Best TV under £1000

Picture quality is the most heavily weighted criterion because it directly determines viewing satisfaction across all content types.

The LG OLED55C2 scores 10/10 in this category due to its self-emissive OLED panel. Each of the 8.3 million pixels produces its own light and can turn off completely, creating an infinite contrast ratio. In practice, this means dark scenes in films display deep, uniform blacks with no backlight bleed or halo effects around bright objects.

The Samsung S95B scores 9/10 because QD-OLED technology adds a quantum dot layer that produces a wider colour gamut and higher brightness than standard WOLED. Reds and greens are more saturated and HDR highlights are more impactful. The S95B loses a point because its anti-reflective coating can affect viewing angles slightly and its black levels, while excellent, are marginally less pure than the LG's WOLED implementation.

The Sony A80K scores 8/10. It uses the same WOLED panel technology as the LG but benefits from Sony's XR Cognitive Processor, which produces more natural motion handling and superior upscaling of lower-resolution content. Its peak brightness is slightly lower than the LG C2.

The Hisense U7K scores 6/10. Its Mini-LED backlight with local dimming zones produces good HDR performance for an LED TV, but contrast ratios cannot match OLED technology. Dark scenes exhibit some blooming around bright objects and black uniformity varies across the panel.

Gaming performance is rated critical because a significant proportion of TV buyers in this price range use their TV with a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.

The LG OLED55C2 and Samsung S95B both score 9/10. Both support 4K at 120Hz, VRR (variable refresh rate) and ALLM (auto low latency mode). Input lag on both TVs is approximately 10ms, which is fast enough for competitive gaming. The LG edges ahead in practice because all four of its HDMI ports support HDMI 2.1, while the Samsung has only two HDMI 2.1 ports. This matters for buyers connecting multiple devices (console, PC, soundbar).

The Sony A80K scores 7/10. It supports 4K at 120Hz and VRR but its input lag is higher at approximately 15ms. This is still fast enough for casual gaming but competitive players may notice the difference in fast-paced titles.

The Hisense U7K scores 6/10. It supports 120Hz and HDMI 2.1 on two ports, but input lag of approximately 18ms and less consistent VRR performance place it behind the OLED options.

The LG OLED55C2 scores 8/10 for its webOS platform, which offers fast app launching, a well-organised home screen and support for all major streaming services. Voice control via LG ThinQ and compatibility with Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit provide flexible smart home integration.

The Samsung S95B scores 7/10 with Tizen. The platform is fast and well-designed but Samsung's advertising integration within the interface reduces the experience. The Sony A80K scores 8/10 with Google TV, offering the strongest content discovery features. The Hisense U7K scores 5/10 with VIDAA, which lacks some mainstream apps and has slower performance.

At approximately £899, the LG OLED55C2 scores 7/10 for value. It is not cheap, but OLED technology at this price represents a significant step up from LED alternatives. Two years ago, equivalent OLED TVs cost £1300 to £1500.

The Samsung S95B at approximately £949 scores 6/10 as the most expensive option with inconsistent availability. The Sony A80K at approximately £879 scores 7/10 with excellent picture processing at a slightly lower price. The Hisense U7K at approximately £449 scores 9/10 for value, offering 120Hz and HDMI 2.1 at roughly half the price of the OLED options.