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Amazon previews Prime Day deals before the shopping frenzy
Amazon claims Prime Day 2019 will be a "two-day parade of more than a million deals." The action starts July 15th and new deals will drop as often as every five minutes for a full 48 hours. Today, Amazon released a preview of what's to come.
Vizio's 2019 4K TVs arrive with promise of AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support
Vizio has released its 2019 4K TV lineup to the market and announced that Apple's AirPlay 2 and HomeKit will be coming to current and older models. While the company is best known for budget 4K TVs with impressive image quality, this time it's going after the premium market with its flagship P-Series Quantum X. The new 65-inch ($2,200) and 75-inch ($3,500) sets are pricier than you'd expect from Vizio, but feature quantum dot displays with 384 or 480 local dimming zones. That enables black levels nearly on par with OLED displays, but with brightness levels up to 3,000 nits.
Sony unveils the Bravia Master Series, its latest high-end TVs
Your quest for the best 4K TV just got a bit more complicated. Sony just announced the Bravia Master Series TVs, 4K sets powered by its new X1 Ultimate image processor. Naturally, the flagship A9F is an OLED TV, while the Z9F is a cheaper LED model. Thanks to that new processor, they pack in entirely new features, like object-based HDR remastering and super resolution. They're a bit wonky sounding, but ultimately, they should deliver a better looking picture. Sony also teamed up with Netflix for a new calibrated mode that will recreate the ideal settings for the streaming service's content.
The real star of Vizio's 2018 TV lineup is value
If you're in the market for a 4K TV this year, Vizio's latest lineup is filled with several compelling options. In fact, the only issue is that it might be tough to figure out which model is best for you. First, there's the new P-series Quantum, which is Vizio's brightest and most feature-packed TV ever. But the rest of the company's P- and M-series sets are also cheaper and better equipped than before. An abundance of choices is ultimately a good thing for shoppers, of course -- just be prepared to do your homework.
Our first look at Samsung's 2018 QLED TVs
Samsung practically stole the show at CES with its massive 146-inch MicroLED TV, The Wall. But that's not something most people will be able to afford. That's where the company's mainstay QLED 4K lineup comes in. At a media event in New York City today, Samsung unveiled its next generation of QLED TVs, which not only look better, but feature some genuinely useful improvements. They're an even better option for consumers who want to get rid of the typical cable clutter around their home theater, as well as those looking for smarter sets.
Retro tech, accessibility and the latest in the TV wars
There's so much news at CES, it can be hard to filter out the noise and find what matters. Thankfully, Engadget is here to help. A collection of your favorite editors got together toward the end of the show to have a conversation about the big trends and the announcements that excited them most. And, of course, Richard Lawler talked about TVs. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.
Live from LG's CES 2018 press conference!
Day zero of CES 2018 is here, and it's LG who is kicking off the tech hoopla. We'll likely see the company introduce some new OLED TVs and possibly even a smartphone, the "raspberry red" V30. Aside from that, you can expect LG to show off products like its tiny 4K projector and the 65-inch rollable TV, which was revealed a couple days ago. Whatever happens at the event, we're here to bring it to you live, so make sure to tune into this page at 8AM PT/11AM ET.
Make the jump to 4K and HDR in 2018
After years of hype, 4K video finally became something that mattered to consumers in 2017. But it wasn't just the pixel bump from HD video that made the difference. HDR, or high dynamic range video, along with support for a wider range of colors, ushered in some massive visual upgrades. Altogether, they add up to the home theater evolution we've been waiting for since the dawn of the high-definition era. And in 2018, it'll be something everyone can enjoy.
How to find the best 4K TV for your space
There has never been a better time to buy a new TV. Huge 4K sets are cheaper and look finer than ever. Perhaps more important, there are finally a few new technologies that make upgrading from your old set worth it: HDR (high dynamic range) video and a wider color gamut. And if your budget allows, OLED TVs are well within reach. It's easy to get overwhelmed with these new options, so let's break down what you need to know before buying a new TV.
The three TVs that made our buyer's guide
Hot on the heels of updating our buyer's guide, we have three more additions, and they're all TVs. Of all the models out there, we've edited our selection to just three: two reasonably priced ones, and another for the "money is no object" crowd. So which nabbed the crown? You might want to revisit our Best of CES Award winners for a hint.
Vizio's new M-series 4K TVs are its real 2017 highlight
Last year, Vizio wowed us with its P-series 4K TVs, which delivered premium picture quality at a price much lower than other companies. But Vizio's mid-range M-series sets also gained a reputation for being more affordable while still looking pretty good. This year, things are a bit different. Surprisingly, the 2017 P-series TVs are exactly the same as last year's model. But the newer M-series "XLED" sets received some useful upgrades that will make them even more compelling to shoppers looking for a good deal.
OLED TVs will finally take off in 2017
After years of taunting consumers with incredible picture quality but insanely high prices, OLED TVs are finally coming down to earth. Prices are falling, there will be even more models to choose from and, at least based on what we've seen from CES this year, LCD TVs aren't getting many upgrades. And of course, LG's stunning new W-series wowed us so much, it won both our Best TV and Best of the Best awards at CES. If you've been holding out on a 4K TV upgrade but haven't had the budget to consider OLED up until now, expect things to change this year.
LG's new OLED TVs are so thin they have to be wall mounted
LG has made a habit of wowing us with new 4K OLED TV sets at CES for the past few years, and this year isn't any different. With its insanely thin W-series, the company has managed to outdo its still-impressive G6 "Picture on Glass" TVs. LG's tagline for the W-series 4K sets -- "Picture on Wall" -- sums up their appeal. At just 2.6mm thin across their entire frame, they can be mounted completely flat against your wall. They look more like a work of modern art than any television I've seen.
Samsung's QLED 4K TVs look better, thanks to metal quantum dots
Here's the truth about most premium non-OLED 4K TVs today: They all look pretty good. But it's the small differences among them that make it tough to choose a new 4K set. As we move into 2017, prepare for those differences to get even more subtle. Case in point: Samsung just announced its new QLED 4K lineup at CES, which offers brightness, color and other improvements over last year's high-end SUHD lineup. Basically, it's yet another attempt to get LED TVs' picture quality on par with what you'd expect from an OLED set.
LG's mobile business just lost $67.8 million
If you were under any doubt that companies will struggle to make a profit from the smartphone business, you won't after today. LG has updated its financial results to reveal that the firm's mobile division lost $67.8 million in the last three months. That's in sharp contrast to the previous quarter, where the company could boast of squeaking a 1.2 cent profit from every handset that it sold. LG believes that the recent launches of both the Nexus 5X and V10 smartphones will help to wash away some of that pain. If executives were looking for reassurance, they'll get it from Sony which also posted its updated financial results today. The rival mega-conglomerate conceded that its own mobile division is losing $1.9 million every single day -- ouch.
4K, quantum dots and more: see the TV technology of CES 2015
Every year at CES, some of the most stunning visuals to be seen come from the TV manufacturers, and 2015 is no exception. Sure, 4K was the name of the game at this year's show, but there were also displays with four times that resolution on offer, too. And while most of the TVs were of the LCD variety, there were stunning sets using OLED and quantum dot tech to deliver better, brighter pictures, too. If you want to see more than just the TVs of CES, check out our 2015 Field Guide.
A return to American-made TVs, by way of the bathroom
It's a story we've heard from Apple, Google and Amazon. From humble beginnings, those companies grew into global giants. But countless other American companies start the same way; they just aren't household names. Yet. Séura, one of the few consumer electronics manufacturers still operating in America, traces its roots to the garage of Gretchen and Tim Gilbertson in Green Bay, Wisc.
Pioneer to start building TVs again, but not plasmas
Pioneer has announced that it'll re-enter the TV market as an exclusive brand for Dixons after it completely stopped making them in 2010. Unfortunately for fans of the sublime Kuro plasma displays, the company will only make 1080P LED models in 40-, 46- and 55-inch sizes. They'll get 3D and Smart TV capability along with a wide range of connection options, including HDMI, USB and WiFi. The new sets will be marketed and sold by Dixons in the Nordic countries at launch time in December, with plans to bring them to the UK at a later date. It's perhaps not surprising that Pioneer has no intention of going back to plasma and its low margins -- after all, even Panasonic is bowing out, despite all its fans.
Sharp announces first TVs with Moth-Eye technology: the AQUOS XL series
Sharp may look like it's in trouble, but that's not stopping it bringing new displays to the market, including today's announcement of the AQUOS Quattron 3D XL TV line. Behind the mouthful of acronyms, these LED-backlit LCD panels are the first to feature Sharp's Moth-Eye technology, designed to reduce glare and pump out bright colors, as well as a deep black. The company's 'four primary color' tech is partly responsible for the rich output, which squeezes a yellow sub-pixel in with the standard R, G and B. All the panels run at 1,920 x 1,080, as you'd expect, sport a 10 million to 1 contrast ratio and use five speakers to deliver audio. Prices aren't fixed, but the 46-, 52- and 80-inch models will be released in Japan on December 15th, while the 60- and 70-inch variants will come slightly earlier, on November 30th. You're going to have to be quick on launch day, though -- only 10,000 units are expected to be available in the first month.
Fujitsu demos ad transmission technology, sends info from TV to handset via smartphone camera (video)
Another easter egg at Fujitsu's CEATEC booth was a system for transmitting coupons, URLs and other digital information from a TV screen to a user's smartphone. We'll back up a bit: the data ends up on-screen in the first place thanks to information embedded in light flashing at various levels of brightness (the frame rate is too quick to be detected by the human eye). Theoretically, when a viewer is watching a commercial, they'll see a prompt to hold up their phone's camera to the screen, and doing so will bring up a corresponding coupon or website on their handset -- it takes about two to three seconds here for the recognition. The embedded information covers the entire panel, so users don't need to point their device at a particular section of the screen. In Fujitsu's demo, pointing a smartphone at the TV pulled up a website on the phone. It only took about a second for the URL to pop up on the device, and there was no noticeable flickering on the TV itself (essentially, the picture looks identical to what you'd see on a non-equipped model, since your eye won't notice the code appearing at such a high frequency). The company says this technology works at a distance of up to two or three meters. Head past the break to take a look at the prototype in action.