This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas. One of CNET’s favorite live TV streaming services for cord-cutters, Sling TV, has busted out its Black Friday promotions. The two deals, available to new customers only, are a free month of service or a free Android TV streaming device. Here’s the …
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Sonos Upgrade program offers up to 30% off new devices without junking your old ones
Looking to expand your Sonos whole-home audio system? The company has a new upgrade program that gives users of older products discounts of up to 30% on new items — without the need to “junk” their current devices. Sonos is offering the following savings to current owners: 15% off any Sonos product if they have: Connect:AMP (Gen 2), Connect (Gen 2), …
Read More »Sonos takes on SiriusXM with new paid Radio HD service
Sonos on Thursday launched its own paid radio service called Radio HD, which includes exclusive curated content such as Dolly Parton’s Songteller Radio. The service includes more than 45 genre and artist-curated stations in lossless FLAC (16-bit/44.1 kHz), and it is in addition to the existing free Sonos Radio. Radio HD launches initially in the US and UK and will be …
Read More »Best Prime Day audio deals: Save $500 on Sony Atmos bar, $70 on JBL
Amazon Prime Day may be over for 2020, but there are still a number of great deals to be had, even on audio gear. While Amazon’s own Echo Studio smart speaker is sold out, there are Atmos soundbars and some truly excellent passive loudspeakers up for grabs. The most unexpected is the JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass — CNET’s favorite soundbar under …
Read More »Roku Ultra gets Dolby Vision HDR and Wi
Roku just announced a new Streambar, and its other new piece of hardware for 2020 is an updated Roku Ultra player, which will cost $100. Improvements to the company’s top-of-the-line streaming device include a better Wi-Fi range and compatibility with Dolby Vision video — which is available from services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus — just in time for The Mandalorian …
Read More »TCL’s 2020 soundbars offer Dolby Atmos decoding, budget prices
TCL has gone from strength to strength with its TVs — CNET’s David Katzmaier recently said its 6-Series Roku TV offers “the best picture quality for the money I’ve tested this year.” As a complement to its 2020 TV range the company has announced five new soundbars, and they’re competitively priced. The Alto 9 Plus flagship, for example, tops out at $300. …
Read More »Roku Streambar builds in 4K HDR streaming, ‘wide’ sound for $130
Just when we thought hybrid soundbar-streamers couldn’t get any cheaper than the $180 Roku Smart Soundbar, the company says, “hold my beer.” The new Roku Streambar lowers the price of entry to $130 (£129 or about AU$230) and still manages to pack in some sophisticated features for the money. See it at Amazon As its name suggests, the Streambar is a …
Read More »Bowers and Wilkins’ 600 Anniversary Edition looks better, promises improved sound
Laptops, phones and TVs are replaced by new models every year, but for some audio components like loudspeakers, the time between updates is closer to four or five years. Not so the Bowers and Wilkins 600 series. We last saw an update to those speakers in 2018, but just two years on, the company has a new model that it’s …
Read More »Best streaming device, tablet, smart TV and soundbar: Roku, Apple and Amazon
After months of staying at home, chances are you’ve streamed your share of TV shows and movies. And maybe you’ve noticed a thing or two about whatever streaming device you’re using. Maybe Netflix doesn’t load as quickly as you’d like, maybe the remote is a pain to operate, maybe that old tablet is slowing to a crawl. In short, maybe …
Read More »Panasonic Dolby Atmos gaming soundbar lets you blast Fortnite, Final Fantasy
If you’re a Fortnite fan you’re probably using a set of headphones or multimedia speakers, especially if you’re playing on a PC. Soundbars are usually something you associate with TVs, not gaming, but Panasonic‘s latest bar is aimed squarely at the space below your big gaming monitor. At $300 the SoundSlayer SC-HTB01 — yes, that’s its real name — totes …
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