STACK #187 May 2020

LIFE TECH WELCOME

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TECH LIFE

W ho else gets TV envy when they walk into a JB store? The television department is like the Death Star’s tractor beam in Star Wars . It doesn’t matter what part of the store you inhabit, the magnetism of those giant walls of flickering imagery is irresistible. It’s a dangerous place to be and before you know it, the “I’ll just look at what’s new” swiftly progresses to “That’s not a bad price” and thus begins the deadly internal discussion: “I do watch a lot of films and play games, so I really do deserve an upgrade”. By this stage you’ve either been dragged out of the shop by your partner, or you’re arranging a delivery and installation date for your spanking new television! TV technology and design is constantly evolving, and it doesn’t take long to get left behind. This month in Life Tech we take a look at what’s new in the TV space, select models to match your viewing habits and budgets, decipher the baffling tech terminology, and highlight the exciting lifestyle TVs changing the look and the way we see TVs in our homes. So, pull up a chair.

ROVING REPORTER G lenn Grierson is no stranger to STACK , having made a memorable photographic appearance some 11-years-ago when he was aligned with the movie buying team at JB. These days, Glenn’s area of buying expertise is TVs, a role he’s been doing for eight years now. So

“The advent of 8K is a big one. Although still in its infancy, the future of this picture quality is exciting (who would’ve thought you could improve on 4K?). The other big change is consumers these days demand a quality picture to meet their requirements.” Glenn adds that the screen size is the other big change in our buying habits. “65-inch is the most popular size now, recently overtaking the 55” category. We are also seeing huge growth in larger screens (75” and 80“ +) as picture quality has

improved and consumers realise you don’t have to have a large room to have a massiv e TV anymore .” Brand loyalty today is not as much of a consideration as it once was; as Glenn mentioned, customers want the best picture and feature set irespective of the name on the TV. So what are the most popular brands at the moment? “The old faithful Samsung, Sony and LG are always popular but we’ve also seen the emergence of the Chinese brands Hisense, TCL, and the JB Groups e xclusive brand FFalcon. Depending on the consumer 's budget and needs, JB has something for everyone .” Finally, we ask the JB veteran what he expects to be the next big plays in the future ofTV . “8K will eventually become the norm. I also predict that the 75” wi ll become the new 55”.”

what have been the biggest developments in TV technology over the last two years?

Glenn’s 5 tips for buying the right TV

1 Don’t be overwhelmed by size – you will adjust and be happy you bought the bigger screen.

2 Purchase to suit your needs – if it’s sport you love to watch, make sure the refresh rate is high.

3 Always update your main TV and then move the previous one to another room. It’s the circle of life.

4 Complete your TV with a quality soundbar to enhance your home theatre experience.

5 Isolation means we are going to be spending a lot of time in front of ou r TVs. Treat yourself!

38 MAY 2020

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