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The most annoying part of watching HDR content on Android could be getting a fix
It's what happens when the movie is HDR and everything else isn't
Watching HDR content on your phone can be a great time. Not so fun, though, is when a toast notification pops up or even when the playback UI fades into view. All those bright graphics seem to punch at your eyes as if they have no business looking at them. What gives? Well, it comes down to how your Android device handles mixing standard dynamic range or SDR content with HDR content. And yes, there is a fix for this in the works.
Amazon's own Fire TVs are ready to find a place in your living room
Upping the standards for basic home entertainment quality
After their announcement last month, Amazon's first run of its own-make Fire TV Omni- and 4-series panels are on sale today. They're not splashy OLED panels and the sound systems aren't hi-fi, but they do make an affordable starting point for most people building out their home entertainment systems.
Hulu finally gets HDR support on some devices, but not the ones we were hoping for most
Android TV: "Am I a joke to you?"
Listen up, streaming nerds: if you really want to make the best out of your low-cost, cord-cutting entertainment setup, you'll need to pour at least ten grand into an awesome home theater setup. Which won't help at all if your streaming service of choice doesn't actually support all of that eye-melting hi-fi tech. So what took y'all so long, Hulu?
Netflix brings HD and HDR support to the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, and 8T
Among lots of other OnePlus and Oppo phones
If you've been binging your favorite Netflix show on a recent phone from OnePlus or Oppo, you might have been missing a lot. The Android app has to certify that the devices it's running on (and the software they're using) are of sufficient quality to enable HD playback. That probably has more to do with anti-piracy measures than performance, but that doesn't matter a whole lot to customers who are stuck with lower-quality video.
Movies on your Chromecast with Google TV are about to start looking even better
But only with certain supported apps
If you're buying a new TV, it probably has support for HDR content built right in. Of course, there isn't just one single HDR standard in use today. HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision — you've seen all of these names before, but being able to tell the difference between them can be challenging. For media providers and TV manufacturers, ensuring that compatibility for any HDR content is as broad as possible is crucial regardless of the standard. Thankfully, Chromecast with Google TV is gaining support for HDR10+ to get your favorite movies looking even better.
Google's Camera Go app for Android Go edition phones is picking up the ability to shoot in HDR. The feature extends the dynamic range of a scene with some fancy computationl processing and a few different exposures, capturing photos that show more detail in challenging lighting conditions.
Google Photos has gone through a lot of changes recently, including introducing a new subscription for photo prints and an adjustment to the unlimited storage policy. Now the app is getting a new filter that adds an HDR-like effect to your photos to increase brightness and contrast.
Some very lucky Android TV owners can now stream YouTube in 8K
In other news, can someone lend me an 8K TV?
There are 8K Android TVs out there and a decent selection of 8K content on YouTube. But up until recently, the streaming cap on the YouTube app for Android TV was 4K. Not anymore, though.
Roku Premiere 4K streaming box hits its lowest price of $25 ($15 off)
And there are more than 30 new free channels to watch on it
Cable may be overrated for a lot of people, but the same people end up asking themselves which streaming box they want to land on. Perhaps the price tag speaks the loudest for you? If so, you can grab the Roku Premiere, 4K- and HDR-capable, for its lowest price yet.The latest discount comes at the same time the company is expanding its catalog to include more than 30 new linear channels. They include:
The new Pixel phones stream Netflix in glorious HDR10, because of course they can
It's almost time for my 27th Tiger King rewatch
Netflix is one of the most popular video streaming services out there. The app hit a billion downloads on the Play Store earlier this summer, and Google even included a dedicated button for launching the service on the new Chromecast with Google TV remote (to be fair, so does everyone). With the launch of the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G today, Netflix has confirmed that it will support streaming content in HDR10 on Google's latest phones.
Snag a Sony 4K HDR Android TV for up to $200 off from Amazon and Best Buy
Both the 55" and 65" models are on sale
Watched the presidential debate last night but wish you could've seen it on a bigger screen? Yeah, me neither. But right now, you can snag a 55" or 65" Sony 4K Ultra HD Smart TV with HDR for up to $200 off from both Amazon and Best Buy — and since these sets run Android TV with a built-in gaming mode, you'll be able to stream your favorite shows and play your favorite games better than ever before on 4K HDR panels with Dolby Vision.The two models on sale are the X900H, with a 55" screen, and the X950H, which ups that number to 65". They run Android TV, so they work with the Google Assistant all your favorite apps (even Stadia, kind of). There's also support for Alexa, so you can control smart home devices and talk to Samuel L. Jackson. When it comes to the screen itself, you can't get much better: ultra HD "Full Array LED" panels with 4K upscaling that's powered by Sony's own X1 processor.
Sony 4K OLED TVs on sale right now starting at $1,500 ($400 off)
Deals on OLED TVs don't come by too often
If you're looking to achieve some of the best viewing you can get with a TV these days, you're looking for 4K and you're looking for an OLED panel. And if you're looking to get a deal all at the same time, Sony's A8H series of TVs are on sale right now starting at $400 off.The A8H came out this year as a jack-of-all-trades: processing-derived 120Hz refresh rate, HDR with contrast boosting algorithms, and extreme viewing angles thanks to direct illumination from those emitting OLEDs. The sets are certified for Dolby Vision and Atmos sound and run with Android TV an support Alexa and Google Assistant.
Insignia's brand new 4K Fire TVs are already receiving major discounts (up to $100 off)
43", 50", and 55" options are all on sale
When it comes to home entertainment, there are plenty of options to choose from. Google is working on a new TV dongle, but who knows when that'll be released. If you're itching to upgrade your living room setup right now, Amazon's Fire TVs are solid choices, especially if you're a Prime subscriber invested in the Alexa-enabled ecosystem. Insignia's newest 4K Fire TV models were released last month, but now they're already getting some major discounts.It's pretty cool to see prices dropping so quickly and significantly on such new devices. All three models are on sale at Best Buy, and Amazon also has a couple deals.
Google Play Movies adds its first Dolby Vision HDR titles
Two 4K movies in the premier HDR format are now live
Google Play Movies has generally been late to the party when it comes to adopting newer video and audio standards. Its massive content catalog lacked support for UHD and HDR-enabled content for the longest time, and HDR10+ support was eventually announced a few months back. As it attempts to catch up with its rivals quickly, Google is now adding Dolby’s proprietary dynamic Vision standard for HDR content, but only for a pair of movies.
According to the changelog for an update that is now rolling out, CBS All Access for Android TV now supports HDR content, though your mileage may vary. We installed the latest update on a Hisense H8G Android TV, which supports HDR formats including Dolby Vision through other streaming services, and it didn't seem to work for content known to be available in that format on other platforms.
Oppo boasts 120Hz 'flagship display' likely to appear on Find X2 (Updated)
It's got some other big numbers, too
Read update
One of the most sensational smartphones to come out of 2018 is supposedly getting a sequel this year. In December, Oppo announced its plans to launch the Find X2 this year with the Snapdragon 865, a Sony all-pixel PDAF camera, and a pretty good display. How good of a display? A company executive has tweeted out some prime details.
Google Play Movies is still one of the best ways to purchase movies and TV shows online, thanks to its integration with YouTube purchases and support for Movies Anywhere. However, the service has been slow to adopt new technology. HDR compatibility didn't start rolling out until 2017, and support for the HDR10+ standard (which was created in 2017) is still missing — but not for much longer.
Ahead of an influx of TV deals during the oncoming Black Friday sales, Sony’s 49-inch X900F Android TV from 2018 is retailing at its lowest price ever. Right now, you can get one of these for just $798, making it an attractive addition to your entertainment setup for your weekend binge-watch sessions. The 4K HDR TV has been selling at around $900 for a while without attracting a discount alongside its larger-sized peers.This variant is the smallest TV in Sony’s X900F lineup, and the 2019 series skips the 49-inch screen size altogether to start at 55 inches for its base model. If you’ve been eyeing for a Sony TV smaller than 55 inches due to space constraints, then the 49-inch X900F should serve you well owing to its respectable internals and rich software. Its 4K panel is enabled for HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and uses X-Motion Clarity to reduce motion blur while offering a peak refresh rate of 120Hz.
The days are getting colder, the nights are growing longer, and your couch's warm embrace has begun to beckon you near, imploring you to have a seat and binge your favorite television shows late into the evening hours. You may try to fight it, but you know you want to check out that new fall lineup on Netflix and Hulu. Immerse yourself in glorious 4K content this season with a Roku Ultra and JBL headphones bundle, only right now on Amazon.In the box, you get the Roku Ultra 2019 edition, a dedicated remote control, and a pair of premium JBL earbuds for private listening. You can also use the official Roku app on your Android handset or iPhone to navigate your set-top box and search for shows with voice input. With just a tap or command, you'll have access to content on a wide range of platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, The Roku Channel, HBO, Showtime, Hulu with Live TV, PlayStation Vue, Apple TV, and even Apple TV+ when it launches in November. If you don't own a 4K TV, no worries; the Roku Ultra will stream in standard HD and HDR, as well.
Google's cloud gaming platform, Stadia, will be able to deliver up to 4K HDR content at 60fps. But will all of those games — some of them having come out long ago — be able to put up as much as the servers are willing to put out? Will they be 4K60, too? The short answer is yes.