Latest news with #DolbyVisionHDR
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Expert asserts Mario Kart World is a 'fake HDR' Nintendo Switch 2 title — ‘Mario Kart World reveals that even the highest caliber of developers aren't taking HDR seriously'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Mario Kart World on the Switch 2 is guilty of implementing 'fake HDR,' according to recent heated reactions by a number of TechTubers. We are well aware of social media rage farming, but a coolly considered, in-depth new technical blog by Alexander Mejia, agrees that Mario Kart World was developed using 'an SDR-first content pipeline with a last-minute HDR tonemap that limits the color and dynamic range.' Mejia is probably one of the leading authorities on creating HDR visual experiences, based on his experience in delivering 'the world-leading Dolby Vision HDR experience to Xbox Series X and Unreal Engine.' In fairness, the developers of Mario Kart World have set themselves up for this stinging criticism, as the flagship launch title is marketed with boasts of it supporting 4K resolution at 60FPS refresh with HDR visuals (4K60 HDR for short). However, 'Mario Kart World reveals that even the highest caliber of developers aren't taking HDR seriously,' reckons Mejia. That tripping up over HDR isn't uncommon, though. Rather, Mejia admits that 'If you're finding it tricky to make your game's HDR look right, you're not alone.' The most important thing to do, to make the most of the HDR capabilities present in most TVs and monitors sold in the 2020s, is 'embracing HDR from day one, not as an afterthought,' suggests the HDR pipeline consulting expert. Image 1 of 2 Image 2 of 2 If you are curious about how Mejia captured, reviewed, and assessed the Mario Kart World on Switch 2, he shares the full details of his hardware and capture path, the procedure, and tips for home users wishing to achieve similar insight. Moving on to the findings, the HDR expert's images, charts, and stats make the HDR quality deficiencies in Mario Kart World glaringly obvious. A particularly stark result comes from image brightness peak measurement. 'Nintendo's own test image peaks at only ~500 nits even if you set 10,000 nits peak brightness,' noted Mejia. 'Not a good sign that they took HDR seriously.' Also, it was observed that, even if the console brightness is cranked to 10,000 nits, 'captured peaks in game never exceed ~950 nits.' That's quite a discrepancy. It is also quite a shame, given the game art's colorful and bright style being chained to an SDR-like color space (likely Rec.709), making no use of the extended color gamut afforded by the Rec.2020 standard. Above: Both Godfall Ultimate Edition on XBOX Series X (left), and Mario Kart World on Nintendo Switch 2 (right) are captured in HDR, with 10,000 nits max brightness. To conclude, Mejia repeats the sentiment from some of the tastiest quotes we have included above. In short, it looks like even the best developers are not taking HDR seriously, seem to follow an SDR-first workflow, and are thus squandering the possibilities of modern consoles and TVs (or monitors). The HDR expert finishes up by cannily touting his studio consultancy, offering help with 'HDR first rendering pipelines, Dolby Vision integration, and dynamic tone-mapping strategies.' Keep that in mind as you ponder his findings. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
CNET
15-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
Last Hours: This 75-Inch Toshiba C350 4K Fire TV Is Just $400, Matching Its Lowest Price Yet
You can't beat a massive TV when it comes to enjoying all manner of content in the comfort of your own home. Games, movies and binge-worthy TV shows are all better when they're bigger. In fact, the only way it could get any better is if you're safe in the knowledge that you saved some money to boot. Today is your perfect chance to do that with Best Buy offering a huge 75-inch Class C350 Series TV for just $400. Toshiba is a name that's been around for what seems like forever, so we aren't dealing with a no-name brand here. This TV deal also gets you an enormous $250 off the original asking price and it matches the lowest price we've seen to date. The problem? Time is running out -- this deal comes to an end tonight, so you need to act fast. With a 75-inch display, this Toshiba might be a little big for your bedroom, but is great for bigger spaces like a home theater or the living room. Its 4K resolution, Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 should deliver vivid colors and sharp contrast. It runs on Amazon's Fire TV OS, so you can access all your favorite streaming apps right out of the box, and the remote has a built-in microphone that allows you to browse hands-free using Alexa. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. It's also equipped with Apple AirPlay, so you can easily stream content wirelessly using your iPhone, iPad or other Apple devices. There's no set expiration for this deal, so we'd recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later if you don't want to miss out on these savings. Why this deal matters Last summer, during a big 4th of July sale, we spotted this exact TV on sale for a then-record low of $450. Now down to just $400, there's never been a better time to upgrade to a really big screen at a budget price. Just don't wait too long. Demands due to tariff concerns might cause a quick sell-out of this TV, so act now if this is what you want.
Daily Mirror
24-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Amazon and Argos drop Hisense 4K TV to cheapest ever price and it's 'incredible value'
Amazon and Argos have cut the Hisense Freely TV to a record low price in rival spring deals Amazon and Argos have launched rival deals on a 4K smart TV that's now at its 'lowest price ever'. The 43' Hisense Smart 4K UHD LED Freely TV is reduced from £239 to £199 and shoppers are hailing it as 'incredible value'. Both Amazon and Argos are offering the deal, as well as discounts on the larger models including the 50' model (£259) and 55' model (£299). The deals provide a great budget-friendly alternative to the big-name brands like Samsung and Sony, with this Hisense device offering 4K Ultra HD picture quality for a fraction of the price. It boasts Dolby Vision HDR, which can display highlights up to 40 times brighter than a standard picture and can upscale non-4K content to always deliver the highest quality image. There's also a built-in sensor that adjusts the picture depending on the brightness in the room to reduce glare. The TV offers countless films and TV series on streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and BBC iPlayer, as well as Freely. This new service – launched as a joint venture by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 – provides live and on demand TV over WiFi, eliminating the need for an aerial or satellite dish. Gamers can also benefit from the TV's reduced input lag and enhanced picture quality, both available through its dedicated Game Mode PLUS setting. But for those looking to upgrade their TV without paying outright, Sky recently launched the second edition of its own model, the Sky Glass gen 2. Customers can spread the cost of the 4K Quantum Dot device for £29, which also includes more than 100 TV channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+. But the Hisense smart TV has earned rave reviews from Argos customers, achieving an impressive 4.8-star rating after 39 reviews – 38 of which are four or five stars. One satisfied shopper said: 'Excellent, sharp and vivid picture quality and crisp clear sound. This TV is a great choice and good value for money.' Another said: 'Great low cost TV. It's a very good choice if you want a thin bezel 4K TV. The picture is clear and the sound is good for a flatscreen as it has bigger, louder speakers than most in this price range.' However, one customer found problems with the Hisense 's Freely feature, writing: '[It] Works with no aerial and internet by Bluetooth but when I try to watch a program on demand when it gets to intervals it stops so I have to keep going out of it and press play again.' A different buyer said: 'Incredible value for this technology. I purchased this as a backup to my expensive LG TV that developed a fault in its first year of service. I must say the sound and picture quality are excellent together with a large choice of free channels.'
Forbes
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Captain America: Brave New World' 4K Blu-Ray Details Revealed—Including Hours Of Bonus Features
With the latest instalment in the Marvel movie franchise, Captain America: Brave New World, coming to the end of its over $400m global cinema run, Disney has wasted no time revealing the details of its roll out to the home video market – including a 4K Blu-ray release that will be available in both standard and steelbook versions. Both of the 4K Blu-rays are scheduled to drop on May 13, following the film's release onto streaming platforms on April 15. The steelbook version appears to be getting a wide release, rather than being limited to a particular retailer, and both 4K Blu-ray editions will feature a 4K-resolution master of the PG-13 rated film (derived from the film's native 4K digital intermediate cinema master) with Dolby Vision high dynamic range support available for any TVs or projectors capable of playing it. The steelbook version of 'Captain America: Brave New World' features custom artwork inside and out. The transfer will default down to a standard HDR10 core, without the extra scene by scene picture information that Dolby Vision provides, if the disc is played into a display that doesn't support Dolby Vision. The Dolby Vision HDR encode will be joined on both 4K Blu-ray editions by a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, with the film and its extras being tucked onto a 66GB 4K Blu-ray disc. As usual Disney hasn't opted for a higher capacity 100GB disc for its latest Marvel 4K release, but I guess Captain America: Brave New World's sub two-hour running time should mean it can fit on the smaller disc without any serious compression issues. The cover art for the standard 4K Blu-ray release of 'Captain America: Brave New World'. Packaged alongside the 4K disc in both the regular and steelbook editions will be an HD Blu-ray release, and a Digital Code to access a streamed version of the film. Fans of physical media 'collectibles' might also want to note that Walmart will exclusively be selling a separate stand-alone HD Blu-ray release of Captain America: Brave New World featuring a 3D 'pop-up' scene that appears when you open its gatefold packaging. Walmart will be selling an exclusive HD Blu-ray of 'Captain America: Brave New World' featuring a 3D ... More pop-up gatefold design. The extra features put together for the latest Marvel movie's 4K Blu-ray release include a mix of deleted scenes, featurettes and an audio commentary that provides the biggest chunk of Disney's claim of 'hours of bonus content'. Full details of the bonus features are as follows: Deleted Scenes Assuming the Mantle – A featurette on Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) taking over Captain America duties from Steve Rogers, where the cast and crew members take a look at Sam's past, present, and potential future in the MCU. Old Scores, New Scars – Another featurette, this time focused on exploring the trio of villains Cap finds himself up against in Brave New World: The Leader, Red Hulk, and Sidewinder. The mini documentary covers everything from the prosthetics to the visual effects and stunt work deployed to bring these formidable foes to life. Gag Reel – A short edit of on-set outtakes. Audio Commentary – Director Julius Onah and Director of Photography Kramer Morgenthau discuss different aspects of Captain America: Brave New World's production and filming as the film plays alongside their words. —- Disney Unveils First Star Wars And Marvel TV Show 4K Blu-rays With Dolby Vision Disney Announces Restored And Remastered 'Lilo & Stitch' 4K Blu-ray 'Tombstone' 4K Blu-ray Details Revealed—Including A Full Remaster By Disney's Film Preservation Team
Forbes
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Kaleidescape Launches New Entry-Level Movie Player
Premium movie download service Kaleidescape has unveiled a new entry-level player that makes its high quality video delivery system more affordable than ever before. The Strato M is designed to work as either a standalone movie player, like the step-up Strato V released in 2024, or as part of a wider Kaleidescape product system. And with a U.S. price tag of $1,995, it's far and away the most affordable way to access Kaleidescape's huge library of essentially lossless-quality downloadable movie files. The step up Strato V, by comparison, costs $3,995. The Strato M is Kaleidescape's most affordable premium movie download player ever. 'Strato M opens up the Kaleidescape experience to a broader range of movie enthusiasts,' says Tayloe Stansbury, chairman & CEO of Kaleidescape. 'And in larger systems, Strato M is great for secondary rooms, while reserving the flagship Strato V for main viewing areas.' Despite its entry level price, the Strato M still offers a handy set of features beyond just providing a gateway to Kaleidescape's pristine downloadable film files. For starters, it can play films in high dynamic range, using either the HDR10 or premium Dolby Vision HDR formats, with 4:2:2 chroma support. It also supports a huge range of audio formats, including lossless versions of the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X mixes that currently represent the state of the art when it comes to film soundtracks. It features a fanless design so you don't have to worry about any operating noise disturbing your viewing, and it's fitted with a Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Base-T) connection to ensure that the large files required to contain the service's premium quality film downloads can get into the Strato M's built-in memory as fast as your broadband connection will allow. Other connections comprise a USB port you can use for disc cataloging, and an HDMI 2.1 port, while the player's design features suitably premium metal build quality and a distinctive illuminated blue 'splash' effect emerging from parts of its front, top and rear edges. To support the popularity of Kaleidescape products with AV system builders and custom installers, the Strato M carries such installation-friendly features as Lutron RA3 and HomeWorks control compatibility; Kaleidescape control protocol over Ethernet (supported by Crestron, AMX, Control4, Savant, Kaleidescape Apps, as well as numerous other apps and control systems); and the availability of both rack (with faceplates) and wall mounting options. As usual with Kaleidescape products, the Strato M can be grouped with other Kaleidescape devices on a local network so that it can play content stored on either one or more of the brand's Terra high capacity storage devices, or another Strato player. The Kaleidescape Strato M carries 480GB of storage and a Gigabit Ethernet port. While the Strato M joins the Strato V in offering a single-product entry point into Kaleidescape's service, carrying both in-built storage for downloaded films and full playback capabilities, its much more affordable price inevitably comes at the expense of one or two significant compromises. First, its built-in 480GB SSD storage is only half as much as you get with the Strato V, meaning it can only hold half a dozen movies or so at at time (depending on running times). Once you've purchased a film on Kaleidescape you will always have access to it, of course; if you have to delete a film to make space for another you can just find it on Kaleidescape's servers and download it again if you want to watch it for a second time. But with the service's movie files typically running to 90-100GB each (more if a film's particularly long) if you're going to use the Strato M as much as most Kaleidescape owners use their systems, you'll have to commit to swapping movies in and out of the storage drive pretty regularly. This is where the Gigabit Ethernet port comes in (there's no support for Wi-Fi). If you've got a broadband connection fast enough to use all of that Gigabit Ethernet capacity you should be able to download a film in just 10 minutes or so. Clearly this time will increase if your broadband connection is much slower than that. The Strato M's relatively limited storage capacity means it features a specially refined version of Kaleidescape's interface. If you decide to add a Terra storage unit, then the interface will revert to Kaleidescape's normal menus designed to handle many more titles. Probably the most significant limitation of the Strato M, though, is that its video output is limited to 2K resolution, rather than the 4K output supported by the Strato V. Kaleidescape states that this should still be enough to deliver better than Blu-ray picture quality - plus, of course, the Strato M actually supports HDR where normal Blu-ray discs don't. But the Strato M won't let you get the full glorious impact from the growing number of truly pristine looking 4K films Kaleidescape now carries. The Kaleidescape Strato M is available now in the U.S. from authorized Kaleidescape dealers, with other territories to follow soon. — Related Reading Getting Kaleidescape's High Quality Movie Download Service Just Got A Whole Lot Cheaper Sony Unveils New Bravia TVs – Including A Premium QD OLED Range New Netflix Feature Unlocks Better Picture Quality For Millions Of TV Owners
