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Trouble Sleeping? Your Diet Could Be Preventing Quality Rest
Trouble Sleeping? Your Diet Could Be Preventing Quality Rest
The food you eat impacts almost everything you do, which is one reason why it's so important to be conscious of what you put in your body. Good nutrition has tons of perks: It reduces the risk of diseases such as stroke, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, boosts your mood and makes you feel more energized. It can even improve how you sleep at night, another major aspect to having a healthy body and mind. A full night's sleep offers a lot of the same benefits as conscious eating. In fact, they go hand in hand.
Eating the wrong foods at the wrong time can be harmful to your sleep quality, which plays an important role in maintaining your physical and mental health. On the flip side of the same token, you have a higher chance of making poor food choices after a night of bad sleep. Below, learn how you can improve your food choices to get higher-quality rest, including the best foods for better sleep and what you need to avoid.
Read also:How to Stay Cool at Night Even When It's Hot Outside
How poor sleep affects your health
The recommended amount of sleep for adults is seven to nine hours each night. During that time, your brain cycles through the four stages of sleep: three stages of NREM (non-rapid eye movement) and one stage of REM (rapid eye movement).
NREM sleep: The quiet sleep stages where your brain is working to retain memories and knowledge, in addition to repair, refresh, and restore your body.
REM sleep: The active sleep stage where your body is working to repair cells and muscle tissue, promote bone and muscle growth and helps strengthen the immune system.
If you're waking up often in the middle of the night or have trouble getting a full night's sleep, you prevent your body from running through its necessary processes that keep you healthy and productive. Continuous poor sleep puts you at risk for:
Heart disease
Stroke
Weight gain
High blood pressure
Bad memory
Weakened immune system
Unbalanced nutrition tends to be a common culprit for poor sleep, especially if you're eating certain foods too close to bedtime.
There's several foods you shouldn't eat too close to bedtime.
Natalia Lavrenkova/EyeEm/Getty Images
Nutrition for quality sleep
There seems to be a clear link between nutrition and your quality of sleep. To find out more, I spoke to Stephanie Nelson, a registered dietitian who works as a nutrition expert at the tracking app MyFitnessPal. Nelson explained, "The relationship between sleep and nutrition is very complex and we don't know everything about all the associations between sleep and food. However, a good general summary is that any biological process, including sleep, is influenced by getting the right amount of nutrients. "
"For example, having high blood sugar impacts your energy in the moment, which can prevent you from sleep," Nelson continued. "Other nutrients impact neurotransmitters that make it easier to relax and turn your brain off for sleep."
While food affects sleep, the amount of quality sleep you get can also impact your eating habits. Nelson said, "Interestingly, the relationship goes both ways. There's research showing that poor sleep can negatively impact hormone balances that affect your hunger, and people who sleep less tend to eat more overall."
Making more conscious choices about food and when you're eating it can make a big difference in your sleep quality.
The do's and don'ts on eating for better sleep
Here are Nelson's tips on how to eat for better sleep.
Do's
1. Eat a balanced dinner
"The building blocks of a balanced dinner are a protein source, high-fiber carbohydrate source, and a vegetable. This might look like a grilled marinated chicken breast, some quinoa, and roasted veggies," said Nelson. "You could also get more creative with it, like a coconut curry made with tofu and sauteed veggies, served over brown rice, or tacos made with the protein of your choice, some beans, and cabbage and onions (and all your other favorite toppings)."
A balanced diet is critical to good sleep.
Getty Images/Burcu Atalay Tankut
2. Eat foods that promote serotonin production
Serotonin is required for your body to make melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep. But Nelson also warns that toomuch serotonin is associated with poor sleep.
"In order for your body to produce the right amount of serotonin, you need to consume tryptophan, an amino acid you can find in most animal-based foods, oats, nuts, and seeds," Nelson explained. "You also need to have a carbohydrate source, which allows for tryptophan to be used for serotonin rather than other processes. Other nutrients like vitamin B6, present in sweet potatoes among other foods, are also needed for the right amount of serotonin production."
3. Eat around three hours before bedtime
You might have heard that you shouldn't eat right before bedtime if you want a good night's rest. But how soon, exactly, should you stop eating? "It's different for everyone," said Nelson. "Most experts recommend to eat three hours before bedtime for best sleep results, so start there, but definitely play with it. Some people can eat closer to bedtime and still have a good night's sleep," she said.
Don'ts
1. Avoid caffeine, sugary drinks and alcohol before bed
You probably know that caffeine isn't the best nighttime beverage, but what about alcohol or juices? Nelson says you should try to avoid those in the hours right before bed too.
"Being hydrated is key to a good night's sleep," she said. "Alcohol dehydrates you, so for the first step, reduce alcohol consumption near bedtime. High sugar drinks also can interfere with sleep, and anything with caffeine."
"If you're having trouble sleeping, definitely check when your most recent caffeinated beverages are consumed before bed," she noted.
2. Don't eat dessert close to bedtime
For individuals with a sweet tooth, don't eat foods like ice cream, cookies or chocolate before bedtime. Nelson explains that "low-fiber, high-sugar snacks before bed can cause a spike and then a drop in blood sugar." These irregular blood sugar levels can disrupt your sleep in multiple ways, making it hard for you get deep rest.
Try not to eat high-sugar snacks before bed.
LordHenriVoton/Getty Images
3. Don't overdo late-night indulgences
"Eating large amounts of any type of food too close to bedtime will probably affect your sleep, especially if it's high in sugar or fat. On the flip side, if you go to bed hungry that might also negatively impact your sleep," Nelson said
Life happens, and sometimes you need a midnight snack to avoid falling asleep with your stomach growling. Nelson advises eating something that's small, high in fiber and pairing it with protein "to keep your blood sugar from spiking and to keep you full until morning." She adds, "Try a banana with peanut butter or a handful of berries with yogurt."
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
The brains behind your next gadget come from this obscure medieval town
The brains behind your next gadget come from this obscure medieval town
If you visit the quiet Belgian city of Leuven, you'll see centuries of history.
You'll notice cobblestone streets and zig-zag rooflines of red-brick houses hundreds of years old. You'll spot a crowd of students from the Catholic University of Leuven, founded in 1425, gathering at the cafes of the Oude Markt town square. You'll observe that a lot of them are drinking Stella Artois beer, made at a Leuven brewery operating since 1366.
But you won't just see the past. Right outside the medieval city center, nearly 2,400 researchers are figuring out how to make the computer chips that will be at the heart of our digital lives for the next decade.
They're working at Imec, an unusually cooperative organization you've probably never heard of. Here, chipmakers like Samsung and Intel -- ordinarily fierce rivals -- convene with university researchers and Imec's own staff to figure out how to sustain the remarkable progress of the computer chip industry.
"For chip technology, it's impossible for one company to do it all on its own," said Imec Chief Executive Luc Van den hove, a genial Belgian speaking in his office atop a tower far above fertile fields of Flanders.
You may take it for granted that you can stream a movie to your laptop or summon a ride with your phone. But it's at Imec where the foundation formed for many of these advances. Every few years, the electronics industry dramatically reshapes our lives, and it's Imec's job to keep our future full of surprises.
Shrinking circuitry
Imec blazes the trail the chip industry will follow, shrinking circuitry so computing power can spread to smartwatches and augmented-reality headsets. Increasingly, Imec also helps bring chip technology to industries that aren't so familiar with it, which is why Imec also works on chips for self-driving cars and earbuds that monitor your health.
In the earlier days of the chip industry, a gathering place like Imec wasn't so necessary. But now, it's getting harder to figure out how to shrink chips and more expensive to construct the factories that build them. Intel used to shrink chip circuits every two years, but it's now moving to a three-year cycle.
Chips today use electronic components so small that more than 700 could fit side by side across a human hair. They'll shrink more under Moore's Law, which is Intel co-founder Gordon Moore's prediction that you can essentially double computing power every two years. By 2024, 5,000 components could fit in the width of a strand of hair. You may have trouble settling your summer vacation, but Imec's plans already reach to 2026.
A key part of the research is figuring out how to refine today's electronics, built on a substrate of the same silicon material that forms sand, and to figure out what comes next.
"As we look for the successor to silicon, cooperation is absolutely vital to prove that future technologies are commercially viable," said Linley Group analyst David Kanter. "Fundamentally, everyone is using the same equipment and dealing with the same problematic physics."
New clean room
To keep its research humming, Imec just this month opened a new $1.1 billion clean room, a vast and gleaming white chamber nearly the size of a football field. It's almost completely empty today, but it will fill up with the equipment Imec researchers need to plot the next phases of chip miniaturization. Imec already has two clean rooms, but the new one is crucial for developing the chips we'll see arriving in 2020 and beyond.
Imec's clean room is vast and empty now, but it will soon fill up with equipment to figure out how to build chips arriving in the early 2020s.
Stephen Shankland/CNET
Imec is working on chips that can scan for cancer cells in a blood sample.
Imec
Its equipment explores high-tech options that only a Ph.D. could love, including nanowires, extreme ultraviolet lithography, spintronics and III-V materials. Those may sound like foreign words, but you'll ultimately appreciate them because they will make your smartphone smarter and bring computing brains to new domains like self-driving cars.
"Our mission is to enable the components that enable Moore's Law," said Aaron Thean, vice president of Imec's chip-manufacturing process work. "Imec is the premiere place where we can do this kind of work."
It's called a clean room because it's designed to filter out any dust particles that could contaminate the sensitive chipmaking process. Even though most of the actual chips stay sealed within the even cleaner confines of truck-size manufacturing machines, employees still must cover up with hairnets and "bunny suits" to keep stray hairs and flakes of skin from gumming up the works.
Expanding duties
At Imec's founding in 1984, the Belgian government provided funding. Almost immediately, though, industry partners started supplying the vast majority of the budget, which has grown steadily each year and reached about $470 million in 2015. In comparison, Intel has an annual research budget of $11.5 billion.
Imec is expanding into new domains where researchers don't have processor expertise. Health is one area, where chip technology can transform blood tests, DNA sequencing, drug discovery and health monitoring. The automotive industry is another, since chips are crucial for radar and other sensors.
This year, Imec announced it's merging with another Belgian research center, iMinds, which has 1,000 researchers of its own and a focus on software.
"In this industry, if you don't grow, you die," Van den hove said. "Imec is always reinventing itself."
Few sports have cooler gadgets and tech than skiing and snowboarding. And there's such a wide range of equipment as well. A lot of it can enhance your experience or make recovery quicker and more efficient. The best skiing and snowboarding gadgets can make you feel like James Bond, bombing down the slopes as you're (not) being chased by your nemesis's henchmen. To help you spend more time bombing down slopes, we've collected the best high-tech ski gear on the market right now and compiled it for you below. From action cameras like a GoPro to new goggles and more, there's something for everyone.
Much of the gear here is battery-powered, including the top GoPros and other action games, as well as some ski-friendly earbuds and helmet speakers. But not everything has a power component to it. In some cases, I've included items with high-tech materials, cutting-edge designs or basic protection for iPhones and Android devices. There are also several helmets and ski goggles in the mix.
I'll add more top ski gear products to this list as I find them.
Josh Goldman/CNET
At the moment, the GoPro Hero10 is the best single-lens action camera you can get from GoPro. It's not a big upgrade over the GoProHero 9, which is available for a little less, but it has a new GP2 chip that allows high resolutions at higher frame rates -- up to 5.3K (5,312 x2,988 pixels) at 30 or 60 frames per second. It also has HyperSmooth 4.0, GoPro's highest level of image stabilization.
As with the Hero 9 Black, pricing is a little confusing for the Hero 10 Black. The camera is $550, which is more costly than the Hero 9's starting price. However, if you buy directly from GoPro.com and sign up for the GoPro subscription service -- which is included with the camera -- GoPro knocks $200 off, so it's $350 (a year of the service, which costs $50 a year or $5 a month, is included for free).
The subscription service gives you unlimited cloud backups at original quality, damaged camera replacement, discounts on GoPro accessories and gear and access to GoPro's premium live streaming platform.
Read our GoPro Hero 10 Black review.
David Carnoy/CNET
360 cams capture everything in a sphere around the camera, then later you can decide what you want to show -- and exactly how it's shown. For this type of camera, a lot of people like the GoPro Max, which is selling for around $430, but Insta360's One X2 is also impressive and some people prefer it to the GoPro.
Insta360 sells the newer and more affordable Go 2 ($300) and the earlier One R. The Snow Bundle includes a variety of mounts and accessories, everything from a chest mount to GoPro-style helmet mounts along with a pole mount.
We have a couple of videos to give you an idea of the kind of footage Insta360 cams can produce. Former CNET Senior Video Producer Nic Henry reviewed both the Go 2 (you can find the video here) and the One X2 (you can find that video here).
Read more: Insta360 Go 2 hands-on
Joshua Goldman/CNET
We could have put the GoPro Hero 9 Black on this list. It costs $50 less than the Hero 10 Black, but the truth is, if you're considering the Hero 9, you might as well get the Hero 10. However, If you can do without that top-end resolution and front-facing screen, the older Hero 8 offers a decent amount of savings and remains a good choice. It still does 4K video at 60 fps, so it's no slouch and has come down from its original list price of $350 (it's now around $280). It was a CNET Editors' Choice Award winner two years ago.
Read more: Best action cams
David Carnoy/CNET
The Aleck 006 earpieces slip into your helmet and can be used as wireless headphones for listening to music or as a headset for making calls. They offer decent sound but what makes them even more useful is if you link multiple Aleck 006 together and set up what amounts to a walkie-talkie system among friends or family members.
With real-time GPS tracking in the Aleck Go app for iOS and Android, you can also map the location of everyone in your party.
David Carnoy/CNET
Helly Hansen's flagship $750 Elevation Infinity 2.0 technical shell jacket features the company's LIFA Infinity Pro technology, its new waterproof, windproof yet breathable material that it says is the "first to-market to be made entirely without added chemicals." Typically, waterproof jackets are chemically treated, but Helly Hansen says the Infinity's "everlasting water-repellent protection never needs to be reproofed with chemical treatment after use."
For a shell jacket it offers good flexibility and doesn't feel stiff. While it has a three-layer fabric construction and offers some warmth, it's not insulated so in very cold conditions you'd need to wear another jacket underneath it, like the Odin Lifaloft Hybrid ($400).
The Elevation Infinity 2.0 is available at Backcountry and comes in black, gray fog and orange (pictured) and, like other premium Helly ski jackets, also features its Life Pocket Plus, which uses Aerogel insulation to help keep your phone from getting too cold, thus preserving its battery.
David Carnoy/CNET
Helmets with integrated lens shields or goggles have become popular in Europe in recent years, and Giro makes one of the best ones with its Orbit helmet that also comes in a version for women called the Aria (it looks very similar but has different colored trim elements). While these types of helmets tend to be expensive, they're good for people who wear glasses or just like the convenience of eye protection integrated into a helmet design -- you can rotate the articulating "shield" up onto the helmet or tilt it down over your face. It's also worth noting that the large Vivid lens (with optics by Zeiss) provides a very wide field of view.
Unlike some shields that have an open design at the bottom, this one has a foam liner and is designed to sit on your face like goggles, though the seal isn't quite as tight as a typical pair of goggles. There's good ventilation and the helmet is very comfortable to wear, with a Polartec "Power Grid" padded lining that helps with moisture management. Like many of Giro's helmets, this one also incorporates the company's custom Spherical MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection) technology.
The included lens shield is designed to work well in a variety of conditions (it is replaceable for $125). It does a very good job staying fog-free on nonstorm days, but I can't guarantee that it won't fog at times on big snow days, which can be challenging for most goggles (particularly if you wear glasses or prescription lens inserts with your goggles). That said, it's an excellent helmet overall.
David Carnoy/CNET
The Marauder Elite is Spy's latest and greatest model of goggles that features 60% more venting over the similarly styled Spy Ace goggles (another highly vented model). That makes it "nearly impossible to fog," according to the company. They didn't fog on me during my limited testing, but I still need to put them through a wider variety of conditions to confirm that.
The goggles' lenses adhere magnetically and can be easily swapped out (two lenses are included). These are over-the-glasses, or OTG-type, that are suitable for use with RX eyeglasses and have subtle notches in the temples to allow your glasses to fit better. Like Spy's other premium goggles, these feature the company's Happy lens tech, which it says is "scientifically tuned to boost mood and alertness while optimizing color and contrast."
They're a nice pair of goggles and although they're expensive, Spy has been having trouble keeping them in stock.
David Carnoy/CNET
When your phone gets too cold its battery drains faster, and if it's really cold, it might shut off. That's where the Phoozy comes in.
A simple sleeve or "capsule" for smartphones, the Phoozy has a Chromium Thermal Barrier Shell and SpaceTech Penetration Layer, as well as a bit of velcro to keep it closed at the top. That will help keep your phone warm on extra cold days and help preserve battery life. It will also keep your phone from overheating.
Phoozy pouches now come in a few different versions and sizes and start at $30. Just make sure to get one that's big enough to hold your phone.
Atomic
Atomic's new Redster CTD helmet is pricey but has some cool features that may someday find their way into more helmets. Inspired by Atomic's pro racing helmets, this model has sensors that assess any damage after the helmet takes a hit. You get a report on your helmet's condition via the Atomic Shocksense app for iOS and Android. Also, if you slam into something hard enough and the helmet takes heavy damage, it will automatically send SOS alerts out to your emergency contacts.
As far as protection goes, it's serious. Atomic says the Redster CTD's Atomic Multi-directional Impact Deflector (AMID) dual-density foam system absorbs shock from all angles to deliver 30% higher impact protection than International Ski Federation standards require. It's available in black, red and white.
David Carnoy/CNET
These glove liners are equipped with Seirus' Kinetic heat return system that it says amplifies your body heat 4 to 5 degrees and reflects it back to you for 20% more warmth. Of course, how warm your hands are will also depend on how warm the gloves are that go over these (they can be used as stand-alone gloves, but more for running in cold weather than skiing).
David Carnoy/CNET
After a day of shredding, your body will certainly appreciate a little percussion massage gun action. There are plenty of options available but we like the travel-friendly Theragun Mini because it won't weigh your luggage down too much and is a great little massage gun for $199 that's surprisingly powerful for its size.
Like the other new Theragun models, the Mini is equipped with Quiet Force technology that allows the device to run just as powerfully but much more quietly than the previous generation of Theraguns. The Theragun Mini has three speed settings, ranging from 1,750 rpm to 2,400 rpm, and the battery lasts for 150 minutes of continuous use.
The one notable downside to the Theragun Mini is that it only comes with one attachment, the standard ball head. You could buy other Theragun attachments a la carte because the Mini is compatible with all the same attachments that come with other models, but that brings the price up.
Florian Breitenberger
Private lessons have gotten really expensive, so why not get a virtual one?
Carv is a digital ski coach that combines some hardware that you attach to your boots with an iOS app (Android coming soon) that delivers real-time feedback about how you're skiing.
I'm still waiting to try this out but have had friends use it and really like it. The software was updated to version 2.0 with some small hardware enhancements, including a more compact battery with the same battery life.
For better or worse (probably worse), Carv has moved toward a subscription model that makes the hardware less expensive (the original kit is now $149 instead of $349), but requires you to purchase an add-on subscription for $199 a year or $298 for a two-year plan. That's still a lot less than what a single full-day private lesson would cost you at most resorts -- at least in the US.
Sarah Tew/CNET
If you don't want to pay upward of $200 for a set of Smith I/O goggles, there are plenty of more affordable alternatives, including those from Colorado-based Glade, which prides itself on making goggles that offer similar or better performance than high-end models from other companies for a lot less.
The big deal is its Adapt goggles include a Photochromic Flux lens for $129. This is a lens that changes colors according to the lighting conditions you experience. In other words, it's the chameleon of lenses, and typically photochromatic goggles cost a lot more.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The Smith 4D MAG googles are the company's current top-of-the-line model and have seen a price increase from $280 to $320. They feature a wider field of view (25% wider than the I/O Mag, according to Smith) and a 5x antifog inner lens with AirEvac Integration Technology that helps reduce fogging. Changing the lenses is easy with the MAG system. Two levers release the lens, which adheres magnetically to the goggles. One low-light and one bright-light lens are included.
Sarah Tew/CNET
If you wear glasses, the $270 I/O MAG XL goggles are a good choice, albeit a fairly expensive one.
The MAG XL is Smith's MAG lens change system featuring -- you guessed it -- magnets that let you easily swap out lenses, as well as a 5x antifog inner lens with AirEvac Integration Technology that helps reduce fogging. They come with two lenses.
The Smith I/O MAG XL goggles come in several different ChromoPop lens colors.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Seirus' flagship HeatTouch Hellfire gloves are available for $450 for men or women. The gloves haven't changed for a few years, but the battery was upgraded last year to a more slimmed-down version with increased battery life.
At the low-heat setting you can get up to 12 hours of battery life, with medium pegged at around 8 hours and high at 4 hours.
It's also available in a mitten for $450.
Sarah Tew/CNET
In the past, I've highlighted Smith's Vantage helmet, which has a visor. The Code is more oriented toward snowboarders and free riders, but a lot of mainstream skiers like its streamlined look.
Smith didn't change anything in this year's model from last year's -- except for the color options. It packs in most of Smith's latest technologies. On the inside, instead of hard foam you'll find Koroyd inserts that, from the top, look like a honeycomb with circular (not hexagonal) cylinders. The high-tech material is made of lightweight, eco-friendly polymer extruded tubes that are thermally welded together to form a strong layer of protection that also allows for good airflow. (Smith has added other materials and design elements to the helmet and is calling the whole protection package Aerocore construction.)
Beyond the fancy padding, there's the BOA FS360 fit system (with a 360-degree halo design), which helps you get a snug, "custom" fit. And new this year: a Wayfinder strap system featuring Fidlock that's basically a quick-release magnetic system that makes it easier to open and close the strap.
The helmet only comes in a MIPS version, which offers increased protection. In a MIPS Brain Protection System, the shell and liner are separated by a low-friction layer that "allows the helmet to slide relative to the head."
David Carnoy/CNET
Giro says the "modern profile" of its Jackson helmet, which comes in multiple color options, utilizes the new Passive Aggressive Venting system that's "inspired by the aerodynamic airflow of high-end autos." Well, it's a good looking helmet and also pretty lightweight and comfortable while offering MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection) technology.
It doesn't have the company's upgraded Spherical MIPS technology found in its Emerge helmet ($150), this model has Giro's Form 2 Fit system that allows you to dial in the fit of the helmet (it's similar to Smith's dial-in fit), which allowed me to get a more snug fit. The Emerge uses the company's Stash Fit system that allows you to remove or add layers of padding to customize your fit.
Both the Emerge and the Jackson are designed for maximum compatibility with Giro goggles but they work just fine with other goggles.
David Carnoy/CNET
Giro makes a couple of goggles in the $150 range, including the Method and Article. It describes the Method as having a "bold retro style" that's been advanced with "the most modern technology." It's a comfortable goggle with a wide field of view and good venting that helps keep the goggles fog-free in most conditions (I haven't met a goggle that's truly fog-free in all conditions).
Like the more rounded Article goggles ($170), the Method uses Giro's Vivid lens with optics by Zeiss and a second lens is included. The Method is available in a few different color options.
Beringia
If you're looking for the ultimate Merino wool base layers, these tops and bottoms from Beringia may just be it. Diomede is Beringia's proprietary fabric "that seamlessly knits multiple layers of fabric into one ultrastretchy waffle." Real-world translation: The fabric is thin, lightweight and comfortable but also warm. The only downside is that tops ($150) and bottoms ($175) are quite expensive and there's no deal if you buy both together, although you can get 15% off with your first purchase.
Beringia Diomede base layers are available in a few color options and three sizes, as well as women's versions. The top also comes with a snorkel hoodie for $25 more.
David Carnoy/CNET
Constructed from Grilamid, a lightweight but very durable frame material, the Spy Helm Tech sunglasses are a modern take on glacier sunglasses that includes removable side shields so you can block both the sun and all the "haters" at the same time, according to the company (they turn into standard wayfarer sunglasses without the side shields).
The sunglasses have hidden sweat channels in both the nose pads and inner temples for breathability and feature the company's Happy Tech lens tech that it says is "scientifically tuned to boost mood and alertness while enhancing color and contrast."
True or not, I will say they fit comfortably, the optics were very good and I was indeed happy using them.
David Carnoy/CNET
Most new phones, including the iPhone 13 models, offer a decent level of water resistance. But if you want some added protection, Lifeproof still sells its waterproof and shockproof Fre case -- and the latest version is built for MagSafe accessories.
The Fre case is also available for some Samsung Galaxy models but that version doesn't feature MagSafe, a feature that adds $10 to the case.
David Carnoy/CNET
You don't want your phone to go dead on the mountain, so it's always good to pack a battery pack.
MyCharge calls its new line of magnetic power banks Superhero Mag-Lock, implying that they're real saviors. I was impressed by their design. Not only do the batteries, which come in various capacities, have strong magnets and stick really well to the back of your iPhone 12 or 13, but they have raised coils, which are supposed to help with reducing heat levels while charging. It does seem to work.
The 3,000-mAh battery is lightweight and slim and is nice to have around for some emergency charging. However, it won't get you a full charge, so you'll probably want to step up to one of the higher-capacity options like the 6,000-mAh model that retails for $60 but is currently being discounted to $36. The 9,000-mAh version is beefy and feels like your phone is attached to a small brick (the battery and phone do fit in your hand nicely but the combo certainly isn't pocket-friendly).
All the Mag-Lock batteries charge Qi-enabled iPhones at 5W, although you can get faster charging if you go wired and use a USB-C to Lightning cable. I also liked how there's a chime when the charging starts and your phone tells you how much juice is left in the battery pack (it's tied into iOS 15). You can wirelessly charge Android devices as well, but the Mag-Lock won't stick unless you have a metal ring on the back of your phone's case. Stick-on rings are available for sale.
The MyCharge SuperHero Mag-Lock is available in a few color options and has a nice glossy finish. It currently is the best-designed magnetic power bank -- better even than Apple's.
Ibex
Ibex, which is known for its high-tech merino wool garments, describes its Wool Aire Hoodie as having "backcountry performance with frontcountry style." Available in a few colors and both men's and women's options, it's a puffy jacket that's not all that puffy but is lightweight, comfortable (it has some stretch to it) and can be used as either a midlayer on cold days or outer layer on not-so-cold days.
It's constructed of eco-friendly Bluesign-certified materials and is wind- and water-resistant. Also worth noting: It packs up into its chest pocket, which makes it travel-friendly.
David Carnoy/CNET
Bollé's Torus goggles come in a version with a standard lens for around $120 (or less), but I tried the step-up version with the company's high-contrast Volt lens, which is harder to find in stock. You get one lens with these goggles, but the Ice Blue Cat 3 lens (with a pink base tint) offers some flexibility in terms of what lighting conditions you can use it with. The goggles offer a wide field of view and good ventilation.
Amazon
Biolite has a new line of portable batteries that offer USB-C PD fast-charging (up to 18W) along with two additional USB-A ports so you can charge a couple of phones at the same time, albeit at slower speeds. There are three sizes available -- 6,000-mAh, 10,000-mAh and 20,000-mAh -- but the 6,000-mAh version (pictured on right) is probably best for skiers because it's slim, relatively lightweight and fits easily in a pocket. To charge iPhones at 18W speeds, you'll need to bring your own USB-C-to-Lightning cable to the charging party (the latest iPhones include that cable).
Although Biolite says its powerbanks are "durable," they don't have a water-resistance rating. That said, they should survive a drop in the snow just fine.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Zeal goggles have excellent optics and a wide field of view, and many feature the company's Rail Lock System that makes the lenses easy to change and the goggles easy to vent when you're in hiking mode.
The base models with standard lenses are pretty affordable, ranging from $129 to $159. Things get more expensive when you move to the Automatic Plus GB lens, which is photochromic and changes quickly with the lighting and works in any conditions. Add that Automatic Plus lens and the price goes up to $279.
I like the Portal XL (on right), which also starts at $249 for the standard two-lens option. It has the widest field of view and is an OTG type that allows you to wear glasses.
The Hemisphere, starting at $129, has a spherical frame with upper and lower ventilation and triple-layer face foam and is available in a variety of lens options. It doesn't have the RLS system, but the lens quality is quite good for the price.
David Carnoy/CNET
The Jaybird Vista 2 sports buds feature a similar design to the original Vista buds but have a couple of key upgrades: active noise canceling and a transparency mode called SurroundSense that allows you to hear the outside world, an important safety feature for skiers as well as runners and bikers.
The Vista 2 buds have an IPX68 water resistance rating, which means they're both dust-proof and fully waterproof. Jaybird says they're also sweat-proof, crush-proof and drop-proof. And the compact case is now splash-proof and dust-resistant, with an IP54 rating.
They sound quite good once you tweak the EQ settings to your liking, but in sound quality they're not quite up to the level of some other premium earbuds. Their noise-canceling, transparency mode and voice calling are decent though unspectacular (the Beats Fit Pro performs better in all departments). But if you're buying these, you're buying them for the secure fit and durability.
Sarah Tew/CNET
This is Smith's goggles-sunglasses hybrid, the Wildcat ($200). Constructed with the same materials used in Smith goggles, the Wildcat glasses provide lots of eye coverage and good airflow but have the comfort of a more lightweight pair of sunglasses. The Wildcat sunglasses come with a bright-light ChromaPop lens and a secondary clear lens for flat-light overcast days and are available in three color options.
Amazon
This product comes at the recommendation of CNET editor Justin Jaffe, who lives in New England. He writes:
"As Covid surged again this winter, I've taken up alpine touring: skinning up a mountain and skiing down. The benefits are considerable -- you can often get by without a lift pass and it delivers a much more rewarding cardio workout than pure downhill skiing. This highly adjustable USWE backpack has become an essential tool for me, providing the right amount of space for gear as well as an insulated water bladder that has never once frozen up. And there is a strap and pocket for everything, from goggles to helmet to skis. Highly recommended."
Sarah Tew/CNET
You'd think that more companies would have made Bluetooth headphones that slip inside your helmet, but Outdoor Technology is one of the few that does (some Chinese companies like Outdoor Master have gotten in on the game in the last couple of years). Their appeal has waned now that true wireless earbuds have come along, but they're still available at a discounted price, around $90.
How it works is you charge up the Chips and slide them into the earflaps on your helmet (they should work with most helmets). You want to make sure that no excess padding in your helmet is covering the Chips or else they'll get muffled and you'll lose some volume; you want them as close to your ears as possible.
The Chips 2.0 have a walkie-talkie feature that allows you to communicate with friends who are also using Chips 2.0 headphones. You create a group using the ODT Walkie-Talkie app and talk over the cell network, which means the only limit on distance is whether you're getting a phone signal. Up to 99 people can be in your private group.
I thought the sound quality was decent for Bluetooth but not great. That said, it's nice to be able to stick your helmet on and have the headphones built in with no wires to worry about. Battery life is rated at 10 hours, and the Chips are sweat- and water-resistant but not waterproof.
Outdoor Technology also sells the Chips Ultra, a true-wireless version of the Chips that costs significantly more (about $163). I don't think the Ultras are worth the money.
David Carnoy/CNET
You never know when you might need to hang up some gear, which is where the Heroclip comes in. Available in a few different sizes and colors, this souped-up rotating carabiner hook clip costs around $23.
Garmin
The original Garmin inReach Mini has been one of the more popular satellite communication devices with backcountry skiers. The new inReach Mini 2 has the same compact, lightweight form factor but adds additional features, including a more energy-efficient processor that greatly improves battery life (now up to 14 days of battery life, using default 10-minute tracking, and your location is sent to your MapShare page for friends and family to view), a higher resolution display and user interface, as well as compatibility with Garmin's Explore app and some new navigation features.
Garmin says that while most users will interact via their phones or paired Garmin devices, you can still send a check-in, read incoming messages, and reply with either a pre-canned QuickText or write a custom message from the device itself.
You do need an active satellite subscription to use the inReach Mini 2 with basic annual plans starting at $11.95 a month or $14.95 for a single month subscription.
Bluetooth wireless selfie stick selfie stick with bluetooth the original selfie stick bluetooth no bluetooth selfie stick selfie stick with inbuilt bluetooth bt 12 month broadband deals saturday deals in second life
Saturday deals: $12 Bluetooth selfie stick, $59 phone gimbal, $21 monitor mount and more
Saturday deals: $12 Bluetooth selfie stick, $59 phone gimbal, $21 monitor mount and more
Happy weekend, cheeps! I hope you're staring down the barrel of some unseasonably warm weather, as we are here in Michigan. Must. Return. To. Outdoors!
Like, maybe, go out and shoot some video? With a free OnePlus phone, maybe? Hey, just spitballing. Maybe you're content to stay in and play a free game. You do you. (Survey: Is that phrase played out or still viable?)
I found some great stuff to kick off your weekend. Take a look.
Atumtek
Amazon seller: Rosesy
Price: $12 with promo code AATSS065
Sure, at first we all thought selfie sticks were silly. But let's be honest: They're incredibly handy, especially if they're like this one. It doubles as a tripod, an invaluable feature for on-the-go vloggers. Plus, there's a removable Bluetooth remote for snapping photos and starting/stopping video. No-brainer at this price, if you ask me.
Moza
Amazon seller: Videotek-US
Price: $59 with promo code SYRK8NL4
Want to take phone video to the next level? Try shooting with a three-axis gimbal like this one. It promises to keep your footage much steadier than if you filmed by hand, plus it doubles as a tripod. It also folds up for easy transport.
Although I haven't tried this particular gimbal, one thing I've noticed with products like them (which, incidentally, used to sell for $100 and up): There's a learning curve. Read the instructions, watch some tutorial videos. Because operation isn't always intuitive, a little study is in order.
Humble Bundle
If you don't mind a little profanity with your self-help, check out this massive ebook bundle from Humble Bundle. It includes a whopping 27 titles, most from Microcosm's popular Unf*ck Your Life series. (The one that started it all, Unf*ck Your Brain, sells for $10 for Kindle all by itself.)
There are various tiers available, including one that's just $1, but obviously the best value is buying the whole enchilada. Whatever you choose, a portion of the proceeds goes to Street Books, a "bicycle-powered mobile library serving people who live outside and at the margins in Portland, Oregon."
Win-win.
Atumtek
Amazon seller: Rosesy
Price: $20.57 with promo code AATMS034
Two monitors side-by-side = big productivity boost. But if your desk doesn't quite have room to accommodate them, or you want more positioning options, grab this dual-arm mount. Just clamp it to the back of your desk (or using the grommet-hole option) and attach your Vesa-compatible monitors to the arms.
The mount can accommodate screens of up to 27 inches, and they're all good for independent tilting, rotating and swiveling. Great, great deal for the price.
Have a safe and enjoyable weekend, and I'll see you back here on Monday!
This article was first published on Friday. It has been updated with weekend deals.
CNET's Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on tech products and much more. For the latest deals and updates, follow him on Facebook and Twitter. You can also sign up for deal texts delivered right to your phone. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and check out our CNET Coupons page for the latest Walmart discount codes, eBay coupons, Samsung promo codes and even more from hundreds of other online stores. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Answers live on our FAQ page.
Fps frames per second frame rate per second what does frames per second do frames per second explained why does fps matter what gives more fps why is my frames locked on 60 fps on cold war why fps is low
Why FPS, frames per second, and frame rate matter for Xbox, PlayStation, movies and TV
Why FPS, frames per second, and frame rate matter for Xbox, PlayStation, movies and TV
From the best TVs to game consoles like the Sony PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, to cameras like the GoPro Hero 10s and the one on the shiny iPhone 13 Pro, fps matters. But what does fps mean, and why should you care? The short version is that fps stands for "frames per second." In other words, fps is the exact number of individual still images that make up each second of moving video.
Movies, almost exclusively, are 24fps. Live-action TV shows like sports and concerts are typically 30 or 60 fps. Video games vary, but the latest consoles are capable of up to 120fps (as long as you pair them with a TV that can handle it).
But can you even tell the difference? Does fps even matter? Yes, though not always the way you expect. Here's why.
Brett Pearce/CNET
Why does fps matter?
Let's back up slightly and cover some important basics. All video is made up of a series of still images, shown in rapid succession. Show them rapidly enough and your brain is fooled into thinking these still images are actually smooth motion. The speed of that threshold, from series of still images to motion, varies depending on a variety of factors. Generally, though, somewhere in the mid-teens-per-second will appear as "motion" to most observers, where fewer frames per second just look like individual images.
Higher frames per second, also known as frame rates, make the image appear smoother and more realistic. Subjectively, there's a huge jump between 15fps and 30fps. There's less of a noticeable jump between 30 and 60, and even less between 60 and 120. But again, depending on the content, display and other factors, you might notice a difference.
The Xbox Series X can output video up to 120 fps.
Microsoft
With games, higher frame rates can result in smoother, more natural-looking images. Compare that with low frame rates, where the onscreen action will stutter and pause. Because the graphics processing on all consoles is limited, higher frame rates come at a cost. That cost might be fewer polygons, less detail in objects on screen, more basic lighting, less complex textures and so on. With some games, the console might even reduce the game's resolution and then upconvert it at the output to hit the maximum frame rate. The image won't be as detailed, but the motion will be smoother.
A game designer might decide that their game looks and plays better at 60 or 120fps, despite these limitations, but it depends. Not every game supports higher frame rates, though many new games do (and will). Also, both Sony on the PlayStation 5 and Microsoft with FPS Boost have older titles that now run at higher frame rates.
On the PC side, there are gaming monitors capable of 144Hz (more on Hz vs fps in the next section). There are, potentially, some benefits for competitive multiplayer with higher frame rates, with less and less time spent "waiting" for the computer to update an image. That advantage is, at best, very slight. We're talking milliseconds.
The Sony PlayStation 5 is also capable of delivering video at up to 120 fps.
With consoles and PCs, they might not be hitting their maximum theoretical frame rate at all times. If there's a lot going on, a complex boss fight for instance, it might only produce a fraction of that max frame rate -- a feature known as variable refresh rate, or VRR.
With cameras, there's an additional benefit. Recording video at, say 120fps, allows you to play back that video at 60 or 30, greatly slowing down the action. Someone doing a backflip recorded at 120fps and shown at 30 will result in some extremely smooth, epic slo-mo.
FPS vs. Hz
The terms fps and Hz are often used to describe the same thing. Hz, or hertz as you may remember it from high school science class, means "one cycle per second." Generally, TVs and related gear use hertz to describe frame rate, a continuation from the analog CRT days. Content like movies and games use frames per second, a continuation from the old film days.
Technically, these aren't always exactly the same. For some esoteric reasons, 30Hz on a TV is usually 29.97Hz -- again, a holdover from CRT.
Effectively, though, consider them the same thing. A TV that's capable of displaying 120Hz content means it wants 120fps content to look its smoothest.
Or to put it simply, fps is the content, Hz is the device. You might see some companies using one term in place of the other, which is fine. In practice, you can use these terms interchangeably.
Why 60 (or 50)?
If you're in the US, Canada or anywhere in the Americas north of Brazil, TVs are 60Hz or a multiple of 60Hz. In the UK, Europe, and most of Asia, Africa, and Oceana, TVs are generally 50Hz or a multiple of 50Hz. Go into an electronics shop in many parts of the world and you might see TVs advertised with 100Hz, something that might catch the eye of a tech-savvy American tourist.
This is entirely due to the frequency of the mains power in each country. It's always one or the other. OK, almost always. Some newer TVs might ignore this by offering you 60Hz in a country with 50Hz power.
Does this matter? Not really. With older TVs it was more likely you could see flicker with 50Hz TVs. I certainly noticed it during visits to the UK in the '90s. In the modern age where nearly every TV is either LCD or OLED, this is only a concern with people especially susceptible to flicker (though the same is true with 60Hz too, for what it's worth).
FPS to the moon
The race to increase fps doesn't have much of a downside... for the most part. Higher frame rate cameras can record smoother motion, with less motion blur. TVs with higher frame rates themselves produce less motion blur, though potentially with soap opera effect issues. Games with higher frame rates are smoother and can be more realistic, though some other aspect of graphical detail must be reduced on the limited hardware of game consoles.
However, the same isn't true with live-action fictional content, like most TV shows and movies. With decades of conditioning, most people associate the "look" of 24fps content with fiction. Increasing that, something several Hollywood directors have tried, is rife with peril. Yes, a minority of people like it. The majority of people, though, hate it. It completely negates the suspension of disbelief: They're no longer characters in a world, but actors on a set. There's no coming back from that. Thankfully, these experiments in high frame rate, or HFR, have continually been met with derision. Enough so that Hollywood as an industry seems unlikely to adopt something that would so alienate audiences (aka their customers).
And if you do get a TV with 120Hz capability, almost all have the ability to turn off motion smoothing, aka the soap opera effect, so it will look like your old TV. If there's an option for black frame insertion, check that out as an alternative too.
As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, airplane graveyards and more.
You can follow his exploits on Instagram and YouTube about his 10,000 mile road trip. He also has written a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, along with a sequel.
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LG C2 OLED TV Review: Early Favorite for Best High-End TV
LG C2 OLED TV Review: Early Favorite for Best High-End TV
In the last few years LG's "C" series OLED models have risen to the top of my list as the best high-end TV for the money. The C2 is the first 2022 TV I've reviewed, so it's too early to award it that crown, but so far it's the favorite. The C2 offers image quality that's a clear step above any non-OLED TV I've seen, a bigger range of sizes than ever -- including a new 42-inch option -- and a price that's not too steep.
This year, however, the OLED TV competition is tougher than ever. LG's archrival Samsung has an OLED TV too, promising better color with an all-new QD-OLED panel. Sony offers two different kinds of OLED, including a QD-OLED of its own that looks pretty sweet in person. And in 2022 more TV-makers sell mini-LED models, which promise excellent image quality for much less money than OLED.
As is usual in the first half of the year, a new TV's stiffest competition comes from its older self. In my side-by-side comparisons, the C2 and last year's LG C1 OLED TV looked very similar despite the C2's new "Evo" panel, one of the 2022 upgrades LG touts. That's why, if you want a new high-end TV now, you should still get the C1.
Over the summer the C1 will sell out and the C2 will drop in price, making it more appealing. If you want the best price on a C2 you should hold off until fall, at which point I'll have a much better sense of how the C2 stacks up against its rivals. It's off to a good start though.
LG C2 sizes, series comparison
I performed a hands-on evaluation of the 65-inch OLED C2, but this review also applies to the other screen sizes in the series. All sizes have identical specs and, according to the manufacturer, should provide very similar picture quality. The exceptions are the 42- and 48-inch sizes, which lack the "Evo" panel and might be slightly dimmer than the others as a result (although the difference is minimal, if my comparisons to the non-Evo C1 are any indication).
The C2 series sits in the middle of LG's 2022 OLED TV lineup, with the widest range of screen sizes and all the features I expect from a high-end TV. Spending more for the G2 gets you a slightly brighter panel according to LG, as well as the wall-friendly "gallery" design. The less-expensive A2 lacks the HDMI 2.1 gaming features, 120Hz refresh rate and fancier processing found on the other 2022 LG OLEDs.
David Katzmaier/CNET
Lighter weight, nearly all picture
The C2 is a very nice-looking TV, with a minimalist appearance similar to past LG OLEDs, but the company made some changes for 2022. When a colleague and I set it up, we actually felt the first such change: it's lighter than the C1 by a noticeable amount, up to 47 percent lighter depending on size. The 65-inch version I reviewed weighs just 37 pounds with its stand, compared to 72 pounds for the 65-inch C1.
New carbon-fiber materials are responsible for the reduced weight, according to LG, and I noticed it on the TV's backside. The edges of the panel are slightly more squared-off as well. I also appreciated the narrower bezel, 6mm slimmer than the C1, leading to even more of an all-picture look, although if I didn't have the two TVs side-by-side I probably wouldn't have noticed. The stand has a much smaller footprint than last year and raises the panel a bit more over the table, both improvements in my book.
David Katzmaier/CNET
LG kept the same remote, unfortunately. In my old age I've grown easily annoyed by too many buttons, and I much prefer the streamlined, simple layout of Samsung and Roku/TCL remotes, for example. As always, you can wave LG's remote around to move the cursor, or scroll quickly through menus with the built-in wheel.
Smart TV, crowded menu
LG's WebOS menu system is not my favorite, in part because of the clutter. You'll see notes and notifications along the top, a box that displays the weather, a prompt to sign in to LG's system, a seemingly random collection of stuff labeled "Trending Now," then (finally) the list of apps below. Signing in unlocks a new 2022 feature, customized recommendations and additional user accounts. LG touts the fact that you can set up favorite sports teams, for example, but most people will just go straight to the app and skip the clutter. As usual, I prefer a simpler interface like Roku, and if you like customizations and options Google TV is a better bet. On a TV this expensive you should just attach a good streaming device instead.
David Katzmaier/CNET
Also new for 2022 is something LG calls "always ready." Instead of turning the screen off when you press power, the TV displays your choice of art wallpapers, a clock, "sound palette" art or your own custom photos. Designed for people who would rather have something on their big screens rather than a big black rectangle, it's similar to the ambient mode Samsung TVs have offered for the last few years. Personally I'd rather save the power, so I'd leave this feature (and my TV) turned off.
The elements of the always-ready feature and LG's screensaver move around so as not to risk burn-in. Here's where I remind you that, like all OLED TVs, the C2 is more subject to both temporary and permanent image retention, aka burn-in, than LCD TVs. The risk is small, which is why I don't consider burn-in a reason for most people to avoid buying an OLED TV. Check out our guide to OLED burn-in for more.
The new "always ready" feature puts something on the screen even after you turn it "off."
David Katzmaier/CNET
LG also added a new multiview feature that puts two sources side by side or picture-in-picture, but unfortunately it's quite limited. You can't show two HDMI inputs on-screen and the main thing you can do -- share a screen from your phone side-by-side with an input -- didn't work with Apple AirPlay. LIke most TVs, the C2 does support Apple's phone-mirroring feature, and it also lets you issue Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa voice commands by speaking into the remote or, new for 2022, hands-free when you say the wake word like "Alexa."
Well-connected, especially for gamers
LG continues to excel at connection options. All of LG's 2022 OLED models (aside from the A2) include the latest version of the HDMI standard: 2.1. That means their HDMI ports can handle 4K at 120 frames per second and variable refresh rate (including Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync), as well as enhanced audio return channel and automatic low latency mode (auto game mode). In other words, they can take advantage of the latest graphics features available from PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S consoles as well as high-end graphics cards. The C2 is rare among high-end TVs in that all four of its HDMI ports support 4K/120 -- great for hard-core gamers with multiple next-gen devices.
Four HDMI inputs with HDMI 2.1, HDCP 2.2
Three USB 2.0 ports
Optical digital audio output
RF (antenna) input
RS-232 port (minijack, for service only)
Ethernet (LAN) port
All four of the C2's HDMI inputs support HDMI 2.1 features.
David Katzmaier/CNET
LG OLED C2 picture quality comparisons
My side-by-side comparisons involved the best TVs I had on-hand, but the only other OLED was the LG C1 from last year. Since it's early in 2022, the C2 was the only current model-year television in the group – I'll compare it to other 2022 TVs as soon as I get the chance. Here's the lineup:
TV and movies: The LG C2 has a spectacular picture but watching it next to the C1 from 2021, any improvements were really tough to see. And measurements backed up my initial impressions: Both TVs delivered essentially equal numbers, and both were extremely accurate in their best modes. Both outperformed the TCL TVs in my comparison overall, as expected.
The comparison lineup with the LG C2, center, on the gray TV stand and the C1 to its right.
David Katzmaier/CNET
I started my comparison with familiar (to me) high dynamic range material, namely the demo montage from the excellent Spears & Munsil HDR benchmark 4K Blu-ray. Both OLEDs showed equally pleasing images. The perfect black levels and lack of blooming (stray illumination) in areas like the honey dripper and cityscapes created superior punch to the LCD-based TCLs. And while the snowscapes, deserts and other full-screen bright scenes from the TCL TVs outshined the OLEDs, smaller highlights in areas like the ferris wheel at night were actually brighter on the LGs. Spot measurements using a light meter revealed the C2 as being slightly brighter than the C1 on the ferris wheel, but with the naked eye I couldn't really see the difference. I also saw more saturated, natural color on the LGs, in particular reds like the strawberries and flowers.
Switching to TV content, I put Severance from Apple TV Plus on all four sets and the results were similar. During Helly's brain surgery in Episode 2 the dark areas looked more true and realistic on the OLEDs, without the blooming -- in the letterbox bars near the operating lights, for example -- I saw on the TCLs. The brightness advantage of the LCDs in the office training scene later was obvious, but the faces of Mark and Helly looked flatter and less defined. Again, however, the C1 and C2 were very difficult to tell apart.
The new overlay for Game Optimizer shows vitals like frames per second and variable refresh rate, at a glance.
David Katzmaier/CNET
Gaming: As with nongaming content, the OLEDs looked better than the LCDs in my side-by-side comparisons, although the two LGs again looked very similar. The C1 was my favorite gaming TV last year, and the C2 improves it just a bit.
LG's Game Optimizer mode offers myriad adjustments and the updated overlay menu surfaces them in a more logical way, putting VRR next to FPS and offering a few more shortcuts on the bottom, including to the new Dark Room mode. That mode dims the image and is designed to reduce eyestrain, but even though I game in the dark a lot, I don't have much use for it. Playing Horizon Forbidden West in HDR on PS5, for example, Dark Mode made the moonlit forest less dazzling and the mountain snowscape duller, but if you're someone who's bothered by bright sequences in games it might be useful.
A new Sports mode joins the litany of picture modes, but as I found last year, I liked Standard best for most games with its balance of shadow detail and contrast. FPS is best if you want more visibility into shadows, or you can just crank the Black Stabilizer control up (at the expense of a washed-out image). I appreciate the separate adjustments just for gaming, which most other TV makers don't have.
The full Game Optimizer menu shows even more options.
David Katzmaier/CNET
Buried within Game Optimizer is another setting labeled "Reduce input delay (input lag)" with two options, Standard and Boost. The former, which is the default for any game, serves up an excellent input lag result similar to past LG OLED models: just 13.5ms for both 1080p and 4K HDR sources. Engaging Boost cuts lag even further, to just under 10ms for both. The catch is that Boost is only available for 60Hz sources, so you can't use it with 120Hz games or VRR. And no, I don't think many humans would notice the extra 3ms of lag.
Bright lighting: Although LG touts the C2 as 20% brighter than non-Evo OLED TVs like the C1, my measurements didn't back that claim up. Yes the C2 was a bit brighter, about seven percent on average, but the difference wasn't visible in just about anything I watched. In my experience those differences are slight enough to vary from sample to sample.
Below are my measurements in nits for select comparison TVs in their brightest and most accurate picture modes, using both standard dynamic range (SDR) and high dynamic range (HDR) test patterns.
Light output in nits
TV
Brightest mode (SDR)
Accurate mode (SDR)
Brightest mode (HDR)
Accurate mode (HDR)
Hisense 65U8G
1,619
1,612
2,288
2,288
Samsung QN65QN90A
1,622
1,283
2,596
1,597
TCL 65R635
1,114
792
1,292
1,102
Sony XR65X90J
951
815
945
847
LG OLED65C2
413
389
812
759
LG OLED65C1
409
333
790
719
The C2 is plenty bright enough for just about any viewing environment, but as usual it's not nearly as bright as competing LCD-based models. As with most TVs, the brightest mode for HDR and SDR (Vivid on the C2) is horribly inaccurate. For the accurate results listed above on the C2, I used ISF Expert Bright picture mode (Peak Brightness: High) for SDR and Filmmaker mode for HDR. I recommend C2 owners do the same to get good color in bright rooms. Note that with SDR, you'll need to disable the Auto Energy Saving setting (Support > Energy Saving > Energy Saving Step > Off) to get full brightness.
The screen of the C2 was excellent from off-angle but didn't seem to reduce reflections quite as well as the C1.
David Katzmaier/CNET
Like all OLED TVs, the C2 gets quite a bit dimmer than LCDs when showing full-screen white -- a snow field, for example -- but even in those situations it's hardly dim. The C2's screen finish was excellent at preserving black levels, better than the TCLs' more matte finishes, which beat both LG's at rejecting reflections. The screen of the C1 seemed slightly more reflective than the C2, but the difference was minimal.
Uniformity and viewing angle: Like all OLEDs I've tested the C2 was exemplary in this area compared to LCD-based TVs, with no significant brightness or color variations across the screen and nearly perfect image quality from off-angle. Comparing the C2 and C1 I saw a very slight color shift toward blue and magenta on the C2 that wasn't visible on the C1, something that could be caused by the new Evo panel structure. It was only visible from very extreme angles, however, and has no real impact.
The C2 has myriad picture settings, but if you just want to set it and forget it, use Filmmaker Mode.
David Katzmaier/CNET
Picture setting notes
The most accurate settings were Cinema and Filmmaker mode for both HDR and SDR, as well as the two ISF modes available in SDR. For SDR viewing I went with Cinema for dark rooms (because it was closer to my 2.2 gamma target) and ISF Bright for brighter environments, and for HDR I used Filmmaker (which was very slightly brighter than Cinema HDR). Game Optimizer is best for gaming, thanks to its processing, but quite blue; for the best color accuracy for gaming you should adjust the color temperature control all the way toward red (Picture > Advanced Settings > Color > White Balance > Color temperature > Warm50).
Like most TVs the C2 offers settings that engage smoothing, aka the soap opera effect, as I prefer to turn it off for TV shows and movies (and it's off in Game Optimizer mode because it increases input lag). You can experiment with the settings (Picture > Advanced Settings > Clarity > TruMotion) and it's off by default in the Cinema and Filmmaker modes.
Geek box
SDR
Result
Score
Black luminance (0%)
0.000
Good
Peak white luminance (10% win)
389
Average
Avg. gamma (10-100%)
2.16
Good
Avg. grayscale error (10-100%)
1.34
Good
Dark gray error (30%)
0.67
Good
Bright gray error (80%)
1.66
Good
Avg. color checker error
0.95
Good
Avg. saturation sweeps error
1.00
Good
Avg. color error
0.81
Good
Input lag (Game mode)
13.47
Good
HDR10
Black luminance (0%)
0.000
Good
Peak white luminance (10% win)
759
Average
Gamut % UHDA/P3 (CIE 1976)
99.62
Good
ColorMatch HDR error
5.93
Poor
Avg. color checker error
2.94
Good
Input lag (Game mode, 4K HDR)
13.47
Good
See How We Test TVs for more details.
Portrait Displays Calman calibration software was used in this review.
