First-gen Chromecast owners will need to upgrade after Google terminates support

Google has quietly ended support for its first-generation Chromecast dongle, capping off a nearly decade-long run (it missed the mark by a couple of months).

If you check out the firmware release notes on the Chromecast Help website, you’ll notice the last update was on April 27. It’s been a while since the company pulled the plug, but no one noticed until very recently. At the bottom of the page, you’ll see a notice stating old Chromecasts will “no longer receive software or security updates” nor will Google provide any sort of “technical support”. Because there won’t be any more patches moving forward,  people “may notice a degradation in performance” over time, although some would argue the dip in quality has been around for a while now.

Several comments from users on the Chromecast subreddit, for example, mention how they haven’t used their devices in years due to how slow it became. It is worth pointing out that the last major firmware patch for the original Chromecast was back in November 2022, which “itself was the first update in over three years”, according to 9to5 Google. It appears this end-of-service move was in the works for quite a while.

Upgrading

For those who have an old Chromecast, we strongly recommend recycling the dongle instead of throwing it away. E-waste is a major problem after all, and it doesn’t do anybody any good stuffing old gadgets in a drawer or attic. Google has a recycling program for unwanted hardware. The company will send you a free shipping label that you can slap on a box to then send the device back. Once received, the Chromecast will be “recycled responsibly.” Or you can hop on Google Maps to find a local recycler.

If you still want a Chromecast, there are several options available. You can buy the third generation Chromecast from 2018 to give your TV access to several streaming platforms like Netflix in 1080p resolution (1920x1080 pixels). Prices for the latest model average around $40/£32/$60 AUD so it has gone up from its initial cost at launch, but it is still pretty cheap. We also recommend the slightly more expensive Chromecast with Google TV which supports 4K resolution as well as the Dolby Vision and HDR10 Plus formats to ensure an optimal stream.

Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the six new Netflix originals coming in June that you should definitely watch on your Chromecast. The sixth season of Black Mirror is releasing very, very soon. 

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Arnie's FUBAR TV show is a big hit – here are 3 of his movies on Netflix to follow it up

Arnold Schwarzenegger is back – and the debut season of his action-packed Netflix show FUBAR looks like a huge hit.

Fubar follows a retired CIA operative (Schwarzenegger) who is pulled back in for ‘one last job’ – only to find that the spy he’s meant to extract is none other than his own daughter. Cue ‘daddy issues’ jokes and a lot of family humor in the midst of bazookas, car chases and some sizable cigars.

FUBAR has soared to the number one spot on Netflix’s top 10 TV shows list, dethroning the Bridgerton prequel, Queen Charlotte, after three weeks in the number one slot – showing that there’s very much still fuel in the tank for Netflix’s Chief Action Officer.

Schwarzenegger is one of the most recognisable action stars out there – from Terminator to Predator, he’s starred in some of the biggest action franchises of all time. Although, the warm response to Fubar so far seems like it’s due to how to mixes his action credentials with a daft sense of humor. “That was her violin arm!” he screams, beating a bad guy mercilessly after his daughter caught a bullet in the shoulder.

So, if you loved FUBAR and want more of Arnie, here are three Netflix movies starring the action actor.

1. Kindergarten Cop

(Image credit: Netflix)

Kindergarten Cop follows an LAPD detective called John Kimble (Schwarzenegger) who goes undercover as a preschool teacher in order to track down the family of a known drug dealer. Released in 1990, there was a direct-to-video sequel that you don’t need to worry about. As a forebear to similar movie plots where an action star navigates cute kids like Vin Diesel's The Pacifier, and one of Arnie’s earlier forays into comedy, it’s well worth a look.

2. Last Action Hero

(Image credit: Netflix)

This 1993 fantasy action comedy sees 10–year-old Danny magically transported into a massive action blockbuster film, after being given a magical ticket stub. There he meets the muscled and unflappable action hero Jack Slater (Schwarzenegger). But finds that the ability for people to move in and out of the real world and the movie has the potential for some big trouble.

3. Twins

(Image credit: Netflix)

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any sillier. This comedy flick stars Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito as fraternal twins born from… a scientific experiment to create the perfect child, from the DNA of six separate fathers. 

However, the twins are separated at birth, with DeVito’s Vincent becoming a small-time crook and con-man after being abandoned at an orphanage, while Schwarzenegger’s Julius is trained and groomed by one of the experiment’s researchers. Eventually, Julius learns of Vincent’s existence and sets out to find him.

Twins was critically maligned, but a sizeable commercial success, and gives you the chance to see two brilliant comedic actors play off each other – if you can overlook the science of the premise, that is.   

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6 new Netflix Original movies and shows you can’t miss in June

It’s a great time for Netflix subscribers – password crackdowns aside – with a host of Netflix Original programming set to be released in June.

A number of big-name TV shows and anthology series are releasing new seasons to the streaming service, alongside a sprinkling of animated fantasy and psychological horror to ensure there’s something for everyone – whether shapeshifters, sorcerers or teen drama is more your score.

Naturally, as Netflix giveth, it also taketh away, which means you should make sure you’ve caught up on any outgoing movies before they leave the service. But for anyone after something new to binge, here is our guide to the Netflix shows and movies coming your way next month.

Black Mirror season 6 (June)

Finally, more Black Mirror! The next season of Charlie Brooker’s beloved sci-fi anthology series is landing this month, with five standalone episodes that question our relationship to technology, media and more – from alternate histories of the 1960s to big-budget TV shows based on the life of a perfectly “average” woman.

It’s been a few years since the divisive fifth season, so we’re hoping this instalment sees a return to form – with the likes of Aaron Paul, Salma Hayek and Zazie Beetz in the cast, it’s certainly got a good shot.

Never Have I Ever season 4 (June 8)

The final season of Mindy Kaling’s hit teen comedy drama is here. It sees Dev in her sophomore year, navigating love, sex, school and family as this chapter of her life truly comes to a close.

Extraction 2 (June 16)

The action flick Extraction was a huge hit for Netflix, so it's unsurprising to see a sequel come our way. This time, we see Tyler Rake (played by Chris Hemsworth) trying to save the lives of a ruthless gangster's imprisoned family. Expect fast chase scenes, plenty of fight choreography and people occasionally being set on fire.

Run Rabbit Run (June 28)

Yes, Succession is over – but Sarah Snook (who plays Shiv in the hit drama) is forever. The Netflix Original Run Rabbit Run sees Snook take on the role of a fertility doctor, whose views of life and death are put into question after her daughter shows a growing obsession with a dead relative. Expect lots of psychological horror and shots of Snook looking incredibly distressed.

The Witcher season 3 (June 29)

Henry Cavill may be leaving The Witcher, but not before you get to see him in the titular role for a whole other season. The first half of season 3 is landing on Netflix at the end of June, as The White Wolf attempts to keep Ciri safe while war, magic and intrigue rages around them.

An official synopsis says the following: “Entrusted with Ciri’s magical training, Yennefer leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where they hope to uncover more about the girl’s untapped powers; instead, they discover they’ve landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery. They must fight back, put everything on the line – or risk losing each other forever."

Nimona (June 30)

Nimona finally sees the light of day, years after a botched attempt by Disney failed to bring it to screen. This animated adaptation of N.D. Stevenson’s colorful graphic novel stars Riz Ahmed and Chloë Grace Moretz in a medieval fantasy world, where dragons and knights collide with lasers and secret government facilities. 

Moretz plays the eponymous Nimona, a shapeshifting teen glued to the side of vengeful knight Ballister Blackheart, both of them trying to evade and outsmart the heroic Ambrosius Goldenloin (yes, the names are amazing) and subvert an oppressive state. Definitely not one to miss.

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The first 110-inch 16K TV screen is here to make your projector feel inadequate

Chinese display maker BOE has unveiled a truly massive 110-inch 16K TV, putting the hordes of 4K TVs and projectors on the market to shame.

This seismically large prototype packs in a 16K resolution, with four times as many pixels as an 8K screen, and 16 times the pixel count of 4K. It was shown off at SID Display Week 2023 in Los Angeles, to celebrate BOE’s 30-year anniversary with a showcase of cutting-edge resolution far beyond the average television (via Heise.de).

The display’s size is clearly on par with most home theater projectors, with the added flex of the 16K resolution, which you won't find from any of the best projectors.

As a prototype, though, you can’t buy this display yet – and probably wouldn’t want to. While the pixel count is truly jaw-dropping, this BOE screen cuts corners elsewhere to make its creation more feasible, with a mere 400 nit maximum brightness – the same the cheapest TVs on the market, and far below the 1,400 nits you get from the likes of the high-end Samsung S95C.

You’re also making do with a 60Hz frame rate, rather than the 120Hz standard expected from the best TVs today, and an LCD panel rather than the OLED, QLED or Mini-LED technologies that true cinephiles will actually be after. Not to mention the rather messy array of 16 DisplayPort cables currently needed to funnel all that visual information to the screen (and you thought your current cable setup was untidy…).

And, of course, the question remains as to whether 16K TV resolution is adding much benefit anyway.

The case for 16K

Will a 16K TV ever be worth it? BOE isn’t the first to show off a 16K screen; Sony unveiled a similarly specified display back in 2019, with a more impressive 1,000 nit brightness, but it's made from modular panels rather than being all one screen, as the BOE unit is.

The thing is, even the best 8K TVs are still niche propositions, despite some heavy marketing from Samsung over the years, and you generally get diminishing returns after hitting a 4K benchmark; the human eye can only discern so much detail at a regular viewing distance, after all.

8K content is incredibly rare already, so you can imagine that 16K content is basically nonexistent – and likely to stay that way. The big studios barely produce anything at 8K yet, there's not about to be a jump to four times that resolution.

At the very least, BOE’s screen is a reminder that TV specifications are always being pushed to the next level – and that what we see as peak performance (4K, or 8K) can easily be dethroned by the next big technological advancement. Just don’t throw away your 110-inch projector just yet.

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7 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Max, Disney Plus and more this weekend (May 26)

If you haven't already heard the news, HBO Max officially rebranded to Max this week, with the shiny new service combining the content libraries of Discovery Plus with Warner Bros. Discovery’s former flagship streamer. 

You can get the low-down on the switchover in our seven things HBO Max fans need to know about Max guide elsewhere on TechRadar, but normal service resumes here in our weekly guide to the best new movies and TV shows to stream this weekend. 

Below, we’ve picked out seven of the biggest new arrivals worth catching on the likes of Netflix, Max and Apple TV Plus over the next few days. 

FUBAR (Netflix) 

Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to ass-kicking action this weekend in new Netflix comedy series FUBAR (caps intended). 

In this eight-episode adventure, the Terminator star plays a forced-out-of-retirement CIA operative who discovers that his daughter (Top Gun: Maverick's Monica Barbaro) is, in fact, also working for America’s foreign intelligence service. Forced to team up as partners, the pair quickly become embroiled in a globe-trotting mission to save the world (of course!). 

When you’re done with FUBAR – which comes from Reacher writer Nick Santora – check out our roundup of 6 more action comedies available to stream on Netflix, Prime Video and more.

Now available to stream on Netflix. 

Clone High (Max) 

Arriving with surprisingly little fanfare this weekend (for what is essentially a Max launch title) is Clone High, a new adult animated comedy series from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

Well, we say ‘new’, but Clone High – which follows a group of high school teens who also happen to be clones of famous historical figures – actually ran for 13 episodes back in 2002 before being unceremoniously canceled by MTV. Since then, the series has earned a cult following, and this rebooted version arrives on Max with many of its original voice actors. 

Critics have described Clone High as “blissfully silly”, suggesting Lord and Miller – along with co-writer Bill Lawrence – have crafted one of the best Max shows for comedy fans. There’s been no word yet on when the series might debut in the UK. 

Now available to stream on Max.

Platonic (Apple TV Plus) 

Apple has enlisted the services of Neighbors co-stars Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne for its latest foray into comedy drama, Platonic. 

From the minds of Friends From College creators Nick Stoller and Francesca Delbanco, this 10-episode series centers on a pair of one-time childhood best friends (Rogen and Byrne) who attempt to rekindle their friendship in adulthood following a dramatic falling out. 

Reviews for Platonic have called the series “the perfect modern buddy comedy,” so this one could be a sure bet for a place on our list of the best Apple TV Plus shows in 2023. 

Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai (Max) 

Who saw this coming? Arriving alongside Clone High this weekend as another animated Max launch title is Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.

This series spin-off from the Gremlins film franchise serves as a prequel to Joe Dante’s 1984 original movie and follows a young Sam Wing as he first encounters Gizmo in 1920s Shanghai. Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong, James Wong and Matthew Rhys head the voice cast, which also includes the likes of Sandra Oh and George Takei.

The first two episodes of Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai are now available to stream on HBO Max, with the remaining eight instalments set to arrive weekly every Tuesday. UK viewers will likely find the series streaming on Sky and NOW in the coming months. 

Now available to stream on Max.

American Born Chinese (Disney Plus) 

Hot on the heels of their respective Oscar wins, Everything Everywhere All at Once stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu reunite for new Disney Plus action-comedy series American Born Chinese.

Adapted from the graphic novel of the same name by Kelvin Yu and directed by Shang-Chi helmer Destin Daniel Cretton, this eight-episode drama follows an American high school student whose encounter with a foreign exchange student lands him in a war between Chinese mythological gods

Ben Wang and Poppy Liu also star in American Born Chinese, which critics have described as “the unofficial encore to Everything Everywhere all at Once.” Make of that what you will. 

Now available to stream on Disney Plus.

The Clearing (Hulu, Disney Plus) 

If you’re in the mood for a fright this weekend, look no further than The Clearing, which is now streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.

This eight-part Australian crime thriller – adapted from J.P. Pomare's novel In the Clearing – centers on the mysterious Freya, whose dark past may hold the key to preventing a religious cult from gathering children and coercing them into executing their grand master plan. Cheery stuff!

Teresa Palmer, Miranda Otto and Guy Pearce all star in The Clearing, which has earned plaudits for its performances and storytelling. Here’s hoping the series is one of the best Hulu shows for some time.

Now available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK. 

Prehistoric Planet season 2 (Apple TV Plus) 

This week’s documentary pick is Prehistoric Planet season 2, which is now streaming in its entirety on Apple TV Plus. 

In what is essentially a CGI-enabled version of popular BBC series Planet Earth (if the latter were set 66 million years ago), this follow-up season to last year’s Prehistoric Planet promises another a guided tour of various prehistoric habitats and their respective dino dwellers. 

This time around, the giant Hatzegopteryx, the old Pachycephalosaurus and the world’s largest predator – the Mosasaurus – count among the critters taking center stage. 

Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.

Check out our guides for more new Netflix movies, new Disney Plus movies, new Prime Video movies and new HBO Max movies.

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Amazon dunking on Netflix's password rules takes us back to PlayStation vs Xbox One

Netflix rivals are having a field day in the wake of the streaming service’s password crackdown – with Amazon Prime Video coming hard for Netflix on Twitter.

The Twitter account for Prime Video UK replied to an old 2017 post by Netflix that said “Love is sharing a password” – replying with a screenshot of Prime Video user profiles that spell out “Who’s watching? Everyone who has our password”.

https://t.co/dHgkuwiuHB pic.twitter.com/PkFhbOoWNdMay 25, 2023

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At the time of writing, the post is nearing half a million likes after just half a day online, echoing some of the discontent subscribers are feeling at seeing their selflessly-shared passwords now monetized.

That specific Netflix tweet is getting a lot of attention these days, as proof of a very different approach to password sharing back in 2017, when the streamer actively encouraged password sharing as a way to spread interest in the platform. Those truly were the days – though competing sites like Prime Video still maintain more of a free-for-all approach.

Brands dunking on each other in public is nothing new, of course, but it’s always fun to see transnational corporations behaving like snarky teenagers. There’s a long tradition of shade being thrown at competitors in ads, like the old ‘I’m a Mac, I’m a PC’ skits that Apple used to put out.

But this specifically reminds us of 2013, and PlayStation's response to Xbox’s ill-received E3 conference that introduced a complicated game-sharing system and restrictions on buying or selling used games. Alongside a breathtakingly high price point, and talk of an always-online ecosystem, Xbox created an open goal for its competitor that the company has yet to recover from a decade later.

Sony responded with the brilliantly sassy and low-budget “Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video”, which demonstrated in 22 seconds (including graphics at the start and end) how PS4 users would share video games.

The PlayStation video is a lesson is how effective, and memorable, a single piece of snarky marketing (snarketing?) can be. However, while Microsoft eventually backtracked on its Xbox One policy, Netflix seems confident that even angry subscribers will come back into the fold eventually.

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Citadel season 2 is on the way for Prime Video, and there's one big reason why

Citadel, Prime Video's expensive and divisive spy thriller TV show, has been renewed for a second season.

In a press release, Amazon Studios confirmed that the Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas-starring series would return for another outing on Prime Video. Showrunner David Weil is also coming back to pen the next installment's scripts, while Joe Russo – who executively produced Citadel season 1 alongside brother Anthony – will assume directing duties for the show's sophomore season.

For the uninitiated: Citadel is an action spy thriller starring Madden and Chopra Jonas as Mason and Nadia, two elite agents who work for the titular espionage corporation with no allegiance to any one nation. However, when Citadel is infiltrated and destroyed from within by Manticore, a shadow organization hellbent on world domination, Mason and Nadia have their memories wiped to protect them, and Citadel's secrets. Years later, the pair are reunited by fellow agent Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci) in order to stop Manticore once and for all.

At first glance, it might seem strange that Citadel would receive the green light for another outing. Pre-release, the reportedly $300 million project (one of the most expensive shows ever made) received negative reviews from critics, resulting in the series receiving a 54% rotten rating on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. In our Citadel review, we said "James Bond and The Night Agent have nothing to worry about", adding that the "disparity within its makeup, most notably its bewilderingly volatile story beats, and overall unoriginality makes for a bland spy series."

Amazon will be delighted with Citadel's global performance (Image credit: Prime Video)

"Citadel is a truly global phenomenon," Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke said in a statement. "Our goal was always to create a new franchise rooted in original IP that would grow Prime Video’s international audience. 

"This show has drawn an outsize number of new international customers to Prime Video. Its massive worldwide debut audience is a testament to Joe and Anthony Russo’s remarkable vision, the incredible talents of Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Lesley Manville, and Stanley Tucci, and the tireless work of the creative teams, cast, and crew. Given the overwhelming number of our customers who have embraced this show, we are not only thrilled to share the premiere episode of Citadel globally without membership, but also confirm that the series will return for a second season."

To mark Citadel's season 2 renewal, Amazon has confirmed the show's first episode will be available to stream for free on Amazon Freevee – Amazon's ad-supported streamer – in the US for one month starting today (May 26). Viewers outside the US will be able to stream Citadel's premiere on Prime Video without an Amazon Prime subscription, too, over Memorial Day weekend (May 26-28).

A thrilling victory for Amazon in the face of adversity

Citadel has proven to be more popular than most critics expected (Image credit: Amazon Studios)

Despite its eyewatering cost, multiple production issues, and poor critical reception, Citadel has proven to be another smash hit for Prime Video.

Per Amazon's press release, Citadel is the second most-watched Prime Video original series of all time outside of the US. Add its American viewership into the mix, and the show is the fourth most-streamed TV series on Amazon's platform globally, too.

Unlike Netflix, Amazon Studios doesn't release official viewing figures, so we're unable to verify exactly how popular the show has been. To provide some context, though, The Rings of Power, Amazon's big-budget Lord of the Rings TV show, is reportedly the most-watched Prime Video original ever, with 24 billion minutes streamed (per Collider). 

According to a Hollywood Reporter piece from June 2022, other popular Prime Video shows include Reacher (5.76 billion minutes viewed) and The Wheel of Time (4.91 billion), which sat in first and second place before The Rings of Power overtook them. As Prime Video's fourth most-streamed TV original, then, Citadel can't be too far behind the latter of that duo.

Citadel's unlikely success, then, is another example of how reviews from critics can inform global audiences on what's worth streaming, but don't necessarily have a bearing on what people will enjoy watching. 

In some cases, critics are right on the money with their opinions on whether a movie or TV show will or won't be a hit – just look at how Marvel movie Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was panned pre-release – those reviews likely put a significant dent in its box office performance, but the film was also poorly received by fans. However, there are also instances where critics and more casual viewers don't see eye to eye. Citadel may be a pretty poor show in the eyes of critics but, based on its 67% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, it's fared better among general audiences – and that's what will matter most to Amazon Studios.

For more Prime Video-based coverage, read our guides on The Rings of Power season 2, Invincible season 2, The Wheel of Time season 2, and the best Prime Video shows.

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New Max streaming service angers writers and directors with big crediting error

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has been forced to apologize for failing to properly credit writers and directors on its newly launched Max streaming service.

The super streamer, which combines HBO Max and Discovery Plus' libraries into a single entity, only made its debut on May 23. In the first 48 hours since launch, though, Max has faced numerous issues – including a glaring oversight in how writers and directors have been credited on the platform.

Yesterday (May 24), a Twitter thread – started by user John Frankensteiner – revealed that specific Max movies and TV shows hadn't properly credited its most prominent crew members. Rather than list which individuals had written, directed, and produced productions including Silence of the Lambs, Catch Me If You Can, and Raging Bull (among many others), each project's main crew members were lumped into a vague 'creators' section. That's a big mistake for any major studio, the world's best streaming services, or any other entertainment industry-based company to have made.

The new HBO Max (MAX) has eliminated writer/director credits in their interface in favor of a vague "Creators." This is what Raging Bull currently looks like. It's so fucking over. pic.twitter.com/gPveQ469GBMay 24, 2023

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Unsurprisingly, the backlash to the lack of proper accreditation was as angry as it was swift. Statements from the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Directors Guild of America (DGA) – as seen in LA Times reporter Anousha Sakoui's tweet below – furiously condemned the move, with the DGA saying it "would not stand for it" and the WGA calling the oversight "disrespectful", "insulting," and "diminishing".

"the DGA will not stand for it"Massive joint statement from WGA and DGA over Max new credits pic.twitter.com/ocOk6yLUQJMay 24, 2023

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It didn't take long for WBD to confirm it would reinstate proper writers, directors, and producers' credits on its Max platform, either. In a statement provided to Variety, a WBD spokesperson said: "We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized. We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max and we apologize for this mistake."

As mentioned, this isn't the only problem WBD has to deal with as part of Max's rocky launch. Multiple users – ourselves included – struggled to log into the Max streaming service on launch day (and continue to do so), with a repeated error message preventing us and many others from seeing what was new. Others, including TechRadar's US editor-in-chief Lance Ulanoff, lamented the fact that HBO Max's replacement service just made him miss WBD's former main streamer, too.

There are positives to Max's arrival, however. The mega streaming service has more 4K HDR movies than HBO Max did, and there are a ton of new movies and TV shows to check out on the newly launched platform. You can find out even more details about Max in our seven things HBO Max fans need to know about WBD's new super streamer article.

Max-ing out the insensitivity bar

Max's crediting oversight comes amid a major WGA strike. (Image credit: UnSplash )

It's not hyperbolic to suggest that this Max crediting blunder couldn't have come at a worse time for WBD.

Not only has it had to deal with the aforementioned log-in issues among others, but the seeming unwillingness to credit movie and TV show writers, directors, and producers properly is incredibly insensitive, not least because of the ongoing WGA strike.

For the last three weeks (at the time of writing), WGA members have refused to continue work on in-development shows, such as Stranger Things season 5 and multiple Marvel projects, after a breakdown in talks with the Association of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP). The latter is the organization that represents the world's biggest entertainment firms, and they're refusing to play ball over a number of suggestions that the WGA has proposed concerning better working conditions for its members. Those proposals include bigger wage packets, job security amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) programs, such as Google Bard and ChatGPT, and greater transparency over how TV shows and movies have performed, particularly on streaming services, where viewing figures are withheld from the very people who write, direct, and produce those projects.

In fact, it's the world's most prominent streamers that are reportedly responsible (largely, anyway) for the breakdown in talks between the WGA and AMPTP. Netflix is believed to be one of the biggest objectors to the WGA's demands, but Warner Bros. Discovery is also thought to have played some role in proceedings – WBD CEO David Zaslav was heckled during a visit to Boston University (per NBC) over the studio's role in the strike.

This specific Max faux pas, then, will do little to assuage those who support the industrial action and pours further fuel on a fire that continues to rage hard. WBD has enough Max-based problems to iron out without shooting itself in the foot. Unfortunately, that's what it's done here, and it'll need a huge amount of groveling (and goodwill on the part of writers, directors, and producers who work with WBD moving forward) to regain the trust of those it burned with this oversight.

For more Max-based coverage, read up on the best Max movies and best Max TV shows. You know, if you've signed up for the service and can look past WBD's latest blunder.

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The Mother is still Netflix's top movie, but a new thriller at number 6 is the one to watch

After a Netflix movie with real thrills? While Jennifer Lopez action film Mother is still at the number one slot in Netflix’s most-viewed films this week, there’s another thriller lower down the list that really is worth two hours of your time: Missing.

Missing is a 2023 ‘screenlife’ movie – one that takes place entirely on the screen of computers or phones. That means the action is mediated through video calls, webcams, the Mac desktop, home security cameras, and Google tabs as the technology we use to navigate our lives becomes the connecting thread between a twisting and turning plot. And it's an absolutely cracking thriller as well being an inventive way of making a movie.

It’s a spiritual sequel to 2018’s Searching, which uses the exact same "all on the screen" conceit, and in which John Cho (Star Trek) tries to find his teenage daughter who’s gone missing unexpectedly. Missing, however, flips the script, putting a daughter in charge of finding her mother, but with the latest and smartest online tools at her disposal.

It stars Storm Reid in the lead role, who you may recognise from either Euphoria, or HBO’s The Last of Us, in which she plays Ellie’s love interest Riley – suffice to say she’s popping up a lot on our screens.

In Missing, things go awry when June (played by Reid) is meant to pick up her mother at the airport, after a holiday in Colombia with a new boyfriend, but finds she never arrives.

The unfolding story is a cyber-sleuth mystery, as June attempts to track down her mother, and the truth, by hacking email account passwords, making FaceTime video calls, and uncovering encrypted messages that unlock some seriously excellent twists.

And it makes use of the technology on-screen really well – some reveals are shown to the audience before June notices them, if you know how certain aspects of macOS or apps work. This isn't some embarrassing largely-illiterate techno-thriller of the ’90s – it knows exactly what it's doing.

We also love that it actually takes a bit of time to comment on the phenomenon of online sleuths/true crime obsessives, making half deductions and leaping to wrong conclusions, even while June has no choice but to do the same thing.

The Mother has more action if that's what you're after, but Missing is such as a sharp and interesting movies – and hey, it still has a mother-daughter relationship at the heart of it all. Screw it, maybe watch both back to back?

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The Wheel of Time season 2 magically spins onto Prime Video in September

Amazon Studios has confirmed that The Wheel of Time season 2 will premiere on its Prime Video streaming service on September 1.

The high-fantasy series, which was expected to return to our screens this year, has finally landed a release date after months of speculation. And, with The Rings of Power season 2 not set to arrive on one of the world's best streaming services until 2024 at the earliest, The Wheel of Time season 2's arrival will be a magical way to fill the fantasy genre void in our lives.

The great hunt begins September 1. #TheWheelOfTime pic.twitter.com/b3eMLfM6clMay 24, 2023

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To celebrate the announcement, Amazon also unveiled a brief plot synopsis for the show's sophomore year, as well as eight first-look images that tease what's to come for our heroes.

"The Wheel of Time turns, and the Last Battle approaches," the synopsis reads. "Though Rand (Josha Stradowski) thought he destroyed the Dark One (Fares Fares), evil is not gone from the world. In season two, threats new and very old seek out the young friends from the Two Rivers, now scattered over the world. The woman who found and guided them is now powerless to help, and so they must find other sources of strength. In each other, or themselves. In the light... or the dark."

But wait, there's more. Amazon hasn't unveiled a new trailer for The Wheel of Time's next season, but it has delivered on the first-look images front, with the new stills (including the one of Moiraine Damodred above) for fans to pour over. You can see them all below:

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Moiraine is back in The Wheel of Time season 2, albeit with no powers in tow. (Image credit: Jan Thijs/Amazon Studios)

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What's Egwene up to here, we wonder... (Image credit: Jan Thijs/Amazon Studios)

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Enough with the worried looks already, Nynaeve! (Image credit: Jan Thijs/Amazon Studios)

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Mat has got a long road to recovery ahead of him. (Image credit: Jan Thijs/Amazon Studios)

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Lan and his trusty steed are back in season 2. (Image credit: Jan Thijs/Amazon Studios)

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Here's your first villainous look at the Seanchan, season 2's main antagonists. (Image credit: Jan Thijs/Amazon Studios)

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Rand looks like he needs a hand with something... (Image credit: Jan Thijs/Amazon Studios)

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Perrin's made a new friend in Aviendha, one of season 2's new characters. (Image credit: Jan Thijs/Amazon Studios)

Joining Stradowski and Fares in the series' next outing are returning main characters Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, I Care a Lot) as Moiraine Damodred, Daniel Henney (Criminal Minds) as Lan Mandragoran, Zoë Robins (Power Rangers Ninja Steel) as Nynaeve al'Meara, Madeleine Madden (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Egwene al'Vere, and Marcus Rutherford (Obey) as Perrin Aybara.

Dónal Finn (Rogue Heroes) replaces Barney Harris as Mat Cauthon in season 2, while Ceara Coveney (Young Wallander) is one of two confirmed new characters. Coveney will portray Elayne Trakand, one of the most powerful magic wielders (known as Aes Sedai) in the Wheel of Time universe. Elsewhere, Ayoola Smart (Cocaine Bear) will feature as Aviendha, a spear-wielding Wise One from the Nine Valleys Aes Sedai sept.

Before today (May 24), The Wheel of Time season 2, which covers the second and third novels in Robert Jordan's expansive fantasy book series, only had a tentative 2023 release date. That was seemingly until a report from The Telegraph India suggested it would be released in Q1 2023, before the article in question was amended to just say '2023'.

Asked about the rumored launch date by Wheel of Time YouTube fan channel Dragonmount, showrunner Rafe Judkins confirmed there was a sliver of truth to the speculation, but declined to confirm if the series would return in early 2023. Obviously, that period passed without season 2 landing on Prime Video, meaning it would be a while before The Wheel of Time's second season was given an official release date. Thankfully, now it has.

Here's that all-important launch date again: The Wheel of Time season 2 will debut on Prime Video on Friday, September 1.

For more Wheel of Time and Prime Video coverage, read our review of The Wheel of Time season 1, which is also coming to Amazon Freevee in full on July 14, and our exclusive season 1 chat with Judkins and the show's cast. Additionally, find out if it made it onto our best Prime Video shows list.

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Microsoft wants to help you build a website with Copilot AI

Microsoft has added AI enhancements to its low-code website building offering, Power Pages.

Announced at its Microsoft Build conference, Copilot in Power Pages lets website developers leverage AI capabilities for copywriting and form building.

The new update to Microsoft  Power Pages tool looks  to speed up the time it takes website builders to generate text, build detailed forms and chatbots, using intelligent suggestions.

AI site building 

Available in public preview now, albeit in North America only, Copilot in Power Pages aims to cut down website development time with features such as auto-generated tables in Microsoft Dataverse to create corresponding forms.

Also available in public preview, the update also includes a virtual table and Power Automate integration in Power Pages that enables cloud flow from web page events.

Read more

> Microsoft is bringing AI to Microsoft 365

> Microsoft Copilot lands on Viva

> Microsoft powers-up AI in free design app

Developers will be able to leverage these AI-enabled enhancements in Power Pages to jump-start their journey of ideation and building of impactful, secure external website-based services to better respond and serve their customers.

First revealed at Build 2022, Power Pages also includes the integration of Copilot chatbot activation that includes generative answers within the setup workspace.

“You also have the flexibility to adjust, add, or fine-tune fields using natural language input. It’s a more streamlined approach to form creation,” Sangya Singh, Vice President of Power Pages, noted in a blog post.

“For your website visitors, this feature enhances their interaction with your site, allowing them to ask natural language questions and receive concise responses complete with relevant links to optimize both administrative functionality and website engagement experiences.”

Microsoft is working on adding other AI capabilities including page creation, site theming, and image generation, which is predicted to be available in summer 2023.

• Here's a list of the best website builder services of the market 

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Struggling to log into the new Max streaming service? You’re not alone

Well, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) wasn't hoping for a rocky start to life for its newly launched Max streaming service – but that's exactly what's happened.

The super streamer, which replaced HBO Max, one of the best streaming services, today (May 23), has been marred by a persistent log-in problem that's preventing returning HBO Max users and new subscribers from accessing its suite of content.

Earlier today, I attempted to sign into the new platform to see what was available to stream, how Max's new user interface compares to its predecessor, and more. However, after trying to log into our account, I was met with the obligatory ' Something went wrong, please try again' message.

New and returning Max customers have been met with a log-in error message. (Image credit: Warner Bros. Discovery)

Initially, I didn't expect to be met with this error message. There were no issues with entering my account details – i.e. my email address and password. Upon signing in for the first time, though, I was asked to complete a couple of bot-resistant puzzles to confirm it was me who was signing into my account.

Max asks you to protect your account by solving a few puzzles when you first sign in. (Image credit: Warner Bros. Discovery)

The puzzles, of which there are two to choose from, aren't very difficult to solve. But you can restart them at any point if you mess up. 

So, what are they? One is an audio-based puzzle, which tasks you with picking out the animal sound out of three noises that play through your speakers or headphones. The other is an image-based one, which asks you to rotate an animal in the direction that a wooden hand is pointing. See the image below for an example of what I mean.

Warner Bros. Discovery really doesn't want your Max account to be hijacked. (Image credit: Warner Bros. Discovery)

Successfully complete three of these puzzles in a row and you'll be met with a 'Success!' message, indicating you've been signed in.

Or so you would hope. Despite completing the visual and audio challenges on multiple occasions, I was constantly met with the log-in error at every turn, meaning I've been unable to access my Max account since yesterday (May 22).

I'm not alone, either. A quick look at Max's Down Detector page indicates that many other users are suffering a similar issue, which usually means there's a major server problem on WBD's end. It's likely that the amount of people trying to log into the new streaming platform has (sorry) Max-ed out server capacity, ensuring that the rest of us can't sign in.

Frustratingly, it appears that not everyone is impacted by this log-in error. Two of TechRadar's US-based staff confirmed that they're able to log into the HBO Max and Max apps on Apple TV 4K and their smartphones. It could be, then, that the Max log-in error is only affecting those of us who are trying to sign in via a web browser, such as Google Chrome or Firefox.

Max is still showing up as HBO Max on some devices. (Image credit: Warner Bros. Discovery)

It's likely that Max's servers will stabilize themselves over the next few hours, and I suspect WBD is working around the clock to increase server capacity to allow more people to try out the platform on launch day.

Unfortunately, there haven't been any updates from the Max Help Twitter account, or any of its sister social media channels, to indicate that there are any issues with logging into Max or when they might be resolved. I've reached out to WBD for a statement and I'll update this article if I hear back.

In the meantime, there's plenty of Max-based reading you can do instead. Get the lowdown on seven things HBO Max users need to know about the switchover, how much a Max subscription costs, read our guide on the best Max shows to stream as soon as you can log in, and see which new Max movies and TV series are worth watching on launch day. 

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Max has way more 4K HDR movies than HBO Max did – here are 8 to watch first

Max is here. The new, rebranded iteration of the HBO Max streaming service has landed, bringing with it far more 4K HDR movies then subscribers saw on its predecessor.

A blog post by parent company Warner Bros. has laid out the full list of 4K movies now on the service. It will boast “more than 1,000 films and episodes in 4K UHD” and “an increase of nearly 8X more than HBO Max”.

This is specifically for the new Ultimate Ad-Free tier being launched with the Max service, offering four simultaneous streams and 100 offline downloads alongside the massive programming slate. You’ll be paying $19.99 per month for the privilege (or a discounted $199.99 for the year), but the sheer number of Ultra HD content may make it worth it for you.

To help limit the amount of time you spend browsing the new library though, we’ve brought together the 10 best 4K movies on Max that you should watch first, from sci-fi classics to modern 4K masterpieces.

2001: A Space Odyssey

(Image credit: MGM, Stanley Kubrick Productions)

Few sci-fi films are as visually arresting as 2001: A Space Odyssey, and it’s a movie best enjoyed in 4K HDR to make the most of that fact. This 1968 sci-fi epic, with all its ominous monoliths, galactic backdrops, red-eyed AI and psychedelic interstellar travel should burn onto your retina in the highest quality possible.

Batman 

(Image credit: Warner Bros))

Tim Burton’s original Batman film from 1989, with starring turns from Michael Keaton (Spider-Man: Homecoming) as Batman and Jack Nicholson (The Shining) as his Joker antagonist, is a gold standard for Batman films that still holds up today. But the film was also a dream collaboration between Burton and production designer Anton Furst. They created a dark distorted view of Gotham City by dropping the spandex and tights of earlier, camper iterations of Batman in favor of an all-black, ab-riddled bat suit. Definitely one to watch in crisp 4K.

Dune

(Image credit: © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.)

Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Blade Runner 2049) is possibly the best sci-fi director working today, and his 2021 film adaptation of Dune is testament to that. The expansive vistas of Arrakis’ red desert, the glimpse of a sand worm’s open mouth, startling blue eyes, the slow descent of soldiers as they levitate towards the ground – this is a cinematic experience worth savoring, especially ahead of Dune: Part Two when it lands later this year.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

(Image credit: Warner Bros./New Line Cinema)

Few fantasy movies beat the first installment of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies – setting the stage for a breathtaking, epic trilogy that later Tolkein adaptations (The Hobbit, Rings of Power) never came close to matching. 

The pastoral bliss of the Shire in its opening scenes, particularly, are still a joy to watch many years later, and doing so in 4K HDR is even better. Don’t be a fool of a Took and miss out on this one – just remember that the rest of the trilogy (Two Towers, Return of the King) is here on Max, so be sure to set aside the time for a proper marathon movie night.

The Banshees of Inisherin

(Image credit: Searchlight Pictures)

The Banshees of Inisherin is an intimate film, centering around a small cast on a fictional island off the coast of Ireland, against a backdrop of the Irish Civil War. Starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan – all of whom received Oscar nods for their performances – it follows the suddenly fraught friendship of two local men, one of whom no longer wants anything to do with the other. But the real reason to watch this movie on Max is the 4K HDR view you get of the film’s stark cliffs and dramatic vistas, as characters grapple with their loneliness on this remote crag of the Earth. As another writer-director credit from Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Three Billboards), it’s also painfully funny.

The Dark Knight

(Image credit: Warner Bros)

Christopher Nolan’s best movie? It could be – with Christian Bale’s second turn as the caped crusader being a great showcase for high-resolution filming. Nolan’s use of IMAX cameras in The Dark Knight’s blockbuster action sequences deserve the highest-quality resolution to appreciate in all their explosive, set-piece glory. There’s the added bonus of getting to see Heath Ledger’s breathtaking performance as the Joker, too.

The Matrix

(Image credit: Warner Bros)

Ah, The Matrix. The Wachowskis’ 1999 sci-fi action flick is a cinematic classic, depicting a future where machines have trapped the last remnants of humanity in a ceaseless simulation. Its iconic mix of ‘wire fu’ fight choreography, slow-mo action sequences, martial arts and tight leather trousers is still a marvel today, and will look all the better in 4K HDR. Truly ‘the One’ to watch.

Elvis

(Image credit: HBO Max)

Bad Luhrmann is not one for subtlety – and you can see the director's trademark exuberance on show in this 2022 Elvis biopic, which sees Austin Butler in the role of the famed rock and roll singer, starring alongside Tom Hanks and Kodi Smit-McPhee. You'll want 4K resolution to best showcase the splendour that goes into Luhrmann's sets – how else can you fully appreciate Elvis' iconic rhinestone jumpsuit?

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Meta's ChatGPT rival could make language barriers a thing of the past

The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Bard has presented the perfect opportunity to make significant leaps in multilingual speech projects, advancing language technology and promoting worldwide linguistic diversity.

Meta has taken up the challenge, unveiling its latest AI language model - which is able to recognize and generate speech in over 4,000 spoken languages.

The Massively Multilingual Speech (MMS) project means that Meta’s new AI is no mere ChatGPT replica. The model uses unconventional data sources to overcome speech barriers and allow individuals to communicate in their native languages without going through an exhaustive translation process.

Most excitingly, Meta has made MMS open-source, inviting researchers to learn from and expand upon the foundation it provides. This move suggests the company is deeply invested in dominating the AI language translation space, but also encourages collaboration in the field.

Bringing more languages into the conversation 

Normally, speech recognition and text-to-speech AI programs need extensive training on a large number of audio datasets, combined with meticulous transcription labels. Many endangered languages found outside industrialised nations lack huge datasets like this, which puts these languages at risk of vanishing or being excluded from translation tools.

According to Gizmochina, Meta took an interesting approach to this issue and dipped into religious texts. These texts provide diverse linguistic renditions that allow Meta to get a ‘raw’ and untapped look at lesser-known languages for text-based research.

The release of MMS as an open-source resource and research project demonstrates that Meta is devoting a lot of time and effort towards the lack of linguistic diversity in the tech field, which is frequently limited to the most widely-spoken languages.

It’s an exciting development in the AI world - and one that could bring us a lot closer to having the sort of ‘universal translators’ that currently only exist in science fiction. Imagine an earpiece that, through the power of AI, could not only translate foreign speech for you in real time but also filter out the original language so you only hear your native tongue being spoken.

As more researchers work with Meta’s MMS and more languages are included, we could see a world where assistive technology and text-to-speech could allow us to speak to people regardless of their native language, sharing information so much quicker.  I’m super excited for the development as someone trying to teach themselves a language as it’ll make real-life conversational practice a lot easier, and help ghetto grips with informal and colloquial words and phrases only native speakers would know.

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Paramount Plus with Showtime bundle arrives soon, but you might not like the price

The wait is over. Paramount’s flagship streaming service has finally set a date for when it will combine with its Showtime app and there’s not long to wait. The new premium subscription bundle, which the company is calling 'Paramount Plus with Showtime', will be released in the US on June 27. 

Alongside the news that the company has finally set a date for the merger is the announcement confirming that it will also raise its prices next month. The price of the new premium subscription bundle, which is the streaming service’s top-tier option without commercials, will increase from $9.99 to $11.99 a month or $119.99 per year. Its existing streaming ad-supported tier without Showtime will see a slightly smaller increase from $4.99 to $5.99 per month or $99.99 per year.     

While news of Paramount Plus getting more expensive whether you want Showtime or not was first reported earlier this year, the announcement is still a blow to subscribers. But when considering that its premium ad-free tier is still less than the likes of Max or Netflix, it is at least priced competitively.   

Does this mean that Paramount Plus will be a bigger rival to the best streaming services? As one of the newest options out there, its content library and price point is not on par with the likes of Netflix. But it has some big hitters, and considering that Showtime’s library is set to be added, it's becoming more and more interesting.

Not only will premium subscribers have continued access to the best Paramount Plus shows and best Paramount Plus movies but they will be able to watch all Showtime originals, such as Dexter, Weeds, Nurse Jackie, Billions and House of Lies to name a few.  

Is Paramount Plus worth the money? 

If you’re considering whether to upgrade or purchase the new premium service, then it’s worth considering how the Paramount Plus price compares to rival streaming services. The new pricing plans place the service at the middle end of the streaming cost spectrum.

When considering that all of Paramount Plus’ popular shows such as Criminal Minds and Yellowjackets will also be bundled with the Showtime expansion, including all original shows and Showtime East and West Live, there's definitely a lot of temptation to pay the extra subscription fee.   

The company’s decision to also shut down Showtime as a standalone app by the end of the year adds a layer of exclusiveness to the content that will soon be offered in the new bundle. The decision is in stark contrast to Warner Bros. Discovery, which decided to keep Discovery Plus as a separate standalone app to its new Max service (which is like an HBO Max and Discovery Plus bundle now). 

Another company that is strengthening its streaming service is Disney. Last week, the company’s CEO Bob Iger confirmed during an earnings call that it would add Hulu content to its Disney Plus platform to create a “one app experience” by the end of the year. However, in the meantime, both Disney and Max have said that they are about to remove tons of shows.   

By becoming the streaming home for Showtime, Paramount Plus just got a lot bigger and better. But whether the increased cost will dent its subscription numbers is still a very big possibility, especially when considering the ever-evolving streaming landscape.

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The first iOS 16.6 beta has made iMessage even more secure

Apple has only just dropped iOS 16.5, but already there’s a public beta for iOS 16.6, the finished version of which will probably land in the next month or so, based on past form. This doesn’t look to be one of the biggest iOS updates ever, but there’s one potentially very useful new feature.

That feature is iMessage Contact Key Verification, which Apple actually announced last year, but is only now activating. If you and the person or people you’re messaging both enable this feature, then you’ll be alerted if Apple detects a potential intrusion – for example, if the cloud servers your messages are carried on appear to have been breached.

Contact Verification Codes can also be compared and verified in person or over a FaceTime call. So, all this is essentially a way of verifying that you’re talking to the person you believe you’re talking to, and that no one is eavesdropping on the conversation.

(Image credit: Apple)

This is probably a level of security beyond what most people really need, especially as iMessage is already end-to-end encrypted. Indeed, when Apple announced the feature, it positioned this as something aimed at people facing "extraordinary digital threats," such as journalists and government officials.

It’s a feature that’s designed to stop “an exceptionally advanced adversary, such as a state-sponsored attacker,” so this isn’t something you should – in theory – need to avoid garden-variety hackers. That said, it’s something anyone can enable, so if you want that extra peace of mind, the option is now there.

Or it will be, anyway – while the feature is now visible, it doesn’t appear to be functional yet, according to BGR.

Few features to find

Presumably, then, Apple is still getting it set up, but with it visible in this iOS 16.6 beta, it seems very likely that the iMessage Contact Key Verification feature will fully launch in the finished version of iOS 16.6.

This seems to be the only feature that has been found in this iOS 16.6 beta, and handily Apple hasn’t provided any release notes for the beta. So, there may be more features lurking in there, and there may be additional features added in subsequent betas or the finished iOS 16.6 release.

But as we’re not aware of any functional changes in this current build, there’s probably no need to download it. And while it will definitely be worth grabbing the finished version, we might not see many new features until iOS 17.

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The Blu-ray test disc I use to fix the picture on 4K TVs just got bigger and better

Ask a die-hard home theater enthusiast to recommend a Blu-ray test disc for adjusting a TV’s picture and there’s just one response you’re likely to get: the Spears & Munsil UHD HDR Benchmark. 

I’ve used the Benchmark for testing the best 4K TVs and 4K projectors since it was first released in 2019, and it remains an indispensable tool for evaluating picture quality and fine-tuning displays for optimal performance. And while the best streaming services have far surpassed 4K Blu-ray players in popularity as a source for viewing movies at home, Blu-ray has remained a resilient enough format that Stacey Spears and Don Munsil, the engineering duo behind the original disc, have released an updated version: the Spears & Munsil Ultra HD Benchmark.

Whereas the first Benchmark was a single-disc package, the new version is a three-disc set with an expanded array of video test patterns. Another change is that the test patterns are provided in the HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+ formats, and they are accompanied by helpful pop-up descriptions – a feature that was lacking in the first Benchmark release. 

Another new Benchmark addition is Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio test tones, which can be used to calibrate immersive audio systems ranging from 5.1.2 channels to 9.1.6 channels. As with the previous version, tones are included to test and adjust A/V sync. 

The tests are designed to be used by hobbyists and professional calibrators alike, and they feature a new peak luminance pattern that, according to Spears and Munsil, allows for more accurate maximum brightness measurements than the patterns on the previous disc. There’s also a pixel ageing pattern designed specifically for OLED TVs, which will let them break in properly and help to prevent OLED screen burn-in issues.

A fantastic feature of the original 4K test Blu-ray was a visual montage section that provided clips mastered at various peak brightness levels to evaluate HDR tone mapping. The new version features an expanded range of clips shot in 8K resolution, and they have been mastered with an eye toward giving TVs and projectors an HDR workout. In the words of the disc’s creators:

“HDR represents a new way of thinking about video, with a completely different approach to transfer functions, or what we used to call ‘gamma,’ and that meant that a bunch of old patterns just plain didn’t work anymore. Video is now encoded for very-high-brightness devices, and then has to be remapped by the display to fit that display’s actual capabilities. Needless to say, every display does it a little differently—now, with the Ultra HD Benchmark, enthusiasts and professionals will be able to get insight into exactly what the display does when it makes those important remapping decisions.”

Video test patterns on the Benchmark are available in the Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HDR10 formats and there's an option to play them at various peak brightness levels (Image credit: Spears & Munsil)

Opinion: HDR can be all over the map, and a test disc can help ensure your TV is handling it properly 

A TV reviewer owning a 4K Blu-ray test disc is understandable, but do you need one? The answer to that question is yes – if you want your TV or projector to display images that come close to what a film's director intended for them to look like when the movie was originally mastered.

Some TVs provide a Filmmaker or Movie mode intended to present an “accurate” picture. But the reality of the situation is that even the most accurate TV preset picture modes can be inaccurate, and in some cases by quite a bit.

The effect of this may be that dark details in pictures get swallowed in the shadows, or that black levels are elevated, causing pictures to have reduced contrast and visual impact. Conversely, highlight detail can be lost due to pictures being overly bright. 

Using a video test disc like the Ultra HD Benchmark is the only way you’ll know if your TV or projector’s picture settings have been calibrated properly, and that you’re objectively seeing it in its best light. Otherwise, you’re fumbling in the dark, making tweaks to your TV’s settings until its picture looks subjectively good.

Not only does the new Ultra HD Benchmark provide both basic and advanced video test patterns for calibrating your TV’s picture settings for viewing regular HD and 4K video with HDR (in Dolby Vision and HDR10+, no less), but it now has audio test tones to set up the best Dolby Atmos soundbars and speaker systems built around the best AV receivers. As interested as I am in the new video test patterns, there so far hasn’t been a good Dolby Atmos test disc available, and I’m looking forward to using the Benchmark’s audio tones to set up and evaluate soundbar systems and speakers.

The Ultra HD Benchmark is available from MediaLight Bias Lighting and other dealers and is currently priced at $47.95 (around £39 / AU$72).

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