TV & SET TOP BOXES

THE FRAME From £1,199 (43in), samsung.com/uk

THE one thing that annoys me about today’s big-screen TVS is how they dominate the room when they’re off as well as on – great slabs of black plastic standing like the 2001 obelisk in the corner of your room. That’s why I love The Frame. Not only is it a superb TV, excelling at all the things a TV should, but it almost looks better when it’s off – resembling a picture frame. A series of fine art paintings can be displayed, and the display is sensitive to the ambient light, so it could actually pass for a painting when turned off.

NOW TV STICK £14.99 from nowtv.com

IF you want a cheap way to make your TV smarter, look no further than this bargain streaming stick. Powered by the excellent Roku system, the NOWTV stick obviously gives you access to the contract-free Sky TV bundles on offer, and the recent addition of Netflix makes it a no brainer.

APPLE TV 4K From £179 from apple.com/uk

THE future of TV is apps, says Apple, which is perhaps why its TV set top is starting to gain some traction – there are lots of apps for it. Next year Apple is rumoured to be planning to offer its own streaming TV show bundle and has invested in original programming with big names (Steven Spielberg and Oprah).