If you typically work on a laptop, adding a second monitor can make you more productive. I’ve been testing out supplemental monitors for my work life and I’m obsessed with finding a great quality 4K monitor for a reasonable price. Of course, Apple and Samsung offer beautiful and super fancy monitors to expand your set up, but they cost as much as your mortgage. So can you find solid quality and still get away with a decent deal from a less popular brand?

KOORUI is one of those budget brands worth considering since it offers a  4K 27-inch monitor for about $225US. In this review I’ll try the monitor out here in my home office see what the screen quality is like for both written work and video editing. I’ll check out any special features it offers and wrap things up with the pros and the cons and let you know if I think I can recommend this monitor to you.

Set up & Assembly

The monitor arrives in three pieces; the stand is made up of two parts, and simply slides together. Then the stand should slip into a slot in the back of the monitor. When I assembled mine it looked and felt like I had it correct, but when I set it on my desk, the monitor detached from the stand and fell to the floor. The result was a review-ending shattered screen.

Now, I’m more than willing to take the blame for potentially improperly assembling the stand or not locking it correctly into place. But since I’ve reviewed probably about 25 different monitors in the last couple of years and this is the first time the stand has not engaged properly with the display panel, I’m not entirely convinced it’s me.

I’m not going to deduct any points for this; instead I’ll use it as a warning for you. If you are assembling this monitor be very very careful that it’s done correctly and carefully. Also, anytime you lift the monitor up the bottom of the stand may detach from the arm; just be sure you’ve got both hands on the precious part; the screen.

Since I bought my monitor from Amazon, I filed a complaint with the company and was able to get a replacement.

Design

The KOORUI 4K 27-inch monitor has a sleek look with thin 8mm bezels on each side except for the bottom bezel which has a chubbier rail. For the asking price, definitely nothing to complain about there because you can buy two or three of them and place the next to each other for a near seamless ultrawide experience!

Worth noting is that the stand is on the basic side as you cannot adjust the height, tilt or angle. If you want to break free from that limitation, you can buy a monitor arm that supports VESA 100mm and mount it that way.

Connectivity

On the ports side, KOORUI offers two HDMI 2.0 ports and a standard-sized DisplayPort. There’s also an aux jack for connecting wired headphones or desktop aux speakers, since the monitor does not offer built in speakers (or of course get audio via our laptop if you’re going that route).

Display Panel

One of the key strengths of this budget 4K display is the fact that it is an IPS one. IPS or In-Plane Switching panels generally offer a good viewing experience for both work and gaming. The display has wide viewing angles with good color accuracy and decent visibility during daytime.

For this KOORUI display specifically, you get 99% sRGB coverage and 90% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage making this a good budget monitor for hobby designers and casual Photoshop users, but maybe not something for professional work. Blacks are quite deep with its 20000000:1 contrast ratio so movie watching should be fine as long as you aren’t spoiled with OLED and Mini-LED TVs.

The KOORUI 4K 27-inch monitor also supports HDR10 which can widen the monitor’s color gamut for more vivid colors, but don’t expect too much here as HDR10 is the most basic tier of the technology. You won’t be able to take advantage of Dolby Vision content and you won’t get those blistering high brightness levels HDR600 and higher-end monitors offer.

The real selling point of this KOORUI monitor it its 4K resolution which means more pixels for better detailed media and extra screen real estate to work with.

My tests

I use this monitor as a supplemental work monitor connected to my Apple MacBook Pro. I do a pretty even split of working with documents, spreadsheets, as well as more visual work like photo and video editing. I actually found this monitor was pretty crisp, clear, and colorful. It was easy to read text off the screen, and I found the colour in my videos to be fairly true to life.

In order to maximize the screen real estate of a 4K monitor, you must configure your display scaling to 100% which, when factoring in the 27-inch screen size, gives you 163 DPI or dots per inch. While you can view more than 90 rows on a maximized Excel spreadsheet, the text and overall user interface will be too small even if you are sitting close to the screen. 150% scaling is the sweet spot giving you an effective screen resolution of 2560×1440. If that confuses you, think of this product as a 27-inch 1440p monitor with finer text which helps a great deal if you do a lot of reading. Watching 4K movies on this monitor is a nice extra treat, but you may have difficulty noticing any improvements over standard 1080p video given its screen size.

Viability as a Gaming Monitor

While I’m not a gamer and did not test this monitors gaming ability out, I asked writer John Ruiz to dig in on this. Here’s what he found:

With the most expensive gaming monitors pushing insanely high 540 Hz refresh rates, many gamers already consider 144 Hz and 165 Hz monitors as “budget” which puts the KOORUI 4K 27-inch monitor at a slight disadvantage because if you upgrade your computer and suddenly want a higher refresh rate, you need to replace the monitor.

But that doesn’t mean that the KOORUI 4K 27-inch monitor shouldn’t exist because it targets a very specific audience, and it isn’t just gamers. If you are a gamer and you enjoy first-person shooters, you should gravitate towards a 1440p high-refresh rate monitor even if you think your computer can’t handle it because at least you futureproofed that component. The HP X27Q is a perfect example as it is one of the best 1440p 27-inch 165 Hz monitors under $200. But if you do more work than gaming, the KOORUI monitor makes a lot more sense and should be in your shortlist if you have a tight budget.

PC master race folks will scoff at the idea of a 4K 60 Hz gaming monitor, but I say don’t listen to them because a lot of games look gorgeous at 4K even at 60 Hz and you don’t need a super powerful computer to enjoy those experiences. I’m talking about all those indie games and platformers. Planet of Lana, for instance, is a beautiful indie title that shines at 4K. Steam offers a huge library of games with low system requirements even at 4K and still play smooth at 60 Hz.

One might also argue to buy a cheap 4K HDR TV instead which might give you a larger screen for a reasonable price. But if you plan on gaming or video conferencing, the KOORUI 4K 27-inch is still the better buy because of the OverDrive response time feature which reduces ghosting and blurring.

Overall review

KOORUI 4K Monitor 27-inch offers terrific value for the sub-$200 price and will treat your eyes well if you plan on doing work or Web browsing —or even some gaming on the side. If you never used a 27-inch 4K monitor before, you will likely be very happy with the purchase after setting it up.

On the pro side the monitor is relatively slim with a wide screen and narrow bezels putting the focus on your work. The clarity and 4K resolution make it really easy on the eyes for pretty much any work task. It’s got most of the ports and connections you’ll need for your work life and with a VESA mount you can safely connect it to a monitor arm.

On the con side, I’m not a fan of the stand that it comes with at all; I’m convinced it’s an inferior design that allowed my monitor to come crashing to the floor. And I do tend to walk on eggshells around it ever since. Plus the fact the stand essentially doesn’t move or adjust at all may create some limitations or problems with your set up. Some folks may be annoyed at the lack of built-in speakers, but I find most monitor speakers to be substandard anyway so this is not a huge downside for me personally.

If you are worried about KOORUI as a brand, the company does back its monitor with a generous 3-year warranty making this a much safer pick than some other lesser-known brands.
In short, if you don’t have the extreme needs of a graphic designer or filmmaker, this is a fine supplemental monitor for work purposes. It also seems like it checks a lot of the boxes for gamers on a budget too. I can definitely recommend the Koorui 4K monitor for your home.

Also Read:

1. Samsung 32-inch 4K UHD Monitor Review
2. Huawei MateView 4K monitor review
3. Review: Samsung UJ59 4K monitor – a surprising win at a budget price!
4. Review: ViewSonic 32-inch 4K monitor, Model VX3276-4K-MHD

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Netflix has done a pretty good job at making it easy to log into your account on a smart TV with the QR code and mobile device input. But, one thing that they weren’t exactly successful at is making logging out as intuitive. The streaming giant seemingly buried this function amidst the sea of binge-able shows in order to encourage people to watch more. So, if you’re still struggling to locate that elusive ‘Log Out’ button, find comfort in knowing that you’re not alone. Here’s a quick guide on how to log out of Netflix on a TV.

Why You Need to Log Out from Time to Time

Whether you’re watching on a borrowed TV in an Airbnb, passing on your old TV to a new owner, or just need to troubleshoot your account, there are plenty of reasons to log out of your Netflix account from time to time.

Point is, folks, life throws plenty of scenarios our way where we simply need to cut ties with our Netflix account – if only for a moment. And that’s okay!

Step-by-Step Guide

To keep things simple and digestible, we need to figure out which system you’re working with. These steps will differ slightly depending on which one you’re using.

Google TVs (Samsung, LG, Sony,etc)

With up to 59% market share, Google TVs make up most of the connected TVs in the world. If you’re one of them, then you’re in luck because it’s relatively easier to log out of your Netflix on these types of smart TVs.

• Fire up the Netflix app
• Go to your the Netflix Home screen, where all those juicy recommendations are
• Open up the sidebar by scrolling to the leftmost side of the screen
• Scroll all the way down to ‘Notifications’ and navigate to the ‘Get Help’ button right across it on the bottom right of the screen
• Scroll all the way down to the bottom of where it says ‘Sign Out’ and you’re all logged out of your Netflix account on your TV.

Apple TV

If you’re immersed in the Apple ecosystem then you’re probably using an Apple TV streaming device. If that’s the case then here’s how to log out of your Netflix.

• Open up your Netflix app
• Press the ‘Menu’ button on your Apple TV remote
• Scroll to the right until you find the ‘Settings’ and click on it
• Select ‘Sign Out’

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Just a little heads up, there are a few minor issues you might run into when logging out of Netflix on your smart TV. Here’s the scoop on the most common ones.

Getting lost in the profile switch screen: One design flaw in the Netflix app on Google TVs is that the profile selection screen at the top of the side bar seems to be the perfect place to put the ‘Sign Out’ option. But don’t be fooled, that section is for switching profiles.

Not confirming the sign out: Sometimes, especially in a rush, users forget to confirm the sign out after selecting the ‘Sign Out’ option. Make sure to follow through until you get a confirmation that you’ve been logged out.

Netflix bafflingly decided to make logging out of your account on a smart TV a bit more challenging than it has to, especially for the non-tech inclined. But hopefully, with a little help from us, you’re already logged out of your account by now.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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I know for a fact how interested many of you are in Hisense TVs. Nearly 300,000 of you have watched my reviews of two other Hisense televisions, and tens of thousands more have read the blog reviews. Hisense is a popular brand and only growing. The company’s newest 4K TV is the Hisense U78KM MINI LED or just the U7.  In this Hisense U7 review, I’ll take a look at what you get with this TV, (and I’ve opted for the 55-inch size in my home), what it’s like to set up, and how it is to navigate around the TV’s interface. I’ll also show you the video quality.

I’d like to thank Hisense for sponsoring this post. Though they are paying for my time, they have not told me what I have to say or what I can’t say about the TV, and I got to test it how I wanted it. So you can consider these thoughts my own.

Hisense U7 MINI LED TV: What You Get

The 2023 Hisense U78KM is a mini-LED TV with a speedy 144 Hz refresh rate and ultra-high definition 4K resolution display. Translation?  Whether it’s action movies or sports viewing, that high frame rate kills motion blur so you get a clearer, very sharp video picture that seems hyper-realistic. The U7 is powered by a Google TV interface, and we’ll get to more about that in a few moments.

What is Highsense Mini-LED TV?

A quick aside about mini-LED TVs… Old-fashioned TVs just used one giant light source in the back so the video was grainy and washed out. With millions of lights behind the U7, mini-LED technology uses ever smaller pinpricks of light as the backlighting source to help refine the video and make it much sharper and more realistic.

Colour and Light

There are also two other things to cover that help with how the brightness and colour display.

The Hisense U7 has 1500 nits of peak brightness which is on the higher end of the brightness scale. You want a bright TV since it makes the video easier to see, especially in brighter, sunnier spaces. A brighter TV also helps the contrast pop.

The U7 also has HDR or High Dynamic Range support which is a technology that replicates colour a lot better. Hisense mini-LED 4k smartTVs support all major formats, including Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDRIO+, and HLG.

So to sum up, you’re getting a very bright-capable, ultra-high resolution, colourful TV that has a fast refresh rate.

Hisense 55U78KM (the number in front of the U7 just denotes its size in inches) sells for about $1,200 CAD and I’ve seen it for under $1,000 which is a very attractive price since mini-LED displays with that kind of refresh rate normally sell for far more, so I am interested to see how it actually performs.

Read my reviews of the Hisense Roku R6 or the Hisense 65 Q9G/H9G.

What’s in the Box

The stuff that comes with the Hisense 55U78KM TV is par for the course. You get a pair of feet, a power cord, and associated paperwork.

You can set the feet at two different widths to accommodate narrower furniture which is nice.

You can also wall mount it.

A remote control with batteries included also comes in the box. The remote has all of the standard control buttons plus a few extras including shortcut buttons for popular streaming channels.

Ports & Inputs

When it comes to the inputs, you’ve got lots of options including 4 HDMI ports (2 at 60Hz and 2 at 144 Hz; if fast refresh is needed make sure to plug into the right ones).

There’s also a USB for thumb drives, Antenna/cable TV input, and ethernet. For audio you’ve got an aux jack for headphones as well as an optical digital audio connection.

Also of note is a microphone built into the front centre for using voice commands. A switch on the bottom turns that off.

Set up

Set up is virtually non-existent; plug it in, follow the prompts to connect to your home’s Wi-Fi, and pair the remote when it asks you to. I was watching TV in less than 5 minutes.

Google TV Operating System

This TV has Google TV pre-installed.  The Google TV interface is essentially the operating system for your set so that it can search, stream and play content.

Google TV means full access to the Android TV Google Play Store, support for sideloading APKs if you are into that, Google Assistant integration and Google Chromecast screen mirroring baked right in.

Can I use an iPhone with a Google TV?

Although the Chromecast feature favors Android devices, you may use an iPhone’s AirPlay screen mirroring feature on the Hisense 55U78KM as well! You can even use your Android or iPhone and the Google Home app to use your phone as the remote control.

Yes, LG and Samsung boast their own polished TV operating systems and have all the major online streaming apps but if you have some unique use cases such as playing RetroArch or installing your favorite VPN app, Google TV OS is your best bet.

Google TV uses a simple box-style navigation system that lets you see a lot of options at a glance. You’ll also find all of the now standard streaming services included here like Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+, Crave, CBC Gem, AppleTV, and many more. Google TV will also suggest shows and channels for you.

Video quality: Hisense U7 mini-LED

The video quality on this  Hisense U7 TV is outstanding. For starters, the picture absolutely fills the screen, with virtually no bezel or frame. The colours are spectacularly vibrant and the level of detail is unreal.

Watching amazing 4K demo videos will really give you an idea what this TV can do in terms of sharpness, colour, and overall power, but watching regular TV shows and movies is how most of us will use this, and not surprisingly that looks fantastic too.

Whether darker dramas or lighter nature viewing, the TV puts up a great picture.

Special Features

Hisense 55U78KM comes with several interesting features making this a TV really fit for a modern home.

Google Voice Control

Naturally since is a Google-powered television, you can expect help from the Google assistant.

Not only will the assistant control your TV and search for content for you, you can also use it to control smart home devices like lights.

Picture Technologies

The Hisense 55U78KM uses what’s called the Hi-View Engine which uses a special deep-learning algorithm for optimizing picture quality according to the given scene.

Sound quality

The Hisense mini-LED 4k smart TV uses two 10W stereo speakers, which is about standard.  I always recommend a sound bar with any flatscreen TV simply because internal speakers don’t have the space to be able to match a home theatre audio system. I’m using a Polk Audio Sound bar that I already have in my media room from a previous review here, but Hisense also makes soundbars with subwoofers too.

Like most modern smart TVs, the Hisense 55U78KM supports Dolby Atmos content. Just keep your expectations in check because you’re not going to hear 3D and overhead sound via the TV’s internal speakers; it will just act as a pass-through for the signal when you connect a compatible sound bar or Atmos-capable speakers.

Smooth 144 Hz VRR Refresh Rate

Hisense actually offers a small family of TV products with Mini-LED 4K displays and the Hisense 55U78KM is the most affordable TV in the company’s Mini LED lineup to have a 144 Hz VRR (variable refresh rate) panel.

Refresh rate is an important specification to consider because you might not need it if you just want to stream Netflix or your other favorite streaming services, but if you’re a gamer this will be very important. I’m absolutely not into gaming, so I’ll simply pass on the info here:  Xbox One S/X, and PS5 gamers as well as PC gamers (if they have the appropriate specs) will take advantage of the 144 Hz VRR to play supported games with far better smoothness without the annoying motion blur.

Like I said, just make sure you plug the game console into one of the two HDMI 2.1 ports as the other two ports have the HDMI 2.0 spec. (You also need an HDMI 2.1 cable which isn’t included in the box and your PC’s GPU should support HDMI 2.1 as well to utilize the feature.)

Even if you don’t have the latest-gen gaming hardware, the 55U78KM offers a Game Bar feature that lets you adjust the picture’s size, aspect ratio, and position to suit your game with real-time input lag stats. The 6ms response time does mean that cheaper gaming monitors will have a slight edge in input lag but as a large 55-inch TV, the 55U78KM is a solid budget gaming TV.

Wi-Fi 6E

If you have a Wi-Fi 6E router like the TP-Link Archer AXE75, the Hisense 55U78KM can hop on the speedy 6GHz band for faster networking speeds. This might not be a huge deal if you don’t already pay for a super-fast Internet connection, or plan on using the built-in Ethernet port for networking, but the extra wireless speed benefits mean you can stream 4K video in your local network without a hitch.

It also helps a lot if you want to use remote play technologies such as Steam Link or Parsec (available as separate Play Store apps) to stream and play games from your PC with minimal to no lag. This is also a feature you won’t find in the Hisense 55U68KM model as it only offers dual-band Wi-Fi 5.

EzPlay Remote

I do not have a Hisense U7 soundbar so I can’t comment on how it performs but if you plan to buy one with this Hisense TV, you get the added convenience of controlling both devices with the same remote control. The TV also provides a slick user interface for easily configuring the sound settings to your liking.

Overall review: Hisense U7 MINI LED TV

Overall the Hisense U7 is a great candidate for a higher-end 4K TV with plenty of bells and whistles and a lot of higher-end technology—but at a reasonable price.

The video quality is sharp, detailed and colourful, and a joy to watch. Navigating the Google TV interface is intuitive and it’s easy to find anything I need with some surfing, swiping or speaking.

Google Assistant can control either the TV or your smart home too. Even the fact you can narrow the feet on the TV to your personal space is a thoughtful detail.

In short, this 55-inch Hisense U7 checks all the boxes for me and I think it will for you too.

Check out my reviews of the Hisense Roku R6 or the Hisense 65 Q9G/H9G too.

Shop Hisense U7 4K TV on Amazon

The post Review: Hisense U7 Mini LED Smart 4K TV appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

What can you do with the Pixel Tablet?

So new Google Pixel Tablet owners and potential future users, here’s the low-down on the things you can do with this $699 CAD tablet and dock combo.

Customizing Pixel Tablet

Just a little reminder for folks who might be familiar with Google’s past efforts in building a tablet; the Google Pixel Tablet runs Android 13 and not Chrome OS. This means you get the full customization benefits stock Android offers along with a couple of Pixel-specific features providing you stick with the tablet’s default Pixel Launcher. Like any Android tablet, you can see just how customizable your Pixel Tablet is by taking a trip to the “Settings” app.

Watch my video review of Google Pixel Tablet

Use Google Assistant for Anything

Google Assistant is more than 7 years old and Google continues to develop the virtual assistant as more people rely on AI and chatbots for quick information. The Google Pixel Tablet 2023 offers numerous ways to call up the assistant so you can get quick access to things like weather reports, news updates, recommendations, carry out tablet operations, issue smart home commands, and other things.

To customize Google Assistant to your liking, open the “Settings” app, go to “Apps” followed by “Assistant” to customize the ways you can bring up Google Assistant. For instance, you can open it by pressing and holding the power button or using the voice command “Hey Google” to summon the assistant as if you are talking to a Google Nest Hub if you enable the option. Once you see that bottom bar, voice out the prompt and let the Google Assistant do its thing!

Control Smart Home Devices

If you know all the names and commands of your Google Home-supported smart home devices, you should be able to control these devices straight from Google Assistant. But if you prefer getting a visual of your smart home constellation, you can do so by docking the Pixel Tablet to the speaker dock. This will bring up the “Hub Mode” where you can tap the “Home” button on the lower left and see your smart devices grouped up in categories such as lighting and cameras. This Home section also lists any devices you set as favorites so you can quickly do adjustments like changing a light’s brightness, tinkering with your smart thermostat, or checking on your front door’s camera.

Send Emails and Texts

Naturally, Google pre-installed Gmail in the Pixel Tablet allowing you to send emails from any Google account you linked to the tablet. The Pixel Tablet does not have a SIM card slot so while you cannot send any SMS, you can still use the Google Messages app to send RCS chats. Using Google Messages on the Pixel feels a lot like the web version, although this could change in future updates.

Create a Smart Home Hub

The moment you first magnetically attach the Pixel Tablet to the included speaker dock and plugged the dock to the power outlet, Android will take you through a quick setup procedure in setting up your smart hub. You can pick your screen saver, set your primary Google account, add the dock to your smart home, and configure Google Assistant to work to your liking. Once finished, configuring the smart home hub is very straightforward.

Change Wallpapers and Widgets

Long pressing an empty space in the home screen brings up a convenient popup menu where you can change the wallpaper, add or remove widgets, or change the home screen settings. Long-pressing on a widget allows you to customize that particular widget so you can see the other Pixel-exclusive widgets.

How To Add Users to Google Pixel Tablet

Unlike some Android tablets, the Google Pixel Tablet 2023 allows you to add additional users so they can have their own personalized screens. Just fire up the “Settings” app and go to “System” followed by “Multiple users.” Then enable the “Add users from lock screen” option. Go to the lock screen and tap the profile icon and from there you may add, remove, update, or switch users and give each user various permissions so you can, for instance, add a child account governed by parental controls you can apply.

Use Split Window to Multitask

The Google Pixel Tablet’s 10.95-inch display is large enough to run two apps side by side. You may bring up this multitasking feature by opening one of the apps you wish to use and then swiping up from the bottom and hold until the app slightly zooms out revealing previews of your recent apps. Tap the “Split” option and choose your second app to open on the other half of the screen. You can swap one of the open apps with another by repeating the bottom swipe gesture and pick another app from the dock.

Compatible Apps

Just about all existing and recently updated apps on the Google Play Store should work with the Google-Pixel Tablet. However, many apps scale poorly on the big screen so your user experience may vary. Android’s tablet-optimized app ecosystem still lags behind iOS’s but you can at least filter the app selection by heading to the Tablet section of the Google Play Store. Google also made a recent update in the Android Developers Blog promising to make it easier to find Android apps for bigger screens which is certainly a step in the right direction.

How to Play Music with Speaker Dock on Pixel Tablet

The Hub Mode setup process of google-pixel tablet also involves choosing your default music service where you can use Google Assistant to play back a song from a particular artist and the docked Pixel Tablet will immediately play the track with the music coming out of the dock. Unlike Amazon’s Echo Show smart home assistants, the Pixel Tablet supports YouTube Music as well!

Video and Phone Casting

Like some TVs running the Google TV or Android TV operating system, the Pixel Tablet has Chromecast functionality baked right in! This means you can open an app supporting Chromecast such as YouTube and beam the footage directly to the Pixel Tablet screen and continue watching from there! The best part? You don’t even need an Android phone to take advantage of this as the YouTube app in iOS supports casting. The feature goes both ways too as you can cast the Pixel Tablet screen to a Chromecast or Android TV.

Use Google Meet

Google’s video communication service Google Meet works with just about any Android device but the Pixel Tablet is one of the several in-house apps designed to take advantage of the tablet’s HD camera and Tensor G2 chip. Try to initiate a Google Meet call with another user and you’ll notice how the app will automatically adjust the lighting to what the camera sees and keep you on the center of the frame. You can optionally add cool 360-degree backgrounds too if you want to jazz things up. Google Workspace users should definitely get a kick out of these video quality improvements!

Make Video Calls with Zoom

Of course not everyone has Google Meet and if your friends and colleagues prefer a more popular platform like Zoom, you can easily switch to that by simply downloading Zoom from the Google Play Store. Video calls look just fine with the tablet’s 8-megapixel 1080p front-facing camera.

Edit Photos

If you don’t have one of those cool Google Pixel smartphones, you can leave it to the Pixel Tablet to scratch that Magic Eraser itch! Magic Eraser is a Pixel-exclusive feature that harnesses the Tensor chip and the Google Photos app to remove objects you don’t want in a picture. It’s not a perfect tool but when it works, it’s amazing just how quickly it works in just a single step! Several other nifty photo editing tricks are available too for the Pixel Tablet and other Pixel devices including the ability to unblur photos.

Read News and Books

The Pixel Tablet’s aspect ratio isn’t quite ideal for reading books in portrait orientation but it shouldn’t stop you from doing an occasional read via the Books section of the Google Play Store. You can keep track of the latest news updates via Google News or your favorite newsreader app. The fairly high-resolution 1600 × 2560 display is decent for reading in short bursts.

Watch Videos on Prime Video, YouTube, or Google TV

If you love binge-watching on YouTube or have a big movies and TV collection on Google Play, the Google Tablet pixel and its included speaker dock is one of the best devices for consuming that type of content. Being an Android tablet, you can install Amazon Prime Video or any other streaming service without worry. No locked ecosystems or walled gardens here!

What’s next for Google?

Google still has a lot of work to do in convincing folks to switch to Android for their tablet media consumption needs. But the Google Pixel Tablet represents a refreshing leap forward with its Hub Mode, bundled speaker dock, and tight Google Assistant integration. The best way to stomach that $499US/699 CAD price tag is to really put its many features to good use. Shop one from Google’s online store or at Amazon.

The post Everything Google Pixel Tablet Can Do appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

If you don’t have the space for a massive sound bar but you still want better sound for your 4K TV, there is a solution that might surprise you. Meet the Polk MagniFi Mini AX, a super compact sound bar and subwoofer combo with Dolby Atmos. In this  Polk Magnify Mini AX review I’ll take a look at what you’re getting with this audio duo, how it sounds, what it’s like to set up and control, what you can connect to it, and if overall I think it’s a good audio solution for your home.

Review: Polk MagniFi Mini AX

The Polk MagniFi Mini connects to your TV using an (included!!) HDMI cable and aims to bridge the gap between great sound and not taking up too much space. When you unpack it and take a look at the sound bar side-by-side with the massive subwoofer, it’s clear how very small the MagniFi Mini AX is.

It’s easy to be skeptical that something so small should actually produce any kind of quality sound. We’ll get to that sound quality shortly. I will also add that I reviewed the original version of this sound bar back in 2018 and had a surprisingly good experience with that, so I’m excited to see what this newer model brings. Seems the key upgrades to this set up are some design enhancements to make it a little slicker, and the addition of Dolby Atmos support.

What’s in the box?

In the Polk Magnify Mini AX Soundbar box , you get pretty much everything you need for your sound bar to work. I love the fact there’s an HDMI cable included. There are no additional cables in there, but in the back of the sound bar are ports for other options if you need them, including Aux and Optical Audio too. You also get a remote control and the batteries are included. Quick controls are also located on the top of the sound bar. The Polk MagniFi Mini is about 14″ wide by 4-inches by 3-inches.  I connected the power and the HDMI cable to the sound bar, and plugged in the Subwoofer.

My hands-on video review

Polk MagniFi Mini AX: Set-up

Amazingly this sound bar is smart enough to set itself up with your TV. I am using my MagniFi Mini with a Samsung Frame TV in the living room, and the sound bar and TV were able to establish an instant connection and I didn’t have to do a single thing. Even the sub paired to the sound bar without any help from me. I was also instantly able to use my Samsung TVs remote control to control the sound bar as well.

Sound quality

Like the first version I reviewed, this sound bar was able to wow me with its ultra wide soundstage. The sound bar sounds quite good and does an excellent job at projecting into the room, despite its diminutive size.

In all honesty, it’s a very powerful sound bar and sounds rich and full, and could easily convince someone in a blind test that it’s actually a full size sound bar.

The bass is outstanding too, thanks to the massive subwoofer.

Admittedly some users might find the sound bar is a little too compact for their tastes. I can say I tested this Mini sound bar after testing a full-size sound bar and while I noticed the difference between them back to back, by the next day I had forgotten all about the full size option. The Magnifi Mini AX is that good; it can make you forget how small it is since it keeps dazzling with the audio.

Listening to music on the MagniFi Mini AX is really nice too; it sounds great and can easily rival any dedicated speaker like a Sonos or a Google Nest Audio. It sounds dynamite, and the streaming process is easy and stutter-free. You can use it with Bluetooth or connect a tablet, or computer over Wi- Fi and use Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, and Spotify Connect.

A cool feature of the sound bar is Night Mode. This feature is popping up in home theatre audio more often because it can fix an issue many of us have: watching TV at night without waking the house. Night Mode softens the bass while increasing the voices and keeping the volume more consistent, so you don’t need to wake the family at top volume, or strain to hear your movie.

When I tried it out it, it does noticeably drop the bass level, but things still sound good and clear.

A feature the original MagniFi Mini had and this one carries on is Polk Voice Adjust Technology. This option uses speech-clarifying technology with the sound bar’s center channel speaker to bring up the level of voices without affecting the rest of the audio.

I found in my testing that when watching some programs, this setting did definitely help the voices punch through better. It somehow enhances them and just makes them more noticeable over background scene noise.

How does the Dolby Atmos sound? The Polk audio MagniFi Mini AX has ability to mimic the effects of a fuller surround sound system, using only the sound bar. Dolby Atmos is designed to introduce overhead audio channels into full surround sound systems. And unless you’re in a spot where you are going to be adding overhead speakers to your house (not many of us are), many sound bars will instead use overhead firing channels in the top of the bar to mimic this effect.

There aren’t any up-facing speakers in the Magnifi Mini, so what you’re essentially getting here is a digital illusion.

I’d say there’s no rabbit in this hat, however: while the Magnifi Mini AX gets nice and full and gets loud, and does a really great job at filling the room, it’s got a long way to reach to the ceiling. So can it mimic a true Dolby Atmos system… in a word, no.
I should also point out that the speaker sounds much better if you’re sitting right in front of it. If you’re off to the side, the audio sounds more directional and narrower, where right in front, you do get a wider soundscape.

Polk MagniFi Mini AX: Overall review

Overall there’s plenty to enjoy about the Polk MagniFi Mini AX.

The sound quality is excellent, whether it’s TV audio or music streaming. The compact size of the sound bar is nice, and it’s deceptively powerful. I’m also blown away by how easy it was to set up: quite literally plug and play with no fussing with apps or set-up screens.

If there are any cons, it’s that the shape of the sound bar might be one reason I would opt not to get to it.
Though small, it’s rather chunky. Plus, it can’t be wall mounted without getting highly creative, so it needs a piece of furniture to sit on, meaning if you have a wall-mounted TV as I do (and no furniture underneath) it’s may not be an option, or you may need a shelf.
The size of the wireless subwoofer is also a bit of a conundrum; particularly since the sound bar is so small it may be harder to find a place for the sub that’s out of the way.

While the Polk Magnify Mini AX sound bar may be able to almost pull a disappearing act, the subwoofer is the Statue of Liberty that only David Copperfield will be able to hide.
Even so, I actually really like the Magnifi Mini duo; it’s been an extremely capable audio solution for my living room. I can absolutely recommend it for you if you’re looking for a better sound in a smaller package.

It sells for $699CAD and you can get it from Polk, Amazon or Best Buy.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Polk MagniFi Mini AX Review appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

It’s here! Amazon’s massively popular Prime Day is on now until midnight July 12. Amazon saves its best deals for Prime Day and with mind-blowingly great savings of 40%, 50% and even 60% off many popular gadgets, it’s a major opportunity. If you’re overwhelmed by how many deals there are and how to find them, we’ve curated the BEST tech and gadget deals we can find.

A reminder, you NEED to be a Prime member to take advantage of these deals, so sign up here with a click! Prime day comes with free shipping on thousands of items, including same day shipping, plus you get Amazon Prime TV, Amazon Music and more perks.  I’m a Prime member and I can definitely recommend it.

Now… to the deals!

We’re jamming all the best deals into this post for you, so surf the curated list below to see what you need to add to your cart before Prime Day ends at midnight July 12.

Don’t forget lot of deals are limited time offers and many more sell out, so it makes sense to buy it when you see it. Check out more Prime Day Shopping Tips here on the blog.

• Samsung Frame TV 65″ with extra frame
• Sony 65″ OLED Bravia A80K 4K TV

• Amazon Fire TV 40″ 2-Series 1080p HD smart TV

• Apple iPad Mini (6th Gen)
• Apple iPad 10th Gen
• Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 10.5″
• Lenovo Tab M8 (4th Gen)
• Microsoft Surface Go3
• Amazon Kindle Oasis e-reader (Read the review)

• NEW Amazon Echo Pop with Smart Plug
• Blink Indoor wireless home security camera (3rd gen)
• Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) Plus Sengled LED smart light
• Ring Stick Up Cam Battery HD security camera

• Roborock Dyad Pro wet-dry upright floor cleaner
• LG CordZero Cordless Stick Vacuum
• Dyson V15 Detect cordless stick vacuum

• Roborock S7 Robot vacuum + mop (Read the review)
• Yeedi Vac 2 Pro robot vacuum + mop  (Read the review)
• Ecovacs Deebot X1 OMNI robot vacuum + mop  (Read the review)
• iRobot Roomba i4+ robot vacuum

• Philips 3200 LatteGo automatic espresso machine  (Read the review)
• Philips 3000 Series Air Fryer Compact
• Vitamix 5200 Pro-grade blender

• LG Sound bar and Wireless Sub woofer with Dolby Atmos
• Sony HTX8500 2.1 ch Dolby Atmos Sound bar

The post UPDATED: Best Amazon Prime Day Tech & Gadget Deals 2023 appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

The 2021 Frame TV with White Modern Bezels.

Every year, Sony, Samsung and LG and several other TV manufacturers try to launch new models boasting predictable improvements like thinner bezels, “smarter” features and improved picture quality. This is always a good thing for new buyers but when you really think about it TVs haven’t changed a whole lot since they were first invented. It wasn’t until CES 2017 when Samsung announced The Frame TV, taking the competition by surprise, and the design world by storm because it solved a major issue for a lot of consumers: how to gracefully hide the giant black screen when the TV isn’t I use. I reviewed the first generation model and found it to be a real beauty and bona fide design chameleon–without sacrificing the TV experience. Here is the ​​Samsung picture frame TV review buying guide…

Is there a 2023 version of the Frame TV?

What is the point of a Frame TV?

A common problem that people face with these Samsung frame TVs is that they stand out a little too much, completely overpowering the look of a room, particularly when turned off. TV manufacturers make every effort to make TVs fit in as seamlessly as possible, sometimes with a better back plate design or narrower bezels, but it’s never enough.

If you want a TV that can more subtly fit into your interiors, you should consider the Samsung Frame TV. This TV turns into a realistic art and picture frame when you turn off the video. It’s one of the best ways to avoid having large black hole in the middle of your room, and it has the power to completely transform the way we’ve decorated around TVS for the last 65 years.

What do you get with Samsung The Frame TV?

The new  Samsung Frame TV 2022 positions itself as an elegant centerpiece in the room with its thin, picture-frame-style bezel and a perfectly flush wall mount that’s part of the package. While the TV comes with a pair of feet for placing on a surface, I recommend wall mounting the screen because that’s part of what helps hide it in plain sight.

Related: Samsung Frame TV mounting instructions.

Does the Samsung Frame come with a wall mount?

The wall mount kit for 2021/2022.

Fortunately,  Frame TV Samsung needs to be on the wall to be believable artwork: it’s the raison d’etre of The Frame and the company includes a dedicated two-piece flat-mount wall mount in the box. It does take some measuring and finessing to get it to placed properly (the included template helps!), but it’s an extremely effective.

Samsung makes it easy to hide the wires on the new Frame TV in a few ways: one is that there is only one cable; a single transparent cable that connects to the One Connect Box which houses all the TV’s HDMI and other ports. This box can be placed in a cabinet, or even a closet to keep all that clutter out of sight. You can also install conduit in the wall to run the One Connect cable behind the drywall, creating a gorgeous illusion that this framed panel is indeed a piece of framed artwork and nothing more—until you turn it on!

What you see in my hands-on how-to video with this mode doesn’t do it justice; you really need to see it for yourself!

How do I hide the cord on my Frame TV?

The whole point of the Samsung Frame TV is that it will blend into your room and be easily passed off as art, not a digital screen. Samsung requires you to install a conduit inside your wall and route the wire through it to the One Connect Box, which is where other peripherals are connected. The box may be placed many feet away and does not require a direct line of sight to operate. If opening up the wall just isn’t an option where you live, it may be helpful to know the One Connect cable is clear and thin and will barely be noticeable; certainly, it could be hidden with a well-placed objet d’arte, floral arrangement, or even a smaller framed artwork as part of a gallery wall-style arrangement.

The original 2020 model, with One Connect cord on display, and add-on wood bezels.

Do you have to pay for the art on the Samsung Frame TV?

Samsung does monetize Art Mode by placing almost the entire art collection behind a paid monthly or annual subscription but you do get a free trial and there is a good selection of freely available art. You also have the option to upload your own images or ambient videos. The cost is about $80CAD/year, and you can pay it monthly.

How to install Samsung Frame TV in portrait orientation?

The single-cable approach also means that you can get away with mounting the Samsung Frame TV in portrait orientation! TikTok fanatics and phone screen mirroring users rejoice! While a portrait orientation mount would really limit proper TV viewing, you can also opt for what’s called the Auto Rotating Wall Mount that will turn the TV when it detects vertical video. This add-on accessory is available directly from Samsung.

How much does the new 2022 Samsung Frame TV cost?

The very first model launched with a premium price tag but the latest iteration offers a variety of sizes across more affordable price points. If that isn’t low enough, you might be able to find some older, discounted 2021 models that look just like their successors. I bought the 2021 model last year and absolutely loved it. I recently paid about $2699CAD to upgrade to  Samsung The Frame TV 65-inch 2023.

At the time of writing, you can order the 43″ 2021 model directly from Samsung’s website for just $1,099.99 CAD making it an attractive alternative to Samsung’s other QLED TVs if you prefer aesthetics over features. However, I strongly recommend ponying up a few hundreds more for the 2022 models as they come with some big improvements!

Original 2017 Frame TV

What’s the difference between the 2021 and 2022 Samsung Frame TV?

The headlining feature of the 2022 Samsung Frame TV is its anti-reflection screen technology. After I put the TV in Art Mode, I was blown away with how well the screen’s matte finish eliminated glare and reflections. The works of art no longer look washed out and the color improvements are noticeable when watching TV content. You could probably fool your visitors to thinking an actual piece of art is mounted on the wall (and more than a few times, I have!), especially if you equip it with any of the custom bezels sold separately. The reduced glare means you can still appreciate the artwork at lower brightness levels.

Like Samsung’s other 2022 Smart TVs, the new 2022 Samsung Frame TV comes with a refreshed, Tizen-powered Smart Hub. You can also access a few new features like the Gaming Hub which offers some cloud gaming services including NVIDIA GeForce Now. Samsung also revamped the Art Mode and offers better performance. I found it much easier to pick the artwork and noticed reduced loading times, less lag and fewer bugs, which can be significant when sifting through the various images.

Does The Frame TV use a lot of electricity?

Doesn’t the endless artwork drain too much power? Not at all. The new 2022 Samsung Frame TV in Art Feature can consume as little as 60-100 watts, depending on the size you pick,, and you can always disable the mode to save even more electricity.

The magic within the Samsung Frame TV is its ability to enter Art Mode right after you switch off the TV. It reduces the TV’s power consumption by about 30% and shows off those beautiful high-resolution paintings.

Can the Samsung Frame TV be a mirror?

You won’t be able to use the screen as a mirror when it’s off—that’s just not a feature The Frame offers, but I don’t consider it a dealbreaker considering the how much better Art Mode looks.

There are companies out there that can offer you special customization options—essentially placing a mirrored panel over the screen. But if you ask me, that’s a waste of all the improvements in The Frame’s screen and anti-glare coating. If you want a mirror, buy a mirror!

Is the new Samsung Frame TV 2022 good for gaming?

Be aware that aside from the matte screen, the 2022 and 2021 models look identical so double-check the product name and list of features. If you are a gamer, keep in mind that only the 55” and larger models support 120 Hz and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate).

Is the Samsung Frame good?

Samsung frame is a good TV set because it merges functionality and technology in the best way. The TV lets owners enjoy their favorite entertainment and sports channels in a QLED.

The TV operates equally well in darker environments and in bright locations because it gets bright enough to counter any glare on the surface.

The device handles reflections quite well, allowing users to enjoy low-resolution content easily. Samsung the Frame blends quite well with the room. nstall the Samsung Frame TV without worrying too much about their large sizes because they will hide when not operating.

It is the perfect choice for people who prioritize looks and interior designs, since it looks more attractive than a standard smart TV in your room.

Does the Samsung Frame TV burn-in?

Buyers investing their hard-earned money in Samsung Frame TV may wonder if they need to worry about the product’s quality. The 2022 Samsung Frame TV is designed to operate for hours on end, creating high-quality pixels without burning images in. So buyers don’t have to worry about losing the beautiful image quality that makes this TV what it is.

What’s the difference between Art Mode and Ambient Mode?

The Samsung Frame TV focuses on providing quality solutions to its buyers, which is why it allows users to switch between Art Mode and Ambient Mode.

Samsung Art Mode

The Art Mode allows frame TV owners to display high-quality pieces of art on their devices. It can be prints, photography, or anything you’d like to show off in your room.

Art Mode on Frame TV.

Samsung’s Art Store allows you to choose from the finest art pieces available, which you can sort by color, themes, designs, and other factors.

The Samsung Frame TV allows users to add their photos or download Ultra HD photos or artwork from the internet.

Ambient Mode

The Ambient Mode is another version of the art mode, but uses moving pictures and graphics instead. The mode goes a lot further than simple graphics, as it can display weather information, a photo of your wall (to blend in even better), and can even play audio while in this mode. The most common audio themes are birds chirping or other nature sounds.

Ambient Mode; moving imagery.

Overall Thoughts on the 2022 Samsung Frame TV

I am pleasantly surprised how Samsung treats their Frame TV family as first-class citizens. I initially thought the Frame TV would just be a one-off concept but they really turned it into a formidable line-up with models as small as the 43” ($1,399.99 CAD) and as massive as the 85” ($5,499 CAD). Hopefully next year Samsung will add local dimming and improved audio to help position it as a stronger contender against competitors. Though if I’m being honest, there are no worthy competitors… The Frame is the best offering and best balance of 4K TV that doesn’t add a black hole to your living space. You can choose from the  2020 model, the 2021 version, or the newest 2022 Frame TV.

You can also shop Samsung’s Frame TV at Walmart.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Everything you need to know about the new 2022+2023 Samsung Frame TV appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

Sonos Arc.

Many people who splurge  and spend thousands of dollars on a top-of-the-line 4K TV balk at the idea of buying a sound bar speakers to go with it. Why? There’s a few odd but popular beliefs about sound bars:

1. Some believe the TV’s built-in speakers are good enough (After all, who would see a TV that doesn’t sound great out of the box, right?)
2. Others think sound bars are only for audiophiles
3. The other group considers them an unnecessary upsell

So if you’re wondering, ‘Do I really need a soundbar for my TV?’ these are myths that persist about sound bars for tv, so let’s take a look at each one and why it’s not true.

Sound bar Myth #1: The TV already has speakers, so I don’t need a sound bar

Sure, all TVs have built in speakers. But all those gorgeous flatscreens have one huge problem. Physics.

The truth is most TVs today are ultra-thin and light, so there’s physically not enough space to include proper speakers which will replicate realistic sound quality. Small speakers have difficulty creating the range of depth, resonance, proper bass, and sound quality found in larger, professional-quality speakers or sound bars. So ask yourself why you’re spending money to upgrade a TV to something sharper and more realistic, but you’re leaving the other half of the equation–the sound–on the cutting room floor?

Sound bar Myth #2: sound bars are for audiophiles

Sound bars are meant to provide a richer audio experience, realistic sound, and a more reliable high-to-low range for your TV. You don’t have to be an audiophile to appreciate the difference. Sound bars speakers direct audio into the room, which is especially important since some TV manufacturers place the small, basic speakers at the rear or side of the set, directing the sound away from the listener. In contrast, sound bars for TV direct all sound towards the front, which allows both the higher range treble and lower range bass to be heard clearly. The front-directed audio also makes it easier to hear and understand dialogue, which is key to enjoying movies and TV.

Samsung Frame TV with Sonos Beam.

I have a 2022 Samsung Frame TV in my living room (see the full review here), which is a beautiful TV that transforms to realistic looking artwork to hide the TV in plain sight. I’ve added the compact and attractive Sonos Beam Gen 2 to that set up because while the Frame TV is amazing visually, the built in speakers leave a something to be desired.

What does a sound bar actually do?

In a nutshell, sound bars make it easier to hear, and what you are hearing is clearer.

• Directs audio into the centre of your space, not to the area behind or to the sides of the TV, which is where most built in speakers are located.
• Gives a more realistic sound range
• Allows clearer sound, making it less necessary to always turn up the volume
• Provides a very good overall sound picture
• Gives you an easy way to control and adjust subtleties of the sound, using special modes or pre-sets
• Provides an all in one solution so  you don’t necessarily need a full stereo system
• With some sound bars speakers that have Dolby Atmos built in, (like Sonos Arc; full review here) they can actually mimic the sound of overhead or rear speakers
• Sound bars can also act as amazing music speakers too so you don’t need a portable Bluetooth version at home

Sound bar Myth #3: sound bars are an upsell

As we’ve seen, between the physical limitations of today’s flatscreen TVs and the fact better sound is for everyone, you can see they’re actually necessary to create a good viewing experience. If you feel like you’re being upsold or over-sold, sound bars are available at various price points, (like the budget-friendly TCL Alto 6+ we reviewed here or the compact and affordable Roku Streambar review here) so it’s worth doing your research.

I’ve become a sound bar convert. Initially I believed Myth #3 for reason #2. That was until I educated myself and got advice  from people with more expertise than me. Got a sound bar question that we can answer for you? Add it in comments below.

The post Do I REALLY NEED a sound bar? The REAL reasons you actually do appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.