STACK Magazine November Issue 121

100 / 116

NOVEMBER 2014 JB Hi-Fi 100
TECH visit
TEAMTECH
GREATGEARFORYOURSUMMERSPORTSACTION
By Keri Algar
Just as we let the footy season slip by,
the summer of cricket turns on. This
year’s season boasts more than 330 days
of action, including 49 matches in 44
days for the ICC 2015 Cricket World Cup!
If cricket’s not your thing, there’s the
Australian Open and then the Quiksilver
Pro on the Gold Coast. It’s Australia.
Sport is everywhere. Love it.
Sony KDL60W600B 60-inch Full
HD Smart LED-LCD TV
There are two essentials for the viewing
season ahead: a comfortable sofa and an
awesome TV. Screen-wise, you’ll be looking for
something big, at least 48 inches, preferably
60-inches, like the Sony KDL60W600B. This
TV’s thin bezel accentuates the size of the
screen, but the best thing is that it’s optimised
for watching sports. With a 100Hz refresh rate
and Motionflow, it delivers up to four times the
number of frames per second of a standard TV.
This is ideal for fast action because it makes
the images appear smoother and removes
the irritating ‘ghosting’ and blur some screens
suffer from. As you’d expect from a top tier
brand, there are loads of connectivity options
(4 HDMI, 2 USB, 1 Ethernet), smart TV and
network features, power saving modes and a
high-end image processor.
Sonos Playbar
For outstanding sound, complement the
Sony TV with a Sonos Playbar, one of the
more simple and versatile soundbars on
the market today. Packed inside this very
handsome piece are nine drivers (six mids and
three tweeters set on a 45-degree angle) for
superb sound – not just louder, but clearer.
Speech Enhancement reduces the bass and
clarifies voices, a nifty feature for catching the
commentators’ calls. Set up is seductively
simple, even for a technophobe. There are two
cords: a composite cord to the TV and power
cord. Boom, you’re done! The Playbar also
connects wirelessly to other speakers in the
Sonos range, potentially offering a 5.1 sound
system. You can even ramp things up with a
Sonos sub and stream music as you please.
iPhone 6
Take the game on the go with one of Apple’s
recently released smartphones, the iPhone 6
and the iPhone 6 Plus. Both are a leap
in screen size, 4.7 inches and 5.5
inches, respectively; both are
thinner, smoothed edged and
have sharper screens. Clearly,
they’re more than just bread-
and-butter phones; they’re
reaching phablet status
(especially the Plus), which
makes them winners for
video streaming a summer of
sport wherever you are. Check
out Cricket Australia Live’s official app; it has
live streaming, scores, fixtures and highlights.
If you’re lucky enough to be at the game, take
advantage of the mobiles’ camera. A speedy
A8 processor on both models enables 60
frames per second HD video. Or tune into live
commentary with the ABC’s Grandstand Sport
radio app.
Marley Chant Bluetooth
Portable Speaker
Don’t miss the voices of summer!
Commentators link you the game with
technical knowledge and comedy. Sync your
iPhone 6 to this little gem of a Bluetooth
speaker and you and your mates can catch
every critical, hilarious, illuminating or
clichéd syllable that’s uttered. It doubles as a
speakerphone with a built-in mic. The Marley
Chant’s custom canvas carry bag encases a
2-inch speaker, complete with a bamboo trim.
It’s stubbie-holder sized: about 4 inches tall,
3.4 inches across, and has a built-in battery
that is rechargeable via mini-USB (6-hour life).
It’s a small speaker, so you won’t be bringing
the house down with sound, but it’s perfect
for listening to the match in a small room or
outside on the bbq deck.