cable

Netflix said to be seeking cable TV partner

Netflix might be looking to step up its game as competition with HBO and other service providers heats up.

The video streaming giant is looking to partner with a cable company that would bundle online movie streaming with its other offerings, according to Reuters.

The news service reports that sources familiar with the matter say that Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings has been stealthily meeting with a few of the largest U.S. cable companies the past few weeks to discuss how a deal might work. This partnership could come as soon as the end of the year, according to … Read more

My DIY Cable Card install was simple--how was yours? (poll)

Remember Cable Card? It's still around, quietly allowing owners of TiVos and Home Theater PCs, via devices like the HDHomeRun Prime, to get the full complement of cable TV programming without having to use the company-issued DVR or cable box.

At CNET we've tested a few Cable Card products, including TiVos and the now-defunct Moxi DVR. The latter product was still hanging around the CNET offices so I decided to test it out for myself at home.

I called up Verizon (I'm a Fios TV subscriber) last week, told the rep I had a third-party DVR and … Read more

Time Warner Cable tries to cap broadband data usage--again

Time Warner Cable is at it again.

The company this week announced the launch of a usage-based pricing plan in Southern Texas. The service is available to customers in San Antonio, Laredo, Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Value, and the Border Corridor, the company said in a blog post.

Dubbed the Essentials Plan, the offering limits subscribers to 5GB of data usage a month in exchange for a $5 discount to their monthly bill. Time Warner Cable says customers can opt-in or opt-out of the deal at any time, and subscribers will get a "meter" to let them … Read more

Get an HDMI switch and three cables for $11.99

Problem: you need to connect a TiVo, a Roku box, a game console, and other video goodies to a TV that's short on HDMI ports.

Solution: an HDMI switch box, which turns one HDMI port into many.

Over at Meritline.com, you can get a three-port HDMI switch and three-pack of 6-foot HDMI cables for $11.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code MLC227VN at checkout.

That code will reportedly expire after 200 uses, after which the price jumps back to its regular $15.99--which is also a mighty fine deal for such a bundle. As of this … Read more

Get a Ceton InfiniTV 4 tuner for $199

Don't get me wrong, I like TiVo. What I don't like is the $19.99/month subscription fee that goes along with it. That's $240 per year, folks.

A much cheaper option over the long haul: Ceton's InfiniTV 4 products, which can turn a Windows 7 PC into one of the best DVRs on the planet.

The original InfiniTV 4 was a PCI card that sold for $399. Now, however, you can get the Ceton InfiniTV 4 PCI or InfiniTV 4 USB for $199 shipped.

That's not a sale price; it's a permanent reduction. … Read more

Time Warner Cable now streams to your desktop

Time Warner Cable, which last year unveiled its first iPad app, has just launched a beta version of the software for computer streaming.

The new app lets cable (and data) subscribers stream live TV to their Mac or Windows PC while in the home.

The app's features include "Live TV" of a limited number of channels, a seven-day program guide, control of the set-top box (to watch on the TV screen) and the PC (to watch on the computer screen), DVR management, and a search function.

"Ever since launching the TWC TV app for the iPad, … Read more

Bright idea: Charging cables light up as current flows

I have "a friend" (who is no way whatsoever me, no sir, mm-mm) who recently got so excited about her new smartphone case she couldn't stop looking at it for days. Point being that accessories can hugely boost one's enthusiasm for gadgets, even the most humdrum ones.

Take these Dexim Visible Green illuminated charging cables that use electroluminescent (EL) technology to display the current flow from the power socket to your device. They function like any other charging cable, but they do it with such pizzazz that you (and by "you," I mean "me") can't help but feel energized watching them. Suddenly, charging a smartphone feels like going to a rave. … Read more

Will Qmadix biodegradable cables untangle the future?

You probably find yourself more often needing an extra cable than having too many, but in case you worry about what to do with your extra cables when you're done with them, Qmadix has one answer: just toss 'em.

The mobile-accessory company today announced its Ecoustic biodegradable cables. These are regular cables like those you have at home, such as USB cables, HDMI cables, auxiliary audio cables, and of course iOS-based 30-pin cables for the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. The difference is their coating, "a resin mixture made from biodegradable, plant-based by-products and other natural properties" that quickly degrades naturally, rather than staying in a landfill for hundreds of years. … Read more

Are gold-plated connectors worth it? (Morrison's Mailbag)

CNET Reader LJM asks:

Does the quality of the materials used to make a cable influence the picture or sound quality? Specifically, what about gold-plated connectors?Good question.

Get a one-year PlayOn subscription for $19.99

Looking to cut the cable-TV cord? PlayOn is one of the services that can help ease the transition.

It slings shows from your Windows PC to various devices, including tablets, smartphones, game consoles, media center boxes, and the like. It's akin to Roku, with your PC filling the role of "the box."

Through the end of January, you can get a one-year PlayOn subscription for $19.99, a savings of 50 percent. And the service costs $19.99 per year thereafter.

Of course, you'll probably want to take it for a test-drive first, which you can … Read more