When you have a home cinema speaker package that is centred around some five-star stereo standmounts, it makes sense to make as much use of them as possible.

That is why, for this premium cinema set-up, we have married the KEF Q Concerto Meta speaker package with Arcam’s AVR5 AV amplifier.

The system

• Projector: Epson EH-LS9000 (£2999 / $3999 / AU$7299)
• Blu-ray player: Panasonic DP-UB820 (£349 / $550 / AU$849)
• Streaming box: Apple TV 4K (£199 / $150 / AU$299)
• AV amplifier: Arcam AVR5 (£1499 / $1999 / AU$3995)
• Speaker system: KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 (£2549 / $4050 / AU$5650)
• Total system price: £7595 / $10,748 / AU$18,092

The AV receiver

Arcam puts sound performance as the main selling point of all its amplifiers, not merely bunging as many features into the box as possible to appeal to its buyer. More features means the potential for more issues with sound, and that is not an acceptable compromise for the brand.

That single-minded insistence on sonic ability is also why the Arcam will power only seven channels of amplification. It will process up to 12 channels of Dolby Atmos, but you’ll need to add external amplification to drive those extra channels, should you want to do so.

What it will do here, though, is provide a brilliant 5.1 experience – and should you want to take advantage of those Dolby Atmos capabilities (which we would urge you to consider) you can invest in a pair of KEF’s Q8 Meta Atmos toppers. Then you would be using the Arcam amp to drive a 5.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos system, without the need for extra external amplification.

Importantly, you would also have an impressively musical two-channel option as well, removing the need for a separate stereo set-up. If space is at a premium, this is a neat solution that should suit most people really well.

A glimpse at the images at the top of this page reveals that this is a substantial set-up, though. And more than seven grand is quite the outlay, of course. But consider that this is a system that can cover both stereo and home cinema – and perform both with aplomb – and things don’t seem quite so eye-watering.

It is, however, a set-up that requires a dedicated space. This is serious home cinema, after all, so a permanently plumbed-in projector and screen, and a room that can be made dark, should be your first aim.

Assuming you have the appropriate space to accommodate it though, this set-up is simply stunning value for money.

The nimble, surefooted Arcam can handle movie scores and sound effects with impressive ability. This really is an impeccable musical performance, and it’s one that can go really very loud without seeming to feel the strain.

The speaker package

An impeccable musical performance can apply equally as well to the KEF speaker package, of course – no great surprise with the five-star stereo abilities of the Q Concerto Meta standmounts that perform the front left and right channel duties.

It’s not all about that pairing, though. The KEF Kube subwoofer holds its own, with a powerful and dynamic low-end kick, and the Q1 Meta surrounds, despite being smaller than their front-channel siblings, certainly don’t let up on a movie as far as sonic scale goes.

No, this package puts in a truly impressive surround-sound display, putting us squarely in the centre of any movie action, while also revealing the subtle abilities of its centre channel by making dialogue pin-sharp and clear.

The projector

While the sound is a massive part of any home cinema experience, it would all be for naught, of course, without a brilliant 4K picture to do it justice.

Which is where the projector comes in. A Best Buy in the What Hi-Fi? 2025 Awards, the Epson EH-LS9000 is, for us, the top performer in its category.

It may not have a native 4K resolution, rather getting to its 4K image via pixel-shifting, but that technology, far from being the red flag it might once have been, has proved time and time again to be capable of producing brilliantly sharp and detailed picture quality. And so it proves here.

The Vivid preset (perhaps surprisingly – certainly unusually) is the setting that, for us, makes the most of the LS9000’s specification and processing. It produces a picture with quite exceptional vibrancy and three-dimensionality without making things look forced or veering drastically away from cinematic intent.

As we say in our review: “Playing Thunderbolts on 4K Blu-ray… we’re instantly struck by the sharpness and detail of the image. There’s an awesome solidity and depth to the picture, which is particularly impressive at the 100-inch scale of our screen, and you almost feel as if you could reach into the image and poke the little figures in the distance.

“Colours are both vivid and natural, and the shading is excellent: the sky over the desert fills the top third of the image and blends beautifully from very light blue on one side to a deeper, more vibrant blue on the other.”

The Blu-ray player

Talking of blue, we would urge you to invest in physical media for a home cinema of this quality. There are fewer and fewer 4K Blu-ray players available to buy these days, with the prevalence of video streaming, but there is no doubt, in our eyes, that the format is the best way to get a top-notch 4K image.

The Panasonic DP-UB820 is our current Award winner, and has been claiming What Hi-Fi? Awards since 2019.

And, as we say in our review verdict, “If you’ve bought into the 4K Blu-ray format and have a suitable home cinema set-up, you need a dedicated player that can deliver on multiple fronts. The Panasonic DP-UB820 is just that, supporting all major HDR formats, delivering a hugely immersive and impactful picture, backed up by a strong audio performance.”

The streamer

While a Blu-ray disc is perfect for those full-on movie nights, we are not obsessive or unrealistic enough to say that everything we watch should be via that somewhat restrictive medium.

Video streaming has come on leaps and bounds over the past decade and more – and the quality of the 4K images on offer is now extremely impressive. The very best option, though, for a home cinema such as this is undoubtedly Apple’s brilliant TV 4K.

Suffice to say that its predecessor romped away with Awards aplenty, and this superb little box is better than it in every department. For us, this is a no-brainer.

Is your dad like mine and claims he doesn't actually want anything for Father's Day?

Of course, you still have to get him something – and we've put together a snazzy little gift guide to help you.

Whether you have a commuter dad who could benefit from some noise-cancelling headphones, a garden dad who would love a Bluetooth speaker or a home cinema dad who watches late-night action films, there's something here for whatever his tastes are.

All of the physical products below have been reviewed and rated by us, and must receive at least four stars to earn our sought-after recommendation. So even if you know nothing about hi-fi and home cinema, you can be sure you're getting your dad a quality gift.

The ultra-portable, ultra-affordable Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 is one of the most wallet-friendly portable speakers we've come across, but, importantly, it also offers good sound quality for the money.

The Sony WH-1000XM6 won Product of the Year in the wireless headphones category at our most recent Awards ceremony, and are still our best overall pick of the best headphones. If your dad regularly spends his time on trains, planes or buses, then the excellent noise-cancelling, exceptional detail and comfortable fit make these a go-to option.

The Panasonic DP-UB150EB is a great value 4K Blu-ray player. Picture quality is admirable – especially when it comes to dark details and 4K upscaling – and the player can handle up to 7.1 audio with an impressive sense of scale.

The Sonos Era 300 is a wireless speaker that offers huge scale, an engaging sound, a wide range of features and a seamless Sonos experience. It's also convincing with spatial audio, music that uses the Dolby Atmos format to create multiple channels of audio beyond the standard two.

We're sure Apple AirPods need no introduction. The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are our favourite overall thanks to their spacious, powerful and dynamic sound, impressive ANC and Apple's intuitive user experience.

If your dad needs something to listen to on his new headphones, then you can currently get three months of Audible for only $0.99 a month. Given that it's usually $8.99 a month, that's quite the saving.

If your dad is still listening to the tinny built-in speakers of his TV, a soundbar will be revelatory. The diminutive Creative Stage Pro comes with a soundbar and subwoofer that are compact enough for small spaces, but still sound crisp, detailed and emotive.

If your dad has crates of dusty records, then the Sony PS-LX3BT is an effective and affordable way to get back into vinyl. It comes with Bluetooth functionality, so your dad can connect his wireless headphones too.

The Audio-Technica Sound Burger may look like a novelty, but this portable record player is also an enjoyable, well-made concept with plenty of unique features. Especially recommended if your dad had the original back in 1983.

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless headphones you can buy

And the best TVs for all budgets

Looking for a bargain? Here are the best budget soundbars

Surround sound systems come in practically every shape and size these days, but there's one modern alternative that we've seen sweep the world of home cinema.

We are, of course, talking about wireless soundbar systems. Bose has just unveiled its Ultra Lifestyle soundbar, subwoofer and wireless speakers, and it joins the likes of Sonos, LG, Sony, Yamaha and Samsung in offering an ecosystem of home audio products that can work together to essentially create a proper surround sound experience.

While they vary in quality – we've recently raved about Samsung's superb HW-Q990H, while LG's Sound Suite system didn't quite hit the mark – there's no doubting they are super popular, convenient, and effective ways to achieve surround sound without filling your living room with bulky floorstanding speakers.

We're even seeing companies get creative with their soundbar systems. Majority recently impressed us with its pint-sized Bowfell Halo Atmos system, and Hisense scored a coveted What Hi-Fi? Award with its superbly affordable AX5125H package.

While they won't suit everyone, and a true surround sound speaker package will always win in terms of delivering proper cinematic sound, there are plenty of great options around, and it's reminding us of a previous home cinema audio trend.

A full surround sound system in a box isn't a new phenomenon; in fact, they were all the rage in the early 2010s. Samsung, Panasonic, LG and many more used to sell a whole home cinema in a box, combining a DVD or Blu-ray player alongside a compact wired 5.1 speaker set, unlocking surround sound for the masses without the need for an AV receiver.

Our review of the Panasonic SC-BTT590 from back in 2012 highlights how capable these systems once were. We complimented this system, saying "the handover between speakers is smooth, making for a convincing surround sound".

Stretching even further back to 2010 with the Award-winning Sony BDV-E370, which featured an "easy, idiot-proof set-up" and speakers that "deliver surprising scale and power".

These nifty, streamlined systems were made to combine cinematic sound with plug-and-play convenience, which sounds like a very similar objective to the soundbar systems we're seeing today.

The biggest difference between the home cinema in a box systems of old and the current soundbar packages is the inclusion of a Blu-ray player that once acted as a hub to drive these speakers.

That's to be expected in a world dominated by streaming and massively improved wireless audio protocols, but being the physical media advocates that we are, it's a shame nonetheless.

But it's not all doom and gloom. Sonos, Bose, LG and Sony all take a modular approach, allowing you to connect surround speakers and subwoofers as you see fit, and most of these companies offer components at different price points.

More customisation and different speaker configurations mean you can essentially build a surround sound package that better suits your needs and budgets, which is always a plus.

Sony, in particular, has welcomed this approach with open arms, as it now offers five different optional subwoofers and three different types of wireless sound speakers.

So, are soundbar systems secretly just a revival of one of the 2010s ' best home cinema trends? We think they're more of a spiritual successor with the same mission statement in mind: save people from their TV speakers by bringing simple, effective cinematic sound to the masses.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

As well as the best surround sound systems

And find the best soundbar deals here

Where have all the Panasonic OLEDs gone? If you’re asking that question, you’re not alone.

We have had a wave of emails flood in from you, our eagle-eyed cinephile readers, pointing out that it’s pretty much impossible to buy most models, unless you’re willing to go second-hand.

And, blow us down, you are right. Richer Sounds, Peter Tyson, John Lewis, Sevenoaks Sound and Vision, Amazon and more all seem to have run out of stock of most of them. This is certainly strange, as Panasonic TVs usually remain on sale for at least a year, sometimes two, after launch.

In fact, going through all the usual suspects, we found it next to impossible to find many sizes of the firm’s current-generation Panasonic Z95B and Z90B OLEDs in stock. The 48-inch Panasonic Z90B, which not only impressed our reviewers enough to earn a five-star rating when we reviewed it less than a year ago, but also went on to win a What Hi-Fi? Award, is particularly hard to find.

We reached out to our contacts at the big AV retailers as well as Panasonic itself to find out what’s going on with its current-generation OLEDs. Sadly, the news isn’t great.

Commenting off the record, every store spokesperson we spoke to had pretty much the same response when we asked when and if the TVs will go back on sale: “We don’t know.”

When we went to get information straight from the horse’s mouth, Panasonic was similarly wary to give any concrete information, simply telling us that it has nothing to share about the OLED drought.

We haven’t, then, had any official word on the cause. It could be they are just really popular and sold out fast. Or, possibly more likely, it could be to do with the supply chain, and imminent deal with Skyworth. This will see the Chinese brand take over production, research and development, and sales of Panasonic TVs in numerous territories, including the UK and Europe.

We have chased for further information and will update this page when we hear back, but whatever the answer, the loss of two great TVs so soon is undeniably a bummer, especially the smaller Z90B.

While the 42-inch LG C5 is still a good alternative, there’s a reason we recommended the Z90B over it: the Panasonic set offers better picture quality. Losing it so soon after launch is more than a little disappointing, especially with the football World Cup, which will have many of us glued to our sets, coming up.

Fingers crossed we get good news about Panasonic stocks soon. If not, you can check out our picks of the best OLED TVs we have fully reviewed, recommend and can confirm are still on sale, using the attached guide.

We also expect to get a number of this year’s new sets, including the smaller LG C6, Samsung S90H and Samsung S95H, in for testing soon. So the gap left by the Z90B may well get plugged in the not-too-distant future.

MORE:

These are the best small TVs we have tested

We rank the best soundbars money can buy

Our picks of the best TVs money can buy

We're almost a third of the way through 2026, and if there's one takeaway from the world of TVs, it's that maybe too much is happening.

I'm deeply immersed in the release schedules and latest technologies tied to the likes of Samsung, LG, Sony, Philips, Panasonic, Hisense and TCL, and yet even I'm finding 2026 to be one of the most confusing years for TVs to date.

Part of that is a good thing, as we're getting lots of exciting innovations this year, which are sure to define generations of TVs to come, but they're ultimately meaningless if the messaging is unclear.

I've been catching up with the brands mentioned above since January, getting behind-the-scenes access to some of the more exciting TVs to launch this year. But, despite my extensive access to TV experts from said brands, I still have plenty of unanswered questions...

RGB Mini LED: mid-range marvel or premium panel tech?

The biggest TV news of 2026 is that practically every TV manufacturer is launching new backlit TVs with this state-of-the-art panel technology.

RGB Mini LED looks to be the successor to Quantum Dot Mini LED, as it strips away the QLED layer and swaps a white backlight for individual red, green and blue LEDs in the pursuit of greater colour accuracy and backlight control.

On paper, this sounds great, and we've even seen a few impressive sets, including the Hisense UR8 and TCL RM9L, in action. We've also just been treated to a demo of Sony's True RGB system.

The issue is that these companies can't decide where to position RGB Mini LED. And this lack of clarity on its place in the pecking order is already causing confusion.

Samsung and Hisense seem to be championing it as flagship technology, meaning it's reserved for premium models that sit alongside (or, in some cases, above) OLED TVs. Samsung's R95H appears to sit alongside the brand's S95H QD-OLED this year, which can only signify that the Korean AV giant sees it as a top-of-the-line technology.

Philips and LG, on the other hand, maintain that it sits below their respective OLEDs. Philips has been more open about this, as it claims "OLED is still the reference", and the company's mid-range MLED981 sits below even the entry-level OLED761.

So, which one is it? Is this new panel tech best suited to flagships? Or is it not capable of challenging even some of the most affordable OLEDs on the market?

Is OLED in trouble?

We were blindsided by two prominent OLED TV manufacturers, Sony and Panasonic, essentially selling off their TV businesses to Chinese firms, TCL and Skyworth. The latter is only handling Panasonic's European TV division.

Both Japanese giants are known for producing high-quality, and often fairly pricey, OLED TVs, but that may be about to change. While we can't speak entirely for Sony, we do know TCL's firm anti-OLED stance (specifically for TVs, the company uses OLED for mobile and automotive displays), so we don't have high hopes.

What we can presume is that Sony likely won't launch a premium OLED TV this year, as it now employs an unconventional release schedule, where each model is only refreshed every two or three years – or in the case of the A90K, possibly longer. The Bravia 8 II launched last year, so we expect this to stick around until 2027.

Speaking of not launching a new premium OLED, Panasonic confirmed that the Z95B will continue as its flagship offering in 2026. As it stands, the entry-level Z86C will be the only new OLED from the legendary Japanese AV company this year.

Pair that with the LG G6 being the first in the series to not score five stars (you can read our full LG G6 65-inch review here), things are already looking interesting for this year's What Hi-Fi? Awards judging process.

All we'll say is that it's a good job that the LG C6 is a simply superb OLED TV, as it might be among a modest cohort of new models this year.

Is Dolby Vision 2 really coming this year?

The final slightly baffling hot topic in the TV world is Dolby Vision 2. Now, I've seen it in action a couple of times, and I have to say that it looks superb, but there are so many unanswered questions.

Hisense and TCL were announced as launch partners at IFA 2026, and yet neither referenced it at their respective launch events in Europe last month. Furthermore, when questioned about it, Hisense confirmed that it should be coming to its 2026 TVs, but possibly not at launch. Instead, it'll likely be added via a software update down the line.

Philips, on the other hand, made no qualms about Dolby Vision 2 Max being supported on its 2026 OLEDs, including the OLED911. This feels more promising, especially when LG and Sony have remained especially tight-lipped about the new HDR format for quite some time.

There is, of course, the issue of Dolby Vision 2 content. To our knowledge, the only services that will support Dolby Vision 2 are Canal+ and NBC's Peacock service, neither of which really has the mainstream draw of Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video.

It is, of course, early days, so we could see more services pick the format up, but the creation of Dolby Vision 2 content is still a mystery right now.

Looking to a buy a TV now? Here's my advice...

If you're in the market for a TV now, my honest advice would be to hold out until we gain a little more clarity.

The best TV that we've tested this year (so far) is the LG C6, and while it is brilliant, it's also expensive right now. We expect this price to drop steadily throughout the year, as the C5 and C4 did, so your patience should be rewarded.

We're also yet to review any of the new RGB Mini-LED models, so if you can wait until we make a judgment on these upcoming TVs, we'd recommend doing so. It's entirely possible that RGB Mini LED could surpass OLED in terms of picture performance, but we won't know until we try them ourselves.

And if you're confused by the state of the TV world in 2026, then don't worry – we live and breathe TVs here, and even we're feeling a bit overwhelmed.

MORE:

Read our full LG C6 65-inch review

The LG C series is a bit of a mess right now, and it's all the better for it

Check out our picks for the best OLED TVs

April is usually when practically every TV manufacturer has officially unveiled its lineup of TVs for the year, and I've had the pleasure of seeing almost every new model in the flesh.

From new Primary RGB Tandem OLED flagships, to game-changing RGB Mini LED sets, and even affordable mid-range models (both Mini LED and OLED), the 2026 TV market is officially in full swing after a busy string of launches.

I started my year at CES, where Samsung and LG stole the spotlight with flagship OLED TVs, and from there I've attended hands-on events with Panasonic, Philips, Hisense and TCL to see each company's respective new TV ranges.

While we're still yet to hear from Sony about what it has up its sleeve (especially in the wake of its partnership with TCL), it's looking like a majority of the big players in the TV world have locked in their lineups.

I've selected the five that have caught my eye most at these events, and even included a bonus option which boasts some major improvements over its disappointing predecessor.

1. Philips OLED911

Kicking things off with Philips, the OLED911 is a sequel to one of my favourite TVs of 2025. The OLED910 offered up a picture experience that truly rivalled the Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II, and there was no competition when it came to sound performance.

Its sequel, the OLED911, was unveiled at Philips' Unboxed Event in Berlin last month, and it stole the spotlight at the showcase.

It sports a second-generation Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel with an even higher claimed brightness figure than its predecessor and improved anti-reflective qualities to combat glare from ambient light.

Furthermore, it features a major upgrade for gamers: four HDMI 2.1 sockets (all of which support up to 4K/165Hz with VRR and ALLM), and it is also the first OLED TV in the world to support Dolby Vision 2 Max.

Rounding things off with the improved 81W Bowers & Wilkins sound system, which includes a slimmer rear-mounted subwoofer with four passive radiators, and dedicated left, right and centre channels, all of which feature dual 45mm midrange glass-fibre drivers alongside a 19mm titanium-dome tweeter.

This TV is feature-packed, and it comes in a slick new design as well, which makes it one of my top TVs to watch out for in 2026.

Read our Philips OLED911 hands on review

2. TCL C7L

While the pricey OLEDs are unquestionably the more eye-catching sets I've seen at these events, I've also been on the lookout for some of the more affordable options, which are guaranteed to shake up the mid-range TV market in 2026.

Case in point, the TCL C7L, which is a follow-up to the Award-winning C7K. Spotted at the company's Nxt Home launch in Paris last month, the C7L stood out thanks to its new Super Quantum Dot Mini LED (SQD-Mini LED) display, which promises more dimming zones, higher brightness figures, and better colour accuracy.

It's got big shoes to fill, but the TCL C7L promises to make some big picture upgrades over its five-star predecessor, which was enough to get me excited during my brief hands-on time with the new Mini LED set.

Read our TCL C7L hands on review

3. Samsung S99H/S95H

If we were giving out an Award for the luxurious TV of 2026, then Samsung's new S99H (S95H in the US) would have already won.

This new flagship OLED TV sports a brighter QD-OLED panel (Samsung claims there's a 700 nit upgrade in the TV's movie picture mode), and there have also been reported improvements to colour reproduction and banding visibility in lower-quality content.

Samsung has also made some changes to the One Connect system. The TV sports four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets housed within the main chassis. However, there is also an optional wireless One Connect box, which expands this to a whopping eight HDMI 2.1 sockets.

These upgrades sit inside a new, premium chassis that incorporates a Frame-style metal bezel, on which the QD-OLED panel sits to create a floating effect. I've seen this TV wall-mounted, and paired with the matte display finish, it really does look like a work of art.

I was treated to an early sighting of this TV at Samsung's headquarters in Suwon, South Korea, and was there to see its official unveiling at CES 2026. Despite being severely jet-lagged in both instances, this TV was an absolute showstopper at both events.

Read our Samsung S95H hands on review

4. Hisense UR8

2026 is a big year for backlit TVs, as the next generation of Mini LED panel technology is here.

RGB Mini LED was introduced on a handful of 2025 TVs, namely a 115-inch Samsung model and a 116-inch Hisense. It should come as no surprise that these gargantuan TVs with their first-generation panel technology are wildly expensive.

Thankfully, that's all about to change in 2026. Hisense isn't the only company to welcome the new panel technology into its line up this year; however, it wants to be known as the RGB Mini LED brand, and the UR8 is just one of its new models.

With promises of high brightness figures and rich, pure colours, Hisense is really going all-in on the new panel technology, which hopes to succeed Quantum Dot Mini LED.

Interestingly, I've opted for the cheapest RGB Mini LED in the range, which I came face-to-face with in Munich, Germany, last month.

This is mostly because I, and many others, presumed that a new panel technology would equal huge introductory price tags, and yet Hisense claims that this step-down model – which comes in 55-, 65- and 75-inches – will hit the market at a "competitive" price.

Read our Hisense UR8 hands on review

5. Panasonic Z86C/Z85C

Speaking of step-down TVs, Panasonic has only announced one new OLED TV this year, and it's unfortunately not a successor to the excellent Z95B from 2025. Instead, Panasonic (which is now producing its European TVs in collaboration with Chinese AV brand Skyworth) unveiled the Z86C (Z85C in Europe) at its event (also in Munich) earlier this year.

This entry-level OLED TV sports LG Display's new OLED SE panel technology, which removes the polariser to cut back on costs. This will, of course, reduce the TV's ability to combat glare and reflections, but for dark-room viewing, the Z85C should be just fine.

With its 120Hz refresh rate, supported by two HDMI 2.1 sockets, the Z86C is also a solid choice for gamers. In my brief experience with the TV, I found that even at this entry-level point with a stripped-back panel, the contrast and black depths that OLED brings to the table were unquestionably great, even if this TV didn't quite rival its Award-winning Z90B counterpart.

Read our Panasonic Z86C hands on review

Bonus: Sony Bravia 3 II

I'm sneaking in this TV as a bonus option, and I'm even breaking my own rules here as it's not a TV I've seen in the flesh. It's no secret that the Sony Bravia 3, which I reviewed last year, was a bit disappointing, especially by Sony's usually excellent TV standards.

It ultimately came down to the hardware limitation; the Bravia 3 featured a 60Hz direct-lit LED panel with no QLED layer, which made it feel quite expensive, especially considering it outpriced the Award-winning TCL C7K (which featured a 120Hz QD-Mini LED display).

I have to give credit where credit is due though; Sony has come back with a MKII refresh which directly addresses my gaming-focused concerns, and it even brings something new to the table for Sony TVs.

While we don't get Mini LED or even QLED here, it does now feature a 120Hz panel and four, yes four, HDMI 2.1 sockets to support gaming features.

Better yet, the Bravia 3 II now comes with Sony's XR processor, which has worked wonders in its more expensive TVs, especially when it comes to enhancing the sharpness and solidity of the image.

While I feel as though Sony could (and probably should) have crammed in another upgrade or two, these are certainly steps in the right direction. Unfortunately, this TV isn't currently slated to come to the UK yet, meaning we'll have to wait to see if this TV is an improvement over its predecessor.

Find out more about the Sony Bravia 3 II here

MORE:

Read our full LG C6 65-inch review

Check out our picks for the best OLED TV

As well as the best Mini LED TV

Soundbars and soundbar systems with subwoofers and surround speakers are pretty great home cinema sound solutions. But, however well they perform, they aren’t the real deal.

To get serious home cinema sound, in a dedicated space, it is still very much the case that a full separates system has to be the way to go.

By that, we mean a (necessarily) expensive true 4K projector, backed up by a top Blu-ray player and video streamer, and a sound system comprising a hefty AV amplifier and separate loudspeakers.

Which – who would have thought it? – is what we have for you here. This is a premium home cinema system intended for the serious enthusiast and housed as a permanent fixture in a dedicated screening room.

The one we have all been secretly yearning for, in other words.

The system

• Projector: Sony Bravia Projector 8 (£15,999)
• Blu-ray player: Panasonic DP-UB9000 (£999)
• Streaming box: Apple TV 4K (£149)
• AV amplifier: Marantz Cinema 30 (£3499)
• Speaker system: KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 (£2549)
• Total system price: £23,995

The projector

We lead things off with the magnificent Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES). This native 4K laser projector is a worthy successor to the Award-winning XW7000ES.

Sony’s strength with its projectors has always been contrast, and the Bravia 8 is exceptional in this regard.

It delivers stunning black depth – a rarity in the projector world – and ensures that dark scenes, such as the night sky of Gotham in The Batman, are deep and imposing, and refrain from straying into the murky grey seen on many rivals – even some at this price.

The new XR Processor, a version modified from Sony’s high-end OLED TVs, brings features such as XR Dynamic Tone Mapping and XR Deep Black to further enhance light control and detail.

Detail levels are a standout, presenting complex patterns and textures with remarkable fidelity. Colour rendition, too, is superb.

As we say in our review: “skin tones are balanced and well-judged, resulting in a lively yet not overcooked presentation across a range of pigments.

"They’re exceptionally balanced and realistic, too, while also having the necessary punch to draw the eye.

"Speaking of which, the eye at the beginning of Blade Runner 2049 features a stunning array of blues and greens, with a rich presentation that blends the colours in a smooth gradient.”

This projector is great for gamers too, with an improved 2.1 specification on both HDMI sockets. It supports 4K/120Hz signals with Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), and it has an impressively low input lag of 12ms.

This is truly a projector that delivers on the promise of a premium, large-screen experience.

The AV amplifier

At the heart of any great home cinema is an AV receiver capable of both refinement and brute force, and the Marantz Cinema 30 delivers in spades. This is a premium unit that justifies its price with an equally premium performance.

The amp’s ability to place sounds precisely in three-dimensional space combines with a knack for producing an absolutely huge and enveloping soundscape.

Detailed sound effects – crumbling plaster, dripping water, an electrical short and a high-pitched alarm – appear from all around you and together fill the room. Importantly, you hear the sounds, not the speakers.

Marantz has tuned this 11-channel amplifier to work beautifully with music as well as movies. A switch to Pure Direct means we can listen to just the front stereo channels, and the delivery is far superior to most AV amplifiers.

It’s quite likely that in a set-up such as this, the amplifier will be hidden away, to do its thing out of sight. If it does find itself out on display, however, this is a rather attractive unit by AV amp standards, with its small ‘porthole’ display.

More importantly, it is very well specified, with a whopping seven HDMI 2.1 inputs that support 4K/120Hz. It would be nigh-on impossible for even the most ardent enthusiast to run out of sockets to plug things into.

The speaker system

And making the most of the Marantz amplifier’s impressive abilities, we have the Award-winning KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 Speaker System.

This stylish package is headlined by a pair of five-star Q Concerto Meta standmounts, with support from the Q1 Meta surrounds, the Q6 Meta centre channel, and the formidable Kube 12 MIE subwoofer.

For the full Dolby Atmos experience, a couple of pairs of KEF Q8 Meta Dolby ‘toppers’ will set you back an additional £599 a pair. And in this system, that is certainly a worthwhile investment.

We’re treated to a muscular and rich, yet agile presentation from the Q Concerto Meta system.

This system sounds big and bold, enveloping us in engaging sound from all angles, but it refrains from losing focus and becoming sluggish as a result.

There is plenty of low-end punch, with the subwoofer delivering its gut-punch of low end while remaining in total control. And there’s no flab or waffle here; the KEF Kube 12 MIE delivers a powerful and dynamic low-end kick.

Voices are conveyed with clarity and texture, underpinned by an impressive handling of low-level dynamics. This results in a truly natural and realistic representation of voices with excellent projection, which is aided by how forthright and crisp this centre channel sounds.

It manages to remain well integrated into the system as a whole while it does it, which is impressive indeed. The left, right and centre speakers mesh seamlessly, and these in turn gel with the surrounds, leaving no noticeable gaps in between the channels.

The system’s brilliance, then, lies in its stunning sonic cohesion.

The Blu-ray player

To make the best of the superb projector and the powerhouse (yet subtle when appropriate) sonic package, you will need the best when it comes to sources to feed it.

As ever, we recommend physical media for this whenever possible – a wired connection will pretty much always provide a more stable connection than anything being passed through the air.

That means 4K Blu-ray. Enter the Panasonic DP-UB9000.

The Blu-ray player market has struggled over the past five years or so, with the dominance of video streaming. New players into the market are few and far between. So it’s a good job that the old-timers that are still hanging around are such stunning performers.

The UB9000 offers supreme picture quality, and is a machine that will give sterling service for many years.

The streaming box

It is unrealistic to expect any home cinema to rely on physical media alone, though. Video streaming is here to stay, and picture quality is improving all the time.

The very best, most consistent quality, though, comes from Apple’s remarkably good Apple TV 4K.

We find it to be clearly the best performer compared with its many rivals – which is why it so merits its place in this brilliant home-cinema set-up.

These are the best projectors and best AV receivers you can buy right now

We rank the best surround sound systems

As we enter March this week, all thoughts turn to spring after, well, at least two days of glorious sunshine.

But whether the weather behaves or not, it's still an excellent time to spruce up your hi-fi rack or TV cabinet.

Think you could do with swapping out a few past-their-prime products for some newer models? We've got some great deal suggestions below – and rest assured, we've tried and tested every one of the devices below, so you can purchase with confidence.

Happy shopping!

There has been a revelation in the ongoing decline of physical media – and, as someone who treasures their 4K Blu-ray library, it was the update I’ve been waiting for.

A recent report from the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) confirmed that after an extensive period of decline, 4K Blu-ray sales returned to growth in the United States, with a 12 per cent rise in 2025 compared with 2024.

While physical media sales fell overall, this was only by 9.3 per cent. That's undoubtedly still a drop, but it’s much less severe than expected; and it could well be a sign that optical media is coming back into fashion.

With streaming fatigue setting in from the abundance of available services, all of which offer various tiers that lock features behind pay walls and slowly increasing subscription costs overall, the renewed uptake of physical media seems to be a natural step.

Furthermore, more people are striving to get the best picture and sound performance out of their TVs, projectors, soundbars and surround sound speaker systems – and 4K Blu-ray is the best way to accomplish this.

There is, however, one slight issue, and it's one I've drawn attention to before. It’s undeniably great to see sales figures rise for 4K Blu-rays; but what will people play them on?

There are very few manufacturers still producing dedicated 4K Blu-ray players. Sony and Panasonic are the only remaining brands in the mainstream space, while Magnetar is one of the only options for enthusiasts who don’t want to scour eBay and pay above the odds for a discontinued Oppo or Pioneer player.

We’re willing to bet that most people are feeding their UHD Blu-rays into a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. They are the most readily available and current 4K Blu-ray players on the market – and, of course, they have the dual-purpose appeal of also being game consoles.

Unfortunately, from our testing, we have found that these consoles don't perform to the same level as a dedicated Blu-ray player – though they certainly aren’t bad options.

All the entries on our best 4K Blu-ray players list launched in either 2018 or 2019, apart from the Sony UBP-X700, which had an incremental update last year to remove the streaming features. There has been no official word from Panasonic on whether it will update its 4K players any time soon.

Pair that with prices that have actually increased rather than decreased since launch (Panasonic's entire range has gone up in price since our initial reviews), and I can see why 4K Blu-rays haven't been the most compelling option for consumers in recent years.

I've done my bit to promote the format to anyone who will listen, but these manufacturers also need to show their commitment to ensure the format continues this reported growth.

While we’re at it, I’d be thrilled to see the likes of Samsung and LG return to the optical disc player market. They pulled out years ago despite offering some seriously impressive disc players.

The likelihood of this happening is, of course, quite slim, but I shall continue my campaign for new players regardless.

MORE:

Read our full Panasonic DP-UB820EB review

As well as our Sony UBP-X700 review

And check out our picks for the best streaming devices

February is already coming to a close, and with it the promise of sunnier days ahead.

But there's no need to wait for some great deals, as we've had some doozies this week alone.

We've got a trio of home cinema Award-winners on offer this time around, including a massive £2000 off our Product of the Year projector, the Sony VPL-XW5000ES.

Not to be outdone, our Product of the Year soundbar system, the Samsung HW-Q990F, is also at the lowest price we have seen, while our budget TV Award-winner, the TCL C6KS, offers quality Mini LED backlighting for only £350.

On the hi-fi side, you can save a cool £500 off the Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 speakers and get a free QED XT25 2m terminated pair of cables to boot, while the small but mighty Dali Oberon 1 standmounts and iFi Go Link Max DAC prove that size isn't everything.

We would know, of course, because we test each product exhaustively before we recommend them. So you can shop in peace knowing these items hold up against the competition and have the What Hi-Fi? seal of approval.

So on with the deals – and there are some big discounts this week…

The premium 48-inch TV used to be the domain of the LG C-series alone, with other manufacturers focusing their OLED efforts on 55-inches and up (yes, 48 inches is now considered “small”).

These days, though, rival brands such as Panasonic and Samsung are in on the 48-inch OLED act.

The Panasonic Z90B and Samsung S90F are actually both better than the 48-inch C5 – but which is the better of the two, and therefore the ultimate compact living room TV?

We’ve pitted them against each other to find out.

48-inch Panasonic Z90B vs Samsung S90F: price

The 48-inch Panasonic Z90B is not available in the US or Australia, but arrived on UK shores at £1499. That puts it exactly on par with the Samsung S90F, which launched at £1499 / $1500 / AU$2499.

However, both models have seen discounts since then – the Panasonic has gone as low as £1099, but the Samsung has seen some incredible savings, dropping as low as £819 at one point.

Despite having the same launch price, the Samsung S90F is consistently available for less than the Panasonic Z90B, so it wins this round.

**Winner: Samsung S90F**

48-inch Panasonic Z90B vs Samsung S90F: build

Both TVs are sleek and thin, making them easy to mount flush on a wall. For standing, both TVs come with a rectangular pedestal with no swivel option.

However, the Panasonic comes with a notably larger pedestal. We’d prefer a smaller footprint, but the pedestal is well-made and sturdy, with no sway or flex during testing – and may well be a selling point for those with toddlers or large pets.

As is customary for Panasonic’s premium TVs, a speaker bar is prominent on the bottom of the Z90B. While this speaker bar should result in better sound quality (we’ll get to that in the sound section), it’s going to be a bit annoying for those who already have or are planning to get a dedicated sound system, particularly a soundbar.

The Samsung features a smaller pedestal that sets the screen higher than the Z90B, allowing room for a small soundbar to be placed underneath without blocking the view.

There are also gaps in the pedestal’s top and sides that make it easy to pass cables through – a small quality-of-life optimisation that we think makes a huge difference.

It’s also worth noting how easy it is to connect the pedestal to the Samsung, with the screw-free design meaning assembly takes less than a minute.

When it comes to remotes, the Z90B receives the same large, clunky remote that all Panasonic OLEDs have. It has all the app shortcuts you’ll need, but there’s no backlight, solar or USB charging.

The Samsung, on the other hand, actually comes with two remotes – a traditional, retro slab and a streamlined modern handset with USB charging and a rear-facing solar panel.

The win has to go to Samsung for this one – from a design perspective the Panasonic is held back slightly by old-school looks, the bolted-on soundbar and outmoded remote, while the Samsung is more stylish and offers a thoughtful cable management solution.

**Winner: Samsung S90F**

48-inch Panasonic Z90B vs Samsung S90F: features

Pound-for-pound, the Panasonic Z90B and Samsung S90F (and LG C5, for that matter) are quite similar when it comes to features.

Both TVs feature a WOLED panel, despite larger versions of the Samsung S90F featuring a brightness-boosting QD-OLED panel in some regions.

One of the Panasonic Z90B’s big advantages, however, is a heatsink, which should let Panasonic push the panel harder for a brighter performance, all while reducing the risk of burn-in and panel degradation.

The Panasonic features the HCX Pro AI Processor MKII chipset, the same silicon seen in the flagship Z95B, which has an AI processing focus like all the other TV chips we have seen this year.

A perk of the HCX Pro AI Processor MKII includes Panasonic’s 4K Remaster Engine upscaling and a new Amazon Prime Video Calibrated picture setting, similar to the mode Sony added to its 2024 range.

Panasonic’s partnership with TV calibration specialists Portrait Displays continues, which means the Z90B can be Calman calibrated with relative ease (providing you have the equipment and technical know-how).

The S90F sports the NQ4 AI Gen3 processor, which is again the same as its step-up sibling, the S95F. The AI focus of the silicon includes Samsung’s 4K AI Upscaling Pro, AI Motion Enhancer Pro and AI Colour Booster Pro services, all catered for.

These all do pretty much what they say on their respective tins – to improve contrast, boost colour accuracy and intelligently upscale content to 4K as required.

The Panasonic features Amazon’s Fire OS. This provides strong app support, including the big international streamers as well as specialist services and local catch-ups. Our only quibble is that it’s a little ad-heavy, and it’s not immediately clear which content is free and which is paid for.

The Samsung naturally uses the company’s own Tizen OS, which also has solid app support with all the usual suspects, whether international, local or specialist. There’s also more AI focus, with curated profiles and recommended shows based on user habits.

The Panasonic offers all-encompassing HDR support, including all four common standards: HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. This is in contrast to Samsung, which, as usual, lacks support for Dolby Vision, though the other three standards are supported.

However, the Panasonic loses points for having only two full-speed HDMI 2.1 inputs, one of which doubles as its eARC.

That will be fine for people who have just one current-generation games console and a Dolby Atmos soundbar, but those with multiple consoles and a soundbar will have to do some cable swapping if they want their games to run at full speed.

The Samsung, on the other hand, offers four full-fat HDMI inputs – ideal for those with an Atmos soundbar and a mixture of PS5, Xbox Series X or gaming PC.

Those HDMI 2.1 ports even go up to 4K/144Hz on both TVs, and there’s VRR and ALLM on both sets, too. Both feature dedicated gaming menus too, though only the Panasonic supports Dolby Vision gaming.

All in all, the Panasonic Z90B and Samsung S90F are pretty even-stevens when it comes to features. The Panasonic’s biggest flaw is the two HDMI 2.1 ports, but it makes up for it with Dolby Vision support, which is the S90F’s most glaring omission. So we’re going to call this round a draw.

**Winner: draw**

48-inch Panasonic Z90B vs Samsung S90F: picture

Both companies have legacies – Samsung TVs tend to push their panels for a fun, blow-your-socks-off experience that can be a little overcooked, while Panasonic has a reputation for wonderfully authentic, as the director intended, movie experiences. And that’s largely what we see here.

Both TVs perform poorly out of the box, but switching to Filmmaker mode on each model improves things immensely.

We find the Samsung requires some additional tweaking to motion and colour settings, but once that’s done, movements lose their artificiality and colours look much more realistic. However, the skyline is still too red for our liking.

The Panasonic’s unchanged Filmmaker Mode, though, rewards us with the best picture we’ve yet seen on a 48-inch TV.

The Z90B excels at retaining warm detail in background dunes and colour volume in dim scenes, details that are lost on the Samsung.

The warmth extends from the darkest parts of characters’ faces to the brightest part of the picture, with wonderful colours, shades and detail, and no loss of authenticity or addition of artificiality.

What is interesting is that the Z90B is generally dimmer than the S90F, but it saves its punchiness for moments that are genuinely meant to go bright.

This is notable during a test viewing of Civil War. Peak highlights are every bit as bright and full of detail as on the S90F, but because the Z90B chooses to focus its efforts on the areas that are meant to be bright, “they hold a much more distinct, realistic place in the picture, adding weight and a true sense of three-dimensionality to the scene”, to quote from our Panasonic Z90B review.

Bright areas such as the chandelier in the White House are a notable example, with every bauble visible and sharp, whereas parts of the ornament just come across as white on the S90F.

However, the drawbacks of this dimmer display start to show in darker scenes. While blacks are nice and inky, and we can see every nook and cranny of an approaching spaceship in Alien: Romulus, we do have to look harder to see the ship in the first place.

The same occurs when we test SDR with the True Grit Blu-ray, as details that are visible on the S90F in the opening night-time scene are completely black on the Z90B. Things improve in brighter scenes, but the SDR performance still lacks dynamic range and definition compared to the S90F.

The Samsung, on the other hand, has plenty of pop, with explosions in a night-time battle in Civil War proving to be dazzlingly bright, while also retaining colour volume and offering solid levels of detail in both the darkest and lightest parts of the picture.

The S90F’s strengths in low light continue in Alien: Romulus, with an immersive picture as the spaceship descends, even if contrast is a touch heavy-handed.

The S90F also boasts one of the best upscaled pictures we’ve seen in quite a while, with True Grit retaining its spaghetti western, grainy feel, but featuring a wonderful sense of depth, with every stitch and dirt stain in the characters’ clothing looking sharp.

There are pros and cons to both sets here, with the Samsung S90F’s higher brightness resulting in more pop, especially during low-light scenes. It’s also the stronger upscaler, with a greater dynamic range and more definition than the Z90B.

However, it does tend to overbake colours, even after fiddling with the settings. And this is where the Z90B comes into its own – once in Filmmaker mode, you’re rewarded with a picture that is wonderfully authentic and weighty. It may come down to “wow” factor versus “as the director intended” here, but for our money, the Z90B gets the win for its startling commitment to cinematic authenticity.

**Winner: Panasonic Z90B**

48-inch Panasonic Z90B vs Samsung S90F: sound

The Samsung S90F’s audio is, bluntly, a mixed bag. The 60-watt, 2.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos-ready sound system is very weak, as we were easily able to hold a conversation with the volume set at 100.

Even more concerning, distortion becomes noticeable when the volume exceeds 60, especially during scenes with gunfire and explosions.

We attempt to remedy this by switching to Amplify, the only other mode available other than Standard.

This does not help, however – rather than offer better separation between different parts of the audio, the low end is pushed down so far that we only hear dialogue and upper frequencies. We soon switch back to Standard, which is far more balanced.

Despite being a tad weedy, the speakers do at least offer some directionality. Top Gun: Maverick is an ideal test for this, and we find the audio does at least match the jet plane’s on-screen movements.

Moving to the Z90B, we have a 60W, 2.1 arrangement that Panasonic markets as offering an audiophile experience. We wouldn’t say it lives up to this description, but it is easily better than the Samsung S90F – and every other 48-inch OLED we’ve tested recently.

Once again, there’s a good sense of directionality during a gunfight in Civil War, but this time, there’s noticeably more low-end heft and volume, with the explosions offering rumble even at moderate volumes.

This doesn’t come at the expense of the dialogue, however, with a reasonable separation between background noises and characters’ voices, even during scenes with heavy, low-end action.

It’s still no match for a moderately capable soundbar, thanks to imprecise bass and underpowered front drivers, but it’s the best audio performance you’ll find on an OLED this size – giving the Z90B another win.

**Winner: Panasonic Z90B**

48-inch Panasonic Z90B vs Samsung S90F: verdict

Both TVs are solid OLEDs for smaller rooms, and among the best TVs we have tested at this size.

The Samsung S90F is noticeably cheaper than the Panasonic Z90B and it also boasts a more modern, user-friendly design. It goes toe-to-toe with the Z90B when it comes to features, and offers a dazzlingly bright, punchy picture, even if it is a little overbaked.

However, it can’t quite trump the Panasonic Z90B when it comes to picture quality. The Z90B may suffer some drawbacks from its less bright screen, but for cinematic authenticity and an “as the director” intended experience, the Z90B easily comes out on top.

Add in a superior, if not perfect, built-in sound system, and the Panasonic Z90B is the top choice out of the two, and indeed out of all the 48-inch OLEDs we have tested.

**Winner: Panasonic Z90B**

This week, Panasonic announced a new “partnership” with Chinese manufacturing giant Skyworth for its TV business.

The news broke at a launch event in Germany attended by What Hi-Fi?, where we also got our first look at Pansonic’s 2026 range of TVs, which includes just one new affordability-focused OLED.

During the event, the two firms revealed that the Shenzhen-based company will handle all sales, marketing, and logistics for most future TVs with Panasonic branding destined for Europe and the UK. Panasonic, meanwhile, will handle quality control.

In short, it looks as though Skyworth will make, distribute and sell the new TVs, while Panasonic rubber stamps them as “meeting its standards”.

We await full details, but one company paying to use another's brand, or entering a formal partnership to co-develop products, isn't anything new in TV land. Philips has had a deal with TP Vision for many moons, and Sony announced a new partnership with TCL earlier this year.

It’s too early to say how these changes will play out. Despite nearly two decades of reviewing TVs, I have yet to test one from the Skyworth stable. So I don’t have any experience of the company's TV-making abilities.

It has, though, made plenty of OLED sets in the past, which TCL, a famous champion of Mini LED, has not – hence my and some of the team’s concerns about Sony’s future in the space when their partnership was first announced.

At the event, all the representatives from both sides were making the right noises, of course, telling our senior staff writer, Lewis Empson, “Panasonic TVs will stay true to what makes them great,” but “with new scale and resources behind them.”

If true, that’s awesome.

Still, I am somewhat nervous. In my experience, these sorts of partnerships haven't always led to “great products” for the end user.

For example, remember when Samsung bought Harman and started plastering AKG branding over a wealth of three-star earbuds, including the original Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds Pro 2?

Or the procession of TVs with “tuned by Onkyo” or “tuned by B&O” branding that ended up with three-star scores for their sound section.

In a past life, when I still reviewed smartphones, I also remember some pretty disastrous “partnerships” with camera makers.

There was one in particular with Motorola and Hasselblad – a premier camera maker that helped develop the technology used to film the moon landing. Let’s just say the results weren’t out of this world…

There are too many examples littered throughout history to list here. But for me, the idea of Panasonic TVs going down the same route is particularly sad.

As a reviewer, I am, of course, unbiased; but I have very fond memories covering the brand, which was one of the most exciting TV makers on the scene in the early days of my career.

Its plasma TVs dominated the market. More importantly, they genuinely had the performance chops to justify their popularity.

Heck, look at our reviews of its TVs at the time. In 2009, the year of my first TV review, the Panasonic TX-P42X10B earned a five-star recommendation. Humble brag: we were also the first brand to get a sample.

The following year, the Panasonic TX-P50V20 took things to the next level, winning our best 50-inch TV trophy during the 2010 What Hi-Fi? Awards.

This hot streak continued all the way to 2013 with the Panasonic TX-P50GT60B plasma set winning best premium 47in-52in TV that year.

Panasonic was, for us and many readers, the top dog of plasma, pure and simple.

And, while many reviewers started favouring rivals’ LCD and OLED offerings, as evidenced by the decline in Panasonic TV sales from that point, I personally continued to love the firm’s premium offerings and overt focus on delivering “as the director intended experiences”.

In fact, it was this DNA that led me to invest in a (heavily discounted) four-star Panasonic TX-55EZ952B for personal use in 2017.

And this focus has carried on over the years, despite diminishing sales, as evidenced by the Award-winning 48-inch Panasonic Z90B from 2025. It was its atypically mature, consistent picture that helped it take the trophy.

With sales dipping and Panasonic no longer being the mass-market darling it once was, I can see that new owners may want to change this. From a business perspective, it certainly makes sense. If profit is your end goal and the current strategy of focusing on cinephiles isn’t working, why not pivot to volume or at least tweak the formula to be more in line with what's doing well for rivals right now?

It’s just a little sad for people with tastes similar to mine, those who value uniformity and consistent picture quality over a blow your socks off nit count and smorgasbord of AI features.

The number of TV makers still focusing on my main priorities seems to be diminishing by the hour.

I can’t help but think that’s a bad thing. After all, authenticity and consistency always win the race longterm right? The tortoise and the hare taught us that. Right?!

Here’s hoping I’m wrong.

MORE:

These are the best TVs we have tested

We rank the best OLED TVs

Our pick of the best Panasonic TVs

It’s been an open secret in the world of TV and AV that Panasonic has been quietly struggling to keep up with the likes of Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL; and honestly, that’s not surprising, nor is it necessarily the company’s fault.

Panasonic has always upheld a quality AV experience rather than cutting corners to achieve lower price tags; hence the reason its OLED TVs can be found in prestigious Hollywood editing bays and the homes of cinephiles around the world.

However, in the current economic climate, many consumers are looking for value above all else, which is likely where Panasonic has fallen behind the aforementioned rivals, which have the capacity to pump TVs out at a much more rapid rate and charge lower prices.

We’ve championed Panasonic’s excellent OLEDs for quite some time, but that hasn’t been enough to prevent the company from striking a deal to offload its TV business to Chinese AV giant Skyworth Shenzen due to presumably middling sales figures and challenging market conditions.

That partnership was announced at Panasonic Experience 2026 in Munich, and we were in the audience to hear the news first, as well as see the company’s surprisingly scarce OLED TV lineup for 2026.

It includes the existing (and very good) Z95B and Z90B, as well as this new entry-level model that we’re here to discuss today.

The Z85C, or Z86C as it’s known in the UK, is currently the only new OLED TV that Panasonic will be launching in 2026, and while we didn’t get a chance to test it properly at the company’s Munich campus, we do have some first impressions to share.

Price

We’re yet to receive pricing information for the Z85C/Z86C, though Panasonic seems to suggest that it will be priced competitively, which makes sense considering it now has the backing to be more assertive in this space.

We presume the key rivals to this OLED set will include the upcoming LG B6 and Samsung S85H, and we could even see it take on the three-star Toshiba XF9F in this arena as well.

There’s also the five-star Philips OLED760 to contend with, which could prove a thorn in Panasonic’s side here in Europe.

Build

The cheapest option in Panasonic’s OLED lineup has an understandably more basic build compared to the eye-catching Z90B and Z95B models.

It feels more plasticky than the premium, fabric-clad flagship models, which is to be expected given that it's on the bottom rung of Panasonic's new OLED ladder.

That’s not to say it doesn’t look good from an aesthetic standpoint. The slender bezels around the display arguably look sleeker than the TVs mentioned above, as there is no built-in soundbar to add bulk to the chin of this set.

However, the circular pedestal stand does jut out quite prominently, and it looked a little unwieldy on the 55-inch model we saw. The bonus here, however, is that it does support a rotation function if you need to angle your screen towards an off-centre sofa.

Speaking of screen sizes, the TV will only be available in 55- and 65-inches. That’s not uncommon in the budget OLED market, but a smaller 48-inch or larger 77-inch screen option would have been a nice touch.

Features

We’ll kick this section off with the most intriguing aspect of this TV: the panel. Panasonic confirmed (in a very roundabout way) that this TV uses LG Display’s new OLED SE panel, which removes the polariser and targets a lower peak brightness compared to OLED EX in order to keep costs down.

During our catch-up with LG Display at CES 2026, it confirmed that the new panel tech would be rolling out in entry-level OLEDs this year, and this is the first production model we’ve seen it featured in. It also said that while the panel tech won’t be as bright as the higher-end alternatives, it will be brighter than the older OLED panels found in current entry-level models.

Panasonic is simplifying things by just referring to the Z86C as having a “new OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate”. On the subject of gaming features, the Z86C features two HDMI 2.1 sockets, which support up to 4K/120Hz signals with VRR and ALLM.

Sound-wise, this TV sports a 2.1 channel built-in speaker system, with little in the way of specific details regarding its capabilities announced at the Panasonic Experience.

We do, however, know that this TV will feature the Fire TV operating system in the UK, whereas the international Z86C version will sport Google TV.

Picture

Conditions for viewing the Z86C were less than ideal, as we were in a brightly-lit event space with a looping reel of generic sci-fi demo content on screen. That being said, we can see a couple of promising signs coming from the Z86C.

The benefits of OLED SE appeared to be tangible to our eyes, as it managed to hold its own where brightness was concerned, despite the fairly harsh lighting conditions of the venue.

The trade-off was that reflections were more noticeable compared to the Z90B, which was also on display nearby.

Shots of planets, galaxies and other celestial entities looked good on this budget panel, with the deep inky depths of space contrasting nicely with rich colours.

Stars didn’t pop against the black depths of space quite as much as they did on the Z90B, which was handily synchronised to show the same content for comparison purposes, but that’s to be expected with a step-down model.

Generally speaking, the Z86C looked punchy, sharp and bright by budget OLED standards during our brief hands-on time with the TV; though much more testing is needed before we can pass a final verdict.

Sound

As is often the case with these TV hands-on sessions, the sound was muted on the Z86C, which – as you can probably imagine – makes sound testing quite difficult.

We’ll need to test the TV fully to assess its sound capabilities, but we can hope that it’s similar to the Z90B and Z95B (both of which scored four out of five for sound) in the meantime.

Early verdict

It’s too early to conclude our thoughts on the Z86C, but what we do know is that it signifies a very interesting shift for Panasonic.

Early signs point towards it being a promising entry-level OLED TV, which is good news, because it’s going to be putting in a lot of legwork as Panasonic’s only new OLED for 2026.

It probably won’t appeal to cinephiles in the same way that the Z95B and Z90B do, but in a world where cheaper TVs are becoming the biggest unit drivers, the Z86C could be exactly what Panasonic needs right now.

MORE:

Read our full Panasonic Z90B review

As well as our LG C5 review

And check out the best OLED TVs

Panasonic has announced that it’s entered a partnership with Chinese AV brand Shenzen Skyworth, under its parent company Chuángwéi RGB, to secure the future of its OLED, Mini LED and QLED TVs in Europe.

After years of speculation, and confirmation from Panasonic itself that it was looking to restructure and potentially offload its struggling TV business, a deal has finally been struck to ensure that the brand will continue to sell TVs in the UK and European markets.

Announced at Panasonic Experience 2026 in Munich, Chuángwéi RGB’s CEO Peter Zhang confirmed the partnership, and assured members of the press that the company will work alongside Panasonic to continue delivering products that “stay true to Panasonic TVs”.

The deal hands the production, research and development, and sales duties to Skyworth, while Panasonic will provide input in development, using its years of experience in the AV industry to ensure Skyworth continues to produce high-quality sets under the company’s name.

Panasonic will also handle technical support of TVs purchased before March 2026, with this deal set to officially begin on 1st April 2026.

The goal of this strategic partnership (the same term used by Sony and TCL when they announced their respective deal) is to scale up Panasonic’s presence in Europe.

Skyworth promises to leverage its manufacturing, development, resources and scale to expand Panasonic’s presence within this crucial market.

Panasonic has been losing market share to the likes of Samsung, TCL and Hisense in recent years, and the brand wants to regain some of that to solidify its position as a “top five global television brand”.

We also speculate that this deal will greatly reduce the cost of Panasonic TV production.

While we’re happy to see Panasonic soldier on, especially after it produced two five-star TVs last year, in the form of the Z90B and Z95B (both of which roll over into 2026 and will stay in Panasonic’s TV lineup), we can’t help but feel the same pang of scepticism we felt upon Sony announcing that it will sell a majority stake of its home entertainment business to TCL.

That being said, the sentiment that “Panasonic TVs will stay Panasonic TVs” was echoed constantly throughout the company’s press conference on Monday, so we hope that both companies stick to their word here.

MORE:

The Sony and TCL TV merger could be a good thing – as long as each brand stays in its lane

Here's our story on Panasonic's new 2026 TV range

Here are the best TVs you can buy right now

Panasonic has just unveiled its 2026 TV range, and it's not what we were expecting.

While there is a new OLED model, it's not a replacement for the flagship Z95B, or even the step-down Z90B. Both of those models will continue through 2026.

Instead, it's an all-new Z86C model (Z85C in mainland Europe), which Panasonic says features "a new OLED panel".

Our working theory is that this new panel is the budget-oriented OLED SE panel that LG Display introduced last month at CES.

When we put that to a Panasonic representative, they said, “LG display has launched a new panel; this is that panel”, which feels like confirmation to us.

The use of an OLED SE panel would position the Z86C as an entry-level OLED. Perhaps even at a similar level of affordability as last year's Philips OLED760 and Toshiba XF9F.

We're working on getting pricing information out of Panasonic.

The Z86C has a 120Hz refresh rate and VRR support, so it could be a good option for gamers, though the number of HDMI 2.1 sockets it has is yet to be confirmed.

All flavours of HDR are supported, so that's HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos is also on board.

Amazon's Fire OS provides the Z86C's smarts, whereas mainland Europe's Z85C features Google TV.

Both TVs will be available in 55- and 65-inch sizes.

QD Mini LED sets galore

While there's just one new OLED TV on the way from Panasonic this year, there is an onslaught of Mini LED models – but they're not all coming to the UK.

The Mini LED range starts with the flagship W97C and W95C, which differ only in the colour of their casework. These models are limited to mainland Europe.

They feature a 144Hz panel, "more than" 1000 dimming zones, and a claimed peak brightness of 1500 nits.

They also feature what Panasonic is calling "Glare Free Ultra", which is designed to reduce reflections and improve viewing angles.

The W97C and W95C will be available in sizes ranging from 55 to 86 inches.

Definitely destined for UK shores is the W94C, which will come in 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes.

This looks on paper to be very similar to the W97C and W95C, thanks to its 144Hz panel and Glare Free Ultra anti-reflection tech, but it isn't clear whether it has the same number of dimming zones or brightness.

The W94C does feature the Amazon Fire OS, though, whereas the W97C and W95C are Google TVs.

The final UK-bound Mini LED model in Panasonic's 2026 range is the W91C. Interestingly, this is a Roku TV, rather than a Google or Amazon-powered one.

This model has just a 60Hz refresh rate, but it does feature the Glare Free Ultra tech, HDMI 2.1 sockets and support for VRR and ALLM.

All of Panasonic's new Mini LED sets feature Quantum Dots for added colour vibrancy, but there is also a range of QLED TVs with non-Mini LED backlights, too, as well as some entry-level LCD models.

Our man on the ground, Lewis Empson, will be getting hands-on time with some of Panasonic's new TVs later today, so stay tuned for his first impressions pieces.

MORE:

Here are the best TVs you can buy right now

Panasonic's sister brand Technics has also just announced a new turntable

Another week, another selection of great deals.

It's been a particularly good week for home cinema fans, with a trio of terrific TVs and a pair of Award-winning 4K projectors getting healthy discounts.

This includes £300 off the BenQ W2720i, a projector that is somehow just as comfortable in your living room as it is in a home cinema. Not to be outdone, the excellent value Epson EH-LS9000 is £200 off with a free Apple TV 4K to boot.

Highlights on the TV side include a whopping £1451 off the Award-winning LG C5, though bear in mind this price involves claiming cashback from LG (here's the full T&C's). Cinephiles might be more inclined to go for the Panasonic Z95B, which boasts a Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel and Panasonic's trademark authentic picture.

Not to be left out, audio fans can snap up the wired Shure Aonic 3, which has won a What Hi-Fi? Award for – wait for it – six years in a row, and is now at its lowest price in months.

As ever, these are all products we have tried and tested ourselves, so we only recommend the best. Our Award winners, in particular, are only crowned after rigorous comparison with the other available options and rivals.

For now, though, take a look at the deals:

The best TVs have become so good that you can find a five-star set no matter your budget. One such television is the Panasonic Z95B, which serves up a rich, authentic and crisp picture, backed up by a solid feature set and decent sound.

Better still, you can now snap it up for a new record-low price of £1549 at John Lewis.

All you have to do is enter the discount code PANA150OFF1500 at checkout.

The Panasonic Z95B is a top choice for cinephiles, distinguished by its revolutionary Tandem OLED panel that delivers incredible brightness and long-term durability.

The Panasonic Z95B is the successor to the revered Z95A, boasting a redesigned aesthetic and the latest Primary RGB Tandem OLED technology. Shifting away from the “bulky box” look of previous models, the Z95B features a more uniform width and a premium acoustic-cloth finish.

It also introduces a “ThermalFlow” cooling system –designed to push the panel harder for higher peak brightness – while retaining the popular swivel stand for flexible viewing angles.

One notable hardware inclusion is the high-quality metallic remote control, though the lack of backlighting remains a minor frustration for a flagship device in this price bracket.

On the technical side, the new Tandem OLED structure stacks four layers to enhance brightness and colour volume, addressing the “washed out” look sometimes found in older MLA panels. The TV is a rare universal HDR choice, supporting both Dolby Vision and HDR10+. While it offers a 144Hz refresh rate for PC gamers, it is slightly hamstrung by having only two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which is shared with the eARC connection.

The smart interface is powered by Amazon’s Fire TV platform, which offers a comprehensive app library. Panasonic’s HCX Pro AI Processor MKII handles upscaling and picture processing, aiming to deliver a cinematic experience true to the “director’s intent”. However, out-of-the-box settings such as Filmmaker Mode may require manual tweaking to unlock the panel’s full punch and depth.

The Z95B excels at providing a natural, three-dimensional image with impressive contrast and motion handling. The audio experience, tuned by Technics, features a 170W multi-speaker array that delivers impressive height and spatial clarity.

The Z95B is a stylish, high-performing all-rounder. Now on sale for £1549 at John Lewis.

MORE:

Read our full Panasonic Z95B 65-inch review

As well as our Panasonic Z90B 48-inch review

And check out our picks for the best TVs on the market

We've seen an increasing popularity of 55- and 65-inch TVs. But not everyone has the space; and what about those people who prefer their TV to be a little more discreet?

That's why we still have a guide to all the best 48-inch TVs. And our overall winner in said guide is the Z90B. We rated it five stars and crowned it a What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 winner. Suffice to say, this is a seriously good TV.

Right now you can snap up the Z90B for £1099 at Richer Sounds. The £400 saving on the RRP makes it just £50 more than the LG C5, which is also a great TV – just not as great as the Panasonic.

Panasonic's OLED TVs have consistently impressed us here at What Hi-Fi?, and that remains true for the smallest model we have seen from the company to date.

Don't be fooled by its pint-sized stature; this 48-inch OLED can deliver a striking cinematic image with ease – and it doesn't compromise on scale despite that compact footprint.

Colours are rich and striking, but the picture remains cinematically authentic – something Panasonic has ensured for many of its previous OLEDs. It manages to retain these rich colours in low-light scenes too, which is a huge bonus, as we found the LG C5 struggled in this area.

We also approve of how crisp and three-dimensional the Z90B's image is, which helps to increase immersion and generally allows for finer details to be dug out. In fact, the Z90B made a rival Samsung comparison set look somewhat flat in a few instances, which is a testament to this TV's performance.

This TV is also no slouch when it comes to audio. While we stick with our usual advice of recommending one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars to accompany your new OLED TV, the Panasonic is a cut above the LG and Samsung when it comes to bass, dynamics and spatial separation – though the bar was set fairly low by the Korean TV brands.

Finally, the Z90B is amply stocked when it comes to features, especially when it comes to HDR support. Both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are supported, whereas the C5 and S90F support only the former and latter, respectively.

Furthermore, Panasonic has included 4K/144Hz support with VRR and ALLM over two HDMI 2.1 sockets. This admittedly, this is one area where Panasonic lags behind LG and Samsung, as both have included four HDMI 2.1 ports on their TVs for quite some time now.

That being said, the minor gaming setback isn't enough to discredit this TV, as it's a clear step above the LG and Samsung when it comes to picture and sound performance. And that cements it as our top pick for those looking for an OLED TV under 55 inches.

And now that it's priced practically equivalent to its competitors, it's a no-brainer for anyone considering which is the best 48-inch TV to buy. Be sure to head over to Richer Sounds to score £400 off.

MORE:

Read our full Panasonic Z90B 48-inch review

As well as our Panasonic Z95B 65-inch review

And check out our picks for the best TVs on the market

Lots of people argue that change is healthy, and in certain instances, that’s true.

Evolution? That’s pretty cool, I use my opposable thumbs every day after all. LGBTQ+ rights? A big thumbs up from said digits. Spotify launching its Lossless tier? Yep, big fan; even if it ain’t perfect yet, those digits are partying it up with their siblings as I’ve got my hands in the air like I just don’t care listening to Andrew W.K.'s classic track, Party Hard, on it.

But there are undeniably some changes I don’t like. Highlights include baggy jeans coming back into fashion, the constantly increasing prices of streaming services, and, this year, the fact that not one, but two big-name OLED TV makers are on the verge of ownership changes.

First up is the TCL and Sony merger, which, for obvious reasons, is currently getting most of the attention. The news that TCL has started the process in earnest to buy a 51 per cent share of Sony’s home entertainment division was, without a doubt, some of the biggest news this year – or potentially this decade – for OLED TV fans.

The deal is in its early stages, but it could mean TCL has a controlling share of Sony’s TV business, including its OLEDs – a key area it has no real experience in, as an ongoing champion of Mini LED, and the soon-to-be-launched RGB Mini LED panel tech.

As you’ll know if you read our previous future-gazing pieces on the deal, key details are unknown about quite what the merger would mean for Sony’s Bravia OLEDs in particular. But the fact remains that any changes to Sony’s OLEDs, period, would be a big deal for serious home cinema fans.

After all, the Sony Bravia 8 and Sony Bravia 8 II remain staple sights in our best OLED TV buying guide for a reason – they’re pretty darned good. Our TV and AV editor, Tom Parsons, openly describes the Bravia 8 II as the best OLED he's ever tested, period.

So the idea of TCL trying to change Sony’s five-star, Award-winning formula does leave me slightly concerned.

But for me, it’s the second, quietly forgotten company, that’s currently shopping for a buyer to take charge of its TV business that has me sweating bullets. Specifically, what’s in store for Panasonic.

You may have missed it, but last year news broke via financial news outlet Nikkei that Panasonic is shopping around for a buyer to take its TV business off its hands. The firm then quickly put out a statement confirming it is “considering all possibilities”, including just closing it, as well as selling it.

And, to be fair, from a business perspective, I get it. The TV market is competitive and full of companies with deeper pockets. Hence why volume players, including Hisense, TCL and Samsung, are fighting for the top slot, not premium players like Panasonic.

But I’m scared because, despite them not selling anywhere near as well as the bigger players, Pansonic’s OLEDs have been constant personal favourites thanks to their overt focus on authenticity over razzmatazz.

Panasonic markets its TVs as being for movie fans who want an “as the director experience”. And as I’ve said numerous times before, after helping review pretty much every OLED from the company to pass through our viewing rooms in the past three years, including the Award-winning Panasonic Z90B from 2025, there is a lot of evidence to back that claim.

Sure, they don’t push their peak brightness as high, and yes, they can occasionally be a little too conservative with their processing, resulting in an occasionally less sharp and three-dimensional image than rivals – especially recent Sony sets.

But their consistency with contrast, colour volume and general even-handedness has meant that year-on-year it has always been a Panasonic set that has let me stay focused on what I’m watching, not what the TV is doing. And that, for me, is the be-all and end-all, and why I tend to favour them, even if I agree with my comrades in testing that the latest Sony sets are holistically better for most people.

And that’s always been the case – all the way back to the four-star Panasonic TX-55EZ952B in 2017, which was the first OLED I liked enough to buy (albeit heavily discounted, at the end of its shelf life and refurbished).

But, I know I’m rapidly becoming the minority and going against the grain with my insistence that consistency and control are more important than a big nit count, or a laundry list of clever AI features – two things most TV makers are obsessed with right now.

Which is why I can’t help but feel it’ll be a sad day for home cinema enthusiasts if Panasonic’s TV division closes, or is bought by a firm that doesn’t understand what makes it quite such a diamond in the rough for people like me.

MORE:

These are the best TVs we’ve reviewed

Our experts rate the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

We rank the best Mini LED TVs

British manufacturer Manhattan TV has announced the Aero 4K TV, and it's swapping aerial-based Freeview for a more modern live TV solution.

As the name suggests, it will allow users to watch content from their favourite services in 4K, and the company has confirmed that it also supports HDR10, HLG and HDR10+. Dolby Vision is, unfortunately, not supported, but Dolby Atmos passthrough thankfully is.

The Aero 4K's main draw is that it supports Freely, which lets you stream over 60 live TV channels from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 over wi-fi.

While Freely is already supported on TVs from a handful of manufacturers, including Panasonic and Hisense, Manhattan cites research from YouGov, which claims that "over 70% of Samsung and LG users want Freely on their next TV" (from a sample size of 2,149 participants)

The Aero 4K hopes to step in, allowing users to access the internet broadcasting service without having to fully replace their TV.

Furthermore, the TiVo operating system allows users to access a wide range of international streaming apps, including Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video.

On top of that, TiVo is offering its own internet streaming channels via TiVo+, which features over 400 streaming channels and a selection of on-demand shows and movies, all of which are free to watch.

All of this can be navigated using TiVo's voice control system (as well as the included remote), and Manhattan claims that the Aero 4K is "simple to set up and easy to use".

It's rare to see a streamer offer users a free content library this extensive, and this is where Manhattan likely hopes to edge out competitors such as the Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Generation) and the aforementioned Apple TV 4K.

The Aero 4K undercuts both of those options when it comes to pricing, too. It's set to launch at a wide number of UK retailers in February for £69.99.

MORE:

I’ve tried Freely: here are five things I like and three things that could be improved

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

Here are our picks for the best TV streaming devices

Award-winning, five-stars and our TV editor's favourite OLED? There's a lot of reasons to love the Sony Bravia 8 II and we're about to reveal one more – a discount price.

Right now, the 55-inch model can be yours for just £1739 at Richer Sounds. And while it's not the lowest price we've ever seen, dropping to just £1619 right before Christmas, it's still a fantastic deal.

At first look, it'll seem like £1799, but by using 'RSTV60' at checkout, you'll secure that extra saving.

The Sony Bravia 8 II is the brighter, sharper and cheaper successor to the awesome A95L. And with those credentials, it shouldn't be all that surprising that the Bravia 8 II was awarded TV Product of the Year at the 2025 What Hi-Fi? Awards.

With a QD-OLED panel combined with Sony's processing and custom heatsink, this model is capable of going 25 per cent brighter than the A95L. Plus, with increased brightness comes increased colour volume.

And when it comes to picture in general, our expert testers said: "The Sony Bravia 8 II is a truly exceptional TV. Its combination of sizzling brightness, vibrant colours through all degrees of light, terrific shadow detail and razor-like sharpness combine to produce an image with regularly astonishing dynamism, depth and realism."

And behind-the-scenes, the Sony Bravia 8 II is powered by Sony's XR Processor, which, like every rival TV processor right now, uses AI, which apparently 'detects and analyses data with flawless accuracy, then optimises the picture for ultimate realism.'

Feature-wise, it's packed out. Support is onboard for Dolby Vision and Atmos, and it's also IMAX Enhanced certified. As with all previous Sony TVs, it does not support HDR10+, but the standard HDR10 and HLG HDR formats are still there.

For gamers, the TV supports 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM, and it has a Dolby Vision Game mode, as well as the ‘Perfect for PlayStation 5’ functionality, which automatically dials into pretty accurate HDR settings when connected to a PS5.

There's a minor caution worth mentioning, though. The Bravia 8 II only has two HDMI 2.1 inputs (plus two standard HDMIs) with one of those 2.1 inputs doubling as the eARC port.

Sonically, the Bravia 8 II has the same Acoustic Surface Audio+ setup as the A95L, with two actuators and two subwoofers. This led us to say in our full review: "In short, the Bravia 8 II sounds very similar to the A95L, which means it’s one of the best-sounding TVs you can buy.

"We still believe that a picture as good as this demands to be partnered by a dedicated sound system, but this is one of those rare TVs that won’t instantly be improved through the addition of a cheap soundbar."

And to pick up something along the lines of the Sonos Arc Ultra, the £760 discount at Richer Sounds is sure to sweeten the deal.

MORE:

These are the best OLED TVs we've tested

We rank the best soundbars

Our picks of the best 65-inch TVs

There was only one thing I could possibly write about for this week’s edition of Adventures In AV.

The proposal of a Sony and TCL joint venture that will take control of the former’s home entertainment business (which produces its TVs, soundbars and more) has shaken the industry.

I’ll be honest, it’s shaken me. I didn’t see the news coming, and as someone who grew up in a Sony household and is a big fan of the brand’s OLEDs in particular (I currently live with an A95L), I’m deeply concerned about what it means for the future.

To be clear, I’m not blinkered towards Sony. There have been plenty of Sony products, including TVs, that have disappointed me, and I’ve been involved in plenty of less-than-positive Sony reviews over my 18 years of testing.

Besides, we review as a team (it’s the What Hi-Fi? ‘how we test’ mantra), so any personal subconscious biases are counteracted as part of our testing process.

But, at its best, Sony can be unbeatable when it comes to TVs, and I think we need Sony to continue to be Sony – but will that be allowed as part of this joint venture?

The Sony difference

Sony takes its time. These days, most of its TVs have a two-year lifecycle, while every other brand replaces its entire range every year.

That extra time allows for more careful and considered tuning and development, and it results in greater quality jumps between generations.

And where its rivals battle it out to produce TVs with the largest, most impressive-sounding numbers, Sony generally (there are exceptions, such as the Bravia 9) rises above such showboating and focuses on squeezing the most out of its hardware in the name of delivering cinematic authenticity.

I’m not saying that’s always the right course, but it’s important that we have a brand that takes this approach when all of the others (with the exception of Panasonic) are obsessed with fighting a numbers war.

TCL is, of course, one of those brands that is obsessed with numbers. Each year, it tries to outdo the likes of Hisense and Samsung by packing its new TVs with the most dimming zones and the highest brightness – and it often comes out on top.

My concern is that this approach could be applied to Sony – TCL is going to have the controlling, 51 per cent stake of this proposed joint venture, after all – and we could end up with yet another brand focused on tech specs at the expense of patient, careful development.

There is, though, a way this could all work out…

The optimistic vision

If it feels as though I’m doing TCL down, that’s not my intention. I’ve been incredibly impressed by the Chinese brand’s TVs over the last couple of years, with 2025’s range proving incredibly consistent and awesome value for money.

TCL is great at what it does, which is produce TVs with specs and picture quality well beyond their price points.

And this is precisely the area in which Sony is weakest. It rarely launches budget-oriented TVs these days (it's been selling the same 32-inch model since way back in 2021, for heaven’s sake), and when it does, they’re rarely, if ever, the best in class – the recently reviewed Bravia 3 is a case in point.

So, what I’m proposing is that the TCL and Sony brands continue to target the areas of the market they’re already most invested in.

In fact, I’d like to see them both double down – TCL could stop edging closer to the super-premium end of things and solidify its position as champion of the mid-range and budget sectors, and Sony could stop producing budget-oriented models that are more or less destined to fail, at least in performance terms, and concentrate entirely on premium and flagship models.

So, what’s the point of the joint venture?

But if TCL and Sony ‘stay in their lanes’ as I’m proposing, what’s the flipping point of the joint venture? I’ve got thoughts on that, too.

Without stepping on Sony’s toes, TCL could bring its Japanese partner’s processing and tuning nous into its TVs, potentially resulting in an irresistible blend of mid-range-demolishing specs and super-authentic calibration.

Sony, meanwhile, could benefit from TCL’s greater scale and resources, allowing it to produce more models without entirely compromising its conservative approach. Being shorn of the responsibility to produce more affordable models could help here, too.

I’m not saying we necessarily need Sony to replace every model every year, but it would be nice if it had the capacity to extend its OLED range into more affordable and smaller models. For the love of all that is holy, it could at least finally put 2022’s A90K out of its misery and replace it with a model to take on LG’s latest C series.

Let’s not forget that TCL is currently building a huge new factory that will produce OLED panels using a new, more efficient, inkjet manufacturing process. It’s intended for the likes of laptops and phones in the first instance, but surely TV panels are on the agenda, too.

Imagine if Sony could get first dibs on new, more affordable OLED technology as part of this joint venture. It could usher in a new dawn of Sony OLED TVs that no longer rely on the panel-manufacturing arms of LG and Samsung.

But will any of this happen? As should be abundantly clear by now, I just don’t know – and neither, it seems, do my contacts at Sony or TCL. Besides, let’s face it, any further official statement at this point is only going to put a positive spin on things, whether that's justified or not.

The proof will, as ever, be in the pudding, and we’ll be waiting a long time for that, as even if the joint venture is ratified, it’s not expected to commence operations until April next year.

In the meantime, I reserve the right to be very nervous about the future of Sony TVs – but also aware that there is a way it could all work out for the best.

MORE:

Here's our full news story on the Sony and TCL joint venture

And here are the opinions of several of our team members and readers on the matter

These are the best TVs you can buy right now

We're halfway through January now, but the New Year sales are still delivering the goods when it comes to discounts.

The bar has been set particularly high this week, with every product featured either a past or present Award winner.

This includes a Product of the Year winner in the Fyne Audio F501E, fantastic floorstanders which are seeing a ten per cent saving.

That is far from the only great deal available, though – see what else is on offer below:

MORE:

See all our 2025 What Hi-Fi? Award winners

KEF, Sony, Spotify and Harman all feature in our rundown of 2025’s hi-fi and home cinema highlights

9 affordable ways to upgrade your hi-fi system

Investing in a TV is a big decision, and when it comes to the 48-inch size, it's a very competitive field. Rivals like Panasonic, Samsung and LG are all great picks, but what about the price?

Well, right now, you can pick up the best 48-inch TV we've ever tested (holding a top spot amongst our best TVs guide), the Panasonic TV-48Z90B. For just £1099 at Richer Sounds, this step-down OLED can be yours for a whopping £400 off.

And while it's important to note that LG's C5 at the same size is currently £150 cheaper at Peter Tyson, there's plenty of reasons the Z90B is the better overall pick – and I'll jump into those below.

The Panasonic Z90B is a smaller OLED with some serious competition. But, what makes it our favourite? Well, it is armed to the teeth with many of the benefits that have made past Panasonic sets fan favourites among What Hi-Fi? readers and a regular sight in our best TVs guide.

It may be smaller in size, but it still delivers a striking cinematic image with ease, and it doesn't compromise on scale despite the compact footprint. So, if you love movies, you'll want to take a look.

Filmmaker mode provides the best picture we've seen from a 48-inch TV with colours that are warm and rich and a level of detail that lots of rivals lack. And it manages to retain these rich colours in low-light segments too, which is a huge bonus, as we found the LG C5 struggled in this area.

In the testing room, we said: "Thanks to its ongoing focus on colour accuracy and delivering an 'as the director intended' experience rather than razzmatazz, the 48-inch Panasonic Z90B is the best TV at its size that we have tested."

Sonically, it's also got a lot to offer. While we're keen to recommend one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars to accompany your new OLED TV, the Panasonic is a cut above the LG and Samsung when it comes to bass, dynamics and spatial separation. In fact, it's the best audio performance you'll find on an OLED this size.

Finally, the Z90B is amply stacked when it comes to features, especially when it comes to HDR support. Both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are supported, though there is a minor setback when it comes to HDMI 2.1 ports. For the Z90B, there's only two, where as the LG would give you four.

Despite this, it's well-specced for gaming, with VRR and ALLM, and a maximum refresh rate for 4K/144Hz, so a little cable switching shouldn't be the biggest problem.

For such an excellent performer, it's great to see it at a dropdown price. £400 off at Richer Sounds is certainly not to be sniffed at, especially when you're getting one of the best OLED TVs we've ever tested in exchange for your hard-earned cash.

MORE:

Read our full Panasonic Z90B 48-inch review

As well as our Panasonic Z95B 65-inch review

And check out our picks for the best TVs on the market

We're well and truly into the new year now, as we come to the end of the first full week of 2026.

This also means that the January sales are also now in full swing, with some truly delicious deals to get us through the post-holiday blues.

There's been some especially strong deals on the hi-fi side of things, with a half-price stereo amplifier on offer as well as the first discount on an Award-winning music streamer.

Not that the home cinema side is letting up – a newly reviewed soundbar has also seen its price tumble by nearly 50 per cent.

So whatever you're after, here are a selection of the best deals we've found this week.

MORE:

See all our 2025 What Hi-Fi? Award winners

KEF, Sony, Spotify and Harman all feature in our rundown of 2025’s hi-fi and home cinema highlights

9 affordable ways to upgrade your hi-fi system

If you're a movie fan or gamer who wants professional-grade accuracy without paying OLED prices, then take a look at the Panasonic W90A, which is on sale for just £449 at Richer Sounds.

That's a £750 saving on the launch price and £250 cheaper than the price we tested it at. We rated it a four-star TV, finding it to be a solid performer across the board.

The TV is known for its ‘as the director intended’ picture quality, which prioritises skin-tone accuracy and natural colour grading rather than forcing vibrancy. As a result, the W90A is one of the best Panasonic TVs on the market and an absolute steal at this price.

This is a pleasingly balanced performer from the Japanese home cinema giant. In our Panasonic W90A review, we were happy to praise it for its rich, authentic colours, three-dimensional picture, and reliable motion handling.

Sure, it doesn't feature the fancy Mini LED backlighting of its rivals, but its Full Array Local Dimming LED backlight is so well controlled that it isn't embarrassed when faced with Mini LED rivals.

Packed with features, the W90A runs on the HCX Pro AI Processor MK II chip, supports all four of the current TV HDR formats – HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision – and there's Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive, too.

For gamers, there's an impressive feature set, including 4K/144Hz maximum refresh rate, VRR and ALLM support, as well as Dolby Vision gaming.

There are just two HDMI 2.1 ports on board, with one doubling as the set's eARC, but at this price, that's more than acceptable.

At just £449 at Richer Sounds, this is a huge saving on a really solid performer to which we awarded a respectable four stars. Consider this quite the bargain.

MORE:

Read our full Panasonic W90A review

These are the best TVs you can buy right now

And here are the best TV deals

Dolby Vision 2, the somewhat controversial new HDR format, was announced last year with Hisense listed as the only TV partner at the time.

Now, though, it's been confirmed at CES 2026 that two further TV brands will be supporting the format this year.

The first of those is TCL. This should come as little surprise after the brand whacked a 'Dolby Vision 2.0' logo on its stand at IFA in September – much to the confusion of everyone, including TCL's own staff.

We now understand that the brand's new SQD Mini LED range, including the new flagship X11L model, will get Dolby Vision 2 support via a post-launch software update.

Dolby also claims it will be added to TCL's mainstream C-series, presumably including the successor to last year's What Hi-Fi? Award-winning C7K – we've approached TCL for comment on that.

And while Philips hasn't even announced its 2026 TV range yet (that's not expected for a few weeks), Dolby has already revealed that several new models, including the (again, as-yet-unannounced by Philips) OLED811, OLED911 and flagship OLED951 will support Dolby Vision 2.

So that's Hisense, TCL and Philips all confirmed (at least by Dolby) to be supporting Dolby Vision 2 this year.

But what about the rest?

Sony and Panasonic

It's no surprise that we have no Dolby Vision 2 news from Sony or Panasonic.

Sony no longer announces its new TVs at CES, choosing instead to reveal new models around March or April each year. We're expecting a similar timeframe this year, so if Sony is going to support Dolby Vision 2, that's when we'll find out.

Panasonic, on the other hand, does usually announce its new flagship TV during CES. This year, though, it hasn't done that. It could be a while until we get any 2026 TV news from Panasonic (its overall range is usually announced around May), including whether Dolby Vision 2 is on the cards.

Samsung

It's also entirely unsurprising that Samsung hasn't been mentioned in relation to Dolby Vision 2, because Samsung has never supported Dolby Vision at all.

In fact, Samsung created HDR10+ as a rival to Dolby Vision, and it's launching HDR10+ Advanced this year as a rival to Dolby Vision 2.

LG

Now this is the surprising one: LG has long been regarded as one of Dolby Vision's keenest advocates, having supported it from the start on as many models as it possibly could, yet we've been told that the brand has "no plans to support Dolby Vision 2 in 2026".

That's a direct quote from David Park, LG’s Director of Product Strategy and Marketing in the US, who is very much a man who's usually in the know, yet he seemed surprisingly in the dark about Dolby Vision 2 in general, including whether it might be possible for it to be added to its 2026 TVs at a later date.

Will a lack of Dolby Vision 2 be enough of a factor to put prospective buyers off LG's new W6, G6 or C6 OLEDs, which otherwise all look very appealing? It's hard to say, but the fact that several other brands will be offering it this year, while LG won't be, will certainly provide pause for thought.

MORE:

Check out our CES Live Hub for all of the news as we get it

Here are all of the best TVs you can buy right now

The Philips OLED910 really surprised me when I tested it right at the tail end of last year.

It's a TV that combines the latest and brightest Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel technology with a Bowers & Wilkins sound system, great styling, and delightful Ambilight.

It's the best-sounding TV you can buy right now, and it gets close to the awesome Sony Bravia 8 II for picture quality, all while costing a lot less.

In fact, not only did the OLED910 launch for significantly less than rivals such as the Bravia 8 II, LG G5 and Samsung S95F, but it's been discounted further, too, so you can now pick up the 65-inch model for just £1699 at Richer Sounds.

That's almost £300 less than the equivalent Bravia 8 II, which is currently £1979 at Richer Sounds.

Right out of the box, the OLED910 looks and feels like a high-end television: a slim, elegant screen framed by a clean, understated design, and finished off with Philips’ signature four-sided Ambilight.

This isn’t a gimmick – the ambient lighting genuinely enhances immersion, framing movies and games with dynamic light that dances with the action on screen. It's not necessary for all content, but with bright, colourful movies and games, it's stunning.

Under the hood, Philips has chosen a Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel (the same panel that's found in the LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B) and its P5 AI processor, giving you bright, vivid images with punchy highlights and rich shadow detail.

Unlike the LG G5, Samsung S95F and Sony Bravia 8 II, the OLED910 also supports all major HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+, so you’re set up for the best possible streaming, disc and gaming content.

One of the OLED910’s standout features is its built-in Bowers & Wilkins 3.1-channel sound system. By TV standards, this is exceptional: full, detailed, and spacious enough to fill a room.

A premium soundbar such as the Sonos Arc Ultra will sound even better, but if you're determined to stick with your new TV's built-in speakers, the OLED910 is the best-sounding model you can buy right now.

There are a couple of small compromises – slightly raised blacks in Dolby Vision, over-brightened SDR and just two full-fat HDMI 2.1 ports – but these are minor caveats given the overall package.

At this price, you’re getting a super-premium OLED picture, class-leading integrated audio and a stylish, feature-rich package – making the OLED910 arguably the best performance-per-pound flagship OLED available right now.

MORE:

Read the full Philips OLED910 review

And here's our Sony Bravia 8 II review

These are all of the best TVs you can buy right now, and the best TV deals

We always maintain a reference system for our home cinema reviews. It combines a selection of Award-winning products that act as benchmarks, allowing us to accurately assess the performance of whatever we may be reviewing.

It's a collection of premium home cinema devices, with equally premium price tags to match, but if you want a reference system in your home that matches ours, then Black Friday is the best time to buy the components.

• Browse all the best deals on Amazon

Every part of our reference setup has been discounted for this savings event, meaning you can save a hefty chunk of change if you do want to replicate our system.

Now, ours is admittedly over the top (would you expect anything less?) as we always have multiple TVs and a projector set up at all times, as well as both a surround sound speaker package and a soundbar.

You may not need both a TV/soundbar and a projector/speaker system, so feel free to pick and choose what suits you best. Either way, you're guaranteed to experience the ultimate cinematic performance from these products and save a boatload of cash too.

Our projector: Sony VPL-XW5000ES

Sony's entry-level native 4K laser projector is on a What Hi-Fi? Award-winning streak, scoring its fourth Product of the Year title earlier this month.

It's still a pricey piece of kit, but this deal at Richer Sounds knocks £2000 off a supremely talented beamer that delivers seriously impressive contrast and black depths, sharp details, and rich yet balanced colours for an overall showstopping cinematic experience.

Our only gripe is the lack of motorised lens controls, but once you have the VPL-XW5000ES in place, you'll quickly forgive this minor shortcoming on account of its stellar picture.

Read our full Sony VPL-XW5000ES review

Our OLED TV: Sony Bravia 8 II

The Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II has been the TV we've obsessed over this year, and for good reason, too.

It's served as a benchmark in our reviews for the Panasonic Z95B and Samsung S95F, beating both TVs in terms of sheer picture performance thanks to its deeply engaging and three-dimensional picture.

Sony's masterful picture processing paired with the QD-OLED panel technology makes this TV a sight to behold, and it's backed up by impressive built-in sound, a solid set of gaming features (HDMI 2.1, VRR and ALLM) and a sleek design.

Read our full Sony Bravia 8 II review

Our Mini LED TV: TCL C7K

For the times when we're not reviewing a pricey OLED TV, we find ourselves reaching for the TCL C7K.

This surprise hit of 2025 delivers a bright and punchy image when required, but it also has a trick up its sleeve to ensure it impresses during dark scenes too.

TCL's new Halo Control technology hugely mitigates blooming, and black depths are seriously impressive by backlit TV standards.

If you're not interested in OLED or want a TV that offers a stunning picture without a ludicrous price tag, then the C7K is for you.

Read our full TCL C7K review

Our AVR: Marantz Cinema 30

We've swooned over this AVR plenty of times, but we're here to do it once again.

The Marantz Cinema 30 is a handsome piece of home cinema kit, with a premium sculpted metal design, tasteful ambient accent lights, and even a gorgeous remote control; but in the grand scheme of things, none of that really matters, as we care most about sound quality.

The good news is that the Marantz Cinema 30 is a showstopper when it comes to delivering cinematic sound, with a rich, weighty and smooth performance that is guaranteed to immerse even the toughest audiophiles.

It's dynamic, can deliver huge scale sound, and features excellent connectivity; it really is the full package.

Read our full Marantz Cinema 30 review

Our speaker package: KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1

The latest addition to our reference home cinema system, the KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 was the sleeper hit from this year's Awards testing process.

It won us over almost instantly with its rich, powerful and engaging sound, complete with a subwoofer that handles bass like a champion. It's accurate and agile, yet warm and inviting, which is a surprisingly difficult balance to strike.

We're also huge fans of its dashing good looks, and the fact that it's comprised entirely of standmounting speakers means it should take up slightly less room than an equivalent floorstanding setup.

It's become our new reference system for a reason, and we're already looking forward to the next time we can watch a movie using it.

Read our full KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 review

Our soundbar: Sonos Arc Ultra

Surround sound speaker packages will always be our favourite method of achieving cinematic sound, but we can't deny the convenience of a soundbar. And this soundbar happens to be pretty fantastic.

The Sonos Arc Ultra had massive shoes to fill, but it did so with ease, delivering the punchy, big-scale sound of its predecessor with added richness and height, as well as a whole lot more bass.

This all-in-one cinematic sound solution is a perfect accompaniment to the Sony Bravia 8 II, and it's primed to be made into a full system with the Sonos Sub 4 and a pair of Sonos Era 300 speakers.

Our 4K Blu-ray player: Panasonic DP-UB820

We tend to use the Oppo UDP 203 for a majority of our 4K disc spinning duties, but that player has been sadly discontinued.

Fret not, as the Panasonic DP-UB820 also has a permanent spot in our reference lineup, and considering it just took home yet another Product of the Year win, we don't see it leaving any time soon.

This easy-to-use 4K Blu-ray player delivers a vibrant, rich, and crisp 4K HDR image alongside powerful and spacious sound.

We've sung the praises of 4K Blu-rays over streaming countless times, and this player is one of the best ways to experience the benefits of physical media.

Read our full Panasonic DP-UB820 review

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
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

Worried that you've missed out on all of the Black Friday deals? Don't be!

While Black Friday proper was yesterday, the best deals are still available and will likely remain so through to Cyber Monday – as long as stock lasts of course.

That means it's still possible to get my absolute favourite TV – the Sony Bravia 8 II – for its lowest ever price of £1699 from Amazon for the 55-inch model, and £1999 at Amazon for the 65 incher.

• Check out all of the Black Friday deals at Amazon
• Richer Sounds Black Friday event
• Sevenoaks Black Friday deals
• Peter Tyson: Black Friday event

I've been reviewing TVs for over 18 years, and the Bravia 8 II is quite simply the best I've ever tested.

It uses the latest and brightest QD-OLED panel from Samsung, and combines that with the latest version of Sony's legendary picture processing to produce a stunning yet cinematically accurate picture.

It's the best-sounding TV you can buy right now, too.

I've tested both versions of the Bravia 8 II, and I've compared them side-by-side with the Samsung S95F, LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B – plus the Sony A95L I use at home – and it's better than all of them.

Today's best Black Friday Sony Bravia 8 II deals

• 55-inch Sony Bravia 8 II: was £2499, now £1699 at Amazon
• 65-inch Sony Bravia 8 II: was £2999, now £1999 at Amazon

Why I love the Bravia 8 II

The Bravia 8 II is the follow-up to the excellent A95L – the very TV I rely on at home.

That alone probably tells you how much I love the A95L, but after spending time reviewing the Bravia 8 II side-by-side with it, I have to admit my own setup suddenly feels a touch less special.

Sony’s newer QD-OLED panel pushes brightness noticeably further than the previous generation. That extra luminance doesn’t just make highlights punchier; it also deepens contrast and expands colour volume in a way that immediately stands out.

This is a wonderfully vivid TV that absolutely sings with colourful films – the Spider-Verse series is a perfect example – yet it remains beautifully restrained when it needs to be, delivering that signature Sony balance and cinematic naturalism.

Sharpness is another area where the Bravia 8 II quietly excels. Sony’s AI-based processing selectively refines fine details, but you never catch it working – you just see a picture that looks exceptionally clean, precise and almost sculpted.

Low-light performance is superb, too. Sony has clearly put effort into dark gradation, resulting in rich, true OLED blacks supported by impressively nuanced shadow detail.

What I appreciate most is how little tweaking is required. As I mentioned in my full review:

"For a supremely authentic picture, simply pick Dolby Vision Dark for Dolby Vision content or Professional for everything else.

"Should you want a little more pop to proceedings, either because you’re watching in a room with ambient light or simply because you enjoy an even more thrilling delivery, simply switch to Dolby Vision Bright or the Cinema mode."

Sound quality is another of the Bravia 8 II’s surprises. Its Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology delivers clarity and directness, but also a level of spaciousness that's rare from a TV.

I still advise pairing it with a proper sound system (the Sonos Arc Ultra is a fantastic entry point for a TV this good), but if you insist on using built-in speakers, this is yet another advantage the Sony holds over options such as the LG G5, Samsung’s S95F, and even the Panasonic Z95B.

My only gripe is connectivity. You get two HDMI 2.1 ports (plus two standard HDMIs), and one of those 2.1 inputs doubles as the eARC port. LG and Samsung both offer four HDMI 2.1 sockets on their comparable models.

For my setup – a PS5, an Xbox Series X and a Dolby Atmos sound system – that limitation is mildly annoying. But if you’re only using one or two of those devices, it’s unlikely to matter much.

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
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

Black Friday seems to have kicked into high gear a week early, which means that there are already some huge savings on the top TVs, soundbars, 4K Blu-ray players and streaming devices.

Now, for those who have held off on investing in upgrading their home cinema system all year, hoping that Black Friday would provide the lowest prices on some of the best products we've reviewed this year, we have some good news.

We've seen a handful of Award-winning AV products drop to their respective lowest-ever prices, so it only makes sense for us to build a system out of the best Black Friday deals we've seen so far.

We're leaning towards the premium side here; expect a superb flagship OLED TV that our TV and AV Editor, Tom Parsons, calls the "best OLED TV I've ever tested", alongside a Dolby Atmos soundbar that outshines its Hall of Fame-inductee predecessor.

Those looking for a more affordable system should stay tuned, as we have many more systems in mind that we'll be sharing very soon...

Sony, Sonos, Panasonic and Apple join forces for this five-star system

We've combined the power of four Award-winning products here. This living-room-friendly system combines convenience with performance, as you'll find the best picture and sound available from this selection.

The Sony Bravia 8 II is a QD-OLED TV that we've raved about ever since we first laid eyes upon it, as it delivers a natural, rich and deeply cinematic image. It's a dream screen for cinephiles, and with the inclusion of Quantum Dots over its standard Bravia 8 counterpart, you can expect a brighter and punchier image that doesn't sacrifice cinematic authenticity.

The 65-inch Bravia 8 II has just dropped to its lowest-ever price, meaning you can snag it for just £1999, down from £2999, at Richer Sounds. That's a huge £1000 saving on one of the best TVs to grace our AV testing room.

While it's a great-looking TV, and it happens to feature the latest crop of gaming specs too, we'd recommend pairing it with an external sound system. We've chosen the Sonsos Arc Ultra, a smart Dolby Atmos soundbar, in terms of looks and functionality. It's also a powerhouse when it comes to audio performance, with a punchy, weighty and detailed sound that will undoubtedly do your favourite films justice.

It too has dropped to its lowest-ever price, with a £200 discount at Amazon, meaning you'll only need to pay £799 for this five-star soundbar.

Speaking of films, you'll need something to access your content, which is why we've picked a 4K Blu-ray player and a dedicated streamer. The Panasonic DP-UB820EB is our pick, as it's an Award-winning disc player that undercuts a lot of its competitors. And for the times when you need to dip into streaming services, the Apple TV 4K will handle streamed content with a rich, punchy and contrast-rich presentation.

There's a modest £10 saving on the Apple TV 4K at John Lewis (a saving is still a saving, though), and the Panasonic Blu-ray player is down to £289 at Richer Sounds; it's worth noting that while that's not much of a saving from the initial £290 launch price, Panasonic has raised the RRP of this player to £350 in recent years, so this is a bigger saving than it looks.

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
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

I've been testing TVs for almost two decades, and I can't remember a year with as many amazing new models as 2025.

It's the flagship OLED arena where things have been most impressive – and competitive.

That's because we've seen the arrival of brand-new Primary RGB Tandem OLED technology, and that has coincided with a new and substantially improved version of QD-OLED panel tech.

The big players on the Primary RGB Tandem side are the LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B, while Team QD-OLED consists of the Samsung S95F and Sony Bravia 8 II.

These are all excellent TVs, and they've all been discounted, so there's one obvious question: which one should you buy?

Well, not only have we reviewed all four of the TVs, we've directly compared the 65-inch versions of each, side-by-side in our dedicated test room, so we're perfectly placed to answer that question.

These are all five-star TVs, but I, with the rest of the What Hi-Fi? reviews team, have nonetheless gone ahead and ranked them from fourth to first.

Sure, that's a bit harsh, as these are all great TVs, but if you're spending big money, you want the very, very best. So here we go...

Quick Links

• LG G5: was £3300, now £2399 at Richer Sounds
• Panasonic Z95B: was £2999, now £2199 at Richer Sounds
• Samsung S95F: was £3399, now £2299 at Richer Sounds
• Sony Bravia 8 II: was £2999, now £2199 at Richer Sounds

LG G5

To reiterate, all four of these TVs are superb, hence the five-star verdicts across the board, but there is a hierarchy, and in fourth place is the LG G5.

This is arguably the most dazzling of the test, pushing brightness to occasionally astonishing degrees. It’s sharp, too, and it delivers colours with a nice mix of vividness and realism.

The G5 also boasts the best, most user-friendly smart platform (though we could do without the homescreen ads), and the most comprehensive gaming feature set, thanks to its array of four HDMI 2.1 sockets and support for every gaming feature one could require, including a Dolby Vision game mode.

But the G5 is also the worst-sounding TV on test, and while its earlier black posterisation issues have been fixed, some crushing of shadow detail has been introduced.

Ultimately, though, this is simply an excellent TV that’s beaten by even better competition.

Read the full LG G5 review

Panasonic Z95B

In third place, we have the Panasonic Z95B – another great TV that’s pushed down the rankings by even greater competition.

The Z95B is a big upgrade on the preceding Z95A, not least in the design department, with the new model combining Panasonic’s commitment to having speakers that fire in all directions with a newfound sophistication and slickness.

As ever with Panasonic, though, the Z95B’s greatest strength is its cinematic accuracy, which we find it delivers most appealingly in the True Cinema preset. This delivers a crisp and detailed picture with well-judged contrast and colours, and the shadow detail that the LG G5 misses.

Ultimately, though, while the Z95B is very good in its own right, both the Samsung and Sony are even better in the picture department, and the Panasonic’s sound, while clearly better than that of the average TV, perhaps doesn’t go quite as far as it should, given the bulk it adds and additional cost it presumably incurs.

Read the full Panasonic Z95B review

Samsung S95F

Now we get to the first of our QD-OLED models, and it’s the Samsung that misses out, though only just.

The S95F is a deeply impressive TV. It’s capable of producing awesome brightness and colours, but it’s also got an excellent Filmmaker Mode that combines those abilities with cinematic subtlety and restraint.

This is the best-looking and most stylish TV on test, too, with the excellent One Connect system reducing cable clutter and allowing the display part of the device to be awesomely thin. We feel this looks even better when wall-mounted than the picture frame-style LG G5.

The provision of four HDMI 2.1 sockets means even the most hardcore of gamers are catered for, and the Tizen operating system is packed with apps and pretty slick – though it does take some getting used to if you’re moving from a rival brand or older Samsung.

There are a few little niggles, including a little black crush and some minor oversaturation of reds, and the lack of Dolby Vision support is an ongoing frustration. The sound, too, while quite impressive for an essentially invisible speaker system, isn’t up there with the Panasonic or Sony.

Really, though, the S95F’s only significant problem is the presence of the even more accomplished Sony Bravia 8 II.

Read the full Samsung S95F review

Sony Bravia 8 II

Sony really has come up trumps with the Bravia 8 II.

It’s less of a dramatic upgrade in the brightness stakes than the other TVs here, but it’s beautifully bright in its own right, and it delivers that brightness in just the right way.

Its combination of inky blacks and shadow detail is second-to-none, too, so you get all of the dynamism you expect from OLED without missing anything you’re supposed to see in the gloomiest of movies.

But it’s the way these elements combine with Sony’s awesome processing to produce an image that’s sharper, more solid and more three-dimensional than any rival that is most impressive. And this depth and crispness doesn’t come at the expense of realism or cinematic authenticity. It really is some kind of voodoo that Sony has worked here.

The Bravia 8 II is the best-sounding TV on test, too, so while we do still recommend that you add a dedicated sound system (the Sonos Arc Ultra is a good starting point), those who are determined to use their new TV’s built-in speakers will be much better served by the Sony than any other here.

There are reasons that you might want to go for one of its rivals (two HDMI 2.1 sockets simply won’t be enough for some, for instance), but in terms of picture and sound performance, you really can’t beat the Sony Bravia 8 II.

Read the full Sony Bravia 8 II review

MORE:

Here are all of the best TVs you can buy right now

I've been deliberating over whether to upgrade my gaming set-up with an OLED TV for quite some time now, almost four years in fact; decisiveness isn't one of my fortes.

While the proposition has become more tempting every year, I've always held back due to there being a fairly limited selection available, but 2025 is the year that's changed.

Before, I've been exclusively looking at the LG C-series, which has won our Best Gaming TV consecutively for the past five years. That's an important factor, as my primary use case for a small OLED TV would be to game on it with my PS5; I'll leave my 65-inch Sony A80L to handle the heavier-duty TV and movie-related tasks.

LG's 42-inch OLED option has consistently caught my eye due to its implementation of four HDMI 2.1 sockets, the latest gaming features such as VRR and ALLM, and superb picture quality. Plus, it's just about small enough to justify using it as a desktop monitor. That being said, it's also felt like the only option.

TV companies haven't been particularly outgoing when it comes to providing us with smaller OLEDs before this year, but Samsung and Panasonic decided to change their minds, and we're so glad that they did.

This meant that we got to test the Award-winning Panasonic Z90B and five-star Samsung S90F, both at 48 inches. It was a refreshing change of pace compared to the constant flow of 65-inch sets we usually get throughout the year, and it also served as a form of window shopping for me.

Ultimately, the LG C5 clinched the gaming Award this year, but the Samsung and Panasonic were both in the conversation. The Panasonic was slightly more limited as it only has two HDMI 2.1 sockets, but its compact size and other gaming specs made it a solid option nonetheless.

The Samsung S90F posed more of a threat thanks to its four HDMI 2.1 sockets; however, we're yet to see the 42-inch Samsung in action, whereas we could verify that the C5 is a five-star set at that size.

With more small OLEDs entering our test room than ever before, my quest for a perfect OLED TV to adorn my gaming set-up has been reignited. There is, of course, one thing that's still holding me back: the price.

Now, Black Friday is fast approaching, and with it will undoubtedly come a swathe of OLED TV deals that could soften this potential blow to my bank account, but the right deal needs to come along for me to even consider splashing out.

We're already seeing a few examples of the five-star models mentioned above dropping in price; the 48-inch Samsung S90F that we reviewed at £1599 can now be picked up with an astounding £750 discount, knocking the price down to just £848 at Amazon; but I know that these prices can, and will, drop lower.

Cast your mind back to last year's Black Friday sales, in which the equally brilliant 42-inch LG C4 dropped to just £684; an unquestionable bargain. I spent most of my time (between scouting out the latest deals, of course) staring longingly at the Amazon product page with my cursor hovering above the "Add to Basket" button, though I ultimately exercised restraint.

If a deal comes up on the LG C5 that rivals last year's savings, then I could well be in trouble, but until that happens, I'm taking a tactical retreat on buying a new OLED TV.

I recommend anyone who's considering picking up an OLED TV now to do the same, as prices are sure to drop in the coming weeks, even if that Samsung deal is looking rather tempting.

• 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
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

We've revealed the coveted Product of the Year winners for 2025 in the AV and home cinema categories, spanning a wide range of products.

From TVs and projectors, to soundbars and home cinema packages, and even smartphones and tablets, we've hand-selected the very best products that make your favourite movies and TV shows even more enjoyable to watch.

On this list, you'll find a stunning flagship OLED TV from Sony, a souped-up smartphone from Apple, a sensational soundbar package from Samsung, and a plucky 4K streaming stick from Amazon.

Each product wowed us during our thorough comparative testing process, standing above the competition in its respective field. You'll notice that these might not be the most premium option from each price category, as we judge on a performance-per-pound basis.

With that out of the way, here are the biggest winners from the AV side of What Hi-Fi? this year...

Sick of streaming? Looking to get the very best out of your 4K Blu-ray collection?

Then look no further than the Panasonic DP-UB9000.

Panasonic's five-star Blu-ray player may be a few years old now, but it's still our top choice in the high-end market for its supreme picture and sound quality.

The Panasonic DP-UB9000 is on sale now at Sevenoaks with £200 off. Just in time for you to grab some accompanying 4K Blu-rays in the Black Friday sales!

You might notice in our Panasonic DP-UB9000 review that we tested the 4K Blu-ray player at £849, but Panasonic has since hiked up the price to £999. So rest assured, you are indeed making a saving of £200 here!

If you're a home cinema enthusiast, then the Panasonic DP-UB9000 is a seriously capable machine for all your AV needs.

HDR support is all-encompassing with HDR10, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG all supported. Its HCX (the amazingly-named Hollywood Cinema Experience) picture processing engine also includes a new HDR optimiser that accounts for your display's brightness and tweaks the image to extract the most detail in whites and bright scenes.

When we tested the player with a copy of Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, we were blown away by the sharp picture detail and balanced colours.

"As our four intrepid explorers are dropped off at the start of their hunt for the Jaguar’s Eye, the jungle backdrop looks breathtaking," our review reads. "Clouds, blue skies and lush foliage combine to create a picture rich with information and beautifully shaded colours. The level of detail on display is stunning."

Not to be outdone by the robust picture quality, the DP-UB9000's sonic performance also impresses. A play of U2 360° At The Rose Bowl reveals clarity, space and detail in abundance, with a power and solidity of sound that several of its rivals fail to match.

The DP-UB9000 has a solid build too, with a rugged aluminium chassis that feels designed with no expense spared. A true treat for fans of physical media and home theatre set-ups.

The Panasonic DP-UB9000 is a previous Award-winner and has endured in our list of recommendations for several years for its exceptional home cinema performance. If you have the budget and a set-up that can make the most of its talents, we'd highly recommend the DP-UB9000 with £200 off at Sevenoaks.

MORE:

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

As well as the best OLED TVs

And the best early Black Friday TV deals

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

John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs

Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals

Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers

TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

It's perhaps unsurprising that of all the product categories we cover, TVs is probably the busiest.

There's just so much ongoing progress in TV land, with loads of brands launching entirely new TV ranges each and every year. Just keeping up can make your head spin.

In total, we've tested almost 50 new TVs in the last year, including several that were sent in specifically for Awards consideration and are yet to have their reviews published.

Whittling down all of those TVs to just seven winners (across eight categories) for the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 was no easy task, but our team of expert reviewers managed to do just that.

Those winners include affordable and premium Mini LED and OLED sets, ranging in size from just 42 inches right up to a truly cinematic 98 inches, so there's pretty much something for everyone.

If you're looking for an 8K TV Award-winner, though, you might be disappointed.

With no visible progress on 8K content and only one brand producing 8K TVs in earnest, having an 8K TV Award was beginning to feel a bit odd. Perhaps the next 12 months will change things and this Award will be reinstated next year.

We would have liked to have had a budget 43-inch Award-winner as well, and perhaps even a 32-inch TV Award, but try as we might, we just couldn't find any TVs of either type that were worthy.

But, less about the unworthy TVs, and on with the very worthy winners of the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025.

Three Awards for the LG C5

Since 2018, LG's C-series OLED TVs have won at least one What Hi-Fi? Award every year except 2020. This year, it's taking home a highly impressive three Awards.

The first goes to the 42-inch LG C5, which, despite not being a huge upgrade on the C4 that went before it, remains the very best TV we've tested at its size.

42-inch OLEDs are hugely popular among those who really care about picture quality but have a smaller room, and the C5 is the best of the bunch, with perfect blacks, excellent colour balance, impressive motion handling and oodles of detail. A worthy winner indeed.

The C5 also takes the win for the best mid-range TV in the 55- to 77-inch category. The C-series has always excelled in balancing performance, features and price, and no previous generation has typified this more than the C5.

And, once again, the C-series takes the win as the best gaming TV. Whether it's the bijou 42 incher, the mid-sized 55-inch version or the 77-inch beast, the C5 cannot be beaten for gaming features and performance.

And three Awards for TCL

TCL has been the surprise TV brand of 2025.

After several years of showing glimmers of greatness while struggling for consistency, the brand's 2025 range has proven to be genuinely exceptional.

The core of the success appears to be a new backlighting system that combines vast numbers of super-bright Mini LEDs with a new level of control. The super-aggressive pricing is a big factor, too – when you can get a better TV for less money, why look elsewhere?

The 50-inch C6KS is perhaps the best example of this. Despite costing significantly less than £500, it romped to victory against several much more premium TVs on pure performance.

We feel that the C7K is the real pick of TCL's 2025 TV range, though, which is why it wins the Awards for the best budget TV in the 55- to 77-inch category, and the best super-sized TV.

Not only did the C7K have to defeat rivals from Samsung, Sony and Hisense, it also got the better of its more premium sibling, the C8K. Yes, the C8K is better in some ways, but the C7K is more balanced overall and a near-perfect representation of our performance-per-pound mantra.

An Award each for Panasonic and Sony

The flagship OLED market has been more competitive than ever this year, with new Primary RGB Tandem OLED TVs battling with the latest-gen QD-OLED models for super-bright, super-contrasty dominance.

This Award turned into a fight between the LG G5, Panasonic Z95B, Samsung S95F and Sony Bravia 8 II, and it's the Sony model that has emerged victorious, with the Samsung coming a close second.

The Bravia 8 II pushes brightness a little less than those rivals, but it combines cinematic authenticity with amazing processing that results in an incredibly rich, detailed and three-dimensional picture.

Panasonic may have missed out in that flagship OLED battle, but it's still a TV Award-winner, with the Z90B OLED taking the prize for the best premium TV in the 48- to 50-inch category.

Competition was fierce here, too, with the LG C5 and Samsung S90F both also proving to be five-star sets. Ultimately, though, the Panasonic Z90B's as-the-director-intended approach to picture quality saw it take a deserved win.

So, that's seven winning TVs across eight categories. But which will take home the even more coveted Product of the Year Award at this year's glitzy What Hi-Fi? Awards ceremony?

That will be revealed on whathifi.com on the evening of 13th November, so stay tuned.

MORE:

See every What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 winner here

Don't forget the sound: here are our 2025 soundbar Award-winners

And here is the complete list of the best TVs you can buy right now

If you're hunting for one of the best TVs to fit a smaller space without sacrificing premium picture quality, you’re probably thinking along the lines of a 48-inch OLED.

The best OLEDs at this size deliver movie night performance in a compact package, at a price point that’s cheaper than their 55-inch+ siblings.

Enter the What Hi-Fi? 2025 Award-winning 48-inch Panasonic Z90B and LG C5 – two of the most accomplished options at this size, both of which earned a well-deserved five stars.

We've thoroughly reviewed both models in our dedicated test rooms, so you can rest assured that the comparison below will see you in good stead. With that said, let’s jump straight in.

Panasonic Z90B vs LG C5: price

The 48-inch Panasonic Z90B launched at £1500 in the UK (no such luck for those in the US or Australia), positioning it slightly higher than the £1399 48-inch LG C5's launch price.

At the time of writing, both sets are available for a discounted price, with the Z90B at £1099 and the C5 at £1049. With such close pricing, it’s all to play for…

** Winner: Draw **

Panasonic Z90B vs LG C5: design and build

The Panasonic Z90B doesn't deviate from the company's established OLED design language, which brings both advantages and frustrations.

The panel itself is slim enough for flush wall-mounting, and the 48-inch model uses a large rectangular metal stand that feels reassuringly sturdy – reassuring enough that our testers described it as toddler- and pet-proof. Always a bonus.

What the stand doesn't offer, is a swivel mechanism – an omission that proves mildly irritating if you need to adjust viewing angles. A smaller footprint would help too, particularly for narrower TV units.

The real sticking point, though, is its speaker bar. Bolted to the television's base, it's essentially a permanently attached soundbar that Panasonic insists removes the need for separate audio equipment.

Whether you agree with that assessment or not (and we don't), the bar becomes an active nuisance if you already own a soundbar, as it complicates placement considerably.

The remote control follows Panasonic's traditional approach – large, button-heavy, with shortcuts to every conceivable app and feature, but lacking refinements such as backlighting, solar charging, or USB rechargeability. It's functional but feels distinctly old-fashioned.

The LG C5, meanwhile, sticks equally closely to past designs. Place it beside 2022's C2, let alone last year's C4, and you'd struggle to spot a difference. The 48-inch model inherits the central stand design from its larger siblings, which assembles quickly and securely with minimal fuss.

Unlike its smaller 42-inch sibling, the stand doesn't swivel either, though this matters less since most ports sit on the television's side rather than its rear, making access reasonably straightforward.

What does matter., though, is the stand's angled slant and low height, which can create headaches when positioning a soundbar. You'll want a particularly low-profile model – something like the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) – if you go down that route.

Elsewhere, in the US and many other countries, LG has released a sleek, modernised controller for the C5. UK buyers, however, get a marginally tweaked version of the long-serving Magic Remote instead.

That remote gains a new AI shortcut button and a modified input button that can control connected smart home devices, rather than just cycling HDMI sources.

The pointer functionality remains – letting you navigate menus with an on-screen cursor controlled by motion – but the controller feels clunky in low light, which is when most serious film enthusiasts use their televisions. The lack of backlighting and rechargeable batteries feels increasingly dated compared to rival OLED remotes as well.

** Winner: LG C5 **

Panasonic Z90B vs LG C5: screen and picture quality

Both televisions use regular WOLED panels rather than the newer Primary RGB Tandem OLED technology that debuted earlier this year.

The brightness-boosting Micro Lens Array (MLA) tech that appeared on previous-generation flagships has been retired rather than trickling down to these step-down models, heading to the same ethereal dimension filled with curved screens and 3D.

The Panasonic distinguishes itself with a heatsink – a feature we've wanted to see on smaller OLEDs for years.

Tightly packed pixels on 48-inch panels mean these sets heat up more readily than their larger siblings, which traditionally forces manufacturers to tune them conservatively. The heatsink should allow Panasonic to push harder without risking burn-in or panel degradation.

Processing duties fall to Panasonic's HCX Pro AI Processor MKII in the Z90B, while the LG employs its newer Alpha 9 Gen 8 chipset. Both focus heavily on AI enhancement, though they apply their computational muscle differently.

Fire up Dune: Part 2 on the Panasonic, and the difference in philosophy becomes immediately apparent. Even in its imperfect out-of-the-box settings, the Z90B displays more restraint than most rivals. The desert retains proper colour accuracy – just a touch too warm rather than aggressively oversaturated.

Peak highlights get pushed slightly harder than ideal, particularly in scenes mixing bright and dark elements, but nothing like the artificial punch that competing sets deliver. Motion handling proves the main culprit, with excessive smoothing making Fremen fighters appear to float rather than lunge with violent intent.

Switch to Filmmaker Mode, and the transformation is remarkable – almost everything falls into place without further adjustment. This preset turns off the unnecessary processing that plagues the default settings, revealing the Z90B's true capabilities.

Colours become the standout strength. The scorching desert tones hold their warmth and richness without ever tipping into exaggeration. Background dunes retain subtle shades of red and orange that rival sets reduce to pure white, while skin tones maintain their natural colour volume even in the dimmest lighting.

There's a wonderful range of hues across both the brightest and darkest parts of the image too, with each area packed with detail that never feels artificial or forced. This isn't achieved through aggressive brightness – the Panasonic runs dimmer than most competitors 99 per cent of the time, but it reserves its efforts for moments that demand it.

During Civil War's night-time battle scene, the Z90B produces peak highlights every bit as bright and detailed as pricier rivals, but because it chooses to focus selectively, those bright elements hold a distinct, realistic place within the frame, adding three-dimensionality rather than superficial pop.

Looking at a White House chandelier, every bauble remains visible and sharp, with a wide gamut in the burning bulbs that many competing sets simply render as white.

This approach does, however carry trade-offs. Switch to Alien: Romulus's opening, and while blacks are properly inky with stars shining menacingly from the void, the emerging spacecraft takes longer to fully reveal itself. The intentionally low brightness means details hiding in shadow require more effort to discern – they're there, but more thoroughly veiled than on brighter sets.

SDR upscaling with True Grit proves similarly conservative. The opening scene is extraordinarily dark, with some porch details visible on rival sets appearing completely black here. Falling snow lacks definition and all but vanishes against the darkest picture areas.

A brighter town scene improves matters, but the SDR performance doesn't quite deliver the dynamic range or detail retrieval that competitor sets manage. Colours remain accurate and the picture stays free of artefacts, but it's an area where the Z90B isn't leading its class.

The LG C5 tells a rather different story. Powering it up reveals a television that tries too hard in its standard settings. Peak bright areas in Dune: Part 2's desert scenes stand out excessively as the set attempts to demonstrate its capabilities, while colours skew too warm. Motion handling is heavy-handed, with fighters resembling dancing ballerinas rather than aggressive knife-wielding warriors.

Extensive settings adjustment is required – eventually settling on Filmmaker Mode with the lowest Cinematic Movement option enabled, sharpening and judder reduction disabled, and dynamic tone mapping activated. The colour temperature slider (now offering more granular control than before) stays at its Filmmaker Mode default.

Properly configured, the desert retains its sparkle with bright sky sections shining in ways OLEDs from even a few years ago couldn't manage, but with significantly more detail. Bright shading is strong, with a wonderful transition from blue to orange across the frame.

Cloud clusters hold their shape despite the added brightness, showcasing the advantage of pixel-level light control. The only niggle is that colour temperature still looks fractionally too cool, though it shifts too far in the opposite direction with minor adjustments.

Motion handling regains its composure, with on-screen characters moving with their intended weight. A difficult scene where a Fremen fighter launches a missile at an Ornithopter looks accurate, free from ghost frames or awkwardness.

Civil War's heated night-time battle reveals a weakness, though. Explosions look dynamic and pop from dark sections with zero bloom – as expected from OLED – but colour volume drops noticeably, especially in skin tones.

This becomes particularly apparent in close-ups. While the brightest parts of faces look wonderfully three-dimensional with plenty of pop, darker areas take on a greenish hue, losing all warmth and resulting in a flatter, less natural image than we'd like.

The set otherwise handles dark scenes admirably. Alien: Romulus's opening shows a giant spacecraft creeping from the pitch-black vacuum of space, with every nook and cranny of the vessel on display, creating a wonderfully three-dimensional spectacle.

Top Gun: Maverick's skyline looks excellent again – full of pop and detail – but shadow areas of the aircraft carrier appear slightly flat, losing definition that looks sharp on the Samsung S90F tested alongside it.

Curiously, Oppenheimer doesn't repeat the issue during a shadow-heavy political meeting scene. Skin tones look natural, and the entire picture has a sharp, wonderfully three-dimensional quality with every suit stitch visible.

The SDR True Grit upscaling test produces solid results. During the tricky opening, dark lights in the farm hold nicely bright, distinctive spots, with the glow illuminating details without introducing noise or oversharpening the fluffy falling snow.

The intentional spaghetti western grain is retained during brighter scenes, with the set avoiding the temptation to oversharpen or flatten this very difficult picture.

Overall, the LG C5 displays a couple of niggling picture issues – particularly that inconsistent colour volume in darker skin tones – but it's superbly competent overall. Many users won't notice those issues at all, and when properly calibrated, it delivers impressive performance across a wide range of content.

Ultimately though, the Panasonic's exceptional colour accuracy, natural handling of brightness, and authentic cinematic presentation make it the superior option for picture quality – despite the LG's impressive capabilities when properly configured.

** Winner: Panasonic Z90B **

Panasonic Z90B vs LG C5: features and processing

The Panasonic Z90B covers HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, with the HDR10+ Adaptive and Dolby Vision IQ variants also supported for ambient light optimisation.

The LG C5 supports HLG, HDR10, and Dolby Vision, but lacks Samsung's open-source HDR10+ format. While HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are rival standards with similar frame-by-frame dynamic range optimisation goals, Dolby Vision content remains the more common choice across streaming services.

Gaming features reveal the most significant practical difference. The LG C5 offers four full-speed HDMI 2.1 inputs, while the Panasonic Z90B provides just two. For anyone with multiple current-generation consoles and a Dolby Atmos soundbar (which requires the eARC port), the LG's advantage can’t be overlooked.

That eARC limitation on the Panasonic becomes frustrating if you own a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and gaming PC – all of which need HDMI 2.1 to run at full speed. You'll be swapping cables regularly, which rather defeats the purpose of having multiple devices connected simultaneously.

Both televisions max out at 4K/144Hz, faster than current-generation consoles' 4K/120Hz cap. VRR and ALLM feature on both, matching framerate to incoming signals and reducing latency. The Panasonic also adds an option to let your gaming source handle HDR tone-mapping directly, while the LG includes Dolby Vision gaming support – particularly useful for Xbox Series X/S owners.

The LG also debuts an Xbox app, allowing direct game streaming from the television with Bluetooth controller pairing.

Panasonic's new Game Control Board quick menu lets you access performance stats and tweak settings mid-session, matching similar implementations from competitors. So while the HDMI situation creates real limitations, the actual gaming experience on either television should prove excellent when connected.

On the OS front, the Z90B runs Amazon's Fire TV OS, delivering excellent app support with Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Freely, Shudder, and Crunchyroll all present and functioning correctly.

The interface remains somewhat ad-heavy though, and doesn't always clearly distinguish free from paid content, but navigation is straightforward and responsive. Specialist services and local catch-ups all receive proper support.

LG's webOS 25 is largely similar to last year's iteration, with the main additions being the Xbox app and an AI assistant for troubleshooting and settings adjustment via voice commands. Through vocal commands, you can tweak picture settings and query what specific toggles do.

The OS maintains strong app support, with key services including Netflix, Disney+ , Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and ITVX all supported and running correctly. It's a mature, refined platform that makes finding and launching content intuitive.

As for hardware, Panasonic's HCX Pro AI Processor MKII features a 4K Remaster Engine for upscaling and a new Amazon Prime Video Calibrated picture setting – similar to modes Sony added to its 2024 range. This complements the set's standard Filmmaker Mode.

The Panasonic also continues its partnership with Portrait Displays, meaning the Z90B can be Calman calibrated with relative ease if you have the equipment and technical knowledge.

The LG's Alpha 9 Gen 8 processor, meanwhile, focuses its AI capabilities on upscaling, colour accuracy, audio quality, and HDR tone mapping improvements

Both processors represent evolutionary rather than revolutionary updates, with AI enhancement being the common thread across all 2025 television chipsets.

Overall, the LG’s four HDMI 2.1 inputs will make it a clear winner for those requiring multiple HDMI 2.1 connections.

While both sets offer excellent gaming features and smart platforms, the LG's connectivity advantage matters significantly for anyone with multiple devices, making it the more practical choice for many, despite Panasonic's broader HDR support.

** Winner: LG C5 **

Panasonic Z90B vs LG C5: sound

The Panasonic Z90B's Dynamic Theatre Surround Pro speaker system is a 60W, 2.1 arrangement with the subwoofer housed on the television's rear, and two front-facing speakers bolted to its base. No up-firing drivers feature, despite Panasonic marketing it as delivering a proper Dolby Atmos experience.

Does it deliver an audiophile experience? Not remotely. But it comfortably outclasses every other 48-inch OLED tested this year in terms of audio performance, which is nothing to be sniffed at.

There's a sense of direction as gunfire travels left and right across the screen during Civil War, with noticeably more low-end heft and volume than competitors manage. Explosions offer genuine rumble even at moderate volumes.

Oppenheimer demonstrates reasonable separation between background noise and characters' voices, making conversations easy to follow even during scenes with heavy low-end background sound.

The system isn't without flaws though. The subwoofer adds heft but lacks precision – thundering fighter jets in Top Gun: Maverick sound too flabby, with the sonic boom missing the precise impact it deserves.

Higher-level engine noises show the front drivers are slightly underpowered, with distortion creeping in and upper frequencies taking on an acidic, unpleasant tone at high volumes.

Still, this remains the best audio performance you'll encounter on an OLED this size, though it falls short of what could be described as truly immersive. It also makes that integrated speaker bar somewhat justified, even if it remains a frustration for those who already own separate audio equipment.

The LG C5 features the same 2.2-channel 40W speaker system as the outgoing C4, and on a set this size, audio quality inevitably becomes one of the main compromises.

Smaller dimensions impact how much air speakers can move, and the C5 confirms this limitation. In standard audio mode, performance is distinctly flat, with every sound originating from the screen's centre. Gunfire and soldiers' shouts during Civil War lack their intended directional quality.

Gunfire never sounds as acidic as it does on the Samsung S90F, but it lacks the expected bite, while distant explosions show the low end doesn't quite have the necessary heft to deliver the intended bone-rumbling effect.

Switching to the AI audio mode – which LG makes considerable noise about (pun intended) – doesn't fix things. This mode requires clicking through a process, picking options that describe your preferences before optimising speakers accordingly.

The set noticeably tries to separate the frequency range more, but makes each part thin in the process. Gunfire takes on a nasal, fizzy quality, sibilance creeps into dialogue, and the low end all but disappears.

Cinema mode produces the best results, but even then, audio lacks definition. Top Gun: Maverick's intense sequences remain flat, with jet engine booms lacking precision and directionality. Voices aren't properly separated from background noise, making some conversations difficult to follow.

Snapping up one of the best soundbars becomes essential for any serious film enthusiast considering the LG C5 – which, ironically, makes Panasonic's integrated speaker bar seem less objectionable by comparison.

** Winner: Panasonic Z90B **

Panasonic Z90B vs LG C5: verdict

Both televisions prove that 48-inch OLEDs have reached impressive maturity, yet they appear to target slightly different audiences.

The Panasonic Z90B's focus on colour accuracy and directorial intent creates the most authentic cinematic experience available at this size. From sparkling desert dunes in science fiction epics, to cars thundering across race tracks, every scene looks wonderfully authentic and weighty.

Its heatsink also allows sustained brightness without the conservative tuning that hampers competing small OLEDs, while the speaker bar – frustrating as it may be for soundbar owners – delivers the best integrated audio at 48 inches.

However, there are some trade-offs. Just two HDMI 2.1 ports create headaches for anyone with multiple gaming devices and a sound system, requiring constant cable swapping.

The conservative approach to brightness also means some shadow details require more effort to discern than on brighter rivals, and SDR upscaling doesn't match class leaders.

If you want a 48-inch OLED and value cinematic authenticity above all else though, the Panasonic Z90B is currently the one to get. It prioritises getting the fundamentals right, and does so admirably.

The LG C5 makes a strong case through versatility. Four full-speed HDMI 2.1 inputs eliminate connection compromises, comprehensive gaming features (including Dolby Vision gaming support) cater to console and PC enthusiasts, and webOS 25 remains one of the most intuitive smart platforms available.

Picture quality, when properly calibrated, impresses across a wide range of content. That sparkle and pop in bright scenes, combined with OLED's inherent black level advantages, creates engaging images that most viewers will love.

But it requires work. Out of the box, the C5 tries too hard, and even after extensive settings adjustment, colour volume issues persist in darker skin tones.

Audio performance is distinctly underwhelming too, making a soundbar essentially mandatory. And while many users won't notice the picture inconsistencies, they exist for those paying close attention.

So which should you buy? If you prioritise picture accuracy, don't mind limited HDMI 2.1 connectivity, and want the best integrated sound at 48 inches, the Panasonic Z90B is the more accomplished option. It's the television for viewers who want to experience films closer to how their directors intended.

If you need four HDMI 2.1 ports, want extensive gaming features, prefer a brighter presentation, and already own (or plan to buy) a soundbar, the LG C5 makes more practical sense. It's the television for viewers who value versatility and all-around competence.

** Overall winner: Panasonic Z90B **

MORE:

Read our Panasonic Z90B review

Read our 48-inch LG C5 review

Best OLED TV 2025: 3 Award-winning sets recommended by our experts

Need a reason to ditch streaming this Black Friday? Panasonic has you covered, as its entire range of 4K Blu-ray players is on sale, making now the perfect time to invest in physical media.

You can find discounts on the Award-winning DP-UB820EB (which currently takes residence in our very own AV and home cinema testing room), as well as the flagship DP-UB9000, which will be the top choice for serious cinephiles. 4K Blu-ray fans on a budget will find plenty to like in the DP-UB150EB, too.

We have reviewed all three players, and each has earned its place on our best 4K Blu-ray players list – so you can't go wrong really, regardless of which one you opt for.

That being said, not every deal here is equal. You'll notice that we are highlighting the DP-UB820EB at £299, which is £9 more than the price at which we initially reviewed it. Panasonic, though, raised the price of this player to £349 since its launch back in 2019. It has stuck at this price for quite some time too, which is the reason for us highlighting this deal now.

It's a similar story with the flagship DP-UB900. We originally reviewed it at £849, but its price has since ballooned to £999. Now, though, it can be yours for £799 at Richer Sounds, a hearty £200 saving on that most recent higher price.

We have said time and time again that if you're looking to achieve the best picture and sound quality, you'll find no better alternative than 4K Blu-ray discs. While streaming has its benefits when it comes to convenience and choice, we're still team disc thanks to the higher-fidelity picture and audio, and the fact that you don't need to rely on a stable internet connection; who wants their movie to be interrupted by constant buffering?

Panasonic remains one of the few manufacturers still producing 4K Blu-ray players, alongside Sony and Magnetar. The likes of Pioneer, Oppo, Samsung, LG, and Reavon have all ended production of their models or have pulled out of the market entirely. It's a good job, therefore, that we think Panasonic has made a particularly good bunch of 4K disc players.

Whichever one you choose, you're guaranteed to get a crisp and punchy picture with equally impressive sound. Check out the savings at Richer Sounds and Amazon if you're looking to leave streaming in the dust this Black Friday.

• 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
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

MORE:

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

As well as the best OLED TVs

And the best early Black Friday TV deals

Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that, yesterday, we completely changed our 50-inch TV buying advice.

We swapped out all three of our long-standing incumbent recommendations, which included the 48-inch LG C4, 50-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED and 48-inch Sony A90K, for new models.

Why? Because as a part of our What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 testing process – which involves a series of side-by-side tests where we compare rival products in our viewing and listening rooms – we have found three even better options.

Two new OLEDs – though we recommend one way more for movie fans

The big news is that we have a new 48-inch OLED TV that we think is the best option at the size for most people – and for the first time since I joined What Hi-Fi? It’s not an LG C-series.

This year, if you can afford it, the 48-inch Panasonic Z90B is the set to get if you want the best movie-watching option possible at this size. We know because we ran it head to head with its main rivals, the 48-inch LG C5 and 48-inch Samsung S90F.

This isn’t because it has a next-generation Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel, or even a higher peak brightness than its rivals. The only serious hardware additions are a heatsink, which helps with thermal management, and a bolted-on soundbar at its bottom.

The reason it beats the competition is that, when we ran the three head to head, it offered the most balanced, consistent and mature movie-watching experience, with all of our reviewers agreeing it was the one to get from a pure picture-quality perspective. Hence our glowing verdict:

“Thanks to its ongoing focus on colour accuracy and delivering an ‘as the director intended’ experience rather than razzmatazz, the 48-inch Panasonic Z90B is the best TV at its size that we have tested.”

That wasn’t to say LG’s offering this year was bad. While we prefer the Panasonic’s picture, this year’s 48-inch LG C5 still comes with a key perk that makes it a better option for gamers: the inclusion of four full-speed HDMI 2.1 inputs to the Panasonic’s two.

Gamers with only one console will be fine with the Panasonic, which also has 144Hz/4K support as well as ALLM and VRR. But those with multiple boxes and a Dolby Atmos soundbar, which will use one of the HDMI 2.1 ports for eARC duties, will need more than two if they want to avoid cable swapping.

Add to this the C5’s competent, albeit not best in class, picture, and solid app and HDR support and we feel it’s the better option for people who frequently game on their TV. Which is why it is our new recommended option for gamers.

And a surprisingly affordable Mini LED

The TCL C6KS is the third new set to break into our best 50-inch TV guide.

We spend a lot of time trying to find new sets to recommend in our best cheap TV guide. Sadly we often struggle to find many, due to a shortage of sets capable of meeting our two big criteria: decent picture quality and a sub-£500 / $500 price tag. Which is why the 50-inch TCL C6KS is such a great find.

The TV’s standout feature is its Mini LED panel, which is a clear cut above the basic LCD panels we usually find on sets this price, offering better backlight control. This lets it deliver a nicely immersive picture with decent levels of contrast.

While it doesn’t cater for 120Hz/4K, which might annoy next-generation gamers, this still makes it the best cheap 50-inch TV we’ve tested. Hence its new place in our best 50-inch TV buying guide.

As we say in our review: “TCL’s 50-inch C6KS just shouldn’t be as good as it is for this price – it’s hands-down one of the year’s biggest bargains.”

MORE:

These are the best TVs we have reviewed

We rate the best OLED TVs money can buy

Our picks of the best soundbars

The 55-inch Panasonic Z95B OLED has dropped to £1799 at various retailers, a substantial £700 saving on its £2499 launch price, but we’d still recommend grabbing our latest Best Buy Award-winner instead.

While the Panasonic is undeniably a good TV that we gave a well-deserved five stars, we'd argue that spending an extra £100 on the 55-inch Sony Bravia 8 II (currently £1899, also down from £2499), represents better value for most buyers.

This is because, when we ran the 65-inch versions of both sets side-by-side in our testing rooms, the Sony emerged as the superior performer overall. That's why it just earned a place among the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 Best Buy winners, over the Panasonic.

The Sony Bravia 8 II excels in areas that matter most to everyday viewing. Its combination of inky blacks and exceptional shadow detail is second to none – you get all the dynamism expected from OLED without missing anything you're supposed to see in the gloomiest of films.

During our testing with Alien: Romulus, all the folds and wrinkles in clothing remained clearly visible in darker scenes, whereas the finest elements were lost on other sets.

But it's the way these elements combine with Sony's XR Processor and new AI scene recognition to produce an image that's sharper, more solid and more three-dimensional than any rival that truly impresses. Objects and people have genuine volume and roundedness, while backgrounds possess depth and purpose.

Getting great results from the Bravia 8 II is remarkably straightforward too. Simply select Dolby Vision Dark for Dolby Vision content or Professional for everything else, and you're set.

Want a bit more pop? Switch to Dolby Vision Bright or Cinema mode. The presets are so well-judged that most owners won't need to make further tweaks. based on our testing.

The Panasonic Z95B, by contrast, requires more time and attention to extract its best performance.

Out of the box in Filmmaker Mode, we found it struggled with shadow detail compared to the Sony – during Pan, captive children standing in the background of a shot were lost within the shadows on the Panasonic.

Switching to the True Cinema preset and dialling up the Resolution Remaster setting to medium delivers a richer, sharper and more balanced picture that does a better job of closing the gap, but this extra calibration work won't appeal to everyone.

Where the Panasonic does shine, though, is in its colour delivery – it treads a careful line between remaining balanced while adding necessary punch, resulting in rich and vibrant hues that don't stray into looking overcooked.

The golden-hued intro of Top Gun: Maverick looks dazzling, with vibrant greens and oranges on the aircraft carrier crew's uniforms.

The TV also features a substantial Technics-tuned Dolby Atmos sound system with 170W of claimed power output, complete with front-firing speakers, side-firing drivers, dual upward-firing units and a dedicated subwoofer with dual passive radiators – all wrapped in tasteful acoustic cloth.

However, the Sony still claims victory in the audio department. The Bravia 8 II's Acoustic Surface Audio+ setup vibrates the screen itself to create sound, tying audio and video spatially in a way rival solutions can't match.

It combines this directness with impressive spaciousness, stretching effects far beyond the screen's edges. Detail levels are excellent, with enough dynamic nuance to convey emotion in an actor's performance, and the impressive lower midrange ensures voices sound warm and full.

While the Panasonic's bass can feel lightweight with uncomfortable distortion when boosted, the Sony's low frequencies remain controlled with only the faintest hint of fuzz in the deepest notes.

The Bravia 8 II is the best-sounding TV of all the flagship OLEDs we've tested this year. Note, of course, that picking one of the best soundbars is still the easiest way to turbocharge your TV viewing experience for extra depth and immersion.

Elsewhere, there are a couple of areas where the Panasonic edges ahead. It supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ dynamic HDR formats (the Sony only supports Dolby Vision alongside standard HDR10 and HLG).

Both TVs also offer four HDMI inputs, but only two on each are full 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 sockets. The Panasonic also supports refresh rates up to 144Hz versus the Sony's 120Hz, though very few people will be able to take advantage of this difference.

For hardcore gamers with multiple current-generation consoles, the dual HDR format support could tip the scales towards the Panasonic.

It's also worth noting that the Panasonic represents the ultimate choice for absolute accuracy purists. Panasonic's TVs are favoured by directors, editors and colourists in Hollywood studios for their commitment to delivering images close to the original artist's intent.

The Bravia 8 II, while still very accurate, does apply some processing. We'd argue, this enhances things in most instances – creating that exceptional three-dimensional quality we praised – but dedicated purists might still prefer Panasonic's approach.

For the vast majority of buyers, though, the Sony Bravia 8 II offers superior picture and sound performance straight out of the box, with less need for calibration tweaking.

At just £100 more than the discounted Panasonic, it represents the smarter investment for most living rooms, as a result.

MORE

Read our Sony Bravia 8 II review

All four of the best 2025 flagship OLED TVs are on sale, and I've ranked them so you know which to buy

Read our Panasonic Z95B (TV-65Z95B) review

We've just announced the latest batch of What Hi-Fi? Award-winners, and out of the four years I've helped to review and judge the finest AV products the industry has to offer, I think that 2025 has been hands-down the most exciting to date for TVs – and it's possibly not for the reason you think.

While there have been specific models that rightfully earned their five-stars this year, I'm looking at the TV market as a whole, as this year has seen the most definitive divide between the entry-level, mid-tier, and flagship categories.

Why do I think that? Well, this is the first year that we've bestowed a flagship OLED TV with a What Hi-Fi? Award, with the Sony Bravia 8 II taking home the title of "Best premium 55-77in TV".

And it was a tough call, as LG, Panasonic and Samsung all had worthy adversaries. You can read a previous entry of Adventures in AV here to find out more about how hard that judging process was.

Previously, we've refrained from giving the flagship models these accolades, as the mid-range OLEDs (think the LG C-series or Sony's Bravia 8) have traditionally provided very similar picture quality at a considerably lower price.

That changed this year, as the latest crop of flagships has truly wowed us, with impressive next-generation OLED displays that are a true step above their WOLED counterparts.

We're at the point now that we think people really should consider stepping up to the flagships if their budget allows, as the price-to-performance ratio now makes a lot more sense at this level.

That's not to say that the mid-range categories haven't impressed, though. The LG C5 is a sensational TV for the money, offering a crisp, contrast-rich picture and excellent gaming features, all at a price that's significantly lower than the premium Sony, or its G5 counterpart.

And I can't talk about the mid-range category without celebrating TCL's triumphant year. The C7K has truly wowed us, as it has fended off competition from the likes of Samsung and Hisense in order to claim the "Best budget 55-77in TV" Award.

TCL scoops up a second award with its C6KS, which is our "Best budget 48-50in TV", which is both a great TV in its own right, and a more definitive step down compared to the C7K.

Panasonic's 48-inch Z90B, on the other hand, is a fantastic alternative for those who want top-notch picture quality, impressive sound and a full-featured smart system in a TV that can suit smaller living rooms.

The best part about this list is, as I've said before, how defined each level is. There are no blurred lines between the OLEDs, as the flagships and mid-range models can shine in their own right, while the TCLs are positioned for those who want great picture quality without spending OLED money.

Selfishly, it makes recommending TVs a whole lot easier for me. I'm often quizzed by readers, friends and family about what they should buy, and with our latest Awards list offering a clear-cut best option for each price category and use case.

This is all thanks to these TVs being better than ever before. TCL had a slightly rocky 2024 thanks to the underwhelming C855K not living up to its Award-winning predecessor, and while we felt that the likes of the LG G4 and Samsung S95D were good TVs, they perhaps weren't enough of a step up over the likes of the Bravia 8 to take the crown.

With improvements across the board this year, it only feels right to celebrate all of these TVs at their respective levels, though my hopes and expectations for 2026 are now sky high.

MORE:

Check out all of the latest What Hi-Fi? Award winners

Read our full Sony Bravia 8 II OLED TV review

And find the best TVs here

2025's What Hi-Fi? Awards winners have been revealed and it has been an explosive year with multiple new entries in most of our home cinema categories.

There are 17 new Award-winners across the TV, soundbar, speaker package, and projector categories (I've counted them myself), and they are all very well-deserved.

KEF has scored big with the exceptional XIO Dolby Atmos soundbar and the fantastic Q Concerto Meta 5.1 Speaker System, while Hisense snags another projector Award with the M2 Pro. A surprisingly potent budget wireless Dolby Atmos system, the AX5125H, also scores Hisense its first-ever win in the soundbar category.

Other big winners include Sony, Panasonic, LG and TCL, all of which scooped up Awards in the TV category. So there's cause for celebration all around, right?

Generally yes, but two major home cinema categories haven't had anywhere near the same amount of love – and they happen to be two that I care about a lot.

2025 has been something of a drought for new AV receivers and Blu-ray players. In fact, we reviewed only one new AVR this year, that being the three-star JBL MA7100HP. And that, unfortunately, could not rival the likes of the Award-winning Sony TA-AN1000 or any of the currently available Denon amplifiers – all of which are a few years old now.

Denon and Marantz didn't really announce much in the way of new home cinema amplifiers. Though, being fair, this is understandable considering they have both been scooped up by Harman International, so they are probably letting the dust settle before launching anything new.

Elsewhere, Arcam has been focusing on its hi-fi components, Yamaha has retained its existing lineup for at least another year, and Pioneer hasn't made a return to our AV testing room since we reviewed the VSA-LX805 towards the beginning of last year.

That has left the AVR Awards category with the same two winners as last year: the Sony TA-AN1000 and the Marantz Cinema 30. Both are excellent in their own ways, but I wouldn't have been opposed to a new contender this year.

In the world of physical media, alas, things are equally grim. Our Blu-ray player category features a singular winner that has held its spot for seven years in a row. And, while the DP-UB820EB is a superb 4K disc player which delivers a crisp picture and dynamic sound at a reasonable price, there's hardly any competition for it out there.

Sony did launch a new version of its previously Award-winning UBP-X700 Blu-ray player; however, it appears to be the same as its predecessor, just without any of the network functionality, such as screen mirroring or streaming apps.

When asked, the company confirmed that the performance was the same as the existing model – not exactly the grand return to 4K Blu-ray players we were hoping for.

Panasonic hasn't budged on its lineup either. The only major updates we saw this year came from Magnetar, which announced MKII variants of its two 4K players. Both of those are currently only up for pre-order; perhaps we have some contenders for the 2026 What Hi-Fi? Awards.

So, with 2025 coming to a close, my biggest wish for 2026 is to see these two categories bounce back – wishful thinking perhaps, but I hold out hope.

MORE:

Read our full Marantz Cinema 30 review

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

As well as the best AV receivers

Calling all movie fans who love a TV with 'as the director intended' picture quality. We've found a quite frankly ludicrous deal on the Panasonic W90A, which means you can snap up the set for just £449 at Richer Sounds.

Not only is this a £750 discount on the launch price, but it's also back down to the record-low price that we've seen before. We tested it at £699 and gave it a respectable four stars.

Despite missing out on a place in our much-coveted list of the best 55-inch TVs, this is still a TV that produces rich, authentic colours, a solid, three-dimensional picture and reliable motion handling. All of this, and more, makes it one of the best Panasonic TVs on the market.

This is a pleasingly balanced performer from the Japanese home cinema giant. In our Panasonic W90A review, we were happy to praise it for its rich, authentic colours, three-dimensional picture and reliable motion handling.

Sure, it doesn't feature the fancy Mini LED backlighting of its rivals, but its Full Array Local Dimming LED backlight is so well controlled that it isn't embarrassed when faced with Mini LED rivals.

Packed with features, the W90A runs on the HCX Pro AI Processor MK II chip, supports all four of the current TV HDR formats – HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision – and there's Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive, too.

For gamers, there's an impressive feature set, including 4K/144Hz maximum refresh rate, VRR and ALLM support, as well as Dolby Vision gaming.

There are just two HDMI 2.1 ports on board, with one doubling as the set's eARC, but at this price, that's more than acceptable.

At just £449 at Richer Sounds, this is a huge saving on a really solid performer to which we awarded a respectable four stars. Consider this quite the bargain.

MORE:

Read our full Panasonic W90A review

These are the best TVs you can buy right now

And here are the best TV deals

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days has thrown us a few pleasant surprises when it comes to savings on Award-winning home cinema gear, and this Panasonic Blu-ray player happens to be one of my favourites to come from the savings event so far.

If there was ever a time to reject streaming and embrace the disc life, it's now, as the Panasonic DP-UB820EB has dropped from £350 to £285 at Amazon; that's a saving of £65, which should comfortably cover the cost of a couple of 4K Blu-rays to start your collection.

• Browse all the Amazon Prime Day deals

This Blu-ray player has won the coveted Product of the Year title in the Best Blu-ray players category for six years running, which should stand as a testament to how great we think it is.

We'll start with a quick disclaimer: we initially tested this 4K Blu-ray player at its launch price of £290, which is the price you'll see in our full review. However, that was all the way back in 2019, and since then, we've seen the price creep up to £350 at all major retailers. That's why I've highlighted this deal, as it still offers a decent saving from its new, widely available price.

Back to the player itself, the DP-UB820EB may not have a catchy name, but it provides the goods when it comes to the two most important aspects: picture performance and sound quality.

We praised the Panasonic's ability to deliver an "eye-catching and immersive picture", complete with punchy colours and clean details, which is why we continue to champion it in our AV testing room to this very day.

It supports up to 4K in a handful of HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+. But don't worry if you haven't got any 4K Blu-ray discs yet, as you can still play HD and standard definition Blu-rays and DVDs on this player, which will be upscaled for a sharper picture. We do, of course, recommend feeding it the highest quality material for the best results.

And it nails cinematic sound too. Action movie fans will be pleased to hear that it boasts a "weighty and powerful performance that’s capable of delivering explosions with plenty of gusto", and movie scores build with a "weighty and deliberate swell of sound".

Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are both supported on this player, meaning you can get the best immersive cinematic sound from your 4K Blu-rays (providing you have a Dolby Atmos soundbar or AVR that supports these formats).

Its success is mostly since it shares most of its picture processing technology with the flagship DP-UB9000, which happens to cost three times the price.

For those who want an uncompromising cinematic experience, but are perhaps on a slightly stricter budget, then the DP-UB820EB is a sensational pick, especially at this discounted price at Amazon.

MORE:

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2025: the best deals on headphones, TVs, speakers, home cinema and more

All four of the best 2025 flagship OLED TVs are on sale, and I've ranked them so you know which to buy

Here are the best 4K Blu-ray players

We've tested our fair share of the best OLED TVs this year, testing models from all of the top brands to decipher which one is worth your hard-earned cash.

While they've tended to be at the larger screen sizes – namely 55- and 65-inches – we appreciate that not everyone has a living room that suits a screen size this large.

Fear not, as there are plenty of great small OLED TVs out there which deliver wholly cinematic experiences without taking up loads of room. And while Samsung's S90F and LG's C5 offered up solid small OLED TVs to fit this brief, it's Panasonic that impressed most with the Z90B.

While it was pricey at launch – £1499 to be exact – it's now down to just £1099 at Richer Sounds; that's a £400 saving on a chart-topping TV.

Panasonic's OLED TVs have consistently impressed us for quite some time now, and that remains true despite this being the smallest model we've seen from the company to date.

Don't be fooled by its pint-sized stature; this 48-inch OLED can deliver a striking cinematic image with ease, and it doesn't compromise on scale despite the compact footprint.

Colours are rich and striking, but the picture remains cinematically authentic; something Panasonic has ensured for many of its previous OLEDs. It manages to retain these rich colours in low-light segments too, which is a huge bonus, as we found the LG C5 struggled in this area.

We also approve of how crisp and three-dimensional the Z90B's image is, which helps to increase immersion and generally allows for finer details to be dug out. In fact, the Z90B made the competing Samsung look somewhat flat in a few instances, which is a testament to this TV's performance.

This TV is also no slouch when it comes to audio. While we'll stick with our usual advice of recommending one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars to accompany your new OLED TV, the Panasonic is a cut above the LG and Samsung when it comes to bass, dynamics and spatial separation – though the bar was set fairly low by the Korean TV brands.

Finally, the Z90B is amply stocked when it comes to features, especially when it comes to HDR support. Both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are supported, whereas the C5 and S90F only support the former and latter, respectively.

Furthermore, Panasonic has included 4K/144Hz support with VRR and ALLM over two HDMI 2.1 sockets. Though admittedly, this is one area where Panasonic lags behind LG and Samsung, as both have included four HDMI 2.1 ports on their TVs for quite some time now.

That being said, the minor gaming setback isn't enough to discredit this TV, as it's a clear step above the LG and Samsung when it comes to picture and sound performance, which cements it as our top pick for those looking for an OLED TV under 55 inches.

And now that it's priced practically equivalent to its competitors, it's a no-brainer for anyone contemplating which is the best 48-inch TV to buy. Be sure to head over to Richer Sounds to score £400 off.

MORE:

Read our full Panasonic Z90B 48-inch review

As well as our Panasonic Z95B 65-inch review

And check out our picks for the best TVs on the market

We have spent most of the year with our eyes glued to the latest and greatest OLED TVs – and we're certainly not complaining about it.

And in a rare occurrence, we've managed to line up the four biggest flagship models –from LG, Sony, Samsung and Panasonic – to assess which one comes out on top. The respective models – namely the G5, Bravia 8 II, S95F, and Z95B – all feature the latest advanced panel technology, including Primary RGB Tandem OLED, which made its debut this year, and the latest generation of QD-OLED.

You have probably seen our list of the best OLED TVs, so the model that has come out on top shouldn't surprise you. Yes, it's the Sony Bravia 8 II, a stunning television that offers a bright, sharp, and three-dimensional picture packed with contrast.

The Sony really is excellent, but the competition has been incredibly tough this year, meaning that while the Bravia 8 II is the agreed-upon winner among Team AV, it's not necessarily the one that we would each take home.

Each of the models mentioned above scored five stars in our reviews, and they all have something unique to bring to the table. This means that you're bound to get a sensational TV regardless of your preferences and priorities.

After a lengthy debate between Alastair Stevenson (What Hi-Fi?'s editor in chief), Tom Parsons (our TV and AV editor), and me (Lewis Empson, senior staff writer), we've agreed to come to a conclusion that appeases everyone. While we all agree that the Sony Bravia 8 II is the best of the bunch, we'd each take a different TV home.

Now, there are three of us and four TVs, so one TV must, of course, miss out. Unfortunately, that's going to be the LG G5. It is impressive in many ways, but ultimately we felt that it pushed the brightness capabilities of this new panel tech a little too far. Sorry LG, but it had to be someone.

With that out of the way, which TV would each of us choose to take the coveted spot in our respective living rooms?

Sony Bravia 8 II

We'll start with the Sony, which has been championed by Tom Parsons. It follows up on the brilliant Sony A95L, sporting a Samsung Display-derived QD-OLED panel, which it uses to boost brightness to great effect.

Pair that with some of the best picture processing on the market right now, and an effective built-in speaker system that is almost good enough to not require an external sound system, and the Sony Bravia 8 II just about edges out the competition.

Furthermore, the Bravia 8 II undercut the competition when it came to price at launch, and it continues to be the cheapest of the bunch, making it the best OLED of this roundup when it comes to that all-important performance-to-pound ratio.

That's ticking all of the boxes we look out for, so it's no wonder it's Tom's top pick. Here's what he has to say about the Bravia 8 II:

Tom Parsons, TV and AV editor

"While I most certainly want all of the picture enhancements that next-gen panel technology offers, I only want it when it’s in the service of delivering cinematically authentic movies (and TV shows and games, for that matter).

That’s why the Bravia 8 II is the clear winner for me.

It seems fair to say at this point that QD-OLED has the edge over Primary RGB Tandem, particularly where colours are concerned, and the Sony deploys this enhanced vibrancy not to turn everything up to 11, Spinal Tap-style, but to deliver more natural and consistent colours from the brightest highlights to the darkest shadows.

Add awesome contrast and Sony’s exceptional processing, which subtly sharpens specific picture elements to create a thrilling impression of three-dimensionality, and you’ve got a performance that perfectly balances dynamism and realism."

Panasonic Z95B

Now, there's no doubting that the Sony trumps the competition, especially as it undercuts the competition where price is concerned.

But it's not the best pick for everyone. Our editor in chief, for instance, prefers the Panasonic Z95B. And we couldn't possibly blame him; it's another stellar TV that delivers “rich and vibrant” colours and an overall “strikingly three-dimensional image”, as referenced in our full review.

We also find it to sound rather good, too, with its built-in Dolby Atmos sound system being tuned by legendary audio brand Technics.

But what really strikes us with this TV is how cinematically accurate it is, which is why it's Alastair's top choice. Read what he has to say about the Panasonic Z95B here:

Alastair Stevenson, editor in chief

“I’ve always valued an authentic, as the director intended, picture over one with lots of razzmatazz.

And while that sounds simple enough, in today’s market where TV makers seem hellbent on selling a high nit count as the primary metric for decent picture quality, that’s actually a pretty hard thing to find.

Which is why, for me personally, the Panasonic Z95B is the standout star of the show right now.

Sure, it doesn’t push its brightness-boosting Primary RGB Tandem OLED screen as hard as rivals, but its consistency and focus on control won me over during our group tests, letting me focus on the movie, not what it was doing, more than any other flagship OLED this year."

Samsung S95F

Rounding out our picks is the Samsung S95F, which we called the “very best all-round TV that Samsung has ever produced, and a strong candidate for TV of the year”. We complimented its “stunningly bright, vibrant and sharp” picture, and the overcooked colours of previous Samsung TVs have been reined in for a more natural look.

The Sony takes the edge where shadow detail is concerned, but the Samsung's feature-set is what makes it my favourite of the bunch. The gaming features are second to none on this TV, and Tizen is an extremely comprehensive operating system when it comes to app support.

We feel that the Samsung offers a picture performance that is characteristically very close to the Sony, and what it lacks in the picture department is made up for in the features; which is why it's my top pick.

Here's why I would take the Samsung S95F out of this crop of excellent OLED TVs:

Lewis Empson, senior staff writer

“After spending a considerable amount of time with the Panasonic and Sony sets, I was convinced that Samsung had to pull off some sort of miracle to take my personal top spot. Which is why I am both surprised yet very impressed to be writing exactly why I love this TV so much.

The S95F ticks all of the boxes for me. Its picture performance is truly brilliant, with a crisp and dazzlingly bright presentation that drew my eye during our side-by-side testing. Samsung has clearly taken a more mature approach with this TV, as it features a surprisingly natural and engaging picture, which puts it remarkably close to the Sony in pole position.

While it doesn't quite beat, or even match the Sony (which also uses a QD-OLED panel) in the picture department, it does crush the Sony where features are concerned.

As an avid gamer with multiple consoles and a Dolby Atmos soundbar hooked up to my TV, it's safe to say that HDMI 2.1 sockets are precious commodities. The S95F has four of them, all of which support VRR and ALLM – very nice indeed.

The only drawback is the lack of Dolby Vision, which is something I'd have to adjust to; but with HDR10+ being picked up by a raft of streaming services, it's a compromise that stings slightly less nowadays.”

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best OLED TV

And find the best OLED TV deals here

As well as our overall picks for the best TVs overall

The What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 are fast approaching which means as well as our usual review testing, we’re also taking a fresh look at all the five star products we’ve currently reviewed that are still on sale.

Why? So we know the Best Buy winners we announce in October are actually the best, having run them head-to-head will their latest and greatest rivals in our dedicated viewing and listening rooms – rather than just relying on memory.

As a part of that, the process means I’ve spent the last few months with constant back pain, in and out of our windowless TV testing space, swapping a multitude of OLED TVs along with the rest of the home cinema team.

And while I’m very glad I’ve been granted a reprieve and allowed back upstairs into the daylight, one big benefit of the experience is that the team and I have identified three completely new OLED TVs worthy of a place in our best OLED TV buying guide.

Here’s what you need to know about them.

The Sony Bravia 8 II is the ultimate option for cinephiles

The flagship OLED TV market is a very interesting place right now, with LG Display’s new Primary RGB Tandem OLED replacing MLA as QD-OLED’s main rival.

Both of these have the same goal – boosting brightness levels while simultaneously improving colour volume and accuracy.

It’s also in a state of flux because a new top-end rival, in the shape of RGB Mini LED, is set to taking OLED on next year – and based on senior staff writer Lewis Empson’s experience looking at early prototypes and samples at the IFA tradeshow, that will be a very interesting fight…

But if you’re shopping right now, the Sony Bravia 8 II is our new recommended premium OLED. Featuring a QD-OLED panel, while its colours can very occasionally look a little cool for our liking, the set offered the best holistic performance of any of the top end sets we’ve tested.

In fact its stellar motion processing, incredible ability to retain dark detail lost on rival sets and punchy, but never overused, peak brightness let it offer one of the most immersive movie watching experiences we’ve had on an OLED, period. Hence our verdict:

“Several little improvements combine to make the Bravia 8 II significantly better than the awesome A95L, and that makes it one of the very best TVs that money can buy.”

The LG C5 continues the firm’s hot streak – at least at 55- and 65-inches

The LG C-series of OLEDs have been a common sight both in our best TV guide and yearly list of Award winners.

Last year alone the 42-inch LG C4 and 48-inch LG C4 picked up a total of three Awards in the TV category.

Which is why it’s kind of funny that this year it’s actually the larger 55- and 65-inch LG C5, not its smaller 48-inch LG C5 sibling, that impressed us the most.

The larger options offer the best mid-range performance for any step-down OLED we’ve tested this year.

Despite not having a heatsink, or an upgraded Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel, like the one sported on the LG G5, the 55-inch C5 we tested was noticeably brighter than its sibling and rivals.

But, despite this, it manages to offer warm, authentic colour temperatures, even during low light scenes – an area many modern OLEDs struggle with.

Add to this its stellar gaming specifications, which include four full-speed HDMI 2.1 inputs, excellent app and HDR support and competitive price, and it’s an easy five-star recommendation.

We have a new recommended small OLED TV

But why not the smaller LG C5? Cards on the table, it is a very impressive small-ish OLED – hence the reason we gave it a five-star rating.

But, as we’ve said before, smaller TVs, even ones from the same series, perform differently to larger ones. There are a lot of reasons for that, including pixel density, the size of the drivers used in the sound system and more.

And while the smaller C5 retains a lot of its larger siblings’ strengths, it also exacerbates a lot of its weaknesses.

Its colours aren’t quite as accurate and it was a little aggressive with its brightness during certain scenes when we tested it. These issues were particularly noticeable thanks to a key rival we tested it against, the 48-inch Panasonic Z90B.

Where the 48-inch LG C5, and to be fair to it 48-inch Samsung S90F we also tested recently, have an overt focus on going very bright, the Z90B goes in the other direction, valuing consistency and balance above all else.

This meant that, though it doesn’t have the oomph you find on rivals when it comes to certain test scenes, its colours always maintain a pleasing authenticity and it never distracts from what’s playing out on screen by aggressively raising its peak brightness, the way its rivals do.

This made it a fan favourite among every member of the test team helping review this year’s 48-inch sets. It’s also why the Panasonic Z90B is our new recommended small OLED and we reported in our review:

“Thanks to its ongoing focus on colour accuracy and delivering an 'as the director intended' experience rather than razzmatazz, the 48-inch Panasonic Z90B is the best TV at its size that we have tested.”

If you have any questions about any of the TVs mentioned in this feature drop them in the comments section below and one of our testers will do their best to answer them ASAP! Otherwise, happy OLED hunting!

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

We rate the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Our picks of the best 40-inch TVs

'When it rains it pours' is a common saying we’ve all heard many times before – and over the past months we can see why, given the sea of OLED TVs we’ve had flooding into our test rooms.

Read last week’s adventure in AV, or my previous rant about having to group test this year’s 48-inch step down OLEDs and you’ll already know that.

But, thankfully between my grumblings about many sets trying to hard with their peak brightness and the impact swapping them in and out was having on my back, I can confirm two new sets in particular shined – both of which come from a certain Japanese tech giant famous for its focus on delivering “as the director intended” experiences.

Specifically, the 65-inch Panasonic Z95B and smaller, step-down 48-inch Panasonic Z90B, which both not only earned five-star recommendations, but also dethroned two longstanding recommendations in our best Panasonic TVs guide.

Starting with the Z95B, which dethroned last year’s Panasonic Z95A as our new recommended premium set.

Out of the box we found it looked a little flat on some occasions, especially compared to its main rivals, the Sony Bravia 8 II and LG G5, despite featuring a brightness-boosting Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel. But after a few tweaks in its settings things soon picked up.

The focus on controlling the panel and making sure it only burns bright when it is meant to, in the sections of the picture that require the extra nit count, coupled with its stellar colour volume and general accuracy make it one of the best sets available for its target audience.

Hence our reviewers’ verdict:

“Once you have it dialled in, you can expect to be rewarded with a rich, authentic and engaging picture. This is backed up by a decent set of gaming and streaming features, as well as a sound system that’s certainly a cut above the vast majority of TVs, resulting in a solid all-rounder of a TV.”

Our only word of caution is that we mean it when we say “for its target market” (cinephiles and serious movie fans) as the focus on control and authenticity will make some viewers feel it lacks the kind of 'oomph' and vibrancy seen on some rivals. This is why it isn’t featured in our main best TV guide.

Moving on to the smaller 48-inch Panasonic Z90B. The biggest praise we can give for the set was our reaction when we first took it out of the box and ran it head-to-head with the 48-inch LG C5 and 48-inch Samsung S90F, with two out of the three testers in the room immediately muttering “wow”.

Though it has a basic OLED, rather than the next generation, panel seen in the Z95B, the Z90B manages to expertly deliver a balanced picture full of dark and light detail that never sacrifices colour accuracy – a common problem on sets this size.

As we said in our Panasonic Z90B review:

“From sparkling desert dunes in sci-fi epics to cars thundering across a race track and heated conversations behind closed doors, every scene we threw at this set looked wonderfully authentic and weighty. If you want a 48-inch OLED TV and value cinematic authenticity, the Panasonic Z90B is currently the one to get.”

Hence why it’s now our recommended small Panasonic TV. But be warned, while its picture is great, the audio from its inbuilt speakers is distinctly average. During every test scene we threw at it the audio lacked low-end heft and any sense of directionality. You will want to budget for a soundbar to go with it as a result. We’d suggest the Sonos Beam (Gen 2).

MORE:

These are the best OLED TVs we have reviewed

We rate the best soundbars

Our picks of the best 40-inch TVs

Another week has passed in the world of all things audio and visual, and our expert deal hunters and AV editors have been busy scouring the internet so you can save big on the best deals out there.

This week we've seen big savings on all manner of excellent kit in both TV, AV and hi-fi land, including money off a five-star Panasonic OLED TV, Sonos soundbar and the lowest-ever price on a pair of JBL wireless earbuds.

We've also spotted an absolute bargain of a 50-inch TV for just £229.

Read on for the five best hi-fi and home cinema deals we've spotted this week.

It's our inaugural sustainability week, which means we're highlighting some of the best eco-friendly developments from the world of hi-fi and home cinema.

TVs don't tend to be the most eco-friendly devices in our homes; they're cumbersome and constructed (mostly) of plastic, which makes them hard to recycle. Therefore, when you get a new TV, you'll likely want to hold onto it for as long as possible.

Sounds logical, right? However, that's easier said than done, due to the inclusion of smart operating systems.

These are integral parts of practically every TV on the market right now, as we seldom see a TV that doesn't feature one of the various smart operating systems, such as Tizen (Samsung), webOS (LG), Vidaa (Hisense), FireOS (Panasonic) or Google TV (Sony, Philips and TCL).

The issue is that consumers are at the mercy of TV manufacturers to maintain these smart platforms for the years to come, as otherwise they can slow down and, in some cases, lose support for some key streaming apps.

Before now, TV updates have been sporadic at best. Promised support has never been necessarily guaranteed, rather expected from the biggest TV manufacturers.

However, in the last year or so, a few key players in the TV market have come forward to announce extended support, which should make your TV last longer without having to worry about losing software support.

Leading the pack is Hisense, which is promising up to eight years of software support on its Vidaa-powered TVs, which it announced in July of this year.

Considering studies show that, on average, consumers will replace their TVs every 6.6 years (based on data gathered in the US from Circana), it's great to see Hisense support its TVs for an extended period that exceeds this average.

Next up is Samsung, which promises a similarly impressive seven years of software support for its Tizen software platform, which also covers the average TV lifespan. Samsung gets bonus points for extending this to its smartphones, meaning devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Z Flip 7 will, in theory, still be supported into 2032.

And following fairly close behind is LG, which offers "over five years" of software updates as part of its Re:New scheme. That's not quite as long as Samsung or Hisense, and it's slightly more vague, but five years of promised upgrades at the very least is decent.

Simply put, if you're looking for a TV that won't be bogged down by outdated software in the coming years, these three brands are your best bet, but what about the others?

Sony, TCL, and Philips haven't committed to a fixed number of years for which their respective TVs will receive software updates. That's likely down to the fact that they don't have their own software systems and instead rely on Google TV for a majority of their respective lineups.

It's a similar case with Amazon's Fire OS platform, which Panasonic has recently adopted and which TCL features on some of its cheaper sets. There's no guaranteed minimum period for which TVs running this operating system will get support, leaving Amazon responsible for ensuring it keeps the platform updated and compatible with older models.

Asking these companies to whip up their own smart platforms out of thin air and promise to keep them supported for seven or eight years is, perhaps, a tall order.

However, it would be good to see Google and Amazon join the likes of Samsung, Hisense and LG to establish some confidence with consumers, so that they know their TV won't be bogged down by outdated, slow and unsupported software in the years to come.

Most importantly, TVs lasting longer reduces the frequency with which people will need to replace them, which is an instant win when it comes to sustainability.

MORE:

Check out more Sustainability Week articles here

Read our full Samsung S90F review

As well as our picks for the best Mini LED TVs