AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) might have taken its time getting here, but according to at least one developer, the wait was worth it as it was much easier to implement in their game than Nvidia's rival DLSS technology.
Edge of Eternity developer Midgar Studio spoke to Wccftech last week about their new Western JRPG, touching on everything from console development to the new resolution upscaling technologies from both AMD and Nvidia. Company CEO and lead programmer Jérémy Zeler-Maury offered a first-hand account of developing a game using both AMD and Nvidia's tech and said that AMD's solution was far simpler to include in Edge of Eternity than Nvidia's DLSS.
"Implementing DLSS was quite complex to integrate into Unity for a small studio like us," Zeler-Maury said, "it required tweaking the engine and creating an external plugin to bridge Unity and DLSS. It was complicated, but in the end, it gave amazing results. FSR, on the other hand, was very easy to implement, it only took me a few hours, requiring only simple data."
AMD's FSR tech fell short in some areas compared to Nvidia's DLSS, however. The source data Zeler-Maury used needed to be "as sharp as possible" because FSR isn't a "deep-learning method" like DLSS, so it can't reconstruct finer details as well as Nvidia's tech can. Still, Zeler-Maury said, "Quality-wise, when there is a lot of pixel info available for upscaling to 4K, both technologies give amazing results, and I have a hard time seeing differences between them. I’d even say that I slightly prefer the FSR for 4K resolution since it doesn’t introduce any artifacts/minor blurriness that DLSS can sometimes introduce."
We've reached out to Nvidia for comment on implementing DLSS for smaller indie titles and will update this story with their response if and when we hear back.
Is AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution the ideal tool for small developers?
For small, indie developers like Midgar Studio who don't have the kind of big teams that major AAA studios have, time spent on any given feature of a game is a premium investment. Having a simpler-to-implement tool can both save time and increase the likelihood that such a tool will be used.
If a small team, like the five-person crew behind the indie darling Valheim, can spend a day implementing something like AMD's FSR, that's a lot of reward for very little time invested. And since AMD's FSR is an open source technology that runs on non-AMD graphics cards – including older Nvidia GTX cards that are still widely used – it's also something that will benefit far more gamers than Nvidia's DLSS technology, which is limited to Nvidia's newer RTX cards.
If Zeler-Maury's experience is representative of FSR from a developer's perspective, than we can expect to see a lot more of AMD's new tech in games both large and small.
TikTok is down, according to a growing chorus of users complaining worldwide and suddenly not dancing in any new short videos.
The TikTok algorithm is showing stale content or random videos that they wouldn't normally be served. TikTok users are also complaining of getting logged out or having zero followers.
TikTok is the only one dancing around the subject, with no response on its other social media channels. Its official Twitter account, for example, is silent about the outage right now, though plenty of users are replying about the app being down.
Developing...
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The fallout of Covid-19 could only halt our MCU superheroes for so long. After a delay of more than a year comes the highly-anticipated Black Widow on July 9th, a standalone film exploring Natasha Romanoff’s dark past. Concurrent with a theatrical release, we explain how to watch Black Widow online with a Disney Plus subscription and one-time Premier Access fee of $29.99.
Taking place between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, we find ex-KGB agent Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) in self-imposed exile in Norway. She’s soon tracked down by fellow Widow and surrogate sister Yelena (Florence Pugh), who requests her help in dismantling the Black Widow program that turned them both into deadly assassins.
In the process they're reunited with their adoptive parents: Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), a spy and now one of the Red Room’s top scientists, and super-soldier Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour). They’re also forced to confront Dreykov, overseer of the Black Widow program, and the unstoppable villain Taskmaster. Cue some explosive action – in particular a scene where Taskmaster barrels down the street in a tank in pursuit of the bickering pseudo-siblings.
Directed by Cate Shortland from a screenplay by Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok), Black Widow provides a grittier, more grounded tone than previous Marvel features, while still delivering the jaw-dropping spectacle and heart-stopping emotion you’ve come to expect from the MCU.
Ready to dive into Black Widow’s dark past? Then read on as we explain how to watch Black Widow online with Disney Plus Premier Access.
How to watch Black Widow online: stream full movie on Disney Plus today
Anyone in countries that have access to Disney Plus - North America, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, most of mainland Europe and more - simply need to head to the Disney Plus website to sign up for the service.
Once you've done that, you'll find Black Widow available to buy through the Premier Access platform for $29.99/£19.99/AU$34.99. It's available to pre-order in the US and Canada until July 8, before being released on Friday, July 9 at 8am BST / 12am PT / 3am ET.
As for Disney Plus itself, it's well worth checking out. In addition to getting you first dibs on Premier Access films, it features every episode of The Simpsons ever made, all your favorite Pixar flicks, the latest Marvel movies, and the complete Star Wars canon.
You can save 15% if you sign up for an annual subscription, or if you're in the US, for the ultimate value you can take advantage of a combined bundle that includes ESPN Plus, Hulu and Disney Plus for the outrageously cheap price of just $13.99 a month.
What is Disney Plus Premier Access?
Disney Plus introduced Premier Access in September 2020, in response to the worldwide Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent shuttering of the majority of cinemas. It provided an alternative route to get big budget blockbusters to audiences, with its first premium video on-demand title being the live-action Mulan remake.
It's now reserved for the service's absolute biggest movie releases and designed to let you watch the latest Walt Disney releases from the comfort of home – whether that's simply your preference, or because movie theaters may be closed where you are.
It's a great option to have and Disney's spared no effort trying to recreate the cinematic experience, with all Premier Access titles available to watch on Disney Plus in 4K HDR resolution (Dolby Vision) and offering support for immersive Dolby Atmos sound.
While the one-off $30/£20/AU$35 on demand fee seems hefty, it does work out at about the same price as two movie tickets (and means you don't have to splash out on expensive popcorn, drinks and snacks). Not only that, but subscribers can pause the action when they want and re-watch the film as many times as they'd like – that is, as long as they remain a Disney Plus member.
Premier Access films are eventually made a part of the regular Disney Plus library. However, that doesn't happen until three months after their original release date.
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)
How to save money on Disney Plus
The Disney Plus price is already cheaper than competing streaming services like Netflix but you can save even more when you sign up for an annual subscription which gives you 15% off the monthly price. Obviously you have to splash the cash at the start, but with so much content to get stuck into, we very much doubt you'll run out of things to watch before the 12 months are up. You're looking at a mere $79.99/£79.90/AU$119.99 for the year.
If your interests are farther reaching (and you're in the US), then we'd seriously recommend looking at the fantastic value bundle package. It adds Hulu and ESPN Plus to your subscription price.
The Hulu element opens up a world of Hulu Originals too, such as Upload, Love Victor, Helstrom and The Handmaid's Tale. Bringing even more great value, ESPN Plus offers loads of exclusive live sport, highlights and documentaries. The combined bundle costs just $13.99 a month.
What else should I know about Disney Plus?
Disney Plus is showing no signs of slowing down since the service first launched in November 2019. It's the only place to watch Loki, which is just one in a string of recent releases exclusive to the platform, including Soul, The Mandalorian, Cruella, Hamilton, and much more.
And finally, there's the new Star on Disney Plus that most global markets get to enjoy and which sees the amount of content available on Disney Plus more than double, with a particular eye to shows grown-ups are going to enjoy. It costs a tiny bit more, but is worth it based on our initial impressions – and you can still save big by going with an annual subscription.
At its Unite 2021 merchants conference, not only did Shopify unveil its vision for the future of ecommerce but the company also announced its largest set of platform investments to date.
The ecommerce giant scales with merchants at every stage of their business as it believes a merchant should never have to replatform to achieve their desired tech stack, business logic or buyer experience. For this reason, Shopify has decided to further invest into API-powered storefronts so that developers can quickly unlock its feature-rich platform.
At the same time though, the company has expanded its ecommerce hosting regions to every continent and Shopify commerce logic is now running in over 100 plus server locations that will directly serve API requests for custom storefronts.
With these additional server locations, online stores created on its platform along with its GraphQL Storefront API can now be accessed within just 50 milliseconds by every buyer on Earth.
Building and hosting custom storefronts
Shopify also previewed Hydrogen which is a new React framework that aims to simplify the experience of building custom storefronts. It does this by including commerce-specialized components such as a shopping cart, variant picker and media gallery that help to remove the complexity of building custom storefronts so developers can instead focus on building experiences that make brands stand out.
At Unite 2021, Shopify also previewed a new way to host Hydrogen storefronts directly on its platform called Oxygen which is fast, global and optimized for ecommerce.
CEO of Shopify Tobi Lütke provided further insight on the company's recent infrastructure and platform investments in a press release, saying:
“The internet is the world’s largest city, and Shopify is building its commerce infrastructure. Especially over the past year, we saw independent businesses succeed by showing up creatively and uniquely in this city. The future of commerce on the internet relies on creative expression at every touchpoint. Together with developers, we are building the infrastructure to make this possible.”
If you're looking for cheap TV deals, you're in the right place. We've scoured all the best retailers in the UK to bring you the hottest savings on everything from cheap TVs to more premium displays. That means you can relax with your favourite show in style, and your wallet can breathe a sigh of relief as well.
We've done all the searching, so you can simply browse the TV deals below for a size and price that suits you. That means no more obscure model numbers to look up and no more wondering if you've really got the best TV deal around. We've done all that legwork and brought all the need-to-know information right here.
We've organised all the latest cheap TV deals by size here, but it's worth checking out the prices throughout because you might be surprised how large a display you can get for your cash these days. We've also picked out a TV deal of the week, which represents the best outright value for most people.
That means all of these top brands are competing to offer the best tech for the money, so even if you're on a budget, you can still bag yourself some top-shelf features in a cheap TV. Between their powerful upscaling processors, full smart home integration, and, in some cases, Dolby Atmos support, all these 4K TV deals are fantastic value.
The best cheap smart TV deals in this week's roundup all offer awe-inspiring HDR and streamlined 4K upscaling to make everything shine. If you're looking to push the budget, you can also take a look at the best OLED TV prices and deals available right now and
The best TV deal of the week
The best cheap TV sales available now
(Image credit: Toshiba)
32-49 inch cheap 4K TV deals
JVC 43-inch Smart Full HD Android TV:£349.99£269.99 at Currys
Save £80 - If you're looking for a 43-inch budget set, this JVC HD TV is a fantastic option, and it's on sale for just £269.99. The HD TV comes with smart capabilities and the Google Assistant built in so you can use your voice to control your TV.
Samsung 43-inch AU8000 4K TV:£549£485 at Amazon Save £64 – This cheap Samsung TV packs in 4K HDR, HDR10+, and built-in Alexa. It had already seen a bit of a discount on Amazon, but that's been dropped further for a £64 price cut that's hard to pass up on a screen this size.
LG NANO756PA 43-inch Smart 4K Ultra HD TV:£549£499 at Currys
Save £50 - You can score a £50 discount on this stunning LG 43-inch 4K TV. You're getting brilliant colours thanks to the NanoCell technology and stream from Freeview Play, Netflix, Disney+ and more with the webOS smart platform/
(Image credit: Samsung)
50-59 inch 4K TV deals
LG 55-inch Smart 4K UHD TV:£699£597 at AO
Save £102 - An incredible price for a feature-packed 4K TV, AO has this LG 55-inch set on sale for £597. You're getting bright, bold colours and sharp contrasts thanks to the 4K HD resolution, and the smart capabilities allow you to stream your favorite movies and TV shows seamlessly from your home screen.
Samsung TU8300 55-inch Crystal Curved UHD 4K TV:£699£599 at Very
Save £100 - The Samsung TU8300 55-inch 4K TV is £100 off at Very right now. This Samsung set features a curved screen for an immersive experience and a stunning 55-inch crystal display that delivers pure colors and sharp contrasts.
Sony Bravia KD55XH81 TV:£999£669 at Amazon
Save £330 – This 55-inch TV from Sony is at a great price right now. Not only will you get a 4K image with HDR but it comes with Chromecast and AirPlay built into the TV, so whether you prefer Android or iOS you should be able to connect and stream content from your smartphone to the big screen.
LG BX 55-inch OLED TV:£1,299£939 at Argos
Save £360 - Get the flagship size on this bargain OLED TV at Argos right now. With deep blacks and an infinite contrast ratio – as well as the webOS smart platform – it's a great centerpiece TV for your home. It comes with support for Dolby Atmos audio too.
LG CX OLED 55-inch OLED TV:£1,399£1,199 at Argos
Save £200 - Argos has an impressive £200 discount on this LG CX OLED TV. Packing an OLED panel, 4K resolution, and Dolby Vision / Atmos support, it's one of our absolute favorite TVs on sale right now. Plus, there's HDMI 2.1 in here, which means you're set up for next-gen gaming as well.
(Image credit: LG)
60-85 inch 4K TV deals
JVC 65-inch Smart 4K Ultra HD Fire TV:£649.99£549.99 at Currys
Save £100 - Currys has the JVC 65-inch 4K TV on sale for just £549.99 - £30 cheaper than last week's price. This budget set comes with the Fire OS so you can easily stream content from apps like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and more from the home screen of your TV.
Samsung 65-inch Crystal 4K UHD Smart TV:£649£629 at Amazon
Save £20 - One of our favorite TV deals this week, you can get this brilliant Samsung 65-inch 4K TV on sale for £629 at Amazon. The 65-inch set delivers a premium picture experience with stunning colours and deep contrast thanks to the powerful 4K crystal processor.
Sony 65-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart TV:£899£749 at Argos
Save £150 - This Sony 75-inch 4K TV is down to £749 at Argos - its lowest offer yet. The Ultra HD TV features Sony's X Reality Pro, so you'll enjoy a cinema-like picture experience with brilliant colours and sharp contrasts.
Hisense 65-inch U8QF:£949£899 at Amazon
Save £49 – This 65-inch 4K smart TV from Hisense has seen a neat price cut. As a ULED screen, it packs in premium performance as well as Freeview Play and a 120Hz panel. Hisense TVs can be a little hit-or-miss, especially when it comes to their OS, but a price cut like this means it's well worth considering, especially since the launch RRP was about twice this amount.
LG CX5LB 65-inch 4K UHD Smart OLED TV:£1999£1799 at Very
Save £201 - Very has an impressive £200 discount on this premium LG OLED TV. The 65-inch set delivers a cinema-like picture experience with brilliant colours and sharp contrasts thanks to the powerful a9 Gen 3 Processor and Dolby Vision HDR.
Samsung The Frame 2020 65-inch 4K QLED TV:£1,999£1,799 was at Currys
Save £200 – Score $200 off this stunning 65-inch model of Samsung's The Frame TV. With Art Mode for displaying artworks and photography, customizable bezels, and a QLED display, this is a TV for those who think form should match the picture. Includes HDR10+ too.
More cheap TV sales from your favourite retailers
Not found the right cheap TV today? Or maybe you'd prefer to directly browse the offers at your favourite retailers instead of our highlights of the best smart TV deals? We're updating this page on a regular basis, so you may have better luck another day. If you want to take a look for yourself now though, here are the direct links to a the full collection of TV sales at multiple stores.
Argos - the best place for cheap TVs but regionalised stock
Large screen smart TV deals
If you're after larger smart TV deals, we should warn you, they don't come cheap. However, if you're after 65 to 85-inch TVs- we'd recommend heading over to John Lewis,Currys and Amazon as they seem to stock more models than most UK retailers.
If you'd like a headstart on some of the very finest TVs money can buy, be sure to take a look at our guides for the best 55-inch TV or if you're going large we've got the best 65-inch TV models covered too.
How to tell if cheap TVs are worth it
Cheap TVs can often wow with price tags but disappoint once they're at home and plugged in, however there are ways to find 4K TV deals that bring premium experiences down to lower price ranges. Sacrificing a few features you won't use to prioritise the ones you will is an easy way to get started, but finding that perfect mix might prove difficult.
On the other hand, even displays costing between £300 and £400 are often considered to be cheap TVs, so you'll want to make sure you're getting your money's worth with your new setup. That's where these TV deals come in handy - you can easily get features well above your price range included in your new cheap smart TV if you know when and where to deal hunt.
Nowadays, you'll want to be picking up a 4K TV if you're looking to spend within this price range. Straight HD and HD-ready TV deals are still kicking around some retailers and, for the price you're paying for the previous wave of technology, you could well be picking up a 4K display instead. As the price scale rises, you'll be picking up higher pixel density, better colour differentiation, deeper dynamic range, and better upscaling from pricier units. It's worth checking out the various display specifications to make sure your cheap TV matches up to what others are offering at that particular price point.
Or, you could let us do all of that for you with the 4K TV deals listed here.
(Image credit: Hisense)
Are 4K TV deals getting cheaper?
As the technology progresses, and even leaps into the world of 8K, 4K TV deals are getting cheaper and cheaper, meaning more households than ever are able to afford premium displays like the ones highlighted here. Not only does that show just how cheap these 4K TV deals have become in recent years, but it also means there's more content being made to be displayed on these 4K TVs available as well. So, not only are these sets getting cheaper, but there's also plenty more to watch on them as well.
How to find the best TV deals
We've found that the best TV deals usually come from a few retailers in particular - Very regularly discounts their cheaper models, Currys holds excellent prices on Philips Ambilight displays, and John Lewis can offer up invaluable peace of mind with their extensive warranty guarantees.
So, you know where to shop but if you're not seeing any particularly enticing offers -you might be searching at the wrong time. The best TV deals are usually between November and January, when Black Friday and holiday sales are discounting premium displays left and right. However, you'll also find the summer sales fruitful as well.
What to look for in smart TV deals
The vast majority of TV deals on offer right now will offer Smart TV functionality. It's now become the norm for your TV to offer at least a limited selection of streaming and on demand apps, but the quality of this experience will vary between models. Cheap smart TVs will typically send you home with preset apps like Netflix, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, All 4, and UK TV Play among other everyday streamers.
However, if you spend a little more you'll start finding Alexa compatibility, more niche app options like Disney Plus, CrunchyRoll, and NowTV, and a faster, slicker operating system. You'll find more options for connecting extra services on more premium smart TV deals.
