Looking for a top-notch projector that could take your home cinema setup to the next level? We've found just the deal.

The Award-winning BenQ X3100i projector is down to £1949 at Richer Sounds, saving you a solid £150. To get this discount, you'll need to sign up to Richer Sounds' VIP Club. Luckily, it's quick and easy to join, and won't cost you a penny.

Offering excellent all-round picture quality as well as great features for gamers, this is a deal well worth a second look.

When we put the BenQ projector through its paces in our test room, we were blown away by its overall performance and ultimately awarded it a five-star rating.

With a claimed brightness of up to 3300 lumens, the X3100i delivers a consistently natural looking image during both bright and dark scenes. Its colour performance impressed too. As we said in our review: "Exceptionally vibrant animated content such as Puss In Boots: The Last Wish on 4K Blu-ray erupts off the screen with some of the most dazzlingly rich saturations we’ve seen around this price point." Not bad, eh?

For gamers, the projector has plenty to offer as well. It delivers an incredibly responsive gaming experience, especially at 120Hz. There's no 4K at 120Hz, though, which is worth bearing in mind.

The X3100i also supports ALLM switching and eARC so that you can pass 7.1 and even lossless Dolby Atmos game soundtracks through the projector to a connected soundbar or AV receiver. And the screen size can go up to 200 inches, so you can fully immerse yourself in your movie or gaming experience.

The projector also comes with an integrated Android TV smart system. This includes access to Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video. However, we didn't have the best experience, so it might be better to stick to an external source for streaming.

In terms of sound, the built-in speakers deliver a decent surround sound performance that is an improvement on most projectors. It doesn't quite reach the volume level we would like to see, but will do a decent job if you don't have an alternative speaker system.

If that all sounds appealing, this impressive projector could be a great addition to your home cinema setup – and the deal available at Richer Sounds right now saves you £150.

MORE:

Here's our review of the BenQ X3100i

Check out the best portable projectors

And these are the best projectors overall

China-based projector brand Wanbo has released the Vali 1, a model it has dubbed "truly flexible, portable and intelligent."

Why cover this unit, instead of the sea of others flooding Amazon? The answer is simple: its quoted brightness.

Wanbo claims the Vali 1 will deliver a brightness level of 900 ANSI Lumens and that this will result in " vivid and vibrant visuals even in brightly lit daytime rooms."

For such a small model, that is quite a bold claim.

Take, for example, the best current overall portable projector – the Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air. We praised this four-star model for its solid picture quality, but it only offers up to 400 ANSI lumens of brightness.

This is far from being an outlier, however, with the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 reaching a maximum of 200 ANSI Lumens and BenQ GV31 capping at 300 ANSI Lumens.

One of the only ultra-portable projectors to have passed through our test room and surpassed Wanbo's claimed brightness cap is the Epson EF-12, which supposedly reaches 1000 ANSI Lumens.

This model launched at £899 / $900 / AU$1768, though, which is more than triple the price of the Vali 1.

At only £269 / $319 (around AU$555), this is cheaper than any of the portable models we have reviewed.

Even one of the most recent entry-level portable projectors we tested, the Xgimi MoGo 4, still clocks in at £509 / $499 / AU$1299.

Outside of this the Vali 1's specifications are generally in line with its affordable price.

The 1080p projector features a 200-degree adjustable gimbal stand and a claimed screen size of up to 130 inches, with an Android TV system running behind the scenes.

Smart calibration is on the cards as well, with auto-keystone correction on offer in an effort to make setup "effortless."

In terms of sound, two 6W speakers are built into the body with a dedicated port to connect headphones or an external speaker.

If the Vali 1 can indeed reach its claimed brightness levels, it could be an affordable way to watch a quick film in the sunshine and one to watch this summer. But, we'll need to get one in for testing before we can confirm this, or recommend it in any way.

We've tested plenty of portable projectors with decent specifications that fail to deliver the goods in the real world, after all.

MORE:

Here are the best portable projectors right now

And these are best projectors on offer

Check out our review of the Xgimi MoGo 4

A damning report by Enders Analysis has called on big tech companies to crack down on piracy issues.

The research, written by Gareth Sutcliffe and Ollie Meir, says that Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft are all enabling “industry scale theft” of video services.

According to the report, the sports broadcasting industry is the biggest contributor to this issue. That’s because it is becoming more and more expensive to access legally.

Much of the piracy can be attributed to users buying illegal Amazon Fire TV Sticks sold via Meta’s platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp.

According to data for the first quarter of this year, provided to Enders by Sky, 59 per cent of people in the UK who admitted to watching pirated material in the last year while using a physical device said they had used a Amazon Fire product.

But illegal streaming sticks are not the only problem here.

Fire TV Sticks can run sideloaded Android apps, as the Fire TV operating system is based on Android; so users can install apps not found in the official app stores.

This is also possible on Android TV and Google TV devices.

The research adds: “Big tech is both friend and foe in solving the piracy problem. Conflicting incentives harm consumer safety by providing easy discovery of illegal pirated services, and reduced friction through low-cost hardware such as the Amazon Firestick.”

An Amazon spokesperson told the BBC: "Pirated content violates our policies regarding intellectual property rights, and compromises the security and privacy of our customers."

The company has made changes to its Fire devices to make it harder for people to stream pirated content, they added.

Another development that could improve the problem is Amazon's promise to switch to its in-house Vega OS for Fire TV Sticks. This transition will require developers to rebuild all apps and would stop the ability to sideload Android apps.

Google and Microsoft are also in the firing line of the report, which says that the Digital Rights Management solutions provided by the companies “are in steep decline”.

MORE:

Here are the best streaming devices we recommend

This is our review of the Amazon Fire Stick 4K

Check out our review of Apple TV 4K

The Apple TV 4K could see its biggest software update yet with the introduction of tvOS 19. The streamer is getting its first big user-interface overhaul since the platform launched, according to a report.

Apple is set to hold its annual WWDC (Worldwide Developer Conference) on the 9th of June, where we will presumably see the next iteration of Apple's software ecosystem, which includes iOS, iPadOS and, most relevant here, tvOS.

Despite the conference not happening for another two weeks, an early report from a reputable Apple insider could hint at what we can expect from tvOS 19.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who has correctly predicted numerous Apple launches in the past, including the iPad Pro M4 release, says that the new version of Apple’s smart TV user interface will see a major design overhaul, which will reportedly be influenced by its Vision Pro mixed reality headset.

Gurman states that “the new look is slicker and more modern.” The development name “solarium“ could suggest a “more translucent, glass-like interface, potentially featuring depth effects and adaptation to ambient lighting or other environmental cues,” according to FlatpanelsHD.

Notably, this will be the Apple TV's first operating system overhaul since tvOS launched on the 2015 Apple TV HD.

And it's not just tvOS that is supposedly getting a design overhaul; we could also see these changes reflected on Apple's iPhone and iPad operating systems.

Keep in mind that these claims are pre-release, and that they should be taken with a pinch of scepticism. As we know, nothing is official until Apple makes the announcement itself, and a lot can change behind the scenes between now and WWDC.

This news comes hot on the heels of Google's Android TV 16 announcement, which appears to be a modest upgrade over the existing version of Google TV with a minor design change at its core.

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

As well as our Google TV Streamer review

And check out the best streaming devices

Google's annual developer conference, I/O, took place yesterday, and it revealed the latest version of Android which is set to come to Google-powered TVs in the near future.

It was recently confirmed that Google will roll out major updates to its Google TV operating system using a two year cycle, meaning its jumping from Android 14 to 16, skipping over Android 15 in the process. So what's new for the latest edition of Google's TV operating system?

It confirmed that Eclipsa Audio will roll out to more devices with this update, which could spell trouble for Dolby Atmos.

The Eclipsa immersive audio format was developed in partnership with Samsung, which has already advertised support for Eclipsa Audio on its 2025 TVs and soundbars.

While this open-source alternative for Atmos should be on Dolby's radar, it needn't worry too much yet, as Google has confirmed that it will only work with YouTube at launch. However, there is always scope for it to expand to more streaming services in the future.

Furthermore, Android 16 brings a system called MediaQualityManager to Google TV, which will allow developers to amend picture and sound settings within their apps. This, in theory, should allow streaming apps to optimise vital settings to best suit the content shown.

This isn't technically a new phenomenon, as some apps already offer special calibrated picture modes that can tweak your TV's settings based on data sent over the air when you play content on a supported service.

Amazon Prime Video Calibrated Mode, which is available on Sony TVs now, and we saw in action on the upcoming Panasonic Z90B OLED TV, is a good example.

As this is a new Android update, there is, of course, AI aplenty. Android 16 brings Gemini to Google TV, which should handle voice requests and make smarter content recommendations too; something we've seen in part on the Google TV Streamer.

There is also a very subtle redesign as part of Google's new "Material 3 Expressive" design language, which rounds out some of the sharper edges and features a more contrasty colour scheme.

It's worth noting that this design enhancement only really applies to the main settings menu, and that the home screen will remain unchanged, according to 9To5Google.

Elsewhere, the updates coming to Google TV via Android 16 seem subdued. Google notes in its official Android developer spec sheets that we should see more reliable HDMI-CEC and improved playback stability.

Google also confirms that its TV operating system will work with Android XR, which is its new mixed reality software system that's set to power a swathe of upcoming smart glasses and headsets.

We'll admit, this isn't the most enthralling software update, though new features are always welcome. Android 16 will reportedly begin rolling out later this year, and we expect to see it on Google's latest TV streamer, as well as its older Chromecast with Google TV device.

We also expect to see the current handful of manufacturers that use Google TV for their TVs and projectors, such as Sony, Philips, TCL, Epson and Xgimi, to update their systems down the line; though no dates have been confirmed as of yet.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best TVs

What is Google TV? Here's everything you need to know

Find the best OLED TV deals here

The Optoma Photon Go is a different beast to anything we have had in our test rooms before.

Yes, we’ve tested ultra-short throw projectors before and portable projectors aplenty, but never a portable UST projector, which is what this is.

With a range of set-up features to ease the faff of keystone correction as well as a light design and an integrated smart platform, the Photon Go is a great proposition on paper.

There are, however, some niggling issues.

Price

The Optoma Photon Go is available for £899, and because it’s a unique product, there aren’t any true direct competitors.

However, we feel that someone considering it will most likely be focusing on the portability first and the ultra-short throw design second.

In that case, they will also be considering more typical portable projectors, such as the Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air, which is one of the best portable projectors we have tested and is officially priced at £550 / $600 / AU$1300.

We like the Anker’s overall picture and sound quality, as well as its simple design, which makes it easy to carry around.

If someone is actually focused on the UST element first and foremost, finding an alternative to the Optoma means stretching the budget significantly. The Hisense PL1 is one of the cheapest available, but it costs £1999 / $2500 / AU$2995.

Its performance is superb, but it’s designed for permanent placement in your living room and is far from portable.

The Optoma is positioned somewhere between these two markets – a UST that you can take on the go to watch films or TV easily.

Design

If it’s meant to be portable, it’s got to be light. The Optoma Photon Go ticks this box, weighing in at a neat 1.72kg. It is about the size of a lunchbox, which makes it easy to pop into a tote bag or rucksack.

The top has a sturdy fabric cover that gives it an expensive look, with the rest of the body sporting a black plastic design.

On its bottom are four feet to steady the projector on surfaces. Around the back, the connectivity options are kept simple, but they include an HDMI input so you can connect a Blu-ray player, games console or streamer.

The lens is buried in a divot on the projector’s top, keeping it fairly secure from being bashed about on your travels.

The remote control is light, features useful shortcut buttons to some streaming services, and benefits from intuitive button placement, which is essential as you’ll probably often be using the projector in the dark.

Features

Inside the Optoma Photon Go’s portable body is a triple RGB laser system capable of delivering a claimed 650 ANSI lumens of brightness.

Optoma also claims the projector can reproduce 150 per cent of the DCI-P3 colour spectrum. The resolution is 1080p, and HDR support comes in the form of HLG and HDR10.

So, there’s no 4K here, and the brightness figure is a long way short of more premium projectors, but this claim is pretty decent for its price range and portable nature.

The Optoma Photon Go offers a claimed maximum battery life of one and a half hours when used for video. This will differ based on what setting you have the projector on for both sound and picture. One and a half hours won’t get you through a football match or a typical modern movie, so it’s a pretty disappointing figure.

You can, however, bring along a battery pack to charge the projector when you are out and about. Even so, you would hope a portable model would allow a longer viewing time. The Anker Nebula Mars Air, by comparison, can last a maximum two and a half hours.

The Photon Go can project an image 100 inches in size from just 25cm from the wall. There is a range of robust image positioning features that make set-up relatively easy, including auto-keystone and focus correction. It also has a zoom feature, which a lot of USTs fail to include. While the projector does not always get it right, tweaking the settings manually is pretty fuss-free.

In terms of streaming, the projector is powered by Google TV and comes with Netflix built in. You can also add other apps such as Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Youtube and Channel 4. It’s worth noting, however, that there is no BBC iPlayer app to be seen. Optoma hasn’t replied to our request for clarification on this.

One workaround for the absence of iPlayer is to use Google Cast, where you can stream videos from your phone or laptop to the projector. While it would be better in terms of picture quality to use a local native app, at least there is a way to access the streaming service.

Picture

We begin our testing by watching Conclave on Amazon Prime Video, as we can’t see many people lugging a Blu-ray player outside to use the projector.

When Ralph Fiennes’ Cardinal Lawrence first enters his private bedroom, his bright red hat (or ‘zucchetto’) is distinct compared to the dark background behind him. The projector does not overdo the brightness either, as much of the detail on his robes is visible.

The Optoma Photon Go also achieves a reasonably rich level of blackness compared to the dark grey that many projectors can fall victim to.

As Cardinal Lawrence moves further into the room towards a lampshade, the projector manages to capture the graduated brightness of the lamp instead of just a block of light.

Compared with other portable projectors around this price range, however, the Photon Go does not manage to convey nearly the level of vibrancy and detail we have come to expect.

Switching to Barbie on 4K Blu-ray, the usually bright colours seem dull and flat, which makes the colourful sets and costumes much less interesting to look at. As Margot Robbie’s eponymous character walks up to Weird Barbie’s home, the almost neon pink looks closer to a salmon shade.

We also notice a slight lattice effect across the whole screen, which gives the image a low-resolution feel, with text slightly pixelated and shapes lacking refinement.

When watching the North American episode of Seven Worlds, One Planet on Blu-ray, the natural textures feel muddy. Compared with the best portable projectors around, the Photon Go falls short of capturing the subtle detail of a black bear’s fur as it makes its way through the forest.

As this projector is meant to be ideal for outdoor movie nights, we test it out in light conditions too. While the image is still visible, it loses even more vibrancy and becomes much less engaging.

Sound

Overall, the Optoma Photon Go succeeds in delivering a relatively balanced and emotive sound.

With Seven Worlds, One Planet, the swelling orchestral soundtrack is impressively nuanced for the two modest built-in 10W speakers. David Attenborough’s narration is clear too, striking a good balance between naturalism and emotion.

The volume does not go particularly high, though, and we find there’s not much of a difference between 70 and 100 on the controls.

This means the overall experience does feel a bit lacklustre, especially as the lower frequencies do not manage to pack much of a punch. It’s also a bit of a problem when using the projector in a large room or outside, where the sound can easily get lost.

With the projector’s Bluetooth abilities, you do at least have the option of adding a wireless speaker or soundbar to the mix to boost the sound.

Verdict

The Optoma Photon Go is an interesting and unique portable UST that ticks a lot of boxes from a design perspective.

Its picture lacks the clarity and vibrancy of the best portable projectors and the battery life is disappointing, but the Photon Go is still reasonably watchable, relatively easy to set up and offers a fairly balanced audio delivery.

If having a UST with such a design is important to you, this model is pretty much your only option.

But, for those on the search for a portable projector with a more refined image, there are better options at this price point, and lower.

SCORES

• Picture 3
• Sound 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air

Also consider the BenQ GV31

Read our Epson EF-12

Best projectors: budget, 4K and ultra-short-throw

Nebula has launched the Nebula X1, a 4K smart projector that boasts a portable design and the brand’s first internal liquid cooling system.

The new projector could be ideal for outdoor screenings in the daytime and at night, thanks to a 3500 ANSI Lumens brightness and the so-called NebulaMaster technology, which the brand says can “improve contrast with enriched details in both bright and dark areas of the image.”

Nebula’s latest entry can also project a display up to 300 inches and offers Dolby Vision for an "unparalleled visual experience.”

It uses a built-in gimbal and can be placed on a projector stand, table, or the floor, with the optical engine and lens array then tilting up to 25 degrees. When moving the projector, you can also use its memory feature to remember the selected settings you chose for that room.

There’s some AI magic at play here, too. Nebula’s AI Spatial Adaptation auto set-up includes real-time autofocus, keystone correction, ambient light adaptation and wall colour adaptation, which can all be switched on via the remote control.

Portable projectors more often than not under-deliver on the audio performance front, so Nebula is attempting to dodge this with its four side-firing, internal speakers (two 15W and two 5W tweeters as well as two passive radiators).

On top of that, you can get two lossless wi-fi satellite speakers separately or part of a bundle with the projector. When using these optional wireless speakers, the audio drivers inside the X1 can be switched into subwoofer mode to create a 4.1.2 setup.

Nebula has included an internal liquid cooling system that the company says is comparable to that of a high-end desktop computer and apparently generates only 26dB of noise (about the same as a whisper).

For streaming capabilities, the Nebula X1 features the Google TV platform with Netflix built in. If you want to connect to a gaming system or Blu-ray player, the X1 also has two HDMI ports on the rear, including one with eARC compatibility.

The 4K projector goes on sale on 21st May for £2200 / $2999 (around AU$4550), and you can add on the 'accessory pack', which includes two wireless satellite speakers, one carry case and two wireless microphones for £500 / $999 (around AU$1040).

Nebula is offering a special promotion from 21st May to 15th June, where you can buy the bundle with the projector for £2350 (around AU$4885) in the UK and $3298 in the US. The projector on its own is also available at a lower price of £2100 (around $2790 / AU$4370) during this period.

That stand-alone price is a considerable amount more than the models on our best outdoor projectors guide, so it will be interesting to see if its weighty price tag is justified.

MORE:

Here are the best projectors we recommend

Looking to upgrade your audio? These are the best soundbars right now

Check out the best outdoor projectors too

The Bravia 7 is the second most high-end Mini LED TV in Sony’s current (and ever-expanding) TV range.

As such, it inevitably loses some of the eye-catching headline specifications of the flagship Bravia 9.

For instance, it has fewer local dimming zones, isn’t as bright and it has a less powerful sound system.

It’s also, though, substantially cheaper than the Bravia 9 – and, as we’ll see, it retains enough of Sony’s Mini LED picture quality mastery to make it arguably the best value option yet from the brand’s current range.

Price

The 55-inch Bravia 7 was £1899 / $1900 / AU$2935 at launch, but it is now available for significantly less – just £1299 / $1300 / AU$2495.

That still puts it in mid-range TV territory – maybe slightly towards the top end of mid-range territory, given the sort of aggressive pricing the likes of TCL and Hisense are applying to their mid-range and even high-end models these days.

It backs this status up with plenty of on-paper promise, including a Mini LED backlight with local dimming and an uncompromised version of Sony’s dependable XR processor.

Design

The Bravia 7 unsurprisingly isn’t as opulently well built as the Bravia 9. It still retains plenty of the combination of subtle elegance and flexibility that seems to be built into Sony’s TV design DNA at the moment, though.

For starters, the screen and its frame are both designed to finish on the same flush level, which always instantly creates a premium impression. The frame is trim, too, and while the rear panel sticks out a little further than today’s TV trendsetters, it could still make for an effective wall-mounting option.

If you’re going to place your Bravia 7 on a piece of furniture, there’s more good news.

For starters, its feet slot into place without the need for any screws. Also, the feet can be placed in no less than four different configurations: out wide under the bottom corners with the screen either sitting flush down on them or raised up an inch or three, or closer together towards the middle of the screen, again either with the screen sitting low on the feet or raised slightly.

The option to place the feet close together means you can put the 55-inch Bravia 7 on a piece of furniture much narrower than the TV, while the option to raise the screen gives you room to put a soundbar underneath.

The Bravia 7 ships with a tidy-looking smart remote control boasting a tactile, stripped-back button count, but which still finds room for a selection of direct app access buttons and a mic button to activate its Google Assistant voice control features.

The handset is apparently made from approximately 80 per cent recycled plastic, too, and it’s finished in an easy-to-clean polyurethane coating.

Features

Even though there are two TV series sitting above it in Sony’s current range, the Bravia 7 still boasts a Sony XR Backlight Master Drive panel that combines a Mini LED lighting system with local dimming that operates, in the case of the 55-inch model we're testing, across more than 300 separate zones.

This combination promises tight control over where the TV delivers its available light – especially considering how effective Sony’s backlight control systems have tended to be over the years. Even with TVs that have far fewer dimming zones than the Bravia 7 at their disposal.

The Bravia 7 also boasts a Quantum Dot colour system, driven by Sony’s Triluminos technology. This is part of the latest version of Sony’s XR processor, which extends its tendrils into just about every aspect of picture quality – including delivering automatic HDR conversion of SDR with some of its picture presets, and subtly adjusting multiple picture facets to make the resulting images more closely resemble the three-dimensional way our eyes perceive the real world.

Its relative affordability doesn’t stop the Bravia 7 from adopting Sony’s policy of pursuing the picture endorsements of multiple third-party AV industry big guns.

So there are ‘calibrated’ modes for Netflix, Prime Video and Sony’s own high quality (up to 80Mbps streams) Sony Pictures Core streaming service. These are designed to automatically adopt picture settings that get as close as possible to the different studios’ preferred video mastering conditions.

The Bravia 7 is also certified by IMAX as being up to the job of doing justice to the special, ultra-clean IMAX Enhanced mastering system – as well as allowing you to take advantage of the IMAX Enhanced titles provided on Disney+ and the aforementioned Sony Pictures Core.

There’s plenty of Dolby cooperation, too, in the form of Dolby Atmos sound and support for the Dolby Vision dynamic HDR format. Dolby Vision appears alongside the more basic HDR10 and HLG systems, but as ever with Sony TVs, there’s no support for HDR10+.

The Dolby Atmos (and DTS:X) sound is delivered courtesy of a multi-channel audio system that also features a 5.1.2-channel ‘upmixing’ system to embellish stereo or 5.1-channel soundtracks.

There’s also the option to have the TV’s speakers join forces with various Sony soundbars, home theatre speaker packages and personal listening systems to take advantage of Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology, which creates a hemisphere of virtual speakers all around your seating position.

Connections on the Bravia 7 include four HDMIs, two of which can handle the 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM gaming features deliverable by the Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and some PC graphics cards.

There’s support for a low-latency Dolby Vision game mode, too, as well as a special game-specific onscreen menu system, and compatibility with the Perfect For PlayStation 5 feature, where the console can automatically recognise the TV and output some pretty accurate HDR settings accordingly. You can even stream PlayStation games to the TV via the PS Remote Play app.

It’s a pity that only two of the HDMIs can handle all these gaming features, but this limitation is slightly easier to accept on the Bravia 7 than it is on Sony’s flagship TV ranges. Still, similarly priced LG and Samsung TVs have four top-spec HDMI sockets.

Smart features are provided by Google TV. This brings with it the usual extreme plethora of video streaming, gaming and information apps, bolstered in the UK by the YouView platform, which adds the catch-up services for the UK terrestrial broadcasters that Google TV does not typically cover.

Google TV also brings with it both compatibility with Google Chromecast for streaming from your smart devices, and the Google Assistant voice recognition and control system. There’s compatibility with Apple AirPlay 2, too, and if you’re not a fan of Google Assistant you can use either Alexa or, if you own an Apple Home device, Apple’s Siri voice recognition system.

One last unusual feature of the Bravia 7 is the Bravia Cam. This optional extra attaches magnetically behind the screen’s top edge, providing a camera that introduces the ability to control the TV via gesture; a Proximity Alert to warn children not to get too close; a facility to reduce brightness if the camera detects nobody is present in the room; video conferencing; and even the ability to detect where you are in relation to the TV and adjust the brightness, contrast, sound balance and volume accordingly.

Picture

The Bravia 7’s picture quality is clearly built on the same DNA as Sony’s spectacular flagship Bravia 9, delivering more of that TV’s in some ways groundbreaking picture quality than you’ve any right to expect.

At the heart of the Bravia 7’s picture charms is its outstanding backlight control. At the bright end of the spectrum, Sony’s TV delivers exceptionally bright and intense HDR whites and colours that blaze off the screen with more intensity than they do on many much more expensive flagship TVs.

Just as impressively, though, the Bravia 7 also delivers startlingly deep, dark, convincing, and at times quite OLED-like blacks.

Even better, the Bravia 7 doesn’t deliver these light extremes in isolation – as in, it doesn’t only deliver convincing blacks with exclusively dark shots, or only deliver outstanding brightness with exclusively bright shots. Rather, its backlight controls are so astute and powerful that they’re able to retain most of the brightness punch for bright highlights and most of the black level depth and uniformity for dark areas even with shots that contain a mix of dark and light content.

As well as producing a level of contrast that’s exceptionally rare if not unique to find on a mid-range TV, the Bravia 7’s ability to maintain so much brightness and black depth with the sort of mixed brightness images that make up the vast majority of what we watch means that it delivers a fantastic level of consistency across bright and dark scenes.

And wherever you’ve got consistency, you’ve got a more immersive experience, where nothing the TV does throws you out of what you’re watching.

The Bravia 7’s consistency whether it’s showing mostly bright or mostly dark images extends, too, to its ability to bring out pretty much every detail in even the darkest picture corners. The only exception to this is with the Movie preset, but even here the ‘black crush’ effect is pretty minor. Not enough, at any rate, to make dark scenes look hollow or flat.

Maybe the biggest sign of just how clever and effective the Bravia 7’s backlighting is, though, comes from how well it manages to keep a lid on blooming around stand-out bright objects.

In particular, the black bars above and below wide aspect ratio films remain almost completely free of either general greyness or areas of blooming, even if a bright object appears right alongside them – a really useful feat of backlight isolation engineering that precious few rivals these days even seem to attempt.

The extent and intensity of clouding around bright objects, even when they appear against nearly black backgrounds, is also startlingly limited for such a bright mid-range TV.

In fact, the only time the backlight engine struggles enough to become noticeable in a negative way is in the appearance of slight general clouding and occasional slight blue colour shift with shots that contain a particularly complex mixture of scattered extreme light and extreme dark elements.

As well as being rare, though, even during these moments the Bravia 7’s backlight ‘flaws’, such as they are, are much less likely to distract than the sort of heavy dimming of bright objects or really pronounced halos of extraneous light that many other locally dimmed LCD TVs exhibit.

The combination of high brightness and strong contrast also joins forces with Sony’s excellent XR Triluminos Pro system to deliver a sumptuously wide, vibrant, but also natural-looking and refined colour range. Sony’s TV even manages to retain full saturations in very dark picture areas, as well as, like the Bravia 9, bringing out subtle light differences in very bright areas that elude most if not all other TVs in its class.

The Bravia 7’s superb level of light and colour control for a mid-range TV unlocks an exceptional sense of sharpness and detail with native 4K pictures, too. This is delivered without any sign of the sort of exaggerated grain or ‘glowing’ object edge issues associated with heavy-handed sharpness processing, too, and remains largely unsullied by either motion blur or judder if you set the TV’s XR Motion Clarity feature to one of its relatively low-powered modes.

The Bravia 7 also upscales HD sources to its 4K resolution brilliantly, offering palpable detail and insight without introducing colour shifts or obvious unwanted digital processing side effects.

Gamers will be pleased to hear that all the attributes that make the Bravia 7 such an excellent video performer also make it a fantastically fun and immersive gaming display. The TV’s input lag of 17.9ms in Game mode is a touch higher than we’ve seen with some other Sony TVs, but not enough to affect anyone but the most hardcore competitive gamers.

It’s tough to find anything negative to say about the Bravia 7’s pictures for its money, really.

Aside from the relatively minor cloudiness and colour shifting with rare shots containing a broad mix of light and dark extremes, all we can come up with is that backlight blooming becomes more noticeable if you have to watch the TV from much of an angle.

Otherwise, it’s all good. Really good.

Sound

The Bravia 7 features one of Sony’s so-called Acoustic Multi-Audio sound systems, which in this case means 40W of power pumped into a four-speaker system comprising two full-range bass reflex drivers and two tweeters for, according to Sony, cleaner, more accurately placed detail sounds.

While not quite as potent as its pictures, the resulting sound – especially if you remember to run the provided audio auto-calibration system – is very good for a TV in this price category.

It manages to create, for instance, a soundstage that projects nicely away from the TV’s physical chassis, and then populates the large, room-filling sense of space it creates with plenty of clean and well-positioned details. Enough to do at least some justice to the three-dimensional sound fields created by Dolby Atmos and DTS:X mixes.

Dialogue emerges from the heart of the Bravia 7’s soundstage with conviction and clarity, and while occasionally the sound can feel too polite and trebly with the most explosive action movie moments, lacking a little bass heft, none of the speakers collapse into distortion under pressure.

Verdict

Much more of the groundbreaking backlight technology Sony developed for its flagship Bravia 9 range seems to have filtered down to the Bravia 7 than we would have expected for its money.

In fact, while not feeling quite as explosive and ‘next-gen’ as the Bravia 9, the Bravia 7’s images are actually a little more consistent, resulting in as good a mid-range LCD TV as we’re likely to see this year.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the LG OLED55C4

Also consider the Samsung QE55QN95D

Read our Philips 55OLED809 review

Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and affordable flatscreens tried and tested

"Mini LED is the best TV technology."

Those are TCL's words, not ours. They have just been exclaimed at the launch of TCL's new 2025 range of Mini LED TVs, which feature huge boosts in brightness, new panel technology to improve local dimming, and sound by a prestigious name from the world of hi-fi.

The latest range of TVs from the Chinese manufacturer hopes to steal the spotlight by implementing QLED panel tech across the range, starting from its smallest and cheapest Full HD sets and going all the way up to the flagship X11K model.

Furthermore, it's using new panel technology to trim down the bezels around the screen, reduce reflections, and achieve deeper blacks with less blooming.

The top-of-the-range models, namely the X11K and C9K, won't be coming to the UK (though they will be available in a range of European markets), which is a shame as they boast claimed peak-brightness figures of up to 6500 and 6000 nits respectively.

The former is spearheading TCL's extra-large screen mission, with options for 85- and 98-inch screen sizes, while the latter is slightly more manageable (but still massive) at 65-, 75- and 85-inches.

The UK flagship will be the C8K

If you are looking to dip your toes into TCL's new range and happen to live in the UK, the flagship model you'll be looking at is the C8K, which replaces the C855K in TCL's current line-up.

This model is set to deliver a peak brightness of up to 5000 nits, which is a massive step up over the claimed 3500 nit peak brightness of its predecessor.

It features the CrystGlow WHVA coating, which seeks to reduce the presence of reflections and enhance contrast, meaning it should perform better in living rooms with lots of pesky ambient light.

Not only that, but TCL has also incorporated its Halo Control System, which seeks to significantly reduce blooming through a more precisely controlled backlighting system.

Furthermore, the C8K supports a wide range of HDR formats, including HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision (including the IQ version) and HLG, as well as 4K/144Hz gaming with VRR and ALLM on two of its HDMI 2.1 sockets.

There will be huge step-down models, too

In fact, the HDR formats and gaming specs mentioned above apply to the majority of TCL's mid-range sets, including the C7K, C6K and P8K.

These models feature screen sizes ranging from 50 inches to a whopping 115 inches, and TCL quotes a brightness of up to 3000 nits on the C7K.

A unique feature of the higher-end models (specifically the X11K, C9K, C8K and C7K) is built-in sound systems tuned by Bang & Olufsen, which TCL says it has developed a close partnership with to develop speaker systems for future TVs.

The C8K appears to feature dual-rear firing subwoofers branded with 'enhanced ultra bass' for deeper low-end punch.

Moving towards the entry-level sector of TCL's 2025 lineup, we have the S4K, S5K, P6K and P7K, which feature screen sizes ranging from 32 to 85 inches.

These entry-level 'S' models feature the Android TV operating system (the entire rest of the range utilises Google TV) and more basic Full HD and 2K panels with 60Hz refresh rates.

Initial pricing for some of the models has been revealed; the 55-inch C6K starts at £799 with the 98-inch version costing £3199.

Moving up to the C7K, it starts at £799 for the 50-inch version, and the largest 115-inch variant comes in at a hair-raising £12,999.

Rounding things out with the C8K, it will cost £1599 at 65 inches, £1999 at 75 inches, £2799 for the 85-inch version, and £4799 for the super-sized 98-inch model.

TCL's new range should be available to order now, with availability expected within the next week.

MORE:

Here are the best TVs you can buy right now

And these are the best TV deals

Chromecast is dead; long live the Google TV Streamer. When Google revealed that it was putting its Chromecast brand out to pasture late last year, many eyebrows were raised amongst the AV-minded folk of the What Hi-Fi? team. After all, the Chromecast with Google TV was a three-time Award winner, so what could replace it?

Google’s answer? A bigger and more feature-rich streaming box that’s designed to sit proudly on your media unit rather than dangle from an HDMI socket behind your TV. While a more powerful streamer from Google is exactly what we’ve been asking for, it also comes with a higher price tag and, as we’ve come to find out, not a lot in the way of improvements.

Price

The Google TV Streamer is a pretty significant step up in price compared to the outgoing Chromecast with Google TV. It officially costs £99 / $100 / AU$160, which is a tough pill to swallow when we recall that the Chromecast was priced just £60 / $50 / AU$99.

This price increase also puts the Google TV Streamer closer to the Product of the Year-winning Apple TV 4K (£149 / $130 / AU$219) and the not-quite-as-impressive Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Generation (£140 / $140 / AU$219).

Ultimately, a price increase this substantial – literally double for the US market, for instance – needs to be justified, so our expectations for the Google TV Streamer are understandably high.

Build

Google’s new streamer sports an all-new look that’s designed to take centre stage on your media unit. This is a streaming box much like the Apple TV 4K and Fire TV Cube, rather than a dongle or stick, and Google has taken design into account to help you accept the Streamer’s new place in your set-up.

It sports a low-profile, pebble-like appearance that’s no bigger in width than an average smartphone in landscape orientation. With its rounded corners and off-white Porcelain finish (the US also gets a grey-toned Hazel colourway), the Streamer looks clean, simplistic and, if we’re being honest, a bit bland. That’s no great shame, however, as it is designed to seamlessly integrate into your TV set-up, not draw your eye away from the screen.

Google keeps things simple on the rear of the body too, with a USB-C socket for power (cable and mains block are both included in the box), an ethernet socket (which is a major perk of this new form factor), an HDMI 2.1 socket, and a button that helps you locate your remote if you misplace it.

Speaking of which, bundled with the Streamer is Google’s Voice Remote, which looks very similar to the one included with the Chromecast. This smooth, rounded handset is slightly longer, making it feel a bit more comfortable in the hand. Some controls have been rearranged too – the volume buttons have migrated from the side of the handset to a more conventional place on the top edge with the rest of the buttons, while the home and Google Assistant buttons have swapped places.

Overall, we have very few complaints about the remote, aside from the fact that it is missing any sort of dedicated media controls. It does score points for having a “find my remote” feature, which is a godsend when the slippery handset slides between the couch cushions.

Features

If it wasn’t clear from the name, this streamer uses the Google TV operating system, which is also featured on a number of TVs from the likes of Sony, Philips and TCL. This Android-based software is fairly easy to navigate, includes a wide selection of streaming apps, and boasts a lot of smart home features (thanks to the inclusion of both Matter and Thread) – a boon for those who have invested in smart plugs, lightbulbs and doorbells.

It encompasses a wide range of international and domestic streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+, alongside the likes of ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and, since a recent update, BBC iPlayer. There is also a wide range of lifestyle and gaming apps, including fitness and yoga, as well as a variety of Android games that can be played with the included remote.

Considering the Google TV boasts 4GB of RAM (the same amount found in the Apple TV) and an unnamed processor that is reportedly more powerful than the one found in the Chromecast, we’re slightly frustrated by how often this operating system freezes.

Clicking through menus too quickly can cause the Streamer to stick, requiring it to take a moment to compose itself and move on; if we were pushing the hardware to the limit with a graphically intensive game, we’d understand – but we’re just browsing the home menu.

Software irks aside, the Google TV Streamer does include a host of new AI-based features courtesy of its Gemini platform. This includes more accurate content suggestions, AI-generated synopsis labels for movies and TV shows, display reviews for content, and even season-by-season breakdowns of TV shows if you need to catch up. On the whole, these mostly work well, however, we did find the three-word content descriptions to hiccup on occasion.

While Blade Runner 2049 is accurately described as “existential, atmospheric and bleak”, we’re not sure we’d describe BBC satirical comedy Amandaland as “gritty”. The best description is for Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk, which the streamer labelled as “incredible” – technically correct, we suppose.

Moving away from AI and back to AV, the Google TV Streamer ticks pretty much all of the boxes here. It can stream 4K HDR video (providing you have the correct subscription tier for your chosen service and a capable TV or projector), with all major HDR formats supported, including HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG. It also supports the expected set of Dolby audio formats, including Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital. Unfortunately, DTS:X is not catered for.

Finally, the HDMI 2.1 socket doesn’t seem to support the usual gaming features we associate with the connection, but that’s forgivable as it doesn’t support console-quality titles. Interestingly, the LG C5 OLED TV that we’re using for testing recognises that it supports Quick Media Switching (QMS), which minimises the frequency of black screens flashing up when switching to different frame rates or HDR formats.

Picture

Considering the Chromecast with Google TV earned multiple Awards based on its five-star picture performance, our expectations are, naturally, fairly high. So, is the Google TV Streamer better than the Chromecast? We’re pleased to announce that it is. Is it good enough to justify the increased price and fend off the Apple TV 4K? Unfortunately, it is not.

We have both the streamers mentioned above on hand as reference devices to compare the Google TV with, and while there are plenty of positive aspects regarding the Streamer, it’s in an awkward spot as an upgrade that falls short of the competition. We use a range of streaming services, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, as well as some content purchased on Apple TV.

Starting with John Wick: Chapter 4 on Netflix in 4K Dolby Vision, we can see a clear improvement over the previous Google streamer in terms of contrast. The picture features enhanced depth and deeper blacks, which help to make the image a bit more impactful. The opulent Parisian palace interior looks crisp and detailed, and the Google TV Streamer does the dramatic lighting justice with bright highlights that ensure details aren’t lost on Caine’s face as he is recruited by the Marquis to hunt down Wick.

We then switch to A Quiet Place: Day One in HDR10 on Amazon Prime Video, to assess how the Streamer approaches colours. It’s good news, as it balances punch and naturalness well; Samira’s yellow coat and orange hat have a nice sense of vibrancy while also looking measured and authentic. Likewise, the vibrant foliage and tennis court found in Challengers appear both rich and eye-catching without looking overdone.

Sticking with the steamy tennis-themed flick, we find that motion isn’t an issue on the Google TV Streamer, as the tennis ball darts from one side of the court to the other without any awkward stuttering or flickering. However, this film features a fairly pronounced film grain effect, which can look a tad fuzzy and distracting on the Google Streamer.

We also refer to some lower resolution content, Peep Show on Netflix to be exact, and find that the Streamer does a solid job of presenting the older show. The natural characteristics are still present, but its tendency to emphasise some visual fuzziness is also apparent.

We conclude testing with the opening of Blade Runner 2049 on the Apple TV app, and while we’re generally positive about the picture, it’s pipped by the Apple TV 4K in practically every sense. Apple’s streamer is punchier, richer, more three-dimensional and crisper, leading us to prefer its picture over that of the Google. Admittedly, it is more expensive, but we deem the additional outlay to be worth the picture upgrade if your budget can stretch.

Sound

While we can be fairly complimentary towards the Google TV Streamer’s picture performance, we can’t really say the same about its sound. It suffices for movies and TV shows in most ways, which we admit is the most important factor, with a clear and detailed sound that emphasises vocal clarity. As bullets and arrows start flying in a battle at the Osaka Continental Hotel in John Wick: Chapter 4, the streamer does a solid job of delivering weighty thuds as bodies drop, and the slashes of katanas sound clean and sharp.

That being said, it doesn’t deliver much in the way of low-level dynamics. Dialogue sounds flat and uninteresting, with a one-note feel to voices, robbing the performances of emotion in the process. That dull characteristic can also be felt at the start of Challengers, as the electronic score that bursts to life in the opening match feels misjudged and doesn’t have the intended impact due to its weak timing.

These deficiencies are felt heavily when listening to music through the Google TV Streamer. There is an absence of warmth, and instruments lack texture, which we find is the case with Tool’s Invincible and Taylor Swift’s Willow. Pair that with a lackadaisical sense of timing and the aforementioned poor low-level dynamics, and we’re left with an uninspiring musical performance that is easily bested by the rich and natural-sounding Apple TV 4K.

Ultimately, the Google’s sound will be serviceable for many, but for those with keen ears who want a streamer that delivers a cinematic and musical sound, you may wish to look elsewhere.

Verdict

The Google TV Streamer is in an awkward position. It’s a good streamer that will likely meet most people’s needs; however, it is a good streamer that replaces a great one. It does so at a premium, too, with a higher price tag attached for a picture and sound performance that isn’t far detached from its predecessor.

Furthermore, this inflated price puts it uncomfortably close to the exceptional Apple TV 4K, which betters the Google TV in the most important areas.

Admittedly, the Apple TV 4K might not be a tempting proposition for staunch Android users who refuse to touch Apple products with a ten-foot barge pole, but if picture and sound are top priorities for you (and we’re not sure why they wouldn’t be), then the Apple TV is a better choice.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 3
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Apple TV 4K (2022)

Also consider the Amazon Fire TV Cube

Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

These are the best video streamers you can buy

Xgimi has rapidly established itself as one of the most imaginative and dynamic projector brands on the market. It’s proved consistently unafraid to blaze new feature trails, push picture quality to startling new extremes, experiment with a wide range of different projector types, and get playful with projector designs. Not every innovation Xgimi has delivered has fully paid off, but most of the brand’s projectors are at the very least interesting. A trend kept very much alive by the brand’s new ultra-portable MoGo 3 Pro.

Price

The Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro is good value regardless of on which side of the pond you buy it. Its £429 / $449 price beats the current price of that other popular barrel-shaped ultra-portable projector, Samsung’s The Freestyle, by more than 25 per cent, while also substantially undercutting more performance- rather than convenience-led portable models such as the Nebula Mars 3 Air and LG CineBeam Q.

The Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro also combines both a really cute and quite premium feeling design with a promising set of features for its money, including HDR playback, built-in Google smarts, long LED lamp life, and an integrated stereo sound system designed with the audio gurus at Harman Kardon.

Design

Once we’ve figured out how to open it up from its neatly closed native condition, we pretty much fall in love with the MoGo 3 Pro’s design. For starters, the way it locks down into a sealed cylinder with a rigid spine on the back and a built-in carry loop makes it one of the most robustly portable projectors we’ve seen. The projector’s lock down/open out process is also bizarrely satisfying, as well as making you feel weirdly cool while you do it. Or maybe that’s just us.

In its tucked-away state, the MoGo 3 Pro sports a sharp two-tone silvery finish, with the support spine and bottom speaker section wearing a darker silver than the main projector barrel.

The projector slides up from the speaker-sporting base and then rotates around on the spine for use smoothly and robustly, and we’re pleasantly surprised by how stable the unit feels once the projector is angled to the correct position. That said, we’d still suggest you try to train toddlers and pets to stay away from it if possible, as its build means it's not as immune to tumbles as a regular projector design.

The projector barrel can be rotated through an impressive 130 degrees to help you get the image in the right place on your wall or screen – a degree of flexibility that’s bolstered, as we’ll see in the next section, by a wide-ranging auto set-up system.

Two last surprising design features of the MoGo 3 Pro are its ability to output a pulsating light effect when you’re using it as a Bluetooth music speaker, or function as an ambient light emitter when you’re not using it for any other purpose.

The MoGo 3 Pro ships with a likeable remote control that combines a nice weight and long, narrow design with a logical layout and welcome button-backlighting.

Features

The design of the MoGo 3 Pro is arguably its single biggest unique feature. It combines genuine portability with a level of set-up flexibility that not even the likes of Samsung’s Freestyle or Nebula’s Capsule 3 can match.

It’s worth noting early on that Xgimi describes the MoGo 3 Pro as a ‘portable outdoor movie projector’. This sets expectations right away that this is perhaps not an ideal projector for home entertainment use – though our experience of using it in a variety of locations suggests that Xgimi’s own definition is more limiting than it needs to be.

To Xgimi’s credit, the MoGo 3 Pro’s swish design doesn’t preclude it from playing host to some promising specifications and a solid set of set-up and content options.

Its LED-lit DLP optical system, for instance, is rated to deliver around 25,000 hours of life and is reckoned to cover a massive 90 per cent of the DCI-P3 colour spectrum used in the mastering of most of today’s high dynamic range content. The HDR support only runs to HDR10, with no Dolby Vision or HDR10+, but any sort of HDR support on a lifestyle projector at this sort of level counts as a bonus. Especially if it’s backed up by the sort of colour range support the MoGo 3 Pro is claiming.

The MoGo 3 Pro’s HDR talents may be challenged, though, by its hardly-blazing claimed peak brightness output of 450 ISO lumens. To be fair, this actually isn’t a bad figure for such a cheap and convenience-led projector, but for context, ‘regular’ projectors now routinely deliver 3000 lumens and more in their bid to cope with HDR, while the recently reviewed Epson EF-22 portable projector claims 1000 ISO lumens.

The MoGo 3 Pro carries a native Full HD resolution – a decent finding for such an affordable portable projector – that can be stretched, Xgimi claims, to a 200-inch maximum image size. As we’ve come to expect with convenience/ultra-portable projectors these days, the MoGo 3 Pro can auto-calibrate focus, keystone and even image size to make set-up as easy as possible, as well as shift the image around any obstacles that might appear between its lens and the screen. The auto keystone part of the equation doesn’t work as consistently well for us during testing as the other parts of the auto-set-up system, but adjusting things manually when necessary isn’t too onerous.

Connectivity, as usual with ultra-portable projectors, is limited. The only physical inputs are a USB port supporting multimedia playback, a USB-C power input and a micro HDMI input capable of supporting video inputs up to 1080/60Hz. The USB-C power input enables the projector to be powered either by an included Type C mains plug and cable or a Type C 65W power bank. Note that the MoGo 3 Pro doesn’t have a built-in battery.

The projector also supports both Bluetooth (5.1) and wi-fi wireless connectivity, the former for streaming music from smartphones and tablets, the latter for providing internet access for an integrated Google TV smart system. Google TV carries all the main global streaming apps most people will want, including a fully licensed version of Netflix, as well as Apple TV, YouTube, Prime Video and the ITVX and My5 UK terrestrial broadcaster catch-up apps. There is no functioning version of Disney+ at the time of writing, though, or the UK’s Freeview Play, BBC iPlayer and Channel 4 catch-up apps.

We’re pleased to find the projector’s picture presets including a Game option alongside the more TV and movie-friendly options, especially as this gets input lag down to a very respectably low 27ms.

The audio system built into the MoGo 3 Pro’s base has been designed by respected audio brand Harman Kardon and is rated to deliver 2 x 5W of output power. It’s even capable of decoding Dolby Atmos soundtracks – though this will likely prove a pretty optimistic talent with so few channels and so little power to play with.

Xgimi makes a trio of optional extras for the MoGo 3 Pro: a nicely fitted carry case, an extendable tripod stand, and a so-called Creative Optical Filter that attaches over the lens and magnifies the image by a factor of six so that specially designed starry night, lush rainforest and underwater paradise images played through the projector can deliver a much larger ambient effect in your room.

Picture

In some ways, at least, the Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro’s picture quality doesn’t feel like it’s coming out of such an overtly design- and convenience-led projector. It gets every pixel of potential out of its native Full HD resolution, for instance, delivering images with excellent snap and finesse. Even if you push them up to the 100 inches or so that we’d consider the largest you can sensibly go before they start to lose too much brightness for comfort.

The clarity remains intact with motion, too, even if you’re watching a 24p source, with no real blur to worry about and judder levels that feel more cinematic than jarring. As we usually find with DLP projector types, moreover, the sharpness doesn’t come at the expense of noticeable pixel structure in the image; even, again, when we push the projector to the outer limits of its image size capabilities.

The MoGo 3 Pro follows other Xgimi projectors we’ve seen in conjuring up a markedly wider colour range than not just the vast majority of other portable projectors, but the vast majority of affordable projectors, period. There’s nothing forced or artificial looking about its expansive palette, either. In fact, while it can turn up the colour heat exceptionally well with the most vibrant HDR content, it also handles subtler tones such as skin tones (and including those delivered in the much narrower SDR BT709 gamut) with excellent subtlety, balance and naturalism. Even within the same film or TV show.

The most vibrant tones retain good levels of blend-nuance, too, ensuring that they don’t start to look cartoonish or one-dimensional.

The MoGo 3 Pro couldn’t serve up the sort of colour impact and range it does if it wasn’t capable of punching out more brightness than we’d expect to see from a projector claiming just 450 ISO lumens of light. It gets so much value out of its LED lighting system, in fact, that you even get a slight sense of HDR’s extra intensity, at least in the brightest peaks of HDR images. A little subtle detail can get ‘clipped’ out of these HDR highlights, but the effect is still more of a pleasant surprise than a problem.

The brightness is just about sufficient, too, to let the MoGo 3 Pro’s pictures remain watchable in a little ambient light – a particularly handy talent for a projector explicitly designed to be used in a wide variety of environments, including, potentially, campsites.

While the MoGo 3 Pro’s brightness is a pleasant surprise in some areas, though, it is also responsible for a couple of issues. First, dark scenes and dark picture areas tend to lose subtle shadow details, and second, deep colours in dark scenes tend to desaturate quite heavily, leaving some of them looking almost black and white.

These lost shadow details and dark colour saturation issues are more of an issue with HDR content than SDR, too, due to the extra greyness that appears over dark scenes when the MoGo 3 Pro has to increase its brightness output to accommodate HDR’s expanded light range. The extra greyness essentially consumes faint shadow details and shifts dark colour tones.

One other issue with our test sample involves slightly uneven brightness across the image. This isn’t noticeable with bright scenes, but during dark shots, the left side of the image looks slightly lighter than the right.

To be clear, these issues don’t by any means nullify the MoGo 3 Pro’s surprising image strengths, but they are just problematic enough to remind us that, while some of its picture efforts are commendable, at heart it is still a projector that is focused more on convenience than absolute picture performance.

Sound

The MoGo 3 Pro’s sound resembles its pictures in the sense that it’s actually pretty solid by the standards of ultra-portable projectors but doesn’t quite go far enough to make you forget you’re compromising on performance in return for a cool lifestyle design.

The most predictable issues are that it can’t get as loud as we’d like (though we guess other people on a campsite might actually be grateful for this) and that it doesn’t project its sound enough to make it appear to be coming from the vicinity of the pictures it’s supposed to be accompanying – despite the speakers being designed to output a 360-degree soundfield. Dialogue, in particular, tends to feel rather trapped inside the projector’s compact form.

With so little space for the integrated speakers to work with, it’s also no great surprise to find that the MoGo 3 Pro’s sound doesn’t have much bass to it, or many gears to shift through during action scenes.

The good news is that the MoGo 3 Pro’s sound is surprisingly clean and crisp, helping it deliver lots of detail and ensuring that, while dialogue may not enjoy much ‘throw’, it is at least always easy to make out. We are also surprised to hear how much the projector benefits from being fed a Dolby Atmos mix in terms of placing details with more specificity and creating at least the illusion of a larger audio presence in the process.

The MoGo 3 Pro seems to be sensibly working within its speaker limits, too, in the sense that its sound doesn’t succumb to aggressive distortions or dropouts with either movie or Bluetooth music sources. In fact, it’s really quite enjoyable as a small-scale Bluetooth speaker – especially with its accompanying light show pulsing away alongside the music.

Verdict

While the Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro’s affordable price, clever and attractive ultra-portable design and eye-catching integrated light features prove to be its most potent attractions, it’s also a decent enough picture and sound performer for a projector of its type – so long as you don’t expect too much.

SCORES

• Picture 3
• Sound 3
• Features 4

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Read our review of the Anker Nebula Capsule 3

Also consider the LG CineBeam Q

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Best projectors: budget, 4K and ultra-short-throw

Perhaps the most surprising spin-off from our seemingly never-ending quest for ever bigger screen experiences at home is the explosion in portable ‘lifestyle’ projectors.

Scarcely a month goes by now without another weirdly and/or wonderfully designed pint-sized projector finding its way onto our test benches – and today it’s the turn of Epson to bid for convenient projection glory with the seriously eye-catching EpiqVision Mini EF-22.

Price

The current official £999 Epson UK price for the EF-22 is high by lifestyle projector standards. A quick comparison with key rivals finds the Nebula Mars 3 Air currently going for £549, and the LG CineBeam Q going for £800.

The $999 US price looks like better value, but for UK buyers it’s probably worth noting that while Epson’s own website is still showing £999, the projector is fairly widely available at the time of writing for around £799.

Design

The Epson EF-22 is one of the most eye-catching lifestyle projectors yet – as well as one of the biggest.

The way the main projector body sits inside an external cradle, within which it can be angled up or down and rotated around, strangely makes it look in photographs as if it’s really small. In reality, though, that main projector section isn’t all that much smaller than a compact ‘regular’ coffee table/desktop projector. Indeed, you can actually buy the same projector without the cradle support for a decent chunk less than the price of the EF-22, under an EF-21 product name.

The EF-22 is not too heavy, though (just 3kg), and the remarkable ease with which the projector can rotate through a full 360 degrees on its circular base or tilt through 150 degrees on its cradle attachment – even becoming a ceiling projector if you wish – really does make it easy to move from room to room or house to house, especially as an attractive felt section on its rear hides a built-in stereo speaker system.

The cradle mount adds enough to the EF-22’s usefulness, we’d argue, to justify its extra cost over the cradle-free EF-21. It becomes even more portable, too, if you sort yourself out with its optional £50 / $50 Custom Travel Case.

Couple the EF-22’s clever and well-built design with the potential extra quality made possible by the relatively large main projector element, and Epson could really have hit on a great best-of-both-worlds solution.

The EF-22’s striking design can be bought in a variety of colour options: Diamond White, Onyx Black, Stone Blue, Quartz Rose and Opal Green. Note that the EF-21 is only available in the white, green and rose colours.

The EF-22 ships with a very likeable remote control. It’s comfortable to hold while being big enough to be easy to find in a dark room, its button layout is logical and spacious, and while it isn’t backlit, its most important buttons are white and faintly luminous, so they’re relatively easy to find without having to switch the lights on.

Features

The Epson EF-22 doesn’t just depend on its lifestyle design for its appeal. For starters, its 3LCD laser lighting system delivers a Full HD resolution, fed by an unusually high (by lifestyle projector standards) claimed 1000 ISO lumens of maximum brightness. To put this in perspective, the impressive Nebula Mars 3 Air, by comparison, only delivers around 400 ANSI lumens.

Epson always likes to state, too, that its 3LCD technology delivers as much as three times the ‘colour brightness’ of the rival DLP approach.

The EF-22 is claimed to be capable of delivering a watchable picture right the way up to 150 inches in size, essentially giving you the option of a home cinema in any room with a big enough chunk of wall space (though we would, as ever, recommend using a dedicated screen, as we do for testing), while its laser lighting system is rated for up to 10 years of trouble-free use without any of the replacement bulbs required by traditional lamp-based projectors.

A claimed 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio sets our marketing-nonsense radar twitching, though, as you’ll almost certainly never actually see anything like such a contrast performance in real-world conditions. Though we guess the fact that Epson throws such a contrast figure out there at least suggests that it appreciates that contrast is important to a home entertainment projector.

The Epson is capable of playing the basic HDR10 and HLG high dynamic range formats via both its internal apps or external sources but, as usual, there’s no support for the premium Dolby Vision or HDR10+ formats.

Being able to rotate and tilt the EF-22 isn’t its only set-up aid. A so-called EpiqSense set-up system automatically takes care of keystone correction (to get the sides of the image perpendicular), image size (screen fit) and image focus. The system can even shift the image around any objects detected between the image and your wall/screen.

The EF-22 is reasonably well-connected for a projector of this sort. A single HDMI 1.4 port is provided for attaching external devices, and there’s USB support for playback of AV files, attaching a web camera and so on. The HDMI port supports eARC, too, so that you can use it to pass audio out to an eARC-capable soundbar or AVR.

There’s also wi-fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, the former so you can take advantage of the EF-22’s built-in Google TV smart system, the latter so you can stream content (including via Google Cast) to the projector from your smartphone or tablet. A built-in twin 5W stereo speaker system combines with the smart device streaming support to give the EF-22 the potential to function as a Bluetooth speaker if you wish.

The stability and performance of Google and Android TV smart systems seems to vary more on projectors than TVs, so we’re not surprised to find the EF-22’s system a bit hit and miss. For instance, while the big global hitters are there, including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+ and YouTube, along with the ITVX, Channel 4 and My5 UK catch-up apps, neither the BBC iPlayer or Freeview Play apps available from the Google TV app library actually work. We were also faced with a huge 40-minute software update when we first installed the projector, reminding us of another common Google TV gripe.

Picture

As hoped, in many ways the Epson EF-22 performs more like a full-sized projector rather than a portable lifestyle one.

This is especially true when it comes to brightness. Pictures enjoy more pop and punch than those of any other projector we can think of in the same lifestyle projector class, helping them deliver a more convincing display of the difference between SDR and HDR sources and better cut through ambient light than arguably any other projector in its class.

There’s obviously a limit to both of these achievements; HDR doesn’t contain anything like the same fulsome light range that it can on a premium TV, and we’d still strongly recommend that you get your room as dark as you can, at least if you’re watching something intense such as a film or video game. But the same can be said of many projectors costing way more and offering far fewer convenience features than the EF-22.

The EF-22’s pictures are also impressively detailed and sharp. It delivers every bit of its native Full HD resolution, maintaining a crisp, dense feel even when pushed towards the outer limits of its image size support (which we’d put at more like 130 inches, realistically, rather than the quoted 150 inches).

The detailed feel to the image is impressively retained during dark scenes, too, as the EF-22 avoids the sort of hollow black crush or ‘glowing wash’ detail-scrubbing effects many convenience-based projectors tend to suffer to some extent.

Colours look vibrant and rich, with the projector’s unusually high brightness unlocking a wider colour gamut rather than causing colours to start looking washed out, as can be the case with less balanced performers. The colour doesn’t look vulgar or forced, either, even if you stick with the default Vivid picture preset. Though if you do want a more considered, balanced and accurate colour performance, the Cinema preset does a pretty good job of giving you that without losing so much intensity that it becomes too flat or boring.

The EF-22’s sharpness, brightness and rich colours make it a fun gaming display – at least when playing games that don’t depend too much on millisecond reaction times. The 76ms it takes to render images received via its HDMI input is too high to support really competitive games of Call Of Duty, for example.

The main problem with the EF-22 is that its unusually high brightness comes at the expense of deep black tones. Shots that contain a broad mix of light and dark elements look fine, chiefly because, we think, the bright parts of such images are so eye-catchingly intense that they hide the limitations in the dark areas. But predominantly dark scenes appear behind a quite pronounced layer of greyness, meaning they lack the conviction, colour impact and sense of depth the projector provides so well elsewhere.

Other smaller niggles find skin tones looking a touch jaundiced in some of the EF-22’s picture presets, the auto keystone system not always working as perfectly as we’d like, requiring manual intervention, and some signs of detail and colour shade ‘clipping’ in the very brightest parts of HDR images.

It’s worth noting, too, that aside from a decently long selection of picture preset options, the EF-22 doesn’t provide many picture fine-tuning tools with which you might try to tackle its limitations, either.

For the most part, though, especially in the sort of relatively casual, not fully blacked-out viewing environments lifestyle projectors often find themselves working in, the Epson EF-22’s weaknesses typically have far less impact than its strengths.

Sound

The Epson EF-22’s relatively substantial bulk by lifestyle projector standards does not help it deliver the same sort of impact with its sound that it does with its pictures. There just isn’t enough power in its onboard speakers to drive the sound out of the projector’s bodywork with the sort of projection and scale required to either match the scope of the images being produced or make the sound appear to be coming from near the onscreen action.

It’s certainly not all bad news, though. The speakers sound clean and recover plenty of detail from a decent sound mix, and the midrange is expansive enough to make vocals sound well-rounded and contextualised.

Despite the general lack of audio projection, the EF-22 still manages to reproduce a quite effective sense of stereo separation, while treble effects don’t sound excessively harsh or thin. And while the EF-22 might not be powerful enough to sound cinematic or connect a soundtrack with the epic onscreen content, it is actually louder than many of its lifestyle projector rivals – a fact that makes it at least passable as a Bluetooth speaker, too.

Verdict

While it doesn’t have the image flexibility to render dark scenes convincingly enough to make it a true home cinema option, the Epson EF-22 is bright enough, colourful enough and easy enough to set up to make it one of the lifestyle projection world’s more engaging options – especially if you’re looking for an affordable portable projector that’s actually capable of doing at least some sort of justice to HDR sources.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 3
• Features 4

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Best projectors: Full HD, 4K, and short-throw

No sooner have our collective backs recovered from checking out TCL’s ridiculously great value 85-inch 85C805K magnum opus than we’re having to dig out the back braces again to take on an even bigger TCL brute: the 98-inch 98Q9BK. And, if anything, this startlingly affordable whopper proves even more that the cinema-sized TV revolution is well and truly upon us. Whether our vertebrae like it or not.

Price

Not so long ago you’d have expected to pay five figures for a 98-100-inch TV. The TCL 98Q9BK, though, sets UK buyers back the princely sum of £3250 – and that’s despite it being far from basic with either its specifications or features. Suddenly, the current huge surge in the popularity of mega-sized TVs isn’t so hard to understand.

The main king-sized TV competition for the 98Q9BK comes from TCL itself and arch-rival Hisense. The 85-inch TCL 85C805K we loved so much is now, incredibly, available for under £1500, while Hisense’s 100-inch 100E7NQT Pro is a pound under £2k. Note, though, that the 85C805K is actually from TCL’s previous TV generation and so doesn’t sport as many dimming zones or as much brightness as the 98Q9BK, while the Hisense model doesn’t use Mini LED lighting or, again, deliver nearly as much brightness.

The Q9BK range isn’t sold outside the UK. Though a nearly identically specified option, the 98C765K, is available in many European countries.

Design

So instantly, overwhelmingly epic is witnessing the 98Q9BK’s 98-inch screen that it’s tempting to just say ‘it’s massive’ for this section of the review and move on.

If you can tear your eyes away from watching blockbuster films at a blockbuster size for a moment or two, though, you might appreciate that while the 98Q9BK isn’t exactly the world’s most stylish TV, its use of straight, blade-style feet (note that smaller Q9BK models switch to a central plinth-style stand) and a fairly narrow bezel help ensure there’s minimal hardware presence to distract you from the epicness of its images. A vaguely metallic finish to the TV’s side panels adds a slightly premium feel to proceedings, too.

The rear is shallower and more uniform than you might expect of such a huge backlit LCD TV too, making it a reasonably unobtrusive wall mount option (so much as a 98-inch screen can ever be considered unobtrusive, of course).

The 98Q9BK ships with one of TCL’s typical long, thin, rather plasticky remote controls. While a more premium version might have been nice to get with such an epic TV, though, its layout is fairly sensible and it helpfully provides direct access keys to some of the most popular streaming apps.

Features

While its size is obviously the 98Q9BK’s most stand-out feature, it ticks plenty of other home cinema-friendly boxes too: its LCD display uses contrast-rich VA technology rather than the IPS alternative; it’s illuminated by Mini LEDs; and those Mini LEDs are arranged in 1536 independently dimmable zones (yes, we counted them).

TCL claims, too, that the 98Q9BK is capable of outputting as much as 2400 nits of brightness for small HDR highlights. If it gets even close to this with real-world content on such a mammoth screen, the resulting spectacle should be truly something. Especially if those 1536 dimming zones mean the set can serve up some deep blacks alongside the eye-catching brightness.

Helping the 98Q9BK’s colours keep up with its promised brightness is a Quantum Dot array, and the screen sports a mild anti-reflection filter to try and reduce the extent to which bright objects in your room might come between you and a direct connection with what you’re watching.

Connections are about what we’d expect from a reasonably affordable king-sized TV, with four HDMIs being joined by a couple of USBs and the usual wi-fi and Bluetooth wireless options. The wireless options include Miracast, Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast, but only two of the HDMIs support 4K/120Hz (and, in fact, 144Hz) gaming feeds.

The Chromecast support comes courtesy of the 98Q9BK’s Google TV smart system. With TCL’s previous TV generation, this use of Google or Android TV smarts would have come with the rider that it doesn’t provide all of the UK’s main terrestrial broadcaster catch-up apps. With the 98Q9BK, though, TCL has managed to add Freeview Play, meaning that it now covers every key video streaming service most UK punters will ever need.

Gaming features beyond the previously mentioned 4K/120Hz and 144Hz support include VRR (including the AMD FreeSync Premium Pro system), a Game Bar menu that provides gaming aids (such as an overlaid target reticle) and information on the gaming signal, plus a 240Hz Game Accelerator system that trades resolution for the appearance of refresh rates that actually go beyond the 98Q9BK’s native 144Hz range.

TCL’s big boy also supports ALLM switching, meaning it can automatically switch into its faster-responding Game preset when a game source is detected. In this mode, input lag (the time the screen takes to render received image data) drops to a very respectable 13.4ms.

It’s great to find, too, a Dolby Vision HDR game mode so you can still enjoy fast response times when gaming in Dolby’s premium high dynamic range format.

The 98Q9BK’s Dolby Vision HDR support is backed up by HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG HDR playback, meaning it covers all four of the main HDR formats and so will always take in the best available version of any content you feed it.

One last feature of note finds TCL turning to the audio gurus at Onkyo for the design of the 98Q9BK’s 2.1-channel sound system, which includes a large rear-mounted subwoofer.

Picture

With the occasional, increasingly rare exception, TCL’s TV division is on a pretty serious roll at the moment, consistently delivering TVs of all sizes that combine aggressive prices with surprisingly (given how cheap they are) high levels of performance. The 98Q9BK keeps these good times going in truly spectacular fashion.

For starters, there’s no overstating just what an impact a 98-inch screen has on your living room. The step up from even 85 inches feels much more than just an extra 13 inches in terms of how much the 98-inch screen fills your field of view (as well as your wall), instantly turning even the Teletubbies into a (rather disturbing) Hollywood blockbuster.

Making that impact all the greater is how bright TCL’s latest TV giant is. Bright highlights of HDR content gleam with the sort of intensity usually reserved for only the most expensive mid-sized TVs. Even more strikingly, the picture retains much more light with HDR images that flood the whole screen with brightness than any other super-sized TV (or any OLED TV period) we’ve tested. Such brightness emerging at the 98Q9BK’s scale is an incredibly satisfying sight for any videophile keen to experience just what HDR is capable of.

Just as importantly, though, the 98Q9BK doesn’t throw its light about irresponsibly, without due regard for all the other elements that go into making a good TV picture. Its local dimming system – and, we’d say, the TCL AiPQ processor driving it – does a mostly very accomplished job of getting the screen to serve up impressively deep and consistent dark colours and black tones alongside all the bright stuff.

Unrelentingly dark scenes are troubled impressively little by low-contrast grey ‘wash’ hanging over them, yet at the same time they remain free of black crush, where subtle shading details can be lost in a TV’s push for convincing black tones.

Scenes that contain a few relatively small but very intense bright highlights set against a mostly dark but also detailed backdrop can cause a slightly cloudy, hazy look to creep into some dark areas. While clearly a result of the 98Q9BK’s local dimming system not quite having enough local light control to fully maintain inky blacks in between spread-out bright highlights, we broadly appreciate the choice TCL appears to have made between driving the local dimming so aggressively that it would surely have resulted in light ‘halos’ around the bright objects and going for a more ‘blended’ backlight zone approach that raises general black levels slightly but doesn’t generate distractingly specific backlight zone activity.

Getting back to the unequivocally good stuff, the 98Q9BK’s Quantum Dot colours are diverse and voluminous enough to take on all the light that’s been thrown at them without thinning out or, except under very extreme circumstances, ‘clipping out’ subtle shading details. There isn’t, though, quite as much general nuance to bold colours as you get with some of the most high-end TVs – a limitation which can leave skin tones sometimes looking a touch plasticky and the occasional vivid expanse of colour looking more cartoonish than the rest of the picture.

This issue perhaps contributes, too, to a slightly soft look to the 98Q9BK’s picture at times. Initially, we thought this might just be what 4K looks like when stretched to 98 inches, but we have seen other similarly large or even larger screens, albeit only in demo conditions, that retain a crisper look.

That isn’t to say, though, that the 98Q9BK’s picture doesn’t still look clean and detailed, because it does. The picture is also still crisp enough to allow us to feel more than satisfied with the screen’s upscaling of HD sources. This doesn’t exaggerate source noise, misjudge colours or add artificial-looking object edging as it goes about adding millions of extra pixels of picture to fill the unforgivingly huge 98-inch screen.

While the 98Q9BK doesn’t carry a Filmmaker Mode preset, it still manages to produce impressively balanced, natural and accurate-looking images in both its HDR and SDR Movie presets. Also, while its Dynamic Tone Mapping system is mostly enjoyable in the way it goes about optimising HDR10 sources to the screen’s capabilities in the TV’s Standard mode, this is definitely a TV that really benefits from being fed a Dolby Vision source, with which even its local dimming engine seems to enjoy a little more refinement.

Our main niggle with the 98Q9BK beyond the slightly cloudy look certain extreme contrast shots can take on is that it can set a slightly too high brightness floor with HDR10 and SDR images across its best picture presets, resulting in you seeing slightly more background detail in dark scenes than you were really supposed to.

Often this doesn’t really matter and you might not notice if you didn’t know exactly how a scene should look. But sometimes it can cause dark scenes to exhibit more noise than they otherwise would.

So that we can finish this section on the high note the 98Q9BK deserves, though, let’s confirm that, as you might hope, gaming on the 98Q9BK is so much fun it feels like it should barely be legal.

Adventure/Exploration/RPG titles take on a whole new level of immersion when you’re exploring life-sized worlds and fighting life-sized enemies. We even get on well with trigger-speed games such as Call Of Duty, with which small screens traditionally give you an edge. That’s partly because of how responsive the 98Q9BK is, and partly because (provided you don’t sit so close to it that your eyes have to move around it too much) its enormity actually makes it easier to spot distant or hiding enemies.

Basically, once you’ve gamed this big and this bright, it’s hard to go back to anything less.

Sound

While images as big as those of the 98Q9BK deserve to be partnered with some sort of external sound system, TCL’s collaboration with Onkyo has resulted in an unexpectedly ‘worthy’ integrated sound system.

The speakers are powerful enough to project their sound a surprising distance beyond the TV’s boundaries, for instance, creating an audio world that’s even bigger than the one you’re seeing on screen.

The handling of this large soundstage, though, is precise enough to place effects within it with decent accuracy and balance, so that nothing starts to feel woolly, dislocated or incoherent. What’s more, while there are no dedicated up-firing drivers or channels in the 98Q9BK, it manages to create a sense of verticality to the sound if you’re listening to a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. This isn’t as precise as the left/right staging, but it’s still a compelling addition to the already epic soundstage.

The subwoofer on the 98Q9BK’s rear sounds a little coarse compared with the TV’s other speakers, meaning dense action movie moments can sound a little compressed or hardened. The sub is at least keen to get involved, though, and only succumbs to mild true distortions under quite extreme Hollywood-sound-mixers-showing-off pressure.

Deep male voices can challenge the low frequency capabilities of the main speakers, too, becoming slightly muddy and hummy from time to time.

Overall, though, the 98Q9BK sound good enough out of the box to not have you immediately ordering at least a soundbar to go with its massive pictures. Which is probably a better result than we had a right to expect with a £3250 98-inch TV.

Verdict

The TCL 98Q9BK joins the brand’s What Hi-Fi? Award-winning 85C805K in redefining the big-screen market. Its pictures aren’t quite as all-round refined as the C805K’s, perhaps. However, its monumental size for what is, under the circumstances, an eye-catchingly affordable price – together with its fierce brightness and surprisingly effective Mini LED/local dimming light controls – officially means that projectors are no longer the only credible big-screen option for the sort of serious but still affordable home theatre set-ups so many of us crave.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 4
• Features 5

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Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and affordable flatscreens tried and tested

Google has released an update for Google TV devices – including the recently released Google TV Streamer – which brings many of the features seen on the 2024 media streamer to TVs and projectors running the operating system. While few of these features directly relate to enhancing the AV experience specifically, they do add extra functionality.

Google TV is used by a wide range of TV manufacturers, including Sony, Philips, TCL and Hisense (specifically in the US), and it's also becoming a more popular option for projector brands such as Xgimi and Epson. Google is even rolling this device out to the recently deceased Chromecast with Google TV, though as we reported earlier this year, it won't get all of the same features as the Google TV Streamer.

This update mostly focuses on smart home functionality and the Gemini AI system. As for smart home controls, you can now interface with lights, thermostats and cameras straight from your TV. You'll also receive notifications from your smart doorbell without pausing your content too, and if your remote gets lost between the couch cushions then you can simply ask the Google Assistant to control your smart home devices.

Furthermore, Gemini is being implemented into more Google TV devices thanks to this update. It brings generative AI screensavers to the operating system, allowing you to input a prompt which will create an AI-generated image to use in ambient mode. Content will also have enhanced overviews powered by the Gemini AI engine, which will include a synopsis, audience reviews and season-by-season breakdowns, which will ensure you're up to speed on TV shows if there has been a long wait between seasons or if you've taken a break and forgotten where you were in the story.

Finally, Google is making finding and accessing content easier. There is a new sports tab on the "For You" page; this encompasses live and upcoming games, sports commentary, game highlights and personalised recommendations based on the sports and teams you follow. Google is also building upon its Freeplay free online live channels feature, with a new guide to browse the 150 channels that you can filter by topic or genre.

This Google TV update is available now, and if you want to upgrade your TV, media streamer or projector, then simply go to Settings > System > About > System Update. Your device should search for the update; once it has found the latest software version click "Install Update".

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Google TV Streamer: everything you need to know

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And find the best TV deals here

Chinese projector brand Xgimi is continuing its mission of bringing premium projectors to the masses with its new lineup of projectors. It launched no less than six new models at this year's showcase, with everything from portable units made for camping trips to a brand-new ultra-short-throw model that might just replace your TV.

We've broken the lineup down into two sections to tackle all of the new announcements, and you can find out everything you need to know about the new Google TV-powered portable beamers and premium 4K units below:

Portable projectors: MoGo 3 Pro, Eflin Flip and Halo+

You can find our story all about the new MoGo 3 Pro here, but we'll quickly run through some of the new features. It's got a new compact design that's comparable in size to a Starbucks coffee cup, built-in Google TV functionality, auto picture adjustment and a Bluetooth speaker mode; that's a lot packed into a travel-friendly form factor. Furthermore, Xgimi showed off some of the accessories for the MoGo 3 Pro including a suave carrying case, optical lens filters, and the PowerBase which acts as both a stand and external battery for the projector. It's available now for £419 / $449 / AU$1099. 

Next is the Elfin Flip, part of Xgimi's budget series of small and cheap beamers. It features a built-in stand with 150 degrees of rotation, which can close flat and protect the lens when not in use. It can project a 1080p HDR10 image up to 150 inches, and with 400 ISO lumens, Xgimi says it can deliver a "vibrant and lifelike viewing experience". With portability in mind, it also has Xgimi OS built-in with Netflix support alongside other streaming apps, and Intelligent Screen Adaptation (ISA) built in for automatic focus, keystone, obstacle avoidance and picture alignment. And at just £339 / $399 / AU$TBC, it's as affordable as it is adorable. 

Rounding things out in the portable lineup is the updated Halo+, which is mostly a software upgrade over its predecessor with Xgimi dropping Android TV in favour of Google TV. This brings native Netflix support to the projector which also touts 700 ISO lumens of brightness, a Harman/Kardon sound system, a 1080p resolution with HDR10 support and a picture size of up to 200-inches. It retails for a slightly cheaper price than its predecessor at £679 / $799, with Australian pricing TBC. 

4K home cinema projectors: Aura 2, Horizon S Plus and Horizon S Max

Onto the latter half of Xgimi's upgraded lineup, there are four new 4K laser models in Xgimi's roster which are destined for living rooms rather than campsites. The first and, in our opinion, the most exciting new model is the Aura 2 (pictured above) which is a sequel to the four-star Aura from 2022. This new model is a radical departure from its predecessor's black and grey construction, with a much more premium looking and feeling design complete with a motorised lens cover that retracts when you switch the projector on. 

It features a 4K resolution with Dolby Vision support, as well as Dolby Atmos certification for its built-in Harman/Kardon sound system. It also has an impressive 0.177:1 throw ratio meaning you can achieve a 100-inch image by placing the projector just 17.8cm away from the wall. Strangely Xgimi has opted for Android TV on this model which feels like an odd choice, as the other models in the new range seem to use the newer and slicker Google TV system. 

Elsewhere the Aura 2 features Xgimi's Dual Light 2.0 system capable of reaching an impressive 2300 ISO lumens, alongside its ISA 5.0 automatic calibration system which handles the usual picture adjustments (focus, keystone and alignment) alongside some more involved tasks such as adjusting the picture based on the shape and colour of your wall. And if you don't want to project onto the wall, then you can pick up the bundle that includes the Aura 2 and a 100-inch screen made by Xgimi. The Aura 2 is available to pre-order now for £2439 / $2699 / AU$6399, with pricing for the bundle expected soon.

Finally, Xgimi announced a pair of new projectors that are set to join the Horizon Pro and Horizon Ultra. The Horizon S Plus and Horizon S Max are similar in looks and specs, though the Max has a few expected upgrades over the Plus. They both feature a flexible built-in stand with tilt and rotation functionality, Android TV, Dolby Vision support and the ISA 5.0 system.

As for differences, the Max is brighter at a blinding 3100 ISO lumens compared to 1800 ISO lumens on the Plus, and the Max receives IMAX Enhanced support with DTS:X, while the Plus supports DTS HD. The Horizon S series is yet to receive pricing, though we expect that the Max will be the more expensive of the pair. 

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Read our full Xgimi Horizon Ultra review

As well as our picks for the best projectors

Autumn is upon us, which means all kinds of decent TV shows are coming our way. You'll need something to watch them on, which is where this deal comes in.

It's a 65-inch Panasonic OLED TV that has dropped in price by £300 to £799 at John Lewis. That's the best price around, and a great deal on a well-specified TV.

Panasonic OLED TV deal

We haven't reviewed this particular model, but it is quite similar to the smaller MZ980, which scored four stars. It supports the HDR10+ and Dolby Vision formats of HDR (but not HDR10+ Adaptive or Dolby Vision IQ), and packs Panasonic's excellent Filmmaker Mode, which also features on the brand's higher-end TVs. 

It has two HDMI 2.1 ports, along with ALLM and Game Mode for gamers. Chromecast built-in lets you 'cast' content from your phone straight to your TV with no need for an extra device such as the Chromecast with Google TV or Google TV Streamer. And it looks decently specified for sound, with a built-in subwoofer, Dolby Atmos and Dynamic Surround Sound at your fingertips.

Android TV is one of the best TV operating systems around, and brings all the major streaming services in the picture/sound formats they support. It also gives you Google Assistant for voice controls – handy if you misplace the remote.

This deal is only at John Lewis. Grab it now and settle in to autumn.

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Worth getting excited for? Here's our hands-on with the Panasonic Z95A

These are the best TVs you can buy right now

And here are the best TV deals

When news broke earlier this month that Google will be ceasing production of the Chromecast with Google TV in favour of the upcoming Google TV Streamer, concerns about the future of the Award-winning 4K media streamer arose immediately. With a new streamer on the market, would Google drop support for the Chromecast sooner than expected?

Thankfully it looks like our fears have been put to rest, as the outgoing streamer is set to get a major software update soon according to Android Authority. According to the online publication, a Google representative confirmed that the streamer will be updated to Android 14 at the Made by Google event, in which the new Pixel 9 smartphones were unveiled. 

No date was given regarding the rollout of this update, but we do know that the older streamer isn't getting all the features that come with Android 14. Namely, the Thread smart home integration aspect will not be available on the Chromecast with Google TV due to a hardware limitation. The new Google TV Streamer has a Thread radio built in, which allows it to communicate directly with other smart home devices that also have Thread integration; the Chromecast, on the other hand, does not.

It's not all bad news though, as we expect many of the other new Android 14 features to be available on the Chromecast with Google TV streamer. These include a picture-in-picture mode that will allow you to view your video doorbell without interrupting whatever you're watching, and there are new energy modes for the eco-conscious crowd. 

While the Chromecast won't be on store shelves for much longer, updates are expected to continue into next year at the very least. Google has reportedly committed to supporting the 4K model with security updates until 2025, while the HD variant is supposedly covered until 2027. 

MORE:

Read our full Chromecast with Google TV review

Should you wait for the new one or go for the Award-winner?: Google TV Streamer vs Chromecast with Google TV

Here are 3 reasons to buy a Chromecast before it's gone forever

Today marks a turning point in Google's streaming lineage. The beloved (and Award-winning) Google Chromecast with Google TV streamer has officially been discontinued, with the Chromecast series as a whole being laid to rest after 13 years. While saying goodbye to this successful line of streaming devices is hard, it's a bittersweet occasion; as Google has officially announced its successor. 

The imaginatively titled Google TV Streamer picks up right where the Chromecast left off, but this time Google is going for a full-on streaming box solution rather than an HDMI dongle. Looks-wise, the new streamer carries forth the smooth, pebble-inspired aesthetics of the Pixel phones and Pixel tablets, as well as the outgoing Chromecast. Google says it designed this streamer to sit alongside your TV rather than being tucked away in a media unit, hence the slick design; however, it should also improve connectivity with other smart home devices too according to Google. On the subject of connectivity, Google has included an ethernet port for wired internet connectivity, which should lead to smoother streaming and less buffering. 

The remote has reportedly undergone some changes too, with improved ergonomics, a more convenient button layout, a better grip and a customisable shortcut button. There's even a handy Google Assistant-powered "find my remote" command that helps you locate your remote if it slips between the couch cushions. 

Onto the streamer itself, Google is calling this generation a "giant leap in performance". It features an upgraded processor, double the RAM of the previous Chromecast 4K and 32GB of internal memory, which should lead to faster loading times and smoother UI navigation. And if the name hasn't already given it away, this streamer is running the Google TV operating system which is a good thing in our books. App compatibility is solid on Google TV – you'll find the usual Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus and local streaming apps – and it's easy to use too.

This new Google TV streamer will also support HDR; Google name-dropped Dolby Vision HDR and the Chromecast with Google TV supported HDR10+, so we expect to see that here as well. It also supports Dolby Atmos immersive audio on supported streaming services, but you'll need a Dolby Atmos soundbar or AVR to fully take advantage of that feature. 

Finally, it should be no surprise that Google has imbued its latest streamer with the power of its Gemini artificial intelligence. It will be able to generate content summaries, find reviews and even create a season-by-season breakdown to get you up to speed with TV shows. AI also has a hand in generating art for the idle mode, just give a voice command to Gemini to create some artwork to display on your TV when you're not using it. 

The Google TV Streamer will be available in two finishes – Porcelain and Hazel (the latter appears to be a Google US store exclusive) – for $99.99 (around £80 / AU$150) on the 24th of September. Pre-orders are open in the States, however, there is no news on a UK or Australian release quite yet. 

And if you're feeling nostalgic for Chromecast and fancy a trip down memory lane, Google has a charming blog post reminiscing about the seven best moments in Chromecast history. 

MORE:

Read our full Google Chromecast with Google TV review

And the Apple TV 4K (2022)

And check out our picks for the best media streamers

If you live by the old adage “size matters” you’ll be pleased to hear Amazon has slashed the price of TCL’s entry level 100-inch TV with its latest Prime Day deal.

You can pick up the giant 98-inch TCL 98P745K for £1709 on Amazon right now, which is a very healthy 43 per cent saving on its launch price.

Full disclosure, we’ve not had the TV into our viewing rooms for testing. But we’re still happy recommending it for three reasons.

First, because TCL has a strong track record creating stellar value TVs, based on our latest reviews. The smaller Mini LED TCL C845K was a What Hi-Fi? Award winner and a stellar value set to this day. The step down C745K also impressed us enough to earn a four star rating, offering great picture quality for the money.

Second, because, though we haven’t reviewed it, our staff writer Lewis Empson did get an opening, look at it, during a TCL event at the end of the last year and came away impressed.

For the money it offers a giant screen and surprisingly competitive feature set, despite having a base LCD rather than Mini LED panel. Highlights include excellent HDR support, great app selection thanks to its Google TV software and an atypically high 144Hz refresh rate, which could appeal to gamers.

As Lewis said in his hands-on preview of the TCL 98P745K:

“What’s most impressive about this TV is its feature set, which is far more stocked than its price tag might suggest [...] The 98P745 seems like a valiant effort by TCL to bring super-sized screens down to a fairly affordable price.”

The third reason we’re happy to recommend it, is that this is the cheapest we’ve ever seen it sell for. Prior to Prime Day the cheapest we’ve seen the TCL 98P745K sell for was £1999 – a £290 premium on its current price.

That said, if you don’t insist on your next TV being 100-inches, we’d recommend checking out our main best Prime Day TV deals guide which has a wider selection of offers on display.

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These are the best Prime Day 2024 soundbar deals we’ve seen

Our picks of the best Prime Day projector deals

These are the best cheap TVs we’ve tried and tested 

Perhaps because it’s never developed a smart system of its own, TCL has been unusually promiscuous when it comes to the operating systems deployed across its TV range. Roku, Android TV and Google TV have all cropped up on TVs in recent times, and the brand’s established some pretty deep links with TiVo, too. So we probably shouldn’t be surprised to find TCL’s 32SF540K now adding yet another name to the brand’s smart partner list in the shape of Amazon’s Fire TV OS.

Of course, Amazon produces its own 32-inch Fire TV, the 2-Series, which we recently reviewed. Can TCL beat Amazon at its own game? It sure can.

Price

TCL TVs these days pretty much always push the value envelope, and the 32SF540K is no exception. At £149 it is comfortably the cheapest of the trio of 32-inch TVs we’ve been looking at recently, undercutting Amazon’s own 32-inch Fire TV 2-Series model by £40 at the time of writing, and costing less than half as much as Sony’s KD-32W800.

Naturally, we’ll have to be on the lookout for feature or performance corner-cutting to explain such a puny price, but it has to be said that incorporating a full – and seemingly slick and stable – version of the Fire TV OS gets it off to a promising start.

Note that if you prefer the Android TV system, TCL also sells a similarly specified 32-inch Android TV model, the 32S5400, for the same £149 price.

While TCL had a 32-inch Fire TV model available in the US last year, it’s currently showing as out of stock. In Australia TCL currently seems to be limiting its presence to its bigger and more premium TV series.

Design

Aside from the distinctive-to-Fire-TVs short white LED strip hanging from the middle of the TV’s bottom edge and a little white Fire TV logo in its bottom right corner, the TCL 32SF540K looks pretty basic. TCL claims the design is ‘bezel-less’, but while it’s true that the actual outer frame is unusually slim, there’s an inner frame of black behind the screen that still makes the picture look like it’s sitting within a pretty substantial structure. 

A vaguely metallic finish, meanwhile, somehow still manages to end up looking and feeling plasticky, while its glossy black feet are as flimsy as these things get. The screen’s build quality is generally very lightweight, in fact – which we guess is handy, at least, if you want to tuck the 32-inch screen under your arm and move it to another room.

Much of the 32SF540K’s rear is a touch slimmer than that of other typical 32-inch TVs these days, but the speakers built into each bottom corner and a central connections section both add an extra inch or two, which means the TV still protrudes a bit awkwardly if you decide to wall hang it.  

The 32SF540K ships with a typical Fire TV remote that only differs from the one supplied with Amazon’s own 32-inch Fire TV 2 Series model by adding a TCL logo alongside the Fire TV one, and replacing the dedicated Amazon Music button with a generic Apps button.

Features

While the 32SF540K’s single biggest attraction for many punters will likely be its price, it actually has quite a bit else going on inside its unassuming form.

The Fire TV operating system has plenty going for it, for starters. Anyone used to using Prime Video TV apps will instantly feel at home with Fire OS’s layout and general approach to content, and the additional menu options required to offer control over the TV hardware are integrated reasonably clearly. The system has previously proved itself capable of remaining slick and stable even on quite basic TVs, too, and that continues to be the case even on this £150 TCL.

Fire TV also has the considerable advantage – unlike Android/Google TV – of carrying all of the major UK-specific catch-up apps. In fact, it provides the Freeview Play umbrella app for bringing the catch-up services of the UK’s major terrestrial broadcasters into one easily browsable place.

Alexa is present and correct too – though as you’d expect with such a cheap TV, this only works via an Alexa button and mic on the remote; there’s no ‘far-field’ mic in the TV to which you might issue commands without needing the remote.

The 32SF540K’s panel, unusually for the 32-inch market, carries a Full HD (1920x1080) pixel count. It uses contrast-rich VA technology rather than the viewing angle-friendly IPS alternative, and it’s lit directly from the back rather than less controllably from its sides. These are all good picture quality signs – unless you or anyone else routinely finds themselves having to watch the screen from a wide angle.

There’s support for the HDR10 and HLG formats from both external sources and integrated apps, as well as playback of DTS Virtual X/DTS-HD and Dolby (though not Atmos) audio.

The 32SF540K’s connections include a couple of what TCL calls HDMI 1.4 ports, but which still support ALLM switching for gamers and HDMI’s eARC system for passing multi-channel sound on to connected and compatible soundbars and AVRs. There’s also an optical digital audio output, a 3.5mm AV input, a headphone jack and a single USB port.

You can enjoy content on the TV wirelessly, too, courtesy of integrated Bluetooth 5.0 and dual-band Wi-Fi 5 support. These wireless options are bolstered by support for both Miracast and AirPlay 2.

Surprisingly for a TCL TV, the 32SF540K isn’t exactly stuffed with picture and sound features. The only thing of note is a (as it turns out, useful) motion processor. 

Apart from the ALLM switching support, the only real gaming feature of note supported by the 60Hz-tops 32SF540K is an impressively low 15.3ms of input lag when the TV is set to its Game preset.

Picture

The TCL 32SF540K’s pictures aren’t as bright and contrasty as those of the recently reviewed Amazon Fire TV 2 Series 32-inch set, or as richly coloured as those of the Sony 32W800. Crucially, though, unlike those rivals, the 32SF540K manages to avoid any serious flaws, making it in the end a more effective all-round performer. 

When it comes to producing convincing black tones and dark scenes, for instance, while it doesn’t deliver quite such neutral blacks as the Fire TV 2 Series, it mercifully avoids the distracting glowing greyness of the Sony 32W800. 

It also avoids the tendencies of the Amazon set to either run too brightly with dark scenes (bringing out too much background detail and attendant noise) or else crush out too much shadow detail if you try to introduce more light control. Instead the TCL’s shadow detailing is well judged and, crucially, consistent, helping dark scenes look as full of depth as bright ones and contributing to a more immersive viewing experience.

The 32SF540K is more susceptible to losing contrast if watched from an angle than the Amazon Fire TV 2 Series set, so do bear that in mind if you’re buying a TV that will be watched by several people at the same time.

The 32SF540K’s colour tones aren’t as naturally warm and, for want of a better word, cinematic as those the Sony 32W800 is capable of delivering (sometimes to excess). But they’re way warmer, richer and just more natural looking than the oddly jaundiced efforts of the Amazon Fire TV 2 Series. This might be partly down to the TCL not being quite as bright as its Amazon rival (though it is brighter than the Sony), but if a little less brightness is the price we pay for much more consistently authentic and ‘lived in’ colours, especially when it comes to skin tones, so be it.

The TCL 32SF540K’s more considered approach to pictures has other advantages, too. Less detail and subtle shading is clipped out of the brightest highlights of HDR pictures, for instance. Also, while the balance between the lightest and darkest parts of an image might be less extreme than from the Fire TV 2 Series, it looks more natural. There’s little sign of the sort of colour noise and coarseness the Fire TV 2 Series sometimes exhibits, either, or the compressed-looking bright tones the Sony 32W800’s innate dullness can cause.

The 32SF540K’s HD pictures look slightly sharper and more subtly detailed than those of both the Sony 32W800 and Amazon Fire TV 2 Series rivals. Partly because of its more balanced handling of the brightest and darkest parts of the picture, but also, we suspect, because it sports a native Full HD resolution rather than the 720p resolutions of its rivals.

The clarity doesn’t disappear, either, into judder or blur during camera pans or over fast-moving objects. Especially if you call into action the surprisingly sensitive (in that it causes neither excessive soap opera effect nor unwanted side effects) Natural Cinema motion option. 

We should add that by far the crispest pictures from the 32SF540K are obtained from its Standard picture preset. Its Film mode looks much softer. To a fault, in fact. Fortunately the Standard preset is well suited to the sort of relatively ‘casual’ viewing conditions a 32-inch TV is likely to find itself being used in.

The 32SF540K’s pictures aren’t quite five-star wonders, in the end. But they’re much more consistent, considered, balanced and, as a result, easy to just settle into than they’ve any right to be for this price.

Sound

The 32SF540K’s budget nature is more apparent in its sound than its pictures. Its lofty DTS and Dolby audio ambitions are immediately undermined by an at-times pretty painful lack of power and dynamics from its speakers. The big bass drops and soaring synths at the start of the Blade Runner 2049 soundtrack, for instance, cause all sorts of issues, from heavy crackling over the lowest frequencies to more distortions and breakup while presenting the high pings that accompany the appearance of each new section of prologue text better than we’ve ever heard before. 

Treble generally sounds thin and harsh under any sort of pressure, while despite the distress it can cause the speakers, bass that might have deflected attention from the shrill treble is always in very short supply.

Voices sometimes sound rather thin and nasal, too, leaving a decently well-spread and defined stereo soundstage, some strong if treble-biased detail and just about enough breathing room to handle day-to-day TV fodder cleanly as the 32SF540K’s only real audio strengths.

Verdict

Despite its flimsy audio and build quality, the 32SF540K is still overall a strong option by today’s admittedly rather impoverished 32-inch TV standards. Its picture quality isn’t perfect but achieves a thoughtful and easy-to-enjoy balance between all the key picture elements, and its Fire TV OS puts vast quantities of content at your command in a straightforward, stable and, despite how cheap the TV is, slick interface. These strengths are more than enough in themselves to make the 32SF540K’s £149 price look like a steal. 

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 2
• Features 4

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TiVo has just celebrated its 25th anniversary, and it has chosen to coincide this special occasion with the launch of its new smart TV platform. It's called TiVo OS (not the most imaginative title) and it's set to power a handful of affordable TVs here in the UK, across Europe and, in the near future, the US.

We had a quick demo of the new operating system at a TiVo event this week, in which we got to see the new platform in action. It's not a wild departure from the other smart platforms such as Google TV or Fire OS, with square app icons and rectangular rotating carousels with suggested content; however, there are a few key aspects that set it apart form the rest.

The first is deep integration with Freely, the new free terrestrial television platform that allows you to watch live TV over wi-fi without requiring an aerial. We've already seen Freely in action; however, the TiVo OS features deep integration with the platform, which means you'll see live content from Freely at the very top of this system's home page. On the Bush 4K TV that was running this demo (picture above), there was also a dedicated Freely shortcut button on the remote – therefore, we expect this new service to play a key role in the upcoming "powered by TiVo OS" sets.

Secondly, TiVo OS is touting a personalised, yet unbiased content recommendation system, which will show you content that pertains to your interest without pushing certain services in your face. In fact, you can customise the home screen to only show you specific apps. App compatibility seems to be solid so far; we spotted Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Channel 4, ITV X and more in our demo.

Each content suggestion on the home page features an icon with the streaming service it's on, with a direct link to the app to watch the content (providing you have a subscription), alongside a rich selection of content information, genre details and the ability to thumbs up, thumbs down or flag content. TiVo's parent organisation Xperi boasts the fact that it is one of the largest metadata providers for content information in the world, which has allowed TiVo OS to feature a healthy amount of content information, which should make browsing that bit easier. 

Finally, TiVo showed off its impressive voice search function, which supports "nested queries". The example we were given was the voice command "show me action movies", to which the OS obliged. Then it was asked "only show me movies from the ’90s", to which the system remembered we were after action movies but added the context that we wanted films from the 1990s. Finally, it was asked, "show me movies with Bruce Willis", to which the system once again remembered we were looking for action movies from the 1990s, but it then showed us films that fit that criteria that also starred Bruce Willis. 

Speaking to TiVo OS' Senior Vice President and General Manager of Smart TV Media Platform, Ben Maughan, he provided context as to what TiVo OS is all about. He says that the goal was to design a "simple and intuitive UI" and he went on to explain how constant tweaks and updates were being made to the platform to enhance usability. He also suggested that the platform was very open to suggestions, stating that comments from friends and family about what they want from a smart TV platform have helped to shape TiVo OS thus far. 

TiVo OS is set to launch across various brands of TVs. A partnership with Vestel will spur this on; for reference, Vestel manufactures a large proportion of retailer own-brand televisions, as well as notable affordable models for established TV brands like Panasonic, JVC and Toshiba. The first model to include the TiVo OS with Freely integration will be the Bush 55UT24SB, which is set to go on sale in Argos soon.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best TVs

As well as the best TV deals available now

Major US retail chain Walmart is expanding its Onn range of technology and AV products with a 4K media streamer, and it could be the closest thing to an upgraded Google Chromecast we've seen yet.

The Onn 4K Pro is yet to be officially announced, nor has it been made available to purchase on Walmart's online store, but it has been spotted in the wild by YouTuber SUPERDELL-TV (via AFTV News). With an RRP of $50 (around £40 / AU$75), the 4K media streaming box appears to be targeting the Google Chromecast with Google TV and Fire TV Stick 4K Max, rather than other 4K streaming boxes like the Apple TV 4K or Fire TV Cube which cost more than double.  

However, the Walmart box appears to beat the Google 4K streamer regarding specs on paper. The Onn 4K Pro features 32GB of storage, 3GB of RAM and Wi-Fi 6, whereas the Chromecast has 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. Both streamers run Google TV, which is the latest iteration of Google's Android-based operating system; not to be confused with Android TV.

So far, the Onn box seems like a fairly by-the-numbers 4K media streamer, but it does have a trick up its sleeve that no other streamer on the market can lay claim to. The Onn 4K Pro is reportedly the first to include the Google TV "magic button", a feature which leaked in a beta preview of Android 14. This customisable button will allow users to assign either a streaming service shortcut or view and switch TV inputs depending on your preferred setting (as pointed out by FlatpanelsHD). 

That hasn't stopped Walmart from including a quartet of pre-assigned streaming buttons, here occupied by YouTube, Netflix, Disney Plus and Paramount+. The Onn 4K Pro is also confirmed to support Dolby Vision and Atmos, as well as HDR10 – although whether or not that support extends to HDR10+ is unknown. 

It's expected to launch in Walmart stores across America soon, with availability in select locations now. While this likely won't be of interest to readers not situated in the States, it could hint towards a new Google Chromecast 4K streamer, which has been an overdue item on our wishlist for quite some time now. Could we see a new version of the Google Chromecast with Google TV at the next Google I/O event? It's entirely possible. 

MORE:

Read our full Google Chromecast with Google TV review

And check out our picks for the best media streamers

Disney Plus is set to become the first streaming service to offer DTS:X soundtracks for its content when it adds the immersive audio format in May of this year. In doing so, it'll also become the first service to incorporate both major immersive audio formats thanks to the fact it already includes Dolby Atmos for a wide range of its content. 

After introducing the IMAX Enhanced aspect ratio (1.90:1) back in 2021 on a selection of Marvel titles including Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Infinity War, Disney claimed that the option to use an accompanying DTS:X audio track will be added at a later date, which turned out to be a longer wait than we anticipated. Thankfully, Disney has confirmed that the end is in sight for those who are patiently waiting, as DTS:X will be added to select titles on the 15th of May.

Up until now, DTS:X has been exclusively reserved for Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray discs, however, the introduction of a new streaming-friendly codec has allowed Disney to implement it within its service. There will likely be some compromise to sound quality, as it won't be lossless DTS audio like on physical disc formats, although this is to be expected and likely won't be an issue to all but the most discerning audiophiles.

It will launch the sound format on the platform as "IMAX Enhanced sound", using the upcoming Queen Rock Montreal concert film as a headlining title to debut the feature. It's set to be the first film within the genre to include DTS-enhanced sound according to Disney. DTS:X will also come to the existing library of IMAX Enhanced superhero films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe catalogue (18 titles in total), with recent entries including The Marvels and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 joining the collection. 

It's still a fairly slim selection of content as of now, with Dolby Atmos being the predominant immersive audio format on the platform. On the subject of Dolby, what if you prefer to use the Atmos track instead? FlatpanelsHD suggests that Disney will likely allow users to swap between audio tracks much like how you can pick between the 21:9 or the IMAX Enhanced aspect ratio for video.

As for compatibility, Disney claims that a wide range of devices will be supported at launch. This will include TVs that run the Android TV and Google TV operating systems from manufacturers such as Sony, Hisense, Sharp, Xiaomi, and others, as well as a selection of AV receivers from the likes of Denon, Marantz, and JBL. 

MORE:

Read our full Disney Plus review

Check out our picks for the best soundbars

And the best OLED TV

At the beginning of February, we reported that all Samsung TVs would soon be losing access to the Google Assistant voice control feature; little did we know that was just the beginning of the exodus of Google apps from Samsung TVs.

Google Meet, the video conferencing app known as Google Duo until 2022, will also be removed from Samsung TVs. Originally introduced onto the Samsung Smart TV platform Tizen in October 2022, the video calling software will join the Google Assistant feature and Google Play Movies app in being removed from all Samsung display products. 

This includes Samsung smart monitors; while we personally don't care about these as much as Samsung TVs, we can see this being frustrating for consumers who rely on this feature for productivity tasks.

Samsung has set a March 9th deadline for Google Meet's demise on Samsung TVs, while the support page for the app has already been taken down. However, it will continue to sell the Slim Fit Cam accessory that was used to fulfil the video calling aspect of the application, as it has integration with Samsung Health. 

There are various speculations as to why Google is withdrawing support for some of its services on Samsung TVs. SamMobile (via FlatPanelsHD) speculates that it has to do with Google refocusing its efforts on Android TV and Google TV instead, although no word has been given on whether brands from other TVs that use their own operating system will lose these features yet.

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Check out our picks for the best Samsung TVs

As well as our list of the best TVs overall

And the best TV deals

Philips made a surprise announcement alongside its new TV lineup, with news that it will be moving away from Google TV with some of its lower-end models for 2024. Instead, it will launch Titan OS, an operating system developed by Titan OS (bonus points for confusing naming convention), on its entry-level OLED TV and its Mini LED and LCD sets releasing this year. 

Not much is known about the operating system as yet. Still, based on what we've seen already, and on our experience with similar operating systems, we're starting to piece together an idea of what Titan OS is all about. 

What is Titan OS?

Philips hasn't tied itself down to a single operating system for its TVs for some time now. Just last year it traded in Android TV for Google TV, which makes the sudden departure from the software already raise some questions. 

Visually, it seems like Titan OS is very similar to Google TV. We're yet to see it fully in action, but from a brief glimpse, we can see it features a very similar layout to its home screen. With navigation options along the top of the screen including a search function, channels page and app page, a large content suggestion window in the middle, plus two rows running along the bottom of the screen with favourite apps and more content, suggestions from featured streaming services. 

We can't see any immediate flaws with the user interface, although we'll need to use it for ourselves before we pass any final judgment. 

TP Vision (which licenses and manufactures Philips TVs in Europe) also highlights the operating system's capability when it comes to generating advertising revenue. In fact, a subsidiary of Titan OS called Titan Advertising will launch later this year alongside the rollout of Titan OS on these Philips TVs. 

Philips claims that Titan will "enable TV manufacturers to extend their business beyond hardware", allowing them to access "continuous revenue streams for the 40 per cent of the TV market that lacks its own operating system". This is likely what drew the attention of UK technology retailer Currys, which has also gotten in on the Titan OS action.

Which TVs will get Titan OS?

In a recent conversation with Philips' senior director of product strategy and planning, Danny Tack, we received some clarification on which TVs will receive the new Titan OS system, and which will keep Google TV. The key differentiation appears to be which processor these TVs are using; the higher-end and more powerful chipset will keep Google TV, while the lower-end and less powerful one gets Titan OS.

TVs powered by the MediaTek Pentonic 1000 SoC (system on a chip) and 8th Gen P5 AI Dual Engine processor, including the OLED+959, OLED+909 and OLED809, will retain Google TV as they serve as the upper mid-range to flagship models in Philips' 2024 lineup. In contrast, TVs powered by a Novatek SoC and the 7th Gen P5 processor, including the OLED759, 'The One' (PUS8909) and the PML9009 Xtra Mini-LED TV, will run Titan OS. 

Interestingly, some non-Philips TVs will be getting Titan OS too, thanks to a "strategic partnership" with UK technology retailer Currys. A selection of JVC TVs will also receive the operating system, although no specific models have been revealed quite yet.

What apps and services are available on Titan OS?

App compatibility is looking solid on Titan OS. On its website, it lists a strong lineup of content partners including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Pluto TV, YouTube, Rakuten and even Tidal for music streaming. Alongside the global streaming options, there are a selection of UK-specific apps, including BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, ITV X and My 5. 

There do appear to be a few omissions though, with Apple TV being curiously absent; that includes both the full Apple TV and the Apple TV+ streaming apps. Now (formerly Now TV) also appears to be absent currently, however, both services could be added to the platform at a later date, or just not been shown off in any pre-release materials that we've seen thus far. 

How does Titan compare to the competition?

It's too early to judge how well Titan OS stacks up against the competition, but we can use our experience with other smart TV operating systems to begin collecting our thoughts. Overall, it doesn't seem particularly special or unique, and while that might sound harsh, it's not necessarily a dig.

We appreciate a streamlined, straightforward and useful operating system, as it tends to be easier to navigate and hold up better over time in our experience. Compared to other in-house OS options such as webOS (LG), Tizen (Samsung) and Vidaa (Hisense), Titan OS seems to be a bit more stripped down and back-to-basics, which makes sense considering it'll be featured on TVs with less powerful internal components.

While the likes of webOS and Tizen offer more in the way of features, such as extensive video game streaming options and a wider selection of apps, Titan OS certainly has potential, especially considering it's only just getting started. 

MORE:

Take a look at Philips' new 2024 TVs 

LG updates webOS for 2024: now with five years of free updates

Check out our picks for the best TVs

2024 has already seen one company shake up its choice of TV operating system, with Panasonic announcing that it will be doing away its My Home Screen software, in favour of Fire TV. Philips, on the other hand, is doing the complete opposite; ditching an established operating system in favour of a nicher solution, but not on all of its TVs. 

TP Vision (the company that licenses Philips TVs in Europe and other select markets such as Latin America) has revealed that it will partner with Titan OS S.L, a European software development company that has created its own smart TV platform called Titan OS.  It will feature on its upcoming entry-level Mini LED and LCD TVs, including the PML9009 Xtra Mini-LED and "The One" LCD (also known as the PUS8909).

It's not only coming to Philips TVs though, as TP Vision has announced that it has also partenered with UK technology retailer Currys to launch Titan OS on its selection of JVC TVs. For those unitiated, Currys manufacturers and distributes JVC sets here in the UK,

Interestingly, Philips has shopped around the TV smart platforms in recent years. Just last year it swapped from Android TV to Google TV on the OLED808 and OLED908. However, after being plagued with various licesning issues between Google TV and Freeview Play, the company had to delay its latest OLED TVs to October of last year, hence our surprise when it already announced replacements for these models just three months on. That being said, it will continue to use Google TV on the newly announced OLED+959 and OLED+909. 

So what does Titan OS have to offer? From what we can see, it features a majority of the apps we'd expect to see, including Disney Plus, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, as well as regional services such as BBC iPlayer, ITV X and Channel 4. However, there was no mention of Apple TV or Now (formerly Now TV) in Philip's most recent release, so we can't confirm if these services will feature on the platform. 

In the brief look we've had at the platform, it appears to be a fusion of Google TV and webOS in design. It features a top-mounted navigation bar to swap between home, apps, channels and a search function, while the bottom of the home screen features content suggestions and a selection of favourite (possibly recently used) streaming apps. 

Philips is also highlighting Titan OS' capabilities when it comes to advertising, noting that the Titan Advertising portion of the company will be launching alongside this partnership. Philips suggests that Titan will "enable TV manufacturers to extend their business beyond hardware", allowing them to access "continuous revenue streams for the 40% of the TV market that lacks its own operating system". Could this be a dig at LG's webOS and Samsung's Tizen OS? 

You can expect to see Titan OS launch on the two afformentioned Philips models in the first half of 2024. We might be reading too much into Philips' word choices here, but it did say that this it will "initially feature on two Philips branded 2024 models", meaning we could see the software on more Philips models coming later down the line. 

MORE:

Read our full Philips OLED808 review

As well as Philips OLED808 vs LG C3: which is the better step-down OLED?

And our list of the best TVs

Using wireless headphones with Google TV is about to get easier than ever. Fast Pair will start rolling out in the next month, Google has announced. The feature lets you pair wireless headphones with your Google TV device without opening the Bluetooth menu, similar to how AirPods pair with Apple devices like the Apple TV 4K.

It's about time. Fast Pair was first announced back at CES 2022, so it's taken over two years to become available (though it launched on Google's Chromebook range of laptops last year).

The first device to benefit will be the Google Chromecast with Google TV, which will get the feature in the next month. Other Google TV devices will follow later this year. LG's 2024 range of OLED TVs will feature Chromecast built-in as part of its webOS 24 operating system.

Instead of having to open the Bluetooth menu to pair wireless headphones, Fast Pair brings a prompt to the TV screen. Click it and you'll pair. However, unlike AirPods, your headphones will have to be put in pairing mode first. Fast Pair also works with compatible wireless speakers.

Google also announced that video app TikTok now has Chromecast support, so you can cast videos from your phone to your TV. And it said that soon "select" Google TV and Android TV devices (and some LG TVs) will work as Matter hubs for the Google Home platform, to be controlled from the Google Home mobile app.

The firm says there are now over 220 million monthly active Google TV / Android TV devices in use, up from 150 million a year ago. 

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These are the best Android TVs

And the best TVs overall

With the loss of iTunes Movies and TV fresh in our minds, we've been hit with a double whammy, as Google is also putting its online movies and TV store out to pasture. Within the next few weeks, we can expect to see the Google Play Movies app give way to other Google services, as the website and Google TV app will cease to function in January of 2024.

It seems like in an age of streaming, many companies are looking to streamline their digital content purchasing services into other streaming and online video services, making for more centralised digital video hubs.

So what will take the place of Play Movies? Google is relying on YouTube, which already acts as a video library for purchased content alongside Play Movies. However, it will soon become the primary method of consuming your rented and purchased content on set-top boxes powered by Android TV, mobile devices and on web browsers. Locating your content within the app should be simple; all you'll need to do is navigate to the "your library" tab on the navigation sidebar. 

As for TVs and media streamers powered by Android TV, you'll need to navigate to the shop tab on the home screen to access your purchased and rented movies and TV shows. 

As for purchasing content, this should be fairly simple too, as you'll be able to locate movies and TV shows using the search bar, and either buy or rent the content directly through YouTube. The Android TV shop will continue to function as normal for TVs and streamers, meaning purchasing content should remain as normal. 

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Read our full Google Chromecast with Google TV review

And our full list of the best media streamers

And the best Android TVs

We're kicking off the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days with a corker of a streaming deal. While Amazon is certainly pushing its own Fire TV-powered streamers (you can save 33% on the Fire TV Stick), Google's duo of media streamers are also subject to a hefty discount, here's the lowdown.

Currently, the Google Chromecast with Google TV (4K) is 33 per cent off, meaning you'll save £20, while the HD model is 34 per cent off, saving you £12. That's quite a tasty bargain if you ask us, especially when you consider that the 4K Chromecast isn't just a five-star product, but also a What Hi-Fi? Award winner for two years running.

The Chromecast is a fantastic streamer in its own right, but this price cut is an even better incentive to upgrade. Usually, we'd caveat with the existence of the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, but strangely Amazon is releasing its updated version of the streaming stick after its big deals event is over. 

Nevertheless, we tend to prefer the Chromecast over the Fire TV Stick anyway; you can find out why in our Chromecast with Google TV vs Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max guide. 

The footnotes to this comparison are that the design is more considered, and doesn't block neighbouring HDMI ports. Its picture and sound are much more natural and authentic than on the Fire TV Stick 4K Max – visuals are cleaner and more engaging, and colours are more natural. Finally, the sound has more texture and the timing is better too.

The Chromecast is also stacked when it comes to features, with HDR support in the HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR formats, as well as the newly implemented content frame matching system – which Netflix has just adopted – in order to create smoother motion. You can also wireless stream to the Chromecast via Bluetooth or by pairing a phone or tablet – unsurprisingly, Google's own Pixel devices provide the software for the best Android phones.

So there you have it: an Award-winner at a knockdown price. Grab it while you can.

PS5's latest update has arrived and could make major changes to how you experience your Sony console. Recently announced by PlayStation, the new update has brought in new accessibility options and expanded audio features, including access to 3D Audio on compatible Dolby Atmos-enabled devices, as well as further multiplayer connectivity options and even support for larger capacity SSDs (up to 8TB). 

What could have some current users cracking their knuckles in anticipation, however, is the unveiling of support for PS Remote Play on additional Android devices, including the distinctly affordable 4K Google Chromecast.

For the uninitiated, Remote Play does what it says on the tin, allowing you to remotely stream games from your PS5 (or PS4) to other compatible devices via the internet or your home network. Let's say you're gaming in the living room but you need to migrate into the kitchen to keep an eye on your slipper-eating, newspaper-shredding puppy. Simply stream to a compatible device such as a smartphone or iPad and you can continue your session of Elden Ring elsewhere.

This capacity to stream games remotely is now being expanded, much to the delight of the Android and Chromecast users who are set to benefit. Starting now, the PS Remote Play app will be available on devices running Android TV OS 12, provided your internet and source device are up to scratch. 

Google Chromecast with Google TV is also a big addition, so now you can stream your favourite titles via Chromecast from the PlayStation itself. It's also been made compatible with the Sony's upcoming flagship QD-OLED TV, the A95L.

If you want to take advantage of Remote Play, search for the PS Remote Play app on your Android or Google device to download and install the app. From there, you can hook up your desired device, although you'll need to enable Remote Play first using your PS5's settings menu. 

With the upcoming PlayStation Portal handheld set to arrive later this year, it's clear that Sony is keen for as many devices and displays as possible to be compatible with its expanding ecosystem. You can find out more about PlayStation Remote Play, including how to set it up and which devices support it, via the official PlayStation website.

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These are the best PlayStation Plus deals 

Read our original (but continually updated) Sony PlayStation 5 review

Recent Philips TVs are getting access to Pluto TV's free streaming channels. 2023 Philips TVs can now access thousands of streaming channels courtesy of Pluto TV, with 2022 and 2021 models set to follow soon thanks to an over-the-air update.

This applies only to TVs running Philips' own smart TV platform. That's because those running Android TV already have the Pluto TV app installed.

Pluto TV is owned by Paramount. It's a free service, funded by ads, and has over 1400 channels, spanning movies, true crime, sitcoms, paranormal and more. These include some right chaff (Five-Headed Shark Attack?) but also some gems like The King of Comedy. And for free, you can't really complain.

It also includes channels themed around big TV shows, like the Hell's Kitchen Channel and Survivor Channel.

Philips' own smart platform is getting Pluto TV in 25 countries across Europe and Latin America, including the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy and Germany.

Olivier Jollet, Executive Vice President and International General Manager at Pluto TV, said in a statement: "We are thrilled to partner with [Philips owner] TP Vision to bring Pluto TV curated experience to millions of Smart TV viewers across so many territories. This deal is a great opportunity to bring Pluto TV to an increasingly large audience, and a testament of our commitment to building strong partnerships that make our service accessible to audiences worldwide."

Philips' 2023 TV range includes the flagship OLED908 model with MLA tech.

MORE:

Here's our review of the Philips OLED907, which the new OLED908 replaces

Check out our review of the exceptional Philips OLED807

And our round-up of the best OLED TVs you can buy right now

Legendary camera brand Leica has released its first laser projector, the Leica Cine 1.

Leica’s Cine 1 is an ultra-short throw projector featuring a smart TV interface, 4K resolution (via pixel shifting), and Dolby Atmos surround sound.

Using a digital micro-mirror device system and the Leica Summicron ultra short-throw lens, the Cine 1 projects a fixed-size image depending on the model, either 100 or 120 inches. European buyers (excluding the UK) can also get their hands on an 80-inch model. 

Using a fixed-size lens should, in theory, avoid any of the warping and imperfections you get when using a variable lens. Leica is famous for its precision lenses, so this approach makes a lot of sense. It is unusual, though. 

In terms of connectivity options available, the Leica Cine 1 (shown above) features three HDMI ports. Two sockets support HDMI 2.1, with one of those also doubling as the eARC port. The third HDMI is 2.0-spec and supports 4K / 60Hz signals. The projector also features a digital audio output, ethernet port, USB port, and two antenna inputs for RF signals. 

Moving on to wireless connectivity, the Cine 1 is compatible with Wi-Fi 6, AirPlay, Bluetooth 5.0, and screen mirroring functionality. Leica’s new projector also supports a number of HDR formats, including HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision, theoretically allowing for optimal viewing of a range of content. 

Both the 100 and 120-inch screen models measure 600 x 378 x 149mm and weigh 15.1kg – it’s a fairly large, weighty unit with a price to match.

The 100-inch model is currently retailing for £8495 / $8995 while the 120-inch version will set you back £8995 / $9495. 

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Best projectors 2023: Full HD, 4K, portable and short-throw

Xgimi's latest projector is bright, stylish and Dolby Vision approved

Epson's new ultra-short throw laser projector has Android TV and Yamaha speakers

Here's proof that creating a home cinema isn't just for the elite few. Epson's new 4K projector is more affordable than most, and because it's an ultra-short throw model, you don't need to rearrange the room around it.

The Epson EH-LS650 is the latest in the company's EpiqVision range. But while others in the range start at £3000, this one will set you back just £2300 (international pricing is TBC). That's about the same price as the 65-inch LG C3.

With a fuss-free setup and modern design, it's intended as a replacement for your TV. And with a screen size of 60 to 120 inches, it should draw quite a crowd.

The Android TV operating system is onboard for easy access to all the major streaming apps, while Chromecast built-in lets you display content from your device. With Yamaha 20W speakers on audio duty, it should sound pretty good too (though we would always advise adding a soundbar). It can even work as a standalone smart speaker.

Input lag is under 20ms, which should please gamers, and the Epson Setting Assistant app brings automatic keystone adjustment via the smartphone's camera for simple setup.

The EH-LS650 will go on sale next month in black or white.

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Can it make our list of best projectors?

Everything you need to know about ultra-short throw projectors

Or opt for the best outdoor projectors before summer ends

Traditionally, projectors and TVs have stood apart due to inherent differences. Projectors necessitate cumbersome installation, either on the ceiling or within the room, accompanied by the arduous task of wiring HDMI cables. An AV receiver has been needed both as an input hub, and for audio delivery as projectors lacked built-in sound. Projector bulbs required regular replacement, unlike the continuous service of TVs. Furthermore, while TVs became ever smarter with apps and internet connectivity, projectors long remained technologically disadvantaged.

That has all changed in recent years, and Optoma’s latest L1+ shows precisely how much.

It does not require cumbersome installation – this is an ultra-short-throw projector designed to be benched close to the wall shining up, rather than going on your ceiling or somewhere at the back of the room. The L1+ fits in more like a television.

And with three HDMI inputs, it rivals the connectivity options found in many televisions as well, and no AV receiver required, as it has a sound system built in – which, being at the front of the room, makes a whole lot more sense than sound systems built into projectors that go behind you.

Bulb replacement? Not here; the Optoma has a four-LED light source which not only brings advantages in colour and brightness, but is also expected to provide 30,000 hours of operation – that’s three hours every day for 27 years, or 10 hours a day for eight years.

And it’s a smart projector in terms of apps and streaming, thanks to the inclusion of a third-party Google & Netflix-certified Android TV dongle – yes, Netflix, a rarity on smart projectors.

All in all, then, the Optoma L1+ projector is no dumb light box; it takes on all aspects of a modern smart TV (except a TV tuner), while still bringing projection’s killer differentiator – truly big-screen entertainment.

Build & facilities

Some ultra-short-throw projectors are pretty bulky; the L1+ is surprisingly compact at 40cm wide, and even more importantly only 32cm deep, an important dimension for USTs, as we’ll see. That means it has less than half the volume of, say, Hisense’s lowest-tier Laser TV console, so that’s a significant advantage in fitting into your lounge. Optoma actually claims this to be the most compact and lightest 4K UST projector on the market at the time of its release.

It looks nice enough in moulded plastic with a fabric frontage over its speakers, and a classy gold power button. But it also has beauty of a different kind, being built with 50 per cent post-consumer recycled materials to keep the environment in mind, and 99 per cent recyclable packaging too. It’s an eco-sensitive attitude which continues into the L1+’s power-saving modes. 

While the L1+ is designed to provide everything you need in one box, it is also versatile. It has its own sound system but it’s easy enough to add an external system thanks to the optical audio out, or even the stereo minijack audio out, although here there’s no HDMI eARC option provided, as is available on Optoma’s higher CinemaX D2 UST projector. There are two HDMI inputs on the back and a third mini-HDMI inside for the smart AndroidTV dongle. The USB-A slot can’t play media, but provides handy power were you to plug another dongle, such as a Chromecast, into one of the rear HDMI sockets.

And while you don’t have to ceiling-mount the L1+, you certainly can if you wish, getting it out of the way for a permanent installation, and with the advantage of ultra-short-throw that it will be in a position relatively close to the image position, not hanging down in the middle of the room.

The throw distances remain the same whether benched below or mounted above. For a 100-inch image, the back of the projector needs to be 25cm from the wall, remembering that the projector itself is 32cm deep, putting the projector’s front feet around 50cm from the wall. For a 120-inch image, the projector front will need to be 68cm out from the screen. This is quite a way into the room, and/or requires a very deep bench surface, so we always suggest you measure that distance out in your room, as an early realisation that UST projectors do not sit quite as close to the wall as their publicity images may imply.

As for the question of what surface you’re throwing onto, a proper screen is highly recommended, though Optoma doesn’t bundle one, nor even sell them here in Australia, where the ‘screen’ section of its website is as yet blank. Some rivals (including Epson and Hisense) are bundling complete and complementary imaging systems, including a choice of ambient-light-rejecting screen sizes with its UST projectors. 

You certainly should consider using a proper screen. It’s not only a question of maximising brightness and achieving more accurate colours (as for all projectors), but also a specific ultra-short-throw requirement for uniformity. The geometry of throwing an image up from below is far more challenging than across-the-room projection; firstly it is far harder for a lens to deliver uniformity of shape and maintain chromatic accuracy right out to the corners of an image, and secondly any imperfections in the projection surface become magnified. You may think your rendered Gyprock wall looks pretty smooth, but unless it was rendered by a robot there will be bumps and inclines which can significantly distort a projected image thrown up from below. 

We must say, though, Optoma does assist wall projection (perhaps because everybody knows that a lot of people do it) by including a wall-colour adjustment menu “fine-tuned by our expert colour team to ensure superior color performance”, it says. This has presets for blackboard, light yellow, light green, light blue, pink, and grey. That may help with colour, but for uniformity and best performance, we’d still recommend a screen.

Those considerations aside, though, the Optoma has all the adjustments required to assist with installation and adjustment. It’s mainly manual – there’s less wizardry than on some previous models (we remember being impressed by the Optoma P1, which had a phone app to near-instantly fix any distortion of its test pattern).

Because of their tight geometry, UST projectors need very accurate initial positioning (and if they get bumped they will require very accurate positioning again!). The goal is to get a perfectly rectangular image exactly where you want it, so you don’t need to resort to keystone correction, which is available, but both reduces your effective resolution and increases processing time – not enough to throw out lip-sync but enough to trouble gamers (game modes often turn off keystone correction for this reason). 

Here there is four corner adjustment, an unusual de-warping option, and two-way keystone correction. All are best avoided if you can, hence the need to get your initial positioning correct. We found that we needed to lift the front of the projector to achieve an exact rectangle on the wall; the feet aren’t adjustable, but a coin under each front foot was enough to avoid using keystone. 

This projector uses DLP projection technology, which means one of the inconceivably-complex Digital Micromirror Devices which are covered in millions of tiny pivotable mirrors. The native resolution of the 0.47-inch device used here is 1920 × 1080, so there are 2,073,600 tiny mirrors in all, each of which can pivot to four slightly different positions during each image frame. Those overlapping positions supposedly thereby deliver four times the resolution, so UHD (consumer 4K) of 3840 × 2160. But overlapping pixels is not the same thing as native resolution,  and we can see no geometry whereby it can resolve a single line of pixels. It’s pretty close, though, while being a whole lot cheaper and smaller than native 4K.

Performance

Unboxing the L1+ and substituting it for our usual UST projector impressed on us just how compact a unit this really is compared to most UST projectors. And being almost exactly the width of normal hi-fi components, it will sit very neatly on the top shelf of a hi-fi rack. 

But the first task is to flip it over and open a hatch to install the little ‘Hako Mini’ Android TV dongle (pictured above). Unusually this is a flat square module rather than a stick-type dongle, and it fits perfectly into the space provided. It comes with a bag of connecting cables, but you don’t need them: you just attach the flying leads inside the bay.

This square dongle is a third-party solution; while Optoma is a Taiwanese company, Hako is based in Shenzen, China (although at one point Netflix called it a Nokia dongle, curiously). 

This thereby means you get two remote controls: a small flat one for the Optoma projector, and a slightly larger one to pilot the dongle (pictured above right). This might seem inconvenient but the Hako remote’s lowest button switches it to control the projector instead – neat! (Mea culpa, though: we activated this button by mistake early on, and then couldn’t control the Android TV interface, and went as far as calling Optoma for help before the switching key was pointed out to us... duh.) 

One area where Hako scores over most such dongles is in having a working Netflix app. The streaming giant has mysteriously failed to engage with projector companies and many projector dongles can’t do Netflix, or have workarounds which are messy (although you can always plug in an external media player). But with the Hako dongle the Netflix integration is full and effective, along with the thousands of other apps available via the Google play store, including Disney+, Kayo Sports, AppleTV+ and all five Australian terrestrial catch-up services. Indeed we couldn’t find anything at all missing. 

The interface here is Android TV (version 10); familiar and easy to use. It updated itself not long after we connected the Hako to Wi-Fi, and it all went worryingly dark for a moment… then came back announcing that Android TV had been updated, and we could now enjoy personalised ads; lucky us! 

Set-up and positioning proved fairly quick, perhaps because we normally have another UST projector in this position, so we were simply swapping out. The projector’s position is indeed critical – both its height from the ground, because the image base will begin some 30-40cm above the projector (or below it, if ceiling-mounted), and its distance from the wall, because the screen size depends entirely on this distance. There is no optical zoom, and the digital zoom doesn’t increase screen size, it just zooms (and so crops) the material within the existing screen area. 

Focus is manually set, and we had a little trouble achieving perfect focus for both the central area and at both side edges simultaneously; the edges looked a tad soft with test images, but you wouldn’t pick it in use. What was impressive was the projector’s ability to deliver straight horizontal lines; we’ve seen lens systems which visibly deliver the slightly curved arc that comes naturally from a projector positioned in this way. Here the relative straightness prevented long wide pans swaying from such distortion.

Colours were good out of the box; it goes beyond the Rec. 709 colour gamut to cover 93 per cent of the DCI-P3 gamut, which is the maximum a film or digital camera will capture. In a darkened room the colours were able to lift with vibrancy from blacks that were subjectively close to true black; there is an HDR implementation here for 10-bit HDR10, though not for 12-bit Dolby Vision. Either signal type will put the Optoma into its HDR settings, which lock off most further adjustments, though you can force them by disabling auto-HDR.     

There are no motion settings, except, rather oddly, in the gaming mode. There’s nothing to stop you from applying that mode to Netflix if, say, you disable HDR to get there, but the better solution is to reset the frame rate on the Hako dongle. It was initially locked to 60Hz, so causing some pull-down judder on 50Hz material and potentially even 24fps (nearly every movie). In fact, the results were not too bad: some judder on wide pans of ABC’s Gardening Australia, but only slight judder on one shot of our dongle torture test, S4E1 of Formula 1: Drive To Survive, where Christian Horner jogs through the countryside after the title sequence. Generally if anything’s going to judder, that judders, and it was almost perfect here. 

But pedants like us will be mighty pleased to find that under the Android TV menu’s ‘TV settings’ you can change the output of the dongle to 4K/50, or even 4K/23.976Hz for movie perfection. It’s a bit of a drag (and there’s trial and error; SBS movies played best at 50Hz rather than 24Hz, for example), but it’s very useful. All judder vanished each time we switched to the correct frame rate.

We found the projector’s settings menus, as opposed to the Android settings, to be a bit glitchy, slow to come up, or disappearing after use, rather than carrying on to the next setting. HDMI handshakes could be slow, too.

How about the brightness? LEDs generally aren’t as vibrant as laser light sources, but the L1+ is quoted at 2500 lumens, and it’s firing from up close, so could this UST projector replace a TV, even during daytime?

That depends on a number of things. In a living room with substantial ambient light, as is common in Australia, not really. An ambient light-rejecting screen will help enormously toward such a goal, but even then you’ll have a hard time watching dark material, although cartoons and Gardening Australia are bright enough to enjoy, if not to benefit from the full delivery of colour and contrast you get once the sun goes down. Your other option during the day is to move the projector closer to the wall, so shrinking the screen to increase the light levels. The ‘Bright’ mode helps too, though we found it to achieve anything close to colour accuracy in that mode. 

The L1+ of course shines brightest when the sun goes down and its full abilities can come into play. How rich the Marvel red in the opening credits of Secret Invasion (4K/24 from an Apple TV via HDMI); how deep and textured the raised skin of Nick Fury’s face scars and skin. The very best performance and maximum sharpness came via HDMI from UHD Blu-ray, though we’d say if its compact size (and relatively compact price) are betrayed at all in visual performance, it’s perhaps in ultimate sharpness against some larger rivals. And the truth of it is that UST projection starts at a disadvantage against front projection for sharpness anyway. 

We should also note that we used this projector two ways – with a 100-inch fixed screen, and then blowing things up fully to 120-inch using a large open wall area instead, despite it being painted light brown. And it’s funny; the screen clearly gave the best image quality, but for general entertainment we were quite happy to take the extra real estate and suffer the slight losses and image distortion this incurred. It’s big-screen images that remain projection’s trump card, and the Optoma works well even if you’re using an impromptu projection surface. 

Sound quality

The Hako dongle must declare itself as stereo-only, as Netflix titles display ‘Spatial Audio’ soundtracks – these are Ambeo downmixes that replace 5.1 or Atmos when equipment cannot reproduce a surround mix. That would indicate that the dongle’s audio output will supply stereo only.

But you should connect it to something. The built-in sound system is disappointing. It’s a stereo system but there’s very little bass to it, so that voices are certainly intelligible but the overall delivery is brash and rather dimensionless if you turn it up; the response here pales beside the sound available from similar (if admittedly larger) UST projectors from rivals such as Hisense and Xgimi. We would not recommend the built-in sound beyond casual use. If you want expansive and full sound, add at least an optically-connected soundbar, preferably a hi-fi system.

Verdict

TVs are getting bigger; even 98-inch TVs are beginning to enter the realms of affordability. But 120-inch TVs? Forget it. Projection is the only way. Smart ultra-short-throw projection can be a neat solution to achieve this, compared with placing a conventional projector, but they have been relatively pricey until now. Optoma here delivers one at just AU$2999.

It’s relatively compact, perhaps why its sound system is a notable weakness, but you could add an external one and still come in below the price of many rivals in this space. The AndroidTV dongle’s Netflix provision beats many of those rivals, and the L1+’s brightness is sufficient to watch in anything other than strong ambient light, though its performance is very much best after dark. And while it’s best with a proper screen, it does very well even with an impromptu wall. 

So subject to the above caveats, we’d say the Optoma L1+ performs above its price, and can provide a genuine TV alternative in all but strong light conditions. 

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There are budget TVs and then there’s the Sharp 55FN2KA – a 55-inch 4K TV that can be yours for just £399. You don’t get only the absolute basics for that money either; there’s also a fully fledged Android TV smart system, Dolby Vision HDR and even a speaker system designed by Harman Kardon. So what’s the catch?

Price

Sharp no longer sells TVs on a concerted international basis, meaning that different Sharp-branded models turn up in different territories. So the 55FN2KA is a purely UK model, with no direct international equivalent.

When you’re talking about a 55-inch TV that only costs £399, price is clearly its number one attraction. A cheap price doesn’t necessarily equate to great value, of course, but the 55FN2KA’s feature list is longer than you might expect for so little money and, as we’ll see, in some ways at least, its pictures aren’t that bad. So long as you’re sat in exactly the right place. 

Design

The Sharp 55FN2KA looks OK if you don’t scrutinise it too closely. The screen frame is strikingly slender around three of its four edges, and while its lightweight build quality reveals the bodywork to be built pretty much entirely from plastic, the bezel’s slightly glossy finish just about manages to disguise the flimsiness when assessed from typical 55-inch TV viewing distances. 

The screen is supported on a pair of bog-standard plastic feet that are positioned out towards the screen’s bottom corners, meaning you’ll need to have a fairly wide bit of furniture to rest the TV on.

The screen is accompanied by a mostly similarly plasticky remote control that tries to hide its basic build by featuring a metal-effect silver navigation ‘ring’ around the OK/Select button and including a helpful selection of direct stream app access buttons. 

Features

The 55FN2KA has more tricks up its sleeve than you might expect of such a cheap TV. Its 4K screen, for starters, also supports HDR in not just the HDR10 and HLG standard versions, but also the ‘premium’ Dolby Vision flavour, with its extra scene by scene picture information.

Its smart system is powered by Android TV bolstered by the Freeview Play app to ensure the 55FN2KA supports all of the UK’s major terrestrial broadcaster streaming services. The Android engine means there’s built-in Chromecast support, too, as well as Google Assistant voice control.

The screen uses a VA rather than IPS LCD panel type, which should help it deliver more contrast at the expense of more limited viewing angles. The panel is direct- rather than edge-lit too, which again typically leads to a superior contrast performance – though inevitably for such a cheap TV the backlighting doesn’t feature any local dimming control.

Picture processing is provided by the grandly named ACE Pro Ultra Engine, though it’s hard in truth to find much evidence of what this does in either the 55FN2KA’s picture setting options or its picture quality. 

Surprisingly the 55FN2KA does go to the trouble of including an 11-point white balance adjustment, as if it imagines someone might be willing to pay a calibrator more than they spent on the TV to get it calibrated…

Other picture tweaks of note include a rather mysterious (given there’s no local dimming system) Local Contrast Control feature, and an Adaptive Luma Control feature that adjusts incoming pictures to create the perception of more contrast. Unfortunately the Local Contrast Control feature doesn’t seem to make much difference, while the Adaptive Luma Control causes horrible amounts of shadow detail to be crushed out of dark picture areas on anything higher than its Low setting.

The 55FN2KA’s connections are impressive up to a point for a £399 55-inch TV, including as they do four HDMIs, two USBs, a headphone jack, an optical audio output and even a Micro SD card reader. The only HDMI 2.1 features supported by the 18GB HDMIs, though, are eARC, enabling pass through of object based audio to soundbars and AVRs, and auto low latency mode (ALLM) switching for automatically activating the TV’s Game mode when a game source is detected.

There’s no support on any of the HDMIs for such cutting-edge gaming-related features as 4K/120Hz (the screen is only 60Hz too) and variable refresh rates – but nor would we expect there to be for so little money. There is one genuine disappointment for gamers, though. Input lag, the time the screen takes to render its images, remains at a performance-damagingly high 50.3ms even with the 55FN2KA’s Game mode active. The best TVs this year get input down to below 10ms, by comparison.

Picture

First impressions of the Sharp 55FN2KA’s pictures are pretty positive – at least to the extent that things don’t look nearly as nightmarishly bad as we might have expected with a 55-inch 4K TV that costs less than £400.

We’re struck right away, for starters, by how bright it manages to look with HDR content. While we’re inevitably not talking anything even close to the sort of brightness you get from OLED or, especially, premium LCD TVs, the 55FN2KA shows both peak brightness highlights and full-screen bright HDR images with more light behind them than we’d normally see with such an entry-level TV. 

You can certainly still argue that the 55FN2KA isn’t bright enough to deliver a true high dynamic range experience, but that doesn’t alter the fact that it does more justice to such an experience than some 55-inch TVs costing twice as much. 

Colours on the 55FN2KA, meanwhile, while not very vibrant or voluminous, do at least manage to retain a decent sense of balance, so that no tones jump out too strongly against the rest. Similarly, while the backlight system is very basic and only results in average black levels, average is actually a pretty good result for a £399 TV – especially as you can still see plenty of shadow detail in dark parts of the picture. 

The simplicity of the backlighting, meanwhile, ensures you aren’t distracted by issues such as blooming and ‘jumpy’ brightness levels that – ironically – some much more expensive TVs can suffer with.

If you can play Dolby Vision into the 55FN2KA you will be rewarded with a slightly more dynamic and rich-looking picture – especially if you opt for the Dolby Vision Dark mode rather than the default Dolby Vision Bright option, the colours of which can look a bit over-saturated.

While the Sharp 55FN2KA’s pictures get more of the basics right than might have been expected for its money, though, there are a few issues to be aware of, including a couple of real potential deal breakers.

First and worst, the 55FN2KA sports what may be the narrowest viewing angles we’ve ever seen. If your seating position is even just a few degrees off from directly opposite the screen, the already average black levels slip into looking outright poor. 

The second big issue is that when watching 24fps film sources, a combination of quite pronounced judder and a touch of resolution loss means that motion doesn’t look comfortable or natural. And there are no motion processing options on hand to help you sort this out.

Smaller issues include areas of faint clouding during very dark scenes, the occasional appearance of a faint light border running around the image’s edges, some minor clipping of subtle shading in the brightest parts of HDR pictures, and a slightly softer presentation, even with 4K sources, than you would expect to see from a more premium 4K TV. 

Sound

With fairly routine audio sources the 55FN2KA sounds pretty decent for such a cheap TV. Dialogue sounds clear without becoming too exaggerated, and also feels like it’s coming from the screen rather than from somewhere below or behind it. The midrange is clean and dynamic enough to avoid harsh treble or general thinness, and the Harman Kardon-designed speakers are sensitive enough to create a nicely busy soundstage.

The 55FN2KA doesn’t cast its soundstage wide enough or accurately enough to get much value out of its built-in Dolby Digital Plus and DTS Virtual X decoding, though. Also, while there’s at least some attempt to inject bass into proceedings, this bass tends to phase in and out quite inconsistently and can descend into distracting levels of distortion and crackling when pushed hard by a potent action scene. 

Such action scenes can also cause the 55FN2KA’s sound to collapse in on itself, becoming quieter rather than louder and more impactful as they escalate towards their explosive payoffs. 

Ultimately the 55FN2KA sounds like a TV with audio ambitions beyond its actual capabilities, rather than a TV that’s aware of and willing to work within its limitations.

Verdict

We’d really wanted to love the Sharp 55FN2KA. Being able to wholeheartedly recommend a 55-inch TV that only costs £399 would have made our day. Unfortunately, though, while it does a few things better than you might expect for so little money, its limitations when it comes to motion handling, response times and, especially, viewing angles may well feel like one compromise too far for TV fans and gamers alike.

SCORES

• Picture 3
• Sound 3
• Features 3

MORE:

Read our review of the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED

Also consider the TCL 55RP620K

Best cheap TVs: the best 4K TVs under £500

No surprises here, practically all of Amazon's first-party 'Fire' branded hardware is featured front and centre in the Prime Day sales. That includes all three 4K capable streamers that Amazon currently sells, the Fire TV Stick 4K, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and the Fire TV Cube.

So which one should you actually buy? If you're set on a Fire streamer, then the standard Stick 4K is probably the best value for money here. At just £35 in the Prime Day sales, it's a pretty accessible way to get into 4K streaming. The Max is just a small step up at £38 and for that minuscule price increase, we'd say it's probably worth the upgrade if it means you're Amazon streamer will last longer - thanks to that upgraded processor. 

The Fire TV Cube is a bit of a dud however, as even though it's a pretty tempting offer at £109, you still have to be pretty serious about Amazon streaming in order to justify it - especially considering it outclassed in the picture and sound categories by the Apple TV 4K which isn't a shed load more expensive at £149.

Realistically, the two 4K Fire TV Sticks are your best bet, but only if you're not compromising on the Amazon aspect, as there is a much better streaming deal to be had as part of Amazon Prime Day - and ironically it's the Fire TV Stick's main competitor.

That's right folks, Google's Award-winning Fire TV Stick competitor, the Chromecast with Google TV (4K) is just £2 more than the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. If you've read our head-to-head comparison between the two streamers, then you'll know the picture and sound of the Chromecast is leagues ahead of the Fire TV Stick, so that £2 increase is more than worth it. 

With a much more considerate design that doesn't block nearby HDMI ports, the Chromecast is a sleeker puck with a trimmed-down remote to match. Available in either Snow or Sky (white or blue) the 4K Chromecast gets the smarts of the Google Assistant and wide compatibility of the Play Store, making it a supreme streamer.

Moving onto picture and sound, the Chromecast delivers a much more natural and authentic approach to both that the Fire Stick can't quite match. Visually, it's a touch cleaner, more engaging and the colours look more natural, while its sonic presentation is more textured and timing is much better too. 

The Chromecast is also stacked when it comes to features, with HDR support in the HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR formats, as well as the newly implemented content frame matching system which Netflix has just adopted, in order to create smoother motion. You can also wireless stream to the Chromecast via Bluetooth or pairing a phone or tablet - unsurprisingly, Google's own Pixel devices and Android phones work best.

Overall, the Chromecast is the best TV streamer to go for in my mind, especially with £20 knocked off the asking price. 

MORE:

Read our full Google Chromecast with Google TV review

Check out the best Prime Day deals still available

And the best Prime Day TV deals

Netflix has introduced a heavily requested picture setting as part of its latest app update on TVs and streaming devices running Google/Android TV. 

As part of Android 12, Google introduced a setting called 'match content frame rate' which meant that the Chromecast with Google TV and TVs running the operating system could adapt from their usual 60 (or 120 on supported TVs) frames per second (fps) video output, down to match the cinematic standard of 24fps. The goal here is to minimise judder when the display's output doesn't match the video playback's frame rate and vice versa.

Frame rate matching isn't new by any means, in fact, Apple introduced it on the Apple TV 4K in 2017, while Google finally caught up in October of last year. The problem is that while Apple implemented it systemwide, Google put the onus on individual app developers and, in many cases, they've been dragging their heels; although Google did caveat this initial release by stating it's a work-in-progress feature. 

Now, ten months on, Netflix has finally introduced support for frame rate matching with its latest version 10.0.4 (via FlatpanelsHD), making it the first major streaming app to adopt this new picture setting. The likes of Disney Plus, Prime Video and Apple TV are still missing this feature, however. 

Thankfully, Netflix hasn't taken a half-baked approach to implementing this frame-matching feature, as it supports both integer (24.000fps) and fractional (23.976fps) frame rates. This is welcome as although the latter is being phased out in production studios, some content is still being encoded in this format. FlatpanelsHD put this new feature to the test and recorded successful playback in both frame rate formats, as well as playback in 50fps and 60fps. 

We hope seeing Netflix take the plunge will encourage other streaming services to follow suit in the near future. 

MORE:

Read our full Google Chromecast with Google TV review

Check out our picks for the best streaming services for movies and TV shows

And make sure to avoid these 6 crucial Netflix mistakes

Everything should be big with the movies – a big screen via TV or projector, and a big sound to match. Stepping up from stereo to multichannel audio is your ticket to mega-movie performance in the home. 

These are the products that have wowed us over the last 12 months of our magazines Sound+Image, Australian Hi-Fi, Best Buys Audio & AV, and Audio Esoterica, and which represent our recommendations of the very best audio-visual kit available in Australia today.

For the full details on each and every winner, check out the Special Awards Issue of Sound+Image magazine, on sale now in print and digital editions. Print subscriptions here; digital issues here!

Now let's meet the winners!

Televisions

TELEVISION OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$2000
TCL RP630 Roku TV
AU$699/AU$899
Judges Comment: TCL brings a Roku TV to Australia, and we love it, from the smart interface to the marvellous compatibility. For the money, this is a brilliant bargain.
Click for our full review
'

TELEVISION OF THE YEAR OVER AU$2000
Samsung QN95B Neo QLED
AU$3695 (65-inch)
Judges Comment: Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs can deliver bonkers brightness, but their best trick is handling all manner of content without requiring adjustment.
Click for full review (note, this is the UK review)

Projectors

AV PROJECTOR OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$2500
Epson EH-TW6250
AU$2099
Judges Comment: Epson’s little projector comes with Android TV smarts inside and some key benefits of 4K, delivering great images at an attractive price.
'

AV PROJECTOR OF THE YEAR AU$2500-AU$5000
BenQ X3000i
AU$3299
Judges Comment: This is a smart projector with good gaming credentials but also great TV and movie performance, with Android TV smarts plus detail, colour and brightness beyond the X3000i’s price level.
Click to read our full review
'

AV PROJECTOR OF THE YEAR OVER AU$5000
Epson EH-LS12000B
AU$8999
Judges Comment: This is a magnificent home cinema projector, notably in bringing laser UHD delivery at a thrilling price, and a stunner in performance terms.   
Click to read our full review

Surround System

SURROUND SYSTEM OF THE YEAR
Sony HT-A9
AU$$2499 (+ ~$900 for the subwoofer)
Judges Comment: We can hardly begin to tell you how much we like this system. We’ve been recommending it like crazy, because it solves so many problems, and it sounds bloody brilliant. We recommend adding Sony's SA-SW5 for the full effect.
Click to read UK review; Australian review in S+I #349

Receivers & Processors

AV RECEIVER OF THE YEAR
Marantz Cinema 60
AU$2600
Judges Comment: Versatile, powerful and helpful, the seven-channel Cinema 60 delivers the complexities of a modern AV receiver in a user-friendly and musical package.
'

AV PROCESSOR OF THE YEAR
Anthem AVM 90
AU12,499
Judges Comment: Anthem’s top AV preamp and processor delivers up to 15 channels plus four differentiated subwoofer outputs, along with a brilliantly versatile virtual input system and our favourite flavour of room correction.

Soundbars

SOUNDBAR OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$500
Yamaha SR-C30A
AU$399
Judges Comment: Yamaha’s SR-C30A combo produces competent subwoofer-supported TV sound at what is a nearly-miraculous price.
Click to read our full review
'

SOUNDBAR OF THE YEAR AU$500-AU$1000
Polk MagniFi Mini AX
AU$799
Judges Comment: Polk offers an impressive subwoofer with a little lozenge rather than a wide bar, and the combo proved itself across both movies and music.
Click to read our full review
'

SOUNDBAR OF THE YEAR AU$1000-AU$2000
Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3
AU$1599
Judges Comment: This powerful bar-only solution from Bowers & Wilkins loads up on tech yet remains wonderfully simple to set up and use.
'

SOUNDBAR OF THE YEAR OVER AU$2000
Sennheiser AMBEO Max
AU$3199 currently
Judges Comment: Sennheiser’s original Ambeo soundbar has new abilities and a reduced price, beating all newcomers to regain our top soundbar award.
'

SOUNDBAR SYSTEM OF THE YEAR
JBL Bar 1300
Price: AU$1999
Judges Comment: Pull off the ends of JBL’s Bar 1300 and they become battery-powered wireless rears, or even standalone Bluetooth speakers. Put it all together with a generous subwoofer and enjoy true Atmos surround.
'

SOUNDBAR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Samsung HW-S800B S Series
Price: AU$999
Judges Comment: Samsung has had great soundbars ever since opening its Californian audio lab. But this one achieves an extra- ordinary slimdown of the bar without much compromising on either facilities or performance.
Click to read our full review

An update for TVs running Google TV is rolling out soon, and it may fix one of the smart platform's biggest issues. If you have a Chromecast device or a TV manufactured by Sony, Philips, Hisense or TCL, then you should expect to see a more responsive user interface and better storage optimisation heading your way. 

Google has focused on making its operating system snappier on slower-running hardware. This includes a quicker wake-up time, faster response times when pressing buttons on your remote, and a cut-down animation when rebooting your Google TV device. Google says that these performance upgrades should already be rolling out, however, it hasn't stated whether you'll need to perform a software update or if these are coming via a server-side upgrade. 

If this does require a system software update, then simply go to the Google TV homepage, click on your user icon and then "settings", scroll down to "system" and then click "about". Here you will find the "system software update" option which should confirm whether you need to update the operating system or if it is running the latest version.

Moving on to the new storage optimisation features, they mostly come as a result of Google moving away from its previous APK (Android Application Package) format and switching to the more efficient Android App Bundle (AAB) format. This breaks down applications into smaller chunks depending on the device you install them on (smartphone, tablet or TV) and what type of app they are (streaming, game, news etc). This results in faster install times and, in the case of Google TV apps, a 25 per cent reduction in app sizes; leaving you with more storage to download more apps, movies, TV shows and games. App developers have supposedly been given a May 2023 deadline to switch over to the AAB format if they haven't done so already.

In addition to the switch to AABs, Google TV is also getting a new "App Hibernation" mode which deactivates apps on your Google TV home screen if they haven't been used in more than 30 days. Google says your TV needs to be running Android 12, and that these new storage optimisation features should have already been applied via a recent server-side update.

MORE:

Read our full Google Chromecast with Google TV review

Check out our picks for the best TVs

As well as our picks for the best Android TVs

TCL has unveiled a brand new batch of QD-mini LED TVs during its 2023 Global Flagship Product Launch, including a new flagship model with a 5000 nits quoted max brightness., This follows the company’s 2023 TV and soundbar lineup at Milan Design Week, headlined by a next-generation Mini LED model, two new QLEDs, and a Dolby soundbar. 

The brand is also enjoying a period of global success, supplying panels to a variety of global TV giants and in 2022 ranked as the second largest TV brand and the top Android TV brand, according to the OMDIA Global TV Sets report from last year. 

We’re looking forward to getting the new models into our test rooms to check how they perform in the real world. But, until then you can see a breakdown of their technical specs and how they compare to others in the market below.

TCL X955 Series

The main announcement TCL made during its 2023 Global Flagship Product launch was the X955, the company’s new flagship model of 4K TV. It is a QD-mini LED TV which TCL says features 5000 nits peak brightness and over 5000 dimming zones.

TCL credits its breakthroughs in mini LED to its six-crystal chip technology. It says these advancements will bring a “27.5% increase in brightness, 33% increase in focusing angles, and a 210% increase in light control precision”. 

The X955 carries TCL’s leading Quantum Dot Technology, with an extensive 98% DCI-P3 colour gamut and the ability to produce more than a billion colours. It’s also said to last roughly 100,000 hours of use.

The X955 includes features such as 144hz VRR, Google TV, multi-HDR support, HDMI 2.1, and the AiPQ 3.0 video processor.

In terms of audio, the X955 supports Dolby Atmos content and features a 160W 4.2.2 Onkyo system including support for left, right, surround sound, two sub outputs, and two sky sound channels.

Connectivity-wise, like most non-Samsung or LG TVs, the set is limited to two HDMI 2.1 inputs, one of which doubles as eARC.

We’re waiting to find out the official price, but have reached out to TCL to get confirmation. We’ll update this page when we find out. 

TCL X955 Series sizes and pricing  

• 85-inch: £TBC / €4999 /  $TBC / AU$TBC
• 98-inch: £TBC / €7999 / $TBC / AU$TBC

TCL C955 Series

Following the X955, TCL announced the C955, billed as a premium QD-mini LED TV, offering 2000 mini LED dimming zones and 2000 nits peak brightness.

C955 will be available in 65, 75, 85, and 98-inch variants and represents a step up from the existing C845, which features up to 896 dimming zones in 85 inches. The C955 is an upgrade on TCL’s existing C845 model TV, which features 896 dimming zones. Overall, it packs the same features as the C845, along with a more powerful 120W 2.2.2 channel Onyko audio system for Dolby Atmos.

The official information regarding the price has not yet been released, we’ll add it when we hear back from TCL.

TCL C955 sizes and pricing  

• 65-inch: £TBC / €TBC / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 75-inch: £TBC / €TBC / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 85-inch: £TBC / €3999 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 98-inch: £TBC / €5999 / $TBC / AU$TBC

TCL C805 (C755 outside Europe) Series

The C805 (C755 outside of Europe) is another QD-mini LED TV announced during the Global Flagship Product Launch event and will be available in 50, 55, 65, 75, 85, and 98-inch models. This model is slated to feature 500+ mini LED dimming zones and 1300 nits peak brightness.

We’re waiting to find out the official information regarding other features such as connectivity, so will be sure to update you with that information when it’s available.

TCL C805 sizes and pricing  

• 50-inch: £TBC / €999 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 55-inch: £TBC / €1099 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 65-inch: £TBC / €1299 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 75-inch: £TBC / €1799 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 85-inch: £TBC / €2299 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 98-inch: £TBC / €4999 / $TBC / AU$TBC

TCL C84 Series

Back to the more important stuff: the new TV models for 2023. Starting with the most premium offering, the C84 Series Mini LED TV. TCL boasts of how it's been championing the technology since 2018, and that its 2023 model brings many improvements. This flagship model is available in 55-, 65-. 75- and 85-inch variants, with prices and release dates yet to be confirmed, although we have reached out to TCL for further information. 

TCL says that the C84 uses its latest generation Mini LED panel backed by QLED colour technology, with supposed upgrades across the board. This includes better and more precise contrast, reduced blooming, increased brightness and better uniformity. These improvements are due to TCL including more local dimming zones, alongside "high efficiency and wide luminous angle Mini LEDs". This has resulted in a new record for brightness levels for TCL's Mini LED sets, with a claimed figure of 2000 nits in some HDR modes – rivalling the latest MLA OLED and QD-OLED sets from LG and Sony respectively. 

This new flagship TV also includes TCL's AiPQ 3.0 picture quality algorithm, which targets improvements to contrast and picture quality in real time depending on the content you feed through the TV. The C84 Series should be ideal for gamers too, with a 144Hz refresh rate and VRR confirmed for the new set – we're just waiting to find out how many HDMI 2.1 sockets it features. You'll also find Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos support, and while TCL hasn't specified which other HDR formats the TV supports, we do know the other models include HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG, so we expect the C84 Series to follow suit. 

Speaking of the other models, TCL is also debuting two new QLED TVs with the C74 Series and C64 Series. 

TCL C64 Series

We covered the C64 Series announcement recently, but here's a quick run-through of what to expect from the new budget QLED. It comes in a range of sizes, with prices starting at just £329 for the 43-inch model (see the full range of sizes and pricing below), and features a 4K QLED panel running at 60Hz. 

However, TCL has included its Game Accelerator processing to boost content to 120Hz; obviously, this won't look quite as good as real 120Hz, and it only works at 1080p resolution, but it should keep gamers on a budget happy. It also includes Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, as well as HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG formats. 

The TCL C64 Series hits UK shelves soon, with a release scheduled for later this month. You can find a full breakdown of sizes and UK pricing here – stay posted for international availability and pricing.

TCL C645K (C64 Series) sizes and pricing

• 43-inch: £329 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 50-inch: £379 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 55-inch: £429 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 65-inch: £599 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 75-inch: £949 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 85-inch: £1499 / $TBC / AU$TBC

TCL C74 Series

Next in the lineup is the C74 Series, a QLED model that sits just above the C64 and below the C84, as the name may suggest. It adds full array local dimming to the mix, allowing for supposed brightness levels of 1000 nits in certain HDR modes. It also uses a much faster 144Hz panel which should appeal to serious gamers, with TCL including its Game Accelerator again here, allowing the panel to apparently reach 240Hz. 

The C74 Series starts at £649 / $TBC / AU$TBC for the 55-inch model and starts shipping later this month, excluding the two largest configurations which will instead arrive in May. You can find a full breakdown of sizes and UK pricing below. Once again we have reached out for international availability and pricing.

TCL C745K (74 Series) sizes and pricing

• 55-inch: £649 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 65-inch: £799 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 75-inch: £1099 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 85-inch: £1599 / $TBC / AU$TBC (available May)
• 98-inch: £3599 / $TBC / AU$TBC (available May)

TCL P745 Series

Last on our current TCL TV lineup is the P745, which supports 4K video, Dolby Atmos surround sound, and a range of HDR formats including HDR10, HDR10+, HLF, and Dolby Vision.

With the 98-inch model reported to be retailing at €2499, the larger models of P745 TVs look like they could be great options for those looking for a very large screen. 

Without any dedicated dimming zones, it's unlikely that the P745 will compete directly with other large OLED TVs based on pure performance alone, but at this price, you'll still be getting a lot of TV for the money.

TCL P745 sizes and pricing

• 43-inch: £TBC / €TBC / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 50-inch: £TBC / €TBC / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 55-inch: £TBC / €TBC / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 65-inch: £TBC / €TBC / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 75-inch: £TBC / €TBC / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 85-inch: £TBC / €TBC / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 98-inch: £TBC / €2499 / $TBC / AU$TBC

Finishing off TCL's list of new product launches is the S64 Series of soundbars, which TCL says will "fit perfectly" with its 2023 TVs. We don't know much about these soundbars yet, but we do know they support Dolby Audio but not Dolby Atmos. More on these and the entire 2023 TCL range when we have it.

MORE:

Read our full review of the TCL 55C735K

Check out our picks for the best TVs

As well as some of the best TV deals available now

Want to make your dumb TV smart? Or perhaps your TV's built-in streaming apps just aren't cutting it. Either way, you'll need a streaming device and these are the two main players when it comes to mainstream 4K players.

In the Amazon corner, we have the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and as the overly long product name may suggest, it's Amazon's top-of-the-range streaming stick. Sitting just below the Fire TV Cube, this much smaller and slimmer cuboid streaming stick is the latest addition to the Fire TV Stick lineup with 4K HDR streaming, beefier internal specs and Wi-Fi 6 support.

And in the Google corner, we have the Chromecast with Google TV, a plucky puck that also represents Google's finest when it comes to TV streaming. It too is capable of 4K HDR streaming and it's powered by Google TV, an operating system you'll find on many TVs from Sony and TCL. This Google streamer sits above the HD model that was released last year, and Google's two-streamer approach is a lot simpler than Amazon's current lineup of four sticks and one cube.

But which one is right for you? Well, there are many factors to consider, such as compatibility with your TV (there's no point buying a 4K streamer if you don't have a 4K TV, check out the Fire TV Stick 3rd Generation instead), app compatibility, ease of use and of course, picture and sound performance. Lucky for you, we have compiled all of that right here, with a head-to-head comparison between these two streaming sticks.  

Price

Amazon has the slightly pricier streamer out of the two, with the Stick 4K Max retailing for £65 / $55 / AU$99, whereas the Chromecast costs £60 / $50 / AU$99. There's not much in it, but if you're holding onto an older TV with the hopes of smartening it up instead of shelling out for a replacement, it's likely that every penny counts. 

That being said, Amazon often has sales occurring in which pretty much all of its first-party tech products have their prices slashed. Right now in the Amazon Spring Sale, you can pick up a Fire TV Stick 4K Max for just £48. However, it looks like Google anticipated this as it currently has savings on its Chromecast devices and you can get the Google TV-equipped streamer for just £45. 

While the price difference is pretty negligible, especially during sales, we have to give it to the Chromecast, as it is the cheaper option. 

**Winner** Google Chromecast with Google TV

Design

Neither streaming device features a particularly alluring design, but that's okay considering they'll be hidden behind your TV during use. Starting with the Fire TV Stick, Amazon is keeping its tried and true design format that it's used since the first generation Fire TV Stick launched in 2014. 

It's a black plastic cuboid that resembles an enlarged USB thumb drive, with an HDMI connector sticking out of one end. It also features a micro USB connection, which in 2023 is nothing short of irritating, as practically everything has converted to USB-C by now. 

The boxy black design is pleasingly lowkey overall, with a stealthy design that is fairly unobstructive when it's lodged into your TV's HDMI socket. That being said, it did encroach onto its neighbouring HDMI connectors when we tested it with the Sony A80K, however your experience may differ depending on what TV you plan on hooking it up to. Thankfully Amazon does include an HDMI extender in the box if you do find this to be an issue, or if you need your Fire TV stick to stretch a little closer to the nearest plug socket. 

One benefit of the Fire TV stick is that it technically can run off your TV's USB for power, however, you do receive an on-screen message suggesting that you use the included power adapter for the best performance. This isn't the case for the Chromecast, which instead firmly informs you that it will not work over the TV's USB power and instead demands you plug it straight into the wall.

Speaking of the Chromecast, it features a much more aesthetically pleasing design. First of all, it comes in three different colours to choose from: Sky (a pastel blue shade), Sunrise (pink, but whatever you say Google) and Snow (white, obviously). It also has a rounded puck design with a flat HDMI cable stretching out the top end, and a USB-C connector on the bottom edge. This means no obstruction of other HDMI ports, and an easy switch out if you need to replace the cable, thanks Google!

The Chromecast also gets a colour-matched remote with directional buttons, volume controls, a Google Assistant button (and microphone), power, an input switching button and two pre-assigned app shortcut buttons for YouTube and Netflix. Overall the controller is fine; perhaps a tad small and fiddly for some, but that will be down to personal preference. 

Amazon bundles in its Alexa Voice Remote, which it has been slowly refining over the years to include better functionality. It gets a couple more Amazon services-based shortcut buttons, as well as a Disney Plus shortcut button instead of YouTube. It's a bit chunkier and feels slightly more solid in the hand, compared to the Chromecast remote. Amazon also sells the Alexa Voice Remote Pro as an optional extra, which adds backlit buttons, two programmable shortcut buttons and a find my remote feature for when it inevitably slips between the couch cushions – but that is an additional £35 / $35 / AU$59 so we won't count it in this versus.

Overall, our vote goes to the Chromecast thanks to its USB-C connection, less obstructive design and greater selection of colours.

**Winner** Google Chromecast with Google TV

Apps and software

This is the make-or-break section for both streamers, as the whole point of sticking one of these in your TV is so you can enhance it with smart functionality. Thankfully, both the Fire and Chromecast offer a varied selection of streaming apps, although each has its unique set of oddities and caveats too.

Starting with the Fire Stick; it should come as no surprise that the 4K Max is particularly Amazon-centric. On the home screen, you'll see Prime Video and Amazon Music featured heavily, with suggestions and new releases featuring prominently. However, once you get through the Prime pickings, you'll get onto the other familiar streaming apps, such as Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV and Paramount+. If you're in the UK you'll also find BBC iPlayer, ITV X, All 4, My 5 and Now. Music streaming is equally well equipped with Amazon Music, Spotify, Tidal and Deezer all present. 

While app compatibility is solid, it's not perfect, as there are some notable oddities within some apps. Google Play Movies is nowhere to be found, which can be frustrating for those with a pre-established library of movies; thankfully there is a workaround using the YouTube app which allows you to watch your purchased movies and TV shows there. The Apple TV experience is also compromised, as you can't purchase any content on the app itself, and instead need to purchase and load content into your library via another device. That being said we can't really knock the app selection as it does really cover all bases. 

The same can be said about the Fire OS software experience, as while it's not perfect, it's perfectly usable and intuitive overall. Despite the aforementioned heavy Amazon content pushing, the user interface is responsive, and easy to navigate and even the Alexa integration for searching for content works nicely. There's still the occasional misheard command, but Alexa usually gets it right.

Most of the above can be said for the Chromecast, although there are some differences when it comes to what isn't supported. Google Play is here, but Amazon Music, Twitch and All 4 are not. Thankfully, since our last Fire TV Stick vs Chromecast article, app compatibility has improved on the Chromecast with a Now TV app and Britbox support too. The Chromecast does have a trick up its sleeve to circumnavigate missing apps, and that's the ability to cast from your phone or tablet onto the Chromecast, meaning if there's something you can't find on the streamer, you can likely find it elsewhere and mirror your device onto the TV.

The Google TV software experience is also arguably better too, with a snappier and less ad-heavy focus. Instead, it offers more personalised content suggestions across various streaming platforms, instead of what's new on Prime Video. The Google Assistant is also a useful asset in navigating through the user interface, as you can ask it to play specific content or open apps for general browsing. 

At the end of the day, both streamers offer plenty in the way of apps and useful software, so it's down to personal preference as to which suits you best.

**Winner** Draw 

Performance

Both streamers offer similar picture and audio performances and the likelihood is you'll be happy with either in isolation. However, we have tested them side by side and can definitively say that one is better than the other. 

Both streamers offer 4K streaming with HDR supported in the HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG formats. There are also auto frame matching options on both to help to minimise stutter, although it seems to be better implemented on the Fire Stick. Amazon has opted for a system-wide approach, while Google requires each developer to enable it within their respective streaming apps. 

When it comes down to picture quality, both streamers feature impressive images with excellent detail and depth. The colours are strong and vibrant on both too, and both handle dark detail well.

So if that's the case how is one better than the other? Well, it's actually the Chromecast that takes it up a notch with slightly better clarity and a more thoughtful approach when it comes to finer details. In our review of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, we used the latest murder mystery epic Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery which features a fairly prominent film grain throughout. On the Fire Stick, it appeared more like a visual filter and was a touch too harsh, whereas the Chromecast took a more nuanced approach to smoothly integrate it into the picture. This resulted in a cleaner and more intentional-looking effect, rather than unwanted picture noise. 

Subtlety is also the Chromecast's strength when it comes to audio performance, as it offers a warmer, more natural and balanced approach to songs that the Fire (ironically) just can't match. The Amazon streamer sounds slightly robotic in nature when compared to the Google alternative, and it is also weaker when it comes to dynamics. Overall the Chromecast offers a more energetic and authentic approach to music, making it the more enjoyable pick overall.

As for movies and TV, both streaming sticks are pretty equally matched, with impressively immersive audio when it comes to Dolby Atmos content. Vocal clarity and sound effects are also similar across the two streamers, however, the more natural-sounding Chromecast takes the upper hand once again when it comes to dialogue. 

**Winner** Google Chromecast with Google TV 

Verdict

It should be obvious by now that we think the Google Chromecast with Google TV wins this battle of the streamers. It features a better design, it's cheaper, and it performs better, however, that doesn't entirely rule out the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. 

Both streamers offer plenty in the way of smart functionality, app compatibility and so forth, and the truth is that you would likely be very happy with either. However, it's in the picture and sound subtleties that the Chromecast takes the win. The more natural and considered approach to the picture and sound struck a chord with us, which is probably why the Chromecast has sat firmly on our yearly Awards list for a couple of years now. 

There are obviously other factors that may sway your decision, for example, if you have invested in the Amazon Prime catalogue to build up a large video library, or if you're deep into the Alexa smart home system, then the Fire TV Stick is probably the better choice for you.

However, if picture and sound are your main priorities, then the Google Chromecast with Google TV is the streaming puck that you should pick.

MORE:

Read our full review of the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

As well as our Google Chromecast with Google TV review

Check out our picks for the best media streamers

And finally the best TVs to accompany your new streaming stick

Beware playing with this television, even trying it out. It will spoil all other televisions for you, because of one simple but defining trait – it’s so fast. 

If you’ve ever fumbled with your remote to get the big game or your favourite show on screen ASAP, only to wait through some start-up animation, then a home screen, and you’re still waiting for it…

There’s none of that here. TCL’s Roku TV turns on like a phone. Press ‘on’ and it’s on. 

This might seem like a small thing, and perhaps it is... until you use it. When we called TCL to confirm the product’s arrival, they didn’t say “Isn’t Roku great?” or “Isn’t it a great-value TV?”. They said, “we all can’t believe how fast it is.”

Which was exactly what we were already thinking. 

So we repeat: beware. After using TCL’s Roku TV, all other TVs feel frustratingly slow. 

Roku at last

However, the real headline here is simply Roku becoming officially available in Australia. 

Roku is massive in the States: the no.1 TV streaming platform by hours streamed in the US, Canada, and Mexico, its streaming boxes and sticks are wildly prevalent there, even having its own Roku Channel, with ‘Roku Originals’ and hundreds of free linear channels. 

Roku has benefitted also from its close ties with the rise of Netflix: Roku’s founder Anthony Wood became a Netflix vice president after Netflix decided not to get into the hardware itself, and until recently Roku’s offices were still sub-let from Netflix.

It seems crazy that a TV operating system so prevalent in the US has never been launched here in Australia. Our different standards, apps and content must have made our market seem too small to justify the effort required, so hitherto Roku here has been limited to grey imports of Roku sticks for those willing to access the world through a VPN. 

However the nuts and bolts of Roku have, in fact, been hiding here inside TelstraTV media boxes since 2015, the platform tweaked and rebadged for the Australian market. Hisense has had Roku TVs, but never over here. Philips has also marketed TVs with Roku interfaces internationally, but not, we believe, in Australia. 

Instead Australian consumers have been warming to Android TV, Google’s TV operating system, as well as the OS variants developed by TV companies themselves. 

So TCL must have put in some yards getting Roku to launch here officially. And it is official, with all Roku.com pages now redirecting to roku.com/en-au, which has a big ‘G’Day Australia!’ splash page announcing ‘Roku streaming is now in Australia’, followed by information pages strewn with pics of TCL’s new TVs.

It’s not yet clear whether Roku sticks will also begin to work here officially; the Australian Roku site doesn’t mention them at all, although its initial links through to TCL were softened into relative anonymity during our review period. The recent news that Roku will be making its own Roku-branded TV sets may also have a bearing on the platform’s appearance here at last.

Design & features

In a way then, it’s surprising to find Roku limited initially to just one TCL model, the RP630, available in two sizes. 

Also that these are by no means premium TVs, with the 55-inch priced at just AU$699 and the 65-inch at AU$899. (International readers: we can't say whether this model is directly equivalent to those available outside Australia, so we're quoting AU pricing only.)

This bargain price is notable in such things as weight – the very first thing we noted on the arrival of the 55RP630 was how remarkably light it was, around half the weight of, say, TCL’s Mini LED C935 flagship. As such it makes an easy one-person install, requiring only a couple of screws into each plastic foot before an easy hoick into position, followed by the ritual pulling off of the endless plastic strips which protect it in transit. 

One of these is a sticker advertising an impressive 8-star energy rating, indicating lower power use and so a handy reduction in electricity costs. Although from a different viewpoint, higher energy use and a heavier TV often indicate superior technologies and higher performance.

So is the RP630 a relative lightweight in performance areas? In some respects, yes; this is a relatively budget TV. It uses direct LED backlighting, conventional enough, though generally superior in evenness of lighting to side LEDs, but without the eye-popping contrast of TVs pushing 1000 nits and beyond. Indeed the RP630 55-inch and 65-inch 4K panels are quoted at only 260 and 270 nits respectively, with contrast ratios of 5000 and 6000.

Nevertheless, they support high dynamic range right up to Dolby Vision, and in other areas too the specs are solid enough: a response rate of 6.5ms and a wide viewing angle. 

Physical connectivity is just a bit limited: a slightly meagre three HDMI inputs rather than four, some being 1.4b and some 2.1 spec (so suitable for new-gen games consoles), and one with HDMI eARC. There’s a composite AV minijack input with an adapter cable provided, a single USB-A slot, also an optical digital audio output and analogue minijack headphone output. All socketry is situated to the right rear. 

Roku helps ensure that digital connectivity is rather better, as the operating system allows AirPlay streaming of content, and offers the Roku streaming app as a virtual remote control, a keyboard for typing, and a microphone for voice commands.

The app can rather cleverly receive audio from the TV so that you can use headphones connected to your phone or tablet for private TV listening, though only for streaming and live TV channels, not for connected devices.

Set up

As noted, our 55-inch review model of the RP630 was so light that set-up was a breeze, especially with just two small plastic feet to screw on. 

It may not be wafer-thin like an OLED, and it has a black bezel of several millimetres all round, but it’s still an attractive TV. 

While plugging up we found the three HDMI inputs limiting, especially once we were using the one with HDMI eARC to play to a series of soundbars we were testing at the same time. With only two HDMI inputs remaining, we were regularly hot-plugging (don’t do this at home, kids) to switch between our remaining sources. 

However, this revealed another level of Roku smarts – it is blindingly brilliant at identifying attached devices. We plugged in a Sony soundbar, and it not only realised this was an ARC-connected bar, it populated a square of its home screen with the soundbar’s exact model number. When we yanked out an AppleTV 4K to plug in a UHD Blu-ray player, it wasn’t confused at all, it simply updated the Home screen to show the arrival of the Blu-ray player. 

This will thrill anyone living with a rather stupider ‘smart’ TV which is dim at identifying new devices, even the ones you told them about yesterday.

It’s helpful, too, the Roku interface popping up with useful messages like “Computer: No signal (is it on?)”. When processes like updating channel information were going on, it flashed up chucklesome messages: ‘Releasing gravity locks…’ and other such nuggets. We enjoyed this, and the rest of the disarmingly simple Roku interface.  

Indeed the Roku interface is so simple as to be almost unremarkable – there’s just nothing to explain here. All your inputs are listed (including a neat preview image and audio if an input is active), all your apps, or whatever you’ve selected from what is called the ‘Roku Channel Store’, which had nearly everything except ABC, SBS and 10 catch-up (there is currently only 7plus and 9now), while among subscription streaming services only Kayo and Binge were absent – and TCL Australia tells us that all these “will also be available soon”. 

And it has a ‘cross-service’ search far better than Android TV: check a movie and it tells you whether you can watch the film for free or for a fee, and at what quality.

Performance

In terms of picture quality, the 55RP630 is not going to outshine significantly higher-level TVs. During our review we visited a JB Hi-Fi store where we noted the TCL Roku TV on a bottom shelf, dominated by nearby OLED and MiniLED TVs cranked in ‘display’ modes to sear your eyeballs. Alongside these, the image on the 55RP630 (priced there at just $545) looked decidedly flat and dull. 

But if you brought those OLEDs and MiniLED TVs home, put them in a decent filmmaker mode and tamed their extremes for real-world use, you’d find the comparison far less extreme. The 55RP630 achieved perfectly enjoyable viewing in the home, with brightness high enough to deliver strong colours generally clear of banding, and contrast which will serve all but videophiles seeking the brain-bending brightness of the newest technologies. A full black screen was just a little grey with illumination but uniform other than greying at the sides, while a full white screen displays just a little mottling towards the corners.

Ultimately there isn’t the dynamic range or control to display fully the HDR implementation here, which is generous at the price by including both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. There just aren’t enough stops of brightness in the panel to support true HDR contrasts to any great level. 

So in AppleTV+’s Macbeth, some darker shadow areas that reveal detail on a higher-brightness TV were pretty much just black on the TCL; similarly cloud detail tended to crush into full white in the brightest areas. 

But there’s plenty it gets right. We checked the post-credit scene in Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive S4E01, where Christian Horner jogs through the English countryside. This often suffers judder when TVs or projectors can’t handle a 50Hz stream, but the Roku TCL kept the motion immaculately smooth, assisted by its 100Hz Clear Motion Rate. The show’s interview headshots popped out of the dark backgrounds quite brilliantly, and the magnificent F1 action scenes hit home with nearly the full thrill of greater panels.

We plugged in UHD movies, and revelled in the colour and detail of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis; no limitation of the RP630 got in the way of this magnificent production. It’s a reminder that while expensive panels are amazing, even today’s relatively budget panels have the processing and power to deliver fine images that thereby represent astounding value.

What about its built-in sound quality? We spent most time listening to the Roku through a larger audio system, and advise you to do the same. The built-in sound will do fine for casual listening to daytime TV, and has a fuller sound than most built-in speakers. But for big TV and big movies, or for the music sources available via app or streaming, use a sound system to match.

Screen mirroring proved an effective and useful tool; we used the Roku’s AirPlay abilities to put our MacBook up screen, and though this proved not the best way to send video (and indeed Netflix seemed to block playing video this way), it was very handy for static screen images such as Powerpoint or sharing of photos. 

There’s also compatibility with Apple HomeKit, Google Home and Amazon Alexa devices, with multiple ways to use voice commands from those devices, though not by speaking direct into the remote control. 

There were a few operational oddities: the TV’s central power light is on when it’s off, and off when it’s on, so that we regularly powered it down when it was merely waiting for a signal. But on the whole, easy-peasy, and we say again: Roku rules.

Verdict

The Roku interface is brilliant; just those missing streaming services to be added and it’ll be ready to win Australian hearts en masse. Its simplicity is deceptive; full settings are available from the Roku menu, while input-specific settings can be called up with the ‘*’ button on the remote.

Even better, you don’t need to mess with settings much to get a picture which is excellent for the price, while the facilities seem to be significantly above as well. 

Sound the bargain siren: the TCL-Roku combination is a triumph. 

MORE:

Best TV in Australia and best soundbars in Australia – all tried and tested by the expert What Hi-Fi? team

Which Roku TV should you buy?

Should you buy a TCL TV? Our verdict on TCL, Roku TVs and more

The Toshiba 55QA5D63DB deploys no less than five promising lines of attack to try and win the hearts and minds of hard-pressed UK TV punters. First, its 55-inch screen uses Quantum Dots to make its colours, rather than the more common but less efficient and less effective filters. Second, it boasts a content-rich smart system courtesy of Android TV. Third, it supports all four of the current HDR formats, when most brands only support two or three. Fourth, it boasts a speaker system designed with audio brand Onkyo. Fifth and most importantly, it costs just £429 (around $525 / AU$750) – remarkably little for such a big and promisingly specified TV. Time to go in search of the catch…

Price

Getting a 55-inch TV of any sort for just £429 (around $525 / AU$750) looks like a great deal. And that’s even before you’ve added into the equation the Toshiba 55QA5D63DB’s premium Quantum Dot colour system, expansive high dynamic range support and content-rich Android TV smarts. 

The only other TV we’ve looked at that offers Quantum Dots on a 55-inch TV for anything like the same price is the £529 (around $645 / AU$925) TCL 55C735K which, while obviously a little more expensive, also offers some key gaming features that the Toshiba does not. 

If you want to go even cheaper and can live without Quantum Dots, Toshiba’s 50UK4D63DB is a surprisingly effective all-rounder currently available for just £349 (around $400 / AU$575).

All of these TVs are, unfortunately, exclusive to the UK.

Design

The 55QA5D63DB’s design sets a mixed tone. The frame around the screen is wider than we typically see these days, and it has a seam that looks a bit clumsy. Build quality is decent for such a cheap TV, though, and the mixture of black on three sides and grey for the deliberately and stylishly protruding bottom edge works well.

The two desktop feet set towards each corner if you’re not wall hanging the TV feature an attractive blade design that means they all but disappear if you’re looking at the TV straight on.

The 55QA5D63DB ships with a plasticky, rather drab-looking remote control – though this does redeem itself a bit by carrying a fair selection of buttons for providing direct access to key streaming services.

Features

The 55QA5D63DB’s combination of a Quantum Dot colour system (which can deliver cleaner, purer, brighter colours than the usual LCD colour filter approach) and direct LED lighting (where the LEDs sit directly behind the screen rather than around its edges) raise hopes of a better performance level than you’d usually get for so little money. 

Potentially undermining these hopes, though, is the 55QA5D63DB’s use of an IPS type of LCD panel rather than a VA one. This means, based on past experience, that it may remain enjoyable to watch from a wider viewing angle than VA rivals, but will likely struggle to deliver serious contrast.

There’s no local dimming system to deliver local light controls, but this isn’t surprising at all at the 55QA5D63DB’s price point.

Also not surprising for the 55QA5D63DB’s money is the slightly limited nature of its connections. Three HDMIs dominate rather than the four you can generally expect if you step up a couple of hundred pounds, and none of these three HDMIs supports the latest premium gaming features of 4K/120Hz or VRR. 

There does seem to be some support for the ALLM switching feature that can switch TVs into their fast-response Game mode whenever a game source is detected, but this doesn’t work as consistently during our tests as it should.

Our resident Xbox Series X detects the 55QA5D63DB as capable of operating in Dolby Vision HDR mode while gaming, but warns that this mode will likely be affected by high levels of latency. A warning that proves correct to a pretty much unplayable extent, alas. 

Dolby Vision is far from the only HDR format the 55QA5D63DB supports. In fact, it also covers all three of the other key HDR formats found in today’s content world: HDR10, HLG and HDR10+. This means that the 55QA5D63DB will take in the best version available of any source it’s presented with. 

The 55QA5D63DB’s Dolby connection extends to Dolby Atmos audio decoding too, while its onscreen menus include a surprisingly broad range of picture set-up options – including various tweaks for Toshiba’s proprietary ‘Tru’ Picture Engine video processor. For the most part, though, the impact of many of the provided adjustments is pretty limited. Some of the features are so inscrutably named and poorly explained, too, that it’s actually pretty much impossible to figure out what they’re supposed to do. 

As noted earlier, the 55QA5D63DB has gone for Android TV for its smart system. This means that there’s no repeat of the missing Disney+ and Apple TV+ apps situation found with the otherwise impressive Toshiba 50UK4D63B. In fact, content levels are high, especially as Toshiba has also brought on board Freeview Play to cover Android TV’s blind spots when it comes to the catch-up apps for some of the UK’s main terrestrial broadcasters.

The 55QA5D63DB’s Android implementation is slightly sluggish at times, and during our time with the set, we’ve experienced a few bugs, such as sudden momentary brightness drops seemingly unrelated to any specific picture setting, and complete losses of sound (and loss of control over the sound) that could only be fixed by fully powering the TV down. Hopefully, these niggles can be addressed by firmware updates.

Picture

With just the right content, the 55QA5D63DB can deliver some pretty engaging pictures. Unfortunately, though, most of the time its picture quality varies between disappointing and flat-out poor.

The main source of both its strengths and flaws is its brightness. Right out of the gate, you can tell that it’s much brighter than its cheaper 50UK4D63B sibling. This enables it to deliver much more of the brightness, both in small ‘peaks’ and full-screen situations, that high dynamic range content thrives on. 

In fact, while we’re obviously not talking about levels of brightness even close to those the best OLEDs or, especially, premium LCD TVs can produce, the 55QA5D63DB is bright enough to deliver comfortably the biggest escalation from SDR to HDR of any TV in its price class.

The higher native brightness of the 55QA5D63DB also means it suffers less with clipping (loss of subtle shading and details) in the brightest areas than the 50UK4D63DB.

Bright HDR scenes additionally reveal the benefits of the 55QA5D63DB’s Quantum Dots, as they appear richly saturated, vibrant and intense, yet also surprisingly rich in nuance and shading subtlety for a TV with such a modest price tag.

The 55QA5D63DB’s love of brightness, though, together with its use of an IPS panel, sees its picture wheels falling off spectacularly whenever there’s a dark scene – or even a dark part of an otherwise bright image – to handle. Black levels are the weakest we’ve seen for many a moon, leaving dark scenes looking consistently washed out, greyed over, flat, short of subtle detailing and just totally unconvincing. 

You can improve things marginally – and we do mean marginally – by tinkering with the Adaptive Luma and Local Contrast controls. But even with the 55QA5D63DB’s contrast optimised as much as possible, very dark scenes in beloved films are honestly difficult to watch.

It doesn’t help, either, that the mist and clouding that hangs over dark scenes can sometimes take on a reddish or bluish tint that throws up an even greater barrier between you and what you’re trying to watch.

The 55QA5D63DB’s inability to deliver anything remotely resembling a true black colour means, too, that even its Quantum Dots can’t stop colours looking much flatter and less natural during dark scenes than they do during bright scenes. 

The 55QA5D63DB’s black-level woes are less pronounced when you’re watching SDR content, and can also be countered to a degree by making sure there’s quite a lot of ambient light in your room. These are hardly ideal compromises, though – especially as the 55QA5D63DB is in many ways designed with HDR in mind. 

There are, to be fair, one or two more picture areas where the 55QA5D63DB does pretty well. Its native 4K pictures are crisp and sharp (a touch too much in its Vivid and Standard picture presets, perhaps), and the sharpness doesn’t break down badly when there’s motion in the frame. Nor is there any of the overt smearing or excessive judder we still often see on budget TVs, even with 24p movie sources. 

We recommend using the Low setting of the TV’s motion processing system, as this slightly eases judder without causing unwanted processing side effects or turning films into soap operas. But if you just can’t cope with the idea of using motion processing, the 55QA5D63DB is still pretty easy to watch without it.

The 55QA5D63DB is a better upscaler of HD sources than we might have expected for its money, adding good texture, sharpness and even depth to HD sources. And as one final small strength, its IPS panel retains colour better when the TV is viewed from an angle than rival VA-type panels would. 

The IPS panel can’t stop contrast suffering quite badly during viewing from an angle, though, giving us one apt final reminder that for all the things the 55QA5D63DB gets right, its problems with contrast are so fundamental during all but the most glaringly bright content that they’re really pretty hard to live with. In fact, we much prefer the pictures of Toshiba’s substantially cheaper 50UK4D63B, proving – not for the first time – that just throwing Quantum Dots at a screen isn’t the guarantee of better picture quality you might expect. At least at the budget end of the TV world.

Finally, if you’re a gamer desperately clinging to the idea that the 55QA5D63DB’s brightness and bold colours might still play nicely with today’s HDR games, we’re afraid we have more bad news: even in its Game preset, Toshiba’s TV only manages to get input lag down to an underwhelming 50ms or so. That’s five times longer than the best gaming TVs manage.

Sound

The 55QA5D63DB’s speakers, which have been designed in conjunction with Onkyo, are seriously powerful, making it one of the flat-out loudest budget TVs we’ve ever heard. 

Dolby Atmos playback enjoys a really large sound stage too, which as well as spreading far to left and right actually seems to have a degree of height to it. Certainly, you get the impression of a wall of sound rather than just a horizontal ‘splay’.

The speakers are sensitive enough to present even the subtlest of audio details with conviction and presence, while dialogue is clear and intelligible at all times, no matter how much of a racket there might be going on behind it.

The speakers even have the dynamic range and power to keep on growing in step with an escalating action scene – something many TVs costing way more fail to do – and the sound consistently has direct impact, rather than sounding as if it’s all getting swallowed up somewhere behind the screen. 

The only issue is that treble effects can sound over prominent, drawing too much attention to themselves and becoming a touch abrasive at high volumes – something that happens in part because the 55QA5D63DB isn’t as generous with its bass as it is with its high frequencies. Despite these relatively small niggles, though, the 55QA5D63DB sounds impressive overall for such an affordable TV.

Verdict

The 55QA5D63DB sounds good, stands out from crowded budget TV shelves thanks to its brightness and price, and offers a comprehensive smart TV solution. Unfortunately, though, all of its good work is fatally harpooned by a contrast performance so bad it can be borderline unwatchable at times.

SCORES

• Picture 2
• Sound 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the TCL 55C735K

Also consider the Toshiba 50UK4D63DB

Read our Xiaomi F2 review

Best TV: brilliant budget to premium 4K Ultra HD TVs

Philips is rolling out an Android TV 11 update for a wide range of its older TV models released between 2019 and 2020. Despite models from these years launching with Android TV 9, Philips is skipping 10 and cranking things straight up to 11. FlatPanelsHD reports that essentially every Android Philips TV released in 2019 and 2020 should be receiving this software update.

Both Android TV 10 and 11 are fairly low-key Android TV updates when it comes to new features, but the 11 upgrade should bring with it ALLM support in apps, a better keyboard with predictive typing, and wider compatibility for Bluetooth controllers. 

The firmware update titled TPM191E_R.201.000.215.200 has already been rolled out to some models, but no timeframe has been given for all compatible TVs to get the upgrade.

We have to take a moment to commend Philips on its dedication to supporting older TV models, with very few manufacturers offering updates on nearly four-year-old products, especially to this degree. With Philips rolling out this update to 13 of its older generation TVs, this feels like a step forward for consumers who want newer features without needing to upgrade their TVs frequently.

MORE:

Best TVs: brilliant budget to premium 4K UHD

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Could Philips QD-OLEDs be coming next year?

The good news is that Android 13 for TV has been released to developers to get their mitts on. The bad news? It'll likely be months before it reaches our TVs or streaming devices, FlatpanelsHD reports.

Android 13 for TV is a fairly minor update, mainly improving performance and accessibility – both important, undoubtedly, but there are no big-ticket new features to shout about. It's available now to developers, so they can take advantage of its new abilities when creating their apps and services.

For example, one of the new features lets users set their preferred resolution and refresh rate on supported HDMI source devices. There are also power management improvements for an even more power-efficient standby mode, updated user controls for accessing the Google Assistant microphone on the remote, and a new keyboard layouts API to allow different language layouts on external keyboards.

So when will we get it? No time soon. As FlatpanelsHD points out, Android 12 for TV was released in December 2021 and finally landed on TVs and devices in October 2022 – nearly a full year later. It's therefore logical not to expect to see Android 13 touch down until the latter half of 2023 at the earliest.

Android TV (aka Google TV) features on some big-name TVs such as those made by Sony, and the five-star Chromecast with Google TV streaming device. Earlier this year it added support for multiple profiles, a feature that has long been a staple of many other TV/streaming operating systems.

MORE:

Check out the best TVs around

Here's our guide to choosing the right TV

What is Google TV? Find out all here

The Now app is now available to download on Google TV and Android TV via the Play Store (thank, 9to5Google). Sky's contract-free streaming service formerly known as Now TV offers a majority of Sky's content library without the need for a long-term commitment or dedicated set-top box.

The app has been available on Samsung and LG TVs, streaming sticks, consoles and portable devices for some time now – with Google's duo of TV operating systems being the latest additions to the supported platforms list.

This new app adds support to the likes of the Chromecast with Google TV as well as many TVs that use the Android TV operating system, including most of those made by Sony, Philips and Hisense. However, Now clarifies that you will need a TV running Android TV 8.0 or later in order to download the app from the Play Store.

Downloading the app is only half of the process, however, as you'll have to select a subscription pass, with Entertainment, Cinema and Sport as the options. These offer live and streamable TV content, the Sky movie library and live sports streaming respectively, and you can mix and match to just include the content that's relevant to you. There is also a Boost pass available for ad-free streaming and a resolution increase from 720p to 1080p.

MORE:

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Find out how Now almost ruined House of the Dragon for me

QLED technology, once a feature reserved for higher-end TVs, is becoming more accessible by the day. This has never been more apparent than with the new QLED range from British manufacturer Mitchell & Brown, with its QLED models all coming in at well under £1000. 

This new range of affordable QLEDs comes in three different sizes – 43 inches, 50 inches and 55 inches – and features a “near borderless design”. The panels offer 4K resolution and HDR support in the form of HDR10 and Dolby Vision. There’s no word on high refresh rates or any AI picture-enhancing features, which are probably too much to ask for considering the pricing.

All of the sets support Dolby and DTS sound (we're assuming not Dolby Atmos or DTS:X), and the two larger models include an integrated “speaker box enclosure and subwoofer” which Mitchell & Brown rather ambitiously claims will deliver “cinema scale sound”.

Running the show is Android TV, which is a nice addition as native app support should be bountiful without needing an external streaming device, maintaining the budget ethos of these TVs. Mitchell & Brown highlights Disney+, Apple TV, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video support, covering most bases. Another feature of Android TV is the Google Assistant integration for voice-controlled navigation.

As for external connectivity, these TVs are come with three HDMIs (no word on whether these will be 2.1 or 2.0, but we assume the latter), two USB inputs and a headphone jack for wired audio connection. 

Mitchell & Brown’s new QLED range is hitting shelves now, with pricing as follows:

JB-55QLED1811 – £749 (around $881 / AU$1317)

JB-50QLED1811 – £649 (around $763 / AU$1141)

JB-43QLED1811 – £549 (around $646 / AU$965).

These are some really compelling price points, although there’s tough competition from the likes of Samsung and Toshiba, who are also currently offering budget QLED models for around the same price.

MORE:

QLED vs OLED: Which is the best TV technology?

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Projectors capture pure big-screen movie magic in a way that even the very best TVs can't quite match, especially for screen sizes in the 150- to 300-inch range.

If you're building a dedicated home cinema or perhaps are looking to transform your living room into a versatile theatre for daytime and nighttime viewing, then a good projector is crucial.

If only the best will do, then you've come to the right place. We've tested more projectors than we can count, with models from the likes of Sony, JVC, Epson, Xgimi, Valerion and Hisense all leaving superb impressions.

We've rounded up our favourite models from the brands mentioned above, highlighting the best options for every price point and use case. Looking for an affordable offering, or perhaps a true home cinema beamer that rivals your local cineplex? We've got you covered.

And if you're looking specifically for projectors that you can use outdoors or take from room to room, then you should check out our lists of the best outdoor projectors and the best portable projectors.

You'll also find full reviews attached to every entry on this list, a selection of great "also consider" options, and a section on how we test the best projectors at the bottom of this page, too.

With all of that covered, let's dive in...

The best projector overall

The VPL-XW5000ES is a watershed moment for not just Sony’s projection business but the home cinema world in general. Why? Because it’s the cheapest truly native 4K laser projector the home cinema world has ever seen.

Prior to the XW5000ES, Sony’s entry-level SXRD 4K projectors have relied on lamp rather than laser technology. Moving to laser, though, means no longer having to put up with the inconvenience and ongoing costs associated with having to replace lamps every few thousand hours of use, or the relatively rapid degradation in brightness that lamps suffer.

However, it became swiftly apparent that all of these things are indeed worth it, as the XW5000ES is a superb home cinema projector, and it even sits in our reference setup to this very day.

It delivers a crisp, rich and deeply cinematic picture, with excellent motion and contrast that's only rivalled by the more expensive models in Sony's range.

Bear in mind that this is a dedicated home cinema projector, so there are no speakers or streaming platform built in, but that's to be expected at this level.

We recommend pairing it with an entry from our best AV receivers list and best surround sound speakers list to make a truly impressive home cinema setup.

Read the full Sony VPL-XW5000ES review

The best entry-level projector

If you’re looking for a home cinema in a box, the Hisense M2 Pro is a great choice with its cinematic picture and easy to use design.

When we had the M2 Pro in our test room, the 4K projector offers a crisp, punchy and detailed image that is the best we have seen at this price. We say while watching Civil War, for example, “the flames have a wonderful hue of red and an intensity that makes them suitably distinct from the silhouette of the background forest.”

The motion handling is smooth as well, with panning shots looking natural without any judder.

Its sound performance from the two 10W built-in speakers is not quite as impressive, although the M2 Pro does still deliver a surprising amount of sound volume for such a small package. We do recommend investing in a separate sound system to get the most immersive audio.

In terms of specifications, HDR support is onboard with the M2 Pro working with all four of the currently available formats: HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

Weighing just 3.9kg, it’s easy to move around and features a tiltable body. The lack of a built-in battery stops us from dubbing it a fully portable model, though. If its stunning picture and easy-to-use build sounds tempting, the M2 Pro is an easy recommendation at this level.

Read the full Hisense M2 Pro review

The best mid-range projector

A shade pricier than an entry-level device, this BenQ is the king of affordable 4K projectors. It’s easy to set up and install, and produces a picture that’s reminiscent of what you'll get at the cinema.

Right out of the box, the W2720i’s pictures are phenomenally sharp with a three dimensional feel that is full of texture and detail.

In terms of contrast, the 4K projector excels as well. it strikes an excellent balance between dark and light, as bright scenes and image areas enjoy plenty of punch and some surprisingly intense small light ‘peaks’, while dark scenes usually avoid excessive grey clouding and still contain enough shadow details to share the same depth you get with bright shots.

Its built-in sound system isn’t exactly the most powerful we’ve heard, but the speakers can project dialogue and ambient effects that help good film soundtracks feel busy a decent distance away from the projector’s body.

Connectivity-wise, the W2720i supports wi-fi, Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay and Google Cast. Plus, its integrated Android TV smart system has all the popular streaming services onboard. This all makes for an excellent 4K performer that is hard to beat at this price point.

Read the full BenQ W2720i review

The best premium projector

The Epson EH-LS9000 is simply superb, especially when in a dark room to get the best performance possible.

When watching Thunderbolts in our test room, we are struck by its cinematic and punchy picture. We comment: “There’s an awesome solidity and depth to the picture, which is particularly impressive at the 100-inch scale of our screen, and you almost feel as if you could reach into the image and poke the little figures in the distance.”

It handles panning shots with a suitable mix of naturalism and smoothness, even with the Frame Interpolation feature switched off. While we do note we would like to see better black depth in the darkest scenes, its picture performance is still brilliant and offers an impressively cinematic image.

HDR support is impressive, with the EH-LS9000 able to handle the dynamic HDR10+ format as well as the static HDR10 and HLG formats. The extra scene-by-scene information of HDR10+ should allow the Epson to wring more out of the content that carries it.

It’s got some great specifications for gaming as well, with two HDMI 2.1 sockets which can handle 4K/120Hz signals. There are no built-in speakers here, so make sure to budget for your own sound system.

Read the full Epson EH-LS9000 review

The best high-end projector

Launching at £15,999 / $15,999 / AU$21,999, the Sony Bravia Projector 8 is a far cry from cheap. But the native 4K home cinema projector is as brilliant as it is pricey.

That price tag gets you an incredibly crisp and detailed picture that brings the cinema to your living room. While watching Oppenheimer in our test room, we say: “Sony’s penchant for delivering effective three-dimensional-looking images is clearly on show, with a panning shot of a watchtower in the New Mexico desert looking particularly striking.”

We are also struck by its impressive dark levels by projector standards, as the night sky of Gotham City in The Batman appears deep and black without the murky grey we see on most projectors.

Colours are spectacularly rich and yet wholly natural too, leading to a deeply engaging picture that will impress the most scrupulous home cinema enthusiasts.

It isn't cheap, but the Sony Bravia Projector 8 puts picture performance above all else, hence the absence of built-in speakers or a streaming platform. However, this is home cinema taken seriously, so we hope you'll have a quality sound system and 4K Blu-ray player to pair with this projector.

Read the full Sony Bravia Projector 8 review

The best ultra short throw projector

Ultra short throw (UST) projectors allow you to deliver large pictures even when sat right up close to a screen or wall, which means you can save on space while still getting an immersive movie experience. It's therefore no surprise that we are seeing more and more brands getting in on the action.

At the forefront of this UST revolution is Hisense, which has been developing ultra short-throw models for over six years now. The PL2 that we have before us today is the latest model in Hisense’s line of Ultra Short-Throw Laser Cinema Projectors – the successor to the five-star PL1 which snagged a What Hi-Fi? Award last year.

The Hisense PL2 manages to trump our old favourite by snagging an Award of its own this year, offering impressive dark detail as well as a brighter picture. We say in our review: "Hisense’s focus on delivering a balanced picture that accepts the shortcomings inherent to a UST lets the PL2 offer a consistent, controlled picture that never distracts from what’s playing on screen."

Its built-in twin 15W sound system does lack a real sense of width and depth, with a weak low-end that produces an underpowered overall sound. It does still provide clear vocals that stand out well from background noise. We do recommend budgeting for a separate speaker system if you don’t already have one.

The PL2 offers a decent selection of HDMI ports to connect to other devices, with HDMI 2.1 sockets (one that has eARC), one HDMI 2.0 port, an ethernet port and two USBs (one 3.0, one 2.0).

Finally, its VIDAA operating system offers access to a range of streaming services including Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.

Read the full Hisense PL2 review

The best portable projector

While most portable projectors can't hold a candle to the picture and sound quality of the more premium projectors on this list, the Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air manages to provide a punchy image ideal for on-the-go cinema lovers.

Although it's a bit too chunky to be considered an ultra-portable model that can be stuffed into a coat pocket, this Anker model sports a comfortable carry strap is attached to its top edge.

We were impressed during testing with the portable model's picture quality considering its competitive price tag. We say in our review, for example, that: "Despite the projector using (like all portable models) a fairly small lens aperture, every pixel and texture of a good HD source is faithfully rendered, adding up to a really dense, smooth, cinematic finish to the picture with little evidence of visible pixel structure. Even when you push the image to beyond 100 inches."

And that's not all, as the projector's audio performance manages to buck the trend of most portable projectors sounding pretty bad. While the bass can seem disconnected from the rest of the sound and the volume never blowing us away, we still find that "detailed movie mixes sound crisp and busy, but are also well-rounded enough not to sound harsh or thin."

In terms of connectivity, there is a single HDMI port, a USB port and integrated Bluetooth, wi-fi and Chromecast support to make it easy to cast content from a phone or laptop. The Google TV operating system also gives you access to a range of streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Disney+.

If your budget can't stretch to a more comprehensive model or you are looking for a projector to take on your travels, this Anker model is hard to beat.

Read the full Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air review

Also consider

• Sony Bravia Projector 7: If you’re looking to step up to a projector that delivers an even more cinematic image with more balanced colours, even better contrast, and extra subtlety, then the Bravia Projector 7 is certainly worth the upgrade – providing your budget allows.
• Epson EH-QB1000: A worthy adversary to the Sony VPL-XW5000ES, Epson's impressive 4K beamer delivers "bright, colourful, HDR pictures" with sharp, clean details despite it not being native 4K.
• BenQ W5850: BenQ's answer to the top model on this list, the Sony VPL-XW5000ES, is a premium 4K projector with style and substance. Beneath this trendy black and gold chassis, you'll find a beamer that delivers warm, rich colours and impressive brightness, especially with HDR content.
• Xgimi Vibe One: Looking for an affordable portable projector with buckets of charm and a surprisingly brilliant picture to match? The Vibe One sits beneath the also great MoGo 4 as a projector that you can pick up and watch anywhere, thanks to its built-in streaming platform, speakers and battery (which we wish lasted a bit longer).
• Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2: Stylish, functional, and feature-packed, this Valerion projector ticks all of the boxes. It also happens to look great and sound good, too, making it a superb lifestyle projector for those who want a coffee table projector that can easily be stowed away.
• Optoma UHZ78LV: Criminally uncatchy name aside, this super bright and punchy Optoma is one of the very few home cinema projectors to support Dolby Vision, making it a unique and, based on our testing, great-looking projector. It's also well-suited to living room viewing, thanks to that claimed ambient light-combatting brightness figure of 5000 lumens.

How to choose the best projector for you

There are a multitude of factors to consider when choosing the right projector to suit your needs. Whether it's budget, resolution, screen size or even the type of lamp, all of these factors can drastically alter the performance of a projector.

Which light source is best?

It's important to recognise the differences between projector lamp technologies, as different options give you different performance. Laser-based projectors are quick to reach optimal performance after booting up, they produce more accurate colours and have longer lifespans due to not requiring a bulb to power the picture. However, they tend to be more expensive than DLP (Digital Light Processing) LED and LCD projectors, which in turn have their own benefits and caveats.

Do I need a 4K projector?

Ultimately, the goal with a projector is to encapsulate the cinematic feeling of a theatre at home, so this is where screen size and resolution are important. Ideally, this is where a 4K projector would be best for crisp and clear visuals. As you'll notice, almost all of our top picks are either native 4K projectors, or achieve a 4K-like image through clever trickery for a higher picture quality. Here's how 4K vs 1080p (Full HD) resolutions differ.

While resolution is a pivotal aspect of the picture quality, its almost equally important counterpart is colour. Projectors can often struggle when it comes to colour, especially when it comes to darker shades. Contrast is key here to ensure that black depth is the best it can be, although no projector will be able to live up to an OLED TV in this regard.

Different styles for different use cases...

Within the mix are also some ultra-short-throw projectors. These can project a big, clear image onto a wall from a very short distance away, making them ideal for space-saving set-ups or for those wanting to avoid wall- or ceiling-mounting their projector.

Then there are portable projectors, which are ideal for taking on the go or using outside to create a grab-and-go cinema experience. They might not match up with the performance of dedicated home cinema projectors – the fact that none have made our list should tell you that – but you're paying for the experience and versatility here. You can't beat an open-air cinema experience under the starry night sky after all.

What about sound and streaming?

We do often recommend that you budget for a speaker when shopping for a projector, as although many options here include on-board speakers, they are invariably pretty poor. Similarly, while some projectors do now feature built-in streaming platforms, they're often a bit patchy in terms of performance and app selection, so it's often worth keeping some cash aside for a dedicated streamer.

FAQs

How we test projectors

Testing projectors involves taking the time to explore their capabilities fully through lots of options-tweaking and content-watching. This includes checking every item in the settings menu, and individually tweaking picture features to ensure the projector is giving us the best visual performance it can.

We conduct these tests in our state of the art testing room in London, which is outfitted with a 100-inch screen and a plethora of external sources to hook the projectors up to, including 4K Blu-ray players, video streamers and games consoles. This is also where each of these projectors meets its rivals, as every product is tested side-by-side with the competition to ensure it meets expectations and so that its place in the market is considered as a whole – no product exists in a vacuum after all.

We test using a wide range of content from 4K Blu-rays, to streaming services, video games and standard definition DVDs to make sure all kinds of content are put through these projectors. This helps us find the strengths and weaknesses of each projector.

During the testing process with this reference material, we look out for a multitude of picture quality components, including brightness, colour, contrast, motion and detail. The best projectors tick all of these boxes.

At the end of this process, a verdict is reached by a team of reviewers who work closely together in order to ensure that each projector is tested fairly, and to avoid the possibility of any personal preferences creeping in. This is also to make sure our reviews are consistent and thorough, and so that no feature or flaw is missed within our testing process.

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Chromecast with Google TV has finally been upgraded from Android 10 to Android 12. The refreshed TV OS adds a host of new features, most notably frame rate matching (via flatpanelshd).

Frame rate matching isn't 'new' – Apple added it to its Apple TV box in 2017 – hence why Chromecast users have been petitioning Google for a similar update to prevent juddery playback when the video's frame rate and display's output don't match.

That's the good news. Now, the bad news...

It seems that the Chromecast's frame rate matching needs to be enabled on a per-app basis – something that none of the major streaming apps have done. Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video and HBO Max are all a bust, as is Google TV’s own native video player. Doh. 

You'll find the 'match frame rate' settings menu under Display & Sound in Android 12. There are three options: Seamless, Non-seamless and Never. Naturally, you'll want to opt for 'Seamless', right? Wrong. 

'Seamless' uses HDMI 2.1's QMS (Quick Media Switching) feature, which lets a media player match its video output to the frame rate of the TV without causing a momentary black screen. Great, but none of the TVs on sale today have QMS support.

Confusingly, it means that users should actually choose 'Non-seamless' (for now, anyway) and pray that each app developer manually implements the Android frame rate functionality at some point.

Elsewhere, the Android 12 update brings additional user settings that let you control HDR format and surround sound, new camera and microphone privacy toggles and various other fixes.

To update your Chromecast with Google TV, head to Settings > System > About > System update. 

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Google's new video streamer is official. The Chromecast with Google TV (HD) had leaked extensively, but now we have all the details straight from Google itself.

As expected, it's an HD-only (1080p) streamer positioned a very affordable price. At just £35 / $30 / AU$60, it's even cheaper than the Amazon Fire TV Stick, which is Amazon's own HD video streamer.

Other than maxing out at 1080p resolution, it's essentially the same as the original 4K Chromecast with Google TV (which is a little pricier, at £60 / $50 / AU$99), even down to the same design. Like the 4K model, it plugs into your TV's HDMI port and gives you access to all the usual streaming apps, including Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

It's not just about entertainment – the Peloton app can even sign you up to a live workout on your TV, for example.

The Google TV platform (built on Android TV) gives you features like separate profiles for everyone in the home – a separate child's profile could come in especially handy unless you want to be recommended Octonauts whenever you fire up your TV.

It also comes with its own remote, so you don't need to use your mobile device to control it (though you still can). The remote has a dedicated Google Assistant button for hearing voice commands.

HDR support comes as standard, for greater dynamic range, and Google claims to have tweaked the software to optimise performance for any TV. And you don't have to wait to get your hands on one as the Google Chromecast with Google TV (HD) is available to buy now.

The next few weeks are going to be busy for the tech giant – it's going to be officially launching the flagship Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones on Thursday 6th October and chances are it could also have a few extra announcements up its sleeve.

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