There is no denying that many consumers are moving away from consuming content only from traditional satellite television services. Some are even eager to wait for their favourite movies to arrive on the OTT they’re subscribed to after their run at the theatres.
There is a wide range of devices that can help to enhance the experience of watching movies and binge-watch your favourite shows from the comfort of your home. Just choosing the right smart TV or smartphone is not the only way to ensure an immersive experience. Many other products like headphones, speakers or tablet PCs will also improve the overall experience.
While we do curate the list of movies to binge-watch over the weekend, we’ve gone a step further to design a buying guide that gives the best home entertainment experience. The guide includes a mix of both affordable and premium products from companies like OnePlus, Sony, Xiaomi, Realme, Oppo, JBL, Poco, and Motorola just to name a few.
A few of these products have been reviewed. We've listed products based on the features that we believe are value for money.
Smart TVs
OnePlus has spent its years in the Indian smart TV segment for years perfecting its product lineup. While the company did enter the market with the OnePlus TV Q-series, they've seen better demand for more affordable models.
The OnePlus TV Y1S Pro series is the company's most affordable range of 4K Ultra HD smart TVs. It is available in 43-inches and 50-inch models and offers some of the best visual experiences in the living room. It provides a vibrant colour production and supports HDR10+ and HLG. Standard connectivity options are available on the television like eARC via HDMI 2.1 and Bluetooth 5.0.
The downside would be the absence of Dolby Vision. While most of the content on OTT services like Amazon Prime Video does support regular HDR, Netflix and Disney Plus Hotstar experience will be affected. The more premium QLED models are worth looking into as well if you're okay with the price that it comes for.
Sony is known for one of the best displays on the market. Among Samsung and LG, the company has its own unique set of products that are good choices for your home entertainment systems.
The company recently refreshed its lineup of affordable 4K Ultra HD Smart TVs. The Sony Bravia X74K series is one of them. It offers some of the premium features from the more expensive Bravia lineup. While you again miss out on Dolby Vision and Atmos support, what you get in return is one of the industry's finest display tech. The screen is vibrant and you get a slim bezel-less design too.
Sony's proprietary X1 processor can also upscale content from 2K to 4K it also improves colour accuracy using the X-Reality Pro feature too.
Xiaomi's first foray into the OLED smart TV segment is a surprising one. The Xiaomi OLED Vision TV series packs a lot of features that come at more premium prices.
However, with support for Dolby Vision and Atmos while running Android TV 11, this smart TV is one of the best buys right now. In comparison to QLED displays, the OLED panels provide better colour reproduction that will enhance your movie experience at home. It also comes with support for selected movies that are IMAX Enhanced as well.
In terms of connectivity, it is one of the few products in this price range that come with Wi-Fi 6.
Smartphones
Xiaomi Mi Lite 11 NE has been one of the most recommended smartphones in our buying guides and sale offers this year. The smartphone is still feature-packed and remains a good buy for content consumption.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite NE features a Dolby Vision display with a 90Hz refresh rate, and also comes with stereo speakers. The slim design and lightweight profile also add a benefit for users who binge-watch for long hours. It becomes easier to watch movies without giving your arms or fingers fatigue.
Poco's most recent entry into the mid-range smartphone market is also another alternative to the Mi 11 Lite NE. Mostly for the chipset. The software experience is the same across both devices, so, you aren't missing out on much.
With the Poco F4 5G, you get a flagship chipset clubbed with an AMOLED display that supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 +. The stereo speakers also enable Dolby Atmos thus providing a complete package for binge-watching enthusiasts.
Plus, the smartphone still remains a great gaming device due to the Snapdragon 870 chipset that it comes with.
If you're up for a premium device, Apple's iPhone 13 would be a good choice. You get flagship-level performance, stereo speakers with support for Dolby Atmos and access to Apple's streaming service.
Many of the shows and movies on Apple TV+ are created using the Dolby Vision HDR format. While it may not have the extensive library of Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, you do get some award-winning shows at affordable rates.
Club the smartphone with an AirPods Pro, and you get the best portable home theatre experience in your pocket.
Tablet PCs
Xiaomi's debut into the Indian tablet PC market was the most awaited moment. And the company did not disappoint. The Xiaomi Pad 5 may not have flagship-level chipsets like the 9th Generation iPad. But it offers many of the crucial features required to make it an entertainment device.
The Xiaomi Pad 5 features a 11-inch display which supports Dolby Vision which is not available even on Apple's entry-level iPad. It also comes with stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos. The software hardware on the tablet PC ensure that the speakers orient the surround sound based on how you're holding the device.
An additional benefit is that the Xiaomi Pad 5 will continue to be a good gaming device too since it features 120Hz refresh rate.
Speakers
The Apple HomePod Mini should be on any users' buying list if they already own any of the Cupertino tech company's products. The compact speakers offer the best listening experience and support Dolby Atmos.
Additionally, you can use a set of HomePods together in your living room to get a stereo setup ready. The speakers do, however, work best only with Apple's devices. So, it won't be easy to connect it to your smart TV so quickly. If you do own an Apple TV streaming unit, it will work seamlessly.
Apple HomePod's original rival from the Android ecosystem, the Amazon Echo Studio provides a powerful audio experience at a premium price. The speaker can be used with Apple devices as well.
The Amazon Echo Studio comes with three 2-inch mid-range speakers, one tweeter and a massive 5.25-inch subwoofer all packed into one large unit. With the added functionality of Alexa on board, you can use the speaker for other IoT-compatible products across the home too.
So, not only are you getting an immersive home entertainment experience, but also making your home electronics future-proof.
