With an Ethernet connection port in this version, you can plug directly into your router for stabler streams without the need for an adapter, and now billed as having Ambient Mode, is this Streamer finally a worthy adversary for the decor-focused Samsung Frame TV?

What is Google TV Streamer?

Google TV Streamer is a device that connects to any TV, and using a Wi-Fi connection, it can open up streaming access for nearly any device, whether a smart TV or an older non-connected set. Once you have it connected, it gives you access to all the streaming channels on the market. With an included remote, it’s got instant control, or you can use a phone to run it too.

Watch my full hands-on video review of Google TV Streamer

In this review I’m going to try the TV streamer out here in my home for a few days and I’ll take a look at what’s new and improved in this iteration, what it can do, what the user interface is like and I’ll assess the other special features it has. I’ll wrap things up with the pros and the cons of this device and let you know if I think it’s a good TV streaming system for you. I would like to thank Google for gifting me a pre-release version so I could do my review ahead of its public launch. Well the company did provide the streamer to me at no cost, it did not ask for nor receive permission to have any input into this review. So you can consider these thoughts my own.

Google packed the device with hardware upgrades, like the Ethernet port, AI smarts, and other neat goodies too, meaning it’s a solid competitor for something like Apple TV and Roku Ultra.

Unboxing and set up

In the package you’re getting the TV box… although you probably can’t call this a box. The design leans heavily towards Google’s preference for more natural, pebbly shapes and textures, and features mega-curves and round edges.

A power cable and plug adapter, plus two colour-coordinated batteries round out the necessities, and there’s also the new remote control. Yes while batteries are included an HDMI cable is not, so make sure you’ve got your own. (Just remember to buy an HDMI 2.1 cable if you don’t have a spare to enjoy the full 4K HDR benefits).

Bigger than a Chromecast

Those who were big fans of the palm-sized, pebble shaped Chromecast dongle will find this device more challenging to place or hide, since it’s not going to dangle behind your TV, but I think Google actually did an incredible job at making this something that you won’t mind having sitting out in the open. I placed mine on top of my Sonos Sound bar, below the Samsung Frame TV and I think it disappears nicely into the room; it’s sculptural yet unobtrusive.

The New Voice Remote

Google redesigned the remote, making it slightly larger and altering the button layout, and apparently improved the ergonomics but the improvements are subtle at best and aren’t going to rock your Chromecast world.

The YouTube and Netflix buttons remain, but the smaller button with the star icon is now customizable allowing you to bind the button to any Google TV app or function you want. The built-in microphone allows you to give the streamer Google Assistant smart home commands as expected.

To get the Google TV Streamer set up, you’ll plug in the power and connect the HDMI cable to the streamer and your TV.

While we’re back here, let’s take a look at the ports: there’s the single HDMI connection, an Ethernet port, and USB-C power. A multipurpose button on the far left will reset the device or find your lost remote.

Once it boots up, the screen will begin to walk you through.

The first thing you will do is pair the remote.

I couldn’t quite get mine to pair the first few times I tried and ended up having to pop the batteries out and replace them. Once I did that the whole set up process advanced by itself. Not sure if this is simply a pre-release bug or a bigger issue but it was resolved quickly.

The rest of the set up process will involve connecting to your home’s Wi-Fi network and then enabling a handful of settings. I was set up in about five minutes.

As a quick aside if you prefer to use your television’s remote to control your Google TV streamer, you can. I didn’t even have to do anything to get this working; instantly my Samsung TV remote was connected and functioning too.

User Interface

Let’s take a look at the main screen…

If you’re familiar with Android TV interfaces, this will look somewhat familiar. The clean and uncluttered interface looks modern and is easy to follow.

At the top you have your core tabs which are self explanatory: For You, Movies, Shows, Apps, and Library.

The ‘For You’ tab may be of most interest, since this is where YouTube will make recommendations about things it thinks you’ll like, and also give you the opportunity to resume watching things you’ve already seen.

My recommendations were not extremely robust, but I also haven’t had time to let the TV streamer understand my watching habits just yet.

Apps

When it comes to apps and streaming services, pretty much every platform is available here and you can personalize what you see, and how easy it is to access. The interface is incredibly easy to use and understand, and you’ll also find things like free streaming TV options as well as live television too.

Google Home

One of the features I liked is the integration of Google Home into the streamer. You can set up a shortcut button to access this, or simply find it through settings. Either way it gives you access to your full suite of Google Home and smart home devices. It’s incredibly easy to make adjustments to lighting, or even call up any of your cameras onto the big screen and take a look around.

The new Google TV Streamer doubles as a wider smart home hub too, complete with Thread and Matter support. These newer smart home connection protocols might not matter yet (no pun intended) to every household, but they will become standard soon enough and mean your Google TV streamer is future proof for a while.

Ambient Mode

One of the features of Google TV streamer I was looking most forward to is what Google is calling Ambient Mode, which you could also refer to as the screensaver.

Google seemed to say it’s done some work to improve this, but as I was setting it up I have to say it looked suspiciously like the screensavers already available on Google smart screens.

AI Screensaver

One of the interesting options is the ability to use Google’s AI to create your own screensaver. You can either generate art completely from scratch, or use the Google assisted prompts to help you. This is certainly fun and can lead to both some very nice images, and some interesting misfires. But if you’re willing to stick with it you can probably get something you’ll like.

Google provides you with the option of using your own photos as a screensaver or using art or photography. I wanted to use some of the professional art and photography in hopes of matching the experience I currently get on my Samsung Frame TV.

While there are definitely some cool art works and prints, the effect is definitely more screensaver than Ambient Mode. The TV stays at its current brightness so it can look a bit unnatural in dimmer rooms.

There’s also no single touch button that can get you immediately into Ambient Mode. I went looking through the settings for the programmable favourite button, but there appears to be no option for this to trigger Ambient Mode.

In short while I had high hopes that the so-called Ambient Mode would be a nice way for the TV to fit into my space a little better, at this stage it’s little better than a screensaver and could use a few tweaks in my opinion to make it easier to access.

Find my Remote

Everybody’s misplaced the remote control for the TV at one time or another. It will never be a problem with the Google TV streamer. There are three ways to locate a lost Google remote:
1. Press and hold the button on the back of Google TV Streamer for <5 seconds and release to ring the remote.*
2. If you have Google Nest Speakers in the home, you can even trigger the remote to ring using your voice. Say “Hey Google, find my remote”.
3. You can also use the Google Home app. Tap on your Google TV Streamer inside the app you’ll get the menu options.

Customize the remote

A new customizable button on the remote lets you program your favourite app or channel for instant callback, or set it up to switch inputs or launch the Google Home panel with just one click.

Well this is a nice option, right now the programming options are limited to just those three things. As noted before you can’t program this button to launch Ambient Mode, or change your default audio settings for example.

What can I watch on Google TV Streamer?

Wondering what you’ll be able to watch or stream on this device? The answer is pretty much every streaming service that’s available can be found on Google TV. It also gives you access to free TV channels as well as live television options too.

Google Gemini (kinda) and Google Assistant

It will probably come as no surprise that the Google Assistant is built into your TV, which allows you to ask for channel changes, volume adjustments and info like weather, with just your voice. Google appears to be getting away from the familiar Google Assistant emblem, since on the remote if you want access to the assistant you’ll push the microphone button.

Google has also built in access to its new Gemini artificial intelligence assistant… kinda.

While Gemini will deliver AI-powered summaries for movies or TV, related content, and even a roundup of what people are saying about a show, it does not appear the dedicated Gemini assistant also known as Gemini Live is actually available on the TV streamer yet.

Here’s hoping that feature comes along down the road with a firmware update. In the meantime, it looks like using the microphone button as a way to invoke whatever assistant will be in your future makes the most sense for now.

Spec Bumps Across the Board

Google’s TV Streamer houses a more powerful MediaTek MT8696 processor which the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K uses as well. However, the Google TV Streamer has a greater surface area than any dongle so you can expect that quad-core CPU to do extended tasks without throttling. The streamer also features 4 GB worth of memory which is twice the RAM found in the old Chromecast with Google TV 4K. But what might that mean to you?

Original remote, left, and new.

Likely the ability to allow you to run more background apps without stuttering or buffering. With 32 GB of storage space, you can install more apps and games while having extra space for other media.

Connectivity Improvements

Google also added an Ethernet port to the Google TV Streamer which is something I haven’t seen in a Google streaming device since the Nexus Q released back in mid-2012!

With Gigabit speeds, you can reliably use Google TV Streamer as a Plex server. In addition to the usual Wi-Fi 802.11ac with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz support, you also get Bluetooth 5.1 which offers better efficiency and range than the older Bluetooth 4 featured in the latest Chromecast dongles.

Connect Pixel Buds Pro 2 for private listening

That Bluetooth capability means you can link the streamer to a pair of Pixel Buds Pro and enjoy private spatial audio.

That’s very good news, but you can also pair your Google TV streamer to any Bluetooth enabled headphones you want, even Apple devices. I love this feature and was able to use the streamer with a variety of different headphones to enjoy a quiet movie night.

Casting call

Google’s Chromecast technology is still alive and well and with it, you can conveniently send Chrome tabs from your phone to the big screen along with any Android and iOS apps supporting Chromecast.

Photo and video sharing

You can also beam videos and photos to the TV via the Google Photos app or mirror your Chromebook’s screen.

One Remote capable

CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) allows for HDMI devices to be controlled with one remote control.

If you try to cast to a CEC supported TV while on a different source input (local TV channel, Cable, USB), source input will automatically switch to the HDMI port where the Chromecast is connected. Certain TVs will also power on (when powered off) when trying to cast to the Chromecast.

In order for this function to work, your Chromecast must be using a wall outlet for power and not plugged into a USB port on the TV.

Supported Media Formats

Like the Chromecast with Google TV 4K, the Google TV Streamer can handle up to 4K HDR at 60 frames per second with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. On the audio format side, you get Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos technologies.

Overall Thoughts: Google TV Streamer

Overall the Google TV Streamer appears to be an outstanding device that will be ideal for anyone who needs to add streaming functionality to an older TV, or is looking for a portable option.

Let’s go over the pros and cons.

On the pro side this TV streamer is a beautiful device, and is certainly far more attractive than Apple’s hunk of black plastic. I would go so far as to say Google TV Streamer is the best looking streaming box on the market bar none. With 4K resolution you’re getting the best quality video, and the Ethernet port lets you set up a direct connection if you prefer.

It’s incredibly easy to set up, and easy to use, and the simple clutter free home screen makes it a joy to navigate. With all the streaming services you could want already built-in, you’ve got loads of entertainment options, and with Google Home interface at your fingertips, it’s easy to navigate your smart home too.

Plus with the option to connect any pair of headphones for private listening, this is an ideal streaming box for a family home when quiet is needed.

So what are the downsides?

I was incredibly disappointed with the so-called Ambient Mode. It’s really just the same screensaver you’ll get on any Google display. To be clear, it’s nice to have if you don’t have something like a Frame TV as I already do, but calling it Ambient Mode seems like an overreach.

Some users may also be disappointed at the bigger size and need for set-top or furniture placement. I also wished for more options to program that favourites button, and I’m surprised Gemini isn’t baked in here on release, though this might come down the road.

Google priced its TV streamer at $99 USD/$129CAD which is more expensive than the old Chromecast, but still a lot less than a 4K Ethernet Apple TV. And since Chromecast is still available as of this review going up, if you need the smaller dongle and don’t need the Ethernet connection, you can still get 4K video and save.

In short, there are a few shortcomings in this device that may give you pause before you add to cart, especially since there are cheaper streaming options out there—mainly from Roku, but as long as you know what you’re getting here, and what you aren’t—at least not yet— Google TV Streamer does the job and it looks a lot better doing it.

The post Google TV Streamer 4K 2024: full hands-on review appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

The post What can you do with Roku Express 4K? appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

It’s here! Amazon’s massively popular Prime Day is on now until midnight July 17. Amazon saves its best deals for Prime Day and with mind-blowingly great savings of 40%, 50% and even 67% off many popular gadgets, it’s a major opportunity. If you’re overwhelmed by how many deals there are and how to find them, I’ve curated the BEST tech and gadget deals we can find. I’m not even bothering sharing deals that offer less than 25% off simply because there are so many tech and gadget deals out there that are way better than that. Of course you can always head straight to Amazon to check out what’s on sale from your favourite brands and your favourite product categories.

The other thing to note about these deals? I’m only including deals for gadgets I recommend with just a couple for devices I haven’t reviewed personally, but that are on sale for the largest price cuts I’ve seen

Some of the biggest price chops I’ve seen so far?

• 42% off a Dyson Vacuum
• 44% off a robot vacuum
• 55% off Beats Headphones
• 66% off Milk Frother
• 67% off Ancestry DNA kits
• 73% off Echo Dot + Ring Doorbell duo

You MUST be a Prime Member

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

Now… to the deals!

We’re jamming all the best deals into this post for you, so surf the curated list below to see what you need to add to your cart before Prime Day ends at midnight July 17.

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

Surf all Amazon Prime Day Deals here.  Or browse deals by category & country below.

Amazon.ca – Best Tech & Gadget Deals in Canada

Robot vacuums

• Roborock S7 Max Robot vacuum + mop: 44% OFF – NOW $999.99, List Price $1799.00   (Read the review)
•   Ecovacs Deebot X2 COMBO robot vacuum-mop + Stick Vac!: 24% OFF – NOW $1,299.99, List Price: $1699.99 (Read the review)

TVs

• Amazon Fire TV 43″ 4-Series 4K smart TV : 30% OFF – NOW $329.99, List Price: $469.99 
• Nebula Capsule 3 Laser projector: 31% OFF – NOW $534.99, List Price: $769.99 (Read the review)

 Tablets

• Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet: 29% OFF – NOW $134.99, List Price: $189.99 (Read the review)
• Apple iPad 9th Gen: 22% OFF – NOW $348.00, List Price: $449.00 

Apple Deals

These deals are smaller, but since Apple gear is rarely on sale, they’re worth mentioning

• Apple AirPods MAX: 23% OFF – NOW $598.99, List Price: $779.00  (Read the review)
• Apple AirPods PRO: 21% OFF – NOW $259.98 – List Price: $329.00
• Apple AirTag 4-pack: 23% OFF – NOW $98.99, List Price: $129.00 
• Apple iPad 9th Gen: 22% OFF – NOW $348.00, List Price: $449.00 

Smart Home

• •  Govee Floor Lamp 2: 30% OFF – NOW $125.99, List Price $179.99  (Read the review)
  • Echo Show 8 + Blink Mini camera Bundle: 63% OFF, NOW$79.99, List Price $134.99 (Read the review)
  • Amazon Echo Show 10 3rd Gen : 30% OFF – NOW $229.99 -List Price $329.99   (Read the review)
  • Amazon Basics Smart Bulbs: 25% OFF – NOW$11.66, List Price $15.55 (Read the review)
  • Amazon Echo Dot + Ring Video Doorbell combo: 73% OFF – NOW $54.99, List Price: $145.00

Vacuums

• • • Roborock Dyad Pro COMBO wet-dry upright floor cleaner + Stick Vac:  28% OFF – NOW $802.30, List Price: $1120.86 (Read the review)
    • Tineco Floor One S5 wet-dry upright floor cleaner: 40% OFF – NOW $389.99, List Price: $649.99 (Read the review)
    • Dyson OmniGLide Floor sweeper: 42% OFF – NOW $319.99,  List Price: $549.98 (Read the Review)

Kitchen  & Appliances

• • • Philips 3200 LatteGo automatic espresso machine: 30% OFF – NOW $699.99,  List Price: $999.95  (Read the review)
    •  Nespresso Vertuo Next espresso maker: 48% OFF – NOW$119.00,  List Price: $229.00  (Read the review)
    • WACACO Nanopresso Portable Espresso Maker – 20% off – Now $79.92, List Price $99.99 (Watch the review)

Speakers & sound bars

• • • Sonos Era 100: 24% OFF – NOW $243.19, List Price: $319.00  (Read the review)
    • Bose SoundLink Flex: 34% OFF – NOW $124.00, List Price: $189.00 (Read the review)

Headphones

• • • Beats Studio 3 Wireless headphones: 55% OFF -NOW $199.98, List Price: $439.95 (Read the review)
    • JBL Tune 710 Over-ear headphones : 50% OFF – NOW $54.98,List Price: $109.98 (Read the review)

Beauty & Health

• • • Foreo Luna 3 PLUS with LED light cleansing brush: 37% OFF – NOW $168.3, List Price: $269.40   (Read the review)
    • Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart toothbrush: 46% OFF – NOW $134.95,List Price: $249.99  (Read the review)
    • Apple Watch Series 9 with GPS: 30% OFF -NOW $386.00, Regular Price $549.00 

Amazon.com – Best Tech & Gadget Deals in the USA

Wearables

• • • Apple Watch Series 9 with GPS: 30% OFF -NOW $279.99, Regular Price $399.00 
    • Fitbit Sense 2 Smart Watch: 28% OFF – NOW $179.95, List Price: $249.95  (Read the review)

Amazon Device Deals

• • • See ALL Amazon Device Deals here
    • Echo Dot 5th Gen: 50% OFF – NOW 24.99, List Price $49.99 (Read the full review)
    • Echo Pop: 55% OFF – NOW $17.99,List Price $39.99  (Read the review)

TV Deals

• • •  Samsung The Frame TV 55-inch 20% OFF, Now $1,197.99 -List Price: $1,497.99   (Read my full review)
    • Amazon Fire TV 55″ 4-Series 4K HD Smart TV 37% OFF, NOW $329.99, List Price: $519.99 

Tablets

• • • Apple iPad Mini (6th Gen): 24% OFF – NOW$379.99,List Price: $499.00 
    • Amazon Kindle Scribe e-reader + Digital Notebook: 31% OFF -NOW $234.99,List Price: $339.99  (Read the review)

Smart Home

• • •  Govee Floor Lamp 2: 33% OFF – NOW $99.99, List Price $149.99  (Read the review)
    • Philips Hue Smart Light Starter Kit: 31% OFF – NOW $89.99 , List Price $129.99   (Read the review)
    • Ring Indoor Cam: 50% OFF – NOW $29.99,  List Price: $59.99   (Read the Review)

Vacuums

• • • Roborock Dyad Pro wet-dry upright floor cleaner 29% OFF, NOW $319.99,List Price $449.99  (Read the review)
    •  Dyson V8 Stick Vacuum: 36% OFF – NOW $299.99,List Price: $469.99
    • NEW Roborock Flexi Pro: 20% OFF – NOW$399.99,   List Price: $499.99   (Read the review)

Robot vacuums

• • • ECOVACS DEEBOT T30 Robot vac-mop: 30% OFF – NOW $699.99,  List Price: $999.99   (Read the review)
    • Yeedi C12 PLUS robot vac-mop: 42% OFF – NOW $349.00, List Price: $599.00   (Read the review and how to get my EXTRA coupon code)
    • Roborock QRevo vac-mop: 27% OFF – NOW$659.99, List Price $899.99 

Kitchen  & appliances

• • • Philips 3200 LatteGo automatic espresso machine 25% OFF – NOW $549.99, Typical price: $730.00 (Read the review)
    •  Ninja Creami Ice Cream & Dessert Maker: 25% OFF – NOW $149.99,List Price: $199.99   (Read the full review)
    •  Zulay Kitchen Milk Frother Wand: 66% OFF – NOW $6.85,List Price: $19.99 

Speakers & sound bars

• • • JBL Flip 6: 31% OFF – NOW $89.95,  List Price: $129.95  (Read the review)
    • Bose SoundLink Revolve II speaker: 41% OFF – NOW $195.00,   List Price: $329.00   (Read the review)
    • SoundCore Motion X: 25% OFF – NOW $149.99,   List Price: $199.99   (Read the Review)

Headphones

• • • Apple AirPods PRO 2nd Gen: 32% OFF – NOW $168.99, List Price $249
    • AirPods MAX: 28% OFF, NOW $394.99,List Price: $549.00
    • Beats Studio PRO Wireless headphones 52%  OFF, NOW $169.00,List Price: $349.95

Computers & accessories

• • •  LG Ultrawide Curved Gaming Monitor: 38% OFF – NOW $218.49, List Price: $349.99 

Beauty & Health

• • • Ancestry DNA test Kit: 67% OFF – NOW $39.00, List Price: $119.00  
    • Foreo Luna 4 cleansing brush: 36% OFF NOW $179.00  –List Price: $279.00  (Read the review )
    • Withings BPM Connect Blood Pressure Monitor: 31% OFF -NOW $89.95, List Price: $129.95 (Read the review)

Happy saving! If you need advice or to check our hands-on reviews of any gadget you’re checking out for Prime Day, all our content is at techgadgetscanada.com and techgadgetsinternational.com

What do YOU think are the best deals you’ve found? Post your best finds in the comments below so we can all benefit! Check back tomorrow for even more deals being added to this list.

Happy saving! If you need advice or to check our hands-on reviews of any gadget you’re checking out for Prime Day, all our content is right here on the blog.

Prime Day deals are current at time of sending. Amazon may adjust pricing or limit availability at its discretion.

The post Best Amazon Prime Day Tech & Gadget Deals 2024 appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

If you typically work on a laptop, adding a second monitor can make you more productive. I’ve been testing out supplemental monitors for my work life and I’m obsessed with finding a great quality 4K monitor for a reasonable price. Of course, Apple and Samsung offer beautiful and super fancy monitors to expand your set up, but they cost as much as your mortgage. So can you find solid quality and still get away with a decent deal from a less popular brand?  KOORUI is one of those budget brands worth considering since it offers a  4K 27-inch monitor for about $225US. In this review I’ll try the monitor out here in my home office see what the screen quality is like for both written work and video editing. I’ll check out any special features it offers and wrap things up with the pros and the cons and let you know if I think I can recommend this monitor to you.

Set up & Assembly

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

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

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

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

Design

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

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

Connectivity

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

Display Panel

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

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

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

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

My tests

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

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

Viability as a Gaming Monitor

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

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

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

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

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

Overall review

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

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

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

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

Also Read:

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

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

The post Koorui 4K monitor review appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

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

Why You Need to Log Out from Time to Time

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

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

Step-by-Step Guide

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

Google TVs (Samsung, LG, Sony,etc)

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

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

Apple TV

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

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

Common Mistakes To Avoid

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

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

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

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

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

The post How to Log Out of Netflix on Your TV appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

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

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

Hisense U7 MINI LED TV: What You Get

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

What is Highsense Mini-LED TV?

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

Colour and Light

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

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

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

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

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

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

What’s in the Box

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

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

You can also wall mount it.

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

Ports & Inputs

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

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

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

Set up

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

Google TV Operating System

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

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

Can I use an iPhone with a Google TV?

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

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

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

Video quality: Hisense U7 mini-LED

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

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

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

Special Features

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

Google Voice Control

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

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

Picture Technologies

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

Sound quality

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

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

Smooth 144 Hz VRR Refresh Rate

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

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

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

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

Wi-Fi 6E

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

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

EzPlay Remote

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

Overall review: Hisense U7 MINI LED TV

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

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

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

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

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

Shop Hisense U7 4K TV on Amazon

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

What can you do with the Pixel Tablet?

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

Customizing Pixel Tablet

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

Watch my video review of Google Pixel Tablet

Use Google Assistant for Anything

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

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

Control Smart Home Devices

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

Send Emails and Texts

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

Create a Smart Home Hub

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

Change Wallpapers and Widgets

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

How To Add Users to Google Pixel Tablet

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

Use Split Window to Multitask

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

Compatible Apps

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

How to Play Music with Speaker Dock on Pixel Tablet

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

Video and Phone Casting

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

Use Google Meet

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

Make Video Calls with Zoom

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

Edit Photos

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

Read News and Books

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

Watch Videos on Prime Video, YouTube, or Google TV

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

What’s next for Google?

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

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

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

Review: Polk MagniFi Mini AX

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

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

What’s in the box?

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

My hands-on video review

Polk MagniFi Mini AX: Set-up

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

Sound quality

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Polk MagniFi Mini AX: Overall review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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