I've been reviewing TVs for 18 years, and there's one model I recommend over and over again

I started reviewing TVs way back in 2007, the year that LCD sales surpassed CRT for the first time.

I had, in fact, just upgraded from a Sony Trinitron CRT to an HD-Ready Toshiba LCD myself, though in hindsight I ponder just how much of an upgrade it really was.

I've honestly lost count of the number of TVs that I've tested in the 18 years that have passed since, but I suspect it must be 250+.

Inevitably, friends, family members and people down the pub are constantly asking me which TV they should buy, and over the last few years, my advice has remained pretty consistent:

Buy a C-series LG OLED.

Specifically, I recommend buying whichever C-series OLED is cheapest at the time, so right now, that would be last year's C4 rather than the new C5.

Sure, each year the C-series gets a little bit better, but the price gap between the new and previous model is usually too big to ignore.

Right now, for example, most versions of the C4 are available for roughly half the price of the equivalent C5.

I mean, just check out the current LG C4 prices:

Now, I'm not saying the C4 is necessarily the very best TV in the world (and, as a matter of fact, it's not the TV I use at home) – but I am saying it's the best TV for most people.

Several factors make this true:

• It's an OLED, and OLED provides much better picture quality than any other current mainstream TV technology, primarily due to the perfect blacks and pixel-by-pixel contrast control.
• Unlike the OLED TVs from most brands, LG's OLEDs are incredibly easy to get the most out of. Switch to Filmmaker Mode and turn the ambient light sensor on, and the TV will give you a great performance in pretty much all conditions.
• There are rivals that dazzle more, but the C4's picture is brilliantly balanced and consistent.
• With the C series, LG always squeezes the maximum out of the latest W-OLED technology, so it's brighter and crisper than the B series, but the price isn't inflated by the next-gen panel tech you get with the G series.
• LG OLEDs are always more heavily discounted than rival sets, so you get more TV for your money.
• Unlike a Samsung OLED, an LG OLED supports Dolby Vision.
• Unlike a Sony, Philips, Panasonic or Hisense OLED, a C-series LG OLED will have four HDMI 2.1 sockets, which is great for gamers.
• LG's OLEDs have the best selection of properly nativised and optimised streaming apps. In other words, every streaming service you want will be there, and it will work as it should.
• C-series LG OLEDs look really good and are amazingly light, which helps with setup and is great for wall mounting.

Not right for you? Here are some alternatives

There are, of course, times when a C-series won't work for a person. If that's the case, I ask them two questions:

• How big do you want to go?
• How much are you prepared to spend?

Then it's just a simple case of finding the best TV of the desired size that's within budget.

If the LG C4 is too expensive, I recommend seeing if a B4 is within budget.

If it isn't, then the Samsung Q80D is a great option.

If that's still too expensive, a TCL P755K is a great choice.

If a person is lucky enough to be willing and able to spend much more than the cost of a C4, I will usually push them towards a G4 unless they intend to make do with their new TV's built-in speakers.

In that case, it's got to be a Sony A95L or Panasonic Z95A.

But I always, always recommend budgeting for a dedicated sound system of some kind, as even the best budget soundbars tend to sound better than the most expensive TVs.

MORE:

Looking for more options? Here are the overall best TVs you can buy

Here's our LG C5 vs C4 comparison