Gaming

Vizio Co-Star player marries Google TV, OnLive cloud gaming

First teased at CES 2012, Vizio's Google TV plans are now moving forward with the launch of the Co-Star Stream Player.

While we're still waiting for Google TV to fulfill its promise, the Co-Star makes the most of the platform's current capabilities by combining live TV and streaming services. Along with wired and wireless Internet connections for Web surfing using Google Chrome with Adobe Flash Player and HTML 5 support, apps, and streaming video and music services, the player can be connected to a cable or satellite TV box.… Read more

Samsung announces Cloud Gaming TVs

Samsung has announced a partnership with cloud gaming service Gaikai to provide console-free streaming to flagship 2012 LED TVs.

Samsung Cloud Gaming will soon accept beta signups for users with ES7100, ES7500, and ES8000 LED TVs, but has yet to announce if other TVs will be supported.

The service offers free trials and full versions of games such as "Mass Effect 3" and "Need For Speed: The Run" streamed to the televisions with gaming pad support.

The announcement follows rumors last week that Sony would be the one to announce a partnership with Gaikai.

Samsung representatives … Read more

PS3 gets Amazon Instant streaming-video app

The Sony PS3 has added an Amazon Instant app to its suite of streaming-video services, letting you streaming purchased and rented content, as well as letting Amazon Prime subscribers stream free Prime TV shows and movies.

Amazon Instant joins Netflix, Hulu Plus, CinemaNow, Vudu, NHL, MLB.TV, NFL Sunday Ticket, SEC college sports, XOS college sports, and Sony Video Unlimited in the PS3's suite of streaming-video services. Although it may seem surprising that Sony is adding a service that directly competes with the Sony's own video store, Vudu and CinemaNow already offer the same ability to purchase and … Read more

How to use your TV as a computer monitor for gaming, videos, and more

So you want to share photos, watch videos, or play computer games on the expansive screen of your HDTV? On one hand, this is a really simple how-to: use HDMI!

That, of course, isn't the whole story. Not all computers, and not all TVs, can output or input a signal via HDMI easily. There are also a few tricks to consider.… Read more

OnLive gaming app comes to Google TV devices

LAS VEGAS--Finally, a unique and worthwhile "app" comes to Google TV.

Google announced today that its much-maligned connected TV platform would support the OnLive gaming service.

OnLive's "cloud" gaming allows users to play a variety of console-quality titles on devices like PCs, tablets, and now select Google TV hardware like TVs, streaming boxes, and Blu-ray players, without having to use an actual game console.… Read more

LG's Dual Play gets serious with split-screen gaming

LG wants to bring the joy of split screen gaming back--minus the cheating that inevitably goes with it--with its Dual Play technology.

Split-screen gaming has enabled players to compete against each other on the same machine since the early days of consoles, popularized by games such as the original "Goldeneye."

LG's passive Dual Play mode, available on 2012 TVs with passive 3D, enables two people to play on the same screen and is presumably compatible with any console game that includes a top-bottom split screen. With LG's Dual Play enabled and the special Dual Play glasses, … Read more

Is the Xbox recommendable as a streaming-video box?

The new design of the Xbox 360's dashboard and press releases touting "the future of TV" make it clear that Microsoft is transitioning the Xbox from a gaming console that also does home entertainment to a home entertainment box that also does gaming.

That's an exciting move, especially for not-quite-hard-core gamers who spend more and more time streaming video on their game consoles.

The Xbox is far from the only contender in the streaming-video space, which has several good options (Roku LT, Apple TV), but nothing that truly nails the category. Below I take an in-depth look at the Xbox in light of new video-centric features, like Kinect-enabled voice search and Bing-powered cross-platform video search, to see how it stacks up strictly as a streaming-video box.… Read more

Xbox's Bing video search is promising, but imperfect

The soon-to-be released Xbox 360 dashboard update features a slick Metro-based user interface and new cloud-saving functionality, but the most interesting aspect for cable-cutters and other streaming videophiles is the integration of Bing video search and Kinect voice recognition.

We've had some hands-on time with a preview version of the dashboard update. And while our test unit lacked the cross-platform search, updated Netflix app, and other video app improvements that will be in the official update, we've been able to test simple voice-recognition video searching via Kinect and it's a promising (albeit imperfect) approach to the video search problem. (We'll be publishing a more in-depth hands-on with all of the streaming-video-based updates later this week.)

It's easy to get numb to the magic of voice recognition, but searching for TV and movie content on your TV simply by speaking is still pretty incredible.… Read more

Will Xbox Bing solve the video search problem?

Streaming video has exploded in the home theater.

Only a few years ago there was only Netflix, but now Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus, and Vudu all offer top-notch streaming video services. The variety is great, but it forces streaming video fans to keep a mental catalog of where their favorite shows and movies are available. When I rereviewed the Apple TV, I almost rented "The Trip" for $5 before I realized it was available for free on Netflix.… Read more