PUBG: New State Anti-Cheat Update to Target Gamers Who ‘Intentionally’ Play With Cheaters, Says Krafton

PUBG New State has implemented new measures to prevent cheating in the popular battle royale game. The anti-cheat system in the game has been updated to target players who intentionally play in a Squad with cheaters in the game. Krafton has also updated the in-game anti-cheat measures and added new detection measures to prevent cheating in the game, which has already ...

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Acer boundless 50-inch TV Review: Lost in the crowd

The Acer Boundless 50-inch TV does little to transcend the boundaries of the budget TV segment. It is yet another budget TV with good SDR performance, average HDR output, and a decent smart TV experience. To put things into perspective, its HDR performance is better than what we saw on the Blaupunkt Cybersound TV. The audio output is acceptable for everyday content and the gaming experience is decent as well on the Acer Boundless TV. But then again, the overall experience is slightly better on the Redmi TV 50-inch, which is slightly more expensive than the Acer. The Redmi TV also supports Dolby Vision. You can also check out the AmazonBasics 50-inch TV as well as an option, however, the AmazonBasics TV does not support ARC but it supports Dolby Vision. For Rs 3000 to Rs 5000 more you can get a 50-inch TV with a smoother UI and better sound output along with a few more features.

In our experience, the 50-inch TV space has a very specific audience. It’s for those that feel a 43-inch TV is too small while a 55-inch TV might be too big for their entertainment setup. That’s why the LG 48-inch CX (review) or even the C1 works so well as a gaming monitor/TV in the premium space and we have 50-inch TVs from Redmi, AmazonBasics, iFFALCON, TCL and more trying to fill the void for those looking for a 50-inch TV. Today we have the Acer 50-inch Boundless TV with us for review. As of writing this review, the TV is available online for Rs 32,999 but you can get it for as low as 29,999. The TV boasts of a 4K resolution and support for HDR 10 but misses out on Dolby Vision. Is it a good option to consider, or is it lost in the sea of budget 50-inch TVs?

Acer 50-inch Boundless TV specs at a glance

Panel Size: 50-inch (available in 43 and 55-inch screen sizes)  Panel Type: VA with D-LED backlighting Panel Resolution: 3840 x 2160 - 4K Panel Refresh Rate: 60Hz HDR 10 support: Yes HDR 10+ support: Yes Dolby Vision Support: No Weight: 9.9 kgs HDMI Ports: 3 USB Ports: 2 Bluetooth: Yes Wi-Fi: Yes Ethernet: Yes Speakers: 24W  Built-in storage: 16GB Price: MRP: 32,999 (Price on Flipkart)

Acer 50-inch Boundless TV Display Panel and Picture Quality

The Acer 50-inch Boundless TV has DLED backlighting and no dimming zones. In our tests, we found the TV has a peak brightness slightly above 300-nits, which isn't impressive when it comes to HDR content. However, as we said in our Realme 43-inch 4K TV review, HDR performance on budget TVs has reached a point where the experience can get acceptable, especially if it is your first experience, but it is recommended to consume content in SDR as much as possible on these TVs. Also, as we said in our OnePlus U1 (review) and Samsung QN90A reviews, not supporting Dolby Vision isn't necessarily a con as long as the HDR performance is good. With a peak brightness of slightly more than 300 nits, we can’t expect to see detailed specular highlights in HDR content, but the content isn’t very dull either. We will elaborate below. 

Above: Peak brightness of the Acer Boundless TV via Portrait Display Calman

Above: ColorChecker Analysis in the Movie preset

Above: ColorChecker Analysis in the Standard preset

An interesting thing to note is that in the movie preset the 2pt greyscale delta error is quite low but the RGB balance for this is all over the place. In the ColorChecker Analysis, the average Delta error is quite high in the movie preset and that translates to real-world performance as well, but we will talk about some settings that can help you get the best experience from the TV. 

4K and HDR performance

Starting with the 4K and HDR performance, like we said above, the TV does not support Dolby Vision so our suite of content from Netflix, Apple TV and more played back in HDR 10. The performance from HDR 10 lacked the punch one would expect from the movie preset, with the content looking slightly duller than I’d like. Switching to the Standard or Dynamic preset punched up the colours, and the backlighting but changed the colour temperature to show a slightly cooler bias. This can easily be fixed by changing the colour temperature to Warm. For HDR content I recommend using the Standard preset with the warm colour temperature to get a slightly brighter image with decent colours. One more thing we noted was that for a lot of content the Standard and Dynamic preset has the same performance. 

For the movie preset, the backlighting is bumped down to 60 and while we did try and bump it back to 100, the performance wasn’t the same as the Standard preset with the warm colour temperature. Just so you know, the backlighting is at 100 in the standard preset. 

All the content we consumed in HDR looked decent enough except for content like The Dark Knight Rises and Altered Carbon, where the details in a lot of the dark sequences were lost especially if there were some specular highlights in these dark sequences. So, if you feel the HDR performance in the TV lacking, I recommend connecting an external device like the Fire TV Stick (review) and switching HDMI settings to 1.4 and consuming content in SDR for a better experience. 

SDR playback

Speaking of SDR content, the TV can do a good job of representing it. Put simply, use the Movie preset for movies as it does a decent job of representing the colours well. So, in movies like Spider-Man Homecoming and Mission Impossible Rogue Nation, you get good colours and skin tones. In some cases, it may look a tad warmer than required, but that’s ok considering the price. We have seen TVs like the Philips PUT8215 (review) give very good performance in SDR for colours, especially with skin tone reproduction.  

In some SDR content like Young Sheldon and other TV shows, the Standard preset with a neutral colour temperature does a better job. So, if you watch the news and everyday TV shows, then the Standard preset works better. 

Gaming

The Acer Boundless TV does not have a dedicated game mode in the picture settings, but the TV recognised when a PS5 (review) was connected to it. For the picture preset, I recommend going into the settings, choosing the 'Personal' profile and switching off all forms of post-processing and switching the colour temperature to warm. In my opinion, this made the colours in the games look the best, albeit slightly warmer than I’d like. But the overall performance of the TV can be described as decent. 

In a game like Spider-Man Miles Morales (review), you miss the punchy highlights found on slightly more expensive TVs, but the experience isn't bad on this TV. However, it has weak contrast. So, if you are swinging towards the sun in-game, and dark shadows are being cast, the shadows look darker than they should. But then again, in a game like Ghost of Tsushima (review), there are slightly elevated black levels to make the content in the dark easier to see, which for this price, is ok. 

The TV may not be ideal for gaming, but gets the job done for casual gamers. 

Audio Performance

If there is one place the TV suffers, it is with the sound output. You have 24W of sound output and while vocals are clear mixed audio and high octave chance sequences or even the orchestral scores in movies left me wanting more. For everyday activities like news and TV shows, you should be fine. The channel separation is also weak, especially if you watch the race at the 12-minute mark in Ready Player One. The TV supports ARC output from HDMI port 1, but it isn't labelled which is also a miss. 

UI

Let’s get the worst out of the way. There were many times the TV randomly restarted on me when consuming content from streaming services. This happened often enough for me to mention it. Apart from this, the UI worked as intended. Running on Android TV 9 out of the box the TV gives you access to the Play Store for all your streaming needs. Switching between apps worked well enough and we faced the standard slew of stutters and slowdowns one would expect from a budget TV but nothing that broke the experience (except for the random restarts).

There is a dedicated button for the Google Assistant on the remote control and while it did take a heartbeat longer than I’d like to respond, it’s in line with what we’ve experienced from TVs in the 30K price range. 

Remote control

The remote control that comes with the TV has a slightly concave design giving it a good grip. The remote control is compact and easy to use with dedicated OTT hotkeys for Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube and TikiLive. You get the standard directional buttons, Google Assistant, Home and more. There is a volume rocker as well and I wish the mute button were closer to the rocker, but hey, at least there is a dedicated mute button.  

Build and design

Considering this is a budget TV, I didn't expect anything outstanding from the build. It has 2 plastic feet that hold it in place. It has a plastic shell and relatively slim bezels on three sides. All the ports are facing the side. For connectivity, the TV has three HDMI ports, two USB ports, optical out, ethernet port, antenna port, 3.5mm audio and an AV in port. The port may not be easy to reach when the TV is wall mounted so cable management is something to consider in advance. The TV is held in place by 2 plastic feet.

Bottom Line

The Acer Boundless 50-inch TV does little to transcend the boundaries of the budget TV segment. It is yet another budget TV with good SDR performance, average HDR output and a decent smart TV experience. To put things into perspective, its HDR performance is better than what we saw on the Blaupunkt Cybersound TV (review). The audio output is acceptable for everyday content and the gaming experience is decent as well on the Acer Boundless TV. But then again, the overall experience is slightly better on the Redmi TV 50-inch which is slightly more expensive than the Acer. The Redmi TV also supports Dolby Vision. You can also check out the AmazonBasics 50-inch TV as well as an option, however, the AmazonBasics TV does not support ARC but it supports Dolby Vision. For Rs 3000 to Rs 5000 more you can get a 50-inch TV with a smoother UI and a better sound output along with a few more features.

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Xiaomi 12 series key specs and pricing leaked ahead of launch later today

Xiaomi 12 series has leaked yet again, giving us a brief look at the specifications and pricing ahead of its launch on December 28. Xiaomi 12, Xiaomi 12X and Xiaomi 12 Pro are expected to launch later today and the key specifications of these upcoming phones have surfaced online. Xiaomi has additionally confirmed that the standard Xiaomi 12 supports 67W fast charging while the Xiaomi 12 Pro comes equipped with a Surge P1 chip as it supports 120W fast charging.

As per the leak which was posted on Weibo before making its way to Twitter, the Xiaomi 12 is set to get a new design on the back along with a vertical triple camera module. The leak also suggests that the Xiaomi 12 Pro will be offered in four colours to choose from. Moreover, a separate leak revealed some alleged hands-on pictures of the Xiaomi 12 series.

Full Xiaomi 12 Pro Specs and Images leaked on Weibo 1/2 Source: https://t.co/CArMq6mkTW pic.twitter.com/1DJyFLMuOX

— Snoopy (@_snoopytech_) December 26, 2021

According to a tweet by Ishan Agarwal, the Xiaomi 12 is expected to be priced starting at CNY 4299 (~Rs 50,000) for the base variant with 8GB+128GB storage, CNY 4599 (~Rs 54,000) for the 256GB storage option and CNY 4999 (~Rs 59,000) for the maxed out variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. The Xiaomi 12 Pro, on the other hand, is expected to start from CNY 4999 (~Rs 59,000) for the base variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage followed by the 256GB storage option that could retail at CNY 5299 (~Rs 62,000). The maxed-out version with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage is expected to be priced at CNY 5699 (~Rs 67,000).

Exclusive: #Xiaomi12 Series China Prices [Unconfirmed] Xiaomi 12X 8+128: ¥3499 ($550/₹41K) 8+256: ¥3799 12+256: ¥3999 Xiaomi 12 8+128: ¥4299 ($675/₹50.5K) 8+256: ¥4599 12+256: ¥4999 Xiaomi 12 Pro 8+128: ¥4999 ($785/₹58.8K) 8+256: ¥5299 12+256: ¥5699 Very interesting.  pic.twitter.com/XCGcj0DqEH

— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) December 27, 2021 Xiaomi 12 leaked specifications

The Xiaomi 12 is tipped to feature a 6.28-inch Full HD+ (2400x1080 pixels) AMOLED display that supports a 120Hz refresh rate. The display has a 20:9 aspect ratio and is certified for HDR10+ playback. It is likely to be protected with a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus.

It is expected to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chip and is paired with upto 12GB RAM and 256GB storage options to choose from. The phone will likely run on the latest version of MIUI that’s based on Android 12.

The Xiaomi 12 is expected to have a 50MP primary camera, a 13MP ultra-wide camera with 123-degree FOV and a 32MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. On the front, there’s expected to be a 20MP selfie camera.

Xiaomi 12 is equipped with a 4,500mAh battery that supports 67W fast charging, 30W fast wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging.

Xiaomi 12 Pro leaked specifications

Xiaomi 12 Pro features a 6.73-inch QHD+ (3200x1440 pixels) resolution AMOLED LTPO display with support for a 120Hz refresh rate. The display panel is likely sourced from Samsung and has curved edges with a punch-hole notch cutout for the selfie camera up front.

The phone is expected to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen1 and will run on MIUI 12 based on Android 12.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro is rumoured to have a triple camera array headlined by a 50MP Sony IMX707 camera, a 50MP ultra-wide camera with 115-degree FOV and a 50MP telephoto camera. The Xiaomi 12 Pro is expected to feature a 4,600mAh battery with support for 120W fast wired charging and 50W fast wireless charging.

Also Read: Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge will bring 120W fast-charging to India on January 6

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Riot Games Agrees to Pay $100 Million to Settle Gender Discrimination Lawsuit

Tencent's Riot Games said it has agreed to pay $100 million (roughly Rs. 750 crore) to settle a 2018 gender-based discrimination class-action lawsuit with California state agencies and current and former women employees.

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Battlegrounds Mobile India Publisher Krafton Bans Nearly 60,000 Accounts for Cheating

Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) publisher Krafton has banned nearly 60,000 accounts in a week’s time. This ban is put as a part of the strict countermeasures taken against illegal activities in the game. Recently, Krafton announced that it will ban devices used by players to cheat in the battle royale game.

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5G will finally be rolled out in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Gurugram and other Indian cities in 2022

It looks like India will finally receive 5G services in the country. After a long wait, 5G networks are set to hit cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Pune, and Gandhinagar. In fact, we’ve earlier reported that Airtel had started 5G trials in Gurgaon, back in June of this year. So, it looks like 5G will be rolling out in full force across major cities in the country. Airtel has earlier demonstrated a 5G network in Hyderabad back in January, so this launch does line up with various trials that telecom companies have taken part in. 

5G services will finally hit cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and more

For the uninitiated, 5G, the 5th Generation of Wireless Technology, is the next big thing in mobile technology. Just like its predecessors, 5G promises faster data speeds, lower latency, and higher bandwidth, which will make your current mobile networks feel sluggish and outdated. Theoretically, 5G can offer speeds up to 20 Gbps but in the commercial world, 5G carriers are expected to support speeds up to 1Gbps which is 10x the speeds offered by the current 4G LTE networks. The faster data transmission is also accompanied by lower latency. Compared to 4G, which was limited to a ping of 50ms, 5G can theoretically go as low as 1ms! Commercially, one can expect a latency of around 10ms from the 5G carriers.

The Indian government has also launched the ‘Indigenous 5G Test Best project’ which will see agencies such as IIT Bombay, Delhi collaborating on testing and development of 5G services in the country. In a statement, the Department of Telecom said, “ costing Rs 224 crore, the project is likely to be completed by December 31, 2021, paving the way for end-to-end testing of 5G User Equipment (UEs) and network equipment by 5G stakeholders developing 5G products/services/use cases, including indigenous start-ups, SMEs, Academia and Industry in the country.” The Department of Telecom has also allocated the 5G spectrum to telecom giants Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea, and MTNL for 5G trials. 

Also Read: Everything you need to know about 5G in India

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PS5 India December 28 Restock: How to Pre-Order PlayStation 5 on Amazon, Flipkart, Croma, More

PS5 India December 28 restock — for the Rs. 49,990 Blu-ray PlayStation 5 — available at Amazon, Croma, Flipkart, GameLoot, Games The Shop, Reliance Digital, Sony Center ShopAtSC, and Vijay Sales.

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