Need to know
- Our expert TV reviews cover more than 35 popular TVs from LG, Sony, Samsung, TCL, Hisense and more
- We rate key factors including picture quality, remote, user interface, sound and energy use
- Become a CHOICE member to see the full reviews and best performers
It's going to take up prime position in your living room and provide countless enjoyable hours of Netflix bingeing, sports watching or movie marathoning, so the choice of which TV to buy is an important one.
TVs are one of the most popular discounted items come sale time. And you'll likely find plenty of offers outside of regular sales periods too, as retailers try to offload unsold stock to make way for new models.
CHOICE tech expert Peter Zaluzny has his eye on all the latest TVs.
But our experts urge caution if you're in the market for a new TV: retailers might discount some good-quality TVs, but they also discount plenty of mediocre models too.
And no-one wants to be stuck with poor picture quality and sub-par sound for years to come.
To help you sort the star performers from the B-grade extras, our TV experts test over 35 models in our lab each year. We evaluate key factors you want to know about, including picture quality, sound, remote, energy use, user interface and more.
Covering more than 90% of the market, we review popular brands such as LG, Sony, Samsung, TCL and Hisense, along with lesser known ones such as ChiQ, Ffalcon, and Aldi's house brand Bauhn.
Do you even need a new TV?
Before you get swept up in the sales hype, stop and think about whether you actually need that new TV at all. (We're not trying to be killjoys, we promise!)
If you're happy with the picture quality of your existing TV but feel like it's just not smart enough, you don't necessarily need to buy a new one – you can simply smarten up the TV you already own.
CHOICE TV expert Denis Gallagher explains how to turn a regular TV into a smart TV to breathe new life into your older model and save yourself hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars.
The TVs that received the lowest scores in our testing
In our most recent lab tests, our experts found some terrific TVs alongside some some very underwhelming units.
We don't want you to end up with a dud buy, so here are the products that scored lowest in our lab tests. Consider becoming a CHOICE member to see the best performers.
The Eko K420FAT
Eko K420FAT LCD TV
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 58%
- Size: 42-inch
- Price: $269
At the low price of $269, this is one of the cheapest TVs in our test. On the face of it, it might seem like a bargain worth grabbing. However, it delivers the kind of performance you might expect from such a low price tag.
The brand, Eko, is exclusive to Big W, which now sells a variety of TVs at a fraction of the price of bigger brands. This one is a Full HD Android 11 TV with built-in Chromecast, allowing you to stream content from your smartphone, tablet or laptop directly to your TV.
This TV delivers the performance you'd expect with such a low price tag
Unfortunately, CHOICE experts say you're getting what you pay for – the sound quality is very poor (our experts gave it the very low score of 20%) and it scores just 51% for standard definition picture quality, which is very disappointing. We'd love to be able to suggest a cheap model for you to consider, but this isn't it!
Generally, our testers find that the electronic program guide (EPG) on Eko TVs is not very user-friendly. The remote control on this model also lacks some of the features we'd usually expect to see, so it will likely be tricky to use for people who aren't too tech savvy.
If you have a small budget, it's worth trying to save up an extra couple of hundred dollars to buy a TV that performs better in our testing.
Read the full Eko K420FAT LCD TV review.
The ChiQ U65M10F
ChiQ U65M10F
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 66%
- Size: 65-inch
- Price: $899
Yes, this 65-inch TV seems like an absolute steal at $899 (or less if you get it on sale), but there's a reason it's priced so low.
It might look impressive at first glance, but it underperforms on some of the most important things you want a TV to do: make whatever you're watching look good and sound good.
Picture quality is ordinary in both standard and high definition and our experts say the sound is dull and lacks presence (it doesn't feel like the audio is filling the room). Even the 4K picture was a bit flat and pale.
It seems like an absolute steal at $899, but there's a reason it's priced so low
Remember too that a large TV like this might not be suitable for your space: the larger the TV, the further away you'll need to sit for the best viewing experience.
Our experts recommend a viewing distance of around 248cm from a 65-inch screen, so if your loungeroom isn't particularly large you'll be better off with a smaller TV anyway – which means you might be able to get a better view for around the same or less money.
Our guide to measuring and choosing the right TV size will help you find the right size for your viewing pleasure.
Read the full ChiQ U65M10F review.
The Hisense 65Q6QAU
Hisense 65Q6QAU
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 67%
- Size: 65-inch
- Price: $1299
A $400 step up in price doesn't translate to a step up in quality. This Hisense might be more expensive than the ChiQ, but it's barely any better.
The high- and standard-definition picture quality is similarly disappointing and the remote isn't exactly a joy to use, with our experts rating it as only 'OK'.
A number of TVs that cost around the same perform far better, so we suggest looking elsewhere
It does deliver better sound quality, but it's still a bit boomy. Sometimes, this makes the rest of the audio pretty hard to hear, including dialogue.
A number of 65-inch TVs we've reviewed that cost around the same performed far better, so we suggest looking elsewhere.
Read the full Hisense 65Q6QAU review.
The Ffalcon FF32S53
Ffalcon FF32S53
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 69%
- Size: 32-inch
- Price: $199
An expert rating of 69% is actually pretty good for a TV that costs less than $200, all things considered. This is a lower budget buy that might suit some people's needs.
Our experts think it's worth saving up a little more for something good if you can. But if you decide to cut costs and go with this model, there is one significant compromise to keep in mind – sound quality.
This is a lower budget buy that might suit some people's needs
SD and HD picture look good but the speakers are woeful. So much so that you may end up looking for a soundbar to save your ears from further torture.
That budget TV could end up costing you another $150 for an entry level soundbar and suddenly the savings aren't so great. Even if you aren't really fussed about sound quality, you still want a TV that's easy to listen to and this FFalcon flies well below that line.
Read the full Ffalcon FF32S53 review.
The Toshiba 43C350NP
Toshiba 43C350NP
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 69%
- Size: 43-inch
- Price: $599
Unlike the Ffalcon, which isn't overly bad based on the price, this TV from Toshiba is definitely one to avoid. Though it earned the same expert rating, picture quality is generally worse and it costs $400 more.
What do you get for that extra wad of dough? A mere 11 extra inches of screen real estate and OK-sounding speakers. Is it worth it? Not really.
Your guests are going to have to get nice and cosy on movie night, because this TV's viewing angle is very narrow
Also, your guests are going to have to get nice and cosy on movie night, because this TV's viewing angle is very narrow. Move a little bit to the left or right and picture quality goes way down.
Not that it's very good to begin with. SD picture quality is only OK, but HD is somehow worse, with only borderline results in our test. 4K has good colour and detail but it's still very contrasty and not that nice to look at. It also sounds flat, dull and distorted at times.
Read the full Toshiba 43C350NP review.
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Instead we're funded by members who value expert reviews and independent product testing.
With no self-interest behind our advice, you don't just buy smarter, you get the answers that you need.
You know without hesitation what's safe for you and your family. And our recent sunscreens test showed just how important it is to keep business claims in check.
So you'll never be alone when something goes wrong or a business treats you unfairly.
Learn more about CHOICE membership today
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
