Best TVs under £1000: 4K, HDR and budget TVs

While most of us would absolutely love a giant QD-OLED screen for watching our movies on, precious few of us can stretch to such luxuries. It's good news, then, that there are some superb TVs available for less than £1000. Quite a lot less in some cases.

Even at this level, you can expect a 4K resolution and HDR support, and you might be surprised by the size of TV that this budget can afford. A super-cinematic 65-incher is within your reach.

What we're looking for is a really good all-round picture performance that as close as possible delivers what the content creator intended, plus an app-packed and easy-to-use operating system and decent gaming specs. Broadly speaking, TV sound is pretty poor, which is why we always recommend adding a soundbar if at all possible, but we still expect good audio clarity even at this level.

So, with no further ado, here are the TVs under £1000 that have emerged from our rigorous, comparative testing process with a hearty recommendation.

4K TV: TCL 65C845K

(Image credit: Future / David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet, Netflix)
Hands down the year’s biggest TV bargain

Specifications

Screen size: 55 inches (also available in 65in, 75in and 85in)
Type: QLED
Backlight: Mini LED
Resolution : 4K
HDR formats: HLG, HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
Operating system: Google TV
HDMI inputs: 4 (2 x 48Gbps HDMI 2.1)
Gaming features: 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM, Dolby Vision game mode
ARC/eARC: eARC
Optical output? : Yes
Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 72 x 123 x 7.2cm

Reasons to buy

+
Stunningly bright, contrast-rich and colourful
+
Comprehensive gaming features
+
Incredible value

Reasons to avoid

-
Picture needs careful set up
-
Minor clouding with some HDR images
-
Occasional subwoofer buzzing

A surprise hit for 2023, the TCL C845K was the only TV on our Awards list to use Mini LED technology, with the rest going to OLED. If anything, this should prove how much we like this TCL set.

This is TCL's flagship TV for the UK and Australia (US readers can try this alternative instead) and that's reflected in the screen technology, feature set and picture performance. We tested the 65-inch variant, its Mini LED backlight is broken into 576 individual dimming zones (this may vary depending on screen size), while the addition of Quantum Dots boosts colour volume. 

Reaching an impressive brightness of 2000 nits, this TCL is certainly an overachiever when it comes to figures and stats, which is what drew us to it initially, but its price and performance solidified its place in our list of favourite TVs. 

In practice, the C845K's picture is bright, punchy and rich in contrast, offering an image that practically "jumps off the screen" (as we described in our full review). Its eye-catching brightness is well-controlled thanks to the aforementioned quantity of dimming zones which allows the TCL to maintain high levels of local intensity, with the TCL refraining from the aggressive dimming of zones of peak brightness that we see on more expensive Mini LED sets we see from the likes of Samsung. 

The only picture weakness we could identify would be the slight clouding issue on high-contrast scenes, as this can add a slight blooming effect to bright objects on dark backgrounds. This is remedied somewhat by the TCL's excellent black levels by regular TV standards, not just budget TVs. On the flip side, colours are an equally successful aspect of this TCL, with a punchy and vibrant presentation that doesn't verge into oversaturated or cartoonish. 

It's not only adept in the picture category, sound is also a highlight. While we've become wary of TV sound thanks to lacklustre performances from most of the most expensive sets on the market, the TCL has proven that TVs with good built-in sound systems do in fact still exist. 

It gets impressively loud, vocals emanate from the screen thanks to the TCL's solid ability when it comes to placing sound, and the subwoofer is eager to provide ample amounts of bass. 

Overall, the TCL C845K delivers much more than its relatively low price point may suggest. We've not even touched on the excellent gaming spec (4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM) or impressive HDR format support (Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG), but the bottom line is that its picture and sound merits are enough to recommend this TV. 

Read the full TCL C845K review

The 50-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED on a white table with an image from animated TV show Invincible on the screen

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi? / Amazon Prime Video, Invincible)
A budget TV with rare all-round ability

Specifications

Screen size: 50 inches (also available in 43in, 55in, 65in, 75in)
Type: QLED
Backlight: Full-Array LED
Resolution : 4K
HDR formats: HLG, HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
Operating system: Fire OS
HDMI inputs: 4
Gaming features: VRR, ALLM, Dolby Vision game mode
ARC/eARC: eARC
Optical output? : Yes
Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 66 x 112 x 8.4cm

Reasons to buy

+
Balanced, consistent picture quality
+
App-packed, user-friendly OS
+
Surprisingly decent gaming specs

Reasons to avoid

-
Slightly smeary motion
-
Lacks the brightness of higher-end TVs

We first reviewed the 65-inch version of its Omni QLED range and discovered a TV with a surprisingly sophisticated performance to go with its surprisingly comprehensive feature set. It just missed out on five stars, but knowing how much variation there can be between different-sized versions of the ‘same’ TV, we decided to take a separate look at this 50-inch model – and we're glad we did.

This is a TV that's very good value at its full price of £650, but even so, you shouldn’t pay that much for it. That’s because it's frequently discounted by large amounts. We have seen it go as low as £400, but find it for anything under £500 and you've unearthed a bargain.

What makes the Omni QLED appear to be such a bargain is its specification, which includes a QLED panel with full-array local dimming, support for every current HDR format, gaming features such as VRR, ALLM and even Dolby Vision gaming, and the app-packed and user-friendly Fire OS operating system (which can be fully operated via Alexa, of course).

But what's most impressive about the Omni QLED is the considered and consistent nature of its performance. Too many budget TVs attempt to dazzle you despite not having the requisite ability and they end up looking awful as a result. The Omni QLED, on the other hand, works within its limits: it's not going to knock your socks off but it gets all of the basics right and delivers a picture that's true to what the creator intended. It’s natural in a way that means you don’t question the delivery and instead focus purely on what you are watching, and that’s a more impressive feat than you might imagine, particularly at this level.

On the sound front, the Omni QLED is a simple stereo affair, and all the better for it. Instead of attempting fancy processing, it simply provides a clean, clear and direct audio performance that's ideal for general TV content. You're advised to add a soundbar for movies, though.

Read the full Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED review

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED on a wooden stand with an image from The Grand Tour on the screen

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi? / The Grand Tour on Prime Video 2)
The Omni QLED impresses with an authentic and consistent picture for the money

Specifications

Screen size: 65-inches (also available in 43, 50, 55, 75)
Type: QLED
Resolution: 4K
HDR formats: HLG, HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
Operating system: Fire OS
HDMI inputs : x4
HDMI 2.1: No
Gaming features: VRR, ALLM, Dolby Vision game mode
ARC/eARC: eARC
Optical output?: Yes
Dimensions (hwd without stand): 85 x 145 x 8.7cm (33" x 57" x 3.2”)

Reasons to buy

+
Consistent, balanced picture performance
+
Strong features for the money
+
Clear sound

Reasons to avoid

-
Slight lack of detail, particularly in shadows
-
Occasionally smeary motion

While the 65-inch version of the Amazon Omni QLED isn't quite as good as the 50-inch model above, it is still very good by 'budget' TV standards.

You won't be surprised to learn that while this is a flagship product for Amazon, it’s still very much a value-oriented proposition. What you might not expect is that it's really rather good, both in terms of performance and features.

This isn’t a performance in the same league as that offered by flagship sets from the big boys – but the quality and balance that have been achieved at this level is very impressive.

Colours are vibrant and punchy when they need to be but subtle and pale when that is what’s called for. Skin tones at times look just a little richer than is perhaps entirely true to life, but only marginally so, and they certainly don’t look unnatural when viewing the TV in isolation.

Some TVs at this level attempt to mask their affordable origins with lots of active processing that's designed to make each scene look more impactful. Such processing, however, often actually highlights those sets’ limitations. The Omni QLED takes a much more consistent and considered approach to contrast that is less striking but significantly more watchable, particularly over the course of a movie. Its even-handed approach means you are less distracted by what the TV is doing and are therefore much more engrossed in the film.

It’s a generally similar story where detail and sharpness are concerned. In neither regard is the Omni QLED mind-blowing, but it delivers an image that is reasonably insightful and solid without veering into the realms of exaggeration.

Inevitably, Amazon’s Omni QLED isn’t perfect. It doesn’t have the pure peak brightness to provide a dazzling rendition of the latest and greatest HDR movies, but that’s understandable at this level. However, while detail levels are decent, they could be better, particularly in darker images, even at this price. Also, while motion is pretty smooth and mercifully free from the soap opera effect and fizzy artefacts (assuming you stick to mild or no motion processing), it can be a bit smeary at times

Amazon has kept things simple on the audio front, avoiding the temptation to attempt fancy Dolby Atmos processing and the like, and once again we feel that is a wise decision. Yes, the sound is narrow and small in scale compared with that offered by more premium TVs – and there is no attempt to push sound outwards to the sides or up from the television’s chassis – but it is also direct and clear.

On the features front, you're getting a 4K QLED display with the app-packed and user-friendly Fire OS operating system with baked-in Alexa control (you can turn the TV's mics off entirely if you prefer). Somewhat surprisingly, VRR and ALLM are also supported, though 4K 120Hz is off the menu.

All told, by getting the basics right in terms of picture and sound quality while providing an impressive feature set for the price, the Omni QLED makes itself an easy TV to recommend to US buyers on a tight budget.

Read our full Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED review

Tom Parsons

Tom Parsons has been writing about TV, AV and hi-fi products (not to mention plenty of other 'gadgets' and even cars) for over 15 years. He began his career as What Hi-Fi?'s Staff Writer and is now the TV and AV Editor. In between, he worked as Reviews Editor and then Deputy Editor at Stuff, and over the years has had his work featured in publications such as T3, The Telegraph and Louder. He's also appeared on BBC News, BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4 and Sky Swipe. In his spare time Tom is a runner and gamer.