When talk turns to the “best” home security cameras, the discussion often dwells on the cutting-edge features in the high-end models: Radar, color night vision, and even A.I. If you don’t need that level of sophistication, you can save a bundle by choosing a more basic model. You might also find you can afford to buy more than one camera to protect multiple areas of your home. That said, not every low-priced camera is a bargain. But if you ensure the camera you choose meets these specs at a minimum, you’ll get the security you’re looking for at a price you can afford. And if you have a little more room in your budget, we’ll discuss the step-up specs in each category. This story is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best home security cameras. Resolution Home security camera manufacturers emphasize video resolution because it directly impacts the quality and clarity of the recordings they capture, which is crucial for their primary function: surveillance and monitoring. A higher resolution allows for enhanced detail, improved identification of people and objects, and better coverage of large areas without diminished image quality. The higher a camera’s resolution, the higher its price tag, so it’s important to consider your specific surveillance needs and budget constraints. While living in a high property-crime area might warrant the extra pixels a 2K camera delivers, it’s probably overkill if you just plan to monitor your pets or package deliveries. Minimum: Choosing a camera with a minimum resolution of Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) ensures that critical details, such as facial features or license plate numbers, are captured with clarity and precision. In the event of an incident, high-resolution footage can be invaluable evidence for law enforcement or insurance claims. Step-up: Investing in a camera with higher resolution, such as 2K (typically 2560 × 1440 pixels) will pay off with even greater detail and clarity, providing enhanced visibility, especially in scenarios where accurate identification is paramount. 4K (typically 3840 × 2160 pixels) will allow you to zoom in even more deeply. this $36 security cam delivers 2K resolution Wyze Cam v4 Read our review The Wyze Cam v4 from Wyze Labs goes far beyond the minimum resolution specifications we recommend, with an image sensor that captures video with resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. And it can be installed indoors or out. Field of view (FOV) A home security camera’s field of view (FOV), typically measured diagonally, determines how much area it can observe and monitor. A wider field of view enables the camera to capture more of its surroundings, enhancing situational awareness by providing a broader perspective of the monitored area. This doesn’t just improve surveillance; it also potentially reduces costs as you can monitor larger areas with fewer cameras. Minimum: Opting for a camera with a wide-angle lens and a minimum FOV of 90 degrees ensures comprehensive coverage, reducing blind spots and enhancing overall surveillance capabilities. Step-up: If you want to cover an entire room or a broad swath of your yard, consider a security camera with a pan/tilt motor. Most can pan 360 degrees and tilt 180 degrees, and you’ll find them in both indoor and weatherized outdoor configurations. a budget security cam with a wide field of view Blink Mini 2 Read our review If you have a large indoor or outdoor area you want to monitor, the Blink Mini 2 quite literally has you covered with a broad 143-degree field of view. Just be aware that you’ll need to buy an optional weather-resistant power adapter if you intend to install this camera outdoors. Night Vision Night vision ensures continuous surveillance and monitoring even in low-light or nighttime conditions. By utilizing infrared (IR) LEDs to illuminate the environment, the camera can capture clear and detailed footage in the absence of natural or artificial lighting. This is critical for detecting and identifying potential threats or intruders at night when visibility is limited. Minimum: Cameras equipped with infrared (IR) LEDs and a minimum night vision range of 30 feet can deliver clear and detailed footage, essential for detecting and identifying potential threats after dark. Step-up: Consider cameras with color night vision. Unlike traditional night vision, which produces black-and-white images, cameras with color night vision have small onboard spotlights that preserve color detail while enhancing overall brightness and clarity. Color night vision can dramatically improve the quality of video evidence, making it easier to identify people and objects in low-light situations. Motion detection and alerts You can’t always have eyes on your camera feed, so motion detection and alerts are crucial to ensure you’re promptly notified of potential security threats or suspicious activity. By detecting motion within the camera’s field of view, these features trigger instant alerts via smartphone notifications and/or email, allowing you to respond quickly to package deliveries, pet activity, intruders, and other events. Minimum: Basic motion detection enables the camera to detect any movement within its field of view, whether it’s made by a person or something benign like a tree limb bouncing in a stiff breeze. That ensures no activity goes unnoticed, but it can also result in such a barrage of unwanted notifications that you’ll soon tune them out. Customizable motion detection zones and sensitivity settings can help minimize false alarms, ensuring that you are only alerted to genuine threats or suspicious activity. Step-up: Advanced motion detection features, such as person, pet, and detection package detection or facial recognition, offer greater accuracy in distinguishing between human activity and other sources of motion, reducing false alerts and improving the accuracy and efficiency of surveillance. uncommonly sophisticated motion detection for the price Arlo Essential Indoor v2 (model VMC2060-100NAS) Read our review If accurate alerting is a priority, you should consider the 2nd-generation Arlo Essential Indoor camera. It’s able to detect people, vehicles, packages, and pets, a breadth of intelligent motion detection that’s not common in a $40 camera. Two-Way Audio Two-way audio enables remote communication between you and anyone near the camera’s location. It facilitates real-time interaction, allowing you to deter potential intruders or burglars, communicate with delivery personnel, or provide instructions to family members or pets in emergencies via built-in microphones and speakers. By allowing you to interact with your home environment even when you’re away, this feature can provide you with greater peace of mind. Minimum: Two-way audio functionality lets you communicate remotely with visitors or potential intruders through the camera’s built-in microphone and speaker. This allows you to issue warnings or instructions and potentially prevent incidents. Step-up: Cameras equipped with advanced audio features, such as noise cancellation or enhanced audio quality, deliver clearer and more intelligible communication. Storage options Storage options ensure that you can securely collect, store, and access surveillance footage. Cameras may offer it in the form of local storage via microSD card, cloud storage, storage on a device on your network, or any combination. Cloud storage can increase the cost of a camera over its lifetime, so you should compare competing camera subscription plans. Minimum: Local storage options, such as a small amount of onboard storage or a microSD card slot (you’ll typically need to provide the card), where footage is stored directly on the camera itself, are the most cost-effective solution for storing recorded footage. Some budget cameras might offer limited cloud storage options as part of a trial or introductory package. These trials typically have storage capacity and/or duration limitations, but they provide an opportunity to explore cloud storage functionality and its benefits. Step-up: Upgrading to a paid cloud storage plan will provide greater storage capacity and longer retention periods for recorded footage. It will also ensure your footage is securely stored offsite and accessible from anywhere. Premium cloud storage plans may also offer continuous recording capabilities, allowing cameras to capture footage 24/7 without limitations on recording duration or gaps between clips. This enables comprehensive coverage and eliminates the risk of missing important events due to storage constraints. A $40 camera with big local storage options Tapo Indoor/Outdoor Wi-Fi Home Security Camera (model C120) Read our review TP-Link offers relatively inexpensive cloud storage for its Tapo Indoor/Outdoor Wi-Fi Home Security Camera (model C120), but you can purchase a microSD card in capacities up to 512GB and store video recordings right on the camera. You can operate it indoors or out, but you’ll need a nearby AC outlet because it can’t run on battery power. Get the security camera you need for less money Whether you’re a homeowner looking to safeguard your property or a renter seeking peace of mind, budget security cameras make a cost-effective entry point into the realm of home security. Prioritizing these essential features will not only ensure you end up with the model that fits your needs at the lowest cost, it might leave enough room in your budget to step up in some categories. Home Security, Security Cameras

Great job keeping your Roomba’s brushes clean, and if you’re wiping down its IR sensors and charging contacts, you get bonus points. But have you checked your Roomba’s wheels lately? If you take a closer look at your Roomba’s caster wheel (the one in front), you’ll probably see plenty of hair wrapped around its axle, while clumps of dust are probably lodged inside the compartments that house the side wheels. While it’s easy to ignore a Roomba’s wheels, you should be checking on them on a regular basis; indeed, iRobot recommends giving them a look every couple of weeks. This how-to is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robot vacuums. And if you’re noticing herky-jerky movement as your Roomba sweeps your floors, you definitely want to flip your robot over and give its wheels a once-over. How to clean your Roomba’s wheels I’m about to describe how to clean the wheels of the Roomba 675Remove non-product link, one of the most popular Roomba models, but I’ve also tested these instructions with newer Roombas, including the j7. You can find precise directions for your particular model on the iRobot support site, but the following steps will apply to almost all Roomba robot vacuums. How to clean a Roomba’s front caster wheel The first step is to turn your Roomba over and place it on a flat surface, preferably something soft like a towel. (Given how dirty your Roomba likely is, you’ll probably want to toss the towel in the wash as soon as you’re done cleaning the Roomba.) With a little effort, you can pull the Roomba’s front caster wheel right out of its chassis, no tools required. With a little effort, you can pull the Roomba’s front caster wheel right out of its chassis, no tools required. With a little effort, you can pull the Roomba’s front caster wheel right out of its chassis, no tools required. Next, you need to pull the caster wheel out of the Roomba. You won’t need any tools to perform this trick; just get a firm grip on the wheel and pull it straight out. With a little effort, the caster should come free, complete with its stem. Related: How to clean a Roomba’s sensors and charging contacts More likely than not, there will be a substantial amount of hair wrapped around the axle. Rather than trying to yank it free, simply remote the wheel from its housing; once that’s done, you can easily remove the ring of hair from around the axle. Yep, that’s a neat little ring of hair that was wrapped around the caster wheel’s axle. Yep, that’s a neat little ring of hair that was wrapped around the caster wheel’s axle. Yep, that’s a neat little ring of hair that was wrapped around the caster wheel’s axle. Using a soft cloth, wipe down the wheel itself; you don’t have to go crazy, just clean off any obvious dust or debris. While you’re at it, you should also wipe down the wheel compartment. Also, don’t forget the top of the wheel housing, where the stem is; that’s a favorite hiding spot for dust and dirt. Don’t miss the top of the caster housing; you’ll probably find some dust hiding there. Don’t miss the top of the caster housing; you’ll probably find some dust hiding there. Don’t miss the top of the caster housing; you’ll probably find some dust hiding there. All done? Snap the wheel back into its housing, then push the caster back into the wheel compartment; keep pushing until the stem clicks back into place. How to clean a Roomba’s side wheels You can’t remove a Roomba’s side wheels as easily as you can its front caster wheel—in fact, we’re not even going to try. Instead, we’re going to clean out any stubborn clumps of dust or hair while keeping the side wheels in place. Related: How to clean a Roomba’s brushes First, push down on one of the side wheels; it should sink right into the Roomba’s chassis, then spring back into place once you release it. Push the wheel back in, then take a peek. See any clumps of debris? Go ahead and pull them out. Pushing the wheels in and out repeatedly can help release any dust, dirt or hair. Pushing down on the Roomba’s side wheel will probably reveal clumps of debris that you can pull out. Pushing down on the Roomba’s side wheel will probably reveal clumps of debris that you can pull out. Pushing down on the Roomba’s side wheel will probably reveal clumps of debris that you can pull out. If you’re having a hard time cleaning the junk out of the Roomba’s side wheel compartments, try spraying them with a can of compressed air. Replacing a Roomba’s caster wheel The caster wheel on your Roomba isn’t designed to last forever. iRobot recommends replacing it once a year. Luckily (and as we just saw), removing a Rooomba’s caster wheel isn’t difficult. You can snap up a replacement Roomba caster wheel on AmazonRemove non-product link for anywhere from $7 to $15 (depending on the model). Cleaning the rest of your Roomba Want to get your Roomba completely clean? There are plenty of places where dust, hair, and grime love to hide in your Roomba, but these tips and how-tos can help bust all the dust. How to clean your Roomba’s charing contacts and cliff sensors How to clean your Roomba’s dust filter properly How to clean your Roomba’s brushes Thinking of buying your first robot vacuum? Read this article first Robot Vacuums and Cleaning, Smart Appliances

Launched at CES in January, ROXi Music Service is an interactive music service for both smart TVs and, initially through a partnership with Sinclair Broadcasting, NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) broadcast television. At the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) tradeshow in Las Vegas this week, the Pearl TV consortium of U.S. broadcasters announced plans to use ROXi’s FastStream technology to create other forms of interactive TV, including news, sports, and entertainment in addition to music. Sinclair is immediately adding news to its previously announced deal for ROXi’s music channels, with the two companies demonstrating 3 News Interactive Las Vegas, a local channel that allows viewers to skip news stories that don’t interest them, pause, fast forward, rewind, or select individual categories such as weather, local news, headlines, investigate, or national news. ROXi’s FastStream technology allows interactive TV channel experiences to be broadcast over the airwaves using the NextGen TV standard. Users will need a television equipped with an ATSC 3.0 tuner (many current models from Sony Bravia, LG, Samsung, and Hisense fit the bill). Viewers can also watch with a set-top box. The TV or the set-top box must also have a connection to the internet. ROXi’s interactive broadcast news channel will allow viewers to focus on topics that interest them and skip the ones that don’t. ROXi’s interactive broadcast news channel will allow viewers to focus on topics that interest them and skip the ones that don’t.ROXi ROXi’s interactive broadcast news channel will allow viewers to focus on topics that interest them and skip the ones that don’t.ROXi ROXi ROXi says its FastStream technology will make the experience a seamless one for viewers. The ATSC 3.0 tuner will ping the broadcast choice several times a second, but the actual content playback will be delivered via the internet connection. That’s how ROXi can offer all the interactive features that users know from streaming apps: Skip, pause, fast-forward, and bringing up lyrics will feel instantaneous to a viewer. Music is still at the forefront of the ROXi strategy. They are set to release a previously announced app for Roku, Google TV, Android TV, and most major TV platforms that will offer even more viewing flexibility without the need for a broadcast, as well as several exciting features that should make music playback on a television a far more compelling proposition than it’s been before. You can learn more from our earlier coverage of ROXi music. ROXi founder Rob Lewis says the ROXi Music app will go live in the United States at the same time Sinclair launches its local broadcast versions of the ROXi Music channel. Check this map to see if Sinclair has stations in your local market. Both the downloadable app and the broadcast channels should be available in the next couple of months. The digital broadcast channels will operate on the secondary bands that Sinclair currently uses for its Charge!, TBD, and Comet networks. This experiment could get much bigger very quickly, since Pearl TV represents more than 820 local television stations that are part of the biggest broadcasting groups in the United States. Virtually every media market includes at least one station from the Cox Media Group, Gray Television, TEGNA, Graham Media Group, Hearst Television, Nexstar, Scripps, or Sinclair Broadcast Group. Smart TVs, Streaming Media

At a glanceExpert's Rating ProsEasy to assemble and set upBuilt-in Bluetooth speakerBright and colorful animationsConsGovee app can be confusingOnly works with Alexa and Google Home (for now, at least)Design is a tad wobblyOur VerdictThe handsome Govee Floor Lamp Pro is adept at setting the mood with gradient and animated light modes, and it can put on a musical light show with its integrated Bluetooth speaker. Govee has topped off its growing line of smart floor lamps with a new flagship: the Floor Lamp Pro, a nearly five-and-a-half-foot tall indoor light that can cast mood lighting onto your walls, put on eye-popping light shows, and sync with your tunes, including those pumping from the lamp’s built-in Bluetooth speaker.  Govee’s latest floor lamp (aside from the Govee Floor Lamp 2, which the company also unveiled today) comes with a sleek, sturdy, but slightly wobbly design, and it’s easy to assemble and set up. The Govee app enables all kinds of impressive light effects, as well as scheduling and automation abilities, even if the app itself is confusing to navigate.  Tall, elegant, and colorful, the Govee Floor Lamp pro cuts a fine figure while delivering the goods as far as lighting effects go. The Govee Floor Lamp Pro isn’t cheap at $219.99, but that’s not an unreasonable price for a fixture of this size. The existing Govee Cylinder Floor Lamp is more affordable at $169.99, but it lacks the Floor Lamp Pro’s Bluetooth speaker. There’s also the new and slightly shorter Govee Floor Lamp 2, which goes for $149.99. Meanwhile, Philips Hue’s competing Signe gradient floor lamp sells for much loftier $329.99.  Design  The Govee Floor Lamp Pro actually isn’t the tallest of Govee’s smart floor lamps—that distinction goes to the 68.5-inch-tall Govee Cylinder Floor Lamp—but it still stands an imposing 67 inches. The lamp feels relatively sturdy, but at just 7.3-pounds, it’s also a tad wobbly; indeed, it’s easy to imagine the lamp getting knocked over by a flailing arm during (say) a crowded dance party.  This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart lighting. The base of the Floor Lamp Pro is roughly 9 inches tall and 6 inches wide, while the aluminum rod that houses the LEDs is only about an inch thick. The rod comes in four pieces that you’ll need to assemble, with the lights themselves contained in a flexible silicone strip that fits inside the rod. More on the assembly process in a bit.  Included in the box are the four metal segments of the main light rod, a flexible silicone light strip, a screw kit, and a small screwdriver. Included in the box are the four metal segments of the main light rod, a flexible silicone light strip, a screw kit, and a small screwdriver. Ben Patterson/Foundry Included in the box are the four metal segments of the main light rod, a flexible silicone light strip, a screw kit, and a small screwdriver. Ben Patterson/Foundry Ben Patterson/Foundry The base itself comes wrapped in a fabric covering, much like a speaker would—and indeed, the base does house a Bluetooth speaker, which can emit either white noise from the Govee app or tunes from your phone. The Govee lamp’s lights can then emit a groovy light show in time with the audio—again, more on that later.  The main light rod contains 162 color light beads and the same number of white beads, while a ring at the bottom of the base has 30 beads each for color and white light. All those light beads allow for smooth, intricate, and multicolored animations. The top light rod can also be rotated 300 degrees, allowing you to adjust the direction of the lamp’s glow.  The lamp itself doesn’t have any physical controls, but it does come with a remote. A five-way button at the top of the control lets you cycle through solid colors and white color temperatures, as well as adjust the brightness. A separate button queues up light animations, while another activates the lamp’s music-syncing mode. The remote also lets you change the volume for the built-in speaker, pause and resume the audio, or turn the entire unit on or off.  The remote that comes with the Govee Floor Lamp Pro lets you adjust the brightness, change colors and white color temperatures, fiddle with the volume of the built-in Bluetooth speaker, and more.  The remote that comes with the Govee Floor Lamp Pro lets you adjust the brightness, change colors and white color temperatures, fiddle with the volume of the built-in Bluetooth speaker, and more.  Ben Patterson/Foundry The remote that comes with the Govee Floor Lamp Pro lets you adjust the brightness, change colors and white color temperatures, fiddle with the volume of the built-in Bluetooth speaker, and more.  Ben Patterson/Foundry Ben Patterson/Foundry At launch, the Wi-Fi-enabled Govee Floor Lamp Pro works with Alexa and Google Home only. Govee said a Matter update for the lamp is coming, but it’s not clear when it will arrive.  Setup  As I mentioned earlier, some assembly is required before firing up the Govee Floor Lamp Pro. The metal rod that contains the top LED lights comes in eight pieces, and you also get a screw kit along with a small screwdriver.  The metal rod that contains the lamp’s silicone light strip comes in eight pieces, which you’ll need to screw together; shown here is one of the connectors. The metal rod that contains the lamp’s silicone light strip comes in eight pieces, which you’ll need to screw together; shown here is one of the connectors.Ben Patterson/Foundry The metal rod that contains the lamp’s silicone light strip comes in eight pieces, which you’ll need to screw together; shown here is one of the connectors.Ben Patterson/Foundry Ben Patterson/Foundry The first step is to take two of the longer metal pieces and screw them into a shorter connector piece; you then rinse and repeat until the four larger pieces of the rod are screwed together. Next, you fit the assembled rod onto a matching metal piece on the base and screw those together. Finally, you take the silicone light strip and fit it into the (snug) groove of the rod. The whole process took me about 10 minutes.  With the lamp assembled, you attach the power cord and adapter to the base (the power brick is in-line, fortunately, meaning you won’t need to deal with a chunky wall wart). Then you fire up the Govee app (you’ll need to register for an account if you haven’t already) and tap the “+” button; for me, the Floor Lamp Pro appeared almost immediately. I entered my Wi-Fi credentials, and the lamp connected to my router on the first try.  The silicone light strip fits snugly into the assembled metal rod. The silicone light strip fits snugly into the assembled metal rod. Ben Patterson/Foundry The silicone light strip fits snugly into the assembled metal rod. Ben Patterson/Foundry Ben Patterson/Foundry Features and functionality  The Govee Floor Lamp Pro has a variety of tricks up its sleeves. At its most basic level, it can cast an ambient white-temperature light on your walls or glow in a solid, mood-setting color. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can create a multicolor design, using the Govee app to assign different colors to lamp’s 14 gradients (nine for the top, five for the base).   In the mood for some light effects? Dozens of preset light animations are available in the Govee app, or you can create your own effects, choosing the colors and speed as well as whether the lights should move one way or the other, twinkle, “breathe,” and so on.  The silicone light strip plugs into the Floor Lamp Pro’s base; you then tuck the wiring into the hole before screwing the metal rod on. The silicone light strip plugs into the Floor Lamp Pro’s base; you then tuck the wiring into the hole before screwing the metal rod on. Ben Patterson/Foundry The silicone light strip plugs into the Floor Lamp Pro’s base; you then tuck the wiring into the hole before screwing the metal rod on. Ben Patterson/Foundry Ben Patterson/Foundry Then there’s the “Music” mode, which makes the lamp’s LEDs pulse along with your music. The Floor Lamp Pro can detect the sound of nearby music sources, sync to tunes from your phone, or flash its lights in time with its integrated Bluetooth speaker.  So, how does the speaker sound? Not bad, actually, with the integrated drivers capable of cranking out a respectable amount of bass and as well as decent mid- and high-end detail. The Govee speaker won’t fool anyone into thinking it’s from Sonos, but it won’t embarrass you in front of your guests. (I’ve reached out to Govee for more specifics about the speaker components.)  Within the Govee app, you can choose from more than two dozen “white noise” modes, some of which are more soothing than others. There are raindrops, seagulls, crickets, and gentle thunder, along with ambient tunes and other calming sounds, all accompanied by their own little light shows.   The Govee app comes with dozens of light effects (left) and more than two dozen “white noise” modes (center); you can also create your own gradient light modes (right). The Govee app comes with dozens of light effects (left) and more than two dozen “white noise” modes (center); you can also create your own gradient light modes (right). Ben Patterson/Foundry The Govee app comes with dozens of light effects (left) and more than two dozen “white noise” modes (center); you can also create your own gradient light modes (right). Ben Patterson/Foundry Ben Patterson/Foundry If none of the Govee’s white noise modes put you in the proper mood (some of them are quite goofy), you can always pair the lamp with your phone and play your Spotify playlists over the Govee speaker via Bluetooth.  Besides the light shows, the Govee Floor Lamp Pro can also be put on a schedule (at specific times or at sunrise or sunset) using the Govee app, or used in an automation that (for example) triggers a specific light scene when another Govee device detects motion.  With all these features, you’ll need to contend with the gaudy and sometimes confounding Govee app, which comes saddled with a few too many buttons, tabs, and sliders. Finding your way around the app can be a frustrating experience, and indeed, the app is overdue for a redesign.  Specifications Height: 67 inches Weight: 7.3 pounds Brightness: Up to 2,100 lumens (at 6,500 K) Color capable: Yes (gradient) Wireless: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Smart home integrations: Alexa and Google Home Matter compatibility: No (but Matter update is pending) Remote: Yes Should you buy the Govee Floor Lamp Pro?  Tall, elegant, and colorful, the Govee Floor Lamp pro cuts a fine figure while delivering the goods as far as lighting effects go, and the integrated Bluetooth speaker is a clever addition. The lamp also offers plenty of smarts, although it will be even smarter once the promised Matter update materializes. The Floor Lamp Pro is a bit wobbly (parents of toddlers should take note), and the garish and convoluted Govee app is in need of a revamp. The lamp is also restricted to just Alexa and Google Home until that Matter patch appears. Still, if you want a tall multicolor smart lamp that can put on light shows but doesn’t cost as much as Philips Hue’s pricey Signe lamp, the Govee Floor Lamp Pro makes for a tempting alternative. Lighting

TV antennas are back! In this era of cord-cutting, the one-time purchase of a good TV antenna will bring in anywhere from 20 to more 100 channels, depending on where you live. The stations are free, don’t require a broadband connection, and will almost certainly be at a better resolution and picture quality that cable or streaming options. But not all antennas are created equal. These are our top picks for antennas whether you have a rooftop, attic or need to install one indoors. But remember, a rooftop antenna is always better than one in the attic, which is always better than one indoors. Updated April 15, 2024: We’ve reviewed all of our top picks, made fresh recommendations for the best models, and removed obsolete models from the list. We’ve also added some information about tuning in NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0 stations). Why you should trust us TechHive’s editors and writers have been using and testing TV antennas for decades. Martyn Williams has relied on broadcast TV since he cut pay TV more than 12 years ago. He is a licensed amateur radio operator and understands the principles of antenna design, reception, and interference. Our antennas evaluations are performed in a real-world location and rely on signal level and quality measurements across all TV stations. Each time we test a new antenna, we retest a competitor to ensure our comparison considers current reception conditions. What is the best TV antenna – Top picks in indoor and outdoor TV antennas Channel Master Flatenna 35 — Best budget-priced indoor TV antenna Pros Very low price Well made U.S.-based customer support Cons Won't do much for your living-room décor Best Prices Today: $20 at Channel Master£31.16 at Amazon Why we like the Channel Master Flatenna 35 The Channel Master Flatenna 35 TV antenna delivers good performance at a low price, provided you live in an area with good local TV signals. It’s a simple matter to install and connect it, so the only thing you need to do is find a good location for it. Who should buy the Channel Master Flatenna 35 If you live close to TV broadcast towers, want to watch the major networks, and don’t want to spend a lot of money, the Channel Master Flatenna 35 TV antenna is a good choice. Read our full Channel Master Flatenna 35 (model No. CM-4001HDBW) review Winegard FlatWave Amped — Best flexible amplified indoor TV antenna Pros Strong reception, clear picture quality Amplifier contributes to good range Amplifier can be powered by a wall wart or your TV’s USB port Cons Not the best-looking thing to have on your wall or window Excess cable can get messy quick Why we like the Winegard FlatWave Amped Winegard’s FlatWave Amped delivers great performance for an indoor antenna. It’s small, lightweight, and includes an amplifier, so should work well in areas that enjoy good local TV signals. Who should buy the Winegard FlatWave Amped If you live in an urban area with TV broadcast towers nearby, the Winegard FlatWave Amped is a good choice for indoor TV reception. Read our full Winegard FlatWave Amplified (model FL-5500A) review Televes Bexia — Best rigid amplified indoor TV antenna Pros Internal amplifier boosts signal level Stable reception Amplifier can be powered from one of your TV’s USB ports Cons Lower performance with VHF frequencies Larger design could make it difficult to hide Why we like the Televes Dat Boss Mix LR The Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) is the best outdoor TV antenna we’ve tested, and a year after our initial test, it remains on my house thanks to its consistently reliable and strong performance. It delivered an excellent performance, pulling in strong signals from local and distant TV towers where reception ranges from good to poor. Who should buy the Televes Dat Boss Mix LR If you’re able to install an antenna on your roof, the Televes Dat Boss Mix LR is an excellent choice. It should provide strong, interference-free reception for years to come. Read our full Televes Bexia review Ultra-Vizion Transparent — Least visually intrusive indoor antenna Pros Less-intrusive see-through design Reliable reception of local TV channels Long antenna cable Cons Not effective for weaker signals, even with its amplifier Older design could suffer interference from 5G signals Best Prices Today: £50.78 at Amazon Why we like the Ultra-Vizion Transparent Indoor Amplified antenna The Ultra-Vizion Transparent Indoor Amplified antenna works well for local TV reception in areas of strong signals, and its transparent design is much more pleasing to the eye than the competition. Who should buy the Ultra-Vizion Transparent Indoor Amplified antenna The Ultra-Vizion Transparent will work well in areas with strong signals, but it’s mostly for people who want to watch over-the-air broadcasts without don’t seeing a TV antenna taped to their wall or window. Read our full Ultra-Vizion Transparent Indoor Amplified TV Antenna review Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) — Best roof-mount TV antenna Pros Strong, sensitive reception Built-in 5G filter Built-in amplifier and indoor distribution amp Cons Large physical size Assembly can be confusing Not designed to tune in low-VHF signals Why we like the Televes Dat Boss Mix LR The Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) is the best outdoor TV antenna we’ve tested, and a year after our initial test, it remains on my house thanks to its consistently reliable and strong performance. It delivered an excellent performance, pulling in strong signals from local and distant TV towers where reception ranges from good to poor. Who should buy the Televes Dat Boss Mix LR If you’re able to install an antenna on your roof, the Televes Dat Boss Mix LR is an excellent choice. It should provide strong, interference-free reception for years to come. Read our full Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) review Antennas Direct DB8e — Best roof-mount TV antenna, runner-up Pros Good reception of weak signals Antennas can be pointed in two different directions Easy to assemble Cons Large size requires a strong mount Not designed to receive VHF TV stations Best Prices Today: £241.80 at Amazon Why we like the Antennas Direct DB8e The Antennas Direct DB8e’s reception is as impressive as its looks. This is a large, heavy antenna that’s cleverly designed to receive weak signals with two antenna arrays. In areas of better reception, in can point to towers located in different directions. Who Should Buy the Antennas Direct DB8e The Antennas Direct DB8e is particularly suited for people in areas where TV stations are available from two locations far apart, as each reception array can be pointed in a different direction. Read our full Antennas Direct DB8e review Winegard Elite 7550 — Best attic/outdoor TV antenna Pros Good reception of strong to medium level signals on UHF and VHF-High Inline amplifier helps boost signals Suitable for attic or outdoor mounting Cons Plastic mounting bracket feels a little cheap Best Prices Today: $149.99 at B&H Photo Video Why we like the Winegard Elite 7550 Despite its smaller size, the Winegard Elite 7550 immediately impressed with its ability to pick up more broadcast channels than most of the competition at higher signal levels. It has a built-in amplifier and performed well on both VHF-High and UHF broadcast bands. Who Should Buy the Winegard Elite 7550 The Winegard Elite 7550 is a good choice for anyone who cannot have a rooftop antenna but wants to pull in the maximum number of channels in their area. It will work well mounted on the side of a house, on a balcony, or in an attic. Read our full Winegard Elite 7550 review Antennas Direct Clearstream 4 Max — Best attic/outdoor TV antenna, runner-up Pros Good reception of strong to medium level signals on UHF and VHF-High Multidirectional reception for areas with transmitters in different locations Sturdy mount with mounting hardware for attic or outdoor installation Cons No built-in amplifier, so you might need one for weaker channels Best Prices Today: £139.99 at Amazon Why We Like the Antennas Direct Clearstream 4 Max The Clearstream 4 Max is a little larger than our top-ranked choice and wasn’t quite as good at pulling in stations, but it’s still a solid antenna. We liked its distinctive double figure-eight design and that it can receive signals from different directions, which is useful if you live in an area with broadcast towers in multiple locations. Who Should Buy the Antennas Direct Clearstream 4 Max The Antennas Direct Clearstream 4 Max will work well in areas where TV signals are strong to moderate and come from more than one direction. Read our full Antennas Direct Clearstream 4 Max review How can I tell if I need a TV antenna? Before you decide which type of TV antenna you need, you should determine which broadcast channels are available where you live. To do this, head over to Rabbit Ears.info. It pairs the FCC’s broadcast TV database with topographical maps to give you a pretty detailed estimation of which signals will reach your house and how strong they’ll be. Select the “Signal Search Map” and either zoom in on the map to your house or try entering the address in the search box (outlined in green, below). I have had mixed results with the search box, but try that first since it’s easier if it works. Once your house is displayed on the map, click the “Move Pushpin to Center of Map View” button beneath the map (highlighted in red, below). The website RabbitEars is an excellent tool for determining which type of antenna you’ll need to pull in over-the-air television broadcasts. The website RabbitEars is an excellent tool for determining which type of antenna you’ll need to pull in over-the-air television broadcasts.Michael Brown/Foundry The website RabbitEars is an excellent tool for determining which type of antenna you’ll need to pull in over-the-air television broadcasts.Michael Brown/Foundry Michael Brown/Foundry Click the “Go” button and you’ll get something like this in return: RabbitEars will generate a list of TV broadcast tower locations in the vicinity of your home address, which you can use to determine which antenna you’ll need to pull those channels in. RabbitEars will generate a list of TV broadcast tower locations in the vicinity of your home address, which you can use to determine which antenna you’ll need to pull those channels in.Michael Brown/Foundry RabbitEars will generate a list of TV broadcast tower locations in the vicinity of your home address, which you can use to determine which antenna you’ll need to pull those channels in.Michael Brown/Foundry Michael Brown/Foundry The table above above looks complicated, but it’s really not. The strongest signals are at the top and weakest at the bottom. They’re also labeled “Good,” “Fair,” “Poor,” and “Bad” according to how strong they are at your location. How to pick the right TV antenna for your location To find the right antenna for you, consider these criteria: Which channels are available where you live (see the instructions above) Choose which channels you want to watch Figure out which type of antenna you need Select the antenna As a rule of thumb, indoor antennas are suitable for areas with strong or very strong signals, attic/outdoor antennas work in areas of medium signal strength, and larger outdoor antennas are best for areas surrounded by weak signals. In addition to signal strength, the RabbitEars table lists the channel numbers advertised on air, while the number in brackets is the actual broadcast channel (for more on this, read on). TV network details follow, along with the station name and the distance from the transmitter to your location. Reception depends a lot on local conditions, but whatever the environment, it starts getting difficult beyond 50 to 75 miles. The list also includes the direction of the transmitter, which is important. Not all TV signals you want will necessarily come from the same geographic location. The Winegard Elite 7550 can be installed on a rooftop outdoors or inside your attic, if your home has one. The Winegard Elite 7550 can be installed on a rooftop outdoors or inside your attic, if your home has one.Martyn Williams/Foundry The Winegard Elite 7550 can be installed on a rooftop outdoors or inside your attic, if your home has one.Martyn Williams/Foundry Martyn Williams/Foundry Predicting which antenna will work with certainty is almost impossible. The information garnered from sites like RabbitEars will provide a strong indication of what should work, but there are other variables at work. In some areas, especially in cities or areas with lots of hills, signals can bounce off obstacles like buildings and cause interference, trees can grow leaves in the spring and block stations you got fine in the winter, and atmospheric conditions can alter the way signals reach your house. Moving an antenna just a little to one side or up and down can have a big effect on reception. If you’re putting up an external antenna, one side of your roof might bring in nothing while the other side provides perfect reception. Which TV channels do I need an antenna for? Your next step is to figure out which stations you want to watch. After all, there’s no point wasting time trying to get weak stations if all your favorite shows are on strong ones. You can check a TV listing guide to see everything that’s on the air in your local area and make a list of which stations you want to watch. You’ll probably need to enter your zip code and be sure to choose “antenna” or “over the air” as your TV provider in the online program guide, so you don’t get cable channels you can’t receive with an antenna mixed in. Once you’ve made your list, examine the RabbitEars results to find the channels you want to watch. Write down the number in parenthesis, which is the “real channel,” the “Direction (true),” and the color (green, yellow, or red). The colors will inform you if an indoor antenna will be sufficient, or if you’ll need an attic or roof-mounted model to pull them in. It’s important to remember that any indoor antenna will a compromise. You will always get better results with an attic model, and best results with an outdoor antenna. Many indoor antennas are flat, so they’re easy to set up, usually by hanging them in a window on the side of the house facing the transmitter. Some look different but the principle is the same: Install them in a favorable location. Indoor antennas are typically fine for all the strong local channels, but if you want channels that are weaker or further away, you might need to go larger and put an antenna in your attic space or on your roof. If you don’t want to climb onto your roof, and you have an attic, the Winegard Elite 7550 can be installed either in your attic or on your roof. The higher you can go with an antenna–and the fewer line-of-sight obstacles to the broadcast towers you’re looking to tune in–the better your TV reception will be. This TV antenna has a motorized rotator attached to its mast, which you can use to turn the antenna to point it in the direction of the broadcast tower whose signals you want to tune in. This TV antenna has a motorized rotator attached to its mast, which you can use to turn the antenna to point it in the direction of the broadcast tower whose signals you want to tune in. Martyn Williams/Foundry This TV antenna has a motorized rotator attached to its mast, which you can use to turn the antenna to point it in the direction of the broadcast tower whose signals you want to tune in. Martyn Williams/Foundry Martyn Williams/Foundry If you install your antenna in the attic, you’ll probably get slightly less signal than if it was on the roof because it’s an enclosed space, but it might be enough to get stable TV reception. If you hate the look of an outdoor antenna, then experiment. An attic-mounted antenna will also be easier to maintain. The direction of the TV transmitter tower is also important. If you’re using an indoor antenna, you’ll want to put it in a window facing that direction. If you’re using an outdoor antenna, it should be pointed in that direction. As signals get weaker, going from green to yellow to gray, the direction becomes more important. If you want to tune in weaker stations from towers in different directions, you’ll probably need an antenna rotator. This motorized device will turn the antenna so that it’s oriented to pull in those weaker signals when you want to watch them. Knowing the real channel number will help you select an antenna. TV broadcasting in North America is spread across three frequency bands: VHF-Low (channels 2 through 6), VHF-High (channels 7 through 13), and UHF (channels 14 through 51). Because of the different frequencies in use, antennas are designed to cover one, two, or three bands. Not every antenna covers them all. What type of cable do I need to connect a TV antenna? A length of coaxial cable cut and ready for a connector to be attached. A length of coaxial cable cut and ready for a connector to be attached. Martyn Williams/Foundry A length of coaxial cable cut and ready for a connector to be attached. Martyn Williams/Foundry Martyn Williams/Foundry The connection from your antenna to your TV is every bit as important as the antenna itself. You need a high-quality coaxial cable (“coax” for short) for the job. Coax has a center wire that carries the signal and is surrounded by a plastic insulator. An outer braid shields the center cable from interference, and an outer sheath protects the cable from the elements. If you’re ditching satellite for over-the-air TV, you can probably use the existing coaxial cable from the satellite dish, but if it doesn’t work, be prepared to buy and run new coax. Make the cable a single run if possible because you’ll lose a little signal strength each time you use barrel connectors to tie shorter cables together. The most common type of coax cable for TV is called RG-6. How TechHive tests TV antennas TechHive tests TV antennas in a location in Northern Viriginia, in the Washington, D.C. metro area. (Until 2020, we tested in the San Francisco Bay Area, so you might see references to that location in older reviews). This location receives strong signals from local TV stations, but presents several challenges: There are a large number of trees around to influence reception; some of the independent D.C. TV stations are weak and difficult to receive; and channels from the distant Baltimore market can only be received with good antennas. Indoor antennas are tested indoors, and outdoor antennas are tested mounted out of doors. Each time we test a new antenna, we retest our current top pick to ensure a fair benchmark based on current reception conditions. We use a HD HomeRun set-top box to scan for channels and record the number of RF channels received by each antenna, their strength, and quality. Each RF channel carries a number of digital stations, but the number is different per channel and can change, so just counting the number of stations received isn’t a reliable measurement. We scan several times and adjust the direction of the antenna on some rescans. Our top picks are the antennas that receive the largest number of stations with the highest signal level in both the UHF (channels 14 through 51) and VHF-High (channels 7 through 13) bands, which are the primary TV broadcast bands. A word about NextGen TV All the antennas we test are suitable for reception of NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) signals. In fact, the new broadcast standard promises more reliable reception, which should help antenna users. In our Northern Virginia location, there are 3 NextGen TV transmitters within reach at differing power levels, so these add to the depth of our tests. The new format also promises some interactive and streaming functionality, and many channels employ digital rights management (DRM) encryption, so you’ll also need an broadband connection if you want to enjoy many of the channels. Most TVs and some set-top boxes support encryption and interactive functions, so check before you buy. TV Antenna

Wait, there was another Roku hack? That’s right, and this one was much bigger than the first, although Roku says the actual damage from this latest “credential-stuffing” attack was minimal.  Roku notified its users on Friday that following a hacking incident in March that involved 15,000 Roku users, the company detected a second wave of attacks that compromised a whopping 576,000 accounts, Bleeping Computer reports.  As with the first attack, the latest incident was a case of credential stuffing–that is, hackers who had obtained stolen usernames and passwords from other services and plugged those combinations into different accounts, hoping that at least some of the users had reused the same passwords.  This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best media streaming devices. Roku was careful to note that it was not the source of the data breach in either hacking incident.  While more than half a million Roku accounts were compromised in the most recent hack, Roku says there was “less than 400 cases” in which “malicious actors” used the saved payment information in the hacked accounts to make purchases–namely of streaming subscriptions or Roku hardware.  No “full” credit card numbers or other sensitive personal information was stolen during the attack, according to Roku.  In the wake of the latest hack, Roku says it reset the passwords for all the compromised accounts, while also canceling or refunding any fraudulent purchases.  Even better, the streamer has finally rolled out two-factor authentication and enabled it for all users, a security measure that should make future credential-stuffing attacks much harder to pull off.  Previously, Roku had offered 2FA authentication for its smart home app, but not for streaming Roku accounts. Again, the lesson with this latest Roku hack is to always use strong passwords and never to reuse passwords.  That said, online services need to pitch in by offering the extra layer of 2FA authentication, and it’s good to see that Roku has now done just that.  Streaming Devices

At a glanceExpert's Rating ProsBright and colorfulWorks with MatterWide range of white-color temperaturesIntuitive appConsChunky, heavy designLIFX ecosystem is still rebounding after a long dormancyNo vacation modeOur VerdictBright, easy to install, compliant with Matter, and packed with features, the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21 makes for a compelling smart bulb, even if it’s a tad heavy and chunky. After a long absence, LIFX is back, first with a series of outdoor lights (we recently reviewed the LIFX String Light) and now with new indoor bulbs, including the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21 bulb that we’re reviewing here.  This bright, colorful, but somewhat hefty A21 bulb connects to Wi-Fi networks and works with a wide variety of smart home ecosystems thanks to its out-of-the-box Matter support. The polished LIFX app makes the bulb easy to set up, group, and schedule, and you can also design lighting scenes (dozens of pre-made scenes are also available) as well as enable animated light effects.  So, there’s a lot to like about the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21 bulb—and, at $39.99, the price is competitive. But LIFX itself is still getting back on its feet after years of financial uncertainty (the brand is on firmer footing following its acquisition by Feit Electric in 2022), meaning all but the company’s newest lights are fairly long in the tooth.   Solid and substantial, bright and colorful, and easy to install, the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21 bulb packs plenty of features. LIFX does seem determined to roll out new products at a rapid clip, but those who’d rather invest in a robust ecosystem right now might want to look elsewhere.  Design  The LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21 bulb is slightly larger than a standard A19 bulb, although it has the same E26 base, meaning you can screw it into a typical light socket.   This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart lighting. The larger A21 size allows for greater brightness while minimizing the risk of excessive heat buildup, but the bulb’s chunky form factor (4.53 x 2.64 x 2.64 inches, HxWxD) might prevent it from fitting in smaller light fixtures that can accommodate typical A19 bulbs.  One thing to keep in mind about this LIFX A21 bulb is that it’s surprisingly heavy, tipping the scales at 9.55 ounces. Screwing the bulb into a cheap, apartment-style flush-mounted ceiling fixture designed for a pair of bulbs, the receptacle bent with the weight ever so slightly.   LIFX’s new A21 color bulb is large, chunky, and fairly heavy. LIFX’s new A21 color bulb is large, chunky, and fairly heavy.Ben Patterson/Foundry LIFX’s new A21 color bulb is large, chunky, and fairly heavy.Ben Patterson/Foundry Ben Patterson/Foundry LIFX calls this bulb a “SuperColor” light to tout its brightness, with the bulb topping out at 1,600 lumens, marking the brightest light LIFX has ever produced. For red, green, and blue colors, the bulb can glow at up to 300, 655, and 167 lumens respectively. To be clear, other smart light brands (such as Philips Hue) also offer color-capable 1,600-lumen A21 bulbs. Still, the LIFX A21 looks quite striking when it’s cranked up all the way on a primary color. The LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21 bulb can shine in various shades of white light, too, with the bulb tunable from a candlelight-warm 1,500 Kelvin to a blue-sky 9,000K. That’s an impressively wide range, compared to the 2,500-6,500K white color temperatures we see from typical tunable-white bulbs.  Like LIFX’s other products, the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21 connects via Wi-Fi and doesn’t require a hub. This A21 bulb also supports Matter, and thus it it works with all the major smart home ecosystems, including Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings.  Setup  The first step to getting the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21 up and running is to download the LIFX app. If you don’t already have an account, you’ll need to create one by submitting your email account and creating a password (there is no option for using your Apple, Facebook, or Google account).  Once you’ve registered your account with LIFX, you simply tap the “+” button on the Home screen; you’ll then need to choose whether you want to add a new device, a new routine, a new scene, or a new schedule.   Pick “New Product,” select “New light,” then wait for the app to detect the bulb; in my case, the bulb popped up instantly (there’s also a manual pairing process that entails connecting to the bulb’s local Wi-Fi network).   Finally, scan the Matter code stamped on the back of the user manual; you’ll need the Matter QR code if you ever need to re-pair the bulb, so don’t lose it.  Once that’s done, you can add the A21 bulb to a room within your LIFX “home.” You can also add the light to other smart home apps with help from the Matter code.  Say what you will about the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light’s design, but it sure is bright. Say what you will about the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light’s design, but it sure is bright.Ben Patterson/Foundry Say what you will about the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light’s design, but it sure is bright.Ben Patterson/Foundry Ben Patterson/Foundry Features and functionality  The intuitive LIFX app keeps things sleek yet simple, serving up a four-tab interface that (on the iOS version of the app) you can either tap or swipe though.   Your light groups are on the first tab, each designated by room-themed tiles (kitchen, living room, and so on) with color-coded sliders on the side. The color coding tells you the current hue of the grouped lights, and you can move the slider to adjust the brightness. Tap the tile to arrive at another tabbed interface, with tabs for color wheels, effects (for making your lights twinkle, strobe, flicker, or sync with music captured by your handset’s microphone), themes (such as pop, Van Gogh, mellow, festive, and ocean), and color swatches.  Back on the main interface, the “My Scenes” tab lets you take a snapshot of the current lighting configuration. You can pick and choose which groups and/or individual lights are included in the scene, as well as choose whether a scene should fade in or turn on immediately.  The third tab surfaces LIFX’s lighting effects again, this time allowing you to apply effects to light groups or your entire home. You can also tinker with the speed and intensity of certain effect modes.   The sleek LIFX app interface lets you tinker with color wheels (left), pick a light effects mode (center), and choose from dozens of preset themes (right). The sleek LIFX app interface lets you tinker with color wheels (left), pick a light effects mode (center), and choose from dozens of preset themes (right).Ben Patterson/Foundry The sleek LIFX app interface lets you tinker with color wheels (left), pick a light effects mode (center), and choose from dozens of preset themes (right).Ben Patterson/Foundry Ben Patterson/Foundry Finally, the fourth tab allows you to create daily or weekly schedules that can control individual lights or light groups, or can activate lighting scenes. These automations can be triggered at specific times or at sunrise or sunset. One feature that isn’t offered is a vacation mode that turns your lights on and off to simulate your presense when you’re away from home.  Besides using the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21 using the LIFX app, you can also control it via the Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings apps. That means you can add the LIFX bulb to Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and Samsung SmartThings automations, as well as group the bulb with non-LIFX products. But LIFX scenes and animated light effects are only available through the LIFX app.  Specifications Dimensions: 2.64 x 2.64 x 4.53 inches (WxDxH) Weight: 9.55 oz Bulb shape: A21 Base: E26 Brightness: 1,600 lumens Color-capable: Yes White temperatures: 1,500-9,000 Kelvin Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi Hub requirement: None Matter support: Yes Should you buy the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21?  The versatile LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21 occupies the middle ground of the smart lighting market—not as pricey as Philips Hue’s high-end bulbs, not as flimsy as some of the cheaper smart lights we’ve tested. It’s solid and substantial (if a tad heavy), bright and colorful, easy to install, packs in plenty of features, and boasts an intuitive and elegant app, all while keeping its price tag in line.  Now, those who want a bulb that fits into a rich smart lighting ecosystem might do better going the Philips Hue way, as LIFX is only now refreshing its smart light portfolio after having sat out the past few years. But the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21 still offers plenty of functionality for the price, and with Feit Electric’s backing, LIFX seems poised to shore up its catalog sooner rather than later. Lighting

Whither Spotify HiFi? Great question.  Announced more than three (!) years ago, Spotify HiFi was supposed to finally bring lossless audio to the world’s biggest streaming-music service.   Pop stars were trotted out to promote the new feature, experts detailed the benefits lossless audio would bring to listeners, and a launch window was announced.  And then… nothing.  Three years after Spotify announced HiFi, we’re still wondering what happened to the feature. Spotify has remained mostly mum, although the company has offered a few comments about HiFi’s fate, while scattered rumors and leaks have hinted that Spotify HiFi might still—in one form or another—see the light of day.  Here’s what we know–and don’t know–about Spotify HiFi, and when it might finally arrive. Updated April 11, 2024: More leaks on Reddit are pointing toward lossless Spotify playback (which may no longer be called “Spotify HiFi”) arriving in a new “Music Pro” add-on that also includes “advanced mixing” features. Scroll down to the “When will Spotify HiFi come out?” section for more. Spotify HiFi release date: Your questions answered 1. What is Spotify HiFi? First announced back in February 2021, Spotify HiFi was described as a way for Spotify Premium users to “upgrade their sound quality” to a “CD-quality, lossless audio format.” Typically, “CD-quality” means streaming audio encoded with 16-bit depth and a 44.1kHz sampling rate.  But the key term here is “lossless,” which means that the audio stream contains exactly the same sonic detail as its source.  The main selling point here is that you’d be hearing the music in the precise way the artist intended–and indeed, Spotify posted a video (which has since been marked “private”) in which Billie Eilish and Finneas extolled the virtues of lossless audio streaming. As it stands, Spotify streams audio at 320Kbps in the “lossy” Ogg Vorbis format, which means the audio stream has been compressed and is losing a fair amount of detail in the interest of conserving bandwidth.  2. When was Spotify HiFi supposed to come out? Spotify never gave a precise release date for Spotify HiFi, but during its 2021 announcement, it said the feature would arrive “later this year” in “select” markets. Of course, it’s fair to say that Spotify HiFi missed its launch window by a wide margin. 3. When will Spotify HiFi come out? The short answer: We don’t know when Spotify HiFi will arrive, but there have been hints that the feature is still in the works. According to a June 2023 report from Bloomberg, Spotify was prepping a new and pricier tier that would “likely” including Spotify HiFi, along with “expanded” access to audiobooks. The new tier, which Spotify reportedly called “Supremium” behind closed doors, would become Spotify’s priciest plan, albeit in “non-U.S. markets” to start, the Bloomberg report said. The Bloomberg story also noted that this so-called “Supremium” plan would likely arrive by the end of 2023. But so far, no dice. Later, in September 2023, a Spotify user poking around the official Spotify app said they found code that appeared to back up the Bloomberg report, including evidence that Spotify HiFi might actually offer high-resolution (i.e., better than 16-bit/44kHz) as well as lossless tracks. The code didn’t offer any details on when Spotify HiFi might actually arrive, however. [Updated April 11, 2024] Then, in April 2024, the same Spotify user found code in more recent versions of the Spotify app hinting that that the (never unveiled) Supremium tier “is dead.” In its place: a “Music Pro” add-on that would offer up to 24-bit/44.1kHz lossless playback plus a headphone “enhancement/optimization” feature. Music Pro could also include “advanced mixing” tools similar to those detailed in this Wall Street Journal article, the Reddit user said. No word on pricing, however. Spotify never confirmed the Bloomberg report or the other leaks, but Spotify execs have previously insisted that Spotify HiFi is still coming. Speaking with The Verge in March 2023, Spotify co-president Gustav Söderström said that the company is “still going to do” Spotify HiFi, but that “we’re going to do it in a way where it makes sense for us and for our listeners,” adding that “the industry changed and we had to adapt.” (We’ll discuss exactly how the industry changed in a moment.) Söderström didn’t offer a timeline for when Spotify HiFi might finally arrive, beyond a vague “at some point.” Going further back to January 2022, the company offered a vaguely worded statement that offered scant details about Spotify HiFi’s fate: “We know that HiFi quality audio is important to you. We feel the same, and we’re excited to deliver a Spotify HiFi experience to Premium users in the future. But we don’t have timing details to share yet. We will of course update you here when we can.“ We reached out to Spotify shortly after that announcement, but a rep would only say that the company did “not have anything further to share on HiFi beyond the excitement for the future launch.” There have been other hints about Spotify HiFi’s arrival. According to an October 2022 post on Reddit, a longtime Spotify user who had recently switched to Apple Music claimed they got a survey detailed a new plan–“Spotify Platinum”–that boasts HiFi, as well as other features such as “Studio Sound,” a “Headphone Tuner,” “Audio Insights,” “Library Pro,” “Playlist Pro,” and “limited-ad” podcasts, all for an extra charge (more on that in a moment). The Redditor said the survey asked if they would switch back to Spotify “in the nest 30 days” for “one of [those] features.” Obviously, those 30 days came and went without any sign of Spotify Platinum actually appearing. Even further back, a “HiFi” icon was spotted in the Spotify app back in May 2021 and a leaked “Hi, HiFi” video that made the rounds a few months later. 4. How much will Spotify HiFi cost? While Spotify has never come out and said that HiFi will cost extra, the wording of its initial announcement–“Premium subscribers in select markets will be able to upgrade their sound quality to Spotify HiFi”–suggests that HiFi is either an add-on or included in a new plan, such as the possible Spotify Platinum tier.  Bloomberg’s 2023 report about Spotify “Supremium” said the new tier–including HiFi functionality–would be Spotify’s priciest yet, while the purported survey cited in the “Spotify Platinum” rumor detailed above pegged the price at $19.99 a month. (Of course, given how much time has passed since those reports and rumors were published, any specific price points they mentioned should be taken with a grain of salt.) Meanwhile, the aforementioned Spotify user who had been digging around the Spotify app found a reference to a $19.99/month price within the app’s code, but added that “this could just be a placeholder.” It’s also worth noting that Spotify tested CD-quality audio streams as early as 2017, and at that time, it charged an extra $7.50 a month for the privilege.  5. Why hasn’t Spotify HiFi come out yet? Good question. Back in February 2022, Spotify CEO Daniel Ed blamed “licensing” issues when asked about the fate of Spotify HiFi during a company earnings call. Here’s the exact quote, as reported by TechCrunch: “Many of the features that we talk about and especially that’s related to music ends up into licensing,” Ek told investors. “So I can’t really announce any specifics on this other than to say that we’re in constant dialogue with our partners to bring this to market.” There is another reason that Spotify might have delayed Spotify HiFi: because it got caught flat-footed by Apple and Amazon, a development that Spotify’s Söderström referred to (“the industry changed”) earlier. Just three months after the Spotify HiFi announcement, Amazon and Apple both announced (separately, but on the same day) that they would begin offering lossless, high-resolution, and spatial audio music tracks, all for no extra charge. (Apple was completely new to lossless and spatial audio streaming, while Amazon had previously been charging extra for lossless and spatial tracks.) Following the Amazon and Apple announcements, the prospect of paying extra (most likely) for only CD-quality music and (probably) no spatial audio began to lose its appeal, so perhaps Spotify chose to retreat and regroup. 6. Will Spotify HiFi offer high-resolution music streaming? Plenty of Spotify’s streaming music rivals, including Amazon Music Unlimited, Apple Music, Qobuz, and Tidal, offer “high-resolution” music streaming–that is, audio that’s encoded at a higher resolution and sampling rate than CD-quality 16-bit/44.1kHz audio tracks.  Most industry types agree that 24-bit/48kHz is the threshold for high-resolution audio, and those streamers that support it deliver high-res streams all the way up to 24-bit/192kHz. But Spotify never said anything about high-resolution audio in its initial Spotify HiFi announcement; all it promised was “CD-quality” audio, which qualifies as “hi-fi” but not “hi-res.” That said, the Spotify user who previously revealed details hidden in the Spotify app noted that code made reference to “24-bit Lossless music,” indicating that Spotify HiFi might offer high-resolution audio after all. In any event, it’s a matter of heated debate whether the human ear can actually tell the difference between CD-quality and high-resolution audio–or for that matter, whether most folks can discern the difference between lossy and lossless. We won’t dive into lossy-vs.-lossless rabbit hole here. 7. Will Spotify HiFi offer spatial audio? As with high-resolution audio, Spotify never said anything about spatial audio–that is, music tracks that have been mixed with 3D surround effects–in its Spotify HiFi announcement. Meanwhile, Spotify competitors Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Tidal do offer spatial audio tracks in such formats as Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio. Again, Spotify might actually have spatial audio plans in the works–and perhaps that’s what the “Studio Sound” and/or “Headphone Tuner” features from the Spotify Platinum rumors are all about. 8. Will Spotify HiFi get cancelled? Well, anything’s possible, and Spotify has been known to nix high-profile features that never quite took off. For example, Spotify pulled the plug on Car Thing, a small touchscreen display that you could install on a car dashboard for on-the-road Spotify streaming. For its part, Spotify said that while Car Thing “worked as intended,” it chose to halt production of the $80 device due to “product demand and supply chain issues,” among other factors. Spotify also has a history of testing, teasing, and rolling out new features that later disappear–or even reappear–without explanation. But while Spotify seems willing to cancel features that aren’t working, it also likes to experiment, and Spotify HiFi could be a project that Spotify is content to tinker with indefinitely. For what it’s worth, the official Spotify HiFi announcement is still live on Spotify’s website. 9. So, what’s next with Spotify HiFi? Those of us still curious about Spotify HiFi tend to focus our attention on Spotify’s quarterly earnings reports, when the company shares its balance sheet and (sometimes) details upcoming features, price changes, and other initiatives. There’s also a conference call where analysts get to quiz Spotify executives, who occasionally get asked about Spotify HiFi. Spotify’s next quarterly earnings report (for the fourth quarter of 2023) is due February 6, 2024, and you can bet we’ll be listening. Update (2/6/2024): Nope, nothing. Updated on April 11, 2024 to add new developments and analysis. Streaming Media

Yale, one of the oldest lock manufacturers in the world, has announced an all-new retrofit smart lock, the Yale Approach Lock with Wi-Fi. Affordably priced at $129.99, the lock is also available bundled with Yale’s exterior keypad for $179.99. The primary appeal of installing a retrofit smart lock is that it doesn’t require the wholesale replacement of your existing lock. The smart component fits over the interior element of the deadbolt that’s already in place. This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart locks. That makes retrofit locks like the Yale Approach a great option for people looking for an easy smart home upgrade, homeowners who don’t want to alter their door’s exterior aesthetic, or renters who otherwise can’t change their locks at all. Yale says the lock can be installed in 10 minutes with just a screwdriver. The Yale Approach retrofit smart lock doesn’t require you to replace your existing deadbolt. The Yale Approach retrofit smart lock doesn’t require you to replace your existing deadbolt.Yale The Yale Approach retrofit smart lock doesn’t require you to replace your existing deadbolt.Yale Yale This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart locks. Available in Black Suede and Silver, Yale says the Approach has a very slim profile—1.6 inches off the door—and that its design takes cues from the company’s Yale Assure Lock 2 product line. The lock operates over Bluetooth and comes with the Yale Connect Wi-Fi Bridge plugged into a nearby electrical outlet. Users can use the Yale Access app to operate the lock anywhere they have internet access. The app also enables keyless entry with PIN codes for residents and guests, and it maintains an event log so you can keep track of who’s coming and going. In addition, the Yale Approach can be integrated into the Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and Philips Hue smart home ecosystems. Yale says Matter compatibility will come later, via a software update. The lock can also be operated with the Yale Keypad, a battery-powered, weather-resistant (IPX5) numeric keypad that communicates with the lock via Bluetooth. They keypad looks to be a significant improvement over Yale’s August Smart Keypad, and it is in fact also compatible with Yale’s August Wi-Fi Smart Lock. The new keypad can be purchased separately for $69.99 or bundled with the August lock for $229.99. Yale says the Yale Approach is available now at both Yale’s online store and at August.com. The lock will be available at Amazon and other retailers soon. Smart Locks

At a glanceExpert's Rating ProsA 2nd down-facing camera to watches over packagesOperates on either battery or low-voltage powerMotion and body-heat detection2K video offers crisp viewsNo subscription requiredConsDoorbell must be dismounted to charge its batteryDoesn’t work with Google Home MiniNo Apple Homekit supportOur VerdictThe Eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual (model E340) offers some of the best views of the front porch you can get in a smart doorbell, and its motion and delivery detection is great. This camera’s Google Home support is lacking, on the other hand, and there’s no Apple HomeKit integration at all. Best Prices Today: Eufy Video Doorbell Dual (Model E340) Retailer Price £116.65 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Most doorbell cameras have blind spots, particularly when it comes to the area of your porch directly beneath them. Because they prioritize a view of the person standing at the door, their field of view focuses on your visitor’s upper body. That’s not the case with the Eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual (model E340). It uses a second camera pointing almost straight down to also capture the ground directly in front of it. Thanks to this feature, you’ll your packages even when they’re right against the wall the doorbell is mounted to.  This isn’t an entirely new idea, the Maximus Answer DualCam Video Doorbell we reviewed in early 2020 can do the same trick, albeit at much lower resolution and requiring hardwired power. I like the Eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual more than most other doorbell cams on the market. Installation Setting up the Eufy video doorbell can be quick and easy if you’re going all wireless, or about the same as any other video doorbell if you’re wiring it to your existing doorbell’s connection, which isn’t necessarily difficult, but it can be a pain with some doorbell chimes. The kit comes with all the hardware required to mount the bracket and a couple of jumper wire options to connect to your existing doorbell wires if you’re going for a wired installation. The Eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual comes with everything you need for basic battery-powered installation and wiring to connect it to existing doorbell wires. The Eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual comes with everything you need for basic battery-powered installation and wiring to connect it to existing doorbell wires. Foundry / Robert Strohmeyer The Eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual comes with everything you need for basic battery-powered installation and wiring to connect it to existing doorbell wires. Foundry / Robert Strohmeyer Foundry / Robert Strohmeyer Wireless installation is simply a matter of charging up the battery, screwing the mounting bracket into your wall, and then snapping the doorbell into place. Install the mobile app, scan the QR code on the back to connect the doorbell, follow the on-screen instructions to connect it to Wi-Fi, and assign the doorbell a name.  This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best video doorbells. Wired installation is straightforward, but—as with any wired doorbell—more involved. Two screws on the back of the doorbell connect to the two wires coming out of the wall (these connect to your existing transformer and chime). Eufy gives you jumper cables in the package, which is great for those whose in-wall wires may be short. Just slip the spade connectors on the jumper wires under the screws on your doorbell, tighten them up, and then connect the other ends of the wires to the wires in your wall with the provided wire nuts. Doorbell wiring is non-polarized, so you can connect either wire to either terminal on the doorbell itself. The Eufy app setup is straightforward, and concludes with updating the doorbell’s firmware. The Eufy app setup is straightforward, and concludes with updating the doorbell’s firmware. Foundry / Robert Strohmeyer The Eufy app setup is straightforward, and concludes with updating the doorbell’s firmware. Foundry / Robert Strohmeyer Foundry / Robert Strohmeyer The battery-powered installation relies on the Eufy Security mobile app to notify you when someone’s at the door, and it can also alert you via Google Home and Alexa devices. With the wired installation, you also get a connection to any existing chime hardware inside your home.  Using the Eufy Video Doorbell Dual The Eufy E340 video doorbell compares favorably with the major options from Google Nest and Ring. While it does require Eufy’s app and doesn’t integrate particularly well with Google Assistant—and it doesn’t work at all with Apple Homekit—the Eufy Security app is robust and well designed. It feels like a drop-in replacement for Nest’s user experience, with a few extra options that are pretty compelling.  The immediately obvious difference between the Eufy camera and other doorbell cams you may have tried is the secondary view of the porch (or your visitor’s feet, as the case may be). With most cameras, your view is likely to stop at the visitor’s ankles, unless they’re standing back a bit from the door. If the Amazon driver drops a small package directly underneath most other doorbells, you may not see it at all. With Eufy’s dual-cam doorbell, you see the whole picture with two slightly overlapping views. While I was initially put-off by the visible break between the two images in the app, I quickly grew to love seeing a dedicated view of the entire porch. The down-facing camera captured even packages that were dropped close to the wall or off to the side of the doorbell. That alone is worth the price of admission.  The Eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual offers a uniquely full view of the porch with its secondary down-facing camera.  The Eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual offers a uniquely full view of the porch with its secondary down-facing camera.  Foundry / Robert Strohmeyer The Eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual offers a uniquely full view of the porch with its secondary down-facing camera.  Foundry / Robert Strohmeyer Foundry / Robert Strohmeyer The Eufy’s motion detection is also far smarter than many other doorbell cameras. A thermal sensor located beneath the main camera picks up body heat and helps reduce false alarms. You can adjust the motion sensitivity in the app as well, so if you’re still getting false positives from small animals passing by, the issue is easy to address. As visitors and deliveries come and go, the app sends customizable notifications, including whether to include images. Eufy’s onboard AI adeptly identified packages and pickups, with fewer errors than other smart doorbells I’ve tried.  While the Eufy E340’s 6500mAh battery lasts an insanely long time, you’ll still need to take the camera down from time to time to recharge it (there are various power-saving options you can set in the app). While this is easy to do with a paperclip–perhaps too easy, considering a thief could steal it–the doorbell will be out of commission while it’s battery is being charged. Eufy estimates it will take 3 hours to charge the battery from 0- to 100 percent with a 5V 2A charger, and twice that long if you’re using a 5V 1A charger. Ring has a better solution for its battery-powered video doorbells: The battery can be removed for charging; so, if you buy a spare battery, you’ll have almost no down time at all. In Eufy’s favor, however, its doorbell has a motion-activated alarm that blares and alerts you with a push notification if it’s tampered with.   Eufy has an increasingly broad array of home security cameras and smart lighting products, but it doesn’t offer a true home security system with a central hub, siren, door/window sensors, and a professional monitoring option. If that’s what you’re looking for, consider an Abode, ADT, Arlo, Ring Alarm, Simplisafe or similar offering instead. What Eufy does offer is local storage for its cameras video recordings. The E340 has 8GB of local storage, or you can connect it to one of Eufy’s HomeBase network-attached storage boxes, which can host up to 16TB of user-provided storage. This eliminates the need to pay for a subscription for storage in the cloud. Competing video doorbells from Arlo, Ring, and some others are nearly useless without a subscription. Should you buy a Eufy Video Doorbell Dual? The Eufy Video Doorbell Dual (model E340) has a lot to recommend it, and its dual-camera array is the bees knees, but it has some shortcomings as well. If your smart home revolves around Google Home or Apple HomeKit, for example, you’ll want to pass, as you can’t use a Google Home smart speaker as a chime, and it doesn’t support HomeKit at all. The situation is better with Amazon Echo smart speakers. Ultimately, I like the Eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual more than most other doorbell cams on the market, but as a heavy Google Home and Apple HomeKit user in a household of mixed platforms, it doesn’t meet my needs. I otherwise give this device a hearty thumbs-up on its own merits. Video Doorbells

Shopping for home internet service just got easier, thanks to an overdue act of government regulation—at least in theory. As of April 10, major internet service providers (ISPs) in the U.S. must provide “Broadband Facts” labels to prospective customers, under FCC rules approved in late 2022. Modeled after the “Nutrition Facts” labels the FDA mandates for packaged food, these broadband labels must disclose typical download and upload speeds, full non-promotional pricing, data caps, and hidden fees as part of the sign-up process. As you might expect, not all ISPs are embracing the opportunity for transparency. Many have tried their best to hide the new labels from consumers; and in some cases, they omit key details, such as data cap overage charges and equipment rental fees. This is no surprise given that cable companies lobbied hard against broadband labels to begin with. Let’s take a closer look by examining the placement and content of each major ISP’s Broadband Facts labels and grading them accordingly: Charter Spectrum Spectrum’s Broadband Facts labels are hidden behind a tiny text link. Spectrum’s Broadband Facts labels are hidden behind a tiny text link.Jared Newman / Foundry Spectrum’s Broadband Facts labels are hidden behind a tiny text link.Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry Charter really doesn’t want you to see Spectrum’s broadband labels, which are hidden by default on the plan selection page. To find them, you must click the tiny “Broadband Label” text beneath each plan or check off the “Show all Broadband Labels” box at the top. A customer who was unfamiliar with the FCC’s new rules might skip over the disclosures entirely. One can understand why Charter is so eager to obfuscate: By clicking those labels, you’ll see that Spectrum’s actual internet price jumps by $45 to $55 per month after promo rates expire, and customers face additional fees for activation, reconnection, and late payments. Grade: C- Comcast Xfinity Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry Comcast’s Broadband Facts label looks more like a billing statement than a nutritional guide, but at least the information is easy to find, appearing directly next to your selected plan with no extra clicks required. The top of the label makes clear that Comcast customers face steep price hikes after their promo rates expire, and it links to the company’s documentation on bringing your own equipment. Still, the label stumbles over Comcast’s biggest gotcha: Unlimited data costs an extra $15 per month as part of a cable modem rental fee, or $30 per month if you use your own modem. These two fee options appear at opposite ends of the label, and nowhere does Comcast specify its data limits and overage fees for customers who don’t pay the toll. Grade: B- Cox Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry Much like Spectrum, Cox requires an extra click to view its Broadband Facts labels, though you can also find them by scrolling down the page. But Cox also employs a separate act of misdirection. Above each “View Broadband Facts Label” link, you’ll find a separate “Plan Details” link with more marketing fluff and one key omission: It doesn’t list the overage fees for exceeding Cox’s 1TB data cap. (As the actual Broadband Facts label makes clear, customers must pay $10 for each additional 50GB.) The “Plan Details” page also doesn’t tell you that Cox’s free Wi-Fi equipment jumps to $15 per month after two years. Cox’s separate “Plan Details” page omits important details. Cox’s separate “Plan Details” page omits important details.Jared Newman / Foundry Cox’s separate “Plan Details” page omits important details.Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry One other notable quirk: While Cox’s plan selection page advertises “up to” a certain speed for each tier, its nutrition labels show “typical” speeds that exceed the advertised limit. So what exactly are customers getting? Grade: D+ Verizon Fios Clicking the tiny link scrolls down to the label, pictured on the right. Clicking the tiny link scrolls down to the label, pictured on the right.Jared Newman / Foundry Clicking the tiny link scrolls down to the label, pictured on the right.Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry To find Verizon’s broadband labels, you must scroll to the bottom of the plan selection page or click a tiny “Jump to broadband facts labels” link, which is hidden beneath a bevvy of other options halfway down the page. Even worse, the labels themselves suffer from conflicting or missing information. While Verizon’s plan selection box states that average download speeds range from 750- to 940 Mbps for a gigabit plan, the FCC-mandated label shows a “typical” download speed of 939.67 Mbps. The label also doesn’t say anything about equipment rental fees, even though Verizon offers a range of free and paid options, and it doesn’t link to information about bringing your own equipment. Grade: D T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Clicking the “Broadband Facts” drop-down shows the full label, pictured on the right. Clicking the “Broadband Facts” drop-down shows the full label, pictured on the right.Jared Newman / Foundry Clicking the “Broadband Facts” drop-down shows the full label, pictured on the right.Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry T-Mobile’s Broadband Facts label appears prominently on the plan detail page, and while you do have to click a drop-down button to see the whole thing, T-Mobile shows enough of the label up front to make its purpose clear. The only major problem is conflicting data. While the label advertises typical upload speeds between 15- and 31 Mbps, T-Mobile’s FAQ section says to expect uploads between 6- and 23 Mbps instead. That could be a make-or-break difference if you need a plan that can handle multiple Zoom calls at the same time. Grade: B+ Optimum Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry While Optimum doesn’t list its labels directly on the plan selection page, it does include a big blue “Broadband Facts” button below each plan, leading to an easy-to-read pop-up. But there’s still room for improvement. The label’s “typical” download speeds exceed the maximum speed that Optimum advertises, and there’s no information about equipment fees. (Optimum’s basic Wi-Fi gateway is free, but range extenders cost extra.) And while the label says the price increases “in periodic increments” after 12 months up to the regular rate, there’s no way to see what those increments are or when they apply. Grade: C+ CenturyLink Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry While most internet providers are treating broadband labels as secondary to their own marketing, CenturyLink made them a fundamental part of its signup flow. Enter a valid service address, and you’ll land on a plan selection screen in which the FCC-mandated labels serve as the sole description of your options. There’s no marketing filler at all here, just a utilitarian rundown of what your money gets you. Yes, we can ding CenturyLink for not linking to any bring-your-own modem documentation, or for showing “typical” speeds that exceed the company’s advertised maximums. Yet no other ISP has embraced both the spirit and the letter of the FCC’s rules to the extent that CenturyLink has. Grade: A- AT&T Fiber Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry Jared Newman / Foundry Who’d have thought that the best Broadband Facts implementation would come from AT&T? The telco’s labels appear prominently beneath each plan with no extra clicking required, so the experience truly feels akin to flipping over a bag of chips for its nutritional damage. The information is clear, the “typical” speeds line up with what AT&T advertises, and the only nitpick is that it doesn’t show the cost of additional Wi-Fi range extenders. Bear in mind that AT&T’s fiber service has no data caps, no modem rental fees, and no rate hikes beyond the advertised price. It turns out that transparent marketing isn’t all that difficult when there’s nothing egregious to hide. Grade: A You’ll find additional information about the FCC’s Broadband Facts label at PCWorld. Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter to get more streaming advice every Friday. Streaming Media

One of the first things I did as a new Roku user was to start adding channels to the Home screen, from Netflix and Disney+ to Apple TV+ and HBO Max. But once I had all my channels installed, I hit a roadblock. How exactly do you rearrange all those channel tiles? Personally, I like having Netflix up top, along with such oft-used services as Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video, but they were all jumbled in the middle of the channel grid. Meanwhile, there were some channels I wanted to nix, such as People TV and Roku’s Getting Started channel. If you’re new to Roku, it’s easy to get stuck trying to move or delete channels on the Home screen, given that there’s no obvious way to rearrange your tiles. More experienced Roku users, however, will know the trick: the ever-useful “*” button, a.k.a. Options, which reveals contextual and related options when pressed. Once you’re familiar with the Options button, rearranging the channels on the Home screen is a snap. How to move channels from the Roku home screen At a glance Time to complete: 5 minutesTools required: NoneMaterials required: Roku streaming video player or Roku TVCost: $0 1. Select the Roku channel to move Ben Patterson/Foundry Go to the Home tab on the main Roku screen, press the “>” button on the remote, then navigate to the channel tile that you’d like to move. 2. Select ‘Move channel’ from the Options menu Ben Patterson/Foundry Next, press the “*” button on the remote. When you do, a menu will pop up with a variety of options, allowing you to rate the channel, check for updates, submit feedback, and so on. The option you’re looking for is Move channel; go ahead and click it. 3. Use arrow buttons to move the channel Ben Patterson/Foundry Now, you’ll see the channel tiles again, except this time the one you selected will be surrounded by arrows. Using the arrow keys on the remote, move the channel tile around until it’s in the ideal position, then press the OK button. All set! How to delete channels on Roku 1. Check before deleting a Roku channel Ben Patterson/Foundry Ben Patterson/Foundry Ben Patterson/Foundry Want to delete a channel tile? Before you do, you should check and see if you’re subscribed to it—and if so, whether you subscribed through your Roku account. To find out, visit my.roku.com and select Manage Your Subscriptions. If the channel you want to delete is listed, be sure to unsubscribe first. 2. Select ‘Remove channel’ from the Options menu Ben Patterson/Foundry Ben Patterson/Foundry Ben Patterson/Foundry Once you’ve finished checking your subscription (if you had one in the first place), deleting a channel on Roku is similar to moving a channel. Just navigate to the channel you want to nix, press the “*” (Options) button, then select Remove channel. Streaming Media

In another sign that Amazon is changing course with Alexa, the company has warned developers that it will soon stop paying them to build Alexa skills.  As spotted by Bloomberg, Amazon posted a notice on its Alexa development site noting that it would soon end its seven-year-old program that awarded Amazon Web Services credits to developers who built and published Alexa skills.  Amazon will cease issuing AWS credits for Alexa skills after June 30, the notice says.  This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart speakers. Bloomberg also reports that Amazon will end monthly cash payments to the developers of popular Alexa skills, although Alexa developers will still be allowed to collect revenue from in-app purchases.  In a statement to TechHive, an Amazon spokesperson said the company chose to “sunset” the rewards programs because they had “run their course.”  “These are older programs launched back in 2017 as a way to help newer developers interested in building skills accelerate their progress,” the rep said. “Today, there are over 160,000 skills available for customers, a well-established Alexa developer community, and new LLM-powered tools that will help developers build new experiences for Alexa.” Less than 1 percent of Alexa developers were still using the two rewards programs, according to the Bloomberg report. Amazon has originally viewed Alexa skills as a major revenue driver for its then-nascent voice assistant. But while some early developers of Alexa skills reaped thousands of dollars a month for their Alexa skills, many more found the effort wasn’t worth the meager return. Amazon wasn’t making much money from Alexa skills either, Bloomberg reports, and thus began shrinking the size of its cash payments to Alexa developers starting in 2020. Amazon’s move follows the unveiling last fall of a revamped version of Alexa that’s powered by Amazon’s new large language model.  The new Alexa is capable of such feats as conducting smooth, open-ended conversations, writing stories and invitations, responding to a user’s emotions, and obeying natural-language commands for controlling smart home devices.  Amazon execs have said the company is considering charging for this new “superhuman” version of Alexa, while the original Alexa would remain free. That said, there is reportedly dissent within Amazon about the feasibility of charging extra for a so-called “Alexa Plus,” with the AI-enhanced Alexa said to be “falling short of expectations.”  Updated shortly after publication with a statement from Amazon. Smart Speakers

Roku is shipping the Roku Pro Series TVs it announced at CES in January. The new line of smart TVs feature higher-end specifications, more powerful image processing, and come with what looks to be a much-improved remote control with backlit buttons. And if Roku’s software powers your TV from another maker, you can look for big improvements there, too. The Roku Pro series Roku is using quantum-dot panels with 4K resolution, 120Hz refresh rates, 10-bit color, and mini-LED backlighting for its Roku Pro series. The TVs will be available in 55-inch ($900), 65-inch ($1,200), and 75-inch ($1,800) SKUs. A thin, wall-mount accessory is available for $99 to complement the already wall-hugging design. We haven’t reviewed one, but if they’re anything like Roku’s existing models, the Pro Series will be very good TVs, thanks in part to those mini LEDs, but also from some seriously upgraded processing power. A separate neural engine now handles picture quality concerns, allowing the CPU itself to deliver snappier interface performance. A thin profile Roku Pro Series TV hanging above artsy flames. A thin profile Roku Pro Series TV hanging above artsy flames. A thin profile Roku Pro Series TV hanging above artsy flames. We also expect good things from the Pro-series’ side-firing speakers, which should add a sense of space and separation to both stereo and surround audio. The Pro-series’ thin design means bass response will likely be limited, but you can’t have everything; i.e., you can’t have both thin and thumpy. Well, not unless you’re Sony and you vibrate the actual glass of your OLED panel. LED-backlit LCD manufacturers don’t vibrate the display because the multiple layers of those panels might separate in response to prolonged thrumming. That, my friends, would do nothing good for the picture. If you lose your TV remote nearly as often as I do, you’ll appreciate this insanely handy feature of the Pro Series: Push a button on the side of Roku Pro-series TV and the remote will chime, making it easier to find. I hope this becomes an industry standard soon. Press the purple button on the side of a Roku Pro-series TV and the Pro-series remote will chime. Press the purple button on the side of a Roku Pro-series TV and the Pro-series remote will chime. Press the purple button on the side of a Roku Pro-series TV and the Pro-series remote will chime. My only wish is that Roku offered its Pro-series in smaller sizes. The Roku Voice Remote Pro (revision 2) The Roku Voice Remote Pro (revision 2) will be available for purchase on its own for $30, and it offers several big improvements. The most obvious change–and perhaps the most useful–is that its buttons are now backlit. That will make the remote vastly easier to use in a darkened home theater. There’s also now a single, dual-function programmable launch button above the two preset buttons on the right-hand side. This replaces the two programmable buttons from the last version, however, you can select on screen from two functions. We’re not 100% sure this is progress, but it’s aesthetically a bit nicer. Finally, the remote has a larger rechargeable battery. Being a Roku user, I seriously want one of these. As simple as it is, the Roku remote has always been easy to use by touch, but that doesn’t make the Pro remote v2’s backlighting any less welcome. As simple as it is, the Roku remote has always been easy to use by touch, but that doesn’t make the Pro remote v2’s backlighting any less welcome. As simple as it is, the Roku remote has always been easy to use by touch, but that doesn’t make the Pro remote v2’s backlighting any less welcome. Smarter picture optimization Basically, Roku Smart Picture selects the preset appropriate for the material being displayed. Personally, I use the same setting for everything, but I’m a Luddite and many users love to tweak. The presets themselves can be adjusted, so you still get the picture you want. You can turn off this feature if you wish. Choose Roku Smart Picture and your Roku TV will automatically select the relevant preset–if you so desire. Choose Roku Smart Picture and your Roku TV will automatically select the relevant preset–if you so desire. Choose Roku Smart Picture and your Roku TV will automatically select the relevant preset–if you so desire. This and most other new features in the Roku 13.0 operating system will be available to older Roku TVs, whether Roku built them or not. This, of course, depends on the quality and abilities of the hardware. And while it’s a bit late to the party, Roku has joined the TV-as-picture-frame gala with its “Backdrop” feature. As with other TVs, this simply displays static images or artwork in place of the black void which is a TV when it’s turned off. Be aware, however, that it will increase your home’s energy consumption. Artwork being displayed in Roku OS’s new Backdrop mode. This feature will be available in existing Roku TVs via a software update. Artwork being displayed in Roku OS’s new Backdrop mode. This feature will be available in existing Roku TVs via a software update. Artwork being displayed in Roku OS’s new Backdrop mode. This feature will be available in existing Roku TVs via a software update. While the Roku operating system has been losing ground to Google TV, I still prefer it, so the improvements are more than welcome. And we are quite sure the new Pro Series TVs will compare favorably with models in the same price range. For the nonce, we’ll ignore the company’s decidedly dictatorial handling of its new dispute resolution agreement. I find the agreement perfectly fine, being a non-litigious type. That said, no vendor should shut off features in a product you already own–no matter what the reason. This article was edited on April 11th, 2024 to correct the discussion of the programmable launch button on the new Pro remote. HDTVs, Smart TVs

At a glance ProsDual motors deliver extra flexibilityPhysical remote control and a well-designed appAffordably pricedConsHuge, and quite unattractiveRelatively limited air-cleaning powerOur VerdictIndependent motors mean you can clean the air and run the Dreo’s fan independently, but its imposing dimensions mean you’ll need to devote a large portion of your room to it. Want to clean the air and fill the room with a nice breeze at the same time? Dreo’s new Purifier Tower Fan 710S does double duty and, according to the company, is unique in offering two separate motors that perform these two tasks independently. Dreo accomplishes this by effectively stacking two devices on top of each other: A small air purifier on the bottom, and a tall tower-style bladeless fan on top. The strange duality of the combined device, at 23 pounds and nearly four feet tall–46.46 x 11.02 x 11.02 inches (HxWxD)–is pretty obvious from the get-go, and the finished product looks decidedly peculiar, as if James Dyson had set his mind on designing a modernized Tesla coil. 12 fan speeds are available, entirely independent from the 710S’s air purifier operations. Let’s analyze the device from the ground up. There’s a cylindrical purifier with a HEPA H13 filter inside its base. Dreo specifies a single CADR of 102 cubic feet per minute, and while it does not suggest a maximum room size for the device, it does bill the unit as suitable for “large space purification.” Still, that CADR is quite low for a device of this size and wouldn’t normally be appropriate for a large room. Three levels of purification speed are available, along with an auto mode that responds to ambient PM2.5 levels in real time. The Dreo Purifier Tower Fan 710S has an air purifier with a HEPA filter in its base, with a tower fan on top of it. Each of the two components has its own motor. The Dreo Purifier Tower Fan 710S has an air purifier with a HEPA filter in its base, with a tower fan on top of it. Each of the two components has its own motor.Christopher Null/Foundry The Dreo Purifier Tower Fan 710S has an air purifier with a HEPA filter in its base, with a tower fan on top of it. Each of the two components has its own motor.Christopher Null/Foundry Christopher Null/Foundry A fan sits atop the purifier, which Dreo says can pump out air at a speed of up to 27 feet per second, with fresh air reaching up to 39 feet away. I could feel some level of breeze at a range of at least 35 feet. The unit can also be set to oscillate with a maximum rotation of 120 degrees. Preset symmetric oscillation angles of 30, 60, 90, and 120 degrees are available, or you can opt for an asymmetric oscillation that, say, rotates 15 degrees to the right and 60 degrees to the left for a total of 75 degrees of coverage. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best air purifiers. Twelve fan speeds are available; again, independent from the purifier (which can be completely shut off while the fan runs, if desired). Additionally, the fan features four operational modes, including a sleep mode that slowly decreases in speed every half hour, a gentle breeze mode, and an auto mode that adapts the speed (and purifier) to both ambient temperature and air quality. At full blast—maximum purifier speed and maximum fan speed—the device gets pretty loud (61.7dB, per Dreo), but I was surprised to find it far from overwhelming. At lower speeds, it’s quiet enough to sleep by. A display on the front of the Dreo 710s reports ambient temperature, fan speed, air quality based on PM2.5, and remaining filter life. A display on the front of the Dreo 710s reports ambient temperature, fan speed, air quality based on PM2.5, and remaining filter life.Christopher Null/Foundry A display on the front of the Dreo 710s reports ambient temperature, fan speed, air quality based on PM2.5, and remaining filter life.Christopher Null/Foundry Christopher Null/Foundry All of this can be controlled in one of three ways: with its on-device control panel, a remote control, or the mobile app. Dreo’s onboard controls are all touch-sensitive and mounted on the top of the device. Plus and minus buttons control fan speed, and a leaf icon cycles through the four purification modes. A timer button lets you select an automatic shutoff up to 24 hours into the future. The remote control offers a small sampling of these features. On the front face of the device, above the fan grille, you’ll find an informational display that indicates a few pieces of information depending on the setting you’re on, including ambient temperature, fan speed, a PM2.5 air quality measurement, and remaining filter life. You can cycle through these with the Info button on top of the purifier. Beneath this readout is a color-coded bar corresponding to air quality. Four levels are indicated: Blue is excellent, red is poor. In addition to the remote control and smartphone app, you can control the Dreo 710S with its top-mounted touch control panel. In addition to the remote control and smartphone app, you can control the Dreo 710S with its top-mounted touch control panel.Christopher Null/Foundry In addition to the remote control and smartphone app, you can control the Dreo 710S with its top-mounted touch control panel.Christopher Null/Foundry Christopher Null/Foundry Dreo’s app offers a quick route to pairing with the fan and bridging it to your Wi-Fi network (2.4GHz networks only). Here you’ll primarily find more information about your air quality, including a PM2.5 measurement, ambient temperature, and a real-time filter-life countdown. Each of the above levels—fan speed, oscillation, and purification settings—can be tuned in a single pane in the app. The app also offers the only way to turn the display off manually, outside of putting it into sleep mode. Lastly, the app also features a capable scheduling system for setting up recurring on/off operations; support for Alexa and Google Assistant devices is also included. I had no trouble pairing the purifier to my phone and found that all of the features I’ve mentioned work well, although the onboard controls require a bit of a learning curve to master. The app is particularly well designed. That said, figuring out occasions when I might want to use a purifier and fan separately has been something of a challenge. When running the fan, I can’t envision a scenario when I wouldn’t want to also use the purifier—unless perhaps I was using the fan outdoors. The flipside makes more sense: You might not always want a fan running when the air needs cleaning, although I would not want this enormous machine in the room unless I knew I’d need its fan feature frequently. The good news is that the $300 price tag is decidedly reasonable for a device that does double duty, and while the fan can really put out a lot of air, the limited cleaning power of the purifier makes it less than ideal for scrubbing larger spaces. And at launch, Dreo was offering stackable coupon codes that knocked another $50 off the price if purchased direct from the manufacturer. Smart Appliances