TV Buyer’s Guide

Televisions come in various types and have different features depending on the type. Here is a breakdown of LCD, OLED, and QLED TVs to help you understand what’s best for you. 

LCD TVs 

LCD TVs use backlighting that shines on liquid crystals to display the images on your screen. These TVs are less expensive to make than other types, so they are more common than the others too. 

OLED TVs 

OLED TVs (Organic LED) are thought of as the best for colour quality and movement, these TVs are expensive and can get to prices in the multiple thousands depending on what size you’re looking for. Instead of using a backlight, each tiny bulb lights itself, which is why the image is so good with these TVs. 

QLED TVs 

These TVs are essentially a response from Samsung to the OLED TV type, claiming to produce colours and contrast as good as OLED TVs. They work more similarly to LCD screens though as they still have a backlight, the only difference is that instead of a layer of liquid crystals they use quantum dots to produce the image. 

4K TVs have now taken over the market and are widely available in many sizes, so it’s unlikely you’ll want to buy a Full HD TV in today’s market. They start at around £350 and have a much better display due to the number of pixels on the screen.

TVs can get really expensive, especially if you’re buying a brand new model, but once they’ve been around for a while you’re likely to be able to pick up a 4K model for as little as £300/£350. 

With Prices being reasonable for 4K TVS provided you wait as little, why would you want to spend more – and what would you get for the extra spend? Well spending more than £700 you’ll start to get sleeker design, smoother displays and Smart TV capability. Also of course the price increases if you want a larger screen size too, naturally.

Smart TVs are helpful as you can get on-demand streaming apps like Netflix, Prime Video and BBC iPlayer. Some TVs come with voice control which is helpful and eliminates the need for a controller. HDR is also a great feature if you really want to improve your picture quality. The contrast can be greatly improved in TVs with HDR. Freeview Play is also great for catching up on shows you’ve missed. If you’d like to record shows too, you can look for a TV with PVR capabilities. All of these features will push the price up, but depending on your needs, they may be worth the extra spend.

TV screens are getting bigger and bigger, and bigger screens are getting more accessible to everyone as production costs get cheaper.

You won’t get 4K TVs at the 32-inch and smaller sizes, as they aren’t big enough to display the extra picture quality. You can still get TVs with smart capabilities though so these are a great option for bedroom TVs.

40-43-inch TVs are a popular size as they have a bit of everything. You can have 4K TVs, smart capabilities, and the price points aren’t bad at all. Saying that, if you want the latest technology, it’s better to go with a larger screen as the manufacturers air towards larger screen sizes for their new technology, to show it off in all of its glory. This is the way the market is going.

49-55-inch TVs as mentioned earlier are what producers prefer to put their effort into with new technology. Pretty much all TVs in today’s market at these sizes will be 4K and have the smart capability, as well as supporting HDR pictures too. These sizes will have all the bells and whistles and you’ll find a range of options depending on what you’re looking for at this size.

65-inch plus TVs are huge, but largely work the same as the previous size bracket. They’ll have all the features you can find on 49-55-inch TVs but will cost more due to the larger size.

It is usually best to wait sometime after TVs release, as the prices can drop significantly. This is usually a good few months after January to April. Also, Look for large discounts at times like the New year sales and Black Friday, you’ll be able to get a large amount off in these sales so be vigilant!