In this issue

Our cover star this issue is Samsung’s 65in S95D TV, the tech giant’s flagship Quantum Dot OLED model for 2024. Armed with a new Neo Quantum processor and Glare-Free panel design, it’s touted as the brand’s most desirable 4K OLED TV yet. Does it deliver? We give our verdict in our in-depth review.

Also on the test bench is Pioneer’s VSA-LX805, the AV marque’s top-of-the-range 11-channel home cinema amplifier with Dirac Live room correction to fine-tune performance. We also run the rule over an immersive on-wall speaker system from Germany’s Ascendo; active floorstanding speakers from Magnat; Monitor Audio’s Anthra 15 subwoofer; an all-in-one Atmos speaker and affordable turntable from JBL; Audiolab’s 9000N network streamer; four 4K ultra-short-throw projectors from AWOL Vision, Epson, Hisense and XGIMI; and more. Whatever your budget, we’ve got you covered!

On the software side, we check out new disc and streaming releases including Wonka, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Shogun. We also look at the movies Hollywood hopes will hit big this summer, and remember the fantasy flick double-whammy of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Conan movies, now reborn on 4K Blu-ray.

Elsewhere, we step inside a stunning pro cinema install, check out the audio highlights of the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, look back at the birth of the Blu-ray format, and wonder if advances in AI upscaling mean it’s time to upgrade your TV.

Plus: all the usual opinions, news, disc reviews and competitions. Enjoy the show!

AV Avenger

You should think twice before accepting an invitation to play Resident Evil 4 with spatial audio in a haunted prison, warns Steve May

2 mins

Catalogue classic Star Wars: Ep. VI - Return of the Jedi → Ultra HD Blu-ray, Disney

Forty years on from the movie's cinema release, Anton van Beek ponders what might have been if things had gone a little diff erently during the making of Return of the Jedi…

4 mins

Feedback

Got an axe to grind? Need to comment on current tech? Want to share your knowledge with our readers? Team HCC is here to help

4 mins

M&K Sound V12

TIME ON TEST: Three years REVIEWER: Steve Withers

4 mins

Sony 'bar demands to be upgraded

This well-specified Dolby Atmos soundbar may have a mid-range price tag, but you'll soon want to spend more, cautions Steve May

4 mins

Short and sweet

Marantz's compact AV receiver returns with a new look and boosted features – Jamie Biesemans slips it into his AV rig

5 mins

Discreet delivery

A slim, stylish Scandinavian on-wall system impresses Mark Craven with its handling of the sweet stuff

5 mins

One project, two rooms

Dan Sait reports on a custom install where a JVC PJ/ Atmos system is joined by a stylish media den

2 mins

THE KING OF B RDA HOLLYWOOD

Three of his movies have taken over $2billon at the global box office, he's pioneered SFX and 3D technologies, and he's been to the very bottom of the Pacific Ocean. That's James Cameron by the way, not Anton van Beek

10+ mins

System selector!

Given three similar budgets, Mark Craven, Steve May and John Archer assemble three different AV setups focused on movies, streaming and gaming

8 mins

Amazon enters TV and games jungle

The launch of the Omni QLED shows the media corp is getting serious about the TV biz, says Steve May, and it has its eye on joystick junkies too

5 mins

Digital Copy

A spot of spring cleaning leads Mark Craven to spend the afternoon watching 1980s Richard Pryor comedies, deciding who lives in Final Destination 3, and falling back in love with DVD

2 mins

Sky Glass

WE'RE ALL USED to firmware updates that fix bugs and generally polish the usability of our connected AV kit, but rarely, if ever, has a product had quite such a postlaunch overhaul as Sky Glass.

4 mins

Anthem's amp of power and glory

This high-grade five-channel amplifier tops the Canadian maker's lineup, and shows Steve Withers the true meaning of dynamic range

4 mins

Don't cut out the middle man

Philios' new mid-range OLED TV might just be its best all-rounder yet, decides John Archer

4 mins

Premium deck is a universal soldier

The Magnetar brand may be largely unknown, but its first high-end disc spinner is hard to resist, says Steve May

5 mins

Budget models made better

Does this upgraded entry-level speaker range still offer the best bang for your buck? Steve Withers finds out

5 mins

Having it large!

This 75in Mini LED adds another useful dimension to Sony's already diverse range, writes John Archer

5 mins

Denon's blast from the past

Richard Stevenson salutes the no-stone-unturned approach of this monster 15.4-channel AV amplifier |

8 mins

Dirac

This room correction system has been making (sound) waves over the last few years, but how does it work and is it really that good? Steve Withers investigates

3 mins

Same again, please!

The owner of this basement cinema loved his old setup so much he wanted it replicated - but better. Daniel Sait reports

2 mins

YOU'LL DIE LAUGHING - 30 HILARIOUS HORROR COMEDIES

Anton van Beek and Mark Craven trawl through 90 years of cinema to celebrate the flicks that are guaranteed to raise a smile - even when they're loaded with ghosts, killers, monsters and more...

10 mins

Bristol Hi-Fi Show returns for 2023

The long-running audio showcase was back in business after a two-year hiatus, and and were there

6 mins

It's showtime!

Philips gets ahead of itself with a tantalising 2023 TV range preview. Steve May reports on things to come

4 mins

'Bring on the big four'

UK TV maker Mitchell Brown enters the QLED arena

1 min

AV Avenger

Could James Cameron's long-awaited return to Pandora with Avatar: The Way of Water kickstart a 3D TV revival? Steve May considers the evidence

2 mins

Catalogue classic: Cloverfield → Ultra HD Blu-ray, Paramount

Anton Van Beek powers up his camcorder and sets out to document the truth about the 2008 monster-sized box office smash

4 mins

The return of the mystery man

Daniel Craig is back in his frothy post-Bond franchise, now making its home on Netflix

2 mins

Ghostly goings on in Tokyo

Iconic Japanese fright franchise is resurrected on Arrow's multi-format boxset

2 mins

Guns and Rosaries

Jet-black comedy thriller still delights, but this 4K disc isn't quite the sharp-shooter

2 mins

Read all stories from Home Cinema Choice

Home Cinema Choice Magazine Description:

Since 1995 Home Cinema Choice has been the must-buy magazine for AV enthusiasts. Published thirteen times a year, each issue provides in-depth, detailed reviews of the hardware products on your shortlist – from hi-def/4K televisions and projectors to AV receivers, speakers, Blu-ray players, soundbars and more. We also travel the world seeking out the latest tech and trends, provide advice and inspiration for your own cinema project and reveal the Blu-rays and DVDs you'll want to add to your collection.