News
Buyer's Guide: The Best Monitors 
Televisions
Vincent Lheur
Updated: November 6, 2009
Updated: November 6, 2009
Product Surveys, Tests and Guides
If you can't find the perfect TV here, then you can always check our full range of tests, divided up into TVs of different sizes:
Product Survey: 40'' to 49'' TVs
Product Survey: 50'' and larger TVs
Product Survey: 40'' to 49'' TVs
Product Survey: 50'' and larger TVs
2007 and 2008 saw several competing standards battle it out in the world of TVs: there were those with or without a HD TV tuner, for instance, and while some met the Full HD standard, others were just HD Ready. This year, though, we have finally seen a standard emerge. Its name? A 1080p HD TV. That means it can display a definition of at least 1920 x 1080 pixels and includes a digital TV tuner capable of decoding HD signals. There are, of course, still TVs with 1368 x 768 pixel screens, but they are mostly found in smaller models and we wouldn't recommend going above 40'' with one.
The main surprise this year has been the resistance of plasma TVs to the domination of LCD models. Panasonic has been the main challenger, while other manufacturers still produce a mixture of LCD and plasma screens. Of course, Panasonic also produces LCD screens, but only in very limited quantities. That hasn't prevented it from riding high with models like the V10, G15 and the Z11, which we're in the middle of testing right now. Only the Sony WE5 and the Samsung B6000, B7000 and B8000 manage give Panasonic any serious competition.
This all means that Christmas 2009 is a great opportunity to buy a TV that meets some pretty rigorous standards which are likely to keep it up to date for a while. But, as is so often the case, will 2010 bring yet more technical innovation? Yes and no: next year should see the arrival of the first 3D TVs, and the earliest models will no doubt be very expensive, and will also need a Blu-ray player that's compatible with 3D to go with them too. And to enjoy the 3D effects, you'll need to wear some special glasses, which not everybody enjoys doing. Good quality, affordable 3D TVs are still a few years off, so this Christmas is a great time to get yourself a larger TV.
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Best of the best |
Our Favourite
The very best Home Cinema experience, without any concessions on viewing angles
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Panasonic Viera TX-P46G15
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With its big brother, the Panasonic V10, the G15 has the very best quality we've seen on any television this year, with plenty of contrast, natural colours and fluid movements. It's a real cinema experience in your own home, but also the ideal choice for watching TV, DVDs and Blu-ray videos or playing video games. It also uses the most electricity of any TV we've seen, though, and very susceptible to reflections because of its glossy screen.
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Best value Samsung LE40B551 |
Best LED TV: Samsung B6000 |
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| The LE40B551 is without doubt one of the best value for money TVs. It goes without some extra frills to get to a low price with an excellent quality display. |
Although a lot of LED TVs are disappointing, Samsung's B series is without a doubt the very best of them. The display quality is up to scratch, as well as the design. |
Sony's WE5 series is the most energy efficient range of TVs we've tested so far. It uses a special backlighting system but there are no concessions about image quality. |
TVs at a glance:
| Hardware | Image Quality |
Audio Quality |
Energy Consumption |
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| Panasonic Viera TX-P46G15 |  |
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| Samsung LE40B551 | |
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| Samsung UE40B6000 | |
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| Sony Bravia KDL-46WE5 | |
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Best value | |
We love it | |
Green | |
Best of the best |
