What we're watching tonight:

• Fox (720p) has Human Target at 8 p.m. and American Idol at 9 p.m.
• ABC (720p) lines up Scrubs at 8 p.m., The Middle at 8:30 p.m., Modern Family at 9 p.m., Cougar Town at 9:30 p.m. and Ugly Betty at 10 p.m.
• CBS (1080i) lines up The New Adventures of Old Christine at 8 p.m., Gary Unmarried at 8:30 p.m., Criminal Minds at 9 p.m. and CSI: NY at 10 p.m.
• USA (1080i) has the season finale of Psych at 10 p.m.
• CW (1080i) has the series premiere of High Society at 9:30 p.m.
• NBC (1080i) has Mercy at 8 p.m. and Law & Order: SVU at 10 p.m.
• History (720p) has MonsterQuest at 9 p.m.
• Showtime (1080i) has Inside NASCAR at 10 p.m.
• DirecTV (1080i) has Underbelly at 10 p.m.
• Brave (1080i) has Shear Genius at 10 p.m.
• TBS (1080i) brings House of Payne at 10 & 10:30 p.m.
• ESPN (720p) has Seton Hall/Notre Dame college basketball at 7 p.m. and Cincinnati/Louisville at 9:30 p.m.

For those enjoying media bliss thanks to a little MediaSmart box humming away somewhere in the corner, life just got a even more lovely. HP has announced a partnership with TiVo that allows MediaSmart users to install a Windows Home Server add-in, enabling the two devices to talk sweet nothings to each other. From within the WHS console you'll be able to suck recorded content from the TiVo onto the MediaSmart's expansive storage array and, from there, play it on any of your compatible devices (PC, Mac, Xbox, PS3, etc.). Or, when you start to miss those happy TiVo sounds, you can send that content back over to DVR to view from there. The WHS extension is available right now to MediaSmart owners, so get on with the downloading already.

There's no bigger sport in March than College Basketball and CBS is once again stepping up its coverage of March Madness by covering the last three games in 3D. With some help from Cinedigm Digital Cineman Corp, 100 movie theaters throughout the nation will present the games in 3D for your viewing pleasure, but If you don't live near a theater -- or just want to find content for your new 3DTV -- you might be in luck as CBS is also reaching out to cable and satellite providers about sharing the love. This is yet another live 3D broadcast to add to the others this year, which will hopefully be just the beginning of live 3D sports for years to come.

3DTVs get their big launch at Best Buy this week, but we kick off with talk of TiVo's latest legal victory. We do talk 3D for some time though and can't wait to see if the in store demos live up to what we saw at CES -- we also take some time to try to clear up some confusion in regards to HDMI, 3D and all the requirements and standards. Finally we talk about why an IR emitter for a iPhone is a bad idea, why we don't really care much about Real's loss to the MPAA and why you should wait for the BBC's version of Life on Blu-ray rather than watching it on Discovery.

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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh, Richard Lawler

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Program
03:10 - Comments from Podcast 181
09:00 - TiVo's $200m damages award in EchoStar case affirmed, EchoStar to appeal (again)
15:58 - Panasonic's VT25 3DTVs will be nearly 50% off Japanese prices, launch this week at Best Buy
21:50 - Panasonic G20 HDTV review shows plasma's still got it
23:37 - Samsung debuts 3DTV LED LCD ads during the Oscars
28:03 - HDMI 1.4a spec released in full, lays down mandatory 3D format support details
39:27 - New Potato's FLPR IR dongle gives your iPhone home automation capabilities
40:00 - RedEye mini converts iPhone, iPad or iPod touch into IR-beaming universal remote
47:73 - RealNetworks to stop selling RealDVD, your copyrights are safe -- for now
54:44 - Discovery's next epic series Life airs March 21 on seven networks, June 1 on Blu-ray

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The market is darn near flooded with HomePlug AV-compatible powerline solutions, but Zinnet has seen fit to one-up the networking mainstays by dishing out a product that serves not one, but four Ethernet-packin' devices simultaneously. Designed for use with its brite-View CinemaTube (but fully capable of working with game consoles, Blu-ray players and media streamers), this two-piece kit allows internet content to flow through your home's existing powerline network and hit up to four devices on the other end. Simply plug the solo port adapter into a wall socket beside your router or broadband modem, and the four port adapter in your home theater room (or den, for the simplistic among us). From there, you can connect your Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Roku set-top-box, Blu-ray player, CinemaTube deck or any other AV device that benefits from a wired internet connection; just like that, you've got a makeshift connection to four devices, and you'll never have to worry over WiFi dropouts again. All that's required to bring this joy into your life is $89.99 and a basic understanding of online checkout procedure, both of which we're sure you can handle.

Just about all of you can tell us exactly how fast the processor in your computer is, but what about your DVR? We don't give it much thought ourselves until things slow down, but this chart from TiVo Community's Premiere FAQ really opens our eyes to why so many DVRs have such crapy interfaces. As you can see, the new TiVo Premiere sports a processor that is way faster than just about any DVR out there, and easily dwarfs the old Series3 and TiVo HD. This not only makes it easy to understand why the new Premiere interface didn't get back ported to the Series3, but it also makes us wonder what other capabilities might be leveraged by TiVo with this new found power.

What we're watching tonight:

• Fox (720p) has American Idol at 8 p.m.
• CBS (1080i) has NCIS at 8 p.m., NCIS: LA at 9 p.m. and The Good Wife at 10 p.m.
• ABC (720p) has Lost at 9 p.m. and the season finale of The Forgotten at 10 p.m.
• NBC (1080i) airs Parenthood at 10 p.m.
• USA (1080i) has the season finale of White Collar at 10 p.m.
• TNT (1080i) has Southland at 10 p.m.
• History (720p) has Life After People at 10 p.m.
• TLC (1080i) brings 19 Kids & Counting at 9 p.m. and The Miss Turkey trot and Miss Drumsticks Pageants at 10 p.m.
• Spike TV (1080i) airs Blue Mountain State at 10 p.m. and Players at 10:30 p.m.
• Food (1080i) has Chopped at 10 p.m.
• Travel (1080i) has the series premiere of Food Wars at 10 & 10:30 p.m.
• Syfy (1080i) has WWE NXT at 10 p.m.
• ESPN (720p) has women's college basketball with West Virginia/Connecticut at 7 p.m.
• Versus (1080i) has Islanders/Flyers hockey at 7:30 p.m.

There's more than just HDTVs on the way from Samsung this year, it's also picked today to reveal the price and ship dates for its Samsung Apps-equipped Blu-ray HTIB systems (HT-C7530W pictured above and all due in March or April) and HDMI 1.4-equipped 3D passthrough compatible receivers. Even though the cool kids are already on to HDMI 1.4a, that should be good enough to pass through 3D video and handle audio all in one cable so if you're planning a whole home theater revamp before Avatar comes home in 3D (whenever that is) you'll probably want to grab one with the feature. Other than the 7.1 channel HW-C770BS for $549 shipping this month, there's also a $499 HW-C900 model with multi-zone and video upscaling features for $499, though when it will arrive is still TBD.

Planning on buying one of those fresh Samsung 3D HDTVs and Blu-ray players now that they are available? Well, the good news from Samsung's press conference is that you'll get a free 3D Starter Kit if you decide to fork over the cash for them both. Included are two pairs of active shutter glasses (available separately for $150) and the 3D Blu-ray version of Monsters vs. Aliens, which is exclusive to Samsung for the time being. And speaking of new 3D titles, DreamWorks' own Jeffrey Katzenberg took stage to announce that Shrek will be coming soon. We're not sure how we feel about these super expensive sets, but the hands-on pictures of the kit do seem to make spending plus $2,000 for that new Sammy 3DTV and Blu-ray player a bit more enticing.

Enjoy your CES peek at Samsung's ultrathin 9000 series LED-lit LCD HDTV, with its touchscreen, video displaying remote control (also available as a $350 add-on for the 7000, 8000,and 750 series televisions) and 3D capability? That's good, because bringing the 55-inch UN55C9000 home in April will cost you a cool $6,999 (the thrifty can slum it with the 46-inch version for $5,999.) Still, if you're just looking to jump in on 3D without spending the max money, the cheapest model available at first will be the standard LCD LN46C750 available in May. In between, there's all manner of LED (most of them listed above, both with and without 3D capabilities) or old-school CCFL backlit LCDs plus a healthy lineup of plasmas arriving over the next few months, so with a note that grabbing 3D Blu-ray player and display at the same time will net a couple free pairs of active shutter glasses and a copy of the Monsters vs. Aliens 3D Blu-ray, check Samsung's site for each type to see what your budget can handle.

We'd heard that the NFL would be bringing the RedZone channel to phones this season, and it looks like Verizon was the highest bidder: NFL Mobile will launch on Big Red next month with the draft, complete with live streaming video of the event, on-demand video analysis from NFL Network, a pick-by-pick draft tracker, and other content. Once the season starts, customers will get RedZone, live streams of Sunday night and Thursday night games, on-demand video highlights and analysis, live home and away radio broadcasts, fantasy info, and the usual nasty ringtones and graphics. That's a ton of content, and it certainly makes Sprint's NFL package seem a little light in comparison -- we'll have to see what pricing is like and what devices this'll run on closer to launch, however. Bring on the draft!

Update: We just confirmed that NFL Mobile will be exclusive to Verizon for the next four years, which means Sprint customers are out of luck. Verizon paid a pretty penny for the rights: the Wall Street Journal values the deal at $720 million.

Kicking off an expected repeat flood of 3DTV info over the next few days (Samsung and Panasonic both have events scheduled over the next couple of days) Sony has revealed pricing and shipping information for its new televisions and related accessories in Japan. The new sets share that sweet/ominous monolithic style of the already available NX800 series (also announced today in Japan, along with fellow 2D-only HX700 LCD and DVR-packing BX30H televisions,) with the edge-lit LED LX900 bringing the entire 3D package. With IR emitter built in and two pairs of RealD active shutter glasses, all you'll need to add is a source to the 60-, 51-, 46- and 40-inch models, ranging in price from ¥580,000 ($6,444) to ¥290,000 ($3,222.) Even if the TDG-BR100 / TDG-BR50 3D glasses (also available as an accessory for ¥12,000 ($133) or so) aren't on your face this WiFi-connected abyss of entertainment will look back into you, using face tracking to detect if someone is sitting too close and warn them to move back, as well as dimming and eventually turning off the screen if you leave the room or simply looked away from the TV for an extended period.

Want to get the full 3D effect with the LED backlit HX900 and edge-lit HX800? Expect to purchase the glasses and TMR-BR100 IR emitter (¥5,000 or $55) separately, or just live a 2D lifestyle and know the 3D is there if you ever want to upgrade. Feel free to wander through Sony Japan's machine-translated website for more specs and prices of these June & July scheduled displays or alternatively, wait a little while, enjoy the trailer embedded after the break, and we should get some find out U.S.-specific details soon that will likely be considerably easier on the wallet.

We've had TiVo firmly on deathwatch since 2005, and although the company's shares have recently surged with the launch of the TiVo Premiere and another legal victory over Echostar, things are still looking somewhat bleak: the Q4 numbers are in, and everyone's favorite DVR company just posted a $10.2m loss. Why? For the same reason that's plagued the company for five damn years now: it's hard to sign up new subscribers when the cable company offers a similar good-enough product for less money, especially when TiVo can't access cable VOD. And let's be brutally honest here: we love TiVo and we're more than excited to get our Premiere review units, but we don't think a revised interface is going to stem the tide -- almost every feature of the Premiere is available on the TiVo HD, after all. We've offered up our suggestions on how to re-energize the company in the past -- that new QWERTY remote is a great start -- but until TiVo stops playing ball with the same cable companies that actively try and cut it off at the knees and starts going for the jugular with features and pricing, we don't think things are going to get any better.

If you're into great movies then this might be the week you've been waiting for as there are two that were nominated for best picture as well as other Academy Awards. But if Up In the Air and Precious aren't up your alley, then maybe Planet 51 and The Boondock Saints II is. There are also a number of titles out this week that deserve a look and we'd bet there is something for everyone.

• Up In the Air (Paramount)
• Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (Lionsgate)
• The Stoning of Soraya M. (Lionsgate)
• The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (Sony)
• Planet 51 (Sony)
• Capitalism: A Love Story (Anchor Bay)
• UFC: Best of 2009 (Anchor Bay)
• Glacier National Park (Image)
• Hachi: A Dog's Tale (Sony)
• The Kids are Alright (Universal)
• NFL Super Bowl XLIV Champions: New Orleans Saints (Warner)
• Ninja (First Look)
• Old Dogs (Walt Disney

We've definitely heard of a few different Android-based satellite and cable boxes in the past year, but it looks like Google's exploring a real move into living room: the Wall Street Journal reports that El Goog and Dish Network are testing a TV search service on a new box that runs on "elements" of Android. (We're taking that to mean it's a stripped-down version of the OS tailored for a set-top, not some totally crazy remix.) The box features a QWERTY remote, and users can search both Dish content and other services like YouTube, which sounds like the same riff TiVo's trying to pull off with the Premiere. Unfortunately, none of this seems destined to hit consumers anytime soon -- the WSJ also says the trial "is limited to a very small number of Google employees and their families and could be discontinued at any time." Okay, but can we at least get some hands-on pictures first?

[Thanks, Jordan]

What we're watching tonight:

• ABC (720p) has The Bachelor at 8 p.m. and Castle at 10 p.m.
• Fox (720p) brings House at 8 p.m. and 24 at 9 p.m.
• NBC (1080i) has Chuck at 8 p.m., Trauma at 9 p.m. and Law & Order at 10 p.m.
• CBS (1080i) has How I Met Your Mother at 8 p.m., Rules of Engagement at 8:30 p.m., Two and a Half Men at 9 p.m., The Big Bang Theory at 9:30 p.m. and CSI: Miami at 10 p.m.
• TLC (1080i) has Our Little Life at 8 & 8:30 p.m. and Ultimate Cake Off at 9 p.m.
• ABC Family (720p) has The Secret Life of the American Teenager at 8 p.m., Make It or Break It at 9 p.m. and Greek at 10 p.m.
• CW (1080i) lines up Life Unexpected at 8 p.m. and Gossip Girl at 9 p.m.
• Spike (1080i) has TNA: Impact! at 9 p.m.
• USA (1080i) has WWE: Raw at 9 p.m.
• History (720p) has American Pickers at 9 p.m. and Pawn Star$ at 10 & 10:30 p.m.
• Showtime (1080i) drops in Secret Diary of a Call Girl at 10 p.m. and the season finale of State of the Union at 10:30 p.m.

It's Monday, and we know that getting the week started can be tough. We're here to help by letting you peek into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to tape Monday the 8th at 6:30pm. Think of it as a kind of time machine that will help you power through your day by reviewing what happened in the week HD-wise. Embedded Ustream tools and a list of topics after the break.