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Holiday Tech Gift Guide – TV Edition

Vinny Parisi
Holiday Shopping

Can you believe it has been five weeks since the start of the Holiday Tech Gift Guide? We’ve reached the sixth (and final) installment today, and we saved the best for last. For those just tuning in, the Tech Gift Guide has previously covered the Top 3 smartphones, the hottest Cameras and Home Entertainment Systems, and most recently featured the best Laptops and Game Consoles for this year. Today’s topic is none other than the biggest seller for Black Friday every year: TVs. From Smart TVs to UltraHD 4K displays, Best of NJ is here to take a look at what you should be on the lookout for this week.

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“Roku” Smart TVs

Most folks have heard of Roku boxes. They sit near the TV and let you connect to various apps and services. They were the accessory that you used to need before the advent of the Smart TV. Rather than face extinction though, Roku opted to partner with select brands — primarily TCL and Hisense —  to create the Roku Smart TV. These HDTVs come with built-in WiFi to connect to Roku apps, including all the typical video services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Instant video, as well as access to many of the subscription-based mobile services like HBO Go and Pandora radio. The home screen is customizable, allowing you to rename your input sources, so you never have to forget which input is hooked up to the cable box and which is for your Blu Ray player. You can also reorder the apps on the home screen, so that your favorite services are right at the top and quickly accessible.

Roku Smart TV Specs –

LG 43UF6430 43-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV

If you’re unsure about this whole “4K” fad, and want to gently dip your feet in without breaking the bank, LG has a nice lineup of affordable 4K displays. The 43-inch is fit for most living rooms, and comes with all the same Smart features you would expect from a Roku TV or competing manufacturer (i.e. Sony, Samsung, etc.) LG always gets a thumbs up from me because they pack their TVs with a variety of support for input ports. This model in particular has 3 HDMI ports, plus 1 USB, 1 Composite, 1 Component, 1 LAN, 1 Optical, and 1 RF port. Basically, you can plug just about anything into this TV, including your old Nintendo or Sega Genesis, which is an especially rare treat in today’s modern age. LG also boasts a wider viewing angle on their screens, thanks to their IPS display panel. This is important because it means families don’t have to scrunch together on the middle couch to get the best viewing experience.

LG 43UF6430 43-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV Specs –

LG 98-inch 4K Ultra HD 3D Smart LED TV

I’m going to be honest with you: This entry is not serious. I put this on the list mostly because A) The price made me laugh and B) The customer reviews made me laugh harder. If anyone reading this guide is prepared to spend $40k on a TV, please call me and I will instead give you tips on creating the most incredible home theater ever for far less money. In the interest of fairness, LG does attempt to pack this model with a ton of features, like a resolution upscaler to get typical 1080p HD content up to 4K resolution, and a 2D-to-3D converter. (I’ve never experienced a 3D movie that was converted from 2D by the TV itself, so I can’t genuinely comment on how well that works.) Most appealing to me is the “Dual Play” feature, which lets gamers play cooperative games without having to use split-screen. Instead, you use 3D glasses and both players can view the entirety of the screen as it feeds each player a separate display. Color me jealous.

LG 98-inch 4K Ultra HD 3D Smart LED TV Specs –

Thanks for checking out the Best of NJ Holiday Tech Gift Guide! Stay tuned for other geek and gamer-related gift guides coming soon.

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