Space is the right environment for a TV with this level of staggering contrast, and it’s not just the dramatic moments, but also the more subtly lit scenes that stand out. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 is full of searing highlights and colorful bursts of space glow, but moments like the crisp sunrise on the Guardians’ plumb-brown shirts or the dark corridors of their small ship were just as impressive thanks to the Z95B’s masterful color gradients and shadow detail.
That meticulous touch comes through in everything you watch, including plain old HD sitcoms like The Office, where I found myself oddly enamored with moments like the auburn highlights of Jim’s hair or the gleam of Andy’s tie. This may not be the reason you buy a premium TV, but it’s lovely to find joy in the little things. Skin tones look almost touchably natural and clean, enhanced by the TV’s knockout image processing, and even lower-quality video looks good with its improved upscaling.
That’s not to say you won’t find plenty of bombast here; the Z95B gets as bright as anyone should need when properly tasked. Playing Mad Max: Fury Road on 4K HDR Blu-ray with the Panasonic DP-UB9000 elicited the perfect dichotomy between the dull desert backdrop and the catastrophic lightning storm. The storm’s jagged bolts split the sky with precision, erupting with blistering shocks of orange and white, right down to that sputtering white-hot flare.
Part of the Z95B’s potency comes from its excellent glare reduction. Like the LG G5, it’s able to reduce everything but direct reflections while preserving its obsidian backdrop for a more dramatic contrast in brighter rooms than Sony’s rival Bravia 8 II QD-OLED. I think the Bravia beats both TVs for image clarity, but it’s close. Only Samsung’s similar S95F offers a more potent way to kill the glare while still preserving contrast.
The Z95B and G5 are unsurprisingly similar, given that they share the same panel. The Z95B feels slightly more natural in its color and lighting, and a bit better for off-axis viewing, but that may be recency bias. I’d need to see them back-to-back to point to any real differences. Some extra color banding in Dolby Vision streaming content and a bit of image stuttering are the only noticeable flaws I saw in the Z95B over two weeks. (Note: I reviewed the G5 after LG addressed initial complaints of HDR color banding.)
All four premium OLEDs provide knockout performance, each with its own specialty. I’m partial to the G5 and Z95B over the Samsung and Sony for their balance of fiery brightness with jet-black backdrops—and the G5 has an edge with its four HDMI 2.1 ports and better smarts. The Z95B is hard to deny, though. If you’re after an all-in-one screen that elevates everything to showcase levels, this is the TV to take home.
Of course, promise is not the same as deliver—and just as with those soundbars that want to replicate the effects of a surround sound setup, it’s difficult in the extreme to create a sensation of spatial audio without the physical equipment necessary.
For home cinema, the words ‘spatial audio’ can confidently be swapped for ‘3D sound’. Unlike a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound setup, which creates a circle of sound around the listener, a spatial audio system creates a dome, where sound is delivered from above, as well as from the front, sides and rear.
Imagine your 7.1-channel system, and add four overhead speakers that have their own discrete information contained within the soundtrack. What you have now is a 7.1.4 system, and any content that’s been mixed specifically for a spatial audio system has an extraordinary amount of scope for the steering of effects within the dome of sound the system can create.
The best way to achieve a spatial audio effect from height channels is by precisely positioning speakers into the ceiling of your home cinema room. I hardly need to tell you that is is a relatively complicated process, and never what you might be tempted to call “cheap.” That is why a number of loudspeaker brands have developed upwards-firing modules that are designed to sit on top of some of the speaker cabinets in your surround sound setup, and reflect sound off the ceiling in an effort to replicate the effect of overhead speakers. It’s a similar method to those spatial audio soundbars with drivers that face upwards—but obviously on a larger scale.
Does Surround Sound Actually Sound Better?
For the most dedicated movie fans, the answer here is undoubtedly yes—if you choose to invest in a surround sound setup, the sound that accompanies the movies you watch will be completely transformed. Whether it’s right for you, your budget and your space is a very different question, and it’s worth weighing up the other options for improving your home cinema sound before you invest.
Surround Sound vs Stereo Sound
Which is “better” between surround sound and stereo sound isn’t really an absolute here—it’s a bit like trying to decide which is better between apples or onions. It’s fair to say, though, that if your primary interest is in home cinema rather than in music, a surround sound setup is going to bring you far closer to the objectives of the filmmaker (and their sound designer) than a stereo alternative has a hope of doing.
All movie soundtracks will have been mixed to be delivered by a surround sound setup, and that’s true whether you’re getting your movie from a streaming service or via legacy media such as 4K Blu-ray. There will be a stereo downmix available for those listening through a TV or stereo system, of course, but the true intentions of a surround sound mix will only become apparent if it’s heard through a surround sound system.
Surround Sound vs Soundbars
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
For anyone trying to decide between surround sound and a soundbar, what’s best will come down to your budget and/or the space you have—plus how much you really watch movies, and want the full-on home cinema experience. Yes, a soundbar is more convenient than a surround sound setup, and it’s almost certainly more affordable. But is it a surround sound solution? You already know the answer to that one.
Mohu Leaf (Passive) for $40-$45: After multiple scans and adjustments, I was able to get the latest passive version of the Leaf to receive nearly as many channels as our top picks. It’s a viable option if you don’t want to plug in, and it easily receives all my core channels, but it’s less consistent in both scanning and operation than our favorites at a similar cost. Barring a hot sale, it makes more sense to grab one of our top options, especially for rural areas.
One for All Amplified (16662)
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
One for All Amplified (16662) for $100-$120: This sphere-shaped antenna isn’t bad, just surprisingly expensive. The first time I scanned for channels it found nearly all available, including multiple Nextgen channels, and offered clear and stable reception. It proved slightly inconsistent upon channel rescan, but its main limitation is the high price.
Antennas to Avoid
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
HIDB Electronics TV Antenna for $20: This tiny antenna tower is a top seller on Amazon, and I really hoped for a good showing given its negligible size and price. Unfortunately, though I was able to get it to scan plenty of channels, it proved highly inconsistent over multiple days of testing, with several dead channels showing up between scans. If you’re willing to gamble, it could get the job done on a budget, but it’s likely to leave multiple channels on the table even in urban areas.
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Mohu Vibe Amplified for $50: I’ve had bad luck with the more stylish pad and wand-style antennas, and this rather pricey model from Mohu is no exception. It proved inconsistent in testing across multiple TVs, dropping major channels like my local CBS, NBC, and PBS affiliates, along with plenty of lesser-used channels.
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Mohu Versa for $30: I wanted to like the stylish and simple Versa, one of the few antennas you’ll find these days that doesn’t include an optional amplifier. Unfortunately, it was one of the worst at pulling channels, including several that were scanned and listed on the TV but showed no signal.
Clearstream Flex Amplified
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Clearstream Flex Amplified for $60: This massive antenna struggled some with channel reliability in scanning, even after multiple rescans. It was one of the few models we tested that failed to pick up our local ABC affiliate, along with a few other channel bands.
One for All Suburbs Ultimate (14426)
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
One for All Suburbs Ultimate Antenna (14426) for $50-$60: This thin black bar has stylish looks, but it was among the least consistent models we tested. It repeatedly pulled in fewer channels than similar models, leaving out wide channel bands, including major station affiliates.
One for All Suburbs Ultimate (14450)
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
One For All Suburbs Ultimate (14450) for $30: Another rather stylish and unique-looking model from One for All, this antenna is a bit janky to set up (especially its stand legs) and had more trouble bringing in multiple channels, including some major affiliates, than the top antennas we tested.
If you’re looking to make the move to an OLED screen, but don’t feel like stomaching the high price tag usually associated with the tech, you might consider the LG B5 OLED. It’s already a great screen at the full price, but Best Buy currently has it marked down to just $600. That’s a significant markdown for this TV, which can typically be found between $1,000 and $1,200.
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
The star of the show is LG’s OLED panel, the type typically found on TVs twice the price. If you’re curious why that’s so important, we have a great explainer that breaks down the difference between all the different panel types. The important takeaway here is that the pixels emit their own light, allowing individual spots of the screen to be perfectly black. The result is impressive, with incredible contrast between the brightest and darkest spots that’s best understood by seeing it in person.
The other areas of the screen are excellent as well. Our reviewer Ryan Waniata opined that “there’s a sumptuous touch to images of all sorts,” and liked the colors as well, which were accurate and sharp without any adjustment. The screen has a natural and vivid performance to it that feels all the more impressive when you consider the price point.
It has the chops for some gaming too, with feature support that meets or beats higher-end screens. With four proper HDMI 2.1 inputs, your consoles won’t need to fight for the good ports, which is a nice surprise for the price point. It can reach a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, which is just fine for most console gamers, and has both AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync to make sure everything is smooth, plus Auto Low Latency Mode for quick response times.
Overall, the LG B5 OLED is a solid value at its full price, but the steep discount here makes this a really sweet upgrade or first OLED. If you’re still not sold, make sure to swing by our roundup of all the best TVs available, including the B5 and other OLEDs.
If your current TV speakers aren’t impressing you, the easiest way to upgrade your movie night is with a sound bar. Our favorite compact option, where you might have limited space or a smaller room, is the Bose Smart Soundbar. It’s currently marked down to $400 at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy, a discount of at least $100. It’s easy to use, small enough to squeeze into tight spots, and still has all the features you’d expect from a soundbar.
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Despite the tiny footprint, the Bose Smart Soundbar is capable of surprisingly expansive sound, which our reviewer Ryan Waniata calls out in particular, even if you’re just watching sports. Without a dedicated subwoofer, it lacks some punch in the bass department, but is still impressive, with surprising clarity, especially considering how little space it takes up. Because it sports Bluetooth, you can even use it as a dedicated speaker for music, a role it handles quite well.
The Smart Soundbar comes with a variety of intelligent features designed to enhance your viewing experience. We called out the AI Dialogue mode in particular, and were impressed by its ability to help speech stand out, without distorting the other background audio and music. If you often find yourself rewinding or asking what a character said, this soundbar is worth looking into for this feature on its own.
It also has another neat trick Bose calls Personal Surround. By pairing the soundbar with a set of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, you can incorporate them into your surround setup. The open earbuds still let you hear the soundbar, creating an immersive mix that’s made even more potent by Dolby Atmos support.
If you have the extra space, you may still want to consider one of our other favorite soundbars, which can take advantage of that room to add a dedicated subwoofer, or more drivers. For anyone just looking to upgrade their living room’s audio setup, the Bose Smart Soundbar is an excellent pick that doesn’t take up any extra space, and still sounds surprisingly good.
Under the surface are 11 individually powered speakers, including two five-inch woofers, two midrange drivers, two tweeters, and five “full-range” drivers. The collection includes both side-firing and upfiring drivers to bounce sound off your walls and ceiling for surround sound and 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
Around back, you’ll find solid connectivity, including HDMI eARC/ARC for seamless connection to modern TVs, an HDMI passthrough port for connecting a streamer or gaming console, Ethernet, RCA analog connection for a legacy device like a turntable, and a traditional subwoofer that lets you side-step Marshall’s available wireless sub. There’s no optical port, but since optical doesn’t support Dolby Atmos or DTS:X spatial audio, that’s kind of a moot point.
Setup is pretty simple, but the bar’s hefty size adds some complications. At three inches tall, it’s a tough fit beneath many TVs. Conversely, the rubber feet that diffuse its 43-inch long frame from your console offer almost zero clearance at the sides and, unlike bars like Sony’s Bravia Theater 9 or System 6, there’s no way to extend it. That makes it tough to set the bar down properly with all but the thinnest pedestal TV stands, which are becoming common even in cheap TVs. All that to say, there’s a good chance you’ll need to mount your TV to use the Heston.
Like the Sonos Arc Ultra, there’s no remote, meaning adjusting settings mainly relies on the Marshall app. The app is relatively stable, but it froze up during a firmware update for me, and it usually takes a while to connect when first opened. Those are minor quibbles, and your TV remote should serve as your main control for power and volume.
Wi-Fi connection unlocks music streaming via Google Cast, AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and internet radio stations, with Bluetooth 5.3 as a backup. Automated calibration tunes the sound to your room (complete with fun guitar tones), and in-app controls like a multi-band EQ provide more in-depth options than the physical knobs.
Premium Touch
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
The Heston 120’s sound profile impressed from the first video I switched on, which happened to be an episode of Bob’s Burgers. The bar immediately showcased a sense of clarity, openness, and overall definition that’s uncommon even from major players in the space.
I won’t mince words: Sling TV is confusing. It has, by far, the most confusing lineup of plans and add-ons out of any of the live TV streaming services I tested. There are a handful of core plans, none of which encompass the scale of Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, or DirecTV, as well as about half a dozen add-ons to bring the channel roster up to par. This modular approach is annoying while shopping, though it also means you can save quite a bit of money by only picking up what you need.
The core of Sling is Blue and Orange. The Blue plan focuses on news and entertainment, while the Orange plan cuts news like MSNBC and CNN in favor of an array of ESPN channels. It’s clear Sling wants folks to pick up the Orange & Blue plan that combines these channel lineups. It’s about 30 percent cheaper getting them together than it is purchasing them separately (and about $30 cheaper than most other providers).
The Orange & Blue plan, which I recommend for most people, covers the major bases, but it loses out on some of the secondary channels available elsewhere. For instance, you get ESPN channels and Fox Sports 1, but not Fox Sports 2 or the Big Ten Network. You’ll need an add-on for those.
Most of Sling’s add-ons are $6 extra per month, minus the sports add-on, which is $15. The add-ons fill in the gaps depending on what you’re most interested in. The entertainment add-on includes Cartoon Network and MTV, for instance, while the movies add-on comes with Grit, TCM, and FXX. You can pick up all of the extras for $27 per month with Blue & Orange or $21 per month with other plans. Even with the full package, however, Sling comes in a few dollars below YouTube TV and Hulu Live TV, and there are opportunities to get your monthly price even lower by cutting some packages.
For apps, Sling has just about everything you could want. Roku, Samsung, LG, Apple, and Google TV are all supported, as are boxes from Cox, Xfinity, and even TiVo Stream. Mobile apps are available, and there’s an app for the Xbox (though not the PlayStation 5).
Although not as responsive as YouTube TV, the app felt smooth on my TCL QM8K. You can create profiles, see upcoming games, and favorite channels in the guide so they’re easy to find.
On the hunt for a premium television, with all the bells and whistles? Our premium television pick, the LG G5 OLED is currently marked down to just under $2,000 on Amazon for the 65-inch version, a $500 discount from its usual list price. This excellent OLED TV scored top marks in everything from brightness to color, and is a great choice for anyone seeking the perfect addition to their living room or home theater.
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
LG has made a variety of improvements to this generation of panels, and it really shows in the numbers. It’s one of the brightest screens we’ve tested, with only one major competitor, the Sony Bravia 9 QLED beating it in terms of raw brightness. That means top-tier HDR performance, without some of the compromises you usually make for QLED screens to reach that brightness.
The colors are excellent as well, bringing life to the deep greens and blues that some TVs can struggle with. They do just as well catching the clothing of your favorite sitcom stars as they do expressing the explosions and crashes of action movies. The processing and upscaling are top-notch as well, in case not all of your media is coming from the best source.
Combine that high brightness with the rich and vibrant colors, and the result is a TV that looks stunning across any movie genre. As our reviewer Ryan Waniata put it while describing the lightning storm from the beginning of Mad Max: Fury Road, “Each bolt and fiery crash burned with white-hot sizzle, almost overwhelming my senses even in a daytime viewing.”
The only real catch here is the streaming interface, an upgraded version of LG’s WebOS, which doesn’t quite hold up to the simplicity and performance of other options like Google TV. The remote is also slightly confusing, lacking some basic functions like a mute key or input key, both of which require other key press combinations. The good news here is if it really bothers you, you can always switch to a dedicated streaming box.
If you’ve got the cash to plunk down, the LG G5 OLED is one of our favorite televisions, and it’s worth grabbing this 20 percent discount on it while you can.
It’s Prime Day times, and one of my favorite sonic surprises of 2025 is getting a sweet discount. The Sony Bravia Theater System 6 is one of the best soundbar setups I’ve tested this year, offering a unique mix of components that serve up some of the most thrilling and musical surround sound you can get for the money. There aren’t a ton of fancy features here, but you’ll get everything you need in one box to take your TV setup from boring to bodacious.
The Bravia Theater System 6 comes in a rather large box, with its hefty subwoofer taking up most of the real estate. The large cabinet serves as both the sonic foundation and the primary hub of the 5.1-channel system, offering all inputs and connecting to the slim soundbar via a small flat cable. Inputs include HDMI eARC for seamless TV connection, as well as digital optical and 3.5-mm analog input for legacy sources.
A small amplifier box connects to the subwoofer wirelessly, while two more flat cables connect the tall surround speakers. It’s a lot of wires for a single-box surround system in 2025, but the payoff is performance that gets refreshingly close to more complex multi-speaker setups. You’ll get punch and verve in the bass, smooth musicality and poised dialog from the bar, and clear and fluid surround channels from the back speakers. While there aren’t any upfiring speakers for 3D sound formats like Dolby Atmos, the System 6 does a commendable job virtualizing Atmos.
One thing you won’t get in the package is Wi-Fi support, which means you’ll be confined to Bluetooth streaming, and any updates need to be done manually with a USB drive, yet another callback to older Home Theater in a Box (HTiB) systems.
A bit of awkwardness in setup is worth it for the sheer cinematic performance the Bravia Theater System 6 serves up. It’s worth the splurge for many at full price, but this discount makes it a much easier choice for anyone looking to take their basic TV setup to the next level. If you want to be fully immersed in your films and TV shows, this setup delivers.
Amazon Prime Day comes around but once, or twice, or maybe like three times (?) a year, and it’s a great time to stock up on tech, including grabbing one of the best soundbars you can buy on sale. This Sonos Beam Gen 2 Prime Day soundbar deal certainly qualifies, offering clear and expressive performance and a ton of features for a serious discount during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event.
Style meets substance has long been the Sonos ethos, and the Beam Gen 2 exemplifies that brilliantly. You’ll find carefully designed curves, slick touch controls, and a compact chassis that fits on any console and below virtually any TV.
The Beam’s sound quality is among the best in its class, with only Bose’s Smart Soundbar keeping pace. While the Bose bar provides better Dolby Atmos effects thanks to dedicated upfiring drivers, Sonos’ bar offers more low-end muscle and impressive frequency balance, along with some solid virtualized Atmos effects.
As with other Sonos products, the Beam Gen 2 is loaded with networking features, including tons of supported streaming services over Wi-Fi in the Sonos app, third-party connectivity like Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect, and the ability to connect with other Sonos speakers in surround sound or as part of a multi-room audio system.
The Sonos app has had its issues of late, but Sonos has spent plenty of time and toil fixing it since its relaunch with the Sonos Ace. It has worked fine for me for months, with my Sonos Era 100 and Era 300 standing among the most reliable speakers on my network.
The Beam Gen 2 is also a snap when it comes to connection and usability, connecting to your TV over HDMI eARC for simple control with your TV remote. It’s a highly capable little bar that can grow with your system as needed, and at this price, it’s an easy buy.
I recently went down a bright, RGB-laden hole with a mission: to satisfy my curiosity about smart lights that try to rip the colors off your TV and splash them onto the wall behind it. I’ve been skeptical of such TV lights muddying filmmakers’ intent the same way modern TVs with motion smoothing and other AI image processing can. After toying with the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer, I wouldn’t say I’m sold on the idea yet, but the good news is that’s not all this little can full of LED modules can do.
Signify, the company that licenses and makes products under the Philips Hue brand, might mainly advertise the Play Wall Washer as a way to spice up your entertainment system. But it’s equally adept as wall-coating accent lighting or a wake-up light in your bedroom, using the same interface that works for other colorful Hue smart lighting. The Wall Washer itself is a small, upright lamp inside an aluminum enclosure that feels very sturdy. It projects light outward and upward from three rows of LED lights, each working to produce smooth gradients and colors that are rich without being garishly oversaturated, which I’ve always appreciated about the whole Hue smart light line.
It’s a versatile little product, yet I find myself jumping through a lot of mental hoops to justify the Play Wall Washer. At $219.99, it’s not the most expensive RGB light in the usually-spendy Philips Hue lineup, but you would still need to either have or create an ideal space for it in your home to make it worthwhile. And it takes a whole lot more money to make it work as a TV backlight.
Philips Hue Play Wall Washer
The Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is a slick, well-made can full of vibrant and responsive color-shifting RGBs to paint your wall with—if you’ve got the money and the space.
Signify calls the Play Wall Washer an “immersive surround lighting” experience for your home entertainment center. The smart light’s product page shows two Play Wall Washers standing astride a giant TV, splaying green and blue gradients over a broad, near-featureless white wall.
It takes a hefty investment—$384.99 for a two-pack of the smart lights; another $384.99 for the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K; and $65.99 for a Hue Bridge—to achieve what Philips’ image shows, but it ain’t much easier on your wallet with just one Play Wall Washer. You can skip the Sync Box 8K (or the older $249.99 4K model) if you have one of the recent 2022 or newer Samsung or 2024 LG TVs, for which Signify has a standalone Hue Sync app. But because we can’t have anything nice, you’ll still be on the hook for a $129.99 one-time purchase covering a single TV or a $2.99 monthly subscription that’s good for three TVs. You don’t actually need a Hue Bridge if you’re not doing the TV-syncing thing—you can still use it as a fancy gradient-beaming light via the Hue app over Bluetooth—but you’ll also lose Matter support, limiting your smart home ecosystem options to just Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
I tested a single unit paired with the Sync Box 8K, which has four HDMI 2.1 inputs and one HDMI 2.1 output that can pass up to 4K content at 120Hz (or 8K at 60Hz) through to your TV using an included Ultra High-Speed HDMI cable. You can switch inputs via the Hue app, but I found I never needed to; its automatic input-switching when I turned on another device was flawless. It also supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 video.
Setup in the Hue app is fairly quick and painless, involving a little QR code-scanning and, for the Sync Box, tapping the button on your Hue Bridge and using a little graphic to drag the Play Wall Washer to its approximate location relative to your TV. After setup, controlling TV syncing—which you’ll do from the Sync tab in the app—is pretty straightforward, letting you do things like tweak the brightness of your lights and intensity of their effects.
The main advantage the Play Wall Washer has over covering the back of your TV with RGB integrated circuit (RGBIC) light strips—the kind with LED modules that can be controlled individually, making color gradients along the strip possible—is that physically setting it up is a breeze. You just plop it down behind your TV, plug it and the Sync Box into the wall, hook up your HDMI cables to the Sync Box, and you’re done. The disadvantage is that it being a single light source meansit’ll cast harsh shadows if there’s anything mounted on the wall above it. LED strips don’t really have that issue.
Once I cleared out some shadow-casting objects, the Sync Box and Play Wall Washer struck me as being good if what you’re after is more of a vibe than seeing colors bleed out from the edge of your TV, or perhaps bias lighting, which can make watching a screen easier on your eyes. Yes, it flashed its lights right alongside the lightning in the opening sequence of Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, when Kylo Ren first visits Exegol, and bloomed red and orange in the sunset sequence of The Incredibles, as Mrs. Incredible races to save a commuter bullet train from certain doom. But the light wasn’t as precisely positioned around my TV as that you’d get from an LED strip slapped on the back of your TV.
It seemed a bit more precise when I slipped it into gaming mode and played Donkey Kong Bananza on my Nintendo Switch 2, but the effect was still muted. Even so, this left me a lot more convinced by the whole TV backlight concept, at least for gaming—I’d even say I enjoyed the spectacle. Movies are presented as a piece of art meant to wash over you, but video games are inherently participatory—how you experience their stories is up to you, and for me at least, a synchronized light show feels more additive than distracting.
So, price and precision are the Play Wall Washer’s big weak points. I A/B tested it against the $149.99 Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite Kit (see the GIFs above), which uses an LED strip and two light bars, and the even cheaper $94.49 HDMI Sync Box from Wiz, another Signify brand—both produced much more localized lighting and aren’t just cheaper than the Play Wall Washer on their own, and neither requires you to buy anything else to sync with your TV. Their colors are a lot more in-your-face than the Play Wall Washers, which is a good thing for some people, and if you don’t like it, there are ways to tone things down in their respective apps.
They each have their own drawbacks, though: Govee’s kit requires hanging an ugly camera from the top of your TV to capture color information, and the lights lag behind the picture slightly (for what it’s worth, the company does sell a Sync Box with specs similar to the Philips Hue Sync Box 8K), and the Wiz Sync Box only has a single HDMI input and is limited to 4K resolution at 60Hz or 1440p at 120Hz. And sticking an LED strip to the back of your TV is a pain in both cases.
But maybe you’re only interested in the Play Wall Washer as a decorative item. Good for you; you’ll save a little money, and the Play Wall Washer’s ability to bathe a broad surface in colorful light is excellent. The sweet spot, to me, started at about a foot from a wall, letting me coat the it all the way up to the ceiling. You can go with static lights or gradients—the Hue app has a ton of nice pre-made ones, but you can also roll your own with a color picker in the app—or you can choose from several effects like those that other colorful Hue bulbs and lightstrips use. My favorite was Cosmic Gold, which alternately undulates light in front of and above the lamp, blasts color everywhere, and quickly dials the brightness all the way down in a fluid, repeating animation.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to find somewhere to actually put it. It’s meant to be stood on a hard surface—either your floor or a table—and with the light pointing upward, everything ends up being underlit, casting harsh shadows if the light encounters any texture or decorations, making it hard for me to find a wall it would work on. Its power cord is a generous 6.2-feet long, but it’s embedded, rather than using something like USB-C, so you need a bulky extension cord if it doesn’t reach. Also, there are no mounting screw holes, so you’d have to get creative if you want to put it anywhere other than the floor or a piece of furniture.
The only hope for it in my house was my bedroom, which is a converted attic with walls that are only briefly vertical before angling to follow the roofline. The light covered the entire 15-foot length of the wall with vibrant, smooth gradients, and the angled wall helped with furniture shadows and kept the light from fading as it climbed higher. But the Play Wall Washer was smack in the middle of my bedroom floor, right in the walkway and ready to trip me. Ultimately, if you don’t have tons of space and an Apple-like minimalist sensibility, it’s hard to see this smart light being practical for decoration outside of something like an art gallery.
Smart home compatibility Matters
If you have a Hue Bridge to connect it to, the Play Wall Washer gets support for Matter, the universal protocol that lets your device work across any of the major smart home platforms. That approach—using a hub instead of giving the light Matter compatibility on its own—means I didn’t have to do anything after setup to get it working in Apple Home, Google Home, my Flic Hub, and Amazon Alexa; it was just already there. Without a Hue Bridge, it’ll only work with the last two in that list. That could be fine in the short term, but if some slick new platform emerges down the road, there’s far less chance this light will be supported without Matter.
Whatever your platform of choice is, you’ll still want to use the Hue app, as it’s the only way to make the Play Wall Washer show gradients. It’s also where you’ll find Hue’s various automations, like presence-mimicking that can randomly turn your lights on and off at night when you’re away, or geofencing that toggles them off or on when you leave or come home. The Play Wall Washer is actually really nice with the Hue wake-up automation, which turns it slowly over a long stretch, because it can be both extremely dim and very bright. That long wall I mentioned earlier? It was nice to close my curtains and wake up to it totally bathed in the colors of a sunrise.
The $219.99 Hue Play Wall Washer is a really cool little smart lamp that’s small enough that it won’t call attention to itself beyond the lush colors it produces. It’s not cheap, but for home decor purposes, the price may be right, so long as you have a big ol’ wall to shine its light onto and the space to keep it from being underfoot.
As a TV-syncing light, it might be too subdued and imprecise for many people, and it’s limited to TVs that are placed a little away from the wall if you want even lighting from a single Play Wall Washer. But even if you do like its vibe and super easy setup, the costs ramp way up to unlock that functionality, requiring you to buy hardware that costs much more than the light itself or have one of very few specific TV sets that can do it for you, assuming you already have a Hue Bridge. Given that the market is absolutely lousy with TV backlight options, it may be best to save your money and skip the Hue Play Wall Washer.
The latest release from Govee brings a major leap in home entertainment. The newly launched TV Backlight 3 Pro introduces the industry’s first HDR triple-camera system, making it possible for viewers to experience unmatched immersion in movies, sports, and gaming. Designed to transform the atmosphere behind the screen, this device takes personalization and cinematic backlighting to the next level.
HDR Triple-Camera for Precision Color Capture
At the core of the innovation lies a triple-camera HDR color-matching system. Unlike traditional single-lens sensors, this setup uses three lenses to capture precise details across the entire display. The advanced HDR algorithm merges multiple exposures, ensuring bright highlights and shadow details remain crisp. This means the lighting syncs perfectly with the action, providing a theatre-like experience right in the living room.
Upgraded LuminBlend™ Light Strip Technology
To complement the advanced sensor, the TV Backlight 3 Pro features a high-density light strip that delivers 30% more brightness. Built with self-developed 16-bit chips and RGBWWIC five-way light control, it accurately reproduces both cool white and warm white tones. This ensures smoother color transitions and sharper clarity, no matter the type of content being watched.
Govee AI: Smarter Entertainment
The integrated Govee AI system elevates the experience beyond simple light synchronization. With deep-learning powered scene analysis, it can extract dominant colors and recreate the atmosphere of a movie or game. Intelligent Black Edge Elimination removes distortion from black bars, while Smart Screen Detection turns off the lights during a full black screen—optimizing both accuracy and energy use.
Smart Living Integration
The backlight connects seamlessly with the Govee Home App, offering hundreds of preset scenes, DreamView sync, and Music Mode. Users can control the system via Alexa, Google Home, or through Matter compatibility, ensuring it fits into modern smart ecosystems. Whether for casual viewing or hardcore gaming, the device adapts instantly to enhance the atmosphere.
With pricing starting at $179.99 for 55–66″ TVs and $209.99 for 75–85″ models, the Govee TV Backlight 3 Pro is now available on Amazon and Govee. With its groundbreaking HDR system and AI-powered features, Govee continues to push the boundaries of what ambient lighting can deliver for home entertainment.
Our favorite 4K streaming device, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus (9/10, WIRED Review), is marked down to just $29 on Amazon, a healthy discount off its already wallet-friendly price. It’s easy to use, extremely compact, and priced well under its competitors. It can turn a dumb 4K TV into a smart streaming platform in under 10 minutes with minimal fuss, and there’s a reason it’s our Editors’ Pick for 4K streaming devices.
Photograph: Parker Hall
Roku
Streaming Stick Plus (2025)
You might even consider the Streaming Stick Plus if you already have a smart TV and the interface is slow or buggy. Maybe it’s an older model and the years of updates have finally caught up with it. The Roku’s interface is clean and snappy, but even better, it’s incredibly easy to use, great for anyone who just wants to sit down with their popcorn and get movie night going.
It has great picture quality and feature support too, particularly for the price. It can stream content up to 4K, with support for HDR10, and you’re really only missing Dolby Vision, a high-end HDR codec that’s only found on the most premium televisions (and no Samsung models to date). It has no issue jumping from app to app, and it doesn’t get warm like some previous generations.
The Streaming Stick Plus is surprisingly compact too, with a slim body that’s designed to squeeze into an HDMI port without blocking the ports around it. Most TVs have an extra USB port for powering devices like this on the back, which means you won’t need to find an outlet or a spot on your entertainment stand.
Once reserved for the more premium Roku devices, the updated Streaming Stick Plus now has voice controls. Our reviewer Parker Hall was impressed with how well it worked, and he found it particularly useful for finding where a particular show or movie was streaming if he wasn’t sure.
There are only a few other 4K streaming devices at this price point, and this is our favorite of the bunch, thanks to its super straightforward interface and snappy streaming. Extras like a compact form factor and voice controls only sweeten the deal, especially when there’s a discount involved.
The latest innovation from Epson brings a fresh perspective to home entertainment. With the launch of the Lifestudio projectors, Epson introduces the world’s first smart streaming projectors featuring Sound by Bose technology. This collaboration promises a powerful combination of immersive visuals and premium audio, aiming to transform everyday gatherings into unforgettable cinematic moments.
A New Era of Entertainment
Unlike traditional projectors, the Lifestudio family is designed for more than just screen projection. By combining advanced 3LCD projection technology with Bose’s renowned acoustic engineering, users can enjoy vibrant imagery paired with rich, balanced sound without needing external speakers. These projectors come with Google TV integration, allowing instant access to streaming platforms, apps, and personalized content in a seamless way.
Personal and Portable Choices
The lineup includes Lifestudio Flex, Flex Plus, Pop, and Pop Plus models—compact solutions built for portability. These projectors can cast up to 150 inches, making them perfect for gaming nights, movie marathons, or casual streaming sessions. EpiqSense™ 2.0 auto-setup ensures sharp focus and accurate colors instantly, while Auto Low Latency mode on Flex Plus and Pop Plus offers responsive gameplay for console and PC users alike. Their sleek designs also integrate ambient lighting and tiltable stands for stylish functionality.
Lifestudio Grand: Cinematic Experience at Home
At the top of the range is the Lifestudio Grand, an ultra-short throw projector that can sit just inches away from the wall while projecting a massive 120-inch image. Supporting 4K PRO-UHD with HDR, it delivers crisp details, deep contrast, and vibrant colors even in brighter rooms. Paired with Bose’s powerful audio system, it eliminates the need for soundbars, offering deep bass and four audio modes to fit any mood—whether it’s action-packed films, live concerts, or sports events.
Smart App and Accessories
The new Epson Projection Studio app for iOS and Android allows users to create interactive slideshows and videos, making gatherings more engaging. With secure QR code sharing, even remote friends can join in and share content. Epson also provides a two-year limited warranty and lifetime technical support, alongside upcoming accessories like stand extensions and karaoke-ready microphones. The Lifestudio lineup is already available on Epson and select retailers, with pricing ranging from $679.99 to $2,699.99 depending on the model.
With this release, Epson proves its commitment to blending premium visuals and audio into compact devices, redefining what home projectors can do. Whether you choose a portable Flex or the powerful Grand, the Lifestudio projectors ensure both stunning image quality and immersive sound—making every gathering memorable.
Trying to boost the volume at your end-of-summer parties? The JBL Flip 7 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is discounted by $20 on Amazon, bringing the price down to just $130. That might not sound like a huge discount, but it brings it more in line with its competitors, and temporarily erases the price bump from the previous version.
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
We’ve given high marks to several rounds of the JBL Flip series speakers, thanks to their great battery life, portable form factor, and impressive volume. JBL upgraded this generation of the Flip with some important upgrades, like a larger battery, improvements to the tweeter, and a detachable strap for when you’re on the move. It’s currently our editors’ favorite Bluetooth speaker, beating out a variety of other great options.
The audio quality is as great as ever, with surprisingly sharp detail for such a small and portable speaker. It’s punchy and bold, with a sound profile that’s designed to stand out even at a crowded backyard barbeque or pool party. While it gets a little distorted at max volume, our reviewer noted that it does get really loud, breaking 75 decibels a few feet away. There’s a mobile app too if you want to tweak the equalizer yourself, or use one of the presets.
It’s sturdy too, with an IP68 weather resistance rating, which should help it avoid any issues on your beach day with sand or splashing. There are some other minor changes that JBL says improves the shock rating for the speaker, which should help protect it from the bumps and scratches it’ll surely experience on your next adventure.
One downside here is that the JBL Flip 7 switched from the proprietary PartyBoost to the new Auracast system. The upside is better compatibility with other Bluetooth speakers, but it also means older models of the Flip aren’t available for multi-device listening. It’s a good future-proofing feature, but if you aren’t currently looking at a new phone or earbuds, it might not be that exciting.
For just $130, you could do a whole lot worse than the JBL Flip 7, with a great feature set, excellent audio, and all the portability features we’ve come to expect from a premium Bluetooth speaker.
While Dolby imposes no hard limit on the number or type of speakers (or subwoofers) you can use in a single FlexConnect system, each manufacturer’s choice of processor determines what’s feasible.
What you can’t do is use any other company’s wireless speakers—whether they’re FlexConnect-compatible or not. Naturally, this raises the question of compatibility. When other companies eventually make their own FlexConnect TVs, speakers, or soundbars, will they only work within that brand’s family of products? Dolby says this kind of brand lock-in isn’t built into Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, but neither does it require compatibility between FlexConnect products.
TCL Exclusive (for Now)
Photograph: Simon Cohen
Unfortunately for now, TCL’s implementation of FlexConnect is proprietary. I’ve repeatedly asked Dolby’s reps which companies have signed up to be a part of the Atmos FlexConnect world, but they’ve steadfastly refused to comment, choosing instead to let TCL own the limelight during the initial launch.
Each TCL Z100 is rated at 170 watts RMS, which is delivered via three front-facing drivers (woofer, midrange, and tweeter) plus an up-firing driver for height effects. TCL says it uses a 1.1.1-channel layout, which means it can receive and reproduce one front/surround/rear channel, plus height and low-frequency effects (LFE) channels.
TCL doesn’t say how low the Z100’s woofer can go, saying only that “low frequencies are optimized and gained, lowering the extension frequency to deliver more thrilling and powerful bass performance.”
You can’t configure the Z100 to be part of a multiroom audio setup like you can with a Sonos or Bose soundbar, but you can switch it to Bluetooth mode for direct audio streaming from a phone. Two Z100s can be stereo-paired. Unfortunately, the Bluetooth mode isn’t managed by Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, so you may want to think carefully about speaker position if you use it frequently.
Flexin’
Photograph: Simon Cohen
Unlike soundbars and AV receivers, which typically override a TV’s internal speakers, Dolby Atmos FlexConnect incorporates them, channeling content and frequencies in a way that works with the rest of the speakers in the system. Presumably, most of that content will be center channel (dialog, key sound effects), with the wireless speakers filling in as needed.
We’ve all been there: You moved your TV or computer monitor with bare hands and got it all greasy, or you splashed a bit of liquid on it in sports- or video-game-fueled excitement. How do you clean your screen? Read our guide below for pro tips.
While older, glass-fronted TVs were easy to clean with any anti-static rag and cleaner, you need to be more careful with modern screens, which aren’t protected.
Photograph: Parker Hall
The best method for cleaning off the small amount of dirt, grease, dust, or other muck that has accumulated on your TV? Ditch the solvent and just use a soft, dry microfiber cloth ($26 for 80) to clean the display. Wipe in a circular motion, much like you would when brushing your teeth or cleaning your counters.
If things are too gunky for a clean rag to pick up, reach for some distilled and deionized water ($17 per gallon), which won’t leave spots or have impurities that can damage your screen. Put a little on the cloth and wipe, following up with a fresh dry rag.
In a worst-case scenario, you can add a tiny amount of Dawn dish soap ($15 for 112 ounces) to the water (read: add a drop to an entire spray bottle [$8 for 2]) and use that. If you do this, you’ll want to wipe a second time with distilled water, then again with a dry rag to ensure no residue is left behind. Remember: screens aren’t waterproof at the edges, so be sure to go lightly with water if you’re using it.
It is typically easier to see how dirty your screen is when it is off, so I recommend turning it off or unplugging it when doing a cleaning. Be careful not to press too hard when rubbing, as you can damage your screen.
As a Samsung phone user of more than a decade, I still mostly hate using Samsung TVs. The stupid interface is annoying and hard to navigate, the apps are not that great, and I often stumble into some random section or other when I’m looking for something basic, like an input button, on the remote.
The screen on Samsung’s flagship S95F QD-OLED is so utterly gorgeous that none of this matters. Gorgeous black levels, insane colors, and a truly cinematic matte screen make this TV the prettiest I have ever laid eyes on for an extended period. If you’re at the poshest end of posh when it comes to home theaters, this is the model for you. Just plug in an Apple TV 4K or Roku Ultra.
“Infinity One”
Photograph: Parker Hall
I am not sure what this means, but it’s what Samsung calls the design language of its latest flagship screen, offering us a hyper-thin display that can mount flush to the wall, thanks to a big all-in-one cable that can deliver power, picture, and sound to and from the display and to Samsung’s One Connect Box. This box plugs into the wall and can be placed somewhere more aesthetic than below your TV, for folks who like to hide away all the cables, and it allows easy access to peripherals like four HDMI ports, a cable or antenna connection, a network cable connection, and a USB port for powering streaming devices.
It’s a nice little setup that takes away the stress of tiptoeing behind the TV to plug and unplug stuff, but it does mean you’ll have to find a place to put it, which could be a downside for minimalist living rooms. For my review unit, I just put the thing on a coffee table in front of the TV; not super pretty, but extremely functional. If I were keeping this TV long-term? I’d probably put it down near my 4K Blu-ray player.
The included remote is small and not backlit, but it is solar- and radio-powered, which means that you’ll never have to struggle through the junk drawer for a pair of AAA batteries when you’re in the middle of a binge-watching session. I’d still love a backlight for the remote, though, because this TV is so incredible in dark spaces (more on this later).
Interface-wise, it’s the same annoying maze that I’ve been battling from Samsung for years. There are too many ads, and it feels clunky and old. The good news is that AirPlay 2 and Samsung Smart View come standard, so it’s at least easy to get your phone’s content onscreen. Onboard apps are fine and do stream well, but I prefer the speed of outboard streaming devices like the aforementioned Apple TV 4K and Roku Ultra for streaming on a TV this nice.
The big draw here is spatial audio, which our team feels performs even better than Apple’s Homepod (5/10, WIRED Review) when it comes to filling a room with sound. That’s largely thanks to the array of drivers, including six speakers, four tweeters, and a pair of mid/bass drivers all packed into one vaguely robot-butt-shaped device.
We also appreciate that the Era 300 has physical controls, in case you need to make quick adjustments without pulling out your phone. There’s a volume slider, track controls, and a button to activate either Amazon Alexa or the Sonos Voice Control. There’s also Bluetooth pairing if you want to skip the Sonos app altogether and just hook your phone up directly.
The app (now finally working again after some woes last year) provides a lot of value, though, letting you connect all of your speakers together for whole home audio, and it supports distinct speaker types, like soundbars and bookshelf speakers. Sonos speakers are easy to set up and configure, have a wide support for streaming services and smart home options, and just sound great. They even found their way onto our favorite Bluetooth speakers list, despite having their own protocol for home audio.
Our reviewer was particularly impressed with the audio quality on the Era 300, saying it sounded detailed and expressive whether they were listening to music or spoken word and calling it a “poised and eloquent listen.” Make sure to check out the full review for more details on why we like this speaker over the many other Sonos options.
If you want to double up for true multichannel surround sound, you can pick up two speakers as a bundle, but you won’t save any cash, just packaging. The big downside to Sonos speakers is that they tend to be expensive, but if you’re looking to get started in the ecosystem and have a great television to pair it with, these are worth a serious look.
There aren’t many all-in-one soundbar solutions that give you as much sonic immersion for your money as LG’s S95. Many modern soundbar brands prefer to sell high-priced single bars, with add-on speakers available for an additional fee. LG provides a subwoofer, dual surrounds, and LG’s unique mix of five (not four) height channels to put you in the center of the action for 3D sound formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X from the get-go.
The latest-model S95AR offers a modest upgrade over last year’s S95TR (8/10, WIRED Recommends), including a revamped subwoofer and a $200 price hike to go with it. It’s perhaps no coincidence that the S95’s biggest rival, Samsung’s 11.1.4-channel Q990, has also raised its price in recent years, keeping LG’s slightly less elaborate 9.1.5-channel setup the more affordable option at full price.
I still prefer Samsung’s warmer, more musical sound signature, but the S95AR is a thrilling performer that offers similar (if not better) value, along with exclusive features for owners of newer LG TVs. If you’re looking for a one-stop setup that gets you close to a multi-component home theater solution, but with much less hassle, the S95AR is among the best soundbars around.
Battered but Brisk
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
For the second time in two products from LG, the S95AR landed on my doorstep in a somewhat abused state, with notable dents to its metallic acoustic grille. The system seemed otherwise no worse for wear, and while its 50-inch width pushes to the edges of midsize consoles, its height of less than 3 inches fits neatly below most TVs. Setup was mostly uneventful, allowing me to get it connected and spinning sound through the four-piece system in short order.
I say mostly uneventful because, as was the case with the last LG soundbar I reviewed, the S95AR requires you to plug in its components in a certain order: subwoofer first, then surrounds, then the bar. I did not do this, and the left rear surround wouldn’t connect. Unplugging everything and reconnecting it in order fixed things (or perhaps it was just the power cycling), and I had no other connection issues over several weeks.
LG’s ThinQ app has grown up over the years, now standing as a capable and mostly stable control center for all software setup and settings. The app found the bar nearly instantly and made it easy to connect to my network, futz with speaker channel levels, and perform LG’s AI Calibration that tunes the soundbar to your space. You can easily change inputs or sound modes and “Effects” from Music and Cinema modes to Night mode for softening the bass when the kids (or neighbors) are tucked in.
There’s also a separate remote for many of these controls, but due to the bar’s lack of any real visual display, using it for anything more than a quick volume adjustment or input switch is a hassle, as you’re relying on voice cues. That could be helpful for those with accessibility issues, but otherwise, the app is your interface.
Fully Stocked
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Nestled within the main bar are front, left, and center channels that handle the majority of your music and TV content, dual side-firing drivers to bounce sound off your walls, and a trio of “height” channels to bounce effects off your ceiling, including LG’s unique center height channel for enhanced immersion with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X mixes. You’ll get three more channels in each football-sized surround speaker, including front, side, and height channels, and an 8-inch side-firing subwoofer.
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