Geoffrey Morrison

Why your 4K TV is probably the only 4K converter you need

OK, so you’ve got your spankin’ new 4K TV. Do you also need a spankin’ new Blu-ray player and/or an AV receiver that upconverts high-definition sources to 4K? The truth is, no, you don’t. Your TV will convert every signal you send it to 4K resolution. That means all your current gear will play on …

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What is 4K Blu

Ultra HD 4K Blu-rays have the best picture quality possible for your 4K TV, even better than streaming 4K from Netflix or Amazon. Even better, many discs have high dynamic range (HDR) and wide color gamut (WCG) content, which provide a much more noticeable improvement than 4K resolution, provided your TV can deliver it. “But I hate physical discs,” you …

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Should you be worried about 8K TV?

Just when you thought you could take a breather and buy a new 4K TV, it seems like 8K is just around the corner. Already Japanese broadcaster NHK, along with Sharp, Sony, Samsung, LG and others, has shown or announced plans for 8K TV and/or 8K broadcasts. New 8K compatible video standards are being rolled out now. And every year …

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LED local dimming explained

One of the top buzzterms in LED LCD marketing is “local dimming.” Ostensibly, local dimming can dim the area of the screen that needs it, while keeping the bright parts of the screen bright. This technology can really increase the contrast ratio to make a better image. It’s also vital to get the intense highlights possible with High Dynamic Range …

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What is wide color gamut (WCG)?

The more realistic a TV looks, the better, right? Most of the hype surrounding new TV technology in the last few years revolves around 4K resolution and how it compares to good, old high-definition. But now that 4K TVs are dirt cheap, TV makers have taken to flogging High Dynamic Range for all it’s worth. HDR is great, but it’s …

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This San Diego museum has a ship

San Diego has a long maritime history. There’s a naval base in the harbor and a marine base just up the road. The incredible USS Midway is nearby and available to tour. So it’s not surprising that the San Diego Maritime Museum celebrates ships of so many different eras. There are sailing ships from the 1800s, submarines, even a massive …

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Is the price on that OLED TV too good to be true?

OLED TVs create some of the best-looking images of any TV on the market. They’re also really expensive. The LG B6, which CNET called the best TV it ever tested, costs $2300 for the 55-inch and $3500 for the 65-inch at Amazon right now. And its the cheapest 2016 OLED you can buy. At least if you stick to authorized …

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How HDMI 2.1 makes big

An open secret on the PC gaming world is that 4K TVs double as great PC monitors. Or potentially great, anyway. Big-screen gamers have lived with many a compromise, if only to play Overwatch or Battlefield on a 65-inch display at resolutions that living room game consoles can still only dream about. But now, thanks to the new HDMI 2.1 …

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Eye in the sky: How satellite photos help us learn about our world

Photos… from… spaaaaaaaace. I’m going to assume you’ve checked out satellite photos of your house. Why wouldn’t you, right? Depending where you live, the image resolution might be high enough for you to make out the car in your driveway. DigitalGlobe is one of the main purveyors of satellite photos, pictures taken with telescopes in orbit and beamed down from …

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I stumbled across these beautiful flying machines in an unexpected place

Inside an incredible 134-year-old building in Manchester, England, I found something I didn’t expect: an Avro Shackleton patrol aircraft. And a massive tandem-rotor Bristol Belvedere helicopter. It’s the Air and Space hall of the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI). The rest of the museum is across the street, and in addition to science exhibits for kids (and adults) there’s …

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