It isn't easy to find the best TV – there are so many options with elaborate screen tech and jargon-filled features – but the good news is that an excellent home cinema experience has never been more affordable.
This guide will help you find the best TV in your budget range, based on our extensive testing experience with these sets. We'll cut the overwhelming number of options down to just the most worthwhile, from cheap options to cutting-edge flagship sets. To make our choices, we're balancing picture quality, features, sound quality, price, and size options. If you're looking for something specific, you might prefer to head straight to our guides to the best gaming TVs, best TVs under £1000, best OLED TVs, or best mini-LED TVs – but here, you can get an overview of everything.
We're confident you'll find the best TV for you in this list – if you don't see a model you have in mind here, bear in mind we may still have tested it, it's just that we think the TVs in this guide offer better value.
The quick list
Want to cut to the chase and find out which TVs are the best? Below, you’ll find a roundup of our choices. You can also jump to a more detailed review of every pick, along with our price comparison tool to help you find the best deals.
The best TV for most people
The Samsung S90C does it all. Excellent picture, brilliant gaming performance, great built-in sound, and provides a more budget way into the world of QD-OLED.
The best budget TV
If you're looking to get a mini-LED TV with a host of gaming features for a fraction of the price you'd expect to pay, the TCL C805 is easily the best option available.
The best mid-range TV
Samsung's top QLED TV has a mid-range price but its premium-level features and performance make it stand out as a bargain in Samsung's TV lineup.
The best cheaper OLED TV
Want an OLED TV for less? The LG B4 is your best option for a 2024 OLED that balances quality, performance and price effectively.
The best premium OLED TV
An incredibly detailed QD-OLED picture with glare beating anti-reflection tech, excellent gaming features and performance and a glorious design mean this is what a premium OLED TV should look like.
The best TV for versatility
Gaming, picture quality, an intuitive smart TV platform, and a wealth of sizes from a smaller 42-inch to a large 83-inch; the LG C4 covers all the bases in a way that few TVs do.
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The best bright TV for daytime sports
The Samsung QN90D's high brightness levels make it perfect for daytime viewing. Combined with its superb motion handling, you have a TV that's a must for sports fans.
The best TV for total immersion
This is an excellent OLED TV in its own right, but it also includes an Ambilight feature that uses colored LED lights to make the screen seem even bigger than it is.
The best TV for sound quality
Looking for a TV that offers genuinely immersive Dolby Atmos sound without a soundbar? The Panasonic Z95A offers better audio (and picture) quality than almost anything else.
I've been testing and reporting on TVs since 2017, but my experience writing about and reviewing screen technology stretches back to 2010. I love seeing all the latest TV releases as they come through our testing rooms, and I shape this guide by working with our reviewers and editors, to agree which TVs we think best fit different needs, or represent the best value.
Recent updates
November 27, 2024
Replaced the Amazon Omni QLED with the TCL C805 as 'best budget' due to the latter's mini-LED panel.
Added a Black Friday deals section exploring the best deals we're expecting to see from TVs in this guide over Black Friday.
The best TVs of 2024
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The best TV for most people
✅ You want QD-OLED for relatively cheap: The Samsung S90C gives you a brighter OLED screen than the LG C4, and fantastic picture quality, for less.
✅ You need lots of HDMI 2.1 ports: HDMI 2.1 is available on all four of the S90C's HDMI ports, supporting 4K 120Hz for unbeaten connectivity.
❌ You want the brightest OLED available: Both the Samsung S95D and the LG G4 offer higher brightness levels than the S90C.
❌ You want an 80-inch TV: The 83-inch model uses a different screen type that's far less bright – we wouldn't recommend it. Get the 83-inch LG C4 instead, which has Dolby Vision.
The Samsung S90C takes the top spot on our best TV list because it does it all; excellent picture quality, sleek design, brilliant gaming performance and it gives you access to QD-OLED technology for the cheapest it's ever been. With prices dropping over time too, this gives you real OLED bang for your buck.
With excellent contrast levels, dynamic and punchy colors and deep, rich blacks that we come to expect from an OLED, we found in our review that the S90C's extra brightness compared to the LG C4 (further down this list) or Sony A80L really adds an extra layer, despite these TVs all costing the same. Its sharpness levels and detail are also a sight to behold. One thing to note, though, is that the 83-inch model uses a regular OLED screen that's much less bright, and we would recommend getting the 83-inch LG C4 instead.
Not just a beautiful TV, the Samsung S90C is also a gamers' paradise. With a refresh rate of 144Hz, it has four 2.1 HDMI ports that all support ALLM and VRR as well as 4K 120Hz. It also has a gaming hub so you can tweak setting easily to get the most out of your games. Add to this built-in sound quality that beats almost all other TVs, including LG's OLEDs, you get a complete package with the S90C.
It's not totally perfect (the lack of Dolby Vision support is a shame), and higher-priced OLEDs such as the Samsung S95D (at #5 in this list) and LG G4 can beat it for brightness. But in terms of what you get at this budget level, the Samsung S90C is real value for money and is the best TV for most people.
Read the full Samsung S90C review
The best budget TV
✅ You want a great picture for cheap: Thanks to its mini-LED backlight, the C805 provides rich contrast for a very affordable price.
✅ You want a great, budget TV for gaming: With an affordable price and 4K 144Hz, VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming support, the C805 is a top option for budget gaming.
❌ You watch at an angle: Viewing the C805 off-centre reveals backlight blooming and faded contrast that isn't present when viewed face-on.
❌ You want immersive, built-in sound: The C805's speakers provide good levels of bass but are lacking in every other area.
The TCL C805 is the epitome of value. With a mini-LED backlight, it offers picture quality that outperforms its price. It also has a good stock of gaming features and the Google TV smart TV interface.
In our review, we commended the C805's picture quality. It delivered surprisingly strong black levels and contrast, along with more realistic detail and textures than we expected at this price. While its motion does require some setup and viewing angles are limited, as we said in our review "at this price range, it’s tough to be disappointed with the C805’s picture".
Gamers will be pleased with the list of gaming features on offer here, including 4K 144Hz, VRR (AMD FreeSync Premium included), ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming. While its 13.5ms input lag time isn't the best, most gamers will find it suitable enough. Plus, its great picture quality carries across to gaming.
It's not all perfect with the C805, as its limited sound quality means one of the best soundbars might be needed. There are also the picture quality limitations mentioned above, but it delivers a great experience overall, and it is impossible to overlook its affordable price in every one of its sizes, from 50 to 98 inches! When it comes to price vs quality, the C805 demonstrates incredible value and is a top choice for those on a budget.
Read our full TCL C805 review
The best mid-range TV
✅ You want an excellent picture for the money: Colour, brightness and contrast are all top-notch on the Q80D and better than expected at this price range.
✅ You want a great gaming TV: Offering extensive gaming features across all four HDMI ports and all-around great performance, the Q80D is an excellent gaming TV.
❌ You don't want to tweak any settings: The Q80D has a fantastic picture, but its colour out-of-the-box requires some adjustment.
❌ You want Dolby Vision: Same as with all Samsung TVs, the Q80D does not support Dolby Vision HDR for movies or gaming.
Mid-range TVs can sit in an awkward position – offering lesser performance and features than premium models and costing too much compared to budget models. The all-important value factor of features for money is crucial in the mid-range, and this is where the Samsung Q80D comes in, as it covers pretty much every base.
Picture quality on the Q80D exceeds its price tag. Contrast levels are excellent, with black tones displayed accurately and bright highlights handled well. Colours, once set up correctly, are bold and vibrant, especially when the TV is fed 4K sources, and give it a 3D feel. Some backlight blooming is present, mainly when viewed off-centre, but all-in-all the Q80D's picture is brilliant for the price.
Samsung's top-end QLEDs have always done a great job when it comes to gaming and the Q80D is no exception. Its four HDMI 2.1 ports all support 4K 120Hz, VRR (including AMD FreeSync Premium) and ALLM, and there's also Samsung's Gaming Hub and a low 9.8ms input lag time.
The Q80D has surprisingly good built-in sound, with a large soundstage and good sound effects placement. It also has Samsung's own Tizen smart TV platform, which provides access to plenty of content and gives better-tailored recommendations than previous Tizen iterations.
All is not perfect, as the Q80D suffers from some backlight blooming and more limited viewing angles than higher-priced TVs. There's also no Dolby Vision HDR support, but for its mid-range price, the Samsung Q80D has seriously impressive gaming features and great performance across the board.
Read our full Samsung Q80D review
The best cheaper OLED TV
✅ You want a versatile OLED picture: With good motion handling, rich contrast and vibrant colors, the B4 is great for both movies and games.
✅ You want excellent gaming performance: The LG B4 delivers great gaming with a low input lag time and a list of next-gen features found on the best gaming TVs.
❌ You want high brightness: The B4's peak brightness levels are below that of more premium OLED TVs and even budget mini-LEDs.
❌ You need the best built-in sound: While solid enough, the B4 does not have the most dynamic built-in sound, falling short of other sets on this list such as the Samsung S90C.
The LG B4 is an affordable 2024 OLED TV that delivers solid picture quality, excellent gaming features and performance and a great smart TV platform while keeping costs down compared to more premium TVs. It may not beat mid-range or premium OLEDs, but the B4 delivers for the price you pay.
Picture quality is very good on the LG B4 overall. In our review, we found that its contrast and black levels were rich, it displayed vivid yet accurate colors, and it did a great job with fast-motion scenes. The B4's lower brightness compared to more premium TVs means its picture doesn't have the same dynamic punch, but the B4 is still versatile enough that it can cover all the bases.
Gaming is well covered by the B4, with four full-featured HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 144Hz, Dolby Vision gaming, VRR (including AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia GSync) as well as a low 9.1ms input lag time. Combined with its picture quality, the B4 is an excellent companion for gaming.
The B4 does fall short with its built-in audio quality, which lacks the weight and immersive nature of the best TVs for sound, but for the price it sits at, which is significantly cheaper than other OLEDs, the B4 is superb bang for your buck. For those looking for a cheaper OLED, this is it.
Read our full LG B4 review
The best Premium OLED
✅ You want incredible picture detail: The S95D's combination of a QD-OLED display panel and AI processing creates highly realistic details and textures.
✅ You want a beautifully designed TV: The S95D's stand design gives it a 'floating' appearance, and its One Connect Box for cable management results in a trim profile.
❌ You need Dolby Vision: The S95D has excellent picture quality but does not support Dolby Vision for gaming or movies.
❌ You are on a budget: Even though the S95D justifies its cost, it is still a premium OLED TV with a high price tag that will stretch budgets.
The Samsung S95D is the company's flagship OLED TV for 2024. Utilizing QD-OLED like its predecessor, the Samsung S95C, it offers outstanding picture quality and gaming performance plus a new anti-reflection tech that improves viewing in brighter environments.
On the S95D, images take on a realistic depth that creates a lifelike effect. Colors are dynamic but natural, and it has the deep blacks and powerful contrast OLED fans look for. As a bonus, it carries a high peak brightness, measuring 1,868 and 1,688 nits on a 10% HDR window in Standard and Filmmaker Mode respectively, making this one of the brightest OLEDs available.
Samsung introduced its new OLED Glare Free tech with the S95D. This uses a matte screen to reduce reflections from light sources and it works wonders, with pesky reflections filtered to a faint haze on screen, even in the brightest rooms.
Gaming has become a real strong suit for Samsung TVs and the S95D is no different. It has four kitted-out HDMI 2.1 ports that support up to 4K 144 Hz input and VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. With a built-in Gaming Hub to house all gaming apps and settings in one place, the S95D carries all the features a gamer could need.
The S95D is also a beautifully designed TV, with a 'floating' appearance and good built-in audio. It's undoubtedly pricey, but with the new features and improved picture quality, it more than justifies its cost - it's easily the best premium TV on the market.
Read our full Samsung S95D review
The best TV for versatility
✅ You like a wide choice of sizes: Ranging from 42-inch to 83-inch, the LG C4 can fit anywhere in the house, from desk to cinema room.
✅ You want a TV for movies and gaming: The LG C4 has very strong picture quality, and gaming features to cover every avenue.
❌ You want the best built-in audio: The LG C4 has decent enough audio performance, but it's not going to beat the Panasonic Z95A (#9 on this list) anytime soon
❌ You need the brightest OLED TV: The LG C4 offers decent brightness levels for a mid-range OLED, but flagship models like the LG G4 and Samsung S95D are brighter still.
The LG C4 is easily one of the most versatile TVs on the market, delivering excellent picture quality, a user-friendly smart TV platform, plenty of features to keep gamers happy and an 'affordable for OLED' price tag - all in a wide range of sizes from 42 to 83-inch.
Picture quality of the LG C4 is superb. It demonstrates excellent contrast levels, even with more challenging black and white TV shows such as Netflix's Ripley series, great detail and improved brightness levels over its predecessor - the LG C3. Unlike some mid-range and even premium OLED TVs, the LG C4 does a great job of handling meddlesome TV reflections as well. The C4 carries this brilliant picture quality not only with movies and TV shows but also gaming as well.
Speaking of gaming, the LG C4 serves as a fantastic gaming TV. Stacked with features across four HDMI 2.1 ports including 4K, 144Hz support, VRR (including AMD FreeSync and Nvidia GSync) and its own useful Game Optimizer tool to name just a few, the C4 is sure to make gamers happy - and its 42-inch will suit PC gamers too.
It also features webOS 24 as its smart TV platform, easily one of the best iterations of LG's webOS that there has been thanks to its intuitive nature and tidier home screen, plus its a well-designed TV too.
So, why does the LG C4 not take the spot? Although it is a phenomenal TV, the C4 is bested in most areas by the Samsung S90C, which sits at the top of the list, but also doesn't quite have best-in-class performance in any area. But, what the C4 does do, it does very well.
The best TV for sport
✅ You want a great TV for sports: With high brightness and excellent motion handling, the QN90D is an ideal TV for any sports fans
✅ You want a great TV for gaming: The QN90D's four HDMI 2.1 ports support 4K 144Hz, VRR and more, making it ideal if you own multiple game consoles.
❌ You want the best value TV: The QN90D faces strong competition from well-featured budget mini-LED TVs from Hisense and TCL.
❌ You want Dolby Vision HDR: Like all Samsung sets, the QN90D doesn't support Dolby Vision HDR for gaming or movies.
With its high peak and fullscreen brightness levels and stellar motion handling, the Samsung QN90D asserts itself as the best TV for sports fans, especially those who watch in brighter rooms.
When we tested the QN90D, we found that Soccer and Rugby streams were "expertly handled" even without the aid of any motion settings in the picture menu. The QN90D also delivered for movies, displaying bold colors and "impeccable" detail. Its contrast, too, was great, despite some backlight blooming and mild fading when viewed off-center.
Gaming is another QN90D strength. It comes with four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 144Hz, VRR (including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro), HGiG and ALLM. It also has Samsung's fantastic Gaming Hub, which makes all gaming-related features on the TV easily accessible. We described gaming on the QN90D as "a breeze" in our review, praising the smooth gameplay thanks to its low 9.1ms input lag time.
While the QN90D does face competition, with the Hisense U8N in particular giving the QN90D a run for its money by delivering higher brightness for less, none can top the QN90D's brilliant motion handling, which easily makes the QN90D the top choice for sports fans.
Read our full Samsung QN90D review
The most immersive TV
✅ You like the look of Ambilight: It makes the picture feel even bigger and more immersive. No other TV brand has this tech built in.
✅ You want a powerful, all-around performer: The OLED809 delivers a dynamic, colourful picture, accurate built-in sound and a wealth of gaming features.
❌ You want Freeview Play and its apps built-in: Unfortunately, the OLED809 is lacking apps like BBC iPlayer and ITVX, but this can be solved with a streaming device like a Fire TV Stick.
❌ You watch a lot of lower-resolution content: While upscaling from HD is fine, standard-definition TV shows or movies don't receive the best upscaling on the OLED809.
The Philips OLED809 is a real all-rounder, delivering spectacular picture quality with rich contrast and vibrant colours, a near-full suite of gaming features and expansive built-in sound. But it's the built-in Ambilight feature that makes the OLED809 that much more unique and immersive.
In our review of the Philips OLED809, we were particular fans of its Ambilight feature, complimenting how it added an extra dimension to anything played on screen, with particular highlights involving colourful movies such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It's a feature that makes the OLED809 stand out in cramped mid-range OLED TV market.
The OLED809 also delivers when it comes to picture quality, with exceptional colours, rich contrast and deep black levels. We also noted that details and textures are incredibly refined and lifelike, giving even something as simple as clothing added accuracy. While lower-resolution sources didn't benefit much from upscaling, feed the OLED809 4K sources and you won't be disappointed with what you see.
The OLED809 also flexes its immersive prowess with its built-in sound. While not the best built-in sound (check out the Panasonic Z95A below), the OLED809's sound impressed, thanks to its excellent placement and accuracy with even the most subtle of sound effects. The OLED809 also serves well as a gaming TV, with Dolby Vision gaming, 4K 120Hz, VRR (AMD FreeSync Premium included) and ALLM all supported. The OLED809 really is a complete package.
Read our full Philips OLED809 review
The best TV for sound
✅ You want powerful, immersive built-in sound: The Z95A delivers punchy, immersive and powerful sound thanks to its built-in 5.1.2-channel speaker system.
✅ You want a TV with spectacular pictures: The Z95A's picture quality is nothing short of phenomenal, with superb detail and excellent contrast and colour.
❌ You don't want to spend a premium price: The Z95A may be an incredible TV, but it is noticeably pricier than rival flagship OLEDs such as the Samsung S95D and LG G4.
❌ You want a comprehensive remote: Moving to Fire TV means the Z95A now comes with a flimsy, bare remote compared to Panasonic's previously supplied remotes.
Sound quality is never expected to be fantastic in TVs nowadays, but some models place the same importance on sound as they do picture and the TV that demonstrates this better than any other is the Panasonic Z95A.
We were impressed by the quality of the Z95A's built-in 5.1.2 channel speaker system, noting that its "sound is powerful and immersive enough that you could easily get away without using one of the best soundbars". It delivered clear dialogue and believable Dolby Atmos effects, which were given a real sense of space. It's also packed with sound features such as Sound Focus mode to really fine-tune the sound to your tastes and environment.
Panasonic's OLEDs always deliver incredible picture quality and the Z95A is no different. We described its colour reproduction as "bold and detailed" and we were also impressed by its deep black levels, strong contrast and high brightness (for OLED) levels that bested the LG G4. Its upscaling of lower-resolution content was also effective and even its motion handling was superb. Picture quality is just another highlight for the Z95A.
Gaming is also well covered by the Panasonic Z95A, with 4K 144Hz, VRR (AMD FreeSync and Nvidia GSync), ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming all supported. While its 12.6ms input lag time doesn't quite beat the top gaming TVs, it's still a very good result that adds another feather to the Z95A's cap.
Although the Panasonic Z95A is a superb TV, it does carry a premium price, costing significantly more than rival OLEDs such as the LG G4 and Samsung S95D, but if you have the cash to pay for it, the Z95A is worth the investment.
Read our full Panasonic Z95A review
More TVs to consider
If you're looking for a mini-LED TV that suits brighter environments but your budget can't quite stretch to the Samsung QN90D (our best TV for sport in this list), then consider the Hisense U7N. While it doesn't have the same sophisticated backlight control or consistent motion processing of more premium mini-LED sets, the U7N provides good brightness and contrast and it's cheaper. Another option is the Samsung QN85D, which isn't as bright as the QN90D or U7N, but impresses with natural textures and punchy colours, as well as an excellent suite of gaming features. Check out our Hisense U7N review and Samsung QN85D review for more info on these cheaper mini-LED options.
The Hisense U6N is another great, and affordable, big-screen mini-LED TV option. While it doesn't deliver the performance of the mid-range Samsung Q80D and isn't as cheap as the TCL C805, it has solid picture quality with punchy colours and a good list of gaming features for the price. Check out our full Hisense U6N review.
At the larger, more premium end of the mini-LED spectrum is the Sony Bravia 9. Using Sony's new XR Backlight Master Drive with High Luminance tech, the Bravia 9's contrast and black levels are some of the most OLED-like we've seen from a mini-LED TV. It also delivers spectacular brightness and image detail. Unfortunately, it is limited to 75- and 85-inch sizes in the UK and is significantly more expensive than the Samsung S95D, our chosen premium TV option.
At the small and super-cheap end, we recently reviewed the Amazon Fire TV 2-Series, which didn't blow us away, but still offers strong value. It has better sound than many other small, cheap TVs, and Fire TV is nicer to use than the smart interface on its low-price rivals. Picture quality is frustratingly inconsistent, but it's a good option if you want a very cheap TV with clear sound and a good smart interface. Here's our full Amazon Fire TV 2-Series review.
How to choose the best TV for you
How we choose the best TVs
There are plenty of reasons why you might want a TV built specifically for one purpose. Maybe you'd like to find the best TV for sport or the best gaming TV. But if you want to simply find the best TV on the market right now—and don't mind paying for it—there are plenty of excellent displays to choose from.
In our guide above, we've selected the best TVs you can buy right now. We picked these TVs based on a few key criteria. The first is picture quality, we wanted to be sure images were clear and sharp, no matter whether you're watching 4K content or upscaled content.
We also wanted to see impressive brightness. Bright images aren't the be all and end all of a great TV, but you need to know your new display will perform well in a variety of lighting environments.
Value for money is another key consideration. Sure many of the TVs in this list are pricey, but there's a difference between an expensive TV and one that really lives up to that price. Several of the TVs above might be eye-wateringly expensive, but if you have the money to spend, we promise they're worth it.
Extra features are a bonus, like the Philips OLED809's Ambilight technology. This isn't a must-have, but it does upgrade your watching experience considerably, so we were sure to highlight the added features that we believe you'll genuinely value.
There's so much to considering when you're choosing the best TV for you, but these are a few of the top considerations we had in mind during our reviews and our selection process for this guide.
How to pick the best TV for you
Looking for the best TV? There are plenty of things to consider before you take the leap. We recommend kicking off with the basics and deciding on your budget.
Yes, you might be able to bump up your budget a little if you find the perfect TV—or find a great deal in the Black Friday sales—but it's a good idea to set a limit to begin with so you don't fall in love with the unrivalled images and features of a TV that's well above your price range.
At this stage, also consider size. We recommend that you literally measure the space you have in your living room. And remember, just because you can squeeze a huge TV into your available space doesn't mean it'll be well-suited. You'll want to think about viewing angels, brightness and whether you'll be able to put a bit of distance between you and the screen so you can enjoy it properly. If you're thinking of wall-mounting the TV using one of the best TV wall mounts, you may want to consider the amount of the space the TV will take up, the depth of the TV, how you want it to move and so on aswell.
What next? Well, it's a good idea to check out the HDR capabilities of any new TV—we've detailed these under each of the best TVs in our guide—and the smart TV platform each offers. It's also worth considering sound. If you're willing to spend extra cash on a soundbar, you don't need to agonise about audio. However, if you'd like an all-in-one cinema system, consider an OLED TV that delivers great audio as well as a fantastic picture.
What can smart TVs do?
Smart TVs are internet-connected televisions. That means you can use them to browse through your favorite streaming apps as well as do a few other things such as control smart home devices or browse the internet. A TV that does not have smart capabilities is often referred to as a ‘dumb’ TV because it requires a set-top box or streaming stick to use streaming apps – but there aren't many of these for sale now!
Which brand is best for TVs?
There's no one brand that does TVs better than the others, but there are definitely some TV makes that excel in certain areas more than their rivals.
As you can probably tell from our list above, LG, Samsung, Sony and Philips tend to be the top-performing brands at the premium end, though all bring out a wide range of models each year.
There are plenty of LG TVs on our guide right now, with a consistently outstanding picture and plenty of features. This brand certainly makes excellent OLED TVs – in fact, LG Display makes the OLED panels for most other brands. We like that LG offers a wide range of TVs, including different budgets and sizes – the C4 goes from 42 inches all the way up to 83-inches. LG's webOS is one of our favorites, an easy to use operating system that feels intuitive.
Utilising QD-OLED technology to full effect, Samsung sits at the top of our list with the fantastic Samsung S90C. Samsung uses quantum dot technology to bring you brightness and excellent contrast. Like LG, Samsung offers a huge variety of TV sizes and prices. Samsung's smart TV software is Tizen, which we think is good overall. The brand also offers some extras, like its One Connect box with some TVs, and styles that are a little unique – take a look at the various iterations of Samsung's The Frame TVs.
Sony is another major player in the TV space. Its screens boast stunning picture quality and build quality. Although, like other brands in this list, there's a wide range across the board. One interesting difference about Sony is its really pushed its Cognitive XR processor, a processing chip added to its TVs from 2021 that boosts vision and audio performance.
Philips TVs don't top our list, but they always feature strongly. Their screens are reliable and bright with some notable cool additions, including Ambilight, a system that projects lights onto the wall behind a TV display. Premium Philips TVs also have a considerable audio boost thanks to a partnership with Bowers & Wilkins.
Of course you shouldn't feel hemmed in by these four brands – Panasonic offers excellent premium TVs with a focus on image quality in particular, and Hisense and TCL offer great value in the mid-range and affordable end of the market.
Which brand of TV is most reliable?
Again, there's no one answer to this question, particularly in terms of which brand to go for. But one thing worth considering in regards to longevity is the kind of TV tech that's being used.
For example, OLED TVs do have the possibility of image retention, also known as 'burn-in'. It's where a ghost of a still image stays on the screen – such as a clock or logo from 24-hour news channels. However, these days burn-in is much less of an issue than it used to be. Then again, LED TVs are probably still the better choice for anyone concerned about long-term reliability, since there's no chance of it at all.
Which is better, OLED or QLED?
This is one of the biggest and more contentious TV tech questions of the moment. Luckily we've covered all of the details in our OLED vs QLED guide.
However, if you're looking for a summary we'd say that QLED is a great option for brightness if you'll watch in bright, sunlit conditions; whereas OLED TVs offer better viewing angles and superior contrast for gorgeous movie-like images, as long as you can control the lighting.
Is LG better than Samsung?
Both LG and Samsung are excellent TV brands and you can't really go wrong with either. However, there are some areas where one TV maker could be a better option than the other.
An LG TV tops our best TVs guide, but Samsung is the market leader for sales overall. If you're looking for the most impressive picture quality out there, regardless of price, nothing currently beats LG's OLED panels for color and contrast.
But Samsung TV's are incredibly bright, particularly in more affordable models. We also love Samsung's lifestyle sets, like The Frame QLED 4K TV (2024), for combining performance with style. And its cheaper TVs, like the Samsung Q60D, are good value for money.
Is OLED better than 4K?
Luckily, you don't need to decide whether to go with OLED or 4K – you can have both! 4K refers to the resolution (ie, the number of pixels on the screen), while OLED refers to the panel technology (ie, what the pixels are made from).
So you can have 4K screens that are OLED (almost all of them are, apart from some pricey 8K OLED TVs), and you can have 4K screens that are QLED, mini-LED or other tech.
How we test the best TVs
☑️ More than 2,600 TV and home theater reviews
☑️ 16 years of product testing
☑️ Over 16,000 products reviewed in total
☑️ Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech
When it comes to reviewing the best TVs, we base our scores on the following criteria that you’ll find in our reviews: picture quality, audio quality, gaming features, smart TV features and ease of use, design, and value for money. We reach these conclusions using both objective measurements and our subjective opinion from viewing the TV. You can read in-depth how we test TVs at TechRadar at that link, or read on for an overview.
Testing picture quality, we start by cycling through the TVs picture presets – Standard, Movie, Sports and so on – to establish where they have strengths and weaknesses, and which is the most accurate. We test these picture modes through several sources including 4K Blu-ray and streaming, HD Blu-ray and streaming, and lower-resolution sources such as DVD and broadcast TV to test a TV’s upscaling effectiveness.
While testing, we’re looking to see how the TV’s processing handles various elements of the pictures. How is motion handled in 24fps movies compared to sports, for example, or how natural the details look when upscaled from lower-quality to higher quality. We’ll test to see whether digital noise reduction processing ruins the look of film grain, and how well a TV handles the digital artefacts and color banding that are common on streaming services.
We’re also looking for how well a movie handles dark tones, especially if it’s an LCD model, and this includes and backlight blooming from light to dark areas, and any unevenness in the backlight.
When it comes to objective measurements, we use specialized equipment, including a test pattern generator to create measurable signals, a colorimeter to read them, and Portrait Display’s Calman Calibration software to record our results.
The first area we’ll usually test is brightness. We’ll measure a TV’s brightness over different sized, white window patterns, such as 10% (for HDR highlights) and 100% or fullscreen brightness. The 10% window tells us the maximum brightness we can realistically expect a set to achieve in real use, while the 100% window tells us how bright it can go in something like sports where brightness is even for a long time, and is important for understanding how well a TV will beat reflections. We do this to test not only how effective a TVs backlight will be, but also to measure against claimed brightness from manufacturers. When we test brightness, we make sure to do it in a light-controlled room to prevent any interference from other light sources which could affect results.
We also test the color reproduction of TVs, in both SDR and HDR, to test their accuracy to the source material, and how much of the maximum possible color gamut they can show. We’ll also test accuracy not only for color but grayscale tones, to see how accurate a TV’s contrast is, looking in particular at just how true its representation of black tones are.
For gaming, we use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester to see what kind of latency is added to games by the TVs processing, and we always test this in the Game Mode equivalent. We’ll test other gaming features, such as 4K 120Hz and Variable Refresh Rate support, using a games console for real resting.
It’s worth noting that although we strive to test every TV in matching conditions and with the same equipment, some of our writers have different setups. We only use writers with equipment that is at the same level of accuracy as ours, and they will run the same tests.
The latest updates to this best TVs guide
November 27, 2024
Replaced the Amazon Omni QLED with the TCL C805 as 'best budget' due to the latter's mini-LED panel.
Added a Black Friday deals section exploring the best deals we're expecting to see from TVs in this guide over Black Friday.
November 2, 2024
Replaced the Philips OLED808 with the Philips OLED809 as 'most immersive'. Replaced the Panasonic MZ2000 with the Panasonic Z95A as 'best TV for sound'.
October 4, 2024
Replaced the Samsung QN90C with the Samsung QN90D as 'best TV for sport'.
Read more updates
September 4 2024
Replaced the LG B3 with the LG B4 as 'best cheap OLED TV'.
August 7 2024
Updated the 'More TVs to consider' section with newer 2024 models and reviews. Also updated the 'What TVs are still to come in 2024?' section with more TVs that we hope to test over the rest of the year.
July 10 2024
Replaced the Samsung Q80C with the Samsung Q80D for 'best mid-range'.
June 13 2024
Replaced the LG C3 with the LG C4 as 'best for versatility' as the C4 carries a lot of the same features, but improves on brightness, processing and gaming features.
April 12 2024
Added a new 'More TVs to consider section', covering other models not in the list, and explaining why they missed the cut.
March 19 2024
Added benchmark charts for every TV, to make it easy to compare performance.
February 26 2024
Expanded on our How we Test section to include more detailed breakdown of what we tests we conduct on the TVs in this guide.
January 23 2024
Updated FAQ's section with 'What new TVs are coming in 2024?' looking at the latest models that are arriving in 2024.
December 12, 2023
Replaced LG B3 with Samsung Q80C as 'Best mid-range'. LG B3 became 'Best cheaper OLED TV'.
November 14, 2023
Replaced the Samsung BU8500 with the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED for 'Best budget TV'. Replaced the Philips OLED807 and Panasonic LZ2000 with their 2023 equivalents, the Philips OLED808 and Panasonic MZ2000, respectively.
October 12, 2023
Updated several products in this list to reflect our latest reviews, and following price cuts and lack of stock of older TVs. Added the Samsung S90C at #1, the LG B3 at #3, moved the Samsung S95C to #4, added the Samsung QN900C at #5, and added LG C3 at #6.
September 5, 2023
Added more buying advice for each TV in the list, detailing pros and cons for each TV. We removed some alternative recommendation TVs, to keep our suggestions clear.
August 3, 2023
Swapped Samsung QN85B for Samsung QN90C as 'Best TV for sport', based on availability and performance. Checked all other products against our latest reviews.
June 26, 2023
Added this new 'Latest updates' section to help readers know how we've changed the guide recently. Checked all products against our latest reviews.
May 31, 2023
Checked list of products against our latest reviews. Rewrote introduction.
April 14, 2023
Reordered products to reflect latest recommendations. Added new easier navigation features.
