Please note: Failure to produce the card and relevant ID means we are unable to release goods on collection. It’s a shame, then, that Dolby Vision content in the Disney+ app suffered from some horrible juddering during our testing. Netflix was seemingly unaffected but watching content via Disney’s streaming service was blighted with hitches and jerks throughout. Once you notice it, it’s very distracting. Hopefully this is something which can be ironed out with a future software update. The JVC Fire TV Edition is a 4K HDR TV though, and therefore supports the HDR10 standard, as well as the dynamic Dolby Vision HDR format. However, we’ve found that cheaper sets generally struggle with premium Dolby formats – either to draw out the quality, or play the format at all – and you may not want to buy this set for that purpose.

The TV comes in three sizes – 40in, 49in and 55in – and all three have support for the HLG, HDR10 and Dolby Vision formats. That means you should be able to enjoy streaming HDR content from any of the main providers, with the added bonus that you’ll get the best results on any streaming service with Dolby Vision support, which currently includes Disney+ and Netflix. Plus, with HDR content you'll see a greater depth of colour and brilliant brightness for a more realistic viewing experience – those BBC documentaries have never looked so good. All your favourite Prime shows and movies are just moments away. The built-in Fire TV smart platform makes it easy to find something new with personalised recommendations, a handy navigation bar, and sneeky peak - which gives you a preview of what's on. You can create individual profiles for family members, so everyone can easily find their favourites (and you get to keep yours separate from your little Peppa Pig fan).And just like a smart speaker, you can ask Alexa for weather updates, sports scores, the latest headlines, and control smart devices (such as lights or thermostat) around your home. Those colours aren’t as intense as they should be in HDR mode, though, so don’t expect the kind of eye-popping colour which you get from pricier sets – the JVC covers a mere 70% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, which is far less than even many mid-range TVs. By the same metric, even LG’s affordable UM7400 managed to cover 82% of DCI-P3. The biggest issues with the JVC, however, are that it struggles with both motion and upscaling – two key performance elements of any self-respecting 4K TV. I didn’t expect much given the 60Hz refresh rate, but the panel’s slow response time is painfully obvious. It’s not too noticeable in brighter scenes, but detail and colours are smudged by horrible blur in darker moments. Similarly, while images look crisp in 4K when the camera is moving slowly, fast action and sports shows up the panel’s limitations, with detail becoming flattened and indistinct.

So take your time to really understand the sort of product you’re looking for. Think about the sort of features that you need. Which ones are “nice-to-have” and which ones are absolutely critical. If you’re looking for a cheap option then don’t even consider the products that are all signing all dancing because you’ll be paying for features that you don’t need. Choose your retailer wisely The JVC fared a little better than expected in our testing. In SDR mode, its default Standard picture preset puts out a maximum brightness of around 369cd/m² and achieves a very respectable contrast ratio of 5,329:1 even with all the contrast– and colour-enhancing features turned off. Fire up HDR mode, and peak brightness increases to 400cd/m² while contrast remains high at 5,358:1. It’s important to note that when shopping for gadgets and technology products, it can be tempting to go for the lowest price possible. However, be wary of retailers that offer prices that seem too good to be true. Some less reputable retailers may sell counterfeit or low-quality products, which can be dangerous and not perform as well as the genuine product. Once you’re into the Fire TV interface proper, you’re faced with a familiar set of tiles offering apps, recently watched programmes and suggestions of things you might want to watch. In addition to the usual suspects, you’ll also notice tiles for the TV’s various HDMI inputs and terrestrial TV tuner. These inputs are treated just like apps or watched programmes, so if you regularly use the HDMI 4 port, for instance, then that gets pole position in your recently watched list. Other options include some basic games – including a surprisingly strong retro Sega collection – and basic radio and music offerings. TV-specific extras include the option to name your various input sources, though frustratingly this is from a set list rather than an open text field – so for example my Nintendo Switch has to go in as the generic ‘Game Console’ even while my PS4 is labelled ‘PlayStation’.

HDMI cables

Your entertainment has never felt more immersive. Dolby Atmos (from supported content) provides virtual surround sound, so you feel like the action is happening all around you. Together with DTS Virtual X and DTS HD, you get stunning audio.