TV & Audio

A good TV and audio setup is not about chasing the longest spec sheet, it is about making everyday entertainment feel easy. It is the cosy drama where you can still see detail in darker scenes, the match where dialogue cuts through the crowd, and the playlist that fills the house while you get on with dinner. When you choose with your room and routine in mind, everything feels more polished, without needing constant tweaking. Read More...

This category brings together televisions, sound bars, headphones and earphones, speakers and smart speakers, and projectors, so you can build a setup that suits your space and your habits. If you are starting from scratch, begin with the screen and the space it sits in, then add the audio piece that suits how you watch. If you are upgrading one part at a time, focus on the practical features you will notice every single day, like clear dialogue, simple connections, and the right number of inputs for your devices.

Start with televisions if you want the biggest single upgrade to your living room, bedroom, or kitchen, because the screen sets the tone for everything else. Most buyers begin with screen size, and that is sensible, because a 32-inch smart TV can feel perfect in a smaller space, a 50-inch smart TV often suits a typical lounge, and a 65-inch TV can give you that cinematic feel when you sit a little further back. If you are unsure, it helps to picture your viewing distance and furniture layout first, then choose the size that looks comfortable rather than dominant.

Once size feels right, panel type is usually the next decision. An OLED TV is often chosen for deep blacks and film nights, while a QLED TV or Mini LED TV can be a strong fit for brighter rooms where you want punchier brightness and colour. For most households, a 4K TV is the sweet spot, because it gives you crisp detail at common sizes and suits modern streaming and broadcast content. You will also see terms like HDR, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+, which relate to how a TV handles contrast and highlights. The simplest approach is to treat these as helpful additions, then prioritise a picture that looks natural in your room lighting.

Smart features matter more than people expect, simply because you use them constantly. Look for a smart platform that feels quick, has the services you actually watch, and stays easy to navigate, even when you are tired at the end of the day. If catch-up is important, Freeview Play can be worth checking for, as it brings live and on-demand players together in one place. If you game, a gaming TV is less about marketing and more about the right connections, especially HDMI 2.1 support, plus VRR and ALLM for smoother, lower-latency play.

Sound bars are a simple way to make a slim TV sound fuller, especially if you find yourself nudging the volume up and down to catch speech. A compact soundbar can bring dialogue forward and add a sense of space, while a soundbar with subwoofer is often chosen when you want more weight to action scenes, sport, and music. If you like the idea of sound that wraps around you, a soundbar with rear speakers can add that extra layer, without you having to build a full separates system.

If you are looking at a Dolby Atmos soundbar, think of it as an attempt to add height and dimension to sound, which can make certain films and series feel more immersive. Connection choice matters too, because it affects ease and quality. Many people look for an eARC connection so the TV can pass higher quality audio from built-in apps to the soundbar over a single HDMI cable, keeping the setup neat and reducing frustration when you switch sources.

Headphones and earphones are for the moments when you want to keep sound to yourself, without losing the impact of what you are watching or listening to. If you share a home, watch late at night, or work in a busy space, noise cancelling headphones can make everything feel calmer, because they reduce background distractions. For commuting and everyday use, wireless earbuds and true wireless earbuds are popular because they are compact and easy to grab on the way out.

The right style depends on how you use them. Over-ear headphones often suit longer listening sessions because they can feel more comfortable and deliver fuller sound, while in-ear headphones are a good fit if portability is the priority. If you plan to use them with a TV, laptop, and phone, look out for stable Bluetooth connections and simple switching between devices, because the best headphones are the ones that fit into your day without constant re-pairing.

Speakers and smart speakers are ideal when you want music to feel present in the room, not tucked away in headphones. A Bluetooth speaker is a great choice for kitchens, gardens, and weekends away, while a portable speaker is often chosen for convenience, simple pairing, and easy charging. If you are buying for gatherings, a party speaker leans into louder output and stronger bass, which can turn background music into the main event.

Smart speakers add hands-free control and can be especially useful if you like to set timers, ask for a track, or control compatible smart home devices while you are busy. If you enjoy music throughout the house, a multi-room speaker setup can be worth considering, as it lets you play the same track everywhere or different tracks in different rooms. The key is to choose a setup that matches your listening habits, because a speaker you enjoy using is the one you will keep reaching for.

Projectors are for anyone who wants that big-screen feeling without a permanent giant panel on the wall. A portable projector can suit bedrooms, film nights in different rooms, or casual viewing, especially when you value flexibility more than absolute brightness. If you want sharper detail, a 4K projector is often the long-term choice, but it is still important to think about your room, because projectors are affected by ambient light far more than TVs.

Throw type matters too. A short throw projector can create a large image from a shorter distance than traditional models, which helps in tighter spaces. An ultra short throw projector sits close to the wall, which can feel tidy and intentional if you want a large picture with minimal cabling across the room. If you are choosing a projector, consider where the image will land, whether you will use a screen or a plain wall, and how you will handle audio, because many people pair projectors with a soundbar or speakers for a more satisfying result.

Some features sound technical, but they translate into real comfort once you understand them. eARC is one of the most practical examples, because it is designed to send audio from your TV, including streaming apps, to a soundbar or receiver using a single HDMI cable. If you want immersive audio, Dolby Atmos is a common label to look out for on compatible TVs and sound systems, but the best approach is to treat it as a bonus and still prioritise clear dialogue and an easy setup.

If gaming is part of your household, HDMI 2.1 is the headline connection that often appears alongside console-friendly features. VRR aims to keep motion smooth by matching the display refresh to the source output, and ALLM is designed to switch to a lower-latency mode automatically when you start playing. For everyday viewing, smart platform speed and app support can matter just as much as picture specs. If you like live TV and catch-up together, Freeview Play is worth checking for, because it brings live channels and on-demand players into a single interface.

If you prefer to shop by size or by the kind of room you are upgrading, it can be helpful to start with Cheapest 65 Inch TV Deals for big-screen value, then browse 50-inch smart TVs for a balanced living room option, or 32-inch smart TVs for smaller spaces like kitchens, bedrooms, and flats. Once you have size and placement sorted, it becomes much easier to pick the picture and sound features that suit how you actually watch.

A satisfying setup usually follows one quiet rule: choose the screen for the room, then choose the sound for the way you watch. Add a soundbar if dialogue gets lost, headphones if you need privacy, speakers if you want music to feel alive, and a projector if you love the theatre feeling at home. If your entertainment is as much about consoles as it is about streaming, Gaming is a useful place to explore controllers, headsets, and the extras that make game nights feel smoother.