How to choose the best TV for you: what to check before you buy

Why the shop and the adverts are not enough

In a shop, TVs are usually set to a special shop mode that is extra bright and colourful, often showing a video made to look good on screens. At home it looks different. Advertising and product pages also leave things out. For example:

• A TV that looks brilliant under shop lights can reflect your windows at home, or look too dim in a sunny room.
• An app you use every day may not be available on that TV's system.
• A thin TV may have weak speakers, so you end up buying a separate speaker too.

So check the same things for every TV, using the maker's own specifications and independent reviews, and check the exact model number you would buy.

Before you look at any TV

Write down your answers to these four points. They decide which checks in the list matter most to you.

• Your room. How far the sofa is from the TV, how much daylight the room gets, and whether the TV will stand or hang on a wall.
• What you watch. Streaming apps, broadcast TV through an aerial (antenna), satellite dish or cable, sport, films, or games on a console or computer.
• What you will connect. A games console, a box from your TV provider, a speaker or soundbar (a long add-on speaker), a computer.
• Your budget, including extras. A wall bracket, a soundbar, cables, and any delivery or installation charge.

The checklist

The checks are in three groups. Must have means a problem here can make it hard to use or costly to fix. Nice to have means it makes a real difference for many people. Optional means it only matters to some people. When you open the checklist in NeutralPick, you can move any check to a different group to match your answers above.

• Must have
• The right size for your roomIs this screen size comfortable from where I sit, and does the TV fit the space, including its stand?Too big feels overwhelming close up; too small loses detail from far away. Check the stand's width too: some stands sit at the very edges.
• Bright enough for your roomIs the picture bright enough for my room in daytime, and does the screen reflect windows and lamps?Independent reviews measure brightness and reflections. Shop lighting tells you little about your living room.
• Has the apps you useAre all the streaming and broadcast apps I use available on this TV's operating system (its built-in software) in my country?Apps differ between TV operating systems and between countries. Check the app list for your country, not a general list.
• Works with broadcast TV where you liveDoes its built-in tuner (the part that receives broadcast channels) work with the signal used in my country, without an extra box?A must if you watch broadcast TV. Countries use different standards for aerial (antenna), satellite and cable, and some services also need a card or box.
• Software updates for yearsFor how many years will this model get software updates, and will its apps keep working?Without updates, apps can stop working and security problems go unfixed. Look for the maker's stated update period; if none is given, ask.
• A warranty that applies where you liveHow long is the warranty in my country, does it cover the screen, and is repair done at home or must I send it away?Large TVs are hard to send away. Your country's consumer law may give you more than the maker's warranty.
• Nice to have
• A screen type that suits how you watchWhat type of screen is it, how does it do in bright and dark rooms, and does the maker warn about still images left on for hours?Screen types differ in brightness, contrast and how they handle images that stay still for hours. Reviews explain each.
• Ready for games, if you playDoes it support features my console or computer can use, such as 120 Hz (smoother motion), and does it have a low-delay game mode?Only matters if you play games. Often only some of the connections support these features.
• Sound you are happy with, or room for a speakerAre the built-in speakers clear enough for speech, and can a soundbar (a long add-on speaker) be connected easily?Thin TVs often have weak speakers. If you'll need a soundbar, add it to the price.
• Viewing data you can switch offDoes it collect data about what I watch, and can I switch that off without losing features?Many smart TVs identify what is on screen to target adverts. The setting may be spread over several menus or user agreements; check all of them.
• No adverts you can't turn offDoes the home screen show adverts or sponsored content, and can they be turned off?Many TVs show adverts on the home screen, and updates can add more later. Recent owner reviews usually mention it.
• Optional
• Energy useHow much power does it use in normal use, according to its energy label (if your country has one) or the maker's specifications?A bigger, brighter screen uses more power. Over years of daily use, the difference becomes large.
• Fits a standard wall bracketDoes it use a standard wall-mount hole pattern (for example 300 x 300 mm), and what bracket size and weight does it need?Only matters if it will hang on a wall. Most TVs use a standard hole pattern, but sizes vary and a few need the maker's own bracket.

Claims to look at carefully

Adverts and product pages often describe the points below in vague terms. When you see one, look for the specific information shown here. If you cannot find it, assume the answer is "no" or "only partly".

• A "motion" number, or a large figure such as 240 or 960. Look for the screen's real (native) refresh rate in the maker's specifications: how many times per second the picture is redrawn, measured in hertz (Hz). It is usually 60 Hz or 120 Hz (shown as 50 Hz or 100 Hz in some countries); some newer TVs go higher.
• "HDR" (a format for brighter highlights and richer colour). Look for independent measurements of brightness. A TV can accept HDR video without being bright enough to show it well.
• "Smart TV". Look for the app list for your country, and whether the home screen shows adverts.
• The price. Add a soundbar if the speakers are weak, a wall bracket, and any delivery or installation charge.

What to do with what you found

1. Put all the TVs side by side.
2. Look at the Must have checks first. If a TV gets a No on one of your must-haves, remove it, however good the rest looks. Look closely at any Partial.
3. If two TVs are close, read independent reviews that measure brightness and reflections, and reviews from owners after several months.
4. Before you buy, check the shop's return policy and what happens if the screen arrives damaged.

Why use NeutralPick to compare TVs

• The same checks for every TV. You fill in the same checklist for each TV you are considering, so you compare them in the same way.
• Everything in one table. You see every TV side by side, check by check, instead of switching between shop pages and notes.
• Nobody can pay to influence it. There are no adverts, no paid placements and no "featured" products. No maker or shop can pay to be shown to you or placed higher.
• Free, with no account. You don't need to sign up or pay anything.

Start with this checklist See an example comparison