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Amazon's latest Fire TV Stick offers 4K for $50
After years of offering 4K playback on its higher-end Fire TV devices, Amazon is ready to bring that extra resolution to its most affordable hardware. With a base of active users that's 25 million strong, it's launching the Fire TV Stick 4K, delivering Ultra HD and HDR streaming through an HDMI dongle that costs a modest $50. The stealthy device isn't as affordable as Roku's $40 Premiere, but it's also billed as the first media stick to support Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and HDR10+. You won't have to settle for lower-quality output just to save some cash or avoid using your TV's built-in apps.
LG unveils one of the cheapest 4K HDR monitors yet
The price of gaming-oriented HDR monitors continues to drop, judging by a new model from LG. The 32UK550-B has 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution, supports HDR10, covers 95 percent of the DCI-P3 color range and supports AMD's FreeSync tech at up to 60 Hz. It also supports over a billion colors and is factory calibrated, all for less than $500. The monitor is only available in Japan for now, but is likely to come to North America and Europe as well. .
Epson's latest LCD projector does 4K for $2,000
If you need another option for a 4K projector that won't completely break the bank, Epson recently introduced this Home Cinema 4010. Like the BenQ HT-2550 projector we reviewed earlier this year, it's doing a bit of trickery to hit that 4K-resolution number. While Epson uses three LCDs instead of DLP, it's still applying "pixel shifting" to the output of three 1080p microdisplays. I haven't seen this projector or its slightly pricier Pro Cinema 4050 sibling introduced at CEDIA, but in my experience, it's very difficult to tell apart from native 4K projector technology in practice.
'FIFA 19' demo gives you an early taste of The Journey this week
It's that time of year again: FIFA demo season. The demo's 2019 installment for, you guessed it FIFA 19, will be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One September 13th, around two weeks before the full game. The playable teaser features 10 teams total including UEFA Champions League clubs Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
8K TVs are coming, but ignore the hype
It's time to throw out your 4K TV, 8K is here! Well, not quite. At IFA in Berlin this week, Samsung, LG and TCL showed off their upcoming 8K sets. It's like a flashback to the early days of 4K in 2013 -- all of a sudden the video format we've been hearing about for years is finally gearing up to reach consumers. Samsung is planning to actually sell its 8K QLED TV, LG gave us a glimpse at the world's first 8K OLED TV. But is this actually a huge leap beyond 4K? That's where things get complicated.
Dolby Vision HDR is ready for testing on Xbox One
Microsoft promised Dolby Vision HDR support for the Xbox One and starting today, testers with an Xbox One S or Xbox One X (and a compatible 4K TV) can try it out with Netflix streaming. Dolby's expansion on HDR10 -- that already drastically improves the capabilities for lighting and contrast -- adds 12-bit color support plus features for content publishers to adjust settings for the best lighting and color in each scene. Most owners of Ultra HD TVs with Dolby Vision and 4K probably already have an app built-in that will stream the right content, but now they can enjoy it without switching back and forth. There's still no word on support for Dolby Vision-ready 4K Blu-ray discs, but at least this step is done.
Sony's new 4K projectors are designed for gaming and sports
Sony has unveiled three new 4K projectors with some nice features for gamers, sports fans and cinephiles, if you can afford them. The new models offer true 4K at 60 fps (not pixel-shifted 4K, as with Benq's HT-2550 and other budget models), 10-bit color and HDR capability, perfect for 4K Blu-ray and Netflix streaming. They're also better for gaming, thanks to a new "lag-reduction" feature, though Sony didn't specify exactly how much better. Finally, there's a new 4K "Motionflow" frame-smoothing feature, which is terrible for movies (seriously, turn that off) but better suited for fast-moving sports.
Dell unveils slim USB-C monitor with super-bright HDR
You can certainly find HDR monitors, but those that exist tend to barely meet the official DisplayHDR standards or are too large for most people. Dell may have hit the sweet spot, however. It's introducing the Dell 27 USB-C Ultrathin (S2719DC for short), which packs bright DisplayHDR 600 visuals into a 27-inch, 1440p display that measures just under 0.22 inches thick at its slimmest point. If you don't mind the absence of 4K, it's potentially ideal for movie marathons. And as the name implies, USB-C can turn it into a laptop dock by delivering data, a display signal and up to 45W of power through one cable.
HDR10+ support comes to Samsung and Panasonic 4K TVs (updated)
Samsung's upstart HDR10+ format took a big step in its fight against Dolby Vision for HDR supremacy. The group announced that Panasonic and Samsung have deployed HDR10+ firmware to select 2018 4K TVs, and that 20th Century Fox will start encoding new films using the tech. That means if you buy a new 4K TV from Samsung or Panasonic, you'll soon be able to watch programs that look better than those encoded with regular HDR10.
Netflix's Calibrated Mode promises perfect images on Sony's new TVs
Tweaking your TV to get the perfect balance of color, contrast and clarity to make your favorite shows and movies really pop can be a pain. To help you out, Netflix aims to tune your TV to the ideal settings for its content catalog with its Calibrated Mode. The companies teamed up to create Calibrated Mode, which you'll only find on A9F OLED and Z9F LED TVs for the foreseeable future.
Sony unveils world's first 48-megapixel smartphone sensor
Is it best to have a high-resolution smartphone camera or a lower-resolution one with better light sensitivity? Sony says you can have both with its latest stacked CMOS image sensor. The IMX586 has the "industry's highest pixel count" with 48 megapixels, bettering high-end cameras like its own A7R III, all squeezed into a phone-sized 8.0 mm diagonal unit. At the same time, four adjacent pixels can be added together during low light shooting, yielding a 12-megapixel sensor that delivers "bright, low noise images," Sony said.
How Mission Impossible made the leap to 4K and HDR
Mission Impossible is an unusual film franchise. It's spanned more than 22 years and five directors, each bringing his own distinctive touch to Tom Cruise's increasingly over-the-top escapades. Brian De Palma's 1996 film, which kicked off the series, hearkens back to classic '70s conspiracy thrillers while John Woo's Mission Impossible 2 is pure '90s action blockbuster excess, complete with dueling motorcycles, elaborate shootouts and his signature doves. To prime audiences for the next film, Fallout, Paramount re-released the entire Mission Impossible series on 4K Blu-ray last month. The new discs are not only a huge upgrade for cinephiles but also a fascinating glimpse at how studios can revive older films for the 4K/HDR era.
Philips' extra-bright 4K HDR monitor is now available for $1,000
If you've been salivating at the thought of Philips' (technically, EPI's) ultra-bright HDR monitor, you can now do more than clean up the mess you've left on the floor. The Momentum 43" 4K HDR Quantum Dot Monitor is now available from Amazon and Best Buy for a cool $1,000. That's a lot to pay for a computer screen, but it's also charting new ground -- this is the first PC monitor to support the DisplayHDR 1000 spec, promising 1,000cd/m2 brightness in scenes that call for it (say, staring at a bright sky) without crushing low-light detail. EPI also touts a wide, accurate color gamut that's particularly good at tackling dark reds and greens.
Ask Engadget: What laptop specs should I look for if I use a monitor?
The support shared among readers in the comments section is one of the things we love most about the Engadget community. Over the years, we've known you to offer sage advice on everything from Chromecasts and cameras to drones and smartphones. In fact, our community's knowledge and insights are a reason why many of you participate in the comments. We truly value the time and detail you all spend in responding to questions from your fellow tech-obsessed commenters, which is why we've decided to bring back the much-missed "Ask Engadget" column. This week's question asks how to select a new laptop for a user who relies on an external monitor set-up. Weigh in with your advice in the comments -- and feel free to send your own questions along to ask@engadget.com! I'm shopping for a new Windows 10 laptop or 2-in-1. Given the small size screen, I'd like to connect it to a large monitor, keyboard and mouse on my desk. Can you discuss things a buyer should consider to make this work well? I'm thinking of concerns such as matching screen resolution, touchscreens, single-cable connection and ports (e.g., USB 3.0, USB-C, SD card reader, laptop power, charging).
Netflix’s pricier ‘Ultra’ tier is inevitable
Netflix took Hollywood by storm with insights on customer data, bold decisions and a blank checkbook. But if the streaming service is going to spend as much as it does, it's either going to have to significantly grow its audience or find a way of making more money out of its existing customers. One way might be to get users to pay an additional €3 ($3.50) each month in order to view the streaming service's growing library of HDR content.
HDR10+ is one step closer to reaching your TV
Samsung, Panasonic, 20th Century Fox and Amazon are one step closer to giving Dolby Vision a run for its money. Companies now have easy access to the open, royalty-free HDR10+ standard thanks to a just-launched program that lets manufacturers prove TVs, monitors and other devices can handle the upgraded picture format. If the firms pass muster, they can slap an HDR10+ logo on their hardware to guide customers. The alliance didn't immediately line up partners that would go through this process, although it's safe to presume that Samsung and Panasonic will be first in line.
Parrot's folding 4K drone is ready to take on DJI's Mavic Air
Parrot may have scaled back its drone division and shifted some of its focus toward workers, but that doesn't mean it's downplaying the consumer side of things. If anything, it's ramping things up. The company has unveiled the Anafi, a folding drone that takes some not-so-subtle potshots at DJI's Mavic Air. It's not just the portability -- the Anafi touts a 21-megapixel camera that promises 4K HDR video at 100Mbps, including 2.8X lossless zoom. The camera isn't good as the Mavic Air's in some respects, as it's only using two-axis mechanical stabilization (software and a wide lens handle the third axis). Still, it represents a big improvement over the 1080p video and no-gimbal design of Parrot's Bebop drones.
How to buy an HDR monitor
High dynamic range (HDR) TVs and projectors have been around for years now, but PC displays have been the neglected stepchild. It was only just last year that HDR monitors like Dell's UltraSharp 27 4K started to appear. Luckily, things changed for the better when VESA unveiled a new standard, DisplayHDR, which set a baseline for PC HDR displays. While a number of models conform to the standard, many others still don't but are nonetheless worthy of your consideration.
iPhone X is the latest device to stream YouTube HDR video
YouTube's high-dynamic range (HDR) video has already been available on select Android phones for a while now, including the Galaxy S8, Pixel, LG V30 and Xperia XZ Premium. Now Apple users can check out HDR videos on their iPhone X devices, too. We've also confirmed that the feature exists on our own iPhone X.
'PES 2019' hits PC, PS4 and Xbox One on August 28th
If you'd rather not support EA's definitions of "gambling" and "loot boxes" but still want to play virtual soccer football, maybe this year's Pro Evolution Soccer from Konami will tickle your fancy. PES 2019 will be in stores August 28th (US) and August 30th (Europe) for Steam, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It'll feature 4K HDR video across "all capable platforms," too. Hopefully that means support for the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X in addition to PC. Earlier last month it was revealed that the franchise would lose its license for the Champions League teams and players, and Konami hasn't provided any information yet on what will replace them. However, its announcement trailer for the new game features and awful lot of David Beckham, and there will even be an edition of the game named after Posh Spice's husband. The game is up for pre-order right now, and we'll probably get answers to our burning questions about which leagues and stadiums will be featured next month at E3.
