Google has just made a handful of announcements regarding the future of Android at its "Android Show I/O Edition 2026" event, and while the redesigned emojis and smarter AI news are fun, there was surprisingly little in the way of AV announcements.

Google TV, in fact, didn't get so much as a shoutout, but another offshoot of Google's software ecosystem did get some unexpected picture and sound upgrades.

Android Auto, Google's smart automotive software experience, will soon support a more immersive audio experience, and for the first time, video too.

Dolby Atmos is the big news here, as Android Auto will finally deliver the immersive audio format in a forthcoming update, though there are some stipulations to be aware of. This comes a couple of years after Apple CarPlay began rolling out Dolby Atmos support in 2024.

Google's current list of automotive manufacturers that will support Dolby Atmos includes BMW, Genesis, Mahindra, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Škoda, Tata and Volvo, so you'll need a supported vehicle from one of these brands to access the 3D audio format via the Android software system. We expect this list to expand in due course.

You'll also need a streaming app that supports Dolby Atmos playback, which currently rules out the likes of Spotify and YouTube Music. Ironically, Google highlights that these two apps in particular have been freshly redesigned for Android Auto to accommodate better ease of use.

Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited should all deliver Dolby Atmos playback, but we're clarifying with Google to confirm if all of these services are supported.

And it's not just audio that's getting souped up on Android Auto. For the first time, users will be able to watch videos in full HD up to 60fps on their car's infotainment display through "apps like YouTube".

We presume that this means other video apps will be supported when this feature launches later this year, but we've reached out to Google to confirm which streaming apps will and won't be supported.

Videos on Android Auto will be supported in vehicles from BMW, Ford, Genesis, Hyundai, Kia, Mahindra, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Škoda, Tata and Volvo.

Watching videos while driving is, of course, a no-go, but Google has thankfully thought ahead. Video apps that support background audio will seamlessly transition into a podcast-style audio experience when you begin driving, meaning you can continue listening to what you were watching while you were parked.

These updates are both expected to roll out later this year, alongside a more customisable user interface and improved Google Maps experience.

With more in-car audio systems now supporting Dolby Atmos – Dolby itself made a big push for immersive in-car audio at CES 2026 earlier this year – it's encouraging to see Google make the necessary steps to upgrade Android Auto to support the latest in-car entertainment features.

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German AV brand Loewe has released a range of 4K smart TVs that it claims will combine “advanced picture technologies with an elegant, space-saving design.”

The high-end LED Loewe Vega series targets cash-flush people living in compact spaces, and is available in both 32 and 43 inches. The smaller LCD TV model features 260 LED dimming zones, while the larger screen size boasts 390 zones.

What’s more, the 43-inch TV features a 120Hz VA LCD panel, while the 32-inch model has a 60Hz panel.

With support for a range of HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, Loewe says the models “deliver high brightness, strong contrast, and vibrant, natural colours, ensuring consistent image quality and smooth motion for TV”.

Both TVs run the Vidaa TV platform, giving you access to streaming services including Netflix, YouTube, Disney+ and Apple TV.

In terms of audio, the Vega series features an integrated Dolby Atmos soundbar with 60 watts of Class-D amplification. If you want to hook your own sound system up, there is HDMI eARC connectivity and Bluetooth as well.

From what we've seen, both feature a stylish design as well, featuring an aluminium frame and a rotatable metal table stand with a chrome finish.

The Vega models won’t come cheap, however. With availability expected later this month in the UK, the Vega series is set to cost £1650 for the 32-inch size and £1900 for the 43-inch model.

Even some of the more premium OLED TVs at this size don't match this price, namely the Award-winning 42-inch LG C5, which is available for around £949.

That means there's not really a direct comparison, as Loewe is clearly gunning for the high end of the small TV market. Still, its more premium design and smaller size offerings may well appeal to style-conscious buyers short on space.

In terms of its picture and sound quality, though, we will have to wait until we get it in our test room to find out how it performs.

MORE:

Here's our full review of the LG C5

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Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars right now

There’s no denying that streaming platforms are taking over the way many of us watch our favourite movies and TV shows, hugely outperforming the success of physical media.

And one of the biggest services on the market, Disney+, is making a move to compete with one of the biggest time thieves – vertical short-form video.

At CES 2026, the streaming platform announced that it will be adding vertical video to its mobile app, similar to TikTok or YouTube Shorts, according to Deadline.

The addition is coming later this year, and Disney says it will feature content across various genres, including sports, news, and entertainment.

Deadline reports that a Disney representative at CES says it aims to create a “personalised and dynamic feed” to turn the platform into “a must-visit daily destination.”

Basically, the company wants you to visit the app every day for a scroll and not just to watch TV and movies.

While this is clearly an attempt by Disney to appeal to younger audiences, it represents something, frankly, quite concerning in my eyes.

Adding this short-form video feature feels like just another form of doom-scrolling to avoid, and feels especially egregious when it is added to the main platform for how many of us watch movies.

Whether it's an episode of Bob's Burgers to unwind from a long day or an epic movie night with Avatar: The Way of Water, switching off and getting truly sucked in to another world is one of the most precious experiences for so many people.

On top of that, this move shows that the brand is increasingly betting big on the mobile app.

Of course, sometimes watching films or TV on your smartphone or tablet is the only option if you're on the move. But, with such a small screen, it's far from the ideal way to watch your favourite content and simply does not present films as the director intended.

We'll have to see whether the vertical video integration will be a success once it is introduced. But I hope users will remember the importance of being able to switch off from short-form video, and keep the sanctity of watching movies on the best screen possible.

MORE:

Here's our review of Disney+

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There’s a new player in the portable projector category in the form of Soundcore’s latest entry – the Nebula P1.

And there is one feature that has immediately caught our eye with this model. The P1 includes two detachable speakers that provide “immersive, room-filling sound” according to the brand, which is owned by Anker.

These create a 2.0 sound system which can be placed around the room “for sound perfectly tuned to your spot”. The 10W speakers run off battery power with a claimed 20 hours of listening time, although the projector itself is mains powered.

This isn’t the first time Nebula has brought something different to the table when it comes to projector speakers.

Only last month, the brand announced the release of a Kickstarter campaign for the Nebula X1 Pro, which offers an impressive 7.1.4 sound system via detachable satellite speakers promising spatial audio. We are yet to see this model in the flesh (plastic?), but it's interesting to see the brand experimenting with its speaker layout.

But what about the picture? Well, the P1 claims to offer up to 650 lumens of brightness and a screen size that can go up to 180 inches. You can watch content in 1080p Full HD resolution, but there's no 4K here.

The projector uses the Google TV smart platform to offer support for services such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube.

It is currently available only in the US, and will set you back $799.

At that price, it’s up against some tough competition. The Xgimi MoGo 4 comes in slightly cheaper at £509 / $499 / AU$1299, but still provides an impressively punchy picture with an easy-to-use design.

When we had the MoGo4 in our test room, we praised its “vibrant and crisp” image and ultimately awarded it a four-star rating.

We did find, however, that the projector struggled to deliver room-filling audio. This could be where the Nebula P1's promising audio specifications come into their own. We look forward to finding out in a full review.

Of course, you could just buy a separate projector and speaker system, but there's no denying the convenience and affordability of these all-in-one offerings.

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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

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And these are the best projectors overall

We’re pretty used by now to TVs equipped with Tivo smart systems coming in at the more affordable end of the market.

Even knowing that, though, didn’t fully prepare us for Sharp’s 70GK4245K: a Tivo-toting TV with a 70-inch screen that costs just £489.

Surely a screen size to price ratio this extreme can’t actually be fun to watch, can it?

Price

It’s still rare for even 55-inch TVs costing under £500 to arrive in our test rooms, yet here we find ourselves staring at a 70-inch screen that costs just £489 (around $660 / AU$1000).

The 70GK4245K doesn’t look like it’s going to be just another ‘it makes a picture, what more do you want?’ budget TV, either.

For instance, its 4K screen can also take in the Dolby Vision high dynamic range format, its audio system can handle Dolby Atmos tracks, and its already content-loaded Tivo smart system is backed up by the latest Freely platform. Truly, our budget TV cup runneth over. So long as there’s also some sort of quality to its pictures, of course.

The 70-inch screen size is pretty rare these days, with most brands offering 65 and 75-inch options instead. Couple this with its ultra-affordable price, and direct competition for the 70GK4245K is hard to find.

If Tivo is the most important thing to you and you can resist the 70-inch screen, Sharp also has a decent little 43-inch Tivo model, the 43GM6245K, that can be yours for under £250, while Bush’s 50-inch 50UT24SB Tivo set is also an engaging all-rounder currently going for £319 on Amazon.

If strong picture quality is more important than Tivo, TCL’s 65-inch 65P755K is very good value at £449 at the time of writing, and as new replacement models are just around the corner, even the 75-inch can be had for just £549 if you get a move on.

Design

It became obvious as we were setting up the 70GK4245K that its build quality is pretty flimsy. Anyone with a sufficient wingspan should easily be able to pick it up and move it around without the need for a second pair of hands. Its bezel is on-trend thin around three of its sides, though, while the slightly wider bottom edge looks glossy enough to just about persuade you that maybe the TV isn’t entirely made of plastic after all.

The rear is fairly chunky by modern TV standards, making it a rather cumbersome wall hanging option. Though VESA wall mounting points are of course present, if that’s really the way you want to go.

The desktop feet provided with the 70GK4245K look OK in a no-nonsense kind of way, but infuriatingly, the only attachment point for them is right out near each bottom corner, meaning the TV can only sit on a bit of furniture that’s almost as wide as the TV. Which is no joke when that TV is a 70-inch model.

The GK4245K ships with a remote control that’s basically as plasticky and lightweight as the TV. A brushed finish for the main front plus a faux metallic look to the central cursor navigation section, though, just about succeed in making the handset look posher than it really is.

Features

We’ve covered the Sharp 70GK4245K’s headline claims already: namely that it delivers a 70-inch screen, Tivo/Freely smarts and Dolby Vision HDR (as well as the core HDR10 and HLG formats of HDR, of course) for the mind-bogglingly low price of £489. More detail is needed on some of those features, though – and, surprisingly, there are quite a few other things going on with this budget set, too.

The LCD panel used for the 70GK4245K appears to be a VA one rather than a low-contrast IPS one, for starters. It’s not clear whether the set is direct or edge lit, though the way some clouding appears over the picture’s edges (more on this later) suggests that it may be the latter. At any rate, there’s certainly no evidence of local dimming going on – which we wouldn’t expect there to be, of course, on such an incredibly affordable TV.

There is a global dimming system at work, however, which Sharp claims can deliver a dynamic contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1. We can tell you now that this is an extremely optimistic figure, mind you, that’s based on mathematical potential rather than real-world performance.

The GK4245K only has a native 60Hz panel, so you’d think there would be no potential for high frame-rate gaming support through any of the provided three HDMI ports. Actually, though, a connected Xbox reveals that the TV can support 120Hz refresh rates – albeit only at 1080p resolution, and without any HDR support. You can retain HDR – including Dolby Vision – with 4K gaming feeds at 60Hz max, just to be clear.

The HDMIs support ALLM switching when a game source is detected, as well as VRR, and input lag in the Game mode is a very snappy 14.8ms.

Other connections include a couple of USBs, an Ethernet port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an IR remote control extender, an optical digital audio output, and even a blast-from-the-past mini composite video/stereo audio input. Plus, of course, there’s built-in wi-fi to feed the Tivo smart system.

The GK4245K’s Tivo implementation shows no signs of any budget TV-related compromises. It runs as slickly and stably as any other version we’ve seen, and it carries the usual impressive array of apps and sources.

These include Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, Prime Video, Rakuten, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, All4, My5 and the Freely platform, which essentially lets you live-stream many of the TV channels on the Freeview HD broadcast platform – as well as providing on-demand access to many tens of thousands of hours of catch-up programming from Freeview’s main channel providers.

The only really striking absentee from Tivo’s app list is Apple TV+. You can now access Apple TV through the Prime Video app, but the quality of the feeds you get that way doesn’t seem as good as those you get through direct Apple TV apps.

It’s worth adding that Tivo also supports arguably the most straightforward, intelligent and helpful voice recognition/content search system in the TV world.

Surprisingly, finally, the GK4245K carries a few quite premium picture adjustment features. There’s a 10-bit colour feature for smoothing out potential banding in HDR colours, for instance, as well as a pair of customisable Dolby Vision modes on top of the more predictable Dolby Vision Dark and Bright options.

There’s even support for a full calibration thanks to both 2-point and 11-point white balance correction, plus hue, saturation and brightness adjustments for the red, green, blue, yellow, cyan, magenta and flesh tone colour elements.

Picture

The GK4245K’s pictures turn out to be a really pleasant surprise in most ways. For starters, they’re substantially brighter than we’d anticipated based on our experience of other similarly ultra-affordable TVs. This expresses itself in both enjoyably crisp and punchy highlights within HDR pictures, and respectable sustained brightness with full-screen HDR bright shots.

You’re not witnessing by any means the full range and impact of HDR’s light range, to be clear. But you do get enough of it to help pictures look reasonably natural and engaging rather than the dull compromise we’d honestly expected to see. What’s more, while it’s hard to imagine Sharp has equipped a TV as cheap as the 70GK4245K with a particularly clever HDR tone mapping system, HDR pictures feel nicely balanced and don’t suffer excessively with clipping (lost shading and colour tone subtleties) in their brightest parts.

Even more surprising, the healthy brightness the GK4245K manages to find for HDR playback doesn’t come at the expense of convincing dark scenes. The amount of greyness that creeps into parts of the picture that should look black really isn’t excessive at all, despite the screen’s lack of advanced light control tools.

What’s more, provided you don’t use the Dolby Vision Dark picture setting, shadow detail remains abundantly present in even the darkest corners. This helps dark scenes look almost as natural and full of depth and detail as bright ones, resulting in a much more consistent viewing experience than we’d expected to find on such an affordable big-screen TV. Though the ‘almost’ back there is doing some slightly heavy lifting, for reasons we’ll get to in a moment.

Another very pleasant surprise about the GK4245K is how sharp and clean its pictures look. Part of this is a result of the screen’s surprisingly subtle colour handling. There’s no wide colour gamut coverage or Quantum Dots here, yet the screen handles even the most subtle of blends and tonal shifts without the sort of striping, blocking or ‘clumping’ we’d anticipated at this price point. You don’t even need to call in the set’s 10-bit colour emulation feature.

Motion is also handled quite well for such a cheap TV. There’s a touch of blur if a fairly large object moves at speed across the screen, but this never turns into actual smearing or lagginess, and there’s enough finesse in the screen’s shading and enough native sharpness in the core 4K delivery to stop even action scenes from starting to look truly soft.

As well as containing more shading subtlety than expected, colours look consistently balanced, with no tones standing out too strongly against the rest, and no aggressive blue or green wash hanging over proceedings. As with the GK4245K’s brightness, we’re not seeing the full range of tones and saturations HDR can provide, but we’d take a holistic, balanced approach to colours like the GK4245K provides over some more heavily saturated but also gaudy and uncontrolled mess any day.

Add to the mix some surprisingly clean upscaling of SDR sources that holds up even on a screen as big as this one, as well as slightly more forgiving viewing angles than we’d expected, and you can see why we’re such fans of the 70GK4245K’s pictures for its money. The only thing stopping us from giving it five stars, in fact, is something we’ve alluded to a couple of times before: backlight clouding.

Extraneous light creeps into dark scenes in a number of areas – mostly at the screen’s edges, but also in a couple of more central spots. These light pools disappear entirely during bright footage, and they’re really the only significant issue we have with the GK4245K’s budget pictures. But they can be distracting enough during very dark sequences to cost Sharp’s TV one full picture mark.

Sound

The 70GK4245K’s sound can’t repeat its picture heroics. Audio struggles to escape the TV’s bodywork even at full volume, leaving action scenes and dense musical scores sounding quite swallowed and thin.

The way the sound feels trapped inside the GK4245K’s speakers, even with Dolby Atmos mixes, also means dialogue can sound a bit detached from the onscreen action, and given that Sharp’s TV doesn’t produce a particularly compelling midrange, you won’t be shocked to learn that there’s practically no bass presence.

The GK4245K’s sound is at least operating within the limitations of its speakers, though, meaning that even the most bombastic Hollywood moments don’t cause low-frequency distortions or treble harshness. So while we’d have loved much more sheer oomph from the 70GK4245K’s sound, what we’ve got does at least not sound broken.

Verdict

No 70-inch TV costing £489 is ever going to be perfect.

In the Sharp 70GK4245K’s case, that means having to put up with some backlight clouding in dark scenes and an uninspiring built-in sound system.

Putting up with these relatively minor issues is made surprisingly easy, though, thanks to both an excellent Tivo smart system and an overall level of picture quality that really has no business turning up on such an affordable home cinema-sized TV.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 3
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Sharp 43GM6245K

Also consider the TCL 65P755K or 75P755K

Read our Bush 50UT24SB review

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If you are on the hunt for a cheap portable projector for those hot summer evenings, Yaber has released a product that may pique your interest.

The T1 Pro brings “flexible entertainment for everyday spaces—all at an accessible price point,” according to the Chinese brand.

Weighing in at just 1.2kg, the mini projector should be easy to take on-the-go for a movie night.

It houses just one 8W speaker, and features a 180 degree rotating gimbal which, according to Yaber, means the projector can also be positioned on the wall or ceiling “without the need for additional mounts.”

Yaber also claims the screen size can range from 40 to 120 inches. Auto-keystone correction, auto-focus and intelligent screen alignment are also available.

Using a variant of Linux OS, the 1080p projector comes preloaded with Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video.

In terms of sound, Yaber’s latest entry is employing 'TurboSonic' technology which it says delivers “rich, room-filling sound with deeper bass and immersive spatial presence.”

Sporting a cylindrical design with an ambient disc at the bottom, the projector does somewhat resemble projectors such as the Xgimi MoGo 4 that also hit the shelves this year.

The T1 Pro is available for £170 / $160 (around AU$335), meaning Yaber is truly targeting the cheaper end of the projector market.

With quite a barebones offering in terms of streaming smarts and connectivity, the T1 Pro is certainly not competing with the likes of the four-star Samsung The Freestyle that can now regularly be found for around £499 in the UK.

Still, if you are looking for an uber-cheap portable projector for light viewing, Yaber’s latest model looks promising on paper.

MORE:

Here is our full review of the MoGo 4

And these are the best portable projectors we recommend

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Almost every bit of home cinema and hi-fi kit we test is a product of compromise.

In many categories, such as traditional home cinema projectors, that compromise is as ‘simple’ as (we use that word advisedly, knowing that there is no such thing as simplicity in projector design) making the picture performance compromises necessary to hit a specific price point.

With portable projectors, though, things are even trickier.

Compromises have to be made not only to hit a specific and often much lower price point, but also so that the device can be small, light and, preferably, good-looking.

Oh, and unlike a traditional home cinema projector, which will generally be connected to a dedicated audio system, a portable projector also needs to sound good.

It needs to have enough battery to get through a full movie or football match, too. And it needs an integrated smart platform.

That’s a lot to ask for, isn’t it? And it’s a conundrum we have in mind as we unbox the MoGo 4, Xgimi’s latest portable projector. Are its compromises in all the right places?

They will need to be if it’s going to fare better with us than its three-star MoGo 3 Pro predecessor.

Price

The MoGo 4 has launched for £509 / $499 (around AU$1062 on straight conversion, but we are expecting official pricing for Australia soon). This is slightly more pricey than its predecessor, the MoGo 3 Pro, which launched at £429 / $449 / AU$1099.

Both models are pretty similar when it comes to build and features, but the MoGo 4 does have a built-in battery where the MoGo 3 Pro does not. That could be a huge factor for those looking to have a projector they can take on the go.

As well as trumping its predecessor, the MoGo 4 will be looking to defeat the Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air, which launched at £550 / $600 / AU$1300. This four-star model is one of the best portable projectors, boasting pleasing picture and sound quality as well as an attractive build.

Design

About the size of a large water bottle, the MoGo 4 feels genuinely portable. By twisting the body out, the hard plastic on the side transforms into a nifty stand.

There is a small remote that hangs off the body of the projector so that you don’t have to worry about taking multiple components. This remote keeps things extremely minimal with just controls for volume, a D-pad to navigate the menu and a back button.

For those looking for a more comprehensive remote control, though, there is a full-fat alternative included in the box. As well as the features on the small remote, this zapper features shortcut buttons to the home page, settings, personal profile and auto-keystone correction.

Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube also have their own shortcuts on this larger remote.

Features

The MoGo 4 uses Google TV with built-in Netflix support, plus the usual streaming suspects. That includes Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, ITVX and Disney+.

However, Channel 4 and BBC iPlayer are not available here. You can get past this by using Google Cast, but it would be better to have native app support.

The projector also supports both Bluetooth (5.1) and wi-fi connectivity.

HDR support only runs to HDR10, with no Dolby Vision or HDR10+, but for a fully portable projector, this is expected.

In terms of picture modes, there are limited options. Standard mode is the most balanced for colour and is bright, while Movie mode cranks up the saturation to enhance contrast.

By default, Movie gives the picture an orange tint. When we turn the saturation down and lower the sharpness, it looks much more cinematic.

Both presets are likeable, but we find our tweaked version of the Movie preset to be best overall.

There is an Eco mode, which is required in order to hit Xgimi’s claim of 2.5 hours of battery life, but this understandably darkens the image slightly. It is activated automatically when the projector is disconnected from a power source, but it can be switched off in the settings.

For outdoor use, the MoGo 4 offers a Performance mode that brightens the image, but it also gives the entire picture an Elphaba-esque green tint, which makes it unsuitable for indoor use. With the lights up in our test room, the picture presets are more balanced and visible, so we cannot see many people using this feature.

Moving to sound, Movie mode makes vocals feel the most realistic and the music the most expressive. With Music mode, the voices are brought to the forefront, but at the expense of the bass.

Game mode widens the sound, but makes it feel artificial and thin. There is also a Sports mode for those looking to watch the latest match. This widens the soundstage.

Picture

After fine-tuning Movie mode to our desired levels, we kick off with Knives Out: A Glass Onion Mystery on Netflix in HDR10.

As the guests board a mysterious boat on the Greek coast, the natural blues and greens look bright yet realistic with the MoGo 4.

It, of course, does not have the detail of bigger, more expensive projectors such as the Nebula X1, but for such a small piece of kit, the MoGo 4 manages to portray a nicely balanced picture, with the branches of trees in the background appearing crisp.

Changing to Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes on standard Blu-ray, we are able to test out the projector’s performance when it comes to black levels. When a group of menacing apes come up against our protagonist Noa, the scene is bathed in darkness apart from the orange light of flaming sticks.

The MoGo 4 does a good job with the deep blacks, as well as making sure there is a decent amount of detail in the lighter shades. The flames also look punchy against the black background, making for an overall cinematic image.

At points, the vibrancy of the image can be a bit heavy-handed. This is likely a decision that Xgimi has made to compensate for when users are watching films outdoors, but it is a flaw worth noting as we expect the MoGo 4 will be used more in the house than outside it.

When a Nazi train filled with archeological treasures barrels along the tracks in Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny on standard Blu-ray, the motion does smear slightly, which makes for a less-than-smooth experience. Despite this, it still feels fairly natural during slower movements and is impressive for the price.

Sound

The MoGo 4’s Harman Kardon 6W speakers are reasonably detailed by projector standards, but the projector does struggle to fill the room as its sound is quite localised.

It does not go very loud, even at maximum volume, which could become an issue when watching outside, but this is just one of those compromises that has been made for the sake of cost and portability.

Still, the MoGo 4 does have a pleasingly detailed and clean sound. With the upbeat soundtrack to Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, for example, the MoGo 4 captures the bright brass notes with a crisp expressiveness.

It does struggle to make a huge impact with the lower frequencies and feels weaker in dramatic moments that rely on heavy bass, but that quality is rare to come by in a projector of this size and price.

Verdict

The MoGo 4’s ultra-portable design will be an immediate draw for many, so it’s pleasing to find that its picture is also vibrant and crisp.

With a slightly more subtle approach to colours and weightier, louder sound, this could be a five-star product – but even as it is, the MoGo 4 is still a worthy rival to the best portable projectors available right now.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 3
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro

Also consider the Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air

Read our LG CineBeam Q review

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

The Indy 500 live stream is set to be a fascinating race after Robert Shwartzman became the first rookie to secure pole position for IndyCar's crown jewel event in 42 years. The Prema Racing driver finished ahead of a field full of veterans to secure top spot in final qualifying and will be aiming to cause another seismic shock when the race gets underway on Sunday.

The 25-year-old posted a four-lap average of 232.790 miles per hour at the iconic 2.5-mile Indianapolis oval to grab pole but will expect to come under huge pressure from fellow front-row sitter, and two-time Indy 500 winner, Takuma Sato.

The other shock came in the form of Top 12 Qualifying last Sunday where it was found that the seams of the attenuator component in both Team Penskes cars had been filled in. This is strictly forbidden and means that Josef Newgarden and Will Power will line up from 32nd and 33rd respectively.

Elsewhere, there are also plenty of other contenders in the 33-car field, including Mexican sensation and outright favorite Pato O'Ward, the hugely experienced New Zealander Scott Dixon, and Swedish ace Felix Rosenqvist.

Below we have everything you need to watch an Indy 500 live stream from anywhere with a VPN.

Indy 500 schedule 2025

• Final Practice – Friday, May 23: 4pm BST / 11am ET
• Pit Stop Challenge – Friday, May 23: 7.30pm BST / 2.30pm ET
• Indy 500 race – Saturday, May 24: 5.30pm BST / 12.30 ET

Watch 2025 Indy 500 live from anywhere

Most Indy 500 live streams are location-sensitive. So, you won't be able to access your home service when travelling abroad. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a small but powerful app that lets you select your preferred location and thus unblock your usual Indy 500 live stream.

NordVPN is our pick of the best VPN services. It's affordable, fast, and easy to use. Try it risk-free for 30 days and see for yourself.

2025 Indy 500 live streams in the USA

In the USA, the 2025 Indy 500 is being shown live on FOX, with streams available on the FOX Sports website and the FOX Sports App.

For those without cable, there are live-streaming services that carry FOX, FS1 and FS2, including YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo and our favorite Sling TV.

Don't forget, if you're not in the US right now, you'll need a VPN to ensure you can watch you regular subscription without being geo-blocked. NordVPN is our favourite.

Indy 500 live stream in Australia

For Indy 500 fans Down Under, you'll love the all-inclusive service provided by the Stan Sport streaming service.

The basic Stan package is $12 per month and you add the necessary Stan Sport add-on for an $15 extra per month.

Remember, if you're not in Australia right now, you'll need a VPN to ensure you can watch you regular subscription without being geo-blocked. NordVPN is our favourite.

Watch Indy 500 live stream in the UK

Every minute of the build up to the race itself of the Indy 500 will be broadcast on Sky Sports F1 in HD, with the race starting at 5.30pm BST on Sunday. That means you can catch all the Monaco Grand Prix action just beforehand.

You can also watch on your smartphone, tablet web browser or other streaming devices via Sky Go. Not currently a Sky subscriber? Then take a look at the best Sky TV deals to watch this game and the rest of the massive range of events that Sky shows.

If you don't wish to commit to any of those plans, there's also the Now Sports Membership option that offer daily and monthly passes.

Remember, if you're not in the UK at the moment, you'll need a VPN to ensure you can watch you regular subscription without being geo-blocked. NordVPN is our favourite.

Watch Indy 500 live stream in Canada

In Canada, TSN has the rights to the IndyCar Series, including the Indy 500.

The streaming service grants access to everything TSN has to offer on an $8/month or $80/year subscription basis.

Use a VPN to watch TSN from abroad while travelling outside Canada.

What is the weather forecast for the 2025 Indy 500?

The early forecast for Sunday's race is that it will remain dry, despite there being a chance of rain showers on the days leading up to the main event.

This would be a marked improvement on last year when severe weather caused the race to be delayed by roughly three hours.

Indy 500 Outright Winner odds

Top 5 in the market

• Pato O'Ward - 5/1
• Alex Palou - 11/2
• Scott McLaughlin - 17/2
• Scott Dixon - 17/2
• Takuma Sato - 9/1

• Feast your eyes on the best TVs
• Splash the cash on these cheap TV deals
• Vroom service: F1 live stream

Sony quietly dropped a new 4K Blu-ray player in March of this year, and it really did come out of the blue. At the time, Sony hadn't updated its Blu-ray player line-up for over five years, so I had to pinch myself upon seeing a model tagged as "new" on the company's website.

Generally speaking, the current crop of 4K Blu-ray players has begun to show their age; take Panasonic's DP-UB820EB player, for example, which still holds the top spot on our best Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray players list, despite it launching in 2018.

So, surely Sony's new player was the saving grace for 4K Blu-ray; a format that I've anxiously monitored since my first Adventure into AV back in 2022, titled 4K Blu-ray is on the verge of dying out, and no one seems to care. Well, it's a good sign, but not the one that I and many other people were quite hoping for.

Sony's new player, the UBP-X700/K appears to be a fairly modest update on the UBP-X700, which was also released in 2018. It looks practically identical from the outside, and there doesn't appear to be any grand statements regarding picture and sound enhancements.

If anything, the biggest news is that this new player will be dropping features, which is admittedly quite a large red flag on paper. The UBP-X700/K seems to drop wireless network functionality, meaning no streaming or screen mirroring features as found on the previous version of this player.

Understandably, I've seen plenty of reader comments on our social platforms and my news article centred on the new player, which rightfully point out that a new player with fewer features isn't a glowing indictment for the future of 4K Blu-ray.

I get it, streamlining your AV setup by having one convenient box to handle all of your disc-based and streaming needs is useful, but I have to ask... who is streaming on their Blu-ray player?

I have the Sony UBP-X700 at home hooked up to my Philips OLED907 TV, and the only things I've watched on it are Blu-rays.

In fact, I deleted the included streaming apps just a couple of weeks ago, simply because they were cluttering the home menu of my player; and that didn't take long considering it was only Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and YouTube that were supported.

Most modern smart TVs include all the apps you'll need anyway, and there is plenty to be said for investing in one of the best streaming devices.

Instead, I would point to this new player feeling like a lazy repackage of an existing player above all else; an all-new player would have been preferable, so why didn't Sony give us one? My guess is that this is merely a spec bump to keep the player relevant; it has the same design, same remote and even the same name.

A new player could have breathed life into the 4K Blu-ray format, instead of merely keeping it ticking over. Admittedly, we haven't reviewed the Sony UBP-X700/K, and I'm hoping that I'll be blindsided by a serious picture and sound upgrade – but my hopes aren't sky high.

Ultimately, I'm delighted to see the 4K Blu-ray format get a vital lifeline, but I can't help feeling like the first new mainstream 4K Blu-ray player in half a decade is a bit half-hearted.

The lack of streaming credentials truly doesn't phase me, and I really don't think it should bother prospective buyers either.

That being said, it would have been nice if Sony substituted in a notable upgrade (perhaps HDR10+ support or an upgraded DAC?) to offset the loss of this feature.

MORE:

Read our full Sony UBP-X700 review

Check out our picks for the best Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray players

As well as the best OLED TVs

YouTube has added a variety of updates to its app on smart TVs and game consoles, and several of them look great for those who use the platform for streaming music.

First off, the ‘listen again’ shelf (or section) on the home screen shows you the top songs you have previously searched for and listened to. You can even use the ‘live performances, remixes and covers’ shelf to find other versions of your favourite songs.

There is also a 'continue your search' section, which will reportedly display your top three searches so you can pick up more easily from where you started in your last session.

This could all make looking for your favourite videos a lot easier, saving you typing in the often tedious search box.

In a Google blog post, YouTube also adds that there is a 'Primetime Channels' shelf where you can find the channels you've subscribed to, such as Paramount+ and Showtime, in one place.

You can choose to loop all video-on-demand content via the Playback Settings menu, too. Previously, you could only do this on playlists.

It’s not a surprise that the company is trying to make its app more appealing for a wider audience, as in February, it said more people watch YouTube on their TV than any other device in the US. That includes mobile phones.

We're yet to test out the new features, but they could help to save time when looking for your favourite videos and music.

MORE:

Here's how to transfer your music from Google Play to YouTube Music

These are the best TVs right now

And check out the best music streaming services available at the moment

If you are looking for a solid portable projector to add to your home that won't break the bank, you have come to the right place. Samsung's The Freestyle has had its price tag slashed to £399 at Richer Sounds.

To get these savings, just add the projector to your basket and the price will be cut down from £449 to this discount automatically at checkout.

We tested the projector at £999, giving you an impressive discount of £600. With its neat design and bright picture, this is a deal worth your time.

The Freestyle can throw up a screen size of up to 100-inches which is impressive for such a small device.

With auto keystone and autofocus systems, you are guaranteed to get a fantastic picture where you place it. No need for lots of fine-tuning as this projector covers all that for you.

We thought that The Freestyle presented good-quality HD sources well, with punchy colours and good levels of brightness. It features built-in wi-fi and the Tizen-based system Samsung includes in its smart TVs, giving you access to a variety of video streaming apps including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube, Apple TV+ and more.

Users can connect wirelessly to The Freestyle using the Samsung Smart Things platform. This (along with the optional battery, available separately) makes The Freestyle a truly cable-free video display system—something that not too many units can say.

It also features a mini-HDMI input (no mini-HDMI to HDMI adaptor included, however) and a USB-C power connection for ultimate flexibility. Pick this projector up now with £210 off at Richer Sounds.

More

Read more on our Samsung The Freestyle review

The LG PU700R is an ultra-portable 4K HDR projector designed to take on the Samsung Freestyle

Samsung’s Tizen is the most popular smart TV platform in Europe

Samsung has added Quick Media Switching (also known as QMS) to two of its premium QD-OLED TVs via a firmware update. This system allows for seamless frame-rate switching, thus eliminating the awkward black screen that flashes up when switching from 60 frames per second (FPS) to 24FPS.

This buffer often takes place when selecting content on streaming services, as the menu systems usually run at 30FPS or 60FPS, while movies are set at the cinematic standard of 24FPS. We have also noticed the issue on the YouTube app when using an Apple TV, with 60FPS content being interrupted by a black screen when 30FPS adverts play. 

Speaking of the Apple TV 4K, it is practically the only device on the market that supports QMS; however future-proofing is always a smart move in our books. We can see this system be implemented in more streaming devices later down the line. That being said, you needn't panic if your TV doesn't support the variable refresh rate-based tech, as we are yet even to hear about any upcoming releases that support it. 

Samsung is actually following in the footsteps of its Korean rival, as LG became the first manufacturer to add QMS to its TVs last year with the G3 and C3 models. However, it appears Samsung was already planning on adding QMS to one of its 2023 models, as discovered by FlatpanelsHD. 

It turns out that the S95C has always had the hardware to support QMS, though Samsung hadn't enabled it until now. An over-the-air firmware update has reportedly been released to enable QMS on the older model, meaning it should work for S95C users. 

The S95D, this year's QD-OLED flagship model, also had QMS support from launch, though Samsung decided to let this fly under the radar. There has been no confirmation on whether Samsung plans on updating any of its 4K Mini LED (such as the QN95D) or 8K Mini LED (QN900D) TVs to enable QMS. 

MORE:

Read our full Samsung S95D review

Check out our picks for the best Samsung TV

And the best OLED TVs

Samsung has already had its fun with the Galaxy S24 and Z 6 series, and Apple is expected to launch its new phones next month, but August is all about Google. Android fans listen up, as a whole new series of Google smartphones are about to break cover.

Google's annual "Made By Google" event is tonight, and we've been promised the ninth generation of Pixel phones. In true Google fashion, the new Pixel 9 series has leaked extensively and it was even officially revealed weeks ago in a series of flashy introduction videos. There is still plenty to reveal though, with specs and features all still a mystery, 

Furthermore, we hope that Google can whip up a couple of surprises tonight, so we've included a short wishlist of what else we'd like to see, alongside when and where to watch the live-streamed event.

Made by Google 2024: when and where to watch

The Made by Google event will be streamed live on the Made by Google YouTube page, which should come as no surprise as Google owns the video-sharing platform. You can visit the account now to take a sneak peek at two new devices; the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

To catch the live stream from the very start, you'll need to tune in at 6PM in the UK, 10AM PT/1PM ET if you live in the US, or 3AM if you're watching from Australia. Don't worry if you miss the stream though, as Google will (most likely) upload a recording of the show, and we'll be covering the event right here too. 

Made by Google 2024: what to expect

As we've already established, new Google Pixel phones will be revealed today, and we're expecting a new approach from Google. Previously, the company has employed a two-tiered approach with a standard and premium model, the latter sporting a "Pro" suffix. While we're expecting a Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro duo, Google is also adding a third option to its lineup with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

This isn't Google's first foldable phone, as Google launched the first Pixel Fold back in May of 2023 – separately from the Pixel 8 series. Google is now streamlining its lineup by launching all three devices under the Pixel 9 banner, with the foldable version appearing to be a step-up model from the Pixel 9 Pro. 

While we've seen what the 9 Pro and 9 Pro Fold look like, little is known about the specifications of these devices. We presume Google will debut a new version of its in-house developed Tensor processor with these new phones, and we're also willing to bet that they will have some fairly intense AI integration too. 

If the Google Pixel 8 Pro specs are anything to go off, then we anticipate 12GB of RAM backing up the new processor, and the display could be a very similar Quad HD LTPO 120Hz OLED screen with a variable refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz. Google has traditionally equipped its non-Pro variants with 1080p displays, and we don't expect that to change this year.  

Moving away from phones for just a moment, Google also recently announced the Google TV Streamer; a successor to its popular Chromecast series of media streamers. While the device has already been announced with pricing, we'd like to see it get some time in the spotlight during this live event. 

Made by Google: what we'd like to see

Everything we'd discussed thus far has all been officially announced, but now we're treading into uncharted territories of speculation and guesswork. First and foremost, we would like to see Google refresh its Pixel Buds series of wireless earbuds, as it's been over two years since the Buds Pro launched, and three years since the entry-level Buds A became available (not counting new colour releases). 

In a perfect world, we'd like to see Google refresh both pairs of buds, however, the Buds A are the older of the pair, so we think they are most deserving of an upgrade. We are huge fans of the Pixel Buds A, awarding them five stars in our 2021 review; however, we'd appreciate an updated pair with newer features and even better sound.

Google also launched the Pixel Tablet last year, so it's possible we could see a revised second-generation model. We're quite fond of the current model, and even though it didn't score the full five stars, we rather like its included magnetic speaker dock (it makes for a great kitchen companion) and sharp picture. A revised version with better shadow detail, an even punchier and more dynamic speaker dock and better headphone audio would be a treat to see at Made by Google, but we're not willing to bet the house on it making an appearance. 

Finally, it's been a while since we've had any news regarding Project Caviar. This new Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos rival was hinted at nearly two years ago, with the company partnering with Samsung to develop its own HDR and immersive audio formats that would be more open-source than their Dolby alternatives. Little has been said about this proposed picture and sound feature since, but we'd certainly welcome an update this evening. 

MORE:

Read our Google Pixel 8 Pro review

And our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review

Check out our picks for the best smartphones

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

2023 saw solid growth in recorded music revenues in the US for the eighth year in a row. Total revenues grew 8 per cent to a record high of $17.1 billion estimated retail value.

Physical music sales have seen a resurgence in recent years, with a lot of the attention going towards vinyl, however, streaming remains to the biggest driver of growth in the industry. This is thanks in part to record levels of engagement from paid subscriptions and growth in ad-supported revenues.

Streaming

For the second year running, streaming services made up 84 per cent of total music revenues in 2023. 78 per cent of all streaming revenue came from paid subscriptions, which brought in $11.2 billion dollars.

Music revenues from advertisement-supported on-demand services, such as YouTube and the the ad-supported version of Spotify, grew at a slower pace than previous years, increasing by 2 per cent to $1.9 billion, contributing 11 per cent of the total recorded music revenues.

Digital downloads

The revenues from digitally downloaded music continued to fall, down 12 per cent to $434 million in 2023.

Just 3 per cent of US recorded music revenues in 2023 came from digital downloads, a significant drop from a peak of 43 per cent of revenues in 2012 just over a decade ago. 

This is perhaps not all that surprising, considering the rise in physical media and a change in ideas surrounding the value of ownership and accessibility. 

Physical formats

2021 saw an impressive reemergence for physical music formats and this growth is continuing. 

Total physical revenues increased by 11 per cent from the previous year, reaching a total of $1.9 billion. Vinyl record sales accounted for 71 per cent of all physical music revenue and grew by 10 per cent to $1.4 billion, marking 17 years of consecutive growth. 

This marks only the second time since 1987 that vinyl albums have outsold CDs in units, amassing 43 million sales compared with CD's 37 million. CD still performed well in 2023, however, with sales of the format up by 11 per cent to $537 million.

MORE: 

The vinyl revival continues as sales hit their highest levels in decades

Vinyl sales officially trumped CDs for a second year in a row

When What Hi-Fi? wasn't What Hi-Fi? any more – a look back to our July 2001 issue

“Is there any point in buying an 8K TV?” is a question that I’m asked very regularly. And with very good reason: we’ve been reviewing 8K TVs since 2018 (the first was the 85-inch Samsung Q900R, if you're interested) and yet, seven years on, there’s still essentially no native 8K content available.

Sure, you can watch some lovely 8K demo content on YouTube (though watch out for the videos that play in 8K but are really just upscaled 4K), and there’s a dedicated 8K TV channel in Japan, but that aside, there’s essentially nothing to watch in native 8K. What's more, there is still no sign of a current or new streaming service going 8K, nor any hint of an 8K disc format ever appearing. While the worthwhile introduction of 8K one day seems inevitable, it barely seems closer now than it did in 2018.

So, is there any point in buying an 8K TV now? Very many people say ‘no’, including some of my colleagues here at What Hi-Fi?. TV and AV staff writer Lewis Empson says that he has no interest until proper 8K streams or discs materialise, and our esteemed Editor in Chief, Alastair Stevenson, hones in on that same issue as well as a couple more (including a lack of David Attenborough) as barriers to him going 8K.

My personal take on all of this is a little less definite. I’ve flip-flopped slightly in my opinion on 8K over the years since that first review, which I was involved in, but the new Samsung QN900D, which we reviewed earlier this week, is comfortably the strongest case yet for buying an 8K TV in a non-8K world. Does that mean I would buy it? Probably not, but let’s come back to that.

It might not be true 8K, but it is better 4K

Samsung knows that the way to convince people to buy an 8K TV when there’s no 8K content of note is by making everything they watch now look better than before. That's why it has been so focused on upscaling.

Upscaling is simply the process of converting a lower-resolution signal so that it's displayed correctly on the native resolution of the display. If you have got a 4K TV and watch a 576p DVD or broadcast TV show, or a 1080p stream or Blu-ray, it is being upscaled, either by the TV or the source device (the Blu-ray player or Sky box, for example).

But, really, there’s nothing ‘simple’ about upscaling. It’s a hugely complex process that is working exceptionally well if it doesn’t make the source material look worse than it did originally. At this stage in the 4K lifecycle, we’re spoiled by the quality of upscaling and expect sub-4K content to look at least as good on our 4K TVs as it did when displayed natively.

But because there is no native 8K content of note available, simply making 4K look like 4K isn’t good enough for an 8K TV – it needs to look better.

In fairness, Samsung’s 8K TVs, even the old Q900R, have always done an impressive job of making 4K look better than 4K, but the new QN900D takes that to a new, ‘mystically impressive’ level. Here’s what we said in the QN900D review:

‘As well as being one heck of a satisfying party trick in its own right that delivers the most detailed, sharp-looking pictures we’ve seen on a TV, this unprecedented level of 8K upscaling performance also makes a clear-cut case for 8K being not only a worthy part of the AV landscape despite the lack of 8K content, but a feature genuinely capable of delivering a ‘next-gen’ experience.’

Throughout the exhaustive testing process, all of the 4K video and gaming content we put through the QN900D looked significantly sharper and more detailed than on any 4K TV we’ve tested, and the TV’s only real rival, the LG Z3 OLED, can’t hold a candle to it in this regard.

Of course, this isn’t ‘real’ sharpness or detail. The TV is adding to the source material, and for some people that’s simply not cricket. I understand that argument entirely, but I think many of those people would be convinced if they saw a properly sorted QN900D in action.

Samsung has always been very aggressive on the pricing of its 8K TVs, too, and while the 75-inch QN900D has launched at a decidedly hefty price of £6650 / $6299 / AU$8999, if it follows a similar pattern to its predecessors, and there’s no reason to think that it won’t, at this point next year it should be available for under £3500 / $4500 / AU4000. That’s still a chunk of change, of course, but arguably not a vast sum for such a large and advanced TV.

So why am I not putting my money where my mouth is?

So why am I not rushing out to buy the QN900D myself? There’s the high launch price, of course, but it’s fairly safe to say that I won’t buy one when it’s much cheaper, either. It has convinced me that having an 8K TV now can be worthwhile, but I’m waiting until that ‘mystically impressive’ upscaling is combined with the flawless contrast of OLED.

Merge the QN900D and the S95D QD-OLED together and you would have a potentially irresistible TV. I’m waiting for that or for another OLED brand to catch up with Samsung’s 8K upscaling nous – whichever comes first.

MORE:

What is upscaling on TVs?

Read the full Samsung QN900D review

And here's the Samsung S95D review

These are the best TVs you can buy right now

Vinyl outsold CDs for the second year in a row according to official statistics from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). 

RIAA's latest figures report that 43 million vinyl records were sold in 2023, outstripping the 37 million CDs shifted over the same period, amounting to $1.4 billion worth of revenue. 

This is the second year running that vinyl has outsold its digital cousin. We reported last year that vinyl had momentously beaten CD sales in 2022 for the first time since 1987, with vinyl albums selling 41 million units in comparison to just 33 million for CDs. 

The reasons for this resurgence aren't set in stone, but it's easy to point to some obvious reasons. Vinyl has continued to retain its classic, retro appeal, with social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube far more likely to see content creators espouse the virtues of their vinyl collections than their racks of old CDs. Some of them are so young they've probably never had a cause to own the latter, while the former seems like a charming format from a bygone age. 

Then, of course, there's the small matter of Taylor Swift. You can't move in 2024 for mentions of the uber-popular popstar, with Swift dominating US vinyl sales to a ludicrous degree. Releases of 1989, Speak Now, Midnights and Utopia on vinyl go a long way to explaining why figures are continuing to climb. The Swifties are a powerful market force.

Vinyl revival events and initiatives such as Record Store Day have also been fundamental to this continued resurgent growth – we've certainly played our part by reporting on such initiatives.  

As for CDs, the picture isn't as bleak as you might think. CD revenue was actually up in 2023 according to RIAA, even if physical units sold took a bit of a dip. Still, there appears to be a continued appetite for physical media, and while streaming services continue to monopolise the market (streaming accounted for 84 per cent of recorded music revenues in 2023 according to the RIAA), it isn't the only player in the game.  

If you're interested in the vinyl revival, keep an eye out for our upcoming vinyl week where we'll be celebrating the best of the format.

MORE:

Everything you need to know about Record Store Day 2024

50 great British albums to test your hi-fi system

Check out 12 of the best-sounding vinyl records

These are the best CD players right now

This week Neil Young announced he will be returning to Spotify, ending his ongoing feud with the platform.

Given our focus on audio equipment, I don’t want to spend too much time discussing the politics behind the protest. The short version is that Young left Spotify roughly two years ago to protest the Joe Rogan Podcast, which was widely accused of spreading misinformation about COVID-19.

Young has claimed his return to the platform is due to Rogan’s podcast no longer being exclusive to Spotify, with Amazon, YouTube and Apple now also hosting it, in a statement on his blog.

Whether you agree with his reasoning or not, for me, Young still made one very good, and accurate, dig when he announced his return. Specifically, when he talked about audio quality.

“The #1 streamer of low res music in the world – Spotify where you get less quality than we made… I hope all you millions of Spotify users enjoy my songs! They will now all be there for you except for the full sound we created,” read Young’s blog post.

Young isn’t alone in his attack on Spotify’s streaming quality. Myself and the team have bemoaned the platform’s lack of a CD-quality or hi-res option to rival Tidal and Qobuz for many years.  I found myself nodding when Young flagged them as better ways to listen to his music when he announced his return to Spotify as a result.

But while I agree, Young’s return also showcases how little incentive the platform has to launch Spotify HiFi. 

Despite Tidal, Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Qobuz and more having offered higher quality streaming options for many years, nearly every market share analysis pegs Spotify as the dominant force. Statista’s latest estimate lists it as owning a sizable 30.6 per cent share. That’s more than double its closest rival, Apple Music, which is estimated to control 13.7 per cent of the market.

To me that shows two things. First, most regular people still don’t care about streaming quality when listening to music, which as a person who reviews TV and audio equipment is disappointing – when done right, higher-quality and high-resolution streaming quality really does make a difference.  

Second, Spotify’s control is so ironclad that artists, as well as users, no longer have the choice to simply not play ball and support it. With that in mind, why would Spotify bother investing in improving its streaming quality?

Our Spotify review even says as much:

“Yes, Tidal, Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited are growing in popularity with audio enthusiasts due to their extensive libraries and higher audio quality [...] Still, Spotify remains the mass market choice for those interested in discovering new and old music with a comprehensive library and, crucially, an accessible free tier.” 

And while many may not mind, and are content that one of rock’s greatest talents is back on the world’s biggest streaming platform, for me, it’s yet another sad reminder most people’s music listening experience is fundamentally compromised.

MORE:

These are the best music streaming services we've tested

Check out our picks of the best music streamers

We detail the best wireless headphones we've reviewed 

One of the easiest 21st-century recommendations to give anyone whose TV has a dire streaming offering is to either a) get an all-new smart TV, or b) invest in a separate plug-in video streamer. One guess as to which elicits the more favourable response...

Alongside Apple, Amazon and Google, Roku is one of the most popular video streamer brands. It started life as a manufacturer of Roku streaming sticks that connect to the internet, plug into your TV's HDMI port and give it access to video apps such as Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video through a dedicated Roku operating system – great for updating old 'dumb' TVs with streaming. It also produced a Roku Streambar that is essentially a streaming stick and soundbar in one.

Off the back of the success of Roku's hardware and operating system software, the company decided to go beyond the stick part and build its streaming platform directly into TVs – those from other manufacturers like TCL and Hisense, as well as its own branded sets.

So is Roku TV desirable and will it suit your needs? Read on to find out all you need to know about the streaming platform and the best TVs that integrate it.

How good is the Roku TV OS?

Roku hasn't been able to rub shoulders with powerhouses like Amazon and Google, and become the success it is today, with just mediocre software. Indeed the Roku streaming platform is among the best. 

The platform offers access to several subscription services, including but not limited to – deep breath – Amazon Video, Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, as well as region-specific apps such as, in the US, Hulu, Paramount Plus, Sling TV, CBS All Access and WatchESPN. But bear in mind you'll need to subscribe to each service you want to watch content from; the Roku OS is simply a single-access gateway to all these services.

Roku does offer apps with free content, though, such as YouTube, Crackle, PBS Kids and its own The Roku Channel. There is also access to buying and rental services like Vudu and the Google Play Store, too. The choice is truly impressive and the interface comes with an excellent search function to make finding your next favourite film or TV show very easy indeed.

As we said in our latest Roku streamer review, its interface is a "simple, clean, clear" affair with "only a handful of menu options, the homescreen largely being dedicated to a grid of your chosen apps.

"It’s a more objective approach to Amazon’s Fire TV, which pushes its own content throughout its interface. As the Roku is a neutral party, you’ll get the same experience whichever streaming app you subscribe to.

"Menu options are kept brief, so alongside the standard search and settings options, there is also a ‘Channel Store’ and an option for ‘My Feed’. The [Roku] Channel Store is the place to go for more apps, with thousands to choose from."

If you've got this far, you're likely sold. So what is an actual Roku TV, we hear you ask...

What is a Roku TV?

A Roku TV is a physical television that runs the Roku operating system for streaming apps. 

With it directly embedded into a TV experience, you have immediate access to all Roku has to offer. The interface on each brand of Roku TV may differ slightly – usually just with a different colourway – but the content should be present and correct across them.

Roku TVs were initially made and branded by dedicated, mostly budget-orientated TV manufacturers such as TCL, RCA and Hisense, who decided to power their smart TVs with the Roku system. That list has now grown to include JVC, Sharp and Westinghouse, while Roku-branded TVs have also been added to the mix.

Roku's move into the TV market made a lot of sense since Roku has been working on its service for years and offers some of the widest third-party app functionality there is, plus one of the simplest interfaces to navigate, all while keeping processing demands on the hardware to a minimum.

What Roku TVs are available?

Roku's own TVs, called Roku Select, Roku Plus and Roku Pro, are only available in the US, but expect them to be rolled out wider as demand increases. There are 11 options available to pick from at the time of publishing, with the Pro line yet to go on sale.

The Roku Select panels offer HD resolution in 24-inch and 32-inch models or Full HD in the 40-inch panel. Pricing is super low, from $119 (approx. £98 / AU$174).

The Roku Plus series is more premium, offering 4K QLED panels that support HDR10+, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. These come in 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes, topping out at $999 (approx. £830 / AU$1463).

Roku has also announced its Roku Pro Series TVs, which promise even higher quality from its 4K QLED panels as they use Mini LED technology and AI processing smarts to create what it says is its best images yet. 

We haven't reviewed any Roku-branded TVs yet due to their fledgling availability, but we do have plenty of experience in testing third-party Roku TVs...

What third-party Roku TVs are good?

Of the many (many) other Roku-powered TVs out there, some of the best options that we have tried and tested include TVs from Hisense and TCL.

First up is the Hisense A7200G range. We named its 50-inch model, called the Hisense R50A7200GTUK in the UK, the 'best 48-50in TV' available in the budget market in that year's What Hi-Fi? Awards.

The Hisense A7200G models are all 4K HDR LED TVs available in 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch sizes.

The TCL RP630K range is also worth a look as this is a fantastic example of a Roku TV that offers plenty for your money. It comes recommended by our Australian sister brand Sound+Image, who called the 55-inch model a "triumph" in its TCL 55RP630 4K Roku TV review. Considering we awarded its predecessor, the 55-inch TCL RP620K, a five-star review in 2021, we'd say this range is a winner.

The 4K HDR LED TV series sits firmly in the affordable TV category but is one step closer to mid-range than the Hisense above. It offers a greater bit-depth in terms of colour processing, plus Dolby Vision support too.

This line of Roku TVs is another excellent choice for those after an app-happy and exceedingly user-friendly experience alongside a highly recommendable picture.

Are Roku TVs worth it?

Roku's smart platform is certainly easy to recommend. It's a one-stop shopfront for every subscription service you'd likely sign up for, complemented by free content and a simple, intuitive interface.

The Roku TVs with the streaming platform built-in are all from reputable budget-conscious brands that offer a wide range of TVs at attractive budget prices, and of the many available, we can certainly vouch for the two mentioned above. As for the Roku-branded TVs, we haven't had the chance to go twelve rounds with one yet, so we can't comment on the quality of their picture.

It's worth mentioning that not all Roku TVs will support 4K HDR playback through apps that have such content, like Netflix, so it's always worth checking such details before you buy. While perhaps more obvious, it's also worth noting that budget Roku TVs typically won't offer you the best picture quality offered by higher-priced sets – our best TVs guide will help you on that front.

Still, if big screens, a whole host of streaming options and budget prices satisfy your requirements, you may well wish to welcome a Roku TV into your home with open arms. The Roku TV OS experience is excellent, and excellently performing TVs with it built-in certainly exist.

MORE:

Our expert pick of the best TVs you can buy

Roku has announced a slew of updates to help you find what to watch next

Find the best TV shows to watch on Netflix right now

Roku has announced a range of new TV models, partnering with Currys-owned brand Logik. The new models aim to combine great picture quality with Roku's easy-to-use operating system, all at an affordable price.

The new Logik Roku come in two ranges: the '2K HD and Full HD' series (available in 32-inch and 40-inch sizes), and the '4K Ultra HD Series' (available in 43-inch and 50-inch sizes). All models support HDR-10, while the 4K Ultra HD series also supports Dolby Vision.

This news follows last year's partnership between Currys and Roku, and the more recent announcement of the Roku Pro series as the brand introduces new TV sets into both the affordable and premium markets.

Recently, we've lamented how our testers have struggled to find good cheap TVs, with the notable exception being the Amazon Fire TV range. We're looking forward to testing the new Logik Roku TVs to see if they can compete with Amazon's offering and end the trend we've noticed.

Roku TVs are known for their intuitive user interfaces and easy-to-navigate menus. They also offer streamlined access to a wide range of major streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+, YouTube, and many more. 

The TV's OS also includes Roku Search for convenient searching across different streaming apps and offers a range of control options including a simple remote, a free mobile app, and voice controls. 

The '2K HD and Full HD' and '4K Ultra HD' Logik Roku TVs will be available from Currys later this month, with pricing starting from £150.

We've asked about connectivity and refresh rates and will update when we hear back.

MORE: 

Look out LG, Samsung and Sony, Roku is getting serious about high-end TVs

Read our picks for the best TVs

And our choices of best cheap TVs

Super Bowl 2025 4K HDR live stream

Super Bowl 59 takes place later today – Sunday, 9th February 2025 – and you can watch the whole thing in glorious 4K HDR, to see every kick, pass and touchdown in the highest quality.

Fox will record the game in 1080p HD, then upscale it to 4K for the TV broadcast. So not true 4K, but still pretty great.

On TV, the game is on Fox, but that's not your only option. The game is also available to stream for free and in full 4K on the Fox-owned Tubi service, as well as on numerous other pay-for services that carry Fox, like YouTube TV, Fubo and Hulu Plus Live TV. It's also available via some satellite services like Comcast, which has announced that it be delivering Super Bowl LIX in both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for the first time ever.

With the Chiefs eyeing up a third-straight title, and a rematch against the same opponents they faced in the final two years ago – not to mention 22-time Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar putting on the halftime show – it's shaping up to be an unmissable game.

Travelling abroad? You don't have to miss out. Subscribers to Tubi (free), Fubo and the other services can watch the Super Bowl in 4K from anywhere by using a VPN. Our guide below explains all.

Super Bowl 2025 kickoff time

• New York, USA: 6.30pm ET
• San Francisco, USA: 3.30pm PT
• London, UK: 11.30pm GMT
• Melbourne, Australia: 10.30am AEDT (Mon)
• Mexico City, Mexico: 5.30pm CDMX
• Berlin, Germany: 00.30am CET
• Singapore: 7.30am SGT (Mon)
• Delhi, India: 5am IST (Mon)

Watch Super Bowl 2025 in 4k (and for free!)

Watch Super Bowl 2025 in 4K Ultra HD

Watch Super Bowl in 4K HDR from abroad with a VPN

You won't be able to watch Fox, Fubo, Tubi or YouTube TV when traveling outside the US. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you. You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though.

It's a magical piece of software that sets your device appear as if it's located the country of your choice (e.g. the USA), allowing you to access the likes of Fubo from whatever country you happen to be visiting.

We rate NordVPN as the best VPN for the Super Bowl in 4K. The 30-day guarantee means you can try it risk-free and see for yourself. Five stars.

Best FREE Super Bowl live streams 2025

Happy to watch in Standard Definition or High Definition? NFL fans all over the world can watch a Super Bowl live stream free:

UK: Free on ITV and ITVX (no 4K HDR)

Australia: Free on 7Mate and 7Plus (no 4K HDR)

Mexico: Free on TV Azteca 7 (no 4K HDR)

Germany: Free on RTL (TV broadcast only, no 4K HDR)

Outside your home country? Use a VPN to access any free Super Bowl live stream from anywhere.

Super Bowl FAQs

Super Bowl 2025 preview

Super Bowl 59 is scheduled to kick off at 11.30pm GMT / 6.30pm ET today (Sunday, 9th February 2025) at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping to win a third straight Super Bowl – an unprecedented feat. They're up against the Philadelphia Eagles, who they beat to the Vince Lombardi Trophy two years ago in Super Bowl 57. That match saw the Eagles leading by 10 at half time, before Kansas City staged a great comeback. They began the second half by driving 75 yards in 12 plays, followed by a series of killer defensive plays – they finally took the lead for the first time at 28-27, which they extended to 35-27 off the back of Kadarius Toney's longest punt return in Super Bowl history.

But the momentum swung back to the Eagles, and with just over five minutes remaining, the score was tied at 35. At the end, only a 27-yard field goal separated the two teams.

But can the Chiefs repeat the feat? They're standing on the verge of history – victory would make them the first ever team to win three Super Bowls in a row. So no pressure...

As if that wasn't enough, rapper Kendrick Lamar will headline the Super Bowl half-time show, and this is not his first rodeo. Lamar joined rap legends Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre, Eminem and Mary J Blige for the half-time show in 2022. This time around, he will be joined by special guest SZA. The duo will perform Luther and Gloria, two songs from Lamar's latest album, GNX, which feature SZA. The duo also collaborated on All The Stars, the Oscar-nominated song from Black Panther.

Jon Batiste will perform the US national anthem, while New Orleans local Trombone Shorty and Lauren Daigle are on hand to sing America the Beautiful. Ledisi will perform Lift Every Voice and Sing.

Read on and we'll show you how get your Super Bowl 4K fix from anywhere in the world. We also have a page on the best Super Bowl TV settings to help max out your picture and sound.

MORE:

The best Super Bowl TV deals you need to check out

Best TV for watching the Super Bowl in 4K

Go big or go home: best 65-inch TVs

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. 

MORE:

Read our full Google Chromecast with Google TV review

And our full list of the best media streamers

And the best Android TVs

Google I/O takes place later today, and while all eyes are on what features will appear on the next version of Android and the company's plans for its AI bot Bard, the biggest thing I would like to see is it finally address one of its biggest disappointments – YouTube Music.

If I’m honest, Google has never been that great when it comes to music in my mind. Take a look at its track record. Google Play Music had some cool features, like the ability to rip tracks from your CDs and store your own library on its cloud, but it never had the same allure as Tidal and Apple Music, which had better libraries and discovery features.

And despite hitting 80 million paid subscribers last year, its latest platform, YouTube Music, is still in pretty dire shape and has yet to offer any real reason for me to jump ship from Tidal and Apple Music.

First, there’s the quality issue. Look at our YouTube Music review and you’ll see that while it has some cool stuff, especially around video and live sessions, it simply doesn’t sound as good as competing services. At launch, this wasn’t a surprise as YouTube Music launched with 128kbps streams. And despite doubling the bit-rate to 256kbps and supporting AAC, it still doesn’t sound as good as the competition, with audio lacking the detail you get on Apple Music and Tidal.

What I’d like Google to do to fix this at I/O 2023 is announce a higher-tier package that offers streaming from a less lossy codec – an equivalent of ALAC on Apple Music or MQA/FLAC on Tidal, the two services that, based on the hours upon hours of time we spend reviewing audio kit in our listening rooms, offer the best results when streaming. It’s one of the biggest reasons we flag Apple Music and Tidal as two of the best music streaming services.

The second big issue is around the fact that Google hasn't really leaned into the platform’s biggest strength – video. Tidal and competing services have video features, sure, but YouTube is one of the biggest platforms for it in the world. After all, it houses and maintains its own economy for videographers at the moment. YouTube Music should really have the same influence on bands and songwriters, and to do that it needs to offer the best experience possible.

To do that, I think it needs Dolby Atmos support. Until it offers this it can’t really beat Apple Music, which features its own Atmos-powered Spatial Audio tracks, and Tidal, which accommodates Dolby Atmos Music.

Think about how cool it would be to be able to watch a music video on YouTube Music and get proper immersive 3D audio through your Dolby Atmos soundbar, speaker or system – the roar of the crowd behind you as the band takes the stage and the immersive thump of the bass drum as they start their set. Having experienced this sort of multi-dimensional soundstage through various pieces of equipment, I can personally confirm that, when done right, the only thing better than hearing Atmos-fied live recordings is being physically at the gig.

Google’s also in a great position to leverage a lead here given the work it’s been quietly doing growing YouTube Music’s live recording library. The move just makes sense.

If Google did these two key things, YouTube Music would be a much more compelling offer and one that could easily grow given how integrated it is into its Android software. And that for me is why I’d like to see Google make these key steps at I/O.

More:

Best music streamers - the top options we've tested

These are the best portable music players money can buy

We explain the differences between hi-res streaming services

Watch March Madness live stream 2023

Tonight's March Madness National Championship game – Uconn vs San Diego – will be live on CBS and Paramount+. You can also watch a March Madness live stream on ESPN Player in the UK, and Kayo Sports in Australia. Use a VPN to unblock your local Final Four stream from anywhere, if you are away or overseas. Full details on how to watch March Madness online and on TV just below.

• Best USA deal: March Madness live stream on Paramount+ (free trial)
• Best UK deal: March Madness live stream on ESPN Player (£9.99/m)
• Watch your local stream from abroad with ExpressVPN

March Madness final 2023

Monday 3rd April 2023

• No. 5 San Diego State vs No. 4 Uconn | 9:20 pm ET | CBS / Paramount+

Watch March Madness live stream: tournament preview

March Madness has whittled 72 teams down to just two: No. 5 San Diego State (South) vs No. 4 UConn (West). 

The San Diego Aztecs had never even played in the Final Four, let alone the National Championship game, but they have one of the strongest NCAA basketball programmes. And after surviving a gruelling 72-71 match against Florida in the Final Four, they have what it takes to upset Uconn in tonight's NCAA title decider.

No. 4 UConn – the highest-seeded team still standing – cruised past Miami in the Final Four and now find their fifth title in 25 NCAA Tournaments within reach.

The road to the Final Four has been a wild ride, and with the 72 teams that started their quest for an NCAA National Championship now whittled down to two, you won't want to miss tonight's final showdown. 

Tipoff at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, is set for 9.20 pm ET / 2.20am BST. The action will be live on CBS and the Huskies are 7-point favorites to beat the Aztecs.

To keep track of the Madness, you can download a printable March Madness bracket from the NCAA website. Here's how to watch every NCAA March Madness game in the US, UK, Australia and beyond... 

US: Watch March Madness without cable

American coverage of March Madness is split across four different cable channels: TruTV, TBS, TNT and CBS. However, tonight's National Championship title decider is on CBS/Paramount+. 

The first 30 days of Paramount Plus is free (use code PICARD until 30th April). Plans then start at $4.99/month.

March Madness free stream

Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and DirecTV are three other options which include all the required the CBS channel, but they are much pricier options.

Hulu + Live TV costs $69.99/month, while YouTube TV has an offer that means you’ll pay $54.99/month for the first three months and $64.99 thereafter, although you can cancel both at any time.

Watch March Madness live stream from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular March Madness live stream while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you. You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though.

It's a straightforward piece of software which sets your device to appear as if it's in the right country, allowing you to watch any 2023 March Madness live stream from anywhere in the world.

We rate ExpressVPN as the best VPN for March Madness. It offers a 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

How to use a VPN for March Madness live stream

1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.

2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For March Madness, you may wish to choose 'US' for the Paramount+ free trial.

3. Then head over to Paramount+ on your browser or device and enjoy the free March Madness live stream!

UK: Watch March Madness live stream

ESPN Player is the best place to watch the March Madness live stream in the UK and Ireland. It's all live for just £9.99. That gets you access for a whole month, which is plenty for the NCAA men's championship game on Monday 3rd April.

ESPN Player is only available via the web, Apple and Android phones and tablets, and Android TV, but it does support Google Cast and Apple AirPlay, so you can beam it from your mobile device to a compatible TV or streamer.

Stuck outside Blighty at the moment? Don't forget that you can use a VPN to access your usual live stream without being blocked.

BT Sport will also show March Madness live, with coverage split between BT Sport 3 and BT Sport 4.  

Not a BT subscriber? Try BT Sport Monthly Pass. For £30 a month, the monthly pass lets you watch March Madness live online or via an app, without tying you into a lengthy contract.

Watch March Madness 2023 in Australia

Hoops fans in Oz can catch the NCAA college basketball on Foxtel. Another – cheaper – option is to stream Foxtel via Kayo, Australia's top sports streaming service.

Kayo is offers new subscribers a 7-day free trial. After that, membership costs from $25 a month.

Kayo is only available within Australia but you can access your Kayo account from overseas using a VPN. Details just above.

March Madness 2023 schedule

NCAA men's basketball schedule

March 14-15: First Four
March 16-17: First Round
March 18-19: Second Round
March 23-24: Sweet Sixteen
March 25-26: Elite Eight
April 1: Final Four
April 3: National Championship

NCAA women's basketball schedule

March 15-16: First Four
March 17-18: First Round
March 19-20: Second Round
March 24-25: Sweet Sixteen
March 26-27: Elite Eight
March 31: Final Four
April 2: National Championship

You can download a printable bracket for the men's tournament from the NCAA website here.

• Upgrade the action: best TVs
• Go big this year: best projectors
• How to watch a Premier League live stream
• Motorsport: F1 live stream

Watch Gonzaga vs UConn live stream 2023

Gonzaga Bulldogs vs the University of Connecticut Huskies will be live on TBS in the USA. No cable? Stream TBS via Sling. You can also watch March Madness games live on ESPN Player and BT Sport in the UK, and Kayo Sports in Australia. Use a VPN to watch your local stream from anywhere, if you happen to be overseas. Full details on how to watch a Gonzaga Bulldogs vs Uconn Huskies live stream online and on TV below.

1. Best USA deal: Gonzaga vs UConn live stream on Sling Blue
2. Best UK deal: Gonzaga vs UConn live stream on ESPN Player (£9.99/m)
3. Watch your local stream from abroad with ExpressVPN

Gonzaga vs UConn: Elite 8 preview

The Sweet 16 is always a big decider for at least a few teams in their tournament journey, but both Gonzaga and UConn prevailed to make their way to the Elite 8. It’s no surprise that the No. 3 Bulldogs and No.4 Huskies made it this far, but the road to the Final Four certainly won’t be any easier as the two face off on Saturday night.

UConn had very little trouble with Arkansas, running away with an 88-65 victory on their near-flawless play. Both Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins had stellar games, putting up 18 and 24 points respectively. Hawkins was also 100% 9-9 from the free-throw line. Sanogo is averaging 17.6 points per game, while Hawkins’ 16.1 is nothing to scoff at. UConn is 13-7 in Big East matchups this year. 

The Bulldogs struggled with their round of 16 matchup against UCLA, narrowly spinning up a 79-76 win with a late three-pointer. On the heels of Drew Timme, who led the team with 36 points and 13 rebounds, Gonzaga sealed their jump to the next round where they will certainly be tested once again. 14-2 in WCC play, everyone will need to step up if they plan to see the light of the Final Four. 

Saturday night will see one of the best matchups of the tournament thus far as these two fan favorites face off to see who has what it takes to make it to the Final Four.

To keep track of the Madness, you can download a printable March Madness bracket from the NCAA website. 

Tip-off is at 8:49 pm ET Saturday, 25th March. That's 12:59 am Sunday morning in the UK. Read on for how to watch a Gonzaga vs UConn live stream in the US, UK, Australia, and beyond... 

US: Watch Gonzaga vs UConn without cable

American coverage of March Madness is split across four different cable channels: TruTV, TBS, TNT, and CBS. However, the remaining games of the Elite 8 and Final Four, as well as the Final, are split between TBS and CBS.

Saturday's Gonzaga vs UConn clash is on TBS. Those without cable can use a cord-cutting service, such as Sling.

A Sling Blue subscription has you covered for TBS and a ton of other premium channels. It costs just $20 for your first month. It's then $40 for Sling thereafter, but you can cancel at any time.

Cheapest March Madness deal

Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and DirecTV are three other options which include all the required cable channels, including TBS and CBS, but they are much pricier options.

Hulu + Live TV costs $69.99/month, while YouTube TV has an offer that means you’ll pay $54.99/month for the first three months and $64.99 thereafter, although you can cancel both at any time.

Watch Gonzaga vs UConn live stream from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular March Madness live stream while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you. You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though.

It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in the right country, allowing you to watch any 2023 March Madness live stream from anywhere in the world.

We rate ExpressVPN as the best VPN for March Madness. It offers a 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

How to use a VPN for Gonzaga vs UConn

1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.

2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For Gonzaga vs UConn, you may wish to choose 'US' for Sling.

3. Then head over to Sling on your browser or device and enjoy the Gonzaga vs UConn live stream on TBS.

UK: Watch Gonzaga vs UConn live stream

ESPN Player is the best place to watch March Madness in the UK and Ireland, with every game – including Gonzaga vs UConn – available to watch live for just £9.99. That gets you access for a whole month, which means you're covered until the NCAA men's championship game on 3rd April – and beyond.

ESPN Player is only available via the web, Apple and Android phones and tablets, and Android TV, but it does support Google Cast and Apple AirPlay, so you can beam it from your mobile device to a compatible TV or streamer.

Stuck outside Blighty at the moment? Don't forget that you can use a VPN to access the Gonzaga Bulldogs vs UConn Huskies live stream without being blocked.

BT Sport will also show March Madness live, with coverage split between BT Sport 3 and BT Sport 4. The first games to be shown will be the First Four, which starts on Tuesday 14th March at 10:30 pm.

Not a BT subscriber? Try BT Sport Monthly Pass. For £30 a month, the monthly pass lets you watch March Madness live online or via an app, without tying you into a lengthy contract.

Watch Gonzaga vs UConn in Australia

Hoops fans in Oz can catch all the NCAA college basketball on Foxtel. Another – cheaper – option is to stream Foxtel via Kayo, Australia's top sports streaming service.

Kayo is offers new subscribers a 7-day free trial. After that, membership costs from $25 a month. Pretty handy if you fancy watching Gonzaga Bulldogs vs UConn Huskies without paying a cent.

Kayo is only available within Australia but you can access your Kayo account from overseas using a VPN. Details just above.

March Madness 2023 schedule

NCAA men's basketball schedule

March 14-15: First Four
March 16-17: First Round
March 18-19: Second Round
March 23-24: Sweet Sixteen
March 25-26: Elite Eight
April 1: Final Four
April 3: National Championship

NCAA women's basketball schedule

March 15-16: First Four
March 17-18: First Round
March 19-20: Second Round
March 24-25: Sweet Sixteen
March 26-27: Elite Eight
March 31: Final Four
April 2: National Championship

You can download a printable bracket for the men's tournament from the NCAA website here.

• Upgrade the action: best TVs
• Go big this year: best projectors
• How to watch a Premier League live stream

The biggest game of the year is nearly upon us. This Sunday, the Eagles and the Chiefs will face off in Super Bowl 57 and it will certainly be one for the history books. If you aren't a cable subscriber but need somewhere to watch the game for free, look no further than your favourite streaming device. 

If you have a smart TV, game console, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV – or pretty much any other streaming device – you've got loads of options for catching a Super Bowl live stream. On the go for game time? You can tune in on your phone or tablet as well. 

Fox will take on hosting duties this year, so take a peek below to see all the options for streaming Super Bowl 57 on your favorite smart device.

Football fans need not worry about streaming the Super Bowl in 2023 as now, more than ever, there are a plethora of options come game time. Even if you don't have cable, you can easily opt for a premium service (starting with a free trial), such as the  7-day free trial of FuboTV, to get your Super Bowl fix, and even watch in 4K HDR too. Apps are available on almost any platform, including your smart TV or favorite streaming devices.

Fox will broadcast the game for 2023 and surrounding events (including the much-anticipated halftime show featuring Rhianna) between the red-hot Philadephia Eagles and the always-favourite Kansas City Chiefs.

The Eagles seemingly cruised through the playoffs this year with few issues, continuing to blow away opponents and return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018. The Chiefs, always a crowd favourite will be a stellar matchup for Philadelphia, as long as Patrick Mahomes's lingering ankle sprain doesn't hold him back.

Fun fact: This will also be the first time two brothers face off in the Super Bowl, as Chiefs TE Travis Kelce and Eagles C Jason Kelce go head-to-head.

Keep reading as we break down all the options for tuning into Super Bowl 57 without cable.

• It's time for the big show: watch Super Bowl 2023 in 4K HDR

How to watch the Super Bowl without cable 2023

Don't miss a thing on Super Bowl Sunday – even without cable. There are multiple ways to live stream Super Bowl 57 in the US.

NFL+

For just $4.99, you can snag a monthly subscription to NFL+ on Android and iOS devices. This is for mobile devices only, unfortunately, but if you're on the go during the game it's a great option.

FuboTV

You can grab a free trial of Fubo and watch Super Bowl 57 on your smart devices. After the game, enjoy all that Fubo has to offer, or cancel your trial. It's also a great way to watch in 4K HDR without cable TV

Sling

One of the cheapest streaming deals around, Sling even has a Super Bowl offer to net you 50 per cent off your first month for new subscribers.

Are you a citizen of the US citizen but traveling abroad? You can easily use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to avoid getting geo-blocked on any live streams. We recommend ExpressVPN (try it 100% risk-free today).

Can I watch Super Bowl 2023 outside the US?

Away from home? No problem. The Super Bowl is one of the most watched events of the year, worldwide. People tune in from every country to watch the game, the halftime show, the commercials and everything else.

While it's Fox that provides the feed, each country has a broadcaster of its own who hosts the stream. Better still, it's completely free-to-air in many places. Here are some place where you can watch the Super Bowl for free online and on TV:

UK: ITVX with English commentary

Australia: 7Plus with English commentary

Germany: ProSieben with German commentary

Mexico: TV Azteca 7 with Spanish commentary

Of course, if you still want to tune into your usual coverage while away from home use a VPN to watch any Super Bowl stream from abroad. That includes your cord cutting subscription.

Our current favourite VPN, ExpressVPN, is perfect for streaming and offers a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee in case things don't work out.

Watch the Super Bowl without cable using a VPN

Watching the game outside your own country can prove a challenge as most services note your location and will automatically block your streams. A VPN can be your savior here, creating a private connection between your device and the internet – while masking your physical location – so you can watch a live stream from almost anywhere.

How to use a VPN

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.

2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the Super Bowl, you may wish to choose 'USA' to access your preferred streaming service.

If, for whatever reason, you can't get it working, do remember that you have the comfort of a 30-day money-back guarantee with ExpressVPN. You could also try NordVPN, which also comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, and Surfshark which offers 24-hour assistance.

Can I watch the Super Bowl on cable?

Yes, of course. If you have Fox included with your cable plan, then you can watch Super Bowl 2023 on cable, and in 4K so long as you have compatible hardware.

When is the Super Bowl 2023?

Super Bowl 57 between the Eagles and the Chiefs kicks off at 4.30pm local time (Arizona in the US) this Sunday, February 12th, 2023. That's 6.30pm ET / 11.30pm GMT / 10.30am AEDT.

Where is the Super Bowl 2023?

It's a bit late to get yourself a ticket to Sunday's championship game without dropping more than a mortgage payment, but there's still time to plan ahead for the next few years.

The 2023 Super Bowl will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The 2024 Super Bowl will go ahead at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. In 2025, the Super Bowl will be hosted at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

8K. The final frontier and more ‘K’ than even 4K – sounds good, right? Inevitable, even, considering the only direction that technological evolution is heading in. Well, here’s the thing about 8K: it’s not as exciting and inevitable as you might think, perhaps most especially when it comes to streaming. Sorry, AV fans.

Sure, if you’re one of the few who’ve managed to pick up an 8K display and you’ve got a high-capacity SSD worth of storage kicking around or enough bandwidth to spare, well, have at it. Go out there and find some 8K footage, if you can. But if you’re just an average chap waiting on 8K TVs to get cheaper and, more importantly, streaming to support the resolution, I’ve got some bad news.

8K streaming isn’t coming anytime soon in any meaningful capacity, and what’s more is that this is actually good news. The costs are high, the benefits are slight, and so few people could even take proper advantage of 8K streaming that it just doesn’t make a lot of sense, now or in the near future. So, sit back, strap in, and let me tell you all about why 8K streaming isn’t coming.

The high cost of 8K 

In terms of 4K video, an hour of footage can come with a huge range of file sizes, depending on what you’re shooting with and the codec at hand. So, let’s just think about 4K Blu-rays, which cap out at 100GBs for a single disc. Imagine that as our baseline for the size of an average 4K movie, though that number definitely can change.

When it comes to streaming services, as you might already know, a 4K stream is not going to compare with a 4K Blu-ray in terms of video quality because of bandwidth limitations. Most streaming services aren’t sending 100GBs worth of data to you when you’re watching a 4K movie: a 4K Blu-ray disc can run up to around 128Mbps while streaming services tend to cap out at around 17Mbps. Of course, that 17Mbps number will drop even lower depending on your internet connection, too. Suffice it to say with 4K streaming, the biggest limiting factor is going to be bandwidth because of just how much data goes into 4K footage.

With 8K, file sizes and bandwidth requirements get much, much steeper. Again, file size is variable, but an hour of raw 8K footage from an 8K RED camera is going to take up a massive 7TBs or so, and that’s just for one hour! Of course, video compression technologies and codecs will bring that number down, but even still, so much as storing an 8K movie on your average solid state is going to be problematic for most people, forget about the bandwidth that would be necessary to actually stream in 8K at a good quality level.

In fact, streaming services are still struggling to handle 4K video. For example, YouTube recently trialled a system where only paid subscribers could access 4K footage. Why’s that? Well, YouTube isn’t saying, but the speculation is that 4K video is still a niche resolution that relatively few people on YouTube actually use but takes up a huge amount of YouTube’s server capacity. And once again, that’s 'just' 4K.

The 8K situation gets even more complicated when it comes to internet speeds. If you live in a major city in the US, you may well have access to fiber internet with speeds of up to 1000Mbps, but on the other hand, you may not be able to afford it because Americans pay high prices, on average, for fast internet. And if you aren’t fortunate enough to live in a major city, you may only have access to 50Mbps at best or even less if you’re in a remote area.

These numbers are, indeed, as variable as the geography of the US itself is, but suffice it to say that every American can’t stream in 4K right now, let alone 8K. And that’s just in America; much of the world is worse off than the USA. Plus, depending on how many devices/people are using your connection simultaneously, even a 50Mbps connection might not be enough to stream 4K video without buffering and stuttering.

But file size and bandwidth aren’t the only reasons why 8K streaming doesn’t make sense.

Who’s got an 8K display, anyways? 

Once again, let’s look at 4K. The data on this is a bit variable depending on what stats you look at, but generally, less than half of households in the US have a 4K TV in 2022. 1080p (or 'Full HD') is still extremely common. Okay, sure, but where does 8K stack up? 10 per cent? 20 per cent? It’s pretty popular by now, right?

Nope. In general, once again, 8K TVs likely account for less than 1 per cent of the TV market. That’s a fraction of a fraction. In all likelihood, there are far more people using 720p HD TVs than there are using 8K TVs today. Yes, the numbers here do vary, but the larger point is that almost nobody outside of a tiny per cent of AV-obsessives even has an 8K display.

And when you think about it, it makes sense. 8K TVs are expensive, gaming consoles don’t really support the resolution (and PC hardware is still not nearly powerful enough to run new games at 8K at high graphics settings and framerates), and what’s more is that there just isn’t much 8K content out there, down to all the reasons above, and more we'll get to in a moment.

If you’re a streaming service that can only support 4K streams at a relatively low quality compared to a Blu-ray, why would you push for 8K? Almost none of your customers could actually use it, and your servers are almost certain to struggle under the massive data requirements of storing 8K video. Plus, if you really wanted to make some more money pushing higher-quality content, you could start charging for a 4K+ streaming option that upped the quality of 4K video.

Whether we’re talking about storage, internet speeds, or whether folks even have 8K displays, the numbers just don’t add up. But even so, some will wonder if they’re missing out on an upgraded, truly hi-fi AV experience without 8K streaming. However, you may not need to wonder.

Does missing out on 8K streaming mean missing out on image quality? 

The short answer here is yes, but the longer answer is probably not. Here’s why.

So, 8 is double 4, but 8K is not twice 4K. The resolution of 4K is 3840 x 2160, while 8K is 7860 x 4320, and it’s important to remember that the overall number of pixels in a particular resolution are those two numbers multiplied together. If you do the math, 4K has 8,294,400 pixels while 8K has 33,955,200 pixels, so the difference is around four times, not two times, the pixels. All of this is to say that 8K is an astonishingly hi-res format that has 16 times the pixels of traditional 1080p.

When you start exponentially increasing how many pixels you’re working with, display size quickly becomes an important factor. With 1080p, for example, you don’t need a large screen to really get the most out of the detail on offer because of the number of pixels in 1080p content, but that changes with 4K. With 4K, you’re not really getting as much out of the experience as you could with a smaller 20- to 30-inch display vs a larger 50-inch display because of how many more pixels go into 4K. As you might expect, 8K continues this trend.

If you really want to leverage the full might and power of 8K as a resolution, you’re going to need a 60-, 70-, or 80-inch TV to get that job done, and the smaller the 8K TV you have, the more 8K is not going to look noticeably sharper and more detailed than 4K. Naturally, of course, higher resolutions do largely mean better image quality, but in the real world, diminishing returns in terms of display size and pixel density is a very real thing you have to contend with.

Then, if we’re talking about streaming, 8K streams will inevitably have to massively cut down on the quality of raw 8K footage to make it even possible at all to stream such content. And when you do that, you may well get better video quality out of a 4K Blu-ray on a smaller display than you would when streaming 8K content on a larger display.

However, yes, if you’ve got a large 8K TV and full-fat 8K footage, you will likely be enjoying better image quality than if you were to watch that content from a 4K Blu-ray on your same setup. And if streaming services could stream high-quality 8K footage directly to you and your internet connection could handle that, well, you might even be able to beat a 4K Blu-ray there too.

But there’s another element at play here when it comes to 8K we haven’t discussed yet, and that’s availability. Does 8K content even exist for streaming sites to offer or studios to try to sell to you? The answer might surprise you…

Where is all the 8K content? Is there any out there? 

If you search for 8K content online, you’ll discover pretty quickly that there isn’t much. It definitely exists, and you can absolutely find some, but it’s nowhere near the level of even 4K content availability when 4K is itself still a fairly niche resolution compared to 1080p.

If you do some internet sleuthing, you will find out that 8K cameras exist, no doubt about it, and you can even find movies that were reportedly shot in 8K or content creators that shoot in 8K, but you’ll generally be hard-pressed to find that 8K content to watch yourself at home on your own kit.

The fact of the matter is that however many people are shooting in 8K out there, nowhere near enough are creating 8K content for it to become a mainstream option like 4K anytime soon. And that even takes into account the possibility of movies shot on film being able to be translated over into good, high-quality 8K versions, which is likely not too many.

Right now, the biggest use case for 8K is futureproofing and better content production on the backend, as opposed to 8K versions of movies, shows and content you love. This does mean that in 5, 10, 20 years we may, indeed, have a reliable storehouse of 8K content out there, but it also means that if you’re buying an 8K TV now or in the next couple of years, well, what you can actually watch in 8K is going to be quite limited.

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Netflix has introduced Spatial Audio to its platform, adding support to over 700 of its most popular movies and shows. This includes fan favourites like Stranger Things, The Witcher, Wednesday and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Netflix claims that its Spatial Audio system brings an "immersive, cinematic sound experience" to any device that you choose to stream on.

It's a new addition to the streaming service's premium tier subscription, and Netflix says you won't need any extra equipment to enjoy Spatial Audio on your TV, computer, phone or tablet. Spatial Audio joins the 4K/HDR picture mode, Netflix Calibrated Mode and Dolby Atmos support that already comes as part of the Premium subscription at no extra cost.

You can find Spatial Audio-enabled content by searching for "spatial audio" in the search bar on the Netflix app or website, and there's even a short demo on YouTube that you can try for yourself before upgrading your plan.

Netflix says it's committed to adding Spatial Audio to a host of its upcoming content including You, Your Place Or Mine, Luther: The Fallen Sun and Tour de France. Alongside this Spatial Audio update, Netflix has also raised the number of download devices from four to six for premium members, meaning you can download content to watch offline on even more devices.

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If you're getting your home ready for spring, LG's new projector could be for you. It's light and portable enough to move from room to room, and even place outside for al fresco streaming, weather permitting.

The LG CineBeam PF510Q weighs just under a kilogram, making it easy to take with you wherever you go. It's versatile too, with a picture that goes as small as 30 inches – ideal for a workout video in a spare bedroom – to a mammoth 120 inches, for the full home cinema experience.

It automatically adjusts its vertical keystone alignment to eliminate tilts and distortion, giving you a straight-on picture no matter how it's situated. And while it's not 4K, its HD picture quality should be crisp enough for casual viewing and gaming alike.

Streaming is a doddle, thanks to its built-in webOS 22 operating system. This is the same OS that runs on LG's TVs, and brings all the big streaming services with it, including Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and more. It also has wireless skills in the form of Apple AirPlay (and Apple Home), Screenshare for Android devices and Bluetooth.

It also gives you extra control over the audio, thanks to the Bluetooth Dual Out feature. Once paired with a device running Bluetooth 5.0 or later, it can wirelessly connect to two Bluetooth devices at once, to either watch with a friend or send audio to two external speakers for stereo sound.

The LG CineBeam PF510Q is available now in the US for $599 (around £484, AU$847).

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Amazon's Echo Show line turns the brand's Alexa smart speakers into smart displays you can control with both your hands and your voice, but now, that functionality is getting pushed a little further. Thanks to a free new update, Amazon's Echo Show 15 now has the Fire TV interface, turning it into a full-fledged smart TV.

Normally, an Echo Show will let you do all the familiar things you can do with a smart speaker, like check your calendar, order from Amazon, ask questions, set timers, check the weather, and a million other things, but now you're also getting a Fire TV experience on top of all that.

Echo Show 15's new user experience will be immediately familiar to anybody with a Fire TV, whether it's from Amazon or a third party. You'll get an onscreen carousel of apps that include popular services like Netflix, YouTube, etcetera, and you'll have no trouble listening to music or streaming content.

You'll also be able to use Alexa to open apps or stream something, while you also have the option of using an Alexa Voice Remote or the Fire TV app to navigate your Echo Show hands-free, avoiding any distracting fingerprints on the display. Put simply, use whatever navigation makes sense to you.

You can get yourself an Echo Show 15 for just $195 at Amazon, right now, down from its retail price of $250, while you can pick up an Alexa Voice Remote for 50% off at $10 as well. We haven't reviewed the Echo Show 15 just yet, but we liked the Echo Show 10, giving it four-stars in our review.

If you're in the market for a smart speaker or smart display, the Echo Show 15 is worth a look, bridging the gap between a TV and a traditional Alexa device.

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A few weeks ago, we reported that YouTube was exploring ways to save money and increase revenue by converting more users into paying customers with experiments including increasing the number of unskippable ads and limiting 4K viewing to Premium subscribers only. 

During a recent trial, non-subscribers were unable to select 4K/2160p as a video resolution, with the option instead tagged as 'Premium'. YouTube Premium currently costs £11.99 / $11.99 / AU$14.99 a month and gives you various perks, including no ads, YouTube Music Premium, and downloads for offline viewing/listening.

News of the potential change led to widespread online outrage from viewers, and it now appears as though the trial has been officially been terminated, according to various online posts. 

One tweet concerning the issue from from Team YouTube said, "We've fully turned off this experiment. Viewers should now be able to access 4K quality resolutions without Premium membership." 

There's been no official statement from the company, but the reasoning behind the decision is likely to include negative user feedback over the prospect of 4K, which has been available for free on the platform since 2010 (long before the likes of Netflix and Amazon), suddenly being capped.

YouTube's origins as a site for creators to share their content led to it being at the forefront of the hi-res revolution and, since 2015, has also been the primary online resource for 8K video. 

But perhaps its past efforts to provide both a high-quality, future-proofed, free, ad-supported platform and Premium perks have made it more difficult for the streamer to switch up the status quo compared to other services.

Google, which owns YouTube, is far from alone in its efforts to increase profitability in the face of an oversaturated streaming marketplace and widespread global recession.

For a long time, Netflix has only let subscribers to its premium plan enjoy 4K, HDR and Dolby Atmos content. But it will soon introduce a far cheaper ad-supported subscription tier, which it announced in April in partnership with Microsoft.

Meanwhile, Spotify has long made non-paying customers endure adverts, but reports suggest it may soon be launching a Platinum service that is double the price of its current Premium subscription plan, finally offering higher-quality audio and other benefits, including limited ads during podcasts.

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Netflix has confirmed pricing and availability for its ad-supported subscription tier, which it announced in April in partnership with Microsoft.

The Netflix Basic Ad Tier will launch on the 3rd November in the UK and US and cost £4.99 and $6.99 per month respectively. It will launch in Australia on the 4th November for a monthly cost of AU$6.99. This is broadly in line with rumours that have circled in the past months.

That undercuts the current (ad-free) 'Basic' tier by £2, $3 and AU$4 per month.

The new subscription plan will also be available in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Spain.

So, what will you need to sacrifice for that saving? Well, predominantly you will have to put up with seeing ads. More specifically, four to five minutes of ads per hour on average, each 15 to 30 seconds in length and playing before and during TV shows and movies. New release movies likely won't have mid-break ads, though.

Basic Ad Tier subscribers won't be able to download titles either – a benefit of every other Netflix tier – and "a limited number" (approximately 5 to 10 per cent) of movies and TV shows will not be available, which Netflix says is due to licensing restrictions. It does, however, emphasise that this is something "which we’re working on", so a compromised catalogue could well be short-lived.

Where it mirrors the Basic tier is in its 720p HD video quality support. As with the other Netflix tiers, the subscription can be changed or cancelled at any time – so you aren't locked into a fixed-term contract – and viewing is across laptops, tablets, mobiles and TVs, limited to one screen viewing at one time.

These adverts will be broadly targeted to audiences based on country, genre and –later – the gender and date of birth provided by the subscriber upon sign-up, and the idea is that ads won't be repetitive. In a presentation to journalists (which is available to watch in the YouTube clip below), Greg Peters, Netflix's Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer, said that its internal content tagging team has been working hard to ensure mid-content ads are placed at "natural break points" to limit their disruption to viewing.

Two examples of ad reels (one before a show/film and one during) can be viewed from the 5:30-minute mark of the below clip, too.

A November launch will predate the 8th December release date of a $7.99 per month ad tier in the US by arch-rival Disney Plus.

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You might soon have to pay for 4K streaming on YouTube. The Google-owned video-sharing site is testing ways to get people to pay for its Premium tier. Chief among them? Restricting 4K streaming, and serving up more ads (in some cases up to 12 in a row), flatpanelshd reports.

YouTube Premium costs £11.99 / $11.99 / AU$14.99 a month, and gives you various perks, including no ads, YouTube Music Premium, and downloads for offline viewing/listening.

YouTube is experimenting with how to convert more users into paying customers. One of these ways is by limiting 4K viewing to Premium users only. Another is by showing more unskippable adverts during longer content.

YouTube admitted this is part of a test, but tried to spin it as a positive development for users.

"We ran a small experiment globally that served multiple ads in an ad pod when viewers watched longer videos on connected TVs. The goal is to build a better experience for viewers by reducing ad breaks," a YouTube spokesperson told PCMag.

Restricting 4K content would also seem to part of the test, seeing as some users are still able to watch it as normal.

YouTube wouldn't be the first to limit premium features to paying customers. Netflix only lets subscribers to its premium plan enjoy 4K, HDR and Dolby Atmos content, while Spotify makes non-paying customers endure adverts. Still, this would go against YouTube's origins as a site for content creators to share their creations.

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The best videos in the best quality? Take your favourite videos with you, wherever you go, by using 4K Video Downloader. This free software allows you to easily download videos, playlists and even entire channels from a whole host of websites, including from YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, TikTok, SoundCloud, Flickr, Instagram, DailyMotion, Likee and Tumblr. 

You can find 4K Video Downloader over at 4Kdownload.com and it’s available for both Windows PCs and Macs, so it doesn’t matter what computer you own - it even works with Linux and Android devices. Once installed, you can grab all the content you like. The videos are saved to your local hard drive, can be watched again and again, whenever you like and wherever you are in the world - as millions of people have discovered already.

4K Video Downloader, as the name suggests, can download in superb 4K quality. In fact, it will also download footage that runs up to 8K, including 4K, HD 1080p, or HD 720p. You can even get 3D videos and subtitles. The video downloader’s customisable software even has a Smart feature that allows you to set-up automatic downloads from the channels and playlists you love. 

Whether you want to convert YouTube videos to MP3, download a YouTube playlist as an audio file or even download 8K video, there are handy How To guides on the 4K Video Downloader website to help you on every step of the way. Check out the dedicated How To page on the 4K Downloader website for all the helpful advice.

4K Video Downloader is completely free but if you want even more features and enhanced functionality, buying a key (£13.20) will let you download longer playlists and playlists with captions, with a lifetime license across three PCs. 

For more information, check out the 4K Downloader Facebook page, or go straight to the website and start using it today. 

While physical media has made a bit of a comeback in recent times, streaming remains the most popular method of music consumption. Streaming is certainly more convenient and cost-effective than traditional media, but many streaming platforms operate on a subscription basis, and some have increased their prices of late. An individual Spotify Premium subscription, for instance, went up to £13 in the UK in late 2025, while its US prices are set to rise from February.

Typically, a paid subscription allows access to more features, higher audio quality, and gets rid of pesky ads. As you go up to a more expensive tier of paid subscription, you often get access to even more features, although the downside is having to fork over more money to access them.

Of course, you may not fancy paying any money to stream music, and the good news is there are lots of free music streaming apps that provide access to millions of songs at no cost. Some even let you listen to podcasts and the radio.

To help you decide which service is right for you, we've created this handy guide. Despite its recent price increase for a paid subscription, Spotify is currently our top pick for free music, but there are plenty of others worth looking at, too.

All of the platforms listed below have been personally tested by us, and we pride ourselves in the honesty of our opinions. We're simply here to help you find the best option.

You can find out more about our testing process here, or carry on scrolling to see the best free streaming platforms.

• Eschew the mainstream? These 6 independent music streaming services want a better experience for musicians and listeners alike

The quick list

You can see a quick breakdown of all the free streaming services on this list with a summary of what they’re best at and why we think they’re worth checking out. If you need more detail, just click the photo of a product to go to the in-depth entry.

The best free streaming services in 2025

Below, you'll find our picks of the best free music services available. Every platform has been tested by our team of experts to ensure it delivers exactly what you need, so you can trust our buying advice.

Best free music app overall

The best-known free streaming service is also one of the finest – and certainly one of the most sociable. You will have to put up with irksome ads if you don't want to pay, and premium features such as Lossless audio and in-song fast forwarding are out of the window, but the free Spotify experience is actually far better than it used to be. Before, you couldn't even pick a song specifically – instead, you could only shuffle around a playlist and hope it came up.

While most streaming services have all but ditched their respective free tiers, Spotify has kept its intact. That said, there are caveats, as audio quality is capped at 128kbps on its web player and approximately 160kbps on its desktop, mobile and tablet apps, you can’t ‘download’ songs to listen to offline, and you have to tolerate adverts popping up between songs.

Oh, and if you want Spotify's new 'Lossless' tier for hi-res streaming up to 24-bit/44.1kHz in FLAC quality, you're going to need a Premium subscription, which now costs £12.99 / $12.99 / AU$15.99 per month.

However, there's still plenty to like: decent sound quality, over 100 million songs, offline listening, bags of podcasts, audiobooks, new features arriving daily and compatibility with almost any device imaginable.

Once you're in, Spotify's user interface is actually rather solid, and certainly provides you with access to the platform's broad plethora of abilities without too much fuss. If you want free music streaming, Spotify will probably be your first port of call.

The sound quality is decent, although paying more for a proper hi-res service such as Tidal, Apple Music or Tidal is where you'll need to head if you're a stickler for sound quality. It's certainly the way to go if you want a comprehensive, do-it-all service.

If you do want to pay for Spotify, prices for an Individual plan have risen significantly in the last few years, although other options, such as Family and Student Plans, are also available.

With the price for a paid subscription rising consistently in recent times, getting the free version could definitely be the way to go.

Read our full Spotify review

Best free music app for Prime users

You might not know it, but if you have Amazon Prime then you can access Amazon's entry-level music streaming service right now. That's right, as well as free one-day delivery and Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime entitles you to Amazon Music, which gives you over two million songs to stream on-demand at no additional cost. And the best bit? They're ad-free.

As you would expect, the selection is pretty mainstream, and the sound quality isn't going to blow you away, but Prime customers can't really complain. And if you're not happy, you can always step up to Amazon Music Unlimited, which costs £12/$12 (or £11/$11 with Prime) a month and now includes HD, its hi-res tier, for no extra cost.

The quality of the free tier is fine, but users wanting decent hi-res support should consider the HD tier to get the most out of their music.

There is, we would point out, also a tier titled Amazon Music Free which doesn't require a Prime Membership but does give you access to music, podcasts, curated playlists and stations, although you'll have to contend with ads and a lack of offline playback.

Read our full Amazon Music review

Best free music app for versatility

Deezer is usually seen as the 'other' service when compared with the more mainstream quadrumvirate of Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music and Amazon Music, but that's not necessarily a reason to unthinkingly skip over it. It isn't currently at the level of its rivals, but it is notable for being one of the first music streaming services around, as well as one of the earliest adopters of 360 Reality Audio.

Deezer's free tier means you have to suffer ads, and the track quality is only 128kbps. The mobile app for this tier is also a little limited, though no more so than any of its rivals.

However, when it comes to what to listen to, there's masses of choice (an impressive 90m-strong catalogue), and the layout is pleasingly simple to navigate. There are also heaps of podcasts and other non-music content to get your ears into, making Deezer a strong choice for anyone looking beyond just music.

The Deezer you think you know might not actually be how the service is these days. The French platform enjoyed a massive redesign and rebranding last year, revamping the layout and altering the brand's identity with a bold purple colour scheme and brand new logo.

We haven't had much time to play around with the new iteration, but initial reactions from both customers and critics seem to have been positive, and we're certainly keen on the endless curated "Flow" playlist feature. Watch this space for our updated review and impressions in due course.

If you do sign up for the paid Deezer Premium service, you can enjoy FLAC 16-bit CD quality audio, but you'll have to pay £12/month ($12 / AU$14) for a Premium plan account. If you're going unpaid, simply subscribe to Deezer Free to listen with ads and a slightly more restricted service.

Read our full Deezer review

Best free music app for videos

Yes, it's strange to think, but YouTube isn't just for videos. Launched back in 2015, YouTube Music is the video-sharing site's attempt to take on Spotify et al. for the music streaming crown, and just like Spotify, it too offers a free tier.

Sure, there are adverts as you would expect, but not as many as you might fear from a platform that for a time became the only reason half of us installed ad-blockers on our internet browsers.

Extras such as downloading for offline listening are pay-only (non-students will pay around £13/$14/AU$17 a month with YouTube Premium), so you're limited to streaming the service's selection, but there's a considerable catalogue to choose from, the layout is nice and clean, and its selection of music videos is, of course, unrivalled.

We've found the sound quality to be hit-and-miss with our experience of YouTube Music, but if you love music videos, it's definitely one to check out.

Read our full YouTube Music review

Best free music app for global radio

If you're looking for something a bit different, TuneIn Radio might be a little more up your street. This isn't a pure music streaming service – rather the focus is on radio stations, so think of it as getting your music fix that way, as well as all of the appeal that comes from the traditional radio format.

TuneIn offers a range of stations, including BBC Radio, NPR, All India Radio and C-SPAN, as well as news from the likes of CNN and Fox News and a host of podcasts. There are even local and genre-specific radio stations to choose from, so there should be something for everyone.

For those who want to pay full price, TuneIn will offer (on top of its free content) access to more than 100K ad-free audiobooks, comprehensive radio sport coverage and a further 100+ commercial-free music stations.

Featuring a wide choice of radio apps, this is the best we've come across for services of its kind.

Best free music app for podcasts

BBC Sounds took the place of the Beeb's iPlayer Radio app, a decision that feels utterly vindicated. As well as the usual BBC radio stations (Radio 1, Radio 4, 1Xtra, etc.) which you can listen to live or on-demand, it brings together all sorts of podcasts, music mixes, live sets and more.

There are hundreds of podcasts, loads of exclusive content, even free audiobooks, not to mention curated playlists, TV soundtracks and more. History, comedy, science, sport; there's a vast array of high-quality content just waiting to be discovered, free for anyone to use, anytime.

You can search by genre, and then download and listen on the go, as well as being able to continue listening where you left off on another device. The app has experienced some teething issues and will occasionally bug out on you, but the platform as a whole has blossomed into a suitably rich and slick home for the BBC's excellent audio output.

As the kids say, don't sleep on BBC Sounds.

Best free music app for new music

SoundCloud is known as the home of emerging artists, so if you want to check out new acts and predict which bands are going to make it big, this is the place to do it. Post Malone and Lizzo started their respective careers on SoundCloud, so you can very much take that however you see fit.

The free tier offers over 120 million tracks, mixes, podcasts and more, though we can't vouch for the quality of each (that's the trouble with 'up-and-coming' artists).

The upside is you can connect with friends and even the artists directly on the platform, make playlists, and get curated tracklists based on your taste. The downside is that, like many free services, you do have to put up with adverts.

SoundCloud is more of an alternative choice, but there's obviously nothing stopping you from using it as a place to discover offbeat offerings while also making use of a more traditional service as you do so. Still, if you are truly tired of the mainstream, perhaps it's time to take a trip to SoundCloud.

Best free music app for indie music

Bandcamp is best known as an online music store where you can support artists directly (especially those on independent labels), but did you know it also has a music streaming aspect?

Built into its app is a player that lets you stream all of the music you have bought and downloaded. It’s not just your own music you can play; it’s a great way of trialling new music and discovering bands you’ve never heard of but want to sample before buying.

Bandcamp has a terrific, dynamic interface that lets you drill down to specific genres and/or formats to find what exactly you’re after, or you can simply scroll the feed and see what takes your fancy.

When playing music you’ve bought, you have unlimited plays and can download them to listen offline. Bear in mind that if you’ve bought an album in FLAC or WAV quality, the streaming quality is lowered to 128kbps or MP3 V0 (variable, around 250kbps when listening over wi-fi, says Bandcamp). If you are trialling music (which you can do on the website too), you get three plays for free before it prompts you to buy.

The app itself is entirely free and it’s great to browse and trial new music before taking the plunge to buy a digital album, a CD, a vinyl record or even a cassette.

It won’t trouble the big boys for streaming, but it’s worth noting that when you buy music on Bandcamp, an average of 82 per cent of the money goes directly to the artist or label – this rises to around 95 per cent during initiatives like Bandcamp Fridays, where Bandcamp waives its revenue shares and fees.

Many artists also let you choose how much you want to pay for an album, and you can buy merch, too. It’s a terrific way of buying directly from artists and supporting them, and the excellent interface and trialling options make browsing Bandcamp more akin to browsing through your local record store, with a new record purchase or artist discovery at the end of the session.

With many big-name streaming services putting up prices but perhaps failing to properly remunerate their artists, Bandcamp is a great way of giving something back (while getting quite a while you're at it).

How to choose the best free music app for you

Most major music streaming services have a free tier, barring Tidal (unless you're lucky enough to live in the US), Qobuz and Apple Music, and while free services inevitably include adverts and have more limited functionality and audio quality than their paid-for stablemates, they're still pretty tempting.

Keep your ear to the ground and you'll often find one, two, three, or even six-month free (or almost free) deals on certain streaming service's paid-for tiers too, to try the sonic goods before you buy. Just remember when your trial starts and finishes, as most will automatically renew and become paid memberships once they end, rather than simply terminating automatically and leaving you back where you started.

We would always nudge you towards better quality streams (for which you'll pay a fee), but if you're only an occasional listener (or on a very strict budget), free music streaming services also make more sense than paying for something you barely use.

How we test free music apps

We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London and Reading, where our team of experienced, in-house reviewers test the majority of hi-fi and AV kit that passes through our door.

Of course, where streaming services are concerned, a dedicated listening facility isn't always necessary, as you need just a laptop or a smartphone. However, we make sure to test each streaming platform with a variety of speakers and headphones, and them using across iOS, Android and desktop apps.

What is important in our reviewing process is that each service is compared to the best in its price and class. What Hi-Fi? is all about comparative testing, so we keep our Award-winners nearby to enable unbiased comparisons between new services and ones we know to have performed highly in the category.

We are always impartial and do our best to make sure we're hearing every proposition at its very best, so we'll try plenty of different types of music and give each service extensive listening time.

It's not just about sound quality, of course. If a service has unique and noteworthy features (including smart skills, playlist curation or the option to tip your favourite acts) we'll ensure part of our testing involves trialling the claims made by the platform.

All review verdicts are agreed upon by the entire team, rather than an individual reviewer, to eliminate any personal preference and to make sure we're being as thorough as possible. There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to the verdicts or star ratings in our reviews.

FAQ

Recent updates

• January 2026: We've updated some of the statistical information, including pricing for various paid services to reflect recent price increases.
• December 2025: We've updated some of our copy in line with recent trends and looked ahead to the world of streaming in 2026.
• October 2025: Updated our Spotify entry in line with our refreshed review and the release of Spotify Lossless.
• September 2025: Performed a full-copy check to ensure all information is up to date.
• July 2025: Checked copy to ensure all information is up to date.
• May 2025: No new entries, but checked copy to ensure all information is relevant and up-to-date.
• March 2025: Updated our introduction to make it more informative to the reader and update paid subscription prices in line with recent hikes.
• January 2025: Ensured that all copy is up-to-date for the start of the new year.
• October 2024: Added Bandcamp to our list of the best free music apps and updated our copy to include changes or additions to existing services.
• August 2024: We replaced the static images with multi-image galleries and went a little more in-depth regarding the sound quality of the various services below.
• March 2024: Amended copy to reflect the fact that Tidal is removing its free tier service.

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Dolby could be in trouble. Google is said to be working on competitors to Dolby's Vision HDR and Atmos 3D audio technologies. What's more, unlike Dolby's offerings, they would be free for manufacturers to use. 

The products come under the working title Project Caviar, Protocol reports. By eliminating the licensing fee, Google could offer the technologies to hardware manufacturers such as Sony, Samsung and LG for free. Which could help bring down the prices we consumers pay for AV products such as TVs, soundbars and home cinema systems. Alternatively, the manufacturers could keep the profits and reinvest them into making ever more impressive devices.

While Google doesn't have Dolby's cachet in the AV area, it is a household name thanks to its numerous other businesses (search, Android, Maps, Google TV etc), so many punters would happily buy a TV or soundbar with Google's technologies listed among its skillset.

Google shared its plans with hardware manufacturers on the quiet earlier this year. While it didn't mention Dolby by name during the presentation, group product manager Roshan Baliga did say: "We realised that there are premium media experiences where there aren’t any great royalty-free solutions."

He added that the aim was to build “a healthier, broader ecosystem” for premium media experiences.

The initial plan for Project Caviar is apparently to beef up YouTube's AV skills, as the video sharing site currently supports neither Dolby Atmos nor Dolby Vision. But the big G is also eyeing up offering it to hardware partners as an alternative to Dolby's paid-for technologies.

Google isn't the first to try to undercut Dolby in this area. Samsung developed HDR10+ to avoid paying a license for Dolby Vision. However, despite being offered to other manufacturers royalty-free, HDR10+ hasn't taken off in the same way as Dolby Vision.

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Sony has finally enabled native 1440p (QHD) video output support on the PS5, a feature many have been waiting for since the console launched in November 2020. The PS5's latest update, released yesterday, includes this new graphics option, new ways to organise your games, a 3D audio comparison option and better ways to view friends’ profiles and notifications.

So why is native 1440p support important? While 1440p TVs are somewhat of a rarity, QHD gaming monitors are everywhere thanks to their resolution being higher than their 1080p counterparts and the fact they tend to cost less than dedicated 4K monitors. Alongside this, QHD monitors often include higher refresh rates, and with the PS5 supporting up to 120Hz, 1440p 120Hz monitors are often sat in the sweet spot of price and performance.

While the PS5 has always supported 1440p displays through downscaling 2160p (4K) to 1080p, and then the monitor upscaling to 1440p, this process hasn’t always been perfect. Processing an image this heavily can lead to visual artefacts, poorer graphical performance, and increased input lag. By removing this processing, the PS5 can send the signal in a format the monitor can accept natively, which should mean a snappier response time and better graphics. It's worth noting that some games will have dedicated 1440p support which will provide the best experience, but even games without this native support should see an improvement. The Xbox Series X launched at the same time as PS5 and had 1440p support from the off so it's good to see Sony's console finally catching up.

To enable 1440p support on the PS5, simply navigate to the settings menu and under 'Screen and Video' select 1440p under the 'Resolution' menu. Here you can test how your display handles 1440p with different refresh rates up to 120Hz, to ensure your monitor is up to the job.

Unfortunately, VRR is not supported on 1440p, with Sony stating that it is only compatible with 1080p and 4K resolution on the PS5. This could be due to most 1440p displays not using HDMI 2.1 ports which can handle 4K at 120Hz.

Other welcome AV features in this update include a way to compare 3D audio settings, by playing side-by-side audio samples to get your preferred Tempest 3D Audio preset. General quality of life improvements also include game lists for organising your downloaded titles and voice searching in the YouTube app.

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Samsung has debuted its newest monitor, the Odyssey G8, at IFA 2022. It features solid gaming-focused specs, but is more than just a monitor. This gaming display will also function like a smart TV, with streaming apps built in via Samsung Smart Hub.

The Odyssey G8 is a 34-inch curved display with a resolution of 3440 x 1440 pixels, a claimed response time of 0.1ms and refresh rates up to 175Hz. Immediately this sounds like a promising option for PC gamers, but console gamers shouldn’t feel left out either. The Xbox Series X already natively supports 1440p, with the PS5 receiving 1440p support in an upcoming update. 4K would have been the preferred resolution for extra detail and to maximise the capabilities of these next-generation consoles, but QHD is nothing to turn our noses up at.

Samsung is actually combining OLED and Quantum Dot Technology here. So, we're hoping for the deep blacks of the former and the vivid colours and brightness of the latter. The G8 is also curved, with a rating of 1800R, Samsung says that this should provide an immersive gaming experience and the “perfect playing view”. 

The metal build of the G8 looks to be sleek, with Samsung claiming it to be the thinnest product within its category, measuring just 3.9mm at its slimmest part. Despite the minimal build, it doesn’t seem to be sacrificing features, with Micro HDMI 2.1 (it's unclear why these are not full-sized), Mini DisplayPort 1.4, and USB-C connectivity.

The monitor also has a 5W stereo speaker system, and a lighting feature that syncs with the colours on screen - which sounds similar to Philips’ Ambilight system. The Odyssey G8 also features an adjustable stand with tilt functionality, although it lacks the flashy “cockpit mode” of Samsung’s other new Odyssey monitor, the Ark.

However, the biggest feature of this monitor has nothing to do with gaming. Samsung has included it’s Smart Hub user interface which gives users access to the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and more without the need to connect to an external streaming device. 

This brings the G8 more in line with a compact smart TV, making it a tempting all-in-one offer for gamers who want one screen that can do it all. There's even built-in games streaming from the likes of Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce Now and Google Stadia, so you don't even need to hook up a PC or console to start playing.

The Samsung Odyssey G8 goes on sale later this year, although pricing is still to be confirmed.

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8K TVs have a tough task, and it gets tougher each year. Commercially available, realistically priced 8K TVs have been on sale since 2019, yet, a selection of YouTube videos aside, there’s still no native 8K content available – nor any on the horizon.

The companies producing 8K TVs therefore need to convince us that either 8K content really is on the way, and/or that an 8K TV offers benefits beyond its 4K counterparts even without 8K content. The former looks like an impossible task, but Samsung has been surprisingly successful at convincing us of the latter, with its flagship 8K sets upscaling content so effectively that it regularly looks better than 4K. LG, though, has been less forthcoming with samples of its 8K Z series OLED TVs. Until now.

Unshackled from its ultra-premium ‘Signature’ branding, the 77-inch LG Z2 we have before us (its 88-inch sibling is still Signature-designated) is substantially more affordable than its predecessors while still offering the tantalising potential of 8K and OLED combined. That said, it’s still vastly more expensive than LG’s best-ever 4K OLED, the new G2. Can it possibly justify the extra outlay in a pre-8K world? Testing the two TVs side-by-side ought to answer that question…

Price

While much cheaper than its predecessor, the LG OLED77Z2 is still a very expensive TV, coming in at £12,000 / $13,000 / AU$23,999.

The 77-inch version of the 4K G2 (OLED77G2) is a comparative snip, costing ‘just’ £4299 / $3800 / AU$8076.

If you’re wondering how the Z2 compares on price with other 8K TVs, Samsung’s flagship 75-inch model, the QE75QN900B, currently costs £6499 / $5500 / AU$8995.

Design

The fashion for minimalism in TV design (a fashion of which we entirely approve, for what it’s worth) leaves little room for frills or flourishes, so while it’s perhaps a slight shame that the Z2 doesn’t aesthetically scream "I am the future!" at you, it’s not exactly a huge surprise. Overall, it’s more like a G2 than a C2, with the plastic casework spread fairly thinly and evenly over the panel’s rear rather than concentrated in one, thicker area. It’s not quite as overtly picture frame-designed as the G2, though, and it’s a touch thicker, too, at 3.2cm to the G2’s 2.5cm.

Unlike the G2, which comes with no stand at all, the Z2 comes with feet in the box. However, while that is objectively a positive, the feet are absolutely appalling – ugly and flimsy, they have no right being attached to a TV costing five figures. You can at least attach them fairly close to the centre of the TV for a relatively thin footprint.

The Z2 comes with its own version of the Magic Remote that’s bundled with LG’s other OLEDs and most LCD models. Functionally, there’s nothing new here – the button layout is identical, as is the motion-sensitive pointer feature – but the silver finish looks and feels more premium and the more angular shape is actually more ergonomic than you might imagine.

Features

The big news here, of course, is that this is an 8K TV with a 7680 x 4320 resolution. That’s over 33 million pixels, and because this is an OLED TV, every one of those pixels can be lit and coloured independently of the rest. That’s a hugely tantalising proposition.

Interestingly, the Z2 is not described by LG as an OLED Evo model. LG says this is because it doesn’t have the same a9 Gen 5 AI processor as the G2 and C2 OLED Evo models, instead having a more powerful 8K version of the chip, as well as unique picture algorithms. LG won’t go into detail about the heat dissipation technology in the Z2 either. The similarities in design between the Z2 and G2 – with the plastic enclosure covering more or less the whole rear of the panel – suggest that the Z2 could, like the G2, have a dedicated heatsink, but that’s just conjecture. It will be fascinating to see how close the Z2 is to the G2 on brightness.

If you’re wondering how you’re going to watch 8K content on your 8K TV, you’ll likely be disappointed to learn that a selection of YouTube videos is all you’ve got to choose from. What’s more, said YouTube videos offer limited entertainment value as they’re generally landscape and nature footage set to plinky-plonky music, and are of surprisingly low quality, to the extent that we felt the need to double-check that we were indeed receiving 8K (we were).

Of course, this isn’t a problem that’s exclusive to the LG Z2 – YouTube is simply the only source of 8K content currently available. The job, then, is to make non-8K content look better than it does on a native 4K TV, and to this end the Z2’s a9 Gen5 AI Processor 8K uses deep learning in order to analyse and optimise the picture in real-time. This deep learning is applied not only in relation to upscaling, but also HDR tone mapping, noise reduction, edge sharpening and depth enhancement.

There’s no end of non-8K content to watch on the Z2 as well. It features the same webOS22 platform as its 2022 4K siblings, and while it’s not as good as 2020’s pop-up platform, it does at least have every streaming service you’re ever likely to need, complete with 4K and Dolby Vision where appropriate.

On the subject of Dolby Vision, the Z2 supports Dolby Vision IQ, a very useful feature that automatically adjusts the brightness and contrast of Dolby Vision content according to ambient lighting conditions so that, in particular, shadow details aren’t lost when the living room lights are on. This feature will also soon be getting an upgrade to Dolby Vision IQ Precision Detail, which is designed to reveal even more detail, particularly in dark scenes. On top of Dolby Vision, the more common HDR10 and HLG formats of HDR are also supported, though HDR10+, predictably, is not.

Like its 4K siblings, the Z2 boasts four HDMI 2.1 sockets. Here they’re capable of supporting 8K/60Hz signals, should 8K sources materialise at some point in the future. In the meantime, those connections already support 4K/120Hz signals from the Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and high-end gaming PCs, and gamers will also enjoy support for VRR and ALLM. What’s more, the Z2 (again, like LG’s 4K models) has an excellent HGiG mode that gives you more accurate HDR performance from many games, and a Dolby Vision game mode – something LG is currently alone in providing and can work wonders with some Xbox games. Input lag measures a very low 14ms with 1080p signals, and this should lower significantly when gaming in 4K. All told, you can’t buy a better-specified gaming TV.

Picture

You might think that a super-dark movie such as The Batman would be meat and drink to an OLED TV, but while most models will deliver the requisite perfect blacks, few are capable of combining that with the contrasting pop and shadow detail that the Z2 can muster. Watching the 4K Blu-ray in Dolby Vision, the chapter one montage of criminals peering into eery, potentially Batman-filled shadows is made all the more effective by the subtle details that the Z2 reveals within. The bright video billboards of Gotham Square, meanwhile, punch through the gloom and rain in appropriately attention-grabbing fashion, and there’s a lovely depth and solidity to the grim cityscape as a whole.

Switching to the new 4K Blu-ray of Drive, the Cinematic Movement motion processing option handles the pan across the hotel room very well, smoothing without adding artificiality. The Z2 takes the same balanced approach to detail and sharpness. The characterful, craggy lines of Bryan Cranston’s face are brilliantly resolved but natural, while the bodywork lines of The Driver’s 1973 Chevy Malibu (did you know that Ryan Gosling apparently chose, took apart and then rebuilt this car for the movie?) are crisply defined without looking exaggerated.

Colours are very well judged across all of the content we watch during testing. There’s a very gentle boost to the greens of the fields and hills of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, streamed in 4K HDR10 via the Apple TV app, that makes it just a smidge less authentic than the delivery of the Sony A95K, but the overall balance of naturalism and vibrancy is always a pleasure and there’s a consistent subtlety of shading that ensures skin tones in particular are very convincing.

As you’ve likely gathered, the Z2 is an exceptional picture performer, but there is one slight issue – it’s not noticeably better than the 77-inch LG G2. In fact, despite the Z2’s increased resolution, different processor and non-Evo status, you’d be hard-pressed to pick out any differences between it and the G2 with real-world content. On the one hand this is in itself deeply impressive, given how good the G2 is and how much extra processing the Z2 is having to do in order to upscale sub-8K content to its 8K display, particularly when said content is 1080p and even standard-def, but you’re paying a huge amount of extra money to get a performance that’s not noticeably better. Crucially, that’s not the case if you opt for Samsung’s top 8K TV (the QN900B), which does offer a slight but undeniable picture performance boost over the company’s top 4K model (the QN95B) – and the 8K tax in Samsung’s range is vastly lower than it is in LG’s.

Sound

There is one area in which the Z2 is a significant improvement on other LG OLEDs, and that’s the sound. On paper, there’s no difference between the audio system of the Z2 and G2 – both have 60W, 4.2-channel, down-firing arrangements – yet the Z2 sounds absolutely miles better than its 4K equivalent.

Playing the ultra-challenging, bassy opening to chapter two of Blade Runner 2049, in which K flies over LA to the police precinct, there’s vastly more weight to the Z2’s delivery. And while the G2 is a touch lacklustre in terms of dynamics, the Z2 capably delivers both the individual peaks and the overall dynamic increase. There’s more detail and clarity, too, and a directness that makes for much improved engagement.

Overall, this is a very good audio performance by TV standards, but it obviously can’t hold a candle to a well-sorted home cinema system or soundbar, and if you’re paying this sort of money for a TV and not budgeting for a dedicated sound system to go with it, something has gone terribly wrong.

Verdict

In some ways, the Z2 is a hard TV to rate. It is, in its own right, an absolutely lovely TV that handles everything you throw at it with a pitch-perfect combination of excitement and naturalism.

The problem is that the 77-inch G2 delivers essentially the same picture performance for around a third of the Z2’s price. Yes, the Z2 sounds better than the G2, but to an extent that justifies all of that extra money? No.

If you absolutely must have an LG OLED and absolutely must have 8K, then the Z2 is obviously the TV for you, but we suspect the intersection on that particular Venn diagram is naught but a sliver. So while the Z2 is an excellent TV, we suspect most people will be best served by either a 77-inch G2 or a 75-inch Samsung QN900B, depending on whether OLED or 8K is the greater priority.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 5
• Features 5

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Sky Glass is being updated. Included in the update are nine new channels (including Sky Box Office), voice controls for YouTube, and streamlined access to BBC content.

For many, Sky Box Office will be the big draw. The channel plays host to many big pay-per-view events like next month's Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk boxing match.

Other new additions to Glass include GB News and Talk TV.

Voice search on YouTube lets you look for content just by speaking. You can search YouTube in this way straight from the Sky Glass main interface. To do so, just say "Hello Sky, Shane Meadows on YouTube", for example.

You now only have to sign in once to access BBC apps, rather than logging in to each one individually. So if you sign in to iPlayer, you can access Sounds without having to enter your details again.

The update makes it easier to remove content from your Playlist as well. Just tap the '+' button on something you've added, and you'll remove it. Simple.

Sky says voice search will come to more Sky Glass apps in the future, and that more channels will be added.

The update is rolling out now.

Sky Glass effectively builds a Sky box into a TV. We found it to be a decent if unremarkable AV experience, albeit with a typically slick Sky UI at its core. For those looking for an upgraded audio-visual performance, Sky Glass will soon be available without the TV, as Sky will launch the Puck as a standalone device later this year. So you can pair it with a TV and soundbar of your choosing.

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Sony has teased fans with an "early look" at the PlayStation VR2 user experience. According to the Japanese giant's blog, the next-gen virtual reality headset will offer two main viewing modes: VR and Cinematic.

VR Mode is for gaming in 360-degrees while Cinematic Mode offers a (flat) virtual screen for movies and non-VR games. You can forget about 4K resolution, though – Cinematic mode maxes out at 1080p HDR.

Only by switching to VR Mode can users experience the full effect of the headset's OLED display, which crams in 2000 x 2040 pixels per eye (Sony describes this as a "4000 x 2040 HDR format" for gaming). 

As far as frame rates go, VR Mode runs VR games at 90Hz and 120Hz, while Cinematic Mode displays video and other content at 24Hz, 60Hz and 120Hz. The latter can also be used to "view the PS5 system and UI", including PS5 media apps such as Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, YouTube and Spotify.

Sony has also revealed that the PS VR2 will boast a See-Through Mode that uses the headset's front cameras to let you see your surroundings at the touch of a button. Handy when, say, you want to locate your PS VR2 Sense controllers without removing your headset.  

Fancy filming yourself while you play games? The PS VR2 is also getting a "broadcast feature" that lets you record yourself while playing, by connecting a PS5 HD Camera to the console. 

"It’s a great way to show your movements and reactions during a boss battle and share your reactions with fellow gamers," explains Yasuo Takahashi, senior staff product manager at Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Sony has yet to publish a video showcase that demos the PS VR2 features in detail, but hopefully it's in the works. The Japanese giant has yet to reveal the PS VR2 release date or price, but there's talk of it launching late 2022/early 2023. The original PlayStation VR headset debuted at £349/ $399 / AU$549.

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Apple TV might be ready to go 8K. Evidence of support for AV1 – a next-gen, 8K-friendly codec – has been spotted in the company's tvOS 16 beta code.

The AV1 reference was brought to light by flatpanelshd, which adds that Apple could roll out AV1 support across tvOS, iOS, iPadOS and macOS devices in the near future.

AV1 is the high-quality codec of choice for streaming giants such as YouTube and Netflix. It's said to be more efficient than rival codecs as it uses less data to stream 4K and 8K footage.

Apple is a founding member of the Alliance for Open Media – the group that created the open-source, royalty-free alternative to HEVC (H.265) – so it wouldn't be a huge surprise if it did adopt AV1.  

The big question is, will Apple add AV1 to the current Apple TV 4K (2021) or wait, and add it to a future streaming device such as the long-rumoured Apple TV (2022)? 

It's not yet clear but, as hdtvtest notes, the existing Apple TV 4K could struggle to support 8K video. Firstly, its HDMI 2.1 port is believed to be capped at a data throughput rate of 18gbps (well below the 48gbps maximum). And secondly, its A12 Bionic chip, created back in 2018, does not support hardware decoding for AV1.

Of course, Apple could still roll out AV1 for use with 4K video rather than data-hungry 8K footage. But that could risk leaving owners disappointed. 

If you ask us, it seems much more likely that AV1's ability to deliver 8K footage will debut on the next Apple TV, said to be blessed with a faster A14 chip and 4GB of RAM.

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Samsung has announced that it has teamed up with Sky TV in Germany to stream the third season of WW2 U-boat drama Das Boot entirely in 8K and Dolby Atmos, making Sky the first major streaming service to take the step up from 4K. However, the super high res series will only be available to viewers in Germany with new Samsung 8K TVs. 

Although Samsung launched its first 8K TVs in 2018, sales of the premium screens have suffered due to a shortage of readily available content. In April, a new report from market analyst Omdia revealed that shipments of 8K TVs accounted for just 0.15% of all TVs in 2021, translating to little over 350,000 units globally, with Samsung selling the lion's share – 65% or around 227,500 units.

Omnia's report concluded that consumers remain "sceptical" about 8K TVs and content, predicting that "just 2.7 million households worldwide" will have an 8K TV by the end of 2026, saying: "We see no convincing market demand of further 8K service development. Even in Japan, where there is a true 8K channel (from NHK), uptake has been minimal."

In turn, broadcasters have been tentative about moving to 8K due to the high bandwidth demands involved in the workflow for a comparatively small audience. In the UK, BT Sport recently produced its first live 8K sports broadcast, but there's no suggestion an 8K sports channel is even close to being launched. Elsewhere YouTube hosts some 8K content, but the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Video have all yet to make so much as a hint that 8K is on their agenda, with the majority of users seemingly content to watch content in 1080p.

In an attempt to prove 8K can be done, and presumably to drive sales, Samsung has collaborated with Sky, which produced Das Boot natively in 8K, to make the series available from Samsung's TV Plus app in Germany but, unfortunately for early adopters, only on its 2020, 2021 and 2022 models.

For the optimum viewing experience, Samsung advises that users need a minimum 40Mbps internet connection but have not indicated the video compression type or if the series is in HDR.  

Speaking about the announcement, Mike Henkelmann, Director of Marketing Consumer Electronics at Samsung, said, "As a pioneer of 8K technology, Samsung makes an important contribution and enables the TV audience to achieve high-resolution image quality." 

While it's promising to see progress in the realms of 8K, the extremely limited release of Das Boot is a drop in the ocean unlikely to make significant ripples, with several more years of development expected before 8K reaches 4K ubiquity.

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You could hear the sniggers continent-wide when the Europa Conference League first drew breath nine months ago, but Roma meet Feyenoord in Albania for the inaugural final after a tournament full of upsets, intrigue and plenty of fun. Jose Mourinho has enjoyed a season of typical rancour at the Giallorossi, while the Rotterdam club seek to become the competition's first Dutch winners, a feat they have already achieved in the European Cup, UEFA Cup and Intercontinental Cup. Make sure you know how to watch a Roma vs Feyenoord live stream from anywhere in the world.

The game is free-to-air in the on the BT Sport YouTube channel. Away from the UK right now? Watch a Roma vs Feyenoord free live stream from abroad with a VPN.

The teams are in and Roma start as expected with top scorer Tammy Abraham up front, flanked by Nicolo Zaniolo and youngster Nicola Zalewski. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Kristante all start in midfield, with Chris Smalling at the back.

For Feyenoord, Arsenal loanee Reiss Nelson starts in their front three, with Luis Sinesterra their centre-forward. Powerful midfielder Guus Til starts in midfield, while Justin Bijlow returns in goal as captain, the keeper recovering from injury to make the Rotterdam club's starting lineup.

Life is seldom dull with Jose Mourinho around. Roma limped home in sixth in the Serie A season, after winning just one of their final six games to throw away any outside chance of securing Champions League football next term. The Giallorossi have been no more consistent in the Conference, memorably losing 6-1 at Norwegian existentialists Bodo/Glimt in the group stage but overcoming Leicester in the semi-finals with a typically bus-parking display.

Former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham has 27 goals in all competitions this season – setting a record for an Englishman in Serie A in the process – while former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has also impressed this term. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Ainsley Maitland-Niles complete the distinctly Premier League feel.

Feyenoord, meanwhile, have been the epitome of Europa Conference League consistency. The club on the Meuse finished third behind Ajax and PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie and are yet to taste defeat in this competition, despite coming up against Union Berlin, Slavia Prague and Marseille. Spartak Moscow's 24-year-old loanee Guus Til has impressed as an all-action attacking midfielder in an experienced squad led by skipper Jens Toornstra and former Brighton winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

It's an 8pm GMT kick-off at the Arena Kombëatre in Tiraba, Albania, tonight, Wednesday 25th May, 2022. You can catch the 2022 Europa Conference League final on Paramount Plus in the States or free on BT Sport in the UK but read on for more details on how to watch a Roma vs Feyenoord live stream wherever you are in the world.

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Watch a Roma vs Feyenoord free live stream

UK broadcaster BT Sport is airing the 2022 Europa Conference League Final for free. Viewers in the UK can watch the Roma vs Feyenoord free live stream plus all the build up coverage for free, live on the BT Sport YouTube channel from 7.30pm BST (2.30pm ET). You can also tune in on the BT Sport website or by using the BT Sports app on smart TVs, the Xbox One and Apple TV too.

If you're a UK citizen trying to watch from abroad, then make sure to use a VPN so that you can watch the BT Sport 2022 Europa Conference League Final free live stream wherever you are in the world. We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. Full details on how to use a VPN below.

Roma vs Feyenoord will also be shown on BT Sport 1 (HD) and BT Sport Ultimate (4K) for BT Sport customers.

Watch a Roma vs Feyenoord live stream from abroad using a VPN

Even if you've subscribed to the relevant Roma vs Feyenoord live stream service, you won't be able to access coverage from outside your own country. The service provider will know your location based on your IP address, and automatically block your access.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. VPNs are a doddle to use and create a private connection between your device and the internet. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.

There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN, which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the service any time within the first 30 days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.

How to use a VPN for Roma vs Feyenoord

Using a VPN is incredibly simple for watching BT Sport from abroad:

1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.

2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the UEFA Europa Conference League, you may wish to choose 'UK' for BT Sport.

3. Then head over to BT Sport on YouTube and enjoy the Roma vs Feyenoord live stream.

If, for whatever reason, you can't get it working, then do remember that you have the comfort of a 30-day money back guarantee with ExpressVPN. You could also try NordVPN, which also comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, and Surfshark which offers 24 hour assistance.

US: Watch a Roma vs Feyenoord live stream

Soccer fans in the States are lucky enough to be able to watch UEFA Europa Conference League games live through Paramount Plus – and the first 7 days are free. After that, you'll pay $4.99 a month. No contract. Bargain, right? 

Roma vs Feyenoord starts at 3pm ET on Thursday.

Of course, Paramount Plus is only available within the US. Stuck abroad? Simply use a VPN to access a live stream without being blocked. We recommend ExpressVPN, as it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch Roma vs Feyenoord in Australia

If you're in Australia, local streaming service Stan Sport provides live coverage of the UEFA Europa Conference League (including Roma vs Feyenoord), Champions League and Europa League.

To begin with, there's a Stan 30-day free trial. After that, you choose your base package and the necessary sport add-on costs AU$10 a month on top (so, from $20 a month in total). 

Stuck outside Oz at the moment? Don't forget that you can use a VPN to access a live stream without being blocked.

Canada: Roma vs Feyenoord live stream

Football fans in Canada can watch every Champions League, Premier League and Europa League game – including Roma vs Feyenoord in the Europa Conference League final – live on DAZN.  

A subscription to the streaming service costs $20 (CAD) a month or $150 (CAD) a year.

DAZN is only available within Canada, so be sure to use a VPN if you're stuck abroad. We recommend ExpressVPN as it's reliable and comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Europa Conference League 2021/22 fixtures

All kick-off times are in BST

Final – 25th May 2022
Roma vs Feyenoord, 8pm

• Upgrade the action: best TVs for every budget

If the latest rumours are to be believed, Apple is working on a hardware subscription service for iPhones that could potentially replace the current iPhone Upgrade Program. Apple, of course, is keeping quiet, but it's being reported that the plan will introduce a traditional, pay-per-month subscription where you can get an iPhone and then trade it in every so often for a new one. The phone and timeframe you could choose would depend on your plan.

This may not sound like an especially sexy development, but a service like this from a major tech company like Apple would be huge news. And I think it could be a big win for both Apple and the consumer, especially when there are question marks hanging over the sales of certain iPhone models...

A replacement for the iPhone Upgrade Program? 

The iPhone Upgrade Program involves you getting a loan from a third-party financial institution to cover the cost of a new iPhone with payments spread equally over 24 months. After 12 payments, you can take that phone, trade it in, and begin a new plan with a new phone over another 24 month period. Naturally, a loan like this requires a credit check and payment directly to a financial institution and not Apple.

This service is similar to Google’s Pixel Pass service for its Pixel line of phones. Essentially, you apply for a loan and pay a monthly fee so that every two years you can get a new Pixel phone. Conveniently, your monthly payments also secure extra features and services like YouTube Music Premium, YouTube Premium, and Google One. Apple very well could offer other services and features through a hardware subscription, but an Apple hardware subscription wouldn't involve credit, financing, or loans like the Pixel Pass or the iPhone Upgrade Program.

Rather than going through the hassle of signing up for financing with the Pixel Pass or iPhone Upgrade Program, you could simply sign up for a monthly charge from Apple that gets you an iPhone and lets you trade in your phone for a newer one every so often. An Apple hardware subscription would be a simpler, more direct way to get iPhones in the hands of customers. It also makes it easier (and more cost-effective) to upgrade to a newer model of iPhone down the road.

Plus, the tech company would make its money from subscribers by getting them to stay subscribed to this service over time rather than by looking for a big payday with the sale of every phone. Apple could also make money by offering exclusive deals to subscribers and otherwise encouraging them to buy other Apple products, all of which work well with the iPhone.

This way of monetising a subscription is a different business model than that of the iPhone Upgrade Program, so it’s expected prices will be different, too. Monthly payments for the same device on the hardware subscription will likely be lower than those of the iPhone Upgrade Plan to encourage people to stay subscribed, although you have to assume more expensive phones will demand a more expensive plan.

It could help Apple sell more small-screen iPhones

Cheaper, easier-to-get iPhones are an easy win for everybody, but I think Apple gets a lot out of this deal, too. iPhones are expensive, and iPhones even a couple of generations old are still relatively powerful by modern standards. It’s rare that there's a huge jump in performance between iterations, so even if you have the cash to spare, upgrading can feel less than essential a lot of the time. If Apple offers a convenient way to consistently have a new iPhone in your pocket for a low monthly payment, I expect many will be enticed by the convenience.

It’s also interesting to note that Apple’s reportedly struggling to sell smaller phones like the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 13 Mini. An Apple hardware subscription could make them a bit cheaper and easier to get, which might also offer a solution to any potential sales problems. Then, Apple could also offer targeted deals and promotions exclusively to hardware subscribers to push any products that aren’t selling as well as anticipated.

And surely it’s not just about the monthly subscription for Apple. If you trade in your old iPhone when you upgrade with the new subscription service, Apple gets a steady supply of iPhones to repurpose or refurbish that won’t get traded in to service providers. Many people will like the convenience of getting their refurbished iPhone directly from Apple, cutting out the middle man. Plus, if customers don’t always upgrade their phones as soon as they’re able to, Apple can pocket that monthly subscription fee for nothing.

Like Google does with the Pixel Pass, it also makes a lot of sense for Apple to bundle its other subscription services with a hardware subscription. iCloud Storage, Apple Music, Apple TV+, and AppleCare are all going to be attractive to subscribers – they add convenience, content, and value to a hardware subscription while boosting Apple’s subscriber numbers for each individual service.

A hardware subscription doesn’t have to just be about the iPhone, either. What if you got the latest iPhone through Apple’s hardware subscription, and when the time for an upgrade came you could choose, instead, to get an Apple Watch or an iPad for free or extremely cheap? Apple’s already got your money from the subscription, and if the company gets you more invested in their ecosystem, that’s a win for Apple.

The hardware subscription could even fully support other Apple products. Instead of signing up for an iPhone-based plan, what if you signed up for an iPad-based plan that lets you trade in and upgrade your iPad Air every so often? Or, Apple could simply charge a monthly fee and let customers have their pick of Apple devices every year or two. Apple’s offered financing for a variety of products for a while, but a service where you could pay Apple each month directly for hardware would cut out the middle man.

I think Apple could also incentivise people to sign up for an Apple hardware subscription outside of saving money. What if when new iPhones or iPads were announced, pre-orders or the first batch of iPhones were reserved for subscribers? Then, those who do insist on getting the latest iPhone every year might buy into the subscription for fear of missing out. Apple could even offer special colourways to Apple Hardware subscribers, making it the only way to get exclusive versions of iPhone, or even throw in a free pair of AirPods Pro to help sweeten the deal.

Your move, Apple…

Of course, with no confirmation from Apple on the horizon, we don’t yet know the details that really matter. We don’t know which products will be included, what your options for upgrading will be exactly, and most crucially how much the service will cost.

It could all come to nothing, of course, but I think they’d be crazy not to offer this service and package up their content as part of the deal. It could mean good things for Apple fans and might even tempt Galaxy and Pixel users to jump ship. The price just needs to be right. 

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It's not always possible to head to the cinema with friends or go round to a pal's place to enjoy some TV together. That's why Netflix Party was invented; although, the service has since rebranded to Teleparty.

If you didn't try it out during lockdown, Teleparty is a way of watching Netflix together while staying apart, all from the comfort of your respective homes.

The reason for the name change is that the service has since expanded to support YouTube, Hulu, Disney+, Max, and Prime Video, while even more services are supported if you sign up for Teleparty's premium service.

Here we'll show you what Teleparty can do, how it works, and how to use it.

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What is Teleparty?

Teleparty is an extension for the Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Opera browsers – and there's a free version as well as an Android app.

Install it, then head to the web versions of Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Disney+, Max, or Prime Video to sync your streaming with friends so that the film or TV show you've all chosen starts at the same time for all of you. 

On the app, once you've signed into your streaming service of choice, it's just a couple of taps between you and your friends watching something.

Once it begins, you can all watch the same thing together as well as chat with Teleparty's text chat feature. If you're looking for even more features, you can sign up for Teleparty's premium subscription.

This will run you $3.99/month or $47.88 annually, and you'll get support for additional streaming services, like Apple TV, Crunchyroll, Paramount+, Peacock, ESPN+, Hotstar, and Star+. But that's not all that comes with premium.

You also get voice and video chat, chat badges, nickname customization, and additional reactions you can use while chatting. Teleparty also adds new features to its premium service over time, so keep an eye out if you sign up.

What can you do with Teleparty?

Teleparty lets you all watch at the same time through your individual accounts. It also includes a way to chat with your friends while watching.

You can type to chat with your friends – comment on the film/TV show, ask them how they are, talk about the weather, send hugs, or say whatever you like. Naturally, you can send GIFs, emoji, and screengrabs, too. Voice and video options are available with the premium version of Teleparty.

There is a limit to the number of people that one Teleparty can hold, but it's a whopping 1000! Good luck organising that and do send us the pics. You can Teleparty with anyone across the globe, but do bear in mind that the same TV show or film might not be available in every country.

Also, those conscious of privacy will be pleased to know that Teleparty does not store messages or chat histories of its users.

What devices does Teleparty work on?

The Teleparty extension works on laptop and desktop computers, both Macs and PCs. There's also an Android app, which you can download from the Google Play Store. According to Teleparty, support for other devices, like iPhones and iPads, is coming soon, so stay tuned.

When it comes to video quality, Teleparty supports streaming in HD; however, Teleparty supports up to 4K streaming on the Microsoft Edge browser.

How do you use Teleparty?

It's easy. On your computer, install the free Teleparty extension from the Google Chrome Store, the Teleparty extension on the Edge Web Store, or on Opera. 

Then, open up Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Disney+, Max, or Prime Video, and start watching a video. It can be a film, show, documentary, or anything else.

The Teleparty extension icon next to the address bar in your browser window should have changed from grey to red. Click it, then follow the instructions in the pop-up window to start a Teleparty. Then, send the link to your friends.

On Android, download the Teleparty app from the Google Play Store. Once installed, you'll need to sign into your streaming service of choice within the app. After signing in, you'll be in a party and can tap 'invite' to add friends.

You can either take total control over the video playback or leave it open to anyone in the party. It's like leaving the remote control on the table for anyone to use. You'll be assigned an icon to represent yourself, sort of like an avatar. You can change this if you like, along with your nickname.

Those invited to join will also need to install the Teleparty extension or app. 

And there you go. Happy watching!

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Coming from a gene pool as strong as Sonus Faber’s, it’s little wonder the Omnia enters today’s all-in-one streaming wireless speaker market as one of the most beautiful (or should we say “bellissimo”) out there.

The Italian brand’s latest audio creation is more than a little reminiscent of its SF16 all-in-one speaker. That was a 2016-released homage to The Snail system that predated the company’s first-ever loudspeakers and was in fact the inaugural project by Sonus Faber founder Franco Serblin in 1980. The Omnia doesn’t have its eight-times-the-price predecessor’s extending ‘arms’ housing satellite speakers for the tweeters and midrange drivers, nor does it match its majestic size.

Instead, the Omnia is, as its price necessitates, a comparatively more modest affair – more or less in line with the crop of similar all-in-one systems (such as the Naim Mu-so 2) in terms of size and build.

• Naim Mu-so 2 vs Sonus Faber Omnia: which is the best wireless speaker system?

Design

Needless to say, it still determinedly embodies the classic Sonus Faber look, with its elongated, curvaceous shape and black grille and walnut wood exterior.

Like a labrador puppy in a pub on a Friday night, the Omnia demands attention (and, indeed, sometimes even petting) from our colleagues as soon as they walk in and clap eyes on it. That’s not only down to its classy walnut top panel but also the four light strips that decorate it. They act as a display of sorts: the shortest ‘control’ strip at the front illuminates in different colours to indicate the selected input (white is AirPlay 2; orange is HDMI; green is Spotify Connect, etc), while the two dots either side can be tapped to adjust volume (with the volume level indicated by the longer light strip above).

It’s all very satisfying, which is more than can be said for the remote. It’s a half-sized, shapely thing that feels pleasant but cheap in the hand; its flat rubber keys don’t offer you that positive click we want as feedback from each press. Due to the nature of this streaming-first product, though, it’s more likely that your phone will be your primary source of control, whether that’s using your phone’s physical operation or Google voice control through it.

Features

Linguists will know that ‘Omnia’ means ‘everything’ in Latin. It’s a fitting name for such a versatile product. To some extent, streaming-savvy hi-fi has become a tick-box operation, with the list of available music services, file formats and transmission technologies only getting longer. While some manufacturers create their own app as a gateway to such services and as a way of accessing networked-stored music libraries, others, like Sonus Faber, have chosen to rely solely on user operation through native apps.

To that end, the Omnia supports AirPlay 2 for transmission from Apple devices; Google Cast for one-tap playback from several services such as Tidal, Deezer, YouTube Music, Apple Music, and Amazon Music on an Android device; and Spotify Connect. Tidal Connect (which defaults over Cast on Android devices) is also onboard and has the upper hand over Cast if you want to stream Dolby Atmos music or hi-res songs above 96kHz, although note that Omnia doesn’t actually support Atmos or the MQA technology behind Tidal’s hi-res ‘Masters’. Those wanting to access their NAS drive library will need to download a third-party DLNA app such as BubbleUPnP, or have a subscription to the Roon platform, which Omnia also supports.

Speaking of the decision to utilise established services in favour of its own control app, Sonus Faber’s Chief Designer Officer, Livio Cucuzza, said: “The customer knows how to use that, so keeping things familiar for their existing experience made sense to us.”

Living up to its name as determinedly as a Mr. Men character, the Omnia can also accommodate a TV through its HDMI ARC socket, as well as an audio source – including a turntable – through its dongle-like MiniDin switchable phono/line input adapter. It’s a little awkward to access these sockets around the back of the unit, but you’ll probably only have to do it once. Wireless connectivity doesn’t have to require an internet connection either, as aptX HD Bluetooth is also part of the Omnia's package.

Sound

Sonus Faber suggests giving the Omnia 10cm of clearance behind it and to the sides, and it’s advice we’d follow if you can. While you can select a ‘Near the wall’ setting in the Omnia’s web page-based set-up to help optimise balance, we certainly get the best tonal balance and airiest soundstage when the Omnia has a little room to breathe and isn’t closed in by walls. In fact, to deprive it its optimum placement is to sacrifice its biggest strengths.

Indeed, the Omnia is one of the biggest and most open sounding examples of its type we’ve heard. Close your eyes and you don't need to stretch your imagination to believe the sound is coming out of a pair of standmounters. That depth and breadth means instruments can work comfortably with space around them – even in denser mixes. And the Omnia impressively refrains from hardness or distortion at high (and even maximum) volume levels.

Size is also in the Omnia’s favour when it comes to bass reproduction, which impresses in quantity as well as quality. Kanye West’s Blood On The Leaves is a demanding track for any system to handle, with big, thumping bass lines, multiple musical strands to juggle and, to top it all off, Nina Simone’s sampled vocal to do justice to – but the Sonus Faber takes it in its stride. The horns and growls are potent and textured, and both West’s and Simone’s deliveries come through with decent doses of both substance and subtlety. The Omnia’s rendition is impressively clear and pure for a system of its sort, particularly through the mids.

Nothing sounds as if it’s battling for room, as can often be the case with all-in-one systems, where multiple small drivers are inherently packed close together. Sonus Faber attributes this sonic achievement to its Crescendo technology, essentially processing that manipulates the 44mm side-firing cellulose pulp drivers to create as immersive and three-dimensional a soundstage as possible. Considering those side firers are accompanied by two 19mm silk dome tweeters, a pair of 75mm paper pulp cone midrange drivers and a 165mm long-throw aluminium cone woofer, all driven by a 490-watt amplifier, it’s little wonder the Omnia produces such a decent output.

Switching to the Naim Mu-so 2, we find ourselves more easily settling into the Naim’s tonal warmth and superior sense of musical cohesion. It demonstrates a tighter grip on the rhythm underpinning Aldous Harding’s Lawn, and its richer tone gives vocals a lovely honeyed sound. That said, we can’t help but miss the Omnia’s notably wider, more spacious soundstage and unrivalled clarity – and by no means is it a musical slouch itself. It’s lively enough and has a fine sense of drive, even if it isn’t the most rhythmically adept of the two.

Verdict

The strengths of both would combine to be the ideal system (wouldn’t it be nice to pick and choose like that?), but if you value openness and clarity and your listening habits are compatible with what the Sonus Faber has to offer, the Omnia is one of the finest of its kind you could hand over music duties to. And certainly the best looking, to our eyes.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 4
• Build 5

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NASCAR fans: it's time to get revved up for the 2022 Daytona 500! Kyle Larson has qualified on pole at Daytona International Speedway, ahead of Sunday's race. Ready to lay down some rubber? The Daytona 500 start time is 2.30pm ET / 7.30pm GMT. Follow our guide to watch a Daytona 500 live stream for free...

Over the past 64 years, the 500 mile-long, 200 lap spectacular that is 'The Great American Race' has given rise to many a NASCAR legend, from Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kurt Busch, to seven-time winner Richard Petty. 

The starting line-ups for the 2022 Daytona qualifying races was decided on Wednesday. Kyle Larson took pole ahead of Alex Bowman, but there were a few surprises. Former F1 champ Jacques Villeneuve qualified for Daytona aged 50, while 2015 winner Joey Logano has complained that the all-new Next Gen Cup Series NASCARs drive like "marbles". 

Last year's race will be hard to top. Michael McDowell was the shock winner after Logano collided with Brad Keselowski on the final lap. Larson is firm favourite for the 2022 Daytona 500, but three-time champ Denny Hamlin will be aiming for an historic fourth win. 

Ready for a truly wild ride? Here's how to watch a Daytona 500 live stream for free...

Watch a Daytona 500 free live stream

Fox Sports will broadcast the 2022 Daytona 500 in the USA. Don't have cable? Cord-cutters can stream Fox Sports live on Sling TV. 

Better yet, Sling TV is currently offering new subscribers a 3-day free trial ($35 a month thereafter), which means you can watch The Great American Race free of charge!

Outside the USA during Daytona weekend? Simply use a VPN to access Sling from wherever you are. Scroll down for how to use a VPN.

Fubo TV is another good way to stream Fox Sports. Subscription costs $65 a month but new users get a 7-day free trial.

YouTube TV also provides streaming access to Fox Sports and new users get a 14-day free trial. Subscription costs $65 a month thereafter.

As ever, you'll need a VPN to access these streaming services when outside the USA. Next up: how to use a VPN.

Watch a Daytona 500 live stream from abroad using a VPN

Even if you have subscribed to the relevant 2022 Daytona 500 rights holders, you won't be able to access them when outside your own country. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, so you can access local streams from almost anywhere – and save money!

How to use a VPN

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.

2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the Daytona 500, you may wish to choose 'US' for Sling TV.

3. Then head over to Sling TV on your browser or device and enjoy the free Daytona 500 live stream.

If, for whatever reason, you can't get it working, do remember that you have the comfort of a 30-day money back guarantee with ExpressVPN. You could also try NordVPN, which also comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, and Surfshark which offers 24 hour assistance.

Watch 2022 Daytona 500 live stream in Australia

Fox Sports has the rights to screen the 2022 Daytona 500. Aussies seeking a Daytona 500 live stream should click onto Kayo Sports.

The sports streaming service costs from AU$25 a month but new subscribers get a free 14-day trial. Remember to use a VPN when travelling outside of Australia (scroll up for details).

The other option is to watch Daytona events through NASCAR's TrackPass service. The pricing is AU$15 per month or AU$125 per year.

Watch 2022 Daytona 500 live stream in the UK

UK-based NASCAR fans can watch live coverage of the 2022 Daytona 500 on Premier Sports 1. The race starts at 7.30pm GMT on Sunday, 20th February. 

Premier Sports can be streamed from a mobile or tablet device, or cast from your phone to your TV. Access to the Premier Player website costs £12.99 per month. No contract; cancel anytime.

Premier Sports is also available to Sky TV and Virgin Media customers for £12.99 per month.

Amazon Prime Video subscribers can subscribe to all four Premier Sports channels for £14.99 a month.

Outside the UK this weekend? Simply use a VPN to access your chosen Daytona 500 live stream without being blocked. We recommend ExpressVPN.

Can I watch the 2022 Daytona 500 in 4K HDR? 

It doesn't look like it – despite the fact that Fox is expected to broadcast some of the commercials in 4K. We'll update you if anything changes.

2022 Daytona 500 schedule

Thursday 17th February 2022

5pm ET – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice

7pm ET – Duels at Daytona Cup Series qualifying races (two 60-lap, 150 mile races to set rest of Daytona 500 field)

Friday 18th February 2022

3pm ET – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying

4.30pm ET – NASCAR Xfinity Series practice

6pm ET – NASCAR Cup Series practice

7.30pm ET – NextEra Energy 200 Truck Series race (100 laps, 250 miles)

Saturday 19th February 2022

10.30am ET – NASCAR Cup Series practice

11.30am ET – NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying

13.30pm – Lucas Oil 200 ARCA Menards Series race (80 laps, 200 miles)

5pm – Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300 Xfinity Series race (120 laps, 300 miles)

Sunday 20th February 2022

2.30pm ET – Daytona 500 Cup Series race (200 laps, 500 miles)

2022 Daytona 500 driver line-up

Rank – Driver – Car, Team, Manufacturer – Speed (miles per hour)
1st – Kyle Larson – #5, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 181.159
2nd – Alex Bowman – #48, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 181.046
3rd – William Byron – #24, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 180.85
4th – Aric Almirola – #10, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 180.527
5th – Chase Elliott – #9, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 180.314
6th – Martin Truex Jr. – #19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 180.04
7th – Ross Chastain – #1, Trackhouse Racing Team, Chevrolet – 179.845
8th – Denny Hamlin – #11, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 179.723
9th – Daniel Suarez – #99, Trackhouse Racing Team, Chevrolet – 179.619
10th – Harrison Burton – #21, Wood Brothers Racing, Ford – 179.508
11th – Daniel Hemric – #16, Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet – 179.429
12th – Joey Logano – #22, Team Penske, Ford – 179.426
13th – Ryan Blaney – #12, Team Penske, Ford – 179.419
14th – Christopher Bell – #20, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 179.329
15th – Tyler Reddick – #8, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet – 179.315
16th – Bubba Wallace – #23, 23XI Racing, Toyota – 179.297
17th – Brad Keselowski – #6, RFK Racing, Ford – 179.2969
18th – Kyle Busch – #18, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 179.276
19th – Chase Briscoe – #14, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 179.272
20th – Austin Dillon – #3, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet – 179.269
21st – Austin Cindric – #2, Team Penske, Ford – 179.265
22nd – Michael McDowell – #34, Front Row Motorsports, Ford – 179.251
23rd – Erik Jones – #43, Petty GMS Motorsports, Chevrolet – 179.219
24th – Ty Dillon – #42, Petty GMS Motorsports, Chevrolet – 179.194
25th – Kurt Busch – #45, 23XI Racing, Toyota – 178.98
26th – Kevin Harvick – #4, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 178.884
27th – Justin Haley – #31, Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet – 178.873
28th – Chris Buescher – #17, RFK Racing, Ford – 178.649
29th – Cole Custer – #41, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 178.08
30th – Corey LaJoie – #7, Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet – 178.042
31st – Todd Gilliland – #38, Front Row Motorsports, Ford – 178.01
32nd – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – #47, JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet – 177.729
33rd – Noah Gragson – #62, Beard Motorsports, Chevrolet – 177.553
34th – Landon Cassill – #77, Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet – 176.873
35th – Cody Ware – #51, Rick Ware Racing, Ford – 176.72
36th – Jacques Villeneuve – #27, Team Hezeberg, Ford – 176.436
37th – Kaz Grala – #50, The Money Team Racing, Chevrolet – 176.146
38th – Greg Biffle – #44, NY Racing Team, Chevrolet – 176.125
39th – B.J. McLeod – #78, Live Fast Motorsports, Ford – 175.943
40th – David Ragan – #15, Rick Ware Racing, Ford – 175.726
41st – J.J. Yeley – #55, MBM Motorsports, Ford – 173.06
42nd – Timmy Hill – #66, MBM Motorsports, Ford – 172.206

Think of Nokia and you probably think of solidly-built smartphones – not TVs. That could all be about to change, though. 

The Finnish smartphone brand has teamed up with Austrian firm Streamview to produce a new range of entry-level 'QLED' TVs ranging from 43- to 70-inch in size. 

According to flatpanelshd, the Nokia-branded sets come with a built-in subwoofer, quad-core processor, three HDMI 2.0 ports, WiFi and Bluetooth, built-in Chromecast and Game mode. You also get 8GB of storage for recording live TV.

Fun fact: although described as 'QLED' the Nokia sets feature a classic LCD – rather than LED – panel. A Quantum Dot film layer is added to achieve higher brightness. Both Samsung and TCL already employ the same LCD-based wizardry.

Smart TV functions are available thanks to the Android TV platform, which typically offers access to over 7,000 apps including the likes of Netflix, Disney+, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video. 

The new Nokia ph... sorry, TVs, start at €650 (£550 / $750 / AU$1000) for the 43-inch. The 55-inch is €850 (£710 / $960 / AU$1400), and the 58-inch is €900 (£750 / $1050 / AU$1500). The flagship 70-inch model will set you back €1600 (£1400 / $1800 / AU$2600).

The first Nokia-branded QLED TVs went on sale in Europe last year, but Streamview hopes these entry-level options will bring Quantum Dot technology to the masses. Tempted? The range is due on sale at nokia.streamview.com this month.

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