television

Last week, lucky University of Wisconsin-Madison students (and staff) had a chance to hear the "Game of Thrones" theme song in a performance style uncommon to this century -- through the expertise of a carillonneur commanding the sheer musical might of 56 bells. … Read more

I'm pretty juiced to announce an all-new show that you'll be able to find right here on CNET called "Hooked Up." It's a partnership between CNET and CBS Television Distribution, and it will be a new weekly Web series that brings you today's hottest stars and the technology that surrounds them.

CBS entertainment correspondent and host Kevin Frazier goes inside the homes of celebrities like Cee Lo Green and others as they share the gadgets they love. Each 15-minute show will feature a new celebrity and the shows will air on Wednesdays from April … Read more

3D TVs were supposed to be the Next Big Thing, but they never really caught on with consumers, no doubt due to high prices and the dearth of 3D content.

And yet, I think if you can get a 3D-capable model for around the same price as a non-3D one, why not? That was my thinking when I bought my last TV, and although I don't don the glasses very often, sometimes it's really nice.

For example, our local Family Video has a pretty decent 3D movie selection, so when my family went to rent "Life of … Read more

People have never been satisfied with just watching the action on a screen, they want to be immersed in it. What better way than with our powerful sense of smell? Japanese researchers from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology have developed a smelling screen that puts the nose into play.

While early versions of "Smell-O-Vision" in movie theaters worked by floating odors into the air, the new screen is a bit more sophisticated. The scents can be located on specific parts of the screen. That means a person onscreen could be waving a piece of bacon around in the upper corner, and the smell would emanate from the same spot.… Read more

The upstart live-TV streaming service Aereo is said to be in partnership talks with AT&T and Dish Network, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Aereo's antenna/DVR technology allows consumers to watch live, local over-the-air broadcast television on certain Internet-connected devices for a fee. If it partners with television and Internet providers it could greatly increase its reach.

This news is likely to be much to the chagrin for several major broadcasters, which are suing the company for copyright violation. ABC, CBS (the parent of CNET), Fox, NBC Universal, and Telemundo, all alleged in a lawsuit filed … Read more

Ericsson is in talks with Microsoft to buy the software giant's mobile-TV service, according to a report.

Microsoft for years has operated a software division that provides mobile carriers with the technology to deliver television service over their connections. The company is now in talks with Ericsson to sell the division so it can focus on delivering this service through the Xbox, according to Bloomberg, which cited people with knowledge of the discussions.

For Ericsson, the upside of acquiring Microsoft's division would be the opportunity to deliver another service to its wireless customers. The company's strategy is … Read more

For the first time ever, LCD television shipments were down in 2012.

During 2012, 203 million LCD TVs shipped worldwide, according to NPD DisplaySearch, representing a 1 percent decline compared to the prior year. The fourth quarter was the only period that saw shipments rise year over year, but it could only muster a 0.6 percent gain.

The LCD market's troubles came in developed markets, where demand fell by 18 percent compared to 2011, according to NPD. Demand was down, the researcher said, because of a continuing weakness in the global economy, as well as very little price … Read more

Television network ABC is said to be in the works of creating a mobile app that would live stream its TV programming, according to The New York Times. If ABC does come out with such an app it will be the first U.S. broadcaster to embark on constant live streaming for smartphones and tablets.

ABC, which is owned by Disney, is known for shows like "Good Morning America," "Dancing with the Stars," "General Hospital," and "Grey's Anatomy." The live streaming app would supposedly bring all of these shows to users … Read more

Verizon wants to change how it pays television providers for their shows, according to a new report.

The company, which operates Fios TV, is currently in talks with several "midtier and smaller" television companies to pay them not for the number of subscribers their channels can reach, but by the number of people who actually watch their shows, according to the Wall Street Journal, which interviewed the company's executives.

"We are paying for a customer who never goes to the channel," Verizon Fios TV chief programming negotiator Terry Denson told the Wall Street Journal.

The … Read more