How to spot a Don't Buy TV

There are hundreds of TV to choose from, some from brands you've heard of and some you haven't, they look the same and have roughly the same features. So, if you're wandering through the aisles of Currys or John Lewis (digitally or in-person) how do you spot the delightful from the dismal, the perfect from the poor, the brilliant from the bad?

The best way to tell if a TV is worth your money is to get it in the hands of a crack team of experts who'll test evert single aspect of it and give you a series of ratings you can derive a score from. But if you're in a rush, you don't have signal or it's a TV we haven't tested then here are some ways of figuring out if you're eyeballing a rubbish telly.

Check our TV reviews to see our favourites and the models that don't make the cut.

How much does it cost?

Between the rare minerals in their chips and motherboards, the extensive research and development that goes into their design and the cost of shipping such large items across the world, TVs are expensive. 

Our brains are wired to seek out the best value, so when we see one TV that costs £250 next to similar-looking one that costs twice as much, it's hard to blame anyone for choosing the cheaper option.

But, there comes a point when the price gets so low that it's just too good to be true. There isn't a set price where a TV automatically becomes bad, it can depend on the time of year and size of the TV, but here's a good rule of thumb that will help you avoid bad TVs.

• 43-inch TVs: you're taking a big risk if you go much lower than £300.
• 48 to 50-inch TVs: there's a big drop off in quality on TVs below £350, so steer clear.
• 55-inch TVs: there are a few exceptions, but 55-inch TVs lower than £400 are rarely worth buying.
• 65-inch TVs: there's a big jump in price on 65-inch sets and we've advise you avoid models under £550.

These price guidelines are most relevant in the spring, which is the best time to buy – TVs from the previous year are at their cheapest. But they are still relevant all year round as most brands and stores have budget ranges that are rarely worth bothering with.

Find out which size TV is right for you and then see the best models at that size.

Too many features for the money

This tip can be wrapped into cost, but it gives you a bit more expertise when you're trying to separate the good from the bad.

One of the main reasons it's difficult to identify good models is because so many have the same suite of features. Some of the cheapest TVs available from Argos and Currys have seemingly high-end features, such as HDR10+ and Dolby Vision advanced HDR formats, Apple AirPlay, Dolby Atmos sound and voice control. 

It's easy to compare these TVs to an LG or Samsung that costs hundreds more for the same set of features and same size screen, and think 'I'm getting a good deal', but you're not.

A very cheap TV with advanced features is a red flag because, ultimately, that TV is cheap for a reason. Corners have been cut to keep prices low and if it's not the features then the quality is likely to suffer.

You don't have to spend an arm and a leg on a good telly, see our guide to the best cheap TVs.

Ask to watch some broadcast TV

We've all seen the sweeping landscapes, slowly bouncing tennis balls and gentle shots of glistening bowls of fruit on the screens of TVs in electronics showrooms and, it's safe to say, they look lovely.

But these glossy, slow-motion images are designed to hide a TV's shortcomings. Those over-saturated colours look great in a brightly lit warehouse, but will look gaudy and unnatural at home. And those ponderous pans across panoramic countrysides are only slow so you don't see any blur or judder.

The videos don't represent how the TV will look in your home, so don't trust them. Ask if you can watch some broadcast TV, or see if there's a Blu-ray player hooked up, so you can see how good the TV really is.

If normal viewing is an option, then look out for objects smearing across the screen when the camera moves and check flat areas of colour up close for noise, which will look like static. The TVs are set up in vivid mode, so it's tough to get an idea of colour accuracy, but if you can switch to standard mode pay close attention to skin tone to see if it looks pallid or sallow. Unnatural colours and poor motion control are hallmarks of a bad TV

If you get a chance to hear the TV then listen for bass. An absence of low tones usually leads to thin, hollow sound and harsh, tinny treble, which is another sign of a poor TV. 

These top TV deals help you get a good TV for less. 

Take manufacturer and retailer claims with a pinch of salt 

Don't listen to anyone who tells you TVs sound awful without Dolby Atmos or 4K won't look right unless the TV supports Dolby Vision IQ HDR. It's simply not true.

These features can be excellent and really boost a TV's overall quality, but unless a manufacturer has harnessed their capabilities and has the right hardware to make best use of them, they are nothing more than a way to overcharge you.

We've tested 4K TVs that only support basic HDR formats (HDR10 and HLG) have far better contrast and 4K picture than a high-end TV that supports cutting-edge formats. 

These features are often used as a way of charging you more for a TV that may not look and sound any better, so don't base your buying decision on them alone. Especially if the TV seems too cheap to be true.

Our guide to the best TVs for 2025 reveals our favourite sets on sale today.

Be more wary of small TVs

Bigger screen sizes are more popular and manufacturers tend to put more effort into making them. Take OLED TVs for example, when they launched you could only get models 55 inches or bigger, then 48 ones were introduced and finally more than five years after OLED TVs became available LG and Sony finally released a 42-inch one.

This doesn't mean all small TVs are Don't Buys, far from it, there are plenty of good options out there, but if you're eyeing up a 40 to 43-inch TV its more likely to be worse than if you're shopping for a bigger model.

If you're after a 32-inch TV then you really need to be careful. Outside of computer monitors, displays this size are never 4K because it's hard to see the improvement in clarity unless you're sat close to it. The few 32-inch TVs that are released -- usually only around one per brand -- seem to be an afterthought, so expect a serious trade-off in quality if you choose one of these smaller models. 

The almost ubiqutous flaws we find in 32-inch TVs mean we do advise you to choose a larger model for your main TV, but for a second set where you want to spend less or don't need the best quality, stick to the tips offered here to give you a better chance of choosing a decent model.

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