Hisense has made a breakthrough with its Mini LED X UXAU televisions that offer the larger screen sizes Australian customers are craving and with the audio and video quality to provide the ultimate experience.

Tech Guide looked at the 75-inch Mini LED X TV (75UXAU) and we were impressed by the brightness and accuracy of the picture and the superb punch of the audio.

The Hisense 75UXAU has a large central stand and a thin bezel around the stunning 4K screen as well as two speakers on the left and right edges.

Under the hood is the Mini-LED X technology which has introduced a whole new level of picture quality.

There are more than 20,000 Mini-LED lights which gives the TV a peak brightness of up to 2,500 nits on the 85-inch model and up to 1,500 nits on the 75-inch.

These tiny lights form more than 5,000 full array local dimming zones which provides bright whites, darkest blacks and all the resulting details at every increment in between.

The result is a remarkable level of detail whether it’s the fur of an animal, the leaves of a tree, a person’s eye lashes or the threads of material on a jumper.

One of many movies and TV shows we watched was Star Wars Episode VIII – The Last Jedi and the detail of Kylo Ren’s mask and his hair (after he destroys the mask) was quite impressive as were the feathers on the Porgs and the detail of Rey’s and Luke Skywalker’s faces and costumes.

The other obvious benefit is the contrast – lighter and darker colours can be side by side and still manage to keep their own brightness and intensity.

Black levels were quite respectable, and while not to the level of an OLED TV, it certainly wasn’t far off it.

This precision was missing from traditional LED displays with larger backlights and far fewer dimming zones.

But Mini-LED X adds razor sharp reality.

Another feature that does some of the heavy lifting is the Hi-View Engine X powered by AI to enhance the image and sound quality even further.

It is designed to act like the human brain simulating brain patterns with 16-bit computing power with 65,536 level of brightness at its disposal to provide the best possible outcome in real time.

But that’s not all the TV has up its sleeve.

The foundation of Hisense’s TV quality over the years is its proprietary quantum dot technology which is responsible for coming up with brilliant natural colour and the right skin tones and other hues.

In fact, Hisense’s quantum dot technology can recognise more than a billion shades so you can enjoy vivid and distinct colour no matter what you’re watching.

Skin tones were always consistent and accurate as were trees and oceans and animals.

Also onboard the Hisense Mini-LED X TV is HDR 10+ Adaptive and Dolby Vision IQ which take the viewing conditions into account before accurately depicting how bright or dark the scene will be.

What also impressed us was the viewing angle. So even if you’re out on the wing and didn’t score the plum spot in the centre of the couch you can still enjoy the same impressive picture quality.

Australians tend to have their TV in a large bright open plan room and Hisense 75UXAU can handle it with hardly any reflection so there is nothing that will distract you from the amazing picture.

On the audio side, the Hisense TV also packs quite a punch with CineStage X 4.1.2 so it creates a brilliant surround soundscape to go with the brilliant picture and entice even more of your senses.

It can handle Dolby Atmos and DTS HD so you’ll be hearing quality audio coming from all directions.

A closer inspection of the TV showed not only the two sided speakers but also two speakers on the back of the TV as well

We were impressed by the directional and surround sound that’s usually only achievable with a soundbar – but this was all coming from the TV. Simply remarkable.

And if you’re a gamer or sports lover, the Hisense TV has got you well and truly covered.

Who wouldn’t want to play games on the best screen in the house.

The 144Hz Game Mode Pro brings to the table Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) so you can see the game in its finest form with Dolby Vision making the gameplay look its best.

And with 200 Smooth Motion Rate and AI Sports Mode, you’ll think you’re live at the game with lifelike smoothness and noise reduction thanks to a dynamic algorithm that’s designed to enhance the fast moving action.

Another strong feature of the Hisense Mini-LED X TV is the VIDAA U7 Smart TV operating system which allows you to get to your favourite streaming apps and find your content in seconds.

The easy to navigate layout puts all your viewing options front and centre.

The Hisense TV is also compatible with all the major streaming apps including Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Apple TV+, Foxtel, Stan, Kayo, Binge, Prime Video as well as all the free to air catch up apps and much, much more.

The Hisense Mini-LED X is available now and is priced at $4,999 for the 75-inch and $9,999 for the 85-inch.

Retail pricing may be slightly lower than these prices – that’s up to each individual retailer.

For us the 75-inch model represents the best value – we’ve seen it as cheap as $3,880 and the 85-inch as low as $8,995.

VERDICT

The Hisense Mini-LED X is a stunning TV that offers both high quality picture and high quality audio out the box. This rare combination will offer a brilliant home entertainment experience.

The post Hisense 75-inch Mini-LED X TV review – stunning picture and audio right out of the box appeared first on Tech Guide.

Samsung has expanded its line-up of OLED TVs which now make up part of its 2023 TV range and Tech Guide got a chance to go hands on and eyes on with the S95C 77-inch model.

On the design side, the Samsung OLED is a stunner with an edge to edge screen and a thickness of just 11.2mm top to bottom.

What helps keep the TV thin is the fact the Samsung OneConnect box is seperate and connects to the TV with a single cable and allows you to connect all your sources to the box rather than the TV.

It also reduces cable clutter behind the TV to give it a cleaner look.

Samsung unveiled its first OLED TV nearly 10 years ago – not long after competitor LG unveiled its first OLED panel.

While LG stuck with the technology (the company has just released is 10^th generation of 4K OLED panels), Samsung decided to focus on its LED TV technology and Quantum Dot.

Neo QLED TVs in 4K and 8K resolution are still the flagship TVs in the Samsung range but it is putting its OLED technology on a pedestal as an alternative for customers.

To outsiders, including us, this move looks like a way to slow down rival LG’s domination of the OLED format and expand the Samsung offering to customers.

In the years when Samsung only offered QLED Quantum Dot TVs, it did point out what it called the weakness of OLED technology – like burn-in and lack of brightness – as it fiercely competed against LG who was purely offering OLED and winning customers in the process.

Samsung is singing a different tune now that it’s making OLED again.

And by the way, OLEDs in our experience of viewing them regularly and reviewing them for 10 years have never had an issue with burn-in and brightness has never been a problem even when we watched the TV in our bright and open planning living space.

Samsung says its 2023 OLED is ideal for the customer who has darker a room where they can control the lighting.

This is another way for Samsung to distinguish its OLED panels from its premium Neo QLED range that is brighter than ever before and designed to handle bright spaces.

But the first thing we noticed with the Samsung OLED TV when we sat down to take a look at it was that it had decent brightness to offer a quality viewing experience even in brighter rooms.

And to be clear, Samsung’s take on OLED technology is a lot different to that of LG.

Samsung’s self-illuminating pixels in its OLED panel incorporates its Quantum Dot technology.

And it also has a new backlighting technology so it differs again from the LG formula.

Each self-illuminating pixel consists of three sub-pixels – Quantum Dot red and green and OLED blue – to achieve 100 per cent colour volume at all levels of brightness.

The result is a faithful reproduction of natural and realistic colours.

Whether we were watching Netflix of playing a game, the panel impressed.

It did offer tremendous black levels that OLED is famous for but it was on par with the black levels produced by the Samsung Neo QLED TVs.

With the added backlighting aboard the Samsung OLED, it’s obvious the focus was delivering a brighter and punchier image which it achieved marvellously.

What it also offers is stunning HDR (high dynamic range). In fact, the Samsung OLED TV is the world’s first Pantone-certified HDR OLED.

HDR does all the heavy lifting when it comes to seeing even more in darker scenes. If you watch shows like Game of Thrones and LOTR: The Rings of Power, there is a lot to take in even in the shadows.

We were seeing more detail than ever before. Details we would have missed had we not had a TV of this quality.

Image quality is boosted thanks to the Neural Quantum Processor 4K which looks after the colour tone mapping and image upscaling.

Whether we were watching a documentary, a TV show or a movie, the Samsung OLED handled colour extremely well with solid brightness and accuracy.

Skin-tones were also rendered perfectly as well with everyone looking as they should.

There were some occasions where we could see some grain in the image but that’s more an issue with the content than the TV itself.

On the audio side, the S95C OLED TV also includes OTS+ (Object Tracking Sound) which, through the TV’s eight built-in speakers, allow viewers to track object as they move across the screen as well as hearing every word of dialogue.

And, of course, you have the option of adding a Samsung soundbar which takes the sound to another level.

For our review we had the new HW-Q990C Q Series soundbar which has wireless True Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and 11.1.4 surround sound.

This added so many layers and scale to the sound that helped immerse us in whatever TV show or movie we were watching even more.

The Samsung 77-inch S95C OLED TV is available now and is priced at $9,299. The Samsung Q Series Q990C soundbar is priced at $2,099.

VERDICT

Samsung’s S95C OLED TV offer a premium home entertainment experience with stunning picture and audio quality and a sleek design that won’t look out of place in your home.

The post Samsung 77-inch S95C OLED TV review – brilliant picture quality and stunning design appeared first on Tech Guide.

Tech Guide took a sneak peek at the Samsung 2023 range of Neo QLED and OLED TVs at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

At this year’s show, Samsung’s main CES booth at the Las Vegas Convention Centre was centred around the story of connectivity and sustainability and had hardly any of Samsung’s products.

The stand was showing off some near-future technology like in-car innovations as well as the new SmartThings Hub which can bring together a household of smart home products into one platform to make it easier to control.

The Samsung TVs and appliances were on show inside two huge ballrooms at Caesar’s Palace and that’s where Tech Guide went to take a closer look at the exciting new range.

The flagship of Samsung’s TV range is still the Neo QLED range which is available in 4K and 8K models.

Onboard is Samsung’s proprietary algorithm for its Auto HDR Remastering.

It uses AI and deep learning to analyse the image in real time and turn Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) content into High Dynamic Range (HDR) content.

The upscale was really impressive as was the picture quality and brightness of native 4K and 8K content.

There is even more 8K content on the way with interest from streaming services to offer 8K in the near future.

The new TVs are also a Smart Things Hub so it can sync devices for easier monitoring and control.

You’ll also be able to see a 3D map view which so you can have a bird’s eye view of your home and all the Smart Things devices at a glance.

A new feature called ChatTogether allows users can take part in a live chat group to react and share their thoughts with people watching the same content.

ConnectTime makes it possible to take your video calls from connected devices on the TV and then transfer it back to a smartphone when you move away from the screen.

Samsung is also expanding its 2023 OLED range with three sizes – 55, 65 and the new ultra large 77-inch models.

The Samsung OLED TVs we saw were super thin – the 77-inch model is thinner than your phone and 65-inch is the thickness of an Australian $2 coin.

All of Samsung’s OLED TVs have Quantum Dot technology onboard.

That’s the same technology developed for the company’s Neo QLED TVs, along with Neural Quantum processors to maintain the core strengths of the OLED technology while improving brightness and colour accuracy.

These screens also have a 144Hz refresh rate and inherit all of Samsung’s smart features including the Samsung Gaming Hub.

And for the first time Samsung OLEDs will include AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro certification to make it a high-quality option for gaming.

Samsung’s Premiere short throw projector will now be available in an 8K model and support a maximum screen size of 150-inches.

One of the hits of last year’s show was Samsung’s portable Freestyle projector.

The new model is even better and has a new Smart Edge Blending features which means users can connect two of the devices and watch content in a ultrawide 21:9 configuration.

So if you have one you can invite a friend over to watch the game or a movie on an even grander and wider scale.

And you can’t even tell where the pictures meet.

Set up is a breeze – aim both Freestyles at the wall and take a photo at the markings created by the projectors and the SmartThings app magically blends them together in a few seconds.

* Stephen Fenech travelled to Las Vegas with support from Samsung, LG, Hisense and ASUS.

The post We take a look at Samsung’s stunning 2023 range of TVs unveiled at CES appeared first on Tech Guide.

Honey, I shrunk the Apple TV 4K – but don’t worry it’s now even better and still provides a stunning entertainment and gaming experience.

The new Apple TV 4K ticks all the boxes when it comes to quality and features to offer improved picture quality and provide crisp and immersive sound.

The unit is noticeably smaller than last year’s model thanks to the removal of the internal fan.

It now has a passive thermal design and is 20 per cent smaller than its predecessor. Not that size was ever an issue.

There are two models available, one without an Ethernet port (Wi-Fi only) and the Wi-Fi + Ethernet unit for those who want to wire their connection for better quality.

The Wi-Fi only model has 64GB of memory while the Wi-Fi + Ethernet model has 128GB storage.

The device is powered by Apple’s A15 bionic chip – that’s the same chip that powers the iPhone 13 – which is a lot of processing power for a product of this kind.

The result is an incredibly responsive and snappy performance so you can zoom around the menus and jump in and out of your apps with ease.

Apple TV 4K works nicely with all your other Apple devices and services including Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and Apple Fitness+.

You can use your iPhone as a remote control or as a keyboard via Control Centre and make purchases or sign-in to supported apps with Face ID or Touch ID.

You can also use the light sensor on your iPhone to tweak your TV’s colour balance settings and connect up to two sets of AirPods to your Apple TV 4K.

And being connected to HomeKit, users can also get a live view in the top corner of their screen from their cameras or their doorbell and all without missing their programme.

And AirPlay allows users to share anything from their iPhone, iPad or Mac directly to the TV so it’s ideal for showing your photos, streaming music and playing other content you want to enjoy on a larger screen.

But it’s all about utilising the best screen in your house to enjoy a higher level of entertainment.

This time out, Apple TV 4K supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ which happened to be the two most popular and dynamic HDR (high dynamic range) formats used in the industry.

This now allows users to enjoy even more content from various services on more TVs and at their highest quality.

Whether you’re watching Netflix, Disney+, Paramount Plus, Stan or Apple TV+, the Apple TV 4K bring out the best of the content on your smart TV thanks to the wider compatibility with HDR and audio formats.

Set-up is a breeze – it took us just minutes.

It fast because Apple TV 4K can grab your settings from iCloud so all your apps and settings from your previous Apple TV 4K or second Apple TV 4K are right there.

For our review we set up the new Apple TV 4K in our lounge room and connected it to a Samsung 85-inch 8K Neo QLED TV.

Just as important as the unit itself is the Siri remote which has a one-piece aluminium design that fits nicely in your hand.

Apple has designed the remote with contrasting controls – some buttons are concave, some are flat and some are a different shape – so you can easily navigate the remote in the dark or without taking your eyes off the TV.

The click pad and touch surface also come in handy for navigating your content.

The circular click pad can be used as a jog control to get to the precise point of the programme you’re watching while the touch surface responds to presses and gestures.

And, of course, you can access Siri by pressing the microphone button on the right edge of the remote.

You can use your voice to ask for content, move forward and back through what you’re watching and find other programs and information.

Later this year, Siri will be able to recognise your voice to distinguish you from your other members of the household and switch to your profile and make suggestions for content you’d like to see.

The remote now now has a USB C port so you’ll need a USB-C cable – the one that comes with the latest iPhones – to charge it.

Now some may be asking why do I need the Apple TV 4K when I have the Apple TV app on my smart TV?

That’s a fair question, but the Apple TV app allows you to stream your content and is governed by the TV’s processor and quality which may affect the experience.

But with the Apple TV 4K you are getting excellent performance as well as the ability to integrate other apps and services for you to enjoy on your smart TV.

Apple TV 4K has an App Store built in so you can download games either individually or as part of the Apple Arcade subscription, you can also use Siri Voice Assistant, integrate HomeKit, choose the personal photo screensaver option through iCloud Photos or Home Sharing, use SharePlay to watch content together from different locations through FaceTime and you’ll be able to watch the beautiful aerial screen savers which look stunning on a 4K or 8K TV.
Apple TV 4K Wi-Fi only is priced at $219 and comes with 64GB storage. For an extra $30 you will get the Apple TV Wi-Fi + Ethernet with 128GB storage.

To us we think it’s well worth the extra $30 to have more storage and the option of connecting Apple TV 4K physically with the cable.

VERDICT

The Apple TV 4K might be smaller but it has lots more features to power stunning cinematic experiences in your home.

The post Apple TV 4K review – tiny but mighty unit delivers stunning cinematic quality appeared first on Tech Guide.

The Sonos Ray is a quality, yet affordable, soundbar that can noticeably improve your TV’s sound and take its place as speaker in your multiroom speaker set-up.

This is the most affordable soundbar in the Sonos range at $399 and sits below the Sonos Beam ($699) and the Sonos Arc ($1,499) which offer more features and audio capabilities.

In a good, better, best scenario, the Sonos Ray is the good but still punches above its weight in terms of providing solid audio quality for users frustrated with the tinny sound of their flat screen TVs.

The Sonos Ray is quite small and will easily fit in front of your television. It’s also small enough to fit inside the shelf normally reserved for your DVD player or set top box if there happens to be a vacancy in your entertainment unit.

You can hear the quality as soon as it’s connected with a more authoritative sound and volume whether you’re watching a movie or playing a game.

The soundbar includes new acoustic innovations that offer clear and crisp dialogue, balanced surround sound and nice bass.

Inside are custom-designed waveguides that can project sound around the room and position these elements throughout your room, so you are at the centre of the action.

We were really impressed with the voice clarity so you can hear precisely what is being said without having to reach for the closed captions.

And the surround sound effect was also above average at this price point.

The Sonos Ray connects to your TV with an optical audio cable.

It does not offer HDMI connectivity which means there is no support for Dolby Atmos.

The more expensive Sonos soundbars offer HDMI connectivity and Dolby Atmos as well.

But that’s not a deal breaker, it still sounds better than the TV’s speakers with clear crisp sound.

And if you happen to own a couple of Sonos one speakers, these can be used with Sonos Ray as dedicated rear speakers to enhance your home entertainment experience.

Same deal if you have a Sonos Sub which will really give you some solid bass.

At this price, you’re not going to get fully enveloping surround sound of more expensive soundbars, but it is still a decent and satisfying result when watching movies and your TV shows.

Even without the Sub, the Sonos Ray has decent bass on its own.

And don’t forget, you can also connect to Sonos Ray through the Sonos companion app to play your music with impressive results.

Now normally, when connecting via HDMI (eARC) that not only enables Dolby Atmos but also provides full control of the soundbar with your televisions remote control.

The Sonos Ray it will only work with infrared (IR) remote controls.

So that means if your TV has an RF radio frequency or Bluetooth remote control, you’ll have to control the volume through the Sonos app on your smartphone or via the touch controls on top of the unit.

In our case, we connected the Sonos Ray to an older Samsung TV that happened to have an IR remote, and part of the setup process was setting up your remote via a couple of tests through the Sonos app.

What we found is that while we could control the soundbar through our remote, we were unable to see a numerical value of the volume, so we had to literally play it by ear to come up with a volume level we were satisfied with.

The Sonos Ray is ideal to use with a TV in a smaller room or perhaps the bedroom and its audio performance is above average.

But for those looking for a better result with Dolby Atmos and virtual surround sound and a dedicated subwoofer will need to spend a bit more money.

The Sonos Ray is priced at $399 and is available now.

VERDICT

The Sonos Ray might by a tiny soundbar but still offers a mighty sound.

The post Sonos Ray review – a tiny and affordable soundbar that produces a big sound appeared first on Tech Guide.

Samsung is still finding ways to improve its already excellent Neo QLED smart TVs and the 2022 model has certainly delivered an enhanced and improved entertainment experience.

Tech Guide spent time with the 75-inch Neo QLED 8K smart TV (QA75QN900BWXXY) and was dazzled by the new features and quality.

Just on the TV size, 75-inch seems to be the new standard size for Australian customers who are on the hunt for a new TV.

And what this new Samsung TV shows, thanks to its Infinity Display with edge-to-edge picture and no bezel, is that a 75-inch TV is physically no larger than your older 65-inch TV which had larger bezels.

So there should be no concern that a 75-inch TV is too big – it will take up the same space as your old 65-inch TV – you’ll just have more picture to enjoy.

The design of the Samsung TV is really slick thanks to that Infinity Display, but it’s also quite thin at 15mm.

But that is still enough room to fit speakers around the top and left and right edges of the TV. These come into play in a couple of ways.

The first is with Object Tracking Sound Pro which directs the sound based on the movement of objects on the screen.

The second is with Q Symphony which can synchronise the sound from the TV and the connected soundbar to deliver up to 22 channels of sound. More about that later.

The Samsung TV includes the Slim One Connect box that can be either attached to the back of the TV on the stand or below in your entertainment unit beside your other sources.

Either way, this really helps to reduce cable clutter.

When it comes to picture quality, Samsung has once again knocked it out of the park.

This new model with the Neo Quantum Processor has introduced new Shape Adaptive Light technology which can analyse lines and shapes and control the shape of light from the Quantum Mini LED backlight system.

The two-fold benefit of this is maximum brightness and contrast while also improving the accuracy and sharpness of objects on the screen.

Things like patterns on clothing and the clarity around people and objects are clearly enhanced.

We watched Spiderman: Far From Home on Netflix in 4K and you can make out the check patterns in Peter Parker’s shirt clearly along with the outline of his friend’s hat which stands out from the background.

A great example of seeing added detail can be seen in the film Kong vs Godzilla with the detail in Kong’s fur and the differences in texture around his face.

HDR (high dynamic range) also goes to another level with the new Samsung TV thanks to the enhanced 14-bit HDR processing which quadruples the Neo QLED grayscale levels compared to last year’s model.

The result he’s even better black levels and contrast and the ability to make out even more detail where you thought there was nothing before.

A great example of this is in the film 1917 in the scene featuring Colin Firth set in a semi dark chamber before the young soldiers set out on their mission.

You can see even more detail in his uniform as well as making out more background detail and even more detail in the uniforms of the officers standing behind him.

The contrast helps objects stand out on the screen and makes you appreciate the more subtle colour variations.

Skin tones were also on point and other colours look quite natural.

But another new feature that makes you look further into the picture is the Real Depth Enhancer.

This is achieved with a multi-intelligence algorithm that can process an object on the screen separately to the background to create that sense of depth.

Even movies we knew well were noticeably different with this feature.

In the scene from Star Wars where R2D2 and C3P0 have just crashed landed on Tatooine, this new depth enhancer stitches them out in the foreground quite clearly from the sand dunes behind them.

Same thing for the ship in the Tom Cruise film Oblivion which does dominate the foreground quite sharply with the sky and clouds see seemingly even further in the background.

Now this is an 8K TV and the only downside is there is just not a lot of 8K content around and unlikely to be for some time.

But it does futureproof your purchase for when an abundance of 8K content will eventually become available.

Sound plays a major part in the entertainment experience and the Samsung TV on its own does a great job with Object Tracking Sound Pro and the built-in Dolby Atmos which creates a virtual surround sound as well as directional sound thanks to the speakers built around the TV’s screen.

But for our viewing the TV was connected to the Samsung Q990B 11.1.4 channel soundbar which took things to another level.

What we particularly loved was the Q Symphony feature which utilises all the speakers aboard the soundbar and the subwoofer and rear speakers but combines them with the surprisingly high-quality speakers built into the television.

This just created a sphere of sound that increased our enjoyment and appreciation of the movie we were watching.

Watching the opening scene of the original Star Wars film, we heard the smaller ship zoom by but felt the enormity of the star destroyer as it rumbled above our heads.

Another favourite surround sound scene from Master and Commander starring Russell Crowe when the British ship is fired upon. Every speaker in the system engaged so well we felt like we needed to duck for cover.

The scene in Oblivion when Tom Cruise’s character is lured to the remnants of the New York Public Library and then attacked from all sides was also stunningly handled by the Samsung TV and Samsung soundbar.

It wouldn’t be a smart TV without a smart operating system and the new dashboard makes it even easier to get around and quickly find something to watch.

It’s also easy to rearrange your most used apps into your preferred order which then adjusts the recommendations below it so you can get to your content even faster or pick up where you left off in a series.

The Samsung 75-inch QN900B Neo QLED 8K Smart TV is priced at $8,999 but the new features we’ve described are also available in the 75-inch 4K Neo QLED TV which is less than $5000. The Samsung Q990B sound bar is priced at $1995.

VERDICT

The Samsung 2022 Neo QLED Smart TVs are simply stunning in both picture quality and audio quality which are combined to provide a true cinema like experience in your home. Samsung has still managed to make improvements to an already excellent TV with features to make your content look and sound better than ever before.

The post Samsung 75-inch 8K Neo QLED Smart TV review – a feast for the eyes and ears appeared first on Tech Guide.

The new Fetch Mighty (Gen 4) might not look much different from the previous model but under the hood it is has the power to keep up with the entertainment demands of the modern household.

The box, which has a 1TB hard drive onboard, is a powerful PVR for those who still want to record their favourite programs or entire seasons.

But it’s also homebase for all your streaming services.

That means in one spot you can access Netflix, Stan, Disney+, Prime Video, Paramount+, BritBox, Hayu, YouTube Kids and more.

With four TV tuners, the box can deliver your free to air channels and allow you to set up multiple recordings.

But for $20 a month you also get access to 46 channels including Discovery, Universal, E Entertainment, National Geographic, Investigation Discovery, ESPN2 and many, many more.

And all these channels allow you to go back and watch a program from the start if you come in halfway.

The Fetch Mighty (Gen 4) M681T model has 4GB RAM and 8GB eMMC Flash memory.

It also has a faster processor that’s twice as fast as the chip on the Gen 3 box.

It’s also rocking the latest Bluetooth 5 version as well.

There is also one less USB port on the back – there used to be two – not a deal breaker as I have never had to use the USB port on the previous model and on this one.

Performance is snappy when getting to the home screen and navigating the menus.

Moving channel to channel is also pretty fast which will be music to the ear of channels surfers hunting for something to watch.

But, of course, there are easier ways to get to your content with Universal Search so you can ask for a program and the Fetch box will search not only all of Fetch but also the streaming apps as well.

The box offers a high-quality viewing experience and it can also handle Dolby Vision – a form of High Dynamic Range (HDR) – on 4K movies available in the Movie Store. And this is on top of support for HDR10.

There also already support for the AV1 streaming codec which may come in to play in the near future to provide streaming services with a better quality streaming without the need for a big increase in bandwidth.

On the audio side, the new Fetch Mighty offers Dolby Digital Surround 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos so you can hear 3D surround through your TV or speaker system when watching movies with Dolby Atmos soundtracks.

Most customers connect their Fetch Mighty to their wireless network.

Not many have the luxury of having their modem right next to the box and connected with an Ethernet cable.

The great news is the Fetch box now has Wi-Fi 6 connectivity – the faster wireless standard – so you’ll get a better wireless connection from your modem or mesh wi-fi system with reduced buffering and a better viewing experience especially when viewing 4K content.

What’s attractive about the Fetch Mighty box is the ease of use, the excellent performance and the ability to locate your content in one place and find what you want to watch in seconds.

But the Fetch ecosystem also extends to the impressive Fetch Mobile app which can easily be linked the box and even used as a remote control.

But it can so do much more. You can browse TV Guide and set recordings if you’re not home in front of the box.

You can also view Fetch through the app whether it’s one of the subscription channels of your own stuff including your recordings and purchased and rented movies and TV shows.

Fetch also has the Mini box which can be wirelessly linked to the Mighty.

The Mini can’t record but you can stream your recordings and even Live TV from the Mighty.

This means the Mini can be placed in a room where there is no antenna connection or anywhere you want to access the content from the Mighty.

The Fetch Mighty is priced at $449 and is also available through internet providers on a subscription.

VERDICT

The Fetch Mighty certainly lives up to its name. It’s one of the best PVRs you can buy – it also ticks all the boxes for your content demands including free-to-air TV, catch up apps, streaming apps, subscription channels and a movie and TV store. And it does it in style with stunning video and audio quality.

The post Fetch Mighty (Gen 4) review – a powerful PVR that meets all your content needs appeared first on Tech Guide.

LG is well known for its OLED TVs, but its new NanoCell Mini LED TV is a stunning option with excellent picture quality, impressive black levels and a powerful easy-to-navigate operating system.

Tech Guide looked at the LG QNED91 65-inch Quantum Dot NanoCell Mini LED 4K TV.

This TV is also available in 75-inch and 85-inch.

While the LG OLED is the company’s flagship TV with inimitable black levels and superb colour, the new NanoCell TVs with Mini LED offer the sort of quality that’s not far behind.

The TV uses quantum dot technology – similar to Samsung and Hisense TVs – along with Mini LED backlights that offers far better contrast and colour reproduction.

And because the LEDs are so small it creates more zones to lighten and darken sections of the screen accurately.

The result is a sharp and accurate image with remarkable colour reproduction.

We watched a variety of content on the LG NanoCell TV and were surprised at the black levels it was producing.

Definition and clarity were excellent – the sharpness of the image, especially when viewing 4K, was a standout.

You can see people and objects clearly defined and the colours were as natural as looking out a window.

The Mini LED backlight comes in to play for excellent brightness when needed but they were also dark or off when they needed to be.

The result is remarkable contrast which is the icing on the cake when you already have the amazing clarity and colour.

The LG TV has Dolby Vision IQ – which sorts out the HDR (high dynamic range) on 4K content to the colours, contrast and brightness pop.

It also has HDR10 Pro so the TV can display compatible content brilliantly.

The great thing about the LG QNED91 is that it will appeal to all kinds of TV viewers.

Anyone looking for quality will find it – especially when viewing 4K UHD content on disk or on streaming services.

Sports fans will appreciate not only the great quality but also the 200Hz refresh rate that will smooth out the picture despite the constant fast movements.

This feature also helps if you like watching action movies.

And gaming fans will absolutely love the onboard Game Optimiser which offers its own control panel so you can be assured of a next-level experience with smooth gameplay, no stutter or lag and a VRR (variable refresh rate) to the match the game you’re playing.

Movie connoisseurs will also love Filmmaker mode which turns off the motion smoothing and presents films in the true cinematic sense as the director intended.

You’ll be fighting over the remote control.

The TV is powered by the LG Alpha 7 AI Gen4 Processor 4K that can analyse and optimise content – both video and audio – so everything you seen has been optimised to look amazing.

The onboard deep-learning algorithm actually uses a visual database to ensure objects are rendered accurately.

On the audio side, the TV has Dolby Atmos which can create a more atmospheric feel to what you’re watching.

This sounded OK and made us hear sounds coming from around the room but would not match the quality you’d get from a soundbar.

Another feature we really liked was Auto Volume Levelling which makes the voices clearer and at a more consistent volume.

The LG QNED TV also lives up to its smart TV tag as well with the webOS 6 operating system giving you a short cut to all your streaming services like Netflix, Stan, Disney+, Prime Video, Foxtel, Apple TV+, Kayo, Binge and many more.

The system also presents all the trending shows and the shows you’re currently watching so you can find something to watch in an instant.

There’s also Apple AirPlay onboard so you can easily stream content from your iPhone, iPad and Mac to the TV instantly.

And the LG TV has the smarts too with its Home Dashboard which gives you access and control of the smart devices connected to the same network as the TV.

Here you can see smart lights, security cameras, speakers and other devices at a glance.

The Magic Remote still offers the movable pointer on the screen for easy navigation, and it also has shortcut keys for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and a dedicated Movies button.

The LG NanoCell Mini LED 4K TV is available now and is priced at $3,976 (65-inch), $4,976 (75-inch) and $6,176 (86-inch).

These are recommended retail prices on LG’s website, but you will probably find lower prices in stores.

VERDICT

The LG QNED91 NanoCell Mini LED 4K smart TV is simply stunning with excellent picture quality, modes to suit all types of viewers and the smarts to puts the latest content at your fingertips.

The post LG NanoCell Mini LED 4K TV review – you’ll be fighting over the remote appeared first on Tech Guide.

Samsung has redefined the projector with the new Freestyle – a projector that’s portable and easy to set up and use so you can enjoy your content on a larger scale wherever you want.

Users can watch their content in full high definition with a picture up to a size of 100-inches.

Home theatre projectors are normally large, expensive and need lots of adjustment before they’re ready to watch.

And most people who go to this trouble, view their projector as a permanent set-up so they can only watch their content on it in the room where it’s been set up.

Samsung Freestyle approaches it from a different way.

The full high-definition device is designed to be taken wherever you want to watch your streaming services or mirror content from your phone whether that’s on the wall or the ceiling in a room, in the backyard for a movie party or on the move like on a camping trip or a drive up or down the coast.

Samsung has also included its excellent Tizen operating system – the same OS that can be found on Samsung’s TVs, so you’ve got all the popular streaming services at your fingertips.

DESIGN

The Samsung has a unique design and looks nothing like your typical projector.

In fact, when we first saw it at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we thought, with its cylindrical shape, looked more like a spotlight than a projector.

It’s quite compact – it’s small enough to fit in your hand – and it has a 180-degree stand which makes it easy to aim at the wall or at the ceiling.

On the back panel is a 5W RMS 360-speaker so you can hear as well as see your content.

SET UP

The appealing thing about the Samsung Freestyle is the ease in which it can be turned on, aimed at a wall or ceiling before you’re watching your content.

Most other projectors require fine adjustments to make the picture straight and level and to find the right focus.

The brilliant thing with the Freestyle is that all of that is done for you.

A projected image doesn’t always appear straight with the edges normally at an angle.

What’s required with this is keystone correction to make the image square again.

The Freestyle projector can do this automatically – aim it at a wall and a few seconds later, the image snaps into a square shape.

Same thing with the focus – it’s like your camera – the autofocus looks after it in a second.

What you’re left with – and with no effort from yourself – is a straight, sharp and focused image.

PICTURE QUALITY

The Samsung Freestyle delivers 1920 x 1080 resolution – full high definition – and can reach a size of 100-inches when the projector is positioned 2.7m away from the wall or screen.

And the closer you bring the projector to the wall the smaller the image becomes.

You can simply choose to aim the Samsung Freestyle to the wall, or you can beam it up on a screen.

Naturally a screen – whether it’s fixed it a portable retractable screen – provides a better-quality picture in terms of brightness and sharpness.

But that’s not to say it doesn’t look good when it’s aimed at a wall.

Even putting a sheet over the clothesline for a backyard movie party also provides surprisingly good quality.

It has 550 lumens brightness which looks great in the dark – but can also be seen pretty well during the day or with the lights on.

Even at 100-inches the full HD picture looks great.

No, you’re not getting 4K, but it still offers respectable quality.

And not everyone will opt for a 100-inch image so the full HD resolution will look even better at those smaller screen sizes.

CONNECTIVITY

The Samsung Freestyle has built-in wi-fi so once it’s connected you can link to all your favourite services.

Users can hotspot their smartphone outside their wi-fi networks so you can still access your content.

Users can also mirror their smartphone to the device as well so you can watch your own content on a grander scale but also the apps from your phone as well including Netflix and YouTube.

There is also AirPlay onboard so you can connect and mirror your iPhone quite easily.

The Freestyle also has Bluetooth, and this can be used to connect either a pair of headphones if you don’t want to disturb anyone or a Bluetooth speaker to improve the sound quality.

For our review we connected the JBL Charge 5 speaker.

But the speaker quality on the Freestyle is actually not too bad and can be turned up quite loud.

As for connectivity via the ports – there is a micro-HDMI port so you can connect a source like a Blu-ray player or a gaming console.

The Samsung Freestyle can be controlled with the included compact remote control or with the Smart Things app or using your voice with Bixby.

POWER

The Samsung Freestyle comes with a USB-C cable and a power adaptor so if there’s a power point nearby – you’ve got no worries.

But what about if you’re camping or in the backyard and a power point isn’t close by?

The good news is the Samsung Freestyle can be powered by a portable power bank.

And not just any old power bank. The smaller batteries that can charge your smartphone won’t provide enough power.

The Freestyle requires 50W power input to operate and you can reach that with larger and powerful portable batteries that are also able to charge your laptop.

We had a large battery that can output 60W to power Freestyle anywhere even when you have no access to a power point.

This makes the Samsung Freestyle an even better portable proposition.

TIZEN

The Tizen OS on the projector is the same one you’ll find on Samsung’s TV with access to all your streaming and catch-up apps including Netflix, Stan, Apple TV+, Prime Video, 9Now ABC iView, SBS On Demand and much, much more.

And when all your services and accounts are connected and active, you’ll see the personalised suggestions and links to the shows you’ve been watching.

There’s also Samsung TV Plus – a selection of hundreds of streaming channels – that can also be viewed as if they were live channels via your wi-fi connection.

In the same way, users can watch live TV on the free-to-air catch up apps like 9Now and 7Plus if you have that wi-fi connection.

PRICE
The Samsung Freestyle was initially priced at $1,499 when it was announced in January, but we see on the Samsung website the price is $1,299.

You can probably buy a 65-inch TV at that price, but not only will it stay the same size – it will stay in the same room.

The Samsung Freestyle offers portability, flexibility and quality that can be enjoyed anywhere.

VERDICT

The Samsung Freestyle projector takes everything you love about a Samsung TV and puts it in this fun and portable form factor so you can enjoy your content anywhere and in high quality.

The post Samsung Freestyle review – portable quality that redefines projectors appeared first on Tech Guide.

When it comes to OLED, LG is the undisputed king and the new C1 OLED TV continues that tradition with incredible picture quality and impressive performance whether you’re watching movies, sport or playing games.

OLED is still unrivalled when it comes to achieving superior black levels and stunning natural colour.

With OLED (organic light emitting diode), each pixel – which is self-illuminating and is either on or off – acts like a back light.

That means each of the more than 8 million pixels can be an individual dimming zone.

Other TVs, like LG’s very own QNED range include Mini LED back lighting with microscopic LED lights that can form multiple dimming zones.

Where OLED leads the way is the fact no backlight is required – each self-illuminated pixel can be either on or off.

So, when it comes to producing black, the pixel just turns itself off instead of trying to block a backlight.

And from these deep blacks, excellent colour is produced.

OLED is also a certified flicker-free format and outputs less blue light which means it will put a less strain on your eyes.

For our review we looked at the 65-inch LG C1 OLED TV – but it is also available in 48-inch, 55-inch, 77-inch and 83-inch models as well.

On the design side, the LG C1 OLED TV is super thin – an advantage of not having a backlight.

But there is a slightly thicker section on the lower edge of the rear panel which houses the main circuitry and source inputs.

The good news is it’s still very easy to wall mount and it can sit almost flush to the wall.

It has super thin bezels so all you are seeing is this amazing picture.

The LG TV is powered by the A9 Gen4 AI 4K processor which is smart enough to maintain quality at all times by automatically adjusting for improved picture and sound quality using deep learning algorithms.

And there’s nothing you need to do; the TV is constantly presenting the best version of itself.

Part of that is the AI Picture Pro which accesses a massive visual database that can recognise objects and then optimise how will they look on the screen.

So, for example, if there is a person or an animal or building, the LG TV refers to this visual database and make sure it’s looking as clean and as accurate as possible.

Part of this is also Scene Detection where the TV analyses what you’re watching – whether it’s a movie or sport – and adjusts the settings to provide the best possible result.

LG has also put the same attention to detail into the audio as well with AI Sound Pro which is smart enough to identify voices, sound effects and frequencies from your content and optimise the output based on what you’re watching.

Also on board is a feature called Auto Volume Levelling which means you’re hearing consistent voice levels no matter what type of content you’re watching.

We connected the LG SP11RA Dolby Atmos 770W, 7.1.4 ch soundbar with Meridian audio to the LG C1 OLED TV and this took the sound quality into the stratosphere.

The external subwoofer added remarkable punch while the rear speakers came into play with the atmospheric sounds.

Speaking of atmospheric, the LGSP11RA also has Dolby Atmos so it can create the effect of sound coming from above you as well.

Whether you’re watching a movie, sport or gaming, the sound quality adds incredible quality and completes the experience.

In terms of picture quality, you’re off to a great start for the fact you’re watching an OLED TV with these amazing black levels and highly accurate colour.

But add to that Dolby Vision IQ which delivers intelligently adjusted HDR (high dynamic range) when viewing 4K content.

The LG OLED TV can also handle HDR10 Pro with the built-in dynamic range technology always optimising brightness to improve colour while still offering a high level of detail.

The result is incredibly lifelike picture.

But LG appreciates the art of filmmaking and allows you to enjoy the movies as the director intended with a feature called Filmmaker Mode.

What this does is turn off the motion smoothing to maintain that cinematic 24 frames per second feel so viewers can appreciate the film as it was made.

Motion smoothing does iron out blur and other inconsistencies like a video version of photoshop in real time.

While many may not notice, film purists and the film makers themselves do, which is why LG offers this option in the first place.

Viewers will also appreciate the smoothness offered while viewing sport and action films where there is a lot of movement thanks to the 1ms response time.

But LG caters not only for movie and sports fans but also gamers as well with a set of dedicated features to optimise your playing experience.

LG recognises how popular gaming is around the world and the OLED format is a perfect fit to get the most out of your games.

The Game Optimizer gets rid of stutter, flicker and lag so you can keep your competitive edge thanks to the onboard INVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync.

You’ll also find the latest connections with HDMI 2.1 supporting up to 40Gbps bandwidth so you can play 4K games at 120Hz.

And when you add in VRR (variable refresh rate) and ALLM (auto low latency mode), you get the full level of graphics at higher resolutions, and all played back with smooth and synchronised audio and video.

And don’t forget the LG OLED’s 1ms one response rate – it is the cherry on top for premium game play.

The LG C1 OLED TV is also running the latest version of webOS 6.0 smart TV platform which has a redesigned home screen and offers faster access to your apps and your favourite Streaming services including Netflix, Stan, Apple TV, Foxtel, Disney+, Prime Video and all of the free to air catch up services.

webOS 6.0 is easy to navigate and the suggestions offered make finding something to watch even easier.

Our only gripe was the slight lag when accessing the interface – It sometimes took a few seconds to register.

And hitting the back key to get back to what you’re watching also took a little longer than we expected at times. But this is far from being a deal breaker.

The Magic Remote has also had a slight redesign, but it still offers the on-screen pointer to get where you want faster.

There are shortcut buttons for Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video. Next to these is a Movie button that brings you to a dashboard and links to all the services you’re signed in to showing the latest and trending titles.

You’ll also find Alexa and Google Assistant buttons so the LG OLED TV can be connected to your account so you can find content to watch, play music and control your smart devices using your voice.

But the LG C1 OLED TV also has ThinQ AI which provides a central mission control screen to connect to all the smart devices and connected devices on your network.

We were able to control our lights, access our NAS (network attached storage) to play content and see all the connected sources.

The LG C1 OLED TV is available now and priced at $2,576 (48-inch), $2,877 (55-inch), $4,076 (65-inch), $7,076 (77-inch) and $9,076 (83-inch).

These are recommended retail prices, but pricing is usually cheaper in retail stores.

The LG SP11RA Dolby Atmos 770W, 7.1.4 Ch Soundbar with Meridian audio is priced at $1,749.

VERDICT

The LG C1 TV dramatically demonstrates that OLED is still unmatched when it comes to producing stunning black levels, colour and picture quality so your movies, sport and games look amazing.

The post LG 2021 C1 OLED TV review – a stunning way to watch movies, sport and play your games appeared first on Tech Guide.

Bigger TVs are more popular than ever but usually a huge screen comes with an equally huge price tag. But the EKO 85-inch 4K UHD Smart TV is that rare find that offers size, impressive quality and great value.

And the fact that it is running webOS – the same operating system running on LG’s excellent range – makes the EKO TV even more appealing.

Smaller EKO TV models – including the EKO 55-inch smart TV we reviewed last year – run the AndroidOS TV software.

And the EKO 85-inch TV not only runs webOS but also uses the same magic remote as the LG TVs as well.

So out of the box you can feel comfortable the TV’s operating system will connect you to all your favourite streaming services including Netflix, Stan, Disney+, Apple TV+ and Foxtel.

ENTER THE TECH GUIDE COMPETITION TO WIN THE EKO 85-INCH 4K UHD SMART TV

Speaking of boxes, the EKO 85 inch 4K UHD smart TV comes in a massive box. That’s the reason it can only be ordered online at Big W.

The first thing to consider with a TV of this size is if you have the space to set it up.

There are legs at either end of the TV so you’ll need quite a wide entertainment unit for it to sit on.

HEAR OUR VERDICT ON THE EKO 85-INCH 4K SMART TV IN EPISODE 460 OF THE TECH GUIDE PODCAST

Or you can also wall mount the TV if you prefer – you just need to find a wall and a wall mount that can handle the weight. The TV weighs 46kg.

OK, that’s the logistics out of the way – let’s talk about the TV.

Design-wise it has a slim bezel around the screen and a minimal look. And the legs that the TV sits on are also quite discreet.

The EKO 4K UHD screen has a resolution of 3840 x 2160 and is capable of displaying 1.07 billion colours.

The screen offers impressive brightness and clarity with decent picture quality that punches above its weight.

And when you’re watching 4Km the TV also has HDR (high dynamic range) on board to improve the contrast and detail in the lighter and darker areas of the screen.

Black levels for a TV of this size and price were quite respectable.

The TV doesn’t support HDR10+ or Dolby vision like the more expensive TVs but we don’t think that’s a deal breaker here.

We watched 4K programmes on Netflix or Prime Video and it looked great.

Watching sport was also a thrill on a screen of this size. It made you feel like you were at the game.

There is actually a sport mode which helps smooth out the image when there is rapid movement during the game.

There’s even a game mode for those who want to connect their console and enjoy their games on a larger scale.

On the audio side, the built-in speakers offer reasonable output and quality for you to enjoy your movies, TV shows and sport.

No, there is no Dolby Atmos built in to the EKO TV but the company does make a sound bar that works seamlessly with the TV to provide Dolby Atmos for $269.

And it does add a whole new dimension to the viewing experience with the addition of surround sound and much better audio quality in general.

The webOS software is one of the TV’s best features and allows users to watch live TV as well as access online content through apps which can be installed through the built-in content store.

It’s really easy to navigate the menu system especially with the Magic Remote which puts an arrow on your screen so you can move it around like a mouse rather than muddling through with directional buttons.

Users will find three HDMI ports on the back of the TV including one with ARC (audio return channel) for connecting the soundbar.

There is also an optical audio connection alongside two USB ports and an Ethernet port so you can plug in a cable to connect to your network if you didn’t want to use the built-in wireless connection.

The USB ports can be used to connect a USB drive or external hard drive which will allow users to record programmes and playback from that connected storage.

Part of the webOS is LG’s ThinQ AI which allows you to connect and control your homes smart devices from the TV’s onscreen dashboard.

At a glance users are able to see all of their connected devices and all the inputs to the TV.

You can select or control a device that’s connected to the TV with the remote, with your voice or with the LG ThinQ app.

The LG ThinQ app can also control your TV so it turns your smartphone into another remote control.

The EKO 85-inch 4K UHD Smart TV offers tremendous value for customers considering going to a TV of this size.

What really makes it a more attractive product is not just the size and quality of the screen but also the webOS software and Magic Remote which adds real polish to the TV.

For $1,399 the EKO TV is, pound for pound, a solid investment.

The EKO 85-inch 4K UHD Smart TV is available now online from Big W for $1,399. The EKO sound bar is priced at $269.

VERDICT

The EKO 85-inch 4K UHD Smart TV now offers people who had the desire for a big screen TV, but not the budget, the opportunity to make that purchase. If you’re looking for screen size, quality and value then this is definitely worth your consideration.

The post EKO 85-inch 4K UHD Smart TV review – size, quality and value in one huge TV appeared first on Tech Guide.

The new Apple TV 4K is a huge leap ahead from the previous generation with a better remote, higher frame rate HDR and a new Colour Balance feature that puts a world of content at your fingertips in the best quality.

TVs are getting bigger and picture quality is getting better and there is no shortage of content that will showcase their remarkable features.

Apple TV 4K is a product that turns your television into an entertainment hub to view your favourite TV shows, movies, sport, as well as access your music, play your favourite games and access your favourite apps.

This time around while the Apple TV 4K unit itself looks pretty much the same as the previous model, it’s the new Siri Remote which has undergone the biggest change and made viewing your content even easier.

Under the hood of the Apple TV 4K is the A12 bionic chip with 64-bit architecture that adds new video decoding capabilities as well as audio enhancements which means your TV shows, movies and sport will look and sound better than ever before.

Setting up the device takes just minutes with iPhone users able to bring it close to Apple TV to start the process.

And it’s not the only time you’ll be using the iPhone to optimise Apple TV 4K – but more about that later.

The new Siri Remote has an all-new look and design which is bigger and thicker than the previous remote.

The buttons have also been rearranged along with the navigation controls.

The circular click pad is surrounded by directional keys and is touch sensitive so you can use it to swipe down to find out information about what you’re watching and jog through your movie with a simple circular gesture to get to the point you want to watch.

You need to hit the pause button first before running your thumb on the outer ring either clockwise or counter clockwise depending on the direction you choose to move through the timeline.

It will get you to your scene in seconds.

On the side of the controller is a dedicated Siri button which makes it easy for you to find your content with spoken searches and also navigate what you’re watching simply by asking.

For example, you might ask Siri to “find movies starring Tom Cruise” or “go forward two minutes”.

The remote also works to control the volume of your TV and to power it on and off.

The keys are easy to locate so you can find your way around it without the need to look down at the remote.

That’s ideal if you’re in the middle of a movie with the lights down.

Another remarkable new feature is Colour Balance – a feature that uses the advanced sensors on your iPhone to improve your TV’s picture quality.

When held up to the television, your iPhone uses its camera and proximity sensor to guide you to an onscreen target.

It uses the light sensor on your iPhone to create a comparison between your TV’s colour balance to the industry standard specifications used by film makers around the world.

At the end of the process you are presented with the original settings and the balanced settings.

You can toggle between these two settings to see the difference for yourself and choose whether to adopt the new settings or stick with the original.

We chose to go with the new settings which improved the look of the image on our Samsung 4K TV.

I’m sure if you’ve invested in a 4K TV and a decent audio system you want to watch the best possible quality content.

And that’s exactly what Apple TV 4K offers.

Already on board is 4K compatibility so you’re taking advantage of the entire resolution of your 4K TV along with HDR (high dynamic range) for much better contrast ratios and greater colour depth.

The great thing about Apple TV 4K is that it supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10 which are the two leading HDR formats used in the industry.

And that means you’re able to enjoy more HDR content across more sources and on w wider range of televisions.

The other interesting new addition, thanks to this superior processing power, is high frame rate HDR which allows you to watch content at 60 frames per second.

The result is an even smoother and more natural appearance than ever before whether you’re watching fast moving action films or sports.

We put this to the test while watching movies and watching sport and the difference was noticeable.

Apple TV 4K also supports Dolby Atmos so viewers can enjoy three-dimensional sound that runs in all directions in your viewing space, including from above you, if you have a compatible sound system to give you a fully immersive experience.

Of course, one of the best things about Apple TV 4K, is the content it can put at your fingertips.

Users have access to the App Store to download the latest streaming apps including Netflix, Stan, Kayo Sports and all the free-to-air catch up.

And you can also access iTunes and Apple TV to view the latest movies and TV shows in stunning 4K quality.

But Apple TV 4K isn’t just about TV shows and movies.

it can also be your gaming arcade and your gym as well.

The onboard A12 Bionic chip means support for high quality games which you can enjoy on your TV and control with either your PlayStation or Xbox game controllers.

Apple Arcade is where you’ll find these latest games which developers have created to take advantage of the smoother motion and greater responsiveness that Apple TV 4K can offer.

And on the fitness side, Apple Fitness+ allows you to workout with amazing trainers in a fitness class which takes your in-session metrics like your heart rate and calories burned from your Apple Watch and displays it on your screen in real time.

iPhone users can also unlock and enjoy a range of features including using your iPhone as a remote control for Apple TV 4K and entering text via keyboard notification on your iPhone.

You can also connect up to two sets of AirPods to your Apple TV 4K so you can enjoy your content quietly and in private.

Apple TV 4K supports HDMI 2.1 for higher video bandwidth and higher frame rates and also has Wi-Fi 6 on board for higher data connection speeds to improve your streaming experience.

Apple TV 4K is available now for $249 (32GB) and $279 (64GB).

VERDICT

Apple TV 4K is a worthwhile investment and an exciting upgrade for anyone interested in viewing the latest content in the highest quality in the easiest and most comfortable way.

The post Apple TV 4K 2021 review – access the latest content in the highest quality appeared first on Tech Guide.

The Amazon Fire Stick TV 4K has landed in Australia and gives users the ability to make their TV even smarter and access apps and streaming services that they usually couldn’t reach.

With the new Amazon Fire Stick 4K you also get 4K quality if you own or plan to buy a 4K TV. It’s priced at $99 which is $20 more than the full HD version so it’s worth extra spend because of the huge amount of 4K content you can stream.

The Fire Stick TV 4K includes the Alexa Voice Remote – of course you can talk to it – as well as a dongle that plugs into your TV’s HDMI port.

Users can also use the device like a smart speaker to connect to and control smart devices including lights and switches through Alexa.

The dongle is long and thin and also comes with a short HDMI extension cable to make it easier to connect to your TV.

You also have to connect the dongle to power with a USB cable and the included power adaptor.

The remote control is also small and light with a button layout that’s easy to navigate.

There are also shortcut keys to Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Amazon Music.

You can even control your TV’s volume through the remote and also power it on and off.

Voice control is also available through the remote to find content and also control it.

Set up is really simple and starts with connecting your dongle and linking to your wi-fi network all via the included remote.

If you have an existing account or want to sign up to Amazon, you can actually do that on your browser on your smartphone before linking the Fire Stick TV 4K to your account using a code that’s displayed on the screen during the set-up process.

This takes just a few minutes but what will take a little longer is the software and firmware update.

Once that’s done the next step is to choose the app you’d like to add to the pre-loaded apps including Prime Video.

Not only do you get access to popular streaming services like Netflix, Stan, Disney+ and Apple TV, you can also watch catch up TV apps including 9Now, 7Plus, Tenplay, ABC iView, SBS On Demand.

If you’re a sports fan you can also download and install Optus Sport, Major League Baseball, Red Bull TV and WWE.

There are also news apps like Bloomberg, Aljazeera, Fox News Channel, CBS News and TED.

What you don’t get are access any of Foxtel’s apps including Foxtel Now, Binge and Kayo Sports – so if these are important to you ‘ll need to go down the Chromecast path.

Chromecast also offers something the Amazon Fire Stick TV 4K doesn’t – and that’s casting which is sharing content from your mobile device to your TV.

Users can have up to six profiles with the Fire Stick TV 4K.

The home page has shortcuts to all of your installed apps and services.

When you scroll over each service with the remote, it shows you the highlights and most popular so you can jump right in and start watching.

The Fire Stick TV 4K serves up impressive picture quality and also delivers the added benefits that come with 4K like HDR (high dynamic range) to make your viewing experience even better.

And it’s not just about watching TV. If you’ve already invested in the Amazon Alexa ecosystem you can use the Fire Stick TV 4K like a smart speaker to access and control your smart devices like lights, smart plugs and security cameras.

The Fire Stick TV 4K is priced at $99 and is available now.

VERDICT

If you’re already invested in the Alexa and Echo ecosystem (and even if you’re not), the Fire Stick TV 4K provides a fast and easy way to make your TV even smarter and connect you with amazing content that you wouldn’t normally be able to access and enjoy it in high quality.

The post Amazon Fire Stick TV 4K review – make your TV smarter and access great content appeared first on Tech Guide.

You can buy lots of things on Amazon nowadays – including an Android TV from upcoming Chinese brand Ciaxun which offers 4K resolution and easy connectivity to access free to air channels and streaming content no matter where it comes from.

Tech Guide took a look at the 55-inch Caixun Series S Android TV which offers 4K Ultra HD resolution and is running the Android TV operating system.

Having the Google Play Store at your fingertips also means you can access every streaming service and free-to-air catch up apps.

Pre-leaded on the TV were the Netflix, YouTube and Prime Video apps so out of the box your good to do.

And unlike other TVs with their own operating systems, the Caixun TV running Android means you can immediately download and use apps like Kayo Sports, Disney+ and BritBox just to name a few.

Design-wise the Caixun has a minimal look with ultra-thin bezels so there is nothing to distract you from what you’re watching.

On the connectivity side, the Caixun TV has three HDMI ports and two USB ports, an Ethernet port for wired connection to the internet if your modem/router just happens to be nearby.

But don’t worry if you don’t have a cable to get online because the Caixun TV also has wi-fi onboard with WiFi T2TR technology which provides a more stable connection so you get no interruptions to your streaming services.

And being an Android TV does have its benefits including a built-in Chromecast so you can share content to the TV from your smartphone or tablet.

With Android you also get Google Assistant which means you can use your voice to find information and control smart devices in the same network as your TV.

The 55-inch Caixun is powered by a Quad Core A55 processor which drives the picture processing to optimise the quality in real time.

To our eye, the Caixun picture quality, while having impressive clarity, lacked a bit of warmth and had a slightly faded look.

We jumped into the picture settings and took a while to tweak the contrast, brightness, hue and sharpness.

At first this process was disastrous because we overcooked the adjustments and people suddenly had green skin.

A subtle adjustment had us back on track with a respectable picture.

The Caixun also HDR10+ onboard which is great if you’re watching 4K content but black levels could also have been better.

They lacked the inky black levels you’d see on more expensive TVs but that’s why they are expensive TVs.

On the audio side the Caixun has Dolby Digital Plus which offers a crisp sound which adds to the visual experience.

But you can always add a sound bar if you wanted to significantly upgrade the audio quality and add a subwoofer for added punch.

The performance of the TV could be better. We’re talking about the time it takes to exit an app and return to the home page or switch to another app.

During our testing there were times when we waited about 25 seconds before we could move to the next app or get back to watching live TV. At other times is was faster.

The onboard A55 processor is running the picture quality and not running the operating system.

We thought we might have needed an Android software update but we were already running the latest software.

Overall the Caixun 55-inch Series S Android TV provides decent value at the price of $650.

In comparison you’d be paying $795 for a 55-inch Hisense 4K TV, $995 for a TCL, $1195 for a Samsung 2021 Crystal UHD 55-inch TV.

The Caixun 55-inch Series S Android TV is available now from Amazon.

VERDICT

The Caixun 55-inch Series S Android TV offers impressive value with decent picture quality, crisp audio and easy connectivity.

The post Caixun 55-inch Series S Android TV review – value and easy connectivity appeared first on Tech Guide.

The new Samsung 8K Neo QLED TV has set a new benchmark for picture quality thanks to remarkable technology that provides enhanced colour, contrast, brightness and black levels – and Tech Guide had a chance to see this for ourselves.

We took a look at the 85-inch QN900A – Samsung’s absolute flagship 85-inch Neo QLED TV – and it would have to be up there with the best picture we’ve ever seen on a TV.

This is a $13,999 TV but the Neo QLED technology, processor and all-new Quantum Matrix Technology Pro with Mini LEDs is available on a range of 8K and 4K TVs varying in size from 85-inch down to 55-inch.

The Samsung Neo QLED TV has a slick, attractive design with super thin barely-there bezels  on the appropriately named Infinity Screen which allow viewers to see nothing but the picture.

The TV itself is also quite thin with speakers placed around the left, right and top edges which facilitates OTS (Object Tracking Sound) so viewers can appreciate some directional sound.

It can also be mounted virtually flush to the wall which looks really smart.

What helps with the flush mount is the One Connect box which means there’s just one cable coming from the TV and the sources can be connected away from the screen itself.

The One Connect box, which is where you connect all of your sources, can sit inside your entertainment unit if it’s mounted on the wall and can also rest on the TV’s stand if you position it on an entertainment unit.

The biggest new feature of the TV is the new backlight – the Quantum Mini LED which is 1/40^th of the thickness of a standard Samsung button-size LED.

The traditional LED module lens has been replaced with a micro-layer of microscopic LEDs for ultra-precise lighting control.

This has made a monumental difference to the TVs colour, brightness, contrast and black levels.

The detail you’ll notice is phenomenal thanks to the 8K resolution, content upscaling and the new backlighting technology.

But the other secret sauce is the Neo Quantum Processor 8K which is responsible for analysing and upscaling content on the fly.

We put this to the test as we watched a variety of content on the Samsung 8K Neo QLED including movies, nature documentaries and sport.

In terms of upscaling, we really put this to the test with a movie we know very well – Star Wars.

The upscaling we saw right from the opening scenes was amazing.

The close up shots of C3PO and R2D2 and the close ups of the Rebel troops offered remarkable detail like we’ve never seen before.

One of the first things that struck us was the improved black levels – and that’s thanks to the Mini LED which can now create more dimming zones with hyper accuracy.

With the Samsung Neo QLED TV being able to have microscopic backlights offers the ability to localise with even greater accuracy the darker parts of the screen.

This lighting control is even more impressive when there are bright colours right next to it.

We paused an image of a fire and got really close to the screen to the point where we could see where the lights were off right beside the brighter areas of the screen.

There was no blooming at all so the colours were in their place.

This is why the TV has outstanding clarity and colour accuracy. There is no bleed from any of the colours on the screen.

The Samsung Quantum HDR 64x offers true-to-life colour and contrast and optimises it in real time.

The biggest compliment you can offer a TV is the level of realism it provides.

Samsung’s new 8K Neo QLED hits it out of the park here.

When watching nature documentaries you can easily forget you’re actually watching a television.

The blues and greens were pure without being over saturated and fake.

The darker areas of the screen showed many, many levels of detail and subtlety.

In fact, the TV has 12-bit contrast levels and can generate a remarkable 4,096 levels of greyscale.

What the TV also has is a Local Brightness Booster to send more power to brighter areas of the screen.

And when watching fast moving images the picture was still silky smooth so sport and action movie fans will be satisfied with the TV’s performance.

But with the TVs excellent visual performance, the audio performance is also impressive.

OTS (object tracking sound) works well on its own with clear movement when objects move left and right across the screen.

But if you really want to ramp this up you can add a Samsung soundbar.

For our review we had a Q950A 11.1.4 Ch True Dolby Atmos DTS:X home theatre soundbar which linked to the TV using Q Symphony where the TV’s speakers and the soundbar worked together.

When we were watching with Q Symphony we were surrounded by sound with the rear speakers particularly active to the point where we had to move them further behind us rather than beside up so we could hear the voices coming from the screen.

But overall – the sound performance was as epic as the picture quality so it provides an amazing and immersive experience.

The remote control is small and light. It’s light because there are no batteries in it because it is powered by the solar cell that works off sunlight and indoor light.

This means not having to replace the batteries and saving millions of batteries ending up in landfill.

There’s not much we didn’t like about the Neo QLED TV.

Samsung has made a real breakthrough and improvement and customers will easily see the difference.

Now the Samsung 85-inch 8K Neo QLED TV is priced at $13,999 – so not really in everyone’s budget.

But the good news is the Neo QLED technology you’ll see on this TV is also present on smaller models and also on the 4K range of TV.

Yes, the 8K TVs will future-proof your purchase but the 4K range is still breathtaking.

You can see the entire Samsung 2021 TV range and pricing here.

VERDICT

The Samsung 8K Neo QLED TV is nothing short of spectacular with a stunning improvement in colour accuracy, brightness, clarity, contrast and black levels. It’s easily one of the best pictures we’ve ever seen on a TV. Once you start watching something on this TV, you’ll never want to stop.

The post Samsung 85-inch 8K Neo QLED TV review – stunning in every way appeared first on Tech Guide.

The first Hisense ULED 8K TV will be in stores soon and Tech Guide has had a chance to take a look at the 75-inch model which is packed with a number of features including AI to upscale content to 8K quality.

We had a look at 75-inch Hisense 8K TV but it will also be available in 65-inch and 85-inch.

The 75-inch will be the first one available to customers this month at a competitive price of $6,999.

The Hisense 8K TVs are all 8K Ultra HD Certified.

Design-wise, the TV has narrow bezels and is sitting on two discreet silver legs so nothing will distract you from the excellent picture quality.

2021 is the year when the rubber hits the road for 8K content with an expected 8K broadcast of the Tokyo Olympics, 8K gaming and 8K streaming.

But even without all those things, an essential feature for any 8K TV – including this brand new Hisense ULED 8K TV – is good upscaling.

Because of the lack of 8K content the TV has to make use of those millions of extra pixels and flesh out HD and 4K content into something better – something approaching 8K quality.

And the good news is the Hisense U80G ULED 8K TV does an impressive job in elevating the quality of what you’re watching into something better with its Hi-View Engine Pro technology.

We watched HD and 4K content on the Hisense 8K TV and easily noticed the improvement.

Naturally it’s easier to upscale 4K to 8K than it is to go from HD to 8K and we noticed the difference.

We watched two movies – Blade Runner 2049 in 4K and The Equalizer in HD and looked closely at the respective stars’ faces in close ups to see if we could see much of an improvement.

Harrison Ford in 4K was a lot sharper by far in Blade Runner 2049 in 4K on Netflix while Denzel Washington in The Equalizer in HD (also on Netflix) still looked better but was a little softer.

We also took a look at The Last Dance – the amazing documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls – also in 4K – and again the image quality was absolutely pristine.

The Hisense AI upscaling examines the content and then applies the added pixels and where they are needed.

Basically the TV is recognising people, faces, objects, scenery and animals and intelligently adding pixels to round edges and smooth out objects.

But at the same time the Hisense TV’s other features are also coming on to play like Quantum Dot Colour, Full Array Local Dimming and Dolby Vision HDR so it’s still taking care of picture quality, black levels, colour accuracy and brightness.

The result is a very satisfying picture that makes your content look amazing.

The TV has nailed the contrast with impressive black levels and plenty of detail within those darker areas of the screen.

In terms of colour, the image popped with rich and warm tones including hyper accurate skin tones as well.

Even watching a nature documentary we could see the intricate detail from a tortoise’s shell and colourful coral was also dazzling.

Even the sharks and the other fish had nice, rounded edges and were rendered smoothly.

And you have to remember the Hisense Hi-View Engine Pro AI upscaling also works for other content like gaming and live TV so even though there’s no native 8K content you’re still able enjoy a greater quality than you would normally be viewing in HD and 4K.

There is also a Game Mode Pro with VRR (variable refresh rate) and AMD FreeSync to reduce lag and stuttering during play.

It also has Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) for an even smoother gaming experience.

The viewing angle of the Hisense 8K TV is also quite impressive so even sitting off to the side you can still enjoy the brightness and picture quality in the same way as if you’re sitting directly in front of the screen.

On the audio side the Hisense U80G 8K TV also has Dolby Atmos on board to create a decent sound to enhance the whole viewing experience.

The onboard speakers have a fair amount of power and were quite loud at full volume with nice definition virtually no distortion.

In terms of Dolby Atmos, there was some noticeable affects when watching compatible programs but it’s nothing like a dedicated Dolby Atmos speaker system or a dedicated Dolby Atmos soundbar.

That’s not to say the audio from the TV isn’t decent quality – it works well on its own but it would be improved with a home theatre speaker system or soundbar. That would take it to another level.

Interestingly, the first range of 8K Hisense TVs are running the Android OS rather than the company’s very own VIDAA OS.

It gives the TV a stable platform as well as the ability to download and install any streaming app from the included Google Play Store rather than waiting for all of them to be built for VIDAA.

Our only complaint is that the Google OS isn’t as responsive as VIDAA and it’s also a little more clumsy to navigate.

Google is also handy for voice control as well with Google Assistant just a voice command away.

And the far field microphones can pick up your voice from across the room so there’s no need to shout to get its attention.

There’s also Alexa onboard as well so users can control the TV hands-free without the need to hold down a microphone button on the remote.

Hisense’s first offering with 8K is excellent and it has brought its already impressive ULED technology to an all-new level.

But perhaps one of the best features of the Hisense U80G 8K TV is the price.

At less than $7,000 for a 75-inch TV, Hisense will attract a lot of attention.

Other 8K TVs of this size from other brands are priced at well over $10,000.

With this 8K TV, Hisense has shown once again it can compete on picture quality, features and design while offering a more attractive price.

The Hisense U80G 8K 75-inch TV is priced at $6,999.

VERDICT

For its first 8K TV, Hisense has done an amazing job. The U80G 8K ULED TV is a brilliant first venture into 8K territory that demonstrates its technology can easily handle the jump to an even higher resolution. The result is simply stunning.

The post Hisense U80G 8K ULED TV review – a stunning 8K debut appeared first on Tech Guide.

Setting up a home theatre can be intimidating for some people – they have to consider a projector, speakers, AV receivers and cables and someone to put it all together. But Samsung has come along with The Premiere and put all of those things into a single product.

Samsung, already the worldwide market leader in TVs, has poured its significant know-how into The Premiere LSP9T.

It’s a smart TV in the shape of a 4K short throw projector.

Instead of placing the TV on your entertainment unit, you position The Premiere in the same spot.

But unlike a regular TV, The Premiere can beam a 4K image up to 130-inch on a plain wall or a fixed screen.

And it only needs to sit as close as 11.3cm away from the wall.

Traditionally you’d need to mount the projector metres away from the screen to achieve a decent size image and then you’d have to snake a cable to your sources and AV receiver which is in turn connected to multiple speakers in the room.

That’s why enthusiasts and cinephiles with a fair amount of money to spare create a dedicated home theatre room – they want a cinema feel in their own home and they have the expertise and the money to achieve it.

And the results are usually spectacular – as you would expect for they price they paid getting their system together.

Nothing wrong with that.

But what if you want something bigger than the largest TV but don’t want to spend tens of thousands of dollars in the process.

Samsung’s Premiere has everything in one unit which measure 55cm wide, 36.7cm long and 14.1cm high – which is relatively small considering what it can do.

And it’s not an ugly box either. It’s actually a stylish unit with a textile wrap on the front so it gives it softer look that blends into your home’s décor.

For our review we set up The Premiere on an entertainment unit in our theatre and aimed it at our fixed screen.

We also aimed at a plain light-coloured wall in our home as well.

Slightly better quality on the screen, which has a special layer to boost brightness, but the wall was not far behind in terms of brightness – but it had no effect on the 4K clarity which was still there.

So in one box you’ve got the projector as well as the speakers – 40W 4.2 output which includes a subwoofer – and all the inputs to connect your sources.

And did we mention it’s a smart TV as well so you connect your antenna cable and tune your channels like a regular TV.

We should point out that a regular 4K projector has no speakers, no built-in TV tuner and no speakers.

For that you’d need a separate TV set-top box, a receiver and speakers to connect to it.

But Samsung’s brings everything into The Premiere – and the result is spectacular.

Set up takes minutes – simply place it on your entertainment unit, plug in the power cord and turn it on.

The first thing you have to do is line up the image which is easier than it sounds.

Having The Premiere as close as 11.3cm will create a 120-inch image but pull it out another 10cm and you can go up to 130 inches.

Because the triple laser projector built-into the unit is so close to the screen you need to carefully position it because any adjustment at this short distance can make a big difference.

Once we were happy with throw distance we than had to make sure we were parallel to the wall.

From here you can go into the settings and make more finer adjustments and stretch the image in the corners to make the image straight on all edges.

We found that adjusting the leg height closest to the viewers helped get the image at the right height on the wall.

And the good news is you only have to do this once – as long as you don’t move The Premiere.

The triple laser projector has a brightness of 2800 ANSI lumens which is bright enough to watch even during the day.

Unless your room is really brightly lit during the day, you’ll be able to enjoy a clear image but it will look a little washed out.

At night and in a darker room, the image quality is stunning – sharp and clear 4K and at a size many people aren’t used to seeing in their home.

When we set up The Premiere in our home theatre, the image was still clear with all the lights on.

Our only criticism is some slight blurring and rainbowing in the top corners but if we didn’t point it out you probably wouldn’t notice it.

Connecting your sources are just as easy as it is on a regular smart TV – there are HDMI ports on the back as well as an Ethernet port to connect to the internet. But there’s also wi-fi onboard as well.

There are three HDMI ports, one USB, digital audio out (optical) and an antenna connection so you can hook it up to watch free to air TV.

And, being a smart TV, you can also access all of the streaming services like Netflix, Stan, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video and many more.

Not only does the Premiere look good – it sounds good as well with the front firing speakers providing a handy 4.2 output which is good for a smaller room.

In a larger room that sound loses its punch. It was a little lacking in the bass department but that’s understandable without a standalone subwoofer.

Now let’s talk about the price. The Samsung Premiere LSP9T is $10,999 which, when you consider what you get, is quite reasonable.

High-end 4K projectors are more than $10,000 and that’s before you add speakers and a receiver so you’re looking at a far higher bill than $10,999.

And if you want to go down the TV path you’re looking at $8000 plus for up to 85-inch.

The Samsung Premiere can give you a 130-inch 4K picture so the cost per square inch is actually decent value.

VERDICT

The Samsung Premiere is an excellent all-in-one solution that can provide a home cinema experience right out of the box with minimum fuss and easy set up that adds up to maximum enjoyment.

The post Samsung Premiere short throw projector review – a complete home theatre in one unit appeared first on Tech Guide.

There are so many streaming options and content available and if you have an older TV or a smart TV that doesn’t have all the streaming apps you want, then the new Chromecast with Google TV is what you need.

Priced at just $99, Chromecast with Google TV is capable of 4K streaming and includes access to Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime, Disney+, YouTube and catch-up apps for free-to-air channels including 9Now, ABC iView and 7 Plus.

And with the Google Play Store onboard you can also install apps including Binge, Hayu and Kayo Sports, Optus Sports and many, many more.

Where necessary users need to have subscriptions to these services to access them on Chromecast with Google TV so all you need to do is sign in on these apps to start watching.

Included with the Chromecast with Google TV is the Chromecast dongle itself, a power cable and power brick and a remote control.

Previous versions of the Chromecast required users to use their smartphones as the remote control.

But not so this time. The remote control with Chromecast with Google TV is small and light and provides an easy and fast way to get to the content you want to watch.

The remote can even control the volume on your TV and turn in on and off.

It also provides voice control through Google Assistant so you can easily search for content by title, actor, genre and even by mood.

Setup is really easy – it can be done either through the Google home app or entirely on the TV using the remote control.

For users who don’t want to include their smartphone and reduce the complication, setup via the TV is probably the best option.

If they don’t already have one they’ll need a Google account which can easily be created.

otherwise it’s simply a matter of logging in to your Google account and setting it up.

For our review we connected Chromecast with Google TV and had to wait patiently for a firmware update before connecting to our home network.

Once connected and updated, we could then choose the apps we wanted to include on our home screen.

This would be a welcome feature for customers who may have older TV’s or a more recent TV that doesn’t have all the streaming apps built in.

Disney+ and Kayo Sports, for example, are not available on all smart TVs.

If your TV is running the Android operating system then you can simply download those apps to your TV.

But for those that are not, you needed to purchase a product like Apple TV which cost hundreds of dollars.

With Chromecast with Google TV, that problem is solved for just $99 – a remarkable price for a device that can not only offer access to all of these streaming services but also offer it in 4K.

For customers with older TV’s the Chromecast with Google TV is also a godsend because it turns their TV into a smart TV.

And for users with older smart TV it makes that an even smarter TV and now brings streaming apps like Netflix and Stan, now standard on newer smart TVs, to their fingertips.

But another great feature of the product is the dashboard which arranges and suggests content.

It groups movies and TV shows into genres and time periods.

It derives all of these selections from the apps you have installed.

So the movie recommendations, for example, are gathered from the streaming apps you have installed so suggestions are coming from Prime, Stan, Netflix and any others you have installed.

Sports lovers can also enjoy Kayo Sports, Optus Sports and download and subscribe to the NFL, NBA and MLB apps of you’re a fan of American sports.

The only downside is that the Google TV has a few seconds lag when switching between apps.

The Chromecast with Google TV is available now in snow (white), sunrise (pink) and sky (blue) and is priced at $99.

VERDICT

The Chromecast with Google TV is a great solution for anyone who wants to experience the latest streaming apps in 4K quality. And for less than $100 you might want to buy one for every TV in your house.

The post Chromecast with Google TV review – access the latest streaming content in 4K for under $100 appeared first on Tech Guide.

Hisense has combined the best of both worlds with its new 65SX Dual Cell TV – the black levels that would compete with an OLED and the colour and brightness of an LED TV in one unit.

What Hisense has achieved here is impressive and it has also priced the 65SX sensibly as well for it to sit below the price of an OLED TV.

If the Hisense was more expensive, we think customers would just buy an OLED.

Priced at $3,499, the 65SX Dual Cell TV not only offers excellent picture quality but also a remarkable audio experience thanks to the onboard speakers and a separate subwoofer.

On the design side, the Hisense 65SX has a sleek look with a stand that runs the width of the TV and this gives the front speaker the space to perform to fire down and out.

And the subwoofer actually makes up part of the stand and can rest behind the TV yet still be clearly heard because it is a non-directional speaker.

But if a customer wants to wall mount the Hisense Dual Cell TV, the subwoofer can rest on the floor and offer precisely the same effect.

Dual Cell – as its name suggests – means there are two 65-inch panels bonded together.

There is one monochrome and one colour panel.

The mono panel controls the luminance – the backlight – and can more effectively block that light when it needs to produce black.

The reason why an OLED panel creates such deep blacks is because there is no backlight to block. It is made from material that is self-illuminating so the pixel is either on or off.

In the case of the Hisense Dual Cell TV, it has done a good job of imitating this with pixels on the monochrome panel (there are more than two million of them) making it possible to precisely darken even very small areas of the screen.

And then with the colour cell this brings in the brilliant colours and, more importantly, the brightness which is OLED’s only weakness.

That’s not to say an OLED isn’t bright – but an LED panel can achieve more brightness because it has that backlight.

Tech Guide took a look at the Hisense Dual Cell 65CX and watched 4K programs on Netflix and 4K discs.

We were immediately impressed with the Hisense 65SX picture quality.

Brightness, colour and black levels were on point.

The first thing we noticed was the warmth of the image with flesh tones rendering more on the red side and other colours having a little more richness to them.

It didn’t get to the point where we were looking at something artificial.

When we were watching Lost In Space on Netflix there were a number of scenes with characters wearing black clothes against a light background there was hardly any light bleed.

We did notice a minute haze and juddering when the black objects were moving as the pixels adjusted on the fly.

It was hardly noticeable on the Hisense TV but it just doesn’t happen on an OLED TV.

Yet when you’re viewing s star field – like the opening crawl of a Star Wars film, the panel looked great and was able to clearly create the points of light that make up the stars against a black background.

Overall, the black levels and contrast on the 65SX were way above average and not far from the levels achieved by an OLED TV.

It was still easy to identify the detail in the shadows as well.

And while the TV has the advantages of an LED in terms of brightness and rich colour – it also has some of its faults as well.

There were some scenes where we noticed a little noise in some of the darker areas of the image.

This graininess was noticeable but not too great as to be distracting but, for us, it was hard not to see it at times.

The panel also offers 200Hz refresh rate which smooths out fast moving scenes nicely and would also make watching sports a lot more enjoyable as well.

One area where OLED is superior is the viewing angle. OLED, even watching almost side on, maintains it brightness and contrast.

The Hisense TV picture did degrade at those side-on angles but no more than other LED TVs.

But overall the Hisense Dual Cell 65SX TV offers a mostly pristine viewing experience that is a step above regular LEDS TVs and almost on par with OLED.

LG is the undisputed king when it comes to OLED TVs and, while the Hisense doesn’t quite match it in terms of contrast and black levels, it’s not far off.

On the audio side, the Hisense Dual Cell TV also has some solid credentials with Dolby Atmos capabilities.

That subwoofer does add a lot to the sound experience but it’s the onboard two speakers and four tweeters that also come in to play and create a stimulating surround sound experience.

There is no 3D surround like you’d get from a dedicated Dolby Atmos speaker set up or sound bar with sounds descending on you, but it’s still quite impressive.

You’ll also be surprised how loud the TV can be which is good to know when you want to crank the volume on your favourite scenes.

There is enough detail and clarity in the sound as is – so no need to even consider a soundbar.

The Hisense Dual Cell also includes the VIDAA 4 operating system which is easy to navigate and get to the input or streaming source you want.

Users will find Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime and YouTube onboard but it’s still lacking Disney+ and Apple TV at the moment with the company working towards adding these services in a software update in the not too distant future.

The TV also comes with two remotes – the larger remote the ships to all countries and the smaller remote with the shortcut buttons for Australian customers like Stan and ABC iView.

The Hisense Dual Cell 65SX TV is available now and is priced at $3,499.

VERDICT

Hisense has really delivered with the Dual Cell 65SX TV and engineered this new technology to offer a stunning picture quality that’s also backed by outstanding audio to create a memorable entertainment experience.

The post Hisense Dual Cell 65SX TV review – the blacks of an OLED with the brightness of LED appeared first on Tech Guide.

The LG 75-inch Nano99 Series 8K TV is truly a site to behold. With 8K resolution it is also one of the best quality TVs we’ve reviewed with a level of detail that never ceased to fascinate.

While there isn’t a whole lot of 8K content to enjoy right now, the LG 8K Nanocell TV still delivered stunning picture quality courtesy of its upscaling abilities powered by the third generation Alpha 9 processor.

And having a 75-inch screen also helps you appreciate the image quality even further.

If you’re investing in an 8K TV now, you’re investing in the future.

There are no 8K movies, 8K players and 8K streaming services – but there will be.

DESIGN

The LG 75-inch Nano 99 8K TV has a minimal design with thin bezels and all resting on two small stands.

But this isn’t a TV you buy for its design.

One thing we noted was that the LG SN11RG soundbar ($1,899) which we used with the TV was too wide to fit between the two legs of the TV.

Chances are a customer will want to add one of the best soundbars like the SN11RG to the 75-inch Nano 99 8K TV but it had to rest in front of the small stands instead of neatly between them.

But this won’t be an issue if you choose to wall mount the TV.

The webOS operating system is refreshingly simple to use and also provides access to popular apps like Netflix and Apple TV+.

PICTURE QUALITY

The LG 75-inch Nano99 Series 8K TV includes the Alpha 9 third generation processor which does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to picture quality and real-time upscaling.

There’s hardly any 8K content available right now apart from some impressive 8K videos on YouTube that were mainly wildlife or cityscapes – a lot like a screensaver – but they did showcase the quality of the native 8K resolution.

There are no 8K movies yet nor is there an 8K player or 8K streaming. Yet.

For now you have to be satisfied with impressive upscaling of content by the Alpha 9 Gen 3 processor.

It uses deep learning algorithms to provide that added detail to the images.

You can see the added details around edges of objects and faces and also more definition when you see close ups of hair and animal fur.

It’s not as good as native 8K video and it’s better than 4K so it’s a happy medium until more native 8K content shows up.

The black levels on the LG 75-inch Nano99 Series 8K TV are not in the same class as an OLED TV but it’s not far behind.

The Nanocell technology behind this TV is very similar to the QLED technology used in Samsung TVs.

Another feature that adds to the picture quality is the Full Array Dimming Pro which can intelligently handle backlight zones to deliver the right amount of brightness and contrast.

Dolby Vision IQ also comes into play to adjust to optimise the content and to also adjust for the ambient lighting conditions.

It also supports HDR10 and HDR10 Pro to endure you’re getting the brightest colours all the way through to incredible detail in the darker areas of the scene.

We also watched a lot of sport on the LG 8K TV and the Motion Pro feature did a great job so even the fastest movements were still smooth as silk with hardly any distinguishable blur.

There’s also Filmmaker mode which offers a more cinematic experience and presents the movie the way the filmmaker intended which means motion smoothing is turned off to give it a real film-like feel.

Filmmakers feel like motion smoothing technology, while it tidies a few things up on the screen, is like applying Photoshop to an image.

We can understand why they want to their films to not have this artificial brush applied.

When we used this mode we preferred to watch the movie with the lights out because there was not much optimisation for brightness.

Bottom line – this is a TV that will reward you in the near future when there’s a wave of 8K content.

But for now, the quality you get from the TV’s upscaling is still a good reason to invest in this TV.

SOUND

We’ve always subscribed to the notion that good audio plays as big a part as the picture quality when it comes to enjoying content especially when watching movies and sport.

The LG 75-inch Nano99 Series 8K TV delivers on this front as well.

The TV’s built-in speakers have 60W output and Dolby Atmos that, when watching compatible content, can provide a virtual surround sound experience.

On its own the Dolby Atmos does an impressive job and you can hear sounds around you and above.

We had the LG SN11 soundbar sent with the LG 8K for our review.

It includes rear speakers and a separate powered subwoofer and its Dolby Atmos went to the next level.

From the TV itself you’re kind of getting Dolby Atmos light but the regular audio is quite strong on its own.

But when you add the LG SN11RG soundbar it takes he audio to a whole new level.

PRICE

The price of the LG 75-inch Nano99 Series 8K TV on the LG Australia website is listed as $10,199 but we’ve seen it in stores for as low as $7,199 – a $3000 difference.

But even at more than $7000 it’s not cheap. But you have to remember you’re not only getting a 75-inch TV but 8K in the deal as well.

And, most importantly, a TV that’s going to get better once more 8K content is available. When that happens you’ll be in the box set.

VERDICT

The stunning LG 75-inch Nano99 Series 8K TV delivers a brilliant audio visual experience. While there’s not a lot of 8K content right now, the upscaling does an amazing job in the meantime. But when there is more 8K, you’ll be glad you made the investment.

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