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You don't buy a new TV every year, with most of us expecting our tellies to last a decent span of time – and there's no doubt that smart TVs are in high demand. Whether its for streaming services such as Netflix or Disney+, gaming on next-gen consoles such as the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, or even good old free-to-air broadcast TV, having a single 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 when buying a new smart TV.
HDMI allows for a higher bandwidth and data rates that permit faster frame rates and audio with greater level of detail, but it's still not a common feature on most TVs. It's still essentially early days for the HDMI 2.1 standard, but there is a usage scenario where it may be wise to be an early HDMI 2.1 adopter.
If you already own a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, you're equipped with a console that can utilise all the extra power that HDMI 2.1 can provide. As such, investing in a higher-end model with full HDMI 2.1 compatibility would be a smart step for future-proofing your gameplay.
That's not to say that if your budget or available models limits you away from HDMI 2.1, then you can't use those consoles. It's just that they'll look their best on TVs with HDMI 2.1 support. For now, if your TV watching involves streaming and broadcast media, there's yet to be a compelling case for HDMI 2.1 on its own, although you would also benefit from most of those TVs being premium models with sharper displays as a side effect.
This is nearly 3 times faster than HDMI 2.0 and allows for faster frame rates 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 mostly 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.
LG Signature ZX 77-inch 8K Smart Self-Lit OLED TV w/ AI ThinQ
Best smart TV for picture and sound
Image: Supplied/Finder
Pros
OLED still has the edge in visual quality
webOS is a fun UI
8K ready for future programming
Cons
Insanely expensive
Where's the 8K content?
One size fits all won't suit smaller rooms
Buy now
Check manufacturer website for current RRP and availability
Why we chose it
The battle in premium TVs is still being pitched between OLED and everyone else and, for now, OLED is still holding its ground in the eyes of most reviewers of premium TVs. It's hard to get much more premium than the LG SIGNATURE ZX 77" 8K Smart Self-Lit OLED TV w/ AI ThinQ. It's not called "Signature" by accident, and it's exceptionally high price point does reflect that. Technically, LG has an even more premium-priced rollable TV if you're totally flush with cash, but there are concerns there around long-term durability and relative value for money.
The ZX 77" is one of only a handful of 8K models on sale in Australia right now, and while that does give you a degree of future-proofing in terms of TV standards, the reality is that you're going to be watching an awful lot of 4K-at-best content upscaled for a good long time. Outside the 8K promo loops you see in TV stores, there's really no true 8K content out there right now in the streaming or broadcast spaces, and all sorts of issues with the bandwidth required for streaming at that level.
How do Australians rate LG's TVs?
92% of surveyed Australians recommend LG
4.4
Overall rating
4.3
Value for Money
4.4
Ease of Use
4.5
Picture Quality
4.4
Sound Quality
How LG compares
In the 2021 Finder Retail Awards, we surveyed over 8,000 Australians about their retail purchases to discover which were their favourite brands across 158 product categories.
For tvs, LG was ranked 7th for value for money, 4th for ease of use, 3rd for picture quality and 4th for sound quality.
7 brands were rated across these decision criteria.
If you're buying a TV on a budget, you're awash with choices in the lower cost ranges. Often the most important decision to make is whether it's worth buying a 2021 budget TV or try for a bargain on a 2020 mid-range model that's now been superseded and seen a price drop as a result. That's still worth considering, but you're going to be constrained by the available stock. In terms of 2021 models, Samsung's AU8000 50" UHD TV hits most of the sweet spots for a 4K TV while enjoying some of the refinements seen in Samsung's pricier 2021 tellies. Officially, it sells for just over $1,000, but it's not hard to grab for under that price barrier.
The cheaper panel in the AU8000 does mean careful placement is a must, with some reviewers noting that it suffers from poor viewing at wider angles. Predictably, it's not a super-bright TV, and you don't get features like HDMI 2.1 either.
How do Australians rate Samsung's TVs?
100% of surveyed Australians recommend Samsung
4.6
Overall rating
4.5
Value for Money
4.6
Ease of Use
4.8
Picture Quality
4.6
Sound Quality
How Samsung compares
In the 2021 Finder Retail Awards, we surveyed over 8,000 Australians about their retail purchases to discover which were their favourite brands across 158 product categories.
For tvs, Samsung was ranked 1st for value for money, 1st for ease of use, 1st for picture quality and 1st for sound quality.
7 brands were rated across these decision criteria.
LG Signature ZX 88-inch 8K Smart Self-Lit OLED TV w/ AI ThinQ
Best 8K smart TV
Image: Supplied/Finder
Pros
Superb OLED display plus 8K equals sharp pictures
webOS is slick and fully featured
Large display to make the most of 8K
Cons
8K content is still basically non-existent
Very expensive
No smaller sizes for smaller rooms
Buy now
Check manufacturer website for current RRP and availability
Why we chose it
You're not exactly awash with choices when it comes to 8K panels right now, although we are slowly seeing a wider range of options emerge into the market. There's a solid argument to say that almost nobody in Australia needs 8K right now, because nobody's broadcasting or streaming any 8K content at all. So what you get right now with 8K is a lot of upscaled content that may or may not benefit from that kind of AI-led approach.
It should be no surprise then that our pick for the best 8K TV is also the winner of the best picture and sound category, because there's no point at all in buying a sub-par 8K TV right now. We're not convinced there's a strong argument for 8K overall just yet, but if you're looking for quite a long-term investment in the future of TV standards, the ZX 88" has received glowing reviews… once you ignore that price point.
How do Australians rate LG's TVs?
92% of surveyed Australians recommend LG
4.4
Overall rating
4.3
Value for Money
4.4
Ease of Use
4.5
Picture Quality
4.4
Sound Quality
How LG compares
In the 2021 Finder Retail Awards, we surveyed over 8,000 Australians about their retail purchases to discover which were their favourite brands across 158 product categories.
For tvs, LG was ranked 7th for value for money, 4th for ease of use, 3rd for picture quality and 4th for sound quality.
7 brands were rated across these decision criteria.
Sony's take on a large screen OLED is the A90J BRAVIA, a panel that has received rave reviews amongst professional reviewers, largely due to the way it matches the peerless contrast of an OLED panel with generally superb lighting. That's typically the weak point for OLED TVs, and where competing technologies often take the crown.
The A90J is a large TV at 83", although smaller models in the same range exist. Reviewers noted its generally good picture quality, and also its solid in-built speakers. While it's HDMI 2.1-ready, that's not true for all of its HDMI ports, and some reviewers did note that switching 120Hz capable modes for the Xbox Series X was trickier than on competing LG panels.
How do Australians rate Sony's TVs?
98% of surveyed Australians recommend Sony
4.4
Overall rating
4.4
Value for Money
4.4
Ease of Use
4.6
Picture Quality
4.5
Sound Quality
How Sony compares
In the 2021 Finder Retail Awards, we surveyed over 8,000 Australians about their retail purchases to discover which were their favourite brands across 158 product categories.
For tvs, Sony was ranked 4th for value for money, 4th for ease of use, 2nd for picture quality and 2nd for sound quality.
7 brands were rated across these decision criteria.
TVs are only TVs when you're watching them. No, that doesn't mean that they transform into washing machines when you're not looking, but given their size there's a solid argument for TVs that can do more, especially when you're placing them outside the traditional lounge room setting. That's where Samsung's The Frame TV has plenty of appeal.
As the name suggests, it's designed to look like a framed picture, with prominent customisable bezels that look like works of art when you're not watching TV. Samsung even has its own artwork gallery to pick from, although it is a subscription service beyond your first 3 months of ownership.
The Frame scored well with reviewers for its simple 1-cable input minimising clutter in the bedroom, and for its dual purpose identity. However, some did note that it's a bit of a surprise moving from the near bezel-free design of most TVs to the Frame's bezel-heavy approach.
How do Australians rate Samsung's TVs?
100% of surveyed Australians recommend Samsung
4.6
Overall rating
4.5
Value for Money
4.6
Ease of Use
4.8
Picture Quality
4.6
Sound Quality
How Samsung compares
In the 2021 Finder Retail Awards, we surveyed over 8,000 Australians about their retail purchases to discover which were their favourite brands across 158 product categories.
For tvs, Samsung was ranked 1st for value for money, 1st for ease of use, 1st for picture quality and 1st for sound quality.
7 brands were rated across these decision criteria.
There was a time when TV brands jostled for app supremacy on their smart TV platforms, back when they were trying to make Smart TVs run all kinds of apps. Often, those apps weren't a good match for a big TV, and what we've seen in the interim is more of a focus on streaming apps that actually compliment a smart TV platform.
Samsung and LG are essentially head-to-head in this race, with smart TV platforms that keep up to date with the latest streaming apps and allow for a little flexibility with other app types. We can't pick between them, but then we'd argue strongly that you should look at other TV factors when making your buying decision anyway.
If you do end up with a TV that doesn't support the streaming platform of your dreams, simple set top boxes like the Google Chromecast with Google TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, or even fancier options like the Apple TV 4K 2021, can add plenty of smarts to even the most rudimentary TV.
How do Australians rate LG's TVs?
92% of surveyed Australians recommend LG
4.4
Overall rating
4.3
Value for Money
4.4
Ease of Use
4.5
Picture Quality
4.4
Sound Quality
How LG compares
In the 2021 Finder Retail Awards, we surveyed over 8,000 Australians about their retail purchases to discover which were their favourite brands across 158 product categories.
For tvs, LG was ranked 7th for value for money, 4th for ease of use, 3rd for picture quality and 4th for sound quality.
7 brands were rated across these decision criteria.
Hisense U90G 75-inch 8K Mini-LED
Best Hisense smart TV
Image: Supplied/Finder
Pros
1,000+ local dimming zones
8K ready
Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support
Cons
Pricey
8K content is still thin on the ground
75' is HUGE
Buy now
Check manufacturer website for current RRP and availability
Why we chose it
Hisense as a brand has mainly sold itself in the Australian market around budget offerings, and in a way you could argue that the premium U90G fits that bill. Not that it's a cheap TV, but it is bringing a large 8K experience to market for less than competitors such as LG, Samsung or Sony.
The U90G's other big party piece is the use of a Mini-LED array for more precise backlighting with over 1,000 local dimming zones and 2,000 nits of brightness. That should give it a real edge against its OLED competition, although most reviewers tend to lean towards OLED in terms of the complete picture. It's Android TV-based and 8K-ready, although, as we've noted elsewhere, 8K is rather overkill for the Australian market right now.
How do Australians rate Hisense's TVs?
97% of surveyed Australians recommend Hisense
4.3
Overall rating
4.5
Value for Money
4.5
Ease of Use
4.3
Picture Quality
4.1
Sound Quality
How Hisense compares
In the 2021 Finder Retail Awards, we surveyed over 8,000 Australians about their retail purchases to discover which were their favourite brands across 158 product categories.
For tvs, Hisense was ranked 1st for value for money, 3rd for ease of use, 5th for picture quality and 6th for sound quality.
7 brands were rated across these decision criteria.
Samsung QN90A Neo QLED 4K Smart TV (QA55QN90AAWXXY)
Best Samsung smart TV
Image: Supplied/Finder
Pros
Samsung's next-gen Neo QLED technology is fantastic
Remarkably thin
Cons
Only 1 HDMI 2.1 port
Not the best built-in speakers
Buy now
Check manufacturer website for current RRP and availability
Why we chose it
Samsung's premium 4K Neo QLED – a Samsung term that essentially equates to the company's in-house version of Mini LED backlighting – is one that's resonated highly with reviewers, who have praised its exceptional brightness and picture clarity, as well as the quality and appeal of its design.
Samsung's app support is amongst the very best, so you'll easily be able to use it to watch all of your streaming subscriptions alongside broadcast TV. It's HDMI 2.1-ready, although only 1 of its 4 ports supports the standard – so save it for your PS5 or Xbox Series X console!
How do Australians rate Samsung's TVs?
100% of surveyed Australians recommend Samsung
4.6
Overall rating
4.5
Value for Money
4.6
Ease of Use
4.8
Picture Quality
4.6
Sound Quality
How Samsung compares
In the 2021 Finder Retail Awards, we surveyed over 8,000 Australians about their retail purchases to discover which were their favourite brands across 158 product categories.
For tvs, Samsung was ranked 1st for value for money, 1st for ease of use, 1st for picture quality and 1st for sound quality.
7 brands were rated across these decision criteria.
LG's OLEDs have generally taken the top gong amongst most credible TV reviewers for some years now, and in 2021, that trend has continued. The LG C1 series builds on what made 2020's LG CX series a winner, largely based around the quality of its OLED panel and LG's own Alpha a9 Gen. 4 AI processor for upscaling.
The LG C1 is also a good choice for gamers, thanks to its 4 HDMI 2.1-ready ports with full specification support onboard. Where it may falter as a value proposition is simply in the fact that it builds on the already impressive LG CX series tellies from 2020, and if you can score one of those, you'll get most of the C1's goodies for a lot less. Some reviewers did note that the C1's panel was rather reflective in their home setting, which could be a concern. It's also noted for having a very thick stand, which is good for support but might not look great in every set-up, although that's not a concern if you're wall mounting it.
How do Australians rate LG's TVs?
92% of surveyed Australians recommend LG
4.4
Overall rating
4.3
Value for Money
4.4
Ease of Use
4.5
Picture Quality
4.4
Sound Quality
How LG compares
In the 2021 Finder Retail Awards, we surveyed over 8,000 Australians about their retail purchases to discover which were their favourite brands across 158 product categories.
For tvs, LG was ranked 7th for value for money, 4th for ease of use, 3rd for picture quality and 4th for sound quality.
7 brands were rated across these decision criteria.
eBay prices last updated on 7 December, 2023 at 11:08 am
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 wait 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 2 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; for example, over the last year we've seen some, but not all, smart TV makers include Disney+.
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 promises 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.
Frequently asked questions
A smart TV provides additional programs and functions by connecting to the Internet. It has built-in apps like YouTube, Netflix and a media player. It also has a user-friendly interface. However, firmware updates for a smart TV are less frequent.
An Android TV has the same function and features as a smart TV, but it offers a wider range of apps. Firmware updates are also more continuous. It also connects to the Google Play Store and has Google Assistant, but this option is more complicated to operate than a smart TV.
Depending on its model, size and features, a smart TV can consume about 150W to 270W.
Hackers can access your smart TV using malware. To protect your smart TV, regularly update your Wi-Fi passwords, download and install the latest software updates, and only download apps from official stores.
Enjoy up to 57% discount on select Amazon devices, including Fire TV Cube, Kindle Fire, Echo Dot, Fire TV Stick and more. Limited time offer and while stocks last. T&Cs apply.
A multi-award winning journalist, Alex has written about consumer technology for over 20 years. He has written and edited for virtually every Australian tech publication including Gizmodo, CNET, PC Magazine, Kotaku and more. He has also been the Editor of Gizmodo Australia, PC Mag Australia, CNET.com.au and the Tech and Telco section at Finder. Alex has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New England and a serious passion for retro gaming.
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