Amazon’s Fire TV stick drops down to $25, 4K Fire TV to $45 for Prime members

Cut the cord.

Amazon has dropped the price of its Fire TV Stick down to $24.99, and the 4K Fire TV down to $44.99 for its Prime members. This is a savings of $15 and $25 respectively.

If you’ve been considering cutting the cord, or want to add some streaming options to a new TV in your home, this is one of the best ways to do it. You can also get the Fire TV 4K for $35 when you prepay for one month worth of DIRECTV NOW service.

This deal is exclusive to Prime members, but don’t worry if you aren’t one. Right now you can sign up for a free 30-day trial of the service to take advantage of the discount and other benefits.

See at Amazon

Samsung Galaxy S9 vs. Google Pixel 2: Which should you buy?

Samsung’s market leader versus Google’s idealistic view of a smartphone.

Samsung’s flagships may outsell Google’s in massive numbers, but that definitely doesn’t stop many of us from thinking that the Pixel phones are the absolute best expression of Android on a smartphone. The Google Pixel 2 launched into a world where the Galaxy S8 was already over six months old, and now the roles are reversed: we have the brand-new Galaxy S9 to compare to.

The Galaxy S9 shares a lot with its predecessor, but there are strategic improvements that help it match the Pixel 2 — and in some areas it continues to best Google’s little flagship. Here’s how the new Galaxy S9 compares to the Pixel 2 in hardware, software and value.

What’s the same

Despite dramatic differences in initial appearances, there’s a lot shared between these phones. Sure the materials and designs differ, but they’re actually nearly the same overall size. The Pixel 2 is a tad shorter and lighter, but both phones are pretty compact and easy enough to manage in one hand — especially compared to the ever-growing competition in the 6-inch (and-above) smartphone space.

Samsung Galaxy S9 specs

Throughout the hardware you’ll find matching spec and features. The Galaxy S9’s new fingerprint sensor placement on the back matches the Pixel 2, as does the IP68 water resistance, stereo speakers, 64GB base storage and relatively small battery capacity — though the Galaxy S9 does edge out the Pixel 2 by 300mAh there, real-world use of the Pixel 2 shows it can do great things with what it has.

The phones are almost the same size, and filled with the same core specs and features.

For all of the design similarities between the Galaxy S8 and S9, one thing that took a big upgrade was the camera — and it’s exciting enough to have it up here in the “same” section to be mentioned alongside the Pixel 2. The Galaxy S9’s new camera sensor is doing a lot of the same multi-frame advanced processing of images that we hear Google talk about with HDR+ on the Pixel 2. These phones take different types of photos and often come to notably different results in the same scenes, but seeing each one on its own will show you they’re both great. The Galaxy S9 is often a bit truer to the scene and more simple, while the Pixel 2 takes photos that have more color, contrast and drama to them.

Add in its adjustable aperture up to f/1.5 and we see low-light performance that takes a considerable jump up to challenge the Pixel 2 as well. Right now this is still the Pixel 2’s crown, but I’m glad the Galaxy S9 didn’t stick with an iterative setup from the Galaxy S8 — the GS9 has extremely low noise and accurate colors at night. At the same time, the Galaxy S9 adds in 4K 60 fps video, as well as 960 fps slow-motion — both of which best the Pixel 2’s video capabilities in terms of raw numbers, but we know the Pixel 2’s video stabilization is still king.

What’s different

Remember our comparison of the Galaxy S8 and Pixel 2? Well, for the most part, you can just press replay on that. It only takes a glance to tell these phones have completely different identities, with the Galaxy S9’s primarily glass build and glistening curves contrasting with the Pixel 2’s monolithic metal and subtlety. Both execute their designs well, but it’s easy to see why so many people prefer the flashy head-turning design of modern Samsung phones — even if the glass back is a bit more fragile. Not everyone is attracted to the subtle approach of the Pixel 2, even if its metal body may age better.

Polar opposites in design, all surrounding a startling difference in usable screen space for the size.

Then, of course, there’s the difference in usable screen space for the size of the phone. In the same overall hardware package, the Galaxy S9 has a 5.8-inch 18.5:9 display, versus the Pixel 2’s 5-inch 16:9 display. Put another way, over 83% of the front of the Galaxy S9 is screen, whereas under 70% of the Pixel 2 is screen. That’s a startling difference in usable screen space for the same size of phone. Sure the immediate sides of the Galaxy S9 are curved and therefore not all that usable, and full-screen content doesn’t always utilize the space, but it’s tough to shake the feeling that the Pixel 2 “wastes” space on the front of the phone.

What’s inarguable is the difference in screen quality. The Galaxy S9 took the Galaxy S8’s display and made it 15% brighter, adding more brightness to what was already a bright, vibrant and just generally wonderful display. The Pixel 2 also has an OLED panel, but it’s just on a lower level in terms of colors and brightness, not to mention its 1920×1080 resolution is a bit lower as well. The Pixel 2’s display is certainly good enough, but it’s not an industry leader like the Galaxy S9.

Samsung wins on the ‘number of features’ game, but loses by the same account in software.

Samsung is always going to win the “number of features” game, and that’s clear again here with its inclusion of extras like a headphone jack, wireless charging, and an SD card slot. You can argue that having an option of 128GB internal storage on the Pixel 2 negates some of the SD card value, and you could also say the wireless charging is more of a niche feature. But you can’t say that having a headphone jack isn’t a huge benefit — particularly when you don’t have to give up anything else in the hardware to get it. Samsung even adds a really nice pair of earbuds in the box; Google gives you a USB-C headphone dongle.

Now, here’s where things swing in the other direction: the Pixel 2’s software experience. This is a place where Samsung’s approach of “more features” can get in the way of having enjoyable and useful software for many people. Android 8.1 Oreo on the Pixel 2 is smooth, clean, consistent, and great to use. The Galaxy S9 has far more features, but so many of them are set up to be left unused and just sit in your way when you’re trying to do other things. Convoluted processes for doing so many things just seem unnecessary when you see how simple it all is on the Pixel 2. It’s a difference in philosophy and perhaps Samsung’s approach doesn’t bother you, but people who use Pixels know what I’m talking about here — using Google’s take on Android is fantastic, and it stays that way over time with three years of guaranteed software updates.

Bottom line: Which should you buy?

There’s a lot to digest in this comparison. Much of the core experience and features are shared between the Galaxy S9 and Pixel 2, but the exterior designs, screen and additional features differ widely. There are two clearly different approaches to a high-end smartphone at play here.

There are two clearly different approaches to a high-end smartphone at play here.

The Galaxy S9 is the features king, with hardware that bests the Pixel 2 with extras like wireless charging, a headphone jack, newer processor, bigger battery, and a larger (and nicer) display. The hardware is flashy, which is appealing to many people, even if it’s a bit more fragile. The Pixel 2 is much more subtle in its hardware and simple to use in its software. It has the core features you need, and little extra. There aren’t many headline-grabbing things you can point to, but just use one for a few days, and you’ll see what all the talk is about. It also has a proven great camera, and the track record of software support direct from Google.

Finally, we have to remember pricing. As high-end smartphone prices continue to rise, the Pixel 2 held its ground down at a relatively affordable $649. The Galaxy S9, on the other hand, is roughly $100 more depending which carrier you buy from — which I think is enough of a gap to matter to people when they’re cross-shopping these two phones. If you’re really keeping the budget tight, the Google Pixel 2 is obviously a better choice. If you’re willing to pay more money for more features, regardless of whether the overall experience may be better, you’re likely to go with the Galaxy S9.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Google Pixel 2: Which should you buy?
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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Today’s best deals you won’t want to miss

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

The eBay 20% off sale has turned the deals world upside down with great discounts on Amazon’s Fire TV, Super Mario Run, Vitamix blending bowls and more! There are a lot of great deals you won’t want to pass up.

View the rest of the deals

If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

Wade into your weekend comments

So many fish, so little time.

It’s my favorite time of year. Not because of any tech products we might have seen or talked about, or things that we can buy. Nope. It’s the time of year when the trout are still biting and the weather is good enough that I can get to them. This is the time of the year when I can mosy down to the creek, get my fishing line wet and if I’m lucky, find a big trout who is hungry enough to bite on my poorly placed wet fly. Maybe it’s some primal DNA that still survives inside of me, but there’s nothing I’d rather do than go fishin’.

If you were wondering, yes this is a real thing at a local park; fishing worms on demand.

It’s not something I get to do as often as I would like. Work keeps me busy, nobody can seem to escape that, and I don’t get around as well as I used to so I’m restricted to places where I can get my wheelchair close enough to the water that I can set up and (not catch any) fish, so I look forward to this time of year when it all just clicks together. Even when the fish are smarter than me and I don’t get a single bite, it’s a good day. Soon the weather will be warm enough that people who aren’t a bit crazy will be out and close to the water, so I have to appreciate this time of year while I still can.

By the time you read this, I’ll either be enjoying a brunch of fresh trout filet and some healthy green things my wife forces me to eat or a peanut butter sandwich because the fish outsmarted me. Either way, I’ll be happy.

Take a minute and let everyone know what you’re doing on this fine weekend — and be sure to share any fishing tips if you have them!

Telltale’s second ‘Batman’ season ends March 27th

Telltale’s games are defined by in-the-moment choices that have far-reaching consequences, and that’s never been truer than it is now. It’s releasing the final episode of Batman: The Enemy Within (“Same Stitch”) on March 27th, and your decisions from the previous four episodes are determining nothing less than the personality of The Joker. You could end up with an arch-nemesis similar to the classic comic book character, but you might also wind up with an “unpredictable vigilante” — to some degree, he’d be on your side.

This also results in the “branchiest” episode in Telltale’s history, according to the developer. There are two distinct tracks with “at most” three shared scenes, and each of those plot lines has variations depending on your past actions. Where past Telltale games have tended to funnel players down common paths (most people will save a given character, for example), there’s a real possibility that your experience of “Same Stitch” will vary wildly from a friend’s.

This last episode should be available simultaneously on Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, PS4 and Xbox One. There’s no mention of a third season at this point, but there tends to be significant gaps between Telltale seasons as a general rule. There was a roughly 9-month gap between the end of the first Batman season and the debut of the second season last August. And frankly, we wouldn’t be surprised if there was a longer wait for the third season. It’s no mean feat to account for two very divergent takes on a major character, let alone your relationships with characters who will largely remain the same.

Source: Telltale Games

‘Ready Player One’ VR games show the future is now

Ready Player One imagines the year 2044 as an industrial wasteland where people escape the perils of modern life by strapping on virtual reality headsets and disappearing into a vast digital playground called the OASIS. The book, written by Ernest Cline, was published in 2011 — a year before Palmer Luckey and Brendan Iribe founded Oculus VR. Since then, VR has become a staple of the technology and gaming spheres, with dozens of headsets on the market; everything from cheap, smartphone-powered devices, to untethered PC rigs costing upwards of $1,000 to run properly.

Ready Player One may be set in the near future, but it could have easily taken place in 2018. Nowhere is that more apparent than SXSW’s Ready Player One VR event.

To promote the Ready Player One film debuting on March 29th, HTC partnered with a handful of VR developers to create 1980s-inspired experiences for the Vive and Vive Pro headsets. At SXSW, I dove into four of these games — Smash, Fracture, Gauntlet and Rise of the Gunters — ahead of their launch on SteamVR and VIVEPORT later this month.

Smash and Fracture come from 2 Bears Studio and they’re easily the most accessible titles of the bunch. In Smash, players smack robotic orbs down a neon-striped hallway using the Vive’s motion controllers, attempting to make the balls ricochet past enemies and into a portal at the far end. The Vive controllers transform into circular shields, essentially attaching two huge, transparent paddles to each hand. The game feels like a futuristic mix of dodgeball, baseball and ping pong, and the whole thing is wonderfully responsive.

Fracture is the Breakout of VR. Instead of bouncing a 2D ball into a wall of bricks at the top of the screen, players are surrounded by transparent cubes in a giant 3D room. Fracture places a glowing bat in one hand and a ball-recalling device in the other: Swing the bat arm to smack the ball and explode as many blocks as possible before time runs out. It’s a simple premise, but as it turns out, smashing a bunch of glass-like cubes with a ball and bat is really fun — even just in VR.

Gauntlet, meanwhile, comes from Directive Games and it’s a true VR upgrade of a 1985 arcade game. The original Gauntlet was a top-down dungeon crawler, but the Vive version is a first-person action title set in a fully realized 3D hellscape packed with violent skeletons. Your main weapon is a bow and arrow, which you shoot by making standard archery motions with the Vive controllers. You know what I’m talking about — we’ve all pretended to be Legolas at some point in our lives.

It’s immensely satisfying to unload arrow after arrow into hordes of aggressive zombie creatures, but like many VR games, Gauntlet uses teleportation as a movement mechanic — and it feels fairly jarring and imprecise. The game’s strength lies in actual combat.

And then there’s Rise of the Gunters from Drifter Entertainment. This is the only game I played with the untethered Vive Pro, using the wireless adapter HTC unveiled at CES in January. It’s also the only multiplayer game — I jumped into a desolate warzone with two other people and, together, we used futuristic guns to fight off waves of enemies. It was fast-paced and action-packed, with attackers running in and shooting at my team from all sides, and dropping money bags and upgrade cherries when they died.

Despite a few clunky locomotion mechanics, every one of these games is incredibly immersive — that’s the draw of VR, after all. Just ask Wade Watts.

Catch up on the latest news from SXSW 2018 right here.

Netflix’s real advantage is that it’s a tech company first

Netflix hasn’t been coy about its plans to take over Hollywood. The company has already said it could spend up to $8 billion on original content this year alone. But, for all the awards House of Cards or Icarus rack up, one of the reasons Netflix has tasted success so rapidly is thanks to its streaming technology. That’s an area it has been perfecting in-house since 2010, when it became more than a simple mail-order DVD rental shop.

For Netflix, the tech is just as important as the storytelling. Regardless of how many shows or movies Netflix produces, it needs to ensure that its 118 million subscribers can watch them without issue — no matter where they are in the world, which smartphone they own or how fast their internet is. Netflix even recently re-encoded its entire catalogue (said to be around 6,000 titles), to produce the best possible picture while using the least amount of bandwidth.

During a tour of its Hollywood and Los Gatos headquarters, Netflix said that a typical episode of a show like Jessica Jones, which is roughly an hour long and is shot in UHD, weighs in at 293GB of raw footage. That amounts to about 750 Mbps of data, which would basically kill your internet plan if you streamed it before it was compressed. The company says it used to be able to deliver content with “an enjoyable quality” at 750 Kbps, but last year it started using a new encoding framework that shrunk that to a mere 270 Kbps. In the real world, that means that if you have a 4GB data plan, you can watch 26 hours of Netflix per month, up from just 10 hours before. These improvements are especially important for developing regions where Netflix is trying to grow its business — particularly in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America.

Of course, Netflix isn’t the only one trying to develop the best streaming tech possible. BAMTECH, the startup created by Major League Baseball’s Advanced Media and now owned by Disney, takes credit for being the first to stream in 60fps and in 4K. And its technology has such a solid reputation that it powers many of the most popular streaming services, including HBO Go, WWE Network and MLB.tv. Disney will join that list when it launches its own offering in 2019, which is setting up to be a major challenger for Netflix with cheaper monthly fees, a library full of popular titles and BAMTECH’s engine under the hood.

The quality of streams only counts for so much, however, and Netflix is well aware of this. As such, the company says its other main focus is to provide the filmmakers it works with the necessary tools “to create content at a high level, then distribute that around the world.” Netflix says that most of its original shows and movies are being shot in 6K — though it’s only delivering that picture in 4K right now. Still, not only does this allow it to be ahead of the curve (others like HBO only stream in 1080p), but it gives Netflix the ability to futureproof its content.

With six cell towers inside its mobile-testing labs, Netflix can see how thousands of devices respond to different versions of its app.

Netflix has also been a big proponent of high-dynamic range, which delivers richer colors and deeper blacks. The company now has over 150 hours of HDR programming, but it says the challenge is to not just make content look good on high-end TVs. Everything Netflix makes and streams needs to be perfect whether you’re watching on an iPhone X, a Galaxy S9 or an older, entry-level smartphone.

“We have to present that same experience, that same capability across a very, very wide range of devices.” said Greg Peters, Netflix’s chief product officer. “It could be that smart TV that’s in your living room. It’s 4K enabled, it’s HDR, it’s Dolby Atmos, or it could be on the mobile phone, on your commute, on a train, where you have limited networking activity but you have a download capability to be able to continue watching.” But while the use of smartphones is on the rise, Netflix says 70 percent of viewing still happens on TVs.

Another way Netflix is helping the people working on its shows is by digitizing production crews, an effort that highlights the company’s tech chops and how it’s using its resources now that it’s also a studio. With an app called Move, Netflix has simplified aspects of the production process, such as crew management and scheduling shoots. Netflix says Move is only one of its experiments and it’s looking into other ways it can make the job easier for everyone behind-the-scenes.

Bringing in these two sides [tech and content] gives us a unique opportunity to fuse the world of Silicon Valley and Hollywood together.

“One of the things that’s really challenging in our space,” said Chris Goss, Director of Studio Technology at Netflix, “is the fact that the business of content creation is very, very slow to adapt to new technology.” He said that the fact Netflix has been in the tech business for more than a decade is what gives it an advantage over its entertainment competitors. “Bringing in these two sides gives us a unique opportunity to fuse the world of Silicon Valley and Hollywood together,” he said. “It comes with a lot of challenges and one of those challenges is the fact that traditional IT has always been seen as ancillary, not integral to our process, [but] there’s all this room for growth and innovation in entertainment.”

If there’s one message CEO Reed Hastings, Peters and other executives want to drive home it’s this: Netflix wants to blur the line between Hollywood and Silicon Valley. It doesn’t just want to be a content creator or a tech company, it wants to be both. The latter has been Netflix’s core advantage up until now, but it’ll need to continue innovating to keep its momentum going. Especially as industry giants like Amazon, Disney, HBO and Facebook try to compete for the same market.

Images: Netflix

Less is more: How to pack your gadgets for travel, quickly and easily

Raden

Vacations are fun, but packing for them isn’t. There’s nothing worse than stressing over what to take before you hop on a plane, train, automobile, or ship. And, if you’re a geek like us, we like to bring our gadgets along. Or, should we?

As much as we want to bring our cameras, tablets, computers, gaming consoles, portable batteries, and what not, you should restrict the amount of things in your bag to match the type of vacation you’re having and your mode of transportation. Unless you plan to work, do you really need to bring a laptop? If you plan on participating in extreme activities, does it make sense to bring the DSLR? Take some time to plan, and your vacation or work trip could be stress-free before you arrive at the destination. Our guide will help you decide what you should pack to avoid unessential gear.

Determine your mode of transportation

Every mode of public transportation has instructions for what you can — and cannot — bring onboard. This includes planes, trains, cruise ships, buses, etc. There are the obvious prohibitions: ammunition, firearms, explosives, and other hazardous items. But there are also innocuous things like a bottle of water or a portable USB charger. Check the service provider’s homepage for rules and regulations — even experienced travelers may be surprised by one or two. The Transportation Security Administration and Amtrak have detailed rules on their websites.

Pick your most essential gears

Keep in mind the golden rule of packing: pack light. The duration of a trip will dictate what you need, but whether it’s a long or short sojourn, it’s best to practice some minimalism. Do you really need 10 charging cables, when two would suffice? Is that hair dryer or steam iron necessary when you plan to stay at a hotel, where they generally come standard? And are you so into a game that you need to bring a gaming console (if yes, you might want to cancel your trip and stay home to play).

Essential gadgets are exactly what those words mean: Enough chargers and cables to juice up your devices, portable battery, headphones, phone, and anything that offers benefits during the trip or is required (say, your work laptop for a business meeting or an adapter for international travel). For everything else, imagine what your trip would look like without the item, and then decide if you need it. Ultimately, what you bring is up to you — only you will know what’s essential — but less is likely more.

Use a small carry-on bag

The bigger the bag, the more likely you will fill it with unnecessary things. If you’re not a savvy packer, consider using a smaller bag — like a backpack or a specialty bag — to restrict the amount of gear you take. Another benefit is that it’s easier to carry and can fit underneath the seat in front of you, making it easier to access. Consider using a bag with dedicated pockets and compartments, or something like the Osprey Farpoint 55, which has a removable daypack for your gadgets and accessories (or as a bag for walking around town), laptop compartment, and lots of room for clothes.

Osprey Farpoint 55

Check international voltage and plug information

Different parts of the world use different voltages and plug types, so if you’re traveling internationally you will need to bring along an adapter or two. An item that’s certified for use in the U.S. may have a higher or lower voltage requirement than what’s supported, which could blow whatever it is you’re plugging into.

Voltage information can be found in the imprint or label under most battery packs or power supply. American appliances run on 110 volts while Europe and Asia supply 220 to 240 volts of electricity. If your gear is labeled “110-240 V,” consider yourself good to go; newer appliances are made to be dual-voltage, so you won’t need a voltage converter but just a regular travel adapter. If this isn’t the case, get yourself a voltage converter designed for travel, like the Bestek Travel Converter with 4 USB. Some come with surge protection as well.

Bestek Travel Converter with 4 USB

The travel adapter lets you plug your device into various socket types. (Remember: As mentioned, not all travel adapters support voltage conversion, so make sure it has that function if you need it). Electronics made for use in the U.S. run on either the two flat prongs (Type A) or three prongs (Type B: two flat, one circular), but unless you visit a country that uses the same standard, like Canada or Mexico, neither will fit the outlets in other countries (although Japan uses the same type of plug and outlet as the U.S., the voltage is different). Check out our list of best travel adapters to find the right one.

If you travel in a big group with a lot of gadgets that all need juicing nightly, consider bringing a portable outlet as well.

Pack neatly and efficiently

The airport and cruise ship terminals are places where your bags will get scrutinized and screened before you are allowed to board (although there may be random inspections at train stations, bus depots, and elsewhere). In case your bag gets singled out for a closer inspection, make sure the inside is neatly organized. Instead of tossing everything into a bag, layer the items neatly so security personnel can clearly see what each item is supposed to be, without needing to pull everything out.

To keep wires neat, simply roll them up neatly and tie with a rubber band or twist-tie. You could also use clear plastic bags, as you would with your toiletries. Alternatively, you could use an organizer with separate compartments, like the Pull Apart from Porte Play or the AmazonBasics Universal Travel Case.

Porte Play Pull Apart

Laptops and other large electronics may need to be screened separately. Either use a bag with a dedicated laptop compartment for easy access (or a laptop sleeve), or, if you’re using just one bag for your entire trip, pack your clothes at the bottom and the gear at the top (just remember not to load anything on top of your bag). You also don’t want the gadgets to shift in the bag, so be sure to pack tightly or organize them into a small bag that you can easily pull out.

A number of luggage items have a front compartment where you can put additional items, like shirts, sweaters, socks, and other soft items to add extra cushion to the gears that are sitting right under the front surface of the bag. Also, take advantage of bubble wrap. When you’re done packing, weigh your bag or suitcase to make sure it doesn’t go above the weight limit.

When in doubt, just make sure the things you place at the bottom are items that are the least susceptible to scrutiny. Don’t bury weirdly shaped electronics that a security agent has to dig through your other things to reach, messing up your belongings in the process.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best laptop backpack for traveling
• 22 last-minute gifts for last-minute travelers (or maybe for your wishlist)
• The 25 best laptop bags for everyone, from students to globetrotters
• The best travel adapters for international jet-setters
• The best ski backpacks

What is bias lighting and how can it improve TV performance?

Simon Cohen/Digital Trends

Consumers spend a ton of money every year in search of a better TV viewing experience. We go all-in on 4K, on HDR, on bigger and better screens, and on more immersive sound. Top that off with our growing list of subscriptions to companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, and our obsession with in-home video starts to look like an addiction. But what if we told you that for the paltry sum of about $40, you could significantly improve your TV’s color and contrast, black levels, power consumption, while at the same time reducing your eye strain? And what if we then told you this one little trick works with any TV, no matter how old, or new, or big, or small?

Yes, we acknowledge that sounds like the lead-in to the click-baitiest article of all time, but stay with us — there’s real science behind these audacious claims — as we introduce you to the world of bias lighting, a professional tool that everyone should use.

Editor’s note: If this bias lighting stuff sounds familiar, perhaps it is because European TV manufacturer Philips once heavily advertised its Ambilight televisions. Now marketed outside the US as Ambilux, this take on bias lighting is slightly different in that it mimics predominant colors found in the content being displayed on the screen. The type of bias lighting we discuss here is a bit different in that it is static, and doesn’t try to trace on-screen color.

Who’s biased?

That tool is called bias lighting, and it refers generally to any light source that illuminates just the wall or surfaces behind your screen. Though the term “bias lighting” is relatively new, the concept has been around almost as long as the TV itself.

Reducing eye strain is helpful, but bias lighting can also enhance image quality too.

What people began to realize back when TVs started to invade living rooms across the nation, is that TVs are bright. The darker the room, the brighter they appear. In some cases, they can be so bright compared to the surrounding light levels, they can cause eye strain and headaches. Dave Napoleone, a Toronto-based system design, and senior technician, with commercial and residential AV installer, Cloud 9 AV, tells Digital Trends that this is thanks to our human biology. “Your eyes are working harder,” Napoleone said, “because your brain knows you’re in a dark room, even though you’re looking at this bright, rectangle of a TV.” Short stints of a few minutes many not cause any discomfort, but binge-watching the latest season of Stranger Things, or screening a director’s cut of Lord Of The Rings, is a recipe for pain.

Turning up the lights in your room alleviates eye strain too, but it introduces a whole new set of problems, like washing out the screen’s colors and contrast. It also creates reflections and glare, both of which compromise image quality.

Simon Cohen/Digital Trends

True bias lighting doesn’t cause any reflections on the screen, and it only reaches your eyes after first bouncing off the wall — never directly from the source. If you simply stuck a 40-watt light bulb behind your TV, you would have a super-cheap form of bias lighting. In fact, that’s more or less what folks used to do way back in the days of massive TV consoles. Do a quick google image search for “vintage TV lamps,” and you’ll find a kitschy and eclectic collection of lights designed to sit atop a TV, and only cast light backward, toward the wall.

Perception is reality

Reducing eye strain is helpful, but bias lighting can also enhance image quality too. This is literally a trick of the light. “Your mind’s eye is influenced by everything around it,” said Napoleone, “[bias lighting] makes it seem like the contrast is better. It’s a noticeable difference.” Your TV’s contrast hasn’t changed at all, but the presence of additional light in your field of view influences how you perceive it. This image is a good explainer:

Even though the bar running through the middle is the same color from end to end, it looks much darker when seen against a light background. The same is true when watching TV. You’ve likely heard people raving about OLED TV’s incredible black levels, but you can achieve better black level performance from any TV with the judicious use of bias lighting.

Don’t get too warm

As tempting as it may be to simply stick a lightbulb behind your TV, there’s another consideration: Color temperature. If you were drawn into “The Dress” debate that almost swallowed the entire internet in 2015, you’ve already been exposed to an extreme example of what happens when contrasting colors create perception problems.

Bias lighting makes it seem like the contrast is better. It’s a noticeable difference.

Though this may only be the kind of thing true videophiles will care about, in order to get the most from bias lighting, it needs to be in the neighborhood of 6,500 degrees Kelvin. For the uninitiated, color temperature (measured in K), refers to how warm or cold a light source appears. Regular incandescent or halogen lights have a very warm, golden glow (roughly 1,800-2,500 K), and while that’s perfect for ambient mood lighting, it’s not a good companion for video. Instead, a much colder light is needed, because all TVs, and in fact, all professionally produced films and videos, have had their purest whites calibrated to 6,500K, and your bias light should match this. Inside the edit suites and graphics studios at places like Dolby, ILM, THX, and Technicolor, 6,500 K bias lights are standard equipment.

Napoleone concedes that not everyone is going to like the look of 6,500K, and notes that his wife is among those who don’t. “We’ve been conditioned to prefer warmer light,” he said, but also points out that after a while you get used to it, and it seems perfectly normal. Some makers of LED bias light kits offer the ability to alter the color of the LEDs, an interesting feature for those who want to use the light source as a decor enhancer, but unless it also has a 6,500 K setting, you should look for another product.

Simon Cohen/Digital Trends

Simon Cohen/Digital Trends

Speaking of color, if you really want to go full-videophile with your bias light, you should look for one that promises a color rendering index (CRI) of at least 90. CRI is a measure of how close a light source is able to match the full spectrum of color in sunlight.

Jason Rosenfeld, of Scenic Labs, the company that makes The MediaLight, tells us that if your bias light is the only light source in your room while watching TV (which he recommends), it’s important for it creates a reflected light that contains as much of that spectrum as possible. When parts of the spectrum are missing — as is the case with lower CRI lights — it adversely affects perceived picture quality.

Only 10 percent

There’s no need to blast your rear wall with light. Experts recommend that your bias light setup’s reflected light be no brighter than 10 percent of the brightest possible white light your TV is set to display. In practice, this means that even subtle lighting will achieve the desired effect, reducing (if not eliminating) the need to wrap the entire bezel of your screen in LEDs.

There’s no need to blast your rear wall with light.

Napoleone says that it’s possible to end up with bias lighting that is too bright, a situation that starts to negatively impact picture quality by making the image seem too dark compared to the surrounding space. Being able to dim your bias light is the solution, but be warned: Some LEDs experience color shift when dimmed, and can end up warmer than the optimal 6,500K. Before you buy, check the manufacturer’s specs.

Plug ‘n’ play

Top-notch bias lighting kits don’t need to cost a fortune. We’ve found several online that sell for less than $50, come with a dedicated remote, and can be installed in minutes. If your TV has a free USB port, odds are good you’ll be able to plug the bias light strip into it, which not only provides power but also potentially automates the on/off function as most USB ports power up and down with the TV’s master power. One note of caution: Some USB ports on TVs are only rated at 500mA. Because some bias lights require more than this level of power — the Luminoodle is one example — you’ll want to make sure your TV can support it, or be prepared to plug the bias light into a separate USB power adapter.

Simon Cohen/Digital Trends

Don’t get too concerned about wrapping LEDs around your whole TV. Though most of the products sold online show sample photos of the backs of HDTVs lined on three or even all four sides, you can achieve very good lighting with just a single strip of LEDs. In fact, the farther your TV is from the wall, the less important it is to have LEDs on all sides. Where you do need to be careful with placement is if your TV is flush-mounted. In this case, a single strip of LEDs won’t be able to disperse light evenly around the TV, and you’ll need to look at placing a strip on each side, or possibly all four sides.

This ain’t no theater

By this point, you may be sold on the need for bias lighting, but I guarantee you’re wondering why, if it’s so great, movie theaters don’t use it? The answer has to do with the size of the screen relative to your field of view. “When you’re in a movie theater,” said Napoleone, “even if you’re at the back, the screen is still huge.” Sure, you can look around, and notice the walls, or the other movie-goers, but if you’re focused on the screen, you won’t be aware of much else.

At home, however, it’s a different story. Even when watching a large TV — say 65 or 75 inches — at eight to ten feet away, that screen occupies much less of your field of view than a movie theater screen. Bias lighting makes up for that difference and fills a much greater percentage of your vision with an even amount of light. If you’re lucky enough to own a home theater projection system and can achieve the same ratio of screen size to field of view as you would in a commercial theater, good news — you just saved yourself $50.

For everyone else, bias lighting might just be the biggest picture quality bang for the buck you’ll ever get.

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How to add multiple users to your Google Home devices

Dan Baker/Digital Trends

For a long time, one of the biggest user gripes with Google Home devices was the fact that there was no way to add multiple accounts to the smart home speakers. That meant that very member of the household had to share one Google Assistant calendar, one news briefing, and one music collection.

Google finally made the feature available in 2017 on its Google Home, Mini, and Max smart speakers. Now the devices allows users to have separate calendars, music accounts, news briefings, and more. The device can even be programmed to recognize individual users’ voices, thanks to the neural network voice recognition function. If you live in a home with multiple family members or roommates, that means you can ask the Google Home for your specific commute time, not your roommates or your brother’s. You can request the music you like, instead of having to listen to your partner’s easy listening playlist on repeat. So how can you set up this magical function? We break it down for you.

Step 1: Open the Google Home app

On your smartphone or tablet, open up the Google Home app. If you don’t already have it, download it and select a Google account that you’d like to be associated with your Google Home. Once you’re signed in, tap on the devices button (it’s the icon that looks like a television and speaker), and then select the action overflow button. Hit Settings, and you should see a notification informing you that “Multi-user is now available.” Give that a tap when it pops up.

2. Teach Google your voice

It’s time to teach Google Assistant your own unique voice. This feature, called Voice Match, is what makes it really easy to share your Google Home device with other members of the household but still feel like the voice assistant is entirely your own. You can reach the voice recognition setup page by hitting More, and then, Shared Devices. Find the plus sign located in the bottom right-hand corner to begin the setup. It’s a pretty straightforward process that involves you saying the phrases “Hey, Google” and “OK, Google” out loud to help Google learn the sound of your voice. We walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to set up Voice Match here.

3. Invite others to create accounts

Once you’ve completed the voice training, you’ll have the option to tap Invite, which will send notifications to the people of your choice, inviting them to set up their own personalized accounts and voices on the Google Home. New users will have to download the Google Home app on their devices in order to connect their music accounts and customize their preferences. Using the app, they can tweak their preferred news sources, calendar updates, and more.

Have children in the house who want to be able to control the Google Home? You can control restricted content by setting up parental controls on the device. With parental controls, you can block explicit content from platforms like YouTube and Google Play Music, giving you more peace of mind when your children are home alone with the smart home device.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

4. Manage accounts

At this time, the Google Home devices support up to six accounts, so everyone from your spouse to your children to frequent house guests can create accounts on the device. You can view all active accounts on your Google Home device at any time by tapping Devices, Settings, and then Linked Accounts. Need to remove an account? Maybe your roommate moved out, or one of your children lost interest in the device. You can easily do that from the app. Simply tap menu (the three horizontal lines), hit Settings, and select Linked Accounts. Find the account that’s no longer needed, and hit Unlink.

5. Enjoy multi-user support

Once multiple accounts are set up, you won’t need to manually switch between accounts. Simply speak, and Google Assistant will recognize who is speaking and automatically switch over to your account. For example, when you say, “Hey Google, tell me about my day,” your Google Home device will read you your personalized traffic report and calendar updates. When you request music, it will access your unique playlists from your linked music services, such as Google Play Music or Spotify.

If two people in your household have very similar voices, there is a small chance that one person’s voice might accidentally open up the other individual’s personalized account. If this happens, just say, “Stop,” and try again, to avoid accessing someone else’s information.

For a detailed explanation on setting up things like music accounts, preferences, and the wake word on your Google Home, check out our 10-step guide.

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