Televisions

Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos – this mid-ranger will have AV fans drooling, says Steve May

The days of HDR elitism are over. With the advent of the GX800, Panasonic has neutralised the ongoing debate about dynamic HDR standards. It's slashed the price premium usually associated with the technology too; what was once the preserve of high-end enthusiasts is now ready for primetime. Fed up with having to decide between Dolby Vision or HDR10+ when opting for a new TV? This fair-minded flatscreen is happy playing both.

Samsung's latest Quantum Dot TV leaves John Archer feeling shaken and stirred

The first new Samsung TV for 2019, the QE65Q90R [see HCC #298], was a stunner. It combined new backlight and viewing angle technology with improved processing, helping to blend the brightness and colour volume traits of LCD with the black level and contrast benefits more usually expected of OLED. But that set is £3,800. The QE65Q85R, a UK/Europe-only model, retains much of the Q90R's skillset but retails for £3,000.

LG's OLED division looks set to face unprecedented competition in 2019, with Sony, Philips and Panasonic all introducing expanded ranges with bespoke technological tricks. But if the Korean brand's 65in OLED65C9 auditioned here is anything to go by, those companies will find it hard to end LG's long-term hold of the OLED crown. This flatscreen is an appealing mix of premium performance and user-friendly smarts.

This low-cost 6 Series 4K screen is a feature-stacked budget barnstormer – even the smart platform impresses

The AF9 OLED has been hailed (admittedly by Sony) as a landmark TV – as significant a development as the legendary Trinitron. Does it live up to the hype?

Philips' 65OLED903 (also known as OLED+903) sees the brand teaming up with UK sound experts Bowers & Wilkins. The idea is that the latter's sonic knowhow, combined with Philips' picture quality prowess, results in a TV that's a genuine all-rounder, and one that delivers a cinematic experience. The partnership has certainly got off to a good start, with the OLED903 scooping the 'Home Theatre TV' prize in this year's EISA Awards.

Samsung probably thought when it unveiled its debut QLED displays last year that they’d take the world by storm. Surely punters wouldn’t be able to resist the unprecedented brightness and colour range delivered by the brand’s new metal-clad Quantum Dots? But things didn’t turn out that way. Instead, rival OLED sets, bolstered by performance tweaks and wider availability, became the year’s ‘must-have’ TV item.