Smart TV tech: the streaming boxes, soundbars and accessories you need

Crisp display, infinite choice of shows and cinema sound — Katie Strick has a smart guide to adjusting your set

It's the golden age of TV. Blue Planet is back with more glorious high-definition footage than before and Netflix’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace is about to have us hooked.

With so many high production value series, you need to tech up.

Here’s all the smartest TV tech you need:

The sets

Sony Bravia A1

One of the most talked-about advancements in home televisions is the 4K TV — that’s four times as many pixels as standard HD. For truly committed viewers, the ultimate showstopper is the Sony Bravia A1 (£4,499), which boasts a huge 4K screen with HDR and OLED display, innovative Acoustic Surface sound technology, and a minimalist “one slate” design. At 65in, it’s big, but its easel-like frame and thin-bezel edge make it look sleek.

A good entry-level set is Logik’s 55in L55UE17 (£449). It’s big enough that you’ll notice the 4K over standard HD, and it connects to your wi-fi so you can access Stranger Things on your TV.

Another advance is the curved TV, which is designed to match the curve of your eyeball, eliminating distortion. Samsung is the pioneer: its 65-inch, UE65MU6670 (£1,399) brings you a deeper and wider image and produces over 17 million amazingly realistic colours.

For something more minimalist, Samsung’s The Frame (£2,799) still promises 4K quality, but is camouflaged to look like an elegant framed photo or artwork when it’s not in use.

The sound

The Sonos Playbar

Just as TV images have become better quality, so too has the sound. To appreciate the full beauty of the Radiohead and Hans Zimmer’s Blue Planet soundtrack, add a soundbar: a long, wide speaker that sits beneath your TV or can be mounted to the wall.

The Sonos Playbar (£699) is two-in-one: it adds punchy cinema sound for your TV but also streams music, and pairs with Alexa.

Bose’s version, the SoundTouch 300 (£599), will personalise the sound to your home: it uses a microphone to listen to how the room responds to audio and adjusts the output accordingly, while the Orbitsound Bar A70 (£499.99) makes sure those at the ends of the sofa don’t miss out. It comes with a portable subwoofer that provides bass.

If you’ve got the space, Yamaha’s YSP-5600 (£1,299) is a powerful machine. It’s got an inbuilt subwoofer and 46 speakers, with six angled upwards for a ceiling-bouncing audio effect.

The streaming

A TV box turns your standard TV into a smart one: it connects to the internet, letting you stream live shows, browse the web and access Netflix or iPlayer. A good starter streamer is the Roku Express (£29.99): it’s quick to set up, easy to use and gives you access to hundreds of free channels. Amazon’s Fire TV Stick (£69.99) is also affordable: for under £70 you can access Amazon Video’s expansive collection of movies and TV in 4K ultra-HD. Pair the remote with Alexa and ask it to dim your lights for ultimate viewing.

Apple’s version, the TV 4K (From £179), also has 4K and lets you use an app system to rent movies, TV shows and download other apps like Netflix. If you miss a bit, ask the remote “What did he say?” and the box will replay the last 15 seconds with subtitles.

Sky’s NOW TV Smart Box (£39.99) plugs into your broadband and lets you access iPlayer, Sky Cinema and Sport — but not Netflix. You can pause and rewind live TV for up to 30 minutes. If you’ve got fast broadband but slow wi-fi, the Google Chromecast Ultra (£69.99) has an ethernet port. There’s no remote: instead you control it from your phone, tablet or Google Home smart speaker.

The subsidiaries

Sky Q Remote

A remote is still the norm, and it’s sod’s law you’ll lose it 30 seconds before Motherland is about to start. To save any frantic scrambles down the back of the sofa, Sky has fitted a beeping device into its Sky Q remote (£20) — just press the Q button and it’ll beep for half a minute until you find it.

One For All has created a nifty device that combines eight remotes in one. The Smart Control 8 (£34.99) will hook up to your TV, but also your DVD player, sound bar and games console. And gamers can now turn their TV set into a touch screen using the Touchjet WAVE (£226). The device clips on to the top of your screen and lets you use any object as a stylus so you don’t have to worry about fingerprints. Imagine the satisfaction you’ll feel swiping Trump’s face off the screen once you’ve had enough of his tan.

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