their setup and settings have a tremendous effect on how well they perform. The best TV on the market incorrectly setup will almost always look worse than a mediocre TV setup well.

Ideally, you'll get a setup disc to ensure the correct settings, but regardless, it's important to know what each setting actually does.

To get the ultimate performance out of your TV, a full calibration by an ISF Certified technician is your best option. Even if you go that route, it's good to know what the calibrator is adjusting. So here's a quick look at the basic settings every TV has, and what they do.… Read more