Jon L. JacobiFreelance contributor, TechHive
Jon is a Juilliard-trained musician, former x86/6800 programmer, and long-time (late 70s) computer enthusiast living in the San Francisco bay area. jjacobi@pcworld.com
Best TVs: Our top picks, plus plain-language explanations of the most important specs and features
There are plenty of great smart TVs. Our guide cuts through the alphabet soup to tell everything you need to know to buy the one that's right for you.
The Sony Extra Bass WH-XB900N low-latency Bluetooth headphones sound good and effectively cancel noise, and you can crank the bass up with the phone app. They also support Google Assistant and Alexa.
By last year's standards, Samsung's RU8000 is a good TV; but this year, it's eclipsed in terms of both color and HDR performance by less-expensive competitors.
Synology DS419slim NAS box review: A low-profile, power-saving media server for the smart home
Designed for 2.5-inch drives, including SATA SSDs, the Synology DS419slim is a mighty mite with a cornucopia of media-serving features, including the power to stream 4K video.
Best NAS drive for media streaming and backup
If you rip and library your own media, there's no better tool for storing and streaming it than a NAS box. These versatile storage devices also serve as the perfect personal, secure cloud for backing up your PCs and other devices.
Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth speaker review: Flashy lights, fun, amazing sound—and it's waterproof!
The Sony SRS-XB32 is a fun Bluetooth portable speaker with a nice amount of thump and great overall sound. And its IP67 rating means it's submersible up to three feet.
LG E9 4K OLED smart TV review: The real deal gets brighter
LG's top-of-the-line 4K OLED remains a velvety, colorful, and now slightly brighter viewing experience.
Samsung Q900 smart TV review: This 8K TV will make you forget all about 4K
Samsung's best TV yet shows what's possible with 8K video. It also upscales lower-resolution material with aplomb.
Etymotic ER4XR in-ear headphone review: Top-notch sonics and a comfortable fit
Though definitely on the pricey side, Etymotics ER4 XR's deliver the musical goods, and the flanged tips are more comfortable in the ear than the standard memory foam types.
Hisense H8F 4K UHD TV (2019) review: Better color, better blacks, and better HDR
Hisense's H8F has upped its game with array backlighting, more vivid color, and true HDR pop.
PowerDVD 19 review: 8K UHD playback and 4K UHD TrueTheater enhancements
Cyberlink's PowerDVD series just keeps getting better, with PowerDVD 19 adding 8K video playback to its bag of tricks. Don't have an 8K display? The new 4K True Theater color, lighting, and HDR are worth a look.
WiSA, the low-latency, wireless multi-channel audio standard is ready for take-off
WiSA is a wireless audio standard that promises hassle-free setup for up to 7.1-channel surround with latency as low as 2.6 millisecond, lag that's barely perceptible to humans.
An Ultra HD Blu-ray player brings you one step closer to bringing the movie theater experience into the home. Our top pick has all the features most people will need, and it's also the least expensive.
How to rip (copy) Blu-ray and other movies, so you can stream and archive them
As long as movies have been distributed on home media, buyers have wanted to back them up or copy them to media that's more convenient for playback or streaming. We trace the history, how copy protection works, and how to circumvent it for legitimate purposes.
Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i review: Great sound, plus Alexa and AirPlay 2 support
This second-generation speaker is smarter, more capable, and better-sounding than the model it replaces.
Articles by Jon L. Jacobi
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