PlayStation Vue adds more than 500 local affiliate stations across the U.S.
While most of the focus of live TV streaming services remains on national networks, local channels are also important, especially if you still like to catch up on local news on your TV, and now PlayStation Vue has upped the number of local affiliate stations it offers to more than 540.
Onkyo’s A-9110 is a no-nonsense follow-up to an acclaimed integrated amplifier
Whether you’re looking to put together a stellar vinyl setup or just want more flexibility than an A/V receiver provides, an integrated amplifier can be a great choice, and Onkyo’s new two-channel A-9110 aims to deliver great audio performance in a relatively affordable package.
A new adapter for Dish’s AirTV Player lets it record two shows at once
Following the launch of Amazon’s Fire TV Recast, Dish is looking to catch up by offering a new adapter for its AirTV Player that lets it record shows on two over-the-air channels at the same time, though unlike the Recast, you’re still limited when it comes to where you watch your recordings.
Plex removes some rarely used features, simplifies using subtitles
Much more than a simple media server and client, Plex has been constantly adding different features over the course of its existence, and not all of them are perfect, which is why alongside making subtitles easier to use, the service is also removing some features that users don’t use very often.
SiriusXM’s $3.5 billion purchase of Pandora just might be music to our ears
If you’re a SiriusXM listener, chances are fairly good that the vast majority of that listening happens in a car. The company is aware of this and aims to expand its customer base through a $3.5 billion deal that will see it acquire streaming service Pandora, in which it already owns a 16-percent stake.
Jaybird’s new Tarah wireless headphones are meant to be as tough as you are
Wireless headphones are great, but they aren’t always as tough as we wish they were. That’s not the case with Jaybird’s new Tarah wireless sport headphones, which are meant to be tough enough to withstand everything athletes can throw at them while they’re in the middle of training.
Roku adds features, subtracts cost with its cheapest 4K streamer to date
It wasn’t that long ago that watching TV shows or movies in 4K resolution meant paying big bucks, but that has changed in recent years, and it now it has gotten even cheaper with the debut of the new Roku Premiere, the cheapest 4K streaming media player the company has ever produced.
Thanks to Dish Network, you can now watch live TV on American Airlines flights
Are you headed on a cross-country flight but don’t want to miss any of the fall TV premieres? Dish Network and American Airlines have you covered, as the two have partnered up to bring 12 live TV channels to 100 aircraft, with the number planned to rise to more than 700 in 2019.
Vizio is bringing Dolby Atmos to your living room without any setup headaches
Dolby Atmos object-based surround sound is great, adding a new dimension — height — to your home theater experience, but it can be tricky to set up. Vizio’s new home theater sound systems offer all of the good parts of Atmos without the troublesome setup challenges of some other systems.
Pandora takes aim at Spotify’s Release Radar with smart playlist The Drop
Music discovery is one of the features listeners care about most in music streaming services, and now Pandora is debuting its own answer to Spotify’s Release Radar in the form of The Drop, a weekly personalized playlist for Premium subscribers full of new music based on what they already love.
Samsung has partnered with AKG to bring new wireless headphones to the U.S.
Samsung is partnering with audio legends to bring new wireless headphones to its customers in the U.S. with the new N700NC, Y500, and Y100, which range from the over-ear noise canceling N700NC model to the lightweight Y100 in-ear model, which weighs in at just 24 grams.
What is DTS:X?
Object-based audio seriously raises the immersion level of your favorite movies with the addition of height channels in addition to standard surround. DTS:X is one of the two most popular object-based audio standards in use today. Here's everything you need to know about this awesome technology.
No cell signal? No problem: Spotify now lets you download up to 10,000 songs
If you’re a Spotify user who frequently uses the service in areas with spotty signal, you probably download songs for offline playback, but until now you were limited to 3,333 songs. Now that limit has been raised to 10,000 songs, and you can download on up to five devices now, up from three.
Plagued by technical issues, Plex Cloud will shut down on November 30
Roughly two years after Plex announced its cloud-based media streaming solution Plex Cloud, which has been plagued by technical issues for months now, the company has sent an email to some users alerting them that it will be shutting down the service for good on November 30.
Sonos speakers are getting a whole lot smarter thanks to IFTTT integration
Sonos speakers might have a lot to offer, but when it comes to smarts, they’re not quite in the same league as smart speakers from Amazon or Google. Now that is changing slightly as the company has announced integration with If This Then That to work with your smart home.
KEF revamps its R series of loudspeakers with six brand-new models
KEF’s R series of loudspeakers has gained a reputation for quality, but the brand hasn’t done that by standing still. The R series has been completely revamped for 2018 with no less than 1,043 changes, resulting in a complete overhaul of the speaker line, making it the best it’s ever been.
Optoma’s new smart projector can be controlled via Google Home, Amazon Alexa
Once only affordable for the very well-to-do, 4K projectors are quickly becoming more affordable, which Optoma is proving at CEDIA 2018 with the launch of several new models, including a voice-powered projector compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa that sells for what you’d expect to spend on a decent 4K TV.
New true wireless earbuds on Indiegogo claim an insane 15-hour battery life
Most true wireless earbuds top out at six hours of playback time before they need to go back into their charging case. But a new pair on Indiegogo, the Sonabuds 2 Pro, claim to stretch way beyond that with up to 15 hours of playtime on a single charge. Crazy, or crazy good deal?
Hit the gym with Plantronics’ new suite of fitness-focused headphones
If you’re the type of person that needs their own personal soundtrack when it comes time to work out, Plantronics has you covered with the newest models in its BackBeat Go and BackBeat Fit lines, from lightweight true wireless models to on-ear models with active noise canceling.
Cut the cord wherever you live with Mohu’s 75-mile HD Striker antenna
If you’re looking to cut the cord but find that streaming services don’t carry all of your locals or you just don’t want to spend the money on them, Mohu’s new Striker HD outdoor antenna might be just what you’re looking for, with the ability to pull in channels from as far as 75 miles away.
Sony goes big on IMAX Enhanced with new projectors and certified flagship TVs
IMAX Enhanced is a program that means certified devices can bring the best 4K HDR video and fantastic audio to your home, and Sony is embracing the program, announcing certified TVs including the new Master Series, as well as debuting three new 4K projectors, all of which are certified.
Denon and Marantz bring the sound of IMAX Enhanced to your home theater
IMAX Enhanced promises to take the brand’s signature stellar video and audio quality to home theaters, and Denon and Marantz will bring it into your home with Denon’s new AVR-X4500H and AVR-X6500H receivers and Marantz’s AV7705 pre-processor, both of which will get support via a firmware update in 2019.
Take a load off with Soul Electronics’ lightweight Emotion true wireless earbuds
If you’re looking for a set of true wireless earbuds that won’t leave your ears or your wallet hurting, Soul Electronics’ new Emotion earbuds could be for you, as they’re the company’s lightest true wireless earbuds to date, and they won’t have you busting open the piggy bank to buy them.
Hisense’s Laser TV lineup gets even bigger with the debut of new models
Hisense’s Laser TV line blurs the line between TV and projector, offering the large picture of a projector with the easy setup and features of a TV, and now there are even more models available thanks to the new L8E and L10E lines the company unveiled for the CEDIA 2018 expo.
Pioneer’s new Elite UDP-LX500 is a UHD Blu-ray player for the audiophile set
If you’re looking to buy a new Ultra HD Blu-ray player but want to make sure it offers the highest-quality audio available, Pioneer’s new Elite UDP-LX500 universal disc player may be for you, as it offers the highest standard of UHD playback available, and can play your SACD and DVD audio discs too.
Hi-fi meets whole-home audio in Denon’s new 800 series amplifier and players
If you’re looking for the classic look and feel of a hi-fi system, but want the modern conveniences of whole-home audio, Denon’s 800 series may be perfect for you, with an integrated amplifier, a network audio player, and a CD player that can take your favorite music and pump it through your entire home.
The Boom 3 and Megaboom 3 aim to make great speakers even better
If you're looking for the power to pump up the party in a portable package, Ultimate Ears' Boom and Megaboom 3 speakers have been among the best options for years now, and with the new Boom 3 and Megaboom 3, which boost the bass and bring a visual overhaul, they're better than they've ever been.
The Jaybird X4 wireless in-ears are even tougher than previous models
We liked the Jaybird X3 wireless earbuds enough that they are still among our favorites, but with the new X4, the company has taken in-ears that already had a reputation for being tough and made them even tougher, as they're now waterproof in addition to being sweatproof.
Riva Audio’s Concert and Stadium are smart speakers with an emphasis on sound
When we've gotten our hands on speakers from Riva Audio in the past, we've been impressed, so we expect that to remain the case with the company's new smart speakers, the Concert and Stadium, both of which are the first third-party speakers to feature the complete Alexa communications suite.
Amazon update for older Fire TV devices helps keep you safe from malware
In June, some users of older models of Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick devices found themselves targeted by malware. While this is still a risk depending on how you use your device, new security measures rolling out as part of the latest software update will help keep you safe.
2018 TVs from Samsung, Panasonic are getting HDR10+ via firmware updates
A firmware update released for 2018 TVs from Samsung and Panasonic adds support for the HDR10+ standard, which brings HDR10 closer to Dolby Vision by adding support for dynamic metadata to each frame. This means the manufacturers' decision not to include Dolby Vision support will be less of an issue.
Samsung may launch its first 8K TVs this year, but will the U.S. get them?
Samsung has announced that it plans to launch two ranges of 8K TVs, complete with a 120 Hz refresh rate and “next-gen” HDR. One range is set to debut in 2019 while the other could launch later this year, but maybe not in the U.S. A banner displayed in Berlin suggests the TVs may be unveiled at IFA.
LG’s Tone series of wearable audio gear gets smarter with Google Assistant
It seems that Google Assistant is coming to everything, from smart speakers to soundbars, and now it’s coming to LG’s popular Tone series, specifically in the new LG Tone Platinum SE in-ear headphones, launching along with the LG Tone Ultra SE, which features an external speaker.
Google has a new Chromecast on the way, but don’t expect a major leap forward
An FCC filing by Google shows that the company is planning to release an updated model of its Chromecast streaming hardware, but you might not even notice to look at it. This is a minor update, albeit one that may be welcome if you’ve been having issues with Wi-Fi connectivity.