Podcast: Play in new window | Embed
Consumer Reports joined Into Tomorrow this week to tell us about Sony’s new $6000 TV:
Is Sony’s $6,000 4K TV really a tech breakthrough? Consumer Reports says yes, but … with caveats. Their electronics spokesman James McQueen is here to talk about what they found in their lab tests.
Ever since Sony announced its new flagship Z-series 4K UHD TVs this summer, there’s been a lot of buzz among videophiles asking whether these sets, which feature a new type of backlight technology, would look as good or better than the best TVs on the market.
After completing our full testing of the 65-inch Sony XBR-65Z9D, we can say that it’s among the best TVs we’ve ever tested. But we did have some serious issues with the process consumers must go through to play 4K content with HDR on this Sony TV.
And no matter how good the technology, that price is going to be a big barrier, even for videophiles who love the picture quality this Sony TV delivers.
But great technology tends to come down in price. And, looking ahead, the Z-series models could represent a bold new step into the future of LCD TV technology, addressing one of its key weaknesses: blacks that tend to look gray rather deep black. That’s a big deal, because rich, deep blacks do a lot to make a picture look realistic.
For more info on this story, visit ConsumerReports.org.
Listener Karl in South Dakota recommended Tunity, An app that allows you to get the audio from a live broadcast.
Dave and Chris recommended apps that they’ve been playing with:
Not being a Gamer personally, but I found this to be interesting for those who are: The Google Play Store is apparently rolling out a new feature that lets you stream games before you buy them. It should be rolling out over the next couple of weeks. For now, it’s only available on a few devices and for a few games. The premise is that you get a 10 minute window to play the game before you buy it so you can see what it’s like first. It’s a bit buggy according to reports. It’s a neat little feature that may help people buy more games.
Got a lot of photos on your phone that you are looking to print? Kicksend lets you send the photos on your mobile device directly to your local Target, CVS, Walgreens or Duane Reade for 1-hour processing. If you’re not in such a hurry, you have the option to have them ship the printed photos to you or to a friend or family member at no extra charge. When I tried it, the prints were 29 cents each, although I think prices can depend on the store you pick them up at. You can also use the app to digitally share your photos with friends and relatives. Kicksend is free for iOS and Android.
