Chinese brand TCL today at the all-digital CES 2021 announced that all of its 2021 6-Series Roku TVs will feature 8K resolution, up from 4K, with the lineup set to begin rolling out later this year. As with TCL's other recent Roku TVs, these 8K models should support AirPlay 2 for wirelessly streaming audio and video to the TV from Apple devices like an iPhone or iPad, as well as HomeKit for controlling the TV with Siri and the Home app.
TCL also plans to releases its first 85-inch Roku TVs this year, including two 4K models that should support AirPlay 2 and HomeKit. Exact pricing, availability, and specifications have yet to be disclosed for any of the TVs.
In the home audio department, TCL is teaming up with Roku to launch new "Roku TV Ready" sound bars this year, including wired and wireless options, with advantages being TV and sound bar control with one remote, automatic software updates, consolidated on-screen sound settings, and optimized audio/video synchronization.
One of TCL's new sound bars will be the Alto 82i with Dolby Atmos surround sound, dual built-in subwoofers, and support for AirPlay 2, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant, set to launch in the third quarter of 2021.
Ugh. Nobody needs 8K TVs at these display sizes (unless you're sitting close up in front of them because otherwise you can't tell the difference, even with 20/20 vision). I could only kind of tell a difference in resolution on my 65" LG C9, but I got a sturdy ass mount that extends it out from the wall about 2ft closer. I use that when watching 4K movies and it makes the display size a lot bigger than the apparent size of 77" stuck to the wall. By moving it closer, I can really see the increase in resolution.
But here is the big downside to all these 8K TVs: They'll start only putting the new display technology that matters (better color, dynamic range, panel technology, refresh rate, etc into 8K displays instead of 4K, much like they did with 1080p and 4K back in the day. And this will only serve to keep the prices of TVs very high as 4K TVs drop in price with outdated specs. This is probably a good year to jump on 4K OLED if you haven't already. I did last year and it's great and will hopefully last me for a while. I bought my LG C9 after the CX was announced and saved a lot. I recommend others to do the same with the CX this year if you can afford it. Great TVs.
85" 8K TVs don't really make any sense to me. A 36-42" 8K desktop display makes some sense to me, as you sit a lot closer. But 85"? For most living rooms, 4K would do just as well. For 8K you need like over 120" for it to be worthwhile for most setups, and by that point you're talking about needing a second mortgage. You can probably start to see some benefit around 100" from a typical viewing distance. I guess if you have a tiny apartment and are sitting 5ft from the TV then this might be worth it, but then you have other factors to consider: Do you have enough wall space in a tiny apartment? Will you feel comfortable sitting only 4-5ft from a giant TV display? Will the HDR scorch your retinas from that distance? Are you likely to find much 8K content in the coming years? Many TV streaming services are still only 1080p. I think Fox was the only app I found streaming 4K NFL Playoffs this weekend. As slow as they move I expect it to be another 10 years before 8K starts to come online.
It just seems like the display resolution to screen size to amount of space it takes up is reaching a point of imbalance with extremely diminishing returns. But someone always comes on here and says I'm a luddite or something, even though we're talking about exceeding human vision at this point. There will probably never be enough processing power, but display resolution? Definitely hitting a wall on that.
Wednesday May 26, 2021 4:47 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
A number of new Apple TV 4K owners are reporting that TV shows and movies in several apps are listed as HD rather than the expected 4K resolution. Apple TV 4K 2021 shown on right (Image credit: sundeepch) Based on comments from MacRumors forum members, Apple Support Communities members, and Reddit users, the issue can be found on native Apple content accessed through the iTunes Movies and TV ...
Apple Music on Android devices will not include Dolby Atmos support when Apple launches Spatial Audio on the streaming service in June. That's the claim from MySmartPrice, which says it received confirmation from Apple India that the sound technology would not be crossing the divide between Apple and Android ecosystems.
For anyone confused by all the audio nomenclature that's been bandied...
LG today announced the worldwide rollout of its 2021 sound bar lineup, complete with AirPlay 2 support for wirelessly streaming audio from Apple devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The sound bars also support Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
All of the 2021 sound bars support both the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound formats, while an "AI Room Calibration" feature promises optimal...
Ahead of CES 2021 next week, Sony has introduced new 4K OLED, 4K LED, and 8K LED smart TV models with support for HomeKit and AirPlay 2.
The new lineup includes the MASTER Series A90J with 55-inch, 65-inch, and 83-inch 4K OLED TVs, the X95J Series with 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch 4K LED TVs, the X92 Series with 50-inch to 100-inch 4K LED TVs, and the MASTER Series Z9J with 75-inch and...
Apple today announced a new version of the Apple TV 4K, simply called the new Apple TV 4K, with the A12 Bionic Chip and an all-new Siri Remote.
The addition of the A12 Bionic Chip provides a significant boost in graphics performance, video decoding, and audio processing. The set-top box now supports high frame rate HDR and Dolby Vision video, enabling fast-moving action at 60 frames per...
Belkin today announced the launch of the new Belkin Soundform Connect Audio Adapter with AirPlay 2 support, which is designed to turn any traditional stereo speaker into an AirPlay 2-enabled speaker.
The Soundform Connect can be connected to any powered speaker or sound system using an optical or 3.5mm headphone jack. A speaker connected to the Soundform Connect can be used like any standard ...
Wednesday May 19, 2021 10:23 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today announced the upcoming launch of several new accessibility features that are being added to its various products and services. Apple says that these options are designed for people with mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive disabilities, and showcase Apple's belief that accessibility is a human right.
"At Apple, we've long felt that the world's best technology should respond to...
Enabled by the new and more powerful Apple TV 4K, YouTube has enabled 4K video playback at 60 frames per second for its Apple TV app, rather than the previously capped 30 frames per second. YouTube rolled out 4K support for its Apple TV app in October; however, to much disappointment to users, playback was limited to only 30 frames per second. Thanks to the new powerful A12 Bionic...
Apple's updated Apple TV 4K isn't officially supposed to launch until Friday, May 21, but it appears that UK retailer Argos has jumped the gun by offering customers in-store pickup today.
Twitter user @ApplWatcher was first to note that Argos has been allowing pre-orders to go out a day early, with many store locations offering collection "right away" or after 4:00 p.m. UK local time. At ...
Roku today introduced a new Express 4K+ streaming player and rechargeable Voice Remote Pro with some useful features for Apple users. Priced at $39.99 in the United States, the new Roku Express 4K+ provides 4K streaming at an affordable price. The streaming player supports AirPlay 2 for wirelessly streaming audio and video from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, while HomeKit support allows users to...
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But here is the big downside to all these 8K TVs: They'll start only putting the new display technology that matters (better color, dynamic range, panel technology, refresh rate, etc into 8K displays instead of 4K, much like they did with 1080p and 4K back in the day. And this will only serve to keep the prices of TVs very high as 4K TVs drop in price with outdated specs. This is probably a good year to jump on 4K OLED if you haven't already. I did last year and it's great and will hopefully last me for a while. I bought my LG C9 after the CX was announced and saved a lot. I recommend others to do the same with the CX this year if you can afford it. Great TVs.
85" 8K TVs don't really make any sense to me. A 36-42" 8K desktop display makes some sense to me, as you sit a lot closer. But 85"? For most living rooms, 4K would do just as well. For 8K you need like over 120" for it to be worthwhile for most setups, and by that point you're talking about needing a second mortgage. You can probably start to see some benefit around 100" from a typical viewing distance. I guess if you have a tiny apartment and are sitting 5ft from the TV then this might be worth it, but then you have other factors to consider: Do you have enough wall space in a tiny apartment? Will you feel comfortable sitting only 4-5ft from a giant TV display? Will the HDR scorch your retinas from that distance? Are you likely to find much 8K content in the coming years? Many TV streaming services are still only 1080p. I think Fox was the only app I found streaming 4K NFL Playoffs this weekend. As slow as they move I expect it to be another 10 years before 8K starts to come online.
It just seems like the display resolution to screen size to amount of space it takes up is reaching a point of imbalance with extremely diminishing returns. But someone always comes on here and says I'm a luddite or something, even though we're talking about exceeding human vision at this point. There will probably never be enough processing power, but display resolution? Definitely hitting a wall on that.