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LAS VEGAS--Huawei's CES roll continues with the announcement of the Huawei MediaQ, a physical cube that shares content among multiple screens.

Huawei isn't divulging many details at the moment, except to say that the MediaQ -- a companion device for smartphones and tablets -- has voice search functionality and can facilitate HD video calls.

So far it doesn't sound like a complete imitation of Google's circular Nexus Q. I'll know more once I track the MediaQ down here at CES. Stay tuned for more details!

As product names go, BCM7445 is as boring as it gets. But if you want better video, the Broadcom chip might get you excited.

That's because the processor, designed for Net-connected video devices and announced at the CES show today, is among the earliest to support a new video compression technology variously known as H.265, MPEG-5, and HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding). It's the successor to the very widely used H.264, aka AVC and MPEG-4 Part 10.

H.265 brings two notable features. First, it can match the quality of H.264 with half the network bandwidth, … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Usually at CES time, you can expect Panasonic to roll out slightly updated versions of its Blu-ray home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) solutions, featuring six-to-eight plasticky speakers and a whole lot of proprietary speaker wire. But CES 2013 is different.

Panasonic is ditching its standard assortment of HTIBs, opting instead for three new sound bar and convertible sound bar models. The SC-HTB770 and SC-HTB370 both feature a similar design; you can use them in the traditional horizontal alignment or you can break apart the sound bar and use the pieces as separate speakers. The SC-HTB770 converts into a 3.1 system, with … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Usually at CES time, you can expect Panasonic to roll out slightly updated versions of its Blu-ray home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) solutions, featuring six to eight plasticky speakers and a whole lot of proprietary speaker wire. But CES 2013 is different.

Panasonic is ditching its standard assortment of HTIBs, opting instead for three new sound bar and convertible sound bar models. The SC-HTB770 and SC-HTB370 both feature a similar design; you can use them in the traditional horizontal alignment or you can break apart the sound bar and use the pieces as separate speakers. The SC-HTB770 converts into a 3.1 … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Sony is holding most of its home theater announcements for its line show in the spring, but the company did announce its new lineup of Blu-ray players at CES 2013.

Sony's 2013 line of Blu-ray players comprises three new models, the BDP-S1100, BDP-S3100, and BDP-S5100. All three models have a fully encased optical drive, which Sony claims reduces internal dust. The two higher-end models include built-in Wi-Fi and all three can access Sony's full suite of streaming-media services, which includes Netflix, Pandora, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant, Crackle, and YouTube. That's a step up from most manufacturers, … Read more

There's not a lot of new Google TV hardware here at CES 2013, but Asus is breathing some new life into the platform with the new Qube.

The boxy Asus Qube runs the latest version of Google TV, which means it features the redesigned PrimeTime guide and improved voice search capabilities. The hardware looks like a cross between a Boxee Box and the Vizio Co-Star, with rectangular edges and a chunky double-sided remote.

It's yet another Google TV box with a bewildering remote covered in buttons, but the Qube supports both motion control and voice search, which should … Read more

LAS VEGAS--It was short and sweet, and if you blinked, you might have missed it. We're talking about Panasonic's press conference at CES today.

The star of the show, unsurprisingly, was Panasonic's 2013 line of Viera TVs. But the consumer electronics giant also showed off a range of other new products, from midrange LCD TVs, to new Blu-ray players, to Bluetooth speakers, to a range of micro home stereos, and finally a set of bone-conducting headphones.

It may not have been the shortest press conference of the day (Lexus called it quits at 13 minutes), but before … Read more

LAS VEGAS--The mantra for Sharp's new AQUOS LED TV line unveiled at CES 2013 on Monday morning might be as simple as this: bigger and better.

The bigger quality will be obvious from the get-go with 21 new displays in the 60-, 70-, 80-, and 90-inch LED TVs in the AQUOS portfolio.

But the better comes in the form of upgraded display quality as well as more digital content and connectivity.

With the 80-inch class displays in particular, Sharp has added a new layer dubbed "Super Bright," which is the combination of an intelligent contrast engine with … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Sharp kicked off its media event at the 2013 International CES on Monday by revealing the future of the electronics giant's display portfolio.

Specifically, that strategy is being spearheaded by IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) technology as Sharp unveiled a 32-inch 4K resolution IGZO LCD monitor.

IGZO is based on a compound semi-conductor that produces approximately twice the resolution of current LCDs.

Sharp described that IGZO produces a more natural picture with greater presence while delivering more visual information than ever before.

Kozo Takahashi, executive vice president of Sharp Corporation, remarked during Monday's press conference that IGZO … Read more