Best TVs of 2016 - what TV should you buy?

From huge Ultra HD behemoth to 1080p second screen, we've got the goods.

The best TVs by size and everything you need to know when buying your new TV

When it comes to buying a brand new TV you want to make sure you're buying the best television for you.
But how do you know which one to go for when there are so many different technologies, with strange acronyms, and a host of different screen sizes to deal with too? There are also many different manufactueres, with a vast array of televisions rocking different panel technologies, operating systems, tuners, backlights and features.
Do you want a Ultra HD 4K screen, do you need high dynamic range support, is 3D finally dead? Which of the myriad TV operating systems do you want to throw your lot in with? Just how do you find out what the best TV is for you?
Well, you come to the experts.
We've figured out the best TVs in a variety of different categories, from Ultra HD to super-sized 75-inch screen, right down to the li'l 32-inchers for that second screen for the bedroom.
But it's not always about the outright best - after all, those can represent some of the most expensive televisual tech you can buy - sometimes you just want the absolute best value screen. And we've got those covered in each category too.
If you want to know what to look out for when buying a new TV check out the second page to arm yourself with all the information you could possibly need.
But first, here's our pick of the best TVs of 2016 - there are some absolute stunners.

Best Ultra HD 4K TV

Panasonic TX-65CZ952

"Produces the best all-round picture quality I've ever seen."

Best picture quality ever

Tackles previous OLED issues

You can't afford it

Doesn't carry Firefox OS

Panasonic has set out to make a statement with the 65CZ952. With an eye-watering price tag of nearly £8,000 it's clearly not a TV the brand expects to sell in large quantities. Yet its combination of OLED tech, Panasonic's latest and greatest video processing and input from Hollywood give it the potential to set new picture quality standards.
While we will probably never be able to own one, the 65CZ952 still represents a key moment in the history of television for the way it harnesses Panasonic's processing power and picture quality know-how to take the performance potential of OLED TV to a previously unimagined level.
Read the full review: Panasonic TX-65CZ952

Best value Ultra HD 4K TV:

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Best 60, 65 or 75-inch TV

Panasonic TX-65DX902B

An astoundingly vibrant 4K HDR TV with stellar picture quality

Rich, vibrant colours

Firefox TV OS and Freeview Play

Standard def TV looks pretty awful

Poor audio quality

The Panasonic DX902 is a bona fide landmark TV. As the first Ultra HD Premium panel to hit our test bench, it sets a new benchmark for consumer imagery. HD upscaling is excellent, and its HDR performance is often joyous.
However, it also highlights just how difficult top-flight HDR is to deliver on a non-emissive (i.e. not OLED) screen. The honeycomb backlight is problematic, and while halos aren't always visible, when they do crop up they stand out like a radioactive thumb. Of course, this foible has to be balanced against pictures which wow more than worry.
Read the full review: Panasonic TX-65DX902B

Best value 60, 65 or 75-inch TV:

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Best 50 or 55-inch TV

LG 55EG960V

"If you're not yet lusting after OLED, you've got it all wrong."

Incredible realism

Best black levels ever

High price

Confusing webOS

Is this is the best TV on the planet? Judged purely on picture quality, this 4K OLED has a jaw-dropping combination of total black, cracking colour, judder-free video, a reflection-free curve and an innate ability to make standard-def sources ripple with realism.
Self-lighting pixels are the future, as proved by the 55EG960V's spotless colours, awesome blacks, bright, pure whites and all-round utterly gorgeous images. 4K detail is mesmerising while even standard definition sources look clean and crisp. Self-lighting they may be, but it's when those pixels completely switch off that this OLED TV really stands out next to an LED TV.
Read the full review: LG 55EG960V

Best value 50 or 55-inch TV:

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Best 46, 47 or 48-inch TV

Samsung UE48JU7000T

"An excellent, if slightly small, UHD TV."

Affordable for high end UHD

Outstanding contrast

Needs careful setup otherwise…

...there's significant motion blur

The UE48JU7000T delivers an impressive set of specifications for its money, including a native UHD resolution, Samsung's wide colour gamut PurColor technology, direct LED lighting with local dimming, and Samsung's new Tizen smart TV system.
You'll have to get your hands dirty in the system settings to nail a quality image, though. Its pictures are badly blighted using its initial settings by some pretty heavy duty and unexpected motion blur, but fortunately - so long as you follow the advice given during our test - these motion issues can be worked round.
That then leaves you with an excellent - if slightly small - UHD TV.
Read the full review: Samsung UE48JU7000T

Best value 46, 47 or 48-inch TV:

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Best 40 or 42-inch TV

Panasonic TX-40CX680B

"The TX-40CX680B could turn out to be one of the bargains of year"

4K detail

Customisable Firefox OS

Soft standard def

Only 3 HDMI

Is the TX-40CX680B too small to show-off its 4K panel at just 40-inches? Though the 4K resolution is the headline-grabber, the emphasis from Panasonic on this 40-incher is on better pixels rather than more pixels. This highly talented and great value TV swerves that elephant in the room with some pin-sharp pictures to add to its impressive smart TV OS.
With Firefox OS it really makes use of its eight million pixels by boosting black levels, colour and upscaling prowess to make everything save for standard definition look sumptuous. With Freeview Play incoming, it's an early front-runner for the best value 4K screen around.
Read the full review: Panasonic TX-40CX680B

Best value 40 or 42-inch TV:

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Best 32-inch TV

Samsung UE32J6300

"Samsung has created the finest 32-inch TV at a canter."

4 HDMI inputs

Sharp HD images

Plasticky build quality

Slow to navigate

What are curved TVs for, exactly? They might be 'curved like your eyes', but lend a bend to a flat-panel TV and a more immersive image isn't the result. In fact, it actually makes very little difference.
Stylistically though this feature-packed 32-incher just about gets away with it, but a plasticky build quality detracts from an otherwise thoroughly polished performance. Add awesome Full HD pictures and unexpectedly excellent audio though and the UE32J6300 is quite a package for a bedroom or second room.
Read the full review: Samsung UE32J6300

TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

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