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4K TVs are now firmly in the mainstream, meaning you have the best-ever selection to choose from. Whether it’s a budget model or the latest display tech, our guide will help you find your perfect TV.

THERE HAS NEVER been a better time to invest in a 4K TV. It’s true that, in the past, they’ve been aspirational luxury goods instead of something most potential owners could realistically have in their living room, but things have changed, and nowadays you can get a good-sized 4K screen for as little as or less than some 1080p TVs.At the same time, 4K TVs have also been subject to some fine innovations at the high end, such as OLED and quantum dot (QLED) panel technology, new high dynamic range (HDR) techniques for better onscreen shades and colours, and even advances in speaker technology. With progress at both ends of the market, TVs have quietly become one of the most interesting areas in tech, and there are plenty of great products as a result.

Many of them can be found in the following pages, where we’ve put eight big-screen TVs to the test.

FOUR EYES

We’re focusing on 4K TVs (with the standard Ultra HD resolution of 3,840x2,160) because, in 2019, this is the only resolution that makes sense when buying a brand-new telly.

Naturally, it would be cheaper to go with a 1080p or even 720p model, but remember, these aren’t desktop PC monitors. You’re likely to be viewing them from the other side of a room, not just a couple of feet away, so a higher resolution will ensure you can still make out all the onscreen details even if you’re sitting further away. To an extent, you could also apply this more-is-more approach to the total size of a set, although anything over 40in will be enough for most living rooms.