Computer Shopper - UK (2021-01)

52 JANUARY2021|COMPUTER SHOPPER|ISSUE395

01

A32inFullHDTVcostsaround£200,

butpremiumlarger4Kmodelscanbe

closer to£2,000. TVslook much smaller in

the shop than in your home,someasure the

space available before you buy.

Curved TVsare becoming increasingly

more common, but bear in mind that these

typically take up more floor space than a

traditional flat set.

02

A1,920x1,080-resolution TV can

displaya1080p image.You can still

buy TVswitha720p (1,366x768) resolution,

but they’re no cheaper and the image won’t

be as sharp.3,840x2,560 Ultra HD resolution,

or 4K, TVsare finally available at reasonable

prices, although you’ll still payapremium for

one over a1080pmodel.

Choosinga... TV

03

Consider the number of inputs

you’ll need to connect the rest of

your equipment. TwoHDMI ports should be

the bare minimum, but many TV sets come

with four HDMI connectors. You’ll need

HDMI 2.0 if you want afuture-proof4KTV,

as this is the only waytoget 60fps video

playback from external sources at such

ahigh resolution.

If you want to plug aPCintoyour TV,

you’ll need to useeither HDMI or VGA

inputs. Be aware that some TVsonly let you

use aPConananalogueinput, and others

won’t displaythe Windows desktop at the

TV’s highest resolution.

04

The contrast ratio tells you the

difference between the darkest

and the brightest shades that the screen

will be able to display. Thehigher the

number,the darker the blacks and the

brighter the whites. Buy aTVwithHigh

Dynamic Range (HDR) support forthe best

picture from supported services.

05

HD content is now becoming fairly

widespread, but if you want Ultra

HD content your options are more limited.

Most Ultra HD TVshaveNetflix built into

their smart TV systems, but only BT is

currently providing live Ultra HD video,

with BT Sport Ultra HD.

Ultra HD Blu-rayplayers give you an

amazing picture,and Amazon’s Fire TV

set-topbox will stream its Prime Video

service and Netflix at Ultra HD resolutions.

HOME CINEMA

An excellent

all-rounder of an

OLED TV.With

its high colour accuracy and low

response time,film fanatics and gaming aficionados alike will find

something to love with the OLED55CX6LA.

SCREENSIZE55in•NATIVERESOLUTION3,840x2,160•VIDEOINPUTS4x HDMI•TUNERN/A•

DIMENSIONS1,228x738x251mm•WARRANTYOneyearparts and labour•DETAILSwww.lg.com

• PARTCODEOLED55CX6LA•FULLREVIEWNov2020

SONOS Beam

★★★★★

£368•www.amzn.to/2RJpMef

The Beam could join

ahomecinema

setup on sound quality alone,but it’s loaded

with smart features, too. It can adjust sound output to the size

and layout of aroom, forexample,and form amultiroom system

with other Sonos speakers.

SPEAKERS (^5) • RMSPOWEROUTPUTNotstated•DIMENSIONS651x100x69mm•WEIGHT
2.8kg•DOCKCONNECTORNone•NETWORKING802.11ac Wi-Fi,Ethernet•WARRANTYOne
year RTB•DETAILSwww.sonos.com•PARTCODEBEAM1UK1•FULLREVIEWApr2019

HISENSE

R50B7120UK

★★★★★

£349•www.argos.co.uk

This VA-based

smart TV isn’t just cheap fora4Kmodel;it’sa

collaboration with Roku, which means it has the

most well-serviced smart streaming platform built right in.

SCREENSIZE55in•NATIVERESOLUTION3,840x2,160•VIDEOINPUTS3x HDMI•TUNER

Freeview HD•DIMENSIONS1,127x720x256mm•WARRANTYTwoyears RTB•DETAILS

http://www.hisense.co.uk•PARTCODER50B7120UK•FULLREVIEWJul2020

POLK AUDIOCommandBar

★★★★★

£349•www.amzn.to/33TdAv4

This is agenius combination

of soundbar and smart

speaker,and foralow price

too. It’s great forfilms, TV and music, and

you can use Alexa as avoice-activated remotecontrol.

SPEAKERS (^3) • RMSPOWEROUTPUT260W•DIMENSIONS1,091x102x51mm(soundbar),
367x188x368mm (subwoofer)•WEIGHT2.3kg(soundbar), 3.9kg(subwoofer)•DOCK
CONNECTORNone•NETWORKING802.11ac Wi-Fi•WARRANTYThreeyearsRTB•
DETAILSen.polkaudio.com•PARTCODECOMMANDUK•FULLREVIEWOct2019

LG OLED55CX6LA

★★★★★

£1,599•www.currys.co.uk

PANASONICTX-40GX800B

★★★★★

£503•www.panasonic.com

This is agoodmatch for

anyone who can live

without OLED or QLED

tech, but wants agoodmix of features

and connectivity.It’s afairly basic VA panel, but this is enough for

high picture quality,with support forHDR10+ and DolbyVision.

SCREENSIZE40in•NATIVERESOLUTION3,840x2,160•VIDEOINPUTS3x HDMI,Composite•

TUNERFreeview Play•DIMENSIONS901x573x236mm•WARRANTYFive yearsRTB•DETAILS

http://www.panasonic.com•PARTCODETX-40GX800B•FULLREVIEWSep 2020

ndBar

control

A

Afull5.1.2surround-

sound system at this

price sounds unlikely,but the SB36512-F6E isn’t just

acheap soundbar/subwoofer/speaker package: it’s agenuinely

great-sounding one,and with loads of side features, too.

SPEAKERS5+1+1+1•RMSPOWEROUTPUTNotstated•DIMENSIONS914x81x64mm(soundbar),

290x177x290mm(subwoofer), 145x68x65mm (speakers)•WEIGHT2.5kg(soundbar), 4.6kg

(subwoofer), 397g (speakers)•DOCKCONNECTORNone•NETWORKING802.11ac Wi-Fi,Ethernet

• WARRANTYOneyearRTB•DETAILSwww.viziosoundbar.uk•PARTCODESB36512-F6E•
  FULLREVIEWAug2020

VIZIOSB36512-F6E

★★★★★

£593•www.amzn.to/2ALZJxi

E