WEBVTT 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. 00:00:04.720 --> 00:00:09.520 You either have things that are pure snake oil, like luxury HDMI cables, 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 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 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, 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:31.120 starting with an OLED TV or monitor. So why is OLED worth it? Long story short, 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:36.000 conventional displays rely on a backlight in order to illuminate the pixels so you can, 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 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 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 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 00:00:58.160 --> 00:01:02.800 means that there's no blooming at the boundary between a bright and dark area. 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 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 00:01:14.240 --> 00:01:19.600 improvement. Plus, they're nice and thin. Next up, here's something to improve your crappy 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 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 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:36.400 might instead be on a dedicated wireless access point. You see, most consumer-grade routers are 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 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 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 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:58.960 get the router and access point separately. Not only are separate units built to more 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 00:02:03.440 --> 00:02:08.880 field goal kick. Your entire career depends on this. But dedicated access points often have 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 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 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 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 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. 00:02:39.040 --> 00:02:42.960 Now we're not going to be making super specific recommendations because there are 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 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 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 00:02:58.720 --> 00:03:04.160 super discount PC specific speaker package you found on Amazon. Something that's especially 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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.