TV & Audio

Refresh rates are marketed quite a bit with new HDTVs and 4K UHD TVs, using various branded jargon like “Motionflow 240” or “960 Motion Enhancement.” Higher numbers are bandied about making it difficult to understand or to make fair comparisons between TVs since there are no industry-standard definitions for these motion enhancement features. I will help you sort through this marketing muddle and let you know what you need to focus on regarding refresh rates.

Need headphones to block out the world while you watch TV? These Sennheiser versions should do the job, but do they deliver? Read our review.

Ten years ago, few would believe that we could become so reliant on streaming media but these days many people are taking advantage of streaming HD video content from web services at an increasing rate. So much so that new services and options keep popping up continually. Recently I had the chance to spend some time with the new Roku 3, a streaming player tailor made for those who want to take advantage of all these video streaming services. There is no shortage of competition here either. If you’re into Netflix and YouTube, for example, there seems to be a way to stream that content from virtually every device out there. Many of these devices are multitaskers, that are primarily game consoles, or other sorts of gadgets that just happen to integrate a few streaming services. With the Roku 3 you get a dedicated device that specializes in streaming online content. With that focus comes a certain simplicity and clarity to the device.

CES is an eye-popping, mind-blowing experience for any tech enthusiast, but one of the most frequent questions that stick out as you tour the latest innovations is release date: Is the product available in the current year, or are we looking at a prototype and will we have to wait a year, sometimes several until we can get hold and own the device? This is why I love Sony Canada’s annual VIP event that brings us much of the best of what they showcased at CES to  a Best Buy Canada store near you.  

This is Part 1 of a series of posts that will explain everything you need to know about today’s TVs.

  Mondo X SteelBook is back! This time Best Buy Canada is announcing number 005 and it’s a beauty! DREDD with art by JOCK

“Write a blog about moving your electronics and home theatre tech. It should be detailed.” Considering I’m going to be moving my tech pretty soon, I think my editor picked the right guy. Whether you’ve got a TV and a Blu-ray player, or you’re packing up huge swathes of gear, this is the article for you. Let’s get cracking shall we?

The race for the coolest trophy in sports is set to begin this week, as 16 NHL teams open the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. This will be an especially riveting year for Canadian hockey fans. Five of the seven Canadian NHL teams are in the post-season, making the odds even greater for a Canadian team to bring home the Cup and end the over 20-year drought since Montreal did it in 1993.

  I can’t remember when I last watched a 32” TV. I think it was my old CRT Display TV, which was a big screen in its day and weighed a ton making it impossible to move. But the new 32” flat screens, which now seem small, have come a long way and there are a lots of reasons to get one. The size is perfect for a kitchen, wall mounted in the kids room, or in the guest room or den. The Sony R500C 32” Bravia that I recently tested out is ideal for those rooms. It is a smart TV with an extremely good picture and is at a very reasonable price.

Cable and satellite TV bills are high. There are few in Canada who haven’t felt the pinch of paying for access to hundreds of channels in order to watch a fraction of that. Depending on where you live, you can gain access to some of the most popular network channels in both Canada and the United States. With the right gear, you can also watch those channels throughout your home.