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Now that most people stream Netflix, HBO Max, or their streaming service of choice directly to their smart TVs, you might be wondering how much further technology can make your binge-watching better. Still, there are certain things you can do to improve your viewing experience if you prefer to host family movie nights in the living room. For example, investing in good speakers is key, and so is having the right snacks. You’ll also want to put on your comfiest clothes and grab a throw blanket or two so you can snuggle up.
Now you’re all settled on the sofa, and it’s time to queue up the next episode. If you have a standard TV remote, this is the annoying part. Because most of these devices have a simple numbered keypad, chances are you’ll have to spend an inordinate amount of time searching for the series in question. If you don’t want to feel like you’re typing on an old Nokia flip phone, however, there’s a great alternative on Amazon, and it’ll only set you back $25.
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The WeChip wireless keyboard TV remote is the best solution for quick TV searches. It’s compatible with a number of devices, including Android TVs, Smart TVs, PCs, projectors, and devices using Windows, Android, Mac OS, and Linux systems. Aside from your ability to use it on so many different devices, the best part about this remote is its easy-search function in the form of a full horizontal keyboard on its back surface. Once you’re connected, you can simply type in the name of the show or film you’re looking for as easily as if you’re texting on a smartphone!
More than 3,000 five-star Amazon ratings attest to the fact that this product’s convenience is unmatched. “I bought this remote to replace the crappy remote that came with my Android box, and let me say, I was pleasantly surprised,” one reviewer wrote. “Just plug the dongle into an available USB slot, and presto, instant usability. No device drivers to install, no configurations. It works well.” In addition to working up to 10 meters from your TV, the WeChip controller also has a an auto-sleep feature, which helps save power in the long run. In essence, after 15 seconds of no use, the remote goes into hibernation mode until you use it again. With this buy, you won’t have to switch batteries out on a regular basis or experience thumb cramps from long title searches. The WeChip remote is a streaming must-have!
Ideally, you should love your living room. It should be a calming sanctuary; the place where you relax, entertain, spend time as a family and occasionally fall asleep halfway through that film you’ve been wanting to watch for weeks (it happens to us all). But as one of the most widely used rooms in the home, it can lead to feelings of frustration rather than happiness, especially if you don’t keep all the clutter in check, and that’s the last thing you want to feel when it comes to your home.
TV units quite often get overlooked when it comes to making a home really work the way it should. It’s a hidden gem when it comes to functionality, and there’s a lot more that your TV unit can do for you and your home, both in terms of usage and décor.
The Advantages of Modular Furniture in the Living Room
When it comes to maximising storage in your space, there’s nothing quite like the addition of high-quality modular furniture units to take it to the next level. This unique type of furniture enables you to create an almost bespoke piece that’s built around your specific needs and spatial requirements without the limitations of bespoke built-in furniture.
Opting for modular furniture in the living room allows you to create the ultimate multimedia station that meets your needs. It’s surprising just how much your entire room can change if you choose furniture that works for you, your lifestyle and your home.
With a Shelved modular TV unit, the options are almost endless. Based on the pre-designed configurations alone, you can opt for a smaller unit that incorporates plenty of functional storage space whilst remaining compact and adaptable.
You can also go to the opposite end of the spectrum and incorporate a large, bridged unit with a huge amount of potential storage functionality before you even begin to make any changes to the system.
You’ve also got a few options that fall in between these two sizes, adding more storage space with a larger foundation that you can build on over time without going straight down the fully bridged route.
The Shelved system puts you back in control of your home. Made from rugged steel and boasting almost limitless customisation capabilities, it lets you create the perfect piece of furniture to suit your exact needs and aesthetic tastes.
Because with the Shelved system, you’re not just tied to adding a new cube or putting in a different drawer – you have the freedom to change and adapt your system with a whole host of different modules and parts to craft a distinctive and entirely unique modular furniture configuration for your home. And this is where your TV unit can add extra storage to your living room.
Keeping on top of the clutter and finding space to store your belongings is an ongoing battle, at least it is in our house, especially since we had kids. (They have so much stuff!). Adding extra furniture isn’t always the best option, especially if you live in a small home. Every additional piece of furniture you add takes up valuable floor space and can end up making your space feel even smaller and more cluttered.
The solution is to make your existing furniture pieces work even harder for you. Then you can create that much needed extra storage without sacrificing looks or large chunks of extra floor space in your living room.
Your TV unit is a great place to start. By choosing a TV unit with storage you can create a space in your living room that not only drastically enhances your storage capabilities, but also provides a distinctive feature that adds life, character, and undeniable contemporary style to one of the most important rooms in your home.
Regardless of your chosen/required size, the way that the Shelved system is designed means that you’ve got ample storage space – the cupboards and cabinets feature adjustable internal shelving as well as cable management ports.
Plus, the minimal nature of the actual framework means that every inch of potential storage space is maximised without having to worry about huge furniture footprints. Shelved TV units, regardless of the size, all boast a compact footprint that prevents your furniture from being intrusive.
Design Your Own Custom TV Unit
The Shelved system is pretty unique, even in the world of modular furniture. It’s a system that takes personalisation to a new height. Before you even get your hands on the system, you’ve got the option to craft an entirely bespoke configuration using the clever proprietary 3D configurator directly on the Shelved website.
This handy tool lets you build an entirely individual configuration from the ground up, or base one on an existing configuration with your own additions and changes. It’s not only the layout of the furniture you can change either. You can also change the framework and panel finishes, as well as add in different modules such as desks, planters, dividers, cubby boxes, cabinets and more.
The configurator is easy to use and entirely visual, and once you’ve created a configuration, you can see how it looks in your home with Shelved’s intelligent augmented reality app. But that’s only the start.
Once your modular furniture is in your home, the décor and design options are as flexible and adaptable as the furniture itself. It’s another benefit to the minimalistic styling of the system – you can adapt it to fit any interior style you desire.
The shelving can draw attention to specific features such as artwork and ornaments, giving you the perfect platform to display your personality and style.
Why not bring a little bit of nature into your space too? You can either use the shelving and framework with a wide variety of potted plants, or make use of Shelved’s planter modules that feature integrated lining to enable hassle-free planting within the unit itself. Plants are a beautiful addition to any décor and design scheme.
Tackling home storage woes whilst maintaining a beautiful, contemporary appearance isn’t always easy, but a Shelved TV unit with storage makes it effortless. More storage, more organisation, and undeniable style.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
Fire up the microwave popcorn and pick the tuxedo up from the cleaners! The 94th Annual Academy Awards air this Sunday, March 27 on ABC. Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes will be the first three-woman team to host the ceremony when the 2022 Oscars kick off at 8pm EDT (5pm PDT), from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California. Wide-screen epics like “Dune” and “West Side Story” lead a diverse field of nominees including “CODA,” “Drive My Car,” and “The Power of the Dog.”
After a minimal ceremony in 2021, the Academy is striving to give this year’s Oscars a feeling of pre-pandemic normalcy. Whether you’re watching alone or throwing a watch-party, there’s a way to watch the 2022 Oscars that matches your needs and budget:
ABC will air the awards ceremony on their national network, so you won’t need cable to watch, just an antenna to tune into your local ABC affiliate. If you do have a cable package, you can start early with E! Network’s Sunday pre-show coverage: “Brunch at the Oscars” begins at 2pm EDT, followed by “E! Live from the Red Carpet” at 5pm EDT.
Cable customers also have the option to stream the Oscars on abc.com, or through the official ABC app by signing in with their cable provider. ABC’s own red carpet coverage begins at 6:30 pm EDT, right up until the ceremony officially starts at 8 pm.
If you’re a cord-cutter who’s ditched cable for a live TV streaming service, don’t worry: chances are your streaming service already has what you need to watch the 2022 Oscars. If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge, practically every service on this list offers a 7 Days Free promotion to new subscribers, so you can try before you buy, or just use it to watch the Oscars for free if you like.
Roku users: tune in to ABC News Live on The Roku Channel to stream exclusive behind-the-scenes specials starting at 11:30am EDT, followed by red carpet coverage beginning at 4:30pm EDT. Customers of Philo and SlingTV take note: those services do not currently offer ABC, so unfortunately you’ll need one of these other options to watch the awards telecast:
A subscription to FuboTV includes live streams of your local ABC affiliate stations, plus E! with all its red carpet coverage. FuboTV also provides a DVR with cloud storage, so subscribers who can’t catch the awards live can record them to watch later. Families and roommates will appreciate FuboTV’s high caps on simultaneous watchers (up to 10 screens at home, plus two more outside the home) so no one has to miss a minute of Oscars weekend.
Hulu + Live TV is a great option for movie lovers: not only do you have live feeds of ABC and E! plus DVR capabilities, you can also stream Oscar-nominated films like “Spencer,” “Nomadland,” “Parasite,” and more from Hulu’s massive content library. If you have regular Hulu without the Live TV (and can avoid spoilers), the 2022 Oscars will be available to stream there as well on Monday, March 28.
Like FuboTV and Hulu + Live TV, YouTubeTV gives you access to ABC and E!, but its biggest stand-out feature is DVR capability with unlimited storage. Most competing services place a cap on your total recording hours, but only YouTubeTV gives you the option to record as much as you want and save your recordings for up to nine months! It’s also got the shortest lag behind cable (other services may be up to a minute behind the live feeds), something to consider if you plan on reacting in real time on social media.
Formerly known as AT&T TV and DirecTV Now, DirecTV Stream presents a user-friendly interface that will feel instantly familiar to anyone who has flipped through channels on cable. DirectTV Stream offers DVR with unlimited storage, but recordings only store for 3 months compared to YouTubeTV’s 9 months. Sports fans will appreciate DirecTV Stream’s wide coverage of regional sports networks, especially once you upgrade to the $89.99/month Choice package. Viewers who just need Oscar access via ABC may find the simpler $69.99/month Pro package suits them just fine.
The new kid on the TV streaming block, Vidgo is determined to grab your attention, which is probably why they’ve hired professional goofball Rob Gronkowski to hype their service. Vidgo doesn’t offer anything too different from the other services on this list in terms of content or selection, but it does have one distinct advantage: its aggressive $55 per month price point. That’s $10 cheaper than YouTubeTV (the second cheapest on this list) for a comparable experience. Thrifty viewers who want cord-cutting without a lot of frills may find Vidgo an attractive option.
Arielle Tschinkel is a freelance pop culture and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared on Shape.com, WomansWorld.com, FirstforWomen.com, Insider, HelloGiggles, and more. She loves all things Disney and is making her way to every park around the world, and is a die-hard Britney Spears fan for life. She’s also obsessed with her Bernedoodle, Bruce Wayne.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
After five seasons, “The Bold Type” is officially coming to an end, and it’s absolutely devastating. Okay, okay, devastating is a strong word, but adventures with Jane (Katie Stevens), Kat (Aisha Dee), Sutton (Meghann Fahy), and the rest of the crew as they navigate life, love, and everything in-between while working at Scarlet magazine will definitely be missed.
But you’ll find it comforting to know that there are a lot of good TV shows out there that offer a similar feel. So, if you’re looking for something to binge-watch after saying goodbye to “The Bold Type,” then try one of these five shows:
This show is similar to “The Bold Type,” both focusing on fantastic female friendships and steamy and complicated romantic storylines, but “Younger” offers a twist. The series stars Sutton Foster as Liza Miller, a forty-something year old pretending to be a 26 year old in order to land a job in the publishing industry. Sutton befriends Kelsey (Hilary Duff) and the two women work to shake up the publishing world while dealing with their own drama, including Liza’s on-again, off-again love affairs with Josh (Nico Tortorella), a local tattoo artist, and Charles, her very professional boss.
“Twenties” follows Jonica “JoJo” T. Gibbs as Hattie, a Black lesbian in her 20s who’s struggling to get her life on track. At the beginning of the series, we learn that Hattie has big plans of becoming a TV writer, but she’s unable to focus because she’s homeless and too busy entertaining women who are unavailable. Much like “The Bold Type,” this show highlights amazing friendships, and Hattie seeks comfort and advice from her two straight best friends, Marie (Christina Elmore) and Nia (Gabrielle Graham), who are also stumbling through their own lives.
“Good Trouble” is spin-off of “The Fosters,” and it follows two sisters — Callie (Maia Mitchell) and Mariana (Cierra Ramirez) — as they leave home and move to Los Angeles to follow their dreams. The duo ends up living in a communal living apartment building with a host of interesting characters. During the series, Callie works to make a name for herself in the world of law while Mariana tackles the male-dominated field of coding. Sure, it is a little different from the fast-paced magazine world of Scarlet, but it is Freeform, which means there’s a lot of drama.
“The L Word” was arguably ahead of its time when it debuted in 2004, but there was still a lot of room for improvement. In 2019, the show’s creators introduced “Generation Q,” which offered improvements in the form of including new characters that better represented those in the LGBTQ+ community played by more racially diverse actors. While Gen Q does bring back a few of the OG cast members, it focuses more on a group of young queer friends trying to leave their mark on the world — kind of like our ladies of “The Bold Type.”
“Girlfriends” paved the way for many of the shows on this list. The series follows Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross), Maya (Golden Brooks), Lynn (Persia White), and Toni (Jill Marie Jones), who show that you don’t have to have it all figured out in your thirties (though it would be nice). The series debuted back in 2000 and tackled topics such as race, privilege, HIV, sexuality, and a lot more.
