If you're on the lookout for a 55-inch TV and are primarily concerned about price, then the LG G5 for £1499 or the Samsung S95F for £1499 are well worth a look. Both are five-star performers with flagship features.
But, if you can eke out £200 more from your budget, then we think you should get the Sony Bravia 8 II for £1699 at Richer Sounds.
At first glance, it might look like Richer Sounds is selling it for £1799, but if you add it to your basket and enter the code 'RSTV100' at checkout, you will get the extra £100 off.
The 55-inch Sony Bravia 8 II is what we've called "one of the very best TVs that money can buy". And luckily, with £800 off the launch price, it's a lot more affordable.
In our full review, we said, "The Sony Bravia 8 II is a truly exceptional TV. Its combination of sizzling brightness, vibrant colours through all degrees of light, terrific shadow detail and razor-like sharpness combine to produce an image with regularly astonishing dynamism, depth and realism."
The latest QD-OLED panel combined with Sony's processing and custom heatsink results in the Bravia 8 II being able to go 25 per cent brighter than its A95 QD-OLED predecessor in terms of peak brightness.
This is such a vibrant TV, in fact, that it dazzles with colourful content, such as the Spider-verse movies, while still delivering a supremely authentic picture. And it's easy to use, thanks to Sony's presets like Dolby Vision Dark, which we recommend for Dolby Vision content, or Professional for pretty much everything else.
What's even more impressive is how all of these elements combine with Sony's new AI processing to make the image look so much more solid and three-dimensional.
Sony has done amazing work on dark gradation, too, which simply means there's more shadow detail and ensures the finest elements of dark screens aren't lost.
All this led our expert testers to say: "Overall, the key to the Bravia 8 II’s success is balance. The colours are so vibrant, highlights so bright and edges so sharp, but nothing feels exaggerated or incorrect, which means you never feel as though you’re getting anything other than the very best versions of your movies and TV shows."
Sonically, the Bravia 8 II is also one of the best-sounding TVs we've tested, and that's thanks to the same Acoustic Surface Audio+ setup as the A95L, combining directness with impressive spaciousness.
Our TV & AV editor still recommends adding a dedicated sound system, something like the Sonos Arc Ultra, for example. But, if you're happy to stick with what the Sony Bravia 8 II has to offer, it's more than good enough for basic viewing.
Feature-wise, it's packed out. Of course, the QD-OLED panel is the top tier, but there's also support for Dolby Vision and Atmos, as well as being IMAX Enhanced certified. The standard HDR10 and HLG HDR formats are also on board.
If you're a gamer, while it supports 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM with a Dolby Vision Game mode, there are only two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets, and one of those doubles as an eARC port. For multiple devices, you're going to have to switch up cables.
Regardless, this is a phenomenal TV at a phenomenal price – just £1699 at Richer Sounds with code, which is seriously hard to argue with.
MORE:
Read our full 55-inch Sony Bravia 8 II review
Our pick of the best 55-inch TVs
We rate the best gaming TVs available right now
