Podcast #996: New AppleTV and Wyze V3 Review

On today’s show we run through some of the new features on the recently announced AppleTV, look at the tradeoff of using an indoor TV outdoors in a protected environment, and we have a short review of the Wyze V3 outdoor camera. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news.

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Today's Show:

News:

• LG's rollable OLED R TV is available in the US, if you can afford one
• TCL OLED TVs could see the technology finally become affordable
• Hulu Live, NFL Media Reach Carriage Agreement

Other:

• Beosound Emerge - Book-size, compact Wi-Fi speaker | B&O
• SoundPath Tri-Band Wireless Audio Adapter
• Ara's Woodworking
• Join the Flaviar Whisky Club and get a free bottle

New AppleTV

From the Press Release - Apple announced the next generation of Apple TV 4K, delivering high frame rate HDR with Dolby Vision and connecting customers to their favorite content with the highest quality. At the heart of the new Apple TV 4K is the A12 Bionic chip that provides a significant boost in graphics performance, video decoding, and audio processing. And with an all-new design, the Siri Remote makes it even easier to watch shows and movies on Apple TV with intuitive navigation controls. Together with tvOS — the most powerful TV operating system — Apple TV 4K works seamlessly with Apple devices and services to magically transform the living room in ways that everyone in the family will love.

Improved Video Experiences

With A12 Bionic, Apple TV 4K now supports high frame rate HDR (High Dynamic Range) and Dolby Vision video, enabling fast-moving action at 60 frames per second (fps) to play more smoothly and appear more lifelike than ever before. Apple is working with leading video providers around the world, including FOX Sports, NBCUniversal, Paramount+, Red Bull TV, and Canal+, as they begin to stream in high frame rate HDR. And with high frame rate support in AirPlay, videos shot on iPhone 12 Pro can be displayed in full 60-fps Dolby Vision on the new Apple TV 4K. 

Color Balance

Through an innovative color balance process, Apple TV works with iPhone and its advanced sensors to improve a television’s picture quality. Apple TV uses the light sensor in iPhone to compare the color balance to the industry-standard specifications used by cinematographers worldwide. Using this data, Apple TV automatically tailors its video output to deliver much more accurate colors and improved contrast — without customers ever having to adjust their television settings.

Siri Remote

The all-new Siri Remote features an innovative clickpad control that offers five-way navigation for better accuracy, and is also touch-enabled for the fast directional swipes Apple TV users love. The outer ring of the clickpad supports an intuitive circular gesture that turns it into a jog control — perfect for finding a scene in a movie or show. And with its one-piece aluminum design, the new Siri Remote fits more comfortably in a user’s hand.

The new Siri Remote also has a power button that controls a TV’s power, and another for mute, making it the only remote needed while enjoying TV. Using Siri, customers can easily search for specific shows or movies, control smart home accessories, check sports scores or the weather, and much more. Siri now works on Apple TV in Austria, Ireland, and New Zealand, joining the 13 countries and regions that already support Siri.

Pricing and Availability

• The new Apple TV 4K will be available starting at $179 (US) 

• Customers can order the new Apple TV 4K beginning Friday, April 30, with availability beginning in the second half of May in more than 30 countries and regions, including the US.

• Apple TV HD with the new Siri Remote will be available for $149. 

• The new Siri Remote will be available separately for $59, and is compatible with the previous-generation Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD.

Furrion Unveils Newest Line Of Outdoor 4K TVs

On a recent show a listener asked us about installing a TV on his deck. The deck was protected from direct contact with the elements. We suggested using a regular indoor TV stating that it would shorten the lifespan of the TV but the cost saving would allow for a new TV every few years which would bring upgrades along the way. 

Today we can quantify the cost comparison as Furrion unveiled a new line of outdoor TVs. The Aurora® Partial Sun 4K UHD LED Outdoor TV and the Aurora® Full Shade 4K UHD LED Outdoor TV. For our listener, since his TV would be on his covered deck, our comparison will be with the Full Shade 4K UHD. But for completeness we’ll include the pricing for the Partial Sun TV as well. 

From Furrion’s Press Release:

Furrion Aurora TVs are weatherproof in all conditions, and are engineered to withstand the harsh effects of UV rays, rain, snow, dirt, insects, and humidity. Their weatherproof housing and IP54 rating mean the Aurora is built to last, and the weather-resistant media bay offers even more protection for inputs and outputs. Even the remote control features an IP64 waterproof rating, great for areas with pools.

Aurora® Partial Sun 4K UHD LED Outdoor TV

Designed for partially shaded outdoor living areas like patios, decks and yards. Increased brightness up to 750 nits and an anti-glare LCD screen give you an excellent picture in partially sunny areas.

Sizes: Available in 43”, 49”, 55” and 65”

Pricing: $1,499.99 (43”), $1,999.99 (49”), $2,699.99 (55”), $3,399.99 (65”)

Aurora® Full Shade 4K UHD LED Outdoor TV

Designed for fully-shaded outdoor living areas like covered patios or screened gazebos. Increased brightness up to 400 nits and an anti-glare LCD screen give you an excellent picture in partially shaded areas

Sizes: Available in 43”, 49”, 55” and 65”

Pricing: $1,299.99 (43”), $1,599 (49”), $1,999.99 (55”), $2,799.99 (65”)

Analysis

Let’s go with a 50” TV. Costco has models starting at $340 (Hisense 50" R6 Series - UHD LED) or a Vizio for $430 (Vizio 50" M-Series - 4K Quantum LED). There are TCLs that are in the middle so for this exercise we’ll say you can pick up a 50 inch TV for $400. That means for the price of a 50 inch Full Shade Aurora you can buy four regular TVs. Depending on your local climate that can really save you money. Of course this only works for a protected installation that is not in direct weather. 

Wyze Cam v3

After receiving Chuck's email we decided to spend the whopping $31.84 including shipping and tax to test out the Wyze Cam v3. This is a very quick review. Essentially the camera is fantastic. In a side by side comparison with our Eufy cameras the Wyze had a sharper and more detailed picture with a spectacular night vision feature. 

Wyze offers cloud storage for free but only a 12 second clip that rolls over every 14 days. You can upgrade to a plan that has longer recordings and more storage for about $25 a year. If you don’t want to store in the cloud the camera supports a micro SD card with recordings available over the internet. The camera is IP65 weather resistant. Quite frankly the camera is amazing for only $30 shipped!

Setup was simple. Like pretty much all the other cameras you download the app and add the camera. The app is easy to navigate and functional. All the controls and settings are easily accessed. The only complaint Ara had was that the camera is not supported by Homekit. Actually, the only platform that it supports is Alexa. 

Bottom line, the days of expensive cameras are done. If you are a manufacturer trying to sell a camera for more than $50, be prepared to drop your prices. If Wyze ever supports Homekit, all Ara’s outdoor cameras will be replaced at a total cost of $120!

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