Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. Trash
  4. News

TCL Google TVs are back at Best Buy, following software fix

Add as a preferred source on Google

After a brief hiatus, TCL’s Google TV models are back on the shelves at Best Buy — at some of their lowest prices of the year. They had been pulled from both physical stores and online earlier in December over performance issues that made the TVs feel laggy and unresponsive to many users. A software fix has since been issued by TCL, and it is beginning to roll out to all affected models. It apparently addresses these performance concerns.

In an email to 9to5Google, TCL described the software fix that it has developed for its Google TVs:

TCL is committed to delivering premium products with world-class experiences, and the new product featuring Google TV is certainly no different. Recent software updates have allowed us to make significant improvements on the stability and speed of the TCL televisions featuring Google TV. With these updates, this product now represents the powerful performance that TCL and Google believe is the future of TV. — TCL

Google TV models that can benefit from the software update should receive and install the new software automatically, but if you’d like to double-check your TV’s status, here are instructions from TCL:

  • Using the remote, press the Settings button. A panel will appear on the right side of the screen
  • Select the Settings options in the panel
  • Navigate to System > About > System update
  • Select the Network Update option in the dialogue box that appears
  • If an update is available, the TV will display a Software Update message box. Follow the onscreen instructions to download and install the latest updates
  • Once the latest software is successfully installed, your TCL TV will automatically restart.
Simon Cohen
Former Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen obsesses over the latest wireless headphones, earbuds, soundbars, and all manner of related devices and…
Samsung’s Freestyle+ AI Smart Projector turns any wall into your next movie screen
This $1,200 Samsung projector uses AI to fix your picture automatically.
samsung-Freestyle-AI-Smart-Projector

Movie night no longer needs a blank white wall or a complicated projector setup. Samsung has launched the Freestyle+ AI Smart Projector for $1,200 in the US, and its biggest trick is making almost any surface work as your screen.

Whether you're projecting onto patterned wallpaper, a colored wall, or even a space with shelves and picture frames, the projector uses AI to automatically adjust the image so you can start watching with minimal effort. The portable projector can create a Full HD picture up to 100 inches, making it an easy companion for everything from backyard movies to bedroom binge sessions.

Read more
Apple Music just got pricier
The subscription fee has climbed for student, family, and individual plans in the US, UK, and the rest of Europe.
Apple Music App

Apple just raised the subscription fee for its eponymous music streaming service. For individual plans, the price has climbed by a dollar, and so has the affordable student tier. The fee for the family plan has gone up by $3, and it now costs $19.99 in the US. The benefits associated with each plan remain unchanged.

How much do I pay now?

Read more
Sonos owners are finally getting a less frustrating app, but the rollout comes with a catch
Improved navigation, speaker sorting, and new iOS volume controls are arriving gradually and must initially be enabled manually
Furniture, Electronics, Speaker

The Sonos app is getting a substantial usability overhaul. Familiar bottom tabs should make it easier to move around, while customizable speaker ordering could take some friction out of managing a multiroom system.

Sonos community manager ShaunFromSonos announced that the release may take up to two weeks to reach everyone. Once it arrives, users must switch on Enable Improved Navigation in the app’s settings to unlock the new layout and sorting tools.

Read more