You can watch movies and shows from Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and other services on a smartphone or a tablet, but a dedicated TV will always be something special. It’s the centerpiece of your living room, and the only display that you can truly cozy up to on the couch for hours on end. If you want to get more out of your purchase, you can make it even better with a powerful sound system and by hooking up a few game consoles, like the Nintendo Switch, PS4, or Xbox One. The latest 4K (and soon, 8K) displays from Sony, Samsung, LG, Vizio, and more deliver enhanced visual quality, better value, and smart features that you can’t find on other screens outside of your local cinema. If you’re looking for the latest TV news, how-tos on optimizing your home theater setup, and reviews for OLED and LCD TVs, you’ve come to the right place.
Dear Roku, you ruined my TV
A recent update seemingly added motion smoothing with no way to turn it off, and I am losing my mind.
As spotted by Boing Boing, David L. Farquhar shares the details of the largest CRT TV ever produced. The Sony PVM-4300 “weighed about 450 pounds, stood about 27 inches tall,” and was too large to squeeze through a standard door frame.
Built by hand, only 20 were exported from Japan to the United States where they were sold with “a significant markup.”
[The Silicon Underground]
LG’s new entry-level OLED TV, the B4, has started shipping. Starting at $1,699, it provides the core OLED benefits like perfect blacks and 120Hz gaming performance. But you’d be better off hunting down a deal on last year’s C3 while there’s still supply.
Splurging a little more on the C4 or G4 gets you better brightness, plus other bells and whistles.
Alexa’s Fire TV search has a new AI, but it needs some work
Fire TV’s new search experience gives Alexa the ability to understand more conversational requests.
That is the name of this segment on The Vergecast about Sony’s new Bravia 9 series that’s ready to challenge OLED.
How much do they cost? That’s harder to discuss, despite David’s prodding.
The Bravia 9 retails for $3,299.99 — and that’s just for the 65-inch model. Going up in size from there, it’s $3,999.99 (75-inch) and $5,499.99 (85-inch).
Roku’s idea of showing ads on your HDMI inputs seems like an inevitable hell
Amazon, Google, and now Roku seem determined to test just how much advertising consumers are willing to tolerate. Some are already saying enough’s enough.
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Verge Score
The world needs more gadgets like LG’s briefcase TV
The company that usually specializes in premium OLED TVs has produced something refreshingly out of the ordinary. And I already hope it gets a sequel.
The Hue Sync TV app for Samsung QLED TVs — previously only available as a one hundred and thirty dollar single-TV unlock — is getting a $3/mo subscription option that works on up to three Samsung TVs. It’s also getting music sync and better SmartThings integration. The update rolls out in spring to 2024 TVs and later for 2022 and 2023 models.
I'm at Samsung's "Unbox and Discover" event, where the company formally launches all the new TVs it announced back at CES — yes, including that anti-glare OLED.
To sweeten the pot this year, Samsung will throw in a free 65-inch TV with select 2024 TV preorders. It's the lower-end TU690T, so it's not going to blow anyone away. But... free is free.
And no, you don’t need to spring for an 8K model to get the freebie.
That’s the price and availability date for LG’s new 4K CineBeam portable projector with laser light source and auto keystone correction and focus. It runs webOS giving you access to Netflix, YouTube, Disney Plus, Apple TV, Prime Video, and more without needing to attach another box; as well as AirPlay 2 and Micracast screen sharing. It’s only rated for 500 ANSI lumens brightness when on, but it always looks great when it’s off.