Samsung has quietly announced a new wireless keyboard, the Smart Keyboard Trio 500. According to a listing on Samsung’s store spotted by Max Jamborit’s a compact wireless keyboard with a very similar design to the likes of Apple’s Magic Keyboard, but with an interesting Samsung twist — a DeX shortcut to use the desktop-style interface on compatible Samsung devices.
DeX has been around since launching on the Galaxy S8 back in 2017, and allows you to access select Samsung phone or tablet’s apps in a windowed-interface similar to a desktop computer. But despite receiving new features and updates with subsequent phone releases, it’s yet to become the true desktop replacement Samsung initially pitched it as. Giving it an eye-catching button probably won’t change that, but it could still work as a little advertisement to use the feature, similar to Netflix’s ubiquitous TV remote buttons.
The keyboard can be paired with up to three devices, and switch between them.Image: Samsung
Beyond DeX, the Smart Keyboard Trio 500 has a couple of other tricks up its sleeve. There are customizable shortcut buttons to open your commonly used apps (though this is only compatible with Samsung devices running One UI 3.1 from march 2021 or later). The keyboard can also be paired with up to three devices, and switch between them using shortcut keys. It draws power from AAA batteries, which suggests it’s not rechargeable.
Samsung hasn’t listed a price or release date on its page for the Smart Keyboard Trio 500, but with an Unpacked event coming up on April 28th we could get an official unveiling soon.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has gotten its first trailer, showing off the high-flying martial arts action and a new hero for the interconnected universe of Marvel films and shows: Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), who’s known in the comics as Marvel’s preeminent master of martial arts.
The trailer serves as a short introduction to Shang-Chi as he faces off against the mysterious Ten Rings organization and its true leader, the Mandarin. The Ten Rings have been a figure lurking in the background for the entirety of the MCU, first introduced in 2008’s Iron Man (and notably spoofed by a copy-cat group in Iron Man 3), but Shang-Chi promises to reveal the actual group for the first time.
The upcoming film also takes some inspiration from the more recent Shang-Chi series of comics, which sees the martial arts master trying to enjoy life in San Francisco away from mystical (and family) drama only for his old life to come crashing back.
Shang-Chi isn’t the first modern live-action martial arts-focused Marvel project; Netflix previously adapted Iron Fist into a two-season TV series in 2017, but that project was developed by the now-defunct Marvel Television, instead of Kevin Feige’s Marvel Studios. Iron Fist also suffered from numerous issues, including lackluster fight scenes, a bloated runtime, and a frustratingly outdated white savior narrative — all things Shang-Chi (with its considerably bigger budget, tighter cinematic runtime, and considerably more diverse cast and creative team) looks to avoid.
The trailer comes hot on the heels of Liu teasing the first poster for the upcoming film on Twitter, which also showcases a look at Shang-Chi’s full superhero costume (which notably doesn’t appear too much in the trailer).
Whoever said that you could only RECEIVE presents on your birthday? Today, I’m giving you your VERY FIRST LOOK at the teaser poster for @ShangChi and the Legend of the Ten Rings!!
Coming to theatres September 3rd (trailer drops in a few weeks).
WE’RE ALMOST THERE, PEOPLE!!!! pic.twitter.com/Kzgkg8djeQ
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) April 19, 2021
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is also set to mark Marvel’s return to exclusively theatrical films. Unlike Black Widow, which will be released concurrently on Disney Plus Premier Access and in theaters, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will debut in theaters only on September 3rd.
I finished This is a Robbery, and I won’t spoil the ending but if you’re thinking there will be a huge reveal at the end, well, you might be disappointed. What I found interesting throughout the four-part series was how the storyline relied on the voices of newspaper reporters who have covered the heist —and its aftermath —over the years. Considering the filmmakers are Colin and Nick Barnicle, sons of longtime Boston Globe columnist and current MSNBC contributor Mike Barnicle, it makes sense they’d center journalists in the story. Go watch it, Boston looks absolutely beautiful and the Boston accents are more authentic than anything else you’ll watch this year. Plus, if you can figure out the central mystery of the series there’s a $10 million reward in it for you.
Here are this week’s trailers (which are heavier on the zombie content than usual):
Army of the Dead
We got a teaser a couple of months ago but this is the first official full-length trailer for Zack Snyder’s big-budget heist flick. A group of mercenaries shoot their way into Las Vegas to get $200 million buried underneath the Sunset Strip before the government nukes the entire city. Plot twist: Vegas has been overrun by zombies— not the shambling, mindless creepers from The Walking Dead, mind you; these zombies are organized and smart. And fast, like the World War Z zombies. (Side note: Kenny Rogers’ The Gambler is the perfect music for this trailer: “you got to know when to hold ‘em/Know when to fold ‘em/Know when to walk away/ Know when to run.”)
Dave Bautista plays the zombie war hero who leads the ragtag group into battle. Army of the Dead hits Netflix May 21st.
The Underground Railroad
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad is set in the novel’s alternate history, making the railroad of the title an actual 19th-century railroad that helps slaves escape the South. Thuso Mbedu plays Cora Randall, who is fleeing a Georgia plantation and being pursued by a bounty hunter (Joel Edgerton). Directed by Barry Jenkins, all episodes of The Underground Railroad— a sure Emmy contender that looks hauntingly beautiful— will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on May 14th.
Fast & Furious 9
This is one of many movies delayed by the coronavirus pandemic (the last trailer was in January 2020 and the movie was supposed to come out last May) but is finally back on the schedule with a new release date. Many familiar faces will return for F9, including (of course) Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, John Cena and Helen Mirren. The latest installment in the Furious franchise hits theaters June 25th.
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness
Don’t you hate when zombies invade the White House and you have to go in and save the day? This teaser trailer gives some more clues into Netflix’s new anime series set two years after the events of Resident Evil 4. While an earlier teaser showed Claire walking around in what appeared to be a haunted house, this latest teaser shows that she and Leon are in the White House for separate reasons, and then: zombies. Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness hits Netflix in July.
The PS5 got its first major software update yesterday – but it seems Sony forgot to mention the new “HDR: On When Supported” setting, reports FlatpanelsHD. Perhaps because it works well for games but not apps…
Let’s rewind for a moment. Sony designed the PS5 to output all content in High Dynamic Range (HDR) when connected to an HDR TV. HDR delivers higher contrast and therefore a wider colour and brightness range than Standard Dynamic Range (SDR).
Problem was, any games, movies and TV shows in SDR were all automatically upconverted to HDR, making them appear very different from how they were intended to look.
The PS5 April Update addresses this issue by allowing the PS5 to match the output of a game or video to either SDR or HDR, according to how it’s flagged. “It appears to work well for games,” FlatpanelsHD says. “PS5 automatically switches to SDR output when opening games like Crash Bandicoot or WRC9, and it automatically switches to HDR output when opening HDR-compatible games like Astro’s Playroom or Spider-Man.”
And apps? Not so much. The same publication claims that support is “inconsistent”, and that the Apple TV app and Netflix app both continue to run in “forced HDR mode” on PS5. The YouTube app also failed to work properly, while Disney+ delivered a blank picture when the new setting was enabled.
Want to try it for yourself? You’ll need to manually activate “HDR: On When Supported” in the PlayStation settings menu. Head to ‘Screen and Video’, ‘Video Output’, and finally ‘HDR’ and you should see the new setting the in ‘off’ position.
The new software brings a host of (more successful) upgrades including support for USB storage, a fix for the Samsung 4K 120Hz HDR issue and cross-generational Share Play mode, which lets you pass a virtual controller to a friend with a PS4 or PS5.
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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.
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
Netflix is redesigning its kids’ profiles to make them more visually appealing and more prominently display popular characters from kids’ shows. You can see the new look at the top of this post, which features a row of a kids’ most-watched shows right on the home screen with characters from the shows appearing on top of the title boxes.
The decision to include characters was to help kids better recognize their favorite shows, Netflix says. “We wanted to represent a title in the way that kids most recognize it — through the characters,” Michelle Parsons, product manager for kids and family at Netflix, said to Variety. “This is going to be like a kid walking into their own room, where they know where every Lego piece is.”
For a show to appear in the favorites row, a kid must watch it at least once, according to TechCrunch. The shows that appear on the favorites row won’t just be Netflix-made — titles from Netflix’s full catalog can be featured.
The revamped profiles are rolling out now to Netflix’s TV apps, and Netflix will test the new look on phones and tablets in the coming months.
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
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.
Between the excellent operating system and solid all-round performance, this is an impressively complete package at a reasonable price
For
Excellent upscaling
Bold, colourful picture
Superb Roku UI
Against
Sonically lightweight
Colours can be heavy-handed
There are reasons why wine is dated by year. The grapes might come from the same fields, the fermentation process may be identical and the barrels alike, but the taste and quality still vary from season to season. While TV panel production is unlikely to be quite so affected by the weather, the Hisense Roku R50A7200GTUK proves that just because you use the same materials and method as last year’s excellent vintage, it doesn’t mean the results will be the same.
The Hisense Roku R50A7200GTUK is likely to be the cheapest 50in TV we’ll see on sale in the UK this year from a major manufacturer. It promises a good-sized, punchy 4K HDR image and all the major apps and services you could need, without so much as an additional box or stick in sight.
It’s a pledge that Hisense delivered so well in 2020 with its R50B7120UK model that it has decided to leave the recipe pretty much as it was for its 2021 Roku TV. While there are many Roku TVs available in the US, for the UK this Hisense model stands alone.
Pricing
The Hisense Roku R50A7200GTUK is priced at £349, although if last year’s set is anything to go by, that could drop significantly later in the year. The Hisense Roku TV A7200GTUK is also available in 43in, 55in and 65in sizes, though our review sample here is the 50in version. On paper, these other panel variants are identical, apart from that the 43in size comes with a lower-powered, twin 7W speaker system and the top-end size benefits from a two 10W speaker set-up.
These Hisense Roku TVs are only available in the UK and are Argos exclusives.
Features
(Image credit: Future / The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things, Amazon Prime)
The Hisense Roku R50A7200GTUK is simple and unassuming in style and appearance and the chassis is almost the same as the previous model. It’s a little more even on the rear, though the overall thickness remains identical. The feet are matte plastic instead of gloss, but that’s about it.
The one key improvement is on the front, where the bezel has been reduced from a basic-looking 1cm band to something closer to 4mm, giving a more contemporary aesthetic. There’s no change to the usable and fully featured remote control. There are direct shortcuts buttons to Freeview Play, Netflix, Google Play Movies & TV, Spotify and Rakuten, plus some clear navigation and media controls too.
Around the rear of the set are three HDMI 2.0-rated ports which can manage frame rates of up to 60Hz at 4K level. There’s also a USB 2.0 socket, a wired headphones connection, and ARC support for easy connection to a soundbar.
Hisense Roku R50A7200GTUK tech specs
(Image credit: Future / The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things, Amazon Prime)
HDR formats HDR10, HLG
Sound formats Dolby Audio, DTS Studio Sound
Inputs 3x HDMI 2.0 (inc ARC), USB 2.0, headphones out
Freeview Play Yes
Dimensions (hwd) 72 x 113 x 26cm (with stand)
Weight 9kg
The Roku TV smart platform is pretty close to flawless. It covers all the major streaming services as well as thousands of seriously niche ones. You want a channel dedicated to crossbow hunting? It’s there. Fancy gaining more knowledge about the cigar industry? You’ll find that here too, along with plenty of other topics.
The only gaps in its offering are Britbox, Apple Music, Amazon Music and VLC, although it does have its own Roku media app, and Airplay support means you can stream most missing content from Apple devices.
You’ll find 4K HDR content available on all the big players. Since last year’s model was launched, UHD support for Google Play has arrived as has the BT Sport app, which is good news for football fans.
It’s also well worth downloading the Roku Channel, which brings free access to over 10,000 films, TV episodes and documentaries from over 40 content partners. But it’s not just the apps that make Roku great, it’s the ease of use. The menu system is simple and clear and the universal search is excellent. Type in the name of an app, TV show, film, actor or director and it brings up all the information you need. Results pages show all the streaming services where each title is available, with the resolution and price information. That now includes the catch-up services, which is an upgrade on the platform compared to last year’s Roku TV.
To set up voice searching, you’ll need to download the handy Roku TV app allowing you to add new channels, cast content from your mobile or tablet to your TV, or just use it to control playback. We also love the Private Listening mode on the app interface; press that and the TV’s sound is routed through your device. Attach a pair of headphones to your mobile and you have a personal AV experience – perfect for late-night viewing.
For live TV, the Freeview tuner is at the helm, along with the Freeview Play homepage of curated catch-up content. At the heart of the experience is the exact same quad-core processor to do the leg work. It offers more than enough to drive the system with barely a hint of lag or frozen responses at any point. Once again, Roku TV is a pleasure to use from top to bottom, from app to screen.
Picture
(Image credit: Future / The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things, Amazon Prime)
Despite its low price, the Hisense Roku R50A7200GTUK is still a direct-lit LED TV – and it shows. Compared with others at this end of the market, the light levels are fairly even across the panel and, even if there’s a little bit of bleed, the blacks are strong with no off-putting blotchiness. Unlike pcirier direct-lit LED sets, though, there appears not to have been enough left in the budget for any local dimming zones, and that’s probably the most telling absence on the spec sheet.
We watch the opening sequences of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2 on 4K Blu-ray and the Missouri cloudscape is more heavy-handed than we’re used to. The dramatic overtones are still there, with plenty of contrast to handle that, but the lack of close control to individual areas of the backlighting means that it’s missing the subtlety of a more expensive TV set.
However, Hisense seems to know where this TV’s strengths lie. It’s not trying to offer finesse, it’s aiming to land a punch. And it does so successfully. The picture is bright and colourful, and even sharper and richer than its apparently identical predecessor.
This second run of Hisense Roku TVs for the UK really comes into its own once we leave the confines of Earth and head to the Sovereign planet for the Guardians’ battle with the Abilisk and a firework display of colour and fun.
The kaleidoscope of gases spewed by the multi-dimensional, tentacled monster look terrific, and the characters flying around it are bold and well-defined in all their HDR glory. There’s no adjustment for motion processing onboard, but while there’s some judder it isn’t hard to cope with. There’s no blurring and smearing of the action to distract either.
Switching down to standard-definition material with Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Blu-ray, we are reminded of last year’s Roku TV and its brilliance with upscaling from 1080p. Fortunately, that ability remains intact.
The opening scene in the hut is as revealing in terms of shadow detail as we could hope. It’s worth adjusting the brightness slider in the picture settings until you strike the right balance. In terms of starting points, the ‘Normal’ setting gets you closest to the best results, but make sure ‘TV Brightness’ is set to max.
Both the early scenes of Rey’s desert home on Jakku and the lush green forests of Maz’s home planet of Takodana are produced with enthralling colours and so much natural detail that it’s hard to find fault with the picture. Even watching BBC News in SD, the picture is remarkably sharp and stable for a panel this size, even if the colours are more simplistic.
Our only real criticism of the image is at higher resolutions. Occasionally that punchy approach can take things too far; it doesn’t have the same chromatic complexity as more expensive TVs. The result is that every now and then, the colour of a piece of clothing or skin tone misses the mark.
For example, Quill’s overcoat ends up a little too oxblood in the throne room scene in front of Princess Ayesha. There’s also a moment when Gamora’s green face is a little too lurid, but there are relatively few of these mishaps. What this TV does with its limited technical resources is impressive.
Sound
(Image credit: Future)
According to the spec sheet, there’s no difference between the Hisense Roku R50A7200GTUK and its 2020 predecessor, but their two sonic presentations are like chalk and cheese. One favours clarity, the other authority, but ultimately neither one produces particularly better TV sound than the other. It seems there’s only so much life that can be squeezed from this modest two 8W speaker system.
As with the picture adjustments, there are only a few settings to play with – only really the DTS processing mode and a dialogue enhancer. There’s also a TruVolume mode for night-time listening which will limit the peaks and troughs of loudness at any one volume level, so that you can hear the onscreen action without waking your neighbours.
Watching the battle sequence outside Maz’s tavern midway through Star Wars: The Force Awakens, gives an excellent sense of what this speaker system can manage. Given its limited resources, this TV copes pretty well. The sound effects of the laser blasts and the TIE fighters screaming past are crisp and detailed. The battle cries and dialogue of the rebels and troopers are clear and placed effectively in the soundscape. When the X-Wings come to the rescue and chase off the Empire, the rousing score still manages to excite.
Naturally, there’s room for improvement. There’s not enough under the hood here to produce the whole frequency range with quality. Hisense has opted to prize the midrange and upper-mid sounds, which is good for voices but means that there’s not a huge amount of impact to gunshots and explosions. Equally, the sound can feel a little strained and congested in the treble. If you find it borders on being difficult to listen to, switch off the DTS.
That said, to expect much more from a TV at this price would be unrealistic. It never fails to deliver the meaning of the source material, no matter the content. You might wish for a little more fun while watching big action movies, but you’ll be thanking your lucky stars every time you opt for more character driven dramas.
Does it spread the audio all the way round the room? Does it offer height-infused Dolby Atmos sound? No. It’s a TV with small speakers and just enough processing that means you can understand what everyone is saying. Not all soundbars can manage that.
Verdict
The vintage may be different, but this is another great year. We suspect that Hisense and Roku have made the best 50in TV you’ll find for under £350 in 2021. Neither the picture nor the sound are perfect but, combined with a brilliant feature set and an unbeatable content offering, the results are a lot more than the price infers.
It’s like uncorking a £4 bottle and discovering that it’s no cheap plonk. And that’s something we can all drink to.
The Apple HomePod could soon be back from the dead. Not as another standalone wireless speaker, but rather as a built-in audio system for the next Apple TV, Bloomberg reports.
The site’s sources say this new version of Apple’s TV box will combine video streaming with a built-in HomePod speaker, a camera for TV-based video calls, and other smart home features.
It’s part of the tech giant’s latest push into the smart home space, in order to better compete with its arch rival Amazon. Apple is also said to working on a premium smart speaker with a touchscreen.
Such a device would basically be a mashup between an iPad and a HomePod. It too would have a camera for video calls, and could pan to follow the user around the room, similar to the Amazon Echo Show and Facebook Portal.
Both devices are in the early stages of development at the moment, so Apple might choose to launch one, both or neither.
Apple has lagged behind its cut-price rival Amazon in the smart home space. And its HomePod speaker struggled for sales too. Last month, Apple killed the HomePod, leaving just the smaller, cheaper HomePod Mini as its sole smart speaker.
The Apple TV hasn’t been updated in over three years. Recently, we’ve seen a slew of rumours regarding the next model – it’s been tipped to get a 120Hz frame rate and smart new Siri remote control. The Apple TV+ streaming service is also looking to ramp up production to Netflix-like levels with a recent hiring.
Apple is said to be holding its next event next week. That could be too early for a new Apple TV, but you never know…
Gundam is about to make the jump to live action in a big way — Legendary Pictures is working on a feature film version of Sunrise’s incredibly popular mech suit anime for Netflix, set to be directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (best known for his work on Kong: Skull Island.)
Legendary was first announced to be working with Sunrise on the live-action Gundam film in 2018, although today’s news doesn’t shed too much light on the upcoming project, which only has a working title at this point. Netflix hasn’t announced details on who might be cast or what the plot will be (or even if the movie will be adapting any of the dozens of different anime arcs, series, and films that already exist in Sunrise’s franchise). Brian K. Vaughan is attached to the project as a writer and executive producer, too.
Grab your Mobile suits! Jordan Vogt-Roberts has been set to direct and produce Legendary’s first-ever live-action feature film version of Sunrise’s GUNDAM for Netflix.
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) April 12, 2021
The project does feel like a nearly perfect blend of subject, studio, and director: Legendary has already produced both Pacific Rim movies (solely focused on gigantic mecha fights) as well as the Godzilla / King Kong “Monsterverse” (most recently capped off by Godzilla vs. Kong, which also features a giant mecha.) And Vogt-Roberts is no stranger to gigantic battles, either, having previously directed Kong: Skull Island for Legendary.
The upcoming Gundam film isn’t Netflix’s first live-action adaptation of a beloved Sunrise anime, either: the streaming service is already working on a live-action version of Cowboy Bebop starring John Cho, which could arrive as early as this year.
The Federal Communications Commission has released a new speed test app to help measure internet speeds across the country, available on both Android and iOS.
The FCC Speed Test App works similarly to existing speed-testing apps like Ookla’s and Fast by Netflix, automatically collecting and displaying data once users press the “start testing” button. According to the FCC, the data collected through the app will inform the agency’s efforts to collect more accurate broadband speed information and aid its broadband deployment efforts.
The FCC’s Speed Test app allows users to test their speeds and share the data.
“To close the gap between digital haves and have nots, we are working to build a comprehensive, user-friendly dataset on broadband availability,” Acting Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement Monday. “Expanding the base of consumers who use the FCC Speed Test app will enable us to provide improved coverage information to the public and add to the measurement tools we’re developing to show where broadband is truly available throughout the United States.”
The app is part of the agency’s broader efforts to collect more accurate broadband speed data across the country. The FCC’s current coverage maps are built from self-reported data from internet service providers like AT&T and Verizon. In doing so, the process has allowed ISPs to exaggerate their current coverage, drawing heated criticism from broadband access advocates.
Earlier this year, the FCC asked the public to fact-check ISP data by entering in their address here and submitting a form here if the information described is incorrect.
Logitech has discontinued its Harmony range of universal remotes. No new products will be produced, and once existing inventory is gone, it’s gone. The brand says it will continue to support existing products as long as customers are using them, but to what degree will be interesting to see.
Logitech was one of the biggest names in remote controls. Its products were a neat way to control your TV and AV system with a traditional button layout. But with the explosion in streaming sticks and smart home devices, expanding control through apps and voice assistants, and the likes of Apple, Amazon and Google increasingly bundling their own remote controls with their products, the idea of a ‘universal’ remote became ever more stretched.
With more streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video coming as part of smart TVs, and the increase in HDMI-CEC support, which allows devices connected via HDMI to be controlled via a single remote, the popularity of dedicated universal remotes has waned. Indeed, Logitech considered selling off its Harmony division back in 2013. So maybe the big surprise is that it lasted another eight years.
Logitech was one of the few remaining companies making universal remotes. Now it’s left to the likes of Sevenhugs and Caavo to mop up what’s left of the market.
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(Pocket-lint) – With some LCD TV makers – including LG! – making a big song and dance about the introduction of Mini LED backlight technology for 2021, the pressure on mainstream OLED TVs to deliver their own substantial hardware leap that’s been rumbling along for years now has become particularly intense.
Just as well, then, that LG’s OLED G1 is stepping up to the plate with a new ‘Evo’ panel design that promises both more brightness and better colour than any LG OLED TV has managed before. Besides that, it’s got all the bells and whistles that cinephiles, gamers and designers will crave in a wall-mount TV. So just how good is it?
Design
4x HDMI 2.1 inputs, 3x USB ports
LAN & Wi-Fi multimedia options
As with LG’s debut Gallery OLED TVs in 2020, the OLED G1 – reviewed here in 65-inch, there’s also 55- and 77-inch versions – is designed very much with wall-mounting in mind. So much so that it only ships with a wall bracket. If you want to place it on desktop legs you’ll have to pay extra for them. And even then they won’t really do the G1’s thin, elegant profile justice.
Pocket-lint
The G1 wall-mount is designed to sit within a recess on the TV’s rear, allowing the screen to hang perfectly flush to a wall. Its impact on your living space is minimised even further, too, by the extreme narrowness of the screen’s frame. You can even choose to play artworks on the screen in a low power mode when you’re not watching it, further justifying the Gallery name.
The only issue with the design, perhaps, is that most people actually don’t wall-mount their TV, but may well still want to get their hands on the G1 series’ unique high brightness panel. If that sounds like you, be prepared to pay the extra for those optional support feet – or a new tripod-style Gallery floorstand LG has introduced for 2021.
The OLED G1’s connections put those of most rivals to shame. Especially when it comes to its four HDMIs, which all meet the latest HDMI 2.1 specification and so can support all the latest features of 4K HDR playback at 120Hz, automatic low latency mode (ALLM) switching for faster gaming response times, and variable refresh rates (VRR). Even in 2021 most rival premium TVs are only offering one or two full-spec HDMIs.
What is ALLM and VRR? TV gaming tech explained
Picture Features
HDR Support: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision
Processing engine: Alpha 9 Gen 4
The advances of the OLED G1’s new Evo panel (which is exclusive to the G1 series) come in two main areas.
First, a new ‘luminous element’ is included to enhance brightness without using lots more power or, so LG claims, increasing the likelihood of the OLED G1 suffering with the permanent image retention issue that can affect OLED technology.
Second, LG has introduced a new green layer into the OLED G1’s panel construction that should, in conjunction with new narrower wavelengths for the red and green colour elements, lead to more dynamic and precise colours across the spectrum.
With Panasonic and Sony also using brightness-enhancing panels on their premium OLED ranges for 2021, though, LG has one other bit of the OLED G1’s picture story it’s keen to talk about: its new Alpha 9 Generation 4 processor. Without this, LG argues, the OLED G1 would not be able to unlock the new panel’s full potential.
The Alpha 9 Gen 4 processor also boasts a few potentially important new more general image tweaks. These include new Natural and Cinema Movement motion processing modes, and enhancements to both LG’s AI Picture Pro and AI Sound Pro automatic picture and sound optimisation options.
On the AI Picture Pro front, the latest processor can now use AI learning to identify when an image may be showing a city scene, a landscape or a night shot, and apply specific rules to the image accordingly. It can even apply ‘rules’ to specific objects or areas of specific content within any overall image, creating a more three-dimensional and natural effect than would be possible by just applying the processing rules equally across the whole image.
The OLED G1’s use of an OLED rather than LCD panel – no surprise given the name, eh? – brings with it innate picture quality advantages too. For instance, it can be watched from almost any angle without its colour saturations or contrast deteriorating significantly. It can also deliver light control down to individual pixel level, so that the darkest blacks the panel is capable of can appear literally right next to the brightest whites, without any dimming/greyness/backlight clouding trade-offs. This sort of local light control just isn’t possible with LCD TVs – not even those that use Mini LED technology.
As usual with a premium LG TV, the OLED G1 supports the Dolby Vision and HLG formats of high dynamic range (HDR) technology, alongside the industry standard HDR10 format. There is no support for the rarer (in source terms) HDR10+ format.
The OLED G1 picks up where the company’s popular 2020 X series OLEDs left off when it comes to gaming, continuing to offer 4K resolution, HDR, 120Hz refresh, plus variable refresh rates (VRR) across all four HDMIs.
Pocket-lint
It introduces a roster of new gaming options via a Game Optimiser ‘dashboard’ too. These options include a series of selectable game genre-based picture presets, an AI Game Sound mode, separate tweaks for the bright and dark extremes of gaming graphics, a Reduce Blue Light option for shifting game graphics to a warmer, less fatiguing colour tone, and separate Standard and Boost input lag reduction options that deliver exceptionally fast response times of just 12.4ms and 9.4ms respectively.
There’s also a new Fine Tune Dark Areas option for VRR gaming that provides a counter-measure to the tendency of OLED TVs to exhibit raised black levels when playing VRR images. So LG is clearly hell bent on retaining the legion of gaming fans it picked up with its forward-thinking 2019 and 2020 LG OLED series.
Smart Features
Smart system: WebOS 6.0
After years of merely refining its much-loved webOS platform, LG has finally introduced some really significant changes on the OLED G1.
A new full-screen interface takes over from the old and familiar strip of app icons along the bottom of the screen. This interface focuses for the most part on recommending content based on household viewing habits and currently popular shows from across the wide range of apps the TV supports. There’s a substantial box to top right, too, that takes you to a well-presented and wide-ranging content search page.
LG
While it makes sense these days to shift the webOS focus to providing recommended content curated from across supported apps rather than making users explore content on a per-app basis, the layout and ‘weighting’ of the new home screen doesn’t feel quite right. The three link options along the top of the screen in particular feel like they’re been given more weight than they really warrant.
The signature webOS source icon strip does still continue along the bottom of the new full-screen home page, and you can scroll down from there to a small selection of further shelves containing a list of all your connected devices, and direct content links to some of the most popular streaming apps. Strangely there’s no Netflix shelf at the time of writing, though, and you can’t change the order the shelves appear in.
LG’s voice control and recognition features – Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and LG’s own ThinQ options are all available – continue to be excellent. As does the system’s level of app support, with all the key streaming services covered. This includes the UK’s terrestrial broadcaster catch-up services via Freeview Play.
Picture Quality
The OLED G1 undoubtedly delivers overall better picture quality than any of LG’s 2020 OLED TVs. Whether it delivers as much of an improvement as some quarters might have been hoping for, though, is another question.
The new Evo panel makes an impact in two ways. First, where an HDR image, such as a shot of sun-drenched blue sky, features almost full-screen brightness, there’s a slightly higher level of overall intensity to the picture than 2020’s LG models can provide. Second, the very brightest parts of HDR images – naked bulbs and lights, reflections on glass or metal, sun-drenched clouds and the like – look punchier and, as a result, more natural.
LG
It’s noticeable, too, that since the Evo panel is designed to handle slightly lighter peaks of brightness, it typically delivers more subtle detailing and shading in the brightest HDR areas.
These differences, along with a slightly richer, more refined HDR-content colour palette, are more consistently noticeable when playing HDR console and PC games than they are with typical video.
Even with the punchiest games, though, the OLED G1 step up from 2020’s LG OLEDs don’t elevate the brand’s OLED performance into a whole new ball park. It’s more refinement than revolution. While this initially feels slightly disappointing, it doesn’t take long living with the OLED G1 to start feeling as if this initial assessment is a bit foolish.
After all, the OLED G1 is providing a 10-20 per cent HDR performance boost to 2020 LG OLED TVs – which were themselves sensational performers. And that’s actually a pretty remarkable achievement in a premium TV world now so good that even the tiniest improvements should be embraced like long lost relatives.
What’s more, the G1’s picture improvements aren’t just down to its new Evo panel. The new Alpha 9 Gen 4 processor has its part to play too, on two levels.
First, the new AI Picture Pro option is a substantial advance over its predecessor. Its ability to apply more effective enhancements on a more local basis yields pictures which look both more eye-catching and more natural. This eye-catching/natural combination is key, since while LG AI processing has previously delivered enhancements to colour, sharpness and contrast, those enhancements have always been accompanied by distracting side effects. On the OLED G1 the improvements are not only more pronounced, but come at the expense of practically no downsides.
There are, of course, people who won’t use the AI Picture Pro mode because they don’t like the idea of a TV’s processor taking over the way a picture looks. And for those people the OLED G1 still supports all the calibration tools and accuracy of other recent LG generations. The much improved AI Picture Pro is very much worth trying for most users, though.
The other key processing improvement comes from LG’s new motion options. The new Natural motion processing mode used by default with most of the OLED G1’s picture presets is a little too smooth and can cause unwanted processing side effects. The new Cinematic Movement mode, though, does a superbly well-balanced job of gently reducing the rather ‘hard’ judder with 24p movie sources that OLED TVs can exhibit without creating really any distracting side effects. It’s outstanding.
LG
The OLED G1’s improvements have not, thankfully, compromised any of LG’s traditional OLED strengths. Black levels still look inky, actually exhibiting slightly less noise in areas of near-black detail, despite also showing more shadow detail in most picture presets.
Colours hardly ever look forced or over the top despite the slight brightness increase and marginally purer presentation, and sharpness is slightly improved without making the image look brittle or harsh. With HD sources, in particular, the new Alpha 9 Gen 4 upscaling really earns its corn by delivering a markedly crisper finish than seen with previous LG OLED generations without exaggerating noise.
The OLED G1’s pictures are not completely perfect though. There’s noticeable flickering in dark scenes when gaming in VRR, for starters. All Dolby Vision presets (bar Vivid) can cause some crushing of detail in dark areas. There’s a new hint of magenta over pictures if you watch from a wide angle, too, although contrast and colour intensity still benefit from OLED’s viewing angle advantage over LCD in this area.
The OLED G1 can also still exaggerate compression noise in dark (usually SDR) streamed scenes, and even with the G1 it’s still important to stress that while OLED is untouchable when it comes to local (as in, pixel by pixel) contrast, premium LCD TVs can still get significantly brighter with both peak and full-screen HDR content.
Sound Quality
Since LG doesn’t join Sony in using the screen surfaces of its premium OLED TVs to produce sound, there isn’t much space in the OLED G1’s super-skinny design for a big old set of speakers. With that in mind, though, in many ways the OLED G1 sounds pretty good.
For starters, a new Virtual 5.1.2 upconversion system introduced by the Alpha 9 Gen 4 processor does a surprisingly convincing job of adding a mild sense of height to soundtracks that don’t have height channels built-in. At least the sound expands nicely from all of the TV’s edges, even if there isn’t any sense of actual overhead sounds. Voices tend to sound clear and believable, and detail levels are quite high for a sound system that doesn’t have any forward-facing drivers.
LG
There are two fairly significant issues, though. First, while it’s cool that the OLED G1 decodes Dolby Atmos soundtracks (though there’s no DTS support), it doesn’t do so very well. The speakers just can’t deliver anywhere near as much impact as they should with very loud, dense Atmos moments. In fact, the speakers tend to become more subdued just when they’re supposed to be ratcheting up.
This makes LG’s own AI Sound Pro setting a much better option for most content. This does amp up to take on loud moments, as well as somehow make the sound fill the room more.
However, whenever a film soundtrack features low rumbles – especially in AI Sound Pro mode – the TV’s low frequency drivers start to fall prey to significant amounts of break up and distortion. So much so that it can become quite hard to listen to, and a clear distraction from the onscreen action.
Best go buy a separate soundbar/surround system then.
Verdict
At the time of writing there’s a question mark over whether the OLED G1 is sufficiently superior to the upcoming C1 mid-range OLEDs – which don’t get the Evo panel – to justify its extra cost. Based on the type of enhancements it brings over last gen’s CX models, though, it most likely is a worthy step up from the C1 – if you’re looking to wall-mount anyway.
So while it doesn’t quite shatter the OLED rule book in the way some had hoped, the OLED G1’s new Evo panel in conjunction with LG’s latest processing engine delivers comfortably the best OLED TV LG has ever made. That’s what makes this TV special. A fact which should rightly have both AV and gaming fans drooling, given how good LG’s previous OLEDs have been.
Also consider
LG
LG OLED GX
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If you can live without the Evo panel’s enhanced HDR performance and Game Optimiser functionality but like the Gallery design, 2020’s OLED GX is still available for a chunk of cash less.
Read our review
Panasonic
Panasonic HZ2000
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Panasonic was the first brand to introduce new high brightness OLED technology, and 2020’s version of this technology is still available at a slightly lower price than the LG. Stocks are apparently starting to run low, though, so get a move on!
So yesterday I watched the first episode of the Netflix documentary This is a Robbery, about the 1990 heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and the accents alone made me homesick.
For those who did not grow up in the land of dropped R’s: two thieves dressed as cops stole 13 works from the museum, valued at a total of $500 million. The art, which included paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas, and Manet, has never been found and no arrests have ever been made. The museum is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the stolen works. I’m trying to avoid spoilers because even though I grew up in Boston and I’m familiar with the story, a few headlines about the doc have teased that it “solves” the case. Very interested to see the filmmakers’ theory of what happened!
The trailer roundup for this week has villains, shut-ins, and Ghostbusters. You’re welcome.
The Woman in The Window
Getting strong Rear Window vibes from the second trailer for this movie, which was supposed to premiere in theaters last May. Amy Adams stars as Anna Fox, a severely agoraphobic woman who suspects she witnessed the murder of her friend (played by Julianne Moore) in the neighboring building. Some serious gaslighting ensues. The Woman in the Window also stars Brian Tyree Henry, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Anthony Mackie, Tracy Letts, and Gary Oldman. It hits Netflix May 14th.
Cruella
This is the second trailer for the upcoming origin story of the villainess from 101 Dalmatians and it makes me think we’re supposed to be rooting for Cruella? Even though in the original movie she wanted to make a coat out of puppies? And is literally named “cruel devil”? I’m still not totally sold on the whole notion of an origin story for a movie villain (and more are coming), but if Emmas Stone and Thompson are involved (Thompson’s character is the Baroness von Hellman… literally has “hell” right in her name) then it’s worth a look. Cruella will be in theaters and on Disney Plus (for an additional fee) on May 28th.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
OK so this is a character-specific teaser trailer for the upcoming Ghostbusters sequel with Paul Rudd, introducing us to some cute? Scary? Menacing? Stay-Puft marshmallow… creatures. Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, and some of the original Ghostbusters will be in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which is slated for release in theaters November 11th.
Loki
The next spinoff series from Marvel is all about Loki, the trickster god of Asgard, and introduces the Time Variance Authority and Owen Wilson as Mobius. Tom Hiddleston is so good as Loki that perhaps I should retract or at least rethink my earlier statement about movie villains. Loki comes to Disney Plus on June 11th.
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