Discover the top 10 must-see TVs of 2025, showcasing exceptional features and stunning designs that elevate your viewing experience.
What to watch for when picking a TV in 2025
Before jumping into models, here are key criteria worth scrutinising (and some common oversights):
Key factors
- Panel technology & brightness: OLED (especially QD-OLED) continues to lead for contrast, deep blacks and colour. In bright rooms you’ll also want high peak brightness and good anti-reflection. For example, one review said:
“2025 has been one of the best years for flagship TVs, particularly OLED.” TechRadar+1
- Gaming / refresh rate / inputs: If you game (console or PC) you’ll want HDMI 2.1, low input lag, 120Hz or higher refresh, VRR (variable refresh rate). Some sets still skimp here.
- Smart platform + ecosystem: How reliable is the smart OS, how many apps, how easy to use with streaming?
- Value for size / budget segments: Top specs cost premium, but many mid-range models deliver strong performance if you’re realistic about what you’ll use.
- Real‐room fit: A massive 83″ TV might sound great, but if you’re sitting few metres away, or you have bright daylight in the room, you might be better with a smaller set with better brightness / better reflection handling.
- Trade-offs: Even the best sets might lack something (e.g., no Dolby Vision, weaker audio, fewer HDMI ports) so check what you care about.
What many buyers overlook
- Ambient light and reflections: a visually stunning TV in a dark cinema-style room might disappoint in a sunny living room.
- Sound: built -in soundbars are improving but often separate investment still gives better audio.
- Longevity and futureproofing: HDMI versions, firmware support, gaming features matter if you keep the set for many years.
- Use-case specifics: Kids watching YouTube/Netflix? Then huge spend may yield diminishing returns. Gaming, movies, sports? Specs matter more.
Top 10 TV picks for 2025
Here are ten strong models. I present from “top tier flagship” down to value picks, so you can pick what fits your budget and needs.
- LG OLED evo G5 4K Smart TV: One of the top-tier OLED options for 2025. If you want absolutely best picture and have a proper dark room or home cinema setup, this scores high.
- Samsung OLED S85F 4K Smart TV: Samsung’s strong showing in 2025. Reviewers highlighted its brightness and overall performance. For example one noted this year “has been one of the best years for flagship TVs, particularly OLED.”
- Sony BRAVIA 8 OLED 4K HDR Smart TV: A cinema-oriented pick: excellent colour accuracy, strong brand reputation. One review said: “dazzlingly bright, richly detailed and wonderfully three-dimensional picture” for Sony’s premium 2025 lineup.
- Panasonic 4K OLED Fire TV: Panasonic’s return to the premium space (see their Z95B series) shows they’re back in contention. If you prefer their brand or have existing Panasonic gear, this is interesting.
- TCL 98P8K 98″ 4K QLED HDR Smart TV: For giant-screen lovers (98″!) at a more reasonable cost than some ultra-flagships. Great value if your room and budget allow.
- LG NANO90 NanoCell AI 4K HDR Smart TV 2025: Solid mid / upper-mid 4K TV, offers many good features without the ultra-premium price.
- LG QNED evo AI 4K HDR Smart TV: A value-focussed 2025 model, good for everyday viewing, streaming, family TV.
- Hisense U7Q PRO Mini LED 4K 165Hz Smart AI TV: If gaming is high priority (and refresh rate 165Hz indicates this), this is a thoughtful pick. Gaming features often get less emphasis in non-gaming sets.
- Samsung Neo QLED The Frame Pro TV 4K: Design-centric, for those who care about aesthetics as much as specs. Could be ideal for a shared/family living space.
- LG 43″ QNED evo AI QNED86 MiniLED 4K Smart TV: A compact size pick (43″) for smaller rooms (kid’s room? spare room?), giving strong features at a lower cost.
How to pick the best TV
Given your living environment (Northumberland UK), family context (2 boys aged 9 & 5), home charging a Tesla at night (so likely a reasonably well-lit living space) I’ll suggest some tailored thinking:
- Since you have children, your usage may include streaming YouTube/Netflix, kids’ shows, midday daylight. That suggests brightness and reflection handling matter more than ultra-dark-room performance.
- If you do movie nights in the evening (family films) you might value contrast and black levels, but maybe you don’t need the absolute top-end price.
- A “live room” where daylight floods in requires decent brightness and perhaps less focus on absolute shadow detail (which is more for home-cinema dedicated rooms).
- Budget should be tempered by how long you keep the set and how much “premium” you actually utilise. A huge spend might not yield proportional benefit for casual family use.
- Gaming features: if your 9-yr-old uses console/PC a lot, refresh rate, input lag, VRR become more relevant.
- Size vs distance: A 98″ may be overkill unless the viewing distance is large. Smaller size but better picture may yield better results.
- Future-proofing: 4K remains standard; 8K still niche. HDMI2.1 in all ports is nice but many users won't fully benefit.
- Smart features + reliability + ease for kids to use (profiles, parental controls) matter.
My recommendation for your scenario
If I were to pick one for you: a size that fits common living-room distances (maybe 65″ or 75″ depending on wall), with strong brightness, good gaming features (for boys), but maybe not spending ultra-premium. So maybe something like the LG QNED evo or Hisense U7Q PRO could hit the right balance.
If you want to invest more (for a longer-term set, maybe 10+ years), go for a flagship OLED (LG G5 or Samsung S85F) but realise you may not leverage all features and budget could be used elsewhere.
Caveats & things to double-check
- Always check the actual model year/variant: brand model names can be confusing and carry prior-year tech under same name.
- Check HDR formats support (Dolby Vision, HDR10+, etc). Some high-end sets may leave out a format you care about.
- Check gaming inputs: if you or your boys use consoles, ensure HDMI2.1, 4K@120Hz, VRR, low input lag.
- Placement & lighting: In a well-lit room you might want a “bright room” mode and anti-glare. If you install near windows or daylight, check reflections.
- Sound: Many TVs rely on soundbars; if you don’t plan one, check built-in audio quality.
- Mounting / size / distance: Make sure the size you pick fits wall/space and you’re sitting the right distance; too big can overwhelm or cause fatigue.
- After-sales and firmware: Brands vary in how quickly they issue fixes, how easy their OS is.
- Future-proofing vs value: Some features (8K, ultra-high refresh) may not matter for many users today. Decide what you’ll actually use.
Final thoughts
2025 is a strong year for TVs: the technology gap between “good‐enough” and “premium” is narrowing, so you can get excellent picture and features at more accessible prices. But because so many models now perform very well, your specific environment and use case matter more than ever. Don’t pick purely on specs or marketing. Think about how you’ll watch, where the TV will go, and what features you will truly use over the next decade.