We have extensively tested more than 90 products this year, including the best TVs from virtually all major brands. But which television is the best to buy? In this article we discuss the best LCD and OLED TVs from 2019 / 2020.
All about buying a television
With an ever-growing list of features, standards and terms, today it is not an easy task to find a to buy television. Everything depends on your own wishes and preferences, but to make the right choice it is useful that you know what all those terms mean, what the standards can mean for you and what exactly you can and can expect from the new television. That is precisely why we have created our guide with backgrounds about televisions filled with articles in which we explain various terms, give advice for buying a TV and indicate developments in the market.
We have expanded this page with various tips and advice. For example, in a video we explain what is important in the field of audio on your television and we show how you can best position your television . In addition, we tell you everything about HDMI 2.1 on the newest televisions and we delve deeper into the world of Dolby Atmos on televisions . Finally, we have written a new series about smart TV platforms this year, in which we discuss in detail Tizen OS WebOS and Android TV .
The best LCD and OLED TVs from 2019/2020
We have seen quite a few televisions this year, and we have extensively tested a large number of them. The overview below with the best televisions from 2019/2020 is determined by looking at our own reviews, experiences of other experts and readers, the developments in the market and the prices of the devices in question. We have not used any special order in the overview. In contrast to last year, we no longer make a distinction between LCD and OLED: both technologies appear in this list.
LG C9 OLED TV series
The LG C9 series is in appearance a simpler television than the top models of LG. It is a television for those who don’t care much about the design but just want a good oled TV. This model therefore has the same premium specifications as its more expensive brothers in the E9 and W9 series, including the 4K resolution and Dolby Vision support. In terms of audio quality you have to make do with simple built-in speakers. Are you looking for a sleeker design and better audio reproduction, then the E9 series and the W9 series are more expensive but still very good recommendations.
Conclusion from our review:
With the OLED65C9PLA, LG has established a very nice and good reference against which other OLED models will have to compete this year. To really complete the picture we would have liked to see HDR10 + in the list of HDR formats. That is immediately the most important comment we have. ThinQ AI still only partially works in Dutch, we hope to see this resolved this year. It is difficult to ignore the price, especially given the steep fall in prices of last year’s models.
The stylish C9 series has more than just the looks. The image quality is excellent in both SDR and HDR. The particularly good calibration guarantees impressive images. The second-generation Alpha9 processor builds well on last year’s performance, and delivers a number of small but handsome improvements: AI brightness enhances HDR display in a lot of ambient light, ‘smooth gradations’ efficiently removes most color bands, and dynamic tone mapping delivers clearer images . Basic performance is unchanged from last year, so LCD TVs continue to claim the brightness crown, but OLED remains the champion for contrast and black display. WebOS also got some small but well-chosen improvements, and it strengthens its place with the best smart TV systems.
Read on in the full LG C9 oled TV review .
Samsung Q90R series
The Samsung Q90R series is the flagship of the Korean manufacturer for 4K QLED TVs. The models in this series have an LCD LED panel with a quantum dot filter and are equipped with HDR10 + support, Direct Full array local dimming, a powerful processor, the Invisible Connection cable and an improved viewing angle. If you prefer the higher 8K resolution, then the Samsung Q950R series is interesting. These 8K models come in 55-inch to 82-inch formats, but you have to pay quite a bit extra for it.
Conclusion from our review:
Samsung continues to tinker with its QLED technology and you notice that. The new Ultra Wide Viewing Angle is the revelation of the year. An LCD with a viewing angle that can almost stand next to OLED. The special film does have a cost: the HDR color range is slightly reduced, although you will not notice it in practice. We especially regret the lack of Dolby Vision and Atmos on this set (Atmos can be passed on to an Atmos soundbar) and Samsung continues to make the image unnecessarily clear in HDR. We also note that Samsung is marketing the QE65Q90R considerably cheaper: the Q90FN started at 4,299 last year, the Q90R now starts at 3,699. That is of course expensive, but you also get the best LCD TV at home.
The new processor delivers improved dimming of the backlight, and with its 480 zones, the Samsung offers excellent contrast, with beautiful black detail. The color reproduction is excellent and image processing in general is particularly good. This Samsung leaves a very good HDR impression and also gamers are spoiled extensively. The many lifestyle features such as the One Connect box, Invisible cable, Ambient Mode and an extensive Smart Hub are all real added value.
Read more in the full Samsung Q90R series review .
Panasonic GZW954 OLED TV series
Panasonic launched four new OLED TVs on the market in 2019, including the GZW954 series (the GZ950 series in Belgium). These are not the top models in terms of design and audio, but in terms of image quality they are in no way inferior to the more expensive variants. The GZW954 series comes with a 4K OLED panel, the powerful HCX Pro processor, full HDR support (including HDR10 + and Dolby Vision) and My Home Screen 4.0. If you are looking for a slightly tighter design, then the GZW1004 is a good option, and if audio is important, we recommend looking at the GZT1506 or GZW2004 .
Conclusion from our review:
It is hard to find a real downside on this Panasonic GZW954 series. Now that we think about it, we would also like eARC and VRR on the HDMI connections. But as we already told earlier those features are only important for gamers or for very specific audio setups. Yes, the sound can be slightly better, but at normal volumes it performs well.
Pluses, this TV has it in abundance. Panasonic sets a clear reference with the TX-55GZW954. This is perfect color reproduction, this is almost perfect black detail. The device scores excellent on image processing, even in our most difficult test scenes. The peak brightness of the OLED screen is one of the best in the range. The device offers all HDR formats and is also practically perfectly calibrated in HDR. A fantastic result for the film fan, but also a beautiful screen for every television viewer, and even for gamers thanks to the very low input lag. The nice Smart Home 4.0 smart TV interface, double TV tuner and double CA slot are great extras. The price tag also gets our approval, in short a top TV!
Philips OLED934 oled TV series
The Philips OLED934 is the ‘little’ brother of the OLED984. Both devices, however, have exactly the same OLED panel, including 4K resolution, full HDR support (HDR10, HDR10 +, HLG and Dolby Vision), Android TV and of course the third generation P5 Picture Processor. Ambilight is also present; on three sides of the screen. The OLED934 comes with a small metal standard that incorporates a soundbar. This soundbar was developed by Bowers & Wilkins. Are you looking for an even more unique design with a standard that contains a large soundbar, then the OLED984 series is recommended.
Conclusion from our review:
The Philips 55OLED934 seems to us to be an excellent successor to the OLED903 with which the manufacturer highlighted its collaboration with B&W last year. The 65OLED984 may be the absolute top, the 55OLED934 brings that excellent sound to a more affordable level. In essence, you get an OLED804, and you pay an extra 500 euros for the Bowers & Wilkins soundbar. Is it worth the extra price? We think so, at least if audio is more important to you. Unfortunately, the weaknesses have remained: a somewhat cheap-looking remote, and an Android chipset that could still be better. Whether you like the design is of course a personal choice, the device catches the eye in any case.
The 55OLED934 delivers a very nice sound performance, with clear dialogues, sufficient muscle power for a good dash of music or a powerful soundtrack and an excellent Atmos result thanks to the upfiring speakers. In that respect he seems to us to succeed better in his task than the Panasonic GZW2004. The OLED screen and the P5 image processor ensure excellent image results, and thanks to support for HDR10 + and Dolby Vision you are assured of the best HDR content. Ambilight and Android TV neatly complete the offer.
LG 88Z9 8K television
4K is currently the standard and almost all new TVs found in stores offer this resolution. Nevertheless, we are already looking further to the next step: 8K. We have already tested several 8K televisions, but one model stood out in particular. If you have an unlimited budget, want a large screen and want to be at the forefront in terms of resolution, we recommend the 8K TV from the Z9 series from LG.
Conclusion from our review:
The price of this 88 inch giant (30,000 euros), we can be clear about that. The OLED88Z9PLA falls into the category “if you have to ask how expensive it is, then it is not for you”. The list of negatives is very short. LG still doesn’t support HDR10 +, we think that’s a shame. And it is still waiting for Dutch support for ThinQ AI. If we wanted to vitten, we would have expected slightly better basses from the sturdy furniture, but the sound is really good.
The image on this 8K OLED is absolutely impressive. Intense contrast, rich colors and excellent detail together with the large screen provide a fantastic experience. You quickly forget that you only get limited benefit from the real 8K detail as long as there is no 8K content. The LG delivers thanks to the Upgrader box and HDMI 2.1 connections with a full featureset also a reasonable path to the future. It always remains to be seen whether he can indeed support the future codecs, but in that respect he certainly has a head start on the competitors. Just like the Sony ZG9 and the Samsung Q950R, the LG Z9 is more a signboard of what the future offers, because for the average consumer the message remains that you should wait a few years. If the price is not an obstacle, then this OLED88Z9PLA really is a reference for those who want to get a big 8K image.
Read more in our LG 88Z9 oled tv review .
The best projector – BenQ W2700
Not everyone prefers a TV. The projector is also still on the rise, especially for those who prefer not to have a black surface on the wall and want to see a large image relatively cheaply. The BenQ W2700 is one of the better projectors we tested this year.
Conclusion from our review:
The BenQ W2700 is a nice evolution of the W1700, although there is still room for improvement. The light frame around the projection has largely disappeared, so that it no longer has a negative influence on the contrast. And thanks to the EcoSmart lamp or dynamic iris you can improve the contrast a bit. But especially the own contrast should be a little better to be a real hit. Because of the high input lag, gamers seem to stay better away from this model.
Still, this projector has a lot to offer. Ultra HD projection, it is also not with perfect detail, that is true with all pixel shifters. Excellent color reproduction and decent calibration (albeit a little less perfect than expected) ensure good images, which will quickly suck you into the story. The light output is sufficient for a screen of around 100 inches, even in ambient light. The contrast may have only slightly improved, but is now good enough for looking at darkening. The best improvement is in the HDR display. It received a very good tuning, so that the projector creates very compelling HDR images despite its limitations. The more than decent audio and media player are great extras, and the good price is the cherry on the cake.
Read more in our BenQ W2700 projector review .
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