Naomi Watts says she tried to freeze her eggs when she was in her early 30s.She wanted to prioritize her career because she was told her opportunities would "be dried up at 40."She joins actors like Anne Hathaway and Kirsten Dunst in speaking up against ageism in Hollywood.Naomi Watts, 56, says she was turned away from freezing her eggs when she was in her early 30s.During an interview with Katie Couric on Friday, the actor spoke about her struggles with early menopause and starting a family."By the way, I tried to freeze my eggs in my early 30s right when my career started getting going, because I had a feeling that I was going to have to work," Watts told Couric.Part of the reason she wanted to prioritize her career over her personal life was because she started seeing professional success later in life.Even though she had started acting when she was 18, Watts gained prominence in Hollywood at 33 after starring in David Lynch's 2001 psychological thriller "Mulholland Drive.""I came into it late at least with my launching and I was told to work, work, work, because it'll all be dried up at 40," Watts said.She decided to be "proactive" and consulted a doctor about freezing her eggs."And again, I was told, 'Don't be silly, you're way too young. That's fine, and it's not a perfect science anyway.' And I was sort of turned away," Watts said, recounting the doctor's words.However, when she noticed symptoms of perimenopause at 36, she decided to try again."And then I came back at 36, and those eggs weren't freezable, so I just had to find a way to find my last best possibility. Like, there must have been just a couple more eggs in there," Watts said.Watts went on to welcome two children Sasha, 17, and Kai, 16 with her former partner, Liev Schreiber, naturally. She has been married to "Eat, Pray, Love" actor Billy Crudup since 2023.In 2022, the actor shared that she was told her career would end at 40 when she became "unfuckable.""Then you think about it, and you go, 'Oh, right. When you are no longer reproductive, when those organs are no longer functioning, you are not sexy, so, therefore, you are not hirable.' That just made me so mad," Watts told Entertainment Weekly.Watts isn't the only female celebrity who has spoken out about ageism in Hollywood.In an interview with Porter magazine in November 2023, Anne Hathaway said she was told her career would "fall off a cliff" after she turned 35.In March 2024, Kirsten Dunst told Marie Claire that she took a two-year break from acting because she was being typecast and only offered "sad mom" roles.Kathy Bates told Variety in a 2024 interview that she credits her long career to not looking like a beauty queen.But ageism against women is a problem that's prevalent in other workplaces, too.A survey of 913 women published in Harvard Business Review in June 2023workplace age discrimination at every age bracket.A representative for Watts did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.

The House of Volumes / Modo DesignsSave this picture! Vinay PanjwaniHousesAhmedabad, IndiaArchitects: Modo DesignsAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:10850 ftYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Vinay PanjwaniMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. This house for a Gujarati family in western Ahmedabad, is designed around a courtyard as the archetypal space allowing natural elements and connected spaces.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The ground floor is assembled around the central courtyard with 2 bedrooms on the south side, a formal guest area, a workspace and gymnasium on the east, living and dining towards the north garden, and a kitchen adjoining the dining area. The upper floor has 3 bedrooms on the west side, a home theatre on the South, while a lounge space is on the east overlooking the north garden and extending into an east-side terrace. This terrace becomes an outdoor entertainment area.Save this picture!The house form is starker on the south roadside while the site has an expansive green space on the north and the form opens up as a double-height space to let the expanse of this green space be visible from lower and upper spaces. These volumes of the double-height space on the north and the central courtyard allow lower and upper spaces to connect.Save this picture!The external structure is exposed RCC construction, with fragments of exposed RCC taken within while complemented with white painted walls and wood paneling.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officeModo DesignsOfficePublished on January 27, 2025Cite: "The House of Volumes / Modo Designs" 27 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026051/the-house-of-volumes-modo-designs&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Hana Bank, Seoul-forest / IndiesalonSave this picture! Donggyu KimBankSeongdong-gu, South KoreaArchitects: IndiesalonAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:353 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Donggyu KimManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Benjamin Moore, Duramaru, HAY, LX Z:IN, Ondarreta, STANDARD.a Furniture Studio, Thomas Bentzen, jackson chameleon Lead Architect: Seokjoon Jang Construction: KiyenoMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. While a bank is a space with a clear purpose, the gap in waiting that is in the process often feels long and boring. Everyone has picked up a number of tickets and experienced a long waiting time. The design of the Hana Bank's Seoul-forest branch was focused on reinterpreting this daily experience. Indiesalon has proposed a space where customers can go beyond just banking and turn their waiting time into moments of relaxation and contemplation while appreciating the lively view of Seongsu-dong. It creates an open and elegant indoor ambiance through a waiting space that captures the city's scenery with wide windows, and bank windows that are wrapped in soft curves, and through a parabolic roof structure that is connected very upward. We make Hana Bank Seoul-forest branch suggestion to be financial space's new standard as a modern shelter that everybody can rest.Save this picture!Save this picture!When you enter the entrance, the dramatic entry ambiance through the low-rise ceiling comes into your eyes first. Red pattern wood and curved white walls greet customers in a modern yet soft harmony, and large circular ceiling lights add depth to the space with subtle illumination. After this entrance, a dramatic transition begins at a low ceiling and follows to a high ceiling height, leading the customer to a new space.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The elements that form the rhythm of the overall space are the roof of the high rise and the four pillars located in the center. A delicate parabolic roof and four pillars harmonize to add a sense of openness and depth to the space. In particular, the four pillars supporting the center of the building extend upward along the rise to support the roof and are separated from the upper ceiling, creating an open ambiance. Each pillar is equipped with a display to check the order, which consists of an efficient space where customers can check the order while enjoying the view outside the window while waiting.Save this picture!Called the "Roof of Hana," the main roof structure is separated from the interior ceiling, giving it a wider and more open feel. A space was placed between the end of the roof and the wall to create a light visual effect as if floating in the air. The roof, which comfortably wraps around customers with warm hardwood patterns, is designed in the form of a gentle parabolic arch ascending toward a large window, providing a natural viewpoint.Save this picture!Save this picture!In addition, roof layers of another space were placed under the main roof to give each space inside the bank a different ambiance and character. So, rear spaces are composed of various purposes, such as bank workspace, document storage boxes, counseling rooms, employee lounge rooms, and VIP rooms, maintain the functionality of each space and apply a ceiling height layout suitable for the function to provide an overall sense of unity.Save this picture!The bank window space was designed with a low ceiling height to maintain luminous intensity in accordance with the design standards, and a roof that feels light was designed accordingly. We also took charge of designing bank window furniture, using Hana Bank's iconic green color for the wall shape that embraced customers and for chair cushions to create a comfortable and luxurious ambiance by blending the entire bank window space with Hana Bank's brand image.Save this picture!Save this picture!The VIP room uses antique red colors to create a secretive ambiance. The VIP room contrasts with the bright and modern space outside, and even within the same space, implements a luxurious and completely private space.Save this picture!The branch manager's office, which has a unique mass volume and arch stands out, is eye-catching. It adds an open feeling to the interior through dome-shaped ceilings and large windows, creating an independent and special ambiance unique for only this space. Also, the space can be flexibly separated through the folding door, so it is designed to be utilised for various situations.Save this picture!Save this picture!The design of Hana Bank's Seoul-forest branch, designed by Indiesalon, proposes a new standard for a financial space like a modern shelter where customers can spend their relaxed time even in busy city life. The design, which blends naturally with the urban landscape and balances the functionality and aesthetic elements of each space, harmoniously reflects Hana Bank's brand image and the trendy ambiance of Seongsu.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Seongdong-gu, South KoreaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeIndiesalonOfficeMaterialsMaterials and TagsPublished on January 27, 2025Cite: "Hana Bank, Seoul-forest / Indiesalon" 26 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1024857/hana-bank-seoul-forest-indiesalon&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

UPD: Tim Sweeney has confirmed to 80 Level that the response is indeed his, making it official that Alan Wake 2 is not coming to Steam.Thanks for checking, Sweeney told us in his email. In general, one should not trust claimed email responses as they are super easy to fake.Original article: Ever since it was revealed last November that Remedys 2023 survival horror Alan Wake 2 had sold 1.8 million copies and hadnt recouped its production costs, many fans believed the game still had an ace up its sleeve and could achieve its financial goals by launching on Steam after its exclusivity deal with Epic Games Alan Wake 2s publisher expired. However, it appears that wont be the case anytime soon, as a screenshot that recently went viral seemingly confirms that Alan Wake 2 will not launch on Valves marketplace in the foreseeable future.RemedyAs shared by a Reddit user named Will (via Pirat_Nation), he reportedly reached out directly to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney to ask about the release of Alan Wake 2 on Steam, explaining that he isnt a fan of the Epic Games Store and would prefer to either wait for the Steam version or buy an Xbox copy. Sweeneys response was brief, with the CEO confirming that the game is not coming to Steam, putting an end to the hopes of those who wanted to avoid installing EGS and play the game on PC.I am very interested in buying Alan Wake 2. But I am not a fan of the Epic Games Store, so Id rather wait for it to launch on Steam, the author wrote. Will this happen within the next year or two? If not, Ill probably just end up buying in on Xbox (but Id like to play on PC with everything maxed out). I understand Epic funded the game, but Im sure you guys would make a lot of money if it eventually launched on Steam.As proof that the screenshot is legitimate, Will shared a screenshot of an email he supposedly received from Sweeney in 2019, also in response to Wills question about EGS exclusivity. Im 2/2 on emails to Tim Sweeney, the Reddit user boasted:At the time of writing, the CEO has yet to officially confirm that Alan Wake 2 is not coming to Steam, so its wise to take the screenshot with a hefty pinch of salt. If a confirmation does come eventually, it could mean the game may continue recouping its costs at a pace slower than anticipated, despite the Generally Favorable reviews it has received from players.Dont forget to join our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Confirmed: Alan Wake 2 Is Not Coming to Steam, According to Epic Games CEO appeared first on CG SHARES.

Monopoly GO players are racing to complete the four unique builds and claim fantastic prizes in the ongoing Plushie Partners event. The grand prize includes a massive 5,000 dice rolls, a valuable Swap Pack, and the charming Sledding Husky Token. To make sure you dont miss out on these rewards, its recommended to play with an effective strategy. This guide outlines today's Monopoly GO schedule and covers the best strategy for January 27, 2025, to boost your progress in this exciting event.

By the time the seventh generation of video game consoles came around, open-world games were one of the most prominent and popular genres on the market. This open-ended game design philosophy really started to come into its own during the previous generation, but the arrival of the PS3 meant that more was possible and developers started improving both the scope of their projects and the quality of the storytelling.

Dynamax Zapdos is the second Legendary were seeing in Max BattlesforPokmon Go. Its making its debut during Max Monday on Jan. 27 from 6-7 p.m. and will be available until Feb. 3 when Dynamax Moltres will debut.While Dynamax Zapdos isnt as hard as the very tough Gigantamax battles weve seen in the past, it can be tricky as theres not many Dynamax Pokmon to use to counter it.Below, we list out some general Max Battle tips and counters for Dynamax Zapdos inPokmon Go.Dynamax Zapdos weaknessZapdos is electric- and flying-type, so it only has two weaknesses to exploit: rock and ice-type moves. Just like its sibling Articuno, the problem is that there arent any Dynamax Pokmon that have rock-type Dynamax moves (as of this writing).There arent really many Dynamax Pokmon out there that will help you beat down Zapdos, but there are a few that will resist its attacks, allowing you to take advantage of bulk to play the defensive option.Dynamax Zapdos best countersWith the above in mind, there are a few counters to bring to Zapdos. We recommend the following to focus onoffensivemoves:Gigantamax Lapras with Water GunDynamax Cryogonal with Frost BreathDynamax Articuno with Frost BreathDynamax/Gigantamax Gengar with LickFor the most part, youll want to keep your offensive Pokmon stocked away while your tanks soak up hits and charge the max meter. Swap to these when its time to Dynamax or Gigantamax, but keep them in reserve otherwise, as Zapdos moveset can take these out quickly.As for defense, you should bring the following with Max Guard and Max Spirit:Dynamax Excadrill with Metal ClawDynamax/Gigantamax Venusaur with Vine WhipDynamax/Gigantamax Rillaboom with ScratchDynamax Metagross with Zen HeadbuttThese Pokmon are just meant to tank hits from Zapdos while they quickly charge up the max meter with their fast moves. Excadrill can resist just about everything Zapdos can throw at it, while the two grass-types will struggle against Drill Peck. Metagross will also hold its weight decently against Zapdos, so use what you have and pay attention to Zapdos movesets.Even if you dont have these powered up, consider just bringing thestrongestDynamax Pokmon you have. If you have a maxed out Dynamax Gengar and your Dynamax Cryogonal isnt leveled (and you dont have the means to power it up), just bring your Gengar.General Max Battle tipsIf youve been struggling in Max Battles, here are some general tips to survive and make sure youre an asset to your team. While Gigantamax Battles are tough, a Legendary Max Battle shouldnt be as tough as that. You can slack a little, but you should still heed our advice:Make sure you have enough players.High-efficiency players with maxed out investments will likely be able to solo Zapdos, but this isnt going to be realistic for most people. Try to go at it with three other players for the highest chance of winning. Note that unlike Gigantamax Pokmon, the Dynamax Legendary Pokmon have a max party size of four (rather than 40).Dont sleep on Max Spirit and Max Guard. Teams work best when theres a variety of moves, not just maxed-out attacks. Each player should bring Pokmon with the defensive and healing moves unlocked as well. Max Guard will focus single-target damage towards you and reduce the damage taken and Max Spirit will heal the whole party, so these moves are really important to make sure your damage-dealers can keep dishing.Remember to swap to super effective moves when its time to Dynamax. ForDynamax Pokmon, their max moves are determined by whatever type their fast move is. This means if you have a Cryogonal with Frost Breath, it will know Max Hailstorm. A Gengar with Lick will know Max Phantasm. Take advantage of this and make sure to swap to a Pokmon that will deal super effective damage to your target before Dynamaxing, if you can.Focus on your fast moves. You want to spam your fast moves to build up that Dynamax meter and often times, using your charge move is actually a DPS loss when compared to the damage you could be doing with your max move will be. Spam those attacks!Level up a few mons, but you dont have to go too hard. Depending on your group size, you absolutely do not need to max out all your Dynamax Pokmon to level 40-50. While this will make it easier on the rest of your group, if this isnt an investment you can make, you dont have to stress about it. Power things up as high as you can afford to, but dont fret if you dont have a maxed out Pokmon.That all being said,make sure to come as prepared as you can be. This is a team effort and theres a chance that a full group of four can still fail. Do not just bring your unleveledDynamax Woolooexpecting a free ride to a powerful Pokmon. (After all, ifeveryonedoes that, then you certainly wont clear the battle.) Again, you dont have to completely max out your Pokmon, but it will be better for everyone involved if you bring something helpful to the table.Keep your eye out for a shiny Zapdos!If you clear the raid, there is a chance that the Zapdos you catch will be shiny which also means itll be a guaranteed catch. Use a Pinap Berry to score extra candy if you get lucky enough to find a sparkly Zapdos.

Most of the time, the best TVs for gaming are the best TVs you can buy, period. That said, there are a few key features to prioritize when picking out a big screen for your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. While nobody needs a fancy TV to just enjoy a video game, the right set can help you maximize your experience. If youre not sure where to begin, weve laid out some helpful advice for finding something good and researched a few well-reviewed gaming TVs that should suit your needs today. What to look for in a gaming TV Whether you use it for gaming or not, all good TVs are built on the same foundations. You want a 4K resolution, high-enough brightness to overcome glare and make HDR content pop, a relatively high contrast ratio with deep and uniform black tones, colors that find the right balance between accuracy and saturation and wide viewing angles. For video games specifically, you want a TV with minimal input lag and fast motion response, with no blur or other unwanted artifacts behind quick-moving objects. Of course, finding a set that does all of this well and fits into your budget can be tricky. OLED and LCD For now, top OLED TVs generally offer the best picture quality for gaming or otherwise. But good OLED sets usually cost more than their LCD counterparts, and some models may not get bright enough for those who have their TV set in a particularly bright room. More specifically, modern OLED TVs may utilize different types of OLED display tech: WOLED (i.e., White OLED) or the newer QD-OLED. We wont dig too deep into how the two diverge in panel composition and subpixel structure, but the simplified version is that QD-OLED displays use a layer of quantum dots (hence the QD) to deliver a wider gamut of more vibrant colors and higher overall brightness than traditional WOLED sets. This doesnt mean all QD-OLED TVs are inherently better: How well an individual set performs is more important than the panel it uses, and some premium WOLED TVs like the LG G4 utilize a form of display tech called Micro Lens Array (MLA) to greatly improve brightness. (Though LG and others now appear to be ditching that for a new four-stack OLED structure in their next top-end models.) And virtually all OLED TVs share the same core strengths. Broadly speaking, though, a reasonably priced QD-OLED set looks like the best balance of value and picture quality today. If you opt for an LCD TV whether to save cash or stick in room with poor light control an advanced backlight with smaller and more precise mini LEDs and effective full-array local dimming will usually improve contrast and lighting detail. Many of these TVs, including some budget-level models, also use quantum dots to enhance colors (and are labeled as "QLED" TVs). They usually arent as vivid or fast in motion as the top OLED sets, but theyre often brighter and more affordable, and the best can still produce an excellent image in their own right. HDMI 2.1 To get the most out of a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, your TV should have full HDMI 2.1 support. This update to the HDMI spec enables a higher maximum bandwidth 48 gigabits per second, up from HDMI 2.0s 18 Gbps and a handful of features that are beneficial for gaming performance specifically. Those include variable refresh rate (VRR) and automatic low latency mode (ALLM), which we detail further below. Beyond that, perhaps the chief perk of HDMI 2.1 is its ability to transmit sharp 4K video up to a 120Hz refresh rate with modern consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X, or up to 144Hz with a powerful gaming PC. Not every PS5 or Xbox Series X/S game supports frame rates that high and some only do at lower resolutions but those that do will look and feel especially fluid in motion. HDMI 2.1 also includes support for Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), which allows you to pass higher-quality lossless audio from a source device connected to the TV to a compatible soundbar or receiver. The more full HDMI 2.1 ports your TV has, the better. Full is the key word there. As reported by TFT Central, because HDMI 2.1 is backwards compatible with HDMI 2.0, TV and monitor manufacturers have been allowed to brand HDMI ports as HDMI 2.1 even if they lack full (or any) support for the specs upgraded features. We recommend a few TVs below that have true HDMI 2.1 ports, but if youre buying a new TV for gaming, make sure your chosen set isnt trying to hide any capabilities you may consider essential. While HDMI 2.1 is the latest and greatest today, its worth noting that the HDMI Forum officially revealed a new HDMI 2.2 spec at CES 2025. This update promises a greater maximum bandwidth of 96 Gbps, which should technically enable even higher refresh rates and resolutions. It could also help reduce hiccups in audio and video syncing (i.e., annoying lip-sync errors). If history is any indication, though, were likely several years away from HDMI 2.2 ports appearing on TVs you can actually buy. Even then, the only people who could take advantage of the theoretical resolutions and refresh rates allowed by the spec are those who connect a super-powerful gaming PC to their TV. But this could always change with whatever the next PlayStation and Xbox consoles bring. HDR High Dynamic Range HDR refers to a TV's ability to display a wider range between the darkest and brightest parts of a picture. This broader range can bring out details that would otherwise be missing on a standard dynamic range (SDR) TV, in both the very dark and (especially) very bright areas of an image. HDR typically comes with an improvement to color reproduction as well, displaying a larger palette of more vibrant colors that brings content closer to its creators original vision. To get an HDR picture, you need both content that is mastered to take advantage of the tech and a TV capable of displaying that content. HDR also comes in a variety of formats, which are generally split between those that utilize static metadata (e.g., HDR10) and those that utilize dynamic metadata (e.g., HDR10+, Dolby Vision). In short, the latter allows a TV to optimize its brightness and colors on a per-scene or even per-frame basis, while the former uses one set of optimized settings for the entirety of the given content. Support for these formats can differ depending on the TV, content and game console you use. The Xbox Series X and S, for example, support Dolby Vision for gaming, while the PS5 does not. The good news is that most TVs youd buy today are HDR-ready in some fashion, even on the budget end of the market. The catch is that some TVs are much better at getting the most out of HDR than others. The same goes for actual content mastered in HDR. With video games in particular, there arent quite as many titles designed to take advantage of HDR as there are movies (though the number is growing all the time), and the variance in HDR quality tends to be wider. HGiG HDR Gaming Interest Group HGiG stands for the HDR Gaming Interest Group. Sony and Microsoft are both members, as are many TV makers and game developers. What this means is that, ideally, all the groups communicate information so that you can start up a new game on a console or PC and have it automatically recognize your display. Once that happens, the game can adjust the internal settings to adjust for that display's capabilities and give you the best picture quality possible, without losing details in the brightest or darkest areas of the screen. For example, daylight at the end of a dark tunnel may portray a brightly lit environment instead of looking like an overexposed white blob. This is a good thing, but the reality is a bit more complicated. Not all TVs highlight HGiG compatibility in their settings menu, while only some PlayStation and Xbox games recognize and follow the guidelines. If an HGiG option is listed in your TV's tone mapping settings, you should turn it on prior to running the console's HDR settings. Then, if you're playing a game that supports HDR and HGiG, you should be in good shape without having to adjust the various luminance levels again. Still, how all of this looks to you might differ depending on your TV and the game youre playing. Owners of certain LG OLED TVs, for instance, may prefer their TVs Dynamic Tone Mapping setting. Use whatever settings you think look best. ALLM Auto Low Latency Mode ALLM lets a compatible source (like your PS5 or Xbox) tell your display to switch into a picture mode that reduces lag between receiving each frame of an image and displaying it on the TV. This cuts out additional processing that could be the milliseconds of difference between landing a precise input or not. Put another way, it lets your TV automatically enable its "Game" mode when it detects that you've launched a game. A good modern TV can do this without forcing you to enter any menus, then switch back when you'd rather watch a movie or TV show. VRR Variable Refresh Rate VRR should sound familiar to most gamers at this point. Many players have experienced slowdown, screen tearing or stuttering as a system struggles to render each frame at the target speed, which is most commonly 60 or 30 fps on a TV. With VRR, everything stays in sync: Your display won't show the next frame until it's ready, which can make things feel smoother and more responsive, even if the system fails to deliver on its target frame rate. There are a few different implementations of VRR available, including Nvidias G-Sync, AMDs FreeSync and the HDMI Forums VRR spec, which is part of the full HDMI 2.1 standard. Both a TV and an input device need to support the same VRR tech for it to work, and different devices may only support VRR within a specific refresh rate window. On a 120Hz display, for instance, the PS5s VRR only works between 48Hz and 120Hz. As a reminder, the PS5 supports HDMI Forum VRR, the Xbox Series X/S support HDMI Forum VRR and FreeSync, while gaming PCs may support G-Sync or FreeSync depending on whether they use a Nvidia or AMD graphics card. A great gaming TV supports all the big VRR formats, but missing, say, G-Sync, isnt a killer if you only game on a PS5 or Xbox. 8K (You don't need it) One thing you dont need to worry about is 8K support. Although the PS5 and Xbox Series X are theoretically capable of outputting 8K video, almost no games are made for that resolution, and 8Ks practical benefits are extremely minimal unless you plan on sitting unreasonably close to a massive TV. The few 8K TVs on the market are usually very expensive as well. Good gaming TVs you can get right now Theres never an ideal time to buy a new TV. Prices for todays models are always dropping, and next years upgrades are always just around the corner. Case in point: Our latest update comes just after CES, where Samsung and LG announced initial details for much of their 2025 lineups while Hisense, TCL and Panasonic unveiled a smaller selection of sets. A few of these could be worth waiting for, particularly on the upper-end. In the price ranges where most people shop, though, most of the new sets seem to be more iterative than transformative. Were still several months until 2024s TVs are replaced for good, and when their successors do arrive, theyll cost much more to start. So, per usual, youll get the most value by picking up a still-good TV from last year while its available for less. While we at Engadget do not formally review TVs, weve researched the market and rounded up those sets that have been widely well-received by other professional review sites we trust, including Rtings, Wirecutter, Reviewed, PCMag and others. Richard Lawler contributed to a previous version of this report.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/best-gaming-tv-131509986.html?src=rss

Stunts, special effects and digital effects combined for this incredible Wicked moment. An excerpt from befores & afters magazine.Wicked ends in spectacular fashion as Elphaba learns how to fly a broomstick and defies the Wizards guards in order to fly off west from the Emerald City. These flying momentsachieved with bluescreen wire work and digital visual effectsinvolved significant collaboration between stunts, special effects and visual effects.Special effects worked closely with stunts to design and make custom flying equipment for this sequence, outlines special effects supervisor Paul Corbould. We made a self-levelling broomstick motion control rollercoaster to fly Ariana and Cynthia around the Wizards chamber. The path that they needed to follow was very specific, requiring a camera to move around them during the shot. This would have been challenging to achieve safely using other methods.Since Cynthia Erivo would be live singing, Corbould also helped facilitate something dubbed Silent Wind, where air was blown onto the actors to add to the sense of flying, but the motorized fans ducted away from the set and piped in. The purpose of Silent Wind was to aid in the live recording of the vocals with as little set noise as possible.Earlier, previs (both The Third Floor and Framestore Pre-Production Services delivered previs for the film, with FPS also crafting postvis) drew upon storyboards to explore how the broomstick flying would look and how it could be achieved. We then moved on to having miniature models built by Nathan Crowley, says visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman. We gave Jon a little stick with a little Elphaba at the end of the stick. We recorded those sessions in which Jon would just make the move for Elphaba by playing the music from his iPhone, and then he would choreograph the whole thing together with choreographer Christopher Scott.By doing that, notes Helman, we were able to see how we were going to wire Cynthia there, as it was important that Cynthia wanted to do all her own stunts. The one thing that we couldnt have there was the cape. Because of the wires and because of the center of gravity where she needed to move, we couldnt have the cape, which had to be put in via visual effects. A lot of her body was replaced, but we always kept the face and the acting. Sometimes the hat was replaced because it needed to move.issue #26 WickedErivo was filmed against bluescreen and against a balcony set with wire rigs and a tuning fork. This all provided a foundation for Elphabas ultimate flying performance and movement. Due to the physical limitations of the stage-based shots, realizing the overall scope and speed the director wanted for the scene, multiple VFX techniques were then used by ILM to augment the footage, including shot stitches with animated blends to extend selects, digital double takeovers and transitions, and also fully animated wide shots. The sequence was handled by VFX supervisor Anthony Smith at ILM Sydney.We designed dynamic moments using fully animated beats to extend the filmed performance in shots, with live to digital transitions disguised by camera movements, flourishes and the characters cape, explains Shirk. Extending filmed action was complicated due to the strict time rules imposed by the song and in many cases aided by designing action across cuts to ease any continuity issues. Match animation to the original wire and rig-based footage ensured the integrity of Cynthias performance choices while allowing simulation of the effects of speed and wind on the characters costume, adding freer secondary movement physics for the increased speed as well as minor timing adjustments to action and changes to the camera and interactive lighting.Elphabas cape proved to be almost its own character, with very specific direction given for its performance, including making it especially extended as a homage to what happens in the stage musical. The dramatic shaping often required manual posing of major shapes, working in tandem with simulation, says Shirk. Establishing creative trust was critical to the success of shots featuring the extended mega-cape as the team would often compose frames and animate the character in specific ways to drive interesting shapes for the cape that would follow later in the production process.For Helman and the entire visual effects team on Wicked, Defying Gravity represented a key aspect of the filma highly photorealistic and emotional moment in this fairytale story. I think the reason it feels so realistic, says Helman, is because Cynthia is mitigating all the forces of gravity doing those stunts while shes really singing. We thought, if we combine her movement and her face and the fact that shes singing live with a cape, then thats what its supposed to do in a very heroic way. Read the full VFX of Wicked issue of befores & afters magazine.The post The making of Defying Gravity appeared first on befores & afters.