Our best TVs under £1000 guide is here to provide you with sets that offer a top-notch viewing experience without you having to completely clear out your savings account to be able to afford them. It turns out that you don't have to go ultra-premium to get impressive audio and video in a TV.
We're now in an area where TVs tend to come with 4K as standard, so you're not going to be missing out too much in terms of pixels when going for a cheaper set – you just might see some differences in the panel technology. We recommend checking out QD-LED or QLED TVs, which are not far off OLED technology, but priced much lower – it's a win-win really.
If you know the specifics of what you want in terms of panel dimensions, we've got dedicated guides to the best 55-inch TVs, the best 65-inch TVs, and the best 75-inch TVs under £1000. And, if you want to find something even more affordable for your next set, check out our guide to the best TVs under £500.
The best TVs under £1000 in 2023: the top 3
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The best TV under £1000 for punching above its price point we think is the Samsung BU8500, a great all-rounder that deploys Samsung's Crystal 4K tech to make sure you're always looking at a superb picture.
The best OLED TV under £1000 is the LG OLED48A1 in our opinion, giving you all the benefits of OLED technology (including those deep blacks and superior HDR performance) without breaking the bank at the same time.
The best TV under £1000 for most people at the moment is the Samsung QE55Q80A, which brings with it bright HDR-enabled performance for all your content, plus all of the benefits that HDMI 2.1 connectivity brings with it.
This is a 4K LED TV with an impressive specs list and a picture quality that will have you thinking it costs a lot more than it actually does: during our testing time with the Samsung BU8500 we loved the quality of what our eyes were seeing, and it can easily go up against television sets that cost a lot more.
Perhaps that's to be expected from Samsung – a company that makes some of the very best TVs in the business – but it's still great to see. Samsung's Crystal 4K processing technology is on board, and it means that your content is going to look super-sharp and vivid when it's on screen. HLG and HDR10+ high dynamic range standards are supported, though upscaling could be a little better.
The backlighting is smooth and even, and the design of the set is something to be admired too – it's going to add a touch of style to whatever room you decide to put it into. There is some room for improvement here (the sound quality could be better, for example), but you won't do much better for the price.
The self-lighting pixels of OLED TVs give them a realism that mid-range LCD TVs just can't hope to match, and gives them a large contrast range that really makes the most of HDR. The downside is that they don't go as bright overall, so are better in rooms where the light levels are easily controlled (so perfect for movie nights).
The LG A1 isn't as bright as more elite OLED TVs such as the Sony A90J, but then it costs just a fraction of the price. More importantly, it still gives you the incredible rich HDR performance – and LG's excellent and easy-to-understand smart TV platform is a real bonus.
The downsides of it being so well-priced are that it uses less advanced image processing than the LG C1 (though it's still very strong in that regard), and also doesn't feature the future-proofing of HDMI 2.1 that the LG B1 does. It also doesn't have very impressive audio – we'd recommend adding one of the best soundbars.
Having received some impressive price drops since its launch this well-specced 55-inch set from Samsung is the overall best bang-for-buck TV at the time of writing, balancing image quality as well as features. And you get a nice bit of change from our price limit. There are TVs below that beat it in specific areas, but as a total package, this is such good value.
It's a QLED TV with a direct backlight and local dimming, which means it's both impressively bright and really colourful. It can go brighter than any OLED TV that's even close in price, which is ideal for watching in brighter rooms. You get so much dazzle and realism thanks to the bold screen – but it can also makes black areas look deep and richly dark. OLED TVs are still the king of nuance in dark areas, but this TV still acquits itself excellently.
The image processing is fantastic too – Samsung's Quantum Processor 4K is as advanced as anything else in a 4K TV, and upscales images to look good at 4K superbly, while also making motion look natural. The sound is provided by a series of speakers around the edge, with the TV analysing the picture and positioning sounds in the right direction, to add real dynamic action.
The best TVs under £1000 in 2023: the best of the rest
We can confidently say that we like the Philips 55PUS8807 a lot: as with all of the television sets on this page, it offers you plenty of bang for your buck, and it's definitely a TV to put on your shortlist if you want the money that you're spending to stretch as far as possible.
It's also going to appeal if you're a gamer, what with that 120Hz refresh rate available on two of the HDMI ports, and the dedicated Game Bar which brings up a range of relevant features and settings on screen. Of course it does everything else – movies and shows – very well too.
This is the fourth generation of the 8807 series that Philips has put out, and it shows in the solid way that the set is put together, the ease of use in terms of configuring the TV and getting it up and running, and the quality of the audio and the video that you can sit down and enjoy.
The Samsung QN90A comes with the company's next-gen 'Neo QLED' panel tech, using a 'mini-LED' to create images that are much brighter than a lot of the competition, while at the same being able to create deeper black levels in precise areas of the screen. It's the same screen tech used in the fantastic Samsung QN95A – this smaller model features a few cut-back features, but still delivers the most cinematic images you can currently get from a 43-inch TV.
Samsung's Quantum Processor is excellent at making sure that 4K images look their best, and does a fantastic job of upscaling HD to fill the higher-resolution screen. It also handles motion really well, to ensure that action or sports look clear, but films don't have that artificial effect.
It also has an HDMI 2.1 port, and supports 4K 120Hz and VRR, so is ready for next-gen gaming on the PS5 or Xbox Series X. If you want an affordable set that's able to jump between movies and gaming without any problem at all, then the 43-inch Samsung 43QN90A could be the one.
This Samsung AU9000 is Samsung's highest-end TV from 2021 that isn't a QLED, which means that it doesn't feature quite the same punchy colours and brightness that those sets are known for... but it also means the TV costs a lot less, enabling this huge 65-inch model to squeeze into our sub-£1,000 budget.
And you won't feel like you buying a budget TV at all. The image quality is still really strong, and in particular the handling of 4K detail and the upscaling of HD mean that things look fantastic at the 65-inch size we're recommending (obviously, you can go smaller and save some cash). It's also really nicely made, and certainly doesn't look like a more affordable model.
The smart TV platform is the same system you get on Samsung's 8K super-TVs, so is easy to use and packed with useful features and streaming service support. And there's a great gaming mode, making this a strong choice for console lovers, despite its lack of HDMI 2.1. The sound quality is the only notable weak spot – if you're going for images this big, you should budget for adding one of the best soundbars for Samsung TVs soon.
This is a mid-range blockbuster from Sony, mixing the company's latest and greatest image processing with a really bright and impressive 4K LCD panel. Detail in 4K, and upscaling from HD, is all as good as any TV of any price offers really. It's the same story for handling motion, which is made more clear and crisp, but never becomes artificial.
Colour and contrast are handled expertly too, resulting in seriously impressive HDR performance – everything is super-sumptuous, but remains realistic. Dolby Vision support helps with that, and really gets the most from the X90J can handle when it comes to brightness and local dimming.
It's equipped with two HDMI 2.1 ports for next-gen gaming, and is actually part of Sony's 'Perfect for PlayStation' brand, which means it not only supports 4K 120Hz gaming, but also offers more precise HDR reproduction from the PS5 than other TVs. We also like the on-board Google TV software. Here's our full Sony X90J review.
Samsung's entry-level QLED of 2021 pushes a real sweet-spot in Samsung’s extensive range of 4K TVs. Pictures from 4K sources are outstanding: vivid-yet-natural colours, strong contrasts, lavish detail levels and smooth motion. Upscaling from lesser resolutions is accomplished too, with super-low picture noise and a fine colour balance.
Add in a Tizen-based operating system/user interface that’s a match for the best around – responsive, logical and not too in-yer-face – plus an incredibly rapid sub-10ms response time when in ‘Game’ mode and the Q60A starts to look compelling. Then there’s the customary Samsung quality of build and finish – nothing about the way this TV presents itself suggests it’s built to hit a lower price.
Consider everything the Q60T does brilliantly, and you’ll find it easy to overlook its shortcomings, especially since there aren't many of them: the sound this Samsung makes in no way does justice to the pictures it delivers, like all Samsung TVs it goes without Dolby Vision, and though it's great for gaming in terms of its rapid response times, it doesn't support the new 4K/120fps and Variable Refresh Rate features of the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. If you're not a next-gen gaming nut and are happy beefing it up with a soundbar, those aren't even flaws at all…
This is one of Samsung's most affordable TVs right now, which is why you can get such a ridiculous amount of TV for such a low price. But it won't feel bargain basement – you get really strong image processing, impressive colour reproduction and solid contrast for the price.
Compared to more expensive TVs, you don't get quite the same level of HDR performance, and low-quality daytime TV isn't going to upscale to its full 75 inches quite as well as something with more advanced processing, but in our five-star Samsung AU7100 review we said that it offers "detailed, composed 4K images", so you'l really make the most of its big size with quality video. It also handles motion better than the competition, so if you want something big for sports, it's ideal.
Samsung smart TV platform is one of the easiest to use, and comes with excellent support for streaming services and apps, so you'll have no problem finding what you want to watch, either. You might want to think about adding a soundbar to make sure that the scale of the audio matches the size of the screen, but that's true of most budget TVs anyway.
The Samsung Q70A balances the bright images that QLED is known for, with high-end features at an affordable price. The Q70A delivers high levels of peak brightness in HDR, meaning that you get rich colours as well as punchy pictures that cut through bright sunlight, so it looks great no matter when you watch. It uses Samsung's Quantum Processor, which means you get crystal clear 4K images, and upscaling from HD to 4K is seriously impressive. It's the same chip used on Samsung's highest-end 4K sets.
You've also got an HDMI 2.1 port for 4K 120Hz and VRR support from next-gen consoles, and Samsung's smart TV platform, which is one of the best around when it comes to ease of use and comprehensive streaming app options.
The trade-off for the price is that it features and edge-lit LED backlight, instead of direct-lit, like the Sony X90J further up, or the Samsung Q80A. This means that dark scenes aren't quite as deep and nuanced – blacks can look more grey. But it still represents excellent value for the price, especially at this generous screen size. Here's our full Samsung Q70A review.
How we chose the best TV under £1,000
From eye-candy UHD visuals and superior sound to drop dead gorgeous design, these are the TV sets you should be shortlisting right now.
All demonstrably benefit from the extra clarity that 4K offers, a fact that will be particularly noticeable when upgrading from a 1080p telly. The good news is that there’s now less of a shortage of native UHD content to exploit this resolution boost. From Apple TV and the burgeoning UHD Blu-ray catalogue, to Netflix, Amazon and Sky, there’s plenty of stuff to show off your new panel’s prowess.
And of course gaming is increasingly a source of spectacular 4K, thanks to the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X (and soon the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X).
All these TVs feature HDR onboard. It’s worth noting that not all screens that claim to be HDR offer a genuine HDR experience, with properly bright spectral highlights. Many lower cost models are merely 'HDR compatible' (which means they know when they’re receiving HDR content, but they don’t have the wherewithal to do much with it). Naturally, we're looking for the ones that truly make the most of HDR.
The other area where corners are inevitably cut with less flagship TVs is sound, but that's easily solved with one of the best soundbars. You can add one now (just factor it into your budget), or try without for a while and add one when you're ready.
