tv

Hang onto your wallets, cheeps, because I've got five -- count 'em, five -- deals lined up for your Friday.

Why the glut? Same as always: I found lots of really good items and couldn't decide which one to spotlight. Check 'em out:

1. One big TV. When it comes to bang for your TV buck, I think Vizio leads the pack. Especially when Vizio resellers serve up deals like this one: Dell Home has the Vizio E552VLE 55-inch smart LCD HDTV for $649.99 shipped (plus sales tax in some states). Although CNET had some nits to pick … Read more

Aereo is trying to cut CBS off at the legal pass.

The TV streaming service has filed a complaint against CBS (CNET's parent company), to prevent it from filing yet another lawsuit against it. Aereo allows people to watch and record live network broadcasts via the Web, a feature that has gotten it into trouble with CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBC. The networks have argued that Aereo's $12-per-month service is illegal because it distributes their shows without compensating them in return.

Both sides have been battling it out in court, and so far the rulings have favored Aereo. … Read more

Crackle for iOS provides completely free streaming of television shows, movies, and other video content. Sure, it's ad-supported, and programs are occasionally interrupted by commercials, but considering the amount of content available, it's still worth it. The only problem is that none of it is in HD.

If you've used Netflix or HBO Go, then you'll probably notice that Crackle's user interface is similarly simple and intuitive. The Home screen starts you off with featured content, while the main navigation buttons on the bottom lead to pages with Movies, Shows, and your personal Watchlist. Content … Read more

In this week's episode of Hooked Up, Kevin Frazier hangs out on the set of "NCIS" with actress Pauley Perrette, who plays Abby Sciuto, the show's fan-favorite quirky forensic scientist. She talks about her role as the social media ambassador for CBS during "Tweet Week" and how she used Twitter to help keep the Hope Gardens shelter for families open.

Pauley bring hers own tech on set, including the dirtiest Macbook you've probably ever seen, and she shows us some of the fun set pieces in Abby's lab. She also talks about … Read more

It seems like the new trend these days is to create an original Web series. We have Yahoo, Netflix, and Hulu doing it, and now AOL is also giving more of a push to its online programming with 15 new shows.

The company announced Tuesday that it has enlisted A-list celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jonathan Adler to either host or star in original Web series. AOL plans to debut all of the shows on its AOL On Network, which is the company's video platform, and across its 1,700 partner sites. The series themes range … Read more

Working to fulfill Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer's promise to make Yahoo a place where users will want to come every day, the company announced Monday that it will debut six new original Web shows in 2013.

The shows range from Ed Helms playing a miniature crime fighter to chef Megan Mitchell giving tips on outdoor grilling to actor John Stamos interviewing celebrities about losing their virginity.

"In the last year, we have more than doubled the original video programming on Yahoo! to become one of the Web's largest content publishers," Yahoo vice president and head of … Read more

After being the first TV manufacturer to launch an OLED TV, LG is now taking preorders for a new model featuring a curved screen. The 55EA9800, priced at 15 million Korean won (US$13,500), will be available starting from next month, but this is limited to the Korean market for now. Unfortunately, both availability and pricing for other countries will only be announced later.

Despite a sizable 55-inch screen, the 55EA9800 has an alluring 4.3mm-thin side profile and weighs just 17kg. Special "thin-transparent film speakers" are integrated within the panel's stand to maintain a sleek … Read more

Many users watch their favorite TV shows on their mobile devices using apps such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and Crackle. XFINITY TV Player, designed for use by Comcast subscribers, is the latest addition to the premium video-streaming genre. It makes a great attempt at being a valuable experience but lacks many key features that make both cable and mobile video great.

At 12MB the player is not excessively large for an application of its magnitude but nevertheless users should be cautioned if they are on a limited data plan and are not connected to Wi-Fi. The installation progresses smoothly and … Read more

Recently my media-center PC died (well, the hard drive -- when you start seeing boot-screen messages about "imminent hard drive failure," believe them!). All those episodes of "Community" and "Once Upon a Time" I'd DVR'd for later viewing -- gone.

Hulu Plus to the rescue! Yeah, you have to sit through commercial breaks (albeit way shorter ones than during regular broadcasts), but it's still the best (and cheapest) way to watch first-run TV shows.

A typical Hulu Plus trial lasts just seven days, but for a limited time, StackSocial is offering … Read more