LAS VEGAS (AP) – The Latest on the CES gadget show in Las Vegas (all times local):
8:15 a.m.
What’s new in television sets this year? Incrementally better pictures, larger screens and cheaper prices – and that’s about it.
True, set manufacturers are bombarding consumers with a whole series of buzzwords – such as OLED, HDR and wide color gamut. Flashy new sets with these supposedly “must have” features are getting the spotlight Wednesday at the annual CES gadget show in Las Vegas.
But when it comes down to it, none of these amount to revolutionary improvements for your living room. Set manufacturers may not have run out of technological tricks yet, but for this year, at least, they’re reduced to improving what’s already out there.
Gadgets like virtual-reality headsets and smartphones have snagged much of the buzz that flashy new TVs once had. And stand-alone streaming-TV devices now offer better features than smart TVs. So TV makers like Samsung and LG have doubled down on what they know best: screen technology.
“4K” sets with twice the resolution as high definition is making a push into the mainstream this year, as prices come down and video providers offer more 4K streaming and channels. Manufacturers are also touting improvements in color – brighter whites, darker blacks and a wider range.
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7 a.m.
Comcast is hoping to make Wi-Fi in the home faster through an updated router – the machine that serves as data traffic cops for Wi-Fi networks.
Although home internet speeds have gotten faster, laptops and phones on Wi-Fi might still feel sluggish because older routers can’t transmit data as fast.
Comcast’s updated router costs $10 a month and comes with a modem. It’s the same price as before. Customers can still buy their own equipment and save money over time. Comcast is also offering extenders to help Wi-Fi work all over a house, though the company wouldn’t say what it might charge.
Eero, Starry, Google and Luma are among the companies that have fancy new router systems, but they start at more than $100 and run as much as $500.
Fewer than 5 million Comcast customers, mostly those on the most expensive internet packages, will get the new high-powered router this year. The company says it could take years to reach the bulk of its more than 24 million customers.
Another 10 million customers with the company’s existing routers will get a software update by March to make it easier to set up parental controls and install “smart” thermostats and other internet-connected appliances. These features also come with the new routers.