02 Nov
Blog

New World Review: A Gorgeous Mountain With Nothing on Top

Two players fight in the New World.

"New World brings a lot of excellent MMO twists to the table, but it's tarnished with bugs, stale quests, and a lack of endgame content."

advantages

  • Engaged fight

  • Great customization

  • Useful faction system

  • Exciting player-controlled content

disadvantage

  • Boring narrative

  • Dull dungeons

  • No endgame

  • May be blocking your computer

The best way to describe the New World is to call it … a new world. It brings so many interesting and fresh ideas that are pretty simple – and sometimes obvious – to the MMO genre. Veterans and casual gamers alike will have a completely new experience with this game. However, as is often the case with exploring unfamiliar areas, some people get confused by many aspects of the game and may feel hollow when they reach the top of the mountain.

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games used to be the titans of gaming. In the olden days, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, and even Everquest were those giant bars around which players would gather to experience these virtual worlds together. But that was then and now the gaming landscape is completely different. Releasing an MMO – also a completely new IP – in the year 2021 of the Gregorian calendar is a certain risk. Amazon Games accepted this as a challenge and created a truly unique experience with New World.

But what will that experience be like for the players? Let's use this mountain metaphor as the basis for this review and ask us three simple questions. What is it like to start the ascension? How's the trip to the top? What do we do when we reach the top? You can of course use these questions for virtually any medium. However, using it as a metaphor for an MMO feels particularly fitting, as the genre is known for being a long time-consuming player. Is it even worth climbing? That depends on what you expect from the trip.

The foot of the mountain

Entering the world of Aeternum, the landmass where New World takes place, can be as easy as creating a character and jumping in, or it can be as difficult to find a server that isn't full, isn't crashing, and loads all the right assets and textures.

When I got through the opening films, I found myself in a situation that I knew as an MMO player. I saw my character in an unfamiliar place, covered in rags and with a weapon little more effective than a branch. The game became something new as I finished the combat tutorial – I soon discovered that this was an action RPG. There are no automatic attacks that plague MMOs like World of Warcraft. Every attack must be deliberate, as must every block, evade, and spell. This isn't new to MMOs, but action-style combat with modern sensibilities will freshen up your gameplay minute by minute. Grinding feels less of a chore as players eagerly jump into a group of enemies to work on damage combinations.

Player hunting a bear.

Built-in classes are not included in this game – instead, the play style and weapon choice determine the “class”. This allows for a great sense of freedom as players can mix and match weapons to find a play style that suits their needs. Enemies in this game also have a variety of resistances that make some weapons less or more effective. This means that on certain quests and expeditions, players should bring a variety of weapons with them in order to prepare for anything that comes in their way.

Grinding feels less of a chore as players eagerly jump into a group of enemies to work on damage combinations.

When you're not pouncing on enemies, you'll find yourself in the vast world filled with various resources to collect: trees, rocks, bushes, berries, and much more. These are vital to the game's crafting system. Outside of quest rewards and expeditions, all equipment must be crafted. This adds an extra layer of freedom and customization as players are free to wear whatever they want.

The combination of action packed combat and resource gathering makes the beginning of the game really addicting. The exciting fight got me trying new weapons and attack combinations, while the gathering provided a nice cooldown that allowed me to explore the strange land. It is the right pace for our hike further up the mountain.

New world, old look

If you look at New World on a graphical level, that's a mixed bag. Aeternum is really beautiful and looks incredibly alive compared to the empty and boring regions in World of Warcraft. Forests are filled with trees and other dense flora, while plains feel open and majestic. Spending time in the world is really a treat and made me excited to see what I could find even if it was just a nice little pond for fishing.

However, that magic fades once you enter a settlement and interact with NPCs and other players. The human models in New World just don't look very good. They are not scary horrors who disguise themselves in humanoid sacks of meat; they are just uninspired. Even the character creation options aren't that extensive, and I couldn't find a combination that I was particularly excited about.

The equipment doesn't make it much better either. Often times, the armor or clothing looks messy and thrown together, which makes even the more extravagant options feel messy. I really can't believe I'm going to say this, but New World made me appreciate World of Warcraft's choice of styles. While much of the shoulder armor in World of Warcraft is unsightly, it at least creates a stark and interesting silhouette.

Worn mountain trails

After coming down from the high at the beginning of the game, New World levels off and levels off in its basic loop. RPG fans will know this song well: go to a town, get quests, complete quests, get rewards, and then travel to the next town. Unfortunately, that song came out over 15 years ago when World of Warcraft did the same. The quests are structured like memorizing X, collecting Y, and going to Z. They do this mindlessly because the narrative surrounding them is not particularly interesting.

The main story isn't really compelling, and honestly I spammed my way through the dialogues very early on – something I rarely do. I try my best to buy into the narrative of every game I play, but there's really nothing here to hold onto. A newly discovered landmass is filled with a strange magic that corrupts everything it interacts with. There are no noticeable twists and turns in these tired tropics, and the game doesn't have anything particularly profound to say about it.

Two players are grouped together.

Expeditions, the dungeons of the New World, also fall into this pit. Dungeons are intended for a group of players, usually three to five, who band together and fulfill certain roles to complete certain challenges, which is usually just a tough boss in the end. They can be good for breaking up normal quests when you're battling something a little more challenging and promising better loot. However, there is little that expeditions do to distinguish themselves from normal quests. All enemies in expeditions are easy to find throughout Aeternum and they fight exactly the same. There's nothing dynamic to change them – they're just mobs to burn down. Bosses are a bit tougher and have some specific mechanics but nothing really remarkable to make them memorable.

There aren't any notable twists and turns in these tired tropics, and the game doesn't have anything particularly profound to say about it.

Fortunately for New World, it is saved by the dynamic aspects of how players can change the world. Settlements or cities are not just a collection of buildings and quest givers. They are controlled by the game's faction mechanics. The Mauraders, Syndicate, and Alliance all vie for control of Aeternum and player loyalty. Each territory is controlled by one of these factions, and players can take advantage of being part of the faction that is in control. Fast travel may be cheaper in your controlled area, or taxes at the trading post may be less costly. There are indeed powerful benefits to your game when you are in an area that your faction controls.

New World goes one step further by allowing corporations or guilds to take control of the territory. The management company can set the tax rate of the settlements in the area and fill their pockets with these assets. This gives players an incentive to interact with their factions and companies, and also encourages them to go to war with the other two factions.

New world players in war mode.

Territorial control is not set in stone; Players from other factions can disrupt the influence of the controlling faction until the country is prepared for war. Waging war allows two companies to challenge each other in a 50v50 PvP mode for control of a territory where the attackers must besiege a fortress while the defenders must protect it for a period of time. These battles determine which faction will control the area and which company will rule it.

Beware of the mistakes

It would be negligent not to mention the plethora of engineering challenges that seem to haunt the New World. I have not experienced any game or computer breaks during my playthrough, but a "Buyer Caution" warning is required here. There are a lot of people who encounter a lot of technical issues in the game. These range from game crashes and unloaded textures to apocalyptic damage to your computer's power source. The infamous bricking seems to have been less common since the beta, but that's still something to keep in mind while playing this game.

Even the beautiful landscapes can be destroyed by poor frame rates, which can vary depending on your location. Aside from an occasional frame hiccup, I personally haven't seen any mistakes that ruined my playing time. I'm not alone in this, and we may be the majority, but I understand the risk that your computer may not be up to the task of playing this game. These issues can of course be resolved with some patches, but after the Cyberpunk 2077 fiasco where there are still unfixed bugs, you should be aware of the game that you are buying now rather than the game that it will eventually be .

Finally at the summit

Currently, the New World level cap is 60, and by that time you've seen everything the game has to offer. And I mean that literally, because there really is no endgame to speak of. There are no raids or special content that opens up for maxed players. You are at the top of the mountain and the only thing you can see is what is below you.

New world players in battle.

So what do you do when you get to the top? You can complete quests in areas you have not yet traveled, upgrade various weapons, or craft the equipment you have been putting off. These don't feel like endgame activities – and technically they aren't. Much like the theme that keeps popping up in New World, the endgame is the freedom to do what you want.

In other MMOs like World of Warcraft, the endgame is just a huge list of things to do. Players must have a proper equipment rating, there are raids to perform, your professions can be exhausted. New World doesn't have this to-do list. Instead, players can just do what they want. Granted, a lot of these things won't feel satisfying compared to shooting down Ragnaros in the Molten Core.

The real gem in this clam is the conflict between the factions and the interactions you have with other players.

My solution to this problem is to focus on player controlled content. The player-controlled content is the real backbone of New World and can really keep players engrossed. There is also no way to avoid this content as there are no NPC shops in this game. The entire marketplace is completely player-controlled, similar to the auction house in World of Warcraft. Investing in political group politics and creating a community within your company is what New World wants you to do.

It is risky to rely so much on players to create their own conflicts or, more realistically, their own content. However, there is enough here in New World to really invest in something worthwhile and fun with the right mindset.

Our opinion

The fighting and crafting system of New World breathes new life into the MMO genre and makes playing the first few hours incredibly pleasant. However, with dry narration and boring content, it can feel boring the longer you play. The real gem in this clam is the conflict between the factions and the interactions you have with other players. This game is not for everyone, not even many veteran MMOs. If you are interested in the idea of ​​player-run settlements and massive PvP battles that decide the fate of the territories, then this is the game for you.

Is there a better alternative?

Every MMO offers something unique and, in the case of New World, something very special. Final Fantasy XIV has a stronger narrative while World of Warcraft is full of things to do. However, if you're interested in large-scale PvP battles and player politics, then this might be the MMO for you.

How long it will take?

It will likely take around 40 hours to complete the main quest line and a little more to maximize your character level. After that, it's up to you how long you want to play it. MMOs tend to have longer playing time than you expect.

Should I buy it?

Yes sir. If the factions, the war and the player-driven economy interest you, then you will love what happens here. If that sounds daunting to you and you want an MMO with more curated content, I'd suggest something else.

Editor's recommendations



12 Mar
Blog

HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop Review: A Gorgeous Glass House

HP Omen 30l Gaming Desktop Rating 6

HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop

"The HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop is the most beautiful gaming desktop you can buy."

  • Smooth 4K gaming

  • Beautiful design

  • Accessible internals

  • Ready to upgrade

  • Good value

  • Can get very loud and hot

Everyone wants to build their own PC these days. The problem? It is next to impossible to find affordable components these days. If it's your first rodeo, putting one together from scratch can be daunting.

HP has developed its new Omen 30L Gaming Desktop precisely for this target group. With all of the industry-standard upgrades and a DIY-friendly setup, it's unlike anything you'd find on an Alienware or ROG desktop.

Did I mention this thing is absolutely awesome? It is. With a starting price of $ 1,100, it's pretty affordable too. Obviously, this is not the configuration anyone should buy. You pay over $ 2,000 to get a model with the new RTX-30 series graphics.

If you can grab one, you're going to be pampered.

design

The aesthetics of the HP Omen 30L fit my tastes perfectly. The case is simple and nifty, similar to NZXT or Lian-Li. The edges are straight, the vents are small and even the lighting is tasteful. Don't even compare this to a desktop from ROG or Predator.

The branding is also minimalist. A simple diamond shape adorns the front and glows in bright white like a kind of alien obelisk. Let's call it mid-century modern gaming desktop design.

Let's call it mid-century modern gaming desktop design.

Still, HP added a few details that set this device apart from the standard PC case that you can buy off the shelf. The front is made of tempered glass and offers a glimpse of the RGB-lit fan inside, interrupted by the pattern of triangular vents on the side. It feels like you're in a museum looking at an ancient relic. HP charges extra for this, but I love the ultra-reflective look.

The vent design is also along the top plate, which is made entirely of machined aluminum. Like any other surface on the tower, it feels extremely stiff. At the top you'll also find a number of ports including a headphone / microphone combo jack and two SuperSpeed ​​USB-A ports. I'd love to see a USB-C port offered here, which includes options like the Asus ROG Strix GT35 and Falcon NW Talon.

HP Omen 30l Gaming Desktop Rating 7

HP Omen 30l Gaming Desktop Rating 3

For all the metal and glass, HP managed to keep the system pretty light. It weighs 28 pounds, making it lighter than the 30 pound Lenovo Legion Tower 5i and the 35 pound Falcon NW Talon. However, the Omen 30L is slightly larger thanks to the large rubber feet underneath. According to HP, that empty space significantly increased airflow from below.

The tempered glass is also used for the side panel, which gives you a clear view of your hardware. At the top there is a row of RGB lights that pour the fixtures into a beautiful bath of color. Again, it's a touch that is similar to what many custom PC makers go for.

Internals

The Omen 30L Gaming Desktop uses a custom micro-ATX motherboard that is typical for this tower size. The board is even matte black, which is a nice touch. The Falcon NW Talon uses a full-size ATX board, which offers a few additional features but makes the internal layout feel a bit cramped. The Omen 30L is beautiful and spacious.

The card enables an additional M.2 SSD and two SATA drives in the available storage bays.

Cable management is a bit sloppy.

I wouldn't call it clean, however. Cable management is a bit sloppy, especially if you're from a boutique PC maker like Origin or Falcon NW. They are crossing each other in all directions and it would be quite a mess to untangle and redirect them. This is part of the DIY aesthetic that is better avoided in a pre-built system.

Fortunately, the internals are completely tool-free. The textured button on the back opens in the side area. It's an extremely simple and easy-to-use design. I even prefer the door hinges that open like the Falcon NW Talon, which can be inconvenient if you leave your tower on your desk.

The other side wall can be removed with just one screw. This also applies to the graphics card, which is held in place by a plastic brace to prevent sagging and ensure safe delivery. The Omen 30L has plenty of room for cards, even if it's as big as the massive Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090.

My test unit was a water-cooled system, although the base model uses a standard air cooler. In both cases, HP has partnered with Cooler Master for all of the thermal, including the front intake and rear exhaust fans. There's not much room for additional fans, though HP mentioned that there may be room on top to install a larger cooler. The 750 watt power supply is also provided by Cooler Master. Unfortunately there is no manual off switch included.

After all, the RGB memory sticks in my test unit came from HyperX, a company that HP now fully owns. My system was 32GB of Fury DDR4, which is the maximum amount you can get.

Game performance

With options from Intel, AMD, and Nvidia, the performance you get will vary. As it turns out, your choice of these processors and GPUs is a crapshoot too. Third-party manufacturers also have inventory issues. HP says an RTX 3060 configuration will also be available at some point.

However, if you get a configuration similar to mine, you won't be disappointed with the performance. It came with an Intel Core i9-10900K, an Nvidia RTX 3080, and a 1 TB M.2 SSD.

In 3DMark Time Spy, the Omen 30L fell right between some of its closest competitors. With a score of 16,108, it lands 11% in front of the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i and 5% behind the Falcon NW Talon. Both systems were also equipped with the RTX 3080. The lead over the Legion Tower 5i was reduced to only 3% in the older DirectX 11 benchmark Fire Strike.

The RTX 3080 is meant to be a 4K capable card, so I plug it into my 4K 144Hz monitor to see what it can do. It could play any game I tested in 4K at well over 60 fps (frames per second) on maximum settings, with the exception of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. The in-game benchmark of this title spit out an average of 52 fps.

It's the only game I've preferred the 1440p experience where it was 70 fps faster on average. It was between 5% (1080p, High) and 15% (4K, Ultra High) behind the Falcon NW Talon in various graphics settings and resolutions, which was a performance difference from the other games I also tested.

With the highest fidelity, the Omen 30L often exchanged beats with the talon. But in 1080p it fell behind the talon. The clearest example was Civilization VI, which is already more CPU-dependent than the others. The Omen 30L averaged 158 fps in 4K on Ultra, but that's 11% behind the Falcon NW Talon. This lead was increased to 22% with 1080p Medium, which shows how much the CPU has bottlenecks compared to the Omen.

There have been cases when the fan noise was very loud. How scary loud.

This was also true for Fortnite, where the Omen was faster than the Talon and Legion in 4K (95 fps) but was 10% behind the Talon in 1080p. I suspect most gamers won't be too offended by the inequality, but it's worth a mention if you're trying to get the absolute fastest frame rates out of your system.

It's hard to blame the Omen 30L too much, especially since there have been games like Battlefield V where there was a much more even battle between the three systems, with no deviations of more than 5 fps. Regardless, playing in 4K at 100 fps feels awesome and shows just how groundbreaking the RTX 3080 really is.

The more serious problem with the Omen 30L was fan noise. It wasn't bad during most of the games – but there were times when it was very noisy. How scary loud. During my 3DMark Time Spy, I also saw occasional spikes in CPU temperatures as high as 97 degrees Celsius, which you don't want to see. The system has leveled itself to about 73 degrees for most of the load, but the thermals should have tinkered a little more between the temperature peaks and the fan noise.

Creative achievement

Gaming is a priority for the HP Omen 30L, but there's no reason you can't try it in creative applications like Adobe Premiere or Blender. CPU performance is good, although you obviously get more multi-core juice if you go for AMD's Ryzen platform.

The Ryzen 5950X, which I tested in the Falcon NW Talon, for example, drew circles around the Core i7-10900K in both the PugetBench Premiere Pro and the Blender benchmarks. PugetBench tests critical tasks like 4K playback and video encoding. That's why the multi-core capabilities of the Talon with Ryzen drive exceeded the omen by 18%.

That said, the HP Omen 30L is a capable creative workstation, especially if you can use that monster GPU.

Our opinion

The HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop is the most beautiful gaming desktop you can buy – hands down. Boutique options like the Falcon NW offer slightly better performance and far more neat cable management. But for the price, the HP Omen 30L is my preferred pre-built gaming desktop in its category.

Are there alternatives?

The two obvious options are the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i and the Alienware Aurora R11. The Legion Tower 5i is a good option, although you can't currently configure it with RTX 30 series cards. So forget about him.

Both the Alienware Aurora R11 and the Asus ROG Strix GT35 are larger and more powerful than the Omen 30L, but also more expensive. And nowhere near as good-looking.

Finally, both the Falcon NW Talon and Origin Neuron are good choices, but they are far more expensive.

How long it will take?

The HP Omen 30L will last as long as you have it. That's the beauty of desktops that are easy to update. Everything can be exchanged even if you run into technical problems.

However, HP's protection plan isn't very good. There is only a one-year standard warranty.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you can find one of the high-end configurations, you won't find a better pre-made gaming desktop.

Editor's recommendations




01 Mar
Blog

Apple Fitness+ Review: Gorgeous Workouts, Great Potential

Apple Fitness plus Rating Screenshot Trainer3

"Fitness + motivates you to close your activity rings, but is lacking in key areas."

  • Seamless integration with the Apple Watch

  • Diversity of likeable trainers

  • Variety of training types

  • New content every week

  • Requires an Apple Watch Series 3 or later and an iPhone

  • No live courses

  • Some exercises require special equipment

Because of gym restrictions and pandemic issues, many people are building their own gym instead of throwing away their hard-earned cash on gym membership. Services like Apple Fitness + fill that void as the move to home fitness is transforming the fitness industry. Can an online stream replace your personal Pilates class? We tested Apple Fitness + to find out.

Apple Watch is the killer feature

Apple Fitness + is available for the iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV, but was designed specifically for the Apple Watch. As soon as you open a workout on your iPhone, it is immediately displayed on the Apple Watch. Your watch will then send your health data to your connected device so that you can view it if you follow the trainer's lead.

I realized that I connected with the coaches and wanted to train with them.

As you exercise, you can watch your activity rings increase as you get closer to meeting your exercise goals. You can also see your heart rate, time and calories burned. It's a small feature, but incredibly motivating to see all of your stats on the big screen. Since it is displayed on your screen, there is no need to keep looking at your watch. This is huge for someone like me who is likely to stumble or lose rhythm looking at my wrist.

Can't make the mood

Apple Fitness + is great for beginners to advanced users, provided they have the right equipment. Most cardio workouts require a treadmill, bike, or step machine and are not interchangeable. Unlike iFit, which films landscape-related activities suitable for any machine, Fitness +, for example, requires a bike to complete the bike training.

You will also need dumbbells or kettlebells to complete many of the strength activities. You might be able to swap bodyweight exercises, but it's not the same. You can also skip workouts that require specific equipment, but eliminating so many exercises seriously affected my experience. Instead of having a "can-do" feeling, I often had a "can-do" feeling when browsing the training library. To be fair, Apple offers walking workouts and dance classes that don't require special equipment, but there are few. I would love to see more of this creative, equipment-free content.

This "can't" feeling was reinforced by a limited user interface. Fitness + divides the workouts into broad categories (intense interval training, yoga, core, strength, treadmill, cycling, rowing, dancing, and mindful cooldown) to help you find the right exercise. Once in a category, I found it difficult to find the right workout for my fitness level. There was no way to filter activities based on difficulty or equipment required. I had to choose a workout and then read the description to see if it was appropriate for me. This hunt-and-peck method of finding activity was tedious.

Diverse, enthusiastic trainers

Apple is the master of looks, so it's no surprise that the Fitness + videos are highly polished. The videos are recorded in a beautiful studio gym with great camera angles so you can see exactly how the trainer moves. The workouts feature happy music and personable coaches who encourage you to “close those rings”.

There's no way to filter activities, and the Hunt-and-Peck method of finding a workout was tedious.

Apple's trainers reflect a wide variety of races, ages, and body types that I really appreciate. Since these were normal and not particularly healthy top athletes, I found that I connected with the coaches and wanted to train with them. Their enthusiasm was contagious. Apple also adds content weekly so I keep coming back to find out what's new.

Moderate workouts but no live content

Fitness + is aimed at the large number of iPhone and Apple Watch owners. It is aimed at beginners to advanced and not advanced athletes. Established fitness fanatics could use Fitness + to add to their existing routine or do cross-training on a day off, but it won't replace their existing high-intensity routine.

Most workouts are easy to follow and some are even scalable. This is a function that other exercise programs should do. With these scalable strength training sessions, you can choose to complete the selected activities, improve them with more advanced activities, or downsize the exercises if you have an injury or just want to take it easy. This flexibility encourages you to keep going even when an injury or illness gets in the way.

As much as I've enjoyed Fitness +, the service has a big Achilles heel. Unfortunately, unlike Peloton or Mirror, which offer a plethora of live classes, Apple Fitness + consists entirely of recorded videos. On-demand workouts are convenient because you can work out anytime, but they lack the community feel of a live class. Hopefully Apple will hire a few trainers to teach live classes on a daily basis.

costs

Apple Fitness + requires an Apple Watch Series 3 or later, which gives you at least $ 199 back for a new watch. Also requires a monthly subscription of $ 10 or an annual subscription of $ 80. The service is also included in the Apple One Premier bundle, which costs $ 30 per month and includes Apple Music, Apple TV +, Apple Arcade, Cloud, and News +. When it comes to cost, it's significantly cheaper than the average $ 40 per month subscription that most affiliated home gyms like Mirror, Tempo Studio, and Tonal have.

Our opinion

Apple Fitness + is a great workout tool for beginners to advanced users who already own an Apple Watch. A growing collection of workouts from motivational coaches encourage you to exercise. It's a little rough around the edges, but it has potential. If Apple listens to its critics and improves the service, Fitness + Peloton could give a run for its money in the coming year.

Is there a better alternative?

Apple Fitness + shows promise, but it does require an Apple Watch. Not everyone owns an Apple Watch and doesn't want to buy one just to exercise. Fitness +’s strongest competitor is iFit, which has an extensive library of recorded studio and outdoor activities, as well as a growing number of live workouts and does not require a fitness watch. It's priced at $ 10 per month and runs on a tablet or smartphone.

How long it will take?

Apple has supported and updated the software on its older devices in the past, and we expect Apple Fitness + to receive the same treatment. The service will improve over time and its shortcomings (e.g. no live training) will be a thing of the past.

Should you buy it?

Yes, Apple Fitness + may be just what the doctor ordered for Apple Watch owners who want to get fit and stay fit.

Editor's recommendations




10 Apr
Blog

LG Gallery Series GX 4K HDR OLED TV Review | Gorgeous

"LG's most beautiful OLED television so far."

  • Breathtaking design

  • Excellent picture quality

  • First class HDR / contrast

  • Improved user experience

  • Excellent for playing

  • Expensive premium for design

  • Stand sold separately (only mounted on the wall)

LG made his bed. Now it has to be there.

After years as the only OLED TV manufacturer in the US, other manufacturers have collapsed. The first problem was Sony. And now Vizio is on board, Philips is sending an OLED to the USA and the budget brand Konka is getting involved.

Now that LG has so many roommates moving into the house it built, it has to struggle to secure the master suite. That means making the best and most sought after OLED TVs on the market. It is likely that LG will never be the cheapest option, so it has to rely heavily on premium options to seduce customers.

Enter the 2020 LG Gallery Series GX OLED. Its characteristic design elements are a so-called "No-Gap-No-Shadow" wall mounting system and an extremely thin profile. LG is an obvious answer to Samsung's approach to seamless wall mounting (available for select Samsung Q-Series TVs from 2017) and has created its own piece of art that somehow keeps the inherently ultra-thin properties of an OLED panel combined with sophisticated technology all electronics in a flat chassis.

LG GX OLED profile recordingDan Baker / Digital Trends

This stunning design comes at a price, albeit a lower premium than I expected. In fact, LG's OLED TV prices are lower across the board. However, a 65-inch GX costs $ 3,500, while the 65-inch CX step-down model, which offers the same excellent image quality, costs $ 2,800. Neither is affordable, but does the Gallery series deserve the $ 700 premium?

If looks could kill, the LG GX OLED would be a serial killer.

I'm not sure. I think the answer will depend on how much value aesthetics has for you. However, one thing is pretty certain. If looks could kill, the LG GX OLED would be a serial killer.

Out of the box

Entertaining story: I hadn't expected the GX-OLED television (pronounced G 10) for this test. I was expecting the CX model and when I took a very carefully orchestrated, socially distant delivery of this TV, I didn't look closely at the box.

To make an unboxing video during a global pandemic, I asked my video producer Dan Baker to unpack the TV himself while he was documenting B-Roll for our video. Then came the message: "There is no stand. No legs. I think we are missing some parts."

A quick phone call to LG revealed that I had deliberately been lined up with a GX-OLED and that the TV doesn't come with legs, but with the gapless wall bracket – an accessory that Samsung charges an additional $ 150 . The fact that I could not get my legs was an unfortunate consequence of closing offices due to coronavirus lock orders.

Dan Baker / Digital Trends

Three days later I got the legs and decorative plastic plates – accessories, extra for the LG.

Bottom line? This TV is designed for wall mounting. It makes no sense to put it on a sideboard or an entertainment booth, except maybe to enjoy its extra thin profile. If you are not planning a wall mounting, I will guide you to the CX series.

Made to assemble

I'm a fan of LG's wall mount for the GX OLED. The intelligent, one-piece design is compact, robustly built and easy to install. Thanks to the articulated arms, the TV can be pulled out of the wall. This is not so much for adjusting the horizontal viewing angle (which is not necessary with an OLED television with extremely wide visibility), but for easy access to the inputs of the television.

I was surprised at the weight of this GX OLED, which tips the scales at 65.7 pounds. It's not bulky and you can still mount the TV using the included drywall anchors, but I would recommend drilling in bolts if possible.

picture quality

I was impressed with the mini LED and micro LED TV technologies that other manufacturers are starting to mess around with, but at the end of the day my heart still belongs to the OLED and the GX is one of the nicest examples I have seen.

Despite brave efforts to alleviate the problems of LCD televisions and the LED backlights they rely on, there is nothing better than a self-emissive display for black levels, screen uniformity and breathtaking contrast. OLED is currently the best there is. And the 2020 OLEDs from LG look better than ever, even if the improvements are small compared to the previous year.

Currently the only real competition from LG comes from Sony. As mentioned earlier, this will change later this year. However, if I had to choose between a 2020 LG OLED and a 2020 Sony OLED, I would only have to choose the LG based on its features. The Sony A8H is coming, and I can compare LG directly to the Sony competition, but I have to imagine that a significant difference in picture quality that goes in Sony's favor is likely to be overridden by the better package offer of LG's OLED TVs is set.

How for the GX series? I don't see it as the best choice for everyone based on the cost. However, the aesthetics of the TV are undeniably sexy, and LG has the right to ask for a little more. The only reason prevents me from giving this TV a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. Otherwise, this TV is a big win for LG and its customers.

User experience

The GX OLED may be an eye-catcher from the outside, but almost all other improvements for 2020 are hidden inside.

WebOS, LG's smart TV platform and operating system, has been redesigned and the improvement is noticeable. While I have always believed that webOS is accessible and easy to use, it has felt a bit outdated lately.

Magic Motion Remote from LGDan Baker / Digital Trends

The new version of webOS looks and feels much more professional. There are fewer dabs of color and more transparent backgrounds, and the menus are simply easier to read.

The home screen shows multiple apps at the same time, making access to Disney +, Apple TV +, or ESPN as easy as Netflix or Hulu. You could always order the apps to your liking, but now you can see more of them at the same time.

The home screen also takes up less space, closer to a third of the bottom than half.

There are a few fun functions within webOS, one of which is unfortunately useless for the time being – again due to the corona virus. Sports alerts let users select their favorite teams and get on-screen alerts for game times, updates to game results and highlights highlighted at a glance.

Another new feature called "Who. Where. What? "Try to make Live TV more interactive by answering voice queries, who the actors are, where a scene is, and what products are displayed on the screen. It's a fun idea. But I still have to put it into practice implement.

In terms of voice interactions, LG's own voice assistant is more intelligent and powerful, recognizes natural language better and provides more personal answers. Interactions feel more like talking to a person than a robot. When the capabilities of the LG Assistant deteriorate, Google Assistant takes control. For example, LG's assistant can help you find content or change the channel, while Google Assistant intervenes to give you news and weather information, or to order a pizza.

The GX also offers far-field voice control if you want to use it. As with all LG OLEDs, the Magic Motion remote control from LG has a microphone and a microphone button. In the GX series, however, a microphone is now built into the TV and the wake-up words "Hi LG" trigger the wizard.

Improved processing

The heart of the 2020 OLED TV from LG (except for the entry-level BX) is the Alpha 9 Gen 3 processor. There are some valuable improvements associated with this. My favorite is a new A.I. Image mode that helps optimize image performance by analyzing ambient light in the room and correcting image settings on the fly.

This may sound familiar, but the function goes beyond the basic “eco modes” by adjusting the TV's electro-optic transmission function (EOTF) to maintain bright details and HDR highlights for the best picture, no matter how bright or a room may be dark. I found the feature to work well and I encourage owners to turn it on when they first set up the TV.

LG GX OLED heroDan Baker / Digital Trends

Other improvements are somewhat technical, but do lead to improvements in image quality. I noticed that the decontouring filter on the Alpha 9 Gen 3 better minimizes banding in wide color ranges, especially for low bit rate content where banding is often a problem. The result is a much smoother picture with fewer distractions.

LG's dynamic tone mapping has also been improved. For the viewer, this means a better HDR experience, in which bright highlights are retained, the brightest objects of interest have the best highlights, and areas with poor lighting retain details without blacks getting a hit.

LG has also added a feature to increase the peak brightness for SDR content, which allows it to look a little more vivid – like HDR – without juicing the entire image in a flashy way.

Speaking of picture mode: users will find that Filmmaker mode is installed on LG's OLEDs this year, including the GX. This image mode deactivates the hatred of all postprocessors, eliminates the soap opera effect, keeps the colors accurate and maintains the aspect ratio and the original frame rate.

To be honest, Filmmaker mode looks very similar to ISF Calibrated Dark. If I watch more content, I will definitely update my comment here. For ready-to-use image settings, I still recommend ISF Calibrated Bright or ISF Calibrated Dark as a starting point.

Gaming performance

Equipped with HDMI 2.1 connections with all technical data and all available player-friendly functions, the 2020 OLEDs from LG are a convincing argument for gamers who are looking for a large-format display to play with. So far, LG's OLED televisions are the only models that support variable refresh rate (VRR) in addition to Freesync and G-Sync. They also support Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) with delay times of just 13 milliseconds.

LG's OLEDs are also the first to add an HGiG mode that should greatly improve the HDR gaming experience. HGiG stands for HDR Gaming Interest Group, which was founded to provide guidelines for TVs, consoles and game developers.

Simply put, this TV kicks your gaming monitor in the ass.

In short, HGiG supports televisions that behave in a predictable manner so that game rendering engines take over the entire HDR tone mapping and allow the TV to easily cut highlights at any peak brightness of the TV. This should help eliminate some of the poor picture quality we've seen recently in some HDR games.

While branding continues to be a problem for some applications, LG OLEDs are very useful for gamers this year. Simply put, this TV kicks your gaming monitor in the ass.

Our opinion

LG's Gallery series GX OLED offers a premium, but the additional investment pays off in beautiful design, an elegant wall-mounting system, and an improved user experience. If you take advantage of LG's excellent OLED picture quality, you have an amazing TV.

Is there a better alternative?

I think the LG CX OLED will make more sense for most people. It's not that slim and doesn't look that sexy on the wall. However, it is cheaper and offers the same image quality and features for the user as the GX, except for the aforementioned hands-free voice control.

For a non-OLED option, the Samsung Q90T could be considered for an equally high quality LCD / LED display.

If Vizio and Philips ship OLEDs in the United States, I will update this section of the review.

How long it will take?

Due to the support of HDMI 2.1 and all related functions, this television is positioned in such a way that it will continue to exist in the future.

guarantee

LG offers a 1-year limited warranty on parts and labor. This guarantee does not apply to image storage, also known as branding.

Should you buy it

Yes. If you appreciate the GX's slim profile and unique gap-free wall bracket and can afford the premium, then go for it. I can confidently say that I would buy the LG GX OLED immediately if the cost didn't matter. It is the most convincing television set that I have ever tested.

Editor's recommendations




09 Apr
Blog

Amazon Echo Studio review: Gorgeous Bass Meets 3D Sound

"The best Amazon speaker you can buy literally takes music to a whole new level."

  • Class leading bass

  • Chic and simple setup

  • Support for Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio

  • Large, spacious sound stage

  • All Alexa smart

  • Occasionally subdued middle class

  • Brittle note for lighter instruments

  • 3D music is still limited

Amazon's new Echo Studio Smart Speaker is not only good – sometimes it's fantastic. It is also one of the few smart speakers that you can buy that actually compete with the Sonos One. This is partly due to impressive functions that you won't find in any other intelligent loudspeaker on the market, not least thanks to the surprising support from Dolby Atmos.

Even putting the Echo Studio in the same sentence as the One is proof of how far Amazon has come in recent years. With products like the studio and the new Echo Buds, Amazon has proven that it can no longer be left out of the audio conversation.

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With the studio's 3D sound stage and a burgeoning new Amazon ecosystem that feeds it, Amazon is starting its own conversation, in which other loudspeaker manufacturers will certainly participate.

Roll out the barrel

With a large, rounded housing and an oversized CD feed cut through the base, the Echo Studio offers a unique profile. It is by no means repulsive and the exterior of the acoustic fabric offers a certain seal of approval, but is many times larger than the Sonos One and Apple's HomePod. The well-known Echo LED atrium on the top of the studio is wide enough to actually fit on an angel's head.

There are good reasons for the size of the studio. It is equipped with hardware, including two 2-inch drivers on the sides, a 1-inch tweeter on the front and a full 5.25-inch woofer for firing basses. There is another 2-inch driver on board, pointing up towards the ceiling to enable the hemispherical immersion, for which 3D sound formats such as Dolby Atmos and the new 360 Reality Audio System from Sony are valued. More on that later.

On the round top of the studio are control buttons, including the action button to manually call Alexa (if you don't want to call the speaker using the "Alexa" command), volume buttons, and my personal favorite, a mute button that rotates this rainbow-blue Alexa LED Darth Vader red, which ensures that the speaker doesn't listen to you.

As someone with a natural reluctance to allow listening devices in my house, the red hoop is a comforting reminder that my conversations are safe. It is also part of Amazon's ongoing efforts to restore confidence in its discretion.

As with all Echo loudspeakers, a microphone array in the housing enables voice activation via the “Alexa” voice command (or some other information) and acoustic calibration to adapt the sound signature of the loudspeaker at any location.

Ready, hired, streamed

Sonos, the undisputed king of simple speaker configuration for a long time, has real competition. Setting up the studio couldn't be easier. Sorry Sonos. You learned it by watching you.

After installing the Alexa app on your phone, follow the on-screen instructions and you can start streaming in no time. You can quickly add your favorite streaming service, including Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Tidal, and of course Amazon Music (among others).

It's not just the setup that's intuitive. Amazon's Alexa app makes it easy to customize basic audio settings, control playback, and connect to other devices, from an echo subwoofer to other echo speakers for a multi-room speaker system.

Again, the Sonos app feels very similar, which makes it user-friendly and, in my experience, much more stable and intuitive than Google Home. I also like the fact that unlike Sonos products, you can easily connect to the studio through other apps, including Spotify Connect.

There are more ways to connect than just Wi-Fi. The Echo Studio offers a Bluetooth connection if necessary. There is a dual-use 3.5mm optical / Toslink connection on the back of the speaker for connection to a TV or other device.

Unfortunately, you cannot decode Dolby Atmos movies over an optical link, but there is a workaround. If you have a newer Fire TV device, you can pair the studio with it to stream Dolby Atmos content from selected apps.

This is a fairly specific use case, and it means that you can't get Atmos from the biggest source to the speaker right now. 4K Blu-rays. Although you can certainly set up the Echo Studio as a soundbar replacement, this isn't the best way to use it for your money. Amazon also has other plans for its new 3D speaker.

Alexa stuff

Before we get to the audio extras for those new to the world of smart speakers, let's talk about how much the Amazon Echo line, including the studio, can do. There is a lot to discover, from connecting and controlling a smart home system to checking the weather, shopping and numerous other smart home skills. In fact, the Alexa app offers a whole range of new and old abilities to try out.

This includes controlling the playback of the speaker with your voice. This is easy and works better now than it did a year or two ago. The speaker had few stumbling blocks when he was put through his paces, even with music. With Spotify, the studio seemed to know what I wanted to hear more often than not.

Amazon Echo Studio

As part of the Echo family, the studio can also do things that most third-party Alexa speakers can't. B. Intercom calls throughout your home through your Echo Collection. However, the Sonos One can speak both Alexa and Google.

Amazon Music is growing

You can't talk about Echo Studio without mentioning Amazon Music, as both parts are important to Amazon's plans to lead Spotify and Apple Music.

In early fall, Amazon announced that it would add high-definition music to its subscription music service for just $ 5 more. This undercuts the price of all these competing services and adds something that Apple and Spotify don't have at all.

Just as important for our purposes are "millions" of tracks with a resolution of up to 24 bit / 192 kHz selected songs mixed in Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio (or newly mixed). Dolby and Sony also appear to be realizing their new plans and adding important studio partnerships.

Chills at 360 degrees

The biggest question I had after Amazon unveiled Echo Studio in its latest Alexa product extravagance was simple. What does Dolby Atmos actually mean in an intelligent speaker?

Most Atmos systems surround you with a barrage of speakers to get the 360-degree audio effect, including at least two uploaded speakers to bounce the sound off the ceiling. Even mentioning Atmos for a humble intelligent speaker seems bold. After tracking down the few tracks on Amazon Music (which thankfully have a 360 audio playlist), I was impressed with what this speaker can do.

It gave me something that I've never had from a $ 200 piece of plastic. Chills.

The first song I wrote was Elton John's Rocket Man. At first it was just a few slide effects that spread like a sound aura over the speaker. But as the song started up, the piece's expansive synthesizers stretched from the top of the speaker to the walls and finally blossomed into a cloud of swirling sounds at the front of the room.

The studio couldn't completely submerge me, but it gave me something I never got from a $ 200 piece of plastic: chills.

Stage against signature

While the side and up firing drivers are paramount to the studio's 360 tricks, the powerful, authoritative bass must be the speaker's best asset for everyday listening. Any great speaker can boom, with Google's Max being one of the best examples. But the studio's bass isn't just great. It's clean, tight, and well controlled.

The second song on Amazon's 360 playlist was Ariana Grandes 7 Rings, and although I'm not a Grande super fan, I was impressed by the tight jackhammer bass that the studio reproduced as a chorus beat hit. This powerful bass in combination with the bubbling 360-degree stage ensures a brilliant ride through the entire playlist.

Amazon Echo Studio

However, the studio is not perfect. Because of the only tweeter in the front, the speaker has a little bit of a problem when it comes to delivering detail and clarity in the midrange, especially when singing. It can also become thin at heights when lighter mixtures are fed.

In this regard, the Sonos One and also the Apple HomePod are clear of the ground. This becomes clear when you move away from 360 and high resolution tracks. And let's face it, most of us are stuck listening to compressed music every day.

You can get more clarity in the mid-range by disabling the studio's Stereo Spatial Enhancer, which may choke the mid-range on some tracks, but which also brightens the upper registers, which is sometimes uncomfortable. I found it helpful to reset the highs in the settings.

Regardless of this, the studio's sound signature takes a back seat to the soft, rich and detailed sound of the Sonos One. In addition, the 3D effects of the studio depend on the interior of your living room (especially on the walls and ceiling). 3D blends are currently limited. On the other hand, the sound stage and bass of the Sonos One are more reserved and compact compared to the spacious studio.

guarantee

Amazon's Echo Studio comes with a one-year limited warranty, and you can purchase an additional year.

Our opinion

The best smart speaker Amazon has ever made keeps its promise and offers a new way of listening in combination with Amazon Music. The Echo Studio is one of the most enticing new smart speakers on the market, offering premium bass and solid sound across the board.

Is there a better alternative?

For an Amazon spokesman, no. And if you want to immerse your toes in the world of Atmos Music, this is also your best choice for speakers. If you're looking for a rounded, everyday speaker with the versatility of Google and Alexa (and a more balanced sound signature), the Sonos One is the obvious alternative.

Although the price hasn't dropped since last fall's release, it should be noted that Amazon is currently offering a bundle that includes packages in a free Philips Hue Bulb.

How long it will take?

The speaker seems to be well built and has an expanded decoding for 3D audio formats that are just beginning to take shape. If anything, it's a bit ahead of its time.

Should you buy it

Yes. If you're looking for the best Amazon Alexa smart speaker you can buy – and especially if you're thrilled to dive into the latest musical limits – the Echo Studio is an easy choice.

Editor's recommendations