21 Jul
Blog

Liteboxer Review: Stimulating Workout, Difficult Design

A man using a liteboxer jumps while exercising.

"Its design may be challenging for some, but the Liteboxer offers immersive training at home."

advantages

  • Bulletproof design

  • Intuitive app

  • Excellent coaching courses

  • Invigorating training

disadvantage

  • On the expensive side

  • No speakers

In recent years, the typical workout in the gym has evolved into fitness programs that we create and follow at home. Companies like Peloton have long offered an option for high-volume cardio training at home, but specific muscle group machines are a little harder to find and harder to sell.

While we've tried multiple home fitness packages that hit the mark or missed the mark in one way or another, the one question we never wanted to ask ourselves is how exactly do we stack ourselves in the boxing ring? would? We didn't have to ask technically. Liteboxer did that for us.

Launched in 2020, Liteboxer is a home boxing workout device that combines music, LED light pulses, and educational content to provide a rapid-fire experience where you stab and cross your path to a high score. Is it a big upgrade over a basement-dwelling punching bag? Let's be the judge.

Built to be taken seriously, especially when it comes to size

Home fitness equipment usually strives for a compact design, even if the end product is relatively close to the stature of something you would find at your local gym. The liteboxer relies on the concept of a boxing experience at home and requires a lot of space. When fully assembled, it will measure 37.5 "by 55.5".

My demo unit was assembled in the living room of my apartment, and while it wasn't entirely unwieldy, the machine was sometimes difficult to use. Ideally, you want to make sure you have dedicated storage space to use the Liteboxer. Home gyms, garages, and open basements would be my suggestion.

At the end of every Liteboxer round, my party guests were sore, sweaty and short of breath.

In terms of the actual hardware, you can expect to receive your $ 1,595 Liteboxer kit in two separate boxes. Assembly is required unless you choose to use the company's white glove installation. Parts include the main punching shield, a height-adjustable base with a tablet mount, and the platform you stand on (two parts). If you want a little more exercise space, you can purchase a third platform section that gives you an additional 20 inches of boxing space. You also get boxing gloves, hand wraps, Allen keys, and general mounting hardware.

Rhythm gaming meets boxing basics

The Liteboxer's Smart Shield is your heavy-duty opponent, complete with six individual target zones with force sensors. As you box, runway lights emit from the center of the shield and head for one of the six hit zones. Your goal is to hit the target as soon as the runway LED hits the center. Direct hits will glow green, while Bad Lands will flash red.

Punching the liteboxer.

I had initial doubts as to how much a glorified punch pad could withstand, but was immediately proven otherwise. I hosted a family reunion and invited everyone to pound the liteboxer. Man, it can take a beating. Even the toughest slams from those more muscular than me (everyone at the party) left the Smart Shield in place and the liteboxer platform firmly entrenched.

As you complete a round, your boxing statistics are recorded in the Liteboxer app (available for iOS and Android devices). The app tracks the total score for a single round as well as the accuracy and power of the hit (sensitivity can be adjusted in the app). Elements like these push the liteboxer into a more gaming domain, in contrast to the full-bodied boxing device that it is marketed as. I'm not saying this is a bad thing. Exercising can be a challenge, but gamifying fitness is an inspiring and engaging way to get more people into some form of physical activity – and Liteboxer will definitely get your heart racing.

At the end of every liteboxer round, my party guests were sore, sweaty and short of breath. Our homemade sangria was very much appreciated (there was also water).

Jab with a trainer, train to music, or master freestyle punches

Similar to Peloton bikes and other leading fitness hardware, there is an intuitive app that runs the show for the liteboxer. And like the competition, there are a number of features that are locked behind a monthly membership payment gate. After the first three months of free premium features, the courses and much of the music catalog charge $ 29 / month. Subscriptions are more natural nowadays when it comes to innovative workouts for at home, but with your Liteboxer membership you get a lot.

Images of the Liteboxer app screens.

To get started, there is an impressive range of training courses with real-time instruction. Trainers build their courses around multiple songs with classes broken down by music genre, length, and training style. On the “Build + Restore” tab you will find instructional videos for everything from 20-minute full-body workouts to targeted muscle group training.

When you step away from the instructors, there is a tab in the app called "Quickplay". Here you will find three categories: Punch Tracks, Freestyle and Thumboxer, the latter being more of a mobile "bonus" mini-game that recreates the Liteboxer experience on your phone screen. In Punch Tracks you will find the entire Liteboxer library with streamable songs that you can filter by genre and premium or non-premium levels. While there is a decent selection of non-membership titles, you should pay the $ 29 monthly fee to unlock the rest of the archive.

The idea of ​​Freestyle mode is that you box to the beats of your own music. As soon as the app is connected to your liteboxer, start a track and work on your strokes, combos and overall endurance.

Impressive bones, but a little lacking in technology

When you enter the Liteboxer platform, you will not see an interactive touchscreen of any kind. While the company is more than transparent that you need a cellphone or tablet to use the Liteboxer properly, that doesn't mean that some sort of built-in display isn't overlooked. I always appreciate being able to give up my devices in favor of my peloton's display. It gives me a break from flipping through my phone, prevents my device from being caked in sweat or damaged, and pushes out all the necessary functions and settings in a sleek and easy-to-reach user interface.

I wasn't that crazy about the Liteboxer's actual tablet mount either. Yes, the device is designed more for an audio-driven training experience, but the instructor-led courses are video lessons that you will want to watch during your class. The only way to watch this is by lowering your head and neck to pick up your tablet, which makes it difficult to aim properly and land your hits on the punch pad.

I wouldn't exactly say that these are deterrent deterrents to me, but they might be to some. For the price of $ 1,595, it would certainly be nice to at least have speakers on the Liteboxer. Sure, headphones are one of the most popular fitness tools in use, but if I plug my ears while I work out it gets annoying after a while, and not everyone has an external bluetooth speaker (or one that's loud enough to to hear about the sound of). Your fists hit the punch pad).

Our opinion

Photo of starting and pairing the Liteboxer.

If you ask me I think nailing down fitness equipment for the home is difficult. When a company works too hard on entertainment technology, the hardware can become a supreme gaming system rather than something that tightens our bodies. On the other hand, you need that element of fun to attract those who may not be so ready to hop on a stationary bike or weight trainer.

I actually think Liteboxer does a good job of landing comfortably in the middle. It's fun to use and it feels like you're getting a good workout. Is it a fully realized boxing simulator? I'm not a pro, but my guess isn't complete, especially considering how little you actually move around on the platform and that your opponent is stationary too.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes, but it mostly depends on what type of workout you want. Liteboxer specializes in boxing, of course, but another boxing alternative is FightCamp. It's a bit more traditional with its upright punching bag and offers some kickboxing workouts as well.

For more general workouts, you've hooked up fitness mirrors like Mirror and Tempo, both of which also offer their own boxing workouts with the help of instructors. Plus, there's a bit more tech behind it, as they use heart rate sensors, fancy displays to help you out, and built-in speakers for lots of music for your workout.

How long it will take?

The liteboxer is built like a tank and proper cleaning will help reduce wear and tear over time. In the event of a defect, there is a one-year limited warranty included with your purchase.

Should you buy it?

If you have to spend more than $ 1,000 (along with the membership cost of $ 29 / month) and want a cool centerpiece for your basement studio and party indulgence, the Liteboxer might be a great choice for you and yours. Now add in some onboard speakers, a screen, a few design tweaks and keep the price the same, and I think we'd see as many liteboxer setups as Pelotons. Here one hopes for a Liteboxer 2.0.

Editor's recommendations



08 May
Blog

Wyze Floor Lamp Review: Slick Design, Could Be Smarter

Wyze floor lamp desk

Wyze floor lamp review: Smooth design, could use more smarts

"It's not perfect, but the minimalist design and cost of the Wyze floor lamp make it a consideration."

  • Sleek looking minimalist design

  • Bright light source

  • Very affordable cost

Most companies usually clean up their product launches, but that's not how Wyze does things. In the past year, the company has played a role that is unparalleled in the smart home sector. While it has only been a few months since the Wyze Bulb Color was launched, the company is back with yet another new lighting solution – the Wyze floor lamp.

You may be wondering how Wyze's interpretation of a floor lamp can go beyond the obvious function of connecting. Let me say right away that the company is only charging $ 30 for this. That might be enough to make some people think about buying, but does it fall victim to the age-old adage, "You get what you pay for?"

This nifty, Ikea-like minimalist design

If there is one specific aspect of the Wyze floor lamp that immediately catches my attention, it has to be its minimalist design. Seriously, this thing looks like it was made by Ikea's designers. Setting up is also a breeze, as the three parts of the floor lamp only have to be twisted together after unpacking.

Wyze floor lamp light ton themeJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

By the time it reaches 5 feet (11 inches) in height when fully stretched out, it can easily soar over tables and desks – though it's worth noting that two feet of its length is reserved for its flexible, posable neck. It is still enough to comfortably tower over couches, couches, and even loungers. The base is reinforced with enough weight to prevent it from falling over, but thanks to its 0.5-inch height, it can fit nicely even with small spaces.

This thing seems to have been made by Ikea's designers.

While its design is more compatible with other modern decorations, its minimalism doesn't clash too much with other styles. Well, unless it's in Grandma's living room. Still, I really wish there were other color options besides black.

Semi-smart, needs more options

Speaking of options, technically there is a lightbulb that is supposed to work with it – the included Wyze PARB lightbulb, which the company calls a parabolic aluminized reflector. It's a lightbulb entirely contained in the cone-shaped case that screws into the socket to ensure that the minimalist design is maintained. It has a maximum brightness of 800 lumens, but is set so that it only emits at a color temperature of 4,000 Kelvin. This is wonderful if you always prefer natural daylight, but there are some people who prefer warmer color temperatures which are more ideal for nighttime use.

A special remote control is included in the scope of delivery of the Wyze floor lamp, which is coupled to the PARB lamp via Bluetooth LE 5.0. It has a magnetic base that allows it to be firmly attached to the metal base of the lamp or other surfaces. It's great to be able to control the intensity of the light with the button in addition to the Wyze mobile app. However, since it is powered by Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0, it lacks the real remote control that other smart lights offer. When you are not at home, you cannot turn it on and off. There's a scheduling feature and smart dimming mode via the Wyze app, but none are as useful as the full remote or voice-activated operation that traditional smart lights offer.

As already mentioned, the remote control is only intended to work with the PARB lamp, so that other intelligent LED light bulbs offered by Wyze cannot work with this floor lamp. It's a bummer because it would have given the Wyze floor lamp significant versatility by giving users options for color, true wireless operation, and color temperature control. Hoping for at least one more PARB lightbulb down the street.

Focused lighting

If you are looking for a floor lamp that should focus the light in the smallest of spaces, the Wyze floor lamp is just right for you. There are a total of 15 individual condenser lenses that focus the light at an angle of 23 degrees. This makes it an ideal light to read or illuminate something you might be working on while at your desk. It's a strong light source that is a little harsh because it casts shadows.

Wyze floor lamp LEDsJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

Since it is a focus light, it is not good to illuminate large rooms and spaces. It's just not meant for that, but it works well for highlighting murals and smaller decorative pieces. You could direct the light up to the ceiling, but it doesn't have the same diffusing effect to get full room coverage.

Our opinion

In all fairness, this is not what I would classify as your traditional smart light as it does not have the basic quality of being remotely controlled outside of the home. You still have local operation with the remote or mobile app, but I would prefer to control the voice assistant when I'm just too lazy to get up.

On the other hand, we don't often come across a floor lamp that offers a powerful source of light in a minimalist design like this one. There is certainly room for improvement, but there are some advantages to being a custom light – even more so if it only costs $ 30. That's cheaper than unplugged floor lamps that you can find at Target or Ikea. That alone is worth bragging about.

How long it will take?

I am convinced of the quality of workmanship of the Wyze floor lamp, as the base and the body are made of metal. The only unknowns is how well the joint neck will hold up over the long term, as well as the light bulb, which is designed to last for 25,000 hours. Fortunately, there is a three-year warranty on the lightbulb – while the stand and remote have a one-year limited warranty.

Is there a better alternative?

Not really in the floor lamp room, especially at this price point. There are other decorative smart lights and bulbs to consider, such as the Philips or Hue Iris Mi bedside lampboth of which glow in different colors to match the decor or mood.

Should you buy it?

Yes. It's not often that you find a semi-joined floor lamp at this price point. In some cases, it's cheaper than a traditional floor lamp that you can find at a furniture store or retail store.

Editor's recommendations




02 Dec
Blog

Porsche Design Acer Book RS: Porsche Designed, Porsche Tuned

Porsche Design Acer Book RS Featured image

Porsche Design Acer Book RS

"The Porsche Design Book RS is very, very fast for a Core i5 laptop – Porsche tuning at its best!"

  • Unique and modern aesthetics

  • Impressively fast performance of the Core i5 CPU

  • Competent gaming performance for a Core i5

  • Solid build quality

  • Good battery life

  • Expensive, even with an unusually fast Core i5

  • Average keyboard and touchpad

Acer has teamed up with Porsche Design to develop a laptop for “trend-conscious mobile professionals”. Sure, the companies have made a great looking laptop that has its own unique aesthetic, but often such collaborations can only be up close. So I was excited to find out if that's the case with this 14-inch laptop.

I got the entry-level Book RS configuration for $ 1,399 that came with a Core i5-1135G7, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB solid-state drive (SSD), and a 14-inch Full HD -Drive (1,920 x 1,080). IPS display. Read on to find out if there's more to the Porsche Design influence than good looks.

design

Porsche Design Acer Book RS DesignMark Coppock / Digital Trends

I'm not going to say that I look at this laptop and immediately think of the Porsche sports cars. The Acer Book RS is quite angular in many ways, while I usually think of Porsche cars as more curvy. It doesn't matter because it's a beautiful laptop that absolutely stands out from the rest.

Let's start with the carbon fiber lid, which is manufactured using the NIL (Nanoimprint Lithography) process and covered by silver aircraft aluminum with the Porsche Design logo. It's noticeable and the carbon fiber stands out more than, for example, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3, where it's much more subdued. Here, the texture gives a futuristic look, drawing attention to the sides of the laptop, which – as mentioned – are chiseled into an angular aesthetic exemplified by the hinge on the back. The chassis doesn't have much, if any, angle – oddly enough, the blocky look stands out instead of being overly simplistic. When you open the lid you will find a standard island keyboard with black keys and white letters. The Porsche Design logo above the keyboard is the only outstanding design feature. The frames aren't as small as on many newer computers like the Dell XPS 13, but they aren't too big either.

Build quality is solid, with no bending, bending, or twisting unless you put way too much pressure. It's as good as any other premium notebook, and you'll have a hard time finding unsightly seams or misaligned parts. The Asus ZenBook 14 UX425EA is another 14-inch laptop with a solid build, and the Acer Book RS matches it – as do the Dell XPS 13 and Apple MacBook Pro 13. That shouldn't come as a surprise – Porsche clearly doesn't. I don't want his name to be tainted by a sloppy build. Acer has also used the Micro-Arc Oxidation (MAO) lacquer that has been used on some of its recent laptops to harden the case surface and resist scratches and corrosion.

The Book RS is a very thin and light 14-inch laptop that measures 0.63 inches and 2.65 pounds. That's slightly thicker than the 0.54-inch ZenBook 14 UX425EA and a bit heavier than the ZenBook's 2.58 pounds. It's also not as thin as the 0.58-inch XPS 13, but it's lighter compared to the Dell's 2.8 pounds (to the touch). Of course, you don't mind carrying the basic case around with you.

Connectivity is another strong point: a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support (a second port would have been handy), two USB-A 3.2 ports, a full-size HDMI 2.0 port with HDCP support, and a 3rd port , 5mm audio jack. A major complaint is that there is no SD card reader. Hence, photo and video editors need to buy an adapter. The wireless connectivity is state of the art with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.

performance

Porsche Design Acer Book RS performanceMark Coppock / Digital Trends

If you've looked at the $ 1,399 price tag and were disappointed that the Book RS only has an 11th Gen Core i5-1135G7 CPU rather than the Core i7 you can usually find for that kind of money , you have the feeling. I felt the same way when I first saw the specs and pricing, but found that Acer had paid the Porsche Design group a fair amount of money that was passed on to the buyer. The thing is, this is a Porsche Design laptop, and if there's one thing usually associated with that name, it's performance.

I'll give it to you right away: the Porsche Design Acer Book RS with its Core i5 is just as fast – if not faster – than any Tiger Lake Core i7 laptop we tested, with the exception of the reference device that Intel sent us to look at Has . This laptop featured the fastest Tiger Lake CPU, the Core i7-1186G7, compared to the Core i7-1165G7 machines we tested.

Take a look at the synthetic benchmark GeekBench 5, in which the Book RS achieved 1,415 points in single-core mode and 5,364 points in multi-core mode. That's a lot faster than the other Core i5 laptop I tested, the Lenovo Yoga 7i, and it challenges the Core i7 machines. For example, the Dell XPS 13 9310 scored 1,540 and 5,432 points, which means that it was significantly faster than the Book RS in single-core mode, but less in multi-core mode. The same goes for the faster Acer Swift 5 with 1580 and 5836 points – again faster than the Book RS, but not as much as you might expect.

But check out the handbrake results, a more realistic test that converts a 420MB video to H.265. The Book RS finished the test in three minutes, faster than the Swift 5, the XPS 13 9310 and the Asus ZenBook 14 UX425EA (all Core i7 machines). And the Book RS was only eight seconds away from the faster Intel reference laptop. That's a remarkable feat of a Core i5 laptop, and I was tempted to pry open the case and look for a turbo-charger hidden inside.

Cinebench 20 was similar: The Book RS was faster than the XPS 13 9310 in multi-core mode and in close proximity to the Swift 5 and the Intel reference device. The Book RS was a bit slower in single core mode, but not by much. As I said in the headline, Porsche not only designed this laptop, it must have optimized it too.

You lose next to nothing when you buy the Book RS and its Core i5, and you can spend an extra $ 600 and get a Core i7 that I can imagine will do even more spectacularly. That leaves the question of GPU performance unanswered, however – the Yoga 7i's Core i5 Intel Iris Xe graphics underperformed significantly, and I feared I'd see the same on the Book RS as well.

Play

Porsche Design Acer Book RS GamingMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Fortunately, that wasn't the case. While the Book RS couldn't quite keep up with its Core i7 competitors, it was close enough that you won't be too disappointed here if you opt for the supposedly slower chipset.

We start with the synthetic 3DMark Time Spy test, in which the Book RS scored 1,504. Compare that to the Yoga 7i with the same Core i5, which only hit 913. The Dell XPS 13 was faster at 1,647, as was the Acer Swift 5 at 1,686, but the difference is nowhere near as big as the Yoga 7i. In short, in this benchmark at least, the Core i5 of the Book RS was competitive with our Core i7 comparison machines.

In Civilization VI with 1080p and medium graphics, the Book RS achieved 46 frames per second (fps) compared to the Swift 5 with 53 fps and the Asus ZenBook 14 UX425EA with 36 fps. The Yoga 7i could only reach 28 fps, which shows that it was slow in real games, and not just benchmarks – and that the Core i5 itself isn't that much slower. When switching to epic graphics, the Book RS achieved 25 fps compared to the Swift 5 with 27 fps and the ZenBook 14 with 24 fps.

I also ran Fortnite, and the Book RS was competitive again at 27 fps on 1080p and high graphics and 20 fps on epic graphics. There aren't any good results either, but they're not far behind the Swift 5 at 31 fps and 22 fps and are identical to the Dell XPS 13 at 27 fps and 20 fps. The Yoga 7i only managed 20 FPS and 12 FPS in this title.

The bottom line is that the Book RS is almost as light a gaming notebook as the Tiger Lake Core i7 systems I tested. Even the Intel reference laptop with its faster chip wasn't much faster.

display

Porsche Design Acer Book Case DisplayMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Lately – and by that I mean the last few years – premium Full HD IPS displays are pretty similar in performance. They're great for productivity work and Netflix, but they don't offer the huge gamut of color and accuracy that photo and video editors require. I was excited to see how the Book RS display behaved, and that's how my colorimeter came out.

Basically, the laptop's display is at least average – which is very good – or a little better in some cases. First, it reached 318 nits of brightness and exceeded our preferred threshold of 300 nits. So this is a good thing. The contrast was 970: 1, just below our 1,000: 1 standard for great displays. That too is good enough. The colors were typical of 73% of AdobeRGB and 97% of sRGB – the vast majority of premium laptops fall in the same range, maybe a few percentage points higher or lower on either color gamut, but not enough to be noticed. Finally, the color accuracy was very good with a DeltaE of 1.15, with 1.0 or less indistinguishable to the human eye and considered excellent.

In short, this is a fine display that makes productivity a pleasure and makes watching videos a pleasure. I have no complaints about this display and have enjoyed using it as much as the rest of this excellent laptop. You will find that it is on par with other similar laptops like the Acer Swift 5 (which may have used the same display, the results are so similar). Note that the Yoga 7i had a very low contrast ratio of 690: 1, so the Book RS gives this laptop a superior experience.

The audio, on the other hand, suffers from low volume – turn it all the way up and there is no distortion but not much sound either. The mids and highs are okay and the bass is missing as usual. You should therefore use headphones or an external speaker with the Book RS.

Keyboard and touchpad

Porsche Design Acer Book RS keyboard and touchpad

The Book RS has a typical island keyboard with smaller function keys on top. The keycaps are a little small for my tastes, and the key spacing is such that I occasionally find my fingers looking for keys. The switches are also softer than I like – not muddy, but with no crunchy floor effect. Acer uses the same keyboard on multiple laptops and I would have preferred to see something special on this one. In terms of precision, the keyboard is certainly not in the same class as the Dell XPS 13, HP Specter x360 13, and the latest MacBooks.

The touchpad is fine, responsive to swipes and taps, and supports Microsoft Precision touchpad drivers. The key clicks are a bit loud, which I don't like. Finally, the fingerprint reader for Windows Hello login assistance without a password is embedded in the top left of the touchpad. This is something companies have moved away from, and something I think Acer should have avoided here. It worked well enough that I rarely had to enter my PIN to sign in.

There is a Gorilla Glass touch display which is good to have and which responds as usual. You will benefit from an antimicrobial coating if you use it. This doesn't protect you from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, but rather reduces the bacteria that build up.

Ultimately, I was a little overwhelmed by the input options given that the laptop is excellent in so many other areas. It just feels like Acer cut a corner here where it could have done something special.

Battery life

Porsche Design Acer Book RS battery lifeMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Book RS only contains a 56-watt-hour battery, which isn't much for a machine with a 14-inch display. In comparison, the Lenovo Yoga 7i has a battery capacity of 71 watt hours, which would theoretically result in better battery life – and an even better comparison since both laptops use the same Core i5-1135G7.

The thing is, the RS book lasts longer than the Yoga 7i, which is all the more remarkable given that it works so much faster. For example, in our web browsing test, which provides the best estimate of productivity longevity, the Book RS lasted nine hours while the Yoga 7i lasted just under an hour less. The Book RS also beat the Acer Swift 5 (almost eight hours) and the XPS 13 9310 (by 27 minutes). According to Intel's Evo certification, a laptop's battery should last nine hours of normal use, and the Book RS is the first that I'm sure will meet that requirement.

When switching over to our video test, in which a local Full HD Avengers trailer is repeated until the laptop is shut down, the Book RS took a little over 13.5 hours. This is a decent score that once again surpasses the Yoga 7i, Acer Swift 5, and XPS 13.

While I usually use the Basemark web benchmark test to see how long a laptop will last when the CPU and GPU are under heavy strain, every Tiger Lake laptop I have tried failed this test. So I used the PCMark 10 gaming benchmark for this purpose, and the Book RS took just under two hours. Here the Yoga 7i lasted 50 minutes longer, while the XPS 13 9310 lasted more than twice as long. The Acer Swift 5 was away from the Book RS within four seconds. It is likely that the same tuning that led to the Book RS's exceptional performance resulted in the battery burn out faster in this test.

Overall, the Book RS impressed me with its battery life, especially considering the relatively small battery and excellent performance. Would I rather have seen a bigger battery? Sure, but I wouldn't be disappointed with the longevity of the laptop at all.

Our opinion

The Porsche Design Acer Book RS is an impressive laptop in both looks and performance – as befits the Porsche nickname, I suppose. Thanks to its solid construction, it feels good in the hand and lasts long enough on one charge that you can probably last a whole working day – a real achievement for such a runabout.

The keyboard and touchpad were a bit underutilized, and let's face it – the Core i5 is fast in this computer, but it's still a Core i5. So $ 1,399 for this configuration is steep and you are definitely paying for Porsche Design's dedication. But if you're looking for a beautiful, uniquely designed laptop that performs well, then you might not mind the price, just like Porsche sports cars.

Are there alternatives?

The Acer Swift 5 is an obvious competitor to the Book RS. It offers the best performance you can find in any of the Tiger Lake laptops tested so far by Digital Trends, and it's a well-built laptop in itself. You also pay less for a Core i7 (that's no faster than the Book RS's Core i5, remember), more RAM, and more storage.

If you are craving a 2-in-1 device, the HP Specter x360 13 is an excellent choice. We haven't tested it yet, but it is also available with Tiger Lake and has its own attractive gem-cut look. You can also get it with a stunning OLED display that puts the Book RS display to shame.

Finally, the Dell XPS 13 always remains a solid alternative as it is one of the best laptops out there. It also runs on Tiger Lake, and while it can also be expensive and have a slightly smaller screen, these may be trade-offs that are worthwhile if you're not impressed by the Porsche Design look.

How long it will take?

The Porsche Design Acer Book RS is a well-made laptop that will work reliably for years and perform well in this way. We don't like the one-year guarantee. What can you do? It's the industry standard.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Porsche Design Acer Book RS is beautiful, thin and light, well built and fast. Just be ready to pay a little extra for this logo.

Editor's recommendations




13 Aug
Blog

Samsung TU8000 Crystal UHD TV Review: Good Design, Good Enough Performance

Samsung Tu8000 Crystal Led UHD TV Rating 1

"The Samsung TU8000 is roughly on par, which is great for a budget-friendly set."

  • Attractive, slim bezel design

  • Excellent 1080p upscaling

  • Good color rendering

  • HDMI eARC support

  • Aggressive vignette

  • The contrast is clouded in complex scenes

  • Not particularly bright

It might not be QLED, but the Samsung TU8000 Crystal UHD HDR TV promises amazing colors, high contrast ratios, and great HDR playback for just $ 55 for a 55-inch device. That is promising for not a lot of money, especially since the design of this TV features a very attractive thin bezel.

Samsung promises a top-notch 4K upscaling system thanks to its 4K processing and an auto-game mode that is claimed to optimize the screen and minimize input lag. For a clearly budget-friendly television, Samsung met the TU8000 with many expectations. But does it deliver?

Out of the box

I always appreciate a TV that comes with minimal setup, and the TU8000 delivers on that. With just the remote control, batteries, two feet, two cable management locks and a power cable, this Samsung was thankfully easy to take out of the box and assemble. No screwdriver required, the feet simply slide into position and hold in place. These feet are plastic and don't feel particularly great, but from a distance they look nice and definitely get the job done. Once you are on your media stand, the TV feels safe and stable.

Samsung Tu8000 crystal led UHD TV rating 8 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn2.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/samsung-tu8000-crystal-uhd-tv -review-8-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAAThe feet are simple but effective. Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

Samsung Tu8000 crystal led uhd TV rating 5 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn3.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/samsung-tu8000-crystal-uhd-tv -review-5-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAAThis removable plastic fastener isn't particularly attractive. Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

Samsung Tu8000 crystal led UHD TV rating 4 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn4.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/samsung-tu8000-crystal-uhd-tv -review-4-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAAYou can stick the cable in these grooves too, but they don't stay particularly well. Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

However, I'm less enthusiastic about the cable management claps mentioned above. They're lightweight plastic clips that sit on the back of the TV's feet and aren't particularly sturdy to the touch. Plus, they're pretty unattractive. This is a bummer considering how good the rest of this TV looks from the front. You can hide the cable and fasteners pretty well, but it's certainly not perfect and I wanted a better solution here. There are also some grooves on the back of the TV for the cable to plug into, but it doesn't stay very well and the power cord is also quite short, which further limits your options here.

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

The voice remote control supplied with the TU8000, like other modern Samsung remote controls, has a slim and curved profile that only houses the buttons that are absolutely necessary. I appreciate how small it is, yet still give me everything I need to enjoy content. It's a voice remote that works with apps like YouTube when you're in a search bar. It also acts as a smart assistant with Google Assistant, Bixby or Amazon Alexa (depending on what you choose during setup).

Features and design

It's not a top-of-the-range Samsung and definitely a plastic model, but the TU8000 manages to improve the looks of a Samsung for the most part. The back of the TV isn't particularly impressive, with a fully rounded plastic back that doesn't scream "high end," but luckily, you'll rarely look there. From the front, the sleek design of the TV on the left, right, and top is crisp and attractive. The base is a bit thicker, but lined with a silver plastic that blends in well and looks expensive, at least from a distance.

From the front, the sleek design of the TV on the left, right, and top is crisp and attractive.

Like other Samsung televisions, the TU8000 is powered by the Tizen smart TV system. Setup was easy and enjoyable and, thanks to the connection with the Samsung SmartThings app, extremely fast. Although you don't need the app, setup times are significantly reduced as you have access to a full keyboard (instead of having to type in your email address and WiFi password letter by letter with the remote control).

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

The TU8000 has three integrated HDMI inputs, only one of which has an eARC connection. Samsung has not taken into account the beautiful workmanship of its high-end models like the Q90T, so unfortunately you won't see any reduced artifacts or banding with content with a low bit rate. More on this and further information on image quality in a moment.

The largest bezel is on the bottom of the TV and is still relatively narrow, with a subtle logo placement. Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

user friendliness

The Tizen Smart TV experience is … okay. As we've said before, it's a perfect example of "good enough," though it doesn't always do its best on that particular TV. Oddly enough, navigating to different apps or content in the Tizen UI shows some lag and is therefore slow and fast, but the performance of the apps themselves is snappy and pleasant. While I didn't like turning on the TV and choosing the app I want to use, I liked the user interface when I got to know Netflix, Amazon Prime, or YouTube. The other downside to Tizen is that it isn't as robust as other streaming platforms like Roku or Android TV. For example, there is no Crunchyroll app. This probably won't bother the majority of people as it has a full breakdown of the most popular apps.

While Tizen does the job, it's generally also overflowing with lots of unnecessary and irrelevant suggestions to look at. You can largely avoid this, but due to the input delay in Tizen navigation, I sometimes accidentally hit "down" too many times and was inundated with a full screen of poorly suggested content. Part of what makes Tizen so beautiful is that it generally only takes up a quarter of your screen when switching between apps, changing your source, or adjusting your picture. If Tizen breaks off from it, it shows its mistakes.

And as we have already mentioned with other Samsung Smart TVs and as I mentioned above, while it supports intelligent assistants that are (thankfully) not only Bixby, the voice integration is not as good as, for example, with an Android TV. It's a bit clunky and disjointed here, but it works.

picture quality

It should come as no surprise that if we found screen uniformity issues on a high-end Samsung TV this year, they would also appear in the lower TU8000 range. There is some particularly aggressive vignetting on this TV that is very inconsistent around every corner. For example, the top left corner on my test unit showed some of the worst vignetting, with the bottom left being a little less aggressive. Nevertheless, all four corners clearly have problems here. The vignette was also clearly visible in the mailbox contents.

This television does not use local dimming zones, but is edge-lit. This is an older, cheaper technology that offers less control over brightness and black levels. As a result, there is considerable bloom, predominantly from the lower part of the television, when there is a light subject on a dark background. With particularly high-contrast images, the scenes can be washed out by this flower.

The halo effect also occurs on bright objects, but it's not as bad as I expected. With small sources like subtitles, you can see about half an inch of halo around the letters, while with larger sources it can grow to about an inch and a half. It's not particularly noticeable in most cases, but it's there.

Edge-lighting induced bloom can really wash out what the panel is trying to do and makes for a generally muddy view.

The contrast of the TU8000 is only okay overall. I think the panel is capable of good black levels, but in too many scenes the edge-lit blooming mentioned above really washes out what the panel is trying to do and makes for a generally muddy view. The Mandalorian, with whom I also tested strips with a low bit rate content thanks to the many wide shots in a clear sky, seemed less powerful than I'm used to, since black and white somehow merge into a medium gray. However, it by no means makes the content uncontrollable.

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

In less challenging scenes where the area between highlights and shadows is more compact, the TU8000 performs much better. There's a 12K aerial video of a night flight over New York that we like to use as a base, and the slow panning of Times Square looked very good on this TV. Darks were well represented, and when the bright lights came in from the top of the screen, the TU8000 did a pretty good job of keeping the image where it should be.

In other challenging scenes, the TU8000 was able to smooth out shadows and bring out details pretty well. It may border washed-out borders again, but the detail has not been lost; At least the TU8000 doesn't crush black people. The quality is not what we expect from top-notch TVs, but for the price I was happy.

Samsung rightly touted 1080p upscaling: it's fantastic.

Out-of-the-box color accuracy is pretty good even in Standard (but stay away from Dynamic). The film mode reduces Samsung's sharpness to zero, which is very easy to see, and the contrast is better in this mode than in standard. In both Standard and Movie, skin tones could use some work as many of the nuances seem lost, but green and blue are pretty nice.

The TU8000 tends to be more yellow and more blue in film mode, while it is sharpened far too much in standard mode. In both cases the balance is thrown off a bit, but is bearable. This can likely be fixed with a special calibration, but since this TV is aimed at the more general consumer and not a pixel peeper, I say, I don't mind. Most will be perfectly happy with this TV in standard (the horror!) Or movie mode, and that's honestly a relief to report. This TV has to look great right away as the average customer doesn't touch a single setting, and I have to say that it works fine in that regard (although you really need to turn motion smoothing off).

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

The brightness is sufficient, but some of the particularly gritty content like Netflix 'Dark is a challenge during the day. Certainly doable, but I had to squint. However, shows like The Mentalist (via Amazon Prime Video) look fantastic no matter when I've watched them. Speaking of the mentalist: The TU8000 has wonderfully demonstrated its outstanding capabilities there, as this 1080p stream looks fantastic on the 55-inch set. Samsung rightly touted 1080p upscaling: it's fantastic.

Gaming performance

This is a good TV to play with, at least for now. According to Samsung, the TU8000 has gamer functions that reduce latency. However, this TV does not have a variable refresh rate, so it cannot remove the jerking. In addition, the display of content is limited to 60 Hz.

I can confirm that while the input delay is less than most TVs in game mode, it is not as fast as a gamer would want to see in a competition where you need split second response times. It's certainly good enough for the occasional single player game, but still a little slow for more intense, action-oriented online games like Apex Legends, top-tier Fortnite games, or Call of Duty.

The performance here is likely good enough for most current generation console games, but it won't be able to play at maximum specs with the next generation due fall 2020.

Sound quality

We don't usually talk too much about the sound quality of modern flat screen TVs, and I didn't want to consider that at all when I submitted this TV for review. However, I was very impressed with the TU8000. Not only can it get damn loud, but the sound quality is shockingly balanced. I strongly recommend buying a soundbar or sound system for any TV (my personal favorite is The Fives by Klipsch), but honestly, if you forego it, you honestly might not feel bad about this choice.

The sound works best in a smaller room. So if you plan to pick one up for a guest room or bedroom, you will be happy with the audio.

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

Our opinion

I used the TU8000 for about a week and became more interested in it than I thought. The thin bezel, mixed with great upscaling and surprisingly good sound quality, made for a really pleasant viewing experience. Sure, it has its downsides and the vignetting can be distracting at times, but overall, it does a very satisfactory job with its laundry list of promises. Samsung really had its job cut out for itself when it set such standards with its marketing, but the company is doing well enough in all of these categories for the most part. It isn't and shouldn't be an industry leader. For a fairly budget-friendly TV, many people will be perfectly happy with the Samsung TU8000, especially if you can find it on sale.

Is there a better alternative?

We're still waiting to test out the 2020 TCL 5 Series which seems to be a real head-turner, but despite being a year old, the 2019 5 Series is still a pretty comparable choice to the TU8000. You may also want to consider the new Vizio M or V series, as both sets offer a price close to or lower than the TU8000 for the same size or larger. We'll update this post when we've had the opportunity to rate the entire competition and provide clearer guidance.

How long it will take?

With three HDMI ports and one of them eARC, I'm confident this TV can get you a lot of work done. It's technologically built to last well into the future, and the quality feels solid.

warranty

Samsung offers a one-year parts and labor warranty for home use and a 90-day parts and labor warranty for commercial use.

Should you buy it?

I will reserve a judgment here. I think this is a good TV that is pretty good value at $ 500 for a 55-inch unit. If I didn't know that Vizio has two potential competitors soon, and if TCL doesn't look really promising with its 2020 5 Series, this could be an easy call. There is a lot of competition for the Samsung TU8000 this fall, however. So if you can wait a little to make your decision, this is probably your best bet right now. We will update this recommendation as soon as we have a chance to fully evaluate the field.

Editor's recommendations




04 Jul
Blog

Bose Soundbar 700 Review: Sleek Design Meets Top-Notch Sound

Bose Soundbar 700

"Bose gives this soundbar an excellent appearance, excellent sound and numerous functions."

  • Fascinating surround sound

  • Beautiful design

  • Choice of Alexa or Google Assistant

  • Private listening option

  • Intelligent universal remote control

  • AirPlay 2

  • Not the best value

  • Some music services are not supported

  • No Chromecast option for Android

  • No HDMI inputs

Sound bars just started. Their mission was to deliver the best possible sound through a single speaker so people could forget about wiring problems and just enjoy their TV and music. While this still applies to some soundbar models, the industry has quickly shifted back to more speakers and less simplicity.

The $ 800 Bose Soundbar 700 is in some ways a return to the original soundbar concept, but some of its sleek exterior hides some thoroughly modern features.

Is it the right audio companion for your media room? Let's try it out.

design

Bose Soundbar 700Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

If you need to watch a soundbar from time to time, it should be the Bose Soundbar 700.

I claim that soundbars should do their utmost to get out of sight. If you want a speaker to be the highlight of your TV room, invest in the biggest ones you can find.

But let's face it: if you don't hide a soundbar in a wall – which would affect both sound and simplicity – you'll see it. So if you need to watch a soundbar from time to time, it should be the Bose Soundbar 700.

With its sleek lines, perfectly smooth glass top, and amazingly small and flat stature, the Soundbar 700 is one of those rare technologies that can improve your decor instead of compromising it. Available in black or white, you can choose whether it fits seamlessly into the background or makes a statement. Aesthetically speaking, it's quite an orator.

With a width of 38.5 inches and a height of only 2.25 inches, it is narrow and short enough to fit between the legs of almost all televisions that are at least 50 inches tall and slide directly underneath. If you want to mount it on the wall, an optional (and remarkably affordable) bracket is available for $ 40.

You won't find a single physical button anywhere on the Soundbar 700. The glass plate has a single touch-sensitive area near the front left corner to mute the built-in microphone. However, I recommend using it sparingly – as beautiful as the glass is, it is also a fingerprint magnet. Good thing Bose contains a microfiber cleaning cloth.

The only flat note in an otherwise stunning design is the included universal remote, a bulky, rubberized stone that doesn't match the sleek, minimalist lines of the Soundbar 700. More on that later.

configuration

Bose Soundbar 700Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Although it's a soundbar, the Soundbar 700 is also a powerful wireless smart speaker. Therefore, the setup process is led by Bose's music app (free for iOS and Android). It's tempting to assume that virtually everyone has a phone or tablet that can run the music app. However, if you're one of the few who doesn't have one, or you're considering buying the Soundbar 700 for a friend or relative who doesn't have one, you might not be making the right choice.

As long as you have a compatible device, setting up the speaker is easy thanks to the intuitive Bose app, which guides you through the process with easy-to-follow steps and lots of helpful feedback.

Part of this setup is to tune the Soundbar 700 to the acoustics of your room using the included Adaptiq microphone, a wired plastic headband that you wear like headphones. All you have to do is choose your five favorite places to watch TV and the app does the rest. It's not as elegant a solution as Sonos' TruePlay system, which uses the microphone of an iOS device to get the same result achieve. However, it does have the advantage of being compatible with all smart devices.

You'll also be quickly guided through the process of adding your home theater devices to the universal remote control, and you can choose between Alexa and Google Assistant if you want to use the speaker's voice control features. I strongly recommend that you do this.

links

Bose Soundbar 700 Bose Soundbar 700

The Soundbar 700 can be connected to your TV via HDMI ARC or an optical cable. Since the speaker is limited to Dolby Digital and DTS audio signals, the choice of sound quality does not offer an advantage when choosing a speaker. However, the universal remote control is more effective when you use HDMI ARC because it can send some commands to connected devices via the CEC protocol (one way to send commands via HDMI).

As long as all your devices can be controlled via infrared (IR), I think an optical connection makes more sense. Why should you forego a valuable HDMI connection on your TV, especially since the Soundbar 700 has no HDMI inputs to compensate for this loss?

The HDMI ARC and the optical connections on the back of the bar also include Ethernet (as a more robust option for Wi-Fi) and several dedicated connections for the Adaptiq microphone, a wired bass module (subwoofer) and an optional IR repeater and one for "data" (we're still not quite sure what it does).

You can use it as a Bluetooth source for wireless headphones for private listening – it works fine.

Unfortunately, the connector for cabling a subwoofer is a proprietary Bose connector, so there is no way to use it with a subwoofer from another company. Even stranger, although it is possible to connect a wired Bose subwoofer to the Soundbar 700, both subwoofers sold by Bose (the $ 400 bass module 500 and the $ 700 bass module 700) connect wirelessly to the soundbar.

Wi-Fi is the best choice to stream music to the soundbar. However, it also supports the AirPlay 2 streaming protocol from Apple and Bluetooth. If you are an Android user, this may be your best bet. We'll discuss this a little later.

Speaking of Bluetooth: The Soundbar 700 has a nice function: You can use it with the SimpleSync technology from Bose as a Bluetooth source for wireless headphones for private listening. It works with any Bluetooth speaker, but you can better sync with the on-screen dialog if you're using one of the Bose headphones. The volume of each Bluetooth device can be controlled independently. I tried Bowers and Wilkins PX7 headphones and it worked perfectly – it even stopped my Netflix video when I pressed the play / pause button on the headphones.

Sound quality

Bose Soundbar 700Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Bose Soundbar 700 sounds great and, unlike several other soundbars we tested, handles TV soundtrack audio and music streaming equally well.

Behind the grille are a number of midrange tweeters and a tweeter, which provide most of the direct sound you hear, including a very clear dialogue. However, Bose's PhaseGuide arrays are on the sides of the bar. These cleverly shaped tunnels project sound onto the sides of the soundbar and give the impression that there are invisible speakers above your television and even a few to the side – if your viewing area has walls on both sides.

In short, it triggers the magic trick that we all consciously or subconsciously expect from a soundbar, and that means we get impressive home theater sound without all the cables and speakers.

One limitation that needs to be mentioned – especially since the Soundbar 700 is a significant investment – is Dolby Atmos and DTS: X. These object-based surround formats are the latest and greatest. When a compatible soundbar is combined with a Dolby Atmos or DTS: X soundtrack, the results can be exciting and include sounds that feel like they fully match the on-screen action. The Soundbar 700 is not one of these speakers. It's still great at what it does, but it can't make you future-proof if you think these new technologies are something you want to explore someday.

If you are not yet familiar with soundbars as a whole, I should make one thing clear: as good as the Soundbar 700 provides a feeling of depth and breadth, it alone does not create such a deep feeling of low-end bass for a complete home theater system. Because of its small proportions, there is no way.

I was ready to fall in love with his music less, but it went against my expectations.

That doesn't mean there is no bass – it actually does an admirable job – it just can't compete with systems that come with their own subwoofer.

As mentioned earlier, you can add an optional Bose bass module, but this increases the price.

It can't shake the furniture with low-end bass, but boy can this thing get loud. I would bet that the Soundbar 700 cannot fill any space in your house, even if your home is in palatial proportions.

Dialogue playback is another outstanding element of this speaker. It is clear and easy to separate from background noise – even before you use the available dialog enhancement mode. If for some reason you find it insufficient, you can only increase the volume of the center channel in the Bose Music app and make adjustments for treble, bass and synchronization / delay if necessary.

At $ 800, I had fully expected the Soundbar 700 to be a powerful TV speaker, but I was also less willing to get excited about their music. But it exceeded my expectations very much. Thoroughly modern studio mixes like Beck's Hyperspace album benefit most from the bar's ability to project sound in space, but older tracks like The Who & # 39; s classic Pinball Wizard also get new life from the depths of the Soundbar 700.

On a whim and because the Tidal app advertised it, I tried Buju Banton's The Upside Down 2020 Experience. I couldn't have chosen a better track to find out what the Soundbar 700 can do with the right material. Banton's voice comes through as if he were on stage in front of you, while his background singers, strings and occasional saxophone spread outwards and envelop you in a rich mix of tones. "It all comes from this one speaker?" my son asked. Yes yes it is.

The Soundbar 700 only stumbled once when it heard Hans Zimmer's deeply bass-laden Time from the Inception soundtrack – the cabinet vibrated very slightly.

Multiroom audio

The Bose Soundbar 700 is part of a family of wireless speakers that can be controlled using the Bose Music app. This includes products like the Bose Home Speaker 500 and the Portable Home Speaker. In Sonos' multiroom steps, you can group these speakers to play the same music or stream something different for everyone.

But when it comes to pure multiroom smarts, Bose still has some catching up to do if he wants to do something other than follow.

For example, Sonos lets you pair any matching Sonos speaker – from the Ikea Symfonisk bookshelf speakers for $ 100 to the Sonos Five for $ 499 – as a surround set for the Sonos Arc Dolby Atmos soundbar for $ 800 – Use dollars. If you want to do the same with the Soundbar 700, you'll need to buy a special set of Bose wireless surround speakers.

You also can't turn two Bose speakers into a stereo pair, although this is much less relevant when dealing with soundbars.

Music sources

While the Bose Music app is friendly and user-friendly, it does offer some features that I would like to see, such as universal search, support for other music services, and the ability to stream music from a personal library on the network.

You can choose between Spotify Premium and Free, Apple Music, TuneIn, Pandora, SiriusXM, Amazon Music, Deezer and iHeartRadio within the app or use any audio app on your phone or tablet and stream directly to the Soundbar 700 2 or via AirPlay Bluetooth. The disadvantage of these options is that controls and content reside on a single device, and other people at home cannot edit or continue listening to the playlist if the person with the source device leaves the house.

You are also limited to just six favorites (which Bose calls presets). Regardless of whether it's a favorite radio station, podcast, or playlist, you need to choose wisely.

Universal remote control

Bose Soundbar 700 universal remote controlSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

It's big, bulky, and I'm not a fan of the rubberized surface that covers all the buttons, but I have to admit that the Bose Soundbar Universal Remote is well thought out as long as you only need to control a maximum of three devices (except the soundbar itself).

The idea behind the dark rubber layer is that it intentionally hides the many buttons under its surface. Once you've programmed it for your devices – which is easy and possible via the Bose Music app – only the buttons that correspond to the device you want to operate are selectively illuminated.

Pressing these illuminated buttons first sends a Bluetooth command to the Soundbar 700, which in turn forwards the command to the device in question via IR or HDMI-CEC (if you use HDMI between the Soundbar and your TV).

The main advantage of this arrangement is that the remote control and the soundbar are always perfectly synchronized. Even if you select TV mode on the universal remote and then switch the soundbar to AirPlay 2 or Bluetooth mode using the Bose Music app, the remote will automatically show this status change.

Good as it is, it's not perfect.

Three devices (two if you don't count your TV, which is pretty mandatory) may not be enough for some people.

I wish I could control how long the buttons light up. It always seemed like the lights went out as I decided what to do and I had to shake the remote again.

The soundbar, remote control, or TV screen does not show where the volume is relative to the minimum and maximum settings. If you want this level of detail, you need to consult the Bose Music app.

You can use the remote control to adjust the volume of the soundbar during an activity. However, you cannot access settings such as EQ or dialog enhancement.

For reasons known only to Bose, there are no buttons to access the six music presets that you program in the Bose Music app.

Overall, however, it worked very well except for one mistake – I couldn't get the remote to speak to my cable box. My LG TV and Apple TV 4K were no problem at all. I attributed the bug in the cable box to poor IR connectivity and didn't have enough time to try to fix it.

Voice assistants

Bose Soundbar 700Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Soundbars that are compatible with voice assistants are being used more and more, but few offer you the choice of which assistant you want to use. With the Soundbar 700, you can choose Alexa or Google Assistant and change your mind at any time (you just can't do both at the same time).

One of the best aspects of a smart speaker that really rocks is the ability to summon your favorite music by simply asking for it. But be warned: although Google Assistant and Alexa can take control of a variety of music services, you cannot use these voice assistants to control if the service you want to control is not available in the Bose Music app. Google Play Music (now mostly switched to YouTube Music), Apple Music and Tidal are examples of services that none of the Soundbar 700 wizards can control.

Bose uses a small multi-colored LED light strip on its smart speakers to give you visual feedback on what condition it is in. Two white bars indicate a pause, a single blue bar indicates Bluetooth and a small red dot means muting. However, the strip is also animated to inform you that a voice command has been heard. This is a great feature.

What I can't understand is why Bose is not using it to indicate volume – something I should consider for a future firmware update.

Voice commands were easy to hear even with some fairly loud sounds, and the response times were very good when I tested them with Google Assistant.

Our opinion

$ 800 may be a lot of money for a soundbar that isn't compatible with Dolby Atmos, but the Bose Soundbar 700 proves that the investment is a great combination of sound quality, great design, and a host of useful features, including yours, still worth choosing the language assistant.

Is there a better alternative?

The direct competitor of the Soundbar 700 is the excellent Sonos Arc for $ 800, a larger Dolby Atmos soundbar that also offers a choice of voice assistants and offers the best support for multiroom and music services in the industry. If you want to be future-proof for object-based surround sound, this is a good choice.

We believe that the Soundbar 700 treats TV and music audio better with the same accuracy (the Arc tends to prefer TV audio) and has several features that the Arc lacks, e.g. B. a universal remote control, Bluetooth and the possibility to connect a wireless headphones for private listening.

How long it will take?

The Bose Soundbar 700 comes with a one-year warranty. This is fairly standard for this type of product, but Bose has an excellent reputation for producing quality products and the Soundbar 700 should have a very long lifespan. You may want to replace it in the future, but you are unlikely to need to replace it.

Should you buy it

Yes. The Bose Soundbar 700 is a fantastic solution with a speaker for simple but exciting home theater sound. With optional subwoofer and surround speaker modules, it can grow with your needs as long as those requirements don't include Dolby Atmos.

Editor's recommendations




29 May
Blog

Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro Review: Multi-Cam Magic

blackmagic design breath mini pro review hands on dm 10

Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro

"The ATEM Mini Pro is your ticket to professional zoom meetings and a great tool for streamers on all platforms."

  • Very easy to set up

  • Incredibly powerful

  • No driver is required for most functions

  • Low latency HDMI output for gaming

Stop yawning! An HDMI switcher may not sound exciting, but this year the Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro is the most fun for me with a technical product. Developed by a company that manufactures expensive, rack mount devices for broadcasters, this is an affordable multi-camera streaming solution for the rest of us. Finally, you can live out your fantasy of being an evening news director (well, maybe that's just me).

In fact, the ATEM Mini Pro (and a cheaper non-pro variant) has a more realistic goal that focuses on the rise of video conferencing from home: converting a real camera into a webcam. A computer's built-in webcam is mediocre at best, and even standalone USB webcams have limitations. With the ATEM Mini you can connect any camera that has a clean HDMI output (ie without UI overlays), including many mirrorless cameras and DSLRs.

The price for this category is excellent at $ 595 for the Pro and $ 295 for the Standard model. Many people have been interested in the ATEM Mini line again due to limitations in social distancing due to COVID-19, so both the standard and pro versions are reordered from large retailers. Blackmagic Design told me it was "to build as soon as possible", but it has proven difficult to keep up with demand.

To put it plainly, this product is more than exaggerated if you only want to use a single camera as a webcam. However, if you need to conduct more complex video conferences or YouTube livestreams or just want to specify as an additional participant in the zoom call, the ATEM Mini is a game changer.

Plug and play

One thing I've always appreciated about Blackmagic design products like the Pocket Cinema Camera series is that their advanced features don't clog up the elegant user interface.

The same philosophy is intact in the ATEM Mini Pro. In combination with the control software – the same program with which the professional ATEM switch is operated for $ 10,000 – the available fine tuning is almost unlimited. You can add custom graphics, program macros, control Blackmagic cameras, and more. It is stunning for the uninitiated.

Or you can ignore all of this.

In a world that is increasingly moving towards software interfaces, the ATEM Mini (refreshing!) Is a bit old-fashioned because it handles so much at the hardware level. No driver needs to be installed even with four HDMI sources. Simply connect the ATEM Mini to your computer via USB and it will appear as a selectable webcam in Zoom, FaceTime or other video conferencing and streaming apps. It is the definition of plug and play.

Blackmagic Design provided a Pocket Cinema Camera 4K to test for this test. I used it with a 12-40mm f / 2.8 Olympus lens (courtesy of Lensrentals) as an A-camera to get an adjustable field of view that was more than wide enough for my close-up video conferencing. I filled in the remaining HDMI inputs with my personal mirrorless Fujifilm X-T2 camera, a Nikon D780 DSLR and my Xbox One X.

Video newbies pay attention: all of these sources were originally set to different resolutions and frame rates, and that's … perfectly fine! The ATEM Mini instantly converts various signals into a single, uniform output. It only works as long as your source is not using copy protection.

Using the ATEM Mini Pro

With four numbered buttons, you can switch between inputs on your computer without stopping in the video feed. As far as is known, only a single camera is connected. Optionally, you can choose from a selection of built-in transitions to play when you switch inputs, including crossfades, dips, and deletes. There are even buttons that let you change the duration of these transitions from half a second to 2 seconds.

Picture-in-Picture (PIP) is integrated at the hardware level. This is ideal for presenters who want to stay on the screen while looking at a second angle. Video game streamers are an obvious target here.

There's also a dizzying array of audio controls that can be a little daunting for anyone who's never run a broadcast studio before. With two 3.5 mm jacks, you can not only use audio from one or all HDMI inputs, but also connect external microphones. You can switch each audio input individually and adjust it for each individual level. You can also select AFV (audio follows video) at each input to automatically use the audio from this source when switching.

That sounds complicated, but there is a separate button for everything. Once you know the different abbreviations, it's easy. You don't have to dive through menus and don't have to remember keyboard shortcuts. The buttons are backlit with different colors. White indicates what has been selected, green indicates what is shown in the preview, and red indicates what is active. So you get a lot of information at a glance.

Do you have an external monitor? This is where the real fun begins. When you connect it to the ATEM Mini Pro's HDMI output, you get a streaming command center with a multiple view of all inputs and volume levels on the screen for each audio source. You can make each entry in full screen mode separately from your live program stream, even if it is not the active entry. Players can use picture-in-picture to overlap in their stream while still playing with a distraction-free view (however, this limits the game to a resolution of 1080p).

Again, all of this is possible without installing a driver. However, some customers should definitely install the software, especially gamers. In addition to the other features that are unlocked, this is the only way to turn on 60fps output. The ATEM Mini is set to 30 fps by default.

ATEM Mini Pro against ATEM Mini

The ATEM Mini Pro is the newer of the two and essentially an ATEM Mini with additional functions. There is no difference in video or audio quality – both support up to 1080p / 60 fps and 10-bit video – but the additional $ 300 detaches the pro toggle from a computer and provides direct hard drive and recording Live streaming via Ethernet to YouTube, Facebook and twitching. It also offers the multiview monitor output mentioned above, which the non-pro model lacks.

Most people will be fine with the ATEM Mini and shouldn't be spending the extra money on the Pro version. Even without directly recording the Pro on the hard drive, you can record your stream on your computer using software from the standard ATEM Mini.

The Pro is still a bargain for what it offers, and if you have the money to burn (after all, it's probably a tax write-off, after all) you might want to access it if you think you are ever in a streaming or situation Record without being connected to a computer. Multiview monitoring is just cool too.

Who can really use it?

With some companies saying that they are now going to let employees work from home indefinitely, many new customers are looking for something like the ATEM Mini. This is the crème de la crème that you can use to turn your camera into a webcam. It's overkill for people who just want to look better with zoom, but zoom hosts who work in an office environment could definitely use the multiple camera and microphone inputs to improve the quality of hybrid remote / local meetings (as soon as social Distance is loosened anyway).

For YouTubers, the ATEM Mini can instantly improve the value of live stream production so you can create professional, broadcast-style streams that go far beyond the basics. During an interview, for example, you can switch between a wide-angle shot and close-up pictures of the host and the guest. Live tutorials, from cooking to photography to make-up, can benefit from different perspectives.

It takes the processing out of the processing.

Since any HDMI device can be a source, I could imagine remote work software developers using it. Mobile app developers can connect a smartphone or tablet and stream the direct experience of using their app on a particular device, while web developers can do the same for websites.

With a document camera – or any camera and a copy stand – even printed materials or other physical media can be transmitted live. This could be important for teachers and artists.

Even for developers who are not interested in live streaming, the ATEM Mini can be a worthwhile investment. Every time you shoot with multiple cameras, you can do live cuts instead of having to load footage from each camera onto a computer and go through the tedious process of cutting in the mail. It takes the processing out of the processing. Makeup artists, chefs and car repair gurus could take advantage of multi-cam productions without having to learn how to be a professional video editor.

The only limitation is again the maximum output resolution of 1080p. This limit applies to both live streaming and hard disk recording. If you have a 4K camera, you just have to live without those extra pixels. I personally don't think this is a problem for YouTube or streaming, where most viewers watch on small phone screens and video quality is limited to compression. Still, 4K is one thing to give up if you want to use the ATEM Mini to cut live instead of editing a video with multiple cameras in the post.

For me, the ATEM Mini saves me time and money. Before social distancing, I drove to the Digital Trends office every second Monday to see my appearance at Digital Trends Live. I did a two hour tour for a 10 minute section. It sounds ridiculous, but it was worth it because the studio's professional cameras and close-ups made it much easier to present the new product that I had in hand.

Now I can do it all from home. Sure, it might not be necessary – a single angle, maybe even sticking to my webcam, would probably be enough. But that would hardly be so cool.

Editor's recommendations




28 Apr
Blog

Google Pixel Buds 2 Review: New Design, Better Sound

Pixel buds 2

Google Pixel Buds 2 is currently under review: new design, better sound

"Google's latest Pixel Buds significantly improve audio quality."

  • Optimized setup

  • Attractive look

  • Excellent language integration

  • Useful functions

  • Average battery life

  • No noise cancellation technology

This is an ongoing review. We'll update this review after spending a few days with Google's new Pixel Buds.

It was only a matter of time before Google brought its first real competitor into the real wireless earphone arena. To be honest, I'm surprised it took so long.

Google today launched its second-generation Pixel Buds, a pair of earphones for $ 179 that scraps the wire that holds the originals together and adds new design elements and countless features. I didn't have enough time with the Pixel Buds for a full review, but I listened long enough to have some thoughts.

Out of the box

The packaging for the Pixel Buds – technically the Pixel Buds 2, for which I will use the official name of Google in this test – is tiny, white and decorated with various pictures of the buds themselves. Inside are the buds, which are in a wireless charging case, as well as additional earplugs, a USB-C charging cable and the corresponding documentation.

Google Pixel BudsNick Woodard / Digital Trends

I usually unpack everything, take a quick look at the product, and then check the quick start guide to see if there are any setup quirks that I need to stick to. But I never opened the brochure with the Pixel Buds.

When I pulled the first bud out of the shell, a notification appeared on my Pixel 2 smartphone asking me to pair with the buds. A second prompt followed, instructing me to download the associated app and starting the rest of the setup process from there.

All thanks to the "Fast Pair on Android" function from Google, which allows you to pair your Pixel or Android 6.0+ device with the earphones immediately. I'm the first to admit that most earphone setups are fairly simple, but this was as simple and rational as possible, and more closely matches how Apple's AirPods work.

The original buds, which were $ 20 cheaper when they first released, had a fair amount of connectivity issues. It's a small sample size, but I haven't seen any of these issues in my time with the new Pixel Buds that have Bluetooth 5 technology.

design

The Pixel Buds aren't the smallest earbuds in the game (at 5.3 grams, they outweigh Apple AirPods by over a gram each), but they're not the heaviest either – both the Samsung Galaxy Buds + and Amazon Echo Buds weigh more . You are right in the wheelhouse, which is all we can ask of most earphones these days.

Google Pixel BudsNick Woodard / Digital Trends

However, it is the actual design of the Pixel Buds that fascinates me the most. In our view, the original pixel buds were loose-fitting, and although they never fell out, they didn't create the seal in your ear canal that is important for noise isolation. Google has listened and created a pair that is almost flush with your ears and offers a much safer feeling. I managed to do a five-mile run in my first few hours with the buds and had no problem moving it around during transportation.

The Pixel Buds will only be available in the cute color "Clear White" at launch, but then with the options "Fast Black", "All Mint" and "Oh So Orange". The charging case is more like an egg than the pill-shaped carriers that Samsung and others have adopted. It's also heavier than any case except the Echo Buds, but still pocket-friendly.

properties

At first glance, the functions of the Pixel Buds remind me of a classic baseball power hit. You will meet some doubles and homers if you can tolerate a hint here and there.

Google Pixel BudsNick Woodard / Digital Trends

Double: A weatherproof IPX4 degree of protection that protects you from splashes and sweat. You won't want to submerge them, but the Pixel Buds should be strong enough for training.

Home run: The Pixel Buds are the first Hotword-enabled earphones from Google Assistant. So you just have to say "Hey Google" or "OK ​​Google" to have your own voice assistant at your disposal. This is of course not new to the industry as Amazon and Apple are ahead in this regard. But Google made it effortless to use, to the point where I preferred to ask Google to change a title or increase the volume using the built-in gesture commands on the bud. These are easy to use, but the hands-free function of the buds is more attractive.

Swing and a miss: The Pixel Buds have a battery life of five hours on a single charge. Which, to be fair, is on par with the Apple AirPods and Amazon Echo Buds. But five hours is not much anymore, not when the Samsung Galaxy Buds + sets standards with 11 hours of playback time. With the included charging case, which is QI certified and can be charged wirelessly with any compatible charger, the Pixel Buds have a remarkable total life of 24 hours.

Double: The return of Google Translate via the conversation mode with Google Assistant or the Google Translate app. The feature was a highlight of the first generation Pixel Buds and remains an entertaining tool to translate the words you or others speak into different languages. It is an advantage that not everyone will use, but which can be used again and again when needed. The same applies to the possibility to ask Google directly how to get anywhere, or to read out notifications from practically every app on your device. Not absolutely necessary, but neat.

Look dismayed: Google has decided against adding noise cancellation technology to the second generation buds, and I think this is a missed opportunity. Sure, the fit is much better this time, which allows passive noise reduction. And yes, Apple's second-generation AirPods don't offer this feature at $ 20 more. But the Amazon Echo Buds did it, and they sell for $ 50 less than the Pixel Buds. It's not a drawback that the Pixel Buds don't have noise reduction, but if they really wanted to make a current move in the real wireless earbud category, this would have been the way to go.

Audio quality

When I started hearing the Pixel Buds, I wanted to be sure of what I was hearing. So I passed it on to my partner, played the track that Brothers Osborne had just auditioned (Love the Lonely Out of You) and asked her for a description of the sound.

Google Pixel BudsNick Woodard / Digital Trends

She took the word I was thinking of – crisp. The Pixel Buds have custom 12mm dynamic speaker drivers and a design Google has called "hybrid acoustic design", designed to seal the outside of the earbuds, but with spatial vents to reduce the feeling of a clogged ear. The result is music for your ears.

It will take me a couple of hours before I can justify the comparison with one of the top competitors I mentioned. And they are definitely not comparable to something like the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 2, but who is it? That being said, I can definitely say that the Pixel Buds have improved by leaps and bounds compared to the sound of the first version, which, as we put it, was "okay". The lower end is there, but not overbearing, the vocals are as clear as a day and the middle section is well balanced.

Google Pixel BudsNick Woodard / Digital Trends

There is no equalizer in the Pixel Buds app, but I probably wouldn't use it even if there was one. Songs like The Wood Brothers & # 39; Luckiest Man were a pleasure and made me feel like I could hear the strings behind every single note. Google also suggested listening to 8D content on YouTube that re-produced existing songs to sound as if they were moving in the listener. It's not music that is specific to the Pixel Buds, but it does help when solid-sounding buds recreate Freddie Mercury's legendary vocals that dance back and forth over your head.

The few calls I made were clear, and those at the other end of the conversation noticed that I sounded better than trying other buds. The Pixel Buds have a pair of beam-shaping microphones that are designed to focus on your voice for listening in louder conditions or on the go. It's been a limited experience so far, but so good so far.

I would be very happy if I didn't mention the Adaptive Sound function in the Pixel Buds. In the same way that you can have your phone automatically adjust the brightness depending on the environment, Google gives you the ability to adjust the volume of the Pixel Buds depending on your location. It's subtle, but it should be, and I thought it was good if I walked outside on a busy street.

Conclusion

The pixel buds are filled to the brim with functions. However, in order to access the best ones, you have to be at least partially invested in the Google / Android ecosystem. They have significantly improved the design and audio quality of the originals, but have given the latest version an average battery life and lacked the ability to suppress noise.

I will repeat this assessment again after spending more time with these buds. Currently, Google’s Pixel Buds have made some important adjustments. Because of this, they may be the best Android earbuds you can get right now. But they left room to grow. There may be too much space in today's fast paced real wireless world.

Editor's recommendations




07 Apr
Blog

Final Fantasy VII Remake Review: Solid Story, Archaic Design

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Review 2 vii 03

Final Fantasy VII Remake Review: Thundaga can't strike twice

"… although the entire Final Fantasy VII story is a fascinating, emotional globetrotter adventure, this first 40-hour romp is anything but."

  • A well-written extension of one of the most popular game stories

  • Visually striking when history demands it

  • Generously expressed and magnificent with solid performances all round

  • Fight tries to be too much at once

  • Level design consists of corridors, platforms and stairs

  • Extremely linear gameplay with little exploration

  • Too much fluff between the good things

Final Fantasy VII Remake is here to take things in a new direction more than two decades after the original gave us a hero and villain almost as recognizable as Mario. While this eagerly awaited update is brave and sometimes beautiful, it is the latest victim of a company that places too much trust in its experienced designers.

Square Enix changed the game landscape with the seventh iteration of the Final Fantasy franchise 23 years ago. Final Fantasy VII has had a profound impact on the lives of millions of children and adults. His warm welcome influenced a CGI feature film that expanded his story, as well as some interesting spin-offs.

I only played this cultural milestone a decade after its release at the request of a close friend who was caught up in Clouds and Sephiroth's dreamy polygonal appearance.

Getting off the train as Cloud, a young mercenary with a grudge against Shinra, overlord of the world, is still a fantastic opening all these years later. Aside from the money on the table, it will be a long time before we fully understand why he is helping a militia detonate a bomb in a nuclear reactor. Nojima, the writer of the original story, lets Cloud's enigmatic personality emerge during the 40-hour campaign at the behest of his gripping cast of characters, but we as gamers have been responsible for the bleak teenage heartbreaker for so long that he's stale far too soon.

Example of a fight in Final Fantasy VII

The early introduction of repetitive gameplay elements will not help. Every time the story decides to take a breather, you're exposed to some really outrageous sections. Between the captivating cutscenes that shame the 2005 film, it's a slow, highly scripted adventure through dark tunnels and corridors with lots of glacier crossings and incredibly uninspired switch and platform sections.

Midgar, the industrial city in the sky that this whole story is about, is huge. But apart from a pizza trip and light identity theft, you can hardly see it. Of course there is a reason for this. They spend most of their time in the slums below, but even the shadow of this steel state is little more than long, narrow paths with impressively written but graphically overwhelming shantytowns.

Fast, fluid, faulty

Unless you choose a more relaxed difficulty level, the battle in Final Fantasy VII Remake is almost entirely in real time. It's a big difference from the turn-based system of the original and one that doesn't always give the best results. Stylistically it's absolutely great. Attacks have real weight and flair. And while summoners with little fanfare feel thrown in, it is almost enough to tear them out of their assigned material and let them wreak havoc to interfere with some of the harsher realities of this otherwise tortuous combat system.

If you have the chance to put everything into a fight, there is no better feeling. Boss fights, like the Airbuster Mech, are as magical as they are stressful. There are numerous cases of these well-fought battles, but they're almost always hidden behind multi-monster brawls that seem to play by their own rules. If you are not being fought over by off-screen opponents, the target system stabs you in the back. It is almost impossible to know the outcome of a strike. Tifa will happily throw herself in the air to box a bird with her bare knuckles, but will try to use a stronger skill and she will land on the ground again so as not to swing.

Final Fantasy VII remake

In such a real-time action title, we're used to the idea that everything can be perfected. But that's not how it feels here. Try toppling the scales in favor of a more exciting attack strategy, and you could end up switching off from your main target, botching a powerful spell, and getting hit by something you either couldn't see or could adapt to for half a second. This is a series of small battlefields and narrow camera angles, but it could be improved with a simple target list of wands.

If everything goes well, the fight feels incredibly rewarding. Tifa and Barret are doing shockingly well to the point where I actively try not to control Cloud whenever I can. You can choose which character you want to control from the start of a fight. If the scenario does not require this, you as Mr. Moody Mercenary will cross the overworld for a long time.

It is cold under the steel sky

What is waiting behind all the fluff is pretty convincing. Most non-player characters (NPCs) aren't nearly as graphically great as the main characters, but that doesn't mean they're not worth a look. Far from it. The area around the seventh heaven is full. It lives. Everyone has something to say about their day, a personality that is immediately noticeable.

Children practice dance routines, jocks discuss hitting girls, and rumors spread left and right. It's like Square Enix hired every voice actor on the planet to breathe life into these tiny hamlets. But as soon as you leave Wall Market behind and try to return to Aerith's house, you'll be reminded of how little scenery there is to explore. You'll get a glimpse of something bigger when you stray from a beaten path for a side quest, but after another four, you'll realize that the full Final Fantasy VII story, while a fascinating, emotional adventure around the world, is this first 40 hours romp is anything but.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is a fraction of the whole story. More will come, but we don't know when. After 20 years of hardware development, Midgar still doesn't feel as big as we have always felt. I can only hope that the time spent cutting off so many corners here has been spent on designing a far more ambitious follow-up. The world of Gaia will feel terribly small if you rely on the practices presented here.

Kazushige Nojima, who wrote the original of Final Fantasy VII and the subsequent side stories, returns to the baby he created over two decades ago. Between writing FFVIII and the tearful Kingdom Hearts series, the man spent years working out his world in spin-off titles, books and the popular film. With Remake, he worked it out further and expanded a fairly tame and tiny part of the original game into a section that is almost as heartbreaking as the entire chronicle.

New in this retelling are characters that come from subsequent side stories. Leslie from the Advent children's prequel book The Kids Are Alright makes direct contact with Cloud this time, which means that one can assume that the original FFVII is no longer completely canonical. There is more to this evolution once you delve into the details, but Remake is more than a simple extension of what was before – it's a completely revised narrative that will undoubtedly sink its claws into subsequent releases and that still has a lot of possibilities should captivate those who have already invested in FFVII traditions. Nojima's big story was a catch for a younger self. His efforts have shaped the series ever since. Anyone who is able to make some archaic game design decisions can look forward not only to storytelling, but also to eyes and ears. Mostly.

While Nojima does what he does best, composers Masashi Hamauzu and Mitsuto Suzuki join colleague Nobuo Uematsu to resume the game's classic soundtrack. New additions like the hip-hop sound of the grubby Collapsed Expressway and the completely revamped Wall Market theme are two bops that I can't wait to add to my playlist.

Visually, Final Fantasy VII remake looks incredible. No stranger will be blown away if they catch a glimpse of it on a YouTube ad, but considering that its real-time cutscenes outperform the pre-rendered footage of the mid-2000s Advent Children film, it's incredibly exciting to see how far we have come. It's just a shame that no amount of stories or catchy melodies can offset this boring attempt to wrap a playable game around his script. World building is not the drawback of this game – it is still one of the greatest game stories ever told. The questionable, outdated game design that is widespread everywhere makes Final Fantasy VII Remake fall flat.

Our opinion

After years of waiting, it hurts to say that Final Fantasy VII remake doesn't really impress. The classic plot – or at least what is offered here – benefits greatly from generous and outstanding speech, but how you extract the story of a generation is nothing short of a shame. Running up and down corridors and stairs for dozens of hours is a burden, and while the combat system can sometimes offer fights that embarrass MMO raids, mountains of fluff, and a combat system that can't be committed to a single style leaves this like feel a little step back from the already problematic Final Fantasy XV. There is very little freedom of movement here. Just a linear campaign that doesn't have much else to offer.

If we take into account the polarizing reception of Final Fantasy XIII, it is clear that Square Enix's weirdly long development times have resulted in a track record of games that just don't count the number of hours of work going into them.

Is there a better alternative out there?

If you're looking for an emotional roller coaster, two names come to mind. If you prefer a more in-depth experience, Persona 5 is really worth a look. It's almost three times as long as Final Fantasy VII, but it knows what it does with that extra time. However, a closer comparison is Nier Automata with its action-oriented combat system.

How long it will take?

Right now? Give or take forty hours. This also applies to all side quests, of which there are not many at all. Apart from an option for hard mode and some additional additions for Colosseum quests, there is little to prevent the repeat value.

Should you buy it

If you have had problems with Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XV, you will find the same errors here. Perhaps you support a creator by watching the playthrough instead. If you played Final Fantasy VII as a kid, you will get a kick out of this lengthy story experience, but you will feel challenged.

Editor's recommendations




02 Mar
Blog

Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K G2 Hands-on Review

blackmagic design ursa mini pro 46k g2 rating 5

Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K G2 to touch

"The hardware is great, but Blackmagic RAW is a game changer for indie and small budget productions."

  • Blackmagic RAW codec

  • 120 fps 4.6K

  • Accessible user interface

  • Built-in ND filters

  • Cumbersome placement of the iris dial

  • Some nickel and diming for accessories

"Bear" is a fitting name for the beast that is Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K G2 from Blackmagic Design, the flagship of the company's cinema camera. But it is a well-trained bear. The Ursa is docile where other such machines appear fearsome in their complexity. I've never been so amazed at how easy a camera is to take professional pictures.

It really feels like cheating. Turn it on, point it at something, press record, and there will be a picture for the big screen. If you know how to use a DSLR, you can find out the Ursa in minutes.

Okay, it takes a bit more work. You first need to decide which record button to press – there are approximately four of them. But once you've chosen your favorite, there's nothing standing in the way of making your director's dreams come true. At least from a technical point of view.

Despite my love of techno, the Ursa remains outside my league – and yet not alien to my budget. I won't buy one soon for a five under $ 6,000, but it's a lot cheaper than comparable movie cameras from other manufacturers.

I'm not sure why a Red or Arri, the camera of choice in Hollywood, is worth tens of thousands more. But as someone who shoots video with a mirrorless hybrid camera, I can see the value of climbing to Ursa. Six giants are a lot of money. But here, with the Ursa, it feels like a bargain.

Design and user interface

The original Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K was the first Blackmagic camera to feel ready. After a few years of eye-catching and bizarre designs, Blackmagic landed on a familiar shape that bridges the gap between a cinema camera and an ENG camcorder.

The G2 refines the formula with small but important improvements to the electronics without changing what has already worked. The result is not only a professional video camera that shames my aging but trustworthy Fujifilm X-T2, but also the best value in the cinema world.

Blackmagic gets a low price by selling you a bare bones camera. A viewfinder, a battery and a handle are add-ons that can add hundreds or thousands to the price. This can make cameras like the Canon C200 cheaper for $ 6,500 with viewfinder and battery. However, the Ursa has a hardware advantage: 15 levels of the announced dynamic range compared to Canon's 13, higher frame rates and a more versatile RAW format.

Although not new, the built-in filter control with neutral density is a key feature of the Ursa – and many dedicated video cameras. You can select 0, 2, 4 or 6 stops by turning an adjustment wheel so that you never have to deal with a screw-on lens filter. Think of sunglasses for your camera. ND filters reduce light and allow you to keep a slower shutter speed for smooth movements and / or a larger aperture for a shallower depth of field when shooting in bright environments.

The viewfinder may not be standard, but a touchscreen monitor is the most accessible user interface you can get with a camera. Blackmagic has set itself the goal of standardizing the user interface for all camera models. So if you have a pocket cinema camera, you will feel at home with the Ursa. The user interface is easy to learn if you have not used a Blackmagic camera before.

The Ursa has numerous physical buttons and toggle switches for access to frequently used functions such as ISO, shutter angle / speed and white balance. A complaint? The iris dial is hard to reach when the monitor is open, a design flaw that Blackmagic may have missed because cameramen who use real cinema lenses use the iris ring on the lens.

Not me. I used standard Canon EF lenses. Apart from the bizarre iris control, I love that about the Ursa. Camera lenses are much cheaper than their cinema counterparts, but often of no less optical quality. (However, the Ursa's autofocus features aren't good – stick to manual focus.)

For this test, Sigma lent me its 18-35mm and 50-100mm f / 1.8 lenses, a pair of zooms that make a strong case for being the only lenses you need. Together, they're worth about $ 1,900. Sure, that's a bit of a change, but it's a far cry from the $ 8,000 required for theatrical versions of these lenses. (In truth, this is still quite affordable in the field of cinema glass.)

In addition, the Ursa Mini Pro has interchangeable lens mounts. In addition to the active Canon EF mount, you can use PL (the standard for cinema cameras), B4 for broadcast lenses, or even a passive Nikon F mount. The latter opens up the Ursa to a decade-long legacy of photographic lenses. I have a small collection of Nikon glass from the film era that I would like to have tested on the Ursa. Next time.

Of course, cinema lenses have some advantages – mostly they make you look like an ass – but Blackmagic's willingness to let you mount any old DSLR lens natively is a big plus for the indie and student filmmakers. From news gathering to film production, the Ursa Mini Pro can be configured to fill a variety of roles. The Digital Trends video team even used it on the floor at CES 2020.

Performance and picture quality

The updated electronics of the Ursa Mini Pro G2 are all about speed. Above all, this means new slow motion HFR (High Frame Rate) options. 4.6K footage can be captured at up to 120 frames per second, while 1080p can reach 300 fps. The 4.6K / 120 film material is recorded across the entire width of the sensor and automatically played back in slow motion (up to 5 times with 24p pictures).

It looks absolutely awesome. I also appreciated how the camera records audio in HFR mode, which many smaller cameras don't. This way, you can either slow down the audio in the mail to adjust it to the footage (think of the dramatic “Noooooo!” Shouted by a character approaching a certain doom) or the footage back to real-time speed boot up and use it more or less -less like a normal clip if you have to.

The updated electronics increase the maximum ISO by 3,200. That's nothing compared to modern still cameras with ISOs by the hundreds of thousands, but it makes the Ursa usable indoors. It is important that this high ISO value is useful when shooting HFR footage. This requires a faster shutter speed and requires compensation by either opening the iris or increasing the ISO.

Footage shot with ISO 3,200 can look grainy, especially when you try to lift the shadows in the post, but I never thought it would look bad. It's what it is, and you should try to stay at lower ISOs if possible, but I appreciate having that extra stop when I needed it.

Thanks to faster processing, the readout time of the sensor is shortened and the "Jello Cam" effect of the electronic roller shutter is controlled. In practice, I didn't notice it at all, except in very fast pans where I specifically searched for it.

File quality and flexibility

When I tested the first generation Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K, it was before Blackmagic released its RAW video format. It could record Cinema DNG, an open RAW format from Adobe, but I didn't have the storage or processing power to handle it. With the G2, I have finally experienced the power of Blackmagic RAW first-hand and it is absolutely revolutionary.

This is a RAW video format for the rest of us. With selectable compression levels up to 12: 1, .braw clips can be recorded on standard SD cards. In fact, the bit rate at 12: 1 compression is lower than the 400 megabits per second non-RAW codecs in cameras like the Panasonic Lumix GH5s and the Fujifilm X-T3. You still want a fast V90 card to be safe, but you don't have to be a professional studio or have a big budget to work with RAW video. That's great.

Sample material taken with the Ursa Mini Pro G2 Daven Mathies / Digital Trends

I recorded all of my test material in .braw with 12: 1 compression and it looked great. I edited and colored the clips in Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve 16 on my eight year old iMac and it worked. Performance was problematic after adding more than the most basic color adjustment, but the fact that it worked at all is impressive.

If you're concerned about editing performance, Ursa can record proxy files in addition to RAW footage, so you don't have to create proxies when importing.

I am not an experienced colorist or even an experienced DaVinci Resolve user, but I come from the world of still photography, where RAW files have been common for many years. Working with RAW videos seems familiar to me. In some ways, it is easier to work with other codecs like h.264 or even ProRes, which are often recorded with a flat logarithmic tone curve to maintain dynamic range and look like garbage before color correction is applied.

In contrast, Blackmagic RAW material can be used directly from the camera. It is also flexible. Even at 12: 1 compression, I was amazed at how many details I could pull out of the shadows.

Not everyone needs RAW video, but as Blackmagic explained to me, Blackmagic RAW offers the best quality-to-file ratio at any compression level compared to non-RAW formats. There is no reason not to use it. Well, unless you want to import directly into Final Cut Pro X, which currently doesn't have a plugin to support .braw files. (There is a plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro.)

Conclusion

The Ursa Mini Pro G2 is proof that we are living in an incredible time for photo and video equipment. I am jealous of today's film students who may have access to it. They can produce large-screen films in their dormitories and never know how difficult it is to record and edit standard-definition footage on MiniDV tapes.

Of course, for many of us, $ 6,000 could just as easily be $ 60,000. If it's out of your budget, it's out of your budget. However, some of the Ursa's most important functions – such as Blackmagic RAW – are available in the cheaper Pocket Cinema Camera series. The Ursa Mini Pro may still be a desirable product for people like me, but unlike a Red or an Arri, it's not a dream. I can at least afford to rent it.

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