Tag Archives: television

TCL’s Ultra-Slim 1.1 Inch NXTFRAME Smart TVs with AI Art Generation and Built-in Art Gallery

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If you still happen to have an NFT collection, TCL’s TV might just be the new way to display it.

It was probably Samsung that came up with the idea of transforming your TV into an ambient art frame when not in use, and I have to admit, it’s quite a stellar idea. The television is great when you’re watching something on it, but the minute you switch it off, it becomes an ugly black rectangle on your wall. Frame-inspired TVs are a great alternative, allowing you to turn your wall into home decor, and TCL’s jumped onto that trend with its NXTFRAME range of smart TVs. Measuring a mere 1.1 inches thick, the NXTFRAME televisions sit virtually flush against your wall, pretty much like a piece of framed art.

Designer: TCL

Ranging between 55 and 85 inches in size, the smart TVs blend right into your home seamlessly, with the QLED Pro screen mimicking the feeling of printed art really well thanks to its high contrast and clarity even in brightly lit rooms. The 4K TVs come with Google TV for watching all your streaming services, but the display’s beauty lies in TCL’s built-in curated art library as well as the ability to make and display AI-generated art. A gorgeous matte screen helps the art stand out well without any added glare from lights or nearby windows, and the TV even comes with wood-like veneers that attach onto the bezel, giving the NXTFRAME a bonafide outer frame.

As gorgeously slick as the NXTFRAME looks, its performance specs are equally impressive. With a refresh rate of up to 144Hz, it promises smooth and fluid visuals, whether you’re watching a high-action movie or playing the latest video games. The inclusion of Dolby Vision IQ ensures that the picture quality adapts to the lighting conditions in your room, offering the best possible image at all times. Additionally, the support for AMD FreeSync Premium makes it an excellent choice for gamers, reducing screen tearing and providing a more responsive gaming experience. Motion Rate 480 and MEMC motion smoothing technology further enhance the viewing experience by reducing motion blur and judder, making fast-moving scenes clear and crisp.

Under the hood, the NXTFRAME runs on Google TV, offering seamless integration with various streaming services and smart home devices. It supports Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2, making it easy to stream content from your devices. Voice control is also well catered for, with compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Home. For gamers, the TV comes equipped with Game Accelerator 240, Auto Game Mode, and AMD FreeSync Premium, ensuring an optimized gaming experience with minimal input lag and maximum visual clarity. The sound system is robust, featuring two built-in 20W speakers and support for advanced audio technologies like Dolby Atmos and DTS.

The Pro version of the NXTFRAME takes the audio experience a notch higher by including a wireless 3.1.2 soundbar and subwoofer, developed in partnership with the renowned audio company Bang & Olufsen. This combination promises an immersive audio experience, enhancing everything from dialogue clarity to the rumble of on-screen explosions. The TV also boasts four HDMI ports, including one with eARC support, allowing for easy connection of multiple devices and ensuring that audio signals remain high quality.

Pricing for the NXTFRAME series starts at $1,499.99 for the 55-inch model and goes up to $3,999.99 for the 85-inch version. The Pro versions, which include the enhanced audio system, start at $1,999.99 for the 55-inch model and reach $4,999.99 for the 85-inch model. These models are expected to be available in September 2024, along with accessories like the movable floor stand priced at $699.99 and matching table feet at $149.99. It’s unclear if the art library and GenAI art features are available along with the TV or incur an added subscription.

The post TCL’s Ultra-Slim 1.1 Inch NXTFRAME Smart TVs with AI Art Generation and Built-in Art Gallery first appeared on Yanko Design.

HBO drops the first teaser for The Last of Us season two

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HBO has released the first teaser for The Last of Us season two and while short, it offers clues as to what we can expect when the series debuts in 2025. It starts off with Joel (Pedro Pascal) in conversation with a new character played by Catherine O'Hara (seemingly his therapist), reckoning with his past actions. "Did you hurt her?" she asks. "I saved her," he replies. 

On top of O'Hara's unknown role, we see other characters for the first time including Kaitlyn Dever's Abby, Jeffrey Wright reprising his video game voice role as Isaac, and Dina, played by Isabela Merced. Meanwhile, Joel's brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) appear briefly in some intense action scenes.

As revealed last year, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann decided to split the events from The Last of Us Part II video game into two seasons, since the story was far more complex than the original. The second season will be just seven episodes to create a natural break, while the third season will be "significantly larger," they said. 

The original series mostly followed the events of the game, with some smart deviations and changes. Expect more of the same for season two, though the teaser already shows one significant divergence. In the game, Joel only confesses the events that occurred at the hospital to his brother, but here, he's telling O'Hara's character. 

The teaser appeared as part of HBO's Coming to Max trailer, along with previews for The Penguin, Dune: Prophecy, It: Welcome to Derry, and our first peek at A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the next Game of Thrones spinoff. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hbo-drops-the-first-teaser-for-the-last-of-us-season-two-120035871.html?src=rss

Say goodbye to Boomerang, the streaming service dedicated to classic cartoons

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Warner Bros. Discovery is shuttering Boomerang, a streaming service dedicated to classic cartoons, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The platform started as a digital cable channel back in 2000 before expanding to a streaming platform in 2017.

Boomerang will officially cease operations on September 30, giving subscribers around two months to quickly binge every Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry and Scooby-Doo cartoon. However, some content will be folded into Max. The linear channel will continue to operate via cable and satellite providers, reaching an estimated 26 million homes.

Additionally, Boomerang subscribers will be grandfathered into Max’s ad-free tier “with no change” to the subscription price “until further notice,” according to an email sent to users. That’s a dang good deal, as Boomerang costs $6 per month and Max’s ad-free plan currently costs $17 per month.

An ad stating that Boomerang is ending.
Max

Max, however, is already home to much of the same programming as Boomerang. This includes Looney Tunes shorts, several Scooby-Doo shows, Tom and Jerry and The Flintstones, among others. It’s also home to the entire catalog of Cartoon Network shows and plenty of DC animated series, like Harley Quinn.

The company hasn’t specified which shows and movies would be making the move to Max, simply telling subscribers that “some Boomerang content may not be available” after September 30.

Boomerang isn’t the only cartoon-adjacent streaming platform on the chopping block. Kid-friendly Noggin shut down earlier this year after layoffs at parent company Paramount Global. On the upside, Disney+ has plenty of cartoons, given the pedigree, and the same goes for Netflix and Prime Video.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/say-goodbye-to-boomerang-the-streaming-service-dedicated-to-classic-cartoons-182127381.html?src=rss

Venu is the new sports streaming service likely to drain your bank account

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ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery announced in February that they would jointly launch a sports-focused streaming service, and today they've shared some pertinent details. Subscriptions to the Venu service will cost $43 a month. The platform will have three broad categories of content: live games and events, on-demand sports programming and talk content such as studio shows. Venu will launch at an unspecified time this fall.

The linear networks included in Venu are ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV and ESPN+. Viewers will have access to lots of major events across the world of athletics. The World Series of Major League Baseball, the four Grand Slams of tennis, the Stanley Cup finals for the National Hockey League, and a wide spread of college athletics will all be represented in Venu's programming.

When people sign up at the launch price, that monthly cost will be locked in for twelve months. Considering how often we see prices going up in the streaming landscape, it's safe to assume that $43 won't be the fee indefinitely.

Watching sports is a fragmented and expensive activity today. Different leagues might have media rights deals with multiple different networks and streaming platforms, meaning fans have to check carefully where to find their favorite teams each night. Having so many providers together under one umbrella would streamline the experience, especially for people who like to follow multiple sports. But the joint effort has drawn criticism. FuboTV filed a lawsuit after the initial announcement, claiming the new streaming package would violate antitrust practices.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/venu-is-the-new-sports-streaming-service-likely-to-drain-your-bank-account-190011555.html?src=rss

Venu is the new sports streaming service likely to drain your bank account

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ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery announced in February that they would jointly launch a sports-focused streaming service, and today they've shared some pertinent details. Subscriptions to the Venu service will cost $43 a month. The platform will have three broad categories of content: live games and events, on-demand sports programming and talk content such as studio shows. Venu will launch at an unspecified time this fall.

The linear networks included in Venu are ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV and ESPN+. Viewers will have access to lots of major events across the world of athletics. The World Series of Major League Baseball, the four Grand Slams of tennis, the Stanley Cup finals for the National Hockey League, and a wide spread of college athletics will all be represented in Venu's programming.

When people sign up at the launch price, that monthly cost will be locked in for twelve months. Considering how often we see prices going up in the streaming landscape, it's safe to assume that $43 won't be the fee indefinitely.

Watching sports is a fragmented and expensive activity today. Different leagues might have media rights deals with multiple different networks and streaming platforms, meaning fans have to check carefully where to find their favorite teams each night. Having so many providers together under one umbrella would streamline the experience, especially for people who like to follow multiple sports. But the joint effort has drawn criticism. FuboTV filed a lawsuit after the initial announcement, claiming the new streaming package would violate antitrust practices.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/venu-is-the-new-sports-streaming-service-likely-to-drain-your-bank-account-190011555.html?src=rss

Fallout’s 16 Emmy nominations show that successful gaming adaptations are no longer a fluke

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Prime Video’s Fallout has followed The Last of Us in video-game adaptations making smashing freshman debuts at the Emmys. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences unveiled this year’s nominations on Wednesday, and Amazon’s adaptation of Bethesda’s franchise picked up an impressive 16 nods, including Best Drama, Best Actor - Drama (Walton Goggins) and Best Writing - Drama.

Fallout, which Amazon didn’t wait long to renew for a second season, follows Lucy (Ella Purnell), a vault dweller who ventures above-ground to try to rescue her father in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Walton Goggins scored the series’ only acting nomination for his scene-stealing performance as The Ghoul. Its writing nod went to Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner for the ironically (yet appropriately) titled premiere episode, “The End.”

Only Murders in the Building, Hulu’s popular comedy-mystery series, led all streaming-only series with 21 nominations. They include Best Comedy, two for Best Actor - Comedy (Steve Martin and Martin Short), Best Actress - Comedy (Selena Gomez) and Best Supporting Actress - Comedy (finally, Meryl Streep gets nominated for something!), Best Supporting Actor - Comedy (Paul Rudd), Comedy Guest Actress (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and Comedy Guest Actor (Matthew Broderick).

Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth in the final season of The Crown. Closeup.
Imelda Staunton in The Crown
Netflix

Netflix’s The Crown followed close behind for streaming-only series with 18 noms for its final season, which recounted the passing of Princess Diana and the Royal Family’s transition into the 21st century. It picked up nods for Best Drama, Best Actress - Drama (Imelda Staunton), Best Actor - Drama (Dominic West), two for Best Supporting Actress - Drama (Elizabeth Debicki and Lesley Manville), Best Supporting Actor - Drama (Jonathan Pryce), Guest Actress - Drama (Claire Foy in a memorable return), Directing - Drama (Stephen Daldry for the episode “Sleep, Dearie Sleep”) and Writing - Drama (Peter Morgan and Meriel Sheibani-Clare for “Ritz”).

In other streaming nominations, Amazon Prime’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Apple TV+’s The Morning Show each snagged 16 nods. Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, described as based on a true stalking story by series creator and lead actor Richard Gadd, received 11 nominations.

Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses. Standing in front of storefronts, wearing frumpy clothes.
Apple TV+

Netflix had the most total nominations of any platform, with a staggering 107. Among streaming-only ones, Apple TV+ came in second with 70. (In addition to The Morning Show, Apple’s Palm Royale, Lessons in Chemistry and Slow Horses all charted.) Amazon Prime Video landed 37 total noms, Hulu got 26 and Disney+ received 19.

Zooming out from streaming-only to the broader field, FX’s Shogun led all series with 25 nominations, followed by The Bear with 23 (it was a good day for FX) as it broke the record for most nods for a comedy. HBO’s True Detective: Night Country landed 19, a new sketch-comedy show you may have heard of called Saturday Night Live received 17 and HBO’s Hacks got 16.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fallouts-16-emmy-nominations-show-that-successful-gaming-adaptations-are-no-longer-a-fluke-175555108.html?src=rss

AMC is bringing fifteen shows to Netflix for one year

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AMC and Netflix have inked a deal to bring several series from the cable network to the streaming platform later this summer. Variety reports that the agreement includes seasons 1-8 of Fear the Walking Dead, season 1 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, seasons 1-4 of Preacher, seasons 1-3 of A Discovery of Witches, seasons 1-3 of Into the Badlands, seasons 1-2 of Kevin can F*** Himself, seasons 1-2 of Dark Winds, seasons 1-2 of Gangs of London, season 1 of Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire, season 1 of Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, season 1 of Monsieur Spade, season 1 of That Dirty Black Bag and season 1 of The Terror. All of them will join Netflix on August 19 and will be available for one year. The first seasons of both The Walking Dead: Dead City and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live will land on Netflix on January 13.

Budget-minded viewers may also appreciate that these AMC shows will be available to watch ad-free, even for people on Netflix's ad-supported standard plan. The same is true of all eleven seasons of The Walking Dead that are already on the streaming service.

"These curated titles are also being strategically windowed to drive interest in current and upcoming seasons on our direct-to-consumer and partner platforms," AMC Networks CEO Kristin Dolan said of the arrangement. "We believe this significant expansion of our Netflix relationship will drive viewership and engagement on Netflix, while also raising awareness and interest in our award-winning content on AMC-branded and partner platforms across our distribution ecosystem.

The cable company pursued a similar, even shorter-term deal to get Fear the Walking Dead and other programming in front of the Max streaming audience in 2023. The company’s own streaming service, AMC+, had 11.5 million subscribers as of May 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amc-is-bringing-fifteen-shows-to-netflix-for-one-year-230551808.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime members can get two months of Paramount+ with Showtime for only $12

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Amazon Prime Day is nearly here, with an official start date of July 16. However, early deals are already going live. For instance, Prime members can pick up two months of Paramount+ with Showtime for $12. This works out to $6 per month, which is a savings of 50 percent.

This deal may only exist for Prime members, but it does apply to those who sign up for a free trial. So if you’ve been wanting to give Prime a try, this is a pretty good time to do so.

Opting for this subscription allows access to two streaming platforms. Paramount+ is home to dad-friendly shows like Tulsa King and Mayor of Kingstown, but also that Sonic the Hedgehog spinoff Knuckles, Halo and a lot more. It’s also, sort of, home to all of Star Trek, even if the latest season of Star Trek: Prodigy just released on Netflix.

Showtime is HBO’s younger and scrappier sibling. It airs all kinds of modern prestige dramas, like Billions, Yellowjackets and the criminally underrated On Becoming a God in Central Florida. It’s also the network that originally premiered classics like Dexter, Shameless, The L Word and Homeland, among others. Finally, it’s the only place to watch Twin Peaks: The Return, which is pretty much the best thing ever.

If you aren’t a Prime member and still want this deal, you can sign up directly through Paramount. However, Amazon makes it pretty convenient to keep track of your subscriptions via its channels platform. To that end, the company has also discounted some other streamers. Starz, home to Outlander and Party Down, is $2 for two months. MGM+, which currently airs a pretty neat genre show called From, is also $2 for 60 days.

No matter which option you go with, make sure to keep track of when you signed up. This ensures you can cancel before the price bounces back up, if you aren’t digging the content.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-members-can-get-two-months-of-paramount-with-showtime-for-only-12-165933773.html?src=rss

Salad Fingers turned 20 this week and there’s a new episode out to commemorate it

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It pains me to say this, but it’s been 20 years since David Firth’s Salad Fingers made its debut and irrevocably altered the humor of the internet. The first episode of the web series hit Newgrounds on July 1, 2004. To mark this milestone birthday, Firth dropped a 20th anniversary special earlier this week that sees the titular Salad Fingers taking a walk down memory lane, bringing us all the way back to those early moments that seared the phrase “I like rusty spoons” into the collective consciousness of an entire generation of internet users.

Things won’t be exactly as you remember them, though. This is how it all went down according to Salad Fingers and, well, are we really expecting Salad Fingers to be a reliable narrator? The 7-minute video expands the lore a bit and revisits characters like the shrieking “young child” (who has some clarifications to make regarding their identity) and the disturbing finger puppet friends Hubert Cumberdale, Marjory Stewart-Baxter and Jeremy Fisher. If you’ve followed the series over the years and made it all the way to 2023’s “Harvest,” you’ll also recognize the absolutely horrifying Melvin Wishcake, who Salad Fingers refers to this time as “Manky Melvin, the stinky reject.”

I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for this deranged cartoon, as I’m sure many of you do, and this was a real treat. I might just have to dive back in and rewatch the whole series now, which is up to 13 episodes not counting this latest special. Thanks for the (cursed) memories, Salad Gregory Stuart Fingers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/salad-fingers-turned-20-this-week-and-theres-a-new-episode-out-to-commemorate-it-163230203.html?src=rss

Salad Fingers turned 20 this week and there’s a new episode out to commemorate it

Posted on by

It pains me to say this, but it’s been 20 years since David Firth’s Salad Fingers made its debut and irrevocably altered the humor of the internet. The first episode of the web series hit Newgrounds on July 1, 2004. To mark this milestone birthday, Firth dropped a 20th anniversary special earlier this week that sees the titular Salad Fingers taking a walk down memory lane, bringing us all the way back to those early moments that seared the phrase “I like rusty spoons” into the collective consciousness of an entire generation of internet users.

Things won’t be exactly as you remember them, though. This is how it all went down according to Salad Fingers and, well, are we really expecting Salad Fingers to be a reliable narrator? The 7-minute video expands the lore a bit and revisits characters like the shrieking “young child” (who has some clarifications to make regarding their identity) and the disturbing finger puppet friends Hubert Cumberdale, Marjory Stewart-Baxter and Jeremy Fisher. If you’ve followed the series over the years and made it all the way to 2023’s “Harvest,” you’ll also recognize the absolutely horrifying Melvin Wishcake, who Salad Fingers refers to this time as “Manky Melvin, the stinky reject.”

I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for this deranged cartoon, as I’m sure many of you do, and this was a real treat. I might just have to dive back in and rewatch the whole series now, which is up to 13 episodes not counting this latest special. Thanks for the (cursed) memories, Salad Gregory Stuart Fingers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/salad-fingers-turned-20-this-week-and-theres-a-new-episode-out-to-commemorate-it-163230203.html?src=rss