Google will soon be removing its Google Play Movies & TV app from Roku streaming devices, as well as LG, Samsung and Vizio smart TVs. The tech giant is pulling the plug from 15th June 2021, after which users will have to rely on YouTube to access their purchased content and to buy new movies.
The shut down was prompted by the announcement of the new Google TV app, which will eventually replace Google Play Movies & TV entirely. Indeed, the Google TV app has already replaced its predecessor on Android phones and tablets.
The good news is that most of the best TVs from Samsung, LG and Vizio support the YouTube app. That said, a handful of older model TVs don’t, which would seem to leave those Play Movies & TV customers snookered.
For most, though, any previous Google Play Movies store purchases will be available in YouTube’s ‘Library’ tab under the ‘Your movies and shows’ section. You’ll need to log in using the same account you used on the outgoing app, according to AndroidAuthority.
Google has also confirmed that Google Play credits can still be used in the YouTube app, and has offered some customers a free movie credit to thank them for their loyalty. However, while Family Library content will continue to be available, any new YouTube purchases won’t be available for family sharing (you’ll have to buy through the Google Play website instead).
The Google TV app was announced last year alongside the new Chromecast with Google TV video streamer. You can download the app on Chromecast and Android mobile devices – but not iOS devices. There’s also no word on whether the app will ever land on smart platforms not operated by Google.
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Before Fantasian launched on Apple Arcade, most of the discussion centered on how it looked. There was a good reason for that. Mistwalker, the studio helmed by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, pioneered a new technique that involved crafting more than 150 incredible, charming dioramas, which were then photographed to become the locations you explore in the game. Whether you’re venturing through a wind-swept desert, luxury cruise ship, or robot metropolis, every area you visit in Fantasian was handcrafted from real-world materials. It not only looks amazing, but it lends the game’s fantasy world a very particular vibe.
Fantasian is also just a great game. It’s not particularly original, hewing very closely to the Final Fantasy games that Sakaguchi built his career on. But it also takes those ideas and mechanics and changes them just enough to feel fresh, while also making some notable quality-of-life changes. Fantasian isn’t just an adorable handcrafted game from the creator of Final Fantasy; it’s the most approachable Japanese RPG I’ve ever played.
The premise is, admittedly, not very original. If you’re played a JRPG any time over the last two decades, it’ll probably feel familiar. You play as Leo, a hero who has lost his memory and quickly gets pulled into a quest for the fate of the world. It’s hard to talk too much about details of the story since, for most of the game, Leo doesn’t even know what’s going on. Early on, you’re mostly just following leads, as Leo goes pretty much anywhere he can in order to potentially learn more about who he is. You’ll explore mysterious and well-guarded vaults, visit gorgeous cities on the water, and eventually be transported to a mechanical realm ruled by robots. It’s a lengthy adventure, though what’s available now is actually only the first of two parts, with the second expected to release later this year.
The story itself is… fine. Fantasian certainly doesn’t live up to its spiritual predecessors in that regard. I never felt any real sense of urgency as I saved the world, and few of the main cast of characters are very memorable. It’s cute at times, and there are some interesting surprises and worldbuilding details to dig into. Mostly, it just gets the job done. Fantasian is much more about the vibe than the narrative. I loved poking around each and every location, seeing the buildings and landscape from different angles. I didn’t really care why I was doing it. The handmade diorama art style is reminiscent of the pre-rendered backgrounds from the PlayStation era, except with a much finer level of detail. An incredible soundtrack from frequent Sakaguchi collaborator Nobuo Uematsu only adds to the nostalgia. It’s a world you want to linger in.
Fantasian doesn’t just look and sound familiar; it also plays a lot like the classics it’s inspired by. That means random battles, turn-based combat, and a relatively straightforward character customization. The battles, in particular, do some interesting things. While there are familiar elements — like enemies with elemental weaknesses and bosses that change forms mid-fight — there are also some nice twists, like spells and weapons that you can aim to maximize your attack by hitting as many enemies as possible in one shot. It makes battles, particularly bosses, feel more strategic and less mindless. It’s really satisfying when you line things up just right.
Perhaps the best addition is the awkwardly named dimengeon — a portmanteau of dimension and dungeon — that lets you put off random battles for a short period. Essentially, when you turn the feature on, any monster you come across gets trapped in this device, and it can hold up to 30 of them at a time. Whenever you want — or whenever it’s full — you can then take on all of the trapped monsters in one giant brawl. It’s a great feature for when you just want to explore without fighting or when you’re in a rush to get to a save point.
There is a handful of other quality-of-life tweaks — plentiful save points, locations that are big but simple to navigate, touch and gamepad controls that work equally well, little need for grinding — that add up to an incredibly accessible take on the classic formula. Fantasian streamlines the genre, keeping the parts that work best, while updating the rest for modern tastes. There are a few small hiccups, like flat cutscenes and some jarring difficulty spikes toward the end. But at its best, Fantasian is everything Sakaguchi does best, just in a slightly smaller and more refined package.
Amazon is today introducing its second-generation pair of Echo Buds. The new true wireless earbuds improve on the originals with a more comfortable design — they’re now 20 percent smaller — and enhanced active noise cancellation. But Amazon is staying aggressive on price: the 2021 Echo Buds are priced at $119.99 for the earbuds and a USB-C charging case or $139.99 for an upgraded case with wireless charging. For a limited time, both are being discounted. The regular set drops under $100 to $99.99, with the wireless charging pair costing $119.99. The new Echo Buds will be released on May 13th.
Aside from shrinking them down, Amazon has also made comfort-focused design changes to the Echo Buds. They now have a vented design (like the AirPods Pro, Pixel Buds, etc.) to reduce unwanted ear pressure. The company has shortened the nozzle so that the Echo Buds don’t sit as deep in your ear canal, and the external depth has been reduced for a more flush fit. The ear tips — four sizes come included — are now oval-shaped, and you also get two sizes of optional wing tips in the box.
Instead of a glossy touch surface like on the original Echo Buds, the outside-facing exterior is now all matte. But Amazon has slapped its logo onto the earbuds this time around, which I could’ve done without. They now come in white in addition to black.
Four sizes of ear tips and two wing tips come included.Image: Amazon
With the first Echo Buds, Amazon borrowed some of Bose’s noise-reduction technology. But this time, it’s doing everything itself. The company says that the second-gen earbuds “cancel twice as much noise” as before. When in passthrough mode, you can adjust the amount of ambient noise you want to come through. Sound quality has also seen some improvements, according to Amazon’s press release:
Echo Buds deliver crisp, balanced sound with extended dynamic range — so you get the most out of your music, regardless of genre. The premium speakers are optimized for increased fidelity in bass and treble, which reduces distortion during media playback, delivering vibrant melodies and clear spoken word.
The second-gen Echo Buds are rated IPX4 for water and sweat, which Amazon says should cover any exercise and “light rain.” And Amazon says the microphones on these earbuds — three on each bud — are improved, too; they’re “optimized to capture lower frequencies compared to the prior generation,” which apparently results in better quality for voice calls. Either bud can be used standalone in mono mode.
Amazon has made comfort a big priority with the second-gen Echo Buds.Image: Amazon
Battery life is estimated at five hours of listening with noise cancellation enabled, with two additional full charges in the case for a total of 15 hours. (The case now has status LEDs for each individual earbud, which is a handy addition.) If the battery runs low, charging over USB-C for 15 minutes should get you around two hours of playback.
To see just how aggressive Amazon is on pricing, let’s compare the Echo Buds against the wider market of popular true wireless earbuds. Most of these have noise cancellation, though some (like the Pixel Buds) don’t:
$279 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds $249.95 Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 $249 Apple AirPods Pro $229.99 Jabra Elite 85t $229.99 Sony 1000XM3 earbuds $199.99 Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro $179.99 Google Pixel Buds $179.99 Jabra Elite 75t $139.99 Amazon Echo Buds with wireless charging ($119.99 for a limited time) $129.99 Anker Liberty Air 2 Pro $119.99 Amazon Echo Buds with USB-C ($99.99 for a limited time)
Just like the first model, Amazon hopes a big part of the appeal with the Echo Buds will be the ability to use Alexa everywhere you go. You can ask for a specific artist or song, of course, but Amazon also added the option late last year to ask for music by activity type. You can control your smart home, play an Audible audiobook, ask for transit directions, or even use Alexa’s local search powers to find the nearest COVID-19 testing site.
You can also ask any nearby Alexa device to find your buds, and they’ll play an audible chime to help make them easier to locate. Amazon says “later this year,” it will add the VIP Filter feature that debuted on its Echo Frames, which allows you to choose the notifications you want to hear and avoid the rest.
If the noise cancellation improvements are as significant as Amazon claims, the second-generation Echo Buds could prove quite compelling — especially at their low price versus the competition. Stay tuned for a full review in the next few weeks.
Bravia Core is Sony’s high-end movie streaming service. It promises picture quality to rival 4K Blu-ray, the world’s largest selection of IMAX Enhanced movies and the latest box office releases from Sony Pictures. But is it right for you? And how can you get it? Here’s everything you need to know about Bravia Core…
As we reported back in January, Bravia Core claims to offer the highest bitrate of any streaming service currently available. Where Netflix streams 4K video in HDR at up to 17.2 Mbps, and Apple TV+ stretches to 40 Mbps during certain scenes, Bravia CORE claims to go one further with high-quality streaming up to 80 Mpbs.
Impressive. If Sony’s figures are correct, Bravia Core is truly an industry first. It’s not for everyone, though – we’ll explain why below. Read on as we reveal the Bravia Core price, launch date, streaming quality, movie selection and more…
Bravia Core: release date
(Image credit: Sony )
Bravia Core – the ‘Core’ stands for Centre of Real Entertainment – was unveiled at CES in January 2021 and officially launched on 6th April 2021. The service is due to launch in 50 territories in 2021, including the UK, US, Canada, Australia and most of Europe (but not Italy).
The video streaming service aims to serve the latest blockbusters from Sony Pictures Entertainment and also hundreds of the company’s classics in 4K Blu-ray-like HDR quality (provided you have a fast enough internet connection). Some content also supports DTS – but not DTS:X.
Here’s a look back at the Bravia Core launch video…
Bravia Core: price
(Image credit: Sony)
Bravia Core is available for free – but only when you buy a Bravia XR 4K or 8K TV from the 2021 Sony TV line-up. Right now, the Bravia Core app comes pre-loaded on the Master Series Z9J 8K LED and Master Series A90J, as well as other 4K LED models such as the X95J, X90J and X80J (you can find the full list here).
Don’t fancy shelling out for a brand new Bravia XR TV? Unfortunately, there’s no other way to experience Bravia Core just yet.
So will Bravia CORE will be available on older Sony TVs, or other Sony devices such as the PS5, in the future? Sony’s FAQ page seems pretty clear: “No. BRAVIA Core will be available for eligible BRAVIA XR models.”
Lastly, it’s worth noting that the more you spend on a Bravia XR set, the more free Core you get. Splash out on the Z9J or A90J and you get 24 months’ free Bravia Core plus 10 credits to spend on lossless titles that would otherwise be available on pay-per-view basis. Purchase any other Bravia XR models and you get 12 months’ access and five credits.
At this point, you might be wondering what happens when the complimentary period ends? Short answer: nobody knows. Sony has yet to announce long-term pricing but according to Core’s terms and conditions, “you may watch the movies you have redeemed via Bravia Core until February 23, 2026”. That suggests Core could shift to a paid subscription model in years to come… assuming it’s a success.
Bravia Core: free trial
The likes of Disney+, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+ all offer new users a free trial, so you might be wondering if Sony offers a Bravia Core free trial. The answer? Sort of.
Sony does offer a ‘free trial’ – a free 12- or 24-month subscription to Bravia Core – but only with the purchase a 2021 Sony Bravia XR TV. No bad thing, since the Bravia XR range could well include some of the best TVs Sony has ever made.
Bravia Core: streaming quality
(Image credit: Sony)
Bravia Core aims to “bring the cinematic experience home” using Sony’s own Pure Stream technology, which offers streaming at 30 – 80 Mbps.
“Pure Stream is the highest streaming picture quality available on Bravia XR television,” commented Bill Baggelaar, EVP and CTO, Technology Development, Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Bravia Core’s main attraction is its collection of 300 new and recent titles that can be purchased or redeemed via Core credits. These are the crème de la crème, quality-wise, and many are available to stream in up to 80Mbps (4K Blu-ray discs tend to be around 82Mbps).
Then there’s ‘Unlimited Streaming’, which offers over 100 titles from the Sony Pictures catalogue in up to 4K HDR quality. Lastly, Sony has thrown in more than 50 ‘IMAX Enhanced’ titles, each of which is remastered using IMAX’s proprietary technology in 4K HDR. Some of these titles boast DTS sound, too.
Of course, the streaming quality you achieve all depends on the speed of your broadband…
Bravia Core: broadband speed
While Netflix recommends a 25 Mbps connection for streaming 4K movies, Sony says Bravia Core “requires a minimum internet speed of 43 Mbps.”
For reference, the average broadband speed in the UK is around 64 Mbps according to regulator Ofcom. That’s nowhere near enough to max out your Core experience – especially if Sony adds 8K content later in the year, as has been hinted.
Indeed, those who want to stream the highest quality lossless movies via Core will need a minimum internet speed of – drumroll, please – 115 Mbps. Sadly, many UK households don’t have access to those kinds of speeds yet.
Bravia Core: catalogue
(Image credit: Sony Pictures)
Sony has yet to release a full list of Bravia Core movies but the Japanese giant has highlighted the following titles:
Venom
Blade Runner 2049
Peter Rabbit
Ghostbusters
Blade Runner 2049
Jumanji: The Next Level
Little Women
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Bad Boys For Life
Baby Driver
Bloodshot Hotel
Transylvania
Smurfs: The Lost Village
Expect around 450 titles in total, including the premium titles above, popular classics and an extensive selection of IMAX Enhanced film titles. Around 100 of the titles can be streamed as many times as you like, at no cost, in up to 4K HDR quality.
On top of that, there’s exclusive ‘Studio Access’ content, which offers behind-the-scenes extra footage and interviews from Sony Pictures productions.
Bravia Core: early verdict
Bravia Core will almost certainly find itself cast as “the high-end Netflix” but it’s a very different proposition. Firstly, it’s exclusive to selected Sony TVs. Secondly, it’s designed to act as a showcase for Sony’s Pure Stream technology. And thirdly, the current selection of movies is still quite limited when you compare it to some rival services.
If you’re after a next-level, cinematic experience and have a smokin’ broadband connection, Bravia Core could be a fantastic addition to your home cinema. If you don’t, a 4K Blu-ray player could provide just as good picture quality and, we’d imagine, superior sound given the lack of compatibility with high-quality audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD.
Still, there’s no doubting Sony’s ambition and we look forward to putting Bravia Core through its paces when testing compatible Sony TVs.
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There’s no shortage of wireless earbuds around at the moment, and Google is about to add another pair to the fray. Its next pair is said to be called the Google Pixel Buds A, and could launch very soon indeed.
So what can we expect? Can they beat the likes of the Sony WF-1000XM3 and Cambridge Audio Melomania 1? And will they cost less than the Apple AirPods? Let’s delve into the rumour mill and see what’s what.
All the news on the upcoming Sony WF-1000XM4: release date, price and leaks
Google Pixel Buds A: release date
It’s been a year since Google launched its second-generation Pixel Buds, prompting the belief that a new model is waiting in the wings. And, based on what’s dropped online, it does seem like a launch is coming soon.
Google has sent out a marketing email featuring its as-yet-unannounced Pixel Buds. D’oh. The new pair were pictured with a new green colour scheme, and were even listed in the Accessories section of the Google Store.
If the firm has got as far as adding a final image to its marketing materials, surely an official announcement can’t be far off?
Google Pixel Buds A: price
How much will the Google Pixel Buds A cost? The original Pixel Buds were £159 when they touched down in 2017, while the Pixel Buds 2 cost £179 ($179/AU$279). But this new model could be significantly cheaper according to one online leaker. They don’t mention a specific amount, but it would make sense for them to cost around £125/$125/AU$225 or less. Could they even come in under £100/$100/AU$180?
The same source claims they will be called Google Pixel Buds A. Google uses the A naming convention for its budget smartphones like the Google Pixel 4a (though here it’s a lower case ‘a’). If that name is correct, we could be looking at a pair of true wireless earbuds that undercut the Apple AirPods’ price of £159 ($159/AU$249). Tempting.
Google Pixel Buds A: design
(Image credit: Google)
The Pixel Buds have evolved over the years. The originals had a cord connecting the earbuds behind the neck, but last year Google snipped this and went with a pair of true wireless earbuds. This year could see a couple of extra tweaks to their design.
One of the main changes will be a new colour scheme. The Pixel Buds A will reportedly come in white and a new green colourway, which should be slightly darker than the “Quite Mint” finish that launched for the Pixel Buds 2.
The white model will have an all-white case and buds, while the green should boast black ear tips, wings and case interior.
The overall look appears very similar to last year’s model, but that doesn’t mean the features and tech inside the earbuds won’t change.
Google Pixel Buds A: features
(Image credit: Google / 9to5Mac)
Despite the leaks mentioned above, there isn’t much to go on in terms of the actual specifications of the Pixel Buds A.
The current Pixel Buds offer Google smarts, including voice controls, touch controls and impressive real-time language translation. There’s also an adaptive sound feature that automatically adjusts the volume as you move between quiet and noisy environments.
Battery life of the Pixel Buds 2 is a little modest, at five hours, but the bundled charging case boosts that to a very respectable 24 hours (on a par with the Apple AirPods). A 10-minute charge in the case delivers up to two hours of listening time and up to one hour of talk time, too.
IPX4 certification means they’ll survive water splashes but not being submerged in the drink.
Will Google be able to include all these features while reducing the price and delivering excellent sound quality? Fingers crossed…
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The 2022 iPhone lineup will feature substantial changes to the camera system, according to analyst Ming-chi Kuo in an investor note reported on by MacRumors and AppleInsider. Kuo says the high-end iPhones — presumably the Pro range — will use a larger 48-megapixel sensor for the primary camera. Separately, the analyst suggests that 2023 iPhones may start to use Face ID sensors under the screen as a way to get rid of the notch.
48-megapixel sensors have been common in Android phones for years, but this component will reportedly be larger than most. It’ll be a 1/1.3-inch sensor with a pixel size of 1.25µm, according to Kuo. That’s smaller than the 1.7µm pixels in the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but Kuo says that the equivalent pixel size will be more like 2.5µm when the sensor is used for 12-megapixel images. Kuo also expects the higher-resolution sensor to enable 8K video capture.
The 2022 iPhone lineup is going to see a reduction in screen size options, Kuo says; there won’t be a 5.4-inch mini any more, and Apple will stick to the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays on other models. The mini has reportedly not sold to Apple’s expectations, with the company said to have overestimated demand and cut production orders. The 2021 lineup, however, is expected to keep the same screen sizes.
Finally, Kuo says that the iPhone will begin to use an under-display Face ID system in 2023. Kuo has previously claimed that Apple will replace the Face ID notch with a hole-punch camera in some models from next year, and that 2023 will also see under-display fingerprint scanners come to the iPhone. It’s not clear exactly which technologies will make it out when, or in which combination.
Sony is announcing two new phones today, the Xperia 1 III and the Xperia 5 III. Both are the latest in Sony’s campaign to redefine the Xperia brand as a kind of sibling to its well-regarded Alpha digital cameras. As such, the camera system is once again the main focus, and Sony specifically is touting the “world’s first smartphone with a variable telephoto lens paired with a Dual PD sensor” and improvements to its already fast and accurate autofocus system.
Pricing was not announced, but they should both be available in the US “this summer.”
Each phone has the basic specs you’d expect on a top-flight Android phone: three cameras on the rear, a Snapdragon 888 processor, and support for 5G. Actually, the 5G support is worth noting because these Xperia phones will be able to work on 5G networks in the US, something weirdly lacking on the last models. However, they’ll only work on the regular sub-6 networks on Verizon and T-Mobile, without support for AT&T’s 5G network. As is fairly usual for Sony, these will be sold directly rather than via carriers.
The phone also keep the Xperia design language Sony landed on with the original Xperia 1. They’re tall and narrow, with lots of glossy black and small curves on all the angles, giving them the most monolithic look of a smartphone today. I think they look great, but I’m also aware that they’re likely to cost a lot of money when Sony gets around to announcing the price.
In order to establish the Xperia brand, Sony has also been pushing a lot of other nice specs that are relatively hard to come by on other Android phones. The Xperia 1 III has a 4K OLED screen that now supports a fast (though locked) 120Hz refresh rate. There are dual speakers that are 40 percent louder and will work with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format.
Sony is also enabling a special mode for the USB-C port that allows you to use a special cable to take an HD-resolution video signal from an SLR camera so you can use it as a monitor – much like the Xperia Pro can do with HDMI. That could also make them an interesting option for live streaming.
They’ll come in both dual-SIM and SIM+microSD variants. And there’s even a good ol’ headphone jack and a shutter button.
The Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
There’s also the more standard fare, like wireless charging and a 4,500mAh battery. When plugged in and gaming the phones can redirect power away from the battery to reduce heat. Both phones will ship with Android 11, but as of right now there’s no clear commitment to future software updates.
If you step down from the Xperia 1 III to the Xperia 5 III, you’ll get a very similar set of specs with a few exceptions. It’ll be smaller, of course. The larger phone has a 6.5-inch 21:9 display while the 5 has a 6.1-inch 21:9 display — at 1080p resolution instead of 4K. But it still has support for the periscope-style variable lens.
But again, the big push is on the cameras and here Sony has done quite a bit to improve the hardware. Sony is using three 12-megapixel sensors on the back, and both the main and telephoto lenses support OIS. (The Xperia 1 III also gets a time-of-flight sensor.)
Sony says it has lenses that are the equivalent to 16mm (f/2.2 ultrawide), 24mm (f/1.7 wide), and 70mm (f/2.3 telephoto), but that the telephoto can also reach to an f/2.8 105mm equivalent. That extra telephoto zoom comes thanks to a folded periscope lens design, and the Xperia is physically moving the lens elements to get different focal lengths.
The idea is that photographers will mostly stick to those focal lengths, but should they want to zoom further or use a zoom level in between the Xperia phones will utilize digital zoom.
Sony Xperia 5 III
Sony Xperia 5 III
Sony Xperia 5 III
Sony Xperia 5 III
Sony Xperia 5 III
Sony Xperia 5 III
Beyond the fancy hardware, Sony has iterated on its software. Unlike Google, Apple, and even Samsung, Sony is putting its emphasis on technical features rather than computational photography. It is claiming some improved low-light performance in some situations, but really the main emphasis is on features like autofocus and shooting speed.
These phones can take photos at up to 20fps with focus/exposure readings happening at 60fps. They also support 120FPS 4K in HDR. There’s still eye-tracking autofocus, but this year there’s real-time tracking for that autofocus. In a demo, Sony showed a subject turning around and when their eye was visible again, the camera adjusted.
Sony is finally integrating its pro camera app with the main camera app. There’s the “basic” mode like any smartphone, but it’s now quicker to get to the pro mode. Sony’s pro mode really is angled towards people who use Sony’s cameras, too: the interface is very similar.
On paper, all of this sounds really great. We’ll need to review them to see if these specs can translate to great experiences. Previous Sony Xperia phones have also had great camera hardware specs, but for taking quick shots they have often missed the mark. Treating a smartphone camera as a pro SLR-style camera could limit their appeal.
Sony’s tack with the Xperia line is to pack them to the gills with specs and features that will appeal to photographers and even videographers (there’s an excellent workflow-based video app included). In reality, however, Sony has struggled mightily to gain any measurable marketshare in the US. A lot of that has come down to higher prices than is the norm for even flagship Android phones, but some of it also comes down to availability. Without carrier partnerships or massive marketing budgets, these Xperia phones are more likely to appeal to camera enthusiasts than mainstream Android buyers.
Apple has officially sent out invitations to the company’s next event called Spring Reloaded. The event will be held online on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Considering the plethora of rumors surrounding Apple’s products due to be announced this year, it is close to impossible to guess what the company plans to unveil next week.
The official invitation flyer has a wavy Apple logo along with Spring Loaded tagline, which gives little food for imagination. The official video has Apple Park inner yard with more squiggly lines that form Apple’s logo, which also implies almost nothing (except, perhaps, a new Apple Pencil).
Typically, Apple refreshes its tablet lineups in the spring, but since it introduced new iPads and iPad Airs last September, it’s more likely that the company will release new iPad Pros along with a series of accessories. Speaking of accessories, rumor has it that Apple will finally introduce its AirTag devices at the event. (These are supposed to help in finding lost items.)
Meanwhile, Apple now has plethora of various non-compute devices, including Apple TV set-top-box and smart speakers. The current 5th Generation Apple TV (based on the ancient A10X Fusion) was released in 2017, so it’s past time for it to be replaced by something new.
Over the past few months, we reported on Apple’s plans to introduce brand-new Mac Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air PCs running its own processors this year. All of these systems will likely be powered by successors of the Apple M1, so we’d suspect refreshed versions of MBP 13 and MBA to launch later this year. Meanwhile, Apple typically launches new MBP and iMac systems in June and MacBook Pro PCs in Q4, so, chances that next week the company will reveal revamped PCs are low.
Apple is also rumored to be working on a Mini LED display. While Apple is evaluating the Mini LED technology, like any other display supplier, it is unclear whether the company is willing to replace its Pro Display XDR a little less two years after it was introduced and less than 1.5 years after it was launched. To that end, it is not likely that Apple will introduce a new ultra-high-end monitor next week.
Mobvoi is starting to sell the TicWatch GTH today, a $79.99 fitness wearable that features sensors for skin temperature and blood oxygen that are typically reserved for more expensive watches. Mobvoi has generally focused on Wear OS devices in the past, providing a variety of options for Google’s troubled wearable operating system, but the TicWatch GTH seems more like a Fitbit competitor than anything else.
The TicWatch GTH has an Apple Watch-esque square body, a noticeably bezeled 1.55-inch screen, and only comes in “raven black.” Mobvoi claims the GTH’s 260mAh battery can last more than a week on one charge, “depending on usage,” and that the watch is also water-resistant up to 5ATM or 50 meters. Despite that, Mobvoi’s website notes that the GTH is not safe for shower use.
The TicWatch GTH has several sensors that appear on more expensive watches, like an SpO2 sensors and an electrodermal activity sensor.Image: Mobvoi
For sensors, the GTH has the usual fitness tracker standbys like an accelerometer, gyroscope, and a heart rate monitor, but also a SpO2 sensor for measuring blood oxygen level and a skin temperature sensor for… well, measuring your skin temperature. Actual uses for skin temperature data vary, however. The Fitbit Sense advertised skin temperature sensing as an indicator for stress. In its announcement for the GTH, Mobvoi didn’t specify what skin temperature should be used for. But as a rule, we urge caution for any big claims a new sensor might come attached with.
That rule also applies to measuring blood oxygen saturation. There’s been a trend of including blood oxygen sensors in smartwatches, but the wrist is not actually the best place to measure saturation, and these smartwatches shouldn’t be thought of as medical devices. Knowing your blood oxygen level mostly seems useful for serious athletic training and not much else.
But even if they might not necessarily be useful, the fact that the TicWatch includes both SpO2 and skin temperature sensors for only $79.99 is notable. The GTH undercuts the Apple Watch Series 6 at $399, the Fitbit Sense at $299.95, and even the Fitbit Charge 4 at $169.95, while tracking a lot of the same things. The TicWatch GTH is stuck in Mobvoi’s Tic-based app world, but the company does offer a variety of features like stress management, sleep tracking, automatic workout detection, audio playback controls, and basic messaging notifications if you’re willing to invest in a potentially unfamiliar system.
The TicWatch GTH is not particularly flashy, but its price might be enticing if you’re looking for an even more affordable entry into tracking than Fitbit’s entry-level watches. The TicWatch GTH is available today for $79.99 / €79.99 / £69.99 from Mobvoi’s site or Amazon.
Bravia Core is Sony’s high-end movie streaming service. It promises picture quality to rival 4K Blu-ray, the world’s largest selection of IMAX Enhanced movies and the latest box office releases from Sony Pictures. But is it right for you? And how can you get it? Here’s everything you need to know about Bravia Core…
As we reported back in January, Bravia Core claims to offer the highest bitrate of any streaming service currently available. Where Netflix streams 4K video in HDR at up to 17.2 Mbps, and Apple TV+ stretches to 40 Mbps during certain scenes, Bravia CORE claims to go one further with high-quality streaming up to 80 Mpbs.
Impressive. If Sony’s figures are correct, Bravia Core is truly an industry first. It’s not for everyone, though – we’ll explain why below. Read on as we reveal the Bravia Core price, launch date, streaming quality, movie selection and more…
Bravia Core: release date
(Image credit: Sony )
Bravia Core – the ‘Core’ stands for Centre of Real Entertainment – was unveiled at CES in January 2021 and officially launched on 6th April 2021. The service is due to launch in 50 territories in 2021, including the UK, US, Canada, Australia and most of Europe (but not Italy).
The video streaming service aims to serve the latest blockbusters from Sony Pictures Entertainment and also hundreds of the company’s classics in 4K Blu-ray-like HDR quality (provided you have a fast enough internet connection). Some content also supports DTS – but not DTS:X.
Here’s a look back at the Bravia Core launch video…
Bravia Core: price
(Image credit: Sony)
Bravia Core is available for free – but only when you buy a Bravia XR 4K or 8K TV from the 2021 Sony TV line-up. Right now, the Bravia Core app comes pre-loaded on the Master Series Z9J 8K LED and Master Series A90J, as well as other 4K LED models such as the X95J, X90J and X80J (you can find the full list here).
Don’t fancy shelling out for a brand new Bravia XR TV? Unfortunately, there’s no other way to experience Bravia Core just yet.
So will Bravia CORE will be available on older Sony TVs, or other Sony devices such as the PS5, in the future? Sony’s FAQ page seems pretty clear: “No. BRAVIA Core will be available for eligible BRAVIA XR models.”
Lastly, it’s worth noting that the more you spend on a Bravia XR set, the more free Core you get. Splash out on the Z9J or A90J and you get 24 months’ free Bravia Core plus 10 credits to spend on lossless titles that would otherwise be available on pay-per-view basis. Purchase any other Bravia XR models and you get 12 months’ access and five credits.
At this point, you might be wondering what happens when the complimentary period ends? Short answer: nobody knows. Sony has yet to announce long-term pricing but according to Core’s terms and conditions, “you may watch the movies you have redeemed via Bravia Core until February 23, 2026”. That suggests Core could shift to a paid subscription model in years to come… assuming it’s a success.
Bravia Core: free trial
The likes of Disney+, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+ all offer new users a free trial, so you might be wondering if Sony offers a Bravia Core free trial. The answer? Sort of.
Sony does offer a ‘free trial’ – a free 12- or 24-month subscription to Bravia Core – but only with the purchase a 2021 Sony Bravia XR TV. No bad thing, since the Bravia XR range could well include some of the best TVs Sony has ever made.
Bravia Core: streaming quality
(Image credit: Sony)
Bravia Core aims to “bring the cinematic experience home” using Sony’s own Pure Stream technology, which offers streaming at 30 – 80 Mbps.
“Pure Stream is the highest streaming picture quality available on Bravia XR television,” commented Bill Baggelaar, EVP and CTO, Technology Development, Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Bravia Core’s main attraction is its collection of 300 new and recent titles that can be purchased or redeemed via Core credits. These are the crème de la crème, quality-wise, and many are available to stream in up to 80Mbps (4K Blu-ray discs tend to be around 82Mbps).
Then there’s ‘Unlimited Streaming’, which offers over 100 titles from the Sony Pictures catalogue in up to 4K HDR quality. Lastly, Sony has thrown in more than 50 ‘IMAX Enhanced’ titles, each of which is remastered using IMAX’s proprietary technology in 4K HDR. Some of these titles boast DTS sound, too.
Of course, the streaming quality you achieve all depends on the speed of your broadband…
Bravia Core: broadband speed
While Netflix recommends a 25 Mbps connection for streaming 4K movies, Sony says Bravia CORE “requires a minimum internet speed of 43 Mbps.”
For reference, the average broadband speed in the UK is around 64 Mbps according to regulator Ofcom. That’s nowhere near enough to max out your Core experience – especially if Sony adds 8K content later in the year, as has been hinted.
Indeed, those who want to stream the highest quality lossless movies via Core will need a minimum internet speed of – drumroll, please – 115 Mbps. Sadly, many UK households don’t have access to those kinds of speeds yet.
Bravia Core: catalouge
(Image credit: Sony Pictures)
Sony has yet to release a full list of Bravia Core movies but the Japanese giant has highlighted the following titles:
Venom
Blade Runner 2049
Peter Rabbit
Ghostbusters
Blade Runner 2049
Jumanji: The Next Level
Little Women
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Bad Boys For Life
Baby Driver
Bloodshot Hotel
Transylvania
Smurfs: The Lost Village
Expect around 450 titles in total, including the premium titles above, popular classics and an extensive selection of IMAX Enhanced film titles. Around 100 of the titles can be streamed as many times as you like, at no cost, in up to 4K HDR quality.
On top of that, there’s exclusive ‘Studio Access’ content, which offers behind-the-scenes extra footage and interviews from Sony Pictures productions.
Bravia Core: early verdict
Bravia Core will almost certainly find itself cast as “the high-end Netflix” but it’s a very different proposition. Firstly, it’s exclusive to selected Sony TVs. Secondly, it’s designed to act as a showcase for Sony’s Pure Stream technology. And thirdly, the current selection of movies is still quite limited when you compare it to some rival services.
If you’re after a next-level, cinematic experience and have a smokin’ broadband connection, Bravia Core could be a fantastic addition to your home cinema. If you don’t, a 4K Blu-ray player could provide just as good picture quality and, we’d imagine, superior sound given the lack of compatibility with high-quality audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD.
Still, there’s no doubting Sony’s ambition and we look forward to putting Bravia Core through its paces when testing compatible Sony TVs.
MORE:
Our pick of the best Sony TVs on the market right now
Our guide to the best TVs you can buy
Take a look at the best streaming services for TV and movies
Apple’s next event will take place on April 20th, the company announced today, with an invite teasing the upcoming event with a “Spring Loaded.” tagline. The official confirmation came just hours after the company’s voice assistant revealed the date early when asked “When is the next Apple event?”
As is typical, there’s not much to go by from the invitation, although the squiggly Apple logo and “spring-loaded” tagline could hint at a new Apple Pencil stylus — perhaps one with some sort of clickable button.
The timing of the event does favor an announcement of new iPad Pros, too. Although the new 11- and 12.9-inch tablets are expected to have a similar design to last year’s models, the larger version will reportedly be Apple’s first with a Mini LED display. Other rumored improvements include a faster processor with performance in line with the M1 chip Apple used in its recent Macs, upgraded USB-C ports, and better cameras. A new iPad mini with a larger 8.5- to 9-inch screen (up from 7.9 inches last time around) is also reportedly coming in the first half of this year.
Another contender to appear at the event is Apple’s AirTags, Apple’s long-rumored Tile competitor. References to the trackers, which are thought to make use of the ultra-wideband technology that debuted in the iPhone 11, appeared in iOS as early as 2019. But despite reportedly entering mass production last year, they’ve yet to be officially announced.
Beyond the devices Apple is rumored to be announcing imminently, there are a couple of others that are believed to be on the way for this year, which also have a chance of making an appearance next week.
Apple is reportedly planning a revamp of its iMac lineup this year, as it transitions the Macs to its own Apple Silicon processors. Rumored changes include slimmer bezels and a design that resembles the Pro Display XDR. Last month, Apple confirmed it would stop selling the current base model of the iMac Pro once supplies run out, suggesting Apple is poised to announce new models sooner rather than later.
There have also been reports that new MacBook Pros and a new MacBook Air are coming this year. The laptops are rumored to see a return of fan-favorite features like MagSafe charging and SD card slots, while the MacBook Pro’s divisive Touch Bar could be on the way out.
Then there’s Apple’s AirPods. A new version of the true wireless earbuds are reportedly on the way and could arrive as early as the first half of 2021. That’s according to a report from Bloomberg last year, which said the new AirPods will come with AirPods Pro-style elements like shorter stems and replaceable ear tips. There are also new AirPods Pro earbuds on the way, which could ditch the stem entirely.
Finally, Bloomberg also reported last year that Apple could release an upgraded Apple TV in 2021. Reportedly, this year’s model will be focused on gaming and will feature a new remote, updated processor, and 120Hz support.
No matter what you do during your waking hours — work at home or outside of it; commute in a car, a train, or by walking from your bedroom to your living room; or spend your days watching the kids or job hunting — you’re probably spending at least some of that time listening to music. But where do you find that music? And if you already have a site you go to regularly, would you like to try something new?
There is a wealth of streaming music services now available to anyone who wants to listen and experiment. Some offer both free and paid subscription versions. Others are completely free.
We asked the staff of The Verge to tell us about their favorite music streaming services. Some listen to major outlets such as Apple Music, Spotify, or YouTube Music, while others have discovered lesser-known but interesting venues.
Here’s what they recommend.
Radio Dismuke
Image: Earl 1900s Music Preservation
For some reason, my partner and I have become addicted to the popular music of the early 20th century, mostly the 1920s and ’30s. Over the past few years, we’ve become happily familiar with the sounds of Cliff Edwards, Bessie Smith, Ruth Etting, Annette Hanshaw, Paul Whiteman, Cab Calloway, and Ethel Waters. (Here she is, in one of her sadly few motion picture appearances, singing “Birmingham Bertha.”) So we spend a lot of time listening to Radio Dismuke, a little-known streaming service sponsored by Early 1900s Music Preservation, which gives us a constant diet of pop and jazz from the early part of the last century. —Barbara Krasnoff
Soma fm
Soma fm started life as an actual micropower radio station in San Francisco in 1999 but flipped over to the internet in 2000. It has been one of my go-to audio sources ever since. The site has tons of different genre stations. While working, I bounce between Groove Salad (ambient / downtempo), Secret Agent (think classic Bond meets modern sensibilities), and Drone Zone (very chill). In the early 2000s, Indie Pop Rocks was my secret weapon for finding new bands my friends didn’t know yet. When the holidays come around, Soma’s holiday stations will make your party twice as festive and half as corny. There are apps for it on all platforms, but if you’re using TuneIn for terrestrial radio, Soma’s stations are listed there, too. It’s all free, but if you use it a lot, find a way to chip in a bit — after more than 20 years of streaming, Soma deserves it. —Dieter Bohn
YouTube Music
Most of my time on YouTube isn’t spent watching videos; it’s listening to music. YouTube Music is everything I wanted out of Google Play Music, plus some. Its catalog of music is incomparable, mostly thanks to users who upload music that otherwise isn’t available on streaming services. It has recent hits and full albums if you want to use it like, say, Spotify, but it’s my destination for listening to uploads of older music or obscure tunes, live performances, and compilations of video game soundtracks. (For some reason, I know the Ghost Trick original soundtrack by heart, yet I haven’t played much of the game.) I’m always a little concerned that my favorite playlist or an upload of a hard-to-find album will be delisted, but perhaps it’s that rush that keeps me listening to it more often than any other music streaming service these days. —Cameron Faulkner
8tracks
I’ll confess that I don’t listen to 8tracks regularly these days, but using it is a predictable way to trigger a burst of nostalgia. The streaming service launched in 2008, and it lets users upload playlists of at least eight songs (aka 8 tracks). You can search through playlists based on their tags (which could include artists, genre, or “mood”), but you can’t see the list of songs ahead of time. They’re revealed as you listen. You also only get three skips per playlist per hour. The forced discovery helped me find songs and artists I never would have listened to. 8tracks shut down in December 2019 but was brought back to life by a new startup called BackBeat last April. All of the playlists I made in high school are still intact, but they are very embarrassing — so I’m keeping that username a secret. —Nicole Wetsman
KEXP
Image: KEXP
KEXP, a public radio station based in Seattle, is my favorite radio station in the world. It primarily plays alternative and indie rock, but there are also weekly blocks with completely different genres like blues, Latin music, songs entirely by Pacific Northwest-based artists, and my wife and I especially enjoy reggae on Saturday mornings. We regularly stream the station to our kitchen speaker while eating dinner or doing chores. The music selection is consistently excellent, and it’s also a regular reminder of the city where we met and fell in love. —Jay Peters
Aux Live
As The Verge’s resident Post Malone fan, I recently discovered Aux Live when a recording of his performance at PostyFest in 2019 was featured. My first intention was to only keep the subscription long enough to watch that one concert, but I ended up really enjoying the service. Aux Live is a music-focused service with a range of live concerts and documentaries across an expansive range of genres and legendary artists. It works both in-browser and via app. It costs $4.99 a month, but that feels reasonable given the vast number of artists featured in the service. —Kaitlin Hatton
Qobuz
Image: Qobuz
After purchasing a portable DAC to listen to higher-resolution music on my phone, I was looking for a place where I can actually listen to higher-resolution music. I found Qobuz, which allows you to stream songs with up to a 192kHz sampling rate and 24-bit depth. You’re also able to buy hi-res songs or albums and download them from the Qobuz store without having to subscribe to the service. Revisiting some of my favorite albums that I listened to during my iPod days gave me a newfound appreciation for those recordings, and I ended up paying closer attention to the way they were mixed and mastered. —Andru Marino
Spotify
Okay, fine — I’ll be the boring member of staff who recommends Spotify. Yes, other streaming services might offer better audio quality or curation, but Spotify has a nice user interface and compatibility with almost every piece of streaming hardware on the market, and that’s really all my basic music tastes require. And soon, with Spotify HiFi launching later this year, audio quality will receive a big boost. It helps that I’ve been using Spotify for close to a decade at this point, so it has near-limitless data on me to create custom playlists tailored to my tastes. Its daily mixes are far from perfect, but they’re good enough that I regularly use them when I can’t be bothered to pick a specific band to listen to. —Jon Porter
Apple Music
Photo: Apple
I use Apple Music for a very specific reason: because it lets me listen to music that’s not on Apple Music. Let me explain. A solid 10–15 percent of the music I listen to isn’t on Spotify or any streaming service. Whether it’s something I made or one of my friends made, a rip from a long-forgotten song posted to YouTube or SoundCloud, an album that’s too copyright-infringement-astic to be allowed on streaming services, or just music that’s on Bandcamp but not streaming services, I still want to have a good way of syncing all of the music I like across devices — and Apple Music does a great job of that. I just drag something into the application formerly known as iTunes, and in a few moments, it shows up on my iPhone, syncs to my iPod, and can even be played through my HomePods. I’d write more about how much I love this one aspect of Apple Music, but honestly, I’m starting to sound like an annoying hipster, even to myself. —Mitchell Clark
Live Music Archive
Did you know you can listen to over 200,000 concerts in lossless audio quality for free? And I really do mean free. The Live Music Archive, part of the Internet Archive, hosts an enormous vault of live performances from a wide range of artists who’ve given their blessing to have concerts traded among fans. Yes, there’s a ton of material from the Grateful Dead and jam bands in there, but the LMA also contains hundreds of recordings from acts like the Drive-By Truckers, John Mayer, Elliott Smith, Smashing Pumpkins, and more. Every so often, I’ll start digging through the archive and land on a gem I hadn’t heard before. Most are audience-recorded shows, as commercial releases (understandably) aren’t allowed.
Now, the Internet Archive isn’t exactly known for intuitive navigation, and the Live Music Archive site can be very kludgy to use. Thankfully, there are apps like this one for iPhone or this for Android that serve as easier-to-browse portals for everything inside the Live Music Archive, complete with features like offline downloads. —Chris Welch
Sony has just invested another $200 million in Epic Games as part of a $1 billion funding round, Epic announced today. Over a dozen investors contributed toward the funding round, which valued the Fortnite developer at $28.7 billion. That’s over $10 billion more than Epic Games’ estimated value at the time of Sony’s major investment last July.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is still the company’s controlling shareholder after the investment. In a press release, Sweeney said that Epic will use the investment to “help accelerate our work around building connected social experiences in Fortnite, Rocket League and Fall Guys, while empowering game developers and creators with Unreal Engine, Epic Online Services and the Epic Games Store.”
The funding round comes less than a year after Sony’s $250 million investment in Epic. That bought it a 1.4 percent stake in the company, which VentureBeat noted valued it at $17.86 billion. In a statement released to coincide with today’s investment, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said that the company is “excited to strengthen our collaboration to bring new entertainment experiences to people around the world.”
This is just the latest sign of Sony and Epic’s close relationship. Epic has used Sony’s PS5 console to show off its next-gen Unreal Engine 5 engine, and Sweeney said the two companies worked closely together on developing the PS5’s storage architecture. “We’ve been working super close with Sony for quite a long time on storage,” he said at the time.
Epic’s increase in valuation comes even as the company has spent hundreds of millions on free games and exclusives for the Epic Games Store. The figure recently emerged as part of its ongoing legal feud with Apple after the iPhone manufacturer kicked Fortnite off its App Store last year.
Roku’s introducing a trio of new devices today, led by the new $39.99 Express 4K Plus streaming device. Shipping in mid-May, the Express 4K Plus basically replaces the Roku Premiere as the company’s entry-level 4K player. It now has a faster processor, dual-band Wi-Fi, and increased internal storage. Plus, Roku says you can now attach a Micro-USB-to-Ethernet adapter if you prefer a wired connection. The Express 4K Plus is also the first Roku player to support HDR10+, which will come to the Roku Ultra as well after a future firmware update.
A stripped-down “Express 4K” player will be sold exclusively at Walmart in the US for $35. This model will also make its way to Canada, Mexico, and the UK. The only real difference is that it ships with a basic Roku remote instead of the voice remote that comes with the Plus SKU.
Next up is the first Roku remote with a rechargeable built-in battery. We knew this one was coming, and you’ll be able to buy the Roku Voice Remote Pro starting today for $29.99. It includes a built-in headphone jack for private audio, two customizable shortcut buttons, TV controls, and, in another first for Roku, it features mid-field microphones for hands-free voice commands.
Image: Roku
By default, the mics will listen for the “Hey Roku” hot phrase. But there’s a slider button right on the remote that turns off the always-listening mode. (If you do so, you can still hold down the microphone button on the front of the remote and speak a command.) One reason for maybe leaving the mics on? You can call out to the remote with a “Hey Roku, find my remote,” and it’ll make a sound to reveal its location in the couch cushions.
Image: Roku
And the last of the new Roku products is what the company is calling its Streambar Pro, described as “an evolution of the Roku Smart Soundbar.” The Smart Soundbar came with Roku’s streaming software built in, and this refreshed hardware “now includes a Roku voice remote with personal shortcut buttons and private listening, Roku headphones, and the new virtual surround feature for $179.99.” (Virtual surround will also come to the Smart Soundbar with a software update.)
The Streambar Pro will be available to order from Roku’s website in late May and should start arriving at major retailers in June. Roku still doesn’t face any real competition from Amazon in this combined soundbar / streaming player category, though Apple is rumored to be experimenting with a product similar in concept.
Roku today announced that its latest software release, Roku OS 10, has begun rolling out and will start making its way to all supported devices in the coming weeks. “Roku OS 10 introduces a variety of new features getting users to content faster, improving network and input configurations, offering new ways to customize the experience and performance enhancements,” the company said in a press release.
The first new feature of Roku OS 10 is instant resume: now, streaming apps can pick up from where they left off when you last exited them. This seems to require some work on the developer’s part, as only a few apps (including the Roku Channel) are offering instant resume out of the gate — but none of the huge players like Netflix or Prime Video are supporting it yet.
Next is what Roku calls “automatic Wi-Fi detection.” If you’ve got separate Wi-Fi networks in your home for 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz, a Roku device will now recommend the better option at setup. And if there’s any buffering or other stream interruptions, you might see a prompt appear recommending that you jump over to the other, less congested network.
Roku is also adding automatic game console configuration. Starting with Roku OS 10, when you plug a console into a Roku TV, the tile will change to the right name and the Roku TV will enter game mode. “Depending on the Roku TV model being used, settings that get automatically configured may include HDR gaming, auto low latency mode (ALLM), variable refresh rate (VRR), high frame rate, and THX certified game mode.”
AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support will be extended to more devices with the launch of Roku OS 10. Before, these Apple features came to 4K-compatible Roku products and 4K Roku TVs, but now the company says they’ll both now be available “on HD Roku streaming devices, such as the Roku Express, and select HD Roku TV models.”
Roku OS 10 lets you customize the live TV channel guide if you’ve got an antenna plugged into your Roku TV. And it also introduces support for HDR10+ on the Roku Ultra and new Roku Express 4K Plus. It also adds virtual surround sound to the Roku Smart Soundbar and new Roku Streambar Pro.
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