Best TV 2019 – Buyer’s Guide

Designed by the Bouroullec brothers, The Serif is another one of the latest televisions which can incorporate style into your living space.

Serif Ambient Mode can turn the otherwise black blank screen into artwork, displaying decorative content from the Bouroullec palette with two exclusive patterns. The slim body broadens at the top to form a flat surface, and it sits on an elegantly designed metal stand to give it a minimalistic yet bold look.

NFC and Bluetooth connectivity allows you to pair it with your phone or laptop and stream music when the picture isn’t in use, acting like a speaker for your home. Sound is adaptive at all times, to suit both the content of what you’re watching, and the acoustics of the room.

Both the sound and picture work fast to keep up with demand, making it a great choice for gaming or sports. It is smart, too, using an intelligent assistant called Bixby to help you manage your TV and compatible smart home devices. Alexa, Google Assistant and Smart Things devices are all compatible.

You still get QLED technology and Q HDR to improve picture quality and the colour palette available to your eyes. So in all, it is a well-designed TV with modernity at its core, but still with Samsung’s famed quality technology.

Televisions aren’t the most attractive appliances when you are trying to recreate a seamless, modern look in your living room. But The Frame can enhance your space.

When not in use, it will display artwork either from your own collection or from Samsung’s pre-installed works. As it is designed to look like a picture frame, it will look like any other image which adorns your walls.

You can choose which pictures will be on show, and how long for. Samsung have loaded 100 pieces of artwork or photography from 10 different genres by 37 highly acclaimed artists onto each unit, and additional pieces can be bought via the Art store. All of the work was selected by professionals from world-renowned institutions like the V&A and Tate Modern, so you’re getting quality.

When the television is in use, the 4K HDR picture and online entertainment from Samsung’s smart hub will keep you well entertained in crystal clear quality. It is supplied with a no-gap bracket, which means it will sit flush too, so eagle-eyed visitors won’t be able to tell it isn’t really a prized piece of work.

It is definitely one for those who are really bothered about the look of a black telly on their walls, and who won’t be bothered by the thicker than average frame when they are sitting down to stream their box sets every evening. But it is still packed with lots of modern features such as One Remote Control, a brightness sensor and a Motion Sensor which will detect when someone is in the room.

Our downside is that advertising is inserted into the menu, which ruins the otherwise clean user interface, and ‘TV Plus’ trailers are played every time you switch it on. This takes some technical ability to turn off but you can Google the answer. It is a common problem in Samsung’s otherwise excellent range of modern UHD TVs, and they haven’t yet changed it despite complaints.

If you are looking for a television which can handle your cinema nights and blockbuster marathons, then Q should help.

What is Q? Well, Q Colour means you see everything just as it was envisioned, with a billion colours and shades all formed in front of your very eyes. No dimness, fade or dodgy mixing. Q Contrast boosts the relationship of these colours, for bold images and little reflection in the light – no seeing yourself staring back at you while watching the football.

There is an ambient mode if you hate having a black screen on display when it isn’t in use. Choose from your own photo gallery, decorative content, some music or even blending into the background.

It comes with ‘The One’ remote control, which can control not only the telly but your set-top boxes and cinema systems too, for less clutter on the coffee table. Cable management also keeps wires out of sight.

Why not connect your smartphone up for even more control? Feel free to watch the latest Netflix boxset on your train journey home and pick up where you left off once you’re through your front door and sat in front of the big screen. There is also the option to have a backup remote through your phone.

It is also available in a 49” and a 65” size, in case these better match your room. Thankfully, there is no loss of picture or clarity with the changes.

If you are after the latest TV and won’t settle for anything which doesn’t come with Smart webOS, ThinQ AI, IPS 4K Nano Cell technology and Dolby Atmos, then you have come to the right place.

They all let you either enjoy a better, crisper picture by pulling out the colour and making the darks even darker or make your life easier by giving you greater control with less hassle. You get the same picture no matter where you sit, so you don’t have to all huddle directly in front of the telly to get the most out of it all.

LG’s webOS service lets you catch up on your missed telly and use other platforms such as Netflix at the press of a button, without having to dig your laptop out and set up even more cables. Or maybe you want to quickly show your kids that funny YouTube cat video you were shown at work. Even though it turns out they saw it weeks ago, because it was quick to access, it is no time lost. There is also full web browser capability.

ThinQ lets you ask the telly to play something if you have already wasted enough time looking for the remote or are all comfy under your blanket on the sofa.

As well as the 55”, there is also a 49” and 65” available, so there is an option for any room size or budget.

With crystal clear 4K ultra HD screen display and an expert sound system, you will never miss out on a millisecond of detail with the TX-55FX700B.

The self-illuminating display means blacks appear darker and bright colours appear more vivid, so you can watch your favourite TV shows just how they were created to be seen. With built-in Wifi, you can connect straight to Netflix and Amazon Prime, so all the best box sets and films are there immediately, thanks to the Smart remote control.

It can be connected to soundbars and speakers for an extra boost to the sound quality, for a full cinema experience. The stands it comes on is minimalistic so the design will blend into your home and it will sit on any TV cabinet. They can also be placed in the centre of the TV or at either end, to best match your other equipment and settings.

Sports and Games modes mean that no matter what it is you want to use the TV to watch or do, the display and performance can be optimised. Powered by Firefox, the menu and home screen provides smooth access to what you want and searches for items quickly.

The curved screen of this Samsung model wraps perfectly to your eye-line for a fully immersive experience, so you don’t miss a thing.

In response to screens getting bigger and curved, Samsung has upped their pixilation quality. This model has 4x more pixels than standard 1080p Full HD TV’s, and the UHD technology improves the quality of most non-4K pictures.

HDR10+ and Dynamic Crystal Colour technology will also vastly boost the colours and contrast of your picture, expanding light and dark and giving a glow which makes the image stunningly feel like real life, from over a billion different hues.

Auto Motion Plus and the Quad Core processor allow you to experience fast, powerful movement without any glitches or loss of picture, making it a perfect choice if you like your action movies or live sports.

If the multiple wires that often come from connecting extra devices to your TV annoy you, then the Clean Cable solution will allow you to run all of these cables down the leg of the stand. Perfect for anyone who is after a clean, minimalistic look.

One Remote technology also allows you to control all compatible devices from one single remote, so there is no more hunting for the long-lost DVD player remote that you haven’t used in quite a while. Voice Assistant Integration via the Smart Remote is also available.

It may seem like an expensive option, but as it boasts all the latest technology and features, you can see it as a real investment piece which will be ahead of time for quite a few years.

For its huge 65” size, the Toshiba 65U6763DB has a crystal-clear picture no matter what you are watching.

It is Smart TV enabled so that you can watch all of your favourite apps and catch-up services with the press of a button or two; perfect for those evenings when there is nothing on live TV or when you want to binge-watch the latest boxset.

You can even check and update your social media accounts while watching TV, which is ideal if you like to live tweet your favourite live programmes but find managing multiple devices a bit distracting. There is also screen share, meaning you can display photos from your smartphone straight to your TV.

The four HDMI connections are more than enough to allow you to connect any extra gaming boxes or DVD players you may have, and there is also a Scart socket in case you have any older but still reliable devices to connect.

Don’t worry about losing any of the picture quality from these gadgets either – the upscaling technology means that even the most standard of pictures can be boosted up to HD quality at the very least.

The double core processor also reduces the lag time from these devices, so you don’t have to worry about the picture having to catch up with the play time of your extra gadgets.

Sports, Game and Film picture mode will enhance your viewing and sound capabilities no matter what it is you’re watching, and there is also parental control available for anybody concerned about what the kids are up to when they are in control if you are out of the room.

This is a great value Smart TV that is Ultra HD, has 4K viewing and all of the other features you’d ever need. With it being a 49-inch screen it makes it a little cheaper, but by no means is that a small screen size.

Upon our assessment of this product we noticed that it’s the perfect addition for Android users with it syncing and using the platform to stream. With that said, other phone and software users can easily use this TV to its potential with other streaming options.  

Comes equipped with Freeview, Catch-up TV and Android. The future is here and it comes in the form of LED televisions. The gripping picture quality will ensure that you can never go back to basics. Although there are some TVs on the market with superior qualities, they’re only slightly better and far more expensive. This is by far a great pick for all of your shows, movies and gaming – but most of all, the perfect TV to watch your favourite sports team battle!

This telly may be a budget pick, but as seeing as it is packed with Smart TV features, Freeview HD and is compatible with Alexa, we were definitely expecting it to be around twice the price.

70 Freeview channels will give you plenty of options if you want to watch some live television when you get in from work, such as the news or The Chase, and 3 HDMI ports gives you the chance to connect DVD players or games consoles for when you want to kick back on a weekend.

The smart features have all of the top apps, such as Netflix and YouTube as well as the main catch-up services. Shows can be recorded onto a USB or external hard-drive through the two USB ports, and you can control the entire television with just your voice as it is compatible with Alexa. Very smart indeed.

If you have an Android phone or tablet, the Android TV app can help you control the unit through your phone. All of these control options are perfect if you are one to lose the remote control.

They may not be a big name in the tech industry, but this is a television which proves that Veltech need to be taken seriously.

It is by far one of the best budget televisions around, as demonstrated by the host of glowing reviews it has got from users. There is a 720p HD display which is great for the cost, and Freeview HD is built-in so all you need to do is connect your aerial and you’re good to go.

Many modern televisions struggle with offering connections to help you connect up your games consoles, DVD and other smart sticks. Thankfully, this model has 3 HDMI ports and 2 USB ports which should give you plenty of room.

You will need a Now TV/Amazon FireStick if you want to make the television smart, because no apps are built-in to the unit. But for the price, this is a fab TV with all the basics in abundance, and there is plenty of room for all of the extras you want to hook up.

Comfortably under £200, this is a great telly for the price.

You get Freeview HD with 70 free channels, 2 HDMI ports and 1 USB port. This will give you plenty of choice over what to watch, whether it be live football on BBC 1 or catching-up on boxsets on Netflix through the Fire Stick.

When the TV is not in use, it will automatically turn itself off so you can save energy. This also helps if you usually forget to switch it off before you leave the house.

Setting it up is nice and easy, with no complicated settings to change. If you’re not fussed on your telly being ‘smart’ and just want something fuss-free with a great picture, it is a lovely little item. Just be aware there isn’t a huge amount of connection options so it is one for those who just have one or two extra boxes.

If you’re after a television which will be used frequently but aren’t bothered about all of the fancy gizmos and extras, then this is a budget-friendly option.

The picture quality is very good, and there is Freeview built in so you can get going straight away once it is connected to the aerial. There are dedicated Netflix and YouTube buttons on the remote so switching between viewing platforms is not difficult or time-consuming.

There are a few things which could be improved. Even though the picture is good, it isn’t the most amazing, and the sound seems to be very low for the settings selected. It also takes a little while to turn on and to react to changes you select on the remote. But for the price, it does the job. Perfect for a bedroom, spare telly room or kitchen, or even as your primary television if having the absolute best sound and picture quality is not a worry.

If you are after a larger 55” television without the loss of picture quality, then you can’t get much better than this. And it is a bit of a bargain, too.

The 4K Ultra HD gives you an amazing, lifelike picture quality, perfect for streaming the latest films and boxsets straight to your living room. The upscaling feature makes any picture look great, even if it isn’t in HD (such as a standard DVD). It also upgrades any Full HD picture into near 4K quality, making your viewing even more enjoyable.

With four HDMI connections (which is more than most televisions offer), you can connect all of your extra appliances at the same time, such as any further set-top boxes or DVD players. No need to worry about disconnecting any so you can plug another in.

Freeview HD and Play allow you to catch up on the past 7 days of television, and you can get up to 70 live channels – without the need for any extra boxes or wires. Simply plug in your external aerial, and you’re good to go.

For any gamers, there is also Game Picture Mode, which reduces the amount of lag time for the television to process the video input from your gaming system.

There is also Sports and Films modes, so the picture is fully compatible with whatever you are using the television for – get ready for a fully immersive viewing experience.

We love this Sony Bravia LED HDR Smart TV, which offers the user all of the latest tech without being overwhelming.

The modern design will give a touch of class to any room in the house. Plus, with a crystal clear HD image, it’s hard not to fall in love with this model. Not only that, but this Smart TV allows you to download and use apps such as YouTube to enhance your experience.

Using Motionflow, this TV has a higher refresh rate than other models, making for a seamlessly smooth viewing experience. With HDR providing amazingly heightened colour range, you’ll find your favourite shows and films coming to life in your room.

We also loved the cable tidy function. Hide away wires in the stand for a sleek, uncomplicated look. Great if you’re annoyed by cables or have little ones/pets running around.

Not only does this television have Ultra 4K HD technology and upscaling, but there is also High Dynamic Range technology. Simply put, HDR enhances your picture even further, with improved contrast and a bigger range of colours – meaning brighter whites and darker blacks.

Innovative Ambilight technology emits a soft light glow around your appliance, which means the drama is not only on your television screen but experienced in your living room too. There is no better way to feel like you are in the heart of the action, especially when you are gaming.

There is also 20 Watt of audio power, which is great for a flat screen TV as they commonly lack the sound supremacy of bulkier appliances without extra sound bars and cinema systems. Film and Music modes mean you get the right sound for whatever you are up to.

With three HDMI connections at the back of the television, you can connect all of your additional appliances with ease and don’t have to constantly pull the TV in and out and choose one over the other to plug in.

There is also a Smartphone/tablet app available, so you can control your TV and share content from your device without having to go hunting for the lost remote down the side of the sofa.

This is an entertainment product that’s high up the spectrum and is one that has attention to detail. Those that aren’t as fussed about their television needs might miss some of the finer features on this item but those film buffs that advocate a perfect picture will see just how immersive this home cinema can be. The LG OLED is another ultra HDR 4K with all the mods and cons.

This colourful display is enough to captivate your attention and when you add that to it’s 4K crisp picture, web platform, magic remote and dynamic sound, you’re onto a winner. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that this television is rather expensive but those keen to acquire the very best for their living room will be well aware of the fine science that’s behind this ultra HD beauty. 

There’s plenty of depth to this product with it aiming for more than just streaming you dull pictures and TV shows, you can enjoy it’s Smart TV streaming, the internet and more. The devil is in the detail and one thing brandished by LG that really caught the eye is the remote, it has a scroll reel that enables you to browse seamlessly through the web. You can also use voice control and finger gestures for quick and effortless results. 

This isn’t the best choice for everybody, as it appeals for those who are serious about their home entertainment. It’s a digital cinema that you can enjoy from home with a 55-inch screen and a slim line style. If you want the best there is, then it is worth checking this product out and purchasing for your home. 

Despite being one of their high-tech ultra televisions it’s a lot of TV for your money. It’s a huge 55-inch, 4K television that’s perfect to watch all your favourite TV shows and films on. You’ll soon be fixated on the stunning colours of this display with its perfect contrast and dynamic picture, plus it’s got all the smart contraptions that we love.

Not only does it deliver on quality at a great price but it also has built-in Wi-Fi, a 4K Ultra HD picture and an LED screen. The new era of technology ensures that we have everything at our fingertips and the great thing about that is the fact we can enjoy streaming our favourite shows directly from the television. Use the Smart TV feature to stream boxsets and films in Ultra HD 4K. Alternatively you can plug it into your Blu-ray Player, box or console using the 3 HDMI sockets and 2 USB ports.

It’s not quite a budget television but what you will find it that these qualities are hard to come by at a cheaper price and when you add into the mix that it’s a Samsung product, it adds more weight to this purchase. Those who are meticulous for good sound and picture when watching films will truly appreciate the full-scale of this magnificence.