Latest news with #HDMI
Tom's Guide
21 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
I just gave my home the ultimate smart light upgrade — and I can control it all with my phone
Smart light bulbs just don't do it for me anymore. Yeah, it's cool that they can change colors, save me on my electricity bill, and can be controlled with voice commands, but they're so boring now. That's why some of the best smart lights nowadays come in different varieties besides light bulbs, and the one I just installed works perfectly with my TV. What makes the Wiz HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight different from other smart lights I've used is that they make the movie watching experience at home much more immersive. They're considered bias lighting due to how they add ambient light around my TV, matching up the colors and actions sequences I'm watching on screen. Not only were they a breeze to install, but I really love how they can be programmed to complement the ambiance of the room. Here's why it's the ultimate smart light upgrade. Enhance the way you watch movies at home with the Wiz HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight, which perfectly adds the right amount of ambient light to whatever you're watching. Best of all, you can pair it with your smart home for even more functionality, such as voice commands and other automations. I've installed other TV backlights, but the Wiz HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight differs from them because the LED light strips are all connected to one another — so there's no connectors to install myself to join two sets together. Plus, it's also super helpful that these strip lights already have an adhesive surface on them. After I strung the strip lights around the edge of my TV, I connected the entire set to the HDMI Sync Box — which I then connected my cable box to the input HDMI port, while another cable went to my TV. I downloaded the Wiz app, which guided me to connecting the TV backlights to my home's Wi-Fi network. All in all, the setup took me less than 10 minutes from start to finish. Again, what makes this a better set of TV backlights than others I've tested is that it uses the HDMI sync box to detect the feed and produce the accompanying color effects — whereas camera based TV backlights can often be inaccurate. Through the Wiz app, I can control the lights to better suit my preference. For example, I can set the brightness, saturation, and even the intensity of the light strips so they're just right on the eyes. Oftentimes, they can be too reactive and change colors too frequently — so having this option to tone it down makes it much more suitable. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. If that's not enough, I also like how I can manually set the colors of the TV backlights to match the ambiance of the room. Since I installed them on my bedroom TV, I like setting it to a warmer color temperature at night to match the lamps I have by my bedside. The argument over which one of you is getting out of bed to turn off the light is about to end. These easy-to-set-up LED bulbs can be controlled via the Hubspace smart home app, with color options across the entire spectrum. They're energy efficient, simple to use and programmable, so you can create the perfect lighting schedule for your home. Even though there's an automation feature within the Wiz app, I actually connected it to my Google Home to work better with the rest of my smart home. Not only can I control it through the Google Home app as well, but I really like how I can use voice commands to interact with the lights. So, instead of going through the steps of opening the Wiz app to select a color, I can just tell my Google Nest smart display (and speakers) to do it for me with simple voice commands — and yes, it does this with my phone too. On top of that, I've set an automation through the Google Home app to turn it on and off at specific times each day, while also selecting its color to match all the rest of the lights in the room. Once you start watching TV with them, you can't go back to anything else because of the immersive experience. The colors that radiate from the sides of my TV paint the surrounding walls, which amplifies the experience. I know I can't go back to anything else except this setup.
Gizmodo
a day ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
This 15″ Travel Monitor Is Nearly Free, Amazon Clears Out Its Stock With an Early Prime Day Deal
Portable monitors have quickly become a necessity for anyone who wishes to have an extra screen on the go, and now they're one of the best-selling items in the Electronics section on Amazon. If you've ever shelled out cash for a 15-inch 1080p portable monitor, you'll be well aware that the price usually ranges between $60 and $150, with the $60 price mark usually being set for the biggest sale days such as Black Friday or Prime Day. But Amazon has just released a deal that's hard to swallow: the Yxk portable monitor is now only $47, down from $59 (which is already down from its $82 original price). See at Amazon The Yxk portable monitor boasts a 15.6-inch full HD IPS display with a 1920×1080 resolution. This screen delivers sharp visuals and vibrant colors which is a great option if you're looking to add a second display to your laptop, desktop or even game console. The 178-degree viewing angle ensures that the picture remains clear and consistent from almost any position which is especially useful if you're sharing your screen during meetings or presentations. The monitor also comes with HDR support and a low blue light mode to decrease eye fatigue. Only 1.43 pounds in weight and just 0.31 inches thick, this travel monitor is designed for traveling and everyday portability. It slips perfectly into a laptop sleeve or backpack and you can take it to work or business trips. The built-in kickstand makes it simple to deploy anywhere and the angle is adjustable to fit your workspace. Regarding connectivity, it has two full-size USB-C ports and a mini HDMI port which allow you to connect to a lot of devices. Regardless of whether you're using a laptop, Mac, Android phone, PlayStation, Xbox or Switch, you can begin with one cable alone. To connect via USB-C, your host device will need to be Thunderbolt 3.0/4.0 or USB 3.1 Type-C DP Alt Mode compatible. At $47, this deal is truly exceptional: It's rare to see a portable monitor with these features at such a low price. See at Amazon
Stuff.tv
a day ago
- Stuff.tv
Why HDMI 2.2 is equal parts overkill and the future of TV and gaming
Version 2.2 of the HDMI Specification is here, because we weren't blazing ahead into eyeball-dazzling televisual overkill enough already. The new spec ramps up maximum bandwidth from 48Gbps to 96Gbps, and supports resolutions up to a whopping 16K resolution at 60Hz. That's 15,360x8640px. You could tile 16 4K images – or 64 1080p images – within the same space, if you were very bored and didn't have anything better to do. But come on: do we really need 16K? According to our team here at Stuff, no. And also, yes. 16K? Pfft. Just buy 16 4K TVs and a big tube of glue instead. Or something. Why I don't need 16K in my life Craig Grannell, regular Stuff contributor and irregular grumpy old person Maybe it's my age. OK, definitely my age. But as new specs whoosh past my face, there comes a point where I think: enough. Like with 16K. I come from a pre-HD world. Games with pixels so chunky you could cut yourself on them. Video so fuzzy that, when watching it today, you'd swear your internet was broken. So I'm not anti-upgrade. The leap from SD to HD was huge. 4K? Not so much, unless your TV covers an entire wall. So most upgrades have felt like diminishing returns, alongside diminishing bank accounts while trying to keep up. Or maybe it's my diminishing eyesight. But do eyes even support 16K? I'm reminded of audiophiles raving about remastered albums with audio ranges you'd need to be part bat, part elephant to appreciate. Can you really see 16K? 'Aha!' say some folks. 'It's not about size – it's about sharpness!' TVs and monitors as crisp as a phone's display, for pin-sharp footage when your nose is pressed up against the glass. Or a future of face-mounted gadgets for people who consider the vaguest hint of a visible pixel a crime against technology, humanity and reality. Fine. Maybe this is my own (wrongly attributed) Bill Gates quote. But rather than saying 640k is enough for everyone, I'm arguing for 4K. Or definitely 8K. Because it's not like we're drowning in 4K content, let alone 8K. 'But the future', you might cry, as your closing move. Sure. Good luck flinging 16K footage around without melting broadband and blowing up budgets. Still, if I'm wrong, feel free to dig up this column a decade from now while watching Captain Spider-Panther and the Miracle of Merch (Because We're Not Even pretending Now) in glorious 16K. Why I'm 16K all the way Tom Morgan-Freelander, Stuff deputy editor and irritatingly optimistic youngling If my glasses prescription is any indication, you really don't need 20/20 vision to spot the difference between HD and 4K – so imagine how much detail will be on show once Netflix starts streaming Is it Cake in glorious 16K. You'll almost be able to taste the frosting! OK, it'll take a lot more than a new HDMI spec before that happens. We need cameras with big enough sensors to film the content in the first place. The file sizes will be astronomical. And no commercially available screen has that many pixels. Sony would allegedly sell you one as early as 2019, if you had a cool $5 million – and space for a display 17 meters wide. The tech has come a long way since then, but 8K is still where most TV brands draw the line. HDMI 2.1 took two years to arrive, so the upgrade isn't going to appear overnight. Still, we've got to start somewhere, right? Black Magic, Red, Sony and Canon are almost certainly hard at work on the camera hardware; people far smarter than I are figuring out the algorithms to keep those file sizes in check; and ever-faster broadband speeds are laying the groundwork for 16K video at more than a frame per second. Having all those extra pixels to push in games might make the likes of Nvidia sweat a bit, but if that stops them obsessing over AI for even a moment then I'm all for it. It's not just resolution that has me excited about HDMI 2.2, either. Doubling the bandwidth means higher refresh rate gaming, so in theory the PlayStation 6 could spit out 4K images at 240Hz – or double what the PS5 can handle today. HDMI 2.1 goodies such as variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM) aren't going anywhere, and backwards compatibility is a given, so we're not having to give anything up in exchange. As noted philosopher Frasier Crane once said: 'if less is more, just imagine how much more more would be.'
Mint
a day ago
- Mint
HDMI 2.2 launches with doubled bandwidth and support for up to 16K resolution
HDMI Forum has officially launched the latest HDMI 2.2, which supports up to 16K resolution and features higher bandwidth. It doubles the bandwidth to 96 Gbps and supports resolutions up to 16K at 60Hz. Here's everything you need to know about the new HDMI standard, its key features and when you will be able to try it. HDMI 2.2 doubles the maximum bandwidth to a staggering 96 Gbps compared to 48 Gbps in HDMI 2.1. This enables uncompressed video transmission at higher resolutions and refresh rates, which was not possible previously. The new HDMI 2.2 supports up to 16K resolutions at 60Hz and 12K at 120Hz. It also supports uncompressed signals up to 8K at 60Hz and 4K at 240Hz, both at 10-bit and 12-bit colour depth. With DSC, HDMI 2.2 can extend video signal support up to 8K at 240Hz, 10K at 120Hz, and 12K at 120Hz. It's best for high-end gaming and professional content creation. A new Ultra96 certification label identifies HDMI 2.2 cables with full 96 Gbps bandwidth support. Only Ultra96 cables guarantee access to all the new advanced features of HDMI 2.2. HDMI 2.2 brings upgraded Fixed Rate Link technology to ensure stable, high-bandwidth transmission for demanding applications like AR/VR, medical imaging, and large-format digital signage. HDMI 2.2 is backwards compatible with previous HDMI generations. Ultra96 cables can be used with older HDMI ports, or older cables can be used with HDMI 2.2 devices. The performance will automatically default to the lowest common denominator. Manufacturers can claim HDMI 2.2 compliance, but only Ultra96 cables are guaranteed to support the full 96 Gbps bandwidth and all the new features. Who benefits from HDMI 2.2? HDMI 2.2 is ideal for high refresh rate 4K gaming; the lower latency features make it better for pro gamers. Content creators and digital artists can benefit from its 12-bit colour depth and uncompressed high-resolution formats. The expanded bandwidth and high-resolution support are useful for applications in XR, medical imaging, and digital signage. HDMI 2.2 brings a new era for AV connectivity with doubled bandwidth and increased resolution support. As for availability, do not expect it to go mainstream for at least a few more years. Just like HDMI 2.1, which was released back in 2017, it is still only available in premium TVs and gadgets.
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
boAt Aavante Prime 5.1 5000DA review: Home theatre experience on budget
Indian audio brand boAt recently launched the Aavante Prime 5.1 5000DA, a Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbar system priced at Rs 14,999. It features a 5.1-channel setup, with a wired subwoofer and dual wired rear satellite speakers. With 500W RMS output and support for multiple wired and wireless inputs, it positions itself as a budget-friendly alternative for those looking to build a home theatre experience without spending a fortune. But how well does it deliver in real-world use? I have been using the Aavante Prime 5.1 for over a week and here's what I found: boAt Aavante Prime 5.1 5000DA: What is good The Aavante Prime 5.1 feels well-built and thoughtfully designed for its price. The main unit and satellite speakers feature glossy, high-quality plastic that doesn't feel cheap, while the subwoofer uses a wooden stem enclosure that adds to its premium appeal. Together, the setup make up a proper home theatre system with a triple front-firing driver layout with a dedicated centre channel for dialogue clarity. When connected via HDMI with eARC pass-through, the system delivers a noticeably more immersive surround sound experience, especially with Dolby Atmos content from platforms like Netflix. The rear satellites contribute subtle but welcome spatial cues, particularly when positioned optimally. Connectivity options are generous, including HDMI, USB-A, AUX, Optical, and Bluetooth. This means you can easily switch between TV, smartphone, or Bluetooth audio playback depending on your needs. Music playback is also impressive. The sound is rich and full-bodied, with clear separation between instruments and a bass-forward profile that can be tuned using the remote. You get three EQ presets – Movie, Music, and News – but can also manually adjust bass and treble levels within each mode. I found the Movie preset to be the most balanced overall, even for music listening. The News preset boosts vocals, though it can sound slightly distorted at higher volumes. The bundled remote is intuitive and lets you control playback, switch input sources, toggle EQ modes, and fine-tune treble and bass – something rarely offered at this price. Audio output is more than sufficient for medium-sized bedrooms or hall spaces, and the clarity holds up well even at higher volumes. boAt Aavante Prime 5.1 5000DA: What needs improvement As with most budget home theatre systems, the biggest trade-off is the wired setup. While the included cables are reasonably long, the wired subwoofer and dual rear satellite speakers can make room organisation tricky – especially in larger or open-plan spaces where cable routing becomes visible. Though HDMI eARC is supported, boAt does not include a compatible high-bandwidth HDMI cable in the box. In fact, no HDMI cable is provided at all. You can use a regular one, but it will not support the full-quality Atmos signal from your TV – undermining one of the system's main selling points. Bluetooth pairing works well for the most part, but I did experience occasional drops when connected to a TV, with no clear cause. The included AUX cable, while braided for durability, is also quite short, limiting its usability in more spread-out setups. While the system offers three EQ presets and manual bass/treble adjustments, there's no option to save a fully customised profile. For users who prefer a tailored sound signature, this can feel limiting. Lastly, the rear satellite speakers – though helpful when positioned correctly – offer minimal enhancement if placed too far from the listening area. This makes their contribution inconsistent depending on room size and layout. Verdict Priced at Rs 14,999, the boAt Aavante Prime 5.1 5000DA makes a strong case for itself as a budget-friendly home theatre upgrade. It delivers loud, clear sound with a proper 5.1-channel layout, Dolby Atmos support, and impressive output across both movies and music. The build quality is solid, and the connectivity options are wide-ranging. There are compromises, of course. The wired rear speakers and subwoofer can lead to cable clutter, and occasional Bluetooth drops and limited EQ presets also leave room for improvement. Still, for users looking to add cinematic sound to their home entertainment setup without spending fortune, the Aavante Prime 5.1 strikes an excellent balance of features, sound quality, and value. It may not be perfect, but it gets far more right than it gets wrong.
