Tivo Inc (TIVO)
Remember when we used to have to watch commercials on TV? Wasn't it a pain? Thanks to TiVo and their digital video recorders (DVRs) those days are in the past. Subscribing to TiVo lets you skip commercials, record the shows you want, and basically fit what you want to watch into your schedule.
Consumer Reports: Streaming Online Movies Directly to TV is Ready for Prime Time
Feb. 3, 2010 (US Newswire delivered by Newstex) --
To: TECHNOLOGY EDITORS
Contact: Melissa M. Valentino, +1-914-378-2432, mvalentino@consumer.org, or Lauren Hackett, +1-914-378-2561, lhackett@consumer.org
March report includes Ratings of TVs and Blu-ray players that can stream online movies and receive select Web content
YONKERS, N.Y., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Getting online content on TV is easier than ever. A growing number of Internet-capable TVs and Blu-ray players allow consumers to stream video from the Web to the big screen via a broadband connection. Consumer Reports latest Ratings of TVs and Blu-ray players that can stream movies online includes more than 20 sets from $1,000 and four players from $150. Lab tests also revealed that set up and access to online content was easy and picture quality was decent if not quite up to the claimed resolution. The full report is featured in the March issue of the magazine and online at www.ConsumerReports.org.
Consumer Reports tests also found another dozen or so TVs that can stream other types of content aside from movies; however, Internet browser capabilities on Web-enabled TVs and Blu-ray players are limited. Viewers can watch videos from YouTube; news, sports and more from Yahoo!; digital photos stored on Picasa and Flickr; and music from Internet radio stations such as Pandora and Slacker. Some of the content is free. Movies and TV episodes are pay-per-view or, with Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) , included with a subscription. Other online streaming services include Amazon Video on Demand, Blockbuster on Demand and Vudu.
Aside from Web-enabled TVs and Blu-ray players, there are other devices available that offer access to streaming movies and online content including the TiVo (NASDAQ:TIVO) HD DVR, $250 and two game consoles: Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Xbox 360, $200 and up, and Sony's (NYSE:SNE) PlayStation 3, $300, which includes a Blu-ray player and a Web browser. There are also dedicated boxes that connect to an existing broadband service via a wired or wireless (Wi-Fi) hookup. Some of the streaming services, such as Vudu also offer their own boxes for a fee.
Things to Consider
The complete report "TV meets Web" is available in the March 2010 issue of Consumer Reports available wherever magazines are sold. Portions of the story are available for free online at www.ConsumerReports.org.
MARCH 2010
Consumers Union 2010. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for commercial or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports(R) is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To maintain our independence and impartiality, Consumers Union accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. Consumers Union supports itself through the sale of our information products and services, individual contributions, and a few noncommercial grants.
SOURCE Consumer Reports
-0-
Newstex ID: USN-0001-41739186
Members who own this company also own
Current price per share
Today's gain: $0.03 (0.19%)
