Going digital, staying neutral

OnePlus recently launched their second flagship of 2017—the OnePlus 5T. Among the few changes OnePlus made, a different camera setup is one of them. Going digital, staying neutral

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Anuj Bhandari

Published at : November 28, 2017

Updated at : November 28, 2017 08:29

OnePlus recently launched their second flagship of 2017—the OnePlus 5T. Among the few changes OnePlus made, a different camera setup is one of them. How is the setup different from that one the OnePlus 5?— Rupesh Karki

Dear Rupesh,

OnePlus recently launched the OnePlus 5T, which is quite similar to its predecessor—the 5. Among the few changes made are the 18:9 display ratio against the 16:9 of the 5, and an “upgraded” camera setup. During the launch event of the 5T, the Chinese manufacturer hyped the phone’s all-new lens. What’s new in this camera setup is the secondary lens which now has an f/1.7 aperture that rests alongside the primary camera. OnePlus has completely ditched the telephoto lens which the OnePlus 5 had featured.

These days, manufacturers usually produce smartphones with two types of camera lenses. A “normal” primary lens sits alongside a telephoto or a monochrome lens. In simple words, telephoto lens helps capture zoomed-in images with abundant depth of field, while a monochrome lens is useful for taking pictures with higher detail under low light condition and also for applying a proper black and white filter on the images.

Rumor mills had no news regarding OnePlus’ decision to opt for a different type of lens. So, it was quite surprising when OnePlus announced and hyped its secondary lens that had a large f/1.7 aperture just like the primary lens. This move from the company clearly indicates it wants to improve the device’s night time camera performance. OnePlus has claimed the 5T to feature ‘Intelligent Pixel Technology’ which helps gobble up more light in lowlight conditions. Specs wise, the new secondary camera replaces the older telephoto lens with a 20-megapixel Sony IMX398 lens which has, like I mentioned before, f/1.7 aperture, and 1.12-micron pixels. So, if you are on the lookout for smartphones that capture “portrait mode” pictures, I suggest you look elsewhere.

The OnePlus 5T certainly outperforms its predecessor if low light photography is taken into account. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it does better than its competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. But hey, OnePlus 5T is cheaper than the aforementioned devices, so the fact that you will be getting a bang for your buck is without question.

The Government of Nepal has asked everyone to digitise their TV connection. It even blocked cable TV a few days ago which was, of course, overturned by the Supreme Court for the time being. However, the Government seems determined to digitise TV connections. What’s the best digital TV option with HD packages right now?

— Reema Sharma

Dear Reema,

Firstly, let’s be clear, the Government of Nepal has taken this step towards a digital switchover as a response to the deadline that was set by the International Telecommunication Union, a specialised agency of the United Nations, in 2012.

There are lots of companies looking to attract its users to their digital platforms. I will talk about two of the more popular options, even though there are lots of broadcasting companies that are offering such services right now.

DishHome

DishHome is a well-known digital broadcasting company which has been offering services to the Nepali consumers since 2009. Since its introduction in the Nepali TV industry, the company has garnered a lot of trust due to its effort to provide quality channels to its customers. Working in accordance with the tagline “Delightfully Lifestyle”, the company is a reliable and a proper customer-oriented ‘brand’.

Yes, DishHome is more expensive than other service providers, but the money you spend is money well spent!

DishHomeLifestyle HD package charges:

• Set Top box and other equipment: Rs 2,999

• Installation Charge: Rs 500

• Lifestyle HD (HD): Rs 30/day

• 1-month package: Rs 750

NetTV

NetTV is the first Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) company of Nepal. So, in short, you will have to have an internet connection if you want to install NetTV. Only Vianet and Worldlink are associated with NetTV for providing broadcast. So, if you want to be a customer of NetTV, you will also have to be a user of Vianet or Worldlink.

With NetTV, users can tune into Live TV, record TV shows, view 4K content, and stream movies on-demand. NetTV also allows its customers to surf YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn right from the TV.

NetTV via Vianet (charges):

• Set Top Box: Rs 2,654

• 1 month: Rs 250

• 3 months: Rs 750

• 6 months: Rs 1,350

• 12 months: Rs 2,400

NetTV via Worldlink(charges):

• Set Top Box: Rs 2,400

• 1 month: Rs 250

• 3 months: Rs 750

• 12 months: Rs 2,400

The term net neutrality is thrown around a lot these days. What is Net Neutrality exactly? —Sameer Singh

Dear Sameer,

Net neutrality is one of the most controversial issues right now. It is an idea that emphasises that all internet data be treated equally. Net Neutrality is simply a principle which states that service providers must treat the contents and information on the internet without any discrimination, regardless of where it originated from or where its destination is. It simply tries to guarantee an equal access to the world of internet for everyone.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has come under huge criticism after it revealed that it has plans to discard net neutrality. It is due to net neutrality that all of us are able to access the Internet without it being controlled by internet service providers.

Imagine this: Your internet service provider is affiliated with a certain website. The service provider will, of course, want the website to upload quicker, while slowing down its competitor(s). The only reason that all websites today upload at the same speed is because of net neutrality.

If it is discarded, internet service providers will also have the power to redirect their competitors’ website to their own. A few years back, AT&T, a telecommunication company in the US, tried to make its users buy new data plans by limiting access to the popular iOS app FaceTime. Only ones who had bought the data pack had an unhindered access to the app.

Net neutrality is a serious matter, and there are rumors that the equality will end starting next year. This will mostly affect small businesses as they might not have the resources to pay internet service providers for an unobstructed access to their websites. As for us users, we might have to pay a certain amount of money to use applications and websites that are free right now. Imagine paying a hefty sum just to watch a High Definition video on YouTube!