For his birthday JBL gives enthusiasts a celebratory version of the JBL L speakers 75 Classic 75, which resume in all respects the style of the ‘years 70 with Quadrex foam front grille, plus JBL SA integrated amplifier 750
by Roberto Colombo published 08 January 2021 , at 12: 11 in the Audio Video channel Harman Samsung JBL
CES is always a very important appointment for Harman , subsidiary of Samsung Electronics (after the acquisition of 2016) and owner of several historical audio brands, such as AKG, Harman Kardon and JBL . In this one 2021 the latter, which still bears the initials of the founder J ames B ullough L ansing, fulfills well 75 years. The company, in fact, has its roots in the United States of the first post-war period and was born in 1946 for the production of components for speakers and audio equipment for the cinema market. Cinema, theaters and live events remain one of JBL’s core businesses, but over the years there are also many products that have become known at the consumer level.
750 JBL L 100 Classic 75 for fans
Some of them have remained in the hearts of audiophiles: among them the iconic speakers L 100 Century , born 51 years ago as a consumer incarnation of JBL studio monitors 4310 and recently reborn in L version 100 Classic. For his birthday JBL gives fans a celebratory version , the cases JBL L 100 Classic 75 , which reflect in all respects the style of the years 025 with the front grille in Quadrex foam. On board we find a JT dome tweeter 025 Ti2-4 1 “, u ndriver 5” JM 125 PC-8 and finally the woofer from 12 inches JW 300 SW-8. They will be a product – literally – for a few: JBL has decided to limit its production to 750 pairs , which will be sold to $ 5, 500 .
JBL SA 750, vintage look, technological heart
Vintage regurgitation also for the other celebratory product, the JBL SA integrated amplifier 750 , inspired by two mythical products such as JBL SA amplifiers 600 and SA 660. A modern version with vintage references, which includes technologies such as Google Chromecast, Apple Airplay 2, wireless UPnP support, decoding MQA , can be used with Roon, Ethernet port, Wi-Fi connectivity, USB port and automatic optimization system based on the characteristics of the room Dirac Live . This is a class amplifier G from 120 W per channel at 8Ω and 220 W per channel at 4Ω, with integrated DAC and phono input MM / MC. On an aesthetic level it is designed to perfectly match the style of the JBL L 100 Classic 75. It will go on sale from April 2021 for the US price of $ 3, 00 0.
Acer has unveiled several new products in its expanding Predator and Nitro monitor lineup. These are exactly three models designed for a wide range of players, from those who require cutting-edge technology to those who simply play for pure fun. Additionally, Acer is the first to deliver TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe certified gaming monitors that are specifically designed to emit less high-energy blue light than standard LCD monitors. Along with the monitors, Acer also introduced a new version of VisionCare 4.0 technology. It includes, among others adjusting the brightness of the monitor screen based on the ambient lighting, as well as a set of solutions measuring environmental conditions to automatically adjust the color temperature.
Acer announced three monitors’ premieres in May. About Predator XB models 165 U NX, Predator XB 323 QK NV and Nitro XV 275 K KV still don’t know everything, but basic specs and prices have emerged.
What monitor to buy? Recommended office and gaming monitors for December 2020. Buying guide for different price ranges
The most advanced model is Acer Predator XB 273 U NX . It is 27 – inch IPS monitor with WQHD panel (2560 x 1440) with refresh rate 275 Hz (overclocked) and 0.5ms response time (GtG) . This specification allows for smooth and tear-free visual effects, even when very fast-moving objects appear on the screen. Monitor supports HDR, cover too 95% of the DCI-P3 palette, offering vivid colors and deep blacks. The display is additionally supported by Acer Agile-Splendor IPS technology, which is supposed to provide crystal clear images even at wide viewing angles. The monitor is expected to appear in Europe in May for the price of 1179 euros.
Acer Swift 3 Test – Light and a handy ultrabook with Intel Core i5 processor – 1135 G7 and the Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Another design is Acer Predator XB 323 QK NV – bigger than the previous one, because 31, 5 ” 4K UHD IPS Gaming Monitor (3840 x 2160), NVIDIA G-SYNC / AMD FreeSync compliant and offering a fast refresh rate of 144 Hz . In addition to the smooth graphics that this frequency provides, games are designed to make games as lively as possible thanks to 31 – the percentage coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette. This model also supports Acer Agile Splendor IPS technologies and VESA DisplayHDR certificate 400. The monitor is expected to appear in Europe in May for the price of 1199 Euro.
Acer Swift 3X Test – Card premiere Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics
Acer Nitro XV 282 K KV is the last of the newly presented models. This model offers a 4K UHD panel (3840 x 2160) IPS, has a contrast ratio 100 000 000: 1 and cover 90% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Like XB model 323 QK NV you will find the refresh rate here 140 Hz. Additionally, Acer Nitro XV 282 The K KV comes with an HDMI 2.1 connector and a cable for seamless support for new 4K UHD consoles 120 Hz with VRR (Variable Refresh Rate). The monitor is also TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe certified and features Acer Agile-Splendor IPS technology. The monitor is expected to appear in Europe in May for the price 949 euro.
Sony has announced an expansion of its 360 Reality Audio platform, bringing the 360-degree music format to more devices and media as well as offering new creation tools. 360 Reality Audio uses object-based spatial audio technology to place instruments or vocals around the listener’s head in a virtual sound field.
Now, Sony is expanding the audio tech into video. The company says it’s working with record labels and service providers to start streaming video content with 360 Reality Audio later this year, and the first example will be a live performance from Sony-signed artist Zara Larsson next week. You’ll be able to watch through Sony’s Artist Connection mobile app at 5pm ET on January 11th.
Sony is releasing two new 360 Reality Audio-compatible speakers this spring, the SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000, although there isn’t much detail on either beyond support for Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant. Sony has also developed a new 3D audio plugin called the 360 Reality Audio Creative Suite, which is compatible with DAWs like Pro Tools and will be released at the end of this month.
There are currently around 4,000 songs available in 360 Reality Audio across services like Tidal and Deezer, Sony says. The format works with most regular headphones or compatible speakers like Amazon’s Echo Studio.
A BoM analysis performed by Counterpoint has unveiled the production costs of the new iPhone 12 and compared them to his predecessors. Let’s find out the results in the complete article
by Lorenzo Tirotta published 01 January 2021 , at 19: 31 in the Apple channel Apple
How much does it cost to produce an iPhone ? A bill of materials (BoM) analysis carried out from the Counterpoint Research website has published the results obtained. The BoM analysis includes all the materials and processes necessary to obtain a finished product. With iPhone 12 Apple has taken a step forward from its younger brother iPhone 11 , implementing new technologies and improving some important aspects .
Apple BoM Analysis: iPhone comparison 12 and iPhone 11
The transition from LCD technology to OLED , support 5G and the new processor TO14 Bionic are among the most important innovations adopted by Apple. These technologies have inevitably caused an increase in production costs from the latest Apple series. According to the analysis, iPhone 12 from 128 GB with mmWave support has a production cost of $ 431, about 351 EUR, on 26% more than iPhone 11, while for the standard version there is talk of an increase of 21 % than the predecessor. Despite the cost increase, Apple has kept the introductory price for the iPhone unchanged 12 Pro and Pro Max.
“The cost of mixed materials for the iPhone 12 with NAND flash from 128 GB is nearly $ 415, an increase of 21% compared to the iPhone 11. In the iPhone 12, components designed by Apple, including chip A 14 Bionic, PMIC, audio and UWB, represent beyond 16, 7% of the total BoM cost. “
The reasons for producing an iPhone 12 costs one fifth more than the predecessor are many, but let’s analyze the most significant: The OLED panel provided by Samsung or LG has a cost of $ 23 more than the previous LCD. The implementation of the new processor A 14 at 5nm translates into an increase approximately $ 17 . Finally, the components, technologies and systems necessary for the 5G support resulted in a total increase of $ 34 . These three categories represent the main causes of cost increases.
Interesting news for Sony at CES 2021: the OLED panels are squeezed to the maximum and gain luminance and color volume, while the intelligence artificial optimizes images using technologies such as Face Detection
by Roberto Colombo published 07 January 2021 , at 19: 01 in the Audio Video channel Sony 8K 4K
No revolution at home Sony as far as concerns the TV gamma 2021 , but several updates that promise to squeeze the most current technologies , with interesting news also on the front OLED . Bravia XR is the new brand that will characterize the top of the range products and which takes its name from the new processor Sony XR , consistent evolution of the previous X1 and its various declinations (Extreme and Ultimate).
The evolutionary step is the use of Artificial Intelligence , in particular declined to add a new one to the capabilities of the TV Cognitive Intelligence which analyzes images and sounds from the human perspective to enhance the viewing experience. At the base of the new cognitive intelligence we find technologies that Sony has also developed for other sectors, in particular that of photography. Image enhancements will be based on ‘ Focal Points ‘, focal points on which it focuses human attention : if a person appears on the screen , our eye runs there, and if a face appears even more.
As cameras recognize figures and subjects, so TVs will be able to highlight people on the screen, also using the Face Detection to highlight faces even more and improve the image where our eye goes to look. The new XR processor uses artificial intelligence algorithms in a more advanced way even for the 4K and 8K upscaling phases of lower resolution content, now with a database dedicated to improving the yield of textures , in addition to the previous Object Based database.
Sony technicians have worked hard for fully squeeze the OLED panel of the new Sony Bravia A 83 J , which allows to reach brightness peaks higher than previous generations. Sony has not released peak and average brightness data (“ Those you can measure “the Sony technician literally said to us journalists of the specialized press during the presentation), but he revealed the innovation behind the scenes of the new values. If until now it was the white pixels of the W-OLED panel to have in charge the light emission in the luminance peaks, now the RGB colored pixels are also used to increase the luminance . The renewed panel management also promises an increase in color volume and longer luminance peaks, thanks to the aluminum radiant panel mounted behind the main panel. This is an innovation that we are curious to see live, to get an idea of how much ‘juice’ Sony technicians have managed to extract from the OLED panel.
Still talking about OLED panels, Sony has worked a lot also on sound, renewing the actuators that make the panel vibrate and make the sound come directly from the images: the technology Acoustic Surface + can now rely on larger and two-way actuators. In addition, the rear subwoofer (plus) also plays a new role: not only emits towards the rear, but thanks a particular acoustically transparent grille transmits vibrations also towards the front . OLED A 90 J now expands to the colossal dimension of 83 inches, in addition to sizes from 55″ is 65 “.
On the front LCD Sony applies the same concepts and exploits the power of the new processor with a finer adjustment of the backlight zones ( here too no technical data unfortunately), but also on the audio front where Sony has added several frame tweeter , actuators that make the TV frame vibrate directly. Now the tweeter frames are also placed in the upper frame , to take advantage of the up-firing direction and give more space to the sound, taking advantage of the bounce on the ceiling. In addition, Sony has significantly expanded the size of the acoustic chambers of traditional speakers , continuing on the road traced the Last year.
Sony Bravia Z9J , in denominations of 85 is 75 inches, it will be the top of the range 8K proposal that takes advantage of all the news.
TVs will integrate HDMI 1 ports. 20 with 4K support 120 p VRR and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) which if not available at the debut will be brought to TVs with a subsequent firmware update. All new TVs will carry the new operating system Google TV , which takes the place of Android TV and which will offer more possibilities for customizing the interface . Also on top models Z9J, A 90 J and X 95 J there will be the possibility to use the hands-free voice commands, without going through the remote control .
Big news is Bravia Core , a streaming service dedicated to Sony Bravia users , which will bring a variable number of Sony films Pictures in preview (from 5 to 10) with viewing window immediately following the release in theaters and with an unlimited streaming plan of contents including 4K HDR and IMAX, with bitrate up to 80 Mbit . The service will be free for a number of months (12 or 20 months), depending on the coat of arms of the purchased model.
The service will also land in Europe, but at the presentation there was a small asterisk with the reference “Italy excluded “. There are some fiscal issues that could slow down the landing of the service in our country, but Sony is working to be able to not exclude Italy from the service.
The line- complete up of the new Sony TVs will therefore be composed as follows:
Z9J 8K Master Series Full Array LED in formats 85″ is 75 “
TO90 J OLED Master Series in formats 83″, 65″ is 55 “
TO 80 J OLED in formats 77 “, 65” is 55 “
X 95 J Full Array LED in formats 85″, 75″ is 65 “
X 90 J Full Array LED in formats 75 “, 65 “, 55” is 50 “
The CES fair will start in a few days 2021, which this year will exceptionally take a virtual form. This event in the industry is always very important due to the amount of new hardware presented there. Some companies, however, show some of their new products even before the official start of the fair. This is also the case with Lenovo, which has already announced today details about the news in the form of the IdeaPad 5 Pro and IdeaPad 5i Pro multimedia laptops. Even though the names suggest two laptops, there are actually four different devices. Two of them offer a diagonal matrix 14 “, two more – 16 “. There are also Intel Tiger Lake-U, Intel Tiger Lake-H, AMD Cezanne processors and NVIDIA GeForce MX cards and GeForce RTX 3000.
Just before CES in Las Vegas, Lenovo introduced the IdeaPad 5 Pro and IdeaPad 5i Pro laptops. Both laptops will be available in sizes 14 and 16 inch.
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro are new, multimedia notebooks which, due to the offered specifications, may turn out to be very interesting devices. While 14 – IdeaPad 5 Pro and IdeaPad 5i Pro inch models will be based on AMD Ryzen processors 5000 and Intel Core 11 generation (Tiger Lake-U) yes 16 -inch variants use more powerful versions of AMD Ryzen 5000 – H (Cezanne-H) and Intel Tiger Lake-H (variants with TDP 1800 W). In the case of graphics cards, we can count not only on integrated graphics systems, but also NVIDIA GeForce MX systems 450 and GeForce RTX 3000 – no specific model is given here, but we expect at most RTX 3060 Max-Q Design.
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro Laptop (14 inches – photos Nos. 1-3, 16 inch – photo number 4)
Specification
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro (14 “)
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro ( 16 “)
Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro (11 “)
Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro (16 “)
Processor
AMD Ryzen 5000 (Cezanne-U )
AMD Ryzen 5000 (Cezanne-H)
Intel Core i5 – 1135 G7 Intel Core i7 – 1165 G7
Intel Core i5 – 11300 H (4C / 8T) Intel Core i7 – 11370 H (4C / 8T)
2x USB 3.2 Type-C 2x USB 3.1 Type A Gen.1 1x HDMI 1.4 SD card reader 3.5mm audio-jack
2x USB 3.2 Type-C 2x USB 3.1 Type A Gen.1 1x HDMI 1.4 SD card reader 3.5mm audio jack
2x USB 3.2 Type-C 2x USB 3.1 Type A Gen.1 1x HDMI 1.4 SD card reader 3.5mm audio-jack
1x Thunderbolt 4 1x USB 3.2 Type-C 2x USB 3.1 Type A Gen.1 1x HDMI 1.4 SD card reader 3.5mm audio-jack
Battery
56, 5 Wh
75 Wh
56, 5 Wh
75 Wh
Weight
1 , 45 kg
2.0 kg
1, 45 kg
2.0 kg
As you can see, each of the new laptop models is interesting in some respects. First of all, this year the producer will strongly promote matrixes with proportions 16: 10 (Today’s IdeaPad 5 Pro and IdeaPad 5i Pro are just the beginning) and high definition. After all, models based on AMD Ryzen processors 5000 do not have to look noticeably worse than variants based on Intel processors. All available laptops also offer speakers supported by the Dolby Atmos spatial format. Both the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and IdeaPad 5i Pro will be available in two color versions – silver and dark graphite. Prices have not been disclosed yet, but sales should start in the first quarter of the year.
Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro Laptop (14 inches – photos Nos. 1 and 2, 16 inch – photos 3 and 4)
To kick off the new year, Silverstone is launching the MATX Fara H1 M compact chassis. Designed to offer increased airflow to a variety of components that can be mounted inside of it, this 30-liter chassis can be used to house a gaming or multimedia system with powerful specifications.
The Fara H1 M’s front panel features a steel honeycomb design with mesh, while the right-side panel is made of light tinted tempered glass, allowing users to show off their systems. Both the top and bottom panel come with a removable dust filters to prevent dust from accumulating inside the system. The front I/O panel features a USB-A 3.0 port, 2x USB-A 2.0 ports, an audio-in jack, and an audio-out jack.
The case supports Micro-ATX, Mini-DTX, and Mini-ITX motherboards, 320mm long graphics cards, 160mm tall CPU coolers, and up to 250mm long standard ATX PSUs (160mm with drive cage installed). Additionally, there are 4x expansion slots, 2x 2.5-inch drive bays, a 2.5/3.5-inch drive bay, and a 3.5-inch drive bay.
Despite just measuring 210x392x366mm (WxHxD), the fan support of the Fara H1 M is quite extensive for such a small case, allowing users to mount 2x 120/140mm fans on the front, a 120mm at the rear, 2x 120mm fans on top, and another 2x above the PSU shroud. Radiator support allows users to mount a 120/240mm on the front and a 120mm on the rear.
Pricing and availability details of the Silverstone Fara H1 M haven’t been disclosed. You can learn more about this chassis HERE.
KitGuru says: Do you like the look of the Fara H1 M case? Would you consider it for a new build?
The post Silverstone announces the Fara H1 M, an MATX chassis focused on airflow first appeared on KitGuru.
For the first patch day in the new year, Google has numerous security holes in Android versions 8.0, 8.1, 9, 10 and 11 eliminated. Four of them are considered critical and could have been misused by attackers, among other things, to carry out denial-of-service attacks or to remotely execute code on vulnerable devices (remote code execution). With a “Moderate” exception, the remaining vulnerabilities are at high risk.
The Android Security Bulletin for January 2021 differentiates between two patch levels, the installation of which either part of the security holes (level 2021 – 01 – 01 ) or all gaps (Level 2021 – 01 – 05 ) fixes. According to Google, manufacturers of Android devices should allow this procedure more flexibility when patching.
Critical security holes According to Google’s assessment, the most dangerous of the closed security holes, CVE – 2021 – 0316, is located directly in the operating system code (section “System” in the bulletin). It enables attackers to execute remote code in the context of a privileged process. In order to carry out the attack, Google only indicates that the transmission of specially prepared data is necessary.
CVE – 2021 – 0316, as well as the critical gap CVE – 2021 – 11 (Denial-of-Service) in the Android framework, by raising the patch level to 2021 – 01 – 01 eliminated. To eliminate two further security holes with “Critical” classification in Qualcomm’s closed source components – CVE – 2020 – 11134 and CVE – 2020 – 11182 – is on the other hand level 2021 – 01 – 05 necessary.
Separate bulletin for Pixel devices As usual, a separate January bulletin with updates for Google’s Pixel devices has been published. It includes four additional security fixes that are automatically distributed to supported Pixel devices along with all other patches. There are also several functional patches from the areas of audio, graphics, sensors and telephony. Details are given in a post in the Pixel Support Forum.
In addition to Google, other manufacturers regularly publish security patches – but mostly only for some product series. Devices from other manufacturers receive the updates much later or, in the worst case, not at all.
According to Google, other manufacturers (“Android partners”) were informed of the vulnerabilities at least one month before the publication, as usual, and thus had sufficient time to implement the code. The source code for the patches is available in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).
(Pocket-lint) – GoPro is pretty much the preeminent name in the action camera world, and has been on top of the game for years now. It’s constantly releasing new models to keep up with technological developments and user expectations.
While there’s more competition now, GoPro still has arguably the best all-round ecosystem of action cameras. And thanks to some product line refreshing over the past couple of years, the sheer number of options has reduced to make choosing one much easier. So which GoPro should you buy?
What GoPro offers
GoPro’s entire lineup has gone through something of a streamlining process and complete refresh over the past couple of years. Whereas prior years saw various models, including a budget, tiny Session, the company now only offers versions of the flagship Hero series and the 360-degree Max.
In 2018, it moved around its product line quite a bit to achieve this streamlining, and further slimmed it down in 2019 with the launch of the Hero 8 and Max. In 2020, that process was refined further, and now it only offers the 9 Black, Max, 8 Black and 7 Black. Although, older models are available from third party retailers.
That makes four cameras in total but between them you should easily be able to find something that works for you on your budget. What’s more, you can still quite easily find some of the previous flagship cameras at much lower prices than they were at launch.
GoPro also offers an array of accessories, from small handheld mounts that act as tripods, to floating cases and handles. It also has a great, easy to use mobile app for editing. As an ecosystem goes, it’s pretty unbeatable.
Our pick of the best action cameras from GoPro
GoPro
GoPro Hero 9 Black
SQUIRREL_WIDGET_2670590
GoPro’s latest all-action Hero is the culmination of years of improving stabilisation algorithms. HyperSmooth 3.0 builds on the Hero 8’s capabilities by automatically stabilising shakes and judders from your footage an making it impossibly smooth. Change direction suddenly and it’ll smoothly pan, using a smart algorithm.
There are two key improvements on previous cameras, however, which make it very appealing for any buyer. One of those is undoubtedly the larger battery which lasts much longer than its predecessors. The other is that there’s now an actually useful screen on the front that you can use to frame yourself when facing the lens. It’s no longer just a black and white screen with basic information.
GoPro improved the audio too, putting a better microphone at the front of the camera as well building in a water expelling channel to further improve its waterproofing versus the older models.
Video capabilities include 5K recording at 30fps, 4K up to 60fps, 1080p live-streaming as well as slow motion 240fps and a number of timelapse and hyperlapse capture modes, including a Night Lapse photo option.
It’s arguably one of the best value flagship Hero cameras to date as well, with a starting price well below some of its predecessors if you buy it with a GoPro subscription.
GoPro Max
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GoPro doesn’t want you to think of the Max as a reboot of the Fusion, but in a lot of ways it is. Likewise, in a lot of ways it isn’t. It’s a 360-degree camera, that’s true, but its more than that and GoPro has completely changed the way you edit video from it.
You can shoot using either of the two 180-degree cameras on its own, and it features even better stabilisation than the Hero8. As well as using the HyperSmooth technology of the more standard camera, it uses its ultra wide lenses to automatically level the horizons, so not only does it make all your footage smooth, it’s also always level.
It has a better mic than the Hero8 too, in fact, offering similar performance to the shotgun mic mod that you can buy for the Hero8. It has six mics in total, offering that 360-degree audio.
Of course, you can shoot in 360 too, using both cameras, and then you simply use the GoPro mobile app to reframe any of the footage you capture in a way that’s much more user friendly than the method offered by the Fusion. You can also use a TimeWarp feature that lets you speed up and slow down footage while panning around the 360-degree footage.
Like the Hero, it has built-in mounting arms, so you’ll never need a case for it to mount it to any of your handles. What’s more, it’s only $100 more than the single-camera device.
GoPro
GoPro Hero 8 Black
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GoPro didn’t just enhance the action camera’s capabilities when it launched the Hero 8 Black, it also brought with it a new, more practical design. It’s slightly bigger and heavier than its predecessor, but that extra size and weight means there’s now space for built-in mounting arms, and that means no more additional clip-on frame. It’ll mount to anything all by itself.
As you’d expect, it’s waterproof and can shoot up to 4K resolution, with a huge number of frame rates and resolutions available depending on what kind of footage you’re wanting to shoot. The big news in video performance is the enhancement of the company’s HyperSmooth stabilisation algorithms. It’s called HyperSmooth 2.0 and is available across all resolutions and frame rates, so it doesn’t matter what you shoot, it’ll be buttery smooth.
4K Wide – 60, 30, 24 fps
4K SuperView – 30, 24 fps
4K Linear – 60, 30, 24fps
4K (4:3) Wide – 30, 24 fps
2.7K Wide – 120, 60, 30, 24 fps
2.7K SuperView – 60, 30, 24 fps
2.7K Linear – 60, 30, 24 fps
2.7K Narrow – 60, 30, 24 fps
2.7K (4:3) Wide – 60, 30, 24 fps
2.7K (4:3) Linear – 60, 30, 24 fps
2.7K (4:3) Narrow – 60, 30, 24 fps
1440p Wide – 120, 60, 30, 24 fps
1440p Linear – 60, 30, 24 fps
1440p Narrow – 60, 30, 24 fps
1080p Wide – 240, 120, 60, 30, 24 fps
1080p SuperView + Linear – 120, 60, 30, 24 fps
1080p Narrow – 60, 30, 24 fps
One of the biggest enhancements to the Hero 8 Black is down to the redesigned exterior and port layout: mods. GoPro has introduced three new mod add-ons that enable a more professional vlogging experience. Simply: you can now connect a shotgun microphone, LED light and display mod so that you can light yourself in darker environments, get better audio recording and see yourself when shooting to camera.
It’s for sure the most accomplished standard GoPro action camera to date. Check out more in our review below.
Read the full review: GoPro Hero 8 Black review
GoPro
GoPro Hero 7 Black
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4K video at 60fps
1080p at 240fps
HDR Photos
HyperSmooth + HyperLapse
10m waterproofing
It might have been launched in 2018, but the Hero 7 Black still offers a lot, and is even better value than ever now that its retail price has been reduced.
Stuck on the front is a camera capable of shooting HDR still photos, as well as 4K video up to 60 frames per second and 1080p footage up to 240fps for awesome slow-motion. It’s also equipped with some very advanced digital stabilisation, which acts like a 3-axis gimbal to smooth out shakes and vibrations. It’s called HyperSmooth and almost completely gets rid of bumps and shakes in the footage.
As well as all that, general image quality is much more natural and better quality too, compared to its predecessor. All this is thanks to the new custom, upgraded GP1 processor, which has enabled these improvements in hardware that’s largely the same as the previous model. It offers the following resolutions and FOVs:
It’s waterproof up to 10 metres, fits all the same accessories and mounts as the Hero 5. It also has the same 1220mAh battery.
What’s particularly interesting here is that it was the first GoPro with the built-in ability to analyse telemetry, audio and facial recognition clues and better choose the bits where action is happening. That means when it comes to creating a QuikStory, the camera should be better at choosing the important parts than previous cameras.
You can control Hero 7 using the buttons or touchscreen as normal, or use voice commands to get your camera to take photos, shoot video, just by telling it to.
Read the full review: GoPro Hero 7 Black review
GoPro
GoPro Hero 7 White
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1440p video at 60fps
10MP stills
If you want a capable action camera without the expense, there’s the GoPro Hero 7 White. It’s discontinued currently, but even at launch it was half the price of its highest-spec sibling. It was launched in 2018, effectively taking the features from the 6-month-old Hero, and putting it in a new design.
It doesn’t have 4K video recording, but it has many of the same features as the old Hero 5 Black. For instance, you get voice control, QuikStories, video stabilisation and waterproofing up to 10 metres. It even has the 3-mic noise reduction system. And, unlike the Session cameras it’s replacing, it does have a screen, so you can see what you’re filming and interact with the controls using its touch sensitivity. It lacks the small monochrome screen on the front, and the battery isn’t removable though.
If you can live without the 4K resolution video, the 60fps 1080p capture from the stabilised Hero should be more than enough to capture your best outdoor exploits. Here are all the resolutions, frame-rates and FOVs available:
1440p Wide – 60fps
1080p Wide – 60fps
15/1 burst rate 10MP stills
It’s a much simpler offering from GoPro and one which should prove very easy to use for those thinking about trying out a GoPro camera if you can still find one.
Which GoPro should you buy?
If you want the best of the best, the Hero 9 Black is the easiest recommendation. It doesn’t just film 4K resolution at 60fps, it’s waterproof, can do 240fps slow-mo at 1080p resolution, and has really impressive digital stabilisation during shooting. Overall image quality is great too.
With that said, the GoPro Max also makes a solid case for itself by not only offering high-end Hero performance, but also more advanced stabilisation and horizon levelling, plus 360-degree capture.
If you want high end recording abilities in as small a package as possible, the Hero 5 Session is a really great option, even if it is discontinued. It’s compact, waterproof and can shoot at pretty much the same levels as the Hero 5 Black, and doesn’t cost the earth.
Ultimately it comes down to weighing up what’s important to you in an action camera. To read up more on GoPro and its products be sure to check out our GoPro Hub.
Tianjin Phytium Technology, a China-based processor developer, has introduced its new CPU for client PCs. The new D2000 processor packs eight general-purpose cores designed for both compact desktops, a’la Mac Mini, as well as sophisticated tower machines with expansion capabilities.
The Phytium D2000: Eight Cores for Desktops
The Phytium D2000 processor is a derivative of the FeiTeng-2000/4 CPU introduced last summer. The new chip doubles the number of custom ARMv8-compatible FTC663 cores from four to eight but largely leaves the rest of the chip intact, according to HKEPC.
(Image credit: HKEPC)
Phytium’s FTC663 cores feature a four-issue out-of-order pipeline, the company’s newest dynamic branch predictor, the latest INT and FP units, and supports Arm’s ASIMD instructions to speed up floating point workloads. Each pair of cores shares a unified 2MB cache (so the eight-core chip carries 8MB of L2 cache), and all eight cores share a 4MB L3 cache.
As expected for CPUs designed in China, Phytium’s D2000 supports domestic SM2, SM3, SM4, and SM9 cryptography algorithms. Also, the D2000 supports the company’s own PSPA 1.0 security platform.
Both the FT-2000/4 and the D2000 processors have the same I/O capabilities, including a 128-bit DDR4-3200/LPDDR4 memory interface, 34 PCIe 3.0 lanes (that can be split across four PCIe 3.0 x8, and two PCIe 3.0 x1 slots), two GbE ports, 32 GPIO lanes, and CAN, UART, I2C, SPI, as well as LPC interfaces. The CPU features built-in audio support but doesn’t have an integrated GPU.
Phytium’s FT-2000/4 and D2000 CPUs use the same 32×35mm 1144-pin FCBGA packaging. They are pin-to-pin compatible, making it particularly easy for PC makers to adopt the new chip and use it with existing motherboards.
Phytium plans to clock the D2000 processor at 2.30 ~ 2.60 GHz, which is in line with its quad-core predecessor. Meanwhile, the new CPU’s TDP is 25W, up from 10W with the FT-2000/4, illustrating that the company uses a different process technology to fab the new chip.
The Mysterious Foundry
Speaking of fabrication technologies, one of the most intriguing things about the Phytium D2000 processor is which contract maker of semiconductors produces it. The new CPU is fabbed with a 14nm node, whereas its predecessor was made using TSMC’s 16nm fabrication process.
(Image credit: SMIC)
Officially, Phytium isn’t revealing the foundry that makes the D2000 CPU, but the most likely candidates are Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) based in China and United Microelectronics Corp. from Taiwan. The less likely candidates are GlobalFoundries from the USA and Samsung Foundry from South Korea.
Keeping in mind that Phytium used to have ties with the People’s Liberation Army’s National University of Defense Technology (yet it claims it is an independent company now), it is unlikely that it outsourced production of its new CPU to a non-Chinese company given the ongoing US/China trade war that has already hit Huawei and SMIC badly. On the other hand, Phytium’s upcoming 64-core S2500 processor for data centers and supercomputers will still be made using TSMC’s 16nm node, perhaps because SMIC does not have experience producing large chips using its latest nodes.
Now that we have mentioned chip dimensions, the Phytium D2000’s die size is 132 mm2, which is slightly larger than Apple’s A10 (~125 mm2) that’s made using TSMC’s 16FFC node (a very dense technology).
Good Prospects
While Phytium’s processors for server or client computers are unlikely to pose strong competition for AMD and Intel outside of China, the company is doing extremely well in Tianxia. Last year the company’s unit sales surged 7.5X year-over-year.
(Image credit: Ruijie)
As China wants to reduce reliance on foreign chips, its government and local authorities are transitioning to systems running on domestic CPUs. Last year the company sold 1.5 million CPUs, up from 200,000 in 2019. Eighty percent of these processors were sold to various government clients.
With quad-core and eight-core CPUs in its product lineup, Phytium will be able to address a broader range of desktop PCs this year, which means that it can potentially sell even more processors in 2021 than the company did back in 2020.
The first systems based on the Phytium D2000 CPUs are projected to hit the market in the first quarter of 2021, reports PC Watch.
The MSI Godlike performs above average in our testing and easily handled overclocking the Ryzen 9 5950X. With five M.2 sockets, two premium audio codecs, a watercooling ecosystem and an extreme overclocking capable power delivery, there is no doubt the features (and $699 price) are flagship class.
For
19-Phase 70A Power Delivery
Killer Network-based Wi-Fi and 2.5 GbE
10 GbE AIC included
Premium audio w/6.3mm jack
Five M.2 slots
Against
No video outputs
Only six rear USB ports
Expensive
Features and Specifications
The MSI X570 Godlike motherboard isn’t new — in fact, we’ve used it as our test platform in some AMD CPU reviews. But we’ve never had the chance to review it, and given that the Ryzen 9 5950X is our new test CPU, we’ve decided to put this flagship board through its paces with AMD’s latest flagship silicon.
The bold Godlike name infers this is one of the best out there, and to be frank it isn’t very far off, if price isn’t much of an issue. The $699.99 Godlike includes robust power delivery, a premium audio solution, five M.2 sockets and a cool-looking monochrome OLED screen, all of which are fitting for a flagship-class part.
At the time of publishing, MSI’s X570 lineup consists of nine boards, starting with the X570-A Pro ($159.99) and including multiple parts from the MAG line (Tomahawk WiFi), the MPG line (Gaming Plus, Gaming Edge WiFi, and Gaming Pro Carbon WiFi), and the premium MEG lineup (Unify, Ace, and Godlike). From E-ATX flagships like the Godlike to entry-level boards, there is something for everyone in MSI’s X570 range.
Focusing on performance, the Godlike did well in our benchmarking suite, running most tests on the faster side of average. Even in the PCMark 10 MS Office/Application testing, where we often see anomalies, we saw consistent results across the full gamut of testing. The board allowed the 5950X to reach its full 5 GHz boost, so we’re getting all we paid for at default settings. As expected, overclocking on this motherboard went without a hiccup, easily handling our 16-core/32-thread CPU. VRM temperatures at load were some of the lowest we’ve seen as well.
Performance isn’t everything, however. The features list is long and the Godlike includes a 10 GbE add-in-card (AIC) in addition to the existing 1 and 2.5 GbE ports, dual Realtek ALC1220 codecs and two additional PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 sockets via add-in-card. Features and specifications aren’t everything either, though. The appearance of the X570 Godlike is also solid. The Infinity RGB display around the VRMs, coupled with the customizable OLED screen and the overall clean look set this board apart from other less expensive models. Read on for additional details about the X570 Godlike, because there’s a lot here to cover.
Specifications – MSI X570 Godlike
Socket
AM4
Chipset
X570
Form Factor
E-ATX
Voltage Regulator
19 Phase (14+4+1, 70A MOSFETs)
Video Ports
✗
USB Ports
(2) USB 3.2 Gen 2, Type-A and Type-C (10 Gbps)
(2) USB 3.2 Gen 2, Type-A (10 Gbps)
(2) USB 3.2 Gen 1, Type-A (5 Gbps)
Network Jacks
(1) 2.5 GbE
(1) 1 GbE
(1) 10 GbE (via Add-in-card)
Audio Jacks
(5) Analog + SPDIF + 6.3mm outputs
Legacy Ports/Jacks
✗
Other Ports/Jack
✗
PCIe x16
(3) v4.0 (x16), (x16/x0/x0 or x8/x0/x8, or x8/x4/x4)
(1) v4.0 (x4)
PCIe x8
✗
PCIe x4
✗
PCIe x1
✗
CrossFire/SLI
AMD Quad CrossfireX and CrossFireX (2/3-Way), 2-Way Nvidia SLI
DIMM slots
(4) DDR4 5000+(OC), 128GB Capacity
M.2 slots
(1) PCIe 4.0 x4 / PCIe + SATA (up to 110mm)
(1) PCIe 4.0 x4 / PCIe + SATA (up to 80mm)
(1) PCIe 4.0 x4 / PCIe only (up to 110mm)
(2) PCIe 4.0 x4 / PCIe only (up to 110mm, via Add-in-card)
U.2 Ports
✗
SATA Ports
(6) SATA3 6 Gbps (RAID 0, 1 and 10)
USB Headers
(1) USB v3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C)
(2) USB v3.2 Gen 1
(2) USB v2.0
Fan/Pump Headers
(9) 4-Pin
RGB Headers
(2) aRGB (3-pin)
(1) RGB (4-pin)
(1) Corsair LED (3-pin)
Legacy Interfaces
✗
Other Interfaces
FP-Audio, TPM
Diagnostics Panel
Yes (2 character LED), Dynamic Dashboard
Internal Button/Switch
Power and Reset, OC Knob, BCLK+/-
SATA Controllers
ASMedia ASM1061
Ethernet Controller(s)
(1) Killer E3000 (2.5 GbE)
(1) Killer E2600 (GbE)
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
Killer AX1650x (802.11ax, 2×2, MU-MIMO, BT 5.1)
USB Controllers
ASMedia ASM1042
HD Audio Codec
(2) Realtek ALC1220
DDL/DTS Connect
✗ / ✗
Warranty
3 Years
Inside the box along with the motherboard is a whole lot of accessories. Outside of the usual selection of SATA cables, driver disks, and guides, the Godlike includes multiple add-in-cards (10 GbE, M.2 Expander), thermistors, and more. This accessory stack is the biggest we’ve seen in a while. Below is a complete list of the included extras.
(6) SATA cables
1 to 2 RGB LED extension Y cable (80cm)
Corsair RGB LED extension cable (50cm)
Rainbow RGB LED extension cable (10cm)
(2) Thermistor cables
Wi-Fi Antenna
M.2 Expander-Z Gen4 AIC
10G Super LAN AIC
6.3mm audio adapter
Case badge
SATA Cable labels
Driver DVD
Manual, Quick Guide, Quick Installation Guide
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(Image credit: MSI)
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(Image credit: MSI)
When you first take the Godlike out of the box, you’re greeted by an attractive board that will fit in with most build themes. The PCB is matte-black, as are all heatsinks and shrouds. The large brushed-aluminum finish VRM heatsinks connect via heatpipe to each other and the chipset heatsink, sharing the thermal load between them. The DRAM and PCIe slots are all reinforced using MSI’s PCIe Steel Armor, protecting against bending/shearing and EMI.
On the RGB front, the Mystic Light Infinity II feature above the VRM area steals the show. Through the magic of light and mirrors, the RGB lighting looks like it goes down to infinity, offering a truly unique look. The chipset heatsink also sports RGB lighting, with the familiar MSI Dragon illuminated just above the chipset fan. Additionally, the customizable OLED panel located to the DRAM slots’ right brings another unique aesthetic to a motherboard. MSI’s Mystic Light software controls all of the LEDs and the OLED screen. In short, the X570 Godlike looks the part of a high-end motherboard and includes some cool features to set it apart from other high-end alternatives.
(Image credit: MSI)
Starting with the board’s top half, we get a closer look at the Infinity RGB display above the heatsink on the left-hand side. The mirror reflection system does a great job of showing off the RGBs differently from most motherboards. Above this and the large VRM heatsink are two 8-pin EPS connectors (one required) that send power to the CPU. The socket area is clear of most hazards and begs to have a pot on top for some sub-ambient fun.
To the right of the socket are four reinforced DRAM slots. Capacity is listed up to 128GB, while the supported speeds are close to the fastest we’ve seen listed, at DDR4 5000+(OC). As always, your mileage may vary on reaching sky-high speeds such as that. AMD’s sweet spot, even with the 5000 series processors, still sits at DDR4 3600/3733 with the Infinity Fabric tied to it (1:1). Reserved for benchmarking, these speeds benefit those shooting for world records more than it does for real-world performance gains.
Above the DRAM slots are the first three (of nine) 4-pin fan headers. Each fan header supports both PWM and DC controlled devices. The board will automatically detect what is connected and adjust the mode accordingly. MSI doesn’t list how much power these will output in the manual, but we reached out to the company and have answers. All 4-pin headers are 1A/12W, except for the pump header at 3A/36W. If only by the sheer count of fan headers, there should be plenty of power available to connect your pump and fans to the motherboard. Each header even has a LED next to it that tells you what mode the board is using. You’ll see red for PWM fans and white in DC mode. I don’t recall seeing this before, but this nifty little add-on can be helpful for troubleshooting and gives users information on how the fans connect at a glance, without going into the BIOS.
To the right of the socket is MSI’s OLED-based Dynamic Dashboard. Used for a slew of things, the Dynamic Dashboard displays CPU temperature/speed, BIOS flash status and error messages. The monochrome dashboard is customizable, even allowing you to upload a .GIF animation file to display. If there is an error during POST, the dashboard displays the part causing the issue listing the location and error on the screen. Couple that with the two-character debug LED and the four ‘dummy’ LEDs onboard and you should know what’s going on with this motherboard at all times. While it’s arguably overkill for the average user, for those benchmarking and pushing overclocking limits, this can be very helpful to troubleshoot issues efficiently.
In between these headers on the top of the board is the first (of four + Corsair RGB) RGB headers. In this case, it’s a 4-pin RGB. You’ll find the other three headers on the bottom edge of the board. The Mystic Light RGB application controls the RGB lighting. We’ve had no issues with this software providing proper control in our testing.
To the right of the DRAM slots and Dynamic Dashboard are a few more headers and connectors. From the top-down is the first of two temperature sensors, SYS_FAN2 header, the Corsair header, 24-pin ATX power connector, SYS_FAN3 header and a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C front panel connector.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The MSI X570 Godlike runs a total of 14 phases for Vcore and a 4-phase configuration on the SoC. Managing power is a premium International Rectifier IR35201 (x+y=8) buck controller that sends power to seven IR3599 doublers, then on to 14 70A Infineon TDA21472 MOSFETs. The 980A available for the CPU/Vcore only is one of the highest we’ve come across so far. We had no issues whatsoever overclocking our flagship Ryzen 9 5950X CPU. The VRMs remained cool throughout all of our testing. If sub-ambient cooling and benchmarking are your thing, the VRMs will serve you well. Of course, ambient overclocking won’t be an issue either.
(Image credit: MSI)
Moving to the bottom half of the board, we’ll start on the left side with the audio section. Hidden underneath the shroud are two (yes, two) Realtek ALC1220 codecs. The first is for the rear panel audio connectors, with the second dedicated for front-panel audio. An ESS E9018 Sabre DAC drives the 6.3mm stereo headphone output on the back panel. If you don’t have a 6.3mm headset, a 3.5mm-to-6.3 adapter is included if you’d like to use this port. Rounding out the audio section are 12 yellow Nippon audio caps and four WIMA audio caps (red). Overall, the audio solution is well above average, using premium codecs and a quality integrated DAC. The 6.3mm jack on the back is truly something unique on a motherboard.
In the middle of the board are four reinforced PCIe slots. Intended for GPUs, the top three slots support PCIe 4.0 x16 and break down to x16/x0/x0 or x8/x0/x8, or x8/x4/x4 when all three slots are populated. The fourth/bottom slot is sourced from the chipset and provides PCIe 4.0 x4 lanes. If you plan on using the M.2 Xpander and 10 GbE AICs, that leaves you with two full-size PCIe slots for video cards.
Between the PCIe slots are three M.2 sockets, each with their own heatsinks. The top two (M2_1 and M2_2) support both PCIe 4.0 x4 and SATA-based modules. M2_1 supports up to 110mm modules while M2_2 supports up to 80mm devices. The bottom slot, M2_3, supports PCIe only and drives up to 110mm long. If these three aren’t enough, the M.2 expander card adds two more M.2 sockets. To get the full bandwidth from the AIC, install it in a slot that offers PCIe 4.0 x8 bandwidth (third slot down with nothing installed in the second slot). If you need a whole lot of wicked fast NVMe based storage, this motherboard supports it!
To the right of the M.2 and PCIe area are the chipset heatsink and fan. The large fan was inaudible during our testing, though we weren’t using any chipset-connected PCIe 4.0 devices so the stress level is lower. On the right edge are two USB 3.2 Gen 1 front-panel ports along with six SATA ports. SATA ports 1-4 are fed from the chipset, while ports 5/6 source their lanes from the ASMedia ASM1061 chip. The AMD chipset connected ports support RAID0, 1 and 10 modes, which is typical.
Across the bottom are several buttons and headers ranging from front panel audio to power and reset buttons. A lot is going on down there, especially for hardcore overclockers, where you’ll find BCLK buttons and other extreme overclocking functions. Also worth noting in this section are the temperature sensors and water flow headers. With these on board, you’re able to monitor and then control attached devices through the MSI software and the BIOS. Here’s the full list, from left to right:
Front panel audio
TPM header
3-pin RGB header
LN2 mode header
Fan header
Temperature sensor header
Fan header
BIOS switch
Fan header
BCLK “-” button
USB 2.0 header
BCLK “+” button
Reset and Power buttons
OC knob
USB 2.0 header
Front panel header
Water flow header
Clear CMOS header
Slow mode jumper
(Image credit: MSI)
MSI’s rear IO includes an integrated plate with a black and red theme. On the left are two buttons, one that clears the CMOS and the other used for the board’s BIOS flashback capabilities. Moving right, we spy the two WiFi antenna mounts, two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports and above that, a legacy PS/2 mouse/keyboard port. Next are the two Killer-based Ethernet ports that reside above the four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (one Type-C). To the right of that is one of the most unique features on this motherboard, a 6.3mm audio jack that uses the integrated DAC. Finally, the rest of the audio stack consists of a 5-plug analog and SPDIF stack.
The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 was destined to be embedded into a range of carrier boards. Initially, we start with the Compute Module 4 IO board and then design our Compute Module 4-powered product using the various features the IO board provides. For example, Experimental Pi’s recent Compute Module 4 powered retrogaming handheld. But the Over:Board project, currently seeking funding via Indiegogo, aims to take the carrier board design a little further, with a Mini-ITX board designed for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 that aims to turn your Compute Module 4 into a PC.
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(Image credit: Ross Nicholls)
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(Image credit: Ross Nicholls)
The Over:Board Mini ITX carrier board measures 6.7 x 6.7 inches (170 x 170mm) and features a mixture of Raspberry Pi and PC centric interfaces.
From a Raspberry Pi point of view, we have the new dual header interface used to connect the Compute Module 4 to Over:Board. Nearby we have a HAT-compliant 40-pin GPIO header, so we should be able to use our favorite add-on boards.
Over:Board’s typical PC interfaces consist of a 24-pin ATX power interface and a SATA interface with a USB controller that can be used as a boot device. Interestingly, there is a full-size PCI-e slot that enables the use of a PCI-e card. Sadly, the PCI-e interface is limited to 1x, a limitation of the Compute Module 4, but that should be enough for most users.
On the back panel, we have connectors for audio (input and output), a micro SD card slot, two USB 2.0 ports, and Gigabit Ethernet. Video output comes via two full-size HDMI ports. Unusually, an RS232 COM port is present, to be used for serial / UART connections with the Compute Module 4. The final port is micro USB, used for flashing operating systems to the Compute module 4 onboard flash storage (if you are using that particular variant).
Over:Board is currently in the early development phase, so there are no physical units. The goal of crowdfunding is to generate funds to secure prototypes from three different manufacturers. Some of these prototypes are on offer as perks/rewards for supporting the project.
The final production board is set for release in September 2021 for £99 ($135). If you can’t wait that long, prototypes are available from March 2021 for £199 ($270) and in May 2021 for £149 ($202). Remember, before pledging your money, crowdfunding is not “buying” a product; rather, you are showing your support to help the creator make the project real. Only pledge your money if you are happy to accept the risk.
Adata has introduced its first thin-and-light gaming laptop that was designed in collaboration with Intel. The XPG Xenia Xe notebook is an elegant 15.6-inch machine built around Intel’s latest 11th Generation Core i5/i7 ‘Tiger Lake’ processors with the latest Intel Iris Xe graphics and several expandability options.
Adata’s XPG Xenia Xe notebook comes in a sleek CNC-machined anodized aluminum chassis that houses a 15.6-inch Full-HD IPS 400-nits display with touch support and has ultra-thin 4.9-millimeter bezels on the sides to make the device slightly narrower. The laptop is just 11~14.9 millimeters thick at its thinnest/thickest points and weighs 1.65 kilograms (3.6 pounds). To add some gaming spirit to the rather strict design, the chassis has a light bar on its front panel.
(Image credit: Adata)
The XPG Xenia Xe machine is powered by Intel’s quad-core Core i5-1135G7 or Core i7-1165G7 processor featuring Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 with 80/96 execution units (which translates to 640/768 stream processors with an up to 1.6/2 FP32 TFLOPS of performance). The processor is paired with up to 16GB of 128-bit LPDDR4X memory and an up to 1TB XPG Gammix S50 Lite SSD featuring a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface and up to 3500 MB/s sequential read and 3200 MB/s sequential write speeds. The modular SSD can be upgraded over time, something that is not common on thin-and-light designs.
To ensure consistently high CPU performance, the notebook has air vents on the front, bottom, and rear panels and a cooling system that does not allow processor temperature to exceed 84°C under loads while producing an (up to) 40.8 dB noise level.
(Image credit: Adata)
For those who need additional graphics performance, the XPG Xenia Xe has a Thunderbolt 4 port to connect an external GPU box. Other connectivity capabilities are pretty typical for this class of PCs and include an Intel AX201 Wi-Fi 6/Bluetooth 5.1 module, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, an HDMI 2.0b output, and a 3.5-mm audio jack for headsets.
Input devices of the XPG Xenia Xe include a membrane white backlit keyboard, precision trackpad, 720p webcam with Windows Hello and presence detection support, quad-microphone array, and standard speakers.
(Image credit: Adata)
While Adata calls its XPG Xenia Xe a gaming laptop, it was also designed for productivity and light content creation, so the company equipped it with a rather capacious 73Wh battery that allows it to work for up to 12 hours with maximum screen brightness and multiple applications running in the background, as well as up to 16 hours with a looped video running on a screen set to 100 nits (based on BAPCo’s MobileMark 2018).
The PC is said to be Intel Evo-certified, so expect it to support all the bells and whistles that Intel’s latest Tiger Lake platform has to offer when it comes to responsiveness, performance, and connectivity.
(Image credit: Adata)
Adata’s XPG Xenia Xe laptops will be available in the coming months. The Xenia Xe i5 will carry an MSRP of $1,599, whereas the Xenia Xe i7 will cost $1,799. Both systems will be bundled with Adata’s XPG Precog headset as well as the XPG Battleground mousepad.
It’s not every year that Sony launches a brand new TV processor to run throughout its range, so we have high hopes for the Sony 2021 TV line-up. It’s headlined by the Cognitive Processor XR chip, which adds an extra layer of cognitive intelligence analysis to the already excellent Sony AI Processing and should therefore, hopefully, produce even better pictures and sound.
The Sony 2021 TV range has no huge surprises in terms of models and panel sizes compared to last year’s launch, with all sets designed to replace predecessors. With three TV gongs in our most recent What Hi-Fi? Awards, that’s no bad thing.
There are two Master Series models (an 8K LCD and a 4K OLED), a slightly lower specced OLED model and then two more full array LED series, all featuring the Cognitive Processor XR. There are more budget, edge-lit, non-XR models in the new range, too.
All the sets in the Sony 2021 TV range feature Sony’s Ambient Optimization technology, Dolby Vision HDR and are AirPlay 2-enabled. Bluetooth with A2DP is also standard across all the Sony Bravia XR sets too.
The big addition on the usability side is the switch from Android TV to the new Google TV platform. That brings the same excellent and intuitive look and feel as found in the Chromecast with Google TV media streamer.
As Google’s launch partner for Google TV, these Sony’s are the first sets you’ll find with the operating system already build in. It’s from here that you’ll also be able to access all of Sony’s usual picture, sound and other TV settings, as well as customise your home screen by adding your most frequently used apps. All the TVs use the YouView tuner in the UK and come with support for both Alexa and Google Assistant.
Sony continues with Netflix Calibrated Mode in the majority of its models and has IMAX Enhanced certifications with the upper ranges, too. Most sets are also ready to work with the Calman calibration software, should that be of interest.
Sony has added various driver upgrades to its excellent Acoustic Multi-Audio (LCD) and Acoustic Surface Audio+ (OLED) sound-from-picture speaker design, which runs through all of the XR models. These include increased numbers of actuators and tweeters as well as improved enclosure size and shape. Look out for the all-new 3D Surround Upscaling tech, too.
Gamers will be pleased to note that all of the TVs on this page, apart from the W800, have ports with HDMI 2.1 features. These include the ability to run 4K resolution content at up to 120Hz frame rates and technologies such as ALLM and eARC. They are also Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) compatible but will require a firmware update to make that possible.
Let’s take a closer look at some of these new features before we give you a full run-down of each of the Sony Bravia TV series for 2021.
Cognitive Processor XR
(Image credit: Sony)
The Sony Bravia Cognitive Processor XR marries the AI abilities of its X1 predecessor with a system that Sony calls cognitive intelligence. While AI analyses picture and sound signals and uses data based on machine learning, cognitive intelligence aims to add a more human perspective to identify and enhance AV performance and deliver an experience in line with how humans see and hear the world.
This world first TV picture processing, according to Sony, begins with a scene detection stage to identify and enhance the main focal points and, ultimately, adds a greater sense of depth to the image.
The XR processor looks at multiple zones and other elements (colour, contrast, texture, depth, detail, etc) of each frame and performs a cross analysis to work out the most important areas.
The Bravia XR sets come with a host of XR processing modes, many of which replace the similar-sounding systems found in the previous X1-based TVs – XR Motion Clarity and XR Smoothing, for example, with the most significant seemingly XR Contrast Booster.
The Contrast Booster is designed to boost peak brightness while maintaining well exposed whites and blacks in the image, and comes in good/better/best levels for the LCD TVs: the Master Series Sony Z9J has the XR Contrast Booster 15 while lower TVs go down to either the XR Contrast Booster 10 or XR Contrast Booster 5.
For the A90J and A80J OLEDs, the technology comes in the form of XR OLED Contrast Pro and XR OLED Contrast, respectively. Again, they offer improvements to peak brightness, overall brightness and an expansion of the colour volume as well which should help to bring a more accurate and true to life palette.
Lastly on picture, it’s also worth noting that the XR Upscaler includes a texture reproduction database which its predecessor did not. That sits alongside the object-based super resolution technology from the X1 TVs and will hopefully make lower resolution content better than ever on Bravia TVs – potentially very useful for the Z9J while we wait for a wealth of 8K source material.
XR Sound with 3D Surround Upscaling
(Image credit: Sony)
The Bravia XR TVs have cognitive intelligence for TV sound too. Along with improvements to the speaker hardware, features such as XR Sound Position aim to analyse the signal and make sure that the sound is coming from the correct parts of the picture with both Acoustic Surface Audio+ (OLED) and Acoustic Multi-Audio (LCD) technologies.
The big new addition for audio, though, is XR Surround with 3D Surround Upscaling. This takes a 2ch or 5.1ch audio signal and creates a virtual 5.1.2ch experience with the aim of enveloping the viewer in sound in all dimensions.
Bravia CORE streaming service
Sony is taking the huge step of launching its own high-bitrate streaming service which, for the short-term at least, will be exclusive to Sony Bravia XR 2021 TVs.
Called Bravia CORE (Centre of Real Entertainment), this new streaming service effectively has two elements. On the one hand it will host hundreds of titles from the Sony Picture Entertainment back catalogue, all of which can be freely streamed for either 12 or 24 months, depending on which TV you’ve purchased. On the other, it will also allow pay-as-you-go streaming of fresh-from-the-cinema movies, with owners of the new XR TVs given a number of free credits (five or ten, again depending on the model you’ve bought) that can be used as ‘payment’.
Much of the content will be at 4K HDR levels, but what takes it beyond what other services, such as Apple TV and Rakuten, is that it will host a large number of IMAX Enhanced movies and that data rates will be much higher, resulting in better picture quality. Sony says streams will be at up to 80Mbps, which it claims is beyond the rates of many UHD Blu-ray discs. We’re fascinated to find out whether Bravia CORE streams really can outperform disc-based movies, and what happens when users connect via a slower connection.
Sony is also uncertain about whether Bravia CORE will continue beyond the 24-month timeframe or whether it will be opened up further in the future. For the time being, it certainly makes an interesting and welcome toe in the water for all concerned.
Best 8K TVs: the ultimate 8K resolution televisions
Sony Z9J 8K LED TV
(Image credit: Sony)
At the top of the 2021 TV tree is the Sony Z9J Master Series LCD TV. It’s an 8K LED TV, positioned to replace the ZH8 from 2020. It continues with the attractive Immersive Edge design, which includes a titanium silver bezel and a three-position stand that allows for wide and central feet as well, as a third setting to allow space for a soundbar.
As the flagship Sony TV for the year, it’s fitted with all the spoils that Sony has to offer right now. These include a full array LED panel (available in two sizes), the best XR Contrast Booster level and three 48Gbps ports with HDMI 2.1 features, specced at 120Hz rates for 4K material.
The panel itself has Sony’s X-Wide Angle technology, to maximise picture consistency when viewing off-axis, as well as X-Anti Reflection glass to minimise unwanted glare from light sources in your space.
It comes with an aluminium, back-lit voice remote and there’s a colour sensor as well as a light sensor so that Ambient Optimisation mode can automatically adjust chromatically as well as for brightness, according to your viewing environment.
Sony has increased the number of frame tweeters to four by adding two on the top edge for improved high frequency performance. The front facing subwoofers and midrange speakers on the bottom edge are larger too.
Sony Z9J 8K TV specs
Sizes: 75in (KD-75Z9J), 85in (KD-85Z9J)
Screen type: Full Array LED, X-Wide Angle, X-Anti Reflection
Sound: Acoustic Multi Audio, Dolby Atmos, 3D Surround upscaling
Design: 3-way stand
Sony Z9J 8K TV pricing
Sony KD-75Z9J – TBC
Sony KD-85Z9J – TBC
Sony A90J 4K OLED TV
(Image credit: Sony)
The Sony A90J Master Series is Sony’s top OLED for 2021. It’s not 8K, but there is an interesting and big screen 83-inch version alongside the usual 55in and 65in models.
The A90J replaces the AG9 and keeps the Seamless Edge Bezel design with a frame of just 0.7mm for the 55in and 65in models. The 83in has the slightly more robust Flush Surface Bezel look and feel but should be premium nonetheless. It also benefits from the same three-way stand as the Z9J while the smaller panels maintain the choice of wide or soundbar formations but don’t get the central stand positioning.
As a Master Series TV, it comes with a premium, back-lit, aluminium voice remote control as well as both light and colour sensors to use for the Ambient Optimisation mode.
Acoustic Surface Audio+ is the sound tech for OLEDs. It’s planned that the cognitive intelligence processing will offer superior bass. The actuators have been redesigned into a circular shape with an inner circle responsible for creating the higher frequency sounds. The aim is for better sound positioning and quality.
As with the Z9J, it comes with 24 months access to the Bravia CORE streaming service and 10 film credits.
Sound: Acoustic Surface Audio+, Dolby Atmos, 3D Surround Upscaling
Design: 3-way stand (83in), 2-way stand (55/65in)
Sony A90J 4K OLED TV pricing
Sony KD-55A90J – TBC
Sony KD-65A90J – TBC
Sony KD-83A90J – TBC
Sony A80J 4K OLED TV
(Image credit: Sony)
If a Master Series OLED feels like a bit of a stretch, then the Sony A80J 4K OLED TVs are the next best thing. They lose one facet of picture and of design but should still perform well if last year’s A8 OLEDs are anything to go by.
On the physical front, they get a more standard voice remote control and the Flush Surface Bezel design, which is not quite as super-thin at the frame. The three-way stand is still present, though, as is Acoustic Surface Audio+, which includes perforations on the rear of the TV to help with bass production.
There’s no colour sensor to sit alongside the light sensor during Ambient Optimisation, and picture performance is likely to drop a little with the ‘Pro’ removed from its flavour of XR OLED Contrast intelligent processing. It’s otherwise very much as above.
Sound: Acoustic Surface Audio+, Dolby Atmos, 3D Surround Upscaling
Design: 3-way stand
Sony A80J 4K OLED TV pricing
Sony KD-55A80J – TBC
Sony KD-65A80J – TBC
Sony KD-77A80J – TBC
Sony X95J 4K LED TV
(Image credit: Sony)
It’s back to the LCDs with the Sony X95J 4K LED series. The main difference for performance comes with the drop in XR Contrast to the medium level Contrast Booster 10 processing. These full array TVs are still IMAX Enhanced-certified and feature both the X-Wide Angle and X-Anti-Reflection technologies. (No Anti-Reflection on the 85in.)
These sets do also retain some of the premium look and feel of the Master Series. They include the aluminium, backlit, voice remote as well as the super-skinny Seamless Edge Bezel design. There’s the 3-way stand on the two bigger panel sizes with a central position not required for the smaller 65in variant.
Sound: Acoustic Multi Audio, Dolby Atmos, 3D Surround upscaling
Design: 3-way stand (75/85in), 2-way stand without centre positioning (65in)
Sony X95J 4K TV pricing
Sony KD-85X95J – TBC
Sony KD-75X95J – TBC
Sony KD-65X95J – TBC
Sony X90J 4K TV
(Image credit: Sony)
The Sony X90J LED TVs replace the Award-winning XH90s from 2020. There are four panel sizes between 50-75in with the Flush Surface Bezel design and higher raised Slim Blade feet with two-position options. There’s already enough height in the design to allow room for a soundbar.
Again, the voice remote is the standard, black variety and, on the performance front, XR Contrast drops down to Contrast Booster 5. There are no X-Wide Angle or anti-reflection benefits either.
Otherwise, Acoustic Multi Audio, Google TV, the HDMI 2.1 features and most everything else is present and correct, including IMAX Enhanced certification.
Sound: Acoustic Multi Audio, Dolby Atmos, 3D Surround upscaling
Design: 2-way Slim Blade stand (55in and above)
Sony X90J TV prices
Sony KD-50X90J – TBC
Sony KD-55X90J – TBC
Sony KD-65X90J – TBC
Sony KD-75X90J – TBC
Sony KD-49XH9505 review
Sony X85J 4K TV
(Image credit: Sony)
From the Sony X85J downwards, the 2021 Sony TVs lose the new Cognitive Processor XR and make do with the very able Processor X1 from the 2020 range. That means no XR Contrast Booster or 3D Sound Upscaling either.
They also drop from full array LED panels to edge-lit models too, so expect losses in local dimming abilities. Gone too are Netflix Calibrated and IMAX Enhanced certifications, along with Acoustic Multi Audio which is instead replaced by Sony’s X-Balanced speaker system.
All the HDR compatibility is still there and the handy Google TV operating system too.
The X85J maintains the Flush Surface Bezel frame design and the two-position Slim Blade stand which is available for the 55in model and above. It’s the biggest of the 2021 series, in terms of panel size options, and each has a native 100Hz refresh rate with 800Hz Motionflow processing.
The Sony X80J is the entry level Bravia series for 2021. It’s almost the same as the X85Js above but with a few reductions.
The design drops down to the slightly more meat and potatoes Narrow Bezel style and the LED panel has a native 50Hz refresh rate with 200Hz Motionflow processing.
The range of panel sizes is a little smaller but will cover the needs of most at this end of the market. The biggest of all is named the Sony X81J which comes in at 75in on the diagonal.
Last of all, Sony hasn’t forgotten about those who just need something small for the bedroom. The Sony W800 an HD resolution LED TV that comes in a 32in size only. It’s run by the older Bravia Engine and uses Android TV as the OS, so you’ll still get all the major app offerings that one would expect.
Sony W800 32in HD LED TV price
Sony KD-W800 – TBC
MORE:
Samsung 2021 TV lineup: everything you need to know
Sony has unveiled its 2021 TV range at this year’s virtual CES event and, with it, an all-new picture processor to power its Sony Bravia XR TVs, called the Cognitive Processor XR.
Replacing the Picture Processor X1 series of chips, the Cognitive Processor XR adds a layer of cognitive intelligence on top of Sony’s well-seasoned artificial intelligence algorithms. The aim is for these sets to understand their source material in a more human way and create more effective picture and sound enhancements.
Launching with the Cognitive Processor XR is a fleet of Bravia XR TVs, led by the 8K Master Series Sony Z9J LCD TV, available in 75in and 85in sizes. There are then two series of OLEDs – the Sony A90J Master Series, which comes in an all-new 83in panel as well as 55in and 65in, and the Sony A80J OLEDs in 55, 65 and 75 inches.
The Sony X95J is the premium 4K LED model which benefits from many of the features of the Z9J and lastly for the Bravia XRs are the Sony X90J TVs, aimed at a more mid-ranged market. You can find full details of on our full Sony 2021 TV line-up guide.
Sony has largely stuck with its single slate design and many of the TVs include a three-way stand allowing for both central and wide positioned feet as well as a soundbar formation which leaves more room at the foot of the panel for an external speaker.
The basic Android TV experience from 2020 and before has been given a big lift with the addition of the Google TV UI. It’s the same intuitive interface used on the most recent Chromecast device. As Google’s launch partner, these Sony’s TV will be the first third-party manufacturers to feature it.
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony might not be hitting the headlines with brand new panel tech like the Mini LED TVs of LG and Samsung but there are plenty of reasons to expect a big boost in performance with a brand new processor at the helm.
For picture, the cognitive intelligence is designed to detect and enhance the focal point of the action by examining elements such as colour, contrast, texture, depth and detail in multiple zones and then cross-analysing that information within and between frames in a way that is supposedly similar to the brain. The main desired effect is for it to increase brightness in the right areas of the picture and boost contrast across the screen.
Sony’s Bravia XR Sound brings a new dimension to the TV audio to sit alongside its already excellent sound-from-picture design. The 3D Surround Upscaling tech uses the new actuators and frame tweeters on the tops of the panels to help creative a virtual 5.1.2ch experience from any 5.1ch or 2ch audio signal.
Speaker sizes have been increased and the OLED TV’s actuators themselves redesigned to help improve performance too and, with any luck, create a more enveloping soundstage for Bravia TVs than before.
Should all of this be out of budget, then you’ll still find two ranges of LED TVs powered by the older Picture Processor X1. The X85J and X80J TVs come in a large range of panel sizes, boast the Google TV platform and still benefit from the low-lag HDMI 2.1 features that next-generation gamers will be looking for.
Lastly, but far from a footnote, is the high-bitrate Bravia CORE video streaming service that will come pre-loaded and be exclusive to the Bravia XR TVs. It will host the latest box office films from Sony Pictures Entertainment and hundreds of classics too, which can all be viewed at 4K Blu-ray-like quality. Read here for more information on Bravia CORE.
MORE:
Samsung 2021 TV lineup: everything you need to know
All the news from CES 2021
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