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The Xperia XZ Premium may be the 4K flagship we've been waiting for
After a mostly disappointing year of Sony smartphones (ahem, Xperia X and X Performance), the company might have just built its finest yet. Say hello to the Xperia XZ Premium, a high-performance sequel to last year's XZ that ticks just about every box on our list when it comes to flagship devices. The few things the XZ didn't exceed out early expectations on might be the device's undoing, but for now, Sony seems to have gotten enough right that we're willing to see where the XZ Premium takes us.
Dolby Vision software promises HDR on more of your devices
Wonder why you can only get Dolby Vision's high dynamic range video on a limited number of devices? It's because you've needed specialized hardware -- if a device wasn't designed with Vision in mind, you're out of luck. Expect to see it in many more places before long, though. Dolby tells Forbes that Vision is now available in pure software form, enabling its take on HDR for any reasonably capable device. In theory, your console, media hub or TV can get Vision support through an update. It could also lower the cost of including Vision by avoiding the cost of dedicated components.
Sony's $300 Ultra HD Blu-ray player will arrive in March
Last month we got our first look at 2017's best electronics, in the next few months some of them will start hitting shelves, and in between, we're getting pricing information. Sony's taken the wraps off of details for much of its XBR TV lineup (with the exception of that high-end A1E OLED model), which all pack Android TV and Google Assistant for control of other smart home devices and multiroom audio. They're also ready for all kinds of HDR, with support for HDR-10 out of the box, plus Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) and Dolby Vision coming later in the year.
Logitech's 4K webcam will make your chats more cinematic
If you've got a stylist, makeup artist and really fast internet connection, you're ready for Logitech's 4K Pro Brio webcam. It not only comes with high-resolution 4K at 30 fps (4,096 x 2,160), but also HDR, a 5X digital zoom and infrared facial detection tech that works with Windows Hello logins. We're not sure about Logitech's claim that it's the first 4K webcam, but it's certainly one of the best -- and it should be, for $200.
NVIDIA updates older Shield TVs for 4K HDR game streaming
Remember when we told you the old NVIDIA Shield TV would be getting the new units smarts via firmware update? It's rolling out now as part of an over-the-air patch, TechCrunch has noticed. That means 4K HDR for NVIDIA's GameStream (which lets you broadcast titles from your gaming rig) as well as the newly added Amazon Prime app. (Netflix was already broadcasting in 4K HDR on the box last year.) Of course, if you really want to upgrade your Shield experience, you'll need to pony up for the new game controller. But hey, $60 is a lot cheaper than $200 for the new streaming device itself.
Sony's Kaz Hirai: 4K and HDR are here, robots are coming
By all accounts, Sony played it safe at CES this year. Outside of an OLED TV that projects sound from its screen, the company was light on game-changing product announcements. So when I sat down with Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai for an exclusive interview, we focused on the topic that's been on everybody's lips this week: artificial intelligence. Last July, Hirai announced that Sony was reinvesting in AI in a big way for the first time since cutting funding in 2006. He says its ambitions go far beyond a refreshed Aibo, but not to rule out the possibility of robopup resurrection. As to whether we should be worried about our autonomous K9s turning into agents of a robot uprising? Hirai says it's up to companies like his to keep the AI hounds at bay. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.
Sony's $25K projector fulfills the dream of putting a screen anywhere
Sony has shown off pricey Life Space projectors at CES before, but this short-throw model is the first to bear its high-end ES label. Like other short-throw projectors, this one is made to project a large (100-inch) image on a wall from as close as 6 inches. That kind of capability means it can blend into a room instead of requiring a dedicated home theater. It will require dedication from your budget, however, thanks to its staggering $25,000 price tag. Naturally, it is 4K and HDR compatible and will go on sale in April. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.
Panasonic follows LG with its first OLED TV
You don't have to opt for LG to get OLED now that Panasonic has announced the EZ1002. For its first OLED TV, the display is probably still the same one you'd get from LG, but Panasonic has tied this to its Studio Colour HCX2 processor, plus it has ISF calibration settings and is CALMAN compatible to help pros get the picture exactly right. Panasonic has applied for (but apparently not yet received) THX Certification and Ultra HD Premium certification and says the TV supports HDR 10 as well as Hybrid Log-Gamma HDR. Unfortunately, Dolby Vision support isn't mentioned anywhere, for the new TV or for the pair of Ultra HD Blu-ray players Panasonic announced. We'll see if a software update changes any of that, but with more Dolby Vision content on the way it could be an important line dividing these from other OLED or UHD Blu-ray options.
HDMI's new spec improves 8K, HDR and gaming
You're about to feel better if you've been holding back on buying a new TV. The HDMI Forum has unveiled a new specification for its namesake video connector, HDMI 2.1, and there's enough here to make enthusiasts happy. It now supports both very high resolutions and high frame rates. In particular, you can get 4K at a speedy 120Hz, and 8K at 60Hz (when 8K sets are ready). You'll even see 8K with high dynamic range, although you'll need new 48Gbps cables to experience this and other high-bandwidth features in all their uncompressed glory. Thankfully, there are some upgrades that shouldn't take years to reach your living room.
TCL adds Dolby Vision HDR to more of its 4K Roku TVs
Today at CES, Roku unveiled 25 new Roku 4K TVs for the North American market, lowering the price bar for Dolby Vision HDR tech. As with past models, its latest C-series and P-series sets have built-in Roku streaming, giving you access to most smart TV and streaming services. TCL isn't exactly known for its great picture quality, but those lineups come with Dolby Vision HDR, giving you more colors, a brighter image and deeper blacks. And while such sets have generally cost $1,000 and up, the 50-inch P-series TV will launch for an affordable $500.
Warner, Universal and Lionsgate promise Dolby Vision 4K Blu-ray discs
Ultra HD Blu-ray already features high-dynamic-range (HDR) video for better colors and contrast, but now a few more studios are promising to support the expanded Dolby Vision standard on their disc releases. Warner Bros., Universal and Lionsgate are on the list, although there's no mention of which movies will be released that way this year.
LG's latest 4K TVs deliver better color through 'nano cells'
If your TV line already has 4K, HDR and all the other buzzwords that promise top-tier image quality, what do you do next? For LG, the answer is simple: make sure everyone sees those colors. It just unveiled its Super UHD TV line for 2017, and all three models (the SJ8000, SJ8500 and SJ9500) revolve around Nano Cell LCDs whose uniformly-sized particles promise more accurate and consistent colors, even when you're watching from an off-center position. The technology absorbs excess light wavelengths, preventing unwanted color bleeding (such as from green to blue or yellow), fading and other effects that reduce the vibrancy of the picture.
Samsung's second-gen UHD Blu-ray player helps simplify HDR
Next week at CES Samsung will debut its second Ultra HD Blu-ray player, along with new "Ultra High Quality" (UHQ) audio hardware. The M9500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player looks like any other deck, however, Samsung says it will be able to automatically set TV and audio levels by optimizing the content playing. That goes for HDR video, as well as Atmos or DTS-X audio. It also has built-in Bluetooth for private audio streaming to headphones, which is a nice touch, but already supported by a number of new TVs, and display 360-degree photos or videos streamed from mobile devices.
DirecTV spreads 4K around to more customers, businesses
If you're trying to get access to 4K video through DirecTV, now you don't have to pick up its most expensive TV packages for access. TVPredictions confirmed with AT&T that almost all customers (anyone with the Select plan or higher) can watch the three 4K channels with NBA and other content. You'll still need a Genie HR54 DVR and an Ultra HD television, of course, but previously, for 4K customers needed Ultimate or Premier service plans that could cost twice as much.
Samsung TVs now play YouTube videos in HDR
If you have a recent Samsung TV and want more high dynamic range content without having to buy a game console, you're in luck. Samsung's 2016 quantum dot and 4K TVs are getting support for HDR YouTube videos thanks to an updated YouTube app rolling out to sets worldwide starting in December. You now only have to visit a special HDR section in the software to find a library of extra-vivid videos -- no subscription services or dedicated media devices required. There's still going to be a relatively limited selection of clips given how new HDR is for YouTube as a whole, but it's an important step for making the color-rich technology available to a wider audience... and, of course, it's a good excuse to show off your new TV.
LG targets media pros and gamers with 4K HDR display
With an onslaught of products coming at CES 2017 in January, LG has decided to pre-announce its latest 4K HDR monitor. Its 32-inch, IPS panel-equipped 32UD99 supports the HDR10 standard that delivers pro-level 10-bit (over a billion) colors and a wide color gamut covering 95 percent of the DCI-P3 standard. The monitor should be ideal for new MacBook Pro owners, since Apple isn't making its own displays anymore. It supports 4K HDR with a single USB-C cable that can simultaneously charge your laptop and can also act as a USB hub. The company is also targeting color-sensitive gamers, saying it'll play well with new consoles that support HDR and or 4K, including the Playstation 4 Pro and the Xbox One S.
Oppo's first Ultra HD Blu-ray player is a tribute to physical media
Add one more Ultra HD Blu-ray player to the list, now that Oppo is ready to release its UDP-203. While the $550 deck doesn't include any 4K streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon or Vudu, it's all about high-end disc playback. It's also able to play Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD, DVD Audio, Super Audio CD and CD, if you just can't let physical media go. There are two HDMI outputs (in case your receiver isn't able to pass through 4K/HDR video) and one input.
Panasonic's OLED-fighting LCD is meant for professionals
Panasonic's salad days in the consumer TV space are in its past, but today the company announced a new IPS display technology that might help it win back some of the professional market. Essentially, it's making an LCD panel with the precision backlighting capabilities of an OLED. Thanks to a new backlight technology, these panels can turn off the backlight on a per-pixel basis, granting them an advertised " over 1,000,000:1" contrast ratio. Meaning that blacks will be absolutely black while whites could be eye-searingly bright — within the same image — and HDR and colors should look incredibly life-like.
Chromecast Ultra review: Better video quality comes at a cost
Google's first Chromecast was an ugly little stick that nonetheless served an important purpose: At $35, it was about the cheapest way to make a plain old TV "smart," letting people get Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and movies from Google Play on their televisions with zero fuss. But things have changed since the first Chromecast arrived in mid 2013. 4K TVs are becoming more and more commonplace while companies like Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and, yes, Google are battling to bring video to your living room. Also, if nothing else, just about every TV these days has built-in Netflix and YouTube apps. Into this crowded market comes the Chromecast Ultra, an update to the 2015 version that adds support for 4K high dynamic range (HDR) streaming. The thing is, that extra feature doubles the price: The Chromecast Ultra comes in at $69. It's no longer in impulse-buy territory for most people, so the question is: Does this improved video quality warrant a purchase?
YouTube is now streaming HDR video
We knew it was coming, but it's finally here: YouTube is now streaming High Dynamic Range (HDR) video. Google announced today that it's enabled support for the the display technology, allowing viewers with HDR TVs and monitors to enjoy content with increased clarity, color range and contrast.
