Televisions

I’ve heard a startling amount of rubbish spouted about 4K/Ultra HD TVs in recent months. ‘Nobody cares about more pixels’. ‘The human eye can’t perceive the difference between normal HD and 4K resolutions’. ‘Forget UHD – what we need is OLED.’ ‘4K is just another marketing tool for selling more TVs.’ ‘Native sources won’t be available for at least five years’. And so on.

The entry-level Smart 3DTV sector is shaping up to be the hottest battleground for mass-market TVs. This year we’re seeing a wave of well-tooled tellies that appear to give away nothing to their more expensive brethren. You, dear buyer, are getting more tech than ever for your money. Typical of this value charge is the 42LA690V from LG. £900 (or less) will get you a 42-incher with high-quality Smart functionality and 3D-vision.

For such a big-boned screen, Panasonic’s 65in TX-P65VT65 NeoPlasma wears its weight well. A narrow metal trim with edge-to-edge black-filtered glass lends it a clean, lean appearance. If you’ve always considered that any TV larger than 50in will be an inconceivable intrusion in your living space, then this model could well change your mind.

While Bang & Olufsen products are extremely expensive, they’re also generally world-class performers. And the brand’s new BeoVision 11-40 40in TV – starting price £5,250 – continues that high-quality trend.

Toshiba’s debut TL series back in 2011 hit an instant chord with both us and the buying public by combining a super-slim design with features galore, good pictures and an eye-catching price.

The humble television is changing. As if touched up by a troupe of Kubrick monkeys, yesterday’s Full HD TV is now on course for a revolutionary image upgrade to 4K Ultra high-definition, an evolution fuelled by advances in panel production, the development of new compression codec technology and a crying need to inject life into the moribund global TV market. Frankly, we couldn’t be more excited.

While some may have had concerns about Philips' TV business, it's safe to say that things appear firmly on track following its deal with TP Vision. Last issue we marvelled at the pictorial delights – at least in 2D mode – of the brand's latest Moth Eye filter TV, the 46PFL9707. And now we find ourselves face to face with the more value-conscious but still pretty spectacular 55PFL6007.