Televisions

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

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

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

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

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

LG TVs certainly know how to make an entrance. The 55LA860W – one of LG’s most high-end 2013 sets – is a serious looker, thanks to a bezel so thin you don’t even notice it for most of the time; the beautiful finish applied to the bezel’s sides; and a striking metallic, open-frame desktop pedestal. The glamour even extends to the Magic Remote handset you get with the TV, as its small, strikingly conical form comes clad in a bold, shiny silver.

When I was first told I would be doing an exclusive test of Samsung’s UE85S9 TV, I suspected my review would be built around just one thing: the jaw-dropping £35,000 price tag.