The most common faults or problems with TVs were smart TV features, apps and connecting to the internet. To claim the money off your bill you simply need to sign up to the LIDL Plus app then head to the partner discounts section at bottom of the screen. The on-screen user interface should be easy to read, easy to follow, tell the user what is happening (e.g. tells the user to wait while TV is scanning for DTV broadcasts), and show clear prompts, which button to press, or what to do next. User interface accounts for 10% of the CHOICE Expert Rating. But the Polaroid P49UPA2029A smashes those expectations. It’s a 49in TV that crams in 4K, a healthy smart TV platform and support for HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision, yet costs less than a third of our current favourite 49 inch TV, the Sony KD-49XG9005.

Switch to standard-def via the built-in tuner and, as long as you’ve dialled the settings down a little, the performance is perfectly acceptable. A more premium TV will produce more punch, and also balance sharpness and smoothness more effectively, but this is still a natural performance with control and clarity. Smart TVs now essentially conduct searches and process commands using your voice with trigger words such as 'OK Google' or 'Alexa' telling the TV that it should act on your commands. No Expectations may have been low, but the degree to which this 49-inch Polaroid 4K TV exceeds them is still impressive. Comprehensively specified, easy to use and surprisingly capable of getting to the heart of what you’re watching, this is a much better TV than its name, availability and price tag might suggest.The screen itself is ostensibly well equipped though. It sports all the badges required by the canny 4K shopper, including Smart connectivity, 2160p resolution and 3D compatibility.

Panasonic achieved the highest reliability score of all brands. Owner satisfaction was also high, on par with LG, Samsung and Sony. A little surprising is the Polaroid’s input lag of just over 28ms when Game mode is selected, which is low enough to be practically imperceptible to all but the most hardcore of players.Polaroid's Smart Platform will be familiar to anyone who has auditioned other Vestel made TVs of a similar class (I'm thinking low cost models branded Toshiba and Finlux to name but two). The Polaroid’s built-in speakers are a touch crude, particularly at high volumes, but the sound is impressively clear and direct, with a decent weight to the lower midrange. This is a clean delivery, too, with no brightness or sibilance.