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- Review count65
- Helpfulness votes41
- First reviewOctober 22, 2014
- Last reviewApril 22, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.8
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- Answer count2
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- First answerJuly 22, 2017
- Last answerNovember 26, 2017
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For those looking for the best in the latest television technologies, the U8H should be a top contender. The most exciting 2022 upgrade is Mini-LED. With Mini-LEDs that are 50x smaller than traditional LED lights, local dimming and contrast control reproduce incredible black and white levels within the same scene like never before in the series. The U8H is now compatible with the Wifi 6e router protocol. Streaming from the wide selection of Google TV apps is now easier and smoother when connected to a dedicated router channel that won’t be competing with other connected devices on the same router. For gamers, the U8H now comes equipped with Dolby Vision Gaming and FreeSync Premium Pro for enhanced gaming picture contrast and even smoother, tear-free motion. And lastly, the U8H now comes with a 2-year warranty and is available in a 75” screen size. 2021 was a huge year for the Hisense U8H series and with so many upgrades, 2022 looks to be just as promising..
Customer Rating
5
Excellent Viewing Experience for Movies and TV
on September 17, 2022
Posted by: VideoJunkie
This TV offers a fantastic viewing experience with a couple of caveats that I will get to shortly. In my setup, I was looking for a mid-range TV with excellent picture display that I could use for both movies, TV, and video gaming.
First off, and this has been said multiple times in different reviews, this is a bright TV, with a capacity to hit 1500 nits. Without a doubt, this is the brightest TV that I have owned, and HDR looks fantastic. The whites pop, and blacks are dark... not quite OLED black, but significantly better than the LED TV that I am replacing this with.
The TV has 4 HDMI inputs, 2 capable of 4K120 and the other two capable of 4K60. I have connected my Nvidia Shield 2017 and my Playstation 4 to the two 4K60 inputs, and my PC (RTX 3080 graphics) to one of the 4K120 ports.
The U8H 55" supports 336 local dimming zones, and this really makes a significant difference in being able to generate bright areas and dark areas, without affecting the tone of the entire panel. I didn't notice blooming on the TV, whereas this was a significant issue with my previous TV, especially when I would have multiple PC windows open or would just drag the mouse across the black background I was using.
Gaming on this is fantastic, but with a couple of caveats. I have a PS4 and a gaming PC hooked up and currently have a couple of issues that I'm hoping a firmware update will address. For the Playstation 4, gaming was great and I had no issues. But with my PC, I encountered some issues. First, when I initially booted up my PC, I could not get the PC to output in 4K120. Eventually I found the setting in the Hisense to turn on Enhanced HDMI, which enabled me to then select 4K120, VRR, and HDR mode. The text when I was looking at the desktop in 4K120 was a little blurry, and this may be something that can be fixed with a firmware update. If I changed the scale to 200%, for example, the blurriness went away.
In any event, the picture overall is great during gaming and I really enjoy the bright screen and very low input latency.
Overall, I'm really impressed with this TV and hopefully the small nagging issues I experience on my PC scenario can be addressed. For movies or watching TV, this TV is beautiful.
And with the GoogleTV interface, I may be able to retire my Nvidia Shield 2017 and simply rely on the GoogleTV interface on the TV, which is identical.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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633 Magnetic Battery portable charger conveniently charges your phone, while the dedicated foldable stand provides stable hands-free phone viewing. Equipped with a USB-C Power Delivery port, it can charge itself and any compatible handheld device at the same time.
Customer Rating
5
A Great Charger that I Didn't Realize I Needed!
on September 5, 2022
Posted by: VideoJunkie
I've been using this charger now for about a week or so and I am impressed. This will likely become my primary charger for travel. It's 10k mAh battery capacity is able to fully charge my iPhone 13 more than 2x before it needs charging.
The magsafe feature makes it literally a snap to charge my iPhone without wires at 7.5W, which I really didn't realize was a feature I wanted in a battery charger until I had it. Now I don't think I'll ever go back to wired charging. It's so convenient.
The charger also has a traditional USB A port and a fast charging USB C port that delivers 20W for quick charging. The only downside I see that might be a factor for portability is that the unit itself is about 7.7oz., which is a little hefty, but I'm carrying it in my backpack with my laptop, etc., so it's not noticeable. If I was carrying it around attached to the phone all day, I can imagine it could feel a bit heavy.
The size of the unit itself is about the size of a deck of cards, and it looks great attached to my phone and black magsafe compatible case.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enjoy astonishing sound with this breakthrough portable speaker. Stream music and more over WiFi at home and listen on the go with Bluetooth. Get up to 10 hours of battery life. Easily control the sound with the Sonos app, your voice, and Apple AirPlay 2. Create a whole-home sound system with multiple Sonos speakers.
Posted by: VideoJunkie
from Philadelphia, PA
I was interested in this speaker mainly for it's portability. My house is Sonos connected, with speakers throughout the house. I was really interested in seeing how this would prefer outdoors to use in my backyard on the patio.
I was not disappointed. Sonos delivered with the Roam speaker, in providing Sonos quality and performance in a small form factor. I also have the Sonos Move, which is larger and also portable, but the Roam is the first Sonos speaker that truly feels portable. It's small enough that you can throw it in a bag and take it with you. With the Move, I can't really do that.
The Roam comes with all the Sonos features that you'd expect. Setup was simple. Connecting to my Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on my phone was simple. Casting music to the Roam from my phone worked just as you would expect if you already have other Sonos speakers.
Battery life is decent, and the Roam charges quickly. We've had numerous parties and found that the Roam was able to hold a charge through the party without issue. All in all, it's another great speaker from Sonos.
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What if a vacuum was so advanced it could sense the type of floor it’s cleaning? BISSELL SurfaceSense Pet vacuum can! Its intelligent SurfaceSense Technology can detect floor types and automatically adjust the brush roll speed to give you optimal cleaning performance on any floor type. It’s also our first vacuum with a Tangle-Free, Multi-Surface Brush Roll which has stiff bristles for cleaning carpet and soft bristles for vacuuming hard floors, so it can pick up everything from fine dust to larger debris across all floor types. SurfaceSense Pet vacuum has a One Touch, Easy Empty dirt tank and a SmartSeal Allergen System that traps fine dust and allergens while you clean. The LED headlights illuminate hidden dirt and debris while the Quick Release Extension Wand and above floor tools work together to clean hard-to-reach spaces, like upholstery and stairs. And this vacuum doesn’t just clean up after pets, it helps save them, too! BISSELL proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation and its mission to help save homeless pets. When you buy a BISSELL product, you help save pets. We’re proud to design products that help make pet messes, odors and pet homelessness disappear.
Posted by: VideoJunkie
from Ambler
The Bissell with SurfaceSense is a great vacuum choice for those with pets and/or children. It checks a number of boxes that I was looking for in a vacuum.
Assembly was simple. It took me maybe 5 minutes and the instructions illustrated what needed to snap together where and where to attach the tools.
We have both carpets and hardwood through the house, as well as some area rugs. The SurfaceSense makes it easy to adjust the roller spin on carpet vs. hardwood. On hardwood, for example, you don't want the roller to spin quickly, as it would scatter debris across the room. On carpet, you want the roller brush spinning to pull out debris from the carpet and restore the pile of the carpet.
From a suction standpoint, it's great. With the accompanying light, I could literally see the dust being sucked up in the vacuum. The attachments are the usual attachments, brush, crevice tool, etc. The crevice tool is narrower than my previous vacuum, making it easy to reach into the sofa to find dirt. I guess this can be a negative too, as the narrower tool won't be able to pick up larger pieces of debris, but I didn't notice any issues with what I needed to clean.
Are there any drawbacks? The only I can reasonably point out is the cord. It's a bit stiff and gets in the way sometimes. I wish it had a retractable cord like my older unit had, but it's really a minor annoyance.
All in all, it's a great vacuum for everyday use. It's relatively light, easy to maneuver, and easy enough to take up and down the stairs.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The myQ Smart Garage Camera is the only smart camera optimized for the garage. It works alone or as an upgrade to your existing myQ connected garage door opener to easily add streaming video, recorded events, motion detection and 2-way audio communication in one single myQ app experience. With a magnetic mounting base, and 360 degree swivel camera lens, you can see what is happening inside your garage 24/7.
Posted by: VideoJunkie
from Ambler
I have very mixed thoughts on this product. On the surface of it, the MyQ Smart Garage Camera is a great camera. Setup was a breeze (I already have a Chamberlain MyQ enabled Opener) so I had previously had the MyQ app on my phone. I was able to mount it magnetically to the bottom of my opener, and simply plug it into the open outlet that my garage opener was already plugged into in the ceiling. Picture quality of the camera is great, offering 140 degrees of viewing, I could see my entire 2.5 car garage width and side door within it's viewing area. The camera made it easy to check to make sure no one was in the way if I received a notification from the app that the garage had been left open (and with kids who play outside a lot, it tends to happen). Based on this so far, I would have given it 4-5 stars.
Now what I really don't like is that Chamberlain forces you to pay for a subscription if you want to record video to the cloud for either 7 days or 30 days. Otherwise, it only streams live. Some might be ok with that, but I have no interest in paying for a subscription, especially when there are solutions that you can buy much cheaper cameras that offer choices to either store footage in the cloud, or locally on a NAS or even an SD card. Chamberlain should have offered an option for local storage or provided free 2-3 days of cloud storage for all purchasers, given the price of the camera.
That brings me to my last point affecting my rating... the price. It's relatively expensive as a camera that only works with the MyQ app and doesn't offer local storage options. I don't feel that the value is here considering the current price point. If it came with a lifetime subscription for storage of some kind of duration, or was less expensive in its current form, then my rating would be higher.
But the camera itself is solid... great quality, motion detection, and ease of installation, all in the MyQ app, is attractive.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Finally. A robot vacuum you can rely on to get the job done. The Roomba j7 + robot vacuum packs 10x the power-lifting suction and comes with unique intelligence to avoid cords and pet waste. It even understands times when you’re home and seasons when more cleaning may be needed. Compared to the Roomba 600 series cleaning system.
Posted by: VideoJunkie
from Ambler
This is actually the 4th Roomba that I've owned now. My first Roomba had no wi-fi, cleaned well enough, and served us well.
Now fast forward about 4 years, and this J7+ is really advanced. It connects to Wi-fi, has an automatic bin emptying capability, can be completely controlled by the app, and has advanced mapping features that makes it even better.
From start to finish, the Rooma J7+ cleans up well and avoids obstacles well. I've been using for over 2 weeks now and this model avoids cords better than my previous ones (which already did a pretty good job, but occasionally would get stuck). With the J7+ it was more set it and forget it. I setup a schedule and allowed the Roomba to learn my floor layout. And after a few uses, I could start to target specific rooms to clean more frequently. This was an awesome feature for me, as our kitchen area gets much higher traffic than our family room and other areas of the main floor.
Like other Roomba's this model will return home when it needs a charge or needs to empty the bin, and then set out again after charging up to complete it's mission.
Overall, the Roomba J7+ is the best Roomba I've owned. I understand that the J7+ can partner with the Braava Mop robot too, but I do not have one that I could have tested that out. It is something that I will look into though down the line.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Imagine having the magic of a movie theater right in your home and feeling totally immersed in every scene. With the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Dolby Atmos, you can. Custom-engineered upfiring dipole speakers work with advanced Bose technologies to make it seem like your room is filled with sound from every direction. Even overhead. It’s like you can almost feel the rain coming down during your favorite movie. For content that isn’t encoded in Dolby Atmos, proprietary TrueSpace spatial processing intelligently analyzes signals other than Dolby Atmos, like stereo or 5.1 surround sound system, and upmixes them to create an immersive 7-channel speaker wireless surround sound experience with an impressive sense of height in the soundscape. The result is enveloping sound with convincing realism no matter what you watch with this TV soundbar. But it’s not just the sound quality that you’ll notice with this Dolby Atmos soundbar. Material quality. Construction. Finishes. Controls. Every detail was obsessed over to produce a Bose premium soundbar that looks as beautiful as it sounds. And with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built in, you can create a connected home theater system. This Bluetooth soundbar helps you control all your entertainment, manage your day, and get information — using just your voice.
Posted by: VideoJunkie
from Ambler
This review is for the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 which I received as part of the Tech Insider Program. I've been using the soundbar for about a week in my living room with my 55" OLED TV, and it's replacing a older 2.1 sound system.
Out of the box, setup was simple. Connected my soundbar to my TV's ARC HDMI input (my OLED does not have eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel), only ARC (audio return channel), as part of the HDMI... more on that in a minute), powered it on, and connected it to my network.
To setup the soundbar, you need to download the BOSE music app. Doing this walks you through step by step on how to connect the soundbar to your TV, get it connected to the network and to do acoustic sound tuning through the included audyssey headset.
On playing TV and Movie content via my streaming device, sounds were immersive and fantastic. For me, I can audibly tell the difference between content coded in Atmos and older audio content that supported only 5.1 or 2.1 LPCM output. Atmos is significantly immersive. Eventually I would like to pair the soundbar with rear satellite speakers and a dedicated subwoofer, but for now, the soundbar itself is a significant improvement over my older setup and blows my TV speakers out of the water in terms of quality, clarity of dialogue, etc.
Other things to note: The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is one of the lowest profile soundbars that I've used. It actually sits lower than my OLED TV on my entertainment center and doesn't block the bottom of the screen. My TV sits on top of a corner entertainment center in my Living Room, and is not mounted on a wall, so this was very important to me. If you have your TV mounted on a wall, or are planning to wall mount the soundbar, then this is probably less significant.
I had to play around quite a bit with my setup to eliminate lip sync, in that the audio was playing behind the video. This is not the fault of the soundbar, but a common complaint with owners of some OLEDs. My TV does not have eARC as an output, which, when combined with the eARC on the soundbar, is supposed to automatically reduce or eliminate this. With an ARC HDMI connection, you need to manually mess around with settings. Ultimately I was able to correct this by eliminating any artificial lag on my Nvidia Shield streaming device (it has a setting), reducing lag on my TV (it has a setting), and adding 10ms through the Bose Music App. If you have a newer TV (released in the last 1-2 years) that supports eARC, and use this soundbar, I believe you won't have to manually change settings. Or you may not be sensitive to the lip sync like I am. I just found it distracting until I corrected it.
Another thing that I liked about the app... it tells you the format of the audio stream that is playing. So you can see if the movie, tv show, etc. is playing Atmos, 5.1, DD +, or LPCM 2.0 content.
The soundbar can be wall mounted, but I did not need to do this for my setup. Overall, I really like this for the sound that is played, and I am also able to use CEC functionality which allows me to control the soundbar volume with my TV remote (a Harmony remote), or via app. You don't need to use the included Bose Remote, which is perfectly functional. I prefer to just use a single remote to control everything, and I can.
Overall, this is a great soundbar and one that allows for expandability if you want to later pair it with a subwoofer or satellite speakers. Over time, I expect to do this myself, but for now I will enjoy the great and clear sound from the soundbar itself.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Blend, Juice or Bluice. High Performance blender juicer with an innovative and unique space saving design. Featuring our Hemisphere contoured blade & Bowl system, a 3.5" extra wide chute for shortened prep time. Cold Spin Technology extracts fresh juice straight into a high capacity 50 oz blender jug, so you can create delicious fresh, slushies, smoothies cocktails and much more.
Posted by: VideoJunkie
from Ambler
We looking for a new blender and got an opportunity to experience the Bluicer. And it's awesome.
Made our first smoothies in the unit and it was awesome. It's really powerful and a pleasure to use. Blended frozen fruit and ice with no trouble.
This unit takes up extra space on the counter, since it really is two appliances, a juicer and a blender. We don't make smoothies every day, so we store it in a cabinet under the counter.
The unit was well packaged and this was our second experience wit Breville. We also have Breville mixer, which was also of high quality, so we expected the Bluicer would be too and we were not disappointed.
Clean-up is straightforward and most of the parts are dishwasher safe, which is great. Overall, we are really satisfied with the unit and are looking forward to using it again and again.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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At GE Appliances, we're bringing craftsmanship to your countertops, with reliable and durable drip coffee makers. Equipped with either a sleek glass or insulated thermal carafe, our coffee makers have convenient functions such as Delayed Start and Timer, to make the brewing process simple and user-friendly. And all GE Appliances drip coffee makers are finished with tasteful and durable stainless steel, making them the perfect accent for any kitchen or office – all from a brand you trust.
Posted by: VideoJunkie
from Ambler
I've been working from home, like many people, for the last year, so a coffee maker gets daily usage in my house. I thought it was time for a new one, and this one looked to be a good one to try, but my experience has been mixed.
First, for the positives... setup of the coffee maker was simple. Removed it from the box, and the packaging, put it on my counter and it was basically ready to go. From an aesthetic perspective, the coffee pot looks great on the counter, and seems well made.
Brewing a pot of coffee is straightforward, and the reusable filter is great. The thermal pot that comes with the unit keeps the coffee warm for about 2 hours. The taste of the coffee was very good too, so we were happy with that.
But there are also some things that detract from the overall score for me that keep me from really recommending this unit. First, when filling the reservoir with water from the pot, the way the coffee pot is designed makes it tough to fully remove all of the water. Unless I completely turned the pot upside down, some was always left in the pot when I was making coffee. Second, there isn't a lot of space to empty the pot into the reservoir. As a result, water would sometimes splash on the lip of the unit. GE seemed to account for this by sloping the lip towards the reservoir so any spill is directed to the opening a bit. But I often had to grab a paper towel to wipe up the counter a bit after.
Next, while the brewed coffee tastes great, it isn't overly hot. I can immediately drink it. It is certainly hot, but not as hot as a pot of coffee that my old unit made. This was disappointing as I like a really hot cup of coffee.
Another area that disappointed is that the unit does not indicate when the brewed coffee is no longer warm. I often brew a pot of coffee, and my wife might grab a cup from the pot an hour or so later. It would be great if GE could have added a little LED light that stayed lit for two hours as a simple timer to indicate the contents of the pot should still be hot. As a result I found myself pouring coffee from a pot once or twice where the coffee had cooled considerably.
Also, there appears no way to just simply re-heat the pot. The element turns off immediately after brewing since the pot is thermal. So if I just wanted to turn the element on to reheat it, I couldn't, because all I could do was brew a new pot and start the cycle again.
Overall, these might be nit picking as it does brew a good tasting cup of coffee, but for the price, I guess I expected a little more in terms of features and overall functionality.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Now the Roomba i3+ EVO robot vacuum is smarter than ever, learning and mapping your home room-by-room so it can clean the room you want, when you want—with 10x the Power-Lifting Suction* and Premium 3-Stage Cleaning System. Powered by iRobot OS, it stays one step ahead of everyday messes, by learning your life and suggesting cleaning schedules—to clean when you’re out enjoying life. On-demand cleaning is only a command away, with Google Assistant and Alexa compatibility** that let you direct your robot to messes right when they happen. With Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal, Roomba will return itself to the base when the bin is full, automatically empty and resume cleaning, so you don’t have to think about emptying the bin for months at a time. (*Compared to the Roomba® 600 series cleaning system)
Posted by: VideoJunkie
from Ambler
I previously had a Roomba 870, which I used primarily to keep my family room and kitchen floors clean. It did the job but there were some downsides, which the i3+ mostly addressed for me.
First, the i3+ connects to wi-fi making it a snap to start/stop the roomba from my phone. My previous Roomba pre-dated this and it wasn't possible. Using wi-fi makes it simple to "see" what the roomba is doing regardless of if I am upstairs or if I am out. It doesn't show me where it is in my house specifically, but it tells me that it's running, charging, or emptying the bin and I can pause it or send it back "home" from my phone.
Second, this model appears to be a huge upgrade in the cleaning department for me. First, I really like that it follows a more normal pattern of cleaning, moving in relatively straight lines across the room. My older model cleaned in "random" line patterns. This i3+ also seems to have quite a bit stronger suction than my older model. And when it finishes or needs to return to "home" to charge, it empties the bin automatically. That's awesome! My older model had a much smaller base and would often bump into it or push it slightly making returning to "home" a bit more of a challenge for it. This base is larger and less prone to moving if bumped. You can also wrap unused cord around the back of the base, making it one less cord that can get in the way.
The other item I like is that when the job is complete, you can see a kind of map of what was cleaned. I like being able to see what it covered and what it missed. To clean my main floor, which is all hardwood, it took about 2.5 hours, with a break in between to charge back up. It also navigated some area rugs quite well, and avoided falling down the steps to the basement.
Couple of other things that I did not try but may be important... the i3+ doesn't come with virtual walls, like my old model did. I didn't try to use the old virtual walls, but I imagine they might work. As a result, the i3+ will continue cleaning my whole floor until it is finished and it can take a while to do that if it has to return to base and re-charge.
When the i3+ empties it's bin, it is a bit loud, like I turned on my shop-vac. It only lasts 5-10 seconds maybe, but it is loud nonetheless and I won't run this while the kids are sleeping.
The i3+ is much quieter overall when running than my older model. I can be on work calls and it can run in the background without being disruptive if it is in the other room.
Overall, I'd say this is a great upgrade or a great model if it is your first roomba. I would absolutely recommend getting a model with the Automatic Dirt Disposal. I didn't realize how much I'd like it until I had it. I believe there is a more expensive model that you can direct to clean specific rooms through mapping features. This does not have that. If that is important, look for that feature. As a robot vac, I don't think you will be disappointed if you are looking for an intelligent robot vac with great suction and the ability to empty its own dirt bin.
One last item to provide perspective, we do not have pets in our house, so I can't provide input on how it operates in that kind of home.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Go from hundreds of mystery folders to a visual view of your photos automatically sorted by date, subject, people, and places. See your best photos auto-curated based on quality, faces, subjects, and more. Make your photos look amazing with automated photo editing options, and create and share printed artwork, new dynamic slideshows, photo collages, and gifts for friends and family.
The normal Photoshop is a monthly purchase, is this a one-time purchase?
This is a one time purchase. Not a subscription.
6 years, 5 months ago
by
VideoJunkie
Get seriously clean floors without the effort thanks to this Roomba robot vacuum. It automatically navigates across your carpet or vinyl while avoiding hazards and keeping track of its location all the while picking up dirt, debris and mess. Automatic recharging keeps this Roomba robot vacuum powered so that it's ready to go.
Does it clean in a grid pattern or randomly?
Randomly, but it does work well, even though if you watch it go it looks pretty inefficient.
6 years, 9 months ago
by
VideoJunkie