Best TVs of 2026

Sony's QD-OLED flagship pairs Samsung's quantum-dot OLED panel with Sony's XR Processor and motion-handling pipeline. RTINGS rate it marginally above the LG C5 on colour volume and HDR brightness peaks; What Hi-Fi? rank it the strongest TV for film and PS5 gaming. The trade-offs are stock availability (the BRAVIA 8 II's UK supply has been patchy through 2026) and the Google TV smart platform, which most reviewers rank slightly below LG's webOS for UK catch-up apps. If you can find it in stock and don't mind a slightly less polished smart platform, this is the picture-quality leader.

The 77-inch sibling of the rank-1 C5. Same OLED evo panel, same α9 Gen8 processor, same webOS — just much bigger. For households who've cleared a wall for cinema, this is the right call. Reviewers note the 77-inch C-series is the panel size most overlooked because of its price; for those with the space and budget, it's the closest a domestic TV gets to a private-cinema screen. Wall-mounting is essential at this size — the stand only suits very wide credenzas, and the panel weighs over 30kg with the stand attached.

The U8NQ is the strongest mid-range Mini-LED on the UK market in 2026. Hisense's Mini-LED Pro backlight zones, 144Hz Game Mode Pro, Dolby Vision IQ and Atmos pass-through — all at a price tier that undercuts the OLEDs by a meaningful margin. RTINGS rate its peak brightness above the LG C5 (Mini-LED's structural advantage over OLED), and the VIDAA smart platform now supports the major UK catch-up apps. The trade-off is contrast: in a dark room, OLED still wins. In a bright living room with a south-facing window, the U8NQ is the right call.

The U7000F is Samsung's entry tier — same Tizen platform, same Crystal Processor 4K upscaling, in a less-bright panel at a meaningfully lower price than the U8020F. For a bedroom, a guest room, or a kid's room where the TV will mostly run streaming apps and broadcast catch-up, this delivers most of what most viewers need. Object Tracking Sound Lite is a small but noticeable audio upgrade over the rank-10 Fire TV. Don't buy it for a primary living room — but as a second or third TV in a household, it's the right call.

The smaller 55-inch sibling of the U8NQ. Same Mini-LED panel and the same 144Hz gaming support, but with fewer dimming zones — so contrast control isn't as tight. For a living room where 65 inches is too big, or for a console-gaming setup that doesn't fit a 65, the U7NQ delivers most of the U8NQ's strengths at a smaller scale. Trusted Reviews and RTINGS both rank it the strongest 55-inch Mini-LED at the mid-range tier. Built-in subwoofer is unusually good for the price point.

TCL's QD-Mini LED is the dark-horse pick of the Mini-LED bracket. 1,300-nit peak brightness, 144Hz with Game Master Pro, an Onkyo-tuned 2.1 sound system with Dolby Atmos pass-through, and Google TV out of the box. Reviewers rate it marginally below the Hisense U8NQ on motion handling but level on peak brightness and HDR. TCL's UK service network is the weak point — meaningfully smaller than Hisense or Samsung — but for a bright-room TV at the mid-range tier, it's a credible alternative.

The 48-inch C4 is the compact OLED most reviewers recommend for bedrooms, gaming setups, and monitor-substitute use. Same OLED panel quality as the 65-inch C-series at a much smaller diagonal — close enough to a monitor at desk distance, big enough to count as a real TV from a bed or sofa. Four HDMI 2.1 ports at 144Hz make it the strongest small-format gaming TV on the UK market. Reviewers consistently note it's the OLED to buy if you can't justify a 65-inch.

The Fire TV Omni QLED 43-inch is the budget-tier pick for a kitchen, bedroom, kid's playroom or holiday-let TV. QLED quantum-dot colour at this price is unusual, Dolby Vision IQ HDR is genuinely supported (rare at the budget tier), and hands-free Alexa built in turns the TV into a useful smart-display when not actively in use. Trade-offs are the smart platform: Fire TV's Prime-content-first UI is polished but always pushes Amazon's catalogue ahead of others. For a primary living room, look elsewhere; for a fourth TV in a household, this is genuinely a credible budget purchase.