Articles about Home Entertainment

Aluratek has introduced the PicStick Wireless HDTV Photo and Video Viewer, a device that effectively transforms any HDTV into a digital picture frame. The PicStick offers a wireless solution for sharing and displaying photos and videos on a larger screen. By connecting the device to an HDTV’s HDMI port and using the Frametime app, users can easily transmit media from smartphones, tablets, or computers, making it a practical tool for displaying digital content.

The PicStick eliminates the need for cables and complex setups, offering a more seamless experience for wireless transmission of photos and videos. Installation is straightforward, allowing users to enjoy their media on an HDTV in just a few minutes.

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Samsung has introduced a new giant television to its lineup with the launch of the 98” Crystal 4K TV (DU9000), now available here for $3,999.99. This model joins Samsung’s existing range of 98-inch models, which includes the Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED 4K, and QLED 4K options, catering to a growing consumer demand for larger screen sizes.

James Fishler, Senior Vice President of Home Entertainment at Samsung Electronics America, noted the shift in consumer preferences, stating, “Just a few years ago, 65” TVs were considered ‘big.’ Today, people want even bigger screens.” He revealed that sales of 98-inch TVs have surged nearly 15-fold over the past year, underscoring a significant trend toward super-sized home entertainment options.

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Today, Yamaha announces two new devices destined to delight audiophiles. The SR-B40A sound bar with a wireless subwoofer and the SR-B30A sound bar with built-in subwoofers are the newest additions to Yamaha's line of Dolby Atmos sound bars.

"The spike in Dolby Atmos usage, whether it's for movie nights, binge-watching favorite shows, enjoying music, or indulging in gaming sessions, has fundamentally changed the way we perceive home theater systems," states Alex Sadeghian, Director of Consumer Audio at Yamaha Corporation of America. "Our new B40 and B30 sound bars are designed to simplify the process of creating an immersive auditory environment that truly brings Dolby Atmos content to life."

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Samsung has announced the latest addition to its 2023 television lineup, and boy, is it ever impressive. Called “83S90C,” it is an 83-inch OLED 4K TV. Mama Mia, that’s a big TV! With this new model, Samsung continues to expand its range of OLED TVs, offering consumers a wide variety of screen sizes, including 55-, 65-, 77-, and now 83-inches.

The 83-inch class OLED S90C TV should offer quite the beautiful picture, boasting pure blacks, infinite contrast, and vibrant colors, all powered by the Samsung Neural Quantum Processor. This intelligent processor leverages 8.3 million self-illuminating pixels to deliver content with breathtaking detail, showcasing the deepest blacks and over a billion shades of lifelike color. The color palettes featured on the screen are validated by Pantone, the industry-leading color experts.

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Online live TV is here to stay, but like its ancestors cable and satellite, it has occasional problems. Nothing is perfect, so you’ll always have a hiccup here and there. This may be one of the stranger problems I’ve encountered though. 

Sling, one of the leaders in this new online TV market, is currently roughly half down. No, that doesn’t mean a portion of subscribers lost service, it’s a bit more odd than that. 

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Streaming video has been a big deal for a while and for many it’s replaced cable and satellite services, with some choices offering live TV over the internet. You might think you'll save money by cutting the cord but really, voice of experience here, you'll end up paying just as much in the long run, depending on the services you choose to have. 

Yesterday, Netflix announced a price hike going into effect in the month of March. The price will be jumping from $13.99 per month for the standard plan to $15.49. The company today sent out an email to its considerable user base stating:

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Getting up this morning with a plan to turn on the news and see what’s going on? Or perhaps you want to watch any number of other things. Well, that may or may not work out for you. If you use Sling there’s a chance you’re down. 

The popular television service is currently experiencing an outage. There has been no official word from the company as of yet, but we’re awaiting a reply from them. This means we aren’t clear about much of anything -- how many users are affected, if there’s an expected resolution time or what exactly has caused the issue. 

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Sometimes those old sayings from our youth prove to be true. "Be careful what you wish for" is one that springs to mind.

It’s been over a month since Sling announced a fresh new interface update was on the way. Now it begins finally rolling out. One thing that is readily noticeable is that it truly is a brand new interface. Almost everything has changed. 

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If you are a cord-cutter, a phrase some people like to debate, then you may be familiar with a great way to get your local over-the-air channels. The service is called Locast, and it rebroadcasts all the OTA without the rabbit-ears. That fills one of the great empty spots that folks had when it came to getting rid of cable or satellite. 

Unfortunately, there are some rather powerful entities out there that don’t like this idea very much. Why? Because Locast doesn’t charge (although it does request a monthly "donation" to keep the stream flowing uninterrupted), so there’s no cut for them to take. On Tuesday, Locast was dealt a huge blow when Judge Louis Stanton said a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox would be allowed to proceed to trial.

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