Audio Video News

Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee streaming-only series will move from Sony Pictures–owned Crackle to Netflix for its 10th season. Not that there’s anything wrong with that...

Sony Adopted Dolby Vision HDR video technology along with HDR10 in three 2017 Bravia OLED models and three LCD models. Screen sizes range from 55 to 77 inches...

LG Adopted Dolby Vision in all 2017 models, having already offered it in several 2016 models along with HDR10. Screen sizes range from 65 to 77 inches...

Amazon’s Fire TV interface is being built into UHD sets from Element, Seiki, and Westinghouse in sizes from 32 to 65 inches. “Alexa, turn on the TV”...

Haier Is Switching from Roku to Google Chromecast as the streaming platform for its TV line. Look for models from 43 to 75 inches, com- ing soon...

Vizio and Google Home have teamed up to allow the latter’s voice commands to control the former’s SmartCast video and audio pro- ducts. Tap the Cast button within the Netflix or YouTube apps and stream to any SmartCast TV or access music from Google Play Music, Pandora, or Spotify on any SoundCast soundbar or speaker...

OLED Pricing Dropped to as little as $1,800 for an LG model during last year’s Black Friday. Could this be the year you spring for one?...

Sling Media Has Stopped making Slingbox units, raising questions about its future in standalone devices. The Dish Network–owned technology may continue as a feature built into apps and devices like Dish’s Hopper DVR...

VOD Was the Bright Spot in the Digital Entertain- ment Group’s 2016 Home Entertainment Report, up 26.34 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016. Streaming was up 2.78 percent, sell- through flat...

Blu-ray Ended 2016 with 110 Ultra HD titles and unit sales of 300,000, three times the original HD Blu-ray format in its first year. Another 250 titles are expected by year end...

Ultra HD Consciousness hasn’t reached most Americans, says a YouGov survey, with only 17 percent being conversant with the technology. However, among millennials, the figure jumps to 30 percent...

The Streaming Video Alliance is testing an “open caching” network architecture that would operate inside the network but close to the consumer. If it works, it would improve video streaming while reducing the burden on the network...

Pirated Video Content is viewed by 32 percent of respondents to an Irdeto study, and 39 percent say they don’t care if it hurts the studios. The head-scratcher is the 31 percent who believe pirating is legal...

PlayStation 4 will support 360-degree YouTube videos with a firmware upgrade. It’s the gaming platform’s latest VR move...

Hulu Added Downloading to its video streaming service, enabling content to be watched offline. Netflix and Amazon allow downloading for some titles...

Dish Network’s Hopper platform can now be controlled by Amazon’s Alexa-powered Echo speaker and Echo Dot adapter. Say “Better Call Saul, season two, episode one,” and enjoy...

Dish Music grabs music from Amazon Music, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Napster, Pandora, and Tidal and flings it all over the house via the Hopper 2 and 3 DVRs and the Joey client. Better yet, the app connects to DTS Play-Fi speakers...

Sprint Is Buying Into Tidal, acquiring a 33-percent stake of the hi-res streaming service. Exclusive content is promised to Sprint customers...

Sonos Cofounder John MacFarlane has stepped down from CEO duties after virtually creating the market for multiroom wireless speakers starting in 2002. The company’s peer-to-peer mesh net- working was a major breakthrough, and that little Play:1 sure does sound good for $199...

THX Will Certify Streaming of both audio and video in partnership with Conviva, which will collect data. Conviva works with several networks and providers including CBS, Disney, and Verizon...

DTS Virtual:X enables receivers and soundbars to deliver height-like effects from DTS:X-encoded soundtracks without using in-ceiling or height-enabled speakers. Stop, children, what’s that sound...

Norway Killed FM Radio, becoming the first nation to do so, and replaced it with Digital Audio Broadcast- ing. In the U.S., HD Radio supports both digital and analog signals...

CEDIA Sold Off Its Expo, placing the A/V industry’s second largest trade show in the hands of Emerald Expositions. The move should give CEDIA per- sonnel more time to serve its installer members...