Sezmi, a burgeoning broadband service that will stream live TV (broadcast and cable) to sets, is one step closer to widespread launch. The company today launched a pilot program in Los Angeles with several significant partners – and a new cash infusion.

Sony Pictures, MGM Studios, Paramount Studios, Warner Brothers, Lion's Gate Entertainment and Universal Studios have all signed on to stream movies on demand. NBC Universal, Turner, MTV Networks and Discovery channel will offer some or all of their cable offerings (making up roughly 25 of the most-watched TV channels). And all of the major broadcast networks  - ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC, Telemundo, Univision – are on board as well.

The company has also received another $25 million in funding from several investors. Among those banking on the company are Morgenthaler Ventures, Omni Capital, TD Fund, Index Ventures, and Legend Ventures and a new, unnamed strategic investor.

Sezmi plans to be a cable competitor, offering live television content via broadband Internet services. Users will have a set-top box allowing them to access both broadcast and cable content, along with on-demand films and Internet video content. The system is promising more personalization options than existing TV providers as well as much lower costs.

Participants in the pilot will receive a free subscription – but when the service goes live, the company will offer two tiered packages.

Sezmi Select, the entry tier, will offer all local channels (in SD and HD) as well as access to on-demand content for $4.99 per month. Sezmi Supreme will run $24.99 per month – and will including the lineup of live cable channels as well as local. (The specific channels have not yet been revealed.)

This is suggested pricing. Sezmi will enter homes through distribution partners, rather than direct sales from the company – so those partners will have final say on what they charge.

Assuming the pilot goes well, the company is aiming for wider distribution in the middle of the first quarter. Sezmi officials say they will reveal more specifics around those plans (including distribution partner names) at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

Despite overall wallet-tightening and unemployment hitting the 10 percent mark, consumers will still flock to LCD TVs, according to a new report from iSupply.

Principal analyst Riddhi Patel predicts massive seasonal price cuts will spark buying, with 8 million units shipping in the fourth quarter – a 7.3 percent increase over the 2008 figures.

iSupply is looking for some good deals on Black Friday and beyond, predicting prices for HD sets will fall as low as $299 for some 32-inch models and $499 for 42-inch sets.

Deals aside, average pricing for 46- and 47-inch LCD sets should fall below $1,000, which will spur buying as well. And, it says, many consumer will want to upgrade their older LCD sets to premium models with LED backlighting, which results in a more vibrant picture.

It’s an optimistic prediction – and deal-watchers agree that LCDs will see some great holiday bargains this year – but given the still fragile state of the economy, take it with a grain of salt. Most folks are still hanging on tight to the money in their bank accounts – and it’s going to take some spectacularly low prices to loosen that grip. 

Well that didn’t take long.

AT&T CruiseCast – an in-vehicle TV service the company created with RaySat Broadcasting Corp. – has halted new activations and it current customers will soon be able to get a refund for their installation (and de-installation) costs, as well as equipment and service.

CruiseCast launched in June at the rather staggering price tag of $1,300, plus a $28 monthly charge. It had promised customers 22 satellite TV channels and 20 satellite radio channels.

Live video in the car is a boon for parents, but with competition from portable media players (not to mention the still weak economy) and the high up-front and monthly charges, this one faced long odds from the beginning.

Apple’s reportedly shopping a new monthly subscription service to television networks that would seemingly put iTunes in competition with cable providers.

AllThingsD reports the company has been talking with networks about a $30 per month plan that would deliver programming via the popular software. The service would not be tied to specific hardware (such as Apple TV or the rumored tablet).

Apple is hoping to launch the service early next year, but so far no network has signed on – not even Disney-owned ABC, where Steve Jobs is on the board of directors. The nets are said to be cautious, as they don’t want to upset their cable system partners (and the subscription fees they generate).

Streaming video online is coming of age quickly. Netflix has seen incredible success with its “Watch Instantly” option – signing deals to stream via select Blu-Ray players, the Xbox 360 and (starting later this month) the PlayStation 3. Amazon offers a similar service and even YouTube has had a few successful experiments with long-form content as well.

Then, of course, there’s Hulu, which has found a solid audience online and is now exploring ways to further monetize itself.

With the large installed base of iTunes and the many outlets it services (including the iPhone and desktop PCs), there’s some promise in this. And with the influx of internet-enabled television sets hitting the market and predicted to grow fast, the time could be right for Apple to make a play in the field.

There are, of course, lingering questions. Even if Apple gets the major networks on board, would the service be equivalent to cable offerings? What about premium channels? Would programs be aired in conjunction with their broadcast premieres or would they be time delayed, as they are with FLO TV?

It’s an intriguing idea, though – and it sure would be interesting to see how Apple would distribute it. Hopefully, we’ll learn more at the company’s January event.

FLO TV, which has established itself as the go-to player in cell phone television viewing, is branching out.

The company has introduced a dedicated standalone device letting people watch programming from CBS, NBC, ESPN, CNN and more. Due out this holiday, the device will cost $250 and carry a monthly fee of $9 (if you’re willing to commit to a three-year subscription).

The FLO TV Personal Television, as it’s called, sports a 3.5-inch touchscreen, weighs 5 oz. and has a built-in stereo speakers. The battery life will reportedly last for 5 hours of viewing and 300 hours of standby. The company plans to sell the devices both online and in big-box retail stores, though it won’t say which ones until it’s closer to launch.

This is the third prong of FLO’s tripod approach to portable television. Beyond cell phones, the company also recently announced a partnership with AudioVox to include FLO TV in cars.

Jonathan Barzilay, senior vice president of programming and advertising of FLO TV, won’t disclose how many people currently subscribe to the service, noting that the customer information belongs to Verizon and AT&T. He did say, though, the company is expecting big things from this personal TV (PTV) product.

“We anticipate that the PTV consumer and automotive consumers will each make up a healthy subsection to our installed base, but we are fiercely committed to the mobile communications channel – and continue to invest in that market,” he said.

Toshiba’s getting ahead of the coming flood of consumer electronics news, today announcing the Cell Regza LCD TV, which will hit Japan in December.

While manufacturers announce new models almost daily, this one’s special. The Cell processor, the chip that powers Sony’s PlayStation 3, will be at the heart of this set as well. That makes this more than just a typical HDTV.

Picture-in-picture? That’s so 1980s. The Regza can display up to eight channels at once. It can also simultaneously record up to eight different programs on its included 3TB hard drive.

The impressive specs don’t stop there. The Regza boars a 240Hz display, seven internal speakers, an opera-based Web browser and a 55-inch screen.

Price? Well, that’s where things start to get painful. The Regza’s expected to retail for 1 million yen – roughly U.S. $11,000. No U.S. launch date has yet been announced.

Toshiba has low expectations for initial sales (its target is just 1,000 units per month), but big plans for the brand. The company is already talking about the Cell Regza Next, which would incorporate 3D technology and more.

While the set is prohibitively expensive at present, it’s worth keeping an eye on. The inclusion of the Cell processor gives it a lot of power under the hood and could give Toshiba an advantage as 3D and other new television technologies begin their push for mainstream acceptance.

We’ll see how other manufacturers react later this week as CEATEC – Japan’s version of the Consumer Electronics Show – kicks off. 

Tube TVs, which have been out of favor at retail for several years now, are warming up for their swan song. Panasonic, one of the world’s leading TV manufacturers, has announced plans to cease production of the sets.

It’s the end of a 55-year run for tube TVs at Panasonic. Even after flat-panel sets became the standard in the U.S., there was a market for tubes in poorer countries, with China and Southeast Asia making up the lion’s share of the market. The company kept its hand in the market via a joint venture in China. It now plans to sell its share in that company.

Panasonic isn’t the first major manufacturer to say goodbye to the tube world. Sony announced plans to end production of the models in March of 2008. JVC, Toshiba and LG have abandoned the model as well.

The focus these days is on the next great thing. But as we wait for 3D HD sets to hit the market at a non-staggering price, let us pause a moment and say a fond farewell to the set that put the tube into “boob tube”.

(Thanks CrunchGear)

You won’t see Rachel Ray or Paula Deen anywhere on Hungry Nation TV, but you may learn how to make a cocktail in just 12 seconds.

Next New Networks is launching the new online video network today, with a focus on food for the common man – and frugality.

“We are always trying to identify areas that are underserved by the media and see if there’s a way to serve that audience online through video,” says Lance Podell, CEO of Next New Networks. “Much of what [cable’s] Food Network focuses on is professional, but it’s over-aspirational. … What we thought about was how much food is a part of our live and how we all enjoy talking about and sharing food stories, but in a more mundane and real way.”

Hungry Nation will launch with two shows - VendrTV and Working Class Foodies – and plans to add a third (12 Second Cocktails) next month. By December, it plans to increase that number to five.

Apple has never given Apple TV a whole lot of public marketing support – and, as a result, the product has never been a runaway hit for the company. The marketing is still lacking, but there seems to be some movement occurring with the device.

Apple has quietly discontinued the 40 GB model of the set top box and cut the price of the 160GB model by $100 to $229.

There are several possible reasons behind the move… Apple could be slowly shuttering the division (it has, after all, referred to Apple TV has a “hobby” many times in the past). It could be a proactive move to distract attention away from tomorrow’s launch of the Zune HD by Microsoft. Or the company could be dumping inventory as it gets ready to unveil a new product.

Piper Jaffrey analyst Gene Munster would probably argue the later. He accurately predicted the price cut over a week ago and has also speculated that Apple is planning to add DVR capabilities to the device.

If that turns out to be true, it could make Apple TV a potential player in the digital hub battle that Microsoft, Sony and the cable companies are fighting right now. Apple made no secret of the fact that it’s going after game companies in its press event on Sept. 9. Perhaps an upgraded Apple TV, with enhanced television offerings and the ability to incorporate selected apps is the next step in that attack.

The first high definition 3D TVs are now on store shelves – and if the lack of content for them doesn’t scare people away, the price tag just might.

JVC announced U.S. availability of its 46-inch 3D LCD HDTV at CEDIA, the trade show focused on home cinema going on now in Atlanta.

The flagship GY-463D10 model has an impressive 2000:1 contrast ratio, three HDMI inputs, is only 1.5 inches thick and comes with two sets of specialized 3D glasses.

It also comes with a $9,153 price tag.

3D HD may or may not be the future of television. It’s an extremely impressive technology that does make the viewing experience much more interactive – but the most important component of this – broadcast networks  - hasn’t made any sort of commitment. That means there’s very little 3D content on the horizon right now. Blu-Ray discs with 3D films are only going to attract so many people.

JVC is first out of the gate, but Sony and Panasonic are hot on its heels, with systems due out next year. Panasonic’s hoping that the home release of James Cameron’s “Avatar” will be the big driver for early adopters. Sony seems to be preparing to lean on its PlayStation 3 for an advantage.

But in order to get any sort of significant installed base for these sets (which could be the motivator networks are waiting for), the price tags are going to have to come down – a lot.