It depends on the TV brand and model, phone brand and model, and available screen-mirroring apps. Not to mention the availability of Bluetooth connections. However, as technology improves, more and more smart TVs are capable of being paired with a smartphone. While the 55A7GQ is cheap for a 55-inch TV, this is definitely one of those times where a low price doesn’t automatically equate to great value.

Some of the best 50-inch smart TVs improve your viewing experience in ways that couldn’t have been predicted a few years ago. Upgrading to one of the best TVs that also supports 4K resolution is a real game-changer; whether you're a sports fan or gamer, movie watcher or streaming binger. But, did you know most TV shows, movies, games and streaming services are optimized for larger screen sizes?As with the picture adjustments, there are only a few settings to play with – only really the DTS processing mode and a dialogue enhancer. There’s also a TruVolume mode for night-time listening which will limit the peaks and troughs of loudness at any one volume level, so that you can hear the onscreen action without waking your neighbours. Hisense has been making inroads in the UK market with its affordable and feature laden TVs over the past few years, and its latest range is its most ambitious set. Assembly is easy and, like before, there’s a cable clutter system to route cables through the protruding ‘feet’ of the stand for a tidier area. The stand supports the TV well, just like it did on the older model, but it takes up a lot of space. Disappointingly, there are fewer HDMI ports – three instead of four, but ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) are covered across all of them so you could plug a game console into any port and benefit from those features – though they are HDMI 2.0 ports, not 2.1 specified. eARC is supported on HDMI 2 for pass-through of lossless audio.

The interface is separated into several sections, but apps is where the action is. The app selection is focused rather than bountiful; Netflix has pride of place on the top row and all the UK catch-up apps are covered (as Freeview Play), with Disney+ and Britbox available also. There’s VIDAA Free, which rounds up a selection of free content from the likes of Plex, Vevo, YouTube and Facebook Watch for more options. QLED panels are a Samsung property that replaces Liquid Crystals (found in LCD) with Quantum dots. Samsung believes these produce much more vibrant and bright colours and sharper images. Thankfully, some of the best QLED TVs are now quite affordable compared to even a year ago. Freeview Play The A7GQ also features Hisense’s propriety smart TV system, VIDAA U5.0, as well as Freeview Play with all the UK terrestrial catch-up apps and services. The VIDAA system is intuitive to use and runs at a decent speed from button press to app opening and playing, plus there is Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube in 4K HDR. There is a content discovery feature along with direct one-press buttons on the remote and there is also compatibility with Alexa for voice commands. This is an important app for anyone who loves any one of the plethoras of YouTube personalities, gamers or influencers. Much like the smartphone app, this smart TV app will allow unlimited and free access to countless hours of independent entertainment. YouTube does offer a subscription service, known as YouTube Premium, but this doesn’t restrict free access to a vast selection of content. SpotifyHere’s a rough guide to give you an idea of the minimum distance you should have from your TV when viewing HD content: Both the early scenes of Rey’s desert home on Jakku and the lush green forests of Maz’s home planet of Takodana are produced with enthralling colours and so much natural detail that it’s hard to find fault with the picture. Even watching BBC News in SD, the picture is remarkably sharp and stable for a panel this size, even if the colours are more simplistic. So, if you're wondering whether you should take the plunge and opt for one of the best 50-inch smart TVs, you're not alone. With a marketplace flooded with options, some smart - others not so much, it can seem like a buyer's minefield. And what is a smart TV anyway? Thankfully, there's a handy buyer's guide, FAQs and some jargon explained at the end of the article to help. Costco Online UK Limited, UK Home Office, Hartspring Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 8JS. Registered in England and Wales No. 8055444

Let’s start with what’s good. The bezel is discreet enough to not intrude on the TV viewing experience, and the depth of the set is just 78mm without the stand, making it appreciatively slim in appearance. Buy It Direct Ltd is a limited company registered in England. Registered number 04171412. Registered office: Unit A Trident Business Park, Leeds Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD2 1UA. This cookie is a performance cookie used for internal Bazaarvoice web analytics, to be correlated to the same user for interactions within a particular client domain.Switching down to standard-definition material with Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Blu-ray, we are reminded of last year’s Roku TV and its brilliance with upscaling from 1080p. Fortunately, that ability remains intact. Get closer to reality with over a billion true-to-life colors. Experience a wider palette of color up to 100% (typical value) under the DCI-P3 standard ensures smoother gradients whilst reds, greens and blues appear more vivid and realistic. There’s also app-to-app pairing, which will allow you to control a TV app with your phone. For example, you can browse Netflix’s catalogue on your phone, and then tell it to play via the TV app. Can I listen to my smart TV with wireless headphones?