Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2021 i Home Cinema Choice

If you're reading this mag, you probably love watching movies. And if you love watching movies, you've probably heard the questions rumbling about the cinema industry. Has No Time to Die earned enough to justify its continued delayed release? Was Disney right to debut Black Widow on VOD too? Are the days of smallscale movies enjoying theatrical runs dead? (Answers: yes, no, maybe). The movie business is in a state of flux as it adapts to locked-down multiplexes, shifting customer habits and technology advancements. And what this means for you, the movie addict, is that you have to keep your ears and eyes open, because that Liam Neeson thriller you heard about two months ago is probably on Prime Video already. The good news is your home cinema setup is…

NAD has launched the C 700 streaming amplifier, which looks likely to appeal to those interested in its previous Masters Series M10 but put off by the price. Selling for £1,300 (as opposed to the £2,200 of the latest version of the M10), the C 700 replicates much of its stablemate's functionality. The front fascia is dominated by a full-colour 5in display able to show album artwork, track status and system settings, and the amp runs the BluOS hi-res streaming platform, with associated control app. Physical connections include HDMI eARC, optical and coaxial digital audio, a subwoofer pre-out and two sets of stereo analogue inputs. There's also two-way aptX HD Bluetooth in addition to Wi-Fi/Ethernet. The main difference between the M10 and C 700 is the amplifier specification, with NAD…

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Nanoleaf Lines If you want to bring a touch of professional install flair to your home cinema, smart illumination is a must. New from Nanoleaf, the 'LEGO as lighting' company, are Lines, which – as the name suggests – take on a slimmer form factor than its earlier panels, but have the same modular design potential. Nanoleaf's starter pack (£179) features nine of the backlit bars, plus nine mounting connectors, enabling you to start building your geometric Tron-style installation. Expansion packs (£49) feature three more of each. As with all Nanoleaf products, control is via app, with preset and customisable scenes, screen mirroring, scheduling and more on the menu. www.nanoleaf.me Echo Flex Available now for a paltry £9.99, the plug-in Echo Flex is Amazon's simplest Alexa accessory yet. Tucking a…

Godzilla 1954-present The giant radioactive reptile has stomped his way through an incredible 36 films to date – counting the three Netflix animated movies, but not the US re-edits of any of the original Japanese productions – becoming an international pop culture superstar in the process. And that's what makes him king of the monsters. Binge in a weekend? Not a chance. Even if there was enough time to watch them all, actually getting hold of the full run of films is a challenge. While the 32 Japanese movies are helpfully broken down by era – Shôwa (1954-1975), Heisei (1984-1995), Millennium (1999-2004) and Reiwa (2016-present) – only the Shôwa films are easily available on Blu-ray courtesy of the 2019 Criterion Collection boxset. At least Hollywood’s efforts are easier to find,…

First announced in October 2020, the arrival of Anthem's new home cinema range in the UK has been delayed by you-knowwhat, but finally its AVM 70 processor is here and ready to rumble. It joins three AV receivers – the flagship MRX 1140, the MRX 740 (reviewed in HCC #321), and the entry-level MRX 540 – and will be followed in due course by another processor, the AVM 90. And it's dripping in tech and setup potential. The headline specification is its 15.2-channel processing, allied to Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro and IMAX Enhanced decoding (there’s no Auro-3D support but that’s largely moot at this stage, with Atmos rapidly becoming the dominant object-based format). Fifteen channels elevates the AVM 70 into the upper echelon of home cinema hardware, above flagship rivals…

SOMETIMES A THROWAWAY line in an equipment review belies the complexity of actually achieving something in reality. A significant number of AV receivers we've looked at over the last few years are equipped with seven channels of amplification but have decoding for nine (or more). And somewhere in these reviews there's often the instruction to ‘just add a stereo power amp’ to make use of those extra decoded channels. The catch is that stereo power amplifiers are quite niche things and, more often than not, expensive to the point where they can frequently exceed the cost of the receiver. Enter XTZ with an affordable solution. The A2-300 is the smaller of two stereo power amplifiers that the Swedish manufacturer sells through its direct retail model (you buy from the XTZ…

WHEN HOME ENTERTAINMENT needs to straddle both TV and gaming, a 48in OLED holds a particular attraction. Inviting close-quarter viewing, the promise is of both a high-quality gaming monitor and a great-looking movie screen. Of all the smaller OLED options, LG’s C1 model seems the most gamessavvy. All four of its HDMIs are v2.1, supporting 4K/120fps with Dolby Vision HDR, when that’s part of the mix. Additional gaming niceties include Variable Refresh Rate, Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, as well as Auto Low Latency Mode. Naturally, there’s also eARC. On this 48in set, the brand’s Game Optimizer feature seems more useful too. This allows you to manage brightness and VRR settings, and easily swap presets for game styles, so you can lift gamma to avoid being shot by snipers, or…

CURRENTLY BEING OFFERED on Indiegogo, the Vava Chroma VA-SP003 is an ultra-short-throw (UST) projector with a bold design and big specification. Vava might not be a household name, but then the California-based outfit isn’t following standard routes to market. You can register your interest in a Chroma for an early discount on the fund-raising site. The expected selling price is £4,600 – the VA-SP003 is tipped to ship to backers in December – but there are savings if you’re prepared to commit. Based on this review sample, however, we’d be lukewarm about jumping early. Quick start Much like rivals from BenQ and Optoma, the Chroma UST is designed to sit around 100mm from a wall or screen, from where it can throw a picture some 100in. Setup is straightforward, with…

BLACK IS THE new black! Okay, tech watchers have no doubt said that before, but as Apple has just launched a new Mac Book Pro range (pictured), with a display rated at achieving a contrast ratio of one million to one, it's time to dig out the old puns. Such a contrast is nothing new to anyone with an OLED screen, but other display technologies have been lagging behind for years. Not too long ago, people were impressed by LCD panels giving you a 4,000:1 contrast ratio, which is, obviously, a long way from a million. Contrast ratios were a big thing back in the day of plasma, emphasised by a demo that Pioneer gave of its Kuro range of TVs in a pitch-black room with a black cat walking…

SOFTWARE HIGHLIGHTS JUNGLE CRUISE Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt head upriver CARLITO'S WAY Classic Brian De Palma crime thriller hits the streets on 4K Blu UNIVERSAL CLASSIC MONSTERS Vintage Hollywood horrors have risen from the UHD vault FAST 9 Dom Toretto and gang have to save the world. Again & MORE! Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer star in Disney's big-budget action comedy Free Guy. Can this cinematic pastiche of open-world video games set our pulses racing on 4K Blu-ray? See p95… HCC RATINGS KEY……

Sony VPL-VW290ES ➜ £5,500 Not as bright (1,500 Lumens vs 1,800 Lumens) as Sony's VW590ES, but arguably more appetising considering the lower price tag. Those looking to step up to a native 4K HDR beamer should look here first. HCC #325 Sony VPL-VW590ES ➜ £7,000 Those priced out of the market for Sony's laser-based, £12,000 VW790ES should enjoy this step-down model. A conventional lamp PJ that's is less inherently punchy, but ekes out better blacks and still looks lush (and sharp) with 4K HDR. HCC #318 JVC DLA-N5 ➜ 6,500 The entry-level native 4K beamer in JVC's range is still a premium option, with motorized zoom/focus/shift controls, extensive setup tools and an excellent performance with 4K HDR and 1080p SDR. HCC #304 Samsung LSP9T ➜ £7,000 The top dog in Samsung's…

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K ➜ £50 This upgraded streaming dongle brings 4K HDR (HDR10+; Dolby Vision) and Dolby Atmos to your movie den. Voice control improves search, while a new quad-core processor yields quick load times and stream optimisation. A little stunner. HCC #295 Bluesound Node ➜ £550 Preamp/DAC now includes HDMI eARC, a smarter control system and upgraded processing. As with earlier generations, it's a winning mix of comprehensive features and beguiling sonics. Perfect for adding music to your system. HCC #324 Audio Technica AT-LP5x ➜ £350 Our favourite affordable turntable. Easy to set up with in-built phono stage and USB for PC hookup, plus 33/45/78rpm speed control, the LP5x has good pitch stability and a rhythmic, energetic sound. HCC #318 Apple TV 4K (2021) ➜ £190 (64GB)…

French home theatre audio brand Trinnov has announced a new power amplifier with the channel count to dovetail nicely with its Altitude processor models. The Amplitude16 joins Trinnov's stable as a bigger brother to the Amplitude8, and ups the channel count to 16. Says Arnaud Laborie, Trinnov CEO: 'When we set out to create a new companion amplifier for Trinnov’s Altitude processors, we recognized that just another power amp would not do. It needed to be something special.' Doubling up Trinnov says the Amplitude16 is essentially two eight-channel power amplifiers united in a single chassis, and even requires two mains power connections for its dual power supplies. The output rating is a continuous 200W-perchannel into 8ohms (with less than 0.1% THD), via Class D amplifier modules that enable the Amplitude16…

OLED is showing off its arty side at a new exhibition of leading-edge digital art. We routinely eulogise the technology’s cinematic prowess here at HCC, but digital artists are discovering its flexibility too. LUX: New Wave of Contemporary Art is the latest in a series of art initiatives from LG, as part of its ongoing Self-Lit Pixel technology push. The LUX exhibition, which occupies the basement space at London art centre 180 The Strand, is awash with over 100 OLED panels, many curved for artistic and architectural effect. But the panels are only part of the story. Artists at the show are leaning heavily into AI too. HCC dropped in to check it out, and was thrown into a dark, disorientating maze, complete with pounding soundscapes – a sensory overload…

1 A crafty idea Ruark Audio has announced a new 'Made in England' project that will see it work with 'some of the country's most skilful master craftspeople' to bring extra style (and eco-friendly credentials) to its product stable. It's kicking off with the R5 MiE, a £2,000 version of its CD player/streaming all-in-one desktop speaker, which now features a hand-built slatted wooden grille and new veneers from sustainable sources. Only 35 are being produced, so you'll need to be quick to snap one up. 2 Binge-watch bonanza Freeview is celebrating its on-demand platform, Freeview Play, now being used in over 10 million UK homes. The company also says sales of Freeview Play-enabled hardware has raced past 14 million, and there's now more than 30,000 hours of content available. 3…

THIS ISSUE WE'VE joined forces with Denon to give away the audio specialist's Home Sound Bar 550, a high-performance soundbar with multiroom and voice control talents – not to mention the ability to become part of a wireless 5.1 system. Crowned EISA Smart Soundbar 2021-2022 at this year's EISA Awards, and granted 'Highly Recommended status' in our review [see HCC #323], the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 sells for £599, but we have one to dish out for free to our competition winner! Addictive sound Thanks to its sleek, compact enclosure and HDMI eARC connectivity, this soundbar is easy to install in any environment, where it can then get on with the business of making your movies, TV, games and music sound detailed, dynamic and thrillingly addictive. Behind the Home…

KIT CHECKLIST EPSON: EH-TW9400 4K projector PURE THEATRE: CR240 ceiling-recessed 104in projector screen; CR50 projector lift; custom AV rack unit MONITOR AUDIO: 7 x W380-IDC in-wall speakers (L/C/R and surround/rear); 4 x C380-IDC in-ceiling speakers (height); 1 x Radius 380 subwoofer DENON: AVC-X6500H 11-channel AV receiver SKY: Sky Q APPLE: Apple TV MICROSOFT: Xbox One X AMAZON: Fire TV 4K PHILIPS: Hue lighting THERE ARE PROFESSIONAL installs that bring high-end hardware to dedicated, cavernous cinema rooms, and there are also slick, affordable makeovers of regular living spaces, like this ultra-smart project from UK systems integrator Pure Theatre. To reimagine a standard-sized living room as a big-screen theatre with 7.1.4 audio, while retaining the look and feel of a multi-use space, the installer added a 'tray ceiling' that was then used…

THE CHINESE TV and panel maker TCL has been a presence in the UK market for a few years now. Its initial models seemed hampered by the need to implement Freeview (resulting in a basic smart system compared to the Android OS elsewhere across Europe), a wrinkle that has been ironed out – sort of. This time, buyers in Blighty get an Android smart set, but C728s across the channel are due for a firmware upgrade to Google TV that won't rollout here. Even more galling is this mid-range QLED TVs HDMI 2.0 specification, compared to the v2.1 of EU models. Then there's the lack of Dolby Vision IQ to join its DV playback, and less-potent AI processing ('machine learning' rather than 'deep learning'). Still, somewhere along the way this…

HOME CINEMA FANS will likely be aware of US brand Klipsch and its impressive line of multichannel packages, including the Reference Premiere range (HCC #300). And the horn-loaded compression driver technology that gives its cinema speakers their distinctive, dynamic sound quality are a staple across its hi-fi speakers too. The Heresy IVs are the latest in a line first launched in 1957, and part of Klipsch's premium Heritage series – hence the price point. Yet compared to the company's massive Klipschorn flagships, these are practically compact. They're 'floorstanders', but short (63cm high) and rest on an angled plinth to better aim at your seating position. Smartly finished in walnut, cherry, oak or black ash wood veneer, and supplied with a 1950s-style grille, these look every bit the retro speaker. But…

TIME ON TEST: 15 months REVIEWER: Mark Craven IN AUTUMN OF 2019, Philips announced its OLED754 range, the company's first OLED models to take a stepdown approach in pursuit of lower price points. Finally, here was a Philips OLED TV with all (well, most) of the brand's usual features, and one that could go toe-to-toe with rivals' more affordable models. The set rolled over into Philips' 2020 range, alongside the OLED805 and OLED+935, but didn't get the new-for-2020 version of its P5 processing engine or OLED panel, nor those models' HDMI 2.1 connection talents. But it was available at 65in for an initial price of £1,650, and 55in at £1,300. What’s good about it? In many ways, the OLED754 fits the 'premium TV at a not-premium price' brief perfectly. It's…

I'm now sitting comfortably I can only agree with Richard Stevenson [Point of View, HCC #325]: home cinema seating shouldn't be ignored! For the initial setup in my cinema I chose eight actual cinema seats. New from stock, they were the very first thing I bought for the build – partly because they were relatively expensive back then and it motivated me to keep on going with the rest of the project. By time I listened more and more to music and felt I was missing a central seat, so I chose to sell them and got myself some custom-build black leather recliners from USIT in China. These feature three electric motors each, making adjustment of leg rest, back rest as well as head rest easy, and the sitting experience…

JUNGLE CRUISE Jungle Cruise is the latest film to be inspired by a Disney theme park ride, and like the earlier Pirates of the Caribbean it’s a fun romp that takes the essence of the original ride and adds a comedic action plot with a healthy dose of magic. In fact, it essentially borrows the plot of the first Pirates… film, along with a dash of 1999’s The Mummy in the form of Emily Blunt’s adventurous botanist Dr. Lily Houghton and her ne’er-do-well brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall). The duo hire steamboat skipper Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) to guide them up the Amazon River in search of the Tears of the Moon – fabled flowers that can cure any illness. The movie pokes affectionate fun at the ride that inspired it,…

Far Cry 6 Ubisoft ➜ PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC ➜ £60 Ubisoft’s open-world FPS series is back with a bang. Far Cry 6 is the largest, most ambitious entry by far, with a genuine star on its cast list and many hours of gameplay at your disposal. However, it is also divisive in that it can feel as formulaic as its forebears at times, no matter what else it brings to the table. Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian) plays president Gabriel Castillo of the fictional Caribbean island of Yara. His plan to develop a cancer treatment drug from tobacco seems noble, but his enslavement of the population to harvest it borders on Bond territory. Luckily, revolutionary group Libertad rises to free Yara, and that’s where…

THE SEVENTH SEAL Arriving on shelves alongside the second volume of the BFI’s series of boxset collections of Ingmar Bergman’s movies is this standalone release for 1957’s The Seventh Seal, arguably the Swedish filmmaker’s best-known work. It's set during the Middle Ages, with Max von Sydow cast as disillusioned knight Antonius Block, who has returned home from the Crusades to a Sweden ravaged by the plague. Encountering the personification of Death (Bengt Ekerot), Block challenges him to a game of chess, aiming to forestall his own passing until he can find proof that God exists, therefore giving meaning to the life he's lived. While this might sounds pretentious, in truth The Seventh Seal is more approachable than you might expect. It deals with lofty questions about faith, religion, death and…

LOOKING FOR NEW SPEAKERS? Our Top 15 guide is here to help HCC RATINGS KEY……

Paradigm Founder Series LCR/40B 5.0 ➜ £7,500 Relatively compact models in Paradigm's Founder Series make a big impression – the sound here is all about precision, control and superior dynamics. Excellent. HCC #325 M&K Sound IW150 5.1 ➜ £8,550 The in-wall IW150 speakers offer the transparency and detail of a professional studio monitor in an enclosure that can vanish. This array adds driver-matched on-wall tripole surrounds and M&K's fearless X12 sub. The result is outstanding. HCC #289 Wharfedale DX-2 ➜ £450 The asking price of this 5.1 system will tell you it doesn't offer the last word in surround sound fidelity, but Wharfedale's package is compact, well made and faultlessly delivers on its home-cinema-on-a-budget promise. HCC #283 KEF R Series 5.1.2 ➜ £6,250 Put four floorstanders on front and rear…

Panasonic DP-UB9000 ➜ £850 Supporting both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, and incorporating useful image adjustments, this premium deck is at the leading edge of UHD BD playback. The build quality and provision of VOD apps heightens its appeal. HCC #292 Pioneer UDP-LX800 ➜ £2,200 A phenomenal universal disc spinner, which adds audio-philegrade music playback to 4K BD talents including Dolby Vision support and metadata information display. Build quality is staggering. HCC #293 Panasonic DP-UB450 ➜ £200 Panasonic lowers the price for Dolby Vision and HDR10+ playback with this featurelite 4K deck – there's no Wi-Fi or VOD apps, or the brand's HCX processor to fine-tune imagery. HCC #303 Pioneer UDP-LX500 ➜ £1,000 Lacks the audiophile features (including the XLR output) of the UDP-LX800, but this universal deck still sounds sublime…

SVS SB-1000 Pro ➜ £550 The budget sub to beat. SVS adds its EQ app to its entry-level range, and squirrels a new 12in driver into a cabinet that's barely any bigger. There's bass extension and power to spare – factor in the price, and the SB-1000 Pro becomes irresistible. HCC #322 REL S/812 ➜ £2,300 A fine update of REL's upper-tier Serie S, with a new driver design, punchier amp and revised signal filtering delivering a powerful, poised performance from a glamourous cabinet with stacking potential. HCC #305 Bowers & Wilkins DB1D ➜ £3,750 This sequel to the DB1 moves EQ to an app and changes driver/amp design. Beautifully controlled performance with depth and detail. Gorgeous bodywork. HCC #277 SVS SB16-Ultra ➜ £2,500 A 16in driver and 1,500W amp…

OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN HAS been driving me nuts. Not literally, of course, but for years I’ve been convinced I saw her in a sci-fi movie musical. The problem is it didn’t seem to exist. I’ve certainly never seen it on TV, or on disc or tape. I can’t even remember that much about the film. She was one of a group of teens. It was set in swinging London. There were aliens and there were songs, which I remember quite liking. I thought it was called ‘Tomorrow’ but that didn’t help on Google. Much to my relief, I recently discovered it wasn’t a figment of my imagination, but a film released in 1970, entitled Toomorrow, which transpired to be the name of Olivia’s group in the movie. They use a weird…

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS Q ACOUSTICS Flagship Concept loudspeaker range gains new models and 5.1 sets APPLE Music service upgraded with Spatial Audio NAD C 700 streaming amplifier unveiled AT THE PLEX This month's cinema releases NEWS X10 The hottest news stories in bite-sized chunks CANDYMAN Horror sequel hopes to hook you on 4K BD & MORE! Arcam has lowered the entry point of its HDA range of Dolby Atmos/DTS:X AV receivers with the AVR5. Available before the end of the year priced £1,999, it features a seven-channel Class AB amplifier stage, plus 11-channel processing capability, but jettisons the out-of-the-box Dirac Live EQ support of costlier stablemates – a Dirac licence can instead be purchased separately. As with all HDA models, the AVR5 combines physical inputs with Arcam's hi-res audio streaming skills…

Unless you have a bottomless wallet, a projector – rather than a TV – is the way forward to get an authentic, super-size video experience. You can spend as little as £500 and enjoy an image bigger than 100in. But not all PJs are created equal. The manufacturer's choice of lens dictates the size of the picture a projector will create from any given distance. This is known as 'throw', usually expressed as a ratio – hence 'throw ratio.' Throw ratio signifies the relationship between the width (horizontal, not diagonal) of the projected image, and the distance from the lens to the image. A throw ratio of, for example, 1:1 would mean that for an image 100in, the projector lens needs to be 100in away. A 1.5:1 ratio would mean…

SKY IS ATTEMPTING to move the needle again with Sky Glass, a radical rethink of premium subscription TV. Is everything in your living room about to change… again? The concept is simple enough. Rather than deliver the Sky channel bouquet and all its interwoven VOD content by dish and network, everything comes in via the internet straight to a Sky-centric TV, with no dish required. It’s a new no-fuss way to enjoy Sky telly, says the broadcaster. But the implications are far-reaching, and the technology complex. Sky has been developing Sky Glass for over three years. There’s a lot to unpick. Hybrid hardware For one thing, Sky Glass is both a software platform and a TV, and the latter sets itself apart from the crowd with some stylish design ideas…

The Karate Kid: 3-Movie 4K Ultra HD Collection It’s time to wax on, wax off again with this UHD boxset of the original …Karate Kid trilogy (sorry, The Next Karate Kid fans). It's the first time Part II and Part III have appeared on the format, and there's remixed Dolby Atmos audio and new extras, too. Robotech: The Complete Series Sold exclusively through HMV, this mammoth set is a must for fans of the 1980s anime series. As well as collecting all 85 episodes and hours of bonus features across 13 discs, this limited edition release bungs in collectible goodies in the form of a transforming Veritech plane/robot model, a Roy Fokker action figure and four military-style patches. Stanley Kubrick: 5-film Collection With Kubrick’s films being upgraded to UHD BD…

HARDWARE ANTHEM AVM 70 15-channel immersive audio processor BENQ Gamingfocused TH685 Full HD projector PIEGA Slender Swiss speakers in 5.0 guise SONY HT-A7000 premium soundbar AMAZON Fire TV Stick 4K Max media player SAMSUNG 50in QN90A QLED TV KLIPSCH Stereo Heresy IV speakers VSSL Streaming amp with multizone potential & MORE! Part of Sony's upper-tier of 4K LCD TVs, the fullarray backlit X90J employs the brand's Cognitive Processor XR as it pursues home cinema perfection. We put it through its paces on p48 HCC RATINGS KEY……

Video gaming is currently enjoying the sort of explosion in popularity that home cinema did in the 1980s. Sales of the latest Xbox Series X and PS5 consoles are truly mind-boggling (despite ongoing supply issues). It’s no surprise, then, to see makers of traditionally AV gear suddenly falling over themselves to cater for the gaming market. BenQ’s new TH685 projector is a perfect case in point. Rather than majoring on its home cinema talents, this model is pushed as a gamer’s delight thanks to its high brightness, low input lag, ‘Game’ picture and sound presets, and support for the 120Hz refresh rates that have arguably proved the best new feature of the latest consoles and PCs. All this is deliverable at screen sizes up to and beyond 100in for just…

SOME SOUNDBARS PRIORITISE convenience and price, while others prioritise sound quality, features and versatility. Sony’s new HT-A7000 is very much one of the latter. You know it means business as soon as you clock its size: 1.3m wide and 14cm deep. This immediately raises hopes of a big, authentic audio performance, although bear in mind that it could present a positioning challenge if used with a desktop-mounted TV. Inside the A7000’s lengthy and elegantly styled chassis are drivers delivering a 7.1.2 channel count. There are five of Sony's rectangular X-Balanced units (size unspecified) along the front, which are joined by a pair of side-firing beam tweeters. There are then two upfirers in the top edge, plus an integrated subwoofer. Total rated power for this spread is 500W, via digital amplification.…

CUSTOM INSTALLATION IS the quiet, industrious brother of home audio. The high-end sector of it can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds to equip a house with sound, lighting and security control at the touch of a button. At the more affordable end, however, are products that warrant consideration for a spot of home integration at a more DIY level – and the A.1x from American company VSSL (pronounced 'vessel') is a good example of that. This is a self-contained streaming amplifier with a power section delivering a claimed 30W into 8ohms and 50W into 4ohms (in both cases, no distortion figure is quoted). There are then single optical, coaxial and analogue line-level inputs, along with a matching trio of outputs, plus subwoofer connection and speaker terminals. And, vitally,…

HOWEVER MUCH SAMSUNG likes to shout about 8K, for many TV buyers 4K is still where it’s at – and is likely to remain. Thankfully, this 50in model shows that Samsung still has plenty to offer in the 4K arena. The QN90A range is one step down from Samsung’s flagship 4K-resolution QN95A series, chiefly differentiated by not using an external One Connect box, and only providing a single HDMI 2.1 input rather than a quartet. These two features will be missed by some, but as the 50QN90A sells for £1,000 versus £1,499 for the smallest, 55in QN95A, others will find it appealing nonetheless. Mini marvel The 50QN90A is deemed a 'Neo QLED' TV, which tells us two things: first that it uses Samsung’s Quantum Dot colour technology, capable of retaining…

TWENTY YEARS IS a good innings for a piece of consumer electronics. Some gizmos arrive amidst a whirlwind of hype, only to be a distant memory within half a decade (remember Sony's UMD? Of course you don't). But it would appear Sky+, which broke cover in 2001, is close to the end. Or, to continue the analogy, is nine wickets down with Curtly Ambrose coming on to bowl. Last month, Sky launched Sky Glass (see p24), a TV with integrated Sky software functionality that delivers content via a network connection rather than satellite. So far, so cool. But surprisingly there's no in-built recording functionality. Instead, you just stream what you want, when you want. Or, if you must, you can add a future show/movie to your 'playlist', which means it's…

In the last issue of HCC [#325] Anton van Beek suggested that Dune was his guilty pleasure. So, ummmm, don't judge me, but mine are Tremors and Starship Troopers! JBJ Anton van Beek replies: Hi JBJ. Thanks for getting in touch about your own ‘guilty pleasures,’ although as I’m sure you remember from the column you’re referring to, I don’t actually like that term. Why should anybody feel guilty about finding pleasure in a movie they enjoy? As for the two titles you mention, while I applaud your taste I’m amazed anybody would call either Tremors or Starship Troopers (also loved by reader Stefan, above) a ‘guilty pleasure’. Both are classics of '90s cinema: the former a smart, homage to classic B-movies, the latter a typically subversive satire from Dutch…

FREE GUY Hollywood has a rotten record when it comes to adapting videogames for the bigscreen, but it’s fared better when finding inspiration in gaming in and of itself (rather than with specific titles), as shown by the likes of Tron, The Matrix, eXistenZ and Wreck-it Ralph. And the action-comedy Free Guy, set in the fictional open-world multiplayer game Free City (think GTA meets Fortnite), is the latest to join those original films in doing a better job of capturing the world of gaming than any direct adaptation. Ryan Reynolds stars as Guy, an NPC (non-player character) in Free City who becomes self-aware and, after getting hold of some sunglasses from a player avatar, is able to see the world around him for what it really is. Meanwhile, Jodie Comer…

ARMY OF THIEVES Zack Snyder’s zombieverse jumps genre with this classy prequel to this Summer's Army of the Dead. A convivial crime caper, Army of Thieves provides the back story for Ludwig Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer), the expert safe-cracker last seen breaking into a Vegas casino infested by the undead. We’re back in heist territory here, albeit in the land of the living. Before the gore, it transpires that Ludwig was actually Sebastian Schlencht-Wöhnert, a woefully unsuccessful YouTuber failing to find an audience with his safe-cracking channel. But he does attract the attention of international jewel thief Gwendoline Starr (Nathalie Emmanuel), who recruits him for an audacious bank robbing spree that involves breaking into a legendary family of vaults created in homage to Wagner’s 'Ring Cycle'. The movie, also directed by…

Panasonic TX-55JZ2000 ➜ £2,400 Top-flight Panasonic set featuring a 360° Soundscape (Atmos 5.1.2) integrated sound system, plus upgraded panel and processor. The resulting all-round performance justifies the premium price. HCC #323 Samsung QE65QN95A ➜ £2,100 Samsung's first Neo QLED (mini LED) TV makes a striking impression. 792-zone local dimming combines with high brightness and clever processing to deliver exquisite 4K HDR images with deep blacks – but no Dolby Vision support. HCC #319 Philips 65OLED+936 ➜ £3,000 65-incher loaded with features, including four-sided Ambilight, Android smarts, HDR10+/Dolby Vision support, 4K/120 playback and a Bowers & Wilkins-designed Dolby Atmos soundbar. A brilliant all-rounder and a fine performer. HCC #324 Sony KD-65A90J ➜ £3,500 Far and away Sony’s best OLED TV yet, offering a real step forward in terms of brightness and…

Denon AVR-X4700H ➜ £1,400 Denon's first AV amplifier to support 8K and 4K/120fps isn’t just playing games. This nine-channel model sounds powerful and entertaining, and drips with feature tricks (including IMAX Enhanced, HEOS and Bluetooth headphone support). HCC #314 Arcam AVR30 ➜ £5,000 Arcam adds a new aesthetic, expanded features (including Wi-Fi and Auro-3D) and 16-channel processing to the seven-channel Class G topology and Dirac EQ of the previous AVR850 – the result is home cinema nirvana. HCC #313 Anthem MRX 740 ➜ £2,800 Premium price for a sevenchannel AVR, but the MRX 740 adds 11-channel processing, ARC Genesis room EQ and HDMI 2.1 upgrade path to a sound performance that mixes power and delicacy. HCC #321 Emotiva XPA-11 ➜ £2,400 11-channel amplifier that offers supreme bang-for-buck, delivering 300W to…

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar ➜ £2,200 The audio specialist's debut soundbar makes a dramatic entrance. 13 drivers, including 4in woofers, create a cinematic soundstage, with impressive immersion via Atmos, DTS:X and Sennheiser's Ambeo processing. Big and bold. HCC #302 Samsung HW-Q950A ➜ £1,250 A premium sound system that loves a Hollywood blockbuster, Samsung's 11.1.4-channel flagship marries convenience with superb power, detail and immersion. A pity that auto calibration is only an option for Samsung TV owners, though. HCC #324 Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage ➜ £1,400 B&O's Dolby Atmos debut makes a dramatic entrance, conjuring an enlarged, gutsy and refined soundstage with impressive bass weight despite the lack of a sub. Styling and build is first-rate. HCC #310 JBL Bar 2.0 All-In-One ➜ £150 Affordable and stereo-only, this compact HDMI ARCequipped…