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Play just about any big competitive online game for long enough and you’ll surely run into some toxic players who say offensive things in voice or text chat. Activision is doing a bit more to take on those jerks with more in-depth moderation tools in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty Warzone 2.0.

When they confirm a player has engaged in toxic voice or text chat, the games’ moderation teams now have the option to mute that person in all chat channels. So, while their remarks might not warrant a complete ban, players who abuse in-game chat might find themselves silenced. Activision will still rely on users to flag disruptive players through in-game reports. Riot Games, on the other hand, has started proactively monitoring Valorant voice chat for toxicity.

Before they start playing Modern Warfare II or Warzone 2.0, players have to read and agree to a code of conduct. This includes an acknowledgement that they won’t engage in bullying or harassment, nor make any bigoted comments.

In addition, when you report a troublesome Call of Duty player, you’ll be able to add more context. The reporting system now includes a dialog box, where you can explain what happened in more detail. Activision says it will use these tools in all future Call of Duty titles.

These moderation tools aren’t particularly novel. For one thing, Overwatch has long allowed players to type in their reasons for reporting someone. However, Modern Warfare II is already one of the biggest games around, having racked up over $1 billion in sales in just 10 days. There’s no doubt that Warzone 2.0 will also have a large player base after that game goes live on November 16th. Having better moderation tools to clamp down on disruptive cretins and offer a more positive experience for other players is rarely a bad thing.

 

Netflix’s growing stable of video game adaptations now includes one of the Xbox’s best-known franchises. The streaming service is teaming with series developer The Coalition to produce a live action Gears of War movie. There are no details for the cast, plot or release date, but Netflix is teasing an adult animated show and the possibility of “more stories.”

The series revolves around the Locust, an aggressive species that has very nearly destroyed human civilization. The original Gears of War trilogy centers on grizzled veteran Marcus Fenix, but newer games and spinoffs have focused on his son JD, his frequent ally Baird and the rebel-turned-soldier Kait.

The timing is apt. The Coalition isn’t unveiling its next game for a while. The Netflix productions give the Microsoft-owned studio a way to keep Gears of War in the limelight, not to mention spark renewed interest among gamers who have fond memories of chainsawing Locust drones. This is also part of Microsoft’s answer to Sony’s growing big screen ambitions, which now include planned Horizon and God of War shows as well as movies like Uncharted.

The question, as always, is whether or not the game collection translates well to a linear video format. While there have been some successes with game-based shows, such as Netflix’s League of Legends series, these projects still don’t have a sterling reputation — even the Halo adaptation garnered a mixed response. It’s far too early to determine how Gears of War will fare, but it’s safe to say there are plenty of challenges ahead. 

 

YouTube’s attempt to mimic TikTok now extends to the living room. The company’s vertical Shorts videos now have native support on TVs, with a player that makes better use of all that normally wasted horizontal space. It still feels like utter overkill to watch these mobile-oriented clips on the big screen (unless you have Samsung’s rotating TV), but it’s still much more elegant than trying to use the standard landscape player.

The feature is rolling out in the next few weeks. It be available on smart TVs made from 2019 onward as well as living room media devices and “newer” game consoles. YouTube suggested in an explanatory video (below) that Shorts might work with older sets, but that compatibility wasn’t guaranteed.

It’s not surprising that YouTube poured so much effort into adapting Shorts for TVs. TikTok’s own TV app launched in November last year — this gives YouTube an answer to a major competitor. There’s a significant audience for Shorts, too, with over 1.5 billion monthly active users as of this spring. And while TikTok is theoretically behind with ‘just’ 1 billion users (as of the third quarter of 2021), the gap is narrow enough that even a slight advantage in viewership could give one of them the lead.

 

Razer’s 2022 base model Blade 15 gaming laptop is on sale for $250 off at the manufacturer’s site. We named the Blade 15 our top pick for a premium gaming laptop in our best gaming laptop guide. At just $1,550, it’s a great deal, considering the 2021 model, with an older processor, is holding steady at $1,700 on Amazon.

We put the premium version of the Blade 15 through its paces and were impressed by Razer’s superb build quality. While that premium-level computer isn’t budging from its $3,700 price, this deal on the base model is a chance to get that same Razer quality in a solid gaming laptop.

Buy Razer Blade 15 at Razer – $1,550

This configuration of the Blade 15 has two graphics cards, one integrated Intel UHD graphics processor for your day-to-day and a discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 card that kicks in to handle gaming graphics. The 15.6-inch full HD screen has a solid 144Hz refresh rate that should keep all but the most intensive FPS looking smooth. 

It also has 16GM of dual-channel RAM, 512GB of SSD storage and there’s an open M.2 slot for memory expansion when the time comes. The Blade 15 comes stocked with the older Windows 10 but includes a free upgrade to Windows 11 once you get the unit home. It all runs on Intel’s 11th-gen Core i7 chip and has plenty of ports for your peripherals, including a Thunderbolt 4 USB-C. While it’s not the most powerful configuration of the Blade 15, this is an excellent entry point into Razer’s gaming devices — especially when you can keep an extra $250 in your pocket.  

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

 

Apple’s latest 11-inch iPad Pro has received its first discount, with both Amazon and B&H dropping the 128GB version of the new tablet down to $749. That’s a modest $50 off and still rather expensive, but Apple only launched this refresh a couple of weeks ago. If you were already planning on picking up the device ahead of the holidays, this deal lets you save a few bucks over buying from Apple directly. Just know that the deal only applies to the Space Gray model.

The new iPad Pro is a minor refresh compared to the previous model that launched in 2021. The main upgrades are a processor bump — the M1 SoC powering last year’s model has been replaced by the M2 SoC first seen in this year’s MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro — and a new feature for the second-gen Apple Pencil that lets you preview inputs and effects with the stylus just by hovering it over the display. There’s support for WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 networking, too, instead of WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

That’s about it, though. The M2 chip is a nice raw performance bump for media editing and general futureproofing, but the M1 is still more than powerful enough for most things people would do with an iPad, and the tablet’s design and accessory support is otherwise unchanged. The last-gen 11-inch iPad Pro is on sale for $700 as of this writing, so if you’re willing to buy an older model to save a bit more cash, that remains a worthwhile option.

That said, if you want the latest and greatest, the 2022 model is still a superb piece of hardware. We gave it a review score of 87 last week. While the more affordable iPad Air offers enough of the same features to be a better value for most — especially with it now discounted to $520 — the 11-inch iPad Pro continues to be a superior tablet, with support for a smoother 120 Hz refresh rate, higher maximum brightness, much improved speakers and Face ID support. It also starts with 128GB of storage; the Air starts with half of that, and you need to jump all the way to a 256GB model if you want to upgrade. Doing that would currently cost you $679 (or $749 at MSRP), which makes the 11-inch Pro’s price a bit more competitive, if still pricey. 

The 11-inch Pro is still overkill for most people’s iPad needs, and even with iPadOS’ new Stage Manager multitasking feature, it won’t fully replace most people’s MacBooks. (The basic 10.2-inch iPad is probably still the best overall bargain for casual iPad users, but that’s almost a different class of device at this point.) The 11-inch Pro also lacks the brighter and noticeably more vibrant mini-LED display of the more expensive 12.9-inch Pro. However, this is still a strong choice for power users or serious artist types who are looking to upgrade from an aging iPad Air or iPad Pro. It’s possible we’ll see a larger discount over Black Friday, but we wouldn’t expect it given that the device just released.

In other iPad deals, the cellular version of the 10th-gen iPad is also on sale at $20 off in yellow. We see these kind of minor Apple deals from Amazon fairly often, but again, this is the first discount to date for a brand-new model. Our review found that one trickier to recommend in the context of the wider iPad lineup, but if you need a cellular tablet and can live with a non-laminated display and first-gen Pencil support, it may be of interest.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

 

Twenty years ago this month, Konami released Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, an expanded reissue of MGS2: Sons of Liberty. If you’ve been looking for an excuse to revisit one of the most important games of the 21st century, now is the perfect time. Over the weekend, modder oct0xor released The Substance of Subsistence, a mod that adds a third-person camera to Hideo Kojima’s masterpiece.

If it’s been a while since you played MGS2, you may have forgotten the game employed an overhead camera that was a holdover from Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake and Metal Gear Solid. It wasn’t until 2006’s Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, the expanded rerelease of Snake Eater, that Hideo Kojima and Konami implemented a proper third-person camera. That bit of history is also where the mod’s name comes from, with The Substance of Subsistence referring to the expanded editions of each game.

Adding a new perspective to MGS2 was no easy task. “The code to have a normal third-person camera was never present in the game, and in order to implement it, I had to reverse engineer and rewrite many things in the game engine,” oct0xor told PC Gamer. You can learn more about the work that was involved in a developer diary oct0xor shared a few months back.

You can find instructions on how to install the Substance of Subsistence on Github. The tricky part is finding a copy of the game for PC. Konami delisted Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 from GOG and other digital storefronts over a “temporary” licensing issue in 2021. In July, the company said it was still working on resolving the dispute but did not provide a timeline for when the games would be available to purchase again.

 

Projectors have come a long way from the clunky, dim models of the past. The latest models are brighter, sharper, more discreet and easier to install than ever. They also deliver a picture size you could never get on a TV without spending a fortune. With all that, the best projectors are highly desirable for home theater buffs who want a true cinematic experience at home.

Over the last year, we’ve seen models bright enough to use in a normal room, short-throw models that take up very little space and have built-in sound bars, and better picture quality than ever with 4K and Dolby Vision features. Better still, you can now get 4K HDR models that can project up to a 150-inch image for as little as $1,000. That’s around the same price and over double the size of a decent 65-inch TV, giving you something close to true movie theater immersion with a home theater projector.

There are a lot of different types of projectors, though, ranging from ultra-short-throw to portable to long-throw. There are also a lot of terms to understand, like lens shift, LCD vs. DLP, laser vs. lamp illumination and more. This guide will help you understand all that so that you can purchase the best projector for your needs within your budget.

The technology

Here are the basics: Projectors generally use two types of technology, LCD and DLP. They’re fundamentally different systems, with their own advantages and drawbacks.

The rise of ultra-short-throw projectors and brighter long-throw models, meanwhile, has been powered by falling prices in laser illumination technology. Lasers are a far better solution than lamps, because they’re brighter and last far longer — up to 30,000 hours instead of 6,000. That’s essentially a lifetime of use (about 10 years).

Most projector manufacturers now use DLPs, or digital light processing units, manufactured nearly exclusively by Texas Instruments (TI). The heart of the tech is an optical semiconductor called a digital micromirror device (DMD) that contains millions of aluminum mirrors. Those tilt either toward the light source (on) or away from it (off) at up to 5,000 times per second.

Budget projectors like BenQ’s HT3550i use TI’s 0.47-inch DMD, while higher end models, like the Samsung Premium LSP9T use the 0.66-inch chip. Both use mirrors that tilt by +12 and -12 degrees for white and black, but TI recently unveiled a new 0.47-inch 4K-capable DMD with +/-17 degrees of tilt, which should enhance both brightness and contrast.

DLP projector makers include LG, Optoma, LG, BenQ and Panasonic. The benefits of the tech are portability, high contrast, less fringing and cheaper projectors, especially 4K and ultra-short-throw models. The biggest drawback is the rainbow effect, or bright red/blue/green artifacts that affect some viewers more than others.

LCD tech, meanwhile, uses a prism to split a light source into red, green and blue beams. Those then pass through LCD displays containing the image and converge via another prism before passing through the projector’s lens.

Epson is the primary user of LCD tech, along with Sony, Sanyo and others. LCD projectors tend to be sharper, more efficient and more color accurate, but have lower contrast ratios and can experience image degradation over time. In general, they’re also more expensive.

What to look for in a projector

Ultra-short-throw

Since the last time we updated our guide, ultra-short-throw projectors have become the hot new category, offering several benefits. You can mount them close to the wall like a TV, with no need to run wires through the walls and ceiling, but still get an immersive image as large as 120 inches — something that’s impossible with a TV unless you’re very rich. They use brighter lasers that never need to be replaced — and because laser light is collimated, focusing is eliminated.

They’re also physically less awkward to install than a ceiling-mounted projector, though that doesn’t mean installation is super easy. To get the perfect screen fit and alignment, you must place them an exact height and distance from your wall or screen. This can be quite a pain, as I’ve discovered.

You also need a perfectly flat wall or projector screen, because ultra-short-throw projectors beam up at an acute angle, so any imperfections will show as shadows. For that reason, you can’t use a roll-down screen because they have slight ripples.

For the best results, particularly with a lot of ambient light, you should use an ambient light-rejecting (ALR) screen. Those have small ridges that reflect light from below back to your eyes, but absorb any light (ie ambient light) that comes from above. For one of those, you’ll need to budget at least $450 and way up. Some projectors, including models from Epson and HiSense, come with ALR screens.

Brightness and contrast

Home theater projectors generally range in brightness between 2,000 to 4,000 lumens, but you’ll need to take those figures with a grain of salt. Some models might actually hit 3,000 lumens or more, but cranking the lamp to that level will hurt the image quality and lifespan of your bulb. Also, some manufacturers tend to exaggerate maximum brightness.

As a point of reference, many 4K flat panel TVs nowadays can hit 1,000 nits of brightness, but the brightest consumer projectors only display between 100 and 150 nits from the screen. That’s not as big a deal as it might seem, because projector images are much larger and meant to be used in dark rooms, where your eyes will automatically adjust to the light and “brighten” the image.

Contrast is also substantially different on projectors. Unlike OLED TVs, projectors don’t allow for zero black levels because of ambient light, reflections and other reasons. You also can’t have local dimming zones found on LED TVs for true blacks. Some projectors do have a dynamic iris to improve the contrast scene-by-scene, but those can often produce a “pumping” effect, with the image dimming or brightening in mid-scene.

Mounting and fan noise

A big advantage of regular long throw projectors is that you can mount the projector and screen on the ceiling, using zero space in your room. If you plan to do that, don’t forget to budget for a mounting bracket and any necessary long cables, including extra power for Google’s finicky Chromecast. Also, keep in mind that it’s easier to mount a lightweight projector, and DLP models are usually lighter than those with LCD tech.

Some projectors are noisier than others, and usually the more you spend, the less noise you get. Many of the new 4K DLP projectors, when operating in 4K mode, are particularly noisy. There’s one other (cool) thing: if you have a portable projector or even one that is relatively easy to take down and put up, you can take it outside for magical night screenings under the stars.

HDR and resolution

As related to projectors, these things could each take up an entire article. In fact, they have — for a deeper dive, take a look at Projector Central’s excellent takes on HDR and resolution.

On the resolution front, only expensive projectors have native 4K resolution; indeed, most movie theaters still use 2K projectors for various reasons. However, there are many relatively inexpensive DLP projectors that use pixel-shifting to attain 4K resolution. That system emits each pixel four times while moving it to the correct position for a 4K image, all in less than 1/60th of a second. As such, it puts as many pixels on the screen in the same amount of time as a 4K native projector — and visually, it performs nearly as well.

On the other hand, Epson’s LCD “4K enhanced” projectors also have 1080p native resolution, but the image is just shifted twice, not four times. So, those projectors are not 4K natively or otherwise, but do produce double the pixel count of a 1080p projector. If you really want a 4K native projector, you’ll have to pay: two of the cheapest ones are Sony’s VPL-VW295ES ($5,000) and JVC’s DLA-NX5 ($5,000).

HDR is a very different animal on projectors compared to TVs. As mentioned, projectors can’t produce anywhere close to the amount of light required (1,000 nits) to qualify as true HDR. Rather, they use a technique called tone-mapping to fit the entire HDR gamut into a lower brightness range.

For that reason, among others, almost all projectors only support HDR10. Only one uses Dolby Vision (the Xiaomi Laser Cinema 2, only available officially in China), and just a couple of models work with Samsung’s HDR10+ — and those are Samsung’s own Premiere 4K models. However, most support a wider 10-bit color gamut that allows for superior color reproduction.

Optics

If you’re mounting a short- or long-throw projector between five and 25 feet, you might need to consider the zoom range and whether the projector has a lens shift option. A decent zoom range will make it easier to mount the projector where you want with the screen size that you want.

Lens shift, meanwhile, is used if the projector is mounted higher or lower relative to the screen than recommended by the manufacturer (or any horizontal distance off center). That creates a trapezoidal shaped image, but by dialing in some lens shift, you can optically square it up. Otherwise, you might have to use a “keystone correction,” which digitally stretches or shrinks part of the image, resulting in noticeable distortion or pixel artifacts. Digital correction might not work in gaming modes either, for some projector models.

Gaming

If you’re interested in a projector for gaming, you’ll want to look up the refresh rate and input lag figures. Some new projectors from Viewsonic, Optoma and others offer up to 240 Hz 1080p refresh rates and input lag settings down to 4 or 5 milliseconds. However, some projectors designed more for home entertainment have very poor input lag and refresh rates at just 60 Hz.

Portable projectors

Finally, portable projectors have become popular enough to merit discussion this year. They’re relatively cheap, compact and portable and can run on batteries – making them ideal for entertainment outside or while camping. They’re not nearly as bright as other projectors, of course, but are more designed for a fun night of entertainment under the stars.

Engadget picks

As with previous updates, I’m dividing projectors into ultra-short-throw and long-throw categories. As mentioned, ultra-short-throw models have rapidly established themselves in the market due to the extra performance and convenience, and all manufacturers sell at least a couple of models. Within the ultra-short-throw category, We’ll compare two price categories: under $7,000 and $3,500, with three projectors each. In the long-throw category, we’re again looking at projectors under $1,000, $2,000 and $6,000, with three products in each range. Finally, we’ll take a look at the best portable projectors.

Ultra-short-throw projectors under $3,500

LG CineBeam HU715Q

LG’s nice-looking HU715Q is the new king of ultra-short-throw (UST) projectors due to the picture quality, tech on offer and reasonable $3,000 price. With a 20,000-30,000 hour laser light source, it delivers 2,500 ANSI lumens, along with accurate colors across 86 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut – enough for most HDR content. And speaking of that, it supports both HDR10 and HLG, along with frame-by-frame tone-mapping.

Rival models offer similar specs, but the HU715Q trumps them in sound and technology. The 20-watt 2-way stereo speakers are great on their own, but you can supplement them with Bluetooth speakers from LG and nearly any other brand to create surround sound. The standout feature, though, is LG’s webOS smart TV capabilities that give you Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime and other apps, all with full 4K HDR support and surround sound, including eARC output for Dolby Atmos and lossless audio. It also supports HDMI 2.1 and better still, full 4K (4,096 x 2,160) rather than just UHD.

Buy LG CineBeam HU715Q at Amazon – $3,000

Optoma CinemaX P2

Optoma’s CinemaX P2 made our list last year, but it’s still a great choice because the price has dropped considerably. It delivers 3,000 lumen brightness, impressive contrast ratio and accurate colors with 80 percent DCI-P3 coverage. It’s not quite as sharp as the pricier projectors, as it uses TI’s 0.47-inch rather than 0.66-inch DLP tech, though you’ll still get a near-4K image.

The CinemaX P2 may also better match your decor, as it comes in white rather than dark grey like the P1. The 40-watt NuForce Dolby Digital 2.0 soundbar is one of the best on any ultra-short-throw projector, as well. On the downside, it does offer apps but they’re not as good as you’ll find on, say, Google’s Chromecast.

Buy Optoma CinemaX P2 at Amzon – $3,300

BenQ V7050i

BenQ’s first UST laser projector is at the top end of the price scale at $3,500, but it offers some impressive capabilities. Light output is a bright 2,500 ANSI lumens and it delivers a full 98 percent DCI-P3 coverage for as good an HDR experience as you can get on a projector. You also get a Filmmaker Mode to see colors as the directors intended. It’s powered by Android TV so you get all the streaming services and apps you want, along with apps, games and more. The downside is the lack of decent speakers, as it only offers dual 5-watt speakers with clear sound but limited bass.

Buy BenQ V7050i at Amazon – $3,500

Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS300W

If you’re okay with 1080p projection, Epson’s EpiqVision Ultra LS300W is a very interesting option because of the design, excellent sound, built-in Android TV and extreme 3,600 ANSI lumen brightness. That allows for a wide color gamut with no rainbow effect, excellent connectivity and very good sound without the need to buy a soundbar or surround sound system. Best of all, it’s priced at just $2,000, making it one of the cheaper short-throw projectors out there.

Buy EpiqVision Ultra LS300W at Amazon – $2,000

Ultra-short-throw projectors under $7,000

Samsung Premium LSP9T

Ultra-short-throw projectors are a hot enough entertainment category that Samsung decided to re-enter the market with two models as part of its Lifestyle TV series. The $5,500 LSP9T is the premium model and it certainly brings some premium specs. With separate red, green and blue lasers, it covers 106 percent of the full Rec.2020 color range (147 percent of DCI-P3) — something we’ve rarely, if ever seen on any TV or even pro monitor.

It delivers a very bright 2,800 lumens and a 1,500:1 ANSI contrast ratio. As it uses TI’s higher-resolution 0.66-inch DLP chip (with pixel shifting), you get as close as you can to true 4K without investing in a native 4K projector. Finally, the LSP9T is the first projector on the market rated for HDR10+ — Samsung’s answer to Dolby Vision. On top of all that, the LSP9T delivers 40 watts of audio using Samsung’s Acoustic Beam technology, while offering Samsung’s well-regarded Tizen-powered Smart TV platform.

Buy Premium LSP9T at Amazon – $5,500

Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS500

If you need the brightest possible image, Epson’s LCD-powered EpiqVision Ultra LS500 ($3,899) delivers. It’s rated at up to 4,000 lumens, making it one of the brightest ultra-short-throw projectors in any price range. It also supports HDR modes in HDR10 and HLG and is sold with both 100-inch and 120-inch ALR screens, making the price effectively lower. The main drawback is that it only offers double the pixels of 1080p, rather than four times like competing DLP tech. It also offers a relatively weak 10-watt built-in speaker system.

Buy EpiqVision Ultra LS500 at Amazon – $3,900

HiSense L9G

This is HiSense’s new $4,300 flagship UST that uses a tricolor laser to achieve high brightness (3,000 ANSI lumens) and an incredible 107 percent BT.2020 HDR coverage, topping even Samsung’s formidable LSP9T. It has a powerful 40W Dolby Atmos sound system and built-in Android TV with Google Assistant and Alexa. Best of all, that price includes a 100-inch ALR Daylight screen, or for an extra $500, you can get it with a 120-inch ALR cinema screen.

Buy HiSense L9G at Amazon – $4,300

Projectors under $1,000

Viewsonic PX701-4K

There are very few 4K projectors available under $1,000, and Viewsonic’s $900 PX701-4K is one of the most recent. For the money, it offers impressive performance. You get 4K HDR with 3,200 lumens of brightness via TI’s .47-inch DLP chip. More importantly for gamers, you can get a 1080p signal at up to 240Hz with a 5-millisecond input lag time. The drawbacks are a limited 1.1x optical zoom, so you’ll need to make sure it fits in your space.

Buy Viewsonic PX701-4K at Amazon – $900

BenQ HT2050A

For around $700, the BenQ HT2050A is still one of the best budget 1080p projectors. It delivers where it counts with the best contrast (ANSI 1,574:1) and color accuracy in its class, and is reasonably bright as well, with 2,200 lumens in “vivid” mode. On top of that, it comes with a 1.3x zoom and vertical lens shift option for maximum installation flexibility. The drawbacks include slightly excessive fan noise, rainbow effect and red-tinted 3D.

Buy BenQ HT2050A at Amazon – $800

Optoma HD146X

If you’re looking to spend a little less, the Optoma HD146X is your best option. Using DLP tech, it delivers 1080p at up to 3,600 lumens with excellent brightness, color accuracy, contrast and black levels. You also get decent (16.4-millisecond) input lag for gaming. The drawbacks are a single HDMI port, 1.1x optical zoom and poor built-in audio.

Buy Optoma HD 146X at Amazon – $650

Projectors under $2,000

BenQ HT3550i

BenQ’s $1,600 4K HT3550i is an update to last year’s HT3550, but with a huge addition: Android TV. With that, you get multi-platform wireless projection from Android and iOS devices via Chromecast or Airplay — a huge plus compared to rival projectors. As before, it offers reference-quality 4K color reproduction in both HDR and SDR that’s a match for projectors costing triple the price. Contrast is excellent thanks to the dynamic iris, though brightness is limited to 2,000 lumens. It has a 1.3x zoom and vertical lens shift option, plus a surprisingly good built-in speaker. The fan noise is still present, but less than before.

If brightness is more important than picture quality, take a look at BenQ’s $1,500 TK850i instead. It also comes with Android TV, but delivers far more brightness (3,000 lumens) in exchange for less color-accurate picture quality.

Buy BenQ HT2550i at Amazon – $1,500

Optoma UHD38

For extra brightness and speed for gaming, the answer is Optoma’s all-new, $1,600 4K-capable UHD38. It cranks the lumens up to 4,000 and like the Viewsonic PX701-4K, offers 240Hz gaming at 1080p with one of the lowest latency figures we’ve seen yet in a projector at 4.2 milliseconds. Otherwise, you can do 4K 60 Hz gaming with 16.7 milliseconds of lag, which is very quick for 4K. It’s optimized more for gaming than entertainment unlike BenQ’s HT3550i, but it can still handle HDR10 and HLG. It supports both zoom (albeit just 1.1x), but also vertical and horizontal lens shift.

Buy Optoma UHD38 at Amazon – $1,400

Epson Home Cinema 4010 4K Pro

Epson’s $2,000 Home Cinema 4010 4K Pro is the Cadillac of under-$2K home projectors thanks to features like 2,400 lumen brightness, dynamic iris, and motorized zoom (2.1x), focus and lens shift. This Epson projector delivers in picture quality too, covering 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color space in cinema mode with both HDR10 and HLG. It also offers near-4K quality using 1,920 x 1,080 LCD image chips with pixel shifting. The drawbacks are lack of support for 60Hz 4K due to the HDMI 1.4 ports.

If you need that, want to pay a bit less and don’t care about the motorized focus, Epson’s $1,700 Home Cinema 3080 4K Pro is the way to go. It offers similar features like HDR10 and HLG, but supports 4K 60p thanks to the HDMI 2.0b ports. There’s no motorization and the zoom drops to 1.6x, but it supports generous tilt, shift and zoom ranges.

Buy Home Cinema 4010 4K Pro at Amazon – $2,000

Projectors under $6,000

Epson Home Cinema LS11000 laser

Fans of Epson’s LCD projectors will be interested in this model, which received a big update in the form of a laser light source. That bumps the brightness to 2,500 ANSI lumens, and the three 1080p LCDs use a pixel shifter to quadruple the resolution to something close to true 4K. It offers very accurate colors with HDR10 and HLG capability, but is also great for gaming thanks to the 120 Hz refresh rate, 20-millisecond input lag and HDMI 2.1 support. You also get a 3-way motorized lens, scene adaptive correction and more for $4,000.

Buy Home Cinema LS11000 at Crunchfield – $4,000

Optoma UHZ65LV

Optoma’s $6,000 UHZ65LV also uses a long-lasting laser light source to deliver a 5,000 lumen image, much brighter than any lamp-powered projector. It also delivers true 4K resolution up to 60p, thanks to the TI 0.66-inch DLP chip. The extra brightness and contrast make it ideal for HDR10 or HLG content. It also comes with desirable features for a long-throw projector, like a 1.6x zoom and vertical lens shift.

Buy Optoma UHZ65LV at B&H – $6,000

LG CineBeam HU810PW 4K

Speaking of long-throw laser projectors, LG’s $3,000 CineBeam HU810PW is another excellent pick at a much lower price point. There are some compromises, as the laser light pushes out a lower 2,700 lumens (that’s still a lot), and it has a smaller 0.47-inch DLP chip that delivers slightly lower perceived resolution. However, it has dual blue and green lasers which help it deliver accurate HDR colors with an excellent 97 percent DCI-P3 coverage. It also offers a 1.6x zoom with lens shift and an HDMI 2.1 port that allows for 4K at 60p with up to 12-bit color depth. It comes with LG’s webOS, so it supports Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services without the need for a dongle.

Buy CineBeam HU810PW 4K at Amazon – $3,000

Sony VPL-VW295ES

If you’re looking for a true, native 4K projector, Sony’s $4,500 VPL-VW295ES is the least costly option out there. It’s by far the sharpest 4K projector in this roundup, thanks to Sony’s proprietary 4K SXRD native DCI 4K (4,096 x 2,160) panels. It also delivers extremely accurate colors, with 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage and HDR10/HLG support. You also get niceties like a 2.06 zoom lens with powered zoom, lens shift and focus. The main drawback is a relatively dim 1,500 lumen brightness, but it’s a top pick if picture quality is paramount above all.

Buy Sony VPL-VW295ES at Amazon – $4,500

Best budget portable projectors

Xgimi MoGo Pro

Xgimi is a relatively new brand, but has started to gain traction thanks to its lineup of portable projectors. The best of those is the MoGo Pro, which can be powered by a battery (with two hours of playtime) and is small enough to fit in a backpack. But this mini projector still delivers a detailed and reasonably accurate 1080p image, while offering automatic focus and vertical keystone adjustment. It even comes with Android TV, giving you all the streaming options you can need – all for $650.

Buy Xgimi MoGo Pro at Amazon – $650

BenQ GS2

This $470 model is designed specifically for outdoor entertainment, so it’s battery-powered and splash and shock resistant – making it a good choice for backyard movies or sports events, camping and more. It’s also one of the brightest portable projectors out there. It only delivers 720p resolution, but it does come with a streaming app in the form of Aptoide TV.

Buy BenQ GS2 at Amazon – $470

Anker Nebula Solar HD

This 1080p projector has a pretty rich feature set considering the $600 price including a battery. This portable projector delivers 400 lumens for reasonably bright outdoor use, has a reasonably powerful 2x3W speaker system with Dolby Digital Plus, comes with Android TV and has a built-in stand for easy adjustment.

Buy Anker Nebular Solar HD at Amazon – $600

 

Rivian impressed car reviewers (and us) with its R1T pickup, and its R1S electric SUV is no different. The slightly smaller vehicle continues the automotive startup’s trend of building no-compromise electric vehicles meant for outdoor adventure.

Living the life of an extreme camper, kayaker or cyclist doesn’t come cheap: The R1S has a bank-busting price tag starting at $78,000. It might not be the most efficient EV on the market, but it has a healthy range of up to 316 miles, which should be enough to satisfy those looking to go outdoors with a vehicle that’s solidly built. The R1S also now ships with a new Camp Mode feature that levels the cabin so overnight stays can be a bit more comfortable. 

Designing a desirable EV is not something Rivian has struggled with to date, though: its real issue is mass-producing cars to keep up with orders. Watch the video below for the full story.

 

The holidays are a good time to upgrade an audio setup, whether it’s for yourself or for someone on your shopping list. We’ve compiled a group of the best audio gear that ranges from noise-canceling headphones to true wireless earbuds and speakers. There are also a range of prices for each product type, so you don’t necessarily have to break the bank unless you’re really looking to splurge this year.

Sony WH-1000XM5

If you’re shopping for the complete package in a new set of headphones, there’s one clear best choice. No other company packs in as many features as Sony does on the WH-1000XM5, and they’re combined with a stellar sound and effective ANC. With this model, Sony redesigned its flagship headphones, making them way more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The company also made noticeable improvements to the active noise cancellation, adding a separate V1 chip in addition to the QN1 that was inside the M4. The 1000XM5 still has all of the features that typically make Sony’s premium headphones so good. 30-hour battery life, a combo of touch controls and physical buttons, Speak-to-Chat automatic pausing when you talk, and the ability to change noise modes based on your activity or location. — Billy Steele, Senior News Editor

Buy WH-1000XM5 at Amazon – $398

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2

If sound quality is the primary factor in your next set of headphones, Bowers & Wilkins pair impressive audio quality with solid ANC performance. The Px7 S2 are my favorite headphones I’ve reviewed this year in terms of sound. There’s also a more refined design that doesn’t look overly plasticky and the headphones fit comfortably even after hours of use. Call quality, ambient sound and automatic pausing need some refining, but they get the job done. At the end of the day, the design, sound quality and noise cancellation make the Px7 S2 a strong pick in the current field. Plus, they’ll last way beyond the stated 30 hours of battery life. — B.S.

Buy Px7 S2 at Amazon – $399

Sennheiser Momentum 4

When picking the best-sounding headphones from 2022, it’s difficult to choose between the Px7 S2 and the Momentum 4. However, Bowers & Wilkins gets the edge in terms of design, but they’re evenly matched on sound quality and the rest of the competition isn’t close. Sennheiser does have an impressive 60-hour battery life in its favor and improved ANC performance. Those two items alone might be enough for you to overlook the very generic design for the music lover on your list this year. — B.S.

Buy Momentum 4 at Amazon – $350

Audio-Technica M20xBT

Audio-Technica’s affordable wireless headphones have consistently offered solid performance that would make a great gift, even with the lack of noise cancellation. The company’s latest are the M20xBT, a Bluetooth version of the A-T’s popular M20x wired cans. A comfy fit and up to 60 hours of battery life will cost you just $79. Connect to multiple devices at once with Bluetooth multipoint connectivity and reliably control tunes with physical buttons. The design isn’t as refined as the company’s pricer models like the M50xBT2, but you get the bulk of what makes Audio-Technica’s cheaper options so good. — B.S.

Buy M20xBT at Amazon – $79

Sony LinkBuds S

Sony’s first set of LinkBuds were a unique open-wear concept, but they weren’t for everyone. To expand the lineup with more universal appeal, the company debuted the LinkBuds S back in the spring. These earbuds may be tiny but they still offer active noise cancellation and the smaller size means they’re more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. That’s the entire point of the LinkBuds S as Sony built them to be worn all the time, although you can expect up to six hours of use with ANC enabled. Transparency mode makes this possible and features like Speak-to-Chat and Adaptive Sound Control highlight the list of additional features. — B.S.

Buy LinkBuds S at Amazon – $198

Beats Fit Pro

If you’re shopping for a set of workout earbuds this year, the best option is the Beats Fit Pro. These offer a lot of handy features from AirPods thanks to Apple’s H1 chip. The overall size is smaller than a lot of earbuds, which leads to a comfy fit. Plus, the added wing helps keep them in place during physical activity. Punchy bass brings energy to cardio sessions but the low-end tone remains balanced, rather than overpowering, and six-hour battery life should be enough to get you through the bulk of the day. — B.S.

Buy Beats Fit Pro at Amazon – $200

JLab Go Air Pop

Thanks to JLab, you can give a decent set of true wireless earbuds as a stocking stuffer. For $20, the Go Air Pop covers most of the basics. Eight-hour battery life, on-board controls, EQ presets, IPX4 moisture protection and the ability to use just one earbud at a time are all on the features list. The Go Air Pop is smaller than its predecessor, the Go Air, and this model comes with a case that completely closes. What’s more, the company kept the integrated USB on the charging case, so you don’t have to worry about looking for a cable when you’re out of power. — B.S.

Buy JLab Go Air Pop at Amazon – $25

UE Wonderboom 3

If you’re shopping for a Bluetooth speaker this year, the UE Wonderboom 3 is an affordable, tiny option that still packs a punch. It’s adventure-proof thanks to an IP67 rating, audio quality is bright and an outdoor mode boosts treble and bass so sound can be heard over a greater distance. You can also easily pair two Wonderboom 3 units for stereo sound, which won’t cost you a fortune thanks to the low price. And with up to 14 hours of battery life, you should be able to keep the tunes going for a while. — B.S.

Buy Wonderboom 3 at Amazon – $100

Marshall Tufton

If someone on your list asked for a Bluetooth speaker but has a more refined audio taste, perhaps the Marshall Tufton will fit the bill. It’s pricey, but the investment gets you up to 20 hours of battery life and the option of a wired connection via 3.5mm aux jack. As is the case with all of the Marshall wares, the Tufton carries the look of the iconic guitar amps and this model has an audio quality that’s equal parts dynamic, warm and almost analog in its performance. On-board treble and bass knobs are also there to assist with any adjustments. — B.S.

Buy Tufton at Marshall – $450

Marshall Acton III

While portable Bluetooth speakers are great on-the-go, there are benefits to the set-it and forget-it options like Marshall’s Acton III wired model. It’s ideal for someone’s bedroom, living room or kitchen and offers 60-watts of power for just $280. Marshall’s classic amp-styled exterior looks great too, with its fabric grille and soft-touch exterior made up of 70-percent recycled materials. On top, you’ll find backlit physical controls so you can adjust settings in the dark and won’t always need a phone to control playback.

The Acton III delivers a rich and dynamic sound across a wider soundstage than previous models, with a bass response that’s also hefty for its size. On top of the sound quality, you get app support with EQ controls, OTA updates and a placement compensation feature to adjust for the acoustics in your space.

The overall build quality and sound makes it a gift anyone can appreciate, even as a stationary companion to a small portable speaker. There are two larger options as well, if you know someone who likes it loud. Either way, you’ll be a shoe-in for the party that will inevitably follow. – Jon Turi, Homepage Editor

Buy Acton III at Marshall – $280

High-res streaming subscriptions

If you’re unsure of what to give the music lover in your life this holiday season, why not allow them to give high-resolution streaming a shot. Several services offer the option of higher quality audio, but unfortunately not many of them allow you to gift a subscription. Instead, you’ll simply need to purchase a gift card that your recipient can apply to a high-res plan. Gift cards are available for Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Tidal and others, although you may just need to buy a generic gift card for the company in cases like Amazon and Apple. I’d also suggest giving an App Store or Google Play gift card for someone to apply to a Nugs.net plan to unlock a vault of high-resolution live performances from Bruce Springsteen, Jack White, Pearl Jam, Dead & Company and more. — B.S.

Shop Apple Music gift cardsShop Amazon gift cardsShop Tidal gift cards

 

The old adage goes that if something ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Now while that’s often sage advice, obviously there’s a limit to how long you can keep something going — especially a gadget — before it starts to lag behind. And with the Surface Laptop 5, it feels like Microsoft is beginning to test that boundary because while the notebook is as sleek and elegant as ever, even with the inclusion of a new CPU, it’s easy to see where its aging chassis could use a few updates or quality of life improvements. So while I’ll never complain about getting a performance boost, it still feels like Microsoft could do better.

Design, keyboard and ports

I’m not going to spend too much time talking about the Surface Laptop 5’s exterior because it’s the same chassis Microsoft has been using for the last three or four generations. Both the 13 and 15-inch models feature an aluminum body with tall 3:2 displays for enhanced productivity. Our 13.5-inch review unit weighed in at 2.86 pounds and measured just 0.57 inches thick. The whole package is super sleek and in some respects, I can see why Microsoft doesn’t want to mess with the design – it really is a thing of beauty. It’s thin and minimalist just like a MacBook, but different enough that you’ll never get the two confused. Still, I think Microsoft is more than capable of tweaking the current chassis to accommodate new components without ruining its good looks.

New for this year is a sage green color option like we got on the Surface Laptop Go 2. But Microsoft didn’t stop there because the company also made custom wallpapers for Windows 11 that match the system’s exterior paint job. I know this is a pretty minor change in the grand scheme of things, but the extra bit of color coordination is kind of nice.

Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop 5’s keyboard and touchpad don’t leave much to complain about. Keycaps are spaced out well while having nice crisp actuation, though after some hands-on time with the 15-inch version, I noticed that the larger model has slightly deeper key travel. And while its touchpad which measures 4.5 x 3 inches isn’t quite as large as what you’d find on a similarly sized MacBook, there’s still plenty of room to mouse around.

One of the other big changes on the Surface Laptop 5 is its new USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4 port, which provides increased bandwidth for transferring data or sending video to external displays. Sadly, on both the 13.5 and 15-inch models, there are only a total of two USB connectors: the aforementioned Thunderbolt 4 port and a regular USB 3.1 Type-A slot. Thankfully, Microsoft hasn’t axed support for wired audio, so you still get a 3.5mm headphone jack in addition to the company’s signature magnetic Surface Connect port for charging and docking.

But if you’ll allow me to grandstand a bit, I sort of wish Microsoft would ditch the Surface Connect port entirely. Due to recent regulations from the EU, we’re on the brink of having all phones support USB-C for charging and data, and aside from the proprietary connectors Apple and Microsoft use on MacBooks and Surfaces, laptops aren’t far behind. Not only would getting rid of the Surface Connect port free up room for another USB-C jack — which is both smaller and more versatile — I find its weak magnets and awkward shape make it more difficult to use than USB-C.

Display and webcam

Like its chassis, the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 5 features the same 2,256 x 1,504 PixelSense touchscreen Microsoft used on the previous model and that’s totally fine. It has good brightness that hit just under 400 nits on my light meter along with rich, saturated colors. The one new tweak for 2022 is support for Dolby Vision IQ, which automatically adjusts things like color profiles and contrast based on ambient conditions. It’s a nice touch, but considering pretty much every phone made in the last few years has a similar display tech, Microsoft isn’t [exactly] breaking new ground here.

That said, while its image quality is strong, the Surface Laptop 5’s display is starting to show its age a bit. The bezels are a few millimeters thicker than what we got on last year’s Surface Laptop Studio, which makes things look a bit chunky. You also don’t get support for HDR or high-refresh rates.

But the thing that’s lagging behind the most is its 720p web camera, which is passable at best. You don’t get support for any of Microsoft’s Windows Studio effects like you do on the Surface Pro 9 5G and I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 1080p webcams should be the baseline on premium notebooks. Thankfully, Microsoft has kept the built-in IR cameras for Windows Hello facial recognition, which still works great.

Performance

Inside, the new 12th-gen Intel CPUs offer a big jump in performance. The downside is that unlike the previous generation, there aren’t any AMD-based configs, which is kind of a bummer. That said, with scores that are around 20 percent higher in PCMark 10 compared to the Surface Laptop 4, it’s hard to be too upset.

Just don’t get your hopes up about doing any hardcore gaming, because both models are restricted to Iris XE integrated graphics. In Overwatch 2, I had to lower settings to medium in order to get a somewhat stable 60 fps, though you can eke out a little more performance if you’re willing to lower the game’s resolution or turn on upsampling. But regardless of what you do, this thing isn’t really meant to play AAA titles.

Battery life and ports

As for battery life, with a time of 12 hours and 39 minutes, the Surface Laptop 5 turned in respectable though not outstanding results. In comparison, last year’s 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 fared better with a mark of 15:25, as did other ultraportables from this year including the Lenovo Yoga 9i at 14:22 and the M2 MacBook Air at 17:05.

As a longtime Surface user, I appreciate that Microsoft kept the bonus 5-watt charging port built into the included power adapter, which is really nice for powering up small peripherals like a mouse or wireless headphones. And I should mention that if for some reason you lose or forget your charging brick at home, you can still top up the Surface Laptop 5 via USB-C.

Wrap-up

While the Surface Laptop 5 hasn’t gotten a boatload of updates, it still has a really elegant design and the addition of new 12th-gen Intel chips and a Thunderbolt 4 port provide a big bump up in speed and usability. Sure, it might not have the sharpest webcam or a ton of ports, but if all you need is a streamlined ultraportable for general productivity, the Surface Laptop 5 packs all the essentials into a very sleek package.

It is somewhat telling, however, that Microsoft only sent out the 13.5-inch model for review, because there are even more changes I’d like to see on the 15-inch version. I know my dream of getting an Xbox gaming laptop probably won’t ever happen, but I think there’s a ton of potential to transform the bigger Surface Laptop 5 into a really great all-rounder by adding support for discrete graphics and a few more ports.

But the hard part comes when trying to decide between the 13-inch Surface Laptop 5 and something like the XPS 13. For the same $1,000 starting price, Dell’s notebook comes with a similar CPU and a larger 512GB SSD instead of just a 256GB drive, but no touchscreen (though you can upgrade to one if you want). That means you have to choose between getting a slightly better value in the XPS 13, or opting for a taller 3:2 touch display with the Surface Laptop 5.

Still, if all you want is a stylish ultraportable with a nice screen for productivity, Microsoft’s latest clamshell has a lot to like. I just hope next year we get a full refresh instead of just a simple spec bump.