Amazon is raising prices on its popular home gadgets, while movie theaters are pushing new terms to describe how films are made.
If you want to upgrade your home entertainment system, prepare to pay more. Amazon is hiking prices on Echo speakers, Fire TV sticks, and Kindle e-readers by up to 60 percent. The company blamed the price jump on the rising cost of memory and storage parts. The popular Echo Dot smart speaker is rising from $49.99 to $79.99. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which lets you stream video on your TV in high quality, is jumping over 40 percent to $84.99. Even the basic Kindle e-reader is up to $149.99, while the Echo Dot Max speaker now costs $119.99.
This matters to you because building a budget-friendly smart home or streaming setup is getting much harder. With home tech getting pricier, you might choose to visit the cinema instead. However, you will have to decode some confusing terms when you buy a ticket, specifically "Shot with IMAX" versus "Filmed for IMAX."
These two phrases sound identical, but they represent very different processes. "Shot with IMAX" means the director used physical, large-format film cameras. These cameras use giant 65mm film to create a very tall, sharp picture. This format is rare and expensive, used for movies like Oppenheimer. On the other hand, "Filmed for IMAX" is a wider program where filmmakers use approved digital cameras instead of real film, like in the movie Dune. They format the movie to fit taller screens, but this does not guarantee how much of the film actually fills the screen.
Tech is rapidly changing how we enjoy our favorite movies and shows. Just be sure to check the labels and your budget before you make your next purchase.
