3D in the Comfort of Home

What viewers see, more than what they see it on, in focus at CES

(NEWSER) - Televisions were all over the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, including some of the biggest, thinnest ones around, showing the crispest pictures ever, the New York Times reports. But exhibitors' focus was much more on what viewers will be seeing on those TVs, with several manufacturers unveiling deals with media and Internet outlets to put content on its sets. More»

Search giant must improve inter-company relations: analysts

(NEWSER) - Google has delayed the grand unveiling of its new TV software, after a spate of less-than-stellar early reviews. Toshiba, LG Electronics, and Sharp were all planning to debut their versions of Google TV at the Consumer Electronics Show next month, but Google surprised them by asking them to hold off while it tinkers with the software, the New York Times reports. Samsung will now likely be the only company showing off a Google set at the show. More»

Americans are more and more likely to have watched shows online

(NEWSER) - More and more Americans are watching television exclusively online and ditching their cable or satellite service. One-quarter of families have tuned in online, and 25% of those viewers have watched a full-length show on a computer—a 67% jump just since 2007. “The idea that you come home and your entertainment choices are dictated on what some entertainment channel decides is not for me,” a tech-savvy early adapter tells the Los Angeles Times. More»

Pioneer, Vizio axe plasma production lines; retailers slash prices

(NEWSER) - TV buyers are increasingly choosing liquid-crystal-display over plasma as LCD manufacturers beef up the technological capabilities of their sets, the Wall Street Journal reports. With 30 million LCDs sold in North America in 2008, compared with 4 million plasmas, Pioneer and Vizio are discontinuing their plasma lines. The shift means consumers can find deep discounts on plasma sets, once a strictly luxury item. More»

Former governor happy to poke fun at herself

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin kicked off her Today stint this morning by reading a newspaper on screen, as co-host Matt Lauer joked, "Oh, man, she's doing her homework!" Lauer had already teased Palin about that issue—a reference to her 2008 interview with Katie Couric in which she couldn't name any newspapers she read—yesterday. It was the first in a series of quips proving Palin has no problem poking fun at herself, Politico reports:

• After coming out from behind the newspaper, Palin shared a story from yesterday: "Oh geez, Matt. The nicest lady in the world, she stopped me, asked me where I was heading. I said 30 Rock and she said, 'Oh honey, I told you, Tina Fey is here.'"