COMPLETE ENTERTAINMENT KITS UNDER Rs 50,000
Putting together a `wireless'
home-entertainment system is easier than you think. After you've got your Wi-Fi
setup in place, all you need is a media box or smart stick to connect your
television to the internet, a sound bar for better audio from your TV, and a
Bluetooth speaker for wireless music playback.
SMART BOX AND STICKS
APPLE TV | `13,500 (32GB)
& `17,900 (64GB) | This smart box is equipped with an HDMI interface to
connect to your TV (you'll need to buy the cable), an Ethernet port for a wired
internet, and support for 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi. You also get a rechargeable
Apple TV remote--a full battery lasts nearly a month--that connects to the box
via Bluetooth.
To set up the Apple TV ,
you will need to create or use your existing Apple ID to sign into your device
with the help of the Apple TV remote.
During installation, the
box latches onto your Wi-Fi network if you haven't set up a wired connection.
It also connects to the remote via Bluetooth.
The remote is intuitive to
use: You get a glass touch surface to swipe and navigate your TV screen;
pressing it selects an option. It also comes with buttons for home, play and
pause, volume control, and the Siri voice assistant that lets you search your Apple
TV box with spoken commands.
Apple TV runs the TV OS
which has its own app store for curated content in entertainment, education,
games, health and fitness, lifestyle, kids and travel.This includes apps for
Apple Movies and Music, YouTube, Hot star, Facebook, Jio Cinema, Mashable,
Netflix, Vimeo, Eros Now, TED Talks, UFC, WWE, Spull and Box TV. Apple will
also begin supporting the Amazon Prime service later this year. This means you
get access to a whole bunch of free and paid content.
You can even use this box
to play games like Real Racing and Asphalt 8 on your TV screen, while using the
remote as a steering wheel, thanks to its built-in accelerometer and gyroscope.
Apple TV also lets you stream content from your iPhone or iPad to your TV via
its AirPlay feature.
For most folk, the 32GB
version should suffice, but if you plan to load the device with apps, then
consider the 64GB variant.
GOOGLE CHROMECAST 2
Rs 3,399 | Instead of a
streaming box, you could look at Google Chromecast 2, which is a disc-shaped
device that plugs into your TV's HDMI port to let you view photos, stream
videos, and even run apps from your Android handset, tablet, iPhone, iPad, Mac
and Windows laptop. You will, of course, need to install the Google Home app on
your smartphone or tablet.
Set up is simple: Plug the
Chromecast 2 into an HDMI port, power it up and follow the onscreen
instructions to connect to your home Wi-Fi. The device comes with all the
necessary instruc tions and cables you will need to get it running.
You can use Chromecast 2 to
view YouTube, Netflix, and other video services on your TV . Just tap the Cast
button in these apps. Apart from streaming video content from the web, you can
use Chrome cast 2 to mirror your phone and tablet , screen, as well as browser tabs
from your laptop.
AMAZON FIRE TV STICK
Rs 3,999 | The Chromecast
is dependent on your smartl phone. It will stream con tent to your TV from You
Tube, third-party apps and mirror what's on the small screen. The Amazon Fire
TV Stick, on the , other hand, works independently to stream video content to
the television.
It connects to a Wi-Fi net
work to load content from Amazon Prime Video and also lets you browse and ,
install software from the Amazon Appstore. Of course, you need to subscribe to
Amazon Prime , too (`499 per year) before you can start streaming video
content.
You also get a remote
control to navigate through the interface, with a built-in mic that lets you
search for Hindi and English movies by simply speaking to it. Apart from
multimedia on Amazon Prime, you can install other `video on demand' services
like t Netflix, Hotstar, DittoTV, Gaana, Sony LIV, etc. You can even install
games like Red Ball 4, Hungry Shark Evolution and Tetris. But you get just 4GB
of storage on the Fire TV Stick and you cannot download a movie episode for
offline viewing to the device.
You can connect to more
than one wireless nett work and configure the quality of the video stream for
smoother playback. The device automatically , downgrades quality to adjust to a
drop in bandwidth.Its user interface also includes practical settings like
parental control and a data monitor to alert you t when you exceed your data
plan.
YAMAHA YAS-106 | `19,999 |
If you don't have room for a subwoofer, then consider this compact unit from
Yamaha. This 120W system houses dual three-inch subwoofer units with a bass
reflex port, two sets of 2.1-inch cone woofers and one-inch dome tweeters.
TV SOUNDBARS
SONY HT-CT180
Rs 18,990 | This 100W setup
comprises a stereo speaker and a wireless subwoofer with a 5-inch driver
for a clutter-free setup. Audio output across the mid-range and highs are
clear. Its subwoofer, which is not all that powerful, is better suited for
small-sized rooms.
You can connect this
soundbar to your television via its optical or analogue input interface. And
you also get Bluetooth and NFC, so you can stream music wirelessly from your
smartphone or tablet.
SAMSUNG HW-K450XL
Rs 19,990 | If you need a
system for a large room or like sound to be more bass heavy , then check this
one out. The K450XL boasts of a 300W power output and comes with a wireless
subwoofer that houses a 6.5-inch driver.
Its dual speakers sound
crisp; handle vocals and music well, while the sub packs a punch without any
distortion. That said, don't expect audiophilegrade output. The soundbar is
also equipped with an HDMI port to connect your TV or Blu-ray player. The
result is crystal clear sound across the mids and highs, with discernible bass.
Its design also allows you to place it horizontally , vertically, or even mount
it on the wall. It has Bluetooth, analogue, optical and HDMI ports for
connectivity .
BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS
CARVAAN
Rs 5,999 | This entry-level
Bluetooth speaker lets you listen to music wirelessly from any compatible
device. But that's not all: It comes with a USB port into which you can plug a
pendrive to play music directly from it; you get a built-in FM radio, and 5,000
preloaded retro Hindi songs. You can switch to any of these modes by pressing
their individual buttons on the left side of the device.
The songs available on
Carvaan sourced from Saregama's Indian music archive are categorised by
singer, lyricist, music composer, moods etc. Each category can be selected by
turning a jog-dial on the face of the device right by its digital screen that
displays the mode and category you are listening to.This means you can switch
from Kishore Kumar to Lata Mangeshkar, SD Burman to Naushad; love songs to Sufi
tracks, and more. Over and above, the music collection also includes the entire
Ameen Sayani's Geetmala countdown collection spanning 50 years starting from
1952.
Simply put, the Carvaan is
a fantastic branding exercise by Saregama, where you're actually buying the
songs from its catalogue.The speakers get the job done, but without any bells
and whistles; you get around four hours of playback on a full battery , but its
real USP is the preloaded content that will remind you of simpler times when
everyone gathered around the radio for their dose of nightly entertainment.JBL
FLIP 3 | `9,999 | This device comes complete with a splashresistant fabric
grill and rubberised external construct, including a flap that covers its aux
and charging port (cable included). It packs in two 8W drivers and dual passive
external radia tors on its sides to give you just the right amount of thunder
in the lower rang es, with pronounced mids and clear highs.
You also get a built-in mic
to answer calls when your smartphone is con nected to it. Conference calls pose
no problems with both sides hearing each other loud and clear.
The device has individual
buttons for Bluetooth pairing, volume control, and answering calls. The answer
button can also be used to play or pause a song and you can even skip tracks
forward with a double press, and back with a triple press. Truly, there's no
reason not to consider the Flip 3 at this price unless you already own one.
CREATIVE ROAR
Rs 13,300 | In terms of
connectivity options, you get Bluetooth and NFC for wireless pairing; an aux-in
port that lets you connect your non-wireless devices via a 3.5mm jack; a
microUSB port to connect to your PC or laptop, and a microSD slot that can read
music in MP3, WMA and WAV formats from a card and even record audio files
to it using the Roar's built-in mic. And of course, it also supports hands-free
calls.
As far as audio quality is
concerned, this speaker--with its five-driver design that comprises two
tweeters, a subwoofer and two passive radiators--renders music without any
artificial boosting of bass for true audio fidelity. The lows, mids and highs
are balanced and the speaker's output is loud enough for a largish room.
For the times you want
extra bass, the Roar comes with a “TeraBass“ button that boosts the low
frequencies, even at lower volume. This is one speaker that comes packed with
practically every connectivity option you need, and it also sounds fantastic.
B&O A1 | `20,000 | This
Bluetooth speaker melds modern design, good build and great perfor mance. The
top of the dome speaker is built of perforated aluminium, while the bot tom is
made of a double moulded polymer with a rub berised finish to provide strong
protection to the elec tronics inside. It also comes with a durable leather
strap that makes it easy to carry along on trips and even hang from a wall.
The A1's USB-Type C
charging port, power, volume, Bluetooth pairing, connect and call receiving
controls are placed at the base of the device. You also get a 3.5mm aux port
for wired connections.
Switch it on, and you can't
but marvel at the rich timbre of the A1: It is capable of deep bass; at the
same time, it renders music with crisp mids and clear highs. Its round shape
also ensures that music is evenly transmitted upwards and in all directions. Now,
when you consider that the Beoplay also works flawlessly for hands-free calls,
you get a complete wireless audio set-up that oozes opulence, and sounds
fantastic.
Ashutosh Desai and Savio
D'Souza
TNN
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