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Vizio adds Dolby Atmos to its latest home theater speakers
Vizio didn't just unveil bright HDR TVs as part of its spring announcements. The electronics giant has launched a trio of home theater systems that bring Dolby Atmos audio to the lineup. The 36-inch 5.1.2, 46-inch 3.1.2 and 46-inch 5.1.4 systems all pack the requisite upward-firing speakers to add a vertical dimension to your movies. Of course, Chromecast support and Bluetooth remain built-in. Vizio hasn't outlined pricing yet, but expects all three Atmos systems to arrive in the summer.
Vizio’s new P-series TV is its brightest yet
Today, Vizio announced a new flagship display, the 2018 P-Series Quantum 4K HDR Smart TV. It has up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness and is billed as Vizio's brightest TV so far. The bezel-less display also has an Active Full Array Max backlight with 192 local dimming zones for the company's "purest black levels." Quantum Color Spectrum technology means that this display can produce over one billion colors. A 240Hz refresh rate equals a natural, smoother picture. This 65-inch model is priced at $2,200.
Vizio SmartCast TVs now play nice with Alexa
Today, Vizio announced that owners of select TV models can now control displays with their voices, thanks to a new Amazon Alexa skill. All 2016 and 2017 SmartCast P-, M- and E-Series 4K models are compatible with this new feature. The 2018 Full HD and HD models will also be able to take advantage of the Alexa skill in coming weeks.
Some mobile games are listening to what children watch
Just in time for the new season of Black Mirror, another report of a company using smartphones to listen in on users has surfaced. The New York Times reported this week that a number of apps are using software produced by a startup called Alphonso and it uses a smartphone's microphone to listen for particular audio signals in TV shows, advertisements and movies. In many cases, Alphonso then has Shazam identify what those audio snippets are and all of the collected data can then be sold to advertisers who can use it to better target their ads.
The best TVs and media streamers to give as gifts
Unless the person on your list already owns a smart TV, media streamers are almost fool-proof as far as gift ideas go, and they're reasonably affordable too. We put several in our holiday gift guide, including the Apple TV 4K at the high end and the Roku Ultra, which is nearly half the price. Rounding out the list, we recommend this universal remote from Logitech (though the company's cheaper models are solid, too). And, if you have the means to gift a TV (whether to yourself or someone else), we included two models in different price ranges.
The best audio gear to give as gifts
Maybe there's an audiophile on your list, or maybe you're shopping for someone who recently acquired a new phone and could use something better than the pack-in headphones. Either way, we have a slew of recommendations in the audio gear section of our holiday gift guide. On our list you'll find smart speakers from Google and Amazon alike, along with Sonos, whose new "One" speaker includes Alexa built in, with Google Assistant support coming soon. When it comes to headphones, our selections run the gamut from the affordable (Jabra's Move headset) to the high end (Bragi's Dash Pro wireless earbuds and these noise cancelling headphones from Sony), with a couple mid-range options in between. Rounding out the list, we have a soundbar, drum machine, synth app, the Amazon Echo Show and one of our favorite portable Bluetooth speakers. Find all that and many more items in our holiday gift guide, at the link below.
The best Black Friday deals 2017 (updated)
This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.
The best 4K TV on a budget
By Chris Heinonen This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read the full article here. After spending 80 hours testing new models for 2017, we found that the 55-inch TCL 55P607 is the best 4K TV if you're on a budget. Not only that, but it's also our pick for the best TV, period. Even when viewed side by side with TVs that cost two and a half times as much, the TCL won over our viewing panel. It's simply the greatest value we have ever seen in a 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 TVs add the Google Play video app
Vizio has been adding streaming apps to its smart TVs these past few weeks, including Netflix and Amazon Video. The latest addition to its streaming apps collection? Google Play Movies & TV. The company is making the app available on its high-end VIA+ and D-series Smart TVs, giving you a way to buy or rent titles from the app without having to use a phone or tablet and a Chromecast or Roku.
Vizio adds Amazon Video to its list of SmartCast TV apps
Earlier this week, we reported that Vizio was finally integrating Smart TV apps directly into its displays; previously, owners of these Vizio models used an included Android tablet to download apps and cast to their TV. Now, Vizio has announced another app will be added to its onboard SmartCast TV platform: Amazon Video.
The best gear for building a home theater in your dorm
To the extent that your shoebox of a dorm will be your home for the next nine months, you should do whatever you can to make it feel cozy and inviting. To that end, we've included some home-theater items in our back-to-school guide, and we've ensured everything is reasonably compact (you can hold off on your first 65-inch set until you have your very own pad). From media streamers to speakers to a handful of small- to medium-sized TVs, you have options if you want to upgrade from watching Netflix off your 13-inch laptop.
Vizio adds the streaming apps its new TVs were missing
One of the more unique features of Vizio's smart TV lineup is that some models use an Android tablet to cast streaming services to the displays. That's rather than having apps baked directly into the TVs themselves. The TV manufacturer is rolling out an update for its 2017 models that adds apps directly to the displays themselves -- no casting necessary.
The best audio gear for students
There's a strong case to be made for investing in quality audio gear at any period in your adult life. For college students in particular, though, a good set of speakers can be icebreakers as much as gateways into audiophilia. As such, we've included three options in our back-to-school buyer's guide, along with a turntable and amplifier, should you be more creatively inclined. Content to just listen to music and podcasts on the way to class? We have a few headphones you should check out, too.
Inside LeEco's spectacular fall from grace
With additional reporting by Chris Ip and Richard Lai. Behind the doors of the five-star Bohao Radegast Hotel in Beijing's central business district on Monday, troubled Chinese tech conglomerate LeEco held an extraordinary shareholder's meeting to elect new directors. Outside, some two dozen protesters set up tables and held up signs asking to be paid what they were owed for services rendered. According to multiple reports, they had come from 20 cities all over China and were reportedly due about 33 million yuan (around $5 million) in all. Many of them demanded to see Jia Yueting, but the company's billionaire founder and public face was nowhere to be seen. LeEco's fall from grace has been spectacular. Once hailed as the "Netflix of China," the daring startup and its then-outspoken founder were bold enough to challenge Tesla and criticize Apple as "outdated." But in recent months, the company has faced a series of setbacks, and may be reaching its breaking point. Jia stepped down as chairman and CEO in May, while the company continues to fend off unhappy vendors who are protesting outside its Beijing headquarters. On the other side of the Pacific, LeEco has also massively scaled back its American operations, laying off hundreds of workers in the process, while facing two lawsuits from US TV maker Vizio. Faraday Future, a futuristic car company with close ties to LeEco, recently canceled its plans to build a $1 billion plant in Nevada as well. This is the tale of a company that grew too quickly. It shows how a ravenous appetite for growth without a solid financial foundation can cause a business to topple. Simply tracing LeEco's cash flow is a Herculean task, since its financial activity is obscured by a dizzying organizational structure comprising a publicly listed holdings company, privately owned organization and dozens of subsidiaries. It's incredible that LeEco was able to continue operations for as long as it did without getting into any real legal trouble. But since 2016, it has been slammed with several lawsuits. Manufacturing partners in Asia, including Zhejiang Haosheng Electronic Technology, Compal Electronics and Truly International Holdings have sued for outstanding debt. The most recent significant case was Vizio's $100 million claim for a failed $2 billion acquisition. From interviews Engadget conducted with unpaid vendors, former employees and investors, some of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concern for their careers, it became apparent that LeEco's future may be in serious trouble.
Vizio sues LeEco in the wake of their failed $2 billion deal
This time last year we heard the surprising Hollywood announcement that Chinese company LeEco would acquire Vizio in a deal worth $2 billion. Unfortunately, like so many of LeEco's recent plans, that arrangement never went through, with the two companies formally calling things off in April. Now, the Orange County Business Journal reports that Vizio has filed two separate lawsuits against LeEco, accusing the company of making false claims while arranging the acquisition. One lawsuit, filed in US District Court in LA seeks $60 million in damages, while another filed with the Superior Court of the State of California-County of Orange in Santa Ana seeks $50 million, plus other relief.
Vizio's color-rich M- and P-series 4K TVs go on sale
Vizio's 2017 M-series TVs were intriguing when we saw them in April. In some ways, you're getting better image quality than far more expensive sets. And now, you can give them a try -- the company has started shipping its latest M- and P-series TVs in the US. The mid-range M line is actually more affordable than we first heard: it starts at $700 for a 55-inch model and tops out at a still reasonable $2,500 for a 75-inch variant. The higher-end P-series ranges from $1,000 at 55 inches to $3,500 for 75 inches. As we mentioned earlier in the year, there are some worthwhile upgrades (particularly in the M-series) -- at least, so long as you didn't want that included Android tablet from last year.
TBS, TNT launch new streaming apps and redesign old ones
Just a few years ago, Turner was newly entering live streaming game, promising TBS and TNT apps that would allow subscribers to watch across multiple platforms and screens. Now in 2017, it's ready to "reimagine" the streaming experience with redesigned websites as well as apps for iOS, Apple TV, Android and Amazon Fire. New apps are extending to other platforms including Chromecast, Roku and Vizio's Smartcast. Of course, you'll still need to be a subscriber to some TV package in order to get full access, but the apps will stream immediately to let viewers get a taste before they log in. Once viewers are all set, they'll be able to easily pause and resume across different devices, and the networks say apps are on the way for game consoles and other connected TVs later this year. Finally, there's also integration for something called Vizbee that is said to allow casting from a mobile device to connected screens without a special app or plug-in, although it's not clear which platforms that will work on.
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.
Vizio's $250 soundbar hosts Google Assistant and Chromecast
Vizio may have been knocked by LeEco after its $2 billion buyout deal was cancelled, but the company's not going to fall into a grief-stricken funk. The home theater business has announced a new raft of soundbars that work with Google Assistant and come with Chromecast built in. Leading the pack is the SmartCast 36", which packs 5.1 wireless sound, the promise of crystal-clear dialog and a wireless subwoofer. Vizio had trouble with its soundbars working with Spotify via Chromecast in the past, so hopefully its remedied that issue. This new model is on sale right now, setting you back $250, while smaller options in the same range will cost less, obviously.
