tech terms decoded

No matter what products they produce, consumer electronics companies seem to be manufacturers with a wealth of terminology.
This year, if you are buying anything from speakers to TV to mobile phones, you will encounter a lot.
That\'s why we brought together some of the most important technical terms in 2016 to let consumers know.
Some are new, while others have been moving around for the past few years, but are now moving into more products --
More advertising, packaging and sales promotion by shop assistants.
While some of these terms apply to great techniques that you might really like, other terms may not have the effect of hype --
At least not yet.
One thing is fairly predictable: if a product has a lot of terms, it may be accompanied by a high price tag.
In still photography and video, HDR refers to imaging technology, trying to show details in a wide range of scenes with bright and dark elements.
Usually, the best setting to render or capture an object in bright light masks what happens in the shadowversa.
HDR has always been a feature on the camera (
Smartphone camera included)
It\'s been about five years, but now you\'ll see that the term applies to quite a few new TVs as well.
In the still camera, HDR solves the exposure problem by taking quick photos under various exposures and then forming a composite from the best part of all the photos.
When it works fine, every part of the image looks vivid and detailed
Although in some cases the photos may seem a bit surreal or even fake.
You can turn it off if you don\'t like HDR, and Sony and some other newer cameras allow you to adjust the intensity of the HDR effect.
In TV, HDR is all about increasing the range between the darkest and brightest elements in the image.
The result is a dramatic, lifelike picture, with bright white and deeper black really popping up from the screen.
The main reason why HDR in the TV lags behind HDR in the still camera is that the program must be filmed, broadcast or streamed with HDR, and in order to read and display signals, the TV must be manufactured.
It took a while for TV makers to determine the technical standards that all of these players will follow.
It now seems that any hdr TV will follow the SMPTE standard. (
Some companies will also support the second standard, Dolby Vision. )
These HDR TVs will be available with HDR content from major studios.
But there are actually more terms for HDR in TV.
The \"Ultra HD Premium\" package promises to take full advantage of the technology, while other packages will only provide \"HDR-capable.
\"The picture quality of the TV will still be different, for many reasons, beyond their dynamic range.
Our job, of course, is to address these performance differences.
Please keep an eye on the test results for the first set of HDR, which should appear soon.
As early as 2013, 4 k or Ultra hd TV has becomepriced, new-tech, man-Cave indulgence.
Today, they have become mainstream and may make up for one
Ranked third among the TVs sold in 2016.
You can find quite a few of these TVs in our ratings for less than $1,000 and even some for less than $500, although they are still not as cheap as the average old 1080 p hd TV.
Is the extra money worth it?
It depends on several factors.
On the specification sheet, the ultra-high-definition TV has left a deep impression.
They are four times as pixels. About 8 million)than already-sharp HDTVs.
Specifically, the horizontal resolution of the Ultra hd TV is 3,840 pixels, the vertical resolution is 2,160 pixels, and the resolution of the 1080 p TV is 1,920x1,080.
With all these extra pixels, even the smallest detail is visible --
For example, the finest hair and subtle texture of a cotton shirt.
For the naked eye, the jump from normal HD to Ultra HD is not as dramatic as the change from standard definition to HD.
In fact, unless you\'re looking at 4 k content on a model with a screen measuring at least 65 inch diagonally, you might not appreciate 4 k resolution, or you\'re sitting close to the TV
Also, there isn\'t much 4 k content yet, although Netflix, Amazon, DirecTV, and other content providers will offer more 4 k viewing options later in 2016.
New Ultra HD Blu-ray
Ray discs and players are starting to roll out.
So, is it time to buy a new one?
If you are a casual TV Observer, when buying a TV with a screen of 50 inch or less, you will save a lot of time by using hd TV and miss some time.
But if you\'re a serious sports fan or movie fan, or plan to make TV a part of it --
Time computer monitor, Ultra hd TV is the way to go.
If you can wait a few months, the price will definitely drop.
There\'s another reason to think about Ultra HD TVs: many of them will also be equipped with HDR.
If 4 k TV has a language correspondence in audio, it\'s called hi-res (aka “high-def”)sound.
In 2016, you may often come across the tech term: Apple Music is rumored to add a high
Res Music streaming option for spring.
Most of the music you download or stream comes in the form of an MP3 or AAC file and the data has been compressed for easy storage and download.
Both file formats use \"loss\" compression, which means bits of data
The last thing you missare removed.
The more data you take away, the smaller the file will be, but the more likely the sound will be significantly lower.
Another option is hi.
Res, \"lossless\" compressed file format, such as ALAC (
Apple Lossless Audio Codecand FLAC (
Free Lossless Audio Codec.
These retain all the original information, so when a song is decompressed, it should sound exactly the same as the source material.
The downside is that these files can be more than 10 to 15 times the size of AAC and MP3 files (
For example, 150 MB for a backhanded song.
12 MB MP3 or ACC version). To enjoy hi-
Res audio, you need a compatible player like Sony NWZ for $300-A17Hi-
Res Walkman or HTC One M9 smartphone with premium headphones.
You will pay more for the music and you can download the music from websites including sound, HDtracks and Pono Music.
The price of an album is expected to be between $20 and $25, while the price of a typical iTunes or Amazon digital music album is $10.
So is it worth it?
In our tests, consumer reporting audio engineers can sometimes be in hi-
Than the res file in CD-
Quality and AAC audio files, especially when music is played through excellent devices like a pair of $300 Grado Prestige SR325e headsets. But hi-
For casual listeners who store music on a portable service and listen to it via a normal device, res audio may not be worth splurging.
Like TV, smartphones have experienced a resolution revolution for several years.
The first truly high-end smartphonedefinition (1920 x 1080)
The exhibition appeared in 2011.
Originally, HD was a technical term for Android smartphones only, but later other mobile platforms, including Apple, became popular.
The advantages of HD smartphone display over low-end smartphones
This is obvious.
Details in photos and videos become more visible when text on web pages and documents looks clearer and easier to read.
In the fall of 2014, some of LG\'s and Samsung\'s flagship smartphones became more sophisticated with a resolution of 1440x2560 (
About 500 or pixels per inch, or ppi, depending on the size of the phone display).
These new monitors designated as qHD are often confused with the monitors of the 4 k TV, although they are not very clear.
The \"four\" part of the term comes from a qHD screen with four pixels of 1280x720 (720P)display.
You will think that the qHD display means clearer eyes
Pop up pictures and more details.
But in our tests, we found that most users didn\'t notice these extra pixels in their daily use, in part because even the largest phones have relatively small monitors.
What\'s more noteworthy is that
This is not a good way.
When the resolution of the phone is very low.
Our suggestion: select a model with a screen resolution of at least 720 p (
Also expressed as 300ppi).
Virtual reality is a hot word for 2016, Google Cardboad and long-
The long-awaited Oculus Rift headset has received a lot of attention in the media.
But virtual reality has a close relative called augmented reality.
Which technology is more important to the average consumer in the next few years.
The difference is that virtual reality is similar to what you see in the movie Matrix --
Users are immersed in the environment of digital creation (
Although there is no matrix
At least no brain implants have been involved yet).
As you turn your head, you gaze at a whole world that seems to exist in all directions.
Augmented reality (AR)
On the other hand, it\'s a real
The world view of data coverage.
An example is a backup display on many cars that adds a overlay that shows the direction of travel to help with parallel parking.
Google Glass, which withdrew from the market in January 2015, is an augmented reality product --
Attract more people than it.
Now that Microsoft is developing an AR headset called HoloLens, the company has shown how to use it for practical purposes, such as viewing 3D models on kitchen tables, or allow you to repel aliens that appear from the walls of your living room.
Because AR is linked to the real world, it avoids problems such as motion sickness and dizziness sometimes associated with VR headsets.
But whether it will become a technology that appeals to people in daily life remains to be seen.
In 2016 you will see more and more smartphones, tablets and computers with new connectors: USB Type-C.
This new cable has many advantages over the micro USB connector that is common on computers and smartphones that are not iPhones.
First of all, like the Lightning connector on the iPhone, USB-
No matter which way you hold the phone, the C connector can be plugged into the phone;
No \"wrong-side up.
\"This eliminates the habit of fumbling and squinting on a phone that uses a micro USB cable.
But how is the type here-
C is better than the Lightning connector for the iPhone. Type-
C transmission rate may be much larger
Up to 10 gb per second (Gbps)—
In contrast, the speed limit for lightning is about 4 Gbps.
That should mean mega-
Size photos and HD videos made by today\'s high-
Smartphone camera resolution
More importantly, the USB Type-C supports bi-
Directional Power.
This means that when your phone transfers files to a compatible TV, printer, or other accessory via the same cable, it receives a fee.
The bad news: Once your new phone has this connector, you need to buy a bunch of types of connectors
Connect them to the C adapter of the old computer and accessories.
In addition, it is reported that some after-sales market cables have damaged electronic products.
We hope this problem will be resolved soon.
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