Every projector is a product of compromise. Top-tier 4K projectors can deliver excellent detail and black levels, but usually lack a built-in sound system and cannot be easily moved around.

And outdoor projectors make their compromise clear more than any other projector category, as they must carefully handle the balance between convenience and performance.

With the FIFA World Cup in full swing, more people are looking for ways to watch the winning kick on a big screen from the comfort of their gardens. But no outdoor projector has ever offered the perfect delicate equilibrium between each aspect. I’ve tested my fair share of portable projectors so far and, although nothing has achieved the ideal balance yet, I'm always keeping my eye out for a model that could change all that

So what exactly does the perfect outdoor projector offer?

Portability

To take your projector into the garden and even on the road, it needs to be easy to carry around. Otherwise, you will end up lugging a heavy piece of kit around, which doesn’t make for a practical or fun alternative to watching on your TV screen.

We’ve seen some pretty neat designs in terms of portability that certainly tick this box. Take the Xgimi Mogo 4, for instance, which is a can-shaped projector that weighs just 1.3kg and is only 21cm tall.

You can pull out the main body from the sturdy plastic stand when you want to use it, and its small footprint makes it a great example of the portability I’m looking for in an outdoor projector.

There’s a remote that hangs from the stand that gives you access to the basic controls, such as volume and settings, if you don't want to rely on the larger remote that is also available. It is far from the only model to offer this kind of flexibility, but it's a great example of true portability in the category.

Most outdoor projectors these days also come with platforms such as Google TV, which give you access to the usual streaming suspects, including Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. That makes accessing your favourite TV shows and films simple, although some platforms lack World Cup essentials such as BBC iPlayer and ITVX. You can work around this by casting from another device, at least.

A long-lasting built-in battery

If a projector is small and portable, though, then it understandably must make some sacrifices in other areas. One of the biggest of these is the lack of a built-in battery. Many projectors claim to be portable but, if they don't have a battery, then you are limited to placing it where you can get access to the mains.

Some projectors let you connect a power bank to extend their battery life a little, but that depends on the model's capabilities.

And even if your projector offers a built-in battery, it is often only just enough to watch a few episodes. The Xgimi Vibe One is a small, compact model with a built-in battery, but the brand claims it offers a maximum of 1.2 hours of juice until you need to plug it in. That number is only if you are using the projector in the Eco mode, however. In Standard mode, the battery gave us just under an hour of AV action, which will only give you one half of a World Cup match.

In an ideal world, a projector's built-in battery would be able to last entire game or movie without conking out.

Bright, punchy picture

Of course, the picture needs to be a strong performer in various lighting environments. You might start watching a game at 5pm, where the sun is still blazing during these scorching summer months.

That means you need a projector that can deliver a punchy image that can withstand bright viewing conditions. So far, I have not come across a compact model that can deliver the perfect level of detail, black depth and colour.

Ultimately, that is one of the sacrifices that must be made for the projector to be portable and compact, as there is less room for more comprehensive features. If such a model existed that could expertly balance picture performance and size, it would have a prime spot in our test room.

Immersive sound

Finally, the perfect outdoor projector delivers engaging and precise sound that makes every viewing experience even more immersive.

The closest we have come to this dream is with the Nebula X1 – a 4K projector with a 2.1-channel configuration. We say in our review that the projector's "audio makes it stand out from the crowd, as it is rare we have found a projector that can pack such a punch in terms of bass."

Plus, vocals are clear and relatively emotive, delivering a rich overall sound. This is an outlier in the outdoor projector world, as most of the built-in speakers don't manage much dispersion of sound or punch.

The most recent projector to enter our test room promises to tick every one of these boxes (bar the built-in battery). The Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro claims to be the "world's first mobile theatre system", presenting as an all-in-one package on wheels. Yep, actual wheels. It features four detachable speakers to place around your space, a 4K picture that goes up to a claimed 3500 ANSI lumens of brightness, and a clever design.

We are yet to publish our full review but, suffice to say, the Nebula projector has not managed to claim the crown as the perfect outdoor model.

I never actually expect to find a perfect outdoor projector because – as I said at the start – all of them are a product of compromise. Still, I'm excited to see how close we can get.

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These are the best outdoor projectors

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Last week was pretty eventful for fans of physical media. Sony announced that in 2028 it will end physical disc production for PlayStation games, meaning you will be able to access future titles only digitally.

In the same week, Sony also stated that users will lose access to more than 500 films and TV shows they bought from the PlayStation Store in the UK due to a content licensing agreement. Can’t we have anything?!

But physical media remains a steadfast necessity to theWhat Hi-Fi? team, with the majority of our AV testing relying on 4K Blu-rays to challenge the latest kit. That’s because they deliver the best picture and sound quality compared with even the top-performing streaming services. Plus, it’s reassuring to be able to hold your favourite movie in your hands without risking it being removed because of licensing agreements and the like.

We are always keeping our eyes out for upcoming discs, and there are three 4K Blu-rays that we cannot wait to get our hands on. These are our most anticipated releases, but which films are you most excited to see on 4K Blu-ray?

Obsession

Curry Barker’s Obsession was made on a budget of around $1 million dollars, but it has just surpassed $400 million globally at the box office at the time of publication. That is pretty jaw-dropping for an indie horror film.

After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a young man named Bear finds himself getting exactly what he asked for; but he soon discovers that some desires come at a price.

The result is a chilling yet thoroughly entertaining watch that will have you cowering behind the sofa cushions.

Obsession is not yet available to watch on streaming platforms in the UK (although you can buy it in the US using Apple TV). It is still showing at a few cinemas, but its 4K Blu-ray release has already been announced.

The final artwork is yet to be released so we are not sure yet how it will look on your shelf, but if its artful filmmaking and disturbing cinematography are anything to go by, we should be in for a treat. Let’s just say, we are already obsessed.

Release date: TBC

Project Hail Mary

Who doesn’t love a sentient pile of rocks cracking excellent quips and bantering with Ryan Gosling? Project Hail Mary is a thoroughly gripping watch from start to finish, and that’s saying something considering its two-and-a-half hour run time.

The film follows Gosling’s Grace, a high-school science teacher who becomes embroiled in a last-ditch government effort to save the world from the dimming sun. After being sent to space as part of the operation, he befriends Rocky (the aforementioned sentient pile of rocks) and the two work together to save both of their worlds.

Apart from being an emotional rollercoaster, Project Hail Mary looks absolutely beautiful. It ditches the green screen, unlike most blockbusters these days, and relies primarily on practical effects to portray Grace’s spaceship and the vast expanse of space. That all adds to the film’s sense of realism, especially with Rocky, who was controlled by a team of puppeteers for much of the movie.

And, finally, the film is getting a physical release. The 4K Blu-ray is coming in August, and later in the year there will be a glorious Steelbook design with Kubrick-inspired artwork adorning the collection – although it has already sold out at HMV. Fingers crossed more will become available soon.

Release date: 10 August

K-Pop Demon Hunters

While obsession is the current talk of the town, we cannot forget one of last year’s most popular releases. That’s right, K-Pop Demon Hunters has finally announced its physical 4K release after more than a year, and it is joining the coveted Criterion Collection. There is no release date for the disc just yet, but the excitement is already palpable.

There are only 11 animated films included in the Criterion Collection canon, including Watership Down and Flow, so the Netflix original will be in good company.

The film follows three girls, all part of a K-Pop group named Huntrix, who also just so happen to fight demons. Clue’s in the name, I guess. When they sing as a group, a seal between our world and the demon realm is strengthened for another season. But when a rival boy-band group threatens to destroy everything they have worked so hard for, the fate of the entire world could be at stake.

We use the film, via Netflix, for testing a fair amount already. Its brilliant score has proved to be a great test of any home cinema sound system. And now that it is coming to physical disc, we can’t wait to test with it even more.

Release date: TBC

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If you have purchased a movie on the PlayStation Store, then you may well be impacted by the brand’s latest announcement.

In September, PlayStation will remove more than 550 films from its catalogue. Which means any affected films will be wiped from your video library, even if you paid for them.

The company is not offering refunds to users, and there’s not even an option to offload them to another device. Sony, which owns PlayStation, says that they will be removed due to content licensing agreements with Studio Canal.

You can read the full list of affected movies on PlayStation’s website but some of the most notable titles include Moonlight, Rambo First Blood, Apocalypse Now, and Pan’s Labyrinth.

At the moment, this affects only customers in the UK, although the brand pulled the same move in Germany and Austria back in 2022.

It’s a rather unpleasant reminder that you can never truly own a piece of media online, as you are always at the whim of licensing battles. We have seen the issue with streaming services before, with Netflix most recently hitting headlines for removing all seven series of Gilmore Girls from its US site.

That’s why physical media is still so important. There is no substitute for holding a copy of your favourite movie or TV show in your hands.

Investing in a 4K Blu-ray is usually the more expensive option, but it gives you proper ownership while also providing the best picture and sound quality you can get at home.

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Streaming services have been a hot-button issue in the home cinema world for a few years now.

Once seen as a revolutionary new way to enjoy films instantly at affordable prices, all without the commitment of a costly TV contract package, the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ have all thoroughly worn away the goodwill they'd accrued in the past.

With constant monthly price increases, features being stripped away and locked behind higher subscription tiers, and content constantly bouncing between services, it's understandable why people are sick and tired of streaming.

Most importantly, it's inspiring a resurgence of popularity for physical media, and as a (perhaps slightly too keen) 4K Blu-ray enthusiast, I couldn't be happier.

The issue is that 4K Blu-rays aren't exactly cheap. New releases tend to cost between £20 and £30, and that's not taking into account the special edition steelbook versions, box sets, or limited releases.

I confess it's not a cheap hobby, but I have found a Prime Day deal that takes the edge off slightly.

Popular UK entertainment retailer HMV is running a deal in which you can buy three 4K Blu-rays for £50 currently, which is actually a bigger deal than it looks.

Yes, £50 isn't a snip when compared to the most basic Netflix package at £5.99/month, but think of all the sacrifices you're making with that. No 4K, no HDR, no Dolby Atmos, and no offline viewing; basically, serious ciniphiles need not apply.

The benefit here is that you can enjoy and keep your favourite movies in much higher quality. As someone who is constantly switching between streaming and watching films on 4K Blu-ray, trust me when I say the difference is noticeable; details are sharper, there's less banding, and audio feels fuller and richer in most cases.

I also value being able to keep copies of my favourite movies so that I can watch them at any time. Hunting down a film that used to be on one streaming service only to find it's moved to another, or even removed entirely, is always a frustrating task.

HMV's offer doesn't include all of the 4K Blu-rays on its site, but there are loads to choose from.

I've spotted a handful of favourites from our AV testing room, including Blade Runner 2049, The Batman, Interstellar, Dune: Part Two, and Oppenheimer, as well as more recent releases such as Sinners, Weapons, The Fantastic Four and Tron: Ares.

You'll find titles from the 007 franchise, the Star Wars series, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, too. And it seems like most, if not all, of these titles are individually priced between £20 and £25, so stacking up three gives you a saving of anywhere between £10 and £20.

This is a great deal for anyone looking to start a 4K Blu-ray collection, as you can hit the ground running with three titles straight away.

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Find the best Amazon Prime Day deals here

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

As well as the best Dolby Atmos scenes to test your home cinema setup

There’s a war going on for your living room. The premium TV technology of choice of the last few years – OLED – is under attack from a new, stunningly bright and vibrant foe – RGB Mini LED.

Every major brand has either launched its first RGB Mini LED TVs or is about to. Hisense launched its first RGB Mini LED models last year, in fact, but those were gigantic, 100+ inch sets, so a long way from a serious proposition for most people.

Hisense is also the first brand to submit to us a proper, mainstream RGB Mini LED TV to review, though – the UR9.

RGB Mini LED TVs are pitched at different levels by different brands, but Hisense is absolutely pitching the UR9 as a rival to flagship OLEDs. The price confirms as much.

So, what better way to benchmark it than against our current favourite flagship OLED, the Sony Bravia 8 II.

That, then, is what we’ve done. Over several days, we’ve tested the Hisense UR9 and Sony Bravia 8 II side by side, feeding all of our favourite discs and streams into both simultaneously, and judging them on picture quality, sound quality, features, usability, design and price.

This might not be a full RGB Mini LED vs OLED battle – the Hisense UR9 doesn’t represent all RGB Mini LED TVs, after all – but it is the opening skirmish in the broader TV tech war. And it's an eye-opening one at that.

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: price

The Hisense UR9’s pricing is interesting to say the least. In the UK, the 65-inch model we tested is priced at £2999, which places it in the same price category as brand-new flagship OLEDs.

In Australia, meanwhile, the UR9’s price of AU$3999 makes it slightly more affordable by local standards.

In the US, though, the pre-launch price of $3500 had dropped vastly to just $2000 by the time the TV actually hit stores.

Things are much more straightforward with the Sony Bravia 8 II, the 65-inch version of which launched at £2999 / $4000 / AU$5295, but can now be bought for £2299 / $2798 / AU$4995.

The inconsistent international pricing of the Hisense UR9 makes it a little tricky to judge this round, but seeing as we’re a primarily UK publication, and that we reviewed a UK sample, we’re going to prioritise the UK pricing and call this it in favour of the Bravia 8 II.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: design

The Sony Bravia 8 II and Hisense UR9 are both smart-looking TVs, but they take rather different approaches to design.

Sony has essentially carried over the styling of the A95L, resulting in a TV that looks purposeful, premium and monolithic. While it lacks the ultra-thin glamour of some rival OLEDs, the Bravia 8 II still feels like a flagship product, with its clean lines and understated aesthetic giving it a suitably high-end appearance.

The feet can be installed in either a low-profile position that leaves the bottom edge of the screen sitting just millimetres above your furniture, or a raised position that creates space for a soundbar. The downside is that those feet can only be positioned at the furthest extremes of the chassis, meaning you'll need furniture that's at least as wide as the TV itself.

The Hisense UR9 is a more practical proposition. At 4.5cm thick, it's chunkier than the Sony and doesn't have quite the same premium flair, but it is solidly built and neatly finished, with slim bezels and a restrained dark metallic finish.

Hisense has also made a couple of sensible usability-focused decisions. The centrally mounted pedestal stand occupies a footprint of only around 42cm, making the TV much easier to place on narrower furniture, and it too offers two height positions so that a soundbar can be accommodated beneath the screen.

The UR9's integrated Devialet sound system is more visually obvious than Sony's Acoustic Surface Audio+ setup, with perforations running down the sides of the chassis and across the top edge to house the side- and up-firing speakers. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does contribute to the TV's more functional, engineering-led appearance.

Ultimately, neither of these TVs is likely to be bought primarily for its styling, but the Bravia 8 II's cleaner, more premium design gives it the edge. The UR9 is practical and perfectly attractive in its own right, but it lacks the sense of sophistication that Sony's flagship delivers.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: features

The biggest difference between these two TVs is, of course, their panel technologies.

The Sony Bravia 8 II uses Samsung Display's latest QD-OLED panel, paired with Sony's XR processor and a custom heatsink. Because OLED technology is self-emissive, every pixel can be controlled independently, with no need for local dimming zones.

Sony doesn't publish specific brightness figures for its TVs, but the Bravia 8 II is estimated to hit around 1900 nits in small highlights, making it one of the brightest OLED TVs currently available.

The Hisense UR9, meanwhile, uses an RGB Mini LED backlight with 980 local dimming zones. Rather than relying on a conventional white backlight shining through colour filters, it uses separate red, green and blue Mini LEDs to generate colour directly. Hisense claims a peak brightness of up to 3500 nits for the 65-inch model we tested.

On paper, then, these TVs take radically different approaches to creating their images. We're not going to award points for one technology over the other here, though, because what ultimately matters is how those technologies perform in practice. We'll get to that in the picture quality section.

There are other differences in the feature sets of the two TVs worth highlighting, though.

Hardcore gamers are generally better served by the Hisense. All three of its HDMI sockets are full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, with support for 4K/170Hz, 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM. It also features a DisplayPort connection, which remains extremely rare on TVs and could prove useful for committed PC gamers.

The Sony supports 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM, too, but still offers only two HDMI 2.1 sockets, one of which doubles as the eARC connection. That limitation remains one of our biggest frustrations with Sony's flagship TVs.

That said, we'd probably take the Sony's two HDMI 2.1 sockets and two additional standard HDMI inputs over the Hisense's three HDMI sockets and DisplayPort arrangement. The latter will be useful to a niche audience, but many buyers are more likely to benefit from having an extra ‘standard’ HDMI connection available.

HDR support favours the Hisense, though. The UR9 supports every major HDR format currently in use, including HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. The Bravia 8 II supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, but, as is customary for Sony TVs, HDR10+ is absent.

The Bravia 8 II fights back with Google TV, which remains one of the stronger smart TV platforms available and features excellent app support. The UR9's VIDAA operating system is fast and responsive, but there are some notable omissions.

Most significantly, while the Apple TV app is present, it lacks access to the Apple TV Store and users' purchased libraries. That's a genuine disappointment, as Apple's movie store remains the best pay-as-you-go film streaming service available, particularly for 4K HDR movies.

Sony also offers IMAX Enhanced certification, its Studio Calibrated Modes for services such as Netflix and Prime Video, and Sony Pictures Core integration.

Ultimately, neither TV completely dominates on features, but the Hisense's broader HDR support, extra HDMI 2.1 socket and more advanced gaming specification give it the edge overall.

WINNER: Hisense UR9

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: picture quality

This is, of course, the section that really matters.

The Hisense UR9 makes an immediately strong impression. Once switched into either Filmmaker Mode or IMAX Cinema, it produces a rich, vibrant and remarkably composed image that rarely behaves like a traditional backlit TV.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the UR9 is how well controlled its RGB Mini LED backlight is. Throughout our testing, blooming is kept impressively in check, black levels are consistently strong and the TV almost entirely avoids the brightness pumping, flickering and shifting backlight behaviour that often gives Mini LED technology away.

Extra-bright HDR content is a particular strength. Movies such as Pan look spectacular on the UR9, with dazzling highlights and bold colours that comfortably outgun the Bravia 8 II for outright brightness. Sunlight bursting through clouds and glinting off fantasy scenery is delivered with real punch and intensity.

The UR9 is also a very accomplished motion performer, and it combines its brightness with rich colours, excellent shadow detail and a pleasingly cinematic warmth that stops the image from ever becoming gaudy or overblown.

In isolation, it's one of the best backlit TVs we have ever tested.

Direct comparison with the Bravia 8 II reveals why OLED remains the reference technology, though – at least for now.

Despite its impressive brightness and excellent local dimming, the Hisense simply can't match the Sony's pixel-level contrast control. Counterintuitively, some of the brightest highlights against the darkest backgrounds actually appear more impactful on the Bravia 8 II than on the much brighter Hisense, because the OLED can render them without any concern about blooming.

More significantly, the Sony produces a more solid and perceptually three-dimensional image. Objects and characters stand out from their surroundings with greater depth and dynamism, while subtle gradations within shadows, clouds and highlights appear more convincing and refined.

We've observed this extra solidity from OLED many times before, but the side-by-side comparison between these two TVs demonstrates it particularly clearly. Next to the Bravia 8 II, the UR9 simply looks a little flatter and less immersive.

The Sony also has the advantage when it comes to viewing angles. While the Hisense holds up better than many LCD-based rivals, the sweet spot in which it performs at its very best is still relatively narrow. Thanks to its OLED panel, the Bravia 8 II performs consistently from almost any angle.

And while blooming is rare on the UR9, it isn't entirely absent. Difficult scenes such as the bomb-test sequence in Oppenheimer or the opening starfield of Alien: Romulus reveal imperfections that even this highly accomplished RGB Mini LED set cannot completely escape.

The Bravia 8 II, meanwhile, is simply sensational. Its combination of dazzling brightness by OLED standards, vibrant colours, exceptional shadow detail and razor-sharp definition creates an image of astonishing depth and realism.

What impresses most isn't any single strength, but how naturally all of its strengths come together. The Bravia 8 II consistently delivers a picture that feels balanced, authentic and effortlessly cinematic, whether you're watching a pristine 4K Dolby Vision disc or a much more humble SDR stream.

The Hisense UR9 proves that RGB Mini LED can get surprisingly close to flagship OLED performance, and many viewers will adore its combination of brightness, richness and stability. But when viewed side by side, the Bravia 8 II remains the more complete and convincing picture performer.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: sound quality

Both the Sony Bravia 8 II and Hisense UR9 are unusually sonically accomplished by modern TV standards.

That's important, because while we always recommend pairing a premium TV with a dedicated sound system, for many buyers that’s either impractical or unpalatable.

The Hisense UR9 certainly doesn't disappoint. Its Devialet-tuned 4.1.2-channel sound system delivers a presentation that is impressively spacious and full-bodied, with particularly convincing width and height effects.

Dolby Atmos soundtracks benefit from a strong sense of scale, while bass is deeper and more substantial than most flatscreen TVs can manage. The overall character is smooth, rich and easy to listen to over extended viewing sessions.

The UR9's audio system isn't flawless, though. Dynamics can feel a little restrained during big action sequences, and dialogue doesn't always have the clarity and expressiveness we'd ideally like.

We also found ourselves preferring the Standard sound mode over the more expansive Theatre setting. While Theatre mode undoubtedly sounds bigger, it can introduce a slightly diffuse and faintly echoey quality to voices that makes dialogue seem less natural than it should.

The Sony Bravia 8 II takes a very different approach. Rather than relying on conventional speaker placement, its Acoustic Surface Audio+ system uses actuators to vibrate the screen itself, effectively turning the display into a speaker.

The result is one of the most cohesive and convincing audio performances we've heard from a TV.

Dialogue and effects are tied directly to the action on screen in a way that traditional TV speaker systems struggle to replicate, creating a stronger sense that sound is genuinely coming from the people and objects you're watching.

Like the Hisense, the Sony also sounds surprisingly spacious, with effects extending well beyond the edges of the screen. Detail levels are excellent, too, and the Bravia 8 II combines subtle dynamic nuance with enough punch to make action scenes engaging and exciting.

Bass depth isn't as generous as it is from the Hisense, but it's impressively controlled, and the overall tonal balance is exceptionally well judged.

Ultimately, these are two of the best-sounding TVs you can currently buy. The Hisense delivers scale, warmth and impressive Atmos effects, but the Sony's superior detail, greater dynamic expression and uniquely direct delivery give it the edge.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: verdict

The Hisense UR9 is a hugely important TV.

Not only is it the first mainstream RGB Mini LED TV we've fully reviewed, it's also the first serious attempt to take on flagship OLEDs with a fundamentally different display technology.

And the good news for RGB Mini LED fans is that, in some ways at least, it succeeds.

The UR9 is bright, vibrant and impressively refined. More importantly, it avoids many of the traditional pitfalls of backlit TVs, with excellent black levels, impressively restrained blooming and a consistency that often feels surprisingly OLED-like.

In several respects, it's one of the best backlit TVs we've ever tested.

But while the UR9 proves that RGB Mini LED is a genuinely exciting technology with enormous potential, it also demonstrates just how high the bar currently is at the top end of the OLED market.

Ultimately, picture quality remains the most important factor in any TV buying decision, and it's here that the Sony Bravia 8 II retains a clear advantage. The Hisense has the stronger gaming specification, broader HDR support and spectacular brightness, but the Sony's superior contrast control, greater three-dimensionality and more natural, cinematic image make it the more accomplished performer overall.

This isn't a verdict on RGB Mini LED versus OLED as technologies, and it certainly isn't the last battle in what is shaping up to be one of the most interesting periods in TV tech for years.

Instead, it’s the verdict on the very best OLED TV currently available versus the first mainstream RGB Mini LED model. And while the Hisense UR9 proves that RGB Mini LED is ready to compete with the very best, the Sony Bravia 8 II remains the TV to beat.

OVERALL WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Chinese brand Haier is launching its latest range of affordable TVs, all boasting 4K resolution.

The new release is being led by the flagship S90 series, which the brand claims will combine “dynamic visuals, immersive audio with ultra-reactive gaming experience”.

This “immersive audio” comes in the form of Dolby Atmos support, delivering “three-dimensional and cinematic audio quality”. The two 10W speakers are employing technology from British hi-fi brand KEF as well.

The S90 uses QLED panel technology with AI picture optimisation, with Haier saying this results in “rich tones and smooth colour transitions”.

In terms of physical connectivity, you will find four HDMI ports, with one supporting eARC. We assume that means the TV can handle 4K/120Hz signals, given its 240Hz DLG feature, but when we asked a Haier representative for confirmation, they couldn’t provide a clear answer.

Haier is also launching the entry-level K85 and the mid-range S80 models. These step-down TVs do not have Dolby Atmos, but they do offer Dolby Audio for “clearer voices and more balanced sound”. The S80 features a QLED panel, like the S90, while the K85 uses a 4K LED backlight.

All of the TVs come with Freely built-in. That gives you access to streaming services such as BBC iPlayer, Channel 4 and ITVX in the UK. Fire TV acts as the smart platform for all the models, offering access to Disney+, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Each range offers slightly different sizing options. The S90 goes from 55- to 85-inches, with the latter being the biggest screen size across all the models. The K85 is available in 43- to 65-inch sizes, and the S80 from 43- to 75-inches.

If you want to get your hands on the 65-inch S90, it will set you back £580. That is certainly aiming at the affordable end of the market, so Haier has TCL firmly in its sights. The S90 is up against the likes of the TCL Q6C, which launched at £649 for the 65-inch model. When we had the TCL set in our test room earlier this year, we praised its excellent picture quality and gaming performance which meant we awarded it a five-star rating.

We are yet to see how the flagship Haier model compares, but its affordable price tag and comprehensive smart platform could spell trouble for the current market leaders.

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Check out our TCL Q6C review

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American brand Roku has launched its first range of projectors in the UK: the Sharp H272 and the Aurzen D1R.

As their names suggest, the models are launching with two respective hardware partners to “combine advanced projection technology with Roku’s intuitive operating system”.

Richard Halton, Country Manager at Roku UK, claims the projectors are, “bringing the seamless streaming experience Roku users know and love to an exciting new form factor – making big-screen entertainment more accessible than ever”.

The 1080p projectors include Roku’s full app library, including Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Max. The two have also been designed to work when projecting the image onto a screen or wall (we highly recommend the former for the best picture quality).

The Sharp model claims to go up to 120 inches, while the Aurzen entry is a little smaller with a maximum screen size of 100 inches.

The Aurzen D1R is the brighter of the two, offering 280 ANSI lumens, compared to the Sharp H272’s 200 ANSI lumens. These are both on the lower end of the scale, so they will likely perform best in a dark room.

The D1R also has the on-paper edge when it comes to sound, offering two speakers driven by 5W of amplification, which beats the Sharp’s 3W offering. Both come with Dolby Audio, but, unsurprisingly for a budget model, there is no Dolby Atmos on the cards.

There are a few smart features included with both models, which should make setting them up a little easier. These include auto-keystone and auto-focus.

Bluetooth and HDMI connectivity are available, so you could pair wireless speakers, a soundbar, or a subwoofer for “an enhanced home theatre experience.”

You can also access Apple AirPlay support for streaming music, videos, photos, podcasts, and games from Apple devices.

Their designs look fairly similar, with both sporting a white rectangular body with rounded edges.

We don’t have pricing yet, but both will launch in June. With their brightness specifications and streaming offerings, Roku seem to have its sights set on the likes of the Xgimi Vibe One (£219 / $269 / AU$599) projector.

When we reviewed the Vibe One in our test room, we praised its compact design and natural-looking image, which ultimately earned it a solid four-star rating. We'll wait to see the projectors in our test room before giving a verdict, but they could be a strong entry in the budget projector market.

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In March, we reported that Netflix juggernaut Stranger Things would receive a 4K Blu-ray release.

Nothing unusual there, right? After all, Stranger Things is one of Netflix's biggest shows – number three according to Netflix itself – so there’s nothing remarkable about it receiving a lavish 4K Blu-ray set box now that the series has wrapped up.

Except, in the world of physical media, this was, er, a rather strange thing. You see, despite being a cultural phenomenon and Netflix's de facto poster child for several years, this is Stranger Things' first UK home video release since 2018.

Given that Netflix relies on a subscription-based model, we can absolutely see why. And yes, despite our best efforts, there’s no denying that physical media sales have been falling over the past decade.

But with streaming services multiplying, adding adverts and endlessly hiking prices, having the option of physical media is becoming more important than ever. It's one of many reasons we continue to bang the physical-media drum here at What Hi-Fi?.

Not to mention the fact that Netflix has been culling its originals, along with the likes of Disney Plus – there's still no legal way to stream the Willow or Mighty Ducks reboots in the UK. Sure, Stranger Things is highly unlikely to get the chop – but there's absolutely nothing stopping Netflix from yanking it off the service if it wanted to.

Strangely, Netflix was quite cooperative with the physical media market in its early streaming years. Netflix's first hits, such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, got fully fledged Blu-Ray releases a few months after their streaming premieres in 2013, and this trend continued for the next few years.

And then Netflix simply… stopped. Around 2018, as the media giant was growing in subscribers and producing more shows in-house, it made the tactical decision to pivot away from physical media. Stranger Things was one of many series to have its first few seasons available on Blu-ray, but then leaving no way to watch the later seasons without a Netflix subscription.

Nowadays, Netflix home video releases are few and far between. They’re either Netflix making concessions to auteur directors, such as Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman or Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, or a release by boutique labels such as Criterion. Anything else, even the chart-topping megahit Squid Game, remains safely in the Netflix vault.

Until now. The entertainment juggernaut absolutely did not have to release Stranger Things on home video – the show and its upcoming spin-offs will continue to be subscription drivers in the years to come. Yes, Netflix probably smelled the money opportunity in a pricey deluxe edition set, but the fact that it would allow one of its crown jewels to slip into the physical media pool in 2026 is surprising, and perhaps rather telling.

Netflix and Arrow Films look to have taken care with the release, too. The original season one 4K Blu-ray came with no HDR and a Dolby Digital soundtrack; all episodes now come with Dolby Vision and lossless audio – with Dolby Atmos on the final two seasons. There are also plenty of collectable goodies available in the Deluxe Edition, even if it is rather pricey.

So what now? While the return to regular releases seems unlikely, and my dreams of a Bojack Horseman box set are all but dashed, we could be seeing future Netflix hits get a lavish 4K collection once they have wrapped up. 4K Blu-Ray sales are on the rise, helped very much by boutique collector’s sets, so it could all depend on how well the Stranger Things box set sells once it hits shelves in July.

Yes, this is only one of Netflix’s many shows, and a unique case given the nostalgic sci-fi show's long-running popularity. But maybe, just maybe, physical media fans can start prising a nail from the coffin…

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It's been a busy start to the month for myself and my fellow TV & AV testers.

We've published reviews of the Hisense UR9 RGB Mini LED TV, the BenQ TK705i projector, and the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S soundbar system, and we've also been hands-on with the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar and Denon AVR-X2900H AV receiver.

But what movies and TV shows did we use during testing? And what content has really wowed our team of home cinema experts over the last month? Simply scroll down to find out.

And if you want more of this sort of thing, here are the 42 best Dolby Atmos movie scenes to test your home cinema surround sound system.

War Machine (2026)

Watch the trailer above, and you'll know exactly what you're going to get from War Machine.

That's right; this is a bunch of ooh rah marines, led by Jack Reacher's Alan Ritchson, doing bombastic battle with a massive robot. It's ridiculous, and the seriousness with which the filmmakers and actors have taken the whole thing only heightens that ridiculousness. I love it.

You could say that once you've watched the trailer, there's really no point in watching the full movie, and you wouldn't be denying yourself a great story by taking that approach. You would, though, be denying yourself some brilliantly breathless action with great special effects and a rollicking Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

This is an old-school sci-fi action adventure, and it demands to be played if you have a cherished home cinema system. Bring on the inevitable sequel!

Words by Tom Parsons

Watch War Machine on Netflix

Apex (2026)

If you’ve ever wanted to see Elton John take on the role of the Predator, Apex is for you.

Charlize Theron plays Sasha, a grieving kayaker and rock climber who goes exploring the fictional Wandarra National Park in Australia. Despite being warned repeatedly that she shouldn’t go it alone, she does just that, only to find herself being hunted by Ben (Taron Egerton), a psychopathic stranger with a penchant for The Chemical Brothers.

If you’ve seen Rocketman, it’s hard to see the character of Ben as anything but a creepy Elton John, which in some ways makes him even more terrifying. Egerton is intense, to say the least, which despite the lush, outdoors setting, lends the film a claustrophobic feel that fits the two-hander, cat-and-mouse nature of the plot.

Visually, it’s a treat, helped in no small part by Theron’s commanding performance and ability to do a lot of her own stunts. It’s full of sweeping vistas of stunning cliffs, treacherous gorges and perfect-for-falling-into rivers that will sort the sufficiently detailed TVs from the rest. Even the CGI is integrated pretty seamlessly.

It’s nothing deep, but it’s a very effective thriller with some excellent performances (Theron in particular). Given its visual flair, it’s a shame not to see it in cinemas, but dim the lights, fire up your big-screen TV, and enjoy.

Warning: you’ll never hear Go by The Chemical Brothers the same way again…

Words by Joe Svetlik

Watch Apex on Netflix

The Day of the Jackal (2024)

I’ll be the first to admit that I very rarely have my finger on the pulse of popular television, hence why I’m only now getting around to watching Sky’s highly acclaimed espionage action thriller The Day Of The Jackal.

I’d heard very good things about it when it premiered back in 2024, but it sat on the watchlist until this week; I needed something to watch after blitzing through the hilarious second season of Amandaland on BBC iPlayer, and who doesn’t like a breakneck tonal shift?

The Day Of The Jackal is a tense, high-octane thriller with twists, turns, and some fairly brutal violence. When bullets start flying, and tyres screech in pulse-pounding car chases, it becomes evident that this TV show is at its best when watched with a capable Dolby Atmos soundbar or speaker system.

The cat-and-mouse game played by the titular Jackal (Eddie Redmayne) and MI6’s Bianca Pullman (Lashana Lynch) spans a wide variety of countries, including Germany, Hungary, Spain, France and Estonia, and these locales are often framed with eye-catching establishing shots.

Paired with a handful of action sequences set under the cover of night, this series is best enjoyed on an OLED TV, or at least a set that excels with contrast. Be sure that your TV’s motion settings are also in order, as you’ll want to avoid judder when chase sequences break out, and especially during the sporadic action-packed shootouts.

If you’re a fan of Bond, or are just a thrillseeker looking for a show that also looks and sounds great on your home theatre set-up, then The Day Of The Jackal, available on Sky and Now (I recommend springing for the 4K upgrade if possible), is definitely worth a watch.

Words by Lewis Empson

Watch The Day Of The Jackal on Sky

Daredevil: Born Again (2025)

The original Daredevil series on Netflix quickly cemented itself as top-tier superhero television – and top-tier television in general – by combining thematic ponderings on vigilantism, violence and religion with brutal, well-choreographed, and often one-take fight sequences. So it was a crying shame when it was cancelled after season three as a victim of the streaming wars.

After a rocky road that included fan campaigns, surprise MCU cameos and a first season that was heavily restructured and reshot, we’re now two seasons deep into the Born Again revival on Disney+. And while it doesn’t quite reach the highs of the original series, it’s still easily one of the best Marvel projects in recent years, playing with a bigger budget, more MCU integration and a storyline that has more than a few things in common with the US political landscape right now.

For anyone sick of the multiverse, this gritty, street-level look at superheroism remains highly refreshing, bolstered by standout performances from Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, with the latter arguably providing Marvel’s most layered villain.

When Daredevil first premiered on Netflix in 2015, it was one of the first pieces of superhero media widely available in 4K HDR, and it was great for testing dark detail and motion handling thanks to the many dingy hallway fight scenes.

Daredevil: Born Again has a slightly different visual look, but the same still applies here, with a higher-budget, more cinematic production that is great for testing contrast and black levels. A really good lawyer such as Matt Murdock deserves to be seen on a really good TV.

Words by Daniel Furn

Watch Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen (2026)

Haley Z Boston’s latest horror series for Netflix, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, was a surprise hit for me earlier this month. Despite positive press, I went into the series blind, while mounting my usual hunt for anything with similar vibes to Mike Flanagan’s Haunting Of Hill House (which is one of my benchmarks for serial horror shows).

And, after years of disappointment, while I wouldn’t say it reaches the same heights as Flanagan's classic, it comes pretty darned close, offering a tour de force performance both technically and narratively.

The story focuses on soon-to-be bride Rachel (ably played by Camila Morrone) as she travels to a remote mansion in the woods in the run-up to her nuptials. Not to give any spoilers away, the film uses pretty much every tool in the haunted-house toolbox.

Dark, bloody lore that gets more disturbing with every door she opens? Check. Creepy secluded setting? Yep. Weirdo family that clearly isn't quite right, feeding her neurosis with their gaslighting? Present.

Every shot oozes oppressive, creepy terror, with the intentionally dim house and surrounding forest hiding creepy details you can’t un-see. But, like Hokum, which I also saw in the cinema this month, it’s the audio that really steals the show. The series aims to build a sense of dread through constant teasing and subtle, psychological ploys rather than outright jump scares or overt gore – and it’s all the better for it.

It’s a creepy whisper just out of shot, the sound of something menacing behind you, or emanating from the on-screen shadows, that constantly keeps you on edge, doing the heavy lifting. The result is a spine-tingling experience that will delight horror fans.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Watch Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen on Netflix

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Here are the best TVs, best projectors and best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy right now

If you are on the hunt for a cheap TV to add to your home, there’s a new budget contender on the scene which has just hit the market.

Enter the Sharp Roku QLED, produced in a collaboration between the two wallet-friendly brands. The 50-inch model is claimed to deliver “premium picture quality and intuitive streaming” and offers 4K resolution. It also marks the brands' first joint QLED TV release in the UK.

On top of that, Dolby Vision is on the cards, which they claim “brings out more detail, colour, and contrast, just as the director intended.”

It comes, of course, with the Roku TV operating system built-in. This platform gives you access to streaming apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+. Freeview Play is also available with the new model, bringing with it such apps as BBC iPlayer and ITVX.

Roku says this can all be navigated with an “easy-to-use interface designed for everyday viewing”. There is also the option to use the Roku app, where you can browse TV offerings and use voice commands.

At a launch price of £349 at Curry's, the QLED is certainly targeting the budget end of the market. It does, though, have some stiff competition in the form of the TCL P7K. We tested the 43-inch model (which launched at the cheaper £269), and gave it four stars for its good picture quality considering the cost.

We haven’t tested the 50-inch P7K, but that set also comes in at a lower price than the new Sharp set, costing £329. We will have to wait until we get the new contender into our test room to give a verdict, but its streaming support and budget price tag could make it a solid rival for TCL.

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Check out our review of the TCL P7K

These are the best cheap TVs

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The Hisense PL2 delivers a 150-inch screen experience without the need to sacrifice your entire living room to a TV that size. Sounds good, right?

Thanks to a limited-time Amazon deal, you could be the proud owner of the PL2 for a discounted price of $1800. The $200 price cut doesn't make the projector 'cheap', but it's certainly more tempting, especially if you were in the market for one anyway.

We gave the PL2 five stars after having it in our testing room and crowned it one of the winners in our What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025. Snap it up while it's reduced.

But what makes this model worth your consideration? First off, it offers a balanced picture performance, especially when it comes to portraying natural-looking colours and solid dark detail levels.

We say in our review while watching Dune: Part Two: "The additional brightness gives explosions and the desert sand noticeably more impact and vibrancy compared with [its predecessor] the PL1, which was best in class at this price less than a year ago."

The Hisense PL2's Dolby Atmos sound performance isn't quite as impressive as its picture, but the eARC socket makes it a prime candidate to be paired with a separate sound system.

The ultra-short-throw model offers an up to 150-inch image via a laser light system that's capable of reaching 2700 lumens. This makes it an ideal TV replacement, as using the PL2 shouldn't be troubled by the intrusion of ambient light.

Furthermore, it includes the Google TV operating system, meaning support for a wide range of international and domestic streaming apps, including the likes of Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV+ is built in.

You'll also find HDR support in the form of HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

If you're aiming for a cinematic experience at a scale that exceeds any of the currently available best TVs, then the Hisense PL2 is worth considering, especially at this low price.

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Here's our review of the Hisense PL2

And these are the best projectors right now

Ultra-short throw projector vs big-screen TV: which should you buy?

Cast your mind back roughly ten years, and you'll remember a very different era of streaming.

The modest monthly subscriptions and cancel-anytime promise made these risk-free alternatives to traditional cable and satellite packages, which came with pricey contracts that locked you in for months, and in many cases, years.

There were no ads, and you didn't need a satellite dish either; just a vast library of things to watch via an internet connection.

However, those days are over. The current streaming landscape is fraught with subscription tiers that lock high-quality, ad-free watching behind paywalls, and the number of services is, frankly, out of control.

If you're anything like me, your bank statement likely has, or at one point had, withdrawals from Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney and more, all because there have been various shows or movie franchises that I've been watching concurrently.

While I yearn for the simpler and streamlined days when everything was in one place, with one bill, I know we can never go back. So who will save us from the muddled, increasingly expensive world of modern streaming? Ironically, I think it's Sky...

Everything in one place...

Sky's angle for beating streaming confusion is to have everything in one, organised place – that being its Ultimate TV package.

That includes Sky's original channels (including Sky One and Sky Atlantic) and 130 additional ones, as well as Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Discovery+ and Hayu (the last of which is being added in July), all for £24 per month. You also get the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Sky Stream puck as part of this package, too.

While these are the ad-supported versions (I'll touch on that later), some simple calculations show that this is still a pretty great deal.

Now (formerly Now TV) offers up the core Sky channels without needing a Sky subscription, and that costs £9.99 per month for the Entertainment package with HBO Max included. A Netflix Standard with Ads subscription is £5.99 per month, Disney+ Standard with Ads is also £5.99 per month, Discovery+ is £3.99 per month, and Hayu is another £5.99.

Totting that all up, we get to £31.95 per month, which means you get a pretty respectable saving of around £8 per month, or around £192 over the minimum subscription length. There is also the option to upgrade these services individually if you do want the better picture quality and are tired of adverts.

What's better is that this all comes out in one big subscription, meaning you don't have to keep track of when you renewed or joined a service.

Now, there is the caveat that you are locked into a 24-month minimum term contract, so you forgo the option of cancelling a service if you find that you're not using it. Sky is also up front in saying that subscription prices may rise over the contract length, which is something to be mindful of.

While that can be slightly daunting for those who value the flexibility of the streaming model, I have to admit that I've been subscribed to the likes of Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV for years, and don't see myself ending my streaming subscriptions any time soon.

In fact, using Sky Stream has made me dig even deeper into the services I was paying for, thanks to the handy Sky OS software. It's a dab hand at suggesting content that I'd actually like, and being able to play it directly from the home screen without having to track down which service it's on is, quite frankly, a time-saving marvel.

A couple of missing pieces...

While Sky Ultimate TV has been a mostly superb antidote to the streaming frustrations I've faced, there are a couple of omissions. There are still a couple of services that aren't bundled into this package, those being Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

I'm subscribed to both, the former for the upcoming final season of The Boys, and the latter for the likes of Shrinking, Slow Horses and Your Friends and Neighbours, and while it's not the end of the world that I have a couple of free spirited streaming apps to keep track of, it would be nice if they were all neatly tucked into the bundle. That would, of course, bring the price up.

Secondly, as I've previously mentioned, these are the ad-supported tiers of the respective services. This means you have to live with fairly frequent adverts, and give up on a few premium experiences, including UHD streaming and Dolby Atmos.

As frustrating as that is, this is a trend that's been plaguing streaming services for years now, and you have to make the plunge into higher monthly costs if you want the improved picture quality, better sound and ad-free watching on almost all of the services mentioned above.

The perfect alternative?

So, is Sky the perfect answer to the convoluted and expensive world of streaming that we live in? Not entirely, but it's pretty darn close.

I've found myself using my streaming services much more often, and watching hidden gems I didn't even know existed, thanks to Sky OS's platform-agnostic suggestions, and being able to manage almost all of my services in one place makes things much easier and smoother.

While the lengthy contract can be slightly off-putting for those who like to mix and match their services each month, it does sort of prove my point about streaming services coming full circle. The easiest way to access and keep track of these services is by using the very package it sought to challenge.

Overall, I prefer the convenience of Sky's Ultimate TV package over wrangling a long list of subscription services that renew on different days each month, and if you're already shelling out for multiple services each month (and don't plan on dropping any in the immediate future), then Sky's Ultimate TV package is genuinely worth a look.

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Read our full Sky Stream review

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TV manufacturers put a lot of emphasis on innovation, from new OLED technology to integrating Dolby Vision 2. But when it comes to accessibility provisions, progress has not been as fast.

According to the RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People)one in three adults in the UK are either deaf, have hearing loss or have tinnitus. And more than two million people in the UK are living with sight loss, says the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People).

Plenty of provisions can be implemented for those with hearing or sight loss. These range from descriptive subtitles (captions that transcribe not only spoken dialogue but also important sound effects, music, and speech identifiers) to assistive listening technology such as Auracast.

The latter works by broadcasting audio that can be picked up by many other devices (such as hearing aids or cochlear implants) without needing to go through a pairing process.

But ultimately what works for one person might not be suitable for another. So are these accessibility features good enough in order to ensure as many people as possible can enjoy the latest TV shows and films at home?

"A lot of jargon"

Charlie Little, Deaf Action's BSL Film Club co-programmer, says that while manufacturers are improving their accessibility offerings, there is still a long way to go.

They are deafblind, and use descriptive subtitles as their “number one access provision" for watching films at home or in the cinema.

Little told What Hi-Fi?: “At home I have a soundbar, which means the audio can be clearer. It’s not always about whether something is loud enough; it’s about whether it’s clear.”

One of the biggest issues for many is that accessibility features are often hidden behind a wall of menus and unclear language.

As Little tells us, “Sometimes these accessibility features are really hard to find out about in the first place, or the actual setting up and navigation of the TV [is hard], especially if you are an older person who doesn't feel as confident with technology.”

They add that Deaf people who use BSL (British Sign Language) can be faced with “a lot of jargon and written information that’s just not very accessible, whether that’s on the manufacturer’s website or within the television itself".

“It feels like such a journey just to get to using that access provision,” Little says.

That’s not to say that there hasn't been an improvement in accessibility in recent years.

Sonos, for instance, worked with the RNID to develop a Speech Enhancement feature with four levels of control that let you adjust dialogue clarity, including one specifically made for those with hearing loss.

It would be encouraging to see more companies following in Sonos's footsteps, and develop new technology in collaboration with the people who need these accessibility features the most.

Streaming has a part to play

It is not just manufacturers who need to improve accessibility provisions – streaming services have a part to play as well.

Until earlier this year, streaming platforms did not have to conform to the same subtitling, audio description and signing requirements that traditional broadcasters follow in the UK.

Now, services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus must ensure that at least 80 per cent of their total catalogue is subtitled, 10 per cent is audio-described, and five per cent is signed.

The largest, mainstream services have four years to meet the requirements, which leaves quite a long wait for those relying on accessible content to watch the latest movies and shows.

Even then, the ratio of content that needs to be signed is low. After all, 22,000 people use BSL as their main language in England and Wales, according to the 2021 Census.

It was partly this lack of provision that led Little, alongside Tomas Gerrard, to create the BSL Film Club in Edinburgh.

Open to all, the BSL Film Club shows movies in an accessible way, followed by a discussion afterwards. Little says: “It’s an inclusive space for people to engage with the film in a way that’s comfortable for them.”

They continue: "We’ve shown things like Alien and Do The Right Thing, which are well-known films but perhaps people have not experienced them on a big screen in an accessible way."

Hopefully, TV manufacturers and streaming services continue to do more, and ensure nobody has to jump through unnecessary hoops simply to enjoy TV and movies in their home.

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What is Auracast?

What is JBL PartyBoost? Is it the same as Connect+ and Auracast?

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If you’ve been eyeing up the Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II for your next TV, but don’t have the budget to stretch to it, taking a look at the other models in the Sony range might feel like a good starting point.

There’s always the hope that the more affordable models have retained some of the flagship greatness at a lower price – but at the very least, that they’ve strived for the same goals when it comes to getting the best picture performance bang for your buck.

However, despite their similar naming conventions, the Bravia 5 and the Bravia 3 are not only completely different panel types to the OLED-packing Bravia 8 II, but also different from each other – so it’s important to step with caution.

While our star rating is always a great indicator of the products we recommend, when you’re comparing two models at quite different prices, it’s good to understand what the differences are between them, and what you’re getting for the extra outlay. Allow us to explain all.

Sony Bravia 3 vs Bravia 5: pricing

Right now, you can pick up the 65-inch Bravia 5 that we tested for around £1299 / $1000 / AU$2695. That’s not a bad price at all for a Sony-branded Mini LED TV with local dimming, and a nice saving from the launch price of £1699 in the UK.

The Bravia 3 is considerably cheaper, and at the time of writing is available for around £849 / $650 / AU$1399. That’s pretty close to its launch price of £899 in the UK (US and Australian savings on RRP are slightly heftier), but we have known this screen size to go as low as £749 during big sales periods.

We'll tackle the question of value through the course of the review. This round is all about which option is cheapest, and that's comfortably the Bravia 3.

WINNER: Bravia 3

Sony Bravia 3 vs Bravia 5: design

It’s fair to say that neither of these TVs are going to be the best choice if you're hoping to wall mount.

In our review, we noted that the Bravia 5 has a rear panel that sticks out further than its competition, which could make it feel a bit clunky and awkward for wall hanging.

When you consider that the Bravia 5 measures 5.8cm deep, and the Bravia 3 measures in at 7.2cm, we’d say that both of these sets lend themselves best to life on a TV stand.

As you might expect for the price difference, the Bravia 5’s overall aesthetic is a little elevated compared with the Bravia 3. Both have relatively slender bezels, but the Bravia 5 sports a tasteful dark grey brushed metal effect finish, whereas the Bravia 3 is unashamedly black plastic.

It feels all the more lightweight when you’re putting it together too, and at least for our taste, the feet on the Bravia 3 lack some of the sophistication of those on the 5.

We do appreciate Sony’s no-screw mechanism on both TVs though, which allows the TV to just slot onto the stand, saving fuss and making setup out of the box really straightforward.

The Bravia 3 does score points over the Bravia 5 for its two-way stand, which allows you to set the feet into either narrow or wide positions to suit your furniture or soundbar requirements.

The Bravia 5’s feet only have one position, but thankfully that is relatively narrow to allow you to place it on most stands without issue. If you have a soundbar though, you’ll just want to check that it can fit in front of the stand – the Bravia 5 does adjust to two different heights to make sure the screen isn’t blocked by adding one.

Overall, although the two-way stand on the Bravia 3 is a nice addition for soundbar owners, we much prefer the design of the Bravia 5, and think it can accommodate a soundbar in the majority of situations.

WINNER: Bravia 5

Sony Bravia 3 vs Bravia 5: features

One of the biggest differentiators between the Bravia 5 and the Bravia 3 is their panel technology – the Bravia 5 is a Mini LED TV with local dimming across 240 zones, whereas the Bravia 3 is a direct-lit LED TV without any local dimming.

That’s going to have a fair impact on its picture quality capabilities, but we’ll come on to that in the next section.

Elsewhere, the processing chip that runs the show is different between the two models, too.

Given the price difference, it’s not surprising that the Bravia 5 has the more sophisticated of the two – Sony’s flagship XR processor, which also powers the Bravia 8 II.

The Bravia 3, on the other hand, uses the older, midrange 4K HDR Processor X1.

What that means in isolation is hard to quantify, given the TVs’ differing features elsewhere. The XR is clearly a more powerful processor that can draw out more by way of picture subtlety and colour accuracy, but how much that would be as noticeable on a direct-lit LED screen with no local dimming is questionable.

In other words, going for a lower-power processor in the Bravia 3 feels like the right choice for its price and capabilities.

As these are both Sony TVs, their HDR capabilities are the same – they both support HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision, and don’t support HDR10+.

However, of the two, only the Bravia 5 is IMAX Enhanced certified, and it’s also the only one that offers a range of ‘Calibrated’ picture modes to get the best picture quality from the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Sony Pictures Core.

Both have Dolby Atmos and DTS:X spatial audio support, though the Bravia 5 has a better sound system to deliver it on.

The Bravia 5 offers 40W of sound across four speakers (two full-range drivers and two tweeters), compared to the 20W across two full-range drivers on the Bravia 3.

If you’re keen to hook up a games console to your TV, the Bravia 3 wouldn’t be the best pick of the two due to its 4K/60Hz panel, with the 4K/120Hz panel on the Bravia 5 making it a much better choice.

The Bravia 5 also has VRR on two HDMI ports, as well as ALLM on all four of them, whereas the Bravia 3 only has ALLM. That makes the Bravia 5 a clear winner for gamers.

Both TVs use Google TV for their smart features, offering a good selection of streaming apps, along with the addition of YouView in the UK for the catch-up services that Google doesn’t offer.

Using Google’s interface also means that both TVs have access to features such as Google Assistant and Chromecast, as well as AirPlay 2. While we did notice a few small glitches initially in the Bravia 3’s handling of the UI, overall, both TVs work smoothly and without issue.

The Bravia 5 also has the compatibility to work with the Bravia Cam, to control the TV by gesture – something the Bravia 3 does not offer.

We don’t particularly value the extra tricks the Bravia Cam adds to the TV-watching experience, particularly considering its £199 / $200 / AU$149 price tag, but if you do, the Bravia 5 is the only set out of the two to get it.

All things considered, it’s not exactly surprising that the Bravia 5 has better features than the Bravia 3, given its higher price tag. However, it’s when you look at the wider market that the winner becomes clear.

The Bravia 5 shoots above its pay grade in many respects, including by being one of Sony’s XR Backlight Master Drive panels. That’s a premium feature found on many of its much pricier TVs that aims to boost picture quality and reduce power consumption by improving local dimming performance.

However, when you consider the Bravia 3 against other competitors at its price, its specs are disappointing. There are similarly priced TVs that use better panel technology and have local dimming and better gaming features.

For those reasons, the Bravia 5 takes the win here again.

WINNER: Bravia 5

Sony Bravia 3 vs Bravia 5: picture quality

That feeling of the Bravia 5 delivering value for money only continues when it comes to picture performance.

It might be the cheapest Mini LED model in the Bravia lineup, but the picture quality doesn’t feel compromised by its more affordable ambitions – the Sony DNA runs clearly through this set.

In particular, that XR Backlight Master Drive panel does exactly what we’ve seen it do elsewhere, in that it maximises the performance of the backlight, meaning we get impressively bright and well controlled pictures for this price category, with even and consistent blacks and minimal blooming.

It means the Bravia 5 really holds its own in the contrast stakes, which ensures – when combined with its well-judged shadow detail – that both bright and dark scenes look as natural and cinematic as each other.

All this greatness only starts to become compromised in extremely complex HDR shots, or when you watch the Bravia 5 from much of an angle, when its more affordable local dimming mechanism might become more apparent. Overall though, this is a great performer at its price.

Unfortunately, the Bravia 3’s handling of contrast and shadow detail is not such good news. What strikes us most is how the entire picture has an almost grey hue, which means it lacks solidity in blacks from the get go, and makes dark scenes almost unwatchable.

The panel almost seems to glow in darker sequences, losing a lot of detail in the process, but even in scenes with lots of light, the image lacks contrast. This means Sony’s calling card of excellent three dimensionality is largely lost, which is a big hit on our overall picture enjoyment.

Thankfully, the Bravia 3 manages to look much more like a Sony TV when it comes to colour.

As long as you switch from the out-of-the-box settings to Professional mode, colour performance is pretty good, looking balanced and natural, while retaining a degree of believable richness.

The Bravia 5 has a little more flexibility on its presets, thanks to its more sophisticated processing, but ultimately also manages a great mix of punchiness, shading subtlety and balance, even retaining an impressive amount of colour saturation during darker scenes.

Both TVs manage to show off Sony’s talent for motion processing, with sweeping panning shots handled admirably by the Bravia 3. The XR processor in the Bravia 5 will arguably push motion handling that little bit further, by way of subtlety and realism, but there’s no reason for complaint with either set here.

Despite this, the overall picture quality is a clear win by the Bravia 5 – even at the set’s individual price points.

Once again, the Bravia 5 punches above what we might expect at this price, giving 4K images a sense of density, texture and clarity that we are more used to seeing in Sony’s more expensive TVs.

While some of Sony’s famous picture processing is still evident in the Bravia 3, its poor backlight control leads to a loss of contrast and shadow detail that’s hard to forgive. This is an easy win for the Bravia 5.

WINNER: Bravia 5

Sony Bravia 3 vs Bravia 5: sound quality

While we all know that a soundbar or surround sound system will always make your new TV sound its best, both models do a pretty good job for built-in TV audio.

Even with the pretty modest speaker set-up in the Bravia 3, Sony manages to provide impressively clear dialogue alongside a decent sense of low-level dynamics.

Sound even has a good sense of height to it, giving more space to big effects such as explosions or planes flying overhead. Bass could be heftier, but to be honest, the Bravia 3 already outperforms what we have come to expect from a TV at this price.

The Bravia 5 is equally impressive. No elements in a mix pass the Bravia 5 by, yet the processing is also sophisticated enough to ensure no detail takes on more significance than it should.

The four drivers here create a spacious soundstage that offers a good sense of height, with both dialogue and sound effects placed accurately within it.

There’s power to the sound too, but also a level of precision that ensures sound is never distorted.

Like the Bravia 3, it’s lacking a little bass, but we would always take that over too much, and overall find the sound to be precise and immersive. We’re calling this one a draw.

WINNER: Draw

Sony Bravia 3 vs Bravia 5: verdict

From the get-go, this head-to-head might have looked like a shoo-in for the more expensive, better specified, and better reviewed Bravia 5.

But even when you consider both of these TVs’ positions within their respective markets and price categories, it’s hard for us not to recommend – if you are truly torn between the two – that you try to save up the difference and opt for the Bravia 5, or consider a different TV at the Bravia 3’s price instead.

The Sony Bravia 5 follows in the footsteps of the other five-star TVs from Sony’s most recent TV lineup, offering impressive features for its price, a formidable picture performance and a pretty decent sound performance to boot.

By comparison, the Bravia 3 is lacking the features we might expect at this level, and delivers a picture performance we find almost unrecognisable as a Sony TV.

For anyone considering these two TVs, hoping to get Sony’s famed picture processing on a bit of a budget, the clear winner is the Bravia 5. From everything we have seen so far, it’s the clear value proposition in Sony’s current TV lineup.

OVERALL WINNER: Bravia 5

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Netflix has raised its US prices once again. This is the second price rise in 14 months, with the last one happening in January 2025.

The price rise only applies to the US for now. The new prices are as follows.

• Standard with Ads: $8.99 (was $7.99)
• Standard: $19.99 (was $17.99)
• Premium: $26.99 (was $24.99)

The prices apply to new customers immediately, while existing subscribers will pay the new prices from their next billing cycle. Existing customers will be notified a month ahead of time before the new charges apply.

It's a bold move by Netflix. Competition in the streaming space has never been fiercer, with Disney+ going great guns and HBO Max coming to more countries recently (including the UK).

Presumably Netflix has crunched the numbers and is confident that any loss in subscribers will be more than offset by the extra revenue the higher prices bring.

Netflix says these higher prices will allow it to invest in the service more. "Our approach remains the same: we continue offering a range of prices and plans to meet a variety of needs, and as we deliver more value to our members we are updating our prices to enable us to reinvest in quality entertainment and improve their experience," it told Variety in a statement.

Netflix recently walked away from a deal to buy Warner Bros Discovery. As Netflix CFO Spence Neumann recently pointed out at an investor conference, that leaves the streaming giant with "$2.8 billion in our pocket that we didn’t have a few weeks ago".

Cynics might say that should be more than enough to enable the company to invest in the service without raising prices for subscribers.

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Sony has just taken the wraps off two new TVs, but if you were expecting a new QD-OLED to replace the Bravia 8 II or a successor to the Bravia 9, you might be disappointed.

That's because these two new models are both budget-oriented – and one of them came out in the US last year.

The genuinely new TV is the Bravia 3 II which, as the name suggests, replaces the three-star Bravia 3.

The good news is that the Bravia 3 II features several upgrades over its predecessor.

The most eye-catching of these upgrades is the introduction of four HDMI 2.1 sockets, which, in combination with the 120Hz panel, means the TV supports 4K/120Hz gaming (plus VRR and ALLM) across all of its HDMI inputs.

That's a first for a Sony TV, and hopefully it points the way towards this becoming standard across the brand's range in the future.

The next major upgrade is the processor: the Bravia 3 II receives the XR Processor, which has until now powered only models from the Bravia 5 and up.

This XR Processor brings with it Sony's XR Triluminos Pro technology for wider colour gamut coverage and the XR Clear Image feature for AI-powered upscaling.

Unlike the Bravia 3, the Bravia 3 II also features Netflix Calibrated, Prime Video Calibrated and Sony Pictures Core Calibrated picture presets, which are designed to deliver the most authentic picture quality from their respective streaming services.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Sony has just been in touch to clarify that these calibrated modes won't be present on the Bravia 3 II at launch, but will instead be added at an as-yet unspecified later date]

What hasn't been upgraded, at least on the face of it, is the backlight.

Sony refers to the Bravia 3 II as simply having a 'Direct LED' backlight, and makes no mention of local dimming. That leads us to believe it will, like its predecessor, lack any form of local dimming.

In a world in which TCL offers affordable models with backlights that feature Mini LEDs and 1000+ dimming zones, that's undeniably disappointing, even though Sony has a reputation for squeezing the absolute best out of its hardware.

If you're a UK reader thinking that the Bravia 3 II still sounds like a tempting TV proposition, I'm afraid I have some more bad news: it's not currently scheduled to launch in the UK.

Sony says this is something to do with catch-up app certification, which sounds a little strange, but it does at least seem as though there's a good chance the TV will make it from mainland Europe to the UK at some point in the future.

In the regions in which the Bravia 3 II is launching, it will be available in sizes ranging from a fairly bijou (by modern standards) 43 inches, right up to a whopping 100 inches.

Bravia 2 II

Then we have the Bravia 2 II which, as mentioned, launched in the US last year.

As the name suggests, this TV sits below the Bravia 3 II, and it is in fact the new entry point to the Bravia range (there are models further down in Sony's range, but they're not designated Bravia models).

Once again, this is a 'Direct LED' TV, and as you would expect, it lacks the 120Hz panel and HDMI 2.1 sockets of the Bravia 3 II.

The Bravia 2 II also features Sony's X1 chip, rather than the XR Processor.

As with the rest of Sony's Bravia range, the 2 II features the Google TV smart platform, and it has the Sony Pictures Core app built in.

It will be fascinating to see how much the Bravia 2 II launches for in the UK. It will be available in 43-, 50-, 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes, and in the US, the 65-inch model currently goes for around $700, which seems a little high in comparison with many TCL models.

We'll update this piece with confirmed pricing when we get it, and we will of course be reviewing the Bravia 2 II just as soon as we can get our hands on one.

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Check out our Sony Bravia 3 review

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It is undeniable that video streaming services offer a fair few positives. They save a whole lot of space in your home rather than storing a bunch of physical discs, and give you access to a vast array of content at the touch of a button.

But one of their biggest issues comes in the shape of the ever-increasing costs – making their libraries of TV shows and movies ultimately less accessible.

Most recently, Amazon Prime Video's ad-free tier went up by $2 in the US and the platform has also removed 4K content from the package included with a Prime membership.

It is far from the only service hiking its costs, with the likes of Disney Plus, Apple TV, and Netflix all jumping on the price hike bandwagon.

That's why it is particularly exciting to see Netflix's most-watched TV show of all time finally get a physical 4K Blu-ray release, meaning I don't need to keep paying for Netflix just to rewatch my favourite show.

The Duffer Brothers' Stranger Things series was a cultural phenomenon as soon as the first episode hit the small screen back in 2016, and only grew in popularity until it concluded late last year after five seasons.

While some of the early Stranger Things series have had a physical release, this is the first time the whole series has been released in a definitive collector's edition complete with a whopping 25 discs.

That means Stranger Things fans don't have to hang onto their Netflix subscription to re-watch the entire season. This is especially tempting when you consider that you can only get the best picture quality with the more expensive streaming tiers.

The deluxe edition of the set is available for £220 / $270 on 4K Blu-ray or £200 / $250 on Blu-ray. The special edition, which is less comprehensive than the deluxe edition, comes in at £160 / $220 on 4K and £150 / $200 on Blu-ray.

With the deluxe package, there is a range of extra goodies included, plus beautiful artwork adorning every inch of the box. You will find five double-sided posters featuring original artwork by illustrator Kyle Lambert, an exclusive d20 die, and an art book including original design sketches, concept art, and storyboards. And that's just for starters.

Of course, the 4K Blu-rays should also offer the ultimate version of Stranger Things in terms of picture and sound quality, thanks to the removal of Netflix's streaming compression, but we'll need to watch them ourselves before confirming that.

It's also worth noting that Dolby Atmos sound is only available for series four and five, while the remaining seasons are limited to 5.1 surround sound. That's the same as the Netflix streams, but it's a bit of a shame that the opportunity hasn't been taken to upgrade the previous seasons to Atmos.

The initial cost, especially for the 4K Deluxe edition, feels quite hefty. But, with the landscape of streaming services becoming more and more inaccessible, it is certainly reassuring to be able to hold the series in your hands and know it is yours – and free to watch whenever you so choose.

As Netflix has an ever-rotating selection of movies and TV shows, it's great to see that some of its top series are getting physical releases, ensuring you don't have to increase your monthly outgoings in order to watch your favourite shows whenever you want.

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Disney+ has been added to Sky's Ultimate TV package, which can be accessed through Sky Stream or Sky Glass at no extra cost.

Sky Q customers can also access Disney+, provided they have the Sky Signature or Sky Entertainment package, and Sky Essential subscribers who have the Sky Cinema upgrade applied get access to the streaming service for free.

As is the case with Netflix, the version included with Sky TV is the 'Standard with Ads' tier, although customers can upgrade to the Premium tier for £4/month. Cinephiles will likely want to upgrade, as the Premium tier unlocks 4K streaming with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

Activating the bundled Disney+ subscription is easy. There is currently an icon on the Sky OS home page prompting users to activate their new subscription, and it takes merely a few clicks to get up and running. Sky has also implemented a "get Disney+" voice command, which will also guide you towards the activation process.

But what if you already have Disney+? Existing subscribers can move their current subscription (including their watch history and profiles) over to Sky TV through a linking prompt, which is shown during the sign-up process.

Furthermore, Disney+ content will now be better integrated into the Sky OS platform. Content watched on Disney+ will now show up in the 'Continue Watching' rail for the first time on Sky Stream and Glass, and Sky Q users will notice Disney+ content in the 'Today's Top Picks' and 'Continue Watching' rails.

This is the first phase of Sky TV's streaming expansion, as HBO Max and Hayu will join Disney+ when they launch later this year.

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As streaming services have surged in popularity over the last decade, we have also seen prices soar and additional tiers used as a way to ramp up subscription costs.

And Amazon Prime Video is the latest service to up its prices, with its ad-free tier going up from $2.99 to $4.99 in the US, starting from 10th April. This tier is also being rebranded as Amazon Prime Video Ultra.

Paying for this tier removes advertisements and gives you access to 4K content. You also get more offline downloads (100 rather than 25), the option of more concurrent streams (five instead of three), and Dolby Atmos audio.

However, this change does mean that 4K UHD content is now locked behind a paywall and no longer available through the 'free' package included with a Prime membership.

The tech giant says, “this structure aligns with other major streaming services while ensuring customers have the flexibility to choose how they want to watch”.

It’s certainly true that Amazon is far from the first company to remove 4K content from the basic tier, with Disney+ and Netflix both limiting 4K video to more expensive package options.

The price increase is only in the US for now but we'd be surprised if it didn't come across the pond to the UK at some point soon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery by streaming giant Netflix has been the biggest piece of ongoing entertainment news of 2026 so far, and there's an unexpected new twist in the tale, which has brought that deal crashing down.

After controversial talks of limited theatrical runs and a concern that Netflix could be building a streaming monopoly, the DVD-rental-service-turned-streaming-giant has pulled out of the deal altogether after a counteroffer by Paramount Skydance to the tune of $111 billion (approximately £82 billion, or AU$115 billion).

This bid has been officially considered superior to Netflix's offer, which originally sat in the region of roughly $82 billion. Since Paramount upped its offer, Netflix has reportedly walked away from the deal, citing that it is "no longer financially attractive" at this new price.

You can find the full statement from Netflix here, but without getting bogged down in the intricacies of multi-billion dollar deals, it seems as though Paramount's determination to acquire the studio – which owns countless high profile intellectual properties including Harry Potter, Game Of Thrones, the DC Universe, The Lord Of The Rings and Looney Toons – propelled it to make a monetary offer that Netflix has no desire to match or exceed.

The real question is this: what will happen to the streaming services attached to these multimedia conglomerates?

There are no prizes for guessing which service Netflix owns, but Paramount and Warner Bros have their respective fingers in many streaming pies.

Warner Bros has HBO Max (which is soon to launch in the UK) and Discovery+, while Paramount is involved in Paramount+ and the free streaming platform Pluto TV, as well as the UK broadcast channel Channel 5 and its on-demand streaming counterpart, 5.

Mergers aren't totally out of the question here; just look at Hulu's integration into Disney+ here in the UK, so we could see Paramount+ and HBO Max become a single entity in the future, though this hasn't been confirmed yet.

Claims suggest that HBO Max could merge with Paramount+ down the line, with Bloomberg (via streaming-focused news source The Streamable) reporting that Paramount CEO David Ellison plans to shut down HBO Max and incorporate it into Paramount+ should a deal go through. That was reported back in October 2025, and since then, a deal has been clearly established.

This doesn't necessarily mean that HBO Max's days are numbered – we'll have to wait to hear the full conditions of Warner Bros' acquisition before we make a call on HBO Max's future – but it's also not out of the question that the services could be folded into one.

Netflix's initial plans, outlined in an email titled "Welcoming Warner Bros to Netflix" (awkward), seem to have been scuppered.

Interestingly, it did outline in that original email that "both streaming services will continue to operate separately" under a Netflix ownership of Warner Bros. Clearly, we needn't worry about that anymore.

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Today, I invite you to put on your rose-tinted glasses and cast your mind back to a simpler time, long ago, in which streaming services were heralded as the saviours for those sick of paying through the nose for pricey television subscription plans – Sky TV for example.

It's hard not to think back to the early 2010s and not tear up at the blissful memories of streaming simplicity, when a very modest direct debit left your bank account in exchange for what felt like an infinite library of ad-free content to choose from.

Netflix ruled the roost, capturing the hearts of many when it launched in the UK back in 2012. And it got a welcome 4K upgrade two years later, which split the service into two easy-to-understand tiers – Standard or Premium.

As the years progressed, we had the likes of Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus and Apple TV take the remaining mainstream spots. At the same time, niche services such as Mubi, Crunchyroll and Shudder delivered content for cinephiles, anime fans and horror fiends, respectively.

Fast forward to today, and those days are well and truly behind us. Streaming services have become the very things they set out to destroy, with rising monthly costs (Netflix Premium now costs a staggering £18.99 per month), and ads forced upon users unless they cough up for the higher-tier options.

It's all a bit of a mess. And, quite understandably, the masses are becoming jaded by the increasing list of services taking up spots on their bank statements. Many feel betrayed by streaming becoming the very thing it set out to destroy.

In the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith: “You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!”

But what's this? Much like Darth Vader's story throughout the Star Wars saga, we have an unexpected tale of redemption on our hands; and it's coming from a truly unexpected and ironic place.

Who is better suited to solve the issue of fragmented streaming services than the very company that is mostly responsible for it in the first place?

That's right, Sky has stepped in with an upgrade to its Ultimate TV package – and it centralises most of our streaming needs into one easy-to-access place.

Sky already bundles in Netflix Basic with Ads with all of its TV subscription packages, but its Ultimate package (which also includes many of its own channels) will now include Disney Plus, Hayu, and HBO Max when it launches in March.

That package will cost £24/month, which seems pretty reasonable if you break it all down. All the services mentioned above are the basic, ad-supported tiers; still, if you were to buy them all separately, you'd be paying £5.99 for Netflix, £5.99 for Disney Plus, £4.99 for HBO Max, and £5.99 for Hayu.

That's a grand total of £22.96 in itself. And that's not factoring in the full Sky library you'll also get access to, including live and on demand content from the likes of Sky Atlantic and the upcoming Sky One relaunch.

Suddenly, Sky doesn't seem a bad option for anyone who is already shelling out for multiple services. And for those who constantly lose track of what they're paying for (myself included), this all comes as one easy-to-manage package.

Admittedly, it doesn't include the likes of Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video, but with Sky advancing its included streaming offerings now, it's not out of the question that we could see these services get added to Sky's roster down the line.

It's an ironic twist in the ongoing story of streaming services. Originally proclaimed as the answers to Sky's pricey packages, it's almost impressive how quickly the likes of Disney, Amazon and Netflix have incinerated their goodwill.

Only time will tell if the streaming landscape clears up or becomes even more convoluted.

Considering we're only a month and a half into 2026 and we already have a new service launching with four separate tiers (thanks, HBO Max), I'm betting on it being the latter. Which is why I'm all for Sky’s simple option to rein in these services a bit and put them all under one roof.

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At first glance, the recent HBO Max news looked like bad news for Sky, but Sky has responded in the best way possible.

The TV giant has just announced a big upgrade to its Sky Ultimate package, which will now include the new HBO Max, Disney Plus and Hayu, on top of the existing Sky and Netflix content.

How much will this cost? A very reasonable-sounding £24 per month.

Consider that the basic Sky Essential package is £15 per month, and this £9 upgrade looks very tempting indeed.

There is a catch, though: the bundled Disney+ and HBO Max subscriptions will, like the current bundled Netflix subscription, be the basic, ad-supported versions.

So, as well as putting up with the adverts, you will also have to do without 4K, HDR and Dolby Atmos.

The good news is that you will still be able to upgrade to the premium versions of each service. You can do this via Sky, and you will only pay the cost of the upgrade. So even those of us who insist on the top quality will save £4.99 on their Disney subscriptions and £5.99 on HBO Max.

Existing subscribers to these platforms can port over their current accounts and still benefit, too.

All in, that makes the new £24 Sky Ultimate package look like very good value indeed.

There’s news for subscribers to Sky's adjacent Now services, too, which will also incorporate HBO Max as part of its £6.99 Entertainment package.

Finally, Sky teased that a new version of the Sky Go app is coming “later this year”. Details are scarce at this point, but the update will, of course, add the look and feel of Sky Glass and Stream’s Sky OS.

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Here's the story about HBO Max coming to the UK

Check out our Sky Stream review, Sky Glass Gen 2 review, and Sky Glass Air review

Having tested more projectors than we can count, we can confidently tell you that one of the most "accomplished all-rounders" is the BenQ X3100i.

Ordinarily selling for £2099, this five-star Award-winning projector is now down to £1949 at Richer Sounds, saving you a generous £150.

To get the discount, you'll need a Richer Sounds VIP Club membership, but thankfully it's quick, easy and free to join.

Delivering a fantastically responsive, immersive, vibrant and sharp experience, with serviceable built-in sound performance, the X3100i is worth every single penny.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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As I’m sure is the case for many What Hi-Fi? readers, watching films for me is a distraction-free zone. Lights off. Film in 4K on the TV. Phones on silent, of course.

It appears, however, that we are in the minority. People watch movies on laptops, on tablets, and even in 30-second chunks on TikTok. And yes, many people watch movies while on their phone.

Which is completely fine, of course. While I’m sure there are people out there gasping in horror at the very prospect, people are free to watch movies however they like in the privacy of their own home.

The issue now, however, is that this viewing method is feeding into and fundamentally altering movies themselves.

While promoting his new Netflix movie The Rip on The Joe Rogan Experience, Matt Damon confirmed what we’d long been suspecting: Netflix productions now ensure the plot is carefully repeated multiple times to cater for those watching on their phones.

Damon stated that the streamer advised him that: “It wouldn’t be terrible if you reiterated the plot three or four times in the dialogue because people are on their phones while they’re watching.” He later added: “It’s going to really start to infringe on how we’re telling these stories.”

As an action-thriller following the rising distrust that builds following a raid by a Miami narcotics unit, it doesn’t exactly scream a lightweight, easy-going watch that can be followed while doomscrolling.

Yet rather than allow for any nuance, Netflix is adamant that any big plot points be loudly telegraphed, and not even the combined star power of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck could stop them.

This feels like a punishment for those of us who do give movies our full attention, and especially those of us who have invested in any sort of home cinema setup.

Many of us have spent thousands on TVs, soundbars and speakers for the most immersive experience possible – only for that immersion to be ruined when the whole film comes to a standstill so characters can slowly explain the plot, our prized Dolby Atmos speakers used chiefly to blare out the same exposition five times.

Those of us who invest in these home cinema setups do so because we love movies, and wish to recreate the all-encompassing magic of the cinema in the comfort of our own home.

If the movies themselves don’t expect us to pay attention the whole time, should we really give them such lavish treatment?

Damon’s hints that this could go further are concerning, especially with Netflix set to buy Warner Bros.

Movies are a highly visual medium, so it sets a dangerous trend when such a dominant force in the industry chooses to cater to those not even looking at the screen.

Netflix has been there for cinephiles and AV enthusiasts before, as one of the first platforms to offer widespread 4K resolution and footing the bill for several auteur directors. Perhaps they could remember how they got so big in the first place?

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These are the best scenes to test your Dolby Atmos sound system

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of the Sony Bravia 8 II. It did, after all, take home the TV Product of the Year gong from the most recent What Hi-Fi? Awards.

To win that prize, Sony’s flagship OLED set had to defeat not only the Samsung S95F, with which it shares its QD-OLED panel, but also the LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B, which both feature cutting-edge Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel technology.

All four of those TVs are utterly awesome, so for the Bravia to come out on top was quite the achievement.

But there was one rival that didn’t make it in time for our Awards-deciding flagship OLED shootout – the Philips OLED910.

This features the same super-bright Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel tech as the LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B, but it combines it with super-sexy European styling, a B&W sound system, dazzling Ambilight and super-aggressive pricing.

So, is all of that enough to unseat our current Award-winner? We directly compared these two flagship sets over several days, using all of our favourite discs and streams, to find out.

Spoiler alert: it’s a mighty close contest.

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Philips OLED910: Pricing

Philips went super-aggressive with the OLED910’s launch pricing, releasing it to the market for £2199 at 65 inches and £3399 at 77 inches.

Even though rival sets, including the Bravia 8 II, had been on sale a while and been discounted, the OLED910 was cheaper out of the gate.

It’s dropped in price now, too, with the 65-inch model currently available for £1799, and the 77-inch version for £2799.

The Bravia 8 II has been further discounted, too, but the 65-inch model still currently costs £2199. There’s no 77-inch version, but unlike the Philips, there is a 55 incher, which is £1799 at the time of writing.

So, in the 65-inch size in which both sets are available (and which we directly compared), there’s a big £400 price difference. That’s extremely hard to ignore, and means the OLED910 takes first blood in this face-off.

WINNER: Philips OLED910

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Philips OLED910: Design

The Sony Bravia 8 II is a smart-looking TV, but it’s barely any different in appearance to the preceding A95L, which launched back in 2023. A design refresh to match the ambitious performance upgrade would have been nice.

Still, this is a very purposeful-looking, monolithic TV that looks particularly neat when the feet are installed at their default low–profile setting, which keeps the bottom edge of the TV within about a millimetre of the surface upon which it’s placed.

Those feet can alternatively be installed in a taller setting that creates a gap of a few centimetres between TV and furniture, into which you can slot a soundbar.

The Bravia 8 II does, of course, have an integrated sound system (a good one at that), but thanks to the technology it uses, it’s completely invisible from the front, contributing further to the stylishly clean appearance of the TV.

The Philips OLED910 is a very different aesthetic proposition. The integrated sound system includes front-facing speakers, but these are incorporated into a slim bar that’s wrapped in grey Kvadrat fabric and has nicely rounded corners, giving the set a softer, more appealing appearance.

Like the Sony, the Philips OLED910 has feet rather than a pedestal, but these feet are installed further towards the centre of the bottom edge of the TV, rather than the furthest points as they are on the Bravia 8 II. In other words, while the Sony can only be placed on top of furniture that’s at least as wide as the TV, the Philips will be happy on something narrower.

And, unlike the Sony, which has a fairly uniform thickness of about 3.4cm, the Philips combines its fairly chunky 5.6cm section with super-thin panel sections at the sides and top of the chassis. To our eyes, that makes it more visually striking, but beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder.

On that note, we have to mention Ambilight here. This is Philips’s unique bias lighting system, which features coloured LEDs around four sides of the OLED910’s rear. These can dynamically extend the on-screen image onto the wall around the TV in the form of coloured light.

Ambilight isn’t for everyone and isn’t a bonus for all content, but it does look spectacular, and for bright, colourful movies and games, it can really add something special.

All told, while the Bravia 8 II’s monolithic styling will certainly appeal to many, the OLED910’s softer, more living room-friendly appearance and (at least occasionally) thrilling Ambilight mean it wins this round.

WINNER: Philips OLED910

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Philips OLED910: Features

On paper, the Sony Bravia 8 II and Philips OLED910 take notably different approaches.

The Bravia 8 II uses Samsung Display’s latest QD-OLED panel, paired with a custom heatsink and the XR processor. Sony claims this enables a 25 per cent brightness increase over the preceding A95L and a 50 per cent uplift over the Bravia 8 W-OLED, alongside improved colour volume and better dark gradation.

Philips, meanwhile, has stuck with LG Display technology but upgraded from MLA to Primary RGB Tandem OLED. Philips quotes eye-catching brightness figures of up to 3700 nits for small highlights and 350 nits full-screen – numbers that should translate into a more dynamic image than the preceding OLED909, even in restrained picture modes.

Processing is a major talking point for both sets. Sony’s XR Processor introduces a new AI scene recognition system, which analyses content in real time and adjusts picture parameters for greater realism.

Philips counters with its 9th Gen P5 AI Engine – a powerful processor packed with features including Machine Learn Sharpness, AI Smart Bit Enhancement and AI Perfect Reality, all designed to optimise sharpness, colour and contrast depending on what’s on screen.

HDR support is one area where Philips holds a clear advantage.

The OLED910 supports all four HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The Bravia 8 II, meanwhile, supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, but, as ever with Sony, HDR10+ is not supported.

The Sony does, however, boast IMAX Enhanced certification, and leans heavily into its Studio Calibrated Modes, with dedicated Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Sony Pictures Core presets designed to present content as the creators intended.

On the subject of Sony Pictures Core, the Bravia 8 II also comes with credits that can be used to ‘buy’ movies from Sony’s exclusive streaming service, which delivers content in almost 4K Blu-ray quality.

Gaming support is broadly similar. Both TVs offer 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM and a Dolby Vision game mode, though the Philips also supports 4K/144Hz, which will appeal to hardcore PC gamers with super-serious rigs (current consoles can’t go beyond 120Hz).

Frustratingly, both sets are limited to two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which doubles as the eARC socket, potentially leaving just a single 4K/120Hz input once a soundbar is connected.

Sony adds its ‘Perfect for PlayStation 5’ features, but these are a little less grand than they sound – only the HDR Auto Tone Mapping does something beyond the capabilities of other sets, such as the OLED910, and while this is useful for getting a fairly accurate HDR performance out of most PS5 games, it isn’t quite 100 per cent accurate.

Both TVs use the Google TV smart platform, which is pretty good these days, but while Sony has sought to fill in Google TV’s terrestrial catch-up app gaps through the addition of YouView, the Philips OLED910 is missing BBC iPlayer.

We’re not going to factor the two different OLED panel technologies into the round, as it’s the actual picture performance that matters, and we’ll cover that in the next section. That leaves the two TVs fairly evenly matched on the features front: the Philips has HDR10+ and 4K/144Hz support, but the Sony has IMAX Enhanced, Sony Pictures Core, and the BBC iPlayer.

Ultimately, we’re calling this a draw, but you can call it a win for one or the other TV based on which of those feature differences matters to you.

WINNER: draw

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Philips OLED910: Picture quality

Both the Sony Bravia 8 II and Philips OLED910 deliver genuinely excellent pictures, but when viewed side by side, it becomes clear that they prioritise slightly different strengths.

The Bravia 8 II sets the benchmark for balance and effortlessness. Straight out of the box, its core presets – Dolby Vision Dark and Professional – deliver a beautifully judged image with no need for tweaking.

Peak highlights are brighter and more piercing than those of Sony’s previous OLEDs, colours are richer without exaggeration, and improvements to dark gradation reveal noticeably more shadow detail.

Crucially, all of this combines to create an image with exceptional solidity and three-dimensionality: objects have weight, people feel rounded and lifelike, and backgrounds possess genuine depth.

That sense of realism holds across all content types. HDR movies benefit from punchy highlights and immaculate tone mapping, animation bursts with colour without tipping into garishness, and even standard-definition material is upscaled with impressive cleanliness, sharpness and restraint.

Nothing ever feels forced or over-processed, and the Bravia 8 II consistently presents content in a way that feels authentic and natural.

The OLED910, by contrast, can take more work to get right, but rewards that effort with a thrilling, high-impact image.

Once switched into HDR Filmmaker Mode and properly dialled in, it delivers bright, punchy HDR with excellent sharpness, fluid motion and a strong sense of vibrancy.

OLED’s perfect blacks are paired with strong shadow detail and consistent colours in dark scenes, and motion handling is a particular highlight, striking a rare balance between smoothness and cinematic integrity. In fact, we’d go as far as to say it’s a match for the Sony in terms of motion processing – something we absolutely hadn’t anticipated.

Where the Philips falls slightly short of the Sony is in absolute accuracy and subtlety. Reds can occasionally appear a touch over-emphasised, particularly in skin tones, and while this is rarely obvious in isolation, it becomes more apparent when compared directly with the Bravia 8 II’s more natural colour handling.

In HDR10 content, the OLED910 gets impressively close to the Sony overall, but the Bravia has the edge in terms of contrast control, three-dimensionality and overall image cohesion.

Dolby Vision performance on the Philips is excellent in Filmmaker Mode, though blacks can appear slightly raised in very dark scenes – again, something that’s most noticeable next to the Sony.

SDR content, meanwhile, is significantly over-brightened in all picture modes. It looks great, with oodles of punch, but having at least one preset that tracks SDR brightness accurately would have been nice.

Ultimately, the OLED910 is a superb picture performer and one of the closest challengers to Sony’s flagship. But the Bravia 8 II remains the reference, delivering a more natural, solid and consistently cinematic image across all formats, with less effort required from the viewer.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Philips OLED910: Sound quality

Both the Sony Bravia 8 II and Philips OLED910 rank among the very best-sounding TVs available, but they go about their audio delivery in notably different ways – and in this case, the Philips ultimately comes out on top.

The Bravia 8 II uses Sony’s Acoustic Surface Audio+ system, with actuators vibrating the screen itself to produce sound, supported by twin subwoofers.

This creates an unusually strong sense of cohesion between picture and sound, with voices and effects locked precisely to their on-screen positions. Dialogue is clear, detailed and warm, and there’s enough dynamic subtlety to convey emotional nuance in performances, as well as enough punch to handle larger shifts without flattening out.

Spaciousness is also impressive by TV standards. Effects stretch well beyond the edges of the screen, creating a soundstage that feels wider and more immersive than most integrated systems can manage.

Bass depth isn’t class-leading, but it’s controlled and weighty enough to underpin action scenes convincingly, without unwanted distortion or boom. Overall tonal balance is excellent, making the Bravia 8 II one of those rare TVs that doesn’t immediately demand the addition of a budget soundbar.

The OLED910, though, raises the bar further. Its Bowers & Wilkins-tuned 3.1-channel system delivers a sound that’s bigger, weightier and more room-filling than the Sony’s, with excellent width, precise effect placement and impressive dynamic range.

Dolby Atmos soundtracks are handled with confidence, producing a convincing sense of scale and height, particularly when the Entertainment mode is engaged.

Low-level detail is a real strength, with subtle background sounds and musical elements placed clearly and naturally, while dialogue remains full-bodied and expressive. Dynamics are handled with assurance, too, from quiet conversational moments to louder, more demanding sequences.

Deep bass is a touch soft, but crucially remains clean and distortion-free – and there’s much more of it from the Philips than there is from the Sony. Compared directly, the Philips sounds more powerful, more immersive and more expansive than the Sony.

While both TVs will still benefit from the addition of a dedicated sound system, the OLED910 noses ahead if you’re determined not to go down that route. If you are prepared to add discrete sound, you need to be looking at something on the level of a Sonos Arc Ultra before you’ll hear a clearly worthwhile improvement on either TV.

In short, the Bravia 8 II delivers excellent, finely balanced sound with superb picture-to-audio cohesion, but the OLED910 sets a new benchmark for built-in TV audio at this level, edging ahead as the best-sounding TV of the two.

WINNER: Philips OLED910

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Philips OLED910: Verdict

This is one of the closest TV head-to-head battles we’ve seen in some time, and the fact that the Philips OLED910 gets so close to the Sony Bravia 8 II is a huge achievement – particularly given its lower price, more adventurous design and genuinely outstanding built-in sound.

The OLED910 wins convincingly on value, and edges the Sony on design flair and audio performance. It also delivers a thrilling, high-impact picture once properly set up.

If you want a premium OLED that looks and sounds spectacular, and you’re keen to avoid adding a separate sound system, the Philips makes a hugely compelling case.

But picture quality remains the deciding factor – and here, the Bravia 8 II still stands apart.

Its image is more natural, more consistent and more three-dimensional across all formats, with none of the small compromises that occasionally creep into the Philips’s delivery.

Just as importantly, it achieves this with less effort from the user, delivering reference-level results straight out of the box.

That combination of accuracy, balance and cinematic realism is why the Bravia 8 II earned its Product of the Year crown – and why it keeps it here.

The OLED910 pushes it harder than almost any rival we’ve tested, but when it comes to the overall best TV you can buy right now, Sony’s flagship remains the one to beat.

OVERALL WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

If you were to look at the charts over New Year, you'd be forgiven for thinking we had just entered 1986.

While the whole world was looking forward to 2026, the UK Top 40 was decidedly looking backwards, with the line-up dominated by the likes of Diana Ross, Tiffany, David Bowie and, of course, Kate Bush.

It's just one example of the all-conquering pop-culture domination of Netflix's Stranger Things, the throwback sci-fi that concluded in dramatic fashion over the Christmas holiday. The nostalgia-ridden series is no stranger to a needle drop, memorably driving Bush's iconic Running Up That Hill to number one for the first time in 2022.

Now I'm not saying we should bring back all ’80s trends (looking at you shoulder pads and neon legwarmers), but it does make you wonder: did the nostalgia train extend to the hi-fi as well?

What was the impact of Stranger Things on vinyl?

While Netflix has largely given up on releasing Blu-rays (I was a big fan of the VHS-style collector's editions they made for seasons one and two), the streaming giant been a lot more consistent with physical media on the audio side. Both the score and soundtrack for each season have had some rather nice vinyl releases.

Stranger Things 3: Music From the Netflix Original Series topped the US vinyl album charts back in July 2019 according to Billboard, while the more recent Stranger Things: The WSQK Collection reached number three last month.

Here in good ol' Blighty, Stranger Things: Soundtrack From The Netflix Series, Season 5 reached number two on Amazon's vinyl charts (on pre-order) despite the album not releasing until 30th January, and has now sold out.

Songs featured in the show also had a vinyl resurgence. Prince's Purple Rain jumped back into the vinyl album charts at number 25 according to the Official Charts, after Stranger Things became the first TV show to be granted the rights to use the title track. Fleetwood Mac's Greatest Hits also reappeared in the vinyl album charts at number 28 after Landslide was used in the finale.

It's not quite as prominent as the impact on the overall UK Top 40, which saw Prince, Kate Bush, The Police and Fleetwood Mac all crack the top 20 at the start of January. But there is clearly some overlap between vinyl and Stranger Things fans – so who knows which inspired the other?

What was the impact of Stranger Things on turntables?

Following the season four finale, eagle-eyed fans at EDM.com were able to deduce that a turntable used in a school ball scene was the Technics SL-1200MK2, a classic turntable popular with DJs after Technics changed the rotary pitch control to a slider style.

The 1979 model had long since been discontinued, but proved there was at least an appetite for turntables amongst Stranger Things fans.

So in November 2025 Victrola then partnered with the show for the Victrola Stranger Things WSQK Bluetooth Turntable & Speakers, named after the WSQK radio station that featured prominently in season five.

It was very much a novelty set for collectors and fans rather than for dedicated audiophiles, but it may well have been someone's gateway drug into the world of vintage hi-fi. There are no sales numbers available, but a promotional video of the set became one of Victrola's most-watched TikToks ever, with over 69,000 views.

It's also worth noting that the turntable and vinyl market did experience significant growth since Stranger Things premiered, with UK vinyl sales growing from 3.2 million sales in 2016 to 7.6 million in 2025 according to the British Phonographic Industry. This was, of course, hardly down to one Netflix series alone, but it is interesting that the retro revival occurred while nostalgia had pop culture in a vice-like grip.

While the ’80s have largely been rinsed for forgotten hits and throwback references, it does make you wonder what the next nostalgic streaming sensation will be. Perhaps a ’90s-set series will see grunge-loving teens save the world with a MiniDisc?

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Whether it's the first battered CD you bought or a 4K Blu-ray of your favourite movie, there’s nothing quite like being able to hold your favourite content in your hands. In the world of home cinema, however, the huge rise of streaming services is making that more of a rarity for an increasing number of us.

While subscribing to streaming platforms can save a bit of money compared with buying a physical copy of what you want to watch, there are several drawbacks.

For starters, 4K Blu-rays offer better overall audio and picture quality due to their higher bitrates and lower compression compared with streaming.

But there’s an equally worrying concern that comes with streaming that only highlights the importance of physical media right now: the ability for your favourite content to disappear in the blink of an eye. And that's been shown perfectly by Netflix's latest decision.

According to What’s On Netflix, the streaming service will be removing a whole host of its original content from the platform. That includes two classic animated TV shows, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts. Both are well loved by audiences, with the former receiving 100 per cent on the Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer for multiple seasons.

The British black comedy show The End of the F...ing World will also be removed from the site. It’s still available (free) on Channel 4 for UK users, but for those in the US you will have to buy individual episodes on Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video.

Of course, there's a strong probability that many of the shows will be passed around to other streamers, but the issue remains that many of these entries are without 4K Blu-ray, or even DVD, releases.

It's also quite a faff having to switch between different streaming services to access your favourite content, especially when there's no physical alternative. On top of that, there are so many platforms on the market, and having a subscription to multiple services can really rack up the cost.

When I find a show or film that really speaks to me, I try to make the effort to buy it in physical form so I know I can watch it at any time, no matter the decisions of studios and streaming services.

And, with talk of Netflix buying Warner Bros possibly further limiting what the streaming service releases on 4K Blu-ray, the importance of physical media has never been clearer.

We can only hope that streaming platforms see this, too.

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These are the best scenes to test your Dolby Atmos sound system

Music and video streaming just keeps on getting more expensive, but this year I think it reached a tipping point. With Netflix, Disney+, Spotify and Apple TV all putting up their prices, the current model seems unsustainable – how much can people really pay for their entertainment?

If you're feeling the pinch, I'll share a trick that can still let you binge yourself silly without paying the same high prices. But more on that later.

The only way is up

In October, Spotify increased its prices for the third time in 15 months. What makes it even more galling is that the firm held the price of its Premium tier at £9.99 for years prior to 2023. You now pay £3 more a month than you did before July 2023 – an increase of £36 a year.

Admittedly you now get Lossless quality as part of the package, which Spotify announced the month before its latest price rise. But it's still a lot more to pay, especially when you consider the other price rises we've seen this year.

Disney+ also raised its prices for the third time in three years. The Standard tier – the cheapest without ads – is now £9.99 a month, but if you want 4K and HDR, it'll cost you £14.99.

In August, Apple TV+ (as it was then known, prior to its name change) raised its prices by £1 a month. That might not seem like a big increase, but how's this for context: Apple TV is now twice as expensive per month as when it launched in 2019. Yowzer.

Rounding out our list, Netflix was the first streamer to hike its prices this year, and by a whopping £2 a month for its Standard tier.

Considering that the average Brit subscribes to 3.3 streaming services, you can see how these costs soon add up.

Unless, that is, you find a way around them.

Pause for thought

Time was you could take advantage of a free trial, but now most services have grown wise to that and eliminated them. But there is another way.

Just cancel one or more of your services for a time. Then wait until there's a decent amount of stuff on there you want to watch, resubscribe, and then cancel again once you've binged it all. It's simple to do, and could save you a packet.

I have subscriptions to Disney+, Netflix and Prime Video, as well as a Sky Q box. Prime Video and Sky are paid for annually (Prime Video as part of my Prime subscription), and so can't be paused. But there's nothing to stop me cancelling Disney+ and Netflix.

Except for my children, that is. But if it wasn't for them constantly chaining Bluey, Spidey And His Amazing Friends, Is It Cake? and more, I would do it in a heartbeat.

It makes perfect sense. I haven't watched anything on Prime Video since The Assassin back in July, so if I could pause my sub, I would. It would also let me watch at my leisure – with the latest series of Only Murders In The Building, Disney+ dropped new episodes weekly, but if I only reactivated my subscription once they were all live I wouldn't have to wait seven days between episodes.

I could happily go large chunks of the year without Netflix, as Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is the first thing I've been interested in watching on the service in months. (And yes, I have been able to resist Champagne Problems.)

You don't have to cancel all your subscriptions. You could even cycle through each one at a time, rinsing Disney+ for a month, then Netflix, and so on. By the time you get back around to Disney+, it's bound to have a fair amount worth watching.

So take a deep breath, and hit pause on your subscription. Unless you have to be the first to see a new series, and can avoid spoilers, it's a simple way to save a few pounds. Remember: with streaming services, you're only ever renting the content, it's never really yours to own. And the second you resubscribe, it's all there again, with more besides. It's like you were never gone – but your bank balance says otherwise.

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Sky Q, the company’s satellite TV service, is officially off the market for online customers.

This was confirmed by ISP News as well as a Sky employee on the brand’s community site, who says the service is “no longer available to buy online”.

That doesn’t mean Sky Q will be switched off for existing customers, as the brand says they can still “manage their package online or through the My Sky App”. It’s also available to buy by calling Sky directly or in-store.

New customers are now being directed to choose Sky Stream, the company's streaming service, which gives you access to Netflix and a variety of Sky channels.

There are also plenty of add-ons you can choose to pay for on top of the base price of £15 per month for 24 months, including Sky Kids, TNT Sports, and Disney+.

This is all provided via just a streaming puck and can be controlled via a remote control, making it easy and fuss-free to set up.

That option certainly sounds tempting when compared to Sky Q’s requirement for a satellite dish and associated cabling to be installed on your house by an engineer.

We gave both Sky Stream and Sky Q five-star reviews when we tested them, although we did call the Sky Q "a bit old-fashioned in some ways" due to its design and dish requirements.

With the wider rise of streaming, though, it's hardly a surprise that Sky is starting to phase out its satellite TV offerings. We don't know how much longer the brand will keep Sky Q running for, but it's certainly looking like the end could be near.

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Here is our Sky Stream review

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And these are the best scenes to test your Dolby Atmos sound system

If you're looking for a projector to upgrade your home cinema system, choosing an ultra-short-throw model can be a great decision. After all, they are ideal if you are short on space, as they can project a large image when positioned inches away from your projector screen.

And we have spotted a big discount on one of the best UST models on the market right now. The Award-winning Hisense PL2 projector received a five-star rating from us when we had it in our test room, impressing with its balanced picture and excellent feature offerings.

It's currently available at Sevenoaks Sound & Vision for £1199, chopping a whole £800 off its original price. That's not the lowest price we have seen it drop to (Black Friday saw the model's cost fall to £959), but this is still a brilliant saving on such a top-performing model.

To get this discount, you will need to apply the code GDHI200 at checkout.

But what makes this model worth your consideration? First off, it offers a balanced picture performance, especially when it comes to portraying natural-looking colours and solid dark detail levels.

We say in our review while watching Dune: Part Two: "The additional brightness gives explosions and the desert sand noticeably more impact and vibrancy compared with [its predecessor] the PL1, which was best in class at this price less than a year ago."

The Hisense PL2's Dolby Atmos sound performance isn't quite as impressive as its picture, but the eARC socket makes it a prime candidate to be paired with a separate sound system.

The ultra-short-throw model offers an up to 150-inch image via a single laser light system that's capable of reaching 2700 lumens. This makes it an ideal TV replacement, as using the PL2 shouldn't be troubled by the intrusion of ambient light.

Furthermore, it includes the Vidaa operating system, meaning support for a wide range of international and domestic streaming apps, including the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV+ and BBC iPlayer, is built in.

You'll also find HDR support in the form of HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

If you're aiming for a cinematic experience at a scale that exceeds any of the currently available best TVs, then the Hisense PL2 is worth considering, especially at this low price.

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Here's our review of the Hisense PL2

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Ultra-short throw projector vs big-screen TV: which should you buy?

If you're a Netflix subscriber, chances are you received an email over the weekend outlining the streaming titan's acquisition of one of Hollywood's biggest movie studios. Yes, indeed, that wasn't a spam email; Netflix really is planning to buy Warner Bros.

One of the biggest studios in Hollywood, responsible for the likes of The Lord of the Rings, Dune, Batman and Harry Potter franchises, will soon be under the ownership of the biggest name in streaming, and I have one huge question on the future of the company's physical releases.

Now, as Netflix says in its email, "nothing is changing today". We don't expect to see the consequences of this deal come to fruition until the shareholders approve and sign the papers. But I'm concerned that a company that's been championing watching films and TV shows on smaller and smaller screens, might not have the best interests of physcial releases in mind.

That's not to say I'm against streaming on laptops or smartphones; I spend a lot of time reviewing phones, and plenty more time travelling, so I get the appeal.

However, Netflix's modus operandi centres around delivering quick and accessible entertainment via its expansive online platform; that doesn't really fit with releasing physical media.

With a huge and very well-known streaming infrastructure in place, it's not ridiculous to think that Netflix may steer Warner Bros in a streaming-first direction.

Netflix has previously released its content on Blu-ray, with shows such as Wednesday recently receiving a physical release (frustratingly not in 4K), so it's not out of the question that it could continue this trend.

However, it's fair to say that it's not been particularly dedicated or consistent in its disc releases. The Stranger Things (one of, if not the biggest show on Netflix) Blu-ray box set is nearly impossible to track down, and the Oscar-winning film The Irishman was only bestowed a physical release by The Criterion Collection.

On the flip side, Warner Bros has been dedicated to physical media in a way that few other studios can match.

A few of the company's recent SteelBook collections have caught my eye (especially The Dark Knight 20th Anniversary), and there have been frequent 4K re-releases and special editions as of late.

Ultimately, Warner Bros' stance on physical releases seems totally misaligned with Netflix's general stance. And that's why I'm concerned.

With little else to do but wait (and with Paramount entering the race to buy Warner Bros as I write), I sit here nervously glancing at my Dune: Part Two and The Batman 4K Blu-rays, wondering if I'll get to own the next entry in each franchise. Only time will tell.

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Read our full Netflix review

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As well as our picks for the best 4K Blu-ray players

As we near the end of 2025, I can conclusively say that this year has been a bit of a strange one for streaming services.

Even as we enter the final weeks of the year, we're hearing news regarding the official UK launch of HBO Max, and it appears that Netflix is poised to acquire Warner Bros.

The biggest streaming surprise of 2025 for us, however, came from our very own Awards judging process. We took stock of our favourite streaming services.

After a year of middling content, price increases, and, most crucially, 4K HDR streaming issues, we decided that Disney+ shouldn't take home the Award for "Best video streaming service".

Instead, Apple TV snatched the Award, and for good reason, too. We don't give out a "most improved" Award, but if we did, Apple TV would be a shoo-in, thanks to its much broader library of high-quality content compared to when it launched back in 2019.

I've dabbled in Apple TV (formerly Apple TV+) over the years, watching the likes of The Morning Show, Slow Horses and Silo. However, there's still a lot that I was curious to catch up on, including Shrinking (see our latest edition of Now Showing for my thoughts) and Severance (which I admit I'm yet to watch).

There's also been a new crop of shows for 2025, including The Studio and, most recently, Pluribus; both of which are stellar.

So, with all of this in mind, I decided the slash my Netflix Premium subscription back down to the basic advertisement-inclusive tier that's included with my Sky Stream package.

And I'm happy to report that I don't regret my decision in the slightest.

Truthfully, I've been wary of Netflix's middling content library for quite some time, and locking 4K HDR behind the top tier (which has risen to an astronomical £18.99 per month here in the UK) is a frustrating trend that is sweeping the world of streaming. We have Netflix to thank for that.

Regardless, I'd like to get back to what's making Apple TV my streaming weapon of choice.

The quality of the content on Apple TV seems to be a cut above, probably thanks to the fact that each show has a considerable budget behind it. Selling a boatload of iPhones, iPads and AirPods each year will, of course, allow Apple to boost the budgets of its original programming; however, it's nice to see the company invest that into making high-quality productions.

Everything looks and sounds superbly slick on Apple TV, and with 4K, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos included as standard at a fraction of Netflix's asking price for Premium, I can easily forgive the lack of third-party content.

Better yet, the writers, directors and talent that Apple TV attracts are second to none. Take The Studio, for example, which includes an onslaught of A-listers, all of whom shine in their respective roles.

I deemed The Studio to be "one of the best TV shows I've watched in years" during one of our regular What Hi-Fi? Team AV discussions where we discuss what we're currently watching, and I stand by that assessment. Conversely, it's been quite a while since I've felt anything near that for a Netflix Original show.

I've also been pleasantly surprised by the range of content that Apple offers. It's diversified its offerings since launch, meaning there is now a solid range of non-scripted shows and movies. I've just started to tuck into Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars, which is a treat for foodies.

Apple is also leveraging its platforms to involve huge musicians such as Billie Eilish, Mark Ronson and Bruce Springsteen for documentaries and recordings of live performances.

It's been one of the more overlooked services compared to the likes of Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video, but I think it's time to change that.

Apple has been working away in the background to expand its content offerings, and in doing so, it's quietly become the best streaming service for your money.

Sure, the services I mentioned above have swathes of third-party content, but as someone who values quality over quantity, I have no qualms about making Apple TV my number one streamer.

Netflix remains on my roster, and I'm sure there are some hidden gems that I'm yet to watch, but it's no longer at the top of my list.

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV review

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

As well as the best OLED TVs

German brand Metz has launched a 24-inch “portable, rechargeable smart streaming TV” – the 24MPE7002Z – all with an affordable price tag.

The company claims the lightweight Full HD TV is easy to take on the go for the holidays or as a second screen in the home.

Google TV acts as the TV’s smart platform with access to a variety of streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Disney+. There’s no availability for live terrestrial TV channels or related on-demand content, though.

In terms of sound, there are two front-firing 6W speakers which feature Dolby Digital Plus audio and deliver “exceptional performance”.

There’s a rechargeable battery as well, which Metz claims can deliver more than three hours of uninterrupted viewing on one charge..

Metz further claims that thanks to an anti-glare matte LED screen, the TV can be “placed almost anywhere”, including outdoors. It weighs just 4kg and features an integrated carry handle, so it’s easy to move around when you need.

The 24MPE7002Z is priced at just £299 (around $400 / AU$600), and is available now in the UK. And, with its easy-to-carry design and affordable price tag, this model could be a worthy alternative to a portable projector if you want to save some cash.

Of course, a projector screen can go significantly larger than Metz’s 24-inch model, with the vast majority of portable projectors reaching at least 150 inches.

But they will set you back much more than the price of this Metz model. Take the Xgimi MoGo 4, which we rated four stars when we had it in our test room, which comes in £509 / $499 (around AU$1022). So, for those looking for a way to take movies on the go without breaking the bank, this new Metz TV could prove tempting.

We haven’t had the 24MPE7002Z in our test room yet, however, so we don’t know how it performs. But the reigning champ in our best cheap TVs guide for the 24-inch category, the RCA Roku TV, may prove to be tough competition. This model costs £136 (around $180 / AU$275), making it even cheaper than Metz's offering.

It impressed during testing with its "bright, crisp picture" quality as well as comprehensive streaming smarts for the price. That resulted in a four-star rating overall, and could give the 24MPE7002Z a run for its money.

MORE:

Here's our review of the RCA Roku TV

Check out the best cheap TVs

And these are the best outdoor projectors right now

Stranger Things has returned to our screens for a fifth and final season, with the first half of this series dropping last week. The plot twists and how the show will end are the things on most people's lips, but there's something even more interesting about Netflix's most talked-about show for cinephiles.

We've seen high-profile Hollywood figures talk about the best way to watch their films and TV shows, the most prominent being Tom Cruise's instructions to switch off motion smoothing if you're watching Mission: Impossible, but now one of the Duffer Brothers is throwing his hat in the ring.

As spotted by Variety, writer, showrunner, producer and director Ross Duffer has posted a step-by-step walkthrough video on his Instagram account, which instructed people to turn off "garbage" like motion smoothing, dynamic contrast, super resolution and more.

He enters the expert picture settings on what appears to be an older LG OLED TV (we're making an educated guess on it being the CX from 2020), in which he's met with a long list of settings which he deems to be "a bunch of ***". From here, he recommends switching everything, and he means everything, off.

"The worst offender of all", in the words of Ross Duffer, is TruMotion, which he makes a specific point of turning off. He rightly says that this can introduce "the dreaded soap opera effect".

Though in our opinion, we don't mind this setting quite as much on newer LG OLEDs, as it feels better implemented. Older LG OLEDs, on the other hand, may not be quite as consistent.

In fact, we make a point of recommending it to users who find that motion needs a bit of assistance in our LG C5 review.

He urges viewers to find their TV's expert mode, and while he doesn't necessarily name-drop Filmmaker Mode, we're fairly sure this is what he means here, as he praises the fact that this turns most of the TV's additional processing settings off. However, he cautions that this mode will turn off "most, but not all of this garbage".

Reinforcing this, he warns users, "whatever you do, don't turn on anything called vivid mode, because it's going to turn on all of the worst offenders and destroy colours". Instead, he defaults to Dolby Vision Movie (Dark) on his TV.

Those with newer LG OLEDs (LG C4 onwards) will find that the Filmmaker Mode on their TVs now includes integration with Dolby Vision. We, therefore, think Ross Duffer would find the LG C5 to be a superb option if he's looking to upgrade, as it ticks a lot of the boxes that he mentions in his short Instagram post.

While we agree with most of Duffer's guidance, it's worth noting that picture processing and settings have changed for the better in many cases with newer OLED TVs. We often recommend our preferred settings in our TV reviews, so feel free to cross-reference your TV with our review if you're unsure.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best OLED TVs

As well as our guidance on how to turn motion smoothing off on your TV

Just bought an LG C5 OLED TV? Change these three crucial settings

Black Friday is officially over, and for some of you, that might mean you have bagged some top-notch TV and AV kit at a bargain price. But how can you put your new system through its paces? That's where we come in.

We spend hours every week testing a variety of different home cinema products to determine whether they are worth your hard-earned cash, and that means we get to watch a whole host of different TV shows and movies.

So, our team of experts know what discs are best to test every aspect of a system, from Dolby Atmos audio to the picture quality of an OLED TV. These are the movies we have been testing with this month, as well as the discs we are itching to get in the test room.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

It’s only taken three efforts this century, but Marvel’s first family finally have an outing worthy of their ground-breaking heritage.

We can put the bright and breezy adaptations from the 2000s behind us (the less said about 2015’s miserable effort the better), because First Steps feels like a tricky IP finding its feet. Charming, emotionally engaging and (reasonably) satisfying from a narrative perspective, it’s one of the finest offerings from Marvel’s patchy fifth phase.

Plus, it makes for a great test disc. First Steps’ beautifully realised retro-futuristic reality, which blends cosy 1960s aesthetics with charmingly chunky analogue tech, gives it a unique identity, one which pops with the gleam of chrome bumpers and the resplendent blues of our heroes’ charmingly domestic-looking suits.

Style-wise, First Steps is a sort of live action version of Pixar’s The Incredibles. Sounds pretty fantastic, right?

Buy The Fantastic Four: First Steps on 4K Blu-ray at HMV

Stream The Fantastic Four: First Steps on Disney Plus

Words by Harry McKerrell

Frankenstein (2025)

As someone whose formative years were spent reading and re-reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, it’s safe to assume I was quite invested in the release of Guillermo Del Toro’s take on the classic horror novel.

Luckily, it did not disappoint. Not only was the story beautifully crafted with Shelley's fingerprints remaining, but it’s a great film for testing that I can tell I’ll be coming back to again and again.

If you somehow do not know the film’s premise, let me fill you in. Victor Frankenstein (played by Oscar Isaac) becomes obsessed with creating life, and succeeds in building the Creature – a towering yet timid monster portrayed excellently by Jacob Elordi.

Like many of Guillermo del Toro's past releases, Frankenstein looks absolutely beautiful with a macabre fairy tale feel that does not shy away from the gory details of grave-digging or autopsies. Elordi’s take on the Creature is much closer to that portrayed in the novel, moving away from the moaning bolts-in-neck monster that became iconic in the 1931 adaptation.

It’s available to watch on Netflix now, complete with stunning visuals and an emotive score to match.

Stream Frankenstein on Netflix

Words by Robyn Quick

The Black Phone 2 (2025)

2025 has been a great year for horror fans. Over the past 11 months, we’ve been treated to Zach Cregger’s titillatingly creepy Weapons and Guillermo del Toro’s surprisingly tender and sympathetic take on Frankenstein (which as Robyn says higher up this list is amazing).

But this month I saw an under the radar hit at the cinema that has since become one of my favourite sequels in recent memory: Scott Derrickson’s Black Phone 2.

The original Black Phone, starring Ethan Hawke, was one of 2022’s cult hits, telling a creepy tale of survival from the perspective of a trapped child. And while the sequel takes things in a slightly different, borderline cliched, direction it strikes all the right notes for any horror fan.

Creepy haunted locale, isolated from help? Check. Worryingly convincing big bad you genuinely get the ick, hairs on the back sticking up on the back of your head chills from? Check. Wonderfully shot, dark cinematography that feels genuinely oppressive, complemented by decent surround sound full of “bump in the night” scares? Check.

And that’s why, while it likely won’t get the same fanfare as the films mentioned at the top of this entry, it’s still a thoroughly good film I’d recommend to any horror fan.

Buy The Black Phone 2 on 4K Blu-ray at HMV

Stream The Black Phone 2 on Amazon Prime Video

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Prey (2022)

After a few middling sequels (and an awful crossover series), Prey takes the Predator franchise back to basics and delivers the best instalment in decades.

Featuring a phenomenal breakout performance by Amber Midthunder, the prequel sees Comanche warrior Naru take on a primitive Predator in 1719. What we get is a surprisingly respectful depiction of Native American culture and a steady rise in tension before the final face-off – as well as the obligatory gruesome deaths…

While Prey was somewhat unceremoniously dumped on Disney Plus, we highly recommend watching on 4K Blu-ray if you’re able to. The film is full of sweeping vistas and wildlife shots that demand to be seen in the best possible format, and even some of the complex CGI, such as when the Predator’s invisibility gear kicks in, shows great detail.

The sequel has fared somewhat better for its release method – the well-reviewed Predator: Badlands is in cinemas now, with Prey director Dan Trachtenberg returning. We’d be happy if he kept the keys for the entire franchise!

Buy Prey on 4K Blu-ray at HMV

Stream Prey on Disney Plus

Words by Daniel Furn

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Although I was certainly old enough to see Brad Pitt take on the role of Benjamin Button when this film was released in 2008, I’ve only recently gotten around to watching it. And maybe I should have done sooner, as it’s an enjoyable watch, with plenty of endearing moments and characters.

An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story from 1922, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button follows the life of a New Orleans native that raises more than just a few eyebrows after being born an 80-year-old man/baby in 1918 but then ageing in reverse.

I won’t go into specifics as no one appreciates spoilers, but along Button’s journey there are some epic, visually stunning moments, the kind that make me wish I had taken the time to watch this film in the cinema all those years ago, with the benefit of their huge screens and high-quality sound systems. Sadly, I had to settle for watching them on a 40-inch TV with no soundbar. Were they still good? Yes. But could they have been better? Absolutely!

So, if you have a system that improves on the one I just described, even just marginally, the epic moments in this film are a great way to give it a good test drive and appreciate them in a way that I simply wasn’t able to.

Stream The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on Apple TV

Words by James Cook

Shrinking (2023 – )

Apple TV's therapist-based drama/comedy caught me seriously off guard. I'd heard good things about it for quite some time, so once I'd finished the gruesome (and ultimately disappointing) Alien: Earth, I decided to use it as a palette cleanser.

And it worked a treat. This show has an incredible ability to make you chuckle one moment and tear up the next, thanks to its nuanced handling of the challenging theme of grief in every facet. It does so in an almost conversational way; never condescending but instead thought-provoking and witty.

It's hard not to crack a smile at the often awkward character interactions, and while it's a little cheesy and synthetic in places (everyone seems to own some very swanky houses in a posh area of California and attend work whenever they please), it's also got a lot of heart.

It's bolstered by a handful of excellent performances by Jason Segel (who also created and wrote the show), Jessica Williams (who is masterful at delivering quippy one-liners), and the one and only Harrison Ford, who completely sheds his Han Solo swagger and swashbuckling Indiana Jones persona for a much more vulnerable, yet still charmingly snarky character.

The first two seasons are available to stream in Dolby Vision on Apple TV (formerly Apple TV+) now, with a third season coming early next year. If you need a pick-me-up show that can make you laugh and cry, then Shrinking is the show for you.

Stream Shrinking on Apple TV

Words by Lewis Empson

Assault On Precinct 13 (1976)

This is worth it for the theme tune alone. It was inspired by Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo, and it wears its Western genre influences on its sleeve.

The plot involves an LA gang called Street Thunder seeking revenge on the police for killing some of their members. The police find themselves under siege in a a station that was set to be decommissioned, and hence is understaffed and under-resourced (so what else is new?).

The police's various attempt to call for back up are thwarted ahead of a final standoff with the gang. No spoilers, but it doesn't end well.

Since release, Assault On Precinct 13 has attracted a cult following, and with good cause. It's a brutal, bloody thriller, and a prime example of the genre in an age when Hollywood was following out of love with cowboys in favour of cops and robbers instead.

Typically for director John Carpenter, it's bleak and bloody, painting modern LA in dystopian colours – there's no one in the surrounding neighbourhood to hear the gunshots because all the housing is set to be demolished. And the score – by Carpenter himself – absolutely kicks.

A 4K remaster has been shown in cinemas, but we're still awaiting a home release. Come on, don't make us cause a siege to make it happen...

Stream Assault On Precinct 13 for free on ITVX

Words by Joe Svetlik

Over the last decade, streaming services have increasingly become the most popular way to watch our favourite movies and TV shows. And it's not a real surprise.

One subscription to a platform such as Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV gives you access to a massive catalogue of shows and films, and represents excellent value.

But there is a catch: even the best streaming services can't match the picture and sound quality of a 4K Blu-ray disc. This is thanks to their high bitrate capacity, which ultimately means the image is less compressed and can offer higher levels of detail and contrast.

Apple TV, for instance, which was crowned the best video streaming service at our recent What Hi-Fi? Awards, can only stretch to 45 Mbps. 4K Blu-ray discs, on the other hand, can exceed bitrates of 100 Mbps.

What's more, you own your favourite films forever.

And, with Black Friday only hours away, we've spotted a bunch of discounts on some of the highest-rated movies of the last decade in all their physical 4K glory.

At Amazon, you can save up to £10 per disc on some incredible releases from the Criterion Collection. From old school classics to newer masterclasses in movie making, there's something for everyone on offer.

One of the discounted discs that immediately caught our eye is Scarface, which has gone down from £30 to £20 at Amazon.

For those not in the know, the 1983 release follows a Cuban-born gangster (played by Al Pacino) as he descends into addiction, obsession and brutality, with grisly consequences. In Peter Bradshaw's review for The Guardian, he dubbed the film "a must-see for Pacino's potent and influential performance".

Fancy something more modern? You may have seen that Guillermo Del Toro's adaptation of Frankenstein recently stormed the charts on Netflix.

But there's another adapted release from the director that is certainly worth watching in all its 4K glory. Del Toro's version of Pinocchio is available for £18 (or £18.05 to be precise) at Amazon, saving you over £7.

It's a beautiful take on the traditional fairy tale, digging further into Geppetto's complex relationship with the titular puppet/boy. Critics and audiences alike rated it highly, with a 96 per cent score on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer and 89 on the Popcornmeter.

It had a limited cinema release before being put straight onto Netflix, so this deal offers a great opportunity to watch the touching animated movie in the best quality possible.

Another particularly tempting deal (although it is only available for US customers) is on The Princess Bride, which is available for half its original price, dropping from $50 down to $25 at Amazon.

These are just some of the excellent movies on offer, so do have a look at what else has dropped in price at Amazon. And who knows? Your favourite movie might be on the list. View all the Criterion Collection Blu-rays on Amazon.

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

When it comes to streaming services, there's an abundance of platforms to choose from, and it can become pretty expensive fast.

Each one has its own unique offering from extensive libraries to original content, which makes it hard to decide which one(s) to pick.

• View our pick of all the best Black Friday deals

But, in a fairly unprecedented move for one of our favorite streaming services (so much so we even gave it a What Hi-Fi? Award), there's a discount to be had – and it's a really good one.

For Black Friday, Apple TV is available for just $5.99 a month for six months. That's over 50% off its usual price. But, you'll have to be quick as the offer is only available until Dec 1st, for new and select returning subscribers.

But, what do you get in exchange for your money? Well, whilst Apple TV was a little 'late' to the streaming platform game, it's certainly caught up in terms of content.

And while Apple TV still can't quite match other streaming services for quantity, it's a cut above when it comes to quality.

Streaming bitrates for Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video average between about 10 and 25 Mbps, Apple TV averages around 25 to 40 Mbps, and even stretches to 45 Mbps at times. This results in an all-round better picture quality.

This led our expert testers to say: "Compared with even the best Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video streams, content from Apple TV looks noticeably sharper, cleaner and more detailed."

Whilst picture quality is impressive, so is the content on offer with an increasingly strong roster of original TV shows and movies including Severance, Slow Horses, For All Mankind, Shrinking, Ted Lasso, and Silo.

And while the movie library is a little less extensive, in our full review, we said: "Overall, though, there’s more than enough quality content on Apple TV for most people to feel that they’re getting strong value for money out of their subscription cost."

Sonically, Apple TV delivers Dolby Atmos soundtracks at 786 kbps, in line with rival streaming services, which is still very good in its own right.

We considered $12.99 a month to be a good value price already, giving it a What Hi-Fi? Award as the best streaming service money can buy.

Now that it's just $5.99 for six months, it's even more of a winner in our book. Don't delay though, it's only available until Dec 1st for new and some returning subscribers.

Black Friday quick links

• AirPods Pro 2: $80 off
• Amazon: up to $20 off Fire TV Sticks
• Best Buy: save $1000 on Samsung soundbar
• Bose: save up to $100 on headphones, speakers
• Crutchfield: big savings on hi-fi separates
• Fire TV Stick 4K: save 33% on streamer
• Klipsch: save up to $300 on speakers and subs
• NAD amplifier: save $900 at Crutchfield
• Roku Streaming Stick 4K: was $50 now $39
• Samsung: save up to $2000 on QLED TVs
• Sonos: big money off speaker bundles
• Target: up to 35% off headphones
• Walmart: up to 65% off TVs
• World Wide Stereo: up to 60% off AV

Owning a complete home cinema system is the stuff of dreams, isn't it?

But did you realise you could buy such a thing for a little over £500 this Black Friday?

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

Well, it's true! By combining two amazing Black Friday deals – on five-star components, no less – I've built a system that includes a 4K Mini LED TV and a complete Dolby Atmos soundbar system for just £538.

The system

• TCL 50C6KS Mini LED TV: £349 at Amazon
• Hisense AX5125H Dolby Atmos soundbar system: £189 at Amazon
• Total cost: £538

The TV

The TCL 50C6KS is our favourite budget 50-inch TV – and it has the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 gong to prove it.

What really wins you over is the picture: deep, inky blacks – rare on a sub-£500 TV – combined with really strong brightness and vivid, convincing colours thanks to its Mini LED backlight and Quantum Dot panel.

Shadows look rich, HDR highlights pop nicely, and there’s a surprisingly good amount of detail even in dark or complex scenes.

On top of that, it supports the full spread of HDR formats – HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG – so you can access all of your content in the highest possible quality.

Google TV is built in, so all of the big, global services (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, etc.) are ready to go, and TCL has gone out of its way to add all of the UK's main catch-up apps, including BBC iPlayer.

Not that you'll need it, but the built-in sound also over-delivers for the money: surprisingly detailed, decently spacious and with Dolby Atmos support – more than you’d expect at this price.

Sure, it isn’t perfect: the screen is 60 Hz only, so it can't handle 4K/120Hz gaming (though the gaming experience is otherwise very good, it has to be said).

Motion is also a little soft, and on rare, extremely bright highlights, there’s a little clipping or slightly blatant dimming-zone transitions.

But honestly, those felt like tiny trade-offs at the full price of £419, let alone the Black Friday price of £349 at Amazon.

The Dolby Atmos soundbar system

You no longer have to spend a fortune and mix-and-match lots of different components to get a full home cinema system. Instead, you can get it all in one box, and for less than £200.

The one-box system I'm referring to is the Dolby Atmos-friendly Hisense AX5125H.

This isn't just a soundbar, but a full 5.1.2-channel system that includes a soundbar, a wireless subwoofer and two wireless surround speakers.

The result isn’t just louder than your TV’s built-in speakers, it’s genuinely cinematic: Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks come alive with solid impact, plenty of bass and a sense of space that makes films and shows far more immersive. Importantly, voices remain clear, even during heavy-duty scenes.

For the money, this is simply the most complete surround sound setup you’ll find.

Setup is refreshingly simple: HDMI eARC gets you going in minutes, no fuss. The hardware feels solid, and though the design is no flashy showpiece, it’s compact enough to sit naturally below most TVs (including the TCL C6KS) and doesn’t look toy-ish.

Sure, there are some limitations. The sub can get a little over-enthusiastic now and then, which in the busiest action scenes can make bass slightly boomy and even muddy dialogue a little. And while the package is excellent for movies, for stereo music or nuanced sound-mixes, it doesn’t quite reach high-end levels.

Again, though, those were minor issues at the original price of £249, so they really pale into insignificance with this £60 discount.

Black Friday quick links

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

In a world where streaming is increasingly becoming the main way we watch our favourite movies and TV shows, it can be tricky to decide which service is worth your monthly subscription.

Firstly, there are so many on the market, from big hitters such as Netflix and Disney Plus, to more niche platforms such as BFI Player (for indie films) and Shudder (horror movies).

And with all those options, it can be hard to know which services deliver a great selection of shows and movies but also – if you're like us – with good picture quality and sound.

So we have good news, to help you make that decision. We've spotted an eye-catching deal on our 'best video streaming service', as made office by our recent What Hi-Fi? Awards.

Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is available for just £4.99 a month for six months, down from its usual price of £9.99.

That saves you a total of £30 for that period before it goes back up to its regular cost. This gives you a decent amount of time to enjoy its offerings and decide whether you want to continue, all at a discounted price.

You can take advantage of this deal if you are in the US as well, as the price has dropped from $12.99 to $5.99 per month.

But what's so special about Apple's streaming platform? First off, its high-quality streaming performance really sets it apart.

It has a higher streaming bitrate compared to Netflix or Prime Video (which averages between 10 and 25 Mbps), as Apple TV averages around 25 to 40 Mbps and can even stretch to 45 Mbps.

We say in our review: "Compared with even the best Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video streams, content from Apple TV looks noticeably sharper, cleaner and more detailed."

We’re not talking 4K Blu-ray levels of crispness and control, of course – discs can exceed bitrates of 100 Mbps, after all – but Apple TV gets closer than any of its mainstream rivals.

In terms of sound, the service delivers Dolby Atmos soundtracks with a satisfying amount of immersion and control.

There are some great shows and movies, too. When it comes to TV shows, it offers the likes of Severance, Black Bird, Platonic, Shrinking, Ted Lasso and Pluribus, all of which have scored highly with critics and audiences.

Then there’s Slow Horses – one of the very best TV shows of the last few years, at least as far as the What Hi-Fi? team is concerned.

Its film offerings are less impressive, however, but films such as Coda, Killers Of The Flower Moon, Tetris and Finch are still on the menu.

If you want to save some cash while getting access to this Award-winning streaming service, this is the time to do it.

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
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In the last few years, we have seen the coffee table projector market skyrocket.

The appeal is obvious: these models can deliver huge cinematic thrills in your living room, but can also be tucked away in a cupboard when not in use.

With smart platforms and speakers built in, they're essentially complete home cinemas in neat little boxes.

Here, we have two of the latest and greatest 4K models side-by-side for direct comparison.

The Epson EF-72 is one of the most stylish models we've seen, and is designed to provide “flexible and immersive entertainment that’s ideal for any space”, according to the company.

The Hisense M2 Pro is perhaps sporting a more divisive design, but it's smaller than the Epson and is, says Hisense, capable of delivering "depth and nuance like no other".

Those are bold statements from both competitors, but how do they actually perform? We've tested both models side by side in our dedicated AV test room, so we can tell you which one comes out on top. Let's get cracking...

Epson EF-72 vs Hisense M2 Pro: price

The Hisense M2 Pro launched for £1299 / $1299 / AU$2495, but it's now widely available for a much lower £949 / $1000 / AU$1595.

The Epson EF-72, on the other hand, launched for the lower price of £1150 / $1000 (it's not available in Australia) but hasn't been discounted quite as heavily. Current pricing is £999 / $950.

That places both of the projectors firmly in the premium coffee table projector market, so they come with high expectations.

Given that the Hisense is the slightly more affordable projector in the UK and the Epson is marginally cheaper in the US, we're calling this round a draw.

**Winner: Draw**

Epson EF-72 vs Hisense M2 Pro: design

Epson's projector really stands out from the crowd, leaning into the lifestyle element of the category.

Sporting a sturdy stand and base, the projector has a trendy Scandinavian feel, with a wooden top and cloth fabric wrapped around the body.

The underside features funky coloured lighting, with users able to select a range of different ambient light modes by pressing their hands to the top – nice if you don't want to watch movies in pitch blackness or are using the projector as a Bluetooth speaker or simple mood light.

You can tilt the EF-72 upwards 90 degrees and downwards by 15 degrees, so you can display content on the ceiling, floor or at an angle.

The Hisense M2 Pro takes a different approach, offering a design not unlike something out of a sci-fi movie. Its silver cube-shaped body is supported by a flat base that can be tilted a full 360 degrees.

You can also mount this model on the wall or ceiling, or use the base to position it on a table.

With the Hisense weighing in at 3.9kg and the Epson at 4kg (about the same as a bowling ball), both models are relatively light and easy to move around. It's worth noting, though, that neither projector has a built-in battery, so they can't be considered fully portable.

The M2 Pro's remote has a premium feel with a sleek finish, a responsive D-pad and various streaming shortcuts. The Epson's black remote is more plain and plasticky, but it's perfectly usable and has a similar layout to that of the Hisense.

The Epson has a throw ratio of 1.20:1, whereas the Hisense offers 1.0 to 1.3 via the flexible zoom feature. This means you can get a larger image from a shorter distance.

Despite the Hisense's more flexible throw ratio options, the Epson takes the crown this time for its luxurious feel and unique design.

**Winner: Epson EF-72**

Epson EF-72 vs Hisense M2 Pro: features

So what features do these projectors offer?

First off, both the Hisense and Epson models feature Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as a USB port. The two projectors also have a single HDMI input that doubles as an eARC connection.

While both projectors are presented as 4K models, neither has a native 4K resolution. Instead, both employ pixel shifting technology to deliver a 4K effect.

This is entirely expected at this level, and pixel shifting is capable of delivering excellent results when used effectively.

The Epson and the Hisense models both support HLG and HDR10, but the M2 Pro goes beyond this to include HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

Both the EF-72 and M2 Pro have built-in smart platforms: the former features Google TV, while the latter has Hisense's own VIDAA system.

In each case, you get access to the apps of the biggest streaming services, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV, but the Hisense also offers the BBC iPlayer app in the UK, whereas the Epson does not.

Neither of the projectors supports Dolby Atmos but the Hisense does support DTS Virtual X, which the brand says delivers "distortion-free, immersive sound".

In terms of screen size, Epson claims the EF-72 can go up to 150 inches whereas the Hisense model can supposedly reach up to 200 inches. It claims to go brighter as well, quoting 1300 lumens of brightness, where the Epson can offer up to 1000 lumens.

The Hisense's more advanced HDR support and brightness levels pip the Epson to the post here.

**Winner: Hisense M2 Pro**

Epson EF-72 vs Hisense M2 Pro: picture quality

Now for the main attraction.

The Epson offers a perfectly likeable, colourful picture that is easy to live with.

When watching Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, we say: "The colours with this disc look pleasingly punchy and warm, while still being nicely balanced. Flaming torches held by the apes look fierce and vivid against the dark background, and the green of the leaves in the forest later on appears earthy and natural."

Its motion handling is smooth and, for the most part, still maintains the sense of natural movement, making for distraction-free viewing.

But the Hisense M2 Pro simply offers a crisper, punchier image that the Epson cannot match.

The contrast is excellently controlled and, when watching Civil War, we find that "tracer bullets across the night sky look fantastic, retaining a precisely controlled burn".

In terms of motion handling, the Hisense also matches the Epson by offering a smooth but authentic sense of movement.

The Hisense model delivers impressive black levels, too, and without crushing shadow detail.

It's this combination of deeper blacks and brighter highlights that ultimately gives the Hisense M2 Pro the win in this round.

As pleasant as the Epson EF-72 is, it's hard to escape the feeling that it's playing things a little safe. There's nothing strictly wrong with that, but the Hisense adds dynamism without adding any obvious deficiencies, so it's all gain with no pain.

**Winner: Hisense M2 Pro**

Epson EF-72 vs Hisense M2 Pro: sound

Neither the Hisense nor the Epson deliver jaw-dropping audio quality, but we frankly wouldn't really expect them to.

Epson once again plays things a bit safe, with the EF-72's single 10W speaker delivering a "rather flat and uninteresting" sound, despite the 'Sound by Bose' label.

It does manage to portray voices well by keeping them warm and balanced, all with a reasonable amount of bass to portray the emotion of each scene. But the sound remains quite localised and struggles to create much of a sense of immersion.

The Hisense M2 Pro's two 10W speakers, meanwhile, offer reasonable separation between dialogue and background noise, and provide some sense of directionality.

But its low end is a little too weak and it can suffer from sibilance and distortion during more demanding scenes.

While the Hisense offers a better overall sound than the Epson, neither can deliver movie soundtracks with anything like the scale necessary to do justice to the epic images, so in both cases, we recommend adding a dedicated sound system.

**Winner: Hisense M2 Pro**

Epson EF-72 vs Hisense M2 Pro: verdict

There's a lot to like about the Epson EF-72. With its charming living room-friendly design and warm, cinematic picture, it is a welcome addition to the coffee table projector category.

But the Hisense M2 Pro trumps it in terms of image quality, most significantly by delivering brighter highlights and deeper blacks, resulting in a punchier and more solid-looking picture.

Add the better sound quality and slightly lower price (in the UK at least), and you have a fairly straightforward decision.

**Overall winner: Hisense M2 Pro**

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Sony’s smartphone division has soldiered on for yet another year, and considering we’ve been huge advocates for its Xperia 1 series for many years running, we’re pleased to see it endure amongst its much more popular peers from the likes of Samsung, Apple and Google.

Popularity isn’t everything, and there’s something to be said for Sony’s niche focus on delivering a top-notch portable AV experience. As you can imagine, that’s a stance that resonates with us massively.

Picture and sound performance remain at the forefront of Sony’s mission, and while the company’s resolve has softened somewhat in the pursuit of public approval, the Xperia 1 VII – which we have in for review today – seems to continue that spirit.

With that in mind, does Sony achieve its brief in delivering another smartphone that doubles up as a pocket-sized home cinema and a hi-fi quality portable music player?

Price

The Xperia 1 VII is officially available for £1399 here in the UK. Sony fans in the US and Australia will know that it doesn’t offer its smartphone range in either region, and the 1 VII is no exception.

Sony’s main competitor at this level is the Award-winning Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, which is tough competition indeed. It’s unquestionably the more mainstream option, and while it launched at £1249 / $1300 / AU$2199, it can frequently be found for less now that it’s been on the market for almost a year.

There is also the iPhone 17 Pro Max (£1199 / $1199 / AU$2199) to be aware of. We haven’t tested it yet, but the standard iPhone 17 has just scooped up an Award, and its predecessor, the iPhone 16 Pro, scored top marks in our full review, so we’re willing to bet it offers a competitive AV experience.

Build

Sony’s latest flagship mobile doesn’t look miles apart from its predecessor, but that doesn’t really concern us, as it still looks rather smart.

It features the same textured glass back and etched aluminium frame as its predecessor, albeit a bit more refined with smoother bevelled edges, and the rear glass sits flush with the frame.

This results in a much smoother and more comfortable phone to hold. In comparison, the Xperia 1 VI feels a bit sharp in the hand.

The ridged sides of the handset feature numerous interruptions in the form of a volume rocker, a combination power/lock button with an integrated fingerprint sensor, a dedicated camera shortcut and shutter button, a combination SIM and Micro SD card tray (which can be removed without the need for a SIM ejector pin tool), and – you guessed it – a 3.5mm headphone jack.

On the front of the 1 VII, you’ll find a 6.5-inch OLED display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. We still miss the 21:9 aspect ratio of the Xperias of old, but we can’t deny that the more mainstream aspect ratio (which can also be found on the Galaxy S25 Ultra) has its practical benefits when it comes to usability and app compatibility.

The display features fairly slender bezels on the sides, and slightly chunkier ones at the top and bottom, though there is a valid audio-related reason for that, which we’ll come to later.

We think the handset looks very sleek in the Slate Black finish we have, though it's also available in Moss Green and Orchid Purple for anyone who wants to add a (fairly subdued) pop of colour.

Features

If we’re being brutally honest, Sony’s smartphones have always excelled at things we’re most interested in when it comes to features, but they lag behind the cutting-edge mainstream handsets on the market when it comes to a lot of creature comforts.

We’ll start with the glorious 6.5-inch OLED display, which has reportedly been tuned by Sony’s Bravia television department. Sony is supposedly harnessing the power of AI picture processing to boost some of the key picture components, such as colour, contrast, texture and three dimensionality.

The one disappointment, however, is that the display’s resolution is 1080 x 2340 – otherwise known as Full HD+.

In a display this size, we find that this resolution is technically enough, as the pixel density is suitably high at 396ppi. However, considering the price (and the competition), we think that Sony should really be offering a Quad HD display – especially considering it wasn’t that long ago that it was shipping smartphones with full-blown 4K displays.

Nevertheless, this screen features a dynamic refresh rate up to 120Hz, and it’s 20 per cent brighter than its predecessor. In fact, Sony says that this is the brightest display in any Xperia smartphone to date, though it hasn’t shared any specific figures regarding nits.

This has been paired with a new sensor on the rear of the handset, which detects the ambient lighting conditions and adapts the phone’s display to suit.

There is also a considerable amount of customisation that you can apply to the phone’s display. There is the option to leave the phone in its ‘recommended’ setting, which will optimise the display for “smartphone use and displayed content”.

This sounds a tad vague to us, but it seems as though Sony is implying that the phone will use the best picture settings for what it’s displaying.

In its custom settings, we can switch between the Bravia-tuned standard mode, which emphasises “high-quality textures” and “vibrant colours” – or Sony’s creator mode, which is akin to the Filmmaker Mode on a TV.

This goes for a more accurate picture presentation, which will appeal more to purists who wish to see content in the way that the creator intended.

Interestingly, there is an option to only apply creator mode in specific apps, meaning you can enjoy the crisper standard mode for day-to-day use, and automatically switch to the creator mode for a more cinematically authentic movie experience.

To us, that seems to fulfil the same role as the previous recommended preset, albeit with a bit more granularity in which apps default to your preferred screen mode.

Sony has also included two video enhancement features in the form of real-time HDR, which adapts HDR video to your viewing environment, and video image enhancement, which appears to be an upscaling mode that adds additional sharpness.

While we’d usually steer clear, Sony’s implementation of the latter is fairly effective at adding a bit more pop and sharpness to the picture.

Disappointingly, while the display supports HDR, it doesn’t support either of the Dolby Vision or HDR10+ formats we see on the iPhone 17 or Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, respectively.

On the audio side, Sony has called in more backup from one of its subsidiaries, as its Walkman brand – which is responsible for countless portable music players – has reportedly played a key role in upgrading the 3.5mm headphone jack.

It has been constructed with high-quality solder containing gold to "enhance the reproduction of subtle sounds" and "improve the soundstage and directional accuracy".

This has been paired with a new high-performance audio integrated circuit to greatly enhance the wired listening experience. We must, of course, give Sony kudos for continuing to offer a headphone jack on its smartphones while others have moved on.

Those who have invested in a pair of the best wireless headphones, meanwhile, will be pleased to hear that the Xperia 1 VII features Bluetooth 6.0, with support for the AAC, SBC, and LE codecs. AuraCast is featured too.

Hi-res wireless audio is also supported via LDAC, and as this phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor (backed up by 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage), it also features the aptX Adaptive codec.

Dolby Atmos and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio are also on board for supported streaming services. And for those who like to play media out loud, the Xperia 1 VII sports a set of stereo front-firing full-stage speakers, which Sony says sound “even more realistic” this year.

With that exhaustive list of AV features out of the way, we can now review the remaining specifications of the smartphone.

It runs Android 16, which is the latest version of Google’s operating system, albeit with a fairly barebones Sony skin running over the top. Sony’s take on Android can feel frustratingly limited at times, as there are missing native features, such as a dedicated photos app (it uses Google Photos instead) or a weather widget.

That being said, it does feature support for the latest Google AI features, including the Gemini Assistant, generative photo editing, and circle to search. We also can’t fault the performance, as the handset flies throughout the operating system for day-to-day tasks.

Another of Sony’s divisions, Alpha, has been consulted for the camera.

It consists of a 52MP main lens (which uses Sony’s Exmor T sensor), a telephoto lens with a true optical zoom from 85 to 170mm, and a new 16mm focal length ultra wide camera, which utilises a 50MP sensor and pixel binning to capture detailed 12MP images. The sensor is 2.1 times larger than the previous model, which means it will perform better in low-light conditions, according to Sony.

Paired with Sony’s comprehensive camera app and dedicated shutter button (which can be half-pressed to establish focus), the Xperia 1 VII provides an excellent, if slightly overwhelming, photography experience. That being said, we find it relatively easy to grab some eye-catching snaps when we use the basic shooting mode.

Rounding things out with the 5000mAh battery, the Xperia makes light work of heavy usage over a day, and it can even soldier on through a couple of days, provided you’re not pushing the phone to its limits for extended periods.

Picture

Sony’s smartphones have enjoyed a remarkably consistent streak when it comes to picture quality in our reviews. In previous years, they’ve sported 4K displays with cinematically-appropriate aspect ratios, but that all changed last year.

We deemed the Xperia 1 VI to be a solid choice for on-the-move cinephiles, albeit not to quite the same extent as its predecessors. That statement rings true for this year’s model, too, but there is now the added pressure of some extremely talented competition.

We test the Xperia 1 VII in both of its picture modes, and we end up leaning towards the Bravia-tuned standard setting, as it adds a touch of punch while remaining very balanced. The creator mode will be the preferred choice for purists, but it feels a touch washed out in comparison.

We start with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (Part One) on Netflix, and the results are immediately impressive. As we mentioned, colours feature a solid balance of punch and richness without looking overbearing or unnaturally vibrant. In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S25 appears to lack some finesse here, with slightly too much red in skin tones.

Sony’s usual proficiency for delivering a solid, contrast-rich picture is clearly evident with the 1 VII. There’s an impressively convincing three-dimensional effect to the display.

Switching to Blade Runner 2049 (also on Netflix), we find that the tower featured in the opening overhead shot stands out against the background nicely with a good sense of depth, and there is a general sense of solidity and three-dimensionality to the image that helps to enhance immersion, which is easier said than done on a smartphone display.

Moving over to Civil War on Amazon Prime Video, the Sony remains staunchly natural, and motion is solid as fighter jets and helicopters soar overhead during the build-up to the climactic final battle.

As the sequence progresses towards a besieged Washington, DC at night, we find that the Sony retains an impressive level of detail in shadowy scenes, too.

While we affirm that the Sony’s picture is generally impressive, though, it is outshone by the Samsung Galaxy 25 Ultra in a few ways.

We appreciate the Samsung’s higher resolution screen when we place the two handsets side-by-side, as everything looks noticeably crisper and more detailed.

Sticking with Civil War, we find that the outline of a helicopter swooping over a lake, and the dense foliage featured throughout the sequence, both appear cleaner and sharper on the Samsung, and the enhanced brightness adds intensity to the flames as the photojournalists drive through a forest fire at night.

The Samsung even delivers most of what the Sony can muster when it comes to the solidity and three-dimensional depth of the image, which, combined with the rest of the improvements to detail and brightness, makes it the better handset of the two when it comes to picture performance.

Sound

While the Xperia 1 VII can be beaten when it comes to its picture, we find that sound is a whole different story. Put simply, the Sony delivers a headphone experience that will delight anyone who wants a smartphone that doubles as a talented portable music player.

Plugging a pair of wired cans directly into the phone via the 3.5mm headphone jack and loading up Tidal, we’re rewarded with a detailed, dynamic and engaging performance that highlights the Samsung’s relative shortcomings in the process.

The opening piano chords to Taylor Swift’s The One are presented with a solid, weighty presence, and they’re soon joined by a rich and rhythmic acoustic guitar. The Sony allows each instrument to shine by revealing plenty of detail and giving each aspect of the track plenty of space, all the while ensuring it remains cohesive and well organised.

And while the phone provides a clean and revealing sound, it manages to balance everything with a sense of warmth and dynamism, which means it doesn’t come across as too analytical. Swift’s vocals are conveyed with a richness and clarity that picks up oodles of emotion, and timing is kept pin-sharp throughout.

Switching to Kiss The Ring from Hans Zimmer’s Dune: Part Two soundtrack, we find that the Sony is capable of delivering huge scale and weighty bass, all while retaining balance and composure.

We’re similarly impressed with the full-stage front-firing speakers, and while we generally don't recommend playing music out loud from your phone, they’re more than good enough in a pinch for watching a TV show or even some light movie viewing.

Returning to Mission: Impossible, we find that the speakers deliver a solid sense of spatial separation, decent vocal clarity and detail, and a good sense of rhythmic drive to the soundtrack.

And while we won’t claim that this speaker can rival any sort of Dolby Atmos soundbar or speaker package when it comes to immersion, it does a good job of placing effects to create a somewhat spatial feeling to the sound.

Verdict

Sony’s latest flagship smartphone remains a solid enthusiast option for those who value taking their music and movies on the go over all else.

Cinephiles will enjoy the balanced display – even if it can be beaten by its Samsung competitor – and audiophiles will find immense satisfaction in the inclusion of an upgraded headphone jack and superb audio quality.

It won’t suit everyone's taste, and there are some software quirks to contend with, but the Xperia 1 VII remains a good choice for those looking for a smartphone that puts AV on the same pedestal as AI.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 5
• Features 4

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The Hisense M2 Pro (aka the Hisense M2TUK Pro) is one of the latest wave of coffee table projectors aiming to offer movie fans a home-cinema-in-a-box experience.

What makes it interesting is that it is by far one of the smallest and lightest we’ve seen, weighing a very portable 3.9kg.

Add to this competitive pricing, and the M2 Pro becomes an alluring prospect for any movie fan looking for a decent projector that’s quick and easy to use on the fly for the odd movie night, without needing to be a permanent fixture in the lounge.

But, with the market increasingly choc-a-bloc full of rival products, many of which have fallen just short of earning that hallowed fifth star from our reviewers, is this enough to make the M2 Pro succeed where others have failed?

Here’s what we found after thoroughly putting it through its paces in our viewing rooms.

Price

The Hisense M2 Pro sits in the lower-mid segment of the coffee table market, costing £1299 / $1299 / AU$2495 at launch. Since then, its price has already dropped, with many retailers offering it for £999 in the UK at the time of publishing.

And while that’s still a lot compared to most portable units, including the £509 / $499 Xgimi Mogo 4, which more casual projector buyers may also be considering, it’s actually quite competitive in the realm of more 'serious' models.

The price places it firmly below the five-star BenQ X3100i, for example. This costs £2099 / $2399 / AU$3599. Hisense's step-up sibling, the Hisense C2 Ultra, is also considerably more expensive, launching with a hefty £2499 price tag.

It also lets it hit a currently under-served segment of the market, with the only direct rival we’ve tested recently that’s like-for-like being the four-star Epson EF-72, which costs £1150 / $1000.

Build

The Hisense M2 UK Pro ticks all the right boxes from a design standpoint.

It’s a small, unassuming box, with a spherical glass lens at its front and speakers at its sides, and it's bolted onto a square swivel stand.

The stand is hinged, which makes it easy to adjust the angle of the image. There's also a common thread adapter in the base, which opens up the possibility of mounting the projector to the ceiling.

A few years ago, these swivel designs weren’t in vogue, with most makers assuming you’d get a separate stand or relying on switches on the bottom, most of which only had one angle and height option.

So, unless the stars aligned and it sat naturally at the exact angle and height you needed, at whatever distance you placed it, things weren’t optimal, even with auto correction. The M2 Pro does, of course, have that, too, in the shape of Hisense's custom AutoMagic AI Adjusting System 2.0.

The unit’s 1.0 to 1.3:1 throw ratio is also suitably flexible to let it function in most living rooms and bedrooms. This lets it throw up a 65-inch image at distances between 1.4m and 1.9m.

From there, screen size grows in line with the amount of space you give it until capping at 200 inches at a 4.4m-5.8m throw distance. Optical zoom functionality also lets you scale down as required.

The combination works a treat, with the auto correction in particular delighting our testers. Within minutes of plugging it in, we had managed to get the image perfectly projected onto our screen.

As an added perk for those who want to store it out of sight when it’s not in use, the M2 Pro even comes with a carry/storage case, which is a nice touch that shows a lot of thought has been put into its design.

This remains the case with its small but intuitive remote control, which comes with a backlight – something most projectors at its price don’t have, despite their focus on being used in dim conditions.

Features

The M2 Pro is packed with a fairly reasonable specifications sheet that should tick all the boxes for its intended market, at least if films and TV shows are your primary focus.

The headline feature is its use of Hisense’s Trichoma Laser technology. This is a fancy way of describing the DLP light source it uses, which aims to improve picture quality using three individual lasers to create the red, green and blue parts of the image. We’ve seen this on numerous other projectors, including last year’s Hisense C1.

This, plus AI wizardry provided by its image processing, lets the M2 Pro deliver 110 per cent coverage of the BT.2020 colour gamut favoured by creatives and a 0.9 Delta E score (anything below 1.0 is considered pretty amazing by home cinema standards).

But before you get too excited, as ever, Hisense has kept quiet about what specific settings are required to hit those levels of accuracy.

For people unwilling to invest in a projector screen (something you really should do, as it makes a big difference to picture quality), there’s also AI-powered colour correction, which aims to make the M2 Pro work better when used with a plain wall.

Brightness levels are also impressive, with a claimed peak of 1300 lumens. This is 300 lumens higher than its direct rival, the Epson EF-72, which peaks at 1000 lumens. This potentially makes it better suited to the sort of bright environments that a semi-portable projector might be expected to perform in.

HDR support is superb, with the M2 Pro working with all four of the currently available formats: HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

The use of Hisense’s VIDAA platform is also, generally, a positive. The OS is intuitive to navigate, not as ad-heavy as many rivals, and includes the BBC iPlayer app in the UK. Most rival projectors use the Android/Google TV platform, and precious few manage to deliver the iPlayer app.

Add to this support for all the usual suspects, including Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and it will serve most people’s needs – especially in the UK, where Freely is also supported.

The sound system supports the Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual X surround-sound formats, but Dolby Atmos isn’t on the cards. This isn’t a dealbreaker, though, as that’s to be expected on a projector in this class.

There are a couple of minor annoyances to contend with, however.

First, it has rather limited physical connectivity. Around the back, you’ll only find one HDMI 2.1 input, a single USB 3.0 and a power connector. That’s it. So if you want to connect a Blu-ray player and games console, you’ll have to be willing to swap cables in and out fairly regularly.

The other minor point of interest is that, despite featuring what Hisense refers to as an HDMI 2.1 socket, the M2 Pro doesn't support gaming at 4K/120Hz. This is normal for projectors at this level, but the mention of HDMI 2.1 raised our hopes.

Instead, it will only run games at a max of 60Hz in 4K, which will be a minor annoyance for gamers, as current generation consoles won’t be able to run at their max refresh rates in 4K.

An enhanced game mode offering the ability to run games at higher frame rates (up to 240Hz) in 1080p softens the blow for gamers a little.

The other thing to point out is that this is of course not a native 4K projector. Like pretty much all of the projectors we’ve tested under £4000 / $4000, it uses pixel shifting to get up to 4K.

This is a clever trick where a projector shoots out two overlapping lower-resolution images to artificially create a single 4K image. In the past, it’s been a big issue as the results were very mixed, but recent advances mean performance is now a lot better, despite native 4K still being superior.

Picture

Paired with our trusty Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, the M2 Pro proves to be a solid performer after a few tweaks to its settings.

Out of the box, it is a little too heavy-handed in its native settings. Playing one of our new favourite test scenes from Thunderbolts, motion handling is a bit off, with characters’ movements feeling artificial and too floaty, with contrast and colour temperatures also too aggressive.

Thankfully, things rapidly improve when we switch to the projector’s Filmmaker Mode. All we find necessary to change from there is to select the lowest Film setting for motion processing and the Warm 2 colour profile.

Once done, the projector performs nicely, delivering a consistent performance that never pushes beyond the M2 Pro’s capabilities, which makes for a nicely immersive and more mature home cinema experience than we had expected.

Skin tones in particular hold a nice warmth, but never deviate into overcooked territory in the way that past Hisense projectors, including the C1, have. Yelena and Bob’s faces retain detail and look lifelike even in challenging mixed-light scenes.

Our only minor quibble is that there are very brief moments when the rainbow effect occurs during some panning shots – though it is, thankfully, infrequent.

Dark detail is also reasonably well handled, with Hisense avoiding falling victim to the common mistake of trying to overcompensate for a projector’s naturally imperfect black level by cranking the contrast too high, making the picture look unintentionally like a Frank Miller comic in the process.

This means there’s a decent amount of detail in the soldiers’ pitch black uniforms, despite there being some minor black crush.

We switch to our Alien: Romulus test disc, whose opening scene is incredibly difficult for many TVs to handle in terms of dark detail.

Some fine details of the space nebula are lost, parts of the spaceship suffer from black crush, and the projector misses some subtle details that are clearly visible on the more expensive BenQ X3100i, but the Hisense still does an admirable job overall, particularly given its price.

The ship’s edges are suitably defined, as are details such as the ridges in its metal hull, which are lost and oversoftened on many rivals, including the Xgimi Horizon Ultra. This lets it retain a sense of three-dimensionality despite the slight imperfections.

The M2 Pro continues to punch above its weight as we move to Civil War. During a scene in which a car races through a burning forest, the flames have a wonderful hue of red and an intensity that makes them suitably distinct from the silhouette of the background forest.

During a panning shot, the movement of a squadron of helicopters looks smooth but authentic, with no ghost frames or artefacts creeping in as they swoop into Washington.

Colours continue to pop but retain their realism as the film transitions to a night-time battle. There’s a nice amount of contrast, and tracer bullets across the night sky look fantastic, retaining a precisely controlled burn. Buildings look nicely sharp, too, all helping to create a truly immersive experience.

It’s only when we swap over to the more expensive BenQ X3100i that we see radically improved results. Here, there’s more detail in the darkest and brightest areas, with everything from explosions to characters’ faces in difficult mixed light holding a smidgeon more detail.

This remains the case when we move to our Pan test disc, which is our peak brightness stress test due to the film’s atypically high 4000 nits mastering. The Hisense does an excellent job, with highlights in a blob of water in the sky retaining a pleasing range of colours and every ripple looking sharp and three-dimensional.

But it hasn't got quite as much contrast in the skyline as the BenQ, and there’s undeniably some detail lost in the sun, which comes across as pure white rather than very slightly red and orange.

But, again, considering the disparity in price, the Hisense’s performance is to be applauded, and it's surprisingly competitive.

This adds up to make the M2 Pro one of the best performers we’ve seen in its class when it comes to picture quality.

Sound

The M2 Pro has a 2.0, 10W in-built speaker system. Unlike its fancier C2 cousin, this is a purely Hisense system – there’s no partnership with JBL or any other audio specialist.

And for standard TV viewing, or as a basic unit to keep the kids entertained, it's generally fine – in some ways even good, at least by in-built speaker standards.

The unit produces a surprising amount of sound volume for such a small package. Even in its standard setting, the twin speakers offer enough clarity and separation to keep voices and background noise separate enough for comfortable viewing while we stream an episode of Schitt’s Creek.

Playing Oppenheimer, characters’ voices are clear, but the background string section slightly intrudes during certain intense parts. Switching to Theatre mode rapidly improves things, and dialogue and the soundtrack stay in their respective lanes.

Moving to a nighttime battle scene during Civil War, the M2 Pro continues to do an admirable job.

Though it's only a stereo set-up, the sound of helicopters entering a military camp has a clear sense of direction, and there’s a decent amount of volume – to the point that anything above 25 sounds too loud in our listening rooms

It deals with this demanding, noisy scene well, offering each sonic part suitable space. At the start of the scene, the hushed whispers of characters creeping through the pitch black street are audible while the background gunfire offers some sense of directionality and bite.

But as the scene grows more intense, the system loses its composure. A haunting guitar track pushes the speakers too hard, causing distortion to creep in.

The engine noise of incoming helicopters also pushes the low end too hard, creating some distortion, and the sound generally lacks the heft to do it justice. The engine noise is flabby and lacks suitable definition.

Sibilance creeps in as a violent gun battle ensues, both in the sound of the bullets flying across the screen and characters screaming over it.

The combination of an underpowered low-end and a sibilant high end creates a thin, at times acidic, quality during the most intense parts of the battle.

This adds up to make it good by small, coffee table projector standards, but not perfect.

Verdict

The Hisense M2 Pro isn’t perfect. But by focusing on making all the right compromises and delivering a consistent, balanced home movie experience, it gets more right than it does wrong.

This adds up to make it one of the best coffee table projectors on the market. Offering solid picture quality, excellent app support and a wonderfully easy set-up process, it ticks all the right boxes for its target market.

Unless you’re willing to spend a lot more, you’ll struggle to find a better projector.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Xgimi Horizon Ultra

Also consider the BenQ X3100i

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MORE:

Here are the best portable projectors

This “all-in-one mobile theatre station" features a 7.1.4 wireless Dolby Atmos surround sound system

And these are the best projectors right now

When we first reviewed Apple TV+ in the spring of 2020, we praised its picture and sound quality but criticised its relative lack of content and device compatibility.

More than five years on, it's now known as just 'Apple TV', and it’s still the best-performing mainstream streaming service from an AV perspective. And although Apple’s approach means the catalogue is still much smaller than that of rivals, the quality of the available content is very strong indeed.

Apple TV is now available on pretty much every device, too, and it’s still significantly cheaper than Netflix and Disney+ if you care about 4K, HDR and Dolby Atmos, which we most certainly do.

It’s about time for a full reassessment, then.

Price

While most of the streaming big boys now have a dizzying array of subscription tiers, Apple TV has just one that costs £9.99 / $12.99 / AU$15.99 per month.

That gets you an ad-free experience in 4K HDR and with Dolby Atmos sound.

Netflix and Disney+ are both available for less than that, but only with adverts, potato picture quality and restricted sound options.

To go ad-free and enjoy equivalent picture and sound quality to Apple TV, Netflix will set you back £18.99 / $24.99 / AU$28.99 per month, while Disney+ is £14.99 / $18.99 / AU$20.99.

Amazon Prime Video works slightly differently: if you combine the Prime Video-only subscription with the top-up ad-free subscription, which also gives you access to the best picture and sound options, it comes out at £8.98 / $11.98 (in Australia, you can’t subscribe to Prime Video without the broader Prime subscription, so the price there is AU$12.98).

Of course, cost and value are different things, and the relatively low price of Apple TV (at least compared with Netflix and Disney+) reflects its smaller content catalogue.

Content

While Netflix and Amazon license movies and TV shows from other studios to bolster their respective streaming catalogues of original content, Apple TV hosts only exclusive productions.

It’s the same approach that Disney takes, but Disney, of course, has several studios under its umbrella and a back catalogue that stretches decades into the past. In contrast, Apple has been creating and amassing its ‘Originals’ for a relative blink of an eye.

In other words, the content catalogue of Apple TV is much smaller than that of its rivals. As mentioned at the start, though, the quality of that content is now very high, especially against the occasionally endless-seeming sea of rot that regularly appears on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in particular.

Apple is especially strong on TV shows, with the likes of Severance, Black Bird, Platonic, Shrinking, The Studio, For All Mankind, The Afterparty, Prehistoric Planet, Silo, Ted Lasso and Criminal Record all scoring highly with critics and audiences.

Then there’s Slow Horses – one of the very best TV shows of the last few years, at least as far as the What Hi-Fi? team is concerned.

The movie selection is less impressive: films such as Coda, Killers Of The Flower Moon, Tetris and Finch prove that there’s quality on there, but it doesn’t take long to run out of well-rated flicks.

Overall, though, there’s more than enough quality content on Apple TV for most people to feel that they’re getting strong value for money out of their subscription cost.

It’s worth noting that most versions of the Apple TV app also contain Apple’s pay-as-you-go store for movies and TV shows (still sometimes referred to as the iTunes Store).

This is the very best place to buy and rent movies for streaming, but it’s not part of the Apple TV subscription, so it doesn’t fall within the scope of this review.

Device compatibility

It took a while, but the Apple TV app is now available on pretty much every device that also has Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. In fact, of all the TVs, smart projectors and streaming sticks we’ve reviewed over the last two years, only one or two haven’t had it.

What’s more, you can now subscribe to Apple TV and access its content through the Amazon Prime Video app, which is a great backup option if your device doesn’t have a native Apple TV app.

One thing to note, though, is that while Apple TV performs well across all devices (at least all those with which we’ve tested it), they don't all make use of the highest-quality streams.

Picture

And it’s those high-quality streams that really set Apple TV apart from its rivals.

While the streaming bitrates of Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video average between about 10 and 25 Mbps, Apple TV averages around 25 to 40 Mbps, and even stretches to 45 Mbps at times. This is because Apple applies less compression to its streams, and the result is all-round better picture quality.

Compared with even the best Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video streams, content from Apple TV looks noticeably sharper, cleaner and more detailed. There’s less banding (unsubtle steps where a colour’s shade changes) and less picture noise, and the result is a crisper overall image.

Playing See, one of Apple TV’s most sumptuous streams, there’s an awesome depth and solidity to the epic landscapes, excellent shading across the board, including in skin tones, and a very impressive combination of thrilling contrast and subtle shadow shading.

We’re not talking 4K Blu-ray levels of crispness and control, of course – discs can exceed bitrates of 100 Mbps, after all – but Apple TV gets closer than any of its mainstream rivals.

Only Sony Pictures Core can beat it for picture quality, and only when it’s accessed via a Sony TV. That’s also less of a streaming service and more of a store for Sony Pictures movies.

Even when Apple TV is accessed via the app on non-Apple devices, which don’t always have access to the highest-bitrate streams (estimates suggest some are capped at about 25 Mbps), there’s a sheen to the delivery that is rarely matched by rivals.

This may be at least in part down to the glossy way in which Apple’s content is produced – there’s of course no way to be sure, seeing as the content is exclusive to its own service – but whatever the reason, the result is highly enjoyable.

The vast majority of Apple TV’s content is available in 4K with Dolby Vision, and this is broadly the format in which it looks its best, but a well set-up TV will do a great job with the fallback HDR10 option, and the service even now supports HDR10+ for that additional, contrast-boosting dynamic metadata. Great news for Samsung TV owners in particular.

Sound

While Apple TV has no technical advantage over rival streaming services when it comes to sound quality, with all of them delivering Dolby Atmos soundtracks at 768 kbps, the general audio delivery is still very good in its own right.

During the opening chase in Fountain Of Youth (yes, it’s a dreadful film, but boy is it nicely produced), the Atmos soundtrack fills the room with the sounds of bustling Bangkok.

There’s detail everywhere, and effects sweep precisely around the soundstage. Tonally, there’s good balance, too, with clean treble, weighty bass and clear, fairly textured midrange.

Across Apple TV’s offering, there’s perhaps a little too much smoothness and politeness. We find ourselves longing for a more solid punch from explosions and gunfire, and more reach to dynamic range.

This is a common theme with streamed movies and TV shows, though, and only physical media is significantly better in these regards, thanks to its uncompressed, super-high-bitrate audio.

Verdict

While it still lacks the vast catalogues of its rivals, Apple TV’s content offering is much bigger than it once was, and the quality of its recent Originals is arguably superior.

But what really impresses (assuming you’re of an AV nerd persuasion) is the quality of the presentation, particularly in terms of picture. None of its direct rivals can match it, and if you access the app via an Apple TV 4K, it’s streets ahead.

Add the highly accessible price, and Apple TV has become a real winner in our book.

MORE:

Read our review of Disney+

Also consider Netflix

Read our Amazon Prime Video review

Best streaming devices: smart TV sticks and boxes chosen by our experts

More and more coffee table projectors have come onto the home cinema market in the last few years. Though they are proving increasingly popular, the category has a tough balance to strike.

A coffee table projector must be flexible enough in its abilities to adapt to different viewing conditions, small and light enough to be moved between rooms and packed away when not needed, and sonically capable enough to deliver at least relatively cinematic audio – all while keeping the price as accessible as possible.

Inevitably, no model will tick absolutely every box – it’s all about picking the right combination of compromises to deliver the most satisfying overall experience.

The latest model to attempt this is the Epson EF-72, which is part of the brand’s new Lifestudio Flex series.

Epson says the projector provides “a cost-effective, portable, high brightness and high image quality projection experience for the modern household”.

That certainly sounds promising…

Price

Launching at £1150 in the UK and $1000 in the US, the EF-72 is up against some tough competition. That’s about AU$2845 in Australia, but is not currently available in this region.

Our favourite projector at this level, the BenQ W1800, will set you back a little less, with a price tag of £1099 (around $1379 / AU$1915). This 4K projector has a less stylish design but received a What Hi-Fi? Award last year for its impressively cinematic picture.

Another model to consider is the Hisense M2 Pro, which comes in at £1299 / $1300 / AU$2495. Our full review of this one will be published soon, but we did have it on hand for comparisons with the Epson.

Build

The majority of projectors, coffee table or otherwise, often resemble a rather uninteresting box. But Epson’s lifestyle projector really stands out from the crowd.

The EF-72’s body is supported by a sturdy stand and base.

From the base of the exposed body, you can select a range of different ambient light modes that are ideal if you don’t want to sit in complete darkness while watching.

Users can touch the top of the projector to change the LED light display, and hold to dim or turn it off completely. This is obviously not going to add to its home cinema performance, but it’s a neat feature that adds to its premium feel.

The EF-72 has a pleasing overall tactility with a smooth wooden top that comes in an oak colour, and there's a fabric covering for the sides. The compact and sturdy design makes it easy to take from room to room, but it’s a stretch to call it a portable model as it does not have a built-in battery.

You can tilt the projector upwards to 90 degrees and downwards by 15 degrees, so you can display content on the ceiling, floor or at an angle with a screen size up to 150 inches.

The throw ratio is 1.20:1, which is fairly common at this level, but there are models available that need less space. In our test room, for example, to fill our 100-inch screen (measured diagonally), we had to set the projector about 107 inches (8.9 feet / 2.7m) back.

Features

The flexible design makes for a fairly easy set-up, with features such as zoom shift, auto-shape correction and corner adjustment all available.

There’s also wall colour correction if you don’t have the budget for a dedicated projector screen (although we heartily recommend budgeting for one).

The EF-72 uses RGB LED technology, and Epson says it offers up to 1000 lumens of brightness.

Epson describes the EF-72 as a 4K projector, but it’s worth noting that this is achieved through pixel shifting, rather than a native 4K resolution. However, this approach to delivering 4K content has proved effective many times in the past, including recently with the excellent EH-QB1000.

Powered by Google TV, the EF-72 offers most of the usual streaming suspects, including Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video.

While Channel 4 is available for UK residents, BBC iPlayer wasn't during testing. Epson says it’s working with the BBC to get it added but, frankly, we’ve heard this sort of thing from several projector manufacturers over the years, and precious few manage to get iPlayer on board. In short, we’ll believe it when we see it.

Note that although you cannot purchase pay-as-you-go movies and TV shows on the Apple TV app, you can still access your Apple TV library, so it’s just a case of making the purchases through another device, such as your phone.

The EF-72 supports HDR10 and HLG, but you won’t be able to watch content in Dolby Vision.

Dolby Atmos sound isn’t supported by the projector’s built-in sound system, either, though it can be passed out to a compatible sound system via the HDMI eARC port.

The only other physical connection is a USB-C socket, but you can also send tunes to the Epson via Bluetooth (more on that later).

Picture

We find that the default Standard preset setting doesn’t provide us with the most cinematic image, as the picture has an artificially vivid quality.

Switching to either Cinema or Natural, however, offers a much warmer and more immersive image.

There are a lot of further adjustments you can make in the picture settings, which will be a bit overwhelming for casual viewers, particularly as they are not typically labelled with much of a description. Still, the level of adjustment available will appeal to some of the more serious cinephiles out there.

We kick off our serious testing with Dune: Part Two on 4K Blu-ray, and the Epson EF-72 proves itself to be a detailed and cinematic performer.

As Zendaya’s Chani looks out onto the sun-bathed desert, the projector does a good job of capturing the warmth of the scene while still keeping her skin tone natural right down to her subtle freckles.

Moving to Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes on Disney+, we find that the Epson EF-72 handles motion well, striking a good balance between smoothing the worst judder and not adding an unnatural effect to the movement.

The swooping aerial shot of a golden eagle finding its way back to its nest, for example, maintains a consistently smooth delivery while still keeping the more natural movement of the camera. There is the option to adjust the frame interpolation as well, so you can fine-tune this to your liking.

The colours with this disc look pleasingly punchy and warm, while still being nicely balanced. Flaming torches held by the apes look fierce and vivid against the dark background, and the green of the leaves in the forest later on appears earthy and natural.

Broadly speaking, the Epson offers a distraction-free performance, although we did spot one instance during testing when the contrast changed unexpectedly, which was rather jarring.

We only experienced this once during many days of testing, but if you encounter it more frequently, turning off the Adaptive Luma Control in the advanced settings solves the issue – though this does darken the image slightly, so it should be avoided if possible.

The Epson EF-72 has a few other shortcomings, too. The projector falls short in portraying the deepest blacks and the brightest highlights. It rather feels as if Epson has decided to play things a bit safe, trading strong contrast for balance and consistency. That's fine in some ways, but there are rivals that offer both.

Despite not delivering the deepest blacks, shadow detail is also somewhat lacking. For example, when watching No Time To Die on 4K Blu-ray, the EF-72 struggles to define Bond’s dark tie against his slightly darker shirt, and said shirt’s creases are all but invisible.

We compare the Epson with the Hisense M2 Pro, and the difference in performance when it comes to brightness and shadow detail is obvious, with the Hisense proving an immediate step up. Bond’s tie, for example, is much more visible between the dark shadows.

Still, while the EF-72 is somewhat less dynamic than the best in class, its picture is easy to live with thanks to its balanced, warm, and generally cinematic delivery.

Sound

Epson has worked with Bose on the EF-72’s audio, but there’s only a 10W sound system built into the projector’s stylish case.

Again, we get the feeling that Epson has played things rather safe: the sound is inoffensive, but it’s also rather flat and uninteresting.

After testing all of the audio presets, we opt for the Cinema setting, which provides the widest and most cinematic soundstage of all the options.

With Dune: Part Two, as Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides and Stilgar (played by Javier Bardem) have a heart-to-heart in the desert, the projector makes their voices sound natural and tonally balanced, with a reasonable amount of bass to portray the emotion of the scene.

We then put the projector through its paces with the infamously deep Chapter 2 of Blade Runner 2049 on 4K Blu-ray. While the Epson EF-72 does not distort here as many sound systems do, it’s quiet and lacking the dynamic range required to deliver the scene’s tension.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, that single, low-powered speaker struggles to push the sound far out from the body of the projector, resulting in a rather localised delivery that’s fairly detached from the on-screen action.

Epson also encourages you to use the projector as a dedicated Bluetooth speaker, so we send it some tunes to test this out. With both Lord Huron’s The Night We Met and Euro-Country by CMAT, the vocals are clear until the tracks get more complicated and the voices get somewhat lost in the mix.

Again, the delivery is inoffensive, but even a budget Bluetooth speaker will do a better job with your music. For movies, we strongly recommend pairing the Epson with a soundbar, even though that will mean putting up with some unsightly cabling.

Verdict

Overall, Epson’s EF-72 offers a rich and cinematic picture that is very easy to live with. Its warm colours and natural motion processing are sure to please, and the ability to fine-tune the settings will appeal to serious cinephiles.

That said, we find that no amount of tweaking and tinkering results in the dynamism that we have come to expect at this level, and the sound is far too small-scale for images this large.

A decent option in the land of coffee table projectors, then – but not the best…

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 3
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the BenQ W1800

Also consider the Epson EH-TW7100

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

BenQ is adding two new 4K coffee table projectors to its offerings which are designed for “easy, high-quality entertainment in modern living spaces”, according to the brand.

The company says that the TK705i and TK705STi projectors are both ideal for gaming as well as “immersive” movie nights and are the latest in a sea of coffee table projectors to appear this year.

They can reach 3000 lumens of brightness which supposedly produces “vivid images even in rooms with ambient light.”

In terms of setup, the models offer a variety of shortcuts in the hope of making the process easy. That includes auto-keystone, auto-focus, and an auto Cinema Mode. The digital zoom feature is only available with the TK705STi, however.

For smaller spaces, the TK705STi adds a short-throw option for viewers to project an image up to 150-inches from about 8.7 feet (2.7 metres) away from any wall.

The projectors are powered by Google TV with access to all the usual streaming suspects including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus.

There are some pretty neat specifications for gamers, too. With an “ultra-low” input lag of 5ms at 4K/60Hz, both projectors offer ALLM and one HDMI 2.1 socket.

Turning to the audio offerings, the new projectors offer two 8W speakers but there is no Dolby Atmos on the cards here. Both of their designs resemble a grey box, with an adjustable foot on the bass that can be retracted.

The launch of these two projectors comes shortly after the company’s launch of the BenQ GV32 – a smaller model aiming at the portable market.

BenQ has a pretty impressive track record when it comes to its past models, with the BenQ X3100i projector holding the current title as the best premium in our best projectors guide.

We were impressed with this model in our test room, praising its excellent all-round picture quality and good gaming specs. Despite wishing there was 4K/120Hz or Dolby Vision support, we gave the X3100i a five-star rating for its overall performance.

At a price of $1799 (around $1337 / AU$2725) and $1999 (around $1485 / AU$3030) respectively, the TK705i and TK705STi are targeting this same premium projector market. We are yet to get either of the new models into our test rooms, but our current frontrunner could face some serious competition.

Both will be available to buy from early October in the US, but it’s unclear as of yet whether they will be hitting the shelves in the UK or Australia.

MORE:

This dinky new portable projector offers “incredibly flexible viewing” – and could be one to watch

Here's our review of the BenQ X3100i

And check out the best projectors right now

It's Halloween this weekend, and if you don't have any trick-or-treating duties, what could be better than spending the colder autumn nights watching some horror-tastic films from the comfort of your living room?

Devout TV show bingers can get their Hallow’s Eve entertainment with the second season of Blumhouse's wildlife-doc-with-a-twist, Nightmares of Nature - Lost in the Jungle (Netflix); the latest Family Guy Halloween Special (Disney+); and the sophomore season of adult animated musical series Hazbin Hotel (Amazon Prime Video).

But this list is all about some of the latest movies and feature films you can stream, rent or buy from streaming giants Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Disney+ (along with free, ad-supported service Tubi) that will scare you silly. These picks include a brand-new remake of a '90s cult classic, the return to streaming of one of the boldest modern horrors in recent years, and one of the most anticipated films of the year.

Watch on Apple TV

28 Years Later (2025)

One of the most anticipated films of 2025 (as far as the What Hi-Fi? team is concerned) is now available to stream at home, and if you didn't manage to catch it at the cinema, we would urge you to check out 28 Years Later for a must-see horror watch.

As the title suggests, 28 Years Later takes place 28 years after the outbreak of the ‘rage’ virus that turns people into mindless, bloodthirsty animals (definitely not zombies) that wrecked UK society as a whole and put the British Isles under strict quarantine. The story is focused on 12-year-old Alfie, who ventures out of a remote island community for the first time to the infected mainland, and all that he encounters.

Written by Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle (who helmed the original 28 Days Later from 2002), this first entrant in a new trilogy of post-apocalyptic horror takes some wild swings and ingenious creative and narrative decisions, along with a meditative, somewhat melancholic atmosphere that is all at once tense, beautiful and harrowing.

Watch on Netflix

The Elixir (2025)

The latest from Indonesian horror master Kimo Stamboel (A Thousand Days, Macabre, The Queen of Black Magic) sees a fractured family escape a zombie outbreak after one of their herbal medicine business’s innovative elixirs goes terribly wrong.

Looking to build on the strong reputation of Asia’s recent zombie flicks, led by the likes of Train to Busan, One Cut of the Dead and The Wailing, Netflix’s upcoming The Elixir looks like an epic thrill ride defined by Stamboel’s proven passion for gorgeous visuals and gory violence.

Watch on Amazon Prime Video

Prevenge (2016)

In her directorial debut, Alice Lowe (Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Sightseers) plays Ruth, who is seven months pregnant with a demonic fetus that inspires a homicidal rampage from within her.

It’s as wacky as it sounds, not least as Lowe was actually heavily pregnant during the shoot. Beneath the grizzly violence and unrelenting deadpan humour is a metaphorical exaggeration of the emotional baggage and apprehension brought about by pregnancy and the prospect of motherhood. A cult gem.

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

This 2022 A24 release is a lot smarter than its "rich 20-somethings' party game in a mansion goes awry" premise might suggest, and certainly worth a watch if you fancy your horror with a generous sprinkling of dark comedy. Specifically, Gen Z satire.

With shocks and twists aplenty and generally well-acted characters that you can truly love to hate, Bodies Bodies Bodies is fun and fresh, and an aspirational role model for all the other ‘dumb teen’ movies that fail to land.

Us (2019)

After his brilliant breakout movie, Get Out, landed with such aplomb, director Jordan Peele had the tricky task of treading similarly scary yet funny tones and socially relevant narrative themes with his next project.

As it turns out, he nailed it with Us, another stylistically and thematically bold horror masterpiece that this time explores American privilege and the country’s socioeconomic inequality.

Us sees the film’s protagonists, Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o) and her family, terrorised by a group of murderous doppelgängers. It's a smart and superbly acted apocalyptic sci-fi thriller that really gets under your skin.

Companion (2025)

A creative, AI-themed horror that hits all the right notes and guarantees a wild ol’ bloody time, Companion is probably the most fun you’ll have with a genre movie released this year. Really, that’s all you need to know – indeed, it’s probably best to head into this one at least partially blind.

But what we will say is that the AI theme shouldn’t put off any members of the anti-AI army – Companion is more about human toxicity than any technological one – and (providing you avoid spoilers!) you should expect to be kept guessing throughout. You’re in for a ride here – enjoy it.

Watch on Disney+

The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (2025)

Sure, releases of modern remakes of horror (or any genre) classics tend to incite the kind of trepidation one may feel on their first day at a new job, but watch the trailer to this year’s upcoming The Hand That Rocks The Cradle and tell me you aren’t already won over by Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s seemingly spot-on performance as the cold, cunning, devious nanny. A match for Rebecca De Mornay’s depiction in the original 1992 psychological thriller? Maybe.

The fact that it’s directed by Mexican filmmaker Michelle Garza Cervera, whose debut feature film, body horror Huesera: The Bone Woman, was given two thumbs up by horror critics a few years ago, also inspires confidence in the modern makeover. We’re curious to see how this one stacks up.

Watch on TUBI

For subscription-free Halloween fun? We would be remiss not to bring to your attention a couple of highlights from the Terror on Tubi lineup, a curation of horror treats that are available to watch on the free service this Halloween month.

Saloum (2021)

A horror-action movie that we can’t describe better than The Guardian, which called it a “slick gangster horror in wild west Africa”.

It follows a group of legendary mercenaries who are shot down after extracting a drug lord from Guinea-Bissau and forced to take refuge in a nearby holiday camp, where dark secrets about the inhabitants, and themselves, are soon revealed.

Smart and unsettling from beginning to end, Saloum was the most original genre movie we watched in the year of its release.

R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead (2025)

This new Tubi Original (exclusive to US viewers) is directed by Jem Garrard (Slay) and is based on a short story from Stine’s 1990 Nightmare Hour children's horror collection.

It follows a young Sam’s fight alongside his new friends to get his brother Finn back when, shortly after moving to a new town, he disappears and everyone forgets he existed. This has all the makings of an ‘80s coming-of-age horror gem.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Here's our review of the BenQ X3100i

Check out the best portable projectors

And these are the best projectors overall

Projector brand BenQ is launching the GV32 – its most recent portable model that the company says will provide the “ultimate laid-back entertainment experience”.

“Laid-back” can be taken in the most literal sense here, as the 120-inch screen can be projected onto the ceiling as well as a more traditional screen.

This is made easier with the GV32’s adjustable angle options and tiltable body. There are also automatic screen correction, digital zoom, and keystone correction features which BenQ says provide “precise alignment with minimal effort”.

The projector is powered by Google TV with access to all the usual streaming suspects including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus. It can reach up to 500 ANSI lumens of brightness and, while there is no native 4K support, the 1080p projector does support HDR10 and HLG.

The BenQ is set to launch at around $599 in the U.S in October. There's no word on cost or availability for the UK and Australia yet, though.

Like the previous models in its GV series, BenQ's latest sports a circular body with a small footprint which the company says delivers “incredibly flexible viewing”. It is also employing an LED light source, much like the BenQ GV31 which has now been retired.

In our review of the GV31, we were impressed by its rotatable design as well as its decent black levels. We did find the picture offered limited brightness, though, which ultimately earned it a four-star review.

We are yet to get the GV32 in our test room, but the performance of its siblings certainly bodes well, especially as it is using the same dinky chassis.

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Here's our full review of the BenQ GV50

And check out the best portable projectors

And this is our review of the BenQ GV31