Best smart TVs in Australia

Top Pick for

Smart TV for the bedroom

Samsung The Frame QLED 32

Top Pick for

Smart TV under $1000

Hisense Series 8 4K 50

Top Pick for

Large screen smart TV

Sony X8000H 85

Top Pick for

Hisense smart TV

Hisense 65S8 65″ UHD 4K TV

The best smart TVs for 2020

• Best smart TV for picture and sound: LG SIGNATURE ZX 77 inch 8K Smart Self-Lit OLED TV w/ AI ThinQ
• Best smart TV under $1,000: Hisense Series 8 4K 50" UHD Smart TV
• Best 8K smart TV: LG SIGNATURE ZX 88 inch 8K Smart Self-Lit OLED TV w/ AI ThinQ
• Best large screen smart TV: Sony X8000H 85" 4K Ultra HD Android LED TV
• Best smart TV for the bedroom: Samsung The Frame QLED 32"
• Best smart TV for apps and streaming: LG Nano86 65" 4K OR Samsung Q60T 65"
• Best Hisense smart TV: Hisense 65S8 65″ UHD 4K TV
• Best Samsung smart TV: Samsung Q95T 55"
• Best LG smart TV: LG CX OLED 55 Inch
• Best Panasonic smart TV: Panasonic TH-65GZ2000U 65 Inch 4K Ultra HD HDR TV

You don't buy a new TV every year, with most of us expecting our tellies to last a decent span of time providing us with entertainment via streaming services such as Netflix or Disney+, gaming on next-gen consoles such as the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, or even via good old free to air broadcast TV. There's no doubt that smart TV adoption is at an all-time high, and it's not hard to see why, because having one remote that gives you quick access to smart TV features is highly appealing.

The range of brands, prices and choices is vast even at recommended retail prices, and it gets even more complex when you see how much price manoeuvring happens as different models have promotions and sales. We've rounded up the best choices to meet a wide variety of situations where you may be after a new smart TV.

Do you need a TV with HDMI 2.1?

The latest standard in TV technology is HDMI 2.1. This is nearly three times faster than HDMI 2.0 and allows for faster framerates at higher resolutions, as well as more detailed audio. In 2020 we started to see some of the best TVs incorporate HDMI 2.1, and in 2021 it will start to become common. For the foreseeable future, HDMI 2.1 is most utilised in gaming. Both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X rely on HDMI 2.1 to deliver their advertised experiences. So if you intend to game on your TV, check it has HDMI 2.1 ports for video and eARC for audio.

Best smart TV for picture and sound: LG SIGNATURE ZX 77 inch 8K Smart Self-Lit OLED TV w/ AI ThinQ

Amazing 8K visuals in a pricey panel

Why we chose it

LG's flagship OLED TV for 2020 is the LG Signature ZX range, available in either 88- or 77-inch sizes. In other words, this is one large TV, although you'd expect that given the asking price, especially for the stratospherically pricey 88-inch model. That being said, LG has led the way for years now in picture quality thanks to its use of OLED displays, and 8K gives the signature ZX series plenty of futureproofing. The downside there is that you'll be watching a lot of upscaled 4K or Full HD content, because nobody is really streaming or selling 8K content yet, and the data needs are going to be prohibitive when they do.

Best smart TV under $1,000: Hisense Series 8 4K 50

A good budget compromise, but shop around

Why we chose it

Hisense's market position in Australia is pretty much all about the budget story, and it's noted by many online reviewers as offering good value for money. Where the sub-$1,000 space at RRP tends to limit you to much smaller screens, it's not too hard to shop around and score a Hisense Series 8 panel for under $1,000 at 50-inch sizes or maybe even bigger, which is a highly appealing prospect.

What you gain in screen size you do somewhat lose in terms of overall smart TV features. The Hisense Series 8 TVs run on Hisense's own VIDAA platform, and many reviewers do note that it's a little sluggish and not always up to date with some streaming services, especially Australian catch-up TV platforms, although the big players such as Netflix and YouTube are present.

Best 8K smart TV: LG SIGNATURE ZX 88 inch 8K Smart Self-Lit OLED TV w/ AI ThinQ

Pay a serious premium, get a premium TV

Why we chose it

8K is still very new technology when it comes to TVs, and that means that your range of actual choices is limited, and the prices are exceptionally high. It's no surprise that our pick for the best overall picture quality is also an 8K TV, because that's precisely the point of buying an 8K TV right now. Outside a few demo footage reels there's really no 8K content you can buy presently, no Australian TV network is set up for 8K broadcast and won't be for years if ever, and nobody's streaming in 8K, which is actually a kindness when you consider Australia's poor broadband speeds.

Where 8K, and 8K OLED as found in the pricey 88-inch Signature ZX, makes any degree of sense at the moment is in upscaling existing content, especially 4K HDR content if you're watching it, because even the most intelligent upscaler can only do so much with 1080p or worse video. LG's OLEDs are the basis for most of the OLED panels you'll find in any OLED TV right now, and while some reviewers do also rate Sony's OLED panels highly for picture clarity, the inclusion of webOS with its easy to use smart TV platform gives LG the edge here, albeit a fantastically expensive edge.

Best large screen smart TV: Sony X8000H 85

A big TV without a huge price tag

Why we chose it

When you want to go large, you've got to balance your desire for a huge screen with your budget. There are bigger and much more expensive TVs than the Sony X8000H in the 75 inches and above category, but your wallet will really feel the pinch, as is still common for very large TVs. With reviewers noting the generally pleasing picture quality (although some noted contrast ratio issues) of Sony's X8000H, it's our pick for the best balance between a cheap but large TV, and one that's going to leave you living in the TV box because you can't afford the mortgage or rent any more. The inclusion of Android TV means that there are plentiful apps on offer and a somewhat easier path to incorporate new services as they emerge, although the Android TV interface isn't always as fast as competing offerings from the likes of Samsung or LG.

Best smart TV for the bedroom: Samsung The Frame QLED 32

Small and stylish for your late-nite binge viewing

• • • • Good range of app support
      • Doubles as a picture frame
      • QLED panel presents well
    • • Smaller panel won't suit every bedroom
      • Frame Art store requires a subscription
      • Relatively low brightness

Price (RRP): $899
Amazon Price: From $2,167.05

Buy at Amazon

Why we chose it

When you're putting a TV in your bedroom you're often looking for a smaller and more discrete panel, rather than the biggest and the boldest look. Samsung's The Frame TV – and especially its highly affordable 32" variant – benefits here because it lives up to its name. Its customisable bezels allow you to make it look exactly like a picture frame, more or less hiding it when not in use if you do place it on your wall, although it can be freestanding as well. Samsung's Tizen smart TV platform generally keeps pace with the smart app needs of most users, covering the basics like Netflix and YouTube, but also newer services such as Disney+ and Apple TV+. Reviewers also liked its streamlined remote control and easy set-up, although they did notice that peak brightness on its QLED panel wasn't superb.

Best smart TV for apps and streaming: LG Nano86 65 / Samsung Q60T 65

Why we chose it

Picking the best smart TV for apps and streaming pretty much comes down to app support, and here it's very much a moment-in-time equation, with industry heavyweights Samsung and LG battling it out with their Tizen and webOS interfaces respectively. You absolutely should expect the basics – services like Netflix, ABC iView, SBS on Demand, Stan and the like – but over the years the pendulum has bounced between Samsung and LG as to which would offer the most alternative streaming services and apps. LG's webOS is a little more fluid if you like the bright pink style, while Samsung's more carousel-led approach of Tizen can involve more scrolling to find specific apps or content. We've chosen these specific TVs because they're good examples of well-regarded panels at an affordable price range, typically under $2,000 at retail, that will give you the best of what those platforms can offer at an affordable price.

Best Hisense smart TV: Hisense 65S8 65″ UHD 4K TV

An affordable 65" smart panel

Why we chose it

Hisense's core pitch is towards TV buyers who want features without the price tag. Based on specifications and the small number of available online reviews, the Hisense 65S8 should hit most of the sweet spots, with support for voice integration for broader smart home usage across both Alexa and Google Assistant. Some reviewers did note spotty availability for key apps, and that's down to the fact that it's running on Hisense's own VIDAA platform, which some noted can also be unresponsive at times.

Best Samsung smart TV: Samsung Q95T 55

A good quality mid-range Samsung TV with great smart TV features

Why we chose it

With such a wide array of price choices – at the time of writing the cheapest model Samsung offered in Australia costs just $949 and the most expensive will hit you for $99,999 – picking the best Samsung smart TV for everyone is a tricky proposition. Online reviewers did praise Samsung's Q95T QLED TV for its generally solid HDR reproduction, support for gaming-centric features if that's your TV style and wide app support for smart TV streaming. It's not quite the belle of the ball when it comes to Samsung TVs with a slightly thicker design and backlighting that can sometimes kick in a little too aggressively according to online reports, but it's a great value set that shows what Samsung can do with smart TVs.

Best LG smart TV: LG CX OLED 55 Inch

A great display plus easy to use smart TV features

Why we chose it

If LG's Signature series is our pick as best overall smart TV, why isn't it our best LG TV choice by default? It's largely a question of price, because while it's an exceptional TV based on online reviews and feedback, it's not exactly inexpensive. That's true generally for OLEDs unless you buy a prior year's model, but the LG CX OLEDs tend to strike at least a workable balance between price and features for most household budgets. OLED is still the technology to go for in terms of picture quality and with so many smart TV streaming apps upping their 4K game, that's what you'd really want in an integrated TV. On the downside, online reviews do note that the speakers on the CX OLED TVs are pretty ordinary, and there's always that lingering issue of OLED burn-in over time.

Best Panasonic smart TV: Panasonic TH-65GZ2000U

A finely calibrated OLED panel, although Panasonic slightly trails its smart TV competitors

Why we chose it

Panasonic's focus for its flagship TVs has been more on picture quality than smart TV features, and it shows even in its flagship 65GZ2000U TV. It's highly regarded by online reviewers for its OLED picture quality with an integrated Filmmaker mode to make the most of movies and an extremely wide range of HDR format supports. However, what you get in picture quality (at a premium price) is undercut in smart TV terms with a smaller range of available services; most reviewers highlight the lack of Disney+ as a key missing piece of the Panasonic smart TV puzzle.

Methodology

89
Smart TVs considered

6
Brands compared

10
Smart TVs chosen

• We've compared our own reviews, feedback from everyday consumers and professional TV reviewers to select the best smart TVs.
• Our editorial team has a combined 60+ years of experience writing about tech and reviewing the latest devices.
• The smart TVs on this list are chosen by our editorial team and are not based on commercial relationships.

• Why you can trust our picks

  We've looked over a wide range of smart TV platforms and our own reviews, as well as online reviews from major publications and consumer feedback when making our choices as to the best smart TV options available to consumers.

  In coming up with our list of the best smart TVs, we've considered a wide range of factors and usage cases, as well as weighing up the price points of different smart TV options available to consumers. Here's what you should consider, and what we've used as measuring metrics, when picking your next smart TV:

  • How easy is the smart TV platform to use? Early smart TVs had slow, painful and clunky user interfaces, and you do still find that on some cheaper TV models. The last thing you want when sitting down for a binge session is to sit waiting for the remote control to register your show choices or sign in to your streaming service of choice.
  • Which streaming apps are supported? These days you can pretty much expect Netflix and YouTube support, and most will also cover Amazon Prime, but when it comes to home-grown streaming services, and especially catch-up TV platforms, coverage can be less enticing. As always, that depends on which smart TV streaming services you actually need.
  • Are updates and new apps promised? Smart TV doesn't exist in a fixed point in time, but some manufacturers are better than others at providing updates to their smart TV platforms. This has two primary effects. Firstly, older sets and smart TV platforms may not support new features, so even though you've got, say, a YouTube app on your smart TV, you might not be able to access content after a time. Then there's the issue of actual new platforms; over the last year for example we've seen some smart TV makers include Disney+ on board – but far from all of them.
  • How good is the actual TV? You could buy a super-cheap Chinese-made no-name brand TV for a couple of hundred bucks that promised the smart TV basics, but you'll regret it pretty quickly if the actual picture quality is sub-par. That's especially true in an era where so many streaming services are shifting to 4K streaming.

  We value our editorial independence, basing our comparison results, content and reviews on objective analysis without bias. However, Finder may receive compensation when you click some links on our site. Learn more about how we make money from our partners and why you can trust our guides.