Buying one of the best TVs will make a huge difference to your experience – whether you’re engrossed in a blockbuster like Dune 2, hooked on a series like The Traitors or tuning into a long-running soap like EastEnders.
If you’re looking for a new television, there are plenty of factors to consider. You’ll need to choose a size depending on the room it’s going to be in, decide how much you want to spend, and figure out whether you want a dazzling 4K resolution or a simpler HD display. If you want to use it for more than just watching shows, like gaming, you’ll want to make sure it’s set up for that. And those who don’t have a streaming device may want to buy a TV with extra smarts so you can access the best streaming services. Fortunately, each manufacturer has a range of options to suit your needs.
Hereby Digital spy, we watch a lot of TV. That’s why we have strong opinions when it comes to the best TV brands you can buy. This list is limited to our six best TV brands, including our favorite models from each brand.
Samsung
Samsung dominates the TV market, with statistical wizards showing that the company managed to capture almost 30% of global sales volume by 2023. The brand’s TVs are known for their bright and sharp picture quality, small bezels and thin designs – with plenty of compatibility with gaming consoles and soundbars.
It makes a wide variety of display types, including 4K, 8K, OLED and QLED, plus a few quirky lifestyle sets. The Frame is one of our favorites, which doubles as a digital photo and art frame when not in use, while The Serif is a sturdier, tougher-looking option with long detachable legs.
Samsung has TVs in all price ranges. You can get a 50-inch 4K set (the CU7100) for under £400, but the high-end models (like the 75-inch QN95C or the huge 98-inch QN90A) reach thousands of pounds. Look to Samsung if you need excellent picture quality or a stylish, eye-catching design.
Where to buy Samsung TVs
• Amazon
• Argos
• John Lewis
• Samsung
We recommend Samsung TVs
• 32-in: QE32Q50AE
• 43-in: CU7100
• 55-in: Q80C
• 65 inches or higher: QN95C
LG
With research showing that LG will be in second place in the battle for TV market share supremacy by 2024, it’s easy to see why this brand deserves a spot. It is one of the best brands for sharp and colorful image quality.
LG is known for delivering an excellent user experience. The WebOS software that powers the TV sets offers lag-free navigation, plenty of app support, and AI that recommends movies and shows to individual user profiles. It has TVs with a variety of panel technology types, including LED, OLED, NanoCell and QNED MiniLED. And like Samsung, it offers a wide range of price points.
All that TV panel jargon is confusing, but the main difference is how they show you colors, brightness and contrast. LED is the simplest (and most affordable) option. Next up is NanoCell, and then QNED MiniLED – both are great, but QNED wins overall in terms of image quality. OLED is the priciest and most expensive of the bunch.
The LED UR78 can be bought for less than £500, while the high-end OLED C3 in 55 inches costs around three times as much. If you’re willing to buy a slightly older model, then LG is a good choice if you want to buy an OLED TV for under £1,000. The cheaper LED models are simpler and have thicker casings than the premium options, but most still have 4K resolution and support for voice assistants. Go for an LG if you want an easy-to-use TV with lots of streaming apps and a great operating system.
Where to buy LG TVs
• Amazon
• Argos
• John Lewis
• LG
We recommend LG TVs
• 32-in: LQ63
• 43-in:UR91
• 55-in:UR78
• 65-inch or higher: C3
Sony
Sony does not come out on top in terms of market share and its TVs are generally on the expensive side compared to Samsung and LG, but the brand does deserve a mention because of its excellent image quality and optimization with the PlayStation 5. automatically switches to a game mode and supports 120 frames per second at 120 Hz – for a smooth user experience whether you’re creating a new home in The Sims or venturing out on quests in Baldur’s Gate 3.
You often see the TVs under the name Bravia. Sony has a great selection of TVs with two main panel types – LED and OLED – but its recent high-end models come in a new breed of lingo called Quantum Dot OLED (QD-OLED) – which is a fancy way of saying they have a even better contrast, brightness and color accuracy than standard OLED panels.
The “Master” series is the most expensive and versatile option, with models like the upcoming A95L starting at over £3,000 for a 55-inch screen, but it also has a few small LED models like the KD-32W800 for less than £500. The sets are powered by Android TV, so you get Google Assistant for voice control on sets with a microphone, others work with voice search via the remote.
Where to buy Sony TVs
• Amazon
• Argos
• John Lewis
• Sony
We recommend Sony TVs
• 32-in: KD-32W800
• 43-in: KD-43X75WL
• 55-in: A95K
• 65 inches or higher: A80L
Sky
If you’re a Sky customer or hope to become one soon, there’s a TV that takes away all the hassle of a satellite dish and the unsightly wires dangling around your set. Sky Glass is Sky’s own television set with Sky Stream built-in. You don’t need a dish or separate Sky Q box. All it needs to work is one power cable and a Wi-Fi connection.
What you get depends on your Sky package, which ranges from basic Sky catch-up services to Sky Cinema and Sky Sports. Whichever you choose, you’ll get access to over 150 live channels, tons of on-demand content, and you can install most streaming apps, including Disney Plus, Prime Video, and Apple TV+. Most packages also include Netflix.
The device is available in three sizes: 43 inches, 55 inches or 65 inches. It has a Dolby Atmos soundbar integrated into the casing and you can control it with your voice if you wish. The TV comes in three colors, complete with matching remote controls: ocean blue, ceramic white, racing green, dusty pink or anthracite black. You can even customize the speaker’s dashboard.
Where can you buy Sky Glass?
We recommend Sky Glass TVs
Amazon
There are so many streaming platforms these days that it can be hard to keep track, but the Amazon Fire TV sets are a great way to access all your apps straight from the home screen while taking advantage of built-in Alexa to navigate the menus. to navigate. with a quick voice command. They are affordable and can drop to surprisingly low prices during Amazon’s sale events.
There are three ranges you need to know about. The Fire 2 series is the most basic option and comes in two sizes (32 inches at 720p and a 40 inches at 1080p) and starts at less than £250. These lack hands-free Alexa control and adaptive brightness. The next step up is the 4 Series, which is available in 43in, 50in and 55in and has 4K resolution – from £429.99.
If you want the best experience, go for the Omni series, which comes in 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch sizes. These sets have a QLED panel for the best overall picture quality, plus hands-free Alexa, adaptive brightness, and the Fire TV ambient experience that lets you add art or widgets to the home screen when it’s not in use to rewatch episodes of The Bear.
Where to buy Amazon TVs
• Amazon
Amazon TVs we recommend
• 32-in: 2 series
• 43-in: 4 series
• 55-in: Omni
• 65 inches or higher: Omni
Hisense
Hisense, a brand that has been among the top players in the market since 2019, is known for its quality TVs at affordable prices – it is one of the best value for money if you need a model with 4K for your living room for gaming and streaming , or a second TV for a bedroom, playroom or kitchen. If you don’t need fancy OLED screen technology, you can get a real bargain.
Even the most affordable series – like the E7H – give you slim designs, voice control and gaming and sports modes, with a wide variety of screen sizes, from 43 inches to 75 inches. Depending on the size, the price varies from just under €250 to just over €1,000. Hisense’s proprietary screen technology is known as ULED or Ultra LED. It’s basically Hisense’s version of QLED, as it improves the colours, contrast and brightness of picture quality.
The high-end features are still reserved for its OLED and Mini-LED TVs such as the E77KQT and the U7HQT. This gives you the best possible contrast levels (ideal for standout movies like Inception, Blade Runner 2049 or Dune) and refresh rates for the smoothest performance while gaming. These are generally only available in larger screen sizes (55 inches to 75 inches), and prices are usually comparable to other TV brands – a 65-inch A9H costs £2,049, for example.
Where to buy Hisense TVs
• Amazon
• Argos
• Curries
• Hisense
We recommend Hisense TVs
• 43-inch: E77KQT
• 50-in: E7H
• 55-in: U7HQT
• 65 inches or higher: A9H
Other TV brands we considered
Take a look at Amazon, Argos and Currys and you’ll know there are other TV brands we haven’t mentioned.
While the five above are our favorites, we think Philips, TCL, and Toshiba are worth an honorable mention. Philips TVs give you a neat bit of technology called Amibight, which uses LEDs on the back of the screen to adjust the on-screen action, allowing you to enjoy movies and music in an immersive way. The lighting is beamed onto the wall behind the TV and we think it is especially cool for sports and games. This technology isn’t reserved for the high-end OLEDs either – even the sets under £400 have it.
TCL and Toshiba are good options if you have a smaller budget. Although Hisense sets are generally better in terms of picture quality, specs and features, these two brands have 4K TVs that are ideal for living rooms or bedrooms for £500 or less. The TCL C641K in 55 inches costs £389, while Toshiba’s 55-inch UF3D costs just £299.
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