Compare the Best TVsOctober 2018

Most people would agree: Buying a TV can be really confusing. It can seem complicated to understand what's behind the technical jargon and what the advantages and disadvantages of technologies like ‘HD Ready’, ‘OLED TVs’ and ‘Edge-lit LED TVs’ really are.

But it doesn’t have to be difficult to find the best TV for your room and budget. We will explain the different technologies in detail and highlight exactly what to look out for when choosing a new TV.

One of the first questions people ask is: what size TV do I need? When it comes to choosing the right size TV, there is one simple rule:

It is incredibly easy to get used to a large TV. At first, you might think that a new TV is huge, but after a short while, you will become used to it and wonder how you ever lived with the small TV you had before. Wishing they had bought a bigger TV is one of the most common regrets people have.

Luckily, large televisions have become incredibly affordable in recent years and there are many TV deals available, including larger sizes of 50-inches and above.

The Difference Between Full HD, HD Ready 1080p and HD Ready Explained

TVs advertised as ‘Full HD’ or ‘HD Ready 1080p’ can handle and display High-Definition signals with 1080 horizontal lines. Most likely, these TVs also have a built in HD tuner such as Freeview HD.

Many televisions are also advertised as ‘HD Ready’. This is not the same as Full HD. It means the television can handle a HD signal from an external source such as a DVD Player or Sky, but it can only display 720 horizontal lines. This is less than Full HD but still better than the standard TV signal.

When A 4K TV Makes Sense – And When It Doesn’t

Ultra HD TVs have been all the rage since their release a couple of years ago and there are now 4K TVs for sale from all the big brands, including Samsung and Sony.

4K refers to a horizontal resolution of around 4,000 pixels (usually 3840 x 2160 pixels). This means the resolution of an Ultra HD 4K television is four times higher compared to Full HD.

But why is this important?

As TVs get bigger, it is necessary to increase the screen resolution to prevent individual pixels becoming visible. With 4K resolution, images remains super-sharp even on a 80-inch television.

4K TVs have been on sale for a number of years and prices have reduced dramatically and there are some great 4K TV deals available. But:

So, is a 4K television worth its higher price? This really depends on your personal preference. If you are looking for the latest technology and are willing to pay slightly more for an ultra-sharp picture then 4K might well be a great choice. Especially for screen sizes above 55 inches, a 4K television will provide you with the highest picture quality available today.

A Cinematic Experience Like No Other: Curved Screen TVs

A couple of years ago, curved screen TVs from Samsung and other manufacturers appeared on the scene. They look stylish and promise a more immersive viewing experience.

We all know that manufactures are always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to market their products and some have said that a slightly different screen shape is just an attempt to generate sales. However, others say that curved screen TVs have real benefits:

Some people have reported a more immersive viewing experience due to the screen gently ‘wrapping’ around the viewers filed of vision. Each point on the curved screen has the same distance from the viewer when sitting in the ‘sweet spot’, which is usually 10-13 feet away. Reflections and distortions, which can be a problem on flat screen TVs, will also be slightly reduced.

However, due to the curve, the edges of the screen can also appear to be slightly larger than the centre of the screen. This ‘bow tie’ effect is noticeable to varying degrees and also depends on the viewer’s vertical position.

Special curved screen TV brackets are also available for wall-mounting.

Access Amazing Content With Smart TVs

Smart TVs can be connected to the Internet and give you access to a huge range of content, apps and games. Most TVs released these days have ‘smart’ capability. While you can still watch TV using the built-in tuner, the Smart Hub of your TV gives you access to a whole new world of content:

• Watch movies, documentaries and your favourite series on streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video.
• Missed a programme? Not a problem with catch-up TV services like BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4 on Demand and Sky Go.
• Stay connected with apps including Skype, Facebook and Twitter.
• Browse the web, just like you would on a PC or smartphone. Most smart televisions have built-in web browsers although some are easier to use than others.
• Each manufacturers includes additional services like guides, recommendations of what to watch and customisation options.

Every manufacturer has their own preferred operating system and Smart TV platforms tend to change every couple of years.

As operating systems become more sophisticated, many services which were previously available as separate apps have now been integrated into the user interface. Before buying a TV make sure it has all the apps you want to use.

To find the best smart TV for your needs it’s worth knowing a bit more about the differences:

Another Dimension: 3D TV

The first 3D TVs became available a few years ago and especially higher-end LED and LCD TVs often have 3D capability.

While manufacturers are currently directing most of their attention towards ultra high-resolution displays, 3D TVs are not dead and can offer an additional sense of depth that provides a similar experience as watching a 3D movie in the cinema.

There are a few things to keep in mind about 3D TVs:

• Screen size is important to provide a good 3D experience. A 32-inch 3D TVs might be too small for it to work well, so aim for a screen of at least 40 inches or bigger.
• Make sure you watch from the optimal distance and avoid sitting at an angle to get the best 3D effect.
• While 3D TVs without glasses would be ideal, they are required control the picture each eye sees to create the 3D effect. Check how many 3D glasses are included before buying a TV and make sure they sit comfortable.
• There are two types of 3D television technology: active and passive. Each has it's own advantages and cost.

Are 3D TVs Worth the Money?

A lack of available, free content has been one of the biggest obstacles preventing 3D TV from becoming widely adopted.

There are currently no 3D TV programmes available for free but some broadcasters like Sky, Virgin Media and BT vision offer a limited amount of 3D on-demand content to their subscribers.

LCD TVs vs LED TVs – Advantages & Differences Explained

LCD is the most common type of display used in TVs today. The days of plasma TVs are over and while OLED TVs are predicted to be the future, they are still relatively expensive. More recently all major brands have marketed ‘LED TVs’ as the new must-haves.

So, what exactly is the difference between LED and LCD TVs? Actually, the difference is not as great you might think:

A liquid crystal display (LCD) creates a picture by shining light from behind the screen through a matrix of coloured liquid crystal cells. Each pixel is controlled individually and adjusters how much light and colour is let through.

The backlight in ‘traditional’ LCD screens is created by a relatively small number of lamps. LED TVs, on the other hand, use a much larger number of tiny LEDs to create the backlight. This allows for much thinner displays, since the LEDs are much smaller.

Back-lit vs Edge-lit LED TVs

In the search for ever-slimmer displays, manufactures are increasingly promoting edge-lit LED televisions. These models have tiny LEDs placed around the edge of the screen allowing for super-slim displays. The picture on some edge-lit TVs used to suffer from inconsistent lighting levels but the technology has improved a lot in recent years so this should no longer be an issue.

OLED TVs – Everything You Need to Know

OLED is a completely different technology compared to LCD. The pixels in and OLED produce their own light instead of relying on a backlight. This is why OLED pixels are also called ‘emissive’. The technology is similar to the screens used in more expensive mobile phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 Edge.

Because each pixel emits its own light, controlling each pixel’s brightness is much easier resulting in better contrasts and deeper blacks. On LCD screens the display is not always completely black as some of the backlight shines through.

TV Prices

The price range of televisions is from £72 to £16,998 and in total we found prices for 1081 televisions. A new TV costs on average £913 and 80% of TVs are priced between £179 and £1,830. The most expensive television that we found is the Samsung UE88KS9800 at £16,998, and the cheapest is the Philips 24PHT4031 at only £73.

TV Brands - Price Range

The highest average TV price out of all brands is LOEWE TVs with an average price of £4,731. LOEWE TVs range in price from £799 to £15,000.

NEC TVs start at £1,218 and their most expensive TV costs £1,740. The second highest average TV price out of all brands is NEC TVs with an average price of £1,479.

Sony TVs range in price from £200 to £8,799, and the third highest average TV price out of all brands is Sony TVs with an average price of £1,354.

TV Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 16,517 expert reviews and 439,961 user reviews for TVs written online and used these reviews to determine the average rating for each brand of TV. Samsung is the top rated TV brand with an average rating of 92%. TCL is the second best brand with 90% and Sony is the third best brand with 89%.

Biggest TV Retailers

We found 730 current offers for TVs from eBay making it the biggest television retailer. That is over 3 times bigger than the second biggest retailer, Currys for whom we found 226 current offers for TVs. The third biggest retailer is PC World Business with 222 current television offers.

When Are Most New TVs Released?

Most new TVs tend to be released between March and April. For the latest TV technology you may be best waiting until March 2019. It's also worth keeping in mind that the price of the current televisions tend to drop off when the next models are released. March was the biggest month last year for new TVs, with 279 new TVs released that month. In September 2016 590 new TVs were released making it the biggest month that year for new TV releases. 352 new televisions were released in April 2015 making it the biggest month that year for new television releases.

How Fast Do TV Prices Drop After Release?

On average, in the first 6 months after release, televisions drop in price by 17%. On a typical new television costing £913, by waiting 6 months before buying you could save on average £155.

HD Types

HD Type on a TV refers to the type of high definition image that the TV is capable of displaying (e.g. Full HD, 4K Ultra HD).

We found 6,060 TVs that are Full HD TVs, which makes Full HD the most common HD type amongst new TVs. We found 2,738 TVs that are 4K TVs, making this the second most frequently found HD type amongst new TVs.

Display Diagonals

‘Display Diagonal’ is the measure of the size of the TV screen from top-left to bottom-right corner, excluding any frame or border.

Across the range of TVs, the display diagonals range from 7" to 110". The display diagonals of the majority of TVs range from 40" to 50". The Samsung UE88KS9800, which is available at £16,998.00, has the largest display diagonal and is an 88" television. The TV with the smallest display diagonal is the Supersonic SC-1311, which is a 13.3" television and is on sale for £140.98.

OLED / QLED Technologies

OLED and QLED TVs use organic material that creates light when electricity is passed through it. This means that they do not require a back light, unlike standard LED TVs.

Of the 11,498 new TVs currently listed on Kagoo, the vast majority are TVs which do not feature OLED / QLED technology. 11,305 TVs (98%) are TVs which do not feature OLED / QLED technology and only 189 TVs (2%) are TVs which feature OLED / QLED technology.

Thicknesses

The thickness of a TV measured from the back of the TV to the front of the TV. Curved TVs will have quite a big depth as this dimension is measured from the back of the centre of the screen to the front of the edges of the screen.

The thicknesses of televisions range from 2.7mm to 966.4mm. The thicknesses of most televisions range from 50mm to 70mm. The television with the thickest thickness is the Sharp G8050, which is an 852mm thick TV and currently retails for £359.98. The TV with the thinnest thickness is the LG OLED65W8, which is a 3.85mm thick TV and currently retails for £5,998.99.

Energy Efficiency of TVs

The Energy Efficiency Class of a TV shows how well it uses energy, and how much is unnecessarily wasted. Products are ranked from G to A++ in terms of how little energy they use compared to the norm.

A is the most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new TVs. We found 2,776 TVs that have an energy efficiency rating of A. We found 2,551 TVs that have an energy efficiency rating of A+, making this the second most frequently found energy efficiency rating amongst new TVs.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Televisions?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying TVs. For each retailer it shows the total number of TVs where they currently have a market leading price. The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying TVs. For each retailer we took all of their prices and looked at what proportion of those prices where the cheapest on the market. The cheapest retailer that we found was eBay. 491 of their TV prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of TVs for Which Each Retailer is Cheapest?

Assessing how cheap each retailer is for TVs by counting the number of cheapest prices for that retailer, makes the retailers that offer the greatest number of TV prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's TV prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 67.3% of their TV prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.