There hasn't been a buzzword like Dolby Atmos in home cinema audio for some time.

We're happy to report, though, that Dolby Atmos is not just a buzzword, but one of the biggest home cinema developments of the last decade and an immersive experience that will surround you in a bubble of sound.

It's important, therefore, that you get a good Dolby Atmos system that can showcase the technology properly.

So we've rounded up some of the very best Dolby Atmos soundbars we've tested and currently recommend. There's a mix of everything here, from budget to premium, solo soundbars and multi-speaker systems.

And the best news? Many of them are still at their Prime Day sale prices.

These are all soundbars that we've reviewed and rated ourselves, so we can attest to their Atmos abilities. Every product below has earned at least four stars from our expert review team, with a smattering also winning a prestigious What Hi-Fi? Award.

Take a look at the Atmos offerings below – we'll go into detail about why we like them so much underneath.

We declared the Hisense AX5125H to be the Dolby Atmos bargain of the year in our review – and that bargain got even better with healthy price drops over Black Friday and Prime Day. The AX5125H offers amazing weight, scale and spaciousness for the money, and can still be picked up at its Prime Day price.

The Sonos Arc Ultra is our overall pick of the best soundbars, with terrific detail for a soundbar and a clean, precise, spacious and three-dimensional sound. If your budget stretches this far, it's our performance-per-pound soundbar choice.

The JBL Bar 1000MK2 is a Dolby Atmos soundbar with a difference – the surround speakers can magnetically attach to the main soundbar, be used as rear surrounds or taken into another room to be used as a wireless speaker. It sounds pretty good too, with a bold, bassy performance.

If your space and budget are limited, then the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) might be your soundbar of choice. It boasts impressively spacious movie sound that works just as well with music, and is the Dolby Atmos soundbar we recommend at this price point.

Yes, it has a premium price tag, but the KEF XIO has the premium performance to match. For the serious cinephiles out there who want the very best in sound, the KEF XIO is now available with a rare £200 cashback offer. Full details here.

For bassy bombast and room-filling sound, look no further than the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6. With a wireless subwoofer included, this mid-range package isn't exactly subtle but comes with a weighty sound and a lot of kit for the money.

Our current soundbar Product of the Year, the Samsung HW-Q990F is our go-to recommendation for a package if your budget stretches this far. It's seen some steep drops since its £1699 test price, so is quite the bargain at well under £800.

For a cheap solo soundbar with Dolby Atmos, we'd recommend the Sony HT-S2000. This five-star soundbar is exceptional value for the money, offering a clear upgrade from your TV speakers and a simple plug-and-play functionality.

If you're a gamer with multiple consoles, then the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 might be for you. The dedicated HDMI 2.1 input supports 4K/120Hz signals, VRR and ALLM, while the sound is up there with the Sonos Arc Ultra, with superb clarity, detail and punch on offer.

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Looking for a bargain? Here are the best budget soundbars

Check out the latest and cheapest Sonos deals available now

And the best TVs for all budgets

Another Prime Day has been and is almost gone, with Amazon’s summer sales event set to end in a mere few hours.

It’s been a bit of a doozy this year – and there is still time to grab a bargain.

If you want to watch the rest of the World Cup in style, there are somehow still some LG C5 models in stock; and our top outdoor projector pick, the Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air, has also held its rock-bottom price since last week.

On the hi-fi side, we have been treated to a whopping £600 off the sensational Sonus Faber Omnia, as well as the first-ever discount on the Dali Oberon 5.

• View all the Prime Day deals at Amazon

These are all products that we have tested and reviewed ourselves, so you can be sure that this isn’t an impulse buy you’ll regret – everything here has earned at least four stars or more.

So while there’s still time, take a look at the remaining Prime Day deals:

Micro systems were all the rage once upon a time – and are once again for Prime Day. The Award-winning D-M41DAB is still a very convenient and affordable way to get into the world of hi-fi, offering DAB, CD playback, Bluetooth streaming and a remote control all in one package. But, most importantly, the sound quality is excellent too!

The Cambridge Audio AXA35 stereo amplifier looks and sounds great – and is also a bit of a bargain at this price. Save £50 and be rewarded with a confident sound with a particularly expressive midrange, as well as a strikingly elegant look.

Mixing sound and style effortlessly, the sensational Sonus Faber Omnia is beautifully finished, with wonderfully spacious, clear sound and support for all the popular streaming services. Now with £600 off.

If you’ve bought one of the best turntables this Prime Day, you’re going to want some records to go with it – or perhaps to simply add to your collection. HMV’s Vinyl Multibuy offers you three records for £66, including the likes of Romance by Fontaines D.C., Purple Rain by Prince and The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean.

At its current price, the LG C5 is leagues ahead of the competition when it comes to value for money. If you’re after an OLED this Prime Day, we strongly recommend considering this multi-Award-winning TV.

The Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air is our favourite portable projector should you wish to watch the remainder of the World Cup outside. It’s incredibly easy to set up, attractive and well-built and offers picture and sound quality that’s a cut above the competition.

The Amazon Ember QLED with Fire TV is Amazon’s latest QLED and a solid, affordable TV. It offers a sharp and detailed picture with minimal fuss, and was already good value even before the hefty £450 discount!

If you’re a beginner or keen on Bluetooth, then the Pro-Ject T1 Evo BT turntable is tough to beat. Easy to set up and use, it comes with a built-in phono stage and offers a smooth, fluid sound.

The Dali Oberon 5 have been superseded by the Sonik 5, but they have just received their first discount in years. At their current price, they are still remarkably accomplished floorstanders that will delight hi-fi fans hunting for new speakers capable of delivering a truly entertaining performance.

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless headphones you can buy

And the best TVs for all budgets

Interested in the bigger picture? Here are the best projectors we have tested

This isn’t my first Prime Day rodeo.

After covering more Amazon-led sales events than I care to count, I always bet on the company to discount its range of first-party AV devices, and for good reason, too.

The company practically always slashes the prices of its Fire TV range of devices, and my advice (even when reviewing them at full price) is to wait until a Prime Day or Black Friday sale to get the best deal.

In fact, during our Prime Day predictions roundup (spearheaded by our deals aficionado Daniel Furn), I said that I'd "eat my proverbial hat" if the Fire TV streaming sticks aren't heavily discounted.

Luckily for me, there will be no hat eating, as the Award-winning Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) is currently enjoying a pretty tasty discount.

Tongue twister of a name aside, this super-effective streamer offers up a simple proposition: you give it one of your TV’s HDMI sockets, and in return you get a pretty potent streaming upgrade.

We reviewed it at £70, making it one of the most affordable (if not the most affordable) products to enter our AV testing room, but you’ll find that price has been drastically reduced in the UK and the US.

We said that the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) “might just be the easiest no-brainer buy in the AV world,” in our full review, and with its price slashed in half, it somehow becomes even easier to recommend.

We approved of its detailed and rich picture, comprehensive coverage of all HDR formats, and impressive range of streaming apps on offer; it really is the full streaming package.

Our review highlights a "sharp and engaging picture", with excellent motion and a balanced approach to colours. It also sounds good, with a clear approach to dialogue, and music sounds warmer and more detailed compared to the competing Google TV Streamer.

Now, in an era of smart TVs, a dedicated streaming device may sound like a pointless recommendation. Still, we've found that you can get tangible picture and sound improvements by plugging in a dedicated streamer.

We've also tested plenty of projectors that don't have streaming platforms built in, and our advice to anyone suffering with a sluggish, older 4K TV who isn't ready to upgrade yet is to invest in a streaming stick (like the Fire TV Stick 4K Max) for a smoother experience.

At a discounted price of £40 on Amazon UK or $35 at Amazon US, this streamer is the perfect choice for those wanting a Prime Day treat without breaking the bank.

MORE:

Which Amazon Fire TV streamer should you buy?

Read our full Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) review

And check out our picks for the best streaming devices

TVs are getting bigger, and bigger… and bigger.

Hisense and TCL have been selling 116-inch and 115-inch TVs for quite some time now – and both of those look fairly modest compa red with Samsung’s behemoth 130-inch RGB Micro LED TV, which was unveiled at CES 2026.

The sensibly sized living rooms of many British homes are simply not built for a TV of that size – and many will find a proper surround sound package to be a squeeze as well. So does that mean you simply can’t fit a home cinema system into your house?

Of course it doesn’t!

We have tested plenty of smaller TVs and soundbars with modest footprints; and what they lack in size, they make up for in performance.

In fact, I have built a complete system, which includes a 42-inch OLED TV from LG, a superb scaled-down Hisense soundbar package (which even supports Dolby Atmos), and a five-star Amazon streamer that is no bigger than your average chocolate bar.

All of these products are Award-winners and, thanks to Amazon Prime Day, they are now all hugely discounted. At launch, this set-up would have cost you £1418; thanks to some pretty astonishing Prime Day discounts, it can now be yours for just £862.

This trio of petite home-cinema gadgets strikes the three core pillars of any good home cinema setup: picture, sound, and content.

And if you are happy to use LG’s webOS software platform and don’t mind a slight decrease in picture and sound performance, you could ditch the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max entirely, saving you a further £40.

The 42-inch LG C5, a compact OLED TV, is the definition of small yet mighty. Sporting a panel that delivers inky blacks and perfect contrast with ease, the C5 is a superb choice for movies – it’s and our pick for the best gaming TV, too.

We applauded its sharp, warm and rich picture, which we felt was hugely cinematic despite the comparatively small screen size from the 55- and 65-inch sets we usually test.

Furthermore, its gaming features are second to none. With a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz – ideal for PC gamers and more than enough for console gamers – and four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets. The smaller display also makes this a solid choice for dedicated gaming rooms, and it can even be used as an oversized desktop monitor.

The only area that the C5 stumbles in is sound. OLED TVs, in our experience, often disappoint when it comes to their built-in sound systems, and it’s no surprise that a TV this small doesn’t break the mould.

That’s where the Hisense AX5125H comes in. Tongue twister of a name aside, this soundbar system delivers proper surround sound at a price as modest as its footprint. The package includes a soundbar, subwoofer and two surround speakers, all of which pair wirelessly and with very little fuss out of the box.

We were surprised by its weight, scale, and spaciousness, which (much like the C5) far exceed its size. Dolby Atmos is supported with two dedicated upward-firing drivers on the main soundbar unit, and there’s even an HDMI 2.0 passthrough socket. (Maybe Sonos could learn a thing or two.)

The LG and Hisense make a great cinematic space-saving duo – and, in truth, you could leave it there. But by adding the heavily discounted, Award-winning Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, you get a pretty big streaming upgrade.

Amazon’s top-tier Fire TV Stick delivers 4K streams with oodles of detail and natural colours, and with an extremely comprehensive selection of apps, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to content.

If you’re looking longingly at our best TV deals and best soundbar deals pages, but think that you can’t get involved with the Prime Day sales due to a lack of space, then hopefully this petite (and massively discounted) home cinema setup has changed your mind.

MORE:

Check out the best Amazon Prime Day AV deals live

As well as the best Amazon Prime Day hi-fi deals

And find the best OLED TV deals here

Another Prime Day is on the horizon – or perhaps that should be Prime Days, with the sales event spanning from 23rd to 26th June.

Not content with four days of discounts, Amazon has started a week early, with some genuinely early Prime Day deals popping out of the woodwork.

With the World Cup happening simultaneously, there have been some great deals on home cinema, with Amazon’s own Ember TV range seeing up to £450 off.

That’s not all, though – an elusive AirPod discount is also upon us, as well as a saving on an Award-winning Audio Pro wireless speaker.

As always, these are all products we have reviewed and rated ourselves, and must have earned at least four stars to get our sought-after recommendation.

So take a look at the offers below – and make sure to check back next week, where we’ll be hunting for the best deals during the main event itself.

Formerly known as the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED, the Amazon Ember QLED with Fire TV is Amazon’s latest QLED and a solid, affordable TV. We reviewed the 65-inch model only back in March and it has already got a £450 saving in an early Prime Day deal.

The Audio Pro C20 W is currently our favourite premium wireless speaker. With a broad, clear, and detailed sound, it is easy to use and immensely versatile – it can stream music, serve as a turntable speaker, or function as a soundbar for your TV. You’ll need to be a Richer Sounds VIP member to get this discount, but it’s completely free to sign up.

If you don’t like eartips but still want noise-cancelling in your earbuds, then the AirPods 4 with ANC are for you. Jam-packed with features and a clean, detailed, and powerful sound, the brilliant buds are available at their lowest-ever price in this early Prime Day deal.

If you want a 4K projector that is just portable enough to take outside, then the Nebula X1 is a great choice. The X1 has a class-leading audio for a projector, so there’s no rush to buy speakers, and the claimed 300-inch maximum image size will be great for World Cup matches.

The TCL C6KS is our favourite budget TV, and was such good value for money that we gave it a What Hi-Fi? Award. The code TCLTV20 brings the price down to £336, and for the money you’ll get a 50-inch Mini LED with excellent brightness and contrast as well as comprehensive HDR support.

The Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air is our favourite portable projector. It doesn't boast the 4K resolution or the audio quality of the X1, but it’s a fair bit cheaper and comes with a built-in battery, an ultra-portable design and surprisingly good picture and sound quality.

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless headphones you can buy

And the best TVs for all budgets

Interested in the bigger picture? Here are the best projectors we have tested

You never feel the need to upgrade your TV like you do during the FIFA World Cup.

The 2026 tournament features 48 teams for the first time, meaning if you were dedicated (and temporarily nocturnal) you could watch 104 matches of high-quality football.

That's a lot of time to be staring at your TV – but luckily, if you do want to upgrade, you don't have to break the bank.

We've rounded up some of the best TVs under the £1,000 mark, all of which have been reviewed and rated by us and earned at least four stars – or in some cases, five stars and even a What Hi-Fi? Award.

This also clashes rather nicely with early Prime Day deals, so there are particularly good savings available right now on all the models below.

We'll go into more detail on what we like about the TVs below, but for now, have a look at our expert picks.

The LG C5 OLED won multiple gongs at the most recent What Hi-Fi? Awards, thanks to its excellent picture quality and flawless gaming specification. If you’re going for OLED under a grand, this is the model to get – the 42-inch LG C5 and 48-inch LG C5 are just as good and even cheaper.

We only reviewed the Amazon Ember QLED with Fire TV in March, but it has already received a staggering £450 discount for Prime Day. Have no fear, this has nothing to do with the quality; Amazon’s latest QLED offers a sharp and detailed picture with minimal fuss, as well as audio that defies expectations.

The TCL C6KS was already exceptional value for money at full price – we liked it so much we gave it a What Hi-Fi? Award – and now it’s available for even less. A good Mini LED at this price is hard to find, but the C6KS has a rare all-around ability thanks to its 160 dimming zones, support for all four HDR formats and user-friendly Google TV operating system.

Samsung has had a lot of competition in the budget TV market in recent years, but the 65-inch U8000F shows it can still do big-screen on a budget. The Standard mode is enjoyably punchy and bright, and there is a lot of smart TV content available in one great value package.

The TCL C7K is the current Award-winner for the best large-sized budget TV, thanks to more features than you have any right to expect for the money. For less than £720 now, you’ll get a 65-inch Mini LED with Quantum Dot colour and excellent gaming support. That’s before we even mention the 1008 dimming zones and support for all four HDR formats.

Previously known as the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED, the 65-inch Amazon Ember Mini-LED with Fire TV is a solid entry to the mid-range market with a sharp picture and excellent app support. And with an early Prime Day discount, it’s now quite the bargain.

MORE:

Best LG C5 deals for all sizes

And the best TVs for all budgets

Prime Day Predictions: The What Hi-Fi? team’s hopes, fears and dreams for Amazon Prime Day

Prime Day is no longer just a day these days, with the event slowly growing to span four days with several early deals to boot.

However, Amazon have pulled out all the stops for this early discount. There's still nearly a week until the event officially starts, but they've already slashed the price of their 65-inch Amazon Ember QLED to £600 for Prime Day members.

For context, we reviewed the new QLED at £1050 only three months ago, so that's an incredible 43 per cent drop!

It's perfect timing if you've been watching the World Cup and thinking it's time for an upgrade – at this price, the Ember QLED really is a great value TV.

There was once a time when we wondered if Amazon could make a worthwhile TV, but the e-commerce giant has proved itself capable of making compelling, affordable TVs in a rather cutthroat budget market.

The Amazon Ember QLED is one such offering. It brings several small but worthwhile improvements on the company’s previous QLED to create a solid TV.

This includes a greatly improved panel, which now features 160 dimming zones and, according to Amazon, can go 60% brighter than its first-generation QLED.

All of which adds up to an impressive picture performance. As our Amazon Ember QLED review reads: “There is a nice sense of sharpness and definition to the outline of subjects, which, when paired with the improved contrast thanks to the inclusion of double the dimming zones, creates a solid, three-dimensional effect.”

What was most surprising, however, was the amount of dark detail on offer – even more so than the Mini LED TCL we were comparing with.

The Ember QLED’s 24W speakers aren’t the most technically advanced on the market, but we were pleasantly surprised by the TV’s audio. Amazon doesn’t try to push boundaries where it lacks the capabilities, and the sound is smoother, fuller, and much nicer as a result.

The Fire TV OS is, of course, the bread and butter of this TV. It features pretty much every streaming app under the sun and has built-in Alexa functionality.

We also commend Amazon for its all-encompassing approach to HDR – HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ Adaptive and Dolby Vision IQ are all on board, which even some premium TVs lack.

Normally, we recommend the TCL C7K at this price level; it boasts a Mini LED screen with a whopping 1008 dimming zones and 120Hz support. It is currently £800, however, making the Amazon Ember QLED quite the enticing option thanks to its hefty discount.

In our review, we predicted that the Ember QLED would get a substantial reduction come Prime Day that would make the TV well worth considering. Well, the time has finally come – the QLED is now a huge £450 off at Amazon.

MORE:

Also consider the TCL C6KS

Read our Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED review

Our pick of the best TVs for every budget

It's been 1219 days since Apple announced the current version of the Apple TV 4K.

Since then, the five-star streamer has won four What Hi-Fi? Awards (including three coveted Product of the Year Awards), and it fended off competition from the likes of the Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Generation and Google TV Streamer.

On a personal level, the Apple TV 4K (2022) is one of my favourite AV products on the market, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to get the very best streaming picture from their 4K TV. The same can be said for audio, in which the Apple TV 4K is best in class based on our testing.

The slick user interface that ditches ads is, of course, the cherry on top. So what could a next-generation model bring to ensure a meaningful upgrade over the highly coveted existing model?

There are three things on my wishlist, and while they're not huge asks, they would take my excitement for this upcoming streamer to a whole new level.

More processing power

The most prominent rumour surrounding the supposed 2026 Apple TV 4K is that it will feature a much newer processor compared to the chipset found in the current model.

The Apple TV 4K (2022) features the A15 Bionic processor, which can also be found in the iPhone 14; however, insiders and rumours seem to be mostly pointing towards this being replaced by the A17 Pro from iPhone 15 Pro Max.

That might not sound like a huge upgrade, but considering that the A17 Pro chip gave the iPhone 15 Pro the ability to play console-quality games and access Apple Intelligence, it could be the perfect fit for the new Apple TV 4K.

Furthermore, this processor has recently found a home in the latest iPad Mini, meaning Apple clearly deems it to be powerful and future-proof enough to feature it in newer products.

HDMI passthrough

The Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Generation is far from a perfect streamer, but it does have one feature that I think every streaming box should accommodate; that being an HDMI passthrough socket.

Considering many will choose a streaming box to completely bypass their TV's built-in operating system, it would be nice for Apple to add a passthrough socket so users can select another input device – a games console or 4K Blu-ray player, for example – directly from the rather lovely, ad-free tvOS home page.

This will, of course, require Apple to tweak the chassis of the TV 4K, though we should remember that it has done this before. Despite looking similar, the latest and previous generation boxes sport different dimensions, with the newer model removing the fan and shrinking the casework slightly.

As for the port-selection, Apple already offers two different options for the TV 4K. The 64GB version only includes power and HDMI connections, whereas the 128GB model adds an Ethernet socket.

An additional HDMI socket may be a bridge too far, and could result in a bulkier box, but considering the current model is already fairly petite and non-obtrusive in my media unit, I'd take a bigger box for added functionality.

A new (but still premium) remote

If there's one thing I truly do love about the Apple TV 4K, it’s the premium aluminium remote. Compared to the plastic handsets found on the Google TV Streamer or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max 2nd Generation, the Siri Remote blows them clean out of the water thanks to its luxurious feel and satisfyingly clicky buttons.

And I couldn't forget about the capacitive swipe-enabled touchpad at the top of the remote. If you're a fan of the old iPod click wheels, then this interface should feel right at home, and it works a treat to scroll through the tvOS interface.

That all being said, I'd love for Apple to take things up a notch with the next-generation TV 4K. A motion-activated backlight would be a nice touch, and a customisable shortcut button that I could assign to a streaming app of my choice would be a bonus, too.

Currently, the TV button on the Siri Remote can only be customised to either take you to the Apple TV app or the home screen.

Only time will tell if Apple decides to finally launch a new streamer at its "special Apple Experience" on the 4th of March. While my hopes are high, I've been let down by many Apple Events before.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best streaming devices

Read our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

And here are the best OLED TVs

Hands up if you're sick of receiving emails from streaming services with a subject line referencing "pricing updates".

I've lost track of how many times I've reported on or read about subscription prices creeping up, and I fear that I'll be doing the same throughout 2026. Frustration from viewers is mounting, too, so what's the solution?

According to Manhattan's COO, Alex Arbab-Zadeh, it's the company's latest streaming box; well, more specifically, it's what the streaming box can do.

The Aero 4K TV Streamer was officially revealed last week, and I had the chance to attend the launch and get a better understanding of what it offers.

Streaming hardware is a crowded market after all, and there are huge international players such as Apple, Google and Amazon all vying for a place in your media unit. So how does this plucky British streamer stack up?

Well, I was sold on the concept by a single quote from Alex Arbab-Zadeh. Upon revealing the Aero 4K, he stated that "you can buy the box and never pay a penny for content again".

This is because the Aero 4K not only offers access to the free TV streaming platform Freely but also uses the TiVo operating system, which features an abundance of free shows and movies via the TiVo+ service.

In fact, Manhattan claims that TiVo+ offers over 400 streaming channels and on-demand content options, while Freely offers 70 of its own channels, plus the range of content available on the existing terrestrial streaming apps.

That's a lot of content for not a lot of money; well, no money if we're being pedantic. Now, if we're being realistic, the volume of high-quality productions may not be as high as the likes of Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video, but TiVo+ highlights that it does stream content from some major franchises.

You do, of course, have to put up with ads, but that's to be expected, and the TiVo OS platform does support plenty of paid streaming apps such as Netflix and Disney Plus if needed.

In fact, I think that's where the Aero 4K will hit its stride as a streamer. It's all about options; there is the free content on board that can supplement the paid services, and it might inspire those who are tired of pricey monthly subscriptions to cut back now that they can supplement the services they wish to keep with an abundance of free content.

We've not really seen a streaming box like this; the Award-winning Apple TV 4K expects you to cough up if you want to stream anything other than the free-to-access apps mentioned above, and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation)'s FreeVee free streaming platform is a bit of a mess right now, as it's in the process of being integrated into Amazon Prime Video.

With interest growing around free, ad-supported streaming, just look at Samsung's commitment to its expansive TV Plus platform; it's easy to see the appeal of the Aero 4K. However, only time will tell whether it will be equally impressive when it comes to picture and sound quality.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best streaming devices

As well as the best streaming services for movies and TV shows

And here are the best TVs

Amazon tends to reserve savings on its own streaming hardware for big annual sales events, such as Black Friday and its various Prime Days.

However, the online retail giant seems to be in good spirits for the start of 2026, as it has savings across its range of own-brand devices, including a Product of the Year-winning streamer that proved to deliver incredible bang for your buck when we tested it last year.

That's right, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) is currently down to £49.99 at Amazon, which is a £20 saving from its original £69.99 launch price.

Now, that isn't an Earth-shattering saving by any means, and we have seen it drop by a further £10 in the Black Friday sales, but this is still an appreciated saving on an affordable and effective way to upgrade your TV.

Think of it this way, that £20 could easily cover a film rental or purchase and enough snacks to see you through; that's movie night sorted.

Streaming devices may, to many, seem unnecessary in a world in which nearly every TV features a built-in smart system – but we still firmly believe they have a place in the AV world.

If you're using an older TV with an outdated operating system that no longer supports the current crop of streaming apps (we've seen Netflix drop support for a few devices in recent years), but perhaps you don't want to upgrade your TV quite yet, then this Fire TV Stick is a solid option to breathe new life into an old TV.

Furthermore, if you're not a fan of your TV's current OS – maybe you don't get on with Samsung's Tizen OS, or find LG's webOS tricky to get to grips with – then a streaming stick can bypass that entirely while offering similar functionality.

In fact, we've seen a growing list of products launch with missing streaming apps. Notably, BBC iPlayer has been missing from a handful of TVs and projectors, an irritating absence that can be easily addressed by plugging this Fire TV device into one of your TV's HDMI sockets.

We found the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) to be a snappy performer when it came to interacting with the user interface. It's also well-stocked in terms of features, with support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR, as well as Dolby Atmos audio.

However, the reason we advocate for a dedicated streamer is primarily due to the performance upgrades. Having a dedicated device handle your movies and TV shows can often result in a higher quality picture over the built-in apps that come with your TV – as is certainly the case with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

We complimented its "sharp and engaging" picture in our full review, noting that its rich colours and smooth motion made for an ultimately impressive cinematic picture overall. Dark details are handled well, and we found the image, as a whole, to be balanced nicely.

It also sounds good. While we admit in our full review that it "it won’t blow your socks off", we find it to be more cohesive and warmer than the Google TV Streamer, which turned out to be a real let-down when it came to sound quality.

At a discounted price of £50, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) is a deal that we recommend checking out. It proves that you can treat yourself to a worthwhile AV upgrade without totally busting the bank.

MORE:

Read our full Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) review

Check out our list of the best streaming devices for movies and TV

Here are our picks for the best OLED TVs

I've reviewed enough TVs to appreciate a good remote. Clicky buttons are a must, a backlight will always win me over, and any additional features will score bonus points in my books.

With that in mind, I'd like to direct you towards a lesser-known Amazon Fire TV accessory that ticks all of the boxes I mention above. It's called the Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote Pro, and it's compatible with Amazon's full range of current Fire TV streaming devices, including the Award-winning Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

This isn't one of those life-changing Black Friday purchases by any means, but this affordable accessory, which is currently down from £35 to £20 at Amazon, brings a handful of creature comforts and AV functionality to your Fire TV experience that I think makes it worth splashing out for.

So what improvements does the Alexa Voice Remote Pro actually bring? First of all, the Pro remote is a bit larger; it features slightly squared-off edges, and the plastic feels higher quality, resulting in a more premium construction and feeling in the hand.

Personally, my favourite feature of the Pro remote is its backlit buttons, which make operating any Fire TV device in a dark home cinema room a breeze and have subsequently made me resent the Apple TV 4K and Chromecast with Google TV remotes for not having backlit buttons.

Speaking of buttons, you get the same Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Music shortcuts as on the standard remote, but this time they're accompanied by two programmable buttons for personalised app shortcuts, which you can designate to your most used apps.

You also get live channel buttons and a Bluetooth headphone button for quickly accessing the connected audio devices menu without having to exit out to the home page and navigate to the settings menu.

Best of all, you get a "find my remote" feature, which means that when it inevitably slides between the couch cushions, you won't need to tear your living room apart to find it.

Instead, just ask Alexa to find your remote, and it will play a sound to help you locate it. Speaking of Alexa, you also get a microphone on the remote to interact with the voice assistant, much like on the original remote.

If you've rolled your eyes at the thought of paying for an additional remote for your Fire TV Stick, then I don't blame you. However, the Alexa Voice Remote Pro is still (in my mind) the best accessory you can buy for your Fire TV, especially while it's this cheap.

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• LG C5 55-inch: lowest-ever price at Richer Sounds
• JBL soundbar: now better than half price
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• Sony headphones: now just £29
• Stereo amplifier: Cambridge Audio now £299
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

We are in the early days of November, meaning the Black Friday sales are coming in thick and fast as we approach the big day. There are a whole host of deals already popping up across a range of retailers which may look like bargains at first glance. But if popular idioms have taught us anything, it’s to not take everything we see at face value.

Take, for example, the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus which has dropped from £250 all the way to £189 at Amazon.

While that might look like a good price, this model failed to impress when we had it in our test room. The soundbar’s bass performance is underwhelmingly thin, and the shrill overall sound meant that it only scored a two-star rating from us.

But don’t worry! There’s another deal we have spotted that will get you much better sound quality, and it only costs £10 more.

Enter the Hisense AX5125H, an Award-winning complete soundbar system that has dropped from £249 to £199 at Argos. Offering immersive sound and clear vocals, this package is a sure-fire way to upgrade your TV's sound and is especially tempting at such a good discount.

Need more convincing? The five-star system consists of a main soundbar, subwoofer and two surround speakers, and it supports both DTS:X and Dolby Atmos – so you really are getting a good value for money here.

In terms of sound performance, it's fair to say we were blown away by its wide sound during testing. When watching Civil War, for example, we said: "Bullets whizz from the front to the back of the room and even behind the listening position, helicopters hover at ceiling height, and distant explosions rumble menacingly."

The subwoofer packs a meaty punch, too, as it reaches a high volume while still delivering a reasonably precise sound. While the two surrounds are small in stature, they still manage to offer quite deep height effects with an overall delivery that is brilliantly enveloping.

On the main soundbar, you will find a couple of HDMI sockets (including one eARC), a digital optical input and a 3.5mm analogue input.

So, if you're looking for a great budget soundbar system to get at a discount price this Black Friday, you would be hard pressed to find anything better than this Hisense model.

MORE:

Here's our review of the Hisense AX5125H

These are the best soundbars we have tested

And check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars right now

Black Friday might only be one month away, but why wait when you can pick up the 65-inch Hisense U7N for just £702 at Amazon (down from its £899 launch price)?

We think you should act now for a number of reasons. First, this is a record-low price. Second, it's discounted by almost £200 on its launch price. And third, it's £87 cheaper than when it was last discounted in August.

Quite apart from the outstanding price, this four-star TV has impressed us with its pluckiness, punching well above its weight for a Mini LED TV.

The Hisense U7N is the middle Mini LED option in the Chinese TV maker’s current lineup. The manufacturer has created a TV that boasts a range of premium features while still keeping the price remarkably low.

The U7N is a dream for gamers. Dedicated gaming features, including 4K/144Hz (an extension of 4K/120Hz that hardcore PC gamers will appreciate), are often seen only on more expensive TVs. For Xbox gamers, the inclusion of Dolby Vision Gaming will also be a welcome touch.

All very positive so far. There is a reason, however, we gave the 65-inch U7N model just the four stars. This is mostly because of its “struggle with very bright scenes, where it has a tendency to push too hard and flatten sections of the picture.”

If that's a problem for you, then Hisense does offer a more premium U8N model, which differentiates itself by the display technology used. The 65-inch U7N’s backlight is split into 384 dimming zones and the screen has a peak brightness of 1500 nits. That’s a lot lower than the U8N, which features 1600 dimming zones and can produce a claimed 3000 nits of peak brightness.

For those who want a high-performing TV without having to pay for it, though, the U7N 65-inch is a fantastic option at this price. It could be yours for just £702 at Amazon.

MORE:

Read our Hisense U7N 65-inch review

Here are the best TVs you can buy right now

And here are all the best TV deals

Prime Day might be over, but there's a great deal to be had on Amazon's 4K streamer. The Fire TV Stick 4K is down to just £25 at Amazon – a discount of 57 per cent (or £34). That's its lowest price ever.

But you'd better be quick. This deal ends at 11.59pm tonight.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 2nd gen best ever price

This model boasts a quicker 1.7GHz processor than its predecessor, making it 30 per cent faster. And it supports Wi-Fi 6 for smoother streaming (though you will need a compatible router to see the benefit). Like its predecessor, it supports all four formats of HDR (Dolby Vision, HLG, HDR10 and HDR10 Plus) as well as Dolby Atmos for more immersive audio with virtual height channels.

As the name suggests, it's equipped for 4K visuals.

The Alexa Voice Remote lets you control it by speaking, and it can control your TV, soundbar and AV receiver too.

The Fire TV operating system gives you access to all the major streaming apps, including Prime Video (but of course), Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, BBC iPlayer and Paramount+.

The Xbox app lets you play console-quality games without a dedicated games machine. Plus you can control your other smart home devices using the Alexa voice control.

We haven't reviewed this model yet, but the previous model picked up a five-star review along with a What Hi-Fi? Award to boot. Considering the similarities to the old model, we would bet this model performs very well indeed.

It's up against some tough competition in the form of the Google TV Streamer, which earned four stars from us. But given that the Fire TV Stick 4K is a quarter of the price, this will be an easy decision for many.

You can pick it up for £25 at Amazon until 11.59pm tonight, so don't delay.

MORE:

The best streaming devices around

Which Amazon Fire TV Stick should you buy in 2025?

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max vs Google Chromecast with Google TV: which is better?

Yesterday, we flagged that Amazon had reduced the price of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max as part of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days.

Today, though, it's even cheaper – and not at Amazon.

• Browse all of the Amazon Prime Day deals

Instead, you can now buy our favourite budget video streamer for just £36 at Argos.

The price on page is an Amazon-matching £40, but if you use code RED10 at checkout, you get an additional 10 per cent off.

Argos does charge for delivery, which will wipe out this additional discount, but collection is free, and these days there are Argos stores everywhere, including in many Sainsbury's supermarkets.

But what makes this streaming device so special?

In our full review of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) we loved its ease of use and wide coverage of streaming apps, as well as its detailed picture.

It comes equipped with double the storage compared to its predecessor, Wi-Fi 6E support for smoother streaming, and a more powerful processor compared to the step-down Fire TV Stick 4K.

The Fire OS streaming platform includes a wealth of apps – with everything from Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV+ and BBC iPlayer, to niche services like Mubi and Shudder included. There's also support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR.

Even at its full price, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max comes in cheaper than rivals such as the Apple TV 4K and Google TV Streamer. That makes this saving ideal for those looking to get an easy-to-use 4K streaming device without breaking the bank.

We've just compared it to Roku's new devices, too (reviews coming soon), and the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is miles better.

MORE:

Find more home cinema deals on Amazon this Prime Day

More great TV deals to be had at Richer Sounds

Sevenoaks Sound & Vision is home to some home cinema bargains right now

When Amazon launched their Omni QLED range of TVs in 2023, they were met with inevitable excitement. With solid picture performance, an established Fire TV platform, and a reasonable price tag, these TVs are loved by many.

Out of all the sizes, our favourite is the 50-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED, which we're glad to say is now available at Amazon for just £360.

The whopping £290 price drop makes this Award-winning TV only £10 more expensive than the record-low price we saw back in May. Snap it up now or take a browse of our Amazon Prime Big Deal Days guide for other TV deals.

The 50-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED is what we called "a budget TV with rare all-round ability" when we first got our hands on it in 2023. And we gave it a What Hi-Fi? Award and five-star rating thanks to its consistent, considered performance and impressive feature set.

So, let's talk about these features. With this budget-friendly Amazon entry, you're getting a 4K/60Hz QLED panel and a robust suite of HDR support that includes HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision IQ, alongside full-array local dimming with 80 discrete zones. Of course, as an Amazon TV, it features the Fire TV smart platform, which is superior to many smart TV platforms in terms of usability and app support.

For gamers, the Omni QLED is certainly one to consider when it comes to the best gaming TVs. It offers support for VRR, ALLM and HDR10+ across all four of the set's HDMI ports. And it can definitely handle new-gen consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X seamlessly.

All of this led us to say in our full review: "The standard of budget TVs is lower now than it has been in years, but that’s not to take away from the Omni QLED’s performance, which is markedly more assured, considered, and authentically cinematic than expected at this level, now or in the past."

And right now, if you're looking for a budget TV that is still top-quality, then the 50-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED is one heck of a deal at just £360 at Amazon.

MORE:

Read our full 50-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED review

Best 50-inch TVs: the best mid-sized sets we've tested for every budget

And check out our complete list of the best TVs

Amazon has announced a refreshed Fire TV range that will replace its award-winning Omni QLED Series – one of our favourite budget TVs – with a redesigned model promising significant performance upgrades.

The new Omni QLED Series brings notable improvements over its predecessor, which earned five stars in our review of the 50-inch model.

According to Amazon, the updated displays are 60 per cent brighter than the previous generation, while the number of local dimming-zones has been doubled to deliver improved contrast with brighter whites and deeper blacks.

An upgraded processor also makes the new models 40 per cent faster than before.

The Omni QLED Series will be available in sizes from 50 inches to 65 inches, starting at $480 / £650. Australian prices have yet to be confirmed at the time of writing.

The original Omni QLED impressed us with its surprisingly considered picture quality, natural colour balance, and strong feature set for the money.

We found it delivered authentically cinematic entertainment that worked well within its means, avoiding the common budget-TV pitfall of attempting feats beyond its capabilities.

Amazon has retained key features from the previous generation while adding new functionality.

Dolby Vision and HDR10+ Adaptive support continues, alongside the OmniSense technology that automatically turns the TV on when you enter the room, and powers it down when you leave to save energy.

Interactive Art now responds dynamically to your movements, while the display automatically adjusts colours based on your room's lighting conditions. Hands-free Alexa voice control also remains integrated into the TV.

Overall, it sounds like a welcome improvement, but specification and claimed performance improvements tell only part of the story.

We'll reserve final judgement on whether the new Omni QLED can match or surpass its award-winning predecessor until we have put it through our rigorous review process.

Given that the 50-inch original model impressed us with its balanced picture quality, natural colours, and authentic cinematic delivery for the money, the bar is set fairly high – but the promised 60 per cent brightness increase and doubled local-dimming zones sound encouraging on paper.

Alongside the Omni QLED, Amazon has also announced redesigned 2-Series and 4-Series models.

The 2-Series delivers HD resolution while the 4-Series offers 4K, with both featuring ultra-thin bezels and a new quad-core processor that Amazon claims makes them 30 per cent faster than their predecessors.

OmniSense technology has been brought to these more affordable models for the first time, and a new Dialogue Boost feature allows you to increase voice volume without raising background noise.

The 2-Series starts at $160 / £250, while the 4-Series begins at $330 / £430, with sizes ranging from 32 inches to 55 inches.

It's worth noting that Amazon's Omni Mini LED range remains the company's flagship TV line-up.

We tested the 55-inch Omni Mini LED and found it delivered surprisingly punchy HDR performance with its 512 local dimming zones and Mini LED backlighting, though it fell slightly short of perfection due to some colour inconsistency and motion softness.

Amazon has also introduced the Fire TV Stick 4K Select – its most affordable 4K streaming device to date, priced at $40 / £50.

The new stick supports vibrant 4K picture quality with HDR10+ and features faster app launches thanks to a new, more responsive operating system.

It will work with popular streaming services and is set to support Xbox Gaming and Luna cloud gaming platforms soon.

Amazon has also introduced new Fire TV software features designed to improve content discovery.

A Continue Watching row on the home screen acts as a personal bookmark across all your current shows, allowing you to jump back in or access new episodes directly.

A unified watchlist also now lets you save content from any streaming service to a single list, rather than juggling separate watchlists across different apps.

The new Omni QLED, 2-Series, and 4-Series TVs are listed as “coming soon”, while the Fire TV Stick 4K Select is available for pre-order now and will begin shipping from mid-October.

MORE:

Read our Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED QL50F601 review

Check out our Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED review

These are the best TVs you can buy right now

I love a 32-inch TV. I appreciate it's not going to blow anyone away or wow friends with its monster size, but when you're tight for space or need a TV for the bedroom, there's nothing better.

If that's what you're looking for, you'll be glad to hear that you can pick up the 32-inch TCL SF540K at Amazon for only £119.

One of the main reasons to buy would be the full feature set that includes the Fire TV smart platform. And, as our expert team concludes in our review, “achieves a thoughtful and easy-to-enjoy balance between all the key picture elements.”

It might be £10 more than its record-low price, but that's still a ridiculously low price for a four-star TV that performs pretty well.

While expectations need to be tempered at this price (and because this is a ‘small’ TV), the TCL SF540K offers a surprisingly stacked feature set and a very likeable picture performance.

The headline is the inclusion of Amazon's Fire TV operating system, which means the whole user experience is rather like that of a Fire TV Stick.

It's colourful and intuitive, and it grants access to pretty much every streaming app you are likely to need, including all of the major UK-specific catch-up apps, which are neatly wrapped up under the Freeview Play banner.

You can use the mic built into the remote to chat to Alexa, too, essentially turning the TV into a big Amazon Echo device – albeit one that requires a button press to operate.

Unlike most TVs at this level, which have an ‘HD Ready’ 720p resolution, the SF540K has a ‘Full HD’ 1080p resolution.

It also boasts VA panel technology and a direct LED backlight, and it supports HDR in the HDR10 and HLG formats. And while the TV isn't packed with gaming features, it does offer ALLM switching and a low input lag of 15.3ms, so it's a good option if you need an affordable gaming TV.

In action, the TCL SF540K isn't super-bright or vibrant, but it is balanced and controlled, which is more than can be said for most rivals.

Black levels are reasonable and there's plenty of shadow detail, bright highlights are free of nasty ‘clipping’, and colours are fairly warm and natural. It’s sharper and more detailed than the other 32-inch TVs we have tested recently, too, and motion is handled well.

Our only real criticism of the picture performance (taking into consideration the price, of course) is that it has fairly limited viewing angles, which means those sitting substantially off-axis from the TV will find the picture looks a bit washed out.

The sound quality is, unfortunately albeit not unexpectedly, worse than the picture. The thin and limp delivery won't be a huge problem for daytime TV, but it will be a frustration for movies and games. Luckily, excellent cheap soundbar Prime Day deals are also available…

Ultimately, this is a very solid-performing and smart TV. We awarded it four stars at £149, but it actually launched for £179, making it a real bargain at the new price of £119.

MORE:

Check out the best deals at Amazon right now

There are even more TV deals on Richer Sounds

Check out Peter Tyson’s TV deals

Studies suggest that the average consumer tends to upgrade their TV every seven years; that's a considerable amount of time, especially when we take into account the breakneck pace at which TV tech is advancing.

That seven-year upgrade cycle isn't a "one-size-fits-all" statistic, as many people will try to eak out the lifespan of their TVs for a lot longer, and I completely understand why.

TVs aren't often an impulse purchase; they're expensive, cumbersome, and can be rather confusing to purchase, hence we have our numerous best TV lists.

If you don't plan on selling or trading your TV in, then they can also be a pain to dispose of, especially with sustainability in mind, and that's the theme of this week, after all.

More recycling centres are accepting TVs these days, meaning that if you really do have to part ways with your TV, you can do it in an eco-conscious way.

We also recommend considering second-hand selling platforms if your TV is still in good condition, as someone else might find years more value in your old set; plus, more money to go towards a new model is always appreciated.

However, if you're dead set on holding off from buying a new TV, then these three crucial tips can help you extend your TV's lifespan for a little bit longer.

1. TV lost its smarts? Get a streaming stick

If you have an ageing TV, its smart system may be slowing down or no longer receiving updates. Worst-case scenario, your TV's smart platform might not support key streaming apps such as Netflix, Apple TV+ or Disney Plus, which means you're missing out.

You don't need to buy a whole new TV to rectify this issue, thankfully, as a streaming stick or box can restore smart functionality to any TV.

It's a quick, easy and cheap fix that can save you time and money, and it's also a much more sustainable option. If your TV's display is still in good nick, then throwing the whole set out due to outdated software just doesn't make sense.

We have a list of the best streaming devices, which includes the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) for an easy 4K streaming upgrade under £100, as well as the Award-winning Apple TV 4K (2022), which sports a five-star picture and sound experience.

Both are solid options and include support for practically every app you could hope for, so consider one of those if you're looking to regain streaming support without having to replace your entire TV.

2. Take care of your TV's panel

TV displays degrade over time; it's a fact of life. However, you can slow the process down in order to extend your TV's life.

If you have an OLED TV, you're probably conscious of encountering burn-in. The issue that plagued early OLED TVs isn't as prevalent as it used to be; however, extended use causes degradation of the OLED panel and could put you at higher risk of experiencing burn-in.

We'll reiterate, burn-in is significantly less of an issue than it used to be, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Panel degradation is still worth considering, as it can impact the vibrancy of colours.

There is a simple way to defer the onset of burn-in – look after your TV's panel. Refrain from leaving static images on the screen for extended periods of time, and be sure to allow your TV to run its pixel cleaning system when instructed, especially if it's switched on for extended periods throughout the day.

We'd also recommend dialling back the OLED brightness; you'll find this option in your TV's settings menu, and while it might be tempting to pump the brightness up to 100 for a dazzling image, there is some sense in toning this down slightly.

Doing this means you're not constantly pushing your TV's panel to its limit, allowing for a more gradual panel degradation over time.

And it's a similar principle if you have a backlit TV. LED TVs can also encounter issues if you drive them at full power, resulting in reduced brightness and patchy sections to the backlight.

It's worth noting that backlit TVs don't degrade in the same way as OLEDs due to their inorganic nature, but degradation occurs nonetheless.

Regardless, you can fend this off; you can adjust the brightness within your TV's settings menu.

3. Invest in a soundbar

The picture is only half of the viewing experience, which means that sound is equally important. The issue is that TVs don't tend to sound very good, and bad sound could be contributing to your decision to replace your TV.

Before you do that, you could try adding a soundbar to your current TV, as you could see a revitalised performance – with improved sound breathing new life into your current set.

This is the priciest addition in the list, but a worthwhile investment when you consider how much a new TV costs.

Providing your TV is less than 10 years old, it likely supports Dolby Atmos, meaning it's primed to be connected to a Dolby Atmos soundbar. We'd recommend the Sonos Beam Gen 2 in this case, as it's our pick for the best cheap Dolby Atmos soundbar.

If you're looking for a cheaper, yet still very effective audio upgrade, then we'd point you towards the Sony HT-SF150, which sports a price tag under £100 and a surprisingly huge audio payoff.

Either one will most certainly provide more cinematic audio, with a more direct and powerful sound than your TV's built-in sound system.

MORE:

Read our full Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen) review

As well as our Sonos Beam (Gen 2) review

And check out our list of the best budget soundbars

The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar has received a £30 discount, bringing it down to £90 from its £120 launch price on Amazon. While this makes Amazon's debut soundbar more accessible, we'd hold off buying it. And here’s why.

The Hisense HS214 is not only £16 cheaper at £74 on Amazon, but it also delivers superior sound quality. That's hard to argue against, but let’s dive into more detail if you need some convincing.

Amazon's Fire TV soundbar features a basic 2.0 setup with just two front-firing drivers, while the Hisense HS214 employs a 2.1 system that includes a dedicated 3-inch down-firing subwoofer.

This additional bass driver provides the low-frequency foundation that budget soundbars typically struggle to deliver.

It’s no surprise, then, that our testing revealed distinct performance gaps between the two models.

The Fire TV soundbar suffers from an undefined bass response, and rather lacks the textural detail needed for impactful cinema scenes.

In contrast, the Hisense delivers enhanced depth that the bass unit brings to the table, with a solid sound to the lows and a kick that gives the sound a touch more musicality.

The Hisense HS214 also excels with dialogue. Our review found that it anchors vocals, making content more engaging without the need to mess around with constant volume adjustments.

The Fire TV soundbar, while offering clear dialogue, sometimes produces voices that sound too smooth, missing the emotion of the performances in the process.

Both soundbars support similar connectivity options, including HDMI ARC, optical inputs, and Bluetooth streaming.

The Hisense, however, provides additional versatility with USB playback supporting multiple file formats (MP3/WAV/WMA/FLAC), coaxial input, and a 3.5mm auxiliary connection – features absent from its Amazon rival’s more limited specification.

Build quality favours Hisense as well. Despite its budget positioning, our testing found the HS214 offers decent-quality construction with thoughtful design elements such as wall-mounting hardware included in the box.

The Amazon model, while properly made, feels less substantial and lacks the premium touches found on the Hisense.

We should note that the Fire TV soundbar does include DTS Virtual:X processing for simulated surround effects – though our review found this creates a bit of a Catch 22 situation where enhanced width comes at the expense of vocal clarity.

The Hisense takes a more straightforward approach, with four EQ modes (music, news, cinema, and surround), that provide useful customisation without compromising core performance.

Music playback goes to the HS214 as well. Our testing revealed a pleasant, uncluttered midrange and a decent stereo image that makes casual listening enjoyable.

The Amazon model, while competent, lacks the punch and detail that make the Hisense engaging across different content types.

In short, the Hisense HS214 is a compact, budget soundbar that will elevate your TV’s built-in speakers.

If you can stretch your budget and space a little further though, then the £99 Sony SF150 is even better – which is why it is recommended on our list of the best soundbars.

MORE:

Read our Hisense HS214 2.1 review

These are the best soundbars currently available

Check out our Sony HT-SF150 review

The 65-inch version of the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED has dropped down to £759 on Amazon – a tasty £241 saving from its £1000 launch price. But we think there's a better TV deal live right now.

Instead of the Fire TV, we'd recommend spending just £30 more on the 65-inch Hisense U7N. Available for £789 at Amazon (down from its £899 launch price), the set represents significantly better value at its current price, based on our testing.

Here’s why.

The key difference lies in the display technology. While Amazon's Omni QLED uses a full-array LED backlight with 80 dimming zones, the Hisense U7N steps up to Mini LED technology with 384 dimming zones.

This translates to substantially better contrast control and more precise local dimming – crucial factors for picture quality.

In our review of the U7N, we found it delivered solid picture quality in most instances with effective dimming zone control that creates "a nicely three-dimensional, solid-looking picture that is one of the best you'll find on a set at this price."

The increased number of dimming zones allows for much more precise control of bright and dark areas within the same frame.

The Hisense also boasts higher peak brightness at 1,500 nits compared to its Omia rival’s more modest output. This enables better HDR performance, particularly with bright, vivid content where details might otherwise be lost.

Both TVs support the same HDR formats – HLG, HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision – but the U7N's superior hardware means it can make better use of them.

Our review noted that while the U7N can struggle with very bright scenes, it generally handles HDR content more capably than typical budget alternatives.

Gaming credentials are strong on both sets. The Hisense supports 4K gaming at up to 144Hz (though consoles are limited to 120Hz), along with VRR, ALLM, and Dolby Vision gaming.

The Amazon maxes out at 60Hz but includes the same VRR and ALLM features, plus Dolby Vision gaming support.

Where the Amazon TV excels, though, is in its smart platform integration. Fire OS is deeply embedded and offers excellent app support.

In contrast, the U7N uses VIDAA in the UK, which covers all the major streaming services, but lacks some gaming apps like Steam Link and GeForce Now.

Audio performance is comparable on both sets, with neither offering standout sound quality.

Both earned four-star ratings for audio in our reviews, delivering clear but unremarkable performance that would benefit from one of the best soundbars.

To be clear, the Amazon Omni QLED isn't a bad television – our review praised its thoughtfully designed approach that delivers balanced and consistent performance.

But the Hisense U7N's Mini LED technology and superior dimming zone control make it the smarter choice for anyone prioritising picture quality. In short, it’s worth the £30 extra.

MORE:

Read our Hisense U7N (65U7N) review

Best TV: flagship OLEDs and budget LED sets tried and tested

Read our Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (QL65F601) review

If you are looking for a streaming device to make your home cinema experience that bit easier, then you will inevitably have come across the Amazon Fire TV Stick series in the Prime Day sales this year.

Well, if you weren't sure which one to go for, we have spotted a deal well worth your consideration.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is now available for the low price of £40 at Amazon, saving you £30 off its original price of £70. And, as Prime Day is wrapping up today, this could be the last chance to grab this five-star streaming device at such a good price.

But what makes this streaming device so special?

In our full review of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) we loved its ease of use and wide coverage of streaming apps, as well as its detailed picture.

It comes equipped with double the storage compared to its predecessor, Wi-Fi 6E support for smoother streaming, and a more powerful predecessor compared to the step-down Fire TV Stick 4K.

The Fire OS streaming platform includes a wealth of apps – with everything from Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV+ and BBC iPlayer, to niche services like Mubi and Shudder included. There's also support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR.

Even at its full price, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max comes in cheaper than rivals such as the Apple TV 4K and Google TV Streamer. That makes this saving ideal for those looking to get an easy-to-use 4K streaming device without breaking the bank.

MORE:

Find more home cinema deals on Amazon this Prime Day

More great TV deals to be had at Richer Sounds

Sevenoaks Sound & Vision is home to some home cinema bargains right now

On the hunt for an affordable 32-inch TV for your kitchen, bedroom or snug while the prices are low during Amazon Prime Day? This TCL set could well fit the bill.

The 32-inch TCL SF540K is now available at Amazon for £109.

We saw the price of this four-star TV fall briefly a short while ago, but it didn't hang around, returning to £179 for a few months. Now that Prime Day week is upon, however, the recommendable telly has dropped to this all-time low price.

This dinky size may not be what everyone is looking for, but they are a great choice for those who are short on space or looking for a smaller set for another room.

While it is not the best TV on the market, this 32-inch TCL has a surprisingly full feature set that includes the Fire TV smart platform. And, as our expert reviewers concluded, "achieves a thoughtful and easy-to-enjoy balance between all the key picture elements".

While expectations need to be tempered at this price (and because this is a 'small' TV), the TCL SF540K offers a surprisingly stacked feature set and a very likeable picture performance.

The headline is the inclusion of Amazon's Fire TV operating system, which means the whole user experience is rather like that of a Fire TV Stick.

It's colourful, intuitive and grants access to pretty much every streaming app you're likely to need, including all of the major UK-specific catch-up apps, which are neatly wrapped up under the Freeview Play banner.

You can use the mic built into the remote to chat to Alexa, too, essentially turning the TV into a big Amazon Echo device – albeit one that requires a button press to operate.

Unlike most TVs at this level, which have an 'HD Ready' 720p resolution, the SF540K has a 'Full HD' 1080p resolution.

It also boasts VA panel technology and a direct LED backlight, and it supports HDR in the HDR10 and HLG formats. And while the TV isn't packed with gaming features, it does offer ALLM switching and a low input lag of 15.3ms, so it's a good option if you need a very affordable gaming TV.

In action, the TCL SF540K isn't super-bright or vibrant, but it is balanced and controlled, which is more than can be said for most rivals.

Black levels are reasonable and there's plenty of shadow detail, bright highlights are free of nasty 'clipping', and colours are fairly warm and natural. It's sharper and more detailed than the other 32-inch TVs we've tested recently, too, and motion is handled well.

Our only real criticism of the picture performance (taking into consideration the price, of course) is that it has fairly limited viewing angles, which means those sitting substantially off-axis from the TV will find the picture looks a bit washed out.

The sound quality is, unfortunately albeit not unexpectedly, worse than the picture. The thin and limp delivery won't be a huge problem for daytime TV, but it will be a frustration for movies and games. Luckily, excellent cheap soundbar Prime Day deals are also available...

Ultimately, this is a very solid-performing and smart TV. We awarded it four stars at £149, but it actually launched for £179, making it a real bargain at the new price of £109.

MORE:

Check out the best deals at Amazon right now

There are even more TV deals on Richer Sounds

Check out Peter Tyson’s TV deals

If you’re looking for a new TV with solid picture quality and a surprisingly low price tag, we have some good news. Amazon has slashed the price of its entire Fire Omni LED range as part of its ongoing Prime Day sale.

Amazon Prime members can grab the 55-, 65- and 75-inch Omni Mini LED with hundreds of pounds shaved off their price. So, until the stroke of midnight on the 11th July you can:

• Buy the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED 55-inch for £639 – save £210.
• Buy the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED 65-inch for £799 – save £350.
• Buy the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED 75-inch for £999.99 – save £600.

But of all these deals one in particular has caught our editor’s eye: the saving on the largest, 75-inch, model. Why? Because the current deal is a huge 38 per cent discount on its regular price and the best we have seen it sell for.

Prior to Prime day the cheapest we had seen it retail for was a slightly more premium £1099. By comparison, the 55-inch deal equates to a 25 per cent discount and the 65-inch a 30 per cent saving.

We have reviewed both the 55-inch and 65-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED and so are happy to recommend them.

Though both scored four, not five-star, ratings, this is common among Mini LED sets. Jump to our best Mini LED TV buying guide and you will see a number of four-star sets included.

This is largely due to their launch price, which in the upper end of the Mini LED market puts them close to step-down and entry level OLEDs – which offer deeper blacks and more reactive pixel level light control.

But at these discounted prices the sets are easier recommendations. This is especially true of the Fire TV Mini LED, which particularly impressed our reviewers thanks to its focus on never trying too hard.

Unlike the rivals we tested it against, which included the TCL C855K and Hisense U7N, the Amazon set never falls victim to two common mistakes we spot with Mini LED sets. The first is trying too hard to sell how bright they can go.

Mini LED sets tend to have very high peak-brightness levels. This can be useful if you are watching them in a bright room; but many are clumsy with the way they try to show this off. They can push the entire screen’s brightness too high, rather than focusing on a specific area, which in turn can make certain movie scenes look flat.

The second mistake is at the other end of the spectrum, and is a common trick used to try to artificially make up for these sets' naturally imperfect black levels: cranking the contrast too high during dark scenes.

This is done to try to trick you into thinking the blacks are deeper than they are. But it usually results in a loss of detail during dark scenes.

The Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED manages to avoid both of these pitfalls most of the time, with Amazon having sensibly tuned it to operate within its natural limits, never pushing the panel too hard in either direction.

Is it perfect? No. colour volume isn’t up there with the best and blacks do have a grey quality because of those manufacturer decisions. But the consistent, controlled approach means these issues are forgivable and never distract you from what’s going on onscreen – as many rivals' flashy attempts to mask these flaws do.

Which is why we are happy to recommend the set, especially at its current price.

Our only word of caution is that we haven’t reviewed the 75-inch model, so there is a minor element of risk.

Based on our experience with other ranges, quality can vary a bit with backlit models as you go to the bigger screen sizes. But even with that small caveat, we are happy to recommend Amazon’s current deal on the largest 75-inch model of the Fire TV Omni Mini LED.

On the off chance none of these sets feels quite right, make sure to follow our best Amazon Prime Day home cinema deals live blog. In it our experts will be adding all the top deals, including on TVs, that we have spotted and recommend throughout the event.

MORE:

Shop for more great deals on Amazon

Make sure you check out Richer Sounds’ TV deals as well

In case you missed it, there are some top TV deals at Sevenoaks Sound and Vision too

A few months ago, TCL added a whole host of new TVs to its range, including a new Mini LED TV flagship named the C8K. But it's not quite done yet.

The brand has just launched its new series of Full HD QLED TVs, complete with Fire TV OS.

The SF560K is available in screen sizes from 32 inches to 43 inches. They also feature Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual:X which the Chinese-based company says provides “an immersive experience in any space.”

Freely, a free streaming service that provides live TV and on-demand content through the internet, is built into the new models, which TCL adds “eliminates the need to switch platforms.”

We have not seen the TCL models in person, but the brand describes them as a "slim, completely flat screen with lightweight construction" that uses Quantum Dot Pro technology for punchier colours.

You can control the SF560 Fire TV with the included Voice Remote with Amazon Alexa, allowing you to change channels, adjust volume, open apps and operate other compatible smart home devices in your household with voice control.

The smallest size, measuring in at 32 inches, is available in the UK for £219, the 40-inch for £249 and the 43-inch for £299. TCL's new range should be available to order now.

This comes shortly after rivals Mitchell and Brown have just announced the launch of the UK’s "smallest Full HD TV with Freely support" only a few days ago.

The 32-inch model, the JB-32T1881, is priced at £280, which is aimed at a slightly higher price point than the new TCL model of the same size.

We have not reviewed either of these models yet, but it will be intriguing to see how the dinky TVs compare in the test room.

MORE:

These are the best cheap TVs we recommend

Hisense vs TCL: which cheap TV brand is better?

And here are the best OLED TVs

Amazon Prime Day is on the horizon, and there's one deal at the top of my wish list.

The savings event will officially kick off on the 8th of July, with deals on a range of hi-fi, AV and home cinema gear expected. However, it's one of Amazon's own products that I'm keeping my eye on.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which sits at the top of Amazon's incredibly popular streaming stick range, just scored five stars in our recent review. For the money, it's our top pick for those looking for an upgrade over their TV's built-in streaming apps, or for anyone with an older 4K TV that features outdated software.

At £70, it undercuts rivals such as the Apple TV 4K and Google TV Streamer, but I reckon we'll see an even better price very soon.

Amazon tends to ruthlessly discount its products, slashing serious percentages off price tags during its own sales event. Therefore, I will eat my proverbial hat if the Fire TV Stick 4K Max doesn't see a major discount in two weeks.

During the period in which we tested the Fire TV Stick, it was priced at just £50 in a sporadic Amazon sale that didn't appear to be linked to any specific savings event.

If it can randomly drop by £20, I expect to see a deal that matches or beats that on Amazon Prime Day. The previous generation model dropped from £65 to just £38 back in 2023, so I'm gearing up for a similar saving.

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max would be a no-brainer at £50 (in fact, we called it a no-brainer at its full asking price), as its picture performance is well worth that money. We appreciated its crisp and detailed image, rich colours and considered handling of motion.

Furthermore, the Fire OS streaming platform includes a wealth of apps – with everything from Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV+ and BBC iPlayer, to niche services like Mubi and Shudder included – and the support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR is the icing on the cake.

I'll be keeping a close eye on the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max this Prime Day, so check back often to see if my dream deal ends up becoming a reality.

MORE:

Read our full Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max review

As well as our picks for the best streaming devices

And read our full Google TV Streamer review

The best streaming devices breathe new life into ageing TVs, bestowing them with the power of wondrous streaming services, crisp pictures and zippy operating system performance.

Enter the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) and Google TV Streamer – two devices that promise to deliver everything your entertainment-craving heart desires. But which one most deserves your hard-earned cash?

It’s an important question, and one we’re here to answer below, having fully reviewed both devices and compared them next to one another.

So you should be in a solid position to pull the trigger on one or the other by the time you’ve made it to the bottom of this page.

But first, a little scene-setting. Google's decision to axe the Award-winning Chromecast with Google TV in 2024 shook up the streaming market.

In its place sits the Google TV Streamer – a more powerful but considerably pricier alternative that costs nearly double the price of the Chromecast it usurped.

This shift has handed Amazon a potentially golden opportunity. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) now finds itself competing against a Google device that costs significantly more, while – spoiler alert – delivering performance that's not dramatically better.

But enough teasing. Let’s dive in.

• Check out our expert pick of the best TV streaming devices

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) vs Google TV Streamer: price

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) costs £70 / $60 / AU$120. That's a modest bump from its predecessor's £65 / $55 / AU$99 price, but still very reasonable.

Better yet, the frequent sales at Amazon – Big Deal Days, Prime Day, Black Friday etc – often see its streamer drop to around £50 / $40 / AU$89.

The Google TV Streamer, meanwhile, commands £99 / $100 / AU$160. That's a hefty premium and nearly double the discontinued Chromecast's £60 / $50 / AU$99 launch price.

Clearly, there’s only one winner in this category.

** Winner: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) **

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) vs Google TV Streamer: design

Design is always subjective, so your preferred device will depend on your preferences and home setups, as both devices bring completely different builds to the table.

Amazon, for one, sticks with the dongle approach, and its dinky Fire TV Stick weighs just 46g. For those of you who have adopted the Confectionary System of Measurement, that’s a mere hair heavier than a standard Kinder Bueno chocolate bar.

Another bonus for minimalists – the 4K Max 2nd Gen plugs straight into your TV's HDMI socket, making it completely hidden from view. Note, however, that this may block adjacent HDMI sockets unless you use the included adapter.

Overall, though, there’s little to complain about, apart from Amazon's decision to keep Micro USB for power when USB-C has become the contemporary standard. Not that you’ll need to constantly plug/unplug it, mind.

As for Google, it’s taken the streaming box route. The TV Streamer is a pebble-like device designed to sit on your media unit. The Porcelain white finish, combined with its organic curves, looks clean and modern, to our eyes at least.

The box design brings practical perks too – an Ethernet port for wired connections and easier access if things go wrong. But you'll need shelf space, which the Fire TV Stick's hidden approach avoids entirely.

Both come with decent remotes, though Google's includes a handy 'Find my remote' feature that Amazon reserves for its pricier Remote Pro.

Overall, both designs have their merits, with very few cons.

** Winner: draw **

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) vs Google TV Streamer: features

Amazon has doubled the Fire TV Stick's storage to 16GB and kept 2GB of RAM. There's a 2.0GHz quad-core processor, Wi-Fi 6E support and up to 7.1 surround sound. It also packs Bluetooth 5.2.

Google counters with 32GB of storage, 4GB of RAM and what it claims is a more powerful processor than its predecessor.

The USB-C port can also handle peripherals like external storage. Bluetooth 5.1 is on board, plus Quick Media Switching to reduce annoying black screens when switching content.

Both pack the same video specs – namely, 4K HDR at 60fps with Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HDR10+. Dolby Atmos is supported too, though neither supports DTS:X.

Google's party trick is AI integration via its Gemini platform. You get content summaries, season breakdowns for TV shows, and AI-generated art for screensavers. Sounds impressive, right? Well, sort of.

The AI descriptions can be hit-and-miss – it accurately called Blade Runner 2049 "existential, atmospheric and bleak" but bizarrely described BBC comedy Amandaland as "gritty".

More frustrating, though, is how Google's interface keeps freezing despite all that extra processing power. Navigating menus too quickly causes the system to stick and stutter – not something you would expect from a Google device, especially at this price.

Amazon's Fire OS is more straightforward without the AI bells and whistles, but it works without the stuttering. The trade-off is a more ad-heavy interface that pushes Amazon's own services.

App support is excellent on both, covering all the major streaming services plus domestic options like BBC iPlayer and Channel 4.

** Winner: draw **

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) vs Google TV Streamer: picture

For the significant price difference, you'd expect Google’s offering to deliver a more obvious picture upgrade. But that’s not the case.

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max delivers sharp, engaging pictures with ample detail in clothing textures and skin tones, though the latter can occasionally appear slightly warm.

Motion handling proves accomplished, maintaining smooth tracking without juddering or stuttering. Notably, film grain reproduction also appears cleaner and more intentional on Amazon's device, compared to its rival.

Google's TV Streamer offers improved contrast over the Chromecast predecessor, with enhanced depth and deeper blacks that create more impactful imagery. Colours balance punch and naturalness effectively, appearing vibrant yet measured and authentic.

Motion processing matches Amazon's competent performance levels, though film grain can appear overbearing and distracting.

Overall, our direct comparison reveals that picture performance between these devices is remarkably similar. The Google TV Streamer has slightly more detail and marginally punchier colours, but the differences remain minimal, and are subtle rather than transformative.

** Winner: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) **

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) vs Google TV Streamer: sound

While picture performance is similar, there’s no denying Amazon’s superior audio performance.

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max 2nd Gen provides a warmer, more cohesive and dynamic presentation compared to Google's offering, with clear and detailed vocals that remain well-integrated within the broader audio mix.

Timing represents its weakest aspect, particularly noticeable during music playback, but the overall presentation proves serviceable for both entertainment and musical content.

Google's TV Streamer encounters more significant audio challenges. While vocal clarity remains sufficient for movies and television programming, the performance suffers from inadequate low-level dynamics that diminish dialogue's emotional impact. Voices exhibit flat, uninteresting characteristics, with limited tonal variation that undermines dramatic performances.

The performance difference becomes particularly apparent during music playback, where Google’s device exhibits an absence of warmth and texture, creating an uninspiring listening experience compared to its Amazon rival.

** Winner: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) **

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) vs Google TV Streamer: verdict

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) delivers virtually identical picture performance to the Google TV Streamer while sounding noticeably better and costing significantly less.

While Google's AI features and extra storage may appeal to some, they don't justify the premium when their core performance is so similar.

So unless you specifically need Google's AI features or are deeply embedded in its ecosystem, Amazon's device offers better value and better sound.

For most people upgrading their streaming setup, it's an easy recommendation.

** Overall winner: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) **

MORE:

Read our Google TV Streamer review

And our Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) review

Google TV Streamer vs Chromecast with Google TV: should you upgrade?

Best media streamers: the best TV streaming devices

I've tested my fair share of streaming devices in my time at What Hi-Fi?, including heavy hitters from Amazon, Google and Apple.

But while that trifecta of tech titans comprises the biggest players, it would be remiss of me to neglect the likes of Roku and Nvidia, both of which have loyal fan bases for their respective streamers.

With our latest streaming review, that being the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation), I noticed a pattern that nearly every streaming stick and box seems to follow: they're not that great at streaming music.

Now, it's worth remembering that the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a five-star option for movie fans, as we approved of its "detailed and rich picture" and it's got a solid feature set too. But when it comes to testing audio, we always ensure to try music alongside movie dialogue and sound effects.

We do this because you can tell a lot from a product's sound performance using a reference track, and need I remind you that soundtracks are a huge part of the film watching experience.

On a more personal level, I use the streaming device currently hooked up to my TV at home to play music through my soundbar. Not the ideal audio set-up, I'm well aware, but it suits my needs, and space isn't exactly abundant in my modest London abode.

I will upgrade to a full hi-fi arrangement in due course, but it's better than nothing, and I'm willing to bet that a lot of people use their streaming device to play music through their TVs at home too.

So, with that in mind, how did the Fire TV Stick 4K fare? It's not bad, in fact in our review I described it as "solid", complimenting its warmth and cohesion even if timing was notably lacklustre. Most importantly, however, it sounded much better than the Google TV Streamer.

Google's streaming offering didn't excel with music or movie audio, serving up a flat and uninteresting sound, lacking warmth and dynamic prowess in the process. The Amazon, comparatively, had no issue achieving the upper hand during my side-by-side testing, though the bar wasn't exactly high.

So, with Amazon sort of getting it right, but by no means reaching for the stars, and Google missing the mark entirely, is there anyone out there who can deliver a genuinely excellent musical experience via a streamer?

Of course there is, and it should come as no surprise that I'm about to recommend the Apple TV 4K yet again. Yes, I'm well aware that I've banged on about this streamer enough at this point, but it's the truth; Apple just gets sound so right with the TV 4K.

It's a warm, textured, and rich performance with excellent timing and dynamics. It handles the indie, pop, and R&B tracks that I most commonly listen to without breaking a sweat.

It has me wondering this: why can't other manufacturers compete? I suppose it comes down to priorities; Google is all-in on Gemini AI with the Google TV Streamer, while Amazon's goal with the Fire TV Stick range is to balance performance and affordability.

Also, I presume that movies and TV shows outrank music when it comes to developing and tuning their products. The predominant use case for streaming devices is, at the end of the day, to access services like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.

That being said, Apple's success with music replay shows that you can strike a balance and get both right.

Ultimately, Apple's streamer is the most expensive of the models mentioned here, so I'd honestly expect nothing less than the best performance possible. But still, it would be nice to see other streaming devices close the gap.

MORE:

Read our full Amazon Fire TV 4K Max (2nd Generation) review

As well as our Apple TV 4K (2022) review

And check out our picks for the best streaming devices for movies and TV

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick range of streaming devices may not be the most glamorous or technically impressive products that we see in our AV testing room, but they serve a specific purpose and perform said purpose well.

Case in point is the first-generation Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which offered affordable plug-and-play 4K HDR streaming, with a solid picture performance and feature set that was hard to argue with, especially for the price.

The only thing holding that streamer back was the existence of the then-Award-winning Google Chromecast with Google TV, which just edged out the first-generation Fire TV Stick 4K Max when it came to picture and sound performance.

Luckily for Amazon, Google has since discontinued that device and replaced it with a streamer that’s nearly double the price, and not quite as good. So, it would make total sense for Amazon to strike while the iron is hot, and deliver an upgraded streaming stick that undercuts the Google TV Streamer; and that’s exactly what it has done.

Today, we have the second-generation Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and with upgraded performance, a significant lack of competition and a tempting price tag, it might just be the easiest no-brainer buy in the AV world.

Price

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) officially costs £70 / $60 / AU$120; a smidge more than its predecessor’s £65 / $55 / AU$99 starting price. While a price rise – albeit minor – isn’t necessarily a welcome sight, what will be more enticing are the discounts that this streamer will inevitably receive throughout the year.

During its own sales events – Big Deal Days, Prime Day and Black Friday – Amazon almost always heavily discounts its own products. You can expect to pay closer to £50 / $40 / AU$89 if you time your purchase right.

Better yet, Amazon’s new streamer benefits from a major player exiting the market. Google’s Chromecast with Google TV was the roadblock preventing the previous generation Fire TV Stick 4K Max from achieving the full five-star commendation; however, that Award-winning streamer has been discontinued.

Google has replaced it with the four-star Google TV Streamer, which costs £99 / $100 / AU$160; considerably more than the Chromecast’s £60 / $50 / AU$99 launch price and, more importantly, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

As for other rivals, Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K undercuts the Amazon streamer at £50 / $50 / AU$110, though it’s yet to land in our AV testing room.

Build

The new Fire TV Stick isn’t a radical departure from its predecessors, though there are some identifying features to distinguish this newer model.

It’s still an all-plastic cuboid with an HDMI connector sticking out of one end, akin to an oversized USB thumb drive with the corners rounded off.

Unfortunately, this means that the last generation’s tendency to hog the area surrounding the HDMI socket it's lodged into is once again prevalent, meaning you may struggle to plug a cable into the adjacent HDMI port unless you use the included adapter.

A further design oversight relates to the power socket, which bafflingly uses Micro USB rather than the widely accepted USB-C standard. While we appreciate Amazon including a power adapter in the box, the decision to stick with the older, less convenient and less widely used connection is an odd choice indeed.

Moving away from the stick itself and onto the remote, Amazon has bundled in the same Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced model that can be found with the Fire TV Cube (3rd Generation). It’s functional, comfortable to hold, and features shortcuts to streaming services, which will differ depending on which region you purchase it in.

We would have liked to see the “find my remote” function included here, as it comes as standard on the Google TV Streamer; however, you’ll need to purchase the optional Fire TV Remote Pro for that, which also includes backlit buttons.

Features

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max’s only mission is to bring 4K streaming smarts to your TV, and it does so with a decent list of appreciated features.

HDR, for example, is supported in all of the major formats, including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG, meaning this streaming stick will play nicely with your TV regardless of whether you own a Dolby Vision-sporting LG TV or an HDR10+ only Samsung.

Furthermore, it supports Dolby Atmos audio, as well as up to 7.1 surround sound.

Inside the Fire TV Stick is a 2.0 GHz quad-core processor, and Amazon has been kind enough to double the storage from 8GB to 16GB, though RAM stays at 2GB.

Wi-Fi 6E is also supported, which should offer “smoother 4K streaming”, according to Amazon – though you’ll need a compatible router to access this.

At the heart of the Fire TV Stick experience is Fire OS, which you’ll also find on the company’s Omni-series QLED and Mini LED TVs, as well as (from 2024) Panasonic’s OLED TVs.

It’s a robust, well-supported and versatile operating system, which might not look quite as clean as Apple’s tvOS or be brimming with AI features like Google TV, but it's good for the straightforward streaming tasks that we require of a Fire TV Stick.

One area where Fire OS frustrates is with its ad-heavy nature. Amazon’s services are also pushed to the forefront, which shouldn’t be too surprising considering it manufactured the device, and the ads can be somewhat forgiven thanks to the device’s relatively low price tag.

App support is, unsurprisingly, excellent, with a full range of global streaming apps – including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV and, of course, Amazon Prime Video – and domestic services such as BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and more.

Fire OS is also home to some niche services, including Mubi, Shudder, BFI Player and others, making this a solid choice for mainstream and indie movie fans.

Something to note with the Apple TV app is that it's exclusively used as a hub for Apple TV+ content and a way to access your existing Apple TV library. The store cannot be accessed directly through this app, so you’ll need to purchase your desired movie or TV series on a smartphone or tablet to watch it on the Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

Music and gaming apps are also well supported, with the likes of Spotify, Tidal and Deezer on board, though Apple Music is unfortunately sidelined. Thankfully, that can be circumvented with the inclusion of AirPlay 2.

Gaming-wise, Amazon’s Luna cloud gaming service and Xbox are the two major players, while casual games that can be controlled via the included remote are also accessible.

Picture

Much like its predecessor, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max provides plenty of positive picture attributes, which makes it a rather compelling streamer for the money. Better yet, it doesn’t have the Chromecast with Google TV to contend with, and instead now has the four-star Google TV Streamer as its major adversary.

We plug the Fire TV Stick into our reference Sony OLED TV and load up a range of streaming apps onto the device to deduce how it handles picture performance.

Firing up Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning on Netflix, the Fire TV Stick delivers a sharp and engaging picture, with plenty of detail in the suits worn by Ethan Hunt and his well-dressed gang as they plan out their mission in Abu Dhabi Airport.

There is ample detail to skin textures, and aside from a few instances of skin tones looking a tad on the warm side, the Fire TV Stick generally impresses.

We also take no issue with how motion is handled, as the MV-22 Osprey military aircraft carrying a troop of elite agents tasked with hunting down the hero glides smoothly into frame, with the whirring propellers showing no signs of awkward juddering or stuttering.

Switching to Challengers in HDR10+ on Amazon Prime Video, we’re once again impressed with the detail levels, colours, and motion, deducing that the Stick 4K Max provides a balanced and enjoyable image overall.

Furthermore, the film grain that can sometimes be presented as overbearing image noise on the Google streamer seems cleaner and looks more intentional on the Fire TV Stick.

Feeding the Fire TV Stick some HD content, namely Gladiator II, once again on Prime Video, we do notice that the edges of subjects get slightly softer. That being said, clothing and skin remain detailed enough, and the streamer certainly doesn’t make a big deal of presenting the comparatively lower resolution content.

We compare it directly to the Google TV Streamer with these aforementioned movies, alongside Mad Max: Fury Road and Babylon on the Apple TV app, and this is where things get interesting.

Despite costing a fair bit more than the Fire TV Stick 4K, the Google TV Streamer’s picture looks nearly identical. We can pick out a touch more detail on the Google TV, and colours are slightly punchier (if anything, we could accuse the Google of overdoing skin tones here), but otherwise, we struggle to see the point in shelling out for the pricier Google TV Streamer when it comes to picture performance.

Sound

While the picture performance is practically identical to the Google TV Streamer (albeit for less money), where we see the biggest difference between these two streamers is in sound quality. Make no mistake, the Fire TV Stick 4K is no maestro, but it's a darn sight better than the Google TV Streamer.

Loading up Tidal to stream tracks including Gasoline by HAIM and Taylor Swift, Luther by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, and From by Bon Iver, we’re met with sound that can best be described as solid. It won’t blow your socks off, and timing is one aspect where the Fire TV Stick does falter, but it’s a warmer, more cohesive and dynamic performance compared with the poor-sounding Google TV Streamer.

This is true for movies and TV shows as well, as we return to Mission: Impossible to find clear and detailed vocals that have been prioritised within the greater audio mix. That being said, they don’t sound detached, and the tense soundtrack still has its chance to build suspense effectively.

Verdict

Amazon’s flagship streaming stick is a solid option for anyone whose TV’s built-in streaming apps just aren’t cutting it. Its sharp and colourful picture, paired with its easy plug-and-play usability, should appease those who want to squeeze a bit more life out of their ageing 4K TV, or sidestep their TV’s built-in operating system.

Unless you’re considering stepping up to the Apple TV 4K, which costs double the price, the Fire TV Stick 4K is the go-to 4K streaming device at this level.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Google TV Streamer

Also consider the Apple TV 4K

These are the best video streamers you can buy

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

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

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

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

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

But illegal streaming sticks are not the only problem here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MORE:

Here are the best streaming devices we recommend

This is our review of the Amazon Fire Stick 4K

Check out our review of Apple TV 4K

Amazon's affordable Omni QLED TV range made waves when it launched in 2023. These smart TVs leveraged Amazon's well-established Fire TV platform and paired it with a solid picture experience alongside a reasonable price tag.

We especially liked the 50-inch model; so much so, in fact, that we awarded it the title of "Best budget 48-50in TV".

While the original launch price of £650 was far from astronomical (especially considering the five-star picture performance), this deal drops the price considerably. Amazon is currently offering the 50-inch Omni QLED for just £350 – that's a saving of £300.

The 50-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED is what we called "a budget TV with rare all-round ability" when we first got our hands on it in 2023. And we gave it a What Hi-Fi? Award and five-star rating thanks to its consistent, considered performance and impressive feature set.

So, let's talk about these features. With this budget-friendly Amazon entry, you're getting a 4K/60Hz QLED panel and a robust suite of HDR support that includes HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision IQ, alongside full-array local dimming with 80 discrete zones. Of course, as an Amazon TV, it features the Fire TV smart platform, which is superior to many smart TV platforms in terms of usability and app support.

For gamers, the Omni QLED is certainly one to consider when it comes to the best gaming TVs. It offers support for VRR, ALLM and HDR10+ across all four of the set's HDMI ports. And it can definitely handle new-gen consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X seamlessly.

All of this led us to say in our full review: "The standard of budget TVs is lower now than it has been in years, but that’s not to take away from the Omni QLED’s performance, which is markedly more assured, considered and authentically cinematic than expected at this level, now or in the past."

And right now, if you're looking for a budget TV that is still top-quality, then the 50-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED is one heck of a deal at just £350 at Amazon.

MORE:

Read our full 50-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED review

Best 50-inch TVs: the best mid-sized sets we've tested for every budget

And check out our complete list of the best TVs

Netflix will soon stop working on older Fire TV devices, with customers being notified of the upcoming axe via an email from Amazon.

The app will stop working on affected devices from 3rd June, marking an end to support for Amazon's first-generation Fire TV devices from 3rd June 2025, with three specific models set to lose Netflix functionality – the original Fire TV (2014), Fire TV Stick (2014), and Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote (2016).

While Netflix hasn't provided detailed reasons for the support withdrawal, it’s likely that codec compatibility issues are the driving force behind the decision. The older devices can’t support modern video compression standards, particularly the AV1 codec which Netflix has used since 2021.

The AV1 codec delivers superior compression compared with older standards, enabling better picture quality at equivalent data rates, while avoiding licensing fees due to its open-source nature. And, unfortunately for those rocking the listed devices, these codec improvements can’t be deployed to older hardware through software updates.

Amazon itself stopped releasing software and security updates for these first-generation devices a few years ago, following the company’s standard four-year support cycle. Not to miss an opportunity, Amazon also told The Verge that it may offer discounts on newer Fire TV hardware for customers affected by the Netflix withdrawal if they contact customer service for more information.

As things stand, other streaming services will still work on the affected devices – but if you think it’s time for an upgrade, feel free to check out our list of the best streaming devices to help keep your options open.

MORE:

Read our full Netflix review

Google TV Streamer vs Amazon Fire TV Cube: which is the best streaming device?

Should you buy an Amazon Fire TV?

Soundbars with Dolby Atmos can cost a fair amount, so this Amazon entry offers a way to bring the immersive experience to the living room without breaking the bank.

The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is the brand’s step-up model from its cheaper sibling, which we rated a respectable three stars.

This 3.1 speaker system doesn’t add the Fire TV smarts we expected but didn’t get with the first Fire TV Soundbar, but it does add Dolby Atmos support, so it’s easy to assume it must be better in terms of sound quality.

Well, you know what they say about 'assume', don’t you?

Price

Coming in at £250 / $250 (about AU$400), the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus costs roughly twice as much as its entry-level sibling, the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar. As with most of Amazon’s first-party products, discounts are frequent and often large – we have seen it available for as little as £200 / $190.

In the US, you can add an optional subwoofer and surround sound speakers from Amazon for a total system cost of $490 (around £370/ AU$765), but these additional components are not available in the UK.

Competition is fierce, even at this budget level, but the Sony HT-S2000 stands out as the benchmark.

Although it launched at a more expensive £349 / $500 / AU$595, it is now usually available for closer to £250 in the UK. We haven’t seen quite the same drop in the US or Australia, though, as it is widely available for just a few dollars off its original price tag. Its solid dynamics and clear dialogue impressed during testing, earning it a five-star rating.

The Sonos Ray is also competing with the Amazon soundbar with a slightly higher price tag of £279 / $279 / AU$399 and a lower specification that does without Atmos support and HDMI connectivity. This punchy yet petite entry delivers excellent vocal clarity, but its weak low-end extension means it was awarded four stars.

Design

The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus’ plastic body with its neat cloth grille gives the ’bar a clean overall feel.

Its 6.4 x 94 x 13.2cm (hwd) dimensions make it perfectly suited for the spot in front of and/or beneath your TV, and at 4kg, it is heavier and longer than the Sony HT-S2000, which gives it a more robust feel.

Underneath that grille are three full-range speakers, three tweeters, and two subwoofers. There are no up-firing speakers, though, despite the soundbar offering Dolby Atmos. It does this instead with processing that's designed to recreate the sense of space that physical speakers would do otherwise.

We still wouldn't advise positioning the soundbar inside a cabinet or on a shelf with another above it, even though there are no up-firing drivers.

Features

As with its cheaper sibling, no app or Amazon features (not even Alexa) are integrated into the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus, which seems like a missed opportunity and makes the product’s name feel somewhat misleading.

You don’t get a full display either, although there are different coloured lights that show on the front of the ’bar when you switch inputs or change settings such as volume.

As with its cheaper sibling, no app or Amazon features are integrated into the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus, which seems like a missed opportunity and makes the product’s name feel somewhat misleading.

We don’t get a full display either, although there are different coloured lights that show on the front of the ’bar when you switch inputs or change settings such as volume.

The remote control is a small affair, perhaps a little too tiny to fit snugly in the palm of your hand. Still, it’s intuitive to use, and you always know what setting is being adjusted. This is partly thanks to a voice alert that indicates if you are changing the input or the EQ.

Speaking of the different sound modes, there are four to choose from: Movie, Music, Sport and Night.

Movie gives its sound the biggest sense of space and immersion, but Music is the mode to go for if you are using it for more forward and direct audio.

For those looking to enjoy some sports commentary, Sports emphasises dialogue but at the expense of the rest of the sound, which becomes thinner and less expressive.

Finally, Night allows you to compress the sound to avoid disturbing others in the house.

You can customise the sound further with separate bass, treble, and dialogue levels. Bass and treble can be changed from one to nine, whereas dialogue has just five steps.

These first two settings are preset to five, which we find gives the most balanced overall presentation. Dialogue is initially set to three. As there is no app, the only way to cycle through these is via the remote, which can quickly become tiresome.

On top of that, you can turn on a surround sound mode to further widen your film’s soundstage.

Sound

We begin testing the soundbar with a What Hi-Fi? favourite, Mad Max: Fury Road, using the LG C5 as our TV. During the start of the chase scene as the warboys charge after Furiosa, we expect the multiple engines to roar and for Nux’s whoops to feel joyous but raw.

Instead, the Amazon ’bar presents flappy, thin bass that is almost unrecognisable as the rev of an actual engine. Nux’s voice is clear over the fast-paced soundtrack and vehicle noise, but it sounds flat and robotic. Nicholas Hoult’s performance is dulled down to something much less impactful.

We turn up the volume in the hopes of getting a more bassy impact or some sense of dynamics. However, this results in a shrill and unpleasant sound from both the lower and higher frequencies, only further highlighting the flaws in its execution.

Moving to the war movie Unbroken, it’s a similar story. As we see the bomber attacked in the air, the explosions that bounce off the nose of the plane should feel heavy and impactful. Instead, they sound weightless and lacking substance.

There’s a hard-to-ignore insistence to the upper midrange during this tense scene that is both shrill and irritating. Even the lower frequencies drill away at your ears, somehow managing to exclude the lower bass and lower mid from the mix.

At least there is a wide sense of space with the action, and the Atmos-ness of the presentation is relatively impressive considering there are no up-firing speakers. You can feel an attacking plane move from one side of the screen to another with decent precision, for example.

But while that spaciousness and the directness of the dialogue are both improvements over the sort of sound you can expect from most TVs, the presentation is otherwise so regularly grating that we feel most TV speakers will be preferable to this soundbar overall. That’s a damning thing to say about a soundbar.

We switch to Music and play some tunes from Tidal, starting with Invincible by Tool.

The vocals sound incredibly artificial, displaying the same unnatural, unemotive quality that we notice when watching movies. Lead singer Maynard James Keenan’s voice is almost unrecognisable; more robot than man.

Each frequency feels separate from the rest, grating and competing to be the loudest.

The jump in quality when we switch to the Sony HT-S2000 is stark. We get a much more cohesive sound and, although the movie soundstage is smaller than that which we get from the Amazon soundbar, it is quite simply a more pleasant listen.

Verdict

While Amazon’s soundbar is simple to set up and creates a wide sense of space, this is all overshadowed by the unbalanced overall sound performance.

Any sense of tension and emotion is removed by the soundbar’s dull yet grating audio quality, which only gets worse if you turn up the volume.

There are so many better options out there at a lower price, including Amazon’s own entry-level Amazon Fire TV soundbar – which isn’t in itself very good, has fewer features and no Dolby Atmos, yet still manages to produce a much more balanced and overall listenable experience than the Plus.

Ultimately, though, neither of Amazon's soundbars so much as glances at our list of the best budget soundbars.

SCORES

• Sound 2
• Build 4
• Features 3

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony HT S2000

Also consider the Sonos Ray

Best soundbars: options for every need, recommended by our experts

My six-year-old son is, as you can probably imagine, hugely spoiled in terms of the AV gear he gets to enjoy TV shows, movies and games on.

Of course, he doesn't really know that. He has no real appreciation for the fact that we recently watched Transformers One on one of the best OLED TVs, nor that the sound was coming from the five-star Sony HT-A9 Dolby Atmos system. He just loved the experience of it all.

But the reason he loved that experience (and our other movie nights) was that it felt a little bit like going to the cinema. Lights off, reasonably big screen, loud sound.

I've often pondered taking the home cinema experience to its logical conclusion by making a projector work in our living room, but have always felt that it's just not practical. Or, more accurately, not entirely worth all of the effort that would be involved.

Instead, one weekend when the weather was looking particularly stormy, I decided to take a mini projector home so that we could set it up in his bedroom for a bit of a treat – and it was a hit.

The projector in question is the Xgimi Mogo 2 Pro, which has actually now been replaced by the Mogo 3 Pro. We never actually reviewed it, but it's clearly not the most impressive portable projector.

The picture isn't very refined, it's not bright enough when there's ambient light in the room, and the sound is a bit shrill. Unlike some newer models, it can't compensate for background colour, either, and my son's wall is a pale blue, so in his room there's a coolness to the picture that certainly isn't 'as the director intended'.

In other words, watching movies in my son's bedroom via the Mogo 2 Pro is a million miles from what a serious home cinema snob such as myself considers to be high quality.

What it is, though, is great fun.

We're able to blast a 100-inch image onto his wall, which he can watch from his bed less than two metres away, and that makes everything seem huge – which of course makes it feel much more like the cinema than the technically far superior system in the lounge.

My son was, it's fair to say, blown away by it, and his innocent joy at his bedroom becoming a cinema was enough to convince me that the projector can stay.

We've now bought a Fire TV Stick to plug into the back of it, too, partly to overcome the Mogo 2 Pro's lack of a working Netflix app (a common problem with projectors), and partly because Amazon Fire TV devices are easy to set up with parental controls.

It's been a couple of months now, and my son's bedroom cinema still feels special. Turning the projector on to watch a movie still feels like an event, which means it's still something that happens just once a week or so. I'm much more comfortable with that than I am with there being a TV in his room.

It's fine to be snobby about home cinema – I've made a career out of it after all – but it's also worth remembering from time to time that the most important thing about movies is having fun watching them.

And, just sometimes, an average-performing portable projector can deliver that more effectively than a system costing thousands.

MORE:

Here are the best portable projectors you can buy

If, unlike me, you can go the whole hog, these are the overall best projectors available

Despite Amazon doing very nicely for years now with its own range of Fire TV streaming devices, it was still a surprise when Amazon announced a couple of years back that it was launching its own range of TV sets. Shipping Amazon’s streaming services built into actual TV sets was quite the leap.

Even more surprising, though, is that previous Amazon TV ranges we’ve seen have tended to be pretty good. Or, at least, great value.

The brand’s latest TV series, though, is its most premium offering to date, turning to Mini LED lighting and a local dimming light system operating across hundreds of different zones to park its tanks on the mid-range lawns of the TV world’s more established TV brands.

The question is, can the 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED take Amazon’s TV reputation to a whole new level, or will it turn out to be a step too far?

Price

Amazon’s TVs have always been aggressively priced, and that holds true with the 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED. Its official price of £850 / $900 is already impressive, but you shouldn’t have to pay even that much, so frequent are Amazon’s discounts. At the time of writing, the TV is just £750 / $730, and we’ve seen it available in the past for as little as £650 / $700.

Such good value is the 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED, in fact, that really direct competition is hard to find. The only really respectable 55-inch Mini LED rivals currently around for the same sort of money are TCL’s 2024 C805K series and Hisense’s U7N. Both of which are solid enough performers without being so good that they shut the door on any possibility of Amazon’s latest set competing with them.

Design

The 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED TV is really quite easy on the eye for such an affordable TV. The frame around the screen is trimmer than those of most budget TVs, and it boasts an appealing brushed silver finish that actually looks quite opulent and metallic from a regular viewing distance. Its desktop feet also enjoy a quite metallic look, as well as a quite dramatic arched shape.

It feels reasonably solidly built for such an affordable 55-inch TV, too, while the slenderness and flatness of its back panel make it a potentially attractive wall-hanging option.

The Omni Mini LED TVs ship with one of Amazon’s typical remote controls, which is no bad thing given that these remotes combine a comfortably slender shape with a minimal button count and pretty sensible layout. Plus, of course, the remote carries a mic button with which you can issue the TV with voice instructions and search terms to make more buttons on the remote unnecessary.

Features

The Fire TV Omni Mini LED helpfully includes two of its key features in its name. First, the Fire TV bit tells you that its smart system is Amazon’s long-running Fire TV system – a system that’s been around for so long and has appeared in so many devices now that it will be instantly familiar to many of today’s TV buyers.

Fire TV is one of the most content-rich smart systems around these days, carrying the vast majority of the world’s most popular streaming services – including the recently launched Freely service for live-streaming the broadcast services of many of the UK’s biggest broadcast channels. The extent to which Fire TVs tend to prioritise Amazon’s own Prime Video streaming service can be a little annoying at times, but that’s really only to be expected and these days isn’t much different to how Samsung and LG now heavily promote their respective streamed ‘channels’ on the homescreens of their TVs. Plus, you can customise the Fire TV’s menus to at least redress the balance a bit.

The other key feature revealed in this TV’s name, of course, is its Mini LED lighting system. Mini LEDs are far smaller than the regular LEDs still used to light most TVs at this price level, and they can help screens achieve tighter light control and, potentially, more brightness. That can be especially true when Mini LEDs are partnered – as they are in this case – by a local dimming system, where different zones of the TV’s backlight can be separately controlled to deliver more or less light wherever the image needs it.

It would be pretty cool to find even a basic local dimming system on the 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED for its price. Actually, though, this Amazon TV’s local dimming system is anything but basic, sporting as it does a whopping 512 separate dimming zones (the 65-inch model ups this to 768). That’s a huge number for such an affordable TV and bodes very well for its picture quality. So long as the TV has the processing and image know-how to actually make that many zones work effectively, of course.

Also boding well for the 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s performance are its Quantum Dot colour system and a VA-type LCD panel. VA panels typically deliver much better contrast than the alternative IPS type – albeit at the expense of more limited effective viewing angles.

The Fire TV Omni Mini LED has plenty of appeal for gamers, too. Its 120Hz panel can actually support games running at frame rates up to 144Hz for starters (provided you have a suitably capable PC and remember to manually activate the Gaming option in the TV’s connection menus), and its HDMIs also support VRR, including the AMD FreeSync Premium Pro format.

Input lag comes down to an impressively low 13.1ms with the TV set to its Game mode, too, and the set’s support for the Dolby Vision high dynamic range format extends to low-lag gaming as well as video.

Impressively, the Dolby Vision support is joined by support for the HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG HDR formats too, effectively meaning that Amazon’s TV can play the best available version of any video content you feed it. The presence of a built-in sensor means the set even supports the IQ version of Dolby Vision, where the pictures are automatically adjusted to retain a similar level of HDR impact no matter how much light there is in your room.

The 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED is well connected for its money. It has four HDMIs for starters, two capable of handling 120/144Hz games, and one with eARC audio support. There’s a digital audio output, too, as well as a single USB 3.0 port. On the wireless side, Bluetooth 5.0 and wi-fi streaming are both on board. This is a TV essentially built around Amazon’s online smart platform, after all. In fact, like its 65-inch sibling, the wi-fi system supports 6 GHz for smoother video streaming and more responsive online gaming – assuming your router is also up to the task.

Picture

The Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s pictures make a startlingly good first impression. For starters, they’re much (much) brighter than expected, instantly giving HDR content more of a lift over SDR than such an affordable TV would normally be expected to do. In fact, they look brighter when compared with the 55-inch competition than the 65-inch model did versus its 65-inch competition.

This brightness is especially noticeable in peak bright parts of the image, which glow with the sort of intensity many TVs costing twice as much won’t give you. But full-screen bright HDR content also looks significantly brighter, actually, than it does on any current OLED screen.

Even more surprisingly, the 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s eye-catching brightness is accompanied by some really respectable handling of dark scenes and picture areas. Areas that should look black really do get pretty black, with impressively little sign of the ‘grey wash’ effect that can hang over dark scenes on most HDR TVs as affordable as this Amazon model is. Just as importantly, though, these unexpectedly credible blacks don’t come at the expense of lost shadow details and colour tones in the darkest picture areas as can happen with TVs that have less well-developed and controlled backlight systems.

Since the 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED doesn’t join some rivals in dimming bright highlights of HDR pictures down when they appear against dark backgrounds, its combination of black levels and brightness serves up some serious punchy contrast – again delivering a startlingly expansive HDR experience for this level of the TV market.

The QLED colours, meanwhile, look vibrant and bold, feeding on the screen’s punchy brightness rather than being overwhelmed by it to the point where tones might have started to look faded or bleached. There’s also a more than respectable degree of subtlety in the way the Fire TV Omni Mini LED renders colours, helping it largely avoid colour banding/striping issues while contributing to a pleasingly three-dimensional and natural look to objects and skin tones (the latter being traditionally one of the most challenging things for relatively cheap TVs to get right).

In an ideal world the 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s colours would retain a little more vibrancy and saturation in its relatively accurate Filmmaker Mode and Movie Bright picture presets. As with the 65-inch model, reds in particular can look a touch lacking in these settings unless you call in the TV’s Adaptive Colour feature (which, for reasons we’ll get to in a moment, we actually strongly advise you not to do…). We wouldn’t say this somewhat subdued red issue is bad enough to feel like a major distraction, especially as you tend to become attuned to it over time.

The Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s picture strengths prove a good fit for gaming, too. All that contrast and colour joins forces with a smooth and responsive experience to make HDR gaming in particular feel immersive and rewarding. And you certainly don’t feel as if anything the TV is doing is responsible for your gaming fails.

The only catches are that the 4K/120Hz and 144Hz feeds opened up by the Gaming option in the connections menu actually look noticeably less sharp and detailed than 4K/60Hz feeds, and that while the screen is responsive, motion across the screen can look a little soft.

This motion softness unfortunately doesn’t only affect gaming, either. You also feel its impact while watching films or TV shows, especially when you’re watching native 4K images, where the excellent clarity and sharpness of relatively static shots make the mushy look to fine details of moving objects or during camera pans stand out more.

Now we’ve strayed into negative territory, there are a couple of other issues to report. One is that while colours can be vivid and subtle in the set’s most punchy presets, they’re also weirdly inconsistent. This is especially true if you leave the TV’s Adaptive Colour feature in play. This feature supposedly uses AI to optimise colour saturations and tones for every shot and scene, but it’s so hyperactive and heavy-handed that it just ends up making colours look distractingly unstable. It can even sometimes clearly shift the image’s entire colour tone in the middle of a single shot/take, immediately ruining your immersion in what you’re watching.

Even without Adaptive Colour active, though, the 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s colours aren’t consistent, sometimes shifting without any obvious rhyme or reason between different colour temperatures, especially with skin tones, as a film or TV show cuts from shot to shot.

One final smaller issue is that while the backlight system of Amazon’s most premium own-brand 55-inch TV is mostly surprisingly effective for the TV’s money, as with its 65-inch sibling it can leave some visible light blooming around bright HDR objects if they appear against a relatively dark backdrop. This isn’t really apparent with SDR viewing, and often takes the form of mild general cloudiness with shots and scenes that contain a mix of light and dark content rather than really in-your-face circles or blocks of extraneous light. But it’s noticeable to suggest that Amazon hasn’t totally nailed how to control the 512 dimming zones at the screen’s disposal.

While the 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s issues are enough to prevent it earning a perfect score from us, though, it’s still good enough on balance to hold up as a real bargain for anyone keen to get a fairly full-blooded HDR experience without breaking the bank.

Sound

The aggressive and involving nature of the 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s pictures is repeated with its audio.

For starters, this is a loud TV, capable of pumping out enough volume to make even action movie soundtracks feel compelling and fairly cinematic, though only of course by the generally low standards of integrated TV sound systems.

This raw power is delivered without pushing the speaker system to the point where it starts to sound strained or brittle, no matter how much pressure and density a climactic, explosion-packed movie moment might have. This ability to handle Hollywood’s heaviest moments without falling apart also means it has enough headroom to shift smoothly up and down a few gears as powerful movie soundtracks go through their constant ebb and flow.

The speaker’s power helps to drive the Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s sound out and away from the TV’s bodywork quite handily, too, ensuring there’s a good sense of scale as well as raw volume to the soundstage. This large staging even includes a hint of height when listening to Dolby Atmos soundtracks.

Detailing is impressive, and the subwoofer built into the Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s rear adds some real low-frequency presence to the more than solid work of the main stereo speakers without succumbing to distortions or crackles.

As with the 65-inch model’s sound, though, the 55 Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s subwoofer does sound a bit low-fi compared to the clarity of the main speakers. There are a couple of other audio limitations too, namely that male voices can sometimes sound a bit forced and hummy, and voices and some other centre channel effects can sometimes feel rather locked into a small area under the middle of the screen.

Overall, though, the 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s sound is at least on if not slightly above par for its price.

Verdict

While it’s a little rough around the edges in places, overall Amazon’s latest and most premium 55-inch TV has more going for it on both the feature and performance fronts to make it another genuine bargain.

• Picture 4
• Sound 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Hisense 55U7N

Also consider the TCL 55C805K

Read our 65-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED review

Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and affordable flatscreens tried and tested

Amazon is one of the best known brands on the planet, so it barely needs an introduction. You may be surprised to learn, however, that this is the retail giant’s first soundbar. It’s a modest initial plunge, focusing on the entry-level market with a simple 2.0 speaker configuration.

For those wanting a more sophisticated soundbar including Dolby Atmos and 3.1 speaker channels, the brand has also released the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus, available for £250 / $250. In this review, though, we’ll be focusing on the cheaper ’bar.

Disappointingly and somewhat misleadingly, neither of Amazon's 'Fire TV' soundbars sport Fire TV smarts. If you were hoping for and expecting a Roku Streambar-style soundbar with streaming capabilities, then, you will be disappointed. In fact, even Alexa is absent here.

However, with its compact dimensions, the very affordable Amazon Fire TV Soundbar could still be an appealing way to boost a TV’s sonic performance without breaking the bank or taking up lots of space. If it sounds any good, of course.

Price

The launch price of the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is £120 / $120, which is on the cheaper side of the spectrum. We have already spotted discounts on the product, too.

Even cheaper is the four-star Sony HT-SF150 (known as the HT-S100F in the US) which we tested at just £90 / $100 / AU$199. We rated its all-round performance highly and were especially pleased by its impressive scale and width considering its price.

Another soundbar to enter our testing room and challenge the Amazon soundbar is the Hisense HS214, which costs just £79 / $150 / AU$147. For its clear vocal projection and compact size, we gave it a respectable four-star rating.

Design

With this soundbar, Amazon is keeping it simple by including Dolby Digital and DTS Virtual:X, but there is no Dolby Atmos.

For that reason, it has just two drivers, which are situated at the front of the product firing outwards through a plastic grille.

It does include DTS Virtual:X which, when implemented correctly, can give sound a sense of height and three-dimensionality without additional speakers, but don't go expecting proper 3D audio.

Around the back you can find the connectivity options in a nook, consisting of HDMI, optical, and a USB socket that has no practical at-home use. There’s only one gap in the soundbar to house all of the connections, so it does feel a bit cramped.

You can also send music (and podcasts, etc) to the soundbar via Bluetooth. The touch buttons, which control volume, Bluetooth, power and input, are satisfying to press thanks to a tactile feel, with the symbols raised slightly so you can feel them with your finger.

Given the price point, it’s not a shocker that this is not the most glamorous of units – but it is properly made and reasonably solid. Still, it has a small and light build that makes it easy to move to wherever you would like it positioned.

At 61cm wide, the Fire TV Soundbar is a good partner aesthetically for smaller TVs, but it also looks fairly smart alongside the 55-inch LG C5 with which we test it.

That said, Sony’s HT-SF150 appears a little more premium thanks to its textured finish and slightly slicker cosmetic touches.

Features

With no app or Amazon features integrated into the ’bar, there is a lot less than usual to talk about here. As mentioned already, even Alexa is absent.

At this price, we would not expect a full-blown display, and we don’t get one. Instead, what we get are coloured light indicators to show information such as whether the volume has been changed or Bluetooth enabled.

There are times when it is not clear whether a setting has been changed, so it’s sometimes hard to tell just what function the unit has switched on or off.

The remote follows in the main soundbar’s footsteps with its small size. It feels a bit too dinky to fit snugly into your palm, though the button layout is fairly straightforward and the remote is overall easy to use.

Through the remote, you can access the three sound modes: Music, Dialogue and Movie. Music gives you the most cohesive and punchy presentation, while Movie increases the sense of scale at the expense of some precision.

Dialogue mode makes voices clearer – ideal for podcasts or watching the news – but this comes at the expense of the rest of the sound, which becomes more muffled and undefined.

With the lack of an app, you can only access these modes by cycling through the options via the remote, with a voice telling you which one is currently selected.

There are other ways to customise the sound on offer, too. There is a Bass button that allows you to crank up the lower frequencies with three levels to choose between. We decide to stick to the second level as the lowest option does not provide enough bass weight and the highest overpowers the rest of the sound.

On top of that, there’s a Surround option that widens the soundstage to create a bigger sound.

Sound

We kick off with Dune 2, as protagonist Paul attempts to master the art of riding a sandworm. The Amazon’s 2.0 soundbar does an impressive job of capturing the scale of the scene, especially considering the lack of Dolby Atmos.

As the massive worm bursts out of the sand with what should be an ear-splitting boom, the soundbar does not quite achieve that but it does keep the sound balanced and relatively composed.

Compared to our LG C5’s own speakers, the soundbar boosts practically all aspects of the sound to create a more immersive overall experience. Instead of the TV’s thin bass, the soundbar offers a punchier and more expressive sound.

There is also a big improvement in terms of scale and weight, as the sound wraps around you far more than it does when delivered by the LG TV’s speakers.

With the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, we play around with the Surround mode to see how it performs with a more musical choice. The iconic Live Aid sequence featuring an incredible performance by Rami Malek boggles the mind with the number of people crammed into London’s Wembley Stadium.

With Surround mode on, we get a real sense of the sheer scale of the stage, but the nuance of Malek’s vocal performance is pushed to the background.

It’s a bit of a Catch 22. When Surround is off, you can hear the subtleties in his voice much more clearly. The problem is now that the sound feels narrower and the size of the performance is underwhelming.

This makes for a slightly frustrating experience, as most people are unlikely to be switching between modes every five minutes. On the balance of things, we decide that if you’re going to pick one setting for all movies, it should be Surround on.

Even in our preferred Surround mode, the soundbar lacks definition in the bass. When Paul runs at the worm in Dune 2, for example, the staggering impact of the creature moving through the sand feels undefined instead of textured and floor-shaking.

In a later scene with Paul having an ominous chat with Fremen Stilgar, both voices are clear and central within the soundstage. It does feel oddly like a voiceover in some parts, however, with the dialogue sounding too smooth and missing the emotion of the performances.

To put the Amazon ’bar to the test with music alone, we switch on Music mode with Radiohead’s Everything In Its Right Place. This setting definitely helps to push the sound to the front, capturing the dream-like vocals and smooth synths well.

Still, it lacks the ability to give the bass an extra punch and the voices sound disconnected from the rest of the track.

The Sony HT-SF150 is not flawless either, but comparing the two soundbars proves that it's comfortably better than the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar, with a richer and more detailed sound that its newer rival can't match.

Verdict

If you are looking for a soundbar to improve upon your TV’s sound for a reasonable price, Amazon’s entry ticks a lot of boxes with its clear dialogue performance and unfussy features. And, if you wait for one of Amazon’s many sales, you should be able to pick it up for much less than the original price.

However, even when discounted it’s not the best option at its level. Based on the more rounded overall performance, we would choose the Sony HT-SF150.

SCORES

• Sound 3
• Build 3
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony HT-SF150

Also consider the Roku Streambar

Best budget soundbars: affordable home cinema sound tested by experts

If you have followed my recent flurry of old TV reviewer rants at sky features, you’ll know one of my big tasks this year has been reviewing a sea of Mini LED TVs.

Which is why this week I was delighted to get a slight change of pace and help our senior staff writer, Lewis Empson, test the swanky new LG C5.

Routine is great, but we all need a little variety every now and then.

In the course of our investigations, Lewis and I ran through our usual portfolio of comparative checks, running the new set head to head with rival products.

And as we went through our standard suite of test discs, I came to one conclusion as to why OLED still dominates the upper echelons of our best TV buying guide despite heavyweight companies, including Hisense and new “top dog” TCL’s efforts to push Mini LED.

It’s all to do with light control

Comparing any Mini LED with an OLED, you will find the latter will offer deeper blacks. This is because OLEDs have pixel-level light control, where the set charges individual pixels to create images.

Blacks are made by doing nothing at all – which is why all OLEDs offer perfect black levels.

Mini LED TVs by comparison, have a backlight. They use tiny LEDs arranged into zones that can light independently of one another; Mini LED TVs tend to have more zones than ‘standard’ LED TVs – we’re talking about a four-figure number on most models.

A 4K OLED TV, by comparison, essentially has over eight million ‘zones’ thanks to its ability to light each pixel independently.

Ultimately, while a Mini LED TV can create perfect black, it is rarely able to manage the feat, as there is usually some amount of light bleeding in from the part of the picture that is lit.

But it isn’t black level in itself that makes top end OLEDs perform better in these conditions. It’s the overall light control.

It’s all to do with consistency. Jump over to our reviews of the TCL C855K, Amazon Fire Mini LED, Hisense U8N and Hisense U7N and you’ll see one common complaint: they struggle to deal with intense scenes with a mix of very bright and very dark elements.

On the TCL C855K this results in distracting leaps where the backlight can’t control sections with enough finesse, leading to the entire screen either going too bright and looking flat, or awkwardly flipping its brightness, causing noticeable shifts to the picture.

On the others, including the Amazon Omni Fire TV Mini LED and Hisense U8N / U7N, light blooming crept in.

This is a phenomenon where there is a noticeable halo around light parts of the picture set over a dark background.

In each instance this led me to focus more on what the TV was doing, than what was happening in the movie on the Mini LED set I was reviewing – a cardinal sin for any home cinema product.

In comparison, the LG C5’s precision in managing every part of the picture creates an immersive, consistent experience that never made Lewis or me focus on the set’s background processing.

It’s this consistency with how the picture and contrast is handled by OLEDs that continues to differentiate them from Mini LEDs, which are still struggling to match that pixel-perfect precision in the top end of the market.

Will that change?

It’s hard to envision a backlit TV ever being able to match the consistent contrast control of a self-emissive pixel technology such as OLED; but that doesn’t mean Mini LED TVs don’t have their place. For starters, the cheaper manufacturing costs mean cheaper TVs for consumers, and that definitely strikes a chord with many buyers.

This is easily shown by TCL’s recent lead for sales in the premium TV market, despite the sea of (decent, but not perfect) four-star reviews we have given its sets.

I also am happy to report that, from a performance-per-pound / dollar perspective, Mini LED is the dominant player in the mid-range TV space. OLED is an inherently expensive technology to manufacture, so TVs with the impressive tech cost a premium.

But for buyers where performance is king, who want the best home cinema experience possible, and don’t mind paying for it, OLED remains the top option – and I can’t see that changing until Micro LED becomes affordable.

MORE:

These are the best 65-inch TVs we have reviewed

Our picks of the best OLED TVs

We rate the best Mini LED TVs money can buy

The Mini LED TV market is always a battleground, with big name players including Hisense, TCL, Samsung, Sony and Panasonic all pushing hard to dominate the space.

But during the latest skirmish, after weeks of testing, it was a plucky new product from Amazon that impressed me, and the wider home cinema reviews team, enough to carve a space in our best Mini LED buying guide.

Specifically, the 65-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED dethroned the Hisense U7N as our recommended best value Mini LED TV.

Why? The answer’s pretty simple, it performed the best at its price when we ran it head-to-head with its rivals in our dedicated viewing rooms.

Holistically, the TV offered a wonderfully bright, but accurate picture that never tried too hard with its processing or contrast, resulting in a pleasingly consistent movie watching experience.

This is a big deal as trying too hard is a key issue I’ve experienced and documented reviewing Mini LED TVs many times before.

To catch you up, many either boost contrast to the point dark detail is lost in a bid to overcome Mini LED sets’ inability to match OLED TV’s perfect back levels.

Or they go to the other extreme and get too focussed on showing off their main selling point – their incredibly high peak brightness levels. Here they raise the backlight too high, making images lose dynamic range and look a little flat.

None of this happened on the Fire TV Mini LED, which seemed to accept its weaknesses and offer a wonderfully uniform performance that let us focus on the movie, not what it was doing. Hence our conclusion:

“The Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED is a solid set for buyers ready to take their first jump from a basic LED into the mid-range TV market. Offering clear improvements on the base Omni QLED, it gets a lot right thanks to its focus on never pushing itself too hard.”

So why didn’t it get a four, not perfect five-star, rating? There are a few reasons. First, is that while the picture is great for the price, it isn’t perfect. The TV can play it a little too safe in some instances.

Watching Blade Runner 2049 during the opening dark scene, reds looked under-represented, with Sapper Morton’s skin in particular looking a little flat. The same was true when we tested the TV with our It 4k Blu-ray. Georgie’s iconic yellow rain coat didn’t pop out of the otherwise grey backdrop as it should.

Second, while it is the best of its kind, it’s still a four star product. We’d also note that the margin between it and the Hisense U7N is very small. The only reason the Amazon beat it is its more mature light control, with the Hisense suffering from noticeably more bloom during our checks – this is where there’s a halo around bright sections of the picture directly next to dark segments.

Third is its middling audio. Despite having a built in 2.1 speaker system, the sub isn't powerful enough to truly immerse you and there's not any sense of directionality. You will need to invest in a separate soundbar or speaker package for the best results possible.

But, those caveats aside, the Amazon is the best value Mini LED TV money can buy right now and one we’re thoroughly happy to recommend, especially to buyers still on older basic LED sets.

MORE:

These are the best 65-inch TVs we’ve tested

We rate the best soundbars money can buy

Our picks of the best cheap TVs

The Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED is the top dog in the retail giant’s line of own-brand TVs. That makes it the most expensive option firmly in the mid-range, rather than the affordable, price bracket usually targeted by Amazon TVs.

To justify its jump, Amazon has loaded it with a wealth of upgrades that make it a radical upgrade on the Omni QLED model. But, can it compete in its new weight class, which is full of big name rivals from Samsung, TCL, and Panasonic, the last of which now uses Amazon Fire OS on its Mini LED TVs and relaunched in the US last year? Thankfully, based on our week-long stretch of comparative testing, we’re pleased to report the answer is, for the most part, yes.

Price

The Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED is available in four sizes – 55, 65, 75 and 85 inches. If you’re in the UK or Europe be warned the largest 85-inch model isn’t on sale yet.

The 65-inch model we have in our viewing rooms for review cost £1150 / $1090 when it launched at the end of last year, but we’re already seeing sporadic price drops on it. At the time of publishing it was selling for £950.

Below it, the 55-inch model retails for £850 / $820 and the larger 75-inch a slightly more expensive £1600 / $1400. In the US, the largest 85-inch Omni Mini LED will set you back $2100.

That’s a hefty premium on Amazon’s step-down Omni QLED line, but roughly in line with most mid-range Mini LED TVs.

The 65-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED currently retails for £850 / $800. The two main rivals we’re testing it against are the 65-inch Hisense U7N, which currently retails for £1000 / $800 and slightly more premium 65-inch TCL C855K (review coming soon) which sells for £1199, but is not available in the US.

Design

The Omni Mini LED is a fairly chunky beast. Like most TVs with a built-in rear firing subwoofer, it’s fairly thick. It also has a slightly curved back, which means it won’t sit flush if you wall mount it.

Otherwise it’s a nicely discreet looking unit, with fairly small bezels and a suitably unassuming finish which means it will sit in most homes comfortably. Its side facing inputs are also set far enough into the TV’s rear to not have cables awkwardly jutting out of the side.

We do have two gripes with the design, however. First is its stand. The TV has a twin foot-stand that’s easy enough to attach – all you have to do is slot the feet into the bottom edge of the Omni Mini LED and lock them in place with the included screws.

The problem is that, unlike similar Sony sets with the same stand design, the Omni Mini LED’s feet only have one stand option – at the furthest side of its left and right bottom edge. This means, like the Panasonic W90A we reviewed a few months ago, the Omni LED won’t comfortably fit on a smaller TV stand. That it doesn’t include a central mount option, where the feet can be placed closer to the centre of the TV’s bottom, is an annoyance.

Second, while the remote is nicely compact and has easy to navigate shortcuts for all the services and settings menus you would expect, it’s not backlit. Amazon would likely argue this is fine, as you can just use Alexa voice controls, which are supported on the Omni Fire TV. But if you’re like most of us and prefer to not shout at inanimate objects to make minor changes to your TV’s volume, a backlight would have still been welcome.

Features

The Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s biggest upgrade on its QLED predecessor is in its name. Specifically, that it has a Mini LED backlight.

This is a key backlighting technology that uses a series of tiny LEDs arranged in gridded dimming zones. Like all Local Dimming TVs, its ability to charge zones, rather than an entire backlight, aims to give it better light control and boost things like contrast and black level. Mini LED takes this further as the Mini LEDs are smaller and more tightly packed, helping to also boost brightness.

Though we’re yet to find a Mini LED that can challenge an OLED at the top end of the market, it’s a staple sight in the mid-range TV space that definitely improves on most LCD sets’ performance when implemented well.

The panel used in our review unit features 768 dimming zones, and a quoted 1400 nits peak brightness, which is competitive with other similarly priced Mini LEDs. The Hisense U7N’s backlight is split into 384 dimming zones and the screen has a peak brightness of 1500 nits, by comparison.

For colour reproduction it also has a QLED TV panel, which uses Quantum Dots to try and help the set reproduce more vibrant colours than are possible from a standard LCD TV.

These improvements are welcome, but there have been plenty more important quality of life upgrades made to the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED.

For starters, the TV has been upgraded to include two HDMI 2.1 inputs. One of these doubles as the eARC, which is what you will likely use to connect a soundbar or other audio system.

We’d have loved to see four HDMI 2.1s, which lets you connect and run multiple current generation games consoles at full speed without any cable swapping. But the Omni QLED has no 'real' HDMI 2.1 sockets, so this change is a welcome one.

This is especially true as Amazon has increased the Omni Mini LED’s refresh rate, offering 4K/144Hz playback via a new Gaming Mode – the other screen settings run at 4K/120Hz – as well as VRR and ALLM. That means they can run the PS5, Xbox Series X and modern PCs at radically higher frame rates than the basic Omni QLED, which tapped out at 4K/60Hz. The benefit here is that it can help make games feel smoother and more responsive.

The TV’s 2.1 inbuilt sound system is also being billed as Dolby Atmos ready, which combined with the new integrated subwoofer should help give its sound a bit more low-end heft.

Outside of this the Mini LED retains all the perks that made us fans of the larger models in the Omni QLED range.

Fire OS means that, while there are plenty of ads, application support is excellent. Running through the usual suspects, Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+ and Prime Video are all present and run correctly. Local services such as Now and TNT sports are also present. All run at their correct resolutions and compatible HDR standards.

The latter also remains excellent, with the TV supporting HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. The offshoot Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive are also supported – both of which use an included ambient light sensor to optimise the TV’s performance based on its environment.

So all-in-all, at this price, the TV is well stacked when it comes to features.

Picture

We start things off slow with our 4K Blu-ray of Barbie, and the iconic I’m Just Ken scene. In the TV’s Standard mode the image looks a little too cartoony and almost plastic – which is a strange thing to say with this test disc. Motion is over-smoothed and the contrast and colours look like they’ve been pushed too hard, leading to some contrast issues and loss of detail.

Switching to the Filmmaker mode, things flip to the other extreme and are too subdued, with the bright pinks and costumes of the characters looking flat and not holding the pop they should. On top of that, the setting disables many of the TV’s manual controls, so you can’t really change much in Filmmaker mode. Thankfully we quickly get better results switching to Movie Bright, where the more granular controls re-open, and we can make a few subtle but important changes to the Mini LED TV’s settings.

These include setting local dimming to high, locking the colour temperature to warm 2, reducing the motion handling setting to one and having intelligent HDR on. Once this is done, the movie retains its intended vibrancy, while characters' motions look natural and nicely defined.

Results are equally impressive moving to our Dune: Part 2 test disc. The Fire TV Omni Mini LED’s desertscape holds a decent amount of detail, with each sand grain holding a distinct spot. The TV does an admirable job retaining detail. Gears and machine parts in the darkest section of the spice mining vehicle which are lost on some competing sets, including the Hisense U7N, retain detail, which shows Amazon has taken a nicely balanced approach to tuning the set. This is rare at this end of the market where companies seem hell-bent on cranking the contrast to try and make blacks look deeper, losing dark detail in the process.

The only slight issue is that this focus does reveal one minor shortcoming – the Mini LED doesn’t offer quite as high peaks as its main rivals. The TV is undeniably night and day brighter than the base Omni QLED, but against the U7N and TCL C855K, reds in explosions don’t burn quite as bright. This becomes even more apparent when we switch to our Pan test disc, which is our go to brightness stress test due to its atypical 4000 nits mastering. Here the rival Mini LEDs retain more detail in a burning bright sunset, offering a hue of red and orange where the Fire TV Mini LED shows the section of the scene as pure white.

Moving to our standard Blade Runner 2049 test disc there’s immediately a noticeable amount of blooming around the white text on a black background introducing the movie. But it soon recovers and delivers one of the better performances we’ve seen on a set this price.

Though the black level isn’t anything to write home about, it’s good for a TV this price and deeper than the base Omni QLED. Outside of some blooming around bright sections directly next to black, the TV retains a decent amount of detail, with every wrinkle in the dusty farmhouse’s sofa remaining visible.

Our only minor quibble is that, despite offering decent skin tones in most instances, during this incredibly dark scene, Sapper Morton’s skin appears a little washed out, with reds in particular looking underrepresented. This is indicative of a wider problem that repeats when we move to our It test disk, with the yellow of Georgie’s raincoat not sitting separate from the otherwise grey background as much as it should.

These issues are largely forgivable given the set’s price and the fact it is at least consistent with its backlight control, and it doesn’t suffer from the rapid shifts in brightness seen on many Mini LED sets during demanding scenes with rapidly shifting light and dark sections. But, it is still a minor annoyance as the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED gets so much right elsewhere.

Playing our SD copy of True Grit, a fantastic movie for testing upscaling due to its intentional grainy, spaghetti western finish, the opening scene looks solid. The lantern burning in the night-time opening scene looks authentic, as the snow falls with no aberrations creeping in.

Sound

The Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED comes loaded with a standard 2.1, Dolby Atmos-ready speaker arrangement that’s roughly in line with what you’ll find on any other set its price. Units with up-firing drivers tend to cost a fair bit more.

The audio it delivers is equally by the numbers for a TV its price. Starting with our standard Blade Runner 2049 scene two, low-end stress test, it immediately struggles. During the bassiest sections of the booming synth soundtrack distortion creeps in and there’s a lack of precision and heft to the section in general.

Jumping to a car chase scene in The Batman, the roaring car engines sound more like muffled mopeds and the sound is distinctly central, with the audio failing to match the left to right movements of the Batmobile.

It delivers a serviceable performance with Barbie’s I’m Just Ken, with voices sounding clear, and there being some separation between parts of the frequency range. But the lack of vibrancy and dynamics means it can’t do justice to heavy action scenes. Kenny Loggins was only in minor peril, and never quite entered the Danger Zone during the opening scene of Top Gun: Maverick. You will certainly want to invest in a soundbar if you want a truly immersive home cinema experience.

Verdict

The Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED is a solid set for buyers ready to take their first jump from a basic LED into the mid-range TV market. Offering clear improvements on the base Omni QLED, it gets a lot right thanks to its focus on never pushing itself too hard. In fact, our big complaint is that at times it plays it too safe, leading to slightly dull colours and lower peaks than some rival Mini LEDs.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 3
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Hisense U7N

Read our Panasonic W90A

Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and affordable flatscreens tried and tested

The 32-inch TV market is in a bit of a state these days. 32 inches was once the most popular TV size and they were considered pretty huge, but a few years on they have waned in popularity and are thought by most to be small.

As a result, most manufacturers now put very little effort into their 32-inch models. And, in fact, we practically never get sent 32-inch TVs in for review.

We know, though, that there are lots of people on the hunt for a good 32-inch TV. It could be for a bedroom, a snug or the kitchen (heaven knows I love having a TV to watch when I'm cooking), or it could just be that you'd prefer a smaller TV for your lounge. So a few months ago we stumped up our own cash and bought a selection of 32-inch TVs for testing.

The best of those TVs, and my personal favourite, was the TCL 32SF540K. It isn't perfect, but it's got a surprisingly full feature set that includes the Fire TV smart platform, and it puts in a nicely balanced picture performance. Most importantly, it's exceptional value – especially now that you can get it for just £113 at AO. To get that price, you just need to use code CLEAR20 at checkout.

While expectations need to be tempered at this price (and because this is a 'small' TV), the TCL SF540K offers a surprisingly stacked feature set and a very likeable picture performance.

The headline is the inclusion of Amazon's Fire TV operating system, which means the whole user experience is rather like that of a Fire TV Stick. It's colourful, intuitive and it grants access to pretty much every streaming app you're likely to need, including all of the major UK-specific catch-up apps, which are neatly wrapped up in the Freeview Play wrapper. You can use the mic built into the remote to chat to Alexa, too, essentially turning the TV into a big Amazon Echo device – albeit one that requires a button press to operate.

Unlike most TVs at this level, which have an 'HD Ready' 720p resolution, the SF540K has a 'Full HD' 1080p resolution. It also boasts VA panel technology and a direct LED backlight, and it supports HDR in the HDR10 and HLG formats. And while the TV isn't packed with gaming features, it does offer ALLM switching and a low input lag of 15.3ms, so it's a good option if you need a very affordable gaming TV.

In action, the TCL SF540K isn't super-bright or vibrant, but it is balanced and controlled, which is more than can be said for most rivals. Black levels are reasonable and there's plenty of shadow detail, bright highlights are free of nasty 'clipping', and colours are fairly warm and natural. It's sharper and more detailed than the other 32-inch TVs we've tested recently, too, and motion is handled well.

Our only real criticism of the picture performance (taking into consideration the price, of course) is that it has fairly limited viewing angles, which means those sitting substantially off-axis from the TV will find the picture looks a bit washed out.

The sound quality is unfortunately worse than the picture. The thin and limp delivery won't be a huge problem for daytime TV, but it will be a frustration for movies and games. This isn't unusual for TVs at any level, though, and certainly not at this size and price, so it shouldn't put you off too much. But do budget for a cheap soundbar if you're able.

Ultimately, this is a very solid-performing and smart TV. We awarded it four stars at £149, but it actually launched for £179, making it a real bargain at the new price of £113.

MORE:

Read the full TCL 32SF540K review

Check out all of the early Black Friday TV deals

These are the best TVs you can buy right now

Having the latest streaming apps baked into your television's operating system is a fairly recent phenomenon – but it has quickly become something we take for granted. We rarely see a "dumb TV", as practically every model includes smart features; and that goes beyond streaming apps now, as many models incorporate smart home controls, social apps and even AI features such as generating images for ambient art modes.

If you're still looking to squeeze a few more years out of your TV, but would like to dip your toes into the vast world of 'smart', a media streamer is your best bet. This can also be a solution if you have an older smart TV that has lost support for streaming services – Netflix, for example, has recently dropped support for older Sony and Samsung models.

If you fit those descriptions but don't want to shell out for an Apple TV 4K, then this streamer could be the best fit for you. Amazon's Big Deal Days has officially ended, but the Fire TV Stick 4K is remaining at its Prime Day price for a further five days, meaning it is just £40 instead of £60 right now.

Amazon's plug-and-play streaming sticks are popular for a reason: they add instant streaming convenience to your television. With this stick, you can stream in 4K HDR, and all of the major formats are supported, including HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG.

The Fire TV Stick 4K has recently been updated with a refreshed design, though not much looks to have changed upon first inspection. While we haven't tested this latest model yet, we did review the Fire TV Stick 4K step-up model and found plenty to like – so much so that we gave it an Award. Specifically, we find the app compatibility to be stellar; with all the services you might expect to find present and working correctly. That's a key part of any good streamer, and it has only improved throughout the Fire TV Stick's lifespan.

Furthermore, the Fire TV Stick gets a premium audio function in the form of Dolby Atmos, meaning you can play immersive audio when streaming content on a compatible Dolby Atmos soundbar or AVR.

The Fire TV Stick also comes with an Alexa Voice Remote bundled in the box, which you can use to interface with the streamer purely by voice commands. Alexa has become much more competent in recent years, meaning you will be met with fewer rogue misheard requests when asking for a specific app, movie or song.

If you have an older 4K TV that is losing app support, or even if you aren't a fan of your TV's built-in operating system perhaps, then this media streamer is the way to go. For only £40, its certainly cheaper than paying big bucks for a brand new 4K set.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best media streamers

As well as the best TVs

And the best TV deals

It's the day after the Prime Big Deal Days sale and while the onslaught of Amazon deals has officially ended there are still some bargains.

Somewhat reassuringly, many of the best Prime deals have now ended and prices have gone back up – it would be frustrating if this weren't the case, after all. 

But, while I double-checked the deals, I spotted some low prices that have remained at Amazon and some other specialist retailers. 

• Browse all today's Prime Day deals at Amazon (UK)
• Browse all today's Prime Day deals at Amazon (US)

Headphones and wireless earbuds deals have featured heavily but there have also been great discounts on hi-fi and home cinema products, including Dolby Atmos soundbars, OLED TVs, speakers and streamers, both at Amazon and independent specialist retailers. 

I've picked out the following deals based on the What Hi-Fi? test team's choice of the best genuine deals on some of our highest-rated products.

The best Prime Day AV deals still available

Quick links

• 6 months free Prime: students & 18-22 year-olds
• Amazon Music Unlimited: 4 months free
• Best deals under £100: affordable devices
• Blu-rays and DVDs up to 51% off
• Bravia 8 TV: save 27% on 55in TV
• Cheap TV: five-star 50-inch QLED now £380
• Deals under £15: bag a bargain
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: save 25% now £149
• Echo speakers: better than half-price
• Fire TV Stick 4K: save 33% now £40
• Headphones, speakers and music: up to 60% off
• John Lewis: free next-day delivery on Apple devices
• Kids tablet: now 35% off
• Pink Floyd vinyl: The Wall at £8 off
• Sony XM5: £70 off Award-winning wireless earbuds
• Sony WH-CH520: lowest ever price
• Tablet: Fire HD now £109 save 39%
• Turntable: Save £50 on Sony, now £189
• TVs, movies and home cinema: browse the best deals
• WiiM Pro Plus was £219 now £169 (save £50)
• Wine, beer and spirits: save up to 34% on drinks

Get this one if: you just want better sound from your TV

The Sonos Ray hit an unexpectedly new lowest price this Prime Day, making it the obvious one to buy if you want a cheap and cheerful upgrade and an intro to the Sonos system. 

Available in black or white, the Ray measures just 56cm in width, meaning it is best suited to smaller TVs or even as a desktop speaker with a monitor. 

The best Amazon Prime Day deals under £50

If you don't want to spend a fortune but do fancy something shiny and new to drop through your letterbox, you could do a lot worse than the following selection of serious bargains.

Technics SA-C600 CD/streaming system

Technics is on a great run at the moment. The brand had a bit of a rocky start when it was reintroduced into the market in 2014, but since then has quickly found its feet. Over recent years we’ve reviewed a fair number of the company’s products and they’ve invariably been solid and talented performers. Not all have been class leaders, of course, but more often than not Technics hits gold – as it has with the SA-C600 system we have on test here. We call it a system, but you still need to add a pair of speakers. 

Usually, such systems are all about looks and features but Technics has shown that it is possible to add great sound into the mix. It is a really well-conceived product and fully deserves the What Hi-Fi? Awards wins that have followed. Highly recommended.

Looking for a really good, genuinely affordable turntable with awesome features? Then look no more, as the five-star Sony PS-LX310BT – our favourite Bluetooth turntable – has reached its lowest price yet at Amazon.

Be warned that this Sony turntable deal never lasts long, so you had better hurry and snap up this terrific deal on an entertaining, fuss-free deck before midnight strikes!

Ultimate OLED TV deals

The 42-inch LG C4 is the smallest size in the tech giant’s current step down line of OLED TVs. It’s also a direct successor to the LG C3, a What Hi-Fi? Award-winner that up until now has been the small OLED we recommend to most people.

Does it live up to its predecessor’s legacy? Thankfully, after putting it through its paces in our review labs we’re happy to confirm the 42-inch LG C4 is a fantastic OLED TV for those short on space. 

And it has been sliced in price this Prime Day. Various retailers are offering a cut-price deal but right now the biggest saving is a £530 saving at Amazon.

Looking for a pair of truly affordable noise-cancelling wireless headphones? These Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones might be a few years old now, but we're still rather fond of these well-made, foldable, punchy and smooth-sounding cans. And their price has just plunged to £85 at Amazon. 

We saw these four-star cans drop to £99 during last year's Black Friday sales, but this is the new lowest price we've seen all year – and it's an absolute budget bargain.

Best Sennheiser HD 450BT wireless headphones deal

Super-cheap five-star TV! 

Our favourite cheap TV is sitting at its cheapest-ever price. The last time we saw it this low was back in July. The TV in question is the 50-inch version of Amazon's Fire TV Omni QLED, which can be yours for just £380 at Amazon. That's a whopping saving of £270 (42 per cent) on the full price of £650.

You will regularly find discounts on Amazon's TVs – in fact, the discounts are so common that we strongly advise against anyone paying full price – but this is a particularly tempting offer which deserves to be brought to wider attention.

Dolby Atmos soundbar system

If you’re looking for a compact, cost-effective way to add Dolby Atmos to your home cinema setup, look no further: retailers have slashed the price of the JBL Bar 1300.

The deal is still live and lets you pick up the Dolby Atmos soundbar package for £899, a huge £400 saving on its regular £1299 price.

Sennheiser's wired headphones are some of the most respected and accomplished models for stunningly detailed, composed and spacious sound. If that sounds like you, you're in luck: the superb HD 820 wired headphones have a massive £550 off right now.

We originally reviewed these high-end closed-back headphones at £1999, but the HD 820 can be yours for just £1249 at Sevenoaks. If your home audio system needs an upgrade and you have been eyeing-up these premium Sennheiser cans for a while, now could be the right time to pounce.

Browse up to 51% off Blu-rays and DVDs on Amazon

Two special Sony savings

We feel like we've talked about Sony a lot this Prime Day but they do make great products and there are a lot of them, so it's only natural they they also go on sale. If you're still in the market for a premium pair of wireless earbuds or an affordable turntable, you couldn't do much better than these two deals below.

We're into the second day of the second round Amazon Prime Day 2024, and our favourite cheap TV is sitting at its cheapest-ever price. The last time we saw it this low was back in July, during round one of Prime Day.

The TV in question is the 50-inch version of Amazon's Fire TV Omni QLED, which can be yours for just £380 at Amazon. That's a whopping saving of £270 (42 per cent) on the full price of £650.

You will regularly find discounts on Amazon's own TVs – in fact, the discounts are so common that we strongly advise against anyone paying full price – but this is a particularly tempting offer which deserves bringing to your attention.

We have now tested the Omni QLED series in three different sizes: 43 inches, 50 inches and 65 inches. The 50-inch model was comfortably the best, but the 65-inch model is also very good. The 43-inch model, on the other hand, is a real letdown and is best avoided even when discounted.

The Omni QLED TVs are Amazon's top models, with Quantum Dots for better, brighter colours, and local dimming (on all but the 43-inch model) for enhanced contrast.

That said, the Omni QLED isn't up there for razzle-dazzle with more expensive TVs from the likes of LG and Samsung. Instead, its strengths lie in balance and consistency. It gets the fundamentals of picture quality right, which means you are always engaged in what you are watching.

In terms of features, the Fire TV Omni QLEDs support HDR formats including HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision IQ. Inevitably, given the price, HDMI 2.1 is not supported, but while 4K/120Hz gaming is off the menu, VRR and ALLM very much are. There's eARC support for easy connection of a soundbar, too.

The biggest draw of Amazon's own TVs, though, has to be the integrated Fire OS platform, which offers access to every major streaming app in a very intuitive fashion.

All told, this is a lot of a TV for rather little money – just £380 to be precise. A true bargain.

MORE:

Amazon Prime Day in October: the best TV, hi-fi, home cinema and audio deals

Our pick of the best TVs you can buy right now

OLED vs QLED: which is the best TV technology?

Having the latest streaming apps baked into your television's operating system is a fairly recent phenomenon – but it has quickly become something we take for granted. We rarely see a "dumb TV", as practically every model includes smart features; and that goes beyond streaming apps now, as many models incorporate smart home controls, social apps and even AI features such as generating images for ambient art modes.

If you're still looking to squeeze a few more years out of your TV, but would like to dip your toes into the vast world of streaming, a media streamer is your best bet. This can also be a solution if you have an older smart TV that has lost support for streaming services – Netflix, for example, has recently dropped support for older Sony and Samsung models. 

If you fit either of these descriptions, now is the perfect time to pick up a new streamer, as Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are happening as we speak. Amazon's own streamer, the Fire TV Stick, has been thoroughly discounted as a result, meaning you can now snag one for just £17 – half the price of the entry-level Fire TV Stick Lite. 

Simply put, this is likely the best Amazon Fire TV Stick for most people, as it strikes a solid balance between performance and value. You will be able to stream in 1080p HD with HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG supported; and while we tend to gravitate towards streamers with 4K Dolby Vision compatibility, we are willing to bet that, if you are in the market for this sort of streamer, your TV doesn't support this resolution or HDR format.

Originally released in 2021, the standard Fire TV Stick isn't one we have reviewed; but we did review the Fire TV Stick 4K step-up model and found plenty to like – so much so that we gave it an Award. Specifically, we find the app compatibility to be stellar; with all the services you might expect to find present and working correctly. That's a key part of any good streamer, and it has only improved throughout the Fire TV Stick's lifespan.

Furthermore, the Fire TV Stick gets a premium audio function in the form of Dolby Atmos, meaning you can play immersive audio when streaming content on a compatible Dolby Atmos soundbar or AVR.

The Fire TV Stick also comes with an Alexa Voice Remote bundled in the box, which you can use to interface with the streamer purely by voice commands. Alexa has become much more competent in recent years, meaning you will be met with fewer rogue misheard requests when asking for a specific app, movie or song.

At just £17, this deal is ideal for anyone looking to squeeze a bit more life out of their old TV. Smart features might not be for everyone, but at this price, you can test the waters without putting too much of your hard-earned cash on the line.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best media streamers

As well as the best TVs

And the best TV deals

It might be the European-focused IFA week, but Panasonic has just announced some big news for the US. Ten years after it stopped selling TVs in the good ol' US of A, the company's 2024 models will be getting a Stateside release. In fact, they will be going on sale at retailers including Amazon and Costco today – they may even be available by the time you read this story.

So, which Panasonic models are getting a US launch? It's the Z95A flagship MLA OLED with the fancy Dolby Atmos speaker system, the step-down Z85A 'standard' OLED (the Z90A isn't included in the US lineup) and the W95A Mini LED model. In the US, the Z95A will only be available as a 65-inch model, the Z85A will be available in 55- and 65-inch versions, and the W95A will be in 55-, 65-, 75- and 85-inch sizes.

The only differences between the US and UK versions of the above TVs are that the US models will come with a Fire TV Stick-style remote control rather than the more typical TV zapper of the UK, and that the US models will also get support for the ATSC 3.0 broadcasting standard via a post-launch software update. Otherwise, the sets will apparently be identical.

The move seems to have been brought on at least in part by Panasonic's switch away from its own My Home Screen operating system and over to Fire TV. Getting agreements in place to feature all of the necessary streaming apps for each region is a real headache for TV brands, and one assumes it was a major obstacle for a brand the size of Panasonic. The switch to Fire TV, though, presumably means all of that hard work is done by Amazon. So Panasonic can focus on what it does best – producing some of the most impressive and cinematically authentic TVs available – and it can now get those TVs to a far larger audience.

Panasonic has long had close ties with Hollywood, in particular with legendary colourist Stefan Sonnenfeld and his hugely influential studio Company3, which handles a vast portion of the big movies and TV shows that are released in cinemas and on streaming and which exclusively uses Panasonic OLED TVs as its client-facing reference monitors.

It always seemed odd that the TVs used in the mastering of so many Hollywood movies weren't available to buy in the US, so it's good to see that wrong being righted. Panasonic also believes that this Hollywood connection means there's a 'strong latent demand' for its TVs in the US.

As Panasonic's Paul Williams put it to me during a briefing call, "It's not a great secret that the reason that we retired from the United States market was because we didn't think that we were able to offer something that the United States consumers wanted at that time. I think things have changed. I think there is an appetite in the United States for TVs which really do focus on delivering really accurate picture quality, a really premium experience."

As for what this means for those of us in the UK, it's initially little to nothing. However, increased sales for Panasonic will hopefully lead to greater investment in future products. Truth be told, there was a time not long ago when many thought Panasonic might pull out of the TV business altogether, which would have been a great shame for those of us who appreciate its approach to picture quality. By instead returning to a huge territory, it seems likely that we'll all be able to buy Panasonic TVs for many years to come, and perhaps the company will be able to afford to be even more ambitious with its new models in the future.

MORE:

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

These are the best TVs you can buy right now

And here are the best TV deals

Google and Amazon are two of the biggest players in the world of media streaming devices, but which would be right for you?

Do you opt for Google's latest, the Google TV Streamer? It offers more power and storage than its predecessor, along with more smart home skills and AI smarts.

Or do you go for the Amazon Fire TV Cube? Now in its third generation, this is Amazon's most powerful streamer that also boasts plenty of smarty features.

Let's help you decide.

• The best TV streaming devices

Google TV Streamer vs Amazon Fire TV Cube: price

When it comes to your wallet, Google's newcomer has the edge over Amazon's highest-spec flagship streamer.

The Google TV Streamer lands at a relatively palatable £99 / $99 / AU$159, significantly undercutting the Fire TV Cube which launched at £140 / $140 / AU$219.

However, frequent sales and Prime Day offers have brought the Cube down to an even closer £110 / $110.

In short, if you're pinching pennies, Google's offering is the clear winner for this round.

If you're open to both prices, however, keep on reading to see what each offers for their respective costs.

** Winner: Google TV Streamer **

Google TV Streamer vs Amazon Fire TV Cube: design

When it comes to aesthetics, we're dealing with polar opposites here.

Google's TV Streamer opts for a softer approach, resembling a smooth white pebble that wouldn't look out of place in a Zen garden.

Its organic, rounded form factor won’t appeal to everyone, but it should comfortably blend into most modern, minimalist home decors without too much fuss – as long as you don’t mind its lighter colour choice.

It isn't exactly a device you'll be handling very often, though, so you needn't worry about fingermarks spoiling the clean, 'Porcelain' white finish as you might do a more tactile device.

In stark contrast, Amazon's Fire TV Cube embraces its namesake.

Well, minus the fire part.

A black box with harsh, sharp edges, it’s the Sith Lord to Google’s Jedi Master.

Neither design is as subtle as that of the discreet streaming sticks or dongles elsewhere in the market.

But the Fire Cube’s straighter edges and darker colour might appeal more to those who want a device that blends in with more traditional AV surroundings.

Both devices come with a remote control with built-in microphones for voice control – Google has Google Assistant while Amazon has Alexa, of course.

The Google remote has a button you can program to, say, an app shortcut, as well as a neat Find My Remote feature for when you inevitably lose it down the couch too.

The Fire TV Cube's comprehensive remote is the same one you’ll find on every Fire TV device and includes a smorgasbord of playback control and shortcut buttons, plus a D-pad for navigation.

** Winner: Draw **

Google TV Streamer vs Amazon Fire TV Cube: features

When it comes to storage, Google takes the lead with 32GB – double that of the Fire TV Cube's 16GB.

If you're an app hoarder, this could be a deciding factor.

However, Amazon fights back with connectivity. The Fire TV Cube features six ports, including HDMI 2.1 and ARC, an IR extender, Ethernet and USB-A.

Google's streamer is more minimalist with just three offerings: USB-C for power and data, HDMI 2.1, and Ethernet.

The USB-C port can, at least, be used for connecting peripherals such as expandable storage, which could come in very handy for power users.

Both devices are 4K/60fps powerhouses that support the three most popular HDR flavours – Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HDR10+ – as well as Dolby Atmos surround sound.

Google's TV Streamer aims to stand out from the crowd by banking on AI to set it apart, with the company's built-in Gemini smarts for integration with other Google services such as easy smart home controls with Home.

It can generate content summaries – though we found these a little hit and miss – find reviews and, pretty usefully, create season-by-season breakdowns to get you up to speed with TV shows.

It also helps generate art for the idle mode, allowing you to display said art on your TV when you're not using it.

One point we noted in our Google TV Streamer review is that the menus tend to 'stick' far too often for our liking.

It's not a dealbreaker, but it does hold things up when you're trying to find something to watch, and it's unforgivable on a device boasting this much power (and that costs this much).

The Fire TV Cube, on the other hand, relies on Amazon’s tried-and-tested Alexa for its smart features, also offering smart home integration.

It also pulls double duty as a smart speaker, adding a pretty major extra bit of functionality to its feature set, which goes some way to justifying its higher price tag.

It’s only a useful feature if you're after a dedicated smart speaker in your living room set-up, though.

Otherwise, you’d be better off with the more affordable Fire TV Stick 4K.

** Winner: Amazon Fire TV Cube **

Google TV Streamer vs Amazon Fire TV Cube: picture

The Google TV Streamer scored four stars in our review.

That's not the perfect five of its predecessor, but it is one better than the Amazon Fire TV Cube.

The Google TV Streamer's picture is very good, but not outstanding.

Its contrast is much improved over its predecessor, with a starker difference between the lightest and darkest parts of the picture.

That creates more depth, which makes the image more engrossing.

Colours pop, but while still managing to look natural and authentic – which is no mean feat.

And it's adept at motion handling, with a real lack of blur or juddering during fast-moving scenes.

The Amazon Fire TV Cube is less impressive.

It gets the fundamentals right and offers up a sharp and clean, nicely defined and detailed image.

But it overlooks the nuances that help to elevate pictures to a truly engaging and cinematic experience.

In our Amazon Fire TV Cube review, we described it as "neither exceptional nor terrible". In other words, a bit 'meh.'

** Winner: Google TV Streamer **

Google TV Streamer vs Amazon Fire TV Cube: sound

Unfortunately, Google's latest streamer doesn't fare as well in terms of sound.

It's not that it's bad, it's just not as impressive as we would have liked.

For movies and TV shows, the audio is perfectly adequate.

It's clear and detailed, with vocals brought to the fore. And it makes a decent fist of conveying the excitement of an action sequence.

"As bullets and arrows start flying in a battle at the Osaka Continental Hotel in John Wick: Chapter 4, the streamer does a solid job of delivering weighty thuds as bodies drop, and the slashes of katanas sound clean and sharp," we wrote in our Google TV Streamer review.

But its low-level dynamics leave a lot to be desired.

And the dialogue, while clear, sounds a bit flat and dull.

These qualities mean it struggles when it comes to playing music. It needs a lot more warmth and texture in order to really do a track justice.

It's a similar story with the Amazon Fire TV Cube. Its sound is clear, balanced and well-projected but lacks subtlety and rhythmic drive.

** Winner: Draw **

Google TV Streamer vs Amazon Fire TV Cube: verdict

These devices share a lot of features: 4K/60fps, HDR, Dolby Atmos, voice control and smart home integration.

Both Amazon and Google's app offerings are sophisticated enough to cover pretty much every base you could reasonably expect, too.

But in use, Google's menus tend to stick far too often.

In terms of features, the Amazon Fire TV Cube comes out on top, but for picture quality, the Google TV Streamer is the better bet.

For sound, they're very similar (with neither being brilliant), and for aesthetics, it's very much down to your personal preference.

Overall, the Google TV Streamer is the better performer.

But if you're deep in the Amazon ecosystem and come across a deal, the Fire TV Cube could suffice. Just don't expect top picture quality.

MORE:

Read our Google TV Streamer review

And our Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Generation) review

Google TV Streamer vs Chromecast with Google TV: should you upgrade?

Best media streamers: the best TV streaming devices

The Premier League returns tonight, and if you're looking for a new TV on which to enjoy it, we've got a great deal for you. The 42-inch Philips 808 OLED TV is reduced by £200, to just £799 at Richer Sounds.

That's a whopping £700 cheaper than its launch price of £1499, making it almost half price.

Best Philips OLED808 deal

We haven't tested this 42-inch model, but the 55OLED808 earned a perfect five out of five. Which was a relief – because of rights issues between Google TV and Freeview Play, the TV was delayed, and wasn't released until October. Sadly the issue was never resolved, and so the TV lacks the usual UK terrestrial catch-up apps (BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, ITVX and My5). That's easily rectified by adding a streamer like the Google TV Streamer or Amazon Fire TV Stick, but still, it's annoying having to switch devices and having to shell out extra.

That's the bad news out of the way, now on with the good. The OLED808 is a barnstormer of a TV. It has plenty of gaming features like 4K@120Hz, VRR, ALLM and Nvidia G-Sync, though only two HDMI 2.1 ports (one of which is used for a soundbar's eARC functionality) means gamers with a sound system and multiple consoles will have to do some port switching.

This is Philips' first 42-inch OLED TV, and it uses the Next Gen Ambilight system introduced in 2022 – this is brighter and capable of recreating more hues. The picture on the 55-inch model we tested is very sharp indeed, with exceptional levels of detail. 

We can't comment on the 42-incher's picture quality as we haven't reviewed it. But generally speaking, smaller TVs aren't as bright as their larger incarnations, so we would expect this one to be a bit dimmer than the 55-incher that graced our test rooms. But because of the smaller screen, they tend to be a bit sharper. If that's true, you're in for a treat.

And with this discount, you can splash out on some snacks to enjoy in front of the first game of the season.

MORE:

Read our Philips 55OLED808 review

Also consider the Sony A80L and LG C3

And here are all of the very best TVs available right now

Amazon Prime Day 2024 is in its final day, and like past years it has brought with it massive savings on the company's entire line of Fire TV Omni QLEDs.

At the time of writing you could grab every size with a huge discount. At the bottom end of the spectrum the 43-inch model has had a massive 45 per cent slashed off its price, letting you grab it for £300. Up top, the 65-inch Omni QLED can be grabbed for £1000.

But, if you want the best deal possible and a TV that will actually deliver an enjoyable experience, based on experience reviewing Amazon’s latest sets, we’d only recommend two Omni QLED deals – specifically the ones targeting its 50- and 55-inch models.

Why only those specific sizes you ask? The answer is simple, after our team of experts tested every size in our dedicated viewing rooms, those were the only two Omni QLEDs to deliver a good enough performance to earn a star rating from our team of home cinema experts.

Hands in the air, any TV this price comes with some compromises. In the case of the 50- and 55-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLEDs this was some slight motion smearing, which we noticed during heated action scenes, and marginally below average max brightness levels, compared to other sets the same price. 

But, holistically they both are the best sets you’ll find at their respective prices, offering a balanced, consistent picture, competitive gaming specifications and all the apps and services you need, thanks to the use of Amazon Fire OS.

With the 50-inch having had 42 per cent slashed of its price, to sell for a meagre £379.00 and the 55-inch enjoying a slightly larger 43 per cent drop in price to retail for £439.99, trust us when we say – you won’t find a better TV for the money.

Meanwhile, the 65-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED is a little harder to recommend despite its price drop as during testing we found it suffers from a noticeable lack of shadow detail we didn’t experience on the 50- and 55-inch versions. 

The £1000 price also puts it up against some smaller OLED TVs, including the outgoing 48-inch LG C3, which offers a much better picture, if you’re not dead set on needing to go as large as 65-inches. The C3 has better gaming features, offers much better contrast and deeper blacks thanks to its OLED, rather than QLED panel, based on our testing.

We had even bigger issues with the 43-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED when we tested it. During our checks there was an even more pronounced lack of shadow detail, and colours looked much paler, making it hard to recommend, even at its low price – hence its three star rating.

Which is why, if you have the space, and want a great Omni TV deal this Prime Day we’d recommend only considering the 50- and 55-inch models.

MORE:

These are the best Prime Day TV deals we recommend

Check out our picks of the best Prime Day soundbar deals

After something more premium? These are the best Prime Day OLED TV deals we’ve spotted

Prime Day 2024 is here, and while that’s great for deal hunters, as a veteran covering the event since it first became a “thing” many moons ago, I have to confess I went in expecting yet another by-the-numbers event.

Amazon’s yearly deals bonanza has become a staple entry in the What Hi-Fi? calendar, as it brings with it a wave of discounts on everything from cutting edge OLED TVs to nail clippers. And, as I know, having done it for well over a decade, if you’re willing to hunt through the mountain of discounts there are some great home cinema and hi-fi savings to be had – especially if you follow the three simple rules detailed in my Prime Day survival guide.

But, truthfully, the process and format of the event doesn’t change much, especially in recent years, where Amazon and competing retailers have settled into a bit of a pattern, regarding what specific products they’ll be discounting – the short version is stores tend to use it as a means to clear stock of older products to make way for that year’s new hardware. This is especially true of TVs.

Which is why I am pleased to report, for the first time in as long as I can remember, I’ve already been treated to two great discounts that I hand on heart did not expect and thoroughly recommend any potential OLED TV buyer to consider.

LG C4 – amazing blink and you’ll miss it savings

The LG C4 is a great TV. But, as you’ll see in my general “which TVs to watch this Prime Day” guide, it is not a set I was expecting to see hefty discounts on this year. 

Traditionally the best OLED TV deals have been on LG sets from the year before. And there have undeniably been great savings on the LG C3, which are still available and worth a look, the best deals I've seen so far have been on the C4. 

The highlight so far was the 77-inch version of the LG C4, which dropped to sell for just £2000 on the LG official store – a massive saving on its £3800 regular price. We say blink and you miss it, as LG raised the price back up within the 30 minutes it took our intrepid home cinema editor, Tom Parsons, to type up our news story on the deal. 

Thankfully, while the discounts aren’t quite as great as the 77-inch model, LG’s still running a wealth of other great C4 deals on its official store across all the smaller sizes. However, be warned the prices are fluctuating rapidly and these are also being listed as “limited time” discounts. 

For the money you get a fantastic OLED TV that we awarded a perfect five-stars after reviewing it in our dedicated viewing rooms.

Though it’s not a night and day upgrade on the LG C3, which we recommend keeping an eye on as well, it offers fantastic picture quality, significantly improved sound and all the features gamers need to make the most of the PS5 and Xbox Series X graphical-grunt. At its current price it also partially deals with our reviewers’ biggest gripe – it’s high price compared to the C3. 

What’s going on with the Sony A80L?

If the C4 doesn’t grab your fancy, or is still a bit over your budget, there are loads of great discounts running on the five star, What Hi-Fi? Award winning Sony A80L.

The discounts started when Amazon slashed over £1000 off the 55-inch A80L. But since then specialist retailers Richer Sounds and Sevenoaks have followed suit, running their own massive “stock clearance” sales on the 65-inch and 77-inch models of the A80L.

Why is this a surprise? It’s because traditionally Sony sets tend to retain their value a lot longer than competitors. So seeing the A80L (which remains one of the OLED TVs our experts recommend to buyers even at full price) discounted is a rare treat and surprise.

To this day the A80L is a benchmark we use when reviewing OLED TVs and running our suite of comparative side-by-side checks in our viewing rooms. Key reasons for this include its atypically high max brightness for a regular OLED without MLA or QD-OLED, and wonderfully accurate motion handling. 

If you want a great OLED TV deal, and don’t fancy an LG, this makes the A80L the TV to get this Prime Day, at least for the moment.

MORE:

These are the best OLED TV deals we've spotted

Our picks of the best OLED TVs 

We rate the best 65-inch TVs money can buy

Looking for a cheap and cheerful streaming deal this Amazon Prime Day? Well you've just found it: the Chromecast with Google TV (4K) is down to just £30 at Amazon.

That's half the full price of £60, and it means that the Chromecast is now available for less than the 4K Fire TV Stick. On Amazon. During Amazon Prime Day. Madness.

The Chromecast is a fantastic streamer in its own right, but this price cut is an even better incentive to upgrade. We tend to prefer the Chromecast over Amazon's Fire TV Sticks.

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

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

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