Fast Five: Tips for TV Shopping

Shopping for a brand new TV this holiday season? In this week’s Fast Five, we take a look at some of the most common questions any Juan asks when purchasing, and hopefully help you snag that new deal before the year ends.

f5-tv

Why not a TV? Besides preparing you for the more important ISDB-T Digital TV transmission before 2020, an LED TV has more energy and space efficiency compared to old CRT TVs of the yesteryear. It’s also a worthy investment — TVs don’t depreciate as fast as handheld gizmos do. We gained insights and narrowed down the top questions consumers ask when purchasing for one, and we hope that this would serve as a guide for those purchasing their new displays.

What size should I buy?

Screen size has to be on top of the mind for anyone who wants to purchase a new TV, as a larger or smaller screen than what is needed can affect your viewing habits, straining your eyes in the process. For starters, those who want to have a TV in their bedroom can choose a 28- to 40-inch models, while average living rooms can accommodate a 50-inch TVs and up.

If you’re still not sure, there’s a proper computation for it. Considering the resolution of your TV to be at 1080p or Full HD, you can divide the distance (in inches) between the couch and the wall/table by 1.5, the quotient being the screen size. For example, a 42-inch distance can accommodate a 28-inch screen.

Curved Screen or Flat Display?

tv1

Another common question we get from most folks is the general design of the screen. Curved screens are selling like hotcakes right now, but that doesn’t mean that the flat displays don’t offer anything much of a difference versus the other. If you like to have an aesthetically pleasing unit without minding the bulky back portion, take the curved one. Otherwise, purchase the flat one for a less space-consuming TV with less bright room reflections.

To 4K or not to 4K?

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Full HD displays are common nowadays, and you can purchase one at the Php15,000-20,000 range. While 4K content remain to be scarce, it’s a great idea to invest into something that would someday be the new standard. This would make your TV set ahead for at least 2-4 years. Features such as WiFi connectivity or becoming a Smart TV are nice additions, but don’t get persuaded by just that alone unless you have a dedicated internet connection for your TV.

LED or OLED?

tv3

Here’s a tip: OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens offer darker blacks that give off a nice contrast to whatever’s playing on the screen. The better colors OLED provides doesn’t come cheap — they are costlier and the TV models available are much less compared to the cheaper. If you’re one who nitpicks on the screen colors, you may opt to choose that one. LED models are widely available, just in case your budget doesn’t fit.

Which brand should I choose?

The competition in television brands are as cutthroat as what we see in smartphone or laptop companies. No matter how one wishes for a good TV, it all boils down to the budget one has. Lots of global brands (Samsung, Sony, LG, Sharp) are available in the local market where 32-inch models start between the Php11-15K range, and some have recently marked down their prices in anticipation of the holiday rush. If your wallets are a bit light and you’re aiming to tighten the belt, there are also good television brands from other countries (Devant, TCL, Changhong) that offer almost the same features and quality without having to break the bank.

We hope that we helped you gain more insight on what television set to buy this holiday season in this week’s Fast Five. There are other factors that we might have skipped, so do hop into the comments section and we’ll try to answer your Qs (and you can share insights as well).

You can also suggest a Fast Five topic too! Tweet us @yugatech and/or @lamielcarl with the hashtag #YTFastFive.

The post Fast Five: Tips for TV Shopping appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Xiaomi outs 60-inch upgradable Mi TV 3 w/ 4K resolution

Along with its self-balancing scooter, Xiaomi also announces its new Mi TV 3 that has some new tricks up its sleeve.

xiaomi-mitv3-1

Xiaomi Mi TV 3 key specs and features:
60-inch LG 4K display at 60fps
High color gamut, MEMC motion compensation
60Hz ~ 22KHz frequency range
Full aluminum frame, diamond-patterned
Metal backplate
11.6mm (thinnest point)

This new 4K display is unique in a sense that it can be upgraded in the future. How? The company made it possible to have its motherboard and processor tucked in a separate device, called the Mi TV Bar. All the connectivity ports are present here and only the display will connect here via a single cable.

This is similar with Samsung’s Evolution Kit that lets you upgrade just the system, and not the entire display.

xiaomi-mitv3-2

Mi TV Bar key specs and features:
1.4GHz Cortex-A17 quad-core processor
Mali-T760 GPU
2GB DDR3 Triple-channel
8GB eMMC 5.0 Flash
Wi-Fi 802.11ac
Bluetooth 4.1
Dolby Audio

The Mi TV 3, with the included TV Bar, is affordably-priced at CNY4,999 (approx. Php36K). Getting the separate TV Bar is also possible for CNY999 (approx. Php7K) and could be connected to an existing TV.

To know more about these devices you may visit Xiaomi’s website on the source link below.

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The post Xiaomi outs 60-inch upgradable Mi TV 3 w/ 4K resolution appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Xiaomi outs 60-inch upgradable Mi TV 3 w/ 4K resolution

Along with its self-balancing scooter, Xiaomi also announces its new Mi TV 3 that has some new tricks up its sleeve.

xiaomi-mitv3-1

Xiaomi Mi TV 3 key specs and features:
60-inch LG 4K display at 60fps
High color gamut, MEMC motion compensation
60Hz ~ 22KHz frequency range
Full aluminum frame, diamond-patterned
Metal backplate
11.6mm (thinnest point)

This new 4K display is unique in a sense that it can be upgraded in the future. How? The company made it possible to have its motherboard and processor tucked in a separate device, called the Mi TV Bar. All the connectivity ports are present here and only the display will connect here via a single cable.

This is similar with Samsung’s Evolution Kit that lets you upgrade just the system, and not the entire display.

xiaomi-mitv3-2

Mi TV Bar key specs and features:
1.4GHz Cortex-A17 quad-core processor
Mali-T760 GPU
2GB DDR3 Triple-channel
8GB eMMC 5.0 Flash
Wi-Fi 802.11ac
Bluetooth 4.1
Dolby Audio

The Mi TV 3, with the included TV Bar, is affordably-priced at CNY4,999 (approx. Php36K). Getting the separate TV Bar is also possible for CNY999 (approx. Php7K) and could be connected to an existing TV.

To know more about these devices you may visit Xiaomi’s website on the source link below.

{Source}

The post Xiaomi outs 60-inch upgradable Mi TV 3 w/ 4K resolution appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

PDLT HOME shows off Intel’s TVolution Stick

PLDT HOME unveils another first in the OTT (over-the-top) devices category its latest TVolution Stick. In partnership with tech company Intel, this dongle-sized gizmo aims to turn your ordinary TV into an Internet TV. Check out what it has to offer after the break.

pldt-tvolution

PLDT HOME TVolution Stick specs:
Intel Atom quad-core processor
Intel HD Graphics
2GB RAM
32GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD
USB 2.0
Bluetooth
Wi-Fi
Windows 8.1 OS

The Compute Stick-based TVolution Stick works by plugging it into the HDMI slot of a television and the stick will turn the TV into a full-functioning computer that can stream movies, search the wen, send and receive emails, and other tasks that are usually accomplished on a PC.

On a limited run only until November 30, new subscribers of DSL Plans 999 and up and all PLDT HOME Fibr plans who apply online will get this nifty gadget for free, along with popular content from Fox, iflix and Spinnr.

{PLDT HOME}

The post PDLT HOME shows off Intel’s TVolution Stick appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

PDLT HOME shows off Intel’s TVolution Stick

PLDT HOME unveils another first in the OTT (over-the-top) devices category its latest TVolution Stick. In partnership with tech company Intel, this dongle-sized gizmo aims to turn your ordinary TV into an Internet TV. Check out what it has to offer after the break.

pldt-tvolution

PLDT HOME TVolution Stick specs:
Intel Atom quad-core processor
Intel HD Graphics
2GB RAM
32GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD
USB 2.0
Bluetooth
Wi-Fi
Windows 8.1 OS

The Compute Stick-based TVolution Stick works by plugging it into the HDMI slot of a television and the stick will turn the TV into a full-functioning computer that can stream movies, search the wen, send and receive emails, and other tasks that are usually accomplished on a PC.

On a limited run only until November 30, new subscribers of DSL Plans 999 and up and all PLDT HOME Fibr plans who apply online will get this nifty gadget for free, along with popular content from Fox, iflix and Spinnr.

{PLDT HOME}

The post PDLT HOME shows off Intel’s TVolution Stick appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.