Home Theater | Popular Science https://www.popsci.com/category/home-theater/ Awe-inspiring science reporting, technology news, and DIY projects. Skunks to space robots, primates to climates. That's Popular Science, 145 years strong. Fri, 26 May 2023 13:00:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://www.popsci.com/uploads/2021/04/28/cropped-PSC3.png?auto=webp&width=32&height=32 Home Theater | Popular Science https://www.popsci.com/category/home-theater/ 32 32 The best Memorial Day audio deals let you blast bops all summer long https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-memorial-day-amazon-audio-deals-2023/ Fri, 26 May 2023 12:00:39 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=543136
A lineup of the best audio deals on a blue and white background
Amanda Reed

Enjoy the song of the summer and have money left over to stock the cooler when you pick up these party speakers and more on sale.

The post The best Memorial Day audio deals let you blast bops all summer long appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
A lineup of the best audio deals on a blue and white background
Amanda Reed

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

If upbeat anthems and sunny savings make your heart go padam padam, you’ll want to free yourself long enough to scroll through this post. We’ve collected the best Memorial Day Weekend discounts on speakers, headphones, earbuds, and more to help you celebrate the unofficial start of pool season and beach vacations with more tunes in your ears and money in your pocket.

JBL Boombox 3 $399.95 (Was $499.95)

Tony Ware

SEE IT

Live sound specialists JBL makes several of our favorite portable party speakers, and the 13-pound 160W Bluetooth 5.3 Boombox 3 is the one you want to soundtrack your summer—from patio parties to friendly pick-up games. With its three-way speaker configuration, which includes a subwoofer that extends to 40 Hz, you can get any party started. And with 24 hours of battery life on a single charge, a sturdy molded handle, and IP67 (surf and sand protection), you can keep those parties going—wherever they occur. Act now and you can get all that for $100 off, so your favorite tracks slam, but your wallet isn’t hit as hard. If that’s too much body or budget for you at this time, however, there are other JBL party speakers and soundbars on sale:

Need a speaker that’s purse-, pack-, and pool-friendly? The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3 is our favorite pint-sized Bluetooth party to take from the bathtub to the backcountry or on a bike, and this IP67 360-degree audio orb is available for $85 (down from $99).

Want to wire something more permanent on the back deck? The fully sealed Definitive Technology AW6500 outdoor speaker—featuring a 6.5″ mid-woofer, a 1″ tweeter, and a 5″ x 10″ oval pressure-driven low bass radiator, and available in black or white—is on sale for $249 (down from $299). And the smaller AW5500 is only $199 (down from $249).

Want to go wireless in the living room instead? Save $500 when you bundle the KEF LS50 Wireless II speakers and KC62 subwoofer together for $3,799.98 (down from $4,299.98). Just add both to your cart, and you can cut cords and cost on one of our favorite powered bookshelf (or standmount) speakers, plus a compact unit that provides muscular musical bass. Or save $250 when you buy both the smaller, desktop-friendly KEF LSX II speakers and KUBE 8b subwoofer for $1,749.98.

See more sweet-sounding audio deals hear and now:

The post The best Memorial Day audio deals let you blast bops all summer long appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best above-ground pools in 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-above-ground-pool/ Thu, 12 Aug 2021 13:30:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=387936
The best above-ground pools composited
Stan Horaczek

You don’t need to dig up the lawn to transform your yard into a private resort or kid-friendly water park.

The post The best above-ground pools in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best above-ground pools composited
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best for serious swimmers The Intex Above-Ground 32-Foot by 16-Foot by 52-Inch Pool is the best above-ground pool for lap swimmers. Intex Above-Ground 32-Foot by 16-Foot x 52-Inch Pool
SEE IT

Spacious pool for real swimming.

Best overall The Bestway Power Above-Ground Pool Set is the best for small parties. Bestway Power Steel Above-Ground Pool Set
SEE IT

Perfect pool for family parties.

Best for babies and pets The YAHEETECH Foldable Swimming Pool is the best above-ground pool for babies and pets. YAHEETECH Foldable Swimming Pool
SEE IT

The whole family can enjoy this easy-to-store pool.

Taking a dip in your own pool is the dream of many homeowners, and thanks to affordable, easy-to-install above-ground pools, it’s never been easier to attain. In-ground pools require industrial construction equipment and cost more than some cars. However, an above-ground pool is a simple way to add fun to just about any backyard. Today’s above-ground models come in a wide variety of styles, materials, and sizes. A large rectangular above-ground pool is great for summer parties. Smaller, inflatable, oval above-ground pools are perfect for young children. If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to stay cool, the best above-ground pool turns your property into an at-home vacation destination.

How we chose the best above-ground pool

Our splashy selections are based on personal testing, research, recommendations, reviews, and user impressions. We culled through specs and perspectives until we narrowed down the choices to ones that fit every yard and need.

The best above-ground pools: Reviews & Recommendations

Ordering a pool online may sound like trying to get a haircut via email. But today’s pools are user-friendly and the product descriptions clearly state the sizes and dimensions to give you a good idea of what the final product looks like. So use our guide to help you find the swimming pool that fits your backyard, can fit your pool float of choice, looks great next to your inflatable hot tub, and has the style and features you want in a warm-weather oasis.

Best overall: Bestway Power Above-Ground Pool Set

Bestway

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This mid-priced, mid-sized pool fits in smaller backyards and is easy to set up.

Specs

  • Capacity: 1000 gallons
  • Dimensions: 168 x 98 x 39.5 inches
  • Water depth: 31 inches

Pros

  • Good for smaller backyards

Cons

  • Included pump is weak

This 14-foot-by-8-foot-by-39-inch Bestway Power Above-Ground Pool Set is a small, yet comfortable way to add warm-weather fun to the lawn. Four adults will have plenty of room to take a dip in the pool. Set up is relatively easy, but you will need two people to get the job done. The walls and supports are strong. The biggest drawback is the inadequate pump. But you can always upgrade the pump and get a more efficient and effective filtration system. For a mid-sized, mid-priced pool, this is a solid solution.

Best for serious swimmers: Intex Above-Ground 32-Foot by 16-Foot by 52-Inch Pool

Intex

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This saltwater above-ground pool brings the water workouts to your backyard.

Specs

  • Capacity: 14,364 gallons
  • Dimensions: 384 x 192 x 52 inches
  • Water depth: 45 inches

Pros

  • 90-minute set up
  • Feel of an in-ground pool

Cons

  • Must supply own salt

As above-ground saltwater pools go, the Intex pool is a backyard beast, measuring 36 feet in length and just over four feet deep. That’s long enough to accomplish a genuine swimming workout in your own private lap pool. The steel frame safely holds 14,364 gallons of saltwater. You will need to supply your own salt, though. The included sand filter pumps out 2,650 gallons an hour and makes maintenance simple. If you have the space and want an above-ground model with the feel of an in-ground one, the Intex saltwater pool is your best bet.  

Best for families: Intex 28211EH 12-Foot by 30-Inch Above-Ground Pool

Intex

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Fun for the entire family is less than an hour away with this above-ground pool.

Specs

  • Capacity: 1,718 gallons
  • Dimensions: 144 x 144 x 30 inches
  • Water depth: 24 inches

Pros

  • Set up takes less than an hour
  • Included filter

Cons

  • Small for adults
  • Lasts less than five years

The circular Intex 28211EH 12-Foot by 30-Inch Above-Ground Pool holds 1,718 gallons of water. That makes this a great choice for kids who want a fun, safe place to splash. You can set it up in less than an hour, and the included filter pump works well enough to keep the pool clean. The lining and walls feel strong, and the supports are tough enough to handle a kid’s birthday party. That said, this pool may not hold up after five years of heavy use. Luckily, the price point is low enough so even if you get a few seasons of swimming in, it’s worth the money. This model is a bit undersized for adults, but your kids and their friends will have a blast in this simple Intex pool.

Best for babies and pets: YAHEETECH Foldable Swimming Pool

YAHEETECH

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Sturdiness and durability make this small above-ground pool baby- and dog-proof.

Specs

  • Capacity: 106 gallons for XXL
  • Dimensions: 63 x 63 x 12 inches
  • Water depth: 12 inches

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Versatile

Cons

  • Side panels will cave in if not on a flat surface

You can’t get an Olympic workout in the YAHEETECH Foldable Swimming Pool. In fact, it’s less of a pool than a very large puddle. But for toddlers and dogs, this affordable pool is a lot of fun. The material is strong enough to handle a rowdy Schnauzer and soft enough for your young kids to bump into. The shallow one-foot depth is safe for wobbly kids just learning to walk, though parent supervision is ALWAYS required. As an added bonus, you can use the pool as a sandbox or ball pit. (Or to soak your weary feet.) If you’re looking for the cheapest and easiest way to add summer fun to your outdoor space, this dog pool/baby pool is a fantastic and versatile option. 

Best budget: Intex Swimming Pool, Easy Set, 8 Feet by 30 Inches

Intex

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Fast set up with minimal tools required makes this above-ground pool perfect in a pinch.

Specs

  • Capacity: 639 gallons
  • Dimensions: 96.06 x 96.06 x 29.9 inches
  • Water depth: 23 inches

Pros

  • No chemicals
  • Inflatable

Cons

  • Small

Inflatable pools are the easiest to set up and maintain. As far as small above-ground pools go, this Intex swimming pool is the best of the blow-ups. The small, eight-foot diameter pool holds 639 gallons of water—not enough for a pool party, but plenty of room for one or two people. This pool is great for impromptu soaks after a hard day. There are no chemicals to change or filters to clean. You don’t need to snap support rods together or unfold pool covers. When you want to take a dip, inflate and go. There are holes for optional pumps, but this pool is best enjoyed as simply as possible. No need to add electricity and filtration to this solo backyard pool party. (For best results, use it in conjunction with a cocktail and ukulele.) 

What to consider when shopping for the best above-ground pool

Choosing an above-ground pool is easier than you may think. These swimming pools are designed for simple installation and minimal maintenance. Your biggest decision will be size and style. But before taking the plunge, know the do’s and don’ts of choosing an above-ground pool.

Picking the right pool size

Above-ground pool sizes are the first thing to look at when shopping for the best pool. Small, inflatable above-ground pools that hold less than 1,000 gallons of water are the easiest to use. Just inflate it when it’s time to swim and drain it when the party’s over. You don’t have to worry about any filters or chemicals. It’s basically a backyard bathtub, which is ideal for small kids. 

Large above-ground pools that hold more than 1,000 gallons of water will require more maintenance. These pools remain filled with water all season, so a filter and chemicals are needed to keep the water crystal clear and algae-free. There is more upkeep involved with the larger models than the inflatable swimming pools. However, with that said, the daily and weekly maintenance of these large above-ground models is very easy. And compared with the upkeep of a costly in-ground pool, above-ground pool maintenance is a breeze. Large above-ground pools can hold anywhere from 8,000 to 15,000 gallons of water, and they may stretch over 30 feet long. 

Reminder: Don’t forget to check the depth. While above-ground models are typically shallower than in-ground pools, they can still be too deep for small children or unsure swimmers. (Children can drown in as little as 1 inch of water.) The larger swimming pools can reach depths of about 4.5 feet. Smaller pools can be a mere three inches deep. 

Type of above-ground swimming pool

After you decide on a size, it’s time to think about what kind of above-ground pool you want: Inflatable, steel frame, resin frame, aluminum frame, hybrid, or semi-inground. Don’t worry—it’s not as complicated as it sounds. 

Inflatable pools are self-explanatory: Blow it up, fill it with water, and you’re good to go. 

Steel frame above-ground models are held together with vertical steel supports. The walls and floor of the pool can be plastic, vinyl, or resin. These swimming pools are strong, but they’re also heavy and may rust. Steel also gets hot in the sun. Aluminum-frame pools are lighter than steel frame pools, but to prevent oxidation, the aluminum needs some love and care—and a protective coating. 

Resin above-ground pools are made of strong plastic. They are lighter than steel frame pools, and they won’t rust. They can also take a heavy beating without getting a dent, but they do cost more.

Hybrid pools use multiple materials to create a strong pool that will last. Resin is used to keep things light and cool. Steel supports keep everything in place. These hybrid models offer the best of both worlds, and they are less expensive than resin pools. 

Semi-inground pools are a more permanent solution. Also known as radiant pools, these pools are built with a strong wall of stone or vinyl that matches the outdoor decor. They are designed to fit your specific home, so you have customizable options you don’t get with off-the-shelf pools. However, they are expensive and permanent. The upside: Radiant pools look like stylish in-ground swimming pools.

Pool placement

While above-ground pools are versatile, they can’t be placed just anywhere. Inclines are a no-no, as even the slightest hill can push water against the walls of the pool, causing uneven pressure on the sides and liner. Spreading a few bags of sand across the area can help even things out. 

When installing an above-ground model, you must comply with local building codes and regulations. This usually means you can’t place a pool near power lines or too close to property lines. 

You will also need to factor in two to three feet of perimeter space for unobstructed access to the pool. You want a large, flat, open area of grass, sand, or dirt. Don’t put it on concrete or brick. Stay away from trees. And only install it on a deck if the deck is pool-ready and designed for the job.

Saltwater pool vs. chlorine

Most above-ground pools use harsh chemicals like chlorine to keep the water clear. But a saltwater above-ground pool is the safer alternative. While saltwater pools still need cleaning chemicals, they don’t use nearly as much of the stuff. Saltwater pools are becoming popular for those who want to use fewer chemicals and don’t want to be burdened with maintenance. Swimming in saltwater also feels better. The lower chemical content means the water is not as harsh on your eyes and skin. 

Saltwater above-ground pools are just as easy to set up as other types of pools. And you can also buy a conversion kit that turns standard chlorine pools into saltwater pools.

Installation

Once again, inflatable above-ground pools are the easiest to install. Use a pump to fill the pool with air, then add water. The installation is a bit more involved when using a pool made of vertical supports. While each pool will have its own set of instructions, they can usually be set up within an afternoon and don’t require extra power tools if everything snaps in place snugly. But you will need a helping hand or two to avoid frustration. Make sure the spot is level, lay out the various parts, and understand how the liner attaches to the swimming pool. Take your time, and you should have no trouble installing the pool. 

FAQs

Q: What’s the deepest above-ground pool available?

The deepest above-ground pool available is the Intex 36-Foot by 16-Foot by 52-Inch Above-Ground Pool. The four-foot depth may not seem like a lot, but in the world of above-ground pools, it’s tough to find deeper floors. You can buy specially made above-ground pools with a depth up to six feet, but these are only available from pool-installation companies. And when you go that deep, you must make sure the walls, liner, and supports can handle the water pressure. Even for standard above-ground pools, manufacturers will recommend you only fill the pool to 90-percent capacity. This gives you enough room to get in and swim without dumping gallons of water off the sides.

Q: Are above-ground pools expensive to maintain?

Above-ground pools are not too expensive to maintain. The biggest cost is cleaning chemicals and filter replacements. There are also a few up-front costs you must think about, such as getting a ladder, a pool cover, pool skimmer and net, and other essential pool accessories. You will also need an inflatable hot dog raft because swimming without one causes chronic summer sadness. Saltwater pools are cheaper to maintain, but you’ll still need to pay for salt. And some above-ground models come with filter pumps that are underpowered, so upgrading to a more efficient pump is recommended. All said, it’s still cheaper than an in-ground pool or country club membership.  

Q: How long do above-ground pools last?

Above-ground pools do not last forever. They are temporary warm-weather fun. The liners of even the best above-ground pool will not last much longer than five years. The liners can be replaced, but the pool structure itself—the supports and walls—are only meant to last 15 years at the most. That’s a good reason to keep a close eye on your budget. If a $700 pool lasts 15 years, that’s still only $50 a year. You can get more life out of the permanent, radiant above-ground pools that have a strong wall built around the perimeter, but these pools are costly to install. 

Final thoughts on the best above-ground pools

With the best above-ground pool, your backyard becomes a fun zone. From large rectangle above-ground pools for swimming laps to small oval above-ground pools for parties, you can find a great new way to stay cool this season. With an eye on size and shape, zoom in on the model that fits your needs. Whatever style you choose, swim safe and always supervise children. Also, consider making the jump to a saltwater above-ground pool for a more natural, soothing swim. Whatever you choose, one of these pools will transform your home into a neighborhood oasis.

The post The best above-ground pools in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best Memorial Day TV and home theater deals are a sweet sight https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-memorial-day-amazon-home-theater-deals-2023/ Fri, 26 May 2023 12:12:27 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=543929
Memorial Day TV sales products
Stan Horaczek

Fill your room with music, movies, and more during Memorial Day sales on TVs, surround sound systems, and more.

The post The best Memorial Day TV and home theater deals are a sweet sight appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Memorial Day TV sales products
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Memorial Day TV sales don’t get the credit they deserve. Sure, Black Friday is the grand champ for big cheap TVs, but there are some great deals to be had here on the unofficial start to Summer, too. The new models we first saw at CES are now on the shelves, and slightly older models are getting very solid discounts. You can find especially good deals on the high end of things. So, if you still happen to have some tax return cash kicking around, you can get yourself a great deal. So, grab a hot dog in one hand, your phone in the other, and shop the best Memorial Day TV deals in our big list below.

SAMSUNG 65-Inch Class Neo QLED 8K QN800B Series Mini LED $1,597 (Was $3,299)

Samsung

SEE IT

Do you need an 8K TV right now? Probably not. But, this TV offers everything you need for it to last years. And, thanks to HDMI 2.1 connectivity, excellent upscaling, and all those pixels, you’ll get a fantastic picture whether you’re gaming or streaming.

Nakamichi Shockwafe Elite 7.2.4 Channel Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar with Dual 8” Subwoofers (Wireless), 2 Rear Surround Speakers $999 (Was $1,299)

Makamichi

SEE IT

Nakamichi makes some of the best wireless surround sound systems you can buy, and they’re at the cheapest prices we’ve ever seen for Memorial Day. This kit comes with a powerful soundbar, a pair of eight-inch subwoofers, and a pair of wireless surround speakers. This is a killer setup if you can justify the expense.

More Nakamichi deals

LG TV deals

Samsung TV deals

Sony TV deals

Other TV deals

Home audio deals

The post The best Memorial Day TV and home theater deals are a sweet sight appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Listen to this—get 50% off a Definitive Technology speaker on Amazon before Memorial Day https://www.popsci.com/gear/cheap-home-audio-amazon-sale/ Wed, 24 May 2023 15:55:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=543114
A lineup of Definitive tower speakers on a blue and light blue background
Amanda Reed

Make movie night feel like you're in a theater with this mega-deal on this Definitive Technology tower speaker on Amazon.

The post Listen to this—get 50% off a Definitive Technology speaker on Amazon before Memorial Day appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
A lineup of Definitive tower speakers on a blue and light blue background
Amanda Reed

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Definitive Technology just recently released its Dymension Tower Speaker. With new releases mean you can get older tech that still holds up for a crazy good deal, like this Definitive Technology BP9020 High Power Bipolar Tower Speaker with Integrated 8″ Subwoofer—it’s on sale for $299.99, down from $649. That’s 54% off!

Definitive Technology BP9020 High Power Bipolar Tower Speaker with Integrated 8″ Subwoofer $299.99 (Was $649)

Definitive Technology

SEE IT

Upgrade to an expressive stereo system with the Definitive Technology BP9020 High-Power Bipolar Tower Speaker, which gives you detailed, room-filling sound. A Forward-Focused Bipolar Array—featuring a front 1″ tweeter and (2) 3.5″ mid-drivers paired with rear-facing 3.5″ mid-driver—gives you a precise center image along with bodied, expansive sound, and an integrated 8″ powered subwoofer gives you better low-end extension without having to add a separate cube into your set-up. You can also get specific with your bass-iness with intelligent bass control, which lets you modulate deep bass levels up and down without wrecking mid-range tonal balance. And Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support lets you get multi-dimensional with your sound when you expand to a compatible AV receiver and additional channels, including the optional A90 height speaker. All of this tech is packed into an inert, resonance-free cabinet so your floors don’t bungle the tech magic happening inside. Pick up a pair today, hit play, and slay!

If you have more room in the budget, the MartinLogan Motion 60XTi Floorstanding Speaker in Red Walnut is also going for a crazy price. It’s currently on sale for $999.99, down from $1,874.98—that’s 47% of savings on a third-gen speaker that still gives immersive, clear sound.

Once you go hi-fi, it’s hard to go back—and you won’t be able to experience audiophile-level quality this cheap if you don’t snag this deal.

Here are other speaker and home audio deals that speak to us:

The post Listen to this—get 50% off a Definitive Technology speaker on Amazon before Memorial Day appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best outdoor TV antennas in 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-outdoor-tv-antennas/ Fri, 18 Mar 2022 13:04:15 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=431930
Best outdoor antennas round-up header
Stan Horaczek

How to lose cable, but keep your local channels.

The post The best outdoor TV antennas in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best outdoor antennas round-up header
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie is the best outdoor TV antenna. Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie TV Antenna
SEE IT

The Antennas Direct 8-element Bowtie TV Antenna looks big, but it gets the job done and some for those with room.

Best budget GE Outdoor TV Antenna is the best for the budget. GE Outdoor TV Antenna
SEE IT

GE’s sturdy and affordable antenna should cover almost anyone.

Best long-range Five Star Outdoor Digital Amplified HDTV Antenna is the best long-range outdoor TV antenna. Five Star Outdoor Digital Amplified HDTV Antenna
SEE IT

The Five Star Outdoor Digital Amplified HDTV Antenna gets better range than most.

The switch from cable and satellite to streaming services has led to a surprising comeback for a certain older piece of gear: the humble TV antenna. Digital streaming platforms like Netflix and HBO Max may have all the hot shows you want, but not your local network affiliates for regional news and sports. Fortunately, if you have an antenna, these stations are still broadcast for free. If you own your home or otherwise have safe access to bolt down a larger, fixed antenna, you will absolutely get better performance and more bang for your buck, which could be essential if you’re in a rural area and need that extra juice to pull in distant signals clearly. Choosing the best outdoor TV antennas can seem like an overwhelming task meant for technicians, but we’ve done that research for you so you can just choose the antenna best suited for your needs.

How we selected the best outdoor TV antennas

Compact, affordable indoor TV antennas have become a popular choice, allowing even apartment dwellers access to over-the-air (OTA) signals. However, traditional roof- or attic-mounted antennas still outperform their indoor counterparts, with the obvious physical advantage of being higher up and having less interference. You don’t necessarily need anything fancy: Mass cord-cutting—people moving away from cable and satellite to streaming services—is mostly a case of “out with the old, in with the new.” We’ve combed through consumer and critic reviews to find a consensus on the best-performing antenna on the market today, depending on various specific needs such as range, cost, or size. You can also make your own.

The best outdoor TV antennas: Reviews & Recommendations

If you are able to install an outdoor TV antenna on your roof, there’s really no reason not to these days. The best outdoor TV antenna gets you all the channels you want clearly. Why pay someone else for an inferior broadcast when you can get the better version directly for free? Here are the best outdoor TV antennas that we could find.

Best overall: Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie TV Antenna

Antennas Direct

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie is a powerful all-purpose antenna that should suit most people with room for it.

Specs

  • Range: 70 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Attic/Outdoor
  • Gain: 17.4Dbi

Pros

  • Great performance
  • Flexibility from multiple aimable panels
  • Lifetime warranty on parts

Cons

  • Large
  • Includes mounting hardware but requires mount and coaxial cable

Antennas Direct’s 8-Element Bowtie antenna is not subtle. The four large lattices, stacked two-tall, side by side, stick out. But that’s the secret to its power! Its eight sensing elements are spread out across two independently rotating columns, allowing you the flexibility to either spread them out for wider coverage or focus them for a better signal in a single direction. Its listed range of 70 miles, 17.4 dBi gain, and flexible configuration make it a great all-purpose option, although it will typically require some additional hardware to mount and connect fully.

Best long-range: Five Star Outdoor Digital Amplified HDTV Antenna

Five Star

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Five Star’s outdoor antenna reaches extremely far for its accessible price.

Specs

  • Range: 200 miles
  • UHF/VHF: both
  • Installation: Outdoor
  • Gain: 15 – 35 dB (boosted)

Pros

  • Fantastic long-range performance
  • 360-degree motorized coverage
  • Mounting pole and hardware included

Cons

  • Relatively complicated assembly and installation

The Five Star Outdoor Digital Amplified HDTV Antenna makes it very clear that it can take in signals from any direction with its six reflector elements spread over three poles pointing outward from a central, motorized shaft. It boasts an impressive 200-mile range with a built-in signal booster, making this a great option for rural areas. It also includes wiring and hardware for attaching up to five televisions and a mounting pole. Although it does require a bit more assembly than other options, that reflects a lot more capability for people willing to put in a bit of work.

Best small: Winegard Elite 7550

Winegard

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Winegard’s Elite 7550 antenna performs extremely well, especially for its size.

Specs

  • Range: 70 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Outdoor/attic
  • Gain: N/A

Pros

  • Great performance
  • Excellent interference mitigation
  • Compact

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Plastic construction and roof mount

Winegard has emerged as a big name in TV antennas for good reason, and the Elite 7550 is a great example of what you can get if you’re willing to spend more on a contemporary antenna. Although it doesn’t match the expansive range of some, it performs extremely well within its listed 70 miles, bringing in more and clearer channels than many other antennas. Much of its special sauce is the built-in mechanisms it has for reducing interference from competing signals, such as an LTE filter to cut out cell phone interference. This makes it great for cities or large towns where the problem is more likely to be an overabundance of signals in the air rather than reaching for distant, quiet ones. The only complaint we’ve seen consistently is that, despite promises that it is fully weatherized, many people have said the plastic construction and mounting hardware don’t feel as sturdy as they would like, which could be a concern if you live somewhere with more serious storms and winters.

Best motorized: PBD Digital Outdoor TV Antenna

Pingbingding

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: PBD offers a more value-focused alternative to our long-range antenna that also covers every direction.

Specs

  • Range: 150 miles
  • UHF/VHF: both
  • Installation: Outdoor
  • Gain: 32-36 Db

Pros

  • Excellent performance
  • 360-degree motorized rotation
  • Easy assembly
  • Great price

Cons

  • Complaints about remote control

PBD’s Digital Outdoor TV Antenna looks like a laser turret meant to shoot down rebel X-wings from the top of a Star Destroyer with its directional array and 360-degree motorized rotation, if you’re into that sort of thing. It features a great long-range antenna and comes at a relatively low price for the power and flexibility it offers. In contrast to our other, more expensive motorized antenna, the PBD also features very easy snap-on assembly that minimizes the need for tools. The only complaints we have seen are that some people have found the remote control for rotation to be imprecise or buggy but, across the board, it is a very dependably well-liked product.

Best budget: GE Outdoor TV Antenna

Why it made the cut: GE’s Outdoor TV Antenna is a well-built, no-frills solid workhorse that doesn’t cost all that much.

Specs

  • Range: 70 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Outdoor/attic
  • Gain: N/A

Pros

  • Easy setup
  • Affordable
  • Durable

Cons

  • Ugly
  • Unidirectional

GE’s Outdoor TV Antenna 29884 is as no-frills as its generic name would suggest, but often that’s all you need. It’s got solid performance at a 70-mile range that it even functions well in an attic, which you may want to do since it’s not too aesthetically pleasing. It only receives signals from the direction it’s pointed, with no rotation or omnidirectionality, so it may not be the best fit if you can pull in distant signals from multiple cities. In many cases, however, it’s more than good enough, especially for how much less you’ll pay than for some of the more expensive options on this list.

What to consider before buying the best outdoor TV antennas

Anyone looking to invest in an OTA TV antenna should start by learning a little bit about their local broadcast landscape. What stations are available at their address, along with info about broadcast frequency and, most importantly, the distance and relative strength. There are various free tools online for getting all this information, including AntennaWeb, and the FTC’s own DTV Reception Maps.

Over 95% of Americans have access to local affiliates of FOX, CBS, ABC, NBC, The CW, and PBS. Most will also likely have some combination of other broadcast stations like Ion, Telemundo, and MeTV. As a general rule, the closer you are to a major city, the more stations you will have closeby. Make note of the stations that you want to watch, and then find an antenna that can accommodate the most distant signals that matter to you.

SD, HD, or 4K?

Since the U.S. mandated that broadcasters transition from analog broadcasting to digital in 2009, the signal quality of OTA television has vastly improved. So much so that it is often less compressed (and so clearer and brighter) than the same channel being crunched down and sent over a landline as part of a cable package. Full HD (1080p) has become the current industry standard for most broadcasts, and all of the antennas we recommend can receive that signal. Some antennas also market the ability to process 4K broadcasts, but that isn’t something you really need right now. While 4K OTA broadcasting is possible, few networks do so. There’s little pressure to upgrade at the moment since the difference between SD and HD, which itself still feels fresh to many OTA watchers, is much more noticeable to the unaccustomed eye than the difference between HD and 4K.

Range

There are a few specifications that you really want to keep in mind when picking your antenna. At the top of the list, check out its maximum range. Your reception and picture quality for OTA channels will drop off if a station is near the outer edge of what your antenna receives. If you have channels on the edge, you may find yourself wanting a separate amplifier to boost the signal, but a higher maximum range is always better. 

Gain, expressed in decibels (dB), is a measure of how well a given antenna performs against a standard reference in picking up signals in a particular direction, ranging up into the 30+ dB on the very high end. More gain is better, as you might expect. Unfortunately, manufacturers don’t always list it. Other stats like impedance and voltage are often listed in ohms and hertz, respectively, but most TV viewers won’t find scrutinizing them to be extra effort, as they are quite technical.

UHF and VHF?

The other major capacity listed that may confuse a first-time buyer is Ultra High Frequency (UHF) and Very High Frequency (VHF), which refers to the frequency bands at which particular signals are broadcast. Like air traffic control keeping planes from running into one another, these signals are managed by the FTC to ensure that different stations and other broadcast functions (such as cell or emergency) are all spread out at different points along the electromagnetic spectrum to avoid interfering with one another. 

As the names suggest, UHF is the higher-frequency band, and most TV stations live there. VHF is still very much in play, however. This will be listed along with each station in the above-mentioned online tools (with VHF often being divided into Hi-V and Lo-V), so that will give you a sense of what you should care about. Contemporary antennas are typically either UHF only or combined, with outdoor antennas being able to actually have separate dedicated elements to capture both. Even without dedicated VHF support, however, UHF antennas often end up capturing Hi-V signals regardless.

FAQs

Q: Is a bigger outdoor antenna better?

Typically bigger does mean better for outdoor TV antennas. Although there are always technological advances allowing engineers to squeeze more capability into a smaller form factor, the basic physical reality of antennas is that more receptors spread out over a larger area will pick up more signals, just like being higher up will always help.

Q: What is the difference between an antenna booster and amplifier?

There is no real difference—the industry uses these terms interchangeably to describe devices that boost or amplify the signal once you have captured it from the antenna, improving its quality. 

Q: Do trees interfere with TV antennas?

Yes! Any physical object, including a large tree, can interfere with your broadcast signal if they stand directly between the antenna and its source. Wet leaves can be particularly disruptive, as the water makes them even more prone to reflect signals and create noise. This is frequently less of an issue than indoor alternatives since they are often placed high up on the roof, but you may want to consider trimming some branches if you’re having trouble receiving a nearby signal.

Final thoughts on the best outdoor TV antennas

There’s no better time than now to drop your cable or satellite TV subscription, and an HDTV outdoor antenna may be just what you need to finally pull the trigger. The exact type and model you need will depend on a number of factors, but you can rest assured that there is almost certainly a great option out there for you at a very reasonable price.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best outdoor TV antennas in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best outdoor projectors in 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-outdoor-projectors/ Thu, 28 Apr 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=439531
The best outdoor projectors composited
Stan Horaczek

Screen blockbusters at your neighborhood block party with these great projectors.

The post The best outdoor projectors in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best outdoor projectors composited
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall BenQ TK850 is the best outdoor projector overall. BenQ TK850
SEE IT

A top-tier true UHD DLP 4K cinema experience.

Best HD Epson Home Cinema 3800 is the best HD outdoor projector. Epson Home Cinema 3800
SEE IT

A 3LCD HD projector that competes with 4K.

Best portable Anker Nebula Solar is the best outdoor portable projector. Anker Nebula Solar
SEE IT

Ultra-portable and battery-powered for taking the show(s) on the road.

As the weather warms up, outside activities heat up, and outdoor projectors transform the natural world into open-air movie theaters. They feature powerful lamps for use even when the sun hasn’t fully set or the streetlights are on, and they’re light enough to make moving them from your media room to your deck easy on your back. Many projectors suited for outdoor use include features like rechargeable batteries, smart TV operating systems, and robust speakers to help streamline set-up. Most importantly, just like any projector you’d buy for indoor use, they don’t skimp on important image specs, such as color, contrast, and resolution. When you don’t want your cul-de-sac drive-in to become a giant car wreck of a viewing experience, turn to the best outdoor projectors. 

How we chose the best outdoor projector

When considering the best outdoor projectors for our recommendations, we relied on our experience with home-theater projectors. Also, we reached out to professionals in the TV and AV worlds to discuss their favorite projector brands and the types of specs they care about when shopping. We read trade journals and websites, sifting through reviews to get the impressions of typical users. We narrowed our selection of projectors down to 10, focusing on image quality. Color, contrast, and resolution were all taken into account. Balanced against these specs were features making the projector most suited to outdoor use, including brightness, portability, and versatility. Price was an important factor, especially regarding “bang for your buck,” though it wasn’t of primary concern when judging the higher-end categories of projectors. 

The best outdoor projectors: Reviews & Recommendations

Shopping for outdoor projectors can be tricky, filled with jargon, numbers, and an endless parade of acronyms. If you want the most out of your home-theater experience, there’s much to learn, especially when hosting backyard movie night. So read on for guidance in choosing the best outdoor projectors to watch the stars under the stars.

Best overall: BenQ TK850

BenQ

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: True 4K resolution, excellent picture quality, and a relatively lightweight build make this projector our top choice despite a higher price tag.  

Specs

  • Brightness: 3,000 ANSI Lumens
  • Contrast Ratio: 30,000:1
  • Weight: 9.8 pounds

Pros

  • Native 4K resolution
  • Lightweight design that’s easy to carry outdoors
  • 10-bit HDR processing

Cons

  • Expensive

The TK850 continues BenQ’s reputation for making excellent home theater projectors with a true UHD DLP unit that’s bright enough for outdoor use even under higher ambient light levels. The 30,000:1 contrast ratio isn’t the highest we’ve seen. However, it still delivers detailed blacks and lush colors (covering the DCI-P3 color space), thanks in no small part to the high-end 10-bit HDR (High Dynamic Range) processor and 12-bit imaging processor, plus a dynamic iris. The high-lumen projector’s lens array features 10 individual elements—the glass inside the lens—that work to increase color, brightness, and sharpness. The image size can be a nice, theatrical-feeling 300 inches. 

Lots of projectors in the TK850’s price range have great specs, but BenQ’s 4K projector hits above its weight class—literally. At only 9.8 pounds, it’s a cinch to move movie night from the living room out to the deck. Vertical lens shift and keystone correction work alongside the 1.3x zoom lens to make positioning the projector easier. The built-in 10-watt CinemaMaster Audio+2 speakers are good enough that, at least with smaller events, you won’t need to run external speakers. Connect your media—whether a Blu-ray player, computer, Fire or Roku TV stick, or set-top streaming box—via two HDMI ports or a USB 3.0 data input (so don’t forget those HDMI cables). Or pay an extra $100 for a model with built-in Android TV. If you’re looking for the best outdoor projector for gaming, consider the BenQ X1300i.

Best HD: Epson Home Cinema 3800

Epson

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This ultra-bright HD projector delivers a cinema-like picture with brilliant colors and deep blacks even when it’s not completely dark. 

Specs

  • Brightness: 3,000 ANSI Lumens
  • Contrast Ratio: 100,000:1
  • Weight: 15.2 pounds

Pros

  • Accurate color
  • Can display 4K content using pixel shifting
  • Easy-to-adjust settings
  • Wide variety of inputs

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Somewhat heavy

The Epson 3800 projector is an excellent outdoor choice for anyone who doesn’t need native 4K resolution but still wants a large, movie-theater-quality picture. And with a contrast ratio of 100,000:1 and 10-bit HDR color processing, this 3LCD projector will give you deep blacks and bold colors (100% of the RGB color signal) on a screen up to 300 inches from corner to corner. 

What’s more, the 3800 can still deliver a 4K image—sort of. While its native resolution is 1920 x 1080, it uses a technology called pixel shifting to interpolate the missing pixels and fill out a full UHD frame. Is it perfect? No, and at the maximum screen size some loss of sharpness has been reported. But at, say, 150-200 inches, issues become much less noticeable. 

At 14.1 pounds, the projector isn’t as heavy as units meant to live permanently in a media room, but it’s also not a complete lightweight. The same could be said for this smart projector’s $1,700 price tag, which is a bit high for an HD unit. On the other hand, the superb picture quality and ability to play 4K movies without having to down-res them to HD are worth the extra bucks for this high-quality projector. The Epson also features dual HDMI 2.0 ports, dual USB ports, dual 10-watt speakers, and Bluetooth connectivity for easy integration into any media environment.

Best portable: Anker Nebula Solar

NEBULA

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Lightweight, battery-powered, and featuring built-in Android TV, this projector travels easily and delivers a strong picture despite a relatively low brightness rating. 

Specs

  • Brightness: 400 ANSI Lumens
  • Contrast Ratio: 1,000:1
  • Weight: 3.1 pounds

Pros

  • Very lightweight
  • Up to three hours of battery life
  • Built-in Android TV
  • Native HD resolution but can accept 4K inputs

Cons

  • Picture suffers in ambient light
  • Color accuracy could be better

This 3.1-pound, battery-powered projector is built for on-the-go use. Fully charged, it runs for 1 1/2 hours in Standard mode and 3 hours in Battery mode—albeit with a dip in brightness. That’s usually enough for a couple of episodes of your favorite series or one movie. And don’t worry about carrying media around with you because the built-in Android TV includes apps to connect to all the major streaming services (though you’ll need access to a WiFi network and a Google account). Built-in dual 3-watt speakers can handle Dolby Digital Plus encoded audio and are loud enough for a decent-sized screening out on the lawn, though the sound quality could be better. 

The Solar Portable accepts 4K signals and down-converts them to its native 1080p resolution. In HD mode, colors were nuanced (if just a bit off), and shadows maintained a lot of detail, even in dark scenes. However, 4K content requires some contrast adjustment and never improves on the 1080p image. Also, while the projector is bright enough to deliver a nice 180-inch image, don’t expect to go much larger without the picture starting to go soft. 

When considering a projector like the Solar Portable, it’s all about weighing priorities. You might be giving up a larger image and a bit of color accuracy, but you’ll gain the portability that could have you watching movies in unique places like a treehouse, the middle of a field, or on a hill where you first proposed to your spouse. A combination of factors makes this outdoor movie projector one of our favorite portable projectors.

Best for daylight: Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K Projector

Anker

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This 4K UHD laser projector provides images you can watch in daylight with built-in Android TV, two 10-watt speakers, and a handle that lets you easily transport it.

Specs

  • Brightness: 1,840 ANSI Lumens
  • Contrast Ratio: 1,500,000:1 dynamic 
  • Weight: 10.7 pounds

Pros

  • Impressive brightness
  • 3840 x 2160 display resolution 
  • 4K laser system
  • Built-in Android TV

Cons

  • Expensive

For those looking to create a cinematic experience in all kinds of light, the Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K Projector can help you do it. The 4K UHD laser projector comes equipped with 1,840 ANSI Lumens and 3840 x 2160 display resolution for a bright and vivid picture even on a sunny day. Outdoor projector setup is easy for this model, which is available in 1080p and 4K versions. The Nebula Cosmos is also designed with intelligent technology that allows it to adapt to the environment for a display of up to 150 inches. This daylight projector also has two 10-watt speakers and two 5-watt tweeters, creating an immersive sound experience. 

The built-in Android 10 TV provides access to more than 400,000 movies and 7,000 apps and streaming services. And it’s designed with an ergonomic handle that lets you easily move it from the living room to the backyard. That said, the lack of battery and corded electric power will be a factor in the settings in which you can use this projector.

Best for rooftops: Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12

Epson

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This small and light projector is easy to lug up a few flights of stairs but comes in heavy with its picture quality and built-in Android TV. 

Specs

  • Brightness: 1,000 ANSI Lumens
  • Contrast Ratio: 200,000:1
  • Weight: 4.7 pounds

Pros

  • Native 1080p resolution
  • Supports 4K media (down-converted to HD)
  • 3-chip LCD avoids rainbow artifacts
  • Built-in Android TV
  • Excellent speakers

Cons

  • No 3D support
  • Could be brighter

Movies on the rooftop in the summer—what could be more fun? The EpiqVision Mini EF12 is small and light enough to perch on even the highest roof and delivers a gorgeous 1080p picture once you’re there. The integrated Android TV means you don’t have to go back downstairs to grab a Blu-ray player, and the built-in 5-watt Yamaha stereo speakers save you a trip for extra audio. The 1,000-lumen MicroLaser light source is bright enough for a 140-inch outdoor projector screen if it’s really dark out. Still, it’s more reasonable to expect 80 inches on most neighborhood rooftops awash in light pollution. Thanks to the projector’s 200,000:1 contrast ratio, colors are nicely saturated, and shadow details pop. Three-chip LCD technology displays 100 percent of the RGB color range. Besides the built-in streaming functions, the EpiqVision Mini also has two HDMI inputs for external players. 

Best for streaming: XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro Mini Projector

XGIMI

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This lightweight mini projector is Full HD (1080p), has Android TV 11 built-in, and can work with Netflix.

Specs

  • Brightness: 400 ISO lumens
  • Contrast Ratio: Not available
  • Weight: 4.6 pounds

Pros

  • Full HD (1080p)
  • Android TV 11 built-in
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Doesn’t provide as much brightness as other models

The XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro Mini Projector makes it easy to stream your favorites. This mini projector comes internet-ready with Android TV 11 built-in, providing quick access to over 5,000 apps, including Paramount+ and HBO Max (and you can use a streaming device or contact customer service to watch Netflix.) At 4.6 pounds, this wireless projector is designed for portability and just requires two AAA batteries to operate. 

The MoGo Pro 2 supports HDR 10 and features intelligent screen adaption technology that automatically adjust to the viewing space. It’s also 3D-ready. And its two 8-watt speakers work with Dolby Audio for quality sound. That said, it’s not as bright as some other models.

Best budget: GooDee Video Projector 2022

GooDee

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Despite some flaws, this projector impressed with its 1080p native resolution and a wide variety of inputs—all for about a 10th of the cost of our top picks.

Specs

  • Brightness: 300 ANSI lumens
  • Contrast Ratio: 3,000:1
  • Weight: 5 pounds

Pros

  • True HD resolution
  • Dual 3-watt speakers
  • Incredibly inexpensive

Cons

  • No control for display size
  • Hard to adjust the unit height
  • No wireless connectivity

The most recent upgrade to the GooDee projector raises the native resolution from 1280 x 768 to full 1080p, a welcome upgrade that improves picture sharpness. A 300-lumen LED doesn’t provide the most light, but the projector can still create a 200-inch picture with respectable color and contrast—thanks in part to a 3,000:1 contrast ratio. It won’t win any awards for the picture quality, but considering that all this is delivered for less than $200, it’s an impressive device.

Expect some compromises at this price when purchasing a budget-friendly projector, however. For one thing, the projector doesn’t perform well with ambient light; wait until the sun is truly down before starting your movie. It also suffers from a dearth of adjustment controls. For instance, you’ll need to move the projector closer or farther from the screen to make the picture bigger or smaller. But the wealth of connectivity and dual 3-watt speakers add to the convenience and value.

Things to consider before buying the best outdoor projector

Projectors shine light on a surface that reflects the light back to our eyes. That means using a projector with a plain, white wall isn’t going to deliver the best picture because too much light gets absorbed by the paint. For the optimal viewing experience, you need to buy a screen—which can run from around $25 to a little over $100, depending on sizes, stands, and accessories. These have reflective surfaces that increase perceived brightness, contrast, and color saturation—all of which our top picks for best outdoor projectors deliver. 

Luminosity

Brightness, measured in ANSI lumens, is one of the most important specs for an outdoor projector. This describes how much light the projector creates. The more light, the bigger and brighter the picture. It also determines how dark a space needs to be for the best projector performance. Since outdoor projectors can’t take advantage of blackout curtains to fight ambient light from a full moon or from inside your neighbor’s home, putting out as much light as possible has distinct benefits. High-end projectors have brightness ratings of 2400 lumens or more, while less-expensive machines deliver somewhat less. While manufacturer claims don’t always match independent testing, the numbers are useful for making general comparisons—a 3,000-lumen projector will be about three times brighter than a 1000-lumen one. Remember, you can’t ever go wrong with more light but brightness isn’t the only specification that matters when selecting a projector. 

Let there be light

Images are created by focusing a light source onto a chip, and that image is then sent through a lens to your screen. Light sources come in three varieties: Lasers, LEDs, and Ultra High Pressure (UHP) lamps. UHPs are most common in mid-range and higher-end projectors and are essentially high-end light bulbs. Yes, they’re bright, but they also generate a lot of heat and, over time, can burn out. Replacements aren’t cheap, though you won’t have to swap out UHPs anywhere near as often as you might have replaced the old incandescent bulbs in your hallway. LEDs and lasers are far more efficient than UHPs, but there’s a significant increase in cost vs. performance, and they’re usually built into high-end models. 

Chips

As mentioned above, projectors use imaging chips to create a picture, and there are three types: Digital Light Processing (DLP), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), and Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS). DLP chips find a home in units at all different price points and deliver average contrast and nice color. Sometimes units will use one DLP chip, while sometimes they use three: one each for the Red, Green, or Blue colors that make up an image. LCD chips can be found on budget to mid-range projectors and often have better color than DLP projectors, but contrast ratios sometimes suffer. Lastly, LCoS chips are used in mid- to high-end projectors; they tend to deliver the best picture quality overall, but cost more.

Single-DLP projectors sometimes suffer from what’s known as “the rainbow effect,” where bright objects on the screen leave very quick, multicolored pixel trails behind them. Many people don’t even notice these artifacts, which is why thousands of single-DLP projectors have been sold and continue to sell. Some people simply aren’t bothered by them. If you have an opportunity to test a single-DLP projector at a store, consider doing so in order to gauge how you feel about the rainbow effect should you encounter it. 

Contrast ratio

Another aspect of picture quality is contrast ratio, or the difference between the black and white output. This is usually expressed as a number representing black followed by a number representing white, with each separated by a colon. So, for instance, something like 15,000:1. 

The greater the difference between black and white, the more color variation the projector displays. An image from a projector with an 18,000:1 contrast ratio will, in most cases, look better than one with a 3,500:1 contrast ratio, with bolder, more true-to-life colors, subtler gradients, and richer blacks. Remember, though, contrast isn’t the only factor in determining picture quality, so always look at the number in the context of all the unit’s specs.  

Resolution

Resolution describes the number of pixels that make up a digital image. A high-definition image is 1920 pixels wide by 1080 pixels high—we often simply call this 1080p. A 4K image (also called Ultra High Definition, or UHD) is twice as large, at 3840 pixels wide (close enough to 4000 to earn the name 4K). The higher the resolution, the sharper the image at large sizes.

A projector that can display a 4K image is wonderful and, since these units also play HD media, you’re covered for whether you’re streaming the latest Marvel movie in ultra high def or you’ve dug out an older Blu-ray. At the same time, many HD projectors use a technology called pixel-shifting to double the 1920 resolution. It’s not perfect, but many people won’t notice the difference, and these projectors cost less money. Also, the resolution isn’t the only factor determining picture quality; many movies look fantastic in HD, especially if you’re not blowing up the picture to monumental proportions. 

FAQs

Q: How much does the best outdoor projector cost?

The best outdoor projectors cost roughly $900 to $1,900, depending on features and specs. Generally, with projectors, you get what you pay for. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find excellent units at many different budget levels.  

Q: How many lumens do you need for an outdoor projector?

Outdoor projectors can project an image with a brightness as low as 500 lumens. However, you won’t get as large a picture size at that brightness, and any ambient light will cause the image quality to suffer. For the best outdoor use, look for units with a brightness of more than 2,000 lumens. 

Q: Is it worth getting a 4K projector?

It’s worth getting a 4K projector if you watch a lot of 4K media and want as big a picture size as possible without losing detail. Otherwise, some HD projectors will use pixel-switching technology to create a nice 4K image, while others will accept a 4K signal but down-convert it to HD. 

Q: Can I watch Netflix on a projector?

You can watch Netflix on a projector, along with any other streaming service. Projectors have a variety of inputs, including HDMI and, sometimes wireless, making it easy to connect to a set-top box like a Roku. Some also have USB inputs for Fire TV sticks or similar. Finally, newer projectors, like smart TVs, sometimes have certain pre-installed apps ready to play back media from your favorite streamer right out of the box.

Q: Do outdoor projectors work in daylight?

Outdoor projectors do work in daylight—sometimes. The trick is to find one with a high enough brightness rating for the light you’re dealing with, such as the Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K Projector. However, projectors often suffer at their brightest settings from color and contrast issues that might be bothersome when watching a movie. On the other hand, if you’re gathering with friends for a World Series party, and cinematography isn’t a priority, these shortcomings are much less of a concern. Generally speaking, projectors always perform best in darker environments. 

Final thoughts on the best outdoor projectors

Choosing the best outdoor projector isn’t too different than choosing the best projector for your home. To capture that cinema experience, you want one that delivers a large picture with bold colors and rich blacks. On top of that, it needs to be bright enough to overpower ambient light and mobile enough to move in and out of the house easily. A tall order, but one we think the BenQ TK850 accomplishes with ease. We also really like Epson’s Home Cinema 3800 and EpiqVision Mini EF12, but the 3800 costs nearly as much as the BenQ while pixel-shifting to achieve a 4K picture. Meanwhile, the EpiqVision Mini EF12—though lighter and cheaper—also uses pixel shifting and is much less bright than the other two. All three have strengths to recommend them, though, depending on your needs and viewing habits.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best outdoor projectors in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best 40-inch TVs of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-40-inch-tvs/ Mon, 04 Apr 2022 15:01:09 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=434969
The best 40-inch TVs
Stan Horaczek

You don’t have to supersize your television to get the best features and picture quality—just follow our recommendations for the best 40-inch TVs.

The post The best 40-inch TVs of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best 40-inch TVs
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Best 40-inch TVs Samsung Q60A
SEE IT

The Samsung Q60A features plenty of high-end features and a fantastic 4K QLED panel.

Best OLED LG C2 OLED TV early Black Friday deal LG C2
SEE IT

The LG C1 is one of our favorite TVs, no matter the size.

Best budget Best 40-inch TVs TCL 4-Series (40S435)
SEE IT

The TCL 40S435 is a no-frills option with plenty of features for less than $300.

While big TVs typically get all of the attention at the store and in buying guides, sometimes a 40-inch TV fits just right into your space. Manufacturers are prioritizing 50-, 55-, and 65-inch models over smaller sets, limiting options for those of us looking for the best 40-inch TVs. As nice as it would be to own an 85-inch big screen, we don’t all have the space—or the money—to invest in a panel the size of a mattress. That said, there are still plenty of big brands putting good small TVs out there, such as Samsung and LG. These sets have all the same features as the larger models and don’t demand such high prices. Whether you’re looking to outfit your office, or simply prefer to keep your entertainment center small, these are the best 40-inch TV models we think you should look at today.

How we picked the best 40-inch TVs

I have over a decade of experience reviewing tech gear for sites like TechnoBuffalo, XDA Developers, iMore, and Android Central. During that time, I tested TVs, tablets, and mobile phones—basically any device with a screen. When I’m not testing products, I’m probably relaxing in front of a TV, watching my favorite movies, or playing video games. The PopSci staff also has extensive experience testing and reviewing TVs and provided insight for this guide, which we combined with critical reviews and user impressions to identify the best brands and models.

To find the best 40-inch TVs, I looked for ones that feature a healthy balance of features, price, and technology. That includes specialty features we typically associate with the larger TVs, but are often in smaller high-end models, including HDMI 2.1, HDR, and Smart TV platforms. Just because a TV is considered “small,” doesn’t mean it is any less mighty.

The best 40-inch TVs: Reviews & Recommendations

The best 40-inch TVs run the gamut from value-driven models that offer up fantastic prices to high-end models that will cost you a pretty penny but feature all the bells and whistles we look for in larger premium TVs. There’s no need to compromise on picture quality, just because you don’t have the room (or the need) for a big screen.

Best overall: Samsung Q60A

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Samsung’s Q60A offers the features, picture quality, and price to make it one of the best TVs of this size.

Specs

  • Size: 43”
  • Display: QLED 4K
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 3, USB 2.0 x 2

Pros

  • Excellent contrast
  • Great upscaling
  • Fantastic QLED display

Cons

  • No local dimming
  • So-so viewing angles

Samsung’s Q60A is a 43-inch powerhouse that more than keeps up with its larger siblings. The 4K QLED panel features HDR10+ support, an updated version of the format similar to Dolby Vision. It’s vibrant with incredible contrast and great brightness, which makes for a great viewing experience even in a room with a lot of ambient light.

The Q60A offers three HDMI 2.1 ports, despite the fact that it doesn’t feature a 120Hz refresh rate. (You’d have to pay an extra $300 for the Q70A line to get it.) It does, however, support 4K upscaling, which will artificially enhance lower-resolution content to bring it closer to the 4K experience.

The Q60A includes a Smart TV platform powered by Samsung’s Tizen, so you can easily access streaming services like Netflix, and you get support for Amazon Alexa Google voice assistants. Samsung’s TV also features one of the slimmest designs in a TV of this class, with a depth of just 1-inch without the stand.

Best for gaming: Samsung QN90A

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Samsung QN90A supports next-gen gaming features while showcasing QLED technology.

Specs

  • Size: 43”
  • Display: QLED 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 3, HDMI 2.0 x 1, USB 2.0 x 2, Ethernet, Headphone Jack

Pros

  • Thin, gorgeous design
  • Game-specific enhancements
  • Low input lag

Cons

  • Only one HDMI 2.1 port
  • Expensive

Samsung’s QN90A is a MiniLED powered QLED TV that produces excellent picture quality. One of our favorite TVs for gaming, it delivers great brightness, contrast, and local dimming, and it also offers highly precise color—things you want when watching a movie or playing video games.

Speaking of video games, the QN90A includes gaming features for players on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 owners, including 120Hz and variable refresh rate support. It also supports Samsung’s new Game Bar feature, which makes it easy to access and change video features, including the aspect ratio for a more cinematic experience. The one downside–there’s only one HDMI 2.1 port, so you will need to swap your consoles in when you want to play games in 4K at 120 frames per second. We wouldn’t consider that to be a deal-breaker, but it’s certainly an inconvenience. All in all, Samsung’s TV provides an excellent picture and support for the features gamers want.

Best OLED: LG C2

Why it made the cut: The LG C1 offers one of the best OLED displays on the market with plenty of great features.

Specs

  • Size: 42”
  • Display: OLED 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 4, USB 2.0 x 2, Ethernet

Pros

  • Amazing picture
  • Gorgeous design
  • HDMI 2.1

Cons

  • So-so brightness
  • Expensive

The LG C2 is, simply put, one of our favorite TVs. LG’s elite OLED panel generates an absolutely incredible image with deep, vibrant colors and true blacks only an OLED can achieve. It is very expensive, especially compared to other TVs this size, but you’ll see the money you spend in every show you watch. This is technically last year’s model, and while the newer C3 adds some upgrades, we still think the C2 is the right buy when you consider its current lower price and how close it is in features and quality to the C3.

As one of LG’s best, the C2 features all the bells and whistles that you want for gaming and other premium home theater setups, including 120Hz refresh rate, G-Sync and FreeSync variable refresh rate support, and four HDMI 2.1 ports.

There are a couple of helpful automatic modes, too: Filmmaker Mode and Game Optimizer mode. The former turns off motion smoothing and wrangles in the colors for the most accurate image the TV can produce. The Game Optimizer mode puts all your game settings in one place, allowing users to quickly toggle picture settings, refresh rate, and aspect ratio.

Best designer: Samsung’s The Frame

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Frame by Samsung features a stylish alternative design that fits its 43-inch form factor well.

Specs

  • Size: 43”
  • Display: QLED 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.0 x 3, HDMI 2.1, USB 2.0 x 2, Ethernet

Pros

  • Elegant design
  • Easily blends with decor
  • Beautiful QLED display

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Can be difficult to mount

Have you ever wished your TV could disappear when you aren’t using it? The Frame, one of Samsung’s “lifestyle” TVs, can masquerade as a piece of art to let you style your space without building it around a TV.

The Frame features a motion sensor that triggers “Art Mode” when entering the room, which displays over 1,400 new and classic works of art when the TV isn’t in use. You can also display your own media, such as pictures, to give The Frame a more personal touch.

The Frame is more than an elegant design, though. The 4K QLED screen produces a great picture, with 4K scaling. To maintain the seamless “Frame” effect, it connects to devices via a connection box that supports HDMI and Ethernet and can be placed up to 16 feet away. If you’re looking for something more unique and stylish, Samsung’s The Frame is the perfect option.

Best budget: TCL 4-Series

TCL

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: If you want a decent TV on a budget, the TCL 40S435 is a great choice.

Specs

  • Size: 43”
  • Display: LED 4K
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.0 x 3, USB 2.0, Ethernet, Headphone Jack

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Excellent 4K display
  • Roku TV

Cons

  • No HDMI 2.1

For $259.99, the TCL 4-Series is an easy choice if you don’t want to spend a lot of money. It’s not the most advanced 4K display on the market, but at this size, and at this price, it more than gets the job done to enjoy your favorite shows and video games.

While it doesn’t have many advanced features, the 4-Series features the Roku operating system, so it feels like there’s a streaming device built in. TCL rose to prominence in large part because of its Roku TVs, and it’s easy to see why when you get an experience like this for such a low price.

It isn’t entirely devoid of tricks, though. For example, the TCL 4-Series features a companion smartphone app, so you can control the TV without tracking down the remote. You also get three HDMI ports, so you can hook up a video game console, and a USB port for hooking up external media.

Things to consider before buying a 40-inch TV

The best 40-inch TVs are great for compact spaces like bedrooms, dorms, and smaller living rooms. They’re also good for people looking to spend less on a high-quality TV, as screen size plays a large role in TV pricing. Aside from a couple of prestigious exceptions, you can often find a 40-inch TV for under $500. (Many of our picks, however, cost a bit more.)

Resolution and high-dynamic range (HDR)

The higher resolution your TV, the sharper and more detailed the image looks. Almost all modern TVs output at 4K resolution. You can still find older budget 40-inch models limited to Full HD (1080p), but we don’t recommend buying one. Frankly, the difference in price should be very low, and buying a 4K model will ensure the TV remains viable for a longer time. 

Likewise, there are no 8K TVs available in small sizes yet. We also generally don’t recommend buying an 8K TV yet, as there’s very little content available at that resolution.

Many newer TVs also support a display technology called high-dynamic range, or HDR. HDR allows TVs to show a wider range of brightness on-screen, allowing for nuanced depictions of extremely bright and low-light situations. Imagine a scene at night with a headlamp as the only light source. HDR technology can better display those scenarios. There are two primary HDR standards: HDR10 and Dolby Vision. All HDR-compliant TVs support HDR10 but only some models support the dynamically shifting Dolby Vision.

QLED and OLED

If you’re looking for the best of the best, there are two premium display technologies that stand apart from traditional LED displays. Picking an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) versus QLED (Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diode) display will both enhance the quality picture of your TV, often while jacking up the price. If you’d like an in-depth explanation of the technology and recommendations for the best displays with that specific tech, we recommend checking out our in-depth guides to the best OLED TVs and the best QLED TVs

For now, let’s just say QLED and OLED TVs are more expensive than conventional LED TVs, especially at this size. They are usually the best option available, which is why you’ll see them on this list, but do not reflect the potential savings you can find by shopping for a smaller TV.

Refresh rate

Refresh rate is an important spec if you play games on PS5 and Xbox Series X, or watch a lot of sports. Refresh rate, measured in hertz (Hz), tells you how many times your TV can “redraw” its image per second, allowing for higher frame rates in games and TV shows. Until about two years, most TVs maxed out at 60Hz, but some newer TVs support a higher, 120Hz refresh rate, allowing compatible games and shows to run more smoothly. At this juncture, a high refresh rate is only a notable feature if you have or want a new game console.

As we cover in our in-depth guide, you will need to plug your consoles or other devices into HDMI 2.1 ports (with appropriately compatible HDMI cables) to access higher refresh rates at 4K resolution. Any TV that supports 120Hz will have at least one HDMI 2.1 input among its connection options, but obviously more is always better.

FAQs

Q: How far should I sit from a 40-inch TV?

For the optimal viewing experience, you should sit about 6 feet from a 40-inch TV, according to this distance calculator. Anything farther than that and you might have difficulty making out details. You can sit closer than 6 feet, but we wouldn’t recommend sitting too close because you risk straining your eyes. For a better understanding of how far you should sit from your TV, check out our guide covering this topic. In short, how far you sit from your TV plays a big part in your overall viewing experience.

Q: Is a 40-inch TV good for the bedroom?

For small to medium-size bedrooms, a 40-inch TV is a solid option. They offer a pleasant viewing experience but fade into the background when not in use. Plus, 40-inch TVs aren’t as heavy as larger models, so they’re easier to mount and move around when needed.

Q: Is it worth it to buy a 4K TV?

If you currently own a 1080p TV and you’re happy with it, there’s no need to upgrade to 4K. That said, you should not buy a new 1080p TV. Most new TVs are 4K, and they’re available at very good prices. An increasingly large number of streaming platforms offer 4K content, not to mention multiple generations of game consoles, making now a good time to switch.

Final thoughts on the best 40-inch TVs

A 40-inch TV is a great fit for small living rooms, bedrooms, and secondary spaces like workshops and guest rooms. It’s also a good starting point if you’re replacing a very old TV and don’t want to spend too much money.

More affordable than their larger siblings, the best 40-inch TVs make it a little more affordable to get the best new features. They also make it possible to spend a lot less money if you just want something that works. As always, we recommend picking a TV that fits your space. For a lot of people, what manufacturers call small, we call the perfect size.

The post The best 40-inch TVs of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best TV antennas for 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-tv-antennas/ Tue, 22 Mar 2022 17:26:53 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=432561
The best TV antennas
Stan Horaczek

You don’t have to pay a cable company for broadcast TV.

The post The best TV antennas for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best TV antennas
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best outdoor Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie is the best outdoor TV antenna. Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie TV Antenna
SEE IT

A solid workhorse that should be more than powerful enough.

Best indoor Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro is the best indoor TV antenna. Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro
SEE IT

Easily installed in a high corner with great range for an indoor antenna.

Best overall Antop AT-800SBS-J HD Smart Panel Antenna is the best indoor/outdoor TV antenna. Antop AT-800SBS-J HD Smart Panel Antenna
SEE IT

It has a long range and a 4G LTE blocker to minimize signal interference.

As cord-cutters are abandoning cable in droves for the ever-expanding world of digital subscriptions, one underdog technology making an unexpected comeback is the humble TV antenna. Netflix and Crunchyroll aren’t going to carry your local news or sports, but fortunately, your local stations are still providing them for free, in the air all around you! The quality of over-air images has continued to go up ever since switching from analog to digital, so it’s quite a bit better than your memories of futzing with set-top rabbit ears to find hints of coherence in the static. Just like setting up Wi-Fi within your home, the spatial nature of over-the-air television means you’ll need to be deliberate about your antenna choice and placement to get the most bang for your buck. Fortunately, we’ve done all that research for you and are here to walk you through everything you need to know to pick one of the best TV antennas for your home.

How we chose the best TV antennas

With so many different particular needs to address, there isn’t really a single “best” TV antenna for that new OLED or QLED TV beaming entertainment into your home. We made our selections based on professional and consumer impressions, intending to cultivate a range of options that should suit the needs of most TV viewers in the United States, including options that will suit homes or apartments, rural areas or urban living, and more. These TV antenna reviews will help you find the best model for your needs.

The best TV antennas: Reviews & Recommendations

The best TV antennas are more powerful and accessible than ever. If you’re new to OTA television after a lifetime of cable or streaming and looking for an antenna for local channels, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how it looks. No matter your budget or needs, the best TV antenna to complete your setup is very likely here among the choices we’ve collected.

Best overall: Antop AT-800SBS-J HD Smart Panel Antenna

Antop Antenna Inc

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Antop’s indoor/outdoor AT-800SBS-J antenna is a versatile performer at a premium price.

Specs

  • Range: 85 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Indoor/Outdoor
  • Gain: N/A
  • Size: 6 inches L x 10 inches W x 22 inches H

Pros

  • Flexible indoor or outdoor configuration
  • Includes both indoor stand and outdoor mounting pole
  • Great reception

Cons

  • Bulky
  • Expensive

Antop’s AT-800SBS HD Smart Panel Antenna is one of the best-performing indoor/outdoor versatile antennas, making it our pick for best overall. This HD TV antenna has a long range, particularly for an indoor model, and has a 4G LTE blocker to minimize signal interference. When placed inside, the white box with protruding poles on either side seems a little gaudy. When mounted on a roof, it’s one of the nicer-looking antennas, though. This digital TV antenna is expensive, but it provides unparalleled flexibility and high performance.

Best for outdoor: Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie TV Antenna

Antennas Direct

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie is a large, powerful, versatile outdoor antenna fit for almost anyone’s needs.

Specs

  • Range: 70 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Attic/Outdoor
  • Gain: 17.4Dbi
  • Size: 36 inches L x 6 inches W x 48 inches H

Pros

  • Great performance
  • Flexibility from multiple aimable panels
  • Lifetime warranty on parts

Cons

  • Large
  • Includes mounting hardware but requires mount and coaxial cable

Antennas Direct’s 8-Element Bowtie antenna is a solid workhorse that should be more than powerful enough for most people who have the space to mount it in an attic or, ideally, on the roof. Its eight separate antenna elements are split between four reflecting panels on two independently rotating shafts. These can be either aimed at a single target to better capture signals from a particular direction or spread out to catch a wider range. With a maximum range of 70 miles, 17.4 dBi gain, and flexible configuration, this outside TV antenna is a powerful all-purpose option. However, it requires some additional hardware to mount and connect fully.

Best for indoors: Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro

Mohu

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Substantially larger than most of its indoor competition, the Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro stands out with great performance and convenient installation.

Specs

  • Range: 65 miles
  • UHF/VHF: UHF, Hi-V
  • Installation: Indoor
  • Gain: N/A
  • Size: 21.5 inches L x 0.5 inches W x 12 inches H

Pros

  • Easy setup
  • Great performance
  • Detachable cable

Cons

  • Larger than comparable indoor antennas

Mohu is one of the biggest manufacturers of indoor TV antennas for a reason. The Leaf Supreme Pro measures a commanding 12 x 21.5 inches, so it’s hard to ignore its presence. It’s a very thin, flat panel, though, so it can be easily installed in a high corner and features reversible black and white sides to make it as discreet as possible. The coaxial cable is also conveniently detachable, meaning you can avoid an unsightly wire going up your wall when you’re not actually using it.

On the plus side, this antenna for smart TV gets great range for an indoor antenna and comes with a separate, USB-powered amplifier that noticeably improves performance. Thin, flat indoor antennas generally don’t do quite as well as their outdoor counterparts, but this wireless antenna for TV gets pretty close without many tradeoffs.

Best long-range: Five Star Outdoor Digital Amplified HDTV Antenna

Five Star

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Five Star’s outdoor antenna reaches further than most, providing a fantastic range at a very reasonable price.

Specs

  • Range: 200 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Outdoor
  • Gain: 15 – 35 dB (boosted)
  • Size: 17 inches L x 8 inches W x 7 inches H

Pros

  • Fantastic long-range performance
  • 360-degree motorized coverage
  • Mounting pole and hardware included

Cons

  • Not the simplest assembly process

In search of the best indoor TV antenna 100 mile range? The Five Star Outdoor Digital Antenna boasts 200-mile, 360-degree coverage and the hardware to back it up. It features six reflector elements spread across three poles on a motorized spoke, which can eke out as much coverage as possible. It includes wiring and hardware for attaching up to five televisions, perfect for a large, remote home. It conveniently also includes a mounting pole. It requires a bit more assembly than other options, but you get a lot of coverage for your time and effort. 

Best budget: 1byone Digital Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna

1 BY ONE

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: 1byone’s Digital Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna is inexpensive and barebones but solid if you just need the minimum.

Specs

  • Range: 50 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Indoor
  • Gain: 28 dB
  • Size: 13.6 inches L x 10 inches W x 2.4 inches H

Pros

  • Cheap
  • Picks up nearby signals well

Cons

  • Does deliver on advertised range
  • Black on both sides and can’t be painted

For less than $30, 1byone’s Digital Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna is a very good bargain for a short-range indoor antenna. The consensus from trusted sites and critics suggests that it works great for apartment dwellers living in or nearby cities. It’s also a regular Amazon bestseller at 3.9/5 with over 14,000 reviews because it’s a cheap antenna that does the job, which is all a lot of people need. Despite a perhaps overly bold Amazon listing boasting a 200-mile range—an unrealistic claim for an indoor antenna—the 1byone works very well within the manufacturer-stated reasonable 50-mile range. That should be more than enough if you just want free TV with antenna to get channels and don’t care about maxing out range or extra features that make it easier to hide.

What to consider before buying one of the best TV antennas

TV antennas are very simple to set up and use, but picking one and TV antenna installation requires a little advanced planning. At the very least, you should know whether you want an indoor or outdoor TV antenna. Traditional, roof-mounted outdoor antennas are substantially more powerful for picking up station signals over a wider range but require permanent installation on your roof or another high place and require outdoor cable management. It takes some work and isn’t an option for most renters and apartment dwellers.

If an outdoor antenna isn’t feasible, smaller wall- and window-mounted indoor TV antennas must be fastened to a high spot in your space. They offer a shorter range but are far more discreet and easy to install. Indoor antennas are almost all omnidirectional because all the local interference of walls and windows tends to even out any benefit you might get from a targeted antenna like one would on their roof.

What do you want to watch?

TV antennas can only pick up local broadcast channels. For most of the United States, an antenna should catch local affiliates of FOX, CBS, ABC, NBC, The CW, and PBS, which all reach over 95% of American homes. In addition, some areas may have broadcast channels like Ion, Telemundo, and MeTV, as well as various public access stations. The number of channels you can find with an antenna will vary widely depending on where you are, with more options as you get closer to a major city.

If you want to find out antenna TV channels by zip code, there are several free tools online, including AntennaWeb and DTV Reception Maps from the Federal Trade Commission. Input your address, and you can find what stations are nearby, and what kind of antenna you’ll need to watch them. They also include maps of when the signals are actually broadcast, which can be important for some outdoor antennas.

Won’t the image quality be bad, though?

If you’ve ever watched a TV with built-in “bunny ear” antennas, you might assume that a broadcast TV signal will come in faded, with crackly black and white static (like the opening line of Neuromancer). Fortunately, things have changed drastically since then. In 2009, the U.S. government mandated that TV stations transition from analog to digital broadcasting. As many cord-cutters have been pleasantly surprised to learn, digital signals broadcast over the air are often less compressed than the versions sent over landline by cable services. Major networks broadcast over the air (OTA) in Full HD, or 1080p, and many users claim their broadcast channels come in with brighter, crisper images and sound. You can find an HD free unlimited antenna to pick up those signals.

Why is this happening? Both cable and OTA transmissions will degrade over long distances, and cable signals often have to cover a much longer distance than your local station’s broadcast. Cable offers more channels, of course, but broadcast still has some utility.

Range and gain

There are two major specs you want to consider when looking at TV antennas: range and gain. An antenna’s maximum indicates how far away it can be from a station to pick up a broadcast signal. Generally speaking, having a higher range is always better. That said, some antennas boasting very high ranges achieve those stats using built-in signal amplifiers, which may not deliver stellar picture from stations out on the fringes of their extended ranges.

Gain, expressed in decibels (dB), measures how well a given antenna performs against a standard reference in picking up signals in a particular direction. As expected, a higher listed gain number means better performance, particularly with signals coming from the edges of your antenna’s range.

UHF and VHF

More than an underappreciated 1989 Weird Al vehicle, UHF (ultra-high frequency) and VHF (very-high frequency) are terms you’ll see while antenna shopping. They refer to the bands of frequency on which particular channels are broadcast. Most contemporary channels are on UHF, but there are still VHF broadcasts out there. 

This distinction mostly matters for outdoor antenna users, since most indoor antennas are UHF or combined, but even nominally UHF-only will usually pick up VHF stations regardless. The online tools for finding your local broadcasters mentioned above will include this information about each station. Many antennas are advertised explicitly for both. In general, this is only something you need to worry about if a critical mass of broadcasts you care about are VHF, especially Lo-V.

FAQs

Q: How much do TV antennas cost?

The cost of TV antennas ranges from about $20 for basic models to more than $125 for options with a longer range, smart features, and a blocker that minimizes signal interference, such as the Antop AT-800SBS-J HD Smart Panel Antenna.

Q: Are antennas worth it? 

Yes, antennas are worth it. Rather than going the way of the dinosaur, OTA broadcast technology has actually improved quite a bit in the last decade or so. If you’re dropping your cable subscription, an antenna can be a great, low, one-time investment for a lifetime of free local programming. 

Q: What range antenna do I need?

Ideally, you want an antenna to pick up all nearby local channels. The exact range you’ll need for that will depend on where you live. Generally speaking, the closer you are to a large town or city, the lower the range required to get what you want out of your antenna. As we mentioned in our section on finding nearby channels, there are online tools for determining where your nearby broadcast signals are coming from. 

Q: Where is the best place to put an indoor TV antenna?

Generally speaking, you want to put your TV antenna as high as possible. Ideally, you also want to minimize the number of things that might get between your antenna and the TV station’s broadcast tower. That’s why the best ones are, often, outdoor models you mount on your roof. For indoor antennas, look for a high window, or consider running wires so you can set it up near an exterior wall in an attic. These are general best practices; the only way to find the best spot in your home is to experiment with different spots until you’re satisfied with the picture quality.

Final thoughts on the best TV antennas

If you’re considering joining the cord-cutting wave or have done so and miss your local channels, a TV antenna could be the perfect way to round out your TV setup. The exact type and model you need will depend on several factors, but you can rest assured that there is almost certainly a great option out there for you at a very reasonable price.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best TV antennas for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best 85-inch TVs for 2023 https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-85-inch-tvs/ Fri, 12 May 2023 21:25:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=541068
The best 85-inch TVs composited
Stan Horaczek

An 85-inch TV used to cost as much as a sedan, but now they're much more attainable.

The post The best 85-inch TVs for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best 85-inch TVs composited
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall The Samsung QN90C TV on a stand in a room showing the Lord of the Rings. Samsung Neo QLED QN90C
SEE IT

It produces a bright, vibrant image that’s suitable for all spaces and types of content.

Best budget Hisense ULED U7H TV with a basketball player on the screen Hisense ULED U7H
SEE IT

This TV’s features and image quality perform well above its price.

Best OLED LG C2 OLED TV early Black Friday deal LG C2
SEE IT

It’s only an 83-inch TV, but its image quality and performance make up for it.

The typical 85-inch TV offers screen real estate bigger than a typical twin mattress. That kind of massive display was strictly for the rich until just a few years ago. Now, massive TVs have gotten a lot more accessible. And while the floor on an 85-inch TV still hovers around $1,600, just imagine how impressive that gigantic screen would look in your living room. The Stranger Things monster would look life-sized. The movie Dune will put out enough light to give you a sun tan (not quite, but it will be really bright). While these TVs are inherently awesome thanks to their big screens, there are some differences between models. You likely don’t need a flagship model to make the most of your viewing experience, so you can probably save thousands of dollars by choosing the right model. These are the best 85-inch TVs we recommend right now.

How we chose the best 85-inch TVs

I have been writing about TVs and home theater equipment for the better part of two decades. Much of that work has appeared here on PopSci, but I have also covered it for Engadget, Sound & Vision, Men’s Journal, and numerous other publications. 

The selections on this list come from a mix of hands-on testing, spec sheet comparisons, editorial reviews, and user feedback. While we could have simply picked the flagship displays to represent the “best” overall picks, we looked for the optimal mix of image quality, features, and price. Our hands-on testing typically involves testing streaming content (as that’s the most common way to consume content right now), as well as Blu-ray playback and gaming performance tests done with a PlayStation 5

The best 85-inch TVs: Reviews & Recommendations

Whether you’re carefully choosing the correct panel for your home theater system or you’re just trying to get a quick reassurance that you’re about to make a solid Black Friday purchase, these picks for the best 85-inch TV have you covered. Be sure to read through them, as there is definitely some overlap between the awards.

Best overall: Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN90C

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz (up to 144Hz in some cases with a PC)
  • Other sizes available: 43”, 50”, 55”, 65”, and 75”
  • Ports: 4 HDMI 2.1, 2 USB, Ethernet, headphone, optical audio out, RF
  • Price: $4,499

Pros

  • Excellent picture
  • Bright enough for any space
  • Robust smart TV offerings
  • Neo QLED makes for high contrast ratios

Cons

  • Ports on the back of the TV instead of Samsung’s remote box
  • Pricey

Samsung’s typical QLED displays produce exceptional brightness and excellent color on their own. For its latest generation of Neo QLEDs, however, the company has integrated MiniLED backlighting in order to goose the contrast ratios and allow the TV to take finer control over how objects are rendered on-screen. In short, it’s just a beautiful picture. I spent some time watching Blu-rays and playing PS5 games during my review period and was impressed with the punchy picture that could still handle more subtle imagery without overpowering my eyeballs. Ghostbusters: Afterlife isn’t a great movie, but it does have some fast action scenes with lots of on-screen objects and the QN90C rendered them beautifully. It’s still not quite as precise as OLED, but it’s gettin’ closer.

This display also does an impressive job with sound. We typically always recommend augmenting any TV’s built-in sound with at least a soundbar (if not a full wireless surround sound system). This TV supports Dolby Atmos, and its built-in speakers allow it to localize sound without external equipment. So, if a helicopter is coming in from above, it actually sounds like it’s above everything else on the screen. This effect is cool at any size, but it’s particularly effective with a big 85-inch screen.

While the picture itself is what makes this TV stand out, it’s also flush with features. It offers four HDMI 2.1 ports, and it has a built-in gaming mode for cloud gaming. Perhaps the most impressive extra feature is the anti-glare coating on the screen. Even with an annoying amount of front light hitting the display, the Samsung does an effective job when it comes to combatting glare. If your TV room gets a lot of light, that can make a huge difference. Contrast ratio doesn’t mean much if all you can see is a reflection of your own body sitting on the couch with a bucket of popcorn propped on your gut (which is the official PopSci TV testing position).  

Best budget: Hisense ULED U7H QLED

Hisense

SEE IT

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Other sizes available: 55”, 65”, and 75”
  • Ports: 4 HDMI (2 of which are 2.1), Ethernet, RF
  • Price: $1,699

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Excellent picture for the price
  • Bright
  • Full-array local dimming for better contrast

Cons

  • Picture lags behind more expensive sets

You can sometimes find this 85-inch monster of a TV on sale for $1,500. That’s a wild price for a full-featured QLED like this one. The U7H relies on an array of small LEDs for its backlight, which provide precise control over which areas get illumination and which ones don’t. That leads to better overall contrast ratios and more pleasing images. Quantum Dots help pump up the overall brightness. 

It runs on the Google TV platform, which makes it more agnostic than some of the other first-party platforms. It also offers a more intuitive navigation that I find easier to get around than some competitors. 

Dig into the menus and you’ll find the Filmmaker and IMAX Enhanced modes, both of which attempt to make content look as close to the creator’s original intention as possible. The 120Hz refresh rate allows smooth action during sports or video games. But, it’s easy to tone down when you want to watch a movie without it looking like a soap opera. 

This TV really is an excellent mix of performance and features. It was a deal at its original $2,499 price point, but now that it’s often on sale, it’s practically a steal. Hisense technically offers an even more upscale version of this TV in the U8H series, but it has been nearly impossible to find the 85-inch version in-stock anywhere for any price.

Best for gaming: Sony Bravia X90K

Sony

SEE IT

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Other sizes available: 55”, 65”, and 75”
  • Ports: 4 HDMI 2.1, 2 USB, Ethernet, RF
  • Price: $1,999

Pros

  • Exclusive features for PS5 players
  • Short response time
  • Excellent upscaling
  • Google TV platform
  • Modes specially calibrated for Netflix and other applications

Cons

  • Not as bright as some other sets

It makes sense that Sony would make solid gaming TVs. After all, the company is responsible for one of the most popular gaming console lines of all time. This LED TV doesn’t rely on Quantum Dots. Instead, it relies on full-array local dimming to use its available brightness to the best of its ability. It can carefully control which areas of the screen get light and which ones don’t. I often find Sony’s picture quality a bit oversharpened and a little harsh for my specific taste, but I was easily able to tone it down during my demo to my specific taste. If you don’t want to do any tweaking, this TV offers specific modes, including various flavors of HDR, IMAX Enhanced mode, and a setting specifically calibrated toward streaming Netflix content. 

Hook up a PS5 to this TV and you unlock a few exclusive features. Those include Auto HDR tone mapping, which increases the overall picture quality and color reproduction that you’ll get from PlayStation 5 games. Auto Genre Switching also keeps tabs on what you’re watching and adjusts its performance to match appropriately. 

Beyond the gaming-specific features, you also get high-end specs that you’d expect from a TV that costs this much. You get HDMI 2.1 ports, Dolby Atmos support, and some of the best upscaling you’ll find, thanks to the powerful built-in processor.

Best OLED: LG C2

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Other sizes available: 42”, 48”, 55”, 65”, 77”, and 83” (they don’t technically offer a strict 85-inch TV).
  • Ports: 4 HDMI 2.1, 2 USB, Ethernet, RF
  • Price: $4,296

Pros

  • Exceptional contrast ratio
  • Great color reproduction
  • Extremely slim display and attractive design
  • Powerful processor for upscaling

Cons

  • Not technically 85 inches
  • Big OLEDs are still very pricey

OK, so this is technically an 83-inch TV, but you’ll hardly notice those two missing inches thanks to the truly exemplary image quality. The LG C2 is one of the best TVs you can buy at just about any size. It offers the deep black and shadow levels you expect from an OLED, but LG’s OLED Evo tech cranks up the maximum brightness. So, if you’re in a relatively bright room, you can still get an OLED and see what you’re watching before the sun goes down. 

The LG C3 technically debuted in January at CES 2023, but it isn’t a huge leap up from the C2, which you can currently get at a discounted price. You’re really buying an OLED for the contrast ratio, and it’s really hard to improve that much beyond what the C2 offers. 

Of course, you get the full suite of features to go with all that picture quality. LG’s fifth-gen processor offers excellent upscaling, so content looks good even if it’s not native 4K or HDR. You get four HDMI 2.1 ports for connecting data-hungry devices. And the panel itself is absurdly thin, so it’s easy to mount just about anywhere, even when you have a giant size like this.

The LG G3 also deserves a mention here, as it’s a truly excellent TV, but it’s considerably more expensive and won’t necessarily provide a huge noticeable upgrade for most people. It’s likely the best overall OLED, but it’s not the best mix of features for the price as far as this list is concerned. If money is no object, however, ball out with the G3.

Best LED: ​​SAMSUNG Crystal UHD CU8000

Samsung

SEE IT

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Other sizes available: 43”, 50”, 55”, 65”, and 75”
  • Ports: 3 HDMI, 2 USB, Ethernet, RF
  • Price: $1,695

Pros

  • Very affordable even when it’s not on-sale
  • Decent specs for the price
  • Very good color reproduction
  • Easy to mount
  • Robust smart TV features

Cons

  • Picture is mid compared to higher-end models
  • Only 3 HDMI ports

If you’re worried more about size and price than other factors, this relatively barebones 85-inch TV should fit the bill nicely. Its retail price sits well under $2,000, and you can often find it discounted as low as $1,500. 

This is the big-box variant of Samsung’s TVs like the one you’ll see at department stores or price clubs. It relies on the company’s Crystal processor, which does a surprisingly solid job of upscaling lower-resolution content to fit the 4K display. It also does a lovely job with color replication, though its contrast ratio can’t match levels offered by its OLED or QLED competition. There are some other compromises as well. You only get three HDMI ports, and the included feet aren’t very sophisticated in terms of a TV stand. 

But, even with the caveats, this is still a great-looking TV. The panel is slim, the colors are poppy, it’s relatively bright, and there’s a whole lot of screen for not a lot of money. If you’re looking for a big TV on which you can watch movies in a relatively dark room, this will more than meet your needs and leave you with enough cash leftover to get some grub hub. I recommend pairing some Buffalo Wild Wings with the new sci-fi epic Silo on Apple TV+.

Best 8K: Samsung Neo QLED QN900C

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Specs

  • Resolution: 8K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Other sizes available: 65” and 75”
  • Ports: 4 HDMI 2.1, 2 USB, Optical audio, RF, Ethernet
  • Price: $7,999

Pros

  • 8K detail is really impressive
  • Future proof to an extent
  • Powerful image processing
  • Great color reproduction
  • Ports sit on a remote box for easy installation
  • Very skinny bezel

Cons

  • Expensive
  • No 8K content to really watch

You don’t need an 8K TV, but that may make you want one even more than you already do. An 8K picture contains more than 33 megapixels of information. Right now, very few sources can pump out that much image data at once. Advanced gaming consoles are slowly working their way up to 8K, but it’s going to be a while before streaming content starts making the leap. 

All of that said, Samsung’s 8K TV does look spectacular. It offers the company’s highest-end features. Everything from its connectivity to its image processor represents Samsung’s state-of-the-art tech. That image processor is necessary, too, as it can upscale 4K or even 1080p content all the way up to 8K with impressive accuracy. I spent a few hours streaming and playing PS5 games with it during my review period and was surprised by how effectively the TV took less-than-8K stuff and made it look great on such a high-res display. Horizon: Zero Dawn looked bright, poppy, and sharp with tons of detail. It also didn’t look wildly oversharpened like some TVs do when they’re working hard to upscale an image. 

This is truly a flagship TV, and while it’s definitely expensive and ahead of its time, it will last for years, when 8K may be much more reasonable. So, this is a solid option for anyone looking to really futureproof their purchase. It’s also great for people with money who just want to flex their cool 8K screen, even though it’s somewhat impractical. 

Things to consider when shopping for the best 85-inch TV

Backlight

At this point, just about every TV relies on LEDs for their backlight, but manufacturers use different varieties and configurations to achieve their desired effects. Typical LCD TVs employ LED arrays around the outside edge or across the entire face of the screen. Some manufacturers augment those LEDs with a Quantum Dots layer, amplifying the light output. As a result, these QLEDs typically offer a brighter, punchier picture. 

As Quantum Dot technology has evolved, manufacturers have mixed with me with backlight enhancements like MiniLED and MicroLED. By making the LEDs in the array smaller, the TV can take greater control over contrast on a very localized level while still maintaining excellent brightness, thanks to the Dots. When you see a qualifier like Neo QLED, you can expect this. 

All those TV technologies are considered transmissive as they involve a backlight shining through an LCD panel. OLED, on the other hand, is emissive, which means each pixel creates its own illumination. Organic Light-Emitting Diodes sit behind colored filters and push out the exact amount of light they need. Sometimes they even turn all the way off to create deep blacks in shadowy areas. As a result, OLEDs often produce phenomenal color and exceptional contrast ratios at the cost of overall brightness. OLEDs really are fantastic, but you’ll only find one on this list, as OLEDs don’t typically make it all the way up to 85 inches. They’re also still relatively expensive at normal sizes, so bigger panels can get a bit out of hand financially. 

Refresh rate

Most of the time, you’re going to be choosing between 60Hz and 120Hz when it comes to refresh rate. Higher-end models typically offer the faster 120Hz rate, while more affordable models stick to 60Hz. This stat simply refers to the number of times the on-screen image refreshes. 

The 120Hz displays can create smoother motion, which is great if you’re playing video games or watching sports. If you’re only watching movies and want a typical look for your content, those faster refresh rates may not matter that much at all. 

Some displays can reach all the way up to 144Hz in some specific modes, but that’s really only useful in some gaming situations.

Connectivity

What are you going to plug into your TV? If you’re going to plug in a 4K Blu-ray player, Xbox Series X/S, or PlayStation 5, you’re going to want to max out on HDMI 2.1 ports (and compatible cables) that can handle all the bandwidth they require for high-res playback. At this point, most major TV manufacturers offer a pretty standard selection of ports, but you’ll want to make sure that you have those HDMI 2.1 ports to maximum and future compatibility. 

Platform

Every modern TV is a “smart TV” at this point, but they’re not all equally intelligent or pleasant to use. Both LG and Samsung use their own proprietary smart TV platforms called webOS and Tizen, respectively. Sony often defaults to Google TV, while some manufacturers like TCL rely on the Roku platform. If you’re looking for a TV that doesn’t require an extra box for streaming, make sure you get one with an interface you don’t loathe using.

Resolution

If you’re going all the way up to 85 inches, you’re not going to find any 1080p TVs in current lineups. Just about all the best 85-inch TVs out there are 4K, which makes sense since it’s the current state of the technology. You will find some 8K displays out there, but you won’t find very much native 8K content to watch at all. If you want to futureproof your TV, you can splurge on an 8K set now, but we typically consider it overkill for most people. Though, we are talking about baller TVs here, so if you want to go all out and get an 8K display, then go for it. Just don’t expect to see a glaring difference between its performance and a 4K model on the vast majority of things you watch or play.

FAQs

Q: Is a 4K resolution enough for an 85-inch TV?

It’s plenty unless you plan to sit as close to it as you would a computer monitor. And if that’s your plan for an 85-inch TV, you’re likely to run into other practical problems before noticing pixels come into play. Even if you bought an 8K TV, you still won’t be able to find 8K native content for it, so you’d just be watching upscaled 4K anyway. 4K is plenty. Don’t sweat it.

Q: Is a bigger TV better for your eyes?

Not necessarily. If you’re looking at a lot of text on the screen, a bigger display may make it easier to read. So, if you’re a big role-playing game fan or keep the captioning on at all times (like I do), it could be good for your eyes to increase the size of that text. Ultimately, a bigger TV just bombards your eyeballs with more light for better or worse. If you really want to make the TV easier on your eyes, however, think about adding some backlight to your setup

Q: Can one person lift an 85-inch TV?

As stated before, an 85-inch TV is actually larger than a twin-size mattress (at least in length and height), so you’re going to have a heck of a time getting your arms around it to lift it. A single person can likely get it up off the ground, but the sheer size of it will make it very awkward to maneuver if you’re trying to transport it or hang it on a wall. Best to see if a friend can give you a hand rather than risk a big, expensive TV.

Q: Can I wall-mount an 85-inch TV?

You can absolutely mount an 85-inch TV. In fact, we recommend it. Many 85-inch TVs come with built-in stands that are too wide for some smaller media consoles. Even if you don’t fully mount your new 85-inch TV to the wall, we suggest anchoring it in case it gets knocked or shaken. 

If you buy a mount, ensure it’s rated to handle a large TV. Most support a range, but the 85s almost always require the largest model. Despite their large size, most 85-inch TVs still rely on mounting holes in a familiar VESA arrangement but check compatibility before screwing into the wall. 

Q: How far should I sit from the 85-inch TV?

Ideally, you’d sit about seven to 10 feet away from an 85-inch TV. You want your eyes to hit the vertical center line of the display, which will fill enough of your peripheral vision without making you turn your head or lose track of objects at the far edges of the picture. That said, some people like the feeling of a really huge TV. You can sit as close as five feet if you’re one of those people. Any closer than that, though, and it might start to feel really uncomfortable. 

Final thoughts about the best 85-inch TVs

It truly is wild how accessible 85-inch TVs have become in recent years. Earlier in my career, a popular electronics manufacturer had me take a car service out to New Jersey to see their 70-inch plasma TV, which cost $22,000 and couldn’t stay on for more than a couple of hours because it would raise the temperature of the room and overheat. Now, you can get an 85-inch TV for less than a tenth of that price, and it comes with free shipping. 

The best 85-inch TVs offer all of the features you want out of a flagship display with enough screen real estate to really show off your favorite content. If you have the room and the cash to make it happen, an 85-inch TV is about as hard as you can ball out on a TV, and we wholeheartedly recommend it.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best 85-inch TVs for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best mini projectors of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-mini-projectors/ Thu, 12 May 2022 16:00:03 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=439520
A lineup of the best projectors on a white background
Amanda Reed

Screen movies, share photos, and deliver presentations with these pint-size projectors.

The post The best mini projectors of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
A lineup of the best projectors on a white background
Amanda Reed

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall AAXA P7 Mini AAXA P7 Mini Projector
SEE IT

A light, bright, mini streaming machine.

Best for movies Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12
SEE IT

Advanced imaging offers a cinema-like experience.

Best for travel Anker Nebula Solar Anker Nebula Solar
SEE IT

A projector that’s road-worthy and feature-rich.

Mini projectors strike a balance between size, features, price, and image quality. Is it easy to pack big entertainment in a small package? Nope, so when purchasing a mini projector, it’s important to manage your expectations. These units will never match the brightness, resolution, color saturation, contrast, or picture size you get from a full-size projector. On the other hand, try slipping one of those 20-pound monsters into your carry-on bag or using it in a small office or a dorm room. Ideally, the best mini projectors weigh a few pounds or less—sometimes much less—but are bright enough for presentations and to display photos, spec sheets, or whatever else you’d like. 

These small entertainment units often include built-in batteries for truly portable play, and some have Android TV functionality for easy streaming. Integrated speakers are common, and there are often HDMI and USB ports for external media like Blu-ray players, set-top streaming boxes, or USB streaming sticks. Finding the best mini projector that meets your priorities isn’t always easy, so we’ve gathered six of the best mini projectors while also providing some insight into what to look for when you’re shopping.

How we chose the best mini projectors

When selecting the best mini projectors to include in our recommendations, we relied on our experience with home projectors and we reached out to professionals in the TV and AV worlds to discuss their favorites—as well as the types of specs they care about when shopping. We read trade journals and websites and sifted through online reviews and comments to get the impressions of typical users. We narrowed our selection of projectors down to 10, focusing first and foremost on how the unit balanced image quality against its small, portable size. Color, contrast, and resolution were considered, as were size and weight. Price was an important factor, especially in terms of “bang for your buck,” and additional features—like built-in streaming apps, batteries, and speakers—were evaluated as well.

The best mini projectors: Reviews & Recommendations

A little more compact than some portable projectors, while not as limited in features as a pico projector, the best mini projectors are all-in-one entertainment.

Best overall: AAXA P7 Mini Projector

AAXA

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This small, light projector ticks all our boxes with a native 1080p picture, reasonably bright lamp, built-in battery, and an on-board speaker. 

Specs 

  • Brightness: 600 lumens
  • Size: ‎1.85″ x 1.73″ x 1.06″
  • Weight: 1.48 pounds

Pros

  • Native 1080p picture
  • Included rechargeable battery
  • Lots of ports

Cons

  • Not 4K

There’s a reason the AAXA P7 Mini Projector is part of our projector coverage. This projector’s DLP lamp delivers a full 1920 x 1080 picture, and its high contrast level produces deep blacks and colors with nice saturation. HDMI and USB-A ports connect the unit to external media players (so don’t forget those HDMI cables).

Its internal battery lasts for 1.5 hours. The internal speaker sounds good, despite being light in the low end. With a brightness of 600 lumens, you get a 120-inch picture before noticing any significant loss of quality.

There are few cons with this mini projector: To watch content from streamers, you’ll need to either connect an HDMI cable or plug in a Google Chromecast. It also doesn’t support 4K. It’s frustrating but not a deal-breaker, given how many other excellent features are present. 

Best for movies: Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12

Epson

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Superior contrast, a relatively bright lamp, and advanced imaging technology work to deliver what’s by far the best-looking movies you’ll see from any other projector on this list.  

Specs

  • Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens
  • Size: 6.9” x 6.9” x 5”
  • Weight: 4.7 pounds

Pros

  • Native 1080p resolution
  • Supports 4K media (down-converted to HD)
  • 200,000:1 contrast ratio
  • Built-in Android TV
  • Excellent speakers

Cons

  • A bit heavy by mini standards
  • Expensive

The EpiqVision Mini EF12 is more expensive than most other mini projectors, but that’s the trade-off for a positively cinematic movie-watching experience. With a native Full HD 1080p resolution and 1,000-ANSI lumen MicroLaser light source, the unit projects a sharp 140-inch picture. Three-chip LCD technology displays 100 percent of the RGB color range, while high contrast and adaptive color correction deliver shadows full of detail and saturated colors that positively pop. 

Built-in Android TV provides access to a full suite of streaming apps, and the EpiqVision Mini has two HDMI inputs for external players. A 5-watt Yamaha speaker delivers robust and clear audio. 

Unfortunately, this Android projector doesn’t have an internal battery, so don’t expect to use it without having access to AC power. It’s also a chunkier piece of gear than many mini projectors on this list—this isn’t dropping into anyone’s pocket. And, again, the price—close to $1,000, compared to all our other sub-$500 choices—might make it a tough buy for anyone watching their budget. But if you prioritize your movies above all else, there’s a reason this is one of our favorite home theater projectors.

Best for gaming: XGIMI Elfin Mini Projector

XGIMI

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The XGIMI Elfin mini projector enhances gaming by providing a crisp picture, a 3D mode, superior audio quality, and low latency.

Specs

  • Brightness: 800 ANSI lumens
  • Size: 7.56” x 7.63” x 1.89”
  • Weight: 4.41 lbs.

Pros

  • 1920 x 1080 resolution
  • Features a 3D mode
  • Built-in Android TV
  • Comes with two Harman Kardon speakers with DTS and Dolby Atmos sound

Cons

  • Doesn’t work with iOS
  • Some users experienced difficulties with WiFi connection

The XGIMI Elfin Mini Projector is designed for both cinephiles and gamers. Its native Full HD 1080p resolution and 800-ANSI lumen light combine for a crisp 150-inch picture. This pick also comes with built-in Android TV, giving users access to over 5,000 apps, including Google Play, Prime Video, and Disney+.

What sets the Elfin apart is that it comes with a 3D mode that can enhance the gaming experience. This mini projector also features two 3-watt Harman Kardon speakers that work with DTS and Dolby to provide atmospheric sound. The Elfin is also equipped with an autofocus mode, and the low latency of 26.5 milliseconds is another selling point for gamers.

For those looking for a projector with wireless audio, the Elfin connects via Bluetooth 5.0, as well as WiFi, USB, HDMI, and headphones. With its slim profile and at just 4.5 pounds, it’s also easy to tuck this projector into a backpack for travel. And it’s priced lower than some other options. If you’re looking for a larger model, check out our guide to the best projectors for gaming.

Best pocket-sized: Kodak Luma 450

KODAK

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With native 1080p resolution, this pint-size player delivers a much better picture than you usually get from such small projectors. 

Specs

  • Lumens: 200 ANSI lumens
  • Size: 4.9” x 4.9” 1.26”
  • Weight: 9 ounces

Pros

  • 1920 x 1080 resolution
  • 4K compatible (down-converted)
  • Keystoning 
  • 3-hour battery life

Cons

  • Not very bright
  • Tinny audio

Kodak’s tiny Luma 450 delivers full 1080p resolution with the ability to accept 4K signals (down-converted to HD). The DLP projector’s 200 lumens aren’t high-performance, but good color management and a 3,500:1 contrast ratio help to achieve a decent picture up to about 100 inches. It’s important, however, to make sure the room is nice and dark, as too much ambient light leads to washed-out colors and a loss of details in the shadows.

The Android Smart OS is included, and streaming apps can be downloaded directly to the projector. You can also cast from this wireless projector directly from your smart device or computer, or plug a media player into the projector via HDMI. It also accepts USB streaming sticks and is a great mini projector for iPhone.

The Luma 450’s battery is reported to last three hours and most users seem to get about 2 1/2 hours of life before plugging in—impressive! Less impressive is the small 1-watt speaker system; the audio lacks any sort of body and clarity sometimes suffers during chaotic scenes (luckily, there’s a 3.5mm jack so you can connect to a beefier sound system). 

Best for travel: Anker Nebula Solar

NEBULA

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Lightweight and featuring built-in Android TV, this battery-powered projector travels easily. 

Specs

  • Brightness: 400 ANSI Lumens
  • Size: 7.56” x 7.57” x 2.15”
  • Weight: 2.8 pounds

Pros

  • Up to three hours of battery life
  • Built-in Android TV
  • Native HD resolution but can accept 4K inputs

Cons

  • Picture suffers in ambient light
  • Color accuracy could be better

This 3.1-pound, rechargeable, battery-powered DLP projector loves life on the road. You’ll get 1 1/2 hours in Standard mode and an excellent 3 hours in Battery mode—albeit with a dip in brightness. The built-in Android TV includes apps to connect to all the major streaming services, so no external media is necessary (you will, however, need access to a Wi-Fi network and a Google account). Built-in dual 3-watt speakers can handle Dolby Digital Plus encoded audio, though the sound quality could be better. 

The Solar Portable accepts 4K signals and down-converts them to the projector’s native 1080p resolution. In HD mode, colors exhibited a subtle nuance—though they were sometimes a bit off—and shadows maintained their detail even in darker scenes. While this 4K mini projector is bright enough to deliver a nice 180-inch image, don’t expect to go much larger without the picture softening. 

Again, it’s about striking a balance. Other projectors deliver a nicer picture but don’t have as much functionality when traveling. For more options, explore our guide to the best outdoor projectors.

Best budget: Kodak Luma 150

KODAK

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This inexpensive and ultra-small projector is a great way to share presentations, photos, or videos. 

Specs

  • Brightness: 60 ANSI lumens
  • Size: 3.1” x 3.1” x 0.87”
  • Weight: 7.8 ounces 

Pros

  • Small and light
  • Full-size HDMI input
  • microSD card slot

Cons

  • Not very bright
  • Not full HD

Kodak’s Luma 150 is a fun, budget-friendly way to share content from your smartphone. Send video over a full-size HDMI cable, or cast your content from connected devices. The projector also accepts microSD cards

At first blush, the 60-lumen DLP projector doesn’t seem very bright. And its 854 x 480 resolution isn’t the stuff of blockbusters. But this mini movie projector isn’t meant to be your primary choice. The Luma 150 instead makes a convenient, very inexpensive tool for sharing photos at get-togethers, watching movies in the backseat of the car, or delivering presentations at a conference on a screen that’s significantly bigger than the one on your phone, tablet, or laptop.

The battery lasts about two hours and the unit can also be plugged in, making it a good option for a bedroom projector. This cheap projector has a speaker, but you’re better off using headphones or a small, portable speaker if watching videos with other people. 

Things to consider before buying a mini projector

It’s not easy for something that potentially fits in your palm (or at least can be easily carried with one hand) to throw a picture that’s around 100-200 inches from corner to corner, in 720p or 1080p, with accurate colors and decent shadow detail. Here are the specs to watch for as you shop:

Brightness

ANSI lumens describe how much light a projector creates, which determines how bright and large your picture will be—especially in less-than-ideal situations where you can’t achieve a completely dark room. Brightness levels of around 200 to 500 ANSI lumens are common, with picture sizes of around 80-120 inches. That said, there are some mini projectors that can achieve much brighter pictures than that. 

Chip

Projectors use imaging chips to create a picture, and there are three types of them: DLP, LCD, and LCoS. DLP chips find a home in units at all different price points and deliver average contrast and nice color. LCD chips can be found on budget to mid-range projectors and often have better color than DLP projectors, but contrast ratios sometimes suffer. Lastly, LCoS chips are used in mid-range to high-end projectors; they tend to deliver the best picture quality overall but, not surprisingly, cost more and don’t show up in budget units. 

One last thing to know about chips: Single-DLP projectors, which comprise most budget-priced units, sometimes suffer from “the rainbow effect.” This is when bright objects on the screen leave very quick, multicolored pixel trails behind them. With thousands upon thousands of single-DLP projectors sold, it’s obvious that most people don’t even notice them—or aren’t bothered. But if you have an opportunity to test out a single-DLP projector at a store, consider doing so in order to gauge how you feel about the rainbow effect.

Pico and palmtops

There’s mini, and there’s mini. Pico projectors, also sometimes called pocket projectors, are about the size of a smartphone. They’re extremely portable, of course, but their pictures rarely match the brightness or quality found on bigger machines. Palmtop projectors are larger and brighter than pico projectors, with more connections, but still light enough to drop into a bag for travel or presentations. Many models also connect with smartphones, making them ideal cell phone projectors.

Power

Many mini projectors run on internal batteries for at least a couple of hours, making them even more portable. That said, it’s not enough juice to binge an entire series or watch some of the longer Marvel movies. Luckily, mini projectors also come with AC cords so when you’re at home, in an office, or at a friend’s place, you can just plug them in.

Screens

Projectors shine light on a surface that reflects the light back to our eyes. That means using a projector with a plain, white wall isn’t going to deliver the best picture because too much light gets absorbed by the paint. For the optimal viewing experience, you need to buy a screen—which can run from around $25 to a little over $100, depending on sizes, stands, and accessories. These have reflective surfaces that increase perceived brightness, contrast, and color saturation—all of which are especially important when using a mini projector, which is likely already hobbled by a dimmer light source.

Audio

Because they’re built for portability, mini projectors often include speakers. Three or more watts can generally fill a small space, but volume isn’t everything. Ensure the speakers produce clear audio to separate voices from background noise or music in busy scenes. Decent bass response will contribute to the sound’s fullness, too. Many mini projectors also include an audio-out jack for using external speakers. 

FAQs

Q: Are mini projectors worth buying?

Mini projectors are worth buying if you put a premium on size and portability. They’re small, lightweight, and often include features like battery power, built-in Android TV, and speakers. However, they sacrifice picture quality and brightness to achieve those other ends. If you want something you can keep set up in your personal media room, a mini projector isn’t the best choice.

Q: Can you watch Netflix on a mini projector?

You can watch Netflix on a mini projector by connecting a set-top streaming box, like an Apple TV or Roku, via HDMI, or some other streaming stick/media folder through the USB port. Some mini projectors have internal Android TV, but the Netflix app isn’t always compatible. It’s important to confirm compatibility ahead of time.


Q: How much does a mini projector cost?

Mini projectors can range in price depending on the number of features, brightness, and quality of the image. Expect to pay around $200 at the very low end for basic units and as much as $800 for projectors with high-quality, cinematic visuals.

Q: Is a projector better than a TV?

Sometimes a projector is better than a TV, but sometimes it’s not. It depends on what sort of viewing experience you want to have, and where you plan on having it. Projectors are usually capable of much bigger pictures—imagine a full-size unit delivering 300 inches of Marvel movie mayhem! But if you don’t need that big a screen, or you simply don’t have room for it, maybe a large, flat-screen TV will suit you better. Projectors can often offer much better contrast than TVs, but that’s only if they’re in a dark room. If the ambient light is an issue, projectors might run into trouble. Projectors need enough space to “throw” their image in order for it to achieve its maximum size—is your room deep enough to allow that? On the other hand, projectors capable of displaying a 100-inch picture are much easier to take on the road with you than a 100-inch TV! In the end, deciding which is best comes down to your own lifestyle and movie-watching interests. 

Q: How much do mini projectors cost?

The cost of mini projectors can range from under $50 for budget options to more than $1,000 for premium versions with high picture quality, superior audio, and built-in access to Android TV and more than 5,000 apps. You can find versions that work easily with your iPhone or more sophisticated models that feature a 3D mode.

Final thoughts on the best mini projectors

Mini projectors almost never live up to the specs of larger, more permanent units—but they cost less and travel easily. Anyone looking to purchase a mini projector needs to first accept that reality before deciding which unit suits them best. After that, it comes down to priorities. If you want a great picture and don’t care about much else, Epson’s EpiqVision Mini EF12 delivers a cinema-like picture. On the other hand, the AAXA P7 Mini Projector trades off some brightness, and a bit of image quality, for portability. It features a battery and costs much less. In striking that balance, in embracing what’s great about mini projectors, the AAXA P7 edged out the Epson for our top pick.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best mini projectors of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best projectors under $200 for 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-projectors-under-200/ Thu, 14 Apr 2022 19:00:02 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=433292
the best projectors under $200 composited
Stan Horaczek

Turn any wall into a window to other worlds with a portable projector.

The post The best projectors under $200 for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
the best projectors under $200 composited
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

best overall WiFi Bluetooth Projector, DBPOWER is the best overall projector under 200. DBPOWER WiFi Bluetooth Projector
SEE IT

Excellent all-around performance with HD video and a good warranty.

Best bright image Projector, GooDee 2022 is the best projector under 200. GooDee 2023 Projector
SEE IT

With an extra bright image, this is a solid outdoor movie night option.

Best portable Kodak Ultra Mini Portable Projector is the best portable projector under 200. Kodak Ultra Mini Portable Projector
SEE IT

Palm-sized but still potent, this tiny pocket projector offers big entertainment.

Projectors do wonders at making any room—even minuscule city apartments—feel like a home theater. And not all projectors require a big investment to open up a huge new window of immersive entertainment. If you’re ready to expand your laptop binges and smartphone scrolling to the size of your wall, you can explore the world of streaming content at a surprisingly affordable price. You shouldn’t expect top-tier performance at this price point, but the best projectors under $200 can still provide a satisfying experience if you choose the right model and do a little prep work. 

How we chose the best projectors under $200

Having spent countless nights watching YouTube with my girlfriend’s cat at the foot of the bed purring and curled up around the projector’s exhaust fan, I know the joys of a simple-to-use home projector. For this best-of list, I evaluated leading projectors from numerous manufacturers, looking for the magic combination of a few factors that add up to make some truly great picks. We narrowed down this list from dozens based on intensive research, editorial reviews, and spec comparisons. 

The best projectors under $200: Reviews & Recommendations

These projectors offer surprisingly capable combinations of tech features that capitalize on crisp definition, Apollonian illumination, dynamic sound, and the connectivity you need for nightly use. Most hook into your laptop using an HDMI cable, while some pair wirelessly through a WiFi network. For audio, many pair with powered speakers (or an AV receiver) via aux connections and sometimes support Bluetooth. At the $200 price point, few projectors may be completely cord-free or the perfect pairing for your premium sound systems, but they could be a great partner to that new portable party speaker. Still, today’s budget projectors offer versatility and delivery that would have been unthinkable at this price a decade ago.

Best overall: DBPOWER WiFi Bluetooth Projector

DBPOWER

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With native HD, 9,000 lumens, and WiFi connectivity, this is a versatile and powerful projector, but it’s the customer support that makes it the best overall.

Specs

  • Luminance: 9,000 lumens
  • Definition: 1080p
  • Connections: HDMI, WiFi, Bluetooth (sound), TV stick, USB, AV port, 3.5mm audio

Pros

  • Really nice picture with good definition and bright luminance
  • Solid connectivity options
  • Allows viewers to screen cast from their phones

Cons

  • Bluetooth connection is only sound, advertising is misleading
  • Some high-end sound systems won’t connect

This projector hits all the basics with aplomb: It offers 1080p definition without much warping along the edges, delivers 9,000 lumens to be visible in half-light conditions, and features impressive connectivity options. That connectivity lets you pair your devices to the projector via WiFi to screencast from a phone, or connect a sound system via Bluetooth. However, it will not deliver video via Bluetooth. That’s typical, but the product listings make it slightly confusing. 

The projector also delivers a few special features, such as a zoom function that allows you to shrink the image to 75% via the remote. Built-in speakers create a modicum of surround sound illusion. However, we think you’ll be best served by connecting to a separate Bluetooth speaker device.  

Best bright image: GooDee 2022 Projector

GooDee

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With 1080p native resolution, 9,500 lumens, and two speakers to create a modicum of surround sound, this projector is more than capable of achieving most of what most users want.

Specs

  • Luminance: 9,500 lumens
  • Definition: 1080p
  • Connections: 2 HDMI, VGA, 2 USB, AV, TF card

Pros

  • Two speakers for true stereo sound
  • Extra bright LED luminance
  • Decent connections

Cons

  • Build quality is a bit cheap
  • Edges get somewhat fuzzy

At the sub-$200 price point, it can be hard to find a projector with really excellent brightness. The GooDee 2022 distinguishes itself here. Offering 9,500 lumens with a 3,000:1 contrast ratio and a max screen size of 230 inches, this budget projector emphasizes going big. A pretty perfect option for backyard movie nights, this might be the best outdoor projector under $200, hitting a nice sweet spot of big image and lightweight build. 

The GooDee does have a little trouble with warping and fuzziness around the image corners. However, that’s nothing rare at this price point. The device also suffers from a somewhat cheap-feeling build. It doesn’t feel super solid and primed for longevity. Still, the brightness and resolution may compensate for this for most users.

All in all, GooDee delivers a projector that yields a pretty bright, crisp image, with good contrast and resolution. It’s especially suited for backyard movie parties.

Best portable: Kodak Ultra Mini Portable Projector

KODAK

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With support for 1080p signal and a two-hour battery charge, this super-petite projector fits in a pocket and makes for a perfect companion for campers with kids or travel.

Specs

  • Luminance: 25 ANSI lumen
  • Definition: 640 x 320 (capable of displaying images meant for 1080p)
  • Connections: HDMI, USB, MicroSD

Pros

  • Ultra-portable
  • Makes a great camping projector

Cons

  • Battery often dies in under two hours

Ready to bring your projector camping? The Kodak Ultra Mini projector does some amazing things considering its size. At about 3 inches square and only 150 grams, the Kodak lives up to its title as a true “ultra-mini” projector housed in that tiny body is a decent projector that hooks up to most smartphones and portable devices.

With such a tiny size and low price, the Ultra-Mini will require you to make some sacrifices. While it can receive a 1080p signal, it only outputs at 640 x 320, meaning the 1080p video entering the projector will be downscaled to a much lower native resolution. It’s quite a drop from HD, so don’t expect crisp, beautiful video that perfectly represents contemporary cinema. Additionally, the brightness isn’t anything to write home about. Still, it’s nothing to sneer at on a dark tent wall. One other issue with the device is its short battery life. It generally won’t make it past two hours, so don’t expect any Lord Of The Rings marathon binges here.

If a miniature portable projector is something you’re after and you decide you can afford the bells and whistles, Kodak’s more expensive Luma 350 could be worth exploring. For its small price and equally tiny size, however, the Kodak Ultra Mini is the best mini projector under $200. It’s worth a look, even if it could be a good idea to get your expectations in order before you spring for it.

Best for home theater: Wsky HD Projector (Refurbished)

Wsky

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With a native 1080p HD resolution and a significantly higher-than-average 5,000:1 contrast, this projector puts its double-dense LED tech to work.

Specs

  • Luminance: 7,500 lumens
  • Definition: 1080p
  • Connections: HDMI, VGA, audio port, USB, MHL

Pros

  • 84 LEDs double the standard LED count in a projector and achieve greater detail, contrast, and less fuzziness on the exterior of the image
  • Value priced

Cons

  • Sound quality isn’t great

For a sub-$200 cinephiles projector, look no further than the Wsky HD Projector. This projector puts the work in on image quality using a higher-than-average LED count. The 5,000:1 contrast is noticeably better than much of the competition, and the 1080p HD coverage looks great, even with new movies. With better-than-average corner coverage achieved via the keystone wheel, Wsky also doesn’t suffer from as much of the edge blurriness that might make subtitles illegible on some projectors.

The Wsky’s sound won’t rack up any bonus points, however. While it advertises Dolby sound, the two speakers aren’t powerful enough. However, plugging speakers into the audio jack can mitigate this sound deficiency. Sadly, no Bluetooth audio connection is available. However, those who stump for Bluetooth speakers may be able to pair them to a device that’s sourcing video (such as your laptop, though there might be sync issues). 

With its impressive video capabilities, the Wsky HD Projector is worth consideration for anyone who wants a projector that yields a great picture.

Best with DVD player: BIGASUO Upgrade HD Bluetooth Projector

BIGASUO

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: For folks with a legacy DVD collection who might want to skip all the wires, this projector has a built-in DVD player and does a decent job at all the rest.

Specs

  • Luminance: 5,500 lumens
  • Definition: 720p
  • Connections: HDMI, VGA, AV, USB, Bluetooth (sound), TF SD card

Pros

  • DVD player built in
  • Decent connectivity, including Bluetooth for sound

Cons

  • Resolution and brightness are both somewhat low
  • Sound is nothing to write home about

Are you itching to tuck into the entire Lassie television series on DVD box set? The BIGASUO Upgrade HD projector with a built-in DVD player might be your best bet. The BIGASUO projector is remarkable for its connections and legacy media opportunities. 

The Bluetooth connection for sound is particularly useful in concert with the built-in DVD player. Often with contemporary laptops, Bluetooth sound on a projector is redundant since most laptops can pair to a Bluetooth speaker while casting video through HDMI. However, since this device acts as its own DVD player, the Bluetooth connection can be important for those skipping the laptop entirely. This means you can natively watch DVDs from the device while simultaneously paired with a Bluetooth speaker for sound.

Outside of its DVD player, this is an unremarkable projector. It downscales HD video to its native 720p definition, which falls short of similarly priced native HD projectors. Its brightness similarly lags the competition somewhat.

If you’re looking for a capable all-in-one DVD player/projector hybrid, the BIGASUO Upgrade HD is a good pick. Otherwise, you may want to move on.

Best with screen: YABER WiFi 9000L

Yaber

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Yaber boasts an impressive 10,000:1 contrast, supplemented by an included SCT screen that improves the image.

Specs

  • Luminance: 9,500 lumens
  • Definition: 1080p
  • Connections: HDMI, USB, VGA, AV, audio, TF card

Pros

  • Includes projection screen, which is primed for contrast
  • Decently bright
  • Lightweight and portable at just over two pounds

Cons

  • Resolution could be better

Pay for a projector, get the whole shebang? You’ll get just that with the YABER WiFi 9000L, which features a projection screen included in the box. While lots of folks use their projectors on a blank wall, you can demonstrably get a better image with a specially designed projection screen.

The rest of the YABER’s specs are average. It features a 1080p native resolution, and its brightness is better than average but not outstanding. It uses two speakers for decent sound. The WiFi connectivity is a nice touch that may sway some buyers. That, coupled with the 10,000:1 high definition, makes for a good all-around projector that’s a perfect addition to some households.

Best for gaming: WiMiUS P28 4K Projector

Wimius

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This HD projector isn’t actually true 4K, but it does deliver 1080p video at gaming speeds, extra bright 400 ANSI lumens (about 9500 lumens), 10,000:1 contrast ratio, and extra nice keystone correction. 

Specs

  • Luminance: 400 ANSI lumens
  • Definition: 1080p
  • Connections: 2 HDMI, 2 USB, 1 VGA, 1 AV, 1 audio output

Pros

  • Great video quality with very bright and detailed image
  • Relatively low lag makes it worthy of games
  • With a wider-than-average keystone correction capability, you’ll get a more balanced picture

Cons

  • “4K” claim refers to 4K video input which is standard and downgraded to HD
  • Edges of the picture remain fuzzy

Available for a solid sale price more often than not, the WiMiUS P28 fits within the $200 mark for our purposes. While the false 4K advertising is certainly a turn-off, the projector is still a good enough deal to highlight on this list. 

This projector has a classic HD 1920×1080 resolution, make no mistake. The 4K claim simply refers to the projector’s ability to accept 4K video and downscale it to HD, which is common. Still, this projector throws a nice-looking image: It has the highest contrast ratio of any projector on this list, with about 9,500 lumens (rated at 400 ANSI lumens) and claims of a 60Hz refresh rate that should appeal to gamers. That said, the image has some issues; its edges tend to blur, with the middle properly focusing and the corners getting fuzzy.

In the end, this is a pretty capable extra bright projector. But don’t be fooled by the advertising … this isn’t a magical unicorn 4K projector for under $200.

Best budget: Vamvo Mini Movie Projector

Vavmo

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With its two built-in speakers, 720p resolution, and under 1-pound weight, Vamvo dishes up a budget projector that does a really decent job. 

Specs

  • Luminance: 3,500 lumens
  • Definition: 720p
  • Connections: HDMI, VGA, SD/TF, AV, USB and RC

Pros

  • Better sound delivery than most at this price
  • Lightweight build makes it a great choice for a portable option
  • Decently bright

Cons

  • Non-HD picture is a bit blurry

For a truly low price for its capabilities, the Vamvo Mini Movie Projector is the value pick for budget projectors. This 720p projector still delivers a decent enough high-contrast picture that’s adequately bright in dark rooms at 3,500 lumens, so that it’s effective in moderately dark to very dark spaces. While it advertises its support for 1080p HD, the 720p resolution will mean that high-end pictures do downgrade and lose detail. If you’re just watching the occasional movie in a dark backyard on a DIY screen or sheet, that may not matter very much.

The projector’s speakers certainly fall short of outstanding. Still, you can’t knock the performance here for the price point. It does a better job than most at this level. Overall, Vamvo is a true budget projector. While none of its components outpace the best equipped of the competition, if a low price is your most important metric, then it’s worth real consideration for its decent treatment of all the basics. At about just under a pound, this Vamvo is portable, reliable, and very cheap.

Things to consider when shopping for the best projectors under $200

You won’t get a chance to try out these projectors before you take the leap and buy one, but you can get a good idea of what you’re getting by comparing the specs. Here are some essential features to look for when trying to pick the best model for you. 

Do you need 4K?

4K is all the rage (until 8K finally established itself), and while I type this article on a laptop with a 4K screen, the resolution difference between 1080p and 4K at that scale is subtle. However, a projector is arguably one of the best applications of 4K resolution. Since projectors often cast their image onto large surfaces, the more pixels the projector displays, the better it looks at visual detail. That said, true 4K resolution is currently prohibitively expensive for an “under $200” list.

The difference between 1080p and a resolution like 720p is quite drastic. With a difference of 1080 lines of pixel dots versus 720 lines of pixel dots, you will notice the difference, especially if you’re projecting large. Generally, a substantive price difference separates the standard resolution brackets. So unless you are dedicated to getting the most portable projector out there, the choice should generally come down to budget vs. resolution. Go for the 1080p model unless image quality really isn’t important to you.

Read the fine print

Yeah, you want to believe that companies are being transparent about their products, but there’s a lot of bluster in the budget projector market. Often companies will claim their product supports HD in a header, then reveal that it has a native resolution of 720p, accepting HD video and downscaling it. It’s important to fully examine the specs of the projector you’re considering purchasing to ensure that it’s really the right one for you.

Keystone effect

Keystone correction refers to the illusion that’s created when your projector casts a square image onto a wall at an angle, creating a trapezoid. The shape created looks like the crowning keystone a mason would use to construct an arch. 

Today’s projectors compensate for the keystone effect by including a control that skews the image. This control usually takes the shape of a ring or nob by the focus control. Keystone correction can also be added digitally. 

Some projectors are better at keystone correction than others. But all projectors can benefit from supplementing keystone compensation with proper alignment of the projector against the wall. For permanent installation, getting the projector alignment right the first time is usually a good idea. Whether your projector will be installed permanently, or be moved around the house (or beyond), it’s worth understanding Keystone controls before you make a final decision.

Screen or wall?

Screens can make a huge difference in the image quality you get from your projector. Painted walls often contain more bumps and crevasses than you would expect. Not only do projector screens deliver a flat uniform surface, but they also often come primed with materials that help your projector do its work. Some projectors ship with a screen in the package. Many others would benefit from one. It’s worth considering whether you want to invest in a projector screen.

Luminance

Most of the time, projectors with the highest luminance are better than others for most users. Since projectors work by casting light onto a wall, higher luminance equals a brighter, more visible image, that will show up in half-light settings and on surfaces that aren’t primed for contrast. Usually, companies describe luminance in terms of lumens, which is the International System of Units standard for measuring total light emission over a unit of time. Sometimes, projectors advertise their brightness using the term “ANSI lumens,” a (generally) more accurate metric created by the American National Standards Institute for measuring total light emitted from a projector. While ANSI lumens aren’t directly convertible to lumens without accounting for a few additional factors (such as room temperature and surface color), 400 ANSI lumens roughly translates to a little under 1000 lumens. For this article, we prioritized higher luminance in most cases.

Picture quality and definition 

We’re in the era of 4K, and while a 4K resolution projector is rarely achievable for less than $200 (though we’ve got some great choices starting at $500), HD has become the bottom line in most cases. Many projectors still offer less than 1080p resolutions, and some are still worth considering, especially if you’re stumping for ultra-portability (or ultra-cheap prices). Still, most of the time, 1080p HD is the baseline we look for in a model designed for watching content. It creates a detailed image that does justice to your Criterion Collection binges. Definition isn’t the whole story, though: some projectors warp or blur image edges, skewing the picture. Other factors like contrast and color reproduction can also affect quality. This list prioritizes projectors that achieve image quality that displays the worlds you escape in how the director (or game designer) envisioned them.

Connectivity

At the sub-$200 price point, most projectors use HDMI cables for video connection. A few offer WiFi connections to supplement this. A few even offer Bluetooth connectivity. I factored in a projector’s connection offerings when I evaluated it and highlighted any that stand out from the crowd.

FAQs

Q: Which brand is best for projectors?

At the sub-$200 price point, DBPOWER is the most all-around capable projector. You also get solid support along with your purchase. 

Q: What should I look for in a good projector?

Great projectors under $200 offer solid brightness, which usually delivers 5,000 lumens and up, HD video, good connectivity, and reliable customer service. 

Q: How many lumens do I need for outdoor projector?

No projector can keep up with the luminance of the sun. Projectors that deliver the maximum possible lumens do the best outdoors; in the under $200 category, look for projectors that deliver 7,000 lumens and up, and 9,000-9,500 would be best.

Q: How many lumens is a good projector?

Certain mini portable projectors that emphasize small size can justify low brightness and still qualify as good quality. However, generally, 5,000 lumens and up makes a good projector brightness.

Q: What are the best projectors under $100?

The Vamvo Mini Movie Projector dishes up lean, mean video for under $100. With HD video, 3,5005-lumen brightness, and good connectivity, it’s a steal.

Q: What projectors under $200 work well with PS4?

The WiMiUS P28 is a powerful gamer-ready projector. Its impressive video does justice to the PS4’s graphics and readily keeps up with 60Hz video without lagging. At just under $200, it’s a great choice. If you’re moving up to the PS5, though, you might want to consider larger, albeit more expensive projectors or you’re just wasting all that next-gen game engine.

Q: How long does a projector last?

While so many components factor into the lifespan of your tech. Companies often advertise the lifespan of the LEDs or other light sources that power their projectors. Some are primed to last for 10 years, while others may only deliver about a year.

Final thoughts on the best projectors under $200

The best projectors under $200 offer tuned combinations of value and performance. You’ll find HD video, bright high-lumen LEDs, and solid connectivity at the price point. You can also find ultra-mini projectors capable of projecting from a phone or tablet and easily fit into a shirt pocket. For one of the best value projectors around, the Vamvo Mini Movie Projector delivers good video and brightness at a super-budget price. The Wsky HD Projector, with its impressive LED tech, is our favorite for home theater, though you might want to pair it with external speakers. DBPOWER, on the other hand, was the clear choice for the overall best projector under 200 for its HD video, good brightness, connectivity, and a customer service plan and warranty that goes far beyond most on this list. Whatever you pick, enjoy the new dimensions of video and picture quality that your projector will bring to your home media. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best projectors under $200 for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best outdoor TVs of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-outdoor-tv/ Thu, 11 Mar 2021 13:59:00 +0000 https://stg.popsci.com/uncategorized/best-outdoor-tv/
man in a hoodie sitting in an old armchair outside watching an outdoor tv
Jordan Koons via Unsplash

Entertain guests with fresh entertainment in the fresh air with a fresh new outdoor TV.

The post The best outdoor TVs of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
man in a hoodie sitting in an old armchair outside watching an outdoor tv
Jordan Koons via Unsplash

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best Overall The Samsung Terrace TV Samsung 55-inch Class QLED The Terrace Outdoor TV
SEE IT

This television is IP55 rated and features 4K QLED for excellent picture quality.

Best budget Sunbrite Veranda is the best 55-inch outdoor TV. SunBriteTV 43-inch Outdoor Television for Shade
SEE IT

Its picture quality is high despite its low price.

Best for partial sun Furrion Partial Sun Outdoor TV product image Furrion Aurora Partial Sun Series Outdoor TV
SEE IT

A self-adjusting screen means more time watching TV and less time fiddling with settings.

Whether you’re looking to throw a socially distanced outdoor Grammys watch party, or you just want to watch the latest episode of The Bachelor or RHOBH with a breeze on your face, a TV on the patio is a great way to entertain and get some fresh air at the same time. Most standard TVs can’t withstand the elements, and not all outdoor TVs offer the same level of protection and versatility. Some work on covered patios and decks, while others can handle full exposure to rain and snow. Sunlight makes a difference, and most TVs will fall under one of three categories: shade, partial sun, and those that will offer great picture quality no matter what the conditions are. Other factors to consider when shopping for an outdoor TV are size, sound quality, and price. With so many options out there, choosing the right one can be a little confusing, but we’re here to help you find the best outdoor TV for all your viewing needs.

How we chose the best outdoor TVs

As pool lovers, grill geeks, and float fanatics, we’re excited about everything outdoorsy. We looked at critical reviews and consumer impressions, along with important features like weatherproofing and anti-glare technology, to narrow down the best outdoor TVs. We then took that list, culled through pages of specs and opinions from the most trusted sources, and selected the top six options we’re presenting to you.

The best outdoor TVs: Reviews & Recommendations

From enjoying America’s pastime in prime time to movie nights under the stars, the best outdoor TVs can handle it all. After plenty of research, here are our outdoor television picks. All you’ll need is some popcorn and a cooler full of drinks and you’ll be entertaining in no time.

Best overall: Samsung 55-inch Class QLED The Terrace Outdoor TV

Amazon

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: An IP55 rating and 4K QLED ensure durability and excellent screen quality.

Specs

  • Sizes: 55″, 65″ 75″
  • Resolution: 4K, 8K
  • Anti-glare: Yes

Pros

  • Excellent screen quality
  • Intuitive

Cons

  • Decrease in quality at outer angles

With a 55-inch screen utilizing QLED technology, this Samsung TV is our pick for best outdoor TV overall. Equipped with smart TV technology, this TV lets you easily stream your favorite sports and movies without having to buy a separate device. Although its anti-glare technology and exceptional brightness levels mean that it works well on sunny days, you may notice a decrease in quality at the outer angles if you have very wide seating. Overall though, it’s no surprise that Oprah named The Terrace one of her favorite things in 2020.

Best with soundbar: Furrion FDUP55CSA 55″ Aurora Partial Sun Outdoor TV Bundle with 2.1-Channel Soundbar

Amazon

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This outdoor television combines excellent sound quality with clear audio.

Specs

  • Sizes: 55″
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Anti-glare: Yes

Pros

  • Included soundbar
  • Works in a wide temperature range
  • Daytime and nighttime viewing settings

Cons

  • Pricey

While picture is important for consuming quality content, audio also plays a similarly huge role. This 55-inch outdoor TV offers all the features you’d expect out of a high-end model, including 4K, HDR, and a display that’s rated against weather, temperatures, and even impacts. It also, however, comes with a relatively powerful 75W Bluetooth soundbar that mounts directly with the TV itself. It’s easy to connect and adds serious audio oomph that will really make a difference when you’re trying to watch the latest James Bond movie and birds won’t stop screaming in your yard. Even if you’re not going to use the TV, you can hook up your phone to the soundbar and use it as an outdoor speaker for playing music.

Best for shaded areas: SunBriteTV Weatherproof Outdoor 55-inch Veranda

Amazon

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: A backlit 4K HDR screen and an aluminum case make it a welcome addition to your covered patio.

Specs

  • Sizes: 43″, 55″, 65″, 75″
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Anti-glare: No

Pros

  • Durable
  • Multiple sizes
  • Built-in speakers

Cons

  • Is not a smart TV

This model from SunBriteTV is durable enough to live in a shaded area like a covered porch but won’t get damaged by wind, rain, dust, and stray insects. The 55-inch screen is up to 50-percent brighter than your typical indoor TV and comes with excellent built-in speakers. Unlike some of its more expensive rivals, this outdoor screen isn’t a smart TV, but it’s easy to connect multiple media sources to it through its three HDMI ports and single USB port.

Best for partial sun: Furrion Aurora Partial Sun Series 43-inch 4K UHD LED Outdoor TV

Furrion

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: A self-adjusting screen means less time fiddling with settings and more time enjoying the sun.

Specs

  • Sizes: 43″, 50″, 55″, 65″
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Anti-glare: Yes

Pros

  • Built-in fans
  • Self-adjusting screen
  • Waterproof remote
  • Streaming ready

Cons

  • Not the loudest speakers

This Furrion HDR10 LED outdoor TV is a terrific choice if you’re watching in an area that gets partial sun. In fact, the 400 nits screen will even adjust itself according to how much light it’s getting, so there’s no need to constantly fiddle with the brightness settings. It’s IP54 rated for when it does rain and has built-in cooling fans for when it’s hot. And if your weather gets a bit intense, you’ll be happy to know the screen comes equipped with enhanced protection against scratches and impacts thanks to XtremeShield IK08-rated tempered glass.

Best budget: SunBriteTV 43-inch Outdoor Television for Shade

Amazon

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This television is hard on the elements but easy on your wallet.

Specs

  • Sizes: 43″, 55″, 65″, 75″
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Anti-glare: Yes

Pros

  • Weatherproof media bay included
  • Powder-coated rust-proof aluminum exterior
  • Easy cable hookups

Cons

  • Sound doesn’t travel as far compared to others

The smallest and least expensive option in the SunBriteTV Veranda line, this unit is designed to be enjoyed in the shade but can withstand rain, snow, dust, insects, and whatever else Mother Nature decides to throw at it. The Ultra 4K HDR LED screen delivers a crisp picture that’s 50-percent brighter than a standard TV and is perfect for patios, screened-in porches, and covered decks. This SunBrite TV comes with a large weatherproof media bay so whatever you plug into it will be protected as well.

What to consider when buying the best outdoor TVs

Before you bust out the snacks at your next shindig, there are a couple of things you’ll need to think about when choosing the best outdoor TV for your space. For example, if you plan on watching your new set under your porch, you probably won’t need a model that offers the same level of waterproofing and anti-glare technology as a full sun option.

Placement

Sun exposure is a major consideration when choosing an outdoor TV. Partial sun models might have some glare, and some will only deliver a great picture if they’re in the shade.

However, the picture might not be the only thing that suffers if you aren’t choosy about your new TV. Models designed to be enjoyed under a covered porch may not be as resilient to extreme weather conditions as ones that are meant to live in a backyard. In some cases, it may be wise to invest in a cover, just as you would for your grill or ping pong table.

TV size

If you want to keep everyone from invading each other’s personal bubble, but don’t want your guests squinting to see the game, a huge outdoor TV will keep everyone entertained and safe at the same time. Plus, if you’re a movie buff, a large TV is terrific for simulating the fun of a drive-in without leaving your home. Just remember, the bigger the TV, the bigger the price tag.

Audio quality

When you’re shopping, make sure you pay attention to audio quality. Some models don’t come with built-in speakers, meaning you’ll have to connect them to something else unless you just plan on watching old, silent movies. Other models come with speakers but deliver less quality.

One way to make sure that you don’t end up straining your ears is to find an outdoor TV that comes equipped with a soundbar. A soundbar (also known as a media bar), is a speaker that is wider than it is tall and delivers superior audio quality when mounted above or below the TV. In a pinch, you could also pair waterproof Bluetooth party speakers with your TV, and then be ready when the party migrates to the pool.

Amount of shade and sun

If you plan on enjoying your TV on a screened-in porch or in a covered gazebo, there may not be a reason to shell out extra money on the latest anti-glare technology. The best outdoor TV is suited for where you’re watching it—there are great options that work in the shade while still offering protection from temperature shifts, rain, insects, and dust.

If you have a covered porch that receives some amount of light but isn’t directly exposed to the sun, consider a partial shade TV. These models will have brighter screens compared to shade-friendly TVs and will offer more protection against glare.

Price

Although outdoor TVs have come down in price considerably over the past couple of years, they’re still relatively expensive compared to standard models. The cheapest outdoor designs are not designed to truly live outside. In fact, some won’t work at all if they aren’t in the shade because the glare from the sun will make it impossible to see what’s on the screen.

If you’re just looking for a TV to watch on your covered deck or screened-in porch, look for options that are durable enough to be (partially) exposed to the elements. And expect to pay between $1,500 and $5,500, depending on brand, size, and features.

FAQs

Q: What is the best outdoor television?

The best outdoor television depends on where you’re going to watch it. The most important thing to consider is how much sun the television will be exposed to because glare can be a major issue if the TV is designed to only work in the shade.

Q: What is the best outdoor TV for a large viewing party?

The best outdoor TV for a viewing party depends on where and how many people are watching it. The most important consideration is sunlight, but if you’re trying to keep your friends and family socially distant, then you’ll need to consider the size of the screen. Another thing to keep in mind is what angle people will be watching it from, as some outdoor models lose quality if they’re not watched head-on.

Q: Do I need an outdoor TV enclosure?

Outdoor TV enclosures are usually designed to keep an indoor model safe when it’s used outside. Most outdoor TVs are built to be weatherproof and can withstand extreme temperatures. That being said, investing in a cover for your TV is still a good idea.

Final thoughts on the best outdoor TVs

Enjoying your television in the great outdoors can be a wonderful change of pace, especially after a year of being cooped up inside. The most important thing to consider when shopping for the best outdoor TV is where you’re going to watch it because different models can handle different conditions. A TV built for shade is not recommended for sun exposure. Likewise, one that is meant to be watched in the sun will probably be wasted sitting under a covered porch.

More TV roundups to help you find the perfect set

The post The best outdoor TVs of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best universal remotes of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-universal-remotes/ Thu, 09 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=448329
The best universal remotes
Stan Horaczek

One remote to rule them all.

The post The best universal remotes of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best universal remotes
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Even without the touchscreen, the Harmony Companion’s wide compatibility and design justify its comparatively high price tag. Logitech Harmony Elite
SEE IT

The Logitech Harmony Elite remains the best universal remote even though it isn’t in production.

Best for home theater The SofaBaton U1 Universal Remote offers great features in an affordable package. SofaBaton U1
SEE IT

The SofaBaton U1 Universal Remote offers great features in an affordable package.

Best simple remote The One for All URC7880 Smart Control 8 enhances traditional remote design with modern day smarts. One for All Smart Control 8 (URC7880)
SEE IT

The One for All URC7880 Smart Control 8 enhances traditional remote design with modern day smarts.

Juggling multiple remotes for TV, cable box, soundbar, game consoles, and all the other devices in your living room can get extremely frustrating. Once upon a time, manufacturers made third-party universal remotes, which connected to many devices so you could navigate them all with one magic wand. Despite the fact that we have more devices than ever, universal remotes are a dying breed. You could argue they’ve been replaced by smartphones but switching between a hundred different clunky apps just isn’t as elegant as the defunct, yet still supported Logitech Harmony remote. Here’s the thing, though. There are still a few companies that make universal remotes. And some of the old devices, including the Harmony remotes, still work well if you’re willing to buy a used one. If your coffee table full of remotes needs taming, the best universal remotes can still swoop in and cut out some remote clutter.

How we picked the best universal remotes

I have covered the consumer electronics industry for more than 10 years for TechnoBuffalo, Gear Patrol, CNN Underscored, and iMore. The coverage included reviews and reports on TVs and third-party A/V gear, including universal remotes.

To make our selections, I leaned on hands-on testing, as well as extensive research on the current third-party remote market. I checked peer reviews, user impressions, forums, and retailer comment sections to get a sense of what universal remotes are currently popular.

What to consider when choosing the best universal remotes

A good universal remote will consolidate your collection of remotes into a single tech navigation tool. It can dim your smart lights, switch on your TV, and start playing a movie through your streaming devices, with a few quick taps. Or you can program it to do all of those things at once with a single press of a button using a “macro.” 

A good universal remote should also feature broad device compatibility and, like any good gadget, a well-organized layout that’s intuitive for novices and veterans alike. While a display isn’t necessary, it’s a nice perk because it allows users to scroll through their list of customizable activities.

Device compatibility

You want to make sure your universal remote can connect to all of the devices in the space where you plan to use it. You should be able to juggle between 5-10 devices at once (or more), spanning home entertainment, smart home, and other kinds of gear. Broad device compatibility will allow a universal remote to fit seamlessly into your daily routine, and make it easier to get the most out of all your devices.

Battery life

A universal remote can’t do its job with a dead battery. When doing our research and testing, we hunted down options that could last a few months between charges. 

We generally prefer remotes that feature a rechargeable internal battery to minimize the possibility of e-waste. For remotes with rechargeable batteries, we prefer a charging hub over a simple cable, but that is definitely not a dealbreaker. If you’re using a battery that relies on disposable AA or AAA cells, we recommend purchasing rechargeable batteries.

Design

Universal remotes generally share the same design language as the TV and cable remotes you’ve likely used your whole life. In most cases, they have many, many more buttons. Sometimes they also have a small display, which is great because it helps you keep track of what you’re doing. Still, for the most part, the best universal remote shouldn’t be hard to parse.

Beyond our picks’ general shape and size, we looked out for things like a comfortable button layout. Commonly used buttons, including volume, pause, and play, should be easy to find without requiring someone to hunt for them. 

A great third-party remote should also have customizable buttons you can set for specific tasks, like turning on your TV to a particular input. Of course, we also tried our best to find options that look nice and feel good in hand, too.

Price

Strictly speaking, there’s nothing essential about a universal remote. It’s a luxury meant to make your technological life a little more convenient. Given that, every person will have their own thoughts on how much they’re willing to spend for convenience’s sake.

Luckily, there are universal remotes for every budget. The most affordable ones provide limited functionality, akin to a TV remote, but with a wider range of functionality. The prices go up from there as companies add more broad support for many devices, displays for better navigation, charging stations, and more. The very best universal remotes are typically a few hundred dollars.

On top of that, our picks include a couple of remotes that are no longer in production. They are still fairly easy to find, new or used, but they cost a lot more than you’d expect. Do not fret if our top picks aren’t your price range, as there are always more affordable options that can pare down your pile of remotes.

IR, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi support

All universal remotes use an IR (infrared) transmitter to send a signal to your TV, which interprets that signal to actions like lowering the volume or changing the channel. Lower-priced universal remotes generally come equipped with an IR transmitter. The best of them should also support Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing them to communicate with a wider range of modern devices like game consoles and smart home gear.

The best universal remotes: Reviews & Recommendations

Finding the right universal remote will let you consolidate your collection and bring some order to your living room. Though the list of appealing options is dwindling, there are still a few great universal remotes out there.

Best overall: Logitech Harmony Elite

Amazon Renewed

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: With broad device support, a capacitive touchscreen, and support for one-touch actions, the Harmony Elite is tough to beat.

Specs

  • Size: 7.56 x 2.13 x 1.14 inches
  • Weight: 0.36 pounds
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
  • Battery life: 3-7 days

Pros

  • One-touch actions
  • Custom activities
  • A capacitive touchscreen makes it easy to control your devices

Cons

  • Very expensive
  • Not in production, so may be difficult to find new

Although it was discontinued in 2021, the Logitech Harmony Elite remains the best universal remote we’ve tried. It includes broad device support for over 270,000 entertainment and smart home devices, as well as customizable one-touch macros. It features a small capacitive touchscreen that makes navigating a potentially dizzying array of devices easy to follow. Though Logitech no longer manufactures Harmony remotes, the company still updates them, so they are still a viable option.

That said, getting a Harmony Elite for a reasonable price isn’t easy. It was expensive from the start, retailing for $349. Now that there’s a limited supply, that price has only gone up. Even used models can cost nearly $400 or more. Still, if you’re searching for the versatile, feature-rich universal remote, nothing touches the Harmony Elite.

Best for home theater: SofaBaton U1

SofaBaton

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The SofaBaton U1 offers a similar experience to the Harmony Elite, including a small OLED display, in a more affordable package.

Specs

  • Size: 7.7 x 1.9 x 1.2 inches
  • Weight: 0.61 pounds
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth
  • Battery life: N/A (requires two AA batteries)

Pros

  • Small OLED display
  • Can control up to 15 devices
  • Supports over 350,000 devices

Cons

  • Can’t control Wi-Fi-based devices

Though we have a soft spot for the Harmony remote, there are still companies making great universal remotes. Case in point, the SofaBaton U1 can connect to over 350,000 devices from 6,000 brands and features a companion iOS and Android app so you can configure the remote on the fly. It can control up to 15 devices at once using IR blasts and Bluetooth. You can also assign buttons to perform specific actions and even create shortcuts to launch activities. 

The SofaBaton U1 does all this for $69.99, far less than the Harmony remotes cost before scarcity drove up the price. Though it isn’t as easy to program, and can’t control Wi-Fi-based devices like smart light bulbs, it gives the Harmony remotes a run for their money. It’s a convenient, affordable, no-compromise universal remote in a reasonably polished package.

Best simple: One for All Smart Control 8 (URC7880)

One For All(r)

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The One for All URC7880 looks basic at a glance, but features customizable buttons and controls up to eight devices.

Specs

  • Size: 9.4 x 4.8 x 1.1 inches
  • Weight: 0.46 pounds
  • Connectivity: Infrared
  • Battery life: N/A (requires two AA batteries)

Pros

  • Simple, straightforward design
  • Can control up to eight devices
  • Customizable shortcut keys
  • Remote finder feature

Cons

  • Doesn’t work with Bluetooth devices

The One For All Smart Control 8 resembles a stock remote you’d get with a TV but can do a lot more. It can control up to eight devices via infrared and will work with everything from a TV to a set-top box to a Blu-ray player. It also features customizable shortcut keys that you can program via a smartphone app. Our personal favorite feature, though, is the remote finder, which lets you use a companion app on your smartphone to make the remote emit a noise so you can track it down.

The Smart Control 8 only communicates with devices via IR blast, so it’s really just for home entertainment centers, rather than a full suite of smart devices. Still, its comparatively simple construction and narrow focus make a solid, affordable choice looking to combine a few of the remotes around the TV.

Best for Apple TV: Apple TV Siri Remote

Amazon

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished here: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Apple TV Siri Remote features an improved design, precise D-pad, and touch-sensitive jogwheel for easy control.

Specs

  • Size: 6.93 x 2.62 x 1.04 inches
  • Weight: 0.28 pounds
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
  • Battery life: Two months

Pros

  • Clicky buttons
  • There’s a mute button
  • Jogwheel controls

Cons

  • Kind of expensive if you’re upgrading from an older Apple TV remote

With a lovely aluminum design and precise D-pad, the Apple TV Siri Remote is the best option for the company’s set-top box. The 3rd-generation remote includes a mute button, as well as an intuitive directional pad with a touch-sensitive “jogwheel” similar to the experience of using an old-school iPod. Of course, you can also use the Apple TV Siri Remote for system-level TV functions like power and volume. For people with basic setups, that’s all the “universal control” you really need. Plus, gen 3 charges via USB-C instead of Lightning, which many people will appreciate.

Best for Alexa: Amazon Fire TV Cube

Amazon

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Amazon Fire TV Cube makes it easy to control your entire setup without even touching your remote.

Specs

  • Size: 5.5 x 1.4 x 0.62 inches
  • Weight: 0.09 pounds (without batteries)
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
  • Battery life: N/A (two AAA batteries)

Pros

  • Powerful voice controls
  • Preset app buttons
  • Simplistic layout

Cons

  • Voice recognition isn’t always perfect

It might seem unusual for the Amazon Fire TV Cube to show up on a list of the best universal remotes since it’s a … box. Just hear us out, though. The Fire Cube is a surprisingly powerful device. The set-top streaming device allows you to control your TV and any other Alexa-compatible smart devices in your home with voice commands you speak into its small remote.

When you set aside the Alexa functionality, the Fire Cube remote, which you’ll also find in many new Amazon Fire streaming devices, is fairly rudimentary. Once you get into the swing of using voice commands, though, you won’t care about any of the buttons, anyway.

Best budget: GE Universal Remote

GE home electrical

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The GE Universal Remote is easy to use, offers master volume control, and can connect with up to four devices at once.

Specs

  • Size: 7 x 2.24 x 1 inches
  • Weight: 0.2 pounds
  • Connectivity: Infrared
  • Battery life: N/A (requires two AAA batteries)

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Connects with up to four devices
  • Master volume control

Cons

  • The plastic design feels cheap

If you just want to consolidate remotes and have no need for customizable buttons, touchscreens, voice controls, or any of the other features we’ve highlighted in our other picks, then you’re looking for the GE Universal Remote. For about $10, you’ll get a remote that comes pre-programmed with support for thousands of AV devices and can control up to four devices at once. It also supports master volume control, so you can adjust the volume of whatever device you’re connected to, whether your TV or Apple TV. It isn’t special, but it gets the job done and is very cheap. There’s nothing wrong with paying a little when that’s all you need.

FAQs

Q: How much do universal remotes cost?

Today, universal remotes range in price from $11 to about $400. As we mentioned, that number has inflated a bit in the last year or so thanks to high demand for the limited quantity of Logitech Harmony remotes available online. When you don’t factor in the harmony remotes, the price range for a fully featured universal remote comes to between $50-$100.

Q: How do I program a universal remote?

Universal remote programming varies from device to device. Sometimes you have to enter a code that identifies the product you wish to control. Other devices have standardized control codes that you can find on the device’s remote or manual. Still others can pair with a remote via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

We generally prefer universal remotes that can be programmed via computer software or an app. The Harmony Elite, for example, features an app with a database of about 250,000 control codes. That way, you can just look up your device and easily connect.

Q: Do universal remotes work with all brands?

Universal remotes generally have a broad compatibility with AV systems that support IR control. You should have no trouble controlling the core components of a home theater setup—TV, soundbar, set-top box, etc.—regardless of the brand. Not every universal remote can connect to devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, but those that can should be able to connect to any brand of smart device.

Final thoughts on the best universal remotes

Clearly, we still have a deep affection for Logitech’s Harmony remotes. That said, there are still a few good options out there, so there’s no reason not to use one if you think it would help. It’s also worth noting that more and more devices can handle basic system-level TV controls, making it easier to get by with one remote if you’re just watching TV.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best universal remotes of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best TVs under $300 of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-tvs-under-300/ Mon, 13 Jun 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=448967
The best TVs under $300
Stan Horaczek

A great TV night doesn’t have to cost you the next day’s lunch money.

The post The best TVs under $300 of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best TVs under $300
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best budget Vizio D-Series Vizio D-Series
SEE IT

An all-around solid TV for the price.

Best overall TCL UHD Smart LED TV TCL UHD Smart LED TV
SEE IT

One of the best TVs in this category when it comes to image quality.

Best for smaller spaces Samsung UN40N5200AFXZA Samsung UN40N5200AFXZA
SEE IT

Quality image in a smaller unit.

Just a few years ago, the best TVs under $300 weren’t much to write home about. You could get the tiny plasma TV Michael Scott had on the wall of his condo in The Office. The TV experience has, by and large, gotten more accessible and affordable in the past few years, with many options available that provide nice upgrades without demanding staggering financial commitments. It comes down to understanding what kinds of bells and whistles you want (or are willing to do without), the size of the space you’re looking to fill, brands you like, and other key factors—each of which will help you narrow your search and ensure you find exactly what you’re looking for. Here’s how to get the best TVs for under $300.

How we chose the best TVs under $300

We narrowed down our choices for the best TVs under $300 by reviewing product specifications, personal experiences, peer suggestions, professional reviews, and user impressions, then we selected our picks by carefully evaluating each product based on the following criteria:

  • Reputation of the manufacturer: Is the brand well-known and respected in the field of TVs?
  • Image quality: 4K is increasingly attainable at this price point
  • Versatility: Do these TVs give you options as to how you mount or display them? 
  • Entertainment offerings: Is this just a TV, or is it a smart TV platform capable of accessing various streaming, music, and gaming apps? 
  • Price: Is the price fair?
  • Customer reviews: How have customers rated the product?

The best TVs under $300: Reviews & Recommendations

Best overall: TCL UHD Smart LED TV

TCL

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: TCL has a reputation for delivering top-tier picture quality without exorbitant prices, making them a great entry point for those looking to upgrade without a lot of hassle. 

Specs

  • Weight: 16.5 pounds
  • Dimensions: 38.2 x 22.4 x3 inches without stand; 38.2 inches x 24.5 inches x 7.6 inches with stand
  • Screen size: 43”

Pros

  • Full 4K display
  • Roku streaming built-in
  • Voice-controlled searching
  • Lots of I/O: 3 HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2 (one with HDMI ARC), 1 USB, Composite, Headphone Jack, Optical Audio Out inputs
  • Easy to use, right out of the box

Cons

  • Attachable legs can be wobbly and unstable

TCL has a strong reputation for delivering TVs that provide quality imagery upgrades without costing huge amounts of money. The company’s Roku smart TVs will have even a novice set up and streaming right out of the box, with only a Wi-Fi connection needed. Its multiple HDMI and USB inputs, as well as other ports, make it flexible with multiple devices and allow you to make subtle improvements (such as by adding a soundbar, which is recommended). 

If you have the ability or option to mount the TCL, that may be a preferable route to take as the legs (which easily screw on the bottom of the unit) often feel a little unstable, and could be risky on narrow TV stands. But with a voice-control remote and endless streaming options available through the internal Roku, it’s a great option for the budding cord-cutter and for instant family movie nights. 

Best all-in-one: Amazon Fire TV

Amazon

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The phrase “most bang for your buck” gets thrown around a lot, but it really does apply to this affordable 4K TV that brings decent screen size, dynamic resolution, and flexible entertainment options. 

Specs

  • Weight: 15 pounds without stand
  • Dimensions: 38.1 x 22.3 x 3.5 inches without stand
  • Screen size: 43”

Pros

  • Supports 4K Ultra HD, HDR 10, HLG, and Dolby Digital Plus
  • 4 HDMI ports (3 HDMI 2.0 + 1 HDMI eARC 2.1)
  • Remote can sync with Amazon Alexa
  • Dolby Digital Plus speakers

Cons

  • Can lose sharpness in brightly-lit rooms
  • Blue “standby” LED light cannot be turned off

The Amazon Fire TV is designed to be the focal point of a smart home. Its HDMI 2.1 port makes it compatible with higher-resolution sources and its ability to sync with Alexa allows for voice-control options, while it can also wirelessly connect to Echo speakers for a nice audio boost—all of which make it well-suited for movies, gaming, as well as music streaming. It’s an all-in-one entertainment option at a great price. 

It should be noted, though, that brighter rooms can dilute the TV’s darker areas, turning what should be sharp blacks into more gray, and users have complained about the omnipresent LED light that never seems to turn off, which can be a concern if you’d rather your family room wasn’t constantly bathed in blue. But overall this is a versatile and functional entertainment unit that, for under $300, outperforms its price tag. 

Best for sound quality: Insignia NS-42F201NA22

Insignia

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Typically, lower-priced TVs sacrifice the audio … but not in the case of this affordable Insignia screen.

Specs

  • Weight: 20.2 pounds
  • Dimensions: 37.4 x 23.5 x 8.7 inches
  • Screen size: 42”

Pros

  • Built-in DTS TruSurround audio complements the 1080p LCD display
  • Alexa voice-enabled search
  • Smart home compatible
  • 2 HDMI ports (1 ARC)

Cons

  • Fire TV OS can freeze with unstable or weak Wi-Fi connection

Finding a lower-priced television that can provide you with decent enough sound to make the purchase of a soundbar or external speakers a luxury you won’t necessarily need isn’t easy, which is why Insignia makes the list. Its built-in DTS TruSurround audio won’t blow your eardrums out, but it’s a lot better than a lot of televisions in the same size and price range. 

The Insignia provides a solid, if not spectacular, 1080p HD viewing experience, while the pre-installed Fire TV app makes syncing with other Amazon devices, such as Alexa or Echo speakers, extremely intuitive and user-friendly. However, if you are not an Amazon Prime member, you may find the TV’s insistence that you log in (and its constant surfacing of content you need to pay extra for) a little annoying. 

Best for smaller spaces: Samsung UN40N5200AFXZA

SAMSUNG

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Samsung is, obviously, a known and trusted name when it comes to TVs, so it’s not surprising that they deliver a lower-priced, lower-sized option that still delivers a sharp picture and smart TV capabilities. 

Specs

  • Weight: ‎15.9 pounds
  • Dimensions: 36.3 x 20.9 x 2.9 inches without stand
  • Screen size: 40”

Pros

  • Sharp PurColor 1080p image
  • Mico-dimming technology helps enhance shadows and contrasts
  • Can work with SmartThings app to sync with other smart home devices

Cons

  • Some limitations on streaming app availability
  • Image can depend on the strength or stability of the Wi-Fi connection

Sometimes you just need solid and dependable. Luckily, this Samsung offers both. Although it doesn’t bring a flashy 4K display and a lot of bells and whistles of the brand’s QLED flagships, it does have a sharp, dynamic 1080p display with surprisingly crisp colors and details, and its hardware—both leg stands and wall-mounts—ensure it’ll fit easily into smaller areas like bedrooms or offices. 

It may not have every single streaming platform (customers have complained that, for example, Hulu is not a compatible platform at the moment), it does have a large range of pre-installed apps as well as nearly 50 additional apps available for download ranging from free to subscription-based.

Best for streaming: Hisense 43A6G

Hisense

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Hisense was made with fast-paced sports action in mind, and delivers clear visuals optimized to take full advantage of any live broadcast no matter what game you’re in to. 

Specs

  • Weight: ‎19.16 pounds
  • Dimensions: ‎42 x 25 x 5 inches
  • Screen size: 43”

Pros

  • Motion Rate 120 image processing automatically adjusts the 1080p FHD LCD screen for high-speed broadcasts
  • “Game mode” helps cut down on lag during video game play
  • Android TV enabled

Cons

  • Heavy

The Hisense TV is designed with games—both watching and playing—in mind, and caters to those looking to switch seamlessly between a live sports broadcast on TV and an in-game meet in your favorite console game. Its Motion Rate 120 image processing software promises smooth, high-speed visuals, without lag or blur, so you never miss a beat. Colors are bright and crisp and true, and the built-in Dolby audio speakers are surprisingly effective. 

This is generally a pretty rock solid TV, even if you’re not the world’s biggest sports fan. The only real issue might be that it’s about 5 pounds heavier than other, similar TVs in this size and price range, which could impact where you mount or stand it. Otherwise, this is a solid contender. 

Best budget: Vizio D-Series

VIZIO

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: An all-around solid 32-inch TV for the price, featuring Vizio’s SmartCast technology that allows for streaming without any additional hardware needed and a bright backlit LED display.

Specs

  • Weight: 8.99 pounds
  • Dimensions: 28.59 x 4.66 x 19.02 inches
  • Screen size: 32”

Pros

  • Full 1080p display
  • Built-in Smart TV technology
  • “V-Gaming Engine,” which means that the monitor optimizes picture mode for gaming automatically 

Cons

  • Built-in speaker quality is weak
  • Image can be choppy with weak or unreliable Wifi connections

Featuring a lightweight construction and sharp image even at 32 inches, the Vizio is a decent all-around option if you’re looking for an affordable smart TV. With just an internet connection, you can get a lot of the experience, including instant access to channels such as Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu (with subscriptions, of course). The sound quality is a little subpar and could benefit from a boost courtesy of external speakers or a soundbar. 

The automatic adjustment to gaming mode is a selling point for those who anticipate flipping between TV viewing and consoles repeatedly, or for those looking for a primary gaming hub. Lag can be an issue, though, so ensure you have the Vizio connected to a strong, reliable Wi-Fi connection. 

What to consider before buying one of the best TVs under $300

Let’s start off with one very important reality: In the under-$300 price range, you’re not going to have unlimited options. That said, you will still have some choices among the best TVs under $300 when it comes to size and resolution, which are the two biggest considerations when investing in a new TV.

Resolution

There are really only two options you need to consider when looking for an HD TV in this price range: HD/1080p or 4K. HD/1080p TVs are ideal if you’re looking for a TV that is 32 inches or smaller. At that size, you’ll get a crisp, clear 1920×1080 pixel image and won’t want for the extra boost you’d get from 4K. When you get into the 50-inches to 55-inches range, however, this is where you’ll want to opt for 4K to get the best picture possible, with its 3840×2160 pixel image. No, you won’t find OLED technology at this price point, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get a compelling picture from one of the best TVs under $300.

Size and space

Size consideration extends beyond just wall space and the desire to have the most eye-popping presentation possible. You need to consider, in tandem, the space of the room where the TV will live, in order to judge the proper seating distance from it to ensure optimal (and healthy) viewing. 

  • For a 32-inch TV, you’ll want to sit about 2 ½ to 4 feet away at 4K (2 ½ feet at 1080p)
  • For a 40-inch TV, you’ll want to sit about 3 to 3 ½ feet away at 4K (5 feet at 1080p)
  • For a 50-inch TV, you’ll want to sit about 4 to 6 1/2 feet away at 4K (6 1/2 feet at 1080p)
  • For a 60-inch TV, you’ll want to sit about 5 to 7 1/2 feet away at 4K (7 1/2 feet at 1080p)

Use

Your TV usually has to pull double- and triple-duty these days, so you’ll also need to consider whether you’ll be streaming vs. watching via cable hook-up (which may necessitate purchasing an add-on streaming device, like an Apple TV 4K, if you select a non-smart TV), whether you’ll be gaming, and how many devices you expect to have plugged in at one time.

FAQs

Q: Do I need a smart TV in order to stream?

No, you don’t. While smart TVs make things easier by having the streaming capability built in, you can stream through a number of attachable devices (almost all via USB, which most monitors and TVs should have), such as a Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick, or even your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X game console.

Q: How long do TVs usually last?

There is a broad range here, mostly because a lot of it comes down to variables such as how often it’s used, how long it’s typically left on, and how well it’s maintained, but the average lifespan of a television varies between 4 and 10 years, or approximately 40,000-100,000 hours.

Q: Are there disadvantages to owning a smart TV?

Certainly. For one, they are largely dependent on your internet connection, so a weak signal or a busy network can result in reduced image quality or lack of access to channels and streaming platforms. They can also “crash” like a computer, which can necessitate either annoying reboots and restarts or, at worst, repairs. Also, like any network-connected device, “smart TVs” have more security risks inherent than a standard TV. 

Final thoughts on the best TVs under $300

A great viewing experience can be had for a relatively low cost, with the price of HD technology having come down to more accessible levels in recent years. Knowing exactly what you want also goes a long way toward pinpointing the best TVs under $300 and the one that’s right for you.

More TV roundups to help you find the perfect set

The post The best TVs under $300 of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best 4K TVs for 2023, as chosen by experts https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-4k-tvs/ Thu, 16 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=450004
Samsung OLED 4K
Stan Horaczek

Treat your eyes to the best 4K TVs money can buy.

The post The best 4K TVs for 2023, as chosen by experts appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Samsung OLED 4K
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best budget OLED The LG C2 OLED TV LG C2
SEE IT

It’s technically a 2022 model, but it’s phenomenal and you can find it for a great price.

Best overall The Samsung S95C OLED on a stand in a room with two chairs Samsung S95C OLED
SEE IT

Samsung’s flagship OLED TV adds brightness, but keeps the image quality and features.

Best budget TCL 55" Class 6-Series 4K Mini-LED TV TCL 6-Series
SEE IT

Mini LED backlighting helps this affordable TV punch well above its price tag in terms of quality.

If you’re buying a new TV in 2023, it really should be a 4K TV. Those 1080p models can still keep up at smaller sizes, but the centerpiece of your living room really deserves the full 2160p experience. At the same time, 8K is still crawling along when it comes to affordable TVs and available native content. 4K really is the sweet spot, and it will be for some time. But choosing a specific model can be complicated. What backlight technology do you want? Do you need a 120Hz refresh rate? What the heck is VRR? Luckily, we’re here to break down these variables and provide expert insight into which TV should handle most of your binge-watching and video gaming needs. Let us help you pick the best 4K TV for your space, budget, and viewing habits.

How we chose the best 4K TVs

The editors and writers at Popular Science have decades of collective experience when it comes to covering, reviewing, and generally nerding out over TVs. The authors of this story have written for countless publications, from general to enthusiast, including Maxim, Men’s Journal, Engadget, and Sound & Vision.

We’ve tapped into our collective experience to parse the specific differences between models for these selections. These selections are based on a foundation of personal hands-on experience, spec comparisons, user feedback, and opinions from other trusted names in the industry. We nerd out about TVs in our free time, too.

The best 4K TVs: Reviews & Recommendations

Now that you know what to look for when picking out the best 4K TV for you, you can go out and take your pick. Of course, if you need help getting started, our list features the cream of the crop. For most people, one of these five models will be the best 4K TV.

Best overall: Samsung S95C OLED

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Specs

  • Size: 55”, 65”, 75”
  • Display: OLED
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
  • Ports: 4 HDMI 2.1, RF, Ethernet

Pros

  • Exceptional OLED picture quality
  • Bright enough for rooms with moderate light
  • 4K/120Hz
  • Ports live on a separate box connected with a cable for easy installs
  • Solar-powered remote

Cons

  • Expensive
  • UI can feel bloated

You’ll see this TV pop up in many “best of” TV articles this year. The reason is simple: Samsung did a wonderful job with its most recent OLED display. This is a flagship TV, so it isn’t cheap, but it offers almost anything you could want from a current-generation TV. It offers four HDMI 2.1 ports to support current (and future) gaming consoles. Plus, all its ports live on a separate box connecting to the ultra-thin panel with a single wire. That makes this TV super versatile when it comes to installation.

When it comes to picture quality, I was very impressed during my viewing time with it. I hooked up a PS5, then played several games and watched a few high-res Blu-ray titles, including the latest Venom movie, which is particularly challenging in terms of color and contrast. Samsung’s OLED looked fantastic throughout all of it.

The built-in speakers aren’t phenomenal, but that’s easy to forgive on a wildly skinny TV. You’re best off adding a soundbar or other external audio. The UI can also get a bit clunky, but that’s more of a general Samsung thing than it is specific to this TV.

Quibbles aside, the real star here is the picture quality. It maintains the super-deep blacks that make OLED so appealing. But, due to Samsung’s new display tech, it’s considerably brighter than many OLEDs that came before it. I had no trouble watching content in a fully lit room with strong overhead lights on full-blast. If you have an absurdly bright room, you may still be better off with something like a QLED, but most viewers should be stoked on this TV if they can stomach the relatively high cost.

Best budget: TCL 6-Series Google TV

TCL

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Specs

  • Size: 55”, 65”, 75”
  • Display: QLED
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 3, USB 2.0 x 2, Ethernet, Bluetooth

Pros

  • Mini-LED QLED 4K display
  • Three HDMI 2.1 ports
  • 4K/120Hz
  • Affordable

Cons

  • TCL makes three “6-Series” TVs, which can get confusing

If you are shopping on a budget, the TCL 6-Series with Google TV makes it very easy to cut some small technical corners and get a great 4K TV at a lower price than our other picks. It features a vibrant, color-accurate QLED 4K display and excellent brightness that can easily combat the sunniest living rooms. TCL also supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, so you can enjoy the latest season of Stranger Things on Netflix the way it was meant to be seen. The R646 also features two HDMI 2.1 ports, so you can play games in 4K at 120Hz, with features like variable refresh rate available. At this price point, the TCL R646 is unbeatable, offering an impressive 4K picture and a brightness that provides the kind of “wow factor” that matches more expensive alternatives.

Because this TV relies on Mini LED tech, it can provide more localized dimming for content. That means light won’t seep into the dark areas and ruin the contrast ratio. That can seriously detract from the overall visual appeal. If you don’t want the Google TV version, TCL also offers a Roku version if you prefer that platform.

Best budget OLED: LG C2

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Specs

  • Sizes: 42, 48”, 55”, 65”, 77”, 83”
  • Display: OLED evo
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 4, USB 2.0 x 3, Ethernet, Bluetooth

Pros

  • Sharp, vibrant picture
  • 4K/120Hz support
  • Four HDMI 2.1 ports
  • Up to 20 percent brighter than previous models

Cons

  • OLED panel could be brighter

The LG C2 has just about everything you could want out of a TV even though it’s technically last generation’s model. As the OLED designation suggests, it provides spectacular color and contrast. But, thanks to the latest generation OLED evo panel, it’s also 20 percent brighter than its predecessor. It maintains the deep blacks for which OLED TVs are renowned while pumping up the maximum brightness and overcoming one of OLED’s only inherent weaknesses. As a result, the C2 is a phenomenal all-around TV that will fit in just about any space or use case. It offers a full suite of HDMI 2.1 ports for connecting to game consoles and streaming devices. It offers an array of variable refresh rate modes to prevent artifacts and jaggies during gaming sessions. Plus, it supports just about every form of HDR you could want. If you’re not ready to jump to the C2, you can still find pretty great deals on the C1 out there. If you’re not putting it in a super-bright room, then the C1 should perform excellently while saving you some money.

Best QLED: Samsung QN90C

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Specs

  • Sizes:
  • Display:
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 4, USB 2.0 x 3, Ethernet, Bluetooth

Pros

  • Very bright
  • 4K/120Hz support
  • Four HDMI 2.1 ports
  • Excellent overall picture quality

Cons

  • Ports live on the TV instead of on an auxiliary box

If you want a bright display, QLED still reigns over almost everything else on the market. It’s not just about brute force brightness, however. Samsung has been refining its QLED TVs for years, and the company has managed to squeeze exceptional picture quality out of its QLEDs at every level. This is the high-end stuff, though, and it’s worth the extra investment. Samsung employs some of its most powerful image processing in this display, which allows it to excellently upscale content of just about every kind.

Despite its relatively skinny stature, this TV offers excellent built-in sound. I was genuinely impressed with the stock sound performance during my review period with the TV. I fired up Godzilla vs. Kong on Blu-ray, and the visuals were predictably meticulous, but the sound was also impressively boomy and clear despite the lack of extra help.

I still find Samsung’s TV UI clunky. I typically just remember the buttons that get me where I want to go rather than trying to navigate the on-screen menus. And I would have loved for Samsung to put the ports on an external box like it has with the OLEDs and other high-end models. But that’s not a deal breaker.

At the end of the day, this is a killer TV that will perform in literally any room. While it’s capable of impressive brightness, it doesn’t rely on it as a selling point. With Film Maker Mode turned on, it can reproduce all the color and contrast accurately and elegantly.

Best for gaming: Sony Bravia XR A90J

Sony

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Specs

  • Size: 55”, 65”, 83”
  • Display: OLED
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 2, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB 2.0 x 3, Ethernet, Bluetooth

Pros

  • Gorgeous picture
  • Ample ports and features for gaming
  • Built-in Chromecast and AirPlay

Cons

  • Expensive

The Sony Bravia XR A90J features a fantastic 4K picture that produces perfect blacks and a relatively bright HDR experience for an OLED. It also supports a wide color gamut, high contrast ratio, and a fast response time, ensuring every game, movie, and TV show looks flawless. It also features Variable Refresh Rate support, a gaming staple, and special PS5-exclusive features, like automatically switching in and out of HDR mode when you start playing a game or other HDR-compatible content on the console. If we’re being honest, the A90J is pretty close to fitting in our “overall” and “best OLED” categories, but we feel it’s best suited for gaming, especially if you’re playing on a PS5.

Because this model is technically a generation old, you can typically find it at a very affordable price, compared to other TVs with similar overall picture quality and specifications. Don’t be afraid to save yourself some cash to buy video games.

Things to consider when choosing the best 4K TVs

When searching for the best 4K TVs, we focused on finding models that balance display quality, color accuracy, port selection, gaming features, and price. Together, these elements help us distinguish between a good TV and a great one.

QLED vs. OLED

Two luxury display technologies are central in lighting up the best 4K TVs. On a technical level, OLED and QLED take different approaches, but both enhance the brightness and contrast of your TV, improving its picture quality over older models.

Organic Light-Emitting Diode displays, or OLED for short, are currently considered the cream of the crop among high-end 4K TVs. Though it shares three letters with “LED” TVs you’re more familiar with, OLED is actually an entirely new display technology. In OLED TVs, each pixel generates its own light, allowing these sets to turn individual pixels on and off. This gives viewers more life-like blacks, rather than the darkest possible gray. You also won’t see any light bleeding out into on-screen shadows, as they do on older LCD TVs.

Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diode displays, commonly known as QLED, are a next-generation upgrade of the conventional LED TV. QLED TVs feature a transmissive layer of “quantum dots” in the screen panel, enhancing a TV’s color, brightness, and contrast. High-end QLED TVs pair that with a backlighting feature called “local dimming,” which allows your TV to enhance or reduce its brightness in specific areas to improve contrast, not unlike OLED displays.

OLED displays offer sharper contrast and “true” blacks that QLED can’t replicate, so they are the premier choice if money is no object. On the other hand, OLED TVs feature comparatively low brightness, which may be a liability in a living room with a lot of natural light. However, manufacturers have begun to remedy that problem by introducing new materials into the OLED formula.

Since QLED panels are based on LED technology, you can find them in a wider variety of price points than OLED. That said, there’s a big difference between an affordable QLED TV with moderately enhanced colors and a top-of-the-line QLED model with local dimming and other enhancements.

As always, the best way to find your preference is to go to a showroom and see the difference for yourself. Short of that, we recommend letting price and logistical considerations guide you to one type of TV or the other.

High dynamic range (HDR)

High Dynamic Range, or HDR, is a display technology that allows your TV automatically its brightness to create more contrast between well-lit and darkened on-screen elements. In situations with challenging lighting, it enhances the overall image with greater detail and color depth. Let’s say you’re looking into a dark room from the outside: HDR can simultaneously display detail in the bright space outside and inside the dimly lit room. TVs with HDR are also capable of displaying more vibrant, varied colors. In addition to enabling more precise contrast, bright colors will look more full and vibrant.

There are a few different standards of HDR, including HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision. HDR10 is the most widely adopted and is an open, free standard supported by everything from 4K TVs to Blu-ray players. Dolby Vision offers a few advantages over HDR, including “dynamic” metadata, which allows your TV to adjust its brightness on a scene-by-scene or frame-by-frame basis. HDR10 uses “static” metadata, which means it sets brightness levels once for the content you consume. HDR10+ also uses dynamic metadata similar to Dolby Vision.

Generally, today’s top TVs feature support for a few different HDR standards, but for the best possible HDR experience, you’ll want Dolby Vision or HDR+.

Refresh rate

Refresh rate, measured in Hz (Hertz), refers to the frequency your TV refreshes what’s on the screen every second. Refresh rate has been a core feature on computer monitors for some time but has only become a serious consideration for TVs in the last two years. If you’re buying a high-end TV for gaming and own either a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, you should hold out for one that supports a higher refresh rate.

Prior to 2020, all TVs supported the same 60Hz refresh rate. Most TVs still do, and that’s perfectly fine for watching streaming services, cable, movies, and playing most consoles. With the PS5 and Xbox Series X, though, you have the ability to play some games at up to 120 frames per second, unlocking smoother animations. Likewise, some live sports broadcasts will benefit from a higher refresh rate.

HDMI 2.1

To enable 4K at 120fps, your TV must support HDMI 2.1, the newest version of the standard TV connection for plugging everything from cable boxes to game consoles to streaming devices.

HDMI 2.1 can transfer data at up to 48Gbps, theoretically allowing you to watch 10K video at 120Hz on the right TV. For now, you only need it to watch or play in 4K at 120Hz on the small number of games that support those specs on PS5 and Xbox Series X

There are other reasons you’ll want it, though. HDMI 2.1 supports many other features that can enhance your viewing and gaming experiences, including Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), a feature that enables Game Mode on your TV (if that feature is available) and typically reduces input lag. It also opens the door for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) over HDMI, which can stabilize volatile frame rates in games.

Unfortunately, TVs equipped with HDMI 2.1 don’t always support every feature introduced by the latest standard. Making matters worse, manufacturers aren’t always transparent about the HDMI 2.1 features supported by their TV. You’ll have to pay close attention to what the manufacturer says when purchasing … and then get coordinating HDMI cables.

FAQs

Q: How much does a 4K TV cost?

Since buying a new TV almost always means buying a 4K TV, prices range from a few hundred dollars for a budget 40-inch TV to upwards of $4,000 for a top-of-the-line 70- to 80-inch OLED. Beyond size, brand name, display technology, and other factors may impact the price from model to model. We’ve broken down the top TVs by size, display technology, and more, so check with our other, more specific guides if you’d like more help narrowing down your options.

Q: What size 4K TV should I choose?

Ideally, you should pick the size of your display based on the size and layout of the room where you will put it. According to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, you want to place your TV far enough away so that it fills up at least 30 degrees of your horizontal field of view.  For a 55-inch 4K TV, ideal for bedrooms and dorm rooms, you should sit about 7.5 feet away. That is the target, but getting a little closer or further away is fine, depending on your room and what size TV you can afford.

For more help figuring out where to put your TV, check out our handy guide.

Q: Should I get an 8K TV?

Short answer? No, not yet.

While manufacturers are pushing the technological envelope with giant 8K TVs, there is currently little to no 8K content available right now. An 8K TV can upscale 4K content, making it look sharper, but we wouldn’t recommend buying an 8K TV just for that. Realistically, there will be better, more powerful, and more affordable 8K TVs on the market by the time it makes sense for even a niche home theater fan to buy an 8K TV.

Final thoughts on the best 4K TVs

You can’t go wrong with our recommendations if you want to upgrade to a 4K TV. You’ll get top-notch picture quality, ample port selection, and support for next-generation technology, including HDMI 2.1 and the latest HDR standards. The good news is there has never been a better time to jump on the bandwagon with more ways to enjoy 4K content, thanks to streaming services and next-generation consoles. The LG C1 is, pound-for-pound, the best 4K TV available, hitting all the essential benchmarks while offering an incredible OLED image. Once you see the higher resolution yourself, you’ll wonder what took you so long to upgrade. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best 4K TVs for 2023, as chosen by experts appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best soundbars for 2023, tested and reviewed https://www.popsci.com/story/reviews/best-soundbar/ Fri, 08 Oct 2021 23:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/uncategorized/best-soundbar/
The best soundbars of 2023
Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

The best soundbars offer a stylish, understated, and compact upgrade to your sound system, proving a small addition can have a big impact.

The post The best soundbars for 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best soundbars of 2023
Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Sennheiser AMBEO Sennheiser AMBEO Plus
SEE IT

It offers a striking soundstage for a single unit.

Best 5.1 JBL Bar 700 JBL Bar 700
SEE IT

Detachable rear channels make this bar stand out without forcing you to pack more speakers in your room.

Best budget Roku Streambar Pro Roku Streambar Pro
SEE IT

Roku’s Streambar Pro is one of the best values in the entire world of home theater audio.

It’s more affordable than ever before to take your home media viewing experience to new heights thanks to streaming services, smart TVs, and soundbars. With this increased content availability enriched by new surround sound audio formats, a whole new world of entertainment possibilities comes to light. One of the easiest, most space-efficient ways to drastically improve the quality of your home theater’s audio is by upgrading to a soundbar to give you sound as vivid as the 4K video you’re probably enjoying.

The top soundbars are compact, quick to install, and an unbeatable way to present your movies, music, and video games with elevated volume, clarity, and immersion. Unlike a traditional speaker system with an AV receiver, a soundbar usually requires only a single connection to your television to switch between sources. These systems are often Bluetooth-compatible from the get-go, so you can also sync your tablet, phone, and other streaming devices. If you’re looking for a quick and cost-effective way to upgrade your home theater system, we’ll help you find the best soundbars to do the job.

How we chose the best soundbars

We’re nerds about everything here at PopSci, but audio is especially special to us. The PopSci writers and editors even include a few certified audiophiles, so we know a solid speaker when we see it. We used a mixture of online research and hands-on experience to survey dozens of models on the market. We were looking for the right mix of fidelity, features, and price.

Most of the items on this list are relatively affordable, and that’s by design. There are some ultra-high-end multi-speaker Dolby Atmos and wireless surround options, but a components system is specific to very demanding users. If you’re looking to get into the soundbar world, these are great models to get you started and upgrade your TV’s puny audio performance.

The best soundbars: Reviews & Recommendations

Every living room, bedroom, and home theater is different, making finding the right soundbar frustrating. Our recommendations—both standalone units and soundbar + subwoofer combos—span various sizes and prices, so you can find the one that suits your space and budget. We also focused on finding soundbars designed to work with additional speakers, allowing you to upgrade your home theater system over time as your budget and space change.

Best overall: Sennheiser AMBEO Plus

Tony Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: If you prize dynamic tonality, this is the premier soundbar … with a premium price tag.

Specs

  • Dimensions: 41.38 x 4.76 x 3.03 inches
  • Surround sound: Simulated 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos
  • Subwoofer: Built-in, with an additional wireless subwoofer sold separately

Pros

  • Carries on a tradition of No. 1 all-in-one Dolby Atmos soundbars
  • Proprietary Dolby Atmos virtualization is convincing and captivating
  • Small than its predecessor without too many sacrifices
  • Can be augmented with a subwoofer

Cons

  • No option for physical surround speakers
  • Pricey
  • Subwoofer is an additional $599
  • HDMI ports are 2.0a, so they don’t support all next-gen gaming console protocols passthrough

Descended from the Sennheiser AMBEO Max, a 40-pound behemoth of a soundbar, the AMBEO Plus is a $1,499 indulgence that’s not quite as extravagant as its predecessor yet remains nearly as affecting. Featuring seven full-range speakers and dual 4-inch subwoofers in its rounded-off chassis, the 14-pound Plus can virtualize a 7.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos system with striking clarity and precise imaging thanks to proprietary processing (an AMBEO batch physically lights up on the soundbar whenever engaged).

Coming from a venerable brand renowned for audiophile headphones imbued with rich midrange and spacious staging, the AMBEO Plus is every bit a Sennheiser. It’s sonically expressive without even a tinge of artificiality and technically adept enough to conjure every directional cue, even height effects—helped by an automated calibration system. A well-appointed Smart Control app (iOS and Android) lets you tweak soundfield effects, voice enhancement, voice assistants, night mode, EQ, and more, plus view information on your connections/audio streams. Whether watching movies or listening to music, the 400W AMBEO Plus is adept at scale and strength, preserving detail without sacrificing impact—bass reaches nearly 40Hz. The original 13-driver AMBEO—aka the rebranded Max—is still superior in terms of gripping slam and dazzling reflections (and $1,000 more expensive), as the AMBEO Plus folds channels in more like a 5.1.2. Still, the rumble gap narrows noticeably if you pair the AMBEO Plus with the wireless 8-inch 350W Sennheiser AMBEO Subwoofer.

In terms of connectivity, there any multiple HDMI ports with 4K Dolby Vision passthrough, though not 120Hz for gaming. Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Sony 360 Reality Audio are all decoded, and Bluetooth 5.0, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and Chromecast give you access to content from basically any and every source. Yes, the AMBEO Plus is the most expensive soundbar in our selection, but it’s undeniably the best all-in-one soundbar to transform a room with limited room. If you’re investing in an OLED TV, you deserve audio that’s equally vibrant.

Best compact: Bose TV Speaker

Bose

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The TV speaker will provide great sound without taking up much space.

Specs

  • Dimensions: 4.02 x 23.38 x 2.21 inches
  • Surround sound: No
  • Subwoofer: None

Pros

  • Compact size
  • Selectable sound modes
  • Voice enhancement

Cons

  • No smart features

At 23.4-inches wide the Bose TV Speaker is almost half the size of other soundbars we’re recommending in this guide, but it stands tall when it comes to dialogue enhancement. The teeny, tiny shell houses a three-driver audio system featuring a pair of full-range drivers angled outward and a single tweeter pointed forward. This configuration is designed to offer the best audio quality from a 2.0 soundbar while presenting the widest-possible soundstage. The TV Speaker won’t be able to stand toe-to-toe with longer soundbars when it comes to stereo separation—this is physics, not Bose’s lack of engineering chops—but it’s good to see the company use the space it had as efficently as possible.

You can fill out the TV Speaker’s sound by connecting a Bose wired subwoofer to the system—though the price of adding low-end is $500. Thankfully, this augmentation won’t be necessary, as the TV Speaker’s sound should be sufficiently better than the audio system built into your set. Despite the TV Soundbar’s small size, Bose allows you to connect this soundbar to your TV using an HDMI or optical audio cable. It also features an AUX input, so you can plug an audio device into it directly, and Bluetooth support if you’d like to stream music to the soundbar from your phone, tablet, or computer.

Bose managed to fit most of the features found in its higher-end soundbars into the TV Speaker, but it had to cut support for Amazon’s Alexa. This isn’t a huge deal, but something to consider if you’re looking for a soundbar that doubles as a smart-home controller in your room. If that’s not a concern, and you want a compact audio system for your room, this is the soundbar to get.

Best 2.1: Samsung BW-H550/ZA Soundbar

Amazon

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This straight-ahead system doesn’t get bogged down with tons of features you won’t use and, instead, focuses on performance.

Specs

  • Dimensions: 33.9 x 3 x 2.3 inches
  • Surround Sound: Dolby Audio and DTS: Virtual X
  • Subwoofer: Wireless included

Pros

  • Great sound
  • Included subwoofer
  • AI-driven sound adjustments

Cons

  • Lacks Dolby Atmos

This Samsung soundbar sports three-channel audio and includes a dedicated center speaker and a satellite subwoofer for powerful, enhanced bass and 3D surround sound effects. It offers superior multi-connectivity via Bluetooth, allowing two smart devices to remain paired at once, and the HDMI ARC interface allows for single-cable audio connections to and from a TV with a compatible port.

Regarding surround, this bar supports DTS: Virtual X to simulate a system with many more speakers installed around the room. Samsung’s Smart Sound technology analyzes the content you’re watching and automatically adjusts its performance to match it best. That also helps keep subtle sounds like ambient horror sounds or important dialog from getting lost. But, if needed, you can manually trigger a Voice Enhancement mode. Want more rumble? A bass boost is available at the push of a button. Need less bass? There’s also a Night Mode.

The relatively basic black design is refreshing compared to more complex devices. It melts into the room, and you hear it but don’t necessarily see it. This is undoubtedly the best Samsung soundbar on a budget (though if you want a truly immersive experience, the $1,699 HW-Q990B is the best Samsung package, full stop).

Best 5.1: JBL Bar 700

Brandt Ranj

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This soundbar’s detachable, battery-powered speakers offer a truly authentic 5.1 surround experience.

Specs

  • Dimensions: 4.7 x 46.2 x 2.2 inches
  • Surround sound: 5.1 Dolby Atmos
  • Subwoofer: Wireless included

Pros

  • Detachable speakers make it very flexible
  • Powerful wireless subwoofer
  • True surround sound

Cons

  • Long when fully attached

There are a lot of soundbars that list support for surround sound as one of their features, but that’s not really the case. Designers can create a more 3D sound experience by supporting the right audio formats and positioning drivers in different positions to mimic a traditional 5.1 surround sound system, but it’s not the same as having a true multi-speaker system. JBL’s Bar 700 is different.

The 46.2-inch soundbar has a pair of battery-powered detachable speakers, which can be placed behind you to create a true 5.1, Dolby Atmos-compatible system, with the bar handling the front right, front left, and center channels. All of these speakers are synced up to a wireless 10-inch subwoofer, which adds enough bass to round out the sound without being unnecessarily boomy. I was skeptical about whether this system would work, but its 620W of convenient cinematic sound passed every test with flying colors.

It’s worth noting that the Bar 700 is pretty long when the rear speakers are attached, so you’ll need to ensure your media center/credenza has enough space. It’s a soundbar best paired with a TV that’s 55 inches in size minimum, and it’s easily connected via HDMI eARC (plus there’s an HDMI input with 4K and Dolby Vision passthrough). Beyond that, this soundbar is an excellent addition to your living room or home theater. The center channel has enough separation from the right and left that I could always hear dialogue clearly, even in movie or TV scenes with a lot of action. The center driver was good enough that I could also differentiate between different voices even if characters spoke in the same register.

My biggest concern about the Bar 700’s modular speaker system was that attaching and detaching the rear speakers would be a pain, but that was never the case. The magnetic attachment mechanism JBL developed makes these processes easy while also ensuring these additional speakers never accidentally pop out. The only other problem I foresaw with the Bar 700 was desynced audio. JBL mitigates this by running you through a setup procedure using its app (iOS and Android), which takes about five minutes to complete. The soundbar and rear speakers fire off audio to get a sense of the size and shape of your room. Once the setup was complete, I never had an issue with desyncing audio.

Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi-equipped, the Bar 700 Wi-Fi comes with AirPlay, Alexa Multi-Room Music, and Chromecast built-in, so you can cast music/content from your phone if you don’t want to fire up your streaming device. And you can customize modes, voice assistant, and EQ with the JBL app. If you’ve longed for a surround sound system with discrete rear speakers but don’t have enough space (or outlets) to set up separates, JBL’s Bar 700 is a great solution. Just pop off the soundbar’s endcaps, fire up the rears on the couch corners, then reassemble at the night’s end or when it’s time to recharge the batteries (rated for 10 hours).

Like this concept, but want to kick it up several notches? The JBL 1300X is a 11.1.4-channel soundbar with detachable surround speakers and wireless subwoofer, though all those extra channels take the price from $899 to $1,699.

Best for music: Sonos Arc

Tony Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Sonos Arc is a futureproofed soundbar perfect for music lovers and cinephiles alike.

Specs

  • Dimensions: 3.4 x 45 x 4.5 inches
  • Surround sound: Yes, Simulated Standalone or True Dolby Atmos with additional components
  • Subwoofer: Wireless sold separately

Pros

  • Great sound for music
  • Support for Dolby Atmos
  • Can be augmented by additional speakers

Cons

  • Cost

If you want to buy a piece of home theater equipment and not consider upgrading it for a decade, the Sonos Arc is worth its admittedly high price. The Santa Barbara-based company—pioneers in the whole-home audio sector—designs everything in-house, maintaining every stage of design and tuning. And Sonos develops each purpose-built component with compatibility and longevity in mind. The uber-long soundbar has forward, side, and upward-firing drivers (11 total), which we found deliver surprisingly good Dolby Atmos surround sound whether listening to music or watching TV shows or movies.

Your experience will depend on the size and shape of your room, since the effect requires sound to bounce off your walls and ceilings. To offer the best possible experience, we recommend tuning the Arc using the TruePlay setting in Sonos’ app (iOS and Android). Within a few minutes, the soundbar will run a series of tones to get a sense of how your room is set up and optimize its performance accordingly. We’re still partial to multi-speaker surround sound systems, but the $899 Arc is all you really need for cinematic surround sound.

On top of its ability to handle cinema soundtracks and other streaming content, the Sonos Arc delivers crystal-clear sound when listening to music, whether via HDMI, AirPlay 2, or streaming services over WiFi through the Sonos app. Bass is present but restrained, instruments and vocals in the midrange sound smooth, and we never heard sibilance or harsh treble. Again, your experience will vary based on the music you listen to and how well it was mastered. If you’re having trouble with how your music sounds through the Sonos Arc, we’re almost positive it’s not a hardware issue. In our tests, stereo and Dolby Atmos tracks had a very wide soundstage, which made it easy to pick out each instrument in a song individually.

We’re comfortable recommending the Sonos Arc to any music lover on its own. Still, to get the full Dolby Atmos experience, we recommend augmenting it with a pair of WiFi-connected Sonos Era 300 multidirectional speakers and a wireless Sonos Sub. These components will expand the Sonos Arc into a 7.1.4 system, taking over as rear surround/upfiring speakers (along with handling the low end) and leaving the soundbar as the front right, front left, and center channels of a traditional surround sound system. With that setup, you’ll get better sound overall—plus the flexibility to use the six positional drivers of the immersive made-for-Dolby-Atmos Era 300 speakers standalone in other rooms if you want—though it’ll cost you quite a bit to make those upgrades ($449 per Era 300 and $799 for the Sub Gen. 3). Sonos supports its speakers for roughly a decade, so it’s undoubtedly worth building out their ecosystem piece by piece.

If music is as important to you as TV shows and movies, especially if you want to integrate a multi-room audio system, the Sonos Arc is the only home theater purchase you should make in 2023.

Best budget: Roku Streambar Pro

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Roku’s Streambar Pro has features you can’t find in soundbars several times its price.

Specs

  • Dimensions: 32.2 x 3.9 x 2.8 inches
  • Surround sound: None
  • Subwoofer: Wireless sold separately

Pros

  • Built-in 4K media streamer
  • Can be augmented with additional speakers
  • Sharp look

Cons

  • No surround sound
  • No built-in soundbar

We’re typically wary of two-in-one gadgets, but Roku’s Streambar Pro is a very notable exception to our rule. The soundbar actually has an entire 4K Roku media streamer built into it, which you can use to turn an old TV smart. This is especially nice if you’ve recently cut the cord and want an easy way to stream TV shows and movies from online services. You don’t need to use the Streambar Pro’s built-in Roku, but the value of this feature is part of what makes this soundbar such a great deal.

The Streambar Pro’s other strong suit is its surprisingly good sound. We say surprisingly because we didn’t expect quite as much vocal clarity or stereo separation from a soundbar at its price point. If you’ve struggled to hear what people are saying in movies or find the sound of explosions lacking in action-packed sequences, this is your answer. Roku was smart not to pack any surround sound features into the soundbar itself, instead redirecting those engineering resources into developing its Wireless Bass Pro subwoofer and Roku Wireless Speakers. Adding those components will allow you to enjoy your media in true surround sound without connecting them with cables.

It’s telling that Roku bundles the Streambar Pro plus the aforementioned additional speakers in a multi-piece bundle that costs just over $500 (hence its prominence in our best soundbars under $500 roundup, also home to additional options from JBL, Samsung, and Sonos, appropriately). Bose charges roughly the same price for just a subwoofer. There are very few true values in home theater audio, so we couldn’t be happier for Roku’s Streambar Pro to stand out for its audio quality and cost.

Things to consider when buying the best soundbars

How big or small should your soundbar be?

One of the most convenient features of most soundbar systems is the understated form that helps them blend in with your existing entertainment center. It’s generally recommended that you choose a soundbar that doesn’t exceed the length of your television for aesthetic reasons. The length and size of the soundbar don’t always translate to volume and power, so you won’t be making too many compromises by going with a smaller soundbar.

The most important consideration when choosing a soundbar for its size is that it retains flexibility and versatility despite its understated appearance. Many miniature soundbars pack Bluetooth connectivity, subwoofers, and other special features into their cases without a hitch. You don’t have to worry about sacrificing essential features to ensure that your smaller rooms don’t get cluttered. After all, you’re buying a soundbar for its major improvements over your television’s speaker system.

What kind of surround sound are you looking for?

Some basic soundbars offer typical stereo sound, but many have adopted surround sound technology that can add an entirely new dimension to the content you watch. The most relevant thing to notice in modern soundbars is Dolby Atmos. This object-based surround sound standard works with the most popular streaming services and provides an overall excellent experience with some consistency, assuming the sound designer has done something compelling with the 100+ sonic placements available to them.

Balance tuning versus power

An oft-overlooked factor while shopping for a soundbar is its ability to adequately translate cinematic audio and dialogue in the best way for your room. For example, a soundbar with a high wattage rating and high maximum sound pressure level might appear loud on paper. Still, if this sound is muddy or if the device’s design renders dialogue muffled and unintelligible, it completely defeats the purpose of adding a soundbar to your system in the first place. In this way, volume and power capabilities don’t always translate to better sound for your space. Suppose you’re looking to max out your entertainment system’s volume with a soundbar. In that case, it’s important to consider a model combining high wattage and maximum volume with manufacturer-designed tuning.

The system used to tune a soundbar—or any sound system, for that matter—involves using equalization to boost certain frequencies and cut others, which can enhance the audio in home environments. Unless you’re investing in a high degree of sound treatment for your theater room, chances are that there are some undesirable resonances in your space that can exacerbate poorly tuned audio. This effect becomes even more pronounced at higher volumes, so it’s important to pick out a tuned or tunable system if you’re going to listen loud or if you’re in a smaller room. With a properly tuned soundbar, dialogue becomes clear, action sequences retain impact without being ear-piercing, and most importantly, it drastically cuts the need for constant turning up and down of your television volume. If any of these issues apply to your situation, a tuned soundbar is the only way to go.

Is your home a smart one?

Smart home systems run via Alexa and Google Home transform how we live and work around the house and beyond. Activities that were once interrupted by the need to pick up the phone, sit down at the computer, or fumble with a device have been made quicker and easier thanks to voice control integration across a whole gamut of home appliances. And since your entertainment center is a focal point of your time spent at home, it only makes sense to consider a soundbar system that offers voice control compatibility, whether you’re planning on expanding your current smart home system or starting from scratch.

One of the biggest perks of choosing a soundbar with smart home compatibility is its elevated ability to play high-volume music and media while still being able to hear your voice over the noise and execute your commands without turning the volume down or pressing pause. Think of a voice control-enabled soundbar as a more souped-up version of a traditional smart home speaker: you can turn the music up and down, resume and pause programming, check the status of your smart cooker, air quality, temperature, and so much more from the comfort of your seat. A system with this capability also eliminates the need for a separate smart speaker for your TV area or living room altogether, which is a plus if you’re trying to save space or retain a minimalist sense of decor.

Do you want to connect to Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is one of the most prevalent and useful interfaces for wirelessly streaming audio from your devices to your speaker systems, and most soundbars on the market do offer some form of Bluetooth connectivity. Options like this allow the soundbar to work for you and help you get more out of your system whenever you’re listening to music or podcasts around the house. Most televisions don’t come standard with a Bluetooth audio receiver, so not only does this technology open up your entertainment center as a location for streaming audio, but it’s also an incredible improvement over a traditional portable Bluetooth speaker.

Do you need to connect multiple devices?

HDMI is the most commonly used wired interface for soundbars to receive audio from and send it to your TV. Some soundbar systems also use this connection to receive volume information directly from your TV remote. Suppose you’ll deal with sound from numerous sources like Blu-ray players, video game consoles, and streaming services. In that case, it’s important to consider whether your soundbar has enough connectivity to support your needs and how efficiently it can interface with various devices (and that you have appropriately rated HDMI cables). Generally speaking, more connectivity is always better due to the flexibility that it affords, as devices that play well with others make your life easier and require less tinkering. Increased connectivity options come at a price of both cost and size, so it’s important to weigh your needs for flexibility against these factors.

FAQs

Q: Are soundbars worth it?

Yes. If you’re dissatisfied with the sound from your TV’s built-in speakers but don’t have enough space for a traditional audio system, soundbars are a good compromise. Soundbars are compact, have a built-in amplifier, and some can even be augmented with additional speakers.

Q: Are soundbars compatible with any TV?

Yes. All soundbars are compatible with every TV because the two components are connected by either an HDMI or optical audio cable. HDMI and optical audio ports have been universal standards on TVs for over a decade, and won’t be replaced anytime soon. If you get a soundbar today and upgrade your TV in a couple of years, your current audio hardware won’t need to be changed.

Q: Do soundbars support Dolby Atmos?

Increasingly more soundbars support Dolby Atmos, but object-based audio hasn’t become a standard feature yet. We expect this to change over the next few years as more music, TV shows, and movies are released with a Dolby Atmos mix. For now, Dolby Atmos is a feature exclusive to more mind-tier and high-end soundbars.

Q: How much does a soundbar cost?

This depends on its size, number of drivers, other audio hardware, and smart features. You can spend well under $200 or over $1,000 based on your needs.

Final thoughts on shopping for the best soundbars

A soundbar is an easy choice for drastically improving the quality of your home theater, thanks to the easy setup and maintenance that these systems provide. The wide range of choices in this product category ensures that there’s an option out there for every budget and need, from compact single-bar systems to fully-fledged surround sound setups. In looking for a soundbar system, consider the size of your space and the connectivity your home theater needs to ensure that your add-on provides the best cinematic experience for you.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best soundbars for 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best Vizio soundbars of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-vizio-soundbars/ Tue, 17 May 2022 17:00:02 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=440936
Vizio soundbar on a colorful background header image
Vizio

Vizio’s soundbars can Elevate your home theater experience.

The post The best Vizio soundbars of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Vizio soundbar on a colorful background header image
Vizio

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Vizio Elevate is the best Vizio soundbar overall. Vizio Elevate
SEE IT

Vizio’s top-of-the-line soundbar is one of the best in its class for Dolby Atmos performance and uses two rotating speakers to add height to your system’s audio.

Best for the money Vizio M512a-H6 product image Vizio M512a-H6
SEE IT

The M512a-H6 offers a solid price-to-performance ratio and offers Dolby Atmos compatibility and 4K passthrough at 60 frames per second.

Best for music Vizio M215a-J6 is the best Vizio soundbar for music. Vizio M215a-J6
SEE IT

This 2.1-channel soundbar includes a single subwoofer and uses DTS Virtual:X to approximate surround sound using fewer speakers.

As a leading manufacturer of smart TVs and soundbars, Vizio stands out from the pack with an emphasis on products with functional design and ease of setup combined with cutting-edge features and competitive pricing. The best Vizio soundbars come in a variety of sizes and configurations to meet the needs of the smallest and largest home theaters alike, and because each model includes everything that you need to get started from cables to mounting hardware, Vizio soundbars are an ideal choice for pulling off a home theater upgrade with minimal fuss. From the most compact single-unit soundbars to multi-speaker surround sound systems with Dolby Atmos support, this list of the best Vizio soundbars will point you in the right direction for your home theater upgrade no matter what type of space you’re working with.

How we chose the best Vizio soundbars

Vizio’s soundbars cover a lot of ground with their designs and have a little something for everyone. To narrow down the options, we combined our own personal experience with the opinions of trusted peers and online user impressions. Here are some of the key criteria we looked at when compiling our list:

The best Vizio soundbars offer some degree of surround sound processing, whether through Dolby Atmos or DTS:X/Virtual:X—object-based surround that assigns each sound a height as well as a horizontal location in a 360-degree sphere around the listener. Our list contains three Dolby Atmos-ready soundbars that have the up-firing speakers to bounce tones off the ceiling/walls for the optimal audio experience, while the remaining two offer surround sound simulation. Helping facilitate the processing of the latest surround sound formats are HDMI ARC/eARC interfaces for connecting soundbars to smart TVs, and every soundbar on this list includes one of the two. Some of these soundbars include additional HDMI inputs to connect external devices to the soundbar (such as Blu-ray players and gaming consoles) to play audio before passing video to the TV. So don’t forget compatible HDMI cables!

If you’re adding a soundbar to your television, the overall size of the product is key to determining whether it belongs in your space. We selected Vizio soundbars from every part of the size spectrum, from the ultra-compact V20-J8 to the multi-component Vizio Elevate. In addition to how components connect, Vizio’s soundbars come with varying levels of wireless connectivity. All of the soundbars on this list are Bluetooth compatible, but only the Vizio Elevate has Wi-Fi and Chromecast capabilities. Unfortunately, none of Vizio’s soundbars offer native Apple AirPlay support but you can easily circumvent this if you have an Apple TV in your home cinema setup.

The best Vizio soundbars: Reviews & Recommendations

Best overall: Vizio Elevate

VIZIO

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Vizio’s flagship soundbar system offers some of the best Dolby Atmos performance in its class and offers extensive connectivity options.

Specs

  • Width: 48 inches (soundbar), 10.8 inches (subwoofer)
  • Channels: 5.1.4
  • Connectivity: HDMI eARC, Optical, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 2 x HDMI In

Pros

  • Adaptive rotating speakers switch between enhanced height and focused sound
  • Full-featured kit includes a wireless sub and two satellite speakers
  • Thoughtful design features including a backlit remote and Chromecast

Cons

  • Satellites must be wired to the subwoofer
  • No Apple AirPlay or built-in voice assistant support
  • Has EQ, but lacks custom room-based calibration features

The Vizio Elevate is the best Vizio soundbar overall thanks to its top-of-the-line feature set, build quality, and overall value factor. Featuring a 340-watt amplifier, an 8-inch wireless subwoofer, and two satellite speakers, the Elevate excels at playing Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content thanks to its 18 drivers total, which deliver a 30Hz – 20KHz frequency range and pump out significant low-end rumble within a wide, immersive soundstage. The Elevate stands out from other soundbars in the market in part thanks to its unique auto-rotating adaptive speakers at each end, which can pivot upward to reflect sound off the ceiling and add height to your audio or pivot fully forward to add width. The system also features two HDMI inputs with 4K passthrough and a dedicated HDMI eARC port to allow for high-quality connections to all your devices.

The Elevate offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and it also has built-in support for Chromecast, but it’s unfortunately incompatible with AirPlay and lacks built-in voice assistant support (though it accepts commands via Bluetooth). It does, however, include a dedicated AUX port for plugging in a separate smart speaker so users can take advantage of Elevate’s added volume. As far as EQ goes, the Elevate offers four presets, as well as some basic treble and bass controls for finetuning, but there’s no advanced room-specific calibration option. The unit’s satellite speakers also have to plug directly into the subwoofer, which may limit users’ placement options depending upon their space.

Best with surround sound: Vizio M512a-H6

Vizio

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Vizio M512a-H6 is a well-rounded 5.1.2 soundbar with surround sound and a competitively priced option for entering the Dolby Atmos ecosystem.

Specs

  • Width: 40 inches (soundbar), 8.3 inches (subwoofer)
  • Channels: 5.1.2
  • Connectivity: HDMI eARC, Optical, Bluetooth, HDMI IN

Pros

  • Competitive Dolby Atmos and true surround sound performance
  • 4K HDMI passthrough and Bluetooth connectivity
  • Customizable sound includes EQ presets, night mode, and dialogue enhancement

Cons

  • No Wi-Fi, AirPlay, or Chromecast
  • Satellites require a subwoofer connection
  • 11 speakers compared to the Vizio Elevate’s 18

If you’re looking for a true surround sound system with Dolby Atmos but don’t want to shell out on the top-of-the-line Vizio Elevate, the M512a-H6 is a fantastic alternative that packs similar features in a slightly smaller form at around half the price. It includes two satellite speakers and a 6-inch wireless subwoofer to complement a 40-inch central soundbar with up-firing speakers for added dimension and immersion. In total, 11 drivers deliver a 45Hz – 20kHz frequency range. Like the other soundbars in Vizio’s product line, the M512a-H6 is Bluetooth-enabled and features a smart speaker auxiliary input in lieu of built-in virtual assistant support. It has a single 4K passthrough-capable HDMI input and an HDMI eARC port, as well as an optical audio input.

Just like the Elevate, the M512a-H6 uses satellite speakers that must be wired up to the subwoofer and, like all Vizio soundbars, the unit doesn’t support AirPlay. On top of that, the M512a-H6 lacks Chromecast and Wi-Fi compatibility, so you’ll need to look to the Elevate if that’s a feature you require. The unit features seven fewer speakers and two fewer channels than the more flexible Elevate but, overall, the M512a-H6 offers terrific surround sound and Dolby Atmos performance for its price.

Best for music: Vizio M215a-J6

VIZIO

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The M215a-J6 is a powerful and compact Atmos-ready soundbar system that’s perfect for adding volume and sub-bass to small and medium spaces.

Specs 

  • Width: 36 inches (soundbar), 8.3 inches (subwoofer)
  • Channels: 2.1
  • Connectivity: HDMI eARC, Optical, Bluetooth, HDMI IN

Pros

  • 2.1-channel system is Dolby Atmos and DTS:X ready
  • HDMI input with 4K passthrough at 60 frames per second
  • Compact design with wireless subwoofer

Cons

  • Not expandable via satellite speakers
  • No Wi-Fi, Chromecast, or AirPlay support
  • More suitable for small and medium spaces

If you’re looking for the best Vizio soundbar for living room dance parties, the Vizio M215a-J6 is an affordable and powerful 2.1-channel option that saves space while delivering loud volume and enhanced low-end to your entertainment center. It’s compatible with cutting-edge audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X and it offers Bluetooth connectivity for wirelessly streaming audio from your devices. Its wireless subwoofer measures only 8.3 inches in width, which allows for strategic placement within your space, and though the M215a-J6’s connectivity is limited, it does include optical audio and HDMI eARC ports, as well as a single HDMI input with 4K passthrough.

As a strictly 2.1-channel system, the M215a-J6 relies upon DTS Virtual:X tech to simulate the acoustics of a true surround sound cinema system. Because of this, and the fact that it can’t be expanded with satellite speakers, this soundbar should be looked at as a noticeable upgrade over simple stereo or Bluetooth party speakers. Unfortunately, the M215a-J6 isn’t compatible with Chromecast or AirPlay and, like the Vizio Elevate, the M215a-J6 opts for including a smart speaker input in lieu of built-in virtual assistant support. If you’re looking for Wi-Fi or Chromecast support, you’ll have to spring for the bulkier Elevate system. But if you want more bounce to the ounce without spending buckets of ducats, the M215a-J6 is a best buy.

Best for TV: Vizio M21d-H8R

VIZIO

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This sleek all-in-one soundbar features dual subwoofers and a short 2.2-inch body, making it a good choice for use in smaller spaces.

Specs

  • Width: 36 inches
  • Channels: 2.1
  • Connectivity: HDMI ARC, Optical, HDMI In

Pros

  • Sleek and compact design fits below TVs
  • DTS Virtual:X surround simulation enhances stereo content
  • Built-in dual subwoofers

Cons

  • No Dolby Atmos support
  • Can’t be upgraded with a subwoofer or satellite speakers
  • Introduces slight audio latency over ARC and optical

If you’re short on space or would just prefer a single-piece unit to one with a wireless subwoofer or other external speakers, the M21d-H8R is the best all-in-one Vizio soundbars. It measures 36 inches wide and only 2.2 inches high, which allows it to fit easily beneath most flatscreens, making it a solid intermediate step between stock TV speakers and a fully fleshed-out audio setup. While it doesn’t produce quite the same level of rumble you can find from a dedicated subwoofer unit, the M21d-H8R features 6 drivers including two built-in woofers that work admirably to push out low-end and low-mid frequencies (delivering a 50Hz – 20KHz frequency range in full). This 2-way 2.1-channel system also lacks Dolby Atmos support and instead mixes down all surround content to stereo, but it aims to compensate by using DTS Virtual:X tech to simulate surround sound.

The M21d-H8R offers no AirPlay, Chromecast, or Wi-Fi support, but users can connect to it via Bluetooth. It’s still a great stripped-down unit with some modern features; for example, it has a single HDMI input that offers 4K passthrough at 60 frames per second. Like the other soundbars in the Vizio product line, the M21d-H8R also has a dedicated smart speaker input that offers compatibility with virtual assistants. In some cases, the soundbar’s ARC and optical ports have been known to introduce slight playback latency, so the soundbar is best paired with devices that offer some amount of latency compensation if that’s important to you.

Best budget: Vizio V20-J8

VIZIO

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This stripped-down Vizio soundbar offers good bang-for-your-buck thanks to features like Bluetooth, EQ presets, virtual surround sound, and HDMI ARC connectivity.

Specs 

  • Width: 24 inches
  • Channels: 2.0
  • Connectivity: HDMI ARC, Optical

Pros

  • Uses DTS Virtual:X surround sound simulation
  • Virtual assistant support via smart speaker input
  • Compact 24-inch width

Cons

  • Barebones design with no HDMI input
  • Small size lacks volume and stereo width for larger spaces
  • Bass response is somewhat lacking

The V20-J8 is one of the best budget Vizio soundbars because it packs the bare necessities into a compact 24-inch-wide format, making it a good choice for adding increased volume and legibility to your programming in small spaces. It uses a single HDMI ARC port and an Optical port for making connections to your TV, but it also includes Bluetooth connectivity for streaming audio from your smartphone or other devices. The V20-J8 is limited to two full-range speakers/channels (delivering ​​a 70Hz – 20kHz frequency response) and doesn’t offer any surround sound capability, but it employs DTS Virtual:X tech to enhance stereo content and simulate the effects of surround sound within its limited stereo design. Like Vizio’s more expensive soundbars, the V20-J8 offers a smart speaker input for compatibility with virtual assistants.

Being a budget soundbar, the V20-J8 does lack features like an HDMI input, which would allow users to run their devices through the soundbar en route to the TV. It also offers no expandability with extra speakers like subwoofers or satellite speakers, so what you see is what you get. It doesn’t offer the best bass response due to its small size and lack of built-in subwoofers, so if you want to make a small upgrade to your sub-bass without adding an entire separate subwoofer, you might want to spring for the Vizio M21d-H8R above. Additionally, it’s not wide enough to throw out significant stereo effects, so it should really be seen more as an affordable enhancement on your TV’s built-in speakers than an immersion-altering audio system.

Things to consider before buying one of the best Vizio soundbars

Do you use Chromecast?

Many of Vizio’s soundbars aren’t Wi-Fi enabled and won’t work with Chromecast as a result of this. If you use Chromecast to stream content from your devices, you’ll need to go right to the top of Vizio’s product line and consider the Vizio Elevate. If Chromecast and Wi-Fi compatibility aren’t important to you, any of Vizio’s other soundbars are worth a look.

How big is your space?

No two home theater environments are the same, and you’ll want to consider the size of your TV and your room before choosing a Vizio soundbar. If you have space for a full surround sound system with a subwoofer and satellite speakers, the 48-inch-wide Vizio Elevate and the 40-inch-wide Vizio M512a-H6 are the best Vizio soundbars with surround sound currently available. If you don’t have space for all that but still want the bass response of a subwoofer, the Vizio M215a-J6 is a nice compromise. For all other spaces, the all-in-one design of the Vizio M21d-H8R is a sleek and compact soundbar option.

Do you need Dolby Atmos support?

Dolby Atmos is a cutting-edge directional audio format that aims to provide greater height and immersion to cinema soundscapes, and while many of the best new soundbars are compatible with Atmos, some are not. If you’re looking for the best Vizio soundbar with Dolby Atmos, the Vizio Elevate will provide a top-of-the-line experience and the Vizio M512a-H6 is a good runner-up. If you don’t have the space for a full surround sound setup, the Vizio M215a-J6 is a Dolby Atmos-compatible soundbar-and-subwoofer package that offers a good approximation of surround sound without extra speakers.

Are you looking for a system that can grow with you?

While Vizio is very good about offering many tiers of soundbars, their systems aren’t upgradeable or available piecemeal. This means that if you buy an all-in-one Vizio soundbar like the Vizio M21d-H8R, you won’t be able to add a subwoofer or rear speakers after the fact. For this reason, Vizio’s soundbars aren’t quite as flexible as some of their wireless surround sound competitors, such as Bluesound or Sonos.

FAQs

Q: How much do Vizio soundbars cost?

Vizio soundbars cost anywhere from the ballpark of $100 for single-piece units up to around $1,000 for full multi-speaker surround sound systems.

Q: Which brand of soundbar is the best?

While not as expensive or expansive as flagship offerings from Sony, Sennheiser, and others, Vizio is one of the best approachable brands thanks to its relatively affordable all-in-one surround sound packages that feature cutting-edge audio technologies like Dolby Atmos and 4K passthrough at the top of their product line. When in doubt, you can match your soundbar to the brand of TV you own for maximum compatibility and performance.

Q: Is a Vizio soundbar worth it?

Vizio soundbars are definitely worth it and offer great value when stacked up against other brands thanks to their functional designs. The Vizio Elevate is one of the best soundbars overall in its product class and offers premium functions like Dolby Atmos and 5.1.4-channel audio at a fair price.

Q: What is a good soundbar for a Vizio tv?

In general, it’s a good rule of thumb to match the brand of your TV with the brand of your soundbar. If you’re looking for a standalone soundbar without a subwoofer or satellite speakers, the Vizio M21d-H8R and the Vizio V20-J8 are good options. If you’re considering a full surround system, the Vizio M512a-H6 offers a good price-to-performance ratio, while the Vizio Elevate sits at the top of the product line. If you want something in between, the Vizio M215a-J6 is the best Vizio soundbar with a subwoofer.

Q: How to reset Vizio soundbar?

To perform a power cycle or soft reset on your Vizio soundbar, unplug the soundbar from AC power and hold down the power button for five seconds before reconnecting it and powering it on. To factory reset a Vizio soundbar, consult your soundbar’s manual; each individual model has its own specific hard reset procedure.

Final thoughts on the best Vizio soundbars

The best Vizio soundbar overall is the Vizio Elevate, which delivers top-of-the-line Dolby Atmos and DTS:X playback and Chromecast compatibility. If you don’t need Chromecast and you’re looking to save a bit of money and space, the Vizio M512a-H6 is one of the best Vizio soundbars with surround sound in the mid-tier range. The best Vizio soundbar with a subwoofer is the Vizio M215a-J6, which supports Dolby Atmos and offers 4K passthrough, while the best all-in-one Vizio soundbar is the Vizio M21d-H8R thanks to its well-rounded sound and integrated subwoofers. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best Vizio soundbars of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
This $20 Amazon Fire TV Stick deserves a spot in your summer travel kit https://www.popsci.com/gear/amazon-fire-tv-stick-travel-bag-deal/ Fri, 28 Apr 2023 17:55:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=537517
Amazon Fire TV Stick deal
Stan Horaczek

Amazon is currently offering nearly 40% off its compact streaming devices, and this Fire deal is lit.

The post This $20 Amazon Fire TV Stick deserves a spot in your summer travel kit appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Amazon Fire TV Stick deal
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

A few years ago, I bought an Amazon Fire TV stick on Prime Day because it was really cheap. I chucked it in my travel bag, and I have used it countless times since then to stream my favorite content on random hotel TVs, at friends’ houses, and even one time at the office, just because I could. It saves me the trouble (and security risk) that comes with logging into public devices. Right now, you can also save money alongside your personal identifiable information because Amazon has all of its Fire TV Stick streaming devices for nearly 40% off, so there has never been a better time to get a streaming stick specifically for use on the road.

Fire TV Stick, $19 (Was $29)

Amazon

SEE IT

This is the most basic Fire TV Stick Amazon offers, but that’s perfect if you plan to chuck it in your bag and forget about it. This package includes a tiny Amazon Fire TV Stick with 8GB built-in storage and a basic remote for navigating the menus. I typically just use the app to navigate, however, so I don’t have to bother with the remote.

This Fire TV Stick’s Bluetooth connection also allows you to connect Bluetooth noise-canceling earbuds in case you’re traveling with someone else from work and you want to block out their incessant snoring with episodes of Super Store you’ve already seen a million times.

Fire TV Stick 4K Max, $34 (Was $54)

Amazon

SEE IT

If you don’t mind shelling out a few extra bucks, you can get the Fire TV Stick Max, which can output 4K content, navigates menus up to 40 percent faster, and comes with a more robust remote. It also has WiFi 6 compatibility, so if you have access to a faster network, you’ll actually be able to take advantage of it.

More Amazon Fire TV Stick deals

The post This $20 Amazon Fire TV Stick deserves a spot in your summer travel kit appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best OLED TVs in 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-oled-tvs/ Fri, 25 Feb 2022 17:45:26 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=426218
The best OLED TVs composited
Stan Horaczek

Picking from the top of the television heap.

The post The best OLED TVs in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best OLED TVs composited
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall The Samsung S95C OLED on a stand in a room with two chairs Samsung S95C
SEE IT

Samsung’s latest OLED offering makes a strong statement.

Best for gaming LG C2 OLED TV with a colorful graphic on the screen LG C2 OLED
SEE IT

Excellent connectivity and a bright picture make this a gaming superstar.

Best budget LG B2 budget OLED TV with a blue swirly graphic on the screen LG B2 OLED
SEE IT

A balanced suite of features goes nicely with excellent image quality.

Step in front of the giant wall of TVs at your local big box store, and the OLED TVs will likely stand out. Their popping color and abundant contrast give these high-end panels an edge over much of their competition. And while technologies like Mini LED and Micro LED may eventually challenge OLED’s image quality crown, it hasn’t happened yet. At the same time, you know that the showroom has all the settings pushed to their peak to overwhelm you with vivid images. So, to help you separate the best from the rest, we’ve collected this list of top-tier OLED TVs across various brands and price points. While you shouldn’t expect to find a truly budget OLED TV, we have reached a point where there are strong options at relatively affordable (for high-end) prices. Sony debuted the first OLED TV back in 2007. It had an 11-inch screen with a 960 x 540 resolution for a tidy sum of $2,500. Spend that much now, and you can get a massive OLED display with some of the best picture quality and color reproduction around. The following are our selections for the best OLED TVs currently available.

How we chose the best OLED TVs

I have been writing about consumer electronics and home theater technology for nearly two decades, including a stint as the digital editor for the venerable A/V publication Sound & Vision. This list results from a combination of research and real-world impressions, plus data sourced from user and editorial reviews across the web.

We focused on emphasizing a solid mix of performance and price to choose our picks. All but one of the entries here include HDMI 2.1 ports, which we think will be important for some users now (particularly gamers) and others down the road. Obviously, LG is well-represented on the list as it’s the only company that physically manufactures OLED panels, which gives it an inherent edge that we can’t deny.

The best OLED TVs: Reviews & Recommendations

Because OLEDs sit near the top of the TV heap, pretty much any model you choose will perform at least reasonably well. The differences, then, lie in the details. We’ve dug into those specs to find the displays that best fit your needs.

Best overall: Samsung S95C OLED

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Specs 

  • Sizes: 55”, 65”, and 77”
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz (Up to 144Hz in some modes)
  • Ports: 4 HDMI 2.1, 3 USB-A, RF, Optical out
  • HDR: HDR 10+

Pros

  • Ports live on a box connected by a wire for versatile installation
  • Extremely bright for an OLED
  • Exceptional picture quality
  • Robust smart TV offerings
  • Solid sound
  • Pantone-certified color reproduction

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Bloated menu system

Samsung’s flagship OLED TV has, at least for the moment, knocked LG off the OLED throne. The S95C TV relies on Samsung’s latest generation of OLED panels, which integrate Quantum Dots into the equation to add extra brightness. OLED displays typically excel in contrast ratio, but that’s because they can achieve such deep black levels. That can kneecap their overall brightness. However, I spent time with Samsung’s S95C in a brightly lit room and found myself very impressed with its performance. 

As a flagship-level display, this TV offers almost all the bells and whistles you want. All its ports live on an external box connected by a single wire to the display. That makes it very easy to install the super-flat panel wherever you want while keeping all the ports accessible. The S95C comes toting four HDMI 2.1 ports, which is essential if you plan on doing high-framerate or high-res gaming on a current-generation console. 

During the review period, I played the PS5-exclusive Returnal and found the visuals extremely crisp and the refresh rate very smooth. This panel natively runs at 120Hz but can bump up to an even-smoother 144Hz in some situations. 

I also watched portions of a few movies, including the latest Venom movie, which taxes a TV by showing lots of fine details moving quickly across the screen with lots of contrast. The S95C managed to keep everything we like about OLEDs while adding the extra brightness that makes it viable in any space, even those with lots of ambient light. 

We haven’t had a chance to test the LG C3 yet, which will likely find itself in close competition with the S95C, but we’ll update this article once review units of the LG become available.

Best for gaming: LG C2

Specs 

  • Sizes: 42”, 48”, 55”, 65”, 77”, and 83”
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: 4 HDMI 2.1, 3 USB-A, Ethernet, RF, Headphones
  • HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10

Pros

  • Lots of sizes to choose from
  • All HDMI ports are 2.1 for max compatibility
  • Brighter than previous models
  • Dynamic tone mapping for localized image improvements
  • G Sync and Freesynch compatibility for variable refresh rates

Cons

  • Middling smart TV features

The LG C1 was a blockbuster of a TV that took top honors in just about every TV buying guide back in 2021. The only real downside was its relative lack of brightness (typical of OLEDs). By adding Quantum Dot tech to an OLED panel, LG gave the C2 considerably more brightness than its already excellent predecessor. 

The C2 is technically a 2022 model, but the C3 is only just starting to roll out. While the C2 isn’t the newest, it does offer the vast majority of what you’ll find in the C3 for a fraction of the price. With the C2, you get four side-mounted HDMI 2.1 ports, all of which can handle 4K action at 120 fps. 

As for gaming chops, this TV offers native support for the GeForce Now game streaming platform, so you can game even if you don’t have access to a PC or console. The C2 also supports several popular flavors of variable refresh rate technology, which prevents problems like screen tearing and game-ruining lag from spoiling your time behind the controller. 

Even if you’re not a huge gamer, the C2 is still a phenomenal all-around option, especially considering the lower price now that a new model has come around with updates. 

Best for PS5: Sony BRAVIA XR A80K Series 4K

Sony

SEE IT

Specs 

  • Sizes: 55”, 65”, and 77”
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: 4 HDMI (2 of which are HDMI 2.1), 2 USB-A ports, RF, Ethernet
  • HDR: HDR10 Dolby Vision

Pros

  • PlayStation 5 users get specific benefits due to Sony Synergy
  • Excellent picture
  • Price has come down since release
  • Among the best upscaling you’ll find
  • Ample contrast

Cons

  • Not as bright as some newer flagships
  • No headphone jack

It may come as no surprise that Sony wants to add a little extra incentive for people to buy both its latest TVs and its gaming console. For the most part, this is a typical high-end OLED display. It offers the deep blacks and excellent contrast ratios you expect from an OLED. You also get some of the best ai-powered image upscaling you’ll find in a TV thanks to Sony’s XR processor, which analyzes the on-screen image and tweaks it for maximum performance. So, if you’re not always watching native 4K content (and most of us aren’t), it will still look good. 

Plug a PlayStation 5 into one of the two HDMI 2.1 ports (out of a total of four) and this setup is capable of 4K gaming at 120 fps, even if consoles haven’t quite caught up to those lofty specs just yet. The TV does, however, get special tone-mapping abilities for more robust HDR performance exclusively with the PS5. Plus, those two HDMI 2.1 ports support Variable Refresh Rate tech with the PS5 to avoid screen tearing and other unwanted effects. In many ways, this TV was designed to work ideally with the PS5, so if you consume most of your content through that console, this is a great choice.

Best 8K: LG Z2 OLED evo

Specs 

  • Sizes: 77” and 88”
  • Resolution: 8K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: 4 HDMI 2.1, 3 USB-A, RF, Ethernet
  • HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10

Pros

  • The only 8K OLED around
  • Enormous sizes match the flashy design
  • Excellent picture quality
  • Robust smart features

Cons

  • Could be brighter
  • Very expensive

LG’s flagship Z2 TV pushes its maximum resolution all the way up to 8K. That means you get roughly 32 megapixels of image information every time the screen refreshes. That’s a serious amount of pixels. Of course, there really isn’t much native 8K content out there at the moment. LG remedies that issue by equipping its TV with its most powerful a9 image processing hardware. It relies on AI to upscale the on-screen image to fit the massive 8K screen. If you’re still regularly watching DVDs, this probably isn’t the TV for you. But if you’re watching native 4K and even streaming content, it should look very solid. 

In addition to all those pixels, this TV also has a classier design than most of its competition. At 77” and 88”, there’s no small option to sneak into a guest bedroom. This is a centerpiece TV made to occupy the main spot in the living room. It comes mounted on its own stand, allowing it to reside wherever you have the space. Whatever you do, however, please don’t put it too high above the fireplace. It deserves better than that. 

Is this TV practical? No, 8K is still in its infancy, and you’re definitely paying a premium for the fancy design. But why not get something fancy if you’re not worried about a measly $13,000 (or $25,000 for the 88″)? 

Best budget: LG B2

Specs 

  • Sizes: 55”, 65”, and 77”
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
  • Ports: 4 HDMI ports (two of which are HDMI 2.1), 2 USB-A ports, Ethernet, RF, Headphones, Optical audio
  • HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10

Pros

  • Lots of features considering the price
  • OLED image quality makes for great contrast
  • Filmmaker Mode for easy tuning
  • Available up to 77 inches
  • Variable Refresh Rate

Cons

  • Only two HDMI 2.1 ports
  • Not as bright as some high-end models

The LG B2 offers a lot of performance for its price. While this is technically a 2022 model, and the B3 is already on the market, the B2 offers all the features most users will ever need. It has a pair of the latest HDMI 2.1 ports (two of the four total HDMIs), both supporting 4K at 120 fps. So, if the current-generation gaming consoles ever live up to their full potential, this TV can handle it. 

Like every OLED, the B2 offers sky-high contrast ratios with deep blacks and excellent color reproduction. As this isn’t a flagship model, it doesn’t offer the same kind of brightness you’d expect from displays that also integrated Quantum Dots. That’s really only an issue if you’re trying to put this TV in a room with a ton of ambient light. This will look fantastic if you have a space to pull the shades and turn off the overheads. 

Because this is a somewhat down-market option and has been out for more than a year, you can often find deep discounts on all three sizes. If you don’t absolutely need the very best and the brightest, then you can get this display and leave lots of cash to pay for that ever-growing list of streaming services.

Still worth buying: LG C1

Specs 

  • Sizes: 48”, 55”, 65”, 77”, 88”
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: 4 HDMI 2.1, RF, 2 USB 2.0, ethernet, optical audio, headphone out
  • HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10

Pros

  • Impeccable picture
  • Solid mix of features and price
  • Lots of size options
  • Excellent upscaling

Cons

  • Just OK brightness

This was our best overall pick for some time, and it’s still absolutely worth checking out if you don’t need the most advanced features or the brightest display. You can often find it at a very solid discount.

Across all of your content consumption, the C1 provides an excellent contrast ratio thanks to its super-deep black levels. For movie watching, LG offers filmmaker mode, which turns off motion smoothing and tones down the vibrance and brightness to make the picture look more like what you’d expect at the theater. 

The C1 supports all the most popular flavors of HDR, as well as the two dominant Variable Refresh Rate technologies, G-Sync and FreeSync, which gamers will appreciate. In fact, the C1 has a lot to offer gamers. All four HDMI ports support HDMI 2.1, giving you enough to hook up a PS5 and Xbox Series X for 4K/120fps gameplay. Plus, it boasts a 1ms response time in gaming mode, which cuts down potentially game-ruining lag. 

It’s not the brightest TV around, but that’s also one of the few drawbacks of OLED TVs across the board. Aside from that quibble, the C1 has just about anything anyone could ask for, and it won’t require ill-gotten crypto funds to afford it.

What is OLED, and how does it work?

Want to dig deeper into how these displays actually work and what makes them different from the rest of the TVs on the wall at the store?

Well, in an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, each pixel is an LED that emits its own light. When content requires dark or black areas on the screen, the display can simply turn those pixels off to create a “true” black that most other backlight technologies can’t match. The difference often becomes especially apparent in areas where bright objects butt up against darkness, which can cause light to spill where it shouldn’t go.

Typical LED backlit TVs rely on an array of LEDs sitting behind an LCD panel that controls how much light to let through. This is the same basic idea that has powered almost every flat-screen TV since the technology’s inception, and it comes with a few drawbacks. The primary issue arises when the LCD panel can’t block all of the light coming from behind it: The excess light distorts black and even darker colors, making them look gray or washed out. Depending on the arrangement of the LEDs in the backlight, it can also result in a picture with unnatural banding or patchiness, especially around the edges. If you’ve ever noticed light leaking from the top, bottom, or sides of your TV screen during a dark scene, OLED fixes that problem. 

While OLEDs are fantastic, they aren’t perfect. They’re still often pricier than their QLED competition at the same size. They also aren’t as bright and instead rely on their super-dark black levels to create a punchy, vibrant image. If you’re planning to watch TV in a super sunny room all day, then OLED probably isn’t your best bet. Otherwise, it’s hard to beat. 

What to know even more about backlighting tech? Check out our QLED vs. OLED vs. Mini-LED primer.

Things to consider when buying an OLED TV

Size

Dig into the OLED offerings, and you’ll find that most manufacturers hover around the 55- to 65-inch sweet spots for their most popular models, with an increasing amount of options in the 70s. If you’re in the market for a small TV, OLED probably isn’t the right choice for you. As with all big-screen TV, expect a noticeable price jump when you go above 65 inches. Manufacturers commonly offer 77-inch and even 88-inch displays, but they command a huge premium for all that real estate. 

Connectivity

Since you’re spending considerable cash on a new TV, you want it to last a while, which makes paying attention to the ports important for futureproofing. This is especially true if you plan to use your new panel with a fancy next-gen gaming console. 

Ideally, you’ll want a set with multiple HDMI 2.1 ports to prepare you for anything you may one day hook up. HDMI 2.1 represents the most recent iteration of the familiar connector. The extra bandwidth HDMI 2.1 provides allows compatible cables and devices to display high resolutions and fast frame rates, both of which will be increasingly important as streaming and gaming tech advance in the next few years. Right now, it’s only really relevant if you’re using a PS5 or Xbox Series X, but more devices will be able to take advantage down the road.

You’ll often find that TVs have a mixture of HDMI 2.1 and HDMI 2.0 ports, so just ensure you have enough high-performance connectivity to connect the devices you plan to use. 

Frame rate

High TV frame rates earned themselves a bad reputation early on when “motion smoothing” technology made our favorite movies look like cheesy soap operas. Many TVs still offer 60Hz refresh rates, which means the TV redraws the on-screen image 60 times each second. Higher-end TVs, however, support 120Hz refresh rates, which doubles the redraw frequency and creates smoother on-screen motion. While it won’t drastically improve movies and TV shows, it can make sports and video games look noticeably better. 

Some TV manufacturers have also started to support Variable Refresh Rate technologies like Nvidia’s G-Sync and AMD FreeSync. These gaming-focused features can reduce stuttering and other weirdness that can ruin your experience. Check out our round-up of the best TVs for gaming for a more in-depth take on these features.

Resolution

If you’re buying a current-generation OLED TV, it will almost certainly offer 4K resolution. This has been the standard for several years, and it’s where you want to be. Technically, 8K is an option, but it’s wildly impractical for most people. Right now, there’s a nearly complete dearth of 8K content to watch on those fancy TVs. Even newer game consoles like the Xbox Series X and PS5, which technically support 8K gaming, lack any native 8K games or content. Upgrade to 8K if you want the bragging rights. Otherwise, 4K is plenty for now. 

Smart TV features

While a TV’s software won’t impact your viewing experience as much as its technical specifications, it may affect your interaction with your new OLED display if you don’t use an external streaming device or game console. Most TV manufacturers have a single platform on which all their TVs run. Since we’re talking about OLEDs, you’re very likely to end up using LG’s own WebOS platform since that brand shows up more than others. Sony often relies on Google TV software. While these services aren’t all created equal, none is so much better or worse than the others that they should affect your purchasing decision.

HDR

High-Dynamic Range is basically the whole sales pitch for OLED TVs. By making the dark areas and blacks basically devoid of illumination, it makes the brights seem even more brilliant. There are two HDR standards: the near-universal HDR10 and the less common Dolby Vision. Some critics suggest that Dolby Vision works better, but fewer places support the standard. Luckily there are very few TVs, if any, that support Dolby Vision but not HDR10. Realistically, the important thing to know is that any OLED worth buying says “HDR” on the box.

FAQs

Q: What are the disadvantages of OLED TV?

The primary issue with OLEDs tends to pop up as a lack of overall brightness. If you frequently watch TV in bright areas, you’re likely better off with something like a QLED or even a typical LED display, which can achieve higher levels of overall illumination.

OLEDs can sometimes suffer from a condition called “burn-in,” in which objects that stay on the screen too long can leave a permanent impression on the screen, impacting every picture. Modern OLEDs have come a long way in fixing this, though. 

Q: Which brand of OLED TV is best?

Sony and Vizio offer popular OLED TV sets, but LG dominates the OLED market because it’s the only company that can physically manufacture the panels. 

Q: Do OLED TVs degrade over time?

All TVs degrade over time, but OLEDs will typically do so a bit faster than the competition. You’ll notice the degradation as an overall loss in brightness and contrast. However, this process takes years with normal usage. If you’re planning to keep your TV on 24 hours a day for years at a time, you might want to opt for another style of TV.

OLEDs also once suffered from burn-in, a phenomenon in which on-screen objects that stayed in one place for too long would leave permanent imprints on the display. This has become much less of an issue in recent generations, though. 

Final thoughts on the best OLED TVs

If you’re in the market for the best possible picture quality in a TV, OLED is still the champ for the moment. With prices on the best OLED TVs coming down in recent years, this is actually a great time to take the leap into the OLED arena while competing technologies like Mini LED and Micro LED are still relatively early in their cycles. 

While you’re generally safe picking pretty much any LG OLED, make sure that you get the features that you need to support the style of content consumption you typically do. After all, that fancy new console isn’t all that fancy if you don’t have an HDMI 2.1 port to plug it into. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best OLED TVs in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best stereo speakers for 2023, tested and reviewed https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-stereo-speakers/ Tue, 22 Feb 2022 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=426135
Best stereo speakers sliced header
Tony Ware

From low-profile streaming soundbars to tall-and-mighty towers, here are the best stereo speakers to fill any space with sound (and keep your wallet full, too).

The post The best stereo speakers for 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best stereo speakers sliced header
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Polk Reserve Stereo Speaker on a white background Polk Reserve R500
SEE IT

This versatile floorstander incorporates flagship Polk technologies at an accessible price.

Best stereo smart speaker Bowers & Wilkins stereo smart speaker Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin
SEE IT

Form meets function in this sleek airship piloted by Alexa.

Best for home theater Bluesound PULSE SOUNDBAR+ product image on a white background Bluesound PULSE SOUNDBAR+
SEE IT

With support for both immersive audio and high-res streaming, this soundbar elevates music listening as well as movies.

Choosing stereo speakers used to be pretty straightforward: If speakers sounded good, matched your amp, and fit your space, they were winners. These days, that decision is a little more complicated, considering granular music preferences, streaming functionality, and whole-home connectivity. With a wide range of speaker choices available at every price point, it’s easy to be lured by long feature lists and luxurious stylings. But while all that functionality is important, remember that fidelity comes first: All of the conveniences in the world don’t matter if your speakers can’t produce thrilling, room-filling sound that brings all of the nuances of your favorite songs and movies to life, precisely as they were meant to be heard. Traditional towers to smart speakers—we’ve done the heavy lifting to jump-start your quest for the best stereo speakers that prove great sound doesn’t have to take up all your space or budget.

How we chose the best stereo speakers

To select the best stereo speakers from hundreds of choices, we narrowed our focus to specific applications, focusing on listening to music in indoor spaces, with the caveat that many listeners enjoy music and movies on the same media system. We concentrated on speakers that best balance proven sonic performance, versatile connectivity features, and universal appeal. Our team of musicians, producers, and gear junkies compared, well, notes, along with input from peers, experts, and actual users. We investigated time-honored classics and the newest developments in each category, putting new speakers through hands-on listening tests whenever possible. by rounding up our favorite models in various categories, from traditional towers to smart speakers, focusing on models that overperform but can be considered a bargain.

The best stereo speakers: Reviews & Recommendations

The best brand of speakers is a subjective choice. That said, the companies profiled here are well-known for their groundbreaking speaker technologies and have invested decades in acoustics engineering and materials R&D. Some of the most widely known brands—including Bowers & Wilkins, Bose, Klipsch, KEF, and Polk—have been making top-of-the-line speakers for audiophiles for more than 50 years; others—like JBL, Dynaudio, Focal, and Quested—are market leaders in pro industries and have ported their studio-monitor and touring sound system innovations over into their consumer speakers. These companies are committed to developing great-sounding, reliable speakers that elevate the listening experience. When shopping, it’s fine to care about recognizable names, and a good idea to compare reviews, but sound is so subjective that the best approach is to set your budget, decide which features are the best fit for your space and lifestyle, and audition models in person whenever you can.

Best overall: Polk Reserve R500

Polk Reserve

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This value-priced speaker is packed with flagship acoustic technologies, exemplifying Polk’s goal to offer “great sound for all.”

Specs 

  • Drivers: 3 (one 1”, two 5 ¼”)
  • Dimensions: 10 1/8″ x 41 1/8″ x 13 3/4″
  • Frequency response: 32 Hz – 50 kHz
  • Connectivity: 5-way binding posts

Pros

  • Pinnacle Ring Radiator smoothes high-end dispersion
  • Advanced cabinet bracing minimizes resonances
  • Refined cabinet finishes elevate home decor

 Cons

  • Larger Reserve towers offer more sophisticated port technologies

Cabinets are finished in black, white, or walnut woodgrain, and have strategically angled bracing for smooth, peak-free response with open, uncolored bass and midrange. The R500 is High-Res Audio certified, as well as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX, and Auro 3D certified.

Polk’s Reserve Series, introduced in 2021, offers the ideal combination of fidelity and value, bringing acoustic technologies from the company’s flagship Legend Series to versatile, affordable sound systems for music, movies, and gaming. Nine models are available: three floorstanding speakers, three center channels, two bookshelf speakers, and a height module for spatial audio content. The R500 compact floorstanding speaker, at $599 each, is an affordable entry into the Reserve tower lineup. While it won’t reach the sonic summit, it also won’t cost the tens of thousands of dollars that achievement costs; what sets this speaker apart is the amount of people it can satisfy overall. 

The R500 borrows a lot of innovations from Legend speakers: If you’ve ever seen high-end Polk speakers, you’ve probably noticed the distinctive, Hershey’s Kiss-esque waveguides protruding from their tweeters. That’s Polk’s Pinnacle Ring Radiator, which disperses high frequencies evenly around the room for a wider sweet spot while squashing resonances for crisper, more detailed highs, and it’s a key feature of the R500.

Dual 5 ¼-inch Turbine Cone midrange woofers features molded ridges that increase stiffness without adding mass, for a clearer, more detailed sound, and the R500’s bass-reflex enclosure with patented Power Port and X-Port technologies is optimized to cut down on air turbulence, minimizing chuffing and other noises that can mask the clarity of midrange sounds. The overall frequency response is 32 Hz – 50 kHz. (Need more dynamic range but not ready to add a subwoofer? Step up to the 6.5-inch woofers of the R600 and or the 8-inch woofers of the R700.)

Best smart speaker: B&W Zeppelin

Sarah Jones

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This audiophile-grade smart speaker borrows drivers from B&W’s top-of-the-line systems. If sound and style are your biggest priorities, Zeppelin is the one to beat.

Specs 

  • Drivers: 5 (two 1”, two 3.5”, one 6”)
  • Dimensions: 28 x 12 x 11.6 inches
  • Frequency response: 35 Hz – 24 kHz
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB (service only)

Pros

  • Audiophile-grade speaker array
  • Showstopping aesthetics
  • Can be updated with new features and services

Cons

  • Not ideal for bookshelf placement

In 2007, Bowers & Wilkins introduced the Zeppelin iPod dock, which set a new bar for stylish, audiophile-quality personal speakers. Over the past 15 years, Zeppelin has evolved with new technologies, losing the dock and adding wireless connectivity and smart-speaker functionality. The newest Zeppelin, introduced in fall 2021, incorporates advanced streaming features and the Amazon Alexa smart assistant.

Zeppelin is all about simplicity in design and function, packing five drivers and 240 watts of amplification into an elliptical enclosure measuring two feet wide, its grille sheathed in mesh fabric. (Choose from deep, black-ish “midnight grey” or light “pearl grey” finishes.) A hidden LED status indicator shining from Zeppelin’s base onto its pedestal creates a halo effect; it can be dimmed or turned off entirely.

Embossed icons on the back indicate volume and playback controls, an Alexa voice control/mic mute button, and a multifunction/pairing button. A power plug, reset button, and USB-C service port round out the back. Like many wireless smart speakers, Zeppelin has no HDMI connection or audio I/Os.

Due to its atypical shape, the Zeppelin might not fit with the best bookshelf speakers, unless it’s a very wide, uncluttered shelf; it’s more at home taking center stage atop a console or pedestal in an open-sided space. (For more options, a wall bracket is available for $100.)

Most of Zeppelin’s advanced controls are in the B&W Music app, which serves as a hub for setup and streaming. The app supports various services, including Deezer, Qobuz, TIDAL, Soundcloud, Amazon Music, and Last.fm. Zeppelin can also stream via Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth 5.0 (including the AAC, SBC, and aptX Adaptive codecs), and Spotify Connect.

The app currently streams at 24-bit/96 kHz resolution. Still, since the speaker’s converters can accept 192 kHz files, you can feed it higher-resolution audio by streaming that content over AirPlay 2 or aptX Adaptive Bluetooth, as I did.

Alexa voice control works like any smart speaker, and like most smart speakers, Zeppelin lets you mute its field microphones if you’re worried about Big Tech listening to you.

To achieve true stereo sound from a single speaker, Zeppelin features a carefully oriented five-driver complement that borrows acoustic technologies from B&W’s flagship speaker families. The array features two 1-inch, decoupled double-dome aluminum tweeters, also used in B&W’s 600 Anniversary Series loudspeakers. Dual 3.5-inch midrange drivers are borrowed from B&W’s $40,000 800 Series Diamond Line, and a 6-inch subwoofer sits in the center. The drivers deliver a frequency range of 35 Hz to 24 kHz; everything is powered by 240 watts of Class D amplification.

When I got an opportunity to spend some hands-on time with Zeppelin, I streamed high-res TIDAL MQA tracks directly. Listening to Diana Krall’s classic “The Look of Love,” Zeppelin revealed every nuance of Krall’s luxurious silk-and-sandpaper vocal stylings in a very direct, lifelike presentation. I was struck by Zeppelin’s tight, defined low-end response; piano notes were defined across the entire register, and I could practically feel Christian McBride deftly pulling his fingers across the bass strings.

Regarding stereo imaging, Zeppelin does an impressive job producing a broad, defined soundstage, with distinct separation at close range. While the lush string arrangements may not have felt as sweeping as they would on a pair of speakers, the soundstage was expansive for a single enclosure, especially inside a distance of about 4 feet.

Zeppelin is equally satisfying for those seeking room-filling sound. Going full-bore with Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls On Parade,” the speaker delivered every gut punch with authority and clarity. The speaker never distorted, delivering clean, clear sound at levels loud enough for my neighbors to stop by and ask me what the heck was going on.

No matter what I listened to, I found Zeppelin’s tonal balance pleasing and natural, with muscular yet controlled bass; a warm, detailed midrange; and crisp highs. Zeppelin may be pricey, clocking in at $800, but it’s the best-sounding smart speaker I’ve heard. If superior sound and showstopping style are your top priorities in a smart speaker, let your search begin and end here.

Best for home theater: Bluesound PULSE SOUNDBAR+

Tony Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Home theatre meets hi-fi in this audiophile-grade soundbar that can serve as the hub of a wireless whole-home entertainment ecosystem.

Specs

  • Drivers: 6 (two 1”, two 2”, two 4”), 2 4” passive radiators
  • Dimensions: 42 1/4″ x 5 5/8″ x 3 3/4″
  • Frequency response: 70 Hz – 20 kHz
  • Connectivity: HDMI eARC in, USB Type A in, Toslink in, 3.5mm analog in, RCA mono subwoofer out, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Pros

  • Supports high-res audio up to 24-bit/192 kHz
  • Can serve as the hub of a connected home ecosystem
  • Movie, Music, and Late Night modes optimize sound for a range of scenarios

 Cons

  • Wall mount is somewhat flimsy

The Bluesound PULSE SOUNDBAR+, made “by audiophiles for audiophiles,” is one of the most versatile systems on our list, despite taking a far-from-typical shape for a “stereo speaker.” Bluesound, like Sonos, offers an ecosystem of wireless products that can be used to build a multiroom audio system. Bluesound launched the first wireless multiroom system to support MQA Music technology, which “folds” digital data to allow efficient streaming of high-res audio without taking up a mountain of bandwidth. A broad range of inputs and outputs, including HDMI eARC (so don’t forget those cables), Ethernet, and 3.5mm analog in, make Pulse Soundbar+ an ideal home-entertainment hub. The soundbar can be managed through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant voice control, an existing TV remote, or the BluOS Controller app for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, and Windows and Mac operating systems.

Suppose you’re considering a soundbar for your speaker(s). In that case, you’re probably also a movie lover who will appreciate that the PULSE is a soundbar that can expand Dolby Atmos-encoded content and virtualize two-channel to 7.1 audio into an immersive soundstage. But this soundbar’s features go way beyond screen soundtracks, with support for TIDAL, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify Connect, iHeart Radio, Deezer, aptX HD, and AirPlay 2; in addition, files can be played back via USB drive and supported hi-res audio formats include FLAC, MQA, WAV, AIFF, and MPEG-4 SLS.

The updated PULSE SOUNDBAR+ underscores Bluesound’s commitment to superior sound quality and performance, packing audiophile-grade drivers, a high-performance digital-to-analog converter, and clean, powerful amplification behind its tall aluminum grill. Inside, a six-speaker front-facing array features two 1-inch drivers, two 2-inch inch drivers, and two 4-inch drivers, with two passive radiators beefing up the bass; built-in digital amps supply 120 watts of power. An all-new quad-core processor features a chipset optimized for music streaming, delivering high-quality audio at ultra-fast speeds.

According to our associate managing editor, who has auditioned the PULSE SOUNDBAR+, it is authoritative, throaty even, in a good way when playing vocal material recorded in standard stereo. The presentation overall is balanced, never sacrificing texture for artificial excitement. Lows and mids have warmth but don’t get fuzzy, while treble is precise without harshness. It’s not the sparkliest response but projects a clean, clear atmosphere. There is limited EQ available in the app, and bass extends naturally, but you’ll want to add the Pulse Sub+ wireless, powered subwoofer to achieve full slam. Up-converting audio (which requires two toggles in the app) results in perceivable spaciousness, though engaging more in its width than its height, given the lack of up-firing drivers. Depth does mean sacrificing some immediacy, however, so unless playing around with audio encoded specifically for Atmos (tested through TIDAL and Apple Music), the PULSE SOUNDBAR+ is most compelling musically without any processing and staged within a small- to medium-sized room.

Decoding Dolby Atmos films, the PULSE SOUNDBAR+ is both direct and nuanced, casting dynamic, detailed imaging that separates dialogue and action deftly but not distractingly. And not only does the PULSE SOUNDBAR+ work well on its own, but it can also be a part of a whole-house high-res music system by combining with other BluOS components, such as the Pulse Mini 2i all-in-one bookshelf/desktop speaker, Pulse 2i wireless smart speaker, or Pulse M omni-hybrid streaming speaker. These can either pair and expand the soundbar’s soundstage, or you can pass your music off to their various zones effortlessly if they are situated around the house, allowing you to have multiple stereo systems without needing separate sources.

Best wireless: KEF LS50 Wireless II

Tony Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: High-res audio support, extensive acoustic upgrades, and future-proof connectivity enhance this audiophile-grade wireless bookshelf speaker update.

Specs

  • Drivers: 2 (one 1”, one 5 ¼”)
  • Dimensions: 12 x 7.9 x 12.2 in.
  • Frequency response: 45 Hz – 28 kHz
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, HDMI eARC, Ethernet, coaxial and optical ins, subwoofer out, 3.5mm aux ins

Pros

  • Robust amplification delivers clean sound at any volume
  • Tons of connectivity options
  • Future-proof app tech

 Cons

  • Speakers and stand are both pricey

In 2016, KEF introduced the LS50 Wireless, a version of its iconic LS50 bookshelf speaker with built-in amplification and streaming features. KEF’s new LS50 Wireless II takes that evolution further, refining acoustics, expanding connectivity, and improving the KEF Connect control app—making the LS50 Wireless II one of the best powered speakers on the market.

Available in signature KEF Carbon Black, Titanium Grey, Mineral White, and Crimson Red finishes (with available matching stands), the LS50 Wireless II is a stylish addition to any space. The cabinet is offset by KEF’s iconic, copper-hued Uni-Q driver, which places a 1-inch vented aluminum-dome tweeter in the acoustic center of a 5 ¼-inch magnesium-aluminum alloy woofer cone to create a wider sweet spot; Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) minimizes distortion in the tweeter assembly. A bass-reflex cabinet with elliptical rear ports is engineered for more accurate, musical low end.

Each speaker houses two custom amps that deliver 280 watts to each woofer and 100 watts to each tweeter, for plenty of room-rocking power and clean, distortion-free sound at any volume. Built-in digital signal processing lets you tweak sound to fit your space. Start with the easy Beginner mode and take more control in Expert mode; and make adjustments on-speaker or in the free KEF Connect app.

It all adds up to clean, detailed sound with an expansive soundstage; support for Hi-Res Audio further elevates audio quality. (Network file support is 24-bit/384 kHz; a wireless setup supports 24-bit/96 kHz audio resolution, or connect the speakers with the supplied CAT 6 cable for 24-bit/192 kHz support.)

The LS50 Wireless II is ready to connect with just about any device: Wired connections include an HDMI eARC, Ethernet, coaxial and optical inputs, a subwoofer output, and 3.5mm aux ins; stream music directly over Bluetooth or Wi-F, AirPlay 2, and Google Chromecast, or through the KEF Connect app, which supports Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music, or Deezer. Use Chromecast to create a multiroom audio setup with compatible speakers. In addition, the LS50 Wireless II can act as an endpoint to access a Roon music server. Hence, you can access a consolidated library of advanced-resolution audio when on your local network.

At $2,799/pair (plus $449 for optional S2 floor stands), the LS50 Wireless II is pricier than the other speakers on our list. Still, its versatile connectivity makes it an ideal all-in-one listening system. You might be able to save a few hundred dollars on older-version LS50 Wireless speakers, or save over $1,000 by choosing KEF’s most compact streaming system, the LSX II. But if your budget supports it, we recommend going with the most recent generation LS50 for its improved acoustics and future-proof format support. Of course, if you want to double down, the LS50 Wireless II has an amazing synergy with the ultra-compact, incredibly expressive KC62 subwoofer. Or, if you want to expand the frequency response and your budget but keep things integrated, the surprisingly slim but shockingly sinuous KEF LS60 Wireless streaming floorstanders are a great choice. As for KEF’s passive options, the LS50 Meta, successor of the original LS50, remains one of the best compact speakers for music lovers who prefer building their signal chain.

Best budget floorstanding: Fluance Ai81 Elite Powered 2-Way Tower Speakers

Billy Cadden

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Two-way audio at its best, these speakers have excellent dual midrange drivers, a tweeter, and down-firing acoustic bass enhancement built into their design, which integrates Class D amplification and Bluetooth 5.0 for modern sonic connectivity.

Specs 

  • Channels: 2 channels: 2 x 6.5-inch drivers + tweeter
  • Connection: 2x RCA L/R, Bluetooth, & Digital Optical TOSLINK
  • Power: 2 x 75 watts RMS
  • Dimensions: 37.8 x 8.50 x 10.24 inches

Pros

  • Acoustic bass enhancement built into the design
  • Good frequency response
  • Can be paired with a subwoofer
  • Easy connectivity from multiple sources

 Cons

  • Requires multiple power outlets
  • No active bass

Usher your home audio into the stratosphere with the Fluance Ai81. Eschewing the need for an amplifier, these two-channel speakers are internally powered, with 150 watts of RMS divided between the two units. Each speaker contains two 6.5-inch woven glass fiber drivers and a neodymium tweeter. The speakers are also built around a down-firing natural concavity that enhances bass acoustically.

With a 30 Hz–20 kHz response (DSP enhanced), these speakers do a solid job with most of the audio spectrum passing through your living room. However, their 30 Hz low-end might not have enough oomph for some, but that’s okay because connecting a subwoofer to this system is easy. And, at only $499 a pair, these speakers leave you with enough money in your budget for some external augmentation or high-end sources.

With attractive walnut, ash, or bamboo sides, this beautiful speaker system will augment any home entertainment system visually and audibly. With multiple connection options—including RCA, Optical, and Bluetooth 5.0—it’s ready for anything you want to play.

Best budget bookshelf: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2

ELAC

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Significant acoustic enhancements elevate this revamped bookshelf speaker to new, high-res-ready heights.

Specs 

  • Drivers: 2 (one 1”, one 5 ¼”)
  • Dimensions: 13.5 x 9.3 x 7.1 inches
  • Frequency response: 46 Hz–35 kHz
  • Connectivity: 5-way binding posts

Pros

  • Extended high-frequency response
  • Forgiving of placement
  • Robust build quality

 Cons

  • Tons of worthy competition at this price point

Elac’s Debut 2.0 Series, a refresh of the company’s iconic Debut Series speaker family, incorporates new drivers, waveguides, cabinets, and networks, for significant performance improvements and easier setup.

We’re partial to the Debut 2.0 B5.2 entry-level two-way passive bookshelf speakers, representing an incredible value in an acoustically advanced line. Driver updates include new silk-dome tweeters that extend high-frequency response to 35 kHz, and a redesigned, woven-aramid-fiber woofer that boasts improved stiffness and damping, for tight, defined bass. Thick MDF cabinets, finished in black ash vinyl, are internally braced to reduce vibrations, and a dual-flared bass port has been moved to the speaker’s front for more flexible speaker placement against walls or in bookshelves. (Ideally, place on rigid stands for the best performance.)

The Debut 2.0 B5.2s requires power; an amp offering a minimum of around 40W/6 ohms is adequate for smaller rooms; move up to about 140W/6 ohms for larger rooms and higher listening levels.

It’s no surprise that the Debut 2.0 B5.2s is a continual best seller: This speaker is solidly built, forgiving in setup, and most importantly, delivers robust, balanced, defined sound, all for a mere $279/pair. And its extended high-frequency range helps make the most of high-res audio formats.

There are tons of worthy contenders in the sub-$1,000 speaker market. But if you’re looking for a versatile bookshelf model that’s easy to configure, easy to listen to, and easy on the wallet, the Debut 2.0 B5.2 is the one to beat.

Things to consider before buying the best stereo speakers

Selecting the best stereo speakers is a very personal decision. Many factors determine a speaker’s sound, including build quality, materials, and components; amplification and inputs; and the size and sound of your room also play big roles. (And, if you’re new to the foundational technologies, check out our primer on what makes up a speaker.)

What size speakers should I get?

Picking the right size speakers for your room is important. The larger the speaker, the more powerful its output and the deeper the bass it can produce. But bigger isn’t always better. You want loudspeakers that are large enough to effortlessly fill the room with sound but small enough to perform efficiently in that space. For example, bookshelf speakers might be perfect for your home office, but floor-standing speakers might better fit your living room. Your speakers should be able to reproduce your most dynamic content effortlessly, but if they’re too powerful for the size of the room, you can’t play them at their optimal levels and they can end up sounding boomy.

Should I get active or passive speakers?

Active, or powered, speakers have built-in amplification. In contrast, passive speakers must be powered by an external amplifier, either an A/V receiver or dedicated power amp. If you’re a gear minimalist, powered speakers mean fewer components and less cable clutter, and you don’t have to worry about matching your speakers to the right amp. Audiophiles tend to prefer passive speakers because, with less circuitry being placed inside the enclosure, they generally allow for designs that sound better than equivalently priced powered speakers and allow more flexibility mixing and matching and upgrading components for their specific sonic characters (or lack thereof, for those that prize neutrality). And because passive speakers don’t have to plug into a power outlet, they allow for more placement options in some spaces, speaker wires allowing.

Do I need a subwoofer?

Sometimes it makes sense to extend the low-end range of your system with a subwoofer. Bass frequencies need big drivers to reproduce them, and speakers won the smaller side, like bookshelf speakers, can’t always deliver brawny bass by design. Consider a sub if your speakers don’t produce a sound that extends to the lowest frequencies or if your speakers produce bass that you can hear, but you want more powerful, intense bass that you can feel—especially if you like bass-heavy music like hip-hop or EDM. Subwoofers are also a common choice if you’re using your speaker system for both music and movies because they’ll add that cinematic rumble.

Some speakers come with subwoofers, while others are matched to subwoofers by the same manufacturer. And if you’re not sure if a sub is the right investment, you can always add one down the line if you feel your current setup isn’t bringing enough thump and thunder.

What kind of connectivity should I look for?

Speaker connections can range from the ultra-minimalist (the B&W Zeppelin, for example, has no physical audio connections) to fully loaded products that offer a range of analog and digital I/Os, including USB audio inputs and HDMI ARC ports for home theater. Your audio sources will dictate which connections you need. For example, you’ll need a phono-level analog input to connect a turntable.

What about Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support?

Some speakers support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or both; these speakers are labeled “wireless speakers” (despite their need for a power cable—you’ll never confuse them for portable party speakers). Bluetooth technology lets you stream music from your mobile devices, while Wi-Fi lets you stream from the internet or a computer on your home network. (Bluetooth links devices directly; Wi-Fi requires a router to connect the devices to and through a local network.) Most speaker manufacturers offer free companion apps to streamline the process.

FAQs

Q: How much do stereo speakers cost?

Stereo speakers cost anywhere from less than $100 to tens of thousands of dollars per pair; the great news is that most leading speaker brands offer fantastic-sounding options for various budgets. When you get into premium brands and models, you’ll see more advanced acoustic engineering and meticulous attention to materials and build quality, showcasing features like gold-plated terminals and furniture-grade finishes. Generally, more expensive speakers sound better than cheaper models, but higher prices don’t guarantee better sound quality.

Q: Do I need an amp with my speakers?

You need an amp with passive speakers, which don’t have built-in amplification. There are a few different ways to power passive speakers: on the less-expensive end, consider a stereo receiver, which combines amplification, an AM/FM tuner, and control features. Consider investing in a good-quality dedicated power amplifier or integrated amplifier for better sound. If you’re looking to bring new functionality to passive speakers, consider something like the Marantz Model 40n integrated amplifier, which offers built-in music streaming via its HEOS system, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay, and Bluetooth, and covers all of your components with a full range of analog and digital I/Os, including phono in and HDMI ARC.

Check your speaker specs to determine how much wattage it can handle. Powered, or active, stereo speakers have built-in amplification, meaning you won’t have to worry about matching components or adding extra gear and cables to your space.

Q: How many watts is a good speaker?

The answer to the question “How many watts is a good speaker?” depends. A speaker’s wattage rating indicates its power potential, not its sound quality, and many factors influence the power relationship, from the speakers’ sensitivity to the number of connected speakers. That said, whether you choose active or passive speakers, it’s important to supply the right amount of power for the speaker to operate efficiently for the best sound quality. The higher the wattage, the louder your speakers can play without distorting; for safe, clean operation, don’t let your amp output exceed your speakers’ capacity. For small rooms, look for 20 to 40 watts per channel; for home theatres and entertainment spaces, aim closer to 100 watts per channel.

Final thoughts on the best stereo speakers

The “best” stereo speakers mean different things to different people, and the products we’ve profiled here support a range of home music-listening scenarios. First and foremost, speakers should sound incredible, reproducing every nuance of your favorite music and movies with depth and detail, effortlessly filling the room and delivering power and impact without coloring or distorting sound. Then, it’s all about prioritizing the factors that are important to you, like smart-speaker functions, connectivity features, and style. By any of these measures, choosing one of the models here will not disappoint you.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best stereo speakers for 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best cheap projectors in 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-cheap-projectors/ Mon, 21 Mar 2022 17:16:02 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=431440
best cheap projectors header
Stan Horaczek

Increase your home entertainment enjoyment without depleting your retirement account with these picture-perfect cheap projectors.

The post The best cheap projectors in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
best cheap projectors header
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall BenQ HT2050A BenQ HT2050A
SEE IT

A projector that punches above its price tag.

Best for Outdoors Home Theater photo Epson Home Cinema 1080
SEE IT

Bright enough for outdoor movies.

Best budget Kodak Luma 150 Kodak Luma 150
SEE IT

Smart features help this projector stand out.

Cheap projectors deliver a crisp, bold image without emptying your wallet. With image sizes often topping 100 inches, projectors turn a night home with Netflix into immersive, movie-theater experiences—only without the lines, sticky floors, or terrible sight-lines. They fit into spaces that don’t typically have room for large TVs and many are portable enough to easily take on business trips or vacations. A variety of connectors—including HDMI, USB, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth—make it convenient to pull your programming from set-top streaming boxes, computers, NAS Servers, or your smartphone. The best part? Each of the ones we’ve selected below costs well under $800.

While inexpensive projectors often deliver a great picture, you should expect to make a few sacrifices in regards to features and specs. For instance, drop any notion of watching full, 4K movies. Many inexpensive projectors can’t match the brightness of their higher-end cousins, and that limits the size of the projected image. And in some of the pocket-size models, you might see a drop off in color quality and contrast. 

So how do you separate quality from junk? How do you strike a balance between affordability and quality? We’ve put together a list of five of the best cheap projectors to help you upgrade your entertainment system while leaving money left over for the popcorn and soda. 

How we chose the best cheap projectors

When considering the best cheap projectors to include in our recommendations, we relied on our own experience and also consulted with professionals in the TV and AV worlds to find out which ones they prefer. We read trade journals and websites and looked through user impressions to see what typical real-world experiences were like. We narrowed our selection of projectors down to 10, focusing first and foremost on image quality versus price. Everything had to fall under $800 to constitute “cheap,” which, admittedly, is a relative term in the world of home theater projectors. We looked at important specs including brightness, color, and contrast, and also what kind of technology was used to generate the image. Size and weight played a role, particularly in units meant to be portable.

The best cheap projectors: Reviews & Recommendations

Despite their low price a cheap projector should still provide an excellent movie or TV watching experience. You may not get every bell and whistle, but the core experience should be similar to using a projector that costs quite a bit more.

Best overall: BenQ HT2050A

BenQ

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This HD projector competes against much more expensive units thanks to high contrast and natural-looking colors, striking the perfect balance between price and performance.

Specs

  • Product Dimensions (WxDxH): 15 x 11 x 5 inches
  • Weight: 8 pounds
  • Image Source: Single-DLP
  • Lumens: 2,200

Pros

  • Excellent image quality
  • Lens shift
  • 3D Compatible

Cons

  • No support for HDR video
  • Can’t play 4K movies

The BenQ HT2050A performs above its weight class by delivering a gorgeous picture that’s up to 300 inches diagonally. It also has lens-shift, a feature rarely found on DLP projectors that allows you to adjust the image up or down without moving the projector itself. In addition, there’s a convenient 1.3x zoom.

The 15,000:1 contrast ratio and natural colors create a strong, cinema-like 1080p image, and you only need to set the projector back 8 feet for a 100-inch screen. The excellent color accuracy is achieved by using an RGBRGB (red-green-blue-red-green-blue) color wheel that doesn’t wash out an image and isn’t commonly found on budget projectors. The company claims the bulb outputs 2,200 lumens, but some tests chart it at 1,600. Either way, it’s still bright enough to deliver a bold picture without the need for blackout curtains. 

The HT2050A has inputs for HDMI and USB that can drive a streaming stick without external power. It also sports analog audio and video inputs for anyone using older stereo equipment or—for those who still have them—VHS players.

You won’t be able to get a 4K image out of the HT2050A, and some reviewers have reported seeing the rainbow effect inherent to single-DLP projectors, but this is still one of the best projectors you can buy at this price point.

Best outdoor theater projector: Epson Home Cinema 1080

Epson

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This bright projector delivers an image even in spaces filled with ambient light, making it the best cheap projector for outdoor use no matter how much light pollution is in your neighborhood. 

Specs

  • Product Dimensions (WxDxH): 15 x 15 x 7.9 inches
  • Weight: 8.2 pounds
  • Image Source: LCD
  • Lumens: 3,400

Pros

  • Bright enough for outdoor use
  • Built-in Android TV module
  • 10-watt speaker

Cons

  • Not the cheapest “cheap” projector
  • Blacks could be richer and deeper

Everyone loves outdoor movie night, and Epson’s Home Cinema 2250 is bright enough to deliver even when you can’t avoid ambient light from a street, your home, or a bright, full moon. 

In Natural picture mode, this projector produces a reported 1,600 lumens, with sharp contrast and natural colors. It’s enough to watch movies without having to turn off all the lights. Set to Dynamic Picture mode, the 2250 pumps out nearly 2,400 lumens—bright enough to watch programs during the day. However, there’s a small green shift in the color so this isn’t a recommended setting if you care a lot about a movie’s cinematography. But it’s great for catching a baseball game in the afternoon with friends.

The Epson 2250 has a lens-shift function to accurately position the image on your wall and a nice 1.6x zoom to help find the perfect size screen. Because it generates its image using an LCD chip, it doesn’t suffer from the rainbow effect found on single-DLP projectors.

Best mini projector: Nebula Capsule Max

NEBULA

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Anker Nebula Capsule Max’s small size and big sound make it our favorite mini, battery-powered projector. 

Specs:

  • Product Dimensions (WxDxH): 3.2 x 3.2 x 5.9 inches
  • Weight: 8 pounds
  • Image Source: Single-DLP
  • Lumens: 200

Pros

  • Small and portable
  • Robust 8W speaker
  • Smartphone remote app

Cons

  • Only 720p
  • No USB charging
  • Short battery life

Mini projectors, by necessity, trade some functionality and quality for their go-anywhere size, and none of them are perfect entertainment machines. However, the Anker Nebula Capsule Max—at just a bit larger than a soda can—does a good job of delivering a nice picture and strong audio, while still keeping the price tag low.

While the 200-lumen DLP-chip projector doesn’t sound very bright, in a dark room it still produces a 100-inch image with decent color and contrast. However, if you sit close to the screen, the larger pixels of its 720p image might stand out. The projector’s real sweet spot is around 60-80 inches—which is still a nice size for movies. Color is decent, if a little on the cool side. The 8-watt mono speaker sounds loud and clear and does a good job with both dialogue and sound effects. The projector also works as a standalone Bluetooth speaker.

Nebula claims a 4-hour battery life, but it requires switching to a battery-reserve mode that dims the bulb. In standard mode, expect to plug in the unit or else your battery could die in about an hour-and-a-half. It’d be nice if it could be charged via USB from a portable battery pack but as long as you have an outlet nearby—like in a hotel, conference room, or RV—you’ll be fine. 

The Capsule Max has an HDMI input for connecting to a streaming box or other media player, and a USB-A input for a streaming stick. You can download apps to the device via a curated version of the Android app store. One notable exception is Netflix, which can only be accessed after first loading the Nebula Connect app onto your phone (Android or iPhone). There’s also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. 

Best gaming projector: BenQ TH671ST

Adorama

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With its short, 16.4ms input lag-time, this is a projector that responds to gamers’ commands quickly while also producing an image that’s good enough for movies and TV. 

Specs 

  • Product Dimensions (WxDxH): 15 x 11 x 5 inches
  • Weight: 8 pounds
  • Image Source: Single-DLP
  • Lumens: 2,200

Pros

  • 16.4ms input lag time
  • Short-throw lens for small rooms
  • Up to 2600 lumens
  • 3D compatible

Cons

  • At the higher end of “cheap”

Input delay times can turn even the best gamers into losing gamers, which is why the TH671ST’s zippy, 16.4ms lag (in game mode) should appeal to anyone who likes to rock a controller. What’s more, this single-DLP, HD projector produces a bright image (up to 2,600 lumens) with natural colors and high contrast. So, not only do video games look great but so do your favorite movies. 

The TH671ST supports 3D content using DLP Link glasses and while it’s not a stand-out compared to projectors optimized for 3D, it’s a nice bonus feature if that’s something you enjoy. There are also dual HDMI inputs so you can have two devices—whether they’re game systems, media players, or streaming boxes—plugged in at once. This makes switching between games and movies simple. 

If your game or media set-up doesn’t include an audio system or soundbar, the 5W onboard speaker does a nice job of filling up a room. Sound effects and music from games pack a nice punch. Combine this with the projector’s short-throw design, which can project a large image from as close as four-and-a-half-feet away from a wall, and you’ve got a compact set-up that’s perfect for not just living rooms, but also dorm rooms, bedrooms, or any other place where space is at a premium. 

Best budget: Kodak Luma 150

KODAK

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This ultra-portable HD projector can slip into a bag or large pocket, providing an easy way to watch videos, share photos, or give presentations from your phone. 

Specs

  • Product Dimensions (WxDxH): 3.1 x 3.1 x 0.87 inches
  • Weight: 1 pound
  • Image Source: Single-DLP
  • Lumens: 60

Pros

  • Small and light
  • Full-size HDMI input
  • microSD card slot

Cons

  • Not very bright
  • Not full HD

With its subcompact size and price, Kodak’s Luma 150 is a great way to share content from your iPhone—or any smartphone, for that matter. Send video over a full-size HDMI cable (using an adapter for Apple’s lightning port), or use the integrated Airplay casting to connect devices. The projector also accepts MicroSD cards. 

At first blush, the 60-lumen DLP projector doesn’t seem very bright and, at 854 x 480 resolution, it hardly seems ready to deliver blockbusters. And that’s fair—these aren’t fantastic specs if you’re looking to use this as your main entertainment room TV. But, of course, you’d never do that. The Luma 150 instead makes a convenient, very inexpensive tool for sharing photos at get-togethers, watching movies in the backseat of the car, or delivering presentations at a conference on a screen that’s significantly bigger than the one on your phone.

The battery can last about two hours, and the unit can also be plugged in. It has a small speaker, but you’re better off using headphones or a small, portable speaker if watching videos with other people. 

Things to consider before buying one of the best cheap projectors

Brightness

Projector brightness is measured in lumens, which describe how much light the unit creates. The more light, the bigger and brighter the picture. It also determines how dark your room needs to be to get the best performance out of the projector. High-end projectors might have a brightness of 2,000 lumens or more; budget machines might deliver anywhere from less than 100 to 2,200 lumens. That said, with the exception of some of the mini projectors, even budget picks among the best cheap projectors can deliver a wonderful image that’s more than 100 inches from corner to corner. It’s worth noting that there’s no standard across manufacturing for how lumens are measured, so often a manufacturer’s number won’t match independent testing. However, the numbers do serve to help compare the relative brightness between models. 

Light source

Projectors splash movies on a wall by focusing a light source onto a chip that creates an image. Light sources come in three varieties: Lasers, LEDs, and Ultra High Pressure (UHP) lamps. UHPs are basically high-end light bulbs. They generate a lot of light but, over time, can burn out—and replacements are more expensive than the bulb hanging in your hallway. LEDs and lasers are more efficient than UHPs, but the cost of including them in a unit goes up without a huge change in performance. You’re unlikely to find them in budget-oriented projectors. Don’t worry, though—UHPs can last years before you’ll need a new one.

Chip

As mentioned above, projectors use imaging chips to create a picture, and there are three types of them: DLP, LCD, and LCoS. DLP chips find a home in units at all different price points and deliver average contrast and nice color. LCD chips can be found on budget to mid-range projectors and often have better color than DLP projectors, but contrast ratios sometimes suffer. Lastly, LCoS chips are used in mid-range to high-end projectors; they tend to deliver the best picture quality overall but, not surprisingly, cost more and don’t show up in budget units. 

One last thing to know about chips: Single-DLP projectors, which make up a majority of budget-priced units, sometimes suffer from “the rainbow effect.” This is when bright objects on the screen leave very quick, multicolored pixel trails behind them. With thousands upon thousands of single-DLP projectors sold, it’s obvious that most people don’t even notice them—or simply aren’t bothered. But if you have an opportunity to test out a single-DLP projector at a store, consider doing so in order to gauge how you feel about the rainbow effect. 

Contrast ratio

Part of what makes a projected image look good is its contrast ratio, or the difference between the black and white output. This is usually expressed as a number representing black followed by a number representing white, with each separated by a colon. So, for instance, something like 15,000:1. 

The greater the difference between black and white, the more color variation the projector can display. An image from a projector with an 18,000:1 contrast ratio will, in most cases, look better than one with a 3,500:1 contrast ratio, with bolder, more true-to-life colors and richer blacks. 

Remember, though, contrast isn’t the only factor in determining picture quality, so always look at the number in the context of all the unit’s specs.  

What’s your viewpoint?

Before choosing one of the best cheap projectors, think about where you’ll use it. Is this your main TV? Is it going in a kid’s playroom? Will you take it on vacation with you? Or use it outside? If it’s going into your home, how big is the room that’ll house it—can you set it far enough back from a wall to get the screen size you want, or will you need to focus on a projector designed for short-throws? These are all questions you need to ask and answer before making a purchase or else you could easily end up with a projector that doesn’t deliver the performance specs you need. 

FAQs

Q: What is the lowest price of a projector?

The lowest price of a projector is hard to pin down and depends a lot on what you want to get out of it. Some projectors can cost less than $200, but their specs don’t always provide the viewing experience you might want. On the other hand, budget-priced projectors with excellent pictures usually fall between $400 and $750. 

Q: How much is a pocket projector?

Pocket projectors often cost less than $250, though some better units with brighter bulbs and higher resolutions can cost almost twice that.

Q: Are mini projectors worth it?

Mini projectors are worth it if you spend a lot of time traveling and want to watch movies. They’re also useful if you give a lot of presentations or conduct lessons. They’re easy to pack and some of them deliver high-quality video. However, they’re never as bright as full-size projectors and you can’t get as large an image out of them without losing some picture quality. If you plan on setting up a projector as part of your home entertainment system, a mini projector shouldn’t be your first choice.

Q: Can you watch Netflix on a mini projector?

You can watch Netflix on a mini projector if it’s plugged into a streaming box, computer, or smart device with a Netflix app. However, it might not be possible to cast content from Netflix—or many of the other streaming services—due to DRM and copyright restrictions.

Q: Is 5,000 lumens good for a projector?

Offering 5,000 lumens is very good for a projector and, depending on how dark the space is and the projector’s distance from the screen, can project a very strong image even in a large auditorium. By way of comparison, most budget home projectors have 1,100- to 2,000-lumen bulbs.

Q: What should I look for in a portable mini projector?

When purchasing a portable projector, always look to see that it’s bright enough for your uses. You’ll also want to make sure it’s at least 1920 x 1080 (HD) resolution and has a wide enough variety of inputs—such as HDMI, USB, and maybe even SD card slots—to accommodate whatever way you plan on connecting your streaming box or movie player. Size and weight are also important in portable projectors since, you know, you want them to be portable! Make sure they’ll be something you’re comfortable carrying around. Finally, I like portable projectors that have built-in speakers with enough volume that the sound fills a room. Eight watts is good, 10 is better. This way I don’t have to worry about plugging the projector into any sort of audio system when I set it up—one less thing to carry!

Final thoughts on the best cheap projectors

“Cheap” is always relative and, in the world of projectors, that usually means near $800 for an enjoyable home theater experience. With that in mind, you really can’t go wrong with the BenQ HT2050A if you want one of the best cheap projectors. The HD projector falls well below that price ceiling and still delivers a picture up to 300 inches. Thanks to advanced color processing, that giant picture looks fantastic. And if you’re a gamer, or even if you just want a short-throw machine for smaller rooms, BenQ wins again with the TH671ST—though the HT2050A still has the better picture.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best cheap projectors in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best LED lights for your TV in 2023 https://www.popsci.com/story/reviews/best-led-lights-for-tv/ Tue, 30 Mar 2021 21:30:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/story/?p=278629
best LED lights for your TV
Alexandru Acea, Unsplash

Want a truly theatrical experience? Renew your view with LED lights outside your TV that enhance the ambiance of the ones inside it.

The post The best LED lights for your TV in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
best LED lights for your TV
Alexandru Acea, Unsplash

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall colorful tv with a camera on top Govee Immersion TV LED Backlights
SEE IT

Different modes use the system’s built-in microphone and/or small 1080p mounted camera to adjust your lighting experience based on how you are using it.

Best to sync with audio blue led light strip outside of box Sengled Segmented TV LED Backlights
SEE IT

An embedded microphone helps bring these light strips to life based on the music you’re listening to.

Best LED light bar philips led light bar Philips Hue Play White & Color Smart Light
SEE IT

This voice-activated smart home device can be creatively placed wherever it works best in your space.

While the TV itself is crucial for building out your home theater setup, LED lights for TVs can add a truly theater-like experience. At their simplest, LED TV lights will create a soft, adjustable backlight behind your television, enhancing the ambiance of your home entertainment and reducing eye strain. At their most thrilling, the best LED lights for your TV will connect and sync in real-time with the colors and sounds you’re streaming. LED lights can create a custom visual experience that complements movies, music, and gaming, providing you with a bright spot of entertainment to look forward to after a long day. Whether you want to be the host with the coolest home streaming setup, or simply want to cut down on strain while you watch re-runs, the best LED lights for TVs can make a massive difference.

How we chose the best LED lights for your TV to improve your home entertainment experience

QLED, OLED, Mini LED … you’ve thought a lot about the backlighting technology in your TV. But the drama while viewing those vivid images can be upped even more once you think about the environment’s lighting. Got one of the best TVs for PS5 and want to amp up the eye-popping visuals? Look no further than the space you’ve already got to play with around your screen.

The best LED lights for your TV use technology that has trickled down from commercial applications and now offers anyone flexible ways to experiment with light. The majority of these lights come in the form of LED strip lights, which are essentially flexible circuit boards that illuminate. Think about all the times you’ve walked down the aisle in a movie theater, or had your eye drawn to a particular part of a store display; the same lights used to define those spaces are now available at home. These lights are small enough, light enough, and bright enough to illuminate your space with almost no weight, and minimal power. Most LED lights for TVs are designed specifically for use with smart TVs and customized to work with the size of your screen. The strips plug in through a USB port on the back or side of the TV, offering a clutter-free appearance. With an average lifespan of about six years, these lights should be able to cycle through many movie nights.

When it comes to quality, look for TV LED lights that will provide a brightness of at least 450 lumens per foot, equivalent to a T8 fluorescent lamp. In order to allow for theatrical lighting effects, colored LED strips should offer hues across the entire visible spectrum. Higher-end LED lights are designed to not only illuminate but to sync with your viewing experience. You can find Wi-Fi-enabled lights that are controlled via an app on your smartphone or with voice command, as well as simple lights that operate with a remote control. Lights that expressively sync to the music, movie, or game you are playing can do so via a hub that connects to the TV’s HDMI connection, or with a microphone and video camera technology. Whether you want adjustable backlights or a fully immersive lighting experience, we’ve selected some of the best LED lights for your TV.

Related: Best soundbars for immersive sound

The best LED lights for TVs: Reviews & Recommendations

Here are our picks for the best LED lights for TVs. They run the gamut from elaborate and expensive to simple and affordable. Get the pick that best matches your space and preferences.

Best overall: Govee Wi-Fi TV LED Backlights with Camera

Amazon

SEE IT

Specs

  • Number of LEDs: N/A
  • Length: N/A
  • Recommended TV size: N/A

Pros

  • Colored lights react to on-screen action
  • Simple to install
  • Comes in four sections, so no cutting

Cons

  • Higher-end models offer two cameras at a cost

This handy LED lighting system offers Wi-Fi connectivity, so it can be controlled by hassle-free voice command. Different settings (video or music modes) use the system’s built-in microphone and/or small 1080p mounted camera to adjust and customize your lighting experience based on how you are using it. RGBIC technology lets you customize each strip segment for multiple colors simultaneously, and multiple user profiles can be saved. It is important to note, however, that the camera can sometimes have a slight delay in color change, or when multiple colors are used on the TV screen. 

Best LED sync box: Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box

Amazon

SEE IT

Specs

  • Number of LEDs: N/A
  • Length: N/A
  • Recommended TV size: N/A

Pros

  • This box links up your Philips lights across a variety of devices
  • Works with gaming, streaming, music, and content
  • Opens up the opportunity for more smart lights around the house

Cons

  • Expensive
  • You have to build your own kit

When you are looking to use your LED lights with more than one device, this hub can control and connect them all. Not only will your lights sync to your smart TV, but they will also work for gaming, streaming, and music. While a more expensive option, this Sync Box gives you voice-activated and smartphone control for your LED TV lights, as well as compatible smart bulbs throughout the room in traditional light sockets.

Best to sync with audio: Sengled 13.12Ft Smart Wi-Fi TV LED Backlight

Amazon

SEE IT

Specs

  • Number of LEDs: 150
  • Length: 160 inches (total)
  • Recommended TV size: Up to 60 inches

Pros

  • 27 scene modes offer lots of flexibility
  • Built-in microphone syncs to music
  • Easy to use app
  • Built-in voice control

Cons

  • Might be underpowered for bigger TVs

Quick and easy setup, no hub required. Customize your lights through the app or voice-activated commands. Whether you want to maintain a dark viewing area with some added low lighting, or you want a couch concert beamed into your face, sync features can take you to a new level of fun. 

Best light bar: Philips Hue Play White & Color Smart Light

Amazon

SEE IT

Specs

  • Number of LEDs: N/A
  • Length: N/A
  • Recommended TV size: Up to 85 inches

Pros

  • Can chain up to three light bars
  • Excellent color reproduction
  • Ties in with Philips smart light system
  • Doesn’t need to attach to the TV

Cons

  • Expensive

This voice-activated smart light bar works with the Philips Hue Hub and Smart Home Device. It can be used behind the TV for custom backlights or be creatively placed wherever it works best in your space. Controls and settings are controlled with the Philips Hue app.

Best budget: Luminoodle Color Bias Lighting – USB LED TV Backlight

Amazon

SEE IT

Specs

  • Number of LEDs: N/A
  • Length: 78 inches
  • Recommended TV size: Up to 80 inches

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Customizable
  • USB-powered

Cons

  • Lacks sophisticated features
  • Installation requires separate adhesive material

You’ll be the one glowing as you change colors and brightness according to your mood. Installation is an easy peel-and-stick attachment to the back of the TV, and settings are controlled with a remote. While there are no sync options, this offers a good TV backlight for an entertainment center.

Things to consider when shopping for the best LED lights for your TV

While we feel confident in the picks above, it’s always a good idea to do some research on your own. Here are some things to consider and terms to know before you make a purchase.

Ease of installation

If you are looking for an immersive experience, you want to get the best LED lights for your TV that offer syncing to sound and image. There are a couple of ways that this can be achieved, but if you’re looking for the most compatible, economical set up and you don’t mind seeing a small apparatus, consider a syncing system that uses a built-in microphone and a small camera attachment.

The miniature camera, mounted to the center, top, or bottom of your television, processes the images and then automatically changes the LED light colors. A built-in microphone can also be used to sync lights. And the best LED TV lights synced with a microphone and camera offer a Wi-Fi connection and can work with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. 

Do you need lights that sync with audio?

Your movies, music, and games come to life with a great surround sound system. And with the best LED lights for your TV, your favorite songs are even more lively. Properly calibrated, LED TV lights can change color and pulse to the rhythm of a favorite album or a film’s soundtrack, elevating an immersive, emotional experience. 

While expensive hubs can deliver this feature exceptionally well, it is possible to purchase LED TV lights with embedded microphones that offer this feature for less cost. And, like with hubs, these enabled LED lights use a Wi-Fi connection and work through app controls, as well as with voice activation through Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings. Customizable features include dimming, color change, party, and holiday light settings, scene-setting, and modes designed for movies, games, or music.

What is an HDMI sync box?

When you want to set up an entertainment center with multiple devices, and perhaps multiple smart lights, you should consider an HDMI Sync Box. A Sync Box, or hub, acts as the command center for all your LED lights and gives you the most customization in lighting design. Not only can hubs be used with LED lights for TVs, but they can also be used with any smart bulb or fixture. Multiple connections allow you to connect, sync to, and control a plethora of compatible devices, such as your smart TV, streaming devices, Blu-ray player, and gaming system. 

Using a hub can give you more nuanced controls and can be accessed with an app on your smartphone. Creative settings and modes can be customized to allow for your lights to dance, dim, brighten, or even flash along to the games or movies you are using. While setting up your LED lights for your TV with a hub-based system is a more expensive option, you get more options and connections for other devices. A Sync Box is an additional purchase from your LED lights for TV and other smart bulbs, but it helps with more deeply integrated devices. 

How much do you want to spend?

Even on a budget, the best LED lights for your TV will offer a customizable backlit light, be easy to install and set up unobtrusively and create a cool ambiance while gaming, watching movies, or listening to music. LED technology has come down in price over the years, so it is possible to set up your home entertainment system with this LED backlight look for under $40—though you will often lose Smart features. 

If you are on a budget, getting LED light strips that offer basic controls with a remote is a good solution. While these designs do not have the ability to sync with music and action on screen, you can manually adjust colors and brightness. With an easy USB connection, pre-measured lengths that work out of the box with your specific TV size, and long-lasting bulbs, these are a good choice for enhanced, yet affordable ambiance.

Do you need a light bar?

While most TV LED lights on the market are designed as light strips, which are flexible and mounted with tape, there are options that provide this same type of experience but are designed as a freestanding light bar. 

The best LED light bar will provide a full spectrum of lights, dimmable and synced to your movies, music, and games. These bars can be lights behind the TV and offer a similar lighting experience to the strip design, or they can be placed in other locations around the TV. For example, two light bars can be used on either side of the TV, projecting a light show onto the surrounding back wall. Or, light bars can be placed on the floor to have your lighting experience splay up the wall and ceiling. Some light bars operate independently, and others are designed to be used with a hub or Sync Box. 

FAQs

Q: How do you stick LED strip lights to a TV?

LED strip lights are very simple to attach to the back of your TV; it’s really just a peel-and-stick process with self-adhesive backing tape attached to the back of the LED light strip. If you need extra tape, a 3M product is a good choice.

Q: Can I cut LED strip lights?

Many LED strip lights can be cut, but check with the manufacturer and follow the directions carefully. Cuttable light strips will have specific areas where the strip can be cut. However, try to look for lights suited for the size of your TV, and you won’t have to worry about any cutting.

Q: How do you keep LED strips from falling off the TV?

If your LED strip lights don’t maintain a secure connection to the back of your TV, you should clean the TV with a microfiber dust cloth, being careful not to let the TV get damp. Once clean, 3M self-adhesive tape should work, or if you require a stronger bond, you can look for a foam tape. 

Related: How to set up a 4K TV for the best possible picture 

Final thoughts on the best LED lights for your TV

The best LED lights for your TV turn your entertainment center into a true centerpiece. They offer an immersive, customizable ambiance through Wi-Fi connections, smart features accessible via voice and/or apps, and amazing effects that bring movie theater-style into your home. From basic backlights to hubs designed for multiple lights and devices LED TV lights can bring a lot of style and fun to your gaming, movies, and music.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

Looking for more TV roundups to help you find the best set?

The post The best LED lights for your TV in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best AV receivers in 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-av-receivers/ Thu, 10 Mar 2022 18:52:08 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=429753
Best AV receivers
Stan Horaczek

The best AV receivers give you vast connectivity for all your audio and video sources.

The post The best AV receivers in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best AV receivers
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best 4K under $500 Yamaha RX-4VA is the best AV receiver under $500. Yamaha RX-4VA
SEE IT

Rich features that don’t demand top dollar.

Best overall Marantz SR6015 is the best audiophile AV receiver. Marantz SR6015
SEE IT

Perfect for a multidimensional, multi-room system.

Best gaming Marantz NR1711 is the best AV receiver for PS5. Marantz NR1711
SEE IT

Slim in form, not formats.

If you’re setting up a home theater, a killer game rig, or even a multiroom music system, an AV receiver (AVR) is necessary for tying it all together. It can function as your system’s hub, accepting, decoding, and routing various audio sources and formats, passing through HDMI signals, and providing connection and amplification for all your speakers. In the alphabet-soup world of home-entertainment technology, figuring out which AVR is right for you isn’t easy. We aim to inform and demystify your shopping experience by recommending the best AV receivers in various price ranges and for different applications.

How we chose the best AV receivers 

We considered dozens of the best AV receivers and amplifiers for this story and focus on those that offer overall excellence in their price range. We also wanted to present products that excel for specific applications, such as gaming or audiophile music listening or multichannel surround sound. All our recommended units are made by solid, reputable companies and should give you years of excellent performance. The PopSci writers and editors have decades of combined experience writing about technology and home theater gear. These recommendations are a mixture of first-hand experience, spec comparisons, user impressions, peer recommendations, and scouring critical AV receiver reviews. 

The best AV receivers: Reviews & Recommendations

The best AV receivers integrate the various components in your home theater and music system. Most offer optical and analog (RCA) inputs in addition to their HDMI ports. That way, AVRs can incorporate digital sources like Blu-ray players, streaming devices, game consoles, smart TVs, analog turntables (although you might need a phono preamp), or older CD or DVD players. AVRs receive audio over the internet (some by Wi-Fi and others Ethernet) and via Bluetooth from your mobile devices; many can provide wireless multiroom audio. A home theater with a music system and maybe a gaming system would be unmanageable without an AV receiver as its nerve center. You can assume that each AVR we mention includes a remote control and a setup/calibration system.

Best overall: Marantz SR6015

Marantz

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Get it for the Marantz sound quality and enough channels for true Dolby Atmos.

Specs

  • Channels: 9.2
  • Power: 110W per channel (into 8 Ohms, THD: 0.08%, 2-ch driven)
  • HDMI ports: 7in/3 out
  • Highest Video Supported: 8K    

Pros

  • High-quality Marantz audio
  • Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, both hardwired and virtual.
  • Built-in HEOS

Cons 

  • Remote lacks backlight

Marantz has a longstanding reputation for high-quality sound, so it’s no surprise that the 9.2-channel SR6015 offers audiophile quality. It includes a phono input to connect your turntable without an external preamp and sports separate 110W amplifiers for each channel. As for HDMI ports, you get a generous seven inputs and three outputs. One of the inputs is dedicated to 8K video pass-through at 60Hz and 4K at 120Hz. It’s more than capable if you want to set up a 5.1.4 or 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos system. It also supports Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization and DTS:X, DTS Virtual:X, and other multichannel sound formats. It also features built-in HEOS (Home Entertainment Operating System) if you want to create a multi-room system. Its remote lacks a backlight; otherwise, this is a killer AVR that delivers everything a true music and movie lover would need and more for around $2,000.

Best 4K under $500: Yamaha RX-4VA 

YAMAHA

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: It offers a surprisingly rich feature set for the money if you don’t need every bell and whistle.

Specs

  • Channels: 5.2
  • Power: 80W per channel (into 6 ohms, 0.06% THD)
  • HDMI ports: 4 in/1 out
  • Highest video supported: 4K currently, 8K upgrade via firmware available soon

Pros 

  • Affordable price for a surround-capable receiver
  • Supports multiple video and music formats
  • Will support 8K and VRR, QMS, ALLM and QFT with a future firmware update

Cons

  • Requires (free) HDMI board replacement for 4K/120Hz gaming
  • No Dolby Atmos height virtualization or DTS Virtual:X support
  • No phono input

This 5.2-channel unit makes a solid centerpiece for home theater, gaming, and music listening. With four HDMI 2.1 inputs and an eARC output—along with optical, coaxial, and analog RCA inputs (but no phono inputs for a turntable)—it’s compatible with a wide range of gear. The unit supports Dolby and DTS surround sound decoding, streaming via Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay 2, and Spotify Connect, and can be voice-controlled with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. 

The RX-4VA comes with Yamaha’s MusicCast multiroom system (minus the speakers, of course), allowing you to connect with other compatible Yamaha components wirelessly. A USB port lets you play music from an external storage device. 

On the negative side, the RX-4VA doesn’t support virtualized Dolby Atmos or DTS Virtual:X. It’s also one of the receivers whose chipset has an HDMI 2.1 bug that cannot handle 4K/120Hz gaming for Xbox Series X or NVIDIA RTX30. Fortunately, Yamaha offers a free HDMI board update program to fix it. Although it supports HDMI 2.1, it doesn’t support 8K out of the box. However, Yamaha will soon offer a firmware update that will add 8K capabilities as well as VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), ALLM (Auto Low-Latency Mode), QMS (Quick Media Switching), and QFT (Quick Frame Transport), which are HDMI 2.1 features designed to enhance gaming. Together, this makes it a top-value 4K AV receiver that retails for $599 but is typically offered under $500 and is future-proofed for when 8K flatscreens come down to a more approachable price.

Best 7.2: Denon AVR-X2700H 

Denon

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This mid-priced AVR has a full feature set and is ready for the future.

Specs

  • Channels: 7.2
  • Power: 95W per channel (into 8 ohms, THD: 0.08%)
  • HDMI ports: 6 in /2 out
  • Highest video supported: 8K     

Pros 

  • Great sound quality
  • Broad multichannel format support
  • Lots of connectivity options

Cons

  • None to speak of

By shelling out around $800 for this unit, you get an AVR with an impressive feature set that should remain relevant for at least five years for both home theater and gaming. Serving up a solid 95W of power per channel, the AVR-X2700H (which replaces the AVR-X2600H) passes through 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz video and supports Dolby Atmos, Atmos Height Virtualization, DTS:X, DTS Virtual:X surround audio formats. 

It’s a Bluetooth AV receiver, as well as one with Wi-Fi, so you have many connectivity options, including Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, USB, HEOS, and even terrestrial radio. It’s compatible with all the major voice control formats, including Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. If you’re into vinyl, the unit has phono inputs for MM-cartridge turntables.

Best for home theater: Arcam AVR30 

Arcam

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: It can process up to 16 channels of multichannel audio.

Specs

  • Channels: 7.2
  • Power: 120W per channel (into 8 ohms at 0.02% THD, 2-ch driven)
  • HDMI ports: 7in/3 out (HDMI 2.0b)
  • Highest Video Supported: 4K

Pros

  • 16 channels of processing
  • Broad multichannel format support
  • Class G amplification provides excellent sound  

Cons

  • No 8K support
  • No HDMI 2.1
  • No phono input

Arcam’s high-end AV receiver offers seven Class G amplification channels, which offer better efficiency than the more typical class B or AB designs. It also can process 16 channels simultaneously. Using its preamp-outs to feed an additional power amp, you could configure a 15.1 system. The AVR30 has Dirac Live 3.0 room correction and a measurement mic to calibrate all those speakers correctly. 

Moreover, it offers broad support of multichannel audio formats: Dolby Atmos, TrueHD, Digital Plus, DTS:X (but not DTS:X Pro), IMAX Enhanced, and Auro 3D. From an HDMI standpoint, it offers seven in and three out, including one eARC output. However, it only supports HDMI 2.0b rather than 2.1. It also lacks 8K capabilities. As a result, it’s not as future-proofed as some of the other AVRs in this story. But if your goal is a pure signal path and clean power than can convey any soundtrack’s every nuance, you’ll get what you pay for (and you’ll pay around $5,500 on average).

Unlike Arcam’s previous generation, the AVR30 has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast support, and an FM tuner. You’ll need a phono preamp to connect a turntable. But overall, if you’re looking to set up a massive multichannel system in your home theater, the AVR30 makes an outstanding central hub to build around.

Best gaming: Marantz NR1711 

Marantz

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The half-size frame and full feature set will appeal to gamers and those with space-limited home theater setups.

Specs

  • Channels: 7.2
  • Power: 50W per channel (into 8 ohms, with 0.08 % THD, 2-ch driven)
  • HDMI ports: 6in/1out (eARC)
  • Highest Video Supported: 8K

Pros

  • Slimline form factor saves space
  • 8K support provides future-proofing
  • Comprehensive implementation of Dolby and DTS multichannel formats

Cons

  • Only 50W per channel

The NR1711 is a diminutive 3.5 inches in height, about half that of the typical AVR. Yet somehow, Marantz was able to engineer it with a competitive feature set for its $1,000 price range. Because of its half-sized housing, Marantz had to scale down the amplifier size, so its power output is only 50W per channel. But unless you’re setting it up in a large room, it should still give you plenty of oomph. 

Gamers short on space will appreciate the NR1711’s “Slimline” form factor. They’ll also love its 8K support, which will serve them well for the next generation of gaming consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Home theater buffs will appreciate the impressive list of surround formats supported by the NR1711, such as Dolby Atmos, Dolby Speaker Virtualizer, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Surround. DTS is also well represented with DTS:X, DTS Virtual:X, DTS Neural:X, and DTS Digital Surround, to name just some. 

You can set up and calibrate your system with built-in Audyssey MultiEQ, Dynamic EQ, and Dynamic Volume processors. If you want to spin some vinyl, the NR1711 sports phono inputs alongside its other analog I/O. Additional goodies include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi support, AirPlay 2, HEOS, and Alexa support.

Best budget: Sony STRDH590 

Sony

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: It offers a low-cost path into the surround-sound world.

Specs

  • Channels: 5.2
  • Power: 90W per channel RMS at 6 ohms, 0.09 percent THD, two channels driven.          
  • HDMI ports: 4in/1out (ARC)
  • Highest video Supported: 4K HDR pass-through

Pros 

  • Low price for an AVR
  • A good option for 5.1 surround
  • Quality sonics

Cons

  • No Atmos or DTS support
  • No HDMI 2.1
  • Limited wireless capabilities

The STRDH590 is an entry-level AVR that can handle Ultra-HD content such as 4K Blu-ray and HDR video. With 90W RMS per channel, it has plenty of sonic punch for a small AV receiver, supporting Dolby and DTS surround sound decoding. If you’re looking for Dolby Atmos or DTS:X support, you won’t find it here. But if you’re satisfied with the surround sound from a good old 5.1 AV receiver and don’t care about transitioning to 8K, the STRDH590 is the best 4K AV receiver for you at the $300 price point. 

Sony equipped the unit with four HDMI inputs and one ARC out. Notice that it’s not eARC because the STRDH950’s HDMI ports are of the 2.0 variety rather than 2.1. Other input ports include optical, coaxial, and analog. There are no phono inputs, though, so you’d need an external preamp for connecting a turntable. However, you get an FM antenna port and a front-panel USB input for playing music from external drives. The unit includes Digital Cinema Auto Calibration (DCAC) and a built-in measurement mic for setup. For streaming, it features Bluetooth connectivity, so you can pair your mobile device and play music or other audio. 

Overall, if you’re not trying to keep up with the latest and greatest but want to watch movies or play games in 5.1 surround sound, the STRDH590 will get you there for less without sacrificing quality. And if you decide you want more connectivity and current at the heart of your system, and have the expanded budget to match, a January 2023 press event unveiled the company’s first new receivers in five years—a lineup including some top-tier contenders.

What to consider when shopping for the best AV receivers

You have many variables to consider with a product as complex as an AVR. Some essential questions include: Can it support what I have (or want to have) in my system? How many HDMI inputs do I need to cover all my gear and have at least one leftover for expansion? Does it support the main surround format I plan to use? Does it deliver enough power per channel to give me plenty of distortion-free volume, given the size of my room? Does it offer 8K support so that I’m future-proofed? Does it have phono inputs for my turntable? Do I need to match my speakers to an AVR? The best AV receivers cover a pretty extensive range of features and prices. Look for the one that will best meet the needs of your current or planned home theater setup.

Is 8K video capability important in an AV receiver?

Right now, 8K isn’t necessary because there’s precious little 8K content available, even if you have an 8K TV. But that will likely change in the next couple of years, and if it’s important for you to watch shows and movies or play games with the best quality available, you’ll need a receiver that supports it. Fortunately, most of the products that we recommend in this article do. The Yamaha RX-4VA doesn’t now but will be able to soon with a simple firmware update.

How many channels do I need if I want a receiver that supports Dolby Atmos?

Atmos is a pretty “hot” format now, offering the dimension of height and the traditional directionality of surround sound to create an even more immersive sonic environment. Many movies now offer Atmos mixes, which can be spectacular. Atmos systems require a receiver with seven channels at the minimum for a hardwired system, consisting of a 5.1 speaker setup with two additional Atmos ceiling-mounted speakers. If you don’t want to mount speakers in the ceiling, you could get Atmos-enabled speakers that fire forward and upward. The latter bounces the sound off your ceiling to simulate having speakers up there. (And don’t forget the speaker wire!)

Another option is an Atmos-enabled soundbar, like the Sennheiser AMBEO or the Sony HT-A7000. Such products create an Atmos-like effect from one multi-speaker device. Finally, several receivers in this roundup support Virtualized Atmos, which simulates Atmos from whatever speaker configuration you have. The soundbar and the virtualized Atmos won’t compare to hardware-based Atmos systems, but you do get some of the effects, and it’s a lot less money. DTS:X is a competitor to Atmos and gives you a similar immersive effect. It also has a simulated version, DTS Virtual:X. Again, it would be best to have a receiver or soundbar that supports it.

HDMI input and output

On the HDMI outputs on AVRs, you’ll see the letters ARC or eARC. ARC stands for Audio Return Channel and eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), introduced with HDMI 2.1. Both ARC and eARC allow bidirectional audio. With the emergence of smart TVs, which stream content from the internet, you need a way to get the audio from that content out of your TV and into your AVR or soundbar so that it gets amplified and routed to speakers. If you have eARC, it supports up to 24-bit/192kHz audio, as well as uncompressed audio from 5.1 and 7.1 surround content. In addition, it works with compressed formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio coming from your TV. And don’t forget the HDMI cables!

FAQs

Q: How long do audio receivers last?

The general consensus is that five years is the typical lifespan for an AVR. It’s not like it will just up and die after a certain number of years, like a water heater. Your receiver could function well for 20 years or more. But with the relentless forward march of technology, it will begin to feel like a dinosaur around the five-year mark. Even if you don’t care about staying up with the latest and greatest, there comes a time when it’s hard to resist the allure of new technology.

Q: Do receivers make a difference in sound quality?

Context matters here. A dedicated power amp is superior if you’re talking about music quality. However, AV receivers are much more than just amplifiers. They’re the hub of a home theater or gaming setup (or one that does both) and offer a vast range of wired and wireless connections. Incoming audio gets routed to their amplifiers and into whatever speaker system you use. AVRs can also pass the video content from streaming boxes, cable boxes, Blu-ray players, and game consoles to your television. They don’t process the video; they pass it through in whatever format it’s in, assuming it’s one they support.

Q: Are AV receivers worth it?

The best AV receivers are totally worth it if you want more than just a home stereo system. Don’t get me wrong, we love the compact, self-contained nature of powered speakers. But if you’re looking to create a proper home theater for movies and/or your gaming rig, or want a music system that allows for way more sources than just streaming services, the easiest way to accommodate the diverse range of connectivity required is with an AV receiver. It takes the incoming content—whether from a streaming box, a set-top box, a gaming console, a turntable, or other physical media—processes it in the appropriate format (assuming it supports it) and sends the audio off to the speakers while sending the video through to your TV. What’s more, most AVRs offer some form of multi-room audio, so if you get the appropriate speakers, you can also run audio to your entire house or apartment from your receiver.

Q: How many watts per channel do I need?

While the appropriate answer is ultimately based on the recommended amplification range of your speakers, 50W-100W per channel is typically more than enough to satisfy the vast majority of surround sound speakers (75W being the sweet spot in a 5.1 or 7.1 system). That’s not to say there aren’t speakers that require a higher RMS rating, but if that’s the kind you’re looking at, you probably know you’ll need to look at higher-end AV receivers or even discrete amplification (maybe you’re even working with an integrator).

Final thoughts on the best AV receivers

As you may have noticed from our roundup, there are a lot of choices and a wide range of prices in the AVR market. To decide which is right for you, you need to consider the price and the kind of system you’re trying to create. Do you want to move from 5.1 to a more complex multichannel format, like a 7.1 or an Atmos system? Will you also have to upgrade your TV and speaker system to achieve your goals? Because AV receivers are multifaceted and encompass or support so many technologies, it helps to be as informed as possible when deciding which one to buy. In this article, we’ve offered you a diverse range of products and information. However, you still have plenty of issues to consider regarding the specifics of your system, the space you’re putting it in, and your goals for the system before you can choose which of the best AV receivers is best for your needs.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best AV receivers in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Get one of the best OLED TVs for less than $1,000 right now at Amazon https://www.popsci.com/gear/amazon-c2-oled-tv-deal/ Thu, 20 Apr 2023 19:19:50 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=535735
LG C2 TVs in a grid with a colorful pattern on the screen.
LG

The LG C2 is one of the best TVs on the market and you can get a wild deal on one right now.

The post Get one of the best OLED TVs for less than $1,000 right now at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
LG C2 TVs in a grid with a colorful pattern on the screen.
LG

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

When they debuted a few years ago, the LG C-series OLED TVs quickly established an impeccable reputation for their vibrant color reproduction, exceptional contrast ratio, and minimalist design. The C2 carries on that tradition, and Amazon currently has several sizes of this killer TV for their lowest prices in … well, forever. That includes the 65-inch model for just $1,396 and the 55-inch display for $1,066. The 48-inch is the real standout, however.

LG C2 55-inch OLED TV, $826 (Was $1,299)

Just a few years ago, a thousand dollars wouldn’t get you an OLED TV in any size. Now, Amazon has one of the best around for just $826. The C-series TVs offer a ton of desirable bells and whistles that lower-end models miss out on. This TV has four HDMI 2.1 ports, which means any socket will let you get the most out of high-res, high-frame-rate devices like the PS5 or the Xbox Series X. Want to play games at 4K 120 fps? This TV can handle it, no problem. It also supports NVIDIA G-SYNC, FreeSync Premium, and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which helps fast-action games run without on-screen weirdness or lag.

This TV offers LG’s a9 Gen 5 processor, which excels at upscaling content to fill the entire 4K resolution. Plus, you get access to Filmmaker Mode, which dials in the TV’s color and brightness settings to make movies look as close to the creator’s original vision as possible. This isn’t just an OLED TV. It uses LG’s OLED evo tech, which makes the picture even brighter than a typical OLED.

This is one of the best TVs on the market full-stop, and this is definitely one of the best prices we’ve seen for most of these sizes. These will likely sell out at this price, so don’t sleep on it.

More OLED TV deals

While we’re big fans of the LG C2 OLED, there are some other OLED TVs currently on sale. Here are the ones worth your consideration:

The post Get one of the best OLED TVs for less than $1,000 right now at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best bookshelf speakers in 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-bookshelf-speakers/ Sat, 05 Mar 2022 15:24:55 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=380792
Best bookshelf speakers sliced header
Tony Ware

Find the sweet spot between size, price, sound, and features with the shelf-friendly speakers that fill your room with sound, not clutter.

The post The best bookshelf speakers in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best bookshelf speakers sliced header
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall KEF LS50 Meta product image KEF LS50 Meta
SEE IT

The proper pick for audiophiles who demand stunning sound.

Best powered Black PSB Alpha iQ powered bookshelf speakers in a New York audio showroom PSB Alpha iQ
SEE IT

Your top choice if you want to fill tight spaces with less wires and more fidelity.

Best budget Edifer R1280T Edifier R1280T
SEE IT

The best bookshelf speakers for $100.

An excellent set of bookshelf speakers will enhance your listening experience with a wider stereo image and a more vibrant sound than what you get from a TV, laptop, or the average connected speaker. Whether you’re enjoying the lossless tier of a streaming service or admiring sleeve art as an LP revolves on your turntable, higher fidelity is often accompanied by an appreciation for upgrading your system. Regardless of the source, properly positioned home stereo speakers present audio with a true soundstage—the original immersive audio. Here are some of the best bookshelf speakers to deliver a rich response for any budget. 

How we chose the best bookshelf speakers on any budget

While we here at PopSci love portable party speakers, we spend as much, if not more, time looking through hundreds of choices to find the best true stereo speakers for music—but we don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by all the specs and requirements when online comparison shopping. So we combined our decades of collective experience, the impressions of trusted listeners, and the consensus of experts attuned to meticulous details to narrow our core choices. The speakers on this list range in price, but all lean more toward affordable (compared to so many easily recommendable but hardly affordable audiophile options) and present their case for value when it comes to the research, engineering, and, most of all, performance they represent.

The best bookshelf speakers: Reviews & Recommendations

Despite the prevalence of wireless noise-cancelling earbuds and compact Bluetooth speakers, people are rediscovering the high-quality, space-filling audio that can come from bookshelf speakers. While many still listen to music on budget ’buds and battery-powered party speakers, there’s a growing appreciation for high-resolution audio formats on streaming services—like Apple’s Spatial Audio—and the analog warmth from vinyl and even cassettes. Don’t get us wrong; we love headphones for a close, critical listen … but even the best headphones can only approximate the visceral thrill of hearing your favorite songs fill the air. Of course, even the best-recorded album will sound like crap on subpar transducers, so the following list identifies the best bookshelf speakers for different situations, desires, and budgets.

Best overall: KEF LS50 Meta

KEF

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: KEF speakers stand out with the impeccable sound that audiophiles revere just as well as they stand out in appearance.

Specs

  • Frequency response: 79 Hz-28 kHz
  • Power handling: 40-100W amp recommended
  • Connectivity: speaker wire binding posts
  • Drivers: 12th-generation Uni-Q driver, embedding a 1-inch tweeter within a 5.25-inch woofer
  • Dimensions: 12 x 8 x 11 inches each (HxWxD)
  • Weight: 17.2 lbs. each

Pros

  • Entirely transparent sound
  • Extraordinary detail
  • Singular style

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Not as good in the low end as some passive speakers

KEF speakers, particularly 2012’s LS50, have dazzled audiophiles for years, but the updated LS50 Meta two-way bass-reflex speakers take the stunning clarity of sound to an even higher level. A new 12th-generation Uni-Q driver embeds the 1-inch tweeter within the 5.25-inch woofer, giving the LS50 Meta ($1,499 a pair) a stark, single-cone look and stunning off-axis response. New, proprietary Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) is integrated behind the driver to reduce distortion. The result is a beautiful design and an even more satisfying sound. These hi-fi speakers deliver a frequency response of 47Hz-45kHz and a maximum output of 106dB from a relatively compact enclosure of 11.89 inches (H) by 7.87 inches (W) by 10.94 inches (D). Because the LS50 Meta is a passive system, you’ll need to supply it with ample power. As a starting point, the NAD D 3045 is an excellent, unobtrusive 60W-per-channel hybrid amp/DAC for building the best-sounding bookshelf speakers system to project powerful audio without taking up much area (it’s also a convenient hub for digital and analog connections, plus adds a subwoofer output).

If you’d prefer to achieve the same pinpoint imaging in all-in-one self-amplified speakers, the $2,799 KEF LS50 Wireless II is the premium pick because it builds in 100W of power; HDMI, analog, and digital audio ports; plus Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, including 24-bit/96kHz wireless streaming and compatibility with AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Roon, HD and Ultra HD music from Amazon Music, and more. And the impact that the sonically and aesthetically complementary KEF KC62 subwoofer can have when it comes to extending the low end and opening up the headroom cannot be overstated.

Best powered speakers: PSB ALPHA iQ

Tony Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Pint-sized but persuasive, these connected speakers offer a comprehensive hub for expressive audio whether your sources are dusty or digital.

Specs

  • Frequency response: 64-20,000 Hz
  • Power handling: 180 watts (60 watts/woofer & 30 watts/tweeter)
  • Connectivity: Ethernet; Wi-Fi; Bluetooth (SBC, AAC, aptX HD); MM phono input; HDMI eARC port; Toslink optical digital input; 3.5mm auxiliary input; USB port for external drive/files
  • Drivers: 4″ polypropylene mid-bass driver w/ steel basket and rubber surround; 3/4″ aluminum dome tweeter w/ neodymium magnet and ferrofluid cooling
  • Dimensions: 9.6 x 5.7 x 7.6 inches (HxWxD)
  • Weight: 8.2 lbs. (each)

Pros

  • Wireless connection between speakers
  • DSP crossover and tuned rear-firing ports for bass extension
  • MQA decoding for TIDAL Masters streaming
  • Roon support
  • BluOS whole-house audio setup compatibility
  • Subwoofer output

Cons

  • You’re only going to get so much bass out of a 4″ woofer
  • While sized to fit any shelf, these speakers are still best for a smaller room

All great things are made up of many small parts. And with the ALPHA iQ, Ontario, Canada’s PSB Speakers has shown that an eye (and ear) for details can mean small things play a great part in a deeply satisfying, space-saving sound system. Compact enough to fit any shelf, tucked between diaries or beside a computer display, the ALPHA iQ speakers offer natural, nuanced playback from any imaginable source. Yes, they’re $1,499 a pair (in satin white or black) and may not look like much for that price, but you’d be mistaken. Packed with class D amplifiers and wirelessly paired together, the primary and secondary speakers only require two wall sockets and Wi-Fi to give you access to AirPlay 2 and countless high-resolution streaming services through the BluOS app (while also allows you to sync/pass off audio between compatible speakers on your home network, such as the Omni-Hybrid PULSE M).

There’s TIDAL Connect with MQA decoding, and Spotify Connect built-in. There’s also Bluetooth 5.0 (SBC, AAC, aptX HD), a Toslink optical input, and you can play files off an external USB drives. If (up to) 24-bit/192 kHz digital isn’t your jam, a moving magnet phono input (or 3.5mm aux-in for preamp-equipped platters) invites analog albums to the party. An HDMI input lets you make it a movie (or gaming) night. No matter how you feed the Alpha iQ, the active, two-way design maintains its composure and delivers full-fidelity finesse. Balance and separation are top-notch, aided by PSB’s signature driver inversion—the woofer on top/tweeter on bottom configuration helps keep frequencies in phase, whether standing or sitting. And the pair’s proportions can be deceiving; the ALPHA iQ speakers push impressive air for their size, capable of reaching a punchy 90 dB without breaking up (not recommended for medical reasons). No, they can’t defy physics, so fans of hip-hop, hyperpop, etc., may wish for more bass, but there’s more than you’d expect and a subwoofer output if you require reinforcement. In a typically sized room (or tighter space), the ALPHA iQ will allow you to fill the space with sound, not cords.

Best for home theater: Klipsch The Fives

Klipsch

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Fives make it easy to set up a big, bold sound for both music and your home theatre.

Specs

  • Frequency response: 50-25,000Hz
  • Power handling: 160 watts RMS
  • Connectivity: HDMI ARC port, optical digital audio input, RCA stereo analog input, USB Type B input, 3.5mm stereo input, RCA mono output for optional powered subwoofer
  • Drivers: 1-inch titanium dome LTS (Linear Travel Suspension) tweeter with a 90° x 90° Tractrix horn, 4 1/2-inch long-throw woofer
  • Dimensions: 18.5 x 17.5 x 13.5 inches (HxWxD)
  • Weight: 23.60 lbs

Pros

  • Generous connectivity, including HDMI ARC for TVs and Bluetooth
  • Classic vintage look

Cons

  • Larger-than-average bookshelf speakers
  • Somewhat lacking bass response for the price

The Fives ($600 a pair) flaunt a retro-chic style in both black and walnut finishes. Still, these speakers also accommodate a technologically diverse modern lifestyle with connections for your turntable (RCA phono/line), mobile devices (Bluetooth and line Aux input), gaming consoles (digital optical), computer (USB), and, more uniquely, your TV (HDMI ARC). Just connect your flatscreen, set the output to PCM stereo, and you’ll get to enjoy video accompanied by rich mids and clarity emanating from the 1-inch titanium dome LTS tweeter and long-throw 4.5-inch woofer. You select the input from a dial on these powered speakers or with the remote control, which can also control your TV’s volume, a rarity for bookshelf speakers. The Fives are somewhat large for bookshelf speakers at 18.5 inches by 17.5 inches by 13.5 inches, but they get loud. Their maximum output reaches 109dB with a frequency range of 50Hz-25kHz. For even more thunderous vibes from movies, games, and music, connect a subwoofer from The Fives’ Sub Out. Two subwoofers that have earned reputations for an all-around excellent low-frequency roar include the $129 Polk Audio PSW10 10-inch subwoofer, which delivers 100W of power and a frequency response of 40-160Hz from a simple, all-black cube design that can fit into most home listening setups. For a step up in power, size, and price, with an appropriate step down into the lowest depths of bass, try the $299 BIC America Acoustech PL-200II 12-inch powered subwoofer, a 1000W behemoth with gut-punching 22-200Hz frequency response.

Best for computers: Audioengine A2+ Wireless

Audioengine

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Austin, Texas-based Audioengine manufactures many of its speakers’ own components, such as woofers and tweeters, and its commitment to affordable, quality sound has made its speakers favorites since its founding in 2005.

Specs

  • Frequency response: 65Hz-22kHz
  • Power rating: 60W peak power (2 x 15W RMS)
  • Connectivity: USB input, Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD, stereo RCA I/O, stereo mini-jack input
  • Drivers: 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter, 2.75-inch aramid fiber woofer
  • Dimensions: 5.25 x 4 x 6 inches each (HxWxD)
  • Weight: 6.61 lbs. total

Pros

  • Warm and clean sound
  • Impressively loud for small speakers
  • High-quality components and design

Cons

  • A little less bass than medium-sized smart speakers and desktop speakers
  • Sound cohesiveness gets lost in large spaces

Audioengine combines a non-intrusive footprint of 6 inches by 4 inches by 5.25 inches with versatile connectivity and crisp sound in the A2+ Wireless powered speakers for bookshelves and desktops. This small set ($269 a pair) utilizes ¾-inch silk dome tweeters and 2.75-inch aramid fiber woofers, with a 60W peak power total, max output of 88dB, and a frequency response of 65Hz-22kHz. There are analog RCA and minijack connections, as well as USB for computer audio. But the juice comes from Bluetooth 5.0 for compatibility with high-quality audio streaming codecs like aptX HD for Android users (up to 570kbps) and AAC for iOS users (up to 256kbps, with no additional loss from conversion). They are some of the best computer speakers for music you can buy.

Best smart speakers: Sonos Five

Sonos

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Sonos helped popularize Wi-Fi hi-fi, and the company makes great speakers if your preferred source of music is streaming.

Specs:

  • Frequency response: 23Hz-18.8kHz
  • Power handling: N/A
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, 3.5mm analog input
  • Drivers: Three high-excursion woofers, two angled side tweeters
  • Dimensions: 14.33 x 8.03 x 6.06 inches (HxWxD)
  • Weight: 14 lbs. each

Pros

  • The cornerstone of a connected audio ecosystem
  • Can produce stereo from a single unit, or expand the soundstage with a second speaker

Cons

  • No Bluetooth
  • Requires speedy home Wi-Fi

Three tweeters and three woofers help the most powerful speaker from Sonos stake the best claim to providing stereo sound from a single, horizontally placed unit. In addition, placing two Sonos Five speakers ($1,000 a pair) vertically automatically pairs them to emit beautiful, true stereo separation with a wider soundstage. In the vertical position, one Five speaker takes up 14.33 inches by 8.03 inches by 6.06 inches of space, and its output has been measured at approximately 23Hz-18.8kHz for the frequency range and a peak volume of 94dB. A single line input lets you connect turntables, disc players, and more, but the Sonos Five thrives on being a source using Wi-Fi (or wired Ethernet) for playback of streaming audio over Apple AirPlay 2 and the Sonos S2 app, which purportedly integrates hundreds of streaming services for listening to music, podcasts, audiobooks, and Internet radio.

Admittedly, these are not “smart speakers” in the now-standard sense that they have an integrated mic and respond to voice commands (we’re concentrating this guide on great speakers for listening, not speakers that are listening). Still, Sonos speakers are genius because optimized placement is far less labor-intensive than with some standard speakers, considering there’s no stringing of speaker wire or fiddling with EQs as Trueplay software tunes the Five based on the acoustics of your room. Pioneers of network-connected audio, Sonos speakers can also be synced throughout rooms for whole-house sound. And, if your focus is shifting more to spatial audio than pure stereo (though it can do both), the Sonos Era 300 is another option we’ll evaluate in 2023.

Want to explore another Wi-Fi multi-room ecosystem? Bluesound offers several speakers, such as the Omni-Hybrid PULSE M, which manage wide dispersion from compact form factors and can sync/pass off audio with other speakers using the BluOS system on your home network (including our powered pick, the PSB Alpha iQ, above).

Best studio monitors: PreSonus Eris E4.5

PreSonus

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: These monitors allow for studio reference sound even if your workstation space is limited.

Specs

  • Frequency response: 70Hz-20kHz
  • Power handling: 25X per speaker
  • Connectivity: bare speaker wire inputs, RCA inputs, balanced ¼-inch inputs, 3.5mm input
  • Drivers: 4.5-inch, woven-composite woofer and 1-inch silk-dome tweeter
  • Dimensions: 9.45 x 6.42 x 7.09 inches (HxWxD)
  • Weight: 2 lbs. each

Pros

  • Compact and accurate
  • Headphone jack

Cons

  • Only so expressive because of size limitations
  • Not the most bountiful bass

Small-studio musicians, producers, and DJs all love the PreSonus Eris E4.5 powered monitors for their accurate, reference-level sound coming from compact speakers that merge studio monitor and bookshelf speaker attributes. The Eris E4.5 ($200 a pair) has both bare speaker wire inputs, RCA inputs, and balanced ¼-inch inputs, plus a front-facing power switch, volume control, headphone jack, and aux input. Its 4.5-inch, woven-composite woofer and 1-inch silk-dome tweeter pump out a maximum volume of an even 100dB with a frequency response of 70Hz-20kHz. The 9.45 inches by 6.42 inches by 7.09 inches monitors also come in a Bluetooth-equipped model for $30 more, but if you have a little extra space and don’t need the front-panel features, check out options such as the Pioneer DJ VM-50 studio monitors if you’re building a more traditional workstation/listening post. Studio monitors can easily cost costs hundreds of dollars each (see the exemplary but expensive Focal Alpha 80 Evo), so these are a killer deal.

Best budget: Edifier R1280T

Edifer

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: In a word, price—this set lets you can enjoy every note for around a C-note.

Specs

  • Frequency response: 75Hz-18kHz
  • Power handling: 21W x 2
  • Connectivity: 2 x RCA inputs
  • Drivers: 4-inch woofer and 13mm (roughly a half-inch) silk dome tweeter
  • Dimensions: 6.9 x 9.5 x 5.8 inches (HxWxD)
  • Weight: 10.80 lbs.

Pros

  • An inexpensive go-to for two-channel sound
  • Clean, retro look
  • Bass, treble, and volume dials

Cons

  • Limited connectivity
  • No subwoofer out

While there are even lower-priced bookshelf speakers, the compact and attractive wood-veneer Edifier R1280T delivers a surprisingly warm and balanced sound for just over $100 so that music lovers on any budget can enjoy a step up in sound. These powered speakers take up only 9.5 inches by 6.9 inches by 5.8 inches of space and come with cables for the two aux inputs, a remote control, and removable cloth grilles. The maximum output is 96dB with a frequency range of 75Hz-18kHz coming from the 4-inch woofer and 13mm (roughly a half-inch) silk dome tweeter. For only a few dollars more, you can score the R1280Ts with subwoofer output to boost that bass. And for a few hundred more, you can pick up the Edifier S1000W—some of our favorite powered workstation-friendly speakers—which for $449 is no longer “budget,” per se, but is still a bargain considering the performance:price it delivers.

Best with a radio: Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2)

Erin Behan

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: A stylish way to enjoy soundwaves and airwaves, whether they’re FM or streaming from your smartphone.

Specs

  • Frequency response: Unknown
  • Power handling: 21W x 2
  • Connectivity: DAB+/FM Radio Tuner, Bluetooth, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, Optical, 3.5mm Aux-In
  • Drivers: Unknown
  • Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.7 x 4.5 inches
  • Weight: 3.40 lbs.

Pros

  • Good for old-fashioned aerial broadcasts, as well as modern streaming services
  • Bluetooth, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2
  • Optical and 3.5mm Auxillary inputs for TVs and turntables, etc.
  • Alarm Clock
  • Remote Control Included
  • Attractive three wood cabinet finishes

Cons

  • Not stereo

This is cheating a little since we’ve talked stereo up so much, but maybe your favorite things to listen to are the radio, or podcasts, or other content that doesn’t necessarily need the separation. The DNA of the Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2) traces back to 2005 and a mid-century-styled tabletop receiver. However, the latest permutation of that analog original adds AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast to increase connectivity and clarity for audiophiles (and others) who have embraced streaming. The Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2) (which we thoroughly reviewed) can still pick up DAB/FM radio broadcasts, but it can also present anything your smartphone throws at it with a rich, detailed response. Admittedly, this speaker differs from the rest because it’s mono and won’t have anywhere near as expansive a presentation as others in this round-up. But not every bookshelf is a big bookshelf, and sometimes you want a convenient concert for one in the living room, kitchen, etc. Perfect for nestling between art books or cookbooks, this is a compact wireless speaker that sounds as good as it looks. And it looks gooooooood. Plus, if you want something more robust in the same vein, you can upgrade to the Tivoli Audio Music System Home (Gen. 2).

What to consider when shopping for the best bookshelf speakers

Bookshelf speakers—sometimes called standmount speakers because they can be isolated and optimized on stands rather than shelves—are smaller and usually less expensive than floorstanding speakers (though there are certainly boutique exceptions). Their relative affordability is because bookshelf speakers may have a more narrow frequency range, less power, and less presence in the low-end than the best floor-standing speakers, but that doesn’t mean their sound quality is significantly less than that of floor-standers, which can be overkill and unimpressive if you don’t have a properly sized, optimized space or won’t play them loudly enough to make them necessary. 

For small to mid-sized rooms at middle-to-mildly loud volumes, bookshelf speakers stand at the locus between price, footprint, and performance, while also presenting an enormous amount of options in the price range, design, and features. That means there’s something for everyone, but also several factors to consider, including size, price, appearance, and compatibility with the devices and electronics you will use with the speakers. 

Bookshelf speakers are not standardized in size to all fit on, say, the average Ikea bookshelf. They vary in dimensions, so figure out where you will put them and measure the height, width, and depth you have available for the speakers. Also, settle on your target price range since bookshelf speakers can cost tens of dollars on the low side and thousands of dollars at the top. 

The devices from which you want to playback on the bookshelf speakers will also inform your decision. If you’re a vinyl lover, you’ll need phono inputs for a turntable. If you want the convenience of streaming from your phone, you’ll need Bluetooth or some other wireless capability, and so on.

The visual style of a bookshelf speaker set may be a priority for some and not as important for others. However, with all other factors being equal, you will still have a variety of speaker aesthetic designs from which to choose, so pick something you’ll be happy to see every day in what’s likely to be a prominent place in the space the speakers occupy. 

Finally, you have to know whether to purchase passive or active (powered) speakers. The last thing you want to do is to buy a set of passive speakers that you thought were active, or vice versa.

Passive vs. powered bookshelf speakers

Before shopping for bookshelf speakers, you must know the difference between passive and active—also known as powered—speakers. Passive speakers require external amplification from an audio/video receiver, digital audio converter (DAC), or amplifier component. Passive speakers tend only to have speaker wire hook-ups that connect to the amplifier, which has inputs for your audio devices and other electronics. 

On the other hand, active speakers are powered with internal amplification, thus the “powered” label. Active speakers also have all their connections for audio or even video devices. Still, the quantity and variety of those connections are features that differentiate sets of powered speakers and also can affect their price. 

Audiophiles often lean toward passive speakers because they allow the users to try out different amplifiers and DACs and upgrade components as their taste or budget dictates, all while keeping the same speakers. Passive speakers don’t have to plug into a power outlet, which may open up more placement options in your space (though they require speaker wire, which poses its own challenges). Without the internal amp electronics, passive speakers can be lighter and possibly smaller than active speakers while offering comparable sound.  

Active speakers’ advantages include simplicity of setup and fewer overall components and cables. Theoretically, the amplifier within a set of powered speakers should already match the speakers’ capability. 

Whether you opt for passive or active speakers, there are plenty of options at all price ranges to suit various needs. And both passive and powered bookshelf speakers can pump out the satisfyingly spacious stereo sound that single-unit Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speakers, TVs, and laptops cannot match. 

Do you want more bass?

The smaller size of bookshelf speakers imposes some natural limitations on the bass that emanates from them. Woofer sizes in the speaker systems in this round-up range from 4 inches to 5.25 inches. Bookshelf speaker woofers don’t come much larger than that; adding to their challenges, they must take care of mid-range frequencies alongside the low end. Even though some bookshelf speakers exhibit impressive bass response, the physical size of a woofer within a speaker does matter for moving enough air to create the kind of low-end thump that shakes the room while you’re shaking your butt. Boosting the bass through EQ can have some effect but won’t let you exceed a speaker’s inherent limits. Too much EQ boosting in the low end can result in subtle-to-nasty distortions.

Larger floor-standing speakers have larger low-end drivers on average than bookshelf speakers to produce more rumbling responses. However, they also tend to cost more and take up more space. 

Bookshelf speaker users can instead add a subwoofer to their system. Subwoofers are dedicated to low frequencies, usually in the 20-200Hz range. When paired with a bookshelf speaker system, subwoofers almost always extend the system’s frequency range lower and relieve strained bookshelf speaker woofers of the burden of creating all the bass tones. With a subwoofer, you can crank the bass higher without distortion to experience the full power and presence of music, movies, and games that the artists originally intended. And the midrange and treble will benefit from the increased headroom that comes from offloading the lows.

Once you commit to expanding your frequency horizons with a subwoofer, any choice you make will let you enjoy the low-end of your music and other audio, not just in the auditory space but also in the physical space with a bass response you can feel.

FAQs

Q: Do bookshelf speakers sound good?

Regarding sound quality, bookshelf speakers occupy the space between larger and more expensive floor-standing speakers at the top of the food chain and lesser options such as single-unit Bluetooth speakers and the built-in speakers of your computer, TV, phone, or tablet. Bookshelf speakers also range in price from about $25 at the obscenely low end to $25,000 (or more) a pair for some of the most expensive audiophile speakers. So the sound quality among the many available bookshelf speaker systems varies significantly. However, in general, they all give you the advantage of listening to true stereo speakers, and many sound quite good. At a minimum, they represent a step up from the built-in speakers of TVs, computers, and mobile devices.

Q: Are Dayton Audio speakers good?

Affordable bookshelf speakers like the popular Dayton Audio B652 and B652 Air are not the absolute best speakers sonically. However, they consistently rate as one of the best buys for low-cost, passive bookshelf speakers. They earn praise for their respectable build quality and a sound signature that includes decent bass and smooth high frequencies for their price. The B652 Air set adds a ribbon tweeter for a more accurate treble definition.

Q: Are expensive bookshelf speakers worth it?

Generally, speakers costing, say, $1,000 a pair will almost invariably sound better than a $100 pair. Audio companies invest in more expensive materials and sophisticated engineering that can increase manufacturing costs. But, sometimes, you’re paying for aesthetics or a limited edition. And The world’s best speakers won’t sound good without proper amplification and quality signal sources. So, the price increase is not always equal to the increase in sound quality. However, does the KEF LS50 Meta sound the best of our bunch when set up in a proper signal chain? Absolutely.

Q: How good are bookshelf speakers for mixing audio?

Despite their visible similarities, bookshelf speakers—as presented in this guide—are not good for mixing audio. Studio monitors are designed to reproduce sound exactly as intended, translating to a flat, neutral frequency response with no coloration. This is because production professionals want to hear exactly what they created to make informed mix decisions and root out sonic imperfections without being influenced by the “sound” of their speakers. Consumer bookshelf speakers, or “hi-fi speakers,” are designed to provide a purely enjoyable listening experience and generally boost lows and highs (aka the “smiley” EQ curve) to make things sound bright and powerful. Some more pricey options, like the powered, connectivity-packed JBL 4305P monitors ($2,200) or their larger 4329P iteration ($4,500), come from a heritage of studio control rooms and live sound reinforcement, so you might get away with auditioning more active mixes on them alongside using purely production-focused speakers. But it’s not the single most-optimal choice. While it might be more fun to listen to music on consumer-focused speakers, they’re the sonic equivalent of rose-colored glasses and will cloud your judgment when evaluating mixes.

Q: What should I look for when buying bookshelf speakers?

Though we go into it in more detail in the “What to consider” section above, it can’t hurt to reiterate that, when buying bookshelf speakers, the main attributes to look for are the size, price, appearance, and compatibility to fit your needs. There is also the consideration between passive and active speakers. First, decide where you want to put the speakers and figure out the speaker height, width, and depth that will fit into that space since bookshelf speakers vary a fair amount in size. Also, decide how much you’ll spend, as bookshelf speakers can cost less than a hundred or thousands of dollars. You also must ensure prospective purchases have the connectivity you want, whether phono inputs for a turntable, Bluetooth for wireless streaming, etc. If you want to purchase or already have a stereo receiver or amplifier, you can opt for passive speakers; otherwise, you will need active speakers already powered with amplification. Finally, with all your other needs met, you can choose the speakers whose looks best match your style.

Final thoughts on choosing the best bookshelf speakers for you

Bookshelf speakers offer a relatively quick and painless way to improve your audio listening experience, beating built-in device speakers and single-unit wireless speakers without giving up the expense and real estate that floor-standing speakers require. Finding the best bookshelf speakers for you comes down to settling on your preferences for size, price, connectivity, and style and then narrowing down the wealth of options that exist as both passive and powered bookshelf speakers.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best bookshelf speakers in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best wireless surround sound systems in 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-wireless-surround-sound-systems/ Fri, 08 Apr 2022 17:00:07 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=434544
best wireless surround sound systems sliced header
Tony Ware

Surround yourself in sound, not nasty speaker wires.

The post The best wireless surround sound systems in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
best wireless surround sound systems sliced header
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 eARC SSE Max is the best best wireless surround sound system overall. Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 eARC SSE Max
SEE IT

This updated flagship upgrades its audio components and its 3D immersion audio processing.

Easiest setup JBL Bar 9.1 wireless surround sound system has the easiest setup. JBL Bar 9.1
SEE IT

For an even more cord-cutting wireless system, this large soundbar has rear surround speakers that detach and run on battery power.

Best sound quality Bluesound PULSE wireless surround sound system has the best sound quality. Bluesound PULSE system
SEE IT

This audiophile’s dream has the highest-resolution digital audio and HD Bluetooth streaming, as well as the capability to expand into a multiroom system.

If you just replaced your TV with a flagship flatscreen so you can see every detail, the one thing you don’t want to see is a bunch of cables—and that’s where a wireless surround sound system comes in. When it comes to cinematic magic, you don’t want to be taken out of the moment by a speaker array in disarray. Whether you’re considering upgrading from a single soundbar to enhance dialogue or starting from scratch to build an enveloping home theater setup, our picks for the best wireless surround sound systems don’t compromise on audio quality and create less clutter.

How we chose the best wireless surround sound systems

I have previewed and reviewed products—both in the pro audio and home audio realms—on and off throughout most of the 21st century for outlets including Mix, Maximum Tech, DJ Tech Tools, Bob Vila, and some defunct publications printed on paper called magazines. Between the PopSci staff, we’ve tested variations of these wireless surround sound systems firsthand. Beyond our own favorable experiences, these wireless surround sound systems have all proved popular with expert reviewers. Each of these systems offers something a little different from the others, but they all include rear satellite speakers because we wanted to limit this list to systems that actually surround you with speakers. Some soundbars and soundbar/subwoofer combinations do an impressive job creating virtual surround sound environments (you can read about the best Dolby Atmos soundbars and excellent budget choices that support object-based sound formats if you want some maximized minimalism). Still, this list is for those who want the full experience.

The best wireless surround sound systems: Reviews & Recommendations

From a massively powerful two-subwoofer system to a soundbar that detaches rechargeable battery-powered rear speakers, these wireless surround sound systems address different desires for how deep into the immersive sound you want to go. If filling a single room with sound just isn’t enough, some options let you expand into a multiroom system as well. The common thread is no speaker wire but no loss of physical speakers that bring true surround sound at home.

Best overall: Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 eARC SSE Max

Nakamichi

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This 2022 update to an already proven and powerful system piles on hardware improvements and new software processing to make your wireless home theater a literal and figurative blast. 

Specs

  • Audio channels: 9.2.4 with 18 total speaker drivers
  • Total power/SPL loudness: 1300W/113dB 
  • Frequency response: 20Hz-22kHz
  • Connectivity: HDMI 2.1 input x3, HDMI 2.1 eARC output x1, optical digital audio input x3, coaxial audio input x1, RCA audio input x1, USB, Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD 
  • Format compatibility: Dolby Vision with 4K HDR, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X

Pros

  • Loud and clear sound with full-spectrum detail and realism
  • New and exclusive audio processing improves the performance of immersive Dolby Atmos and DTS:X playback
  • Plentiful HDMI 2.1 connections with eARC for supporting the latest TVs and game consoles

Cons 

  • No room-calibration function for setting up
  • Extra speakers mean plugging in extra power cords

Even before a March 2022 update, the popular Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 wireless surround sound system (which is still available) would have made this roundup list for its immersive, realistic sound, clarity of audio, and massive bass rumble from its twin 10-inch powered subwoofers. Customers and critics alike have showered it with adoration since 2017. 

But the new Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 eARC SSE Max system goes further in nearly every conceivable way with hardware and software upgrades. It now has HDMI 2.1 connections with eARC to the TV to enable the highest quality lossless audio, 4K HDR and Dolby Vision video, and features like variable refresh rate (VRR) for next-gen gaming consoles. It also has Bluetooth 5.0 with Qualcomm aptX HD—rare for a soundbar system—and that lets you stream Bluetooth audio at up to 24-bit digital quality.

The SSE Max designation refers to Nakamichi’s new technology—currently exclusive to this system—for creating realistic 360-degree immersive audio in a home theater. It’s the combination of Shockwafe’s three Spatial Surround Elevation audio processing engines for enhancing the sense of spaciousness to the soundstage, balancing the surround-sound mix across all the speakers, and creating audio height effects for object-oriented formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. 

Upgraded hardware includes redesigned extended-range twin-cone drivers in the soundbar, new high-output amplifiers and upgraded drivers in the subwoofers, and 2nd-generation two-way Quad Modular Surround Speakers with new silk dome tweeters and extended-range twin-cone drivers. A new matte-black finish and 2nd-gen backlit remote round out the updates, which Nakamichi based on customer surveys, beta tests, and customer review feedback. The $1,899 MSRP Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 eARC SSE Max requires a lot of space, power outlets, and experimentation to find the right setup for the four surround speakers, but it rewards your effort with a powerful and life-like cocoon of sound. (And an even more intense, more expensive ultra-flagship we hope to try out, the quad-sub Dragon, was announced at CES 2023.)

Easiest setup: JBL Bar 9.1

JBL

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: JBL cuts even more cords out of your life with its Bar 9.1 system, which uses the soundbar to charge detachable battery-powered rear surround speakers that don’t even have to plug into wall outlets. 

Specs

  • Audio channels: 5.1.4 with 10-inch wireless powered subwoofer
  • Total power/SPL loudness: 820W/103dB 
  • Frequency response: 34Hz-20kHz
  • Connectivity: HDMI 2.1 input, HDMI 2.1 eARC output, optical digital audio output, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2
  • Format compatibility: Dolby Vision with 4K passthrough, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Chromecast, AirPlay 2

Pros

  • Detachable battery-powered rear speakers recharge from the base soundbar.
  • Dolby Atmos and DTS:X height effects from four up-firing speakers.
  • Crisp, balanced sound appropriate for all uses.

Cons 

  • Speaker batteries not replaceable

If you’re looking for a wireless surround sound system with a simple setup, it doesn’t get much simpler or more truly wireless than the JBL Bar 9.1. While the wireless component of most systems means you don’t have to attach speaker wire, you usually still need to find a power outlet to plug in all your satellite surround speakers. Not so with the Bar 9.1. Its rear surround speakers detach from the main soundbar unit and work on battery power for up to 10 hours. When you’re finished, dock them in the soundbar so they can recharge in about three hours. (Or you can charge them independently via MicroUSB.) While the rear speakers recharge, you can still use the full system for virtual surround. When you detach them again, they detect their distance to the soundbar to calibrate the sound. But you can also use the auto-calibration tool to optimize the sound mix for your room upon your initial setup or any other time you move the rear speakers. 

For the immersive 3D audio formats that send overhead sounds like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, the Bar 9.1 has two up-firing speakers on the soundbar and one each on the satellite units, which also have front-firing speakers. Combining those surrounds with the subwoofer, the 5.1.4 Atmos performance is very satisfying for a relatively compact system like this, but the Bar 9.1 also has a neutral and balanced sound that works well for the whole gamut of audio, from listening to spoken word material to watching the most explosive of big-budget movies. A mid-2023 refresh of the JBL soundbar line (which we hope to experience first-hand) promises to take this expandable all-in-one concept to new, well, heights (and lengths and depths).

Best sound quality: Bluesound PULSE system

Tony Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Audiophile-grade sound combines with powerful internal processing in a system that can expand to multiroom audio. 

Specs

  • Audio channels: 7.1 with 11 total speaker drivers
  • Total power/SPL loudness: W/ dB 120W soundbar, 25W Flex
  • Frequency response: 22Hz-20kHz
  • Connectivity: HDMI 2.1 eARC, optical digital audio input, 3.5mm analog audio input1, USB Type-A, Bluetooth aptX HD, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
  • Format compatibility: 24-bit/192 kHz audio, Dolby Atmos, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal, Pandora, Amazon Music, MQA high-res audio

Pros

  • Supports 24-bit/192 kHz high-res audio, including MQA decoding and Roon Ready
  • Can expand to a multiroom audio system
  • Excellent preset audio modes for different scenarios

Cons 

  • Not sold with bundled pricing

If you’re willing to piece your purchases together, the Bluesound PULSE “by audiophiles for audiophiles” wireless surround sound system is technologically very versatile and the first multiroom system to support the MQA format that “folds” and “unfolds” digital data to stream high-res audio without a ton of bandwidth. With the SOUNDBAR+ as its centerpiece (shown above), combined with a dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac-equipped PULSE SUB+ and two equally wireless PULSE FLEX 2i or PULSE M satellite speakers, the system can expand two-channel stereo content into a spacious soundstage thanks to Bluesound’s audiophile-grade drivers, high-performance digital-to-analog converter, and clean, powerful Class D amplification. The eight-speaker forward-facing configuration of a 1-inch tweeter, 2-inch mid-range driver, 4-inch woofer, and 4-inch passive radiator—one set left and one right—is optimized for music streaming thanks to a powerful quad-core ARM processor that handles high-quality audio with blazing speed. The resulting, authoritative sound handles vocals with visceral detail, while the overall tonality is balanced, never artificial. Lows and mids sound warm yet not fuzzy, and the treble is precise without sounding harsh. 

If you have a wealth of advanced-resolution downloads/personally ripped digital music, Bluesound can be used as a Roon endpoint if you’ve set up a compatible music server on your local network. Otherwise, you can stream lossless music directly from iOS devices via AirPlay 2 on Wi-Fi and/or higher-bitrate, though still lossy transmissions via any device that supports Bluetooth (compatible Android devices can even connect via aptX HD). If you subscribe to Spotify and/or TIDAL, both services have a natively supported “Connect” service so the highest quality stream will go directly via Wi-Fi to the SOUNDBAR+, bypassing your phone. The BluOS app consolidates source control, as well as offers some EQ. Connected to the TV via a single HDMI (e)ARC connection, the dimensionally tall, but aesthetically unobtrusive Bluesound PULSE SOUNDBAR+ decodes Dolby Atmos material directly but with nuance, although with more subtlety in its height rather than in its width due to the lack of up-firing drivers. It presents music compellingly without any processing, although there are some interesting audio modes and upmixing options with which to experiment.

According to our assistant managing editor, who has experienced a complete Bluesound PULSE set-up, adding in a pair of FLEX 2i speakers allows sonic textures to be even more open and expressive—most impactful when watching demo-worthy Atmos films like Mad Max: Fury Road and Baby Driver or while playing a selection of spatial audio from Apple Music on the Apple TV 4K. Music, especially, feels authentic, a well-rounded presentation from a flat facade—the SOUNDBAR+ with surrounds assures every track’s scope is fully conveyed without losing anything granular as it unfurls. And if you have high ceilings or a wider, open viewing space, adding in physical surround speakers makes a world of difference when compared to soundbars that use reflections to convey dimensionality.

On the other end of the spectrum, the SUB+ offers versatile, visceral LFE reinforcement, its 8-inch long-throw driver and 150-watt amplifier taking the 70 Hz cap of the SOUNDBAR+ down to 22 Hz. Capable of laying flat under a sofa or sitting up against a wall, the sealed enclosure is easily integrated physically into any room layout (wall outlet allowing) and digitally via home network and the BluOS app. As for what the SUB+ adds sonically … it’s tunefulness. It’s a subwoofer that’s far more about nimble pluck than unchecked pump; though it can reach dynamically deep, the SUB+ impressed far more with its dexterity. If you value realism as much as rumble, the SUB+ is another amazing addition to the Bluesound ecosystem.

Not watching anything or wanting to restrict your soundtrack to a single room? You can relocate an ultra-compact mono PULSE FLEX 2i or even more expressive omni-hybrid stereo PULSE M speaker around your home (or just get extras for other zones). As long as they are all on the same Wi-Fi network, you pass whatever music you’re streaming from speaker to speaker if you move to specific areas or have it play simultaneously throughout the house—wherever the action is. 

Best wireless connection: Enclave CineHome PRO

Markkus Rovito

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Brilliant sound and an elegant design that puts each audio channel into its own speaker without occupying too much space make the CineHome PRO a joy to use. 

Specs

  • Audio channels: 5.1 with 14 total speaker drivers
  • Total power/SPL loudness: N/A
  • Frequency response: N/A
  • Connectivity: HDMI ARC, optical digital audio input, 3.5mm analog audio input, Bluetooth 5.0 
  • Format compatibility: THX and WiSA certified, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS 5.1 Digital Surround

Pros

  • Lovely, detailed sound, supported up to 24-bit/96kHz high-res digital audio
  • WiSA wireless transmission won’t interfere with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth bandwidth
  • Eye-catching design with a separate unit for each audio channel

Cons 

  • No Dolby Atmos or Wi-Fi streaming
  • No firmware update to HDMI eARC yet

The WiSA (Wireless Speaker and Audio Association) technology may not be a huge buzzword in home audio, but it’s worth your attention. It allows the transmission of up to eight channels of uncompressed 24-bit/96 kHz high-res audio (twice the resolution of CD audio) on wireless frequencies that won’t interfere with Bluetooth or your Wi-Fi bandwidth. And the WiSA audio is so low-latency (5.2 milliseconds) that it will appear perfectly synced with your TV’s picture. The Enclave Cinehome PRO 5.1 wireless surround sound system is the first THX-certified WiSA system with its level of surround-sound support, and it may add Dolby Atmos support at a later date through a firmware update.

While only a 5.1 system, the CineHome PRO puts out beautiful audio with attention to detail. Each audio channel gets its own speaker unit that can sit horizontally or vertically to save surface area. With 3-way center and front left/right units, and 2-way rear left/right units, the system balances the entire frequency range extraordinarily well. It also gets very loud, but the audio stays clean regardless of the volume level. A helpful control app puts different sound modes at your fingertips, including the excellent Whole Room Stereo mode, which makes the CineHome PRO an impeccable system for music listening on top of its immersive surround sound performance for home theater.

Best design: Sonos Arc with Sonos Sub and Era 100 or Era 300 surround speakers

Sonos

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Combining the Sonos Arc soundbar with the Sonos Sub (Gen. 3) and two Sonos surround speakers makes for a stunning ensemble both visually and audibly. 

Specs

  • Audio channels: 5.1.2 with 17 total speaker drivers
  • Total power/SPL loudness: N/A 
  • Frequency response: apprx. 32Hz-19kHz
  • Connectivity: HDMI eARC, Wi-Fi, Ethernet 
  • Format compatibility: Multiroom audio, Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, Apple AirPlay 2, Siri, Amazon Alex, Google Assistant

Pros

  • Very spacious surround sound imaging and good Atmos performance
  • Smart speaker features and Wi-Fi streaming
  • Sleek styling with touch controls on the soundbar and surround speakers

Cons 

  • Limited connectivity and no Bluetooth
  • Room calibration only works through the iOS app

This intelligent wireless surround sound combination can be purchased as a single bundle for just over $2,000. But if that feels like too much upfront and you want to assemble components piecemeal, it’s worth it to procure the Sonos Arc soundbar, Sub subwoofer, and a pair of Era 100 surround speakers gradually to create a formidable home theater system that you can also easily connect with your TV and any number of Sonos products to make a multiroom audio setup. The Arc gives you Dolby Atmos playback through two top-firing speakers, as well as an HDMI eARC connection (which enables high-resolution audio), Apple AirPlay 2 streaming, and smart speaker features like built-in voice control with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. The Sonos app lets you connect most other streaming services, and the iOS version can run auto-calibration to tune the speakers’ response to your particular space.

The Arc’s minimal aesthetic has limitations, such as a single HDMI connection and an app-only remote control. However, it emits precise mid-range and high frequencies, and the smooth, rattle-free bass from the Sub’s two force-canceling drivers adds weight to the low end while relieving pressure on the other speakers, allowing for more finesse throughout the frequency range. Touch controls for volume, play/pause, and track skipping (by swiping left or right) on both the Arc and the Era 100 surround speakers can come in handy when you’re locked to the couch, and those extra LS/RS channels take the impressive performance of the Arc into the next level of genuine surround sound.

If you’re looking for the absolute best design for Dolby Atmos content, however, upgrade the rear speakers to a pair of the Era 300, which are purpose-built with six multidirectional drivers to unfurl the full immersive potential of spatial audio. Whether it’s an album on Apple Music or Mad Max: Fury Road, the full $2,500 7.1.4 setup lets you experience instant gratification and ongoing exhilaration. (A single Era 300 also works as a standout standalone speaker if you’re just looking to turn any old room into a multidimensional performance.)

Best with 4K video compatibility: Sony HT-A7000 with SW3 subwoofer and RS3S rear speakers

Why it made the cut: Besides being very well built and good at basically everything, the Sony HT-A7000 has two HDMI 2.1 inputs and an HDMI 2.1 eARC output for ready compatibility with the best 4K TVs and even 8K sets.

Specs

  • Audio channels: 7.1.2 with 16 total speaker drivers
  • Total power: 900W
  • Frequency response: 28Hz-22kHz
  • Connectivity: HDMI 2.1 input x2, HDMI 2.1 eARC output x1, optical digital audio input, 3.5mm analog audio input, USB, Bluetooth 5.0
  • Compatibility: Dolby Vision HDR, 8K video at 60Hz, 4K at 120Hz, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Sony 360 Reality Audio, Chromecast, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Amazon Alexa

Pros

  • Well-balanced, clear, and detailed sound complements both movies and music
  • Good Atmos performance and effective Immersive AE up-mixing mode
  • Big bass power with the SW3 subwoofer

Cons 

  • No custom EQ options.

Many people may assume that any wireless surround sound system they purchase will work great out of the box with any TV, game console, or other devices they have. But, unfortunately, to get everything possible out of your other electronics, you may need to make sure that your home theater sound system has the highest level of HDMI connection, which the Sony HT-A7000 has. Its two HDMI 2.1 passthrough inputs and HDMI 2.1 eARC output support 8K video at 60Hz, 4K at 120Hz, and Dolby Vision HDR, which makes it perfectly suited for the highest-resolution video and audio.

If your content hub is a next-generation game console like the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, you might want a Sony Bravia XR TV and to plug the console directly into that, with the soundbar attached to the eARC port, to take full advantage of game-centric protocols like VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low-Latency Mode). However, no matter how you’ve got everything patched in, what comes out of this soundbar will astound you. The HT-A7000 with SW3 subwoofer and RS3S rear surround speakers is just a highly impressive system with a simple, wireless setup and a moderate-sized footprint. It’s built very solidly and has an auto room calibration tool. The soundbar’s side- and top-firing drivers along with the rear speakers create a large sweet spot for native immersive content in the Atmos or DTS:X formats, and the Immersive AE up-mixing effect does a credible job of making any audio source more 3D. 

It’s also a powerful system for almost any sized living room. Even though the SW3 subwoofer doesn’t dip quite as low into the frequency range as some others, it is very powerful, so keep your picture frames securely attached to the walls and alert the neighbors if you have to. Fortunately, the remote control has dedicated volume controls for both the subwoofer and rear surround speakers.

Best budget multiroom-compatible setup: Denon Home Wireless 5.1 Home Theater System

Markkus Rovito

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Denon Home’s wireless, multiroom audio system offers a less-expensive option for starting small but eventually building a whole-home speaker empire. 

Specs

  • Audio channels: 5.1 with 11 total speaker drivers
  • Total power/SPL loudness: N/A
  • Frequency response: N/A
  • Connectivity: HDMI 2.1 input x1, HDMI 2.1 eARC output x1, optical digital audio input x1, minijack audio input x1, USB, Bluetooth, dual-band Wi-Fi 
  • Format compatibility: 24-bit/192kHz audio, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby Vision w/HDR 10, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, AirPlay 2,

Pros

  • Modular system expandable to as many speakers in as many rooms as you want
  • Rear speakers include controls, Bluetooth pairing, and audio inputs
  • Good aesthetic appearance with matching cloth speaker coverings
  • Clear, balanced sound

Cons

  • Some HEOS app setup snafus and instability with the rear speakers
  • No up-firing drivers for spatial audio formats
  • No Chromecasting for sending Atmos music from mobile devices

When you may not have the funds to purchase the wireless surround sound system you most want responsibly, you could compromise and buy a lower-end system … or you could play the long game, exercise a little patience, and buy components one at a time until you’ve built something great. The Denon Home family of wireless speakers lets you do the latter at lower prices than the other multiroom capable systems. While the Denon Home Wireless 5.1 Home Theater System is available in one fell swoop, you can also pick up the Sound Bar 550, the Subwoofer, and 150 Wireless Speakers individually, or start with a bundle of the soundbar/subwoofer or soundbar/wireless speakers.

“Budget” is in the eye of the beholder. Still, ultimately, the Denon Home components should total around $1,500 and save you several hundred over comparable purchases from the Sonos or Bluesound multiroom systems. Denon Home also has 250 wireless speakers and 350 wireless speakers, which are larger speakers with more driver units inside, better suited for being the sole audio source in their own room, like an office or bedroom.

The Denon Home system uses the HEOS app to link all the speakers together, update firmware, and control what audio or music is playing from which room, if you have speakers in multiple rooms. HEOS also consolidates all the compatible music services and sources available into one place, such as Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, music stored on your phone, and more. In our firsthand testing of the Denon Home Wireless 5.1 Home Theater System, setup caused some frustration with failed firmware updates and the app not pairing at first with the wireless speakers and subwoofer to the soundbar. Unlike many other wireless systems where the soundbar recognizes and pairs with the sub and surround speakers automatically, you have to connect each Denon Home speaker individually to your home network via HEOS and then pair the speakers to the soundbar. After several attempts to do so with HEOS showing that pairing failed, the subwoofer and wireless speakers eventually just started working with the soundbar. After that, the system worked together, but the 150 Wireless Speakers did experience a connection problem where the audio crackled or flickered on and off. However, cycling the power solved that.

The compact Sound Bar 550 measures only 26 inches wide and looks living-room ready with its attractive fabric-lined enclosure and illuminated touch controls on the top panel for volume, play/pause, and muting the built-in Alexa voice control function. Its small remote has separate level controls for overall volume and bass, audio mode and source, and a Bluetooth pairing button. When tested as a standalone speaker, the soundbar’s forward-facing six drivers and two passive radiators do a decent of job of downmixing surround-sound sources into a spatially separated mix. You do get a real sense of separation between, say, the characters and their environment in a movie.

Denon Home doesn’t disclose any wattage or SPL numbers for its units, but the Sound Bar 550 isn’t extraordinarily loud for its size. It can suffice as the TV’s soundsystem in an average-sized living room, but if you like high volume, the Sound Bar 550 distorts some when you crank it up to the max, so it’s better for more modest listening. Its sound, however, is clean and well separated in the frequency ranges. Dialog in movies and TV shows pierced through the mix in most cases, and music shimmered with a stereo soundstage belying the soundbar’s size. In the right sweet spots, it does have more impressive bass power than expected but does benefit greatly from adding the Denon Home Subwoofer.

It is Atmos and DTS:X compatible; however, without up-firing speakers, the object-based immersive audio effects don’t fully translate to your 3D environment the way they were originally intended. Adding the 8-inch, downward-firing subwoofer and two 150 Wireless Speakers to the mix made big improvements both aurally and functionally. Each 150 unit has its own volume and play/pause touch controls that work for the entire system they’re paired to, so it’s quite convenient to reach over the couch to a rear speaker and flick the volume if needed. The 150s also let you initiate Bluetooth pairing and have USB storage inputs and minijack audio inputs, which will also send their audio to the entire system.

While the system as a whole still didn’t reach the decibel levels of many others in this guide, it made watching “event” movies like the Atmos-ready Thor: Love and Thunder an immersive good time, even though the spatial Atmos effects aren’t fully supported with height-based drivers. Switching to the Movie (DTS Virtual:X) preset gives Atmos material a slightly more expansive sound. During PlayStation 5 games like Horizon Forbidden West, the Denon Home system tracked the character movements well, keeping the surround mix believably positioned and clearly representing the mix of sounds from playable and non-playable characters, the natural environment, and the crucial rumblings and fumblings of enemies in the distance.

For music, the full system can become a single stereo powerhouse with all the speakers working together as a stereo system. Pairing various Bluetooth devices was easy and smooth, with no dropouts in our testing. For audio fidelity, however, streaming over AirPlay 2 sounds markedly better (Denon does not list a Bluetooth codec for the system, which could be baseline SBC). When comparing the same audio sources played over Bluetooth and then AirPlay 2, the AirPlay signal sounded much more full and vibrant overall, with deeper, rounder bass.

Overall, the Sound Bar 550 is a wonderful upgrade from internal TV speakers, even if the soundbar can’t pretend to offer anything other than virtual surround sound. The 150 speakers still don’t have any up-firing drivers for Atmos material. However, adding two wireless surrounds and the subwoofer resulted in full-spectrum audio that satisfied the need for a booming surround sound experience. And the ability to keep more rooms full of sound without fully emptying your pockets is attractive, indeed.

Things to consider before buying the best wireless surround sound systems

Maybe you enjoy unspooling many feet of speaker wire across your media room and crawling behind a cabinet to route everything through an A/V receiver. But if you’d prefer to enjoy full-room, real surround sound with speakers behind or beside you minus any messy entanglements, we’ve got you. The best wireless sound systems deliver audio as vivid as that new OLED TV, and they do it without any noticeable latency between sound and image. Many of these systems also include mobile device sharing via Apple AirPlay 2 and/or Google Chromecast and support voice control from smart assistants. They let you stream music wirelessly over Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi. While wireless surround sound systems still cost a few bucks more than wired equivalents, this guide shows you the best options across a variety of price points and feature sets.

Remember, however, that calling a surround sound system “wireless” means that you don’t have to attach any speaker wire to the speakers. They also let you stream audio and/or video wirelessly from devices over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or both. But that doesn’t mean zero cables. To use them with a TV, you need to connect the main soundbar or base unit via HDMI to the TV, and then the rest of the speakers receive an audio signal wirelessly. Each speaker also has to plug into a power outlet, unless they’re battery-powered (as in the case of the JBL Bar 9.1’s rear surround speakers). And you might need to crawl around a little to find the perfect place for your subwoofer.

Budget 

Wireless surround sound systems tend to be more expensive than equivalent wired systems because you still pay a bit of a premium for the extra convenience and tidiness of a wireless system. The systems here range from about $1,100 (JBL Bar 9.1) to about $2,400 (both the Bluesound PULSE and the Sony HT-A7000 system with all their listed components). Prices have been fluctuating somewhat from month to month because of chip shortages/supply chain issues, but don’t expect wireless surround sound systems to plummet in price too much anytime soon. 

Sound quality 

Whether a surround sound system is wireless or wired does not really determine its sound quality. Other factors matter, such as the quality of the source audio and the construction and materials of the speakers. Most people will not notice much difference between a modern-day wireless system and a wired alternative. However, connoisseurs of audio quality seeking out a wireless surround sound system may want to ensure that it supports 24-bit digital audio so that it’s compatible with high-resolution formats. The Bluesound PULSE system here supports 24-bit/192 kHz digital audio, a resolution limit so high that you’d have to search specific niches for audio material that maxes it out. The 24-bit/96 kHz Enclave CineHome PRO system meets a high-res audio standard good enough for even the most discerning ears, and the CineHome PRO’s WiSA audio transmission standard also ensures that it won’t interfere with your Wi-Fi network’s bandwidth.

Do you want a multiroom system?

A wireless surround sound system for your TV room may be all you’re into for now, but if you’re thinking about expanding to a multiroom speaker system where you can share/pass source audio between different rooms in your abode, there are two options here. Both the Bluesound PULSE system and the Sonos Arc with Sub and Era 100 or Era 300 speakers support building multiroom systems with a variety of different add-on units. 

FAQs

Q: Are soundbars simulating surround sound as good as true surround-sound systems?

Soundbars simulating surround sound are just simply not as good as true surround-sound systems, meaning systems that have satellite speakers that go most often behind you, sometimes to the left and right sides of you, and occasionally even above you—in the case of high-end Dolby Atmos home theaters. Today’s advanced soundbars with high-tech immersive audio processing can offer a decent illusion of surround sound that is definitely a big step up from internal TV speakers, but the best surround sound systems still actually have to surround you with physical speakers.

Q: How do I connect my TV to a wireless surround sound system?

You most often connect a TV to a wireless surround sound system with an HDMI cable that passes both video and audio to and from the TV to either the main soundbar or otherwise some small base hub unit. In the rare case your TV does not have an HDMI ARC input, you can connect the TV to the sound system using both HDMI and digital optical audio cables

Q: Is there a completely wireless surround sound system?

There is not a completely wireless surround sound system if you consider wires to include power cords and HDMI cables, because the term “wireless surround sound system” means that you do not have to connect any speaker wire to any of the surround speakers or the subwoofer, the way you have to connect speaker wire to the speakers of some home theater systems that are powered by amplifiers. Today’s wireless surround sound systems still need to connect to a TV with an HDMI cable, and you need to plug in a power cord to various components such as a soundbar or a subwoofer. You can find some options, such as the JBL Bar 9.1, that have rear speakers powered by rechargeable batteries, eliminating two power cords from the setup. However, there’s not a wireless surround sound system yet that doesn’t need at least an HDMI cable and a couple of power cords.

Final thoughts on the best wireless surround sound systems

Due to its powerful and clear sound, its wealth of state-of-the-art technology—like HDMI 2.1, eArc, and Dolby Atmos—and the sheer size of its 9.2.4 speaker configuration for less than $2,000, the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 eARC SSE Max gets the nod as the best overall wireless surround sound system. It may not be cheap, but it is still a great value compared to some of the competition. However, its dual subwoofers and four surround speakers are a bit of overkill for some people’s needs or available space. 

By contrast, options like the JBL Bar 9.1 or Enclave CineHome PRO accomplish full-room surround sound with smaller footprints. If perhaps you’d like to start even smaller and build from there, the Sonos, Bluesound, Sony, and Denon systems on this list all let you start with an outstanding soundbar and add to it with subwoofers and surround speakers. You really can’t go wrong with any system on this list once you conclude how much power, how many speakers, and which technological extras you want with your wireless surround sound system.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best wireless surround sound systems in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best Bose soundbars of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-bose-soundbars/ Mon, 16 May 2022 17:30:34 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=440094
Best Bose soundbars header image
Stan Horaczek

Bose’s premium soundbar systems bring expansive sound to tight spaces.

The post The best Bose soundbars of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best Bose soundbars header image
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Bose Smart Soundbar 900 best overall product image Bose Smart Soundbar 900
SEE IT

Bose’s flagship soundbar delivers Dolby Atmos surround sound and converts stereo audio to surround sound, making for a consistently immersive listening experience.

Best TV soundbar Bose TV Speaker best flatscreen TV soundbar product image Bose TV Speaker
SEE IT

This super-small Bose soundbar is easy to set up and can be expanded via any of Bose’s separately sold satellite speakers/subwoofers for even richer sound.

Best surround-sound system Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Bose Surround Speakers 700 surround sound system product image Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Bose Surround Speakers 700
SEE IT

Adding to any Bose soundbar is incredibly easy and rewarding thanks to compact, wireless surround speakers that can fit in almost any space.

Founded in 1964 by Massachusetts-based sound engineer and professor Amar Bose, the Bose Corporation has grown from a means for its namesake to manufacture and sell a better multi-speaker stereo system to a maker of everything from noise-canceling headphones to soundbars. Today, Bose has built on its psychoacoustics research to become a major player in the audio market and a leading manufacturer of some of the best smart speakers. The best Bose soundbars range from highly compact, streamlined designs to premium expandable systems with cutting-edge features like Dolby Atmos, wireless multi-device connectivity, and adaptive calibration. 

How we chose the best Bose soundbars 

When compiling this list, we compared different models and looked at key criteria to determine the best Bose soundbars available. Many modern soundbars offer HDMI ARC or eARC support, optical audio inputs, and some wireless compatibility to make them as flexible and useful as possible. We looked at connectivity, expandability, and audibility (Bose’s soundbars particularly shine in dialogue clarity). We culled through expert reviews and online user impressions and combined them with our own in-house experiences to determine the best options from a highly respected brand.

The best Bose soundbars: Reviews & Recommendations

So, you’ve got that stunning new OLED TV, have figured out where best to place it, and have read our guide on what to do when it’s time to connect a soundbar—all that remains is buying one. Whether you need a basic upgrade for your television’s sound or want to add a powerful, immersive spatial audio experience to your space, this list of the best Bose soundbars is sure to fit the needs of every audiophile under the sun looking for the best sound you can get without an extensive, expensive wireless surround sound system.

Best overall: Bose Smart Soundbar 900

Bose

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is a top-of-the-line smart speaker that packs Dolby Atmos, voice assistants, and wireless streaming in a compact, stylish package.

Specs

  • Width: 41.14 inches
  • Channels: 5.0.2
  • Connectivity: HDMI eARC, Optical, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi

Pros

  • Premium, minimalist finish with glass top
  • Features immersive Dolby Atmos audio and extensive wireless connectivity
  • Powerful drivers and ADAPTiQ room calibration offer high audio clarity

Cons

  • Smartphone app required to access all functions
  • Price adds up when adding surround modules or subwoofer
  • Lacks the deep, cinematic low-end response a woofer would provide

The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is the best Bose wireless soundbar, thanks to its first-rate combination of build quality, upgradeability, connectivity, and immersive sound. Though it sits at a mere 2.3 inches tall, it packs a lot under its glass panel-topped frame, including state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos virtual surround sound with up-firing speakers and PhaseGuide technology, ADAPTiQ room calibration, and wireless connectivity via Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi (including AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect) into a single unit. As the newest and highest-tier soundbar in Bose’s line of soundbars, the Smart Soundbar 900 boasts a wide, detailed soundstage; support for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and hi-res 24-bit/192 kHz content; and even applies Bose’s proprietary TrueSpace analysis to convert non-Atmos sound to add further dimensionality. 

The ​​Amazon Alexa- and Google Assistant-equipped smart speaker connects to your television via HDMI eARC (so don’t forget appropriate HDMI cables) and can be expanded wirelessly with Bose’s Surround Speakers 700 and Bose Bass Module 700 to add further depth and immersion to your home theater experience. Already have a pair of Bose Noise-Canceling Headphones 700? SimpleSync technology lets them pair with the soundbar quickly so you can watch something without disturbing anyone.

Because the Smart Soundbar 900 is Bose’s best soundbar available, it’s a bit pricier than other options (even more so if you want to invest in Bose’s compatible satellite speakers and subwoofer, which must be purchased separately). Users are also required to download Bose’s smartphone app to configure the Smart Soundbar 900 and access its more advanced features, which can be mildly inconvenient for less tech-oriented consumers. It delivers good midrange with dialogue clarity, but you’ll definitely want to consider adding the subwoofer if you’re seeking immersive, cinema-like low-end. 

Best TV soundbar: Bose TV Speaker

Bose

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Bose TV Speaker is the perfect companion soundbar for small TVs and small spaces, with a stripped-down feature set and good expandability, making it very user-friendly.

Specs

  • Width: 23.38 inches
  • Channels: 2.0 (stereo)
  • Connectivity: HDMI ARC, Optical, Bluetooth

Pros

  • Easy to set up, easy to use
  • Expandable via Bose bass modules
  • Enhanced dialogue clarity is available at the touch of a button

Cons

  • Limited to stereo sound; lacks surround sound capability
  • No wireless expandability or smart assistant integration
  • Requires separately-sold bass modules to achieve deep low end

Much of a soundbar’s fundamental appeal comes from its ability to provide improved volume and clarity while taking up very little space, and the Bose TV Speaker is a perfect example of just that. Delivering dialogue enhancement and good midrange detail in a compact 23-inch footprint, the Bose TV Speaker is a streamlined smart speaker that’s easy to set up and requires no smartphone app for configuration. It’s equipped with HDMI ARC and optical audio inputs, as well as integrated Bluetooth for wirelessly streaming audio to fuel a living room dance party. It includes a small remote control that grants one-touch access to a speech-accentuating “dialogue mode.” 

As a side effect of its small size, the Bose TV Speaker lacks significant low-mid and low-end response when operating as a single unit. This can be remedied by pairing it with a separately sold Bose Bass Module 700, bringing the listening experience closer to that of a more fleshed-out home theater. Its compact footprint also comes at the cost of more advanced features like Dolby Atmos, virtual assistant integration, and wireless expandability, so there’s a bit of a trade-off to make there as well. But, compared to the sound possible from the built-in speakers of a modern flatscreen television, the Bose TV speaker should offer a big improvement for an approachable price.

Best surround-sound system: Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Bose Surround Speakers 700

Bose

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Bose Surround Speakers 700 are some of the most compact, best-sounding surround speakers for soundbars on the market, making them a flexible choice for elevating your entertainment center.

Specs

  • Width: 41.14 inches (soundbar) and 1.84 inches (surround speaker)
  • Channels: 5.0.2 (soundbar), 5.0.4 (soundbar + satellites)
  • Connectivity: HDMI eARC, Optical, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (soundbar)

Pros

  • Surround speakers compatible with multiple soundbars in Bose product line
  • Wireless connectivity and compact size allow for flexible placement
  • Durable metal-and-plastic construction

Cons

  • Pricey; speakers sold separately from soundbar
  • Speaker stands and brackets sold separately
  • Not compatible with lower-end Bose soundbars

One great aspect of the Bose ecosystem is how it grants users the ability to assemble sound systems piece by piece. While this adds some extra work and can be a bit setup-intensive, this offers users some flexibility to mix and match models (and price points) to their liking. Plus, you can upgrade virtual surround to actual physical surround speakers, which is a noticeably different experience. And the Bose Surround Speakers 700 are the best Bose surround sound speakers for pairing with the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 (scroll up for more specific specs on that) to add dimensionality, volume, and immersion to your home theater experience. Plus, they match the Bose aesthetic. 

These speakers are also compatible with the Bose Soundbar 700, Bose Soundbar 500, and Bose Soundbar 300, so you won’t have to miss out if you’re considering any of those less-expensive alternatives. All soundbar-to-speaker pairing takes place wirelessly and requires no long cable runs (just a power outlet each). These are a very flexible and convenient choice for adding surround sound to practically any space with little hassle.

While the Surround Speakers 700 are available for purchase in a bundle with the Smart Soundbar 900, they’re technically sold separately, which drives up the price substantially. To add to this cost, you’ll also need to buy mounting brackets or floor stands for your speakers, which can add up to an additional $300 to the total bill. The Surround Speakers 700 are part of a reliable and high-quality ecosystem with a reputation for clear and immersive sound, this is something of a given, but the cost is still important to note. You’ll also need to purchase at least the Soundbar 500 to take advantage of these surround speakers; they aren’t compatible with more stripped-down models like the Bose TV Speaker.

Best with subwoofer: Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Bass Module 700

Bose

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: A powerful 10-inch driver, wireless connectivity, and compact footprint make the Bose Bass Module 700 ideal for adding theater-like sub-bass to your Bose soundbar system.

Specs

  • Width: 41.14 inches (soundbar) and 11.6 inches (subwoofer)
  • Channels: 5.0.2 (soundbar), 5.1.2 (soundbar + subwoofer)
  • Connectivity: HDMI eARC, Optical, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (soundbar)

Pros

  • Wireless sub allows for flexible placement
  • Delivers detailed and immersive bass response in a small footprint
  • Compatible with a wide range of Bose soundbars

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Fine control of bass volume requires smartphone app
  • Prone to wireless interference in some settings

Just like Bose’s surround speakers, the Bose Bass Module 700 is a separate component that can pair with the Smart Soundbar 900 (scroll up for more specific specs on that) and is made to deliver one of the best Bose soundbar + subwoofer combinations on the market (the two are sold bundled). The Bass Module 700 pairs wirelessly to the main soundbar (up to 30 feet), eliminating the need for extra cables while adding deep, extended low-end response (down to 25 Hz) from its 10-inch driver for improved immersion and a movie theater-like rumble that listeners can feel. Considering its reasonable power and low-end detail, the Bass Module 700 is a fairly compact subwoofer, measuring under 13 inches tall with an 11.6-inch footprint under its attractive glass panel. Like the Surround Speakers 700, the bass module is also backward-compatible with Bose’s mid-tier soundbars—the Bose Soundbar 700, Bose Soundbar 500, and Bose Soundbar 300—as well as the Bose TV Speaker.

In keeping with the reality of Bose’s piecemeal soundbar systems, the Bass Module 700 costs nearly the same price as the Smart Soundbar 900 itself. While this price is more than reflected in the system’s quality and sound, shoppers who are looking to save a bit of money (and space) might consider the $500, 5.25-inch driver Bose Bass Module 500 if they’re willing to sacrifice optical audio connectivity, DTS compatibility, and a bit of the room-shaking sub-bass that the Bass Module 700 can deliver. 

Users should note that the Bass Module 700’s dedicated volume control is only adjustable via the Bose smartphone app. Also, the unit has been reported as prone to picking up slight wireless interference when placed alongside routers and other wireless devices, but this can be remedied by using the subwoofer in wired mode using the supplied cable.

Best budget: Bose Smart Soundbar 300

Bose

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Smart Soundbar 300 is the most affordable way to step into the Bose soundbar ecosystem.

Specs

  • Width: 26.58 inches
  • Channels: 3.0
  • Connectivity: HDMI, Optical, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi

Pros

  • Compact, all-in-one design
  • Wireless support for streaming and expansion
  • Good for dialogue enhancement

Cons

  • Lacks EQ, Dolby Atmos 
  • Lacks extended lows and surround support

If you’re just looking to add excitement, rather than total immersion, to your entertainment system, the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is an excellent choice. It’s a 5-driver 3.0 system, so you get left/center/right channels, and you can expand it to 5.1 with the same Bose Bass Module 700 and Bose Surround Speakers 700 supported by the Bose Smart Soundbar 900. You get the same Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Voice for Video control technologies, plus AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and Spotify Connect over Wi-Fi. The Bose Smart Soundbar 300, however, costs half as much as the 900. But you also get half the features, as the 300 has far fewer drivers and no EQ, no room correction, no Atmos support, etc. You do still get well-sculpted stereo sound, with a V shape (boosted bass/treble) that’s good for rock, pop, and giving movies a little bit of punch—though don’t expect rumble unless you invest in a subwoofer.

If you’re looking to add enhanced volume and dialogue clarity to your entertainment center without breaking the bank, the Solo 5 is technically the cheapest Bose “soundbar,” if you can find one. It’s even smaller than the Bose TV Speaker, measuring 21.5 inches wide, and features a simple 2.0-channel configuration designed for streamlined, no-frills listening. It includes a universal remote from which users can engage the soundbar’s dialogue mode for an even more pronounced midrange response. While the Bose Solo 5 lacks the HDMI and Wi-Fi connectivity that’s often found in mid- to high-end soundbars, it does include Bluetooth compatibility to allow users to stream audio wirelessly from their devices. However, it lacks the frequency response and expandability of the rest of the Bose soundbar range, sitting well below the Soundbar 300.

Things to consider when buying a Bose soundbar

What size is your television?

Soundbars come in a range of sizes and widths, and, in the case of Bose’s soundbars, these widths scale directly with price and overall functionality. If the television is wall-mounted, soundbar size isn’t quite as important. However, if your svelte flatscreen uses a tabletop stand, be sure to measure the space underneath and cross-reference the width of the Bose soundbar to ensure it fits (and, especially if you are looking for Atmos compatibility, you want enough depth to ensure the soundbar is in front of, not directly under, the TV). For quick width reference, the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is 26.6 inches wide, the Bose Smart Soundbar 500 is 31.5 inches wide, the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 is 38.5 inches wide, the Bose 900 is 41.14 inches wide, while the Bose TV Speaker is 23.38 inches wide and the Bose Solo 5 measures 21.5 inches wide.

Do you need a subwoofer or satellite speakers?

The hallmark of a soundbar is its small frame, but there is a limit to the volume, frequency response, and stereo spread that can be produced in the soundbar format alone. Adding a subwoofer like the Bose Bass Module 700 can add substantial sub-bass information and add cinematic realism to audio while adding components like the Bose Satellite Speakers 700 can bump up dimensionality and immersion to new heights. Bose’s subwoofers and satellite speakers are all wireless-compatible, so no cable runs are required to pair them with your soundbar.

Do you require Dolby Atmos?

Dolby Atmos is a cutting-edge surround sound technology that adds vertical dimensionality to audio for a more cinematic, immersive effect. Atmos dramatically changes the basic approach to how sound systems “place” audio (and is the underlying technology fueling Apple’s Spatial Audio. Instead of simply assigning sounds to channels—usually five, sometimes seven, typically arranged in a horizontal plane around a viewing station—an Atmos-enabled system defines well over 100 individual sounds as “objects” that can be precisely directed in what amounts to an audio bubble. 

If you’re looking for the Dolby Atmos experience from a Bose soundbar, the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is the only product in the line that currently offers Atmos virtualization (​​using upward-firing speakers to bounce sound off the ceiling/walls to simulate physical overhead speakers). As a bonus, the Soundbar 900 features Bose’s proprietary TrueSpace analysis, which converts non-Atmos audio into virtual surround sound.

Do you use AirPlay or Chromecast?

All of Bose’s soundbars except the Bose TV Speaker and Bose Solo 5 are AirPlay- and Chromecast-compatible. Fortunately, those devices feature Bluetooth functionality, but you won’t be able to access the higher-quality audio streaming that Apple and Google’s protocols provide.

FAQs

Q: How much does a Bose soundbar cost?

Bose soundbars cost anywhere from sub-$200 to well above $1,500 for the more fleshed-out bundles that combine soundbar, subwoofer, and speaker components. If you’re considering a Bose soundbar for home theater-like sound and the prospect of upgradeability via subwoofers and satellite speakers, you should be prepared to spend at least $400.

Q: Is the Bose Soundbar 700 worth it?

The Bose Soundbar 700 is a high-performance soundbar released in August 2018 as Bose’s top-of-the-line soundbar product and is still available today. As of September 2021, the Soundbar 900 was Bose’s new flagship soundbar, and it offers Dolby Atmos for only $100 more than the Soundbar 700. Unless you’re working within a smaller space and can only accommodate the Soundbar 700’s 38.5-inch width, the Soundbar 900 is definitely worth the small bump in price.

Q: Do you need a subwoofer with Bose soundbar?

You don’t need a subwoofer to enjoy a Bose soundbar, but one is a must-have upgrade if you’re looking for a more immersive, movie theater-like response. The Bose Bass Module 500 is a compact subwoofer with a 5.5-inch driver that provides decent extended low-end that users can hear. In contrast, the 10-inch driver in the Bass Module 700 is capable of delivering a more kinetic, room-shaking experience.

Q: Can I add speakers to my Bose soundbar?

You can add the Bose Surround Speakers 700 to the Bose Smart Soundbar 300, Bose Smart Soundbar 500, Bose Smart Soundbar 700, and Bose Smart Soundbar 900.

Q: How long do Bose soundbars last?

When used regularly at a moderate volume, kept in a single location, and protected from power surges, Bose soundbars (and any other speakers, for that matter) can last for decades. In the case of a device like a soundbar, which can feature modern connection interfaces, wireless compatibility, and state-of-the-art tech like Dolby Atmos, the products are technically at higher risk of becoming obsolete over time than simply ceasing to function.

Final thoughts on the best Bose soundbars

The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is our top pick, thanks to its overall sound, wireless compatibility, and implementation of Dolby Atmos. It’s fully expandable via the Bose Bass Module 700 and the Bose Surround Speakers 700, which allow users to add further immersion to their audio without requiring hard-wired connections. If you need a smaller soundbar and are willing to forgo Dolby Atmos, the Smart Soundbar 300, Smart Soundbar 500, and Smart Soundbar 700 are all safe bets, but the Bose TV Speaker is still the best compact Bose soundbar available under 22 inches wide. Finally, if you’re on a budget, consider the Bose Solo 5, which provides decent midrange clarity and improved volume at the cost of standard features like HDMI connectivity.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best Bose soundbars of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best HDMI cables for 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-hdmi-cables/ Fri, 12 Nov 2021 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=407544
Best HDMI Cables
Mike Epstein

Make sure you’re getting the most out of your TVs and monitors with the optimal HDMI cables.

The post The best HDMI cables for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best HDMI Cables
Mike Epstein

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Amazon Basics is the best HDMI cable. AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable
SEE IT

AmazonBasics keeps it simple and cheap, which makes the brand’s HDMI cable hard to beat.

Best HDMI 2.1 Zeskit Maya is the best HDMI cable. Zeskit Maya Ultra High Speed
SEE IT

Among certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cables, Zeskit delivers top quality at an accessible price.

Best long cable Monoprice Active is the best HDMI cable. Monoprice High Speed Active
SEE IT

Monoprice’s dependable and inexpensive cables are the way to go when running HDMI over long distances.

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is one of the most common A/V connectors for TVs and monitors, and HDMI cables going away anytime soon. Whether you’re a gamer, a cinephile, or a sports fan, you want bright, clean images at high frame rates. A sub-par HDMI cable can needlessly hold your media devices back. You may have seen “HDMI 2.1” and tensed up at the prospect of yet another changing technical standard with which to keep up. Don’t worry—it’s not as complicated as it seems. We’re here to help make sure you can find the best HDMI cable to suit your particular audio-visual needs.

How we chose the best HDMI cables

As you make expensive upgrades to your home entertainment system with the latest and greatest 4K television, a PlayStation 5, and an incredible surround sound system, you’ll want to make sure you’re unlocking their full potential with cables that can keep pace. The key is HDMI cables, which are straightforward and inexpensive. There’s really one stat you need to worry about: the speed. Your HDMI cable transmits data from your Blu-ray player, cable box, game console, AV receiver, or another device, and that’s it. You can only make a cable better (or worse) by improving how quickly it can send that information. Every audio- and video-related feature that might be dependent on a better cable, including HDR and that new Dolby Atmos soundbar, simply needs a pipeline with sufficient bandwidth to run properly. If they fail, there will be white static, or it won’t work at all; otherwise, they are working at full capacity without any real marginal gains and little specialization to be found. 

Accordingly, the best HDMI cable is typically the cheapest certified cable that suits your needs. We combed over professional and consumer reviews and pulled from years of personal A/V experience to distill the best HDMI cables to suit various situations. All the options we’ve selected are from trusted brands and are overwhelmingly validated by users to be good for the long haul.

The best HDMI cables: Reviews & Recommendations

As stated above, HDMI cables are very straightforward, and the best one for you is probably also the cheapest, which is why Amazon Basics takes our top spot for most people. Our other top pick is the future-proofed best possible HDMI you can get for an affordable price, so it’s perfectly suited for all those 4K movies and next-gen gaming for the foreseeable future. We’ve also selected a range of specialized cables for edge cases where installation might otherwise be tricky.

Best HDMI cable overall: AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable

Why it made the cut: AmazonBasics keeps it simple and cheap, which makes their product the best HDMI cable overall.

Specs

  • Speed: 48 GB/s
  • Max Resolution: 8K/60Hz
  • Length: 3/6/10 ft.
  • Audio: ARC
  • HDMI: 2.1

Pros

  • Inexpensive
  • Durable
  • Great performance

Cons

  • Stiff

AmazonBasics products can be very hit or miss for more complex products like electronics, but HDMI cables are in their sweet spot. Any cable certified to a particular standard, if it works at all, is as good as any other outside of aesthetics or ergonomics, so there’s no need to spend more than the minimal prices offered by Amazon or Monoprice. This premium HDMI cable is a little stiff, but that also makes it more durable. According to user reviews, it’s generally considered to be better constructed than other cables at slower standards is both our top pick and our best budget buy.

Best HDMI 2.1 cable: Zeskit Maya Ultra High Speed

Why it made the cut: Among certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cables, Zeskit delivers top quality at an accessible price.

Specs

  • Speed: 48 GB/s
  • Max Resolution: 10K/120Hz
  • Length: 1.5/3/6.5/10 ft.
  • Audio: eARC
  • HDMI: 2.1

Pros

  • Ultra High Speed performance
  • Durable nylon braiding

Cons 

  • Expensive

The best HDMI 2.1 cable offers more capacity than you will be able to use for the foreseeable future. No graphics card in existence could come anywhere close to playing a AAA game at 10K and 120 frames per second. Playing games in 4K at 120 fps is still more theory than practice for even the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Zeskit’s Ultra High Speed is certified to offer the full power of 48 GB/s, which is almost exclusively relevant to gamers for the time being. It’s durable and well-constructed. With a 5-star rating based on 17,000 Amazon reviews, players are satisfied.

Best flat HDMI cable: Ultra Clarity Flat 4K High Speed

Ultra Clarity

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Ultra Clarity’s sturdy, flat, and flexible cables are perfect for staying out of your way.

Specs

  • Speed: 18 GB/s
  • Max Resolution: 4K/60Hz
  • Length: 25/30/35/40/50 ft.
  • Audio: ARC
  • HDMI: 2.0b

Pros

  • Corrosion-resistant gold-plated connectors, full metal jacket, 26 AWG, triple shielding, and solid copper conductors
  • Flat, CL3 for in-wall installation
  • Great performance

Cons 

  • More expensive

Purchasing the best flat HDMI cable can be a great resource if you have a tight space behind your television, or for when you need to run your HDMI cable under a carpet or behind some furniture or even in your walls. Ultra Clarity offers an excellent High Speed HDMI cable with solid connectors and great performance. What sets it apart is the flat and flexible form factor, along with a PVC jacket that gives it extra durability and allows for 180-degree turns. They are a little more expensive than other cables of the same speed, but that’s the price of quality and flexibility.

Best 90-degree HDMI cable: UGREEN HDMI elbow cable

Why it made the cut: UGREEN’s specialized right-angle HDMI is a perfect niche fix for when regular cables won’t quite fit.

Specs

  • Speed: 18 Gbps
  • Max Resolution: 4K/60Hz
  • Length: 3/6/10/15 ft.
  • Audio: ARC
  • HDMI: 2.0

Pros

  • Solid 90-degree connector
  • Great performance

Cons 

  • Niche application

Shenzhen-based UGREEN is a relatively new brand that’s proven reliable for high-quality electronics and accessories at reasonable prices. The company’s elbow HDMI cable has one connector with an abrupt 90-degree turn in it, which helps you plug into a TV or monitor that’s mounted flush against a wall. Otherwise, this best 90-degree HDMI cable features everything you’d expect from all of the cables on our list—gold-plated connectors, solid shielding, and consistent performance.

Best micro HDMI cable: BlueRigger Micro HDMI

Why it made the cut: BlueRigger’s durable micro HDMI-to-HDMI cable is a content creator’s best friend and our pick for the best micro HDMI cable.

Specs

  • Speed: 18 Gbps
  • Max Resolution: 4K/60Hz
  • Length: 3/6/10/15 ft.
  • Audio: ARC
  • HDMI: 2.0

Pros

  • Great performance
  • Durable construction
  • Micro USB adapter

Cons 

  • Niche application

Some devices are too small for conventional HDMI jacks, which is why micro HDMI exists. This micro HDMI-to-HDMI cable lets you connect GoPros, DSLRs, camcorders, and tablets to larger screens so that you can display your 4K/60 fps content in all its glory. It also lives up to manufacturer BlueRigger’s reputation for making durable products. And this is all the more important for an HDMI cable you’re likely to plug and unplug more frequently than a standard cable.

Best long HDMI cable: Monoprice High Speed Active

Why it made the cut: Monoprice’s dependable and inexpensive cables are the way to go when running HDMI over long distances.

Specs

  • Speed: 18 GB/s
  • Max Resolution: 4K/60Hz
  • Length: 25/30/35/40/45/50/60/100 ft.
  • Audio: ARC
  • HDMI: 2.0

Pros

  • Great performance
  • Durable construction
  • CL2-certified
  • Active connection for longer distances

Cons 

  • Expensive

Monoprice has been widely known as one of the best brands for inexpensive certified HDMI cables for a long time. If you absolutely have to run an HDMI cable more than 25 feet—such as for a conference room, auditorium, or fancy home theater—then an active, directional cable is absolutely essential. It draws a bit of power from the connected hardware to boost the signal over the long distance. Monoprice’s active cable covers from 25 up to 100 feet. It’s also CL2 certified, so you can safely run it through the walls or ceiling, which is likely more appealing if you have to cover a serious distance. The cables are also backed by a lifetime return policy in case of failure, so as the best long HDMI cable you can expect to get what you’ve paid for.

Best 10K: EZQuest Ultra HD HIGH Speed HDMI 10K 60HZ Cable

EZQuest

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Stream up to 10K at 120Hz refresh rate with this well-priced cable

Specs

  • Speed: 48 GB/s
  • Max Resolution: 10K/120Hz
  • Length: 7.2 ft.
  • Audio: eARC
  • HDMI: 2.1

Pros

  • eARC
  • Supports 3D video
  • Built-in strain relief

Cons 

  • Only one length of cable

Not all 10K HDMI cables are built the same. This one from EZQuest includes features we love, like eARC and a braided nylon cable, along with fantastic 10K max resolution at a 120Hz refresh rate. It supports 3D video, and is backward compatible to support existing HDMI devices. The wires are guarded in aluminum, copper mesh, PVC, and nylon braided shielding, which prevents strain relief and helps its longevity.

Things to consider before buying an HDMI cable

HDMI cables are one of the simplest components of your home A/V system but are also very important. Depending on what you’re doing, your cable can become a crucial bottleneck to your viewing and playing, so you want to ensure you have the right technical standard. All HDMI cables are backward compatible, and the connector has remained unchanged, so you don’t need to worry about newer cables working with your old devices. Here’s a little primer on separating the good HDMI cables from the bad, no matter what you need them for.

The need for speed

Cables, HDMI or otherwise, do one thing: transmit data. HDMI data is measured in gigabytes per second (GB/s). “Standard” and “High Speed” HDMI are still widely circulated and can support 4.95 and 10.2 GB/s, respectively. High Speed HDMI can support up to 4K resolution at 30 Hz, which is good enough for most film and television, though not all the most advanced, dynamic forms of HDR. “Premium High Speed” is the next step up, jumping to 18 GB/s, or enough to handle 4K HDR content at 60 Hz, which can support almost any contemporary application. The highest level, “Ultra High Speed,” can transmit a whopping 48 GB/s, opening the door for 10K resolution at 120 Hz.

You’ve also likely seen version numbers floating around as well (HDMI 1.4, 2.0, and, more recently, 2.1). These technically describe the communication standard being used by the hardware you’re connecting with the cables, rather than the cables themselves. All you need to know for our purposes is that you should get a Premium High Speed cable (18 GB/s) to connect HDMI 2.0 devices and an Ultra High Speed cable (48 GB/s) for HDMI 2.1 gear. If your hardware supports 2.0 or 2.1, you need the matching cable to take advantage. Older cables will still work, but the data will be throttled to whatever the cable can support, limiting framerate and resolution.

If you’re buying a new cable now, we only recommend considering the last two. Right now, premium High-Speed HDMI can handle content in 4K at 60 frames per second, which covers almost anything you can throw at your TV. Ultra High Speed may be necessary for some PS5, Xbox Series X, and high-end PC graphics cards to output at their absolute best in some cases, but right now it is fairly rare. Meanwhile, 8K video only exists for research and tech demos. In other words, Ultra High exists mostly in anticipation of future hardware and content. There’s nothing wrong with future-proofing, but know that Ultra High Speed is overkill for most people.

ARC and eARC

Established in 2009 as part of HDMI 1.4, ARC (audio return channel) is a feature that allows the HDMI cable to run audio data back and forth between your TV and a separate audio receiver or soundbar. This can simplify your set-up by reducing the need for a discrete audio cable and allowing for simplified control of your systems with the TV’s remote. It’s been part of the HDMI standard long enough that most cables support it, and certainly any new ones. A drawback is that it does not support HD audio standards like Dolby Atmos or 5.1 surround sound.

Meanwhile, eARC (the “e” standing for “enhanced”) is a more recent upgrade to ARC along with the HDMI 2.1 standards. Taking advantage of the torrential 48 Gbps that Ultra High Speed cables support, it can fully support uncompressed audio. Since eARC is baked into HDMI 2.1, you will need an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable to get the full effect.

Length and wall installation

As with pretty much any type of cable, shorter is better. With a longer HDMI cable, you’re more likely to experience some level of signal degradation. If you run an HDMI cable over 25 feet or more, you may notice issues like visual artifacts, dimming, and input lag. 

If you absolutely can’t bring your source and monitor closer together, you should consider using an “active” HDMI cable, which draws a little bit of power from the connected device to boost its signal and send it substantially further while maintaining quality. Active cables are a little more complicated to set up because they only draw power from one side. You’ll need to ensure it’s plugged in the right way before committing to a setup. They are also more expensive than other cables, given their length and the additional tech involved.

If you plan to run your cable through a wall or ceiling as part of that long run, then you need to make sure your cable is certified as “CL2” or “CL3” (class 2 or 3), meaning it’s rated for wall installation. Standard cables pose greater fire risks when running through walls and potentially contacting with screws, nails, and other metal hardware. CL2 cables (including HDMI, among other types such as speaker wires) are rated for home use, up to 150 volts, while CL3 goes up to 300 volts for commercial installation. Both are made safer with special coating that reduces their risk of catching fire and gives off less toxic gas if they do.

FAQs

Q: How much do the best HDMI cables cost?

Depending on the length and included features, the best HDMI cables run from $8-$20. Prices increase with length.

Q: Do expensive HDMI cables make a difference?

Nope! HDMI cables are a simple piece of hardware that does one thing, and aside from the very specialized examples we gave above, there aren’t any special features for which you can pay extra. Just get the least expensive cable from a reliable brand that meets your needs.

Q: Is HDMI 2.1 necessary?

For the vast majority of people, not at all. HDMI 2.0 can already support 4K 60 Hz, which can handle any video content and all but the most powerful gaming hardware. HDMI 2.1 is only worth considering if you have one of the few sources that can use it, such as a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or a very new and powerful PC graphics card.

Q: What HDMI cable is needed for Dolby Atmos?

That depends on your hardware and the Dolby audio codec it supports. For “Dolby Digital Plus” devices, any Premium High Speed (HDMI 2.0) cable or later should support Atmos over ARC (including all the cables on this list). However, if it’s the lossless “Dolby TrueHD” format, you may need the additional bandwidth of an HDMI 2.1 cable.

Final thoughts on the best HDMI cables

Hopefully, this clears up any confusion about what you need to consider when buying the best HDMI cable to complete your home theater. HDMI 2.1 is tempting and probably worthwhile if you’ve got (or plan to get) cutting-edge gaming hardware. Most importantly, keep it simple with known brands and low prices. There aren’t any additional features that make more expensive cables worth buying, so don’t let a salesman convince you otherwise.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best HDMI cables for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best speaker wires for 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-speaker-wires/ Tue, 25 Jan 2022 23:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=421365
best speaker wires sliced header
Tony Ware

Does music get you wired? Well, here are the best wires to get your speakers music.

The post The best speaker wires for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
best speaker wires sliced header
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall The Monoprice Speaker Wire on a white background Monoprice 102747 12AWG Speaker Wire
SEE IT

A great option for thicker wire when you need something to travel longer distances.

Best for outdoors GearIT Speaker Wire on a white background GearIT 14AWG Outdoor Speaker Wire
SEE IT

A rugged casing makes this the best option for in-wall or outdoor installation.

Best value Amazon Basics speaker wire on a white background. AmazonBasics 16AWG Speaker Wire
SEE IT

An affordable option that won’t skimp on successful conduction.

Speaker wire doesn’t have to cost a fortune to deliver a $1 million sound. Even the most affordable interconnects can have your speakers pumping in no time. However, many speakers don’t come with wire, making shopping a necessity. So, whether you’re just getting ready to build your system or looking to expand your existing equipment, we’ll explain some of the jargon and guide you toward selecting the best speaker wires for crystal-clear audio.

How we chose the best speaker wires

To select the best speaker wires, we looked at wire material, gauge, and manufacturer to ensure reliability across the board. We looked at over 25 recommended brands, consulted research articles, and investigated first-hand user reviews, diving deep into the debate regarding the relationship between wire quality and price. We also looked at our personal stereo speakers and home theater systems, recommending wires we used to provide a personal touch. While it’s ultimately up to you to determine whether you hear a significant difference in audio quality using particular wires, each of our picks will provide a strong, sturdy connection for excellent sound. 

The best speaker wires: Reviews & Recommendations

There is much debate about whether expensive speaker wires perform significantly better than lower-priced models. The general consensus is no; listening tests and extensive research led by audio professionals agree that the quality of your speaker wire will likely be the same across the board. We recommend reaching for a speaker cable that is solidly in the middle of the pricing spectrum; the cheapest cable might not be built to last, while the most expensive cable may not improve the quality of your audio. Our recommendations let you save money for more critical pieces of gear that have a greater impact on your sound, such as amps/receivers, interfaces, and more. 

Best overall: Monoprice 102747 12AWG Speaker Wire

Monoprice

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Monoprice 12-AWG cable is a safe, affordable option for at-home and professional systems. The thick gauge is sturdy, and the clear PVC jacket means you can easily identify polarity. 

Specs

  • Length: 50 / 100 / 300 feet
  • Gauge: 12 / 14 / 16 AWG available
  • Wire Material: Oxygen-free copper 

Pros 

  • Reputable brand
  • Available in multiple lengths/gauges 
  • Polarity indicator

Cons 

  • Wire may need to be trimmed for at-home systems 
  • Slightly more expensive than other mid-range models

This 12-gauge speaker wire is made from 99.95% pure oxygen-free bare copper that creates a low resistance pathway allowing signals to pass through easily. The jacket is made from transparent PVC, which lets you watch the copper wire to look out for any signs of damage and distinguish polarity. 

Best for car audio: InstallGear 14 AWG Speaker Wire

InstallGear

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: InstallGear 14-gauge wire is thick enough to reduce resistance. It includes features to make installation easy, including a soft, colored jacket and the option for included connectors. 

Specs

  • Length: 100 / 500 feet
  • Gauge: 14 AWG
  • Wire Material: Copper-clad aluminum 

Pros 

  • Price 
  • Flexible
  • Colored jacket makes it easy to identify polarity 

Cons 

  • CCA may be less conductive than other materials 
  • No short length options 

This InstallGear speaker wire is particularly popular for car speaker systems but can also be used for home systems. The dual-colored jacket makes it easy to identify polarity, and it’s made from soft PVC, so it’s easy to maneuver under carpets, behind side panels, and through small openings (plus you can strip it quickly). You can also purchase InstallGear wires with banana plugs to simplify things even further. If blue and black aren’t for you, InstallGear also offers wires with different jackets so that you can choose your preferred color combination, including clear, solid white, and solid black options.  

Best for home theater: MaxBrite 16 AWG Speaker Wire

MaxBrite

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The MaxBrite speaker wire comes with features we love, including markings every 2 feet of wire for straightforward measurements and a polarity indicator. 

Specs 

  • Length: 50 / 100 / 200 feet
  • Gauge: 16 AWG
  • Wire Material: Oxygen-free copper 

Pros 

  • UL Safety Certified 
  • 200-ft length option
  • Markings every 2 feet

Cons 

  • Not available in lengths greater than 200 feet

This thin, 16-gauge wire is an excellent option for low-impedance speakers and shorter cable runs, like from a receiver to the front stereo and satellite speakers around the TV in a cozy, comfy living room. The OFC conductors are compatible with most available connectors and a visible red stripe helps to indicate polarity. There is a sequential marker every 2 feet, so you can more easily measure out the necessary length. Additionally, this wire is UL safety certified for home and commercial use.  

Best bi-wire: Monoprice Access Series 4-Conductor

Monoprice

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This Monoprice cable is a reliable four-conductor speaker wire for additional connectivity made from quality oxygen-free copper. 

Specs

  • Length: 100 / 250 feet
  • Gauge: 12 / 14 / 16 / 18 AWG
  • Wire Material: Oxygen-free copper 

Pros 

  • Multiple gauge options 
  • Highly rated 
  • Four conductors 

Cons 

  • Expensive
  • Shorter cable lengths are unavailable

Where the other products listed here have two conductors for a one-to-one connection, this wire contains twice as many. Additional conductors can be used for bi-amping, which is a feature in some speakers that separately power drivers dedicated to specific frequencies. The Monoprice bi-wire organizes four colored conductors encased in a white, CL2-rated PVC jacket, allowing you to link the dedicated high- and low-frequency amplifiers with your speaker while only stringing one length.

Best for outdoors: GearIT 14 AWG Outdoor Speaker Wire

GearIT

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This GearIT wire is our top selection for outdoor use because it has a UL CL3 rating and is approved for direct burial. 

Specs

  • Length: 50 / 100 / 250 / 500 feet
  • Gauge: 10 / 12 / 14 / 16 AWG
  • Wire Material: Oxygen-free copper 

Pros 

  • Multiple gauge options 
  • CL3 Rating
  • Durable 

Cons 

  • A little pricey
  • Sheathing can be challenging to cut

If you want to run your speaker wires underground, you’ll need a wire designed for direct burial to keep you and your connection safe. This wire from GearIT does just that, with an extra black, UV-resistant PVC jacket to keep things secure. This outer jacket also has sequential markings every foot for more accurate measurement approximations. Each wire has a color-coded jack inside the outer layer for polarity identification. This wire is also approved for in-wall installation and pairs easily with most connectors. 

Best budget: AmazonBasics 16AWG Speaker Wire

Amazon Basics

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The AmazonBasics speaker wire is an excellent budget-friendly option with glowing reviews that espouse its functionality. While it may not be top-of-the-line or feature pure copper, it will get the job done for at-home systems. 

Specs

  • Length: 100 feet
  • Gauge: 16 AWG
  • Wire Material: Copper-Clad Aluminum

Pros 

  • Inexpensive
  • Highly rated 
  • Flexible

Cons 

  • Polarity can be harder to identify

If you are putting together a home system and don’t care to weigh in on the CCA versus OFC material debate, then going with this affordable option won’t lead you astray. This 16-gauge wire is wrapped in a clear plastic jacket, with a white line down one side to indicate polarity. While this pick isn’t as visible as color-coded jackets, you’ll still be able to tell how to establish each channel’s symmetry between amp and speaker. It’s compatible with almost any connector and is neatly wrapped around a plastic dispenser. 

Things to consider before buying speaker wire

There are a seemingly infinite number of speaker wires to choose from, but the reality is that when connecting most speakers, most wires are fairly similar. To select the right speaker wire for you, it’s essential to consider and understand the language manufacturers will use to describe them. We’ll walk you through terms like impedance, gauge, and resistance to help you select from our recommendations. 

Function and material

Speaker wire connects speakers to AV receivers and discrete amplifiers and links individual speakers together to deliver the electrical current signal for an accurate, energetic sound. While we refer to a speaker wire as a singular thing, there are actually two independently sheathed conductors (minimum) that connect every speaker. These separate positive and negative strands are typically marked in some way to indicate audio signal polarity so they can properly match the same terminals—designated by + and – or typically colored red and black—on both your amp and speaker. This assures they transmit/receive the correct voltage. 

Standard speaker wires are generally made from copper, copper-clad aluminum (CCA), and oxygen-free copper. The differences are relatively minute; CCA is cheaper with slightly higher resistance, while oxygen-free options come in several grades that suggest higher conductivity or durability. Silver and gold wires are also available, though the difference in efficacy is, once again, minimal. While there can be subtle differences in sound—silver (or silver-plated copper) wire may convey a tighter treble and gold a rounder, warmer lower range—the nuances aren’t worth the increased cost except in the most high-end, specifically tuned systems. Speaker wire is often insulated by plastic like Teflon or PVC. However, some wires are sheathed in rubber (clear casings let you see the red/black polarity, typically indicated on the connectors of a preconstructed wire). 

Resistance 

A speaker wire’s resistance is the most important specification when shopping. Low resistance allows the wire to energize more of the amplifier’s power to activate the speaker’s voice coil, which is wiring underneath the driver that produces a magnetic field when introduced to electricity, moving the speaker’s cone when introduced to a waveform. (If you’re interested in exactly what makes up a speaker, check out our primer.) In simplest terms, more signal equals cleaner, clearer sound.

A few factors can affect a wire’s resistance, including length, thickness, and impedance. Impedance is often listed in speaker product descriptions, measured in ohms (typically 4, 6, or 8). While you don’t necessarily need to understand the science behind impedance other than to know you should make sure the ohms of your amp/receiver and speakers correspond, know that the lower the impedance, the more critical it is to seek out a low resistance in your wire. 

Gauge 

A major difference between speaker wires is gauge, or diameter, also called thickness; the lower the gauge number, the thicker the wire. Measurements are based on the American Wire Gauge (AWG) standard, and you can find 12-, 14-, 16-, and 18-gauge speaker wire, 12 being the thickest. Generally, thicker wires reduce resistance but are only necessary for certain situations. If you have 8-ohm speakers and under 50 feet of cable run to the amplifier, you don’t need a wire thicker than 16 gauge. If you need to cover a great distance or have low-impedance speakers, a thicker 12- or 14-gauge wire will lower resistance and make for a more stable, consistent conduit. If you’re unsure what gauge you need, it is safer to use a thicker option to avoid sound degradation.  

Connectors and wire type 

Speaker wires can come with or without connectors; it’s up to you to decide whether to purchase a package or get a raw wire spool and separately select your own termination. (And if you’re doing that, don’t forget to get a wire stripper/cutter.) A banana plug is best if your speaker has a binding post (circular sockets), but you’ll need a pin connector for a spring clip terminal (square clips that slide up and clamp down on the wire). You can use bare wires for either connection, but they can be a bit of a pain to control.

You don’t need to worry about wire type if you are running speaker wire between bookshelf speakers or studio monitors, for instance. To run wire inside your walls, look for a unit rated CL2 or CL3. If you are running wire outside and/or underground, look for a wire rated for “direct burial.” 

FAQs

Q: How much does speaker wire cost?

Quality speaker wire can cost between $15 – $75 for spools that typically come in 50- or 100-foot lengths.

Q: Are high-end speaker cables worth it? 

High-end speaker cables are not necessarily worth the investment, especially when other areas of your sound system could benefit from an upgrade. As long as you select a low-resistance speaker wire that can support your system, it’s unlikely that you’ll notice a difference in your music when supported by an expensive cable. However, this is a hotly debated topic, and a handful of audiophiles feel differently. Ultimately, all that matters is how your material sounds to your ears; if you try out a few cables and notice a difference, go with what sounds best. 

Q: How much wire do you need?

You need as much speaker wire as you have distance between speakers and the amplifiers. For maximum accuracy, place a string or rope along the wire’s intended path, then measure its length. We recommend adding a couple of inches on either end, just in case you need a bit of slack. Speaker wires can be easily trimmed with a wire cutter, but you can’t add wire to a unit that’s too short. Remember, if your cable run is longer than 50 feet, you’ll want to pick up a thicker 12 or 14 AWG wire. 

Q: What type of wire do you need?

You need a copper, silver, or copper-clad aluminum wire to conduct and carry electricity. If you want to run your wire inside a wall or underground, you’ll need one specifically rated CL2 or CL3. If you want super easy installation, purchase a wire that comes with the appropriate connectors preinstalled, though using bare wire is not dangerous and will also work well. 

Final thoughts on picking the best speaker wires

The best speaker wire will efficiently connect your system, deliver the appropriate amount of electricity, and aid in accurate audio reproduction. While there are many cables out there, in most situations, it’s important to remember not to overthink this purchase and go with a mid-range option that will suit the needs of your amp and speakers. The wire should maybe be 5% to 10% of your system’s budget. Of course, if you’re an audiophile ready to test the limits of each type of wire, it might be worth it to conduct a test of your own with higher-end materials; however, many of us won’t notice the difference between premium speaker wires and more affordable options as much as we’ll notice the difference between music and no music. Just ensure you understand the proper length you need, line up your terminals and polarities correctly, and you’ll be ready to pump up the jams in no time. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best speaker wires for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best indoor TV antennas for 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-indoor-tv-antennas/ Tue, 22 Mar 2022 17:25:30 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=432771
The best indoor TV antennas composited
Stan Horaczek

Watch local channels without getting on your roof.

The post The best indoor TV antennas for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best indoor TV antennas composited
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best free-standing indoor antenna The Antop AT-500SBS gets solid range and looks like a device that belongs in a modern home theater. Antop AT-500SBS HD Indoor Smart Bar Antenna
SEE IT

Best free-standing indoor antenna

Best flat indoor antenna Mohu’s top-of-the-line antenna line earns its relatively high price. Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro
SEE IT

Best flat indoor antenna

Best translucent indoor antenna The Monoprice Clear Window is translucent, which makes it a lot less noticeable. Monoprice Clear Window HDTV Antenna
SEE IT

Best translucent indoor antenna

Are you ready to escape the tyranny of cable monopolies? The proliferation of subscription streaming services over the last decade has made it increasingly plausible to be a heavy TV watcher, caught up on all the latest water-cooler shows, without ever paying for a traditional cable or satellite package. Holdouts may claim that Amazon Prime won’t broadcast your local news or sports, but it is possible to get those things. All you need is a TV antenna.

You don’t need obtrusive set-top rabbit ears or roof access for large metal lattices, either. The current generation of indoor HDTV antennas are often paper-thin tiles that you can discreetly attach to your apartment wall or window from the inside. They can often pick up a signal that’s even brighter and sharper than the same channel coming at you through cable. Best of all, an antenna is a one-time purchase. Once you have it, you have broadcast television for life. If you want to cut cords from your cable company, but don’t know where to start, this guide will help you find the best indoor TV antenna for your particular needs.

How we selected the best indoor TV antennas

We have combed through customer and critic reviews to select a range of the most reliable indoor TV antennas currently on the market. All of the options below are from established and trusted brands with great track records. Broadly speaking, there are only subtle differences among Indoor antenna models, so our picks focus on budget and form factor, rather than different practical applications.

What to consider before buying one of the best TV antennas

If you have access to install an antenna directly onto your roof, then you should possibly consider going with a more traditional outdoor TV antenna, as they perform stronger across the board than indoor options. If you’re here, you are more than likely an apartment dweller without that luxury, or are unable to install an antenna on your roof, in which case indoor is the way to go. The things you should know before buying are very similar, though.

What can you watch using a TV antenna?

The vast majority of American homes have broadcast access to local affiliates of major networks, including CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, PBS, and the CW. Your selection beyond that will vary somewhat, based on where you live, with a mix of regional and local broadcast channels. If you’re on the fence about getting an antenna, you can use online tools like AntennaWeb or DTV Reception Maps to check what stations should reach you. These sites will tell you the distance to source and what strength of antenna you will need to pick each one up, giving you a baseline for how powerful an antenna you need to get to see the channels you want.

Won’t the image quality be bad, though?

Despite the fact that it’s a free option, broadcast TV may look better than what you get from your cable provider. Over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts are less compressed than the equivalent channels being transmitted through cable. This means that the Full HD (1080p) video from an antenna often comes through brighter and sharper when you’re firmly in range. Signals decay over distance in both wired and over-air transmission no matter what, and cable signals are typically covering a much longer distance than your local stations, and with much less bandwidth devoted to each individual station, while OTA broadcasts have more room to breathe.

Range, gain, UHF, and VHF

The most important spec on any TV antenna, indoor or outdoor, is its maximum range. This determines how far your antenna can “reach” to grab signal sources from local broadcast stations. Range doesn’t vary all that much among antennae. Many “standard” indoor designs can reach about 60-80 miles away. High-end antennas with built-in signal extenders can often reach about 200 miles. Whether those distances are good or bad will depend on your location and where your nearest local stations are.

The gain of an antenna, measured in decibels (dB), refers to its ability to pick up a long-range signal in a given direction, measured against a standard reference antenna’s strength. As you might expect, the higher the number is, the better, with high-end antennas often topping around 30dB. For indoor TV antennas, the listed gain can often refer to a built-in amplifier, which for technical reasons doesn’t end up giving a good one-to-one comparison against other antenna specs. In those cases, the base gain isn’t always listed, so you take it with a grain of salt and focus more on the listed range. 

Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) refer to the radio frequency bands through which TV stations are broadcast. More contemporary stations broadcast on the UHF band, which offers more bandwidth at a higher frequency. VHF is less common, but remains in circulation. The distinction between these two doesn’t matter quite as much for indoor antennas as it does for outdoor models, which are typically able to pick up UHF and the high end of VHF. Outdoor antennas are more capable of actual distinction, with the room to have different sensing elements for each.

The best indoor TV antennas: Reviews & Recommendations

The best indoor TV antennas are more powerful and accessible than ever. You may be surprised by how much better the viewing experience is than cable. No matter your budget or needs, the best indoor TV antenna to complete your setup is very likely here among the choices we’ve collected.

Best free-standing indoor antenna: Antop AT-500SBS HD Indoor Smart Bar Antenna

ANTOP Antenna

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Antop AT-500SBS HD Indoor Smart Bar antenna takes up a bit more room but gives you extra performance.

Specs

  • Range: 80 miles
  • Installation: Wall-mounted or free-standing, vertical or horizontal
  • Size: 7.95 × 3.82 × 29.65 inches
  • Color: black, white grey

Pros

  • Great performance
  • Included range adjuster dial
  • Works with 2 TVs

Cons

  • Very large

Most indoor antennas right now take the form of a flat sheet, trying to minimize their presence. The Antop HD AT-500SBS Smart Bar does not. The largish rounded beam looks more like a soundbar than a modern antenna, and thus demands a bit more space. Luckily, if you have the room, its design feels right at home alongside most modern TVs, home audio, and other living room gadgets. It also offers quite a bit of flexibility. It comes with a stand, but can also be mounted on a wall. You can set it vertically, like a tall column, or horizontally.

More importantly, though, it is a great performer. The AT-500SBS  offers a particularly nice range of power-user features, including the ability to connect to two TVs at once, a dial for tuning the range, and built-in FM and 4G LTE antennas that serve to filter out cellphone and radio signals and ensure your shows come in crisp and clean.

Best flat indoor antenna: Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro

Mohu

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Mohu’s most luxe offering does everything right, showing why they are one of the most recognized brand names in the space.

Specs

  • Range: 65 miles
  • Installation: wall/window
  • Size: 12 x 21.5 in
  • Color: white/black (reversible)

Pros

  • Easy setup
  • Great performance
  • Detachable cable

Cons

  • Larger than comparable indoor antennas

The Supreme Leaf Pro is the most expensive, tricked-out offering from well-known indoor antenna maker Mohu. It has all of the features you would expect: Great performance, easy setup, and an inline signal amplifier. It even has a small LED indicator to show you when you are getting a strong signal. On top of that, it features a USB-powered signal amplifier, which can help extend its range and improve picture quality from more distant stations. Aesthetically, its reversible black and white panels give you more options for discreet placement.

The one drawback is that at 12 x 21.5 it’s nearly twice as wide and large as many competing antennas. Of course, a larger antenna is a more capable antenna, so its outsized presence is the cost of a clear picture.

Best budget antenna: 1byone Digital Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna

1 BY ONE

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: 1byone’s Digital Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna gets the job done reliably and at a low price.

Specs

  • Range: 50 miles
  • Installation: Wall/window
  • Size: 13.3 x 9.3 in
  • Color: Black

Pros

  • Cheap
  • Consistent performance with relatively nearby stations

Cons

  • May not deliver advertised range
  • Black on both sides and can’t be painted

1byone’s Digital Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna is widely recommended as one of the best budget indoor TV antennas, and we agree with popular consensus. Among Amazon’s best-selling antennas, it costs less than $30, which is about as low a price as you can expect to pay for a decent indoor antenna. 

While it is a solid antenna at that price, we recommend tempering your expectations around its performance. The current Amazon listing above states an extremely unrealistic 200-mile range–as powerful as an outdoor antenna with a signal booster. The company’s own site, however, lists a much more realistic 50-mile range. 

Both customer reviews and testing from trusted critics said that it performed best within 15-30 miles. It sits at 3.9 out of 5 on Amazon with a commanding 14,612 ratings at time of writing and is a best antenna list mainstay because urban apartment dwellers are one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of cord-cutters (both because the majority of cord-cutters are 18-29, and cities have greater access to the high-speed internet that makes cord-cutting possible). In that minimal-need use case, this 1byone antenna should be more than enough to get as many nearby channels as you can for the lowest possible cost.

Best low-profile antenna: Mohu Leaf Metro TV Antenna

Mohu

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Mohu’s tiny Leaf Metro is the smallest and most discreet indoor antenna we could find that still performs reasonably well.

Specs

  • Range: 25 miles
  • Installation: Wall/window
  • Size: 11.5 x 4 inches
  • Color: black/white (reversible), paintable

Pros

  • Tiny
  • Reversible and paintable
  • Detachable coaxial cable

Cons

  • Short range

If Mohu’s large, high-performance Leaf Supreme Pro sticks out too much, Mohu also makes an especially small antenna for picking up shorter-range signals. The Mohu Leaf Metro is a tiny, inexpensive, portable model that focuses on being as unobtrusive as possible. It’s just a wee little 4-inch strip, with black and white sides. It’s also paintable if you want to really hide it. The included coaxial cable detaches so you only need to have the wire defacing your wall while the TV is on to pull your attention from it. 

The natural trade-off is that it’s only effective within about 25 miles, but if you’re in a major metropolitan area this really won’t matter much, so this might be the tiny apartment dweller’s best friend, as the name “Metro” suggests.

Best translucent antenna: Monoprice Clear Window HDTV Antenna

Monoprice

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Monoprice has one of the only translucent antennas on the market for when space and light are a real premium.

Specs

  • Range: 60 miles
  • Installation: wall/window
  • Size: 13 x 9 in
  • Color: translucent white

Pros

  • Translucent
  • Powered in-line signal amplifier

Cons

  • Cable can’t be detached

Monoprice has long been trusted as a reliable manufacturer of basic household tech, such as cables and adapters, and their HDTV digital indoor antennas live up to the brand’s general reputation. The Clear Window stands out and makes the cut because its antenna sheet is translucent, letting light through when placed on a window. This could be crucial if you live in an apartment with very limited natural light where you might not want to sacrifice a printer sheet worth of light from your window. It is an otherwise solid performer for the price, which should meet most basic indoor antenna needs.

FAQs

Q: Do indoor TV antennas really work?

Absolutely! They worked decades ago when big CRT boxes would come with extendible rabbit ears on top, and they work even better now. The current crop of indoor TV antennas is more than powerful enough for all but the most rural users.

Q: What is the longest range indoor antenna?

Technically the longest range we’ve seen on an indoor antenna is around 200 miles, although it isn’t clear how effective it works at that distance. Even under the best circumstances, TV antennas work best when you aren’t pushing the limits of their range, as a host of factors may limit your specific antenna’s ability to pick up a signal, including physical interference between you and the broadcast source. 

For quality, standard indoor antennas, we see them more confidently rated for around 80 miles. The further you go beyond that, the more likely you will probably want to try using an outdoor (or at least attic) antenna.

Q: Where is the best place to put an indoor TV antenna?

The best place in your home will vary, but you generally want the highest possible place with the fewest physical barriers between it and the outside. Often, the top of a window near your TV is your best option. In a multi-story home, you might consider running cable and placing it near a wall in your attic.

Final thoughts on the best indoor TV antennas

These aren’t your grandparents’ indoor TV antennas! If you’ve cut out cable, or are considering it, an HDTV TV antenna may be better than you’d have imagined for covering all your local news, sports, and public access weirdness, especially if you’re near a reasonably large metropolitan area. When your antenna arrives, make sure to take a little time and experiment with different placement options. Remember: The same antenna can perform quite differently at different locations, even within the same room.

The post The best indoor TV antennas for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best TVs for PS5 in 2023: Tested and reviewed https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-tvs-for-ps5/ Wed, 19 Jan 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=393032
The best TVs for PS5
Stan Horaczek

You’ve upgraded your console, now upgrade your display.

The post The best TVs for PS5 in 2023: Tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best TVs for PS5
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall colorful tv with a camera on top Govee Immersion TV LED Backlights
SEE IT

Different modes use the system’s built-in microphone and/or small 1080p mounted camera to adjust your lighting experience based on how you are using it.

Best to sync with audio blue led light strip outside of box Sengled Segmented TV LED Backlights
SEE IT

An embedded microphone helps bring these light strips to life based on the music you’re listening to.

Best LED light bar philips led light bar Philips Hue Play White & Color Smart Light
SEE IT

This voice-activated smart home device can be creatively placed wherever it works best in your space.

The future is now, you lucky PlayStation 5 owner you. The gameplay! The graphics! The sheer jealousy all your friends feel because you snagged the most in-demand piece of electronics of the last year! Your gleaming white monolith certainly deserves a place of honor on the shelf of your entertainment center. But what’s this? Are you not showing your gleaming obelisk of leisure the proper respect by pairing it with (GASP!) an inferior television?  If you’re worried that you aren’t getting the most eye-popping visuals out of your PS5, this guide should help you find a proper set to brighten and sharpen your screen and amplify your friends’ envy. From 4K to 8K, HDMI 2.1 to variable refresh rates, we’ve got all kinds of TV upgrades here so you can have the best TVs for PS5 gameplay.

How we selected the best TVs for PS5

To find the best TVs for PS5, we surveyed dozens of reviews and testimonials, eliminated sets that didn’t offer the most important game-boosting features, and demoed the final selections in-store in order to ensure these were the right TVs for the job. Like the world warriors of Street Fighter, any of these sets could come out on top if they meld with the right player, it’s just a matter of matching your style and desire to your 4K (or 8K) combatant.

The best TVs for PS5: Reviews & Recommendations

Playing PS5 on the best TV possible makes a huge difference in bringing your games to life. These televisions won’t just satisfy you, some will electrify you and bring your console to its full potential.

Best OLED: Samsung S95C OLED

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Samsung mixed Quantum Dots with its OLED technology to maintain the absurd OLED contrast ratios while cranking up the brightness.

Specs:

  • OLED display
  • HDR10+ certified
  • FreeSync Premium and G-SYNC compatible
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • 4 HDMI 2.1 inputs
  • Available sizes: 55”, 65”, 77”

Pros:

  • Every feature you need for gaming
  • Extremely high-quality image
  • Brighter than a typical OLED

Cons:

  • Expensive

OLED TVs offer spectacular contrast ratios thanks to their unique backlight technology. Each pixel provides its own light, which allows them to turn completely off when they’re not needed. Those extra-dark areas make the colors and bright sections of the screen really pop. The downside, however, is that OLEDs typically can’t get that bright. Samsung, however, has introduced Quantum Dots into the equation, which raises the overall brightness without stepping on the benefits that come with OLED.

This TV has everything a gamer needs. It has a fast refresh rate, super-low input lag, and four HDMI 2.1 ports in order to get the most out of a current-gen console like the PS5. All of the ports live on a box that attaches to the super-thin screen with a single wire so you have options when it comes to how and where you want to mount the TV.

I got an early chance to test this TV at a Samsung facility. I brought my own PS5 and used it to play Returnal. The S95C pumped out a very steady stream of crisp, poppy images with no lag or odd image artifacts. Even with the lights turned on, the picture is remarkably clear and resilient toward glare. While this TV isn’t cheap, it offers a very excellent all-around option that excels when you bust out the controllers.

Best budget: TCL 5-series

TCL

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The vast majority of next-gen features really bump up the price of a TV, so it’s hard to find something truly PS5-worthy at below $1,000. If you just want a really good 4K screen without worrying about refresh rates and HDMI 2.1, though, the TCL 5-series is an excellent choice at a great price.

Specs:

  • QLED display
  • Auto Low Latency Mode
  • 4 standard HDMI inputs (1 eARC for easier audio set-up)
  • Google TV or Roku TV streaming apps built in
  • Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant support
  • Sizes: 50”, 55”, 65”, 75”

Pros:

  • Low cost of entry
  • Good image quality for the price
  • Includes ALLM for improved gaming

Cons:

  • No HDMI 2.1

The future isn’t cheap, and after spending $500-$600 on a PS5, another $100-$200 on accessories, and a further $200-$300 on games, you may not want to spend another $1,000 bucks or more on a new TV. The TCL 5-series is a 4K QLED panel that will really impress you with its clear colors and solid blacks. It features an “Auto Low Latency Mode,” or ALLM, which automatically switches the display to optimal settings when it detects a game console in one of its HDMI ports, reducing the need to manipulate the sliders yourself every time you want to switch.  You’re not going to get the best framerates, but the 5-series starts at $600 for a 50-inch TV, so you’re also not going to be paying an arm and a leg, either.

Best for single-player experiences: Hisense U7G series 

Hisense

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: While the Hisense U7G’s color, blacks, and viewing angles aren’t market-leading, it’s incredibly feature-rich with the next-gen settings and inputs you’d want at an approachable price.

Specs

  • ULED display
  • HDR10+ certified
  • FreeSync compatible
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • Auto Low Latency Mode
  • Variable Refresh Rate
  • 2 HDMI 2.1 inputs, 2 standard HDMI inputs
  • Google Assistant built-in
  • Sizes: 55”, 65”, 75”

Pros:

  • Lowest-cot set to include all relevant next-gen features
  • Freesync for PC gaming
  • 2 HDMI 2.1 ports

Cons:

  • Narrow viewing angle
  • Limited sizes

Hisense’s U7G model is built with gaming in mind. Hisense packed nearly every relevant next-gen gaming feature into it: HDR10, 120Hz refresh rate, two HDMI 2.1 ports—all the key specs. It even features FreeSync variable refresh rate technology, which enhances the U7G’s performance when paired with a gaming PC. And the price point is incredible, with the 55-inch model starting at $850. 

Hisense U7G
Tested with Apex Legends, a game we’re very familiar with, we noticed an improvement in smoothness and detail in graphics. Billy Cadden

So there has to be a catch, right? There are a couple of minor ones. First of all, more advanced settings do mean more complex adjustments, so don’t expect the fastest setup if you want the optimal experience. Also, the viewing angles on the U7G are limited compared to some of our other recommendations, so you’ll want to sit directly in front of the panel to get the full glory of its pristine picture. While this means group multiplayer sessions in the living room might have some discernably “better” seats, it’s a non-factor if your gaming setup is for you alone. Overall, the screen quality is a tremendous upgrade over most TVs from even a couple years ago. And little touches help you get the most out of an already value-packed set. HDMI ports are clearly labeled with different Hz capabilities. And the two feet, which are secured via two screws, can attach to two different spots depending on how wide your TV stand is.

Best QLED for PS5: Samsung QN90C series

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Samsung’s Neo-QLED combines Mini LED backlighting with Quantum Dots for exceptional color and superlative brightness.

Specs:

  • Mini-LED QLED display
  • HDR10+ certified
  • FreeSync Premium and G-SYNC compatible
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • Variable Refresh Rate
  • Available sizes: 43″, 50”, 55”, 65”, 75”, 85”

Pros:

  • Wonderfully bright screen that keeps clarity in a sunny room
  • Wide variety of sizes

Cons:

  • Pricey

Quantum Dots and Mini LED backlighting combine to make this a

Best 8K: Samsung QN900C Neo QLED 8K Smart TV

Sony

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: In 2021, 8K is an unnecessary luxury, but the Sony Z8H is a great choice if you want to treat yourself.

Specs:

  • 8K display
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • Variable Refresh Rate
  • 4 HDMI 2.1 inputs
  • Available sizes: 75”, 85”

Pros:

  • Clear jump in image quality over 4K
  • HDMI 2.1
  • Strong customer support

Cons:

  • Very little native 8K content available
  • Expensive

Right now, you’re very limited when it comes to native 8K content, but that doesn’t mean an 8K TV isn’t useless. This high-end panel offers some of the most advanced AI-powered content upscaling available, which makes even regular HD content look good. Of course it offers all the familiar features you’d expect out of a flagship display. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports, all of which live on a stand-alone box that makes it easy to install in just about any spot.

Testing with my PS5 at the Samsung facility, I was able to run some games of Overwatch 2. The action was colorful and smooth, with very little input lag and no image tearing. Samsung has really upped its gaming capabilities in recent years and this will be a solid performer for years, even as the PS5 enables high-res and high-frame-rate gameplay.

What to consider when picking the best TVs for PS5

The key to picking a TV to pair with a PS5 is knowing that it has some features that you can take advantage of right now, and some that will be more important in the future. Every single one of the televisions we’ve listed will have a great display with deep blacks, 4K (or better) resolution, and vibrant colors. Some will be able to take advantage of higher framerates and visual features that will improve the game image even further. Of course, all the TVs also have streaming apps, and some even have smart home compatibility. Taking these as a baseline, we looked at price and display technology as the true separation factors, and came up with the following categories.

Cost

There are some basic features that you’re going to be looking for in the best TVs for PS5. Many of these features are new to the market, and weren’t available on any TV before two or three years ago. Therefore, finding a TV that includes everything you’d want to see the PS5 at its best is relatively difficult and undoubtedly expensive. While we’ve included a budget-conscious option, the vast majority of televisions that we recommend to pair with a PS5 are going to be more than $1000. If you’re not necessarily looking for every single next-gen feature, there are plenty of great screens that will look amazing even if they don’t produce the absolute best possible picture. 

HDMI 2.1—An introduction to PS5 resolution and framerate

The main television technology that allows the PS5 to shine is HDMI 2.1. HDMI is the port that connects your audio and video between your gaming system and television. The HDMI standard has been the standard since the mid-2000s, but HDMI 2.1, the latest iteration of this tech, didn’t start appearing on televisions until 2018. HDMI 2.1 allows for a much larger amount of data to be sent and received between the console and the display, unlocking the highest resolutions at the best framerates. 

The PS5, at its maximum, can output 4K resolution at 120 frames per second. Keep in mind that very, very few games actually meet this maximum benchmark at this time, as processing demands can greatly affect that framerate. The last Sony console, the PS4 Pro, could manage 4K and 60fps at maximum, but few games ever reached that maximum either. The 4K/60fps threshold is much more reasonable for the PS5, and HDMI 2.1 (along with the more powerful processor and chipset of the PlayStation 5 itself) allows for that. 

What about 8K resolution?

As of this moment, the PS5 does not support 8K resolution output. Some features of the PS5, such as the ability to install a secondary hard drive, weren’t activated at launch. Sony says these features, including 8K video and gaming, will be added via firmware over time.

In the meantime, there is still some visual benefit to playing PS5 games on an 8K TV. Much like how a 1080p HD image on a 4K television looks better on a 4K television, a 4K image on an 8K television will still look better because of upscaling tech in the console and the television. We have included an 8K television in our list, but it isn’t our top recommendation since you’ll be buying into the technology ahead of really needing it. 

For what it’s worth, there’s very little content currently available in 8K. It’s unclear how well the current crop of PS5 games would run at that resolution, and most streaming services cap their videos at 4K. So almost everything you watch on an 8K is upscaled. By the time 8K gaming, streaming, and movies are readily available, the 8K television you buy today may be obsolete in other ways. Long story, short: playing PS5 games in 8K is a nice idea, but far from a necessity.

What non-gaming features do I want?

You probably aren’t only going to use your TV to play PS5. All of the televisions included in this list have “Smart TV’ features, meaning your options for streaming are to stream through the downloadable apps on your PS5 or through apps you can download directly to your television. (You can also watch most of them through the PS5. We recommend the PS5 streaming apps over many of the ones found in smart TVs). Some of the televisions can also connect to other services, such as home assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. These features don’t weigh too heavily in this list, as they don’t affect your gaming experience.

The other main consideration is audio. Even the nicest televisions have pretty ordinary sound output on the built-in speakers. Truly great sound demands its own system. For playing PS5 games, we strongly recommend players purchase a headset, which can take unique advantage of the console’s Tempest 3D audio technology. For recommendations on speakers for watching TV and movies, please check out our picks for the best soundbars and the best surround sound systems for home theaters.

FAQs

Q: Which TV brand service is best?

Sony truly shines when it comes to customer service, first offering high-quality sets with very few problems, and later addressing issues with high levels of customer satisfaction if problems happen to occur. LG, Hisense, and TCL tend to let retailers cover a lot of the rarely-occurring early-purchase issues with their models. Samsung’s service ranks a smidge below Sony but has a good overall reputation for customer service.

Q: What are the worst TV brands?

When it comes to TVs, you tend to get what you pay for. Brands that specialize in low-cost displays tend to earn a reputation for buggy, breakable TVs. Some previously-well-regarded brands like RCA, Hitachi, and Westinghouse have fallen far behind their competitors, and tend to offer vanilla, cheap, featureless televisions that only appeal to people with an urgent need and little time or budget to comparison shop. In general, we strongly urge you to stick with brands with a reputation for quality. If you’ve never heard of the television maker, it’s almost certainly one to avoid.

Final thoughts on the best TVs for PS5

Each TV on this list is a great fit for playing games on PS5. The LG C1 OLED is the critic’s pick, with incredible picture and a great feature set, but there are solid reasons to opt for a QLED screen over an OLED. And if a $1,000-plus isn’t in the cards, there are still plenty of ways to optimize your setup for high-end console gaming.

Even with our recommendations in hand, the best thing to do is to preview the floor models in a store. Your eyes will tell you what they like. No matter what model you choose, your PS5 is going to look great, and you’ll really get to make your friends jealous.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

More TV roundups to help you find the perfect set

The post The best TVs for PS5 in 2023: Tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Sonos Era 300 Dolby Atmos speaker review: Prepare for glory https://www.popsci.com/gear/sonos-era-300-speaker-review/ Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:15:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=523303
White Sonos Era 300 spatial audio speaker on matching stand
Tony Ware

Purpose-built for spatial audio, the Era 300 is a phalanx of drivers ready to battle standard playback. So does it come back with its shield, or on it?

The post Sonos Era 300 Dolby Atmos speaker review: Prepare for glory appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
White Sonos Era 300 spatial audio speaker on matching stand
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

You only have two ears, but you don’t hear solely in stereo. Oh, you can tattoo “L” and “R” on those fleshy receivers, break out the protractor, and align your posture perfectly with a sound source. Your localization is still working in three dimensions. Reflecting on those reflections, Santa Barbara-based wireless sound system company Sonos set out to develop a speaker that recognized yet defied the tyranny of two-channel. Previewed at the company’s headquarters in February, then officially announced March 7, the Era 300 is the company’s first connected speaker purpose-built from the ground up for Dolby Atmos-powered multidirectional audio. 

This $449 smart speaker, on sale March 28, plays stereo content without upmixing, conveying the artist’s intention. But its six positional drivers yearn for more immersive mixes. With a completely original acoustic design, it’s not a refresh. But is that refreshing? Let’s look at whether a sideways hourglass-shaped speaker’s time has come.

Tony Ware

SEE IT

The build

Unique is not always utilitarian. But in the case of the Era 300’s cinched chassis, available in matte white or black, everything is deliberately calibrated to make the audio presentation stand out just as much as the speaker’s body does. Unlike the simultaneously released Era 100, which draws an obvious lineage from the Sonos One, the 9.85 lb. Era 300 has no precedent. Its 6.30 x 10.14 x 7.28 inches (HWD) present themselves as an oval when facing forward, but a closer look from any lateral angle reveals the sideways cylinder’s distinctive high-waisted style. Not everybody will love it, but it’s more compact and less concave than pictures might portray.

On the top of the Era 300 runs the “trough,” a shallow capacitive canal you can swipe to change the volume. This tactile control is intuitive to find with just a finger. Toward the front, you’ll find equally touch-sensitive Play/Pause, Rewind, and Forward icons. Toward the middle, a speech bubble allows you to temporarily deactivate your voice assistant of choice (Sonos Voice Control or Amazon Alexa). If you want to take privacy a step forward, a hardware switch on the back of the speaker cuts all power to the microphone. The back of the speaker is also where you’ll find the Bluetooth pairing button, a socket for the 90-degree flush-fit power cable, and a USB-C port. 

Yes, I said Bluetooth pairing button. While spatial audio is getting most of the fanfare for the Era 300, the acceptance that Bluetooth no longer undermines but rather underpins the habits and homes of many modern listeners is equally revolutionary for Sonos. So now Bluetooth 5.0 (with SBC and AAC codecs) has migrated from the company’s portable, rechargeable Move and Roam speakers into its multiroom line alongside the wireless networking that has long formed the foundation of the Sonos multiroom audio vision. In this case, it’s Wi-Fi 6 that’s supported, ensuring the Era 300 can place nicely with your new high-speed router for 4K streaming and all the accompanying high-resolution audio, etc.

That final noteworthy part, the USB-C port, allows you to connect an external audio source—whether that’s a CD player, laptop, cassette deck, or preamp-equipped turntable with a patch cable—via a $19 dongle featuring a 3.5mm line-in jack. A more expensive $39 adapter includes that same aux input alongside an Ethernet jack if you prefer to hardwire your speakers into your network. This speaker may be intended primarily for spatial’s sonic revolution, but it’ll play nicely with an LP’s revolutions per minute, too. It’s worth noting that because the dongle is introducing analog-to-digital conversion, it can also introduce minor signal delay.

All that and we’ve barely scratched the surface because beneath the surface is where the majority of the innovative components lie. Inside each Era 300 are four tweeters (one forward-firing, two side-firing, one up-firing), and two woofers (left/right). Each custom driver is powered by a dedicated class-D amplifier and paired with a custom waveguide to help direct and correct its response for clarity. The reason the Era 300’s control panel is pushed forward? It’s because of where the upward-facing driver’s directional horn needed to be to disperse the optimal ceiling reflection of Atmos height effects.  

As you can see, a lot went into the Era 300. And also less. Sustainability and repairability played equal parts in the speaker’s design, so to minimize waste, the Era 300 has less virgin plastic. The exterior’s specific shade of white, which differs from older product, is a result of including 40% post-consumer plastic. In addition, the speaker’s construction uses far less glue; everywhere possible, screws (stamped with a subtle “Sonos” around the head) were used instead to make repairs easier and, alongside more replaceable grilles to circuitry, promote products that last. The Era 300 even consumes less energy while idle than previous speakers (less than 2 watts). And the packaging is 100% recyclable (though it’s so thoughtfully designed, with its built-in locking mechanism, you’ll want to hold onto it if you need to move/store your speakers). All this is in service of the Sonos roadmap to be carbon neutral by 2030 and net zero by 2040.

Sonos Era 300 disassembled screws
It may be difficult to see, but the head of each screw in the more repairable Era 300 speaker is stamped “SONOS.” Tony Ware

The setup

Plug it in. Wait for the blinking light. Open the Sonos S2 app (available for iOS and Android). Create an account. Add in your Wi-Fi network password. Not to belittle the process, but it’s super simple whether you’ve set up a Sonos product before or not. And if you have, it’s that much easier. Add the Era 300 to an existing system or establish a new one. Whether you want to use one standalone Era 300, create a stereo pair, or group two as surround channels for a Sonos Arc or Sonos Beam (Gen. 2) soundbar, it all takes little more than a click—a guided one at that as the app is quite intuitive. 

Once the Era 300 is added to a system, you can activate Trueplay, which uses speaker-generated impulses and your smartphone’s microphone to Quick Tune the hardware for your room—a previously iOS-only feature now extended to Android. You can also access Treble and Bass sliders, as well as a Height channel adjustment. It’s worth noting that you won’t have access to Bluetooth pairing until after you’ve done the Wi-Fi network setup, but once that’s done, you can run both protocols at the same time (after all, you don’t want to give your Wi-Fi password to every visitor with songs to share).

The bigger consideration for the Era 300, more so than other Sonos speakers, is physical placement. Sonos offers guidelines that you can read later, so feel free to skip a couple paragraphs. But if you want a summary to know whether spatial is right for your space: Because of those side-and up-firing drivers, it’s recommended to place an Era 300 speaker on a surface with 8 inches of clearance on each side, and 2 feet clearance above it. Those numbers are a starting point that should be combined with common sense, however. An enclosed space is not optimal (even if the top shelf is 3 feet from the top of the Era 300). Nor are 20-foot ceilings. 

If you’re using two Era 300 speakers as a stereo pair, you might want to try more traditional sweet spot rules, with the speakers 7-9 feet apart and where you sit an equal distance from each, forming a triangle. However, Sonos claims the Era 300 is off-axis forgiving. And suppose you’re using two Era 300 speakers as L/R surround channels. In that case, you want each about 5 feet off where you sit while considering that 8-inch side clearance rule, plus keeping an inch or two between the speakers and a rear wall (Sonos produces both finish-matched stands and wall mounts for minimizing vibration/positioning reflection).

Also of importance is your source. You can stereo stream music from dozens and dozens of services through the Sonos app or send it directly to the Era 300 via lossless Apple AirPlay 2 and TIDAL Connect or lossy Spotify Connect. If you want better-than-CD quality (24-bit/48kHz), you need to subscribe to either Qobuz or Amazon Music Unlimited. 

To enjoy the spacious contours of multidimensional music, however, your options are not equally wide. You have only two choices: Amazon Music or Apple Music (following a March 28 firmware update). Plus, to be properly decoded on the speaker, the tracks must play through the Sonos app. Unfortunately, the app has no spatial filter or flags, so you can either preview a few seconds of songs to see if an Atmos label pops up or make a conveniently labeled and organized playlist in one of the native apps, then locate it through the Sonos one. It’s not as elegant a process as Apple Music on a HomePod via AirPlay, one and done, but the end results with a well-mixed album are worth the hassle.

Sonos Era 300 speaker without grill or motherboard
Don’t worry, the retail speakers are no assembly required. This is just neat. Tony Ware

The sound

I’ve spent a week with two Era 300 speakers, playing with one standalone, as well as both in stereo and grouped with an Arc and Sonos Sub to form a 7.1.4 surround system (if you have two Subs, you can even go 7.2.4). In that short period, my initial impressions on the hardware—which will be updated over the coming week as more time is spent putting the Era 300 up against speakers like the Apple HomePod (2nd generation) and wireless surround systems such as the Sennheiser AMBEO Plus—have been nothing but positive.

For starters, however, let’s put the Era 300 in context with the Sonos lineup. The 300 was announced in conjunction with the Era 100 (which we’ve thoroughly reviewed here)—a “remastering” of the Sonos One that adds two angled tweeters and a larger woofer into a familiar cylindrical form factor. And the Era 100 may set a new standard for a compact stereo connected speaker. Still, it can’t come close to the experience that is the Era 300.

I’ve also had the opportunity to listen to the $549 Sonos Five in the past, both standalone and in a stereo pair. With its three high-excursion woofers (and three tweeters), the Five still outputs more punch than the Era 300. Regarding soundstage, however, the Era 300’s directional treble adds expansiveness alongside expressiveness. The Five has more force and finesse, as each speaker has six forward-facing drivers, but the Era 300’s array wins in overall width.

Now, let’s put me in context. I’ve been playing with audio surround sound formats for almost 20 years. SACD, DVD-Audio, DualDisc, HD DVD, Blu-ray, ISOs—like Pokémon, I collected them all. I secured my fair share of speaker wires along the baseboards and under carpets for 5.1 systems. What I like about Dolby Atmos spatial audio and the Era 300 is that I no longer hear the gaps between components that could easily creep in, whether because of a gimmicky mix or poorly calibrated system. 

Take the track “No Reason” by the Chemical Brothers—mentioned in passing during a February presentation by Sonos Sound Experience Leader (and legendary mix engineer) Giles Martin as an Atmos session that elicited immediate elation from the artist when played back in the studio on a prototype Era 300. There’s an ability in this pairing of hardware and 360-degree encoding to have discrete elements remain in motion without as perceivable a disconnect as the old channel-hopping daze. The intro to “No Reason” begins as diffuse trills and fills until it finally coalesces into a more centralized martial rhythm before fanning out again in waves of whoops and puddles of reverb, stomping up percussive splatter.  

Played back on just one Era 300, the song is a day-glow procession, with plentiful though slightly loose low-end. Pair two Era 300s, and everything is magnified—more sprawling but no less anchored. The inward-facing channels are digitally deemphasized to avoid a shouty center image. The sound never reaches fully behind you, but it flanks you convincingly.

Turning to a standard stereo track like Massive Attack’s “Angel,” there’s obvious processing, a Sonos saturation, but it maintains much of the honesty from the buoyantly menacing bassline. No, it’s not so articulate it will convince me to give up the KEF LS50 Wireless II and KC62 subwoofer. But It’s also not really fair to compare an $898 pair of speakers to a $4,298 listening station. The KEF kit is for an audiophile that wants to sequester with old acquaintances, while the Era 300 is for anybody that vibes off of making new friends. It’s an attainable, out-of-the-box wow factor that’s welcoming for everybody. A great way to have a party or check out a hot producer’s lewk. That doesn’t mean you can’t fine-tune the response, however. 

Integrate the Sonos Sub with the Era 300, which you can do with one or two speakers, and the midrange opens up noticeably. Handing off the bass opens the Era 300’s headroom and does what a well-integrated sub should do: refines rather than merely reinforces. It might initially feel that the bass quantity dips, but it’s in the pursuit of quality. Really what’s happened is stray resonance has been corralled, and the sense of separation has increased. You may prefer thick kick, while I like things a little less congested. This is not a choice you can make with Apple’s closed hardware ecosystem, for comparison, and the HomePod can get surprisingly, sometimes distractingly rumbly.

The gradients fill in even further with the Era 300s as surround speakers with the Arc. Tethered via eARC to a TV connected to an Apple TV, the Arc can receive object-based audio directly from Apple Music and render the most immersive expression of any track. Are you going to be disappointed at times? Sure, there’s nothing that Sonos can do about a bad mix. And there are plenty of bad Dolby Atmos mixes. They can’t all be Giles Martin’s take on the Beatles’ Revolver. But you’ll be engrossed more than grossed out most of the time. One note: Adding the Era 300s as surrounds deactivates Bluetooth and the USB-C port; it’s Wi-Fi streaming only from now on.

I know I’ve dedicated a million words to music, so I’ll just touch on movies briefly (check back later for thoughts on where post-Era 300 Sonos ranks in wireless surround sound systems). I’ve watched a smattering of films—standard demo fare like Top Gun: Maverick, Ready Player One, Blade Runner 2049, Dune, Baby Driver, and John Wick. Well, in the words of Mad Max: Fury Road, “Do not, my friends, become addicted to Atmos. It will take hold of you, and you will resent its absence.” You get, well, constantly unfurling atmosphere. Pinpoint cues and disembodied voices. Tension and release. The Era 300 has gone to battle against the ordinary and emerged victorious.

Sonos Era 300 as rear speakers in a home theater
This isn’t me, but it could be you. With new Era 300 speakers and your loved ones, you, too, can be embraced physically and sonically in multiple dimensions. Courtesy of Sonos

The conclusion

In the Venn diagram of immediate-immersive-impressive, the Era 300 sits in a roomy overlap. That overlay broadens with two Eras, and it becomes closer to a single circle once you’ve graduated to an Arc+Sub+Era 300×2 setup. But you don’t need more than one Era 300 to enjoy gratification. On some tracks, you’ll hear more elements fly around the room. Sometimes you’ll just hear more room. All without a room-filling setup. If you’re more interested in simplicity than specs and don’t mind the slowly unwinding song distribution system, the Era 300 is expensive but a splurge that will pay off as artists embrace spatial audio’s full potential.

The post Sonos Era 300 Dolby Atmos speaker review: Prepare for glory appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Sonos Era 100 smart speaker review: One-upmanship https://www.popsci.com/gear/sonos-era-100-speaker-review/ Mon, 27 Mar 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=522178
Sonos Era 100
Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

The addition of true stereo sound, Bluetooth, and enhanced repairability make this wireless speaker a worthy successor to the Sonos One.

The post Sonos Era 100 smart speaker review: One-upmanship appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Sonos Era 100
Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

When Sonos officially announced its Era 100 and Era 300 smart speakers earlier this month, it was easy to fixate on the larger, shiny, more innovative introduction. And everybody did. With native support for spatial audio built into a futuristic-looking curved design, the $449 Era 300 is undoubtedly an inflection point for the Santa Barbara-based multiroom wireless speaker system company. But plenty of people want a more compact, more than competent option—an elevated entry-level speaker. After thinking about it, I realized the $249 Era 100 has a lot more riding on its success as it competes in a much more crowded market. After spending the last few weeks with it, I believe the Era 100 delivers enough to make good on its name—kicking off a new phase of Sonos speakers while keeping it 100 when it comes to what the company does best.

The build

If you saw the Era 100 from across a room, you might mistake it for the Sonos One, the speaker it will inevitably replace. Yet, if you sit these cylinders side by side, the differences become slightly more obvious—the 4.4 lb. Era 100 is slightly taller and broader (measuring 7.18 x 4.72 x 5.14 inches HWD), and the curve is more dramatic. It seems odd to label a speaker as more mature looking, but that’s the way I feel: The Era 100, available in white or black, is the grown-up version of the One. Sonos calls its new smart speaker “An icon, remastered.” Let’s look at what’s evolution vs. revolution.

Looking at it from the top, you’ll notice the Era 100 has a shallow horizontal well scooped out of it. This was done to make adjusting the volume—by swiping on that area to the left or right (though you can still tap either end of the capacitive trough to move things incrementally)—more intuitive. This change makes the Era 100 easier to use when you’re not looking at it, or it’s dark, since your finger will naturally find the volume selector. The rest of the buttons—play, pause, next track, last track—are still touch-sensitive spots with a glyph printed on top. This is disappointing because having divots for all of them would have increased the Era 100’s accessibility.

If you turn the Era 100 around, you’ll see three things: The pill-shaped function button that first appeared on the Sonos Roam, a physical switch that enables and mutes the speaker’s microphone (compatible with Sonos Voice Control and Amazon Alexa, but not Google Assistant), and a USB-C port that is used for something far more interesting than powering the speaker (more on that a bit later).

I’m neutral on Sonos’ increasingly-ubiquitous function button, which requires you to long-press it at variable lengths to get to different features. I mostly used it to enable the Era 100’s Bluetooth 5.0 mode (with support for the SBC and AAC codecs). Bluetooth has been in the portable, rechargeable Move and Roam speakers for a few years, but this is the first time Sonos has built it into one of its home-bound smart speakers, and it’s a welcome feature that’s also arriving on the Era 300. Your experience with this button will vary, but I’m pleased that the speaker will chirp at you when it registers a press and/or changes modes.

Similarly, the USB-C port on the back of the Era 100 can be used to plug in one of two adapters designed by Sonos. One $39 adapter terminates into an Ethernet jack (plus aux in), so you can hardwire it to your home network with a cable rather than relying on an over-the-air signal. The wireless connection I used during my Era 100 testing was rock solid (the speaker supports up to the Wi-Fi 6 protocol, so you can feel comfortable futureproofing your router), but that may not be the case for everybody.

The second option, which offers less connectivity but will likely be more applicable to most, is a $19 dongle solely offering a standard 3.5mm line-in jack present on audio equipment for decades. This adapter means the Era 100 can accommodate a lifetime of audio formats—cassette decks, CD players, turntables with built-in preamps. I wish Sonos has just built the Ethernet and 3.5mm jack into the back of the Era 100. However, as inelegant as an adapter is, its acknowledgment that music exists outside of a single digital ecosystem is still better than nothing. By providing wired and wireless connectivity options, Sonos has underscored its commitment to making speakers you won’t have to replace involuntarily if your sources shift. These are meaningful changes that are purely additive. You don’t lose any features the Sonos One had; instead, the Era 100 gives you more than before.

Embracing a universal wireless standard and connectivity outside proprietary ecosystems helps hardware stave off obsolescence. Sonos’ focus on usability is complemented by a sincere effort to make the Era 100 its most sustainability-focused smart speaker yet. The company has improved its packaging by making more of it sustainably sourced and recyclable, opted to use screws instead of glue to make it easier for repair techs to get behind the polycarbonate grill and resolve issues, and designed the speaker (made out of more PCR plastic) with more modular parts. Hopefully, the number of times Sonos will have to replace a speaker completely or strip it for parts will be reduced. It feels good to think you can invest in a device to last (potentially) decades.

Smart Home photo
A single USB-C port can be the difference between eventual obsolescence and appreciable longevity.

The setup

If you’ve picked up a Sonos product in the past five years (as I have with One speakers and the Ray soundbar, among several others), the Era 100’s setup process will be very familiar. After plugging it in, I waited for the speaker’s sole LED to begin flashing green, which indicated it was ready to be set up. The rest of the setup took place in the iOS or Android app, which guides you through adding it to an existing system or creating a new one and connecting it to your home network.

My first couple of setup attempts were unsuccessful—I have multiple Sonos systems set up from years of product testing and was running the beta version of iOS on the initial device I was using to set it up—but creating a new Sonos system on a different device did the trick. The Era 100 immediately downloaded a software update upon being set up and worked flawlessly after that.

Pairing the Era 100 to my device over Bluetooth required pushing and holding its function button down for a few seconds while waiting for the speaker’s LED to blink blue. From there, the process was identical to syncing my iPhone to any Bluetooth device. Even with the slight hiccups, it only took me about 15 minutes to set up the Era 100; without them, it would have taken under five. Once connected, you can run the Sonos tuning software, tweak the EQ (-2 the bass, +3 the treble if you think it’s too boxy out of the box, something you can’t do with the HomePod), then get ready to critique the clarity.

The sound

The Era 100 had much to prove in the audio department after the warm reception of the One and the proliferation of smart speakers like Apple’s HomePod (2nd generation), Amazon’s Echo Studio, and the Bluesound PULSE M. None of these will compete with the $799 Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin in sheer audiophile allure. Still, the Era 100’s raison d’être is to provide music lovers with another good sub-$300 option or a reason to upgrade. Spoiler alert: Sonos succeeded.

The biggest difference between the Era 100 and its predecessor is that this single speaker can play music in stereo thanks to its three-driver array, which features a pair of angled, outward-facing tweeters atop a single 25% larger woofer driven by three class-D amplifiers and optimized by custom waveguides. The effectiveness of the Era 100’s stereo separation is dependent on the way a track was mixed, the size and shape of your room, and the speaker’s distance and positioning from you. Sonos Trueplay, built into its app, helps Quick Tune the speaker’s sweet spot for your setting. Despite all these factors and the reality that you’ll always get better stereo separation from a pair of speakers, I was impressed by the Era 100’s soundstage. If for no other reason than the fact that I never heard any of the inherent weirdness inherent in listening to stereo music folded down to mono.

The ability to play music in stereo is also helpful if you sync a pair of Era 100s to a Sonos Sub Mini and Sonos Ray to create a surround sound system, as that extra soundstage comes into play as action mounts and orchestral scores swell. I’ve chosen to highlight entry-level Sonos home theater equipment in that scenario for the sake of cost, but you could certainly hook up these speakers to the company’s high-end Arc soundbar for even better sound. (And Sonos produces speaker-specific stands and wall mounts to help optimize stereo pair and surround setups.)

My overall impression after many listening sessions cycling through pop, rock, R&B, jazz, and classical—which can be fed from dozens and dozens of services through the Sonos app, or via Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect—is that this is an incredibly musical speaker. What I mean by that is music always sounded natural and free from any artificial boosting of the bass or treble that can be used to hide deficiencies in lesser audio hardware. During my listening tests, which were all conducted by listening to Lossless versions of music from the Apple Music streaming library via AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth, I was always very impressed. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a neutral speaker—Sonos certainly employed its digital signal processing, which can’t be completely undone by twiddling EQ settings—but I never felt like any tracks were negatively impacted. The end result is a more open-sounding speaker than the Sonos One, with punchier bass and a fleshy midrange, benefiting vocal presence.

For reference, a majority of my personal music preferences center around albums released between 1963 and 1980, with jazz from the ’50s, shoegaze and Britpop from the early ’90s, and indie rock from the last 30 or so years mixed in for good measure. My fixation with music from the mid-20th century was helpful in that I could immediately discern whether Sonos had tuned the Era 100 specifically for modern music, which is mixed and mastered in a particular way. It hasn’t.

“Sundown” by Gordon Lightfoot sounded superb, and I could pick out the song’s bass from the subtle kick drum despite them occupying similar parts of the frequency spectrum. Similarly, the background vocals on The Zombies’ “Beechwood Park” never got lost under Colin Blunstone’s lead. Jumping ahead nearly half a century to Norah Jones’ “Good Morning,” the sublime opener on 2012’s Little Broken Hearts, the Era 100 did a great job at showcasing every element of the track while creating a wonderfully wide soundstage. I never lost track of the acoustic guitar as it went from being the most prominent instrument on the track to playing second fiddle to a violin. Letting the album run to track two, “Say Goodbye,” yielded similar results, with the pulsing drum beat driving the song punctuated by tasteful guitar lines.

Art Pepper’s “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” starts off simple. Still, the Era 100’s presentation of his saxophone shows off its particular brilliance in authentically capturing the sound of acoustic instruments. If you’re always searching for new music, don’t worry, this speaker won’t disappoint you. The 2023 electronic track “Soda Lake” by Blank Gloss retained its creepy, almost sinister sound with bass that rumbled the Era 100 without causing it to overmodulate into distortion. On the flipside, the sparse arrangement of “emails i can’t send” by Sabrina Carpenter didn’t feel empty.

The Era 100 sounded good at every volume level, but I mostly kept it at around 50%, sufficient to fill a 300-square-foot room. Your mileage will vary based on your preferred listening level or genre of music, but a single Era 100 will be enough for an entire floor of a house with an open floor plan. It wasn’t designed specifically with outdoor use in mind, but the Era 100 can supply the soundtrack to backyard cookouts all summer long. Considering getting into vinyl and not into the concept of the dongles mentioned above, or have a convenient alcove for your music collection but better seating elsewhere? It’s easy to stream music to this speaker by connecting it to the Victrola Stream Carbon, a wireless-enabled turntable certified to work with Sonos.

It may not be able to play spatial audio tracks natively (check out our Era 300 review if that’s your fixation), but the Era 100 is a very competent single-speaker stereo audio system. That Sonos could coax this much audio quality out of a speaker of this size is pretty impressive. In fact, I couldn’t tell the difference when listening to music over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which was the most revealing revelation of them all. It’ll give Apple, Amazon, and many others a benchmark when designing their next-generation gear.

Smart Home photo
The Era 100 stacks up nicely compared to contemporary smart speakers and can accommodate formats of the past.

The conclusion

If you’ve already bought into Sonos’ ecosystem, the Era 100 is a no-brainer replacement for any place you currently have a One. The fact that this new speaker can play music in stereo instead of mono makes it worth the price of admission on its own, but improvements to its overall build quality, sustainability, and overall clarity push it over the top. Everything you like about the One remains but is bested by the Era 100, which sets the standard for speakers in its size class.

You’ll still want to hold on to your Play:3 and Five speakers, as their larger size allows them to feature bigger drivers and ultimately better, louder sound, but it’s honestly a toss-up. Suppose you’re coming from a HomePod or similar speaker developed with multidimensional sound in mind. In that case, the sound profile will be different, which may be good or bad depending on what you’re used to hearing. Ultimately, we can recommend the Sonos Era 100 to anyone who wants to spend less than $300 on a single smart speaker that sounds bigger than its body.

The post Sonos Era 100 smart speaker review: One-upmanship appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best Samsung TVs for 2023, as chosen by experts https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-samsung-tvs/ Wed, 22 Mar 2023 15:15:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=521778
The Samsung S95C OLED TV on a stand in a room with pink-ish walls
Stan Horaczek

Samsung makes a TV for just about any space and viewing habit.

The post The best Samsung TVs for 2023, as chosen by experts appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The Samsung S95C OLED TV on a stand in a room with pink-ish walls
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall The Samsung S95C OLED on a stand in a room with two chairs Samsung S95C OLED
SEE IT

This high-end OLED offers superb picture quality and impressive brightness.

Best QLED The Samsung QN90C TV on a stand in a room showing the Lord of the Rings. Samsung QN90C
SEE IT

Mini LEDs combine with Quantum Dots to create a bright, vibrant picture.

Best 8K The Samsung QN900C on a table in a room with big windows Samsung QN900C 8K TV
SEE IT

Excellent upscaling helps this high-end display take advantage of its 8K resolution.

Samsung TVs run the gamut from massive prestige displays to affordable panels built to fly off the shelves on Black Friday. Choosing one can be tricky if you don’t know exactly what you want. What’s the difference between OLED and QLED? Do you really need 8K, or is it just a flex? Are the remotes really solar-powered? (They are!) I’ve had an early chance to experience many of the company’s latest and greatest offerings with my own eyeballs, and I’ve put together this list of the best Samsung TVs for just about any type of viewer or space. 

How we chose the best Samsung TVs

I have reviewed home theater gear (and gadgets of almost every kind) for nearly two decades. I was the digital editor at Sound & Vision for several years and have extensively covered TV and TV tech for PopSci.com and other publications. I typically rely on a PlayStation 5 with top-tier titles installed and 4K Blu-ray discs to get a feel for what these TVs can really do. To complete the research, I surveyed Samsung’s full lineup while comparing specs, reading customer reviews, and considering editorial opinions from colleagues at other publications. 

The best Samsung TVs: Reviews & Recommendations

From flagships to more achievable flatscreens, I’ve drawn from my own personal experience watching, testing, and reviewing to bring you the standout 2023 models from Samsung.

Best overall: Samsung S95C OLED 4K Smart TV

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Samsung’s flagship OLED introduces Quantum Dots into the equation to add brightness and remedy OLED’s biggest shortcoming.

Specs

  • Sizes: 55”, 65”, and 77”
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz native (up to 144Hz in some situations)
  • HDMI ports: 4

Pros

  • Spectacular picture
  • Very bright for an OLED
  • Ports live on a box connected by a wire to make installation more flexible
  • Super-thin bezel and panel
  • Immaculate color

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Limited sizes

While Samsung has primarily made its mark on the TV market with its QLED TVs, its latest OLED offering is truly impressive. This is Samsung’s new generation of OLED TV, which integrates Quantum Dots to make the display brighter than a typical OLED. That makes it better for viewing in a room with lots of ambient light, a situation in which OLEDs typically struggle. 

The first time I turned on the S95C, I was truly impressed by the sheer amount of light it emits. I hooked up a PS5 and fired up a game of Returnal for the first test. With the overhead lights turned off, I didn’t need maximum brightness to make the image pop. With the overhead lights turned on, I was pleasantly surprised that the picture still looked vibrant and accurate without washing out. 

Some OLEDs aren’t ideal for gaming due to input lag, but that’s not a problem. The suite of four HDMI 2.1 ports also makes it simple to attach a modern gaming console and get the most out of it.

This is a high-end TV, so it offers a high-end suite of features, including a 120Hz refresh rate, which can go up to 144Hz when using a PC input. It has four current-gen HDMI ports, all of which live on a box connected via a wire, so it’s flexible in terms of installation. 

For the content part of the test, I fired up The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King on streaming because that’s typical weekend fare for me. The movie looked excellent in the native Netflix app, with rich colors and tons of contrast. This is the best picture I have seen on a consumer-grade Samsung TV, regardless of the input. 

Best QLED: Samsung QN90C Neo QLED TV

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Samsung married Mini-LEDs with Quantum Dots to create a bright, vibrant picture that definitely doesn’t skimp on the contrast.

Specs

  • Sizes: 43”, 50”, 55”, 65”, 75”, and 85”
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • HDMI ports: 4

Pros

  • Excellent overall image quality
  • Bright
  • Anti-reflective coating improves performance in bright rooms
  • Tons of sizes available
  • AI-powered upscaling works very well

Cons

  • Inputs live on the back of the TV instead of in a connected box
  • Sound is just OK

The OLED price tag will be understandably prohibitive for many people, but Samsung’s Neo QLED offerings offer similar performance for less money. The Neo QLED displays employ Mini-LED backlighting. By shrinking the backlights, Samsung can be more precise about where the illumination lies underneath the screen. That allows the dark areas to stay, well, dark without looking washed out and gray. 

Samsung has given this TV a full suite of high-end features, including 4 HDMI 2.1 ports, but they’re oddly placed on the back of the TV instead of on a connected box. This is a departure from last year’s version of the same model and might feel like a slight downgrade if you wanted that flexibility during installation. 

When it comes to performance, however, there’s no downgrade in effect. As you’d expect from a Quantum Dot TV, the Q90C is bright and extremely vibrant. I typically only use game mode and Samsung’s Filmmaker Mode, which tones down the colors a little to more closely match the source material. 

I fired up some scenes from Godzilla Vs. Kong on Blu-ray as part of my testing. The contrast ratio had no problem rendering detail, even in dark scenes. The fast action scenes stayed together nicely without ugly artifacts or motion issues. 

This is a high-end TV, and it offers all the features you’d expect to go along with that. If you’re willing to spend more than what the Crystal-series TVs cost but don’t want to go all the way to the OLED level, this is a fantastic option. 

Best 8K: Samsung QN900C Neo QLED 8K Smart TV

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: If you’re going to flex 8K, you might as well get a lot of other fancy features to go with it. This is a very impressive TV if you have the cash.

Specs

  • Sizes: 65”, 75”, and 85”
  • Resolution: 8K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz (up to 144Hz in some situations)
  • HDMI ports: 4

Pros

  • It has the most resolution, so it’s as futureproof as TVs get right now
  • Exceptional upscaling
  • Excellent picture quality
  • Ports live on an external box
  • Very slim
  • Anti-reflective coating fights glare

Cons

  • You’re paying for 8K when there’s almost no native 8K content

Native 8K content isn’t here yet, but it is coming down the road, so if you want a relatively future-proof TV, this is your pick—the screen resolution checks in at a massive 33 megapixels. Since there’s almost nothing in that resolution, you will rely on the TV to upscale your content. Luckily, Samsung (which has topped the 8K category for us before) put a ton of processing power into the QN900C for just that purpose. 

I hooked up my PS5 to the review unit and played a Blu-ray of Venom: Let There Be Carnage to see how the panel would hold up to a lot of fast motion, high contrast, and fine detail moving around the screen. That action can play havoc on a picture in its native resolution, but the Samsung handled it with aplomb, even while upscaling. The colors are bright, the action was smooth, and I didn’t notice an appreciable downgrade in the image when standing a few feet away. 

This is an expensive, high-end TV, so it comes with the bells and whistles you’d expect. It offers four HDMI 2.1 ports (essential for 8K content) and the Samsung One Connect box to house all connections. 

I would typically always use external audio gear with a TV like this (like one of our top soundbars, including the Samsung HW-Q990B), but I was pleasantly surprised by the built-in speaker system. It creates a fairly powerful sound stage with noticeable surround effects from the Dolby Atmos tech inside. 

That sound performance is especially impressive, considering how thin and sleek the panel is. I’m used to skinny TVs by now, but this nearly bezel-free design is really striking when you first see it. 

Do you absolutely need to step up to this 8K model yet? No, but if you have the means, it will look great for years to come.

Best outdoor: Samsung The Terrace Partial Sun Outdoor QLED 4K Smart TV

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Any TV can look good in a darkened room, but this one looks excellent outside on your patio in the elements and sunshine.

Specs

  • Sizes: 55”, 65”, and 75”
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • HDMI ports: 3

Pros

  • It can stand up to the elements
  • Bright enough to be seen even with outdoor light
  • 4K resolution is an upgrade for outdoor TVs
  • Tap-to-mirror content from your phone
  • Quantum dots provide excellent brightness and color

Cons

  • Expensive
  • The version meant for full-sun exposure costs $10,000

Most TVs aren’t meant to exist outside, even in a covered area. Moisture and dust can quickly cause all kinds of problems. And even indirect sunlight can cause enough glare to make the picture nearly impossible to see. The Terrace TV remedies those issues because it’s built for the outdoors. 

The Terrace boasts an IP55 (Ingress Protection) rating, which means it’s rugged enough to survive moisture, dust, and even some of the light impacts that may come with typical outdoor wear and tear. Because it’s hard to keep a streaming box or gaming console outside, the Terrace allows users to tap their phones on the screen to start mirroring the content they’re watching. That’s in addition to the smart TV tech already built into the TV itself. 

Despite its ruggedness, the Terrace also provides solid picture performance. It maxes out at 2,000 nits of brightness. To put that into perspective, the iPhone 14 typically runs at 800 nits with a 1,200-nit maximum. The Terrace isn’t always turned up to max, however. Samsung’s dynamic brightness automatically adjusts the picture to match your surroundings. Combined with the impressively effective anti-reflective coating, this TV looks surprisingly great for an outdoor display. 

Note, though, that it’s not meant to be fully exposed to the sun all day. Samsung does make a version that can stand up to full-sun punishment, but it’ll cost you a cool $10,000.

Best for interior design: Samsung The Frame QLED HDR Smart TV

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This 32-inch TV offers a truly impressive anti-reflective coating, tons of design options, and access to a library of art to display when you’re not streaming content.

Specs

  • Sizes: 32”
  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • HDMI ports: 2

Pros

  • Unmatched anti-reflective coating
  • Ports live on a connected box
  • Frame options make it actually look like art
  • Art library lets you change up the look of your space

Cons

  • It’s not meant to be a main TV
  • Only two HDMI ports
  • 1080p resolution is low for content, but good for art

Samsung’s latest Frame-series TV looks even more like a piece of art than ever before. This 32-inch TV isn’t massive, and it doesn’t offer a cutting-edge 4K or 8K resolution. However, it offers a very vibrant picture and one of the most impressive anti-glare screens I have ever seen. The matte surface refuses to show glare or let ambient light ruin its contrast. 

You only get two HDMI ports and 1080p resolution, but at 32 inches, that’s also not a huge deal breaker. This is a relatively small TV by modern standards, so the relative lack of pixels shouldn’t be too huge a deal. 

When you’re not streaming content, the TV can display a wide variety of art from your collection or the Samsung online store. The TV frame looks, well, like an actual frame and grants users tons of aesthetic options for blending it into any decor. 

Best budget: Samsung AU8000 Crystal UHD Smart TV

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Samsung’s consumer-level TV gets you a ton of display for less money if you don’t need immaculate quality. The 85-inch regularly dips below $1,400 before special discounts.

Specs

  • Sizes: 55”, 65”, and 85”
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • HDMI ports: 3

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Solid picture for the price
  • Maxes out at a huge 85 inches
  • Still includes useful features like Filmmaker Mode for accurate color

Cons

  • Picture quality can’t stand up to upgraded models
  • Only three HDMI ports

If you’ve been to a big box electronics store (or Sam’s Club) in the past year or two, you’ve probably seen this TV on display already. This is Samsung’s base-level TV offering that doesn’t include Quantum Dot tech but rather relies on a more typical backlight system. 

There are some advantages to buying a TV at this level. The 85-inch version regularly goes on sale for around $1,300. Because it’s a Samsung smart TV, that also gets you native streaming capabilities. That’s a ton of TV for a very reasonable price. 

There are some trade-offs, however. It offers a relatively low refresh rate and only comes equipped with three HDMI ports. If you’re just buying this TV to stream movies and TV shows, that should never really even come into play. But, if you’re looking for a killer gaming TV or silky smooth sports action, there are better (but more expensive) options out there. 

Even as a base model, the AU8000 offers solid picture performance, especially with a little tweaking. They tend to come out of the box too bright and aggressively sharpened. With a little tweaking, it’s possible to get very solid performance.

Things to consider when shopping for the best Samsung TVs

You can take our word for the specific models we recommend, or you can go out into the aisles yourselves. Here are some things to look for so you get the TV that’s right for you:

Backlight type

This is the most complicated part of the Samsung puzzle. In fact, it’s one of the trickiest parts of picking a TV in general right now. Here are Samsung’s backlight technologies unpacked: 

LED: Light-emitting diodes are the stock way to illuminate a TV, and this is what you’ll find in Samsung’s most affordable TVs in the Crystal UHD series. LEDs behind the display shine through an LCD panel with colored filters to create an image. It’s a familiar tech that works well but can have issues of light showing up where it shouldn’t and harming contrast ratios. 

QLED: Samsung took typical LED backlighting and added Quantum Dots into the equation. Quantum Dots emit light when current is applied, which makes QLED TVs some of the brightest and most vibrant around. QLEDs have represented the meatiest part of Samsung’s lineup for years now.

Neo QLED: Mini LEDs offer these higher-end displays more control over the parts of the screen that get illumination. These panels have more granular control over their backlighting, which leads to more contrast and less blooming and light leaks. While these are more expensive than the typical QLEDs, they offer a noticeable uptick in overall performance. 

OLED: This stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode, and it means each pixel in the display provides its own light. This enables unmatched contrast thanks to the fact that pixels can turn completely off when not needed. There’s no chance a backlight will leak through the panel and cause blooming or other unwanted effects. Samsung’s flagship OLED is actually a QD-OLED, which merges Quantum Dots with OLED to address OLED’s typical lack of brightness. Samsung has a traditional OLED with a more affordable price coming down the line in 2023, but we haven’t had a chance to see it or get official pricing yet.

Resolution

Currently, 8K TVs have almost no native content to take advantage of all those pixels. That makes 4K the default TV resolution at this time. If you want to step up to 8K, you’re going to pay a lot of money, and it’s going to be quite a while before you have native content to watch on it. Even then, the streaming services likely won’t hit 8K for quite some time. We recommend going 4K and playing it safe unless you really want to show off. And even then, it will only impress nerds like us. We appreciate the gesture but save yourself some cash. 

Refresh rate

Your TV must refresh its on-screen image many times per second to fool your eyes into thinking they see continuous motion. The more times the screen refreshes, the smoother the motion looks … to a point. Most Samsung TVs we recommend max out at 120Hz, which means the on-screen image refreshes up to 120 times. That fast refresh rate is great for things like current-gen console gaming and sometimes watching sports. Some more basic TVs top out at 60Hz, which will actually be just fine if you’re mostly planning to watch movies or streaming content. 

Connectivity

Samsung smart TVs run on the company’s relatively robust Tizen smart TV platform, so you may not need to plug many devices into your TV. But we still recommend getting as many HDMI ports as you can manage. Most TVs on the list have four. That may sound like a lot, but you’ll likely hook a soundbar up to one, a gaming system up to another, and perhaps a streaming box. They can fill up quickly. 

FAQs

Q: Is QLED better than OLED?

The answer to whether QLED or OLED is better depends on your needs. QLED typically offers a brighter picture that’s easier to see in a room with a lot of ambient light. QLEDs are also almost always cheaper than OLEDs. Typical OLEDs, on the other hand, offer exceptional contrast and color but can’t match QLED’s brightness. Samsung’s S95C, however, integrates Quantum Dots to jack up the brightness of its flagship OLED without compromising on the color. That’s why it landed the top spot on this list.

Q: What size Samsung TV is best for my room?

There used to be complicated charts about how far you’d ideally want to sit from your TV to make the picture look its best. With 4K screens, however, the pixel density is so high that you can sit abnormally close to a huge screen without things getting, well, pixely. We recommend going big, but not so big that it’s impractical for your space. You want to VESA mount your TV, so your eyes fall basically right at the center line of the screen. That might be tricky if you’re trying to put an 85-inch TV where a 65-inch would be much more reasonable. Big TVs are awesome. 

Q: What’s the newest Samsung TV?

Samsung’s upcoming S90C OLED TV promises true OLED performance at a more affordable price. It’s coming this year, but we don’t have official release dates or pricing yet. We’re looking forward to finding out, though. 

Final thoughts on the best Samsung TVs

If you want a TV, there’s something in the Samsung lineup that fits your needs. Whether you want to ball out on a high-end flagship OLED or just get something big and cheap for watching movies, the lineup has all of it. The best Samsung TV, however, is the one that fits your space, budget, and viewing habits.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best Samsung TVs for 2023, as chosen by experts appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best soundbars under $500 for 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-soundbars-under-500/ Wed, 23 Mar 2022 14:00:58 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=432265
The best soundbars under $500 add more punch than their pricetags suggest.
Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

Raise the bar not the budget and replace your TV’s lousy speakers with the best mid-tier soundbars.

The post The best soundbars under $500 for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best soundbars under $500 add more punch than their pricetags suggest.
Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is the best overall soundbar under $500. Sonos Beam (Gen. 2)
SEE IT

Elegant design and beautiful sound within a compact network-connected soundbar.

Best with surround sound Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars Vizio M Series M512a-H6
SEE IT

When you’ve got the extra space, but don’t want to spend the extra money, you won’t find a better value than this soundbar, subwoofer, rear speakers package.

Best budget Roku Streambar Pro Roku Streambar Pro
SEE IT

Roku’s soundbar offers great sound for its price and doubles as a 4K media streamer.

Every year TVs find a way to look better but sound worse, which is why you should upgrade to a soundbar. Soundbars can definitely get expensive, but there are plenty of soundbars that will still fill up a room with loud, well-defined sound for a more down-to-earth investment. Many of them also provide Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi connectivity for wireless streaming, as well as voice control from digital assistants. This guide shows you the best soundbars under $500, so you can get everything you want in one modestly priced package.

How we chose the best soundbars under $500

I have covered and reviewed audio products—both in the pro audio and home audio realms—on and off for most of the 21st century for outlets including Mix, Maximum Tech, DJ Tech Tools, Bob Vila, and some defunct publications printed on paper called magazines. PopSci editors and I chose these soundbars based on their appropriateness for different needs, first-hand experience when available, the value they present, and their consensus reputations based on expert reviews. While a stickler may insist that a soundbar is just the oblong thing that sits under a TV, the fact is that many soundbars on the market also come with subwoofers and sometimes satellite speakers for surround sound. For variety’s sake, we chose picks in several configurations, from single bars to a more expanded setup. However, all of these choices rely on the performance of the main soundbar, which is several speakers integrated into one unit to accompany and enhance a TV, improving the legibility and enjoyment of your content.

The best soundbars under $500: Reviews & Recommendations

The best QLEDs or the best OLEDs, all still seem to have one thing in common: internal speakers that may not exactly be garbage but that don’t reach far past the lower limits of mediocrity. Permit yourself a bit of excitement because no matter which of the best soundbars under $500 you choose, it will bestow you with a marked improvement over your TV’s built-in speaker audio while perhaps also adding a wireless music streaming solution to your media room. Sure, you could shell out thousands of dollars on a massive wireless surround sound system. But you don’t have to. Just figure out how many audio channels you want, how much wireless/wired connectivity you prefer, and whether you need an additional subwoofer or rear speakers. Then you’ll be ready to pick from these selections and immediately enhance your TV viewing. 

Best overall: Sonos Beam (Gen. 2)

Sonos

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With its updated design and virtual Dolby Atmos sound, the Sonos Beam (Gen. 2) keeps the versatile features, sparkly sound, and expandability that made the first version a hit. 

Specs

  • 25.6 (W) x 2.7 (H) x 3.9 (D) inches
  • 6.35 pounds (2.88 kg)
  • 5.0 channels with 1 tweeter and 4 woofers
  • Frequency response: apprx. 49Hz-19kHz
  • Built-in Wi-Fi and HDMI eARC
  • Compatible with Dolby Atmos, Apple AirPlay 2, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

Pros

  • Good sound and spacious audio imaging for its compact size
  • Smart speaker features and Wi-Fi streaming
  • Pleasant minimalist design

Cons 

  • No Bluetooth
  • Limited connectivity of 1 HDMI and 1 Ethernet port

If you love the look and features of the Sonos Arc but have a smaller space or budget, the Sonos Beam (Gen. 2) is the right choice. The soundbar is effectively a smaller, less expensive version of the Arc with many of the same features.

Sonos outfitted the updated Beam with four midrange woofers, one tweeter, and three passive radiators to ensure the quality of its midrange, treble, and bass performance, respectively. It doesn’t produce as much sound as larger soundbars—including the Arc, an outstanding Dolby Atmos soundbar that we’ve also tested—but does well for its size. The audio quality of the Beam (Gen. 2) isn’t an issue, but you won’t get quite the same level of stereo separation and oomph at high volumes. These nitpicks have more to do with the laws of physics than a design error on the part of Sonos, though, and the Beam (Gen. 2) shines when you start watching TV shows and movies.

We heard an impressive amount of detail during our tests, with clear separation between dialogue and background sounds. When watching Groundhog Day, scenes in the diner stood out in particular. We could hear the protagonists speaking, but the ambiance of the room they were in—people speaking at other tables, the clinking sounds of silverware hitting plates, staff puttering around—were also present and audible. The difference in audio quality between the Sonos Beam (Gen. 2) and our TV’s built-in speakers was similar to the delta between HD and 4K video. The former is passable, but the latter is a lot richer.

Much of the Beam (Gen. 2)’s audio quality comes down to custom-designed hardware combined with unique tuning. No soundbar sounds quite like this one because Sonos went out of its way to control every part of its design—inside and out. This advantage makes the Beam (Gen. 2) easy to recommend. We liked how this soundbar sounded out of the box, but you can adjust its EQ through the Sonos app. We don’t think this is necessary but do recommend turning on TruePlay when you’re setting the Beam (Gen. 2) up. This proprietary feature allows the soundbar to analyze the room it’s in, and where it’s placed inside said room, to adjust its sound accordingly. The difference will seem subtle, but it’s worth taking two minutes to optimize this soundbar.

A lot of hay is made over premium soundbars that can decode and playback mixed using Dolby Atmos (a new surround sound standard), and the Sonos Beam (Gen. 2) is no different. Sonos positioned two of the soundbar’s drivers outward, so sound will bounce off the sides of your room and hit you from multiple angles. Let us be clear: This is a neat trick, but it doesn’t replace or replicate the experience of listening to music or watching movies in true surround sound, with speakers placed all around the room. Luckily, Sonos allows you to pair the Beam (Gen. 2) wirelessly with additional speakers and a subwoofer to achieve the surround sound effect.

The Beam (Gen. 2) shines when it’s part of a multi-speaker surround sound system, and while building one costs a lot of money, you can break up the cost over time. Our advice is to start with a subwoofer to help fill out the soundbar’s bass performance (a big, dedicated speaker makes the biggest difference on the low end and opens up the smaller speaker’s headroom for clearer dialogue and effects). Then add more speakers as time progresses.

We can’t find much fault in the Sonos Beam (Gen. 2’s) sound, but its connectivity options are pretty barebones. You can only connect it to your TV with an HDMI cable—sorry if you prefer using an optical cord or your TV’s ports are all filled up. There’s an Ethernet port if you’d like to connect it to your network with a cable, but Wi-Fi worked just fine for us. Sonos made up for this by building the Beam (Gen. 2) with support for Bluetooth and AirPlay 2, which makes it easy to use the soundbar as a speaker for music listening. Additionally, you can use the soundbar’s microphone to control it with Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant.

If you’re space constrained or already have a couple of Sonos speakers that can be repurposed for home theater purposes, the Beam (Gen. 2) is the right choice. Its audio performance is rock solid, it’s aesthetically pleasing, and the ability to augment it with other Sonos gear is welcome—if expensive.

Best with Dolby Atmos: JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam

JBL

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: It’s a tough ask for a single compact soundbar under $500 to be the audio centerpiece of home theater surround sound, but the Bar 5.0 MultiBeam makes a valiant effort. 

Specs 

  • 28 (W) x 2.3 (H) x 4 (D) inches
  • 6.17 pounds (2.8 kg)
  • 5.0 channels with dedicated center channel and side-firing channels
  • Frequency response: 50Hz-20kHz
  • Built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, and 4K HDMI eARC
  • Compatible with Dolby Atmos, Apple AirPlay & Siri, Google Chromecast & Assistant, Alexa Multi-Room-Music & voice control

Pros

  • JBL MultiBeam and room-correction technology to enhance surround sound
  • HDMI ARC/eARC out, plus 4K passthrough HDMI input and USB input
  • Solid build quality with metal grilles

Cons 

  • Virtual surround-sound processing is just that
  • Not so authoritative with the lowest bass frequencies 

When you have a small space but want to supplement your TV speakers with a compact soundbar to play Dolby Atmos material, your options aren’t vast. Compact soundbars at that price don’t often have top-firing speakers that make the 3D height-oriented Atmos effects special. Still, some utilize Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization, a technology that simulates the Atmos 3D effects from a speaker system without up-firing or overhead speakers. Like the Sonos Beam (Gen. 2) above, the JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam soundbar uses virtual Dolby Atmos processing to create the illusion of Atmos effects from its L/R stereo and side-firing speakers. 

We chose the Bar 5.0 MultiBeam as the best Dolby Atmos soundbar under $500 because it does a similarly decent job with Atmos material as the Beam (Gen. 2). However, the Bar 5.0 MultiBeam has extra connectivity in the form of Bluetooth 4.2, a 4K HDMI input, and USB input. That makes the JBL soundbar a more diverse centerpiece for a home theater at a price even more affordable than the Beam (Gen. 2).

The Bar 5.0 Multibeam also has an excellent dedicated center-channel driver, which makes the dialogue in movies and vocal in music more distinguished. It also can get very loud (over 90 dB) while still retaining all the qualities of its punchy sound. 

Best with surround sound: Vizio M Series M512a-H6

Vizio

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Simply put, this soundbar with subwoofer and rear surround speakers offers the most complete home theater audio setup of a level of quality under $500. 

Specs 

  • 40 (W) x 2.68 (H) x 4.07 (D) inches (soundbar)
  • 8.47 pounds (3.8 kg) (soundbar)
  • 5.1.2 channels with 11 total speakers, including subwoofer, two satellite speakers, and two up-firing speakers
  • Frequency response: 45Hz-20kHz
  • Built-in Bluetooth 5.0 and 4K HDMI eARC
  • Compatible with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Siri/Google Assistant/Alexa voice control 

Pros

  • World-class value for the price
  • Up-firing drivers for surround standards like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
  • Transparent sound for intelligible vocals in music and shows

Cons 

  • No Wi-Fi streaming
  • No room correction or graphic EQ; light on sound enhancement settings
  • Rear surround speakers are wired to the subwoofer

A single soundbar can blow the doors off the sound of your TV’s built-in speakers. However, you don’t really get very low bass rumble or truly immersive surround sound from a single soundbar—especially under $500. So when you have a package like the Vizio M Series M512a-H6—including a soundbar with top-firing speakers, a wireless 6-inch subwoofer, and rear satellite speakers for just under the $500 mark—it’s a legitimate cause for excitement. The top-firing drivers in the soundbar make the object-oriented overhead effects from Dolby Atmos or DTS:X material more immersive, and the rear speakers provide the depth to your soundstage that true surround sound needs.

Naturally, there are a few limitations at this price level. For one thing, the rear surround speakers are not wireless like they are in most higher-priced systems; rather, you have to connect them with speaker wire to the subwoofer, which can make it more challenging to position them well in your space. You also don’t get Wi-Fi streaming or built-in support for smart assistants. However, the M512a-H6 does have Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless streaming, and you can set it up for voice control via the major voice assistants. 

More importantly, the M512a-H6 provides a full-spectrum, immersive sound with deep bass, top-firing and rear channels, and a transparent sound that complements a range of sources from music to visual entertainment well—and all for under $500.

Best 5.1: Samsung HW-Q60T/ZA

SAMSUNG

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With good spacing and interaction between its internal speakers and wireless subwoofer, the HW-Q60T makes a great 5.1 companion to TV viewing and is expandable with rear surround speakers. 

Specs 

  • 38.6 (W) x 2.3 (H) x 4.1 (D) inches (soundbar)
  • 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg) (soundbar)
  • 5.1 channels with nine total speakers and wireless subwoofer
  • Frequency response: 42Hz-20kHz
  • Built-in Bluetooth and 4K HDMI ARC
  • Compatible with DTS Virtual:X 

Pros

  • Admirable overall sound profile for this price
  • Many sound enhancement presets and graphic EQ
  • Q Symphony technology matches sound to a (Samsung) TV’s picture

Cons 

  • No Wi-Fi/Chromecast/AirPlay
  • No voice control through Alexa/Siri/Google Assistant
  • Some functionality only for Samsung QLED TVs

You don’t have to own a Samsung QLED TV to enjoy the solid overall performance of the HW-Q60T/ZA 5.1 soundbar with wireless subwoofer, but you’ll be treated to a little something extra if you do. With compatible Samsung TVs, the Q Symphony feature syncs the TV picture with the soundbar, which has Samsung’s Acoustic Beam up-firing sound ports on top to make sounds appear to match the location they appear on the screen. The soundbar doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, but the Acoustic Beam ports also help with DTS Virtual:X 3D immersive sound and other sound modes like the soundbar’s Game Pro mode for enhancing the directionality of console game audio. If you’d like to expand the HW-Q60T/ZA’s soundstage, it’s compatible with various Samsung wireless surround kit, which will add two rear surround sound speakers to your setup. 

Best 3.1: LG SN6Y

Why it made the cut: When you want to trade virtual surround-sound channels for a heavy dose of audio power, the LG SN6Y has what you need, along with the option to expand to 5.1 true surround sound. 

Specs 

  • 41.7 (W) x 2.2 (H) x 3.4 (D) inches (soundbar)
  • 7.6 pounds (3.4 kg) (soundbar)
  • 3.1 channels with left/center/right channels and wireless subwoofer
  • Frequency response: 48Hz-20kHz
  • Built-in Bluetooth 4.0 and HDMI ARC
  • Compatible with DTS Virtual:X 

Pros

  • Supports hi-res audio up to 24-bit/96kHz
  • 420W total power
  • Excellent performance from center channel for clear dialog/vocals

Cons 

  • No Wi-Fi/Chromecast/AirPlay
  • No voice control through Alexa/Siri/Google Assistant
  • No 4K video passthrough

While 5.0/5.1 soundbars have side speakers that mimic surround sound rear speakers, those are virtual surround effects that only do a passable job with surround sound. With a 3.1 soundbar like the LG SN6Y, you start with the three most important audio channels: left, right, and center—the channel most important for helping to get clear dialog when you’re watching something. And while this soundbar has internal processing for trying to mimic surround sound effects and supports DTS Virtual:X, those are gestures more than real surround-sound solutions. Instead, you could build on this impressive foundation by purchasing the LG SPK8-S wireless rear satellite speakers separately, and the total price would add up to just a bit over the $500 mark.    

At this price level, the SN6Y is loaded with power—420W total—and gets quite loud for blasting music and action movies: over 92 dB max volume. Its bass is quite heavy, but the frequency response is not low enough to rattle your walls. You can, however, adjust the levels of the subwoofer and the center channel, and LG’s AI Sound Pro automatically adjusts sound levels for the system based on what’s playing.

Best with subwoofer: Yamaha YAS-209

Yamaha Audio

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: A straightforward stereo soundbar with a subwoofer can still have a place in a modern home entertainment room when it sounds this good and has the technological bell and whistles. 

Specs 

  • 36.63 (W) x 2.5 (H) x 4.25 (D) inches (soundbar)
  • 6 pounds (2.7 kg) (soundbar)
  • 2.1 channels with left/right speakers and wireless subwoofer
  • Frequency response: 35Hz-20kHz
  • Built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, Amazon Alexa, and 4K HDMI ARC
  • Compatible with DTS Virtual: X 3D
  • 200W total power

Pros

  • Remarkable overall sound and low-frequency bass response for the price
  • Product Dimensions
  • Amazon Alexa integrated

Cons 

  • No display screen
  • Doesn’t work with Yamaha’s MusicCast surround speakers

The YAS-209 soundbar with subwoofer may be only a 2.1-channel (stereo) system, but it doesn’t skimp on many extra features for a soundbar under $500. It allows Bluetooth and Wi-Fi streaming, an HDMI input with 4K passthrough, HDMI ARC output, and a better-than-nothing virtual surround sound mode. Its built-in Amazon Alexa integration lets you control the soundbar with your voice and includes standard Alexa operation, like asking it questions, setting timers, controlling smart home devices, etc. And you can also combine other Alexa-enabled speakers to build a multi-room audio system. 

Perhaps more importantly, the YAS-209 also sounds very good for this price range. It has a lower-than-average frequency response for deep, contoured bass, very good detail in the high range, and a crisp overall sound that doesn’t suffer when you turn it up. While a center channel might help distinguish vocals and dialog within complex sound mixes, the Clear Voice setting goes a long way to make up for it.

Best budget: Roku Streambar Pro

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

SEE IT

Specs 

  • 32.2 (W) x 2.8 (H) x 3.9 (D) inches (soundbar)
  • 5.5 pounds (3.4 kg) (soundbar)
  • 3.1 channels with left/center/right channels and wireless subwoofer
  • Frequency response: 40Hz-200Hz
  • Built-in Bluetooth 5.0, AirPlay 2, and HDMI ARC
  • Virtual Surround Sound 

Pros

  • Doubles as a 4K media streamer
  • Can be upgraded with additional Roku speakers for true surround sound
  • Excellent audio performance and smart streaming capabilities
  • Support for AirPlay 2, in addition to Bluetooth
  • Works with Amazon’s Alexa and can be managed in Google Home

Cons 

  • Best for users who like Roku’s platform

Roku’s Streambar Pro has no right to work as well as it does for its $179 price. The mid-sized soundbar has four 2.5-inch drivers, which approximate the performance of a left, right, and center-channel home theater setup. In our tests, dialogue sounded surprisingly clear, and the Streambar Pro’s bass performance was strong enough to handle loud sounds (think explosions in action movies) without distorting. Don’t get us wrong, you’ll still get better bass performance out of a soundbar system that comes with a dedicated subwoofer—more on that later—but we never found the Streambar Pro’s sound lacking.

Roku says the Streambar Pro supports virtual surround sound, but there’s only so much they could accomplish with four forward-facing drivers. Don’t get this soundbar hoping it’ll recreate the experience of a 5.1 surround sound system in a compact form, or you’ll be disappointed. That said, other technologies supported by Streambar Pro make using it a lot better. Bluetooth and AirPlay 2 allow you to stream audio—and video in the case of AirPlay 2-compatible devices—directly to the Streambar Pro. If your smart home is built around Amazon or Google’s ecosystem, you’ll appreciate the ability to control this soundbar using Alexa or Google Assistant. It doesn’t support Siri control, but Apple reserves that functionality for its own hardware.

The Streambar Pro can only be connected to a TV with an HDMI cable, which is the default option for soundbars these days, but worth noting in case you’ve used up all your ports. If you were hoping to connect using an optical audio cable, you’re out of luck. Next to the HDMI port, you’ll find an Ethernet jack and USB-A port, which come in handy because this soundbar’s marquee feature: acting as a media streamer for your TV. Yes, this soundbar has a full-powered 4K Roku streamer inside. We’re typically skeptical of gadgets that try to accomplish two completely separate tasks, but we can’t help but be impressed at how well Roku pulled this off.

Once you connect the soundbar to your TV, you’ll be walked through the standard Roku setup process: creating or signing into an active Roku account, logging into your home network, and picking your streaming apps of choice. From there, you can use Streambar Pro to access content from almost every major video and audio streaming platform. We’ve used Roku’s standalone media streamers before and found the Streambar Pro to be every bit as performant and easy to use. Roku bundles the Streambar Pro with the same remote as many of its media streamers, so if you’re familiar with its other tech, you’ll feel right at home.

The decision to build a media streamer into its soundbar was shrewd. Roku is counting on the fact that one of your TV’s HDMI ports is being used by a similar device, which you can replace with its own hardware. If you’ve been relying on the streaming apps built into your TV’s operating system, Streambar Pro will upgrade both audio quality and overall usability. Roku’s operating system and remote are the easiest to use in our experience, so in this case, double dipping works.

We mentioned the Streambar Pro’s serviceable bass and so-so surround sound performance earlier, and while neither is a dealbreaker, Roku does offer ways to improve these downsides. This soundbar can be augmented with a subwoofer and up to four speakers to create a true 5.1 surround sound system. The additional speakers and subwoofer connect to the soundbar wirelessly, which is wonderful. The subwoofer adds just the right amount of bass while placing additional speakers all around the room is more immersive than using any soundbar on its own. Roku sells a full surround sound system for $658, but you can pick up these pieces individually over time if you’d prefer.

The Streambar Pro offers the right mix of audio quality, modularity, and additional features that make it the ideal choice for anyone who wants to upgrade from the speakers built into their TV. Whether you want to start building a home theater or make it easier to find and watch TV shows and movies on your new set, you’ll find what you’re looking for here.

Things to consider when looking at the best soundbars under $500 

The No. 1 reason to buy a soundbar is to bask in the improved audio quality. But that improvement requires space immediately in front of your TV, so you need to make sure you have room on or above some piece of furniture. The soundbars on this under $500 list aren’t giant like some of the high-ticket soundbars (the amazing but substantial Sennheiser AMBEO, we’re looking at you), but they do vary in size, so it doesn’t hurt to double-check that you have enough space for one. Of course, there are other things to consider as well. 

Audio channels

Some people may look at a group of blocky soundbars and assume that they all have pretty much the same stuff going on inside. But that’s not the case. All soundbars house multiple speakers inside one unit, but their channel configuration varies greatly. There are 2-channel stereo soundbars; 3-channel options that add a center channel for clarifying vocals and dialog; 5-channel soundbars that are better equipped for recreating surround sound; and even larger speaker arrays that add more surround sound channels. Suppose a soundbar states a 7.1.2-channel configuration, for example. In that case, the “7” is the number of standard speaker channels, the “1” indicates a subwoofer, and the “2” is the number of top-firing speakers for producing next-generation surround-sound standards like Dolby Atmos. But you won’t find many under $500, so if that appeals to you, check out something premium like the Sony HT-A7000.

Add-on speakers

If you only want to devote enough space for a single soundbar, there are plenty of standalone options out there for you. However, many soundbars also come with subwoofers for adding some stomach-shaking bass rumble that you won’t get from a soundbar alone. Subwoofers are great, but they are bulky and have to be plugged in. Also, some soundbars either come with additional rear satellite speakers for making surround sound more realistic or can be expanded with compatible rear speakers sold separately. The satellite speakers also need to plug into an outlet and sometimes need to connect with a speaker wire. Additional speakers add to the experience but also usually add to the cost, so think about whether you want just a soundbar or a more complete setup. 

Connectivity

Because soundbars are made to supplement your TV’s audio, all today’s models have an HDMI port to transmit the TV’s sound (some with the HDMI 2.1 standard most desirable to today’s gamer). But from there, the level of connectivity, both wired and wireless, varies greatly. Some have additional HDMI inputs, while others don’t. Some have 4K passthrough HDMI eARC for the most modern TVs, but others do not. On a particular soundbar, you may or may not find analog and digital audio connections, USB drive ports, Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi for wireless streaming, and even integration with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant. If any or all of the above are important to you, plan accordingly while soundbar shopping. 

FAQs

Q: What is the difference between a 2.1 and a 5.1 soundbar?

The difference between a 2.1 soundbar and a 5.1 soundbar is that the 5.1 soundbar has three extra channels of audio inside the housing of the soundbar. A 2.1 soundbar has only left and right channels, making it stereo sound. It may be a fantastic stereo system, but it’s not made to play surround sound audio as it was originally mixed. A 5.1 soundbar has left, right, center, left surround, and right surround channels inside. It still won’t reproduce surround sound audio as fully intended because, for that, you need separate speakers physically behind you for at least two of those audio channels. But, with a 5.1 soundbar, there are more speaker channels to send elements of the audio mix, and along with special processing to create virtual surround, they do a decent job of recreating surround sound from a single soundbar. Finally, as the “.1” indicates, both 2.1 and 5.1 soundbars come with a subwoofer. 

Q: What does 7.1-channel soundbar mean?

A 7.1 soundbar means it has two additional audio channels for helping to reproduce surround sound than a 5.1-channel soundbar. The 7.1-channel configuration in home theater systems with discrete speakers for each channel adds two side speakers, making the channel configuration: left, right, center, L/R rear, and L/R center. With a 7.1-channel soundbar, those extra two channels may be additional speakers inside the casing of the soundbar, or they may be separate rear speakers that go along with the soundbar and subwoofer. For a good 7.1-channel soundbar under $500 that includes a subwoofer and two rear satellite speakers, the Samsung HW-Q65T is a great option. 

Q: What size soundbar do I need for a 55-inch TV?

While a little overhang may add a slight perception that action isn’t perfectly synced up to sound on screen, the size of a soundbar compared to your TV size does not really matter unless you want to make sure the soundbar is not as wide as the TV and/or that the soundbar’s height and width will fit inside your TV’s stand legs and under the TV’s frame. The size of a soundbar may reflect the number of speaker drivers inside it and/or the amount of power it has to put out loud volumes. However, the soundbar will perform the same regardless of how big your TV is. If you want to ensure the soundbar is less wide than the TV, the best 55-inch TVs today are 48-51 inches wide (55 inches is the screen’s diagonal measurement). All the soundbars in this roundup, for example, are less wide than that. To ensure the soundbar fits between a TV’s stand legs and under the TV’s frame, you’ll have to find those measurements and compare them to individual soundbars. 

Q: How much should a soundbar cost?

This depends on its size and features, but you shouldn’t have to send more than $180 to get a good-sounding soundbar.

Q: What are the best soundbar brands?

All the companies in this guide make great soundbars, but we have dedicated guides to models from LG and Bose because they have so many options at various price points.

Final thoughts on the best soundbars under $500

Oftentimes with technology, the quality and sheer quantity of what you get increases while the price stays the same. But that’s not always the case, as price fluctuations in today’s market pop up with increasing regularity. Even while writing this guide, I saw price increases that eliminated certain soundbars from consideration. Fortunately for now, however, $500 or less is still enough to buy you some elegant standalone soundbars with many high-tech extras, a boomin’ system with a soundbar and a subwoofer, or even a full Atmos-compatible package with soundbar, subwoofer, and satellite speakers. I’m not one to advocate for conspicuous consumption. Choose prudently for features you want and will actually use, but if you’re considering buying a soundbar for less than $500 and have the budget, you may want to act before the price jump bug bites again. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best soundbars under $500 for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best surge protectors of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/story/reviews/best-surge-protector/ Sun, 10 Oct 2021 12:00:00 +0000 https://stg.popsci.com/uncategorized/best-surge-protector/
A lineup of the best surge protectors on a white background.
Amanda Reed

Your prized electronics deserve an extra level of safeguarding from electrical spikes. Here’s how to protect your tech.

The post The best surge protectors of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
A lineup of the best surge protectors on a white background.
Amanda Reed

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Kasa Smart HS300 Plug Power Strip Kasa Smart HS300 Plug Power Strip
SEE IT

Smart connectivity makes takes this beyond protection.

Best for college dorm A black GE UltraPro 10-Outlet Surge Protector on a blue and white background GE UltraPro 10-Outlet Surge Protector
SEE IT

Tons of outlets make it super versatile.

Best heavy-duty Tripp Lite Isobar 6 Tripp Lite Isobar 6
SEE IT

A burly solution for professional users.

Finding a proper protector for your electronics ensures that they’ll remain guarded against potentially irreversible damage that comes from commonly occurring electrical spikes in building wiring and power grids. While any amount of protection is better than none, it’s important to consider what types of appliances you’ll be using to determine what type is best for your needs. For most common home appliances—like lamps—any standard surge protector should do the trick. For high-wattage appliances and critical electronic equipment like computers or stereos, however, a heavy-duty model may be more fitting. Whether you’re looking for a portable surge protector to use with your electronics while you’re on the go, or one for permanent use in a business or home, we’ve compared some of the best surge protectors currently available to help you make an informed decision.

How we chose the best surge protectors

The homes and offices of the PopSci writers and staff are loaded with gadgets, all of which require ample power to charge and operate. To find the right choice for you, we surveyed dozens of models with a mixture of online research and hands-on experience to hone in on the models that make the most sense for specific users. The entries on this list come from reputable brands that have demonstrated reliability, which is crucial when trusting pricy gear to their performance. We looked for a mixture of functionality, reliability, and design that would offer the piece of mind you’re paying for in the first place.

The best surge protectors: Reviews & Recommendations

Power surges are a normal and inconvenient part of life that frequently occur when utility companies switch electricity on and off again. Various electrical events—including lightning strikes, storms, and power cycling of large appliances like air conditioners—can also trigger them. By placing a surge protector between your electronics and the wall outlet, you can add a layer of safeguarding for your precious appliances to prevent them from getting fried. One of our choices is an invaluable accessory for your priceless setup.

Best overall: Kasa Smart HS300 Plug Power Strip

Kasa

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Smart functionality and built-in power monitoring make this the best power strip surge protector.

Specs

  • Protection: 1,710 joules
  • Outlets: 6
  • USB ports: 3

Pros

  • Smart home connectivity
  • Sleek design
  • Lots of outlets
  • Handy companion app

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Needs the app for full functionality

The Kasa HS300 is one of the best smart surge protectors on the market, offering 1,710 joules of surge protection in a sleek white finish and slim design that will be welcome in any office or home environment. It has many useful features onboard—including scheduling, remote control of devices, and power consumption monitoring—that are all accessible within the app. It’s compatible with Alexa, Google Home, and Microsoft Cortana for users who want to harness the voice control feature. And this unit also can work as a standalone product with no hub required.

The simple, familiar design makes this model easy to hide away under a desk or entertainment center. Three built-in USB ports add extra charging options, and the plug on the strip itself lays relatively flat to the wall so it won’t get smushed by your furniture and bent out of shape.

Best for college dorms: GE UltraPro 10-Outlet Surge Protector

Why it made the cut: With 10 outlets and two high-speed USB ports, this strip is a great option for a common room or other shared space. No one gets left out.

Specs

  • Protection: 3,000 joules
  • Outlets: 10
  • USB ports: 2

Pros

  • Tons of protection
  • Lots of sockets
  • Modern design

Cons

  • Bulky

The ubiquitous USB charging port is used to power everything from portable hard drives to cellphones, making it a popular outlet choice for inclusion on power strips and aftermarket wall outlets. Buying a surge protector with USB ports allows users to give their smartphones protection that traditional wall chargers and power strips don’t offer. It’s always nice to have peace of mind when charging a phone, and it ensures you won’t be stuck with a bricked device in the event of a power surge. These also eliminate the need for users to keep track of their wall chargers, which can often go missing, allowing them to plug straight into the surge protector. This is especially handy when you’re in a college dorm situation where multiple people may need access to charging capabilities, which is why it is our pick for the best surge protector for college dorms.

Users looking to charge numerous peripheral devices and enjoy the benefits of surge protection won’t have to skimp on normal three-pronged outlets with this GE UltraPro 10-Outlet Surge Protector. Its 10 grounded outlets and two USB ports offer 3,000 joules of surge protection to devices of all sorts in multiple plug orientations, making it a good option for shared spaces and desk areas with many devices to power. You can choose between 3-, 4-, and 6-foot cord lengths depending on the layout of your space. It’s the perfect model to put in a common room for shared use.

A pair of slotted holes on the back of the device makes it easy to mount to a desk or wall so that you can secure it down, and you won’t have to worry about someone walking off with it next time there’s a party or people come over.

Best heavy-duty: Tripp Lite Isobar 6

Tripp

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Its super-burly build and military-grade protection can power extremely demanding devices in challenging environments.

Specs

  • Protection: 3,330 joules
  • Outlets: 6
  • USB ports: 0

Pros

  • Super durable
  • Maximum protection
  • Meets high safety standards

Cons

  • Bulky
  • No USB

The Isobar from Tripp Lite is a convenient and robust surge protection unit from a power protection industry veteran. It features a six-foot AC power cable and six protected outlets mounted in isolated filter banks to reduce noise interaction between connected electronics. Three indicator LEDs show users the current protection status and whether there’s a problem with the electrical line. Tripp Lite also offers insurance for connected peripherals, making the Isobar one of the best heavy-duty surge protectors for workshops, garages, and industrial spaces.

The surge protection potential of consumer devices is measured in joules, a unit equivalent to one watt applied to an electrical system for one second. A surge protector with a higher joule rating can absorb more energy before failing, which translates to more robust and comprehensive surge protection for critical equipment. If you plan on protecting expensive or sensitive high-wattage electronic equipment like computers, air conditioners, stereo equipment, or power tools, opting for a heavy-duty surge protector with a joule rating of 3,000 or more is a must. That’s what makes the Isobar so appealing to commercial users.

The sturdy metal housing allows this burly surge protector to function properly in demanding environments, like workshops and studios, without potentially cracking or becoming damaged and jeopardizing your equipment in the process. As a bonus, it looks as burly as it is.

Best for TVs: APC Wall Outlet Plug Extender

APC

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Its flat form factor makes it easy to tuck behind an entertainment center or TV stand where it can keep many cords in order.

Specs

  • Protection: 1,080 joules
  • Outlets: 6
  • USB ports: 2

Pros

  • Flat profile makes it easy to hide
  • Well-spaced outlets
  • Powerful USB charging

Cons

  • Average protection levels
  • Dated design

The APC Wall Outlet Plug Extender is one of the best surge protectors for TVs—and space-saving, too. It can generously expand any standard wall outlet into six plugs and two USB ports and add 1,080 joules of surge protection while hardly adding any extra space. That makes it easy to hide behind your entertainment center. It uses your wall outlet’s existing screw hole to fit securely without the danger of coming loose as you unplug your electronics. It also features LED protection indicators to keep you apprised of its current status. At this price point, there’s no better option for super-compact and relatively high surge protection. Because you get six individual outlets, it can also run entertainment devices like streaming boxes or smart speakers. The USB ports add a nice touch if you want to charge your devices or a remote.

Best for office: Belkin Pivot Plug Surge Protector

Amanda Reed

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: More than 4,000 joules of protection and 12 outlets means you have plenty of space for chargers, a printer, your desktop, and more.

Specs

  • Protection: 4,320 joules
  • Outlets: 12
  • USB ports: 0

Pros

  • Lots of outlets
  • Built-in cord management
  • Eight-foot power cord

Cons

  • No USB outlets
  • Bulky

If you work from home, you know how important desk and outlet placement are to your productivity. And if you’re working with a full home office set-up—printer, modem, desktop monitors—outlets can quickly become scarce. This Belkin Pivot-Plug Surge Protector has a long 8-foot cord and 12 outlets to accommodate all your tech. Eight of the 12 plugs pivot, meaning your charging blocks and plugs can coexist with plenty of personal space. Although it doesn’t have any USB outlets, you probably don’t want your cellphone around while you’re trying to work on that big quarterly report. There is even phone line protection for your office phone. And 4,320 joules of protection give you peace of mind as you work during a big storm. This surge protector means business—and you’ll be able to conduct yours easier when you’re not puzzling together plugs.

Best portable: Belkin 3-Outlet USB Surge Protector

Belkin

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: When space is an issue, this pocket-sized power strip offers three outlets and two USB ports in a package the size of a candy bar.

Specs

  • Protection: 918 joules
  • Outlets: 3
  • USB ports: 2

Pros

  • Easily fits in a pocket
  • Fast-charging via USB
  • Won’t eat up a whole wall outlet

Cons

  • Only three outlets

Power strips, surge protectors, and other power distribution devices are best known for supplementing fixed workspaces and areas of the home. Still, power surges can affect your electronics anywhere and at any time. In some cases, power surges are more likely to affect your electronics while traveling than at home if you factor in the unfamiliarity of the local power grid and weather. For maximum protection of your sensitive devices wherever you go, get the best portable surge protector and enjoy the benefits of surge protection on the road.

Travelers who want extra peace of mind when using power outlets will appreciate the incredibly small form factor and 918-joule protection rating of this USB surge protector from Belkin. It comes in three variants rated for different levels of amperage depending on what peripherals you plan on plugging in. It uses a 360-degree rotating plug to maximize its compatibility with strange outlets in hotels, airports, and more. It’s flexible and simple to use, too, with two USB ports offering a combined 2.1 amps of charging power and an onboard protection status LED. It’s great on an RV or travel van because it doesn’t take up much space and won’t overdraw your vehicle’s system. Plus, if you want to take it inside a coffee shop or other spot where you may be spending some time, it’s easy to tote.

Best budget: GE 6-Outlet Surge Protector

Why it made the cut: This ultra-affordable strip is a great option when you just need basic protection, or you want to keep a spare unit on hand for emergencies.

Specs

  • Protection: 800 joules
  • Outlets: 6
  • USB ports: 0

Pros

  • Very cheap
  • Compact form factor
  • Rotating sockets

Cons

  • Limited protection
  • No USB

This six-outlet surge protector from GE packs an integrated surge protector and 800 joules of protection into a familiar body, making it one of the best cheap surge protectors for the money. Each of its outlets can be closed with a simple twist for extra safety, and wall outlet mounts on the rear allow users to mount it up and off the floor if needed. It has a three-foot power cord and standard plug and offers incredible value for the money, making it a good choice for shoppers on a budget or users looking to purchase in bulk.

The key function of a good surge protector is the preservation of your electronics, so it’s hard to compromise on price without a dip in quality. Still, by remaining aware of the joule rating of the surge protector and the wattage of the equipment you’re powering with it, you can accomplish an adequate level of protection at an affordable price point. The GE and similar models are best for stationary use in the home due to less durable casing materials and may not bear the bells and whistles of more expensive units. Still, as long as you’re not powering irreplaceable equipment or operating in a building with a known history of frequent and intense surges, they should do just fine. The GE model strikes the right balance between performance and reliability for basic jobs. You don’t always need maximum protection if you’re just trying to string some holiday lights or have a power strip on-hand for emergencies.

What to consider when buying the best surge protectors

Surge protectors are available in portable, bag-sized travel units as well as tough, metal-clad industrial forms and everywhere in between. Determining the best unit for your needs comes down to the level of protection you require according to the quality of the electric system from which you’re pulling power and the value of the equipment you’re looking to protect. Whether you’re enduring daily power spikes or just want reliable protection for some extra peace of mind, we’ve picked out a few of the top surge protectors on the market to help you give your electronics the protection they deserve.

Voice control

Voice control, smart home technology, and home automation are more commonplace and accessible than ever before. There are countless smart plug products on the market that allow users to integrate traditional appliances with a smart home system. The best smart surge protectors offer users this same convenient hands-free remote electronics control without sacrificing high-level protection from power surges in a single unit.

Most smart surge protectors offer compatibility with Alexa, Google Home, and other popular smart home systems, but many can function as standalone units. A local Wi-Fi network and a companion app are usually all it takes to get up and running, turning a smartphone into a universal remote for your electronics. Users who want to create automated lighting schedules or activate coffee makers, slow cookers, and other devices from afar will appreciate the convenience and safety that a smart surge protector provides. These may not be the most robust choice for heavy-duty applications, but they’re unparalleled for adding flexibility, protection, and voice control to commonplace household and office appliances.

USB ports

You don’t always have to find a charging brick when you want to plug in your phone or other portable devices. Some surge protectors have built-in USB connectivity, which allows you to charge extra devices without having to occupy one of the AC sockets. These can come in handy even when you might not expect it. For instance, USB ports can be handy for charging controllers if you have them on the surge protector in your home theater.

Outlet arrangement

If you’re going to be plugging in big power bricks, there’s a chance you might run into a traffic jam that prevents you from using all of your surge protector’s real estate. Try to visualize the plugs you need to accommodate and ensure there’s room for everything. Otherwise, you’ll be trying to daisy chain strips together, and that’s not good for anything.

FAQs

Q: How much does a surge protector cost?

A surge protector will cost you between $15-$80, depending on what features you’re looking for.

Q: What is Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 surge protection?

The most common form of surge protection offered by consumer products is Type 3 surge protection, which is used in parallel with consumer electronics at the load end of an outlet. Type 1 protection is a permanent installation that protects the whole electrical system from outside sources of surges, including lightning strikes and utility switching. In contrast, Type 2 protection is a permanent installation that protects from surges caused within a system, as in the case of air conditioners or other large appliances.

Q: How often should I replace my surge protector?

Surge protectors offer diminishing protection over time, but fortunately, the best surge protectors actively indicate whether your electronics are protected or not. As a rule of thumb, you can wait three to five years before replacing a surge protector, but users with frequent power issues—including lightning strikes, rolling blackouts, or brownouts—will have to replace their surge protectors more often.

Q: How many joules are in a good surge protector?

The best surge protectors can range anywhere from around 800 joules up to 4,000 joules and beyond. Determining which level of protection you need depends largely upon the value of the equipment you’re protecting as well as the known reliability of the electrical system that you’re using, but when in doubt, the more joules, the better.

Final thoughts on the best surge protectors

Surge protection doesn’t come standard in most buildings and power systems, so it’s crucial to ensure that your electronics are safeguarded from inevitable power spikes and blackouts with the best surge protector for your needs. Home users should turn to a smart surge protector for total control over their electronic ecosystem or a surge protector with USB ports for quick charging and protection of their irreplaceable devices. In contrast, commercial users who need robust protection should turn to a heavy-duty surge protector to keep their bases covered. Whether you’re powering a vacuum cleaner or a smartphone, every user of electronic equipment, big and small, should use a surge protector. Then you can rest assured that your devices are safe and sound the next time a blackout or power surge comes around.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best surge protectors of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best projectors of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/story/reviews/best-projector/ Wed, 14 Apr 2021 12:59:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/story/?p=282151
These are the best projectors available in 2023.
Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

All you need to make movie night magical is a blank wall and a projector that functions indoors and out.

The post The best projectors of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
These are the best projectors available in 2023.
Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall LG HU810PW LG HU810PW
SEE IT

Automatic image optimization, cutting-edge hardware, and solid built-in software make this the clear choice for any home theater.

Best for gamers BenQ TK700STi BenQ TK700STi
SEE IT

Support for 4K gaming, high dynamic range, and higher frame rates will appeal to any console or PC gamer.

Best portable XGIMI Halo+ XGIMI Halo+
SEE IT

Take the performance you’d expect from a home projector anywhere you go.

Projectors used to feel like the type of gadget that was only accessible to people with a lot of space, disposable income, or both—thankfully that’s no longer the case. It’s possible to get a projector at virtually any price that will work in rooms both big and small. In fact, one of our picks only needs to be about a foot or so away from your wall to make a picture far bigger than even the largest of TVs. There’s still a time and a place for those, but you should seriously consider getting one of the best projectors if you’re building out or upgrading a home theater space.

How we chose the best projectors

We canvased the entire portfolio of every major projector maker to determine the very best projectors for both general and specialized use cases. Our assessments factored in the size and lighting situation of your room, both of which play a huge part in performance. Finally, value was a big consideration—we made sure the projectors in our guide offered the most features for their cost.

The best projectors: Reviews & Recommendations

Whether you’re ditching your 4K TV for an even bigger screen, or are finally fitting out the home theater system of your dreams, our projectors will prepare you for almost every type of viewing experience.

Best overall: LG HU810PW

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay 

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Ports: 3 HDMI, 1 USB-A, 1 optical audio, 1 Ethernet
  • Screen size: 300 inches

Pros

  • High native resolution
  • Massive maximum screen size
  • Excellent port selection

Cons

  • Expensive

If money is no object, and you’re after the best possible projector for any use case, LG’s HU810PW is the one to get. The 4K projector has an ultra-bright 2700-lumen bulb, which means you’ll be able to use it in a room that has moderate light leakage (think sun seeping in through closed blinds) without a derogated picture. The projector even has dedicated bright and dark modes, which adjust the picture settings based on how much outside light is in the room. You’ll also be able to watch 4K TV shows and movies with no loss in quality, which is important if you’re a stickler for video definition.

The HU810PW supports HDR (high dynamic range), a technology that improves contrast and color quality, which makes video look more realistic. LG developed a technology called Adaptive Contrast, which takes this concept further by automatically adjusting the projector’s brightness level in real time based on the scene you’re watching.

LG’s use of forward-thinking technology extends to this projector’s software. The HU810PW runs WebOS, an operating system that allows you to natively run streaming apps without requiring you to plug in a media streamer. It also supports AirPlay 2, Miracast, and Bluetooth, so you can send media to it wirelessly from your phone. These wireless technologies are complemented by the HU810PW’s assortment of HDMI and USB ports, which make it possible to connect several gadgets to it simultaneously. Crucially, one of the HDMI ports is an eARC (Electronic Audio Return Channel) port, which allows you to route audio from connected components through an A/V receiver.

All of these luxe features will make a big difference in your viewing experience, but they also increase the HU810PW’s price. We still consider it to be a great value based on the technology inside, especially since it can produce a 300-inch image when it’s far away from a wall, but it’s absolutely an investment. Still, if you want a true movie theater-like experience at home, this is the projector to get.

Best 4K: ViewSonic X11

ViewSonic

SEE IT

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Ports: 2 HDMI, 3 USB-A, 1 Ethernet, 1 MicroSD Card slot, 1 audio input, 1 audio output, 1 optical audio output
  • Screen size: 200 inches

Pros

  • Bright bulb
  • Short throw performance
  • Harman Kardon speaker system

Cons

  • Expensive

ViewSonic’s X11 has many of the same features as our top pick but costs nearly $1,000 less. The 4K projector has a 2,400-lumen bulb, a wide assortment of ports (including an HDMI ARC port), and supports HDR. The difference? The X11 won’t make automatic adjustments based on your room or what you’re watching. Additionally, the X11 doesn’t run an operating system, which means you’ll need to connect a media streamer or game console to it if you want to watch videos. These quality-of-life features are nice to have, but not essential, so you shouldn’t have a degraded viewing experience under most circumstances.

One of the X11’s biggest selling points is its built-in audio system, designed by luxury aural brand Harman Kardon. The projector’s 16W audio system should be loud and clear enough that you won’t need to immediately connect it to an A/V receiver. If you’re planning an outdoor movie night, the speakers will be even more important as you won’t have to lug an external set in and out of your home. If you’re interested in a projector, but don’t have a lot of space, the ViewSonic X11 is an even better buy than LG’s HU810PW thanks to its short throw performance. The projector can create a 100-inch image from under six feet away. If space isn’t an issue, the X11 can show a 200-inch image.

Ultimately, the X11’s only real weakness is its price tag. You’re getting a lot for your money, but you’ll still be spending upwards of $1,500 for one component in a home theater system.

Best for gamers: BenQ TK700STi

BenQ

SEE IT

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Ports: 2 HDMI, 1 USB, 1 audio out
  • Screen size: 150 inches

Pros

  • Ultra bright bulb
  • Supports higher frame rates
  • Runs Android TV

Cons

  • Expensive

Gaming on a projector is a completely different experience compared to using a TV, and it’s hard to go back once you get used to playing on a 100-plus-inch screen. BenQ designed the TK700STi to optimize its performance for console and PC gaming, so you’ll have a good experience regardless of your preferred platform. Playing games is all about visual fidelity, which is why the TK700STi has a 4K resolution and supports HDR. Both of its HDMI ports follow the 2.0b standard, which allows you to play games at up to 120 frames per second, depending on your resolution. One of the TK700STi’s HDMI ports acts as the ARC, so you can hook it up to an A/V receiver to play in surround sound. BenQ created a dedicated game mode for this projector to minimize lag—important when playing fast-paced games like first-person shooters.

All of these technical details will appeal to gamers, but the TK700STi is an impressive projector even when the controllers are down. Its 3000-lumen bulb tackles challenging environments for viewing in all kinds of sunlight. It runs Android TV, so you can run streaming apps directly from the projector, or stream video to the TK700STi’s built-in Chromecast. These convenient features aren’t necessary, but they extend the TK700STi’s appeal to non-gamers. If you don’t have a current-generation console, but plan on getting one in the future, the TK700STi is worth the investment. We chose that word carefully because this projector costs $1,500.

That said, the TK700STi is a good all-around projector whose specific features make it a particularly good choice for gamers with cutting-edge hardware.

Best portable: XGIMI Halo+

XGIMI

SEE IT

Specs

  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Ports: 1 HDMI, 1 headphone jack, 1 USB-A
  • Screen size: 120 inches

Pros:

  • Bright bulb
  • Powerful speaker system
  • HDR support

Cons:

  • So-so battery life

Getting a portable projector used to mean making a lot of technical compromises for the sake of a wire-free experience, but XIGIMI’s Halo+ proves that’s no longer. This 1080p projector can create a 120-inch screen, supports HDR, has a built-in 10W stereo speaker system designed by Harman Kardon, and runs Android TV. It’ll run for up to two hours per charge, which is enough time to make it through the average movie or a few TV show episodes with a little time to spare.

A big part of the Halo+’s appeal is its all-in-one design. You can stream videos directly to the projector from a streaming service or your phone, and watch it without any other hardware. One of our typical complaints with portable projectors has been the quality of their built-in speaker, but that’s not the with XIGIMI’s hardware thanks to its Harman Kardon partnership. If you decide to use the Halo+ indoors, you’ll appreciate the fact that its sole HDMI port can be used as an ARC.

Our only real complaint with the Halo+ is its battery life. Yes, this is a small projector with a surprisingly bright 900-lumen bulb and a comparatively great sound system, but you’ll still have to worry about topping it up fairly regularly. Regardless, this projector’s technical features are impressive for a model you can take anywhere.

Best budget: AAXA P7 Mini

AAXA

SEE IT

Specs

  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Ports: 1 HDMI, 1 USB-A, 1 headphone jack, 1 A/V input, 1 MicroSD card slot
  • Screen size: 120 inches

Pros

  • Portability
  • Built-in speaker
  • Price

Cons:

  • Not 4K

Whether you need a projector for light gaming, office use, or casually watching videos, the AAXA’s P7 is the only projector we recommend. The ultra-portable 1080P projector can fit in a backpack, briefcase, or purse, and run on battery power for up to 90 minutes. AAXA managed to fit several inputs onto the P7 despite its small size, including one HDMI port, so you can connect most laptops or a media streamer to it without an adapter. You can also store videos on a USB thumb drive or MicroSD Card to play them directly from the projector itself. We’re also very impressed that the P7’s bulb is 600 lumens—that’s far brighter than we’d expect from a pint-sized portable projector. There’s even a built-in speaker, which will come in handy in a pinch. However, it’s not beefy enough to create robust audio like a sound bar.

There are a handful of limitations to the P7: its maximum screen size is lower than full-sized projectors, it’s only HD, it doesn’t support HDR, and it doesn’t run an operating system.

What to consider when buying the best projectors

If you love watching movies and TV shows or playing videogames, a projector will offer an immersive, cinema-like experience that’s totally engrossing. However, shopping for one isn’t as straightforward as walking right to the electronics section of your favorite bix box chain. Here’s what to know when screening the best projectors:

Light pollution and bulb brightness

The amount of light in your room will have a huge impact on the performance of your projector. If your home theater system is in a basement or a room with light-blocking curtains, a projector is a great alternative to a TV. If the room has a lot of natural light throughout the entire day, you’ll only be able to use your projector at night, limiting its appeal.

Light pollution can wash out their ability to project a picture, making it look washed out or otherwise harder to see. The brighter the projector’s bulb (measured in lumens), the less susceptible it is to light pollution. Think of it this way: All projectors will struggle in a room with a lot of light, but brighter ones will perform better in a room with moderate or dim lights. If you only plan on using your projector in totally dark environments, its luminosity won’t matter as much, but it’ll still impact the overall quality of its image.

Wall space

A projector requires a large, empty, white-painted wall to work best. If your wall is cluttered with stuff, you’re better off getting a TV unless you’re okay with installing a separate projection screen.

Resolution

This is the most tricky metric to consider when picking up a projector because of how some companies use this term. A projector’s native resolution will determine the overall quality of its image. For example, a projector with a native resolution of 1080p will be able to play back an HD video at its full quality. A projector’s maximum resolution determines the highest quality video that can be fed into it, regardless of its native resolution. If a projector has a maximum resolution of 1080p (high definition), but a native resolution of 480p (standard definition), it’ll play back your HD video at a non-HD resolution, which will look grainy or pixelated. All of our projector recommendations have a native resolution of 1080p or 4K, so you don’t have to worry about image quality.

Throw distance

A projector’s throw distance determines how big of a picture it can make based on how far it is from a wall. “Short throw” style projectors can be very close to a wall while still making a very large picture, which makes them ideal for smaller rooms. A standard projector will work best when it’s installed between eight and 10 feet away from your wall.

Maximum screen size

All of the projectors we’re recommending can create a picture that’s over 100 inches long depending on how far it is from your wall. Some models can create a picture that’s even larger without suffering any loss in quality.

Port selection

A projector’s ports determine the types of components (e.g., game console, Blu-Ray player, media streamer) you can plug into it. All of our projector recommendations have at least one HDMI port, which is the universal standard for HD A/V hardware. Some projectors also have a headphone jack or other audio out port, which allows you to connect them to external speakers for better sound.

Built-in speakers

Many of the projectors in this guide have built-in speakers, which is useful if you’re prioritizing portability over audio quality. Projector speakers used to be subpar, but many companies have partnered with speaker makers to design custom-built audio systems that produce surprisingly rich sound. That said, you’ll still want to hook your projector up to a proper home theater system if you want to experience surround sound.

Smart features

A lot of newer projectors have useful smart features, like running an operating system that allows you to access streaming apps directly from the device. A projector with a built-in operating system will leave all of its HDMI ports free for external components since you won’t need to connect a media streamer.

Portability

Most projectors are small and light enough to be taken from one place to another but require a nearby outlet for power. A battery-powered projector allows you to host outdoor movie nights without a single cable.

FAQs

Q: How much do projectors cost?

This depends on the features you prioritize, but you can get a projector for as little as $60 or as much as $2,000.

Q: What is a 4K projector?

When it comes to the best home projectors, 4K projectors have the highest image quality around. With a 4K model, you will get a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels, which translates to an image that will look sharp, vivid, and brilliantly colored. This is what you would expect to see in a movie theater, but can now have at home.

Q: Can cheaper projectors show HD quality?

It depends on the native resolution of the projector and your definition of cheap. It’s possible to get a projector with a native HD resolution for well under $500, and the price of projectors with this feature continues to fall.

Q: Are all projectors portable?

While you can pick up pretty much any projector, if you are looking for one you can conveniently bring around town then you will want one that is specifically made to be portable. Larger designs will be fairly heavy and delicate, and not something you want to be thrown in a bag. If you plan to visit family and friends, or lead presentations in various satellite offices and convention halls, etc., definitely consider the size (some mini projectors, known as pico projectors, even fit in the palm of your hand). 

Final thoughts on the best projectors

The best home projectors offer the experience of a multiplex, but at home. Whether it’s outdoor BBQs with family videos playing, gaming in-between commercials during the big game with friends in the garage, or a replacement to a TV for home entertainment use, the best projector will offer incredible image quality at a larger size than most televisions (with the benefit of being compact, portable, and easy to pack away). With so many streaming options now, it’s a great time to get a projected screen worthy of a theater.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best projectors of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Stream and save more with a $30 Amazon Fire TV 4K https://www.popsci.com/gear/fire-tv-amazon-deals/ Thu, 09 Mar 2023 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=518445
Fire TV Deals
Amazon

This discount makes the multi-use streaming stick an even better deal.

The post Stream and save more with a $30 Amazon Fire TV 4K appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Fire TV Deals
Amazon

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Amazon started its ascent into making hardware with the Kindle. Still, its Fire TV media players have shown the company to be ultra-competitive when pitted against Apple, Google, and Roku (who just started selling new TVs if you prefer all-in-one streamer screens). The performance: price ratio is tipped even further toward value because Amazon has discounted many of its Fire digital media devices by up to $20. That may not seem like much of a price cut, but Amazon’s hardware is reasonably inexpensive at its full price so even a small discount brings it firmly into impulse purchase territory.

Fire TV Stick, $29.99 (Was $49.99)

Amazon

SEE IT

The Fire TV Stick 4K is Amazon’s entry-level media streamer, and this deal marks it down to within $5 of its lowest price ever. As its name implies, the svelte steaming stick can play video at 4K, and it supports Dolby Atmos HDR for more vivid colors that match its high resolution. Surprisingly, the Fire TV Stick 4K also supports Dolby Atmos, so those with the proper HDMI eARC ports and a compatible surround sound system will get the full cinematic experience.

Amazon bundles the Fire Stick 4K with its Alexa remote, which allows you to access the smart assistant to control your TV’s functions (volume, inputs, etc.), play TV shows and movies without opening an app, or control Alexa-enabled smart home devices. Don’t skip this deal if you’re looking for an inexpensive way to make an older TV smart and already have gear that works within Amazon’s ecosystem.

Other Fire TV deals

Other Amazon device deals

Other great deals on Amazon

The post Stream and save more with a $30 Amazon Fire TV 4K appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
You can preorder Roku’s Select and Plus TVs at Best Buy today https://www.popsci.com/gear/roku-select-and-plus-tvs-best-buy-preorder/ Thu, 09 Mar 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=518138
Roku Plus TV
Roku

Roku’s advance into TVs is its biggest leap into hardware yet, but it continues to focus on performance and value.

The post You can preorder Roku’s Select and Plus TVs at Best Buy today appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Roku Plus TV
Roku

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Roku announced its first TV sets at CES 2023 in January, and you can order them today. The company has partnered with hardware makers like TCL and Hisense in the past, providing the software and reference specs, but this marks the first time Roku has complete control over a TV. We saw these TVs in action at Roku’s headquarters earlier this year, and our early impressions were positive. Roku’s move makes sense as it’s currently the No. 1 streaming platform (by hours watched) in the United States. Its TVs will help stave off increased competition from Google, who’s been pushing its TV operating system hard over the past couple of years.

Roku split its TVs into two lines: Select, which is more budget-friendly, and Plus, which is more feature rich. The TVs range between 24 and 75 inches in size, and all models cost under $1,500. Prices start at $149.99 and go up to $1,199.99. Some of the smaller TVs are only HD, but most Select and Plus sets are 4K. All of the TVs run the latest version of Roku’s operating system, which was recently updated to highlight live local news channels and introduce new features like “Continue Watching” that make it easier to pick up where you left off in a show or movie on select services. As you’d expect, all of Roku’s TVs come with the company’s small, pill-shaped remote. However, sets in the Plus line come with an upgraded version that supports hands-free voice commands, a rechargeable battery, and customizable shortcut buttons.

Televisions photo
One of Roku’s Select 4K TVs, along with its new wireless soundbar. Roku

Additional features of the Plus TVs include support for Dolby Vision HDR (high dynamic range) and Dolby Atmos, the latest premium video and audio standards. Roku was also quick to highlight its QLED panel, local dimming zones, and automatic brightness, all of which work in concert to deliver a consistent viewing experience and to compensate for less-than-ideal room conditions. These features are exclusive to Roku Plus TVs, while its Select series is designed to provide more value at lower prices. All of Roku’s TVs will be compatible with its new soundbar, which will also be available later this spring (and it pairs with the current Streambar Pro, one of our favorites under $500). Roku may be a new entrant in the TV hardware space, but it’s already announced reference designs for 8K and OLED TVs at this year’s CES, so there’s room for it to grow.

Roku has entered into an exclusive partnership with Best Buy to provide its TVs in-store and online when they launch later this spring. All models are available for preorder right now, and ordering early will ensure your set is delivered on launch day.

The post You can preorder Roku’s Select and Plus TVs at Best Buy today appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Sonos speakers are in their spatial Era https://www.popsci.com/gear/sonos-era-100-300-speakers/ Tue, 07 Mar 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=517304
Sonos Era 300 as rear speakers in a home theater
This isn't me, but it could be you. With new Era 300 speakers and your loved ones, you, too, can be embraced physically and sonically in multiple dimensions. Courtesy of Sonos

Having trouble finding the right speaker for Dolby Atmos audio? Sonos claims it's a, well, cinch if you pick the hourglass-shaped Era 300.

The post Sonos speakers are in their spatial Era appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Sonos Era 300 as rear speakers in a home theater
This isn't me, but it could be you. With new Era 300 speakers and your loved ones, you, too, can be embraced physically and sonically in multiple dimensions. Courtesy of Sonos

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Sonos has revealed the Era 100 and Era 300, its first non-portable smart speakers in several years. But, despite their stationary form factors, each speaker is focused on transportive acoustics. Acknowledging immersive audio as the shape of sound to come, the new speakers are designed for more expansive playback, whether standalone in a whole-home system or integrated into a Sonos home theater suite. Let’s take a look at what’s coming later this month.

The Era 100

Tony Ware

SEE IT

The Sonos Era 100 (shown in white above) is effectively a replacement for (what they’re calling a “remastering of”) the second-generation One, its entry-level mains-powered home speaker. The Era 100 is about half an inch taller and half a pound heavier, and it has an entirely new—but still familiar—industrial design. The biggest external change is the inclusion of a shallow, touch-sensitive trench along the other controls on top of the speaker, which makes sliding to change its volume more intuitive than the line of dots found on the One. This is especially a win on the accessibility front, making the Sonos Era 100 easier to operate without sight.

Sonos took the most popular features of the second-generation One—especially support for Alexa and Sonos Voice Control, Apple’s AirPlay 2, Trueplay auto-calibration, and a fully featured app with streaming sources and adjustable EQ—and augmented Wi-Fi 6 with the highly requested Bluetooth 5.0 (previously only featured on the Roam and Move portable speakers). And, if privacy is a major concern, you can use a physical toggle to disconnect power to the far-field microphone array.

The Era 100’s updated, rounder design is nice. Still, you’re primarily going to buy a smart speaker for its sound. Following a brief audition in a New York showroom, I was immediately struck by how Sonos has delivered some notable improvements over the second-generation One without radically altering the speaker’s shape and size. This new speaker can play music in stereo courtesy of two angled tweeters and a larger midrange woofer with custom waveguide. You can still pair two Era 100s together wirelessly for additional separation (or with a Sonos Dolby Atmos soundbar, such as the Arc, to provide rear Left/Right channels). Still, Sonos has widened the soundstage from a single source, and a trio of class-D digital amplifiers—in addition to custom, in-house tuning—produced a surprisingly convincing off-axis response and an impressive amount of low-end in my first impressions (more to come at the end of March). This makes even a single Era 100 a compact complement to the Works With Sonos network-enabled Victrola Stream Carbon Turntable (which we’re reviewing soon).

Already invested in a more traditionally tethered turntable? Don’t count the Era 100 out, though Sonos has also taken a novel, if not controversial, approach to wired connectivity. If you turn the Era 100 around, you’ll see a USB-C port, which can be turned into an Aux-in or Ethernet port with an optional Combo Adapter. We always applaud additional connectivity options—especially extending the Era 100’s usability by literal decades—but wish the adapters came in the box. Speaking of sustainability, Sonos has designed the Era 100 and Era 300 to be easily repairable, replacing adhesives with screws wherever possible to make it easier for technicians to get into the speakers to address common issues. The Era 100 costs $249 and will be in stores March 28 (though it can be preordered directly from Sonos now).

The Era 300

Tony Ware

SEE IT

The Era 100, while impressive, is still a replacement for an existing product in the company’s portfolio. The Era 300, meanwhile, is a completely different story reimagined from the ground up. It doesn’t supersede any speakers in the Sonos Play series but introduces a distinctive architecture specifically for multidirectional audio. The Era 300 has all the smart features of its smaller sibling—including optional voice control, the USB-C Line-In port, the capacitive volume well, Bluetooth 5.0, repairability, etc.—but there’s a lot more going on under the hourglass hood (as shown above).

Sonos has outfitted the Era 300 with four tweeters and two woofers powered by six class-D amplifiers. The configuration’s contours allow it to play Dolby Atmos tracks—initially from Amazon Music, but also from Apple Music in a March 28 firmware update for Era 300, Arc, and Beam (Gen. 2)—from a single speaker. This is possible, in part, because of the speaker’s unique silhouette, which allowed the engineers to include an up-firing tweeter within its precisely calculated proportions. Non-Atmos tracks will play in true stereo, too. If you already have a Sonos Arc (and, optimally, a Sonos Sub or Sub Mini), adding a pair of the Era 300 speakers as rear speakers will create the best home theater system the company has ever offered. When briefly demoed (admittedly in a carefully cultivated environment), the Era 300 was expressive, unfurling a corrugated yet firmly centered rendering of tracks mixed with multiple angles. Punchy, billowing, articulate—adjectives cued up quickly with each track.

Sonos Era 300 spatial audio speaker dissected
Wonder what goes into a spatial audio speaker? Here’s the whole (hole?) shebang. Tony Ware

The Era 300’s unique shape clocks in at 6.3-inches tall, 10.24-inches wide, and 7.28-inches deep, and weighs in at 9.85 pounds. It requires more space than many smart speakersBowers & Wilkins’ Zeppelin is a notable exception—but Sonos has packed the Era 300, which also ships March 28 and can be preordered direct today, with a lot of new hardware. These innovative features are commensurate with the Era 300’s $449 price tag, which brings the price of a pair to just under $1,000 with sales tax. We’ll declare whether the juice is worth the squeeze later this month in a full review testing the Era 300’s multi-channel dispersion by itself (versus the 2nd-gen. HomePod, naturally) and as part of the Arc ecosystem.

The post Sonos speakers are in their spatial Era appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Best Buy is currently selling the LG A2 OLED TV for a ridiculous $599 https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-buy-lg-a2-oled-tv-deal/ Wed, 01 Mar 2023 16:30:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=516294
lg a2 deal main
Why not buy 3?. Stan Horaczek

Save more than $700 on LG's entry-level OLED TV.

The post Best Buy is currently selling the LG A2 OLED TV for a ridiculous $599 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
lg a2 deal main
Why not buy 3?. Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

If you’ve ever shopped for an OLED TV, you probably know that they offer fantastic color reproduction and exceptional contrast ratios that make just about any content look fantastic. You also know they typically cost considerably more than their traditional flatscreen competition. Right now, however, Best Buy has LG’s excellent 48-inch A2 OLED TV for just $599. That’s $700 off of its regular price. Not too long ago, you couldn’t get an OLED for under $1,000. To get one for $599 is wild.

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

The LG A2 is what LG considers an entry-level OLED, but it still delivers the spectacular image quality that OLED is known for. It offers 4K resolution and LG’s AI-powered upscaling to make just about any content looks good. It also supports the most common HDR specs and Dolby Atmos for surround sound.

This is a perfect TV for watching movies, especially if you enable the filmmaker mode, which tries to match the colors to the original source material.

This is an entry-level OLED, however, so it is missing some of the features you’d find on the higher-end models. Most notably, it runs at a 60Hz refresh rate, and its three HDMI ports aren’t the 2.1 spec so it’s not ideal for the pickiest gamers. However, if you’re just watching content and playing the occasional game, it’s a fantastic option.

More OLED deals

If the LG A2 isn’t for you, there are other OLED deals right now for you to check out. Here’s some of what Best Buy has to offer:

The post Best Buy is currently selling the LG A2 OLED TV for a ridiculous $599 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
We saw Sony’s new ES receivers and Bravia XR TVs and lived to tell you about them https://www.popsci.com/gear/sony-es-receivers-bravia-tvs-announcements/ Wed, 01 Mar 2023 16:05:17 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=516213
Sony ES banner with AVR in the background
Tony Ware

Sony's home theater components see major upgrades that make it easier for integrators and consumers to get an optimal experience.

The post We saw Sony’s new ES receivers and Bravia XR TVs and lived to tell you about them appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Sony ES banner with AVR in the background
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

I am winding through the Westlake Highlands to preview some of 2023’s hottest audio-video hardware … and we are all about to die.

OK, that may be a little hyperbolic. It may be a lot hyperbolic, sorry. Our hosts are wholly conscientious of our safety, and our driver is taking the utmost care, but it doesn’t mean it’s not where my head is. It’s a perplexingly frigid early February day in Texas Hill Country, the ground slick with a thin layer of ice and the air thick with nervous energy. I’m part of a small group of tech reporters huddled in a party bus inching along Austin’s Toro Canyon, weaving around skidding cars and buckling tree branches. We finally arrive at our destination: a mansion on a panoramic perch, the downtown we left what feels like a lifetime ago far in the distance. It’s an auspicious setting for auspicious events. The city is experiencing its worst icing in 15 years, and Sony is revealing its first A/V receivers in five years.

It was 2018 when Sony last released an AVR (one of those, the STR-DH590, is still one of our recommended receivers under $500). I have no idea what the weather was like the day of that announcement, but the company has more than made up for the subsequent drought with its five new models: the more consumer-oriented STR-AN1000 ($899.99) and the custom installation (CI)-focused Elevated Standard (ES) lineup of the STR-AZ1000ES ($1,099.99), STR-AZ3000ES ($1,699.99), STR-AZ5000ES ($2,099.99), and STR-AZ7000ES ($3,299.99)

Sony ES receivers event foyer with view of Downtown Ausrtin
I bet Metallica’s “Trapped Under Ice” would sound amazing on those KEF speakers. Tony Ware

After some introductory words and a promise that everything possible will be done to avoid a Hunger Games-like scenario if the ongoing freak storm takes out the power, we’re introduced to the guests of honor in all their newly framed glory. Like specs? We got flagship specs: 7.2-channel, 100 watts/channel (2 channels driven @ 6 ohms); 7.2-channel, 100 watts/channel (2 channels driven at 8 ohms); 7.2-channel, 120 watts/channel (2 channels driven at 8 ohms); 9.2-channel, 130 watts/channel (2 channels driven at 8 ohms); 13.2-channel, 150 watts/channel (2 channels driven at 8 ohms). 

The top two models, the AZ5000ES and AZ7000ES, have complete preamp outputs if you prefer dedicated external amplifiers. For PlayStation 5 fans, all models support 4K/120Hz and 8K/60Hz video, as well as HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced, variable refresh rate (VRR), and auto low latency mode (ALLM)—all thanks to HDMI 2.1 eARC ports (I/O proportions increase alongside the price). 

Like first impressions? We’ll get to the impressions soon, I promise. These AVRs now feature Sony’s Dolby Atmos competitor, 360 Reality Audio (ported from Sony’s award-winning soundbars, active noise cancellation headphones, and earbuds). Streaming services—including TIDAL, Amazon Music Unlimited, and nugs.net—can be optimized for this object-based experience. An additional algorithm, 360 Spatial Sound Mapping, uses psychoacoustics to make stereo and multi-channel content (whether Dolby or DTS) even more immersive. 

A multi-axis microphone. Sound engineering shared between San Diego and Tokyo. The new line offers an updated approach to auto-calibration and digital signal processing to map “virtual speakers” in the gaps between physical transducers. Not sure what to feed the beasts? Along with any and all hardware you can imagine that can be patched through HDMI, optical, coaxial, RCA, etc., the AVRs feature Google Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth 5.2, and Roon endpoint compatibility. In addition, all the amps are certified Works With Sonos. A Sonos Port external streamer (sold separately) can wake the AVR and designate it as a zone in the Sonos app, allowing you to play high-resolution audio across your wireless network without changing rooms or settings. ES hardware has always had audiophile cred, and the combination of a 32-bit DAC, DSEE Ultimate DSP, exclusive pre-amp integrated circuits, large-capacitor power transformer, updated heat sinks, and robust resonance-damping chassis, among other features, ensures that reputation’s not going away anytime soon.

The Sony ES STR-AZ7000ES receiver with a clear plexiglass top cover
A view to a thrill: The insides of the Sony STR-AZ7000ES receiver. Tony Ware

Cycling through the Airbnb-turned-showroom, we hear CI rep after CI rep praising the depth of the ES line’s remote management features (and the hidden, embedded dashboards). Control4, OrC, Savant, Crestron … every integrator celebrates the RS232 ports and IP controls and their ability to monitor, configure, and support Sony’s AVRs without rolling out a truck. Settings can be backed up, restored, and/or locked down in case someone decides to experiment with the levels (particularly useful if, say, you own a mansion you rent out for high-end parties and corporate events like product rollouts). We’re shown how easy it is to work these home automation-friendly hubs into a whole-home control system like Savant’s, programming scenes where, for example, Wi-Fi-enabled GE CYNC smart LED bulbs change color based on the content source (Netflix red, Disney+ blue, etc.).  

It was when the lights went down, however, that the ES AVR really shows off what it could do. Sony spent four weeks building out a custom theater in what was once an unused garage, partnering with KEF Audio, makers of some of our favorite powered speakers, among others. Rack-mounting a STR-AZ7000ES with a Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player and power management/control components, the team build an easily accessed and easily secured patch bay with AudioQuest interconnects. Inside the ES Cinema, a Sony VPL-XW7000ES 4K HDR laser projector and 13 KEF architectural speakers were demoed with a 150-inch screen and 9.6.4 configuration. Yes, six subwoofers. No, I don’t think anyone soiled themselves, but I didn’t take a formal poll.   

Soundbars and virtualization have transformed movie night. We’re fans of the Sony HT-A7000, and expanding to satellites and a sub is immediately impactful. But the physicality of a properly calibrated speaker array—whether showcasing a high-intensity film scene or a multi-layered song—triggers something primal that’s underserved even in the finest stereo or 5.1. While most audiophile music selections leave me cold, the set-up’s presentation is warm as it steadily swivels—the STR-AZ7000ES’s clean power and the KEF 12th-gen. Uni-Q driver’s smooth off-axis response creates a murmuration of spatial audio rendered with authority but an even temperament. I won’t say the sound is to die for because the roads haven’t thawed, but I’m thoroughly impressed.

Not everyone can dedicate their space and/or funds to reinforce insulation and calculate acoustic treatments to wrangle the rumble, however. Those of us who put our pants on one leg at a time, then binge in a more traditional “home theater” can still access customization options. Sony’s AVRs support select wireless surround speakers (the SA-RS3S and SA-RS5) and subs (the SA-SW3 and SA-SW5). And they feature an Acoustic Center Sync feature, allowing for virtual positioning of the surround sound dialogue channel in combination with a flatscreen’s audio output—but only if that display is a Sony Bravia XR TV. Speaking of … nearly 2,000 miles and multiple weather patterns away, Commerce Reporter Brandt Ranj is escorted into a dimly lit room to get the skinny on Sony’s 2023 TV lineup.

One small step for brightness, one giant leap for TVs of a certain kind

Speakers photo
Sony’s XR-65A95L, one of its 2023 OLED TVs. Brandt Ranj

Manhattan’s Madison Avenue on a sunny morning isn’t as harrowing as the Southwest coated in wintry mix, but I still saw beautiful vistas standing before Sony’s latest Bravia XR displays. Most of the demo areas were set up with four screens: This year’s Sony TV, the previous year’s Sony TV, a competitor’s TV, and a multi-thousand-dollar reference monitor used by professional TV and filmmakers for color grading.

The purpose of Sony’s demos was simple: see the year-over-year improvements Sony could make to its TVs, understand how the new sets stacked up to the competition, and compare all of the consumer-grade hardware to the reference monitor. The Sony representatives giving the demo flat out told me that the reference monitor would produce the best results but, otherwise, let me use my own rods and cones to suss out the differences.

One of Sony’s priorities with this year’s slate of TVs is increasing brightness without losing visual fidelity. This was as true for its “Master Series” A95L QD-OLED TV as for its entry-level X77L Direct LED model. Each demo highlighted—pardon the pun—this directive, and I was impressed with the balance Sony struck. My handler was quicker to show off the annual improvements Sony made to its TVs—how much more detail was visible in low-light scenes or how brightly lit ones popped—than to put down the competitor’s set.

And it’s true. My personal reference television—the one I test against new TV hardware I’m reviewing—is Sony’s two-year-old X80J, so I’m familiar with how its OLED screens look. In the room I was in, the new TVs looked as vibrant and accurate as ever, with improvements to color reproduction going hand-in-hand with the brighter screens. I don’t see myself upgrading my current set anytime soon, but anyone considering jumping from a years-old LED TV to a MiniLED or OLED set will be pleased with what they see.

These performance boosts are made possible by improvements in screen technology, but the other side of Sony’s 2023 TV story is its updated Cognitive Processor XR. The new chip has found its way into the X95L, X90L, A95L, and A80L TVs and can optimize the HDR tone mapping and noise reduction of the content you’re watching in real-time. I could see how 1080P content looked upconverted on a 4K TV, and the Clear Image result was satisfying. HD video will never look as good as native 4K content, but it’s nice to know that older shows on streaming services will look their best. Sony could have saved these chips for one type of TV, but it’s nice to see them share the love with MiniLED and OLED TVs alike.

Speakers photo
Sony’s new Eco Mode settings panel on the Sony XR-75X90L. Brandt Ranj

Every tech company has been quick to tout how their latest gear is more environmentally friendly than ever, but Sony’s take on this is refreshingly understandable. The company didn’t focus exclusively on tech specs; instead, it made all its power settings accessible from an Eco menu in the TVs dashboard. The dashboard has a pastoral background, with a tree that blooms as you enable more eco-friendly settings. Seeing the tree grow in real time was fun, though I’m not sure it’s quite impressive enough to make people adjust their TV’s brightness. There’s also a Gaming dashboard to adjust VRR, etc.

The most impressive demo I saw during my brief time with Sony’s TVs was how its A95L’s built-in camera makes on-the-fly adjustments based on the lighting conditions of your room, how many people are watching TV, and where they’re seated. These changes happened seamlessly, and I could watch a cursor representing me move as I walked around. The camera can also be used to make and take Google Meet video calls directly from the A95L, which can be helpful if your team or family uses that platform. You can disable the A95L camera and close a privacy shade if you don’t want to live quite so far in the future. Personally, I’m all in.

Television has been a part of U.S. culture for over half a century. While increases in resolution, reductions in size, and improvements to usability have passed us by, the basic concept of a screen showing a picture has remained. In 2023, Sony has opted not to jump on a fad—please, no more attempts to make at-home 3D or fetch happen—but instead made incremental-yet-noticeable changes across the board. We all know many of the successful features from its highest-end sets will end up in entry-level models within a few years, and in this case, we all have a lot to look forward to.

The post We saw Sony’s new ES receivers and Bravia XR TVs and lived to tell you about them appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best Dolby Atmos soundbars in 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-dolby-atmos-soundbars/ Tue, 22 Mar 2022 17:25:49 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=432536
best Dolby Atmos soundbars sliced header
Tony Ware

Fire it up! And sideways. And, of course, left/center/right. These soundbars let you immerse yourself in audio, not cords and bulky components.

The post The best Dolby Atmos soundbars in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
best Dolby Atmos soundbars sliced header
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars Sony HT-A7000
SEE IT

Sony’s HT-A7000 soundbar fills any room with immersive audio on its own, as part of a larger surround sound system.

Best true wireless Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars JBL Bar 9.1
SEE IT

A truly wireless solution, the JBL Bar 9.1 includes rechargeable battery-powered rear speakers that will fit in any space.

Best budget Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars Vizio M-Series M512a-H6
SEE IT

Vizio’s M-Series M512a-H6 makes a few trade-offs, but doesn’t compromise the Atmos experience.

Soundbars have always been the most convenient way to add better sound to your TV and, with the advent of Dolby Atmos, they have become an even more attractive option for those who don’t want to deal with the hassle of a full surround sound speaker system. Whether it’s an all-in-one unit, or one paired with a subwoofer and satellite speakers, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars can deliver an immersive experience close to what you’d expect from a far more elaborate setup, but without taking over your living room with a receiver, multiple speakers, and endless strings of wires. 

While they are often simple to set up and use, choosing best right Atmos soundbars for your needs can get a bit complicated. Their size, features, and performance can vary quite a bit. You’ll want to make sure your investment is a good one. Thankfully, there are plenty of great options to consider, and we’ve collected some of the best ones here that are sure to meet a range of different needs.

What is Dolby Atmos?

Dolby Atmos is a surround sound technology that creates (or simulates) “3D audio,” where the sounds from your movie, TV show, or video game come from any point around you, including above or below. It first appeared in theaters in 2012 before making its way into home theater gear a few years later, where it’s been widely adopted as one of the most popular platforms for adding positional audio to sound systems.

Atmos dramatically changes the basic approach to how sound systems “place” audio. Instead of simply assigning sounds to channels—usually five, sometimes seven in a standard surround sound setup—an Atmos-enabled system defines well over 100 individual sounds as “objects” that can be precisely directed around a viewing space. The official, theater-grade version of Atmos requires more speakers than your average surround sound system, including ceiling-mounted speakers called “height channels.” Dolby and speaker manufacturers have found a few ways of approximating the experiences without the additional labor wiring and mounting speakers above your couch, ranging from using upward-firing speakers to bounce sound off the ceiling, which is what you’ll find on our soundbar picks to “virtual Atmos” that simulates the experience digitally.

There is enough room for variation that the way in which your speakers choose to apply Atmos can impact the quality of the sound. Our selections feature physical upward- or top-firing speakers designed to bounce sound off your ceiling to provide true 3D audio. We feel that, given the expense of a mid-to-high-range soundbar system, it seems appropriate to get the best possible balance between sound quality and convenience. That said, there are lots of speakers that get tremendous performance out of virtual Atmos, especially in headphones and gaming headsets.

How we chose the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Buying a soundbar with Atmos can complicate the picking-out process, though it is still an easier process than, let’s say, buying the best bookshelf speakers or standalone speakers for music, as those can require A/V receivers, etc. Even with comparatively limited options, however, Atmos introduces new specs to trip up on, which can make picking one out harder than it needs to be. 

Our selections are based on our own in-depth reviews and soundbar testing, as well as impressions from users and the evaluations of other critics. More broadly, I also relied on my own personal experience with home audio gear, which has included testing and covering equipment for sites like Reviewed, Popular Mechanics, and Engadget.

The best Dolby Atmos soundbars: Reviews & Recommendations

Our picks for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars range from the affordable to the extravagant, and from simple to more elaborate options (there are great soundbars you can find for under $500, but the ones on this page primarily represent the upper tier). Whichever you choose, you can expect some of the best Atmos performance in its price range, and a system that you should be able to get up and running with minimal hassle. They are also all versatile speakers and offer at least some basic wireless connectivity and additional features that make them well-suited for playing music or podcasts even when your TV is off, if not full-fledged Alexa or Google Assistant integration.

Best overall: Sony HT-A7000

Why it made the cut: Sony’s HT-A7000 delivers the goods with stellar Atmos performance in an expandable package.

Specs

  • Size: 51.25” x 3.25” x 5.63”
  • Speaker configuration: 7.1.2
  • Connectivity: HDMI (2), Optical, Analog, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Pros

  • Rich, spacious sound
  • Plenty of connectivity options
  • Expandable with optional subwoofer and rear speakers

Cons

  • Adding a subwoofer and rear speakers gets pricey

Sony’s flagship HT-A7000 soundbar makes a strong impression. It packs an impressive array of integrated speakers designed with spatial audio in mind, including five front speakers, two up-firing speakers that reflect off the ceiling, and two “beam tweeters” that bounce sound off the side walls—a built-in dual-channel subwoofer also adds some bass to the equation. 

You’ll also find all the connectivity options you’re likely to need on both the physical and wireless sides of things, the latter of which offers integration with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as support for Chromecast, Spotify Connect, and Apple AirPlay. Like many soundbars, you can add an optional subwoofer and rear speakers if you like, but the soundbar itself is no slouch on its own. 

When we tested the Sony HT-A7000, we found that it sounded great and, specifically, that its Atmos speakers amplified movies where you were supposed to hear sounds coming from all around you. What more can you ask for?

Best all-in-one: Sonos Arc

Sonos

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Sonos Arc delivers strong sound in one of the most simplified and streamlined Atmos experiences available.

Specs

  • Size: 45 x 3.4 x 4.5 inches
  • Speaker configuration: 5.0.2
  • Connectivity: HDMI (Optical adapter included), Ethernet, Wi-Fi

Pros

  • Solid Atmos performance from all-in-one unit
  • Loads of smart features
  • Sleek, understated design available in black or white

Cons

  • Limited connectivity options

Like most of the company’s other speakers, the Sonos Arc delivers high-precision audio in a simple, but costly package. The Arc’s a fairly large soundbar—45 by 3.4 by 4.5 inches—and specifically made to pair with 49-inch TVs or larger (luckily, we recommend the best 55-inch TVs, or the 2nd-generation Sonos Beam if you need a smaller, cheaper soundbar with virtual Atmos). That wide shell houses a whopping 11 internal speakers, including two dedicated height channels, which deliver room-filling sound without needing a separate subwoofer. As with all things Sonos, the Arc will also fit right in as part of a multi-room Sonos speaker setup, and you can add rear speakers and a subwoofer over time. 

If there’s a downside, it’s that the Sonos focus on simplicity may go a bit too far for serious technophiles. The Arc only offers Wi-Fi connectivity but not Bluetooth, and physical connections are limited to a single HDMI eARC port (an optical adapter is included for those with older TVs).  

Best with a subwoofer: Samsung HW-Q990B

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With more integrated speakers than any other soundbar on this list, Samsung HW-Q990B offers the closest thing to a full-fledged surround sound system in a soundbar-based package.

Specs

  • Size: 5.4 x 2.7 x 48.5 inches
  • Speaker configuration: 11.1.4
  • Connectivity: HDMI (2), Optical, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Pros

  • Impressive speaker configuration provides room-filling sound
  • Ample connectivity and smart features
  • Q-Symphony feature boosts sound with compatible TVs

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Takes up more outlets

With an 11.1.4-channel configuration supported by 22 individual drivers, four of them up-firing, Samsung’s HW-Q990B is more than well-equipped to handle all of the spatial audio that Atmos has to offer, and will get you about as close to a full surround sound setup as you can with a soundbar-based system. Comprised of a premium metal grille-wrapped soundbar, wireless subwoofer, and two rear surround satellite speakers, the HW-Q990B uses built-in SpaceFit Sound+ room correction and adaptive EQ to keep all components in sync and optimized to deliver heightened immersion. Dialogue has plenty of clarity, while the subwoofer’s very substantial rumble reinforces the energy of everything happening on screen—capturing the full dynamic range of any content. Not only does the system do an excellent job of virtualizing a 360-degree sphere from Atmos-encoded Blu-rays and/or streaming services, but it can expand audio you might cast to it via AirPlay 2.

Though it’s not required, the HW-Q990B is an especially good choice if you already have (or are planning to buy) a recent Samsung Q-series TV, as you’ll be able to take advantage of the company’s Q-Symphony feature, which lets the soundbar sync up with the TVs built-in speakers for an even fuller sound. Though we imagine it would be amazing with any of the best QLED TVs.

Got a larger room and want to double down on low notes? The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 eARC SSE Max system comes with two subwoofers, as well as four rear surround channel speakers.

Best high-end standalone: Sennheiser AMBEO MAX

Why it made the cut: It’s a serious investment, but the Sennheiser AMBEO MAX rewards the listener with a level of audio quality and Atmos performance that most other standalone soundbars simply can’t match.

Specs

  • Size: 49.8 x 5.3 x 6.7 inches
  • Speaker configuration: 5.1.4
  • Connectivity: HDMI (3), Optical, RCA, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Pros

  • Rich, high-fidelity sound from an all-in-one soundbar
  • Ample connectivity options
  • Suitably high-end appearance

Cons

  • Very expensive
  • Heavy and tall

The Sennheiser AMBEO MAX is in a class of its own. Sennheiser is no stranger to high-end audio gear, of course, and we found the AMBEO to perform even better than the reputation that proceeded it, which was already towering. When we tested the AMBEO, we found it equally well-suited for use as your primary music-listening speaker as it is for TV, movies, and games. It also has everything you’d expect connectivity-wise, including three HDMI ports, optical and RCA audio, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth—and, yes, there is also a subwoofer output if you really want to go crazy, though the bar already puts out plenty of rumble. At $2,499 for the soundbar, which is heavy and tall and has certain space constraints, this is more speaker than the average person needs, which is why it isn’t our top pick. If you want the single most compelling all-in-one soundbar, though, the AMBEO is a rich, rewarding investment.

Best low-profile high-resolution: Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3

Bowers & Wilkins

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: If you believe the music is a key part of movie magic, this soundbar is a perfect way to soundtrack your life.

Specs

  • Size: 2.5 x 47.5 x 5.5 inches
  • Speaker configuration: 3.1.2
  • Connectivity: HDMI eARC, Digital Audio In (Toslink), AirPlay 2, Bluetooth 5.0, Spotify Connect

Pros

  • Center-channel focus & clarity
  • Capable of surprisingly high volume
  • Plug-in-play performance
  • Touch-sensitive controls on top
  • Alexa voice assistant built-in

Cons

  • Limited connectivity and customization
  • Narrow surround sound presentation

Stylish and self-contained, Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 is a soundbar that is more expressive than it is expansive. While the Sennheiser AMBEO MAX is a chonker that can easily cover more than just a sliver of a standard stand-mounted TV, the Panorama 3 is a far sleeker audiophile-oriented option that has more than enough screen clearance despite housing 13 drivers in its slim chassis (though it is long, so expect it to sit in front of those large-screen legs). Being compact doesn’t mean sacrificing dynamics, however. Featuring three 0.75-inch decoupled titanium-dome tweeters, six 2-inch midrange drivers, two 2-inch up-firing Dolby elevation drivers, and two 4-inch subwoofers, with no option for expandability, the Panorama 3’s strength is in its easily integrated, firmly centered, distortion-free soundstage.

While the action isn’t neglected, music, in particular, is rendered at a muscular pace. Paired with an Apple TV 4K (giving you access to lossless/spatial audio through Apple Music and TIDAL) or the Bowers & Wilkins Music app, the Panorama 3 has attack and control, richness and rhythm. The crisp, punchy tuning is expressive without the soundbar itself being intrusive. The Panorama 3 may not have the most-pronounced Dolby Atmos effects, but it’s articulate and more than capable of laying nuanced ambiance out in front of you.

Best wireless: JBL Bar 9.1

JBL

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Rear speakers may now be increasingly common in soundbar packages, but the JBL Bar 9.1 offers a convenient completely wireless solution.

Specs

  • Size: 34.8 x 2.4 x 4.7 inches
  • Speaker configuration: 5.1.4
  • Connectivity: HDMI, Optical, USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Pros

  • Detachable, battery-powered satellite speakers 
  • Large subwoofer provides plenty of bass
  • Easy to set up

Cons 

  • Convenience comes at a bit of a premium
  • Wired speakers may make more sense for some rooms

Most wireless surround sound systems aren’t completely untethered. Many feature “wireless” satellite speakers that don’t need to be connected to a receiver or soundbar, but still need to be plugged into a power outlet. The JBL Bar 9.1 gets extra credit for offering a true wireless option with two detachable, battery-powered speakers that can be placed anywhere while you’re watching a show or movie, and then simply be re-attached to the main soundbar to recharge. The speakers get 10 hours of battery life, which is more than enough for most viewing sessions. Luckily, that’s far from the soundbar’s only selling point. Reviews have consistently praised the Bar 9.1’s rich bass and room-filling sound that’s bolstered by its large subwoofer.

Best budget: Vizio M-Series M512a-H6

Vizio

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Vizio offers another great value for the money with the M512a-H6, which offers an ideal entry point to Atmos with an affordable, easy-to-set-up system.

Specs

  • Size: 40.00 x 2.68 x 4.07 inches
  • Speaker configuration: 5.1.2
  • Connectivity: HDMI, Optical, Analog, USB, Bluetooth

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Rear speakers included
  • Easy to set up

Cons

  • No Wi-Fi
  • Rear speakers are wired to subwoofer

Vizio makes some fairly high-end gear, but the company is best known for its more affordable gear that tends to offer some of the best value you’re likely to find for the money. That’s just as true for soundbars as it is for TVs. The company’s M-Series M512a-H6 isn’t the least expensive soundbar you’ll find, but it is among the most affordable that offers a true Atmos experience with up-firing speakers. You’re also getting a lot of hardware for the pair of wired satellite speakers and a separate subwoofer. 

Reviews praise the M512a-H6’s sound quality and easy setup, but there you should expect some trade-offs in this price range. The M-Series M512a-H6, for example, only features Bluetooth wireless connectivity, not Wi-Fi. That means no Chromecast or AirPlay support, and no Alexa or Google Assistant integration.

What to consider before buying the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Finding the best Dolby Atmos soundbars isn’t that much different from picking any other sound system. You want to think about sound quality, your viewing space, and what you really need, features-wise, as the upper limits on home theater audio spending will scale as high as you let them. These are a few basic ideas we think you should keep in mind when picking out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars for you.

Take a look at the ceiling

As with any speaker, the actual room a soundbar is in, and the placement of the soundbar, can have a considerable impact on the sound. With Atmos and soundbars with upward-firing speakers bouncing sound off the ceiling, that becomes even more important. Dolby recommends a flat 7.5- to 12-foot-tall ceiling, and you’ll want to make sure that nothing (including your TV) gets in the way of the upward-firing speakers. Obviously, most of us aren’t in a position to adjust or switch our living room up for the sake of our sound system. If you have a low and/or not-flat ceiling over your soundbar, keep an eye out for models with calibration tools that can help you take the extra steps needed to make your system sound the best it can.

Do you want an all-in-one soundbar or a more elaborate system?

Though it’s a bit counterintuitive, a soundbar is always an all-in-one speaker system. There are soundbars that come with subwoofers and others that feature rear and/or side speakers for all-encompassing surround sound. In a multi-speaker system, the soundbar often serves as the front three speakers of a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system.

Just like the decision between a soundbar and other speakers, picking the number of speakers is really a question of convenience and price, versus superior sound quality. An all-in-one soundbar is the most convenient option and usually more affordable, but pairing a soundbar with a subwoofer will give you more bass and a richer, fuller sound. Installing rear satellite speakers takes a little extra time and planning, but turns a surround sound simulation into the real thing. Generally speaking, even the most complex speaker system is pretty to set up, especially for systems that feature wireless rear speakers.

How will you connect it to your TV?

We have a complete guide for how to connect a soundbar to a TV, but there are a few basics to keep in mind before you buy a soundbar. The most important for Atmos soundbars, in particular, is that your TV should have an HDMI eARC port to get the most out of your soundbar and your Atmos content (and make that an HDMI 2.1 port if you’re going to patch in gaming consoles). The “eARC” part stands for Enhanced Audio Return Channel and it’s just that: an improved standard that offers more features and more bandwidth. 

You can connect most of the soundbars here with a standard HDMI cable or optical cable, but you’ll need an eARC port to take advantage of the highest bit rates and all of the features that Atmos has to offer. The bad news is that eARC is a relatively recent standard and has only been included on TVs since 2018. If your TV doesn’t support it, you can always invest in one of these soundbars now and then take advantage of the full Atmos experience whenever you do eventually upgrade your TV, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re not looking to buy a new TV anytime soon.

Does it support a virtual assistant?

For many people, a soundbar is also going to be the main speaker system in their home or apartment, which can make features that may seem extraneous to some all the more important. If you regularly use smart speakers with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, for instance, you may want to look for a soundbar that supports the same virtual assistant. Bluetooth has also become a standard feature on most soundbars, but Wi-Fi connectivity can offer a number of advantages, including better sound quality and support for wireless streaming via Apple AirPlay or Google Chromecast.

FAQs

Q: Does Dolby Atmos really make a difference?

You’ll notice when a good soundbar supports Atmos. While it won’t completely match a room full of speakers, an Atmos soundbar with up-firing speakers can still get pretty close to that experience. There have been many hyped-up audio formats over the years, but Dolby Atmos has really changed things. Unlike traditional surround sound systems that rely on channels to direct sound around a room, Atmos’ object-based audio can precisely place sounds at any point in 360-degree space, and not simply sound like they’re coming from left or right, front or rear channels. With a full theater-like setup, including in-ceiling speakers, the effect can be completely immersive and make it seem like you are in the center of the action of what’s happening on screen. Or step up to a truly premium all-in-one soundbar like the Sennheiser AMBEO and get that immersive experience without having to place another component or string a single wire.

Q: Is a soundbar better than a surround sound system?

A properly set-up surround sound system will almost always outperform a soundbar—even one with a subwoofer and added rear speakers—but that performance is dependent on how much of your time, money, and space you’re willing to dedicate to your home theater. For most people, the trade-offs that come with a soundbar are more than acceptable, and the best ones can get you close to theater-like sound with minimal disruption to your living space.  

Q: Are high-end soundbars worth it?

Not surprisingly, the answer to this question won’t be the same for everyone. As with any speaker system, higher-end soundbars will give you a level of performance that more affordable options simply can’t match. That said, home theater owners who aren’t already veteran audiophiles will likely find a sweet spot that sounds great for them well below the highest-quality gear. For the average listener, a $3,000 soundbar probably won’t sound three times better than a $1,000 soundbar. It sounds noticeably better, however, and that added performance will be worth the extra $2,000 for some. The value of any specific upgrade comes down to personal taste.

Final thoughts on the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

For many people, Atmos-equipped soundbars should hit the sweet spot for TV audio, balancing convenience and cost, versus sound quality and enhanced immersion. The best Dolby Atmos soundbars offer a truer surround sound experience than more limited soundbars and come in a package that’s far more convenient than a multi-part surround sound setup. Now that Atmos is a few years old, plenty of great soundbars support the format, making it a viable upgrade for most people interested in a soundbar. The key, as always, is identifying the features you care about most, and investing wisely.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best Dolby Atmos soundbars in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Sony HT-A7000 soundbar review: Superior sound for the 8K set https://www.popsci.com/reviews/sony-ht-a7000-review/ Wed, 08 Dec 2021 22:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=414479
The Sony A7000 complete setup.

The flagship Sony HT-A7000 soundbar makes Dolby Atmos audio sing, either by itself or with wireless expansion speakers.

The post Sony HT-A7000 soundbar review: Superior sound for the 8K set appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The Sony A7000 complete setup.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

There are soundbars you buy simply to improve upon the stereo sound coming from your TV. From there, dozens upon dozens of step-up options increase the extent of surround-sound channels, wireless connectivity, output wattage, and so forth. There’s a final tier, however, that stretches the limits of the product category, offering a home theater sound system within a single, sizable unit. The Sony HT-A7000 soundbar fits into this last category, letting you trade the receivers, amplifiers, satellite speakers, etc., that used to stack up under and around the TV for a self-contained showpiece. 

With its top- and side-firing speakers, this new Sony flagship is ready to delight home viewers searching for a 7.1.2 system that won’t take up the entire room. Support for all the latest object-based, immersive audio formats—Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio, etc.—makes movies and music pop within a larger spatial context. The HT-A7000’s internal digital signal processing (DSP) also upconverts any audio to make full use of its speaker array. It also offers app control, voice control, and a multitude of wireless connectivity, including Bluetooth and WiFi. Sony also makes wireless subwoofers and rear speakers that seamlessly connect to the soundbar, and bring overall investment to more than $2,000. But whether you expand it or not, the Sony HT-A7000 stands out in the highest echelon of soundbars.

The Sony HT-A7000 soundbar’s design

From the outside, the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar conveys sleek minimalism, with a metal grill covering the front of the 51-inch wide, 19-pound soundbar. Fabric covers the side- and top-firing speakers on either end and there’s a glossy finish on top where there are six touch-sensitive controls that get you through the basic functions, including power, volume, Bluetooth pairing, and input selection. Finally, a small, blue LED display peeks out of the front grill to indicate volume levels, selected input, surround sound mode, and so on.

But the most impressive aspects of Sony’s design lie within, where the virtual 7.1.2 soundbar’s 11 powered speaker channels deliver 500W of total output across five front-facing speakers, two up-firing speakers, two “beam” tweeters on the sides, and an internal dual-channel subwoofer. The rectangular shape of X-Balanced Speaker Units makes that subbass punchier, vocals clearer, and distortion lower, according to Sony’s claims.

Audio/video connections are tucked away in an indent on the back of the soundbar. These include two HDMI 2.1 passthrough inputs that support 8K video at 60Hz, 4K at 120Hz, and Dolby Vision HDR, which makes the HT-A7000 a suitable gaming soundbar for the latest-generation consoles like the Xbox Series X and Playstation 5. It should be noted, however, that the HT-A7000 does not yet support VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) or ALLM (Auto Low-Latency Mode), two HDMI 2.1 game-centric features. Sony promises a firmware update in Spring 2022 that hopefully will add both.

There are also analog and digital optical audio inputs, HDMI eARC TV output, and an S-Center output for integrating compatible TVs (such as some Sony BRAVIA models) as an additional center channel of the overall audio mix. There are wall-mounting sockets around the back but wall-mounting hardware (brackets, screws, etc.) is sold separately.

The back of the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar
A combination of physical and wireless connections offers the latest standards for high-resolution listening.

Getting started with the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar

The HT-A7000 comes with a remote control, power cable, and an HDMI cable—enough to get you up and running by connecting the soundbar’s HDMI out to your TV’s HDMI eARC/ARC input. The two HDMI inputs incorporate your streaming media box, game console, Blu-ray player, or other components.

Once everything was set up, my Samsung Smart TV remote could turn on the HT-A7000 and TV, plus control the soundbar’s volume. However, unlike other home theater system remotes, the HT-A7000 remote would not conversely turn on the Samsung TV, making a one-remote situation untenable.

For the best immersive audio results, a soundbar’s top-firing speakers and side-firing beam tweeters need to reflect off of a ceiling and walls that are neither too close nor too far. However, Sony tells HT-A7000 users not to worry about that too much, because upon setting up, it takes you through a series of tones, from which the built-in microphone and DSP measure the reflections off of your room’s surfaces to optimize the unit’s surround sound mix for your space.

After it powers up, the HT-A7000 enters an onscreen user interface, where you can select from the video inputs—TV, HDMI 1, and HDMI 2—or from a litany of audio inputs—including USB, analog, Spotify, Chromecast, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Amazon Alexa, and Sony 360 Reality Audio. The remote control also has shortcut buttons for the video inputs, USB, Bluetooth, and the most recently used streaming music service. Chromecast, AirPlay 2, and the USB port are only for playing audio, not video. With compatible Sony BRAVIA TVs (for example, the XR A90J), the HT-A7000 integrates all its controls and onscreen user interface into the TV for smoother control.

Key features of the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar

The virtual 7.1.2-channel HT-A7000 works with all the major Dolby and DTS surround-sound formats, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, as well as the growing Sony 360 Reality Audio format. However, built-in DSP, which Sony calls the Vertical Surround Engine, converts any audio material to utilize the full 7.1.2 channels, making any piece of music or video take advantage of the soundbar’s top-firing speakers and side beam tweeters. The remote control’s   Immersive AE (Audio Enhancement) button turns on this function. Even on material that’s already formatted for all the channels, such as Dolby Atmos movies and music, Immersive AE still adds a boost of overhead spaciousness to the soundstage. I liked using the Immersive AE function on almost all the music and videos I played, with the exception of some live talk shows where the audience’s laughter and applause were too high in the mix.

Connection and compatibility options

Sony makes it easy to enjoy the HT-A7000 in practically any way you prefer, with a wide variety of connection and compatibility options available. In addition to the two HDMI ports, plus digital and analog audio inputs, you can also connect with a bevy of wireless technologies. Most of those options, as well as the USB port, are for audio only, and USB playback works with almost every popular compressed, uncompressed, and lossless audio file format, with the notable exception of Apple’s ALAC.

For wireless music, you can playback high-resolution audio stored on a computer over Wi-Fi by connecting the HT-A7000 to your home network. The simple Song Music Center app (available for iOS and Android) lets you play high-resolution audio stored on a mobile device, as well as provides soundbar controls. Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast support are also built in. I used Chromecast to play music over the HT-A7000 from various Chromecast apps such as Amazon Music and the soundbar treats all the various wireless music with the same Immersive AE effects as everything else, plus shows album art and onscreen controls when the TV is connected. However, Chromecast doesn’t work that well on my Android phone—the sound frequently hangs—so it was better to connect the phone over Bluetooth 5.0. The soundbar’s Bluetooth connection (featuring SBC, AAC, and the higher-resolution LDAC codec, which I used) sounds excellent and performs wonderfully—just as good as it did playing the same source through the analog audio input.

top angle of the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar
Wireless playback, as well as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant support, allow for more control and less clutter.

Smart features

With a little bit of patience during setup, you can also use voice control for the HT-A7000 over Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant on mobile devices. First, make sure Alexa or Google Assistant is installed on your mobile device and that it’s connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the soundbar. Then connect Alexa/Google Assistant to the soundbar through the Sony Music Center app. Once through setup, you can use voice commands such as next/previous song and volume control.

The Sony HT-A7000’s sound

The Sony HT-A7000 is the flagship Sony soundbar and I wanted to test it on its own before hooking up optional components. Because the HT-A7000 handles the flaming-hot Dolby Atmos surround-sound format, I threw a lot of Atmos-encoded movies and music at it, while also using it for normal TV and music, most of which was not made for Atmos or Sony 360 Reality Audio.

Once you know how to play Atmos-encoded material successfully, you can take advantage of a rapidly growing body of work—particularly for movies and TV, but also now for music as well. The Atmos movies I watched included the new Dune, Army of Thieves, Uncut Gems, Finch, and No Time to Die. For Atmos music, I dove into Tidal HiFi Plus’s New Arrivals playlist, which plugs new tracks from popular artists such as Post Malone/The Weeknd, Terrace Martin, Lorde, Sigrid, Kid Cudi, and even new tracks from old favorites like Diana Ross, Abba, U2, and Robert Plant/Alison Krauss.

Even with non-Atmos media, the HT-A7000’s Immersive AE effect makes excellent use of the top-and side-firing drivers to create an enveloping soundstage than they would be when listening to lesser-equipped soundbars or the best bookshelf speakers. The HT-A7000 creates a large sweet spot that I estimate as a spherical space with a radius of 3 to 4 feet, where listeners can enjoy close to the optimal listening experience.

With the Atmos format (or the less common Sony 360 Reality Audio) the HT-A7000 really shines. It was a treat to watch big-budget movies that clearly put attention into Atmos sound mixing. In Dune, the rotary dirge of the dragonfly-like ornithopters, the paranormal voices during Paul Atreides’ hallucinations, and the desert-shaking movements of the sandworms took on a multidimensional realism as sounds scattered over, around, and through the room. 

During Finch, it was the Atmos spaciousness that heightened the tension in moments like the tornado scene, when objects and debris are swirling around and steel cables break under the stress. Of course, the latest James Bond romp No Time To Die has plenty of bullets, explosions, aircraft, tire-screeching car chases, overhead glass breaking, and water deluges to exploit the Atmos capabilities as well.

The soundbar’s side channels expertly send signals around the sides of a moderately sized living room. The top channels for overhead effects are also successful, but not as immersive as with a fully outfitted Atmos cinema or home theater, where the speakers are actually overhead. But the HT-A7000 is far more enjoyable than watching movies with TV speakers, stereo speakers, or soundbars without top- and side-firing speakers. As another bonus, quiet movie dialog that is often hard to discern when using stereo speakers is much clearer when the sound mix is spread out to a multichannel format like Atmos.

With its 500W of total output power, the HT-A7000 handles music beautifully, whether on its own or in a movie. Evocative soundtracks like Hans Zimmer’s otherworldly Dune score or Daniel Lopatin’s synthesizer opus for Uncut Gems benefit from the Atmos soundstage, as notes hang in the air, oscillating between points of space. It was also interesting to hear the different approaches to Atmos mixing from the Tidal playlist. Some tracks played with the immersive format—sending vocals, percussion hits, and other sounds zipping around in space—while other songs took a very straightforward approach to converting stereo material in a basic way that adds more spatial depth.

In terms of audio quality, Sony endows the HT-A7000 with a well-balanced, clear, and detailed sound that accurately portrays the whole range of frequencies. Turning the Immersive AE effect on seems to add some excitement to the top-end frequencies, but I didn’t mind the boost. The soundbar has a built-in subwoofer that does a decent job with bass, but not as much bass (or overall power) as the much larger and more expensive Sennheiser AMBEO, which could definitely be considered one of the best soundbars if you have the space and $2,499 budget for it. The AMBEO also has better projecting top-firing speakers, making it in my opinion the créme de la créme of standalone, self-contained soundbars for Atmos material. However, when you expand the HT-A7000 with a subwoofer and rear speakers, the combined system has a larger immersive soundstage and much more bass than the AMBEO.

Sony speaker on a desk.
If you’re looking to level up the immersive audio even more, you can add rear speakers and a wireless subwoofer.

Expanding the setup

While the Sony HT-A7000 on its own checks all the boxes for a home theater and music-listening soundbar, there’s no question that adding the Sony SA-SW5 wireless subwoofer and the Sony SA-RS3S wireless rear speakers enhanced the overall experience. All the benefits of Atmos, other types of surround sound, and the Immersive AE effect were amplified with the rear speakers. Even when listening to standard stereo music, I preferred turning on the Immersive AE setting, which adds the soundbar’s top speakers and SA-RS3S rear speakers to the mix.

Without an SA-SW5 (300W) or SA-SW3 (200W) subwoofer, the HT-A7000’s bass from its built-in subwoofer is merely functional—an improvement over TV speakers for representing the basic low-end profile of music and movie soundtracks. But for serious music lovers and cinephiles who want to hear the lowest of frequencies and, just as importantly, feel the rumble of the onscreen action and of crowd-rocking tunes, the added subwoofer—which reaches down to 28Hz—performs admirably.

I tested the SA-SW5—a solid black block measuring 19 by 19 by 14.5 inches and weighing a chunky 37 pounds to accommodate a 7.1-inch woofer. Its main cabinet is elevated off the floor and, rather than having a front or rear bass reflex port, it is an omnidirectional design that is supposed to spread the sound wider. Regardless of technological claims, its bass sounds smooth, rich, and absolutely massive when you crank it up. While watching Army of Thieves—the bank-heist prequel to Army of the Dead—I let the subwoofer’s volume really rip and, sure enough, for the first time in eight years of living in my condo, the neighbors came a-knockin’. 

If you also want to conjure up a visit, combining the HT-A7000 with either the Sony SA-SW5 or Sony SA-SW3 wireless subwoofers and/or the Sony SA-RS3S wireless rear speakers is easy. Just plug in and position the speakers, power them on, and their indicator lights will flash green until the soundbar automatically recognizes them. Then you can re-run the room configuration process with the additional speakers connected. The soundbar’s remote has dedicated volume buttons for both the rear speakers and the subwoofer, so you can find the right mix for your taste.

subwoofer for a soundbar
Two compatible subs let you augment the soundbar to summon-the-neighbors levels of rumble.

So, who should buy the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar?

On its own, the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar outputs a very spacious soundstage for immersive surround-sound formats and converted audio, with wide-reaching side speakers and effective top channels. It’s powerful enough to saturate most living rooms and media spaces with immersive audio and has a bass response from its built-in subwoofer that improves upon TV speakers and many other standalone soundbars. In comparison, the more expensive Sennheiser AMBEO has deeper bass, more powerful output, and a more expansive 3D soundstage. 

Users who must have the absolute pinnacle of an Atmos experience in a single (although huge) unit should consider the AMBEO. Although a standalone Sony HT-A7000 gets you most of the way to the AMBEO at significant savings in cost, adding a Sony subwoofer and rear speakers to the soundbar gives you theatrical-style bass rumble and more depth to the soundstage at a total investment similar to the AMBEO—give or take depending on the subwoofer model. For those who have the available space, budget, and appreciation for enormous, well-formed bass and a comprehensive, surround soundstage, however, I definitely recommend expanding the system with the SA-RS3S rear speakers and one of the compatible Sony subwoofers. Such a configuration is a highly impressive system with a simple, wireless setup and a small-to-moderate footprint.

The post Sony HT-A7000 soundbar review: Superior sound for the 8K set appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Kick back and relax with the best TV and home theater Presidents Day Weekend deals https://www.popsci.com/gear/presidents-day-tv-deals-2023/ Fri, 17 Feb 2023 22:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=513187
Best President's Day TV and Speaker Deals
Save hundreds of dollars on the latest AV equipment from the best-known brands. Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

Take your home entertainment system to the next level with these discounts.

The post Kick back and relax with the best TV and home theater Presidents Day Weekend deals appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best President's Day TV and Speaker Deals
Save hundreds of dollars on the latest AV equipment from the best-known brands. Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

President’s Day Weekend is here, and it’s time to appreciate the work done by our nation’s leaders by saving hundreds of dollars on a new TV and home theater system for watching documentaries like Grant for three days straight. Companies have used this three-day weekend as an opportunity to provide deep discounts on their latest gear, which is helpful if you’re due for an upgrade. Whether you’re looking for a bigger or higher resolution screen for watching videos and playing games, or finally have enough space for a surround-sound system, these deals and sales shouldn’t be missed.

Hisense U8H, $998 (Was $1,399.99)

Hisense

SEE IT

Hisense’s U8H was one of—if not the—best Mini-LED TV of 2022, and you can snag it at a $399 discount if you shop now. The 4K Google TV had a peak brightness of 1500 nits, supports both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, and has HDMI 2.1 ports that allow gamers to play 4K games at up to 120 frames per second. Tech specs are nice, but what you need to know is that the U8H will deliver excellent color reproduction and overall image quality when you’re streaming or playing 4K content. Even HD content will look nice on this TV if it was mastered well. Hisense touts this TV’s Dolby Atmos support, too, in case you don’t have the space or interest in external speakers. If you’ve been holding off on buying a new TV, the Hisense U8H will be a huge upgrade over the set you have now—especially if you haven’t made the jump to 4K.

The best TV deals

The best projector deals

The best Bluetooth speaker deals

The best stereo receiver deals

The best speaker deals

The best soundbar deals

More Presidents Day deals

The post Kick back and relax with the best TV and home theater Presidents Day Weekend deals appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best lunch boxes of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-lunch-box/ Mon, 11 Oct 2021 20:30:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=387898
The best lunch box of 2021

Keep food safe and delicious all day with the best lunch box that goes everywhere.

The post The best lunch boxes of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best lunch box of 2021

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall The Mier Adult Insulated lunch box is the best overall. MIER Adult Lunch Box Insulated Lunch Bag
SEE IT

This versatile bag comes with two compartments, to keep food cold and dry.

Best value The Rubbermaid LunchBlox is the best lunch box for value. Rubbermaid LunchBlox Lunch Bag
SEE IT

This budget-friendly pick is easy to carry and has room for ice packs.

Best for kids The TWELVE Little Adventure Kids' Lunch is the best for kids. TWELVElittle Adventure Kids Lunch Box
SEE IT

This adorable bag is insulated to keep food at the right temps and is machine washable.

For many people, the humble lunch box holds a special place in their memories. Here in the United States, they once served as pop culture objects. Simple metal boxes adorned with colorful graphics or logos evoked popular TV shows or movies, like “Star Wars” or “The Jetsons.” Throughout the 1960s up through the 1980s, many of these illustrated metal lunch boxes accompanied generations of grade school children to school.

Today, while the goal of an excellent lunch box is still the same as in years past—namely to keep work and school lunches safe, protected, and cool or warm, depending on the food—the design of the lunch box is dramatically different. In fact, most aren’t metal anymore. Instead, you can find many that have a soft, fabric, plastic or nylon exteriors, which make these lunch boxes easier to place in backpacks, briefcases and travel bags. You’ll also find many more styles and designs available. 

To help you find the best lunch box for you, we’ve put together this guide to let you know which is the best and why, along with advice on what features to look for or which ones to stay away from along with some helpful advice.

How we selected the best lunch boxes

There are hundreds of different lunch box models available, and they range in price from as little as a single lunch into the hundreds of dollars. However, most pricier models are more about making a fashion statement than simply finding something that would fit into most people’s budget. That is why we generally looked for lunch boxes that care more about function than fashion. If a lunch box is going to push the budget, it should come with a heap of features or accessories to make it truly useful.

Another big factor in selecting the products for this guide was that we wanted to select insulated lunch boxes, whether they were more traditional looking lunch boxes or bento-style boxes, which were first used in Japan, but have become quite popular internationally. 

We also researched models that were easy to clean and use, were durable and stain-resistant, and that were versatile as well. If the models included storage containers, we also researched and selected models with containers that didn’t leak. In the end, we surveyed dozens of models across various categories to find the ideal options for common needs.

The best lunch boxes: Reviews & Recommendations

Best overall: MIER Adult Lunch Box Insulated Lunch Bag

MIER

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: It offers users a lot of versatility, including two separate compartments, allowing you to keep cold food cold and hot food hot, within the same lunch box.

Specs:

  • Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.9 x 11 inches
  • Includes a detachable and adjustable shoulder strap
  • Available in black, blue steel, camouflage, dark red, and other colors

Pros:

  • Double-layer design, for separately keeps hot and cold food
  • Nicely designed
  • Easy to clean
  • Detachable and adjustable shoulder strap lets you carry in different ways

Cons:

  • Might be too large for some

There’s a lot to like about this large Mier lunch box. For starters, the top “dry” section has a U-opening, which zips open and closed, for easy access and is ideal for non-seeping food, such as fruits or snacks. On the bottom, you’ll find a “cold” section, which has leak-resistant insulation, so it’s a great section to store your drinks, water, juice, or soda. 

Although it’s larger than many lunch boxes, it’s easy to carry since it has a detachable and adjustable shoulder strap, and the lunch box itself has a comfortable handle, too. In the front, you’ll also find a zipper pouch, which is great for packing utensils and napkins. There are also two small side pockets for packing other items. It comes in several colors, including black, blue steel, camouflage, dark Red, and four other colors.

Best value: Rubbermaid LunchBlox (Medium) Lunch Bag

Rubbermaid

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Both size options come at a very affordable price, which is great if you’re bringing food to work to save cash.

Specs:

  • Dimensions: 5.38 x 8.75 x 8.88 inches
  • Weight: 6.6 ounces
  • Includes a grip handle and removable shoulder strap

Pros:

  • Inexpensive
  • Includes removable shoulder strap

Cons:

  • Some might find it a little small for their food portions

Although this lunch box is inexpensive, it’s not cheaply made. It includes insulation, to keep food fresher longer and comes with both a comfort-grip handle and removable shoulder strap, for easy carrying. There’s also an exterior pocket for carrying a water bottle or thermos.

Rubbermaid states that this lunch box is specifically designed to work with Rubbermaid lunchblox food containers and blue ice packs. However, it will hold just about any small containers that fit in its interior space. Also, if you want a smaller sized or more inexpensive version, you can buy this in a smaller size, which is just 5.38 by 8.75 by 5.88 inches and weighs just 5.3 ounces.

Best lunch box for the office: Rubbermaid LunchBlox Salad Kit

Rubbermaid

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: It can go in the microwave, freezer, fridge, and pretty much anywhere else.

Specs:

  • Dimensions: 4.81 x 8.75 x 8.88 inches
  • Weight: 14.1 ounces
  • Microwave-, dishwasher- and freezer-safe and BPA-free

Pros:

  • Very inexpensive
  • Has a smart modular design
  • Handy measurement guides are on the side of each container in the kit

Cons:

  • Limited capacity
  • Doesn’t come in different colors

This Rubbermaid salad kit comes with several containers, including one salad container (5.2 cup capacity), one toppings tray, one salad dressing container (1.8 ounces), and one medium-blue ice freezer pack. It has a nicely designed, modified Bento-box style layout, although you’ll also be stacking items on top of each other. It also includes a blue ice-freezer pack, which snaps directly onto food containers to keep salads or lunches chilled when you’re on the go. We also liked the handy measurement guides on the side of each container, which allow you to control the portion sizes of your meals.

If you get sick of salads, the containers are microwave safe so you can still feel good about bringing your food to work even if you’ve replaced your ruffage with leftover lasagna.

Best lunch box cooler: A2S Complete Meal Prep Lunch Box

A2S

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This large lunch box provides you with containers and compartments, which can be very handy if you need to prepare a meal and need to carry the ingredients with you.

Specs:

  • Dimensions: 13.5 x 7.5 x 10 inches
  • Weight: 2.07 pounds
  • Includes containers

Pros: 

  • Comes with three plastic food containers
  • Includes an insulated beverage bottle
  • Includes an adjustable shoulder strap

Cons:

  • Relatively pricey
  • Not machine washable

There are lots of places to store food and drinks in this lunch box: In the main section, you have room to place the three included, leakproof meal containers, which can be stacked on top of each other. All three meal containers are also freezer-, microwave- and dishwasher-safe. Above, there’s a smaller compartment to place fruits or snacks. Both of these compartments zip shut with a two-zipper system.

On the side, you’ll also find two slots for storing water or beverage bottles. It also comes with an insulated beverage bottle (and lid), a fork and knife, and three reusable ice packs.

Best lunch box for kids: TWELVElittle Adventure Kids Lunch Box 

TWELVE Little

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This lunch box not only has an adorable design on its exterior, but it’s water-resistant, too, to keep it looking good and for easy cleaning

Specs:

  • Dimensions: 10 x 8.25 x 4 inches
  • Weight: 10.4 ounces
  • Machine Washable

Pros:

  • Beautifully designed, water-resistant exterior
  • Easy to clean
  • Comes with a long detachable strap for easy carrying.

Cons:

  • Slightly more expensive than others targeted at kids

You might find a cheaper lunch box for your kids, but it most likely won’t be as attractive or nicely designed as this one from TWELVE Little. Inside, this comes with fully insulated extra pockets, which makes packing lunch and snacks a breeze, and it will keep all the contents cooler or warmer for longer. It also has two mesh pockets, for ice packs or other items. And this box includes a long, detachable strap for easy carrying. Additionally, the entire lunch box is machine washable, so it’s easy to throw in the wash after a yogurt-related catastrophe happens on the way to school. 

It’s not the cheapest box on the list, but it’s also not overly expensive, which is good because kids have a tendency to leave things pretty much everywhere.

What to consider when buying the best lunch boxes

To buy a good quality lunch box, you don’t need to spend a lot of money. Most we recommended are very affordable. But how do you choose? Follow our guide to help you make your decision. Here are some factors to consider before making your purchase:

Style of lunch box: Traditional or Bento

One of the first things you’ll want to figure out is what style you’ll want to use: A traditional lunch or a Bento box. A traditional lunch box opens on the front or the top of the box or bag, generally placing some of your items on top of each other. A Bento box is generally smaller and all your food is on one layer. Most Bento boxes are also divided up into sections or have containers to add into the box.

Size, exterior, design and color

You’ll also want to consider both the size of your lunch box and its exterior or shell. If you plan on bringing a lot of food, be sure your lunch box is large enough for the food you plan on carrying with you. Check the dimensions. 

Also, consider the exterior of your lunch box. Although there aren’t as many metal lunch boxes on the market as there used to be, there are a number of models that have a hard exterior, which, in some rare cases, might protect your food a little better than those with soft exteriors. But lunch boxes with softer exteriors still do a fine job of keeping your food safe. They’re also easier to fit into a bag or backpack. Plus, they’re easier to store when they’re empty.

Be sure you like the design and color of your lunch box. Also, look to see if it has a comfortable handle or includes a carrying strap, if it’s larger. And consider the overall design and color: They may not be the most important factors in your purchase, but you’ll still want to buy an attractive-looking lunch box, since you’ll be taking it with you to work or school every day.

Insulation and microwave safety

Almost all good quality lunch boxes have some type of insulation, which keeps cold food cool, or hot foot warm, even hours after you put them in. Also, see if your lunch box is microwave safe. This is particularly helpful if you use a Bento box that doesn’t have removable containers and you want to avoid transferring your food to another plate or container to warm up your meals.

Extra containers

Some lunch boxes come with removable containers, which is a nice extra and means you don’t have to search for separate containers for your food. They’re also designed to fit into your lunch box, and may include other items, like a thermos or water bottle.

Ease of cleaning

A well-designed lunch box will keep your food and drinks secure without spilling or leaking. However, if you do happen to spill something on the interior or exterior, you’ll want it to have material that is stain resistant. Moreover, look for a lunch box that’s easy to clean, since you’re bound to spill a drink or drop some food on it at some point. Depending on the type you have, check to see if it’s safe to put into the washing machine (for soft exteriors) or a dishwasher (for hard exteriors).

Durability

Look through user reviews before you buy your lunch box to see if it’s durable. It should last at least a year, perhaps longer.

FAQs

Q: What material are most lunch boxes made from?

It depends which type you buy. Insulated lunch boxes usually contain an outer layer of tough, plastic fabric, such as vinyl, nylon, or polyester, which can be hard to stain or tear. Inside, a lunch bag might have an inner layer made from a water-resistant material, such as plastic, aluminum, vinyl, and foil liners, which can help keep food fresh and dry.

Q: What is a Bento box?

The design of a Bento box originated in Japan, but today has become quite popular in many other parts of the world. Traditionally, the box was packed with foods, such as rice, meat or fish, vegetables, and other food. It was also designed to make the portions appear as attractive as possible.

Q: How often should you replace your lunch box?

It depends how often you use it. However, some experts suggest that you should replace a child’s lunch box every year, since dirt, bacteria and mold might build up on the inside of the lunch box or bag. 

A final word on the best lunch boxes

Bringing your lunch to work or making lunch for your children and having them bring it to school is a great way to ensure that your family enjoys their lunch. It’s why you want to choose a lunch box or bag that’s well constructed and durable.

However, bringing your lunch to work or to school can also save you and your family money. According to some experts, consumers on average will spend around $11 if they eat lunch out, but will spend only $6.30 when they bring their lunch to work or school. In fact, USA Today said that consumers didn’t realize they were spending as much as $50 a week on lunch, which could be as much as $2,600 a year. So, it can really pay to buy a really nice lunch box or bag so that you keep your food safe and fresh if you commute to work or school. 

The post The best lunch boxes of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Be a Super Bowl party champion with $250 off Fire TVs on Amazon https://www.popsci.com/gear/super-bowl-2023-amazon-deals/ Fri, 03 Feb 2023 19:26:20 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=509716
Two TVs wearing cartoon football helmets on a grass background with a cartoon football in between them.
Amanda Reed

Everyone is a winner when you find a good sale—especially this Fire TV sale on Amazon.

The post Be a Super Bowl party champion with $250 off Fire TVs on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Two TVs wearing cartoon football helmets on a grass background with a cartoon football in between them.
Amanda Reed

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Ah, the Super Bowl: the one time every year we put our differences aside to cheer on the team we want to win. Even if our favorite team may not play (although the joy of watching is sweeter when it does), at least we can maybe get some good betting money out of it. Or, if you’re simply using the Super Bowl party as an excuse to enjoy beer and chicken wings, no judgement. You can critique the commercials and watch Super Bowl LVII MVP Rihanna. No matter who or what you’re rooting for, you’ll be the winner by upgrading your TV, air fryer, and/or video doorbell with brag-worthy Amazon deals.

Amazon Fire TV 55″ 4-Series 4K UHD smart TV $399.99 (Was $519.99)

Amazon

SEE IT

If you’re frantically searching “how to watch the Super Bowl without cable” while keeping your current 1080p TV on life support, we think it’s high time to upgrade to the Amazon Fire TV 55″ 4-Series 4K UHD smart TV, which is 23% off. You can watch the game live thanks to Amazon Fire built-in, which also allows you to stream music—perfect for pre- and post-game entertaining. 4K UHD and Dolby Digital Plus will make it feel like you’re yelling at the refs right next to Nick Sirianni and Andy Reid. And, if you’re looking for a slightly better deal in exchange for a slightly smaller TV, the 50-inch version is 32% off with all the same features as its 55-inch larger cousin. If you’re looking for a step-up, consider the Amazon Fire TV Omni Series—the 75-inch version is 24% off and adds hands-free Alexa.

The deals don’t stop at TVs, however. Pick up a Dolby Atmos Soundbar for 30%-off to hear every tackle and hike, and tweet game updates sans refresh with an eero mesh Wi-Fi system that’s less than $200. Ensure that the person at the door is an esteemed guest and not a rando with 30% off a Ring Doorbell 3. Between this Ninja AF101 Air Fryer that’s on sale for less than $100 and a Magic Mill Food Dehydrator that’s almost 40% off, you’ll have the best Super Bowl party food in the neighborhood. No party is complete without a fire pit—the Solo Stove has you covered there with a 24% off deal on the Ranger 2 portable fire pit. Best of all, you’ll get everything before the game with plenty of time to plan, thanks to Amazon Prime.

Super Bowl LVII is Feb. 12, with kickoff at 6:30 p.m. EST. Snag your party supplies while they’re on sale, including the ever-important team gear. (Go Birds! Chief’s Kingdom!)

Here are other Super Bowl party essentials that are on sale:

The post Be a Super Bowl party champion with $250 off Fire TVs on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best wireless headphones for TV of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-wireless-headphones-for-tv/ Sat, 07 May 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=441397
A lineup of the best wireless for TV in a white background
Amanda Reed

Take it all in without filling all your space with noise or toys with these wireless headphones for TV.

The post The best wireless headphones for TV of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
A lineup of the best wireless for TV in a white background
Amanda Reed

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Yamaha YH-L700A sitting on a table Yamaha YH-L700A
SEE IT

Super versatile with an excellent boost of layering and legibility to even low-quality audio.

Best value Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2 is the best value wireless headphone for TV. Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2
SEE IT

One of the highest quality-to-cost ratios on the market.

Best cinephile JVC Exofield Personal Home Theater System is the best cinephile wireless headphone for TV. JVC Exofield Personal Home Theater System
SEE IT

A multi-layered, immersive soundscape designed for one thing: the ultimate movie-watching experience.

When it comes to gadgets for home theaters, picture gets most of the press—4K, 8K, HDR, OLED, deep blacks, and popping colors—but even the best TVs don’t have good built-in audio, which is where wireless headphones for TV come in. Sound matters, so we’re going to talk about some sound matters. Once you experience a truly great soundscape with your favorite films, shows, or games, you’ll never want to go back. Multi-speaker systems replicate the theater experience best but can be harder to set up in smaller spaces and get very expensive very quickly. Plus, the ground-shaking T. rex steps that get your heart racing might also get your neighbors racing to file a noise complaint. So what’s the answer when space, wallet, or society conspire to deny you the sonic stimulation you so richly deserve? The best wireless headphones for TV, that’s what.

While 10-20 years ago, it would have been silly to suggest a pair of headphones could give you an immersive sound experience with your TV, technology has blessed us with a world of personal listening devices that are tech’d, tuned, and tested to bring the best out of Netflix, Blu-ray, Xbox, etc. Plus, isn’t versatility important? Nobody wants to be tethered to a device without the ability to walk to the kitchen to pop another bag of corn in the microwave while simultaneously staying in your program’s audioverse. To that end, we selected a variety of gear that really brings out the best at your behest. For cinephiles, gamers, and even multi-users, the best wireless headphones for TV offer some compelling, versatile sound experiences at competitive costs.

How we chose the best wireless headphones for TV

First of all, naturally, we removed all wired headsets from contention. Generally, wired headphones offer better sound than wireless, but that gap is not nearly as wide as it once was. We considered Bluetooth headsets, as well as those that use their own base stations/wireless protocols. Options up and down the budget spectrum were assessed, though none of these headsets hit $1,000 and most are under $500. The list below is an amalgamation of first-hand reviews, recommendations by trusted colleagues, and the consensus of the audio-video press, delineated into categories that can guide you toward cans that can—wireless headphones for TV that fit your unique situation and needs.

The best wireless headphones for TV: Reviews & Recommendations

It’s unlikely you’ll be disappointed with any of the wireless headphones we’ve selected. Even the budget set is quite nice and certainly a huge upgrade if you’re only listening to the built-in sound of your TV’s speakers. The most important thing to note is the exclusive features that each headset has, as the “general sound” and “general use” of all these units is strong. Regardless of which wireless headphones for TV you choose, your ears will thank you for your service to their joy.

Best overall: Yamaha YH-L700A

Markkus Rovito

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With features on features, the Yamaha YH-L700A pairs excellent quality sound with modes of listening that make it excellent for TV, gaming, music, and work.

Specs

  • Over-ear Bluetooth headphones
  • Simulated 3D sound with optional head-tracking
  • Active noise-canceling plus Ambient Sound mode
  • Listening Optimizer and LIstening Care equalization modes
  • Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX Adaptive
  • Up to 34 hours of battery life
  • Dedicated app for iOS and Android
  • Includes carrying case, USB-C cable, audio cable, and flight adapter

Pros

  • Clear, crisp sound
  • Versatile 3D Sound Field mode sweetens stereo sound signals significantly
  • Bluetooth and wired options allow use in the maximum number of set-ups
  • Excellent noise-canceling

Cons

  • Cinema audio settings aren’t as true-tuned as units rated for Dolby Atmos
  • Cups can get quite warm around the ears
  • Head-tracking feature doesn’t improve sound experience much

Yamaha is a bit of an old-school name in audio, but the company’s top-tier headphone is packed with the newest technology. What caused this set to edge out our others is its jack-of-all-trades mentality along with great sound and low latency from its high-quality Bluetooth 5.0 connection (featuring the advanced resolution aptX Adaptive codec for compatible Android devices, plus AAC for iPhones). Additionally, The YH-L700A’s seven selectable Sound Fields (among other features we’ve extensively reviewed) can transform any input into an approximation of 3D sound, improving any broadcast or stream even if higher-quality audio options aren’t available. 

The noise-canceling on this pair is quite adept, featuring a range of dynamic filtering modes that are easy to implement. In addition to active noise-canceling, which analyzes and counteracts—as much as possible—environmental sound, Listening Optimizer adjusts equalization on the fly based on the noises around you, boosting levels when the environment would normally pierce through. This is great for rambunctious kids or city noises if you’re an urban dweller. “Listening Care” ensures that important sonic cues aren’t lost at lower volume levels by re-juggling the equalization to pop what needs to pop, and it also differentiates between primary sound and background noise. The Yamaha YH-L700A ends up offering one of the most impressive low-volume listening experiences available.

The headset itself is comfortable, though the ear cups can make quite a warm seal. Luckily, if you overheat and have to run a small fan, the ANC can reduce the whirr while it’s cooling you down. Battery life is robust, reaching 34 hours at less-taxing use. Though being Bluetooth does reduce what these earphones can achieve, the use of aptX Adaptive, a next-gen codec for wireless audio, ensures the best quality sound with the lowest latency possible over the Bluetooth protocol. And Bluetooth does open up a ton of possible uses other than with your TV, such as while walking or exercising, public transit, or computer workstations.

Don’t forget that for the highest-quality sound settings, like those with Blu-ray or the best streams, you’ll need to use the wired connection option on these bad boys, as Bluetooth simply doesn’t have the bandwidth necessary to give you those richest soundscapes. The nice thing about this set though is that even in lower-quality settings, like pure stereo, the 3D modes really add some space and area to the sound in your head, giving a “2.5D” experience. Taking below-average sound and making it sing, that’s the makings of a best in class. If you want to know even more about our favorite set, check out the in-depth review.

Best with transmitter: Sennheiser RS 195 RF

Sennheiser Consumer Audio

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Sennheiser is a name synonymous with quality headphones, and these are no exception thanks to their clariy, comfort, and consistent signal via a dedicated transmitter.

Specs

  • Over-ear sound-blocking headphones with transmitter/dock
  • Three listening presets, including speech mode and music mode
  • Optical digital (Toslink) and analog inputs (L/R RCA or 3.5mm) on transmitter/dock
  • 330-foot line-of-sight range
  • Up to 18 hours of battery life
  • Customizable selectable sound profiles

Pros

  • Incredible clear sound
  • Customizable
  • Able to sweeten dialog or music
  • Nearly no audio lag thanks to RF technology
  • Long battery life with charging dock

Cons

  • No Bluetooth compatibility / device-bound
  • Somewhat bulky construction
  • Not cheap

Sennheiser can be trusted. While some may quibble over what the very best headphones on the market are, Sennheiser’s name is always in the conversation. And it may come as little surprise that a company that makes what we consider to be the best all-in-one soundbar on the market understands how to pair audio with video. So when it comes to headphones built to work with television, the venerable German brand also sets a gold standard. 

The sound quality is really strong, focusing on clarity rather than volume. Sennheiser often markets these particular headphones to customers with hearing issues because of their ability to isolate certain elements of sound, such as dialog, to help listeners who otherwise would need to jack the volume up to hear the characters speaking. The benefit for users who don’t have hearing issues is that you can fully customize the sound levels of not just volume, bass, and treble, but the sweetening of certain elements, and save those settings as a selectable preset.

However, while these are wireless headphones, they’re not portable. The transmitter/dock that connects to the audio source isn’t meant to be taken on the go and there’s no Bluetooth compatibility. The wireless is instead RF (a radio signal) created by the transmitter/dock.  While that limits the devices that it can be used with, it means there’s almost no latency (lag) between the source signal and the sound in your head, so every spoken word and dramatic sound will sync up with the screen. Additionally, there is up to 330 feet of range, even though this set is designed to live with your audio source. If that’s not a dealbreaker, those who want precise, impressive sound inside comfortable, noise-dampening headphones can rest assured that Sennheiser stands above the rest.

An important things to note about the Sennheiser RS195 RF is that it’s not always easy to get. While there is new-in-box product out there, including on Amazon, the high quality and desirability of these now-discontinued headphones mean that there are times when their secondary-market price can be higher than their original MSRP. Despite this, they are still recommended due to their incredible performance, just keep that price in mind. If you want a cheaper alternative, the step-down model, the Sennheiser RS 175 RF, is also sometimes available on Amazon, again with a potentially inflated cost.

Best gaming: Astro A50 Wireless Gen 4

ASTRO Gaming

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Game soundscapes have come a long way from 8-bit beeps and boops, and so have headsets like this specifically calibrated one that gives you 3D sound and maybe even a competitive advantage.

Specs

  • Two models: One compatible with PS4 and PS5, and the other with Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
  • Both models compatible with PC and Mac
  • Over-ear headphones with transmitter/charging dock
  • Dolby Audio compatible / Dolby Atmos available with Xbox model
  • 3D sound compatible with Windows Sonic
  • Customization software available with Xbox One, PC, and Mac
  • 15 hours of battery life
  • Built-in auto-mute-when-lifted boom mic

Pros

  • Nearly no lag on wireless sound
  • Supports lower-end surround sound modes (5.1)
  • Included mic is strong quality, for communication while gaming
  • Dolby Atmos support with Xbox version

Cons

  • No universal version
  • Battery life could be longer
  • Command Center software has some issues on Windows 11 (though this will probably get fixed)

Gamers know the power of great headsets. Competitive games test your eyes, your hand reflexes, and even your ears. The higher the quality of your sound, the more easily you can pinpoint the location of the enemy from his gunfire sounds. Then you can dominate him easily, and isn’t that what it’s all about? And you don’t have to spend hundreds (though you easily can if you snag Master & Dynamic MG20 or Audeze Penrose X).

The Astro A50 comes in two models. Both offer compatibility with PC and Mac, but you need separate versions for the Xbox family of consoles and the PlayStation family. The Xbox version offers an advantage over the PlayStation with Dolby Atmos 3D sound support (the feature requires you sign up for a subscription but there’s a voucher included that gives you some time for free). Both Astro A50 headsets give you great clarity and placement and communicate quickly with the base station, resulting in nearly no lag—key for gaming. The mic is a flip-down boom-type that auto-mutes when flipped up, meaning you don’t have to stare at it if you’re using these headphones to listen to some streaming media through your console instead of playing a game. In a competitive gaming headset space, there are better wired options out there, but no better wireless options than the Astro A50.

Best noise-canceling: Jabra Elite 85h

Jabra

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Fit and filter are important for noise-canceling and the Jabra Elite 85h has those covered.

Specs

  • Over-ear Bluetooth Headphones
  • Four choices of color
  • Active noise canceling
  • SmartSound audio adjusts in response to ambient sounds
  • 36 hours battery life
  • 5 hours of battery charged in 15 minutes via USB-C
  • High-quality on-cup 8-microphone array for calls
  • Optional 3.5mm cable

Pros

  • Superior noise-canceling
  • Excellent built-in microphone array
  • Multiple color choices for the fashion-conscious
  • Water-resistant for additional use outdoors

Cons

  • Sound quality overall not as good as competitors
  • Bluetooth connection can occasionally result in some slight lag
  • Lacks support for some higher-end codecs for music

Noise-canceling is very important for some users and is the feature they most consider when purchasing a new set of wireless headphones. The Jabra Elite 85h has some of the best active noise-canceling on the market, using an algorithm to analyze your environment and then generate counterwaves that remove the outside world’s noises and letting you get lost in the movie or music. Connection is via Bluetooth 5.0, which means there can sometimes be lag, but typically the delay is not bad. Though perhaps not particularly important to many TV users, the Elite 85h has one of the most impressive built-in microphone sets, coupled with filtering technology, and pairing this with a phone results in some incredibly muffle-free calls, a rarity with wireless headsets (and handy if you’re on the phone with a friend/client while you watch the YouTube/TikTok they just sent you).

The Jabra Elite 85h comes in a variety of professional finishes if aesthetic choices are also part of your decision-making process when it comes to new headphones. And this does mean they’ll look good in the office, where that noise-canceling shines as you sit in on video calls/presentations. These headphones are also all-stars in a noisy household, giving the user a little slice of their own world amongst the chaos. Battery life is up to 36 hours, which is a lot of series binging. For those who need the sanctity of discreet sound, Jabra offers the best experience and an oasis for one.

Best cinephile: JVC Exofield Personal Home Theater System

JVC

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Truly focused, the JVC Exofield Personal Home Theater System is not just a set of headphones, but also a sonic processor, meaning you get the truest cinema-spec sound beamed straight to your head.

Specs

  • Over-ear headphones with set-top processor
  • Reproduces 7.1.4-channel theater audio within headphones 
  • DTS:X and Dolby Atmos compatible
  • Supports Up-mixing of 2-channel and 5.1-channel material to 7.1.4 channels
  • App with customization options calibrates your experience
  • 12-hour battery life

Pros

  • Theater sound in headphones
  • Amazing range and dynamic sound
  • Offers sound that is simply not attainable on other headphones
  • App, once it works, offers amazing customization and calibration

Cons

  • Most expensive item on our list
  • Difficult to set up and optimize
  • Difficult to connect components in a way that maximizes all of them

The JVC Exofield Personal Home Theater System is designed to do only one thing, and it does that thing very well: producing a theater-style multichannel soundfield within headphones. The vast majority of headphones on our list cannot process true object-based sound, but rather offer extremely high-quality stereo sound that, while lovely to listen to, is not going to have the depth or location that the Exofield offers. Using a 2.4GHz/5GHz dual-band Wi-Fi connection to transfer full-fidelity cinema sound between the set-top unit and headphones, the Exofield system brings realism and surrealism in the way it delivers a spacious, immersive experience through its 40mm drivers. The main drawback of this incredible piece of technology, other than it requiring space on or in your credenza, is that it is finicky to set up and to communicate with other devices. 

Set up is a bit arduous, involving taking measurements, and it can potentially error out, forcing you to restart the process. The choice of marrying many of the options to an app could backfire in the future if an update breaks the software or the app gets delisted and you need to download it to a new device. Setting up the transmitter correctly—patching through the right inputs/outputs (don’t forget those HDMI cables) to ensure all your components work correctly on your screen—can be a difficult task, though, usually, a unit like this assumes the end-user doesn’t need much handholding when it comes to A/V. It’s just important to consider how plug-and-play things truly are when buying a nearly-$1,000 audio system. While the sound is amazing and near-flawless when optimized, offering a surreal experience of over a half-dozen points of sound inside headphones, getting there may be a battle; a battle that’s absolutely worth it if you’re a cinephile. The bass kicks, the dialog sparkles, and you’ll hear elements within your movie soundscapes that were literally inaudible on TV speakers.

Best earbuds: Sennheiser TV Clear Set

Sennheiser

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Lose the headband but keep the same high-quality Sennheiser sound with these TV-ready earbuds.

Specs

  • In-ear headphones
  • Speech clarity, ambient awareness, and passive noise cancellation settings
  • App with customization options
  • Bluetooth or TV transmitter connection
  • Optional 3.5mm cable
  • 15-hour battery life

Pros

  • Qi wireless charging compatible
  • Great for people with glasses
  • Speech clarity mode choices are unmatched

Cons

  • Expensive

Those with glasses—or those who hate the feeling of wearing headphones—can find on-ear headphones difficult to comfortably wear. The TV Clear set from Sennheiser solves that problem by packing high-quality sound into lightweight earbuds that are practically unnoticeable while you sport them. Choose from five different speech clarity settings for clearer dialogue—it’s like turning up the brightness on a Game of Thrones episode, but with sound.

True wireless earbuds, TV Clear can connect with tablets, laptops, or smartphones, and can be used to make and receive calls. But what sets these 6.9g ‘buds apart is you can use the included transmitter with your TV to set your own preferred earbud volume while family and/or guests watch at the sound level of their choice. You can use an app to personalize your TV-watching experience with five speech clarity levels of up to 20 dB of high-frequency amplification; in addition, the app can help you find the earbuds if they fall into a couch, etc. And, the transmitter’s low latency keeps audio and video in sync. Ambient awareness allows you to hear your surroundings while you watch, meaning you can hear if the popcorn’s done or if your kid is trying to sneak back in the house.

And, you can pair as many Bluetooth headphones to the connector as you like. The 15-hour battery life (with an additional 22 added by the case) means you can get through a quarter of a Love Island season without taking a pause. No headband, no problem.

Best value: Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2

Poly (Plantronics + Polycom)

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: It always feels good to stretch a dollar and the Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2 is the best choice if the idea of a “pound-for-pound” champion—rather than the baddest headphones on the planet—rings true for you.

Specs

  • Over-ear headphones with Bluetooth wireless
  • On-demand active noise-canceling 
  • Optional 3.5mm cable connection
  • 33 (Bluetooth 2) or 330-foot (Bluetooth 1) range
  • Up to 24 hours of battery life
  • 3 hour charge time (via micro-USB)

Pros

  • Excellent sound for the money
  • Comfortable and cool styling
  • Bluetooth means it can be used not only with TV but also with other devices
  • Battery life is long and strong

Cons

  • Active noise-canceling isn’t a strong point
  • Charge time could be quicker
  • May experience slight lag with Bluetooth

Money comes and goes, but great sound is forever, or so they say. OK, maybe we’re the only one saying it, but that doesn’t make it less true. If you don’t want to spring for one of our more expensive choice but you still want great sound, the Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2 is one of the best options on the market. While it doesn’t reach the richness of the Yamaha YH-L700A or Sennheiser RS 195 RF above, the sound quality is strong. With a price-point comparable to the more popular but less impressive Beats headphones, you’ll get much better sound at different ranges than Beats, which are so heavy on bass that an action movie may be unbalanced and overwhelming. 

Despite being a Bluetooth device, the latency isn’t bad, and any lag is usually short enough to be imperceptible. Battery life is impressive, measuring a full day, and while charging time isn’t particularly quick, it’s not laborious either at 3 hours. These headphones feature active noise-canceling, a program that digitally filters outside noise to offer a better listening experience. Sadly, this is one of the Backbeat Pro’s weaknesses. The ANC isn’t particularly sophisticated and really can only remove consistent sounds, like a droning fan or device hum. Quick or piercing sounds will still make their way through. However, given the comfort, versatility, and sound quality at a more-than-reasonable sub-$200 price point, the Backbeat Pro 2 is hard to fault for this slight shortcoming. 

Best budget: Anker Life Soundcore Q30

Soundcore

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: While its sound can’t compare with its competitors, the Anker Soundcore Q30’s price blows them all away, making them a great backup set or quick replacement.

Specs

  • Over-ear Bluetooth Headphones
  • Noise-canceling
  • 40 hours battery life
  • 4 hours of battery on a 5-minute charge
  • EQ app allows for customization

Pros

  • Low price
  • Excellent battery life
  • Features some noise-canceling via pre-sets
  • Anker is known for good customer support

Cons

  • Sound is budget-level
  • Needs app for best calibration
  • Ear cups are very small

Sometimes, the dollar is almighty. If you’re looking to get serviceable wireless headphones for under $100, the answer is the same as it often is in the budget tech space: Anker. A company that started with batteries and has expanded into almost every accessory even remotely connected to computers/smartdevices, Anker is known for low-price products that don’t feel low-price, coupled with helpful and hassle-free customer support. The Anker Life Soundcore Q30—a slightly older model than the current Q35 that saves you $50—is exactly what you expect from the company: a solid if unspectacular headset that includes a few surprising features but mostly, most importantly, understands the assignment. 

The surprising feature here is a form of noise-canceling. While not nearly on the level of the Jabra Elite 85h above, there are three presets that can determine how ambient sound is filtered. Fiddling through these can definitely improve your listening experience. Additional customization and equalization (EQ) is available by pairing the headphones with a phone or tablet and using an app. For TV, these headphones aren’t going to blow you away. They don’t support multichannel audio, so you’ll only be able to listen in stereo. But if $100 is your budgetary ceiling, the Anker Life Soundcore Q30 is a serviceable, portable option to listen to your TV’s audio solely between your own ears.

What to consider before buying the best wireless headphones for TV

Before even considering wireless headphones for TV, you’ll want to think about your reasons for choosing them over other sound options. If you live alone in a home that shares no walls with other people, the pull of wireless headphones is more for their versatility outside of using them with your TV and you’ll likely want to get a pair that uses Bluetooth for its connection, as it will allow you to pair the headphones with a phone or computer as well as with your TV. If this aspect of the headphones doesn’t appeal to you, you can achieve better sound with a multi-speaker system with wireless surround sound and comparable audio with a high-quality soundbar, like one with Dolby Atmos capabilities.

However, if privacy for yourself or consideration for a coinhabitant or neighbor are chief considerations for your sound set-up, headphones are the best choice. Even headphones that are not considered “noise-canceling” will isolate your ears and allow you to experience blow-me-away booms without bothering anyone but those in close proximity. As for what is lost in the transition from multi-speaker/soundbar to headphones, the good news is that it isn’t much. The richness of the sound may falter a bit compared to a more powerful system, but multi-channel, deep soundscapes can be replicated within headphones quite adeptly, using multiple small speakers within the headphone earcup.

The last thing to consider is what your most common TV uses are. If you’re into 4K Blu-rays, cinema-quality sound spec compatibility is really key for a good pair of headphones. DTS (formerly Digital Theater Systems, now just an acronym with no nym) has DTS:X—a sound setting that allows greater “location” within the soundscape. FoDTS:Xr example, let’s say a character in a movie on one side of the screen shoots a bullet toward a character on the other. DTS:X-compatible headphones receiving a DTS:X signal will do a much, much better job of placing the sound of the gun going off, moving the bullet sound across the headphones, and producing the impact in the correct place on the other side. 

Dolby Atmos, a competing sound spec, does essentially the same thing, treating sounds as “objects” assigned a spot within a 360-degree sphere around the listener. Headphones that create these sorts of soundscapes, that can simulate height as well as horizontal motion, will seem much more immersive than simple 5- or 7-channel speaker systems (much as those settings will sound better than simple stereo). Meanwhile, if you’re a gamer, very specific placement of sounds is useful for competitive 3D games, giving you a better clue of where to move your avatar to mow down your enemies. Additionally, a quality microphone for communicating with online teammates, as well as good blending and delineation between game audio and voice channels, helps the gaming experience.

Can wireless headphones replace a multi-speaker sound system?

Replace is a tough word to use. The truth is, if your living situation allows a high-end multi-speaker system and you can afford one, that is what is going to produce the very best, most impressive sound experience. However, not everyone has the ideal circumstances that allow this. And while they won’t stand up to the top of the line, a really nice pair of headphones designed for TV viewing are going to be better than a mediocre multi-speaker system (or an incomplete multi-speaker system). More importantly, you can use and enjoy a pair of headphones in literally any case: small apartment, busy family home, or by yourself in your gigantic mansion. The sound quality will be high and enveloping. Some people, especially those with hearing issues, may find headphones easier to calibrate for comfortable bass, treble, and volume levels without losing ambient or background sound. Headphones are not a replacement, they’re an alternate experience, and one that may be better for your particular needs.

What else can I do with my wireless headphones?

Some of these wireless headphones use their own wireless signals through a unit that is plugged into your wired inputs on your TV. Headphones that use their own system, rather than the more universal Bluetooth, tend to have much lower latency. Latency is the delay between a signal being sent and received. When listening to music, latency can be annoying—it can make moving through tracks seem sluggish, for example—but it doesn’t really ruin the listening experience the way audio that doesn’t sync with a TV can. However, these plug-in receivers are not going to be as portable or adaptable to different listening situations as a Bluetooth unit will.

With a Bluetooth headset, feel free to pair it with your phone or laptop and take it with you on the go. For the plug-in receiver sets, you’ll likely end up using the headphones almost exclusively with your TV. However, a good pair of headphones is going to be useful for movies, streaming, and gaming. While some features relevant to the specific use may not be available in all units, everything we reviewed performs “above average” in all of these categories, which will be the three most common signals coming out of your TV.

FAQs

Q: How much do the best wireless headphones for TV cost?

Our picks, much like all wireless headphones, range widely—from $100 to $500. Though in this day in age you can pair almost any Bluetooth headphone at any price point with a new connected smart TV. So you might be able to find a pair from $50 to $999. However, headphones (and earbuds) made for TV are preferable, featuring hardware and software optimization to make sure audio and video stays in sync, which is why we have highlighted them in this guide.

Q: Are Bluetooth headphones good for watching TV?

Bluetooth, as a technology, is great because it’s versatile and tons of devices have it. Overall, the best sound is not going to come from Bluetooth headphones, but from headphones that use their own plug-in units to connect their wireless signals. However, that doesn’t mean that Bluetooth isn’t “good.” A quality Bluetooth headset can absolutely blow you away with the level of quality it’s capable of, but that’s great engineering compensating for the specific issues with Bluetooth, rather than the innate quality of Bluetooth itself.

Q: How can I listen to my TV with wireless headphones?

Typical, you’ll either plug in a small unit to your TV (or receiver) that sends the wireless signal to your headphones over a dedicated protocol, or you’ll connect with Bluetooth. The former is capable of faster, bolder signals and thus higher-quality sound, but the latter can still impress in a good set.

Q: How can I listen to TV without disturbing others?

If roommates, family, or apartment neighbors are a concern when watching TV, you’ll want to prioritize noise-canceling headphones. Not only do these types of headphones seal out noise from the world when you are listening to your music, they stop noise from your headphones from bleeding out beyond your ears.

Q: How do you connect wireless headphones to a non-smart TV?

If your TV is not innately Bluetooth compatible, you can buy a Bluetooth transmitter that plugs into the aux input on your TV. There are several that are solid, but we recommend the Aisidra 5.0, which can work both as a transmitter and receiver, not only turning your “dumb” TV into one that is Bluetooth compatible but also turning your wired headphones into Bluetooth-capable wireless headphones.

Q: How can I connect my headphones to my TV without Bluetooth?

Most of the sets we sell have an option to use a wired connection in lieu of wireless, so there’s also that option. As for the non-Bluetooth headphones, they’ll come with a small box or dongle that connects to the TV or audio receiver that will send all the audio to your headphones. It’s a relatively simple set-up, and the included instructions will walk you through the steps.

Q: How do I know if my TV has Bluetooth?

To confirm if your TV has built-in Bluetooth, check the box (if you still have it) for a Bluetooth symbol, or look up your model of TV online. “MODELNUMBER Bluetooth” should be a good enough Google search to get you the answers you need.

Q: How do wireless headphones work for TV?

Modern TVs all produce sound digitally, so most wireless headphones are simply going to convert that digital information into a wireless signal that will be picked up by your headphones. This will either be done by a standard built-in Bluetooth transmitter or through a proprietary plug-in unit that establishes a dedicated connection.

Q: What are the best wireless headphones for TV?

See above! We can recommend any of the sets in this article, and “best” may end up being a matter of budget and your particular use profile.

Final thoughts on the best wireless headphones for TV

There are a lot of choices to make once you’ve made the choice to get a set of the best wireless headphones for TV. Remember to adjust your headphones out of the box, both by changing the headphones’ settings and your TV or receiver’s settings to find the sweet spot for your ears. Everyone can be different and the “default” settings—whether it be the picture on a screen or the sound emanating from it—are not always the ideal. Happy listening.

The post The best wireless headphones for TV of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best attic antennas of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-attic-antennas/ Sat, 17 Sep 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=470190
Best Attic Antennas
Mike Epstein

Where else would you put it?

The post The best attic antennas of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best Attic Antennas
Mike Epstein

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie is the best overall attic TV antenna. Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie
SEE IT

The Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie is a  powerful antenna that you can tuck away in an attic.

Best budget GE Attic Mount HD Digital TV Antenna is the best budget attic TV antenna. GE Attic Mount HD Digital TV Antenna
SEE IT

The GE Attic Mount HD Digital TV Antenna gets the job done and costs less than our more powerful picks.

Best for rural areas Free Signal TV Marathon Plus HDTV Long-Distance Antenna is the best attic TV antenna for rural areas. Marathon Plus HDTV Long-Distance Antenna
SEE IT

The Marathon Plus HDTV Long-Distance Antenna is easy to set up, and gives you lots of range.

Streaming may be king, but cord-cutters still need a TV antenna to fill in the gap left by cable and pick up regional channels to watch sports and local news. Fortunately, the technology is better than ever—from classic, spiny, yagi antennas to modern flat models you stick on your window, there’s a perfect antenna out there for you, no matter your budget. And if you have access to an attic, the best attic antennas offer convenience and reliability.

In most cases, it makes sense to either get an outdoor antenna to mount on your roof, or place an indoor antenna near a window in the same room as your TV. However, there’s a third, less obvious option that splits the difference between the two: mounting your antenna inside your attic. An attic antenna should give you a stronger signal than an in-room antenna while avoiding the hassles of having a rooftop antenna installed. It’s also the most discreet way to mount it. Besides, what are you using that space for, anyway? If you’re thinking about placing a new TV antenna in your attic, we can help you pick the right one for your space.

How we selected the best attic antennas

I’ve written about consumer technology for nearly a decade at sites like Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Lifewire as an industry journalist and critic. Most recently, I have covered home media and gaming here at Popular Science, including televisions and antennas. I also edit the Uber Engineering blog. Picking an antenna depends largely on your location, so the best antenna for a rural home would be complete overkill for someone living near a large city. Attic-mounting has more to do with placement than the antenna itself, so we’ve chosen a range of antennas at various price points and strengths, with a focus on quality and value. 

We’ve surveyed the best-selling, most reviewed, and most recommended products on the market and extrapolated a representative list of the best value options for a variety of price points and use cases. All of our recommendations are well-reviewed by customers and critics alike, and from brands we trust.

The best attic antennas: Reviews & Recommendations

Getting better signal quality out of the airwaves keeps free over-the-air broadcast TV relevant, even as we upgrade to 4K TVs and the broadcast environment shifts. You can upgrade any streaming setup with an attic antenna, which will bring free, local broadcasts to your living room without a gaudy black panel on your window or putting something on your roof. No matter your budget or needs, we’re confident that the best attic TV antenna for your home is here among these picks.

Best overall: Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie

Antennas Direct

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie is a powerful and versatile antenna that you can tuck away in an attic.

Specs

  • Range: 70 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Mast clamp
  • Gain: 17.4Dbi

Pros

  • Great performance
  • Flexibility from multiple aimable panels
  • Lifetime warranty on parts

Cons

  • Very large
  • Includes mounting hardware, but requires mast and coaxial cable

The four sizable rectangular panels of the Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie antenna are its greatest strength, and also make it well-suited for tucking away in an attic. Because the panels are mounted on two independently rotating masts, you can either spread them out to capture signals in different directions or focus them to better capture in a single direction. That versatility, paired with its 70-mile range and 17.4Dbi gain, makes it powerful enough for most situations. The only real tradeoff for all that power is its commanding size, at 3 x 4 feet, which is why it’s particularly perfect for hiding in your attic if you have the room, rather than commanding attention on your roof.

Best for rural areas: Free Signal TV Marathon Plus HDTV Long-Distance Antenna

FREE SIGNAL TV

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Marathon Plus HDTV Long-Distance Antenna offers great reach in a compact form.

Specs

  • Range: 110 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Wall, pole, floor, ceiling
  • Gain: 40 dBi

Pros

  • Long range
  • Compact
  • Flexible installation

Cons

  • Expensive

The Marathon Plus HDTV Long-Distance Antenna looks more like a Wi-Fi router than a TV aerial but that sleek, compact appearance belies some serious power with a 110-mile range. Its compact, rectangular form also makes it extremely versatile in its installation, letting you clamp it to poles like most antennas, but also hang it on the wall like a picture frame or place it on the floor. It’s expensive, but the performance and form factor are worth the investment if you want something powerful and discreet.

Best compact: Antennas Direct ClearStream 2V

Antennas Direct

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: Compact and dependable, the Antennas Direct ClearStream 2V offers a great balance between size and power.

Specs

  • Range: 60 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Wall, pole, floor, ceiling
  • Gain: 10.4 dBi

Pros

  • Great performance
  • Compact

Cons

  • Assembly required

Antennas Direct‘s ClearStream 2V sits in the middle of its smaller ClearStream line for windows and TV stands. The 2V stands out because of its longer range, UHF/VHF support, and pivoting mast for installation flexibility. It requires a little more day-one assembly than the other options on our list, and its unique design combining rings and a grid tends to stand out when used indoors or on your roof, but its range, features, and price are all on point, so it’s a perfect pick to set up in your attic.

Best for furnished attics: Antop AT-500SBS HD Smart Bar

ANTOP ANTENNA

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: Simultaneously large and unobtrusive, the Antop AT-500SBS HD Smart Bar will blend right in with any modern home theater setup.

Specs

  • Range: 80 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Wall mount, floor stand
  • Gain: N/A

Pros

  • Great performance
  • Sleek design
  • LTE filter

Cons

  • Large

The Antop AT-500SBS HD Smart Bar is almost 30 inches long, but its sleek, black form is designed to blend in among any other contemporary consumer hardware, looking more like a speaker bar or heat pump than a television antenna. It configures both vertically and horizontally, either free-standing or mounted onto the wall for maximum flexibility in getting the best possible signal. It delivers great performance with an 80-mile range and all sorts of useful features, including a 4G LTE filter to block interference from cell signals, and an adjustable range dial for tuning in precisely on signals.

Best budget: GE Attic Mount HD Digital TV Antenna

GE home electrical

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: Amazon

Why it made the cut: The GE Attic Mount HD Digital TV Antenna gets the job done and costs less than our more powerful picks.

Specs

  • Range: 60 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Wall, pole, floor
  • Gain: N/A

Pros

  • Flexible installation with included hardware
  • Great performance
  • Inexpensive

Cons

  • Lower range

The GE Attic Mount antenna is a solid performer from a dependable brand that’s designed specifically to be hidden away in your attic. The included mounting hardware and helpful instructions should make it a breeze to install on the wall, floor, post, or ceiling. At 60 miles, it’s a lower range than the other indoor/outdoor antennas on the list, but its performance is solid within its reasonable range, especially for its price.

What to consider before buying a TV antenna

When you put an antenna in an attic, you have the freedom to set up either an indoor or outdoor antenna. Whatever you pick, make sure you’ll have the hardware necessary to secure it. Since you don’t need to worry about how it looks, an unfinished attic likely provides the most flexibility of any option. You can secure it to the floor, ceiling, walls, support posts, or a window if you have one. The higher up from the ground you can get, the longer its effective reach becomes.

Before picking out a new TV antenna, you should do a little research and find out how far away your local signals are. There are several free tools, such as the Federal Trade Commission’s DTV Reception Maps, that will let you type in your address to find nearby local stations. They’ll also show you useful information on each station, including its distance, signal strength, frequency band, and relative position. (You may need some of this to optimize your antenna position.)

For over 95% of homes in the United States, you should be able to get local affiliates of FOX, CBS, ABC, NBC, The CW, and PBS, plus any nearby local channels. Your ability to watch faraway channels will depend on the signal strength of the station and your antenna’s range.

HD and 4K

Gone are the days of coaxing an image out of crackling white static by delicately manipulating set-top antennas like a locksmith. In 2009, a federal government mandate forced all over-the-air (OTA) TV broadcasts in the United States to transition to digital signals, rather than the older analog format. Digital broadcasting is much more information efficient (only sending changes from frame to frame, rather than replicating the whole image every single time), so your local news and sports are likely going out in beautiful 1080p, or possibly even 4K. Many people report that the picture quality of an OTA broadcast is better than what you get from a cable provider, which compresses the signal more in order to serve it packaged alongside all the other channels.

Range and gain

The most important spec to keep in mind with a new antenna is its range, which gives you an approximate indication of how far an antenna can reach to still pick up a broadcast from a nearby station. Your actual range may vary a little bit, depending on the particulars of local interference like trees, buildings, and hills. Again, an OTA mapping tool can tell exactly what stations are in your area, and how much range your antenna needs to pick them up.

After range, most antennas will list gain, which indicates how well an antenna can pick up distant signals in one particular direction. The higher the gain—listed in dBi, or “decibels relative to isotrope”—the more focused an antenna’s reception. Theoretically, a zero-gain antenna would perfectly detect any signal on the edge of its range in every direction. In reality, every antenna will be at least slightly better at picking broadcasts when it’s pointed toward the source of the signal. A high-gain antenna is useful when you need a lot of range and most or all of your signals come from one particular direction, such as the nearest major city.

UHF and VHF

Every channel broadcasts on specific frequency bands, all of which fall into one of two categories: UHF and VHF (short for ultra- and very-high frequency). Channels operating at higher frequencies can send information more efficiently but within a slightly smaller range. Most channels take that tradeoff and broadcast on UHF now, though there are some stragglers on VHF bands. 

Most UHF antennas can pick up VHF signals even if they aren’t built specifically to receive them, so you shouldn’t worry too much about being unable to pick up VHF. That said, if enough of your stations will be in VHF, it may make sense to pick a VHF-compatible antenna.

FAQs

Q: Do antennas in the attic work? 

Yes! As with any antenna placement, the particulars of your space and any local interference will affect performance, but installing an antenna in your attic is a solid option. It splits the difference between small indoor antennas designed to sit near your TV, which usually have lower ranges, and large roof-mounted antennas. Just be prepared to experiment a bit with placement to get the most bang for your buck.

Q: Can an attic antenna attract lightning?

No, an attic antenna is inside your house, shielded by your roof, so it should not attract lightning.

Q: Does putting a TV antenna high above the roof give a better signal? 

Yes, it does. Generally speaking, placing your antenna higher reduces interference and produces a better signal. That’s why an attic is a great option: You get your antenna high off the ground without actually installing it on the roof, which can be complicated and dangerous to do yourself.

Final thoughts on the best attic antennas

We live in the age of streaming, but you shouldn’t give up on broadcast TV just yet. Antenna technology keeps getting better, so now you can pick up crisp HD content without ever leaving the comfort of your home. Indoor antennas are feasible for many but, if you’ve got access, the best attic TV antennas can be a great way to boost your performance without going through the hassle of running cable outside and onto your roof.

The post The best attic antennas of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Save up to $1,100 on a huge TV before the Super Bowl https://www.popsci.com/gear/tv-deals-super-bowl-lvii-best-buy-crutchfield/ Sun, 29 Jan 2023 16:30:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=508314
Sony TV on a green background for the super bowl
Stan Horaczek

The sale covers everything from basic sets to high-end OLEDs.

The post Save up to $1,100 on a huge TV before the Super Bowl appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Sony TV on a green background for the super bowl
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

We hardly need an excuse to recommend a new TV. Maybe you got a new gaming console, or you just want to jump up to a fancier OLED from your current LCD. There’s no better justification, however, than the Super Bowl. Even if your team didn’t make the big game this year (I know your pain as an Upstate New Yorker), the year’s biggest sporting spectacle deserves a massive screen.

Right now, multiple retailers have several excellent TVs on sale—from cheaper models up to serious splurges. That includes some current-generation OLED displays which provide unmatched color reproduction and contrast ratios.

Super Bowl LVII doesn’t happen for another few weeks—it’s Feb. 12, in case you accidentally scheduled a walking tour of historic doors and want to change it. So, you still have time to order and set up a big new TV that will let you get lost in Joe Burrow’s dreamy haircut (and don’t forget a new soundbar on sale while you’re at it).

Here’s a list of the best pre-Super Bowl TV deals running right now:

The post Save up to $1,100 on a huge TV before the Super Bowl appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Surround yourself with the sweet sounds of Super Bowl soundbar deals https://www.popsci.com/gear/super-bowl-soundbar-deal/ Sat, 28 Jan 2023 13:55:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=508196
The best superbowl soundbar deals
The best super bowl soundbar deals of 2023. Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

Get big discounts for the Big Game with these premium soundbar sales.

The post Surround yourself with the sweet sounds of Super Bowl soundbar deals appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best superbowl soundbar deals
The best super bowl soundbar deals of 2023. Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Super Bowl LVII is kicking off in just a couple of weeks, and while we don’t know who’s playing quite yet, now is the time to upgrade your home theater system. Expansive OLED TVs are the upgrade most closely associated with the Super Bowl, but soundbars are just as important. You’ll want to feel like you’re inside a stadium, but with the convenience of getting to choose your own snacks and going to the bathroom without a line. Thankfully, many companies have discounted their soundbars considerably in advance of the game.

Soundbars are a good compromise if you want home theater speakers better than what’s built into the TV but don’t have a lot of space for wireless surround sound. Below you’ll find the best soundbars on sale for the Super Bowl from top audio companies, including Bose, Sony, and Polk. We’ll continuously update this story as new deals become available and older ones end.

Bose Smart Soundbar 600 $449 ( Was $499)

Bose

SEE IT

If we could only recommend one soundbar from this list it’d be Bose’s Smart Soundbar 600, which is back down to its lowest price ever. It’s only 27.5 inches wide, but Bose managed to fit five drivers inside. Three of the soundbar’s drivers face forward while the other two are pointed upward, so sound hits you from two angles. If the movie or TV show you’re watching has a Dolby Atmos mix, this driver alignment will allow you to hear the audio in surround sound without additional speakers. Additionally, Bose designed the Smart Soundbar 600 to take advantage of ifs TrueSpace technology, which automatically mixes stereo and 5.1 audio to take advantage of its upward-firing drivers. If you have the room, and want to have more of a traditional surround sound setup, you can wirelessly pair this soundbar with Bose’s Bass Module 500 and Surround Speakers.

One of the Smart Soundbar 600’s biggest strengths is its myriad connectivity options. You can connect it to your TV using an HDMI or optical audio cable, but it also supports AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth, so you can wirelessly stream content to it from your devices. You can even control it totally hands-free using Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, which is helpful if you want to adjust the volume of the super bowl with greasy or saucy hands. The Bose Smart Soundbar 600’s size, audio hardware, and smart features make it an exceptional deal for any football fans looking to upgrade their sound system before the Super Bowl.

Interested in other models or brands? Here are more of the best soundbar deals we’ve come across this week:

The best Bose soundbar deals

The best Samsung soundbar deals

The best Sony soundbar deals

The best LG soundbars

The best Vizio soundbar deals

The best Yamaha soundbar deals

The post Surround yourself with the sweet sounds of Super Bowl soundbar deals appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Save up to $200 on Bose home audio at Amazon https://www.popsci.com/gear/bose-home-audio-amazon-deal/ Thu, 26 Jan 2023 01:30:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=507891
Bose amazon home theater deals
Stan Horaczek

Build a total Bose home audio system for less, or just pick up a discounted soundbar, speakers, or a sub.

The post Save up to $200 on Bose home audio at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Bose amazon home theater deals
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

The holidays are long gone, but winter’s cold weather still lingers despite our passive-aggressive hints that it has overstayed its welcome. And while we could curse the consistent cold snaps, we could also just avoid them completely by staying in and watching some movies. And those movies could sound a lot better with some home audio upgrades from Bose. Serendipitously, Amazon has some of Bose’s most popular home theater speakers, soundbars, and subwoofers for up to 50% off right now.

Bose Smart Soundbar 900 $699 (Was $899)

Bose

SEE IT

This Dolby Atmos-equipped soundbar relies on Bose’s proprietary speaker design and signal processing to create a surprisingly effective surround sound effect, even if it’s all on its own. It connects to a media source through eARC HDMI, so it can play audio from just about any device you have hooked up to your entertainment system, including game consoles, streaming boxes, or whatever else you use to watch content. In addition to its wired connections, it can also connect via Bluetooth, so you can easily stream music from a smart device once you’ve run out of content to watch on the TV. And, with Alexa built in, you can access many of its functions (plus controls for other connected, compatible smart home accessories) with just your voice.

More Bose home audio deals

Maybe you’re not looking to drop $699 on a high-end soundbar, no matter how good the deal is. That’s no problem. Amazon currently has an assortment of other Bose home audio gear on sale right now for up to 29% off. Here’s a list of the best gear up for grabs:

The post Save up to $200 on Bose home audio at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best TV antennas for rural areas of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-tv-antennas-for-rural-areas/ Wed, 31 Aug 2022 20:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=466116
Best TV antennas for rural areas sliced header
Tony Ware

Streaming is great, but still has local programming gaps. Fill in what's missing with a classic aerial.

The post The best TV antennas for rural areas of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best TV antennas for rural areas sliced header
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Televisions photo Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie
SEE IT

Great performance and flexibility thanks to from multiple aimable panels, plus a lifetime warranty on parts, makes this antenna a worthwhile investment.

Best for long range Five Star Outdoor Digital Amplified HDTV Antenna product image Five Star Outdoor Digital Amplified HDTV Antenna
SEE IT

Fantastic long-range performance and 360-degree motorized coverage, mounting pole and hardware included, help deliver a reliable image in rural areas.

Most durable Channel Master CM-5020 Masterpiece Series product image Channel Master CM-5020 Masterpiece Series
SEE IT

This classic Yagi antenna has a long range and is solidly weather-resistant and rated for 30 pounds of wind force.

Cable TV may be flailing in the age of streaming, but classic over-the-air broadcasts are thriving—and to get the most out of those you need a classic TV antenna on your roof. As more and more people are “cord-cutting” by replacing their expensive cable packages with a selection of streaming services, many are finding this classic technology is perfect for filling the gap in locally specific content that you won’t get through Netflix or Apple TV+, such as news and sports. Much of this has been driven by the convenience of new, compact, apartment-friendly antennas like the Mohu Leaf, but for folks out further from cities that need some extra juice, TV antennas are still the same dependable workhorses as ever. Aerial antennas are actually better than ever, with some of the same basic hardware designs in use for over a century doing even more work as the broadcasts themselves have gone digital and become much more efficient. They may look intimidating, but we promise you won’t need an engineering degree to set up these, and we’re here to help you find the best TV antennas for rural areas to suit your particular needs and budget.

How we selected the best TV antennas for rural areas

The “best” TV antenna for you will be the one that captures all of the broadcasts you want, with minimal distortion and at a reasonable price. That means simpler and cheaper will be plenty good enough for many people. However, this list is focused on antennas for rural areas so, presumably, you’ll need a little more power. We pored over professional and customer reviews and best-sellers to provide a selection of long-range TV antennas for rural areas at various price points, and with different features to meet your particular needs, wherever you may be.

The best TV antennas for rural areas: Reviews & Recommendations

Despite what you may have thought, over-the-air television is actually alive and well here in the 21st century. If you’re looking to supplement your streaming services with some local flavor, look no further: no matter your budget or needs, the best long-distance TV antenna to complete your setup is here among the options we’ve assembled.

Best overall: Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie

Antennas Direct

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie is big, powerful, and flexible enough to suit almost anyone’s rural TV needs.

Specs

  • Range: 70 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Attic/Outdoor
  • Gain: 17.4 dB

Pros

  • Great performance
  • Flexibility from multiple aimable panels
  • Lifetime warranty on parts

Cons

  • Large
  • Includes mounting hardware, but requires mount and coaxial cable

The Antennas Direct 8-Element Bowtie antenna is hard to ignore, with four separate reflecting panels that you can independently orient along two rotating shafts. This lets you either spread them out to cover a wider angle or focus them to better pick up on distant signals in a particular direction, according to your needs. A generous 70-mile range and 17.4 dB make it more than powerful enough for most people’s needs. Although it may require some extra hardware to mount in place, customers have noted that the Antennas Direct customer service is very responsive and helpful for making sure everything is properly configured and optimized.

Best for long range: Five Star Outdoor Digital Amplified HDTV Antenna

Five Star

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Five Star’s outdoor antenna offers 360-degree coverage at a whopping 200 miles for a very reasonable price.

Specs

  • Range: 200 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Outdoor
  • Gain: 15 – 35 dB (boosted)

Pros

  • Fantastic long-range performance
  • 360-degree motorized coverage
  • Mounting pole and hardware included

Cons

  • Somewhat complex assembly

The Five Star Outdoor Digital Antenna reaches a distance of 200 miles. All six of its reflector elements are aligned to focus in a single direction, but the whole assembly is motorized, allowing for complete, 360-degree coverage. The motorized shaft makes assembly a little more complicated than other antennas, but with all mounting hardware included the extra effort is worth it for the flexibility and relatively low price overall.

Most durable: Channel Master CM-5020 Masterpiece Series

Channel Master

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Five Star’s outdoor antenna offers 360-degree coverage at a whopping 200 miles for a very reasonable price.

Specs

  • Range: 100 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Outdoor
  • Gain: 16 dB (boosted)

Pros

  • Long range
  • Weather-resistant
  • Boom included

Cons

  • Tricky installation
  • Unidirectional
  • Expensive

Channel Master’s Masterpiece Series lives up to what you’d expect from that name: classic design, quality construction, and great performance, at a premium price. It’s a classic “Yagi-Uda” (or simply “Yagi”) antenna, which refers to this particular fixed and unidirectional style of design (so named after the Japanese researchers who designed them in the 1920s). This makes it very effective in a single direction, which is often the most useful for rural situations where you’re pointing towards the nearest major metropolitan area for most of your signals. With a 100-mile range and solid performance from a dependable brand, we chose this Channel Master model in particular because it’s solidly weather-resistant and rated for 30 pounds of wind force. Installation may be a bit more technical than other antennas, but once it’s set up you will likely never need another.

Best value for long range: RCA Compact Yagi

RCA

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Solid performance and straightforward assembly at a great price from a known brand.

Specs

  • Range: 70 miles
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Outdoor/Attic
  • Gain: 15 dB

Pros

  • Great value
  • Compact
  • Easy assembly

Cons

  • Unidirectional
  • Coaxial cable not included

RCA is basically American royalty as far as electronics brands go, dating back to the early 20th century. Their basic, compact Yagi is one of the best-selling TV antennas on Amazon for a good reason, offering great performance and straightforward assembly at a very reasonable price. Although you’ll need your own coaxial cable—and, like any Yagi, it will require a little finesse to get placed most effectively—this compact, preassembled mount is otherwise about as straightforward as it gets for plug-and-play assembly.

Best budget: Five Star Indoor/Outdoor Yagi Antenna

Five Star

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Five Star delivers a solid, classic Yagi for an accessible and low price.

Specs

  • Range: 200 miles*
  • UHF/VHF: Both
  • Installation: Attic/Outdoor
  • Gain: 12 dB 

Pros

  • Solid performance
  • Inexpensive

Cons

  • Sub-par included coaxial cable
  • Unidirectional

For just about $50, the Five Star Indoor/Outdoor Yagi antenna is about as cheap as you can expect to go on long-range TV antenna for rural areas that still gets the job done. The stated 200-mile range is likely a bit ambitious, according to customer reviews, but it’s reportedly solid up to at least 100 miles, which should be sufficient for most use cases. As a Yagi antenna, you will need to orient it properly to get the most out of it, and multiple reviews cited the included coaxial cable as needing replacement to get better performance, but if you’re not looking to spend a lot on your antenna but need to cover a long range, this is about as good as you can do.

What to consider before buying one of the best TV antennas for rural areas

At a basic level, you’ll need an antenna with enough range and power to pick up all the channels you want (see below). While city dwellers can now usually get by with those discreet flat sheet antennas that you can stick to a wall or window, rural customers will likely need something more serious, which entails mounting it on your roof or in your attic. 

The further out you are from the broadcast source, or the more physical interference you have to deal with (such as hills or trees), you’re going to want to mount the antenna higher up to compensate. Most of our suggestions include at least some amount of mounting hardware but, depending on your needs, you may need to purchase things like additional brackets, a mast, or a longer cable to get the antenna secure and where you need it to be. Make sure you’ve planned accordingly to do this safely, with help if necessary. You may need to experiment a bit with the location and orientation to ensure the best possible signal, particularly with more directional antennas.

What do you want to watch?

TV antennas pick up local broadcasts, which is perfect for regionally-specific news, sports, and public access to supplement the big, generic streaming platforms. For over 95% of homes in the United States, an antenna should at minimum catch local affiliates of FOX, CBS, ABC, NBC, The CW, and PBS. Beyond those standards what you can get will vary widely by where you are, with proximity to major cities usually meaning more options.

To find out what’s available near you, you can input your address in a free online tool like AntennaWeb and DTV Reception Maps from the Federal Trade Commission. The sites will generate a list of all the stations you could pick up, along with information about the strength, type, and direction of the signal, which will inform how strong of an antenna you need, as well as in which direction you may need to orient it.

Won’t the image quality be bad, though?

The older you are, the more likely it is that you have memories of manipulating the “rabbit ear” antennas directly on top of the television set to try and coax a still-fuzzy, but at least legible image out of the static. Since a 2009 U.S. government mandate, however, all U.S. TV stations broadcast by digital signals, rather than the older analog format. Analog broadcasts transmitted the complete image for every frame (30 times per second), versus digital signals much more efficiently, only including changes from frame to frame. This means that major networks now broadcast in crisp, colorful, Full HD (1920 x 1080p). In fact, because cable providers are bundling so many different channels together over the same landline, the same network’s broadcast over the air is often actually less compressed (meaning clearer) than its cable equivalent. You don’t need to know how it works, however, to enjoy the fact that over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts are better than ever in terms of visual quality.

Range and gain

The two primary stats you need to worry about when picking a TV antenna, particularly for rural areas, are range and gain. Range is self-evident: it indicates roughly how far away a broadcast source can be and still be picked up by the antenna. Make sure that you choose an antenna with enough stated range to comfortably encompass any and all stations you want to pick up, as determined above by looking at broadcast maps.

Gain (measured in decibels/dB) indicates how good the antenna is at picking up distant signals in a particular direction. While too-high gain can actually be counterproductive when you want to pick up signals omnidirectionally, for this rural-focused list we are expecting more distant signals in particular directions, which means higher gain will generally mean a clearer, more consistent signal.

UHF and VHF

All broadcasts are regulated by the government to transmit over the air in particular bands of frequency. The vast majority of stations now are UHF (ultra-high frequency), with fewer and fewer using the older VHF (very-high frequency) legacy band (often subdivided into “Hi-V” and “Lo-V”). UHF antennas can typically pick up VHF stations regardless, particularly at the higher end of the spectrum, but if enough of the stations you want to cover are listed as Lo-V, you may want to make sure you choose an antenna that officially picks up both, to make sure you properly cover all your bases.

FAQs

Q: Do HDTV antennas work in rural areas?

Yes! All of our listed antennas (and pretty much all contemporary antennas in general) are rated to pick up HD signals since that’s increasingly the standard for OTA broadcasts. Some stations are even starting to broadcast in 4K, and like HDMI cables, some antennas are already listing their compatibility with 8K, even if that’s still more theoretical than practical.

Q: Do 100-mile antennas work for rural areas?

Yes, 100 miles is a standard effective range for many long-range antennas and should be sufficient for many rural areas, but be sure to check the FTC map or other tools to verify that all your required stations are covered.

Q: How do I know which antenna for rural areas to buy?

As described above, various free tools will help you map out all of your closest stations, which is the best way to determine the range, strength, and directionality of the antenna that will suit your needs.

Final thoughts on the best TV antennas for rural areas

OTA broadcasting isn’t going anywhere, and a roof-mounted TV antenna remains the best way to tap into all that free, local content to supplement your favorite streaming services. For rural areas, you will likely need something more than the new, flat, window-mounted antennas that are all the rage in urban apartments, but with a little extra effort getting it mounted on your roof or attic, you can enjoy all the local sports and news you want in crisp HD.

The post The best TV antennas for rural areas of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Get a 4K Hisense Roku smart TV for less than $400 at Walmart https://www.popsci.com/gear/hisense-roku-tv-walmart-sale/ Tue, 10 Jan 2023 18:55:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=504361
A lineup of TVs on sale on a white background
Amanda Reed

This cheap, powerful TV is worthy of gatekeeping, but that would make us the villain of this reality show we call life.

The post Get a 4K Hisense Roku smart TV for less than $400 at Walmart appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
A lineup of TVs on sale on a white background
Amanda Reed

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Big TVs can get expensive—anything in the 65-inch and up range typically costs $500, at least. And that’s not even taking into consideration models with additional features. Thankfully, Walmart has you covered with this Hisense 65-inch Class 4K UHD LCD Roku Smart TV, on sale for $398 (down from $498).

Hisense

SEE IT

Roku announced its first in-house TV at CES last week, but that won’t be available until this spring. This LCD UHD smart TV is perfect if you’re just looking for a reasonably-priced TV right now—and Roku’s operating system is one of the easiest to navigate, making it a great option if you’re just using it to stream Love Island (the UK version, duh) on Hulu or the new season of The Circle on Netflix. Don’t knock it for gaming, however: Motion Rate 120 tech prevents lag and makes it easy to follow fast-moving action in the new Chip ‘n Dale movie. It’s bezel-less for a larger viewable screen area (read: more space to watch soccer happen). Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10, and DTS Studio Sound immerse you in sights and sounds for a more interactive feel when watching HBO’s House of the Dragon. And four adjustable feet positions give you placement flexibility and allow you to maximize your space.

The point is the Hisense 65-inch Class 4K UHD LCD Roku Smart TV is ready to be your entertainment centerpiece without costing you every cent—just snag it before other people realize the same thing and take it, just like a hidden immunity idol on Survivor.

Here are other sales we’re watching so we can get back to watching TV:

The post Get a 4K Hisense Roku smart TV for less than $400 at Walmart appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Roku announces its first TVs at CES 2023 https://www.popsci.com/gear/roku-tv-announcement-ces-2023/ Wed, 04 Jan 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=502636
Roku TV
Roku's Select and Plus 4K TVs were announced at CES 2023. Roku

The streaming stick giant is getting into bigger hardware.

The post Roku announces its first TVs at CES 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Roku TV
Roku's Select and Plus 4K TVs were announced at CES 2023. Roku

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Roku, the most popular streaming platform in North America according to Hypothesis Group, announced its first-ever in-house television sets at CES 2023, held Jan. 5-6 in Las Vegas. Previously, Roku has partnered with TCL, Phillips, Westinghouse, and others to ship sets running RokuOS, the company’s operating system. Roku has provided reference hardware designs to third-party companies creating Roku TVs since 2014. Still, by taking hardware design in-house, the company hopes to differentiate itself as a vendor controlling every aspect of its television to maximize performance.

Apple and Google have employed similar tactics when creating products like the iPhone and Pixel with great success, and Amazon launched its first Fire TV last year, so it makes sense that Roku is following suit. The company’s TVs fall into two lines: Select and Plus, which come in sizes between 24 and 75 inches and cost between $119 and $999. Some TVs will have a resolution of 2K (slightly better than 1080P), while others will be 4K. We don’t know whether the difference in resolution will be determined by line or screen size.

Roku Select TVs will come with Roku’s Voice Remote. In contrast, Roku Plus TVs will come bundled with the company’s “pro” remote, which has a built-in headphone jack for personal listening and two shortcut buttons, which can be programmed open up any app you choose. All of Roku’s TVs will be compatible with Roku’s new Wireless Soundbar, its latest entry in the audio space following the release of its Streambars, subwoofer, and auxiliary speakers.

Roku

SEE IT

We were able to get a sneak peek at Roku’s hardware during a press trip in early December, which included a look at its screen calibration lab, time with an audio engineer, and an overview of the hardware inside one of the TVs. [Full disclosure: Roku paid for our travel and accommodations.] Our time with Roku’s TVs was too brief to make a definitive assessment. Still, with impressively thin bezels to allow for more screen real estate, they did seem much more polished aesthetically—both from an industrial design and technical standpoint—than most first-generation products.

The platform is using reference designs that are shared with partners, but the screen’s calibration and audio hardware and tuning are proprietary, which will allow the Select and Plus TVs to stand out. Roku is certainly excited about its initial foray into hardware, but it’s also released its first-ever OLED TV reference design. OLED TV market penetration continues to rise as prices come down, so the move is welcome if somewhat expected. Roku’s OLED reference design may also telegraph the company’s plans for its TVs in the future, but all of its initial Select and Plus models use LED panels.

The Roku Select and Plus TVs are its biggest dives into hardware, but they build upon the sturdy foundation the company established with its media streamers and speakers. Those are still foundational pillars of Roku’s hardware strategy, with the TV being a natural extension. To be extremely reductive, a smart TV is an operating system with streaming capabilities, speakers, and a screen. Roku’s move combines the consumer hardware we’ve already seen with the screen reference designs it’s been working on for years. It’s rare to see an entirely new entrant in the TV hardware space, and it’ll be interesting to see how much of a splash Roku’s Select and Plus TVs make when released this spring.

The post Roku announces its first TVs at CES 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best 8K TVs for 2023 https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-8k-tvs/ Thu, 22 Sep 2022 11:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=471431
Best 8K TVs sliced header
Tony Ware

8K is the future of televisions and we have the best choices of ’K’s to spend your G’s on if you’re ready to join the resolution revolution.

The post The best 8K TVs for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best 8K TVs sliced header
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best Overall Samsung QN900A is the best overall 8K TV. Samsung QN900A
SEE IT

A great do-everything 8K TV with deep blacks, dynamic object tracking, and excellent built-in sound.

Best Starter TCL 6-series is the best starter 8K TV. TCL 6-series
SEE IT

A good-to-great semi-budget 8K option with well-integrated streaming and smart TV features.

Best Smart TV LG Class 99 is the best smart 8K TV. LG Class 99
SEE IT

A technology-forward model with an LG webOS architecture and good AI for upscaling, wide viewing angles, etc.

The latest 8K TVs represent the future generation of high-res displays we’ll all eventually use to binge-watch our evenings away. We crave bright, beautiful colors, deep inky blacks, smooth movement, and precise illumination to bring to life our movie discs, streaming content, or video games. If it feels like television technology has moved especially fast in the last two decades, that’s because it has. Since the beginning of the 21st century, TVs have transformed from boxing, square, unbelievably heavy cubes of tubes into sleek, flat, widescreen displays light enough to mount on a wall. The picture quality has evolved right alongside the form factor, with a jump from standard definition to high definition to 4K and now to 8K. The best 8K TVs make the most of current content while preparing for a future with even more pixels. 

How we chose the best 8K TVs

From explaining the difference between 4K and 1080p to demystifying TV backlight tech, our experts are no strangers to giving you the big picture when it comes to televisions. Combining those observations with critical consensus and personal testimonials of staff and friends, we’ve come up with a list where there may not be a huge difference between the “best” and the “budget,” but there’s enough to choose a set tailored to your needs. 

The best 8K TVs: Reviews & Recommendations

Nearly every 8K TV on the market is produced by one of the major electronics companies and quality is everything within this category. While the first few years of 8K came with minimum five-figure price tags, the price has become more consumer-friendly as well, with solid models starting for $3,000-$4,000 at the 65-inch size and nearing $10,000 for the highest of the high-end 85-inch models. Any of the five sets below is recommended, but read more closely for the use case that best fits your needs. (And, as we’ll mention repeatedly below, don’t forget one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars to get sound as immersive as those visuals because those flatscreens just can’t pack in the speakers the way they do the pixels.)

Best overall: Samsung QN900A

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Strengths across the board—with features that benefit disc media, streaming, and gaming, plus some great unique perks—mean that Samsung’s Q900A is the best overall 8K TV on the market.

Specs

  • Sizes: 65-, 75-, and 85-inches
  • Backlight tech: QLED (Mini-LED) screen
  • Refresh rate: 4K @ 120Hz and 8K & 60Hz refresh rates
  • Built-in voice controls: Yes, Alexa functionality and compatibility

Pros

  • Great picture
  • Really strong-built-in sound with great compatibility for outside sources
  • Unique features and compatibility with Samsung Galaxy phones
  • Free streaming service built-in

Cons

  • Menu system and Smart TV features are laborious to adjust and interact with
  • Screen is annoyingly reflective, requiring precise placement or a dark room

In terms of picture, the Q900A’s Mini-LED technology produces a really strong color palette and great black levels. The smart TV features are not particularly well-designed compared to other TVs on the market, nor are the menus for adjusting brightness, contrast, etc., but those are minor quibbles when it comes to what this television can deliver. The Quantum Dot technology makes it brighter and punchier than a typical LED panel. The 120Hz refresh rate offers smooth motion when you want it for gaming or sports. And it has a total of four HDMI 2.1 ports, which are essential for moving tons of data associated with 4K and 8K footage (and require the right cables). 

On-board sound is among the best in class, with built-in surround sound via five speakers mounted on different spots. Additionally, if you buy compatible soundbars, the speakers will work in concert with the soundbar (instead of simply doubling the bar or having the bar replace them) leading to some of the best soundscapes available without buying a multi-speaker system. 

The main issue when it comes to picture is the reflective nature of the screen’s glass. Direct sunlight or strong direct inside lighting will really wash out images on this set, meaning that you need to place the TV in a shadowy corner and keep your ambient lights low for the best quality experience. However, too low of a light environment might result in some blooming, so experiment accordingly.

Best starter: TCL 6-series

TCL

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The TCL 6-series delivers high quality 8K picture with great gaming features, making it an excellent choice for those entering the 8K world.

Specs

  • Sizes: 65- and 75-inches
  • Backlight tech: QLED (Mini-LED) screen
  • Refresh rate: 4K @ 120Hz
  • Built-in voice controls: Yes, voice controls are compatible with Siri, Alexa, and Google

Pros

  • Reasonable price
  • Great gaming variable refresh rate, featuring 4K @ 120Hz
  • THX-certified game mode and good gaming auto-presets
  • Built-in Roku TV is easy to use with access to all major services

Cons

  • Built-in sound is mediocre
  • Only 2 HDMI 2.1 ports
  • Upscaling is not as impressive as more expensive models

The most impressive thing about the TCL 6-series of 8K TVs is how, well, 8K everything looks. While the feature set is more in line with a 4K set, the screen of the 6-series is really impressive, with great color depth and black levels. The onboard sound is really weak compared to competitors, meaning this set will benefit greatly from a soundbar or speaker system. Some features and compatibilities are missing including ATSC 3.0 TV tuning and IMAX Advanced picture. Only two of the HDMI ports feature HDMI 2.1, which is required to take advantage of the faster refresh rates and automatic gaming settings, so make sure you connect your computer, PS5, or Xbox Series X to port 1 or 2. This featureset and price pointmean that this is a good start 8K set, giving you a taste of the kind of picture you can expect from the technology, but not the kind of screen that you want to build a screening room or true home theater around. If you’re living in a smaller apartment where you don’t want super-cranked-up sound anyway, and especially if your primary use will be gaming with a headset on, this is an excellent option that will save you literally $1,000 or more versus other models.

Best smart: LG Class 99

Why it made the cut: Strong AI upscaling and smooth, robust smart TV features mean that the LG Class 99 can get the most out of your older media or streaming services.

Specs

  • Sizes: 65-, 75-, and 86-inches
  • Backlight tech: QNED (Mini-LED) screen
  • Refresh rate: 4K @ 120Hz and 8K @ 60Hz refresh rates
  • Built-in voice controls: Yes, built-in voice controls or compatible with Alexa or Google

Pros

  • Excellent upscaling
  • Strong Smart TV suite
  • Great brightness and color
  • Good compatibility with advanced Dolby benchmarks

Cons

  • Blacks are a bit grey, especially visible in a dark room
  • Gaming features are somewhat lacking with no VRR
  • Controls within menus can be slow

If you’re dreaming of streaming, the LG Class 99 might be the right choice for your 8K screen. While other companies often use third-parties to supply their smart TV and streaming features, such as Roku or Google, LG builds its own, and it’s very good. This TV is built to require a low number of extra wires, with great built-in wifi that can support three different GHz speeds (2.4, 5, and 6). Their AI really makes their 8K pop and produces some excellent upscaling of 4K content (though 1080p HD content upscaling is rougher). 

Because this machine is a stream dream, you’ll want a fast internet connection at home. Make sure that you can dedicate 25mpbs or more to your TV to really take advantage of its features. On the weak side, it’s not a screen that really puts gaming at the forefront. While it can run 4K at 120Hz and 8K at 60Hz, there’s no variable refresh rate (VRR) function to ensure smoother, more consistent images. Additionally, the blacks aren’t as good as other models on the market, though the picture does lose less in a bright room.

Best for gaming: Sony Z9J

Sony

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The most technically proficient model on the market, the Sony Z9J hits all the high marks, higher even than our best overall unit. The only problem is the price.

Specs

  • Sizes: Available in 75- and 85-inch sizes
  • Backlight tech: Full Array LED screen
  • Refresh rate: 4K @ 120Hz and 8K & 60Hz refresh rates with VRR
  • Built-in voice controls: Compatible with Google Voice or Alexa

Pros

  • Deep, inky blacks
  • Bright, crisp colors
  • Upconversion of 4K is unrivaled
  • Ideal for PlayStation 5 use

Cons

  • Only one port allows 8K video inputs
  • Very expensive compared to the other models on this list
  • No 65-inch option for smaller rooms
  • Very, very heavy for a flat-screen television

Sony’s Z9J is a heavyweight, literally and figuratively, and while it’s not the best pound-for-pound 8K television due to its price, it does pack the biggest punch of any 8K television on the market. The picture, side-by-side with others, comes out on top in nearly every category. If money is no object, this object is for you. The biggest knock on this TV is that in the rare instance that you have an 8K source (such as from an 8K camera directly connected to your TV), there’s only one port that will show true 8K. The others will read the signal as 4K, then upconvert it, so make sure you check your manual and use the correct inputs.

Best budget: Samsung Q800A

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Not a flagship, but it doesn’t lag far behind its best overall brother—plus it costs less, which is something some might like to see almost as much as all that resolution.

Specs

  • Sizes: 65-, 75-, and 85-inches
  • Backlight tech: Neo QLED (Mini-LED) screen
  • Refresh rate: 4K @ 120Hz and 8K & 60Hz refresh rates with VRR
  • Built-in voice controls: Built-in Alexa

Pros

  • Very good on-board sound
  • Great gaming features
  • Low-end price for 8K

Cons

  • Worse user experience compared to Q900A
  • The Slim One Connect box for cord organization has a short cord itself
  • Same reflection issues as the Q900A

The Q800A and our best overall are so similar at first glance that you may be tempted to ignore the flagship. Mattering on your set-up and your sensitivity to small elements within a picture, the sound, picture, and feature downgrades that come with choosing the budget model might make no difference at all to you. The most obvious physical difference is the thicker bezeling on the screen’s frame. While the Q900A’s frame is nearly imperceptible, the 800’s is visible but unobtrusive. The number of speakers on board is less, but this unit still had better built-in sound than many more expensive units. The colors and blacks don’t pop like the 900, and the crispness isn’t quite there, but it would take a prolonged side-by-side watch to really see the differences. This is a surprisingly good gaming TV, with VRR and all the expected settings to maintain high-level graphics. The only thing that makes this model less of a recommendation is that the 900 is already quite reasonably priced for all it gives you. But if that monetary difference means a lot to you, the 800 is slightly less of a powerhouse but in no way a disappointment.

What to consider when buying the best 8K TVs

8K is the highest available resolution on the market, usually featuring a screen that is 7680 pixels (horizontal) by 4320 pixels (vertical). 8K screens, because of their high resolution, tend to have minimum offered screen sizes of around 65 inches (diagonally) rather than the 43-45 diagonal inches of 4K sets. Models often come in 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch versions. Here’s the easy rundown on 8K.

What are you watching and where?

The most important things to consider before getting an 8K TV are the space in which you will watch and the things you want to watch. If you’re a cinephile, you’re going to want to be able to watch your TV in a very dark room, and the larger 85-inch screens will likely better replicate the movie theater experience. The dark room part is very important because movies tend to be shot with more contrast between bright and dark parts of the screen, and these subtle brightness differences get muddied when there’s a lot of ambient light. 

Gaming requires not just great color and light but also a high refresh rate on the video signal to keep the image smoothly animated. Games of the current PS5/Xbox Series X generation have been programmed to run at frame rates of up to 60 frames per second—double or more the rates of 30fps video and 24fps film. A high refresh rate also helps accuracy in games that require pixel-perfect precision such as Halo Infinite or Apex Legends

Lastly, sports fans are going to want a really crisp and bright color so that the individual players really pop and the action is easy to follow. Most sports broadcasts will be in 1080p or 4K resolution and will be upconverted by programs embedded in your TV to become 8K. This makes the individual colors, which help define different objects within our brain, even more important.

Why 8K?

It’s important to keep in mind that while your TV can show an image in 8K, there’s almost no native 8K content to consume right now. For feature films, 4K Blu-ray is the highest resolution you can currently find on the market. For streaming, 4K options exist but they’re not as detailed as physical media due to lower bitrates. Limited 8K streamable content is available on YouTube but when I say limited, I truly mean it. Even if 8K is available to stream, you’re going to need a very fast Internet connection to be able to consistently receive enough information to maintain an 8K stream. And while game systems have the ability to push out 8K versions of games, nobody has attempted it yet because it would likely cause the games to run less efficiently and smoothly. Instead, 4K at 60 frames per second is the high-water mark of the current console gaming generation.

So if there’s very little 8K content available to the consumer, what’s the point of buying an 8K TV? Upscaling and future-proofing. Upscaling is a process by which an AI program reads a less-than-8K signal and makes choices of how to fill the “between” pixels to produce an 8K image based on the 4K image. Some televisions are better at this process than others. Future-proofing refers to the fact that inevitably, at some point, 8K content will become commercially available and will eventually be the standard. Considering how quickly the evolution of 1080p HD led to 4K and 4K led to 8K, the standardization of 8K can’t be too far off.

What else should I consider in my set-up?

Any television that isn’t an ultra-budget 1080p model is going to have built-in Wi-Fi and smart TV features that let you connect to the internet to view YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and many other subscription services. However, the interfaces of these built-in apps can vary in quality, as can the efficiency of the streams from the apps. Unfortunately, badly programmed smart features can sometimes undercut a fast internet connection and reduce the quality of your stream. Stand-alone streaming boxes such as Apple TV or Roku tend to offer a better experience, as do video game consoles, though not all services have apps on all platforms, so making sure that your favorite niche streamer can easily be displayed on your TV might be the research you want to do before you make your final purchase choice.

Budget

While 4K, which is more-or-less the new industry standard for definition, has sets in every possible price-point from ultra-budget to all the bells and whistles, 8K—as a premium technology—has a much less wide range of features among the different sets. “Budget” 8K is still going to set you back more than $2,000, and the differences in features between the “cheap” sets and the “expensive” sets will be more nuanced and require a bit more knowledge about things like refresh rates, screen technologies, and input ports. 

FAQs

Q: How much does a 65-inch 8K TV cost?

The 65-inch models start at between $2,000 and $3,000 for budget models (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) and top out at over $5,000 for flagships. This is a stark contrast to the first year of 8K availability, where prices were five figures. Expect a price increase of $1,000- $2,000 for every 10 inches you add to the screen size.

Q: Does 8K TV support HDMI 2.1?

Every television on our recommendation list includes HDMI 2.1 inputs, though the number varies between 2 and 4. HDMI 2.1 is particularly necessary for the new generation of video game consoles, as the highest resolutions and refresh rates that make games animate crisply and give graphics the sharpness that gamers crave require the much greater bandwidth allowed by HDMI 2.1.

Q: Are 8K TVs good for gaming?

To truly get the most out of the latest generation of game consoles, a high-end 4K TV featuring HDMI 2.1, a variable refresh rate, and 120Hz options is the minimum. 8K usually has all these features plus upscaling of 4K signals to 8K, creating even better experiences. If you use an 8K TV as a monitor for a powerful gaming computer, true 8K gaming may come sooner, as gaming computers tend to evolve more quickly than consoles.

Final thoughts on the best 8K TVs

While 8K has been on the market for several years, it’s not a must-have yet. A high-end 4K experience is not that much different from an 8K experience due to the fact that the vast majority of content displayable on television is simply unavailable at 8K. However, for those with an eye for the next step in technology, or those that want better 4K experiences, 8K is more financially within reach than it has ever been. All the sets on the market are remarkably good, though Samsung is setting itself apart as the most consumer-friendly bang-for-your-buck manufacturer, while Sony is concentrating on ultra-high-end experiences. If you don’t feel like you need 8K yet, don’t sweat it. But if you get 8K, it’s unlikely you’ll regret it.

More TV roundups to help you find the perfect set

The post The best 8K TVs for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Polk React Soundbar review: Alexa’s favorite affordable audio upgrade https://www.popsci.com/reviews/polk-soundbar-review/ Thu, 29 Jul 2021 13:30:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=383743
Polk React soundbar main
The grey fabric cover helps it blend into any setting. Stan Horaczek

A simple, effective system with room to grow.

The post Polk React Soundbar review: Alexa’s favorite affordable audio upgrade appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Polk React soundbar main
The grey fabric cover helps it blend into any setting. Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Soundbars offer a simple way to upgrade the wimpy sound your TV pumps out of its relatively tiny speakers. And while soundbars are great on their own, they can’t quite compete with the audio output you get from a full surround sound system. The Polk React soundbar handily beats your TV’s built-in audio all by itself. But, this Alexa-enabled speaker allows you to build an entire setup piece-by-piece if you find yourself bitten by the surround sound bug. 

What is the Polk React Soundbar?

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Right out of the box, the Polk React soundbar looks a bit like an Amazon Echo product. The soundbar itself sits 34 inches wide by just 2.2 inches tall. Nearly the whole thing sports a subtle gray fabric wrap, not unlike what you’ll find on Amazon’s first-party Echo speakers. The circular button array on top also strikes a resemblance to an Echo Dot. 

At $250 retail, this isn’t a pricy soundbar, though it’s designed to compete with more expensive models including the excellent-but-expensive Sonos Beam. Polk touts the Alexa connectivity as one of its main features and it’s actually required if you want to get the best performance out of when you’re streaming music (more on that later). 

The bar is just the start

In addition to the React soundbar itself, Polk also offers supporting gear to help build out an entire surround sound system. You can add a $200 wireless subwoofer, and a $200 pair of surround sound speakers to create an entire room full of gear for roughly $650 total. You don’t need to jump in fully if you’d rather add just the speakers or the sub. This kind of flexibility scores points in the Polk’s favor.

For this review, I spent some time with just the soundbar and then with the entire system built out. 

Setup

Polk React soundbar connections
A basic set of connections. Stan Horaczek

Attaching the soundbar to your TV is dead simple. The primary connector is an HDMI ARC. You’ll want to make sure your TV supports HDMI ARC before taking the plunge. It won’t make a huge difference when it comes to sound quality, but remote control compatibility can get a little wonky over optical. If you have a TV built in the last decade, you probably have at least one ARC HDMI port, but it might be just one so check the labels on your set or in your manual to get the right connection. 

It’s also worth noting that you can’t use both the optical and the HDMI on the Polk soundbar at the same time. Polk intends you to connect the soundbar to your TV and let that one connection do all the work. You don’t even get a headphone jack, though, that kind of connectivity has become much less important now that no one has iPods and smartphones stopped offering analog jacks. 

Alexa joins the party

Once you plug in the power cable and the soundbar turns on, the Alexa app should automatically see the Polk soundbar and guide you through the process. Our test unit needed an update and Alexa told me about it and then automatically applied it. It’s a very easy setup. It’s almost Apple-level easy. 

I can say the same for the other components in the system as well. As soon as the rear speakers and sub had power, they started trying to hook up with the soundbar. I had to re-pair the sub once because something got weird, but it was smooth sailing from there. 

Digging into this Polk soundbar hardware

Polk React soundbar compared to Sonos beam
Here’s the React compared to the Sonos Beam. Stan Horaczek

That understated fabric cover consoles a pair of mid-range speakers, two tweeters, and two passive bass radiators. This is a fairly barebones arrangement compared to some of the more advanced models out there that have a dozen or more meticulously placed speakers throwing sound in every direction around your room. Those also typically cost considerably more than $250. 

The accessory speakers of this Polk soundbar take a similarly basic and utilitarian approach. The sub is a black box that’s plain enough to fade into the landscape of your living room once you’re used to it. The rear speakers look, well, like speakers. If you’re looking for something truly designer or space-age like the Apple HomePod, you’re best to look elsewhere. 

Let’s watch some movies

Before you dig into your favorite flicks, you’ll want to choose one of the preset sound options the Polk React soundbar offers. Music, movie, and sport modes accompany a special night mode that’s designed to make your rumbly sound system a little less offensive to the rest of the people in your house or apartment building. 

I didn’t notice massive differences between the three main modes, but the night setting does seem more subtle than the rest. Sport also dropped the bass a bit in the mix, but it keeps the highs bright and clear so it’s easier to hear people talking. 

I chose the stylish action flick, Gunpowder Milkshake on Netflix to really give the soundbar a listen. On its own, the React provides plenty of volume and punch–the gunshots had the jarring impact the filmmaker intended. When it comes to immersion, though, experienced audio ears may start to notice the relatively small number of drivers inside. You’re essentially listening to a pair of stereo speakers inside the bar, which means you don’t get quite the same in-your-face effect that comes from a system with a true center channel. 

Adding the secondary speakers to this Polk soundbar

Polk React soundbar speaker
You don’t need to put the speaker near a weird fish sculpture, but you can. Stan Horaczek

Once you attach the surround speakers, the React system predictably offers much better immersion. Each speaker packs a single driver inside, which keeps the units relatively compact. Since this was a review, I simply sat them on shelves behind my couch, but you could easily permanently install them if you don’t have a surface on which to stick them. 

The subwoofer also did its job, pumping out decidedly more rumble during on-screen explosions and anything else with lots of low-end. The soundbar itself relies on passive radiators for low-end, which easily bests your TV’s built-in speakers, but can’t compete against something with real power behind it. 

Interestingly, you’ll notice that the system changes the soundbar’s output to accommodate the subwoofer’s presence in the mix. The Polk soundbar pumps out less low-end to get out of the sub’s way, which is smart and happens automatically. 

I found the sub’s output punchy and clean, but it did get a little muddy when I first set it up directly next to my TV cabinet. Moving it around and giving it some space around the unit helped make it sound tighter and cleaner. 

What about music?

I use Spotify as my main music streaming service and this Polk soundbar plays nicely with Spotify connect. As a result, I had no issue connecting and playing tunes via my phone or using Alexa voice commands. Alexa doesn’t support every platform, however. So, if you’re relying on YouTube Music or Apple Music to pump out jams, then you’ll have to rely on the React’s built-in Bluetooth connection. Hooray for platform-specific features. 

Overall music playback sounds good but not mind-blowing. If you’re relying on the bar itself, it certainly sounds better than listening through your TV or even most of Amazon’s own Echo speaker line. Because Alexa finds itself so integrated into the soundbar, however, it does support features like whole-home audio. That’s a big selling point for pricier soundbars like the Sonos Beam and you can get it cheaper here if you’re committed to the right platforms. 

I played some Kendrick Lamar and my daughter opted for some Neutral Milk Hotel in order to get a feel for the sound. The sub comes in clutch when listening to bass-heavy music, but that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The extra rumble wasn’t as necessary with more guitar-driven tracks.

Polk React soundbar remote
The remote is sturdy and feels good to hold. Stan Horaczek

Weirdly, the included remote has controls for tweaking bass levels, volume, and highs (which it calls “voice”), but it doesn’t include any music controls for play/pause or skipping tracks. You can do so using your voice and Alexa or control it via your phone, but buttons would have been useful. 

Ultimately, the React offers some really handy wireless features, which makes it feel like a Sonos system, even if it doesn’t quite sound like a Sonos system. 

Who should buy this Polk soundbar?

The Polk React soundbar represents a fairly profound upgrade over most built-in TV speakers. Add in the subwoofer and the accessory speakers and you’ve got a fairly great-sounding system for the same price as a Sonos Arc soundbar on its own. 

There are some tradeoffs. It doesn’t support the popular Dolby Atmos surround format, which has gained wide support over the past few years. It also pretty much requires that you buy into the Alexa ecosystem to get the most out of it. If you’re already heavily invested in Apple’s HomePod ecosystem (you’re probably not) or the Google’s Nest Audio platform, then you should probably look elsewhere. 

If you’re coming in fresh and you want a dead-simple, but very noticeable bump in your home theater sound, then the Polk soundbar will get you there and leave you with money left over to rent some movies. Might I recommend Encino Man?

The post Polk React Soundbar review: Alexa’s favorite affordable audio upgrade appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
14 refurbished gifts that will last, if they last https://www.popsci.com/gear/refurbished-gifts/ Sat, 10 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=497069
You can find plenty of savings with the best refurbished gifts that will last.

Score some savings while keeping items out of the landfill. But act fast! These refurbished gift deals won't last as long as the actual products.

The post 14 refurbished gifts that will last, if they last appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
You can find plenty of savings with the best refurbished gifts that will last.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best TV The Samsung 65-Inch NEO QLED *K TV is one of the best refurbished gifts that will last. Samsung QN65QN800A 65 Inch Neo QLED 8K Smart TV (2021)
SEE IT

Save while getting ahead of the crowd with the latest in audio and video TV technology.

Best drone The DJI Mini 2 is one of the refurbished gifts that will last. DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo Quadcopter
SEE IT

This popular drone is suited for beginners and established photographers alike.

Best earbuds The Apple AirPods Pro are a refurbished gift that will last. AirPods Pro
SEE IT

Get the AirPods Pro at a reduced price before they sell out … again!

The holidays can inevitably raise a conflict: We may want to find gifts that delight our family and friends but are aware of the environmental impact new products can have. A good compromise? Refurbished goods that have already been purchased, returned, and restored. They can help you cut down on the number of new products you’re buying and save you money. Since these are pre-owned items, you should look closely at the item’s condition and what’s part of the package and check the return policy before making any purchases. That said, you can save hundreds on tech that may not be the latest model but is still one of the best refurbished gifts that will last.

Best TV: Samsung QN65QN800A 65 Inch Neo QLED 8K Smart TV (2021)

Samsung

SEE IT

There’s no getting around it: TVs, especially those equipped with the latest technology, are expensive. That’s why it’s a great time to take advantage of this refurbished smart TV from Samsung. Its 8K video and QLED display with its mini-LED backlights provide a stunning picture, and your recipient won’t need to upgrade for years to come.

Best Windows laptop: 2022 Acer HD IPS Chromebook

Acer

SEE IT

For the student in your life, this versatile 15-inch model from Acer comes equipped with an LED display, and an Intel dual-core Celeron processor that can work at impressive speeds of up to 2.55GHz. This Chromebook also features MicroSD card reader, 4GB of RAM, plus an HDMI port plus two USB-A ports and two USB-C ports for maximum connectivity. And they can return it for a replacement or refund within 90 days if they are unhappy with the purchase.

Best MacBook: 2020 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Chip

Apple

SEE IT

If you’re not looking to shell out the money for the latest MacBook, the 2020 version will still serve most users well. This 13-inch model is designed with Apple’s M1 chip for faster performance and processing power. It’s designed with Apple’s signature Retina display, and it comes with 8GB of RAM and up to 20 hours of battery life.

Best VR headset: Meta Oculus Quest 2 Headset

Meta

SEE IT

Give the gift of an alternate reality—without paying as much very real money. Meta’s latest iteration of the Oculus Quest comes with hi-res display and fast processing that allows users to g deep into the metaverse. Users can also game with new titles and older ones, plus get access to screenings, concerts, and more.

Best smartwatch: Apple Watch Series 6

Apple

SEE IT

This smartwatch may not have the crash detection of the new Apple Watch Series 8, but it still provides plenty of great features for a reduced price. Its always-on Retina display allows users to answer texts and keep tabs on their heart health with the ECG feature. Plus, it’s dialed into various workouts, and lets users listen to their favorite tunes from Apple Music. 

Best iPad: Apple iPad (10.2-inch, 8th Gen)

Apple

SEE IT

Looking for a gift for an artist? This 10.2-inch Apple iPad comes with a Retina display and is equipped with an 8-megapixel front and back camera. It also comes with stereo speakers and works with smart keyboards and the Apple Pencil (1st Gen). Plus, the battery lasts for up to 10 hours.

Best earbuds: Apple AirPods Pro

Apple

SEE IT

AirPods are ubiquitous, but if you haven’t yet bitten the bullet because of the price, here’s your opportunity to save on the original standard-bearer. They are both water- and sweat-resistant, with silicone eartips that come in three sizes to make sure they give all type of ears the best experience. Plus, they provide active noise cancellation so users can tune out the outside world in favor of your music of choice.

Bose

SEE IT

This mini speaker will let the music lover in your life bring the party wherever they go. Designed with Bose’s signature sound quality, this battery-powered speaker works with a Bluetooth range of up to 30 feet. And weighing in at a pound, the Mini II is easy to tuck into a backpack.

Best drone: DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo Quadcopter

DJI

SEE IT

Photographers, new and established, can appreciate this drone, made by one of the top names in the category. This quadcopter can capture 4K video in addition to 12-megapixel stills. This battery-powered drone is easy to transport at less than one pound, and this set comes with remote control, carrying case, and accessories. It can also be returned within one year if you’re not satisfied.

Best mini projector: Nebula Capsule by Anker

Anker

SEE IT

The cinephile in your life will thrill to this handy mini projector by Anker. Easily connected by USB, Micro USB, and HDMI, this projector provides vivid images of up to 100 inches and a 360-degree speaker for a cinematic experience. And it should last for up to 4 hours of viewing time.

Best robot vacuum: iRobot Roomba i4

iRobot

SEE IT

Make life a little easier for pet owners with the gift of a robot vacuum that won’t complain about chores. iRobot’s Roomba i4 is designed with sensors to best map homes and can be customized with the accompanying app. This powerful cleaner is designed for carpets and works especially well on cat and dog hair.

Best handheld vacuum: Shark ION W1 Handheld Vacuum

Shark

SEE IT

Help a small space dweller out with this handheld vacuum by Shark. The battery-powered device provides 22.2 volts of energy for a deep clean. It’s recommended for use on upholstery and comes with a nozzle and crevice tool to get down into the sofa. It can also be used in the car.

Best blender: Vitamix Explorian Blender

Vitamix

SEE IT

For a family member with many mouths to feed, this Vitamix Explorian Blender should be a welcome gift. A professional-grade blender is an all-purpose tool that can make quick work of soups, salsa, margaritas, and more. This 64-ounce device has 10 settings that allow it to double as a food processor. And it’s dishwasher-safe, so cleanup is also a cinch. 

Best air fryer: NINJA Foodi LG450 5-in-Air Fryer and Electric Grill

The home chef that hasn’t yet invested in an air fryer should appreciate this versatile model. Made by trusted brand Ninja, this 5-in-1 programmable device justifies the counter space by serving as an air fryer, baker, and indoor grill and in one, making getting meals on the table a lot easier. And if there’s one thing a great refurbished gift should do, it is save time, trouble, and money.

The post 14 refurbished gifts that will last, if they last appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best remotes for Apple TV of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-remotes-for-apple-tv/ Thu, 21 Apr 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=438313
Apple TV 4K remote
Stan Horaczek

Fun fact: You don’t have to use the remote that came with your Apple TV.

The post The best remotes for Apple TV of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Apple TV 4K remote
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Apple TV 4K remote Apple TV Siri Remote
SEE IT

For older Apple TV owners, the new Siri Remote is a must-have upgrade.

Best universal remote Logitech Harmony Elite Logitech Harmony Companion
SEE IT

Logitech’s now-defunct Harmony remotes are still the gold standard for third-party universal remotes.

Best for gamers Best Remotes for Apple TV PlayStation DualSense
SEE IT

Comfortable to hold and ready to pull double-duty, the PlayStation 5’s controller can handle side-scrollers on and including Apple TV.

The first-generation Apple TV Siri Remote has earned a … less than stellar reputation over the years. Particularly, owners have criticized its awkward touchpad and obtuse design, which makes it difficult to figure out when it’s facing right side up. You may not realize this, but you don’t have to settle and use Apple’s remote. There are other options out there, though. If you have an older Apple TV, the 3rd generation Siri Remote on the Apple TV 4K is a significant improvement over the previous model. You can go even further afield, though, including old-school universal remotes, gamepads, and even your phone. If you’ve been frustrated using Apple’s set-top box, you no longer have to suffer, because we’ve rounded up the best remotes for Apple TV.

How we picked the best remotes for Apple TV

I’ve owned an Apple TV (HD) since 2015, and am intimately familiar with how bad its remote feels. The thin design makes it uncomfortable to hold and easy to lose between couch cushions, and the clickable touchpad can be finicky. It’s bad, but I still use it all the time. And suffering through that has instilled a passion for finding a better way to use my streaming device of choice.

Beyond personal pride, I’ve been writing about technology, including streaming devices, for a very long time. I started covering consumer electronics for TechnoBuffalo back in 2011, and have written for many publications, including CNN Underscored, Gear Patrol, iMore, Android Central, and XDA Developers.

When selecting our picks, I researched sites like Amazon to see what other remotes are available for the Apple TV. I also considered the opinions of websites that are dedicated to covering Apple products, as well as critic reviews and user impressions.

Things to consider when picking the best remote for Apple TV

This was a tricky one, folks. Sadly, there isn’t an abundance of options like there are other Apple accessories. If you’re happy with the remote that came with your Apple TV 4K—or just use the iOS remote accessible on every iPhone/iPad—there’s no reason for you to buy something new. Aside from a few highly niche options, like the Channel Master Simple Remote, there really aren’t a ton of options. If you curse the older Apple TV Remote every time you pick it up, though, we have some suggestions for how you might ditch it.

Design

TV and set-top box remotes are generally very utilitarian, so their general designs haven’t changed much over the years. We looked at remotes of all shapes and sizes and considered everything from build quality to thickness and weight. A remote’s design shouldn’t go overlooked, and since it’s something you’ll likely use every day. We tried finding options that look nice and feel good in your hand. We also searched for options that feature higher quality materials, durability, and buttons that don’t feel mushy.

Features

A remote shouldn’t be complicated to use, but that doesn’t mean it can’t offer a few extra features. We looked out for options that, if possible, go beyond basic menu navigation. A few of the universal remotes on our list are smartphone-like in their ability to not only control the Apple TV, but smart home devices. Meanwhile, the Apple TV Siri Remote offers quick access to Apple’s digital assistant. It’s these features that help set these remotes apart, and provide a more well-rounded experience beyond simply changing the volume.

Battery life

When researching our picks, we tried finding remotes that promise long-lasting battery life. A remote is of no use if it’s constantly dead. Ideally, a remote should last a few months before it needs to be recharged or have its batteries replaced. We also generally prefer remotes with a rechargeable internal battery, rather than AAs, in order to reduce e-waste over the lifespan of the device.

Price

The Apple TV 4K is already more expensive than most dedicated streaming devices, so we tried prioritized remotes that don’t add too much to the overall cost. Despite that, our picks range in price from $20 to several hundreds of dollars. We’ll be the first to admit that spending more than $100 on a remote is a big ask, but the more expensive picks have a lot of utility for many devices, not just the Apple TV.

The best remotes for Apple TV: Reviews & Recommendations

We dug into the details to find the best remote for Apple TV that works for you. It’s an eclectic list, but one that we hope will lead you to find a better experience with your fave streaming device.

Best remote for Apple TV: Apple TV Siri Remote

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: A lovely aluminum design and precise D-pad make this the best remote for Apple TV.

Specs:

  • Size: 1.04 x 6.93 x 2.62 inches
  • Weight: 0.28 pounds
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
  • Battery life: Two months

Pros

  • Better design than past Apple TV remotes
  • Jogwheel controls
  • Clicky buttons
  • USB-C charging

Cons

  • Kind of expensive for a better version of the thing you already have

It took Apple several years to release an Apple TV remote that people don’t hate. The latest Apple TV Siri Remote, which comes with the Apple TV 4K, is a significant improvement over the first- and second-generation Apple TV Siri Remotes, ditching the clickable touchpad for a much more intuitive D-pad. The new version is taller and thicker than the first-gen, so it’s more comfortable to hold. The button layout has been tweaked slightly and now includes a mute button. The directional pad also features touch-sensitive “jogwheel” controls, which lets you cycle through your content by sliding your finger around the circular navigation controls, like you would on an old-school iPod. The third-gen model charges via USB-C, which is part of Apple’s gradual transition away from Lightning cables.

Best premium universal remote: Logitech Harmony Elite

Logitech

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: If you want the ultimate universal remote, you can’t do any better than the Logitech Harmony Elite.

Specs:

  • Size: 6 x 2 x 0.6 inches
  • Weight: 0.75 pounds
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
  • Battery life: 3-7 days

Pros:

  • Programmable buttons
  • Support for custom activities
  • Display makes it easy to quickly access custom activities

Cons:

  • Pricey
  • Not in production, so it’s difficult to find

The Logitech Harmony Elite was Logitech’s top-of-the-line universal remote, with even more functionality than the Harmony Companion. Like the Companion, it supports one-touch actions, custom activities, and wide support for over 270,000 entertainment and smart home devices. The Harmony Elite takes things a step further with a small capacitive touch display for you to swipe through like you would on your smartphone. The display puts everything right at your fingertips—including the ability to turn on your Apple TV—giving you total control over your entertainment and smart home devices. As far as consumer universal remotes ago, the Harmony Elite is the best money can buy and is a great way to replace that pile of remotes sitting on your coffee table.

The Harmony brand is officially dead, so Logitech no longer makes the Harmony Elite. As with the Companion, Logitech continues to support the remote, but they will be expensive and, potentially, tough to find. Since the Elite was already $349.99 when it was in production, expect prices on new ones on Amazon to be very, very high. This is one where you’re definitely better off buying used if you are comfortable with that.

Best for gamers: PlayStation DualSense

Mike Epstein

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Sony’s next-generation console controller is comfortable to hold and features a satisfying heft.

Specs:

  • Size: 3 x 7 x 8 inches
  • Weight: 0.95 pounds
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth
  • Battery life: 10 hours

Pros:

  • Comfortable design
  • Excellent haptic feedback (in games)
  • Display makes it easy to quickly access custom activities

Cons:

  • If you don’t play games, may feel awkward in-hand

If you plan to use your Apple TV to play video games, then your controller can double as a perfectly great remote. You can use any Bluetooth-compatible gamepad to the Apple TV, but we’re particularly partial to the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller. The DualSense features nice textured grips on the back, a built-in microphone and headphone jack, and charges via USB-C. It’s slightly larger than the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 controller, filling the hand better and featuring advanced haptic feedback. You will need to charge the DualSense more than the average TV-style remote, but players who are comfortable with a controller will feel right at home using it to control your Apple TV.

If you’d prefer a larger gamepad, the Xbox Wireless Controller also works very well with the Apple TV. Many gamers have a strong preference for an Xbox- or PlayStation-style controller, so it’s great that both options are available.

Best budget universal remote: GE Universal Remote

GE home electrical

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The GE Universal Remote makes it easy to replace that pile of remotes on your coffee table.

Specs:

  • Size: 1 x 2.24 x 7 inches
  • Weight: 0.2 pounds
  • Connectivity: Infrared
  • Battery life: N/A (Requires two AAA batteries)

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Connects to four devices at once
  • Master volume control

Cons:

  • Plastic design feels cheap

If you want to go the universal remote route without spending hundreds of bucks on a Harmony, the GE Universal Remote is a basic TV remote that only costs about $10. It comes pre-programmed with support for thousands of audio and video devices out of the box and can control up to four different devices at once—including the Apple TV. It features master volume control, allowing you to adjust for any device it’s connected to without hopping between connections. The GE Universal Remote is a basic product—it doesn’t feature the most elegant design—but it is very affordable and popular with users, making it a hidden gem for thrifty Apple TV fans.

Best remote that’s already in your pocket: iPhone 14

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The iPhone 14 (or any other current model) provides quick access to the Apple TV Remote app if your actual remote is nowhere to be found.

Specs:

  • Size: 6.1 x 3 x 0.3 inches
  • Weight: 0.4 pounds
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi

Pros:

  • Minimal setup
  • You probably already have one
  • Easy to use Remote app

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • “Bring your own remote” setup can be inconvenient

Hear me out on this one. If you aren’t satisfied by any of our picks, consider using an iPhone (assuming you own one or would want to own one). You can use an iPhone to control your Apple TV through the Apple TV Remote app, which can be accessed via Control Center in iOS. When you invoke Control Center, click on the Apple TV Remote icon, and an interface for the Apple TV will pop up. There are controls to turn the Apple TV on/off, change channels, play/pause, and a touch area to swipe through tvOS. You can’t control your TV’s volume through the Apple TV Remote app, but it’s a decent option in a pinch.

It can be annoying if you set your phone down to charge, then realize you need it to work your TV, so keep in mind that this should work with any updated iPhone. You can breathe new life into an old iPhone you have lying around by making it your permanent Apple TV controller.

FAQs

Q: Can you use a different remote with the Apple TV?

Yes! Many third-party remotes work with the Apple TV. In fact, your streaming device will walk you through the whole connection process. Simply open the Apple TV’s “Settings” app, open “Remotes and Devices,” then tap “Learn Remote” and follow the on-screen prompts. Once that’s complete, a screen will appear asking if you want to set up playback buttons, which will teach Apple TV the play, pause, rewind, and fast-forward commands on your remote. After the setup process is finished, you should be able to control the Apple TV with your new remote.

Q: How much does a remote for the Apple TV cost?

Our top pick, the Apple TV Siri Remote, costs $59. Other picks on our list range in price from $10 to $300 or more, which we acknowledge is quite expensive for a remote. There are options for any budget, but $60 seems to be a reasonable expectation.

Q: Is the Apple TV remote IR or RF?

The Apple TV Siri Remote uses an IR (infrared) transmitter to send a signal to your TV, which in turn interprets what it’s being told to do (whether that’s to change the volume or power on). It also uses Bluetooth 5.0 to communicate directly with Apple TV itself.

A final word about the best remote for Apple TV

It turns out, Apple still makes the best remote for its streaming device. The 2nd-generation Apple TV Siri Remote features an excellent design, great battery life, and a dedicated button for invoking Siri. It can feel like a pain to invest extra money in a streaming device, but optimizing little things like this—the things you use every day—can help smooth out the bumps of everyday life.

The post The best remotes for Apple TV of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
40+ Cyber Monday TV deals: Savings on LG, Samsung, Sony, and more https://www.popsci.com/gear/cyber-monday-tv-deals-2022/ Mon, 28 Nov 2022 12:59:58 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=491751
The best Cyber Monday TV deals
Cyber Monday TV deals go beyond Black Friday. Stan Horaczek

Peruse these deep discounts on awesome TVs while you pretend to care about work.

The post 40+ Cyber Monday TV deals: Savings on LG, Samsung, Sony, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best Cyber Monday TV deals
Cyber Monday TV deals go beyond Black Friday. Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

We all know Black Friday is a great time to buy a big TV, but Cyber Monday may be an even better opportunity to score some sweet savings. Many of the deals we’ve seen so far are as good, and sometimes even better, than they were when you were looking for deals in your turkey hangover on Friday. 

We’ve spent this morning crawling through the best Cyber Monday TV deals to weed out the trash and focus on the best products with the biggest discounts. 

We’ll be updating these links throughout the day, so be sure to check back regularly if you don’t see something that you want. When you watch The Grinch this year, you can do it on a much snazzier TV.

LG A2 Series 65-Inch Class OLED Smart TV $1,196 (was $1,699)

For most users, a 65-inch OLED is about as sweet as it gets when it comes to viewing experience. This is a 2022 model TV, so while it only has three HDMI ports, they’re all HDMI 2.1 compatible, so they’ll work with fancy gaming consoles. Because it is an OLED panel, it will also provide exceptional color reproduction and contrast levels to create a picture that will spoil you on other TVs.

SAMSUNG 65-Inch Class Neo QLED 4K QN90B Series Mini LED $1,597 (was $2,297)

Mini LED backlighting has made a huge difference for QLED TVs. An array of tiny little light sources behind the panel allow this high-end TV to achieve spectacular color and contrast while achieving brightness levels suitable for a room with a lot of ambient light. The 120Hz refresh rate makes it very capable for gaming, and it has four HDMI 2.1 ports for ample connectivity.

Amazon Cyber Monday Sony TV deals

Amazon Samsung Cyber Monday TV deals

Amazon LG Cyber Monday TV deals

Best Buy Cyber Monday TV deals

Roku Cyber Monday deals

All smart TVs come preloaded with apps, but they usually load slowly and aren’t updated to patch bugs or make them snappier. Solve that problem for good by picking up the Roku Express, a pocket-sized HD media streamer that’s just $18 right now. You can also get other Roku devices on sale, including:

The post 40+ Cyber Monday TV deals: Savings on LG, Samsung, Sony, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The Roku Express is just $18 on Cyber Monday https://www.popsci.com/gear/roku-deal-cyber-monday-2022/ Mon, 28 Nov 2022 13:55:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=491756
Roku Express
The Roku Express is on sale for just $18 thanks to Cyber Monday. Roku

Spend less cash for more content with this big streaming deal.

The post The Roku Express is just $18 on Cyber Monday appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Roku Express
The Roku Express is on sale for just $18 thanks to Cyber Monday. Roku

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

All smart TVs come preloaded with apps (and there are some amazing flagship flatscreens on sale right now), but they usually load slowly and aren’t updated to patch bugs or make them snappier. Solve that problem for good by picking up the Roku Express, a pocket-sized HD media streamer that’s just $18 right now.

Roku Express, $18 (Was $30)

The Roku Express has two things going for it besides its ultra-cheap price: its remote, which is easy to use even for non-techie people, and its speed. We’ve used this media streamer before and have had no issues downloading, updating, and launching streaming apps without having to wait more than a second. Roku is continually adding new features to its streaming devices—even those that are several years old, so you don’t have to worry about the Express becoming obsolete, either. Plus you have access to the Roku Channel and its excellent exclusives like “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”

This Cyber Monday deal would also be an excellent stocking stuffer if you’re looking for inexpensive gifts that people would actually like. While the Roku Express hits the sweet spot between features and price, the company has discounted most of its line for the next day.

More Roku deals

More of the best Black Friday deals still available

The post The Roku Express is just $18 on Cyber Monday appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
80+ Black Friday speaker deals that sound amazing https://www.popsci.com/gear/black-friday-speaker-deals-2022/ Fri, 25 Nov 2022 15:31:18 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=491375
best Black Friday speaker deals sliced header
Tony Ware

Whether you want a soundbar, towers, a Bluetooth party speaker, or a streaming system, we've collected the best Black Friday speaker deals live now.

The post 80+ Black Friday speaker deals that sound amazing appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
best Black Friday speaker deals sliced header
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

No matter how you slice it, pumpkin and pecan pies are the best thing about Thanksgiving. The second best thing is waking up the next morning and getting full-range sound at far from full price.

There are some insanely tempting deals live right now on audio gear I’ve auditioned and loved. If I wanted an all-in-one streaming audio system and had $2,299 to spend, I’d buy the KEF LS50 Wireless II bookshelf speakers in a heartbeat. If I wanted an immersive Dolby Atmos experience at home and had $1,399 in my budget, I’d snatch the Samsung HW-Q990B 11.1.4-channel soundbar with wireless subwoofer & rear channels. Though if I had more credenza real estate than I did wall sockets, I’d go for the Sennheiser AMBEO 5.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar (on sale for $1,999 down from $2,499), which is the most sonically impressive all-in-one I have heard to date. If I wanted a portable Bluetooth party speaker that sounds bigger than its body would have you believe, I’d grab the $198 Sony SRS-XG300. And if I wanted some relaxing time to myself after several days of dealing with family and online deals-hunting, I’d toss our top shower speaker, the $79 UE WONDERBOOM 3, in the bath and luxuriate in some buoyant tunes.

Those are just a few highlights and there are amazing soundbars, Bluetooth speakers, floorstanding speakers, bookshelf speakers, and subwoofers, plus turntables and other system accessories for speakers, at every price point. And we’re adding new deals as soon as they pop up so check back often. Remember, however, that Black Friday deals shuffle faster than the playlist you’ve made to test them, so hit “Add to cart” as soon as you see something you like.

[Looking for something more personal and transportable? Our Black Friday headphones & earbuds deals have you covered.]

The best Black Friday soundbar deals

The best Black Friday portable party speaker deals

Best Black Friday home audio deals

The best Black Friday turntables & accessories deals

The best Black Friday system components & accessories deals

Prices correct at time of publication and subject to change.

The post 80+ Black Friday speaker deals that sound amazing appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best 75+ Black Friday TV deals: LG, Samsung, Sony, and more https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-black-friday-tv-deals-2022/ Fri, 25 Nov 2022 11:26:02 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=490987
The best Black Friday TV deals
Save big on TVs this Black Friday. Stan Horaczek

Get yourself a new TV on Black Friday. It's tradition.

The post The best 75+ Black Friday TV deals: LG, Samsung, Sony, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best Black Friday TV deals
Save big on TVs this Black Friday. Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Few holiday traditions endure quite like buying big, cheap TVs on Black Friday. We used to have to drag ourselves out to the big-box stores and stand in line for hours, only to hope that that giant TV would fit in our cars if we were lucky enough to get one. Now, Black Friday happens primarily online. You can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars with Black Friday TV deals while you sit on your couch as the sweet smell of Thanksgiving leftovers in the air fryer wafts through the house. 

The new online Black Friday TV era does introduce a new problem, however: There are too many deals. Some of them aren’t even deals. We’ve combed through the huge assortment of TVs out there to find those that really deserve a spot on your wall. These TVs offer actual discounts that will leave enough money in your entertainment budget to pay for your ever-increasing arsenal of streaming subscriptions. 

We’ll be continually updating this post through Black Friday, so be sure to check back regularly if you don’t see what you want right away. If you do see something that fits your needs and your budget, we recommend jumping on it right away. The best Black Friday TV deals have a tendency to go out of stock in a hurry. 

LG – 48″ Class A2 Series OLED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV $569 (was $1,299)

OLED TVs sit at the top of the TV hierarchy for their exceptional color and contrast. Unfortunately, that means they also sit at the top of the TV price range. This Best Buy deal is one of the cheapest OLEDs we’ve ever seen. It’s a great deal while it lasts.

SAMSUNG 65-Inch Class QLED 4K UHD Q90T Series Quantum HDR Smart TV $1,099 (was $2,097)

Samsung’s QLED TVs offer excellent color and fantastic brightness, which makes them extremely versatile for any room. This is a high-end model that’s currently $1,000 off for Black Friday.

Amazon Black Friday TV deals on LG TVs

Amazon Black Friday TV deals on Sony TVs

Amazon Black Friday TV deals on Samsung TVs

Best Buy Black Friday TV deals

More of the best Black Friday deals

The post The best 75+ Black Friday TV deals: LG, Samsung, Sony, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Best Buy Black Friday deals: TVs, electronics, appliances, and more https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-buy-black-friday-deals-2022/ Thu, 24 Nov 2022 23:35:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=491183
Best Buy Black Friday deals 2022
Save on pretty much everything you want this Black Friday at Best Buy. Stan Horaczek

Save on TVs, computers, Apple products, wearables, and just about everything else during Best Buy Black Friday.

The post Best Buy Black Friday deals: TVs, electronics, appliances, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best Buy Black Friday deals 2022
Save on pretty much everything you want this Black Friday at Best Buy. Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

You made it through another Thanksgiving meal. Now, it’s time to let the turkey digest while you take advantage of some killer deals on just about everything from the comfort of your own couch. Best Buy has been rolling out its Black Friday deals for a while now and we’ve been keeping track of the best discounts on the most desirable products. The variety is huge, and we’ve broken it down into categories to make it easier to peruse.

Remember, Black Friday is now in full effect, so the best deals will go quickly. If you see something you want, jump on it now and don’t hesitate. Black Friday sales aren’t a time to get stuck with the leftovers.

LG – 48″ Class A2 Series OLED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV $569 (was $1,299)

I wanted to single out this particular deal because it’s ridiculous. An OLED at any size just a few years ago would set you back well over $1,000. This panel is more than half off, but it offers the incredible picture quality that comes from OLED, as well as HDMI 2.1 ports to connect your fancy next-gen. gaming consoles. This isn’t the biggest TV, but this is a fantastic deal.

TVs

MacBooks

Desktop computers and monitors

Headphones & earbuds

Laptops

Household

Soundbars & speakers

Gaming

The post Best Buy Black Friday deals: TVs, electronics, appliances, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best 60 Walmart Black Friday deals https://www.popsci.com/gear/walmart-black-friday-deals/ Wed, 23 Nov 2022 03:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=490324
Walmart Black Friday deals
Stan Horaczek

Get a jump on the savings without having to jump through hoops thanks to early online discounts.

The post The best 60 Walmart Black Friday deals appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Walmart Black Friday deals
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Black Friday is here and you can start saving on hundreds of items for your household and your loved ones with Walmart’s Black Friday deals. You can maximize your savings by getting a free 30-day trial to Walmart+ early access. That will get you free delivery from your local Walmart, free shipping, discounts on prescriptions and gas, access to stream more than 40,000 videos from Paramount, and more. We’ve highlighted some standout discounts, then listed dozens more, and we’ll keep updating this guide with new deals through Cyber Monday and beyond.

Black Friday laptop and computer deals

SAMSUNG 34″ Class Flat LED Ultra WQHD Monitor, $229.00 (was $399.99)

If you don’t want to shell out a lot for a monitor but still want an ultra-wide option with a high-quality picture, Samsung’s LED Ultra WQHD monitor is a great pick. At 34 inches across, the screen has a resolution of 3440×1440 pixels that delivers a sharp picture. A  respectable 75Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync technology cut down on tearing and stutter for better gaming. And the VESA-compatible mount works with both HDMI and Display Port.

Black Friday sports & outdoors deals

Hyper E-Ride Electric Bike, $398.00 (was $698.00)

Electric bikes can be pricey, but this option features quality craftsmanship at an affordable price. This eye-catching blue bike comes with an aluminum frame and premium Shimano grip shifter and rear derailleur gear system. It’s got front and rear brakes for extra safety, plus a 36-volt battery that allows for a ride time of about 20 miles—great for commuting or short rides around town.

Black Friday fitness deals

SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, $149.00 (was $349.99)

Do you like the idea of smartwatches but still prefer a more classic-looking timepiece for everyday wear? The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic BT ticks both boxes. It’s got the traditional clock face with hands and stainless steel casing. Yet it will track your vital health metrics, from your oxygen levels to ECG monitoring to sleep tracking,  let you participate in group workouts, and get live coaching. Of course, you can also listen to music, take calls, and text. But hurry, at almost $200 off, this deal won’t last long.

The best Walmart Black Friday deals in 2022

Black Friday TV deals

Black Friday home theater deals

Black Friday audio deals

Black Friday gaming deals

Black Friday home deals

Black Friday kitchen deals

Black Friday deals on tools

More of the best Black Friday deals

The post The best 60 Walmart Black Friday deals appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Cut clutter & cost with Black Friday wireless surround sound systems deals https://www.popsci.com/gear/wireless-surround-sound-systems-black-friday-deals-2022/ Thu, 24 Nov 2022 21:25:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=491148
best wireless surround sound systems deals sliced header
Tony Ware

These are the all-around best deals on 360-degree sound.

The post Cut clutter & cost with Black Friday wireless surround sound systems deals appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
best wireless surround sound systems deals sliced header
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

If you feel like your surround sound array is in disarray and your speaker wires may be even more tangled up than the strings of Christmas lights in storage, you need a wireless surround sound system. And if you need a wireless surround sound system, several of our favorites are deeply discounted right now. For instance, you can get the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra Wireless Surround Sound System on sale for $1,099.99 (regularly $1,499.99), or the even more advanced Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra eARC SSE MAX on sale for $1,477 (regularly $1,899).

Our reviewer declared the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra eARC MAX in particular a literal and figurative blast offering loud, full-spectrum detail and realism. This 9.2.4-channel system, with 18 drivers total, delivers 1,300W/113 dB audio, and supports HDMI 2.1, optical, coaxial, RCA, and Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD inputs with Dolby Vision/4K HDR/Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X compatibility. The four wireless surround sound speakers, dual 10-inch subwoofers, and Spatial Surround Elevation audio processing engines enhance the sense of spaciousness to the soundstage.

Want to explore other options? Here are the best Black Friday deals on the best wireless surround sound systems:

The post Cut clutter & cost with Black Friday wireless surround sound systems deals appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Black Friday TV deal: Save more then $1,300 on LG’s exceptional C1 OLED https://www.popsci.com/gear/lg-c1-oled-tv-black-friday-deal-2022/ Thu, 24 Nov 2022 13:45:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=491090
LG C1 black friday deal on pruple
It's one of the best TVs available full stop. LG

The LG C1 is truly exceptional and this is as cheap as we've ever seen the 65-inch model.

The post Black Friday TV deal: Save more then $1,300 on LG’s exceptional C1 OLED appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
LG C1 black friday deal on pruple
It's one of the best TVs available full stop. LG

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

The LG C1 OLED TV debuted back in 2021 and has been one of the best TVs on the market ever since. Right now, you can score an absurd deal on a 65-inch model for $1,039, which is more than $1,300 off of its regular price and several hundred dollars cheaper than most sale prices we’ve seen. That’s the magic of Black Friday.

BUY IT

The LG C1 isn’t the company’s top-end OLED, but it does represent an optimal mixture of price and features. You get the poppy colors and absurd contrast that makes OLED appealing, as well as a suite of HDMI 2.1 connections to make the most of modern gaming consoles. We have seen pretty great deals on smaller versions of this TV, but the 65-inch model is a sweet spot for many viewers. The current deal actually makes the 65-inch panel cheaper than its 55-inch counterpart.

Amazon says this sale will last for four days, but I’d be very surprised if the stock lasted that long. This is a truly phenomenal TV on par with the best of this year’s models for the lowest price we have ever seen.

This deal is now over, so go check out our list of the best early Black Friday TV deals. It includes everything from cheap smart TVs to splurge-worthy flagship displays.

More of the best Black Friday deals

The post Black Friday TV deal: Save more then $1,300 on LG’s exceptional C1 OLED appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Save big on earbuds, headphones & speakers during Amazon early Black Friday https://www.popsci.com/gear/early-black-friday-audio-amazon-deals/ Tue, 15 Nov 2022 22:15:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=486712
Early Black Friday audio deals sliced header
Tony Ware

If sound discounts are music to your ears, these early Black Friday audio deals hit the high notes by offering low prices.

The post Save big on earbuds, headphones & speakers during Amazon early Black Friday appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Early Black Friday audio deals sliced header
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

It’s November, nearly Thanksgiving, and many of our thoughts are already putting an emphasis on the giving. Luckily, it’s the time of year that the temperature creeps down and we give thanks that retail prices do the same. And if you’re specifically looking for savings on headphones, earbuds, or speakers, we’re on the same wavelength. Now, as Depeche Mode eloquently put it in 1986, “Let’s have a black celebration.” But when it comes to Black Friday … or Cyber Monday … you no longer have to save the date to get something great. We’re already seeing some deep discounts on premium products, especially in the audio arena—the kind of deals that will have you dancing to “As It Was” by Harry Styles on repeat in no time. So, if you want to gift someone—yourself included—a leveled-up listening experience that’s not the same as it was, as it was, here we go with the best early Black Friday audio deals we’ve heard of so far:

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation), $199 (Was $249)

Apple

SEE IT

The AirPods Pro 2 have better active noise cancellation, up to six hours of playtime per charge, and come with a battery case that can fully recharge them five times. Apple has adjusted the way these earbuds sound to improve their audio quality overall and bass performance specifically. It’s also included a new pair of XS-sized eartips in the box so that the earbuds can fit more ears comfortably. Improvements to Spatial Audio—including using pictures of your ears to personalize the tuning—will make audio mixed in Dolby Atmos sound more 3D. Apple hasn’t changed the look or size of its pro-level earbuds, but it has made significant changes to their case. The new AirPods Pro 2 case has a speaker, which will play a chime if you ping them using Apple’s “Find My” feature, so the earbuds are easier to locate. The case also has a lanyard loop in case you’d like to carry the AirPods Pro 2 around with you. These little tweaks add up, and we can easily say these earbuds are better than any of Apple’s other options. They also stack up well compared to sub-$200 earbuds from companies like Bowers & Wilkins, Bang & Olufsen, Jabra, or Soundcore.

Looking for something iOS but a little less spendy? The standard but still feature-packed Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) earbuds are $159, down from $169.

Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones, $228 (Was $349.99)

Sony

SEE IT

While they may be last-gen., the Sony WH-1000XM4 ANC headphones are far from egregiously outdated. Sensor- and software-stuffed, 2020’s ANC headphones of the year still stand out for making sure your environment doesn’t creep in. Sure, the newer WH-1000XM5 (which is reduced slightly to $348) is even more efficient at filtering out rumble and buzz, but not to an exponential amount. And, sonically, the WH-1000XM4’s 40mm drivers and a frequency response of 20Hz to 20,000kHz (over Bluetooth, or 4Hz to 40,000kHz when using the cable), put the fun in functional. There have been a lot of premium ANC Bluetooth headphones released in 2022 (from Sennheiser, Bowers & Wilkins, Master & Dynamic, Focal, etc.), but if you’re not looking to spend $350 or more you’ll be more than satisfied with the WH-1000XM4’s ability to produce a bubble of portable productivity.

Looking for something more stationary yet unconstrained? We love the synergy of the HiFiMan HE-R9 closed-back dynamic headphones and HiFiMan EF400 R2R DAC/amp. The HE-R9 ($249 down from $369) is a lightweight heavyweight, an extremely comfortable bass beast of a headphone that doesn’t sacrifice overall clarity for engagement. And the compact desktop EF400 ($499, down from $599) makes sure the ‘cans can—delivering a high-octane signal that’s punchy without being paunchy. They’re a perfect pair, or just pick up the DAC/amp solo to add a muscular high-resolution response to any of the top-tier audiophile and production icons by Sennheiser and beyerdynamic below.

Need a way to feed advanced-resolution audio to all your new gear—at home and on the go? The flagship FiiO M17 digital audio player is $200 off, down to $1,599 from its regular price of $1,799. Running flawlessly off a customized Android 10 OS, it decodes every format, supports all streaming apps, offers every manner of wired and wireless connection you can imagine—2.5mm/3.5mm/4.4mm/6.3mm outputs and Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC/aptX Adaptive/LDAC—plus has enough power to potentially replace a desktop set-up, even for hard-to-drive flagship headphones.

The best headphones/earphones deals

Looking for Early Black Friday audio deals that fit in your pocket—the same pocket that’s full of all that sweet cash you’re saving? Check out these discounted earbuds we’ve found:

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker, $79 (Was $99)

Ultimate Ears/Logitech

SEE IT

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker is our top pick for shower speaker because it’s buoyant in more ways than one. The 360-degree sound—from two 40mm active drivers and two passive radiators, which produce a frequency range of 75Hz – 20kHz—is surprisingly powerful for such as ultra-portable orb. Plus it’s IP67 waterproof and it floats, so it’s ready for everything from bath time to whitewater rafting. We’ve declared the Wonderboom 3 our best budget speaker at $99, so it’s an insanely good deal at $69.

Tired of singing solo in the shower and ready to party with pals? The Sony SRS-XG300 Portable Bluetooth Speaker is an IP67 waterproof and dustproof cylinder with pulsing LED rings at its ends and a 25-hour battery to power its dual front-facing tweeters, X-Balanced woofers, and passive radiators, which bring more bounce to the ounce. It’s not the cheapest party speaker at $248 (usually $349.99) but it might be the classiest and sassiest—one of our favorite combos. Easy to transport but still sleek, thanks to its retractable handle, the SRS-XG300 sounds as good as it looks if you like high-quality rumble (what else is a party speaker for, anyway). While they might complain about slightly recessed mids, Android users with compatible hardware can even get an audiophile-level connection thanks to Bluetooth 5.2 LDAC support (plus there are MEGA BASS on/off and rudimentary EQ options in the app). The end result is a crisp presentation with plenty of distortion-free kick—and you can even get more thump if you go with the SRS-XG500 below.

The best portable party speaker deals

Like the sound of even bigger bargains? Trusted budget brand Tribit has dozens and dozens of earbuds, headphones, and speakers available on sale for between 15 and 50 percent off. The sale includes another one of our favorite portable waterproof speakers, the StormBox 2.

Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra Wireless Surround Sound System, $1,099.99 (Was $1,499.99)

Nakamichi

SEE IT

We’ve got no problems with cords over here, but we do love to get wrapped up in the latest wireless developments. Some of the most impressive advances have been in wireless surround sound systems, and the Nakamichi Shockwafe family has been one of our top picks even before systems like the 9.2.4-channel Shockwafe Ultra were offered at the currently unbeatable price of $400 off. Using proprietary digital signal processing to sync the wireless subwoofers and surround speakers, the Shockwafe lets you enjoy the immersion of Dolby Atmos with so much less of the hassle of a traditional surround sound system. Want to take it to the next level? Go for the Shockwafe Ultra eARC SSE MAX with upgraded driver materials, amplification, and connections, currently at an all-time low of $1,477 (usually $1,899).

Need a streaming source? The Apple TV 4K (2021) may not be the latest model, but it’s still an incredible deal at $99 (usually $179) and a great way to watch your favorite shows and movies, plus feed high-resolution audio from Apple Music or TIDAL to that new soundbar.

Prefer a stereo soundstage with pinpoint imaging? The KEF LS50 Meta are our best overall pick for bookshelf speakers and are available right now for $1,299/pair (usually $1,599). Fed clean power and evocative audio, the Uni-Q drivers in these speakers are engaging without exaggeration, offering a wide sweet spot and smooth, natural response. And there are early Black Friday audio bargains up and down KEF’s compact cabinet lineup, from the uncompressed expression of the entry-level KEF Q350 ($499.98, usually $749.99) to the three-way standmount KEF R3 ($1,699.98, usually $2,199.99).

The best home audio deals

Early Black Friday audio prices are correct at time of publication and are subject to change.

The post Save big on earbuds, headphones & speakers during Amazon early Black Friday appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best 70-inch TVs of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-70-inch-tvs/ Thu, 02 Jun 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=447264
Best 70-inch TVs sliced header
Stan Horaczek

Because sometimes 65 inches just isn’t quite enough.

The post The best 70-inch TVs of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best 70-inch TVs sliced header
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best budget Hisense A6G product image Hisense A6G Series LED 4K Android TV
SEE IT

Considering the features jammed in without the price getting jacked up, you’d be hard-pressed to find a reason why this television is so cheap.

Best Samsung Samsung QLED product image Samsung Q90 QLED TV
SEE IT

The Quantum Dot display results in super sharp images, deep blacks, and non-blinding highlights, handling HDR content with aplomb.

Best for gaming Hisense U7D product image Hisense ULED Premium U7G Quantum Dot QLED
SEE IT

The sharpness, price, and picture quality adjustments of the Game Mode Pro make this a gamer’s go-to.

We’ve come a long way from the days of thinking a 27-inch CRT television was the pinnacle of at-home entertainment. Now we can look at 70-inch televisions and consider them typical compared to even larger TVs on the market. TVs are lighter, brighter, and cheaper than they ever were. This enables us to turn even the most frugal of living spaces into home theaters. And with all the streaming services we subscribe to, finding the right TV for all that content is more important than ever. 

The challenge in finding the right TV for your living space is the availability of options. Many of today’s TV options offer much of the same, with differences based on personal preference. From included streaming options to a few inches in diagonal length, shopping for a new TV can be a bit pedantic. It’s those differences that make the final purchase more exciting, bringing a vibrant addition to your home entertainment system. The best 70-inch TVs offer tons of screen space without making your room look totally ridiculous.

How we chose the best 70-inch TVs

When it comes to TVs that measure exactly 70 inches, there aren’t a ton. So, we started with those that met the criteria exactly and then branched out a little. This 70-inch class is typically where you’ll find big TVs with budget-friendly prices, so we emphasized choices that offer lots of features with relatively low price tags. We focused our list on the major manufacturers with known reputations for reliability. 

To narrow down this list, we relied on years of combined TV knowledge and experience from the writers and editors at Popular Science. This list is a result of personal experience and research including editorial reviews, user impressions, and pure spec comparisons.

Best 70-inch TVs: Reviews & Recommendations

Best overall: VIZIO V-Series 4K HDR Smart TV

VIZIO

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The VIZIO V-Series 4K HDR Smart TV is a mid-level entry in a crowded market. Its affordable price and expected-from-a-TV features make it a competent buy for most people.

Specs

  • 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range) LED
  • 3840 x 2160 Resolution
  • Standard Speakers

Pros

  • Low input lag for gaming
  • Affordable pricing
  • Tons of picture options

Cons

  • Basic sound
  • Limited Smart TV options

The VIZIO V-Series 4K HDR Smart TV is the television that you buy when you don’t want to think too hard about your next TV outside of size. This range of VIZIO TVs comes in a few different sizes, all the same in functionality. It comes out of the box with relatively accurate color but allows for considerable tweaking via the built-in settings if you want to dial it in.

The failings of this TV won’t matter to most buyers. The internal speakers are passable, but you should almost certainly be using a soundbar or some other kind of external audio anyway. It has three HDMI ports so you can plug in all your gaming systems. The low input lag helps smooth out the picture for video games and sports. Plus, it supports the most common HDR standards. 

The full-array LED backlight keeps the picture crisp no matter what you are watching. If you’re really dedicated to a 70-inch TV, then this one will provide a perfectly pleasant experience with just about any kind of content you throw at it.

Best Samsung: Samsung Q90 QLED TV

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Samsung Q90 QLED TV is one of the best-reviewed televisions in existence. From premium picture quality to a sound output almost unheard of with TVs this thin, Samsung QLEDs will look great mounted on the wall.

Specs

  • QLED 4K UHD
  • 3840 x 2160 Resolution
  • 4 Speakers & subwoofer

Pros

  • Amazing sound for a UHD TV
  • Sleek design
  • Apple TV Exclusive partnership

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Standard HDMI 2.0 ports

The Samsung Q90 QLED TV is essentially an OLED television, but the Q stands for “Quantum,” referring to Quantum Dot technology that promises higher picture quality. You get what you pay for with this TV. While there is no exact 70-inch version, both the 65-inch and 75-inch should satisfy your craving for crisp, beautiful picture quality.

This TV is a bit different from other large-screen TVs in a few ways. First, Samsung didn’t bother with embedded ports, keeping the profile slim. Rather, all ports and components are in the One Connect Box. That box connects via an “Invisible Connection,” which is just a semi-transparent wire. So instead of a bundle of wires for all your devices hanging from behind the TV, there is one leading to a box in the console. 

Second, the sound is more than competent for a modern, flat TV. It’s 1.6 inches thick but somehow managed to pack in four speakers and a subwoofer. You get clean bass and discernible dialogue while not having to plug in an external soundbar. 

The Quantum Dot display results in super sharp images, deep blacks, and non-blinding highlights. It does great with HDR content and you’ll be hard-pressed to feel you aren’t looking out a very well-lit window. It’s a great all-around option if you don’t mind stepping up to 75 inches or down to 65 inches.

Best for gaming: Hisense ULED Premium U7G Quantum Dot QLED

Hisense

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Hisense ULED Premium U7G Quantum Dot QLED TV checks all the boxes when it comes to gaming, including HDMI 2.1 ports and low lag.

Specs

  • ULED 4K
  • 3840 x 2160 Resolution
  • Dolby Atmos + IMAX Enhanced sound

Pros

  • Made for gaming
  • Affordable
  • QLED ULED high image quality

Cons

  • Needs more HDMI 2.1 ports
  • Passable audio

If you have a next-gen Xbox Series X or PS5 and don’t want to spend too much, this is the TV for you. Game Mode Pro offers a change in the software that knows when you are gaming and adjusts motion smoothing on the go. There is also an automatic low latency mode, variable refresh rate, and FreeSync that minimizes input lag, jittering, and broken frames. The 120Hz refresh rate keeps everything looking clear, while the Dolby Atmos sound does a moderate job of delivering the sound. Plus, the HDMI 2.1 ports can move enough data to enable high-res, high-framerate play; you can’t do that with typical HDMI 2.0 ports. (and don’t forget those HDMI cables.)

Additionally, the U7G series comes with Google Assistant baked into the operating system as well as voice controls. Like all voice controls on TVs, they can be a bit unreliable (you’ll be shouting at your remote by the end of the night). But they’re there in a pinch. The sharpness, price, and picture quality adjustments of the Game Mode Pro make the Hisense ULED Premium U7G Quantum Dot QLED TV the best buy for gamers.

Best for streaming sports: LG UHD 70 Series

Why it made the cut:  The LG UHD 70 Series isn’t the best 70-inch TV on this list, but it has a few important features that make it optimal for viewing sports content. 

Specs 

  • 4K UHD
  • 3840 x 2160 Resolution
  • Ultra surround sound

Pros

  • Wide viewing angles
  • Low input lag
  • Good backlighting

Cons

  • Weak contrast
  • Struggles with HDR

The number one reason the LG UHD 70 Series lands on this list is its wide viewing angle. Paired with a solid backlight, this is a great overall experience for basic content consumption. While it doesn’t do that great with HDR content, it does fantastic with sports content. The wider viewing angles mean that when you have pals over for the big game, you can see the screen clearly no matter where you post up in the living room. 

Aside from that, the webOS operating system is competent, but not great. LG has struggled with its Roku-like streaming content system in the past, but it makes up for it with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Apple AirPlay compatibility. The low-latency mode for gaming is a nice addition, as this also lends well to sports viewing. Plus, the LG UHD 70 Series is on the lower end of the price spectrum.

Best budget: Hisense A6G Series LED 4K Android TV

Hisense

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Hisense A6G Series LED 4K Android TV is a good buy for the price. Not only do you get a smoother-than-usual Android TV experience, but also 70 inches of 4K screen for under $500.

Specs 

  • 4K HDR LED
  • 3840 X 2160 Resolution
  • DTS Virtual:X Sound

Pros

  • HDMI 2.1 Compatibility
  • Dolby Vision HDR
  • Voice Control

Cons

  • Backlight bleeds, which hurts contrast

For a sub-$500 TV, you really can’t go wrong with the Hisense A6G Series LED 4K Android TV. It packs a ton of features without jacking up the cost. You’ve got 70 inches of upscaled full HD content, the new standard HDR10+ picture quality, premium Dolby Vision HDR, and eARC HDMI output audio. It has a strong quad-core processor putting this TV right on par with other units far outside its price range. You’d be hard-pressed to find a reason why this television is so cheap.

Instead of its own smart TV option or Roku, the A6G Series comes with Android TV baked in (at least in the United States). While Android TV has been known to be slow on some devices, you could always supplement with your own streaming device. It also has Amazon Alexa voice controls built in, with a huge button on the remote if you prefer to still press buttons. 

One great thing about this series of televisions from Hisense is it carries strong motion handling. The contrast can be a bit fuzzy at times, but the stability of the motion control balances that out. The Hisense A6G Series LED 4K Android TV is a rarity in its included options at the offered price. 

Things to consider while shopping for the best 70-inch TVs

When it comes to buying 70-inch TVs, just like any size category, there are a few things to look for. Of course, you can simply trot out to a local big-box store and grab the first television on sale. But where’s the fun in that? With the selection and variable features on modern televisions, we may as well take a moment to truly consider our options. The best 70-inch TVs aren’t just the ones that are on sale or fit snuggly above the fireplace. They are the ones that meet all our technical and personal preferences.

Size

It might be obvious when you are seeking to purchase a 70-inch TV to look for a 70-inch TV, but 70-inch TVs fall in a size class. That is to say that the availability of 70-inch TVs is limited, so you should be open to settling for a 65-inch, or moving up to a 75-inch based on available specs. There are even 77-inch TVs that fit into the 70-inch class. Regardless, if your specific space requirement calls for nothing less or more than 70 exact inches, there are still a few great options to choose from.

Included smart TV options

As a population, we don’t really subscribe to cable anymore. At least not in the traditional sense. Yet, we subscribe to so many streaming services that when we purchase a new TV, a streaming service aggregation app is almost a necessity. That’s why so many new TVs are labeled “smart TVs.” They usually have something like Roku (a streaming app-focused operating system) baked right into the operation. Some smart TVs have pre-loaded apps or their own aggregation service (similar to an app store on mobile). It’s rare a new TV doesn’t have smart options, but there are a few models that are missing this important feature (in which case you’d want something like an Apple TV).

Backlight tech

TVs need light to show you the picture and different models employ various strategies to create that light. A typical TV relies on LEDs behind the LCD panel to shine through and create an image. QLED TVs rely on a similar tech, but add “Quantum Dots,” which stack on the LEDs to emit light when excited and create a brighter, punchier picture. In an OLED TV, each individual pixel lights up on its own, which means it can turn entire sections of the screen off to create impactful contrast, but they lack overall brightness. Some newer TV models rely on Mini-LED or even Micro-LED for their backlight. Those new offerings create light through a huge array of tiny LEDs that provide the best of both worlds when it comes to brightness and contrast. (For a more in-depth look at these technologies, check out our primer.)

Resolution

You don’t need an 8K TV. At least not yet. At the same time, 1080p TVs typically only exist on the low-end of the spectrum and have mostly aged out of relevance. 4K is the resolution you want at the moment. That typically means a screen with a resolution of 3840 x 2160. Even if you don’t have a current-gen gaming console or watch a lot of Blu-rays, 4K TVs will upscale your content to match its pixel-hungry display.

Refresh rate

TVs need to create a sense of motion on the screen and they do so by refreshing the image multiple times per second. The more times every second it refreshes, the smoother the on-screen motion looks. Typical TVs refresh 60 times every second, but higher-end TVs offer faster refresh rates up to 120Hz. Some newer high-end models support variable refresh rate technology, which ensures that the displayed picture matches precisely with the source’s output to prevent image tearing and other ill effects. Higher refresh rates come in handy if you play a lot of games or watch a lot of sports where the smooth motion looks natural. If you’re primarily watching TV and movies, however, that extra refresh rate won’t improve your overall experience.

Price

Our 70-inch class TVs can vary in price from $500 on the low-end to upwards of $3,000 on the high-end. Your best bet is to search for a sale. Advertising tries to impress upon consumers that certain TVs are suddenly outdated, but that’s all marketing. You can absolutely buy last year’s model for several hundred dollars cheaper than the newest model and feel good about it. The differences are usually in the software and generally not related to the resolution. There might be some additional options to choose from when setting sound and picture quality, but these aren’t always justifications for the latest and greatest. Shop smarter, not harder.  

FAQs

Q: Who makes the best 70-inch TV?

The 70-inch display hasn’t really gained much traction with modern TVs, so your options at that exact measurement are somewhat limited. Samsung, however, offers several models, all of which are solid performers. While some have variable levels of picture quality and sound quality, the general consensus is of overall quality. While they tend to be priced a bit more than other brands, Samsung usually makes up for it with additional features like Apple TV partnerships, or its One Connect connectivity option.

Q: Is a 70-inch TV too big?

It’s only too big if you have nowhere to put it. While some of us are still happily rocking a nearly 10-year-old 42-inch TV, most consumers are looking for bigger and better as soon as the Black Friday sales hit. While how far away you should be sitting from the TV is a different discussion, there is no reason why you can’t bring the biggest entertainment delivery device possible into your living room. Of course, the more inches, the more dollars you are going to spend. Just make sure you get the right TV for your room.

Q: Is QLED or OLED better?

While QLED TVs use LCD screens, OLED TVs rely on subpixels capable of emitting their own light. That means that the precision when it comes to contrast and black levels is in favor of OLED. However, QLED adds quantum dotting to LED technology, which equates to a longer lifespan for the TV screen itself, as well as higher brightness. Really, it comes down to black levels, as that’s the only real visual discernible difference.

Q: What is the best 70-inch TV for sports?

Pertinent to this list, it would be the LG UHD 70 Series. While there are better TVs on the market, the wide viewing angles achieved by the 4K UHD screen can’t be overlooked for the price. The common thinking is that larger is always better, but we’re already talking about 70-inches so you have to think about the details that make certain types of viewing better. Being able to see the TV screen as clearly from the side as from the front is a solid selling point.

The final word on the best 70-inch TVs

Buying a 70-inch TV really comes down to the tiny little details and how taken you are with the screen and resolution technologies. QLED, OLED, UHD, and 4K are all good terms to have attached to a new TV. So you’ll want to consider not only how the TV will look in your living room, but what you like to watch on it. Do you prefer movie streaming options and voice controls? Do you want to attach external sound systems? Do you prefer gaming or sports? All these factors tie into the buying decision. While options at specifically 70 inches are limited, you can move up or down slightly and expand your search to include the best 65-inch TVs and the best 75-inch TVs.

More TV roundups to help you find the perfect set

The post The best 70-inch TVs of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best 65-inch TVs of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-65-inch-tvs/ Wed, 16 Mar 2022 22:08:20 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=429117
The best 65-inch TVs
Stan Horaczek

Whether you’re watching TV, screening movies, or playing video games, we’ve rounded up the best 65-inch TVs money can buy.

The post The best 65-inch TVs of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best 65-inch TVs
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall LG G1 is the best 65-inch TV overall. LG G1
SEE IT

An excellent performer for any usage.

Best budget TV Vizio M7 Quantum is the best budget TV. Vizio M7 Quantum
SEE IT

Outstanding quality and brightness for a fraction of the OLED price.

Best TV for gaming Samsung QN90A Neo QLED is the best TV for gaming. Samsung QN90A
SEE IT

Connect your console via HDMI 2.1 and enjoy the benefits.

They say go big or go home, and when it comes to TVs that saying couldn’t be any more appropriate. If you have the space, a 65-inch TV offers an immersive, make-your-neighbors-jealous home theater experience. With new gaming consoles available and so much streaming content at our disposal, finding the right TV is more important than ever. If you’ve measured your living room and know that a 65-inch big screen is the right size for you, you’re in luck: We have a list of the best 65-inch TVs to make your living room pop.

How we picked the best 65-inch TVs

I’ve been writing about consumer electronics for over a decade for sites like TechnoBuffalo, XDA Developers, iMore, and Android Central, and I’ve gotten my hands (and eyes) on a lot of different TVs. I’ve also been known to go to Best Buy to stare at the wall of TVs, just because that’s what I like to do in my free time. When I’m not writing about tech on the internet, I’m probably watching a movie or gaming, so having a great screen is very important to me.

When rounding up my picks, I drew on my experience and also considered what I think is important when picking a TV. That means finding a healthy balance between features, price, and technology. Since we’ve entered a new era of gaming, one of the most important considerations was whether these TVs have HDMI 2.1 or not. Only one of our picks doesn’t, but we still think it’s an excellent set.

The best 65-inch TVs: Reviews & Recommendations

When coming up with our list of best 65-inch TVs, we tried to find something that fit a variety of different needs and price ranges. If you decide to purchase such a large TV, you’re making a big commitment—literally—so make sure your choice fits your criteria. Me? My biggest consideration is for gaming; I don’t own an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 but one day I will, which means I’ll want the unit I buy to support all the latest HDMI 2.1.

Best 65-inch TV (overall): LG G1

Why it made the cut: The LG G1 has the ports, the picture quality, and the features to make it our pick for most well-rounded.

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 4, USB 2.0 x 3, Ethernet, headphone jack

Pros

  • Excellent picture
  • Well-rounded features
  • Sleek design

Cons

  • Doesn’t come with a stand
  • Expensive

The LG G1 consistently ranks among the best TVs on the market and we have to agree. It features a terrific OLED picture with incredible contrast and color. What’s most striking about the LG G1 is how well it balances features, price, and performance. In addition to supporting FreeSync and G-Sync variable refresh rate technologies, it offers four HDMI 2.1 ports that all support 4K 120Hz, a Filmmaker Mode that turns off motion smoothing and tones down the vibrance and brightness, and other low-latency options.

The LG G1 also features support for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, depending on your preference, as well as support for Apple’s AirPlay 2, which means you can easily share photos and video to the TV from your iOS or macOS device. All of these features combine to a great overall pick, whether you’re watching a movie, sports, or playing games.

Best budget TV: Vizio M7 Quantum

VIZIO

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Vizio M7 Quantum includes support for Dolby Vision and FreeSync technology, and comes with AirPlay and Chromecast built-in—all at an affordable price.

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.0 x 4, USB 2.0, Ethernet, headphone jack

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Built-in Apple AirPlay and Chromecast support
  • HDR10+ and Dolby Vision

Cons

  • Not great for gaming
  • Only 60Hz

The Vizio M7 Quantum comes equipped with so many features it’ll make your head spin: FreeSync, Dolby Vision HDR, plus AirPlay and Chromecast built-in, just to name a few. At such an affordable price, it almost feels like you’re getting away with something. Best of all, it features one heck of a picture.

So, what’s the catch? If you’re a gamer, you may want to avert your eyes. While the Vizio M7 Quantum sports a QLED panel, it doesn’t support 120Hz refresh rate. Its 600 nits of brightness are also lower than other top models on the market, impacting its capacity to take advantage of High-Dynamic Range, a feature that creates dynamic brightness. That said, it offers many of the features we look for in a great TV at a far lower price than most of our other picks.

Best TV for gaming: Samsung QN90A Neo QLED

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Samsung’s QN90A Neo QLED boasts impressive image quality and an elegant design.

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 3, HDMI 2.0 x 1, USB 2.0 x 2, Ethernet, headphone jack

Pros

  • Thin, gorgeous design
  • Game-specific enhancements
  • Low input lag

Cons

  • No Dolby Vision HDR
  • Only one HDMI 2.1 port

Samsung’s QN90A is an incredibly bright, vibrant TV for gaming. The QLED panel supports quantum matrix technology and produces a bright, vibrant picture with excellent color reproduction, and a variety of smart features powered by Samsung’s Tizen platform.

The QN90A also features what it calls an “ultra viewing angle” mode, which promises a good viewing experience even when you’re sitting off to the side. And it also offers a Filmmaker Mode, which essentially provides users with what the TV thinks is the most accurate image. That means the full contrast ratio will be preserved, so blacks are deep and whites are bright (but not blown out).

Most importantly, the QN90A supports HDMI 2.1 features, including 4K at 120Hz, and an automatic low-latency mode. Additionally, it includes AMD FreeSync the aforementioned Game Bar interface, which allows users to adjust screen ratio, FPS, HDR, and more.

Best 8K TV: Samsung QN900B 8K

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: There isn’t much 8K content available right now, but Samsung’s QN900B will make sure you’re ready when that day comes.

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 2, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB 3.0 x 1, USB 2.0 x 1, Ethernet

Pros

  • 8K resolution
  • Four HDMI 2.1 ports
  • FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Not much 8K content available

Sure, you can brag to your friends if you own an 8K TV, but it’s not really something you can take advantage of very much right now, if at all. If you do want to flex your wallet more than improve your viewing experience, however, the Samsung QN900B is the best QLED 8K TV out there.

That said, even without access to 8K, the QN900B is still an impressive TV. With HDR10+, Game Mode enhancements, and four HDMI 2.1 ports, it has everything you need for a top-flight gaming experience … if you’re willing to pay $3,200. It also features anti-reflection and Ultra Viewing Angle technology, Wi-Fi 6 support, and Filmmaker Mode for the best possible experience when watching movies. At this point, buying in on 8K feels like making a bet that the future will arrive sooner rather than later. If you want to roll the dice, this is your best bet.

Best OLED TV: Sony Bravia XR Master Series A90J

Sony

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With eye-popping picture quality, support for Google TV, and Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, the Sony A90J is hard to beat.

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: 4 HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, Composite, RF, Headphone jack, 3 USB 2.0

Pros

  • Fantastic picture quality
  • Support for the latest HDMI 2.1 features
  • Google TV onboard

Cons

  • Expensive

The Sony A90J is the kind of TV you’ll look at and involuntarily gasp with glee. It features one of the most impressive OLED pictures on the market, offering deep black levels and exceptionally bright highlights. The A90J features an image processor that analyzes the on-screen image and audio to optimize the TV’s performance. That means you’ll get a little extra oomph during your viewing experience. And who doesn’t want a little oomph?

It features a bevy of software features, too. The Sony A90J supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, Google TV and built-in Chromecast functionality, and a native refresh rate of 120Hz. If you own an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, you’ll be happy to know Sony’s TV has two HDMI 2.1 ports that feature Variable Refresh Rate, Auto Low Latency Mode, and 4K at 120fps. In other words, games will look amazing.

Best QLED TV: TCL 6-Series Google TV (R646)

TCL

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The TCL 6-Series supports the latest HDMI 2.1 features and a great picture at an excellent price.

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 2, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB 2.0 x 2, Ethernet, Headphone jack

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Great picture quality for the price
  • Support for 4K 120Hz 

Cons

  • With three models, it can get a little confusing

By offering affordable TVs with great picture quality and robust features, TCL has become one of the most popular manufacturers over the last few years. The TCL Class-6 Series QLED effortlessly upholds that reputation. 

Here’s where it gets a little tricky: The TCL 6 Series comes in three models—a 4K version with Roku TV, a 4K version with Google TV, and an 8K version. We generally recommend the Google TV version, which is slightly newer and has a few upgrades over the Roku model, including two HDMI 2.1 ports. If you don’t care much about gaming, the Roku TV version is also a great choice.

Either way, the TCL 6-Series will treat you well, offering everything from HDR10+ to Dolby Vision. It also offers proper support for AirPlay 2 and Chromecast, VRR and auto low-latency, and 4K 120Hz gaming at a comparatively affordable price.

Things to consider before buying the best 65-inch TVs

Since we’re talking about a specific size of TV, the main thing you need to ask yourself is whether you actually have the space necessary to properly accommodate a 65-inch TV in your space. It’s important not to let your eyes get bigger than your stomach when you’re making your purchase. Despite the fact that bigger always seems better, cramming a large TV into a small room can make your space feel even smaller. Sitting too close to a big TV can also be bad for your eyes. The bottom line: An overly large screen can kill the excitement of your shiny new TV. I once bought a TV that I realized was far too big for the space I was in, so I returned it. It basically took up an entire wall and made our living room feel tiny. In the end, I was more realistic with the space I have and chose a size that was much more fitting. (With that in mind, I have thoughts on the best 55-inch TVs.)

Once you purchase a 65-inch TV, it’s recommended you sit about 9 feet away for the optimal viewing experience. That recommendation isn’t an exact science since everyone’s eyesight is different, but this calculator goes into much more detail about the optimal viewing distance depending on the size of your TV.

Assuming you have space, picking a size is only the first step. When picking a TV, you’ll want to consider screen technology (OLED or QLED), price, and a wide array of specs—from technical measurements of color and contrast to utilitarian concerns like the number of HDMI ports they have for gaming consoles, streaming set-top boxes, and other gadgets. It’s also important to consider things like refresh rate, resolution, and Smart TV features.

QLED vs OLED

Before you go any further, it’s important to know the differences between OLED and QLED. Despite the fact that their acronyms sound similar, they’re actually quite different and offer different benefits and technology.

Organic light-emitting diode, or “OLED,” displays feature a large number of independently controlled LEDs that illuminate each pixel on the screen. Because the lights can turn off completely, OLED screens have the ability to create “perfect” blacks, without any light bleeding through. They also create the sharpest possible contrast and have incredibly vibrant colors. OLED TVs look particularly impressive when displaying scenes with really challenging light, like when darkness is next to bright light. Older LED TVs have a tendency to “spill” light into shadows and areas with no light, whereas OLED TVs can handle those situations much better.

QLED stands for “quantum dot light-emitting diode.” QLED panels are a hybrid of traditional LCD and LED displays. Created by Samsung, QLED TVs use a traditional LED-backlit LCD panel but with an extra “transmissive” layer of “quantum dots” that enhance the screen’s color, brightness, and contrast. High-end QLED displays are often combined with Mini-LED backlighting, which can approximate an OLED panel’s enhanced contrast, though not quite as well.

For deeper dives on OLED and QLED technology, check out the explainers in our lists of the best OLED TVs and Best QLED TVs, which describe the tech in more detail. 

Resolution

Almost all new TVs support 4K resolution, or 3840 x 2160p, which is great because that’s exactly what you want right now. Both streaming services and game consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X offer 4K content. if you’re upgrading from a 1080p TV, well, your eyes are in for a treat, because the step-up should make your TV look quite a bit sharper. There are some 8K TVs on the market, but there isn’t a whole lot to watch. Sure, buying an 8K TV will ensure you’re well prepared for the future, but there will likely be better 8K TVs out there by the time you’re actually ready to buy one.

Refresh rate

Refresh rate is an important feature for playing games and watching sports. Refresh rate refers to how many times your TV can redraw the on-screen image each second. A higher refresh rate—120Hz and above—will provide users with smoother on-screen motion. TVs typically feature 60Hz refresh rates, which is fine for most content. But a 120Hz TV can smooth out the animation of modern video games and improve the fluidity of the action in sports.

If gaming is what you care about most, we have recommendations for the best TV for gaming, where we take a deeper dive into refresh rates and why it’s important for gaming.

HDMI 2.1

You also want your TV to be future-proof, which means you’ll need a set with the right ports to get the most of your various gadgets, including the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X that you may or may not already have.

Most devices that plug into a TV connect via HDMI port. The thing is, not all HDMI ports (or HDMI cables) are created equal. The newest HDMI standard, HDMI 2.1, allows for higher resolutions and faster refresh rates. Only TVs made in the last two years have HDMI 2.1 and not all 2021 and 2022 TVs have them. Right now, you need an HDMI cable to watch TV at 4K resolution with a 120Hz frame rate. It’s also necessary to watch in 8K. You’ll notice that many sets have both HDMI 2.1 and HDMI 2.0 ports. Your next TV must have at least one HDMI 2.1 port but, in a perfect world, it should have two or more.

Smart TV features

In 2022, most TVs are smart TVs. They have streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video baked right in. Different TVs use different operating systems, like Roku and Google TV, to serve those apps, which means you’ll get a vastly different user experience depending on the TV you choose. Personally, I would use an external set-top box that runs the platform of your choice, because they’re often much faster than what’s baked into a TV. 

FAQs

Q: What size room do I need for a 65-inch TV?

As we mentioned above, the recommended viewing distance for a 65-inch TV is roughly 9 feet. That’s for the best possible experience. If you have to sit closer or farther, your experience may not be as enjoyable. Sit too close and you may put strain on your eyes. Sit too far and you may not be able to process details as well.

You also want to consider how a 65-inch TV looks in your room. Try taping off a section on your wall to get an idea of how much room the TV will take up. An oversized TV can make your living room feel small. A space that once felt open and inviting might suddenly feel cramped with a 65-inch TV tucked inside.

Q: Is OLED or QLED better?

As we explained in our roundup of best QLED TVs, there are pros and cons to both OLED and QLED TVs. OLED TVs have generally become the critic’s display of choice because they can independently control the brightness of every point on the screen, allowing you to get incredible contrast and true blacks. There are two main issues with OLED TVs: First, it’s a new and expensive technology. Second, they can suffer from burn-in, which can leave a permanent impression on your screen if an image is left on for too long.

While QLED TVs don’t quite achieve the same levels of contrast and color in most cases, they can be less expensive because it is a variation on older LCD and LED technologies (though the best of them get just as pricey). According to Samsung, the original creator of the QLED panel, they are also impervious to burn-in.

So, which is better? That’s up to you. OLED TVs technically offer the best pure picture quality. The best QLED panels can come close though, and are offered at more affordable prices. 

Q: Which brand TV set is best?

Ask 10 different people and you’ll probably get 10 different answers. Companies like LG, Sony, and Samsung have dominated the TV space for years. But upstarts like Vizio, Hisense, and TCL have made good headway over the years, making them more competitive against their larger contemporaries.

Q: How long will an OLED TV last?

OLED TVs should have a lifespan of about 10 years, although your mileage may vary depending on how much you use it. If you watch a few hours of content per night, you should expect plenty of longevity. But if your OLED TV is on for several hours per day, it may degrade faster. 

Q: Is 65 inches too big for 4K?

A 65-inch TV is absolutely not too big for 4K.

Final thoughts about the best 65-inch TVs

Does bigger actually mean better? In the world of TVs, the answer is often yes. The purpose of a TV is to watch content and play games. If you have a larger viewing area to enjoy that content, then, in my opinion, you’ll have a more enjoyable experience.

The good news is there are a lot of really great options available in this size range. It’s just a matter of paying attention to the details: How many HDMI 2.1 ports are there? What’s the refresh rate? What Smart TV features does it offer? There are options out there for everyone, and the ones mentioned above are some of the best.

More TV roundups to help you find the perfect set

The post The best 65-inch TVs of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
These early Black Friday TV deals can save you more than $1,000 https://www.popsci.com/gear/early-black-friday-tv-deals/ Mon, 07 Nov 2022 22:30:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=484772
The best early black friday TV deals
Our pane, your gain. Stan Horaczek

Get the best early Black Friday TV deals now and watch your new set while everyone else is out shopping.

The post These early Black Friday TV deals can save you more than $1,000 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best early black friday TV deals
Our pane, your gain. Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Black Friday is basically here. We’re still a few days out from the actual day, but products have already hit absurdly low prices that likely won’t drop any lower before the end of the year. TVs have always been Black Friday’s bread and butter, and this year is no different. You can get everything from a monstrous high-end display to a cheap little smart TV that’s perfect for a guest room. We have sorted through hundreds of TV deals to find the best buys you can grab right now.

SAMSUNG 65-Inch Class OLED 4K S95B Series Quantum HDR TV $1,797 (was $2,997)

Samsung

SEE IT

Samsung doesn’t have quite as much clout as LG in the OLED game, but this high-end panel has everything you could want in a TV. That includes the inky black levels and the most up-to-date HDMI connections in order to support current gaming consoles. You also get Samsung’s powerful smart TV platform, which can absolve you from having to buy an external streaming box.

LG 77″ Class OLED evo C2 Series Alexa built-in 4K Smart TV $2,497 (Was $2,696)

This is the latest version of LG’s popular OLED TV and it offers lots of screen real estate. Sure, it’s only a $200 discount, but this TV will last you for years to come due to its future-proof features, like the latest OLED display tech and a full quiver of HDMI 2.1 ports. This is the TV that will make people jealous when they come over to your house for the big game and/or some gaming. 

LG – 48″ Class A2 Series OLED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV $569 (Was $1,299)

If you don’t need the latest and greatest in OLED tech, this slightly downmarket panel offers a rather absurd value. For the same price as a store-brand or gray-label TV, you can get a full-fledged OLED. It’s super thin and would make a great addition to a guest room if you want to make your guests feel appreciative enough to make the bed and refrain from eating all those pickles in the fridge from the last time you went to Sam’s Club.

More early Black Friday TV deals

While we’re most excited about the high-end TVs, these early Black Friday discounts span just about every segment of the market: value-oriented sets offering the most TV for the least money all the way to super high-end TVs that show you every gross, glistening tentacle on the “Stranger Things” monster in meticulous detail.

Amazon TV deals

Best Buy TV deals

The post These early Black Friday TV deals can save you more than $1,000 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The best Roku TVs in 2023 https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-roku-tvs/ Thu, 23 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=450616
The best Roku TVs composited
Stan Horaczek

The Roku’s coming from inside the TV …

The post The best Roku TVs in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best Roku TVs composited
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall TCL 6-Series Roku TV (R635) is the best overall. TCL 6-Series Roku TV
SEE IT

The TCL 6-Series Roku TV is the epitome of the Roku TV experience.

Best 65-inch Hisense U6GR is the best 65-inch Roku TV. Hisense U6GR Series
SEE IT

The Hisense U6GR goes above and beyond with support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

Best 55-inch TCL 5-Series Roku TV is the best 55-inch Roku TV. TCL 5-Series Roku TV
SEE IT

The TCL 5-Series offers a basic mid-range, mid-size QLED TV for a low price.

Streaming device manufacturer Roku is one of the biggest names in little boxes that tuck beneath or behind your TV. But did you know that they also make one of the best smart TV operating systems around? Roku TVs, which employ the Roku interface as their smart TV menu, come from a handful of manufacturers, including a whole line of affordable TVs from TCL. Roku’s intuitive menus make it easy to adjust TV features and gain access to your favorite streaming services—including Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu—without any additional hardware. If you’re looking for an all-in-one smart TV that’s easy to use, you can’t go wrong with the best Roku TVs.

What is a smart TV?

In 2022, all new TVs are smart TVs. The term “smart TV” refers to any TV with an operating system that connects to the internet, allowing you to update firmware and, more importantly, download apps for streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max. 

The smart TV interface has become an essential component of the TV-watching experience. Data from Comscore suggests that internet-connected smart TVs are the primary way households consume streaming content. They eliminate the need for a dedicated streaming device, streamlining the process of finding what you want to watch when you turn your TV on. In fact, many smart TVs can integrate into smart home setups and support virtual assistants like Alexa and the Google Assistant, so you can turn your TV on using only your voice.

These systems have as much in common with smartphones and tablets as they do with the set-top boxes they’re replacing. In addition to offering preloaded software, smart TVs come equipped with a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) that powers the entire experience, from input switching to image processing. These processors also enable the more advanced features in smart TVs, like automatically adjusting the sound and picture.

Meanwhile, having access to software updates and an advanced processor enables TVs to gain new features after you purchase them. For example, Sony recently rolled out support for variable refresh rate (VRR) on several of its 2021 TVs, including the Bravia XR A90J, which we’ve recommended a few times. You can’t get that experience from an old TV.

How we picked the best Roku TVs

I’ve written several TV guides for Popular Science, while PopSci’s Gear team has evaluated dozens of TVs from across the market. The below recommendations were informed by experience, hands-on testing, and in-depth research into specs and technology. We also checked professional reviews and consumer impressions to see which TVs work for people and which ones don’t.

The best Roku TVs: Reviews & Recommendations

There are dozens of Roku TVs available from a few manufacturers, but the market is dominated by TCL, the manufacturer that popularized Roku TVs. For the most part, Roku TVs are affordable options that offer a mix of old and new technologies and offer pretty good picture quality. However, if you want the best of the best, you may want to look elsewhere.

Best overall: TCL 6-Series Roku TV (R635)

TCL

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The TCL 6-Series Roku TV features an impressive 4K panel, four HDMI 2.0 ports, and variable refresh rate support.

Specs

  • Sizes: 55”, 65”, 75”
  • Display: QLED
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
  • Ports: HDMI 2.0 x 4, USB 2.0, Ethernet, Bluetooth

Pros

  • Sharp, vibrant picture
  • 120Hz support
  • Four HDMI 2.0 ports

Cons

  • Lacks HDMI 2.1

The TCL 6-Series Roku TV is easily one of the best sub-$1,000 TVs you can buy. The sharp QLED panel delivers impressive brightness and color, plus excellent HDR performance that rivals some OLED TVs. It also includes Automatic low-latency mode, variable refresh rate support, and a higher 120Hz refresh rate—three features that will make gamers very happy. 

It’s worth noting, however, that it only supports 1080p at 120Hz, rather than 4K at 120Hz, due to the lack of HDMI 2.1. Even with that caveat, the TCL 6-Series Roku TV has a bold look and incredible value.

Best 65-inch: Hisense U6GR

Hisense

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Hisense U6GR puts Roku front and center with a fabulous 4K display and support for different HDR standards.

Specs

  • Sizes: 65”
  • Display: ULED
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
  • Ports: HDMI 2.0 x 4, USB 2.0, Ethernet, Bluetooth

Pros

  • Excellent 4K image
  • HDR10 and Dolby Vision support
  • Ample HDMI ports

Cons

  • Only 60Hz refresh rate

TCL’s TVs are the most common and popular on the Roku TV block but don’t sleep on Hisense’s U6GR. A Roku-enabled variant of the company’s U6G line, it offers a solid picture and some bells and whistles you’d normally expect from a more expensive model. The UG6R features Hisense’s proprietary ULED technology, which uses proprietary technology to enhance colors, motion, and contrast. It also features quantum-dot technology to provide a brighter, more vivid picture. The Hisense Class U6G Series also includes several features gamers will appreciate, including variable refresh rate and automatic low-latency mode. The Hisense UGR is a strong mid-range option, especially if you’re shopping for a larger screen.

If you’re searching for the best 65-inch Roku TV, the Hisense Class U6G Series is a great choice.

Best 55-inch: TCL 5-Series Roku TV

TCL

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The TCL 5-Series makes QLED technology affordable, and it’s available in a dynamic and comfortable 55-inch form factor.

Specs

  • Sizes: 50”, 55”, 65”, 75”
  • Display: QLED
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
  • Ports: HDMI 2.0 x 4, USB, Ethernet

Pros

  • Vibrant QLED display
  • Dolby Vision support
  • Integrated cable management

Cons

  • No HDMI 2.1

With a 4K display, HDR, and an automatic Game Mode, the TCL 5-Series is a very solid TV. Like the top-rated TCL 6-Series, the 5-Series features QLED technology, so colors, contrast, and brightness all get a boost. You also get support for HDR10, Dolby Vision, and voice control features, so you can open apps, turn up the volume, and search for your favorite show with minimal effort. While it lacks more advanced features like HDMI 2.1, the TCL 5-Series is an excellent pick if you want a nice-looking TV and don’t need to sweat the small stuff.

Best QLED: TCL 6-Series 8K (R648)

TCL

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The TCL 6-Series 8K is the most powerful Roku TV right now, with a fantastic 8K QLED display, HDMI 2.1, and Dolby Vision support.

Specs

  • Sizes: 65”, 75”
  • Display: QLED
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 2, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB 2.0, Ethernet, Bluetooth

Pros

  • 8K resolution support
  • ALLM and VRR
  • HDMI 2.1

Cons

  • Narrow viewing angles

For the absolute best QLED picture quality, bar none, no Roku TV beats the TCL 6-Series 8K. That makes sense because it’s an 8K TV, which, as we explained, is more expensive and more powerful than most people need.

That said, it is a powerhouse. The 6-Series 8K’s, TK resolution features over 33 million pixels—that’s four times what you see in a 4K UHD image. The result is an incredibly sharp, vibrant picture unrivaled by anything else in the Roku TV market. A QLED panel elevates the brightness and color accuracy, while a localized contrast control feature optimizes for sharp, inky blacks across 240 “contrast zones” enhancing fine details wherever you look. The TCL 6-Series 8K also supports VRR, ALLM, and Dolby Vision. At nearly $2,000, it’s far and away the most expensive TV on this list, but it is also a comparative bargain if you find yourself compelled to make the jump to 8K.

Best budget: TCL 4-Series

TCL

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The TCL 4-Series is the perfect entry point into the Roku TV market, offering excellent picture quality at an affordable price.

Specs

  • Sizes: 43”, 50”, 55”, 65”, 75”, 85”
  • Display: LED
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • HDR: HDR10
  • Ports: HDMI 2.0 x 4, USB, Ethernet

Pros

  • Vibrant QLED display
  • Dolby Vision support
  • Integrated cable management

Cons

  • No HDMI 2.1

If you’re looking for something affordable, TCL returns to save the day yet again with its basic 4-Series line. As you might expect, the 4-Series dials down the color quality and features from the 5- and 6-Series, but still brings you nice 4K visuals with HDR10 support and HDMI 2.0. At this price point, the selling point of the 4-Series really is the Roku UI, which makes it very easy to find streaming content. That alone puts it above many of its budget-friendly peers.

Things to look for in the best Roku TVs

Though Roku TVs are defined by their operating system, there’s a lot more to picking a TV than the menus. The best Roku TVs offer a sharp, vivid picture and modern features that enhance TV, movies, and video games. That said, you will come across several Roku TVs that feature older display technology and connectivity options. That’s not a bad thing but only a handful of options can compete with the best models available right now, including the best OLED TVs and QLED TVs.

Screen size

In a perfect world, you should pick the size of your TV to fit the size and layout of the room where you plan to put it. You want to sit close enough to your TV that it fills up a large portion of your field of vision, but not so close that long viewing sessions hurt your eyes. The bigger the TV, the further away you should sit from it.

We have specific recommendations in our guide to TV placement, but you should measure the distance between your couch and where you plan to put your TV to get a sense of what size to buy. As a rough guide, we’d recommend 40-55 inches for small living rooms and bedrooms. Save the 75-inch screen you’ve been eyeballing for the biggest room in the house.

As you consider what TV to buy, it pays to be realistic about what size makes the most sense. Finding the right fit will provide you with the best viewing experience while blending in well with the rest of your decor.

Resolution

Most modern TVs support 4K Ultra High Definition resolution or, more formally, 3840 x 2160p. Some manufacturers have started selling 8K TVs–7680 x 4320p–but they tend to be very expensive, and there is little to no 8K content to take advantage of the higher resolution. As such, we recommend sticking with 4K.

High dynamic range (HDR)

High dynamic range, or HDR, enables your TV to employ a wider range of brightness to enhance colors and create more precise reproductions of low-light images. HDR does a better job of presenting details in the brightest whites and the darkest blacks. When you walk into a dimly lit room in a video game, you’ll see the faint silhouette of tables in the dark, just like you would when peering into the dark corner of your poorly lit local pub.

Different TV models employ one of a few different HDR standards, including HDR10 and Dolby Vision. HDR10 is an open standard that’s freely available for TV manufacturers to implement in their sets, so it’s more widely available across the industry. Dolby Vision, a proprietary standard, is less common but comes with a technical advantage. Where HDR10 sets its brightness levels at the start of a video, while Dolby vision dynamically adjusts brightness to match specific scenes or even frames. There is a version of HDR10 with the same dynamic brightness scaling, HDR10+, but it is far less common than standard HDR10.

Gaming features

Many of the most recent upgrades to TVs have specifically focused on improving how video games run on TVs. Many of our guides have highlighted the recent shift to supporting a higher 120Hz refresh rate, which allows for smoother gameplay at a higher frame rate. To enable 4K gameplay at 120Hz, TVs must support HDMI 2.1, the latest version of the AV standard. In addition to enhancing frame rate, TVs have added myriad software features, such as variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM), to include gaming performance.

That said, these are new features. They are common among top-of-the-line TVs but are still filtering their way down to mid-range and budget models. Many Roku TVs only include HDMI 2.0, which means your games will be capped at a standard 60Hz frame rate in 4K. For the majority of people, that’s not a big deal. Only a small number of games on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X support games at that resolution and frame rate right now. That said, we expect things to shift in the coming years, so fidelity-conscious gamers may want to trade up and to avoid getting locked out of useful features.

FAQs

Q: What apps are available on Roku TVs?

Roku TVs offer access to thousands of apps, including Prime Video, HBO Max, Paramount+, and many more. The apps available through similar TV operating systems are available to download on your Roku TV so that you won’t miss out on any major services. Roku devices also offer the Roku Channel, which features free movies, shows, live news, and access to premium subscriptions, including Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax.

Q: How much do Roku TVs cost?

As you can see from this list, Roku TVs run the gamut from under $300 to nearly $2,000. That said, the manufacturers most heavily committed to making Roku TVs, including TCL and Hisense, specialize in budget and mid-range TVs. Our top picks cost between $500 and $1,000.

Q: Should I get an external media streaming device instead?

While Roku’s smart TV is our favorite smart TV operating system, we have found that many of these systems feel sluggish and feature poorly updated smart TV apps. This is less of a problem with Roku TVs because the company uses the same operating system and apps for both TVs and streaming devices. That said, if you buy a smart TV—Roku or otherwise—and find the apps load slowly or the performance is generally poor, you may want to consider using a dedicated streaming device, which has a dedicated processor just for loading your streaming content.

Q: Are there any OLED Roku TVs?

Currently, there are no Roku TVs that feature OLED display technology. If you want an OLED TV and prefer Roku OS, we recommend picking a great OLED TV and a dedicated Roku streaming device.

Final thoughts on the best Roku TVs

As you can see, TCL largely dominates the Roku TV market, with four picks out of five. That’s because the company provides the most impressive blend of display quality, features, and price. There are dozens more Roku TVs available from various manufacturers, but if you’re looking for the best of the best, TCL is the way to go.

More TV roundups to help you find the perfect set

The post The best Roku TVs in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Best TVs under $1,000 of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-tvs-under-1000/ Fri, 01 Apr 2022 20:00:33 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=434600
Best TVs under $1,000
Stan Horaczek

Finding an affordable 4K TV has never been easier.

The post Best TVs under $1,000 of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best TVs under $1,000
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall TCL 6-Series (R635) is the best TV under $1,000. TCL Class 6-Series (R635)
SEE IT

The TCL Class 6-Series produces one of the best 4K images at a great price.

Best OLED LG B2 OLED TV LG B2
SEE IT

The LG B2 provides surprising performance under $1,000.

Best budget Hisense H8G is the best budget TV under $1,000. Hisense H8G
SEE IT

The Hisense H8G delivers 4K HDR at a crazy low price.

Great televisions are expensive. Many of the best TVs cost thousands of dollars, especially if you’re looking for a large screen. You don’t need to spend that much money to get something great, though. In fact, there are TVs from nearly every major manufacturer that cost less than $1,000 but still come packed with features. We’ve picked the best TVs under $1,000 that are still a great investment.

How we picked the best TVs under $1,000

I’ve been reviewing technology for over a decade for sites including TechnoBuffalo, XDA Developers, iMore, and Android Central. During that time I’ve tested hundreds of products, including TVs. When selecting the best TVs under $1,000, I balanced the desire for the best possible visual quality and features with finding the best possible deal.

Things to consider before buying a TV under $1,000

Since we’re working within a budget, it’s important to recognize that you will need to make compromises so you can get the features you want. You may have to choose between buying that 65-inch big screen and getting an OLED TV with the sharpest contrast possible. That doesn’t mean, however, that there aren’t good options in this price range. You definitely will be able to get a 4K TV with HDR support in this price range, which will be a decent upgrade unto itself if you’re upgrading from a Full HD, 1080p TV. Here are some things you should think about while weighing your options.

Think “mid-size”

There is usually a pretty substantial price jump when you start looking at TVs larger than 60 inches. There are some 65-inch models out there that are available for under $1,000, but not many. In this price range, we recommend getting a 50- or 55-inch TV, where you’ll have more and better options.

That said, we generally recommend that you pick your TV with your viewing space in mind. It’s recommended you sit a certain distance from your TV to get the best possible viewing experience. This distance calculator will tell you how far to sit based on the size of your TV. Below we’ve also included a list of the optimal viewing distances for some of the most common 4K TV sizes (and some links to some of the best options available):

  • 42 inches – 5.9 feet
  • 50 inches – 7 feet
  • 55 inches – 7.7 feet

4K is the way

Almost all new TVs are 4K now and there are a lot of really good options in this price range. There are some 8K TVs on the market, but they’re expensive and, at this point, not worth it because there isn’t much 8K content available. However, more and more streaming services and games are available in 4K, so that’s where you want to be going forward.

A good 4K TV offers far superior sharpness to 1080p, and also features better color accuracy and contrast. With support for a wider color gamut, a 4K panel can display a wider range of colors, making green look more green and red look redder. Meanwhile, 4K TVs are capable of darker black levels, giving images a quality that makes them really pop off the screen.

HDR

High-Dynamic Range (HDR) is a display technology that enables a wider range of lighting conditions on screen by making different parts of your screen brighter than others. Imagine watching a TV show where two characters are talking in a candlelit room: With HDR, the TV can accurately simulate the effect of being able to see a dim, darkened image in the background. Without it, much of the background will simply look black.

There are two primary HDR standards: HDR10 and Dolby Vision. All new TVs with HDR support HDR10. Dolby Vision enhances compatible HDR content further, but that content isn’t everywhere. Meanwhile, Dolby Vision is available on a smaller number of TVs.

OLED and QLED

Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) and Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diode (QLED) are the two popular premium display technologies on the market right now. We go into the specifics of the strengths and weaknesses of each in our guides to OLED TVs and QLED TVs, but here’s the quick version: QLED is an evolution of conventional LED displays, which adds a transmissive layer that complements traditional backlit LCD panels. OLED panels feature brand new technology, where the pixels of the TV emit their own light.

Though we have an OLED TV on this list, the technology is still very new so most OLED TVs are out of our price range for this list. QLED is more affordable, so you’ll see it pop up more frequently. That said, a standard LED panel will still get the job done, too. Ultimately, picture quality—what you see—is more important than how the TV works.

Connectivity

TVs under $1,000 frequently come equipped with HDMI 2.0, but less commonly include HDMI 2.1. The newer standard supports features like 4K 120Hz and is more important for gamers who own a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. I wouldn’t worry too much about missing out on HDMI 2.1 right now, especially if all you’re going to do is watch movies. The full potential of HDMI 2.1 won’t be fully reached for several years, and HDMI 2.0, which supports 4K 60Hz, is more than enough for most content available today.

The best TVs under $1,000: Reviews & Recommendations

Modern 4K TVs are far more affordable than they once were. You might have to make a few compromises, especially around screen size, but there are a bunch of excellent new TVs out there for less than $1,000.

Best overall: TCL 6-Series (R635)

TCL

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The TCL Class 6-Series features an excellent image and full array with local dimming at an excellent price.

Specs

  • Size: 55”
  • Display: QLED 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 2, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB 2.0 x 2, Ethernet, Headphone jack

Pros

  • Support for HDR10+, VRR, and auto low latency
  • Excellent picture quality for the price
  • 4K 120Hz

Cons

  • The different models can confuse buyers

The TCL 6-Series—whether you pick the Roku TV version or its slightly newer, more expensive Google TV-enabled cousin—is a perennial favorite for viewers and for critics alike. In fact, we’ve recommended it before

The 6 Series features a terrific QLED panel with Mini-LED and supports the latest HDMI 2.1 specification, including 4K 120Hz, which is great for next-gen gaming. Thanks to its quantum dot panel and Mini-LED backlighting found in the 6-Series, gets bright enough to make HDR content stand out. You also get a picture that’s saturated with rich colors, providing viewers with an excellent experience whether they’re watching movies or playing games. The 6 Series also benefits from a bevy of special features, including Dolby Vision, AirPlay 2, variable refresh rate support, and auto low latency. You get a lot of TV for a great price.

Best OLED: LG B2

Why it made the cut: It’s hard to find an OLED TV at this price.

Specs

  • Size: 55” (It’s also available in 65″ and 77″ but those typically come in over $1,000)
  • Display: OLED 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: 4 x HDMI 2.1

Pros

  • Fantastic OLED panel
  • Support for 4K HDR
  • Great upscaling
  • HDMI 2.1 support

Cons

  • Not ideal for rooms with tons of ambient light

OLED TVs sit at the top of the market in many regards, including image quality and (typically) price. But LG’s B2 OLED offers some truly high-end features and image quality for a surprisingly affordable price. First, you’re getting a 55-inch screen, which is one of the most popular sizes around. That’s bigger than our previous sub-$1,000 OLED pick, which was only 48 inches. This TV also offers a full rack of four HDMI 2.1 ports, so if you have a grip of high-end gaming consoles and streaming devices, there’s room enough for all of them. It offers HDR compatibility with the major platforms, as well as VRR variable refresh rate. It tops out at 120Hz refresh rate, which is double the 60Hz offered by our previous pick, the LG A1. It’s not the brightest display ever, but that’s what you can typically expect from an OLED display. You’ll get fantastic color and exceptional contrast, but it’s not bright enough to overpower direct window light or other very strong illumination. These specs and this technology would have cost you at least $1,600 just a year ago, which makes this a true deal of a TV.

Best 4K: Samsung Q70T

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Samsung Q70T features a fantastic 4K panel and supports HDMI 2.1 features like 4K 120Hz, variable refresh rate, and auto low latency mode.

Specs

  • Size: 55”
  • Display: QLED 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 4, USB 2.0 x 2, Ethernet

Pros

  • Vibrant 4K picture
  • 4K 120Hz
  • HDMI 2.1

Cons

  • Limited viewing angle

Samsung’s Q70T offers many of the features found in the company’s more expensive models, such as the Samsung QN90A, but at a more reasonable price. For under $1,000, you get an excellent 4K QLED screen at 120Hz, support for HDMI 2.1, and access to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The biggest downside of the Samsung Q70T is it doesn’t have any discrete dimming zones, so its contrast and HDR performance aren’t as nuanced as Samsung’s more expensive models. Overall, though, the Q70T delivers a sharp picture and vivid colors, making it a great option for budget-constrained buyers.

Best for gaming: Sony Bravia X90J

Sony

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With 4K 120Hz, HDR, and HDMI 2.1, the Sony Bravia X90J feels like it was made for gaming.

Specs

  • Size: 50”, 55”
  • Display: LED 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 2, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB 2.0, USB 3.1, Ethernet, Headphone Jack

Pros

  • Support for 4K 120Hz
  • Dynamic HDR
  • Google TV

Cons

  • Limited viewing angles

The 55-inch Sony Bravia X90J is just a smidge under $1,000, but it’s worth every penny. Sony’s LED TV features a new Cognitive XR processor, which the company says understands “how humans see and hear.” What this means is viewers will get a 4K image with improved contrast control for darker blacks and brighter whites.

The best thing about the Bravia X90J is it features two HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 120Hz, which is great news for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X owners. The TV also offers variable refresh rate support and auto low-latency mode. These features will ensure you get a smooth picture while inputs respond quickly with little lag.

To top things off, the X90J comes with Google TV, which we like as a smart TV interface, and offers easy access to services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and more.

Best budget: Hisense H8G

Hisense

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Hisense H8G features 4K HDR and also supports Dolby Vision, all at a low price.

Specs

  • Size: 50”, 55”, 65”
  • Display: ULED 4K
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.0 x 4, USB 2.0 x 2, Ethernet, Headphone Jack

Pros

  • Fantastic image
  • Full array with local dimming
  • Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

Cons

  • No HDMI 2.1

Hisense has carved out a reputation as a company that sells low-budget TVs that are high quality, and the H8G fits that bill perfectly. The only pick on our list with a 65-inch version under $1,000, the H8G features a 4K display that supports both HDR and Dolby Vision, full-array local dimming, and low input lag, making it a great option for casual gamers. The TV also gets up to 700 nits peak brightness, creating greater luminance and contrast—even in bright rooms.

Unfortunately, the H8G doesn’t support HDMI 2.1, so you don’t get features like 4K 120Hz or VRR. That’s not a huge deal for casual viewers, but those who own a next-gen console may want to steer clear.

FAQs

Q: What TV brand is the best value for money?

In recent years, brands like Samsung, Vizio, TCL, and Hisense have been competing in the “mid-range” TV market, offering TVs that come close to the best for substantially less money. All of these brands have proven themselves, having earned strong reviews from critics and attention from TV fans.

Q: Which TV has the best picture quality under $1,000?

All of our picks offer excellent picture quality, but it’s the LG A1 that edges out the competition. It’s hard to beat OLED panels, and the A1’s can compete with the best out there for a pretty good price. The panel is capable of delivering a fantastic viewing experience with inky blacks and no blooming. It also upscales older movies well, so you can watch those classics without compromising on quality.

Q: Which brand of TV is most reliable?

With so many TV manufacturers to choose from, finding the most reliable brand can be tough. The most well-known brands—Samsung, LG, Sony—have been making TVs for years. Others—TCL, Vizio, Hisense—are newer to the scene, but have gained a reputation for quality. Samsung, LG, and Sony either make or improve much of the modern TV technology that’s available, so you should feel confident when purchasing their products. All of the brands included in our list offer reliable TVs, even if they do fall on the more affordable end of the spectrum.

Final thoughts on the best TVs under $1,000

It’s really surprising how little you have to give up when you set a hard budget of $1,000 or less for your next TV. You can generally find a 55-inch TV that supports 4K resolution and HDR, which are two features that provide richer colors and greater contrast. You can get many specialty features and new technologies—there’s even an OLED option on our list! There are also great options for gamers with 120Hz refresh rates. Unless you need to fill a big space, getting a great TV for less than $1,000 shouldn’t be a problem.

More TV roundups to help you find the perfect set

The post Best TVs under $1,000 of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Best TVs for gaming of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-tvs-for-gaming/ Fri, 18 Feb 2022 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=425457
Best TVs for gaming
Stan Horaczek

PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PC ... They'll all look great on these big, beautiful screens.

The post Best TVs for gaming of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best TVs for gaming
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best for PS5 Best TVs for gaming Sony Bravia XR A90J
SEE IT

The Sony A90J is an amazing OLED option with a couple little PlayStation-specific tricks up its sleeve.

Best overall The LG C2 OLED TV LG C2
SEE IT

This update improves on an already beloved TV.

Best for Xbox Best TVs for Gaming Samsung QN90A Neo QLED
SEE IT

The Samsung QN90A has all the right gaming features for Xbox fans … or anyone not convinced into OLED displays.

If you play video games, buying a TV with gaming in mind is more important than ever. With the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, video game consoles have the processing power to run games that look sharper, brighter, and more vibrant at smoother frame rates. While you can play games on any TV with an HDMI port, there are a series of specs that you need to get the most out of those powerful consoles. Simply picking the best 4K TV isn’t necessarily enough. Let’s talk about what makes the best TVs for gaming and look at some of the best options you can buy right now.

How we picked the best TVs for gaming

Prior to joining Popular Science, I’ve written about the gaming industry and technology for nearly 10 years at a variety of publications, including IGN, Gamespot, GamesRadar, PCMag, and Digital Trends. In other words, I have been playing video games professionally for a long time. More specifically, I covered the rise of the first 4K/HDR-compatible consoles—the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro—and spent a good deal of time learning how to tell the difference between a good video game screen and a great one.

To pick the best TVs for gaming, I relied on a combination of hands-on testing and viewing, combined with professional reviews and critical analysis. We’re currently evaluating the latest TV models as they arrive.

What to look for when buying a TV for gaming, specifically

The basics of picking a gaming TV aren’t that different from picking a TV in general. Many of the basic requirements, like picking the right size for your space, do not change because you have a controller in your hand. Likewise, many of the super-technical aspects, such as wide color gamut and good viewing angles, are incredibly important for picking any TV.

There is, however, a set of specs that the average TV buyer might overlook or consider to be relatively minor that makes all the difference when buying a TV with gaming in mind. Everyone knows that they want the biggest, sharpest, and brightest TV out there, but are you thinking about your TV’s refresh rate, as you would with a gaming monitor for your PC? What about brightness, which dictates your TV’s ability to take advantage of High-Dynamic Range (HDR)? These are not things you’ll see just by walking into a big box store and staring at the wall of TVs, so it’s important to have to go a little deeper so that you can pick your next TV with clarity and confidence.

Resolution

Let’s start with the easy part. If you have PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or Xbox One X, you want a 4K TV. Even if you don’t have a 4K-capable console, like the Xbox Series S or Nintendo Switch, you likely still want a 4K TV, because some consoles feature supersampling technology that can enhance a game’s fidelity without taking the resolution a full step higher. 

Luckily, we’ve reached the point where most new TVs are 4K TVs, so you’re covered no matter what you get unless you’re shopping in the very low-end models. And though Sony and Microsoft have said the current consoles have the power to run games in 8K, it is not possible to do so yet and adoption is moving very slowly, so we do not recommend spending an absurd amount of money on tech you won’t be able to use for the foreseeable future.

Backlight type

The big question, with regards to visual fidelity, is what kind of display technology should you look for in your gaming TV. At this juncture, it mostly comes down to three major categories: LED, or “light-emitting diode”; OLED, or “organic light-emitting diode”; and QLED, or “Quantum dot … yeah, you get it.” We have a full-length explanation running down the differences among all three technologies, so I’m going to give you the short version.

As you can see by the names, all three versions are variations on LED technology, which runs electricity through a power cell to emit light. A standard LED TV does this uniformly for the whole screen using a backlight array that shines through an LCD panel. High-end QLED displays augment that basic LED technology by adding dots on the display that enhance the brightness of the backlight, allowing for a brighter screen and sharper, more precise colors. These TVs fit into a category called “transmissive” because they rely on a backlight shining through colored filters. 

Despite the name, OLED TVs are something of a different breed called emissive TVs. They feature a large number of small diodes that individually light up to illuminate the screen rather than relying on an LCD panel. This allows the display to turn individual lights on and off, allowing for a wider range of brightness and the darkest possible blacks.

With the options currently out there, OLED is, generally speaking, the superior display type for gaming. It allows for the best use of HDR, which creates an array of different in-game lighting conditions. QLED also enhances this to a degree, at least in theory. Generally speaking, OLED and QLED sets sit at the top of the TV food chain right now, so we’re basically just saying, “The good TVs? Yeah, they’re really good.” The important thing to note here is that, all things being equal, gamers should go for an OLED over other types of TVs.

Also, for the vast majority of people who aren’t spending $1,000 to $2,000 on a TV, there is nothing wrong or bad about playing games on an LED TV. OLED and even QLED simply provide some extra advantages.

High-Dynamic Range (HDR)

High-Dynamic Range, or HDR, is a display technology that allows your TV to create a wider range of lighting conditions on screen by making different parts of your screen brighter than others. The actual “range” refers to the difference between the brightest white and the darkest black. My favorite example is walking into a cave or other unlit space: Without HDR, games have to choose by making you unable to see and pretending that the cave is magically lit, but colored darker. With HDR, games can actually simulate that grainy, textured low-light look of peering into the dark.

On TVs, there are two primary HDR standards: HDR10 and the more exclusive Dolby Vision. Experts say that Dolby Vision ultimately produces a better picture, but there is relatively little content for it. Both Xbox Series consoles and PS5 support HDR10, but only the Xboxes support Dolby Vision. Even on Xbox, though, only a small fraction of games from the past two generations support it. Luckily, every modern TV supports HDR10, so you don’t have to choose. If you play games primarily on Xbox, you may want to go the extra mile of looking for a Dolby Vision-capable set.

Regardless of standard, though, not all HDR is created equal. The technology relies on brightening the TV to different degrees, so it’s very important that your TV actually gets bright enough to do that. Ideally, you want a TV whose maximum brightness is 1000 NITS or higher to ensure optimum performance.

Input lag and “Gaming Mode”

In the menus of most modern TVs, you’ll find options for different display modes, including an option specifically for playing games. Generally speaking, TV gaming modes remove certain processing elements to reduce the amount of time it takes for the TV to process what’s happening on screen, which reduces input lag.

Input lag, or latency, is a gap in time between when you press a button on your controller and when the action occurs on screen. There is always some amount of input lag because your console or computer needs to process your inputs and send them to the screen, but it should be imperceivable in ideal conditions. If you sometimes feel like you press a button at a precise time, but you miss your window, that may have been because of a lag issue.

Of course, cutting down on image processing impacts picture quality. Most experts agree that using gaming mode only leads to a noticeable drop in picture quality in extreme cases. Still, just like there is no such thing as a lag-free experience, there is no way for a TV to reduce lag without a tradeoff. As I mentioned, the actual processing that gets turned off in game mode varies from brand to brand and may vary from TV to TV depending on what features you have.

Obviously, this list will avoid TVs with notorious input lag and/or game mode issues, but if you’re thinking about whether or not to use “game mode,” just try it and see. The worst-case scenario is that you don’t notice a difference in how you play and you turn it off.

Refresh rate

Refresh rate-related features are the hottest new features in TVs right now and they’re making waves because of video games. Refresh rate, a core feature in gaming monitors for PCs, represents the number of times your TV can redraw the entirety of the screen to reflect a change in what it’s showing each second. For video games, it effectively translates to the maximum frame rate your TV can handle: If it maxes out at 60 Hertz (Hz), as most TVs made before 2020 do, that means your TV can output at up to 60 frames per second.

The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles have the ability to run some games at up to 120 frames per second, but in order for you to actually see that, you will need a TV with a 120Hz refresh rate. We’ve noticed an uptick in interest in monitors for PS5 and for Xbox Series X, and I imagine that the frame rate gap is part of the reason why.

TV manufacturers are already responding; at CES 2022, most of the major manufacturers showcased new 120Hz TVs. It’s still a high-end feature, but something that we expect will filter down into new sets over the next few years.

In addition to higher refresh rates, TV manufacturers are also starting to support adaptive sync technology into TVs. Adaptive sync, or variable refresh rate, is a display technology in monitor hardware and software that allows your screen to adjust its target frame rate to match the computing power of the device delivering its image. This minimizes input lag and prevents some display glitches like screen tearing, a visual distortion where two frames of animation overlap.

There are two versions of adaptive sync: Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync. As with gaming monitors, you’re more likely to find TVs with FreeSyncs support than G-Sync, though some TVs can play with both standards. Outside of PC, the only consoles that support adaptive sync are the Xbox Series and Xbox One consoles. There have been rumors about Sony adding adaptive sync support to the PS5, but it is not available now.

HDMI 2.0 and 2.1

If you want to play a game in 4K at 120 frames per second, you will need to plug your TV into an HDMI 2.1 port. Despite the fact that it’s generally treated as a single, ubiquitous port, there are many versions of HDMI. The ports all look the same and newer ones are always backward-compatible so you’re never asked to throw out cords if you get a TV with newer ports, so most people wouldn’t even notice until you’re locked out of using a feature.

As we explain in our best HDMI cables roundup, newer HDMI standards can transmit more data per second than older versions, which roughly translates to a resolution and frame rate for TV, film, and games. The most common port you’ll find now is HDMI 1.4, sometimes called “high-speed HDMI,” which can output in 4K at 30Hz: That’s what you need to watch TV and movies in 4K. To play games in 4K at 60Hz, you need HDMI 2.0, aka “HDMI UHD,” which can handle 4K resolution at 60Hz with HDR10. The highest standard is HDMI 2.1 or “Ultra High-Speed HDMI,” which unlocks 4K at 120Hz or 8K at 60Hz.

As you may expect, both the PS5 and Xbox Series X support HDMI 2.1 out of the box. But to use the consoles at their highest level of performance, you will need a TV with the same. At the start of 2023, that’s pretty rare, but the coming wave of 120Hz TVs will generally come equipped with HDMI 2.1 ports to match their high refresh rates.

The best TVs for gaming: Reviews & Recommendations

So now that we’ve covered all the ways picking a “gaming TV” differs from picking a TV for watching TV and film, it’s time to get to the good part. Based on our testing and research, these are the best TVs for gaming you can pick up right now. We’ve done our best to provide you with some options based on criteria you may have, including what high-end console you have and display technology. All of these TVs, though, should provide you with the features you need to make your games look great.

Best overall: LG C2

Why it made the cut: The LG C2 checks all the gaming TV boxes, offering a sharp, bright OLED with a high refresh rate.

Specs

  • Sizes: 42, 48, 55, 65, 77, and 83 inches
  • Display Type: OLED
  • Refresh Rate: 120Hz
  • Adaptive Sync: FreeSync, G-Sync
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 4, USB-A x 3,
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision

Pros

  • Wide size range
  • Sharp, vibrant picture
  • High refresh rate with adaptive sync support
  • Four HDMI 2.1 ports
  • OLED evo improves brightness over previous models

Cons

  • Low brightness compared to similar QLED models

Everybody loved the LG C1. Users and professional reviewers almost universally considered it the best TV for gaming, pound-for-pound. Now, LG has replaced the C1 with the new C2 and it brings with it the company’s OLED evo panel. It maintains everything that makes OLED great, like crisp, detailed picture with deep black levels and untouchable contrast ratios. The evo panels, however, increase the overall brightness by up to 20 percent. That helps negate one of the big advantages QLED panels offer over OLED displays. It supports every popular flavor of HDR, including Dolby Vision and HDR10. Plus, the new generation processor improves the TV’s ability to upscale content that doesn’t match up to its native 4K display. It will still cost you a little more than the QLED equivalent, but the upgraded picture quality makes that extra cash feel worth it.

Best for PS5: Sony Bravia XR A90J

Sony

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Sony A90J doesn’t have every single gaming-focused feature, but it has all the stuff PS5 fans need making it the best gaming tv for PS5.

Specs

  • Sizes: 55, 65, and 83 inches
  • Display Type: OLED
  • Refresh Rate: 120Hz
  • Adaptive Sync: N/A
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 2, HDMI x 2, USB-A x 3,
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision

Pros

  • OLED with Incredible color and contrast
  • High refresh rate
  • HDR and Dolby Vision
  • Reportedly brighter than LG C1

Cons

  • No variable refresh rate

The Sony Bravia XR A90J was the company’s flagship OLED in 2021 and it delivers an absolutely incredible picture. Like the LG C1, it offers incredible vibrant colors and the signature “perfect” blacks of an OLED display. In general, I find Sony tends to be the “upgrade” brand—you have to pay extra for their stuff, but you get what you pay for. For multiplatform gaming, the A90J falters because it lacks adaptive sync support and only two out of four HDMI ports support HDMI 2.1. Luckily, the PlayStation 5 currently doesn’t support adaptive sync, so that’s no loss for PS5 players. And, if you’re locked in on a single 4K console, chances are you don’t need more than two HDMI 2.1 ports. 

Plus, it is one of a handful of new Sony Bravia XR TVs that supports a series of “perfect for PlayStation 5” features, including Auto HDR tone mapping, which automatically calibrates your HDR, and “auto genre picture mode,” which switches between standard mode and lag-reducing “game mode” whenever you turn on a game or start watching a movie or TV.

Best for Xbox Series X: Samsung QN90A NEO QLED

Samsung

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: While it isn’t an OLED, Samsung’s QN90A offers incredible color and contrast, along with most of the key gaming features.

Specs:

  • Sizes: 43, 50, 55, 65, 75, 85, and 98 inches
  • Display Type: QLED
  • Refresh Rate: 120Hz
  • Adaptive Sync: FreeSync
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 1, HDMI x 3, USB-A x 2,
  • HDR: HDR10

Pros

  • Mini-LED-powered QLED TV delivers incredible brightness and strong contrast
  • 120Hz with FreeSync
  • Absolutely incredible size range

Cons

  • No Dolby Vision
  • One HDMI 2.1 port

While we generally recommend an OLED display for gamers, all things being equal, Samsung’s QN90A NEO QLED is a reminder that there’s an exception to every rule. Samsung’s highly touted flagship Neo QLED TV features Mini-LED TV and local dimming, allowing for tremendous brightness that you won’t find on OLED screens while offering highly precise color. Of course, it also has all the gaming-focused features we want to see—including an HDMI 2.1-powered 120Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync, which the Xbox One and Series consoles support. It isn’t a perfect fit, as Samsung TVs don’t support Dolby Vision, but given the small amount of natively supported content, we chose to prioritize the best picture, even at the expense of a minor, feature-related blemish.

Best budget 4K: TCL 6-Series Google TV (R646)

TCL

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The TCL 6-Series is arguably the best television under $1,000 right now and the new Google TV adds additional, gaming-friendly features.

Specs

  • Sizes: 55, 65, and 75 inches
  • Display Type: QLED
  • Refresh Rate: 120Hz
  • Adaptive Sync: Yes (Not FreeSync or G-Sync)
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 2, HDMI x 2, USB-A x 1,
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision

Pros

  • High refresh rate
  • HDR10 and Dolby Vision
  • Comparatively affordable

Cons

  • Adaptive sync doesn’t support industry standards

It should come as no surprise that TCL, a brand well known for its really strong budget and mid-range smart TVs, offers the best value in gaming TV for under $1,000. The TCL 6-Series is a crowd-pleaser, offering a bright QLED picture and 120Hz refresh rate. The newest version of the 6-Series, which features Google TV instead of Roku’s smart TV operating system, adds two HDMI 2.1 ports and, reportedly, improved picture quality, making it the superior option for top-of-the-line gaming setups.

It does come with some tradeoffs, of course: While it supports adaptive sync, TCL isn’t officially compatible with FreeSync or G-Sync, so its variable refresh rate may not be as reliable as other choices. That said, you are getting most of the things we look for in a gaming TV for substantially less than most of our top picks.

Best OLED TV (besides our top pick): LG G1

Why it made the cut: The LG G1 may actually be a slightly better TV than the LG C1, even if its high price keeps it out of the top spot.

Specs

  • Sizes: 55, 65, and 77 inches
  • Display Type: OLED
  • Refresh Rate: 120Hz
  • Adaptive Sync: FreeSync, G-Sync Compatible
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 4, USB-A x 3,
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision

Pros

  • Incredible picture
  • Brighter than C1
  • High refresh rate with FreeSync and G-Sync
  • 4 HDMI 2.1 ports

Cons

  • More expensive than top pick, despite only a minor upgrade

The LG C1, our top pick, is realistically the best OLED TV you can buy right now, but did you know that LG makes more than one OLED model? If you’ve done some research already, you’ve probably heard of the slightly brighter, but substantially more expensive LG G1. It has everything the LG C1 has: sharp, vibrant colors; that OLED brightness control; the high refresh rate with FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility. According to reviewers, it even goes a step further and amps up the brightness over the C1, mitigating its primary technical weakness. As at other publications, the G1 fails to earn the best overall rating because that little extra touch of brightness will cost you a few hundred dollars on top of an already steep price. While it isn’t as financially efficient for TV buyers, the G1 is an excellent TV if the C1 isn’t available.

Best LED: Sony Bravia XR X90J

Sony

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Even without an OLED panel, the Sony Bravia XR X90J offers an incredible picture and all of Sony’s great suite of gaming-focused features.

Specs:

  • Sizes: 50, 55, 65, and 75 inches
  • Display Type: LED
  • Refresh Rate: 120Hz
  • Adaptive Sync: FreeSync
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 2, HDMI x 2, USB-A x 2,
  • HDR: HDR10

Pros

  • Very bright picture w/ local dimming
  • High refresh rate w/ FreeSync

Cons

  • Expensive for standard LED TV

The Sony Bravia XR X90J, for a “standard” LED TV, sure seems to check all the boxes. Its high brightness ensures that you get bold, vibrant colors and maximized HDR in your TV, movies, and games. It features the same great suite of gaming features as its OLED counterpart, the Bravia XR A90J, including Sony’s “perfect for PlayStation” configuration options. While it doesn’t achieve the same contrast as the OLEDs on this list, it goes toe to toe with those TVs in many ways … including the price.

FAQs

Q: Should I use a TV for PC gaming?

Since modern graphics cards feature HDMI ports, there’s no reason why you couldn’t or shouldn’t plug your gaming PC into your TV and play them on your biggest screen. If you’re used to a traditional PC setup, remember that you’ll need to either figure out a way to use a mouse and keyboard on your couch or play with a controller. Also, keep in mind how changing screens might impact your PC’s performance. If you use a 1080p or 1440p gaming monitor, running games in 4K will be more demanding.

Q: Do I need a TV with HDMI 2.1 for PC gaming?

Distinctions between the different types of HDMI are based entirely on how much data you’re trying to push from your computer to your display, whether it’s a TV or a monitor. To play games in 4K at 120Hz, you will need HDMI 2.1.

So why do PC gamers talk about frame rate all the time? Gaming monitors that support 4K resolution are still considered a luxury in PC gaming circles, so it’s much more common to see PC players using 1080p or 1440p displays with higher refresh rates. By contrast, 4K is now all but standard on new TVs, but 120Hz support has only been added to high-end sets in the last few years.

Q: What size TV do pro gamers use?

I’m sure most professional gamers, whether we’re talking about esports players or influencers, play games on a TV from time to time, but most pros use a gaming monitor when they’re on the job. For competitive play, a small monitor with the highest possible refresh rate gives you a slight advantage because it allows you to read changes in your game more quickly. For influencers, the issue is more logistical: A PC desk setup makes it easier for most streamers and YouTubers to manage chat, monitor audio levels, switch scenes, and use a pro-grade camera while playing their game. The pro players most likely to use a TV are game critics like myself, and we tend to use whatever we’ve got.

Final thoughts on the best TVs for gaming

The nitty, gritty details of picking TVs can, honestly, get exhausting very quickly. Wide color gamut, viewing angles, brightness levels … if you stare at these numbers on a spec sheet they can start to turn to gibberish real fast. In the end, the best thing to do when picking a TV is to do the eyeball test: If you can and feel safe doing so, go to a store and see what TV looks right. If you can convince somebody to run a game demo for you instead of the usual electronics store tech demo, even better. The gaming-related features of a TV are, surprisingly, slightly less obtuse. For the time being, they’re a little more straightforward: Is it bright enough? Is it fast enough? And, frankly, at this point, even those questions are reserved for those who plan to spend a lot of money—$1,000 or more—on their next TV. For a lot of people, the best gaming TV is still the best overall TV you can afford.

More TV roundups to help you find the perfect set

The post Best TVs for gaming of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Save 50% on movies from the Criterion Collection at Barnes & Noble https://www.popsci.com/gear/barnes-and-noble-criterion-collection-sale/ Wed, 16 Nov 2022 18:55:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=487616
Sony A80K
Sony's latest OLED TV will make movies, TV shows, and video games look extremely sharp.

Stock up on cult classics and blockbusters without having to pull off your own cinematic bank heist.

The post Save 50% on movies from the Criterion Collection at Barnes & Noble appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Sony A80K
Sony's latest OLED TV will make movies, TV shows, and video games look extremely sharp.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

We test a lot of gear, which means we love a good demo disc. And if you’re a movie lover like us willing to invest in the finest presentation of world cinema classics, rejoice! Barnes & Noble’s semiannual Criterion Collection sale has returned. For a limited time, you can get DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K Blu-rays at half their usual cost, which can save you up to $25 per movie depending on the format.

It may seem foolish to invest in physical media during the golden age of streaming, but Criterion has distinguished itself by treating the films it chooses to release with the utmost care. The company does its own director-approved film transfers and goes the extra mile to supplement its releases with bountiful extras, from special features and multiple commentary tracks to thick booklets full of essays, recollections, and other ephemera. This deluxe treatment typically comes at a premium—$30 for a DVD, $40 for a Blu-ray, and $50 for a 4K Blu-ray, to be exact—which is why Barnes & Noble’s sale is such a great deal. Every film in the Criterion Criterion catalogue is on sale, there are no limits to how many films you can get, and no promo code is required to take advantage of the deal.

And if you plan on loading up on new movies mastered to the highest level of quality, you should watch them on a home theater set-up that’ll allow you to fully appreciate the time and effort it took Criterion to restore them. Luckily, we have suggestions.

Sony

SEE IT

Sony’s A80K is a 4K OLED TV, which means it features a display panel whose individual pixels can be controlled by a custom-designed processor. In practice, this control over the organic light-emitting diodes (hence the OLED name) means that film scenes with a lot of contrast (a firework exploding against a dark sky) will look a lot more realistic. When pixels on an OLED TV aren’t needed, they simply turn off, rather than turning a dim gray. Once you see the difference, there’s no going back.

The A80K’s high-resolution panel will allow you to see a lot more detail than you would on an HD (1080P) TV. The difference between HD and 4K isn’t that great when you’re streaming movies because the video has to be compressed to avoid sucking up all of your internet bandwidth. If you compare a 4K Blu-ray mastered by Criterion compared to an HD version available on a streaming service, the difference will be night and day. This TV also supports HDR (high dynamic range) a video feature that allows the display colors more accurately.

If you play video games, you’ll appreciate the A80K’s 120Hz (Hertz) refresh rate, which will allow you to play the latest games at their highest levels of fidelity. The TV has four HDMI ports, so you can hook up all of your equipment to it at once without reaching for a splitter. Both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 can play 4K Blu-rays, which is an added bonus for cinephiles. A good OLED TV is well worth the investment if you care about the video quality of your media, and Sony’s A80K is guaranteed to be an upgrade over any set released over two years ago.

If you’d like to upgrade the sound of your media setup along with your TV, we can highly recommend the Sonos ARC, which supports Dolby Atmos—the object-based audio technology behind the next generation of surround sound—and sounds excellent overall. There aren’t a ton of Criterion Collection films with these types of immersive, 360-degree mixes, but investing in one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars means you’ll reap the benefits of this feature when playing video games or watching newer TV shows.

Here are a few of the best Criterion Collection selections

The post Save 50% on movies from the Criterion Collection at Barnes & Noble appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
The Apple TV 4K (2021) is just $99 on Amazon, its lowest pre-Black Friday price ever https://www.popsci.com/gear/apple-tv-4k-amazon-deal/ Tue, 25 Oct 2022 18:45:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=480776
Apple TV 4K
Apple's 4K media streamer is $80 off. Apple

This model of Apple's media streamer is 44% off right now on Amazon. The company's gear rarely goes on sale, so act fast!

The post The Apple TV 4K (2021) is just $99 on Amazon, its lowest pre-Black Friday price ever appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Apple TV 4K
Apple's 4K media streamer is $80 off. Apple

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

The 2021 Apple TV 4K has often been criticized for being too expensive, but that’s not the case if you shop on Amazon right now. The 32GB version of Apple’s media streamer is $99, which is its lowest price ever. On its own, it’s a fabulous 4K, Dolby Vision high-resolution hockey puck that allows you to watch TV shows and movies from Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+, and similar services. But a big part of Apple TV’s appeal is its synergy with the company’s other hardware. It supports AirPlay 2, so you can stream videos from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac onto your TV. You can even mirror your Mac’s entire screen to your fancy OLED display, which is helpful if you want to give a presentation. The media streamer comes bundled with the Siri remote, which allows you to use Apple’s AI assistant to open apps and start playing music and videos.

Apple

SEE IT

The Apple TV 4K also plays nicely with Apple’s streaming services. Apple Music subscribers can use the Apple TV to play tracks in surround sound on a 5.1, 7.1, or Dolby Atmos speaker system. Naturally, Apple TV+ comes preinstalled on the device, so you can easily watch shows like Ted Lasso and Severance. If you’re an Apple Arcade subscriber, you can pair the Apple TV 4K with a Bluetooth controller and use it to play indie titles like Fantasian or Sayonara Wild Hearts without a dedicated game console. Your progress will sync over iCloud, so you can continue playing on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone without skipping a beat.

Apple products don’t get deep discounts often, but this deal on the Apple TV 4K (2021) is happening on Amazon because an upgraded model is out now. The Apple TV 4K (2022) is smaller but packs in a faster processor and a remote that charges via USB-C. Those small changes don’t obsolete the model that’s currently on sale, however.

If you mostly stick to hardware in the Apple ecosystem, but haven’t gotten an Apple TV 4K because of its price, this is a great time to pick one up.

The post The Apple TV 4K (2021) is just $99 on Amazon, its lowest pre-Black Friday price ever appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Apple TV 4K (2022) review: Cheaper, faster, better https://www.popsci.com/gear/apple-tv-4k-2022-review/ Fri, 04 Nov 2022 17:30:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=484412
Apple TV 4K with the remote on a patterned backdrop
The remote has stayed the same, but the Apple TV itself has shrunk. Stan Horaczek

The new Apple TV upgrades its features and performance while dropping the price. And we're here for it.

The post Apple TV 4K (2022) review: Cheaper, faster, better appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Apple TV 4K with the remote on a patterned backdrop
The remote has stayed the same, but the Apple TV itself has shrunk. Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

I have used an older version of the Apple TV 4K as my main streaming device for years now. It has never been the most adaptable or feature-laden box on the market (and certainly not the cheapest), but it offers an excellent interface and the best possible integration with the Apple ecosystem. Now, the company has released the latest version of the Apple TV 4K, offering a considerable performance boost while shrinking both the box itself and its price tag. The Apple TV 4K (2022) still isn’t perfect—especially if you don’t keep an iPhone in your pocket at all times—but it’s a notable improvement on an already excellent device. 

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

What’s new in the Apple TV 4K (2022)?

Crack open the Apple TV 4K (2022) case and you’ll find the A15 Bionic processor from last year’s iPhone 13. It’s a big step up in overall power and performance when compared to the previous model’s A12 Bionic. 

At the same time, you’ll notice the entire thing is smaller and a lot lighter (just 208g for the Wi-Fi-only model). Modern Apple TVs have never taken up much space. The old model was only about the size of a squared-off McDonald’s McChicken sandwich and the new model shrinks it down even more. (The company would not allow me to expense a McChicken for a comparison photo.) 

The size difference is because Apple has completely done away with any fans to provide active cooling. The new chip runs efficiently enough that simple passive cooling should suffice, even when streaming the highest-quality content or playing Apple Arcade games. 

The old Apple TV only offered 32GB and 64GB storage options. Now, the base model starts at 64GB and goes up to 128GB on the high end. Perhaps the most important update comes in the form of the price. The 64GB base model comes in at $129, while the upgraded 128GB version is $149. Compared to the $179 price from before, both seem like a big discount. 

Apple TV 4K ports
Only the upgraded storage model offers the Ethernet port. Stan Horaczek

Setup and installation

Plug the Apple TV into an outlet. Grab an HDMI cable, put one end into the Apple TV and the other end into your TV, a soundbar with HDMI passthrough, an A/V receiver, etc., and you’re almost there. This is an Apple product and the setup process rewards you tremendously for having an iPhone. Simply holding a phone next to the Apple TV initiates a simple setup process during which Apple transfers everything to the new device. It sets up the Wi-Fi connection (supporting Wi-Fi 6) and reconfigures your apps on the homescreen. I expected it to be simple and it was. 

It’s worth noting here that only the 128GB model offers an Ethernet port, so if you want to run the connection off of a hard wire, you’ll need to shell out the extra $20. 

It’s also simple to sync AirPods Pro (2nd generation), and other AirPod models, which support spatial audio of compatible video and Apple Music content (as do Dolby Atmos soundbars). 

The Apple TV 4K (2022) user experience

Don’t expect a major overhaul from the established Apple TV interface. There’s no real learning curve going from one device to another, which means it keeps most of its typical strengths and weaknesses. 

This streaming box is great for users like me. I cast things from my iPhone 14 Pro, iPad Pro, and MacBook sometimes, but I mainly rely on major streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, and HBO Max (I probably should subscribe to fewer services). However, the Apple TV app can’t integrate every service in a complete way, which can be a little frustrating if you expect the platform to deliver on its efforts to unify your watching experience. You won’t necessarily find HBO Max content in the Apple TV app—you’ll have to go directly to the HBO app for that because it’s not as integrated as other services like Netflix. 

It’s also not great for live TV options. For instance, you can’t simply ask Siri to fire up a specific network on your live TV service. And actually finding those channels requires knowing where they are rather than simply browsing some unifying menu. If you want to use a lot of live TV, you’re almost certainly better off with something like an Amazon Fire TV device or even a Roku.

Picture quality and performance

Most streaming devices provide solid image quality at this point, but I think Apple TV 4K enjoys a slight advantage in terms of the overall fidelity of its 2160p, 60 fps playback. The new Apple TV 4K offers support for HDR10+, as well as the familiar Dolby Vision option already available in the 2021 model. That won’t make a huge difference for some users but will be relevant mostly for people with Samsung TVs (like our top QLED pick), as they’re the biggest HDR10 supporters. 

When it comes to Apple Arcade games, the new Apple TV supports them without dropping frames or stuttering. Suppose you’re a big fan of Apple Arcade games. In that case, the extra processing power afforded by the most recent model will likely come in very handy, especially down the road as the titles get more resource intensive. 

The previous Apple TV 4K already felt relatively snappy in most situations and that doesn’t change much here. If you’re upgrading from the older HD model, however, you will definitely notice a difference in just about everything.

Apple TV remote USB-C port
The remote now charges via USB-C instead of Lightning. Stan Horaczek

The Apple TV 4K (2022) remote

Charging the Apple TV remote now requires a USB-C cable instead of the Lightning cable compatible with previous models. This will really feel like an upgrade once Apple switches the iPhone over to USB-C because then I can finally keep a single cable plugged in near the table next to my couch. Until everything is USB-C, it doesn’t really matter. 

I would absolutely love more robust Find My support for the remote because it’s easier to lose than a competitive match of the latest “Call of Duty.” That’s not in the cards just yet, though. I may gaffer-tape an AirTag to the remote so it’s easier to find. 

So, who should buy the Apple TV 4K (2022)?

While I have been an Apple TV fan for years now, this is the easiest model yet to recommend. It’s still expensive compared to its competition, but the significant price drop makes that less of an issue. 

If you primarily stick to major streaming services, the Apple TV 4K (2022) is a great device. Some of the shine wears off once you add live TV streaming into the mix. But, overall, it’s tremendously easy to set up, offers excellent image quality, and works seamlessly with other Apple devices. Plus, it opens the door to Apple Arcade games, which I think go overlooked. Fire up “Crossy Road Castle” on the big screen and tell me you’re not having fun. You can’t. 

The post Apple TV 4K (2022) review: Cheaper, faster, better appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Best projectors for gaming in 2023 https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-projectors-for-gaming/ Wed, 19 Oct 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=478798
Best projectors for gaming
Stan Horaczek

Go way bigger than your TV can with these high-performance projectors. But be warned: Playing on a 150-inch screen will spoil you.

The post Best projectors for gaming in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best projectors for gaming
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Optoma-UHD38 projector Optoma UHD38
SEE IT

It has the trifecta that gamers are looking for in a projector: 4K support, a high refresh rate, and a low response time.

Best portable xgimi elfin projector XGIMI Elfin
SEE IT

You can easily fit it in a bag for a camping trip or the like, and 800 lumens is more than enough to conduct a clear image in dark or dim conditions.

Best budget BenQ-TH685P projector BenQ TH685P/TH585P
SEE IT

It offers HDR support and 3500 lumens, so its image is comparable to much more expensive projectors.

Whether you’re more into the frenetic gunplay of Call of Duty or the slow charms of Stardew Valley, the idea of playing your favorite games on a 20-foot-tall screen is undoubtedly appealing and projectors for gaming can make it happen. Though projectors were considered a generally weak option for gaming in the past, improvements in resolution and response time have dramatically increased their appeal to everyday consumers. The top-of-the-line projectors are still going to make a major dent in your wallet, but there are good budget options, too. We looked at dozens of projectors to determine the best projectors for gaming in your specific setup, and here are our top picks.

Why should I buy a projector for gaming?

It’s a valid question. After all, most of us already have big, expensive TVs, so why would I want a projector instead? Well, for one thing, projectors are far easier to transport than TVs and most can be adjusted to fit walls that are between 3 and 30 feet. Of course, there are downsides to projectors. For one thing, they’re expensive, with even the budget options coming in at well north of the price of a cheap TV.  For another, they require a certain setup to be used correctly.

For example, standard-throw or long-throw projectors often require 10 to 15 feet of space in order to output a good-quality image, which might not work for everyone’s living situation. Short-throw projectors can make do with just 5 to 8 feet—and ultra short-throws even less than that—so they might be a better fit for certain people. Projectors also require a darkened room in order to work well, which probably isn’t an issue for most people, but it can be inconvenient at times. The bottom line is that while a projector for gaming probably isn’t an everyday use item for most people, it can be very helpful for social gatherings, especially LAN parties.

How we picked the best projectors for gaming

I’ve been a professional tech writer for about a decade now, as well as a contributor to PopSci writing about everything from 3-D printers to VPNs. I know my way around gadgets for every level of consumer, from entry-level to industrial. To make these recommendations, I consulted personal testimonials, peer recommendations, consumer reviews, and tests conducted by top-quality professionals. This helped me to determine which projectors shone brightest.

Things to consider before buying a projector for gaming

As mentioned above, you should think about the room or rooms that you plan to use your gaming projector in and, especially, where you want to put the projector. You might even way to measure its dimensions to confirm. Depending on that, you’ll want to get a projector that has a throw ratio (a measure of its picture size relative to its distance from the wall) that fits that space.

Think about your use case

Some projectors are portable and suitable for outdoor use, while others are big, bulky, and are best used for an indoor gaming night. Additionally, some models are easier to set up with modern (or retro) gaming consoles—like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X—than others. You’ll also want to look at vital stats like resolution and the projector’s response time. If you plan on playing competitive games on the projector, you’ll want to shell out for a model that has the fastest response time possible. Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with input lag. More expensive models tend to have smart features like Alex and Google Home support, too.

The best projectors for gaming: Reviews & Recommendations

As you’ll see in our list, some projectors are so portable that you can take them on a road trip, or perhaps even on a plane. They’re also more outdoor-friendly than traditional TVs, so you can have a backyard grill or bonfire as you play games with your friends.

Best overall: Optoma UHD38

Optoma

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Optoma UHD38 is a reasonably priced projector that delivers everything that a gamer could ask for. 

Specs

  • Price: $1,600
  • Throw ratio: 1.5 to 1.66
  • Brightness: 4000 lumens
  • Resolutions supported: 1080p, 4K
  • Response time: 4.2ms (1080p), 16ms (4K)
  • Refresh rate: 240Hz (1080p), 60Hz (4K)
  • Other features: HDR10 support
  • Screen size range: 33 to 301 inches
  • Source lifespan: 15,000 hours

Pros

  • Great response time
  • 4K support
  • Amazing refresh rate
  • Fair price (though expensive)

Cons

  • Not very portable
  • No smart features

In terms of price-to-feature ratio, projectors don’t get much better than the Optoma UHD38. It has the trifecta that gamers are looking for in a projector: 4K support, a high refresh rate, and a low response time. Both its 4K and 1080p response times are the lowest you’re going to find in a gaming projector, and its 240Hz refresh rate supports higher frame rates for PC gaming on 1080p, too. Its brightness of 4000 lumens makes it suitable for both dark and semi-dark rooms during the daytime, and HDR support just sweetens the deal even more. It also has two HDMI inputs, which is more than enough for most people. Additionally, its lifespan of 15,000 hours isn’t the best in the space, but it’s more than a lot of lamp projectors out there.

While the UHD38 is a great deal, it does have some downsides. For one thing, its asking price of $1600 is very competitive for the space, but it’s still a lot of money, especially compared to some budget options we’ll examine later. Also, it lacks some of the nifty smart features that its more expensive competitors have, such as Alexa and Google Home support. Additionally, its rated lifespan of 15,000 hours is significantly shorter than lower brightness sets. Still, it is the best overall projector for gaming for most people, and that’s the bottom line.

Best 4K: Optoma UHZ50

Optoma

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Optoma UHZ50 is an incredible high-end 4K laser projector that provides a crisper image and better contrast than its lamp-based competitors. However, it is also quite pricey, even by tech standards.

Specs

  • Price: $2,800
  • Throw ratio: 1.21 to 1.59
  • Brightness: 3000 lumens
  • Resolutions supported: 1080p, 4K
  • Response time: 4.2ms (1080p), 16ms (4K)
  • Refresh rate: 240Hz (1080p), 60 Hz (4K)
  • Other features: HDR support, eARC sound, smart features
  • Screen size range: 30 to 300 inches
  • Source lifespan: 30,000 hours

Pros

  • Unparalleled image quality
  • Meets the specs gamers need
  • Smart features

Cons

  • Not very portable
  • Incredibly expensive

When it comes to projectors, the overall answer is clear: in most cases, laser projectors are simply better than their lamp brethren. Laser projectors have a better contrast ratio, more vivid colors, deeper blacks, and lower maintenance than the alternative. However, this is balanced out with a much higher upfront cost. The UHZ50 has an MSRP of $2,800, which is nearly double that of the above-recommended UHD38. That means it’s much more of an investment than its fellow Optoma projector.

That hefty price tag also gets you a premium set of comfort features, including voice commands via Alexa and Google Home support. Its 1.3x zoom makes it easier to set up in a tight space than most standard-throw projectors, and it has three HDMI inputs, which is one more than the UHD38. It’s also rated for 30,000 hours of use before maintenance, which is more than most lamp projectors. Overall, if you can afford the UHZ50, it’s a great product. For most of us mere mortals, however, we’ll have to stick to the cheaper lamp models.

Best portable: XGIMI Elfin 

Xgimi

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The XGIMI Elfin’s compact size and competitive price make it a force to beat in the portable projector world.

Specs

  • Price: $650
  • Throw ratio: 1.20
  • Brightness: 800 lumens
  • Resolutions supported: 1080p
  • Response time: 26.5ms
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • Other features: 6W dual speakers
  • Screen size range: 30 to 200 inches
  • Source lifespan: 25,000 hours

Pros

  • Very portable
  • Good image quality for its size
  • Competitive price

Cons

  • Not comparable in specs to a full projector
  • Requires workaround for AirPlay and Netflix

The concept of a portable projector is indeed a compelling one, and while these small devices can’t compare to their larger cousins, they’re still quite nice in their own right. The XGIMI Elfin is a bit bigger than the true “mini” projectors out there, like the Anker Nebula Capsule, but it’s only 7 inches by 7 inches by 2 inches, and it weighs less than 3 pounds, so you can easily fit it in a bag for a camping trip or the like. And 800 lumens is more than enough to conduct a clear image in dark or dim conditions, though it’s not suitable for outdoor daytime use.

The Elfin does have one annoying problem common to mini projectors, however: it requires you to download an app in order to use AirPlay with iOS devices, and you’ll need to call XGIMI customer support to download Netflix. The device’s response rate of 26.5ms is higher than a larger projector, but it’s still quite suitable for most action games. Crucially, whereas some mini projectors top out at 720p, the Elfin delivers a 1080p image, as well as HDR, which is what gamers want. Overall, though it has its quirks, the Elfin is the best portable projector of its size out there.

Best short-throw: BenQ TK700STi

BenQ

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The BenQ TK700STi is an excellent gaming projector with the specs to please any player, and its short-throw ratio makes it suitable for any living situation.

Specs

  • Price: $1,700
  • Throw ratio: 0.9-1.08
  • Brightness: 3000 lumens
  • Resolutions supported: 4K, 1080p
  • Response time: 16.67ms (4K), 4.16ms (1080p)
  • Refresh rate: 240Hz (1080p), 60Hz (4K)
  • Other features: None
  • Screen size range: 30 to 300 inches
  • Source lifespan: 10,000 hours

Pros

  • Short throw picture makes it versatile
  • Short response time
  • High refresh rate

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Not as bright as some others

Marketed as the “first 4K HDR gaming short-throw projector,” the BenQ TK700STi arguably fits that brief. Similar to the UHD38, the TK700STi’s guts are exactly what you want from a gaming projector: 4K support, a low response time, and a high refresh rate. Unlike its competitors, however, the TK700STi is a short-throw projector, meaning that it can be used in homes that offer only 6 to 8 feet of horizontal space. It also has 1.2x zoom, which means that it’s easy to get the perfect image size, as well as Android TV, Airplay, and Chromecast support.

As a whole, the TK700STi is extremely similar to the UHD38 in terms of functionality, though it does cost $100 more. Because of this, it’s up to you to measure your living space and determine whether or not a long-throw or short-throw projector is right for you, and decide for yourself accordingly.

Best mini: XGIMI Halo+

Xgimi

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The XGIMI Halo might cost more than some mini projectors, but its ultra-compact size and top-shelf specs make it a winner.

Specs

  • Price: $850
  • Throw ratio: 1.2
  • Brightness: 900 lumens
  • Resolutions supported: 1080p
  • Response time: 26ms
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz 
  • Other features: HDR10 support
  • Screen size range: 30 to 300 inches
  • Source lifespan: 30,000 hours

Pros

  • Ultra-portable
  • Good image quality for its size
  • Competitive price

Cons

  • Less crisp image quality than larger portable projectors
  • Requires workaround for AirPlay and Netflix

There are portable projectors, and then there are true “mini” projectors. Coming in at 4 inches by 5 inches by 6 inches, the XGIMI Halo+ is so tiny that it fits comfortably in a small backpack or carry-on airplane bag, which is extremely useful for global travelers. With its 900-lumen screen and HDR10 support, you could even argue that the Halo+ has better image quality than the Elfin despite its more compact size. Then again, it costs several hundred dollars more, so you get what you pay for. Its 26.5ms response time isn’t the best, but it’s certainly acceptable for most games.

The Halo+’s auto keystone feature is also quite handy, since it automatically tilts and adjusts its lens to give you the best possible playback on any smooth surface. Since it’s intended as a portable device, it’ll play for two hours on a full charge. Similar to the Elfin, it has nice 5W built-in speakers and Android TV support. Like many portable projectors, it requires an app for Airplay compatibility on iOS, as well as a workaround for Netflix access.

Overall, like the Elfin, the XGIMI Halo can’t compete with the expansive feature sets of full-sized projectors like those from BenQ and Optoma. However, for a portable use case, they are quite nice devices that deliver a great experience for those who can afford them, especially in an outdoor or travel-oriented setting where you just want to play some Mario Kart.

Best budget: BenQ TH685P/TH585P

BenQ

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The BenQ TH685P is a high-quality projector that gives gamers everything they want for less than $1000.

Specs

  • Price: $800
  • Throw ratio: 1.127 to 1.46 (685P), 1.5 to 1.65 (585P)
  • Brightness: 3500 lumens
  • Resolutions supported: 4K, 1080p
  • Response time: 8ms (1080p), 16ms (4K)
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz (1080p), 60Hz (4K)
  • Other features: HDR10 support
  • Screen size range: 30 to 300 inches
  • Source lifespan: 4,000 hours

Pros

  • Incredible price
  • Great specs, especially 4K support
  • Easy to set up

Cons

  • Rated for low lifespan for maintenance
  • Lack of smart features, as well as monitor and VGA out

If you’ve balked at the four-figure prices of the traditional projectors so far, the BenQ TH685P is what you’ve been waiting for. Despite its sub-$1,000 price, this projector boasts the specs that gamers want without much compromise. Its 8.3ms is a perfectly acceptable response time for even competitive gaming. And, sure, 240 Hz is theoretically better than its 120 Hz but let’s be honest: Most of the devices you’re going to be plugging into this thing don’t output at a frame rate higher than 120fps anyway.

It also offers HDR support and 3500 lumens, so its image is comparable to much more expensive projectors. Best of all, BenQ’s budget model comes in both short-throw (685P) and standard-throw (585P) models, so you can choose the one that works best for your living situation. As you might expect from its price point, however, it lacks certain extra features, such as Alexa and Chromecast integration, but ultimately those differences shouldn’t matter much to seasoned gamers. Overall, these two BenQ budget projectors are extremely strong options for gamers who are curious about projectors but don’t want to step into the deep waters quite yet.

FAQs

Q: How much do the best projectors for gaming cost?

On average, the best projectors for gaming range from $700 – $3,000, depending on the depth of features. That’s more than a new TV (unless it’s a fancy OLED), but that’s the price of portability.

Q: Do gaming projectors experience input lag?

All modern televisions and projectors have some form of input lag, which is listed as the response time in the device’s technical specifications. Though lower is always better, the 4ms to 8ms response times listed for most of our recommended projectors are suitable for even intense action games. Portable projectors have slower response times, but most people will not notice the difference. If you tend to pay attention to such things, we recommend buying a full-sized projector for gaming. If you don’t want any input lag, invest in an old CRT (cathode-ray tube) TV for retro gaming.

Q: What’s the difference between projector frame rate and refresh rate?

The projector frame rate is the number of frames displayed by the projector per second. The refresh rate is the number of times per second that the projector updates. When it comes to gaming, frame rate is determined by the hardware capabilities of your console or PC, as well as the individual game itself. 

The refresh rate is the upper bound of the frame rate that it can display. For example, if I play a competitive shooter like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on a powerful computer that can output a capped frame rate of 120fps, but I connect it to a projector with a 60Hz refresh rate, the projector will display the game at 60fps. High refresh rates are generally desirable for PC gaming, but most consoles tend to output at 60fps at the high end.

Q: Is a projector better than a TV for gaming?

This really depends on your use case, but generally, no. Televisions tend to offer a better value to gamers per dollar than projectors. You can buy a TV with the same vital gaming stats (response time, resolution support, etc.) as a top-of-the-line projector for a fraction of the price. However, projectors have some advantages over televisions, such as portability and versatility.

A final word on the best projectors for gaming

Ultimately, a nice projector is a great gaming device, though it’s more of a luxury item than a solid TV. If you’re a gamer on the go, however, and you have the budget, our picks will allow you to turn any space into the place for a competitive round or 10. Just add console, friends, and let the heated competition keep you warm while you play on the patio.

The post Best projectors for gaming in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Amazon Prime Early Access TV deals: LG, Sony, Samsung, and more https://www.popsci.com/gear/amazon-prime-early-access-tv-deals/ Tue, 11 Oct 2022 11:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=476097
Prime Early Access TV deals composited
Don't wait for Black Friday for solid TV deals. Stan Horaczek

Don't wait for Black Friday to score a deal on a great TV.

The post Amazon Prime Early Access TV deals: LG, Sony, Samsung, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Prime Early Access TV deals composited
Don't wait for Black Friday for solid TV deals. Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Black Friday used to represent the pinnacle of cheap TV deals, but that has changed in recent years. Now, Amazon’s Prime Early Access sale has dredged up some seriously deep discounts on just about every type of TV. The list includes everything from ultra-budget displays to luxurious OLED smart TVs that will make the new Super Mario Bros. trailer pop off the screen in ways your current model couldn’t possibly imagine. Now we’re in the second day of Prime Early Access, so these deals won’t last much longer.

The Prime Early Access deals change often, so we’ll keep this list updated as new models go on sale and popular TVs sell out. The best deals tend to go quickly, so if you see something you want, be sure to jump on it immediately. You’ll be glad you did when you spend Black Friday sleeping off that stuffing hangover instead of battling it out for that discounted LG OLED TV at the local big box store.

LG 65-inch C1 Series 4K Smart OLED TV $1,496 (was $2,499)

This is one of the best TVs on the market, full-stop. It offers HDMI 2.1 ports, immaculate picture quality, and fantastic upscaling to make every piece of content you watch look as good as it can. OLED TVs rely on organic LED technology in which each pixel provides its own illumination. As a result, it offers exceptional contrast thanks to its super-dark black levels. If you want the best overall picture quality you can find, this TV is absolutely a contender.

Anker NEBULA Cosmos Laser 1080P Projector $1,189 (was $1,699)

Anker

SEE IT

It’s not a TV, but Anker’s Nebula portable projector is even better in some instances. It produces 2,400 lumens via laser projection, which makes it bright enough for use in situations where other projectors would be hopelessly washed out by ambient light. It can create a screen that’s anywhere between 60 and 150 inches. It offers autofocus as well as auto keystoning in order to keep the picture from getting all wonky in terms of shape. This $1,199 versions supports 4K input, but outputs at 1080p. If you want a 4K picture, you can step up to the upgraded version, which is currently $1,759 down from $2,199.

LG 48-inch Alexa Built-in A1 Series 4K Smart OLED TV $646 (was $1,199)

If you want an OLED TV, but don’t need the fancy features and screen real estate that pushes up the price, this is a great affordable option. It still offers fantastic contrast and color reproduction, but it’s nearly half-price during the Prime Early Access sale. 

More TV deals

We’ll do our best to keep this list up to date by adding new deals as they come up and removing dead deals as they sell out. 

Toshiba 43-inch Class C350 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV (43C350KU, 2021 Model) $249 (Was $429)

Insignia 32-inch Class F20 Series Smart HD 720p Fire TV $99 (Was $179) 

All-New Toshiba – 43-inch Class V35 Series LED Full HD Smart Fire TV $189 (Was $289)

LG 55-inch Class OLED Alexa Built-in 8K Smart TV & Soundbar $2,196 (Was $2,999)

SAMSUNG Class Curved UHD TU-8300 Series – 4K UHD HDR Smart TV $547 (Was $799) 

SAMSUNG 75-inch Neo QLED 4K QN90B Series Mini LED Quantum HDR 32x Smart TV $2,597 (Was $3,157) 

SAMSUNG Class QLED 4K LS03B Series 4K UHD Dual LED Quantum HDR TV  $1,597 (Was $1,999) 

Hisense ULED Premium U7G Quantum Dot QLED Series Android 4K Smart TV $699 (Was $1,099)

Sony OLED 55 inch BRAVIA XR A80K Series 4K Ultra HD TV $1,298 (was $1,498)

Sony OLED 77 inch BRAVIA XR A80K Series 4K Ultra HD TV $2,698 (was $3,199)

Sony 48 Inch 4K Ultra HD TV A90K Series: BRAVIA XR OLED Smart Google TV $1,298 (was $1,499)

Sony 42 Inch 4K Ultra HD TV A90K Series $1,248 (was $1,399)

Sony Bravia A90J 55-Inch OLED TV $1,798 (was $2,499)

Sony Bravia A90J 65-Inch OLED TV $2,498 (was $2,749)

Sony 65 Inch 4K Ultra HD TV A95K Series OLED $3,498 (was $3,999)

Sony A90J 83 Inch TV: BRAVIA XR OLED 4K Ultra HD Smart Google TV $4,998 (was $5,999)

More Amazon Prime Early Access Deals

The post Amazon Prime Early Access TV deals: LG, Sony, Samsung, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Save up to $1,000 on Sony OLED TVs during Amazon Prime Early Access https://www.popsci.com/gear/amazon-prime-early-access-sony-oled-tv-deals/ Tue, 11 Oct 2022 14:26:14 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=476486
Amazon Prime Early Access Sony OLED TVs on-sale
You can go all the way up to 83 inches if you want. Stan Horaczek

OLED TVs are still undefeated when it comes to image quality. Save some money during Amazon's Prime Day follow-up.

The post Save up to $1,000 on Sony OLED TVs during Amazon Prime Early Access appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Amazon Prime Early Access Sony OLED TVs on-sale
You can go all the way up to 83 inches if you want. Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

OLED TVs have really carved out a niche for themselves as the top-of-the-picture-quality heap when it comes to TVs. Right now, during Amazon’s Prime Early Access sale, you can score a Sony OLED smart TV for up to $1,000 off the regular price. That’s a welcome discount since all that impressive OLED performance typically commands a premium price.

Sony OLED 65-inch BRAVIA XR A80K $1,698 (was $2,229)

Sony

SEE IT

The most accessible OLED deal comes in the form of Sony’s 65-inch Bravia XR A80K. It promises all the dark black levels and meticulous color reproduction you expect from a high-end OLED display. Plus, it offers an array of HDMI 2.1 ports, which support the maximum performance from current game consoles like the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5. The 65-inch TV has really hit the sweet spot when it comes to sizing and I haven’t seen a price this low on this TV yet.

There are more Sony OLED TVs on sale listed below or you could go check out our big list of Prime Early Access smart TV deals if you’re looking for something cheaper, bigger, or just a little different.

Sony OLED TV deals for Amazon Prime Early Access:

More Amazon Prime Early Access deals:

The post Save up to $1,000 on Sony OLED TVs during Amazon Prime Early Access appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Samsung M8 monitor review: Two-in-one isn’t always double the fun https://www.popsci.com/gear/samsung-m8-monitor-review/ Thu, 11 Aug 2022 20:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=461688
A white Samsung M8 on a white desk
The Samsung M8 can be used as a TV, a display, or a stand-alone computer. Amanda Reed

This smart monitor and streaming TV combo can handle casual use but might be too clunky for the working zillenial.

The post Samsung M8 monitor review: Two-in-one isn’t always double the fun appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
A white Samsung M8 on a white desk
The Samsung M8 can be used as a TV, a display, or a stand-alone computer. Amanda Reed

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Click the #SamsungM8 tag on TikTok and you’ll find results filled with young Gen-Zers and zillennials sitting at aesthetic desk setups loaded with every piece of pastel desk tech. It’s all tied together by the minimalist and stylish 32-inch display from Samsung, which hit store shelves in spring 2022 after debuting at the Consumer Electronics Show in January of this year. Samsung promises you can use its fashionable panel as both a TV and computer peripheral. While it performs each task admirably on its own, it has some trouble in the transitions. For an expensive device, using the quirky Samsung M8 monitor might be a high price to pay for a TV-meets-display. 

Amanda Reed

SEE IT

The Samsung M8 monitor’s design

The Samsung M8 looks like a cousin of Apple’s 24-inch iMac or its high-end 27-inch Studio Display. It comes in four colors—warm white, spring green, sunset pink, and daylight blue, with the latter three colors costing you an extra $30. The front of the 16:9 UHD display includes small bezels and a thin display that make it as compact as possible for a display with this much screen real estate. 

The back of the display features white plastic embossed with a houndstooth-like pattern and a raised “Samsung” logo, a port for the removable SlimFit camera, two USB-C ports (including one that supports 65W charging for a connected device), and a mini HDMI port. The M8 also comes with a power brick with power cable, a mini HDMI to HDMI cable, a USB-C to USB-C cable, the M8’s slim white remote that charges via USB-C, and the SlimFit camera.

I received the white color based on personal preference. I stand by that decision since the green, pink, and blue colors are only featured on the front display and stand. The monitor’s included stand can’t pivot, but it does feature a 5-inch height adjustment and a decent amount of tilt, letting you shift the screen from -15 degrees to 2.5 degrees. 

Peripherals photo
A view from behind the M8’s display. Amanda Reed

The 4K (3,840 x 2,160) HDR10+ display includes adaptive picture and sound, which changes the 400 cd/㎡ brightness and volume based on your surroundings. Combined with the back-facing speakers—which are a little lacking in bass but do well enough for the standard listener—casual gaming and watching TV are rich in sound and color. 

The M8 also is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Bixby for voice controls and can be used as an Internet-of-Things hub for your smart devices, allowing you to control them all using the M8. 

Getting started with the Samsung M8 monitor

As with most monitors, setup is simple, but there are a few extra steps beyond what you might be used to. Physically, all you need to do is pop the lightweight display onto the heavy stand, plug in the power adapter, and turn it on. Then you will have to make a Samsung account to set up the M8, even if you’re just using it as a monitor at the moment. Additionally, you can only set it up using your smartphone or remote control—no plugging-and-going here—and you have to enter your ZIP code and what room the device will be located in. This is most likely to use the M8 as a control hub for your homes’ IoT devices but could read as skeevy to the privacy-inclined. 

Using the monitor can sometimes prove frustrating. If you find yourself thinking, “am I dumb, or do I have to read the directions?” you won’t be alone. Although the included Samsung TV Plus app is great for free television, It always greets you with “South Beach Tow” or an animal documentary when turning it on—including if you’re just using it as a monitor. And learning how to turn this off required a crazy amount of internet searching to find out it’s buried under what felt like 14 levels in the app settings. Although the remote control features lots of preset buttons for streaming, I made between 5-7 button presses on average to pop around to other apps. Then I found out you can use voice commands to more easily switch to PC.

The Samsung M8 monitor’s features

Although Samsung boasts of being able to use the display as a standalone computer, the Tizen operating system can’t keep up with the day-to-day. I could log in to my email via the web, but Tizen’s user interface is too clunky for regular use. 

The M8 boasts built-in Microsoft 365, but it’s extremely slow. I tried powering up Word, went to grab a La Croix from the fridge, and was still waiting for it to load by the time I got back. Without a separate computer, or DeX loaded onto a smartphone or tablet, the M8 can only be used for casual searching with Tizen. 

As someone living in a 600-square-foot apartment, the M8 took up almost all of my 40-inch desk space. VESA compatibility, which the M8 lacks, would have fixed that with the help of a monitor arm or wall mount. It’s worth noting that there are third-party monitor adapters you can purchase to give the M8 VESA compatibility. I popped on a video call using Google Meet, and the face tracking feature didn’t work, as I realized it only works in Google Duo. The 1080p camera, which only made my office-bedroom look decent, couldn’t pivot down enough for me to be seen. 

Peripherals photo
The Samsung M8’s SlimFit camera comes with a magnetic cover that snaps on the back when in use. Amanda Reed

When I put the M8 in my living room to see how it works as a standalone TV, I noticed it’s truly made for watching at your desk. At 32 inches, it’s a little too small to place on a TV stand and watch from a couch more than 3 feet away. However, up close the screen (featuring a 3000:1 contrast ratio and 99% sRGB coverage) and sound were adequate. I watched “Russian Doll” on Netflix and didn’t feel I was sitting in the dark when watching night scenes. And Natasha Lyonne’s signature rasp was clear, but not astounding. The M8’s remote can be used as a universal remote—something I found out the hard way by turning on my regular TV, which was behind the M8. 

I also used the M8 to get my zen on thanks to the YouTube channel “Yoga With Adriene.” I got to the video I wanted to watch quickly enough using the remote’s voice detection, but it would have been more accurate if I typed it in. It would have taken me longer, but the voice detection can get tripped up … and don’t even try searching for “capybara” and expect success.

Connecting Bluetooth devices is simple, but I had to purchase a Bluetooth mouse to use the M8 as a standalone computer, as it would not read the USB receiver plugged into my multiport adapter. You can only use the remote to control the home screen and computer volume even if you have a mouse connected, and there is no button that automatically switches between TV and display capabilities, which would have saved at least 10 button presses. You can use Bixby or Alexa to switch to a PC, but I’m surely not the first M8 user who doesn’t use their voice to control their devices.

If you own a MacBook, the Samsung monitor pairs incredibly well, which was a welcome surprise. It supports AirPlay, albeit with lag on the M8 display screen. When plugged in using the M8’s included USB-C to USB-C cable, I did have to adjust the settings so my M8 desktop view would not be comically small. 

It’s easy to put a keyboard under the monitor and you can realistically place your laptop underneath. My compact Logitech K380 was easy to pair and use, and larger keyboards shouldn’t be a problem when it comes to fit. I tucked my MacBook Air below the display or off to the side, with the long USB-C to USB-C cable easily connecting the two.

Although it works great as a separate monitor and as a TV in a pinch, trying to use the TV function and the display at the same time in Multi-View is not consistent between features. I couldn’t look at a webpage using Tizen and access streaming apps comfortably at the same time. It was possible while using AirPlay, but it’s still not a seamless experience. Perfecting this could be an incredibly useful feature for those who stay focused by watching a Netflix show in the background while working, or for those who want to look at a walkthrough guide online while playing a game on their console. 

Peripherals photo
The M8’s remote features buttons for popular streaming services, but could benefit from an input/source button. Amanda Reed

So, who should buy the Samsung M8 monitor?

The M8 functions better if you live in a place with space for a proper desk set-up. It’s too small to use as a standalone TV in the living room and too large to fit on a small desk with a separate laptop. If you really need one device, the M8 could save you some space. However, you’re not saving much by getting this combo device. This 32-inch Samsung monitor plus this very basic 4K Samsung TV  is only $122 more expensive than the M8’s current $599.99 price tag. 

If dorm desk space allows for it, the M8 could be a great option for college students. It’s a great external monitor to use for a big research project, with enough sound and visuals for unwinding with some reality TV. I’m not sure how useful the monitor is for the work-from-home crowd Samsung is trying to woo here, considering some companies will send you a monitor as part of the job. 

Although this display has some quirks, don’t discount the M8 completely. It’s a great 4K display and gets the job done for streaming. However, trying to watch a show while surfing the internet at the same time is difficult. If the company makes this more seamless and includes an improved Tizen OS in the follow-up device, the Samsung M8 monitor could score a home run on the smart TV-meets-display concept. 

The post Samsung M8 monitor review: Two-in-one isn’t always double the fun appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Remap the streaming service buttons on your Google TV remote https://www.popsci.com/diy/remap-google-tv-remote/ Fri, 05 Aug 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=460397
Hand holding a google tv remote
What to do with that YouTube button if all of your youtubing is done on the tube?. Dario / Unsplash

Make your remote work for you.

The post Remap the streaming service buttons on your Google TV remote appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Hand holding a google tv remote
What to do with that YouTube button if all of your youtubing is done on the tube?. Dario / Unsplash

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

At this point, most TV remotes have buttons for specific streaming services, which is annoying if you don’t subscribe to all of them specifically. The good news is that if your device runs Google TV, or if you use a Chromecast with Google TV, you can remap those buttons to launch something else. 

My TV, built by Sony and running the Google TV operating system, has four streaming buttons as well as a row of colored buttons that I don’t use. Instead of having them sit there doing nothing, I remapped them to do launch services I do use, and take screenshots, for example. To have them do that (or anything else), all you need is a remapper app, which you can find on the Google Play store on your TV. The most popular and our favorite is Button Mapper because it’s free and easy to use.

Installing and using Button Mapper

You can find Button Mapper in the Google Play store on your device. Download and launch the application, and you will immediately be able to re-map the Home and Volume buttons on your remote. 

Televisions photo

Notice that you won’t find any streaming buttons by default, so you’ll have to add them by going to Add Buttons. From there, you can add any button on your remote and assign it to launch any app you like. For example, I remapped the Netflix button to launch Plex, since I use that service far more often than I use the red N.

[Related: Seven pro tips for the new Chromecast with Google TV]

If you have more apps than you have buttons, you can also assign other services or functions to single taps, double taps, and long presses of a single button, if you want. 

Note that, in my tests, remapping these buttons doesn’t always work seamlessly. For example, when the TV is off if I press the Netflix button, said service will launch instead of Plex. This happens because Button Mapper isn’t running in the background until the TV turns on, so my remote goes back to its original mapping. But when the TV is on, it launches Plex just fine.

More than just apps

Button Mapper not only lets you assign buttons to launch apps. For example, I took the screenshots in this article after assigning the yellow button to take screenshots.

A lot of the features you can assign are specific to phones because this is an app designed primarily for Androids phones, not television sets. Still, there are some functions you’ll find useful on these devices, including launching the Quick Settings menu, changing brightness, and controlling media playback. 

[Related: Outsmart your Chromecast and stream anything you want]

You can also assign any button to launch your app list. By default, Google TV shows you movie and TV recommendations from various apps on the home screen, which I personally find to be unnecessary clutter. If you are with me on this one, you can just remap the Home button to launch a custom launcher, like Kodi

The post Remap the streaming service buttons on your Google TV remote appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
This Amazon deal surrounds you with savings on Polk Audio’s cinema-grade speakers https://www.popsci.com/gear/amazon-polk-speaker-deal/ Wed, 27 Jul 2022 18:50:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=458562
Headphones photo

Don’t let your dreams of updating your sound system get thwarted by missing this deal.

The post This Amazon deal surrounds you with savings on Polk Audio’s cinema-grade speakers appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Headphones photo

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

As TVs get bigger and cinema chain tickets feel like they’re nearing three digits (not to mention the “butter” gets even more neon yellow), your living room has never been a more appealing place to watch movies and shows. Go full tilt on an at-home movie theater with the Polk Signature Elite ES55 Tower Speaker, on sale for $399 each on Amazon. That’s $50 of savings per speaker to put toward some Criterion Collection Blu-rays (or just pay for your streaming services). 

Polk Audio

SEE IT

Why Polk floor-standing loudspeakers? Well, we named the Polk Reserve Series R500 best overall stereo speaker because of the way it packs in fidelity and value, and the company’s Signature Elite ES55 Tower Speaker is an even more approachable introduction to the world of full-range audio if you don’t have more than $500 to spend. It features a 1-inch Terylene dome tweeters for detailed highs and two 6.5-inch woofers to spread mids and lows around like room-filling, cinematic peanut butter. The speakers are Hi-Res Audio certified, meaning their frequency range extends to 40 kHz—well beyond the threshold of human hearing and capable of delivering all the evocative, true-to-life music you may stream to them from lossless, high-resolution sources such as Apple Music, Amazon Music HD, the latest Dolby Atmos & DTS:X audio/video receivers, etc. (after all, you’ll want clean, crisp power for the punchiest playback). Plus, rubber feet designed for both carpet and hard floors provide stability and flexible placement so you don’t have to worry about a vibrating cabinet ruining your immersive vibe.  

Polk Audio has its other styles of speakers on sale in case you’re looking for all the 5.1 system components to surround yourself with timbre-matched sound. But hurry: this deal will be gone like Blockbuster after Netflix. 

If you’re looking for an equally spacious but far more personal listening experience that won’t disturb your family, Sennheiser’s extremely ritzy collab headphones with Drop, the HD 8XX, are on sale for $999.99, down from $1,100. The HD 8XX is based on Sennheiser’s $1,700 HD 800 S (one of our top critical listening headphones) and handcrafted at the same Sennheiser factory, using its signature ring-radiator driver to offer renowned audiophile quality at a fraction of the price. (Don’t forget a good DAC/amp for these, BTW.) Or, if you’re seeing Porta Pro headphones all over TikTok and want to know what the hype is about, you’re in luck: they’re on sale for $39.99, down from their $49.99 list price.

The post This Amazon deal surrounds you with savings on Polk Audio’s cinema-grade speakers appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Best live TV streaming services of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-live-tv-streaming-services/ Fri, 20 May 2022 13:00:19 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=444155
Friends streaming on Sling TV on an iPad
Tony Ware

Cut the cord and say goodbye to your cable box once and for all.

The post Best live TV streaming services of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Friends streaming on Sling TV on an iPad
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall Hulu + Live TV is the best live TV streaming service. Hulu + Live TV
SEE IT

Hulu + Live TV offers an extensive channel lineup, plus access to Disney+ and ESPN+.

Best for sports FuboTV is the best TV streaming service for sports. Fubo TV
SEE IT

FuboTV is the perfect live TV streaming service for sports fans.

Best with local channels DirecTV Stream is the best TV streaming service with local channels. DirecTV Stream
SEE IT

DirecTV Stream offers a wide range of subscription options and a great selection of local channels.

Live TV streaming services make it easier than ever for hesitant cord-cutters to ditch cable. With these services, which offer live channels in addition to on-demand shows, you can watch live sports, local news, and events from devices you already own. All you need is a reliable home internet (or mobile) connection, a smart TV, and a subscription to the service of your choice. On the other hand, veteran streaming-only viewers who miss flipping channels can get access to a lot of what they’ve missed, without committing to a cable subscription. The best live TV streaming services offer a happy middle ground.

How we picked the best live TV streaming services

To select the best live TV streaming services, we tested many of the most popular streaming platforms that feature some amount of live programming. We researched what live channels and on-demand programming you can find through each option, as well as technical features and pricing. 

I’ve been a cord-cutter for years, giving me valuable insight into what to look for when picking the right live TV streaming service. I ditched my cable subscription for live TV streaming years ago, and have helped friends and family make the switch. Since cutting the cord, I’ve tested various services on my Apple TV, so I have experience using many of the most popular options. For the most part, it’s been an easy transition, and the experience hasn’t felt much different from a traditional cable subscription. I can still watch everything from live sports to local news, and I can also record shows to watch later.

What is live TV streaming?

Live TV streaming is effectively a digital cable platform, purchased from outside of the major cable providers like Comcast and Verizon, which does not require any kind of proprietary hardware. Like other streaming services, you can watch it through any number of devices using an app or through a browser window. As the name suggests, the big draw of the live TV streaming service is access to either broadcast TV channels or other livestream programming, like sports.

The interface of live TV streaming isn’t all that different from on-demand services, so if you’re familiar with something like Netflix, the experience will feel similar. While an increasing number of services offer some live programming–both Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video have limited sports, for example—the best live TV streaming interfaces feel a little closer to traditional cable, where you can scroll channels, as well as individual shows.

Why you might want to switch to a live TV streaming service

You can watch TV anywhere

The most significant benefit of using a live TV streaming service, even over traditional cable, is the ability to watch live sports, local news, and events on any device with an internet connection. Not only do you get it on your TV, but you can use your smartphone, tablet, or PC

Some of the services on our list also offer unlimited DVR, which you can access from anywhere you have an internet connection. These features make watching live TV streaming more flexible, and allow you to watch TV from almost anywhere.

No equipment rentals or long-term contracts

Signing up for live TV streaming services is, generally speaking, much easier than setting up cable. You don’t need to set up an appointment, and it typically doesn’t require any additional equipment. That means you don’t have to worry about fees related to “renting” your cable box. Like other streaming services, our selections offer month-to-month billing so you can subscribe for one month and then move on to something else if it doesn’t work for you. 

More affordable options

Depending on your package, streaming may be far less expensive than cable. The starting prices for the live TV streaming services on our list range from $35-$150 per month. According to Cabletv.com’s pricing comparison tool, the average cable TV subscription costs about $80 per month. Though the streaming services rarely provide the same channel selection as conventional cable, many of the services offer dozens of channels, including major networks like ABC, CBS, and Fox. You can also sign up for premium add-on channels that give you access to HBO, Showtime, and more. 

Why you might want to stick with cable

You won’t get every channel

Unfortunately, there is no live TV streaming service that perfectly mirrors a fully loaded cable package. While the situation has improved over the last few years, there is a gap between cable and live TV streaming, especially for people outside of major markets. Hulu Plus Live TV, for example, does not include PBS or other regional sports networks. Sling TV doesn’t have ABC, CBS, or The CW. You also may or may not get local channels, depending on your location and the service you choose. (On the bright side, you can always use a TV antenna to get local channels.) Some services also make you pay for additional channels, so the price of a robust live streaming subscription may creep up as you add premium options like HBO and Showtime.

Your internet will may get more expensive

Don’t be surprised if cutting cable doesn’t save as much money as you’d expect. Cable companies often offer deals when you sign up for broadband, cable TV, and home phone service. If you cancel any of those services, the others become more expensive. Depending on how much you pay for cable, your overall bill should still go down. It just won’t be by the exact cost of your cable subscription.

Bandwidth may be an issue

Live TV streaming requires a relatively strong, stable internet connection. If too many people are using the internet at once in your home, or if you’re playing video games while watching the game, you may find that the quality of the stream might degrade, or it may not work if you don’t have a strong internet connection. 

Most of the services on our list recommend an internet connection of at least 10 Mbps, and we’d recommend a connection of 50 Mbps and above. That way you can stream live TV while others on your network play online gaming, browse the web, and stream music.

The best live TV streaming services: Reviews & Recommendations

Switching to live TV streaming can feel daunting, but ditching your cable box isn’t as hard as you think. Whether you watch a lot of sports or only occasionally tune into specific events, there’s something for everyone.

Best overall: Hulu + Live TV

Hulu

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With access to live TV, Hulu Originals, and Disney+, Hulu + Live TV offers the best value on the market.

Specs

  • Price: $69.99
  • Channels: 75+
  • DVR: Unlimited for nine months
  • Concurrent streams: 2; you can upgrade to unlimited for $9.99/month

Pros

  • Robust channel lineup
  • Access to Hulu’s original shows and movies
  • Disney+ and ESPN+

Cons

  • No PBS

Hulu + Live TV has the most robust channel lineup of any streaming service with live channels right now. You can get more than 75 channels of news, sports, and entertainment, including ABC, CBS, and NBC. It also comes with digital DVR functionality, so you can record shows when you aren’t around.

Of course, you also get access to Hulu’s streaming library, including on-demand access to many network shows and original content like The Handmaid’s Tale and Nomadland. The service also bundles in subscriptions to Disney+ and ESPN+, rounding out the best package of live TV and on-demand content.

Best for sports: FuboTV

FuboTV

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: You won’t find a live TV service with a broader selection of sports channels than FuboTV.

Specs

  • Price: Pro: $69.99; Elite: $79.99
  • Channels: Pro: 118; Elite: 174
  • DVR: 1,000 hours
  • Concurrent streams: 10

Pros

  • Great selection of sports
  • Up to 10 concurrent streams
  • On-demand TV shows

Cons

  • No PBS

If you live and breathe sports, FuboTV is the streaming service for you. In addition to local and nationwide network channels, you also get access to Bein Sports, TUDN Xtra, ESPN, FS1, and the list goes on and on. The FuboTV Pro plan allows subscribers to watch everything from Nascar to NFL RedZone to Premier League. It’s a nice mix, and if you add the Sports Plus add-on, you’ll get access to even more, including NHL Network, MLB Network, Tennis Channels, PAC-12 channels, and NBA TV. FuboTV is a wonderland for sports fans, so the service is a grand slam if that’s all you watch.

Best with local channels: DirecTV Stream

DirecTV

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: DirecTV is a robust streaming platform that offers the most regional channels of any competing service.

Specs

  • Price: Entertainment: $69.99; Choice: $89.99; Ultimate: $104.99; Premier: $149.99
  • Channels: Entertainment: 65+; Choice: 90+; Ultimate: 130+; Premier: 140+
  • DVR: Unlimited
  • Concurrent streams: Unlimited at home, 3 concurrent away from home

Pros

  • Most regional channels
  • Unlimited DVR
  • Unlimited concurrent streams at home

Cons

  • Higher tiers are expensive

DirecTV Stream offers several streaming packages, ranging from the 65-channel Entertainment plan to the 140-channel Premier plan. Though your channels will vary depending on the plan, the overall lineup offers the most robust offering of regional networks from a streaming service. 

Subscribers get unlimited cloud DVR storage, and the ability to record multiple channels at once. You also get features like Lookback and Rewind, which let you watch previously aired content (up to 72 hours ago) and start over live streams from the beginning of the broadcast, so you don’t miss a minute.

Best budget: Sling TV

Sling

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Sling TV offers a decent selection of national broadcast networks at a great price.

Specs

  • Price: Orange: $35; Blue: $35; Orange & Blue: $50
  • Channels: Orange: 31; Blue: 41; Orange & Blue 50
  • DVR: 50 hours
  • Concurrent streams: Orange: 1; Blue 3; Orange & Blue: 3

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Decent channel lineup
  • Limited tiers make it easier to choose

Cons

  • Weak channel selection

At $35 for its Blue or Orange plans, Sling TV is one of the most affordable live TV streaming options on the market. It’s an excellent service for people who occasionally watch live TV, but don’t need a ton of channels or DVR features. You don’t get a lot: mainstream and local channel selections are limited and sports fans will want to steer clear. That said, if you pay for the Orange + Blue plan and get the full channel lineup, you’ll have plenty of cable staples, including AMC, ESPN, and Cartoon Network, while paying less than you would with the other options on our list.

Best premium: YouTube TV

YouTube

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: YouTube TV features an excellent channel lineup, unlimited DVR, and 4K streaming.

Specs

  • Price: $64.99
  • Channels: 85+
  • DVR: Unlimited
  • Concurrent streams: 3

Pros

  • Great channel selection
  • Unlimited DVR
  • 4K streaming available

Cons

  • YouTube Premium not included in YouTube TV subscription
  • 4K costs extra

YouTube TV has grown into one of the best live TV streaming options, offering subscribers more than 85 nationwide and local channels. That includes the core broadcast networks; popular news channels like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC; and sports from ESPN, Golf Channel, and MLB Network. Best of all, YouTube TV includes mainstream channels from the Discovery Network, ViacomCBS, and local PBS channels. Subscribers also get unlimited DVR storage and keep their recordings for up to nine months. You also get along with pause, rewind, and fast-forward functionality for live shows. 

YouTube TV is also one of the few platforms that streams live TV in 4K, which is both a great strength and a sore spot. On the one hand, we love any opportunity to make our shows and movies look better. On the other hand, YouTube TV charges extra for the privilege.

FAQs

Q: How much data do live TV streaming services use?

The amount of data you use streaming live TV at any given time depends on factors like the strength of your internet connection and the quality of the video you’re streaming. A stream in standard definition (720p) requires internet speeds of 3 Mbps. A 4K stream, on the other hand, may require as much as 25 Mbps. Based on our research, you can expect to consume around 10 GB of data per hour when streaming live TV, although that figure will vary from service to service.

Q: What live TV streaming service has the most channels?

FuboTV currently offers the widest selection of channels. There are more than 175 channels in its Elite package.

Q: Are there any free live TV streaming services?

If you occasionally watch TV and don’t want to pay for a subscription, it may make sense for you to buy an indoor TV antenna, which you can install in minutes and grants you free access to local broadcast TV, including your nearest NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX network affiliates. The channels you’ll get will vary depending on where you live, but it’s the closest thing to free TV that you’re going to find.

Final thoughts on the best live TV streaming services

There’s no perfect live TV streaming service, but some outstanding options make cutting the cord reasonably painless. If you’re unsure about ditching your cable subscription, try signing up for a live TV streaming service for one month. Consider what channels are available, how much the service costs per month, and what kind of DVR functionality it offers. There’s no perfect solution out there, but there are enough options out there that you should be able to get your unique set of four to five favorite channels in one package.

The post Best live TV streaming services of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Feed your brain with unlimited documentaries with this award-winning streaming site https://www.popsci.com/gear/documentary-streaming-sale/ Tue, 26 Jul 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=458131
A television, laptop, and tablet streaming Curiosity Stream programming
Stack Commerce

Watch as many as you want.

The post Feed your brain with unlimited documentaries with this award-winning streaming site appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
A television, laptop, and tablet streaming Curiosity Stream programming
Stack Commerce

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

In case you missed it, Netflix just got more expensive. The basic plans now run $10 a month, while the highest tier has gone up to $20. Even if you share an account with the rest of your household, that’s still nearly $250 a year, a considerable chunk of which could have gone to more important expenses, like food (hello inflation).

Streaming sites may not offer sustenance, but they do provide you with endless entertainment. For platforms like CuriosityStream, though, you also get brain food, thanks to its expansive roster of the world’s best documentaries. For a limited time only, you can grab a lifetime subscription on sale for less than the annual price of a Netflix subscription.

Launched by Discovery Communications founder and media visionary John Hendricks, CuriosityStream is an award-winning streaming and on-demand viewing destination where you can bask in fact-based programming. It provides immersive experiences that put you on a journey through our world and beyond, from David Attenborough, who will teach you about the natural world, to Brian Greene, who will broaden your perspective on space, time, and the future with stunning visuals and engaging storytelling.

A subscription nets you unfettered access to thousands of the world’s best documentaries spanning a broad spectrum of topics, including nature, history, science, and more. You can download shows to watch anytime, anywhere, even without an internet connection. New content is added weekly, too, so you’ll never run out of exciting things to watch. Plus, they’re all available in HD, allowing you to enjoy the content in stunning detail using any device, whether it’s your smartphone, tablet, desktop, or TV.

“It is like having PBS, BBC, NatGeo., etc. all in one affordable place,” says one happy subscriber.

Formerly $250, you can grab a lifetime subscription to the CuriosityStream HD plan for only $179.

Prices subject to change.

The post Feed your brain with unlimited documentaries with this award-winning streaming site appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Save up to 30 percent on huge LG OLED TVs for Prime Day 2022 https://www.popsci.com/gear/lg-deal-amazon-prime-day-2022/ Tue, 12 Jul 2022 11:47:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=455348
LG OLED Prime Day deals
LG's massive OLED screens are on-sale for Amazon Prime Day. Stan Horaczek

Deep discounts make LG's impressively huge OLED TVs more affordable to those of us without private jets.

The post Save up to 30 percent on huge LG OLED TVs for Prime Day 2022 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
LG OLED Prime Day deals
LG's massive OLED screens are on-sale for Amazon Prime Day. Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

When OLED TVs and monitors first came onto the market, they were tiny and expensive. Think Michael Scott’s wall-mounted flatscreen from the dinner party episode of The Office. While prices have steadily become more reasonable over time, OLEDs still come with a hefty price tag, especially when they get above 65 inches. For Prime Day this year, Amazon is offering up LG’s excellent B1 OLED TVs at a steep discount. The 65-inch LG B1 OLED is $1,496 and you can step all the way up to the 77-inch version for $2,196.

Those may not be the bargain basement TV prices you’re used to during an event like Prime Day, but OLED TVs are different. Rather than relying on a series of larger backlights illuminating the entire picture, each pixel in an OLED display illuminates itself. That means individual pixels can turn all the way off when they’re not needed to create extra-deep black levels that make color and contrast truly pop.

LG B1 Series 65″ 4K Smart OLED TV $1,496 (Was $2,296)

The LG B1 represents a slightly down-market version of one of our favorite TVs of all time, the LG C1. The B1 offers 4K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, which make it extremely capable at pretty much everything including sports, movies, and gaming. It offers four HDMI ports and support for the most common HDR formats, Dolby Vision and HDR10. It also comes with LG’s underrated Magic Remote, which I like better than any other TV manufacturer’s remote at the moment.

LG OLED77B1PUA B1 Series 77″ 4K Smart OLED TV $2,196 (Was $3,496)

This massive display offers everything the 65-inch version does with an extra diagonal foot of screen. Even if your room isn’t huge and you have to sit a little closer to the screen than you might like, the 4K resolution and LG’s AI-based upscaling technology will ensure that the picture looks clear and detailed. It offers a standard VESA mounting system (300 x 200 to be specific), so it’s easy to mount on just about any wall in any position.

LG C1 OLED 48-inch $797(was $1,499)

At 48 inches, this isn’t the the biggest TV on the list, but it is one of the best. It offers HDMI 2.1 support, so it can pump high-res, high-fps gaming from current-generation consoles. This is simply one of the best TVs on the market at the moment and this is an absurdly low price for it. If you have a small to mid-size room, this thing will stop people in their tracks with its image quality.

Sony A80J BRAVIA XR OLED 65-Inch TV $1,699 (was $2,199)

Sony

SEE IT

Sony’s renewed 65-inch OLED display is a little more expensive than LG’s B1, but it offers HDMI 2.1 connectivity, which is very desirable if you’re going to be using a current-gen gaming console like the Xbox Series X or PS5. The Amazon Renewed Store inspects everything it sells and offers a fairly beefy warranty period, so this is a great deal for an upmarket model.

More Prime Day TV deals

If you’re looking for more cheap TVs, you can go check out our list of the best Amazon Prime 2022 TV deals. Prime Day mostly focuses on Fire TV-equipped models that bring people into the Amazon ecosystem and previous-year models that they’re clearing out to make room for newer versions. Still, there are some great options on there that will serve your next Stranger Things re-watch just fine.

More Amazon Prime Day deals

The post Save up to 30 percent on huge LG OLED TVs for Prime Day 2022 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Best TV deals for Amazon Prime Day 2022 https://www.popsci.com/gear/tv-amazon-prime-day-deals-2022/ Tue, 12 Jul 2022 11:10:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=455227
The best Prime Day 2022 TV deals
The best Prime Day 2022 TV deals will upgrade your viewing experience. Stan Horaczek

Upgrade your streaming situation while saving money to pay for all those streaming services.

The post Best TV deals for Amazon Prime Day 2022 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
The best Prime Day 2022 TV deals
The best Prime Day 2022 TV deals will upgrade your viewing experience. Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Black Friday typically gets all the credit when it comes to big deals on even bigger TVs. For its annual Prime Day celebration, however, Amazon has dropped the prices on a whole array of excellent TVs that it will deliver straight to your door. 

Amazon loves to use TVs as lighting deals during Prime Day. Those sales only last a short amount of time, but they can involve very steep discounts. Make sure you follow the PopSci GOODS on Twitter for real-time updates. If you’re looking for an OLED, check out this fantastic deal on LG’s 65-inch and 77-inch models.

Here are some of the stand-out TV deals happening on this Prime Day:

48-inch LG C1 OLED TV $796 (was $1,499)

This is one of the best TVs on the market right now, full stop. The LG C1 OLED provides an exceptional picture, as well as HDMI 2.1 connectivity, so it can make the most out of current-generation gaming consoles. It’s not huge at 48 inches, but for less than $800, this deal is absurd. I wouldn’t expect these to last all that long, so press that buy button if you want to get in on it.

Sony A80J BRAVIA XR OLED 4K 65-inch TV (Renewed) $1,699 (was $2,499)

Sony

SEE IT

If you’re setting up a top-tier screening room, you need a top-tier screen. But that doesn’t mean you have to pay top-tier prices, not when you can get a gently used Sony OLED TV. Backed by the 90-day Amazon Renewed Guarantee, this refurbished display has been professionally inspected, tested, and cleaned and can deliver the deep blacks, wide color gamut, and split-second response time that BRAVIA TVs are renowned for. Plus the HDMI 2.1 ports are perfect for that PlayStation 5 you’re surely getting to complete the set-up.

Hisense U6 Series 50-Inch 4K Quantum Dot QLED Smart Fire TV $339 (Was $529)

Hisense

SEE IT

Hisense makes some truly excellent value-oriented TVs. This 50-inch display offers 4K resolution, HDR support, and Quantum Dot tech that provides poppier colors and better overall brightness. It comes with Amazon’s Fire TV operating system built-in so you don’t need to buy an extra streaming device to fire up Netflix and watch Eddie play Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” again in the Stranger Things finale. This is a solid TV at its regular price and a steal with this discount.

SAMSUNG 65-Inch Class QLED 4K LS03B Series The Frame Quantum HDR Smart TV  $1,697 (Was $2,195)

Samsung

SEE IT

The most stylish TV on the market typically brings a steep markup for its fashionable appearance. This Prime Day, however, Samsung has offered up solid deals on its Frame TVs, which can display fine works of art between streaming sessions. The screen also resists glare so the picture looks better in situations with a lot of ambient light. 

We’ve screened the best TV deals this Prime Day and here are more of them:

TCL TVs

Amazon Fire TVs

Hisense TVs

Samsung Frame TVs

Samsung projector

SAMSUNG 30”- 100” The Freestyle Smart Portable Projector $759 (Was $999)

Samsung Outdoor TVs

LG TVs

More Amazon Prime Day deals

The post Best TV deals for Amazon Prime Day 2022 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Check out these Bose audio Prime Day 2022 deals https://www.popsci.com/gear/bose-amazon-prime-day-2022/ Tue, 12 Jul 2022 11:26:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=455297
Amazon Prime Day Bose deals header image
Tony Ware

If you’re going up against environmental noise, you wanna be throwin’ Bose …

The post Check out these Bose audio Prime Day 2022 deals appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Amazon Prime Day Bose deals header image
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Bose headphones have long been known for their superior application of noise cancellation technology without sacrificing a natural sound. At the same time, they have been known for their high price. The headphones of choice for many frequency travelers, Bose is business-class when it comes to cutting out the background. And if you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to try the company’s balance of comfort and clarity, Amazon Prime Day is the day.

Cancel the noise and the cost with these Bose deals: 

Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones 700 Over-Ear, Wireless Bluetooth Headphones $269 (Was $379)

Bose

SEE IT

Sleek, with a smooth, matte finish that our reviewer once described as “what I’d imagine a dolphin feels like when it’s dry,” the Bose Headphones 700 are an impressive piece of audio engineering both outside and inside. Available in Silver Luxe or Triple Black, the Headphones 700 has responsive touch gesture controls on the outside of the earcup. But it’s really the 10 selectable levels of active noise reduction that make this headphone stand out because of what it can filter out. The same mics that help make that happen assure you that phone calls are crisp and clear. And if you have the Bose Smart Soundbar 700, these headphones pair perfectly for a punchy viewing experience during quiet hours. The Headphones 700 are an executive’s dream available at a middle-management price during Prime Day.

Bose QuietComfort Noise-Cancelling True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds $179 (Was $279)

Bose

SEE IT

Looking for a little pocket of serenity? Well, how about a little serenity in your pocket? With these Bose QuietComfort TWS Bluetooth earbuds, you can transport transportive. Available in Soapstone or Triple Black, the QuietComfort earbuds use industrial-strength Bose noise reduction technology to effectively filter out environmental distractions and actively EQ audio so that you get an optimal listening/calling experience no matter where you are. And all in a compact, weather- and sweat-resistant body with handy touch controls.

We’ve cut through the static to find you these other amazing Bose buys:

All prices are subject to change.

More Amazon Prime Day deals

The post Check out these Bose audio Prime Day 2022 deals appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Save on Amazon’s Fire TV streaming devices for Prime Day 2022 https://www.popsci.com/gear/fire-tv-deals-amazon-prime-day-2022/ Tue, 12 Jul 2022 11:04:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=455517
Multiple Amazon Fire devices against a blue and pink background.
Amanda Reed

Watch your favorite movies and shows on a new television with this Prime Day deal.

The post Save on Amazon’s Fire TV streaming devices for Prime Day 2022 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Multiple Amazon Fire devices against a blue and pink background.
Amanda Reed

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Amazon’s Fire TV platform competes with companies like Roku and Google in an effort to tie all of your TV, movie, and game streaming together in one interface. The company has built the Fire TV software directly into TVs and streaming boxes that it sells at Amazon’s Fire TV platform competes with companies like Roku and Google in an effort to tie all of your TV, movie, and game streaming together in one interface. The company has built the Fire TV software directly into TVs and streaming boxes that it sells at big discounts to get people into the Amazon streaming ecosystem. Worried about a Fire TV working with non-Amazon apps? Thankfully, they support the vast majority of streaming services and apps you want, with the added bonus of getting Amazon stuff other devices can’t get. Plus, Amazon Fire TVs have Alexa capabilities, just like Echo speakers. Luckily enough, Amazon has its Fire TV streaming devices on sale for Prime Day.

Here are the most explosive Fire TV streaming device deals:

Fire TV Omni Series 75-inch $749.99 (Was $1,099.99)

Amazon

SEE IT

Amazon’s largest TV is packed with features like 4K Ultra HD resolution, Dolby Vision, HDR 10, HLG, and Dolby Digital Plus compatibility, along with hands-free Alexa control. The Fire TV Omni Series can stream more than 1 million movies and TV episodes via Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and other popular services. It can also connect to popular gaming and music streaming services for multimedia support.

Three HDMI inputs allow you to connect to cable or satellite and video game consoles, and the HDMI eARC lets you easily integrate compatible audio equipment for enhanced sound. You can do this all securely with built-in privacy protections and controls, including a switch that electronically disconnects the microphones. Keep the microphones on and you’ll get full Alexa control, which can integrate the TV into a full-blown smart home system.

Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote $24.99 (Was $49.99)

Amazon

SEE IT

If you’re looking to add streaming and Alexa functionality to your current TV, look no further than the Fire TV Stick 4K, which includes an Alexa Voice remote. The Fire TV Stick includes support for 4K Ultra HD resolution, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+. Select titles even support Dolby Atmos home audio systems. Watch live TV, or stream from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Peacock, slingTV, YouTube TV, Pluto TV, IMDb TV, and more. Entertaining guests is also easier when adding a music streaming account. Control the television using the Amazon Voice Remote, and get to your most-used apps quickly with preset buttons. Plus, you can connect other smart home devices to ask Alexa to check the weather, dim the lights, and view live camera feeds. Set-up is easy and stealthy: Plug it in behind your TV, turn on the TV, and connect to the internet to get started. For $25, this is a solid option to keep in your bag for traveling or stick in a guest room.

Pioneer 43-inch 4K UHD Smart TV $199.99 (Was $319.99)

Amazon

SEE IT


This television from Pioneer combines the ease of Alexa with 4K Ultra HD resolution and wallet-friendly pricing. Dolby Vision compatibility gives you vibrant colors so you can watch night scenes in Ozark without ramping up your television brightness. Use the voice remote with Alexa to make selections, launch apps, search for titles, play music, switch inputs, control compatible smart home devices, and more. DTS Virtual:X Sound creates immersive sound from your TV’s speakers so you can feel like you’re money laundering right with Jason Bateman and Laura Linney.

Here are some more Fire TV deals that will spark your interest:  

More Amazon Prime Day deals

The post Save on Amazon’s Fire TV streaming devices for Prime Day 2022 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Get an Apple streaming summer sampler for free at Best Buy https://www.popsci.com/reviews/apple-streaming-services-deal/ Tue, 17 May 2022 17:45:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=443722
Apple iPhone showing streaming app icons
Tony Ware

You can watch, listen to, and do the HIITs with this deal on Apple TV+, Fitness+, News+, and Music.

The post Get an Apple streaming summer sampler for free at Best Buy appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Apple iPhone showing streaming app icons
Tony Ware

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Looking to finally get on the Severance train or take advantage of the warm weather by the pool? Best Buy has made it easier to sample Apple streaming services this summer thanks to its latest deal, featuring three free months of Apple TV+, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, and Apple Music for new subscribers.  

Apple

SEE IT

Apple users can access these services across their devices and share them with up to six family members. Even better, actions on these devices are private and secure, giving you peace of mind when it comes to your digital footprint and data.

Apple TV+ allows you to stream Apple Original series and films on your television using an Apple TV or another Apple device using the Apple TV app. After the free trial, your plan automatically renews at $4.99/month until canceled. Returning subscribers can also take advantage of this deal.

Apple Fitness+ features 10 kinds of home workouts with trainers, customized music picks, and fitness metrics displayed on-screen, providing you’re wearing an Apple Watch. $9.99/month after free trial.

Apple News+ allows you to read magazines and newspapers, receive breaking news notifications, and online and offline reading with special access and extended coverage from national media brands. Plan auto-renews for $9.99/mo after trial until canceled. Like Apple TV+, returning subscribers can also enlist in the trial.

Apple Music allows you to sync your iTunes library across devices while streaming 70 million songs without ads, all while letting you listen to spatial audio with Dolby Atmos. All that’s missing is an iPhone or iPad and some AirPods 3. $4.99 – $14.99 after trial, depending on plan.

If you’re a returning subscriber to Apple TV+, Apple News+, and Apple Music, you get between 3-5 months free for coming back. Talk about a nice homecoming gift.

If you’re looking for a new Macbook Pro to use all of these subscriptions, Best Buy has different configurations of the 13.3-, 14-, and 16-inch models on sale for $200 off their list price. You won’t even find those deals on the Apple website. This means you should take advantage of these savings before anything is phased out for new products, or before you miss season three of Ted Lasso.

The post Get an Apple streaming summer sampler for free at Best Buy appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Surround your home in sound with these speaker sales on Amazon https://www.popsci.com/gear/amazon-speakers-deal/ Thu, 23 Jun 2022 17:45:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=451936
A multitude of speakers on a periwinkle background
Amanda Reed

Your music library will thank you for taking advantage of these discounts on Denon, KEF, and Amazon audio.

The post Surround your home in sound with these speaker sales on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
A multitude of speakers on a periwinkle background
Amanda Reed

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Wired headphones are coming back, it’s cool to own cassettes again, and everyone has a record collection nowadays. And don’t get us wrong, we love the warmth that analog brings … you just can’t always easily bring it with you. That’s why we get excited about whole-home audio systems like the Denon Home 350 Wireless Speaker, on sale for $499—$200 off its $699 retail price. 

Denon

SEE IT

The Denon Home 350 wireless speaker gives you sonorous highs and bass-y lows thanks to its two dynamic 0.75-inch tweeters, two 2-inch mid-bass drivers, two 6.5-inch woofers, and sound master tuning. And once you’ve connected it to your home Wi-Fi network, it can deliver in whatever area of the house you prefer. It doesn’t matter if you’re a die-hard Spotify user or Apple Music stan—this speaker can stream it all, including Amazon Music HD, Pandora, TIDAL, and TuneIn, via Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, HEOS for multi-room high-resolution listening (ALAC, FLAC and WAV files up to 192kHz/24-bit, as well as DSD 2.8MHz and 5.6MHz tracks), or Bluetooth. 

You can place a separate Home 350 in every room and play different songs as you roam, or group multiple Denon speakers on sale—including the Denon Home 250 Wireless Speaker ($399, was $499), Denon Home Sound Bar 550 ($499, was $649), and/or Denon Home Subwoofer ($499, was $599)—to play the same song everywhere all at once, or to create a speaker cable-free home theater system. And, yes, you can even plug a turntable (with built-in preamp) into the Home 350’s AUX port, achieving a best-of-both-worlds of a sort. 

Don’t want to reach for the remote to control all this connectivity? You can use Alexa voice commands to control the speaker if you have an Echo device. Conveniently, the fourth-generation Amazon Echo Dot is on sale for $39.99, 20-percent off its retail price. This small-space speaker (one of our favorite smart speakers) can set timers, find out the time, and will even tell a joke if you need a laugh. Security is no laughing matter, however—for that reason, the Alexa doesn’t begin listening until the Echo hears you say, “Alexa” and the light ring turns blue. It’s a solid speaker by itself for when you’re relaxing in comfy nooks.

If you’re fine with keeping all your audio streamers and amplification upstream and stationary, and you just want robust, full-range sound reinforcement, you can currently pick up the KEF Q950 Floorstanding Speaker on sale for around $800 (in walnut only), which is close to $300 off the typical $1,099.98 price. Yes, KEF is particularly renowned for powered Wi-Fi Hi-Fi (such as the recently released LSX II compact connected speaker), but the British speaker manufacturer’s passive high-performance speakers garner equal esteem for their ability to produce a wide sweet spot without sacrificing imaging or impact. This flagship packs in a 1 ½-inch aluminum doom tweeter, dual 8-inch aluminum woofers, and dual aluminum radiators to produce a frequency response of 44-28,000 Hz (±3 dB)—perfect for punchy music and immersive movies.

The post Surround your home in sound with these speaker sales on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Get your stream on with more than 40 percent off Amazon Fire TVs https://www.popsci.com/gear/amazon-fire-tv-deal/ Wed, 22 Jun 2022 15:45:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=451665
An image of a smart TV on a bright pink background
Amanda Reed

If you like the company’s Fire TV Stick, you will love these Fire TVs on sale.

The post Get your stream on with more than 40 percent off Amazon Fire TVs appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
An image of a smart TV on a bright pink background
Amanda Reed

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Technology is amazing: We’ve surpassed the need to plug a little doohickey into our TV to stream everything from first-run blockbusters to prestige TV. Modern smart TVs can directly connect to just about every streaming app you can think of. In this case, we’re talking about the 55-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni Series, which is $299.99—down from its regular retail price of $559.99—starting today exclusively for Amazon Prime members.

Amazon

SEE IT

Circumvent the need for a standalone Fire TV Stick with the Fire TV Omni Series, which you can control hands-free with Alexa. Additionally, enjoy Prime Video favorites like The Marvelous Ms. Maisel and Mozart in the Jungle in 4K UHD with support for Dolby Digital Plus (bonus if you have a compatible soundbar). You can also connect to favorites from Netflix, Disney+, and more—we always appreciate it when streaming companies play nice with manufacturers. Hook up your cable box, satellite, or video game console in any of the TV’s three HDMI inputs. It features built-in privacy protections, along with a switch that disconnects the microphone for security-minded viewers.

The Amazon Fire TV 4-Series is an even cheaper option for Amazon Prime members on a tighter budget. The 43-inch size is on sale for $199.99, which is almost half-off its $369.99 retail price. Like the Omni Series, it includes support for 4K, Dolby Digital Plus, and all the most popular streaming services. However, its Alexa capabilities are built into the remote rather than the TV itself.

You can’t wirelessly connect the streaming services on a smart TV without a router—thankfully, Amazon devices also have you covered with the eero Pro 6E tri-band mesh Wi-Fi 6E router and the eero 6+ dual-band mesh Wi-Fi 6 router, which both feature a built-in Zigbee smart home hub to connect your smart devices. Gamers can enjoy early Prime Day deals as well—snag the Luna Controller to take advantage of the company’s cloud gaming platform of the same name.

For those without Fire TVs, we’re huge fans of the Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite, which is on sale for $19.99. But, we can’t resist televisions with built-in Fire TV functionality, like the ones that are on sale below (and you can expect a lot more to come as we get closer to Amazon Prime Day July 12-13):

The post Get your stream on with more than 40 percent off Amazon Fire TVs appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
This Amazon device deal is straight Fire … plus Echos, Halos, and Rings https://www.popsci.com/gear/amazon-devices-with-alexa-deal/ Wed, 15 Jun 2022 17:30:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=450363
A a product lineup of Alexa speakers on sale
Amanda Reed

Hey Alexa, I want to act fast and save big on voice-controlled devices. Remind me to hurry, because these deals will end soon.

The post This Amazon device deal is straight Fire … plus Echos, Halos, and Rings appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
A a product lineup of Alexa speakers on sale
Amanda Reed

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

If you or someone you know is deeply immersed in the Amazon ecosystem (or would like to be), there are some deep discounts going on you’ll want to hear about … and you don’t need to ask a voice assistant thanks to us! For a limited time in honor of Father’s Day, Amazon is taking 30- to 50-percent off some of the company’s most popular streaming and smart home devices with Alexa.

For example, the Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen.) with Clock is currently only $39.99. That’s $20 below its typical price of $59.99 and a steal for one of our favorite smart speakers. It’s a minimal yet powerful entry point into the wonderfully automating world of Alexa. The LED clock display can display alarms, outdoor temperature, and timers, while the 1.6-inch front-facing speaker will play music from various streaming services—including Amazon Music, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, and TuneIn. With Alexa enabled, you just have to request your favorite jam, or ask general questions, control compatible smart-home devices, make calls, play intercom with or get alerts from other Alexa devices on the network, and much more.

If you or a loved one would prefer to watch some content, there’s the Amazon Fire Stick 4K on sale for $34.99 (was $49.99), as well as the Amazon Fire TV Cube on sale for $69.99 (was $119.99)—two streaming devices with Alexa that come with an extremely convenient Voice Control Remote. Just add your OLED TV of choice and you’re golden.

Want the best of both worlds? Get a compact smart display/stereo speaker in one with the Echo Show 8, on sale for $99.99 (was $129.99). You have access to plenty of the most popular streaming apps, plus there’s a 13MP camera with auto-framing—so buy two, one for you and one for family or friends, and say “I miss UR face” to their face. Oh, and there’s also a battery pack (sold separately) if you want to take the show(s) on the road.

Those are a few of the many Amazon devices with Alexa on sale (also including Fire tablets, Ring video doorbells and floodlight cameras, plus more). Just remember, this deal is in honor of Father’s Day, which is June 19 (aka this weekend), so you still have time to get something to dad if you act fast but the deals will be gone soon.

Bowers & Wilkins

SEE IT

Got an audiophile in the family who also wants the convenience of Alexa? You can currently get the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin wireless music system on sale for $699 (was $799). This statement piece with Apple AirPlay 2 (as well as Bluetooth) is another one of our picks for best smart speakers because of its impactful yet impeccable fidelity, delivered by components that have trickled down from acclaimed speakers that cost multi-thousands. It connects to your Wi-Fi network so you can stream high-resolution audio through the B&W app from Deezer, Qobuz, TIDAL, Soundcloud, and Last.fm, as well as off of devices via Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth 5.0 (including the AAC, SBC, and aptX Adaptive codecs), and Spotify Connect. And, yes, it’s got built-in microphones that let you interact with Alexa. If there’s space on the credenza, this audio airship will transport anyone listening to Cloud 9.

The post This Amazon device deal is straight Fire … plus Echos, Halos, and Rings appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Save hundreds on top tech at Best Buy, this weekend only https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-buy-dads-grads-tech-sale/ Fri, 10 Jun 2022 15:30:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=449498
Multiple product images of sale items at Best Buy
Amanda Reed

The big-deal people in your life, yourself certainly included, deserve to benefit from this big deal.

The post Save hundreds on top tech at Best Buy, this weekend only appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Multiple product images of sale items at Best Buy
Amanda Reed

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Nothing says “Congratulations, you’re an adult!” quite like the harsh reality that you are now a non-digital-native parent’s IT department. Best Buy makes it cheaper—and easier—to celebrate these real-world milestones with its 3-day Dads & Grads sale, running today through Sunday, June 12.  

We’re particular to the bevy of laptops on sale. The biggest deal we saw was this Lenovo Yoga 9i for $1,049.99, which is $400 off its $1,449.99 retail price.

Lenovo’s powerful, sleek laptop features a quad-core 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB solid state drive. It can also be used as a tablet thanks to its 2-in-1 design and ultrathin, ultraportable 3-pound shell. Plus the 14-inch multitouch screen with energy-efficient LED backlight and a 1920×1080 resolution means crisp, clear graphics for the best PowerPoints at work and the best games and streaming content at home. Also, if a parent has a question about the weather, they can ask Alexa directly—this laptop has built-in voice command capabilities and a surprisingly loud mini-soundbar in its hinge.

For Apple lovers, Best Buy has 13-inch M1 MacBook Pros in Space Gray and Silver on sale at up to $150 off, in case they don’t want to wait for the latest version that Apple announced June 6. Apple Music, Apple News, and Apple TV+ are free for 3-6 months with purchase.  

Check out these TVs, appliances, earbuds, smartwatches, and additional tech products on sale in case you need to accessorize your post-grad lifestyle or treat the parent(s) to a new fridge:

The post Save hundreds on top tech at Best Buy, this weekend only appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Plex’s new Discover feature can help you track down everything you want to watch—anywhere https://www.popsci.com/diy/how-to-use-plex-discover/ Wed, 01 Jun 2022 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=447135
A man wearing a green-and-white jersey-style shirt that says "Hollywood Life" on it standing in front of a TV in a dim room showing two movies to two people in front of him.
Plex's new Discover feature isn't this guy, but it's kind of like this guy. Ron Lach / Pexels

Whether a movie is on Netflix, Hulu, your hard drive or at a friend's house, Plex can help you find it.

The post Plex’s new Discover feature can help you track down everything you want to watch—anywhere appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
A man wearing a green-and-white jersey-style shirt that says "Hollywood Life" on it standing in front of a TV in a dim room showing two movies to two people in front of him.
Plex's new Discover feature isn't this guy, but it's kind of like this guy. Ron Lach / Pexels

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Remember video stores? They were annoying because you had to leave your house and potentially talk to a human, but they had a big advantage over the streaming services of today: everything was in one place. You didn’t need to know which video stores had the rights to which movies; you could just hear about a movie, go to the store, and grab it off the shelf. 

Streaming, of course, isn’t like this. You, the would-be viewer, need to become an expert on which shows are on which service. It’s tedious. 

We’ve talked about how to find where your favorite movies and shows are streaming, but even that advice turns into a list. And depending on which device you happen to be using, you’ll need to use a different interface to find the movies and shows you want. This is where Plex’s new “Discover” feature can help. 

You can install Plex on basically any device—whether it’s a smart TV, a computer, a tablet, or a phone—and use it to track down which services are offering which TV shows and movies. Even better, because Plex lets anyone set up their own streaming service, you can also search your personal media collection while you’re at it, as well as the collections of any friends who happen to share theirs with you. This simplifies finding specific shows or movies to the point where it’s trivial. 

How to find any show or movie on Plex

The Plex Discover interface, showing different options for watching The Office streaming online.
When you click any search result, you’ll see exactly where it’s streaming. Justin Pot

A little background: until recently, Plex was, primarily, a service for watching your own media collection—a way to turn a computer or NAS device in your house into your own personal Netflix. You could rip your DVD collection, record live TV, and then stream everything from anywhere. You could even share that collection with friends (I won’t discuss how legal this may or may not be). 

Within the past couple of years, Plex has started offering a few free movies and TV shows on top of this service, which have started showing up in its search results. Now the company has added Discover, which extends this search to include results from basically every streaming service on the market. To get started, sign up for Plex if you haven’t already. Part of the setup will ask you which streaming services you prefer.

[Related: 7 tools to make streaming simpler, smarter, and more fun]

With that done, search for whatever show or movie you want to to watch and scroll down to the More Ways to Watch section.

Click the result, and you’ll see all the streaming services currently offering that show. 

You can click any of the listed icons to open the show or movie in that streaming service—including any Plex servers you might have access to (yours or any of your friends’). Plex servers will be listed first, followed by any streaming services you’ve indicated you have access to. Or, if you’d rather purchase, you’ll find out where you can buy the entire show. 

The Plex interface, showing you where you can buy or rent a movie online.
We’re not sure what’s going on with Microsoft here. Justin Pot

It’s also a great place to do some comparison shopping, if a little buggy (Microsoft isn’t offering the entire run of The Office for $12.)

You can do the same thing for movies, and the results can surprise you. I, for example, just discovered a film I wanted to see is available for free on Kanopy, a service my local library offers. 

That’s really nice to know! You can add such movies to your watchlist, allowing you to create a list of movies you want to see across all your streaming services that you can access on all your devices. You could, for example, add a bunch of movies to your watchlist from your computer and then pull that list up on your TV when you’re ready to settle in. 

We’re not getting the video store back anytime soon, sadly, but with a service like this it’s at least easier to figure out what’s streaming where—and keep track of the things you want to watch, regardless of which service they live in.

The post Plex’s new Discover feature can help you track down everything you want to watch—anywhere appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
From the archives: When the U.S. first caught TV-fever https://www.popsci.com/technology/television-invention/ Mon, 30 May 2022 12:30:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=445590
Images from the February 1947 issue of Popular Science.
“Television on the job” by George H. Waltz, Jr. ran in the February 1947 issue of Popular Science. Popular Science

In a 1947 issue of Popular Science, we examine the dramatic promises of early television technology.

The post From the archives: When the U.S. first caught TV-fever appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Images from the February 1947 issue of Popular Science.
“Television on the job” by George H. Waltz, Jr. ran in the February 1947 issue of Popular Science. Popular Science

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

To mark our 150th year, we’re revisiting the Popular Science stories (both hits and misses) that helped define scientific progress, understanding, and innovation—with an added hint of modern context. Explore the entire From the Archives series and check out all our anniversary coverage here.

The Radio Corporation of America, or RCA—with its Victrola logo, and iconic Nipper the dog mascot—was at the center of many technology disputes during the 20th century. None were as fiery, however, as the claim of television’s invention. While Philo Farnsworth, a farm boy from Utah, was officially awarded the first television patent in 1930, Vladimir Zworykin, who fled Russia during the country’s revolution, filed years before him, in 1923

In February 1947, Popular Science Associate Editor George H. Waltz, Jr. interviewed Zworykin—then director of RCA’s vast NJ-based laboratories—for “Television on the Job.” By then, a court battle had given Farnsworth invention credit, but Zworykin’s RCA-funded delivery system (National Broadcast Company or NBC) sent TV into American homes, licensing Farnsworth’s design. 

When Waltz’s story ran in February 1947, TV was still a novelty. RCA had introduced TV to America eight years earlier at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, but WWII paused its rollout. By the late ‘40s, only  a few dozen cities offered programming, most with only one station, one channel, and just a few evening shows. By the end of 1947, however, the World Series was televised for the first time, and monthly TV production rate had quadrupled

Waltz captures the TV-fever that had begun to grip the nation: “Television…means much more to us than an amusing accompaniment for radio’s sound. Its workaday uses are even more dramatic than its role as an entertainer.”  He described exploring the ocean depths by “installing a television camera in a thick-walled metal bathysphere;” getting “close-up views of what goes on within chemical reaction chambers;” and equipping assembly lines with TV control rooms. Zworykin even envisioned broadcasting “the moon and stars” (he did live to see the lunar landing televised).

“Television on the job” (George H. Waltz, Jr., February 1947)

It extends human vision beneath seas, into furnaces and throughout factories.

Television is adding overalls to its dress clothes. Its sleeves are rolled—it is ready to go to work!

To most of us, television has been a promise of armchair entertainment—a chance to have choice seats at boxing bouts, football games, news events and stage plays without budging from the budget or the living room. That phase of television is here, but television’s future goes far beyond the mere prospects of animated quiz shows and soap operas you can see.

Television, like radio, is a versatile tool. A relatively small percentage of the radio waves that flash around the earth today carry music and comedy to our loudspeakers. Most of them have more important missions. Radio helps us go places and do business. Without it, large-scale scheduled air travel would be impossible, sea travel would be slowed, crime prevention hampered, news coverage cut down, and international business and diplomacy limited.

Television likewise means much more to us than an amusing accompaniment for radio’s sound. Its workaday uses are even more dramatic than its role as an entertainer.

I found that out when I got a firsthand look into television’s future at the large modern laboratories of the Radio Corporation of America at Princeton, N. J. There I put questions to Dr. Vladimir K. Zworykin, director of the laboratories’ program of electronic research—one of the men who helped raise television from its flickering beginnings to its present status.

Getting Dr. Zworykin to talk about television was not a hard assignment. He thinks it, dreams it, lives it, and talks about it with parental love.

“Television,” he explained, after he had shown me his laboratory, “is an extension of our sight. It gives us a simple means of getting eyewitness views of things happening in places too small, too distant, or far too dangerous for the average person to observe. Properly applied, television can show us many things that we have never seen before. It can open up whole new frontiers of research and knowledge.

“Undersea exploration is an excellent example. Few divers can descend more than 200 feet. Television, however, can put our eyes there without risk to our bodies. By installing a television camera in a thick-walled metal bathysphere, lowered from a survey ship, the deepest ocean floor can be explored safely and for hours at a time by skilled observers seated comfortably in front of a direct-wire television viewer on deck—or on dry land, for that matter, if the television signals from the camera are radio-relayed from ship to shore.”

As Dr. Zworykin enlarged on his idea I realized that the construction of such a television bathysphere would present no great problems. It could be similar in design to the diving ball that Dr. William Beebe used in his undersea observations. With thicker walls to withstand greater pressures, it would otherwise be simpler, since a television camera, unlike a man, requires no oxygen and would be unaffected by the near-zero temperatures 600 feet under.

Since scenes have been televised from the dim light of a candle, illumination would not be difficult. The modern television camera using the new Image Orthicon tube, another Zworykin-guided development, is as sensitive to light as the human eye, so floodlights for underwater television exploration would have to be no brighter than those required for human observation. The bathysphere could be lowered by cable, while remotely controlled motors built into a supporting gimbal could turn and tilt its “eye” to scan the surroundings. The bathysphere could be used to aid under-water salvage, guide the placing of drilling gear for undersea oil wells, assist in submarine rescues, and, perhaps, even test the myth of lost Atlantis. The depths that could be plumbed would be limited only by the strength of the sphere’s metal shell.

Similarly, according to Dr. Zworykin, television cameras can give us close-up views of what goes on within chemical reaction chambers, inside fiery furnaces and behind the thick lead walls that surround atomic-fission experiments. It provides us with a third eye that is unaffected by lethal fumes, heat or radiations.

What actually goes on inside smelting furnaces and glass furnaces is still pretty much anybody’s guess. The heat is so great that temperatures must he measured from a distance with optical pyrometers, and quick glimpses through jet-black goggles are the only observations possible. Any closer view would sear the flesh, blind the eyes.

Television cameras at strategic spots inside the furnaces could flash pictures of the fiery  mass to a viewer in the office of the plant engineer. He could watch the process from beginning to end with no more bother than switching viewer from one camera to another. He could literally “walk around” inside the furnace. The glow from the molten metal or glass would provide more than enough illumination, and liquid-cooled jackets would protect the cameras.

Dr. Zworykin also envisions television as a super-supervisor in the large factory of tomorrow. Television cameras set up in the various departments of a manufacturing plant would allow one man in a central room to watch, control and safeguard the entire plant’s activities. Rows of television viewers would show him exactly what was happening at nerve centers of the factory. His master control room would be an industrial equivalent of the CIC (Combat Intelligence Center) rooms that coordinated our fighting forces along the different fronts during the war. Such a system would speed production and safeguard life and property.

A similar setup on a smaller scale could be used to control the flow of automobile assembly lines. At present, it requires the services of a corps of men to supervise the 25 miles or more of subassembly and main assembly lines that snake their way through most big automobile plants. Television cameras set up at the feeder lines and along the length of the main assembly line and wired to viewers in the main supervisor’s office could bring the entire problem under his eyes.

Television may well change our whole concept of educational techniques, Dr. Zworykin believes. This is particularly true in medicine, where a student’s view of an operation consists of what he can see from his seat high in the operating-room amphitheater. Television, however, can give him a surgeon’s-eye view of the whole proceedings. A television camera mounted in the cluster of lights over the operating table and wired to screens in classrooms would not only give each student a close-up of the most delicate operation but would hundreds of students, instead of a few, to watch the demonstration. If put on the air, an operation could be witnessed by students in medical schools all over the country wherever television was available.

Long-distance diagnosis is another medical possibility. With the aid of television, a doctor and his patient could take full advantage of the knowledge and skill of a specialist a thousand miles away. Public health doctors could make actual television visits to health clinics in outlying districts. Special health lectures could be delivered simultaneously to widely scattered groups.

There is no reason why students some day will not get first-hand televised looks at the moon and stars through the giant Palomar telescope, watch important experiments in progress at the world’s great research centers, sit in on the actual proceedings at international conferences, or “attend” any of the firsts in science, exploration and the arts. Famous lecturers and educators could be seen and heard simultaneously in schools all over the country.

Television as a teaching aid was dramatically demonstrated in New York City during the war when first aid and fire-bomb-fighting methods were explained to the city’s volunteer air-raid wardens via the television camera. Viewers set up at air-raid posts throughout the city made it possible for a single group of civilian-defense experts to demonstrate air-raid procedures to more wardens than ever could have been jammed into the city’s largest auditorium. And what is more to the point, every warden had a close-up of the demonstration.

I asked Dr. Zworykin if he thought it would be possible to equip news reporters with lightweight television cameras that would allow them to broadcast on-the-spot views of accidents, fires, train wrecks and similar news events. As an answer he showed me the compact, lightweight television camera that has been developed for use in a guided rocket. Weighing only 34 pounds, and no larger than a suitcase, it may well be the forerunner of the newscaster’s “walkie-lookie.” It would have to be changed only slightly. Its compact transmitter and power supply, stowed in the reporter’s car, would transmit the scene being televised to a main broadcasting station. There a picture editor, seated before a bank of viewers showing the individual pickups from perhaps a dozen reporters on their beats, could select the events be desired and rebroadcast them to the station’s television public.

Several department stores are experimenting with direct-wire television as a means of displaying merchandise to customers. Fashion shows, displays and special skits to demonstrate kitchen and garden equipment are televised and piped to viewers placed in the store’s windows and at eye-catching spots around the store. In a sales test run by one large Eastern department store a poll of the customers showed that nine out of 10 felt television was an aid to their shopping.

Television billboards are the latest advertising wrinkle. The plan, conceived by a Boston, Mass., outdoor advertising firm, calls for a network of large outdoor screens to display television sales programs broadcast by a central station. Set up on roof tops and on the sides of buildings, the television billboards will offer a variety of entertainment interspersed with commercials.

A New York bank is considering installing a direct-wire television system to speed up and simplify the identification of customers. A viewer at each teller’s counter connected to a camera at the identification-card files will allow him to verify signatures, and bank balances without leaving his window. A similar network for the nation’s police forces would speed identification of criminals by photos and fingerprints. 

New developments still in the laboratory—such things as three-dimensional and full-color pictures—will extend television uses even further, Dr. Zworykin believes. Full-color television alone, for example, will greatly simplify the accurate matching of colors in the paint, dye and textile industries.

In the meantime, television as we know it today can go far to help industry solve its problems.

Home Theater photo
The February 1947 cover of Popular Science imagines the exciting depths where television would one day take us.

Some text has been edited to match contemporary standards and style.

The post From the archives: When the U.S. first caught TV-fever appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Enclave CineHome PRO review: Wireless surround done right https://www.popsci.com/reviews/enclave-cinehome-wireless-home-theater/ Fri, 13 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=388171
Enclave CineHome PRO Bundle on the floor
Listening to this hi-res surround sound system will get you wired, no cables required. Markkus Rovito

The Enclave CineHome PRO hi-res wireless home theater system strikes all the right cords.

The post Enclave CineHome PRO review: Wireless surround done right appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Enclave CineHome PRO Bundle on the floor
Listening to this hi-res surround sound system will get you wired, no cables required. Markkus Rovito

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

TVs are growing larger while getting cheaper. At the same time, first-run movies are now commonly available to stream. The better that new QLED or OLED TV looks for less, the more the term “home theater” becomes literal. However, an ultrawide screen and microwave popcorn can’t make up for one vital part of the actual theater experience: the sound. Built-in flatscreen TV speakers just don’t quite deliver. A single soundbar and the latest immersive audio processing can offer a big step up, but the best surround sound systems still actually surround you with physical speakers. They also typically surround you with wires, however, because while Bluetooth surround sound systems seem convenient, most wireless 5.1 surround sound has unacceptable latency and a hard time keeping the sound synced to the video. But not the Enclave CineHome PRO. Built on a 24-bit wireless audio standard and certified by THX for quality and consistency, this wireless home theater system offers considerable audio quality and performance while only requiring one HDMI cable from your TV. 

Markkus Rovito

SEE IT

The Enclave CineHome PRO wireless home theater system’s design

The Enclave CineHome PRO ($1,599) promises a big surround sound experience from an easy-to-setup wireless 5.1 surround sound system. That big sound comes from a six-piece speaker system that does not skimp on size. The 24-inch-tall, 7.3-pound left and right front speakers are meant to stand vertically and each has two 3-inch drivers and a 1-inch tweeter inside. The 24-inch-wide, 7.3-pound center speaker also has two 3-inch drivers and a 1-inch tweeter; it is basically the same design as the left and right front speakers except that it lies horizontally beneath your TV rather than standing vertically. The smaller left and right vertically standing rear speakers are 16-inches-tall, 4.6-pound mini-towers, and have one 3-inch driver and one 1-inch tweeter inside. 

The system’s subwoofer is appropriately bulky, measuring 18.8-inches high, 11.8-inches wide, and 14.4-inches deep and weighing 26.6 pounds to accommodate its 10-inch front-firing woofer. For wall mounting, there are keyholes in the back of each speaker except for the subwoofer, and the left and right rear speakers also have 1/4-inch threaded mount options in the back. 

Altogether, the CineHome PRO system utilizes 11 Class-D digital amplifiers. So you may not have to string speaker wires along your walls, but you will need several available power outlets. If you’ve got one extra wall socket, Enclave also sells a CineHome Duo PRO ($2,094) system, which is the same as the CineHome PRO but with a second subwoofer (CineHome PRO users can add a second Enclave subwoofer at any time if they wish). 

The CineHub wireless unit ties the whole system together using WiSA (Wireless Speaker and Audio Association) technology. The WiSA standard sends up to eight channels of uncompressed 24-bit/96kHz audio (twice a CD’s resolution) with less than one microsecond of sync time between speakers and 5.2 milliseconds of latency—about one-tenth the latency of Bluetooth. WiSA also transmits on frequencies that are not supposed to interfere with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. 

Getting started with the Enclave CineHome PRO

If you’re not familiar with the proper positions for a 5.1 surround system’s speakers in the front left, center, front right, rear left and rear right, the paper manual provides some guidance. The bundle even comes with white gloves, should you choose to wear them while handling the speakers. After placing and powering up all the speakers, you connect the CineHub’s HDMI port to the TV’s HDMI ARC input for two-way data exchange. In the rare case that your TV does not have an HDMI ARC input, you can connect the TV to both the CineHub’s HDMI and digital optical audio ports (optical cable not included). 

Raiders of the Lost ARC

The CineHome PRO will work just fine with a TV’s next-generation eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) input; however, Enclave has not yet enabled eARC functionality—which entails higher bandwidth and speed over an HDMI connection—for the CineHome PRO. The company has professed that it will enable eARC support through a CineHome PRO firmware update sometime in the future.

In the blink of an eye (and an LED)

Once you’ve positioned and plugged in the six speakers and the CineHub unit (power cords provided), the first thing to do is download the Enclave Audio Remote app (available for iOS and Android devices) to install firmware updates and begin setup. Then you power on all the speakers and connect the power cable to the CineHub. LED lights on each component will flash while they’re pairing with each other. When the lights stop blinking, you can power on the CineHub with the Enclave remote control or app. If you enable CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) on your TV, you can also use your TV’s remote to control the CineHome PRO’s volume and power it on/off along with the TV.  

The whole setup process for the CineHome PRO was relatively painless and worked as advertised, with the wireless pairing of the speakers happening within about 10 seconds. The biggest concern was just finding open power outlets for all the speakers—a small price to pay compared to connecting everything to a central receiver.

Enclave CineHome PRO control app screenshot
The Enclave app helps you get closer to the sweet spot. Markkus Rovito

Key features of Enclave’s wireless home theater system

Spatial audio formats—especially Dolby Atmos—cause a lot of commotion in home theater realms these days. Rather than sending specific sounds to specific speaker channels, Atmos digitally assigns sounds to dozens of possible 3D spaces, including the new-fangled ability to produce overhead sound effects with angled speakers that bounce sound waves off of a wall or ceiling. To facilitate that, Dolby Atmos purists might recommend ceiling-mounted speakers. However, less extreme alternatives handle the Atmos overhead sounds with top-firing drivers in speaker systems such as the Klipsch surround-sound bundle ($1,169) with R-625FA floor-standing speakers, or even the all-in-one Sennheiser AMBEO 5.1.4 soundbar ($2,499) with two top-firing drivers. You can read our full review of the AMBEO here.

While the WiSA standard is compatible with Dolby Atmos, the Enclave CineHome PRO wireless home theater system did not support Dolby Atmos at the time of this writing. However, Enclave could add Atmos compatibility with a firmware upgrade in the future. Not supporting Atmos yet may take some of the shine off of the Enclave CineHome PRO system for certain home cinephiles. However, there isn’t an enormous amount of Atmos-encoded content available for home viewing, and not everyone who hears it will agree that it significantly enhances the viewing experience. 

The CineHome PRO is the first THX-certified WiSA system and supports Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS 5.1 Digital Surround, uncompressed PCM audio, and Bluetooth 5.0 audio. This means it can deliver plenty of powerful, high-quality surround audio from the most widely distributed formats, all in a smaller footprint than many of the best 5.1 surround sound systems. And Enclave’s use of an app for a deeper level of control also contributes to the system’s low-clutter aesthetic. 

App control

Enclave’s hardware remote for the CineHome PRO can control the power, volume/mute, and select the input from three of the TV’s HDMI inputs or from the CineHub’s optical, 3.5mm aux input, or Bluetooth audio sources. But there’s much more going on with the Enclave Audio Remote app, which I preferred to operate from the larger screen of an iPad as opposed to a smartphone. The app communicates with the CineHub over Bluetooth and shows a visual representation of the speaker setup, with the speakers in orange if they’re paired to the hub. Touching a speaker in the app sends a white noise test signal to the speaker so you can make sure it’s producing audio. The app also sends firmware updates to the CineHub wirelessly, which took less than 10 minutes to complete when I updated to the latest version.

A Room Setup screen lets you set the distance for each speaker from your listening position so the hub can calibrate levels but if you’re not happy with the default levels, the Speaker Levels screen lets you adjust each speaker’s level ±6dB (or ±10dB for the subwoofer). There are three Level Presets for saving different configurations of speaker levels. You can also choose four modes for Dolby Pro Logic, which converts stereo signals to surround sound: Music, Movie, Auto, or Off. Three Dolby Dynamic Range modes—Minimum, Standard, and Maximum—really go a long way to narrow or widen the difference between the softest and loudest sounds in whatever you’re watching. Finally, turning on the Whole Room Stereo mode from the app works wonderfully for listening to music, because it fills the entire room with stereo sound from all the speakers, rather than playing stereo music as a converted surround sound music. Whole Room Stereo can be effective, too, for watching video material that does not have important surround sound elements to it, or for making dialog easier to hear by sending it to the rear speakers.

The one thing that didn’t feel as seamless was the process to set up the CineHub to play Bluetooth audio from a device. First, you have to quit the remote app entirely (not just minimize it), then pair your device’s audio to the Enclave Audio Bluetooth connection, and then open the remote app again and choose the Bluetooth input to hear it. After doing this once, the remote app should pair your device to the CineHub’s Bluetooth in the future. But, in general, you occasionally need to quit, restart, and re-pair the app with the CineHub to get the app to respond again.

Enclave CineHome PRO center speaker and hub
The CineHome Pro delivered rich, powerful audio without delay or compression artifacts. Markkus Rovito

Sound impressions

If you’ve ever tried to watch shows on a TV or computer paired to Bluetooth surround sound speakers or headphones, you’ve probably run into annoying lip-sync problems, where the audio is just too far behind the video to ignore. Even a split-second of latency between the audio and video can take you out of the experience in a hurry. So as step one in testing the CineHome PRO, I confirmed that the WiSA wireless home theater system really does not have any noticeable latency between the TV’s picture and the speakers’ sound. Regardless of the source—live TV, multiple streaming video services, or PS4 games—the audio appeared to be synced to the onscreen picture. If there were 5.2 milliseconds of latency as WiSA’s standard claims, that was short enough to be negligible to this human’s eye.   

The next claim-check on the list: Enclave says that as the first THX-certified WiSA system, the CineHome PRO can play cleanly at very loud levels. Challenge accepted. I fired up “The Suicide Squad” on HBO Max, whispered a meaningless preemptive apology to the neighbors, and cranked the volume on the app up to 49 (out of a maximum of 59). Spoiler alert: Not all of the characters make it to the end of the movie and some of them are made to not make it in a very explosive and loud fashion. Fortunately, the CineHome PRO’s audio did stay clean even as the movie got very messy, so I could hear all the shouted dialog amid the gunfire, explosions, and splatter sound effects without distortion, even at sound levels that were honestly too loud to keep up for more than the opening sequence of the movie. Turning down to a more sustainable level for my ears, I enjoyed the CineHome PRO as a constant companion for the Tokyo Olympics, as well as other movies and games such as “Middle Earth: Shadow of War.” 

Settled in a centered listening position, the speakers treated me to a very detailed and precise sound that seemed to present an omnidirectional sound field, rather than isolated sounds coming from five separate sources. Even though the CineHome PRO doesn’t support the “immersive” Dolby Atmos format, the audio of Atmos-capable material, like “Army of the Dead” on Netflix, still felt more immersive from the CineHome PRO than from the Atmos-supporting Sennheiser AMBEO, which does a great job for a single soundbar, but is still more of a simulation of surround sound that true surround. And having a real 5.1 surround sound system where the speakers are spatially separated can also make dialog easier to understand during aurally busy shows and movies than it is on soundbars and certainly on built-in TV speakers.

The CineHome PRO system emits a nicely balanced sound, absent of muddiness between the low-, mid-, and high-frequency ranges. Personally, however, I preferred to turn up the rear speakers several decibels over the defaults and push the subwoofer 8-10dB over the baseline. Without turning it up, I found the subwoofer to be a little light on rumble, especially when listening to music. But with the sub jacked up, the playlists of classic ’90s hip-hop and house/nu-disco DJ sets that I threw at it sounded nice and heavy. The Whole Room Stereo mode was a must for me to listen to music and made the CineHome PRO my preferred method for filling the whole space with loud music over any other set of stereo speakers or studio monitors I own.

So, who should buy the Enclave CineHome PRO wireless home theater system?

If you know that a single soundbar—even some of the best soundbars available—will not be enough to satisfy your craving for surround sound, but you don’t necessarily want a giant surround-sound system with a full receiver and speaker wire, the Enclave Audio CineHome PRO wireless home theatre system presents one of the best alternatives. The speakers still require power cables, but the wireless WiSA audio produces no noticeable latency from the video and no compromise in audio quality from wired systems. With its clean, balanced sound at all volume levels for both surround sound video and stereo music, this wireless home theater system could turn many home theater fans into wire cutters.

The post Enclave CineHome PRO review: Wireless surround done right appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Best anime streaming services in 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-anime-streaming-services/ Tue, 17 May 2022 21:18:57 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=443754
scene from an anime on a curved monitor against a red wall
Jaime Carrillo

Whether you’re a neophyte hoping to catch senpai’s attention or a wizened otaku extraordinaire, we have the best ways to watch the finest in Japanese animation.

The post Best anime streaming services in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
scene from an anime on a curved monitor against a red wall
Jaime Carrillo

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall crunchyroll iPad screen capture best anime streaming services Crunchyroll
SEE IT

The juggernaut of anime streaming services that has swallowed Funimation and VRV

Best for dubs Netflix iPad screen capture best anime streaming services Netflix
SEE IT

The leading streaming service in the world has a large number of exclusive anime produced for its platform

Best for retro RetroCrush iPad screen capture best anime streaming services RetroCrush
SEE IT

A collection of old school and highly influential anime that works as both entertainment and a historical library

Anime used to be for only the hardcore. The same people who obsessed over Marvel back issues, Lord of the Rings, and Star Trek would huddle around thrice-recopied VHS tape collections featuring the latest martial art spikey-haired aliens, romantic magical girls, and planet-conquering mechs. But much like Marvel comics, Lord of the Rings, and Star Trek, anime has long since mainstreamed. From highly acclaimed works like Your Name or the output of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli to blockbuster action franchises like Dragon Ball or the recent Jujutsu Kaisen, anime is quintessentially Japanese yet internationally appealing. You don’t have to be a nerd (or, as anime fans call themselves, otaku) to want to watch anime. And you no longer have to put up with bootleg tapes or import prices. Everyone wants to watch anime. And because it’s 2022, everyone wants to watch anime online.

To that end, there are several dedicated anime streaming services out to deliver the content fans old and new crave. There are even more general-entertainment streaming services that have given anime a prime position within their platforms—the only exception would be the U.S. version of Disney+, since the also-Disney-owned Hulu platform houses all their anime. Choices abound, but are they any good? Will you get your daily dose of body-switch comedy, high-school dramedy, or high-octane sports stories? Of course you will, and we’ll guide you to the very best anime streaming services.

How we selected the best anime streaming services

Using a combination of personal experience, testimonials from colleagues, friends, and family, as well as reviews and opinions from around the internet, we’ve come up with a list that frankly covers all the bases. If we don’t mention a service in this article, chances are that it’s just not a great choice for viewing anime (even if some anime is available on it). 

Our awards are based mostly on the breadth or type of anime offered. Even the most expensive of these services is still less than $20 a month and even the least technologically advanced is still relatively easy to navigate and use on multiple devices, so price and tech didn’t swing many of our decisions. Anime is a medium, and like most mediums, there’s the stuff you love, the stuff you like, and the stuff you couldn’t care less about. Our goal with this list was to steer you toward more of the first two.

Our evaluations on this list were made almost exclusively based on the different available titles in the libraries of the services, as even the non-free options are quite inexpensive. While stream quality is noticeably better on the big mainstream services like Netflix and Hulu, anime is by and large not produced in 4K or with surround sound, so lower-quality streams are still entirely adequate and did not factor into our recommendations.

Things to consider before subscribing to an anime streaming service

While every streaming service is available via a webpage for viewing on a laptop, one of the most important things you’ll need to consider is whether your home viewing platform of choice has a native app. If you’re watching on an iPhone, iPad, or Android device (phones, tablets, and some smart TVs), you have nothing to worry about, since those very popular platforms are supported by every service on our list. Roku is another highly supported platform and another one that smart TVs sometimes have automatically. When it comes to streaming through game consoles, the options can be more limited. Check under each listing to see the compatible devices.

What to watch for, and on …

Another consideration is the fidelity of your screen and sound. Newer anime is quite a feast for the ears and eyes. Make sure you have a Full HD (1080p) or better screen and a solid speaker set or headphones. Most of the streaming services won’t offer 4K resolution but that is less of a detriment than you’d expect, as very little anime is created in 4K with the exception of some theatrical films. Of course, if you happen to have a 4K or 8K television or monitor, even Full HD streams will look better. As for sound, usually there will be some basic surround options for newer anime, and especially theatrical anime, so having a system that can handle surround sound well will benefit you. Even if the signal is in stereo, a good soundbar makes a world of difference.

Lock down your aerial … 

Though it’s a minor concern for most customers, do keep in mind that most of these services are geolocked to the United States, and if you log in from another country’s IP address, you won’t be able to watch. The exception is Netflix, which is available in other countries but alters the libraries due to different rights in different regions. Typically, Netflix-produced content is available in all regions. A concern with Netflix and traveling is that English subtitles are not always available in non-English-speaking regions. For example, one of the most popular anime in the world at this moment, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba is available on Japanese Netflix, but without English subtitles. Meanwhile, it’s released nearly simultaneously with Japan in the U.S. on American Hulu, with subtitles. (You can always attempt to get around geolocking by using one of the best VPNs, or virtual private networks. It’s not illegal to do so, but it is technically against the terms of service of these streamers, so do so at your own risk.)

The best anime streaming services: Reviews & Recommendations

Best overall: Crunchyroll

crunchyroll/Nick Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The long-time pacesetter within anime streaming got even bigger in the last year after being acquired by Sony and merging with the Funimation and VRV services.

Specs

  • Gigantic library with same-day availability of new shows
  • Compatible platforms: iOS, Android, Roku, most Smart TVs, most game consoles
  • Full HD streaming with stereo sound (some titles may offer better options) 
  • Subscription includes access to some manga (Japanese comics) 
  • Free ad-supported library includes a ton of content
  • Two tiers of ad-free paid plans ($7.99/mo & $9.99/mo), free two-week trial 

Pros

  • Huge library
  • Simulcast of newest TV anime from Japan
  • Native app on nearly every platform
  • Free ad-supported library isn’t that much smaller than the paid tier

Cons

  • Vast majority of titles do not feature dubbed options
  • Rarely offers streams above HD or stereo sound

Crunchyroll is a juggernaut. While it started in the mid-’90s as a platform for user-uploaded video content, mostly East Asian in origin and much of it in violation of copyright law, it quickly pivoted a few years later to offering streams of anime shows that had only just recently aired in Japan. Prior to Crunchyroll, anime fans usually had to wait months and possibly even years for their favorite anime to make it to American DVD or TV; Crunchyroll cut that down to hours. From there, Crunchyroll built its reputation and library, eventually being acquired by huge media conglomerates AT&T/TimeWarner and, more recently, Sony. At that time, Sony already owned the Funimation and VRV streaming platforms, both of which heavily focused on anime, and the libraries of both those services have migrated to Crunchyroll as of early this year.

Thus the Sony corporate backing has been a huge boon to Crunchyroll’s ability to acquire massive numbers of titles, some of them exclusives. The selection of anime on Crunchyroll far outnumbers any of its competitors, though, as with most big-library services, browsing without using the search function for specific titles can be laborious. As for new content, Crunchyroll tends to acquire simulcast rights to nearly every big TV anime each season. Every day of the week sees new episodes posted so, as a customer, you’re never out of date. If anime is the primary medium for your entertainment consumption, Crunchyroll has what you crave.

Crunchyroll’s two pricing tiers differ only in the number of simultaneous streams (so that multiple family or household members can enjoy Crunchyroll at the same time) and in the availability of off-line download viewing (which is available only on the $9.99 tier). A year-at-a-time price of $79.99 is available on the higher tier, offering a substantial discount. The free tier is a strong offering on its own, using ads to generate revenue. Not everything on Crunchyroll is available to free users, but it’s still thousands of hours of content. Simulcasts within hours are only on premium, the wait is a week for free users. Two-week trials are available on both paid tiers. Crunchyroll has native apps for every mainstream platform, so there’s no worry about support.

Most TV anime in Japan these days is produced in Full HD with stereo sound and Crunchyroll’s streams mimic that, so while those options seem meager compared to live-action films and shows that offer 4K and surround sound, they are still the “native” settings for anime. Note that HD streams are only available for paid users and older content may not offer HD resolutions. One audio area where Crunchyroll does excel on many selections is allowing you to pick from subs (subtitles) or dubs (often in multiple languages, though watch out for the occasional mistranslation and censorship if you go the English avenue).

On the whole, Crunchyroll is the premier streaming service that is anime-focused. There’s almost only anime—aside from a small collection of Japanese comics—but it’s got pretty much all the anime you need, and comes highly recommended. Only a small selection of newer series—most of which are exclusive to either Netflix or HIDIVE—are not available on Crunchyroll.

Best for dubs: Netflix

Netflix/Nick Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The mainstream streamer has tons of original content, including anime produced just for its platform that isn’t available anywhere else.

Specs

  • Medium-sized library with original exclusive content
  • Compatible platforms: iOS, Android, Roku, most Smart TVs, most game consoles
  • Capable of streaming 4K video and surround-sound audio
  • Huge non-anime library
  • Ad-free
  • Three tiers ($9.99/mo, $15.49/mo, $19.99/mo)

Pros

  • Exclusive films and series
  • Lots of additional content included
  • Higher-quality video and audio at higher-priced tiers
  • Usable nearly anywhere (though library changes based on region)

Cons

  • Higher tiers are expensive
  • Not much classic anime
  • Overall library size is smaller than Crunchyroll

You know Netflix. If you have any streaming services, you probably have Netflix. Netflix started the streaming boom and leads it even today. While, initially, it acquired most of its content from other producers, the focus for the company in the last decade has not just been to be a distributor, but to be a producer, and a few years ago the company moved into anime.

These original productions are the backbone of Netflix’s anime offerings. Several high-profile anime beloved by fans are only available on Netflix, such as Baki, Beastars, and Castlevania. In the United States, Netflix is the primary home for much of Japan’s original theatrical anime, such as recent films Bubble or Children of Kamiari Month. There’s something for everyone, from the slick ultraviolence of Devilman Crybaby to the cute workplace satire of Aggretsuko (from Hello Kitty maker Sanrio). There’s stuff for young kids, casual fans, and serious otaku. What you won’t find is a lot of older titles. The offerings from yesteryear are few and far between, but the content that is new and exclusive is very much worth checking out.

Netflix doesn’t gate content behind their tier pricing, so the cheapest $9.99 tier will let you watch everything. What higher tiers give you is more simultaneous screens (1, then 2, then 4) and more devices that can hold downloads (same). HD (1080p) streaming is only available at the $15.49 and $19.99 tiers and Ultra HD (4K) streaming is only available at the $19.99 tier. Those higher-level visuals and better audio are available on a few anime. Netflix-produced Sol Levante is one of the few anime produced in 4K, and many of the theatrical anime Netflix offers have theater-quality sound. While that’s not much content now, the production of Sol Levante is proof of Netflix’s commitment to pushing the technology of anime forward.

Where the 4K and surround sound mostly will come into play is with the non-anime offerings on Netflix, which are copious. In addition to the anime, Netflix has several live-action films and series from Japan based on anime (such as Full Metal Alchemist or Alice in Borderland), so while not anime in the strictest sense, it’s a kissing cousin. Netflix doesn’t offer a simulcast of any TV anime in Japan, as it typically only releases series in bingeable seasons/parts or in episode clumps across a short period of time (such as its four-episode-a-week reality TV releases). 

Netflix, while alarmingly climbing in price and facing a crowded general-entertainment streaming market, makes a lot of buzzworthy and bingeable content, including anime. While it doesn’t work as a one-stop-shop for your anime needs, the high-quality original offerings make it a very tempting supplement to your habit, and an auto-subscribe if you’re interested in its additional massive non-anime library.

Best for retro: RetroCrush

RetroCrush/Nick Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Razors focused on the “golden age of anime” from the 1970s to 1990s, RetroCrush is either cheap or free and works as an education in some foundational series.

Specs

  • Medium-sized library (240+ movies and series) focusing on older anime
  • Compatible platforms: iOS, Android, Roku, some smart TVs, Plex
  • Limited HD streaming, stereo sound
  • Some live-action content
  • Free tier is ad-supported with some censored content
  • $4.99/mo (or $49.99/yr) subscription removes ads and unlocks age-restricted content
  • Two-week free trial on paid tier

Pros

  • Free tier is extremely generous if you don’t mind ads
  • Library is full of gems
  • Features a “live” channel if you don’t want to have to choose what to watch

Cons

  • Stream quality is low (because original production quality is low)
  • Narrow focus is not for everyone

RetroCrush is a new player to the anime streaming game, having launched in mid-2020. Their focus is on classic anime from 20 to 50 years ago, and while they offer a paid tier for ad-free viewing, the vast majority of their library is available free with ads. Essentially, while you may not watch RetroCrush often unless you are a fan of old titles, there’s no reason not to download the app to your devices or bookmark the homepage.

The library is very much a garden of hidden delights. Older anime fans will be reminded of their youth by some of the really important, popular VHS anime from the mall movie stores of the 1990s, like Project A-Ko and Wicked City. These aren’t titles that burst through into the mainstream, but ones that true anime nerds have fond feelings for. RetroCrush is filling the gap that the larger streamers, who want the huge titles only, are leaving.

While there is one paid tier, there are actually three account types. An unregistered account can watch all-ages content with ad support. A free email-registered account can make playlists and watch age-restricted content. And the $4.99/mo or $49.99 premium account removes ads and unlocks a small premium exclusive library as well. The live stream, which does not feature any of the age-restricted content, is available at every tier.

The quality of the RetroCrush stream is limited by the quality of its titles. Very few of these titles were made or remastered in HD and even fewer ever had more than a stereo soundtrack. That said, the stream consistency is high even if the top-end quality is low by its nature. Unfortunately, there’s no option to customize your stream quality based on your bandwidth; instead, RetroCrush will just run at the highest bitrate available. 

If you’re relatively new to anime, there’s a lot to discover on RetroCrush. If you’re an oldhead, you can get some fuzzy nostalgia. Truth be told, I can’t see you spending a whole lot of time on the platform unless this niche is your specific jam, but any fan should download the app to their devices, because at the free tier there’s absolutely nothing to lose with RetroCrush, and you might just discover your new favorite classic anime.

Best curated: HIDIVE

HIDIVE/Nick Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Offering a smaller library than competitors with a more mature and focused aesthetic, HIDIVE offers a smattering of exclusive anime at a reasonable price, with an eye on the anime purist rather than the neophyte.

Specs 

  • Medium-sized library with some exclusive content
  • Compatible platforms: iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon devices, smart TVs, Xbox
  • Full HD + stereo streams 
  • $4.99/mo

Pros

  • Exclusive anime including simulcasts
  • Very quick turnaround on dubbed versions of new anime
  • Apps available on nearly every platform except PlayStation

Cons

  • Library is small
  • Exclusives are rarely big-name

HIDIVE rose from the ashes of defunct anime stream service Anime Network Online, licencing most of that service’s content after its discontinuation. Since then HIDIVE has carved out a niche in the market by being the exclusive carrier for a number of licensed titles from Sentai and Section23, anime imprints familiar to dedicated fans that tend to have more cult titles than mainstream hits.

This exclusive library is the leverage HIDIVE has against the bigger players, as it’s the only service other than Netflix (which produces its own content) to have new anime that Crunchyroll does not. Overall, HIDIVE’s offerings are very appealing to anime’s biggest fans. A lot of the anime in HIDIVE’s library has that distinct “anime for fans by fans” feel to it. Their simulcasting is quick and high-quality, and their turnaround on dubbing for their simulcast anime is incredibly fast (sometimes as little as two or three weeks). While most of the anime isn’t particularly mainstream, they are the exclusive home of simulcasts of the most recent version of Lupin the 3rd, a relatively well-known property.

There are two ways to buy into HIDIVE: $4.99 a month, or save 20% by spending $47.99 a year. This grants full access to the entire library through the webpage or any of their apps. Streams are consistent, offering Full HD and stereo sound. HIDIVE is by-and-large TV anime, and their “schedule” tab on their website is a welcome, easy-to-navigate way to see what will be available soon on their service, right down to the hour.

Unless you’re already a relatively hardcore anime fan, you might find HIDIVE somewhat lacking. There are a few water-cooler titles that you’re going to find with huge online fanbases. But for the discerning anime fan, HIDIVE offers a strong selection of anime fan-focused options at a very reasonable price.

Best free: Tubi

Tubi/Nick Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The best of the general entertainment ad-supported free streaming services for anime fans, Tubi has a surprisingly robust library of choices, though it suffers from lower-quality streams and library inconsistency.

Specs

  • Surprisingly large selection of anime alongside a general entertainment
  • Compatible platforms: iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon devices, smart TVs, game consoles
  • Cannot stream Full HD (caps at 720p), stereo sound
  • All streaming is free but ad-supported

Pros

  • Some really great titles
  • Native app available on nearly every platform
  • Free

Cons

  • Cannot produce Full HD streams (caps at 720p)
  • Ad breaks can be intrusive on films
  • Library changes frequently

One of the ignored elements of the current streaming wars is the ad-supported free streaming platform. Everyone thinks about Netflix vs. Hulu vs. HBO Max vs. etc. but just as important are services like Viacom’s Pluto TV, Amazon’s Freevee, the Roku Channel, and Tubi. These services have the backing of major media players. In Tubi’s case, its parent company is the Fox Corporation. Having sold nearly all of its entertainment production to Disney recently, Fox’s only non-news player in the streaming wars is Tubi, and they’ve done a good job of supporting the platform with a lot of licensed content. Most relevant to us is the surprisingly robust anime library.

The anime available here includes some surprising heavy hitters. Hugely popular titles like Cowboy Bebop and Naruto have seen some or all of their episodes available on Tubi. Tubi’s sweet spot seems to be these slightly older mainstream series. Even 1990s megahit Ranma ½ has been featured.

Tubi is free but ad-supported. On TV episodes, the ads will show before the episode and during appropriate ad breaks. On films, it can be a little more annoying, as there are no ad breaks but an ad will interrupt every 15 minutes or so anyway. If you ever stop your stream, you’ll have to watch an ad before you resume.

The streams are unfortunately not of the highest quality. Tubi tops out at 720p, which is HD but not the “Full HD” of 1080p. Audio is stereo. However, the price is free, so it’s hard to fault Tubi too much for saving some money on bandwidth. 

While Tubi isn’t a replacement for Crunchyroll or even Netflix when it comes to anime, it’s free and widely available (in the US, Canada, and Australia). If you have a device that can stream content, chances are there’s a Tubi app for it, and chances are there’s some pretty great anime available to watch, even as the library of available titles fluctuates. Like RetroCrush’s free tier, Tubi is a supplemental source of excellent anime worth checking out.

Best streaming apps: Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video

hulu/Tony Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Chances are if you have a smartdevice, you have one of these streaming services—and it has anime. While we wouldn’t recommend Hulu, HBO Max, or Amazon Prime as a primary source, we’d be remiss not to mention them.

Specs

  • Libraries of various sizes 
  • Compatible platforms: iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon devices, smart TVs, game consoles
  • Full HD, stereo sound or better
  • Hulu features some simulcast anime
  • Prices vary but streamer and plan from $6.99/month to $14.99/month

Pros

  • Deep non-anime libraries
  • Small number of exclusives on HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video
  • Small number of simulcasts on Hulu
  • Excellent availability of native apps with high stream quality

Cons

  • Lack of anime focus or library consistency
  • Content can be hard to find if you don’t know what to search for

The big boy players in the streaming space know the power of anime. Every service includes some nowadays. Hulu is the best of the bunch, with the strongest commitment to the form and includes simulcasts of some series including major title Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba. HBO Max has the exclusive license for Studio Ghibli in the US, the crown jewel studio of film anime. Amazon Prime Video has less to offer than the others but still manages to have some key titles, including interesting exclusives like Ronja, The Robber’s Daughter.

These services’ main selling point isn’t anime, but their other exclusive content. If you’re already watching What We Do in the Shadows on Hulu, Westworld on HBO Max, or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime Video, there’s no reason not to enjoy the anime as well.

Hulu and HBO offer ad-supported cheaper tiers (at $6.99 and $9.99 respectively). Ad-free plans will set you back slightly more ($12.99 and $14.99). Hulu also has a bundle deal if you’re interested in being a member of Disney+ and ESPN+. Amazon Prime Video is available as one aspect of the larger Amazon Prime membership that offers a ton of different Amazon-related benefits for $139 a year or a la carte for $8.99 per month.

These streamers offer the highest quality options, with HBO Max, in particular, offering some really amazing sound (Dolby Atmos) and video options (4K HDR). Of course, because anime is produced at lower audio and video levels, you’re unlikely to find those options on anime content.  

Hulu, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video offer a little anime as part of a larger, much more attractive package. Their anime offerings are not quite to the level of Netflix (thus they didn’t get their own individual award) but they’re all excellent across-the-board services with a lot of great content, some of which happens to be anime.

FAQs

Q: What is the best anime streaming service?

Going solely by the available library, it’s Crunchyroll without a doubt. While Crunchyroll isn’t perfect—its UI could use some work in particular—it has nearly everything you want and need as an anime fan, with a near-guarantee of having the newest TV anime available within hours of its airing in Japan.

Q: What streaming service has the most dubbed anime?

All of the mainstream general-entertainment services make sure to offer dubbed content, but Netflix is the best at this. Nearly all of Netflix’s anime content has dubs available, and anything Netflix produced is dubbed from Day One. On other services, if a dubbed version has been produced, it’s likely available. For simulcast anime on Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, or Hulu, there is no dub, only a subtitled version initially. Dubs usually show up on the service a few weeks to a few months after the initial air date. However, for archived content, dubs are plentiful on Crunchyroll, often in multiple non-English languages.

Q: Is Funimation or Crunchyroll better?

Good news! As of March 2022, Funimation and Crunchyroll are no longer competitors but, rather, are the same service (which kept the name Crunchyroll). This is a result of the acquisition of Crunchyroll by Sony, which had already owned Funimation. Previously, the services competed for rights, especially for new anime simulcasts, but now all previous Funimation content is available on the Crunchyroll platform.

Q: Is AnimeLab or Crunchyroll better?

It’s a similar story with AnimeLab, an Australian and New Zealand anime streaming service. Sony acquired Madman Anime, the parent company of AnimeLab, through a series of mergers in 2019. First, AnimeLab was folded into Funimation in 2021, and then Funimation was folded into Crunchyroll in 2023.

Q: Is Hulu better than Crunchyroll?

These aggressive acquisitions in the English-language anime streaming market by Sony mean that Disney-owned Hulu is Crunchyroll’s final “competitor” for simulcast anime in the U.S. Except it’s not truly a competitor. Hulu has archives of some of anime’s biggest series (such as the 20-year juggernaut One Piece and the recent phenom Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba). However, it does not have any exclusives; everything available on Hulu is also available on Crunchyroll. Hulu is fine if you just dabble in the biggest anime trends, but it’s no substitute for the depth of availability on Crunchyroll.

Q: What anime streaming services are legal?

All the services we mentioned are legal, with all the commercial rights to stream their libraries in the territories that they are available. Early in its existence, Crunchyroll was simply a hosting platform and hosted a large amount of illegal content, but those days are far behind it. While there are lots of illegal streaming sites out there–and if you happened to stumble upon one, watch out for the copious amounts of malware they will attempt to install on your computer–there’s pretty much not a single anime release that’s not legally available with some form of English these days.

Final thoughts on the best anime streaming services

With anime streaming services, the best anime-focused service is very clear and got even clearer with recent acquisition deals. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of other ways to watch anime online without having a service that is only anime. Especially supplemented by the free options from RetroCrush and Tubi, you may find that the general-entertainment streaming services you already have (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) are enough for you. However, if the newest shows available as soon as possible are your anime jam, Crunchyroll is a must. Calibrate your desires and enjoy your sojourn into the land of the rising fun.

The post Best anime streaming services in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Best 55-inch TVs of 2023 https://www.popsci.com/reviews/best-55-inch-tvs/ Thu, 24 Mar 2022 20:21:54 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=429402
Best 55-inch TVs
Stan Horaczek

The best 55-inch TVs offer a blend of high-end picture quality, next-gen gaming features, and prices that are easy on the wallet.

The post Best 55-inch TVs of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Best 55-inch TVs
Stan Horaczek

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Best overall LG C1 4K OLED TV is the best overall. LG C1 OLED
SEE IT

The OLED pioneer balances great picture and great price.

Best for gaming Samsung QN90A is the best 55-inch TV for gaming. Samsung QN90A
SEE IT

A Mini-LED-powered QLED that offers all the major features for next-gen consoles.

Best OLED TV Sony A90J is the best 55-inch OLED TV. Sony A90J
SEE IT

Augmented brightness and contrast … at an augmented cost.

In recent years, 55-inch TVs have become a sweet spot when it comes to the television market. A TV of this size can comfortably fit in a variety of spaces, from large living rooms to compact dorm rooms. It’s one of the most common sizes across manufacturers’ offerings, so this class offers just about any configuration you could want. Whether you’re looking for a TV with the best OLED picture quality, or are more concerned about gaming, we’ve researched and selected the best 55-inch TVs for every occasion.

How we picked the best 55-inch TV

I’ve been reviewing gadgets for over a decade for sites like TechnoBuffalo, XDA Developers, iMore, and Android Central. During that time I’ve tested many products, and that includes TVs. When I’m not writing about technology, I’m probably watching a movie or gaming, so finding the right TV is something I care deeply about. The PopSci staff also has extensive experience testing and reviewing TVs.

When rounding up my picks, I made sure to find TVs that offer a healthy balance between features, price, and technology. Now that we’re into a new era of gaming, I paid special attention to whether these TVs support the latest HDMI 2.1 features, which will be crucial for futureproofing your purchase. There’s a lot to go over, so without further ado.

Things to consider before buying a 55-inch TV

What’s great about 55-inch TVs is their size is flexible enough to fit in spaces that are large and small. I live in a small one-bedroom apartment and a 55-inch inch TV fits perfectly in our living room. It’s big enough for me to absorb what I’m watching without feeling like I need to squint to enjoy the details.

It’s recommended you sit about 7-and-a-half feet away from a 55-inch TV for the optimal viewing experience. That recommendation isn’t an exact science since everyone’s eyesight is different, but this calculator goes into much more detail into the data behind the optimal viewing distance for the size TV you buy. Resolution used to be an issue when buying a large TV because sitting too close would make the pixels visible. With 4K resolution as the norm, however, that isn’t much of a problem anymore.

Picking the right size TV for your space is only the first step. You’ll want to be mindful of screen technology (OLED or QLED), price, and a wide array of specs. From display resolution to refresh rate to connectivity, there are a wide variety of things to consider.

OLED vs QLED

LCD, LED, OLED, QLED, ACDC (kidding), these acronyms can get confusing, especially in the TV space where technology has progressed rapidly. Most TVs available today either offer OLED or QLED displays and, despite their similar-sounding names, they offer important differences you need to know about.

OLED stands for “organic light-emitting diode,” and is distinctly different from LCD. OLED is emissive, which means the pixels emit their own light. TVs equipped with OLED technology can turn these pixels on an individual basis, which means the picture can produce “true blacks” and better highlights. Best of all, when shadows and highlights rub shoulders, you won’t get any light bleed from an OLED panel, which traditional LCD technology struggles with.

Meanwhile, QLED stands for “quantum dot light-emitting diodes,” and is a transmissive layer that complements traditional backlit LCD panels. The quantum dot layer enhances the screen’s color, brightness, and contrast, resulting in improved picture quality compared to older LCD and LED sets. There are some TVs that feature QLED displays with Mini-LED backlighting, which is a separate display technology that enables “local dimming.” This makes it possible for your TV to enhance or reduce its brightness in specific areas for improved contrast.

The main thing to know is QLED TVs tend to be more affordable than OLEDs because the technology has been around longer and is more established. QLED displays can also get noticeably brighter than OLED TVs, which can make a big difference if your space gets a lot of natural light.

If you want even more information, we’ve rounded up the best OLED TVs and best QLED TVs.

Resolution

If you’re buying a TV in 2023, chances are it features 4K resolution, which has more or less become the norm. These days 4K content is widely available, whether through a streaming service or gaming, so there’s ample opportunity to take advantage of the higher resolution. 

There are 8K TVs out there, but they aren’t worth the extra cost right now since there is a dearth of content to watch. Technically, next-gen consoles like the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 support 8K gaming but, currently, there are no native 8K games. By the time 8K content does become more widely available, we’ll probably see TVs that are more advanced than what you can buy today, so upgrading to a higher resolution isn’t really worth it.

Refresh rate

If you plan to play a lot of video games and watch a lot of sports, you’ll want a TV with a higher refresh rate. Why? Refresh rate refers to how many times your TV can redraw the on-screen image each second. TVs with a refresh rate of 120Hz or above—as opposed to the standard 60Hz—will provide viewers with smoother on-screen motion. That’s exactly what you want because it means smoother animation in modern video games and a more fluid picture when watching sports. Unless it’s curling, a 60Hz TV should be fine for that.

Connectivity

While we’re on the topic of next-gen gaming, the next TV you buy should come equipped with HDMI 2.1, which is the newest version of the familiar port. HDMI 2.1 increases the bandwidth that can pass through the connection, and is necessary to play games at 4K 120Hz when using the right cable. If anything, choosing a TV with at least one HDMI 2.1 port will ensure you’re more prepared for the future when higher resolutions, including the aforementioned 8K, and fast frame rates are more widely supported. And don’t forget the HDMI cables!

The best 55-inch TVs: Reviews & Recommendations

A TV is often the centerpiece of our homes—we gather around them to watch movies, special events, and more. This is why it’s so important to find one that fits your needs. That means it has the features you want at the price you want. 

Best overall: LG C1 4K OLED TV

Why it made the cut: You get one of the best OLED displays on the market paired with all the right features.

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh Rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: 4 HDMI 2.1, RF, 2 USB 2.0, ethernet, optical audio, headphone out

Pros

  • Amazing picture
  • Good mix of features and price
  • Gorgeous design
  • HDMI 2.1

Cons

  • Mediocre brightness

The LG C1 regularly appears on best-of lists and it ranks as our top overall pick for best 55-inch TV thanks to its terrific display and plentiful features. To top it off, the 55-inch version is available for a good price all things considered.

For starters, the LG C1 supports the leading HDR standards and two of the top refresh rate technologies (G-Sync and FreeSync). It also offers four HDMI 2.1 ports to take advantage of features required for the best next-gen gaming experience. There’s even a Filmmaker Mode, which turns off motion smoothing and tames the colors to provide viewers with the most accurate image your TV can produce. That means no more fiddling around with settings to get the image you want.

Lastly, the LG C1 features a Game Optimizer mode, which puts all your game settings in one place. That includes the ability to quickly toggle between G-Sync and FreeSync technologies, adjust picture settings, and more. There’s so much to like about the LG C1 and the fact that it’s more affordable than some of its OLED competition makes it even better. That’s the benefit that comes with LG’s position as the only OLED manufacturer around.

Best for gaming: Samsung QN90A

SAMSUNG

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Samsung QN90A is a showcase for QLED technology while offering support for next-gen gaming features.

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh Rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 3, HDMI 2.0 x 1, USB 2.0 x 2, Ethernet, headphone jack

Pros

  • Thin, gorgeous design
  • Game-specific enhancements
  • Low input lag

Cons

  • No Dolby Vision HDR
  • Only one HDMI 2.1 port

OLED TVs typically get all the accolades due to their excellent picture quality, but the Samsung QN90A is so fantastic we had to recommend it. The Mini-LED-powered QLED TV delivers great brightness, contrast, and local dimming, resulting in wonderful picture quality that produces highly precise color.

The Samsung QN90A also features the gaming features you’ll want for the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. Some of the features include HDMI 2.1-powered 120Hz refresh rate, automatic low-latency mode, and variable refresh rate. Additionally, the TV offers a Game Bar interface that makes it easy to quickly access and change features. You can even change the aspect ratio to 21:9 or 32:9 for a wider field of view with compatible games.

Our only quibble with the Samsung QN90A is that it features just one HDMI 2.1 port. That means if you own multiple next-gen consoles, they’ll be fighting over the single port, which isn’t so much a deal-breaker as it is an inconvenience. But the TV is still a strong contender with well-rounded features and a bright, vibrant picture.

Best OLED TV: Sony A90J

Sony

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Powerful image and sound processing technology make the Sony A90J a cut above the competition.

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: 4 HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, Composite, RF, Headphone jack, 3 USB 2.0

Pros

  • Fantastic picture quality
  • Support for the latest HDMI 2.1 features
  • Google TV onboard

Cons

  • Pricey

If what you’re after is the very best in video and sound performance, the Sony A90J is at the top of the pile. It features the best OLED display we’ve seen, capped off by some of the brightest highlights achieved by this display technology. The TV is equipped with an XR image processor that analyzes the image and enhances the area it thinks you’re most likely to look at with augmented brightness and contrast.

Sony was able to achieve improved brightness by adding an aluminum sheet to the OLED panel, which helps dissipate heat more efficiently. A brighter picture is easier to see in environments with a lot of natural light. Viewers also get more detail, which is great for movies, TV, and games.

Beyond the picture, the Sony A90J features Google TV, built-in Chromecast functionality and AirPlay, and two HDMI 2.1 ports for gaming on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. The major downside to the TV is its price, which can cost more than double a competing QLED offering.

Best 4K TV: TCL Class 6-Series 55R635

TCL

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The TCL Class 6-Series is a great QLED TV with Mini-LED, and comes with a host of great gaming features.

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Ports: HDMI 2.1 x 2, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB 2.0 x 2, Ethernet, Headphone jack

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Great picture quality for the price
  • Support for 4K 120Hz

Cons

  • The different models can make things confusing

TCL has earned a reputation for offering affordable TVs that punch above their weight in terms of picture quality and feature set. The TCL 6-Series is yet another example. It features a wonderful QLED panel with Mini-LED and supports the latest HDMI 2.1 features for next-gen gaming.

Thanks to the inclusion of quantum dots, the TCL 6-Series gets nice and bright while playing HDR content, and produces a picture that’s well-saturated and rich with color. There are three different models: A 4K version with the Roku TV operating system, a 4K version with Google TV, and an 8K version. We like the Google TV version because it’s slightly newer and offers a few upgrades over the Roku model, including two HDMI 2.1 ports.

In addition, the TCL 6-Series offers everything from HDR10+ to Dolby Vision. It also features support for AirPlay 2, Chromecast, VRR and auto low-latency, and 4K 120Hz gaming—all at a price much lower than what you’d pay for an OLED.

Best outdoor TV: Sunbrite Veranda

SunBriteTV

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: There aren’t many exciting outdoor TV options out there, but the Sunbrite Veranda is one of the best.

Specs

  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • Ports: 3 HDMI (HDMI 1.4 / 2.0 with HDCP 1.4 / 2.2), USB

Pros

  • Weather-resistant design
  • Media bay for streaming devices
  • 4K display

Cons

  • Expensive
  • No HDMI 2.1

Not all viewing parties happen indoors, but there are very few good options available that can compete with what sits in your living room. Enter the Sunbrite Veranda, which pairs 4K resolution and HDR support into an impressive weatherproof package. 

Let’s be clear: Outdoor TVs can’t match the fidelity and picture quality you’d get from the other 55-inch TVs mentioned above. But the Sunbrite Veranda is still no slouch and will offer an enjoyable viewing experience. The TV features an LED backlight that cranks up the brightness to compete with the ambient light bouncing around outdoors. And although it can’t match the same contrast and vibrancy as what’s in your living room, an outdoor setting makes them less relevant anyway.

Of course, the big sell here is the fact that the Sunbrite Veranda is built to withstand the elements, including rain, dust, extreme temperatures, and other outdoor nuisances. That kind of build quality will ensure it makes it a great option for outdoor use, and a centerpiece the next time you grill some hotdogs.

FAQs

Q: What TV brand is the most reliable?

With so many TV brands to choose from, finding the most reliable brand can be tough. Some companies—Samsung, LG, Sony—have been making TVs for years. Others—TCL, Vizio, Hisense—are newer to the scene. There’s no school like old school, as they say, and for that we think TV brands like Samsung, LG, and Sony are the most reliable, simply because they’re responsible for either creating or perfecting much of the modern TV technology that’s available. There’s nothing wrong with choosing a brand you’re familiar with. But most brands that offer high-end TVs are reliable, so you should rest easy knowing you’re getting a quality product. 

Q: Is a 55-inch TV big enough?

I’ve owned a 55-inch TV for nearly 10 years and I’ve never considered it to be too small. Would I mind something bigger? Certainly not, and I even have thoughts on the best 65-inch TVs, but I have no complaints about my TV’s size. I sit at the recommended distance from the TV, so I’m able to see details without squinting. The size also doesn’t feel like it’s dominating my living room, allowing me to admire its picture when it’s on and ignore it when it’s off. It strikes a good balance and is a good size for spaces large and small.

Q: Are expensive TVs worth it?

You don’t need to spend a lot to get a good TV. But you generally get more features the more money you spend. A few of our picks—the Sony A90J and LG C1—are on the expensive side. But they offer fantastic OLED displays, a plethora of features, and gorgeous designs. Is an expensive TV worth it? Yes, it’s worth it. The question really becomes whether or not you need every single feature an expensive TV offers. If you don’t need four HDMI 2.1 ports, there’s no point in paying for a TV that offers them.

Q: How much does a 55-inch TV weigh?

None of our picks weigh the same, but on average they are around 50 pounds. 

Final thoughts on the best 55-inch TVs

A 55-inch TV is a good jumping-off point for most people, whether you’ve moved into your first apartment or are going off to college. As we’ve said, it’s a nice in-between size that’s flexible enough to fit spaces large and small. 

The good news is a TV in this size range features all the bells and whistles you could ever want, from high resolution to displays to support for next-gen gaming. As we said in our roundup of the best 65-inch TVs, it comes down to the details: How many HDMI 2.1 ports do you need? Do you want OLED or QLED? Whatever you decide, our picks above are among the best.

More TV roundups to help you find the perfect set

The post Best 55-inch TVs of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>
Amazon Fire TV devices are up to 42-percent off right now https://www.popsci.com/reviews/amazon-fire-tv-mothers-day-deals/ Mon, 02 May 2022 14:45:00 +0000 https://www.popsci.com/?p=440498
Fire TV mother's day deal
Get your mom a streaming stick so you have something to talk about. Amazon

Get your mom a streaming stick for Mother's day.

The post Amazon Fire TV devices are up to 42-percent off right now appeared first on Popular Science.

]]>
Fire TV mother's day deal
Get your mom a streaming stick so you have something to talk about. Amazon

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

There’s a lot of great content out there on the internet to stream right now. The Batman is on HBO Max and we’ll soon get a brand new season of Stranger Things from Netflix. And if you haven’t checked out Craig Robinson in the surprisingly wonderful Peacock original Killing It yet, then you’re really missing out. Amazon’s Fire TV devices act as a gateway to all that great content and the online retail mega-titan is offering up to 42-percent off devices like the Fire TV Cube and the Fire TV Stick right now. That also includes the Fire TV Stick Lite, which is one of our best streaming devices.

Amazon

SEE IT

Despite the Amazon affiliation, the Fire TV devices can stream content from just about any service you want to hook up to it. That includes Hulu, HBO Max, Netflix, and, of course, Amazon’s own Prime Video. 

Here’s a rundown of all the Fire TV stuff that’s currently on sale. Buy one for your mom this Mother’s Day and get her to watch Severance so you have something to talk about other than that one successful kid from high school who made much better life choices than you. We know Trevor is a doctor, jeez mom!

Fire TV Cube $69 (Was $119)

First TV Stick 4K Max $45 (Was $55)

Fire TV Stick 4K $35 (Was $50)

Fire TV Stick Lite $20 (Was $30)

Fire TV Stick $25 (Was $40)

Fire TV 43-inch 4K TV $279 (Was $369)

Fire TV 50-inch Omni 4K TV $349 (Was $510)

Fire TV 55-inch Omni 4K TV $369 (Was $560)

Fire TV 75-inch Omni 4K TV $749 (Was $1,100)

The post Amazon Fire TV devices are up to 42-percent off right now appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

]]>