How we test TVs

We were testing TVs back when they required a sheet of plastic film to turn black and white into colour, and we've tested thousands since then, so it's fair to say we know what we're talking about.

And as TVs have changed over the years, so has our testing. We test more than 150 TVs every year and each model undergoes close to 350 checks before we settle on a score.

We test in accredited labs and buy every TV we review from the same places you do. We never accept samples from manufacturers – and they can't pay us to secure better scores. 

Our impartiality is paramount, and every rating we give is backed up by decades of rigour and expertise.

Discover the Best TVs from hundreds of models that have been through our tough test lab.

Picture quality: does it look detailed and balanced at all resolutions?

A TV must look good. You should be excited to turn it on and bask in lustrous colours, scalpel-sharp detail and rich contrast. Not all TVs manage to look this good, but our exhaustive screen assessments make sure you can choose the ones that do.

TV picture quality can be a subjective thing. Some people like warm, bright colours, while others prefer cool, crisp images. We can't completely banish our in-built preference for one kind of picture over another, but at Which? we get around this by using not just one person's opinion – we use five.

Before we even watch anything, we sit and adjust the picture to make sure every TV looks its best and has the best chance of doing well in our tests. We use specially selected scenes to showcase every aspect of the picture, from sharpness and contrast to colour and viewing angle.

We don't just focus on the highest resolution either. Streaming has brought 4K to our living rooms, but much of what we watch is SD and HD. The quality of the TV at these lower resolutions is just as important as having a stellar 4K picture, so we make sure to watch just as many SD and HD scenes. 

Alongside our viewing-panel tests, we run a dozens of technical assessments of picture quality covering aspects such as viewing angle, luminance and reflections.

What separates a good result from a poor one?

Many TVs looks sharp, particularly at 4K where there are millions of pixels creating the image, but getting good colours and contrast is trickier.

Weaker TVs will look drab and gloomy. Instead of pronounced, deep blacks, you'll see foggy greys. This has a knock-on effect with the colours, which will look washed out.

Five-star picture quality will blow you away. Vibrant, dynamic colours paired with astonishingly crisp detail create engaging content you'll want to show off.

Martin Pratt. Which? principal researcher and writer, says:

TVs can do a lot, but picture quality will always be their most important feature. I've seen too many models that struggle to render content accurately – and I've seen too many of those TVs end up in people's homes. Our tests and carefully curated scenes make sure no bad TV gets past us, and only the most engaging, enticing and exciting screens will get a Best Buy score.

Sound quality: do the speakers have depth and resonance?

Flat-screen TVs aren't synonymous with good sound, as the thin speakers can't muster much richness. That's not true of all TVs, though. Our team of audio experts listen to dozens of tracks and scenes focused around speech clarity, dynamic range and positional audio to find the TVs that belie their thin size to produce a big sound.

We use three expert listeners, each with an extensive background in audio reproduction or live music, to assess each TV's sound. From classical music to TV dramas with actors speaking over background noise, we cover every audio base to give you the ultimate verdict on TV sound quality.

As well as subjective tests, we use specialist equipment to assess loudness and dynamic range. With so many manufacturers claiming their TVs simulate surround sound, we listen for that, to confirm whether a brand is being honest about what its TVs are capable of.

What separates a good result from a poor one?

A TV that sounds as thin as it looks is not a good sign. Many TVs lack bass, which provides much of the depth and resonance. 

This weaker sound is difficult to feel immersed in, and these speakers won't generate any atmosphere. We often hear shrill sound, too, because the treble has no low-end to balance it.

The best-sounding TVs create a fuller, more robust soundscape, while being deft enough to allow dialogue to carry. You won't struggle to hear any aspect of the sound, but there's enough depth and richness to lose yourself in.

Ease of use: are the menus and remote easy to get to grips with?

Even the best-looking and sounding TV can be a letdown if it's a nightmare to use. Our TV testers have decades of experience with remotes, menus and TV setup, so they can easily tell the difference between an intuitive TV and an insufferable one.

We use a range of scenarios that replicate how you'll use the TV at home. 

Starting with the setup, we check how long it takes, how easy the language is to understand and how much can be handled on a smartphone. From there, we navigate the menus, looking for speed and how easy it is to find different options. We pay particular attention to how helpful the TV is. Not everyone knows the difference between tint, RGB balance and noise reduction, so we want to see a TV that clearly explains what these options are.

The remote gets a thorough testing, too. We expect clearly labelled buttons that are well spaced and easy to tell apart. Multi-function buttons or a lack of numbers increase a user's frustration and will hurt the score.

A lot goes into our ease of use testing, including the electronic programme guide, PVR operation, smart menu usefulness, accessibility of the inputs, data collection T&Cs and more. No stone is left unturned.

What separates a good result from a bad one?

No one wants a sluggish TV – one that takes so long to respond to the remote that you end up pressing the button multiple times only for the TV jump too high in volume or skip too many channels.

A simple-to-use TV will have an excellent remote, with clearly labelled buttons and intuitive menus that are easy to navigate, with plenty of detailed information on what different settings are for.

Smart menu: does it have the user in mind or is it all ads?

We make sure the smart menu isn't stuffed with ads and recommendations for things you don't need while cutting out features that are actually useful.

The best smart menus are designed with you in mind. All TVs flood their smart menus with ads, but the best offset that frustration with useful features, such as quick access to your last-used app or watched channel, as well as your most-used settings.

We also make sure an app store is present and has a good range of apps. Some TVs restrict you to just the pre-installed apps, which is no good. Others have sluggish app stores where it's too difficult to find what you're looking for.

Our TV experts have decades of experience with all manner of smart menus and app stores, and they run through several scenarios that simulate how you'll use the TV at home.

What separates a good result from a bad one?

The worst smart menus are nothing but ads and recommendations (and not always for TV shows). They're slow, fiddly to navigate and offer little customisation beyond rearranging a row of apps.

What we want to see is more useful features, such as quick access to the apps and channels you watch the most. Some smart menus also give you the option to turn off the ads completely.

Accessibility: how easy is it to use and watch the TV if you struggle to see and hear?

We partnered with the RNIB to develop our in-depth accessibility tests, which reveal how some TVs are all but useless if you're blind or partially sighted.

Our groundbreaking test programme focuses on the screen reader, noting whether it's present in every menu and how logically the information is read out. It's no good having a screen reader that takes an age to get through a programme summary only to reveal there's no audio description. Extra details like this are what set our accessibility tests apart.

We also note how easy the remote is to use by touch alone, whether parts of the screen can be magnified and what colour inversion options are available.

What separates a good result from a bad one?

Some TVs don't have screen readers, making them useless to people who struggle to see. We've also tested TVs where accessibility was clearly an afterthought, as the screen reader wasn't present in all menus or it was too difficult to turn on.

The most accessible TVs have screen readers, which don't waste your time. Plus a range of colour options, so you can watch comfortably. Some can magnify parts of the screen and let you customise subtitles and where sign language interpreters are positioned.

Whether you've already narrowed your search or are starting from scratch, check our TV reviews to get ratings on almost every set available.

How we calculate the scores

All these tests are used to create a final, overall score for each TV, which is never based on price. Every year we review our evaluation criteria, based not only on changes in the market and emerging technologies, but also on what you tell us about your TV. We constantly survey consumers to see what they look for and how they use their TVs. 

We perform more than 300 tests on each TV, and each unique result is factored into each star rating you see on the review, making it easy to compare two or more models side by side.

The overall score is made up of the following criteria:

• 45% - picture quality 
• 25% - sound quality 
• 10% - ease of use
• 10% - smart features 
• 5% - connections and tuners
• 5% - running costs.

Olivia Pratt, Which? scientific adviser, says:

'TVs are complex machines, with tonnes of features, settings and picture modes. My aim is to make sure we test every single aspect, so our reviews are complete and as useful as possible. Plus, we're always adjusting our tests and evaluations so our reviews represent what's important to you.'

How we choose products

We buy everything we test from the same shops as you do to make sure we test the same models you watch. 

Every year, we spend close to £100,000 on buying and testing nearly 200 TVs. We cover almost everything produced by the leading brands, from entry-level TVs to high-end models.

Which? is the only place where you'll find reviews of cheaper TVs rather than just the pricey high-end ones. The only models we don't currently test are the enormous ones bigger than 77 inches.

That's because we know most people don't buy them and we focus our efforts testing the TVs you're interested in.

Joe Healy, Which? senior market analyst, says:

'I strive to make sure we're testing as many models as possible from the brands people are interested in, including Hisense, LG, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sky, Sony and TCL. Organising testing of hundreds of TVs across so many brands isn't easy, but I understand how important it is that you see a wide range of results from models at every price point.' 

Is it a Best Buy TV? What our verdicts mean

Our recommendations should help you to narrow down your shortlist, but it's always best to read our reviews in full to check for any dealbreakers before parting with your hard-earned cash. 

Best Buy recommended TVs

A Best Buy TV has our seal of approval, and you can buy it with confidence knowing that your money is being spent on the right product. It will look and sound superb, and be simple to use.

Great Value recommended TVs

To get a Great Value badge from us, a TV needs to score at least 65% and cost less than most other models.

As TVs come in several different sizes, we treat each bracket differently.

So when we check the average prices of TVs, we don't include the cost of a 65-inch TV when determining what price constitutes a Great Value 43-inch TV.

The size brackets are:

• 24 to 32-inch TV
• 40 to 43-inch TV
• 48 to 50-inch TV
• 55 to 58-inch TV
• 65 to 77-inch TV.

Seeing a Great Value badge on a TV guarantees that it's good enough to consider buying and it costs less than most other TVs of similar quality. 

Great Value TVs can also be Best Buys, but don't have to be. A TV needs a score of 71% or above to be a Best Buy, while a Great Value TV needs to score at least 65%.

Don't Buy TVs

Don't Buy TVs are the worst of the worst and should be avoided. Their picture will be cloudy, blurry and unbalanced, while the sound will be thin and shrill.

Our experts

Choosing, buying and reviewing hundreds of TVs is a big job, and it takes several people to make sure it runs smoothly, so that you have access to all the reviews and advice you need to make an informed purchase.

Here's the team that makes it happen:

• Principal researcher and writer, Martin Pratt: Martin has been testing TVs for a decade and is responsible for all the reviews and advice you'll find in Which?'s TV section. His knowledge, experience and understanding of TVs is channelled into helping you choose the right one.
• Senior market analyst, Joe Healy:  Few people know more about the TV market than Joe. His knowledge and insight make sure we buy and test the right TVs and have hundreds of models bought and tested as soon as possible. On top of keeping his eye on the established brands, he is also always looking out for newcomers offering quality models at affordable prices. His vital insight is what keeps the team ticking. 
• Scientific adviser, Olivia Pratt: TVs are constantly evolving and so are the ways people use them. Olivia makes sure our tests are up to date, representative, fair and accurate. She analyses all the lab results that shape our reviews and advice.
• Tech editor, Paul Lester: Paul makes sure our advice is as helpful and useful as possible. He tracks what people want from their TV and channels his knowledge into making sure our extensive coverage answers the key questions consumers are asking today.