My best value TVs, 2019-2020 Edition

Roughly, if they go down at all, is there a figure that we should see on B.F ? I realise it's just a guess, but I've never managed anything on that day !
Not sure, probably less than 2k. The GZ950 was selling for close to 2k in spring which was surprising!
 
I agree normal HDR is not bright enough on the B7500 but I think it looks really good in Dolby vision and the bits I have watched in HDR10+ and does get pretty bright. it's never gonna be as good as say a xf9005 but the brightness improves massively in the 2 formats for a tv with limited peak brightness

I have the xf9005 and the high brightness is totally useless for me, because of the horrendous blooming at the max setting in HDR movies. I've set my brightness at 20, and i still get a little bit of blooming ...
 
Firstly, thank you for such a comprehensive post. My TV is on its last legs and noticed theres a Samsung 20% offer at the moment which ends tonight - hence me scrambling for TV knowledge after not been in the world of TV's for nearly 10 years.

I was hoping to spend £500-£700 for either a 55" or 65" (65" being the preference) and although I do game on it, I wouldnt mind sacrificing input lag (as long as its not to a level that will ruin gaming) as I mainly enjoy watching movies (as high def as I can).

With the samsung offer, I was eyeing up the 7100 series and 8500 series. Im unclear if these are backlit or edge lit but it does have HDR and UHD dimming (which I believe is their 'local dimming').

But having read many posts here including yours, I'm a little skeptical about samsung.

You have also thrown Hisense into the mix and the Roku sounds like the best TV? However, I was alittle worried form a youtube review that the picture quality is not that great.

I understand I won;t get top-end with this budget and thie screensize but I was wondering if there is a recommendation for a 'great' picture quality to really enjoy predominantly 4k movies wothout any of the extras - I find things like UI, apps, smart features as nearly redundant as I use Firestick mostly for all streaming and my xbox for 4k and gaming.

many thanks in advance
 
Firstly, thank you for such a comprehensive post. My TV is on its last legs and noticed theres a Samsung 20% offer at the moment which ends tonight - hence me scrambling for TV knowledge after not been in the world of TV's for nearly 10 years.

I was hoping to spend £500-£700 for either a 55" or 65" (65" being the preference) and although I do game on it, I wouldnt mind sacrificing input lag (as long as its not to a level that will ruin gaming) as I mainly enjoy watching movies (as high def as I can).

With the samsung offer, I was eyeing up the 7100 series and 8500 series. Im unclear if these are backlit or edge lit but it does have HDR and UHD dimming (which I believe is their 'local dimming').

But having read many posts here including yours, I'm a little skeptical about samsung.

You have also thrown Hisense into the mix and the Roku sounds like the best TV? However, I was alittle worried form a youtube review that the picture quality is not that great.

I understand I won;t get top-end with this budget and thie screensize but I was wondering if there is a recommendation for a 'great' picture quality to really enjoy predominantly 4k movies wothout any of the extras - I find things like UI, apps, smart features as nearly redundant as I use Firestick mostly for all streaming and my xbox for 4k and gaming.

many thanks in advance
You may have already seen from recent posts and threads here but now is not a good time to buy a TV. TVs are currently overpriced, even with the 20% Samsung discount.

Unless you can find one of the TVs in this guide, there's really not any great options to buy otherwise. I'll have a new guide out closer to Black Friday, which tends to be the first time get the major discounts making them worth buying.

500-700 won't stretch very far, especially for a 65". If you want any kind of HDR close to that budget you should consider the Sony XF9005 in the guide. There may be one or two still knocking about, here's an argos link but it may be a case of searching clearance/local stores to find one now.

Otherwise, best bet is buying Hisense if you have to buy now. There prices are high, but not as high as the competition. They'll of course come down in price too come Black Friday. By then the new best buy guide will be out. The U8Q is looking to be a good option, and was recently reviewed on here.
I understand I won;t get top-end with this budget and thie screensize but I was wondering if there is a recommendation for a 'great' picture quality to really enjoy predominantly 4k movies wothout any of the extras - I find things like UI, apps, smart features as nearly redundant as I use Firestick mostly for all streaming and my xbox for 4k and gaming.
You'd like to think something exists like that, but there's no cost cutting made in smart TV now. Every TV is smart, whether we like it and pay extra for it or not.
 
You may have already seen from recent posts and threads here but now is not a good time to buy a TV. TVs are currently overpriced, even with the 20% Samsung discount.

Unless you can find one of the TVs in this guide, there's really not any great options to buy otherwise. I'll have a new guide out closer to Black Friday, which tends to be the first time get the major discounts making them worth buying.

500-700 won't stretch very far, especially for a 65". If you want any kind of HDR close to that budget you should consider the Sony XF9005 in the guide. There may be one or two still knocking about, here's an argos link but it may be a case of searching clearance/local stores to find one now.

Otherwise, best bet is buying Hisense if you have to buy now. There prices are high, but not as high as the competition. They'll of course come down in price too come Black Friday. By then the new best buy guide will be out. The U8Q is looking to be a good option, and was recently reviewed on here.

You'd like to think something exists like that, but there's no cost cutting made in smart TV now. Every TV is smart, whether we like it and pay extra for it or not.

Thank you! Yes, after seeing a few reviews on Hisense, I am very interested in this as I don't care about brand names as long as the picture is good. I've also now come across TCL which one reviewer (just discovered but seems to know what hes talking about) rates just slightly more over the Hisense (H9G) for movies. What are your thought son TCL?

(Stop the FOMO)


I have decided to wait and not jump at the Samsung offer and hopefully Black Friday will bring me an early Xmas present! Will keep en eye out for your guide.
 
Edit: now sold out
XF9005 for £549.99 refurbished. only two remaining in stock. rude not to order eh
 
Last edited:
55XG9505 for £749.99 as well.

You can add a 5-year warranty onto them as well for ~£80

I called my local Sony Centre and they told me they'd do the XG9505 with the warranty for £780.

The refurb store seems to get new stock on a Friday, you have to be quick. I've had 2 Refurbished TVs from them, both of them the TV's were perfect and unmarked, one had a very tatty box.
 
How do you know what grade these are and what's the process for getting an extended warranty ?
Waiting for a 65 to come up so.need to be prepared .
 
If you read the description it says

Refurbished: KD55XF9005BU.A

The A at the end being the grade, I've never noticed any B Grade stock but don't know if they do sell it.

As to the warranty, as I said above, call your local Sony Centre. You're more likely to get a deal from them. You can purchase the warranty after you get the TV, but if you do it that way you're likely to pay the full amount.
 
Mine is 38 miles away and they delivered personally to me from the store.
 
You see there's this thing you have, possibly more than one, in your house, at your workplace and maybe even a mobile one on your person.

A phone..... call them instead of asking questions on the internet we can't answer. You'll most likely get a quicker response than waiting 20 mins for me.
 
Out of curiosity, am I right in thinking that the LG BX6 or CX6 are not equivalent to the LG B9/C9 OLED Tvs? I've read some bits about the CX range on here but want to be completely sure on this.

I was supposed to be getting an LG B9 through my work but the stock vanished over night and they're wanting to keep the order but swap the set to a BX6 or CX6...
 
Thank you! Yes, after seeing a few reviews on Hisense, I am very interested in this as I don't care about brand names as long as the picture is good. I've also now come across TCL which one reviewer (just discovered but seems to know what hes talking about) rates just slightly more over the Hisense (H9G) for movies. What are your thought son TCL?
The video you linked is about two models only sold in the North American market, they aren't the same as in Europe. TCL in particular sell cut-down models in Europe.

The Hisense U8Q is similar to the H9F or H9G in that its a capable HDR TV, but the similarities end there. Its a entire different TV, made with different designers...from a different venture.

The thing with Chinese manufacturers in general like Hisense is they don't inflate there new TV prices quite the same as the Japanese and Korean manufacturers do, so its why Hisense models are priced so much cheaper now than other 2020 models. If you wait, the other models will also come down in price too...as will the Hisense ones, a little.

Options on 2019 TVs are thin on the ground. I keep advising people against purchasing 2020 models mainly because they are overpriced. The Hisense U8Q is priced better than others, but it will still get reduced in time. You also have to beware that if you buy a new 2020 model now its only been in the market for a couple of months so you can expect bugs galore. Not a good time to buy a TV at the moment.
Out of curiosity, am I right in thinking that the LG BX6 or CX6 are not equivalent to the LG B9/C9 OLED Tvs? I've read some bits about the CX range on here but want to be completely sure on this.

I was supposed to be getting an LG B9 through my work but the stock vanished over night and they're wanting to keep the order but swap the set to a BX6 or CX6...
The 3rd digit in the model name is irrelevant. The model that replaces the B9 is BX (B10 actually, but Roman numeral) and the C9 is replaced by the CX.

Its normal this time of year for 2019 models to sell out and 2020 models to replace them. Generally you'd be looking at about 10 months from now to see the BX for a similar price to the outgoing B9 but perhaps this Black Friday we will get lucky with a reduction. Never buy a TV each year before Black Friday, you will over pay. TVs are only released in summer each year, and the first time they become good value is Black Friday...sometimes even then they are too expensive, with spring each year (before the next new models are released) is the absolute best time to buy.

 
The video you linked is about two models only sold in the North American market, they aren't the same as in Europe. TCL in particular sell cut-down models in Europe.

The Hisense U8Q is similar to the H9F or H9G in that its a capable HDR TV, but the similarities end there. Its a entire different TV, made with different designers...from a different venture.

The thing with Chinese manufacturers in general like Hisense is they don't inflate there new TV prices quite the same as the Japanese and Korean manufacturers do, so its why Hisense models are priced so much cheaper now than other 2020 models. If you wait, the other models will also come down in price too...as will the Hisense ones, a little.

Options on 2019 TVs are thin on the ground. I keep advising people against purchasing 2020 models mainly because they are overpriced. The Hisense U8Q is priced better than others, but it will still get reduced in time. You also have to beware that if you buy a new 2020 model now its only been in the market for a couple of months so you can expect bugs galore. Not a good time to buy a TV at the moment.

The 3rd digit in the model name is irrelevant. The model that replaces the B9 is BX (B10 actually, but Roman numeral) and the C9 is replaced by the CX.

Its normal this time of year for 2019 models to sell out and 2020 models to replace them. Generally you'd be looking at about 10 months from now to see the BX for a similar price to the outgoing B9 but perhaps this Black Friday we will get lucky with a reduction. Never buy a TV each year before Black Friday, you will over pay. TVs are only released in summer each year, and the first time they become good value is Black Friday...sometimes even then they are too expensive, with spring each year (before the next new models are released) is the absolute best time to buy.

Thank you (although it's painful to hear). Nothing on the horizon to keep an eye out? Maybe in time for black friday? Am I asking too much?! Haha

I guess I can wait but my tv at the moment has to have its backlight setting below 50. Any higher and the display turns off. From what I gather, it maybe a new board or power supply but thought may as well upgrade. (My current tv is Panasonic (55-CX400B))
 
CX400 would be a 2015 model, so not that old. Broadly on par with low range models in this guide. If I were to upgrade, I'd go for a model upper mid range or higher.

The long and short of it is even if you buy a 65" at the absolute best time you'd be looking at similar specs to your old TV, but at larger size. You'll have to decide between that and a higher end TV at a smaller size (55" like your current TV). If you buy now, instead of waiting your cash is going to go for less, so potentially you won't be able to afford anything that is a significant improvement over the TV you own, that is apart from its fault of course.

You may still be able to get your TV repaired, if its a 2015 model parts are probably still easy to find. If you have some know-how its pretty easy to replace the power board or main board yourself, likely its one of those two things, or the power supply at fault. You may even have local TV repair shops that can help you.

But please don't make the mistake in thinking a 65" TV you buy today is going to best a TV from 2015 when they are around the same price. You'll get a small improvement having a budget of £600-700 looking at a 55" model, but not 65".

Either way, try not to buy a new TV now unless you're happy with getting an inferior model. Good deals will come to those that wait, and I'll have a new best buy guide out in time for Black Friday. Not that long to go now.
 
Hi,

I know I said I would wait but just come across the hisense 65U7QFTUK around my budget at costco.

Reviews seem ok and was wondering what your thoughts were?
 
They're not overpriced like other TVs are currently, decently reviewed and don't get discounted as much as other brands as the year goes on.

Review here - Hisense U7QF (55U7QFTUK) 4K ULED TV Review

However I'd have a good look in the Hisense area of the TV forum as there does seem to be a lot of issues with Hisense TVs, most of it seems down to software/firmware but there are a few unhappy owners. There also seem to be a number of members there who refute everything said against Hisense TVs, question every bad review and post about nothing else. They usually leave or get booted.
 
The 3rd digit in the model name is irrelevant. The model that replaces the B9 is BX (B10 actually, but Roman numeral) and the C9 is replaced by the CX.

Its normal this time of year for 2019 models to sell out and 2020 models to replace them. Generally you'd be looking at about 10 months from now to see the BX for a similar price to the outgoing B9 but perhaps this Black Friday we will get lucky with a reduction. Never buy a TV each year before Black Friday, you will over pay. TVs are only released in summer each year, and the first time they become good value is Black Friday...sometimes even then they are too expensive, with spring each year (before the next new models are released) is the absolute best time to buy.


Right ok, now I understand now... Is it also fair to say that once the BX comes down in price it would be the better choice over the B9? And same for the CX once the price is reduced for that too?
 
My daughter moves into her first house mid October so can't wait for Black Friday offers.

Four boxes to tick -

60-65" Preferred
£700 Budget
Netflix
Reliable
Decent warranty.

Usual options like Curry's/ Costco/ John Lewis/ Richer Sounds etc as all local. Brand not important.

My head is bursting - so any help is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
Hi

my Oled is on its way out after 4.5 years which is annoying. Need to get a new tv as I can see the Sky Sports news ticker and logo on every channel.
Can’t decide between Sony 55AG9BU or OLED 55GX6LA. I have Sky Q so use Netflix etc for that plus we have no consoles in the house. Not to say we won’t just we haven’t for a few years.

any advise is appreciated on which tv above is best.

thank you.
 
I know I said I would wait but just come across the hisense 65U7QFTUK around my budget at costco.
Hisense models for this time of year are priced okay, they will see reductions come black friday, but right now aren't priced as high as the competition. This TV will broadly be on a par with your existing model but bigger. Apart from being more modern, the biggest feature for a TV of its price is its local dimming. It also gets a lot brighter than other budget models, but still can't really be regarded as a true HDR TV as its local dimming is very basic and it only reaches around 700 nits peak brightness.

If you wanted to buy now and not wait, its an okay buy, nothing spectacular for the money right now.
Right ok, now I understand now... Is it also fair to say that once the BX comes down in price it would be the better choice over the B9? And same for the CX once the price is reduced for that too?
The CX if like the C9 will remain more expensive and not worth it for most users. The BX like the B9 has an older picture processing chip, but the saving is usually worth it over the more expensive C9.

There's one exception to that rule, and that is if the BX turns out it can't do HDR with 120hz VRR from the HDMI 2.1 spec. Unfortunately we have to wait with that until the new consoles are released. That isn't relevant to you though unless you intend to game on a next gen console on the TV.
60-65" Preferred
£700 Budget
Netflix
Reliable
Decent warranty.
Not sure how we can recommend a TV based on reliability. Typically failure rates from each manufacturer are the same. What is important is when you buy the TV, place all support requests and any warranty claims with the retailer you purchase from rather than the manufacturer direct, usually the manufacturers have very, very poor support.

As you may have seen already, this time of year isn't a great time to buy, if you can't find a TV available still in this guide then Hisense/TCL tend to price their TVs lower than the competition. You'll have to be aware that there TVs exclusively use VA type panels, but you should already have an idea of which panel type is more suited for the situation from reading the opening post. If you haven't read it yet, its worth the time looking through and reading the links there, its set up to help people begin there TV search.
my Oled is on its way out after 4.5 years which is annoying. Need to get a new tv as I can see the Sky Sports news ticker and logo on every channel.
Can’t decide between Sony 55AG9BU or OLED 55GX6LA. I have Sky Q so use Netflix etc for that plus we have no consoles in the house. Not to say we won’t just we haven’t for a few years.
If you intend to keep watching Sky Sports news I wouldn't purchase another OLED TV. Go for an LCD TV instead. There are still some Sony 55XG9505 available in some places. Its a recommended model in this guide. If you want a 2020 model instead, wait for Black Friday or later.
 

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