entertainment

Nintendo TVii, the feature that could transform the new Wii U into a full-fledged entertainment box in the living room, is coming to the console tomorrow.

At that time, TVii will be made available in the U.S. and Canada, Nintendo announced today. The feature allows Wii U owners to access all of the programming in their home-entertainment setup, including content from their cable or satellite companies, and decide from the Wii U's GamePad what they want to watch. In addition, the GamePad can double as a remote, allowing users to control volume and change channels, among other features.… Read more

For those of you with a dirty wit, please lend me some patience before you fly off the rails when I say that a group of NASA interns made a "Gangnam Style" parody named "NASA Johnson Style."

Wondering what's with the song name? Well, NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center houses educational programs for interns and students aspiring to progress further into the field of space science. The eclectic group of youths created a parody video that plays off Psy's "Gangam Style" in a geeky way by amusingly attempting to "inform the public about the amazing work going on at NASA and the Johnson Space Center," says a related video description. … Read more

Sony has started testing a new online marketplace to buy games, movies, and television shows.

The Sony Entertainment Network Store popped up on the Web today and was discovered by Eurogamer. For now, the marketplace appears to only be available to customers outside the U.S. When folks go to the site and choose a country and language, a U.S. option is not available.

Sony has not formally announced the marketplace, but in a comment on a blog posted to the EU PlayStation site, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe blog manager Fred Dutton said the company is "testing a … Read more

Maker Studios, a company that delivers professional programming to YouTube, is getting a big cash infusion from Time Warner, according to a new report.

Time Warner Investments, the venture-capital division at the media conglomerate, is leading a $40 million round of financing for Maker, All Things Digital reported yesterday, citing people with knowledge of the deal. The round is expected to close by the end of the year.

Maker Studios stands with Machinima, a company that produces gaming videos, at the leading edge of what has become a more professional push on YouTube. Maker Studios offers what's called "… Read more

Hulu Plus is now available on the Wii U.

The company launched its service on Nintendo's new console yesterday. Hulu Plus users will find that as they watch shows on their television, the GamePad will play an integral role in the viewing experience. While watching a show on the big screen, the Wii U's GamePad displays information on a host of topics, including the current show or episode. Users can also queue up another episode to watch on the big screen.

Hulu didn't just stop there. According to the company, users can also watch the show they … Read more

TVGuide.com, an online destination for channel listings, news, and other entertainment industry information, is up for sale, and Yahoo is considering buying it, according to a new report.

Yahoo is currently considering bidding up to $20 million to acquire the site, All Things Digital is reporting, citing sources who claim to have knowledge of the discussions. The source told ATD that Yahoo hasn't moved to advanced talks, but at the very least is thinking about buying out TVGuide.com.

At first glance, TVGuide.com might seem like a reasonable fit for Yahoo. The site is currently offering a … Read more

The future of television technology will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

Samsung announced today that it has won 27 Consumer Electronics Show 2013 Innovation Awards, given to products that will be on display at the event in January that in some way push the technology industry forward. One of those awards -- Best of Innovation -- was awarded to an 85-inch Ultra HD set.

According to Samsung, the 85-inch UHD TV comes with resolution of more than 8 million pixels, quadrupling those found in a standard 1,080-pixel set. Samsung says the television has "… Read more

Sony Network Entertainment boss Tim Schaaff is retiring.

Sony announced the news today, saying that he will be leaving the company on December 31. Starting January 1, Sony Computer Entertainment President and CEO Andrew House will take over Sony's Network Entertainment operation. According to Sony, Schaaff will stay on as a member of Sony Network Entertainment's board of directors.

Sony's Network Entertainment division has become an increasingly important aspect of the company's gaming value. The service allows users to access music and download videos. It's also home to Sony's video game store.

Schaaff joined … Read more

Does Microsoft have plans for the future of television?

The company has posted three job postings seeking engineers for its Interactive Entertainment Business that would work on a "new cloud-based TV platform." The job postings don't describe what the Cloud TV team will do, but the company entices candidates by urging them to "get in on the ground floor of an ambitious new project."

Microsoft's Careers site has been a valuable resource for Microsoft followers trying to see what the company has up its sleeve. Back in August, for example, a job posting looking … Read more