With the new year under way, I figured it was an appropriate time to look at four TV trends that I expect to see more of during the nest 12 months. Here goes ...

• 3D: With the first 3D TVs already earning major display space in retail stores, this trend is underway. Trouble is, 3D content is scarce. Look for that to become less of a problem during the next 12 months. Today, every major 3D film that hits theaters is getting the Blu-ray 3D treatment when it moves to home video. That's good news. I don't have a crystal ball, but I expect to see more 3D content and more 3D-enabled sets hitting stores. Right now, it's mostly high-end TVs that have 3D capability. If that changes (and I'm guessing it will) the technology has a much better chance of taking off.
• Internet-enabled TV: People have been talking about Internet-enabled TV for some time, but 2010 was the year when things really started to gel. Not only did we see more televisions with built-in Internet connections and apps, we saw a ton of add-on devices with really great specs. Roku players were joined by the new Apple TV, the Boxee Box and a host of other units capable of streaming video via the Web. Most notable, perhaps, is the fact that many affordable Blu-ray players now offer at least limited Internet access. If your TV isn't connected to the Internet now, I bet it will be in the future.
• Tablets and phones as remotes: Many consumers are already using tablets and smart phones to help control their televisions and home theater systems, and I expect to see more apps designed for this purpose in 2011. Standard remote controls are great, but tablets and phones allow long distance programming, and the prevalence of these devices assures a greater tie in with home entertainment systems.
• LED TVs: Confusing marketing has convinced some consumers that LED sets are better than LCD TVs. In reality, LED TVs are just a sub-category of LCD. One thing is true, however. LED-branded TVs are thinner, and people love super-slim televisions. So, look for more and more LED sets to hit stores. Although plasma, rear-projection and standard LCD TVs are still great options, I expect LED to slowly take over. Like Apple's iPods, they've been branded as cool, and cool things sell.

  - Forrest Hartman, About.com guest blogger

  Photo © Roku

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off Thursday (Jan. 6) in Las Vegas and, as always, it will be THE PLACE to get news about new and forthcoming products. Since televisions are a huge part of the consumer electronics world, the major manufacturers always have a big-time presence. Last year, 3D TV was the talk of the show, and I expect a continued focus on 3D this year, but there will no doubt be exciting new announcements as well.

Although CES is a blast, most consumers don't get to go. That doesn't mean, however, you can't access to the show's breaking news. The Consumer Electronics Association, which produces the show, posts a lot of great information on the CES Web site. Also, many media outlets offer exhaustive coverage of the show. I encourage you to drop by About.com guide Robert Silva's Home Theater site throughout the event, as he has promised to post information about hot new products. Other About.com guides often attend as well, so if your interests in gadgets extends beyond television and home theater products, drop by the main Electronics & Gadgets page frequently starting Thursday.

While we'd love for you to spend all of your online time here at About.com, I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't mention another great source of CES news: CNET. That site covers the show extensively. So, if you can't find what you're looking for here, pay the folks at CNET a visit.

The CES Web site already has a list of the show's 2011 Innovations Honorees, so pay it a visit if you want a head start on the action. Following are three TV- and video-related products that earned the Innovations tag.

• Sony's Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player powered by Google TV
• Monster Vision Max 3D glasses
• Kinect for Xbox 360

As terrific as those three devices are, they represent just a fraction of those that will be on display at CES. So, it's time for the inner tech nerd in all of us to start salivating.

- Forrest Hartman, About.com guest blogger

Photo © Consumer Electronics Association

Early last week, Apple announced that sales of its new Apple TV units were expected to top one million by Christmas. Assuming their estimates were correct, an awful lot of people now have the devices in hand. And why not? If you want to bring select Web-based content and streaming high-definition video to your big screen, Apple TV is a decent choice.

If this is the first time you're reading about Apple TV, you're probably wondering exactly what it is. In a nutshell, it's an add-on device that lets you turn any HDMI-equipped TV into an Internet-enabled set. The device is small enough to sit in an adult hand, has built-in wi-fi and costs $99. Following are some of the key features.

• Streams music and photos from a computer to a TV
• Allows on-demand rentals of high-definition and standard-definition movies
• Allows streaming of select high-definition TV shows for 99 cents per episode (commercial free)
• Works as a Netflix streaming device
• Accesses online photos from Flickr
• Brings YouTube videos to a big screen
• Accesses Internet radio stations and additional Web-based content
• Remote controllable using a free app that's available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
• Streams content from an iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone

Apple says iTunes customers are now renting and purchasing more than 400,000 TV episodes and 150,000 movies daily. If you're one of the people adding to those numbers, an Apple TV may be for you.

- Forrest Hartman, About.com guest blogger

Photo © Apple

So, you've invested in a 3D TV, purchased a 3D-capable Blu-ray player and made sure to get glasses for everyone in the family. You have everything you need for some great three-dimensional entertainment ... except the content. That's a common problem. In fact, the lack of 3D content for the home environment continues to be one of the big rubs for early 3D TV adopters.

Fortunately, DirecTV has some 3D channels and on-demand options up and running, so people who use that company have more content than most. It's worth noting, however, that DirecTV's 3D lineup is highly repetitive right now.

Since not everyone has DirecTV, most current 3D TV owners will probably turn to Blu-ray 3D discs when they want to watch something at their leisure. Blu-ray 3D is so new, however, that it's tough for the average person to know what's available. That's where The Illustrated 3D Movie List comes in. I found this site when I was looking for information on Blu-ray 3D, and was impressed. The site is devoted to all things 3D and its  extensive listing of titles available on Blu-ray 3D is useful. Also, Amazon.com has a similar list. If you're wondering what type of content is available, both sites are worth a visit.

If you're looking to watch something on Blu-ray 3D tonight, you have about 30 options (my count as of Dec. 2010). Many of the current titles are animated films or things aimed at children simply because studios tend to release that sort of material into theaters in 3D. There are also several options for horror buffs because horror films also translate nicely to 3D.

Since I also work as a professional film critic, I've seen more movies than the average Joe, and I'm pleased to report that a number of the movies available on Blu-ray 3D are actually good in any dimension. With that in mind, I decided to close this post with a list of five Blu-ray 3D titles that you can't go wrong with.

1. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
2. The Polar Express
3. Monster House
4. Despicable Me
5. Coraline

- Forrest Hartman, About.com guest blogger

Photo © Columbia Pictures