If you’re looking for a remote control, most people will tell you to get a Logitech Harmony. But there are a number of high-quality alternatives. For the past two years, the Acoustic Research ARRX18G ($200) has been one of these. Unfortunately, it’s just been discontinued, but if you’re looking for a good remote at rock …

In 2011, the biggest “breakthrough” may have been that connected TVs finally got a name–Smart TV–but the year also gave us some excellent televisions. The Pioneer Kuro has remained the standard in picture quality since the last one rolled out of the factory three years ago, but this year it received a challenger: the Sharp Elite Pro. It wasn’t even …

Samsung has just unveiled a new teaser trailer for its CES 2012 appearance, which features a family playing with tablets and phones on the couch–suggesting the company will feature extended integration between its TVs and mobile devices, and perhaps even with Apple technology. Samsung debuted remote watching with its Samsung C9000 television and we expect the company to extend that …

If you’re looking for a TV that offers the blacks of a plasma with the energy-saving benefits and slimness of an LCD, then the M3D0SR range from Vizio may be of interest to you. “Plasma-like blacks?” you ask. Almost, yes. The Vizio’s Smart Dimming is able to give excellent contrast levels. Most CNET TV reviews are based on an entire …

Yamaha has unveiled its AV Controller App 2.0 for Android and iOS devices. The app is designed to let users not only control Yamaha receivers and Blu-ray players wirelessly but also stream music to them via DLNA and from a mobile device. The new app also offers multizone functionality, enabling users to control music in any zone, in addition to …

Portable TV sets have been around since the ’80s, when the Sony Watchman ruled the roost. Back then, its black-and-white screen the size of a postage stamp would have set you back $1,600 in today’s money. The Watchman finally bowed out in 2000, and now that you can watch TV on your phone or tablet, the idea of a portable …

“Do you like prizes?” asks Sony in its new Facebook ad. “Sure, Howard Stringer, prizes are pretty neat… But, hang on, what’s the catch?” Sony is giving away for free a Google TV Blu-ray player every day to people who input their e-mail address on the company’s Facebook prize page. Plus, the entries go into the draw for a 46-inch …

Where the first LCD TVs used fluorescent tubes to light the screen, newer models have come along calling themselves “LED TVs,” which, as the name suggests, use light-emitting diodes for illumination. The two main advantages of LEDs are lower energy usage and that they can be built into very small enclosures. The slimline models here have the added incentive of …

Sony has typically been a peg or two more expensive than its rivals but is now producing some value-conscious, high-enough-quality screens. The Sony EX523 series is an example of a television with a decent feature set and image quality that stands up well against the competition. The main difference between the EX523 and the EX520 it replaces is onboard Wi-Fi. …

Onkyo has released a revamped iPod Touch/iPhone app that enables users to wirelessly control music and components in a multiroom setup. The “Onkyo Remote 2” will control 2010/2011 network receivers, plus the TX-8050 Network Stereo Receiver, and enables control of Internet radio, full access to digital music libraries, and commonly used functions. The remote will control connected components compatible with …