Compare the Best TVsAugust 2019

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 TVs is from £80 to £13,999 and in total we found prices for 994 TVs. The average price of a new television is £840 and 80% of televisions are priced between £180 and £1,799. The most expensive TV that we found is the Sony KD85ZG9BU at £13,999, and the cheapest is the LG 22MT49DF at only £80.

TV Brands - Price Range

LOEWE TVs start at £999 and their most expensive TV costs £8,000. The average price of LOEWE TVs is £4,500 which is the highest average price of all TV brands.

NEC TVs start at £2,023 and their most expensive TV costs £2,023. The second highest average TV price out of all brands is NEC TVs with an average price of £2,023.

Sony televisions start at £200 and their most expensive TV costs £13,999. The average price of Sony televisions is £1,332 which is the third highest average price of all TV brands.

TV Brands - Average Ratings

We have checked 15,769 expert reviews and 245,481 user reviews for televisions and used this data to calculate the average rating for each brand of television. The top three television brands are Samsung, LG and Philips. Samsung has an average rating of 92%, LG has an average rating of 88% and Philips has an average rating of 80%.

Biggest Television Retailers

The biggest TV retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 624 current TV offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is Amazon UK with 274 offers. That means eBay is more than twice as big as Amazon UK when it comes to TVs. Currys is the third biggest retailer with 245 current offers.

When Are Most New TVs Released?

The most common period for new TVs to be released in is between March and April. In April 2018, 197 new TVs were released making it the biggest month that year for new television releases. March was the biggest month in 2017 for new TVs, with 205 new TVs released that month. 230 new TVs were released in September 2016 making it the biggest month that year for new TV releases.

How Fast Do TV Prices Drop After Release?

In the first 6 months after release, TVs drop in price by 17% on average.

That means that on a typical TV costing £840 you could save on average £147 by waiting 6 months before buying.

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 3,801 televisions that are full hd televisions, which makes this the most common HD type amongst new televisions. We found 2,866 televisions that are 4K TVs, making 4K the second most common HD type amongst new televisions.

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.

The display diagonals of televisions range from 7" to 110". The display diagonals of the majority of TVs range from 40" to 50". The LG 86SM9000PLA, which is priced at £3,999.00, has the largest display diagonal and is an 86" TV. The TV with the smallest display diagonal is the Supersonic SC1311, which is a 13.3" TV and is on sale for £81.53.

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 8,008 new TVs currently listed on Kagoo, the vast majority are televisions which do not feature OLED / QLED technology. 97% of TVs are televisions which do not feature OLED / QLED technology and only 243 out of 8,008 are televisions 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.

Comparing all TVs, the thicknesses range from 2.7mm to 966.4mm. The thicknesses of most TVs range from 50mm to 70mm. The TV with the thickest thickness is the Linsar 65UHD520, which is a 904mm thick television and can be purchased for £479.99. The LG OLED65W8PLA, which is available at £3,399.00, has the thinnest thickness and is a 3.85mm thick TV.

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.

The most frequently found energy efficiency rating amongst new TVs is A. We found 2,363 TVs that have an energy efficiency rating of A. A+ is the second most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new TVs. We found 2,230 TVs that have an energy efficiency rating of A+.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for TVs?

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. 327 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 television prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's television prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 52.4% of their television prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.