Sky might have just upgraded its broadband-powered Glass TV but it’s rivals aren’t standing still either. French telly manufacturer Thomson has just unveiled a swathe of new screens at an event in Vienna, and it’s been confirmed that some of these latest models are destined for the UK. The new televisions coming our way will all have access to Freely, which—like Sky Glass—lets users watch live and on-demand content via an internet connection. That means there’s no need for a dish or aerial to be stuck to the chimney with content streamed to the big screen instead.

Freely also offers the ability to pause live shows, see recommendations for things to watch and there’s full access to main and mini TV guide.

Freely can’t quite match the might of Sky’s huge catalogue of content, but, unlike the premium provider, it is completely free to watch.

Along with coming pre-loaded with Freely, there’s another bonus of these upcoming Thomson tellies as they will be powered by TiVo.

This platform is already included on some other screens from firms such as Panasonic and Bush, plus it has long powered older V6 set-top boxes from Virgin Media.

Now it’s being added to this latest swathe of goggleboxes and it promises to make finding things to watch a whole lot easier.

Along with offering a visually rich user experience, TiVo holds a vast amount of metadata, which helps it track down content via simple keywords. All users have to do is speak into the remote to narrow down the on-screen results. It even lets users add more search terms to reduce the number of things appearing on the screen.

For example, a user can say, “films with Tom Cruise”, but then add phrases such as “from the 90s” and “only comedies” and TiVo will do the rest.

“We make it easy for people to find, watch and enjoy what they love, on their terms,” TiVo explained.

“We serve up the best movies, shows, sports and videos from across live TV, on demand, streaming services and countless apps. With TiVo, there’s less searching, more watching in one integrated experience from any screen.”

The TiVo operating system even lets you dig into the settings and turn off certain streaming platforms. That means if you don’t subscribe to Disney+, for example, you won’t see content recommendations from the app appear on the display.

Unlike Google TV and Amazon’s Fire OS, TiVo is also proud to boast that it is totally independent, so it doesn’t push its users to specific apps or content.

There’s no exact launch date for the new Thomson tellies, but they are expected to arrive in the UK in the autumn with sizes from 24 to 64-inches available.

If these screens weren’t enough to worry Sky, TiVo has also hinted that it could also bring a Freely-powered set-top box to the UK in the future.

Right now, those wanting to access this service need a compatible TV to tune in, but it’s hoped that a new streaming box would bring Freely to older screens as well. Some manufacturers such as LG and Samsung also haven’t adopted Freely yet so a box would also fix that issue as well.

This update would be a direct rival for Sky Stream, which also turns old TVS into fully smart content hubs.

We don’t have full details just yet, but watch this space.

If you have an LG TV tucked in the corner of your living room you might want to see if a new app has just been installed. The Korean technology giant has just confirmed that some of its latest screens have now received an upgrade that includes the highly anticipated Xbox app.

Once loaded and launched, this popular platform lets you access a whole swathe of games from developers such as Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, Mojang, Xbox Game Studios, and more.

The best part is, you don’t need an expensive Xbox console to enjoy a gaming session with everything streamed to the big screen via your broadband instead.

To access this service you’ll just needs an LG TV or select smart monitors running the latest webOS 24 and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership which costs £14.99 per month.

If you have both of those then you can jump straihgh into games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to popular titles like Avowed, South of Midnight or eagerly awaited upcoming releases like Towerborne.

Game Pass Ultimate members can also conveniently stream a select catalogue of games they already own, such as NBA 2K25 and Hogwarts Legacy, adding even greater flexibility to their gaming experience.

“LG remains dedicated to delivering the ultimate home entertainment experience with its cutting-edge TVs and top-of-the-class built-in platform, webOS,” LG explained.

“Through its partnership with Xbox and the launch of the Xbox app, LG elevates gaming with the precision of game-changing OLED TVs and the brilliant and vivid action of the latest QNED TVs, including unrivalled gameplay upscaled to 4K for lifelike visuals, while offering a convenient interface on LG Smart TVs to enjoy a vast library of games with cloud gaming.”

The Xbox app is rolling out now and you should find it on the home screen.

Xbox says these are TVs it’s available on which include 2022 OLED TVs, 2023 OLED, QNED, NanoCell and UHD TVs – which have been updated to software version 23.20.01 or higher

This Gaming Portal is available on LG screens in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkiye, UK and USA.

Android fans are getting another new smartphone to choose from and this latest model to arrive in the UK packs quite a punch for its very low price. POCO – which is a sub brand of Chinese firm Xiaomi – has just announced the release of its new M7 Pro 5G which is brimming with premium upgrades – such as 5G data compatibility, a huge battery with fast 45W turbo charging and even 256GB of storage as standard (most phones only get 128GB).

There’s also a speedy 6.67-inch display with super slim bezels and fast 120Hz refresh rate – you don’t even get that on £799 iPhone!

Dual speakers are tucked inside that work with Dolby Atmos plus there’s added boost via Hi-Res Audio. On the rear case is a dual-lens snapper with camera technology powered by the experts at Sony.

POCO boasts that its M7 Pro 5G features an upgraded 50MP rear camera with a large 1/1.95″ Sony IMX882 image sensor that captures up to 29.8 percent more light.

It’s also IP64 dust and water resistant, comes in three vibrant colours and has Dimensity 7025-Ultra processor powering it.

So, how much is this all going to cost you and why should the likes of Google and Samsung be worried?

The POCO M7 Pro 5G starts from a ludicrously low £199 which is £100 cheaper than Samsung’s new Galaxy A26 series and £300 less than the latest Pixel 9a.

That low price includes 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. There’s also a 12GB RAM model which is priced at £239.

Of course, some things are missing, such as wireless charging, a triple-lens camera, and smart AI upgrades, but on paper, this device appears to have plenty going for it.

“POCO M7 Pro 5G embodies our commitment to delivering the next-level 5G performance and entertainment experience possible,” says Angus Ng, Head of Product Marketing at POCO Global.

“Its stunning display, powerful Dimensity 7025-Ultra chipset, sleek design, and upgraded camera system, POCO M7 Pro 5G caters to the needs of both casual users and tech enthusiasts.”