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- We’ve reviewed more than 80 TVs in the past four years, and use both objective and subjective testing methods to assess televisions across a range of metrics.
- We measure peak brightness, colour and greyscale accuracy, colour gamut coverage and input lag to provide objective benchmarks for panel performance.
- Our reviewers, who have decades of experience testing TVs, also watch countless hours of real-world content on different platforms when reviewing a particular set.
- Gaming functionality, sound quality and smart features, including which streaming services are supported, are also analysed during our review process.
- We currently recommend the Samsung S95F as the best TV overall, due to its stunning picture quality, immersive sound, and comprehensive suite of gaming features.
Watching movies, shows, sports or playing the latest games on one of the best TVs will make it feel like you’re right in the heart of the action. We think the Samsung S95F delivers an incredible sense of immersion through its picture and audio quality and is the number one TV we recommend right now.
It’s a pretty pricey option, however, and may not be perfectly suited to your needs. Fortunately, there are numerous manufacturers producing televisions at a wide range of price points, meaning you’ve got a huge number of options to choose from. Such a choice can be overwhelming, but that’s where we come in.
Our experts have tested and reviewed TVs from all of the big brands – and some of the less influential players, too – so we’re in an unbeatable position to provide you with informed, impartial buying advice. Below is a list of the best TVs we’ve tested, with short reviews highlighting how they performed during our tests and what makes them so appealing.
If you’re not sure what you’re looking for and want to learn more about TVs, our buying guide will tackle the key considerations when purchasing a new television.
Best TV: At a glance
- Samsung S95F: Best TV overall | Check price
- Sharp GM6: Best TV under £250 | Check price
- LG C5: Best TV for gaming | Check price
- Sky Glass Air: Best budget TV | Check price
Sponsored deal: Get a soundbar worth up to £649 with select Samsung TVs
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How we test TVs
All of the televisions listed below have undergone rigorous testing using an X-Rite colorimeter and Portrait Displays’ Calman colour calibration software.
- We test numerous aspects of SDR and HDR performance, including peak brightness, colour gamut coverage, and colour and greyscale accuracy. This involves using the SDR and HDR toolkits in Calman Ultimate with a colorimeter.
- We also watch a huge amount of content on the TVs we review. This content ranges from shows on terrestrial channels to films on streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video – if we find issues, we tell you about them.
- Gaming functionality is tested with a TV connected to a current-gen console, either the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.
- Audio quality is assessed with a wide variety of movies and music. We watch many types of content during testing and try out every supported audio format.
Using the above methodology to test TVs, we can provide data-led reviews that focus on key performance indicators. The data we collect is used to compare different models, so we don’t rely on subjective judgments to determine the quality of any given television.
The best TVs to buy in 2025
1. Samsung S95F: Best TV overall
Price when reviewed: From £1,699 (55in) | Check price at John Lewis
- Brilliant brightness
- Awesome gaming features
- Slim design and anti-glare screen
- No Dolby Vision
With peak brightness of over 4,000cd/m2, exceptional image accuracy, a svelte design and great gaming features, the S95F is the best all-round TV we’ve tested.
That brightness enables it to reproduce highlights with incredible intensity, while the QD-OLED panel’s 89.2% coverage of the BT.2020 gamut unlocks a huge range of colours for the TV to work with. The result is a viewing experience we felt balanced artistic intent, vibrancy and impact to fantastic effect.
Couple these qualities with the phenomenally low input lag of 9.4ms we measured in Game mode, support for 165Hz frame rates, and an Object Tracking Sound+ audio system we found extremely immersive, and you’ve got the best TV of 2025.
Read our Samsung S95F review from April 2025
Key specs – Screen sizes: 55in, 65in (tested), 77in and 83in; Display type: QD OLED; Resolution: 4K/UHD (3,840 x 2,160); HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+; HDMI inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.1; Operating system: Tizen OS
2. Sky Glass Air: Best budget TV
Price when reviewed: From £6/mth (43in) | Check price at Sky
- Can be paid for monthly
- Very easy to use
- Impressive sound and picture quality
- No gaming features to speak of
- Only three HDMI ports
The Sky Glass Air is the first TV you should consider if you’re on a budget, as you can pay for it in instalments starting from just £6/mth. It’s a brilliant choice for ease of use and those who love the Sky TV ecosystem due to its assortment of content.
It’s also an impressive performer. We measured brightness in Extra Vivid mode at 460cd/m2 and Delta E errors of 2 for greyscale and 1.9 for colours in its Movie mode. So, regardless of whether you want a punchy, vivid picture or to retain artistic intent, the Air has you covered. And it’s got you covered for less than the price of a pint a month if you go with it in its smallest screen size.
Read our Sky Glass Air review from August 2025
Key specs – Screen sizes: 43in, 55in, 65in; Display type: QLED; Resolution: 4K/UHD (3,840 x 2,160); HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision; HDMI inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x HDMI 2.1; Operating system: Sky OS
3. TCL C7K: Best mid-range TV
Price when reviewed: From £549 (50in) | Check price at Currys
- Sensational brightness
- Loads of gaming features
- Superb value
- Only two HDMI 2.1 ports
- Average audio
We define a mid-range TV as one that costs between £500 and £1,000, and no TV we’ve tested has performed as well in that price range as the TCL C7K. It’s capable of outputting a frankly ridiculous amount of brightness; we measured peaks close to 2,820cd/m2 on a 10% window and 889cd/m2 on a full-field pattern in its Standard mode. It aced the reproduction of colours and greyscale in Filmmaker Mode, too, with Delta E errors well under the visible threshold of 3.
That combination of brightness and accuracy enables the C7K to produce vivid pictures rich in contrast and detail, and this translates to every type of content, including gaming. The dedicated Game mode’s ability to render 4K/60Hz graphics in just 9.5ms makes this a compelling mid-range choice for gamers and film buffs alike.
Key specs – Screen sizes: 50in, 55in (tested), 65in, 75in, 85in, 98in and 115in; Display type: QD Mini LED; Resolution: 4K/UHD (3,840 x 2,160); HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision; HDMI inputs: 3 x HDMI 2.0; Operating system: TiVo OS (with Freely)
4. Sharp GM6: Best TV under £250
Price when reviewed: From £199 (43in) | Check price at Very
- Very accurate Movie mode
- Good brightness levels
- Freely is built in
- Limited gaming features
- Plasticky build
The Sharp GM6 is the best budget TV we’ve tested, impressing us with a peak brightness of 350cd/m2 and multipoint greyscale and ColorChecker Delta E scores of under 6 in its Movie mode. We also found its QLED panel capable of covering 95% and 76% of the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 colour gamuts; fantastic numbers for a TV in this price bracket.
SDR and HDR images are saturated and natural-looking as a result, and we were impressed by how deep and consistent blacks were and how much detail was visible in dark scenes. Complementing the engaging visuals is a comprehensive selection of streaming options available via the TiVo operating system. This includes support for Freely, which is an amazing way to watch live and on-demand UK TV content for free over your internet connection.
Read our Sharp GM6 review from July 2025
Key specs – Screen sizes: 43in, 50in, 55in (tested); Display type: QLED; Resolution: 4K/UHD (3,840 x 2,160); HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision; HDMI inputs: 3 x HDMI 2.0; Operating system: TiVo OS (with Freely)
5. LG C5: Best TV for gaming
Price when reviewed: From £849 (42in) | Check price at John Lewis
- Four full-fat HDMI 2.1 ports
- Excellent Game Optimizer options
- Super-low input lag
- Underwhelming sound quality
- No HDR10+ support
No TV we’ve put through its paces offers as extensive a set of gaming features and as impressive a level of gaming performance as the LG C5. All four of its HDMI ports support 144Hz frame rates and VRR (both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, and we measured input lag at a lightning-fast 9.2ms in Boost mode.
In that mode, on-screen action was buttery smooth, and the C5’s precise image rendering made for an engrossing gaming experience. We also got great benefit from LG’s Game Optimizer menu, which allows users to view live stats such as frame rate and make picture and sound adjustments to suit their gaming preferences. The smaller screen sizes of the LG C5 – 42in and 48in – are particularly well suited for gamers.
Read our LG C5 OLED review from May 2025
Key specs – Screen sizes: 42in, 48in (tested), 55in, 65in, 77in, 83in; Display type: OLED; Resolution: 4K/UHD (3,840 x 2,160); HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision; HDMI inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.1; Operating system: WebOS
![LG OLED42C55LA 42-Inch OLEDevo AI 4K UHD Smart TV, (α9 AI Processor Gen7, Dolby Atmos, Freeview Play and Amazon Alexa, 120Hz) [Model 2025]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ZgccqM16L._SL160_.jpg)
6. Samsung QN90F: Best TV for bright rooms
Price when reviewed: From £749 (43in) | Check price at Currys
- Blazing full-field and highlight brightness
- Effective anti-glare screen technology
- First-rate gaming spec
- Lacks Dolby Vision support
- Some picture tweaking required
The Samsung QN90F tackles two of the main issues that affect TVs in ambient light so well that it’s our go-to recommendation for bright rooms. Firstly, its Mini LED backlight can generate full-field brightness of 900cd/m2, which is the highest we’ve measured, and second, it has a supremely effective anti-glare screen.
We found this anti-glare tech almost completely wiped out on-screen reflections while watching SDR material, leaving us free to enjoy the sharp, contrasty and supremely bright images produced in Standard mode. Thanks to the 720 expertly controlled dimming zones we counted on the 65in model, there’s nary a trace of blooming, either. If there’s a lot of natural light in your TV viewing space, the QN90F is the best-equipped to deal with it of any TV we’ve tested.
Read our full Samsung QN90F review from March 2025
Key specs – Screen sizes: 43in, 50in, 55in, 65in (tested), 75in, 85in, 98in and 115in; Display type: Mini LED; Resolution: 4K/UHD (3,840 x 2,160); HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+; HDMI inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.1; Operating system: Tizen OS
7. Panasonic Z95B: Best TV for sound quality
Price when reviewed: From £1,699 (55in) | Check price at John Lewis
- Immersive Dolby Atmos surround sound
- Superb picture quality
- Universal HDR support
- Slightly chunky design
- Only two fully featured HDMI ports
The Z95B’s integrated 360° Soundscape Pro delivers the best built-in sound quality of any television we’ve tested. We found that the Technics-tuned speakers around the TV’s four sides created a broad and tall soundstage within which Dolby Atmos spatial elements were accurately and convincingly positioned.
This resulted in a compelling level of sonic detail and a real sense of audio immersion when watching content with both stereo and multi-channel soundtracks. The forward-firing soundbar below the screen articulates dialogue clearly, and Panasonic’s audio options even allow you to change the sonic sweetspot to suit your position on the sofa. The Z95B also produces some of the best HDR images we’ve seen and supports Freely, making it a premium OLED force to be reckoned with.
Read our full Panasonic Z95B review from August 2025
Key specs – Screen sizes: 55in, 65in (tested) and 77in; Display type: OLED; Resolution: 4K/UHD (3,840 x 2,160); HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ Adaptive, Dolby Vision IQ; HDMI inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.1, 2 x HDMI 2.0; Operating system: Fire TV OS
8. LG G5: Best TV for wall mounting
Price when reviewed: £1,699 | Check price at John Lewis
- Stylish design
- Bright, colourful pictures
- Top-notch gaming spec
- Colour banding in Filmmaker Mode
- Not the best for off-axis viewing
If you’re looking for a premium TV to mount on your wall, look no further than the LG G5. Its narrow frame and slender, flat rear make it perfect for hanging flush on your wall, and the panel can be transformed into a personalised canvas via LG’s Gallery+ app. This can be used to have the G5 masquerade as a piece of art when not in active use, blurring the lines between TV and aesthetic installation. You will have to pay a subscription fee if you want the full version, however.
When functioning as a TV, the LG G5 excels. It covers 99% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, almost 84% of the wider BT.2020 spectrum, and hits over 3,000cd/m2 of brightness on a 5% window in its Vivid preset. Its bright, super-saturated pictures are a joy to behold, subtle yet bold and cinematic.
Read our LG G5 review from March 2025
Key specs – Screen sizes: 48in, 55in, 65in (tested), 77in, 83in and 97in; Display type: OLED; Resolution: 4K/UHD (3,840 x 2,160); HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision IQ; HDMI inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.1; Operating system: webOS
9. Samsung QN900F: Best 8K TV
Price when reviewed: From £2,199 | Check price at John Lewis
- Incredible 8K upscaling
- Brilliantly controlled backlight
- Top-notch connection options
- Expensive
- Limited native 8K content
The Samsung QN900F upscales content to its panel’s 8K resolution better than any other TV we’ve tested, making it our number one pick in this category. Even Standard Definition content was made to look engaging, as Samsung’s AI-powered processor created millions of additional pixels with remarkable skill. And feed it 4K images and get a big leap in detail, sharpness and three-dimensionality as the TV seeks to get things looking as close to native 8K as possible.
The QN900F also scored highly in our objective tests. Colours were accurately reproduced in SDR, with a ColorChecker test in Filmmaker Mode returning an impressive score of 2.4, and the display can retain almost 1,000cd/m2 of full-field brightness when pushed to its HDR limits. This TV is the most conclusive evidence yet that 8K TVs are viable, despite the limited amount of native 8K content.
Read our Samsung QN900F review from September 2025
Key specs – Screen sizes: 65in, 75in (tested), 85in; Display type: Mini LED; Resolution: 8K (7,680 x 4,320); HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+; HDMI inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.1; Operating system: Tizen OS
How to choose the best TV for you
What TV resolution do I need?
High-definition TVs currently fall into three categories: Full HD, 4K and 8K. Unless you’re buying a very small or huge (75in or larger) model, a 4K TV is the best choice.
- Full HD/FHD, otherwise known as 1080p, has 1,920 x 1,080 pixels on the screen. These days, only the cheapest (and often the smallest) TVs use an FHD/1080p resolution.
- Ultra HD/UHD, more commonly referred to as 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels). This is the sweet spot for 99% of consumers, and most TVs are 4K these days.
- 8K (7,680 x 4,320 pixels) is gaining traction, but it’s expensive and there still isn’t a huge amount of native 8K content, meaning the benefits in picture quality rely heavily on a TV’s upscaling capabilities.
What size TV should I buy?
The size of the TV you buy should be dictated not only by the size of your room but also by how far away you intend to sit from it.
- To get the full benefit from a 4K HDR set, you need to sit close enough for your eyes to appreciate the increased picture clarity that 4K brings over Full HD. Buying a 4K TV that’s too small for your room may mean that it won’t look much better than your old Full HD TV.
- Why? Our eyes can only differentiate between lines and dots up to a fixed distance. Think of it like a pointillism painting – from far enough away, you can no longer make out the individual dots on a Georges Seurat landscape.
Check out our How TV screens are measured: Why screen size matters article for more information.
How can I watch 4K content?
There are plenty of ways to watch 4K TV and movies these days. You can buy a subscription to a streaming service, such as Netflix or Disney+; buy digital content via stores such as Amazon Prime Video or Apple’s iTunes Store; or purchase 4K Blu-ray discs to play in a compatible 4K Blu-ray player.
- You may need to purchase a premium subscription to get access to 4K content, as most standard subscriptions will only provide Full HD streaming.
- Even if you do pay for 4K streaming, not every film or programme is available in 4K on these streaming services. If you want to watch in 4K HDR and have Dolby Atmos sound, you may need to buy the movie separately from stores such as Apple’s iTunes Store.
- Most popular TV series and movies also get a 4K Blu-ray disc release, and these normally provide the best video and audio quality, but bear in mind that you’ll need a dedicated Blu-ray 4K player – older Blu-ray players will not support the 4K discs.
How fast does my internet connection need to be for 4K?
If you want to stream 4K content via the internet, you will need a fast broadband internet connection. Around 30 to 40 Mbits/sec is probably a safe minimum, but you’ll need a faster connection if other people in the house will be streaming concurrently or using the connection for gaming.
Are some TVs better for gaming?
Yes. If you want to see the latest AAA console and PC games in all their 4K HDR high framerate glory, you need a TV which supports key gaming features, such as:
- Multiple HDMI 2.1 ports
- ALLM (Auto Low-Latency Mode) support
- VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) support
- A 120Hz panel or above
If gaming is one of your top priorities, read our best TV for gaming roundup.
What else do I need to know before I buy a TV?
What’s the difference between OLED, QLED and Mini LED TVs?
Flat-screen TVs use two main types of panel technology: Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED). The former sees LEDs illuminated by a backlight in the TV, whereas the latter are self-emissive, so no backlight is required.
LCD LED TVs can be further divided into categories. Those that use a Quantum Dot filter are referred to as QLED TVs, while Mini LED TVs operate on the same principle as basic LED TVs but use much smaller diodes in their backlight.
Each technology has advantages and disadvantages. You can read about the differences between OLED and Mini LED in detail in our OLED vs Mini LED article, but here’s a basic summary:
QLED
Provides additional brightness and more vibrant and accurate colours than basic LED TVs.
Mini LED
Very high peak brightness and the ability to retain that brightness on a full-field pattern. Smaller LEDs mean more can be fitted into a panel of the same size, allowing for an increased number of independent dimming zones and improved contrast control. This makes them a great choice for rooms with lots of ambient light.
OLED
Because the LEDs can be “turned off” entirely, OLED TVs can achieve a perfect black level and effectively infinite contrast. They also have better viewing angles than their standard LED counterparts and are generally slimmer and more stylishly designed. However, they’re not as bright as Mini LED TVs, and suit darker rooms best.
What is HDR and why does it matter?
HDR stands for High Dynamic Range is an image and video format able to express a wider range of colour tones than Standard Dynamic Range. If you’re looking for the most visually impressive TV experience, you’ll want to ensure that you’re watching HDR material on a TV that supports HDR. Fortunately, all of the options on the above list do.
Because of the wider range of colours available in HDR, there’s more contrast between the light and dark areas in images and colours in general look more realistic and engaging. The difference between a scene in SDR and HDR is often night and day.
There are several different HDR formats. While you’ll get an improved experience with the rarely used HLG and HDR10, which is supported by most TVs, you’ll want to look out for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. Those two formats use metadata to actively direct how a screen displays HDR material to reproduce brightness, contrast and colours in a way that accurately reflects artistic intention.
What kind of apps do smart TVs have?
Most new TVs are equipped for wireless (or wired) networking, so you can connect them to the internet and your home network. This lets you stream multimedia content from your home computer and access online smart TV portals.
Some TVs have excellent smart hubs that let you access catch-up services such as Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, Amazon Prime Video, Now, social networking tools and on-demand movies, while others only offer iPlayer, Netflix and YouTube video streaming.
Most TVs can also play videos, music and photos directly from a memory card, portable hard disk or USB flash drive. Our reviews tell you what each TV can do and how well it works.
What ports and connections do I need?
You’re almost definitely going to have at least one other device you want to connect to your TV, so it’s important to choose a model with an appropriate number of inputs.
HDMI is the connection of choice for virtually all modern devices, including game consoles, Blu-ray players and digital set-top boxes.
We suggest a minimum of three HDMI inputs, which should cover all the basics and still leave a spare port in case you want to connect a camcorder or digital camera.
Look out for an HDMI input with an enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) or Audio Return Channel (ARC). These let you send sound from the TV back down the HDMI cable to a connected amp, so you can get better sound for TV programmes without introducing more cabling.
For future-proofing, HDMI 2.1 is preferable if you’re after the latest gaming features. The reason for this is simple: HDMI 1.4 only supports frame rates up to 30fps. HDMI 2 adds support for frame rates up to 60fps and also greatly increases the maximum audio throughput. The advent of HDMI 2.1 means that TVs housing those ports can deliver 4K resolution at a refresh rate of 120Hz.
SCART sockets have almost been completely replaced in favour of HDMI, but older devices, such as some games consoles and VCRs, still need them. You’re unlikely to find an S-Video port on a modern TV, so you may have to connect some older devices through the composite or component interface and put up with the inferior image quality.
USB ports are fairly common on modern TVs. If you have a spare external flash drive, these can be used to record programmes, eliminating the need for a dedicated set-top box. You will need to format it for your particular TV, though. Alternatively, you can use them to play your own media files from your PC. Some TVs support a wider range of file formats than others, but our reviews tell you which formats each TV supports. If you want to browse the web, USB ports are also useful for connecting a keyboard and mouse.
Should I worry about the length of the warranty?
If you’re spending a decent chunk of your hard-earned money on a new television, you want the longest warranty possible. This will ensure that you will be covered in the event of anything going wrong with the set.
Most retailers typically offer at least a one-year warranty, which tends to fall in line with the warranty offered by manufacturers.
John Lewis is a little different, however, and provides a five-year guarantee on all of the TVs it sells.
That’s a pretty compelling reason to buy your next TV from John Lewis, and as such, we’ve included links to products on the John Lewis website where possible. If the TV is available cheaper elsewhere, we’ve also linked to the retailer with the best price.
