TV

The 10 most annoying kid + robot team-ups

You're making a movie, or a TV show. You've got the awesome concept, you've got the heroic lead, and a staunch band of loyal allies. You've got your evil villain, your cool technology, your amazing gadgets. But there's something missing. The final detail that will really seal the deal on your killer concept. What can it be?

You need a kid. And a robot.

When film and television wonks are putting together a project, audience identification is high on their minds--or at least whatever it is they're using instead of minds. If kids are … Read more

'Free' DTV converter boxes can't be returned?

We finally got one of our government-issued DTV converter box coupons in the mail, and one of the notices on the accompanying information sheet caught our eye:

IMPORTANT UPDATE REGARDING REFUNDS: You will not be able to receive cash or credit for the coupon amount, but you can receive cash or credit for any amount you paid out of pocket, if the store policy permits.

To be honest, that's not much of a surprise when you consider how the coupon program actually works. If consumers were able to get credit or cash for returned DTV converter boxes, unscrupulous buyers could return a DTV converter box then use the credit to purchase any piece of electronics they wanted--which is definitely not the spirit of the coupon program.

But what happens if you get your DTV converter box back and it's broken?… Read more

AT&T Mobile TV details revealed?

An anonymous source just provided the Boy Genius Report some details on the upcoming AT&T Mobile TV that's set to debut in May. As you'll recall, AT&T Mobile TV will offer live over-the-air television via Qualcomm's MediaFLO, and will be offered first on the LG Vu and the Samsung Access. Well, the new details suggest that the service will launch on May 4, and will come in three flavors: Limited, Basic, and Plus. The Limited edition includes four channels (Fox Mobile, CBS Mobile, NBC, and NBC News) for $13 a month, the Basic … Read more

NBC to Apple: Build antipiracy into iTunes

SAN FRANCISCO--NBC Universal would like to have its TV shows distributed once again through Apple's iTunes service, a top executive said Wednesday, but he called for antipiracy measures to help protect his business' revenue.

George Kliavkoff, chief digital officer at NBC Universal, didn't specifically mention Apple by name in his request, but it was clear he had the iPod maker in mind when it came to combating people's consumption of pirated content.

"If you look at studies about MP3 players, especially leading MP3 players and what portion of that content is pirated, and think about how … Read more

The other Microsoft-Apple battle

Everyone likes to talk about the battle between Microsoft and Apple on the OS front, but that seems like old hat to me. Sure, there's certainly a battle being waged in that space, but is it really as hotly contested as some want to believe? Call me when Mac OS X hits 20 percent market share.

But there is one battle raging between Apple and Microsoft that many people don't even see. No, it's not in the MP3 player market where the iPod reigns supreme, it's in the home entertainment business. More specifically, the battle being waged pits the Apple TV against the Xbox 360.

Now I know what you're thinking -- "isn't the Xbox 360 a video game console and the Apple TV is a media device"? Yes and no. The description of each device may be correct, but the Xbox 360 description doesn't say enough about the console. Aside from its gaming capabilities, Microsoft's product performs many of the tasks already found on the Apple TV -- streaming entertainment, music, movies and TV show viewing and a hard drive that can store your favorite material.

And with an installed base of over 18 million that easily eclipses the Apple TV's 1.7 million installed base, there's no reason to suggest Microsoft can't win the battle and finally deal the Apple TV its death blow. And here's how it should do it:… Read more

The TV-DVD combo isn't dead yet

There's a reason that all-in-one TVs are always at the very end of the aisle at retailers. They may well be the least-cool media gear around, bearing the scorn of those who complain, among other things, that the individual components can't be tweaked or repaired. But there are at least two reasons that TV-DVD (and--gasp--even VCR) combos will survive for awhile: kids and grandparents.

While these products are designed for ease of use, however, the flat-TV era has presented a complication for the DVD end of the equation. Usually the slot is mounted on the side, an awkward … Read more

VideoClix.TV creepy video ads go live, starting with Revision3 shows

Last year VideoClix.TV demoed an early version of its creepy, yet intelligent video advertising technology in an episode of Revision3's Diggnation, the popular podcast starring Digg.com's Kevin Rose and co-host Alex Albrecht. The technology, which inserts clickable advertising in every element of the video, gives users a way to be linked up to online retailers for any product or service that's seen in videos. It also lets users click on things not for sale to see any related information from elsewhere on the Web--a handy service that's usually ended up with horribly annoying results … Read more

Portishead gives an exclusive live performance on Current TV

Trip-hop heroes Portishead have linked up with Current TV for an exclusive 40-minute broadcast performance on April 11, 2008. The show includes eight songs from their highly anticipated new album, Third, and will air multiple times on the television channel (see showtimes below) over the following week. Fans without cable can stream it online from Current TV's Web site. The album hits stores in the U.S. on April 29.

For those who like their music one tasty bite at a time, you can listen to Third's first single, "Machine Gun" , right here on Download Music. … Read more

FCC fines retailers over DTV violations

The Federal Communications Commission slapped heavy fines on several retailers Thursday for failing to properly label analog TVs that will have to be retrofitted next year for digital TV when broadcasters turn off their analog signals in February.

In total, the FCC levied fines of $3.9 million on big retailers such as Sears, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy. The agency also fined other companies roughly $2.7 million for violating other digital TV rules, such as shipping analog equipment and blocking technologies such as V-chip.

Sears Holding, which operates Sears and Kmart retail stores, was fined nearly $1.1 million … Read more

CNET Live--Episode 49

It's our birthday! We had a little champagne and balloons to help celebrate the one-year anniversary of CNET Live. We also invited back Justin Kan of Justin.TV to talk about the world of lifecasting.

Watch the show on CNET TV.

Things we Crave

WM2 watch phone

2008 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet

First Look

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC

Download of the Week

Avidemux.

Best of the Web SlyDial Your calls

Will an ATI graphics card work with an nVidia motherboard? Yes. The integrated graphics card shouldn't matter. And if you're interested the opposite is true too.… Read more