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I tested Epson’s top portable projector, and it’s got a fun design but average performance

12:00 am | October 16, 2025

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus: One minute review

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus follows up on last year's Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22 portable projector, but this time, Epson is leaning far more into the lifestyle aspect of the design with a more extensive fabric wrap, colorful LED underlighting, and a funky monopod stand.

Under the hood, the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus offers a sizable upgrade over the EF22 thanks to the 4K projection system, but otherwise still uses the same 3LCD tech and has the same 1,000 ISO lumens brightness spec.

It’s nice to see the 4K resolution since larger images really benefit from it. But picture quality with the Lifestudio Flex Plus otherwise isn’t terribly impressive, with weak contrast, minor ghosting and motion hiccups, and a brightness level that really requires a dark room.

As for the rest of the package, having only one HDMI port is a limiting factor and the built-in Sound by Bose speakers provide just average sound quality. And even though the stand allows for flexible aim, it doesn’t offer anything that other examples of the best projectors with built-in stands don’t.

While the $999 price tag puts the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus on the affordable side for a 4K projector, it still has to square off against the oft-discounted price of the brighter, more colorful JMGO N1S Pro 4K and the slightly brighter, slightly more expensive, but more versatile Hisense M2 Pro.

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Price & release date

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus tilted up on table showing colored lights — The Lifestudio Flex Plus has built-in lighting that can change colors and lets it do double-duty as a mood lamp (Image credit: Future)

Release date: September 2025
MSRP: $999.99 / £1,149.99 / around AU$1,536

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus has just launched, and it lands with a retail price of $999.99. Given its newness, it’s unlikely to see any considerable discounts in the near term. This puts it in a tough spot as it has to face off against pricier rivals like the JMGO N1S Pro 4K, which has a retail price of $1,999 but has seen discounts as low as $1,099 since its launch.

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Specs

Screen sizes supported:	30-150 inches
Brightness (specified):	1.000 Lumens
HDR support:	HDR10, HLG
Display technology:	RGB LED, 3LCD
Smart TV:	Google TV
Connections:	1x HDMI (with eARC), 3.5mm audio out, USB-A, USB-C (supports 100/140W PD input)
Dimensions (H x W x D):	7.5 x 7.5 x 9.7 inches (190 x 190 x 246mm)
Weight:	8.8 pounds (4kg)

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Design & features

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus rear panel showing ports — Ports include HDMI with eARC and USB-C for powering the projector with a portable battery pack (Image credit: Future)

All-in-one system
Integrated stand with a unique lamp feature
Quick, automatic adjustments

Epson has attempted to make the Lifestudio Flex Plus a bit more than a simple piece of tech. While the main portion of the projector is a little box that’s pretty typical of lifestyle projectors, it sits on a unique pole stand that allows for flexible aim and raises it to showcase the bottom-mounted LED lamp.

With taps on the top of the projector, the lamp switches its lighting scheme, offering some fun and colorful light shows or settling into a basic white. It’s a kind of fun gimmick, though with ambient light being the enemy of dimmer projectors, it’s also an odd choice. Even more odd, there’s no controlling the LED lamp with the remote, so you’ll have to touch the projector if you want to turn it off while watching.

The projector has a stylish design with a fabric wrap on its lower half and a wood-grain top, leaning more into accent furniture than a typical piece of tech. Still, it looks a little awkward standing on its monopod leg.

The stand is functional with a sturdy base, easy rotation, and a 105-degree vertical tilt. This lets you aim the projector straight up to project on ceilings (though it requires moving a small plastic panel on the rear that doesn’t serve much purpose other than aesthetics). The stand can also tilt down slightly if you need to project from a high-up place.

While it’s nice to have an integrated stand, this one doesn’t prove as helpful as some of the others I’ve seen lately. The Hisense M2 Pro’s stand, for instance, provides similar vertical shifting but also allows the projector to flip upside-down, which is even more convenient for projecting from high places than having the ability to tilt down, as it can avoid keystone adjustment.

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus can make it easy to get up and running. It has automatic focus, keystone adjustment, and obstacle avoidance. This squares the image with the wall and crops it into the available space on your wall or screen. Cropping the image this way isn’t entirely ideal, as it sacrifices resolution and overall brightness in the process, but it’s quick and convenient if you move the projector around often.

Though the Lifestudio Flex Plus doesn’t have an internal battery, it does encourage portability with its small size and ability to run off a USB-C charger battery pack with 100-140W of USB PD output.

The projector features an eye-protection feature to avoid harming anyone’s eyes, pets included, if they walk in front of the projector’s path. While many projectors have similar features, on the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus, they are quick to activate and conveniently pause video playback so you don’t miss a beat.

The Lifestudio Flex Plus integrates Google TV for easy streaming, and with Wi-Fi 6, it can get a consistent, high-speed connection. Google TV was generally responsive during my testing, though it had the occasional hitch when loading up video. The system includes its own stereo speakers as well for a complete all-in-one package.

If you don’t want to rely on the Lifestudio Flex Plus’s built-in streaming and speakers, the projector’s single HDMI port supports HDMI eARC to send out audio. There’s a 3.5mm audio port on the back as well, and a USB-A port to play back local media. If you plan to connect a game console to the projector, ALLM is supported, which automatically switches the projector to a low-latency Game picture mode.

The Lifestudio Flex Plus comes with a basic remote. It has the standard Google TV control wheel, which makes navigation pretty simple. Brightness and volume controls are on their own pill-shaped buttons that make them easier to locate. There are also a few app shortcut buttons and an input-selection shortcut, though that might as well just be a shortcut to HDMI. The remote doesn’t include any backlighting, which makes it harder to use in a dark home theater environment.

Design & features score: 4/5

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Picture quality

4K resolution
Limited brightness, color gamut, and contrast
Some motion handling issues

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Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus projected movie images — The projector's color balance is natural, but blacks can look elevated in dark movie scenes (Image credit: Future)

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The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus is a fine projector, but it doesn’t offer a remarkable home theater experience. With a brightness level that hits just 1,000 lumens, it’s simply not up to the task of delivering a dazzling picture, and it especially struggles with ambient light. To make the most of the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus, you’ll need to turn out the lights and get blackout curtains or use it at night.

Even in the right conditions, picture quality with the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus is still just average, though its 4K picture has impressive detail. Color looks fairly natural, though the projector’s color gamut isn’t as wide as with some triple-laser models I’ve tested in recent years. The plus side is that, with Epson’s 3LCD tech, there are none of the rainbow artifacts you’ll find with DLP projectors.

Blacks on the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus are rather elevated. When watching relatively dark movie scenes, it fails to reach very dark levels, even with active contrast enabled. This harms the overall experience as dark scenes simply lack richness, and letterboxing is all too visible.

The projector also suffers a bit from ghosting. This doesn’t rear its head much in brighter scenes, but it shows up in darker ones. Watching Warfare, it cropped up big time after the IED explosion during the team’s first evac attempt, with the soldiers moving through the explosion of dirt and sand, followed by ghosting trails that made the scene a blur.

Motion interpolation is enabled by default on the Lifestudio Flex Plus. This can be useful in some limited contexts, such as panning shots, but it makes for unnatural motion from people and inaccurate smoothing in animation. Though it’s generally better with the feature disabled, the projector can stutter from time to time during panning shots, even with just light motion.

The mixed projection experience is matched by the middling Sound by Bose speakers. They can put out enough volume to get by in a 150-square-foot room without distortion. But, they suffer from the typical TVwq speaker issue: if the volume gets loud enough to hear the dialogue, the action and music are too loud. Conversely, if the action and music are at the right volume, the dialogue becomes too quiet to hear clearly.

Picture quality score: 3/5

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Value

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus with remote control on table — Epson's remote control is serviceable but lacks backlighting (Image credit: Future)

High price tag
Price is still competitive for category
Performance equivalent to competition

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus puts everything you need for a modest home theater into a single, $1,000 package. Its performance is generally good, and while that would have gone a long way a couple of years ago, the portable projector space has gotten incredibly competitive since then.

Rivals from JMGO, Xgimi, Hisense, and Dangbei provide a ton of new options, while older projectors have had discounts. Some of these offer similar features and higher brightness without costing much more, and that reality hurts the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus’s value.

Value score: 3/5

Should I buy the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus?

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus on table pointing down — The monopod stand provides upward and downward tilt motion (Image credit: Future)

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Design and features	Fun design with a useful stand that makes it easy to aim at a wall or ceiling. It’s an all-in-one device as well, giving you speakers and a streaming platform. While it has its own DC power adapter, it can also run on USB-C power	4/5
Picture and sound quality	Natural-looking color and a 4K resolution. But the brightness and color gamut are underwhelming, an an elevated black level limits contrast. Sound quality too is just average	3/5
Value	While it’s nice to get an all-in-one package, the picture and sound quality isn’t impressive compared to some recent competitors that fall in the $1,000-$1500 price range	3/5

Buy it if...

You struggle with rainbow artifacts
If you look at projectors and see a frequent blend of rainbow colors, you’re experiencing a common issue with DLP projection technologies. Epson’s 3LCD tech avoids this issue entirely. View Deal

You like the style
The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus puts its best foot forward with a kind of fun and funky look. It’s part projector, part party lamp. View Deal

You want a projector that can run off USB-C power
While USB-C ports are becoming widespread, very few projectors have used it. The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus is one of the few to let you power it from USB-C, giving you a convenient option for pairing it with a portable battery pack, even if most won’t be able to run it for very long.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You don’t have a dark viewing space
Limited brightness holds the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus back. If you want a good viewing experience, you’ll need a very dark space, and even then the contrast on this model is weak. View Deal

You want vivid colors
Color on this projector looks natural, but triple laser projectors have a big edge when it comes to color gamut coverage, which especially benefits 4K HDR content. You can find similar models with triple laser tech at competitive prices. View Deal

Your projector placement is strict
This projector’s automatic software adjustments are useful for frequent repositioning, but it doesn’t have optical zoom or lens shift, so you’ll sacrifice resolution and brightness if you can’t set the projector in the ideal spot and have to instead rely on its software correction. View Deal

Also consider

Comparison: projectors
	Epson LifeStudio Flex Plus	Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22	Anker Nebula Mars 3	JMGO N1S Pro 4K
Price:	$999	$999	$1,049	$1,099
Screen sizes supported:	90 to 130 inches	30 to 100 inches	30 to 200 inches	85 to 180 inches
Brightness (specified):	1,000 ISO lumens	1,000 ISO lumens	1,000 lumens	2,400 ANSI lumens
HDR support	HDR10, HLG	HDR10, HLG	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG	HDR10, HLG
Optical technology:	3LCD, LED	3LCD, LED	LED DLP	RGB laser DLP
Smart TV:	Google TV	Google TV	Android TV	Google TV
Connections:	1x HDMI (with ARC), 1x 3.5mm	1x HDMI (with ARC), 1x 3.5mm	1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm	HDMI x2 (1 w/ eARC), USB-A (powered), 3.5mm

JMGO N1S Pro 4K

With its far brighter and more colorful picture, the JGMO N1S Pro 4K is a serious threat to the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus. It may have a list price double that of the Epson, but recent discounts bring it to a much more competitive $1,099.

Read our JMGO N1S Pro 4K reviewView Deal

Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22

A predecessor to the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus, the EF22 is still flexible, equally as bright, and has mostly similar picture quality. It may not offer 4K resolution, but as an older model, it should be easy to find at a discount.

Read our Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22View Deal

Anker Nebula Mars 3

If the USB-C capabilities of the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus catch your attention, then the Anker Nebula Mars 3 may be even further up your alley. Instead of convenient charging for on-the-go use, it has its own built-in battery. For home theater use, it falls a bit behind, though, with just 1080p resolution and a mono speaker.

Read our Anker Nebula Mars 3 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus projector on table pointing up — (Image credit: Future)

Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade

I tested the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both with a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, both HDR and non-HDR.

My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models I and colleagues at TechRadar have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

First reviewed: October 2025
Read TechRadar's review guarantee

I tested the TCL QM9K, and this pricey flagship mini-LED TV’s exceptional picture is worth the money

2:00 pm | October 4, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Televisions | Tags: AI, TV | Comments: Off

TCL QM9K: Two-minute review

The TCL QM9K is the final TV series the company launched in 2025, and it was clearly saving the best for last. As the company’s flagship mini-LED TV series, it arrives packed with the highest level of performance, along with the latest and greatest features, with some of those exclusive to the QM9K.

A key exclusive feature of the TCL QM9K at launch is Google TV with Gemini. This adds the Gemini AI chatbot to what is otherwise the same Google TV smart interface found on many of the best TVs. Gemini enables you to conduct not just content searches, but research on essentially any topic, from dinner recipes to ancient Roman civilization, using the TV’s built-in far-field mic.

The contextual, conversational Gemini lets you ask follow-up questions without losing the thread, and for those concerned about privacy, queries get deleted after 10 minutes. Other Gemini capabilities include image generation, and the screensavers you create can pop up on the screen automatically when you enter the room, thanks to the TV’s built-in presence sensor (another QM9K exclusive).

On the picture-quality front, the QM9K features a mini-LED panel with up to 6,500 local dimming zones, and TCL’s Halo Control System works to minimize incidences of backlight blooming – something it does remarkably well. The result is an exceptionally bright picture with powerful contrast, deep, uniform blacks, and detailed shadows.

Other features that enhance the QM9K’s picture are an AIPQ Pro processor, a wide viewing angle feature, and an anti-reflective screen. Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ high dynamic range formats are both supported, and the TV features Filmmaker Mode and is IMAX Enhanced.

The QM9K’s Audio by Bang & Olufsen speaker system provides potent Dolby Atmos sound with clear dialogue and an impressive level of bass for a TV. And if you want even better sound, the QM9K is one of the first TVs to support Dolby FlexConnect, which can output wireless Atmos sound to the company’s Z100 speakers and Z100-SW subwoofer, as well as automatically configure the system for optimal performance.

TCL’s Zero Bezel design for the QM9K reduces the screen’s bezel width to 3.2mm for a striking, “all-picture” look. An adjustable height pedestal stand provides solid support and can clear space for a soundbar, and the TV's edges taper in at the sides to give it a slim profile.

A respectable number of gaming features are provided on the QM9K, including two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz support, FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM, and Dolby Vision gaming. A pop-up Game Bar menu lets you make quick adjustments, and a Game Accelerator 288 feature enables 288Hz gaming at 1080p resolution.

TCL QM9K review: Price and release date

TCL QM9K showing image of exotic trees — The QM9K's high brightness and refined local dimming help to bring out fine details in images (Image credit: Future)

Release date: September 2025
65-inch: $2,999.99
75-inch: $3,499.99
85-inch: $3,999.99
98-inch: $5,999.99

The TCL QM9K is available in 65- to 98-inch screen sizes. As TCL’s flagship TV, it is priced higher than other series in the company’s mini-LED TV lineup, with the 75-inch model I tested priced at $3,499 at launch. To put the QM9K’s price in perspective, the step-down TCL QM8K mini-LED launched in May at $3,199 for the 75-inch size, and is now selling for around $2,000.

Similar to the QM8K, prices for the QM9K are already starting to drop, with the 75-inch model having been reduced to $2,499. Other flagship mini-LEDs in a 75-inch size that the QM9K is competing with include the Samsung QN90F (currently selling for $2,099) and Hisense U8QG (currently selling for $1,899).

TCL QM9K review: Specs

Screen type:	QLED with mini-LED
Refresh rate:	144Hz
HDR support:	Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Audio support:	Dolby Atmos
Smart TV:	Google TV
HDMI ports:	4 (2x HDMI 2.1)
Built-in tuner:	ATSC 3.0

TCL QM9K review: Benchmark results

TCL QM9K review: Features

TCL QM9K rear panel ports — The QM9K has two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz support, plus two HDMI 2.0 ports (Image credit: Future)

Wide viewing angle and anti-reflective screen
Audio by Bang & Olufsen
Google TV with Gemini

The TCL QM9K features a high-contrast display panel with a wide viewing angle and an anti-reflective screen. A Halo Control System with a 23-bit controller and dynamic light algorithm is used to minimize blooming from the TV’s mini-LED backlight, which provides up to 6,500 local dimming zones, and the company’s AIPQ Pro processor is used for upscaling and noise reduction.

High dynamic range support includes both the Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ formats. The QM9K is also IMAX Enhanced certified and features a Filmmaker Mode picture preset, a new addition to TCL TVs in 2025.

The QM9K’s Audio by Bang & Olufsen built-in speaker system features Dolby Atmos support, and there's pass-through for DTS:X. Upfiring speakers for Atmos height effects are located on the TV’s top surface, and there are dual subwoofers on the back panel.

TCL’s Zero Border design for the QM9K provides a disappearingly thin bezel that allows for virtually the full screen area to be filled with the picture. A built-in sensor can be configured to turn the TV on when it detects your nearby presence, and it will then be switched to ambient mode, displaying artwork or photos. A built-in far-field mic lets you use voice commands to control the TV, and there’s also a built-in mic on the backlit remote control that lets you do the same.

The QM9K is the first Google TV with Gemini AI, which lets you carry out contextual, voice-based content search, among other things. Gemini can be used to control Google Assistant smart home devices, and the TV additionally works with Alexa and Apple HomeKit and jas AirPlay and Chromecast built-in support.

Gaming features include 4K 144Hz support on two of the TV’s four HDMI ports, FreeSync Pro, and Game Accelerator 288, which lets you game in 1080p resolution at a 288Hz refresh rate. There is also a Game Bar onscreen display that lets you make gaming-related adjustments without having to exit to a menu.

Features Score: 4.5/5

TCL QM9K review: Picture quality

TCL QM9K showing image of red flowers — The QM9K's high brightness and anti-glare screen make it a great option for bright room viewing (Image credit: Future)

Exceptional brightness and contrast
Rich color and excellent detail
Wide viewing angle

When I previously reviewed the TCL QM9K’s step-down sibling, the TCL QM8K, one of that TV’s high points was its exceptional brightness. In my testing, the QM9K proved to be even brighter than the QM8K, with a measured peak HDR brightness of 3,322 nits in Filmmaker Mode and 3,811 nits in Standard mode. Fullscreen HDR brightness was also impressive, with the QM9K hitting around 660 nits in both Filmmaker and Standard modes.

The QM9K’s HDR color gamut coverage was also very good, with the TV measuring 96.7% for UHDA-P3 and 79.7 for BT-2020. Color point accuracy was similarly good, with the Delta-E value (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen, with a result lower than 3 being undetectable by the human eye) averaging out to 1.8, and to 2.8 for grayscale accuracy.

The QM9K’s high brightness, combined with its extended, accurate color and refined local dimming translated into an exceptional picture. Watching the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on 4K Blu-ray, a scene where Spider-Man battles the Green Goblin had powerful contrast, and it caused the scene’s psychedelic color palette to pop more than I’m used to seeing on most TVs. The film’s animated textures were also displayed with a high level of detail, giving it a near 3D-like effect.

The QM9K’s impressive detail carried over to Ripley, which I streamed in 4K with Dolby Vision from Netflix. Watched in the TV’s Dolby Vision Dark picture mode, textures in clothing and objects were clearly visible, and it gave the picture a strong sense of depth. The show’s black and white images looked completely uniform, and subtle gray tones were easily revealed.

Test patterns on the Spears & Munsil Ultra HD Benchmark 4K Blu-ray confirmed that the QM9K’s CrystGlow WHVA Panel worked as well in maintaining uniform color and contrast over a wide viewing angle as the TCL QM8K did when I tested it. The disc’s local dimming torture tests also confirmed the effectiveness of TCL’s Halo Control System at minimizing backlight blooming in high contrast images.

TCL QM9K showing image of desert rock formation and sunset — With its Ultra Wide Angle feature, the QM9K's picture looks uniformly good over a range of seating positions (Image credit: Future)

The only area where the QM9K stumbled a bit was in its motion handling. Watching a scene from the James Bond film No Time to Die, where Bond walks across a craggy hillside cemetery, there was a fair amount of judder, although this could be eliminated by making adjustments to the Custom mode in the TV’s Motion menu without introducing too much “soap opera” effect.

There was also a very slight degree of vignetting at the edges of the screen, an effect likely related to its Zero Border design. This was mostly visible on test patterns, however, and I rarely spotted it on TV shows or movies.

The QM9K’s anti-reflection screen proved effective at reducing screen glare from overhead lights and maintaining picture contrast. I did see some reflections from lamps when placed in the path of the screen, but it was minimal and mostly an issue for dark images.

Picture quality score: 4.5/5

TCL QM9K review: Sound quality

TCL QM9K rear panel subwoofer drivers — The QM9K's Audio by Bang & Olufsen speaker system features upfiring drivers for Dolby Atmos height effects and dual subwoofers on the TV's rear (shown) (Image credit: Future)

Audio by Bang & Olufsen with Beosonic interface
Dolby FlexConnect support
Potent sound with good directional effects

TCL doesn’t provide much in the way of audio specs for its TVs, but the QM9K does have an Audio by Bang & Olufsen Dolby Atmos speaker system with upfiring drivers and built-in subwoofers. There’s no DTS Virtual:X processing, but DTS:X pass-through is supported.

The QM9K is also compatible with Dolby FlexConnect, which lets you use the TV with the company’s Z100 wireless FlexConnect speakers and Z100-SW wireless subwoofer. FlexConnect automatically configures and calibrates the system from the TV, and it gives you the freedom to position the speakers anywhere you want in the room, not just in the standard home theater positions to the side of the screen, or behind you to the sides.

One notable feature related to the Audio by Bang & Olufsen on the QM9K is its Beosonic interface, which becomes available when you select the TV’s Custom sound preset.

The graphic interface features a cursor that allows you to move between Relaxed, Energetic, Bright, and Warm quadrants to adjust the sound to your liking. Using this, I was able to warm up the TV’s too-bright sound, though I ended up leaving the Movie preset in place for most of my testing.

Overall, I found the QM9K’s sound to be pretty potent, with clear dialogue and a good helping of bass. When I watched the chase scene through the town square in No Time to Die, the crashes and gunfire had good impact and directionality, and the sound of ringing church bells in the Dolby Atmos soundtrack had a notably strong height effect.

I imagine many viewers will be fine with using the QM9K’s built-in speakers, though I’d recommend adding one of the best soundbars or taking advantage of its FlexConnect feature to get sound quality that equals the picture.

Sound quality score: 4.5/5

TCL QM9K review: Design

TCL QM9K pedestal stand on TV stand — The TV's pedestal stand can be installed flush or at an elevated height (shown) to accommodate a soundbar (Image credit: Future)

ZeroBorder design
Height-adjustable pedestal stand
Full-size, backlit remote control

TCL’s ZeroBorder design minimizes the QM9K’s bezel to a vanishingly small 3.2mm, giving it a true “all-picture” look. The panel itself has a two-inch depth, although its sides taper inward in a manner that gives the TV a slimmer look when viewed from the side.

A pedestal stand comes with the QM9K in screen sizes up to 85 inches, while the 98-inch version features support feet. The stand is made of metal covered with a faux brushed metal plastic, and it has two height positions, with the higher option clearing space for a soundbar.

Connections on the QM9K include four HDMI ports (one with eARC), two USB type-A, Ethernet, and an optical digital audio output. There is also an ATSC 3.0 tuner input for connecting an antenna.

TCL’s full-size remote control features a backlit keypad. The layout is uncluttered, and includes three direct access buttons for apps (Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube) plus an input select button, and a Free TV button that takes you to the TV’s free and ad-supported streaming channels portal.

Design score: 4/5

TCL QM9K review: Smart TV and menus

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TCL QM9K Google TV smart TV interface screens — The QM9K's Google TV smart interface with the Gemini AI icon, (Image credit: Future)

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Google TV with Gemini AI
Live program grid with broadcast channels
Quick menu for basic adjustments

The QM9K is notable for being the first Google TV with Gemini AI chatbot support. This feature lets you essentially carry on a conversation with the TV using either the set’s built-in far-field mic or the remote control’s mic.

Using Gemini, you can ask a question like, “Show me a list of Samurai movies from the 1960s to the present.” The contextual nature of Gemini search lets you then ask follow-up questions to drill down deeper, such as “Show me the ones with an 80% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score that are available on HBO Max or Netflix.”

Gemini has much more in its bag of tricks: You can ask about anything you want, from questions about astronomy or astrology to recipes to top attractions to see when visiting cities. It can create news briefs with video links and also generate images from prompts (“Fantasy twilight landscape with white deer”) to use as screensavers.

The QM9K features a built-in presence sensor, and it can be configured to activate your AI-generated screensavers, or even a rotating photo gallery drawn from a Google Photos account, automatically when you enter the room.

A Live TV portal in Google TV provides a grid guide of broadcasts pulled in by the QM9K’s ATSC 3.0 tuner, including NextGen channels, and these are displayed along with Google TV Freeplay and TCL free ad-supported TV channels. Google TV gives you multiple options to sort these, including by genre (Reality TV, News, etc.) or antenna-only.

Both AirPlay and Chromecast built-in are supported by the QM9K, which also works with Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit.

TCL QM9K quick menu overlay on image from No Time to Die — The QM9K's quick menu lets you easily adjust basic settings (Image credit: Future)

There are extensive settings in the QM9K’s menus to satisfy picture and sound tweakers. The Brightness section of the Picture menu provides multiple gamma settings and contrast adjustments. For sound, there are various audio presets, including a custom Audio by Bang & Olufsen Beosonic adjustment that lets you EQ the sound based on parameters like Bright, Relaxed, Energetic, and Warm.

Accessing these settings is done by pressing the gear icon on the remote control or by clicking the same icon in the Google TV home screen. Another option is to press the quick menu icon on the remote, which calls up a menu at the screen’s bottom with a range of picture and sound setup options.

Smart TV & menus score: 4.5/5

TCL QM9K review: Gaming

TCL QM9K Game Bar menu — The QM9K's Game Bar menu (Image credit: Future)

Two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz support
FreeSync Premium Pro and Game Accelerator 288
12.9ms input lag is average

Gaming features on the QM9K include two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz support, FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM, and Dolby Vision gaming. There is also a Game Accelerator 288 feature that lets you game at 288Hz in 108p resolution and a Game Bar onscreen overlay for making quick adjustments to gaming-related settings.

The QM9K’s bright, contrast-rich picture makes all manner of games look great. Performance is also responsive, with the TCL measuring at 12.9ms when tested with a Leo Bodnar 4K input lag meter.

Gaming score: 4/5

TCL QM9K review: Value

TCL QM9K remote control held in hand — The QM9K's full-size, fully backlit remote control (Image credit: Future)

Priced higher than top mini-LED competition
Less extensive gaming features than competition
Google TV with Gemini enhances value

The TCL QM9K is a fantastic TV, but its raw value is taken down a notch by the fact that there is plenty of great mini-LED TV competition in 2025.

At the time of writing, TCL had already lowered the price of the 75-inch QM9K by $1,000 to $2,499. Even so, other 75-inch flagship mini-LED TVs such as the Samsung QN90F are now selling for $2,099. The QM9K has higher peak HDR brightness than the Samsung, and it also beats competitors such as the Hisense U8QG on that test. But the Samsung has superior gaming features and performance, and its great overall picture quality was one of the main reasons why it earned a five out of five stars overall rating in our Samsung QN90F review.

TCL’s own step-down mini-LED TV, the TCL QM8K, also provides very impressive picture quality, and it features the ZeroBorder screen, ultra wide viewing angle, and anti-reflection screen features found in the QM9K.

I’d have said that Google TV with Gemini, which is currently exclusive to the QM9K, was its ace-in-the-hole when it comes to value, but that feature is also coming to the QM8K at some point in 2025, and it should also be available as an upgrade for the Hisense U8QG. The QM9K is the only TV of the three with a built-in presence sensor, so that is one exclusive feature the QM9K can claim.

Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the TCL QM9K?

TCL QM9K showing image of white deer in fantasy forest — A Gemini-generated fantasy image, used as a screensaver (Image credit: Future)

TCL QM9K
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Google TV with Gemini, Dolby FlexConnect and comprehensive HDR support	4.5/5
Picture quality	Exceptional brightness and refined local dimming combined with a ultra wide viewing angle feature and anti-reflective screen make this a great all-around TV	4.5/5
Sound quality	Very good built-in sound from Audio by Bang & Olufsen Dolby Atmos speaker system	4.5/5
Design	ZeroBorder screen minimizes bezel for all picture look. Adjustable height pedestal stand can clear space for a soundbar	4/5
Smart TV and menus	Google TV is enhanced by Gemini AI, plus the quick menu provides easy access to basic settings	4.5/5
Gaming	4K 144Hz and FreeSync Premium Pro supported, but only on two HDMI ports	4/5
Value	A bit pricier than most of the current flagship mini-LED TV competition. Step-down QM8K model is a better overall value	4/5

Buy it if...

You want to watch in a bright room
The QM9K’s high brightness and anti-reflective screen make it a good option for viewing in bright rooms. An ultra wide angle feature also makes it a good choice for viewing sports with groups.

You don’t want to use a soundbar
The QM9K’s built-in Audio by Bang & Olufsen speakers deliver clear dialogue, good bass, and immersive Atmos effects. Many viewers likely won’t feel the need to add a soundbar.

You want a TV with sophisticated AI
The QM9K’s Google TV interface features the Gemini AI chatbot, which takes content searching and other smart TV-related activities to the next level.

Don't buy it if…

You want to save some money
The QM9K’s step-down sibling, the QM8K, also delivers a bright picture with refined local dimming and has many of the same picture quality and sound features. TCL says the QM8K will also be getting Gemini in a future update.

You’re nervous about AI
Google says that any queries made to Google TV using the Gemini AI feature are erased after 10 minutes, but those with serious privacy concerns may want to tread lightly.

TCL QM9K: Also consider...

	TCL QM9K	Samsung QN90F	TCL QM8K	Hisense U8QG
Price (65-inch)	$2,999	$2,499.99	$2,499.99	$2,199
Screen type	QLED w/ mini-LED	QLED w/ mini-LED	QLED w/ mini-LED	QLED w/ mini-LED
Refresh rate	144Hz	165Hz	144Hz	165Hz
HDR support	DolbyVision/HDR10+/HDR10/HLG	HDR10+/HDR10/HLG	DolbyVision/HDR10+/HDR10/HLG	DolbyVision/HDR10+/HDR10/HLG
Smart TV	Google TV (with Gemini)	Tizen	Google TV	Google TV
HDMI ports	4 (2x HDMI 2.1)	4x HDMI 2.1	4 (2x HDMI 2.1)	3x HDMI 2.1

Samsung QN90F
Samsung’s flagship mini-LED TV is priced even lower than the QM9K following a series of discounts. This TV has superior gaming features and an even more effective anti-reflection screen, though it lacks TCL’s Google TV Gemini feature.

Here’s our Samsung QN90F review

TCL QM8K
The QM8K is the step-down model in TCL’s mini-LED TV lineup, but it also has a bright picture with effective local dimming, plus an ultra wide viewing angle feature and an anti-reflective screen. The QM8K is also slated to get Gemini added to its Google TV interface in a future update.

Here’s our TCL QM8K review

Hisense U8QG
The Hisense U8QG also has exceptional brightness and is slated to get the Gemini feature added to its Google TV interface in an update. Compared to the TCL QM9K, its picture quality isn’t as good at off-center seats, and its built-in speakers aren’t as good.

Here’s our Hisense U8QG review

How I tested the TCL QM9K

TV brightness being measured by a TV reviewer — Measuring a 10% HDR white window pattern during testing (Image credit: Future)

I spent about 15 viewing hours in total measuring and evaluating
Measurements were made using Calman color calibration software
A full calibration was made before proceeding with subjective tests

When I test TVs, I first spend a few days or even weeks using it for casual viewing to assess the out-of-the-box picture presets and get familiar with its smart TV menu and picture adjustments.

I next select the most accurate preset (usually Filmmaker Mode, Movie or Cinema) and measure grayscale and color accuracy using Portrait Displays’ Calman color calibration software. The resulting measurements provide Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen) for each category, and allow for an assessment of the TV’s overall accuracy.

Along with those tests, I make measurements of peak light output (recorded in nits) for both standard high-definition and 4K high dynamic range using 10% and 100% white window patterns. Coverage of DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color space is also measured, with the results providing a sense of how faithfully the TV can render the extended color range in ultra high-definition sources – you can read more about this process in our guide to how we test TVs at TechRadar.

For the TCL QM9K, I used the Calman ISF workflow, along with the TV’s advanced picture menu settings, to calibrate the image for best accuracy. I also watched a range of reference scenes on 4K Blu-ray discs to assess the TV’s performance, along with 4K HDR shows streamed from Max, Netflix, and other services.

First reviewed: October 2025
Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

I tested Hisense’s first RGB mini-LED TV and it delivers exciting picture quality and features, but there are still some setbacks that make its sky-high price a tough sell

4:16 pm | October 3, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Televisions | Tags: HDR, RGB | Comments: Off

Hisense 116UX review: Two minute review

The Hisense 116UX is the brand’s flagship 4K TV, and it introduces RGB mini-LED technology to the world in a 116-inch screen size. Some elements of its picture rival the best TVs, and it has a wide array of features, but its appeal is limited by key shortcomings.

With a launch price of $29,999 / £24,999 / AU$39,999, the Hisense 116UX is an expensive TV that will exceed most budgets. And while it features exciting new RGB mini-LED tech, Hisense will also be introducing RGB mini-LED in 100- and 85-inch models in the future, and more buyers are likely to gravitate to those.

The 116UX’s bold, vibrant colors take mini-LED to the next level. Textures are crisp, and the high brightness gives pictures a strong level of punch. Contrast and black levels are mostly good, but backlight blooming and inconsistent backlight control lead to a clouding effect in some dark scenes that hamper what would otherwise be a remarkable picture. Even with the TV’s large size, viewing angles are limited, with pictures losing contrast when viewed from off-center seats .

A 6.2.2-channel sound system delivers mostly solid performance, with immersive effects, impressive accuracy and clear dialogue. Bass has good impact, but the 116UX’s soundstage isn’t as wide as I’d hoped for. A screen this size deserves one of the best soundbars to match, ideally a premium option like the Samsung HW-Q990F.

The 116UX is great for gaming, with 4K 165Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming all supported across three HDMI 2.1 ports. While its 14.6ms input lag time is higher than the best gaming TVs, its overall gaming performance is good enough for an enjoyable experience on a big screen.

This TV’s high price is hard to ignore, and even though the 116UX features an RGB mini-LED panel and has a gargantuan screen size, you can build a truly great home theater system with some of the best 4K projectors at this price. The 116UX will deliver better value when its price drops, but right now, it’s a big ask.

Hisense 116UX review: Price & release date

Hisense 116-inch UX RGB mini-LED TV displaying orange flower — (Image credit: Future)

Release date: September 2025
Price: $29,999 / £24,999 / AU$39,999

The Hisense 116UX, Hisense’s flagship 2025 TV, uses a new RGB mini-LED panel. It sits above the Hisense 110UX, U9Q, U8Q, U7Q and U6Q mini-LED TVs and is priced at $29,999 / £24,999 / AU$39,999.

Although the 116UX had only been available for a few weeks at the time I reviewed it, the price has dropped to $24,999 in the US. I expect the TV's price will drop even further over the coming months.

Hisense 116UX review: Specs

Screen type	RGB mini-LED
Refresh rate	Up to 165Hz (4K)
HDR support	Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Audio support	Dolby Atmos
Smart TV	Google TV (US), VIDAA (UK& Aus)
HDMI ports	3 x HDMI 2.1
Built-in tuner	ATSC 3.0

Hisense 116UX review: Benchmark results

Hisense 116UX review: Features

Hisense 116UX RGB mini-LED TV ports — (Image credit: Future)

RGB mini-LED panel
Hi-View AI Engine X processor
Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced support

The 116UX features Hisense’s RGB mini-LED panel, which uses RGB mini-LEDs to produce a wider, more refined color gamut. HDR support includes Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+, as well as the HDR10 and HLG formats. It also supports IMAX Enhanced and Filmmaker Mode.

Hisense’s flagship TV comes equipped with a 6.2.2-channel speaker system, totaling 110W in power. It supports Dolby Atmos, but not DTS. Alongside the usual sound presets - Standard, Movie, Sport - it also has AI sound, which adapts the sound and dialogue based on both the content showing onscreen and the viewing environment.

The 116UX’s gaming features include 4K 165Hz, VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Dolby Vision gaming and ALLM support. All features are supported across the TV’s three HDMI 2.1 ports.

Hisense’s smart TV platform varies by region. Google TV is used in the US, while Hisense’s own VIDAA smart TV platform features in the UK and Australia. I reviewed the UK version, so I used VIDAA, which has access to popular streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video, and also UK apps such as BBC iPlayer and ITVX. If you want a review of the Google TV smart TV platform, check out our Hisense U8Q review.

Features score: 4.5 / 5

Hisense 116UX review: Picture quality

Hisense 116-inch UX RGB mini-LED TV displaying Ember from Elemental with a glass vase — Color is where the Hisense 116UX really shines, thanks to its RGB mini-LED panel (Image credit: Disney / Future)

High brightness and brilliant color
Refined detail
Black uniformity issues

The 116UX’s peak HDR brightness hit 5,441 nits and fullscreen HDR brightness was 1,090 nits, with both measured in Filmmaker Mode. That peak brightness result is over twice what I measured on the Hisense 110UX, a TV that uses a standard mini-LED panel.

The 116UX’s measured HDR color gamut covered 99.3% of the DCI-P3 color space, which is an excellent result for a mini-LED TV. Its BT.2020 color gamut coverage was even more impressive at 92.64%, which is the highest amount we’ve measured on a TV to date.

I first started my testing with some SDR content, beginning with an HD stream of Fight Club on Disney+. I chose Filmmaker Mode but set brightness and local dimming to medium as the picture was too dim at the default settings. I was impressed by the 116UX’s effective upscaling of textures, which gave the picture a crisper look. Even at a 116-inch size, the image was clean. Lower resolution content on YouTube didn’t fare as well, with the image looking blocky on the large screen.

Color is where the 116UX shines – literally. Watching Elemental on Disney Plus in Dolby Vision IQ picture mode, reds and oranges were vibrant and punchy, with the 116UX’s brightness adding real pop in a scene where Ember makes a vase. In Wicked on 4K Blu-ray, pink flowers in a tree in the ‘Wizard & I’ scene had a bold look, as did the greens of the Emerald City.

Image 1 of 2

Hisense 116UX RGB mini-LED TV with shot of planet from Alien: Romulus on screen — The 116UX sometimes handles dark scenes well (1) but struggles with others (2), even in the same movie, as shown here with Alien: Romulus (Image credit: Future)

Image 2 of 2

Hisense 116-inch UX RGB mini-LED TV displaying Alien Romulus in dark room — (Image credit: 20th Century Studios / Future )

As I’ve discovered with most Hisense TVs, motion handling requires a bit of setup. I watched a stream of a soccer game on Prime Video and found that most motion presets worked, but either Standard or Custom, with Blur set to 3 and Judder set to 5, produced the smoothest image. This was also true for movie viewing, as a scene from No Time To Die where a camera pans across a rocky hillside looked much smoother with the above settings.

Textures looked consistently crisp and realistic on the 116UX, with close-up shots of people’s faces showing fine details such as marks or hair. Clothing was also true-to-life and given a 3D look.

Watching black and white scenes from Oppenheimer on the 116UX, whites looked bright and there was a good range of gray tones. Blacks were slightly raised, but they still looked solid. The 116UX also delivered good shadow detail in darker scenes, such as objects against dark walls in a scene where Strauss and Oppenheimer are in an office after their first meeting.

Dark scenes ultimately were a mixed bag on the 116UX. Blacks appeared rich and deep in some instances, such as the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark 4K Blu-ray’s demo footage, but they came across as more of a dark gray in movie scenes from The Batman and Alien: Romulus. While contrast was also strong in these movies, there was a clouding effect across the screen in dark sections of the image. Strangely, one exterior space shot in Alien: Romulus demonstrated good accuracy in the blacks, but another in a dark tunnel revealed the clouding effect at its worst.

The 116UX also demonstrated some backlight blooming around bright objects against dark backgrounds when viewed from off-center. Plus, the clouding issue became more apparent when viewing from more extreme angles.

I reached out to Hisense regarding dark scene viewing and the clouding effect and it said it was aware of and looking into it, but couldn't provide a fix at this time. If there are any updates, I'll be sure to add them to this review.

Picture quality score: 4 / 5

Hisense 116UX review: Sound quality

Hisense 116UX RGB mini-LED TV speakers on rear of panel — The 116UX delivers decent built-in sound, but overall a screen like this deserves a soundbar to match (Image credit: Future)

6.2.2-channel speaker array
Clear, expansive, accurate sound
Only average soundstage

The 116UX comes with a built-in 6.2.2-channel, 110W Devialet sound system that supports Dolby Atmos, but not DTS. It has subwoofers built into the rear of the screen, with two speakers running down each side of its frame and height speakers positioned on the top of the TV.

Watching the Batmobile chase scene from The Batman, the 116UX accurately connected the sound to the action on screen. The overall sound was punchy with clear dialogue. The 116UX’s sound was also immersive at times, going beyond the borders of the screen and making Dolby Atmos effects, such as rain in The Batman, feel as if they’re overhead.

While the 116UX’s built-in sound system is good, at times it felt restrained. Bass in particular lacked fullness. And while there was some suggestion of surround effects, I expected a sound system like this to produce a wider soundstage.

Some people will be happy with the 116UX’s sound, but I feel it deserves a sound system to match its gargantuan, cinematic picture.

Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Hisense 116UX review: Design

Image 1 of 2

Hisense 116UX RGB mini-LED TV metal feet — The 116UX uses metal feet to support its heavy weight (Image credit: Future)

Image 2 of 2

Hisense 116UX RGB mini-LED TV top of frame — But the 116UX is surprisingly thin despite is large size (Image credit: Future)

Sleek, modern design
Weighty and cumbersome
Basic support feet

At 116 inches, the 116UX requires a large space. Its big screen will be too cumbersome for most living rooms and, unlike retractable projector screens of a similar size, it will dominate a space.

Hisense has done its best to make the 116UX appear as sleek as possible while still housing a substantial built-in sound system. Its frame is trim, and it’s made of a premium-looking black metal. As a result, the 116UX is an incredibly weighty 239lbs (108kg), meaning you’ll need to carefully consider installation, although there are two carry handles on the rear. The TV is supported by two metal feet, which, although plain, are expected for a TV this size.

The 116UX comes with Hisense’s solar remote, which is reminiscent of Samsung’s SolarCell remote and can be charged using the rear solar panel or by USB-C. It has a nice design with a burnished steel finish and feels more premium than Hisense’s standard TV remotes.

Design score: 4 / 5

Hisense 116UX review: Smart TV & menus

Hisense 116UX with VIDAA home screen on display — VIDAA (Hisense's smart TV platform in the UK) has plenty of picture settings and good app access (Image credit: Future)

Google TV (US), VIDAA (UK & Australia)
Good number of picture settings
Performance can lag at times

Like all Hisense TVs, the 116UX’s smart TV platform will be different based on your region. In the US, it uses Google TV, and in the UK and Australia, it uses Hisense’s own VIDAA smart TV platform. I reviewed the 116UX in the UK, so I will be focusing on VIDAA. Check out our Hisense U8Q review to read about a Google TV Hisense model.

VIDAA has access to all major streaming services such as Netflix and Prime Video, and all UK-based streaming services such as BBC iPlayer and ITVX. It also supports Freely, a service in which you can watch live TV over Wi-Fi with no need for an antenna or satellite connection.

There are a good number of picture settings on the 116UX. VIDAA’s overall look is plain and not as user-friendly as LG’s webOS, and the 116UX’s overall performance during navigation suffered from lag on occasion. VIDAA could do with a visual overhaul, as it does look dated in some of its menus.

Smart TV & menus: 4 / 5

Hisense 116UX review: Gaming

Hisense 116UX RGB mini-LED TV with Dynasty Warriors Origins and game bar on screen — The Hisense 116UX has great gaming features and impressive picture quality for gaming (Image credit: Future)

4K 165Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium
14.6ms input lag
Three HDMI 2.1 ports

The 116UX has impressive gaming features, such as 4K 165Hz, VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming, and these are all supported on three HDMI 2.1 ports. There is also a 288Hz game booster mode for PC gaming and a Game Board pop-up menu that displays useful information such as frame rate and VRR, as well as settings that can be adjusted, such as Dark Detail.

Gaming performance on the 116UX is generally smooth and responsive. Playing a demo of Dynasty Warriors: Origins on PlayStation 5, the action felt fast-paced and chaotic as expected at both 60Hz and 120Hz. I noticed during gameplay that the frame rate varied a lot in the 120Hz Performance mode, but I chalked this up to the game itself, due to its rendering of many enemies on screen.

The 116UX’s measured input lag is 14.6ms, which is higher than rivals like Samsung and TCL, but still under the 15ms threshold most gamers look for.

Gaming score: 4.5 / 5

Hisense 116UX review: Value

Hisense 116UX RGB mini-LED TV remote control — The Hisense 110UXN comes with Hisense's premium remote, which has both a USB-C port and a solar cell on the bottom rear for charging (Image credit: Future)

Expensive
Similarly priced to big-screen OLED TVs
Much pricier than the 110-inch 110UX

At $29,999 / £24,999 / AU$39,999, the Hisense 116UX is a pricey, premium TV. It may come with an exciting, new RGB mini-LED panel that produces superb brightness and color, but that’s still a lofty price, even for a TV this feature-packed.

At this price range, you can pick up some of the best projectors on the market, such as the JVC DLA-NZ800 ($15,999 / £15,999 / AU$24,999). It won’t have the 116UX’s brightness, but it will still produce an excellent picture. Plus, you can build an entire home theater system around it with the same budget.

The 116UX is also much pricier than the step-down 110UX ($14,999 / £18,999 / AU$24,999), and while it delivers better performance and picture quality, that's still a significant price gap.

Value score: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Hisense 116UX?

Hisense 116UX RGB mini-LED TV with valley at sunrise on screen — The Hisense 110UXN comes at a premium price that most won't be able to afford (Image credit: Future)

Hisense 110UXN
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	RGB mini-LED panel with good amount of smart and gaming features	4.5/5
Picture quality	Superb color reproduction, brightness and realistic textures, but dark scene viewing can be an issue	4/5
Sound quality	Punchy, precise sound system with decent bass, but sound feels narrow at times	4/5
Design	Trim design considering size, and feels sturdy as well	4/5
Smart TV and menus	VIDAA has good number of picture settings and apps, but looks dated	4/5
Gaming	Great array of gaming features including 165Hz and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and 3 HDMI 2.1 ports	4.5/5
Value	An exciting step forward for mini-LED, but expensive price means it remains exclusive	3/5

Buy it if...

You want a cinema-sized screen
The Hisense 116UX gives you the experience of a cinema at home, delivering high brightness and vibrant color.

You want a big screen for gaming
The 116UX has a great range of gaming features and solid performance to match, but the novelty of gaming on such a large screen is where gamers will be most excited.

Don't buy it if…

You're on a budget
The 116UX carries a very premium price tag and although prices will drop over the coming months, it's unlikely to become affordable for 99% of people.

You want a perfect picture
The 116UX has screen uniformity issues and struggles with some dark scenes. It struggles even more when these scenes are viewed off-center.

Also consider

	Hisense 116UX	Hisense 110UXN	Samsung QN90F (65-inch)	Hisense U8QG (65-inch)
Price	$24,999 / £24,999 / AU$34,999	$14,999 / £19,999 / around AU$24,300	$2,499.99 / £2,499 / AU$3,499	$2,199 / £2,199 / AU$2,999
Screen type	RGB Mini-LED	Mini-LED	Mini-LED	Mini-LED
Refresh rate	120Hz (up to 165Hz)	120Hz (up to 144Hz)	120Hz (up to 144Hz)	120Hz (up to 144HZ)
HDR support	Dolby Vision/HDR10+/HDR10/HLG	Dolby Vision IQ/HDR10/HLG/HDR10+	HDR10+/HDR10/HLG	Dolby Vision/HDR10+/HDR10/HLG
Smart TV	Google TV (US), VIDAA (UK/Aus)	Google TV (US/Aus), VIDAA (UK)	Tizen	Google TV (US/Aus), VIDAA (UK)
HDMI ports	3 x HDMI 2.1	4 (2x HDMI 2.1)	4 x HDMI 2.1	3 x HDMI 2.1

Hisense 110UXN
The Hisense 110UXN is the step-down model from the 116UX and while its standard mini-LED panel doesn't deliver as vibrant a picture as the 116UX, it does have similar features and is significantly cheaper, while still delivering a big screen experience.

Read our full Hisense 110UXN review

Samsung QN90F
Though it lacks the Hisense's RGB mini-LED panel and doesn't hit the same brightness levels as the 116UX, the Samsung QN90F delivers outstanding picture quality and has one of the most complete feature sets on the market, including an effective anti-reflection screen. Plus, it's a lot cheaper.

Read our full Samsung QN90F review

Hisense U8QG
The Hisense U8QG is one of Hisense's flagship TVs at a more affordable price. While it again doesn't deliver the same picture quality as the 116UX, it is excellent value for money and does deliver strong performance and a brilliant set of features for a good price. It's also frequently on sale.

Here's our full Hisense U8QG review

How I tested the Hisense 116UX

Hisense 116UX RGB mini-LED TV with ferris wheel at night on screen — (Image credit: Future)

Tested in light controlled testing room
Tested SDR and HDR sources for picture quality

I tested the Hisense 116UX in a light-controlled demo room at Hisense Europe HQ in Leeds, England.

I first established which picture modes I would use for my testing with some casual viewing. For my critical viewing, I used several reference scenes from both SDR (broadcast TV and streaming) and HDR sources (4K Blu-ray and streaming). I tested the 116UX's picture for brightness, color, shadow detail and contrast, screen uniformity, upscaling and motion. I also used these same sources to test the UX116's audio performance. To play 4K Blu-rays, I used the Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player.

I also tested gaming performance and features using a PlayStation 5.

Measurements for the Hisense 116UX were taken by my colleague Matthew Murray, Head of Testing at Future, at a separate event in the US.

These tests included peak (10% window) and fullscreen (100%) SDR and HDR brightness, measured on a white window test pattern.

HDR color gamut was also measured, examining the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces. Color and grayscal accuracy were measured using Delta-E values (the margin for error between the test pattern signal and what's shown on screen).

Finally, the TV's input lag was measured using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag Tester.

For a more detailed explanation of how we test TVs at TechRadar, check out the link.

First reviewed: September, 2025
Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

I spent weeks testing the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 soundbar, and its built-in Dirac Live room correction is a game-changer

2:00 pm | September 27, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Soundbars Televisions | Tags: Dolby Atmos, DTS, TV | Comments: Off

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 Soundbar: One minute review

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 on glass table with surround speakers and subwoofer — Klipsch Flexus Core 300 soundbar with optional Flexus SURR 200 rear speakers and Flexus SUB 200 subwoofer (Image credit: Future)

The Klipsch Flexus Core 300 isn’t the cheapest Dolby Atmos soundbar you can buy, but those who can afford it will find it matches the best Dolby Atmos soundbars on just about every level.

Now, it might not be the best soundbar for everyone. Aside from the big price tag, it’s also physically big. But it does everything else right. It has all the ports one could want, and it has all the features you’d expect to see in the best soundbars. Most importantly, it sounds really good. And once you set it up with the Dirac Live feature, the sound quality goes from really good to great. It’s that last bit that really puts it over the edge for me.

If you’re looking for a soundbar system that gives a true theater experience at home, the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 is more than capable, and the experience gets even more immersive when you add the accompanying surround speakers and subwoofer.

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 review: Price & release date

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 in box with packaging — Klipsch Flexus Core 300 system packaging (Image credit: Future)

Price: $1,199.99 / £1,049.00 (about AU$1,830)
First available: September 2025

The Klipsch Flexus Core 300 soundbar system reviewed here is anything but cheap. In fact,the Core 300 soundbar, with the Sub 200 subwoofer, and Surr 200 surround speakers that I tested will set you back an eye-wateringly high $2,299.97 / £1,827 (about AU$3,500).

Individually, the Core 300 soundbar goes for $1,199.99 / £1,049.00 (about AU$1,830), while the Sub 200 subwoofer is $599.99 / £419.00 (about AU$910) and the Surr 200 surround sound speakers are $499.99 / £359.00 (about AU$760) per pair. There are cheaper versions available of the subwoofer and surround speakers, so you can get away with a lower system cost, but you won’t have the same experience.

Also. Aussies will have to sit this one out (at least at the time of writing).

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 review: Specs

Dimensions (W x H x D)	soundbar: 54 x 3 x 5 inch / 1371 x 76.2 x 127mm; subwoofer: 15.25 x 15.25 x 15.25 inches (387 x 387 x 387mm); surround speaker: 4.1 x 8.75 x 4.31 inches 105 x 222.25 x 109.5mm
Speaker channels	5.1.2 (soundbar), 7.1.4 (with sub and surround speakers)
Connections:	HDMI 2.1 passthrough, HDMI eARC, USB-C, optical digital, subwoofer output, Bluetooth
Dolby Atmos/DTS:X	Yes/Yes
Sub included	Available separately
Rear speakers included	Available separately
Features	4K 120Hz passthrough, Dirac Live room calibration, AirPlay, Google Cast, Google Home support

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 review: Features

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 wireless dongle — The Klipsch Flexus Core 300 soundbar and the optional wireless sub and rear speakers uses wireless dongles to transmit and receive audio signals (Image credit: Future)

Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support
Night and dialog
Can adjust the volume of individual speakers

As you would expect from its price, the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 is feature-filled. It supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and you can add an optional subwoofer (or two subwoofers since dual subs are supported) and wireless surround speakers for a full surround sound experience. On top of that, it has built-in Dirac Live, a calibration software that minimizes the effects of room reflections on the sound.

The Flexus Core 300 features movie and music modes, along with a night mode that compresses the audio dynamic range for late-night viewing. A dialog mode offers three different levels to emphasize the specific part of the mid-range where dialog sits. This is a bit more subtle than what I’ve found on other soundbars, but still effective.

In the app, there are quite a few additional options for fine-tuning the sound. There’s a three-band EQ, and you can adjust the individual volume of each channel if you feel like something is out of balance. The only thing missing, surprisingly, is any kind of voice assistant support – a feature typically found on the more expensive soundbars.

WiFi streaming supports Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, AirPlay, and Google Cast. Google Home is the only supported smart home ecosystem.

Features score: 5 / 5

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 review: Performance

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 on stand with subwoofer on floor — Both the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 soundbar and SUB 200 subwoofer are large compared to most soundbar systems (Image credit: Future)

Basic sound quality is very good
Dirac Live elevates sound clarity
Immersive soundstage

There are two experiences when listening to the Klipsch Flexus Core 300: with and without Dirac Live. Without it, the soundbar sounds very good. Action movies like The Workman have that oomph you expect from a movie theater experience, where you can just feel the subwoofer. Whether it’s a sound effect of someone getting punched or the low notes in the score that add a sense of foreboding, the sound has an impressive sense of weight to it.

The treble is as good as you would expect from a soundbar this pricey as well, with synths, flutes, and windchimes sounding crisp with no loss of detail.

The mid-range is what suffers the most without Dirac Live as it sounds a bit overstuffed without adjustments and dialogue can get lost just a little bit. You can offset with a three-band EQ that provides a 6 dB boost or cut, and changes to the EQ, even with presets active, are noticeable.

But, the real solution is to use Dirac Live (which I describe below in the usability and setup section). Once you’ve gone through the Dirac Live setup, the soundbar will create a custom EQ profile to adjust for the reflections of soundwaves bouncing around your media room, and the difference is stark. Dirac Live makes this soundbar go from good to amazing, with everything sounding clean, especially in the mid-range.

I watched The Batman, the first episode of The Residence, and an Eagles vs Cowboys football game, along with plenty of music during my testing. No matter how complex the soundtrack or music was, I could hear everything with precision. That alone justifies the Flexus Core 300’s price. Other room calibration systems I’ve tried can be very good, but this one is great.

I also experienced immersive sound when testing the surround sound speakers, even when they were not as widely placed as they should be. For the most part, their presentation was subtle; I would almost not realize that there was audio coming through them until I paid attention and realized that I was hearing the sound of wind.

Performance score: 5 / 5

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 review: Design

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 on stand with TV in background — The Klipsch Flexus Core 300 has a bright alphanumeric LED display for control feedback (Image credit: Future)

Modern, elegant look
Large soundbar and subwoofer
Extensive ports

While the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 comes in basic black, there’s something about its look that’s more elegant than a lot of the competition. (A walnut version is also available.) The soundbar and subwoofer both have wood grain showing through the black (not so for the surround sound speakers), and a silver Klipsch logo is featured prominently on each unit.

Now, don’t mistake that elegance for compact. This isn’t Apple. The Klipsch Flexus Core 300 soundbar is 54 inches wide, and the SUB 200 subwoofer is a 15-inch cube. The SURR 200 surround speakers are just under nine inches tall and a bit over four inches wide and deep. If you’re limited on space, this is not the system for you.

Focusing on just the soundbar, I really appreciate that the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 has an alphanumeric LED display that’s bright and sizable enough that it’s easy to read.

As far as controls go, most of the functionality is either on the remote or in the app. The soundbar itself just has power, input, and volume up and down buttons situated off-center on top.

The Flexus Core 300 comes with just about everything portone could ask for, including but not limited to multiple HDMI ports featuring eARC and 4K 120Hz passthrough, along with an optical digital input and RCA subwoofer output. Of course, there’s Bluetooth as well.

Most of your interaction with the soundbar will probably be through the remote. While I wish it was rechargeable instead of using AAA batteries, that’s really the only criticism I can throw at it. It feels good to hold with its rounded back, and the layout allows you to adjust most functions without having to use the app, including switching sound modes and adjusting the volume of the surround speakers and subwoofer.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 review: Setup & usability

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 app screens — Klipsch's control app lets you adjust all system functions and is also used for Dirac Live calibration (Image credit: Future)

Generally easy to set up
Sub and surround speakers use wireless dongles
Dirac Live calibration requires silence

Klipsch packs the soundbar, subwoofer, and surround speakers with their own manual, and setting them up is a fairly straightforward process, though not exactly plug-and-play. I’ve set up a few soundbar systems with wireless connections before, and those typically get paired right out of the box. Here, both the subwoofer and surround sound speakers come with their own wireless dongle that needs to be plugged into the soundbar before pairing.

Considering that the sub and surround speakers are separate purchases, that makes sense. But it’s an additional step, and you have to press the pairing button on each external speaker and wait for the soundbar to connect.

If you want to get the most functionality out of Klipsch’s system, you also need to set up the app. This part was easy – all I had to do was connect it to Wi-Fi and answer some personalization questions.

The only thing I found a little difficult was setting up the Dirac Live calibration, which is finicky compared to other automatic calibration systems I’ve used. But then again, Dirac Live is the standard that audiophiles use for room correction.

The soundbar comes with a wired microphone that gets placed around the sitting area, and the calibration process requires complete silence. If a pet passes by or someone calls out during the ten-minute Dirac Live calibration, or if the air conditioner is too loud, then the test will fail and need to be run again.

Setup & usability score: 4.5 / 5

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 review: Value

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 SURR 200 surround speakers on table — Klipsch's SURR 200 rear speakers are easy to setup and deliver immersive surround sound (Image credit: Future)

Expensive compared to other premium soundbars
Other premium systems not as well designed
Competition doesn’t support Dirac Live

As great as the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 Soundbar System is, it’s expensive compared to the competition. That’s especially true if you compare the system to premium models from large manufacturers like Samsung and LG, and not boutique audiophile brands that typically go for even more money.

As far as specific examples go, the LG S95AR is an impressive soundbar system in its own right – I gave it a very favorable review – and comes with surround speakers and a subwoofer without requiring an extra purchase. Its price tag of $1,699.99 (about £1,260 / AUD$2,610) might seem higher than the Flexus Core 300’s price tag of $1,199.99 / £1,049.00 / AU$1,695, but it’s actually a good deal when you consider it’s a complete package. The Klipsch is more aesthetically pleasing and sounds better, but both are quality systems.

The Samsung HW-Q990F, which retails for $1,799 / £1,699 / AU$1,995. Is a feature-filled 11.1.4 system that also makes the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 Soundbar System feel overpriced. Again, there’s a difference in aesthetics and the Samsung (along with the LG) doesn’t support Dirac Live room calibration, although they do provide their own proprietary calibrations.

Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Klipsch Flexus Core 300?

Section	Notes	Score
Features	Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Night and Dialog mode are all here along with Dirac Live room EQ	5 / 5
Performance	Very good immersion and basic sound quality that is strongly enhanced by Dirac Live	5 / 5
Design	Classy looking and with an LED display, but large for a soundbar	4.5 / 5
Setup & usability	Relatively easy to set up, though Dirac Live calibration can be finicky if you don’t have complete silence	4.5 / 5
Value	As great as this soundbar system is, it’s among the more expensive options	4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a true home theater experience
This system is probably the closest you can get to a home theater experience with a soundbar. It not only sounds good, but you can feel it.

You want great sound, no matter the room
With Dirac Live, you’ll get clear, balanced sound even if you’re putting the soundbar in a less-than-ideal room

You want all the features
Whether it’s Dolby Atmos, room calibration via Dirac Live, or HDMI passthrough with 4K 120Hz support, you’ll find it here.

Don't buy it if...

You have a small space
This is a big system, and the sound will overwhelm smaller spaces. If you have a cramped or small media room, there are other, much less expensive options that will give you a good experience.

You want a smart home system other than Google
Google Home is the only smart home ecosystem the soundbar supports. Considering that many people use Alexa or Apple HomeKit instead, the limited support is, well, limiting.

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 review: Also consider

	Klipsch Flexus Core 300	Samsung HW-Q990F	LG S95AR	Sonos Arc Ultra
Price	$1,199.99 / £1,049.00 (about AU$1,830)	$1,999 / £1,699 / AU$2,099	$1,699.99 (about £1,260 / AU$2,610)	$999 / £999 / AU$1,799
Dimensions (w x h x d)	Soundbar: 54 x 3 x 5 inch / 1371 x 76.2 x 127mm; subwoofer: 15.25 x 15.25 x 15.25 inches (387 x 387 x 387mm); surround speaker: 4.1 x 8.75 x 4.31 inches 105 x 222.25 x 109.5mm	Soundbar: 1232 x 70.8 x 138 mm (48.5 x 2.8 x 5.4 inch); Subwoofer: 249 x 251.8 x 249 mm (9.8 x 10.0 x 9.8 inch); Rear speaker: 129.5 x 201.3 x140.4 mm (5.1 x 8.0 x 5.5 inch)	Soundbar: 49.2 x 2.5 x 5.3 in (1250 x 63.5 x 134.6mm); subwoofer: 7.9 x 16 x 15.9 in (200 x 406 x 404mm); rear speakers: 6.3 x 8.8 x 5.6 in (160 x 223.5 x 142mm)	2.95 x 46.38 x 4.35 inches (75 x 1178 x 110.6mm)
Speaker channels	5.1.2 (soundbar), 7.1.4 (with sub and surround speakers)	11.1.4	9.1.5	9.1.4
Connections	HDMI 2.1 passthrough, HDMI eARC, USB-C, optical digital, subwoofer output, Bluetooth	1x HDMI out (with eARC), 2x HDMI 2.1 in, optical digital audio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth	2x HDMI (1 with eARC), optical, digital, Bluetooth, USB type-A	1x HDMI with eARC, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Dolby Atmos/DTS:X	Yes/Yes	Yes/Yes	Yes/Yes	Yes/No

Samsung HW-Q990F

If you want a powerful, all-encompassing surround sound and Dolby Atmos-equipped soundbar, the Samsung HW-Q990F has about as much going for it as the LG S95AR. Like the LG soundbar, it’s also a bit pricey and has an obscured LED display.

Read our full Samsung HW-Q990F review

LG S95AR

The LG S95AR is a premium surround sound system that sounds great and has a whole list of features, including some that only work with LG TVs (and therefore you won’t find with other soundbar systems). It is a minor update from its predecessor, and expensive, though not nearly as pricey as the Klipsch.

Read our full LG S95AR review

Sonos Arc Ultra

Sonos’ flagship 9.1.4-channel soundbar is less pricey and more compact than the Klipsch, and it can also be extended with the company’s wireless subwoofers and surround speakers. Unlike the Klipsch, there is no HDMI passthrough or DTS support, and the design of the Sonos app prioritizes multiroom music streaming over soundbar functionality.

Read our full Sonos Arc Ultra review

How I tested the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 Soundbar

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 with subwoofer on floor — (Image credit: Future)

I used the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 Soundbar system for several weeks
Tested with TV, movies, games, and music

I used the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 Soundbar System regularly for several weeks with TV, movies, games, and music. I tested the different modes and inputs, and I spent a lot of time with the Dirac Live calibration.

I’ve tested plenty of tech gear over the years ,from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

Samsung S85F review: two minute review

The Samsung S85F, the company’s entry-level OLED TV for 2025, could easily get overshadowed by its step-up siblings and more premium OLED competition. However, the S85F offers a good range of features and great performance at a more affordable price, with the 65-inch model I tested available for $1,499.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$1,999.99 several months after its release.

One thing to note in this review: I tested the 65-inch Samsung S85F, which in the UK, where I am based, uses a W-OLED panel. In the US, the 55- and 65-inch models instead use a QD-OLED panel.

The S85F boasts a feature list that rivals the best TVs, particularly in terms of smart TV and gaming capabilities. That list also includes AI-based picture enhancement tools such as 4K AI Upscaling and Real Depth Enhancer, as well as an improved Tizen 9.0 smart TV platform.

Picture quality on the S85F comes close to rivaling the best OLED TVs. Colors are vibrant, and it delivers strong contrast with deep blacks and refined shadow detail. Textures are realistic with both 4K and HD sources, giving people and objects a 3D-like quality. Motion does require some setup, but once this is done, the picture is smooth and responsive. Brightness is lower than that of flagship OLEDs such as the Samsung S95F and LG G5, and even mid-range OLEDs like the LG C5, but that’s the one area where it falls short.

The S85F’s two 2-channel, 20W speaker array delivers decent bass and clear speech, and it accurately maps sound effects to the action on screen, but is otherwise just average. Some may find the S85F’s sound fine for day-to-day viewing, but I’d recommend adding one of the best soundbars.

The S85F carries a gaming feature set to match the best gaming TVs, and it has the performance to match. Its four HDMI 2.1 ports support 4K 120Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, ALLM, and HDR10+ gaming. Samsung’s Gaming Hub has access to tons of cloud gaming apps, and an ultra-low 9.4ms input lag time ensures responsive performance, regardless of the game.

Tizen 9.0, the latest version of Samsung’s smart TV platform, is arguably the best one to date. Navigation is smooth, there are AI-based tools for content recommendation, and there are plenty of settings to adjust the picture. Those settings can be a pain to find at times, but that doesn’t make Tizen 9.0 any less of a success.

The S85F is great value for money. It has a comprehensive list of features, strong performance for gaming and movies, and is affordably priced for an OLED TV. While step-up models such as the Samsung S90F and LG C5 can be had for a bit more money, the S85F is still a great value overall.

Samsung S85F review: Prices & release date

Samsung S85F with canyon on screen — (Image credit: Future)

Release date: May 2025
55-inch: $1,399.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,499
65-inch: $1,999.99 / £2,099.99 / AU$3,299
77-inch: $2,799.99 / £2,799.99 / AU$4,999
83-inch: $4,499.99 / £3,799.99 / AU$6,999

The Samsung S85F is the entry-level OLED model in Samsung’s 2025 TV lineup, sitting below the mid-range Samsung S90F and flagship Samsung S95F. It is available in sizes ranging from 55 to 83 inches. The 65-inch model I tested launched at $1,999.99 / £2,099.99 / AU$3,299.

All models have dropped in price since launch. At the time of writing, the 65-inch model is selling for as low as $1,499.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$1,999.99, putting it in the same region as its closest rival, the LG B5 (65-inch priced at $1,399.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$2,695). I expect those prices to continue dropping throughout 2025.

Samsung S85F review: Specs

Screen type:	OLED
Refresh rate:	Up to 120Hz
HDR support:	HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Audio support:	Dolby Atmos
Smart TV:	Tizen
HDMI ports:	4 x HDMI 2.1
Built-in tuner (US):	ATSC 1.0

Samsung S85F review: Benchmark results

Samsung S85F review: Features

Samsung S85F with Gaming Hub on screen — The Samsung Gaming Hub (pictured) is one of the Samsung S85F's strongest features (Image credit: Future)

NQ4 AI Gen 2 Processor and W-OLED panel
4K 120Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync
Vision AI tools

US models of the S85F use QD-OLED panels exclusively in the 55-inch and 65-inch screen sizes. In every other region, the S85F uses standard W-OLED panels across all sizes. Since I’m in the UK, I tested a 65-inch model with a W-OLED panel.

The S85F features Samsung’s NQ4 AI Gen 2 processor, which has picture enhancements such as 4K AI Upscaling and Real Depth Enhancer. Like all Samsung TVs, there is support for HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG high dynamic range formats, but not Dolby Vision.

A two-channel, 20W speaker array on the S85F supports Dolby Atmos, and there are sound-based AI tools such as Adaptive Sound and Active Voice Amplifier Pro. The S85F also supports Q-Symphony, which enables its speakers to be used in conjunction with compatible Samsung soundbars when connected.

Gaming is well supported on the S85F. The TV’s four HDMI 2.1 ports support 4K 120Hz, ALLM, HDR10+ gaming, and both AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync. The S85F also features the Samsung Gaming Hub, a portal for cloud-based gaming services.

The S85F features Samsung’s Tizen smart TV platform, now on version 9.0. This provides AI tools for picture and sound enhancement, plus other features such as click to search and AI content recommendations. Tizen provides access to pretty much all major streaming apps, such as Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and, in the UK, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and other major UK-based streaming apps.

Features score: 5 / 5

Samsung S85F review: Picture quality

Samsung S85F with Elphaba from Wicked on screen — Colors and textures look great on the Samsung S85F, as shown here with Wicked (Image credit: Universal Pictures / Future)

Rich colors
Strong contrast and shadow detail
Middling brightness compared to other OLEDs

Measuring the S85F’s peak HDR brightness on a 10% white window pattern, it hit 777 nits in Filmmaker Mode and 818 nits in Standard mode. While that result is lower than mid-range OLED TVs such as the Samsung S90F, it was higher than the LG B5 (668 nits in Movie mode and 637 nits in Standard mode), which uses a similar panel.

The S85F’s fullscreen HDR brightness was just average, topping at 147 nits in Filmmaker Mode and 150 nits in Standard mode. This is again in the same region as the B5 (170 nits in Standard and 131 nits in Filmmaker), but much lower than what you’ll get with recent flagship OLEDs, which average around 300-plus nits on this test.

The S85F does an impressive job upscaling HD-quality movies and TV shows. A stream of Fight Club on Disney+ benefited from upscaled textures and showed good contrast. The same can’t be said for standard-definition content from apps like Samsung TV Plus and YouTube, however.

Color was among the S85F’s strong points. Viewed in the Movie picture mode, a scene from the 4K Blu-ray of Wicked, in which Elphaba stands under a pink tree, revealed vibrant pink flowers and a vivid green hue to Elphaba’s skin. Filmmaker Mode looked more natural, but picture highlights had more punch in Movie mode. A 4K stream of Elemental also demonstrated the S85F’s superb color, particularly in a scene where Ember repairs a broken vase.

Measuring the S85F’s HDR color gamut, it covered 98.1% of the DCI-P3 and 71.5% of the BT.2020 color spaces. While the former is a great result, the latter is lacking compared to other recent OLEDs, which have ranged from 74-81% in our tests.

Samsung S85F with pocket watch on screen — The S85F delivers rich black levels and great contrast (Image credit: Future)

The S85F exhibited excellent contrast and shadow detail. Watching The Batman, specifically the opening crime scene in Mayor Mitchell’s house, there was a powerful balance between the light areas of torches and lamps and the dark floors and walls. Paintings were still visible on the walls in the darkest points of the scene, and so was Batman’s eye as he turned away from the camera. Shadows here were deep and rich throughout, with no signs of black crush.

Due to the S85F’s limited brightness and glossy screen, darker movies like The Batman were harder to watch in brighter viewing conditions, and were best saved for dim or pitch black viewing.

Black and white scenes from Oppenheimer also demonstrated the S85F’s excellent screen uniformity, displaying a good range of black, white and gray tones evenly across the screen.

Motion handling required some setup on the S85F. For sports, I found Standard mode with judder reduction set to 3-5 and blur redirection set to 2 to be the best settings, resulting in a smooth, but not overly smooth, picture. There was still some ghosting of the ball during a soccer game on Prime Video with these settings, but it was minimal. As for movies, a scene in No Time to Die where a camera pans across a hillside required the same motion settings to reduce judder.

Detail was one of the S85F’s other picture quality strengths. Almost everything I watched looked crisp and refined, taking on a realistic look without being too sharp. This gave people and objects a 3D-like quality, something helped along by the TV’s Real Depth Enhancer feature.

Picture quality score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung S85F review: Sound quality

Samsung S85F with multi-colored bottles on screen — The S85F features Samsung's Object Tracking Sound (OTS) Lite system for a more spatially accurate sound presentation (Image credit: Future)

Two-channel, 20W speaker array
Good accuracy and solid bass
Narrow soundstage

The S85F has a two-channel, 20W speaker system with Dolby Atmos support. There are two audio presets, Standard and Amplify, along with AI sound tools such as Adaptive Sound and Voice Amplifier Pro, both of which analyze the viewing environment and content on screen to adapt the sound.

Despite having a limited two-channel sound system, the S85F demonstrated solid bass. In the Batmobile/Penguin car chase from The Batman, it delivered the rumble of the Batmobile’s engine and the crunch of collisions with good impact and weight. The Object Tracking Sound (OTS) Lite system also did a great job of connecting sound with the action on screen, accurately mapping swerving tires, bullet sprays and blaring car horns. Speech was generally clear throughout my testing.

The S85F’s soundstage felt very narrow, however, with sound effects never really extending beyond the screen. While the S85F’s sound will be fine for day-to-day viewing, it deserves a soundbar to match its picture quality.

Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5

Samsung S85F review: Design

Samsung S85F feet — The S85F's support feet can be installed in two positions: wide or narrow (Image credit: Future)

Sleek design with trim frame
Wide and narrow support feet options
SolarCell remote

Like many Samsung TVs, the S85F has an appealing design, with its extra-slim build and bezel-less screen giving it a sleek, modern look. Its rear panel even has a navy/gray color that helps differentiate it from other TVs on the market.

There are wide and narrow installation options for the TV’s support feet. Wide is perfect for accommodating a soundbar, and the narrow position is for those who have a particularly small TV stand.

The S85F comes with Samsung’s SolarCell remote, which features both a USB-C port and a solar cell on the rear as charging options. A new addition is the AI button, which provides access to Vision AI settings, such as click to search when pressed. If you’re in the UK, you’ll get Samsung’s older remote with a numeric keypad as well.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung S85F review: Smart TV & menus

Samsung S85F with Tizen home page on screen — Tizen 9.0, the latest version of Samsung's smart TV platform, is the best one to date (Image credit: Future)

Tizen 9.0 platform
Responsive performance and clean layout
Some settings are buried in menus

Samsung’s Tizen smart TV platform has gone through several big changes over the last few years, and the new Tizen 9.0 is the best version to date. A quick menu provides easy access to settings such as picture mode, brightness, and sound output. There are also four useful hubs: Home, for streaming apps and content recommendations; Game, for gaming apps and settings; Daily+, for lifestyle apps such as office and health; and Ambient, which gives access to artwork, photos and videos that can be displayed in a low power mode.

Tizen 9.0 offers AI content recommendations based on your watch history, and its Samsung TV Plus app houses hundreds of free channels. For UK users, Samsung TV Plus serves as an alternative to Freeview. There is the option to create custom profiles for different users as well.

Tizen 9.0 may be a marked improvement over previous versions, but it’s still not perfect. While there are plenty of settings to adjust the picture, these can be tough to navigate. For instance, I was frustrated to find that settings I regularly use, such as Motion, were buried deep in sub-menus.

Tizen doesn’t quite beat LG’s webOS as the best smart TV platform, but it comes in a very close second.

Smart TV & menus score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung S85F review: Gaming

Samsung S85F with Battlefield V on screen — The S85F has a stacked list of gaming features and delivers great performance. (Image credit: Future)

Four HDMI 2.1 ports
4K 120Hz, FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync
9.4ms input lag time

The S85F carries a near-full stock of gaming features across its four HDMI 2.1 ports. These include support for 4K 120Hz, VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync (the latter a first for Samsung TVs), HDR10+ gaming and ALLM.

Samsung’s Gaming Hub offers cloud-based gaming services such as Xbox, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Luna, along with gaming-related content. It also allows for quick access to connected gaming devices such as consoles.

With an ultra-low 9.4ms measured input lag, gaming performance on the S85F is smooth and responsive. In even the most chaotic battle sequences in Battlefield V, I found it was snappy and responded to my inputs quickly with no signs of stutter or screen tearing.

Gaming score: 5 / 5

Samsung S85F review: Value

Samsung 2025 SolarCell remote — The S85F comes with Samsung's SolarCell remote (Image credit: Future)

Competitively priced for an entry-level OLED
Strong features and performance for price
Better value in US due to QD-OLED panel

I’ve seen the 65-inch S85F I tested selling for $1,499.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$1,999.99. While this is good value for an OLED TV of this size in the UK and Australia, it’s even better value in the US, since that size uses a QD-OLED panel that can potentially provide even better performance.

The S85F is competitively priced with its main rival, the LG B5, which costs $1,399.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$2,695 for the 65-inch model. I expect these two will compete on price for the remainder of the year, particularly during Black Friday.

The step-up Samsung S90F (which also uses a QD-OLED panel in the 65-inch size in both the US and the UK) is available for $1,699.99 / £2,099.99 / AU$4,295, meaning it’s a good value. And at $1,699.99 / £2,099.99 / AU$4,295, the LG C5, LG’s mid-range OLED, is priced the same as the S90F. For a bit more money, both these models offer better performance, with higher picture brightness.

Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung S85F?

Samsung S85F with orange butterfly on screen — (Image credit: Future)

Samsung S85F
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	A strong array of features for both gaming and smart TV	5/5
Picture quality	Excellent color and contrast plus realistic textures, but lacks brightness of more premium OLEDs	4.5/5
Sound quality	Solid bass performance and accurate mapping, but a narrow soundstage	3.5/5
Design	Slim, sleek design with two-position stand gives TV a more premium look than its price would suggest	4.5/5
Smart TV and menus	Best iteration of Tizen to date, with useful menus and settings and smooth performance, but some settings are buried in menus	4.5/5
Gaming	4K 120Hz and full VRR support plus ultra-responsive performance and Samsung Gaming Hub	5/5
Value	A great value TV that has all the features and performance most people will want	4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a great OLED picture for less
The S85F delivers bold colors, crisp textures and strong contrast for a cheaper price than most other 2025 OLED TVs.

You want a great TV for gaming
The S85F has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 120Hz, FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, and it delivers ultra-smooth performance.

You want value for money
An impressive picture, a full list of gaming features and plenty of smart tools and features make the S85F great value for money.

Don't buy it if…

You want to watch in a bright room
The S85F doesn't have the high brightness of premium OLEDs, and its screen is reflective in brighter viewing conditions.

You want Dolby Vision support
Samsung TVs don't support Dolby Vision for movies or gaming, and the S85F is no exception. It does support HDR10+, however.

You want the best built-in sound
While fine for day-to-day viewing, the S85F's built-in sound can't compare with a soundbar, with even affordable models beating it.

Also consider

	Samsung S85F	LG B5	LG C5	Samsung S90F
Price (65-inch)	$1,999.99 / £2,099.99 / AU$3,299	$1,999.99 / £2,499 / AU$3,299	$2,699 / £2,699 / AU$4,299	$2,499 / £2,699 / AU$4,299
Screen type	OLED (QD-OLED on 55- and 65-inch models in the US)	OLED	OLED	QD-OLED (65-inch only)
Refresh rate	120Hz	120Hz	144Hz	144Hz
HDR support	HDR10+/HDR10/HLG	Dolby Vision/HDR10/HLG	Dolby Vision/HDR10/HLG	HDR10+/HDR10/HLG
Smart TV	Tizen	webOS 25	webOS25	Tizen
HDMI ports	4 x HDMI 2.1	4 x HDMI 2.1	4 x HDMI 2.1	4 x HDMI 2.1

LG B5
The Samsung S85F's closest rival, the LG B5 offers similar brightness, features, performance, and even price. The B5 does support Dolby Vision HDR, but not the HDR10+ format.

Read our full LG B5 review

LG C5
The LG C5 is brighter than the S85F, so it's better suited to watching in well-lit rooms. It also has better processing speed and built-in sound. It is, however, a step-up in price, and the S85F carries many of the same gaming features and performance.

Read our full LG C5 review

Samsung 65-inch S90F
The step-up model over the S85F, the Samsung S90F uses a QD-OLED panel in its 65-inch model, and that gives higher brightness, along with better contrast and color detail. It also supports a 144Hz refresh rate for gaming.

Read our full 65-inch Samsung S90F review

How I tested the Samsung S85F

Samsung S85F with testing equipment attached — (Image credit: Future)

Tested in our testing room in varying lighting conditions
Tested using HDR and SDR sources
Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

Before conducting my testing, I spent some time casually viewing the S85F to establish its best picture modes, settling on a mix of Filmmaker Mode and Movie mode, with Standard for sports.

I conducted subjective testing by watching reference SDR (DVD, Blu-ray) and HDR (4K Blu-ray and streaming) sources to test the S85F's picture quality, focusing on color, contrast, textures, upscaling, shadow detail and motion handling.

For 4K Blu-rays and other discs, I used a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player, and I also used an Xbox Series X to analyze gaming performance.

I next conducted objective testing, taking measurements using specialized equipment: a Klein K-10 A colorimeter, with a Jeti Spectraval 1501 used to profile it and a Murideo 8K Six G Metal test pattern generator, with Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software to record the results.

I measured the S85F's HDR and SDR brightness on 1-100% white window patterns, focusing on 10% (peak) and 100% (fullscreen) brightness.

Next, I measured the S85F's color and grayscale accuracy, looking for a Delta-E (the margin for error between the test pattern and what's displayed on screen) average below 3. I also measured the S85F's DCI-P3 and BT.2020 HDR color gamut coverage.

Finally, I measured the S85F's input lag using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag tester.

First reviewed: September 2025
Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

I tested the Sony Bravia Projector 7, and it has the deepest blacks I’ve seen on a 4K projector

2:00 pm | September 13, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Theater Projectors Televisions | Tags: TV | Comments: Off

Sony Bravia Projector 7 : One minute review

The Sony Bravia Projector 7 (VPL-XW5100ES) joins Sony’s projector lineup following the Bravia Projector 9 and Bravia Projector 8. It’s the cheapest of the three but still comes in at a staggering $9,999 / £6,999 / AU$13,999. Compared to popular consumer projectors like the $2,999 Hisense C2 Ultra, that is a huge leap. But the Bravia Projector 7 is specialty hardware designed for die-hard cinema fans with plans for a robust home theater, and in that context, it’s fairly priced.

Like other higher-end examples of the best projectors, the Bravia Projector 7 is somewhat simple – it’s just a projector. There’s no Google TV or other streaming platform built in, and there’s no sound system or even audio output ports. The few ports the Bravia Projector 7 does have are a pair of 4K 120Hz-capable HDMI 2.1 inputs plus a smattering of ports used for custom installation.

Though it’s just a projector, it’s a truly excellent one. It has flexible optics with a wide zoom range as well as vertical and horizontal lens shift, making it easy to align the projection. The picture you’ll get on your screen is also stunning: bright, colorful, and with the deepest black levels I can recall seeing from a projector.

While I’d love to see a wider color gamut and support for more HDR formats, these never felt like more than minor shortcomings during my time with the Bravia Projector 7, which never failed to impress. If you’re considering a projector for a dedicated, high-end home theater, it should be on your list.

Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Price & release date

Sony Bravia Projector 7 close up of lens and lens adjustment rings — The Bravia Projector 7 features manual focus and zoom adjustments on its lens (Image credit: Future)

Release date: June 2025
Price: $9,999 / £6,999 / AU$13,999

The Bravia Projector 7 launch trailed behind the Projector 8 and 9, and though its price also trails behind those models, it is decidedly a luxury home theater product. The Bravia Projector 7 comes in at $9,999 / £6,999 / AU$13,999.

Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Specs

Screen sizes supported:	90-130 inches
Brightness (specified):	2,200 Lumens
HDR support:	HDR10, HLG
Optical technology:	Laser SXRD (Silicon Crystal Reflective Display)
Smart TV:	N/A
Connections:	2x HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, USB-A, RS-232C, D-Sub 9-pin, 3.5mm (12V trigger)
Dimensions (H x W x D):	18.3 x 18.59 x 7.88 inches
Weight:	15.4 pounds (7kg)

Sony Bravia Projector 7 lens shift adjustment dials — Dials on the projector's top provide 71% vertical and 25% horizontal lens shift adjustments (Image credit: Future)

Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Design & features

Sony Bravia Projector 7 rear panel ports — The projector's connections include two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz and ALLM support (Image credit: Future)

Large footprint
No audio capabilities or smart TV
Flexible optics

The Bravia Projector 7 is a sizable home theater projector on the scale of the Epson LS12000 and BenQ W5800. This isn’t one of those compact lifestyle projectors, and it’s even larger than some of the ultra short throw projectors I’ve tested. The upside to this size is that the Bravia Projector 7 runs quietly, and it can still fit onto a (sizable) mantle or shelf at the back of a room, but it is better suited to ceiling mounting.

Thankfully, the Bravia Projector 7 is flexible about placement. The lens has a 1.6x zoom range, letting it shift from a modest throw ratio of 1.38 to a longer 2.21. It also has vertical and horizontal lens shift, offering 71% shifting vertically and 25% horizontally in either direction. You manually adjust focus and zoom using rings around the lens, and lens shift with a set of dials hidden under a small panel on the projector’s top.

In addition to these optical adjustments, the Bravia Projector 7 supports digital keystone, though for a projector of this caliber, it’s worth just ensuring proper alignment.

On one side, the Bravia Projector 7 includes several controls in case you misplace the remote control. There is also a series of ports, though most of these are for professional features, like networking and special triggers. Two HDMI 2.1 ports will accept a 4K 120Hz input, but these are for video input only. Neither offers eARC to pass on an audio signal. And with no other form of audio output, the projector doesn’t play well with streaming sticks or even some home theater PCs if they lack a quality audio output of their own.

The Bravia Projector 7 includes a large remote control with a fully backlit keypad. It includes buttons to access preset picture profiles, along with sharpness, brightness, and contrast. A large directional control is also built into the remote and includes a toggle to let the projector display a test pattern to help line up and focus the picture.

Design & features score: 4/5

Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Picture quality

Image 1 of 3

Sony Bravia Projector 7 showing images from Avatar: The Way of Water

The Bravia Projector 7's picture is characterized by crisp 4K detail and deep blacks (Image credit: Future)

Image 2 of 3

Sony Bravia Projector 7 showing images from Avatar: The Way of Water

(Image credit: Future)

Image 3 of 3

Sony Bravia Projector 7 showing images from Avatar: The Way of Water

(Image credit: Future)

Bright and sharp picture
Deep blacks
Support for 4K 120Hz

Inside, the Bravia Projector 7 is built around a laser diode light source and features a native 4K SXRD optical system. While it’s still not quite on the level of triple-laser projectors for color gamut coverage, the picture is still simply stunning. As much as I’d love to see that extra bit of color, the quality is otherwise the best I've ever seen.

Blacks on the Bravia Projector 7 are simply exceptional. I can’t recall another projector I’ve seen that so thoroughly sank into darkness when displaying shadows. Letterbox bars presented by the Bravia Projector 7 looked so dim as to be indistinguishable from the surrounding walls, which were only illuminated by the light bouncing around the room from the projector itself during my evaluation. The Bravia Projector 7 has such good black levels that you will really want to invest in some light-absorbing materials or dark paint to reduce reflected room light’s impact on the picture.

The projector also gets bright enough for various uses in the daytime, even with daylight coming in through multiple windows. Cartoons, bright video games, and even web-browsing were all possible. You won’t want to watch darker content in this environment, though. But given this is a projector intended for a specialized viewing setup, I don’t think a few blackout curtains would be a tall order.

Sony Bravia Projector 7 on-projector controls — Basic adjustments and menu nav controls are located on the side (Image credit: Future)

The Projector 7 uses Sony’s XR Processor for projector, and the resulting image is fantastically crisp, with the optics making even fine text appear clear from edge to edge. And that includes objects in motion. Panning shots looked fluid, avoiding stuttering and judder but also artifacts such as the soap opera effect that plagues many systems trying to smooth motion. The Bravia Projector 7 was also happy to game at 4K 120Hz, with smooth visuals and only faint ghosting, and its ALLM feature ensured any input lag was negligible.

Even though the HDR support doesn’t go beyond HDR10, the Projector 7’s XR Dynamic Tone Mapping provides features to enhance the look of HDR content, including three selectable tone mapping modes. An XR Deep Black feature also contributes by ensuring blacks look deep and highlights get maximum brightness punch. For example, when the earth ships decelerate as they approach Pandora in Avatar: The Way of Water, the picture looked simply stunning with the deep black of space contrasted with brilliant flames.

Picture quality score: 4.5/5

Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Value

Sony Bravia Projector 7 on table bathed in purple light — (Image credit: Future)

High price tag
Price is still competitive for category
Performance equivalent to competition

The Bravia Projector 7 is expensive, and you are only getting a display for the money with no speakers (or a way to output audio to speakers), and no smart platform for streaming. That may be a tough pill to swallow for some, but the Bravia Projector 7 isn’t meant for someone who wants anything less than a masterful home theater setup. And the display that you’re getting is a truly exceptional one.

There’s no getting past this being a big investment, both for the projector and for all the other elements you’ll need to make the most of the Sony Bravia Projector 7. And there are plenty of projectors that won’t look half bad next to the Bravia Projector 7 while being way less expensive.

So while it’s tough to say the Bravia Projector 7 is a great value, that still can’t undercut its greatness. And the truth is, the Bravia Projector 7 is still a bargain next to some, like the Epson QL7000, and it’s a comparably priced and worthy rival to the JVC DLA-NZ700.

Value score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Sony Bravia Projector 7?

Sony Bravia Projector 7 on table with laser light turned on — (Image credit: Future)

Sony Bravia Projector 7
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Design and features	Fairly huge, but it's smartly designed, and the adjustable optics allow for positioning flexibility	4/5
Picture quality	The picture quality is absolutely brilliant, and I haven’t seen such a deep black from a projector before. Its ability to run at 4K 120Hz for gaming also adds to the experience	4.5/5
Value	It’s not cheap, but the picture is great and the price is comparable to some of the other dedicated home theater projector options out there	3.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a truly gorgeous picture
The Bravia Projector 7 can provide a sharp, clean image with powerful contrast, great color, and impressive motion handling. View Deal

You have the rest of your home theater sorted
This projector requires more elements to make a complete home theater. If you’ve already got the sound, the seating, the light mitigation, and video sources in place, this is a great drop-in solution, especially with its flexible optics.View Deal

You know you’re going big with the picture
The value of a projector really soars as you move to bigger and bigger pictures. And the Bravia Projector 7 is happy to go even bigger than 100 inches while still maintaining a brilliant image.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You just want to plunk it down in your living room
Tapping this projector’s full capabilities takes some effort. Just about any stray light or reflective surface in the room is going to degrade picture quality, and then you won’t be getting all of what you’ve paid for.View Deal

You like a simple setup
The Bravia Projector 7 is meant for complete home theater setups with an A/V receiver routing video and audio signals, and cables and wires running all over the room. If that doesn’t sound appealing, you would probably be better suited by a different projector.View Deal

You don’t like watching in a dark room
This projector’s extremely deep black levels are probably its greatest aspect, but you won’t appreciate them unless you black out your room almost completely. If you prefer watching with some lights on, look instead for a brighter model designed to work in a range of lighting conditions. View Deal

Also consider

Comparison: projectors
	Sony Bravia Projector 7	Epson Pro Cinema LS12000	Hisense C2 Ultra	JVC DLA-NZ700
Price:	$9,999	$5,000	$2,999	$8.999
Screen sizes supported:	90 to 130 inches	50 to 130 inches	65-300 inches	30 to 150 inches
Brightness (specified):	2,400 lumens	2,500 lumens	3,000 lumens	2,300 lumens
HDR support	HDR10, HLG	HDR10, HDR10+, HLG	Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG	HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Optical technology:	Laser SXRD	Laser 3LCD	RGB Laser DLP	Laser D-ILA
Smart TV:	n/a	n/a	Vidaa OS	n/a
Connections:	2x HDMI 2.1	2x HDMI 2.1 (1 with eARC)	2x HDMI 2.1 (1 with eARC)	2x HDMI 2.0

Epson LS12000

The Epson LS12000 falls into a similar category as the Bravia Projector 7. It’s similarly large, but it’s significantly less expensive. It also supports eARC, potentially simplifying setup for users who won’t opt for an A/V receiver. Its picture is also stunning, though less colorful. It also features similar optical adjustments, helping with setup simplicity.

Read our Epson LS12000 review View Deal

Hisense C2 Ultra

If you’re wondering what you can get for a fraction of the price, the Hisense C2 Ultra is the perfect example. It’s incredibly bright, almost obscenely colorful (even more so than the Bravia), thanks to its triple-laser light source, and quite versatile. It supports a beautiful 4K image, but can also switch over to 1080p/240Hz visuals for gaming. And it has built-in speakers and Google TV for all-in-one capabilities. It may not be as pixel-perfect a projector as the Bravia Projector 7, but it’s a stunning projector nonetheless.

Read our Hisense C2 Ultra reviewView Deal

JVC DLA-NZ700

For $1,000 less, this projector gives you a very similar machine with excellent imagery, deep blacks, potent HDR capabilities, and a competitive color gamut. You’ll miss out on 4K 120Hz capabilities, though, and getting this projector’s 97% DCI-P3 color gamut requires enabling a filter that reduces brightness.

Read our JVC DLA-NZ700 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Sony Bravia Projector 7

Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade

I tested the Sony Bravia Projector 7 at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, and in-room lighting,. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, HDR and non-HDR, and PC gameplay.

My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models I and colleagues at TechRadar have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

First reviewed: September 2025
Read TechRadar's review guarantee

I tested Creative’s 2.1-channel soundbar – it’s impressive for the money, and can be used with a TV or a computer

10:00 pm | September 10, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Televisions | Tags: TV | Comments: Off

Creative Stage Pro 2.1: Two-minute review

If you’re looking for a very affordable soundbar with a subwoofer, the Creative Stage Pro 2.1 should be on your radar. There are cheaper options available, but most are just a standalone soundbar. And the ones that do come with a sub are most likely from a brand that even a product reviewer like me wouldn’t recognize when browsing the endless options on Amazon.

If most of the best soundbars prioritize performance, features, or price point, then the price point is most important here. The performance of the Creative Stage Pro 2.1 soundbar is fine for a budget-friendly model and a definite improvement on the built-in audio of most flat-screen TVs. The feature set is also somewhat limited, though it does have a trick or two up its sleeve.

Overall, this soundbar is for someone who wants to upgrade their TV (or computer) audio without spending much money, since most soundbars with a subwoofer are going to cost more.

Creative Stage Pro on TV stand — The Stage Pro's alphanumeric LED display is a rare feature in a budget soundbar (Image credit: Future)

The Creative Stage Pro is not quite petite, but it’s relatively compact at just under 22 inches wide. Its front is rounded and slightly pointed up due to the way it sits on its two attached feet. There’s an LED display that reads out information like volume/settings and source – a feature I appreciate that is strangely missing from many soundbars, including pricey ones.

The button layout on the soundbar’s top is pretty straightforward, with a power, volume level, input, Bluetooth, and SuperWide (more on that feature in a bit) buttons. All the basics are there, though you have to use the remote to get more granular in the controls, mainly by adding independent adjustments for the bass and treble, along with the sound mode selector.

The port selection might not wow, but it’s actually fairly robust for such a compact soundbar, with an HDMI ARC input with CEC Control (which lets you use one remote to control both the TV and soundbar), as well as optical digital, AUX, and USB-C inputs. It’s also worth noting that there’s Bluetooth 5.3 wireless support for streaming music.

At just under five inches deep, the subwoofer is also fairly compact, even if it stands a bit tall at 16.5 inches. The sub’s power cord is permanently attached, so if something happens to it, you’ll have to replace the whole subwoofer.

Creative Stage Pro remote control held in hand — All sound adjustments to the Stage Pro can be made from the included remote (Image credit: Future)

Before I discuss performance, it’s worth noting that there’s a lot of power on tap with the Creative Stage Pro 2.1, which has two 20W channels for the soundbar and 40 watts for the sub, with a peak of 160 watts. This guy will give you more than enough volume, and I actually listened to it at a fairly low volume level setting most of the time.

There’s plenty of low end, though the bass doesn’t quite get that deep. After spending time watching blockbusters like The Batman where everything is always blowing up, it was clear that this system doesn’t deliver a lot of sub-bass – not too surprising when the subwoofer driver is a relatively small 5.25 inches.

As far as the mids go, they’re a bit boosted, and I wish I could back off a bit with EQ settings (something one would find on more expensive soundbars) for a flatter response. Ultimately, I ended up preferring to turn up the treble and bass a little bit and turn down the volume. The high frequencies on cheaper speakers and soundbars typically sound either tinny or muted, but luckily, the Creative Stage Pro has a decent amount of treble detail.

Considering the Creative Stage Pro is relatively compact, the soundstage is pretty narrow. I didn’t hear much in the way of sound effects positioning, whether in the aforementioned The Batman or other media, including some audio test tracks on YouTube.

As is expected at its price point, the Creative Stage Pro’s feature set is pretty minimal. There’s no Wi-Fi streaming or voice assistant support, though there is Bluetooth for wireless streaming.

What the soundbar does have for features is its various sound presets and Creative’s SuperWide Technology. The five presets are the usual variety: Movies, Music, Vocals, and Gaming. I found them to be a bit too subtle to be all that noticeable, though when I selected the Off option, there was a bit of a volume drop.

Of the presets, I wish Vocal – a mode that usually helps with boosting dialogue – was more distinguished, but it’s too small a boost to really help. I also wish there were a Night preset similar to that found on other soundbars that would limit volume peaks and boost quiet parts so you can hear what’s going on while keeping the volume low.

Creative’s SuperWide feature is more interesting. It has three settings, Near, Far, and Off, with Near or Far engaging processing that expands the audio horizontally for a bit of a wraparound effect to create a greater sense of space.

SuperWide is also great for adjusting the sound for use with a computer or a TV, with the Near setting optimized for a desktop installation. When toggling through the two modes, I did get a sense of audio being closer or farther away, depending on the setting. It’s a bit of a gimmick, but a pretty cool one, and a good substitute for surround sound or spatial audio.

Creative Stage Pro 2.1 review: Price & release date

Creative Stage Pro top surface control buttons — The Stage Pro's top surface control buttons (Image credit: Future)

Price: $139.99 / £139.99 (around AU$220)
Date first available: July 2025

Creative has been on the budget audio train for a long time, so a price tag of £139.99 / $139.99 (AU$220) for a 2.1 soundbar system is about what one would expect from the company.

This system might have some limitations, as discussed in this review, but it is among the best cheap soundbars with a subwoofer. After all, when you get down to this price point, you’re either dealing with a very limited package, such as the even more affordable Majority Naga 60, a standalone soundbar that comes with its own performance issues. Alternatively, you’ll have to pay more for the just barely sub-$500 Sony HT-S2000. Of course, that 3.1-channel soundbar comes with Dolby Atmos and has better sound quality, but it’s almost four times the price despite being our top budget soundbar pick.

Should I buy the Creative Stage Pro 2.1?

Creative Stage Pro input ports — Ports include HDMI ARC, optical digital and 3.5 analog audio inputs and a subwoofer output (Image credit: Future)

Creative Stage Pro 2.1
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Somewhat limited audio quality and features, but you’re still getting a lot for the price	4 / 5
Performance	The bass doesn’t get super deep, and the soundstage could be wider, but this soundbar will be an upgrade for most TVs	3.5 / 5
Design	A bit utilitarian looking, especially the sub, but it has an LED display and side-firing speakers	4 / 5
Value	Priced just right, especially when you consider it comes with a subwoofer	4.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You’re on a budget but want a subwoofer: The price is very affordable for a soundbar/subwoofer combo, and finding a similar setup from other established brands is going to set you back quite a bit more.

You want a soundbar that can work with both a TV and a desktop computer: Creative has its roots in computer audio, so it’s no surprise that they make it easy to switch the soundbar between computer and TV setups.

Don't buy it if...

You want superior audio quality: While the Creative Stage Pro is a step up from built-in TV audio, it’s not perfect and isn’t going to satisfy pickier listeners. If that sounds like you, save up or skip the subwoofer for something a bit higher quality.

You care about features: Though the Creative Stage Pro does have an interesting feature or two, the package is pretty limited. There’s no voice assistant support or Wi-Fi streaming, for instance.

Creative Stage Pro 2.1: Also consider

Majority Naga 60

Like the Creative Stage Pro, the Majority Naga 60’s biggest asset is its low, low price. Even though it is a single unit, it does have a built-in subwoofer and the ability to project 3D audio. Of course, both are a bit limited, and the sound can distort at higher volumes.

Read our full Majority Naga 60 review

Sony HT-S2000

The Sony HT-S2000 stretches the concept of budget to a degree, but this petite soundbar sounds impressive and provides Dolby Atmos / DTS:X processing. It is surprisingly light on some features given the price tag, however

Read our full Sony HT-S2000 review

How I tested the Creative Stage Pro 2.1

Creative Stage Pro on shipping box with accessories — The Stage Pro with its included accessories (Image credit: Future)

Used regularly for several weeks
Tested with all sorts of media
Tested the different modes

I used the Creative Stage Pro 2.1 soundbar regularly for a few weeks, streaming all sorts of media from old and new movies to TV shows and music. I pressed every button on the remote to check out the different sound presets as well as the Superwide Technology modes.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years, from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

First reviewed September 2025

Kaleidescape Strato E: One-minute review

Kaleidescape is a California-based company that has been at the forefront of digital home movies since 2001. While its brand name is likely known predominantly in the custom-install market for those with the space (and budget) for dedicated home theaters, the Strato E represents the most accessible route for anyone wanting to experience the best possible video and sound quality at home.

It’s an entry-level 4K movie player, slotting itself between the Strato M 2K player and the Strato V 4K player. By this, I mean the Strato E supports 4K Ultra HD movies, along with HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR formats and is the cheapest Kaleidescape product to do so. The more expensive Strato V does the same, so to get the Strato E down to a more approachable price, Kaleidescape has dropped the internal storage from 960GB to 480GB and removed a few of the connections from the player’s rear panel.

The limited storage is something any potential buyer should think carefully about, as it’s only enough space to store around six 4K movies, downloaded from the Kaleidescape Movie Store, at any one time. The only way to expand the storage is to invest in one of the company’s Terra Prime servers, but with prices for these starting at $6,955 / £5,910 / AU$12,499, it’s a huge extra expense.

Aside from the players’ abilities, Kaleidescape’s other key selling point is its Movie Store. Not only is it the only way of obtaining content to watch, but it’s a gorgeous and fun interface to interact with. Content is displayed in rows that can be scrolled through quickly, with posters looking vibrant and sharp. It provides plenty of information for each title, including video and sound quality, cast and crew and even Rotten Tomatoes critic ratings. A nifty way of displaying related content also makes it great for discovering new titles.

As with many of the best streaming services, however, the content you have access to depends on where you live. The US gets the best version of the Movie Store, with several titles available to buy and download before they’re released on physical media. While limited, I was happy with the amount of content available in Australia, where I’m based, and I was pleasantly surprised by the cost of movies, which is comparable to (and sometimes cheaper than) 4K Blu-ray discs.

The content looks and sounds stunning via the Strato E. Colors are exemplary, blacks and shadow detail are the best I’ve seen from any home-entertainment source device and Dolby Atmos soundtracks – which are delivered in full lossless audio – more than prove why Kaleidescape demands the money it does. If picture and sound quality are important to you, you’ll notice a night and day difference between what the Strato E can offer compared to what you get from streaming services and, to an extent, 4K Blu-ray discs. You just need to be able to make your budget stretch to do so.

Kaleidescape Strato E Movie Player on a blue TV unit. — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Kaleidescape Strato E: Price and availability

Released May 2025
List price: $2,995 / £3,399 / AU$5,299

The Kaleidescape Strato E movie player was released in the US and Australia in May 2025, with a launch in the UK following soon after. It’s available in all three territories from registered dealers and select online sellers.

The Strato E has been introduced as a more affordable, entry-level 4K movie player and now finds itself sitting in the middle of Kaleidescape’s current three-strong lineup, between the Strato M 2K player ($1,995 / £2,395 / AU$3,499) and higher-specced Strato V 4K player ($4,495 / £5,389 / AU$7,999).

At $2,995 / £3,399 / AU$5,299, it’s certainly still a pricey bit of kit, but considering the quality Kaleidescape offers, combined with the fact it has a similar spec sheet as the Strato V, it does present as good value.

One of the key differences between the Strato E and Strato V is the amount of onboard storage – 480GB vs 960GB – and so if you want to download a large library of movies or TV shows, you’ll almost certainly need to factor in the additional cost of one of the company’s Terra Prime servers – which start at $6,955 / £5,910 / AU$12,499 for a 12TB HDD – or make the leap to the Strato V.

Value score: 5 / 5

Kaleidescape Strato E: Specs

Built-in storage	480GB SSD
Resolutions	Up to 4K (3,840 x 2,160) 60fps
Bit rate	Up to 100Mbps
Audio support	Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, DTS-HD Master Audio
HDR support	Dolby Vision and HDR 10
Aspect ratios	1.78:1 and 2.35:1 (automatic or user interface selectable)
Connectivity	HDMI 2.1
Dimensions	16.26 x 2.8 x 16.26 cm / 6.4 x 1.1 x 6.4 inches

Kaleidescape Strato E: Design

Excellent build quality
Superb remote app
Limited connections

The Strato E adopts a slightly different aesthetic to the Strato V, yet still very much looks like a premium product. Where the higher-end Strato V is made from anodized aluminum, the Strato E is built with black perforated steel. The perforations allow you to take a peek at the circuitry inside, and upon startup, a blue light glows through them. The light turns off during use so as not to distract you from the main event.

The ventilation afforded by the perforations means the Strato E remains cool and completely silent during use too. It has 480GB of onboard storage, which is enough for around six 4K movies downloaded from the Kaleidescape movie store.

This is my first time experiencing a Kaleidescape product, and, having read reviews of the company’s other models and salivating over various images on its website, I was a little taken aback by just how compact the Strato E was when I opened the box. Its diminutive dimensions make it easy to accommodate in/on TV units, and, thankfully, an optional faceplate is available for mounting onto an equipment rack, along with a dual faceplate for use with a compact Terra Prime server. You’ll likely need the latter if you want to hold on to more than the six 4K titles that you can save locally on the device itself.

Rear connections panel of the Kaleidescape Strato E Movie Player — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Connecting the Strato E to your TV or home theater system is via HDMI only and Kaleidescape provides a THX Certified cable in the box. The only other connections on the rear of the unit are an Ethernet for a wired connection – essential, as there’s no Wi-Fi connectivity – a USB-A port for connecting external storage devices or a disc drive, and the 12V power input. The power cable integrates a brick, and both cables at either end of it are relatively long, so you should have little issue getting everything connected in your space.

A remote control is also supplied. It’s a simple unit, although it adopts a trapezoid shape for a touch of style. It does the job well, although it would’ve been nice for it to have been backlit (my colleague Stephen Withers said the same of the Strato V’s remote), although I spent the majority of my testing using Kaleidescape's smartphone app.

The latter offers a seamless connection to the player, provides access to the movie store and can be used as a remote to navigate menus. Plus, it has the added benefit of letting you use the phone’s built-in keyboard to type in search terms.

Design score: 5 / 5

Kaleidescape Strato E: Features

Highest video quality
Full lossless audio
Extra storage options available

With the Strato E effectively arriving as a more affordable alternative to the Strato V, and being capable of supporting 4K HDR content, it’s ultimately designed to offer the best possible video and audio quality of any home entertainment device available. It supports resolutions up to 4K (3,840 x 2,160) at a maximum frame rate of 60p. Dolby Vision and HDR10 support is also here, as is lossless audio, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

The key factor allowing the Strato E to deliver such high quality is that it’s not limited to a file size or bit rate. Compare this to 4K Blu-ray discs that have storage limitations or the best streaming services that compress movies so they can run with minimal buffering, and you start to realize why Kaleidescape movie players command the price tags attached.

Home screen of the Kaleidescape Strato E — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

As mentioned earlier, the 480GB of solid-state storage means there’s only enough space for up to six 4K movies, but the Strato E can upscale HD or SD movies to great effect and allow you to save more files in the bargain. For the absolute best quality, however, you’ll want to stick with 4K.

Any movies you buy will remain on your account in the cloud, so if you run out of space and want to download something new, an older movie can be removed from storage to be accessed and downloaded again at a later date.

If you want to build a larger library of movies, you’ll need to invest in a Terra Prime server, with prices starting at $6,955 / £5,910 / AU$12,499 for a 12TB HDD. Prices currently max out at $79,995 / £55,500 / AU$139,999 for 123TB. A server can provide simultaneous playback to up to 25 Kaleidescape players in one home, should you have the space, need, and, importantly, budget.

While the Kaleidescape Strato E is likely to be something only those with dedicated home cinema spaces gravitate towards, the fact that it can work as a standalone unit, and that it’s compact, means anyone who values the best possible video and audio quality can get involved.

Features score: 5 / 5

Kaleidescape Strato E: Setup

Web-based interface provides more in-depth setting adjustments
Owned discs can be catalogued
Movie Store content is location-dependent

Kaleidescape has made the Strato E as fuss-free to set up as possible. Simply plug it into mains power, insert an Ethernet cable and connect it to your TV or AV processor via HDMI and you’re away. You’ll be met with some onscreen instructions that are easy to follow and understand, and you’ll soon be able to access the movie store and enjoy the content.

You will need to set up an account with Kaleidescape, including providing card information as a means of payment to purchase movies or TV shows from the online store on an ongoing basis. While you can access essential settings via the player itself, a web-based interface offers greater control. To access this, you’ll need to enter the player’s IP address (found in the settings menu) into a browser on your computer.

You’ll soon learn that the majority of settings on the web interface can be left as is because the Strato E can determine what your system is capable of in terms of video and audio quality, and optimize itself accordingly to perform at its best. For example, it will be able to determine if you have a 4K display with a 5.1-channel speaker system. If you use a projector, you can adjust the aspect ratio to fit a 2.35:1 screen.

Kaleidescape Movie Store — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Aside from the physical capabilities of the Kaleidescape Strato E, one of the biggest selling points of the ecosystem as a whole is the Movie Store, as it’s the only method of obtaining content. Where you live will determine what you have access to due to licensing agreements, but this is also the case with many streaming services. As expected, the US store has the greatest range of content, including movies that have only just left cinemas. In Australia, where I’m based and this review was conducted, I could tell early on that the library wasn’t particularly vast, although many of my favorite flicks were available.

Kaleidescape says there are currently about 15K titles on the US store, around 12K and 7K on the Canadian and UK stores, respectively, and just about 5K on the Aussie store. However, since the Australian store only launched in April 2025, the amount of content already available is commendable. The company promises it will continue to populate the store with more titles in all territories where Kaleidescape players are available.

To help build your collection, the company offers the option to catalog any Blu-rays or DVDs you already own. I wasn’t able to test this feature, but in essence, you can connect an external disc drive with the USB input to trigger the Strato E to enter a Recognition Mode. (I wasn’t able to test this feature as I don’t have an external disc drive.) Insert a disc, and the player will search the Movie Store for a digital version that you can then purchase to download.

The company says that you can usually download that title at a discounted rate, although pricing is influenced by each production studio. What’s more, if you own a DVD and the Movie Store has a 4K version, you can purchase the higher-quality version if you wish.

Kaleidescape Strato E: Performance

Outstanding picture and sound quality
Interface is simple to navigate, but not always easy to search
High-speed internet connection is ideal

As soon as you finish setting up your new Kaleidescape Strato E, you’re presented with the Movie Store. It’s a good-looking interface that’s quick to navigate using either the supplied remote or the smartphone app.

Content is logically laid out, with a selection of recommended titles along the top row, content you’ve downloaded but not yet watched on the next row down, followed by sections for paused movies, content you’ve watched and anything you’ve saved to your favorites list. After this are categories for genres, along with a dedicated section for 4K Dolby Vision titles.

Top Gun: Maverick and related content displayed on the Kaleidescape Movie Store — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Searching for something specific is mostly a fuss-free affair, especially when using the smartphone app, because, as previously mentioned, you can quickly type in a title using your phone’s keyboard. I was surprised (and a little disappointed) to find, however, that typing in ‘Dolby Atmos’ didn't return any results. I eventually found filters when browsing the Movie Store within the smartphone app, including one for Dolby Atmos, among many others, so the search isn’t as intuitive as I had hoped.

One particularly good feature of the Movie Store is the ability to summon related content when hovering over a particular title. For example, when highlighting Top Gun: Maverick, press the Kaleidescape logo button on the smartphone app, or navigate to Explore > Related Content on the movie’s information page using the physical remote, and the Movie Store interface kicks into action, reorganizing all available and related content around it.

This includes movies similar in style and genre; for the Top Gun example, I was presented with Tom Cruise movies and other content either from the same director or starring supporting actors. It’s a quick and easy way to instantly discover new titles and a feature I found myself using an awful lot – not least for the aforementioned discovery, but also because watching poster thumbnails float around my TV screen was just cool to see.

Once you’ve found something you want to watch, then, as mentioned, you need to first download it. Due to the large file sizes, a very high-speed internet connection is practically a necessity if you want to minimize the time it takes from selecting a movie to watching it. Where I’m based in Australia, I can only achieve a maximum download speed of 100Mbps (multi-gigabit plans are available, just not in my apartment building), which made me nervous that it would take days to download a single title.

A scene from The Batman played back via the Kaleidescape Strato E movie player — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

When I set The Batman to download, it had an immediate effect on my network, and shows I was trying to watch on other services kept buffering – all of the available bandwidth was going to Kaleidescape.

To get around this problem, I set The Batman, along with Wicked and Gravity, to download overnight and sure enough, when I woke up the next morning, they were there. Remember when you’d wake up as a kid on Christmas morning to see presents under the tree? That was the exact feeling I had that morning.

The app lets you know how long each piece of content took to download, with The Batman taking the longest at just under three hours (Gravity, being an HD movie, finished in 40 minutes). Kaleidescape says if you have at least a 1Gbps internet connection, you can reduce the download time of a 4K movie to around 10 minutes.

If you have a high-speed internet connection, you can also set the maximum download speed for Kaleidescape. For example, with a 1Gbps plan, you could set Kaleidescape to max out at 600Mbps, leaving you with bandwidth so you can continue to watch other content at the same time.

Having read reviews of other Kaleidescape products, and having a good understanding of what makes the brand so appealing to home theater enthusiasts, it’s safe to say I had high expectations of the Strato E. And those expectations were exceeded. For context, I had the Strato E connected to an 83-inch LG G5 TV and a Sonos home theater system comprising the Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar, two Sonos Era 300 speakers for surrounds and a Sonos Sub 3.

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The opening scene from Wicked played back via the Kaleidescape Strato E movie player — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

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A scene from Wicked played back by the Kaleidescape Strato E movie player — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

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Song scene selection list of Wicked shown via the Kaleidescape Strato E movie player — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Watching the opening scene of Wicked, the Wicked Witch of the West’s hat sitting in a puddle looked absolutely stunning. I compared it to the 4K Blu-ray version and noticed extra sharpness and detail when watching on the Strato E. Blacks were slightly deeper and the light reflection on the puddle glistened with greater intensity.

What took me by surprise the most, however, was the Dolby Atmos soundtrack. When the flying monkeys swooped in from behind the viewing position and smashed out of the window, I was blown away by the pinpoint accuracy of the movement from behind my seated position and towards the screen. It really was like being in a cinema; in comparison, the effect just wasn’t as pronounced when watching the Blu-ray version with the same home-theater setup.

It was a similar story when watching Gravity. Not only did the picture look incredible – the Strato E did a fantastic job of upscaling HD content, with the deep blacks of space well-defined and brighter lights shining with great intensity – but the Atmos mix was conveyed expertly through my speaker system. When Sandra Bullock and George Clooney’s characters are spinning out of control at the beginning of the movie, the soundtrack panned around my living room to great effect.

The Strato E truly shines with live concert recordings. As I mentioned in this issue’s lead-in, I downloaded and watched Hans Zimmer: Live in Prague — available in 4K Dolby Vision and, crucially, recorded in Dolby Atmos. I’d seen the soundtrack maestro perform in Sydney earlier this year — if you ever get the chance, grab a ticket, you won’t regret it — so I was curious whether a Kaleidescape playback of one of his shows could capture the same energy.

It did. The scale of the music hit me from the first note. My Sonos home theatre system was finally given a soundtrack that pushed its limits — I hadn’t realised how convincingly it could handle the dynamics of Zimmer’s iconic scores. When The Dark Knight Trilogy suite kicked in with Like a Dog Chasing Cars, the Strato E expertly reproduced the shifts from hushed, delicate passages — a lone violin or a subtle electronic texture — to the thunderous crescendos of the full orchestra, all without sounding compressed or strained.

That sense of contrast gave the performance real drama and made the experience feel startlingly lifelike. While I didn’t have a Dolby Atmos passive speaker system to test the Strato E’s talents — nor do I have a dedicated home cinema space — the player was able to deliver an impactful performance in my modest setup. Those with full Atmos rigs are in for a treat.

Performance score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Kaleidescape Strato E

Kaleidescape Strato E 4K Movie Player Score Card
Attribute	Notes	Score
Value	It’s highly subjective, but as an ‘affordable’ entry point to the best picture and sound quality available, it’s worth the investment	5/5
Design	Excellent build quality and a superb smartphone app; more outputs would be nice, but the cost would inevitably increase	5/5
Features	Unrestricted file size for the best quality, and can be paired with servers for more storage	5/5
Performance	Unmatched picture and sound quality, especially content in 4K Dolby Vision and with object-based soundtracks	5/5

Buy it if...

You want the best possible video and sound quality

The unrestricted file sizes mean the Kaleidescape Strato E is able to receive more information for a movie or TV show, resulting in the best possible quality of any home entertainment product.

You want early access to the latest movies:

The US gets the best version of the Movie Store, with multiple titles available before their physical release. Other countries reap some of the same benefits.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget

It goes without saying the Strato E isn’t cheap, and if you want to build a large movie collection, you’ll realistically need to invest in an even more expensive Terra Prime server.

You don’t have the AV system to take advantage

The Strato E – and the wider Kaleidescape ecosystem – is best suited for people with high-quality home AV setups that benefit from the player’s capabilities.

How I tested the Kaleidescape Strato E

Tested over a period of 4 weeks
Connected to LG G5 OLED TV and Sonos home theater system
4K Dolby Vision and HD content used

I tested the Kaleidescape Strato E at home in my living room, connected to an LG G5 OLED TV, partnered with a Sonos home theater system in a 7.1.4-channel configuration to take advantage of Dolby Atmos soundtracks. I wasn’t able to evaluate DTS:X soundtracks, however, as my Sonos system can’t decode it.

Kaleidescape kindly provided me with some credit to spend in the Movie Store, as opposed to preloading it with content, so that I would have the same experience as any new customer.

Panasonic Z95B: Two-minute review

The Panasonic Z95B is the latest flagship TV to enter what is turning out to be a very competitive OLED TV market in 2025. Whereas some of those models – specifically those from Samsung and LG – are making a bet on high brightness to distinguish themselves among the best TVs, Panasonic is pushing accuracy with the Z95B, and the effort can be seen in its refined, natural, and finely detailed picture.

For the Panasonic Z95B, the company opted to use the same Primary RGB Tandem panel OLED display found in the LG G5. This new panel tech has a ‘four-stack’ structure, with separate red and green OLED layers sandwiched between two blue layers, and it accounts for the Z95B’s rich color display and high brightness capability – I recorded brightness measurements as high as 2,107 nits, though brightness is considerably more limited in several of the TV’s picture presets such as Filmmaker Mode, which is a quirk I'll dig into later in the review.

The Z95B’s predecessor, the Panasonic Z95A, distinguished itself as one of the best TVs for sound with its powerful 5.1.2-channel built-in speaker array. This same '360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics’ system carries over to the Z95B, though Panasonic has made improvements to the speaker drivers, speaker layout, and woofer output. The result is one of the best built-in TV speaker systems you can buy, with sound that’s clear, powerful, and immersive enough that you could easily get away with not using an external soundbar.

Those speakers on the Z95B are concealed behind a gray mesh fabric that runs along the TV’s top, bottom, and sides, and gives it a solid, dignified appearance. A pedestal stand that swivels in either direction to accommodate a range of seating positions is a bonus, though the included, basic remote control seems at odds with the TV’s premium design.

Panasonic uses Amazon Fire TV as its smart TV system, and it's a serviceable, but ad-driven platform that really would like you to be a Prime Video subscriber and devotee of other Amazon services and products. Fire TV’s Live TV portal is particularly friendly to users of the best indoor antennas, though, and the Z95B supports ATSC 3.0 broadcasts for viewers in the US.

Gaming is well supported on the Z95B, with 4K at 144Hz, Dolby Vision gaming, and variable refresh rate, including AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, all accounted for. HDMI 2.1 ports supporting those features are limited to two, rather than the four HDMI 2.1 ports we look for on the best gaming TVs, but the Z95B’s powerful built-in speaker system makes that less of an issue than it normally would be.

Panasonic OLED TVs are typically priced higher than their Samsung and LG counterparts, particularly in the UK, but the Z95B was priced around the same as its competition at launch, and has already seen discounts. Given its impressive picture and sound quality, it’s one of 2025's best OLED TVs, and a very good overall value among premium TVs.

Panasonic Z95B review: Price and release date

Panasonic z95b showing image of field — The Fire TV Ambient Experience lets you choose images and artworks to display when the TV is in standby mode (Image credit: Future)

Release date: June 2025
55-inch: $2,599 / £2,499
65-inch: $3,399 / £2,999
77-inch: $4,699 / £3,999

The Panasonic Z95B is available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch screen sizes, with that last option an expansion on last year’s Z95A series, which was only available in 55- and 65-inch sizes. Prices for all Z95B series TVs have dropped since launch, with all screen sizes now selling for several hundred less in both the US and the UK.

At the reduced price, the Z95B series is now priced in line with its premium OLED competition from LG, Samsung, and Sony. For example, the 65-inch Panasonic is now selling for around $3,000 in the US. In that same screen size, you’ll find both the LG G5 and the Sony Bravia 8 II priced around $3,000, and the Samsung S95F at $3,299.

Panasonic Z95B review: Specs

Screen type:	Primary Tandem RGB OLED
Refresh rate:	144Hz
HDR support:	Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG
Audio support:	Dolby Atmos
Smart TV:	Fire TV
HDMI ports:	4 (2x HDMI 2.1)
Built-in tuner:	ATSC 3.0 (US)

Panasonic Z95B review: Benchmark results

Panasonic Z95B review: Features

Panasonic z95b rear panel ports — The Z95B's four HDMI ports, including two inputs with 4K 144Hz support (Image credit: Future)

Primary RGB Tandem panel OLED display
Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support
360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics speaker array

The Panasonic Z95B uses a new Primary RGB Tandem panel OLED display with a notably higher brightness capability than the Master OLED Ultimate panel with micro lens array tech used in its Panasonic Z95A predecessor. Panasonic additionally uses a ThermalFlow aerodynamic cooling system that helps to maximize peak brightness by improving airflow through the TV.

Panasonic has carried over the same HCX Pro AI Processor MK II from the Z95A to the Z95B. This advanced picture processor uses dynamic 3D LUTs (Look-Up Tables) to ensure accurate colors across a range of picture brightness levels and provides 4K Fine Remaster and Smooth Motion Drive Pro features to improve detail and motion handling.

Panasonic models continue to be the only OLED TVs in the US to support both the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ high dynamic range formats (Philips OLEDs in the UK have the same capability), and in the Z95B, that’s supplemented by Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive for automatic picture brightness adjustments across a range of lighting conditions. Picture presets include Filmmaker Mode and Panasonic’s True Cinema and True Game modes, along with Netflix and Prime Video Calibrated modes for automatic picture optimization when streaming from those services.

The Panasonic Z95A quickly earned a spot as the best option for built-in sound quality in multiple TechRadar best TVs lists, and the new Z95B also features a '360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics' built-in 5.1.2-channel 160W speaker system – this time with redesigned speaker drivers and speaker layout, and higher bass output. This differs from the built-in speaker arrays found on most other TVs in providing a dedicated center channel speaker, along with side-firing and upfiring speaker drivers for enhanced immersion.

As with picture settings, the Z95B features a wide range of sound settings. Key among these is Space Tune, for automatically tuning the TV’s sound output using the remote control’s built-in mic, and Sound Focus, which lets you adjust the directionality of the TV’s sound using beam-forming to accommodate off-center seating positions.

Panasonic switched to the Amazon Fire TV smart TV interface back in 2024, and Fire TV on the Z95B features optimized voice control features for content discovery and navigation, a hands-free control option, and an interface that can be personalized for multiple users. Live TV channels, including ones pulled in by the TV’s ATSC 3.0 tuner, can be integrated into the smart interface for browsing and also customized for a ‘personalized Live-TV Experience.’

Gaming features on the Z95B include a True Game mode with latency reduction, a Game sound mode, and a Game Board onscreen menu for making quick adjustments while gaming. Two of the TV’s four HDMI ports also support HDMI 2.1 features such as 4K 144Hz and VRR, including AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync.

Features Score: 4.5 / 5

Panasonic Z95B review: Picture quality

Panasonic z95b showing image of swimming fish — Ambient Experience options include full-motion and AI-generated images plus information widgets (Image credit: Future)

High brightness capability for an OLED TV
Brightness is limited in Filmmaker and other picture modes
Rich color and excellent detail

The first thing to say about the Panasonic Z95B’s picture is that, while the TV is capable of high brightness, it’s not as bright as its premium OLED TV competition when its most accurate picture presets – Filmmaker Mode, True Cinema, and Cinema – are used and left at their default settings.

That’s because Panasonic is prioritizing picture accuracy over brightness here, and those modes limit peak brightness based on the maximum mastered brightness level of the source – typically 1,000 nits for most content.

Correspondingly, I measured Z95B’s peak HDR brightness in Filmmaker Mode at 992 nits, while its fullscreen brightness in that mode was 347 nits. After bumping up the luminance level of my test pattern source, peak HDR brightness in Filmmaker Mode jumped to 2,107 nits, and the TV’s EOTF (the equivalent gamma for HDR) also remained accurate at that brightness level.

Viewers not wanting to deal with any brightness limitations could instead opt for the Standard picture preset, which had a measured peak HDR brightness of 1,835 nits, and 327 nits fullscreen brightness. Panasonic also provides settings in the TV’s HDR submenu that let you manually set HDR tonemapping and luminance clipping levels, and these can be used to help optimize brightness. Needless to say, this is great news for tweakers, but a potential source of annoyance for others who don’t like to sift through menu settings.

As for other numbers, the Z95B’s coverage of the UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces in Filmmaker Mode measured 99.9% and 79.1%, respectively – both impressive results. The average Delta-E value (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen, with a result lower than 3 being undetectable by the human eye) for color point accuracy was 2.6, and it was 3.2 for grayscale accuracy.

Panasonic z95b showing abstract image — The Z95B has high peak brightness capability, but brightness is limited by default in specific picture modes, such as Filmmaker Mode (Image credit: Future)

For most of my Z95B evaluation, I viewed it in dimmed lighting, and such conditions allowed the Panasonic’s picture to fully shine. The set does use an anti-reflection screen, and while this works to a degree, I could still see mirror-like reflections from lamps and overhead lights, and picture contrast was also lessened with my room lights on.

After watching the recent movie Weapons in the theater, I was motivated to stream the director’s earlier movie, Barbarian (on Netflix in 4K), and the Z95B did an excellent job of displaying the deep black of the house’s basement and fleshing out shadows in the corridors of the creepy, dungeon-like space. For this movie, I used Netflix Calibrated Mode, which by default made it too dark, but the TV’s multiple black level adjustments allowed me to tweak the picture for a more balanced look.

Wild Robot was up next, and I streamed it in 4K with Dolby Vision using the TV’s Dolby Vision Dark preset – one that I’m happy to report turned off motion smoothing by default. The jungle and creatures in this animated movie were displayed with rich, vivid color. The picture also looked fantastically detailed and clean, with the textures in the computer-generated images giving the picture a near-3D quality.

I like to use the Netflix series Ripley in TV evaluations because of its sumptuous cinematography (by frequent Paul Thomas Anderson collaborator Robert Elswit). The Z95B certainly did not disappoint here, displaying the wide range of fine gray tones in the black and white images of Italian villages and villas with an impressive level of subtlety.

Dolby Vision Dark mode proved to be a good match for Ripley, but in this case, when I switched to Netflix Calibrated mode, the picture retained both its subtle grayscale and contrast punch.

No Time to Die is one of my go-to reference 4K Blu-rays, and when I watched the scene where James Bond walks across a craggy hillside cemetery, the Z95B’s picture looked impressively solid, with only a minimal level of judder. I often find myself applying some level of motion adjustment to TVs after checking this scene, but the Z95B’s motion handling was good enough that I didn’t feel any need to.

Picture quality score: 5 / 5

Panasonic Z95B review: Sound quality

Panasonic z95b rear panel subwoofer — The Z95B features a rear-mounted subwoofer with dual passive radiators (Image credit: Future)

5.1.2-channel, 160W speaker array
360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics
Sound Focus feature adjusts for off-center seating

The Z95B features a built-in 5.1.2-channel, 160W speaker array, with the front-facing left, center, and right-channel speakers contained in a soundbar-like enclosure at the screen’s bottom. Along with these, there are newly designed line-array speakers positioned at the sides and top surface of the TV, along with a subwoofer and dual passive bass radiators located around the back.

This ‘360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics’ Dolby Atmos sound system is more elaborate than what you’ll find on most TVs, and its performance is good enough that you can easily use it in place of one of the best soundbars. Panasonic has also introduced enhanced two-channel and 5.1-channel upmixing on the Z95B which it says can “deliver immersive rear sound without rear speakers,” though the TV’s virtual processing comes short of delivering on that claim.

As with the picture, there are extensive sound presets on the Z95B, along with settings for customizing the sound. After using Space Tune, a feature that uses the remote control’s built-in mic to calibrate the TV’s sound output for your viewing environment, I found that many of the presets sounded too bright for my taste and opted for the User preset, which provides Sound Field and Bass Boost settings to customize the sound, along with an eight-band EQ adjustment.

Once adjusted, dialogue projected clearly and sounded natural, and even music sounded good, as I confirmed when watching Queens of the Stone Age Alive in the Catacombs, an acoustic performance by the band recorded in the catacombs beneath Paris. The sound effects in action movies like Mad Max: Fury Road had a high level of spatial precision, and the TV’s powerful speaker array delivered a strong impact on engine roars and crashes during the movie’s many vehicle chase scenes.

Another key Z95B feature is Sound Focus, which uses beam-forming processing to change the direction of the speaker output to accommodate off-center seating positions. You can choose Pinpoint, Area, Spot, or Ambient settings, each of which provides a different level of soundfield width. Testing this, I used the Pinpoint setting to aim the sound at the far end of my sofa, and the TV’s soundstage clearly shifted 30 degrees off from center.

Sound quality score: 5 / 5

Panasonic Z95B review: Design

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Panasonic z95b rotating stand — The Z95B's swiveling pedestal stand (Image credit: Future)

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Panasonic z95b close up of mesh speaker grille on TV's top surface — The mesh fabric grille covering the TV's top- and side-mounted speakers (Image credit: Future)

Swiveling stand
Wide range of input and control ports
Flimsy remote control

With its two-inch depth, the Z95B, while slimmer than its Z95A predecessor, is still on the bulky side for an OLED TV. That girth is a necessity given the TV’s substantial built-in speakers, however, and the Z95B still manages to maintain a sleek look when viewed straight on.

An attractive dark gray fabric mesh covers both the front-facing and side- and top-firing speakers, and the TV’s sturdy aluminum pedestal stand can be swiveled – a useful feature to accommodate a range of viewing positions.

The Z95B’s extensive connections include four HDMI ports (with two HDMI 2.1) and both optical digital audio and a 3.5mm headphone output that can also be configured for connecting an external subwoofer. An ATSC 3.0 tuner connection can be used for viewing ‘NextGen’ digital TV broadcasts in the US, and there are also powered USB and Ethernet ports, and an IR blaster output.

Panasonic hasn’t changed the flimsy remote control that previously shipped with the Z95A for the Z95B. And while that’s disappointing given this TV’s premium price, it mostly does the job and features a built-in mic for Alexa voice commands.

There’s no input select button on the US remote for changing inputs – one of my pet peeves with TV remotes – but you can configure one of the controls to switch to a specific input on the TV, along with a range of other options such as selecting a specific streaming app.

Design score: 4 / 5

Panasonic Z95B review: Smart TV and menus

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Panasonic z95b Fire TV smart interface home screen — The main Fire TV home screen (Image credit: Future)

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Panasonic z95b Live TV guide screen — The Live TV guide screen on Fire TV (Image credit: Future)

Amazon Fire TV smart TV platform
Live program grid with broadcast channels customization
Extensive array of picture and sound adjustments

Panasonic TVs use Amazon Fire TV for a smart TV system, and the version you’ll see on the Z95B is essentially the same as what’s found on Amazon’s own Fire TV lineup. The top half is occupied by ads, many for Amazon streaming and VOD offerings, while a horizontal bar cutting across the center contains input selection, My Stuff, search, and Live TV tabs, along with a customizable row of streaming apps and a gear icon for advanced menus.

The bottom section contains a grid of recommended program options culled from free TV and subscription apps, and if you scroll down, you’ll see a seemingly endless range of these, with everything from political news to the latest cooking videos.

Fire TV’s Live TV portal features a grid guide option that lets you browse channels grouped in a range of categories such as Antenna Channels, Sports, News by Fire TV, and more. Digital broadcast stations can be arranged into lists, with the option to favorite your regularly watched channels, and to hide ones like home shopping networks that you’d prefer to shut out.

Fire TV provides a greater range of customization for browsing both free broadcast and streamed TV channels than most other smart interfaces, so it’s a good option for antenna users.

The Fire TV Ambient Experience provides a wide assortment of still and motion images that can be displayed when the TV is in standby mode. (It can also be accessed at any time by pressing and holding the power on/off button on the remote.) Along with the supplied content library, you can access personal photos (you’ll first need to upload these using the Amazon Photos app on your phone).

You can also use Alexa voice commands to create AI-generated images for your Ambient Experience library, though, as I found when experimenting with this feature, political content is not permitted.

Panasonic provides a much wider range of picture and sound adjustment options in the setup menus than most other TVs. I hit the high points for sound in the Sound Quality section above, but the Z95B’s picture menus include an almost over-the-top array of advanced adjustments.

To list just a few, the Brightness menu has multiple advanced settings for configuring black levels, and there’s an HDR submenu that lets you set EOTF type, HDR tonemapping, and luminance clipping levels. For color, you can switch between Rec. 2020, DCI-P3, Adobe, and Rec. 709 color gamuts.

The reason for all these adjustments is that Panasonic’s OLED TVs are used in post-production facilities as reference monitors, but in the majority of instances, you’ll want to leave things set to Auto.

Smart TV & menus score: 4 / 5

Panasonic Z95B review: Gaming

Panasonic z95b Game Board onscreen menu — The Z95B's Game Bar menu overlay (Image credit: Future)

Two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz support
FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync VRR
12.7ms input lag is average

The Z95B’s gaming features include two HDMI ports with 4K at 144Hz, FreeSync Premium, and Nvidia G-Sync VRR support, and Dolby Vision gaming. There’s a True Game picture and a Game sound mode, and Panasonic’s Game Board onscreen menu can be called up to make quick and easy adjustments to parameters like dark visibility, sound mode, and variable refresh rate.

Input lag measured with a Bodnar 4K meter was 12.7ms, which is an average level for a TV. The best gaming TVs can hit the 9ms range, but the Z95B’s input lag is minimal enough that the vast majority of gamers will find it more than acceptable.

Gaming score: 4 / 5

Panasonic Z95B review: Value

Panasonic Z95A remote control held in hand — The Z95B's remote control is flimsy and lacks backlighting and an input select button (Image credit: Future)

Priced the same as top OLED competition
Built-in sound enhances value
Less extensive gaming features than competition

The Panasonic Z95B is currently priced on par with, or even less than, its premium OLED competition from LG, Samsung, and Sony. Choosing between this year’s top OLED TVs is tougher than ever, but I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed with the Z95B’s picture, though the Samsung S95F and LG G5 may be better options for those wanting to view in bright rooms.

One thing that enhances the Z95B’s value is its powerful sound. For that reason, you could consider using this TV without a soundbar, though the built-in speakers aren’t necessarily a match for the best Dolby Atmos soundbar systems with separate rear-channel speakers and a subwoofer.

An argument could be made that the Z95B is a lesser gaming TV than the Samsung S95F and LG G5, both of which feature four HDMI 2.1 ports, lower input lag, and cloud-based gaming from apps including Xbox. But the Z95B’s lower HDMI 2.1 port count won’t be an issue if you're using its built-in speakers, and as a Fire TV, there is Amazon’s Luna cloud gaming app, which features popular games like Fortnite.

Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Panasonic Z95B?

Panasonic z95b showing image of water drops on flower — (Image credit: Future)

Panasonic Z95B
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	A fine selection of features led by sound processing modes for room tuning and off-center seating accommodation	4.5 / 5
Picture quality	Capable of high brightness for an OLED, but many of the TV’s preset picture modes favor a more subtle, balanced, and accurate images	5 / 5
Sound quality	Powerful built-in 5.1.2-channel speakers distinguish the Z95B from other TVs and is good enough that a soundbar isn’t exactly needed	5 / 5
Design	A slightly bulky form factor due to its built-in speakers, but otherwise a sleek design with a swiveling pedestal stand. Remote control could use work	4 / 5
Smart TV and menus	Amazon Fire TV isn’t the best smart TV platform, but it does the job for streaming and Amazon subscribers and Alexa users will find it useful	4 / 5
Gaming	A good set of gaming features and solid overall gaming performance	4 / 5
Value	A very good value compared to other premium OLED TVs, and its value is enhanced by its excellent built-in sound	4.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You want the best TV for movies
With its refined, colorful, and accurate picture, the Z95B is an excellent choice for those who want movies on Blu-ray and streaming services to look their best.

You don’t want to use a soundbar
The Z95B’s 5.1.2-channel built-in speaker array is powerful and immersive enough that you could easily get away with not using a soundbar.

You’re an Amazon fan
The Z95B’s Fire TV smart TV platform is very much aimed at Prime Video subscribers, and its built-in Alexa support makes it a perfect match for viewers who live in the Amazon Alexa ecosystem.

Don't buy it if…

You don’t want to dim the lights
While the Z95B is capable of putting out a bright enough picture to compete with daylight, many of its picture modes are tuned for viewing in dimmed lighting conditions, and its anti-reflection screen isn’t the most effective one we’ve seen.

You don’t like to tweak settings
The Z95B is a tweaker's delight, with an exhaustive list of advanced settings for configuring its picture and sound. You can ignore these, but in some cases, tweaking is necessary to get the best performance.View Deal

You already own a good soundbar
The Z95B’s built-in 5.1.2-channel is meant to replace a soundbar. If you already own a good Dolby Atmos soundbar, especially one with a subwoofer and rear speakers, this TV’s sound capabilities are overkill.

Panasonic Z95B: Also consider...

	Panasonic Z95B	LG G5	Samsung S95F	Sony Bravia 8 II
List price (65-inch)	$3,399 / £2,999	$3,399 / £3,299 / AU$5,299	$2,699 / £2,699 / AU$4,299	$3,499 / £2,999 / AU$4,999
Screen type	Primary Tandem RGB OLED	Primary Tandem RGB OLED	QD-OLED	QD-OLED
Refresh rate	144Hz	165Hz	165Hz	120Hz
HDR support	Dolby Vision/HDR10+/HLG	Dolby Vision/HDR10/HLG	HDR10+/HDR10/HLG	DolbyVision/HDR10/HLG
Smart TV	Fire TV	webOS	Tizen	Google TV
HDMI ports	4 (2 x HDMI 2.1)	4x HDMI 2.1	4 x HDMI 2.1	4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

LG G5
The LG G5 also has ‘four-stack’ display panel and delivers exceptional brightness levels for an OLED TV. It has superior gaming features and a better smart TV platform, though its built-in sound isn’t nearly as good

Here’s our LG G5 review

Samsung S95F
Samsung’s flagship OLED TV also delivers high brightness levels, and its Glare Free screen does quick work of eliminating screen reflections when viewing in bright rooms. Similar to the LG G5, it has superior gaming features and a more advanced smart TV platform.

Here’s our Samsung S95F review

Sony Bravia 8 II
Sony’s flagship OLED TV offers up a refined picture with very good brightness and also has powerful built-in sound. Gaming features are about the same, and it has a somewhat better smart TV platform in Google TV.

Here’s our Sony Bravia 8 II review

How I tested the Panasonic Z95B

panasonic z95b OLED TV being measured — Measuring a 10% HDR white window pattern during testing (Image credit: Future)

I spent about 15 viewing hours in total, measuring and evaluating
Measurements were made using Calman color calibration software
A full calibration was made before proceeding with subjective tests

When I test TVs, I first spend a few days or even weeks using it for casual viewing to assess the out-of-the-box picture presets and get familiar with its smart TV menu and picture adjustments. I next select the most accurate preset (usually Filmmaker Mode, Movie or Cinema) and measure grayscale and color accuracy using Portrait Displays’ Calman color calibration software. The resulting measurements provide Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen) for each category, and allow for an assessment of the TV’s overall accuracy.

Along with those tests, I make measurements of peak and fullscreen light output (recorded in nits) for both standard high-definition and 4K high dynamic range using 10% and 100% white window patterns. Coverage of UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color space is also measured, with the results providing a sense of how faithfully the TV can render the extended color range in ultra high-definition sources.

For the Panasonic Z95B, I used the Calman ISF workflow, along with the TV’s advanced picture menu settings, to calibrate the image for best accuracy. I also watched a range of reference scenes on 4K Blu-ray discs to assess the TV’s performance, along with 4K HDR shows streamed from HBO Max, Netflix, Apple TV+, and other services.

First reviewed: August 2025
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The LG B5 is a brilliant, entry-level OLED TV with plenty to like, even though it doesn’t hit the same picture quality heights as its pricier OLED siblings

8:00 pm | August 8, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Televisions | Tags: AI, HDMI, OLED, TV | Comments: Off

LG B5 OLED TV review: Two minute review

The LG B5 is LG’s entry-level OLED TV for 2025. It doesn’t change a great deal from its predecessor, the LG B4, one of the best TVs of 2024, but still delivers the great performance and stacked feature set that you’d expect from an LG OLED TV. At $1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995 the main competition for the 55-inch model I reviewed is mid-to-premium price mini-LED TVs.

LG B5’s new features are primarily the AI ones associated with webOS 25, such as AI Search, AI Concierge and the improved AI Chatbot. Elsewhere, the B5 carries a lot of the same features as last year’s LG B4, although that is a well-stocked list.

The B5 delivers very good picture quality. Its main strength lies in its detailed textures and punchy, dynamic colors. Its rich contrast and deep black levels are what you’d expect from the best OLED TVs. Where the B5 falls short is brightness, as there has been no upgrade over the B4 in that respect. During testing, I also found its screen to be quite reflective, but its picture quality is still great overall.

With a two-channel, 20W speaker system, the B5’s built-in sound can only go so far. Using the AI Sound Pro preset results in clear sound for such a basic speaker array. Unfortunately, the bass is lacking, and its sound never really escapes beyond the screen. The B5 needs to be paired with one of the best soundbars to get a good cinematic experience.

Gaming is one area where the B5 shines. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports, which support 4K 120Hz, VRR (AMD FreeSync Premium, Nvidia G-Sync and HGiG), ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming. It also has a measured 9.1ms input lag time, which is up there with the best gaming TVs. There is an odd quirk you may need to navigate if you’re an Xbox Series X user, which you can check in the Gaming section of this review. But other than this, the B5 is a fantastic option for gaming.

LG’s webOS 25 is one of the best iterations of its smart TV platform to date, and although it carries over a lot of what made webOS 24 great, such as Quick Menu, Quick Cards, it adds in new AI features that many should find useful. This is one of the best smart interfaces you’ll find on a TV.

Value is a difficult proposition for the B5. While the B4 is available, it’s easily the better option as the B5 doesn’t provide any major upgrades. Still, for the money, the B5 delivers a very good package with responsive gaming performance, a full suite of features and strong picture quality.

LG B5 OLED TV review: Prices & release date

LG B5 OLED TV with sunset over a city on screen — The LG B5 demonstrates strong contrast and refined detail (Image credit: Future)

Release date: July/August 2025 (UK/US)
48-inch: $899.99 / £1,299
55-inch: $1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995
65-inch: $1,999.99 / £2,499 / AU$2,695
77-inch: $2,999.99 / £3,499
83-inch: $4,499.99 / £4,499

The LG B5 is the entry-level model in LG’s 2025 OLED TV lineup, sitting below the mid-range LG C5 and the flagship LG G5 and LG M5 OLED models. The 55-inch model I tested launched at $1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995 compared to the LG C5’s 55-inch launch price of $1,999.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$3,295.

Since its release, prices for the LG B5 have fallen across the lineup in different regions. The 55-inch model is now priced at $1,499.99 / £1,399 / AU$1,995 and the 65-inch model is priced at $1,599.99 / £2,099 / AU$2,695.

LG B5 OLED TV review: Specs

Screen type:	OLED
Refresh rate:	120Hz
HDR support:	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG
Audio support:	Dolby Atmos
Smart TV:	webOS 25
HDMI ports:	4x HDMI 2.1
Built-in tuner:	ATSC 1.0 (US)

LG B5 OLED TV review: Benchmark results

LG B5 OLED TV review: Features

LG B5 OLED TV ports — The LG B5's connections include four HDMI 2.1 ports (Image credit: Future)

Alpha 8 AI Processor Gen 2 and W-OLED panel
4K 120Hz, VRR, ALLM and four HDMI 2.1 ports
AI picture and sound tools

The LG B5 serves as the entry-level model in LG’s 2025 OLED TV lineup. It uses a standard W-OLED panel, and for that reason, it doesn’t offer the same brightness as the LG C5, which has an OLED Evo panel, or the LG G5, which has a new Primary Tandem RGB OLED panel.

The B5 comes equipped with LG’s Alpha 8 AI Processor Gen 2, which features 4K Super Upscaling and AI Picture Pro. It also has AI Sound Pro, which features 9.1.2 surround sound upscaling. The B5 supports Dolby Vision for both movies and gaming, but there is no HDR10+ support.

A built-in two-channel speaker system totaling 20W of power is provided on the B5. Alongside common sound preset modes such as Standard, Cinema, and Sports, there is an AI Sound Pro preset that analyzes the content onscreen and adjusts the sound accordingly. There is Dolby Atmos support, but unfortunately, no DTS support, which is the case for all 2025 LG TVs.

The B5 is well-equipped for gaming. It carries four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 120Hz, VRR (including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Nvidia G-sync and HGiG), ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming. It also has a Game Optimizer mode where settings can be changed to improve picture and gaming performance, including an input delay boost.

The B5 uses LG’s webOS 25 as its smart TV platform. This supports all major streaming apps such as Netflix, Disney Plus and Prime Video, as well as UK-based streaming apps including BBC iPlayer and ITVX. The major new additions to webOS 25 include a number of AI-based tools such as AI Search, AI Concierge, which recommends content based on keyword searches you have used, and AI Voice ID, which recognises users and activates their saved profile with a customized home screen and content.

Features score: 5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Picture quality

LG B5 OLED TV with red flowers in a field on screen — The LG B5's superb color is one of its highlights (Image credit: Future)

Detailed, contrast-rich picture
Accurate colors and textures
Middling brightness levels

Starting with some brightness measurements, the LG B5 clocked in at 668 nits in Cinema mode and 637 nits in Standard mode for HDR peak brightness measured on a 10% white window. Those numbers are almost identical to its predecessor, the LG B4. Such brightness figures are to be expected from a TV with a W-OLED display panel, but they are a significant step down from the mid-range LG C5, which hit 1,180 nits and 1,198 nits on the same tests in Filmmaker and Standard modes, respectively.

For fullscreen HDR brightness, the B5 hit 131 nits in Cinema mode and 172 nits in Standard mode, measured on a 100% white pattern. Again, these are low numbers, but typical ones for a TV with a W-OLED panel.

Throughout my viewing, I found myself switching between Cinema and Filmmaker Mode, as the former was better for brighter scenes, and the latter was more accurate for darker scenes.

Starting with some upscaling tests, the B5 did a good job of upscaling textures on an HD stream of Fight Club via Disney Plus, giving pictures a sharper look while also improving contrast. With a DVD of The Amazing Spider-Man, there was some visible upscaling in action, but it didn’t quite take the picture to 4K-like detail levels.

The B5 delivers accurate and rich colors. Watching Elemental on Disney Plus with Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode active, a scene where Ember makes a glass vase produced shimmering oranges and purples with plenty of vivid punch. In Wicked, during the Wizard & I scene, the pink flowers were vibrant, and Elphaba’s green skin and the blue details on the walls looked true-to-life with plenty of depth.

When I measured the B5’s HDR color gamut coverage, it hit 99.5% for UHDA-P3 and 74.85% for BT.2020. These are excellent results and explain why the B5’s colors appear both accurate and vibrant.

LG B5 OLED TV with gold stopwatch inner mechanisms on screen — The LG B5 delivers deep black levels as you'd expect from an OLED, but its reflective screen means darker scenes are best viewed in dim lighting conditions (Image credit: Future)

The B5’s black levels are as inky and rich as you could hope for from an OLED TV. In the opening crime scene investigation and subway fight in The Batman, the dark areas on screen looked deep and the shadow detail was superb. I did find there were minor instances of black crush in some particularly dark scenes in Filmmaker Mode, but dark scenes overall looked very good.

Contrast was also very good, with an even balance between light and dark tones. In both The Batman and Nosferatu, scenes with deep black backgrounds punctuated by bright light from torches or lamps had powerful depth. The B5’s average brightness meant the range between dark and light tones wasn’t as wide as you’d find on more premium OLEDs, but it was still impressive. And in black and white scenes from Oppenheimer, the B5 showcased a good range of gray tones between the deep shadows and bright highlights.

One thing that became obvious throughout my testing was how reflective the B5’s screen became in bright lighting conditions. Darker movies, such as The Batman and Nosferatu, were best viewed in dimmed or pitch black conditions, as they were difficult to watch with the overhead lights in our testing labs turned on.

Throughout testing, the B5 delivered realistic textures with a 3D-like level of crispness. Skin tones looked accurate, and the B5’s fine detail brought out features such as facial hair and pores.

The B5’s motion handling was accurate and smooth. In a scene from No Time To Die where James Bond walks across a hillside, the B5 handled the slow-panning camera shot with only minimal judder when Cinematic Movement was turned on in the Clarity settings. For sports, I chose Standard Mode with Natural motion turned on, as this produced the smoothest action when watching a soccer game on Prime Video while avoiding motion artefacts such as ghosting of the ball.

Picture quality score: 4.5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Sound quality

LG B5 OLED TV with Elphaba on screen — The LG B5's sound is average, and although AI Sound Pro mode does a good job, movies such as *Wicked* (pictured) deserve better (Image credit: Universal Pictures / Future)

Two-channel speaker system
Clear, accurate sound
Limited bass and soundstage

The LG B5 has a two-channel, 20W speaker system, and while it supports Dolby Atmos, it lacks the DTS support found on 2024 LG OLED TVs. A useful AI Sound Pro mode upmixes audio to a 9.1.2-channel configuration that adds a more immersive layer to the B5’s sound.

Another new feature for webOS 25 is AI Sound Wizard, a tool that lets you listen to pre-recorded audio clips to determine a sound profile you like, similar to the AI Picture Wizard. Although I didn’t use this tool for my testing, it may be useful for some.

While I usually choose a Cinema/Movie sound preset for my testing, I found myself using LG’s AI Sound Pro preset most often. It added width and depth to the soundstage and produced a more accurate sound and greater volume levels compared to the Cinema preset.

Watching the Batmobile chase scene from The Batman with AI Sound Pro activated, swerving cars, screeching tyres and spraying bullets were all accurately mapped, with the sounds closely connected to the action on the screen. Sadly, the rumble of the Batmobile's engine was absent as AI Sound Pro sacrifices bass, creating a more thinned-out sound. Even so, when watching Wicked, AI Sound Pro did a good job of creating a wider soundstage for the score while also delivering clear vocals.

One tough thing to ignore is that the B5’s sound doesn’t match up to its picture. I’d recommend adding a soundbar, and thanks to the B5’s WOW Orchestra feature, compatible LG soundbars can work in tandem with the B5’s speakers to create a punchier, more impactful sound.

Sound quality score: 3.5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Design

LG B5 OLED TV metal foot on dark surface — The LG B5 uses two metal feet instead of a central pedestal stand. (Image credit: Future)

Sturdy, lightweight design
Solid, metal feet
New AI smart remote

Even though it’s the entry-level OLED TV in LG’s lineup, the B5 has a premium design. It comes with two metal feet that feel reassuringly weighty, and when attached, the B5 is sturdy despite its light weight. It has a marble-effect on the rear panel that again gives it a premium feel.

The B5 is similar in depth to the LG C5, and although it doesn’t have the metal frame of the LG G5, it does have a visually appealing trim profile around most of the frame.

If you’re in the US, you’ll be getting a new streamlined, AI version of LG’s Magic Remote, which gets rid of some buttons in favor of a smaller, sleeker design. If you’re in the UK, the Magic Remote has a near-identical design to previous versions, but some buttons, such as source select, have been omitted in favor of the new AI button.

Design score: 4/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Smart TV & menus

LG B5 OLED TV with webOS 25 home page on screen — webOS 25 is easily one of the best iterations of LG's smart TV platform to date (Image credit: Future)

LG webOS 25 interface
AI-based tools for content recommendation
Quick Cards and Quick Menu for easy navigation

The B5 uses LG’s webOS smart TV platform. This year’s iteration, webOS 25, adds several AI-centric features including AI Search, a tool that can be used to find specific content; AI Concierge, which uses keywords based on watch and search history to make content recommendations; and an improved version of AI Chatbot, an AI assistant that can help with any TV troubleshooting or queries.

The webOS 25 layout follows the same successful formula from webOS 24. It has Quick Cards on the home screen to house specific apps based on category, such as Game and Sports, and Quick Menu, a useful tool for making settings adjustments without having to move away from the content on screen. Navigation of menus and apps was smooth and responsive on the B5 throughout my testing.

Multiple viewers can create profiles that will have personalized layouts and even tailored comment recommendations. The new AI Voice ID feature can recognize a specific viewer, and the TV will automatically switch to the associated profile.

The B5 doesn’t have as many picture and sound settings as you’d find on some other smart TV platforms, but it now has AI Picture Wizard and AI Sound Wizards serving as useful tools to create your own personal picture and sound profiles.

Smart TV & menus score: 4.5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Gaming

LG B5 OLED TV with Battlefield V and game optimizer menu on screen — The LG B5 is a brilliant TV for gaming with responsive performance and handling with games such as *Battlefield V* (pictured) (Image credit: Future)

4K 120Hz, FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync
9.1ms input lag time
Four HDMI 2.1 ports

The B5 is an excellent TV for gaming and has a wide array of gaming features. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports that all support 4K 120Hz, FreeSync Premium, Nvidia G-Sync, HGiG, Dolby Vision gaming and ALLM. It also features a Game Optimizer mode where settings such as black level and input lag can be easily adjusted.

Gaming performance on the B5 is snappy and ultra-responsive. Playing Battlefield V on Xbox Series X, chaotic shootouts and battles with quick targeting were handled with ease, with the B5 delivering a judder-free experience throughout. With Boost mode activated in the Game Optimizer, I measured a low 9.1ms input lag time. With Dolby Vision picture activated, Battlefield V’s picture looked detailed with strong contrast and bold colors during a mission in an autumnal forest.

One quirk I did find during my testing was that with Dolby Vision picture, a feature that’s only relevant for certain Xbox Series X games, activated, I could not change the Input Delay in Game Optimizer. To get around this, I turned off Dolby Vision in the Xbox Series X settings, changed the Input Lag setting to Boost and then reactivated Dolby Vision. Not a dealbreaker, but something to note.

Gaming score: 5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Value

Image 1 of 2

LG C5 AI Magic Remote — The latest LG AI Magic Remote has a design change from previous generations. But it's only available in certain regions including the US. (Image credit: Future)

Image 2 of 2

LG C5 Magic Remote with AI button — UK users will have to settle for the original Magic Remote with a new AI button instead. (Image credit: Future)

Great features and performance for the price
Almost identical to its predecessor
Better value in the UK and Australia than in the US

The LG B5 is an odd TV to judge in terms of value. The 55-inch model I tested is available for $1,499.99 / £1,399 / AU$1,695, whereas the step-up 55-inch LG C5 is available for $1,399 / £1,599 / AU$3,295. This means if you’re in the US, it’s actually cheaper to buy the C5, though the reason the B5 is more expensive is that it was only recently released in the US and hasn’t yet seen discounts.

There is a significant price gap between the two in the UK and Australia, and while you may not get the C5’s brightness with the B5, you are getting a similar feature set.

The real elephant in the room is that the B5 is nearly identical to its B4 predecessor, with similar picture quality, including brightness levels, and similar features. While the B4 remains available, it is your best option as it’s now selling at a significantly reduced price. Once the B4 stock runs out, the B5 will be the cheapest 2025 OLED TV.

Still, the B5 carries a near-full suite of features and delivers great picture quality and gaming performance, for a competitive price. Once the B5 gets discounts, it will be a steal.

Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the LG C5 OLED TV?

LG B5 OLED TV with parrot on screen — (Image credit: Future)

LG B5 OLED
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	A fantastic list of features for smart TV and gaming	5/5
Picture quality	Great picture quality with rich contrast and colors, but just average brightness	4.5/5
Sound quality	Direct, engaging sound with AI Sound Pro but feels too narrow and bass is underwhelming	3.5/5
Design	Solid build quality with somewhat premium feel for an entry-level OLED	4/5
Smart TV and menus	webOS 25 is packed with new AI features while carrying over everything that made webOS 24 great	4.5/5
Gaming	Full suite of gaming features including 4K 120Hz support and four HDMI 2.1 ports	5/5
Value	Nearly identical to its predecessor, the B4, but still a great overall package	4/5

Buy it if...

You want brilliant picture quality
The B5 has a contrast-rich picture that delivers vibrant colors and realistic textures. It looks more premium than its entry-level status would suggest.

You want a great TV for gaming
Stocked with a near-full suite of gaming features and delivering responsive performance and great picture quality, the B5 is a top-tier gaming TV.

You want the best smart TV platform
webOS 25 is easy to navigate, user-friendly, packed with convenient features and introduces AI tools that can make your life much easier.

Don't buy it if...

You own the LG B4
The B5 is a great TV, but it carries almost no upgrades over last year's B4 other than webOS 25. If you own the B4 or can get a good deal on it, there's no point in upgrading.

You want to watch in a bright room
Due to the LG B5's middling brightness and reflective screen, it can be quite difficult to watch in a bright room, especially with darker scenes. It's best viewed in dim conditions.

You want brilliant built-in sound
The B5 does an admirable job and has a useful AI Sound Pro mode, but there's no denying that the sound doesn't match the picture. A soundbar would make a good addition.

Also Consider

	LG B5	LG B4	LG C5	Samsung QN80F
Price (55-inch)	$1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995	$1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199	$1,999.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$3,299	$1,299.99 / £1,399 (roughly AU$1,991)
Screen type	OLED	OLED	OLED	Mini-LED
Refresh rate	120Hz	120Hz	144Hz	144Hz
HDR support	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG	HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Smart TV	webOS 25	webOS 24	webOS 25	Tizen
HDMI ports	4 x HDMI 2.1	4 x HDMI 2.1	4 x HDMI 2.1	4 x HDMI 2.1

LG B4
The LG B4 is the LG B5's predecessor and the two models are near-identical, with the main difference being the AI-based tools the B5 has received as part of webOS 25. While the B4 is still in stock, it's easily the better deal of the two. Read our full LG B4 review.

LG C5
The LG C5 is the mid-range OLED in LG's 2025 TV lineup. The main upgrades it has over the B5 include much higher peak brightness levels and an improved processor, as well as 4K 144Hz support for gaming. The C5 is arguably the best value OLED in LG's lineup and it's not much pricier than the B5. If you can't stretch your budget, the B5 is still a solid option. Read our full LG C5 review.

Samsung QN80F
The mid-range model in Samsung's 2025 mini-LED TV lineup, the Samsung QN80F is similarly priced to the B5. It carries a similar suite of features and delivers higher brightness, but its overall picture quality can't quite compete with the B5, as the latter offers richer contrast and more accurate colors. The QN80F may be a better option for bright rooms, however. Read our full Samsung QN80F review.

How I tested the LG B5 OLED TV

LG B5 OLED TV with colorimeter, laptop, test pattern generator and Portrait Display Calman software all connected and on display — (Image credit: Future)

Tested over a couple of weeks
Tested using SDR and HDR sources
Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

I first began testing the LG B5 with some casual viewing to determine the best picture modes, eventually settling on both Cinema and Filmmaker Mode (depending on the content).

After this, I began my subjective testing, using both Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) sources such as DVD and broadcast TV and HD streaming, and High Dynamic Range (HDR) sources such as 4K Blu-ray and 4K streaming.

With these sources, I used reference scenes to test the B5's picture for color, contrast, textures, motion and upscaling. I also used reference scenes to test the B5's sound quality.

For 4K Blu-rays and other discs, I used a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player. I also used an Xbox Series X to test the B5's gaming features and performance.

LG B5 OLED TV with testing equipment attached and person testing — (Image credit: Future)

For objective testing of the B5, I used a colorimeter, test pattern generator and Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software to record measurements.

Brightness measurements were taken using both HDR and SDR white window patterns ranging in size from 1-100%, with a focus on 10% and 100% windows, for peak and fullscreen brightness, respectively. I also tested the B5's grayscale and color accuracy, taking an average of the Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what's shown on screen), looking for a result below 3.

I also tested the B5's coverage of the UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces. Finally, I used a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input lag Tester to test the B5's input lag in milliseconds.

You can read an in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar at that link.

First reviewed: August, 2025
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