
Search results for 'Entertainment' - Page: 1
| PC World - 5 Feb (PC World)Snapdragon X Series processors redefine what modern portable computing can be by delivering both extensive battery life and unparalleled performance on a single processor. With up to 12 Oryon CPU cores, up to 4.6 TFLOPS of power from the onboard GPU, and 45 TOPS for AI calculations, the new Snapdragon processors can deliver incredible results in professional workloads and entertainment alike.
What sets these chips apart is the incredible combination of power and efficiency – even amongst stiff competition from the latest generation of MacBooks and x86 Windows devices. Workers with high-powered laptops are used to having to plug them in regularly to maintain battery life and enjoy strong performance, but the latest generation Snapdragon laptops do things differently. With Windows on Snapdragon, you get incredible battery life with sustained performance even when unplugged, for a truly untethered, high-performance computing experience.
These are the kind of laptop devices which let your workers stay productive for longer, wherever they are, without constraint. Most laptop owners are used to staying near a charger for maximum performance and expect far less than 10 hours of battery life between charges. With the new Snapdragon X Series laptops, however, you can upend their preconceptions with a new tier of performance and longevity. Snapdragon X Series laptops can offer up to 22 hours of battery life. That’s enough for multiple workdays, whether it’s back-to-back meetings, long-haul travel, or home-office marathons (with a quick streamed movie in their downtime).
With its mobile heritage, Snapdragon power management is second-to-none in the PC industry. It’s the Snapdragon processors at the heart of these laptops that deliver such stellar battery life. The new Oryon cores offer comparable performance to the competition, but at a much lower power draw. When combined with an equally efficient, but powerful onboard Adreno GPU, you end up with devices that can compete on performance with the best the competition has to offer, whilst maintaining extensive battery life and portability. That means fewer interruptions and lower energy costs – the kind of benefits that can scale across a whole team.
These processors are fantastic at single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads, too, making them excellent for multi-tasking, or focusing in on a demanding application. Video editing is a breeze, 3D design work is fast and responsive, and everyday apps like Chrome and Edge run faster on Snapdragon. Combined with excellent connectivity from the latest wireless connection standards, like Wi-Fi 7 and Dual Bluetooth, you can expect exceptionally fast and clean connections, with no drops, stutters, or buffering to be concerned with.
To top off this potent combination, all Snapdragon X Series laptops come equipped with a powerful AI neural processing unit (NPU). This Hexagon processor delivers as much as 45 TOPS, making it one of the fastest and efficient dedicated AI accelerators in modern computing. It’s this tri-fecta of potent hardware choices that make the latest Snapdragon processors so impressive, and why Snapdragon hardware is at the heart of the new-generation of AI PC.
Snapdragon processors have long set the standard for smartphones and smaller mobile devices, but now they’re bringing that blend of capability and longevity to the full Windows experience. The result is a seamless, uncompromising experience that keeps up with the demands of modern day professionals. With a Snapdragon X Series powered laptop, you get everything you need to do anything you want, for as long you want, wherever you want.
View Snapdragon laptops for small businesses Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 4 Feb (PC World)An external streaming device is the best way to access online video services without replacing your entire TV. By plugging one of these devices into your TV’s HDMI port, you’ll be able to use apps like Netflix and Hulu, possibly with a faster and smoother experience than your TV’s built-in software.
But between Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, and Apple TV, picking a streaming device can be overwhelming. We’ve reviewed them all and have come up with a list of recommendations for every need and budget.
Why you should trust us
As TechHive’s resident cord-cutting expert, I’ve reviewed practically every streaming device that’s come out over the past decade, and I’ve been a cord-cutter myself since 2008. Beyond just product reviews, I write a weekly column about streaming and over-the-air TV for TechHive, along with a weekly cord cutting newsletter for more than 30,000 subscribers. Few other writers are as familiar with how these streaming devices and their underlying operation systems perform.
Best media streamers for every budget
Roku Streaming Stick 4K — Best media streamer for most people
Pros
Fast, fluid performance with dependable Wi-Fi connectivity
Easy-to-operate interface with powerful voice control features
Full of nice touches that other cheap streamers lack, such as AirPlay and a Replay button
Cons
Discovering and tracking shows could be easier
No Dolby Atmos support or IR control for external sound systems
Only supports wireless connections
Best Prices Today:
Retailer
Price
$39
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
$39 at Amazon
Why we like the Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Roku still offers the simplest platform for streaming, and it’s loaded with thoughtful touches (like the “Replay” button that jumps back 10 seconds and temporarily turns on closed captions). At $50 (and often on sale for less), the Streaming Stick 4K hits the sweet spot in Roku’s device lineup, with a better remote than the budget Express model and the same Dolby Vision support as the $100 Roku Ultra. It narrowly beats out the $40 Roku Express 4K+, which lacks Dolby Vision HDR support and has a less-portable design.
Who should buy the Roku Streaming Stick 4K
While other streaming platforms are more aggressive about recommending movies and shows directly from the home screen, Roku’s main menu is still a traditional grid of app icons, akin to what you’d see on a smartphone. It’s indicative of how Roku values simplicity above all else. If you feel the same way, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is for you.
Read our full
Roku Streaming Stick 4K review
Walmart Onn Google TV 4K Pro — Best media streamer for most people, runner-up
Pros
Excellent performance for the price
Remote is loaded with useful features
Google TV is great for finding things to watch
Cons
Hands-free voice control is a bust
Home screen needs better streaming service tie-ins
Can’t control volume from your phone while casting
Why we like the Walmart Onn Google TV 4K Pro
Walmart’s Onn Google TV 4K Pro resets expectations for what a $50 streaming device can deliver. The small box features a chipset that includes a Quad-core Cortex-A55 CPU and Mali-G31 MP3 GPU; 32GB of storage; a Wi-Fi 6 adapter, plus a 100Mbps ethernet port; and a USB-A port for connecting external storage drives, wired game controllers, and other accessories. It comes with a great remote control with backlit buttons–some of which are re-assignable–and the box itself has a remote-finder feature. All that horsepower makes for an extremely responsive user experience, and great voice search features make it easy for you to find what you want to watch. Walmart would like you to think its box is a great smart speaker, too; regrettably, that is its weakest link.
Who should buy the Walmart Onn Google TV 4K Pro
Like Walmart’s budget-priced media streamer, the Onn Google TV Pro is particularly well suited to TV watchers who are invested in Google’s entertainment ecosystem. This streamer’s remote has dedicated buttons for Google TV’s free streaming channels and YouTube (the latter of which can be remapped to YouTube TV or YouTube Music), as well as preset buttons for Netflix, Disney+, and Paramount+. Home theater buffs, meanwhile, will appreciate the support for Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos object-based surround sound.
Read our full
Walmart Onn Google TV 4K Pro review
Walmart Onn 4K Google TV Streaming Box (2023 model) — Best budget-priced streamer
Pros
Feature-rich remote
Google TV software makes sense of streaming
Super cheap even without sale prices
Cons
Performance can drag on occasion
No Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos support
Google TV guide still has some blind spots
Why we like the Walmart Onn 4K Streaming Box
At a regular price of $20, Walmart’s 4K streaming puck is an unbeatable value, and its button-packed remote has handy shortcuts to the settings menu, live TV guide, and even an input switcher. It runs Google TV, whose home screen does an excellent job recommending movies and shows to watch. It also plays nicely with various Google services, so you can use Google Photos albums as screensavers, control Google Home devices with the voice remote, and play music across your TV and other Chromecast devices at the same time.
Who should buy the Walmart Onn 4K Streaming Box
Those who are deeply invested in Google’s ecosystem will appreciate this budget streaming option, and it may also appeal to tech enthusiasts who want to sideload Android apps or remap the remote control’s buttons. Unless you need Dolby Vision and Atmos support, this is a better buy than Google’s own 4K Chromecast dongle.
Read our full
Walmart Onn 4K Google TV Streaming Box (2023 model) review
Apple TV 4K (2022) (64GB) — Best high-end media streamer
Pros
Uncluttered, ad-free interface
Performance is speedier than ever
AirPlay, AirPods, and iCloud integration are nice to have
Cons
No remote-finder function
Dual home screens can be confusing
Remote gesture controls, while useful, might confound some users
Best Prices Today:
Retailer
Price
$123.49
View Deal
$124.50
View Deal
$129
View Deal
$136.50
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
$123.49 at Best Buy$124.50 at Adorama$129 at Apple$136.50 at Amazon
View more prices
from
Amazon
Close ×
Best Prices Today:
Apple TV 4K (2022) (64GB) — Best high-end media streamer
Retailer
Price
$123.49
View Deal
$124.50
View Deal
$129
View Deal
$136.50
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
Why we like the Apple TV 4K
No other streaming device can touch the Apple TV 4K’s speed, fluidity, and overall feeling of classiness. The aluminum remote is slick, the home screen is free of obnoxious banner ads, and the tvOS software is brimming with useful features. (One underrated example: Inputting passwords by dictating each letter into the voice remote.) Apple’s TV app is a highlight as well, as it helps you save shows for later and jump directly back into what you’ve been watching in most apps. At $129, the third-gen model has a lower price than its predecessors, and it’s no longer out-of-whack with other high-end streamers despite being better in almost every way.
Who should buy the Apple TV 4K
The Apple TV 4K is nearly thrice the price of capable streaming dongles from other companies, so it’s not going to be for everyone, but it’s a worthwhile splurge for your main TV. Additional benefits also accrue to folks who are deeply invested in Apple’s ecosystem, with features like iCloud Photos screensavers and simple pairing with AirPods for private listening. This model provides Wi-Fi connectivity only. If you want it hardwired to your network, you’ll need to step up to the $149 128GB model.
Read our full
Apple TV 4K (3rd-generation, 2022) (64GB, model A2737) review
Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) — best media streamer with voice control
Pros
Unparalleled voice control features
Powerful remote; the “Recents” button is a revelation
Super-fast app load times
Cons
The home screen is a disaster
Upscaling isn’t a major improvement
Costs more than most other high-end streaming boxes
Best Prices Today:
Retailer
Price
$109.99
View Deal
$109.99
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
$109.99 at Amazon$109.99 at Best Buy
Why we like the Fire TV Cube (3rd gen)
Amazon’s high-end streaming box is a niche pick, but it’s the only streaming device that you can control entirely by voice. With its built-in far-field microphones, you can use “Alexa” voice commands to launch programs, scroll through menus, select highlighted items, and jump back to the home screen. It’s also Amazon’s speediest streamer by a wide margin.
Who should buy the Fire TV Cube (3rd gen)
For anyone who’s unable to use a traditional TV remote, the Fire TV Cube is without peer. Voice control is also just a handy way to avoid Amazon’s chaotic, ad-ridden home screen. For smart home owners in the Alexa ecosystem, this box will eliminate the need to have an Alexa speaker in their home theater.
Read our full
Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) review
Other notable streaming devices we’ve reviewed
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick 4K, and Fire TV Stick 4K Max are all strong values, especially when they’re on sale, but their menu systems are difficult to navigate and bogged down by advertising. (You may even see ads instead of your selected screensaver.) They’re only worth considering if you’re deeply into the Amazon ecosystem.
The Fire TV Stick Lite, meanwhile, should be avoided by pretty much everyone. If you want a Fire TV device, get the non-Lite version so you can control TV volume and power without a separate remote.
The Roku Express 4K+ is a solid budget streamer for $30, but the Streaming Stick 4K is only $10 more for Dolby Vision and a more portable design that plugs directly into the TV without an HDMI cable.
Avoid the basic Roku Express and the Walmart-exclusive Roku SE, neither of which have voice, volume, or TV power controls on their remote. Saving a handful of dollars isn’t worth suffering through those omissions.
The Roku Ultra may appeal to Roku fans who want ethernet connectivity, USB media playback, and Bluetooth. But if you just want Roku’s best remote, you can buy the Voice Remote Pro separately to use with any Roku player.
The Nvidia Shield TV and Shield TV Pro have devoted fanbases for good reason: They’re speedy streaming devices with impressive 4K upscaling and all the flexibility that Android TV allows. But for most folks, we hesitate to recommend a device that is now five years old and hasn’t received a software update since 2022.
The Chromecast with Google TV 4K is worth considering over Walmart’s Onn 4K Streaming Box if Dolby Vision and Atmos support are must-haves and you want the same Google TV software, but it’s a lot pricier at $50. There’s not much reason to consider the HD version instead.
The TiVo Stream 4K is now four years old and no longer worth considering as TiVo focuses more on smart TV software.
Frequently asked questions about media streamers
1.
Are streaming boxes better than streaming sticks?
Set-top boxes tend to be faster, but streaming sticks have come a long way on performance while still costing a lot less.
2.
Do I need HDR, HDR10+, or Dolby Vision support? And what about Dolby Atmos?
If your TV supports these formats, buying a compatible streaming device will ensure that you get the richest color detail possible while watching supported content. Same goes on the immersive audio front if you have an Atmos speaker system.
Just be aware that not all streaming services support these formats, and those that do will probably charge extra for it.
3.
Can I control my soundbar or A/V receiver with a streaming remote?
Most streaming devices can control external soundbars and receivers over HDMI-CEC. But if your sound system requires infrared control, be sure to choose a streaming device that supports this. (Roku players, notably, do not.) Otherwise you’ll need to juggle separate remotes.
4.
Can I cast or mirror my smartphone screen to a streaming device?
Apple TV and Roku devices support AirPlay, which allows you to stream audio and video from iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Google TV devices support Chromecast, which lets you play content from supported iOS and Android apps, but only allows for full-screen mirroring from Android devices and the Chrome browser.
5.
What can I connect to a streaming device?
Some streaming devices offer ethernet ports or ethernet adapters, which can be more reliable than Wi-Fi if your home is set up for wired ethernet. Streaming devices with USB ports can also be useful for playing media from external drives or using wired game controllers.
6.
Can I use headphones with my streaming device?
Most streaming devices support Bluetooth headphones and earbuds, with the exception of Roku’s Streaming Sticks and Express players. That said, you can use Roku’s mobile app to listen privately through headphones instead.
7.
Which streaming device has the best app selection?
These days, it’s rare to see any major gaps in app support on the major streaming platforms. That said, some live TV streaming services work better with specific streaming devices on features like launching channels by voice and finding content from the home screen.
8.
Can I use a streaming device while traveling?
Yes. Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV streaming devices even have captive portal support, so you can log into guest Wi-Fi networks that have a web-based confirmation page. That doesn’t necessarily mean you can use every streaming service while traveling. Hulu + Live TV, for example, doesn’t allow you to use the service away from your primary residence.
9.
How much storage do I need on my streaming device?
All major streaming platforms now have the ability to automatically offload apps that you haven’t used in a while, making storage less of a concern than it once was. That said, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Cube have 16GB of storage, which should be more than enough for streaming apps, and the Apple TV 4K has 64GB of storage in its base model. You’d only need more than that for gaming.
How we test streaming devices
Our testing involves using the streaming devices to play a variety of programs, switching between apps to measure load times, and comparing the availability of various features. We pay special attention to remote control functionality—as this is the primary way people interact with their televisions—along with the orderliness and efficiency of each device’s menu system.
Preference in streaming platforms is inherently subjective, but we make sure to flag things that users are sure to dislike, such as overly aggressive advertising or promotional content that gets in the way of watching your desired shows. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 1 Feb (PC World)Remember when you first signed up for Netflix streaming? It was nice. A few bucks a month for tons of good movies, some pretty decent original shows, zero ads, and you could finally ditch the nightmare that was cable.
Fast forward to 2025, and streaming is the nightmare. It splits up everything you want to watch across a dozen different platforms, all of which now have ads just so they can make you pay to remove them. They remove content constantly, they’re full to bursting with things you don’t care about or need (Hades the video game, a dozen horrible Christmas movies every year, and NFL games on the same ticket, what?) and the price is always, always, always going up.
From the consumer perspective, streaming video services are objectively worse than they were a decade ago. Frankly, these services are absolutely milking and bilking their users. There’s no real alternative at this point, at least if you want to watch new shows or the occasional streaming-exclusive movie that isn’t terrible. But there are ways to maximize your enjoyment and minimize your money spent.
Step one: quit.
Quit early, quit often
This isn’t a new idea — I first heard about it from my colleague Eric Ravenscraft years ago, and we’ve advocated for it on TechHive more than once. But it bears repeating. The streaming services don’t have any loyalty to you, and you’ll gain nothing by being loyal to them. Quit your subscriptions constantly, month by month if you want, and move on to the next one. Heck, we’ve said that cancelling your subscription immediately is the one trick all cord cutters should know.
The watch-and-bail setup is pretty simple. You sign up for any singular streaming service for just one month, taking advantage of any deals or promotions they’re offering to entice new suckers customers. You go through whatever you want to watch on that service which is exclusive to that service alone. Then you bail, and move on to the next one. Rinse, repeat, try to never be subscribed to more than one at a time.
ibreakstock / Shutterstock.com
There are some obvious advantages here. Shows and movies financed or produced by one service tend to stay on that service and not move around. Netflix made House of Cards, so you can’t watch House of Cards on Disney+. Hulu made The Handmaid’s Tale, so you can’t watch it on Max. So watch only the exclusive stuff one one service while you have it.
These aren’t universally true — Paramount+, “the home of Star Trek,” unceremoniously dumped Prodigy, and Netflix picked it up for its second season. Disney clawed back Daredevil and other Marvel series when it started making its own for Disney+. But in any given month you can generally rely on the exclusive content that’s already on a service to stick around for at least a month.
Have a plan
The way to maximize this process is to go in with a plan. I keep a list of all the upcoming shows (including returning seasons) that I want to see on any particular service, so when one of them gets three or four piled up, I switch to it and binge as much as my schedule will allow. For example, right now I’ve got Castlevania: Nocturne season 2 and A Man on the Inside qued up on my Netflix list. I’ll wait for at least one more show or movie to catch my eye (like, say, the Knives Out threequel) before I plan my next Netflix month.
Streaminganbieter
rafapress/Shutterstock.com
Also, it doesn’t hurt to memorize the general landing places for movies, if you’re waiting on them to transition from theaters to streaming. Some are obvious: Disney movies (including Marvel, Star Wars, et cetera) will come to Disney+, Paramount movies will come to Paramount+, two to four months after they leave theaters. Warner Bros. movies will eventually land on Max, the service that it owns.
Some (but not all) Universal Pictures movies will come to Peacock, as that’s an NBC-Universal brand. Sony Pictures is the only major Hollywood studio without an accompanying streaming service at the moment. And of course, any movie released to theaters explicitly by Netflix, Apple, or Amazon will make their way to those respective services before long.
Keep an eye out for deals
Obviously this approach will save you some money by keeping your subscriptions down to one or two a month. I like to use that savings to upgrade to ads, which again, are only there to make you pay more so they’ll go away. Enshittification strikes again.
But even beyond maximizing your allotment of time and money, you can game this system to be better for you. Streaming services are constantly hungry for new users. They’ll try to entice them with a free week or month of trial service before they charge, or several months at a discount rate. Keep an eye out for those discounts — for example, at the time of writing Hulu will offer you a month of service for free, and Apple TV+ is doing a week. Watch the usual deal sites for these opportunities, especially if one of your singular service lists is getting long.
Hulu
Sometimes these are restricted to truly “new” users, i.e., if you’ve signed up and unsubscribed before you’re not eligible. You can sometimes get around this by making a new account: use a burner email (or a slightly tweaked one) and a method of payment you haven’t associated with that service before. If you can swing it, these freebies are a great way to watch just one show or movie that’s exclusive to a service you otherwise don’t care about.
Infrequently there are some pretty good deals on year-long plans. I’m currently part way through a Paramount+ year-long package — I got it for $30, plus another $30 upgrade to remove ads. That’s half off the price, only $5 a month total, and I watch enough Star Trek releases throughout the year that it makes sense. (At least for the moment — damn you, Paramount, for canceling Lower Decks.)
Bundles of media are less appealing to me, if only because they tend to offer diminishing returns. Hulu and ESPN are both owned by Disney, so there’s a package combined with Disney+, naturally. But each overlapping circle of that Venn diagram narrows the appeal to users. It might be different for you, of course, especially if you’re sharing services among a big family.
Manufactured headaches
The streaming services are aware of these bouncing customers, and trying to minimize that behavior as much as possible. That’s why the “drop all the episodes at once” binge model that Netflix pioneered is no longer the de facto standard. You’ll need a minimum of three months subscribed to get through a new ten-episode season on a weekly schedule.
The solution is to wait until all the episodes are posted…but that requires some temperance, and leaves you out of “the conversation” and at risk of spoilers. Again, patience is your friend if you’re trying to maximize your money.
A newer wrench in this system is live sports. Previously the exclusive domain of “live TV” bundles, a la Hulu+ Live TV or YouTube Live, streaming services are increasingly claiming major sports events for their own walled gardens. Netflix got an exclusive on NFL games on Christmas day last year, with no way to catch them over-the-air, and many Thursday night games are now exclusive to Amazon Prime Video.
…just don’t ask about Monday, or Thursday, or Saturday, or Christmas.
NFL
That’s going to be extremely frustrating if you’re subscribed to the ludicrously expensive Sunday Ticket on YouTube, plus ESPN for Monday Night games…you get the picture. Enshittification in action. There’s no real way to counter this from a penny-pinching perspective, though you can always go to a sports bar or a friend’s home (or invite them to log in at your place) to catch a singular game you don’t want to pay for.
God, this just sucks
If this all seems like a lot of complication and effort just to save some money, it is! That might be the point — the easiest thing to do is just spend more money and make fewer choices. A lot of people are so sick of it they’re just going back to old-fashioned physical media, and who could blame them?
The silver lining here is that you have more choices for entertainment than ever before, frustrating as they might be. There are smaller, niche services like Dropout.TV, Crunchyroll, or Brown Sugar which are also more affordable. There are practically endless hours of things to watch on YouTube, and a lot of options to keep from paying Google’s ever-increasing premium to block ads. And if you don’t mind ads, and you’re not picky, there are completely free options like Crackle and Tubi.
Droput is great and it’s cheap.Dropout
There’s a stunning variety of video games in every shape and shade, and even ways to get them cheaply like Xbox Game Pass. You could also just, you know, do something not on a screen. I suppose that’s theoretically an option. They still make books, right?
All joking aside, both your time and your money are limited, no matter how much you have of either. Remember that if a service isn’t earning your money, you should stop giving it to them. I recommend an “entertainment audit” once a year, during which you evaluate what you’re paying for in relation to what you’re using, and seeing if you really want to keep it up.
Things are better than they were when your only choices were regular TV and cable. But not by much. And with other factors putting the squeeze on consumers even in affluent countries, I think streaming services that keep offering less and less while they charge more and more are going to meet some of the same harsh realities that the rest of us are dealing with sooner rather than later.
Further reading: The best streaming devices of 2025 Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 1 Feb (PC World)Remember when you first signed up for Netflix streaming? It was nice. A few bucks a month for tons of good movies, some pretty decent original shows, zero ads, and you could finally ditch the nightmare that was cable.
Fast forward to 2025, and streaming is the nightmare. It splits up everything you want to watch across a dozen different platforms, all of which now have ads just so they can make you pay to remove them. They remove content constantly, they’re full to bursting with things you don’t care about or need (Hades the video game, a dozen horrible Christmas movies every year, and NFL games on the same ticket, what?) and the price is always, always, always going up.
From the consumer perspective, streaming video services are objectively worse than they were a decade ago. Frankly, these services are absolutely milking and bilking their users. There’s no real alternative at this point, at least if you want to watch new shows or the occasional streaming-exclusive movie that isn’t terrible. But there are ways to maximize your enjoyment and minimize your money spent.
Step one: quit.
Quit early, quit often
This isn’t a new idea — I first heard about it from my colleague Eric Ravenscraft years ago, and we’ve advocated for it on TechHive more than once. But it bears repeating. The streaming services don’t have any loyalty to you, and you’ll gain nothing by being loyal to them. Quit your subscriptions constantly, month by month if you want, and move on to the next one. Heck, we’ve said that cancelling your subscription immediately is the one trick all cord cutters should know.
The watch-and-bail setup is pretty simple. You sign up for any singular streaming service for just one month, taking advantage of any deals or promotions they’re offering to entice new suckers customers. You go through whatever you want to watch on that service which is exclusive to that service alone. Then you bail, and move on to the next one. Rinse, repeat, try to never be subscribed to more than one at a time.
ibreakstock / Shutterstock.com
There are some obvious advantages here. Shows and movies financed or produced by one service tend to stay on that service and not move around. Netflix made House of Cards, so you can’t watch House of Cards on Disney+. Hulu made The Handmaid’s Tale, so you can’t watch it on Max. So watch only the exclusive stuff one one service while you have it.
These aren’t universally true — Paramount+, “the home of Star Trek,” unceremoniously dumped Prodigy, and Netflix picked it up for its second season. Disney clawed back Daredevil and other Marvel series when it started making its own for Disney+. But in any given month you can generally rely on the exclusive content that’s already on a service to stick around for at least a month.
Have a plan
The way to maximize this process is to go in with a plan. I keep a list of all the upcoming shows (including returning seasons) that I want to see on any particular service, so when one of them gets three or four piled up, I switch to it and binge as much as my schedule will allow. For example, right now I’ve got Castlevania: Nocturne season 2 and A Man on the Inside qued up on my Netflix list. I’ll wait for at least one more show or movie to catch my eye (like, say, the Knives Out threequel) before I plan my next Netflix month.
Streaminganbieter
rafapress/Shutterstock.com
Also, it doesn’t hurt to memorize the general landing places for movies, if you’re waiting on them to transition from theaters to streaming. Some are obvious: Disney movies (including Marvel, Star Wars, et cetera) will come to Disney+, Paramount movies will come to Paramount+, two to four months after they leave theaters. Warner Bros. movies will eventually land on Max, the service that it owns.
Some (but not all) Universal Pictures movies will come to Peacock, as that’s an NBC-Universal brand. Sony Pictures is the only major Hollywood studio without an accompanying streaming service at the moment. And of course, any movie released to theaters explicitly by Netflix, Apple, or Amazon will make their way to those respective services before long.
Keep an eye out for deals
Obviously this approach will save you some money by keeping your subscriptions down to one or two a month. I like to use that savings to upgrade to ads, which again, are only there to make you pay more so they’ll go away. Enshittification strikes again.
But even beyond maximizing your allotment of time and money, you can game this system to be better for you. Streaming services are constantly hungry for new users. They’ll try to entice them with a free week or month of trial service before they charge, or several months at a discount rate. Keep an eye out for those discounts — for example, at the time of writing Hulu will offer you a month of service for free, and Apple TV+ is doing a week. Watch the usual deal sites for these opportunities, especially if one of your singular service lists is getting long.
Hulu
Sometimes these are restricted to truly “new” users, i.e., if you’ve signed up and unsubscribed before you’re not eligible. You can sometimes get around this by making a new account: use a burner email (or a slightly tweaked one) and a method of payment you haven’t associated with that service before. If you can swing it, these freebies are a great way to watch just one show or movie that’s exclusive to a service you otherwise don’t care about.
Infrequently there are some pretty good deals on year-long plans. I’m currently part way through a Paramount+ year-long package — I got it for $30, plus another $30 upgrade to remove ads. That’s half off the price, only $5 a month total, and I watch enough Star Trek releases throughout the year that it makes sense. (At least for the moment — damn you, Paramount, for canceling Lower Decks.)
Bundles of media are less appealing to me, if only because they tend to offer diminishing returns. Hulu and ESPN are both owned by Disney, so there’s a package combined with Disney+, naturally. But each overlapping circle of that Venn diagram narrows the appeal to users. It might be different for you, of course, especially if you’re sharing services among a big family.
Manufactured headaches
The streaming services are aware of these bouncing customers, and trying to minimize that behavior as much as possible. That’s why the “drop all the episodes at once” binge model that Netflix pioneered is no longer the de facto standard. You’ll need a minimum of three months subscribed to get through a new ten-episode season on a weekly schedule.
The solution is to wait until all the episodes are posted…but that requires some temperance, and leaves you out of “the conversation” and at risk of spoilers. Again, patience is your friend if you’re trying to maximize your money.
A newer wrench in this system is live sports. Previously the exclusive domain of “live TV” bundles, a la Hulu+ Live TV or YouTube Live, streaming services are increasingly claiming major sports events for their own walled gardens. Netflix got an exclusive on NFL games on Christmas day last year, with no way to catch them over-the-air, and many Thursday night games are now exclusive to Amazon Prime Video.
…just don’t ask about Monday, or Thursday, or Saturday, or Christmas.
NFL
That’s going to be extremely frustrating if you’re subscribed to the ludicrously expensive Sunday Ticket on YouTube, plus ESPN for Monday Night games…you get the picture. Enshittification in action. There’s no real way to counter this from a penny-pinching perspective, though you can always go to a sports bar or a friend’s home (or invite them to log in at your place) to catch a singular game you don’t want to pay for.
God, this just sucks
If this all seems like a lot of complication and effort just to save some money, it is! That might be the point — the easiest thing to do is just spend more money and make fewer choices. A lot of people are so sick of it they’re just going back to old-fashioned physical media, and who could blame them?
The silver lining here is that you have more choices for entertainment than ever before, frustrating as they might be. There are smaller, niche services like Dropout.TV, Crunchyroll, or Brown Sugar which are also more affordable. There are practically endless hours of things to watch on YouTube, and a lot of options to keep from paying Google’s ever-increasing premium to block ads. And if you don’t mind ads, and you’re not picky, there are completely free options like Crackle and Tubi.
Droput is great and it’s cheap.Dropout
There’s a stunning variety of video games in every shape and shade, and even ways to get them cheaply like Xbox Game Pass. You could also just, you know, do something not on a screen. I suppose that’s theoretically an option. They still make books, right?
All joking aside, both your time and your money are limited, no matter how much you have of either. Remember that if a service isn’t earning your money, you should stop giving it to them. I recommend an “entertainment audit” once a year, during which you evaluate what you’re paying for in relation to what you’re using, and seeing if you really want to keep it up.
Things are better than they were when your only choices were regular TV and cable. But not by much. And with other factors putting the squeeze on consumers even in affluent countries, I think streaming services that keep offering less and less while they charge more and more are going to meet some of the same harsh realities that the rest of us are dealing with sooner rather than later.
Further reading: The best streaming devices of 2025 Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 30 Jan (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
Pros
Attractive and approachable design
Good connectivity including USB-C with 90 watts Power Delivery
Google TV is easy to use and supports many entertainment apps
Bright, crisp image
Cons
Low contrast ratio and modest color performance
Bundled speakers are weak
HDR doesn’t function in Windows
Our Verdict
The Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC doesn’t deliver the best image quality, but it’s a good jack-of-all-trades for shoppers who need smart TV features in a small display.
Price When Reviewed
This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined
Best Pricing Today
Best Prices Today: Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC
Retailer
Price
Asus
$399.99
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
Smart monitors (monitors that run a smart TV OS, like Google TV or Tizen) quietly became a trend in 2024 thanks to new releases from Samsung and LG, among others. Most of these monitors are larger, however, and target higher price points. The Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC is a smaller, more affordable alternative that will appeal to people who care more about a smart monitor’s features than its image quality.
Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC specs & features
At its core, the Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC is a run-of-the-mill 27-inch 4K monitor. It has a 27-inch IPS display with a native resolution of 3840×2160. While the display panel supports HDR, its specifications are otherwise mundane. It has a 60Hz refresh rate, lacks VESA DisplayHDR certification, and lacks adapative sync.
Display size: 27-inch 16:9 widescreen
Native resolution: 3840×2160
Panel type: In-Plane Switching
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Adaptive sync: None
HDR: Yes, HDR 10
Ports: 1x USB-C with DisplayPort and up to 90 watts of USB Power Delivery, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x USB-A 2.0 downstream, 1x 3.5mm audio out
VESA mount: 100x100mm
Speakers: 2x 5-watt speakers
Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Operating system: Google TV
Remote control: Included, with two AAA batteries
Price: $399.99 MSRP
While the display panel is basic, Asus packs the monitor with many useful features. It ships with a remote and batteries used to control the Google TV operating system. It also has Wi-Fi (a must for the smart TV OS to work), USB-C with 90 watts of Power Delivery, and a pair of 5-watt speakers.
Asus lists an MSRP of $399.99, but it appears to frequently go on sale for $369.99.
Further reading: See our roundup of the best monitors to learn about competing products.
Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC design
The Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC is among the more affordable smart monitors available right now, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at it. On the contrary, it provides a clean, premium aesthetic that should look excellent in any office or living room.
From the front, the MS27UC has slim bezels on the top and sides, while the bottom is covered by an attractive grayish-white fabric that blends well with most rooms and lends the monitor an approachable, friendly feel. The fabric covering sweeps around the back of the monitor, where it joins silver plastics that look (but don’t feel) like metal.
A remote comes bundled with the Asus MS27UC.Matthew Smith / Foundry
The rear of the monitor also boasts a small shelf for rear storage, and Asus provides several peripherals (including the remote bundled with the TV) designed to perch there. While I rarely remembered to use it, this feature could be useful if you like a tidy setup.
The monitor has a compact but effective L-shaped stand with a flat base. It takes up very little space on a desk and its compact form factor means the monitor can perch on even smaller surfaces, like a nightstand or cabinet (important if you plan to use it like a small television). The stand’s ergonomic adjustment is limited, however. It only adjusts for tilt and height and its range of height adjustment is a tad more limited than typical at 100mm of total travel.A typical 100x100mm VESA mount is available for attaching the monitor to a third-party stand or mount. The ports are rear-facing instead of downward-facing. While I generally prefer this, as it makes connecting devices a breeze, it could prove tricky if you want to wall-mount the monitor.
Fabric accents give the Asus ZenScreen Smart MS27UC a premium feel.Matthew Smith / Foundry
Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC connectivity
The Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC has a good range of connectivity. Video inputs include USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode, DisplayPort, and HDMI, for a total of three video inputs. While I would’ve preferred to see a second HDMI, this arrangement is probably fine for most owners.
The USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode can also supply up to 90 watts of Power Delivery, which makes it useful for connecting and charging a laptop, tablet, or even a smartphone. While this is most useful in a home office, it could also be handy if you want play games on a connected laptop, smartphone, or handheld gaming device.
Two USB-A 2.0 downstream ports and a 3.5mm audio-out jack round out the options. A USB-C downstream port would’ve been nice, but the MS27UC’s overall connectivity is good value for money.
Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC Smart TV features
Asus ships the ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC with Google TV, an Android-based operating system users might already be familiar with, as it’s commonly used by TVs from Sony, TCL, and Hisense, among others.
Because it’s a smart monitor with an operating system, the MS27UC requires a bit of setup before it’s ready to use. You’ll need to connect to Wi-Fi, log in to a Google account, and complete a few optional personalization steps. I found this process a bit slower than on competing smart monitors due to several setup load screens that took a minute or two to complete. Still, I had the monitor ready to use in under 10 minutes.
Once set up, I found the Google TV operating system familiar and easy to navigate. It really is Google TV, so apps you’d expect to work with a larger television running Google TV will work here. This includes streaming apps like YouTube (of course), Netflix, Amazon Prime, and so on.
If you’d like, you can use the MS27UC like a 27-inch smart television without a device connected to a video input. The monitor also supports wireless video connections through standards like Miracast and Chromecast, meaning it’s possible to wirelessly stream video from select phones, tablets, and computers.
Note, however, that the MS27UC lacks a TV tuner and won’t be able to connect to a coaxial cable source. This is also true of competitive smart monitors, however.
The remote control is large, comfortable, and provides good access to video connections and display options. I found the menu system easier to navigate than those on the Samsung and LG smart monitors I tested the last year. And I had no trouble connecting a PC over HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C. The menu system is ever-so-slightly sluggish at times, but it’s minor and I expect many users won’t notice.
However, the menu options are a bit confusing when using the display as a monitor. By default, the monitor switches to PC Mode (and this was used for most of our testing). This mode locks out some adjustments, such as color temperature. HDR also did not function in PC Mode. I also tried using Asus DisplayWidget, a Windows app that can control the settings of most Asus monitors and found it didn’t work with the MS27UC.
A pair of 5-watt speakers wrap up the monitor’s smart TV features. They’re okay, but 5 watts isn’t a ton of power, and the monitor lacks a subwoofer to deliver low-end kick. As a result, the monitor’s sound comes across as tinny and thin. The speakers are passable for casual viewing, but owners planning a Netflix binge will want a better sound system.
The image won’t blow your socks off, but it’s bright, sharp, and easy to view in a variety of viewing conditions and with a wide range of content.
Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC SDR image quality
The Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC has many features but, when it comes to image quality, there’s not a lot to talk about. Aside from a native resolution of 3840×2160, the monitor’s display is a rather basic IPS panel with a 60Hz refresh rate. That shows through in testing.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
First up, however, is a bit of good news. The MS27UC hits a maximum SDR brightness of 467 nits, which is extremely high for any monitor.
An SDR brightness this high isn’t necessary for use in a typical home office, but it makes sense in a smart monitor that might replace a television. I expect the MS27UC will be used in brightly lit rooms, including living rooms and kitchens, where it’s an alternative to a budget smart television. The display’s brightness should keep it comfortable to view in most situations.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
On the flip side, however, the MS27UC achieved a modest measured contrast ratio of 850:1. That’s not great for a monitor in 2025, and it lands the MS27UC towards the low end of what’s typical.
To be fair, most similarly priced monitors with an IPS panel deliver a similar contrast ratio. But those with a VA panel, like the AOC 27G15, achieve a much better contrast ratio that leads to a richer, more immersive image.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
I was a bit disappointed by the MS27UC’s color gamut, as it achieved just 99 percent of sRGB and 81 percent of DCI-P3. As the graph shows, that’s behind other monitors that are similarly priced, though it should be noted that LG’s smart monitor is listed at $600.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
Color accuracy is a win for the MS27UC. Although it doesn’t beat the field, all the monitors listed here perform well for the price and ultimately deliver color accuracy capable of a realistic and convincing image. Even users with a discerning eye for color are unlikely to see flaws.
The MS27US also did well in gamma, as it achieved the ideal gamma curve value of 2.2. That indicates the image appears around as luminous as it should, which is key to preserving detail in shadows and highlights.
Color temperature, on the other hand, was unusually high with a value of 8000K. That means the image appears cool and sterile. This can be a matter of personal taste, and the monitor provides options to change the color temperature through both preset color temperature modes and color calibration features, so users can change the color temperature to a warmer look. Still, a default color temperature this high (in PC Mode, which is flipped on by default when using the monitor with a PC) is a bit odd.
Sharpness is a big perk and strength. A resolution of 3840×2160 across a 27-inch panel works out to about 163 pixels per inch and results in a tack-sharp look. The sharpness is equally excellent when viewing YouTube as when navigating an Excel spreadsheet in 8-point font.
Look, I’ll be honest: The Asus Zenscreen Smart Monitor MS27UC’s image quality is just okay. But that doesn’t mean shoppers should write it off. A display like this is often built to be functional more than it is attractive, and that is as true for the monitor’s image quality as its features. The image won’t blow your socks off, but it’s bright, sharp, and easy to view in a variety of viewing conditions and with a wide range of content.
Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC HDR image quality
The Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC supports HDR10, but I wouldn’t recommend buying it for HDR content. The monitor’s maximum brightness is excellent for SDR but insufficient to do HDR justice. It also lacks the color gamut and contrast required to help HDR content stand out from SDR.
That’s not to say HDR looks bad. On the contrary, a high-quality 4K HDR clip can look great. This, however, is mostly thanks to the monitor’s sharpness, and HDR’s advantage over high-quality 4K SDR content is rather slim.
I also found HDR didn’t work when using the monitor with a PC. Windows didn’t detect the monitor as HDR compatible, and HDR did not appear to engage automatically with compatible content. HDR only flipped on when I viewed streaming apps, like Netflix, through the Google TV interface.
While none of this is positive for the MS27UC, it’s important to remember the price. Asus sells this monitor for less than $400. It’s hard to find a good HDR monitor for less than $400, so these flaws are excusable. Shoppers should expect to pay more for good HDR.
Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC motion performance
The Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC doesn’t include features that might improve its motion performance. It has a 60Hz refresh rate and lacks adaptive sync for smooth frame pacing.
That’s not to say it’s terrible. The IPS display panel’s pixel response times are reasonable and its motion clarity is typical for a 60Hz monitor. Ghosting and blur is noticeable on the MS27UC, but tolerable outside of competitive esports games, and no worse than other mid-range monitors. Shopper who aren’t picky about motion clarity will think it looks fine.
Still, with 120Hz and 240Hz gaming monitors widely available at lower prices, it’s obvious the MS27UC is not a good choice for shoppers who care about motion performance.
Should you buy the Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC?
The Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC is a great pick for shoppers who want an affordable smart monitor that’s easy to use, can handle a wide variety of streaming apps, and looks attractive. Though it’s not a bad choice for a home office, the MS27UC is best in a studio apartment, kitchen, guest room, and any other space where a small, versatile display might be needed. The MS27UC is less appealing when used solely or mostly as a PC monitor, as its image quality and motion performance can’t match similarly priced PC gaming monitors that lack smart TV features. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 30 Jan (PC World)Will the Kansas City Chiefs become the first NFL team to win three consecutive Super Bowls? Or can the Philadelphia Eagles soar back from their 2023 Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs and secure another title? We’re about to find out.
Super Bowl LIX promises drama, high stakes, and unforgettable moments. And watching the game on Sunday, Feb. 9 will be easy to do without paying for an expensive cable bundle.
The game kicks off at 6:30 PM Eastern Time at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, with pre-game coverage starting at 2:00 PM ET. Fox has the rights to broadcast the game this year, and you can watch it in upscaled 4K UHD on multiple platforms.
The game will be available in 4K on Fox’s cable and satellite channels through participating TV providers, as well as via the Fox Sports app. Additionally, Fox’s free streaming service, Tubi, will offer the game in 4K for the first time.
Whether you prefer traditional TV or streaming, we’ll show you how to watch all the action—plus those iconic commercials and the halftime show, starring Kendrick Lamar—even if you don’t have a cable- or satellite-TV subscription.
Option 1: Stream Super Bown LIX for free on Tubi
Tubi
Fox-owned Tubi is a free, ad-supported streaming service. No subscription or credit card is required—simply create a free Tubi account, then get ready for some Super Bowl action.
Even better, Tubi will be presenting Super Bowl LIX in 4K, provided you’re streaming on an Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, or Roku streaming player.
While Tubi doesn’t require a paid plan, its broadcast will include commercials during the game, just like live TV.
Option 2: Stream the Super Bowl with a TV-streaming service
Signing up for a streaming service is another way to tune into the big game, although it’s not the cheapest–unless you sign up for a free trial and cancel your subscription sometime after the game.
These are our top picks in streaming TV services
DirecTV Stream
Pros
Powerful grid guide
DVR has no ad-skipping restrictions
Cons
Limited channel selection for the price
DVR limits both recording space and storage time
No personalized viewing recommendations
Software suffers from bugs and sluggish performance
Best Prices Today:
Retailer
Price
DirecTV Stream
$101.98
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
$101.98 at DirecTV Stream
DirectTV Stream isn’t one of our favorite streaming services, but it does offer Fox in its Entertainment package for $86.99 a month.
Read our full
DirecTV Stream review
Fubo
Pros
Unique lineup of sports channels that are much pricier in other bundles
Well-designed TV apps make sporting events easy to find
Live streams have much lower latency than other bundles
Cons
Included DVR storage is skimpier than other bundles
Inconsistent 60 fps support on sports channels
Best Prices Today:
Retailer
Price
Fubo
$79.99
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
$79.99 at Fubo
Fubo is the most sports-centric streaming service in our roundup. You’ll need the Essentails package at $84.99 a month to access it. Fubo is currently offering $25 off the first month after a 7-day free trial.
Read our full
Fubo review
Hulu + Live TV
Pros
Excellent value for Disney bundle subscribers
Expansive on-demand catalog
Recommendations and staff picks make the app fun to explore
Cons
Live TV can be inefficient to navigate
Hard to figure out which Hulu programs allow ad skipping
Can’t watch on TV devices while traveling
Best Prices Today:
Retailer
Price
Hulu.com
$82.99
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
$82.99 at Hulu.com
Hulu’s live TV streaming service also gets you Fox. As with other streaming services, geographical restrictions apply, but you can check availability in your area here.
Now that Disney has complete control over Hulu, a subscription includes Hulu + Live TV, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads) for $82.99 per month. Hulu also offers an $95.99-per-month subscription that nixes the ads from its Hulu channel (but not live TV) and Disney+; ESPN+ still has ads at this level.
Read our full
Hulu + Live TV review
YouTube TV
Pros
Solid mix of channels for the money
Includes DVR with no storage limits
Easy-to-understand app design
Cons
Not available in some markets
Ad-riddled on-demand videos can override DVR
Some channels don’t support 60-frames-per-second video yet
Best Prices Today:
Retailer
Price
YouTube TV
$82.99
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
$82.99 at YouTube TV
YouTubeTV includes Fox among more than 100 channels in its $82.99-per-month base package ($72.99 per month for the first six months). To watch the game in 4K, you’ll need the 4K Plus add-on, which costs an additional $9.99 a month. You can try the service for free for two weeks.
Read our full
YouTube TV review
Option 3: Tune into the Super Bowl with an over-the-air antenna
If you’re old enough, the thought of using an antenna probably conjures memories of temperamental “rabbit ears” and staticky images. Thanks to modern broadcast technology and over-the-air antennas, you can get a high-quality image that can, in many cases, be better than what you’d get with a subscription.
If you live close enough to a broadcast tower, you might be able to use a paper-thin indoor model, such as our top pick, the Channel Master Flatenna 35. The 35 indicates the manufacturer’s promise of 35-mile range. A Flatenna 50 model promising—you guessed it—50 miles of range is also available for $49. We’re also fans of the Televes Bexia amplified indoor antenna ($99.95 street).
If you’re more distant than that, you might be better off with an antenna that mounts to your roof or on a freestanding mast. The Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) is our favorite in that category. Another alternative is to mount an antenna like the Winegard Elite 7550 in your attic. Whichever way you go, all you need to do is plug the antenna into the tuner that’s a fixture of most modern TVs.
Before you purchase an antenna, though, go to a site like Rabbit Ears and see which networks are available from your local broadcasters. Just enter your address to get a report of all the broadcast signals in your area, ranked from strongest to weakest. Once you determine which broadcaster is furthest from your home, you’ll know what range antenna to buy. A website such as Antennaweb will show you the Fox channels closest to your zip code.
Enter your zip code at Antennaweb’s website and you’ll get a channel guide to the over-the-air programming available in your area. You can also enter “Super Bowl” in the search box to see a schedule of all the TV programming related to the game.
Antennaweb
These are our top picks in TV antennas
Winegard FlatWave Amped — Best flexible amplified indoor TV antenna
Pros
Strong reception, clear picture quality
Amplifier contributes to good range
Amplifier can be powered by a wall wart or your TV’s USB port
Cons
Not the best-looking thing to have on your wall or window
Excess cable can get messy quick
Best Prices Today:
Retailer
Price
$59.99
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
$59.99 at Amazon
The FlatWave Amped impressed us with its ability to pull in more broadcast channels than the competition. Further, those it did receive were a little stronger than from our runner-up, which should make for happier TV viewing.
Read our full
Winegard FlatWave Amplified (model FL-5500A) review
Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) — Best roof-mount TV antenna
Pros
Strong, sensitive reception
Built-in 5G filter
Built-in amplifier and indoor distribution amp
Cons
Large physical size
Assembly can be confusing
Not designed to tune in low-VHF signals
Best Prices Today:
Retailer
Price
$179.95
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
$179.95 at Amazon
The Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) is the best outdoor TV antenna we’ve tested. It delivered an excellent performance, pulling in strong signals from local and distant TV towers. It’s a great choice in areas with medium to low reception levels, and it comes with a built-in amplifier and in-home distribution amplifier, plus a 5G filter to eliminate interference from cellphone signals.
Read our full
Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) review
Winegard Elite 7550 — Best attic-mount TV antenna
Pros
Good reception of strong to medium level signals on UHF and VHF-High
Inline amplifier helps boost signals
Suitable for attic or outdoor mounting
Cons
Plastic mounting bracket feels a little cheap
Best Prices Today:
Retailer
Price
$142.36
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
$142.36 at Amazon
The Winegard Elite 7550 immediately impressed with its ability to pick up more broadcast channels than the competition at higher signal levels. It has a built-in amplifier and performed well on both VHF-High and UHF broadcast bands. Because of its size you’ll want this one in the attic or outside of your house.
Read our full
Winegard Elite 7550 review
Get your gridiron on
Whichever options you choose, you’re guaranteed to have a front-row seat when the NFL’s best team hoists the Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 30 Jan (PC World)Whether you’re excited about this year’s Super Bowl or you just really want to upgrade your home entertainment system, here’s something that will seriously turn heads: a portable 4K projector.
The stunning LG CineBeam Q is usually priced at $1,297, but right now you can grab it for jaw-droppingly cheap: just $760 on Amazon. Make sure you apply the additional $40 on-page coupon!
The LG CineBeam Q projects crisp and vivid 4K images on surfaces up to 120 inches. Yeah, that’s way bigger than any TV! More importantly, though, the CineBeam Q is smart enough to automatically adjust the image to the surface, making sure there’s no distortion or blurriness — and it does all that without you needing to do anything.
This projector can connect via HDMI, USB-C, Bluetooth, or AirPlay. You can hook it up to your laptop like an external monitor, you can pair it with your phone or tablet (iOS, macOS, and Android devices supported) to cast or mirror your screen, or you can just use the built-in WebOS platform and included remote to stream content from all the popular streaming services (e.g., Netflix, Disney+, YouTube).
This is a fairly small projector that you can set up anywhere, whether it’s to watch the game on your living room wall or set up as part of your home theater with a dedicated projector screen (sold separately). But though it’s small, this projector delivers a fantastic image.
Go ahead and get your very own LG CineBeam Q for $760 on Amazon while this deal is still going. You’ll be watching movies, TV shows, and the Super Bowl at a level like never before.
Save over $500 on LG`s brilliant 4K smart projectorBuy now at Amazon Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 28 Jan (PC World)The Super Bowl is right around the corner and the Chiefs have an opportunity to make history as the first to win it three times in a row. What’s the best way to prep for this momentous event? Upgrading your entertainment center might just be it.
And right now, LG’s massive 4K smart TV is $400 off at Best Buy, meaning you can snag this beauty for just $500. That’s a fantastic price for a 65-incher with 4K resolution and a NanoCell display for vivid colors, deep blacks, and superb contrast. Perfect for sports!
The 4K resolution means images are crisp and beautiful, and thanks to AI brightness control, the TV automatically adjusts screen brightness for the best experience in your ambient lighting conditions. The TV’s built-in AI processor can also enhance picture and sound quality on the fly, which is great when the source is lacking.
This year’s Super Bowl is a great excuse to upgrade your TV, and now’s the time with LG’s 65-inch 4K TV on sale for $500 at Best Buy!
Save $400 on this 65-inch 4K TV that`ll blow you awayBuy now at Best Buy Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | - 25 Jan () The next ambassador, sport and entertainment boss Jared Novelly, was praised by the US president as a “highly respected philanthropist”. Read...Newslink ©2025 to |  |
|  | | PC World - 25 Jan (PC World)Plex is the middle of a full-on makeover, starting two months ago with the rollout of an all-new look and feel for its mobile app, and now Apple TV users are getting a turn.
You can check out the “new Plex experience” now on Apple TV and, unlike another home entertainment brand that rushed out a new app without letting users kick the tires first, Plex is putting its new look through a public preview process, meaning you can use the old and new apps side-by-side.
I’ve been test-driving Plex’s redesigned Apple TV app for a few days now, and there are some changes I love as well as a few I’m not happy about. There are also a few rough edges, which I’m assuming will be ironed out during the public preview.
Before diving in, I should note that I’m looking at the new Plex app from the perspective of a Plex Media Server user—that is, someone who’s using Plex to stream my local collection of movies, TV shows, music, and other media to my devices. I also use Plex as a DVR for my over-the-air antenna.
In recent years, Plex has been venturing in new directions that have made longtime Plex Media Server users nervous. For starters, Plex has become host to a growing library of ad-supported and on-demand video. The company has also been pushing social features, an effort that got off to a rocky start.
But while some veteran Plex users fear the service is looking to drop its media server roots in favor of more profitable ventures, Plex has been signaling (with, for example, its new support for HEVC hardware encoding) that it’s still committed to those who want to stream their local libraries using the Plex server software.
So, how does the new Plex app from Apple TV look from a Plex Media Server perspective? Let’s start with…
Simplified navigation
With the old Plex app for Apple TV, the way to get to your various media libraries is via the left sidebar, which is also crowded with Plex’s on-demand streaming channels, the Plex video store, Plex’s Discover screen, and other items. (Luckily, you can rearrange and customize the sidebar to your heart’s content.)
With the new app, the left sidebar is mostly gone (it does reappear in a greatly reduced contextualized format on some screens). Instead, there’s just the top navigation, which has been rejiggered to include a new item that should appear to Plex Media Server fans…
The left sidebar on the new Plex app for Apple TV has been greatly simplified.
Ben Patterson/Foundry
A dedicated Libraries tab
The Plex app for Apple TV now gets its own dedicated “Libraries” tab along the top of the screen, perfect for browsing just your local media.
On the Libraries screen, your various Plex media libraries appear as subtabs at the top of the screen. That seems like a good idea at first blush, but if you’ve been scrolling down to peruse your wares, you must scroll all the way back up to switch to another library.
In the left nav, there are options for seeing “recommended” videos in your library, browsing all titles with filters, and browsing by category.
You can switch between your various Plex media libraries at the top of the screen.
Ben Patterson/Foundry
Dedicated Live TV tab
Also nice is the new “Live TV” tab at the top of the screen, which—along with the Libraries tab—replaces some of the more social-oriented top tabs (like “Trending” and “My Friends”).
What I don’t love about the new Live TV tab (which, in the old Plex app for Apple TV, is relegated to the sidebar) is that it defaults to Plex’s live on-demand channels. You must scroll down the left-side navigation if you want to see the programming guide for your Plex DVR. (Hopefully this behavior gets changed before the app emerges from beta.)
Now you have to scroll down to browse the programming guide for your Plex DVR.
Ben Patterson/Foundry
Plex user reviews (and how to remove them)
A just-added Plex feature allows reviews from Plex users to appear alongside critic review for titles in your Plex libraries. It’s another manifestation of Plex’s expanding social capabilties–and one you can hide, if you choose.
Just click the Settings icon in the top-right corner, then click Experience > Ratings and Reviews From, and make your selection; personally, I chose “Critics only.”
You can hide Plex user reviews if you wish.
Ben Patterson/Foundry
Revamped assets for movie and TV title screens
Last but not least comes my favorite new change for Plex’s Apple TV app: the redesigned title pages for movies and TV shows. Now, instead of simply getting a generic sans-serif font, video titles adopt the original assets (when available) from the production studios.
It’s a neat touch that gives my local Plex library a more polished and visually appealing look. Most titles seem to be supported, including more esoteric fare like Raise the Titanic, an older 1980 action film I recorded from a local TV station.
The new graphical title assets give your Plex media a much more polished look.
Ben Patterson/Foundry
More to come
Again, I should repeat that the new Plex app for Apple TV is still in public preview, so I’m sure at least some of my complaints (as well as the iffy performance I encountered at times) will be addressed before the full launch.
Plex has also promised that its “new experience” will be coming to more platforms in the weeks and months ahead.
The revamped Plex apps for Apple TV and mobile are both part of a broader app strategy that Plex first announced back in September.
Part of that strategy involves spinning off music playback and photo management into separate apps, with music being relegated to the (already existing) Plexamp app. The Plex Photos app is currently in beta. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  |  |
|
 |
 | Top Stories |

RUGBY
All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke's intent on impacting rugby in his own way - after withdrawing from the Super Rugby Fantasy competition More...
|

BUSINESS
The Trade Minister's laying bare the cost of Donald Trump's tariffs for New Zealand More...
|

|

 | Today's News |

 | News Search |
|
 |