1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,720 Let's face it, there's lots of pricey tech out there that doesn't seem worth the expense. 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:09,520 You either have things that are pure snake oil, like luxury HDMI cables, 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:14,400 or items that would only be worth it to hardcore enthusiasts while the rest of us struggle to 4 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:21,120 tell the difference. But there are some expensive, or at least upper-mid range, items that are actually 5 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,440 worth the splurge if you've got the cash. We're going to tell you about them right now, 6 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:31,120 starting with an OLED TV or monitor. So why is OLED worth it? Long story short, 7 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:36,000 conventional displays rely on a backlight in order to illuminate the pixels so you can, 8 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,960 you know, actually see a picture. This doesn't mean that they're bad, but the reliance on a 9 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:47,600 backlight means that dark colors in black areas can take on a grayish tone. By contrast, OLED pixels 10 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:53,040 generate their own light, and blacks appear deep and dark since a pixel just turns itself completely 11 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:58,160 off if it's trying to show a black region of the picture. And the fact that lighting is per pixel 12 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:02,800 means that there's no blooming at the boundary between a bright and dark area. 13 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:08,720 In many cases, even folks who aren't video files or tech enthusiasts can tell that OLED screens 14 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:14,240 just have a lot more visual pop. So it's a rather straightforward way to get a noticeable 15 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:19,600 improvement. Plus, they're nice and thin. Next up, here's something to improve your crappy 16 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:24,800 Wi-Fi signal. Is it worth buying one of those uber-expensive routers that looks like a Sith 17 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:30,480 landing craft or an upside-down tarantula? Instead of doing that, a better way to spend your money 18 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:36,400 might instead be on a dedicated wireless access point. You see, most consumer-grade routers are 19 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:42,080 actually a combo of a router that connects your home network to the internet and a wireless access 20 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:47,040 point to provide you with Wi-Fi. But the problem is that consumer-level networking equipment like 21 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:53,760 this often does two things poorly instead of one thing well. Save yourself some frustration and just 22 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:58,960 get the router and access point separately. Not only are separate units built to more 23 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:03,440 prosumer standards and can be less prone to crashing while you're trying to watch a crucial 24 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:08,880 field goal kick. Your entire career depends on this. But dedicated access points often have 25 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:14,880 stronger signals and more wireless radios to move data faster. Just do your research to see which 26 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:20,160 models give you the range you need without being too difficult to use. So you've got your Wi-Fi 27 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:25,200 needs squared away, but what if your headphones and speakers have been letting you down? Although you 28 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:31,040 probably don't need audiophile level gear, it's definitely worth getting a well-regarded set of 29 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:37,760 speakers or headphones that are well built and have features other than Bluetooth and extreme bass boost. 30 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:42,960 Now we're not going to be making super specific recommendations because there are 31 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,920 so many different options out there. But the reason we're mentioning saving up for a good set 32 00:02:47,920 --> 00:02:52,960 is that unlike many other gadgets, speakers and headphones don't really go out of date or wear 33 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:58,720 out. Not only will a solid set of bookshelf speakers and an amplifier sound a lot better than the 34 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:04,160 super discount PC specific speaker package you found on Amazon. Something that's especially 35 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:09,120 obvious if you're playing them at high volumes. But they can also last you decades if you look 36 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:14,080 after them. And as far as headphones go, a high quality pair will often have niceties like 37 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:19,600 detachable cables and ear pads so you can replace those cheaply without having to throw out the 38 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:25,120 whole enchilada. Finally, here's one piece of tech that might not be too expensive if you just buy 39 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:31,280 one of them, but could add up if you deploy them all over your house. The smart plug. Obviously, 40 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:37,040 there's lots of smart crap that isn't all that useful. I mean, why would you really need a smart 41 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:41,520 fridge? But not only do smart plugs make it a heck of a lot easier to turn lights and other 42 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:46,640 electronics on and off all at one time, but there are plenty of models that don't even need any kind 43 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:51,520 of expensive smart home hub and just connect directly to your Wi-Fi. Although the one-time 44 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:56,080 investment to fully automate your house can be large, it's a heck of a lot better than knocking 45 00:03:56,080 --> 00:04:00,560 half the ornaments off of your Christmas tree every night before bed. Thanks for watching the video, 46 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,720 guys. Like it if you liked it. Dislike it if you disliked it. Check out our other videos and 47 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:09,040 comment below with video suggestions. And now I need to ask you to do something. Subscribe to 48 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:14,160 the channel and follow. I don't know what follow means on YouTube, but just do it.