Which TV should I buy?

The TV that is best to buy in the UK depends on three numbers: the distance from the sofa, the budget and whether a games console is involved. For most UK living rooms in 2026 the answer is the Hisense 65U7QTUK, a 65-inch Mini LED with a 144 Hz panel, Dolby Vision and Freely, at £749 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (September 2026). The TCL 50V6D at £259 is the budget pick, the Hisense 65E78QTUK PRO at £595 is the cheapest good 65-inch, and the LG OLED evo C6 65 at £2,099 is the pick for picture quality.

This guide answers "which TV should I buy" in the order the decision actually works: size from seating distance first, then panel type, then budget, then gaming and UK details. Each section links to the matching Compare Electronic guide, so the shortlist ends in a specific model.

What size TV should I buy for my room?

The right TV size fills 30 to 40 degrees of the viewer's field of view from the main seat. SMPTE recommends at least 30 degrees for mixed viewing and THX recommends about 40 degrees for film. A 65-inch 16:9 screen measures 144 cm wide, so it fills 40 degrees at 1.98 m and 30 degrees at 2.69 m.

Compare Electronic's distance-to-size table

Most UK lounges put the sofa 2 to 2.7 metres from the TV, which lands on 55 or 65 inches. Buyers who hesitate between two sizes rarely regret the larger one: a 65-inch screen has 40% more area than a 55-inch screen, and the Hisense 65E78QTUK PRO cost £150 more than the 55-inch version (£445) on Amazon UK in September 2026.

• Measure the unit too: a 55-inch TV is 122 cm wide and a 65-inch TV is 144 cm wide. Feet often sit near the edges, so the stand needs to be wider than the panel unless the TV is wall-mounted.
• 4K pays off close up: the eye resolves full 4K detail on a 55-inch screen within 1.09 m and on a 65-inch screen within 1.29 m. Beyond that, 4K still wins because streaming services send HDR and their highest bitrates only in 4K.

Should I buy an OLED, Mini LED, QLED or LED TV?

Buy OLED for the best contrast in a dim room, Mini LED for brightness and big screens per pound, QLED for colour on a budget and plain LED only when price decides everything. The four panel types differ in how the picture is lit:

• OLED: every one of the 8.3 million pixels on a 4K OLED emits its own light and switches fully off, so black is black. The LG OLED evo C6 65 is the reference. The trade-off is price and lower full-screen brightness in a sunny room.
• Mini LED: thousands of small LEDs behind an LCD, grouped into local dimming zones. The Hisense 65U7QTUK uses Mini LED to push HDR highlights harder than an OLED at a third of the LG C6 price.
• QLED: an LCD with a quantum dot layer for wider colour. Direct-lit QLEDs such as the Hisense 65E78QTUK PRO have no fine-grained dimming, so blacks look grey in a dark room.
• LED: a standard LCD without quantum dots. The TCL 50V6D is LED; colour is flatter, but 4K, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos still arrive for £259.

The full panel comparison is in OLED vs QLED. Newer RGB Mini LED sets from Sony, Hisense and TCL sit above standard Mini LED on price.

How much should I spend on a TV?

A good 4K TV costs from about £250 at 50 inches, £600 at 65 inches with 144 Hz, and £2,000 for a 65-inch OLED in September 2026. Compare Electronic's pick for each budget band is in the table, with the price per inch of screen diagonal.

Compare Electronic's budget-band picks

The best-value step is £154 from the Hisense 65E78QTUK PRO to the Hisense 65U7QTUK, which buys a Mini LED backlight with local dimming at the same 65-inch size. The step from the Hisense 65U7QTUK to the LG OLED evo C6 costs £1,350 and buys OLED contrast and four HDMI 2.1 ports. For more sets under £500, see Best budget TV UK 2026; for the full ranking across every price, see Best TV UK 2026.

Hisense 65U7QTUK - best TV for most UK homes

The Hisense 65U7QTUK is the TV Compare Electronic recommends to most UK buyers in 2026. Hisense rates the 65U7QTUK at 144 Hz with VRR and ALLM, and it supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos on a 2.1-channel speaker system and an anti-reflection screen. Freely puts BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 live channels in one guide over broadband. At £749 on Amazon UK (September 2026) it costs £11.52 per inch.

TCL 50V6D - best TV under £300

The TCL 50V6D is the best TV under £300, at £259 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (September 2026). The TCL 50V6D is a 2026 model with HDR10+, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Game Master, which adds VRR and ALLM at 60 Hz. Fire TV brings Alexa and every UK catch-up app. The TCL 50V6D costs £5.18 per inch, the lowest of any pick here.

Hisense 65E78QTUK PRO - best 65-inch under £600

The Hisense 65E78QTUK PRO is the cheapest 65-inch TV with a 144 Hz panel on Amazon UK, at £595 (September 2026). Hisense pairs the quantum dot panel with VRR, ALLM, AMD FreeSync Premium and Dolby Atmos. The backlight is direct-lit with no fine local dimming, so the Hisense 65E78QTUK PRO suits bright lounges and gaming more than dark-room films. The same model costs £345 at 43 inches as the Hisense 43E78QTUK PRO.

LG OLED evo C6 65 - best picture quality

The LG OLED evo C6 65 (OLED65C65LA) is the pick for buyers who watch films with the lights down. LG builds the 2026 C6 around the alpha11 AI Processor 4K Gen3, with a 120 Hz native panel, VRR up to 165 Hz, four HDMI 2.1 ports, Dolby Vision and Filmmaker Mode. The LG OLED evo C6 weighs 16.6 kg without the stand and cost £2,099 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (September 2026).

Which TV features matter for PS5 and Xbox gaming?

A PS5 or Xbox Series X needs HDMI 2.1 features to run at 120 frames per second: a 120 Hz or faster panel, VRR to stop tearing and ALLM to switch game mode on automatically. HDMI 2.1 carries up to 48 Gbps, enough for 4K at 120 Hz with HDR.

• 120 Hz or more: the Hisense 65U7QTUK and Hisense 65E78QTUK PRO run at 144 Hz; the LG OLED evo C6 runs at 120 Hz with VRR to 165 Hz. The TCL 50V6D stops at 60 Hz.
• Port count: the LG OLED evo C6 has four HDMI 2.1 ports, enough for two consoles, a PC and a soundbar on eARC.
• Input lag: every pick has a game mode; OLED adds near-instant pixel response, which keeps motion clear at 120 Hz.

The full console shortlist is in Best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X.

What should UK TV buyers check before buying?

UK buyers should check four things beyond the picture: the live TV platform, the warranty, the aerial signal and the TV licence.

• Freeview Play and Freely: every pick has a Freeview HD tuner for an aerial. Freeview Play adds catch-up apps to the aerial guide; Freely, launched in 2024, streams live BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 over broadband with no aerial. Both Hisense picks have Freely built in.
• Aerial: a weak signal breaks up Freeview channels whatever the TV. Rooms without a wall socket are covered in Best indoor TV aerial UK 2026.
• TV licence: live TV on any service and BBC iPlayer need a licence, which costs £180 a year from 1 April 2026.
• Returns: the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives 30 days to reject a faulty TV for a full refund, and up to six years to claim for faults present at purchase.

Compare Electronic's UK warranty summary by brand

Extended cover on Samsung, Sony and TCL TVs depends on registering the TV within the stated window, so register on the day of delivery. Hisense value and range details are in Best Hisense TV UK 2026.

Which TV is best at each screen size?

Once the size is fixed, each Compare Electronic size guide ranks the best TVs at that diagonal on Amazon UK prices. The guides cover every common UK size from 32 to 85 inches:

Verdict: which TV is best to buy in the UK?

The Hisense 65U7QTUK is the TV to buy for most UK living rooms in September 2026: 65 inches of Mini LED, 144 Hz, Dolby Vision and Freely for £749. The TCL 50V6D is the pick under £300 at £259, the Hisense 65E78QTUK PRO is the cheapest 144 Hz 65-inch at £595, and the LG OLED evo C6 65 is the pick for dark-room film at £2,099. Size comes first: measure the seat distance, pick from the table, then choose the panel and budget.