PICC and Digital Family Advisor Present The Best-Worst Products and Services for the Summer

By Richard Sherwin, Marc Burstein, Deena Gross, and Susan Davis.

One of the biggest complaints we’ve been getting during our live lectures concerns trying to fit a soundbar, cable box, streaming box under or over and connected to the TV.

In addition, soundbars themselves are getting so big that when combined with a subwoofer, it takes over the entire room…with complaints from the whole family.

Roku, which is still the leading streaming box in North America just came out with a solution for the space-challenged living room dens and bedrooms. We tested the Roku streaming soundbar (under $100) in a large living room and also a den, and the combination soundbar and streaming device provided legitimate hefty sound while taking up a minimum amount of space. It uses four internal speakers that didn’t seem artificial like some smaller soundbars and also featured the latest version of Dolby Audio. There are other under $100 soundbars but none come with a built-in top of the line Roku Streaming System.

I guess you might call this system an “educated/smart soundbar” with settings that enable you to boost volume and speech clarity.

This latest version of the Roku System (which includes the formerly missing HBO Max and several other newly added programs)

The installation is a little confusing as the digital cable isn’t required if your HDMI spot on your TV includes the Ark (high-end audio) designation. And until the Google Roku lawsuit is settled the Roku software does not include the YouTube TV service but does include the search engine and online player You Tube.

$69 dollars or $299 dollars

Once again, the most overrated product comes from Apple’s wireless in-ear air pods. Those in-ear pods, Sony’s and Samsung’s versions are not any better than the under $75 models available at Tophatter, Amazon, eBay, and other online retailers. In fact, at least three major rating services and DFA fail to put the expensive in-ear pod-phones as any better than their cheaper competitors.

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Like last winter, we still love the Burst Audio and the Tozo T10 AND T12 models for under $50, with Tozo also offering models that include noise-canceling technology. JUJ F8 ($69) has a longer lasting battery than the famous brands too.

Smart bands and sports health bands

While you will see your doctor or nurse undoubtedly wearing Apple or Samsung smartwatches and Fitbit smart bands which feature terrific heartbeat and other health function testing and activity tracking, these features also warn you when something is wrong with your body. We tested numerous smart bands and watches that provide more instant health tests, accurate constant output results, and long battery life too. For some reason, the major brands of smartwatches and bands do not include blood pressure metering and other training health features. While it’s safe to say that your doctors testing equipment may be more reliable, we found these models equal or superior to those from Fitbit, Samsung Garmin, and Apple.

Most of the famous branded smart bands run around $100 with the more feature laden smartwatches from Garmin, Apple, Samsung running around $200 to $400 and work with your mobile phone to track the results whether you have android or Apple operating systems. These under the radar brands like Honor, Letsfit Fitness Tracker, Xiaomi Mi Band 3, Mi Band 5 give you the same features as the famous brands albeit sometimes instead of 10 different running or bicycle, swimming setting maybe only half that.

However, some of these off-brands actually provide better battery life and some unusual features like body temperature, EKG, and more. One of my favorites is the Depumax Smart Watch, Fitness Tracker with Body Temperature Thermometer Blood Oxygen Heart Rate Blood Pressure Monitor Sleep Monitor Step Counter Pedometer Calorie Counter. The IP67 at under $40 is good for kids of all ages.

One of the most popular fitness trackers is Amazon’s own Amazfit Band 5 Fitness Tracker with Alexa Built-in, 15-Day Battery Life, Blood Oxygen, Heart Rate, Sleep Monitoring, Women’s Health Tracking, Music Control, and its Water Resistant.

Your final choice on a smartwatch or smart training band might be decided on how the unit charges. Some of the bands come apart with half of the band easily fitting into a USB port or standalone ac adapter. Some of the Smartwatches require an easy to lose charging adapter, so the simple pull-off wrist strap adapter might be a better choice.

The best smartphones for the price

I guess everyone in the audience has over $1,000 to spend on an iPhone 12 or a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra or Google Pixel 5. Maybe you’ve decided to pay the new phone off monthly via AT@T or Verizon …which you know means you don’t really own the phone until it’s paid off (like a car loan).

Both the high end of IOS (Apple) or Android (Samsung) are terrific devices with cameras better than a standalone digital camera, and speed and features like the fastest computer around.

Motorola (actually IBM) has entered the market with its own $1000 mobile phones using the Lenovo name and early reports say that it’s one of the fastest longest battery life models on the market.

If you have to have 5G the latest (for now) the highest speed service, you can still pay under $400 from many brands for 5G.

Do you need 5G? The alleged super speed for browsing and using video/downloading technology is still not available everywhere despite the heavy advertising. In some recent tests, 4G still produces the best speed and power your phone is ever going to need anyway.

Will 5G be replaced by 6G the way 3G is now going away…probably but that may take another 5 years.

Google Pixel

iPhone 12

Samsung Galaxy 21

Of course, owning one of these devices is for many people like having the latest sports car or showing off the latest Mercedes or BMW.

And yes, with many people living off their smartphones then having one of these high-end devices is like having the best computer in the world in your pocket.

But some recent surveys, by leading consumer testing research companies, revealed that most people use only about 15% of the features or have to call Apple or Samsung five times a week for directions. Or, if you are going to or hanging around the always crowded Apple store, is your thing, then buy an iPhone…or if you think you can get the most out of your bendable $1200 Samsung, good luck with calling Samsung support.

For many of us who use the phone to call people, maybe do some quick weather or traffic research or struggle on a small screen to see our relatives via Facetime or Google Hangouts or don’t want to fool with Tik Toc, then there are lots of affordable alternatives.

While two of the former popular mid-price mobile phones the Sony Experia and the LG line are slowly but surely going out of the business, an Asian based manufacturer called One Plus has very good all-around Android phones starting at under $300 so maybe you don’t need a loan for that brand. Motorola and TCL (yes, the top selling TV maker) also have affordable mobile phones that you don’t have to break the bank for that contain more than 75% of the high-end features of the expensive phones and 100% of the usefulness of all phones.

Shucks, if you just have an iPhone, Apple offers the $500 XR model and when DFA examined the difference for most people, the XR stood up against the Apple 12 very nicely.

And remember companies like Target, Walmart even Amazon sell two of three-year-old models (still new) that give you many of the “just gotta have” features from Android OS and Apple.

The best mobile phone carriers

This is an area of technology and customer support that has dropped perceptively in the last few years. Verizon the longtime leader for decades has laid off so many employees that you are lucky to talk to someone even from North America. Verizon now has layered support where unless you ask for a second-level support person, you wind up with someone who does not have the ability to know your phone or even the Verizon technology. AT&T has focused so much on its acquisition of entertainment and TV companies so it is still the hardest to reach any support person. The merger of Sprint and T-Mobile has improved the formerly last place carriers.

DFA’s choice is still Consumer Cellular (which uses both AT&T and T-Mobil towers and maintains a North America based support team that gets great performance ratings from all independent rating services.

Other independent service providers like Republic Wireless, Mint, Total Wireless, Metro PCs, Tracfone while not maintaining 24-7 support still outscore the AT&Ts and Verizon. Why? Because small they might be, they are not involved with home service or ancillary company management like Verizon and AT&T.

If you just want a cheap carrier for your extra phone or if you don’t need a big carrier, Speed Talk offers service at only $5 a month for basic mobile talk time.

How about Internet service providers getting into the mobile phone business?

The worst possible mobile service providers are Frontier and Altice Optimum, also the worst cable TV providers. Xfinity, through its Comcast mobile, has very good pricing if you don’t require data fees for browsing, downloading and listening, or viewing streaming services. Comcast uses the Verizon air space from Verizon Mobile but provides its own tech support.

Televisions

With prices dropping so fast you can now purchase a 65-inch 4K TV for under $400. The brands: Hisense, Philips, TCL, Vizio, Scepter, ONN, Element, RCA, Insignia represent store brands or mass-market manufacturers that satisfy 55% of consumers with decent quality video, and handle most streaming content from the now ubiquitous Smart TVs. Formerly famous names like Philips, RCA, and Toshiba are NOT the same companies you grew up with. RCA sold its name to offshore companies that license the name), Toshiba and Philips don’t make their own TVs anymore. But again, for basic use in a big bedroom, den or basement they are OK for regular viewing. Most of these second-tier brands lack high-dynamic range or HDR (better more accurate colors and black and whites) and 8K, the next generation of the highest definition of television.

The elite brands in the over 50 inches to 85-inch screens do have theater quality sharpness, HDR, and sometimes 8K and in many cases exceed the immersive experience that you used to have when theaters were fully open.

Sony used to be the hands-down winner in large screen TVs. Its XBR line still a top choice by many industry experts, But LG has become the de facto leader in all-around high-end quality and experience. Samsung has several models in that elite category too, but its ease of use, and its handling of streaming content Apps is not as good as Sony or LG.

Any of the elite brands will cost you nearly $3,000. Once again if you find maybe a year-old model (check the box or the back of the TV for manufacturing date, you might save another $500 or more with a model still available that was manufactured before the newer model.

Will $3,000 or more get you a TV with great sound? Probably not. Hisense and LG have decent enough sound that you don’t have to add a Sound Bar. Is it ridiculous that for $3000 or more you can’t get studio quality audio? Yes!

Best places to purchase large screen TVs? Costco and BJs have cornered the market in over 65-inch elite branded TVs. But Walmart and Target are entering the high-end TV market, too.

Amazon sells these TVs but you have to be very careful in that Amazon while sometimes telling you it’s an older model, is not responsible for its vendors who sometimes miss label its online description.

Best Buy used to have the most choices from entry-level to elite TVs, but covid and other factors have cut SKUs at that CE retail chain in half. Also, Best Buys return policy doesn’t compete with the wholesale clubs or even Amazon.

Computers, Tablets, Chromebooks

It is 2021 and you can still purchase two or more HP, Lenovo, Dell high-performing laptops for one Apple MacBook Pro, or iMac.

Is it still easier to use an Apple computer or tablet if you can afford one? “Not any longer say many industry experts.” The latest edition of Windows 10 (with free built-in anti-virus technology) and the same or similar “chip” from Intel is more powerful and faster than any Apple model. Is Apple’s new chip better than Intel? No! Shouldn’t this Apple Chip cut the cost of any of the Apple devices yes…but was the saving passed along to its customers? No. Apple’s prices have not shrunk despite the fact that’s its own earnings kept overseas and rarely reinvested in North America, never seems to help its own customers.

Microsoft, whose Surface brand, has many different priced models of its laptop nevertheless doesn’t run all the Apps that are available to its own Windows OS. But the Surface is one of the lightest smaller laptops and has a very vibrant screen.

All in One

Mid-Size laptop

17-inch laptop

Does size matter? All in One PCs can range up to 27 inches so they are very competitive against the diminishing Desktop PC category. Desktops still have more ports or inputs, so it’s easier to upgrade audio, video, and graphic cards.

The average 14 to 15.6 laptop is the choice of many, while the smaller 10.6-to-11-inch laptops are ideal for dorms and small dens. Many laptops now are hybrid in design in that they can feature a durable 360-degree hinge and can be used to flip the touchscreen display into tent, stand and tablet mode…

Is the Chromebook still the hottest thing around? Absolutely. Covid opened the door for Android-based devices that are now as large as big PCs and faster than many iMacs and high-end PCs.

Did Zooming and Google Meets and Microsoft Teams expose Chromebooks in which some people experience less than stellar performances during the stream? Some models required lots of Cache cleaning to function well, but on the whole, Chromebooks became the device of choice for most schools and many colleges because they still are priced below most PCs, Macs, and even some tablets.

My bad purchases, unavoidable CE choices

Bad return policies at Walmart and Amazon

Trying to beat the Apple, Samsung tablet monopoly I purchased a Vastking 8 ½ android Tablet from Amazon, while not familiar with the brand, its ratings at Amazon and Walmart consumers were impressive. This super-fast super high-def screen got rated better than the iPad Mini, the Samsung Galaxy 8, and cost $300 less.

The nightmare started about four months later when the screen showed a browser and saved pictures at the same time and the Vastking (supposedly 24-7 support) never answer a text, email and the phone number didn’t work.

I purchased two of them one from
Walmart, one from Amazon. Amazon’s return on a computer device return is now two months down from six months, Walmart’s is two weeks.

So, my advice is to be very careful of Amazon’s own top picks and be extra careful when purchasing at Amazon or Walmart for anything electronic.

Now I know why BJs and Costco never sold that brand and why their 3 months or more return policy so valuable.

Can it get worse at Altice or Frontier Communications?

Yes, Frontier has filed for bankruptcy, and Altice Cablevision’s attempt to have set-top boxes like X1 by Comcast, FIOS Box at Verizon resulted in the Altice One box and remote having no way to use other inputs on your TV and its on-demand and DVR, so bad that consumers would rather have slow internet and non 4K TV with their old boxes. The now not American owned Cablevision is only ranked one level above the historically inept Frontier, which pretty much says it doesn’t have enough money to fix its sloppy tech support and even worse slower than DSL services in many areas.

Printers and Scanners a scam or double indemnity?

This anomaly is hard to blame on the printers’ companies or the Service Providers. When you update your modem or router either through a third party or a new version from your service provider, your printer stops communicating with your PC, Mac or Tablet.

Sources we spoke to at Comcast and Verizon and Spectrum admitted that during covid the shortages of installers made them rush so much they forgot to make sure everything WIFI was working in a house. But what made it worse is that the printer companies when they update their products (usually overnight) also sometimes forget to remind customers to re-input their name and password.

Our other beefs with printer makers Epson, Brother, and HP, is that they used to take customer calls way after the warranty was over, now they want to charge you $100 with no guarantee that they’ll fix anything. Canon, however, is still pretty good at answering calls for older printers and scanners.

Apple and Microsoft still updating too much

Another repeatable sustainable issue with PCs and Macs is the constant updating they seem to require. This will not stop so please be extra careful that you need this update by reading with reminders that are sent before the software updates. Unless it’s very important security fixes Don’t even think about doing it because 9 out of 10 times that updates will cause more trouble than they are worth.

And to make matters worse TVs, are so smart? That hey to need Wi-Fi updates to add Apps, to fix functions that should have been fixed before they went on the market.

Alexa, Siri, Cortana

Do I use these AI talking speakers Yes like millions I do ask them the latest ball score, the weather, maybe some movie and TV questions and even some news queries?

But now I hear people are ordering things from Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Microsoft Cortana because you can get 5% or more from their retail sites by doing this instead of calling or purchasing from your computer. So far this has opened only a few security threats from the computer industry as kids (of all ages) find it so easy they don’t shop carefully and, in some cases, actual fraud has occurred where products were purchased through these talking robots only to wind up in the wrong place.

And finally, when actually doing banking or financial transactions please still stay away from Mobile phones and Tablets despite the convenience, they are not guarded by strong security the way PCs and Mac are.

Bytes and pieces

The Federal Trade Commission and officials from six states recently sued Frontier Communications, alleging that the telecom provider misleads their customers.

And misrepresented Internet speeds and charged many customers for higher speeds than it actually provided or was capable of providing.

The complaint was filed in US District Court for the Central District of California by the FTC and attorneys general from Arizona, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. California-based customers are represented in the suit by the district attorneys of Los Angeles County and Riverside County.

(Courtesy wire services)

On the good news front, LG, Sony, Samsung, and some of the second and third-tier TV makers have added Internet TV channels to their cable-ready features.

Albeit some of the 1000s of channels are very obscure, some are actually the extra channels only available on Roku or Amazon Fire TV stick.