Matthew Moskovciak

Home theater at CES 2014: Sound bars, streaming, and over

Home theater is always one of the major stars at the Consumer Electronics Show, with every major company rolling out a full suite of new products promising to make your digital entertainment look and sound better. Those product lineups tend to include plenty of products that feel pretty stale, such as new Blu-ray players and …

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Xbox Live Gold: The yearly fee that’s a big hurdle for casual gamers

The futuristic Xbox One lets you change channels with your voice, log in to your account with nothing more than your face, and instantly flip between gaming and live TV, but Microsoft’s wunderbox can’t stream Netflix without a $60-per-year Xbox Live Gold subscription. It’s a surprising restriction when nearly every other device, from the $35 Chromecast to the $400 PlayStation …

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Xbox One in the living room: The dazzling, erratic everything box

Walk into your living room, say “Xbox on,” and your Xbox One, TV, and sound bar automatically power on. Sit down and say “Xbox Watch ESPN,” and the cable box automatically turns to ESPN and fills the TV screen. It feels futuristic, but in a retro way. It’s the kind of thing someone in a Disney “Home of the Future” …

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Roku adds WatchESPN and Watch Disney channels

Sarah Tew/CNET Roku recently passed the 1,000-channel mark and that list is about to get even longer. Roku announced today that WatchESPN, Watch Disney, Watch Disney Junior, and Watch Disney XD will be added to the company’s streaming boxes. It’s a bit of catchup for the company, as the same collection of apps were added to its main competitor, the …

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Confirmed: PS4 won’t work with IR remote controls

Apparently one of the more annoying inconveniences of the PS3 will be sticking around for another generation. A Sony representative confirmed to CNET that the PS4 cannot receive infrared (IR) remote control commands, which means it won’t work with a traditional universal remote such as the Logitech Harmony 650. We were also unable to find an IR receptor on our …

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What we learned about Xbox One’s living

The Xbox One is ready to be the hub of your living room. That’s been the pitch since Day 1 for Microsoft’s next-gen console, but it wasn’t until this Wednesday that the CNET crew had a chance to check out many of the Xbox One’s home entertainment features in person. We already knew that the Xbox One would include Blu-ray …

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Pioneer acknowledges Bluetooth audio flaw in new SP

The Pioneer SP-SB23W ($399) may be in a class of its own for affordable sound bar performance, but it’s not quite perfect. Shortly after posting our review of the SP-SB23W, I noticed a couple of user reviews that mentioned issues with Bluetooth audio sound quality. Specifically, the customers found that when using Bluetooth audio, only the right channel of audio …

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Roku unveils trio of new boxes, M

Earlier this year, the Roku 3 was released to nearly unanimous rave reviews (including CNET’s), thanks to its speedy processor, refined looks, and nifty remote with a built-in headphone jack. Now the company is bringing some of the Roku 3’s improved hardware and styling to the rest of its line. Roku has taken the wraps off three new budget streaming …

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Forget smartphone remotes: Here’s why real buttons win

Two of the most interesting products this year are built around the same idea: now that so many people own a smartphone or tablet, why not use that screen to control your TV? It seems like a logical progression, with Logitech’s Harmony Smart Control promising to turn your smartphone into a true universal remote and Google’s Chromecast relying on mobile …

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What Chromecast needs to go from good to great

Now playing: Watch this: Google Chromecast pushes videos to TV 1:44 Google has an instant hit with its $35 Chromecast, apparently selling more than 250,000 units almost immediately. It’s been so unexpectedly popular, in fact, that the company had to discontinue its initial three-month Netflix promotion. Related stories Got a Streaming Device? You Need to Change These Settings ASAP Best …

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