David Katzmaier/CNET “Are curved TVs a gimmick?” That was the question I asked back in January. I was fresh off a full week at CES in Las Vegas, where Samsung and, to a lesser extent LG, had spent a significant amount of time and money highlighting curved — and even bendable — TV screens as …

Now playing: Watch this: Samsung Smart Remote: Hands-on with the best TV clicker… 3:02 I’m the first to argue that a buying a TV should be about the combination of picture quality and value first, and everything else second. The remote included with that TV should be placed pretty far down the list of priorities. That said, the remote you …

Sarah Tew/CNET Spring is finally here. The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, the flip-flops are flip-flopping, and it’s time to get outside and play in the sun after a long winter. Or maybe, hopes SunBrite, to sit outside and watch TV. The company, manufacturer of expensive TVs designed specifically to withstand the rigors of your beautifully manicured backyard, …

David Katzmaier/CNET Smart TVs have always had a big problem: smarter, more capable external devices. Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast and now Amazon Fire TV are directly competitive with TVs’ built-in Smart platforms, and often provide a better experience: more apps, slicker interfaces and more updates. Video game consoles are smarter than ever, incorporating the same apps and, in the …

The DP65E34 represents one of a new wave of inexpensive big-screen TVs. Sanyo Yesterday Sanyo announced the DP65E34, a 65-inch LCD TV that’s currently selling at Walmart for $998. That’s a very low price, especially for this time of year, months from Black Friday and the traditional sale season. On the other hand, there’s no telling how good a TV …

Hulu Plus, Crackle, and Showtime Anytime are joining Fire TV’s voice search catalog Sarah Tew/CNET Just over two weeks after release the Amazon Fire TV streaming box is getting some significant upgrades. Our full review called the Fire TV an and now it seems the company is taking some of our advice to heart. Author Matthew Moskovciak said “the voice-search …

Netflix’s “House of Cards” is now available to stream in 4K resolution. Netflix The first real dose of non-proprietary 4K content is now available. Netflix confirmed Sunday that it has begun streaming 4K versions of its original series “House of Cards,” as well as “some nature documentaries.” The streaming giant’s 4K plans were first revealed last year. Netflix’s 4K streams …

Sarah Tew/CNET Today Amazon launched the Fire TV streaming media box . Its standout features include an extensive library of games, an optional game controller ($40), voice search via a mic on the remote, an “ASAP” function that’s said to launch certain videos immediately, and a “Free Time” function that allows parents to limit their kids’ media consumption, much like …

The Samsung PNF8500 from 2013, distinctive O’Keeffe-esque stand and all, will continue to be sold through 2014. Sarah Tew/CNET Last year the superb Samsung PNF8500 series of plasmas was our third-favorite TV overall for picture quality, losing out to Panasonic’s VT/ZT series by a nose. Now that those two are gone, never to be replaced, the 8500 is top dog …

The 2013 Vizio E-Series TVs, like the E420i-A1 here, were among the best values available. Sarah Tew/CNET In the wake, in more than one sense of the word, of Panasonic’s decision to stop making plasma TVs, there’s now a hole in the TV market. It’s right at the intersection of picture quality and value, a massive axle-rending divot left by …