TVs are the classic spectacle of CES, and this year Samsung, LG, Sony, and dozens of other companies have returned to Vegas with their latest and greatest 4K HDR models. Sony has made a major shift to OLED for its flagship set, and LG introduced a new 4K TV that’s impossibly thin. Amazon is building its Fire TV OS directly into inexpensive TV sets — just like Roku. And Chinese manufacturer Hisense has brought a massive 100-inch TV to the show. CES has TVs everywhere you turn, and these are the best of what’s here in 2017.
Jan 5, 2017
Xiaomi Mi TV 4 is 4.9mm thick and has AI content suggestions
Xiaomi has just announced its new television set, the Mi TV 4. The Mi TV 4 is a high-end set that features a 4.9mm thick frame, virtually no bezel, and a modular system that separates the panel from the rest of the electronics. In addition, the Mi TV 4 features Xiaomi’s “Patch Wall” software, which is said to be an AI system that can predict content based on what you’ve watched already. It comes with a soundbar that has 10 speakers, two wireless speakers, a subwoofer, and support for Dolby Atmos surround sound.
Read Article >Xiaomi will see the 65-inch version of the Mi TV 4 in China for “well under $2,000” including the full soundbar setup later this year. 59-inch and 49-inch versions will also be available.
Jan 5, 2017
Sony is finally releasing a 4K Blu-ray player for the masses
Sony has announced a new Ultra HD Blu-ray player with 4K and HDR support — the UBP-X800. The company is calling the X800 its “first” UHD player, but it did previously announce a similar device last September, the UBP-X1000ES. But, the latter product was part of Sony’s professional ES series, available only through custom installations, while the X800 will be sold to a wider market. You know, through shops.
Read Article >The X800 appears to be identical to the X1000ES in terms of design, though, meaning it’s a fairly anonymous-looking device. (The X1000ES itself cribs from the design of the 4K streaming box, the UHP-H1.) The X800 can play UHD Blu-ray discs, stream in 4K from services like Netflix, and supports HDR or high dynamic range content. It also works with Blu-ray 3D, DVD, and CD, and has a USB port for other digital content. In terms of audio specs, it supports playback up to 192kHz/24-bit and DSD 11.2MHz1. It also has integrated Bluetooth to work with wireless headphones.
Jan 5, 2017
Sony's new short throw 4K projector is $25,000 and brutally beautiful
Oh man, oh boy. Look at this thing.
Read Article >Sony made what is ostensibly a 4K short throw projector, but all I'm seeing is a $25,000 chunk of delicious black metal.
Jan 5, 2017
Sony just announced a jaw-dropping OLED Bravia 4K TV with Dolby Vision HDR
Sony CEO Kaz Hirai Vlad SavovSony just revealed its XBR-A1E Bravia 4K OLED TV here at CES 2017, the company’s flagship TV of 2017. The news confirms Sony’s rumored, big shift in display technology for the living room. OLED TVs have been LG’s thing over the last several years, with most other TV makers focused on LCD panels. But now — finally — there’s some pretty significant competition coming in.
Read Article >Sony says that moving to OLED allows it to offer a TV with “unprecedented black levels, rich and lifelike color, dynamic contrast, blur-less image, and a wide viewing angle.” LG would probably disagree with the whole “unprecedented” thing, but it probably holds true compared to Sony’s previous televisions. Sony isn’t actually producing OLED screens; they’re likely being provided by LG Display (which is separate from LG Electronics and the competing TV business). The company declined to identify the vendor of its OLED displays.
Jan 4, 2017
Hisense continues its US push with a 100-inch Laser TV
Another year of CES means another year of Hisense attempting to take over the US TV market, and 2017 is no different. This time around, Hisense is bringing out the big guns, with a massive 100-inch Laser 4K TV as its flagship device.
Read Article >Utilizing a short-throw projector, Hisense’s Laser TV projects a 4K HDR picture onto the included screen over HDMI or USB. The TV also features wide color gamut support and comes with a 5.1 sound channel system, with two rears and a subwoofer included in the bundle. For $13,000 that’s a pretty good deal for those who can afford it.
Jan 4, 2017
Samsung says its new QLED TVs are better than OLED TVs
Samsung is challenging the notion that OLED TVs represent the pinnacle of picture quality in the living room. Tonight at CES 2017, the company unveiled its latest flagship televisions, the QLED series. It’ll be available in three models: the Q9, Q8, and Q7. Samsung says that QLED TV represents its best achievement in image quality and viewing experience yet.
Read Article >Of course Samsung would say that at an event meant to showcase said product. But the company insists it’s made very real improvements compared to the flagship TVs it unveiled only a year ago. One of those upgrades pertains to brightness. The QLED TVs reach a peak brightness between 1,500 and 2,000 nits — up from the 1,000 peak from 2016’s lineup.
Jan 4, 2017
LG’s new flagship 4K OLED TV is stunningly thin
LG is defending its champion-of-TV-picture-quality crown here at CES 2017. For a few years running, the company’s dedication to OLED sets has earned it rave reviews and the loyalty of home theater buffs. It’s been rumored that LG is (finally) about to get some competition in OLED 4K TVs from Sony, so this year the company needs to find another way to stand out. And it’s doing that through presentation. This is the new LG Signature 4K OLED W series. The W stands for wallpaper and refers to the TV’s new “picture-on-wall” design. It’s a two-part system: the main display up top, and a Dolby Atmos soundbar below it. That soundbar also houses the TV’s primary guts, HDMI inputs, and so on.
Read Article >The screen itself is a 4K HDR OLED panel that measures just 2.57-millimeters thick. That’s the 65-inch model; the W also comes in a 77-inch size. But the point is that it’s very, very thin. Hard to believe thin. At 17 pounds (again, we’re talking the 65-inch version), it’s fairly light too.
Jan 3, 2017
Amazon Fire TV and Alexa will power new 4K TVs from a trio of third-tier brands
It seems like the era of every TV manufacturer needing its own custom and not-really-that-great operating system is over: we've entered The Age of Partnerships. Now you can get a TCL with Roku built in, a Vizio with Chromecast, or a Sony with Android TV. And, finally, Amazon's Fire TV OS is available in TV form. It's a great time to be alive and a consumer.
Read Article >Westinghouse, Element, and Seiki — all brands built by Tong Fang Global, and typically available at retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart — each have four new 4K TVs based on the Amazon Fire TV OS. There's actually zero info on what differentiates these TVs from each other outside the brand name and the four sizes (43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch), so let's focus on the similarities.