television

All the recent speculation about a possible Apple television has prompted Jean-Louis Gassee, an Apple exec from way back who's now general partner of venture-capital firm Allegis Capital, to offer a provocative vision of what Apple's set might do.

For example, Gassee isn't so convinced that Apple will want to develop an "integrated television" that features many of its services. After all, he says, consumers don't typically replace televisions "after 18 months" like they do with a smartphone or tablet. What's more, he's not sure Apple will want to get … Read more

For those who aren't Hulu Plus premium subscribers, the Hulu Plus app for Android offers only a tiny taste of the popular Web site's video catalog. A link on the Home screen leads to all of the free content (which is not much), while pretty much every other link eventually leads you to a premium member log-in screen.

Meanwhile, for paying Hulu Plus subscribers, the experience is quite a bit different. The app opens up to a dashboard with all of your basic functions: TV, Movies, Queue, History, Search, and More. The More icon leads to Favorites and … Read more

Word of mouth has long been one of the most influential forms of marketing in the television business.

Simply put, word of mouth is a valuable recommendation from a trusted and respected friend. Voluminous research has shown that three industries benefit the most from word of mouth: restaurants, movies, and television.

With the addition of social media platforms, the impact and power of once "intangible" word-of-mouth is becoming more pronounced. Practically overnight, a whole industry focused on social media marketing and research has emerged promising brand marketers the ability to propel their businesses forward using these wonderful new … Read more

After initially launching for only a select few devices (five to be exact), the Netflix Android app is now supported by most phones and tablets running OS versions 2.2 and up. This means a lot more people get to partake of Netflix's instant-streaming fun.

After downloading the app, getting set up is simple. Just enter your log-in information and your account will sync with your device. Your viewing history, recommendations, and instant queue will all be intact.

Along the top of the screen are four main navigation tabs: Home, Genres, Search, and Queue. The Home tab displays your … Read more

Sony has decided to split its television business in three as part of a broader strategy on the company's part to turn the ailing division around.

According to Reuters, which first reported the news, the three units will be LCD TVs, outsourcing operations, and next-generation TVs. The split, which will become official tomorrow, is designed to help the company "make clearer the mission and responsibilities" of the units, a company spokeswoman told Reuters in an interview published today.

Sony shareholders have been calling on the company to fix its television business for years. As Reuters points out, … Read more

Apple vice president of consumer applications, Jeff Robbin, is heading up a team at the company that's working on launching a television, according to a new report.

Citing multiple sources, Bloomberg says Robbin's team has a prototype in the works right now, but there is still a possibility that Apple won't even release a television.

Robbin's involvement in the Apple television is notable. After joining Apple more than a decade ago to head up the company's iTunes product, Robbin also helped create the iPod, making him a key player in the firm's executive lineup.… Read more

Netflix is planning to expand the availability of its streaming service to the U.K. and Ireland in early 2012, the company announced today.

Consumers who access Netflix will be able to stream both movies and television shows from the service, though the company has stopped short of providing information on its library. Netflix has also not commented on which devices will support its streaming service in those countries, but it did assure customers that it will be available on computers, mobile devices, and products that connect to their televisions.

Netflix's plans to expand to the U.K. and … Read more

Sony's long-awaited PlayStation 3D display will hit store shelves on November 13, the company said yesterday in a blog post.

Sony unveiled the 24-inch 3D set earlier this year at E3. The television lets gamers play titles in 3D, but adds a compelling function, called SimulView, which "delivers individual full HD screen visuals to each player in two-player mode." So, if gamers are playing a title in two-player mode, they can see full-screen visuals, eliminating the loss of screen real estate when they play games on other TVs in split screen. SimulView only works when both players … Read more

Amazon's Prime Instant Video streaming service is growing again, thanks to a deal the e-commerce giant has struck with Public Broadcasting Service.

According to Amazon, over 1,000 episodes from PBS' popular shows, including "Nova," "Masterpiece," and "Antiques Roadshow," will be available to the service's users. In addition, Ken Burns documentaries "The Civil War," "Baseball," and others will also come to the streaming service. Folks who watch PBS' news programs, "Frontline" and "Washington Week," will be able to watch the latest episodes the day … Read more