TV manufacturers advertise their products in inches rather than centimetres. We provide screen measurements in both so you can decide which figure is more suitable.

In our latest test, the screens are either LCD or OLED. An LCD (liquid-crystal display) screen needs a light source behind it. OLED or Organic Light Emitting Diode TVs are an array of diodes that deliver both the colour information as well as the illumination.

We recommend all TVs that earn a CHOICE Expert rating of more than 75% and at least 70% for standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) picture quality performance.

This overall score is made up of high definition picture quality (25%), standard definition picture quality (15%), Filmmaker Mode picture quality (10%), user interface (10%), remote control (10%), smart TV (10%), 4K picture quality (5%), EPG (5%), energy consumption (5%) and sound quality (5%). Voice assistant scores are not included in the CHOICE Expert Rating.

Online streaming routinely delivers high definition-quality video and most of the free-to-air stations now broadcast HD content on their main channel. HD accounts for 25% of the CHOICE Expert Rating.

Many TVs with very high resolution struggle to upscale standard definition (SD) sources to their native resolution, leading to low scores in our testing for SD. SD accounts for 15% of the CHOICE Expert Rating.

Online streaming increasingly delivers 4K-quality video and we look at 4K content to see which TVs deliver the best overall picture. The 4K assessment accounts for 5% of the CHOICE Expert Rating.

Filmmaker Mode disables most of the post-processing on your TV (such as colour adjustments and image smoothing) to deliver a more cinematic picture that's as close to the director's original intentions as possible. If Filmmaker Mode isn't available, we test in the manufacturer's Movie/Cinema mode. This assessment accounts for 10% of the CHOICE Expert Rating.

The on-screen user interface should be easy to read, easy to follow, tell the user what is happening (e.g. tells the user to wait while TV is scanning for DTV broadcasts), and show clear prompts, which button to press, or what to do next. User interface accounts for 10% of the CHOICE Expert Rating.

The tester checks the size and spacing of the buttons, dials or touch pads to make sure they're easy to reach, logically grouped and not too close together. Labels should be big enough to read and of sufficient contrast to be easy to read in low light. The remote's overall size and shape is assessed for how well it fits in the hand and how easy it is to use with one hand. Remote accounts for 10% of the CHOICE Expert Rating.

The tester plays a number of high quality voice and music recordings on a DVD player connected to the TV and compares it to a reference system. The assessment is made at a volume that the tester feels is sufficient for listening in a normal room and also at the TV's maximum volume (assuming the latter is louder). Sound quality accounts for 5% of the CHOICE Expert Rating.

We measure standby and in-use energy to determine an annual cost to run the TV, assuming you watch 10 hours of TV a day and leave the TV in standby when not in use. Energy accounts for 5% of the CHOICE Expert Rating.

EPG refers to the electronic program guide. This accounts for 5% of the CHOICE Expert Rating.

We have increased our testing in this area as TVs become an intrinsic part of the modern smart home. The smart TV assessment accounts for 10% of the CHOICE Expert Rating.

This is an assessment of the ability of the TV to understand commands and questions from the user with the TV's integrated voice assistant feature and/or the smart assistant such as Google, Siri, Alexa etc. This score doesn't count towards the CHOICE Expert Rating.

Shop Ethical rates the environmental and social impact of the company (not the product) using independent sources. This rating is not included in our total score. N/A means there is no rating for that company.

The higher the number, the more energy-efficient the TV. Note that the star rating is only comparable between models of the same size.

Energy use as claimed by the manufacturer. Based on 10 hours in use and 14 hours in standby mode for 365 days.

A high score means the TV brand (not the model) is less likely to have faults over time, according to CHOICE members. This score does not contribute to the CHOICE Expert Rating.

A high score means CHOICE members are satisfied with the brand (not the model). This score does not contribute to the CHOICE Expert Rating.

Stated warranty of the TV. You're still covered by the Australian Consumer Law regardless of the manufacturer warranty.

Where the TV was manufactured, though parts may have been sourced from other places.

'Tested model' means you should be able to find this TV in stores (we check availability every time we test). 'Discontinued model' means you may only be able to find this model online locally or overseas or in a second-hand store, if at all. We publish information on discontinued products as members have expressed interest in older models.

The recommended retail price as supplied by the manufacturer or the average price you can expect to find the TV for online.

Running costs for the TV per year. Based on 40c/kWh with the TV in standby mode for 14 hours per day.

Each TV operating system works differently and puts its own spin on interface design, menus, and navigation. LG, Samsung, Sony etc all have a different version.

TV manufacturers advertise their products in inches rather than centimetres. Our TV comparison table provides screen measurements in both so you can decide which figure is more suitable.

The majority of TVs deliver a resolution of 3840 x 2160 also called 4K or Ultra High Definition (UHD) which is an improvement over HD or a resolution of 1920 x 1080)

Most TVs are Gloss or semi gloss which can be distracting when reflecting direct light. A matte finish will be less susceptible.  

These apps are either installed automatically on the TVs home screen or readily available in the app store.

This figure notes the number of HDMI inputs for your TV.

We note whether at least one of the HDMI connections supports HDMI 2.1 in so far as being able to deliver 4K video at 120Hz.

Some TVs have a number of analogue video and sound inputs, but some can only be used when others are not in use.

Bluetooth 3 is a good option for sharing data from a mobile device.

Bluetooth 4 increases transfer rates with less power required.

Rounded up to the next centimetre or half-centimetre, with the base attached and all protruding parts included. Power cord and connecting cables excluded.

Weight of the TV, including the stand.

TVs with support for 4K or Ultra High Definition (UHD) video are able to show a picture resolution of 3840 x 2160 which may be an issue to consider if 4K movie content becomes readily available and you watch lots of streaming video that supports 4K such as Netflix.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) TVs deliver greater contrast between dark and bright colours, giving you greater detail in shade areas and more realistic colours in difficult video situations such as overly dark or overly light scenes. However to enjoy HDR, you need a TV to support the format and the content needs to have the information stored in the video to let the TV know how to deal with the picture.

Netflix is one of the most popular streaming services and most have a dedicated button on the remote making it easy to access.

This connection allows you to plug in a set of headphones to hear the TV with the speakers off. 

The tester notes whether a HDMI connection can be easily accessed if the TV is wall mounted.

Handy for connecting a USB 3 external drive for recording live TV to watch later.

This connection (a small black plug with a small red laser light) streams digital audio from your TV.

Useful for internet access when you can't get a network cable connection from the router to the TV.

TVs supporting Wi-Fi 802.11ac can transmit data over the popular 2.4GHz band, as well as a secondary 5GHz band. Having access to more bands frees up data congestion for quicker transfers. Having a TV that supports dual band Wi-Fi is particularly handy when it comes to large file transfers, such as photos, music and videos.

This feature should help lessen the irritating situation where commercials seem to deliver a louder volume than the show.

This feature alters the audio output to enhance the speech effect.

A setting on your TV where it recognises, through an HDMI connection, that you have turned on your home theatre system or soundbar and it will automatically turn off the TV speakers.

On the remote control.

Smart TVs now essentially conduct searches and process commands using your voice with trigger words such as 'OK Google' or 'Alexa' telling the TV that it should act on your commands.

Closed captions retained when changing channel.

Some TVs allow the user to add an external USB drive to the TV to record live TV and also 'pause' a show you are watching live.

The TV has some form of PIN to prevent children accessing inappropriate content.

The TV can be set to require a PIN for individual channels.

You can set your favourite channels to show up in a custom list by selecting a dedicated button on your remote control.