iTech: Will TVs remain a part of your living room?

WE SPEND QUITE a lot of our day looking at it. It takes up space in the living room. Our furniture points towards it and it has the ability to en-tertain, distract and infuriate in equal measure. No it's not grandma, we're of course talking about the TV. Since findings from a January 2016 Childwise survey show, at least in Britain, seven to 16-year olds now spend more time online than watch-ing television and streaming service Netflix is now more popular than any one channel in the same demographic, if trends continue television sets may become a thing of the past in less than a generation. According to the same census, tablet ownership among children, has surged 50 percent since January 2015. So what do TVs do? They evolve. This is where machines like the 55-inch Sony BRAVIA 4K HDR we tested this week comes in. It's more of a home cinema/ tablet mix, which should appeal to everyone. Using an operating system commonly found on portable devices the television aims to tap into the broadband generation. Its remote even has a dedicated Netflix button for crying out loud! Combine that with a 4K HD display and you've got yourself something that may draw people back into the lounge.
WHAT WE LIKED
. The display is something else. Although 4K shot content is still a bit scarce, it will become more popular and the definition and colour is incomparable to anything else.
. The set looks fantastic. Delivered with its own mount, it'll fit on any TV stand, or you can have it hung on the wall. Wafer thin and elegant, even with its 55-inch dimensions it is not obtrusive.
. Compatibility with external devices such as Apple TV is superb. Just plug it in the HDMI slot and away you go.
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
. The remote has the unique ability to feel clunky and flimsy at the same time. It looks unappealing and isn't particularly sensitive. We were glad we mainly used our external viewing platform. . While the sound quality was crisp, it wasn't particularly loud. We would perhaps have to add some external speakers for that.
. High-speed Internet is a must if you want to get the most out of this set. It works fine on any speed, but if you want the best it'll take a fair bit of broadband.
CONCLUSION: Will this keep you watching TV? We think so, the display is enough to keep you enthralled.
david@khaleejtimes.com