Upgrading for the World Cup? Our experts pick six of the best TVs under £1000, from affordable OLEDs to great value Mini LEDs

An image showing the LG C5, TCL C6KS and Amazon Ember QLED with Fire TV
(Image credit: Future)

You never feel the need to upgrade your TV like you do during the FIFA World Cup.

The 2026 tournament features 48 teams for the first time, meaning if you were dedicated (and temporarily nocturnal) you could watch 104 matches of high-quality football.

That's a lot of time to be staring at your TV – but luckily, if you do want to upgrade, you don't have to break the bank.

We've rounded up some of the best TVs under the £1,000 mark, all of which have been reviewed and rated by us and earned at least four stars – or in some cases, five stars and even a What Hi-Fi? Award.

This also clashes rather nicely with early Prime Day deals, so there are particularly good savings available right now on all the models below.

We'll go into more detail on what we like about the TVs below, but for now, have a look at our expert picks.

The LG C5 OLED won multiple gongs at the most recent What Hi-Fi? Awards, thanks to its excellent picture quality and flawless gaming specification. If you’re going for OLED under a grand, this is the model to get – the 42-inch LG C5 and 48-inch LG C5 are just as good and even cheaper.

We only reviewed the Amazon Ember QLED with Fire TV in March, but it has already received a staggering £450 discount for Prime Day. Have no fear, this has nothing to do with the quality; Amazon’s latest QLED offers a sharp and detailed picture with minimal fuss, as well as audio that defies expectations.

The TCL C6KS was already exceptional value for money at full price – we liked it so much we gave it a What Hi-Fi? Award – and now it’s available for even less. A good Mini LED at this price is hard to find, but the C6KS has a rare all-around ability thanks to its 160 dimming zones, support for all four HDR formats and user-friendly Google TV operating system.

Samsung has had a lot of competition in the budget TV market in recent years, but the 65-inch U8000F shows it can still do big-screen on a budget. The Standard mode is enjoyably punchy and bright, and there is a lot of smart TV content available in one great value package.

The TCL C7K is the current Award-winner for the best large-sized budget TV, thanks to more features than you have any right to expect for the money. For less than £720 now, you’ll get a 65-inch Mini LED with Quantum Dot colour and excellent gaming support. That’s before we even mention the 1008 dimming zones and support for all four HDR formats.

Previously known as the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED, the 65-inch Amazon Ember Mini-LED with Fire TV is a solid entry to the mid-range market with a sharp picture and excellent app support. And with an early Prime Day discount, it’s now quite the bargain.

MORE:

Best LG C5 deals for all sizes

And the best TVs for all budgets

Prime Day Predictions: The What Hi-Fi? team’s hopes, fears and dreams for Amazon Prime Day

Daniel Furn
Staff Writer, Deals

Daniel Furn is a staff writer at What Hi-Fi? focused on all things deal-related. He studied Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield before working as a freelance journalist covering film, TV, gaming, and consumer tech. Outside of work, he can be found travelling far-flung corners of the globe, playing badminton, and watching the latest streaming sensation (in 4K HDR, of course).

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