A TV is the hub of any good living room. So, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a telly that makes everything you watch look amazing. From the footy, to the latest big blockbuster films.
Time for an upgrade? Let us be your TV guides. Whether you need something cheap and cheerful for your bedroom, or a dream screen for the lounge — we’ve got you covered. Here are a few of the best TVs you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on…
Best budget TV
A TV won’t cost you a month’s pay like it used to. You can get great televisions without busting the bank. You just might need to go for something smaller so you don’t go over budget! Most cheaper TVs still pack a punch with their smart features though. With apps like built-in streaming services for catching up on all your favourite shows.
If you’re on a budget that can stretch to a few hundred quid, then the Panasonic TX-43MX600B 43" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV is a great shout. It’s one the best value TVs out there, with a 4K HDR display that’s super sharp and brings delicious detail to every scene. And you can put that to the test with built-in Freeview Play, giving you loads of free channels and catch-up apps straight out the box.
Sound is 50% of the experience, right? That’s why the Panasonic TX-43MX600B comes equipped with Dolby Atmos, giving you immersive 3D surround sound that’ll make you feel like you’re at movies. And if you’re a gamer? The TV cleverly switches to ‘Auto Low-Latency Mode’ when you hook you up your gaming console for some super responsive gameplay. And that can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Best cheap TV
Want to save even more money? No problem. There are plenty of terrific tellys you can get for under £200. And most of these still come with all those modern smart features. So, you can switch on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Disney+ and catch the latest boxset everyone’s talking about.
A solid choice is the JVC LT-40CA320 Android TV 40" Smart Full HD LED TV. Its picture quality is decent for the price, and it’s big enough for small to medium-sized rooms. But best of all? It’s got Google Assistant built-in, so you can find whatever you’re looking for using your voice. Forget endless scrolling — just say what you want to watch!
If you want something more compact to stick in the corner of your bedroom or kitchen, check out the JVC LT-24CA120 Android TV 24" Smart HD Ready HDR LED TV. It’s one of the best small TVs you’ll find. Or go for something in the middle with the slightly bigger, best-selling JVC LT-32CA120 Android TV 32" Smart HD Ready HDR LED TV.
Best TV under £500
If you’ve got half a grand to play with, then you should be able to find a telly with a few more gizmos. This extra cash will help you bag a bigger screen TV — we’re talking up to 55 inches here.
We reckon the LG 55UR80006LJ 55" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV offers great bang for your buck. Not only does it have a nice big screen, but the 4K Ultra HD resolution keeps characters looking crystal-clear in all your favourite dramas. HDR10 Pro (high dynamic range) also helps to display colours more accurately with improved brightness and deeper contrast.
On top of this, the LG’s slim profile makes it ideal for wall mounting. And as you’d expect, it comes loaded with top streaming services along with AI Sound Pro — transforming bog standard audio into virtual 5.1 surround sound. Who needs to go to the cinema when you’ve got this in your lounge!
Best TV under £1000
A grand gives you even more wiggle room when it comes to picking your telly. We’re talking medium-to-large screen TVs packed with extra tech. Here are a couple of our favourite TVs that’ll make movie marathons feel totally magical:
LG 75UR91006LA 75" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV: A huge 4K Ultra HD HDR screen with Amazon Alexa and LG webOS — giving you easy access to all your must-see apps. ‘Game Optimiser’ fine tunes settings for gaming, and ‘AI Acoustic Tuning’ cleverly tweaks the TV's audio settings to match the size and shape of your room.
Philips Ambilight 65PUS8807/12 65" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV: A big and sharp 4K Ultra HD HDR display with cinematic Dolby Atmos sound and a lightning-fast 120Hz refresh rate for smooth gaming. Plus, Google Assistant for content at your command and Android TV with the best streaming apps.
Best LED TV
As their name suggests, LED TVs are backlit by LED bulbs (light-emitting diodes). This means that they display deeper blacks and saturated colours which really help to make content pop. They’re pretty energy efficient compared to other tellys too.
And you won’t have to find some buried treasure to afford one either. There’s plenty of cheaper LED TVs, like the Logik L32SHE22 32" Smart HD Ready HDR LED TV. But if you want to really push the boat out, the Toshiba Fire TV 65UF3D53DB 65" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV will have everyone in the room watching in awe.
Best QLED TV
If you think LED TVs are good, wait until you watch something on a QLED. You won’t believe your eyes! QLED TVs are Samsung's bread and butter and use unique quantum dot tech. Aside from giving enhanced picture quality, this clever QLED wizardry also boosts vibrancy, brightness, and depth for a realistic view.
Most QLED televisions are made by Samsung — but there a few others too. If you’re on a budget, we’d recommend something like the TCL 43RC630K Roku TV 43" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR QLED TV. And for a few hundred quid more, you could stretch to the Samsung QE50Q60CAUXXU 50" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR QLED TV with built-in Bixby, Alexa and ‘Adaptive Sound’ tech.
If you want to really treat yourself, try the Samsung QE85Q70CATXXU 85" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR QLED TV. It’s massive! And with its Quantum Processor 4K, this brainy TV uses AI to optimise the brightness, contrast, resolution, and sound of everything you watch. Smart stuff.
Best OLED TV
OLED TVs use cutting-edge ‘organic light emitting diode’ tech to produce some of the sharpest images you’ll ever see. These really are some of the best picture TVs you’ll find! Perfect blacks, infinite contrast, and vivid colours combine for an astonishing viewing experience.
But that extra quality does come at a premium. You won’t find many OLED tellys under a grand, but the LG OLED42C34LA 42" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR OLED TV is an exception. It offers a big enough screen for most living rooms, a super-fast 120Hz refresh rate for fast-paced gaming, and a ‘Filmmaker Mode’ that’ll make movies look more natural.
If money is no object, you can really indulge with the Sony Bravia XR-83A84LU 83" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR OLED TV. It’ll dazzle you with over a billion natural and vibrant shades on the huge XR Triluminos Pro display. And it detects what you'll be focusing in on too — boosting the details and colours of the main character.
Best 4K TV
If you’ve already done some browsing online, you‘ve probably spotted that most TVs have 4K ultra-high definition (UHD) displays. It’s pretty much the standard now. But the picture quality of 4K TVs is anything but “standard” — they look incredible! A 4K pixel count (over 8 million, in fact) lets you experience the same epic detail and visuals you’d usually see on a cinema screen.
Loads of tech companies are making 4K televisions with all kinds of screen sizes and extras. At the lower end of the scale, you’ll find something like the TCL 43RP630K Roku TV 43" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV. But the highly-rated Philips Ambilight 55PUS8807/12 55" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV is a cool option if you’re happy to spend a bit more. With ‘Ambilight’ tech, the TV’s LED lights around the edge of its screen will glow and change colour in sync with what you're watching. Whoa!
And if you’re a serious film buff who can sit for hours on end enjoying the greats, the Sony Bravia XR-65A95KU 65" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR OLED TV will keep you glued to the screen. It features ‘XR 4K Upscaling’ technology which brings sharp detail to everything, including lower resolution content. So, anything you watch will look amazing — even those old flicks from decades ago.
Best 8K TV
4K is exceptional, but 8K is even better! There’s about 33 million pixels, so 8K TVs have a level of fidelity about four times finer than 4K tellys. So, if you want the sharpest detail around — these just can’t be matched. And as you could probably guess, they’re not cheap.
The Samsung QE55QN700CTXXU 55" Smart 8K HDR Neo QLED TV is one of the most affordable 8K televisions you’ll find. But it’s not stripped of any features. You’ll get built-in Alexa and Dolby Atmos tech, which delivers immersive sound that’ll you’ll feel all around you.
Or, watch your favourite content on a much bigger scale with the Samsung QE85QN800CTXXU 85" Smart 8K HDR Neo QLED TV. This offers a faster refresh rate and much more, including an anti-glare screen that absorbs reflections. This means that you won't be distracted from the on-screen action! And it makes it one of the best TVs for bright rooms too.
Best TV for gaming
If you’re a gamer, you’ll want a TV that’ll level-up your console experience and make you feel like part of the action. Whether you’re tearing up the track in a tuned-up supercar or gunning for a killstreak in your fave first-person shooter!
Consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S support 4K. So, pairing them with a 4K TV will be like a match made in heaven. With razor-sharp graphics and detailed colours, you’ll be able to get the upper hand against enemies or your mates online. You’ll also want a TV with a fast refresh rate so that your visuals are smooth and lag-free. Anything with 120Hz and above will offer rapid gameplay so that you’re always keeping up with your opponents.
The TCL 55C745K 55" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR QLED TV is a great gaming TV (if you don’t want to spend too much). It has a refresh rate up to 144Hz and a big 4K screen for eye-popping realism. But the ‘Game Master Pro’ mode is where it really shines, letting you enjoy silky-smooth gaming sessions with low latency and no tearing. If you’re looking for the best TV for PS5 or Xbox and have a bigger budget, check out something like the Sony Bravia KD-75X85LU 75" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV.
FAQs
Is OLED still the best?
OLED TVs are popular for a reason. They’re some of the best quality TVs you can currently buy, with incredibly vivid colours and superb contrast. They can also produce true blacks by turning off individual pixels. Very cool. Check out our OLED vs QLED article to learn more about the differences between these bits of TV tech.
Is 4K TV the best?
4K TVs are still spectacular to look at and there’s nothing wrong with them. But if you really want the best of the best, double up with an 8K TV. Well quadruple actually, as 8K TVs have about four times the amount of pixels of 4K TVs (around 33 million). Wow.
What is the best TV brand?
So many great companies make amazing TVs that’ll supercharge your living space. Samsung, Sony and LG make tremendous tellys to suit most budgets. And you’ve got trusted names like Philips and Panasonic to check out too. Brands like JVC, Hisense and Sharp put out really good quality TVs for those on a tighter budget.
Any more questions?
Our TV buying guide has all the answers to any more of your burning questions. Or, if you’d prefer to ask for advice in person — pop down to your local store for a chat with one of our TV experts.
