The menu consists of a vertical drop-down bar, which is the gateway to settings, the media browser and smart hub. But having correctly identified them as the most popular apps, has separated them in an exclusive tab in the smart hub. Polaroid hasn’t built on its core smarts of Netflix, BBC iPlayer and YouTube since last year’s models. In terms of sound quality, it goes comfortably loud and has reasonable body, but we’d invest in a soundbar such as the Philips HTL5140 for a welcome boost in solidity and detail. We are also a little disappointed by the SD channels, which involve soft lines and misjudged shades of colour. In the final battle scenes, the sea of bodies flung through the air draw a bit of motion instability that we couldn’t eliminate with picture settings. Lines are well sculpted – every soldier in the mass army has definition – and there’s enough detail and clarity to enjoy even the darkest scenes.
It’s a movie that deserves Blu-ray treatment, but the Polaroid does its best. Up next is the not-so-epic conclusion to The Hobbit trilogy, The Battle of the Five Armies on DVD. We found them more natural-looking on a cooler colour temperature setting. Running the Polaroid with a THX Optimiser disc is highly recommended, particularly for sorting out the colours. Avoid If you have a small TV stand, as the set is quite wide
