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John Archer  |  Feb 09, 2015  |  0 comments

The LG 47LB730V, at around £700, isn't the most affordable 47in TV on the market, so it has a point to prove. It sets about this task with gusto thanks to a seriously pretty design that mixes an ultra-slim frame with a posh-looking silvery outer trim. The aluminium stand hasn’t exactly been beaten with the ugly stick, either.

John Archer  |  Jan 14, 2015  |  0 comments

LG has had a topsy-turvy year in TV. On the upside, the brand’s taken the Smart TV world by storm with its WebOS interface. On the downside, it’s struggled to keep up with some rivals on the picture quality front.

John Archer  |  Dec 06, 2014  |  0 comments

While Sony’s flagship 4K TVs for 2014, the X9005B series, are magnificent performers, they represent a considerable challenge for your average UK living room. Firstly, they’re not cheap, and secondly – not to put too fine a point on it – they’re absolutely massive. Don’t get me wrong – I still find the X9005B series highly attractive, with spectacular front-firing magnetic fluid speakers etched into their huge frames. But they really do eat up your real estate.

John Archer  |  Nov 26, 2014  |  0 comments

This year was always likely to be a tricky one for Panasonic in TV terms, without having its ever-reliable plasma division to woo film fans. And to be honest it’s lived up – and down – to expectations, with the brand so far delivering a slightly untidy mix of hit-and-miss LCD sets.

Steve May  |  Sep 05, 2014  |  0 comments

Whatever angle you take, Sony's KD-65X9005B is a formidable 4K proposition. With its mould-breaking design, pixel-pushing picture processing and audiophile pretensions, it sees Sony’s TV division at its most confident in years.

John Archer  |  Aug 20, 2014  |  0 comments

‘Ooh, I really want a curved TV!’ said nobody ever. But today I find myself testing one anyway, thanks to Samsung’s conviction that the future of TV isn’t flat. In fact, so sure is the Korean screen king that bent is best that it currently only offers its top-tier TV technology in a curved flagship model: the 65in UE65HU8500. Is this a case of knowing what’s good for us before we do, or just trying to be different for the sake of it?

Steve May  |  Aug 12, 2014  |  0 comments

Trivial Pursuit piece. Cheese. Door stop. Shoe. Rogue Squadron pilot. The humble wedge has many uses. In 2014, we can add TV design to that illustrious list, as Sony introduces a wedge shape to its higher-end TV line-up.

Steve May  |  May 14, 2014  |  0 comments

The temptation is to call 'time' already. If you want a superb 1080p LED connected TV, look no further. Buying conundrum solved – this Sony is all you need. Let’s hit the izakaya. Of course, to be that presumptuous would be madness. This new W8 doesn’t even lead Sony’s own 2014 TV fleet, for crying out loud...

John Archer  |  Apr 23, 2014  |  0 comments

This year’s CES electronics expo in Las Vegas was awash with rumours that the prices of mainstream 4K TVs will halve in 2014. I didn’t expect, though, to find these rumours borne out so soon. But here I am, staring goggle-eyed at an 84in 4K TV that can be found selling for just £7,000 – less than half the price of any other 84in 4K TV seen to date.

John Archer  |  Apr 10, 2014  |  0 comments

It takes a lot to shock me these days, but the 90LE757 knocked me for the proverbial six in a number of ways. Firstly, it has Sharp’s name on it. This is somewhat startling, given that the brand’s TVs have been AWOL from my test bench for many months.

Martin Pipe  |  Feb 07, 2014  |  0 comments

Samsung is famous for its high-end TVs (anyone for a curved OLED?) but, as the PS51F5500 shows, isn't afraid to get its hands dirty at the budget end of the market. For a good chunk less than £1,000, this plasma gives you a helluva lot – 51 inches of screen real estate, Full HD resolution, active 3D support, onboard media player and Samsung's 'Smart Hub' technology, easily accessed by built-in Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

John Archer  |  Jan 30, 2014  |  0 comments

The latest in the new wave of UHD TVs, the Toshiba 65L9363DB, doesn’t get off to the most auspicious of starts, as at £5,500, it’s £500 more expensive than other 65in UHD/4K big-hitters from Samsung and Sony. And, although Panasonic’s L65WT600 is also £5,500, that model sports a cutting-edge HDMI 2.0 port while the 65L9363DB does not. In other words, if it’s going to justify its price, the 65L9363DB will have to perform better than its rivals – and that’s quite a challenge.

Steve May  |  Dec 20, 2013  |  0 comments

The only thing certain about the next evolution in broadcast technology is its uncertainty. 4K/Ultra HD may be widely accepted as the next step from 1080p Full HD, but even broadcasters have yet to agree a specification. While BSkyB looks certain to go with 2160p at 50/60Hz for its sports coverage, the BBC is rumoured to want native frame rates to top 100Hz. For brands eager to punt 4K screens this is all rather inconvenient, not least because TVs prior to this Panasonic model are tethered to 4K at 30Hz, thanks to the limitations of current HDMI chippery.

John Archer  |  Nov 08, 2013  |  0 comments

Ultra HD and OLED are the current buzzwords in AV, and plasma TV technology feels even more besieged than ever before, with confirmation from Panasonic that its 2013 range of plasma screens will be its last. Thankfully, it’s come out with all guns blazing with these models – but how much of the outstanding quality exhibited by Panasonic’s premium ZT65 and VT65 plasma TVs has filtered down into its mid-range series, as represented by the 42in TX-P42GT60?

John Archer  |  Oct 30, 2013  |  0 comments

Samsung may have been beaten to the 4K/UHD drop by Sony, but it’s not about to let its Japanese rival hoover up all the early-adopter UHD action. Not long after Sony’s 65X9005A lit up our test benches, Samsung’s debut ‘mass market’ UHD set, the UE55F9000, is here. And while it is in many ways quite different to Sony’s groundbreaker,  it still makes a potent case for the benefits of embracing UHD for your next TV.

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