STACK #205 Nov 2021

GET SMART! continued

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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HDMI 2. WHAT? The HDMI 2.1 standard is now common on smart TVs, something that makes playing 4K Ultra HD discs through your TV far better, since it lets you send much higher-quality audio to your soundbar or speakers. But HDMI 2.1 is also brilliant for the current generation of game consoles that support desirable gaming features like variable refresh rate and smooth 120Hz display (great for those Forza Horizon sessions!)

remote PC access. This lets you connect to a PC at work directly from the TV, use a cloud-based version of Office 365 and, with a wireless keyboard, get work done from home on the couch. If you have a Samsung smartphone, you can just tap it gently on the TV to instantly connect and send your mobile screen onto the big screen, where the Multi View feature lets you keep watching TV while using your phone – great for keeping an eye on social media while watching a show. Samsung has also built their SmartThings interface into their smart TVs, so you can control lights, air conditioning, even the washing machine from the SmartThings screen. Of course, voice assistants are built in – Alexa, Google Assistant and Samsung’s own Bixby. It’s the interface that comes closer than ever before to making the TV a hub for home activity.

Sony Renowned for decades for their Bravia range of TVs, Sony got off to an early start with the “smart” concept, bundling a Skype camera with their TVs a decade ago, already realising the appeal of big-screen video calling and conferencing. Sony stuck to its own interface for a long while, though, with no app updates or store. Ultimately, they went for a solution provided by Google – Android TV, which runs extremely well even on less powerful devices – meaning it could be rolled out to almost the entire Bravia range. Android TV uses a row-based design that lays out available apps, channels, suggested content and more, and makes it easy to find and install new apps via the Google Play Store (including big-screen games with a Bluetooth controller). It comes with an in-built Google Chromecast, letting you cast from any supported video app (thousands of them) direct to the TV in full quality. Sony’s moved on to something bigger with the latest Bravia range, though. Billed as the “smartest Bravia yet,”

40 NOVEMBER 2021

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